A short story about Mo Dingle's ill-fated attempt to bag a bear for a bearskin rug.When a rebellious youth named Donovan leaves his home in Europe for a family trip to Australia, he quickly determines another course when he takes advantage of an opportunity to seek out adventure of his own. While slipping away from the care of his guardian and sister at the airport in Darwin, he decides to take a tour bus to a Crocodile Farm, which inadvertently continues to take him hundreds of miles deeper in the outback and into Kakadu National park. His curiosity continues to get the best of him, when he sets off on foot to explore a trail to a waterfall and plunge pool. One mishap leads to another until he finds himself alone in the dark and unprepared to face the unknown that envelopes his surroundings. Once he discovers that he is lost, he continues to make his way through the bush, but not without its perils. Eventually, he befriends an Aborigine boy named Neji, who is on a journey into manhood. Together they fight against the elements and the mysteries of the dark, with beliefs and rituals as deep as the Dreamtime. All the while, a peculiar stranger continues to shadow them for unknown reasons. Pretty soon, Donovan finds himself on an unexpected course with this deliberate Swagman, with his harsh ways and cruel intentions. Without warning, Donovan is forced to use all that he has learned, in order to survive this downward spiral that seems to be leading him nowhere, with his only hope of making it back to civilization again...

Welcome to Elephant Small Vol 5. This is the fifth in a series of five ebooks that cover five years of original verse previously published on my weblog 'Elephant Small'. Vol 5 covers edited highlights from the years 2010 - 2013.When the apocalypse came it was not from the fires of nuclear war or unseen viral plagues, not from an unstoppable asteroid or even the machines rising up in defiance of their human overlords. The Last War, as later generations would come to remember it, was fought between fighter jets and dragons, between companies of sword wielding golems swarming over steel tanks in support of deadly Magicians wielding magical fireballs. It was a war of magic versus science and science lost. A thousand years later Duncan Cade is born without magical abilities into a dystopian world dominated by the Magical. As a young adult he’s a pariah and an outcast because of his condition, an unwanted reminder of a time when their forefather’s wiped non-magical humans from the face of the planet. His life is a constant struggle not only to fit in a society based on magic he doesn’t wield, but also to survive without the simplest of magical abilities. He thinks that he is alone, the only non-magical boy in the entire world. When the magic begins to fade from the world, Duncan is blamed and just escapes the wrath of the Magician police force into the wastelands surrounding the city of New Dallas. He sets out on a quest to find the origin of Magic and soon discovers that not only is he not alone, but the non-magical humans are finally fighting back. The Last War was only the beginning of the apocalypse and young Duncan Cade, a boy born without Magic, is thrust into the middle of the new war against the Magicians.

When a lorry crashes on one of the treacherous hair-pin bends in the Italian Dolomites even Commissario Guido Brunetti of the Venice Questura is appalled when he learns of its terrible cargo. This is Donna Leon's fourth novel to feature Guido Brunetti.

Short historical fiction. What happens to the "primitive" or "primal" art from Africa? The prices of African art are fueled by strange prejudices. In this story about Benin, a hero from the 1930s escapes oblivion and finds a home.This is a short story (2000 words) about a boy from the Edo group of Benin (now Nigeria) who enters the British Army in the 1930s. He gets promoted to the rank of sergeant and celebrates by having his statue made. But for the following generations, working for the British is not cool anymore: all the discourse is about independence. Soldiers like that young boy are forgotten, both in Britain and in their own country. Their statues get melted by the thousands.Nobody cares, and even the Edo language slowly disappears.

Saturdays are not a day of rest for the self-proclaimed number one Fury from hell. Demons and Furies have been disappearing for centuries and no one can figure out what is going on. The only link was the last assignment any of them received. Now Jasmine is assigned to the case. Is it because she’s the best or because she’s dispensable? What’s a Fury to do when all the luck is against her?Saturdays are not a day of rest for the self-proclaimed number one Fury from hell.The furry Fury is back on the case, only this time, it’s about as far from what she does and who she is as a Fury can get. Jasmine’s new assignment is a collection nightmare. She’s been sent after a soul that has nothing to do with scorned women. Is it because she’s the best or because she’s dispensable? But when it’s Daddy Dearest giving the assignment you just can’t say ‘no’.In the course of her collection, Jasmine stumbles upon another mystery. If a Fury had to be hauled in to collect on this wayward signer, where are all the demons that tried before? Demons and Furies have been disappearing for centuries and no one can figure out what is going on. The only link was the last assignment any of them received. The same assignment Jasmine now has.It’s up to Jasmine to crack the case and bring the promised soul home. If not, she might find out what’s worse than being stuck in a furry suit. For Jasmine, failure is not an option. What’s a Fury to do when all the luck is against her? Win of course. She’s going to solve this mystery and show the upstart demons of hell that there’s more to this Fury than just a pretty face.

