Four strangers are trapped in an elevator and forced to reveal details about their most malicious deeds within the hour to prevent a fall to their death. But as secrets are exposed, tension escalates, leading to a reality no one is prepared for. ***** Tasha Pierce receives an anonymous invitation she believes is from her ex-boyfriend hoping to see her in the high-rise building where he resides. But upon ascending in the elevator with three strangers, one of them hits the emergency stop and demands they share details of their most malicious deed within the hour to prevent falling several stories to their death. As secrets are revealed and the hour closes in, who the people are and why they are trapped in a precarious elevator together soon becomes the least of her worries. ***** ONC Prompt 56: You are on a typical awkward elevator ride with a group of other people, and suddenly someone says, "So, I bet you are wondering why I've gathered you here," before hitting the emergency button. ***** | ONC 2023 Round 1 Ambassadors Pick | Copyright©2023 by L.L. Sanders

*Companion to Uriel* Tristan Lyons is hiding out in Haywood, adjusting to his new life as a former paladin and alleged traitor to the crown. But as he trains with the rebel forces, the kingdom falls into chaos, ripped apart by devastating attacks and backstabbing politicians. With Sam and Braeden overseas in Rhea, now Tristan must decide on his own who his real friends are and who is the enemy.

*Sequel to Paladin* The kingdom of Thule stands on the brink of civil war between two armies -- the Paladins and the Uriel -- each claiming the right to serve as Thule's protector. Once a Paladin trainee, Lady Samantha of Haywood -- Sam -- has been named a traitor to king and country by the Paladins' High Commander, with a bounty set on her head. Only Sam and her friends know what the people of Thule do not: the High Commander is no ordinary man but something more--something evil. The supposed military hero holds a dark alliance with the demons that have ravaged mankind for millennia, commanding them as easily as he does his men. Worse, he can control Braeden, Sam's half-demon lover, through blood magic long thought extinct. Sam and Braeden set sail across the sea in hopes of finding a way to nullify the High Commander's power. But the secrets they uncover reveal Thule faces an even greater threat. They must return to Thule and warn the Uriel...before it's too late.

The door wasn't there that morning. But now it was. And Steven couldn't help but step through. So why is he at the hotel, and why does that man look and sound so much like him? And why does the touch of another suddenly make him want to vomit? - This story originally appeared in the fantastic Sun Kissed Fantasy anthology, hosted by the genuinely wonderful @RebeccaSky! Check out the other amazing stories here: https://www.wattpad.com/289805056-sun-kissed-a-fantasy-anthology-the-door-by-shaun It's actually based in the One King West Hotel in Toronto, where I stayed when visiting Wattpad HQ and the walk Steven takes is the walk to the HQ offices. It was while having breakfast just as Steven does in this story that I came up with the idea.

In the near future, the world and planet Earth have changed a lot, but not quite as we imagined. Professor Tempéra Akheeli is an artificial birth and genetic engineering specialist whose passion for his research takes him beyond everything he never believed in as a learned man of his time in the early 2080's. "At the Twilight of Mankind" is an atypical original Mystery Science Fiction story to read with a curious and open mind. Dedicated to all those before me who had the courage and the audacity to open the doors of the impossible for themselves and the following generations. Their stories have inspired many beyond the supposed boundaries of human possibilities and imagination. COPYRIGHTS © Beatrice Severien

Sam is the most promising swordsman among this year’s crop of Paladin trainees...and knows it. Brash, cocky, and unbeatable with a sword (well, almost), Sam is the kingdom of Thule’s best hope against the violence wrought by demons. The only problem is that Sam is really Lady Samantha, daughter of the seventeenth Duke of Haywood, and if her father has his way, she’ll be marrying a Paladin, not becoming one. But Sam has never held much interest in playing damsel-in-distress, and so she rescues herself from a lifetime of boredom and matrimonial drudgery. Pity that Tristan Lyons, the Paladin assigned to train her, is none other than the hero of her childhood. He hasn’t recognized her as Lady Samantha--yet-- but if he does, he’ll take away her sword and send her packing. Sam is not the only trainee hiding secrets: Braeden is a half-demon with a dark past that might be unforgivable. Sam, Braeden and Tristan set out for the western coast, charged with rooting out an infestation of demons that has made the West unlivable. As they travel, they uncover a deep-seated corruption of power that threatens to derail everything they stand for. Rebellion stirs, led by a rival faction of warriors who tempt Sam to join them with an irresistible offer. A war between men is coming, and Sam must pick a side. Will saving the kingdom cost her life -- or just her heart? Reminiscent of Mulan, but with a medieval fantasy twist, Paladin is a tale of adventure, action, and romance.

