From the award-winning author of "The Butcher Boy" comes a new novel of extraordinary power that, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, "confirm[s] McCabe's standing as one of the most brilliant writers to ever come out of Ireland".In "The Dead School", Patrick McCabe returns to the emotionally dense landscape of small-town Ireland to explore the inner lives of two men: a headmaster and a schoolteacher, each man the product of a soul-stifling culture, each battling his own demons of loss and betrayal. Tension coils--until tragedy strikes a young student in their charge, and the latent despair and rage that has festered in their hearts explodes onto the page. As in "The Butcher Boy", McCabe demonstrates his remarkable command of the vernacular and an uncanny ability to pinpoint the exact moment when ordinary minds take flight into madness. Equally compelling, equally heartbreaking in its impact", The Dead School" has established McCabe as one of the most celebrated writers of literary fiction today. "A spellbinding story of betrayal and broken dreams narrated to a wonderfully menacing effect...the sheer force of his language...positively thrums with life".-- "Los Angeles Times" " "The Dead School" makes compelling literature....The writing is seamless, the effect shocking: Imagine "Apocalypse Now" cheerfully narrated by Jimmy Stewart".-- "The Seattle Times" "McCabe [is] as skilled and significant a novelist as Ireland has produced in decades".-- "Kirkus Reviews" (starred review)

In a classic story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen, two strangers navigate the territory of their hearts—and the irresistible pull of desire.   After taking a break from pop stardom to turn his musical hand to composing—earning both a Tony and an Oscar for his efforts—Rex Brody is making a triumphant return to performing with a sold-out, coast-to-coast tour. But he has one crucial stop to make first: his aunt’s home in New Hampshire. A local psychic is bilking his beloved aunt, and Rex is seeing red. But when he meets the woman’s gorgeous niece, his anger quickly yields to desire. Rex Brody always gets what he wants . . . and what he wants is to take this beautiful brunette on the road with him. Tamara Ledford lives a quiet life in a rural community, and she’s quite happy with it. As a skilled herbalist and canny businesswoman, she’s making a name for herself—even if her reputation in other areas dates back to her high school years. Though she tries to be as discreet and reserved as possible, there’s a sultry woman burning at her core. But when the arrogant and extremely intriguing Rex Brody makes a play for her, Tamara fights her instincts. Their chemistry seems highly combustible, but can a small-town girl really find happiness with big-time star?

Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker who means bad news for the undead. Now, she’s back and better than ever, as USA Today bestselling author Faith Hunter gives readers an in-depth glimpse at Jane’s world…plus an all-new Jane Yellowrock novella!   The gritty, sexy, and thrilling New Orleans of the Jane Yellowrock novels is about to be exposed in a whole new way. Filled with brand new, original content, this guide is a must-have for any fan.   *Delve into the history of the characters in the series, including the vampire clans.   *Get better acquainted with Jane’s inner Beast with her in-depth guide to humanity.   *Relive all the action with an essential timeline of Jane’s exploits as a vampire slayer and a comprehensive glossary of terms.   *Experience Jane’s latest thrilling adventure in an all-new Jane Yellowrock novella.   Plus, includes an exclusive sneak peek of the next Jane Yellowrock novel!

