John and Jan live in thier mundane world where a simple chioce of rental cars can cost more then the weekend rate.John and Jan live in thier mundane world where a simple choice of rental cars can cost more then the weekend rate.

When Sir Thomas, a hero of Crusade, obtained the Holy Grail in hot Saracen sands, that was just a beginning of it. He feels bound to take the relic to his home Britain, yet he has no idea of what monstrous powers are waking to hamper his way… and what great help may be lent by a contemptible Pagan, an apparently-peaceful pilgrim from the far northern land of Rus’.When Sir Thomas, a hero of Crusade, obtained the Holy Grail in hot Saracen sands, that was just a beginning of his dangerous and unpredictable quest. The way back to Britain, his homeland, lies across scorching deserts and the treacherous city of Constantinople. Assassins, villains, hirelings and blood-thirsty savages seem to be leaping onto his way from everywhere. Thomas is proficient with his long sword, he has a brave heart and valiant soul… and also a mysterious companion, a pilgrim from the far northern land of Kievan Rus’ who came to the knight’s aid for some own reasons. But is that enough to overcome the most powerful enemy he’s ever clashed and deliver the priceless relic to where it belongs?

Kiara was taken away from her Minnesotan home at the age of ten years old. Upset, she leaves and soon makes a deal with a man who promised he'd come take her away from the Florida heat. Eight years later, when Kiara is turning the age of eighteen, that same man comes, his promise still in tact, except Kiara wants nothing to do with him and the man is intent on taking her with him, against her willChuck Veal has not heard from his brother in Georgia in over a week and nobody answers the home phone or cell. An employee at the timber mill his brother owns gives him run around answers and the local Sheriff refuses to post a missing person report. With his gut instincts screaming "trouble," Chuck spills his fears to a female co-worker who unexpectedly offers to help. She wants to go with him to Georgia and lend a hand searching for his brother. Little does Chuck realize, she is ESP sensitive and already knows more than she can tell.With few clues to go by, Chuck starts following his brother's clues, starting at the old family cemetery and things go downhill from there. His presence creates a head on collision with small town influencers and power brokers that have left a deadly trail of murder, deceit, and mayhem. Everything from the Atlanta drug cartel to the murderess of his Grandfather sixty years earlier, comes into play."The Beginning" anchors a full boatload of Whispering Pines books ahead about the Veal family trials and tribulations. It is a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller for all ages. Rated PG.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 255-256)

Contains the stories in Dago Red, first published in 1940, together with seven new stories, including "A Nun No More" and "My Father’s God."

In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Georgia Nicholson and Robbie the Sex God are back together. But when Georgia's ex, Dave the Laugh, breaks up with her friend Ellen, Georgia doesn't know what to do.

Her boyfriend’s Christmas party forces Leah to see the true nature of her relationship with him and her “best friend” Jerry.A variety of writers come together to twist traditional fairy tales into unusual and mysterious stories. From Beauty and the Beast, to Hansel and Gretel, to the Ugly Duckling, these stories will be sure to pull you into a fantastical world of princes, romance, and maybe a little science fiction."Plan B" by Katie French. When Nolan is selected as one of the few candidates to work in the Breeders' hospital, he thinks all his troubles are over. Now he can afford precious medicine to save his ailing father. He’s heard of the Breeders’ cruelty, of their inhuman experiments, but he’s sure they’re fabrications. Then he stumbles into the Plan B room and learns how truly awful the Breeders can be. "Tailless" by Ariele Sieling. A retelling of the Ugly Duckling, set on a far away planet in an unknown galaxy. While fighting a war with her people's biggest enemy, young Bode struggles to understand why she feels out of place in her community, and why she, unlike her comrades, was born without a tail."I Am the Maid" by Sarah Dalton. A hostile zombie killing Maid Marian meets an ill-behaved ex-soldier Robin in this post-apocalyptic retelling of Robin Hood. When a young girl falls deathly sick, the two are forced to join forces in order to outwit the Sheriff, and the mysterious Guy Gisbon."Three Wishes" by Marijon Braden. When Aladdin rubbed the magic lamp, things went pretty well for him. But a few thousand years later, the world has changed and the genie is old, cranky, and doesn't play fair. Young Alison thinks she's found the answer to all her prayers, but instead finds that having wishes come true isn't all it's cracked up to be."Killing Snow White" by Jamie Campbell. A magical retelling of the story of Snow White, told entirely by the Evil Queen who supposedly tried to poison her. Think Snow White is innocent? Think again."A House in the Woods" by H.S. Stone. At the conclusion of a scavenger hunt for Old World artifacts, Hansel and Gretel find themselves lost on the outskirts of the city after dark. They stumble upon a house in the nearby woods, hoping that they will find help inside, but the house's inhabitant has other ideas.“Flight” by Zoe Cannon. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Dragged to the palace at swordpoint, commanded to cure the cursed prince with a kiss, Lucia wants nothing more than to return to her solitary world of books and magical study. But she soon discovers that she and the prince share more in common than she could have imagined… and that the truth behind his curse could destroy—or save—them both.

