Blood and Soap is a breakthrough collection of modern-day fables from a wildly inventive American writer whose fiction has been called "terse and edgy" (Booklist) and "vividly imagined" (Kirkus Reviews). Dinh's gift is for constructing, in the manner of Italo Calvino, simple narratives that quickly frame larger questions; with a poet's timing, the author builds his stories to the one or few climactic sentences that brand them with unforgettable meaning. In one tale, a Vietnamese boy's self-guided, haphazard study of English gives way to a meditation on the universality of language: "Everything seems chaotic at first, but nothing is chaotic. One can read anything: ants crawling on the ground; pimples on a face; trees in a forest." In another story, a man opens a newspaper and sees the photograph of a man he may have murdered, which he impulsively clips, only to feel that in doing so he unwittingly has sealed his crime: "As soon as I finished, I realized what I had done: by... Views: 629
With the challenge complete and the corrupt Alpha of Coldspring defeated Fane is now free to complete the mate bond with Jacque and perform the Blood Rites. Although the challenge is done, the affects are far reaching. Once it is known that Vasile, one of the strongest Alphas in the world is in America, specifically Coldspring, TX, there is one Alpha who cannot over look the significance of this. An Alpha who happens to share Jacque's DNA, but is this the one she needs to fear?
With her mom driving and her two best friends, Jen and Sally in tow, Jacque sets off for her happily ever after. She will soon realize a plan has been put in motion that will change her course and possibly tear her from Fane's grasp forever. It will take a wolf pack, her mother's love, her two best friend's unrelenting determination, her own will to survive and the undying love of her mate to bring her home. The question remains, if she fights, if she endures, who will she be, what will be left once she is back in her mates arms? Views: 629
In The Excess Road paths to wisdom diverge on the campus of Wessex College where you can find a good education and good party but you can also lose your mind like Joaquin Chandler.In The Excess Road, youth must pay a toll and the path to wisdom starts at the hilltop campus of Wessex College. There you can find a good party but you can also lose your mind like Joaquin Chandler did. He’s an eighteen year old looking for love and his own trail to tread during his freshman year in 1993. The party scene at Wessex is overwhelming for Joaquin and even though he feels like an outcast the kid makes friends. Then the beautiful Elyssa comes along and his heart sets. The chase for her affection begins with an unsettling event but she enters his life. After an initiation into the grittier reality of college life, Joaquin discovers his new best friend Tim is the campus drug dealer and Elyssa is using him to get drugs. Anxiety attacks and hallucinations begin to haunt Joaquin after a bad LSD trip. Joaquin fights to regain control of his life as the anxiety attacks get worse. Then, at the end, a tragic events calls for a choice and change. He makes one. This book is not about happy endings and cliched epiphanies. It is about a young man whose worst enemy is himself and his existential struggles while dealing with a burgeoning mental-illness. And if you don't like pathetic fallacy, don't read this. For more sophisticated readers only. Views: 628
An eclectic collection of ten short stories and Micro-stories by author Miranda Mayer. They range from real life to fantasy and paranormal. A quick and easy read!'A Desirable End'A better life at last.‘Continuation’ A family affair ‘Food’Shocking Truth 'Her'Feeding a Myth.'Jacob'Welcomed Imposter.'Lace'Genteel Murder'She Finally Did It'ReliefThree Micro stories (150 words or less):NormalityInvisible GirlCamouflage Views: 628
Whether describing the most beautiful poem ever composed or an invention gone horribly wrong, this title features eight stories that open up a rich, fantastical world of wonder, adventure and cruel twists of fate, where nothing is as it seems. It includes: 'The Magic Paint', 'The Death of Marinese', 'Censorship in Bitinia', and 'Knall'. Views: 628
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery. One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher—a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue a people in need. Along with his loyal sidekick—a knight who has been turned into an unfortunate combination of horse and cat—and the magic eyes, he embarks on an unforgettable, swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny. Views: 628
The story of monarchy in Europe is a long and extremely bloody one, fraught with appalling violence, scandal and controversy. The position of monarch was once one of absolute power granted by God. Royalty was considered closer to divinity than to the masses. Today this notion is generally frowned upon, and the royal families of Europe spend all their time trying to convey a sense that their members are 'just like us'. Compare the lives of Charles I of Spain, Henry VIII and Queen Victoria and learn about Elizabeth I's role in defending England against the Spanish Armada. Discover the truth about King George III, was he truly mad or was he being poisoned? How did Marie Antoinette, a 14-year-old from Vienna become the Queen of France? This book answers all these questions and many more as it charts the major events in the monarchy of Europe from the very beginnings to the present day.Contents:Charlemagne to Medieval KingdomsRenaissance MonarchsRise of... Views: 628
Peter, a disgraced meteorologist and chronic wanderer, has traveled the country for years in his Winnebago, in search of the only thing that gives his life meaning. He's just arrived in the middle of nowhere—Hokie, Kansas—for the same purpose, but when he meets a waitress named Melanie, another sufferer, he's faced not only with his first real human contact in years, but perhaps someone who can save him.
