The home of the Birkenholt family was not one of the least delightful. It stood at the foot of a rising ground on which grew a grove of magnificent beeches their large silvery boles rising majestically like columns into a lofty vaulting of branches covered above with tender green foliage. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

America has always had a fascination with the Wild West, and schoolchildren grow up learning about famous Westerners like Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hicock, as well as the infamous shootout at O.K. Corral. Pioneering and cowboys and Indians have been just as popular in Hollywood, with Westerners helping turn John Wayne and Clint Eastwood into legends on the silver screen. HBO’s Deadwood, about the historical 19th century mining town on the frontier was popular last decade.Not surprisingly, a lot has been written about the West, and one of the best known writers about the West in the 19th century was Francis Bret Harte (1836-1902), who wrote poetry and short stories during his literary career. Harte was on the West Coast by the 1860s, placing himself in perfect position to document and depict frontier life. 

“Laugh and grow fat is a saying of old, Whether or no ’tis a cause of obesity, This much I know that the physical man Laughter demands as a kind of necessity. Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha! Laughter demands as a kind of necessity.” — Old Song.

Addison Irving Bacheller (September 26, 1859 – February 24, 1950) was an American journalist and writer who founded the first modern newspaper syndicate in the United States. Born in Pierrepont, New York, Irving Bacheller graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1882 after which he accepted a job with the Daily Hotel Reporter; by 1883 he was working for the Brooklyn Daily Times. Two years later, he established a business to provide specialized articles to the major Sunday newspapers. It was through the Bacheller Syndicate that he brought to American readers the writings of British authors such as Joseph Conrad, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling. He also established a working partnership with the young author and journalist Stephen Crane, whose novel The Red Badge of Courage became famous after it appeared in syndication. Several years later, Bacheller hired Crane to act as a war correspondent in Cuba during the insurrection against Spain; on the journey there, Crane's ship foundered off the coast of Florida, and he was stranded on a dinghy for two days. This experience resulted in his short story "The Open Boat".

A rolling tremor passes through the land of Uton signaling a return of long absent magic as well as violent, evil creatures bent on shredding the very fabric of reality. Ryson Acumen, purebred delver, learns that legends he considered fables hold more truth than fantasy. He discovers the Sphere of Ingar is free from its tomb in Sanctum Mountain and it threatens to obliterate all life.A rolling tremor passes through the land of Uton signaling a return of long absent magic as well as an ancient evil that accompanies it. Ryson Acumen, purebred delver, senses the changes and begins his explorations to discover the source behind the upheaval. In his investigations, he learns that legends he considered fables hold more truth than fantasy. The delver encounters elves and learns the Sphere of Ingar, a talisman that captured all magical energies long ago, is free from its tomb in Sanctum Mountain. As violent, evil creatures return to shred the very fabric of reality, the sphere gains awareness and chooses to spew corrupted magical energies to obliterate all life. The sphere must be destroyed, but it rests within Sanctum, a hollow mountain with a single path to its center. The way to the sphere remains defended by devices created long ago, forged by members of each race to thwart entry to the mountain's core. Those that wish to defeat the sphere must not only overcome these barriers, they must conquer the mistrust which has flourished during the long period of separation. Human, elf, dwarf, algor and delver must reunite to defeat the obstacles that now protect the sphere. Once inside Sanctum, representatives of each race face the secrets of the ages that once undone will change their lives forever.

When Private Investigator Frankie Douglas agreed to shadow Anne Mason to protect her from a serial killer, she had no idea both her life and heart would be in danger. Fast paced and humorous short story from the ebook DEADLY OFFERINGS by Alexa Grace.The revised edition of Hacker School, now a trilogy with the addition of two new stories. In a dystopian world, who will decide the future of mankind?After the Great Chaos, Jake's tribe decides it's time to expand from their hidden valley and once more deal with other societies.David's tribe is trying to gather technology and reconstruct some of the technical marvels that once existed. They are violently opposed by anti-scavengers that wait for promised help from now vanished bureaucracies.Charlene is mostly healed from her many battles. She's surprised by what may be a way to survive. Does this hacker really offer a small chance of escape? Maybe human rights hacktivism is in her future. Probably not. Is it foolish to trust someone just because he remembers how to laugh?Hacker School is a three act prelude to the cyberhug.me series. "Your life is a burning match. Ignite a bonfire." - Allan R. Wallace

