Lula Bird is gorgeous, funny and dreading her birthday because you can't turn 16 if you've never been kissed . . . so why does every boy in Hambledon run a mile the second she bats her eyelids? The fact is, they fear for their lives. Rumour has it Lula's been jinxed! And it's not as if that's her only problem: Lula thinks she has a stalker, her dad keeps sneaking out at night with a lady's handbag, and a mysterious theft is threatening to bring the town to its knees. . . . With only 5 days to go till her birthday, can Lula get the guy, solve the crime and jilt the jinx for good? Views: 44
This grimly humorous and cutting-edge novella delivers a Shakespearean love story that brings together two feuding artisan families, narrated by none other than Death himself -- a hero who may steal your heart in more ways than one. If you enjoy reading "Blow," check out Daniel Nayeri's three other whimsical riffs on classic genres, all available in the collection Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow.Review[The] novellas riff on influences as varied as The Wizard of Oz, Mad Max, and the sardonic Death of Pratchett's Discworld...Strong and assured, these stories seamlessly merge different styles, teasing out and playing with readers' assumptions about how westerns, fantasy and fairy tales work...provocative and deeply satisfying.* * --Kirkus Reviews"With characters deft and real, with language quick and clever, with insight deep and full, these stories lead the reader to wonder, Is this possible? Whatever is going to happen next? And then, incredibly, it is possible, and it happens. Dare to read this."--*National Book Award nominee and two-time Newbery honoree* Gary D. Schmidt"I'm so impressed by the ingenuity of the project as a whole, and Brick House / Wish Policeis sheer genius. I can't remember the last time I've read such a clever and successful plotline."-- *Newbery medalist* Linda Sue ParkNayeri's voice is chameleon-like, easily adapting to the conventions and expectations of each genre without losing a bit of its edge or its wit....Straw House is a delightful amalgam of the high and the low, the silly and the sublime. --BookPageFour stylistically brilliant novellas offer readers a range of exquisite reading experiences in this collection... Nayeri's storytelling finesse is on full display here, as he creates characters and spins plots out of breathtakingly vivid wordsmithery; each story features language uniquely suited to its ambience and desired emotional effects, whether it be through clever wordplay in chapter titles, futuristic technojargon, a deliciously turned phrase, or a particularly apt metaphor. Language lovers as well as those who appreciate the artistry of a perfectly compact novella will consider this collection a treasure.—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)Overall, provocative and deeply satisfying.—Kirkus Reviews From the Back Cover"Whenever we invoke this title -- Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow -- let us breathe this word soon after: virtuosity. In a remarkable collection of four novellas, Daniel Nayeri plays a modern Lewis Carroll, pulling us down rabbit holes where the world is cockeyed -- disturbingly cockeyed -- and anything at all can happen. In one, toys planted by an absent creator are left to fend for themselves when evil arrives; in another, the very air we breathe has been infected with a technology that allows us to create our own reality--or others to create it for us; in another, the narrator Death is moved to play the jerk by powerful love.With characters deft and real, with language quick and clever, with insight deep and full, these stories lead the reader to wonder, Is this possible? Whatever is going to happen next? And then, incredibly, it is possible, and it happens. Dare to read this."--Two-time Newbery honoree and Printz honoree Gary D. Schmidt Views: 44
Product DescriptionThe bigger they come, the harder they fall... in love. Cambridge art professor Larry Morton takes one, alcohol-glazed look at the huge, tattooed man looming in a dark alley, and assumes he’s done for. Moments later he finds himself disarmed—literally and figuratively. And, the next morning, he can’t rest until he offers an apology to the man who turned out to be more gentle than giant. Larry's intrigued to find there's more to Al Fletcher than meets the eye; he possesses a natural artistic talent that shines through untutored technique. Unfortunately, no one else seems to see the sensitive soul beneath Al’s imposing, scarred, undeniably sexy exterior. Least of all Larry's class-conscious family, who would like nothing better than to split up this mismatched pair. Is it physical? Oh, yes, it’s deliciously physical, and so much more—which makes Larry’s next task so daunting. Not just convincing his colleagues, friends and family that their relationship is more than skin deep. It’s convincing Al. Contains comic misunderstandings, misuse of art materials, and unexpected poignancy. Views: 44
