People line up around the block to buy Mama Tova’s cupcakes. But who could be trying to steal her secret recipe? The Aldens follow the clues to a cupcake contest, where they must find a thief using their mystery-solving skills—and their taste buds, too!

Berger chronicles small-town America of the 1930s in his narrative of the feud between the Beelers of Hornbeck and the Bullards of Milville.

It is story of a revengeful elder sister who spoiled the life of her younger sister by seducing her sister's lover!This story is about a real girl who used to love a friend of mine who was able to reunite with my friend as her husband after death of his first wife. With initial hiccup, she was able to win the hearts of her step children and they are now a happy family. However, Madhuri’s character is a fictitious character, far from reality. The reason for their initial break-up was not known to me. Therefore, I have to introduce the character of Madhuri. In fact, she (present wife of my friend) was the only daughter of a teacher. I have made some comments on scrap dealer in the statement of Madhuri just to spice up the story. I do not have any intention to demean the profession of scrap dealing business. They are giving a yeoman service to the society through their business which I always respect.

In the new Cold War battlefield of Indonesia, two old comrades conspire to topple the fledgling democracy. The weapons of this war are not nuclear missiles, but a far more deadly weapon. Money. But without the help of capitalist Anton Zelman their plot will fail. Anton's help comes at a price. But who will pay?A WOMAN IN NEED OF SAVING…Lyric Carmichael is a shifter in trouble. When a pack of rogue wolves attacks her, she knows she will have to fight for her life. Being a member of the Iron Wolves MC and a wolf shifter, she’s used to fighting, with the odds stacked against her, she’s not sure she’ll make it out alive. A BADASS SOLDIER…Rowan Shade, a member of the Special Forces has fought many battles, so wading into the fight to save a gorgeous woman is second nature. Being bitten by Lyric in order to save him from a fate worse than death, and finding out there are supernatural beings, is one of the most erotic experiences of his life. He just hopes they live long enough to explore more of this new and wild world.A LOVE BEYOND REASON…As Rowan and Lyric explore their new relationship, the danger to the pack intensifies. When they find out one of their own has betrayed them, the strength of the entire MC is needed in order for them all to survive the upcoming battle.

In life she was a high-profile model. In death she is the focus of a media firestorm that's demanding action from Lucas Davenport. One of his own men is a suspect in her murder. But when a series of bizarre, seemingly unrelated slayings rock the city, Davenport suspects a connection that runs deeper than anyone had imagined - one that leads to an ingenious killer more ruthless than anyone had feared ...

Having escaped from a turbulent home life, Lea finds herself caught in the grip of a dangerous future. Will the handsome face from her past pull her back from the point of no return, or will she choose to embrace her new, dark life?Lea has made some poor decisions in her life. It makes no difference what pushed her into her choices, but now she has to find a way to survive in this new, hostile world she's stumbled into. Tempted by the danger, she decides to push forward beyond the point of no return... until she is stopped by an unexpected, nearly forgotten past.But... there are so many hands grasping for her, trying to stop her. Can she managed to escape them all and complete this one last job to win her freedom?

the unbeatable spirit of the heroes of old is reborn in the nineteen sixties, where it engages the monsters and villains of modern life in scotland in its quest to be free, in this swirling epic set in a bygone era which still beams a nostalgic message to us. this is how it really was.growing up in scotland during the sixties, the main character of this novel spins the capivating tale of the formative events and escapades that snowballed into an epic struggle to make real the obsessions of that era which colonized the minds of his generation. the many characters who are drawn to him and become part of this tale are often recognizable as like ourselves or others we have known; the dilemmas and challenges he faces are some of them familiar, others bizarre and extreme; what is unique and uplifting is his response and his spirit and the insights he gains into friendship, love, wealth, and power.

Includes the title story, in which a thieving vagrant takes on a young apprentice; "Twenty-six Men and A Girl," in which wretched bakery workers destroy their only source of joy; and "Makar Chudra."

