From extraordinary highs - patronage by the Medicis, friendship with Galileo and, most importantly of all, beautiful and outstandingly original paintings - to rape by her father's colleague, torture by the Inquisition, life-long struggles for acceptance by the artistic Establishment, and betrayal by the men she loved, Artemisia was a bold and brilliant woman who lived as she wanted, and paid a high price. Views: 305
The outstanding new Sam and Remi Fargo adventure from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author.
An 800-year-old treasure... an ancient cypher wheel... a brutal murder... and a man who will stop at nothing to claim what he considers rightfully his. Husband-and-wife treasure-hunting team Sam and Remi Fargo have gone on impossible missions before and faced many perils, but never have they faced an adversary as determined as the one before them now. The battle will take them halfway around the world, and at its end will be either one of the most glorious finds in history — or certain death. Views: 305
Amid the dangers of the Civil War, Valerie Fontaine longs to know she is loved and saved. Her father, however, is cold and withdrawn. And their Christian houseguest, the photographer Benjamin McCabe, seems arrogant and judgmental. When Valerie commits her own life to Christ she finds herself drawn to Ben. But her father, against her wishes, is prepared to sell her into a loveless marriage with someone else. Will Valerie be forced to abandon her newfound love? Or will she and Ben, against the backdrop of this country's most ruthless war, become in their own way, unwilling warriors? Views: 305
Chapter XXII. A victim of treachery. Once more \'King Foo-foo the First\' was roving with the tramps and outlaws, a butt for their coarse jests and dull-witted railleries, and sometimes the victim of small spitefulness at the hands of Canty and Hugo when the Ruffler\'s back was turned. None but Canty and Hugo really disliked him. Some of the others liked him, and all admired his pluck and spirit. During two or three days, Hugo, in whose ward and charge the King was, did what he covertly could to make the boy uncomfortable; and at night, during the customary orgies, he amused the company by putting small indignities upon him—always as if by accident. Twice he stepped upon the King\'s toes—accidentally—and the King, as became his royalty, was contemptuously unconscious of it and indifferent to it; but the third time Hugo entertained himself in that way, the King felled him to the ground with a cudgel, to the prodigious delight of the tribe. Hugo, consumed with anger and shame, sprang up, seized a cudgel, and came at his small adversary in a fury. Instantly a ring was formed around the gladiators, and the betting and cheering began. But poor Hugo stood no chance whatever. His frantic and lubberly \'prentice-work found but a poor market for itself when pitted against an arm which had been trained by the first masters of Europe in single-stick, quarter-staff, and every art and trick of swordsmanship. The little King stood, alert but at graceful ease, and caught and turned aside the thick rain of blows with a facility and precision which set the motley on-lookers wild with admiration; and every now and then, when his practised eye detected an opening, and a lightning-swift rap upon Hugo\'s head followed as a result, the storm of cheers and laughter that swept the place was something wonderful to hear. At the end of fifteen minutes, Hugo, all battered, bruised, and the target for a pitiless bombardment of ridicule, slunk from the field; and the unscathed hero of the fight was seized and borne aloft upon the shoulders of the joyous rabble to the place of honour beside the Ruffler, where with vast ceremony he was crowned King of the Game-Cocks; his meaner title being at the same time solemnly cancelled and annulled, and a decree of banishment from the gang pronounced against any who should thenceforth utter it. All attempts to make the King serviceable to the troop had failed. He had stubbornly refused to act; moreover, he was always trying to escape. He had been thrust into an unwatched kitchen, the first day of his return; he not only came forth empty-handed, but tried to rouse the housemates. He was sent out with a tinker to help him at his work; he would not work; moreover, he threatened the tinker with his own soldering-iron; and finally both Hugo and the tinker found their hands full with the mere matter of keeping his from getting away. He delivered the thunders of his royalty upon the heads of all who hampered his liberties or tried to force him to service.... Views: 304
