Four authors. Twelve stories. Another writing session with only the unknown before them. In the pages of Beyond the Door Volume 2 can be found stories about: - a dangerous beauty seeking revenge - the power of words - an alien invasion - espionage during the Civil War - fraternity hazing with a dangerous edge - election tampering from the future The authors from Beyond the Door Volume 1 have come together again to mine their imagination for more visions of time lines only they could discover. Clones, child detectives, first ladies, and missing pregnancies mask a reality only they could survive to tell the world. If an open door is an invitation then consider this a taste of what you'll find inside. They are halfway through the deck. Q: What was it like to write these stories without the others in the room with you? A.B. Alvarez: Who says I wasn't in the room with the others? Just because they couldn't see me. I mean, I wasn't in the room with them. At all. Not under the bed or in the closet which BTW needs a good cleaning. I was home sipping a fine Merlot while watching the ships travel down the Hudson. While I wrote about pits covered in sharp pointy pieces of glass. That takes a lot of concentration and focus. And a good Merlot. Serena B. Miller: After editing your stories, Alvarez, I think a little less Merlot might be in order? And please stay out of my closets. That last restraining order is still valid. Jesse R. Lyle: Bittersweet. Since I didn’t have to listen to the droning-thunderous striking of keyboard keys from overzealous-caffeine driven digits, I could actually think straight, but I didn’t get to trade attempted witty remarks with my fellow companions. Derek E. Miller: It was a dream. I was home enjoying a fine Craft Artisan Amish made Root Beer listening to the neighbor’s dog bark way too much. But all that commotion was still better than listening to A.B. Alvarez constantly make laser sounds as he would write his futuristic sci fi stuff. You definitely need a good Root Beer to write. Q: Derek E. Miller, during your tour of duty in the military what was it like interacting with the aliens from Area 51? A: Turns out I was well prepared. Dealing with New Yorkers like A.B. Alvarez more than prepared me for interaction with an alien species. One of them even gave me two t-shirts. They have printed on them, "I Love Zork" and "The Big Abbsou." Q: Jesse R. Lyle, based on your fictitious medical degree from Johns Hopkins, did the details about genetics in your story help you make better breeding decisions about the multi-legged organisms you have running around your home? A: Oh, without a doubt my fictitious medical degree helped more than a legitimate medical degree. And yes, she might be a genetically created multi-legged organism, but she’s my little multi-legged organism. MuHahahaha Q: Serena B. Miller, after reading Sunny I can see you owning multiple guns and not being afraid to use them. Have you ever sneaked into a foreign country with the express intent of overthrowing its government? A: That depends. Has California attained foreign country status yet? Q: A.B. Alvarez, the last time you went time traveling did you find your doppelganger? A: Is that question for me? I've never gone time traveling. If I did would I be here? Multiple time streams don't make any sense. That doesn't mean I haven't been visited by others who purport to be from a different time stream. Meet my doppelganger? Don't be silly. What would I do if I met myself? Kill him and take his place? Of course not! He might try to kill me and take my place. By the way: why did you call me A.B. Alvarez?

Beyond the Black Door is a young adult dark fantasy about unlocking the mysteries around and within us—no matter the cost... Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons. Soulwalkers—like Kamai and her mother—can journey into other people's souls while they sleep. But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. It follows her into every soul, and her mother has told her to never, ever open it. When Kamai touches the door, it is warm and beating, like it has a pulse. When she puts her ear to it, she hears her own name whispered from the other side. And when tragedy strikes, Kamai does the unthinkable: she opens the door. A.M. Strickland's imaginative dark fantasy features court intrigue and romance, a main character coming to terms with her asexuality, and twists and turns as a seductive mystery unfolds that endangers not just Kamai's own soul, but the entire kingdom ... An Imprint Book “I couldn’t put down this deliciously dark dream of a fantasy.” —New York Times bestselling author Lisa Maxwell “A dark delight, gorgeously written and as twisty and enigmatic as a labyrinth at twilight. I wanted to stay lost in its pages forever, wandering ever deeper into the maze of Strickland’s beguiling, intricately imagined world.” —Margaret Rogerson, New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens

In this powerful and inspiring memoir, a Pakistani immigrant shares his story of finding new freedoms and a new faith in America. It’s easy to talk about freedom. But unless someone has lived in a world that suffocates freedom, it’s difficult to appreciate the liberty found in America. This is the true story of a Pakistani Muslim who immigrates to the United States for college and discovers five transformational freedoms along the way: the freedom to fail and start over, to love, to choose one’s faith, to be an entrepreneur, and to self-govern. Contrasting these precious freedoms with the life he lived in Pakistan, Ali’s story reveals that God is the true source of liberty as He works in people’s lives to bring about redemption. A call to value and preserve American freedoms, Beyond the Golden Door is also an invitation for readers to consider ultimate freedom in Jesus Christ.