HardPress Classic Books SeriesHardPress Classic Books Series

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A GREAT DIGGER Of course, Benny Badger had the best of reasons for living on the high, dry plains. There he had for neighbors plenty of ground squirrels and prairie dogs. And it is likely that he enjoyed their company much more than they did his. If anyone had asked them, those little wild people would no doubt have confessed that they wished Benny Badger was somewhere else. But their wishes meant nothing to Benny—if he knew anything of them. Although he couldn't help noticing that his small neighbors hurried into their homes whenever they caught sight of him, Benny never took the hint and went away. On the contrary, when he spied a prairie dog or a ground squirrel disappearing into his burrow Benny was more than ready to go right in after him. Now, the tunnels that led to the houses of those smaller folk were too small to admit anybody as bulky as Benny Badger. But that difficulty never hindered Benny. Digging was the easiest thing he did. He had a powerful body, short, stout legs, and big feet, which bore long, strong claws. And when he started to dig his way into somebody else's home he certainly did make the dirt fly. He was so fond of digging that he even dug countless holes of his own, just for the fun it gave him—so far as anybody could find out. And if he had only left other folk's holes alone some of his neighbors would not have objected to his favorite sport. For more than one fox and coyote had been known to make his home in a hole dug by Benny Badger. And, though they never took the trouble to thank him for saving them work, they often chuckled about his odd way of having fun, and remarked among themselves that Benny must be a stupid fellow. If they really thought that, they made a great mistake. To be sure, at anything except digging he was slow and awkward. He was too heavy and squat to be spry on his feet—to chase and catch his more nimble neighbors. But no one that knew much about Benny Badger would have said that his wits were dull. They were sharp. And so, too, were his teeth, which he never hesitated to use in a fight. Left alone, Benny Badger—when he wasn't too hungry—was a peaceable person. But if a dog ever tried to worry him Benny had a most unpleasant way of seizing his annoyer with his powerful jaws and holding the poor creature as if he never intended to let him go. Cornered, Benny knew no such thing as fear. He had the heart of a lion, and jaws like a steel trap. And no wise dog ever let Benny get a good, firm grip on him. Usually no one saw Benny Badger except at night. He seldom left his den in the daytime except to sun himself. And even then not many noticed him. Though he did not hide when anyone surprised him while taking a sun-bath, he had a trick of lying flat in the grass without moving. And it took a sharp eye to spy him when he lay low in that fashion. Curled up asleep, with his long fur on end, he looked too comfortable to disturb. At least, that was what the ground squirrels thought. And if one of those busy little fellows ever paused to stare curiously at Benny when he was having a nap in the warm sunshine, Benny Badger had only to awake and turn his head toward the onlooker to make him scamper for home as fast as he could go....

“A Little Maid of Old Maine” is a true story of the brave effort of two girls to bring help to a little settlement on the Maine coast at the time of the War of the Revolution. Parson Lyon, the father of Melvina, was a friend and correspondent of Washington, and the capture of the English gunboat by the Machias men is often referred to in history as “The Lexington of the Seas,” being the first naval battle after the Lexington encounter. The story is based on facts, and its readers cannot fail to be interested and touched by the courage and patriotism of Rebecca and Anna Weston as they journeyed through the forest after the powder that was to make possible the conquest of America’s foe. “A brave effort made by a little girl and her sister to bring help to a small settlement on the Maine coast at the time of the War of the Revolution. The plot is interspersed with events of historical interest, but not in the cut-and-dried textbook manner.” -Publishers Weekly “In a very pretty story for younger girls Alice Turner Curtis goes back to the days of the War of the Revolution and tells of the bravery of a small girl and her sister in those troubled times. ‘A Little Maid of Old Maine’ is the book’s title and its children bring help to a little settlement on the Maine coast. Throughout the unfolding of the plot there are bits of interesting history so that while the story is one of pure recreation it also contains things worth remembering.” -The Bookseller “A well-written story of the Revolutionary war in which the main incident is the first naval engagement of the war.” -Book Bulletin of the Chicago Public Library

Craig finds himself back in school where he is to learn about the new planet which is now his home.Craig's back in school but this time he's curious. Learning about this new planet interests him.His first outing since he arrived is a geological survey, this is where he meets Jaxsper, a purple alienwith blue reptilian eyes.The class visits the Cothap Caves where Craig finds something that baffles him.

The search has taken a thousand years. Can the ship have hit the jackpot with the very first planet it's found?Nick, the teenaged son of two scientists in the guinea pig group is sick of waiting to wake the sleeping colonists. There has to be something he can do about the boredom.A science fiction story for young adults.

Brandon, a surfer from San Diego, takes a business trip to Boston, where he meets a mysterious woman on the beach.Brandon, a surfer from San Diego, takes a business trip to Boston, where he meets a mysterious woman named Una on Constitution Beach.

This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.

A humorous little book with a big story! Bible study discussion included.A humorous little book that tells the tale of the people of Exacta--a group of people obsessed with measuring everything! This is a humorous short Christian story with a liberating message of grace. The story can easily be made into a skit. Excellent for all ages. Bible study notes and discussion questions are included.

Antonia and Judith were the best of friends, until dashing Adam Yorke and handsome Lord Simon Launceston divided the two young women. Never had romance reveled in such dizzying turnabouts as Cupid emptied his quiver at hearts that would not stay still.

