Fifteen-year-old Shannon Campbell knew her father had been troubled since he served in the Vietnam War, but his violent suicide still shocks her. Shannon always shared so much with her father--why wasn't her love enough to make him want to live? As Shannon and her mother try to make sense of his death, they courageously renew their commitment to living in the face of their loss. Despite the hardships life may bring, they know they will forgive and love again. From the Paperback edition.

One Dragon Egg Holds the Key to the Future. Once a slave, Kale is given the unexpected opportunity to become a servant to Paladin. Yet this young girl has much to learn about the difference between slavery and service. A Desperate Search Begins… A small band of Paladin’s servants rescue Kale from danger but turn her from her destination: The Hall, where she was to be trained. Feeling afraid and unprepared, Kale embarks on a perilous quest to find the meech dragon egg stolen by the foul Wizard Risto. First, she and her comrades must find Wizard Fenworth. But their journey is threatened when a key member of the party is captured, leaving the remaining companions to find Fenworth, attempt an impossible rescue, and recover the egg whose true value they have not begun to suspect… Weaving together memorable characters, daring adventure, and a core of eternal truth, Dragonspell is a finely crafted and welcome addition to the corpus of fantasy fiction. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Boleslaw Prus is often compared to Chekhov, and Prus’s masterpiece might be described as an intimate epic, a beautifully detailed, utterly absorbing exploration of life in late-nineteenth-century Warsaw, which is also a prophetic reckoning with some of the social forces—imperialism, nationalism, anti-Semitism among them—that would soon convulse Europe as never before. But The Doll is above all a brilliant novel of character, dramatizing conflicting ideas through the various convictions, ambitions, confusions, and frustrations of an extensive and varied cast. At the center of the book are three men from three different generations. Prus’s fatally flawed hero is Wokulski, a successful businessman who yearns for recognition from Poland’s decadent aristocracy and falls desperately in love with the highborn, glacially beautiful Izabela. Wokulski’s story is intertwined with those of the incorrigibly romantic old clerk Rzecki, nostalgic for the revolutions of 1848, and of the bright young scientist Ochocki, who dreams of a future full of flying machines and other marvels, making for a book of great scope and richness that is, as Stanisław Barańczak writes in his introduction, at once “an old-fashioned yet still fascinating love story . . . , a still topical diagnosis of society’s ills, and a forceful yet subtle portrayal of a tragically doomed man.

SUMMARY: Here is the stunning international bestseller in the tradition ofWatership Downbut with a dark, original twist. Unique, daring, and unforgettable, it tells the story of an ordinary family who accidentally threaten the security of a hidden civilization as intelligent as our own--a colony of ants determined to survive at any cost.... Jonathan Wells and his young family have come to the Paris flat at 3, rue des Sybarites through the bequest of his eccentric late uncle Edmond. Inheriting the dusty apartment, the Wells family are left with only one warning:Never go down into the cellar. But when the family dog disappears down the basement steps, Jonathan follows--and soon his wife, his son, and various would-be rescuers vanish into its mysterious depths. Meanwhile, in a pine stump in a nearby park, a vast civilization is in turmoil. Here a young female from the russet ant nation of Bel-o-kan learns that a strange new weapon has been killing off her comrades. To find out why, she enlists the help of a warrior ant, and the two set off on separate journeys into a harsh and violent world. It is a world where death takes many forms--savage birds and voracious lizards, warlike dwarf ants and rapacious termites, poisonous beetles and, most bizarre of all, the swift, murderous, giant guardians of the edge of the world: cars. Yet the end of the female's desperate quest will be the eerie secret in the cellar at 3, rue des Sybarites--a mystery she must solve in order to fulfill her special destiny as the new queen of her own great empire. But to do so she must first make unthinkable communion with the most barbaric creatures of all. Empire of the Antsis a brilliant evocation of a hidden civilization as complex as our own and far more ancient. It is a fascinating realm where boats are built of leaves and greenflies are domesticated and milked like cows, where citizens lock antennae in "absolute communication" and fight wars with precisely coordinated armies using sprays of glue and acids that can dissolve a snail. Not sinceWatership Downhas a novel so vividly captured the lives and struggles of a fellow species and the valuable lessons they have to teach us.

It is the time of the Reformation. Henry VIII's England moves toward schism; Luther's precepts spread through Europe even as the Inquisition strives to wipe out any hint of heresy. Franzicco Ragoczy di Santo-Germano-the vampire Saint-Germain-is a successful merchant based in Venice. His lavish lifestyle and rumored cache of magnificent jewels have attracted the wrong sort of attention, and without Santo-Germano's noble-and papal-connections, he might be imprisoned, his property confiscated. Also under surveillance is his mistress, the lovely and talented musician Pier-Ariana Salier. In the Spanish Netherlands, Ragoczy's publishing business is being investigated by the Inquisition. Coming to the aid of his employees, Ragoczy becomes tarred with the brush of heresy, as does Erneste van Amsteljaxter, a writer whose intelligence Ragoczy finds attractive. Ragoczy does what he can to help her, but must return to Venice when he learns that his fortune there has been embezzled away and that Pier-Ariana has disappeared. In Venice, things are worse than Santo-Germano expected. Not only has his money disappeared, so has a young man who had been spying on the vampire and his mistress. Santo-Germano is accused of kidnapping and perhaps murder. Another spy has discovered Santo-Germano's true nature and intends to kill him before he can feast on all of Venice!