A woman living in post apocalyptic California falls in love with a sequential hermaphrodite living on the now dead island of Catalina.A retired peace officer and his wife traveling across the country in their new motorhome, make a planned stopped in a small Texas town nestled in the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains not far from Mexico's border. Arriving in the late evening at an already closed RV park they follow the posted instructions for self check-in and settle in for the night. What happens next "Aintright."

After the crash of his ship, 'The Kolibri', Captain Gillitzer's luck seemed to be changing for the better. When his new craft becomes the first to travel beyond the fabled 'Minute Zero', he and his crew seize the chance to complete their ultimate mission, and restore his battered reputation. However, they soon find themselves battling the forces of fate, when they encounter the 'Hertzog Effect'...Sequel to 'The Bergmann Protocol'.After the crash of his ship, 'The Kolibri', Captain Gillitzer's luck seemed to be changing for the better. When his new craft becomes the first to travel beyond the fabled 'Minute Zero', he and his crew seize the opportunity to complete their ultimate mission, and restore his battered reputation. However, they soon find themselves locked in a life and death struggle against the forces of fate, when they encounter the 'Hertzog Effect’...Follow the misadventures of the unluckiest time-travellers in history...before they change it!

The wind had been roaring across the face of the planet for ten days with no sign of stopping. It felt like it had always been there, and always would be. Eternal. Sometimes, if you listened closely, it seemed to form words. But it didn't pay to listen too long to those words. The wind had way of getting into your head....Somewhere in space and in time, you will be introduced to Umas, the dominant species, and to Bovs, one of the subservient species. We follow these creatures through numerous adventures full of adrenaline and emotion. Gradually, we will come to understand the oppression of Bovs by Umas, its reality, its scale and its consequences. Why does it have to be so? Why is this deviance not obvious for all? Does it remind us of something?Some vegan Umas are struggling to abolish exploitation of other species, but their enemies are powerful.But, there is something , we will say no more...

A man awakes from a coma with no memory and no family. With the help of his Aide, Angela, he learns to walk and talk again. But when the man discovers there are six others like him and finds himself aboard a spaceship bound for a far away planet he must slowly unravel the history of his birth and the secrets the planet itself holds.A quintessential novel of modern Los Angeles, Peeko Pacifiko is at once an outrageous romp, a survival story, a sardonic political history, and a keen literary walkabout. At once squalid and glamorous, literary and low-brow, philosophical and wanton, wickedly funny and empathetic, it is as honest as it is innovative, its own unique, hydra-headed genre. As the Nineties dwindle down, the waning days of one era and the dawn of a new one are seen through the eyes of Donovan. At loose ends, he and his wife forced by economic necessity to live apart, his is a unique passage through many a strata of Los Angeles life. Donovan and those around him may be down, but they are never more than superficially out. Peeko Pacifiko is an exuberant, episodic ride, an exploration of character, as well as of a city, rendered with playful and disarming erudition, straight razor wit, and well-observed descriptive power.

Shaking the Tree is the comical, yet dramatic coming-of-age tale of a young boy, Nicholas Havens, who makes a life-long friend in a straight-talking African American laborer named Sooter, while growing up in the hard life of a rural farming community.Nicholas Havens grew up quickly in rural 1960's Mississippi. By the age of twelve, he could drive a pickup and a cotton picker. Such was life as the son of a second generation cotton farmer. He was charged with doing much hard work but with little direction and parental guidance. That is until he meets Sooter, the straight-talking African-American laborer who worked for the Havens family all his life. Sooter's passion was the small pecan orchard that he maintained and harvested each fall. It is the orchard where Sooter and Nicholas form a lasting friendship in which the old man teaches Nicholas the ways of the orchard, as well as lessons in life. Shaking the Tree is the comical, yet dramatic coming-of-age tale of a young boy who makes a life-long friend while growing up in the hard life of a rural farming community.

