Leningrad, Russia, 1968. Alexander Karpenko is no ordinary child, and from an early age, it is clear he is destined to lead his countrymen. But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, he and his mother will have to escape from Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they are confronted with an irreversible choice: should they board a container ship bound for America, or Great Britain? Alexander leaves that choice to the toss of a coin . . .In a single moment, a double twist decides Alexander's future. During an epic tale of fate and fortune, spanning two continents and thirty years, we follow his triumphs and defeats as he struggles as an immigrant to conquer his new world. As this unique story unfolds, Alexander comes to realize where his destiny lies, and accepts that he must face the past he left behind in Russia.With a final twist that will shock even his most ardent fans, this is #1 New York Times bestseller Jeffrey... Views: 24
A master storyteller explores a signature themeOver the course of his long and distinguished career, Frank O'Connor wrote many stories about priests. Some of his most iconic characters are men of the cloth, and few writers have portrayed the unique demands of the priesthood with as much empathy, honesty, and wit. This collection, edited and introduced by his widow, Harriet O'Donovan Sheehy, brings together the best of O'Connor's short fiction on the subject.From "An Act of Charity," the ironically titled tale of church efforts to cover up a curate's suicide, to "The Sentry," an exquisite blend of drama and satire sparked by the British army's invasion of a priest's onion patch, these sixteen stories capture the full range of pressures visited on the Irish clergy. "Peasants" is a lesson in what happens when a man of God places law and order above compassion, while "Achilles' Heel" reveals that even a bishop can be rendered powerless by his housekeeper. "The... Views: 24
When a nerve gas shipment goes missing, the nation’s fate hangs in the balanceJohn Graves is a State Department intelligence agent who made his name on the front lines of the Cold War. Since then, he’s been transferred to domestic work, and his love for the job has withered away. All that sustains him is the hunt for John Wright—a crazed millionaire who is about to unleash the greatest domestic threat Graves’s agency has ever faced.When seven mobsters rob a U.S. Army train in the middle of the Utah desert and make off with half a ton of the deadliest nerve gas known to man, Graves believes that Wright is involved. His plan: to detonate the weapon in San Diego during the Republican National Convention—an attack that would kill more than one million Americans, including the president. Stopping Wright will take more than police work. It is a chess match between agent and madman, and for Graves, checkmate is not an option. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Michael Crichton including rare images from the author’s estate. Review“A fantastic suspense story.”—Book Angles“In Binary, [Crichton] displays once again his remarkable talent for writing novels of ingeniously plotted, nonstop suspense.”—The Literary Guild Magazine“America’s premier writer of sophisticated, socio-medical suspense.”—The Washington Post Book World“After you’ve read the first page, you’ll want to read on to the last.”—The Wall Street JournalAbout the AuthorMichael Crichton (1942–2008) was one of the most successful novelists of his generation, admired for his meticulous scientific research and fast-paced narrative. He graduated summa cum laude and earned his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1969. His first novel, Odds On (1966), was written under the pseudonym John Lange and was followed by seven more Lange novels. He also wrote as Michael Douglas and Jeffery Hudson. His novel A Case of Need won the Edgar Award in 1969. Popular throughout the world, he has sold more than 200 million books. His novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and thirteen have been made into films. Views: 24
The Seven Kingdoms have come apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, ascends the Iron Throne following the death of Robert Baratheon, the Usurper, who won it in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, fight to hold it for him. Both the dour Stannis and the charismatic Renly Baratheon, Robert's brothers, also seek the throne. Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court. Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home. Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and beings out of legend stalk the Haunted Forest Views: 24
A delightful and salacious debut novel about the frightful world of high school, SATs, the college essay, and the Common Application--and how getting in is getting in the way of growing up.Tiger mothers, eat your hearts out. Anne the "application whisperer" is the golden ticket to success. Working one-on-one with burned-out, helicopter-parented kids, she can make Harvard a reality. Her phone number is a national secret. Her students end up at the best of the best.But sometimes acceptance comes at an enormous cost. In a world of cheating scandals, huge alumni donations, and lots of inside pull, some parents know no bounds when it comes to ensuring that their children get in. It's Anne's job to guide students to their own destinies, beginning with their essays. Early Decision follows five students--four privileged, one without a penny to her name--as they make their applications and wrestle with fate. To write the perfect personal statement, they... Views: 24
