Content: mystery

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Synopsis - In Celia Reynolds eyes, life is perfect. She has a wonderful loving family including a sister that is her best friend. Her career is skyrocketing and she has more male admirers than she can keep up with. Then, her world is shattered when her sister Gabi takes her own life. As she questions her sister’s suicide and peels back the layers of her ideal life, she realizes that life is not perfect nor is it meant to be. Her journey of self discovery takes her from an elegant 20th floor apartment in New York City to Washington, DC and the Islands of South Carolina. Along the way she learns a family secret that forces her to see her self and her sister in a different light - all with help from some unlikely sources - an orangutan named Nikkee and a Voodoo Priestess named Mira. *** Requests - All I can ask for is honest feedback. Give it to me straight ; ).

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Jack Moodie lives in a museum filled with Victoriana and has the unusual hobby of an occult historian. At first the book is a welcome present, but in a very short time it will change his life forever, because it is not an ordinary book. It was written in the seventeenth century by a convicted witch who was executed for her crimes. There is another story, a modern day story, he is sure they are connected. He only has ten days to find out how - and most importantly why before he has to face the ultimate penalty.

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The tale comes to a close - why did the cousin abandon an inheritance of millions? What's in the trunk and all the unexplained events surrounding it? Hmm... BTW, a link to Part 1 is included. If you have not already done so, please read Part 1 first, a quick read, to get up to speed (an address is provided below.) No need to review the first section. And of course, all comments and suggestions are most welcome for Part 2. I thank you - R A Keen Part 1: http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/library/index.html/read/38504

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A writer and copy editor for The Denver News, Tarin McGyver lives alongside a small, picturesque lake in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A chance encounter with the lead singer of a popular rock band, Jonathan Parker, leads to an unlikely relationship between the two. In the process Tarin finds herself entangled with Jon's manipulative and scheming business manager, Tommy Wyndham. She quickly becomes determined to expose the manager's thievery and deceit to both Jon and the music industry. But Wyndham has plans of his own and will stop at nothing to keep her out of his client's life. Add to it an apparent stalker in her hometown and our heroine faces danger on two fronts. Follow the action as it culminates in murder, kidnapping and a daring mountain rescue during a blinding blizzard. Other than that, nothing much of interest takes place.

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Life hasn't been kind to Janie. She's always wanted to just disappear, and up until now she's managed quite successfully. When Marcus, a popular boy in town shows an interest in her reality shifts and her past comes back intent on killing her.

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Cole Sage a once brilliant journalist has just about reached rock bottom. Haunted by the longing for the woman he lost, Cole is jarred to a crossroads when an elderly woman shoots and kills a hostage negotiator in front of him. Stillreeling he is stunned to receive a one line cry for help from Ellie, his one great love. Alone and terminally ill in a low rent California convalescent hospital Ellie’s dying request brings Cole face to face with his past and an uncertain future as he tries to find Ellie’s estranged daughter and save her inheritance from her conniving step father while there is still time. The path to keeping his word to Ellie is blocked at every turn by the husband who has abandoned her, his shady real estate deals, violent con men, street thugs and the lure of a fortune in diamonds that bring them all together. Beaten, bloody but determined, Cole Sage conquers greed and hatred with a strength that only love and a will as hard as diamond can achieve. I need tough, to the point, honest evaluation. This is the first in a series, four of which are complete. Is it worth persuing an agent and a publisher? Come on let's hear it. Thanks for reading!

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This is my entry for the "The Cloud" writing competition. It was originally over 6000 words, so I had to pare a lot to get it under 5000 (4977). As an eerie and mysterious cloud hovers over Las Vegas for months, it renders havoc on everything and everyone below. In spite of all the tragedy and gloom, love finds a way to grow and flourish. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

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"Strap yourself to a tree with roots, you ain't goin' nowhere" -- Bob Dylan This is the story of Cole Cayne and Joanna McQuire. They become best friends the day they are born. Then, after a thirty year separation, they get back together to undo the damage their childhood has done to themselves and to others. Any comments are welcome. Thanks.

