Welcome to the world of a grown-up Timothy Cratchit, as created by the astonishing imagination of author Louis Bayard.Mr. Timothy Cratchit has just buried his father. He's also struggling to bury his past as a cripple and shed his financial ties to his benevolent "Uncle" Ebenezer by losing himself in the thick of London's underbelly. He boards at a brothel in exchange for teaching the mistress how to read and spends his nights dredging the Thames for dead bodies and the treasures in their pockets.Timothy's life takes a sharp turn when he discovers the bodies of two dead girls, each seared with the same cruel brand on the upper arm. The sight of their horror-struck faces compels Timothy to become the protector of another young girl, the enigmatic Philomela. Spurred on by the unwavering enthusiasm of a street-smart, fast-talking homeless boy who calls himself Colin the Melodious, Timothy soon finds that he's on the trail of something far worse -- and far more... Views: 52
When nature takes charge, sparks fly. On the beautiful island of Capri, a royal princess begins a secret love affair, oblivious to the dangers that surround her. Internationally renowned novelist Kitty Pilgrim chronicles a modern thriller based in the historic volcanic region of Southern Italy. Her characters, archaeologist John Sinclair and oceanographer Cordelia Stapleton, team up once again for a tale of glamour and romance that spans every level of society—from the dangerous criminal underworld of Naples to the jet set of Europe. Views: 52
NAME: Hutch Lonigan AGE: 10 1/2 LOOKING FOR: A Dad! Hutch Lonigan knows exactly what he's going to get his Mom for her birthday -- a man! But his marriage-shy mother is determined her dating days are over. So Hutch walks into the Yellow Rose Matchmakers agency with all his savings and demands the best man he can get for nine dollars...and change! As the sleeping partner in the family business, rancher Ty Merrick hasn't expected that man to be him. But one look at Cassidy Lonigan and Ty is hearing wedding bells. Only it's going to take more than sweet talk and kisses to persuade this stubborn woman up the isle. Views: 52
On the cusp of the millennium, Jerusalem has become a battleground in the race for redemption. American journalist Christopher Lucas is investigating religious fanatics when he discovers a plot to bomb the sacred Temple Mount. A violent confrontation in the Gaza Strip, a race through riot-filled streets, a cat-and-mouse game in an underground maze -- as Lucas follows his leads, he uncovers an attempt to seize political advantage that reveals duplicity and depravity on all sides of Jerusalem's sacred struggle. Ambitious, passionate, darkly comic, Damascus Gate is not only Robert Stone's biggest and best novel to date, but a timely and brilliant story of belief, power, salvation, and apocalypse.Amazon.com ReviewIn his earlier novels, Robert Stone has taken us to such hot spots as Vietnam, Central America, and that ultimate sinkhole of depravity we call Hollywood. This time around, it's Jerusalem. Given Stone's gift for depicting both political and personal embroilment--indeed, for making the two inextricable--this particular city is an inspired choice. For starters, Jerusalem remains a sacred destination for Muslims, Jews, and Christians and a hotly contested one. It's also a magnet for hustlers, fanatics, and millennial dreamers, a generous assortment of whom populate the pages of Damascus Gate. As always, Stone introduces a (relatively) innocent American into the picture--a journalist named Christopher Lucas. This career skeptic prides himself on his detachment: he prefers the kind of story "that exposed depravity and duplicity on both sides of supposedly uncompromising sacred struggles. He found such stories reassuring, an affirmation of the universal human spirit." Yet Lucas, a lapsed Catholic, has journeyed to Jerusalem at least in part to recharge his devotional batteries. And as he's slowly drawn into a terrorist plot--which involves drugs, arms smuggling, and a plan to blow up the Temple Mount--Lucas sheds his detachment in a hurry. Stone's novel functions as an expert thriller, whose slow, somewhat clunky wind-up is more than compensated for by a brilliant grand finale. It is also, however, a dogged exploration of faith, in which cynics and true believers jostle for predominance. "Life was so self-conscious in Jerusalem," the author reflects, "so lived at close quarters, by competing moralizers. Every little blessing demanded immediate record." It's hard to imagine a more vivid record of these mutual blessings--and maledictions!