Books never die, but they can be forbidden. Medeisia is a country in turmoil. The king has outlawed magic & learning. Those who practice are branded. 16 yr-old Drastona lives secluded, spending her spare time in the Archives of her father's manor surrounded by scribes. She wants to be one of them. But when the scribes are disbanded, she enters a world where the marked must survive or die.Books never die, but they can be forbidden. Medeisia is a country in turmoil ruled by a blood thirsty king who has outlawed the use of magic and anything pertaining to knowledge. Magery and scribery are forbidden. All who practice are marked with a tattoo branded onto their wrists, their futures precarious. Sixteen year-old Drastona Consta-Mayria lives secluded, spending her spare time in the Archives of her father's manor surrounded by scribes. She wants nothing more than to become one of them, but when the scribes are royally disbanded, she is thrust into a harsh world where the marked must survive or die.

Lucinda Martin York and George Arnold Jr. have been through floods, fires, and freezing cold together in their pursuit of gold in California. Lucinda dreams of becoming one of the first women doctors. George dreams of building a mining empire. They are deeply in love and their friends and family are in Sacramento ready to celebrate their marriage. Only one thing can tear them apart.Lucinda Martin York and George Arnold Jr. have been through floods, fires, and freezing cold together in their pursuit of gold in California. Lucinda dreams of becoming one of the first women doctors. George dreams of building a mining empire. They are deeply in love and their friends and family are in Sacramento ready to celebrate their marriage. Only one thing can tear them apart, and it happens in Gold Rush Wedding. Please enjoy this short story from the California Argonauts series of gold rush books.

In the far future, after human civilization has spread through the galaxy, communications begin to arrive in an apparently alien language. They appear to threaten invasion, but in order to counter the threat, the messages must first be understood.

Tree, a six-foot-three-inch twelve-year-old, copes with his parents' recent divorce and his failure as an athlete by helping his grandfather, a Vietnam vet and recent amputee, and Sophie, a new girl at school.

Twelve-year-old Damaris and 13-year-old Peter literally stumble over a young man who had been shot during the night. How they rescue him and help him get safe passage out of the country is the plot of this historical adventure set in Sussex, England in the 1750s. As readers have come to expect, Sutcliff writes in a demanding, evocative style and conveys a strong sense of place.

Jake Carson already committed the crime. Detectives Dirk and Bailey just have to prove it. With the evidence piling up against him in the interrogation room, Carson has to find a way to talk himself out of being the prime suspect. As the O' Talley's murder looms over his head, how can he keep from being sent away for good this time?But Jake has a plan. He already knows how the whole show will play out, leaving all for him to do is put on the performance of a lifetime. The details point out each mistake he made in preparation for his crime, but he hopes his slick words will get him out of a pinch. While the clock seems to quickly run out and the detectives become increasingly desperate to catch a murderer, will Jake Carson be able to escape the unforgiving walls of the interrogation room?

In the first issue of 2015, we feature a modern take on the Fates, a strangely ambiguous story about the paths of the afterlife, a tale of far-future humans who have survived the death of the Earth, and a goofy set of letters sent by a dissatisfied alien.We are incredibly happy to enter our third year of publication, and we couldn't be more proud of the stories we have featured on Fiction Vortex.Really, the pride levels are starting to get a little obscene. We're working hard to maintain the same level of quality we've featured for the past two years, and we're excited by all the possibility out there. After two years, it's safe to say that we've acquired whatever is the publishing equivalent of sea legs, and we're ready to continue onward and upward.None of this would be possible, of course, without the amazing authors who contribute to Fiction Vortex. So take a moment to appreciate their work. In the first issue of 2015, we feature a modern take on the Fates, a strangely ambiguous story about the paths of the afterlife, a tale of far-future humans who have survived the death of the Earth, and a goofy set of letters sent by a dissatisfied alien.In other words, business as usual on the good ship Fiction Vortex.

*This is an alternate cover edition - ASIN: [B00VAY3QME](https://www./book/show/25284325-grind)* Grind (verb): to weaken or destroy gradually Macy Carrington is not the woman I once thought her to be. What she does not allow her heart to feel, she gives with her body. The sex between us is explosive and depraved. I’ve done things with her that would never have crossed my wildest imagination, and I can’t ever seem to get enough. But now I want more from her. I want to figure out her dark secret, expose it and then help her to heal from it. I know, without a doubt, that Macy is capable of love, and I will grind her down until I make her accept the truth of it. Grind (verb): to wear down, polish, or sharpen by friction Cal Carson is not the man I once thought him to be. Strong, determined, sexy as hell and a beast in the bedroom. He is every woman’s fantasy. He is my fantasy. But no matter how hard Cal tries to grind me down, my heart and secrets are mine and mine alone. **Cal and Macy’s story is a trilogy within the Legal Affairs series. All three books—Clash, Grind and Yield—must be read in order. You do not have to read the other Legal Affairs books to understand this trilogy.