You are welcome to follow the adventures of two courageous girls across the fantastic and mystic Continent. The first book describes their quest for a stolen statuette, in order to finally stop a horrible war. But the search holds many dangers and the statue hides mystic secrets...When wars last for generations, it doesn't matter how they began......it only matters how they end. And this one seems that it could end only by their defeat. Waeryehenian troops are getting closer to the capital city every day. The kingdom of Ahleyn, ruled by Queen Natya and controlled completely by women, had lost more than a half of its territory. Besides that, Zal attacks from the savage land of Ro-Oth are also getting more frequent. Ahleas can't even seem to control male rebellions any more. A great kingdom is falling apart, both from inside and out...People of Ahleyn keep in memory the first glorious years of war, when they were the ones winning the battles. One stupid mistake made the course of war to turn around. But they can now hardly even remember the days of peace, when the Great Continental pact with Waeryehen and Koron was a guarantee of peace. It was also broken by just a few foolish acts of only one person...Unfotunately, all this horror has made almost everyone on the Continent to completely forget that even greater danger had existed in ancient times and that it can happen again...

A short novel about a princess and a brigade of knights that must defeat a mysterious dragon living at their kingdom's border.For years the kingdom of Mendolon has had a dragon living at its border, guarding his territory. He has tended to live quietly and not directly threaten anyone… until now. As of late the dragon has been breathing fire into the edges of the kingdom and striking fear into the hearts of the people. The realm’s chief knight, Michael de Bolbec, wants to lead a brigade of knights into the dragon’s territory to hunt down the creature and destroy him. Mendolon’s king, Sebastian, is hesitant with the plan, but will only agree to it on one condition… his prized daughter, Belle, must accompany the brigade of knights and claim the victory for the dragon’s death. The plan seems simple, but things are not always as they appear… Join the adventure in this short suspense novel. It serves as a prequel to Tony Myers’ next full length adventure novel.

A terrifying glimpse of a child predator - through the eyes of a young girl.An encounter with a kerb-crawling predator leads a child into a confusing and terrifying world she cannot understand.A terrifying glimpse of a child predator - through the eyes of a young girl.It's 1970s Liverpool and a small girl is worried. She’s going to be late for school and if she’s late for school she'll be punished.She decides to take a short cut along Fiction Street. She’s not allowed to go down Fiction Street but she doesn't know why. Nobody ever told her why. Nobody ever tells her anything.As she turns a corner, a van pulls along beside her and a strange man offers her a lot of money. All she has to do is one favor.Good girls always say yes when grownups ask for a favor, and this little girl is very, very good.But, when this good little girl says yes everything changes and for reasons she can’t possibly understand she's never going to be good again.

Greetings. My name is Morris Magenta, and I’m the world’s first and only creeper inventor. This, my friend, is my diary. It chronicles the razor-sharp wit, devilish cunning, and breath-taking adventures that are all in a day’s work for a world famous (or almost-world famous) inventor.GENRE: Children’s Adventure (An Unofficial Minecraft Diary Book for Kids Ages 9 - 12 (Preteen)Greetings. My name is Morris Magenta, and I’m the world’s first and only creeper inventor. This, my friend, is my diary. It chronicles the razor-sharp wit, devilish cunning, and breath-taking adventures that are all in a day’s work for a world famous (or almost-world famous) inventor.In this, the first volume of my exhilarating escapades, my loyal zombie butler Fred and I embark on the most thrilling underground quest. When I receive news that a team of miners have been trapped by a cave-in, I naturally jump at the chance to rescue them and show off the genius of my inventions. But of course, as is so often the case with adventures, things soon become more complex.As Fred and I journey deep into the earth, down along the supposedly-cursed Bolger’s Cavern, we face terrible traps, gruesome grislies, peculiar portals and evidence of treachery at the very heart of our expedition. We’ll face dangers around every corner, and peril beyond your wildest and weirdest dreams.But like I said, such things are all in a day’s work for a dashing and heroic inventor like me.This unofficial Minecraft book is not authorized, endorsed or sponsored by Microsoft Corp., Mojang AB, Notch Development AB or any other person or entity owning or controlling the rights of the Minecraft name, trademark or copyrights. All characters, names, places and other aspects of the game described herein are trademarked and owned by their respective owners. Minecraft®/ /TM & ©2009-2016 Mojang/Notch.

