James Rhodes' passion for music has been his absolute lifeline. It has been the thread that has held him together through a life that has encompassed abuse, breakdown and addiction. Listening to Rachmaninov on a loop as a traumatised teenager or discovering an Adagio by Bach while in a psychiatric ward - such exquisite miracles of musical genius have helped him survive his demons, and, along with a chance encounter with a stranger, inspired him to become the renowned concert pianist he is today. This is a memoir like no other: unapologetically candid, boldly outspoken and surprisingly funny - James' prose is shot through with an unexpectedly mordant wit, even at the darkest of moments. An impassioned tribute to the therapeutic powers of music, Instrumental also weaves in fascinating facts about how classical music actually works and about the extraordinary lives of some of the great composers. It explains why and how music has the potential to transform all of our lives. Views: 18
Top 100 Erotica Best SellerTop 20 Erotica Hot New ReleaseWhen her late father's will stipulates that fuller-figured doctor Samantha McMillan must marry and have a child within three years, or lose her inheritance, her friend Zachary de Luca offers to marry her. She's unlike the cool, slender blondes always photographed on the playboy billionaire's arm, so why would he be willing to sacrifice three years of his life for her? There's no way he could feel the same attraction she feels for him, is there?WORD COUNT: 31,249 words Views: 18
At a time when America debates its values and the world braces for religious war, Bruce Feiler, author of the New York Times bestsellers Walking the Bible and Abraham, travels ten thousand miles through the heart of the Middle East--Israel, Iraq, and Iran--and examines the question: Is religion tearing us apart ... or can it bring us together?Where God Was Born combines the adventure of a wartime chronicle, the excitement of an archaeological detective story, and the insight of personal spiritual exploration. Taking readers to biblical sites not seen by Westerners for decades, Feiler's journey uncovers little-known details about the common roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and affirms the importance of the Bible in today's world.In his intimate, accessible style, Feiler invites readers on a never-in-a-lifetime experience:Israel Feiler takes a perilous helicopter dive over... Views: 17
Special introductory price lets you enjoy this Christmas novel about crime, redemption, and the dystopia of Norway where not all is well. Sohlberg and the Gift is about murder and the worst of betrayals. And who is the best person to investigate the worst of betrayals? Chief Inspector Harald Sohlberg. A cranky misfit. A contrarian. Politically incorrect in the extreme. Definitely not part of the mindless herd. He hates social groupthink and always thinks outside the proverbial box. He certainly does not buy into the myth of Norway as a happy socialist paradise. Inspector Sohlberg investigates not one but many betrayals and miscarriages of justice. As he does so, he delves deeper into the true nature of Norwegian society, which is not a multicultural utopia. Oslo suffers a crime rate far greater than New York City and all is not well with immigrants in this realistic portrayal of Oslo and Norway. It’s Christmas and Inspector Harald Sohlberg risks losing his recent promotion to Chief Inspector of the Oslo politidistrikt. Why? Because of a recent visit from a mysterious female—Astrid Isaksen. Her visit triggers a chain reaction of events that exposes the worst of betrayals. Because the greatest betrayal is from those closest to you. Chief Inspector Sohlberg breaks into sealed court files. He sneaks into an insane asylum under false pretenses and likewise trespasses into the high-security mountain fortress holding the National Archives of the Norwegian government. He intervenes in another detective’s “open-and-shut” case. The level-headed Sohlberg violates department protocol for his young visitor. Could the happily married detective be cheating on his wife? Even the straight arrow can bend or break. C.I. Sohlberg puts himself at risk of getting disciplined or fired. Has he been duped into playing the part of an unsuspecting pawn? Regardless, he must take the blame and the inevitable fall from grace if he gets caught. It’s Christmas: a season of hope and redemption and gift-buying and parties and vacations. It’s certainly not the best time for Chief Inspector Sohlberg to investigate a homicide case that is full of dead ends and not even his to investigate. After all, the case is considered “closed” and “over and done with” at the highest levels of the Norwegian Police Service. ABOUT THE HARALD SOHLBERG MYSTERY SERIES The Inspector Sohlberg crime novels by Jens Amundsen join Scandinavia’s best crime detective series, including the Inspector Wallander series by Henning Mankell, Inspector Sejer series by Karin Fossum, Inspector Gunnarstranda series by