The thirsty herd of range cattle drove across the desert heading for the water filled arroyo. The old cowboy sat on the cabin porch and watched with young eyes. He lived the dream again. He knew tomorrow would come and with it the reckoning, but it didn't matter anymore. There was only today.And...it was almost over, but one last thing needed to be done.The old cowboy sat in his chair on the porch of the new cabin. He watched the rim of the desert. How many more days would there be? He knew this was his last hurrah.The hired hand didn't understand, but it didn't matter anymore. It was almost over.Today...thought the old man, it has to be today, I feel it in my bones.He sat on the porch and looked at the sky: the hired hand told him there would be no ride today, bad weather coming.As he watched, the clouds were bizarre, all piled up, shouldering one another for the best place, the big ones black and lowering. The pink air thick but so clear, you could almost see tomorrow."My gawd!" the old man cried as he gazed at the sky, "it's the end of the world!"He wanted to sit on the porch and watch but the hired hand hustled him inside the cabin. The rain turned to hail the size of golf balls. So big they could kill a new born calf.The storm finally passed and the sun came out. The old man, the hired hand and the Indian housekeeper went out and sat on the porch and looked at the fresh new world.The edge of the desert grew hazy; the cloud of dust on the horizon grew bigger. "There they are," shouted the old cowboy, "here they come!"The water crazed herd of range cattle drove for the bloated arroyo, the smell of water making them mad. The bawling cattle elbowing and pushing their way passed the porch. They stamped and bellowed and the dust filled the old man's nostrils and he thought it the sweetest smell.Life coursed through his old bones and he stood and swung his old Stetson in the air and whooped and swore, pleasure flowed through him, and he was young again.But soon they were gone.The old man sat down heavily, age settled back on his shoulders, "I'll finish tomorrow, Ramona," he said to the old Indian housekeeper, "it'll be O.K.".The hired hand watched with foreboding, what will be finished tomorrow?

Homeless, hopeless and on the run in the large city, Chris huddles near a dumpster for refuge. Alone, cold and confused, he drifts off to sleep only to awake to what begins as a nightmare. From 1998 to 1868 his fight to survive fills the pages of this book with excitement. New values, new Morals, an entirely new life awaits.Christopher's Journey is about a young man who was plagued with the hardships of a broken home, abusive childhood and the struggles of adolescents. Desperate for family, love and attention, he joined the inner city gang for protection. Chris' attempt in criminal activity were sloppy and he was continuously seized by the law. His attempt to find acceptance turned to a fight to survive. Now homeless, hopeless and on the run in the large city, he huddles near a dumpster for refuge. Alone cold and confused, he drifts off to sleep only to awake to what begins as a nightmare.Christopher’s fight for existence no longer includes the big city or the inner city gang. He finds himself fighting for survival in 1868. He has no choice but to discover how to fend for himself in the wide open plains. Eventually he is found and helped by a pioneer family and discovers new values, new morals and a completely new kind of life.

Alexa's 13th birthday is coming up but this year something unexpected is going to happen. Alexa's father had died when she was born and all she knows was that a tree had fell on he's car when he was driving. But what she doesn't know is that he was cursed and on her 13th birthday the curse is passing on to her. On her birthday she is trying everything to stop the curse. Will she survive? Or not...Alexa's 13th birthday is coming up but this year something unexpected is going to happen. Alexa's father had died when she was born and all she knows was that a tree had fell on he's car when he was driving. But what she doesn't know is that he was cursed and on her 13th birthday the curse is passing on to her. On her birthday she is trying everything to stop the curse.Will she make it out surviving and saving her family? Or will the curse get the best of her....

