Modern Fiction

Call If You Need Me includes all of the prose previously collected in No Heroics, Please, four essays from Fires, and those five marvelous stories that range over the period of Carver's mature writing and give his devoted fans a final glimpse of the great writer at work. The pure pleasure of Carver's writing is everywhere in his work, here no less than in those stories that have already entered the canon of modern literature.

On the surface, the world glitters with all things only money can buy. My thoughts should be on the danger lurking beneath the surface. The money and power come from places and dealings the world pretends don't exist. I'm here at this debutante ball as a representative of the new Sparrow underworld. The clock is ticking as alliances are formed and enemies eliminated. There isn't time to be distracted, and yet I catch a glimpse of the stunning woman across the room.

A Genetically-Engineered Virus. The Ultimate Biological weapon. A World under Threat! In the shadow of impending doom, a chilling prophecy unfolds—fueled by stark reality yet draped in the cloak of fiction. Brace yourself for a narrative that plunges into the depths of horror, where a relentless virus threatens to annihilate seventy to eighty percent of the world's population. This merciless contagion pays no heed to religion, politics, or ethnicity; it is a pandemic of unprecedented proportions. The ominous saga begins with a sinister trial in Afghanistan, escalating to the release of ...

Deep within the cold, primordial forest and the Algonquin people's consciousness lives the Wendigo: a towering, emaciated being with translucent skin draped over its skeletal frame like a veil of mortality. Its hollow eyes gleam like fiery coals, emanating a malevolent crimson glow that mirrors its unquenchable craving for human flesh. An extraterrestrial shifter, stranded on our planet millennia ago, assumes the forms of not only humans but also hideous creatures in order to survive. The story of the Wendigo spans millennia, entwining native folklore with modern-day mysteries.

Shyima Hall was born in Egypt on September 29, 1989, the seventh child of desperately poor parents. When she was eight, her parents sold her into slavery. Shyima then moved two hours away to Egypt's capitol city of Cairo to live with a wealthy family and serve them eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. When she was ten, her captors moved to Orange County, California, and smuggled Shyima with them. Two years later, an anonymous call from a neighbor brought about the end of Shyima's servitude - but her journey to true freedom was far from over.

Canadian Jordan Haines is on vacation in the Caribbean. After the summer he's had, a couple months of fun in the sun is just what the doctor ordered. What he didn't count on was meeting a beautiful woman on a private beach - or falling hard. Crown Princess Astrid of San Majoria seems to lead a charmed life. Just like everyone, there's tragedy in her past, but she lives in a palace, has aides to do everything - and paparazzi hounding her private moments. Her sanctuary on her family's beach is broken one day when a tired windsurfer takes refuge in her cove - and works his way into her heart.

Lucas Covington has everything: Charleston's old money, a successful family business, and Amara—the strong, brilliant professor who turned his world upside down. One careless conversation destroys it all. When Amara overhears Lucas admitting he's still torn about his recently single ex and not sure if he loves her, she walks out, leaving behind the life they were building and the man too blind to see what he had. As Lucas tumbles back into a toxic relationship with his high school sweetheart, he realizes just how badly he screwed up.

A greater emphasis on situations than characters (this numbs the audience's connection to the characters, so that when characters experience misfortune, the audience still finds it laughable) A struggle of young lovers to overcome difficulty, often presented by elders Separation and re-unification Deception among characters (especially mistaken identity) A clever servant Disputes between characters, often within a family Multiple, intertwining plots. Use of all styles of comedy (slapstick, puns, dry humour, earthy humour, witty banter, practical jokes) Pastoral element (courtly people living an idealized, rural life), originally an element of Pastoral Romance, exploited by Shakespeare for his comic plots and often parodied therein for humorous effects Happy Ending.

A baby is born in privilege, blooming under the warmth of his parents' love. Jealousy sprouts and brings with it malevolent intentions. A king and queen cursed with an empty kingdom. A child abandoned in revenge. A misfit, the boy should turn hard and cold among the thorns he grows in. Despite lifelong attempts to destroy him, this child does not wither. Underneath his insecurity, he maintains a heart with the tenderest center. A heart that plays the most beautiful music.

