What would Pauline do, she wondered. Pauline would wait. Pauline would say, “Assume a virtue if you have it not”, which in this circumstance, Danae took to mean if she assumed guardianship of the wand, the wand would come to her. Eventually. So Danae leaned against the workbench and watched Marc Sancha cavort around with it. Occasional sparks and pops from out front meant that she’d be heading for the hardware store again pretty soon to buy more sets of Christmas lights. She was wondering what kind of business he had to take care of that prevented him from coming to Pauline’s funeral service, especially since he had his own plane, when Marc suddenly tripped on one of those kick-stools they used to stock the higher shelves. He hit the floor, but the shelving broke his fall a little, saving him from hitting his head directly. Even so, it still knocked him out cold for a few moments.
The wand flew from his hand, twirled on the floor three times, then tipped over in slow motion and rolled to a stop right in front of Danae. She picked the wand up with both hands and was surprised at its weight. But whatever energy or power it had moments ago seemed to have vanished. Danae placed it carefully in the case, closed it up, and placed it on one of the higher shelves in the back, near the loading dock. She then got the cabbie, who was waiting for him, to help her get Marc into the backseat of the taxi. He was coming around, but still pretty groggy. She told him she’d lock up the warehouse and see him at noon tomorrow.
*
Mark Sancha was not in a good mood after the will reading. He had a headache from his fall in the warehouse the day before—still couldn’t remember everything, but thought he tripped over something. He’d demanded Pauline’s home address so he could see if there was anything of value that should be removed and sold before he put it on the market, and the bitches hadn’t bothered to mention that the house was gone. He’d taken a taxi to the address they gave him and stared at an empty foundation. So he’d directed the taxi driver to the bank and cleaned out Pauline’s accounts, leaving for the girls only the minimum amount outlined in her will.
She’d left Marc the Ace of Wands business, with the stipulation that the girls would be given three months’ notice if he decided to let them go; and they actually became co-owners if Marc died or tried to sell the business within the first six months. Co-owners? Really? That wasn’t happening. He could wait six months and a day, and he certainly wasn’t planning on dying anytime soon. He knew he could sue and have the will nullified, but it would take a little work and probably more than six months to wind its way through the court system, anyway. He could wait. He had more important things to do out of town. She’d appointed Denny guardianship of the Ace of Wands—not the business, but the actual wand in the gun case—whatever that meant. She stipulated that the wand wasn’t to leave New Orleans, but the piece was unusual and he wanted to hang it on his wall at home. The lawyer had protested against him taking it, but Marc had pointed out that “guardianship” and “ownership” were two different things. Denny could be a guardian all she wanted, but Marc owned the business and the business included ownership of that wand.
Good thing he flew his own plane, he reflected on the cab ride to Lakefront Airport. No way conventional airline security would let him take a shotgun case on the plane with him. The driver asked if he wanted to stop at the music festival at New Orleans City Festival Park on his way to the airport, but he declined. His plane was already fueled up. He could be in Jersey in time for dinner. He could hear all the music he wanted to in just a few short hours.
He stowed his gear, went through his pre-flight checklist, and started up the engines. Twin-engine planes were the way to go, he always thought. If there was trouble with one engine, you still had another. The air traffic controller gave him clearance for take-off and two minutes later, Marc Sancha was banking north, away from New Orleans. With the air conditioning on the plane killing the humidity, he felt like he might actually stop sweating in this lifetime, and loosened his collar a little.
He was still over Lake Pontchartrain when a shimmering cloud appeared at the 11:00 position in front of him. Whatever it was, it was coming fast. The shimmering cloud grew larger and it was suddenly like a thousand spikes of sunlight stabbing right into his eyes. Bronze, he thought. The sun was reflecting off bronze. He couldn’t see where he was flying. The shimmering cloud was breaking up into individual splinters of light. No less blinding, but he could guess at what they were: birds. Bronze birds, with arrows for feathers. Without being able to see his instruments, he still knew exactly when he lost the first engine. And he felt it when the birds got sucked into the second engine. But with no way to see the instruments, there would be no gliding onto a water landing that he’d trained for. No, Marc Sancha was instead executing a perfect nosedive into Lake Pontchartrain.
