Chaz Wilmot is a painter born outside his time. He possesses a virtuosic command of the techniques of the old masters. He can paint like Leonardo, Goya, Gainsborough-artists whose works sell for millions-but this style of painting is no longer popular, and he refuses to shape his talent to fit the fashion of the day. So Wilmot makes his living cranking out parodies for ads and magazine covers. A break comes when an art dealer obtains for him a commission to restore a Venetian palace fresco by the eighteenth-century master Tiepolo, for a disreputable Italian businessman. Once there, Wilmot discovers that it is not a restoration but a re-creation, indeed a forgery. At first skeptical of the job, he then throws himself into the creative challenge and does the job brilliantly. No one can tell the modern work from something done more than two hundred years ago. This feat attracts the attention of Werner Krebs, an art dealer with a dark past and shadier present who becomes Wilmot's friend and patron. Wilmot is suddenly working with a fervor he hasn't felt in years, but his burst of creative activity is accompanied by strange interludes: Without warning, he finds himself reliving moments from his past-not as memories but as if they are happening all over again. Soon, it is no longer his own past he's revisiting; he believes he can travel back to the seventeenth century, where he lived as the Spanish artist Diego Rodríguez de Silva Velázquez, one of the most famous painters in history. Wilmot begins to fantasize that as Velázquez, he has created a masterpiece, a stunning portrait of a nude. When the painting actually turns up, he doesn't know if he painted it or if he imagined the whole thing. Little by little, Wilmot enters a mirror house of illusions and hallucinations that propels him into a secret world of gangsters, greed, and murder, with his mystery patron at the center of it all, either as the mastermind behind a plot to forge a painting worth hundreds of millions, or as the man who will save Wilmot from obscurity and madness. In Chaz Wilmot, we meet the rarest breed of literary hero, one for whom the reader feels almost personally responsible. By turns brutally honest and self-deceptive, scornful of the world while yearning to make his mark on it, Wilmot comes astonishingly alive for the reader, and his perilous journey toward the truth becomes our own. The Forgery of Venus, a blend of erudition, unflagging narrative brio, and emotional depth, brings us inexorably toward the intersection where genius and insanity collide. Miraculously inventive, this book cements Gruber's reputation as one of the most imaginative and gifted writers of our time. Views: 34
Haunted for years by dreams of a savage, amber eyed Dominant with lips so enticing my soul ached in frustration and lust. None of the Dominants at Genesis, my local BDSM club ever stirred me in such blistering ways. While I tried to fill my submissive desires vicariously through interactions at the club, I attempted to convince myself it was enough. But it wasn’t. My dream Dom made certain I hungered for more.Forced beyond what I could bear, my passion and frustration exploded. I threw in the towel, determined to stop chasing a dream and gave up completely on finding submissive surrender. But fate intervened when two gunshots split the night. Forced to confront my desires and insecurities, I was shocked to realize that my dreams may have held a deeper meaning. Were they compelling me to finally embrace my submission? Views: 34
Moonlight City lies on the border between this world and the next, so it's only natural that there should be some extra-ordinary citizens in town. But when that supernatural element turns nasty, it's time to call in the Moonlight Monsters Detective Agency. Meet Tina Peterson. She's just an average twenty-something woman trying to make the most out of single life in the city. If only it were that easy. As a half-demon hybrid Tina is the perfect candidate to lead the Supernatural Detective Agency. So much for the joie de vivre. Together with her partner Boris the Russian werebear and their computer guy, stranded alien Ernie the egghead, Tina keeps the