This eleventh volume of the Stan Turner Mysteries features legal sleuths Stan Turner and Paula Waters, but including for the fist time, Jodie Marshall, their new associate who has worked her way up from secretary to trial attorney. While Paula works a triple homicide and Jodie defends a good samaritan who accidentally shoots a store owner, Stan backs them up while fighting his own battles.A triple homicide is caught on tape by a professional photographer yet the person or persons responsible and the motive for this grisly crime are a mystery. This is the kind of high-profile murder case that attorney Paula Waters loves but as she tries to unravel the twisted facts a critical witness is murdered and two others disappear. When the trial finally begins and she thinks she has everything figured out, Stan informs her that she has it all wrong! Paula isn’t happy with Stan’s revelations, particularly since he has been of little help to her during the trial. In the past, he has been right there with her from the beginning to the end, but this time, he has been busy helping their new associate Jodie Marshall with her civil defense of an ex-Army MP who thwarted a thief in a jewelry store heist but managed to shoot the store owner in the process. Stan has his own troublesome bankruptcy case too. A Pakistani immigrant has been defrauded of his life savings of $250,000 by a thug preying on fellow countrymen wanting to immigrate to the U.S. Stan puts his client into a chapter 11 reorganization but the thug has little respect for U.S. laws or its judicial system causing Stan’s plan to go awry. Stan’s unexplained absences from the office further exacerbate his shaky relations with Paula, particularly when she discovers he’s apparently having liaisons with a hooker!

The night before Christmas is a time of miracles. Eile and Sunny do all they can to make this true for the homeless women and their children living in Pastor Sjauken's shelter. But there is another force at work this night, which makes use of the Girls for its own ends, even though they are unaware of it at the time. This is a short story.Every Christmas Eve, Eile and Sunny of Team Girl spend the day at Pastor Sjauken's homeless shelter for single mothers and their children, preparing and serving meals, handing out presents, and generally helping everyone to make merry. In their own way, they like to remind his charges that miracles can happen.But tonight they will be involved in another miracle, as a force greater than themselves manipulates them without their knowledge, only this time it could mean the difference between life and death.

A story of love and envy, suspense and certainty, human abasement and spiritual awakening, all interwoven with the consequences of faulty judging.Presumptions of innocence or guilt are closely tied to our relationship with the person being judged. The closer we're connected to someone, the more liberal we tend to be with our judging, unless our emotions get in the way.This story is not about legal aspects of our emotional presumptions. It’s about the real life consequences of the judgments that we all make about others. Sometimes, the smallest judgment can have tragic consequences. Perhaps that’s why we have been warned against judging.Karen Bronsky lived a enviable life with a successful devoted husband and a darling child. But something caused her to want just a little more from life. Karen must lose part of her life to find what’s really important to her.Jan Murray thought that she had everything that she needed for happiness. She has looks that most young women would envy. She knew it, and flaunted it. She never knew what it was like to be unnoticed by men. But she will learn that true happiness is not found in the adoration of physical appearances.Stan Bronsky is a good man and husband. He is hard driving and successful in business. But he will learn that success can be fleeting and very costly when he experiences a momentary lapse of judgment and character.Robert Louis Gatewood suffered tragic early life experiences and has carried scars that have shaped his thinking and behavior. He will find new direction in an unexpected moment of encounter.As the lives of these four people weave together through what they perceive to be chance circumstances, they will experience a plethora of emotional experiences and share the uncomfortable consequences of being misjudged, or of having misjudged another.

The Last Human is a Post-Post-Apocalyptic short fiction story following the life of the last human survivor of the second robot apocalypse. Jay has been wandering aimlessly for ages and passes the time by reflecting on the better days which, sadly, were his days spent in servitude to the robot overlords. This is the story of Jay's struggle to survive with only himself to rely on.Alaric and Everet have begun their journey across the desolate Oresian plains back to the border, where they'll continue on to the Vasque Capitole to meet with Veld Martiale Hadryan. But issues more personal and pressing than a stalled treaty and the Holds' futures must first be addressed, and as the fury of a coming storm begins to mount, so too do the tension and uncertainty between the pair.

A short story. A woman is chased by a terrifying creature who looks all too familiar.The Caterpillar Adventure is a story for children. The book explores the theme; from child to a student, using imagery of the natural world to tell the story.It is written with teachers in mind as it also includes a script version of the story. This can be used "as is" or adapted to the classroom context. There are even some hints on how to produce the play.The book can be used as source material in a primary teaching context.

