Unveil a World of Enchantment: Explore the Best Stories on TxtTale

My buddies and I returned from Vietnam with little expectations of becoming rich men. After succumbing to the worst year of our lives, we all wanted to acquire the love of a good woman, becoming a father, a small house with a back lawn holding a swing set, a barbeque, and a few chairs around a table to have picnics.   There would be a garage for a car, a driveway to hold a pick-up, and a front lawn with a flower bed. It didn’t seem like much to the shakers and movers, but it would forever represent enough.   Unfortunately, our PTSD made it impossible to work for another, so I started a business. On one deal, the supplier offered the evening of an escort. ...

There are women whose attraction takes the breath away. Dai Lin was such a person. Her complexion was neither black, brown, yellow, or tan. It appeared the same golden color as an Italian sunset at midday. Her face displayed delicate features fluctuating between Oriental, Black, and European lineage. The bovine eyes reflected your image in an emerald-green halo, captivating your attention. Under the embroidered satin Ao Dai gown, her body moved with the erotic movements of a jungle cat, her legs and buttocks outlined by the contours of her form pressing against the clinging fabric. Dai Lin hid her face in public under a cone straw hat and a drab shawl wrapped around her s...

It was hard to give up on our dreams of home and thoughts of what awaited us on our return. But we did not have an alternative.It became difficult to think about a future beyond the battlefield. Combat dulled the senses.Deep in our hearts, a spark remained of who we wanted to become after the war. But the longer we stayed in Vietnam, the harder it became to remember.How could we know the hardships that awaited when we finally returned? It never occurred we would no longer fit into our former lives.  What we thought would appear the same had radically changed.Our dreams of homecoming would sink into the quicksand of PTSD that sabotaged our success. Yet, we did not recognize our transform...

Moonshine Mesa takes the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for environmental thriller! Criminal clients, a pollution mitigation scam, and a million-dollar double-cross make Moonshine Mesa a dangerous place for an aspiring lawyer, an intrepid deputy, and a moonshining hermit. Go to https://awbaldwin.com.

I was born to my parents when they were in their earlier twenties, therefore very soon their focus switched back to their personal lives and career. My childcare was delegated to my grandparents, who were also busy with their own things and re-delegate it to my great-grandmother who was then in her early twenties.Unfortunately her health started rapidly declining - a consequence of the slavery in Germany and hunger during the second world war. She did her best to take care of me, but it wasn’t easy with an energetic and curious kid like me.One day my grandmother came from work earlier and saw me in the cold bath - tempering my body, while great-grandmother was having some rest in her bedro...

There was no sense in thinking of what would happen on the next mission. It was useless to extrapolate the future even with advanced logistics. Nothing went as planned, and the enemy proved cunning, relentless, and elusive. We needed to quell the anxiety, plan as best we could, and step into the theater representing the Vietnam War. Were we successful? Ideally, the team would manage to complete our assignments and return uninjured. I’m sorry to say it was not the case. But our training, combat experience, and brotherhood made us into formidable adversaries.  Unfortunately, more than 58,000 of my brothers and sisters perished in that war, and 150,000 returned wounded. Th...

Authors bereft of finding material to fill modern-day horror stories need only to finger the pages explaining the Vietnam War. They will find enough terror, suspense, blood, gore, and insanity to fuel any account that will cause the reader to shiver at every page.  Nothing happening in that terrible place ever made sense. The enemy appeared and disappeared as trolls and goblins in a mythical tale. They lived underground, climbed steep mountainous terrain lugging piecemeal artillery without the help of helicopters, and emerged again regardless of the numbers we decimated.It was as if the land was a voracious entity demanding to drink our blood. As strange as it now seems, the U...

Jeanna fought to survive the world's end and the creatures with a taste for human flesh. She thought surviving was hard enough, but protecting her new love was even harder.

 

Andre had set me up.Bradley appeared from the shadows between the two buildings, pushing Andre out of the way. Andre tried to speak, as Bradley told him to shut up and he forced me into the passenger seat.As he drove away, yelling and screaming, “Are you sleeping with him? He was hitting his fist on the roof of the car.I begin to feel a panic in my chest. I started crying and he kept yelling and screaming, driving wildly. All these thoughts began to flood my mind as I started thinking of ways to escape this. Could I jump out of the car? No, it was moving. Could I fight him if it came to that? I do not know. As he was driving and yelling, his words became deafening and running together. I s...

When W.C. Lumin, an author of best-selling bodice-busters, historical potboilers, romantic tear-jerkers, crime thrillers and fantasy fiction summons his family, literary agent and publisher to his remote Gothic mansion, they are shocked to hear that he is suffering from a terminal wasting disease. But as they rub their hands at the prospect of inheriting his fortune, he drops a bombshell – a dramatic advance in medical science offers the hope of a cure. However, despite his failing health, he must continue to publish novels to finance the operation. And so he makes his guests an offer they cannot refuse . . . each must write a short story as the basis of a new W.C. Lumin blockbuster. If th...

