Showing results by narrator "Steven Barnett" in All Categories

Beyond Horizons explores classic sci-fi themes through a contemporary lens. Continuing the legacy of decades gone by, these fast-paced standalone stories offer wondrous settings, philosophical sci-fi questions, and twists that pack a punch.

She’s running from that life, and he’s caught in-between. I’ve killed someone. I had no choice but to pull the trigger. Now I’m leading a new life, under a new name. I’m safe. For now. That is, until he shows up. He’s sexy, sweet, and different from the bikers. But I can’t give in. He represents everything from my past. I left that life far behind me. Getting closer to him might reveal my past. It might lead me back to them. They can’t find out where I am. Or I’m dead. If we keep going, he’s bound to find out. He doesn’t know what I’ve done.

With the Terradox colony stable and established, attention turns to the most ambitious endeavour in human history: the creation of a planet-sized romosphere capable of carrying a sizeable population on a one-way course for the stars.

The best thing about the holiday season is spending time with family. At the same time, sometimes the worst thing about the holiday season is spending time with family. The stories in this collection touch on that and more as Mandy Nichols, Jeff Resnick, and Judi Straub struggle through what's supposed to be the joyous season. One family contemplates murder; another wants to end what they see as a bad relationship, while another can only see their loved one for what she can do for them. Sound familiar? Happy Holidays? puts the Christmas fun into dysfunction!

Billionaire businessman, Cal Sellers had the only woman he's ever loved, but with one careless, arrogant act, he lost her. Now as she stands in his office begging for her old job back, he has no intention of losing her again - or hiring her. He has an altogether different position to offer her....

Dylan Kline, salesman extraordinaire, eyes Saturn's moons as his ultimate cosmic jackpot. As global attention turns towards the first launch of the billionaire's ambitious project, the stakes could hardly be higher. Kline's advanced rocketry has finally enabled heavy long-distance transit, opening up a new frontier of unimaginable revenue opportunities.

Charlie's the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can't remember his name. So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don't take him seriously. Still, this isn't all bad. Who needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben Franklin himself. And there's this girl... Yvaine... another time traveler. All good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into the future.

I was never the kind to marry for money. Until Rob Michaels offered me the stars, along with a billionaire fortune, glamorous career, and a private island. The job comes with other perks, too. Like a model-hot coworker, Anya Talova, who I still can’t get a read on, until I found out way more than I ever needed to know. There are some risks. Like my husband’s revenge-driven brother (and his abs of steel) out to hurt my husband any way he can. Out to hurt him through me. I was never the kind to betray my husband. Until I did.

When alien scientists studying a mysterious object detect unfamiliar DNA, they set to work on cloning the being responsible for the incredible technology. Now, all alone and trillions of miles from home, their fully grown human Seedling is about to be hatched....

When the government's new private welfare system begins rewarding unemployed viewers for watching the right kind of ads, Roger Birch welcomes a Funscreen into his home. Like millions of others, Roger and his family soon depend on ad-viewing income for their survival. Unlike millions of others, the events of one uncomfortable evening leave Roger aware of the government's shadier reasons for investing in Funscreens.

When Dezi North walks into a metaphysical shop to find his date murdered, he doesn’t expect to find his keeper standing there, asking him questions about his alibi. But Detective Lexington Cooper is everything he’s always secretly wanted and nothing he expected to find.

Graham is the sixth generation Doran to become sheriff of the sleepy central California coastal town. As long as a Doran has been sheriff there's been no crime in San Rey, and Graham is counting on that peace and quiet when he returns home after years as an LAPD detective. But when he's called to the scene of the murder/suicide of an old friend, he sets into motion a series of events that rocks the tiny town, and the only way to catch a killer will be to face his own dark past.

Miyuki Price-Jones knows what sells - and sex sells. Host of a successful home shopping show, Mi has all eyes on her - including one very obsessed ex-convict. The stronger his obsession grows, the more danger Mi finds herself in. When former Navy SEAL turned bodyguard Lucas Vega is charged with heading up her security, Mi realizes that she might need him for more than just protection. She's drawn to the large, sexy, quiet man who guards her. As the heat between them intensifies, Lucas struggles to keep his feelings for Mi separate from his need to keep her safe.

Amanda Shelton is clever, adventurous, and tough - and she's going to have to be, because she just crash landed on a world where her saviors might really be her enemies. It takes fierce determination to prevent the people of this frightening and unfamiliar place from stealing her shuttle technology, or from imprisoning her while they do it. Yet what she knows could save countless innocent lives - including those who keep this world safe. Facing this terrible test of spirit will take everything Amanda has.... If she survives at all.

With huge funding behind them, ChronoTonic claims to have achieved the impossible. The corporation is pushing its new machine — a time machine — as the solution to Earth's problems. I'm just not buying it. They want to buzz forward in time, pick up a few technological advancements, and buzz back to apply them in the here and now. They say we can save lives and reduce suffering by learning the lessons of the future — today.

Life takes an unexpected turn when Prince Paxdon bans Amanda Shelton from Telenia's Summer Palace, but that's just the first step in an incredible journey that has her leading the province's oppressed women into a life of self-sufficiency. The threat of war remains, and others are watching her every move as Amanda leaves the safety and security of the rural north and ventures to the capital city where she faces peril and life altering decisions. Will her future be a life of luxury or despair?

Auburn Lawrence has loved her English teacher, Reed West, since she was 16. Through brainstorming stories, reading classic literature, and plenty of fiery banter, they've forged a bond that neither of them expected.

Supposedly, a sex tape can make a Hollywood career. It killed mine. I was a child actress who didn’t fail miserably after puberty. I didn’t do drugs, rob a bank, or join a cult. I was the youngest actress to ever win an Academy Award. I was on the verge of a great career until one stupid night - caught on tape - brought it all crashing down on me. All I want is to be left alone with my dog...but I can’t keep my eyes or hands off the builder....

When Kurt Jacobs imagines the ultimate gadget—one capable of replacing phones, credit cards, keys, and TVs—the idea consumes his every waking moment. When the Sycamore corporation buys into Kurt's creation and The Seed becomes a reality, his every dream comes true. Power like this has never existed. But amid all of the awe and optimism, there is far more going on behind the curtain than Kurt or anyone else could ever have predicted.

Unlikely (Book 1): There are only two things Sophie Reid doesn’t do: lawyers and sex. When sexy lawyer Ryan Becker waltzes into her life, he persuades her to pursue their attraction. But a Hollywood union strikes, and Ryan and Sophie find themselves on opposite sides of the bargaining table. Can their sparks in the bedroom overcome their standoff in the boardroom?