The Hunter's Burden, a two act play written by Jamie McKinven, follows the Birmingham Brahmas, a minor league hockey team starving for relevance in the midst of an economic downturn. An endless string of pranks, cantankerous trainers and eccentric goalies highlight this hilarious tale as the Brahmas walk a fine line between budding potential and swift demise in the dog-eat-dog world of pro sports.The Hunter's Burden, a two act play written by Jamie McKinven (author of "Tales from the Bus Leagues" and "So You Want Your Kid to Play Pro Hockey?"), follows the Birmingham Brahmas, a minor league hockey team starving for relevance in the midst of an economic downturn. Led by their grizzled captain, Charlie Magill, and well-travelled coach, Jack Norton, the Brahmas walk a fine line between budding promise and swift demise in the dog-eat-dog world of minor league sports. An endless string of pranks, grumpy trainers and eccentric goalies highlight this hilarious ride through hockey’s unique culture.

In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be made active and contributing members of society. But they will never be normal. Lou Arrendale is a member of that lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the awards of medical science. Part of a small group of high-functioning autistic adults, he has a steady job with a pharmaceutical company, a car, friends, and a passion for fencing. Aside from his annual visits to his counselor, he lives a low-key, independent life. He has learned to shake hands and make eye contact. He has taught himself to use “please” and “thank you” and other conventions of conversation because he knows it makes others comfortable. He does his best to be as normal as possible and not to draw attention to himself. But then his quiet life comes under attack. It starts with an experimental treatment that will reverse the effects of autism in adults. With this treatment Lou would think and act and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music–with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world–shades and hues that others cannot see? Most importantly, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Would it be easier for her to return the love of a “normal”? There are intense pressures coming from the world around him–including an angry supervisor who wants to cut costs by sacrificing the supports necessary to employ autistic workers. Perhaps even more disturbing are the barrage of questions within himself. For Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is. Thoughtful, provocative, poignant, unforgettable, The Speed of Dark is a gripping exploration into the mind of an autistic person as he struggles with profound questions of humanity and matters of the heart. From the Hardcover edition.

The Aldens visit an old Kansas inn that’s full of secrets! Nobody knows why a famous photographer visited the inn just to take a single picture. And what about the other legendary guest—a heroic young stranger who’d come west on an “orphan train?” The children discover a long-lost riddle that just might solve all these mysteries—if only they can solve it!

An exquisite second novel from the Newbery Honor author of RULES! TOUCH BLUE, sure as certain, will touch your heart. The state of Maine plans to shut down her island’s schoolhouse, which would force Tess’s family to move to the mainland--and Tess to leave the only home she has ever known. Fortunately, the islanders have a plan too: increase the numbers of students by having several families take in foster children. So now Tess and her family are taking a chance on Aaron, a thirteen-year-old trumpet player who has been bounced from home to home. And Tess needs a plan of her own--and all the luck she can muster. Will Tess’s wish come true or will her luck run out? Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord offers a warm-hearted, humorous, and thoughtful look at what it means to belong--and how lucky we feel when we do. Touch Blue, sure as certain, will touch your heart.

In the mid-1920s, young children began to vanish from neighborhoods around New York City. It took the police a decade to find their abductor, an unassuming 64-year-old handyman named Albert Fish. Fish had committed crimes of unspeakable horror: He had not only abducted and murdered the children, but also tortured and, in some cases, eaten them. During Fish's trial, some of the country's most prominent psychiatrists debated the exact nature of Fish's crimes. Was he evil or insane? Who had the power to determine where one ended and the other began? At stake was not just the prospect of justice for Fish and his victims, but also the future of the new science of criminal behavior—the idea that society’s worst monsters needed to be both punished and understood. Award-winning journalist Deborah Blum tells the story of a notorious cannibal killer, the detective who brought him to justice, and the scientists who tried to make sense of his crimes.

ALL SYSTEMS SNAFU!!!If anything could go wrong aboard the scoutship Dark Star, sooner or later it would. Now in the 20th year of their mission—destroying unstable planets—the ship and its crew were falling apart . . .After 20 years in space, isolation and loneliness have left their mark. The four surviving crew members are bored beyond relief. Only an occasional bomb run or another or the inevitable malfunctions aboard ship upsets the monotony.Then, Bomb #20 is primed, armed, and set to detonate—suddenly life on the Dark Star becomes frantic . . .

