Colonel Ridge Zirkander isn't the model of military professionalism - he has a tendency to say exactly what’s on his mind, and his record has enough demerits to wallpaper the hull of an airship - but as the best fighter pilot in the Iskandian army, he’s used to a little leniency from his superiors. Until he punches the wrong diplomat in the nose and finds himself issued new orders: take command of a remote prison mine in the inhospitable Ice Blades Mountains. Ridge has never been in charge of anything larger than a flier squadron — what’s he supposed to do with a frozen fortress full of murderers and rapists? Not to mention the strange woman who shows up right before he arrives... Sardelle Terushan wakes from three hundred years in a mage stasis shelter, only to realize that she is the last of the Referatu, the sorcerers who once helped protect Iskandia from conquerors. Their subterranean mountain community was blown up in a treacherous sneak attack by soldiers who feared their power. Everyone Sardelle ever knew is dead, and the sentient soulblade she has been bonded to since her youth is buried in the core of the mountain. Further, what remains of her home has been infested by bloodthirsty miners commanded by the descendants of the very soldiers who destroyed her people. Sardelle needs help to reach her soulblade — her only link to her past and her last friend in the world. Her only hope is to pretend she’s one of the prisoners while trying to gain the commander’s trust. But lying isn't her specialty, especially when the world has changed so much in the intervening centuries, and if Colonel Zirkander figures out who she truly is, he’ll be duty-bound to sentence her to the only acceptable punishment for sorcerers: death.

A lost colony is reborn in this heart-pounding fantasy adventure set in the near future . . . Sixteen-year-old Thomas has always been an outsider. The first child born without the power of an Element—earth, water, wind or fire—he has little to offer his tiny, remote Outer Banks colony. Or so the Guardians would have him believe. In the wake of an unforeseen storm, desperate pirates kidnap the Guardians, intent on claiming the island as their own. Caught between the plague-ridden mainland and the advancing pirates, Thomas and his friends fight for survival in the battered remains of a mysterious abandoned settlement. But the secrets they unearth will turn Thomas’ world upside-down, and bring to light not only a treacherous past but also a future more dangerous than he can possibly imagine.

*Ciao bella! * SISTERCHICK n.: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat. When Jenna is invited to Venice for a week of cooking for a small retreat group, she knows just who to take along: her sister-in-law Sue. With her Dallas drawl and wild tangle of red hair, Sue desperately needs her own retreat from the pressures of the past two years…and blessedly for their guests, Sue actually knows how to cook (unlike Jenna)! With about six words of Italian between them, a map, and a keen appetite for gelato, they puzzle out the lovely city together. During their stay, Jenna and Sue become victims of grace in ways they never expected—starting with their accommodations: a restored fifteenth-century palace on a quiet canal complete with a stairwell perfect for mattress sledding! Coming out of a time of dark shadows in their lives, these two friends dive into a new season of refreshing and realize that sometimes when serving God, the most important thing to do is just show up…and watch for goodness and mercy to follow close behind. Come join Jenna and Sue over boiling pots of pasta in this lilting gondola-paced adventure! Discussion guide included Story Behind the Book Sisterchicks in Gondolas was birthed after Robin experienced Italy for herself. “In the summer of 2004, I went to Venice with my lifetime fellow Sisterchick from Ireland , Ruby,” she says. “We explored the city with our daughters and discovered the joys of Italian living.” With a splash of humor, grace, and a few zany antics, this latest Sisterchicks release continues to celebrate the unique and timeless bond between women friends. Entertaining and delightful, the story also challenges readers to examine their relationships with one another and with God. From the Trade Paperback edition.

The only way to rescue the future is to alter the past. When Abby stepped through the hourglass door, leaving her beloved Dante blind and bleeding on the other side, it was in full faith that she could find a way to repair the damage to the river of time and restore him—as well as her family. It was a desperate chance that seemed worth taking. But Zo had other plans. Now Abby is trapped in a full-fledged battle for her own mind and life and heart. Even worse, Zo's evil intent reaches beyond simple revenge against her and Dante. The whole world is in danger of collapsing unless Abby can summon her courage and undertake a journey that will lead her beyond the origins of the hourglass door.

