When a woman's emaciated body is found in a hunter's woods Sergeant Corinne Aleckson is coaxed back into the field to assist Detective Smoke Dawes on the case. It seems the only hope for identifying the woman lies in a photo which was buried with bags of money under her body. Aleckson and Dawes plunge into the investigation that takes them into the world of human smugglers and traffickers, unexpectedly close to home. All the while, they are working to uncover the identity of someone who is leaving Corky anonymous messages and pulling pranks at her house. A Death in Lionel's Woods is a unpredictable roller coaster ride to the electrifying end. Views: 433
Viviana de Eskelling was the last in the family line of the Norman Schelins. Her family had held Okeford for 200 years. A single woman (a woman sole) was disadvantaged in law. So around 1287 Viviana married Bartholomew Turberville, taking Okeford into the Turberville estates. (Thomas Hardy tweaked 'Turberville' into 'D'Urberville'.) In Okeford, villagers prepare for their lady’s wedding.After two hundred years of isolation, the colonists of Capicua, a fertile super-earth orbiting Gliese 667C, are suddenly faced with an unknown and hostile military force.Oblivious to the impending invasion, Toni Miura joins Capicua's decrepit armed forces in a bid to escape domestic troubles, aiming for the privilege of driving the Hammerhead, a bipedal mobile suit which is the epitome of his planet's ailing warrior spirit.With the arrival of the earthborn invaders, Toni's unqualified platoon, brimming with misfits and plagued by internal differences, is suddenly thrown into the midst of battle. Abandoned by their seniors in the course of their mission, Toni and the remnants of his unit become lost in a world which, owing to the nature of its orbit, suffers periodically from planet-wide hurricane conditions.So begins a race against time, where a handful of cadets will be forced to outmaneuver a pursuing enemy in the boondocks of a turbulent planet, all the while seeking to deliver an odd but important Bavarian prisoner-of-war to their headquarters."Comparisons to Heinlein's Starship Troopers are justified. Fans of hard Military Science Fiction, salute your new commander!" - D. B. Rose"Much better than expected! I can barely wait for the next installment. Very interesting world building, good extrapolation of current technological warfare!" - RAZVAN ANDREI Views: 433
Is the chance to serve as an extra for Hitler's favorite filmmaker a chance at life -- or a detour on the path to inevitable extermination?
One ordinary afternoon, fifeen-year-old Lilo and her family are suddenly picked up by Hitler's police and imprisoned as part of the "Gypsy plague." Just when it seems certain that they will be headed to a labor camp, Lilo is chosen by filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl to work as a film extra. Life on the film set is a bizarre alternate reality. The surroundings are glamorous, but Lilo and the other extras are barely fed, closely guarded, and kept in a locked barn when not on the movie set. And the beautiful, charming Riefenstahl is always present, answering the slightest provocation with malice, flaunting the power to assign prisoners to life or death. Lilo takes matters into her own hands, effecting an escape and running for her life. In this chilling but ultimately uplifting novel, Kathryn Lasky imagines the lives of the Gypsies who worked as extras for the real Nazi filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, giving readers a story of survival unlike any other. Views: 433
It's Serendipity and Sebastian's 21st Birthdays and they are given special powers. Everytime they go to sleep from this night forward they become Legendary Manipulars which means they can go to whomever and wherever they want and manipulate people into doing their bidding. The only thing they have to remember is to once a month perform a sexual act to keep their life energy or become fully human. Views: 433
The second crime novel by internationally bestselling writer Eoin Colfer is a gritty and utterly compelling follow-up to the critically acclaimed Plugged In Screwed, Colfer adds and entirely new chapter to the adventures and misadventures of Daniel McEvoy, the down-on-his-luck Irish bouncer at a seedy New Jersey bar who, with the help of a motley crew of unlikely characters, solved a bizarre string of murders--including the one of the girl he loved. But people around him continue to die mysteriously, and Daniel is called into action once again. Colfer, beloved by millions for his Artemis Fowl series, has written a riveting and relentlessly paced sequel that is sure to garner international praise. With wildly inventive imagination and head-spinning plot twists, Screwed is a tour de force that rivals Carl Hiaasen at his very best. Ridley Pearson called Plugged "a brilliant, madcap mystery" and "genius at work." With Screwed, Colfer delivers that signature brilliance once again. Views: 433
