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In 1848, women can expect a few bumps along the Oregon Trail. Corinne Temple, age seventeen, has a few ridiculous challenges to face outside the river crossings, snakes, Indians, accidental gunshots and finding enough privacy to be clean along the grimy trail. * *Previously released as Seeing the Elephant - appropriate for ages 10 and above**In 1848, women can expect a few bumps along the Oregon Trail. Corinne Temple, age seventeen, has a few ridiculous challenges to face outside the river crossings, snakes, Indians, accidental gunshots and finding enough privacy to be clean along the grimy trail. When Corinne’s marriage of convenience gets less convenient she turns to some new friends in the wagon train who help her see the hope for the future. They teach her to take the time to dance and celebrate the small victories, to have faith and determination through the hardest things a person can face. Corinne’s journey takes her from the cobblestone streets of fashionable Boston to the rugged mountains of the west, across rivers and deserts, from sea to shining sea. A faithful heart gets this young woman through the hardest days on the trail, her skills and resolve show her and others how a woman can rise from circumstances and survive. Join her as she discovers her own strength and resilience in...Finding Her Way* * * * *Previously released as Seeing The Elephant, revised, rewritten and professionally edited. **Appropriate for ages 10 and above** Views: 647
"Lamott's ...most insightful book yet, Stitches offers plenty of her characteristic witty wisdom...this slim, readable volume [is] a lens on life, widening and narrowing, encouraging each reader to reflect on what it is, after all, that really matters."—People What do we do when life lurches out of balance? How can we reconnect to one other and to what's sustaining, when evil and catastrophe seem inescapable? These questions lie at the heart of Stitches, Lamott's profound follow-up to her New York Times–bestselling Help, Thanks, Wow. In this book Lamott explores how we find meaning and peace in these loud and frantic times; where we start again after personal and public devastation; how we recapture wholeness after loss; and how we locate our true identities in this frazzled age. We begin, Lamott says, by collecting the ripped shreds of our emotional and spiritual fabric and sewing them back together, one... Views: 647
A horrific crime that defies explanation, a rookie FBI agent in uncharted territory, and an extraordinary hero for the ages: an investigation spirals out of control in this heart-pounding thriller.Odessa Hardwicke's life is derailed when she's forced to turn her gun on her partner, Walt Leppo, a decorated FBI agent who turns suddenly, inexplicably violent while apprehending a rampaging murderer. The shooting, justified by self-defense, shakes the young FBI agent to her core. Devastated, Odessa is placed on desk leave pending a full investigation. But what most troubles Odessa isn't the tragedy itself — it's the shadowy presence she thought she saw fleeing the deceased agent's body after his death.Questioning her future with the FBI and her sanity, Hardwicke accepts a low-level assignment to clear out the belongings of a retired agent in the New York office. What she finds there will put her on the trail of a mysterious figure named John... Views: 642
Short Story. The tale of a very beautiful young girl, who discovers that beauty can bring its own problems. When she is kidnapped by a cruel witch who envies her, she finds that no one has the courage to help her escape, except for the boy who loves her. This short story is loosely based on a Native American folk tale.He's the most popular guy in school and she's the biggest nobody. One night, and one mistake, will change both of their lives forever. For the last four years, Danni Singer’s had a crush on Darren Jacobs. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to know she exists. That’s because he’s one of the most popular guys in school, and Danni’s a nobody. That’s the way it is and the way it’ll probably stay. At least that’s what she thinks until a car accident suddenly changes everything. Darren loses his arm, leaving Danni to wonder if she could still have feelings for him. Determined to find out, and perhaps driven by a morbid sense of curiosity, Danni visits him in the hospital. It turns out his arm isn’t the only thing he’s lost. All of the friends Darren once had are no where to be found. Danni knows the pain of being an outcast all too well, and she reaches out to Darren. In the days and weeks that follow, their unlikely friendship blossoms in to an even more unlikely romance. Being in love is never easy, but for this pair it’s harder than most. Still struggling to accept the loss of his arm, Darren sometimes pushes her away and they end up fighting a lot. When she isn’t fighting with Darren, she’s dealing with the jealousy of her friends and the pressure of always trying to convince Darren his disability doesn’t change her feelings for him. This definitely isn’t what she imagined when she dreamed of dating Darren Jacobs. The truth is this is better. Despite the disagreements with Darren and the fights with her friends, Danni and Darren have a real love for one another. Sometimes things don’t work out the way you think they will, but they always work out! Views: 640
