An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Hell and Noise!
I came to live here in peace, what do I get?
My Generation? Listen to them.
I thought I had found heaven. Living on a dairy farm a full fifty miles away from the torture of New York seemed like a paradise. It was.
Now what is going on? I stirred, shaken awake, the normally peaceful surroundings were now alive with action, bustle and people, trucks and tons of equipment. What is it all for? Birds no longer sang.
The last couple of days were bad enough, people were moving things, big things. The noise started early, banging, drilling and worst of all, shouting.
It soon dawned on me that worse was to come. They had erected stages. More people, this time not only scruffy but filthy too. The men’s hair was long and unkempt, the women’s hair was croppedand ugly. Admittedly, they were all working hard.
Banging drums, thrashing about with electric guitars and the endless ‘Hello, hello, testing, testing’, with microphones. What is wrong with these folk?
Later there were endless processions of people parading up and down in my, my field. Lugging bags, backpacks and hookah pipes. Have I gone crazy or has the world?
A gorgeous young thing, still a teenager I guess, laid out some nylon, aided by a slightly older man, together they constructed a garish blue and green tent.
“What would her mother think?” I asked myself.
Talking to myself is something I got used to. Now, I wouldn’t have it any other way, I even answer myself.
The V for victory was being flashed by people passing. Funny that, we didn’t see much victory in Viet Nam.
I had spent most of my time looking after people who could no longer, or had no intention of raising their fingers. War does that.
Occasionally I put soldiers out of their misery.
Richie Havens’ name was being screamed, who the hell is he? I wonder if he could play some Wagner instead? I doubt it. This gets worse.
Explosions of bad temper regularly disrupted my early life, fiery outbursts I thought these tantrums were behind me. It seems not. I used to kill things, pets at first, the hamsters were passedoff as ‘not understanding how to care for them’, but the puppies were takenmore seriously, I had to go to a special school. I was the only sane one there, and that included the teachers.
Rage is bubbling and boiling under my skin. ‘What have I done to deserve this?’
My mind flitted back to Saigon. My family had decided it was better for all who knew me, that I serve my country. They drafted me into the medical corps. I served as a nurse, a wonderfully fitting job.
We saw a lot of pain, often caused by stupidity. Being smart and not wanting to be a hero, I remained well away from the action.
Lysergic acid diethylamide, you will know as LSD, or commonly Acid was lockedin our hospital lockers. We saw lots of it, not by soldiers ‘having fun’ but combatants taking it under an order, or prisoners who unknowingly had some white powder added to their food. Our special forces were fearless, we, as medics knew why. They were givenpower drinks.
Prisoners, both enemy and our guys, spewed out information, without painful encouragement. What are the ‘slants’ planning? Who were the ‘peace and loving’ GIs in our force? The guys that needed reminding why they were there.
The man passed her a joint, she took it, sucking hungrily, “Man, the music gets better.”
“Yes, I will get some Acid. You don’t mind do you? I know you can’t.”
“No, help yourself, I’ll stick with thisthanks.”
The crumpled reefer had too much ash hanging.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, my only problem is the toilets, too far and too busy.”
“Look, don’t worry, if you need to pee, do it behind the tree. Everyone will be smashed, they won’t care.”
“Just make sure I drink plenty of water, ok? It’s more important that I drink gallons, than embarrass myself by wetting my jeans.”
She laughed, but not enjoying the humour. He nodded and grinned, knowing her kidney condition was not a joke.
Now I knew what I could do. LSD caused havoc to those little organs we call kidneys. Oh, what fun this will be.
The music got louder; the excitement increased. As the grey clouds descended on my shoulders, the only rainbows I could see were the seven colours on t-shirts and even hideous jeans.
I couldn’t stop the noise, but I could ruin someone’s fun.
Calmly descending the tree-trunk, I crept into the tent and hid. Right on time he returned. Throwing a small packet next to his backpack.
Back outside he joined the others, shouting out the lyrics to a song fortunately I’d never heard before.
I have small hands, therefore carefully emptied the screwed up paper pack into her drinking bottle. Dusting my hands of white powder, I headed towards the tent’s flap.
“Oh look, a beautiful squirrel, isn’t she gorgeous?”
She? I could cry.
“Never mind the vermin, there is a new band starting.”
“Off you go baby, back to your tree.”
I’m going, but I want to watch this.
“Come on, they are playing.”
“I can hear, just need a drink first.”
