Originally published in “Crimes of the Heart” edited by Carolyn G. Hart and Martin Harry Greenberg (1993) and republished in “Shoveling Smoke: Selected Mystery Stories by Margaret Maron”, Crippen & Landru (1997). “The whole subject of bridesmaid’s dresses amuses me immensely. No one dress could be equally flattering to any bride’s six best friends, so someone’s nose is always out of joint. And as for their usefulness as a party/cocktail dress? In my lifetime, I have only seen two that might actually be worn after the wedding.” (Cover design: Andrea Maron)(Cover graphic: © 2012 Joe Maron) Views: 266
A collection of light hearted short stories which could be set any where in the world. We can find humour and interest in any situation and possibly reflect on the absolute joy of living.A collection of light hearted short stories which could be set any where in the world. We can find humour and interest in any situation and possibly reflect on the absolute joy of living.These little anecdotes have been the result of some of the wonderful quirks of our human nature.Take a moment to read and look around you and find other classic moments of our fantastic world. Views: 266
Stacy Donovan just got dumped and to make matters worse, her best friend, Keith, needs her help to woo a new girlfriend."A practice date," he says, so he can learn how to treat a lady on their first date. With reluctance, she agrees; he is her best friend after all.THIS IS A [[CLEAN]] YA ROMANCE SHORT STORY ABOUT TEENAGERS!! THIS IS NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO 50 SHADES OF GREY!Discover #1 bestselling novel, Evan Burl and the FallingA monster lives in all of us.My father abandoned me when I was an infant.My friends have turned against me.My uncle hates me.The most powerful sapients in the world want me dead.They all have one thing in common.They think I'm turning into a monster.I'm starting to worry they're right.Over a thousand years, one man unlocks sapience—the ability to transform the imagined into reality. But not everyone believes sapience is a gift because this power blurs the lines between dreaming and waking, making it impossible to divide real life from nightmare and friend from enemy.The most powerful of these sapients rule the world, sharing little in common save their venom for each other and lurid horror for Evan Burl—a sixteen-year-old imprisoned with twelve immortal orphans in a haunted castle surrounded by the bones of a forgotten city. Evan finds a letter that orders his execution—signed by his own father—that reveals Evan's latent supernatural talents. As Evan makes use of his new abilities, he loses his grasp on the physical world and fears he might be responsible for the string of gruesome deaths that have begun to plague the orphans. With each passing day, Evan's waking world is fading into a mist of dreams, replaced by starless nightmares that just might be real. The fates of those who remain alive rest on whether Evan can regain his ability to tell dream from reality and save his friends from the sapients who would rather the world forget that these twelve orphans ever lived. PRAISE FOR EVAN BURL AND THE FALLING“Justin Blaney’s descriptive, yet punchy writing style is just one way Evan Burl and the Falling separates itself from the vast majority of young adult and fantasy writing being published today. With its intelligent and gripping storyline, relatable heroes, and highly-imagined villains this book captured my attention from the start. I can’t wait to read what happens next.”—Freya Hind"The best fantasy book I've ever read" —Mitsy Princell“Brilliant. I am recommending this book to all my friends”—Julia (from Amazon.com) “Evan Burl is one of the most imaginative and creative (novels) I’ve read in a long time. Fans of fast-paced, action-packed fantasy will find a lot to love...”—Alyce Reese“Well-crafted. Mysterious. Intriguing.”—H.J. van der Klis “I usually don’t enjoy books of this genre... I’m really glad I took a chance. The characters were rich as was the story line. I couldn’t put it down!!!” —Julie Weber“Reading Evan Burl reminded me of how I felt when I read great books like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games for the first time.”—Katie Zinda Views: 266
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition. Views: 266
James Patterson's winning follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life--which the LA Times called "a perfectly pitched novel"--is another riotous and heartwarming story about living large.