A brand new Courtney Series novel by bestselling author, Wilbur Smith. 1754. Inseparable since birth and growing up in India, Theo and Connie Courtney are torn apart by the tragic death of their parents. Theo, wracked with guilt, strikes a solitary path through life. Haunted by the spirits of lovers and family members, he is determined to atone for his mistakes. He seeks salvation in combat and conflict, joining the British in the war against the French and Indian army. Believing herself abandoned by her brother, and abused and brutalised by a series of corrupt guardians, Connie vows never to let any man own her. Instead, she uses her beauty to manipulate her way to France, where she is welcomed into high society. But Connie once again finds herself at the mercy of vicious men, whose appetite for war and glory lead her to the frontlines of the French battlefield in North America. As the siblings find their destinies converging once more,... Views: 304
An old man tells the story of young Julio who has reached the marrying age but cannot find a suitable maiden in his small town. As he reaches the deep well where the entire town gets their water, Julio spies an enchanting young woman. She does not, however, live in his town. Join Julio as he goes on a journey to find the woman that has captured his imagination—into the world of The Magaram.WHEN INTO THE UNKNOWN IS WHERE YOU WILL FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FORFOLLOW YOUR HEART, AND DISCOVER THE MAGARAMOne sleepy summer afternoon, in an equally sleepy remote town, an old man sits under a tree. With him are children who have made a habit of visiting him on late afternoons to listen to his stories... stories of magical things, of adventure, and of great love.Every afternoon, he tells them the story of a young man who has reached the marrying age but cannot seem to find a suitable maiden to marry in his small town. As he reaches the deep well where the entire town gets their water on summers, Julio spies a curious sight – a young woman. Beautiful, enchanting, and someone he has never met. In those few precious seconds, time stopped for him. Like all villagers of Julio’s town, she is there to fetch water. She does not, however, live in Julio’s town, nor did she look like any villager.When you have just seen the most mesmerizing of the people in your world walk away, what do you do? But strange things begin to happen to Julio the moment he followed her.We all love to listen to the stories our elderly tell us, yet few of us questions the tales. Are they just stories made up to pass the time? Or are the stories rooted on true events?In this first book in a series of five, join Julio as he goes on a journey to find the woman that has captured his imagination. Follow the epic tale as our character journeys Into the Unknown.If you wish to read more, download now!BONUS PREVIEW IF YOU BUY THIS BOOK!EXCERPTLike an automaton with only one focus, he approached. Though no more than a few steps apart, he felt like he had been walking for a long time.His eyes settled on her face. Everything blotted out around them, and all that was left was color of the leaves and the light of the sun through the canopy above.“You are kind,” she spoke again, but this time with a shy, lovely smile on her face. “Gratitude.”What he had known about the town of which he had never set foot outside in all his 21 years heavily contradicted the woman. There was the peculiar way she phrased her words. Her unique physical features were an absolute mystery.He wracked his brain to discern where she might be living. But he knew of no place where people look or talk like her. He was so lost in his ruminations that he did not even notice the weight of the bucket that he was slowly lowering unto her shoulders.She rocked a little as she balanced the weight of the bucket. He half expected her shoulders to give. He knew how heavy that bucket was. He could not last ten minutes without taking it off and placing it on the other side.But she surprised him.Although the middle part of the bucket’s bottom was extending outside her right shoulder, her left hand stretched out and held the rim from that side.Her right hand was underneath for support. Very little water spilled out. Then, without saying a word, she started walking towards the narrow path opposite where he had come from, and disappeared among the tall grass.Download and discover why readers are raving about Carl Johnson.Scroll up and get the book now! Views: 304
The war is over before it fully began and peace has settled across the northlands. Peace, however, breeds boredom for men trained to fight.A short trip to slake the thirst for adventure takes them to the deserted tropical isle of Britanly.Abandoned on the island, they soon learn that the fate of the people of Britanly is beyond their wildest imaginings. They must fight to avoid the same end.The war is over before it fully began and peace has settled across the northlands. The balance has shifted from destruction to growth. From hate to love. With a wedding in Alto's future, the time to relax and rejoice has come at last. Relaxation, however, breeds boredom for men trained to fight.A short trip to slake the thirst for adventure takes Alto, Patrina, and Namitus to the deserted tropical isle of Britanly. Ignoring the warnings of sailors, they hope to find out what happened to the once thriving population.Abandoned on the island, they soon learn that the fate of the people of Britanly is beyond their wildest imaginings. The companions must struggle to survive the hostile island and hope that help will arrive before they stuffer the same fate as those who came before them. Views: 304
