Twelve-year-old Dahlia has always lived at Silverton Manor-having spent fifty years as its resident ghost. When Oliver Day and his family show up as house-sitters the day Mrs. Tibbs, a Liberator sent by the Spectral Investigative Council, arrives to teach Dahlia the proper rules for ghosting, Dahlia can't wait to make new friends. But the unscrupulous ghost hunter, Rank Wiley, and the crooked town councilman, Jock Rutabartle, plan to rid Silverton Manor of its ghosts and sell it to the highest bidder. With her home and friendships at stake Dahlia may have to break the rules of ghosting as quickly as she learns them to solve the mystery of her death and save the manor. Equal parts charming and eerie, this ghostly caper hits all the right notes for the middle-grade audience. Views: 35
Michel Faber's first collection of short stories reveals an extraordinarily vivid imagination, a deep love of language and an adventurous versatility. Playful, yet profoundly moving, wickedly satirical yet humane, these tales never fail to strike unexpected chords. Views: 35
Master storyteller and satirist Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most in-demand commencement speakers of his time. For each occasion, Vonnegut's words were unfailingly unique, insightful, and witty, and they stayed with audience members long after graduation.As edited by Dan Wakefield, this book reads like a narrative in the unique voice that made Vonnegut a hero to readers of all ages. At times hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and deeply serious, these reflections are ideal for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their "long-delayed puberty ceremony"—marking the passage from student to full-time adult.This book makes the perfect gift for high school or college graduates—or for parents and grandparents who remember Vonnegut fondly and want to connect with him in a new context.ABOUT THE AUTHORKurt Vonnegut is a unique voice in the American canon—a writer whose works are hard to categorize, often straddling the space between literature and... Views: 35
Meet The Pan of Hamgee: coward, unwilling adventurer and, by some miracle, K’Barth’s longest surviving outlaw. He just wants a quiet life so working as getaway driver is probably a bad career move. Then he falls in love at first sight with a woman he hasn't even met who comes from an alternative reality. That’s when things really begin to get complicated.Meet Ruth Cochrane: she’s the Chosen One, destined to play a pivotal role in saving K’Barth from a cruel dictator. She’s never heard of K’Barth, though. She’s a public relations executive from London and she’s totally unaware of the chaos about to hit her life.Meet Lord Vernon: power hungry psychopath on the brink of world domination. He wants to cement his hold on K'Barth by kidnapping the Chosen One and forcing her to marry him. Only one person is standing in his way: someone who doesn’t even realise it, The Pan of Hamgee. For The Pan, and Ruth, that’s a deadly problem.Written in British English with some light swearing: Suggested cinema rating, PGRunner up in 2011 Wishing Shelf AwardsAwarded Awesome Indies Seal of ApprovalAwarded IndiePENdents seal of approval.INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHORQ – So, tell us about the K'Barthan series. What makes it special?A – K’Barth hasn’t always been called ‘K’Barth’ but it’s been with me since I can remember. My brain has always been off with the fairies and I suppose it was only a matter of time before I began to write about where it went. Once I started, the response to the characters, from readers really kept me going. The Pan of Hamgee is a very reluctant hero; someone who is aware of the risks he is taking and human – ie scared – about being brave. A lot of teenage boys like him and he has as many fans among the girls, and their mums. In Ruth I wanted to create someone pragmatic, sensible and grounded. She’s not going to lose a shoe and fall over, so the hero has to go back and help her, and they both get caught by the monster. She’s a strong female protagonist who is a bit more of a hero than The Pan, frankly – to start with at any rate. I think he catches her up as the story unfolds.Q – Should the K’Barthan Series be read in order?A – The character development – and some of the technology – will make the most sense if it is. That said, the short story prequel can be read any time.Q – What will readers enjoy most about The K'Barthan Series?A – Hopefully the laughs, the romance – where it appears – the fast pace and the action – especially the flying car chases – and I hope they will like its deeper side.Q – Do you have a target reader?A – Officially, young adults and teenagers. Now that it’s complete the series is certainly proving popular with teens and young adults and I had my teenage nephew in mind when I wrote them. However, I firmly believe that all the best books for teenagers appeal equally to their parents, which is why I also wrote it for me. Thus far – if the people who contact me are anything to go by – it appeals to a certain type of person across the board. The oldest fan of the series I know of is in his 90s and the youngest is 10. Views: 35
