Modern Short Stories

Have you ever passed out and woken up in your girlfriend’s apartment only to find you’ve lost access to your multi-million dollar dark web auctioning website–right after she found out she’s not your only girlfriend? Have you ever been accused of attempted murder by a talented and vindictive mime? Have you ever gone to jail for defending yourself against a papercut from a yoga teacher? If you haven’t, you haven’t lived!

This was the book that launched a genre. Modern fantasy collections trace their lineage back to Lord Dunsany, and this was his first work that today's listeners would recognise in tone and settings.

Bristle Rey just moved to town. She's trying to find a fresh start and leave behind a crappy home life. She's landed in Valor, WY and has found a job. Now she just needs to find an apartment and she'll be all set. Instead, she finds Wild. Becket “Wild” Wilder got his nickname as a joke. He’s never been reckless, never been crazy. Until he lays eyes on Bristle Rey. Then all bets are off. Let’s get Wild. This month 24 of your favorite short and steamy authors have come together to bring you a new motorcycle romance each day! The Men of Valor are more than ex-military bikers – they ...

An excellent collection of creepy ghost stories from some of the most notable names of early horror fiction, including: “The Willows” by Algernon Blackwood, “The Shadows On The Wall” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, “The Messenger” by Robert W.Chambers, “Lazarus” by Leonid Andreyev, “The Beast With Five Fingers” by W.F. Harvey, “The Mass Of Shadows” by Anatole France, “What Was It” by Fitz-James O’brien, “The Middle Toe Of The Right Foot” by Ambrose Bierce, “The Shell Of Sense” by Olivia Howard Dunbar, and more!

After her stepmother throws her out, Elle needs her horse to survive. Who is this handsome man who took her horse and is now calling her a thief because she took it back? She's not a thief. He has two horses, why does he think he also needs hers?

Let yourself be swept away by these classic tales of hope and courage!!

- Classic tales (short stories and poems) of hope and courage from the 19th and 20th centuries

Annotated for modern listeners

The third entry in the Classic Tales series, joining "Classic Tales of Horror" and "Classic Tales of Christmas"

For adventure fans of all ages, these stories are guaranteed to intrigue, delight, and sometimes take you by surprise!

Don't bend; don't water it down; don't try to make it logical; don't edit your soul according to fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly. - Franz Kafka. Franz Kafka wrote, I am free that is why I'm lost. Assume, you wake up and the entire world is against you. You want to follow yourself but the people are dominant on you to do what they want. We don't feel chains until we move. Franz Kafka was not a body to be defined but a soul and heart to be felt. When you zoom out on his life, you will find only a miserable life and a soul that was stubborn to his writings and ...

These are short stories of one of the greatest writers in the world, Anton Chekhov. For more than 100 years, his humor and philosophy have surprised readers by their depth and brightness. These stories are for Russia and Russians, as much today as they were 100 years ago.

COFFEE TALES ONE #.99c# Special introductory price for a limited time. #.99p# A collection of short stories and flash fiction ranging from one hundred to six thousand words. Tales inspired by the vagaries of the human condition, and our infinite capacity for both cruelty and kindness. Roddy’s family are pressuring him to settle down, become a cop, and make them proud. No way. He’s on the way to the Big Apple to hang out and have fun. Young Tom Buckley only watches quiz shows on television until the fateful day he realises there is a big world out there. A world full of onions. Joy is a ...

This one-of-a-kind treasury brings together the talents of nearly two dozen best-selling middle-grade authors - including Shannon Hale, Brandon Mull, Ally Condie, and Jennifer A. Nielsen - who have created original short stories and modern-day fairy tales based on the lives and dreams of children they have met who all have two things in common: They have very big hopes and dreams, and they are all cancer patients.