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Helena Brennan attends a Doll Show with her mother and sister and ends up teaming up with a handsome treasure hunter and a 75 year old counterfeiting theft. The mob may even be involved.

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Jennifer Allen's Family is moving again. She is a shy and insecure teenager who wants to reinvent herself at the next school. On the way to the new home, a car accident gives her an invitation to explore a dream world which may not be a complete fantasy. This glimsp into the unknown opens a whole new way of thinking, but the things she sees aren't always pleasant.

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Revised / appended: This story was inspired by a poem posted by Brosna11. It is the tale based upon a true account of a 9-year-old boy returning home from school one day to find his family's barn on fire and his father dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Any and all reviews welcome.

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My novel "Goodbody" is a mystery which examines the deteriorating financial system in the United States.

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This book explores the curiosity and fearless determination of youth. It takes place long ago and revolves around Kate Powers, a nineteen year old who reluctantly accepts an enchanted package filled with 'tools' to start her on the journey of a lifetime. Her pursuit opens the door to magic, mystery, and a family history she could never have imagined. I am looking forward to and will appreciate any and all feedback.

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Ex-New York detective, now Tennessee police chief, Sam Jenkins receives a phone call from a woman he met two years earlier on a case. She tells him a friend needs police assistance. Sam encounters two beautiful ex-hookers looking for a champion and Korean gangsters trying to operate in his quiet, Smoky Mountain community of Prospect. Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.

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In a city where Law enforcement is tough on the issue of domestic violence and abuse, a deep dark event will arise that shall tear the foundation of this city to its core. An incident… one specific incident will ignite a cataclysmic occurrence that will upend the meaning of the words Shroud of Friends as two people, Detective Lenny Chris and Angelina Ryan will push the limits of their friendships to the point where their actions will betray them all from within.

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Lesley is a single woman working with all men at a trucking company. A dead body turns up at her work site, on her shift and is someone she knows. It should be clear from the beginning that the killer is someone from the company as a stranger would be noticable. Does Lesley sound too shrill? Is the setting realistic? Do you want to know more? Are the characters and dialogue real?

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This is a sequel to my first novel, Shelter Among the Living. In that book, Shannon Baker left her small home town in Texas after high school and never returned. Abused as a child, she then had an abusive marriage. Not until her husband's death did she return to Apache Wells. The Smell of Cedar takes place about a year later; Shannon is more at home now, but still struggling to make peace with her abusive past.

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Sylvia lives alone, keeping contact with the outside world at a comfortable minimum. Harry, a retired cop turned PI, hates his new career, but needs the cash. Against his better judgement Harry accepts a case to watch the mysterious Sylvia only to find that events have quickly gotten out of hand.

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After his brother’s death, historical actor, Bryan Owens, fights to keep a living history museum and its alleged haunted grounds from closing.

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Pulled away from her stylish Manhattan life by her parents, Arrabella refuses to accept the tiny town of Grainer as her new home. Drug out of her room by her mother and enlisted to help sort photos that fell out of their albums during the move, Arrabells stumbles onto the picture of a dead aunt she never knew existed. Her father refuses to discuss his dead sister any more than to say she died as a teenager and he blames himself for her death. When other questions about the girl who looks strangely similar to Arra are ignored, she goes back to the photos. She quickly finds more and more pictures of female relatives who died young and all share her silver-green eyes and raven black hair. Arra comes to realize that something is very wrong with her family line. I'm looking for feedback on typos and places where I could add to the story. Completed it only reached 35000 words, which is a little short for YA. Thanks

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On an impulse, 20 year old Riley Matthews follows her best friend’s advise and joins her at The Squeaky Hinge Bar and Grill for some much needed fun in a life that had become dull and routine. How could that one act turn the events in her life around so drastically? Within days, Riley is thrown into a tangled web of money, men and murder. Searching for love, confronting her past and terrified for her life, there is only one person that can save her… Tulips in the Sand is the first of the mystery series featuring Riley Matthews. Feedback on the characters and overall storyline would be greatly appreciated.