The Adventure of the Cardboard Box by Arthur Conan Doyle

Nobody's Boy is a work by Hector Malot now brought to you in this new edition of the timeless classic.

a STELLAR example of transformation from within and without. A name change and a play off game.This essay is one where I argue for the recognition of the destruction of our humanity at the hands of our own technology. Soon we will just be a digital burp or fart on the Wi-FI. Pay heed to my warning words of doom and be careful how you tweet.

Mika and Robyn have spent lifetimes learning to love this world. They love the chaos, the the kiss and the kill. They want it all - the good things and the bad. But the Professsor wants a new world, erasing all the bad. And that means them...In a world that makes people mad and then murderous, the duo gather friends, recruits and hostages to help them decide - is the world worth saving?Misty Adams finds herself in a real life and death struggle. When she becomes stranded along the road, will she find help before the forecasted blizzard hits. Alone and pregnant, will she find shelter? When Dalton Nelson's dog takes off before the blizzard, he goes to find her. He ends up finding more than he bargained for. Can Dalton do what needs to be done to help Misty? As a fragile friendship is forged, can this couple see that God has more than friendship for them? As a season of mourning is dealt with, can this couple see a season of love? As Dalton gets to know Misty, can he see the Texas handful she is and learn to save her from herself? This book will have you crying and then laughing until you are crying. You know what they say, things tend to get very crazy in Texas.

Prequel to Demonic Triangle (Doomed Cases, #1).

A strange behemoth of a boat is parked off the coast of Hawaii, but it isn't alone. On the shore are dozens of protesters, and in the legislature are dozens of greedy politicians promising to lower their roadblocks if the deep pockets of this new industry make the right campaign contributions. No, this boat is surrounded on all sides by controversy.It's an island factory, the first of its kindI always thought love was found on exotic beaches and at hometown picnics, not on bombing ranges. But then again, life is never normal for an archaeologist. Here's the tale of how I met the love of my life, the only man for me. Excerpt:“Yep. That’s unexploded ordnance.” Jeffery commented. Both he and Matthew stood with their arms crossed against their chests, looking down at it with the manly consideration reserved for beat up vehicles, broken garbage disposals, and apparently artillery.“Is it live?” I asked“Don’t know.” Our trusty EOD expert replied. He pulled a GPS from his backpack and began plugging in the location for future reference.“If I had stepped on it would it have blown up?” My mind flashed to the training video we had been forced to watch explaining the dangers of unexploded ordnance and the very real possibility of death or injury.“Maybe.” He smiled.I pursed by lips and squinted. “You’re messing with me.” He shrugged and turned back the way they had come. I glared at his back, then walked a good ten feet around the ordnance and flounced through the brush. Matthew’s infectious laughter caught me before I could outrun it.

Computer programmer Kevin Landstreet thinks too much. He struggles to keep his shaky existence together under the burden of over-thinking. When his reality becomes a weird fantasy, Kevin must find his way back to normalcy. To do this he must pass through Canady Park.Where is Sam Storm 6.7? The digital backups of thousands have been lost after a Trojan horse virus attacks the human backup storage system. Jeff, Sam's brother, has been tricked into introducing the virus into the system and is now considered an accessory to murder. Strangely the virus has also initiated the restoration of an out of date version of Terra Gates, the most powerful woman on Mars. Terra knows her previous version may have somehow helped Sam, but not why or how. Damon Harding, the monopoly holder on restoration technology, will use every means at his disposal; even create a new copy of a younger version Sam to help in the pursuit. Jeff, Terra, and the young Sam team up to find Sam 6.7, their mistrust of Damon Harding will send them on their own path following clues across the solar system. Damon sends his agent to follow them in the hopes that the trio will lead him to 6.7's hideout. Sam 6.7 wants to be found, and he has a secret that may just change the solar system forever.

Grace Phelps is working her way through graduate school at the local Minute Mart when a handsome undergrad comes racing in at midnight looking for cat food. And again the next night, and the next. When she decides to do a little snooping, Grace will discover that St. Patrick’s Day really is the luckiest night of the year! This 4,209-word short story is 24 pages long.The Island of the Dolls is a strange and eerie tourist destination in Mexico, where hundreds of decomposing dolls hang from trees like grisly Christmas ornaments. On a trip to the island, Joyce Parker's daughter falls in love with a beautiful but sinister doll. Soon after, she starts developing strange mannerisms that concerns Joyce. Her research into the doll's past reveals a dark history, and the curse of a lonely child spirit.