The doctored water bottle was drained, the hallucinations started within minutes. That was the fun bit, but then the agony in her lower stomach and back, her boyfriend did not understand what was happening to her. She died in writhing pain, her friends danced around her and cheered the new moves.
Did you know squirrels could smile? I was stuckin a furry body, for how long I don’t know. The girl had more peace than me, eventually they would move on. How many more would I minister to before they leave me in peace?
My Generation ended. I committed suicide in Saigon two years ago. And no, it was not an overdose of LSD!
Did you enjoy that very short story?
There’s more – my latest novel ‘Children With No Worries’ has been published: amazon.com/dp/B07TYH1N2H. $3.99
No squirrels I promise!
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The intersection of sanity and revenge. Anna Hanks, relentless.
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He shot her husband…
What is the best anchor to reality during a trauma-induced breakdown…
…revenge.
Anna could let the police handle it…
…but she’s been one of their most vocal critics.
She could make her own justice…
…but it’s dangerous and she has no experience.
Fortunately Anna has friends.
With help from sex workers, a post-operative princess, a cop named Cuddles, and a fictional detective, Anna goes to war!
Anna Hanks. Mother. Wife. Activist. Business Owner.
Judge. Jury.
Lioness is a fast and menacing ride through the intersection of revenge and madness.
Anna should be on her way to a padded room, heavy sedation and therapy sessions.
But she’s got this one thing she needs to take care of first.
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Anna Hanks. Relentless.
Unspeakable medical procedures. A crazed serial killer. Who will protect the innocent and at what cost?
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Doctor Christopher Ravello is driven by an unquenchable desire to avenge his mother’s senseless murder. He forsakes a lucrative career in medicine, and plunges headlong into the brutal, unforgiving world of a New York City homicide detective. Head of the new Division of Medical Crimes, Ravello’s first case pits him against a brilliant, sadistic serial killer. Known only as The Giver, he is hell bent on subjecting young women and their unborn babies to his illicit experiments. As the body count rises, New York City is engulfed in fear. Fighting an illness which threatens his job, immersed in turmoil at home due to his radical career change, Ravello struggles to understand who The Giver is and where he will strike next. Just as he discovers the killer’s identity the unspeakable happens, and Ravello is confronted with an agonizing choice: will he play it safe or make the ultimate sacrifice to save his loved ones and the city he is sworn to protect and serve?
Unlock the secret…
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Natasha Dawson is a lucky woman. Her career as a fashion photographer has taken off magnificently. After her imminent marriage, she will have a stable future to look forward to and a loving husband in the funny and generous Luke Stevens. Everything is very nearly perfect. But her ex-boyfriend has disappeared, and, try as she might, she can’t forget about him. Some part of her feels she’s about to marry the man of the wrong person’s dreams. The other man in her life is handsome, engaging and passionate, and Natasha is deeply in love with him. But he also has a terrible secret, and Natasha may have to risk everything if she wants to uncover it…
Newly joined Siamese twins – work that one out!
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A thriller set in Thailand.
This is the sequel to the popular ‘Not Far Enough From Worries’. Kev and Skylab pit their wits against Camilla, the beautiful but ruthless lesbian.
This dark novel starts in Hua Hin, a sleepy seaside town in Thailand. “Not much ever happens there.” Don’t you believe it! A thriving gambling hub, wives kill husbands to raise a stake for the next turn of a card. Never owe the debt-collector or his mother. You may be set alight!
Kev and Skylab are now the guardians of a very talented child, amongst other skills, he can tell if you are lying, making Kev very nervous, fortunately, the only person Nick will talk to is Camilla’s daughter, Philippa. That ability is useful if you want a casino.
Characters to avoid on a dark night are Mik and Mak, Thai twins, yes, real Siamese Twins. You’ll have to think about that comment. Their ‘friend’ Randy has some mental issues. He ends up missing part of his body!
The action moves to Bangkok for a fast, hard-hitting surprise. Horror when you don’t expect it!
This is book two in the ‘No Worries’ series. Book 3 ‘Children With No Worries’, to be published 2019.
WORRY NO MORE
“Siamese twins?”
Published by Dark-Novels.com
The Story of When Kathleen and Jake Meet…
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What happens when love is based on a lie?
When Kathleen Cunningham approaches PI Jake Travis in a hotel bar, he knows trouble when he sees it. Kathleen wants his help finding her missing brother-in-law. Jake has sworn off the opposite sex for good after a disastrous affair, yet…he can’t resist her request.