Sarah Clark's life is irrevocably changed at the age of 14 when her English teacher, Mr Carr, seduces her after class. Their affair is illegal, erotic, passionate and dangerous – a vicious meeting of minds and bodies. But when Mr Carr's wife discovers the affair, he has to choose between them and moves to another city with his family.Sarah is devastated and from that day on her life is defined by a series of meaningless, self-abasing sexual encounters, hoping with each man that she will experience the same delicious feelings she had with Mr Carr.Seven years later Daniel Carr walks back into Sarah's life and she is drawn once again into the destructive relationship. Is Sarah strong enough to "tame the beast"?First published by Brandl & Schlesinger in 2004, now re-released in Picador, this dazzling debut from one of Australia's most gifted young writers is destined to become a cult classic.From Publishers WeeklyShortly after 14-year-old Sarah Clark meets Daniel Carr, her 38-year-old English teacher, in Australian Maguire's debut, boundaries are eliminated and academics take a back seat to a different kind of education. Their increasingly sadistic trysts end when Daniel takes a job in Brisbane, leaving emotionally hobbled and sexually insatiable Sarah to search for Daniel's replacement. And search she does, bedding, by her estimate, hundreds of men before trying her hand at a relationship with childhood friend Jamie. But when Daniel reappears years later, Sarah is as helpless as a child and encourages him to indulge in all of his violent fantasies. Sections of the book pulse with sexual energy, though Maguire turns ethereally cerebral during moments of animal carnality ("In the expression of physicality, in the tearing of flesh and the intermingling of fluids, there is honesty"). Though some readers may have trouble reading passages involving sexual violence, Maguire keeps the prose crackling and the dialogue lively ("[Y]ou look like the six week old corpse of a crack addict who died from syphilis") from the first page to the last. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review“Emily Maguire [is] the new bad girl of erotic fiction...” (Esquire (UK))“Emily Maguire embodies the great romantic myth of the writer who emerges from nowhere, fully formed.” (Sydney Morning Herald)“A thought-provoking and often searing first novel.” (The Age (Australia))“...powerful and compelling...” (Kirkus Reviews)

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

Fourteen-year-old Jilly Farina walks into the tent at the County Fair and finds her life transformed. Fixing her with his hypnotic gaze, Millroy the Magician performs astonishing miracles. When she is later magicked into his trailer and Millroy promises to train her as his assistant, Jilly feels safe for the first time in her short life.But Millroy is more than a mere stage show magician. A vegetarian and health fanatic, a possessor of healing and hypnotic powers, Millroy's mission is to change the eating habits of an entire nation. And through Jilly he has found the strength to preach his evangelical message.With Millroy's messianic fervour ever growing, Jilly begins to have doubts - but Millroy knows that without Jilly there will be no magic . . .

A story of guilt, murder and politics set in Africa and New York from the acknowledged master of psychological suspense.Ray Campbell runs his own risk assessment firm in New York. He's cautious, careful and considered in everything he does. But he hasn't always been this way.Twenty years ago, Ray took big risks. Working as an aid-worker in the newly independent African state of Lubanda, Ray fell in love with a country, and with a woman. Martine, a native white Lubandan, tried to make Ray see that all actions have consequences, but he couldn't. Not until it was too late for him, and for Martine...When a friend from Lubanda is found dead in a New York alley, Ray is forced to revisit a past he's spent a lifetime trying to forget...

A magisterial new history of the British soldier - a man famously described by the Duke of Wellington as ?the scum of the earth?. From battlefield to barrack-room, this book is stuffed to the brim with anecdotes and stories of soldiers from the army of Charles II, through Empire and two World Wars to modern times. The British soldier forms a core component of British history. In this scholarly but gossipy book, Richard Holmes presents a rich social history of the man (and now more frequently woman) who have been at the heart of his writing for decades. Technological, political and social changes have all made their mark on the development of warfare, but have the attitudes of the soldier shifted as much we might think? For Holmes, the soldier is part of a unique tribe ? and the qualities of loyalty and heroism have continued to grow amongst these men. And while today the army constitutes the smallest proportion of the population since the first decade of its existence (regular...