When Jared Collins arrives in the kingdom of Teruvisa, he learns that he and two other newcomers have been entrusted with a mission to succeed where an entire civilization has failed. That’s a lot of responsibility for three twelve-year-olds who were practically thrown into this remarkable world of awesome technology and haven’t ever used a laris, seen a jobalich, or played ketauro ... yet.Since he was two years old, Jared Collins has been keeping a secret, so secret that he doesn’t even know about it. However, the time has come for his secret to be revealed.A series of events unfold, and he is transported to the kingdom of Teruvisa. After entering this remarkable world of awesome technology, Jared, together with two other newcomers his age, discover that they’ve been entrusted with a mission to succeed where an entire civilization has failed.That’s a lot of responsibility for three twelve-year-olds who haven’t ever used a laris, seen a jobalich, experienced hypertravel, played ketauro, or spoken Amatay ... yet.

A short collection of poems about adventure and fantasy.1.Asgard 2.Beast. 3.Honey Mead. 4.Lorli. 5. Nefelhiem. 6.The Celtic Queen. 7. Kraken. 8.The Midguard Serpent. 9. The Striking of the Gong. 10. Travels End. 11. Valkyie. 12. Wolfen.1.Asgard 2.Beast. 3.Honey Mead. 4.Lorli. 5. Nefelhiem. 6.The Celtic Queen. 7. Kraken. 8.The Midguard Serpent. 9. The Striking of the Gong. 10. Travels End. 11. Valkyie. 12. Wolfen.A short collection of pomes dealing with adventure and fantasy, in it you will find Warriors, Vikings, Wolf men, Monsters, Lost loves, Time and Space, Celtic legend, and more.

Short, sweet snippets of stories which have the ability to tempt the imagination, tantalise a reader and pose questions, this collection of flash fiction each have a sting in the tale.Twisted Tales is an anthology of short, sweet story snippets which have the ability to tempt the imagination, tantalise a reader and pose questions.This collection explores the twisted existence of love, family and relationships as characters seek a sense of self and identity. It is filled with a mixture of stories, some which will make you think, others smile and tales which will have you reaching for your security blanket.

The Aldens are helping one of Grandfather's friends break a world record by building the world's largest yo-yo! But someone follows them, and then the plans for the yo-yo turn up missing. Someone is trying to sabotage the yo-yo before it's launched!

Kei Salin has been watching young lives fall to faulty bureaucratic nonsense for decades and she's tired of it. She forces the hand of her superiors to remove her from the project. Before obtaining her reassignment,she takes a trip. One stop on her vacation forces her to reveal something she's denied for decades.Ever wonder why aliens don't visit Earth? Or what coffee a demon likes to drink? Or how bureaucracy could really screw up a grand space adventure? A Flash in the Pan? is a collection of speculative flash fiction and short stories that answers these questions and more.The collection includes the following speculative fiction stories:- Beware Antipodean Shores (50 words)- Shipwrecked (500 words)- The Gloriously Cunning Plan (500 words)- Make Mine a Macchiato (500 words)- Striking Twice (500 words)- In the Service of the Public (500 words)- The Devil Wears Ugly Shapeless Garments Covered in Dog Hair (500 words)- The Regersek Zone (500 words)- Hindsight is a Bitch (50 words)- Authentic Empathy (500 words)- Wefting the Warp (4,300 words)- Showdown (5,100 words)

In this sequel to The Ugly Kids short story, Lily finds herself roped into a formal dinner with Gohber's family, the Goblin king and queen. Gohber's brother Tog, however, has other plans for the couple, and everything goes to Hell in a handbasket.INSIDE: UPDATE — Why Brandon Buddy Had To Leave One Life! His Arrest —And Day in Court! Manager: Why Judith Light Can’t Return to One Life! The Latest on Robin Strasser! One Life: Agnes Nixon hired as head writer! Exclusive — Dirty Soap’s Brandon Beemer on Fary, Nadia and B&B! Plus: Which Hot B&B Story Is CBS Kibosh-ing? Is Brian Frons An Evil Genius? Inside Investigation: Is Disney Selling ABC? Plus: GH Axed in May, Susan Batten, Brandon Buddy and Jessica Tuck Returning to One Life! Plus: Brian Kerwin Hits Llanview! Is Crystal Chappell next as Maggie Carpenter? How about Kish? Also: Are Cutter and Kim Max Holden’s twins? Source: Did Robin Strasser Decline To Come Back To One Life Before The Finale? One Life To Continue Filming at ABC Studios Post-Broadcast? Who’s Coming Back to DAYS Now? Will Franco Rape Sam on GH? Why B&B’s Jacob Young Only Signed a six-Month Contract! AMC’s Darnell Williams Exclusive: “I Haven’t Signed with Prospect!” Kim Zimmer on Rosie! Which Actor Was On A Bender? Last week’s Soap Reviews; Next Week’s Preview Cheat Sheet! And every week: Unbelievable Blind Items!