When The Royle Family was first shown in 1998 the critics were ecstatic. Now, to accompany transmission of a second series on the BBC, here are the unedited scripts in all their glorious, perfectly articulated banality. With an introduction by Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash and a colour plate section of photos from the series, this is an absolute must have for all fans of The Royle Family. Experience again all your favourite scenes, funniest moments and the most amusing one-liners.** Views: 60
An excerpt from the first chapter: ...The illusion persisting, I determined that it was due to the unnatural strain imposed upon my vision, and although I recognized that time was precious I found myself compelled temporarily to desist, since nothing was to be gained by watching these letters which danced from side to side of the parchment, sometimes in groups and sometimes singly, so that I found myself pursuing one slim Arab A ('Alif) entirely up the page from the bottom to the top where it finally disappeared under the thumb of the Lady Zuleyka! Views: 60
Wealthy Lorenzo Foscari had received threats against his life. But he was outraged when his insurance company assigned him a bodyguard—especially since they'd sent him the sexiest woman he's ever seen!Antonia Simpson knew it would be a tough assignment, but the real challenge was resisting Lorenzo's seductive Italian charm. Because, once he'd kissed her, Lorenzo seemed quite happy to let Antonia guard his body...day and night... Views: 60
non-fiction; prose, African American Views: 60
Lord and Lady Awkwright, awakened in the night, lie bound and gagged in the dark while kidnappers carry their daughter away, holding her for ransom. It seems a typical kidnapping, yet in fact it is the kidnappers' intention that they should be seen to have failed... Suspecting that their plans have been leaked, the kidnappers set out to ensnare Detective Constable Carr, who becomes aware of his involvement only when it's too late. Others are drawn into the disastrous situation and each in turn must learn the price of failure. With taut prose and gripping suspense, Jeffrey Ashford is back to reveal that sometimes a crime goes wrong precisely because it goes right. Views: 60
Summer days drift by slowly in Meadville, South Carolina—that is, until Sherman the one-legged pigeon flies into town and causes a ruckus. First Stella, who's been begging for a dog, spots him on top of a garage roof and decides she wants him for a pet. Then there's Ethel and Amos, an old couple who sees the pigeon in their barn keeping company with a little brown dog that barks all night. The pigeon lands smack in the middle of Mutt Raynard's head, but he's the town liar, so no one believes him. And when Stella's brother Levi and his scabby-kneed, germ-infested friends notice the pigeon, they join the chase, too. Meanwhile, across town, Mr. Mineo has one less homing pigeon than he used to...Barbara O'Connor has delivered another ingeniously crafted story full of southern charm, kid-sized adventures, and quirky, unforgettable characters. Views: 60
Romance/Science Fiction. 70185 words long. First published in Wings ePress, 2005 Views: 60
No one said fighting monsters was going to be easy … You can't see them, but they're here: hiding in the pools of shadow outside a Chicago burger joint …wreaking havoc in Kansas City …feeding in sleazy "blood brothels" that cater to humans who itch to get bitten. Cole was designing video games when he learned the truth - that foul creatures of the night lust for our blood …and our world. Now he's a "Skinner," a member of an ancient secret society of warriors entrusted with keeping the terror at bay. Monsters once chained to the wilderness are suddenly free and descending, razor claws ripping, on the unsuspecting city. No one knows what's coming - but Cole and his seductive partner, Paige, will be the first to dive into the meat grinder. Views: 60
EDITORIAL REVIEW:
To the delight of millions of Patrick O'Brian fans, here is the final, partial installment of the Aubrey/Maturin series, for the first time in paperback. Blue at the Mizzen (novel #20) ended with Jack Aubrey getting the news, in Chile, of his elevation to flag rank: Rear Admiral of the Blue Squadron, with orders to sail to the South Africa station. The next novel, unfinished and untitled at the time of the author's death, would have been the chronicle of that mission, and much else besides. The three chapters left on O'Brian's desk are presented here both in printed version-including his corrections to the typescript-and a facsimile of his manuscript, which goes several pages beyond the end of the typescript to include a duel between Stephen Maturin and an impertinent officer who is courting his fiancée. Of course we would rather have had the whole story; instead we have this proof that O'Brian's powers of observation, his humor, and his understanding of his characters were undiminished to the end. Views: 60
A dazzling and strikingly original fiction debut from an exciting new talentFrom the moment a new TV set arrives at the Palmer household in 1954 in Newport News, Virginia, change is in the wind. Eleven-year-old Cassie glimpses snapshots of the future in the hypnotic test pattern. Mesmerized, Cassie sees snippets from Kennedy's assassination, the Beatles' debut, man's landing on the Moon, and the O. J. Simpson trial. Her starstruck mother, Lorena, delights in the magical images flickering on the screen too, and finds the strength to pursue her dreams of becoming a professional dancer. Lorena soon plunges into an affair with an old flame, whose cousin turns out to be a talent scout for Arthur Godfrey, and risks her marriage to Cassie's dad, an accident-prone, depressed construction worker. As Lorena learns that the path to fame and fortune is strewn with obstacles, Cassie's own eyes are being opened to the world outside of provincial Newport News-and to the even richer world... Views: 60
They call it Company Town—a city-sized oil rig off the coast of the Canadian Maritimes, now owned by one very wealthy, powerful, byzantine family: Lynch Ltd.Hwa is of the few people in her community (which constitutes the whole rig) to forgo bio-engineered enhancements. As such, she's the last truly organic person left on the rig—making her doubly an outsider, as well as a neglected daughter and bodyguard extraordinaire. Still, her expertise in the arts of self-defense and her record as a fighter mean that her services are yet in high demand. When the youngest Lynch needs training and protection, the family turns to Hwa. But can even she protect against increasingly intense death threats seemingly coming from another timeline?Meanwhile, a series of interconnected murders threatens the city's stability and heightens the unease of a rig turning over. All signs point to a nearly invisible serial killer, but all of the murders seem to lead right back to... Views: 60