Scrooge Is Looking For A Taxi In this modern retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is looking for a taxi to get home on Christmas Eve. But he will get the ride of his life, as he is walked through his past, his present and his future to end up a changed man. Set in modern day Athens, this science-fiction version of the classic ghost story is guaranteed to make you smile. Views: 35
In an alternate 15th century, where dragons roam, sailing ships transform into submarines, and blacksmiths build steampunk robots, ten-year-old orphan Benjamin Blank battles monsters, rescues maidens and discovers fantastic new lands, but never quite manages to get his homework handed in on time. Each adventure sees Ben and his friends, Paradise Little and Wesley Chant, face a new monstrous menace. Views: 35
New short story in the Mindspace Investigations universe (with two bonus short stories in other worlds from author Alex Hughes). Open Mind When the cops call me in the middle of the night, I know it's bad. One of their own is dead, strangled in her car by a professional killer, and it's up to me, telepath consultant extraordinaire, to pull the rabbit out of my hat and solve the case. Only this time I'm not so sure I can. Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino is breathing down my neck. The dead cop's partner is too. And now, the worst--there was a five-year-old kid in the car, a kid no one can find. Note from the author: "Rabbit Trick" takes place before the events of Clean, so the hero intentionally remains nameless. Views: 35
Johannes Cabal, necromancer of some little infamy, returns in this riotously clever and terrifically twisted tale of murder and international intrigue.
In this genre-twisting novel, infamous necromancer Johannes Cabal, after beating the Devil and being reunited with his soul, leads us on another raucous journey in a little-known corner of the world. This time he's on the run from the local government. Stealing the identity of a minor bureaucrat, Cabal takes passage on the Princess Hortense , a passenger aeroship that is leaving the country. The deception seems perfect, and Cabal looks forward to a quiet trip and a clean escape, until he comes face-to-face with Leonie Barrow, an enemy from the old days who could blow his cover. But when a fellow passenger throws himself to his death, or at least that is how it appears, Cabal begins to investigate out of curiosity. His minor efforts result in a vicious attempt on his own life — and then the gloves come off. Cabal and Leonie — the only woman to ever match wits with him — reluctantly team up to discover the murderer. Before they are done, there will be more narrow escapes, involving sword fighting and newfangled flying machines. There will be massive destruction, not to mention resurrected dead.
Steampunk meets the classic Sherlockian mystery in this rip-roaring adventure where anything could happen… and does. Views: 35
Someone, or something, is murdering the entourage of Theron Sava, newly appointed head of his family's crime syndicate. Fearful for both his life and his reputation, Theron's advisors reach out to the crew of the Arazura, and beg for help in discovering the killer's identity. Amid tension, old wounds reopening, and uncertain loyalties within the group, the investigation quickly leads to explosive confrontations and startling revelations. And Phaira, Cohen, Renzo, Sydel and CaLarca soon realize that this assassin, and this underworld life, might be their ultimate ruin. Views: 35
In every game, someone draws the short straw.As a smuggler and con man, Reece Lochlain has always taken care of himself first. When the captain of his latest ship gets busted and everyone but Lochlain takes the fall, he does what he's always done, looks after himself and moves on to the next scheme. But how can he move on when an entire criminal ring blames him for the bust and is hungry for payback? Running from a corporate-controlled system is rarely wise but running with one of Appiation Unlimited's infiltration experts by his side could very well be suicide.Out of money, out of contacts and out of time, Lochlain is desperate to escape and start fresh somewhere new. CSV Zanshin, though old, looks to be a sturdy ship, and Lochlain can get her for a steal. With an entire star system after him, he jumps at the chance to stay one step ahead and sails the aging cargo vessel from her graveyard orbit. He's confident he can get away if he can find the right crew.But Zanshin seems to... Views: 35
Six of Hearts is sealed inside a torpedo, blasting his way at 300 kilometres an hour towards a warship. His mission: to steal canisters containing a weaponised strain of the SARS virus. If he fails, ChaoSonic will use the virus to wipe out an uprising that is tearing the City apart.And that is the least of Six's problems. Vanish is still on the loose. So is Retuni Lerke. And a scientist has designed a new weapon – one more dangerous than anything Six has ever seen before. One that could destroy him, the Deck, and anyone else who dares to oppose ChaoSonic.Six has to find the weapon and eliminate the threat it poses because ChaoSonic can't always control their creations.He is living proof of that. Views: 35
