Second book in the middle grade dystopian fantasy series, Unwanteds. The battle is over. The magical barrier between the dreary land of Quill and the fantastical world of Artimé is gone. Now residents of both places are free to mingle, but tensions are high. The artistic warriors of Artimé struggle to forgive those in Quill who condemned them to death, while the Quillens attempt to recover from the shock of Artime’s existence, the loss of their leader, and the total collapse of their safe, orderly world. 14-year-old Alex Stowe has recovered from his physical wounds since his death-defying role in Artime’s victory, but his confidence is shattered. He battles self-doubt after Artimé’s beloved mage, Mr. Today, makes a stunning request, which is further complicated by the mysterious arrival of two silent, orange-eyed teenagers. Meanwhile in Quill, Aaron is devastated by his fall from grace and seething with anger toward his twin brother Alex. Spurred by rage, Aaron recruits a team of Restorers and devises a masterful plan of revenge that will return him to power… if no one gets in his way.

Nebula Award–winning author Elizabeth Moon makes a triumphant return to science fiction with a thrilling series featuring Kylara Vatta, the daring hero of her acclaimed Vatta’s War sequence. Summoned to the home planet of her family’s business empire, space-fleet commander Kylara Vatta is told to expect a hero’s welcome. But instead she is thrown into danger unlike any other she has faced and finds herself isolated, unable to communicate with the outside world, commanding a motley group of unfamiliar troops, and struggling day by day to survive in a deadly environment with sabotaged gear. Only her undeniable talent for command can give her ragtag band a fighting chance. Yet even as Ky leads her team from one crisis to another, her family and friends refuse to give up hope, endeavoring to mount a rescue from halfway around the planet—a task that is complicated as Ky and her supporters find secrets others will kill to protect: a conspiracy infecting both government and military that threatens not only her own group’s survival but her entire home planet.

CRACKER IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY'S MOST VALUABLE WEAPONS: a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. She's a Big Deal, and she likes it that way. Sometimes Cracker remembers when she was younger, and her previous owner would feed her hot dogs and let her sleep in his bed. That was nice, too. Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam. There, he's going to whip the world and prove to his family and his sergeant -- and everyone else who didn't think he was cut out for war -- wrong. But sometimes Rick can't help but wonder that maybe everyone else is right. Maybe he should have just stayed at home and worked in his dad's hardware store. When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner. He's going to have to prove himself to her before she's going to prove herself to him. They need to be friends before they can be a team, and they have to be a team if they want to get home alive. Told in part through the uncanny point of view of a German shepherd, Cracker! is an action-packed glimpse into the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a dog and her handler. It's an utterly unique powerhouse of a book by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira.

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption. 1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister. 1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose. Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

The thirteen best science fiction and fantasy short stories of the year, Illustrated by the most talented aspiring artists!

It’s August 1941, and Brick and Mariel both love the Brooklyn Dodgers. Brick listens to their games on the radio in Windy Hill, in upstate New York, where his family has an apple orchard; Mariel, once a polio patient in the hospital in Windy Hill, lives in Brooklyn near the Dodgers’ home, Ebbets Field. She was adopted by Loretta, a nurse at the hospital, and has never known what happened to her own mother. Someday, somehow, she plans to return to Windy Hill and find out. When a fire destroys their orchard, Brick’s parents must leave the farm to find work. They send him to live in Brooklyn with their friend Loretta, even though Brick knows that their elderly neighbors need his help to pick what’s left of the apples. The only good thing about Brooklyn is seeing the Dodgers play–that, and his friendship with Mariel. Maybe, together, they’ll find a way to return to Windy Hill, save the harvest, and learn the truth about Mariel’s past. From the Hardcover edition.

