"What are we, Papa?" the toy mouse child asked his father. "I don't know," the father answered. "We must wait and see." A tin father and son dance under a Christmas tree until they break ancient clock-work rules and are themselves broken. Discarded, rescued, repaired by a tramp, they quest for dream of a family and a place of their own - magnificent doll house, plush elephant, and tin seal remembered from a toy shop.

The stunning new science fiction novel by leading science writer MJ Walker. The anteater, elephant, budgie and pin monkey know of only one way to save their ruined circus. They must seek out Lord Morgan, and his huge new cannon, which can only be operated by the cleverest animals in all the world. The old leopard meanwhile, fancies taking a piece of Lord Morgan's thighs. So begins MJ Walker’s endearing and revealing story about the nature of humans and animals; what we think and feel, and the differences, if any, between us.

The Sharp sisters are bold, bright, sassy, stylin', and fierce. As the daughters of mayoral candidate Stanley Sharp, all eyes are on them as they attend high school. Every choice they make can make or break their father's campaign—and make or break their own chances for success.Sloan knows she's destined to be a hard-hitting journalist, and she plans to start her career in high school. Marks High has some major problems and she plans to expose the corruption she sees. However, finding the cold hard facts proves to be harder than she thought. Can Sloan be a voice for the students while writing front-page news, or will she always be stuck below the fold?

Twenty-five-year-old Joey Graceffa has captured the hearts of more than 8.3 million teens and young adults through his playful, sweet, and inspirational YouTube presence. Already a bestselling author with his memoir, In Real Life, Joey now presents his first novel, Children of Eden.Rowan is a Second Child in a world where population control measures make her an outlaw, marked for death. She can never go to school, make friends, or get the eye implants that will mark her as a true member of Eden. Her kaleidoscope eyes will give her away to the ruthless Center government. Outside of Eden, Earth is poisoned and dead. All animals and most plants have been destroyed by a man-made catastrophe. Long ago, the brilliant scientist Aaron al Baz saved a pocket of civilization by designing the EcoPanopticon, a massive computer program that hijacked all global technology and put it to use preserving the last vestiges of mankind. Humans will wait for thousands of years...

“After many years of believing that I never dream of anything, I dreamed of Africa.”Over a decade after leaving her three sons behind in Liberia, Hannah Musgrave realizes she has to leave her farm in the Adirondacks and find out what has happened to them and the chimpanzees for whom she created a sanctuary. The Darling is the story of her return to the wreckage of west Africa and the story of her past, from her middle-class American upbringing to her years in the Weather Underground. It is also one of the most powerful novels of the decade, an unforgettable tale of growth and loss, and an unstinting exploration of some of the most troubling issues of our time: terrorism, race, and the contact between the first world and the third.Hannah Musgrave, the narrator of The Darling, tells us she first travelled to Africa in the mid-1970s, to escape prosecution for her radical political activities with the Weathermen. Arriving in Liberia to work in a medical research lab, Hannah – also known by her alias, Dawn Carrington – meets Woodrow Sundiata, an official in the ministry of public health, and they fall immediately in love. Courting with Woodrow, an intelligent, ambitious man, means encountering his other life in his ancestral village of Fuama – a life that could scarcely be more different from Hannah’s affluent childhood as the daughter of a bestselling pediatrician. Hannah and Woodrow start a family, but she feels herself to be somehow estranged from her life in Liberia and curiously detached from her husband and three sons. Still in search of herself as her children grow older, Hannah develops a closer and closer bond with the chimpanzees at the lab, whom she calls “dreamers.”During the early 1980s, Liberian society grows more unstable, until an illiterate soldier named Samuel Doe brutally overthrows and assassinates the president. Hannah’s courageous intervention with Doe leads to Woodrow’s release from detention, but at a price: she must return to the US, leaving her family behind. Hannah feels that her dreamers will feel her absence more deeply than her family will.In the US Hannah briefly reconnects with her parents after years of estrangement before returning to her friends from her underground years. One of them, Zack Procter, is involved with a plan to spring Charles Taylor – an attractive Liberian politician – from jail, and Hannah involves herself with the plot, genuinely believing that Taylor will bring social democracy to west Africa.Hannah gets permission to return to her family in the mid-1980s, and decides that this time things will be different: she will take charge of her home life, ousting Woodrow’s young cousin Jeanette, and she will build a sanctuary for her chimpanzees. But Charles Taylor has also returned, and his slow and bloody rebellion against Doe leads, eventually, to a night of horrific violence in which Woodrow is murdered and Hannah’s teenaged children disappear. Amidst chaos and almost unbelievable bloodshed, Hannah has time only to move her dreamers to Boniface Island before facing the heartrending decision to escape Liberia, leaving her children behind. More than ten years will pass before she can return to discover their fate, and understand her own.From the Hardcover edition.