Fourth in the sensational series featuring Alissa, a young student of magic whose rebellious nature puts her life in danger. Views: 24
Shattered when Raina runs after his marriage proposal, Kas is hell-bent to find her and bring her home, where she belongs. He will bend every law necessary to do so, willing to do anything to protect Raina from her demons and the men who haunt her, going as far as placing his career and life on the line to save hers. Raina will give up everything she has worked so hard to achieve, even flee the country to keep Kas from the wrath and powerful reach of her abusive father.In the midst of the FBI team closing in on the Ghost, another ghost from Raina's past taunts her, promising that she will be his. Meanwhile, a different trafficking ring is gaining strength in New Jersey. Michael solicits Raina's help, needing her smooth, sultry voice to win the audition for the new singer in the ring leader's swanky night club. Raina knows her life is in jeopardy with the dangers of being undercover, but she is blindsided when she discovers that it's her heart that is threatened with a mortal blow. Raina tries to heal from the nightmares of her dark past as the grisly bodies of innocent victims surface when the team gets closer to discovering the identity of the man responsible for the infuriatingly clever and powerful slavery ring. When Raina finally comes face to face with the Ghost, he quickly engulfs her in a twisted game of cat and mouse, delivering a veiled threat as he slips through her fingers. As the ghosts of her past and present ensnare her in their deadly web, Raina realizes the danger has just begun. Views: 24
Holly Hayes is a realist, if nothing else. She's going to be Maid of Honor at her best friend, Emma's wedding in Summer Lake. Pete Hemming, self made millionaire, powerful CEO, all around good guy, is going to be the Best Man. If they're going to be able to get through their official duties, there's one thing they'll need to deal with first. Sex! He may be out of her league socially and financially, but one thing is clear. He wants her. She wants him. What's the harm in one night of passion? It's inevitable they're going to end up naked together. So it's best to get it out of the way early, right? So they can get on with organizing the wedding. Pete Hemming is a man with a plan. He's lived his life by the plan, built his business by it. The plan doesn't allow for a woman in his life, only in his bed. Trouble is, once he gets Holly into his bed, he can't get her out of his mind. But he can't let her into his life, can he? The Summer Lake series follows a group of friends from a small lakeside town in the California hills. They have kept in touch over the years and now, in their early thirties, their lives are drawing them back to Summer Lake and to each other. Views: 24
A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.Sparkling with charm and full of captivating period detail, Letters from Skye is a testament to the power of love to overcome great adversity, and marks Jessica Brockmole as a stunning new literary voice.Praise for *Letters from Skye*“A love story to the power of the written word.”—USA Today“Jessica Brockmole is a gifted storyteller who weaves beauty and emotion into her pages. Letters from Skye will tug at your heart and make you long for the salty air of the Isle of Skye.”—Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Camellia and Blackberry Winter “Letters from Skye is a captivating love story that celebrates the power of hope to triumph over time and circumstance.”—Vanessa Diffenbaugh, New York Times bestselling author of *The Language of Flowers*“[A] remarkable story of two women, their loves, their secrets, and two world wars . . . [in which] the beauty of Scotland, the tragedy of war, the longings of the heart, and the struggles of a family torn apart by disloyalty are brilliantly drawn, leaving just enough blanks to be filled by the reader’s imagination.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“A poignant tale of a stubborn love that bridges the lives and wars of two generations, Letters From Skye gives the reader a story to inhale as well as read, unfolding amid the gripping panorama of a changing world—an absorbing and rewarding saga of loss and discovery.”—Kate Alcott, New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmaker“By turns lyrical and flirtatious, Brockmole’s debut charms with its wistful evocation of a time when handwritten, eagerly awaited letters could bespell besotted lovers.”—*Kirkus ReviewsFrom the Hardcover edition.Amazon.com ReviewA Letter from the Author, Jessica BrockmoleDear Reader,As an American who spent years living abroad, I know too well the challenge in maintaining relationships from a distance. Before telephones and webcams made separations easier, people had no choice but to entrust bits of their heart to the postman with every letter they sent. A lost letter could cause sleepless nights, a returned letter, even more. But a reply penned immediately, in a hot rush of emotion, could make the soul soar. Letters from Skye is a story about lovers and families separated by war, with nothing but pen and paper to hold everything together. I first wrote this book six years ago, while I was living in Edinburgh, Scotland. After my youngest was born, we escaped the city and went to the Isle of Skye for one gorgeous week. We stayed in a