High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news.
“I begin to hear an eerie chant being recited in unison as the first three naked women make it to the dark summit. Holding long, makeshift brooms, in their right hands, they chant: “Drink the flight broth, wood in hand. Burn the root …” An elderly woman with lanky hair picks up the goblet, takes […]
I’m not on holiday, she told herself, but it’s my first time out of Germany, and I’m not going to waste it. She’d wanted to help with the war effort, and now she had her chance. Even after the invasion, everyone back home still thought Germany would win—Hitler told them so, and the propaganda films […]
“What I’ve discovered through my own story and those of my clients is that your hands will tell you about you and your life. They will answer the big questions many people ask—Who am I at my core? Why am I here on the planet? What legacy am I meant to leave? What are my […]
American artist Patrick Stull has spent the last eighteen years mostly creating imagery about the lives of women. He searches for what lies beneath the surface of his subjects, empowering each one he encounters. He has recently ventured into the realm of surrealism, creating powerful imagery that reflects on our humanity while dealing with the […]
“At last he stepped back and admired his handiwork, perspiring heavily through his shirt from the effort. Exhilaration filled his body, keeping his muscles flexed and his heart pumping hard. He leaned against the shovel, a smile forming on his lips as he waited for his pulse to return to normal, and marveled at the […]
“Park remained in his position, looking into the easterly darkness and willing himself to catch a glimpse of light from the mainland. The tremble of the craft’s internal twin engines barking to life vibrated the soles of his boots. Moments later, the vessel moved forward. The last time he’d checked the nose of the forty-two-foot […]
“In the heat of a rage, a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder seems to be afraid of nothing. Maddox didn’t respond to typical parental requests, bribes, or threats. If we would yell, he would yell back, louder and meaner. “Go to your room” was never met with compliance, and running away from home was an […]
“Way to go slow, John. Senator Kennedy was shot. You and some other people were also wounded by the assassin.” “No, no, no!” I yelled. “Bobby was shot? No, not this time! This wasn’t supposed to happen! Assassin? Is Senator Kennedy going to be all right?” — From Dreams That Never Were by Greg Messel […]
“High Flying” is one of the most unique suspense thrillers I have read in a while. I highly recommended reading Kaylin McFarren’s story for intrigue, deception, kidnapping, and an excellent perspective of self-harm. – Carol Hoyer, Reader Views KAYLIN MCFARREN has received more than 45 national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious Golden Heart […]
While growing up, David Reiss was that weird kid with his nose in a book and his head in the clouds. He was the table-top role-playing game geek, the comic-book nerd, the story-teller and dreamer. Fortunately, he hasn’t changed much. David is a software engineer by trade and a long-time sci-fi and fantasy devotee by […]
“Too bad I’d just finished restoring my 1970, racing-green Volkswagen Karmann Ghia to its original, stock condition, because that car accident I wasn’t a little fender-bender. I was knocked unconscious, and the car was totaled. It looked like an accordion. You can’t drive an accordion. Since it wasn’t my fault, at least I got a […]
“He knew there was no sense in trying to get away, or in trying to fight with this droid. She was too fast, too strong. He had no weapon to use against her, and worst of all, he was in his underwear.” –From The Guild Saga by John Joseph Doody John Joseph Doody earned a […]
“A masculine, ungloved hand reached toward her. “I’m terribly sorry, miss. Entirely my fault. Are you hurt?” His accent was strange, American perhaps. Having no gloves on, she was hesitant to touch him, but there was no help for it. She couldn’t remain on her back like a turtle. The warmth of his skin traveled […]
“One November day, I stood at my bedroom window watching as a sharp wind stripped the remaining leaves from the trees. Seeing those limbs laid bare, I felt similarly exposed. I realized I’d been lost in my own life, waiting for something to change. But I couldn’t wait any longer. So I started fighting. Reclaiming […]
“IF YOU’VE BEEN dieting forever with very mixed results, then you’ve finally come to the right place. These lifestyle changes that I am recommending will be like no diet that you have ever attempted, so if you combine what I’m about to teach you with the proven methods that Dr. Joel Fuhrman teaches you in […]
