Inquisition is a short story that introduces the epic tale of Man and God and their insatiable quest for one another. This is the inspiration for Kesting's latest novel: This Garden of SoulsInquisition is a futuristic tale of humanity and hubris. An existential parable. It introduces the us to a weary “Assessor” by the name of Rindell, who has begun to not only question his own morality but that of his entire culture as he is assiduously tasked to pass terminal judgment on entire societies based solely on his assessments of their worthiness through the testimonies of selected "defendants". This is a story about Man and God and their insatiable quest for one another. Inquisition is the inspiration for Kesting's latest novel: This Garden of Souls!

Young, passionate, and courageous boys are taught valuable lessons in a magical season that interjects into their personal lives this wonderful game we call baseball. In the intersection of their lives with the game of Little League baseball will they be able to take home the biggest prize of all?When Little League baseball players take the field nothing else matters. Who you are and where you come from is cast aside when these young 10 - 13 year old ballplayers hear the umpire cry out, "Play Ball." Can a little talent, lots of guts, and a dose of baseball sense allow these young players to become a team and make it a season to remember?In this true to life story, a season of Little League baseball takes center stage in the lives of young 10 - 13 year old ball players. Michael cannot wait for the first game to begin but he recognizes some festering tension. Their ace pitcher has a fastball that sings, yet Carlos the catcher and Jake the right fielder want to clash when they should be clicking. What will it take for these young baseball players to set aside their differences? Can they do it in time with the big game approaching?Young and courageous 10 -13 year old baseball players are taught valuable lessons in a magical summer that interjects into their personal lives the wonderful game called Little League baseball.In the intersection of their lives with the game of Little League baseball will they be able to take home the biggest prize of all?

It is the Dark Ages. Rome has been beaten from Britain and the old kingdoms are re-emerging from the ashes. In the Kingdom of Glywysing, the mysterious pink gold is bringing untold power to those in contact with it, both warriors and beasts alike. With armies converging, Patrick the Axeman finds himself caught in the currents of conquest and desire that are flowing inevitably to Penycher Pit.It is the Dark Ages. Rome has been beaten from Britain and the old kingdoms are re-emerging from the ashes. In the Kingdom of Glywysing, the mysterious pink gold is bringing untold power to those in contact with it, both warriors and beasts alike. Armies, monks and outlaws are converging upon its source, willing to pay any price for its possession. As the final battle looms, Patrick the Axeman finds himself caught in the currents of conquest and desire that are flowing inevitably to Penycher Pit.

This fast paced short story follows an ex chemist in a zombie infested post apocalyptic world. The challenges are many as he faces not only the undead, but also the National Guard, the painful memory of his lost lover, and most of all, his obsession with making nitroglycerin.The Anomaly Hunters saga begins here!When high school seniors Cynthia Crow and Calvin Beckerman set out to investigate the disappearance of Cynthia’s little sister Emily, they aren’t prepared for the surprising twists and turns that await them. They soon find themselves under the tutelage of Robert May, an elderly anomaly investigator who believes that Emily’s disappearance is connected with a string of bizarre and possibly paranormal tragedies stretching back two hundred years. The group’s dogged pursuit of the truth uncovers shocking secrets and terrible crimes, and brings them face-to-face with a mysterious force that will change their lives—and the world—forever.A 98,000-word novel.

This is a collection of poems and short stories by students from Columbia Heights High School, in Columbia Heights, MN.Columbia Heights sits right on the border of Minneapolis, MN, and our high school is incredibly diverse. The unique student group who wrote this compilation will offer you insight into their talent, voice, and perspective, with stories and poems about love and loss, adventure and hope. Read on!

A peregrine falcon in Ras al Khaimah, a back swan in New Zealand, an ostrich, a crow and a few other birds share with us their fascinating tales of adventure. From their evolution to their possible extinction, they trace their past, describe their present and dream of their future. Their special relationship with homo sapiens forms the core of each tale.Each of the 9 short stories in this book is narrated by a different bird and the message of conservation forms a common thread. The earth is their home too and humans are their co-tenants, yet the march of modernity threatens the survival of one and all. As these humble creatures tell their stories, they cry out to us to stop and think for a moment....

The fifth and final volume in the humorous SF series that began with THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY is somewhat darker than its predecessors. The Earthman Arthur Dent spends years selling genetic material in exchange for travel to various parallel universes in search of somewhere vaguely resembling his home planet. When he finally settles (actually, crash lands) on a backwater planet, his pleasant new career as tribal sandwich-maker is interrupted by the arrival of his daughter, Random–the result of those many, many sales of his DNA. Meanwhile, Arthur's friend Ford Prefect discovers that the happy-go-lucky executives of his employer, the publishers of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, have been replaced by a frighteningly grim and worryingly familiar new management team. His plot to disturb their business plan puts him once again into Arthur's path...with devastating results.

