Avast Matey, welcome aboard the M.S. Nocturna, a ship on the nether reaches of an exotic ocean in search of hidden treasure and witchy artifacts.Join the good-shippin’ crew of scallywags, strange sea-creatures, and a fearless captain who simply must have a magical book that lies in the hands of a great, treacherous witch – Vuuya.Colette, a fiery young jobber of The M.S. Nocturna is given her first assignment off ship. She is commissioned to take part in a search for a magic tome of ancient power: Vuuya’s wish-granting grimoire. Together with two more experienced sailors and The Captain himself, the four reach the island fabled to hold a book able to make dreams come true. Will Colette prove herself as a competent and capable member of the eldritch crew, worthy of The Captain’s respect and glory all her own? Will it be as simple as getting in, sneaking away with the book, and sailing off?Unfortunately for the crew, their expedition carries more teeth than they're expecting—and it’s prepared to bite back. The grimoire of the crew’s desire is a conscious being and a crafty one at that. The book will use every trick in the… book to ensure that this island is The Nocturna’s last stop. The island descends into chaos and Colette is given a choice. Will she fight on and see through the illusions, or will she embrace the darkness like every islander before her? She must act quickly, lest the book’s control turn her allies into enemies. The task is hard, and even harder once The Captain himself is swayed against her. The lives of all aboard The Nocturna are at stake in this introduction to this thrilling, fantasy-filled, action-packed series. So, what are you waiting for? Throw off your landlubber shoes and write your friends and family goodbye. Man your stations and hop aboard, The Eversea awaits you! This is the first of the series

In a world, where all goods are freely available to everyone, pirating is not the only profession that has a complex theory behind it. In order to survive, Captain Peppita must learn to think like a pirate, find out what true wealth really is, and discover which chemical substances are suitable for close-quarters combat.Hilbert SpaceHilbert Space, a very special region of the universe, is a rather unique place. Inhabited by dozens of space faring civilizations and spanning hundreds of systems, it is home to thousands of stories worth telling. While the laws of physics, which lead to the rest of space being quite dull and boring for the most part, are acknowledged here, Hilbert Space is known to find many workarounds, loopholes, and compromises that ensure that it is a dangerous, yet also extremely entertaining domain. Pirate TheoryIn this short story, former smuggler and renowned adventurer Peppita and her crew decide to transport one last passenger, before seeking out bigger challenges. However, this one job turns out to be more involved than anyone could anticipate. In order to succeed, Captain Peppita must learn to think like a pirate, find out what true wealth really is, and discover which chemical substances are suitable for close-quarters combat.

Henry was a very handsome man that the ladies always had their eyes on. Henry wasn't a wealthy man. When Henry met Monique and fell in love with her money and her beauty faded after many years of marriage.Henry turned to booze and wanted her dead to spend her fortune on himself.With Monique out of the way Henry thought he had it all till the dead came back for revenge.Henry was a very handsome man that the ladies always had their eyes on. Henry wasn't a wealthy man and wasn't born into wealth, but Henry always dreamed he'd marry into wealth someday and have all the precious things he dreamed about. When Henry was around his friends he'd talk like he had money because most of his friends had an abundance of money. Not having any wealth like his friends had made Henry jealous. Henry's relationships were not much to speak of many girls broke up with him after just a few dates because he couldn't give lavish gifts. Henry's luck and entire life was about to change because one of Henry's rich friends was invited to a party. His friend only knew the person that invited him so he thought it would be a good idea to bring someone he knew to keep him company. Henry and his friend were having a good time at the party. Henry told Jack he was going to get some punch and would be back shortly. Just as Henry was scooping up some punch a pretty blonde woman approached Henry and introduced herself because Henry's appearance took her breath away. Henry would get the girl of his dreams but when her beauty started to fade and Henry's spending spree on booze got out of hand things went south very quickly leaving Henry a drunken lonely broke man. Henry thought killing his wife Monique would make things better but when Henry heard a voice calling him out to the grave where his beloved Monique was buried and a freshly dug grave with Henry's name on the tombstone. Henry knew his fate had been sealed.

