young adult - Stories

Mac and Devin are back from their treasure hunt in the Ozarks and now they’re ready to start their Senior (4th) year at Colorado State University. What new incidents will they become involved in?

The siege is over. The city is theirs. But for Darien Haskal and his feral Vanguard, the real war has just begun. Raymond of Toulouse has seized the Holy Lance and declared himself God's chosen commander. Baldwin of Edessa plots from the north, hungry for revenge. And somewhere in the Sultan's tent, a prince's back is being carved open to pay for Antioch's fall. The Vanguard marches south alone—extorting coastal cities, hunting spies in the hills, and building a sanctuary for outcasts. Jerusalem waits. But the road is paved with fanatics, betrayal, and the corpses of kings.

Life is filled with surprises. We are constantly reminded that we are at the mercy of the universe; from the people we meet, to the events that shape us, to the places we find ourselves in. If we are among the lucky ones we will find our place in the world, and someone to share it with, and life will be sweet. But even then, everything is subject to change, and we either roll with the flow, or find ourselves fighting against the tide, because you just never know what might come at you from out of the blue.

Sky is a young actor, son of two of Hollywood's finest and most respected television stars, and an out gay man with a few small roles to start his career. When he auditions for a small indie film, he learns his co-star would be the hottest up-and-coming male star of the year: Brant Kimber. Sky is auditioning for the role of Brant's gay lover, but Brant is quite heterosexual. Sky can barely imagine filming sex scenes with this masculine sex-symbol but he is also very excited about the opportunity. The role would be the best one he has had so far and extremely exciting. Will Sky land The Role of a Lifetime? What will happen if he does?

"You can never trust a Crawley." Those were Albert Cooley's words to his sons, spoken every chance he got, and August did his best to do what was expected of him after his ma passed. The Crawleys and the Cooleys were ranching families, and they didn't mix, not ever, but more and more, August had a problem with letting his father decide everything for him. Was Fletcher really his enemy? Could he trust the man he'd butted heads with over and over, one he'd known pretty much his whole life? All he knew for certain was he was tired of all the conflict, and needed his life to change before he exploded. That's where his Gran came in.

In response to Prompt#320:

First line: “This tastes like shit!”

Stanley and Addison have a discussion over Addison’s latest cooking experiment.

Jacob continues his journey to form new bonds with his brothers while struggling to find his place after awakening to a brand new world. Will newfound friendships be broken? Will his first real love be lost? Those are the heart-wrenching questions Jacob must face with the ever-present fear of losing himself to light and shadow.

The year is Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Nine and one William Harker is on the brink of starting the rest of his life.

Little does young William Harker know that his whole future has been a manipulation by powers he cannot possibly comprehend! From the time of his birth to now in his flowering manhood, he has been watched over by one of the great powers of this world! A power secret, ancient, hidden, and often feared.

The Obsolete returns to the music scene as an unstoppable force. With Ryan back, Jasper’s determined to cement their status as a power couple.

But things have changed.

Ryan’s career is at a crossroads. Jasper puts on the performance of a lifetime to convince everyone he’s fine. And an invasive media debacle sends the band into a fight for their personal privacy once more.

When Ryan takes the stage with the bravest solo of his life, will it be enough to reassure Jasper they can really have it all?

Cwtch is a Welsh word, translated into English it means a hug, but the meaning is deeper and more profound than a simple hug. When you give someone a cwtch you also give them a safe place and this is what twenty something Londoner Harry gives Welsh farmboy Aled. The story tells how two souls find each other, and recognise one another immediately. It is attraction, but also love at first sight, although true love is never easy.

This story is also published under the title Eighteen Years by E K Stokes.