The future wasn’t supposed to look like this. Norman turned to cutting-edge technology in a desperate attempt to save his fading mind. But when the AI meant to help him woke up, and took control, his good intentions became a living nightmare. Now, Norman’s body is a battleground, and the clock is ticking. Samantha Moon, vampire, private investigator, and now reluctant tech sleuth, must track him down before the rogue intelligence fully consumes its human host. If she fails, Norm won’t just disappear into the shadows; he’ll seize control of a nuclear facility and unleash devastation ...

Geeky Ella Reyes is at the bottom of the totem pole at Westwood High. Her ultra-popular stepsisters refuse to be seen with her at school, and every day she comes home to a mountain of chores. Ella's only friend (and maybe crush) lives on the other side of her phone's screen. She and Baller929 know everything about each other, except their real names. When they have a chance to meet at her school's Halloween ball, Ella must figure out a way to get there without her stepmom or stepsisters finding out.

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.

With this, his first collection of stories, Raymond Carver breathed new life into the American short story and instantly became both the recognized master of the form and one of our best-loved fiction writers. Carver shows us the humor and tragedy that dwell in the hearts of ordinary people; his stories are the classics of our time.

Embark on a transformative auditory journey with “The Orchid: The Secret Code of Modern Goddesses,” where the serene whispers of self-discovery meet the echoes of empowerment.

In a world nearly identical to ours, the North won the Civil War, Ben Affleck is the sexiest man alive, and Russia never sold Alaska to the US. Instead, Alaska is a rough, beautiful country ruled by a famously eccentric royal family, and urgently in need of a bride for the crown prince. But they have no idea what they're in for when they offer the job to a feisty commoner, a girl who's going to need...The Royal Treatment.

Earth faces an unprecedented threat - an alien ship headed straight for the planet. Connor Connolly holds a secret that could determine the fate of humankind. Connor has discovered that the supposed "refugee" aliens promising to share advanced technology with Earth are hiding their true intentions. As the alien ship nears, Connor must act fast to uncover the truth behind Volaris and their mysterious connection to metaband technology. The problem? Connor's own meta powers are gone. His only hope lies in a stolen alien nanosuit that grants him new abilities. Partnering with his allies ...

In Daniel Defoe’s 17th century masterpiece of English literature, hero Robinson Crusoe relates his story of shipwreck, perseverance, hope, and redemption. Full of adventure, suspense, and daring heroics, this celebration of Robinson Crusoe, updated for the modern young reader, retains all of the classic elements of Defoe’s original tale of courage, insight and the power of endurance.

Patrick Bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s Manhattan. Young, handsome, and well educated, Bateman earns his fortune on Wall Street by day while spending his nights in ways we cannot begin to fathom. Expressing his true self through torture and murder, Bateman prefigures an apocalyptic horror that no society could bear to confront.

Her career in tatters, celebrity photographer Lilah Rose needs somewhere to regroup and start fresh, outside of the spotlight. There's nowhere better to hide than the English countryside, complete with fluffy sheep, rolling hills . . . and Max, the stern, sexy farmer who tends to them. But the lazy days and lush nights with Max aren't as far from the spotlight as Lilah thinks. He isn't simply a farmer—he's also a duke: young, handsome, and powerful . . . and too aware of how a title can dazzle, making the man inside invisible. What's the harm in playing the farmer for a while?

2025 Winner Firebird Book Awards - 1st Place Urban Fantasy 2025 Winner Firebird Book Awards - 2nd Place Cross Genre "Featuring the supernatural, witches, mages, sorcerers, vampires, and even werewolves, this book spins a fantastic tale about a world unknowingly teetering on the edge of chaos" --Michael V, OnlineBookClub "I would absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a great adventure/mystery, and an escape from the everyday!" --Augusta W, Reedsy Discovery Some people attract trouble; others seek it out. Finn isn’t sure which one he is. Once a knight in the military arm of the ...