Cayne is starting his first week of college with his best friend Adam, hoping to turn over a new leaf. He gets more than he asked for after meeting the cute, but strange girl, Angela, and ends up in the middle of an ancient war he never knew he was part of.Cayne is starting his first week of college with his best friend Adam. Besides getting his degree, he hopes to move on from Sona, his first love, who unexpectedly died three years ago. After meeting the cute, but strange Angela, Cayne feels hopeful about the years ahead. Until Angela pulls him into an ancient war he never knew he was part of, and a world of monsters and supernatural powers. Passing that next exam just became the least of Cayne's worries.

The worldwide earthquake destroyed everything, especially hope. The End Times have begun, how will the Saved survive?Terry is going to work near downtown Cleveland, OH when the 9.6 worldwide earthquake strikes. Will she get out alive?Bill Stein and his wife Mary had just recently moved back to Germany on Bill's parent's farm due to their passing. Little did Bill and his wife know that the lake on his parent's farm contained a small army of Nazi soldier's that met their fate during World War II on his parent's farm, and that their final resting place was at the bottom of the lake Bill's father never told his son about the dead Nazi soldiers in his lake because he didn't want him to have nightmares, but days after moving into his parent's farm Bill noticed a green foam on the surface of the lake, and decided to call the water department to see if it was something out of the ordinary. The water department said it was probably because of an overabundance of algae and not to be concerned. As the days wore on, and the green foam was covering most of the lake Bill decided to call one of his good friends that was a scientist to have him come out, and get to the bottom of this green substance because the water department wasn't too concerned about Bill's problem.The next day Bill's friend Steve Kliner the scientist brought his testing equipment to test the lake water. Bill said "Steve how long do you think it will take to find out what the cause of this green substance is?"Steve answered, "I should know something this evening when I run all the tests?""Sounds Great," replied Bill.Bill had no idea the chemicals that Steve was about to pour into the lake would unleash something evil that had been lying dormant for fifty years at the bottom of the lake. Steve would end up as a tasty meal for an army of Zombies hungry for flesh.Bill and Mary said goodbye to their friend and went on to work.Steve waived by to his friends, and proceeded to open his bag, and pull out his testing equipment.

Book II of the Chronicles of Achil recounts The Rise of The Mandrake. It has been five years since Achil made his home among the Dragon People of Osgaroth; that peaceful time is about to come to a sudden end as hidden in the lands of Mead, a malice waits to be unleashed on the unsuspecting Finns.Book II of the Chronicles of Achil recounts The Rise of The Mandrake. It has been five years since Achil made his home among the Dragon People of Osgaroth; that peaceful time is about to come to a sudden end. Hidden in the lands of Mead, a malice waits to be unleashed on the unsuspecting Finns. Can the Dragon People ride to their aid in time, or will the city of Findolin be overrun. Once more Achil and his friends must face adversity as they struggle against a foe that has swept all before it. The Mandrake are a most insidious foe, relentless, tireless, fearless, led by Jin, a mysterious monstrous warlord who unbeknownst to everyone has a connection to the lands he intends conquering. This is an epic story which has the usual Dragons and Werewolves to it but it stands out from the rest through an elaborate thrilling story that condemns the reader to the worst crime of all, alienation from family and friends as they will have a complete inability to put the book down. Filled with treachery, betrayal, intrigue and adventure. It is well worth its five star rating.

