Are you stuck in a situation too prickly to take to law enforcement? Or, they've been no help at all.Switch sides.Call an outlaw...Troy Bittles, a retired Enforcer for the world's most notorious bike gang The Breakers, can help. Retirement is boring, and he's done a lot of bad. In an effort to balance the scale of justice Troy uses his special skill set to help his neighbors.Bad neighbor, worse landlord, car repossessed, runaway spouse or child.Are you stuck in a situation too prickly to take to law enforcement? Or, they've been no help at all.Switch sides.Call an outlaw...Troy Bittles, a retired Enforcer for the world's most notorious bike gang The Breakers, can help. Retirement is boring, and he's done a lot of bad. In an effort to balance the scales of justice Troy uses his particular skill set to help his neighbors.Oak Park is a diverse gumbo of Nouveau Rich, street gangs, and motorcycle clubs with a worldwide footprint. That diversity leads to many great and extraordinary alliances.Aidan and Margie Hills have been in the neighborhood since WWII. They are upstanding model citizens. Their best friend and de facto son, Troy, is the mirror image of most that is good.Troy was born and raised in the neighborhood. Like father like son, Troy is a one-percenter, a motorcycle outlaw. He has never worked a traditional job in his life, yet is highly paid for what he does.The Hilles are desperate, their teenage grandson whom they have raised as their own son has run away. Up until now he has been a trouble-free young man, but bad company corrupts good manners as the Good Book says. Or, as Aidan would put it, “You run with dogs, you’ll get fleas.” Aaron recently took up with the Goths, kids with an over-familiarity to death and dead things.The Hilles realize they should have called Troy earlier.Can Troy track down one runaway in a city of seven million? Can he ‘bring’ him home? All in one piece...Moonlight began its life as the opening chapter of my soon to come crime novel, Flatline. It was eighty-sixed for not fitting in.I enjoyed this part of the story, and I think you will too.All the elements and scenes in this story, to one degree or another, come from my own experiences.

Demons are coming to take Dr. Allsdipp, a Nobel Prize Winner, away. He doesn't want to go, and his fight to keep his soul has made him the oldest person alive. Grant Highgrim, a down and out reporter, has a chance to become a real reporter again--if he can interview the oldest man alive, but first, he must save the geezer from a legion of beetle-demons coming to claim his soul.Not only is Grant Highgrim about to be evicted from his apartment for nonpayment, his career as a reporter is on the line. When he learns the world’s oldest living man—the reclusive 150-year-old Nobel Prize winner Dr Henry Allsdipp—Highgrim is determined to interview him. He thinks he has found a way to get his floundering career on track. All he has to do is to persuade Allsdipp to reveal the secret of his long life.On the day that Highgrim arrives to interview the ill-tempered recluse, everything goes wrong. A horde of demon beetles invades the home, seeking just one thing--Henry Allsdipp’s soul. Highgrim must conquer his irrational fear of insects to save the old man and his own future at the same time.How can he save the cranky Allsdipp from the demons coming to take him away?

*"The father of African literature in the English language and undoubtedly one of the most important writers of the second half of the twentieth century." --Caryl Phillips, The Observer *Chinua Achebe's award-winning poems are marked by a subtle richness and the political acuity and moral vision that are a signature of all of his work. Focused and powerful, and suffused with wisdom and compassion, Collected Poems is further evidence of this great writer's sublime gifts and it is an essential part of the oeuvre of a giant of world literature. **

The thrilling sequel to "Forbidden Sister," featuring a high-priced escort whose goal is to reunite her sister with their relatives, but instead finds unexpected love. Kicked out of her house because her father can no longer tolerate her constant delinquency, Roxy wanders the streets of New York, living in a fleabag hotel. Spotted by an "agent" for Madam Brittany, a sophisticated woman who runs an escort service, Roxy is taken into the Madam's "training program" where she is educated and set up with her own boutique apartment. When Roxy takes her sister in after their parents' death, she doesn't expect it to be for long. Her plan is to get her sister to Paris where she can live with relatives. But then Roxy's own life becomes complicated when she falls in love with a wealthy young Frenchman while on vacation, and suddenly her immediate future seems uncertain....

