Winged. Flight. Two girls on the threshold of adulthood and filled with potential. Part coming-of-age story, part steampunk, part speculative fiction - Winged is a multi-leveled tale of two girls, in different worlds, both seeking their own paths.Sara Little has ached to live in America. But being born of a single mother in London’s working class, she could only dream. Then, scrawled in hasty intensity, Sara receives an invitation to America. Drawn to the possibility of a new beginning, she follows God’s whisper and steps forward into the unknown. But more awaits than the realization of her dreams.Sara’s benefactor is handsome widower Christopher Lake, a philanthropist dedicated to helping the less fortunate redefine their future. Though devastated by the loss of his wife, he dedicates himself to her last request: To provide Sara the means for a brighter future.Sara’s gift of art inspires Christopher’s sponsorship, and he is determined to protect her gentle heart while propelling her into artistic society. Even if he must press her forward beyond her shy nature. But when a local paper weaves tales of a romantic entanglement, Sara is struck by the stark reality of a growing devotion. Caught in the whirlwind of debuts and dinner parties, she has fallen in love with the one man she believes she does not deserve.Can a servant girl hope to bless such a noble man to happiness? Views: 546
The weird and whimsical short stories in Strange Tales from Liaozhai show their author, Pu Songling (1640-1715), to be both an explorer of the macabre, like Edgar Allan Poe, and a moralist, like Aesop. In this first complete translation of the collection's 494 stories into English, readers will encounter supernatural creatures, natural disasters, magical aspects of Buddhist and Daoist spirituality, and a wide range of Chinese folklore. Annotations are provided to clarify unfamiliar references or cultural allusions, and introductory essays have been included to explain facets of Pu Songling's work and to provide context for some of the unique qualities of his uncanny tales. This is volume 3 of 6. Views: 546
I ended up back by the bar, but Kevin and his friends were gone—vanished into a crowd of painfully cool Karma drones. I was about to go track him down when someone spoke at my elbow.“It’s all fake, you know.”A Vampire Does Not Make For Easy Prey … Wizards have their magic, warriors their brawn, but a vampire lacks for nothing; he is the true ruler of the night and the last foe any sane man would choose to face. My name is Lucian, and I have no fear. Not the fabled magic used by wizards, nor the swords of lesser men; my strength is timeless, drawn from darkness. I am vampire, with no master save my own unending hunger. I long for blood, your blood, and neither blade nor magic spell can keep me long from my prize.In Drisdak, the magic of the wizards is strong, but a true vampire will hunt them all the same … Unease and foreboding have always been associated with the local wizards guild; peasants have an innate distrust of magic and those who use it. But now, a mysterious fire at the guild has left two men dead and a third missing. And one of those men was the guild master, one of the most powerful wizards in the city, and his successor wants to know what happened to him. Enter Coragan of Esperia, the renowned bounty hunter and his comrades: Borak the warrior, and Galladrin the rogue. If anyone can unravel this mess they can. But are even they prepared to challenge the horrible evil lurking at the heart of the mystery? An ancient, pitiless vampire named Lucian val Drasmyr. See if Coragan and the wizards can defeat the terrible vampire, Drasmyr, buy Drasmyr now! Views: 545
Derek fills a void in his own life by leading locals on weekend treks up a small mountain. This time, a young climber touches that void in a way he couldn't have imagined, or wanted. First published in Wanderings Magazine, Spring 2007. A short story.Mistress of the Game is about marriage of two cultures, African and Western that went wrong in the end becasue of betrayal of trust . It is also about the politics of new found oil in Ghana and the greed and dirty dealings that go with it. Mistress of the Game is also about courage, hope and survival in the face of despair and the shattering realisation of living with HIV/AIDS.The intrigue in the novel is hightened when Sarah, the Ghanaian young woman married to a Canadian, Philip, connives with her pushy and overbearing mother (who incidentally means well) to deceive Philip in the most bizarre and unscrupulous manner ever imagined; juxtaposed with this couple are Jason, Philip’s younger brother and Araba, a young Ghanaian girl who discovers that one of the ways to survive in a dying metropolis that now threatens to come alive through the oil boom and the influx of expatriates, technocrats and crooks alike all wanting to cash in on the ‘liquid gold’, is to make good use of her one major asset - her body. Ironically, it is Araba who with her two fatherless children of mixed race, give us hope at the end of the story.The language is rich with humour, laced with Ghanaian English and Akan akin to Ayikwei Parkes’ Tail of the Blue Bird. The main settings for the plot are Takoradi, in Ghana, and Canada. The writer expounds well researched history and facts that gives credence to her academic background. The descriptions of scenes and planes are so vivid that the reader keeps ohing and ahing in recognition of familiar sights and landmarks. The Ghanaian characters are real, with everyday expressions and attiitudes that spell out the ingredients that make the Ghanaian that happy, go lucky human being, easily able to shrug off problems with that matter of fact approach to life, albeit full of humour. Views: 544
For the past two years, Bailey Morgan has lived a double life: high school student by day, ancient mystical being by night. As the third Fate, Bailey literally controls the fate of the world, but as Plain Old Bailey, her life is falling apart. She’s got a tattoo that was supposed to be temporary (but isn’t), friendships that were supposed to last forever (but might not), and no idea what her future holds after high school graduation.
Then Bailey meets the rest of the Sidhe, an ancient race defined by their power, beauty, and a sinister habit of getting what they want at any cost. Before Bailey knows it, she’s being drawn into an otherworldly web more complicated than anything she weaves as a mortal Fate.