Brian had always believed there had to be something more out there than just the dull and humdrum world he was used to. So when something magical was suddenly dropped in his lap, he wasn’t at all disbelieving, as some people might have been. When reality is harsh, you learn very quickly to look beyond it. This beautiful novel of love and redemption will make you ponder what truly matters.Brian Stone's life isn't easy. Abandoned by his father, abused by his alcoholic mother, and mocked by his classmates, his only treasures are his beloved little brother and his old guitar.Then Brian finds a magical amulet in his attic, and things begin to change. Soon he has more power and wealth than he's ever dreamed of, and for a while all seems to be well. But Brian has made a terrible mistake which may cost him everything, and his only hope is to seek out the Fountain at the Heart of the World, wherever that may be. And if he fails, then it will mean the death of every person he loves, and maybe even his own. . . Unclouded Day is a beautiful tale of sacrifice and redemption. Contains light Christian themes. Views: 639
As sweeping historical romance. From the high society of Charleston to the green hills of Ireland.Baltimore-born Ireland Rose, daughter of Irish immigrants, must be married by her seventeenth birthday. Rose's father finds a suitable husband, Captain Camden Lovell, twenty-seven years her senior. Captain Lovell takes his bride to Charleston, provides her with a beautiful home on the Battery and good standing in Charleston Society.Three years later Rose is a widow. Captain Wyatt, her husband's trusted employee is now in charge of her affairs. Rose senses he does not like her. One day he brings a young woman with child to her - and a secret that must be kept. A little girl is born, and Rose becomes a mother. Captain Wyatt offers to marry her in name only to protect her from Charleston society gossip, but she is determined she will not marry a second time for protection. She will marry for love or live alone.Just three months later, August 31st, 1886 the city of Charleston suffers the worst earthquake of the century. Her beautiful home is in shambles. Rose has no choice but to return to her parents' birthplace in Ireland. The only record she has of her Irish ancestry is in her mother's Bible. She and her infant daughter take the next ship to Ireland. She has begun to hope she has finally found happiness when Captain Wyatt comes with news that shatters her heart.Every person Rose loves is taken away. Her faith in God is shaken. There is a plan for her, but she can't see it. Captain Wyatt breaks her heart, not once but twice. Views: 639
On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he's forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he's haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind--a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.
For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the person is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna's outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher? Views: 638
They can't let this wedding happenBut Matrimony Valley has only happy endingsBaker Yvonne Niles has nothing in common with cowboy Chaz Walker—except the upcoming marriage of her aunt to his stepdad. Convinced the two aren't right for each other, Chaz and Yvonne are determined to halt the wedding. But between the cake and family drama, they're discovering an undeniable attraction. Can an unlikely match ever become a recipe for happiness? Views: 636
It’s 1905 and the Chicago Cubs are banking on superstar Donald “Duke” Dennison’s golden arm to help them win the pennant. Only one thing stands between Duke and an unprecedented ten thousand dollar contract: alcohol. That’s when sportswriter David Voyant whisks Duke to the one-horse town of Picksville, Missouri, so he can sober up in anonymity. He bides his time flirting with Ellie Jane Voyant, his unofficial chaperone, who would rather hide herself in the railway station ticket booth than face the echoes of childhood taunts. Ned Clovis, the feed store clerk, has secretly loved Ellie Jane since childhood, but he loves baseball and the Duke almost as much–until he notices Ellie Jane may be succumbing to the star’s charm. Then there’s Morris, a twelve-year-old Negro boy, whose only dream is to break away from Picksville. When Duke discovers his innate talent for throwing a baseball, Morris might just have found his way out. Four individuals, each living in haunted isolation, each harboring a secret passion. Providence brings them together. Tragedy threatens to tear them apart. Will love be enough to bring them home? Views: 634