Book one of a two-part intriguing mystery series set in the perilous back alleys of Georgian London. From the multi-award-winning author of A Very Unusual Pursuit. Twelve-year-old Theophilus Grey - Philo to his friends - heads a team of linkboys who guide Londoners home through the dank eighteenth-century alleys by the light of their torches. In the process, the boys pick up useful information for their master, Garnet Hooke, who runs a spy network from his sickbed. When thieves and rogues start dropping without a scratch, rumours spread of a dangerous faery demon on the loose, and Philo begins to fear the worst. Then a sudden wave of crime sweeps the neighbourhood, and he can't help but wonder if the two are connected. With help from his new friend, Mr Paxton, Philo finds himself battling a threat far more sinister than any he's faced before. He will need to use all his cunning to uncover the truth behind the demon thief in time to save his friends. This gripping tale of spies, spells and secrets plunges the reader into a dark and perilous world where superstition clashes with the Age of Enlightenment.

This suspenseful ebook original features the main characters from Caroline B. Cooney's hugely successful Janie series, which began with The Face on the Milk Carton. Readers will be enthralled to discover what still matters to Janie, who was kidnapped as a toddler and reunited with her birth family as a teenager, and who may still be in danger as a young woman. Whether readers are fans of the Janie books or are new to the series, this tightly spun thriller is guaranteed to please.

Maggie O’Farrell takes readers on a journey to the darker places of the human heart, where desires struggle with the imposition of social mores. This haunting story explores the seedy past of Victorian asylums, the oppression of family secrets, and the way truth can change everything. In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her vintage clothing shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend’s attempts at commitment, Iris Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital - where she has been locked away for over sixty years. Iris’s grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme’s papers prove she is Kitty’s sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme’s face. Esme has been labeled harmless - sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But Esme’s still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit? Maggie O’Farrell’s intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth will haunt readers long past its final page.

The literary debut of a huge storytelling talentStill in her teenage years, Nazneen finds herself in an arranged marriage with a disappointed man who is twenty years older. Away from the mud and heat of her Bangladeshi village, home is now a cramped flat in a high-rise block in London's East End. Nazneen knows not a word of English, and is forced to depend on her husband. But unlike him she is practical and wise, and befriends a fellow Asian girl Razia, who helps her understand the strange ways of her adopted new British home.Nazneen keeps in touch with her sister Hasina back in the village. But the rebellious Hasina has kicked against cultural tradition and run off in a 'love marriage' with the man of her dreams. When he suddenly turns violent, she is forced into the degrading job of garment girl in a cloth factory.Confined in her flat by tradition and family duty, Nazneen also sews furiously for a living, shut away with her buttons and linings - until the radical...

Nurse Mercy Lynch is elbows deep in bloody laundry at a war hospital in Richmond, Virginia, when Clara Barton comes bearing bad news: Mercy's husband has died in a POW camp. On top of that, a telegram from the west coast declares that her estranged father is gravely injured, and he wishes to see her. Mercy sets out toward the Mississippi River. Once there, she'll catch a train over the Rockies and―if the telegram can be believed―be greeted in Washington Territory by the sheriff, who will take her to see her father in Seattle.Reaching the Mississippi is a harrowing adventure by dirigible and rail through war-torn border states. When Mercy finally arrives in St. Louis, the only Tacoma-bound train is pulled by a terrifying Union-operated steam engine called the Dreadnought. Reluctantly, Mercy buys a ticket and climbs aboard.What ought to be a quiet trip turns deadly when the train is beset by bushwhackers, then vigorously attacked by a band of Rebel soldiers. The train is moving away from battle lines into the vast, unincorporated west, so Mercy can't imagine why they're so interested. Perhaps the mysterious cargo secreted in the second and last train cars has something to do with it?Mercy is just a frustrated nurse who wants to see her father before he dies. But she'll have to survive both Union intrigue and Confederate opposition if she wants to make it off the Dreadnought alive.

It's Valentine's Day and the D'Artigo women are preparing for their friend Iris's wedding. But when Delilah and her sisters get word that the Super Community Center has been bombed, things get really ugly, The evil coyote shifters-the Koyami-are back, and Newkirk, their new leader, has joined forces with a group of rogue sorcerers. Then, just when they think things can't get worse, the demon lord Shadow Wing sends in a new front man, and life really goes to hell. . .