Alana Avery’s life is anything but normal. Not only does she spend most of her time learning how to solve paranormal crimes and murders, but her dead grandpa talks to her telepathically. If that wasn’t enough, the Electi want her for an experimental subject. But when she goes with Jax to a murder scene where a group of fey was killed by a vampire clan, she discovers there might be more to her powers than she originally thought. Desperate for answers, Alana sets out with Jax to solve the case and figure out what’s going on with her. But what she discovers is worse that she ever could have imagined.

Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever. Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist. Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes. (New Adult Contemporary) Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language.

New York Times bestselling author Mary Jo Putney is acclaimed by critics and readers alike for unforgettable storytelling and arresting characters. Now she introduces a Regency England you’ve never seen before, where dazzling magic is practiced in all but the highest reaches of Society, and where desire is the most mysterious and seductive force of all. One of the Duke of Wellington’s most respected officers, Jack Langdon, Lord Frayne, takes his family’s honor very seriously. He also hides a shameful secret: a talent for sorcery he has been raised to suppress and openly reject. But after an injury lands Jack at death’s door, his only chance at survival lies with Abigail Barton, a peer’s daughter and a skilled wizard. Her price: Jack’s hand in marriage. It isn’t long before Jack feels an irresistible attraction to his forthright new wife, whose allure is as intense as the reawakening magical abilities he can no longer deny. Abigail had to make a great sacrifice to perform a spell powerful enough to save Lord Frayne, and although she cannot help but be drawn to her reluctant husband’s surprising sensitivity and kindness, she knows all too well his distaste for magic. Once she has Jack’s name and the child she has always longed for, she is determined to live apart from him so that he can preserve his reputation–and so that she herself can stay true to her gifts. But neither Abby nor Jack reckons on the deep, long-simmering passions her spell ignites. They challenge each other’s extraordinary powers and deepest desires for the sake of a love that may cost them all they cherish most. With breathtaking skill and vivid historical detail, Mary Jo Putney weaves a tale of enchantment, mystery, and romance that will forever hold you spellbound. From the Hardcover edition.

A woman in trouble turns to ice cream, and just might find love in its pursuit. Emelda is 46 years old. Her husband, Charlie, has just left her for a 23-year-old dancer. Her five difficult sons worship their father and blame Emelda for his departure. On top of everything else, she has to struggle with a new job at the local supermarket. For comfort she turns to her only true friend ice-cream. But lately there's a handsome man driving the ice-cream van. Could romance be about to blossom?

A TASTE OF SIN Holly Sullivan has always been the good girl. She follows the rules and does her best to please her father. But what has it gotten her? Her father sells the company she assumed she would inherit to gambler Liam Conner, and her fiancé jilts her at the altar. Why not spend her non-wedding night at The Playhouse, the most notorious sex club in Nevada, indulging her deepest desires? A DESPERATE GAMBLE Liam fell in love with Holly at first glance. Unfortunately, she hates him for buying her father’s business. Even worse, she refuses to admit their mutual desire. Then he’s given a second chance to claim her for his own when her worthless fiancé dumps her. Following her to The Playhouse, he devotes the night to fulfilling her fantasies. But will she forgive him when his secret is revealed?

Spanning four and a half centuries, James A. Michener’s monumental saga chronicles the epic history of Texas, from its Spanish roots in the age of the conquistadors to its current reputation as one of America’s most affluent, diverse, and provocative states. Among his finely drawn cast of characters, emotional and political alliances are made and broken, as the loyalties established over the course of each turbulent age inevitably collapse under the weight of wealth and industry. With Michener as our guide, Texas is a tale of patriotism and statesmanship, growth and development, violence and betrayal—a stunning achievement by a literary master. Praise for Texas “Fascinating.”—Time “A book about oil and water, rangers and outlaws, frontier and settlement, money and power . . . [James A. Michener] manages to make history vivid.”—The Boston Globe “A sweeping panorama . . . [Michener] grapples earnestly with the Texas character in a way that Texas’s own writers often don’t.”—The Washington Post Book World   “Vast, sprawling, and eclectic in population and geography, the state has just the sort of larger-than-life history that lends itself to Mr. Michener’s taste for multigenerational epics.”—*The New York Times* From the Trade Paperback edition.