Showing results by author "C.F.A." in All Categories

The bigger you become, the harder you fall. Sebastian Saunders is a rising rock star. Jay Ruttman is a Premier League football player. Their year-long relationship is hot commodity. Hounded by the press and fans alike, the lovers struggle to keep their private lives private. Flying high in the charts and having Jay by his side, Seb is finally living his dream. But Jay’s new, promising career is threatened when a horrific injury on the pitch has him side lined - not only in the game but also in his relationship with Seb.

The city of Darien stands at the weary end of a golden age. Twelve families keep order with soldiers and artefacts, spies and memories, clinging to a peace that shifts and crumbles. The people of the city endure what they cannot change. Here, amongst old feuds, a plot is hatched to kill a king. It will summon strangers to the city - Elias Post, a hunter; Tellius, an old swordsman banished from his home; Arthur, a boy who cannot speak; Daw Threefold, a chancer and gambler; Vic Deeds, who feels no guilt; and Nancy, a girl whose talent might be the undoing of them all.

Jay Ruttman and Sebastian Saunders are back. Used to the press, used to the public interest, and used to being just the two of them, they’ve forged a life juggling their high-profile careers with their low-key relationship. And it’s working. Mostly. There's only two things left hanging that could elevate their contentment to perfection—marriage and a child.

Greek God is a stepbrothers-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, second chance MM romance featuring a shy and awkward illustrator who doesn't believe in love and an enigmatic playboy oozing romance.

Accused of a murder he didn’t commit, vilified celebrity Jackson Young enlists the help of rookie journalist, Fletcher Doherty, to clear his name and write his biography. Jackson has a secret, though. One he must keep from becoming public. But Fletcher’s dreamy green eyes, Irish drawl, and effortless charm makes it hard to suppress those long-buried feelings, even if it could compromise his innocence.

Stacy’s life is in free fall. She finds herself clutching a handgun, searching for a sign that tomorrow will be any better than today. Her cell phone rings, bringing an offer that may postpone her soul searching. The discovery of an airplane graveyard containing a dozen commercial airliners is shocking. When the salvage camera reveals them to be virtually undamaged under in the Indian Ocean, theories abound. Who put them there? How are they still in one piece? What reason could there be? Stacy is about to learn the answers to those questions, as well things she’d prefer to forget.

Dylan Townsend stands on the beach watching commercial jets fall out of the sky like oak leaves twirling in the wind. A wing shears off the one closest to the shore just before it splashes down in the sea. Why was she telling him this outlandish story? What sort of tourist agency would offer people a front row seat to the end of the world? More importantly, why would anyone book such a vacation if there wasn't any way home afterward?

Stealing tea cups and saucers from the Titanic wreck site is not an easy task. Doing it without getting your feet wet is even harder. Dexter Knight and his two mismatched partners have managed to do it, but are finding it difficult to turn their acquisitions into cold hard cash. When one such sale goes horribly awry, they wind up hijacked, along with their technology.

Originally featured in You: Breathing Easy, the Guided Stretch is a standing, seven-minute exercise you can do almost anywhere to get your muscles warmed up and your blood flowing - an exercise that you'll want to hear and practice again and again!

Sebastian Saunders is 3,000 miles away from home. Working for his father’s expanded business in New York, he's left behind the music career he craved, the friends he relied upon, and possibly the love of his life. In a city that never sleeps, how can the nights cure a broken heart? Jay Ruttman is in London, throwing himself harder into football and his quest to make it on the professional playing field. Locking himself back in the closet, how can he ever open the door, and his heart, again?

After Micky O’Neill is remanded in custody for breaching his court order, his already tempestuous relationship with Dan Peters is tested to the limits. Having to battle their way through a court case that could end with Micky in jail, social workers breaking up the family home, and the return of Micky’s deadbeat father, it seems everything is set to destroy their relationship before it even had the chance to start.

The news from the north is grim. An army is massing under the new king of Feal. They head towards Darien - city of the Twelve families - demanding allegiance, or war. Tellius, Speaker to the Council, knows this divided city will never stand against such a terrible foe. But Tellius has a plan. He will assemble a band of heroes. Men and women who once before aided Darien in her time of need. They will come if he calls. The army approaches. The trumpets of war sound. A great city holds its breath. And a desperate plan unfolds.

In Shiang, the young king rules without dissent. Mazer swordsmen stand watch on every corner, looking for the first sign of rebellion. This city is a place of quiet dignity, like a man eating rice with a razor pressed against his throat. Yet with one sharp movement, order is overturned. The balance of centuries is undone in the sudden spill of blood - and in the darkness, something terrible returns to Shiang. Far to the west, four Shiang masters approach the city walls of Darien. The sword saint and his companions have crossed a continent to bring an old man home for punishment.

Micky O’Neill and Dan Peters now live in Wales, bringing up Micky’s disabled little brother away from small-minded Heathwood and close to Micky’s deceased mother’s family. Things are fine...until Dan begins his dream career as an English teacher at the local school and Micky, main caregiver to Flynn, is isolated in a village that only serves to remind him of his mother’s absence.

It's hard to look at the headlines, see the continuing turmoil in the Middle East and the decline of society here in the United States, and not think that we are living in the end times. The prophetic stories of the Bible seem to be happening right in front of our eyes today as we see what is happening around the world. Scripture tells us that we do not know the day nor the hour when Christ will return, but that we should recognize the signs of His imminent return and be prepared.

Jackson Young has gone into hiding. Fighting to get his name cleared and his truth heard, he’s followed Fletcher Doherty to Ireland for a safe haven from those who want to silence his story. As they work on Jackson's biography, their growing attraction gets harder resist. Fletcher's made it clear though — their professional boundary isn't to be crossed, especially with so many loose threads from each of their pasts left hanging.

When Balagir awakens at the fire with no recollection of his past, he discovers he is an ashen - a mysterious group of black-eyed vagabonds addicted to the smoke they must pay the ghostly piper in exchange for power. With the help of the kalaqai (a sentient spark) and a band of nefarious companions, Balagir will have to traverse the northern wilds, cross seas, and survive foreign wars if he is to discover the truth behind the Ashen Levels.

Mudita, Wheel Publicaton No. 170, contains several short essays, one by the editor, Ven. Nyanaponika, and three by lay practitioners on one of the lesser known and too-little practiced sublime states of mind. Mudita, usually translated "sympathetic joy", was designated one of the brahma-viharas by the Buddha, one of the sublime, noble states of mind. How is it to be practiced, and what are the implications of mudita on the spiritual path? These essays address those questions.

Over 50 great classic short stories, each around 20 minutes in length - perfect for short journeys, bedtime listening and those moments in between.... 'The Khitmatgar' by B. M. Croker, 'The Mummy of Thompson Pratt' by Charles John Cutcliffe Hyne, 'The Ghost at the Blue Dragon' by William J. Wintle, 'A Tropical Horror' by William Hope Hodgson, 'Miracles' by Barry Pain, 'The Dust That Was Barren' by P. C. Wren, 'His Unconquerable Enemy' by W. C. Morrow, 'A Tiger’s Skin' by W. W. Jacobs....

Synopsis - A woman goes back to get revenge on the man who forced her soul into a new body. After Dinner Conversation is a growing series of short stories across genres to draw out deeper discussions with friends and family. Each story is an accessible example of an abstract ethical or philosophical idea and is accompanied by suggested discussion questions. Podcast discussions of this short story, and others, is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Youtube. ★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, ...