MEET TRIGGER ARGEE….Half a block from the shopping center, a row of spacers on planet-leave came rollicking cheerily toward her…. Trigger shifted toward the edge of the sidewalk to let them pass. As the line swayed up on her left, there was a shadowy settling of an aircar at the curb to her right.With loud outcries of glad recognition and whoops of laughter, the line swung in about her, close. Bodies crowded against her, a hand was clapped over her mouth. Other hands held her arms. Her feet came off the ground and she had a momentary awareness of being rushed expertly forward.There was a lurching twist as the aircar shot upward.SHE’S ABOUT TO ENTER THE MYSTERY OF HER LIFE, IN LEGACY!!

The Purple Land is a novel set in 19th century Uruguay by William Henry Hudson, first published in 1885 under the title The Purple Land that England Lost. Initially a commercial and critical failure, it was reissued in 1904 with the full title The Purple Land, Being One Richard Lamb's Adventures in the Banda Orientál, in South America, as told by Himself. Towards the end of the novel, the narrator explains the title, "I will call my book The Purple Land. For what more suitable name can one find for a country so stained with the blood of her children?"

Steven James Bartlett Senior Research Professor of Philosophy, Oregon State University and Bartlett is known for his fiction, including When the Owl Cries and Adiós Mi México, historical novels set during the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and descriptive of hacienda life, Forward, Children!, a powerful antiwar novel, and numerous short stories. He was also the author of books of poetry, including Spokes for Memory and Wherehill, the nonfiction work, The Haciendas of Mexico: An Artist’s Record, the first extensive artistic and photographic study of haciendas throughout Mexico, and numerous articles about the Mexican haciendas. Bartlett was also an artist whose paintings, illustrations, and drawings have been exhibited in more than 40 one-man shows in leading museums in the U.S. and Mexico. Archives of his work and literary correspondence have now been established at the American Heritage Center of the University of Wyoming, the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection of the University of Texas, and the Rare Books Collection of the University of California, Los Angeles. I am deeply grateful to my wife, Karen Bartlett, for her faithful, patient, and perceptive help with this long project

A historical novel of the Clan Gregor in Scotland based on real events in the 1745 Rising.A historical novel of the Clan Gregor in the 1745 Rising in Scotland. Based on documentary evidence of real people who took part in the last Jacobite Rising in Scotland - 1745/46. With appendices including some of the source material. The principal character is Rob MacGregor, second son of Lt-Col Gregor glun dubh MacGregor of Glengyle who commanded part of the clan regiment.

Comedy and mystery with a twist of supernatural - tales of reality and beyond ‘I recommend these stories to those who enjoy a bit of the macabre with a blend of mystery and a twist of supernatural on the side.’ Readers' FavouriteSleuthing For BeginnersAngela has always had a secret ambition to be a private detective. After her neighbour dies suddenly she launches her own investigation, with unexpected results.A Peaceful DeathGeorge, who has been obsessed with death since his father died, is visited by The Angel of Death, who strikes an unusual bargain.A Girl’s Best FriendAli, the sole beneficiary of her uncle’s will, learns that he may have a secret, ill-gotten fortune stashed away. But she soon discovers she's not the only one determined to find it.The MuseEsther, a struggling romance writer, meets her muse Alfred, and he moves in, providing her with a constant source of inspiration. But is the cost too high?If you like comedy, mystery and fantasy, and you’re looking for a book you can read on the train or in a couple of spare hours, this book of short stories is for you.‘I love Robin Storey's dry wit and realistic characterization of the foibles of human nature.’ Pamela Mariko.Scroll up and click the Buy Button now to start reading this diverse collection of entertaining stories.AUTHOR INTERVIEWDid you come up with the idea of an anthology of short stories and then write them?Not at all. The stories were already written, but not doing anything much, just lounging around in the Short Stories folder on my computer, eating pizza and watching Netflix. So I decided it was time they earned their keep.Why did you choose those particular stories?They all have a common thread of an element of humour, albeit subtle humour for the most part. Two of them are crime, (Sleuthing for Beginners and A Girl’s Best Friend), one is fantasy (A Peaceful Death) and the other has a romantic subplot (The Muse). So I figured there was enough variety to keep readers from being bored.Sleuthing for Beginners and A Peaceful Death were short-listed in short story competitions, but had the sulks because their moment of glory was over before it even started. So to appease them I included them to give them some exposure.What is it you enjoy about writing short stories?Because most of my time now is spent on the marathon of writing novels, I love the sprinting exercise of writing short stories. It’s a refreshing change of pace to be able to see the ending as soon as you start writing. The discipline of short story writing is excellent training for novel writing – it teaches you to be economical and succinct in your word choice, to focus on the story at hand and not get side-tracked and to write in such a way that readers can read between the lines without you having to spell things out.Short stories are as much an exercise on what to leave out as to what to put in. It’s a real art that only comes with practice.Will you be publishing more short stories in the future?I would certainly like to, but I don’t know when. Finding the time to write them is the challenge.

