Showing results by author "S.A Matthews" in All Categories

Fifty years after the moon landings, the commercialization of space travel is finally here, but do we still know how to dream? Final Frontier recalls the heady thrill of the Apollo era and glimpses wonders yet to come. Inside, find a dozen uplifting stories of humor, tragedy, sacrifice and good old fashioned cussedness by today's award-winning authors - plus a healthy dose of optimism. All that, plus a forward by a NASA astronaut and a piece by Spider Robinson, inspired by Robert Heinlein. The Final Frontier is open for business!

For most 12-year-olds, being kidnapped is terrifying. For Althea, it’s only Tuesday. Her powers of healing make her a precious commodity in the Badlands, a place where the strong write the law in blood. For as long as she can remember, she has lived either as a possession or a goddess. Althea contents herself with captivity as long as she can help others, even those who killed to own her. After three whole months in the same village, the friendship of a young warrior makes her feel almost like a member of the tribe rather than a prisoner.

Magical forces don't always play nice. In fact, they can be downright evil. Life is going fairly well for Detective Maddy Wimsey. At 35, she's an accomplished detective, practicing Wiccan, has a wonderful relationship with her long-time boyfriend, and even a much-needed vacation after dealing with a cursed gem. Alas, her break doesn't last long. A creeping darkness interrupts the solace of the woods with a supernatural vendetta against her coven. Maddy had opened a particular can of worms looking into the past, and the entity has decided to make her a target.

Eleven-year-old Kiera Quinn is sure she’s having a nightmare. She doesn’t believe a nap that started in her suburban bedroom ends in an empty wasteland. She doesn’t believe everyone she’s ever known may have never existed - and she definitely doesn’t believe an old man who tells her she will resurrect the world. The odd shaman clad in junk and old computer parts claims she is "the child born of the earth", humanity’s only chance to survive. Desperate and scared, Kiera humors him, hoping her bad dream ends soon.

Saving the world isn’t easy. It’s even harder when you’re only nine. Kelly Donovan used to be a nobody. Well, a smart nobody. Skipping ahead a year in school made her the smallest kid in fifth grade and a target for bullies in search of an easy mark. She tried to follow her father’s advice and ignore them, but it didn’t do any good. Escaping into her favorite comic books at least helped her through the day. Who needs friends anyway? Sometimes, dreams find a way to come true, even if nobody asked them to.

A move to the small town of Spring Falls, New York, is the perfect cure for Mia Gartner’s horrid commute. However, her new home isn’t quite empty. She adored working in fine art restoration, but a two-hour ride each way got old fast. When her husband found a house for sale at a suspiciously low price, they jumped at it. Mia expected chemical contamination, a fixer-upper, or termites, so when the problem turned out to be persistent rumors of haunting, she set aside her worries.

Sophie lives in a most peculiar cottage at the center of the Forgotten Forest, its inside much larger than its outside. You see, the house must be large, for it holds a great troll as well as a little girl. As one might expect, working for such a creature is rather frightening to a seven-year-old, but the endless expanse of black trees outside is even scarier. She’s afraid to make even the slightest sound, for the troll abhors loud children. He’s not terribly fond of quiet children either - unless they’re in his stew. Sophie’s precious light offers comfort in her darkest moments.

No longer a small child, Wisp accompanies Dad on one of his treks, her first time more than a few steps away from the cabin. A day exploring with him is the happiest time of her life, but joy is short-lived. A monster follows them home. Safe in her haven, she hides while Dad goes outside to confront the beast. She wakes alone the next morning and waits. Alas, her hope of his return fades with the daylight. Afraid but determined, Wisp sets off on her own into the Endless Forest to find Dad - before the Tree Walkers catch her.

Bronx born and bred, Mackenzie Ferrara is both nervous and excited to begin her career as a restorer of fine art at the prestigious Cloisters in New York City. The star of the restoration team is a handsome and reserved Italian, Anthony Bataglia. On loan from the Ufizzi, he is renowned for his ability to bring pre-Renaissance treasures back to life. Despite a rocky start, the two form a close working relationship, which Mackenzie hopes will blossom into something more. But as she works with him she begins to notice patterns and unexplainable similarities in all of his restorations.

This "easy-to-understand" information was prepared by medical specialists to educate and inform professional truck drivers about important health issues. Diseases and risk factors are discussed along with good nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes for improving your health. Learning and applying this information will translate into lower health insurance premiums, job security and perhaps even saving your life.

Be the hero. Be the change. Small acts when multiplied by millions of people can help change our world. Matthew Friedman, the founder of the Be the Hero campaign, is a humanitarian professional who was formerly employed by the United Nations and the US government and has lived and worked in more than 40 countries.

The year was 1997. For Brian “Legs” Hamilton and his friends, it was the summer that followed graduation from college, the summer before life as an adult actually began—back when they were still invincible. Legs and his friends embark upon one last road trip before they must face the real world. They set their sites on rafting amidst the canyons of the Rio Grande River along the Mexican border as their final chaotic drug-fueled exploit. A five-day adventure that was supposed to be the best time in these young men’s lives ends as a nightmare that will haunt them forever.

Nestled within the folds of the Canadian Rockies, Graves Grove probably isn’t the picturesque place you’d like to stay for long. Peculiar things happen here. The citizens seem normal superficially—they function well enough. But each one is deeply disturbed, wrapped in secrets and neuroses which drive them to strange behaviors.

Dwayne Devero is just like you and me, except he simply doesn’t give a sh*t anymore. He’s had enough. He’s done with people living life wrong. You’ll do it right, or he’ll bury you under the bases at the ballpark where he coaches. It’s just that simple. Tired of poor decisions being made all around him, from the politics of player positions on his son’s little league baseball team to the philandering of his wife in his own bedroom, Dwayne decides that breaking is better than bending.

Teen2life - Teens are introduced to top professionals in different fields to potentially help them with their future careers

Dr. Matthew Barnes, chemist, biochemist, doctor, and bestselling author of The Emerald Tablet 101, The Hermetica 101, The Tao Te Ching 101, The Bhagavad Gita 101, and Jesus Christ, Zen Master presents his case for Einstein as being not only one of the most influential scientists of our time but also one of the most spiritual (in his own, unique way).

FNH Audio present the first in a series of science fiction short story collections. In this collection: On board a starship a ghost of the past fights horrifying monsters. An explorer find a mining crew dead in their beds, but the next day they're up and walking. Humanity is under the thumb of aliens. The Earthers discover a strange fact of ancient history, their ancestors walked on two legs! The Martians are using a white mist to sedate and ambush all the colonists. And more.