K. O. Dahl, Detective Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbø, and Girl With Millenium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Jens Amundsen’s publisher, Nynorsk Forlag, is pleased to present his novels on Chief Inspector Harald Sohlberg. The Sohlberg novels masterfully blend the psychological novel into the crime, suspense, thriller, and detective genre. Jens Amundsen follows the tradition of authors like Zola and Faulkner who present society the way it actually is, without lies and pretensions. Amundsen brings readers an unvarnished and realistic picture of Norwegian society and its criminal justice system much the same way that Harper Lee depicted the old racist and segregated Deep South in "To Kill A Mockingbird".About the AuthorJens Amundsen is the pen name of an attorney whose literary anonymity protects him and his clients from the powers that be and want to be. Views: 17
Little Egypt was once a well-to-do country house in the north of England. Now it’s derelict and trapped on a small island of land between a railway, a dual carriageway and a superstore, and although it looks deserted it isn’t. Nonagenarian twins, Isis and Osiris, still live in the home they were born in, and from which in the 1920s their obsessive Egyptologist parents left them to search for the fabled tomb of Herihor – a search from which they never returned. Isis and Osiris have stayed in the house, guarding a terrible secret, for all their long lives until chance meeting between Isis and young American anarchist Spike, sparks an unlikely friendship and proves a catalyst for change. Views: 17
Coinman, a junior level office worker in India, has a number of eccentricities. The laughingstock of the office, he finds no relief at home; his wife Imli, an obsessed actress, completely vanishes into each role. When tough bully, Hukum, beautiful enchantress, Tulsi, and the office sage, Ratiram, unite the office to conspire against Coinman, they have no inkling of an apocalypse looming inside the office. "Mishra's debut comic novel is an absurdist tale of office and personal politics set in a small town in northern India." — Kirkus Review "This articulate, wryly amusing creation focuses on simple situations that often have an unexpected, almost magical, twist." — IndieReader, 5 Stars "Originality is often elusive, yet that's exactly what Pawan Mishra delivers. Humorous and highly entertaining, Coinman: An Untold Conspiracy proves an absolute gem and is recommended without reservation." — BookViral "A quirky, heartfelt novel about finding your identity - and keeping it. In Pawan... Views: 15
The murder of an Interpol translator in France. Nine mutilated bodies found under a fish shack in remote Tromsø in northern Norway.A $ 6 million dollar bribe for a Norwegian detective.Chief Inspector Sohlberg is in danger.There's also one crime in the making that doesn't even come close to the "Mass Murder" category. And that crime requires Sohlberg to do the unthinkable in this gripping novel about obsession, paranoia, organized crime, and whether it's better for a few to be sacrificed so that many will live.Or is it better for many to be sacrificed so that a few get to live? Views: 14
Boston Kincaid is ruthless when comes to getting what he wants – and from the minute he sees Julianna Holly, he’ll stop at nothing to have her in his bed but the tide turns when Julianna turns up pregnant and runs away. Now, Boston is determined to drag her back to his bed — whether she’s willing or not. Julianna is in a terrible position. Not only is she knocked up but she may have gone and fallen for the jerk, too. However, Julianna is no push-over and she might just have to find a way to forget about Boston Kincaid if she wants to save her heart. Now, if only her heart would cooperate. This is the second installment of a three-part serial. Enjoy! EXCERPT:“If that baby is mine…”“Quit saying that, you know it’s yours!”His gaze roamed hers and for the briefest moment she thought she saw desperate hope glimmering in his dark eyes that caused a traitorous leap in her heart. No, don’t do that, she told herself, horrified that she would care about his feelings. He’d done this to her on purpose. He’d tricked her. That was the only answer. But even as she cursed him silently for what he’d done, she wasn’t prepared for the soft touch of his lips brushing against hers as he said, “If what you say is true…then we truly created a miracle and nothing will keep me from my child.” He deepened the kiss and her knees threatened to buckle, damn him. “Not even if its mother hates me,” he murmured and she swallowed a cry as he abruptly let her go. “Richard will take you home. I have calls to make.”And then he left her to stare after him. Julianna wiped away the remnant of his kisses and ground the tears from her eyes. She ought to grab a cab and screw Boston with his dictates but even as the defiant thought blazed across her thoughts, she sank back down on the bed and knew she’d await Richard to ferry her back to Boston’s house because in a way, his place had become