After sixth grade, the very worst year of his life, Rafe Khatchadorian thinks he has it made in seventh grade. He's been accepted to art school in the big city and imagines a math-and-history-free fun zone.Wrong! It's more competitive than Rafe ever expected, and to score big in class, he needs to find a way to turn his boring life into the inspiration for a work of art. His method? Operation: Get a Life! Anything he's never done before, he's going to do it, from learning to play poker to going to a modern art museum. But when his newest mission uncovers secrets about the family Rafe's never known, he has to decide if he's ready to have his world turned upside down. (Includes over 100 illustrations.) Views: 266
Predicting the fallout from a new power source, a lone scientist now lives in solitary companionship with his final creation, watching the world pass by through glass and sorrow. Living day to day in their shelter against the outside horrors, they await the end of the world.From #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author comes a heart-pounding adventure of love, loyalty, and survival.A gifted 7-year-old boy and his teen siblings are ripped from their peaceful lives—kidnapped by a sinister organization determined to get back at their father. But when their plane crashes an ocean away in the bear-infested jungles of South China, the mysterious motive behind their abduction is the least of their problems, and they must lever every ounce of their courage and wits to survive the wilds and escape the ruthless drug lord who is hot on their heels. Can a gifted child learn to kill in order to save his loved ones?An “international thriller with soul.” Ideal reading for fans of Michael Crichton, Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Brad Thor, Dan Brown, Matthew Reilly, Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, and Vince Flynn.Important Note: This 130-page novella features the characters and continuing story from the #1 Bestselling “Brainrush” Thriller series. It is a complete story unto itself, compiled from books four and five of the series, “Brainchild” and “Smoke & Mirrors.” If you’ve read those full-length novels, then you’ve already read most of the contents of this novella. Views: 266
A new edition of Clarice Lispector's final masterpiece, now with a vivid introduction by Colm Tóibín.Narrated by the cosmopolitan Rodrigo S.M., this brief, strange, and haunting tale is the story of Macabéa, one of life's unfortunates. Living in the slums of Rio and eking out a poor living as a typist, Macabéa loves movies, Coca-Colas, and her rat of a boyfriend; she would like to be like Marilyn Monroe, but she is ugly, underfed, sickly and unloved. Rodrigo recoils from her wretchedness, and yet he cannot avoid the realization that for all her outward misery, Macabéa is inwardly free/She doesn't seem to know how unhappy she should be. Lispector employs her pathetic heroine against her urbane, empty narrator—edge of despair to edge of despair—and, working them like a pair of scissors, she cuts away the reader's preconceived notions about poverty, identity, love and the art of fiction. In her last book she takes readers close to the true... Views: 266
In his third and most powerful work of fiction, the acclaimed author of The Coming of Rain and Bound for the Promised Land—biographer also of Thomas More—immerses us in the rich life of an American town, in the subtle and complex experience of becoming an American, in the good and evil of a time gone by.The place is Bourbonville, Tennessee. The time: the end of the First World War. The protagonist: Paul Alexander—Greek by birth, Belgian by adoption, wounded in the war, nearly to death, and now washed up history, by accident, by odd fate, on the edges of Bourbonville, and soon to become part of its center.This is a town where people have known one another for generations, a town full of talkers, compulsive storytellers—thrilled to have a new listener to whom they can pour out local scandals, triumphs, secrets, especially the ongoing saga of the great schism between Moreland Pinkerton, champion of Progress who has drained a swamp to a... Views: 266
Your younger brother, thought murdered with the rest of your family four years, might be alive. How far would you go?This is the conflict faced by Gabriel Ki Kalendeen, a knight in service to the church. He and his sister Eleenia, a brilliant healer, set off on a quest to find out the truth about their brother David, and to find the identity of those who spilled the blood of the righteous.Have you ever gone out to dinner with friends, expecting to enjoy a lovely meal, with poignant conversation...and instead have met with back-biting, in-fighting, and casual betrayals--all of it unspoken, sent to you by text?Or, rather, sub-text?The following conversation is a testament to just such a situation, where the table-talk above is merely a facade, and while what's really going on is candidly spelled out--in cool and cruel detail.Sub-texting is approximately 400 words. Views: 266
In this brilliant, breathtaking book by Pulitzer Prize winner Katherine Boo, a bewildering age of global change and inequality is made human through the dramatic story of families striving toward a better life in Annawadi, a makeshift settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport. As India starts to prosper, the residents of Annawadi are electric with hope. Abdul, an enterprising teenager, sees “a fortune beyond counting” in the recyclable garbage that richer people throw away. Meanwhile Asha, a woman of formidable ambition, has identified a shadier route to the middle class. With a little luck, her beautiful daughter, Annawadi’s “most-everything girl,” might become its first female college graduate. And even the poorest children, like the young thief Kalu, feel themselves inching closer to their dreams. But then Abdul is falsely accused in a shocking tragedy; terror and global recession rock the city; and suppressed tensions over religion, caste, sex, power, and economic envy turn brutal. With intelligence, humor, and deep insight into what connects people to one another in an era of tumultuous change, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, based on years of uncompromising reporting, carries the reader headlong into one of the twenty-first century’s hidden worlds—and into the hearts of families impossible to forget.
