Stories and poems that have made it into our recommended reading section are hand picked by our staff. They have been identified as exceptional pieces of writing, which warrant separate recognition.
Stories that are part of a series, or novels that have made it into this outstanding series section, are nominated by our staff and awarded by a select panel. These stories have been deemed superior as complete works and have garnered special recognition.
You are almost certainly guaranteed a good read, if you've selected a story from these offerings!
Despite its strangling grip, I’m attempting to outrun the darkness again, as futile as that may be. Even when the sun shines, I feel no warmth. But what choice do I have? No one sees the tempestuous clouds hanging over my world, urging me to think there’s...
Debra I was borne in Bangladesh but I'm sure I was conceived in an office not far from Canary Wharf. We came back to England a while later - me and Nikki my non-identical twin, and the rest of my family. Well, I say 'family', but that could mean anything...
They stood in pregnant silence at the hotel elevator doors. They were two colleagues, lightly drunk with cocktails and innuendo. “The view of the mountains is amazing, isn’t it?” he asked. “Ha!” she scoffed. “My view is of the parking garage.” I should in...
Delicate, filigree-like lace inspires thoughts of sweet mysteries awaiting discovery, a silky wisp of fabric that colours deeply when dampened and holds a promise of hidden pleasures. A mere scrap of satin that encases a pert bottom, moist, puffy, pink li...
I thought I was the only one still working in the office that evening. I'd stayed late, trying to reach a good stopping point, and my eyes were now bleary from staring at spreadsheets. At twenty-four, I'd found a job with an okay salary and decent benefit...
Back home, I would have been described as a grown-up girl next door. Proper, never stuffy, very friendly, and absolutely conventional. Smart, yes, and reasonably career successful, but socially in every respect a “good girl.” Certainly not someone thought...
Yes, I'm a cheater. My cravings for sex made me cheat on my husband. And I cheated on him in the worst way imaginable – with members of my own family. It’s not as though Samar doesn’t give me lots of kinky sex, especially the sex in submission that turns...
I drove to my appointment with a mixture of nerves and anticipation. I expected the nerves I’d felt before my previous attempts to sate this desire I’d lived with for so long, but there was another element to them this time. What if I didn’t like it? What...
The past is not a foreign country, as Hartley had it, but something visceral, real, and alive in us all. Our past permeates the deepest reaches of our subconscious minds, shaping our responses, informing our attitudes, and influencing our relationships, o...
Justine left it a day. She didn't want to appear too eager or desperate. Also, it would give Corey a little time to readjust time zones, though he'd only been to the other side of the country. The day itself was torment. So many warring emotions. How woul...
Megan glared as she looked around the Accident and Emergency room. Her Mistress, Chloe, had a silly smirk on her face like she found the whole thing hilarious. They’d been here for almost an hour already. “Megan O’Reilly.” Megan sighed and wrapped the coa...
Justine flicked her blonde tresses aside and wedged the phone between her cheek and shoulder. “I can meet you in a bit. Like, half ten? Mom reminded me to water Mr. Turner's plants early.” She scrabbled in her cutoffs for the key and lined it up with the...
Ahh, Sunday evening at the Road House. They had a reggae/soca band that played from about six pm to nine for regular folks, and then a DJ would come in after that for the kids and the tourists. Zukia, the owner, knew me pretty well and would hold a seat a...
"I really wish this day were already over," I thought as I sat down at my desk. That’s pretty much what I think every morning. I shouldn’t complain too much; the pay is okay, the hours decent, but the work can be mind-numbingly boring. The reason I haven’...
She is nervous, her mouth is dry, and the butterflies in her tummy flutter and as she reaches the stairs, she catches sight of herself in the mirror. She smiles as she takes a closer look at the reflection. The girl is dressed in a simple, short, off-whit...
