Listen to New Releases Audiobooks in Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Penthouse

Subtitle: A Short Story of Desperation

Author: Matt Shaw

Narrator: Julian Seager

Format: Unabridged

Length: 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-15-16

Publisher: Matt Shaw Publications

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Before you go "behind closed doors" with Matt Shaw's anthology - Shaw invites you into the exclusive penthouse and private life of Duncan Whitfield; a man who has lost nearly everything with only his home left to be taken.

Desperate to keep some dignity and claw his way back to the top of society's elite, Whitfield comes up with a plan to raise the necessary funds to clear his mounting debt.

But is it too late for him?

The penthouse is just one room. Come in, explore, meet its resident and then - when you're done - feel free to check in with the other residents of the town's exclusive apartment complex, "The Watch Tower". Secrets will be revealed with the help of 10 authors.... Find the other residents here: smarturl.it/secretsunfold.

Members Reviews:

Wow

Shaw took this story to a whole new level of horror. Prepare yourself for a whopper of an ending. But I wonder.... about his neighbors...

Again!!!!

Once again Matt Shaw gives you a strange tale. One of things past and present but with a great surprise ending! Don't miss it!

Interesting Desperation

Such a great plot, the guy wants attention, or at least money through attention but what he gets makes him question his entire life's choices. Highly recommended to any fan of modern horror & waaay ready for Behinds Closed Doors now!

Different

Very different for Matt Shaw. Also very awesome!! This will have me looking for more in this line from him. Excellent ending!!

Watchtower

Great add-on to the last collection I just finished. Let's you know money and reality shows don't mixed especially when your a loser.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Love Found in a Cozy Town, Vol.1

Author: Melissa Tatum

Narrator: Skyler Morgan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-09-16

Publisher: Terrence Wood

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Juliet is happy with her life. She is 38, has been divorced for a decade, has a fulfilling career, a good home, and two wonderful children. She learnt a few tough lessons from her marriage, a few tougher ones from her divorce. She has learnt to be independent, and she has made herself happy.

But every Christmas, she goes back to Vermont, to her family, for the holidays. Juliet had a privileged childhood, but one without warmth. Her family approved of her marriage. It was a good match. They disapprove of her divorce. Even after a decade, they cannot accept that it was the right choice for her.

Michael lives only a few blocks away from Juliet, but it might as well be a different world. He is a teacher who takes students from rough, hopeless neighborhoods under his wing and tries to give them hope. A widower, his daughter used to be his entire world. When she got married so young and moved to Vermont, Michael felt as if a piece of his heart had left him. He is looking forward to spending the holidays with his baby girl.

Both find something far more than they had bargained for when they walk into a shop, looking for gifts for people they loved, and found each other. Michael sees his fantasy turn into reality when he sees Juliet. Juliet feels that undeniable connection. But Juliet isn't looking for a man. She has been burnt once. She doesn't want to risk her heart again, especially with an instantaneous, potent connection like what she felt for Michael in just a few minutes.

But when it comes to destiny, does either of them have a choice, after all?

Members Reviews:

This is an amazing book.

If you could sum up Love Found in a Cozy Town, Vol.1 in three words, what would they be?

Best Book ever..

What about Skyler Morgans performance did you like?

peformance by Skyler Morgan is excellent and cool..

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Nope.

Any additional comments?

The book is super different! I enjoyed spending my vacant time Listening this one.I delighted in investing my empty energy perusing this one.

Excellent Book!!!

A great Book! I found myself Listening this book quickly because I had to know what happened next. It's perfect to listen for the holidays and even after. I enjoyed this box set.

Perfect for Christmas...

Exactly what I was looking for my bestfriend . I Listened this book and this Romance was so beautiful that I diceded to purchase it again for Christmas.

Love Found in a Cozy Town, Vol.1

What about Skyler Morgans performance did you like?

Skyler Morgans performance was amazing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yup..

Any additional comments?

Awesome Book, the characters are well detailed with a complex and deep personality wish make the story even more interesting, i am glad i purchase those books , i recommend it to anyone

Nice!!