Ty, a shift manager with an alcoholic wife, creates a female replicant in a dystopia veering toward full mechanization. For Ty, the surreal drudgery of working in a retail environment is interrupted when robotic interfaces are installed at his job. Any protest of the machines will prompt Prominents to place him in a re-education program, and that's if he's lucky. In an effort to distract himself from a failing marriage, Ty becomes obsessed with the idea of a printing a live composite. In a botched job, he ends up printing a female version of himself. Thanks to his clone, Samantha (or Sam as she insists being called), Ty and his family are in danger of being jailed by Prominent forces. A dangerous life of hiding in plain sight is nearly impossible to pull off, especially when Sam strays from simple Prominent edicts by dating a woman. Ty's reality begins to unravel and he is forced to new truths, all while coming to terms with the full-force of mechanization and violence that surrounds him. [Previously FEATURED] [WON FIC AWARD FOR BEST SCI-FI NOVEL] (EDITING, FEEL FREE TO POINT STUFF OUT) [FEATURES CHARACTERS FROM "THE DARK"] ***One of four Honorable Mentions for the Diverse Writer and Diverse World Grants from The Speculative Literature Foundation***

WATTY'S 2017 NEWCOMER AWARD WINNER: What would you sell yourself for? Madeline knows. She's spent the last eighteen years impatiently waiting for her Auctioning so she can sell herself to MERCE Solutions Limited for a hundred thousand credits. But when the Auctioneer fails to call her and two suits show up at her doorstep, Madeline discovers there are far worse bargains to be made. So when your loved ones are in danger, there's a bounty on your head and your entire city might turn out to be a lie... what would you sell yourself for? "An action-packed cyberpunk thriller in the vein of Phillip K. Dick." ~ KISA WHIPKEY, REUTS PUBLICATIONS "A book that shakes you to the core and makes you take a close look at the world around you." - A DROP OF INK REVIEWS Updated every Wednesday and Saturday (Australian Time). Published under the pen name Lee S. Hawke and available in full on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo and Nook.

Six stories. Six situations. Six dark secrets. Colorful casts. Captivating worlds. Crazy conclusions. Humanity rises and falls. Some folks set the world on fire, others burn, many don't care what they do as long as something more powerful tells them what's right or wrong. The question is whether it is in our nature to defy our nature, whether it is a good thing, or whether we should know when to stop... Available stories include: * DUPES: Clones vs. cannibals: who will win?! * THE DEUS ISLANDS: A prison ship on its way to a penal colony is jeopardized by the presence of a sinister supernatural entity. * SEEKING SENSATION (ONGOING): A young woman searching for her missing sister becomes acquainted with (and suspicious of) the charismatic employee of a social media platform that allows users to relive other people's memories. If you are a fan of dark sci-fi anthologies such as Black Mirror and Love Death + Robots, then this is the book for you!

{Sample} A queer, slow-burn steamy gothic horror novel about rediscovering yourself after trauma--with kinky, blood-drinking immortals and polyamory. ~ He gripped her red locks firmly and pulled her head aside, baring her neck. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin, causing goosebumps to rise. "I may own your body, but it's your soul that I want." ⚜ After losing hearth and home, Meya attempts to escape the traumatic memories by travelling east. In 13th century Tristanja, however, it's not safe to be alone. A local slave trader catches wind of the kinless woman and abducts her in the dead of night. Beaten and abused, the now meek Meya is sold to Lord Deminas. He's known to be cruel, yet becomes strangely protective of his new chambermaid, punishing anyone who dares hurt her. After cutting her to drink her blood, he even uses his own to heal her wounds. Meya and her paramour wonder if Deminas' dark secret is why servants regularly vanish, including the lord's previous chambermaids. However, the two women quickly learn that Lord Deminas isn't the only danger lurking in the castle's shadows. ~*~ A published version, containing exclusive 🔥 content, is available via shimaira.com Note: This story takes place in the same universe as the Lucius series. Still, they are both standalone.