cottage on the beach and chased legends across the island in the rain. Evenings, I sprawled before the little peat coal fire with maps of Skye, tracing the coast and trying my tongue at the Gaelic. On the drive back to Edinburgh, a story came together in my head. The story of a woman bound to the poetry of Skye, held within those rocky coasts, being given a glimpse of the greater world with the unexpected arrival of an envelope. The story of a man, desperate to prove himself fearless, finding his only fear on the other end of those letters. The story of a daughter, trying to catch the past as it comes tumbling out of the wall. I scribbled notes right there in the car and started furiously writing when we got back home. The result of that outpouring wasn’t just a novel; it was an extended letter to myself, written in those secret, lonely hours after the rest of the world went to bed. A letter reminding me to not lose touch with those I love, no matter where in the world we may be. Reminding me that it’s okay to have fears; I’m stronger for overcoming them. Reminding me to walk to the borders of who I am, and then to take a step beyond. I invite you to do the same.ReviewPraise for *Letters from Skye*“A love story to the power of the written word.”—USA Today“Jessica Brockmole is a gifted storyteller who weaves beauty and emotion into her pages. Letters from Skye will tug at your heart and make you long for the salty air of the Isle of Skye.”—Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Camellia and Blackberry Winter “Letters from Skye is a captivating love story that celebrates the power of hope to triumph over time and circumstance.”—Vanessa Diffenbaugh, New York Times bestselling author of *The Language of Flowers*“[A] remarkable story of two women, their loves, their secrets, and two world wars . . . [in which] the beauty of Scotland, the tragedy of war, the longings of the heart, and the struggles of a family torn apart by disloyalty are brilliantly drawn, leaving just enough blanks to be filled by the reader’s imagination.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“A poignant tale of a stubborn love that bridges the lives and wars of two generations, Letters From Skye gives the reader a story to inhale as well as read, unfolding amid the gripping panorama of a changing world—an absorbing and rewarding saga of loss and discovery.”—Kate Alcott, New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmaker“By turns lyrical and flirtatious, Brockmole’s debut charms with its wistful evocation of a time when handwritten, eagerly awaited letters could bespell besotted lovers.”—*Kirkus Reviews“Jessica Brockmole’s Letters from Skye is a fascinating, lyrical tale of love and loss. Gracefully weaving the tales of lovers and brothers and sisters spanning two wars, Brockmole expertly explores the toll of both honesty and deception upon hearts battered by war and society’s expectations.”—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of *The Aviator’s Wife * Views: 24
Dani, a data analyst with an elite security firm, possesses the unnerving ability to read people by the trash they leave behind. Receipts, parking tickets, the detritus of daily life—if you leave it behind, she will figure you out. Her latest case involves high-tech industrial espionage at a corporation with ties to the military. But when a team of assassins sweeps through the firm, stealing all files and killing her coworkers, Dani narrowly escapes. Whoever ordered the strike thinks Dani has vital information and they put a hit man named Booker on her trail. Armed with only her wits and a bag of random investigation materials, Dani must figure out who the enemy really is while playing a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with the cunning hit man who has an agenda of his own.Review“Intuitive analyst Dani Britton, retrieving materials from home after a job is scrubbed, returns to the exclusive private security firm Rasmund in the Washington, D.C., suburbs to find her colleagues dead, her workplace ransacked, and the hit team still in place. Using all of her resources, she teams with debonair audio analyst Sinclair “Choo-Choo” Charbaneaux, who got out of his office undetected, to escape from Rasmund and try to figure out what’s happened. Initially it’s a cat-and-mouse game between the fugitive pair and head assassin Booker, who comes to admire Dani so much that he dreads having to kill her. Then things go south for Booker and his client, who’s desperate to get the Widow File that Dani knows nothing about but presumably possesses, and the chase continues unabated as the body count mounts. Redling (Flowertown, 2012) may owe a nod to James Grady’s Six Days of the Condor for the initial action, but she soon diverges from Grady’s plot, with hair-raising scenes of Dani and Choo-Choo on the Rasmund roof just before a deadly explosion. Well-wrought characters add emotional depth to this adrenaline-fueled espionage thriller, which offers a revealing glimpse of the Washington, D.C., intelligence community.” —Booklist, starred review About the AuthorS.G. Redling parlayed her degree in English from Georgetown University into various careers, including waitress, monument tour guide, sheepskin packer, and radio host. She has leapt from a plane and a moving train, gotten lost in Istanbul and locked in the dining car of a midnight train through the Carpathians. She currently lives in Huntington, West Virginia, and is also the author of the thriller Flowertown. Views: 24