This is one great box set that I have been dreaming for to heard . I am so impressed and really loved to heard it. The story line was amazing as well as the fictional characters. The author - Melissa Tatum is such an awesome writer! I like her writing style. I am so entertained by this book and felt the emotions in here. A total page turner.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Beasts and Children

Author: Amy Parker

Narrator: Susan Bennett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-02-16

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

In the tradition of Lorrie Moore, Claire Vaye Watkins, and Rebecca Lee, this debut story collection cuts into the sometimes dark heart of the American family.

From the tense territory of a sagging, grand porch in Texas to a gated community in steamy Thailand to a lonely apartment in nondescript suburbia, these linked stories unwind the lives of three families as they navigate ever-shifting landscapes. Wry and sharp, dark and subversive, they keep watch as these characters make the choices that will change the courses of their lives and run into each other in surprising, unforgettable ways.

The Bowmans are declining Texas gentry, heirs to an airline fortune, surrounded by a patriarch's stuffed trophies and lost dreams. They will each be haunted by the past as they strive to escape its force.

The Fosters are diplomats' kids who might as well be orphans. Jill and Maizie grow up privileged amid poverty, powerless to change the lives of those around them and uncertain whether they have the power to change their own.

The Guzmans have moved between Colombia and the United States for two generations, each seeking opportunity for the next, only to find that the American dream can be as crushing as it is elusive.

Amy Parker's debut collection considers - with an unfailingly observant eye - our failures and our successes, our fractures and our connections, our impact and our evanescence. She marks herself a worthy heir to the long tradition of smart women casting cool and careful glances at the American middle class.

Members Reviews:

The way the writer roves across time and character is amazing, and the empathy she has for damaged people ...

This is a masterful book. I am a fan of linked story collections, but this one moves in more intricate and fascinating ways than most. The connections among the stories gather, so that stories near the beginning that seem unrelated come, by the final piece, to be wholly integrated with the rest. The way the writer roves across time and character is amazing, and the empathy she has for damaged people is remarkable. These stories are, as other reviewers have noted, intense and even brutal at times, but I count this as a plus not in itself but because all the harshness seems realistic and insightful; there's none of the wanton violence of, say, Cormac McCarthy's lesser works. Parker accomplishes something hard to explain. She had me literally shouting at the characters on the page--"No, no, no, don't do that!"--which sounds childish, perhaps, but is not; she makes you want to protect her creations, and though it flays you that you (and she the writer) cannot, you understand why. The accumulation of it all--the criss-crossed (and star-crossed) lives, the fraught relations b/w humans and animals, the fine-grained, beautifully observed details in the writer's prose--left me in tears by the final story's end. Steel yourself if you must, but read this book.

Fantastic, Intelligent, Unexpected

What a fantastic, intelligent, unexpected romp through the lives of people and animals. The animals as metaphor were not your typical dog and cat stories, although the dog story was memorable to say the least. Who knew what a pangolin was? Now I do. The international themes were enlightening and showed the worldly exposure Amy Parker must have experienced growing up. Multi-cultural, multi-species, multi-language, multi-educational.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Bathroom Book of Tales

Author: Doc Knoll

Narrator: Ferdie Luthy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-30-15

Publisher: Doc Knoll

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

During the time Knoll's Fly Shop and Knoll's Yellowstone Hackle has been in existence, Doc Knoll has written numerous articles for various publications. A majority of these articles are fly fishing related, and he has also taken on a few other subject matters that happen in and around Yellowstone County. The Book of Bathroom Tales is a compilation of these short stories.

Much humor and sensitivity of the world that surrounds him is brought forward as he describes the happenings in his part of the world. Each of the 79 articles is short and filled with helpful information for the visitor and residents in the Rockies, Montana, and Yellowstone National Park.

Members Reviews:

Absolutely wonderful.

Let me say first of all that I do not, and never expect to, fish. That aside, listening to this book was wonderful fun. The narration is perfect. The author is a man with confidence in himself and his hobby, a true love and understanding of nature and people. He gently chides while giving generously of himself. He reminds me very much of my husband, a life-long outdoorsman and true conservationist. This city girl learned so very much from these men about life, love and true compassion, all the things that really matter. Thank you.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Dark & Twisty

Subtitle: A Twisted Anthology

Author: Rachel McGrath

Narrator: Saethon Williams

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-24-15

Publisher: Rachel McGrath

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Dark and Twisty promises a collection of short, succinct, sometimes quirky short stories with a dark, emotive edge and intriguing twist.

