In The Hard Way on Purpose, David Giffels takes us on an insider's journey through the wreckage and resurgence of America's Rust Belt. A native who never knew the good times, yet never abandoned his hometown of Akron, Giffels plumbs the touchstones and idiosyncrasies of a region where industry has fallen, bowling is a legitimate profession, bizarre weather is the norm, rock 'n' roll is desperate, thrift store culture thrives, and sports is heartbreak. Intelligent, humorous, and warm, Giffels's linked essays are about coming of age in the Midwest and about the stubborn, optimistic, and resourceful people who prevail there. Views: 25
For countless centuries, I've been the assassin for the infamous Merlin, even though the woman who birthed me sits at the right hand of our enemy, Morgen le Fey. Now both my mother and Morgen have decided that it's time I take my place on their side of this conflict.
Normally, telling them no wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that the good guys I protect think that I'm an even worse demon than the ones we fight. Hmm, maybe they're right. I have to say that I do enjoy maiming anyone who gets in my way.
At least until my mother gives me a simple choice: join Morgen's Circle of the Damned or see an innocent woman die. I'm all for saving the innocent, but Merewyn isn't as innocent as she seems. And she's none too fond of the fact that her fate is in my dubious hands. Personally I'm all for taking the easy way out, but leaving her to Morgen is rough, even for me. Now the only way to save both our lives is to face the evilest forces ever known—my mother and Morgen. And two people who know nothing of trust must learn to rely on each other or die: provided we don't kill each other first. Views: 25
WHY WHISTLE IN THE DARK...There are very few days off when you're on an epic quest. Believe me, I know. I'm Hedi Peacock—one half Fae, the other were—and if being a half-breed with one foot in each world isn't tough enough to manage, there are the four chambers of my heart to consider. The one who holds the strings? Robson Trowbridge, the Alpha of Creemore. If I had my way, he and I would be locked in a bedroom, for eternity, but a pressing family matter needs my attention. It's true what they say: A woman's work is never done. WHEN YOU CAN HOWL AT THE MOON?My twin brother is being held captive by the Old Mage in another realm. Lo and behold, as soon as Trowbridge and I arrive in Merenwyn, we're separated in spectacular, dramatic fashion—and I'm left to figure out how to maintain the fragile balance between my Fae magic and my wolf's blood in a realm that cries to both. Not easy, particularly when I'm keeping an... Views: 25
Hell on earth is only one click of a mouse away... The Dark Net is real. An anonymous and often criminal arena that exists in the secret, far reaches of the Web, some use it to manage Bitcoins, pirate movies and music, or traffic in drugs and stolen goods. And now, an ancient darkness is gathering there as well. This force is threatening to spread virally into the real world unless it can be stopped by members of a ragtag crew: Twelve-year- old Hannah — who has been fitted with the Mirage, a high-tech visual prosthetic to combat her blindness— wonders why she sees shadows surrounding some people. Lela, a technophobic journalist, has stumbled upon a story nobody wants her to uncover. Mike Juniper, a one-time child evangelist who suffers from personal and literal demons, has an arsenal of weapons stored in the basement of the homeless shelter he runs. And Derek, a hacker with a cause, believes himself a soldier of the Internet,... Views: 25
It is 1852 and Alexander, a young biographer in search of the truth about William Blake, has parted from his new bride and travelled to the village of Felpham. For it was here that the scene of Blake's darkest hour – the mysterious incident that caused him to be tried for Sedition – occurred. But the villagers hereabouts don't have much to say on the subject, and go strangely quiet whenever the trial is mentioned.We travel back to 1800, when William Blake and his faithful wife Catherine have just moved to Felpham to take up the promise of work under a new patron, William Hayley Esquire. This tireless taskmaster soon gives Blake so much work that his own poetry is neglected. Trying to appease his patron and still find time for his masterpiece frays Blake's nerves beyond endurance.Witnessing this exchange are Betsy and Johnnie, two young lovers employed in Mr Hayley's service. In awe of Blake's beautiful engravings and glorious paintings, Betsy enlists Johnnie... Views: 25
Celebrated as a novelist of breathtaking historical range and depth, Adam Thorpe is also an accomplished and celebrated writer of short fiction, and the stories collected here show his deftness with character, his enormous versatility of voice.In the title story, an expectant first-time novelist meets the publisher who has asked him to lunch, only to find himself drawn, unwittingly and inexorably, into a terrible personal tragedy. In 'The Concert Interval' Rob, an orchestral tympanist, sees his life crumble over the half-time coffee and sandwiches. In 'Heavy Shopping' a business executive is called in the middle of an important conference in Scotland with the news that his wife has given birth prematurely; his inability to cope with the resulting divided loyalties, and the way he deals with his own passive indecisiveness, reveals the terrifying emotional vacuum in his life.Exquisitely written, these stories breathe life into their characters,... Views: 25
Was it simply, in the coroner's words, a stupid and tragic accident? Sybil Crawfurd would never have expected her brother, Hugo, to die like that, so suddenly, in a fall from the balcony of a Brighton hotel . . . The handsome, intelligent headmistress of a girls' school on the south coast, Sybil is not alone in desperately wanting 'but two hours converse with the dead'. Lavinia Trent, the well-known actress, and Bridget Nagel, whose journalist husband was killed in the Falklands, are equally ready to enter the bizarre, comic, unnerving world of paranormal experiment . . .'Gripping entertainment form start to finish' Listener'False trail follows false trail; the curtain is tantalizingly lifted and then, again, lowered . . . King is now writing at the height of his powers' Spectator'His most masterful, comic and moving novel yet' Financial Times'One of the most haunting and haunted novels of the year' Sunday Times Views: 25
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT... Beautiful attorney Alexandra Spencer was used to being in control -- of her work and her life. But when a violent street crime resulted in memory loss, Alex was suddenly helpless, and turned to the one person she trusted to help her. Detective Dylan Parker couldn't believe that Alex had lost two years of her life, including all memory of their bitter divorce. Yet once he realized that a stalker was after her, he knew he couldn't -- wouldn't -- leave her side until the danger was gone. Living in close quarters rekindled their passionate feelings, and as pieces of Alex's past came back, she and Dylan knew they were ready to give each other a second chance...if they could survive long enough! Views: 25
How much would you give to live your fantasy? Think fast—your Wishstone is waiting.At Atlanta's Dragon-Con, nine fan girls make a wish on the mysterious ancient artifact known as the Wishstone and find themselves transported to the world that inspired their favorite TV series. Only the show couldn't begin to prepare them for the real thing.Domain is a world without change, frozen in a time of magic and superstition, where the immortal sons of the goddess Reyah fight a never-ending war—mostly with themselves. Reyah doesn't seem to care. The way she sees it, her boys will be boys. They'll settle down once they meet the right girls.But Earth girls aren't that easy. They've got serious issues with this gig. They like their computers, cell phones, double-ply toilet paper.And they don't believe in fate.Welcome to Domain. Views: 25