When Harpur and Iles are called in to investigate an undercover investigation gone wrong, they can sense dark, hazardous times ahead...After a gang shooting involving an undercover police officer, Colin Harpur and his boss Assistant Chief Constable Desmond Iles are called to another Force's ground to investigate what the Home Office see as spectacular failings. Harpur can imagine the pressure the officer would have been under. If a gang decided to kill, a spy would have to go along with it. But with careers of fellow officers—who might be in secret, dangerous alliance with villains—at risk, Harpur knows that he and Iles have an exceptionally tough inquiry ahead.

He ruined their lives. Now he must pay. All Sasha Miller ever wanted was a place among the great scientists of her time. But when she falls for the seductive charms of Professor Theo Dexter, she loses her heart — and the brilliant original theory that was going to jump-start her career. Sasha is left with nothing…except an unquenchable thirst for revenge.Eight years later, rich and famous Theo Dexter is the darling of the American media and every woman’s fantasy. Every woman except one.Now head of a successful business empire, Sasha’s been laying the groundwork for the payback Theo so richly deserves. But if she’s going to do it right, she can’t do it alone. She’ll need the help of the only other woman who knows the ugly truth hidden behind Theo’s handsome façade: his spurned ex-wife Theresa. Together, the pair will concoct a plan so spectacular it will bring Theo down once and for all.It is high time Theo Dexter learned: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

The secret is out — DROON is the series that kids, parents, and teachers are talking about! And with an eye-catching new design, this favorite series is more exciting than ever. Everything in Droon is changing. Lord Sparr has disappeared. Ko and Gethwing have fled to the Dark Lands. And an old villain is back — Ving, leader of the Hawk Bandits! This time, he has his twin sister in tow, along with her band of wicked pirates. Arrrg! They're snatching magical stones from all over Droon, and using them to build an enchanted passageway that will transport nasty dragons from the past into the present. Can Eric and his friends put a stop to the pirates? Or will they be lost at sea?

Poul Anderson (1926-2001) was one of the seminal figures of 20th century science fiction. Named a Grand Master by the SFWA in 1997, he produced an enormous body of standalone novels (Brain Wave, Tau Zero) and series fiction (Time Patrol, the Dominic Flandry books) and was equally at home in the fields of heroic fantasy and hard SF. He was a meticulous craftsman and a gifted storyteller, and the impact of his finest work continues, undiminished, to this day. Multiverse: Exploring Poul Anderson's Worlds is a rousing, all-original anthology that stands both as a significant achievement in its own right and a heartfelt tribute to a remarkable writer--and equally remarkable man. A nicely balanced mixture of fiction and reminiscence, Multiverse contains thirteen stories and novellas by some of today's finest writers, along with moving reflections by, among others, Anderson's wife, Karen, his daughter, Astrid Anderson Bear, and his son-in-law, novelist and co-editor Greg Bear. (Bear's introduction, My Friend Poul, is particularly illuminating and insightful). The fictional contributions comprise a kaleidoscopic array of imaginative responses to Anderson's many and varied fictional worlds. A few of the highlights include Nancy Kress's 'Outmoded Things' and Terry Brooks' 'The Fey of Cloudmoor,' stories inspired by the Hugo Award-winning 'The Queen of Air and Darkness;' a pair of truly wonderful Time Patrol stories ('A Slip in Time' by S. M. Stirling and 'Christmas in Gondwanaland' by Robert Silverberg); Raymond E. Feist's Dominic Flandry adventure, 'A Candle;' and a pair of very different homages to the classic fantasy novel, Three Hearts and Three Lions: 'The Man Who Came Late' by Harry Turtledove and 'Three Lilies and Three Leopards (And a Participation Ribbon in Science)' by Tad Williams. These stories, together with singular contributions by such significant figures as Larry Niven, Gregory Benford, and Eric Flint, add up to a memorable, highly personal anthology that lives up to the standards set by the late--and indisputably great--Poul Anderson.** Poul Anderson (1926-2001) was one of the seminal figures of 20th century science fiction. Named a Grand Master by the SFWA in 1997, he produced an enormous body of standalone novels (Brain Wave, Tau Zero) and series fiction (Time Patrol, the Dominic Flandry books) and was equally at home in the fields of heroic fantasy and hard SF. He was a meticulous craftsman and a gifted storyteller, and the impact of his finest work continues, undiminished, to this day. Multiverse: Exploring Poul Anderson's Worlds is a rousing, all-original anthology that stands both as a significant achievement in its own right and a heartfelt tribute to a remarkable writer--and equally remarkable man. A nicely balanced mixture of fiction and reminiscence, Multiverse contains thirteen stories and novellas by some of today's finest writers, along with moving reflections by, among others, Anderson's wife, Karen, his daughter, Astrid Anderson Bear, and his son-in-law, novelist and co-editor Greg Bear. (Bear's introduction, My Friend Poul, is particularly illuminating and insightful). The fictional contributions comprise a kaleidoscopic array of imaginative responses to Anderson's many and varied fictional worlds. A few of the highlights include Nancy Kress's 'Outmoded Things' and Terry Brooks' 'The Fey of Cloudmoor,' stories inspired by the Hugo Award-winning 'The Queen of Air and Darkness;' a pair of truly wonderful Time Patrol stories ('A Slip in Time' by S. M. Stirling and 'Christmas in Gondwanaland' by Robert Silverberg); Raymond E. Feist's Dominic Flandry adventure, 'A Candle;' and a pair of very different homages to the classic fantasy novel, Three Hearts and Three Lions: 'The Man Who Came Late' by Harry Turtledove and 'Three Lilies and Three Leopards (And a Participation Ribbon in Science)' by Tad Williams. These stories, together with singular contributions by such significant figures as Larry Niven, Gregory Benford, and Eric Flint, add up to a memorable, highly personal anthology that lives up to the standards set by the late--and indisputably great--Poul Anderson.**