"Indiana Jones meets the Da Vinci Code" – as one reviewer has commented! Wren's discovered an ancient diary; he's convinced that it's the key to a legendary treasure trove. All he has to do is persuade cousin Rhyllann that this isn't a geeky flight of fantasy, escape the protection of DI Crombie of the Metropolitan Police and outwit a sinister cult known as "The Brotherhood". What can go wrong? …"Indiana Jones meets the Da Vinci Code" – as one reviewer has commented! Wren's discovered an ancient diary; he's convinced that it's the key to a legendary treasure trove. All he has to do is persuade cousin Rhyllann that this isn't a geeky flight of fantasy, escape the protection of DI Crombie of the Metropolitan Police and outwit a sinister cult known as "The Brotherhood". What can go wrong? …“But the treasure is guarded. He who wishes to enter the secret chamber must first ensure he knows of the Celtic rites and mysteries. No other hand is permitted to touch Caliburn, sacred sword of the Celtic Nations.” From the diary of Joan, Princess of Wales by marriage; natural daughter of King John of England (year of our lord 1216). Chapter one from the time travelling adventure "A Ripple in Time" is included in the end pages as a bonus feature."A Raucous Time" nominated for best action/adventure "E-Festival of Words Virtual Book Fair 2013 Awards Hall" is the first in The Celtic Cousins' Adventures.

Harold Lutz develops a special relationship with the anthill in his backyard. The problem is, his wife Alice doesn't like ants.Kiss of the Black Angelan erotic vampire novella byDella Van Hise_____________________Kiss of the Black Angel was originally published in the prestigious TOMORROW MAGAZINE. It was released as a limited print first edition in 1997, as Ragged Angels.There is now a novel-length version of this book entitled Sons of Neverland."The virtuosity shown here is only the beginning of a pyrotechnic talent unfolding into the hidden dimensions of the human and nonhuman spirit." -Jacqueline Lichtenberg___________"Sensual! Sexy! Surreal!"-North County Times____________"A literary triumph where the undead have more heart & soul than the living." -The Readers First published in 1997 as a limited first edition under the title of Ragged Angels, this was the last fiction novel by Della Van Hise before she turned her attentions to non-fiction and metaphysical pursuits. Ms. Van Hise is the author of the controversial STAR TREK novel, KILLING TIME, as well as many underground novels under a variety of pseudonyms.Now, by popular demand, SONS OF NEVERLAND has been re-packaged and re-edited, bringing it into the 21st Century with the style and literary emphasis it truly deserves. The novella (Kiss of the Black Angel) is offered free on Smashwords - and we hope you will enjoy the novella enough to order the full-length novel!________________One Amazon Reviewer said..."What Sons of Neverland resembled to me was the creative hagiographies of Nikos Kazantzakis, where a few stylized characters deliver a message that goes way beyond the parameter of the characters themselves. And much like Kazantzakis, this book zones on the question of immortality. However, this is not just the decadent historical immortality of the long-lived vampire, it is immortality as a change in one's perception. This is the story behind the story, delivered by characters that are hyper-real - each one loaded with symbolism. Sons of Neverland will have you filled, even brimming over with the sense of Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans. Go there for a full helping of the numinous."____________________Set against a backdrop of contemporary culture, SONS OF NEVERLAND explores the universal questions of life & death, sex & love - the most crucial challenges every human being faces - through the eyes of the immortal vampire. _______________We hope you will give SONS OF NEVERLAND the opportunity to not only entertain you with its erotic and sensual descriptions, but to also challenge YOUR mind in the way any controversial work of "fiction" may well be a mildly disguised look at the absurd reality in which we all live...Readers have compared SONS OF NEVERLAND to the works of Anne Rice, Carlos Castaneda, and Anais Nin. One reader summed it up as follows: "SONS OF NEVERLAND is one of the most erotic books I've ever read. It made me believe in the power of the human heart and gave me a real glimmer of hope that maybe we CAN live forever if we can get past the idea that tells us we can't. I found it totally uplifting regardless of the gritty story In the end, it made me realize that light can't exist without darkness. Thank you for a truly exceptional read!" (Charlene J.)_______________Told in the poetic voice of myth, SONS OF NEVERLAND is the tale of one man's search for immortality and love.