There is an alternate cover/title edition for this ASIN here. Up until a few days ago, Ensley thought her life was ordinary. But she’s quickly learning that nothing is what it seems. That evil lurks everywhere. And she can either run or fight back. Luckily, Ensley isn’t alone. She has friends who care about her. And maybe, just maybe, Carter. Carter can’t stop thinking about Ensley. So when he learns her life is in danger, he rushes to warn her. But he has to make her trust him, which means confessing the truth and fighting back against the evil that controls his life.

Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands. . . .

Ian McEwan’s Somerset Maugham Award-winning collection First Love, Last Rites brought him instant recognition as one of the most influential voices in literature today. Taut, brooding, and densely atmospheric, the stories here show us how murder can arise out of boredom, perversity from adolescent curiosity, and how sheer evil might be the solution to unbearable loneliness. While McEwan does not fit the "horror" genre, make no mistake the work here is as horrifying--and frankly terrifying--as anything you’ll find written by Clive Barker or Stephen King. McEwan’s work is finely crafted with a lyricism and an intensity that compels us to confront our secret kinship with what repels us.

Tiny Seacrow Island is one of hundreds of islands in the sparkling blue of the Baltic Sea. Though small, it has everything you’d want in an island: woods to wander in, flowers to pick, fish to catch, boats to sail in, all kinds of animals. But it doesn’t have very many young people. So when the four Melkerson kids and their father move into Carpenter’s Cottage one June day, they’re immediately welcomed by the resourceful islanders: Johan and Niklas Melkerson, at twelve and thirteen, are natural companions for adventurous Freddy and Teddy (girls exactly their age); dreamy Pelle, the baby of the family, gets up to trouble with bossy Tjorven and fanciful Stina; and ever-responsible Malin, who at nineteen looks after her scatterbrained father as well as her brothers, catches the eye of all the island’s young men. Before long Seacrow Island and Carpenter’s Cottage (tumbledown and leaky though it may be) have become a real home for the Melkersons.  Seacrow Island is a remarkable story, filled with sweetness and sorrow, humor and suspense, and peopled with the vivid, unexpected, wonderfully winning characters we’ve come to expect from the creator of the unforgettable Pippi Longstocking.

The New York Times bestselling author of Wishing for Us delivers a new novel about finding love and adventure with the sexy businessman next door.... Zoe Hart owns the coffee shop in one of the hottest upscale resorts in Florida, run by her childhood best friend, Dylan Jackson. Even though Dylan is a workaholic, he still finds time to enjoy the beautiful women who pass through his hotel all of them except Zoe. She has been in love with Dylan for years without him noticing. But with her thirtieth birthday fast approaching, she realizes she can't keep pining away for a man who doesn't show the merest sign of romantic interest in her. When Zoe launches her plan to shed her tomboy image in Dylan's eyes, she's thrilled once he starts to notice her in a whole new way. But she ll have to face the risk that seducing her best friend might come with lasting changes to their longtime friendship..."

Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s Disease. Huntington’s is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. Each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease, and a simple blood test can reveal their genetic fate. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. Does she want to know? What if she’s gene positive? Can she live with the constant anxiety of not knowing? As Joe’s symptoms worsen and he’s eventually stripped of his badge and more, Joe struggles to maintain hope and a sense of purpose, while Katie and her siblings must find the courage to either live a life “at risk” or learn their fate.

World War II pilot Peter Marshall leads the most successful bombing crew at his airbase, having survived an unusual number of extremely dangerous missions over Germany. However, when Peter falls hopelessly in love with an attractive WAAF officer—one who insists that wartime duties should take precedence over emotions—his concentration begins to suffer. Soon it looks as though his perfect run of successful missions may be at risk—along with the lives of Peter and his men—unless she can be persuaded to relent.

Late at night in a seedy hotel, Richard is drawn into a strange conversation with a fellow guest. Through a narrow strip of mosquito netting he hears for the first time of a secret beach, and island Garden of Eden hidden somewhere in the scattered islands of a Thai marine park. The next morning, Richard finds a map pinned to his door, and the man who put it there has slashed his wrists. The challenge is irresistible, and Richard sets off on a perilous journey in search of Shangri-La.

Scholastic's next multi-platform mega-event begins here! Dak, Sera, and Riq might be in over their heads when they attempt to stop a Viking invasion! Hundreds of ships carrying thousands of warriors are laying siege to medieval Paris. The Parisians are holding their own, but the stalemate can only last so long. And that's bad news -- especially since Dak has been captured, forced to work alongside the Vikings while Sera and Riq defend Paris from within. No matter which side wins, the kids lose!