A groundbreaking account of how Britain became the base of operations for the exiled leaders of Europe in their desperate struggle to reclaim their continent from Hitler, from the New York Times bestselling author of Citizens of London and Those Angry Days When the Nazi blitzkrieg rolled over continental Europe in the early days of World War II, the city of London became a refuge for the governments and armed forces of six occupied nations who escaped there to continue the fight. So, too, did General Charles de Gaulle, the self-appointed representative of free France. As the only European democracy still holding out against Hitler, Britain became known to occupied countries as "Last Hope Island." Getting there, one young emigré declared, was "like getting to heaven." In this epic, character-driven narrative, acclaimed historian Lynne Olson takes us back to those perilous days when the British and their European guests...

Few authors have achieved such renown as World Fantasy Life Achievement honoree and Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Andre Norton. With the love of readers and the praise of critics, Norton's books have sold millions of copies worldwide.In a time and place of swords and sorcery . . . here begins the saga of Kerovan of Ulmsdale, born with the amber eyes and cloven hooves of the Old Ones, who seeks his rightful heritage as Lord-heir of Ulmsdale—and Lady Joisan of Ithkrypt, proxy-wed to Kerovan, who wears about her neck Kerovan's precious and powerful gift . . . a small crystal globe encasing a tiny gryphon.Kerovan and Joisan—each forever entwined in the other's fate—their destiny clouded by dark evils that threaten to destroy their kingdoms. Together, they seek to unlock the wondrous powers they hold within them . . . and the mysterious secrets of the crystal gryphon.

Get ready to experience Bad Boys like never before. . .Tall, Dark, and Deadly: Seven Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance crackles with SEVEN full-length novels, featuring SEVEN of the baddest Bad Boys in Paranormal Romance. And each one of them knows how to make a woman swoon. Whether he’s a demon hunter, a vampire, or a supreme God, these bad boys will risk it all to be with the women they love. Get ready for a wild ride…South of Surrender by New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Laura KayeThe charming and powerful God of the South Wind Chrysander Notos doesn’t know stubborn until he meets the insanely independent yet blind mortal Laney Summerlyn. After months of fighting a war with his brother, Chrys’s powers are drained and he’s forced to take refuge at Laney's farm. These two must find out what it means to rely on someone you love…before his brother finds them both.Blood of the Demon by Rosalie LarioInterdimensional bounty hunter Keegan is determined to destroy his father. But when art gallery owner Brynn Meyers ends up on every demon’s Most Wanted List, including his father’s, he must harness the other half of his genetics—the far deadlier, uncontrollable half—to save the one woman standing between him and the vengeance he so desperately seeks. Bittersweet Blood by Nina CroftVampire and ex-demon hunter Christian Roth is bad to the bone but trying to go straight. When Tara Collins hires him to solve the mystery of why everyone wants her dead, Christian can’t fight the pull back into his dark past. With a crazed demon hell-bent on revenge and a fae assassin on the loose, he’s going to need every dangerous idea he’s ever had to save the one woman he can’t live without.Undying Destiny by Jessica LeeWarrior Kenric St. James is out for revenge against his evil sire and her minions. But when Kenric meets Emily Ross, a woman he finally burns to claim as his own, he knows loving her means giving his sire another target. Now he must keep the hordes of evil vamps from stealing her very breath.Night Walker by Lisa KesslerCalisto has no doubt mortal Kate Bradley is the reincarnation of his lost love, but the Fraternidad Del Fuego Santo has a new watcher with dark ambitions of his own. As old enemies re-emerge and a new threat arises, the betrayal that enslaved Calisto to the night might destroy the only woman he’s ever loved again.Shield of Fire by Boone BruxWhen Rhys realizes the woman he’s just rescued from a powerful demon is no mere human, he must protect and train her. He’s pulled to explore a passion too powerful to ignore, but surrendering to his need for her may mean her death.Deep in Crimson by Sarah GilmanKidnapped by humans and raised in a research facility, Jett, now free and caught between two worlds, will do anything to bring his captor to justice. To succeed, he must overcome the lies from his past and join forces with the demon Lexine. Irresistible attraction grows between them, but if Jett goes through the all-consuming process of becoming a Guardian, he may forfeit any chance they have of being together.

