An American Robinson Crusoe

The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (of York, Mariner Who lived Eight and Twenty Years all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, where in all the Men perished but Himself. With An Account how he was at last as strangely deliver\'d by Pyrates) is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1719 and sometimes regarded as the first novel in English. The book is a fictional autobiography of the title character, an English castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Venezuela, encountering Native Americans, captives, and mutineers before being rescued. This device, presenting an account of supposedly factual events, is known as a "false document" and gives a realistic frame story. Daniel Defoe was an English writer, journalist and spy, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest practitioners of the novel and helped popularize the genre in Britain. In some texts he is even referred to as one of the founders, if not the founder, of the English novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote over five hundred books, pamphlets, and journals on various topics (including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural). He was also a pioneer of economic journalism. Source: Wikipedia
Views: 348

Twelve Times Zero

Howard Browne was a science fiction editor and mystery writer. He also wrote for several television series and films.
Views: 348

Shreiber and Tome: Unlucky Vamps

Welcome to Chapter City. Where the undead live alongside humans like everyday people, and where private investigator Lil Shreiber and her partner Michael Tome (ex-warlock) have been enlisted by a vampire prince to help track down a serial killer viciously murdering other vampires. Up against a powerful supernatural creature, and alongside an angry FBI agent who hates them, things soon get bloody.Welcome to Chapter City. Where the undead successfully campaigned for equal rights. Where everyday human beings live alongside zombies, vampires and half demons, and no one really cares so long as no one makes a mess, and no one bites anybody else without permission.When a serial killer nicknamed the Vampire Slayer begins viciously butchering unlucky members of the blood drinking community, a member of vampire royalty enlists the help of private investigator Lil Shreiber and her partner Michael Tome (ex-warlock) to help track down the culprit. Lil and Tome aren’t exactly strangers to the supernatural, and the money is too good to pass. But when the identity of the killer is revealed, the case takes a more personal turn for Lil.Up against a powerful supernatural creature, with the help of an irate vampire “businessman” (Don’t call him a crime lord. Just don’t) and an angry FBI agent who really doesn’t like them, things soon get bloody. If the pair are lucky, they might survive the case intact. If they’re really lucky, they may even get paid too.
Views: 344

Elf

What happens when a failed writer meets an other-world entity who has helped some the greatest writers in history? Meet ELF – that’s capital E capital L capital F – a literary genius named Lu-enodre-rapsonta from the planet Glogenbot; an Electromagnetic Life Force who lives in a tree. Lu-e and Rick join forces to write the greatWhat happens when a failed writer meets an other-world entity who has helped some the greatest writers in history? Shakespeare, Hemingway, Melville all had writers block until they meet ELF – that’s capital E capital L capital F – a literary genius named Lu-enodre-rapsonta from the planet Glogenbot; an Electromagnetic Life Force who lives in a tree. Lu-e and Rick join forces to write the great American Novel, but not until Rick gets some very convincing evidence that Lu-e is alive and living in his computer. It’s a partnership made in – well, you decide.
Views: 341

The Last Enemy - Part 1 - 1934-2010

Thirty-four years have gone by since an ingenious biochemist, named Louis Picard, invented the ultimate anti-aging drug in 1981, that is known as Telomerax. An apocalyptic novel based on political and scientific facts, “The Last Enemy” blends reality and fiction with a reflection on human nature and her possible future.“The last enemy to be destroyed shall be death”, wrote St. Paul in his letters. But what if someone has already managed to defeat it? Thirty-four years have gone by since an ingenious biochemist, named Louis Picard, invented the ultimate anti-aging drug in 1981, that is known as Telomerax. Louis was obliged to form a selected group of technology entrepreneurs, finance mavens, and secret service professionals to help strategically spread knowledge of the drug. The discovery of Telomerax carried obvious dangers with it, eventually leading to the collapse of society and the near-extinction of mankind, in the ruthless war that broke out. Survivors set out to design a new society, specially designed for the half-gods that individuals were becoming. An action-packed and thrilling apocalyptic novel, “The Last Enemy”, brings to light many issues that we face today, from the clash between the power of the state and the right of citizens, to respecting our limits and controlling the human drive to push ourselves beyond those very limits.
Views: 341

The Gordian Knot

A classic noir thriller about love and deception from the bestselling author of The Reader. Georg Polger ekes out a lonely living as a freelance translator in the south of France, until he is approached by a certain Mr. Bulnakov, who has a intriguing proposition: Georg is to take over a local translation agency and finish a project left by the previous owner, who died in a mysterious accident. The money is right and then there is the matter of Bulnakov’s secretary, Francoise, with whom Georg has fallen hopelessly in love. Late one night, however, Georg discovers Francoise secretly photographing a sensitive military project. He is shocked and heartbroken. Then, her eventual disappearance leaves him not only bereft, but suspicious of the motivations behind Mr. Bulnakov’s offer. To make matters worse, Georg’s every move is being watched. Determined to find out who Francoise really is, and to foil who ever is tracking him, Georg sets out on an mission that will take him to New York City, where with each step he is dragged deeper and deeper into a deadly whirlpool in which friend and foe are indistinguishable. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Views: 340