Some guardians protect with armor. I protect with chains around my heart. I've spent years building an empire while keeping my promises to the man who saved me—including protecting his granddaughter, Natalie. But living under the same roof with her is pure torture. She's no longer the kid I once knew; she's a fiery, ambitious woman who challenges my authority at every turn. And God help me, I want her. After one passionate night together, I did what I do best—I ran. But when a suspicious accident brings me racing back to her side, I'm forced to face the secrets of my past and the depths...

Hannah Smith has it all—an incredible career, a loving husband, and a close-knit group of friends. But despite their picture-perfect life, Hannah and James are hiding a painful secret: they’re struggling with infertility. As Hannah watches her colleagues and friends celebrate pregnancies, her hope slowly fades. Even her once rock-solid marriage begins to crack under the weight of unfulfilled dreams. In the midst of her heartache, Hannah turns to her faith, making a desperate promise—if blessed with a child, she will dedicate their life to serving others. Just when she least expects it...

Every life is a theatrical play and has its own intriguing story. But there are some lives that don’t dovetail into plays or stories. Their lives exceeded the dimensions of one particular story or play, transforming into a chain of stories and plays. While I was constructing the story of their strange life, I found myself on stage in a play. Nobody told me to act in it. I’m a volunteer actor in this play. The theater is where this play, in which I’m an actor, opens its curtains while you’re snoozing away in your warm, comfy bed. Sometimes after a one-act play is played, it closes ...

Inspired by classic books like The Little Prince, these delightful fables follow a variety of charming animal characters as they embark on fantastical yet profoundly relatable quests.

“The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether” is an Edgar Allan Poe short story that expertly blends his dark perspective with the comic. -This is the original story—only word order and difficult vocabulary have been updated. -End notes, interpretation, and discussion of major themes follow the text. -Biographical information on Edgar Allan Poe is included. -For other classic short stories in easy to understand updated English search for “Simplified for Modern Readers Series.”

We never forget the stories we were told as children. Even when they are not on the top of our mind, they lurk like palm prints on the drying cement foundations of our understanding of the world. We absorb the pluck of children in the face of adult perfidy, cheering the heroism of Hansel and Gretel or Beauty and the Beast. Counterpoised by the wickedness and cruelty of parents, stepmothers, and wolves in sheep's clothing, children's wiliness usually leaves them unharmed, if not heroic. As adults, we keep returning to them again and again in film, in theater, and in books.

In a bustling modern metropolis ruled by power and ambition, Esther Rodriguez never expected to be thrust into the limelight. Working as a mid-level executive, she’s used to flying under the radar—until a city-wide competition for the position of mayoral spokesperson catapults her into a high-stakes political arena. But as Esther navigates the city's elite, she uncovers a dangerous conspiracy orchestrated by Gabriel Collins, a ruthless executive with a vendetta against her community. When Esther discovers Gabriel’s plan to exploit the most vulnerable citizens and frame her in the ...

After the sudden loss of her husband, Ruth is left with nothing but her mother-in-law Naomi and a broken heart. With no future in the city they once called home, Naomi decides to return to her small hometown, hoping to find solace in familiar faces. Ruth, refusing to leave the only family she has left, makes a bold choice: she will leave everything behind to follow Naomi and start anew. As Ruth struggles to rebuild her life in a tight-knit community, she crosses paths with Boaz, a successful and respected business owner. Ruth is drawn to his quiet strength, while Boaz can’t help but ...

Do you ever wonder if there is a gnome living in the hole at the bottom of the old tree in the park? Have you ever felt like you weren't alone while in the woods? Did you know that elves are responsible for many of our day-to-day occurrences? If your mind ever fills with these kinds of questions, then these modern fairy tales are for you!

The red dress did it's magic for Sandra and now it was time to do the same for Tracy. Tracy didn't know where her life was headed but the red dress showed up in her life and suddenly, things were happening for her. The red dress gave her confidence and strength and her life started changing - for the better. Did the red dress know that what she needed most in her life was to find her soul mate? It was almost as if the red dress was magical. Tracy just wanted to get her degree and be happy. But the red dress had bigger plans for her. The Red Dress is a sweet romance that is clean and ...