Daniel has a little fixer-upper house to go with the new-life-in-progress he's building after a car accident derailed his old one. Sure, he's never even changed a washer before. Sure, he's teaching himself home repair from books and YouTube. Sure, the proprietor of the nearby architectural salvage place is out of his league in more ways than he can count on one hand. None of that matters, because Daniel doesn't need help. He's doing fine. (It's fine. He's FINE.)But as Daniel paints...

"Did you just hack me?" Cam asked."Yes. Sorry.""Hmm. Thought so." His expression was mild. "Successfully, too. It's been a long time since that's happened."Introverted Lewis needs to increase his Social score for a shot at his dream job with his favorite serialized space opera. So he hires human-machine hybrid Cam to pose his boyfriend. But Lewis isn't interested in a real relationship, and he takes steps to ensure that the liaison remains purely for show.Cam ...

In the middle of the hall there's this kid standing. In one hand he's got a knife—the kind all the students keep to sharpen their nibs and carve their names wherever it's the most pain in the ass to sand them out—but that's not what's got everybody frozen, because in his other hand the poor mad kid is holding all his beads.Goodman Stone fled tragedy at home to build a new life doing odd jobs at a school in Frael. When one of the students does something unthinkable, Stone comes to h...

A short story about probability, friendship, magic, sex, and tea.Dian wandered over to Ros's caravan to see what he was up to, which turned out to be darning one of the fighting girls' long red stockings with yellow yarn.She asked, "Does it feel to you as though something...odd is going on?"Ros snipped the yarn and turned the stocking right-side out. "I assume you're referring to the fact that everyone in this camp has gone out of their ever-loving minds?"-It'...

"I'm not being mysterious on purpose," Evers said apologetically. "It's just, it's a somewhat...special collection."The collection of Victorian photographs that Russell Evers is offering sounds like a major find. Arriving at his house to assess the donation, Allan del Mar finds a cozy welcome, an unexpected rapport—and, among the solemn couples and amateur theatricals, some very interesting subject matter.Contents include private historical photographs, detailed discussion ...

"I love him," Cai argued. "Just, lately things have been...""What?"Cai put his bottle on the floor and pushed himself up on one knee. "It's nothing."Maryanne wrapped her hand around his arm. "I'm pretty sure you don't think it's nothing."He sagged back to the floor. "It's just that lately, he's been...""Distant? Cold? Acting suspicious?"Cai sighed. "He's been really irritating."Struggling with the "long-term" part of "long-term relationship...

Every Yule, according to tradition, a new servant appears in the kitchens. He looks suspiciously like the king. It's not like anyone is ever actually fooled.Far from being arrogant, the young and handsome Patrick makes himself useful, completing his menial tasks with good humour and diligence. Scullery boy Evan has never seen anyone so splendid in all his eighteen years.Two castle workers can share a liaison that a servant and a king never can, however brief and bittersweet...

Bored with himself, his life, and everything in his imaginable future, Reed dared himself to appear on a haunted house reality show. The kitchen was a slaughterhouse. He had to stick his hand in a goat's skull filled with maggots. He nearly pissed himself with fright on national TV.He said he wanted to change his life. Now, in the days after his experience, it seems that his wish might be coming true--but not quite in the way he'd anticipated.Run For Your Life: A story abou...

"So, you quit the call centre and didn't tell anybody about it?" Colin asked.Arthur counted the stitches on his knitting needle. When he finished, Colin was still looking at him."I got laid off," Arthur said."And didn't tell anybody about it," Colin finished."I got another job," Arthur said defensively."Call centre drone to knitting guy. Man, that is hardcore," Colin said in admiration.-Arthur Wu is a knitting nerd whose family thinks he works in ...

Peter Wachowski has 1) a calling, 2) no paranormal talent, and 3) a problem in the form of a pretty grim haunting that he can't dispel alone (see point 2).Apart from being an unemployed psychic who lives in his van, Duncan Coburn has no particular problems. Until a short, motor-mouthed amateur drags him into a confrontation with a wounded, vengeful spirit who is inflicting its pain and hatred on everyone it can reach.After a rocky start, Peter and Duncan find that their sha...

2012 Jolt Award finalist!Pioneering the Future of Software TestDo you need to get it right, too? Then, learn from Google*.* Legendary testing expert James Whittaker, until recently a Google testing leader, and two top Google experts reveal exactly how Google tests software, offering brand-new best practices you can use even if you’re not quite Google’s size…yet!Breakthrough Techniques You Can Actually UseDiscover 100% practical, amazingly s...

This candid WWI memoir takes readers inside the cockpit with an RAF officer on the Western Front from the outbreak the Great War until its end in 1918.Louis Arbon Strange was at the Royal Air Force's Central Flying School when war broke out in 1914. He immediately reported to Royal Flying Corps headquarters and joined No. 5 Squadron. Strange remained on active duty throughout the war, serving his country over the Western Front from August of that year until the ene...