One day, one story, at exactly 366 words each, that is the promise of 366 SQUARED, the short-short story/flash fiction collection that raises the question "In the age of multi-novel book series, is this guy for real?" Yes he is, and 366 SQUARED is the launch of a new era in literature for busy people. Volume 1 contains 31 stories, vignettes or mini-essays, each at precisely 366 words.One day, one story, at exactly 366 words each, that is the promise of 366 SQUARED, the short-short story / flash fiction collection that raises the question "In the age of multi-novel book series, is this guy for real?" Yes, he is, and 366 SQUARED is the launch of a new era in literature for busy people. If you are tired of reading for an entire day, only to end up with yet another cliffhanger and an invitation to buy another book. 366 SQUARED is the book series for you! Dip into it, read a few days' worth, then get on with your life until you are ready for more. For January, we examine some historical events, with special attention to the weird and wacky. Highlights include (1)The dangers of technology to the moral fibre of the nation, as represented by the introduction of the electric wristwatch, (2) Why planetoids should never be named after sexy TV characters, (3) The futility of trying to change history, and (4) Equal rights for super-villains! What else have we got? A conspiracy theory here, a toe-dip into Singularity fiction / cyberpunk there … Yes, I'd say January turned out to be a good month. Volume 1: January contains 31 stories, vignettes or mini-essays, each at precisely 366 words. Buy now, before they run out of electrons! Views: 433
There's nothing like a smoking six gun in your hand to make you grow up fast! They were the youngest-and some said the most dangerous-gang in the territory. They were just kids, but the savagery of the untamed West made men out of them before their time.'Nightcap at Ningi Creek' by Ken Blowers, is a delightful collection of eight light-hearted short stories. Perfect in content and length to read when relaxing with your evening nightcap, and guaranteed to leave a smile on your face!In this first release of an upcoming series, Ken takes the reader on a journey with stories set around South-East Queensland. The Caboolture, and Bribie Island area serves as the perfect backdrop for Ken's character's to come to life. This volume of short stories has something to offer everyone. Whether you can relate to the life of a Police Officer, Private Investigator, Senior Citizen, Milkman, Station-Master or Boatie, Ken's ability to draw the reader into every day lives of regular people is most unique.You too can be immediately transported to a time and era that possibly no longer exists, to either reminisce, or choose your own adventure - in any event, your reading needs are more than catered for, with this smorgasbord of saga's.Whatever your choice, you will not be disappointed as the unexpected unfolds with every word, slowly revealing the conclusion like a mini Agatha Christie mystery.Once you start reading these stories you'll be hungry for more. Look out for Ken's next exciting volume of short stories coming soon... Views: 433
Silence – and Revenge A beautiful slave girl. A missing royal daughter. A carefully wrought revenge. Iceland in the 10th century. There is nothing unusual in a wealthy farmer returning home with a slave girl, even if she is a mute. But she conceals a secret that will echo across the oceans. Based on an episode from the great Icelandic Sagas, The Tale of Melkorka will grip you with an unfolding mystery of loss, triumph, and the rough justice of revenge. Melkorka's world awaits you... Views: 433
In Kingsley Amis's Difficulties With Girls, Jenny Bunn and Patrick Standish have settled into London life with their troubled courtship long behind them. Patrick works in publishing and Jenny teaches sick children in a hospital. They have reached a certain level of maturity, or so they think. It is not long before they realize their respectability will be severely tested by seductive neighbours with a taste for whisky, the sexually confused Ted Valentine, and the literary set of Hampstead.In this funny and provocative study of a young couple growing up, Amis shows us that the difficulty with marriage is that it's so hard to preserve, especially when Patrick and Jenny harbour deep yearnings for a different kind of life.Kingsley Amis's (1922-95) works take a humorous yet highly critical look at British society, especially in the period following the end of World War II. Born in London, Amis explored his disillusionment in novels such... Views: 433