Collecting six stories in old paradigms, Sleepside features Greg Bear’s outstanding fantasy writing: “Webster,” “The White Horse Child,” “Sleepside Story,” “Dead Run,” “Through Road No Whither,” and “Petra.” This edition also includes the special introduction by the author: “On Losing the Taint of Being a Cannibal."

Book One in the Carrier Spirits new adult paranormal romance series from New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo. After more than three centuries as a carrier spirit, Mara has finally found a willing host in eighteen-year-old Belinda. As a reward for Belinda's compliance, Mara sets out to help brokenhearted Belinda find love. With the promise of a new body, Mara dares to hope her plan may work--until Mara and Belinda both fall for sweet and charming Conor. But Mara's feelings for Conor aren't her only obstacle. A spirit with whom Mara shares a dark past is possessing Conor. Now a war is waging inside and outside Belinda's body and she quickly discovers what Mara has known for centuries: Falling in love is just as dangerous as battling evil spirits. Set in a California beach town, Parallel Spirits is a paranormal romance about the power of love, water, and hope. *This title has been revised and re-released in this second edition.

From Publishers WeeklyLancaster (_Bitter Is the New Black_) is a plus-sized, downwardly mobile Republican. She makes fun of disabled people. She cracks nasty about Anna Nicole Smith (granted, she was still alive at the time). She annotates her text with footnotes cheering herself on. When she's feeling particularly mean, she writes in her own "pidgin Spanish." But in spite of all her politically incorrect rantings, there are times when Lancaster is just too on-target to ignore. People who worry about Bush imposing the Christian lifestyle on everyone, for instance, should take heart from how he's raised his daughters—those "twins are but a Jell-O shot away from starring in the presidential edition of Girls Gone Wild." Even if readers can't altogether sympathize when Lancaster has to downscale her shopping "Holy Trinity" from Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus to IKEA, Target and Trader Joe's—they know what she means when she talks about the relentlessly cheerful sales staff at Trader Joe's, the tough-love staff at Target or how IKEA's going to take over America by keeping us all busy with Allen wrenches. Her humor is a bit like junk food—something you can enjoy when no one is looking. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Product DescriptionJen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining. Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster- Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka.