peace among the magical and mystical inhabitants of Moonlight city, while trying to find the time in between to lead a half ways normal life. In this collection, the monster detectives become entwined with Sam Parker -- a charming British vampire with a shady past who’s trying to set himself up as the city’s first paranormal private eye -- while elsewhere they investigate lost spirits and Christmas gremlins, prehistoric monsters, and a drug-smuggling demon prince out to take over the criminal underworld of Moonlight City. It’s a good thing the service weapons come with magic-grade bullets as standard. Blood Oath The detectives cross paths with a crooked British vampire on a case of his own. High Spirits Tina and Boris help out a young family haunted by a poltergeist. Hells Bells Chaotic winter demons take over the city's shopping malls and Tina is forced to enlist the help of Sam Parker to take them down. Sand Wedged A giant Mongolian Death Worm attacks the Boardwalks as New Years Eve celebrations are underway. Full Circle Tina and Sam uncover a demon criminal conspiracy, while Tina learns some surprising secrets from Sam's past. Views: 34
Former cemetery tour guide and reluctant medium Pepper Martin is thrilled when she gets her job back—with a promotion. But her new position is turning out to be more than she can handle, especially with the dead clamoring for her attention...As Garden View Cemetery’s new community relations manager, Pepper is feeling overwhelmed with planning the annual party to attract new sponsors. Luckily, some of the cemetery’s permanent residents have volunteered to give Pepper a ghostly hand, and she’s not about to turn away the help. But when a murdered ghost starts leaving puddles everywhere, Pepper quickly finds her newly acquired free time occupied.The dead man is her ex-boyfriend Quinn’s former partner Jack Haggarty—and he isn’t going away until Pepper figures out the real reason behind his murder. And while Quinn recently had a brush with the afterlife, he still isn’t ready to accept Pepper’s abilities—or offer his skills as a detective. Now, Pepper has to convince Quinn she’s the real deal and investigate Jack’s death—before someone else meets their end in a watery grave...Review"Pepper is a delight."—MaryJanice Davidson, New York Times bestselling author"A Pepper Martin paranormal amateur sleuth is always a fun read."—Alternative Worlds"With wit and a wink, Casey Daniels entertains her fans."—The Best ReviewsAbout the AuthorCasey Daniels once applied for a job as a tour guide in a cemetery. She didn’t get the job, but she did get the idea for the Pepper Martin Mysteries. Casey learned to love mysteries early, thanks to her father, a Cleveland police detective who enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories and spent his days off searching for stolen cars, with Casey along for the ride. Later, she read her way through every mystery on the library shelves. Casey has a degree in English and a background in journalism and teaching. She lives in northeast Ohio. Views: 34
Avery Baker never thought she’d leave Manhattan, until she inherited her aunt’s old Maine cottage and found her true calling—home renovation. But when Avery goes to work restoring a condominium, she discovers it’s another condo owner who’s been condemned... Avery and her partner, Derek, are fixing up a cute little condo in homey Waterfield, Maine, hoping for a quick turnaround and some extra money. It seems like a simple project—and Avery is looking forward to using her big-city experience with small spaces. But they didn’t expect to have their every move watched by the resident busybody in the condo, Hilda Shaw, who loves snooping on everyone’s comings and goings. When the busybody becomes a dead body, Avery suspects foul play. Soon she’s doing some snooping of her own—and it seems everyone in the complex has a secret. Could one of them be worth killing for? Avery needs to work fast, before someone decides to fix her...for good. Views: 34
Pleasure Is On Her Dance CardDetermined
to find a husband, Miss Eleanor "Nell" Bowman attends a ball put on by
the Duchess of Greycliffe, fondly referred to as the Duchess of Love.
