The Knights TemplarThey were warrior monks, dedicated to the protection of pilgrims in the Holy Land—until an avaricious king who wanted their wealth savagely destroyed the order. One knight, however, escaped the stake, vowing justice for his innocent murdered brothers.An Ill WindThe arrival of the eminent Bishop of Exeter to the small Devonshire town of Crediton—coupled with the unwanted appearance of a particularly unsavory band of mercenary soldiers—has made life exceedingly difficult for Simon Puttock, bailiff of Lydford, and ex-Knight Templar Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace. But it is the grim discovery of the body of a young girl hidden in a chest that unleashes a village-wide plague of fear and suspicion. Stemming the chaos may be beyond the powers of two dedicated upholders of the law. For the Crediton killings have only just begun—and each murder to follow threatens to be more heinous and baffling than the one before. Views: 58
In the vast wilderness of the Appalachian Trail, three hikers are searching for answers. Taz Chavis, just released from prison, sees the thru-hike as his path to salvation and a way to distance himself from a toxic relationship. Simone Decker, a young scientist with a dark secret, is desperate to quell her demons. Richard Nelson, a Blackfoot Indian, seeks a final adventure before taking over the family business back home. As they battle hunger, thirst, and loneliness, and traverse the rugged terrain, their paths begin to intersect, and it soon becomes clear that surviving the elements may be the least of their concerns. Hikers are dying along the trail, their broken bodies splayed on the rocks below. Are these falls accidental, the result of carelessness, or is something more sinister at work? Views: 57
Emma Brimley pretends to be a widow to find employment at an all-girl's school. But when she's expected to teach the intimacies of marriage, she strikes a scandalous bargain with a neighboring artist - a man well-versed in bedroom etiquette. Views: 57
Five friends receive a pendant from a gypsy along with a prophecy that whoever wears the necklace will win the heart of a duke. With varying expectations, each girl accepts her turn with the good luck charm—and a chance at happily ever after—secretly fearing the gypsy’s tale may be nothing more than a plot to sell a worthless piece of jewelry. Views: 57
An unnamed wife shares her exploits in a series of letters to her husband. The encounters described include fantasy scenes, swinging antics, and many dalliances with men and women carried out with her husband's ultimate satisfaction foremost. The letters feature graphic language and explicit bisexual erotic content, including same sex pairing, ménage, stranger sex, group sex, anal penetration (m/m m/f), and other scenes which may cause offense. Views: 57
SUMMARY: In a land ravaged by war and prejudice, Marie Lafayette met a man who became her destiny. Night Hawk was tender and courageous, and never asked her to defy the unspoken laws of her people. But as darkness fell, and their passions grew, Marie could only follow the demands of her body and soul! When Marie’s angry father confronted the lovers, Marie fled, believing it was Night Hawk’s wish. But Marie Lafayette carried the secret child of a man she couldn’t forget, a man whose heart beckoned her return. Would Marie brave her father’s wrath and fight for her love for Night Hawk... Views: 57
"Captivating" short stories set in vibrant, multicultural Miami (Julia Alvarez, author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents). This collection of short fiction, a winner of the Bakeless Prize, captures the international hub city of Miami, Florida, in all its roiling guises—from the opulence of South Beach to the ferocity of Little Havana. Introducing us to a wide range of unforgettable characters—an unscrupulous newscaster, a Lincoln Road bar manager, a beautiful but cruel teenage heartbreaker, and the title character, a suicidal Latin pop star—in situations that teem with humor and brutality, absurdity and poignancy, this remarkable debut offers a vivid portrait of a city defined by a blur of cultures. "Engaging, funny, highly enjoyable . . . These stories draw you in." —Francine Prose, author of Reading Like a Writer Views: 57
In this revelatory exploration of one of our most revered icons, a critically acclaimed author and professor takes us back to early Christianity to ask how a box of handwritten scrolls became the Bible, and forward to see how the multibillion-dollar business that has brought us Biblezines and Manga Bibles is selling down the Bible's sacred capital. Showing us how a single official text was created from the proliferation of different scripts, Beal traces its path as it became embraced as the word of God and Book of books. Among his surprising insights: • Christianity thrived for centuries without any Bible—there was no official canon of scriptures, much less a book big enough to hold them all. Congregations used various collections of scrolls and codices. • There is no "original" Bible, no single source text behind the thousands of different Bibles on the market today. The farther we go back in the Bible's history, the more versions we find. ... Views: 57