Henry Miller called The Smile at the Foot of the Ladder his "most singular story." First published in 1959, this touching fable tells of Auguste, a famous clown who could make people laugh but who sought to impart to his audiences a lasting joy. Originally inspired by a series of circus and clown drawings by the cubist painter Femand Léger, Miller eventually used his own decorations to accompany the text in their stead. "Undoubtedly," he says in his explanatory epilogue, °'it is the strangest story I have yet written. . . . No, more even than all the stories which I based on fact and experience is this one the truth. My whole aim in writing has been to tell the truth, as I know it. Heretofore all my characters have been real, taken from life, my own life. Auguste is unique in that he came from the blue. But what is this blue which surrounds and envelopes us if not reality itself? . . . We have only to open our eyes and hearts, to become one with that which is." Views: 304
The Short Cut, A Western Murder Mystery By Jackson Gregory (First published 1916) The woman breathed deeply as her dog, Shep, found something in the deep grass and went snarling across the water -- almost under her horse\'s legs. Not ten steps from the edge of the water her mare\'s nostrils suddenly quivered and she trembled a moment. So primitive was her urge to flee from death, she could not get closer to the spot where a man lay dead in the sunshine. Views: 304
In Ishmael, Daniel Quinn offered new ways of seeing and understanding human history, and our collective future. His message was transformative for millions of people, and Ishmael continues to attract tens of thousands of new readers each year. Subsequent works, such as The Story of B and My Ishmael, expanded upon his insights and teachings, but only now does he finally tackle the one question he has been asked hundreds of times but has never taken on: "How do you do what you do?" In If They Give You Lined Paper, Write Sideways Quinn elucidates for readers the methods behind his own thought processes, challenging and ultimately empowering them to view the world for themselves in creative, perhaps even revolutionary ways. If They Give You Lines Paper, Write Sideways also includes Quinn's never-before-published essays "The New Renaissance" and "Our Religions." There is a scientific consensus that global warming is approaching a tipping point beyond no return faster than had previously been predicted. Quinn has long portrayed humans as "a species of beings, which, while supposedly rational, are destroying the very planet they live on." So what are we to do? There has never been a plan for the future - and there never will be. But something extraordinary will happen in the next two or three decades; the people of our culture will learn to live sustainably - or not. Either way, it will be extraordinary. The sooner we understand this reality, the greater the chances that human society will transform itself so that the human race might have a future.
From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 304
Anna Walsh is officially a wreck. Physically broken and emotionally shattered, she lies on her parents' Dublin sofa with only one thing on her mind: getting back to New York. New York means her best friends, The Most Fabulous Job In The World™ and above all, it means her husband, Aidan.
But nothing in Anna's life is that simple anymore... Not only is her return to Manhattan complicated by her physical and emotional scars – but Aidan seems to have vanished. Is it time for Anna to move on? Is it even possible for her to move on? A motley group of misfits, an earth-shattering revelation, two births and one very weird wedding might help Anna find some answers – and change her life forever. Views: 304
With "soaring, matchless prose," a Pulitzer Prize winner pens a New York Times–bestselling saga of a family of Irish-Cuban immigrants (Publishers Weekly). In The Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O'Brien, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Oscar Hijuelos brings to life the rambunctious Montez O'Brien family. In a small Pennsylvania town, Nelson O'Brien runs the Jewel Box Movie Theater, raising fourteen daughters and a son with his poet wife, Mariela Montez. Through the eyes of Margarita, the eldest daughter, the lives, loves and tragedies of the Montez O'Briens unfold. While reflecting on the life of Emilio, her doggedly masculine brother, Margarita also ruminates on the nature of femininity, family, sex, love, and earthly happiness. Her musings recall exhilarating adventures, eliciting tears and laughter, and tenderly reveal the bounteous heart of a warm, passionate family. At once lush, erotic, and... Views: 304