But she roundly dismisses the suitors the matchmaking hostess has
invited on her behalf. For it’s the duchess’s dashing son Ned, Lord
Edward, who long ago captured Nell’s heart—and roused her desire. All it
takes is a pair of conveniently misplaced silky red bloomers to set the
handsome widower’s gaze on this unusual girl who is clearly more than
meets the eye...After more than a year of mourning, Ned longs to
finally start anew. At first glance, the birthday ball his mother has
thrown in his honor is decidedly lacking in suitable mistresses. But he
senses something unexpectedly alluring beneath the veil of Nell’s plain
exterior— something she’s anxious to reveal, and the lonely Lord is
incapable of denying... Views: 34
In Girl Meets Boy, Ali Smith reinterprets the Myth of Iphis, the girl who became a boy, as a brilliant hybrid of satire and romantic comedy. Anthea works at Pure, helping men with shaved heads think up brand names for water: call it Affluent, she suggests. Or Main Stream. She is not, truth be told, completely focused. Until she sees the boy up the ladder, spray-painting the company billboard: WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT, she reads. SELLING IT IS MORALLY WRONG. The boy up the ladder, dressed in a kilt and sporran. A bright red tartan; a black waistcoat. Frilly cuffs. He is the most beautiful boy Anthea has ever seen in her life. No, look again. She is the most beautiful boy Anthea has ever seen in her life. This is a warm, funny, subversive romp through the murky hinterland of corporate perfidy, by an author the Scotsman has described as 'one of our greatest imaginative writers'. Girl Meets Boy is Ali Smith's contribution to the... Views: 34
Startling Stories meets Weird Tales in SPACE ELDRITCH, a volume of seven original novelettes and novellas of Lovecraftian pulp space opera. Featuring work by Brad R. Torgersen (Hugo/Nebula/Campbell nominee), Howard Tayler (multiple Hugo nominee), and Michael R. Collings ( author of over 100 books), plus a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Larry Correia, SPACE ELDRITCH inhabits the intersection between the eternal adventure of the final frontier and the inhuman darkness between the stars. Views: 34
Lost Love and Shipwrecked Views: 34
Trouble for one - trouble for all. Beth Venable has seen too much. Witness to a major mob hit, she's placed in protective custody until the trial. But after her third safe house is riddled with bullets, she goes off-grid to save herself. What the FBI can't do, her kinfolk will. The beautiful but forbidding Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky welcome Beth back, dirt roads and rustic shacks a world apart from L.A. But her homecoming - even her blissful reunion with strong, silent Ryal Walker - is made bittersweet by the fight she's brought to the clan's doorstep. Hidden in a remote cabin with the man she's always wanted, Beth begins to dream of a new life: her old one. But after so long, with such dangers stalking her[unknown-8230]impossible. But love can distill life down to its essence: an elixir of pure hope, nerve - and the will to survive.[unknown-8220]Sala's characters are vivid and engaging.[unknown-8221] - Publishers WeeklyTrouble for one - trouble for all. Beth Venable has seen too much. Witness to a major mob hit, she's placed in protective custody until the trial. But after her third safe house is riddled with bullets, she goes off-grid to save herself. What the FBI can't do, her kinfolk will. The beautiful but forbidding Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky welcome Beth back, dirt roads and rustic shacks a world apart from L.A. But her homecoming - even her blissful reunion with strong, silent Ryal Walker - is made bittersweet by the fight she's brought to the clan's doorstep. Hidden in a remote cabin with the man she's always wanted, Beth begins to dream of a new life: her old one. But after so long, with such dangers stalking her[unknown-8230]impossible. But love can distill life down to its essence: an elixir of pure hope, nerve - and the will to survive. Views: 34
The bestselling author of Prince of Shadows and Twice a Hero again displays her incredible talent and imagination in an enchanting new romance about a love so deep it will bring a man and a woman together...in another century, another life.Jesse Copeland, an expert in mountain rescues, has returned to Manzanita after years in the Peace Corps. Despite an indomitable courage that sent her rappelling down cliffs, she is haunted by the nightmares and shadowy half-memories surrounding her mother's mysterious death. Now she is determined to find out if her mother's "accident" was murder. What she finds instead is a man as transparent as air--sensual, muscular, his blue eyes burning into hers as she cries out one word from a place deep within her: David.David Ventris, Lord Ashthorpe, late of His Majesty's Light Dragoons, is, simply put, a ghost. He's waited two centuries to be called back to earth by the woman he wronged. He knew her as "Sophie," a... Views: 34