A discarded mirror brings more than just everyday reflections. Part of the 'From Elsewhere' collection - six short stories about unearthly visitors.A discarded mirror brings more than just everyday reflections. Who, or what, stares back at Penny as she gazes into an old mirror? Is it a hallucination...or portent of death?Part of the From Elsewhere short story collection - six tales of unearthly visitors.From Elsewhere includes:“The Long View” - One woman’s reflections on the life she has left behind. But is all as it seems?“The Hearing” - A guardian angel is put on trial by the man he is duty bound to protect.“Forbidden” - A story about the most illicit of love affairs: the secret passion between an angel and a demon.“The Foundling” - Who or what exactly has appeared on the doorstep an old woman’s cottage in Ireland?“Grey Eyes In Silver” - A discarded mirror brings more than just everyday reflections. Views: 632
If passing through youth
was like crossing the mirage of life for Chandra and Nithya, it proved to be
chasing the mirage of love for Sathya and Prema though for plain Vasavi,
Chandra's pitiable sibling, it was the end of the road.As life brings Chandra,
who suffers from an inferiority complex for his perceived ugliness, and Nithya,
who was bogged down being jilted by Vasu, together, they script their fate of
fulfillment.And as poetic justice
would have it, Sathya, who caused Prema's heartburn, himself was led down the
garden path by Kala, doing a Sathya on Sathya.Just not that, life has
in store just deserts for Vasu owing to Nithya's retribution as he tries to
stalk her. Besides, after many a fictional twist and turn, the way the story
ends, challenges the perception that fact is stranger than fiction.Sign Posts to CrossShackles on PsycheEnd of the TetherBurden of FreedomOnto the TurfRespite by DeathLessons of LifeNaivety of LoveDilemma of DisclosurePerils of YouthAbsurd ProposalCrossing the MirageSetting the PaceOasis of BlissBusy bees in HoneycombTwist in the TaleLove in the BindTurn for the WorseShadows to the ForeSpurring on to ErrTempting the FateStooping to ConquerFouling the SoulPoetic JusticeAgony of PenitenceEmbrace of LoveLife of a KindJust desertsBook excerpt for a feel of its literary style:Shackles on PsycheYouth is the mirror that tends us to the reality
of our looks. The reflections of our visages that insensibly get implanted in
our subconscious lend shape to our psyche to define the course of our
life. This is the saga of Chandra’s chequered
life that mirrors this phenomenon in myriad ways.As perceived by the deprived, he had a fortunate
birth. Yadagiri, his father, was the prominent pearl merchant in Hyderabad - Deccan,
the seat of the Nizam’s power in undivided India. The patronage of the royals
and the nobles alike, helped add gloss to his pearls making him the nawab of
the trade. Besides, Princely Pearls, his outlet near the Charminar, was a draw
with the rich, out to humor their wives and adorn the mistresses. When
Anasuya, Yadagir's wife, was expecting her second issue, trouble brewed in
Telangana, the heart of the Nizam’s province. While his subjects' surge to free
themselves from his yoke clashed with the Nizam’s urge to keep his gaddi,
Sardar Patel's plans for a pan India was at odds with his designs to retain the
Deccan belt as his princely pelf.‘With a go
by to the nobility,’ Yadagiri tried to envision his future, ‘it could be
shutters down at the Princely Pearls.’Thus, at the prospect of the momentous merger,
even as the populace got excited, he was unnerved perceiving a slowdown in his
trade. Confounding him further, as the impending merger was on the cards,
Anasuya's delivery time neared .‘Should it
be a girl again,’ he thought, ‘it would be only worse. Why, without a boy, what
of the surname?’Soon, as his wife was moved to the hospital, he
was rattled by the prospect of her delivering another daughter. But, as it
turned out, his fears proved to be liars on both counts.Anasuya delivered Chandra, the very day the
Nizam, courtesy Sardar, capitulated to the Delhi sarkar. And soon, the nouveau
riche, from the business class, began to outshine the old nobility, pearl
for pearl. Buoyed by the bottom line, Yadagiri dreamt of building a pearl
empire for his son in the Republic of India. While Anasuya lavished upon
Chandra the affection due to a son born after one gave up, Vasavi, his sister,
running ten then, found in her brother a soul to dote upon. Thus, toasted by
his parents and pampered by his sibling, Chandra had a dream childhood.But, when he entered adolescence, the realities
of life began to confound him to his discomfort. Coaxed by his father to excel
