The author of American Shaolin tells a hilarious and fascinating insider's account of mixed martial arts, the fastest growing sport in the country.Since the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, mixed martial arts (MMA) has punched, kicked, and wrestled its way into the public's consciousness. MMA is an often brutal sport that combines any and every unarmed fighting technique with pure grit. Today, the gross yearly profits of Ultimate Fighting Championship-the sport's premier professional league-exceed that of professional wrestling, boxing, and even the Boston Red Sox. In Tapped Out, Matthew Polly gives readers his on-the ground take of training and fighting in MMA.At the age of thirty-six, Polly was out of shape and totally unprepared for what was ahead: a grueling journey through leading MMA training facilities in Bangkok, St. Petersburg, Rio de Janeiro, New York, and Las Vegas. After being utterly beaten down and built back up, he fought his first match... Views: 62
Ten holidaymakers are bound for Katastrophos, a tiny Greek Island steeped in superstition and ancient myth. Ten people whose lives are about to change forever, because one of them is planning a ruthless murder. Detective Inspector Jack Dawes of the Murder Squad is working undercover to prevent it, and takes his wife, Corrie, to the island, ostensibly on a belated honeymoon. Mayhem ensues when a storm destroys the island's primitive communications, cutting it off from civilisation. This, and a bizarre island ritual, provide the murderer with a perfect opportunity - but fate intervenes. Finally, time runs out and a deadly battle of wits develops between policeman and killer. It is Nemesis, dark-faced goddess of justice, who ends it with her powerful spirit of vengeance and retribution. Of the ten who arrive on Katastrophos, not all will return home... Views: 62
When the one you're supposed to hate turns out to be the only one you crave...Damien Morgan learned a long time ago that love was just a figment of someone’s warped imagination and good girls simply didn’t exist because women were master manipulators. Nonetheless, he’s happy to wish his brother well when he decides to take the plunge.Serenity Hanscom is shocked that she’s been invited to the wedding a year after her sister played matchmaker for the groom and had an active role in a plot to murder his sister-in-law. Despite the rather unusual circumstances, Serenity accepts the invitation because it’s an opportunity to mingle with Miami’s elites. But the second she catches sight of Damien, she’s reminded of the horrible events that led to her father’s imprisonment, all because of him. Determined to ignore him, as the evening goes by, she finds herself drawn to him more and more.Will their... Views: 62
Warning! This Series should NOT be read out of sequence unless you like to ruin the thrill of discovering twists that will blow you away!Praise for Dauntless"Wow what a great finish, Dauntless was everything I hoped for with a few extra surprises thrown in . . . This trilogy was fantastic with Mayer surprisingly saving the best for last." Shane Faganello (Reader)"The conflicts come one after the other, keeping you on edge while the last of the humans in the area run for their lives . . ." Author of the Vicarage Bench Series, Mimi Barbour"Dauntless was full of twist and turns and did not disappoint. Mayer's writing style just keep progressing and she is so fun to read. She really makes you feel connected to her characters. "Kandyce Wagar (Reader)" . . . .kept me fascinated until the end . . . I usually don't read this genre, but Ms. Mayer's writing kept me morbidly entertained." Author of The Kindling Heart, Carmen CaineOverviewAs Mara faces the possibility of Sebastian inability to survive the cure for Nevermore, her road becomes even more treacherous. A glimmer of hope beckons and she must face down an old nemesis if she is to find a safe haven for her, Sebastian, and their child she carries.In this final instalment, be prepared for death to come knocking, as the apocalypse and monsters stretch the bonds of love and friendship, demanding a reckoning of those who are willing to do what they must to survive.Praise for Sundered, Book I"I was completely blindsided by events in this story. Even now, I can't stop thinking about it."Author of "Until Dawn: Last Light", Jennifer Simas". . . an interesting twist on the by-now very tired zombie apocalypse story; it manages to feel familiar and yet fresh at the same time, which