A panoramic and epic novel in the grand romantic style, Push Not the River is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700s--a time of heartache and turmoil as the country's once peaceful people are being torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. It is then, at the young and vulnerable age of seventeen, when Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses both of her parents and must leave the only home she has ever known.With Empress Catherine's Russian armies streaming in to take their spoils, Anna is quickly thrust into a world of love and hate, loyalty and deceit, patriotism and treason, life and death. Even kind Aunt Stella, Anna's new guardian who soon comes to personify Poland's courage and spirit, can't protect Anna from the uncertain future of the country.Anna, a child no longer, turns to love and comfort in the form of Jan, a brave patriot and architect of democracy, unaware that her beautiful and enigmatic cousin Zofia has already set her sights on the handsome young fighter. Thus Anna walks unwittingly into Zofia's jealous wrath and darkly sinister intentions.Forced to survive several tragic events, many of them orchestrated by the crafty Zofia, a strengthened Anna begins to learn to place herself in the way of destiny--for love and for country. Heeding the proud spirit of her late father, Anna becomes a major player in the fight against the countries who come to partion her beloved Poland.Push Not the River is based on the true eighteenth century diary of Anna Maria Berezowska, a Polish countess who lived through the rise and fall of the historic Third of May Constitution. Vivid, romantic, and thrillingly paced, it paints the emotional and unforgettable story of the metamorphosis of a nation--and of a proud and resilient young woman. Views: 31
A little over a century ago, bubonic plague--the same Black Death that decimated medieval Europe--arrived on the shores of Hawaii just as the islands were about to become a U.S. territory. In this absorbing narrative, James Mohr tells the story of that fearful visitation and its fiery climax--a vast conflagration that engulfed Honolulu's Chinatown. Mohr tells this gripping tale largely through the eyes of the people caught up in the disaster, from members of the white elite to Chinese doctors, Japanese businessmen, and Hawaiian reporters. At the heart of the narrative are three American physicians--the Honolulu Board of Health--who became virtual dictators when the government granted them absolute control over the armed forces and the treasury. The doctors soon quarantined Chinatown, where the plague was killing one or two people a day and clearly spreading. They resisted intense pressure from the white community to burn down all of Chinatown at once and instead ordered a careful, controlled burning of buildings where plague victims had died. But a freak wind whipped one of those small fires into a roaring inferno that destroyed everything in its path, consuming roughly thirty-eight acres of densely packed wooden structures in a single afternoon. Some 5000 people lost their homes and all their possessions and were marched in shock to detention camps, where they were confined under armed guard for weeks. Next to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Chinatown fire is the worst civic disaster in Hawaiian history. A dramatic account of people struggling in the face of mounting catastrophe, Plague and Fire is a stimulating and thought-provoking read. Views: 31
Camrose, a perfectly normal 12-year-old, has inherited responsibility for an ancient bone flute, an object of quest for two time-wandering rivals, one of them lord of the Otherworld. With the help of her friend Mark and the not-quite-human Miranda, Camrose braves fire and much worse to claim the flute and restore it to its rightful--and unexpected--owner.From BooklistGr. 4-7. The strangeness begins on Camrose's twelfth birthday. As she dives into the Ottawa River with her friends, a creepy, disembodied voice speaks: "It's begun." She is unsure what, exactly, has started until she opens a mysterious letter from her long-deceased great-aunt. Camrose has become the Keeper of an ancient bone flute, which, if returned to its "rightful claimant," will settle a dispute between ancient rivals from other worlds. If Camrose gives the flute to the wrong party, as her great-aunt did, she could mortally endanger her loved ones. With the help of her best friend, Mark, Camrose bravely pieces together the mystery of the flute's power, even as she fights terrifying supernatural forces. The background legend of the flute lacks development; Bow skims over the details in abrupt explanations of the flute's history. But readers able to overlook some fuzzy plot points will enjoy the well-paced suspense; tough, endearing Camrose and sidekick Mark; and the contrast between the placid, cozy, Canadian town and the wild magic of the Otherworld. Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedReview"A tantalizing blend of mystery, adventure, and fantasy that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish." "Highly recommended." (Canadian Book Review Annual 20041115)"Well-paced suspense." (Booklist 20050418)"The creepy suspense is extremely well conveyed." "Very enjoyable entertainment." (Resource Links 20041115)"A mysterious adventure." (Canadian Children's Book News 20050401)" . . . an intricate, suspenseful plot . . ." " . . . rich with detail . . ." "This talented author's second contribution to the English market is nothing short of a total success, and children's literature in Canada is all the better for it." "Highly Recommended." (CM Magazine 20041015) Views: 31
Nature have generously granted me permission to reproduce this short-short story in full – click below to see the whole thing. Views: 31