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In a town where nothing ever happens, there's a lot going on. Burned-out sheriff, Luke Hayden, finds himself neck deep in trouble; and between windstorms, an unexpected crime spree, and murder, his town is coming apart at its well-worn seams. Unraveling the deadly strand of lies is up to Hayden and his new deputy, Megan Moreno, but they may have just stepped into a tangled web that will trap even them.

[Please don't read chapters out of order. The chapter numbers are listed below -- just in case you're not sure which chapter you're currently at. It's easy to switch to the appropriate chapter. Thanks. Doralynn]

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This is the first chapter of my second novel. I would really appreciate any comments and feedback and want to try and make this book as good as it can be - with your help. Cheers.

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This is a rewrite of the Soul of Fire - Soul of Ice novel I've posted earlier (that version is now removed, as I've changed too much for them to be considered the same story). Let me know what you think. I've changed some of the setting and some of the characters. I've also shortened some of the chapters. A witch is forced to go undercover at the local vampire coven, to try to figure out who is behind the turning of powerful witches and other magical beings into vampires. Can she overcome her hate of vampires long enough to learn to trust her companion Lucas? Will she discover the mystery behind the turnings before it is too late?

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Detective Senior Sergeant Susan Prescott, accompanied by one of her twin daughters, Marli, is on holiday. Susan is taking extended leave after a series of traumatic happenings rock her life. The spelling is Australian English.

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John forces himself to go to yet another boring ball as escort to his widowed aunt...never imagining that it would lead to the adventure of his life!

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Nolen Pierce, CEO of the Pierce Corporation in New York, is about to quite literally make the deal of his life which will send him on a bizarre adventure of self-discovery. FEEDBACK: Characters believable? Any plot holes? Continuity errors? Etc.?

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A sadistic serial killer is stalking men in Kansas City and Nicole, a troubled forensic psychologist, reluctantly agrees to assist in the case. Once in Kansas City, she is forced to work with Detective Scott Hayes, once her lover and partner on the force. As she gets more deeply involved with the case, Nicole begins having the same recurring dreams she had as a child. As the dreams become more detailed, Nicole starts feeling that they are somehow connected with the case. Nicole has no idea how connected she is until she is confronted by the killer and is forced to make a decision that forever changes her life. As usual, all feedback is greatly appreciated. I am very interested in work use and sentence structure, transitions, awkward places, flow and if the story held your interest.

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This novel is about an abused woman seeking help in leaving her husband. She meets a new man who treats her well and they fall in love, but there is a twist to the novel that I would prefer not to give away. I would love any feedback anyone is willing to provide, and consider it an honor to have other writers explore my work on this site.

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Novel based upon many of the circumstances we find ourselves in as parents and step-parents in today's divorce-ridden society. I am looking for constructive criticism.

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Death by Numbers is a story based on revenge. Revenge murders are carried out against the lead character based on a case that was handled by him while he was a detective with the Chicago Police.

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A hit man prepares himself to carry out his contract. This is another "shard" in the Hard Cold Kiss Goodbye series where the reader is invited to produce the overarching plot.

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Welcome to Chandler, Maine. Many have compared this to Peyton Place and other guilty pleasures. Any similarities are coincidental. It centers on several gay men and their families. One thing I hope to do here is make people laugh and counter the myths and gay stereotypes. I hope I succeeded. There are several characters and all serve a purpose. The very last chapter is a family tree, rather family trees. Note! This is something I write for fun. I have no desire to publish it and therefore, I don't stick to the rules of POV. I tried it and didn't like it. So if you're bothered by that then you probably won't like this.

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This is the story of two boys who encounter a dilemma while trying to solve another.

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Chapter 1 of a novel about a killing that occurred in the 70's. Depending on your point of view Police are both the heroes and villains in this story. Being Australian I am particularly interested in your take on whether or not I got it right, location, American terminolgy etc.

