An irreverent history of American campingFrom the Sierras to the Adirondacks and the Everglades, Dan White travels the nation to experience firsthand—and sometimes face first—how the American wilderness transformed from the devil's playground into a source of adventure, relaxation, and renewal.Whether he's camping nude in cougar country, being attacked by wildlife while "glamping," or crashing a girls-only adventure for urban teens, Dan White seeks to animate the evolution of outdoor recreation. In the process, he demonstrates how the likes of Emerson, Thoreau, Roosevelt, and Muir—along with visionaries such as Adirondack Murray, Horace Kephart, and Juliette Gordon Low—helped blaze a trail from Transcendentalism to Leave No Trace.Wide-ranging in research, enthusiasm, and geography, Under the Stars reveals a vast population of nature seekers, a country still in love with its wild places. Views: 600
After Jade Kryst is caught trying to smuggle supplies to a rebel-held planet, she cuts a deal with Mason Hadley, the handsome space marshal who intercepted her ship. He needs a mechanic, and if she will keep his ship up and running while he hunts down the fugitives he’s after, then when his mission is complete he’ll let her off with a warning.Despite his best efforts to remain professional, Mason quickly finds himself growing enamoured with the beautiful, feisty Jade. But can a smuggler and a space marshal really work together to bring to justice some of the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy? Views: 600
An innocent man has been imprisoned. Hoping to see his son one last time, he composes a letter explaining the devastating event for which he's been blamed. LETTER FROM A DESPERATE FATHER is a chilling tale of grief and betrayal with supernatural elements."I know how my recent actions must seem. My story is not a simple one, though it pains me to dwell on how things turned out. All I ask is to see my son, and I hope you’ll be willing to help me after reading this letter."An innocent man has been imprisoned. Hoping to see his son one last time, he composes a letter explaining the devastating event for which he's been blamed. LETTER FROM A DESPERATE FATHER is a chilling tale of grief and betrayal with supernatural elements. Views: 600
Elusive Bride is a love story about a gutsy young woman, Ava Andrews, who runs out on her groom at the church and lands up miles from her home faced with some life changing decisions. The story will leave you cheering for Ava to make the right choice when she begins her new life with her new found friends.Elusive Bride is a love story about a gutsy young woman, Ava Andrews, who decides on her wedding day she can't go through with the marriage. When she leaves a church filled with family and friends and tells the limo driver to "just go" she has no idea she will land up in a near-by town at a neighborhood bar, befriended by Weston Morris, a local veterinarian and all-around good ole boy. Will Weston convince Ava to go back and work things out with her fiancé or persuade her to hang around his hometown and start a new life? A life that includes him and his young son, Toby. Elusive Bride will hopefully convince you that sometimes even when you think you have it all figured out there is still time to change your mind. Views: 600
Humanity is imprisoned within a solar system running out of resources. Divine intervention is needed. Instead, Captain Vladnitz and his crew limp onto the scene in their battered spaceship, Arkhangel. In search of enough asteroid metals to make the next loan payment, they instead make a discovery that changes everything, if the ship and its crew can stay in one piece.Over five hundred years since the start of the Space Age and humanity has still not yet broken out of the prison of the solar system. Generation ships have been sent to nearby star systems, but the sublight speeds involved means that nobody has returned yet. Warp drives and worm holes have been around for centuries, although only in science fiction. Running short on resources in the solar system–even Saturn's rings have been strip-mined–humanity needs some divine intervention. Instead, they get Boris S. Vladnitz, a down on his luck captain of a battered spaceship. Follow along with Captain Vladnitz and his crew of wildcatters on board the Arkhangel as they eke out a living among the snowballs and rocks of the Kuiper Belt and finally get the chance of humanity's lifetime, if they survive the trip–and each other.Saint Vladnitz is the first story in the Borgia Trajectory, a series set in the same universe as the Eichi Testaments, back when the Galactic Empire wasn't even a glimmer in the eyes of the corporations that ruled Earth. Views: 600