**Warning - there is some swearing and this book ends with a cliffhanger ending! Book 2 (Deadly Designs picks ups where this one ends off.) **The printed form of this book is 202 pages.Drawing is her world...but when her new pencil comes alive, it's his world too.Her... Storey Dalton is seventeen and now boyfriendless after being dumped via Facebook. Drawing is her escape. It's like as soon as she gets down one image, a dozen more are pressing in on her. Then she realizes her pictures are almost drawing themselves...or is it that her new pencil is alive?Him... Eric Jordan is a new Ranger and the only son of the Councilman to his world. He's crossed the veil between dimensions to retrieve a lost stylus. But Storey is already experimenting with her new pencil and what her drawings can do - like open portals.It... The stylus is a soul-bound intelligence from Eric's dimension on Earth and uses Storey's unsuspecting mind to seek its way home, giving her an unbelievable power. She unwittingly opens a third dimension, one that held a dangerous predatory species banished from Eric's world centuries ago, releasing these animals into both dimensions.Them... Once in Eric's homeland, Storey is blamed for the calamity sentenced to death. When she escapes, Eric is ordered to bring her back or face that same death penalty. With nothing to lose, can they work together across dimensions to save both their worlds?Review"With an interesting and unique premise that incorporates a little bit of sci fi, a whole lot of tension, and an underlying vein of attraction and tension with romance, DANGEROUS DESIGNS was a great read." Amber Keller, Fresh Fiction **"Dale Meyer has written an interesting tale for young adults, which doesn't force adult behaviour on the protagonists. Storey is a tool of the stylus to begin with but ends up making her own choices and being true to herself." Clare O'Bearam Fresh FictionFrom the AuthorThis is book 1 in the series and ends on a hook that is picked up in book 2. Views: 44
The shoreline of America means hope for some and tragedy for others. Song of Acadia book 2. Views: 44
Six months after Brian saves Heather's life, Brian finds himself living just outside Reno without the love of his life. Yet trouble is still brewing for this estranged couple. Powerful forces, both political and supernatural seek to entangle the two, and bring them back into a web of intrigue and deception.As enemies close in on the new lives they've made for themselves, will the power of one young vampire's blood be strong enough to not only save the two of them, but to heal what has been broken?This is book two of the Fallen Series. Book one is Fallen Blood.About the AuthorMartin Sharlow was always a storyteller. In his youth he used to play roleplaying games and usually he was the game master. That allowed him to create and modify stories and then tell them to his captive audience in the form of a game. Because of this and the many fantasy books he read, Martin went the next step and started writing fantasy novels. Recently, however, Martin changed genres to vampire romance as he got bitten by the vampire bug. This happened after picking up one of the latest novels and finding himself hooked on it. Today Martin has written three vampire romance novels, and is in the process of writing many more. Martin currently lives in Vancouver, WA with two of his three children, who help to keep him grounded in reality. Views: 44
HE COULDN'T SAY NO She had a face like an angel and a body designed for sin, and she wanted him to help her disappear? Sam Zachary was a private investigator, not a magician. So he showed Laura McNeal the door... ... to his house. Nestled in the country, he figured it would be the ideal hide-out. But between the bullets flying through his kitchen window and the alluring damsel in distress seeking shelter in his arms, his embrace -- his bed -- his home was anything but safe. Laura had turned his ordered, lonely life upside down, and while he could live without the gunfire, he was damn sure he couldn't live without the lady. Views: 44
On the surface, twenty-two year old Cole Morgan is exactly what any girl would be proud to take home to meet her parents...Only he has some secrets he's been keeping. Barely twenty, Violet Lynn is Country Music's hottest star, until one night of partying gets out of control. A chance meeting knocks Cole off his feet,but he doesn’t recognize Violet and she plans to keep it that way. Views: 44
The keys to a historic trap are discovered in a cache of forgeries and crumbling film stock. Views: 44