But as the two slowly fall in love, Jake learns that Kathleen isn’t who she says she is, and not only is her life in terrible danger…so is his.
Equal parts suspense, humor, and romance, Midnight on the Water will hook you on Jake Travis, a character Florida Weekly calls, ‘One of the best leading men to take the thriller fiction stage in years.’
Midnight on the Water is the never-published prequel to Robert Lane’s award-winning debut, The Second Letter.
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More about The Reichsbank Gold by Mark O’Neill
February 1945 : With the war nearly over, the Nazi regime moves their entire cash and gold Reichsbank reserves, from Berlin to the salt mines of Merkers. But some of the gold is stolen and is never found again.
September 2017 : A fierce national election campaign is being fought out in Germany. Extreme right-wing nationalists, connected to a major election candidate, are terrorising the streets and murdering at will.
Captain Sophie Decker of the elite Department 89 is given an order by the German Chancellor to stop the violence. But little do they know that the missing Reichsbank gold and a long-lost Nazi icon will light the spark that will make Berlin explode.
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Jack Sibley came up to Bishop’s Rest with one thing in mind: to get even.
When he and his blizzard bound hunting party come face to face with a ghostly apparition known as The Long Rider, however, all of their lives irrevocably change course in ways they could hardly imagine.
The Meeting At Bishop’s Rest is an excellent novella introduction to The Strange Air series of Oregon-based supernatural mysteries. Check it out now for your chance to dive into this eerie world of spooks and specters.
When your partner goes missing and you
Get your FREE copy of Living with Saci
Living with Saci is set in the sprawling metropolis of São Paulo, Brazil. It tells the story of Teresa da Silva, an overweight, depressed, drink dependent, and her struggles in the city. Estranged from her daughter, who lives with the ex-husband in England, life seems to constantly deal Teresa a bad hand. She begins to wonder whether the mischievous character from Brazilian folklore, Saci, might have something to do with it. Events seem to be taking a turn for the positive when she meets Felipe, who asks her to marry him. But when he disappears, Teresa finds that she is the object of suspicion.
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The prequel to the Lagotti Family series, this stand-alone novella follows Frank Lagotti as he tries to get some bread to pay the rent and maybe make some seed capital so he can rob a bank one day. His pal Louis might be the brains of the outfit but he also has a keen interest in sex and drugs – not a great mix when your future rests on the next robbery and he’s the one who has planned everything out to the finest detail. Or not.
Can they pull off the job with their motley gang or will the cops come screeching round the corner and shoot them all to hell?
The Lagotti Family series follows Frank and his girlfriend Mary Lou as they rob a bank, try to escape and live off the proceeds of their crimes – spanning thirty years of American crime family life.
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Titus Ray tries to recruit a nuclear scientist in Tehran.
Days later, he goes on the run from the secret police.
CIA intelligence officer Titus Ray has been in Iran trying to recruit assets willing to feed him intel on the Iranian opposition. When he unexpectedly meets Amir Madani, one of Iran’s premier nuclear scientist, he can’t resist the opportunity to pursue him as a CIA asset.
Although Chaman, a beautiful Iranian socialite, warns Titus to stay away from Madani, he ignores her advice and befriends the nuclear scientist. The consequences prove disastrous for Titus, and, as the secret police close in on him, he’s forced to find shelter with a group of Iranian Christians, who risk their own lives to save his.
One Step Back, a Titus Ray Thriller novella, is the prequel to One Night in Tehran, Book I in the Titus Ray Thriller Series.
Here’s what reviewers are saying about Titus Ray Thrillers:
“I recommend these books for all who enjoy good clean fiction, especially those involving current events in the world. I like the development of the characters and their relationship. I gave it five stars for the great storyline and the characters that seem so real.” -Amazon review
“The characters are very well-developed and believable. I enjoyed the way the author described Titus Ray’s internal struggles and character flaws creating a very authentic main character. The story was action-packed and one is left wondering how the author could be so knowledgeable of the CIA and the work of their covert operatives.” -Amazon review
A gripping psychological thriller filled with mystery, suspense and intrigue, that keeps you guessing from beginning to end.
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On a rainy September morning baby Cassandra is kidnapped while her mother cowers in a closet. Shea is a victim of post-partum depression.
When Detectives Darby and Mel begin to dig the truth becomes more and more murky. Ugly secrets from the past emerge. No one is above suspicion, least of all Shea, herself. In her desperation to find her baby who can she trust? Someone is watching . . . And nothing is as it seems . . .
