The Brooding Stranger

A shocking proposition! Karen Ford is seeking refuge from her past when she rents a cottage in Ireland. She has no intention of getting involved with any man—especially not the brooding stranger she meets one fateful day… Unfortunately there's no getting away from Gray O' Connell—the reclusive businessman turns out to be Karen's landlord! Gray is known for his coolly aloof behaviour, so Karen's startled when her rugged neighbour makes her a shockingly intimate proposition…

Nine stand-alone stories united by the fact that the protagonist in each is a prisoner, not one confined by iron bars or walls, but by his life, the residue of his childhood, and the burden of "potential." Each is like a clown, made up to fit an image, each day a performance, unable to escape this role.

There once was this boy I loved very much. He would leave a rose on my doorstep on my birthdays and on the anniversary of the day we met. I don’t know what happened to him. I lost my memory and my ability to speak after a horrendous hit-and-run accident. A different boy shows up like clockwork at the bar I bartend at, but he’s not a boy. He’s all man. Tall. Imposing. Brooding. Guns for arms. Doesn’t speak a lick to me. He stares at me from his dark corner with this intensity, as though I should know him. Do I? What secret does he hold in that sinfully hot body of his? I’m willing to give up on ever seeing the boy I once loved for time with the man who could have the answer for what’s missing from my life. Where did the boy I loved go? Second chance romance, alpha male romance, amnesia romance, short romance story

The Black Stranger is a fantasy short story by American author Robert E. Howard that features the sword & sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian on his adventures. Excerpt: "Thirty axemen raced down toward the beach, brawny men in sleeveless tunics, their axes gleaming in the sun. The manner of their lord had suggested a possibility of peril in that oncoming ship, and there was panic in their haste. The splintering of the timbers under their flying axes came plainly to the people inside the fort, and the axemen were racing back across the sands, trundling the great oaken wheels with them, before the Zingaran ship had dropped anchor where the pirate ship had stood."

This early work by Bertram Mitford was originally published in 1896 and we are now republishing it as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'The Sign of the Spider' is a novel about a man who leaves his wife to go and earn his fortune in South Africa but runs into trouble with a native tribe. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

Most teens already know what wealth and just-plain-fun books contain. What is sometimes missing is the encouragement to make time for reading in the middle of a busy life. Getting excited about books is contagious, and so is the reading habit. The whole family needs all the encouragement it can get, especially teenagers. Read for Your Life is more than inspiration to read. Gladys Hunt discusses how to read a book, what makes a good book, what questions to ask, and how to discern between good, better, and best. She has a way of making you want to read, while helping you to make the most of the opportunity. To help you choose what to read, Barbara Hampton has reviewed more than 300 books. Her recommendations run the gamut from classics like A Tale of Two Cities to contemporary fiction like A Ring of Endless Light; from literary greats like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alan Paton to moderns like Katherine Paterson and Chaim Potok. The book contains - Pointers on becoming a more perceptive reader - Tips on how to enjoy poetry, fantasy, and fiction - An annotated list of over 300 book recommendations - Hundreds of plot synopses - A complete index to authors and titles.