The Last Enemy - Part 3 - 2024-2054

Part 3 of the Last Enemy, where the world order unravels following the ill-managed prohibition of Telomerax in the public domain, that sparks revolts and conflict on a worldwide scale. The team of Louis Picard endures bitter losses, fighting to avoid the collapse of mankind triggered by the environmental disasters of war.“The last enemy to be destroyed shall be death”, wrote St. Paul in his letters. But what if someone has already managed to defeat it? Thirty-four years have gone by since an ingenious biochemist, named Louis Picard, invented the ultimate anti-aging drug in 1981, that is known as Telomerax. Louis was obliged to form a selected group of technology entrepreneurs, finance mavens, and secret service professionals to help strategically spread knowledge of the drug. The discovery of Telomerax carried obvious dangers with it, eventually leading to the collapse of society and the near-extinction of mankind, in the ruthless war that broke out. Survivors set out to design a new society, specially designed for the half-gods that individuals were becoming. An action-packed and thrilling apocalyptic novel, “The Last Enemy”, brings to light many issues that we face today, from the clash between the power of the state and the right of citizens, to respecting our limits and controlling the human drive to push ourselves beyond those very limits.
Views: 340

Price of a Bounty

An Orwellian Dystopian Society - Keira Maddock lives in a dark future in which the Elite have everything, and everyone else suffers. She is a survivor. Out of necessity, she has become a skilled seductress, thief and bounty hunter – a Freelancer. When a typical job goes awry, it changes everything. Alliances are formed, long kept secrets are revealed and lives are forever changed.Keira Maddock has never considered herself a lady. In fact, she often acts in ways that would be considered downright un-ladylike. A hired killer and thief whose only goal is to provide the necessities of life for herself and her sister, she has learned to be brutally effective in her trade, with skills as sharp as the weapons she prefers. And when the head of a huge, shadowy corporation hires her to remove a powerful and wealthy opponent, Keira is happy to oblige. Until she meets him...Scott Maddock is a hardened Terenian soldier-for-life. His job, to uphold the motto of the realm: "Reliance on Citizens Makes Us Great!" Soldiers work for the Gov, and the Gov is run by heads of corporations. But where do Scott's loyalties really lie? Only he and his best friend know for sure.April Maddock is trying to make it on her own and has taken a job with a wealthy family. She has chosen not to fight the system like Keira, nor to fight for the Gov like Scott. Unlike her siblings, she recognizes the good in everyone. Even so, outside appearances can be deceiving. April knows that better than most.Infested with greed and divided by power, the realm of Terene bears remarkable resemblance to our own society. But opposite despair, there is always hope. Whereas Keira Maddock brings destruction, Guy Bensen brings promise. Wealthy and powerful, yet thoughtful and caring, he is an anomaly who throws her completely off guard. When she learns of his connections to Scott and April, Keira knows she has made the right decision in not only sparing his life but in joining his cause.In book one of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy, S.L. Wallace introduces a world divided in which not everyone is who he seems to be. In a seamless blend of action, sci-fi, romance and political suspense, we are encouraged to consider the bonds that makes us human.
Views: 339