From the very second they met, Maria knew this girl was something special. It doesn't take more than a few Tuesdays for her to fully realize just how big an impact she's going to leave on her life.Yes, it's Volume 2 of TIW shorts! Yet another collection of totally pointless exactly 500 and exactly 200 word nonsense to entertain you while doing whatever you do when reading. Here are my own personal takes on the second 6 months of the Iron Writer Challenge, including Challenges, Weekend Quickies, Grudge Matches and Solstice Opens - plus an excerpt of 'How to' killing Brian (Cannibalising Brian) and a slice from the first ever Relays. I hope you enjoy these short snippets just as much as you enjoyed Volume 1.Thanks again to Brian and all the other Iron Writers for making The Iron Writers phenomenon the success that it already is. Views: 599
Ryan is really fat and he likes to play video games with his friend, sleeping all the time and eat...a lot! One day, there's a new girl came to Ryan's school. The girl is really beautiful and after that, Ryan is in love with her but he hate his body because it's too fat. He then try to exercise eat less and much more to dating with the new girl. By O.T.H. Syaz.*WARNING*This book is not completely finished. There's only 2 chapters and more will be added. I will update it more frequently.Actually, nothing really to talk here... because the final story is not done yet. Even this title is not final. It's like BETA version of it. One thing to keep in mind is, even after this book has it final version, it's still free so... yeah. Views: 599
In a new series that blurs the line between historical fiction and dark fantasy, Mitch Pembroke follows the love of his life out of prohibition-era America to a remote Caribbean island. While his only thought is to learn why she ran away, he should be worrying about how he’s going to survive the deadly secrets of Lazarus Key.When the girl of Mitch Pembroke’s dreams responds to his invitation to meet his parents by fleeing home to a remote Caribbean island, the former Great War pilot does what he thinks any red-blooded American male would do—he drops everything and goes after her. But Mitch isn’t the first man to follow Lorali home and like his predecessors, he may not survive the visit. Lazarus Key is the first novella in a series that blurs the line between historical fiction and dark fantasy. Views: 599
Semper FiNewly widowed Grace James knows she's at a crossroads. Raised by her aunt, she spent her life playing the role of the perpetual 'good girl'—never rocking the boat, always fitting in. And where did that get her? She had an unhappy marriage, and now she's singlehandedly raising two strong-willed teenaged daughters who have trouble written all over them. Just once, Grace wished she had a different life. What would it feel like to be irresponsible, free... wild?Then she meets two men who change everything.Sergeant Josh Caven is a Marine, through and through. He's also a single dad who's going on deployment again—soon! He has to come up with a family care plan for his little girl, and he's desperate. He tells himself that's the only reason he shows up on Grace's doorstep. Because maybe she could help—if she's the mother who gave him up for adoption all those years ago...Sergeant Joseph Kinlaw is also a Marine, though he's retired now. But once a Marine, always a Marine. He put in his time overseas, and now he's there for those that come home broken, mentally or physically. He's a loner, his wounded warriors his only family. Until he meets Grace... and realizes she needs him as much as he needs her. Views: 599
This is Jinks Montreal's story through Brandis the Record Keeper on prodding of Zerra a Meritanian insisting on him to remember.Unedited unabridged original “I am Lance Richard, Deity Lord’s” file story with Editing as Brandis the Record Keeper and somewhat unedited story file included.Copyright Smashwords 2016Prologue:This is Jinks Montreal’s Story through Brandis the Record Keeper.Acknowledgement:“I, Brandis the Record Keeper keep on getting Zerra the Meritanian blaring the wording of ‘Jinks Montreal’ onto me and another word ‘Remember him!’She keeps on saying that into some insisting tone annoying me. I’m not entirely sure of what’s so special about this wording I keep on getting. I don’t get it the name Jinks rhymes with inks despite hearing a faint roaring noise of anger whenever thinking of the ink wording. Ugh. I might as well do what’s she’s blaring onto me and think of the name Jinks Montreal and hope I have an enough writing paper to write down his story.” Views: 599
This is a serialized Science Fiction story of a human/alien hybrid who searches for his heritage among a myriad of alien cultures. The author happens to have Asperger's and D.I.D. (multiple personalities), and the motivation for writing, beyond entertainment, is to encourage anyone with barriers in their life that they can find a way to their dreams.Mae and Ben are polar opposites. They live and work on a cotton plantation in the deep South of Georgia. Mae is thought to be nameless, and commands high respect, while Ben is clumsy and a coward. But when Mr. Martin shows up, Mae and Ben are thrown into a whirlwind of decisions. The risk of death and recapture, hang over their heads. Will they run to freedom, or will they stay, where their stories are. Views: 599