--than Robert Stone's. From Publishers WeeklyFrom its sublime triumphs to its noble failures, Stone's first novel since Outerbridge Reach (1993) is a major work in every aspect, a sprawling, discordant prose symphony. In Jerusalem, which he depicts as a holy Bedlam, Stone finds the perfect setting for the spiritual agonies that have marked his most powerful writing. In that city, everyone suffers from the burden of faith, or lack of it, and everyone wants something, usually at any price. Expat American journalist Christopher Lucas wants a surer identity?born Christian and Jewish, he feels rooted to neither faith?as well as love and, of course, a good story. But his desire has limits, drawn by conscience, and so he serves well as the reader's proxy, a normal man surrounded by seekers of the absolute. Around Lucas swirl addled saints, addicted sinners, con men, cruel members of Hamas and even crueler Israeli security forces. All the parties have their own agendas, most of which hinge on a conspiracy among extremist Israeli Jews and American Christians to blow up the Temple Mount and usher in Armageddon. Stone's presentation of this narrative backbone can be mechanical and sometimes seems extraneous to the novel's main theme of the wages of faith. More captivating is an ancillary plot involving a drug-blasted seeker's attempts to elevate a manic-depressive Jew as a world savior; one of his pawns, Sonia Barnes, an American Sufi who's also Lucas's love interest, proves as compelling as any Stone heroine. Most extraordinary, though, is the author's passionate etching of landscapes both physical and spiritual. The book opens slowly, with a diffuse if portentous ramble through the city, though the narrative intensifies through scenes of terror and moral gravity?particularly in a nightmare Gaza strip inflamed by riot?until Jerusalem and its people coalesce to iridescent indelibility. Bold and bracing, ambitious and inspired, Damascus Gate is, even for its flaws, an astonishment. 100,000 first printing; $150,000 ad/promo. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 52
Werewolves come in two different categories, good and evil. Although Richard Ritter's family has encouraged him to make the change for years, he never considered embracing his wolf until he meets Kate Davis. One night with her however, and his life changes forever.After a horrifying evening of violence, Kate Davis's life is turned upside down. Richard offers more than security; he offers her passion, someth ing she hasn't experienced in years. Falling in love with him was easy, but once she learns what he becomes every month her fear of the unknown threatens their future. Views: 52
Released from prison and hitchhiking through Kansas countryside, Duncan despairs of finding a place to belong. A vibrant and sexual young woman, Gloldie must maintain the dignified persona of a mourning widow in the deeply conventional farm community. When an incredibly handsome man wanders in to claim her heart and body. Views: 52
Elisabeth is a picture restorer. This gives her the solitude and independence she needs--living and working alone in her flat. Despite her skills and reliability, Elisabeth undercharges for her work--valuing the worth of the paintings rather more than she values herself. Her ambitions are modest: beauty to look upon, unintrusive friendships, and complete privacy. But when a mysterious and obviously wealthy man commissions her to restore his fabulous collection, an uncharacteristic combination of curiosity and financial need prompts her to accept his offer. Elisabeth soon realizes her error, as the past and the present combine to make privacy her nemesis. As she becomes a hostage to her patron, her lover and her friend realize they know nothing about her, or where she might be. Views: 52
"I'm not the baby's father!"When a beautiful brunette wheeled a baby carriage into Dominic Hunter's office, he knew he could not have forgotten making love to her! But Tina was convinced that Dominic was Bonnie's father—even if he did insist on denying paternity—and she was determined to make this heartless seducer face up to fatherhood.Heartless? Even Dominic couldn't resist baby Bonnie, whether she was his or not. Seducer? Suddenly Dominic couldn't resist being that, either; never before had he wanted a woman—Tina—so much.... Views: 52
Live like there’s no tomorrow. Love like it’s your last. Views: 52
Historical Fiction/Romance. 96388 words long. First published in 2011 Views: 52
