Modern Fiction

We may not realize it as we listen to the soundtrack of our lives through tiny earbuds, but music and all that it encompasses is disappearing all around us. In this fable-like story, three musicians from around the world are mysteriously summoned to Nashville, the Music City, to join together with Victor to do battle against the "Phasers", whose blinking "music-cancelling" headphones silence and destroy all musical sound. Only by coming together, connecting, and making the joyful sounds of immediate, "live" music can the world be restored to the power and spirit of music.

Oldest story in the book: boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy screws up massively, girl tells boy to suffocate in the fruits of his very own unborn children. Heard it before? I'm sure you have. So what's so different about this story? Well, it's about me, The Modern Gentleman, New York City's top advice columnist, and my rather ungraceful downfall from my pristinely polished pedestal. It's about a girl I met who threw all my proven theories to the wind and left me awkward, needy, and absolutely head-over-wing-tipped shoes in love.

A suspicious death at the Koenig Estate has everyone talking. Stormy Day was there when it happened, and she alone holds the key to solving the mystery. With a little help from her friends, including those on the police force, everyone's favorite small-town sleuth, Stormy Day, won't stop until justice is served.

I fell for a woman for the first time in my life. I never thought the winds of Montana could carry in a storm like Isha George. She's stunningly beautiful. Years younger than me. Definitely a gold digger. She's charming, elegant—and my younger brother's girlfriend. When Isha sweeps into my life, I'm sure she's a tempest hiding behind a smile as bright as sunshine. And, she has her eyes on the prize—a piece of the Ledger Ranch. My ranch. So, I do what any good brother and ranch owner would. I steal her away and then proceed to break her heart.

Once upon a time.... There is a girl with skin as fair as ivory and hair as black as night. She was the apple of her father's eye, but now that he has died, someone wants to dip that apple into poison. Advised to flee, Ivory escapes her elite world in New York City and stumbles into a place she didn't know existed. A modern-day princess, afraid and lost on the dark streets, running for her life. Ivory White has no one to call, nowhere to turn. All she has is a random number scrawled on a torn napkin. She calls. He answers.

It is autumn 1981 when inconceivable horror comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenager is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last—revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day. But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door—a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd.

In this captivating dual narrative novel, a modern-day woman finds inspiration in hidden notes left by her home’s previous owner, a quintessential 1950s housewife. As she discovers remarkable parallels between this woman’s life and her own, it causes her to question the foundation of her own relationship with her husband - and what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal society.

To the world Mrs Copplefield is the epitome of Victorian propriety: an exemplary society lady who writes a weekly column advising young ladies on how to be better wives. Only Adeline has never been a good wife or mother; she has no claim to the Copplefield name, nor is she an English lady. Now a black woman, born in Africa, who dared to pretend to be something she was not, is on trial in the English courts with all of London society baying for her blood. And she is ready to tell her story.

Whenever Selina asked about her late father, the grandmother who raised her changed the subject. The chance discovery of a photograph gave Selina hope that he was still alive and sent her searching for him on a small Spanish island. In this lush paradise, Selina found George Dyer, a writer who would help her solve the mystery of her past...and might hold the key to her future.

Gray Rutherford had it all—a thriving business, a luxurious home, and a family he adored. Yet, when his wife Rose leaves him after twenty years of marriage, he's forced to face the bitter truth: he's taken her devotion for granted. Confronted with his failings, Gray embarks on a desperate journey to reclaim the love of his life and prove that she is indispensable to him.

Charlie Avery wanted some purpose in life...but never expected that direction would lead her into the arms of a man with a secret. When Charlie arrives in Ireland, she's hoping to find direction. Instead, she feels more lost than ever. That is, until she meets the mysterious Aiden who offers her the adventure of a lifetime. The only catch? She has to pretend to be his girlfriend at a family wedding. A Royal Wedding. Aiden, the second eldest prince of Lochland, is used to being recognized, so when he meets Charlie and realizes she thinks he’s a normal guy, he takes a chance and invites her...

When a freak accident hospitalizes Marty Golden's sister and condemns him to babysitter duty, he thinks it's just another case of hardwired bad luck in Silicon Valley. Until a suspicious murder suggests the mishap was no mere coincidence. Something must be done. Too bad this quirky, fashion-backward uncle isn't exactly hero material. Convinced his sister is in mortal danger, he follows clues to an oddball array of suspects. Armed with nothing but an eye for detail and powers of self-delusion, Marty tangles with gangsters, a cantankerous school secretary, and a perplexing woman.

Val is expanding her horizons as she settles into her new abode. Her jewelry business is taking off, and she's also found a pub or two for relaxing. Plus, she's got the bodyguard business, and the occasional bouncing gig. Busy dwarf! She's also learning the art and science of having friends. One of them, Stella, will be moving, which forces Val to make a choice. Has she finally found a world that will accept her? Does she want to make it her home? Then Anne, her first client who is now a friend as well, calls her about another protection job, and she can't say no.

What does a girl do after she discovers her fiancé is a cheating bastard? In my case, I performed the ritual implosion of all scorned women. I drowned my sorrows in cases of white wine, wallowed in gallons of ice cream, and ignited a bonfire to burn away every damn remnant of his existence. Six months later, the only result was a permanent impression of my ass on the couch. Adventure Dating, my friends dared. I thought they were crazy, but I’m not one to back down from a challenge, so I signed up for the entire four-week deal. That’s where I saw him. Lucas Cummings.

I want a wife who knows what it means to live off the grid, cook my food, and keep my bed warm. In exchange, I'll give her a lifetime of happiness in the form of my cock. But damn, Everly's more than I bargained for, and I don't think she has any idea what it means to be mine. Hell, I wanted a wife, but I'm not sure I know how to live with a woman.

Alex Fletcher, Iraq War veteran, has read the signs for years. With his family and home prepared to endure an extended period of seclusion, Alex thinks he's ready for the pandemic. He's not even close. The unstoppable H16N1 virus rapidly spreads across the United States, stretching the fragile bonds of society to the breaking point. Schools close, grocery stores empty, fuel deliveries stop, hospitals start turning away the sick...riots engulf the cities.

At 27, Virginia Keile had been through the most intense experiences life had to offer - a magical first love ending in heartbreak, a suitable marriage, motherhood, and widowhood. All she wanted now was to take her daughter and son to a seaside cottage in Cornwall and help them recover. But Virginia's true love was there, waiting, hoping, praying that this time she would be strong enough to seize happiness, in The Empty House.

Pain is Dymitr’s calling. His family is one in a long line of hunters who sacrifice their souls to slay monsters. Now he’s tasked with a deadly mission: find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. To reach her, Dymitr must ally with the ones he’s sworn to kill. Pain is Ala’s inheritance. A fear-eating zmora with little left to lose, Ala awaits death from the curse she carries. When Dymitr offers her a cure in exchange for her help, she has no choice but to agree.

City of Time and Magic sees Xanthe face her greatest challenges yet. She must choose from three treasures that sing to her; a beautiful writing slope, a mourning brooch of heartbreaking detail, and a gorgeous gem-set hat pin. All call her, but the wrong one could take her on a mission other than that which she must address first, and the stakes could not be higher. Xanthe must follow the treasure that will take her to him if he is not to be lost forever.

Frankenstein is infused with some elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement and is also considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Includes introduction and commentary by Mary Shelley. Required reading for any fan of science fiction and horror genres. A classic.