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Jack Lansing, M.D. is getting his life back together following the cancer death of his wife when he unwittingly becomes ensnared in an elaborate confidence scheme. As a result, he gets caught in a drama of betrayal, revenge and murder. When it appears that a powerful U.S. senator is intent on hunting down a beautiful young woman with whom Jack had become involved after meeting her by accident, Jack must work with her in a desperate attempt to outwit the forces aligned against them. And that's just the beginning. When it looks like they will at last be out of harm's way, they aren't, and the final piece of the puzzle, someone from Dr. Lansing's past, threatens to turn their world upside down again. A dangerous game of sex, money and retribution is played out from the sandy beaches of North Carolina, to the streets of our nation's capital. The novel derives its title from the way that various situations in the story remind the protagonist, a movie buff, of cinematic plots and scenes. The relationship of the protagonist and the main female character in particular, and the sexual interplay between men and women in general, are central elements of the story. The category of "thriller" is probably not strictly accurate because of these elements, but it came closest to what the plot is about, and I had to choose something. So try to keep an open mind. Also, I apologize for the confusion of title numbers. The Prologue was assigned as Chapter 1, so all subsequent "chapters" are off by one. Thanks for stopping by.

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An ABC Brisbane radio station - 612 4QR - is holding a competition, the prize being Books Alive! 50 Books You Can't Do Without! It's an Australian Government initiative to get people reading. The criteria was ONE paragraph, 100 word limit with the words - ALIVE - RADIO - BOOKS included in it. This is my entry! It's already gone so I'm putting it up here for a giggle. There's thousands of entries in and they've been reading some out every morning. Lots of them are very clever :) But I couldn't resist entering! The prize is the 50 books you can't do without LOL

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The story of a Kansas farm family and a mystery that develops around the ruins of an old barn on their land.

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THIS IS A SEQUEL. This is also raw, a work in progress. I'm taking a risk here, going out of my comfort zone by putting up something that's not yet finished. I’m hoping you’ll see some growth from me in this. Sapphire Reign takes place almost 10 years after Kings & Queens. I’d appreciate reviews from readers, who've read my first book, since they can (hopefully) see what I’m doing differently and if it’s working, but anyone is welcome to read this. However, since it is a sequel, spoilers abound. So only proceed if you have no intention of reading Book 1.

In a world where wickedness is exalted and even children know the sting of suffering, Majesty is trapped in anguish five months after her young daughter's death in a preschool gas explosion. When she receives a bizarre glimmer of hope that her little girl may still be alive, she fights heaven and hell to reclaim the happiness that's been stripped from her. But with so many enemies, maybe someone is determined to make Majesty pay. Or maybe her daughter really is gone forever.

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Beautiful, talented, and about to inherit – Why is Sarah’s heart in turmoil...? Sarah Miller, the new darling of the Chamber Music Society, the protégée cellist of their in-house Quartet, receives rave reviews for her first series of concerts. She has just buckled her last term at New York’s prestigious music academy of Julliard when a hit-and-run driver strikes her down and disrupts her plans. Luckily unscathed, engagements still need postponing until proper exercises can restore agility and full mobility to her bruised wrist. While the melody is interrupted, Sarah meets up with the formidable Spinner brothers. The younger Mark, handsome and charming, sweeps her off her feet. The elder Julian, black sheep, black belted, and daunting black mood enjoys badgering and humiliating her. Her wrist recovered, playing music again, Sarah wonders which exercises will mend a bruised ego and an aching heart. ...Perhaps it’s because she is unworldly, unsophisticated – an orphan raised by tutors and nannies who ran to the bright lights of New York City...only to slam into the dark heart of Julian Spinner.

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I don't know how to do this without giving too much away. A man loses everything, including his faith in God. His sister is there, never waning, to help him. His life changes and if you believe him...so could yours. There, how's that for a hook.

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An adventure story for young readers when Ken Carter and Allison Smith discover the secret mystery of the emerald pool.

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Mallory Glass was a beautiful, ethereal young woman whose death had a profound effect on the three men in her life—her father, her brother, and her husband. Dr. Jeff Lassiter knew each of them, and he tried to understand what went wrong.

