Brenden Campbell is trying to prove he belongs in the NHL, but injuries keep derailing his attempts and now the GM has a new assistant who fascinates him. Rachel Shaw is trying to give her kids a fresh start, but that means protecting them from all the world's hidden evils--and she isn't sure if Brenden is one of them or not. He's the kind of mistake she can't afford to make twice. Views: 16
From Publishers WeeklyIn her first mainstream novel, romance writer Swendson puts a Harry Potter–inspired twist on the standard tale of a smalltown girl in the big city, with lively if saccharine sweet results. Fish-out-of-water Katie Chandler suffers in her thankless job as assistant to marketing manager "Evil Mimi," worrying that maybe she just can't hack it in New York City. Will her colleagues ever consider her anything but a hick? For a girl from Texas, the Big Apple is stranger than a foreign country, but she discovers that the weird things she notices are signs of real magic afoot. Her "small-town honesty and common sense" soon land her a new job at Magic, Spells, and Illusion Inc., which traffics in benevolent sorcery. "You... are of the rare breed who can neither do magic nor be influenced by magic. You see the world as it is," an MSI executive explains. With her clear-sightedness—plus business acumen gained working for her family's feed-and-seed store—Katie will play a pivotal role in MSI's magical battle against a malevolent competitor. From sanitized descriptions of New York City life to hunky wizards and fairies on the subway, this book is pure and innocent fantasy, suitable for preteens or readers hungry for a cotton candy read. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From School Library JournalAdult/High School–Sex and the City meets Harry Potter in this fanciful story about Katie Chandler, 26, who has moved to New York to make her mark in business. Having long viewed herself as an everybody's little sister-type person, she is unprepared for the adventures that await her when MSI, Inc., approaches her with a once-in-a-lifetime offer. Thinking that they fall into the spam category, she ignores the overtures for several days. MSI's persistence wears her down, and, on meeting with the company's representatives, she learns that the initials stand for Magic, Spells, and Illusions, and that the magic community is alive and well in New York City. Katie discovers that her very ordinariness allows her to see this community at work in ways that most others cannot. Her acceptance of the job is the first step in a series of captivating and hilarious adventures. MSI's products may have been on the market for a millennium, but the company's knowledge of modern concepts is sorely lacking, and Swendson uses Katie's business acumen to educate not only the employees, but also her readers in an utterly engaging fashion. A former staffer who has gone over to the darker side of magic has begun marketing spells that will allow magical folks to manipulate the non-magical population, and the race is on to try to stop him. Although the plot stretches credulity in places, the novel cleverly combines fantasy and practicality. Students will appreciate the glimpse into corporate America's strange mix of seriousness and silliness.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Views: 16
She was seconds away from pulling the trigger...when the stranger strode out of the storm and witnessed her failure to take out her brother's killer. His eyes, his gaze...everything about him stirred a response in Hayley Tavistock. But he'd interfered in her plan for vengeance. And for that, Cooper Webb had some explaining to do. He was a lone wolf who operated outside the law to see justice done. Now Hayley had stumbled into his mission to right a terrible wrong. The last thing Cooper needed was to join forces with an avenging angel out for the wrong kind of revenge -- even if Hayley aroused the right kind of passion in him.... Views: 16
Love doesn't matter. Romance doesn't exist. (Part 5 of 12 in The Future of Sex series) In the year 2060, sex is a game of extremes. No desire is unexplored and even the unimaginable is possible. Alexa Mathis, head of the monolithic O Corporation, has found a prodigy she believes will drive her sex empire to rapturous new limits: Chloe Shaw, a common girl with uncanny gifts that make her a powerful escort. Chloe doesn't believe in love. She believes in ecstasy, and her employer's newest tool to usher "the future of sex": an intelligent network known as The Beam. And so it is until she meets Andrew ... and the whole world changes. The Future of Sex is a 12-part serial that is being published in installments. As such, episodes are short and sometimes end on cliffhangers. Views: 16
Since Descent of Man appeared in 1979, T. C. Boyle has transformed the nature of short fiction in our time; in a review of his most recent collection, After the Plague, The New York Times hailed him as "a writer who can take you anywhere." Which is exactly what Boyle does in Tooth and Claw. These fourteen stories, which have appeared in The New Yorker, GQ, Harper's, McSweeney's, and Playboy, display Boyle's imaginative muscle, emotional sensitivity, and astonishing range. Here you will find the whimsical tales for which Boyle is famous, including "The Kind Assassin," about a radio shock jock who sets the world record for most continuous hours without sleep. Readers will love the comedic drama of the title story, about a man who must contend with a vicious cat from Africa that he has won in a bet. And who could resist the gripping power of "Dogology," about a woman who becomes so obsessed with man's best friend that she begins to lose her own identity to a pack of strays. Boyle here proves once again that he is "a writer who can take any topic and spin a yarn too good to put down" (Men's Journal). Views: 16
Enter the world of Geronimo Stilton, where another funny adventure is always right around the corner. Each book is a fast-paced adventure with lively art and a unique format kids 7-10 will love.Geronimo Stilton, adventuremouse? Not me! But surely a little skiing couldn't hurt a rodent, right? Wrong. Moldy mozzarella! When my ski trip landed me in the hospital, I was sure it was going to be the worst Christmas ever! But my family and friends had something else in mind. . . . Views: 16
The year was 1979. An uncool girl in the cool crowd, Bella Stone found herself the girlfriend to footballer, Ben James, the boy everybody wanted to date. Ben and Bella were destined to be together and yet somehow, life always found a way of keeping them apart. Now, it's 1987. Ben is back but Bella has grown up and moved on. Is it too late? Views: 16
There's a new kid at Jasper's school. His name is Aamir and he can't speak English, but when Jasper remembers his grandad saying that you don't need language to play sport, he takes Aamir onto the soccer field to teach him a few tricks. Aamir already has a few of his own, and he's soon invited to join the Rovers. The trouble is, star Eastville Kings player Badger Mackenzie can't resist doing what he does best - badgering his opponent to put them off their game. This time his target is Aamir. Someone will be sent off the field with a red card - but who will it be? And will it affect the Rovers' wish of one day playing in the finals? Views: 16
Book 3 in the Devlin Dynasty series. Conner Devlin has traveled to Romania to review a request for funding of a wildlife preserve. There, he meets Katya, an enigmatic beauty whose lupine sexuality captures him in more ways than one. Katya only wanted to set up a preserve for the wolves, not mate with the brash American, Conner Devlin. But a cataclysmic event forces the two of them together. Under a compelling full moon, their primal needs lead to explosive passion high in the Carpathian Mountains. Views: 16