at studies, he was perplexed for the lack of aptitude. What's worse, the antics
of his classmates made him hapless -- they marginalized him at playtime, for
his lack of reflexes, and, for want of grace, targeted him at fun-time. Well,
to cap it all, the snide remarks of the have-nots, that he chose his father
well, induced in him a vague sense of inadequacy.As if all this was not enough for his tender
psyche to cope up with, he had to contend with the sternness of the paternal
strictness. Thus, it was only time before the seeds of alienation towards his
father were sown in his impressionable mind. But the support he got from his
sister and the solace he felt in his mother’s lap helped soothe his ruffled
feelings a little. In time, he reached the threshold of youth, but couldn’t
cross the despair of adolescence.Oblivious of the possibilities of life, man goes through
his journey of disarray, in the itinerary of the past, chasing the mirages of
malady even amidst the sands of hope. And that despairs him forever.Into his puberty, as his biology induced in him
sexual curiosity, owing to his ungainliness, his youthful urge for reciprocity
remained unfulfilled. Being naïve to the feminine nuances, his eyes couldn’t
comprehend the emanations of their indifference. When in dismay, as he turned
to the mirror for a clue, the reflections of his self-doubts stared him in his
face. Yet, goaded by desire, he ogled women but to no avail. And as he went
back to the mirror to reassess his self-worth, the craft of man wouldn’t oblige
where nature’s device deluded him. Thus, being in a limbo, he came to be
haunted for being unwanted.Besides, as his sexual urge got augmented, his
eyes became the instruments of dissection of the maiden form. Though bowled
over by females, he was unable to interest them himself. Intrigued by their
manner, he turned his focus onto those to whom they were drawn. And soon he
realized that though the nominators of female admiration varied, the common
denominator of male appeal appeared to be the dashing.As a corollary to his discovery, he shed his
inhibitions and psyched himself to make a pass at a fancied lass. But in a
reproach, governed by vanity, she said that she doubted his acquaintance with
the looking-glass. Sadly, that fatal tease came to shape his outlook about his
own looks to his detriment. Disdained thus, he shunned maidens and mirrors
alike.Once when his father reprimanded him for his
unkempt hair, he entrusted its upkeep to his sister’s care. And as she said, in
jest, that his porcupine hair needed tins of oil to be tamed, as a way out he
went for a crew cut. Though it was in the fashion then, he invited ridicule of
all for the same reason. Belittled thus, he became a recluse.Perturbed by his proclivities, Anasuya alerted
Yadagiri who dismissed it all as the tentativeness of youth, and advocated patience
to let it pass. Unconvinced though, Anasuya suborned her female instinct for
‘action’ to the ‘inaction’ of her master’s wisdom. But, as Chandra began to
even lose his appetite, her motherly love could take it no more. Thus, she took
her son to the family physician and, on prescription, put him on Liv-52.As that too failed to enhance her son’s appetite,
the mother was at a loss, and it showed. However, the women of the neighborhood
read it all wrong and gossiped on that count.“An unwed daughter of twenty-eight,” opined a
sympathetic soul, “surely is a sore.”“No less an eyesore,” said another.“What can be done,” said a fair-skinned, “when
the girl is so dark?”“Don’t tell me,” said a know-all. “She got her
chances but Yadagiri rode the high horse then.”“That’s the trouble with us,” philosophized a
bluestocking. “We aspire for more than we can hope for. Wanting the very best
is a bad idea but failing to see what the best one can get is even worse.”Unmindful of the gossip that reached her in its
magnified form, Anasuya broached the subject of Chandra’s condition with that
lady philosopher who professed herself as an amateur psychologist. Having read
the brief, the lady of letters diagnosed the malaise as a case of ennui and as
for the remedy, she prescribed a course in fiction for him.It’s thus amidst his class books, the Zolas with
the Gogols, that Anasuya slipped in, started gracing Chandra’s study. Unable as
he was to concentrate on his studies, he began browsing through them as a way
of distraction only to end up delving deep into the fictional world pictured in
them. Soon, as he was seized with novels in their scores, their fictional
aberrations helped him analyze his own shortcomings. But what really hooked him
to the novel was the ego gratification it afforded him in judging the
characters portrayed in it. What's more, the empathy he felt for the fictional
figures brought the latent sympathy he had for his sibling to the fore. This,
in turn, abetted self-pity in his consciousness.Well, Vasavi remained single, not by choice.