From the Back CoverBest-selling novelist Bill Myers weaves a supernatural trilogy that sweeps you from the frontiers of DNA research, through mind-numbing encounters with the paranormal, to the fulfillment of end-time biblical prophecy. Meticulously researched, this is more than a last-days thriller. It is a passionate, convicting, and moving portrait of the character and heart of Christ. In book one, Blood of Heaven, death-row inmate Michael Coleman serves as the guinea pig in a genetic experiment involving the blood of Christ. The results are astounding. But behind the scenes, a monstrous plot emerges that only Coleman and accomplice Katherine Lyon can stop. In Threshold, Brandon Martus, troubled possessor of an uncanny gift, becomes the subject of a paranormal research project. But when the experiment goes awry, Brandon and scientist Sarah Weintraub are plunged headlong into a terrifying supernatural conflict . . . and a destiny neither of them could have envisioned. In Fire of Heaven, Brandon and Sarah, joined in marriage, become living examples of Christ and his church. Accepting their identity as the two witnesses of Revelation, they are purified through fiery trials that show them the incalculable depths of God's love. And as hellish forces make their bid for world dominion, Brandon and Sarah must proclaim that love to an apostate church . . . and judgment on a rebellious planet. This riveting volume will keep your reading lamp on past midnight. But to say that Bill Myers has given us a gripping, masterfully crafted tale is to tell only half the story. Fire of Heaven Trilogy is a portrait of Christ's burning love, and a message of encouragement--and warning--to his bride, the church. About the AuthorBill Myers (billmyers.com) is the best-selling author of a number of books, including Eli, When the Last Leaf Falls, and the series McGee and Me! and is coauthor with Angela Hunt of Then Comes Marriage. He is a writer and director whose work has won over forty national and international awards and whose books and videos have sold nearly five million copies. Views: 57
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.Once upon a time that was called 1828, before all fishes in the sea and all living things on the land were destroyed, there was a man named William Buelow Gould, a white convict who fell in love with a black woman and discovered too late that to love is not safe. Silly Billy Gould, invader of Australia, liar, murderer & forger, condemned to the most feared penal colony in the British Empire and there ordered to paint a book of fish. Once upon a time, there were miracles... 'A work of significant genius' -- Chicago Tribune Views: 57
"Once her dying got underway, Anna could not really complain about the way the process moved along." So begins this deftly amusing, wryly perceptive look at the dying of a feisty, funny ninety-year old woman. During the four days between her death and her burial --and with the unique perception she is allowed prior to her funeral--Anna discovers certain secrets her daughters have hidden from her. She is deeply shocked by the revelation of an act that must have transpired between herself as a child and her much older brother. In her final moments of consciousness, Anna makes the last commentaries on her own secrets and crimes before stepping into eternity. PRAISE "Merrill Joan Gerber is not only one of our most underrated contemporary writers, she also may well be our least pretentious. Her utter lack of pretence is a major source of her raw power as a writer... Like Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, and some of the great Jewish comedians, Gerber extracts wry humor from embarrassing, awkward and desperate situations, even in illness and death... Like Bellow, Gerber has a genius for the irritable, the acrid and the embittered. The visitor from another planet who doesn't know what it means to kvetch would need to look no further than Gerber's fiction for superb illustration of the phenomenon... Her eyes are trained on the quotidian, but the acuity and intensity of her vision are not less extraordinary." - Merle Rubin, Los Angeles Times "Award winning writer Merrill Joan Gerber's mini-novel chronicles the unlikely but oddly believable tale of 90-year-old Anna - "dead but not buried" - during the four day interval between her passing (a word that Anna would have hated) and her burial... Readers of Gerber's previous novels and stories will recognize the characters... but that familiarity will serve to enhance the curious charm of his curious book." - Gloria Goldreich, Hadassah Magazine "Gerber is a careful observer of those thousands of details that forge family dynamics and skillfully transforms life's ordinary and gut-wrenching moments into compelling prose." - Judy Bart Kancigor, The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles Views: 57
From Essence bestselling author Curtis Bunn comes a moving novel about a down and out corporate executive whose unexpected encounter with a stranger inspires her to reinvent her life.Brenda Harris, a former corporate executive in Atlanta, has endured two years of personal tragedies and professional disappointments, and believes the world owes her a break. One day, she encounters a homeless man who encourages her to look at life differently. She regularly sees this man at one of her daily stops. But she does not realize that he has been closely observing her and, despite his mental illness, is able to forge a deep connection with her in ways that both surprise and inspire her. She realizes there is a whole world out there for her to experience, and Rodney Bridges, the homeless man, helps her begin her journey of self-discovery by challenging her on their daily walks. The path is difficult, but her time with Rodney opens her up to a new world, a world she... Views: 57