Description from the inside sleeve: This scintillating, disturbing, and altogether outrageous collection of stories introduces to these shores a young writer already being called "the Scottish Celine of the 1990s" (Guardian) and "a mad postmodern Roald Dahl" (Weekend Scotsman). Using a range of approaches from bitter realism to demented fantasy, Irvine Welsh is able to evoke the essential humanity, well hidden as it is, of his generally depraved, lazy, manipulative, and vicious characters. He specializes particularly in cosmic reversals--God turns a hapless footballer into a fly; an acid head and a newborn infant exchange consciousnesses with sardonically unexpected results--always displaying a corrosive wit and a telling accuracy of language and detail. Irvine Welsh is one hilariously dangerous writer and he is bound to create a sensation. Includes the following stories: "The Shooter" "Eurotrash" "Stoke Newington Blues" "Vat '96" "A Soft Touch" "The Last Resort on the Adriatic" "Sexual Disaster Quartet" "Snuff" "A Blockage in the System" "Wayne Foster" "Where the Debris Meets the Sea" "Granny's Old Junk" "The House of John Deaf" "Across the Hall" "Lisa's Mum Meets the Queen Mum" "The Two Philosophers" "Disnae Matter" "The Granton Star Cause" "Snowman Building Parts for Rico the Squirrel" "Sport for All" "The Acid House" A Smart Cunt: a novella

Jackson Winstanley Sweettooth (or Jack for short) is a mouse who lives with Matthew and the rest of the Bailey family. He gets the blame for a lot of things - Mrs Bailey thinks he's swallowed her ruby and nibbled at Shani's birthday cake. And Jack's biggest enemy is Beauregard Battersby-Bunge, the pesky ginger cat from next door. But everything gets better when another mouse, Blossom, comes to stay with the Baileys - soon Blossom and Jack are the best of friends!

From V.E. Schwab, the critically acclaimed author of Vicious, comes a new universe of daring adventure, thrilling power, and parallel Londons, beginning with A Darker Shade of Magic. Kell is one of the last Travelers—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes—as such, he can choose where he lands. There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne—a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London...but no one speaks of that now.Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see—a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations, first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—and that is proving trickier than they hoped.

Wendy Mass turns to another magical birthday: 13! When Tara, a self-proclaimed shrinking violet, steals the school mascot, a goat, in order to make some friends with the popular crowd and gets caught, she gets herself in a heap of trouble. In addition, her parents decide that instead of taking her on their summer trip to Madagascar to study the courtship rituals of the Bamboo Lemur, she must go stay with her aunt, uncle, and bratty cousin Emily St. Claire in Willow Falls. Tara thinks it's a good time to start over; she'll be turning 13 after all, so she might as well make the best of it and perhaps even attempt to break out of her shell (in a non-criminal manner). What Tara doesn't know is that this charmed town has something big in store for her on her 13th birthday. It's not a typical birthday. But then again, nothing is Willow Falls is exactly typical!

Luna is a no-hoper with a secret: in a world of illusion, she can see what is real. But can she see the truth before it is too late? Luna has always been able to exist in virtual and real worlds at the same time, a secret she is warned to keep. She hides her ability by being a Refuser: excluded by choice from the virtual spheres others inhabit. But when she is singled out for testing, she can’t hide any longer. The safest thing to do would be to fail, to go back to a dead-end life, no future. But Luna is starting to hope for something better, and hope is a dangerous thing...

Countless writers and artists have spoken for a generation, but no one has done it quite like Chuck Klosterman. With an exhaustive knowledge of popular culture and an almost effortless ability to spin brilliant prose out of unlikely subject matter, Klosterman attacks the entire spectrum of postmodern America: reality TV, Internet porn, Pamela Anderson, literary Jesus freaks, and the real difference between apples and oranges (of which there is none). And don't even get him started on his love life and the whole Harry-Met-Sally situation. Whether deconstructing Saved by the Bell episodes or the artistic legacy of Billy Joel, the symbolic importance of The Empire Strikes Back or the Celtics/Lakers rivalry, Chuck will make you think, he'll make you laugh, and he'll drive you insane -- usually all at once. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is ostensibly about art, entertainment, infotainment, sports, politics, and kittens, but -- really -- it's about us. All of us. As Klosterman realizes late at night, in the moment before he falls asleep, "In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever 'in and of itself.'" Read to believe.

The red Cadillac pulled down Main Street and sat by the tavern for hours, unnoticed. Then Ralph Bird of the Men's Store recognized the driver as Jack Burdette and bolted to the sheriff's office. The prodigal son of Holt, Colorado, had returned--and he was far from welcome. In Where You Once Belonged, acclaimed novelist Kent Haruf tells of a small-town hero who is dealt an enviable hand--and cheats with all of the cards. In prose as lean and supple as a spring switch, Haruf describes a high school football star who wins the heart of the loveliest girl in the county and the admiration of men twice his age. Fun-loving, independent, Burdette engages in the occasional prank. But when he turns into a man, his high jinks turn into crimes--with unspeakable consequences. Now, eight years later, Burdette has returned to commit his greatest trespass of all. And the  people of Holt may not be able to stop him. Deftly plotted, defiantly honest, Where You Once Belonged sings the song of a wounded prairie community in a narrative with the earmarks of a modern American classic.