“A shadow passed behind a tree, bigger than any animal. He propped himself up against a rock, too exhausted to move any farther, closing his eyes and waiting to die. He could see tomorrow’s headlines declaring his death as a mugging gone wrong.” –From The Desire Card by Lee Matthew Goldberg Lee Matthew Goldberg is […]
“Glory sat up sharply. A full minute passed before she stopped gasping and coughing. She had made some progress in controlling the duration of her illusions. Standing, she dusted herself off and picked up her cellphone. From what she could tell, she was underground in a place that resembled a dungeon carved from the rock […]
“Meridian couldn’t help but keep looking at the ghost. John took her by the hand and helped her walk to the back where the bathrooms were. John was kissing Meridian all over, and it was obvious that he wanted more. Relic and the rest of the guides, along with Luna, walked to the bathrooms and […]
“Tessier didn’t speak long but he spoke of the history surrounding the fishery in this part of the world and how many times they had been told it was a thing of the past, only to see it reclaim its place as part of the town’s on-going economy. “Ya can knock us down, b’ys, but […]
“Mattie frowned. It had been well over a year since last she had been in Germany. As a consequence, her reputation in Germany as ‘Hitler’s favorite foreign journalist’ was beginning to fade. The last thing she wanted to do was revive that by doing a story on the SA and the German Army, notwithstanding that […]
“Frank had gone from a crimes-against-persons detective to private detective when he retired from the Riverside Police Department. Jonas Peters had gone from homicide detective to falling into a bottle of Jack Daniels and then re-surfacing to finish a case which cost him a dear friend, along with many innocents. Fortunately, that story had a […]
“Horror seized Jesse by the throat and he gasped as he slammed on the brakes. The car went into an immediate spin, flying directly at Danny whose eyes went wide in the headlights. Jesse felt a thud against the back panel of the car. He screamed, the view from every window only blurred streaks of […]
“Sutter draped his arm over my shoulder and brought me close. “Bodies float, Chicago. They get washed ashore with the tides, especially with the big diesels churning up the water. Disposing of a body has to be done right. They have to be tied and weighed down and dumped out in the middle of […]
“Something moves among the birds, along the snowy lanes, skirting the light in favor of shadow. In Christmas Village, this night, a creature is stirring.” –From Slay Bells by T.C. Wescott T.C. Wescott was born in Missouri but has lived in Oklahoma most of his life. Like pretty much every author who has ever breathed, […]
“Horror seized Jesse by the throat and he gasped as he slammed on the brakes. The car went into an immediate spin, flying directly at Danny whose eyes went wide in the headlights. Jesse felt a thud against the back panel of the car. He screamed, the view from every window only blurred streaks of […]
“Up ahead, moonlight sparkled on marble-and-granite monuments to forgotten lives. The Mexican National Cemetery was cursed more than most. What did my countrymen expect when they threw a bunch of American bones in mass graves, including mine? Because I suffered my unresolved death and entered Nowhere from Mexico City, my dusty remnants were strewn here, […]
“I tiptoed past the Ministry of Interior, where red geraniums lined the building’s windows. In the secret prisons below, police tortured people with whips, limb crushers, nail presses, and scalding and freezing baths. Or else they just executed them. But the geraniums were always fresh.” –From Radio Underground by Alison Littman Alison Littman lives in […]
“I USED TO BE SOMEBODY—when Preston Howard walked down the street, kings and queens would move off to the curb. Okay, so that bit of paraphrased hyperbole, courtesy of George Thorogood, might qualify as excessive, but for sure, when I rode into town, mayors, city managers, and police chiefs became more than a little queasy […]
“Persuasion in NOT a call to action – it is a directed action. It is time to break up the myth that persuasion is a call to action. To “call” is to “invite.” This puts all the power in someone else’s hands. While to “direct” is to “control.” This is the ultimate way to give […]
“Someplace good, she realized as she crawled into bed. A holiday festival was bound to lure people to town. Who didn’t like fairs and festivals, especially holiday ones? She could see it now—the storefronts all lit up with multicolored lights, trees in the restaurants decorated with glittery shells and little lighthouses and mermaids, amusement rides […]
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