Set in South Africa, beginning 15,000 years ago and ending with the Boer War, this is a novel about people caught up in the march of world history. It is a story of adventure and heroism, love and loyalty, and cruelty and betrayal.

Bron and Rast thought it would be an easy pay day, kill a wandering party of orcs that are harassing a nearby village then reap the rewards. The battle might just be harder than they thought though with some unexpected allies helping out.Wannabe secret agents and gumshoes rejoice! By now everyone knows that the Government doesn’t really spy on its own citizens, right? And even if they had the audacity to orchestrate such a devious scheme, what stealthy means would they employ to get the job done? Meet Bruce 5, ordinary domesticated house pet by day, covert four-legged operative by dark. After nearly exposing a clandestine plot to snoop on the public via RFID tags, one cheeky beagle and an unlikely crew of rogue agents must elude capture by an underground organization known as the MUTTS (Mobile Underground Transponder Tracking Specialists). In their madcap bid to escape the powers-that-be, they will encounter bohemian foes, cryptic codes, killer bees, and beaver drones—that’s right, beavers! It’s a chaotic derby of espionage and conspiracies galore, where one dog holds the microchip to save the people from an evil entity lurking in their midst.In the zany spirit of parody, Bruce 5 utilizes his newfound verbal skills to spoof over five decades of iconic films and television shows. No one is spared from an onslaught of innuendos and double entendre that this crude-mouthed canine unleashes. The dossier for frenzied fun is now in the readers’ imaginations. Adventure abounds for all those intrepid sleuths who wish to decipher the truth. And don’t forget to help the renegades interpret an anagram they find along their mission--it represents a vital clue in the wordplay at bay.

A woman trapped in an abusive relationship breaks apart in a final act of defiance.How far would you have to be pushed to take another life? What is the cost of having to make such a decision, even if it is to defend yourself? A woman in an abusive relationship confronts these questions in a final act of defiance.A short sample - For some reason all she could hear was ringing in her ears. She could not understand why she smelled fireworks in the living room or why her arms were so heavy. Through a haze she could see him look at her with a look of shock, a growing stain spreading across the faded shirt she had given him for a birthday years ago. His lips formed two words before he fell face first on the floor. “I’m sorry.” As she looked at him on the floor she realized that the growing pool coming from under his body was his blood. She watched as the blood slowly spread across the floor like a lava flow threatening to burn all in its path. Reality seeped in further as she saw that a small pistol was in her hands even as she could not recall how it got there. A small voice in her head told her to leave and run but she could not. The world turned into shades of gray, everything in black and white. Everything but the crimson pool slowly spreading across the floor."A moving story that I enjoyed reading. I found it quite sad, but it mirrors countless real lives, so makes one sit back and think long and hard about the world we live in and our choices.""Was drawn in from beginning to end. I hate reading short stories for this reason, I WANTED MORE, wonderfully told. True gift he has with words.""Wonderful story. It's an age old tale retold in a fascinating and surprising way. The writer has a true gift for storytelling. I was spellbound from the beginning to the end.""I enjoyed reading I'm Sorry. A insightful yet emotional take of a young girl who fell onto an abusive relationship. Reading this short story was like viewing a abusive relationship right from the inside instead of hearing about one."

After getting into an argument with her boy-friend while driving home from a party, Angela finds herself stranded on an abandoned road in the dead of night. Then she meets an unfamiliar woman who ap-pears to be equally lost and lonely. But what Angela doesn’t know is that her immediate trust in this stranger might have disastrous conse-quences…‘Kurungabaa’ is a Dharawal word for the Australian pelican, a handsome bird with a peculiar way of gliding low over the waves. We have chosen it to express respect for the Dharawal country where we love to surf, to celebrate the continuing culture of the Dharawal people, and to acknowledge the memory of the Dharawal people’s ancestors.Kurungabaa is a not-for-profit volunteer publication, and is published bi-annually (June and December) as a hard copy by the generosity of subscribers and donors. Digital versions of the earlier and current editions are available from 2011 onwards, check the better-known online stores.Kurungabaa publishes diverse genres including poetry, fiction, reflective and scholarly essays, memoirs, review essays, and interviews. Four pages each issue are made available for a photo essay or series of art reproductions by a single photographer or artist.Emerging writers from coastlines around the world are encouraged to submit their work. Several pages will be dedicated to emerging authors in each issue. Editorial and writing assistance can be arranged, if requested.Indigenous writers, surfers and artists are encouraged to join in kurungabaa’s production, both as members of the editorial collective and as contributors. Every issue aims to contain material on surfing-related Indigenous history, culture and politics.More info and submissions to kurungabaa.net