In The Soul’s Mark, Eric Carter felt a burning spark when he first laid eyes on Amelia Caldwell. There was just something about her—something familiar—that pulled him to her. The problem was acting on the spark was suicide. Amelia was marked for his father.Eric had been around for a long time, and before Amelia, life happened. One day he was a simple rancher and then the next, he was thrust into a world that he had never known existed, and dreaming of a girl that he knew he couldn’t live without. In this novella, Eric Carter’s history is revealed.

Pick your poison: Vampires, devils, werewolves, faeries, or . . . ? Find them all here in Holly Black’s amazing first collection. In her debut collection, New York Times best-selling author Holly Black returns to the world of Tithe in two darkly exquisite new tales. Then Black takes readers on a tour of a faerie market and introduces a girl poisonous to the touch and another who challenges the devil to a competitive eating match. Some of these stories have been published in anthologies such as 21 Proms, The Faery Reel, and The Restless Dead, and many have been reprinted in many “Best of ” anthologies. The Poison Eaters is Holly Black’s much-anticipated first collection, and her ability to stare into the void—and to find humanity and humor there—will speak to young adult and adult readers alike.

Kayla made her choice and now she has to live with it. She stays with the Day Takers, hiding in the city, staking vampires. But fighting vampires as a human is difficult. Sylas constantly pressures Kayla to choose the life of a Day Taker. But until Kayla knows what Monarch is planning, she can’t make her choice. Plus there’s Aiden. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop thinking about him. As Kayla’s memories resurface, the pieces of her history unfold. She learns of Cell 7, a place that Kayla believes holds the answers to the creation of the virus. But getting to Cell 7 is a dangerous mission. And with Kayla's strength weakening, it's one mission she might not make it through alive.

VAMPIRES DRANK MY KOOL-AID When Justin's long-lost sister, Ivy, shows up at the funeral for Elyssa's brother, Jack, it seems like the family reunion Justin has long hoped for is finally here. But Ivy isn't interested in playing Barbie or hanging out at the mall with her big brother. She's on a mission against evil, and Justin is at the top of her big-bad-meanies list. Before Ivy can carry through on her threats, Justin finds out that she's been kidnapped. The kidnapper is none other than Maximus, a self-styled rebel leader of his own army of vampires who once kidnapped Justin's father. He also happens to be a world-class douchebag. Despite Ivy's homicidal inclinations toward Justin, loyalty to family leads him to go after Ivy and settle things with Maximus once and for all. Unfortunately, nothing goes to plan, and Maximus's minions capture Justin. But even as Justin fights to free himself, he discovers Maximus plans to use Justin's incubus blood to fuel his quest for world domination. And the rogue vampire isn't even at the top of the food chain. Far more powerful forces stand behind him: Daelissa the insane angel, Maximus's vampire sire, and, even worse, Justin's grandparents and, quite possibly his own mother.

The Dark Realms are taking cover after an angel onslaught from On High. The Antichrist has been injured and the fourth biblical seal has been broken. Yonnie and Val, a strange combination of a daywalker and an angel hybrid, have joined Damali and Carlos's team. And the two new Council-level vamps, Elizabeth Bathory and Lucrezia Borgia, are still in recovery from their last mission. Seething in the underworld is the Unnamed One, so furious that he's bringing the battle topside, unleashing a full-frontal assault on mankind for the offenses committed by the Neteru team. This time, the Guardian team must address serious human casualties and collateral damage while Nuit rebuilds Blood Music from a mere record label into a media brainwashing empire for the Dark Lord.

Anyan may be trapped in an evil dragon and Blondie may be gone, but Jane knows one thing: she's not about to give up. She's ready to tear down heaven and earth to save her lover, despite those who believe he's lost. Luckily for Jane, those who've given up on Anyan do not include those closest to her. Defying The Powers That Be, Jane and Company form their own crack squad of misfits, in whose hands the fate of the world may well rest. With a little help from her friends, the Universe, and lots of snacks, Jane embarks on her greatest adventure yet, confident that with great sacrifice comes great reward. The question is, who will be that sacrifice?

When Kiera and her friends return from the dead, they soon realise that the world is not the same – it has been pushed. Returning to Hallowed Manor, Kiera soon learns that it’s not only the world that has changed, she is changing, too. Asked to help solve the murder of missing school teacher, Emily Clarke, Kiera and her friends soon discover that they are now living in a world where humans and wolves live together, sharing a fragile peace. But during her investigations, Kiera soon discovers that the world is now a much darker and dangerous place than the one she left behind.