From the author of DESERT PLACES, ABANDON, and SERIAL UNCUT comes this 7,000-word short story. Additional material includes an interview with Blake, excerpts from all four of his novels, and two bonus excerpts. Views: 628
All men who would change the world, must first be willing to destroy it. The continuation of the epic saga began in The Noble Fool, The Vengeful Malice returns to the memories of Lowin Fenly as he is stirred from his respite of self loathing and forced on a quest to bring peace to his people, his land, and himself. A new menace comes from the sea, and it has come to devour mankind whole. The kingdom is at war with itself, and with a new enemy, and powerful men have decided that Lowin will play an important role in the upcoming conflict whether he wishes it or not. Views: 627
Time travel to medieval Wales ... A medieval man with an uncertain destiny and a modern woman with a troubled past. Only by working together can Llywelyn and Meg navigate the shifting allegiances that threaten the very existence of Wales–and create their own history that defies the laws of time.Daughter of Time is a prequel to the After Cilmeri Series, and is appropriate for ages 13 and up.Time travel to medieval Wales ... Daughter of Time is a prequel to the After Cilmeri Series, and is appropriate for ages 13 and up.A medieval man with an uncertain destiny, Llywelyn, the Prince of Wales, faces treachery and deceit at the hands of friends and foes alike …A modern woman with a troubled past, Meg’s life is in tatters when she slips through time and into medieval Wales …Only by working together can Meg and Llywelyn navigate the shifting allegiances that threaten the very existence of Wales–and create their own history that defies the laws of time.**A note from the author: I am so happy to be able to share with you this prequel to the After Cilmeri series. I created Footsteps in Time and Prince of Time first, and only wrote Daughter of Time after so many readers wanted to know how the story began. Meg's journey is continued in Footsteps in Time and Winds of Time, a novella that is meant to be a companion to the series. Happy reading! Views: 627
Ken and Donnie are brothers who are both driven by a guilty conscience. Their past lies between them like a black lagoon.“I will be marketing synthetic beef in less than a year,” I told my brother, Kenneth Hunter Wolff. I expected my announcement to surprise him at least as much as had my sudden arrival. I was trembling with excitement. But Ken just nodded, inserting a mother-of-pearl fountain pen into the pocket of his red plaid flannel short-sleeve shirt. I think that is the moment I realized the depth of my hatred. “I'm here to give you fair warning,” I told him rigidly. Shouts of men, bleats of cattle, the clatter of hooves on concrete chutes, smells of alfalfa and vaccine and hot iron and seared cowhide brought back memories of childhood. I had my Leica with me, as always in those days. With it I snapped a picture of Bill Butts, foreman of The Broken Heart Ranch, as he directed the branding and vaccinating of beef cattle. “Beef ranching is doomed,” I purred. “We’re working on synthetic pork, chicken, even vegetables and fruit. We create food from organic compounds without killing animals. Agriculture is doomed.” Views: 627
Bram Stoker's immortal Dracula told us about Count Dracula as an undead vampire. But how did this come to be? Who was Dracula in real life? There has always been speculation, but The Dracula Papers now offers the ultimate answer. It takes us back to the year 1576, to the wild land of Transylvania and to the early life of Prince Vladimir who came to be the horror known as Dracula. The result is a story as remarkable and extraordinary as the Bram Stoker classic. Battles, intrigues, sorcery, sexual passion, hauntings, a mechanical tortoise and a burning rhinoceros all have their part to play in a thrilling narrative that nevertheless plunges deep into the mystery of Evil. With The Dracula Papers Reggie Oliver presents a grand tour of the sixteenth century, and of every variety of occult lore surrounding the vampire myth, that is rollicking, wise, macabre, but always unexpected. The Scholar's Tale is the first volume of a scholarly and picaresque Gothick Extravaganza. Views: 627