A forgotten tomb, a bored college-aged woman, and one wrong step lead to a sensual encounter.Mary Murray is the college-aged student, a woman bored out of her mind with digging for artifacts that aren’t there. Things change when a fellow student stumbles on a lost tomb and her careless professor unleashed pleasures she never imagined.India started hating Oliver just after Christian’s death. She humiliated him in front of the whole school in order to deal with what Christian had done to her. Then Oliver left town to go to University. Now it’s time for her to start a new life but she never expected to see Oliver again, especially during her first day of school. Many things have changed since they been apart. Now he is captain of the Rugby team and the most popular bloke on campus. Oliver took her place and he is making her life a living hell.This time it’s all about him and she is the one who suffers. She fed on her hatred for too long and she refuses to be that way anymore but this is only the beginning of her humiliation.

An Epitaph in Rust follows young Thomas from his escape from a rural monastery into the wilds of a future Los Angeles. There he joins a theater company where the play is definitely not the thing—revolution is—and he finds himself in the middle of it. The mayor has been blown up and his android guards are determined to end insurrection. But the theater company has other ideas....

Bento's Sketchbook is an exploration of the practice of drawing, as well as a meditation on how we perceive and seek to explore our ever-changing relationship with the world around us. From the Hardcover edition.

When Leslie and her friends encounter a mountain lion during a trail ride on their horses, they run for their lives. Unfortunately, they soon find themselves hopelessly lost--and getting more lost with every turn. Can they find their way out of the woods and back to Green Meadow before it gets dark or the mountain lion comes back?Billy and Susan loved to hear their father read stories to them every night at bedtime. Susan told her brother Billy that the stories were for little kids. Susan said, "Billy I love dad, but I wish he would read scary stories to us instead of stories like Peter Pan and Alice and Wonderland. They were ok when we were younger, but we are so much older now." "I feel the same way. I like it when mother and father go out to dinner at night so we can watch scary movies together, "replied Billy."Next time we spend the night with grandma, maybe we can sneak out of bed and see if she has any old creepy books in her attic. If she does we can give them to our father to read to us instead of those boring stories he's been reading over and over for the past several years!" exclaimed Susan. "Tonight we'll ask him if he'll let us spend the night at grandma's house this weekend. I'm sure he'll say yes," said Billy.Night finally arrived. Billy and Susan asked their father if they could spend the night with their grandma tomorrow. Their father said, "I don't see why that would be a problem because your mother and I were planning a weekend trip." Billy and Susan would find their scary book they had been hoping for, but this book should have been left in the attic where it belongs untouched in the trunk where they found it.

Rodney Ohebsion is a liberal hero, and he knows it. Join him now on a quest to right the world's wrongs. Or, if you're a conservative, let him tell you that you're responsible for the world’s wrongs.The White Light is a book which is thrilling in every word that lingers in the mind and make you want more when the ending comes. In fact, fans have asked for more, suggesting a series perhaps. Tessie and Toni as teenagers put a wish into an old antique dresser after reading a Wizard's book - eighteen years later their wish materialized and things began happening to them that caused them to wonder if they had made a mistake with their long ago wish. Toni all of a sudden falls into a coma and goes to the white light which tells her to go back because she has things to do. Does she go back or does she go into the light and takes the hands of those waiting on the other side. Bob enters into their life and the adventures begins - all the way to Texas and Miami, Florida where strange happenings change the course of their lives forever.We promise you that you will led on a trail of suspense - from beginning to end.

According to Hasidic tradition, everyone must have two pockets, so they can reach into the one or the other, according to need. In the right pocket are to be the words: ‘For my sake was the world created,’ and in the left: ‘I am dust and ashes.’The city of Heilavn is a future city built on the dried up sea floor of the North Sea in a time that has witnessed the reappearance of the glaciers on the Northern continents. A mixture of European and Scandinavian influences make Heilavn a rich city, but like every city Heilavn too has its dark sides, such as the lawless Lower City and the perhaps even more lawless Upper City.Ramon Vendiaz is a ruthless opportunist who will stoop to anything to get ahead in life. Nothing and no one will stand in his way and his position between Lower and Upper City is very lucrative.When a new power rises in the Upper City that threatens this position, Ramon Vendiaz searches for possibilities to gain the upper hand.