Three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Albee’s most provocative, daring, and controversial play since Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Goat won every major award for best new play of the year: the Tony, New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. In the play, Martin—a hugely successful architect who has just turned fifty—leads an ostensibly ideal life with his loving wife and gay teenage son. But when he confides to his best friend that he is also in love with a goat (named Sylvia), he sets in motion events that will destroy his family and leave his life in tatters. The playwright himself describes it this way: “Every civilization sets quite arbitrary limits to its tolerances. The play is about a family that is deeply rocked by an unimaginable event and how they solve that problem. It is my hope that people will think afresh about whether or not all the values they hold are valid."

Originally published as part of the USA Today bestselling anthology Eye Candy, The Pumpkin was Stuffed is another hilarious installment in USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec’s outrageous series! The Holiday family is together one last time for Halloween! As Sam and Noel prepare for their upcoming life with a new baby, their crazy family and friends pull out all the tricks and treats and jack-o’-lanterns to make sure this ghostly holiday is one to remember…or, like the last few holidays they’ve celebrated together, one they’d rather forget.

In Have Stakes, Will Travel, readers get a chance to go deeper into the thrilling world of skinwalker and vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock. In “WeSa,” the Beast who lives inside Jane watches as her hunting grounds become prey. In “Haints,” Jane and her best friend, witch Molly Trueblood, are hired to investigate mysterious paranormal phenomena—and the evil they find brings a new meaning to the words "haunted house". “Signatures of the Dead” tells the story of the vampire massacre that made Jane Yellowrock a household name. And in “Cajun with Fangs,” Jane makes a new friend who turns out to have old enemies, and finds herself drawn into a vicious blood feud, fueled by dark magic and ancient grudges.

"For four novels, Clive Cussler has charted the exploits of the Oregon, a covert ship completely dilapidated on the outside but on the inside packed with sophisticated weaponry and intelligence-gathering equipment. Captained by the rakish, one-legged Juan Cabrillo and manned by a crew of former military and spy personnel, it is a private enterprise, available for any government agency that can afford it - and now Cussler sends the Oregon on its most extraordinary mission yet." The crew has just completed a top secret mission against Iran in the Persian Gulf when they come across a cruise ship adrift at sea. Hundreds of bodies litter its deck, and, as Cabrillo tries to determine what happened, explosions rack the length of the ship. Barely able to escape with his own life and that of the liner's sole survivor, Cabrillo finds himself plunged into a mystery as intricate - and as perilous - as any he has ever known and pitted against a cult with monstrously lethal plans for the human race ... plans he may already be too late to stop.

What happens when a tale with real magic, that was supposed to be finished, never was? This is a story about one of those stories . . . Midge loves riddles, his cat, Twitch, and ‒ most of all ‒ stories. Especially because he’s grown up being read to by his sister Alice, a brilliant writer. When Alice goes missing and a talking cat turns up in her bedroom, Midge searches Alice’s stories for a clue. Soon he discovers that her secret book, The Museum of Unfinished Stories, is much more than just a story. In fact, he finds two of its characters wandering around town. But every tale has its villains ‒ and with them leaping off the page, Midge, Gypsy and Piper must use all their wits and cunning to work out how the story ends and find Alice. If they fail, a more sinister finale threatens them all . . .

A novel full of heart, humor, and charm from Newbery Honor winner Joan Bauer! When twelve-year-old Foster and her mother land in the tiny town of Culpepper, they don't know what to expect. But folks quickly warm to the woman with the great voice and the girl who can bake like nobody's business. Soon Foster - who dreams of having her own cooking show one day - lands herself a gig baking for the local coffee shop, and gets herself some much-needed help in overcoming her biggest challenge - learning to read . . . just as Foster and Mama start to feel at ease, their past catches up to them. Thanks to the folks in Culpepper, though Foster and her mama find the strength to put their troubles behind them for good. Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 1/5/2012 Pages: 272 Reading Level: Age 10 and Up

HardPress Classic Books Series

Strange things are happening: old friends disappearing, angels (or devils) clambering on the fire escapes of New York City. But for Pearl, Moz, and Zahler, all that matters is the band. As the city reels under a mysterious epidemic, the three combine their talents with a vampire lead singer and a drummer whose fractured mind can glimpse the coming darkness. Will their music stave off the end? Or summon it? Set against the gritty apocalypse that began in Peeps, The Last Days is about five teenagers who find themselves creating the soundtrack for the end of the world.

The Rover Boys at School; Or, The Cadets of Putnam Hall By Edward Stratemeyer