Showing results by narrator "Roberto Scarlato" in All Categories

From time to time when I take a break from researching and writing my thrillers, I write short stories such as the ones collected for the first time in this new anthology, Trust and Other Nightmares. Each of these stories has its germination in nights when my sleep was suddenly savaged by ethereal visions and sounds sufficiently disturbing to wrench me from tangled, sweat-drenched sheets.

All Akira's life, he dreamt of being more than just a samurai. His sensei finds his martial arts inadequate, and he's taunted by another young samurai who has killed a dragon. But Akira has a secret. He's been training with the Tengu - magical wind-spirits who excel at fighting. Only things aren't what they appear, and unbeknownst to Akira, he isn't quite human. A dragon threatening his home island reveals his true identity and he's sent on a journey where if he chooses to use his magic, he'll be put to death.

In her quest for immortality, Lilly considers a Satanic covenant before the portal closes on All Hallows' Eve in "Bloodlust". When Felicity meets exotic Seth on a flight to Luxor, her fairy-tale vacation is threatened by tomb robbers in "Illusion". "Manhunt" finds Tami and Mick suspecting the newest member of their team while planning one final heist at the Diamond Exchange. Dr. Brenda Lancaster must develop a cure for a mutated pathogen before mankind becomes extinct in "Pandemic".

"Valkyrie": A powerful, luscious woman can transform into a creature of the night. Jason tries to save her, but can he save himself from the bloodlust? "Forgotten": A slave woman uses the power of a cyber suit to save herself and finds herself bound to a ghost in the machine, Tcai.

During an attack on her home, a young woman must join with a cybernetic suit, and the being inside it, in order to survive.

Freezing and broken, a woman creature is dying in a snowy New York City park. Jason, a young mechanic, finds her on his way home but finds she's not entirely human. Should he call the police? Should he bring her to a hospital? He decides to bring her home, and that choice changes everything. The woman is beautiful but dangerous. She has no memory of her past, but someday it will return to haunt them both.

1790, French Caribbean: Biracial plantation owner Patrice Beaumont is known as a "kinder" slave master, but his trusted friend reminds him that is no cause for pride. He claims to be committed to ending slavery, but his actions don't back up his words. Is being the "best of the worst" all he's capable of? 1863, New York City: Giant Irish street fighter Patrick Allen is days away from battling it out with a similarly oversized Black fighter.

Somewhere in an impoverished desert shantytown there's a life devoid of all things human. Yet from this loveless, hopeless, and altogether barren existence comes fiery hope and unexpected love. As brutal as a Tarantino movie and as tender as a sure-fire chick flick, Bizarro Love drags the listener through the loneliness and ugliness of the character's world. Amidst an utter absence of humanity comes the greatest of human conditions, love and hope.

In this compilation, Agent Richards races against time to find the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur in "Abducted"; in "Cunning", a newlywed, who is obsessed with Transylvanian folklore, encounters her husband's mysterious kinsman; while a murderer flees a crime scene in "Reckless". Listen to these short stories, and more, in Scribbler Tales: Volume 4.

Jeff Leetch comes from a long line of alcoholics. He is perfectly content to spend his nights at the bar with his friends, numb to the world around him. When he gets a phone call that his mother, who he hasn't spoken to in years, has died, he is tasked with going to her house to clear out her belongings. What he finds in his childhood home reminds him of his younger days and how those events have shaped the man he is today, for better or worse.

Imagine you, your spouse, and your 16-year-old son are invited to go out of town. When you get to your destination, you discover someone tricked you into going on the trip. You soon realize your son was poisoned and there is no known antidote. Your child has 10 hours to live, 12 at most. This is exactly what happened to Dr. Amy Sinclair, a medical researcher from Zionsville, Indiana. Still is the enthralling story of the lengths Amy and her husband go through to save the life of their only son.

When a psychic is forced by the mafia to provide them with predictions of their forthcoming criminal plans, she was murdered in Horrorscope, the first novel in this trilogy. Her death caused a physical manifestation of the signs of the zodiac signs, who have sought revenge for his murder.

The story of how tragedy and sudden fame can affect everyone involved in the event. It is the story of David, a reporter, whose live newscast of young Maisie Hughes' death becomes a viral sensation. His guilt is in conflict with his desire to use the event to further his career. At the same time it is a story about the Hughes family: mom, dad, and middle sister.

When a highly classified schematic of a prototype engine is stolen, the evidence points to an inside job, in "Hidden Lies". In "Nightmare", Melanie's childhood demons carry over into adulthood when she returns to her ancestral home. Detective Newport races against time to apprehend a killer targeting prosecuting attorneys in "Payback". "The Night Stalker" is not a figment of Pamela's imagination as she tries to convince the police that her life is in danger.

Imagine a town where the people perpetually live in the 1950s, a place where time has all but stopped and where everyone loves his family, job, and life. In this strange place, only a select few people ever leave the city limits, and even then they leave reluctantly. This is what 15-and-a-half-year-old Benjamin Granault faces as, through a string of amazing events, he finds himself living in a town where he can never talk about modern technology or current events, a place where being an outsider can cost a person his life, and being part of the community may very well cost more.

Revolution has come to Mars. Max Lupine has been secretly creating a virus to pacify and enslave the populace. However, a mining accident triggers a premature release of the virus and sets off a pandemic that causes the majority of the populace to become mindless killers. Beverly Gibson, lead scientist of the Delta Dig, tries to rally a resistance not only to battle the infected that roam the populated living domes of Mars, but to stop Max Lupine from consolidating his despotic power.

Scribbler Tales is a unique mix of genres in one anthology rich with tension, humanity and genuine emotion. Unconventional settings and unexpected twists are bound to leave you pondering long after you finish listening to this book.

It's a fast-moving murder mystery that begins when Jordan comes home early to find a beautiful but unknown blonde half-dressed and very drunk in his apartment. From then on things get ever more complicated, as murder and intrigue rear their twin heads with Jordan stuck in the middle, trying to solve the crime and clear himself of a murder charge.

When a psychic is forced to provide predictions to the Mafia in order to keep their crimes from being foiled, Helen Wilson must weigh the balance of her gift with the consequences of complying with the mob. When an underboss believes she is a threat to their criminal enterprise, he has the psychic killed. Her death causes a physical manifestation of the signs of the zodiac, who seek revenge for her murder. The signs begin a mission of revenge, as each creature targets those involved in the psychic's death.

The battle has raged for years, with each side gaining in both strength and potency. Bill must fight the alien humans on the battlefield and win, or die trying. Former allies have turned enemies, and trust is lost. When even deadlier threats emerge than ever before, can Bill hope to prevail, or will humanity lose the war?