Hope's Light

Prologue & Chapter 1

by Erisian

Book 6

Part One

Prologue - Bargain

“Are you certain this is the right path?”

Two figures crept down a narrow underground passageway, shoes slipping across shallow puddles lining the curved concrete floor. Their coats, one jet black and the other a lighter brown, flickered in the weak light offered only by a white crystal held forward by the taller and much darker-skinned man.

“They didn’t provide a map, Callas. I told you the same instructions they told me, and your memory is as perfect as mine. If you think we’ve misapplied the sequence, you should’ve spoken up.”

“Hmm.”

“Can I sit down?” asked Casey.

“Please do. I’m finished here, and I have a team to brief. In case you have not noticed, the show opens in…?”
I looked at my watch.

CHAPTER 49
Sunlight was bright through the curtains, and my head was a little muzzy. I stretched to full length, and realised I wasn’t alone, and my T-shirt was gone. What… Oh. Right.

She started to stir as I moved, and then turned her head to look at me.

“Morning, you”

CHAPTER 48
She was warm, and as my chin settled onto the top of her head, I caught the simple scent of shampoo. Her arms went up my back to hook over my shoulders, and I felt her shudder a little, and I knew.

“No tears. Maz. Not tonight. Tomorrow, maybe, well, we have Sunday, all of it”

“Next weekend as well, Mike”

“Indeed”

“I… I brought some stuff with me. For tomorrow, if we do go out”

“What sort of stuff?”

Title

The New Girl at Uskweirs Manor

a pastoral romance by Miriam Robern

Girl Talk

Monmouthshire, May 1812

Ashbourne rapped on the bedroom door and gave Amelia the ghost of a smile. “It is the ungodly hour of… well, nearly noon, so there is a slight question as to whether my daughter is even out of bed.”

Title

The New Girl at Uskweirs Manor

a pastoral romance

by Miriam Robern

A Fateful House Party

Monmouthshire, May 1812

Miss Amelia Wright gained access to Uskweirs Manor by supplying a false name.  The attendant at the door dipped his head, murmured, “Of course, sir,” and gestured her within.

Being Samantha Masters

an homage-prequel to Being Christina Chase

It's the Only Way to Be Sure

“Samantha?” came a soft voice.  “Is that y— oh, honey, what happened?”  Arms encircled his shoulders and he didn’t even know who it was but he didn’t particularly care.  He just clutched back and cried all over her shoulder.

Mantra is cornered into a meeting with the last person she wants to meet in this violent ruin of a planet. But that same person is the one whom Mantra loves most in the world.

Sophia woke up feeling more refreshed than ever. Her deep and rejuvenating sleep had left her energized and excited for the day ahead. The soft morning light streamed through her cabin window as she stretched and yawned, casting a warm glow on everything it touched. The gentle sound of the ocean waves outside added to the tranquility of the moment.

CHAPTER 46
“Mike?”

“Er, hang on…”

I topped out on the overhang, then shuffled across to the easy descent holds, as Maz snorted with muffled laughter.

“What’s funny, woman?”

Helping Mum wasn’t as dire as it sounded. She took charge, which was only right since she knew a lot more about the running of her kitchen than me, and preparation for lunch took less than half the time it usually did. The happy bonus being that Mum calmed down rather than becoming her usual frazzled self. With twice as many hands available, it was easier to wash up as we went, so there wasn’t much in the way of dirties in the sink by the time we were ready to serve up.

The Christmas period was very quiet for me. That was a godsend as the last few days of the old company were pretty hectic, so a few days of chilling out in front of the TV, eating and sleeping was very welcome.

“Do you speak French?” he suddenly asked.

Pete's Vagina
57. Moving the Chain
by Erin Halfelven

After flubbing a powerful incantation, meant to give newly coronated Demon Queens the wisdom of their ancestors, Devilla Satanne awakens to memories of her past life as Jacob Divington, a human from Earth. Having gained a new perspective on life, she quickly comes to a rather horrifying conclusion: she's been a complete and utter brat! No wonder everyone hates her!

And then there's the fact that she's apparently been reincarnated as the villainess of Tower Conquest, a lesbian porn game with a surprisingly intricate plot. One in which the Heroine conquers Dimona Tower, turning Devilla's people against her in the process. In victory, the Heroine brings about a glorious age of peace between demons and humans for the first time in millennia. ...Which actually sounds pretty good for her people, come to think of it. Devilla knows her terrible behavior is beyond forgiveness, but maybe she can still make up for her past mistakes? She just needs to make sure the events of the game unfold correctly. Though there is one little detail she'd like to change - the part where Devilla herself is killed or enslaved!

The series cover was commissioned from https://twitter.com/HaizeUqei

Being Samantha Masters

an homage-prequel to Being Christina Chase

The Simple Version

Sammy followed Rowan inside, creeping after her as quietly as possible.  She made no such allowance for the late hour (or, rather, the early hour) and clomped up the stairs to her room.  She weaved slightly as she went, and Sammy wondered if the cause was inebriation or exhaustion; the girl had ample cause for both.

I had never enjoyed shopping more. My feet ached and we’d about doubled the mortgage on the house, but I had so much new stuff. We did just about manage to empty the back of the car in one trip when we arrived home, but only with both Mum and me carrying as many bags as would fit in each hand.

“What the hell is this?” Dad grumbled from his seat. The water on his table was untouched and there were a couple of extra beer cans beside the one I’d left him. Well, if he wanted to start Sunday with a hangover, that was his lookout.

Rose mingles with the people at the banquet. She keeps Sasha in sight, so she can talk to her. As for Ciarán, something about him was rubbing her the wrong way. It was a good thing she came prepared. She walks close to Ciarán and gently drops a small GPS tracker into his side pocket. She also scans his cell phone with hers.

While she is close to Ciarán, she listens in on what he is saying to some guy. They were talking about investments and the newest CEO of some company. Nothing that matters to her. She wasn’t into acquiring or having lots of money like her family.