This book has been written and produced for charity - all net profit generated from sales will be donated directly to Worldwide Cancer Research.

Members Reviews:

Twisted stories that will want you asking for more

What made the experience of listening to Dark & Twisty the most enjoyable?

I love the stories - every one! A great concept written by Rachel McGrath. These stories I recommend anyone reads!

What other book might you compare Dark & Twisty to, and why?

Can't say

Which character as performed by Saethon Williams was your favourite?

Can't say

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Suspensful, thrilling, great writing

Any additional comments?

Great!

Brilliantly twisted!

What did you like most about Dark & Twisty?

Every story is different, each with its own twist and when you think you have guessed it - you don't1

What did you like best about this story?

All of the stories are unique, short, succinct fun tales

What does Saethon Williams bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you had only read the book?

He is generally good!

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Take You Away

Subtitle: The Cunningham Family, Book 3.5

Author: Ember Casey

Narrator: Sarah Beth Goer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-18-15

Publisher: Ember Casey

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Two couples. Two struggles. Two wicked stories.

Part one:

Ward Brannon would do anything to protect Louisa Cunningham. No one's ever gotten under his skin the way she has - or inspired such a hunger. But now that he knows the truth about her identity, it's becoming increasingly clear that the two of them are worlds apart. Is their explosive passion enough to hold them together?

Part two:

Lily Frazer's been through her share of ups and downs with the brooding Calder Cunningham - but she doesn't know where to begin when it comes to his guilt over his sister. She hasn't quite mastered the ability to ease his worries with her body, or to make his pain disappear with her lips or hands or softly whispered words, but she's determined to try...even if it takes all night.

Members Reviews:

I'm so glad that I read the first book and have been ...

I'm so glad that I read the first book and have been able to continue to follow the Cunningham's through all their ups and down's and their growing love. Calder - Lily and Wade - Lou, have just kept me reading wanting to know more, and to see what they all have up their sleeves, and how they over come their next challenge that a waits them. Ember once again makes it so you want to come back for more and more! Love this series and will read them over and over again!

Ember Casey got herself a new fan!!

Thank goodness I picked up the first book in the right order!!! Ember Casey is already in my top 3 favorite steamy writers!! I enjoy her upbeat wit and already got all the books in both His and Her Wicked Hearts series. She truly envelopes me in her plot and her caracters come alive. I cant pull away from her books!!! totally addicting.

Ember Casey, please continue on writing because you have yourself a new fan!!!!!!

Hot, sexy and short

Lou and Ward take off having wild sex in a sleazy motel room hiding from life and Calder worries over his missing little sister while Lily works hard at trying to take his mind off his family problems of course with sex. On to their next chapters.

Got to Read This!

The second book to Her wicked Heart gets even better than the first book! I can even imagine how hot Ward could get, but he is. This is worth a read!

Good read

Captivating, believable story line. Could not put it down! Read in one setting. Can't wait for next in series! Good segue to next book.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Mystery Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes

Subtitle: A Quintet Collection of Short Stories

Author: Pennie Mae Cartawick

Narrator: Joe Bevilacqua

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-16-15

Publisher: catherine kimball

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

Five Sherlock Holmes mysteries in one book collection. Voiced by Joe Bevilacqua, who has won numerous awards for television documentaries and radio theater.

"The Castle Orphans"

How often does he visit you? added Watson, producing his pipe from his pocket. He searched the same pocket for a match, then lit the device.

He visits every week, and every few nights. He likes to sneak in the window and take things back to his castle! The small girl played with the little tiger upon her knee....

"The Curse of a Native"

Adams had violently slapped Kimilu so hard that the sheer force had floored the waiter and the usually humble waiter had lost it. He had stood up and angrily talked back at him in his native language which Adams did not understand. But Butler had lived in Africa for over two decades and he understood every word. His translation confirmed by other native workers who witnessed the drama. It was chilling to say the least....