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The Hard Cold Kiss Goodbye is flash fiction in form, but this has a twist: it will comprise a number of self-contained "images" (or scenes, if you prefer). The reader is invited to assemble the final number of "images" into a narrative string that you find pleasing. In this way, you become the producer of your own experience of The Hard Cold Kiss Goodbye.

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The Hard Cold Kiss Goodbye is flash fiction in form, but this has a twist: it will comprise a number of self-contained "images" (or scenes, if you prefer). The reader is invited to assemble the final number of "images" into a narrative string that you find pleasing. In this way, you become the producer of your own experience of The Hard Cold Kiss Goodbye.

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Data dealer Black Lucas is given an offer he can't refuse. Recover the lost data herds of Korean crime warlord, Kim Sung, or wind up dead in seven days. He is joined by data jackal Mambo Ahmed in a desperate race against time in their search for legendary console cowboy Hot Zephyr. Along the way they must confront the mysterious Stemper Tashfin.

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This story is how a 14yo boy deals with moving from a Chicago suburb to small southern Illinois town. He has to deal with being the new kid in a town of 800 and be a freshman in high school, a double whammy. On top of this the only person he connects with is a neighbor girl who seems to be obsessed about the death of an Old Man. In an effort to develop some sort of relationship with this girl the boy assists the girl in her investigations. The story opens with a prologue that recounts a Civil War era event that occurred near the southern Illinois town.

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In this era where science fiction is becoming science fact, technology is mixing with strongly held myths, and art is blending the chaos to shine a light on the rapid changes, we will either destroy ourselves or else learn to live in peace, without and within. This is the story of a particularly gifted young psychic, Aurora Swift, and the psychiatrist who tries to unravel her worlds, and in doing so unintentionally comes into contact with interconnected universal mysteries, dimensions, ancient beings and civilizations. Mixture of fantasy and reality genres. Mainly, the two settings are the modern day present with a bit of government conspiracy, and a sort of underworld that Aurora calls the Night World she escapes into to keep her sanity intact what with the pressures of her life. We meet a lot of other psychics in Aurora's circle and travel all over the U.S. and the world in search of some type of salvation. ** The first six or so chapters are non-linear and deliberately jarring as Aurora is experiencing a crossover of dimensions and times that will be sorted out in later chapters.// If I were to summarize the emotional stew or message of the story, it might go something like this: It is easy to wonder if our lives are worthless and actions are pointless because all will be forgotten one day. If every inventor, thinker, artist, intuitive being, and scientist followed through with this line of thinking, we’d still be in the Dark Ages or perhaps cause a new one. In this time of flourishing light, we need not allow the darkness of short-sightedness envelop us. The power is within us to make this world whatever we want it to be and become. And yes, one can make a difference with a little help from her friends.// **NOTE: I am on this site for constructive criticism. If you believe my work is only worthy of a 1 or 2 and feel like writing a snide scathing review or telling me how to write according to you, go somewhere else. My work isn't perfect, but I what I don't need is people who wish to feel superior by cutting me down or taking out their bad day on me. If you "don't get it" either ask me why something is written as it is or read something else. That I've had to explain this is sad, but there are plenty of A-holes in the world and that is reflected by similar percentages on this site. For those of you here to learn and grow and offer positive suggestions: Welcome. ---- (4/23/09 Currently reposted Chapter 1-3 and more coming soon for fans old and new).

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Rhiannon, prodigal daughter of the king of New Fairy, has suffered a terrible curse. Having humiliated a witch, she must suffer a unique shame--she must go naked, regardless of the weather or social situation. These are the stories of how she reclaims her dignity and fights the evil of men, and her own inner conflicts. Many of these are more light hearted than Rhiannon's Ordeal, and show Rhiannon in the heroic capacity that emerged in her post-curse life. Rhiannon's relationship with Rosalyn is more ambiguous--at least to Rhiannon; I don't think the reader was ever fooled. There are other differences, but I don't think that should matter to the reader. Rhiannon's still her dear, sweet, naked self.

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