"Mr. White had 'arrived.' He had arrived in the full flush of a glorious, strong young manhood, and the story he had to tell was a tale of life as it is lived by honest, loving, lovable, hard-working, hard-drinking, and hard-riding men - the men who carry civilization, a gun, and a flask into the unknown lands. Strong as such men are, strong is this story of their lives. It is an open, frank, piece of work; a picture such as Zola might have made had he been born an American. That a book of so much vitality....If you have not read the story you should, and at once. Read it for its beautiful use of beautiful words, beautiful in their simplicity and their strength; for its skillful construction, for the characters, genuine men and women of the frontier; human beings whose souls are open to the light of the sun above the Hills; whose emotions are primitive, and being so, are worn upon their sleeves, not left behind in a satin box upon the dressing table." -The Michigan Alumnus "One of the best books of the kind we have lately come across." - Outlook "Stewart Edward White...has gained a wide reputation for his stirring and vivid tales of American life in the West." -The Rotarian

I. GRANDPAPA'S HOUSE. "Now for the dear, dear country,Its trees and meadows fair,Its roses, cowslips, violets,Whose sweetness fills the air. "'Tis there we hear the musicOf lark's and blackbird's song,And merry little finches,Singing the whole day long."—C. H. One bright spring day, not so very long ago, three little children arrived at their grandfather's house. They had come to pay a long visit, as their parents were travelling abroad for two or three months. Now grandpapa lived less than twenty miles from London, yet his house was quite in the country,—indeed you might have thought that it was a hundred miles away from any town,—and it was called Woodside. You may be sure that Jack, Mary, and Annie—for those were the names of the children—thought the change from London most delightful. Jack was the eldest—that is why I have put his name before those of his sisters—and he was ten years old. Mary was the next in age, and she was nearly nine; while Annie, the youngest, was seven. On the day they arrived they felt very quiet, all was so strange after London; besides, they were busy unpacking their toys and picture-books, and in finding places for all their treasures in the rooms grandmamma had set apart for them. They went to bed early too, and never once woke till their nurse called them in the morning. At first they felt sorry it was time to get up, but when Jane drew up the blinds, and they saw the bright sunshine and the clear blue sky, they made haste to dress, so that after breakfast was over they might go out of doors. Each of them had visited at Woodside several times before, but they had not been all together there at the same time. They knew very well how many interesting things there were to see out of doors, and they hoped that there would be something new. There was sure to be a difference among the animals and flowers. The old house looked the same as they drove up to it, with its twenty oak trees in a semi-circle and the gates in the middle. There was the same watch-dog, Lion; and on the parlour hearth-rug, lying curled up in the sunshine, lay Smut, grandmamma's large black cat. A very respectable old gentleman was Smut, with his sleek, glossy coat; but he stood too much on his dignity ever to play. The children coaxed him and patted him; yet he took no notice, he just curled himself round and went to sleep again. A proud old cat was Smut; he would never touch food or milk in the kitchen. His food was put on a plate for him out of doors, and he had his milk in a saucer in the parlour. When he was out of doors, he always came in again by the front door, never at the back. The children soon spied something new in the shape of a long-haired kitten, whose fur was gray and soft. She was bright and lively, and was very pleased to play with the children; for Smut would never take any notice of her, or play with her one bit: so she and the children became very good friends, and had many a game together. After breakfast was over, grandmamma told the children they might put on their hats and go out of doors. They did not need to be spoken to twice. First of all they had a run round the garden, peeped into the greenhouse, and said "How do you do?" to the gardener. But they did not stop long among the lovely spring flowers, for they were in such haste to see the animals. THE VISIT TO THE PONY.Page 13. Jack said, "We must pay our first visit to the pony;" so away they went to the stable. The pony was very sober and steady, and, I am sorry to add, rather lazy; so the children did not get much fun out of him....