Nothing up her sleeves...or so she’s been led to believe. Showgirl Holly Starr is sick and tired of assisting her dad, a celebrity magician, in his Las Vegas casino magic show. As soon as he keeps his promise to her and shares the secrets to his tricks, she can break out on her own. But can she really make it? For years Holly has taken medication to stave off crazy hallucinations that she can levitate objects. Just when she thinks she’s ready to make a career and a life for herself, her medicine—and her luck—run out. Elijah Brown suffers from a similar delusion—that he can read minds—and he’s out of medicine too. Determined to save himself and his old flame Holly, he kidnaps her and takes her straight to the source, a town high in the Rockies where their medicine is made. What they discover there leads them to suspect their powers are not imaginary after all...and neither is the intense attraction they feel for each other. They make a pact to stick together as they return to Vegas to confront the people who kept them in the dark so long. But soon they’re pitting their powers against each other in a dangerous world where the nightlife is seductive, domination is addictive, the sex is beyond belief...and falling in love is murder.

New York Times Bestselling Author Sandra Hill delivers another Tante Lulu Adventure as twin brothers leave Alaska to discover their Cajun roots Dr. Daniel LeDeux and pilot Aaron LeDeux travel to the swampy bayous of Louisiana, where they discover a long-lost family. The usually stoic Daniel, a burned-out pediatric oncologist, is especially startled by the interfering LeDeux matriarch, Tante Lulu, bless her crazy heart, who wastes no time in setting him up with local rich girl Samantha Starr. Scarred by a nasty divorce from a philandering New Orleans physician, Samantha has sworn off men, especially doctors. When Samantha’s step-brother gets into serious trouble, she must ask Daniel for help. But Samantha faces even more trouble when the handsome doctor casts his smoldering Cajun eyes her way. The steamy heat of the bayou, along with the wacky matchmaking efforts of Tante Lulu, a herd of animal rescue rejects, including a depressed pot belly pig, and some world-class sexual fantasies create enough heat and humor to make both Daniel and Samantha realize that love and laughter can mend even the most broken heart.

Warnings not to go to Scotland can't stop Nancy Drew from setting out on a thrill-packed mystery adventure. Undaunted by the vicious threats, the attractive young detective - with her father and her two close friends - goes to visit her great-grandmother at an imposing estate in the Scottish Highlands, and to solve the mystery of a missing family heirloom.And there is another mystery to be solved: the fate of flocks of stolen sheep.Baffling clues challenge Nancy's powers of deduction: a note written in the ancient Gaelic language, a deserted houseboat on Loch Lomond, a sinister red-bearded stranger in Edinburgh, eerie whistling noises in the Highlands. Startling discoveries in an old castle and in the ruins of a prehistoric fortress, on a rugged mountain slope and in a secluded glen, lead Nancy closer to finding solutions to both mysteries.Wearing a time-honored tartan, Nancy climbs the mountain of Ben Nevis in the dark of night and plays a tune of historic heroism on the bagpipes -all part of her daring plan to trap the sheep thieves and to recover the valuable heirloom.

There are some who say that the Lady Fortune has a wheel, and all men are fixed upon it. The wheel turns, and the men rise, or fall, with the turning of the wheel. Birle has agreed to be wed to the huntsman Muir as an escape from the drudgery of life at her father's inn -- but the moment she looks into the bellflower blue eyes of the man she comes upon stealing one of her father's boats, Birle knows she cannot marry Muir. Even after she discovers the mysterious stranger is Orien, a Lord and as unreachable to an innkeeper's daughter as a star, Birle is determined to travel with him as far as he will allow. Their travels take Birle to a world far from home, a world where Lords may become slaves, where Princes rule by fear, and where Fortune's Wheel turns more swiftly and dangerously than Birle could have imagined. Newberry Medalist Cynthia Voigt's second novel of the Kingdom, set two generations later than Jackaroo, is a memorable combination of thrilling adventure and heart-stopping romance.

(Suncoast Society series book 40, BDSM, various) Seth and Leah are hosting a kinky Christmas party for their friends, complete with a rigging contest. This time of year is always hard on both of them as they each remember Kaden in their own way, and the past and present come together in their hearts and memories. Kaden wasn’t just an important part of their lives—he mentored countless people as a founding member of the Suncoast Society munch group. As the revelers congregate and reminisce about their lost friend, it’s soon apparent to some that, just maybe, there’s an extra guest in attendance who wasn’t on any RSVP list. Are their imaginations simply running wild due to the evening’s high spirits? Or is it possible that the ultimate control freak is fulfilling a promise he made to those he loved most?