Martin is not married and has no children…or so he thought. However, Martins life changes forever – and continues to change in all manner of inexplicable ways. As the weeks go by, Martin comes to realise that he can no longer be sure of anything, anybody, or even his past life. Is he really losing his mind and going mad? Or are others now controlling his life and possibly manipulating his destiny?This is a story told through the eyes of Martin a recently retired banker. Within weeks of returning to his home village he meets up with Alistair – an old school friend. Unsure how he will make use of his free time, Martin agrees to take up the intriguing offer from Alistair and get involved in his secret project.Martin has never married, nor has he had any children. These are all facts and part of his life memories. At least, that’s what he thinks he remembers. However, since his involvement with Alistair’s project, Martins life changes forever – and continues to change in all manner of inexplicable ways. As the weeks go by, Martin comes to realise that he can no longer be sure of anything, anybody, or even his past life. Is he really losing his mind and going mad? Or are others now controlling his life and possibly manipulating his destiny? Views: 433
Simon Putney has never been in love and it suits him fine. He likes life and relationships to be simple and straightforward, no ties, no emotional complications. There's friendship and there's sex, what has love got to do with anything?A move to a new apartment brings him into contact with the eccentric, but sweet Dee-Dee Walters with whom he strikes up a friendship.Dee-Dee's unconventional upbringing has influenced his ideas about love and what constitutes the perfect relationship. What he wants is an old fashioned alpha male to rule his heart and his home.Simon thinks Dee-Dee is hankering after something that doesn't exist beyond the pages of fiction.When Dee-Dee gets tired of waiting for love and decides to launch a quest to find his perfect mate, Simon warns him he's likely to find only disappointment, and perhaps even danger. Views: 433
A shaky truce. A pregnant Medusa. And a dedicated doctor who keeps legends alive. Even during a truce, I have my hands full as a MASH surgeon to an army of warring gods—especially when Medusa herself turns up pregnant. I frankly have no idea what to expect when a Gorgon's expecting, but I have an even bigger problem when my presumed-dead former-fiancé sneaks into my tent with enough emotional baggage to fill a tank. He's been fighting for the other side, which technically makes him my enemy, and now he needs me and the power I've kept secret for so long: I can see the dead. It's a blessing and a curse. Literally. Because the gods will smite me in a second if they suspect. But the other side is developing a terrible new weapon, and the only person who can stop the carnage was just murdered in a covert lab behind enemy lines. So I have no choice but to pull on my combat boots and go AWOL with my ex and a moody berserker to confront a... Views: 433
Norman Mailer was one of the towering figures of twentieth-century American letters and an acknowledged master of the essay. Mind of an Outlaw, the first posthumous publication from this outsize literary icon, collects Mailer's most important and representative work in the form that many rank as his most electrifying. As America's foremost public intellectual, Norman Mailer was a ubiquitous presence in our national life--on the airwaves and in print--for more than sixty years. With his supple mind and pugnacious persona, he engaged society more than any other writer of his generation. The trademark Mailer swagger is much in evidence in these pages as he holds forth on culture, ideology, politics, sex, gender, and celebrity, among other topics. Here is Mailer on boxing, Mailer on Hemingway, Mailer on Marilyn Monroe, and, of course, Mailer on Mailer--the one subject that served as the beating heart of all of his nonfiction. From his early essay "A... Views: 433
This is a historic novel about Coenraad de Buys and his quest to find the African cities of gold.This is the incredible adventure of a giant that found himself at the frontiers of his world. Born in the Cape, South Africa, he gradually moved east to became an advisor to the King of the Xhosas, then ended up having an affair with the Kings mother. He soon crossed the Gariep river looking for new hunting grounds that led him to the edge of the Kalahari desert as Chief of the Springbok-Korannas. Bushmen stories from his childhood and his discovery of the lost cities of the Kalahari all pointed to trade with far-away countries. Myths, stories, ruins, Jews living in the Zoutpansberg and age-old tracks in the bush point to the elusive land of Ophir with its wealth in gold and diamonds.... Did Coenraad discover the mines used by King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba? Views: 432
They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human… Boston’s zombies have suddenly become inexplicably violent—horror movie-style—resulting in a catastrophic all-out battle against humans. More troubling to Vicky is that she’s had dreams and visions of herself fighting alongside the demons. At least, she hopes they’re just visions—otherwise, that puts her on the front lines of the wrong side of the war. Vicky’s not surprised to discover that Pryce, her demi-demon cousin and loathed adversary, is behind the outbreak of the zombie plague, having formed an unholy pact with the Old Ones. Now, as the violence escalates and alliances shift, Vicky knows she’s the only one who can stop the plague. Unless the pack of hellhounds on her trail finds her first. Views: 432