After a grave betrayal, a young Princess is sent on a quest to search for a figure of mythic status: The Black Knight. Hailed by some as a hero, by others he is seen as evil incarnate, but the truth is more complex than any could imagine.This young Princess finds herself embroiled in a conflict she thought impossible, entering the front lines of a war fought between the veil of life and death.Miss Minerva Lane is a quiet, bespectacled wallflower, and she wants to keep it that way. After all, the last time she was the center of attention, it ended badly—so badly that she changed her name to escape her scandalous past. Wallflowers may not be the prettiest of blooms, but at least they don’t get trampled. So when a handsome duke comes to town, the last thing she wants is his attention. But that is precisely what she gets. Because Robert Blaisdell, the Duke of Clermont, is not fooled. When Minnie figures out what he’s up to, he realizes there is more to her than her spectacles and her quiet ways. And he’s determined to lay her every secret bare before she can discover his. But this time, one shy miss may prove to be more than his match…The Duchess War is the first full-length book (97,000 words) in the Brothers Sinister series. It is preceded by The Governess Affair, a prequel novella. Each book stands alone, but those who prefer to read in order might want to read that book first.

Fourteen strangers came to Delmak-O. Thirteen of them were transferred by the usual authorities. One got there by praying. But once they arrived on that planet whose very atmosphere seemed to induce paranoia and psychosis, the newcomers found that even prayer was useless. For on Delmak-O, God is either absent or intent on destroying His creations. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Stacy Donovan just got dumped and to make matters worse, her best friend, Keith, needs her help to woo a new girlfriend."A practice date," he says, so he can learn how to treat a lady on their first date. With reluctance, she agrees; he is her best friend after all.THIS IS A [[CLEAN]] YA ROMANCE SHORT STORY ABOUT TEENAGERS!! THIS IS NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO 50 SHADES OF GREY!Discover #1 bestselling novel, Evan Burl and the FallingA monster lives in all of us.My father abandoned me when I was an infant.My friends have turned against me.My uncle hates me.The most powerful sapients in the world want me dead.They all have one thing in common.They think I'm turning into a monster.I'm starting to worry they're right.Over a thousand years, one man unlocks sapience—the ability to transform the imagined into reality. But not everyone believes sapience is a gift because this power blurs the lines between dreaming and waking, making it impossible to divide real life from nightmare and friend from enemy.The most powerful of these sapients rule the world, sharing little in common save their venom for each other and lurid horror for Evan Burl—a sixteen-year-old imprisoned with twelve immortal orphans in a haunted castle surrounded by the bones of a forgotten city. Evan finds a letter that orders his execution—signed by his own father—that reveals Evan's latent supernatural talents. As Evan makes use of his new abilities, he loses his grasp on the physical world and fears he might be responsible for the string of gruesome deaths that have begun to plague the orphans. With each passing day, Evan's waking world is fading into a mist of dreams, replaced by starless nightmares that just might be real. The fates of those who remain alive rest on whether Evan can regain his ability to tell dream from reality and save his friends from the sapients who would rather the world forget that these twelve orphans ever lived. PRAISE FOR EVAN BURL AND THE FALLING“Justin Blaney’s descriptive, yet punchy writing style is just one way Evan Burl and the Falling separates itself from the vast majority of young adult and fantasy writing being published today. With its intelligent and gripping storyline, relatable heroes, and highly-imagined villains this book captured my attention from the start. I can’t wait to read what happens next.”—Freya Hind"The best fantasy book I've ever read" —Mitsy Princell“Brilliant. I am recommending this book to all my friends”—Julia (from Amazon.com) “Evan Burl is one of the most imaginative and creative (novels) I’ve read in a long time. Fans of fast-paced, action-packed fantasy will find a lot to love...”—Alyce Reese“Well-crafted. Mysterious. Intriguing.”—H.J. van der Klis “I usually don’t enjoy books of this genre... I’m really glad I took a chance. The characters were rich as was the story line. I couldn’t put it down!!!” —Julie Weber“Reading Evan Burl reminded me of how I felt when I read great books like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games for the first time.”—Katie Zinda

Just when Fredrick Whithers thought his life couldn't get any more complicated, he is asked to arrange a funeral for a man who is very much not dead. In the companion to A Night of Blacker Darkness, Frederick must balance the arts of necromancy and magic while managing to run a funeral home.