Jones is marooned when his ship crashes. Where is he? How will he survive? Katie is an archaeologist investigating a spectacular find in an English forest. How are these two characters from very different worlds linked? How will the majestic mammoths bring them together?NEW VERSION - 2013 Edit...A short science fiction story. Look out for more stories featuring Jones.Jones is usually a loner, a part-time, space faring freelance hit man. Finding himself marooned on a hostile beach he needs to use his ingenuity to survive in an environment inhabited by mammoths. Katie is a bright young archaeologist who has made a startling discovery in an English forest. These two disparate characters are thrown together, and find that their different worlds are inextricably linked by the past, the future and by the majestic mammoths.A short science fiction story. Look out for more stories featuring Jones.NEW VERSION - 2013 Edit...

Do you feel your life is that bad you need to leave so much of it behind?Do you feel your life is that good you can’t leave part of it behind?Fairly looked around the room anxiously. The sterile white walls were no comfort; the spotted plaster of the ceiling was not much better. The beaten linoleum floor shone with a dim glow from the overhead fluorescent lighting, showing a reflection of his jeans where the mop had washed most recently. Fairly exhaled deeply, hoping to quell the trembling that overtook his body whenever he had to take a needle. It’s just a blood test, he told himself unconvincingly. They’re not going to put anything in you, just take a bit of something out, and you have five litres of it anyway. That was what the sources he had read had said. Five litres, and only one needle’s worth will be coming out. Still not how I want to be spending my first Friday afternoon off in weeks.

As a child, Coriel Halsing spent many glorious summers at Castle Auburn with her half-sister-and fell in love with a handsome prince who could never be hers. But now that she is a young woman, she begins to see the dark side of this magical place...

It’s Valentines Party Fever at school, but Harley doesn’t quite “get” it. Sulking over an absent chocolate fountain has never been a priority in the Hartley household – at least not for anyone out of Infants.Relations between her friends are fractious at best, with things at home not much of an improvement. In Harley’s constantly turning world, is there even time for a happy middling?Bully Asta has gone out of her way to identify the poor unfortunates who have missed out on her Valentines party, but no fear – Rachel is here to provide more than enough sulking and snarking to make up for it.Shelley’s birthday was never going to be a good time for left-behind Harley, and it’s a fortnight of high emotion for the whole family. Zak’s got a brand new console and Kitty’s got a hidden talent, while Aimee has turned bitchier than anyone ever thought possible.In Harley’s constantly turning world, is there even time for a happy middling?

Charlie Cradle’s life was going nowhere fast. Being awkward and shy made it difficult getting out, so she believed virtual sunshine from her video game world was enough for her. But one day, all of that changed when she was challenged to live a more fulfilling life by someone at her mundane telemarketing job. That's when she meets an unlikely love interest, who just so happened to be a wizard.Charlie Cradle’s life was going nowhere fast. Being awkward and shy made it difficult getting out, so she believed virtual sunshine from her video game world was enough for her. But one day, all of that changed when she was challenged to live a more fulfilling life by someone at her mundane telemarketing job. What she wouldn’t have guessed before embarking on her quest, however, was that she would meet an unlikely love interest, who just so happened to be a wizard.It’s a story about self-discovery and personal growth, and how love is never as easy as we wish it could be. But one thing is for sure… Charlie Cradle will never be the same again.

After being in a prison cell for two years, Hector hopes to get home and breathe easy. But he can't. His dead father's things wait for his attention, and his sister can't help with much of anything. Getting back to civilian life is always tough for ex-cons, and it's no different for Hector. Seems that he's boxed in. Again.Fans are calling this book the perfect blend of "The Lord of the Rings" and "Star Wars".Terrynmen was a once magnificent realm that was sadly devastated by a terrible war between the armies of the living and the forces of the undead. Their final battle ended in a heinous catastrophe, which stopped the world from rotating, cursing half the planet in endless darkness and the other in scorching daylight. The defeated blood demons and other creatures of the night, found refuge on the cold, sunless side of the planet, while the victorious, mortal beings were forced to rebuild their once great cities in the sweltering, sunlit lands.A millennium later, the forces of darkness have united under a mysterious leader and are preparing for the final annihilation of the mortal races. The only hope for the sunlit side of the planet is a young slave named Maxtix, who has been forced fight as a gladiator since childhood. Fortunately, Maxtix has a secret that has kept him alive through countless battles… but will it be enough to save the world?

The noted critic and a Palestinian now teaching at Columbia University,examines the way in which the West observes the Arabs.

