The rain pelting Seventh Avenue tasted of diesel and big-city friction. Sean Syrrell stared out the limo’s open window and let the day weep for him. Sean gripped his chest with one hand, trying to compress his heart back into shape. His granddaughter managed to make the end of the block only because her aunt [...]

The door to the gas station opened with a tinny gling, the antiquated bell chiming as Devin entered the store. The sound was a testament to the essence of the small backwoods town. At best it was quaint; at worst it was a sign of dilapidation in the middle of snowy nowhere. As he entered [...]

Deadly Charm by Claudia Mair Burney Rocky showed up at my apartment door with an offer that, in his words, I “no coulda refuse.” Or maybe those were Marlon Brando’s words. I couldn’t be sure. My blond, dreadlocked former pastor slash ex-boyfriend locked me into a stare with those big, brown puppy eyes. He’d puffed [...]

Scream by Mike Dellosso Chapter 1 Mark Stone could still smell the grease on his hands. No matter how hard he scrubbed or what fancy soap he used, the residue remained, stained into the creases of his fingers and caked under his fingernails. In a way, though, it was comforting. At least something in his [...]

The loud banging at Monica Crawford’s front door awakened her. Forcing herself out of bed, she glanced at the clock and saw it was two in the morning. “I’m coming!” She ran to the door. Looking through the peephole, Monica saw her little sister Gina smiling at her. Her heart pounded as she opened the [...]

Havah: The Story of Eve by Tosca Lee  NavPress Publishing Group (October 10, 2008) Prologue I have seen paradise and ruin. I have known bliss and terror. I have walked with God. And I know that God made the heart the most fragile and resilient of organs, that a lifetime of joy and pain might [...]

Adamsville State Penitentiary Death Row With the man’s first step, the others on the Row began a slow tapping on their cell doors. The tiny procession reached the end of the pod, and the rest of the way through security and all the way to the death chamber was lined on either side with corrections [...]

Why do so many young adults (18 to 22) leave the church, and what will it take to bring them back? This important question is examined and duly answered in Essential Church?, a follow-up to Thom S. Rainer’s best-selling Simple Church cowritten this time with his son, research expert Sam Rainer. The book is based [...]

Single Sashimi By Camy Tang LISTEN TO THE PODCAST WITH CAMY TANG Chapter One Venus Chau opened the door to her aunt’s house and almost fainted. "What died?" She exhaled sharply, trying to get the foul air out of her body before it caused cancer or something. Her cousin Jennifer Lim entered the foyer with [...]