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Weekly summary of soap opera's hottest news, stories, humour, gossip, blind items, top stars/stories/couples/characters to watch, snark galore, review, and analysis.INSIDE — Exclusive: 2012 EMMY AWARD PRE-NOM BALLOT! Who submitted herself twice? Plus: Shocking Lead and Supporting Actress Submissions! ONLY IN UNCENSORED! Valentine’s Day Special! Y&R’s Colin and Jill Reunited: Exclusive Interviews With Jess Walton and Tristan Rogers! Plus: Is Jess Leaving Y&R? Also: Rogers on His GH Comeback, Kimberly McCullough’s Exit, Ethan’s Paternity, Prospect Park, A Possible Y&R Return, and Cartini’s GH! Source: Did ABC kill a Multi-Million Dollar Syndication Deal For ONE LIFE? GH’s Carolyn Hennesy: “I’m back on COUGAR TOWN!” B&B: Ratings Champ! Crystal Chappell’s Exclusive VENICE Preview! B&B’s Jack Wagner Out! Is He GH-Bound? DAYS Shocker: John and Hope Married! GH’s Jason Dying? Part Two: Kim Zimmer Sounds Off On Life Post-GL and ONE LIFE! Plus: Last Week's Reviews, Unbelievable Blind Items, and Next Week's Cheat Sheet! Views: 266
A collection of poems, short stories, and essaysFrom the moment Maya catches a glimpse of Joel’s denim-clad behind, she’s absolutely smitten. Her new job as Joel’s personal assistant has just become complicated now that she’s vowed to stay away from men for good.Joel is gorgeous, amusing, able to tease Maya to distraction, and isn’t looking to date. But she can’t help but wonder what it would be like to end up in the arms of her billionaire boss… Views: 266
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy. Views: 266
A BANDIT CREEK MIRACLE by Brenda Sinclair
City girl Amanda Bailey arrives in Bandit Creek to replace
the bank manager who is on maternity leave. After surviving her first day at
work, Amanda spends a toe-curling night in the arms of a Hollywood-handsome
local cowboy.
Several doctors had predicted Amanda would never conceive a
baby, a devastating side effect of her successful cancer chemo treatments. But she
is both shocked and elated to discover a few weeks later that she is pregnant!
Joyful thoughts of motherhood swirl in her head, but the
baby’s grandfather threatens Amanda with his unwelcome demands. Protecting her
professional reputation by keeping her condition a secret in this small town is
the least of her worries when she discovers something is seriously wrong at the
bank.
The local gossipmongers hit an all-time low when rumors abound that Amanda
herself is the thief and is covering her tracks by accusing one of the locals.
Amanda must fight to save her career and her reputation, but
will this temporary work assignment prove to be her ruin?
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A power-hungry demon. An experiment gone wrong. Sometimes surviving is all that matters.A power-hungry demon. An experiment gone wrong. Sometimes surviving is all that matters.The demon Azazel will stop at nothing to collect more souls, but his greed results in an abomination more powerful than he imagined: The Unnamed. Now he must survive their wrath or be permanently eliminated.Haedyn has always known she was different, and not just because she’s blind and an orphan. Her pale skin and deep red eyes make her an outcast. But when the orphanage is attacked, she discovers the truth – she’s the last Unnamed, an abomination marked for death. Now, she must find a way to survive in a world where she doesn’t belong.The Unnamed is a short story prequel to The Haedyn Chronicles. If you like your urban fantasy on the dark side and filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense, then you’ll love The Unnamed.Download The Unnamed and start reading The Haedyn Chronicles today! Views: 266
