“A Prize Plot.” -San Francisco Examiner “A bright, light, cleverly written tale.” -Cincinnati Post Things were going lousy for ex-reporter Paul Mcdonald: No money, no girl friend, no bright new career as a mystery novelist … and then along came PI Jack Birnbaum with an offer. He’d detect, and Paul would write the client reports. It wasn’t much, but it would keep Spot the cat in Kitty Queen tidbits. And then this: “That stuff’ll kill you.” “What? Your coffee?” Jack was just doctoring his second cup. “No. All that sweetener. You’re poisoning yourself.” “We’ve all gotta go sometime.” Jack went right about then. His eyes rolled back and he let go of the cup. Coffee sloshed all over my rug. His big body fell forward in the chair. A day that begins with a body in your living room really ought to get better, but next comes burglary and after that, assault-by-cop. And Paul’s got a feeling that’s just the beginning. There must have been something someone didn't want him to know in one of those client reports. But what? These were the facts: I was thirty-eight. I’d spent fifteen years on one major metropolitan daily or another. I’d written six unpublished detective novels. Unpublished in spite of my name. John D. MacDonald did it daily. Ross Macdonald did it deeper. Gregory Mcdonald did it with dash. Wrote thrillers and got them published. But not Paul Mcdonald. I just wrote them, supporting my habit with clients like Jack. I had about two hundred bucks to last me the rest of my life. My only client was dead. The market for mysteries was terrible. I didn’t get out enough. The only thing I’d ever done successfully was write newspaper stories. And I was sitting on a great story. A story he can sell, if he can catch the murderer before the murderer catches him. Birnbaum's last report concerned a kidnapped child, so Paul begins there. The trail leads him to the laboratory of a Nobel laureate geneticist, and then to City Hall, where an extremely nasty surprise awaits. But there’s an upside—lovely witness Sardis Kincannon. Nothing like falling in love while you’re running for your life! “One more blithe San Fran outing with a likeable journalist-sleuth by the name of Paul Mcdonald … Smith improves with each story and this is her best to date.” -Kirkus Reviews The San Francisco Bay Area shines here, as does the author's wit and humor. Fans of CASTLE, MURDER SHE WROTE, even ELLERY QUEEN will enjoy this fast-paced and funny take on the mystery-writer-as-detective. Views: 21
This fantastic chapter book based on the hit TV show Adventure Time, is hilarious and fun and will tempt even the most reluctant reader! Finn and Jake head to the mountains to play fight with their favourite manly marauders. But Mountain Man starts crying boulders because he wants them to stop. Finn is determined to find a solution. What is an adventurer to do when solving one problem creates a new one for someone else? Views: 20
This is a collection of all four, complete episodes (previously published separately): Episode 1--Seduced by the AngelClaire Sawyer's life is about to change in a way that she never could have imagined. Blind since a terrible childhood accident, she dies for the second time in her relatively short life only to find herself in the arms of an angelic being. Is he her guardian angel, or the monster responsible for the deaths of her parents so many years ago? Claire will search for her answers as she is swept up into events involving the divine and their relation to the vampires and werewolves that she encounters in her incredible journey to discover the truth.Episode 2--Taken by the VampireClaire awakens in a hospital room to find a man sitting quietly, waiting for her. Except that he is no ordinary man, adorned as he is with dark wings and burning in black flames. Is it the angel of death, come to take her away at last? Or is he the lord of all vampires, come to steal the prize from his adversary, the Messenger, the being who has healed Claire's blindness?Flying high above the city lights in his cold arms, Claire shall find herself brought to a lonely fortress where blood drinkers await her and werewolves roam the darkness, all of them waiting for the ravishment to come. Episode 3--Claimed by the WolfFrom certain death at the hands of vampires, Claire Sawyer finds herself surrounded by hundreds of wolves. Are they her saviors, or the culmination of the doom that follows her at every turn? Cursed or no, Claire must fight for her survival, even if that means becoming one of them, wolves in heat with just one thing in mind.Episode 4--Redeemed by the ConquerorIn the stunning conclusion to the four part series, Divine Fornication, Claire Sawyer finds herself caught between vampires, werewolves and angels. Three races of beings willing to battle for the one thing they value most--Claire's eternal soul. Will Claire's guardian angel return at last, in her final moments? Or, will she be lost forever to eternal damnation? Views: 18
Sadie's judgement of people was not very good, and she had erred once before when she had married a man who had claimed to love her, only to discover that his idea of love was vastly different to her idea of love. With a low confidence can she ever learn to trust again? Will the lovely Nick be able to heal her hurts, and will his hands be a safe place to keep her bruised heart? Views: 18
Book One As a vampire, the Marquis de Sade has survived the French Revolution, the two World Wars, and the swiftly changing centuries. However, for how long can he survive the taunting and heckling of his Dominatrix mother-in-law? He bides his time with his niece and the young mortal female that is enthralled with him, while his mother-in-law finds new ways to torment him Views: 18
Finn and Jake are offered free magical powers from a creepy skeleton in a black cloak.All they have to do to become Ultimate Wizards is pass a few easy tests in the Grand Hall of Wizardry and take the Pledge of Ultimate Responsibility.But Finn finds out that the last power is not free.Is it worth what he will have to give? Views: 17
This fantastic chapter book based on the hit TV show Adventure Time, is hilarious and fun and will tempt even the most reluctant reader! Finn has faced some daunting opponents during his heroic adventures in the Land of Ooo, but the Lich is by far the worst. If Finn fails to smite the Lich before he gets to his Well of Power and gets his magic back, everyone in the Land of Ooo will fall under the Lich's control. Will the Gauntlet of the Hero and Princess Bubblegum's pink sweater be enough for Finn to succeed in his most difficult mission ever? Views: 17
For San Francisco lawyer Rebecca Schwartz, it should have been a restful weekend in Monterey with her friend Marty Whitehead—but Marty’s boss at the Monterey Aquarium is dead in the kelp tank and Marty’s a guest of the county. So what’s the etiquette when your hostess is arrested for murder? In Rebecca’s case, that’s easy—sign on as her lawyer, try to keep Marty’s kids out of the deep end, and somehow avoid drowning in the sea of lies gushing from her client’s mouth. The sea and all its animals are Rebecca’s first love, but when her attention turns to a particularly fine specimen of homo sapiens, marine biologist Julio Soto, her task becomes to keep Julio from sleeping with the fishes he collects. Because if she doesn’t act fast, he could be next in line for the shark tank—along with Rebecca herself. Views: 16