From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 544
Tales of Hardship, Love and Happiness in Tate & Lyle's London factories. The Sugar Girls went straight to number ten in the Sunday Times Bestseller List in the UK on publication, spending five weeks in the top ten. 'On an autumn day in 1944, Ethel Alleyne walked the short distance from her house to Tate & Lyle's refinery on the shining curve of the Thames. Looking up at the giant gates, Ethel felt like she had been preparing for this moment all her life. She smoothed down her frizzy hair, scraped a bit of dirt off the corner of her shoe and strode through. She was quite unprepared for the sight that met her eyes ...' In the years leading up to and after the Second World War thousands of women left school at fourteen to work in the bustling factories of London's East End. Despite long hours, hard and often hazardous work, factory life afforded exciting opportunities for independence, friendship and romance. Of all the factories that lined the docks, it was at Tate & Lyle's where... Views: 544
Lassoed, knocked down, face planted in the dirt -- best thing to happen to Frank Bowen in years. When wife Liz went missing in the wilds of Belize, the constables of San Ignacio could find no trace. Years later, on a pilgrimage to her remote 'grave,' Frank is abducted and whisked away to a place he can't identify, by people whose motives and origins baffle him. Could this be what happened to Liz?Two lightly intertwined stories of strangers lost in strange lands.Lassoed, knocked down, face planted in the dirt -- best thing to happen to Frank Bowen in years. When wife Liz went missing in the wilds of Belize, the constables of San Ignacio could find no trace. Years later, on a pilgrimage to her remote 'grave,' Frank is abducted and whisked away to a place he can't identify, by people whose motives and origins baffle him. Could this be what happened to Liz? Meanwhile, at a relay site in a New England mill town, a band of scouts from that world awaits passage home. In the wrong place at the wrong time, they discover dealings that would give access to Earth to their enemies. The only way to stop this conspiracy is to destroy the 'xenoliths' that regulate convergences between the worlds. Can they find their way home and prevent their war from spreading to a new battleground called Earth? Views: 543
In Desert and Wilderness (Polish: W Pustyni i w Puszczy) is a popular young adult novel by Nobel Prize-winning novelist Henryk Sienkiewicz, written in 1912. In Desert and Wilderness tells the story of two young friends, Stas Tarkowski and Nel Rawlison, kidnapped by rebels during Mahdi\'s rebellion in Sudan. W Pustyni i w Puszczy to popularna powieść dla dzieci i młodzieży autorstwa Henryka Sienkiewicza. Opowiada ona losy Stasia Tarkowskiego i Nel Rawlison, porwanych przez rebeliantów w Sudanie.Publikacja w dwóch wersjach językowych - po angielsku i po polsku. Views: 543
Love hurts...if you're lucky.
Kaden's dying, but before he goes he has one problem to solve--he must ask his oldest and dearest friend, Seth, to take over as Dom and Master to his beloved wife, Leah.
Seth has always seen himself as the perpetual screwup and Kaden as the strong and steady one, so his friend's request rocks his world. He also knows there's no way he can refuse Kaden this.
Now Seth finds himself immersed in a role he's far from comfortable with--inflicting physical pain to provide emotional comfort to the woman he's secretly loved for years. Can he deal with his crushing grief over the impending loss of his oldest friend and still learn the skills he must master in time to become The Reluctant Dom? Views: 543
The world is changing-the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now kids are disappearing. For fifteen-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside-down when they are hauled out of bed one night, separated from their parents, and thrown into a secret compound for no reason they can comprehend. The new government is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager.
Imprisoned together and condemned to death, Wisty and Whit begin exhibiting strange abilities and powers they never dreamed of. Maybe there is a reason they were singled out. Can this newly discovered witch and a wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents-and maybe the world? Views: 543
In the frenzy of general elections, candidates were busy vying for media attention. The outcome had been ever so slightly manipulated by a sinister foreign hand. A calculated plan had been carried out,by a group, so bent to destroy the will of the people. Several forces, both from living and dead resonate and lead to uncovering of world's first bloodless plot.What is a home? It is a familiar base that protects you, provides for you, while making great demands on you as time goes on. The servant slowly becomes more of a master. Letting go of the past is a frightening thing, which is as it should be. That keeps us from racing into uncertainty with too much risk. But too much reliance upon a past home prevents a new one from having a chance to form. We push our children out of their nest as part of our parental duties. Who, then, will push us out when we are the only one in the nest? Views: 542
DEAD WORLD 3: CRIMSON (DEAD WORLD TRILOGY) On the run from the law, Gina "Red" Santiago and Sheriff Morgan Hunter search for the proof needed to clear their names. Unfortunately, the danger doesn't just lie in No-Man's-Land. Someone close to them is about to betray them for the Other blood running through their veins.Politician Roark Montgomery is desperate. It's the eve of the election and he still hasn't found the fugitives. If the information Red and Morgan have gets out to the public, it'll destroy his career. Roark will use every resource at his disposal, even if that means bargaining with a traitor.With enemies all around, Morgan and Red's only option is to face the assault head on. It won't be easy, but they know two things Roark doesn't: Love is worth dying for. And it's never smart to corner a hungry wolf. Views: 542
View our feature on Ann Aguirre’s Doubleblind.As a “Jumper” who navigates ships through grimspace, Sirantha Jax is used to kicking ass. So why is she suddenly chosen as an ambassador of peace? Views: 541