*
The Zydeco revelers at Festival Park heard the explosion and saw flames before the plane hit the water.
On the six o’clock news, a young anchor reported that, “While tragic, fortunately there was only one casualty. The NTSB is still investigating, but it appears likely that a flock of birds was drawn into the engine intake and downed the plane.
“Eyewitnesses to the crash, who had been enjoying the music festival, reported seeing people near the water setting off illegal fireworks. The anchor speculated that the noise might have stirred up the birds just before the plane went down.
“On a positive note, however, he revealed that some cargo from the plane had washed up on shore and an intact gun case was returned to its rightful owner, who declared that the gun case was never leaving New Orleans again.”
13Thirty Books
Exciting Thrillers, Heart-warming Romance,
Mind-bending Horror, Sci-Fantasy
and
Educational Non-Fiction
Bad Attitude & Diamond In The Rough – Doris Parmett
Bad Attitude
Meet bad boy, undercover state trooper Reid Cameron.
Meet Polly Sweet, the woman who is about to be his downfall.
In order to catch a jewel thief, Cameron wants to use Polly’s house, and he comes up with a plan, whereby they play at being lovers. But when the first play-acted kiss happens, neither one is ready for the feelings that kiss ignites or for the consequences that ensue. Has this bad boy finally met his match? How Bad is Too Bad?
Diamond In The Rough
Detective Dan Murdock is on a dangerous stakeout, when advice columnist, Millie Gordon unwittingly shows up on the scene, putting them both in danger. To save her from possibly being shot when the mobsters arrive, Murdock jumps into Millie’s car and throws himself over her to protect her, little realizing that the real danger starts when their bodies come together.Both of them try to deny their undeniable desire for one another, but when Millie decides Murdock would make a great “unsung hero” for her upcoming book, she maneuvers him into letting her ride along with him as his partner. How long will they be able to resist the obvious smoldering sexual attraction between them?
Romantic Times: Vegas - Anthology
The Excelsior Hotel and Casino. Built in Las Vegas in 1960 by mobster Louis “The Lip” LaFica. For decades the towering hotel has been the subject of incredible stories and rumors that have kept it in the public eye the world around. Why have so many lovers been mysteriously, magically, magnetically drawn to this magnificent edifice? And why now have so many bestselling authors at last come together to reveal the adventures of these lovers who have stayed at the glorious Excelsior?
The Third Hour – Richard Devin
The Third Hour is an original spin on the religious-thriller genre, incorporating elements of science fiction along with the religious angle. Its strength lies in this originality, combined with an interesting take on real historical figures, who are made a part of the experiment at the heart of the novel, and the fast pace that builds.
Ripper – A Love Story – Lance Taubold & Richard Devin
“Queen Victoria would not be amused--but you will be by this beguiling combinat
ion of romance and murder. Is the Crown Prince of England really Jack the Ripper? His wife would certainly like to know... and so will you.” - Diana Gabaldon, New York Times Best Selling Author
Heather Graham’s Haunted Treasures – Heather Graham
Presented together for the first time, New York Times Bestselling Author, Heather Graham brings back three tales of paranormal love and adventure.
Heather Graham’s Christmas Treasures – Heather Graham
New York Times Bestselling Author, Heather Graham brings back three out-of-print Christmas classics that are sure to inspire, amaze, and warm your heart.
Zodiac Lovers Series – Lance Taubold
Zodiac Lovers is a series of romantic, gay, paranormal novelettes. In each story, one of the lovers has all the traits of his respective zodiacal sign.
Never Fear Series – Horror Anthology
For those who like their stories on the darker side ...