While surfing on line James meets up with an old school flame, from way back. He agrees to escort her to an upcoming school reunion in Stowmarket. In doing so he also meets up with a few other earlier girl friends and although he was not looking for a new partner, he does find a few who are interested. However, a big surprise awaits him with an ending that catches him completely by surprise.They paid millions of dollars to take part in a ritual of human sacrifice. They are a nameless brotherhood, a collective of bankers, military men, and corporate executives whose endless hunger has been the driving force behind every atrocity ever committed. Tonight, they are going to cook a world-famous chef in an electric chair on live television. Sigmund plans to make a great deal of money from this execution. So why does he feel like the guy strapped into the electric chair is pulling one over on him? Come and Watch a Man Die! is a strange story about living things being more than just meat, the universe being more than just molecules rubbing up against one another, and transcendence through unimaginable acts of violence.

The 5th issue of Successful Startup 101, a magazine for budding entrepreneurs, startup founders and small business owners that covers business planning, strategy, management, accounting, finance, sales and marketing.In this month's issue...* Scaling for High Growth is All About Focus and Checkpoints, by Ryan Smith* 5 Ways to Build an Extraordinary Team Culture, by Peter Economy* The Pitfalls (and Upsides) of Partnering with Entrepreneurs, by Daniel Isenberg* Why Do Most Startups Fail? by Scott Shane* Change Happens to You and Because of You, by Brian Solis* Improve Small Business Cash Flow with These 4 Tips, by Andrew Cravenho* Crowdfunder Blunder, by Kriti Vichare* A Business Guide for Protecting Personal Information, by Sandy Glover* 10 Reasons Why Small Businesses Fail, by Jared Mumford* Angel or Devil - Who Is Really Investing In Your Start-Up?, by Nir Eyal* 5 Ways to Become a Better Leader Today, by Peter Economy* Alternative Financing: What To Do When the Bank Says No, by Robert Jacobs* To Help Small Business, Change the Definition of Independent Contractor - by Carol RothSPECIAL MARKETING AND SALES SECTION* How to Sell Anything to Anybody, by Steve Tobak* 7 Must-Have Tools for Networking Online, by John Corcoran* Startups Need To Embrace Zero Paid Media Marketing, by Martin Zwilling* It Is Time to Focus on Retaining Customers, by Monique de Maio* Customer Centricity, by Jason Pontin* How To Determine The Best Social Media Platform For Your Business, by Sarah Greesonbach* 3 Branding Mistakes To Avoid As Your Business Grows, by Jason Houck

The first installment in a new science fiction short story series.Sam Tanner is the captain of the Fluster, a T-Class ship roaming the universe. These are the stories of their adventures, beginning with a run-in with the law.A fortune in Nazi stolen art leaves a London port. Among the treasures—the infamous Maltese Falcon… Death is at the heart of it, death and the blood of its victims. The fabulous wealth of the Maltese Falcon has lured greedy prey across the centuries. Follow Chicago P.I. Joe Ganzer as he runs a gauntlet of Cold War spies, Nazis, stolen booze, stolen art, and at the end of it all is the Falcon of Malta...the stuff of nightmares.

Who was the hostage taker, and why did he request Captain Roger Burhans as an intermediary? There were three prisoners in a small building that was built like a fortress. The negotiations game had begun, but the gunman's plan of multiple revenge strikes would eventually destroy more than one life. Misery loves company, and hate will provide it. Reviews and 'favorite author' status very welcome!This is the first of a short story series of varying topics and genres. The image of a police stand-off against a gunman with multiple hostages has made the video and print media all too many times. In this story, though, there are twists and surprises that no one could have possibly dreamed of, even in the worst of nightmares.Training and experience are invaluable to police in hostage crisis situations. But the formulas most successful in such situations can mislead when the game is not anything one had ever heard of. Going by the book, unfortunately, can lead one into a most horrific trap.