The writings of soldiers and eyewitnesses of the 1937 Nanking massacre, along with post-war deniers and participants of Japan’s modern academic movement depicts the progressive and dualistic nature of Japanese society. This paper demonstrates the struggle for an accurate representation of the past that results from the socially and politically conflicted post-war Japanese state.The post-war fifty-four year reign of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party demonstrated the conservative attitude of its political structures and reluctance to relinquish its traditional Bushido hierarchy. The traditionalist behaviour exhibited during Japan’s imperial expansion was later manifested in their political and social establishments. This resulted in the publication and promotion of imperial sympathisers and deniers, preventing the accurate portrayal of Japan’s history.Despite the pressure from political and cultural leaders, Japan’s liberal academic institutions promoted the construction of a truthful portrayal of Japanese history. This social progression contributed to the formation of the Democratic Party of Japan in 1998. DPJ President Katsuya Okada promoted the need for progress, commenting on Japan’s state being “worsened by historical issues and the problem of history textbooks”It was the concept of a state divided by its cultural past and progressive future that caught my fascination and resulted in the historiographical investigation focusing on the relationship between the changing portrayal of imperialism and the attainment of historical truth. Focusing on the 1937 occupation of Nanking, it is evidently a historical event swathed in political corruption and societal self-interest. This short investigation has been divided into three major phases: the initial pride of civil and political Japan, the denial of post-war polemical authors, and the liberation of Japan’s history through privatized academia. This paper is dependent on the accounts of historians and individuals who vary in context, perspective and motivation. Despite the conflicting opinions, modern anachronisms have been omitted as all depictions of Japan’s imperial attitude are portrayed as intended. By selecting the writings of soldiers and eyewitnesses, post-war deniers and participants of Japan’s modern academic movement, this paper depicts the progressive and dualistic nature of Japanese society. Therefore, the investigation demonstrates the struggle for an accurate representation of the past that results from the socially and politically conflicted Japanese state.

Nothing can shield him from the horrible dream. Nothing can protect her from a danger she can't see.One man’s attempt at dodging the war while on a treasure seeking mission for gold, leads him on a quest that he never imagined possible. As he crosses state borders from North to South, he is hell bent on determining his own path, until circumstances continue to fuel his situation beyond his control. With each tacking pace of the train, he will eventually venture into the bayous of Louisiana where he is beaten and left for dead, until he is discovered by someone that can alter the course of his destiny forever, but not before many battles are waged against him. Eventually, he is brought to a place where he must choose to live as a soldier of misfortune or discover the real reason why he began his journey in the first place. From the timber mills of Wisconsin, into the deep South and the rugged West, nothing will keep Daniel Stone from going after what he wants, neither the cruelty of strangers or the vengeful warriors of the plains, while the Civil War looms around him. He would rather die trying to get where he wants to go, than to live with the regrets of a life unlived…

If you are unwanted somewhere, you have to try to make a dialogue with the other party. There is a good chance to become a welcomed person if you can communicate properly with the opposite party. For that you must have patience to wait for the opportune moment. This book contains some success story.In this world some persons are unwanted, some are wanted and liked. Expectations from the wanted persons are different from the unwanted persons. If a person was informed by another person that he/ she is not a wanted person by him/her, what will be his/ her reaction? He/ she will think he/ she must have some deficiencies; which other person has noticed or other person has some prior negative feedback from other sources. If you are the person who is unwanted by someone, in such a situation you have two immediate alternatives, leave the place and never show your face to the person in your life or try to convince him that you are not that bad guy or inefficient guy or man of deficiency what the other fellow is thinking about you. But for the second alternative, the other fellow must give you a chance to explain your position. But seldom we get the required chance in our lives.

A boy and his elephant escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village immediately after the Vietnam war.

Mal's thrilled with the subject of the new Short Takes class: Children's literature, her favorite! But when the course begins, she couldn't be more disappointed. It's all discussions and no writing, which she hates. When she does raise her hand, the teacher, Mr. Cobb, ignores her.

In a small American town during the Depression, a motley group of people gather, drawn together by fate and strange, unknowable forces. When the survivors part, they and the town will never be the same.