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In Southern California, three terrorists of unknown allegiances slaughter dozens of men at a shopping mall.
In Denver, the eccentric CEO of Denver Communications, or DenCom, has a target on his head.
In the wilds of Greenland, a long forgotten enemy is reaching out for recognition and revenge.
At the center of it all, a special investigator for the “communications” company is dragged into a supernatural war he can’t begin to understand.
Terror lurks on the highway…
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Alex knows one thing for sure:
Something creepy happened on that abandoned stretch of desert highway.
When Alex Thompson is pulled over by a squad car in the middle of nowhere, the police officer acts downright bizarre. She’s positive something’s not right about the whole situation.
Years later, a mass grave is discovered in that same area, and she knows she came close to being one of the victims. So why did the killer let her go?
Cody Oliver is a small-town detective. His department can’t handle a case this huge. When a mysterious woman, Alex, appears from the past, it stirs something in him.
Could a chance encounter a million years ago have been that important? Could a short, random meeting he’d dismissed as soon as it ended be the key to stopping a serial killer?
Give me a “hell yeah” and pick up this book with one click, because if Cody and Alex can’t unravel this demented mystery, the desert will continue to fill up with bodies.
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When Sandy Bay’s crème de la crème congregate to raise money for charity, Meghan Truman is proud to have her tasty desserts the talk of the party. She’s not so proud when the wealthiest couple in Sandy Bay are discovered dead and rumors circulate around town that her brownies are the cause of this tragedy.
This murder case casts a dark shadow over Meghan’s budding romance with handsome Officer Irvin who’s disappointed that she’s once again at the center of another murder investigation.
With everything to lose, Meghan must work hard to clear her name, restore broken relationships and solve this murder mystery before everything she’s worked so hard to build comes crumbling down.
Book 2 in the Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery series, which can be read in one to two hours! Can be read as a standalone, but enjoyed better as part of a series. Perfect for a lunchtime read. If you love cozy mysteries with an amateur female sleuth, mouth-watering culinary desserts and a gripping murder mystery, then you’ll love Meghan Truman and the quirky characters in Sandy Bay!
No cliffhanger, swearing or graphic scenes!
Enter the mystery…
Growing up in a state hospital like Creedmore could have broken Ena’s spirit, but instead it gave her the will and drive to seek out the mother who had abandoned her there as a child. Her search leads her at last to a small town near the Shawangunk Mountains in upstate New York. Yet after moving to Harlow, she hesitates to make contact with her mother.
Instead, hired to collate archaeological documents at the local college, Ena is drawn into unraveling the mystery of a dig that is being sabotaged, and helping the Welsh-born detective Galen Hill find a killer.
When she discovers artifacts stored from a dig in Peru, handwritten archaeological journals lead her to a curious connection between the artifacts themselves and the intricacies of an old video game about a legendary journey through time. What she doesn’t know is that her research is a threat to someone who isn’t willing to let the truth be known. The closer she comes to a solution, the more real danger waits for her.
To her surprise, her involvement with Galen grows stronger and deeper as together they seek to reveal their adversary. Gradually, in the midst of the chaos and darkness of what unfolds, Ena begins to find a way to let go of the past…
Fast Paced/Twists/Jeff Case, just out of the Army, saves an old lady from a mugging on the streets of NYC. It could get him and his wife killed. This lays the foundation for the Jeff Case adventures in the Kill Crime Series.
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Life-Changing Money
(A Jeff Case Short Story)
Prequel to the Kill Crime Series
Meet Jeff Case before his world explodes.
Jeff Case does what most people would never do, and thank God for that. He makes the community a safer place. But before he moved to Houston and his world turned upside down, Jeff had a different plan.
Former soldier. Defender of the innocent.
Case may have left a warzone, but he soon discovers that the New York City streets and brownstones can be just as dangerous.
Case is ready to move on after his successful military time and start a new life and civilian career with his wife, Becky.
When he sees a woman being brutally attacked from the backseat of a taxi, Jeff leaps to her defense. But, did Case prevent a mugging or a murder? The heroic rescue is a catalyst that kickstarts the day from hell. A day that Case and Becky may not survive.
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More about Death Dolls by Simon Farrant
Benjamin McGuinness fulfils his dream of establishing successful businesses and gives jobs with a new home to some of life’s misfits, deep in the English countryside on a farm. Everything seems perfect and his workers are as close as family.