“Star Wars” meets “The Princess Bride”… In a conquered galaxy of the far future, only two rebel groups still dare to resist the plague of tyranny—the solar system Gaeas-7 at one end, and the RAT fleet at the other. But neither knows of the other’s fight, and both are facing imminent destruction. Will they be able to join forces in time for one last desperate stand against an overwhelming evil?Johnny was Gravendale's grave digger and embalmer who loved his job especially picking a special spot that he thought the deceased would be proud to be buried at. Johnny was a little weird because during the embalming process, he would sit beside the cold slab the body was lying on and as he was inserting the hose into the deceased body to drain their blood, he would read stories to them. As Johnny was reading stories to the dead he would carry on conversations with them as though they were still alive. Johnny was about to discover that his so called act of kindness would be a grave mistake because when the dead are buried they don't like to be disturbed. Johnny just couldn't help himself so he paid a heavy price for disturbing the dead.

Someone has kidnapped Differel's Dream-husband, Victor Plunkett, and has demanded a huge ransom for his release. She has no intention of paying, and she mounts a rescue operation with the help of her BFFs, Eile and Sunny of Team Girl. If he's unharmed, she might not kill them. This is a short story, with a Preface, a Bonus story, and Story Excerpts.A long time ago, Differel Van Helsing met and fell in love with Victor Plunkett, a diplomat with HM Foreign Office. She married him and bore him a son, but he was killed by an assassin that had targeted her and their child. She grieved for many years and refused to marry anyone else, but when she learned how to Dream, she discovered that he had "retired" to the Dreamlands and become the Marquis of Elissa, an archipelago of islands controlled by the Kingdom of Punica. They remarried, and while she can only be with him when she Dreams, she is content for the first time in decades.Her love for him is so great that she would sacrifice her life to save him, but will also kill anyone who threatens him. As such, when he was kidnapped and held for ransom, she decided to rescue him rather than pay, with the help of her BFFs, Eile and Sunny of Team Girl.She has vowed that the kidnappers, whoever they are, will pay the ultimate price, but if he is unharmed she might be merciful.Maybe.In the Bonus Story, Differel and Team Girl pursue a pair of shapeshifting predators that are preying on Dreamers. But how can they find creatures that can look like anyone, including themselves?

(Humor)A squirrel causes turmoil in this hilarious romp through a small town in Texas in the 1970s.Brandon is out with the Slamster, touring the singles bars on a Friday night. The longest, sexiest legs anyone has seen in years walks in, but the Slamster strikes out. Out of the blue, Kim, owner of aforesaid legs, asks a dazzled Brandon to dance. He only wishes he knew if Kim was a boy or a girl. After two and a half years without a date, and not much in the way of prospects, the question is certainly a compelling one. A short story of ambiguous romance.

William Shakespeare finds himself brought forward in time from 1612 to 2012. He explores London and tries to come to terms with the challenges of his new situation.William Shakespeare is back!According to ancient Mayan prophecies, 2012 is a portentous year for humanity. On the evening of 20th June, the hallowed midsummer night, William Shakespeare finds himself mysteriously transported from London in 1612 to London in 2012.Whilst exploring this shocking, strange new world, Shakespeare unwittingly becomes the only person who can prevent a cataclysmic disaster hitting the UK on the 21st December 2012, the day the Mayans predicted the end of time.Can the Bard save Britain ...?This is the first of five instalments.

Connor True had lost the ability to dream for nearly twenty years. Now his dreams have returned, turning his whole life into a living nightmare.When he was younger, Connor True stopped having dreams. His sleep was void of any kind of dream activity for nearly twenty years. Now all of that has changed. Connor has unlocked an incredible talent in his mind, but its come at a high price. Along with his new ability his dreams have returned and what he see's is absolutely terrifying.

Greetings! It is our pleasure to inform you that the Department of ECE of PSN Engineering College is coming out with an National Conference on the title ” COPULATION OF TRENDS IN COMPUTER AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING”. In this proceedings papers useful to some others.So we publish in e-Book in Dmashwords.Welcome to the village of Eden. It’s not on any map.Amnesia is a set of three intertwined stories, each one leading you deeper into the woods, deeper into the mystery of Eden, and deeper into despair.Dahlia: A young woman wakes up in her country estate. She can’t remember a thing about her life except that everything seems perfect—too perfect. As a town conspiracy creeps into her days, and cursed visions haunt her nights, she’s forced to ask herself, is it all her imagination, or does something monstrous really live in the woods behind her house?Solomon: An illusionist, doomed to suffer for eternity, wakes up in a cage. All he has left are the memories of the woman he loved so long ago—and a boiling need for revenge against the demon that took her away…Jeanette: A young tourist wakes up with the powers of a god. She can make and unmake the world with a thought, but tragedy from her mortal life is keeping her from the one thing she wants most…“Amnesia. Embrace the Curse.”