Never Fear
Shh… Something’s Coming
Tales of Horror by Ten Masters of Suspense Leave the lights on with this limited time collection of short stories about fear and how far folks will go to survive in a terrifying world. The Barrens by F. Paul Wilson. New York Times Bestselling Author. A cosmic horror tale in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Genuine pinelands lore painted with a Lovecraftian palette. Creighton reenters his old girlfriend’s life, saying he’s researching the myth of the Jersey Devil. But he has a much darker agenda. Control+Alt+Delete by Rachel Aukes. Amazon Bestselling Author. In the near-future where we are monitored every minute of every day, a law is passed that grants an Artificial Intelligence system the power to instantly “reform” anyone deemed a threat to society. The Agent by Michael Koogler. Up-and-Coming Author. What would you give to have it all? What would you offer up for fame and fortune? Would you give up your very soul? Would you give up even more? Andre Rossell is an aspiring horror writer with a problem. He hasn’t published anything. His life is a waste. He’s going nowhere. Until his agent calls... The Girl Next Door by E. McCarthy. New York Times Bestselling Author. In the old yellow fever wing of a female dorm in New Orleans, an empty sealed room holds nothing but a chair. Or does it? Student Sadie is determined to find out, at the risk of her own sanity... and her boyfriend’s life. Taps by Patrick Freivald. Bram Stoker Award-Nominated Author. A series of mysterious tapping sounds leads Molly into a darkness from which she may never emerge. Forward Base Fourteen by Patrick Freivald. Bram Stoker Award-Nominated Author. One of the last survivors of an outpost on the alien world of New Phoenix, Sarah DeSouza fights on against the Takers, who kill, reanimate and control their victims. Funeral March of a Marionette by Lance Taubold. Award-Winning Author. Fourteen-year-old Corey has always been picked on ... and worse by other kids and his stepfather. Through the magic of music Corey’s nutcracker doll collection comes to life to do his bidding and to enact his revenge. Gris Gris by Kathy Love. USA Today Bestselling Author. Elizabeth visits Madame Lucrece Dumas, New Orleans’ most powerful Voodoo priestess, certain the Creole voodooiene can conjure a spell to protect her from a terrifying curse. But Elizabeth soon discovers there is something stronger than Voodoo magic. Revenge. Where Billy Monasco Lay by Paul Mannering. Award-Winning Author. A band of outlaws making a run for Mexico wait by the Penasco River for the rest of their gang. Plagued by guilt after the horrific deaths of a bank full of innocent townsfolk, they meet God’s justice in the form of a dead boy. Alabaster Nights by Elle J. Rossi. Up-and-Coming Author. A Vampire with a soul. A Huntress with a knife. In Nashville, Blood equals Power. Will one taste of Josie Hawk cost Keller everything? Snapped! by Richard Devin. Up-and-Coming Debut Author. No one knew where or when or how... it just happened. They Snapped. That’s what people said. They Snapped. There wasn’t any single sign, like you might expect there to be. No twitching or dying or convulsing. No outbreak of flu or some wide-spread contagious disease. Snap. They were human... and then... they were not.
Never Fear – Phobias
Everyone Fears Something
19 Stories of phobia from New York Times bestselling master suspense authors F. Paul Wilson and Heather Graham with a “krewe” of dynamic award-winning storytellers.
Never Fear – Christmas Terrors
He sees you when you’re sleeping …
Twenty-Two Tales of Christmas Terror ranging from ancient Iceland to modern-day Iraq by New York Times Bestselling and award-winning authors, including: a new ghost story by Heather Graham, a Repairman Jack Christmas adventure by F. Paul Wilson, a spine tingling tale by master of horror Thomas F. Monteleone, and a special tale of Christmas wonder by Jon Land.