A fire strikes close to home, a disaster that changes his perception of life and one of his loyal workers takes the chance to propose a life-changing venture.
This new business drags Lisa, his sister, into the deadly web of deception.
When exiled Russian twins join the family a symbolic tattoo is created that drives Benjamin’s money into a new league.
Benjamin knows that his future is defined by ‘the family’.
Will greed cause everything to crumble before his eyes, or will there be brutal consequences to their actions?
What can stop the rise of a Fourth Reich on American soil?
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1961 – Adolf Warner is a second-generation Nazi whose sole focus is to restore Hitler’s Reich to its proper glory.
Manfred Amsel is a college professor and Allied spy, tucked in the Soviet sector of a conquered and divided Berlin.
As the Berlin Wall’s path through the city nears completion, a fateful encounter sets each man on his own quest to escape.
Fifty years later, their paths cross again – this time in America.
Who survives the reunion?
Get your FREE copy of Madman: A Diamond and Doran Mystery
Grieving the loss of his best friend, while covering for colleagues killed and wounded by the unknown Haymarket bomber, Sergeant Billy Doran is not a happy man.
The rookie he has thrust upon him to complicate his working and personal life only adds to his frustration, but when a madman appears from the shadows to stalk his city and endanger his own family, Doran knows he must find a way to work with his new detective if they are to catch the killer, or it will be more than the city of Chicago that will lie in ruins.
Bully for YouGARY KITTLE
When Chris Haynes is beaten up one evening, a nightmare begins.
Struggling to cope as a single parent, Chris is attacked again – only this time the mugger uses his name and hints that he knows a secret about his volatile son, Bradley. Why does Bradley hate his father so much? And what does Chris have to feel so guilty about?
The mugger’s game intensifies, and Chris tries desperately to reach out to his son, suspecting that he alone holds the key to solving the mystery. But Bradley has a psychological game of his own to play, driven by resentment, rage and terror. He intends to put what he knows about Dad to his own ends, to punish his father for what he sees as the betrayal of his absent mother.
In this tense urban crime thriller, Chris is driven towards a mental breakdown, a victim of vigilante justice where the nature of his crime is never stated. What does the mugger really want? What role does Bradley’s new school friend, Gordon have in this unending nightmare? Does he know the mugger too? And what is hidden under the floor of the Haynes’ summer house?
As the intimidation and violence escalates, someone is heading for a bloody fall, and someone stands to lose everything – even their life.
Welcome to Essex County. Expect no mercy.
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What would you do if you found a suitcase in the woods?
What would you do when someone came looking for it?
Out of prison, but still on parole, Max just wants to keep his head down, go to work and maybe grab a cold beer at the end of his shift. He doesn’t even care that the program stuck him in Essex – a nice, but nowhere small town. With his head already full of bloody and painful memories, he’d like it just fine if his past and future stayed nice and quiet.
Too bad the present just got really messy.
A body in a tree. A missing briefcase. A Russian hit man. A DEA agent bent on revenge. Not to mention a sheriff with dangerous ambition and some pissed off bikers. Things are suddenly very interesting in sleepy Essex county. Bodies are turning up. Secrets are coming out. Questions are being asked.
It’s not good being the new guy in a small town.
Six Stories of Cold War Noir
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Six Stories of Cold War NoirAn heiress who can’t seem to keep her legs closed. A Russian plan for dominating the space race. An assassin with a penchant for rich food and sadistic murder. When you’re alone in the cold, passion and betrayal are commodities and love hangs on by an icy thread. From the author of The Bone Church and Cold, comes a white knuckle tour de force of Cold War noir.
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In 1929, Helen Blackstone is forced to do the unthinkable—return to her childhood home.
A place full of secrets and lies … where her mother had gone mad.
Helen had hoped she had left those dark days behind her, but when her brother is threatened, she uncovers a shocking truth that changes everything …
From the award-winning series — A Secrets of Redemption novella.
Meet Chisolm, Katie MacLeod, Stef Kopriva…
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These are the patrol officers of River City – that mythical thin blue line between society and anarchy. They must stop the robber, all the while juggling divorces, love affairs, internal politics, a hostile media, vengeful gang members and a civilian population that isn’t always understanding or even grateful.
Written by a real cop with real experience, Under a Raging Moon is like a paperback ride-along. Enjoy the ride.
Dark-Novels and Dark Short Stories 