Teens dragon master Jakkin and beloved healer-in-training Akki hide in mountain cave network beside Heart's Blood warm hatchlings, exchanging mind-picture "sendings". But who could leave a huge pile of stripped dragon bones neatly interwoven? The monstrous secret is bloodier than they could imagine. Can they save anyone, even sacrificing themselves?

Blake Drywater has a new wizard science teacher, who briefly turns Blake's class into roaches and earthworms. But Blake soon learns there is more than science going on in his classroom. An evil wizard is seeking a powerful potion his teacher has made. And when Blake drinks the potion soon thereafter, he finds himself facing problems far harder than any science exam!Blake Drywater is plagued by bullies, doesn't like any of his classes, and hates school in general. All of that changes, however, when he learns that his new science teacher is a wizard. Before long his teacher briefly transforms every student in the class into roaches and earthworms, and magically takes them all to England in the blink of an eye.But Blake soon learns there is more than science going on in his classroom. An evil wizard is seeking a potion his teacher has made--a potion with enough power to change the world. And when Blake drinks the potion soon thereafter, he finds himself facing problems far harder than any science exam!

A cold war story set in 1970s Chicago, Trinity Icon introduces a team of covert operations specialists on a mission to stop a spectacular bombing downtown. Third year student Alex Dolnikov finds herself caught up in the mission and fighting for her own survival.During her third year at university in 1970s Chicago, Alex decides to ditch the commute from her parents' house on the South Side. The stormy relationship with her mother makes her determined to strike out on her own. Alex's experience is no exception to the rule that life changes tend to come in threes.. A new apartment and a request from her parish priest to help him find a missing miraculous icon are mundane enough, until she meets the men of Charlemagne, who have embarked on a dangerous antiterror mission. Caught up in their murky world, Alex discovers more than a few facts about her family's past and her own future.That is, if she survives the present.

A gripping psychological thriller with contemporary science fiction elements. Sally has the ability to see the thoughts of others when she touches their skin. It's turned her into a recluse, until a friend is killed and Sally's gift provides the only hope of finding the murderer.A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THINGSally suffers from a curse: the ability to Touch others and see their thoughts. She doesn’t know how. She doesn’t know why. All she knows is what people are thinking. And she doesn’t like what she sees. Driven to a life of seclusion trying to avoid the minds of those around her, she has given up hope of a normal life. Until a friend is murdered, and the police have no leads on the killer. Now, in order to bring justice, Sally must come out of hiding, embracing her gift instead of rejecting it, and making use of every ability at her disposal – natural and unnatural. New enemies rise along with new friends, and the hope of a life Sally had long since given up on – if she can keep herself alive to enjoy it. This debut work of independent author Garrett Robinson thrills from start to finish, exploring themes of thought versus action and takes a new, realistic look at the effect of inhuman abilities. A pulse-pounding ride that promises to keep you at the edge of your seat.

An epidemic that's turning humans into zombies has swept over the eastern United States and quite possibly the world, and Flex Sheridan doesn't like it one bit. Join Flex, his girlfriend Gem, British scientist Hemp Chatsworth, his foul-mouthed 6-year old niece Trina, and crossbow-wielding Charlie, as they use street smarts and technology to survive in this terrifying new world.An epidemic that's turning humans into zombies has swept over the eastern United States and quite possibly the world, and Flex Sheridan doesn't like it one bit. In an effort to save his younger sister, Flex re-connects with perhaps the strongest woman he knows - Gem Cardoza, his former girlfriend. Together they take his six-year-old niece Trina, the only uninfected survivor of his sister's famiy, and his infected sister Jamie, and make a run from central Florida back to his isolated home in Lula, Georgia.As they head north, they encounter another uninfected, Hemphill "Hemp" Chatsworth. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Hemp is British, and extremely smart. He holds multiple degrees, most significantly in Epidemiology and Mechanical Engineering, both of which this group will need in this terrifying new world.Along with the crossbow-wielding Charlene "Charlie" Sanders and a pregnant Great Pyrenees, this small group uses street smarts, book smarts, and technology to defend against the new "Abnormals" that walk the earth. But Hemp is also compelled to learn how they got this way, and if possible, how to reverse the condition and save Flex's sister.So grab your machine gun and take a ride in their fortified vehicles and mobile lab; you're going to want these people on your side when the Dead Hunger . . .

Ever find yourself in a dead-end with no future? Years after graduating from college with an art degree, Bugsy finds himself on a treadmill to nowhere and wonders how everything went wrong in the first place.Bugsy first appears in my short story "East Village" as a 16-year-old runaway living near Tompkins Square Park in 1967. Here we meet him again exactly one decade later and his circumstances have changed dramatically. If you don't set a course in life, you begin to drift, which has good and bad aspects. This story takes place in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, twin-cities dominated by the biggest university in Illinois. Many graduates hang around town for a few years after graduation trying to figure out a next move.