‘Watchers and Other Stories’ by Alex Marchant A collection of new and previously published short stories Does the ghost of King Richard III roam the moors above Middleham Castle? What befell Francis Lovell at the Battle of Stoke? What if Juliet survived after Romeo’s death? Who is the real Milady de Winter? What will Drew discover inside the Tower of Shadows? And will a ‘son of Clarence’ help his cousin win the throne of England? All these questions and more may – or may not

‘Watchers and Other Stories’ by Alex Marchant A collection of new and previously published short stories Does the ghost of King Richard III roam the moors above Middleham Castle? What befell Francis Lovell at the Battle of Stoke? What if Juliet survived after Romeo’s death? Who is the real Milady de Winter? What will Drew discover inside the Tower of Shadows? And will a ‘son of Clarence’ help his cousin win the throne of England? All these questions and more may – or may not

CALL OF THE FALCONER Years of sickness, isolation and environmental corruption produced inhuman horrors. But everywhere—in every town—plenty of monsters were all too human, ready to reap the benefits of the obvious scapegoats. Still, there was one legendary wasteland monster that the children feared more than any of the real-life creatures. It was his name the adults invoked to inspire obedience in their misbehaving children. His tales bred fear in the hearts of all civilized

They arrived at Don Ameche’s Italian Restaurant eighteen minutes later. Milo stepped out of the car and hurried to open Miranda’s door. He held out his hand, strong and warm, and she placed hers in his. And as she got out, he brushed his thumb against her knuckles. Inside the entrance, the room glowed with amber lanterns and deep red tablecloths. Her eyes closed and her shoulders lifted as she inhaled the thick scent of garlic, basil, and freshly baked bread. Soft romantic mu

A TARNISHED LIFE – sample chapters PROLOGUE The afternoon was drawing to a close and the last rays of sunlight forced their way into the basement through the thick curtain of cobwebs covering the tiny window. Most of the room remained in the shadows, but as if on stage, the spotlight fell on the tiny, emaciated figure curled up on the filthy mattress. Instinctively, to protect her eyes from its harsh beam, the woman raised a thin arm towards the dust motes swirling in the air

Character Profile: Faith Bennett Main Character from the Supernatural Novel Beloved Sacrifice Born into a family of resilient Italian women with a mysterious ancestral legacy, Faith Bennett's seemingly idyllic life is about to unravel. What begins as an exciting new chapter quickly becomes a terrifying journey into the supernatural when long-buried family secrets reveal a centuries-old curse inspired by a real family legend. Style Faith Bennett embodies the quintessential Sou

“And they’re off!” shouted the commentator as the horses bolted from the start. There were 40 horses battling to be the winner of The Grand National. The spectators all with their posh suits and beautiful hats looked on as the horses jumped over the first hurdle. “Arghhhhhhh!” the commentators shouted as two horses fell, throwing their jockeys to the ground, each rolling into the smallest ball they could. The remaining horses kept going up the racecourse bumping into each oth

Burning of Sins Book 4 (story 6) of Metal Embers Chapter 6 Clara “There are a couple of people still here, but I’m heading out before the weather hits,” Clara said to Ron, the cook and owner of Clear Rock Diner. “Yeah, see you in a few days. I know you get pretty trapped up there,” Ron answered, coming out from the back. “There aren’t a lot of people left here anyway.” Clara waved as she headed toward her truck. The temperatures had dropped quite a bit, and she could feel the

Packhorse Bridge, World's End, Sowerby, Thirsk WORLD’S END – PART ONE When my youngest brother died on 15th August, 2012, only 3 months after being diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer and given 6-9 months to live, I truly thought it was the end of the world. He’d always been my rock. When we were together, all we did was laugh. After the cremation, we scattered his ashes into the Cod Beck from the Packhorse Bridge at World’s End. Every year since 2012, on 15th August, I bu

CHAPTER 1 ARTISTS There are no records of who the artists of the prehistoric eras were, but studies of ethnographers and cultural anthropologists indicate that women often were the principal artists in Neolithic cultures. They created pottery, textiles, baskets, painted surfaces and jewelry. Collaboration on large projects was typical. Further research into the artwork and skills of the Paleolithic era suggests that these cultures were similar. Even cave paintings often have