"A fabulous fairy-tale mashup that deserves hordes of avid readers. Absolutely delectable." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review of award-winning series debut Enchanted Readers met the Woodcutter sisters (named after the days of the week) in Enchanted and Hero. In this delightful third book, Alethea Kontis weaves together some fine-feathered fairy tales to focus on Friday Woodcutter, the kind and loving seamstress. When Friday stumbles upon seven sleeping brothers in her sister Sunday's palace, she takes one look at Tristan and knows he's her future. But the brothers are cursed to be swans by day. Can Friday's unique magic somehow break the spell?

SEASIDE SECRETS is a USA TODAY BESTSELLER.Voted BEST BOOK SERIES of 2013 by Supportive Business Moms, UK . "Full of fiery passion and tender promise, all aimed at achieving an incredible happily ever after." 4.5 Stars /Hot,  RT Book ReviewsIN SEASIDE SECRETS... Tony Black is the hottest surfer on the planet. He travels the world throughout the year and spends his summers on Cape Cod with his friends, at the Seaside cottages in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. He's got his choice of women, but Amy Maples is the one he wants. Fourteen years ago she was his for an entire summer, until a devastating accident changed everything, and what they had seemed like it had never existed--at least for her. . Amy Maples is as consistent as the day is long. She's spent summers on Cape Cod forever, she always does the right thing, and she's spent years trying to reclaim the heart of Tony Black, the only man she's ever loved. She's back for a summer of fun with her friends at Seaside, only this year she's been offered the opportunity of a lifetime thousands of miles away, and she's decided to try one last time to reconnect with Tony. But having a relationship with Tony means dealing with her past--and dealing with her past may knock her to her knees.. READ THE FULL LOVE IN BLOOM SERIES: Characters from each sub-series appear in future books. . SNOW SISTERS BOOK 1: Sisters in Love BOOK 2: Sisters in Bloom BOOK 3: Sisters in White . THE BRADENS (Weston, CO)BOOK 4: Lovers at Heart (Treat & Max) BOOK 5: Destined for Love (Rex & Jade) BOOK 6: Friendship on Fire (Josh & Riley) BOOK 7: Sea of Love (Dane & Lacy) BOOK 8: Bursting with Love (Savannah & Jack) BOOK 9: Hearts at Play (Hugh & Bree) . THE REMINGTONS BOOK 10: Game of Love (Dex) BOOK 11: Stroke of Love (Sage) BOOK 12: Flames of Love (Siena) BOOK 13: Slope of Love (Rush) BOOK 14: Read, Write, Love (Kurt) . THE BRADENS (Trusty, CO) BOOK 15: Taken by Love (Luke) BOOK 16: Fated for Love (Wes) BOOK 17: Romancing My Love (Pierce) BOOK 18: Flirting with Love (Ross) BOOK 19: Dreaming of Love (Emily) BOOK 20: Crashing into Love (Jake) . SEASIDE SUMMERS BOOK 21: Seaside Dreams (Bella) BOOK 22: Seaside Hearts (Jenna) BOOK 23: Seaside Sunsets (Jamie)  BOOK 24: Seaside Secrets (Amy) .THE BRADENS (Peaceful Harbor, MD)BOOK 25: Healed by Love (Nate). REVIEWS . "...love, loss, lies, grief, finding happiness in the face of adversity, romance, humor, bravery, hot hot hot sex scenes, marriages, births and totally awesome characters." --Supportive Business Moms, UK . "Like Nora Roberts, Melissa Foster has captivated me with her fantastic, sexy, romantic stories." Kimberly Winning, avid reader . "Sensual, sexy, and satisfying. A captivating blend of the dance between lust, love, and life." -- Bestselling author, Keri NolaFrom the AuthorIf you enjoy the LOVE IN BLOOM series, you may enjoy my new series, HARBORSIDE NIGHTS.. HARBORSIDE NIGHTS is a sexy, hot, and evocatively real New Adult Romance series that follows a group of friends who have known one another for years as "summer" friends, and now come together after college to build their lives. They're tough, edgy, and accepting--most of the time. Catching Cassidy is written in the loving, raw, and emotional voice readers have come to love by New York Times & USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Melissa Foster. .COMING in 2015 the full Harborside Nights series:Catching Cassidy (Het)Discovering Delilah (F/F)Tempting Tristan (M/M)Chasing Charley (Het)Breaking Brandon (M/M)About the AuthorNEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, contemporary women's fiction, romantic suspense, thrillers, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary's Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.  Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children, and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa's interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod. Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on social media or her personal website. "What sets Melissa Foster apart are her compelling characters who you care about... desperately. I dare you to read the first chapter and not be hooked." International bestseller, M.J. Rose 