Vampire Romance. 76018 words long.

Food, obsession, heartbreak. Three stories. (These stories first appeared in the literary magazines Quarterly West, Tatlin's Tower and VerbSap.)To overcome your fear, you must first face it. Someone is out to destroy Greg Robertson and everyone he has ever loved. After an accident leaves his teenage daughter depressed and distraught, Greg will do anything to make her happy again, including hiring a bodyguard to protect her. Olivia Cummings lost both her fiance and her cousin in a deadly avalanche. She has vowed never to set foot on a ski hill again. But now, working as a bodyguard with Marshall Security, Olivia must face her greatest fears to save Greg and his daughter. Something about Olivia's determination strikes a chord in Greg, but will she be the salvation he needs, or will he be her destruction?

In the style of classic British banter, Evangelical Seminary Student meets Captain Charismatic… Jesus mediates. Trek through nearly every topic of debate in the American Protestant Church today. Easy-to-read, scripted format, and with limited playwright permissions included with purchase, you might just read what you’ve always wanted to say and learn how to make a friend you have always wanted.In the style of classic British banter, Evangelical Seminary Student meets Captain Charismatic… Jesus mediates. Trek through nearly every topic of debate in the American Protestant Church today. Easy-to-read, pure scripted format, and with limited playwright permissions included with purchase, you might just read what you’ve always wanted to say and learn how to make a friend you have always wanted to make. Finding unity with each other means finding unity with our one Savior, Jesus Christ.

The danger to mankind's survival is emerging. Avoiding the zombie apocalypse depends on containing a new threat before it gets out of hand.The danger to mankind's survival is emerging. Avoiding the zombie apocalypse depends on containing a new threat before it gets out of hand.In the deepest rainforests of South America the potential exists for a previously undiscovered virus to cross over and infect humans. While investigating the destruction of some of the rainforests most majestic inhabitants, a scientist stumbles on an unusual species and brings it back to the United States, unknowingly endangering the entire world’s population.

A mysterious invisible barrier suddenly encloses a small, out-of-the-way American town. It's been put there by a galactic intelligence intent on imposing harmony and cooperation on the different peoples of the universe. But to the inhabitants, the barrier evokes stark terror.

A simple short story of a boy who found the love of his life. Follow the story of Sky from when he first met Charlie to the moment he gets on one knee.(this was submitted to a creative writing competition in my University and got 2nd place)Jamie and Yoshi are late twentieth century members of the Funakoshi ninja clan who were trained by Yoshi’s uncle, Tanemura Funakoshi. When the Waruiyatsu, a sinister clan with an ancient grudge, attack Jamie’s high school and hold his classmates hostage in an effort to bring Tanemura and his two students into the open, Jamie and his clan sister are forced to attempt a rescue.Going along are a close group of friends, each with his own interest in the fighting arts. From Dave, whose muscle-bound frame and love of a good scuffle are overshadowed by his cheerful personality and kind heart, to Buster, whose Bible is his greatest weapon, each of their friends has a loyalty to them and each other that is stronger than the Waruiyatsu can ever fathom.

Set your timers! Ready? Set? Go! Ten Minute Tales is a collection of short pieces written in ten minutes flat, by members of the Victoria Point Writers Group, otherwise known as the Ten Minuters. We hope you will enjoy reading the tales, which are as diverse and entertaining as the writers themselves!We are the Ten Minuters and this is our anthology of short pieces, with each one written under the pump in just ten minutes. How does it work? The idea is that someone nominates a theme and each of us writes a stream of consciousness on that theme in ten minutes only and then circulates the result to the rest of the group. We don't edit the original version beyond a minor tidy-up of what emerged from the initial inspiration. None of us reads another's work until we've completed our own. There is no deadline and not everyone participates each time - other lives, unexpected demands. There have been lots of 'wow' moments: Where did those ideas come from? Why can't I be as quick writing scenes in my novel or short story? We are so different. We are so the same. We spark off each other. We all belong to the Victoria Point Writers Group. We love writing, friendship and fun. We are the Ten Minuters and these are our tales.