Barb Rogers' book begins with the tragic death of her teenage son, Jon, and delves into the horror that was her life to that point. Due to a home life fraught with substance and emotional abuse, Barb found herself bottomed out more than once, and homeless along the way. "When asked in early recovery if I knew any prayers, the one I could think of was the child's nighttime prayer, 'Now I lay me down to sleep.' As I thought of it, I recalled the long nights when I simply wanted to go to sleep and never wake up." Barb learned most of her life lessons through pain, tragedy, and addiction. This is not a glamorous book, it is real and it is raw. It is not about survival of the fittest, but the weak, the hopeless, the helpless, the truly addicted, not only to substances, but to drama, anger, excuses, and justifications. She describes how she got to her lowest point, just what it was, and how and why she finally reached out to a 12-step program for help. She shows the reader what it's... Views: 31
Study in Perfect is an exploration of perfection. In "Moving Horizontal" a Victorian house loses its charm over time, especially when compared to a modernist contemporary filled with light. Family life is dense with pleasure, as in the perfect vacation described in "Marking Time in Door County," and in "Neriage, or What Is the Secret of a Long Marriage," where an ancient Japanese ceramic technique has much in common with shaping a close relationship. There is such a thing as a perfect cup of tea, depending on who is preparing and drinking it ("Perfect Tea"). And schmaltzy show tunes flowing froma black-lacquered piano in a Chinese restaurant can be genuinely moving ("Sentimental a la Carte").Naturally, Gorham must embrace imperfection. The poisonous mushrooms in "Darling Amanita" lead to a consideration of our darker impulses, like obsessive love, even murder. And there is pain: "The Shape of Fear" relates the story of a child stricken with a deadly staph infection,... Views: 31
A bold tale of a woman's sexual awakening in steamy New Orleans, French Quarter features scenes with same-sex partners, ménage a trios, and sex in public. Not for the faint at heart! When Liz Marsh hires P.I. Jack Wade to find out if her fiancé is cheating on her, she has no idea she's about to embark upon a sexual odyssey through New Orleans' steamy French Quarter. Raised to be a prim, conservative woman, it takes Jack's sizzling sexuality to make Liz shed her old self and release the secret woman inside her, a woman who seeks every sensual adventure she can find. With Jack on her arm and the decadence of Bourbon Street beckoning, Liz's sexual daring knows no bounds. Views: 30
Someone is breeding superhumans, beings who possess extreme psychic abilities. Now they have implanted the ultimate seed in the perfect womb. They are a heartbeat away from successfully breeding a species of meta-humans, who will be raised in laboratories and conditioned to obey the orders of their owners, governments and large multi-national corporations. Views: 30
Cassi Mason, a beautiful, energetic, career-driven young woman, is the head buyer for a prestigious art gallery in California. Jared Landine is a handsome returned missionary, who works as a buyer for an exclusive New York gallery. Sparks fly as the two come head-to-head in a bidding war for a very expensive Indian Buddha from the Kushan period. Each is determined to win, but others also want the Buddha—at any cost. Thugs, jewel thieves, the FBI, or Jared's beautiful and alluring boss . . . who will end up with the statue? During a string of spine-tingling exploits, Cassi and Jared are forced to develop a tentative friendship that deepens into romance. Will they survive long enough to see it through? Rachel Ann Nunes, author of the best-selling Ariana series, has crafted a wonderfully intriguing and romantic drama in this fast-moving novel, bringing two idealistic young people together from opposite edges of the continent and allowing them, in their own way, to find an unexpected connection to the gospel and to each other. In the end, their very lives depend on the trust they've developed. If you love romance and excitement, you'll be captivated by A Bid for Love.Previously published as Love to the Highest Bidder, Rachel Ann Nunes has updated this fast-moving adventure. Views: 30
Romance sizzles between a famous heiress and an infamous crime lord in this fourth sexy novel in the Rules for the Reckless series from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Fool Me Twice.THE WALLFLOWER They call her the “Ice Queen.” Catherine Everleigh is London’s loveliest heiress, but a bitter lesson in heartbreak has taught her to keep to herself. All she wants is her birthright—the auction house that was stolen from her. To win this war, she’ll need a powerful ally. Who better than infamous and merciless crime lord Nicholas O’Shea? A marriage of convenience will no doubt serve them both. THE CRIME LORD Having conquered the city’s underworld, Nick seeks a new challenge. Marrying Catherine will give him the appearance of legitimacy—and access to her world of the law-abiding elite. No one needs to know he’s coveted Catherine for a year now—their arrangement is strictly business, free... Views: 30
All Jack Lassater could count on were the computer systems he designed and his assistant, Gracie Petrov. But his right-hand woman had been keeping a secret: She'd loved him silently for years.A sense of duty and Jack's need for her prevented Gracie from resigning. Could her strong faith serve to help Jack reconcile with the father who'd abandoned him? And could it mend Jack's wounded spirit, so their partnership would mix business and marriage? Views: 30