A short fictional story. A woman's concerns are raised after observing a young male, shortly followed by an older male, emerging from a public toilet in a park. The younger of the two seems ill or ill at ease. The woman wonders if something untoward has occurred and the story follows her imaginings and speculations as to the character and motives of the older man.This is a short fictional story, inspired by thinking about the words supposition and speculation. Observing people in daily life, recalling snippets of overheard conversations and the comments of strangers enabled me to stitch together a contemporary scenario wherein a woman notices a young male emerging from a public toilet in a park and notes that he looks ill or ill at ease. The woman is somehow moved to feel concern for his welfare. An older man who is known to the woman exits the toilet block immediately after the young male. This sets off a spark of curious imaginings by the woman as to what might have occurred, if anything, between the two men. Plagued by doubt and speculation, the woman begins to observe the older man at his place of work and she questions his character and possible motives.

A bumbling English Professor felt compelled to make a parachute jump. His motivation was the belief that everyone must confront their fears bravely and conquer them. He had a fear of heights. Ms. Banion, his instructor was apprehensive about this person's clumsiness. He insisted and found himself in space without a parachute. How was he saved from certain death?A bumbling English Professor felt compelled to make a parachute jump. His motivation was the belief that everyone must confront their fears bravely and conquer them. He had a fear of heights. Ms. Banion, his instructor was apprehensive about this person's clumsiness and begged him to reconsider. He insisted and found himself in space without a parachute. The story has a happy ending since he was "saved by the bell!"

The latest novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory features one of the most famous girls in history, Lady Jane Grey, and her two sisters, each of whom dared to defy her queen. Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days. Her father and his allies crowned her instead of the dead king’s half sister Mary Tudor, who quickly mustered an army, claimed her throne, and locked Jane in the Tower of London. When Jane refused to betray her Protestant faith, Mary sent her to the executioner’s block, where Jane transformed her father’s greedy power grab into tragic martyrdom. “Learn you to die,” was the advice Jane wrote to her younger sister Katherine, who has no intention of dying. She intends to enjoy her beauty and her youth and fall in love. But she is heir to the insecure and infertile Queen Mary and then to her half sister, Queen Elizabeth, who will never allow Katherine to marry and produce a Tudor son. When Katherine’s pregnancy betrays her secret marriage, she faces imprisonment in the Tower, only yards from her sister’s scaffold. “Farewell, my sister,” writes Katherine to the youngest Grey sister, Mary. A beautiful dwarf, disregarded by the court, Mary keeps family secrets, especially her own, while avoiding Elizabeth’s suspicious glare. After seeing her sisters defy their queens, Mary is acutely aware of her own danger but determined to command her own life. What will happen when the last Tudor defies her ruthless and unforgiving Queen Elizabeth?

Haylee and Kaylee Fitzgerald are twin sisters who have been forced to be identical in every way by their domineering mother. She insists they wear the same clothes, eat the same food, get the same grades, and have all the same friends. But both are growing weary of her obsession with their similarities, so when they finally attend high school, they find little ways to highlight their independence. The transition isn't as easy as expected, however, and soon both sisters are thrust into a world that their mother never prepared them for—a world with far more dangerous consequences than just upsetting Mother.

In the latest Kate Daniels novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews, magic is coming and going in waves in post-Shift Atlanta—and each crest leaves danger in its wake… After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters. So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected. An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece…

In A DREAM OF MORTALS, Thorgrin and his brothers struggle to break free from the grips of the pirates, and to continue their search for Guwayne at sea. As they encounter unexpected friends and foes, magic and weaponry, dragons and men, it will change the very course of their destiny. Will they finally find Guwayne? Darius and his few friends survive the massacre of their people but only to find that they are captives, thrown into the Empire Arena. Shackled together, facing unimaginable opponents, their only hope for survival is to stand and fight together, as brothers. Gwendolyn wakes from her slumber to discover that she and the others have survived their trek across the Great Waste and even more shocking, that they have come to a land beyond their wildest imagination. As they are brought into a new royal court, the secrets Gwendolyn learns about her ancestors and her own people will change her destiny forever. Erec and Alistair, still captive at sea, struggle to break free from the grips of the Empire fleet in a bold and daring nighttime escape. When odds seem at their worst, they receive an unexpected surprise that might just give them a second chance for victory and another chance to continue their attack on the heart of the Empire. Godfrey and his crew, imprisoned once again, set to be executed, have one last chance to try to escape. After being betrayed, they want more than escape this time they want vengeance. Volusia is surrounded on all sides as she strives to take and hold the Empire capital and she will have to summon a more powerful magic than she s ever known if she is to prove herself a Goddess, and become Supreme Ruler of the Empire. Once again, the fate of the Empire hangs in the balance.