Miranda Woodruff has it all. At least, that's how it looks when she's starring in her homebuilding television show, From the Ground Up. So when her network begins to talk about making cuts, she'll do anything to boost ratings and save her show--even if it means pretending to be married to a man who's definitely not the fiance who ran out on her three years ago.When a handsome reporter starts shadowing Miranda's every move, all his digging into her personal life brings him a little too close to the truth--and to her. Can the girl whose entire identity is wrapped up in her on-screen persona finally find the nerve to set the record straight? And if she does, will the life she's built come crashing down just as she's found a love to last? "Sweet, fun, and faith-filled, Melissa Tagg's Made To Last is a story made to delight lovers of romance and behind-the-scenes reality TV.  Pull up an armchair and enjoy!"  -Lisa Wingate, National Bestselling Author of Blue Moon Bay, one of Booklist's Top 10 of 2012 "Clever plot. Engaging, funny, fresh writing. A winning voice with deeper layers that touch the heart. Melissa Tagg is the whole package. A delight for CBA readers."-Rachel Hauck, award-winning and bestselling author of Once Upon a Prince "If there is such thing as a perfect story, Melissa Tagg has written it with this first novel. Laugh-out-loud funny, a delightful premise, hunky heroes, surprising plot twists and poignant, heart-tugging moments, all wound together with beautiful writing. Made to Last is a keeper that will charm its way onto your shelf, and into your heart." -Susan May Warren, RITA Award winner and bestselling author of Take a Chance on Me"Made to Last is a fun romantic comedy that will have you turning the pages. Melissa Tagg is a fresh voice to watch." -Jenny B. Jones, award-winning author of Save the Date and There You'll Find Me "Melissa Tagg has written a fun, fast-paced romance. Her first novel will certainly not be her last." -Kristin Billerbeck, author of The Scent of Rain "A must for fans of romantic comedy! Melissa Tagg's endearing characters charmed me and their story line captured my imagination. Reading Made To Last was like eating a hot fudge brownie sundae with girlfriends. Fun. Delicious. Completely entertaining."-Becky Wade, author of My Stubborn Heart and Undeniably Yours "With witty dialogue, lovable characters, and an entertaining plot, Melissa Tagg is sure to become a new favorite among fans of Christian romance. Made to Last reminds us all that we are more than the roles we play. At our core, beneath our failures and hang-ups, we are loved and cherished by a faithful God."-Katie Ganshert, author of Wildflowers From Winter and Wishing on Willows "Readers are going to fall in love with Melissa Tagg's novels! She writes vivid stories filled with true-to-life characters who wrestle with questions about life, faith and romance. Melissa's writing is equal parts laugh out loud humor and moments that touch your heart. I can't wait for others to discover this talented new author!" -Beth K. Vogt, author of Wish You Were Here and Catch a Falling Star "What happens when a harmless lie you didn't intend to tell takes on a life of its own? When you're Miranda Woodruff, star of a home improvement show, you learn how to let go and become who God called you to be because nothing else is left. A great story with life-impacting truth surrounded by romance to make you swoon." -Cara Putman,award-winning author of A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island "Reading Made to Last, Melissa Tagg's debut novel, was like meeting new friends whom I wanted to continue hanging out with long after the book ended. Melissa's fresh voice and ability to craft a well-written story hooked me with the opening line and held my attention to the very end. Her flawed characters, LOL moments and spiritual truth provided a foundation for a stellar debut novel. I even had to dab my teary eyes a couple of times. Melissa Tagg is an author to watch and one whose books I want to fill my shelves." -Lisa Jordan, award-winning author of Lakeside Reunion and Lakeside FamilyFrom BooklistMiranda “Randi” Woodruff, a talented carpenter and “America’s favorite tomboy,” is the star of a home-repair television show. Part of her weekly shtick is talking about her husband, who taught her everything she knows about building. When the show is in danger of being canceled, the producer decides that Randi has to produce her much talked about but never seen husband to rally fan support. Unfortunately, he ditched her just before their wedding day. Matthew Knox, a disgraced journalist, takes on the distasteful job of uncovering the real story about Randi and her elusive husband because he needs to raise money to help his beloved niece receive a cochlear implant. Meanwhile, Randi is named as a finalist for an award honoring a celebrity with a philanthropic bent, and Blaze, who looks more like a surfer than a carpenter, is hired to pose as her husband. Tagg’s tale is humorous and enjoyable with likable characters, a gentle romance, and a very natural and unobtrusive thread of Christianity. --Diana Tixier Herald From the Back CoverMiranda Woodruff has it all. At least, that's how it looks when she's starring in her homebuilding television show, From the Ground Up. So when her network begins to talk about making cuts, she'll do anything to boost ratings and save her show--even if it means pretending to be married to a man who's definitely not the fiance who ran out on her three years ago.When a handsome reporter starts shadowing Miranda's every move, all his digging into her personal life brings him a little too close to the truth--and to her. Can the girl whose entire identity is wrapped up in her on-screen persona finally find the nerve to set the record straight? And if she does, will the life she's built come crashing down just as she's found a love to last? "Clever plot. Engaging, funny, fresh writing. A winning voice with deeper layers that touch the heart."-Rachel Hauck, award-winning and bestselling author of Once Upon a Prince "If there is such a thing as a perfect story, Melissa Tagg has written it with this first novel... Made to Last is a keeper that will charm its way onto your shelf, and into your heart."-Susan May Warren, RITA Award winner and bestselling author of *Take a Chance on Me "A must for fans of romantic comedy! Melissa Tagg's endearing characters charmed me and their story line captured my imagination... Completely entertaining."-Becky Wade, author of My Stubborn Heart and Undeniably Yours *"This debut romantic comedy with hidden layers will appeal to fans of Sandra D. Bricker, Trish Perry, and Rachel Hauck." * --Library Journal **"With crisp storytelling and a solid, amusing plot that includes a quirky love triangle, Tagg's debut is an enjoyable read." --RT Book Reviews "Tagg's tale is humorous and enjoyable with likable characters, a gentle romance, and a very natural and unobtrusive thread of Christianity." --Booklist*