"Death in the Tropics of an English Explorer"

And I suppose you expect me to solve the whole case on that information alone? Surely there is something more you can give me, replied Holmes quickly losing interest in the subject.

Mycroft continued, suppose I said that it is possible, while studying the lives of an indigenous tribe known as the Koburu, that the great explorer, Sir Hughes Blakefield, was murdered in cold blood, poisoned with his evening scotch....

"The Hex of a Gypsy Woman"

He raised his disheveled head from his hands. The face was that of my friend, but the expression it bore was unrecognizable. He was indeed out of countenance. All that I have seen and all that I know, dear fellow, for it to come to this. The great Sherlock Holmes undone by a gypsy woman....

"The Heist"

Gentlemen, I am here to represent the interest of Henry Bank & Trust. We would like to resolve the situation quickly and quietly....

Members Reviews:

disappointed

Would you try another book from Pennie Mae Cartawick and/or Joe Bevilacqua?

I have bought three books by this author and have found that some of the same stories are contained in each of the books. Seems like a waste of money .

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Herding Cats

Author: Christopher J.F. Gibson

Narrator: Ruth Golding

Format: Unabridged

Length: 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-30-15

Publisher: Christopher J. F. GIBSON

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

This book is a collection of five "catty" short stories. Sometimes the cats are anthropomorphic; other times they are, well, just cats....

These well-reviewed and delightful stories are read by the talented voice actor Ruth Golding.

Members Reviews:

A Catty Collection

This book consists of several very short stories about cats and some photographs and drawings of cats.

The stories are "It's Raining Cats and Dogs," "Herding Cats," "Chicken?..for the Soul," "Sibling Rivalry," and "The Missing Cat." My favorite of the group was "Sibling Rivalry" with "Chicken?..for the Soul" the runner-up. All except "Missing Cat" spotlight the sometimes odd (to humans) behavior of the cats in their lives.

I'll admit that I liked the pictures and drawings of the cats even more than the stories. Who can resist a cute kitten or a pouncing kitty?

All of the stories are suitable for children, although a few of the British turns-of-phrase might need to be explained to some children.

Recommended for animal lovers who are often mystified by the behavior of their cats.

A few simple anecdotes

This collection of stories, with a British accent, is basically a set of anecdotes, mostly without plot. The writer has decent craft, but stumbles often. For example, at 48%, the author writes of a cat that "he examined her front paws." The sex of the cat changes four times in that story, and there are missing commas and quotes here and there. One story was about a cat who was devastated that she was missing a whisker, concerned that she couldn't judge openings well because of it, and then embarassed that the other cat would notice and make fun of her. She solves the problem in a very unrealistic way, involving some dexterity that would require an opposable thumb. The last story involved an old woman who had lost her cat, and ended in a very unsatisfying manner which I won't describe so as not to give away the ending. I didn't enjoy the book, but I gave it three stars because someone else might. It's very modestly priced; you can't lose much by giving it a try.

Incisive but plain anecdotes. Formatting could have been better.

Herding cats gives you 5 short stories all unsurprisingly about cats.

These are 'Herding Cats', 'The Missing Cat', 'Sibling Rivalry', 'Chicken? .. for the soul' and 'It's raining cats and dogs'.

Each story is accompanied by pictures of the cats which have been put through various photoshop style effects (e.g. pencil, blue frame bleed out, sparkle, sepia etc). While the photos are lovely, I'm not sure the artistic twist adds anything to them. In particular they don't translate well on the older kindles. I imagine they would be much more at home on the newer Kindle Fire.

The stories are very much on the flash fiction end of the scale being from two to eight pages worth of print equivalent, and each is written in a first person style that is reflective and casual.

One aspect that could have been improved here is formatting. The stories are presented as a wall of text with no ident to break up the paragraphs which is easily recitifable and would improve the readibility of the work.

The stories however are well edited.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Bourbon & Blondes: Vintage Noir & Pulp

Author: Anthony Venutolo

Narrator: Matthias N Bossi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-17-15

Publisher: Anthony Venutolo

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

If Raymond Carver or Charles Bukowski wrote noir and pulp, this would be it....