In a unique experience—a story within a story—you will follow along when the MacDonald family discovers an unidentified present under their Christmas tree. Who gave it to them? Where did it come from? No one seems to know. And when they open the mysterious gift, it sets them on a course to a Christmas of terror they could never have expected
Authored by Heather Graham, F. Paul Wilson, Lance Taubold, Aidan Russell, Thomas F. Monteleone, Lisa Harris, E. McCarthy, Richard Devin, Lee Lawless, Kristi Ahlers, Don Bruns, Ed DeAngelis, Lisa Manetti, Elle J Rossi, Deborah Grahl, Liah Penn, Crystal Perkins, Greg Linden, Connie Corcoran Wilson, Jeff DePew, Mathew Kaufman
Never Fear – The Tarot
Do you really want to know?
13Thirty Books has gathered twenty-six award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors to write these dark tales based on the Tarot.
The twist: the Tarot card would choose the author.
We took a deck of tarot cards and the list of the twenty-six authors. We read each author’s name out loud, then shuffled the deck and drew a card. That card was removed. The deck was reshuffled and the next name was chosen.
The card, its traits, and the author’s imagination were the inspiration for these twenty-six tales of the paranormal and the supernatural.
More Than Magick – Rick Taubold
Why me? Recent college grad Scott Madison, has been recruited (for reasons that he will eventually understand) by the wizard Arion and secretly groomed by his ostensible friend and mentor, Jake Kesten. But his training hasn’t readied him to face Vraasz, a being who has become powerful enough to destroy the universe and whose first objective is the obliteration of Arion’s home world. Scott doesn’t understand why he was the chosen one or why he is traveling the universe with a ragtag group of individuals also chosen by Arion. With time running out, Scott discovers that he has a power that can defeat Vraasz. If only he can figure out how to use it.
Stop Saying Yes – Negotiate! – Richard Devin
Stop Saying Yes - Negotiate! is the perfect “on the go” guide for all negotiations. This easy-to-read, practical guide will enable you to quickly identify the other side’s tactics and strategies allowing you to defend yourself ensuring a better negotiation for your side and theirs.
Treasures & Pleasures: A Collection of Romantic Novellas – Bobbi Smith
Eden’s Gate
Kacie Cameron fell in love with Eden’s Gate Plantation when she read of its history. Drawn by a tremendous longing to learn more, she made a trip to Eden’s Gate. When Kacie saw the portrait of the original owner’s son, Bradford Hampton for the first time, the power of the feelings that swept through her almost frightened her. She told herself it was crazy to react that way to the portrait of a dead man…of a man who’d died in a steamboat explosion so long ago. The gut-wrenching emotions churning within her as she’d stared up at the dark-haired, handsome Brad’s compelling features did not disappear, though, and when she is miraculously swept back in time, she knows she must find a way to save him from that terrible fate.
Something Blue
Stationed in Arizona, Cavalry Captain Philip Long returns to Boston for the reading of his wealthy father’s will and to settle the estate. Philip is deeply troubled when he learns his father added a clause to the will that dictates he must marry within six months and stay married for a year or he will lose ever
y cent of his inheritance. Unless he chooses to walk away from his fortune, Philip knows he’s trapped. But when he rescues young saloon girl Mattie Jackson from an attack by some vicious drunks on his trip back to Fort McDowell, he believes he’s found the answer to his problem. He’ll propose a “marriage in name only” to Mattie to save her from the life she’s been forced to lead, and once their year together is over, he’ll pay her a substantial amount so they can part ways…Or will they? Love might just interfere.
Lottery of Love
Elise Matthews has worked hard to make her catering service a success in order to support herself and her younger brother, Rod, after their parents died, and she buys lottery tickets every week just to keep up the tradition her father had. When she lands a contract with the rich owner of the local football team, she’s ecstatic. She rushes to the auto body shop where Rod works to tell him and their friend, Zach Thomas, who owns the shop, the news. Zach is happy for Elise. He secretly loves her and has always wanted the best for her, but now that she’ll be dealing with the rich folks on a regular basis, he fears she won’t have much use for a regular working guy like him anymore. Elise has always longed to be rich, and when the team owner proposes to her, she finds herself torn between the surprising love she’s finally realized she feels for Zach and the prospect of marrying a very wealthy man. Will true love win out? Will Zach win “The Lottery of Love?”
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