"The way you were smiling to yourself, I figured you were thinking 'bout your man." Still in the blush of her honeymoon, Chrissy wanted to see the whole world in love."My man," Maggie sighed. "Nope, I wasn't thinking about him."Maggie's chances for landing that elusive recording contract were dwindling by the second. The country music industry wasn't exactly clamoring for a 30-something African American woman looking to launch a solo career. And there was the issue of image. Maggie was a woman of ample figure with curves to spare. Industry insiders suggested that she'd be more successful in the business if she dropped fifty pounds.Then there was Richard. A handsome, prominent entertainment lawyer, they met at a Star Records fund raiser. With a subtle magnetism and a brilliant smile, Richard said all the right things. At first Maggie thought he was a small piece of heaven. There was nothing she wouldn't do for him. Soon enough she discovered the truth. Maggie was sweet enough to... Views: 48
Kyle Brubaker, a carefree California surfer, finds little to celebrate in a small Wisconsin town until he meets beautiful and spirited Marianne Avery. But their budding romance is snuffed when they are brutally attacked by three hoodlum brothers. With his life unraveling around him, Kyle accepts and offer of help from a mysterious carnival Gypsy. Soon after that things really go to hell... Views: 48
The great Calculor of Libris was forced to watch as Overmayor Zarvora had four of its components lined up against a wall and shot for negligence. Thereafter, its calculations were free from errors, and that was just as well-for only this strangest of calculating machines and its two thousand enslaved components could save the world from a new ice age.
And all the while a faint mirrorsun hangs in the night sky, warning of the cold to come.
In Sean McMullen's glittering, dynamic, and exotic world two millennia from now, there is no more electricity, wind engines are leading-edge technology, librarians fight duels to settle disputes, steam power is banned by every major religion, and a mysterious siren "Call" lures people to their death. Nevertheless, the brilliant and ruthless Zarvora intends to start a war in space against inconceivably ancient nuclear battle stations.
Unbeknownst to Zarvora, however, the greatest threat to humanity is neither a machine nor a force but her demented and implacable enemy Lemorel, who has resurrected an obscene and evil concept from the distant past: Total War.
Souls in the Great Machine is the first volume of Sean McMullen's brilliant future history of the world of Greatwinter Views: 48
The new novel from the award-winning author of The End of Vandalism is a wry and sophisticated heist drama. Set in the rugged region of the Midwest that gives the novel its title, The Driftless Area is the story of Pierre Hunter, a young bartender with unfailing optimism, a fondness for coin tricks, and an uncanny capacity for finding trouble. When he falls in love, with the mysterious and isolated Stella Rosmarin, Pierre becomes the central player in a revenge drama he must unravel and bring to its shocking conclusion. Along the way he will liberate $77,000 from a murderous thief, summon the resources that have eluded him all his life, and come to question the very meaning of chance and mortality. For nothing is as it seems in The Driftless Area. Identities shift, violent secrets lie in wait, the future can cause the past, and love becomes a mission that can take you beyond this world. In its tender, cool irony, The Driftless Area recalls the best of... Views: 48
Erotica/Romance. 35526 words long. First published in 2007, 2007 Views: 48
**A recording of a lost woman’s voice sends Holland Taylor on a wild hunt **The woman’s words send an icy chill through Minneapolis private investigator Holland Taylor: “If you are listening to this now,” she says, “it is because I am dead.” Speaking calmly, Alison Emerton explains that if she is missing, it is because Raymond Fleck killed her. Fleck, a convicted rapist, lost his job at a humane kennel after Alison accused him of sexual harassment and stalking. The threats began soon after, prompting Alison to buy a gun and record the tape. She vanished soon after, leaving behind her wallet, coat, and boots, on a night when twenty-three inches of snow fell on Minneapolis.Seven months later, her lawyer hires Taylor to find the missing woman. As Taylor digs into Alison’s past, he learns that Raymond Fleck was not the only person who wanted her dead.From Publishers WeeklySleazy lawyer Hunter Truman sends cop-turned-Twin Cities PI Holland Taylor after a missing woman in Housewright's disappointing third novel. Alison Emerton has either been murdered by Raymond Fleck, a convicted rapist who was stalking her, or has left to start over someplace far from Fleck and her insensitive husband, a man clearly more concerned with collecting the insurance money for her presumed death than with grieving for her loss. Taylor is smitten by an alluring photograph of Allison and quickly becomes emotionally involved in the case. His search leads out of St. Paul to a lakeside town enveloped in a debate over Native American casino rights. Housewright's Penance (1995) won an Edgar for best first novel, and once again he shows a sure narrative touch through the voice of his engaging and quirky shamus. Yet the novel hits several wrong notes. An overly dogmatic antidrug tirade, an obvious final twist and a murky series of legal/business machinations over casino and water rights all detract from what has been a singularly pleasurable series filled with light crime tones. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. From BooklistHousewright's third entry in the Holland Taylor series is an entertaining missing-person yarn. St. Paul private eye Taylor is asked by low-life lawyer Hunter Truman to find the lovely Alison Emerton, who has mysteriously vanished from her home. After listening to Alison's tape-recorded message (to be played in case anything happened to her), Taylor quickly finds himself attracted to and fascinated by the missing woman--shades of the movies Laura and Vertigo. Housewright endows his protagonist with an annoying habit of dismissing his boorish or chauvinistic behavior with an annoying, "Gee I'm a guy, what do you expect?" While this is unlikely to appeal to the predominantly female mystery audience, women readers will appreciate how much smarter the female characters are than Taylor--or any of the other male characters, for that matter. Overall, this is an enjoyable mystery with a corker of an ending. Jenny McLarin Views: 48
Part Primary Colors, part House of Cards, The Means takes you deep into high-stakes politics where everyone has something to hide. Tom Pauley is a conservative trial attorney in Durham, NC, who is tapped by GOP leaders to campaign for the Governor's mansion. His bold style makes him a favorite for a run at the White House. Mitchell Mason is the president-elect of the United States, pushed into politics by a father determined to create a political dynasty. Mason manages the White House with a personal touch that makes both friends and enemies. Samantha Davis is a child actor-turned-lawyer-turned-journalist, working her way up from the bottom in a competitive industry. She is determined and brilliant, and her dogged pursuit of a decade-old story could trigger a scandal that would upend the political landscape. New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt's "savage" (Publishers Weekly) prose creates an... Views: 48
In this sixth DATA Set adventure the kids get shrunk down and go on a buggy adventure across Bunsen's backyard.The town of Newtonburg has been invaded by all sorts of creepy-crawlies from mosquitoes to bees to ants and more! What's worse is that they are all mysteriously swarming toward Dr. Bunsen's house at the same time that Laura mistakenly gets shrunken down to the size of an insect. Can the DATA Set find their missing friend in time, or will Laura be forever lost in Dr. Bunsen's backyard...which is full of grasshoppers, spiders, and things that go buzz in the night! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The DATA Set chapter books are perfect for emerging readers. Views: 48
In this third of an exciting series of riotous adventure fantasies, Toby Longdirk, bastard son of a Scottish lass and English invaders, must battle everything from kings possessed by demons to the attentions of seductive locals.Second in Command to the Flamboyant, Autocratic, and more-than-slightly-mad Don Ramon, the swash-buckling Toby Longdirk has — by luck and fate — been successful in defeating the forces of King Nevil of England at the Battle of Trent. Since this is the first military defeat of the demon king's forces, Toby's reputation is made as a commander. Reputation means nothing, however, when local politics rears its ugly head. King Nevil (a.k.a. "The Fiend" because his body is possessed by a demon) soon recovers from this loss and begins an invasion of Italy, but when Toby is engaged to handle the defense of Florence, protracted negotiations over the terms of service cause massive delays in his preparations. As if that weren't enough, Toby's trusted aide is off mooning after an English princess, his wizard is killed in an ill-fated adventure, and the seductive sister of a local power is after Toby, and she just won't take no for an answer. With The Fiend bearing down on the city gates with vengeance on his mind and a horde of fearsome soldiers at his command, can Toby pluck victory out of certain defeat? Views: 48
Enjoy today's most awesome and innovative science fiction, chosen by acclaimed editor David G. Hartwell from the best short fiction published over the last year. Like its two distinguished processors, Year's Best SF 3 is a cybercopia of astonishing stories from familiar favorites and rising stars, all calculated to blow your mind, scorch your, senses, erase your inhibitions, and reinitialize your intelligence. With stories from: Gregory Benford, Terry Bisson, Greg Egan, William Gibson, Nancy Kress, Robert Silverberg, Gene Wolfe and more... Views: 48
When Michael Palin was researching for his novel HEMINGWAY'S CHAIR his interest was stimulated by Hemingway's appetite for travel and 'Papa's' evocations of the places he knew. Hemingway remains a compelling figure, and Palin's goal was to revisit Hemingway's world.
This book includes the American West ('wide lawns and narrow minds'), Idaho, Michigan ('fly fishing, hunting'), Europe in the First World (where Hemingway was wounded serving in the Ambulance Brigade), Cuba (where Hemingway wrote FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS), Paris in the Roaring Twenties and Spain during the Spanish Civil War, Sun Valley and Key West - where the Hemingway lookalike competition is an annual event. Views: 47
In the twentieth Heidi Heckelbeck adventure, Heidi gets in some magic puppy trouble!When Heidi stumbles across a lost puppy at the park, she promises to find the cute critter's family. Along with Bruce and Lucy, Heidi tries her hardest to solve this mystery. They check the local dog park, visit the vet's office, and even hang up Found Puppy posters, but they can't find the owners anywhere. So Heidi decides to use just a teensy-weensy pinch of magic that sets off a mega-gigantic case of magic puppy trouble. Maybe this is why witches only have cats for pets? With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers. Views: 47