Sometimes your life is split by a single decision. I’ve spent every day of the last seven years regretting mine: he left, and I didn’t follow. A thousand letters went unanswered, my words like petals in the wind, spinning away into nothing, taking me with them. But now he’s back. I barely recognize the man he’s become, but I can still see a glimmer of the boy who asked me to be his forever, the boy I walked away from when I was young and afraid. Maybe if he’d come home under better circumstances, he could speak to me without anger in his voice. Maybe if I’d said yes all those years ago, he’d look at me without the weight of rejection in his eyes. Maybe if things were different, we would have had a chance. One regretted decision sent him away. One painful journey brought him back to me. I only wish I could keep him. A contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion**

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HEAT WAVEWhen Derrick Storm needed to leave the CIA, he couldn't just retire. He had to fake his own death. So when his former boss calls in an old favor that will bring Storm out of early retirement and back to Washington to investigate a high-profile kidnapping, he knows there must be more at stake than the life of a senator's son. Working alongside, but not exactly with, bombshell FBI investigator April Showers, Storm must make sense of a confusing flurry of ransom notes and a complicated web of personal relationships and international politics. He'll get to the bottom of the kidnapping, but the storm is still brewing . . .

The thrilling sequel to S.J. Kincaid's New York Times bestselling novel, The Diabolic that TeenVogue.com called "the perfect kind of high-pressure adventure."It's a new day in the Empire. Tyrus has ascended to the throne with Nemesis by his side and now they can find a new way forward—one where they don't have to hide or scheme or kill. One where creatures like Nemesis will be given worth and recognition, where science and information can be shared with everyone and not just the elite. But having power isn't the same thing as keeping it, and change isn't always welcome. The ruling class, the Grandiloquy, has held control over planets and systems for centuries—and they are plotting to stop this teenage Emperor and Nemesis, who is considered nothing more than a creature and certainly not worthy of being Empress. Nemesis will protect Tyrus at any cost. He is the love of her life, and they are partners in this new beginning. But she cannot...

Pel Minton is opening graves in a cemetery for an archaeological dig, but this particular cemetery contains a disturbing portrait which is known by local children as 'The Ghost Monster.' For centuries this grim image has imprisoned the spirit of Justice Murrain and his vicious gang of misfits, but soon these sadists will enjoy the darkest of pleasures... A chef carves human flesh with a pizza cutter. A laughing thug films his own death-dive from a cliff. People binge on mayhem, fighting until streets run with blood. These are the Possessed. Death will not stop them...

Twelve-year-old Lucky Prescott craves adventure, but as a young lady of society she's only been allowed to experience adventure through books. That is, until one fateful day when Lucky, her father, and her aunt leave their neat-and-tidy city life and travel to their new home out west-the Wild West. At first Lucky is excited, but during the long train ride to her new hometown of Miradero, she begins to worry. What if she doesn't make any new friends? Everyone in the West rides horses, but she's never been allowed to even sit on one. How can she possibly fit in? Anxious about the future, Lucky looks out the train window and sees a majestic wild stallion. When their eyes meet, she senses a connection. But when the stallion is caught by wranglers, Lucky's heart breaks. And when she next sees the stallion, he's tied to a post, refusing to be "broken in." Spirit Riding Free: The Adventure Begins is the story of a girl and a wild horse, equally out of place...