Frank Compton used to be an agent for the security forces of Earth, but that was a piece of cake compared to what he's had to deal with working for the aliens who run the Quadrail, an interstellar transportation system connecting a dozen civilizations across the galaxy. He's been trying to end the domination of an alien lifeform called the Modhri. This enormously powerful creature wants to rule the galaxy by controlling the thoughts of all its citizens. It does so by having parts of itself 'infect' others on contact, and act as agents for it without them being aware they're being manipulated. When Frank and his assistant Bayta journey to investigate a connection between the Modhri and the Filiaelians, they come up against a conspiracy on the Quadrail. Passengers are being murdered.but something besides murder haunts the Quadrail. A plot is brewing that even the Modhri fears. And once again, Frank and Bayta may be the only ones who can stop it. Views: 40
The Guidestars: two shining lights that hang above, motionless in the night sky. The common folk know them well, and use them to count the hours and mark the seasons. But when the steerswoman Rowan discovers a number of broken blue jewels of clearly magical origin, her investigations lead to startling discoveries: there are other, unknown Guidestars — and something has caused one of those to fall. She knows one more thing: where the fallen Guidestar was located. To reach it, she must cross the Inner Lands and pass deep into the wild and deadly Outskirts. Rowan's traveling companion, Bel, is an Outskirter herself, and together the steerswoman and the warrior-poet have a chance of surviving the cruel landscape, the barbarian tribes, and the bizarre native wildlife. But there are more secrets than one in the Outskirts. And each step closer to the Guidestar brings new truths, leading Rowan toward the deepest secret of all... Views: 40
When the historic Hopkins ferry is raised from the lake, a skeleton is discovered. Unfortunately, the only evidence is a piece of lace-like fabric. But once Betsy Devonshire and the patrons of her needlecraft shop lend a hand, they're sure to stitch together the details of this mystery..."Filled with great small-town characters...A great time!"Rendezvous Views: 40
Something has gone missing from the libraries of Arfell, something very old, and something very powerful. Five scholars are dead, a country is on the brink of war, and the magick council is running out of time and options. It’s up to the reclusive and impetuous mage Farden to find out who and why. Breathtakingly vast, chillingly dark, brooding and dangerous. Welcome to the world of Emaneska... Views: 40
My girlfriend and I went on a date to an upscale Italian restaurant, and I found a pleasurable surprise waiting for me under the table. I wasn't sure if my girlfriend knew what was going on, but the situation heated up, and I did what a naughty bad boy does.... I gave it to both of them. Views: 40
A dazzling new short story featuring Darth Maul, merciless apprentice of evil…
On the distant planet Dorvalla, precious ore is mined by two competing companies: InterGalactic Ore and Lommite Limited. Neither rival suspects that they are central to a sinister plot masterminded by Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith, himself.
Dispatched by Sidious on his very first solo mission, Darth Maul infiltrates Lommite Limited. There, his unique gifts of deception and subterfuge will set off an explosive chain of events that could destroy both companies, leaving them ripe for takeover by the Trade Federation. But a vengeful Lommite Limited Manager with his own thirst for retaliation against InterGal could blow Maul's cover — and all of Sidious's fiendishly laid plans… Views: 40
No nation is as closely identified with the game of soccer as Brazil. For over a century, Brazil's people, politicians, and poets have found in soccer the finest expression of the nation's collective potential. Since the team's dazzling performance in 1938 at the World Cup in France, Brazilian soccer has been revered as an otherworldly blend of the effective and the aesthetic.Futebol Nation is an extraordinary chronicle of a nation that has won the World Cup five times and produced players of miraculous skill, such as Pelé, Garrincha, Rivaldo, Zico, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho. It shows why the phrase O Jogo Bonito—the Beautiful Game—has justly entered the global lexicon. Yet there is another side to Brazil and its game, one that reflects the harsh sociological realities of the futebol nation." David Goldblatt explores the grinding poverty that creates a vast pool of hungry players, Brazil's corrupt institutions exemplified by its soccer... Views: 40
I had gone to my room on Barbary Street and changed clothes and shaved. Before I left I slipped my Colt .38 into my overcoat pocket without letting Little Caesar see it. If I was to walk around with a booby trap all day, I wanted to be prepared for anything. Besides, I liked him and didn’t want to see him hurt if I could help it. Views: 40
Detective Jack Yu grew up in Chinatown. Some of his friends are criminals now; some are dead. Jack has just been transferred to his old neighborhood, where 99 percent of the cops are white. Unlike the others, confused by the residents who speak another language even when they're speaking English, Jack knows what's going on. He is confronted with a serial rapist who preys on young Chinese girls. Then Uncle Four, an elderly and respected leader of the charitable Hip Ching Society and member of the Hong Kong-based Red Circle Triad, is gunned down. Jack learns that benevolent Uncle Four had a gorgeous young mistress imported from Hong Kong. And she is missing. To solve these crimes, Jack turns to an elderly fortune teller, an old friend of his, in addition to employing modern police methods. This debut mystery power-fully conveys the sights, sounds, and smells of Chinatown, as well as the attitudes of its inhabitants.From the Hardcover edition. Views: 40