Genre: Romance, Contemporary FictionShort SEO Overview: Discover the heartwarming coastal romance of Lila and Ethan, a story of unexpected love, shared dreams, and the beauty of the sea. This enchanting tale highlights how a chance encounter can lead to a lifelong connection. If you enjoy stories about love blossoming in unique settings, you might also like "Hashtag Love: An X Love Story of Romance and Adventure".Story: Waves of Love: A Coastal RomanceChapter 1: A New Beginning by the SeaIn search of a fresh start, Lila traded the hustle and bustle of city life for a peaceful existence in a quaint coastal town. With the freedom to work remotely, she settled into a charming cottage overlookin...

The Neon Nightmare: A Retro-Futuristic Horror StoryChapter 1: The AwakeningIn the neon-lit city of Neo-Victoria, where Victorian elegance meets futuristic technology, Eleanor Grey awakes in her cramped apartment, plagued by nightmares. The city's skyline is a blend of towering skyscrapers and steam-powered contraptions, casting eerie shadows in the perpetual twilight. Eleanor, a journalist for the Neo-Victoria Times, senses a sinister presence lurking beneath the city's polished exterior.Chapter 2: The DisappearanceEleanor's investigation begins with the mysterious disappearance of prominent citizens. Each vanishing is marked by strange, glowing symbols left behind. As she delves deeper, she...

Story: Shadows of the MindChapter 1: The Whispering WallsIn the heart of Berlin, amidst the relics of Cold War espionage, lies the clandestine headquarters of a covert intelligence agency known as The Echelon. This secretive organization specializes in psychological espionage, where mind games and manipulation are the ultimate weapons.Agent Elena Hart, a seasoned operative with a mysterious past, is summoned by The Echelon's enigmatic director. Her mission: to infiltrate the mind of Viktor Drakov, a former Russian spy turned rogue, suspected of orchestrating a series of high-profile assassinations. Drakov, a master of psychological warfare, has evaded capture by manipulating the minds of tho...

Having been blessed with two sisters, but no brothers, I take a whimsical look into the world of famous brothers. The picture of course is of the Fogerty brothers who formed the rock band, Credence Clearwater Revival, but don't let the picture make you think the story is all about rockers. I found interesting tales, some of them of a sad nature, of several bands of brothers.  This story was fun to write and the words just fell on the pages. 

Originally titles, LBJ and those Darn Mets, I changed it to Summer of '69 so as the title did not chase folks off for possible political reasons. Go back to the year 1969 with my cousin and I and get a humorous glimpse into the lives of two twelve-year-olds growing up in a small town. Most of the story is true, too. 

In this short story I delve into science fiction, using motor cycle gang members as the protagonists. While the story happens in Arizona, I used my own home town of Chebanse, in Illinois, and a specific bar and grill I used to frequent before it closed. Some of the characters are people I knew. 

On a recent trip to New York City, I discovered there was a Broadway play near my hotel, called Tommy. It brought back the painful memory of a 15-year-old with tickets to a Sunday matinee of the original version with the actual group, the Who, driving through a snowstorm only to find the show was canceled. With nothing better to do, I attended the play and was extremely happy I did. 

After a visit to London where I went to Abbey Road Studio's and learned some of the intricate details of the members of the Beatles, I got to thinking about drummer Pete Best, the original drummer to the Beatles. Can you imagine having been part of the Beatles hyper-experience and have been invited to leave the band. I invite you to learn some history of the 5th Beatle. 

Intro: The Enchanted Garden: The Unforgettable Journey of Princess Elara and Prince Adrian in a Magical Kingdom Filled with Love, Unity, and Ever-Blooming WondersDiscover the enchanting world of "The Enchanted Garden," a spellbinding romantic fantasy that transports you to the magical kingdom of Floralia. This captivating story follows Princess Elara and Prince Adrian as they navigate a journey filled with love, unity, and enchanting adventures. Set against the backdrop of a vibrant, ever-blooming garden and a majestic castle, their tale weaves elements of romance, magic, and the timeless struggle to bring peace and harmony to their kingdoms. Dive into this heartwarming story and experience ...

Intro: Whispers of Twilight: An Enchanting Forest Love StoryGenre: Fantasy, Romance, Magical RealismStory Overview - Whispers of Twilight: The Enchanting Tale of Elara, a Dream-Filled Painter, and Adrian, a Soulful Musician, as They Discover the Magical Lover's Glade and Dance Under the Glow of Lanterns in a Timeless Forest Love Story Dive into the enchanting world of "Whispers of Twilight: A Forest Love Story," a captivating blend of fantasy and romance. Follow the magical journey of Elara, a dream-filled painter, and Adrian, a soulful musician, as they discover the fabled Lover's Glade. Guided by ethereal lights and shimmering fireflies, Elara is drawn deeper into the forest where she...

Blood Moon ChroniclesChapter 1: The AwakeningIn the small, quiet town of Ravenswood, whispers of old legends lingered in the air like a haunting melody. The townsfolk spoke of a time when the blood moon rose high, bringing with it a curse that turned the night into a realm of shadows and fear.One such night, as the blood moon cast its eerie glow over the landscape, a young woman named Elara found herself drawn to the ancient woods that bordered the town. Her curiosity was piqued by the strange dreams she had been having—dreams of crimson eyes and a chilling voice calling her name.As she ventured deeper into the forest, Elara stumbled upon an old, forgotten mansion, its gothic architecture ...