The Story of Siegfried

WHEN the world was in its childhood, men looked upon the works of Nature with a strange kind of awe. They fancied that every thing upon the earth, in the air, or in the water, had a life like their own, and that every sight which they saw, and every sound which they heard, was caused by some intelligent being. All men were poets, so far as their ideas and their modes of expression were concerned, although it is not likely that any of them wrote poetry. This was true in regard to the Saxon in his chilly northern home, as well as to the Greek in the sunny southland. In the north a different story was told, but the meaning was the same. Sometimes men told how Odin (the All-Father) had become angry with Brunhild (the maid of spring), and had wounded her with the thorn of sleep, and how all the castle in which she slept was wrapped in deathlike slumber until Sigurd or Siegfried (the sunbeam) rode through flaming fire, and awakened her with a kiss. Sometimes men told how Loki (heat) had betrayed Balder (the sunlight), and had induced blind old Hoder (the winter months) to slay him, and how all things, living and inanimate, joined in weeping for the bright god, until Hela (death) should permit him to revisit the earth for a time. So, too, when the sun arose, and drove away the darkness and the hidden terrors of the night, our ancestors thought of the story of a noble young hero slaying a hideous dragon, or taking possession of the golden treasures of Mist Land. And when the springtime came, and the earth renewed its youth, and the fields and woods were decked in beauty, and there was music everywhere, they loved to tell of Idun (the spring) and her youth-giving apples, and of her wise husband Bragi (Nature's musician). When storm clouds loomed up from the horizon and darkened the sky, and thunder rolled overhead, and lightning flashed on every hand, they talked about the mighty Thor riding over the clouds in his goat-drawn chariot, and battling with the giants of the air. When the mountain meadows were green with long grass, and the corn was yellow for the sickles of the reapers, they spoke of Sif, the golden-haired wife of Thor, the queen of the pastures and the fields. When the seasons were mild, and the harvests were plentiful, and peace and gladness prevailed, they blessed Frey, the giver of good gifts to men. To them the blue sky-dome which everywhere hung over them like an arched roof was but the protecting mantle which the All-Father had suspended above the earth. The rainbow was the shimmering bridge which stretches from earth to he-aven. The sun and the moon were the children of a giant, whom two wolves chased forever around the earth. The stars were sparks from the fire land of the south, set in the heavens by the gods. Night was a giantess, dark and swarthy, who rode in a car drawn by a steed the foam from whose bits sometimes covered the earth with dew. And Day was the son of Night; and the steed which he rode lighted all the sky and the earth with the beams which glistened from his mane ..
Views: 337

Farewell Speeches

The final speeches of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama. Both speeches were instant and moving landmarks, as well as stirring testaments to the time this inspiring and beloved couple spent in the White House.
Views: 327

The Color of Night

They're no more than a few acres across, streets and buildings on every side--yet Patrick Reed is inexplicably drawn to the woods behind his house. What he finds in those trees is an ancient power that is both wonderful and terrifying. He embraces it at first... but when odd things begin to happen in Hillward, he's the only one who can protect the little town from the darkness that lingers there.They're no more than a few acres across, with streets and buildings on every side--yet Patrick Reed is inexplicably drawn to the woods behind his house. What he finds amongst those trees in the scarce light of the moon is an ancient power that is both wonderful and terrifying. He embraces this power at first... but when odd things begin to happen in Hillward, he's the only one who can protect the little town from the darkness that lingers there. Now, while avoiding the attention of his concerned parents and maintaining a budding friendship with a special classmate, Patrick must use his new-found power to uncover the mystery of the beckoning crow before the whole town is engulfed in shadow..."The Color of Night" is a YA paranormal mystery/thriller by author Jack Thomas.
Views: 326

Call Him Savage

Howard Browne was a science fiction editor and mystery writer. He also wrote for several television series and films.
Views: 320

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto

Conservative talk radio's fastest-growing superstar is also a New York Times bestselling phenomenon: the author of the groundbreaking critique of the Supreme Court, Men in Black, and the deeply personal dog lover's memoir Rescuing Sprite, Mark R. Levin now delivers the book that characterizes both his devotion to his more than 5 million listeners and his love of our country and the legacy of our Founding Fathers: Liberty and Tyranny is Mark R. Levin's clarion call to conservative America, a new manifesto for the conservative movement for the 21st century. In the face of the modern liberal assault on Constitution-based values, an attack that has steadily snowballed since President Roosevelt's New Deal of the 1930s and resulted in a federal government that is a massive, unaccountable conglomerate, the time for re-enforcing the intellectual and practical case for conservatism is now. Conservative beliefs in individual freedoms do in the end stand for liberty for all Americans, while liberal dictates lead to the breakdown of civilized society -- in short, tyranny. Looking back to look to the future, Levin writes "conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are our founding principles." And in a series of powerful essays, Levin lays out how conservatives can counter the liberal corrosion that has filtered into every timely issue affecting our daily lives, from the economy to health care, global warming, immigration, and more -- and illustrates how change, as seen through the conservative lens, is always prudent, and always an enhancement to individual freedom. As provocative, well-reasoned, robust, and informed as his on-air commentary, Levin's narrative will galvanize readers to begin a new era in conservative thinking and action. Liberty and Tyranny provides a philosophical, historical, and practical framework for revitalizing the conservative vision and ensuring the preservation of American society.
Views: 320

Barack Obama Selected Speeches

Find inspiration in these messages of hope from the forty-fourth president of the United States.This curated collection of landmark speeches chronicles Barack Obama's presence on the national stage, from his time as a senator from Illinois to his eight-year term as the 44th president of the United States—and also includes notable speeches he made after he left the White House. Obama's eloquent speaking style and ability to connect to a wide range of audiences made him one of the most admired presidents in recent memory, even as he dealt with staunch party-line opposition in Congress. Barack Obama Selected Speeches is a volume that will appeal to those with a keen interest in history, politics, and the role that the United States has played in shaping today's world.
Views: 319