Kim McMahill

When I put out a call for cheap and free short stories, I didn’t know how much response I would get. I’m overwhelmed by the number of quality stories I received and want to thank all of the great authors who participated. I began the series with my own free download, A Formidable Foe , so it seems only appropriate to end the Super Summer Shorts series with my perma-free prequel novelette to the Risky Research Series . So, if school and holidays has you too busy for a full-length novel, check out A Formidable Foe or scroll back through my July, August, and September posts for more great short story ideas, but be sure to check the price as some of the books may have been on limited-time specials. Thanks again to all of those who provided stories and to all of you who downloaded these great books. I hope maybe a few of you found your new favorite author. Blurb from A Formidable Foe University Student and criminal justice major, Devyn Nash, is convinced a serial killer is target...

The fourteenth short story in my Super End-of-Summer Shorts series is, The Warehouse Tour , K.A. Cummins. Keep reading to learn more about this short story and author, K.A. Cummins. Blurb Jill Baker's brother and his friends disappear during a haunted Halloween tour in an old warehouse. She's convinced something sinister lurks inside—hiding in the dark, behind the masks and costumes. As her options to find her brother dwindle, Jill must be willing to face her fear and enter the warehouse, if she hopes to uncover the truth. Bio K.A. Cummins is a math lover, techie, consumer of mass amounts of information, art enthusiast, a homeschooler, and an indie author. She also enjoys seizing opportunities for adventure, when they arise. Her work has appeared in Havok Magazine and she’s a former contributor to Lands Uncharted. She was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest for the 3rd Quarter of 2016 and was runner-up in the Realm Makers Scholarship Con...

The thirteenth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is, The Recipe for Disaster by K.A. Thomsen. Here’s more… Elizabeth Garnish and her friends have been bullied by a group of girls called "The Witches" long enough. They fight back by using an ancient recipe for revenge...and end up tumbling through a wormhole into a fantastical world where the hunters and the hunted end up on trial for witchcraft together! Download this short story from Amazon here for just $2.99 or read it free with Kindle Unlimited.

The twelfth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is, Sharpe Image: Danger in the Dark Room , by Lisa B. Thomas. Here’s more on this cozy mystery novella. Deena Sharpe has her hands full with her high school journalism classes. But when a woman dies at a school football game, suddenly everyone is interested in her student’s photographs. Did he catch the crime on film or will this death be another unsolved mystery? As Deena helps the police investigate this suspicious event, she uncovers some secrets of romance and lies. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but there’s only one word she cares about: Guilty! Sharpe Image  is the prequel to the Maycroft Mysteries by Lisa B. Thomas. Read about Deena before she retired and before her life took a sharp turn. This clean, realistic mystery will keep you guessing until the very end! Get it today. Download this novella now for just $0.99 (free with KU) on Amazon here .

The eleventh short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is titled Charity by Alessa Martel. Charity has no interest in being possessed by a man, but Ocean might be the only one who can change her mind.  Charity is outgoing, outspoken, and outnumbered. Everyone wants her to settle down, but no boy could ever give her the freedom she desires. Ocean could have any woman he wants, but it is Charity who intrigues him. Could he respect and love her enough to be the husband she needs? Find out by downloading your copy now from Amazon for just $0.99 here.

The tenth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is the third of three original fairy tale novelettes, The Silent Beauty, by D.G. Driver Colleeda is a beautiful but wickedly vain young woman. Of all her assets, the one she prizes most is the sound of her voice. Her favorite game is to attract young men and then leave them heartbroken. It's all fun until she chooses to lure one man away from his fiancée—and that woman is rumored to be a witch bent on revenge. Colleeda is cursed to never speak or sing again, except for a couple minutes in the wee hours of the morning when no one can possibly hear her. For years, Colleeda mourns the loss of her voice, believing she is no longer beautiful or desirable. She lives in solitude as her house falls into disrepair around her. ​Is there any way to break the curse? Does she deserve to have it broken?  Learn more about this series at  www.dgdriver.com/chasing-the-romantics.html , or download it for $0.99 (Free with Kindle Un...

The ninth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is, A Recipe for Love: A Short Interracial Romance by Rose Fresquez. Recipe For Love is a romantic short story about an introverted computer programmer who finds love when he least expects it. Matt has always lived in the shadow of his popular, outgoing brother, Tim. For a guy who didn't enjoy social events, relationships—specifically romantic ones—didn't come easy for him. He’s content to spend his evenings alone at home, experimenting in his kitchen. Until a beautiful woman shows up at their door looking for Tim. Claire White is everything Matt’s ever wanted, and spending time with her seems like the perfect recipe to spice up Matt's life. But how can he make a play for her when his brother is dating her? And what chance would he have to win her if he’s competing against Tim's good looks and charm? Download your copy now for just $0.99 on Amazon here .