It's a whole new ride from master of horror and bestselling author R.L. Stine—with a story so fiendish that it can't be contained to just one book! Jillian and Jackson freak out when they suddenly can read people's thoughts. But the trick turns to terror when the twins are stalked by a strange scientist who wants to know exactly what's on their minds. Will the twins ever lead normal lives again? Not in HorrorLand they won't. There are free meals, free games, and free falls down the Doom Slide. Someone's watching their every step. But is she friend or foe?

Nicky and Tara still live in Max's bedroom, and while they've found some clues, they still don't know what happened to their parents. Meanwhile, Phears is still desperate to get his hands on Nicky and Tara, and to pressure Max into turning them over, Phears brings a Berserker Ghoul to inhabit Max's body--and make Max go berserk when he least expects it! But Max, Nicky, and Tara aren't giving in to Phears. They have a few tricks up their sleeve--like one very talkative ghost cat, who's taken residence inside the tunnel to the ghost world. . . .From the Hardcover edition.

In the far future, the Heliothane Dominion is triumphant in the solar system, after a bitter war with their Umbrathane progenitors. But some of the Umbrathane have escaped into the distant past, where they can position themselves to wreak havoc across time and undo their defeat. The most fanatical of them is the superhuman Cowl, more monstrous than any of the creatures outside his prehistoric redoubt. Cowl sends his terrifying hyperdimensional pet, the torbeast, hunting through all the timelines for human specimens. It sheds its scales — each one an organic time machine — where its master orders. Anyone who picks one up is dragged back to the dawn of time, where Cowl awaits. Then the beast can feed, growing ever larger . . . In our own near-future, Tack is one of U-gov's programmable killers. When a scale latches onto him, his doom seems inevitable, but the Heliothane have other ideas: they can use Tack against Cowl. Tack...

The long-awaited sequel to Janni Lee Simner's breathtaking YA fantasy debut, Bones of Faerie.Liza is a summoner. She can draw life to herself, even from beyond the grave. And because magic works both ways, she can drive life away. Months ago, she used her powers to banish her dangerous father and to rescue her mother, lost in dreams, from the ruined land of Faerie.Born in the wake of the war between humanity and Faerie, Liza lived in a world where green things never slept, where trees sought to root in living flesh and bone. But now the forests have fallen silent. Even the evergreens' branches are bare. Winter crops won't grow, and the threat of starvation looms. And deep in the forest a dark, malevolent will is at work. To face it, Liza will have to find within herself something more powerful than magic alone.Here at last is the sequel to Bones of Faerie, for all those fans of dark fantasy and dystopian adventure who thrilled to Janni Lee...

Bright and beautiful Jenny Cain, director of the Port Frederick Civic Foundation, was dying of curiosity. A hapless visitor had slipped in the mud at the town's historic cemetery—and fallen right into an empty grave! When Jenny discovered that all the graves were vacant, it was the beginning of murder. Someone had killed an employee of the Harbor Lights Funeral Home, and played a macabre practical joke with the body. Suddenly, everyone in town is a suspect, from the victim's grieving widower to the spike-haired gravedigger to the unctuous director of the Harbor Lights. Now Jenny has to dig up some answers, and fast—before the killer leaves her silent as a tomb!