New trailer park. New shifters. New lumberjack crew. Are you ready to see how the Boarlanders live? The Boarlander Bears can be read as a standalone series Audrey Foster is a shifter among humans. Forced to register her animal side to the public and desperate to meet other shifters like herself, she finds love on a matchmaking site with the big, brawler, alpha grizzly of the Boarlander Crew. She leaves her small hometown destined for a face-to-face meeting with Harrison Lang that will change her life forever. The only problem is he doesn’t seem to realize they are dating, and now his crew is on the defense, trying to keep her from getting too close to their secret life up in the wilds of Damon’s Mountains. Harrison has no time for the crazy woman at the bar who seems to think she knows him. His crew of lumberjack bear shifters is falling apart around him, and he’s making desperate moves to save what’s left of his trailer park. The last thing he needs is some human sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. Too bad he can’t stop thinking about her, and now the mysterious beauty has him considering big changes for Boarland Mobile Park. Audrey wants a big boss bear, but she’s in way over her head, because the Boarlanders are not what they seem. Watch out Gray Backs…there’s a new C-team in town. Content Warning: Explicit love scenes, naughty language, and piles of sexy shifter secrets. Intended for mature audiences.

In Tenth Grade Bleeds, it's another sucky year at Bathory High for Vladimir Tod. The evil vampire D'Ablo is hunting for the ritual that could steal Vlad's powers. His best friend Henry doesn't want to be his drudge anymore. And as if all that weren't enough, it's getting harder for Vlad to resist feeding on the people around him. When months go by with no word from Uncle Otis and D'Ablo shows up demanding Vlad's father's journal, Vlad realizes that having a normal high school year is the least of his concerns. Vlad needs to act fast, and even his status as the Pravus won't save him this time . . .

With each new book, Maeve Binchy continues a remarkable progression of sales and audience growth, reaching fans of all ages and backgrounds with her matchless wit, warmth, and sheer storytelling magic. "Tara Road," her first full-length novel since "The Glass Lake," again shows her incomparable understanding of the human heart in the tale of two women, one from Ireland, one from America, who switch lives, and in doing so learn much about each other, as well as much about themselves.Ria lived on Tara Road in Dublin with her dashing husband, Danny, and their two children. She fully believed she was happily married, right up until the day Danny told her he was leaving her to be with his young, pregnant girlfriend. By a chance phone call, Ria meets Marilyn, a woman from New England unable to come to terms with her only son's death and now separated from her husband. The two women exchange houses for the summer with extraordinary consequences, each learning that the other has a deep secret that can never be revealed. Drawn into lifestyles vastly differing from their own, at first each resents the news of how well the other is getting on. Ria seems to have become quite a hostess, entertaining half the neighborhood, which at first irritates the reserved and withdrawn Marilyn, a woman who has always guarded her privacy. Marilyn seems to have become bosom friends with Ria's children, as well as with Colm, a handsome restaurateur, whom Ria has begun to miss terribly. At the end of the summer, the women at last meet face-to-face. Having learned a great deal, about themselves and about each other, they find that they have become, firmly and forever, good friends. A moving story rendered with the deft touch of a master artisan, "Tara Road" is Maeve Binchy at her very best — utterly beautiful, hauntingly unforgettable, entirely original, and wholly enjoyable.