Palestine, first century A.D.-the Jews have revolted against Roman occupation. The ten Greek cities of Palestine-the Decapolis-want only to continue their peaceful trading existence, but they find themselves caught in the middle of the uprisings. Apollodorus, a merchant of Philadelphia, takes a risk and rescues a man whom a Roman patrol has left to die in the desert. When Apollodorus is killed by robbers, his three sons are left almost penniless and must each find a way for themselves. Philo, the youngest, is befriended by Xenos, the man saved from the desert, who has lost his memory. From him the boy learns the art of the scribe, and together they try to find their identity-one from the past, the other for the future. A serious story of an important time in history. This is the sequel to The Ides of April.

From the visionary mind of Philip K. Dick, author of acclaimed sci-fi adaptations such as Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report, comes Beyond the Door, a chilling tale of paranoia, suspense, and the unsettling presence of the supernatural. In this masterful study of deception and obsession, Larry Thomas, a man plagued by jealousy and suspicion, buys a mysterious vintage cuckoo clock for his wife Doris, evoking memories of her childhood. Unbeknownst to Larry, a hidden danger lies dormant within the clock, a force that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. As Doris reignites a forbidden affair with antique connoisseur Bob Chambers, the cuckoo clock seems to come alive, feeding on Larry's increasing paranoia. Faced with his own unravelling sanity, Larry finds himself locked in a tense battle with the sinister cuckoo dwelling inside the ancient timepiece. Will Larry be able to withstand the presence of the dark force entwined with the clock, or will the cuckoo's menacing grip seal his fate? Delve into the world of Beyond the Door and experience the classic blend of speculative fiction and low fantasy that has solidified Philip K. Dick's reputation as a pioneer in pulp fiction.

A mystified archeologist, an Amish ghost, and avenging angels are just a few of the stories found in Beyond the Door, Volume 1, a twelve-story supernatural anthology. When multi-published authors get together for a play date, and are presented with a writing challenge they can’t resist, the results are not only surprising, they sometimes stretch the limits of their storytelling abilities. In the pages of Beyond the Door, the demons at play will not be what you expect. Where else can you find a robotic barista, a vengeful little girl, and a murderous goddess who wants to come out and play? What else may be lurking Beyond the Door? Interview with the Writers Q: What possessed four otherwise normal writers to write such dark and horrifying stories? A.B. Alvarez: It was the only way I could get them to unlock the basement door so I could get something to eat. Seriously. Serena B. Miller: Wait a minute. You got out? Jesse R. Lyle: The real answer is, A.B. didn’t see the sign that said “Push To Open”. Poor guy would have starved to death pulling on that door if we hadn’t opened it for him… we had to come up with some sort of story to help save his dignity. Derek E. Miller: I was the last to say “Not It” when it came to there being a responsible adult watching these hooligans so I was stuck with them all weekend. I went to dark places in my mind to escape the reality I was stuck in so figured I might as well put the dark places on paper. Q: Serena B. Miller, what was it like writing a dark Amish story? A: It was freeing, actually. I love and admire my Amish friends, but there is a dark side to the Amish that romance writers are expected to ignore. It is inevitable that a culture as strict as theirs can take a toll on the psyche. Sometimes that toll presents itself in extreme depression. Q: Derek E. Miller, do you always wear a bulletproof vest when you write? A: True story. Grandpa always did the dishes for grandma. He would say, “Proven scientific fact. No man has been shot by his wife while doing dishes.” Well seeing how I’m not helping do dishes, laundry, or mowing the lawn when writing, I can’t be too careful. Q: Jesse R. Lyle, are the tattoos all over your body the inspiration for your story Ancient Runes? A: Yes and No. The inspiration comes from knowing that everyone has a story whether big or small. And some of those stories are just like tattoos, some are hilarious or regretful, some are meaningful or spiritual, and yet some, are private reminders of a struggle or addiction one is trying to overcome. I guess the take-away is, be willing to listen, and pay attention to the people around you. Q: A.B. Alvarez, what is it with you and having to chop off body parts in your stories? A: There was no hacking of body parts in the Kidnapping Anna Trilogy though there was a lot of computer hacking. I think I had pent up body-hacking impulses that came out in the abandoned farmhouse where we did our writing. It is also true that the farmhouse was not abandoned, not filled with cobwebs, and not dark and foreboding thereby keeping me up every night wondering if I was going to make it out alive. Except that it was.

Set against a stunning Scandinavian backdrop, a gritty novel of psychological suspense that asks the question how far would you go to hold onto what you have? Cecilia Wilborg has it all--a loving husband, two beautiful daughters and a gorgeous home in the affluent Norwegian town of Sandefjord. And she works hard to keep it all together. Too hard. Because one mistake from her past could bring it all crashing down around her. Annika Lucasson lives a dark life with her abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend. She's lost everything one too many times and now she's got one last chance to save herself, thanks to Cecilia. Annika knows her secret--and just how much she's willing to do to make it all go away... When someone forgets to pick up their little boy at the local pool, Cecilia agrees to take him home, only to find an abandoned, empty house. It's the first step in the unraveling of her meticulously crafted life, as her and Annika's worlds collide...