Grownupreads Stories

Dana Halliday is a veterinarian nearing a personal crossroads. Burned out at her job, recently divorced, and having lost her favorite dog, she longs for her life to change. Little does she know, she is about to receive an out-of-this-world job offer from a long-absent friend, and her life will change more than she ever dreamed possible... Now complete, and followed by the sequel Indentured! **1st Place in Sci-Fi-The Moon Phases Awards 2019** **3rd Place in Sci-Fi-The Brewing Flair Awards** **3rd Place in Sci-Fi-The Black Cat Awards 2019**

Jack Hansard is the man who can sell you anything. Luck in a bottle, fame in a box, dreams on a leash, you name it: if he doesn't have it, he'll convince you he has something better. He's a trader on what's known as the Black Market - the occult Black Market, that is. If you're in need of that extra special something to curse your ex-lover or win your fortune, Hansard's the man to go to. Just make sure you check the 'best before' date on anything you buy. This is Season 1 of the Jack Hansard short story series - each Episode is a separate story, but follows an overarching plot much like a TV series. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! Please do not copy or distribute this work without the author's permission. Cover art by Dominique Lane: http://domlane.weebly.com/

Driving home after a bad day, Danielle "Dan" Lent is transported from her car into a subterranean laboratory. Confused and disoriented, she has no choice but to trust the stranger Ric, who claims to be a time agent. He recruits Dan to investigate illegal time travel. However, Dan finds herself caught in a loop of time switches, thrown back and forth between the lab and a rainy parking lot where a stray border collie offers her company. Desperate to find a way home, Dan tries to figure out why she has become the pawn of criminal forces-and why her name and scientific work seem to be so important a few centuries down the line. With the help of Ric and her new dog friend, Dan sets out to untangle the twisted timelines. In a race against time, she is risking everything she has-her life, love, and future.

Minerva takes a nighttime flight with an old lover. Written for the 2023 Ladies of HP Monthly Minifest.

Gerry, I love you. There. It's out, in the open between us. After all my soul searching it was easy to say. Especially easy as there is no chance that you will ever receive this letter...

The resistance begins with a camera lens. With The Elimination Game reduced to ashes, Daniel and Sasha should be celebrating. Instead, they're on the run from bloodthirsty Watchers. They seek refuge at the underground compound of the Destroyers, a resistance group determined to dismantle the violent Watcher regime. But is the battle-hardened duo ever truly safe? **THE COMPLETE WATCHERS TRILOGY** Book 1 - WATCHERS (Watty Award winner 2018) Companion Novella - KILLERS Book 2 - FIGHTERS (Wattpad Featured Pick) Book 3 - DESTROYERS

A gay Roman love story, based on one of the many myths about St Valentine. One of the winning entries for the Ethereal Valentine contest.

Using powers can age you, kill you...or drive you mad. Ian Sharp knows none of this when his destructive powers wreck his house near Denver and nearly kill his sister...because no one knows powers exist. He's forced on the run the day before graduation as the ruthless Hunters of a vicious shadow government track him down. Soon, he finds himself in a hidden, underground city built by giants before the great flood. A city full of people with special abilities. But Ian is drawn to the only one without powers-Abby Pierce. Just when the two are growing closer, a Hunter spy frames Ian for murder, getting him exiled. Ian must risk his sanity and depend on an insane teleporting monk to help him find the city again before Abby falls victim to cold-blooded murder. ----- The science, archaeology, theology, and history in the Winter's Edge series are real, except in regard to the direct backstory of the two fictitious underground city. Little-known truths about the world are exposed in the book series with solid, irrefutable evidence from mainstream scientific researchers. Book one gives the readers one large dose of this, but the future novels in the series will truly leave the readers speechless. Told through the eyes of Ian Sharp and Abby Pierce, Winter's Edge is an action adventure urban fantasy for teens and adults alike. Whether it's mystery, twists, a love story, deep philosophical discussion, humor, or loads of tension you're seeking, Winter's Edge delivers it all in a serious yet sometimes hilarious package. ----- [#152 Highest rank in Adventure] [Winter's Edge Series Book 1: This book is fully written, but only one chapter a week will be posted on Fridays and a bonus chapter from time to time, as well.] I'm very responsive to comments, so let me know what you think! #Badassreads #InToAction #grownupreads #teenreads #rebelwars #EWA2018 #YourTrulyAwards