While nature deprived her of a whetting visage, her upbringing failed her in
imbibing aplomb. Besides, Yadagiri’s attitude towards matchmaking didn’t help
her cause either. No sooner would a well-meaning proposal come forth than he
would dismiss it on the grounds of status or pedigree and/ or both. It was as
if he came to see his own elevation in slighting others and as the well-wishers
too lost patience with him, the leads to the prospective matches got sapped one
by one. All this had dented his own efforts besides drying up the well of his
daughter’s marital prospects.On the other hand, Vasavi, having failed to
induce a suitable boy on her own and with nothing better to do, went on an
acquisition spree of diplomas in assorted faculties. Ironically, that made her
progress on the marriage front even worse, as the list of eligible bachelors on
academic plane was leaner, what with the penchant of the boys to take up jobs
with their basic degrees.When Anasuya saw the folly of it all, she started
pestering Yadagiri to see the writing on the wall. Finding there weren’t any
bachelors of over thirty left on the roll of honor, he swallowed his pride and
opened his doors for all comers. However, having gone past her prime by then,
Vasavi came a cropper with every proposal that came by. But, at last, fate
seemed to test her character by tempting her into wedlock. And steeled by life,
she said ‘no’ to the guy who said ‘yes’ for he made his mercenary intent too
apparent for her liking.It appears that nature has double standards when
it comes to endowing the sexes. Why, it's as if, it affords the females, the
charms of youth, only to attract the males to propagate the species.
Uncharitably though, so it seems, it dents the female aura on the way to
menopause, leaving her to fend for herself mid-course. On the contrary, and for
the same purpose, it vests virility with men well past their prime. Anasuya, however, thought of a detour as she saw
that they had reached a dead end. She said that it would be an idea to let a
widower lead her daughter to the altar. But Yadagiri would have none of that
for he felt it would devalue the family and demoralize their daughter. Thus,
the status quo prevailed and Vasavi, to her discomfort, remained single.By the time she crossed thirty, Chandra crawled
into the final year of his B.Com. With her emaciated frame and pimpled face,
Vasavi seemed even more pathetic to his sympathetic eyes. The thought that they
shared the ugliness, bequeathed by their father in equal measure, made him empathetic towards her, even as he was
embittered towards his parent on that very score. ‘Oh if only we had taken after our mother!’ he
thought endlessly. ‘Why, we would’ve inherited her beauty, wouldn’t we have?’For its very possibility, the thought of
deprivation made it all the worse for him. But, in time, the realization that
ugliness was a worse curse for women than men, evoked sympathy for the weaker sex in his empathic
soul.Whenever he found himself in his sister’s
presence, the pity he nursed for her insensibly surfaced in his eyes. The first
time she was struck by his manner, finding his stare scaring, she gazed at him
to gauge his mind. As their eyes scanned the bounds of mutual sympathy, at
length, their souls got bonded in eternal empathy. In their state of
fellow-feeling, fearing that speech might impair the purity of their emotion,
they preferred to keep mum.‘How wretched it must be for her, in her
condition!’ he thought then. ‘Hasn’t she reached the dead end, in the midst of
her life? Maybe, a career would’ve provided some distraction for her. But dad
would have none of that. It’s as if, the very idea scandalizes him. It is
really stupid of him to stick on to the old times!’Often, as he felt his own life was no less
oppressive, he became melancholic to his mother's worry. Whenever she tried to
probe his mind, he put it in the wraps, lest its exposure should burden her
even more. Despite finding him dismissive of her inquiries, she never ceased
pestering him but to no avail. Thus feeling helpless, she kept an eagle eye on
him, and whenever she found him depressed, which was often, she sent him on
some errand. She had reasoned that an outing, if it did not alleviate his
melancholy, would at the least help unstring him a little.That day, as Chandra was confined to his room for
too long, Anasuya went up to him in concern.“What’s
wrong?” she said feeling his forehead. As their
eyes met, he savored her affection.“What a
beautiful mother!” he thought. “What a
pity she bore us ugly.”Seeing his
condition, she sent him on an errand to the Princely Pearls. When he was
leaving home, he found his sister playing with the kids of the neighborhood.‘How she
loves children!’ he thought with mixed feelings. ‘Won’t she be distressed for
not having one of her own? Is it as an escape from boredom that she gathers
them? But would that help her in any way! Maybe, it could be even worse for
her. Why, wouldn't the charm of their company sharpen her lacking even more?