more like home than her apartment, even with the gaudy gold-plated bathroom fixtures that she hated.Why? Ah crap, because as much as she hated to admit it…it was because at night, Boston crawled into bed with her and they slept entwined with one another, as if they were carved from the same block of wood to fit together. Dumb bad luck.Julianna glanced down at her belly and her breath hitched in her throat as the sobering thought of motherhood weighed on her shoulders.She squeezed her eyes shut and a tentacle of fear reached from a dark place and curled around her thoughts. Women died giving birth. It was rare — but it happened. It was a worst-case scenario…and it’d happened to someone she’d loved very much.It might be irrational to fear the same fate but by the time Richard had arrived to pick her up, she was fighting the urge to lose whatever food remained in her stomach.Bottom line? She was afraid of this baby.And she was ashamed to admit it. Views: 13
November, 2002, and sixteen-year-old Clare is travelling from Glasgow to Florence with her older brother Danny to be a part of the anti-capitalist demo. Amidst the crowds they meet Julian and Letitia, two alluring and seductive anti-capitalists from down south. Over the next few years the lives of Danny, Clare, Letitia and Julian become impossibly tangled in the personal and the political as each decides what is and what's not worth shouting about. But how will they come to shape the world – and how will the world come to shape them? Views: 13
This bargain-priced boxed set contains all six of Patricia Ryan’s award-winning medieval romances, originally published by NAL. “Ms. Ryan breathes freshness into every page and enthralls readers with the power of her characters’ emotions and their intelligent handling of the complex situations. She is a wonderful writer whose talent continues to enchant readers.” RT BookReviews Silken Threads: In this acclaimed medieval romance inspired by Hitchcock’s Rear Window, a wounded soldier heals in the London home of a young widow who steals his heart—but his future rests on an arranged marriage to his lord’s daughter. Silken Threads won Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award for Best Long Historical Romance. “Fresh, swift and sexy.” New York Times bestselling author Mary Jo Putney The Sun and the Moon: Hugh has never had any trouble avoiding ties of the heart—until he recruits a beautiful young Oxford scholar to pose as his wife for an espionage mission. Inspired by Hitchcock’s Notorious, this medieval romance won a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Historical Romantic Mystery/Suspense. “Once you start this nonstop read, you won’t go to bed until you’ve turned the last page.” RT BookReviews Secret Thunder: A young Saxon widow enters into an arranged marriage to the notorious Black Dragon, a Norman knight with a ferocious reputation—and a terrible secret. “A marvelous love story from the queen of medieval romance. This is as good as it gets. If you only read one historical romance this year, it should be Secret Thunder!” The Literary Times Wild Wind: Alex’s youthful passion for Nicolette ended with a broken heart for him and an arranged marriage for her to another man. Nine years later, her husband asks Alex to sire a child on her, then disappear forever. A Waldenbooks Star Pick. “It’s wonderful. Don’t miss it!” New York Times bestselling author Jo Beverley Falcon’s Fire: Lowborn knight Thorn Falconer negotiates the arranged marriage of his overlord’s son to the sister of a fellow crusade veteran in return for a coveted estate, only to find himself losing his heart to the bride. “A richly textured pageant of passion. A grand adventure!” New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs Heaven’s Fire: Celibate priest and Oxford scholar Rainulf Fairfax finds himself drawn to a humbly born young woman after he rescues from her vicious overlord. “Lusty and exhilarating, this is medieval romance at its best. Heaven’s Fire is a splendid tale, and Patricia Ryan is a writer to watch.” New York Times bestselling author Patricia Gaffney About the Author: Patricia Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen romances and mysteries, including the #1 national bestseller Still Life With Murder. Her novels have garnered rave reviews and been published in over twenty countries. A RITA® winner (for Silken Threads) and four-time nominee, she is also the recipient of two Romantic Times Awards and a Mary Higgins Clark Award nomination for the second book of her historical mystery series featuring Boston governess Nell Sweeney, which she wrote under the name P.B. Ryan. Pat’s Evil Twin, Pamela Burford, is also a published romance novelist. To find out more about Patricia Ryan’s award-winning romances and romantic suspense, including special projects, excerpts, and sneak previews, subscribe to her email newsletter by visiting patricia-ryan.com. Most issues features free and deeply discounted ebooks by Patricia and other bestselling romance and mystery authors. Views: 12