We're the D'Artigo sisters: sexy, savvy ex-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But being half-human, half-Fae means our powers go haywire at all the wrong times. My sister Delilah is a Death Maiden and werecat who belongs to the Autumn Lord. My sister Menolly is a vampire who's dating a gorgeous werepuma, and the godfather of the undead-set. And me? I'm Camille, Priestess of the Moon Mother, married to a dragon, a youkai, and a Svartan. But my dragon father-in-law has decided that he doesn't like having me for a member of the family. . . It's Winter Solstice, and Aeval welcomes me into her Court of Darkness. With Morio still dangerously weak from his injuries and Vanzir alive only thanks to my silence, the thought of training under Morgaine doesn't seem as daunting as it did. But then, Hyto returns to shatter my life. Captured and swept off to the Dragon Reaches, can I manage to stay alive long enough to escape, even as Smoky's father intends to break my spirit, then my body?

TOLKIEN'S BOOKSHELF #3: THE STORY OF THE GLITTERING PLAIN - ILLUSTRATED. This fantasy novel by the famous 19th century English designer, artist and writer William Morris describes the journey of Hallblithe, a young man on an epic quest to rescue his love. J.R.R. Tolkien was two years old when the illustrated edition was published in 1894, complete with decorated borders and capitals by Morris and richly detailed pictures by Walter Crane. Tolkien read Morris’s works as a boy, enjoying both the story and the pictures. This new edition is a close replica of that very book, with more than 700 exquisite graphic images woven into the layout. William Morris was an enormous influence on Tolkien's literary interests. Tolkien discovered Morris's translations in his teens, and his interest in the great man deepened at Exeter College, Oxford, where Morris had also been an undergraduate. Dart-Thornton’s new introduction to this edition describes some intriguing links between Morris and Tolkien. Like Morris, the illustrator Walter Crane was associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement. Crane is renowned as the most prolific and influential children's book creator of his generation. He created all his illustrations as woodcuts for Morris’s Kelmscott Press. 'The Story of the Glittering Plain' is one of several William Morris works known to have inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation of 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings'.

This classic text from G.K. Chesterton is an exciting collection of quirky detective short stories featuring the fictitious sleuth, Basil Grant.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

A few poems in sonnet. It is about love, struggles, failures,pain, beauty, fun, and the sad life of some people I met.This is my first try publishing my poems. I really hope to hear reviews from people who appreciates poetry.

A collection of original poems wrote by me during my freshman and sophomore years of high school.These are all original poems I wrote throughout a year. I write what comes to mind or based off memories. A few of my poems are based of some of my favorite memories while the rest are fiction. Imagination is a writers greatest tool, and my imagination roams wild.

Remember, next time you get a job offer, to do a reality check before you accept.Anne Jones -- ordinary name of an ordinary person starting an ordinary office job. Was it her, or was every one of her colleagues completely insane? Was it her?

Random thoughts brought forth as short written pieces. These pieces are my own. Some were created while enduring a meeting and scribbled on the side of a page of notes.Casual use of the English language to bring forth thoughts to the written page. These writings are randomly arranged. Many of these were started as scribbles on the side of a page during a meeting, in a class, or while making manual entries or updates in my paper calendar.

A murdered groom. An unexpected baby. A vengeful father. Can the killer’s brother save the day? First in the Coach’s Boys series, The Daddy Pact is a sweet, poignant romance about love lost and new, unexpected beginnings. It’s a heartwarming story of selflessness in the face of tragedy, friendships, and laughter—with a little mystery thrown in for good measure.A murdered groom. An unexpected baby. A vengeful father. Can the killer’s brother save the day?Raised in foster homes, when Jess Bentley promised, ‘til death do us part,’ she envisioned many happy decades building a family with Frank. But a desperate drug addict in a dark parking lot ended those dreams before the honeymoon was over. Convinced the empty place in her heart will never heal, she’s ready to give up—until she discovers their brief marriage resulted in a surprise pregnancy.All Dan Mulholland wants following his brother’s arrest is to relieve the guilt that’s tearing him up inside. He is determined to help the widowed bride in any way he can, especially when he learns she’s carrying her dead husband’s child … and her wealthy father-in-law intends to take the baby.First in the Coach’s Boys series, The Daddy Pact is a sweet, poignant romance about love lost and new, unexpected beginnings. It’s a heartwarming story of selflessness in the face of tragedy, friendships, and laughter—with a little mystery thrown in for good measure.