is not an easy feat, and kept me reading straight through to the end."Author of "The Corridors of the Dead", Jonathan D AllenPraise for Bound, Book II"Gritty, violent, tragic, and terrifying, this whole series also manages to be touching, romantic, and at times, even sexy (which let me tell you, is an achievement considering the hero is a zombie)."Jess the Romanceaholic (Reviewer)"I am totally hooked now. I will read any book you write . . ."Christa Humphries (Reader)This series is for anyone who couldn't get enough of Amanda Hocking's "Hollowland" or "I am Legend" by Richard Matheson".Other worksThe first book in this series, Sundered, A Zombie-ish Apocalypse Book 1 is availableThe second book in the Zombie-ish Apocalypse series, Bound, A Zombie-ish Apocalypse Book 2 is availableIf you love urban fantasy with a twist of visceral fear to keep you checking under the bed for monsters, check out Dark Waters, Celtic Legacy Book 1 Ingredients of a Cauldron- 8 INTENSE tales of horror, urban fantasy, love, fear andotherworldly creatures! Views: 62
Winner of the 2003 Pulitizer Prize for Drama. . . there are many kinds of light.The light of fires. The light of stars.The light that reflects off rivers.Light that penetrates through cracks.Then there’s the type of light that reflects off the skin.—Nilo Cruz, Anna in the TropicsThis lush romantic drama depicts a family of cigar makers whose loves and lives are played out against the backdrop of America in the midst of the Depression. Set in Ybor City (Tampa) in 1930, Cruz imagines the catalytic effect the arrival of a new "lector" (who reads Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina to the workers as they toil in the cigar factory) has on a Cuban-American family. Cruz celebrates the search for identity in a new land."The words of Nilo Cruz waft from the stage like a scented breeze. They sparkle and prickle and swirl, enveloping those who listen in both specific place and time . . . and in timeless passions that touch u... Views: 62
VINTAGE ILLUSTRATIONS FROM VICTORIAN-ERA NEWSPAPERS PAIRED WITH NEW CAPTIONS THAT REFLECT OUR TWISTED MODERN SENSIBILITIES: THE CHAMPAGNE OF COMICS.Brilliant and lowbrow. -New York MagazineMarried To The Sea: not only the true history of our civilization, but also the funniest comic around. -Andy Riley, author of Bunny SuicidesIf only I had put in legislation to require my state to read Married To The Sea. Perhaps during my next term. -Sarah Hutz, U.S. Congressmember from New HampshireAttention all friends: You're getting this for Christmas. -Chris Leavins, actorSingularly smart, often outlandish. -Sycamore Review Views: 62
With the bravura storytelling and pungent authenticity of detail she brought to her acclaimed Lymond Chronicles, Dorothy Dunnett, grande dame of the historical novel, presents The House of Niccolò series. The time is the 15th century, when intrepid merchants became the new knighthood of Europe. Among them, none is bolder or more cunning than Nicholas vander Poele of Bruges, the good-natured dyer's apprentice who schemes and swashbuckles his way to the helm of a mercantile empire. The year 1464 finds Nicholas back in Venice. Plagued by enemies bent on dissolving his assets and smearing his character, he sets sail for Africa, legendary location of the Fountain of Youth, home to a descendant of Sheba and Solomon, and the source of gold in such abundance that men prefer to barter in shells. He will learn firsthand the brutality and grandeur of the Dark Continent, from the horror of the slave trade to the austere nobility of Islamic Timbuktu. He will discover,... Views: 62
For Mia Mannix, life has never been this tough. Or this interesting.Life never starts when you think it will. When I turned 15, I figured I'd be tossed the keys to the city, make out with a hottie, and have a modest parade thrown in my honour. But all that happened was that I got out of doing the washing up. The day we moved to Sydney was supposed to be the start of the new Mia Mannix - confident, charming, taller. But so far, it sucked.'Mia Mannix has made a deal: in return for moving from the social backwater of the Snowy Mountains to life in the fast lane in Sydney, she's promised her dad she'd give up music and concentrate on real art.But that was before she discovered new friends, a cool record store and a ridiculously hot rockstar.'She's With the Band' is for every girl who's ever wanted to start a band, had a crush on the wrong boy, or made a promise she couldn't keep. Views: 62