Kyo Tatsuya is a painter who has refused to see his lover for two months, while he prepares his final exhibition as a student of Geidai. He tries to reconcile his past,present and a future his family expects him to follow. While cherishing the love he has for Ryuu Shin.Kyo Tatsuya is a painter working his way through college and selling his paintings to earn a living. He grew up an orphan living in a foster home with two foster siblings, a brother and a sister. And then he meets Ryuu Shin at an art exhibition who takes him to meet his real mother. Due to a bad experience in his past, Kyo doesn't believe Ryuu's claim that he has found Kyo's mother. Ryuu's determination takes him back to his real mother's house, and a love he never would have found were it not for Ryuu Shin.

A tiny Mesopotamian village becomes ground-zero for this fantasy fiction retelling of mankind's most epic story about the battle between good and evil … the clash of empires and ideologies … and the greatest superhero to ever walk the Earth. The Archangel Mikhail.At the dawn of time, two ancient adversaries battled for control of Earth. One man rose to stand at humanity's side. A soldier whose name we still remember today...Mikhail awakens, mortally wounded, in his crashed ship. The gold-eyed young woman who saves his life has abilities which seem familiar, but with no memory of his past, he can't remember why! With his ship destroyed and a shattered wing, he has no choice but to integrate into her village, a task made difficult by her jilted lover. Ninsianna's people have prophecies of a winged champion, a Sword of the Gods who will raise armies from the dust and defend her people against an Evil One. Mikhail insists he is no demi-god, but her dark premonitions and his uncanny ability to kill say otherwise. Even without the technology destroyed along with his ship, the sword he carries is a weapon of mass destruction to a people who still throw sticks and stones. When young women start disappearing, Mikhail must organize her people to fight back against an enemy who remains unseen. Evil whispers to a sullen Prince. A dying species seeks to avoid extinction. Two emperors, entrenched in their ancient ideologies, cannot see the larger threat. As intrigues roil the heavens, a tiny Mesopotamian village becomes ground-zero for this fantasy fiction retelling of mankind's most epic story about the battle between good and evil … the clash of empires and ideologies … and the greatest superhero to ever walk the Earth. The Archangel Mikhail.

Abra, an intellectually gifted woman from a family with mentally retarded parents and siblings, is the family caretaker until she goes away to college severing all family ties. Sixteen years later she learns that her sister died starting her on a quest to understand why she abandoned her family. She falls in love with Adam who helps her cope with her view that she has "dirty genes."Abra, an intellectually gifted woman from a family with mentally retarded parents and siblings, is the family caretaker until she goes away to college severing all family ties. Her high school teacher helps her find a small college far from home where she begins to weave a fictitous life as an orphan. She becomes a successful psychologist and creates an independent life that she likes. Sixteen years after leaving home, she learns that her sister died. She decides to share her family secrets with her friends and colleagues as the starting point on her quest to understand why she abandoned her family. She falls is love with Adam, her high school teacher's nephew, who helps her cope with her view that she has "dirty genes" which should never be passed on.