Minimalist in approach but long on mood and atmosphere, this first entry in The Ladies of Liquor series is a boozy mix of old-school pulp, shadowy noir, and hard-boiled double-crosses.

Writer Anthony Venutolo delivers a collection of nearly 50 flash fictions and short stories that splatter into the ear at 90 proof. From the deserted bus stations of Route 66 to the smoky, neon-tinged jazz dives of the big cities, these wanton tales of longing introduce us to desperate vixens on the fringe and those shifty men that drove them there.

Get your shot glass ready because in this retro world, showgirls, drifters, barmaids, and thieves have one thing in common - they're all painted on a seedy canvas drenched in a hearty barrel of Kentucky's finest nectar.

Members Reviews:

This Collection Was An Unexpected Delight!!!

I really enjoyed so many of the stories in this collection. I do think that most of these can hardly be considered short stories. I would classify a lot of them as "Noir Poetry" (Yes, I just quoted myself).

I encourage anyone who likes Noir to give it a listen.

Matthias N. Bossi provides a stylization to the characters that so totally and completely lends itself to the Noir Genre. He brings very lively prose to full electrified life.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Dead Letters

Author: Jonathan Stone

Narrator: Hillary Huber

Format: Unabridged

Length: 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-15-15

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories & Anthologies

Publisher's Summary:

The US mail is rarely a matter of life and death. And the Postal Police sit on the lowest rung of the law enforcement ladder. Real cops make fun of them. Cases generally amount to little more than crimes against mailboxes and bungled counterfeit attempts. But when an investigation leads partners Marcie and Schottsie to the post office's dead letter section - the deadest beat of all - what they discover propels them into a very live world of drug cartels, smuggling, and shoot-outs. Finally they face real action. Can they handle it?

Members Reviews:

Packs a Punch

Jon Stone is masterful as the writer of fast-paced suspense thrillers such as The Cold Truth and The Heat of LIes. His plotting carefully builds momentum over many chapters, weaving together a miniature symphony of character development and situational detail that suddenly explodes in unexpected and satisfying endings So I was intrigued but surprised to see he had forayed into the short story genre. This would portend a shift in style, away from complex development towards something simpler.

Yet amazingly, he has found a way to pack a novel's worth of suspense and intrigue into a 30-minute read. The heart pounds and the mind reels. It's O. Henry meets Breaking Bad, with an ending that ties everything together but in a way you wouldn't expect.

Give it a whirl!

Terrific short story

Great short read. What's amazing is how much he can do in about 30 pages....fast moving plot, interesting characters, snappy language and character development that some authors don't provide in a much longer form. Whether you're a mystery fan or not a mystery fan, you will enjoy this story. And then you can "lend" it to others!

Reading a Jon Stone story is like reading a movie.

He gets right into developing the characters and the situations he creates are so inventive and realistic at the same time.

At first glance Postal Police seem pretty boring but partners Marcie and Schottsie, deal with the disrespect of their fellow cops as best they can.

âRealâ cops make fun of them: âNot enough stamps on the envelope?â âTime to stamp out crime.â

Until they catch a case that seems innocent enough until another Postal Inspector is murdered.

Then the stamps hit the fan.

Buy and read it.

It's a great story with a great ending and several twists along the way.

A Nice Way To Pass Time

I liked Marcie as a character, and I loved the idea, certainly. It was a great short diversion from school work and college responsibilities. However, I felt like it had to go low and fast, skimming the surface to cover the story in a short amount of time. This made the end seem abrupt and disappointing and really forced a lot of the mystery out of the story. That said, the writing was great, the story was fun, and the ending was satisfying in its own way. So do I like it? Oh yes! Get it and eat it up. You'll be glad you did, and sad to leave.

I loved it and want MORE!!!

As someone who also rides the train to NY, I loved this book/short story because it was a great story that keep me spellbound for my trip to the city. Being able to finish a book in one ride is really nice sometimes. The character development and story line were brilliant and the action was great. I could easily have been drawn into a full fledge novel with this creative piece and could see a fun movie developed.