The end of the world was just the beginning Civilization has fallen, leaving California an unforgiving, decimated place. But Cass Dollar beat terrible odds to get her missing daughter back-she and Ruthie will be happy. Yet with the first winter, Cass is reminded that happiness is fleeting in Aftertime. Ruthie retreats into silence. Flesh-eating Beaters still dominate the landscape. And Smoke, Cass's lover and strength, departs on a quest for vengeance, one that may end him even if he returns. The survivalist community Cass has planted roots in is breaking apart, too. Its leader, Dor, implores Cass to help him recover his own lost daughter, taken by the totalitarian Rebuilders. And soon Cass finds herself thrust into the dark heart of an organization promising humanity's rebirth-at all costs. Bound to two men blazing divergent paths across a savage land, Cass must overcome the darkness in her wounded heart, or lose those she loves forever. Views: 30
Earl Marcus thought he had left the mountains of Georgia behind forever, and with them, the painful memories of a childhood spent under the evangelical rule of his father RJ's church—a church built on fear, penance, and the twisting, writhing mass of snakes. But then an ominous photo of RJ is delivered to Earl's home. The photograph is dated long after his father's burial, and there's no doubt that the man in the picture is very much alive.As Earl returns to Church of the Holy Flame searching for the truth, faithful followers insist that his father has risen to a holy place high in the mountains. Nobody will talk about the teenage girls who go missing, only to return with strange tattoo-like marks on their skin. Rumors swirl about an old well that sits atop one of the mountains, a place of unimaginable power and secrets. Earl doesn't know what to believe, but he has long been haunted by his father, forever lurking in the shadows of his life. Desperate to leave his... Views: 30
First time in paperback, with a new Introduction and final chapter World affairs expert and intrepid travel journalist Robert D. Kaplan braved the dangers of war-ravaged Afghanistan in the 1980s, living among the mujahidin—the “soldiers of god”—whose unwavering devotion to Islam fueled their mission to oust the formidable Soviet invaders. In Soldiers of God we follow Kaplan’s extraordinary journey and learn how the thwarted Soviet invasion gave rise to the ruthless Taliban and the defining international conflagration of the twenty-first century. Kaplan returns a decade later and brings to life a lawless frontier. What he reveals is astonishing: teeming refugee camps on the deeply contentious Pakistan-Afghanistan border; a war front that combines primitive fighters with the most technologically advanced weapons known to man; rigorous Islamic indoctrination academies; a land of minefields plagued by drought, fierce tribalism, insurmountable ethnic and religious divisions, an abysmal literacy rate, and legions of war orphans who seek stability in military brotherhood. Traveling alongside Islamic guerrilla fighters, sharing their food, observing their piety in the face of deprivation, and witnessing their determination, Kaplan offers a unique opportunity to increase our understanding of a people and a country that are at the center of world events. Views: 30
From Publishers WeeklyFans of the late Virginia Rich's Eugenia Potter series (The Nantucket Diet Murders, etc.) will be pleased to learn that Genia is back, cooking and sleuthing up a storm in the coastal town of Devon, R.I., where she's come for the summer to help various needy family members, notably teenage great-nephew Jason, who may be violating his probation agreement after a marijuana conviction. Genia plans to host a special dinner party with an old friend and town leader, Stanley Parker, at her rented cottage, but when someone bashes in Stanley's head, Jason, alas, is way up on the suspect list. Investigating on her own, Genia learns that many Devon locals might be more comfortable with Stanley dead. A second murder thickens the broth. While the plot lacks suspense and the secondary characters tend to be caricatures (the flamboyant alcoholic, the devoted swain, etc.), Edgar Award-nominee Pickard, author of the Jenny Cain series, provides mouth-watering descriptions of such Rhode Island specialties as doughnuts and gingerbread, along with recipes for culinary delicacies like ginger carrot soup and lobster bisque. (The appealing cover art shows a lobster steaming in a pot on a stove.) A neat surprise ending is also a plus. Readers will be left licking their lips in anticipation of the next book in this savory series. (Jan. 9) FYI: After collaborating with Virginia Rich on one Eugenia Potter mystery, The 27-Ingredient Chili con Carne Murders, Pickard has continued the series on her own. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalWhile visiting the Rhode Island coast, returning cook/sleuth Eugenia Potter (The 27-Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders) cohosts a tasting party with an old acquaintanceAbut he's late. Unfortunately, someone (possibly Eugenia's great-nephew) has murdered the would-be cookbook writer. Inspired by the popular character created by Virginia Rich. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 30
Tilly Chalmers’ new job as a researcher for a TV star turns out to be more eventful than she ever expected. Always on the lookout for a top rating story for her boss, she tangles with adult movie stars and a man who inspired a couple of young murderers. An unwelcome encounter with an old enemy stirs up trouble, and what decision does Heller make that threatens to jeopardise their relationship? Views: 30
From New York Times bestselling author Paul Christopher comes an international thriller delving into a Templar threat right at America’s doorstep.
Retired Army Ranger John Holliday and his friend Eddie travel to Cuba in search of Eddie’s mysteriously vanished brother—and find themselves desperately trying to stop a shocking plot of a secret Templar cabal that has been growing for five hundred years. As the conspiracy tightens the corrupt and dying Castro regime in an iron grip, Holliday must find Eddie’s brother before it is too late…and the secret horror of what lies in the Valley of Death is revealed. Views: 30
Tucked away in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is the Hatteras West Inn and Lighthouse. Innkeeper Alex Winston watches over the cozy getaway, and guests count on him to take care of everything from basic repairs to breakfast. But he also has to take care of the occasional murder case, too.When a visitor is found dead at the top of the lighthouse, Alex must solve the mystery and capture the culprit before the next guest checks out. Views: 30
On the same day Greek American marine biologist Amelia Drakos receives word that funding for her beloved Seahorse Laboratory has been cut, she discovers that her deceased father had lived a secret life.With foreclosure and unemployment looming, as well as the fallout from a brief, confusing love affair, Amelia reluctantly becomes curator for Minnesota's Mall of America Sea Life Aquarium. At the same time, a string of perplexing e-mails from someone with her late father's name, Ted Drakos, arrive. Ted claims that he has important information about an inherited property on Lake Superior. And that he is her older brother. When Amelia and Bryce, a long-time friend, go to check out the property, they discover week-old, orphaned, husky/wolf-hybrid pups under the dilapidated porch. Amelia adopts the pups and takes them back with her to Minneapolis, where they introduce chaos into her already crazy life. Amelia and Bryce soon find themselves embroiled in the midst... Views: 30
Upon discovering that she has the gift of Second Sight, Blossom also learns that whether glimpsing the future or traveling into the past, one is powerless to alter history. Views: 30
When Nora Griffin, an artist in her midthirties, moves from Brooklyn to Provincetown, she isn't looking for trouble. Her partner, Janelle, is recovering from breast cancer treatment, and together they've decided that the quiet off-season on the tip of Cape Cod is the perfect place for Janelle to heal and Nora to paint. Then charismatic Baby Harris flirts into Nora's life in her red cowboy boots.In the damp, windy winter, Nora contends with heartbreak, aging, and local environmental worries, while painting what she hopes will be her masterpiece. Along the way, she encounters the chain-smoking, motor scooter–driving landlady Miss Ruby; Reverend Patsy, the vegan minister of the Unitarian church; and Brunhilde, barista extraordinaire and rival for Baby's affections. As the first tourists begin to arrive in June, Nora must decide what she really wants from life. Views: 30
Fantasy/Science Fiction. 5473 words long. First published in Sword and Sorceress 3, 1986 Views: 30