A group of short stories relating to one event. Each story focuses on a different character's involvement and point of view.A human girl is lured to a faery festival hosted by the Irish Fae. To survive, she must avoid the attention of two warring Queens whilst risky attempts are made to break a fragile peace treaty.The novel's lead character - teenager Humik- is living with his immigrant family in LA. He is longing for his childhood’s native home and struggles with his parents, as he wishes to ‘return to the Hell of Israel’ (as his mother calls that). He leaves home and stays in NY for some months, while his family refuse to finance him, because they contradict his adventurous aspiration. He really follows the example of his 'hero' -Elkano - his mother’s young lover, who had fallen in battle, and his father married Humik’s mother (being then herself already a widow). Now Humik is in the same age of his hero, that he had known in childhood: He is also handsome like him, Now Humik is in the same age of his hero; he is handsome like him, and as such he is having a love affair with an Israeli girl who has come to NY to study in Manhattan High School of Music. But soon Humik reveals that she has suffered from schizophrenia. Not long after having shocked by that- he is tempted by a good looking and impressive NY young woman of 23, Raphaella. She studies ‘Managing Artists and Movies Producing’, and persuades Humik ‘to make a living' by being her sex-mate in a Peepshow Brothel. Humik is not aware of her complex character (She could not bear her father’s pedantic control over her, and escaped from home in her teenage)...Suddenly, after two months of sexing with Humik, Raphaella’s ex guy-friend, a mini-market owner – boasting for his business success, re-contacts her and promises a marriage. She leaves our protagonist and returns to that guy, who is revealed to be a queer person, on the verge of psychopathy, who soon sinks into enormous debts. Meanwhile our young Protagonist arrives in his native land, to join the parachutes’ troops there. He has reached his goal – but is wounded in the battlefield. While in recovery- he is faced unexpectedly with an ‘American bad guy’, who is suspected by Humik to be the run-away murderer of his attractive girlfriend Raphaella from NY. The knowledge that such a person would live not far from him, and not caught to get into court and be punished- dims the light of Humik's voyage. But he is too stubborn and proud to admit his adolescence illusion: He continues to choose his own way, and refuses to get back to America.

Established in 1839, Nannies, Inc. has provided qualified child carers for over a million families, from the UK to Japan.Elizabeth Watson always thought she could make a difference … now she's about to find out just how right she is.Silly and sweet, it will warm your heart and take you on a quiet journey down the road of possibilities.Genre: Fantasy, with very light steampunk.(Short Story)Nannies, Inc. – “A once in a lifetime opportunity to join the leading company in providing excellent care for children all over the world. Established in 1839, Nannies, Inc. has provided qualified child carers for over a million families, from the UK to Japan. If you have a passion for children and believe you can add a spoonful of sugar to their lives, come to our Open Day on the 21st of December.”Miss Elizabeth Watson always thought she could make a difference … now she's about to find out just how right she is.Nannies, Inc. is a short, fantasy story of approx. 6000 words, with a touch of quirky and very light steampunk.Silly and sweet, it will warm your heart and take you on a quiet journey down the road of possibilities.(Written in British English.)

Her husband appears two weeks after she receives his urn. George suspects foul play from his wife. He is running a minus temperature. He wants to go to bed to warm up. She wants nothing to do with that idea.Ayalah is the only female warrior in all of Miltinoth, raised since she was orphaned as a child to be tough and wary. But she has a destiny beyond her skills with the blade: she is the holder of the first piece of an ancient prophecy. Legend says this prophecy was split into six parts long ago to keep a dark wizard from learning its secrets. Ayalah is determined to find and put together the other pieces in order to discover what the future holds for herself and for the world.The Wizard's Prophecy is JB Starre's first fantasy novel, though her literary fiction has appeared in print elsewhere. The Wizard's Prophecy was first published online as a serial novel with accompanying illustrations. The story is still free to read online, and new chapters post every week.