A British Lady Lady Emma Wells-Finch, the oh-so-proper headmistressof England's St. Gertrude's School for Girls, is a woman on a mission—she has two weeks to lose her reputation. Arriving in Texas with skirts flying, umbrella pointing, and beautiful mouth issuing orders, she knows only one thing will save her from losing everything she holds dear: complete and utter disgrace! A Texas Rascal World-famous playboy-athlete Kenny Traveler has kickedup his boot heels one too many times, and now he's suspended from the sport he loves. Only one thing will restore his career:complete and utter respectability! Unfortunately, he's been blackmailed into chauffeuring bossy, single-minded Lady Emma, and she's hell-bent on visiting honkytonks,chasing down tattoo parlors, and worse.. lots worse. Love, All-American Style When a gorgeous man who can't afford another scandal meets a hardheaded woman who's determined to cause one, anything can happen. But love? Oh, dear. That's impossible.That's outrageous. That's... inevitable!

Between the seemingly impossible tasks of living up to his warrior-father's legend and surmounting his own physical limitations, Miles Vorkosigan faces some truly daunting challenges. Shortly after his arrival on Beta Colony, Miles unexpectedly finds himself the owner of an obsolete freighter and in more debt than he ever thought possible. Propelled by his manic "forward momentum," the ever-inventive Miles creates a new identity for himself as the commander of his own mercenary fleet to obtain a lucrative cargo; a shipment of weapons destined for a dangerous warzone.

Jorge Luis Borges declared The Invention of Morel a masterpiece of plotting, comparable to The Turn of the Screw and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Set on a mysterious island, Bioy's novella is a story of suspense and exploration, as well as a wonderfully unlikely romance, in which every detail is at once crystal clear and deeply mysterious.  Inspired by Bioy Casares's fascination with the movie star Louise Brooks, The Invention of Morel has gone on to live a secret life of its own. Greatly admired by Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez, and Octavio Paz, the novella helped to usher in Latin American fiction's now famous postwar boom. As the model for Alain Resnais and Alain Robbe-Grillet's Last Year in Marienbad, it also changed the history of film.

Thirteen-year-old Gabriella Schramm's favorite pastime is reading. With Adolf Hitler slowly but unstoppably rising to power, Gaby turns to her books for comfort while the world around her changes dramatically: The streets become filled with soldiers, Gaby's sister's boyfriend raises his arm in a heil Hitler salute, and the Schramms? family friend Albert Einstein flees the country. When Gaby's beloved books come under attack, she fears she may have to leave behind the fiction -and the life- she has always cherished.

Daniel Pecan Cambridge, 30, 35, 38, or 27, depending on how he feels that day, is a young man whose life is rich and full, provided he never leaves his Santa Monica apartment. After all, outside there are 8-inch-high curbs and there's always the horrible chance he might see a gas station attendant wearing a blue hat. So, except for the occasional trip to the Rite Aid to admire the California girl Zandy and to buy earplugs because they're on sale, he stays home a lot. And a good thing too, or he would have never been falsely implicated in a murder, never almost seduced Philipa, never done the impossible task of jogging around the block with Brian, never ironed his pillows, and he might never have won the Most Average American essay contest. The Pleasure of My Company is the chronicle of a modern-day neurotic yearning to break free.

After a shootout claims the life of his partner in a condemned tenement building on Pearl Street, Detective John Tallow unwittingly stumbles across an apartment stacked high with guns. When examined, each weapon leads to a different, previously unsolved murder. Someone has been killing people for twenty years or more and storing the weapons together for some inexplicable purpose. Confronted with the sudden emergence of hundreds of unsolved homicides, Tallow soon discovers that he's walked into a veritable deal with the devil. An unholy bargain that has made possible the rise of some of Manhattan's most prominent captains of industry. A hunter who performs his deadly acts as a sacrifice to the old gods of Manhattan, who may, quite simply, be the most prolific murderer in New York City's history.