Isn’t all this misery because she is ugly? What an angelic soul, with life so
sour! Oh, ugliness is the worst of fates, so it seems.’While he crossed the Lal Darwaza, he happened to
come across two burka-clad women.‘What's
this Muslim custom of wrapping up woman in burkas!’ he wondered. ‘What is it
that is sought to be hidden behind the veil? Is it beauty or ugliness?
Whatever, the veil seems to be an ingenious leveler of the inequities of genes,
at least in the public view! But, on that score, do women really care to hide
themselves behind their veils? After all, it can't be, moreover, how can they
be mad to endure the ordeal of breathing and the discomfort of constraint in
that? Then, of what avail is it to women than to cater to the male sense of
insecurity about them? Oh, how man's falsity of purpose deprives women the joys
of being her free selves? Won't the burka symbolize the hold of man over
woman’s body and soul, not to speak of her psyche? Well, the slaves were better
off than these women in their veils, why doubt that.’As he went along, feeling sad about that, he
found two hamalis toiling to push a cartload of cloth bundles.‘Why, men
like these too have no way to lighten the burden of their birth,’ he thought,
looking at them. ‘To be born poor and ugly is a double jeopardy really. Oh, how
the color of the skin came to be the measure of the looks! Well, it could be
that the white man owes his dominance of the world more to his fair skin than
the grey matter of his brain.’Inexplicably, he was seized by an impulse to
follow the travails of the hamalis. So, unmindful of the surrounding
traffic, he kept course with the cart. As if to shorten their arduous course,
the laborers exerted themselves to accelerate their motion. Lost to them, he
came in the way of a speeding car.Bringing the vehicle to a screeching halt, the
woman at the wheel yelled at him in her sarcastic tone, “Hi, you find life
burdensome?”Muttering an apology, as he moved away in
confusion, she sped past him in irritation. The poignancy of her insensitivity
perturbed him as he lumbered along to the dismal destination.‘Won’t it seem the color of the skin is the
measure of man's worth as well?’ he thought in humiliation. ‘Oh, how dark skin
devalues man in more ways than one. Would I ever be able to induce a decent
dame to become my wife? Why, even Vasavi refused to entertain ungainly men,
didn’t she? How come, even the ugly seek beauty in their mates? Why not, it's
the beauty that triggers the biological impulse.’At that, inadvertently, his thoughts turned to
his mother.‘What should have been her compulsions to marry
my father?’ he thought. ‘Being so beautiful she herself that is! If only she
married another, perhaps, Vasavi and I could’ve been differently made, wouldn't
we have been? Won’t mother be thinking that way, seeing the plight of her
children more so her daughter that is?’But, on second thoughts, he felt ashamed that he
allowed himself to think in those terms.‘The reality of life is unmistakable, isn’t it?’