The eighth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is the second of three original fairy tale novelettes, The Tomato Quest, by D.G. Driver. Dash and Lillian are in love, but her wealthy father won’t permit them to be married because Dash is not a suitable match. He is nothing but the son of the family’s gardener. To be rid of the young man, Lillian’s father claims that the only way Dash could ever earn Lillian’s hand in marriage is to find his fortune in the time it takes a basket of fresh tomatoes to rot. Naturally, Sir Barrymore isn’t serious about this challenge, but Dash sees it as his only chance to win the hand of the woman he loves. He leaves immediately on a quest to find a way to complete this impossible task. Meanwhile, Lillian is doing her best to make her parents postpone her engagement to someone else in order to give Dash time to return. It is a whirlwind fairy tale adventure full of danger, cunning, magic, true love, and tomatoes. Learn more about this serie...

The seventh short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is, The Songs We Sing, by Kylie Key. He's older He's taken He's off limits He's my best friend's brother Download this Young Adult novella now for just $0.99 on Amazon here .

The sixth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is one of three original fairy tale novelettes titled, The Royal Deal, by D.G. Driver. A pampered princess is told she must marry a prince she doesn't like, let alone love, on her nineteenth birthday. Desperate to find a way to stop this arranged marriage, she makes a bargain with her father. If she can survive for three months in the forest with no help of any kind and return healthy and unharmed, then she can choose the man she will marry. The King accepts the wager, knowing he can't possibly lose. Princess Faith knows she must win this deal, but once she ventures into the forest, she has no idea how she can possibly succeed. You can learn more about this series at   www.dgdriver.com/chasing-the-romantics.html , or download for $0.99 (Free with Kindle Unlimited) now on Amazon here .

The fifth story in my Super Summer Shorts series is an inspirational historical WWII romance titled, Handmade Hearts .   Times were tough when Allen and Irene met by chance in New Orleans in late 1944. Allen was seriously wounded in the South Pacific as a young Marine and was using crutches to get around as best he could. He also had many inner wounds which needed time to heal. He had no way of knowing when they first met that Irene had suffered her own wartime tragedy. Irene bravely tried to keep her grief locked away deep inside because thinking about her loss caused her even more sorrow. Read how these kindred spirits made it through each day with inner fortitude, determination, and the sincere hope of something greater just over the horizon. Inspired by a true story . . . Download for just $0.99 (Free with Kindle Unlimited) on Amazon here . June McCrary Jacobs was the winner of Cedar Fort Publishing's 2013 Holiday Tale Contest for her debut novella, 'A Ho...

The fourth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is Willow , the first in a series of contemporary American Gypsy Romance short stories by Alessa Martel. Here’s more on Willow . Two boys, one love – does Willow have the courage to follow her heart? Willow has always been a good girl, working hard to make her mother proud. Staying within the rules of Gypsy culture has never been a problem, but Duke and his sweet smile make her question the arranged marriage that lies ahead. Download for just $0.99 (Free with Kindle Unlimited) from Amazon here . 

The third in my Super Summer Shorts series is Martha , by Phillipa Clark. Martha is the prequel to The Stationmaster's Cottage. Read first, or alongside any of the books in the series. 1972. It is four years since Martha Ryan's world crashed around her. Fleeing to England to study teaching, she had left everything behind. Her beloved seaside town of River's End, her big sister, Dorothy, and the one man she loves beyond reason. She finds a new home in Ireland. There, she buys a cottage, embarking on a career as a teacher in the small town, and travelling during school holidays. She finds friendships, relationships, and adventures. But dreams haunt her. Deep down, she longs for her home town in Australia, and to see Dorothy. Will a life well lived be enough, or is one letter the turning point to risk everything she's come to love? Download for just $0.99 (or Free with Kindle Unlimited) from Amazon here . Bio:   Phillipa lives just outside a beautiful town...

The second in my Super Summer Short series and first in the Movement of Crowns series is,  The Movement of Crowns by Nadine C. Keels. Read on for more. Is it the perfect or the worst time for the kingdom to...change? The nation of Diachona rejoices as the king's daughter and heir, Constance, turns twenty. Yet, not everyone approves of Constance’s desire to sit on the National Council: a Council run solely by men. What’s more, oppressive threats from a neighboring, powerful empire are rousing the people’s fears. Amid rumors of war and personal doubts about her future, Constance suspects that her growing love for one Commander Alexander may be ill-timed. Especially if this is the end of the kingdom as they know it... Download for free from Amazon here .

Lately I’ve been feeling under a lot of pressure. I don’t have enough hours in the day for a full-time job, writing and marketing novels, and keeping up with all the activities I love like gardening, traveling, and reading. I haven’t found a long-term solution for having too many things to do and not enough time, but I recently read a short story, Texas Runaway Bride by Carlene Havel and found I got a lot of enjoyment in the quick read. I was entertained and felt that feeling of satisfaction from completing something. For those short on time or funds and interested in quick reads for free or costing only a nominal amount, I’ll be posting information on short stories spanning a range of interests. I’ll try to post at least one per week, probably through September unless I discover more great reads to share. For starters, here are blurbs from the above mentioned short story by Carlene Havel (free) and the one I recently published as a free prequel to my Risky Research Series. I hope ...