A Whisper on the Wind: 5 Coffee Break Reads - Like a Double Espresso...

By Leigh Barker

A Whisper on the Wind
5 Bitesize Read Short Stories
Lost Love, Adventure, True Stories, Just daftness - 5 stories to set your heart racing... and aching.

Tuesday,
The Mark of Cain,
Coming Forth,
Solstice,
The Milan.

Tuesday
A day in the life of Eleanor. Just another Tuesday. For some. For Eleanor there will never be another day like this.

The Mark of Cain
A homecoming should be a cause for celebration, but sometimes the hidden reason for a loved one's visit can be devastating.

Coming Forth
Bring Your Child to Work Day can be a disaster, no, it is always a disaster. And so no change at the Forth Engineering, the home of the good, the bad, and the truly deranged.

Solstice
When young love crosses the social divide, lives are torn apart. Only one plan remains and that is to run. But Fate has a way of turning hope to despair and bliss to torment.

The SS Milan
On the night of January 13th 1888 the Steamship Milan raced for home on the final few miles of its voyage from Alexandria. The captain was overjoyed with the prospect of a fat bonus. Others on board had more urgent and deadly business.

Bonus pick up your copy of: Heroes Library for free The first Episode of all 7 rip-roaring adventure series. Complete stories in a Bitesize Read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leigh Barker
• Release date: Mar 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370592654

Leigh Barker

Leigh was born in Dudley in the middle of England. He has been a merchant seaman, a (useless) electronics salesman, a programmer, and a business analyst. And now he is a full-time writer, but that doesn't make him a bad person.He is presently writing 4 series:Clan, following the adventures of Calum Maclean as he tries to avoid the Bonnie Prince but still protect his beloved Highlands.The Hellfire Legacy Series follows US Marine Master Sergeant Ethan Gill and his team as they take on the jobs too hot for other special forces. They go where they're sent; South America, Middle East, Korea, but their most dangerous missions are on US soil.Volume #1: A Whisper of ArmageddonVolume #2: The Hellfire LegacyVolume #3: The Orpheus DirectiveEden, a three-volume series -Trinity is at war with Lucid, the son of Lucifer, and he will do whatever it takes to win. The Archangel Gabriel has an army but he needs more. He needs heroes, but they are few and far between. Which is why he gets Dylan and co. Not too much luck in Heaven then.Volume #1: Eden's Last HeroVolume #2: WinterwoodVolume #3: Requiem for Eden.Soldiers is set in 1914 and follows John Regret and his 12-man squad on their suicidal mission to find and destroy the German howitzer nicknamed Big Bertha. Find it before it drops it's thousand-pound shells on the allied army retreating across France. A seemingly hopeless mission that just cannot fail.Other occasional series include:Anarchy, the 'completely true' stories of men doing what men do when there's nobody to keep them in check. Create mayhem and behave like monkeys on speed.Coffee Break Reads - each issue has 5 stories short enough to read while taking a break from life. A mix of adventure, love, disaster, and fun. All with one thing in common; for a moment they transport the reader to another world.Episode 1 of each Season is free and can be picked up with other free books at:https://leighwbarker.com/my-library/Just copy the link above and paste it into your browser and you're there...

Book preview

A Whisper

on the

Wind

Copyright 2018 Leigh Barker

Published by Leigh Barker at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with others, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ISBN: 9781370592654

A Whisper

on the

Wind

Bitesize Coffee Break Stories

By

Leigh Barker

Stories:

Tuesday

The Mark of Cain

Coming Forth

Solstice

The Milan

About the Author

Free Library

Other Books by Leigh Barker

Tuesday

Eleanor stood at the sink and looked out at the wind swirling the dry frost and withered leaves in urgent eddies at the foot of the steps leading to the small overgrown garden.

She frowned for a moment as she tried to place the day. It was Tuesday again. Strange how often it was Tuesday these days, but she supposed it was because she loved Sunday, so it stayed away.

She lifted the plastic milk bottle and sighed. Enough for a cup of tea or a bowl of Weetabix. She would like tea, but looked down at Rosie’s expectant face staring up at her. Rosie loved her Weetabix, both because it was her breakfast and because it meant she was still wanted. She was fourteen and that was old for a cocker spaniel. She was failing and knew instinctively that soon she would be left behind by her pack to fend for herself. It was the way.

I’ll put the fire on for an hour when we get back, Eleanor said, and patted Rosie’s head.

How long had they been together? She reached for the box of cereal and put it on the countertop. Eight years. She stopped and shook her head. Eight years since she’d found the poor bedraggled thing all skin and bone and shivering at her door. She’d been abandoned when her puppy-bearing days were over, thrown out like a holed sock. It had taken a long time for Rosie to trust her, but now they were friends. Everyone needs a friend.

She took out the last two Weetabix, put one in her bowl and one in an identical bowl for Rosie, and shared the last inch of milk between them.

We’ll have the fire and the heating on all the time when Steven comes home.

She put one of the bowls on the floor and pointed at it so Rosie would know it was for her, then sat on the stool at the counter and mixed her cereal with the milk. She ate slowly, chewing each mouthful thirty-two times, as her mother had insisted, and looked out of the window at the dark clouds rolling over each other.

It was her fault. Steven would’ve been back by now if she’d been able to raise enough money for his business plans. But because she hadn’t, it was taking a lot longer for him to make his way in the city. He hadn’t met Rosie, she’d arrived a long time after he’d set off to make his fortune. So he would be rich and free to ask for her hand.

She washed the bowls and placed them in the plastic drainer, carefully this time because she didn’t want to lose another to one of her