he felt dejectedly. ‘It’s the fact of heredity that shapes one’s looks for good
or for bad. Unfortunately for us, we took after our father. Had we acquired our
mother’s features, and even a shade of her complexion, it would’ve been all too
different. Vasavi would have been a mother many times over by now and I could
have been the playboy of the college. Wouldn’t that have made all those who
snub me envious of me?’The envisaged envy of others in his fantasy made
him envious of them in reality.‘Surely, it could be a heady feeling to be
admired by women,’ he thought. ‘How wanted that might make one feel! Won't the
glow of the favored shows it could be infinitely fulfilling. But looks like,
it's my fate to encounter indifference indefinitely. What a wretched life, I
can't even dare to daydream!’In that state of depression, when he saw his
father at the Princely Pearls, his state of mind ensured that he found him more
oppressive than ever. The grouse he nursed that it was his father’s genes that
were the source of his and his sibling’s troubles came to the fore as though to
settle scores with his hapless parent.The psychic mix of hostility towards his father
and empathy for his sister catalyzed by self-pity made Yadagiri's welcome words
seem absurd to Chandra's pixilated mind. What was worse, the father’s show of
affection appeared apologetic to his son’s afflicted mind. Unfortunately thus,
in the son’s myopic vision, the paternal love seemed an embodiment of parental
guilt. It was as if at that very moment the son’s alienation from his father
reached a point of no return.
Views: 630
Abbie and Bendigo Joules, teenagers on a farm in east Texas, share three days canoeing down a creek in the Big Thicket. For Ben, it involves a high school project on memory. For Abbie, it's a chance to spend time with her older brother, doing what she loves the most--canoeing. For both of them, it's a lesson on wilderness living and their connection with the animals that live there.The seventh in a series of fourteen books by Abbie Joules about her brother, Bendigo, as they grew up on their hard-scrabble farm in east Texas. In this episode, Ben uses the excuse of a high school psychology project on memory to justify a three day canoe paddle down Big Sandy Creek in the Big Thicket wilderness. Abbie, who loves to canoe and adores her older brother, needs no excuse. Together they test themselves as they attempt to remember everything they see, and as the days go by the wilderness tests their ability to live off the land. In the end, they learn more about themselves than they ever thought they would, and gain a new appreciation for the creatures they share the world with. Views: 629
Two untested military programmers are the last hope for the biggest offensive in a war fought by remote drones. Trouble is, these brave geeks are vastly outnumbered - and if their lead drone is captured, it'll fry their brains. But their greatest handicap may turn out to be a profound strength.Elra is trapped in her life. Caught between a dysfunctional family situation and the grim reality of inner-city living in recession-hit Britain, she spends her days longing for escape. But plans made with her friend Cali lead nowhere, and the prospect of going to University is just a distant dream.Soon her dreary world is torn apart in an explosive, surreal flash of violence, and she finds herself on the run with Kai Leto, a guy with electric hands and a taste for the dramatic. He introduces her to the secrets of the Marked, a clandestine worldwide community dedicated to the preservation of Knowledge, humanity's oldest, most powerful, most dangerous tradition. Through it, she discovers abilities beyond anything she could have imagined.But for Elra, this revelation is nothing compared to what awaits. Something powerful, alien and world-changing – bigger even than the wonders of Knowledge – is relentlessly hunting her. Soon she, Kai and Cali are involved in events beyond their comprehension. Universes alongside our own, a desert and a city beyond infinity, and the Red People that inhabit it...What happens when worlds collide? Take the Unmarked Journey to find out. Views: 628
Enjoy this riveting tale. Lucky Martin is a daredevil test pilot who's perfected the design for a new bomber plane that the Navy is sure to buy. What makes the plane unique is its ability to dive straight down at seven miles a minute and suddenly level off—stressing the wings at nine times the plane's weight—without breaking apart.
Unfortunately for Lucky, hostile foreign powers are determined to see him fail so they can scoop up the plane's design for their own use. Following a string of "accidents" which nearly kill him, Lucky Martin becomes "Unlucky" Martin, making his future look very luckless indeed, unless he can stay alive to outwit the enemy. "Primo pulp fiction." —Booklist Views: 625