Anthology of short fiction inspired by the songs of #DavidBowie (See second chapter for submission guidelines)

Sandrine has devoted her life to the Order of Charon, an organisation responsible for countless deaths. After almost a decade of faithful service, she is given a mission which forces her to question the very purpose of the Order and her place within it. "Abhorrent Practices" is a fantasy adventure, which examines the issue of assisted suicide. That's not why you should read it though. You should read it because it's fun, too. (No, it is - really!) :-) Story, characters, names and all original elements: (C) David A J Berner. All rights reserved. Illustrations including all preparatory sketches: (C) E.C. Nickel. All rights reserved.

Henning Dietzel--at the urging of a Chilean prostitute--investigates rumors of gold in California prior to the 1849 rush. Intrigued he heads to the Gold Country to stake his claim. When others flee a brutal winter, Henning perseveres, and by the time the Forty-Niners arrive, he's already a wealthy young man. His saga is a sweeping tale of fortune and misfortune, discovery and tragedy, love and loss. From the backwaters and boardrooms of early San Francisco to malaria infested jungles and a guano island off the coast of Peru, Henning's search for meaning and purpose eventually brings him to realize that all that glitters is not necessarily gold. --------------------------- Read the first 25 pages on Wattpad! To read more go to: https://www.hellgatepress.com/product/playing-chess-with-god-a-novel-verne-r-albright/

Val wakes up with a nerve-wrecking surprise by her side. Follow her in this short story to find out about how she fixes yet another mess she has made. ⚠ WARNING: Contains strong language.

Coming from a mysterious past, Leland Wilde turns avenger to right the wrongs of legal technicalities with his own unforgiving form of justice. When Belle Dagger shows up asking for help in righting a wrong done to her, Leland wars with his perception of himself and the rules he has set up to survive the brutal life he has created: don't trust anyone, care for even fewer, and villains don't get backstories.

A child is left alone to fend for herself. Flash fiction

An #OpenNovellaContest (#ONC) Ambassador Pick! Eleanor and Lydia, book 1 Armed with knitting needles and a fantastic playlist, Eleanor and Lydia set off to solve The Mystery of Novak Manor. Eleanor Albright is a spritely ninety-year-old ex-detective with more than a few skeletons in her closet and a grim determination to keep them there by hiding from the world. Her great-granddaughter Lydia is twenty-two- years old and sorely misunderstood by the world. After all, just because a girl dresses in all black and listens to My Chemical Romance doesn't mean she lacks vision or hope. Well... maybe hope. When Lord Novak calls Eleanor from his castle in a tiny, beautiful Eastern European nation with a desperate plea for help, she agrees, with mixed emotions, to come out of retirement and she talks Lydia into serving as her assistant. Now the two women must find the truth about the fearsome ghost that's haunting Novak Manor before the "ghost" finds the legendary secret treasure with the power to bring the monarchy to its knees.

Sherry, Deedee, and Angie are the reigning ladies of Caldwell Cove. When their elderly neighbor, Miss Ellie, dies suddenly, the town believes it was of natural causes after a life well lives. But the ladies know that no life well lived is without secrets, and Miss Ellie's death is unraveling them all. Can the ladies solve the mystery of Miss Ellie's demise before their perfectly curated lives unravel as well? Based on ONC 2023 Prompt 15: Three women. Three Secrets. Three tangled lives.

Carlos, the caretaker of a vending machine, realises that it's not an ordinary machine - it sells luck. What happens next? Will Carlos's life remain the same? Read about the emotional roller-coaster ride Carlos goes through.

(TOP FIVE WINNER!!) Patrick Morgan didn't usually invite strangers home, but when he saw Harlan camping out in the space terminal, he was prepared to make an exception. Breaking the rules seemed like a good idea at the time, but then- My entry for the Open Novella Contest 2019. Using prompt 4 under 'Romance'. LGBT romantic sci-fi

Death is not the end for those strong in the force, but where is Padmé? As I, Lord Vader, await judgment for the crimes I've committed in life and in the spiritual realms of the force, I tell the true story of the events of my life, and most importantly, reveal the true character of the woman I love, a woman whom some fear more than me--the murderous, vengeful Queen of Naboo: Padmé Amidala.