The night is no stranger to adventure, and adventure is no stranger to Enid as she finds herself in the middle of a battle of paranormal powers. Her group and she finally get a break on their quest to find out what the Whisperers want with mystics, but it comes with a catch: they have to play bodyguard to a more-than-normal witch. Matters are further complicated when house-mates clash and good info turns deadly for them. Enid wants to know why the Whisperers wanted her so badly, but she wonders if she’ll live long enough to find out.

Bleu MacAllister is consumed. A horrific childhood incident has caused every decision in her life to revolve around bringing a monster to justice. With years spent studying The Fellowship, an organized crime brotherhood of liars, thieves, and killers, Bleu will rely on her skills as a special agent to cut Thane Breckenridge off at the knees. But walking hand in hand with retribution means risking collateral damage, in the form of Breckenridge’s son Sinclair—until Sin becomes so much more than Bleu bargained for. She’s always known this undertaking would place her life in danger—she never imagined her heart would be as well.

It starts with whispers. Then someone picks up a stone. Finally, the fires begin. When people turn on witches, the innocents suffer. . . Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she performs the bits of witchcraft that aren't sparkly, aren't fun, don't involve any kind of wand, and that people seldom ever hear about: She does the unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone or something is igniting fear, inculcating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Aided by her tiny blue allies, the Wee Free Men, Tiffany must find the source of this unrest and defeat the evil at its root before it takes her life. Because if Tiffany falls, the whole Chalk falls with her. Chilling drama combines with laugh-out-loud humor and searing insight as beloved and bestselling author Terry Pratchett tells the high-stakes story of a young witch who stands in the gap between good and evil.

Written in Dickensian prose, This House Is Haunted is a striking homage to the classic nineteenth-century ghost story. Set in Norfolk in 1867, Eliza Caine responds to an ad for a governess position at Gaudlin Hall. When she arrives at the hall, shaken by an unsettling disturbance that occurred during her travels, she is greeted by the two children now in her care, Isabella and Eustace. There is no adult present to represent her mysterious employer, and the children offer no explanation. Later that night in her room, another terrifying experience further reinforces the sense that something is very wrong. From the moment Eliza rises the following morning, her every step seems dogged by a malign presence that lives within Gaudlin’s walls. Eliza realizes that if she and the children are to survive its violent attentions, she must first uncover the hall’s long-buried secrets and confront the demons of its past. Clever, captivating, and witty, This House Is Haunted is pure entertainment with a catch.

William Peter Blatty has thrilled generations of readers with his iconic mega-bestseller The Exorcist. Now Blatty gives us Dimiter, a riveting story of murder, revenge, and suspense. Laced with themes of faith and love, sin and forgiveness, vengeance and compassion, it is a novel in the grand tradition of Morris West’s The Devil’s Advocate and the Catholic novels of Graham Greene. Dimiter opens in the world’s most oppressive and isolated totalitarian state: Albania in the 1970s. A prisoner suspected of being an enemy agent is held by state security. An unsettling presence, though subjected to unimaginable torture he maintains an eerie silence. He escapes---and on the way to freedom, completes a mysterious mission. The prisoner is Dimiter, the American “agent from Hell.” The scene shifts to Jerusalem, focusing on Hadassah Hospital and a cast of engaging, colorful characters: the brooding Christian Arab police detective, Peter Meral; Dr. Moses Mayo, a troubled but humorous neurologist; Samia, an attractive, sharp-tongued nurse; and assorted American and Israeli functionaries and hospital staff. All become enmeshed in a series of baffling, inexplicable deaths, until events explode in a surprising climax. Told with unrelenting pace, Dimiter’s compelling, page-turning narrative is haunted by the search for faith and the truths of the human condition. Dimiter is William Peter Blatty's first full novel since the 1983 publication of Legion.

She’s fighting to survive. The summer of 1943, World War II. The Germans have been bloodied, but Germany is very far from beaten. The North African campaign was only the beginning of the long journey for Frangie, Rainy, Rio, and the millions of other Allies. Now the American army is moving on to their next target: the Italian island of Sicily. Frangie, Rainy, and Rio now know firsthand what each of them is willing to do to save herself—and the consequences. With their heavy memories of combat, they will find this operation to be even tougher. Frangie, Rainy, and Rio also know what is at stake. The women are not heroes for fighting alongside their brothers—they are soldiers. But the millions of brave females fighting for their country have become a symbol in the fight for equality. In this war, endless blood has been spilled and millions of lives have been lost, but there could be so much more to gain. The women won’t conquer Italy alone. But they will brave terrible conditions in an endless siege; they will fight to find themselves on the front lines of World War II; and they will come face-to-face with the brutality of war until they win or die.

From the bestselling author of These Is My Words comes this exhilarating follow-up to the beloved Sarah's Quilt. In the latest diary entries of pioneer woman Sarah Agnes Prine, Nancy E. Turner continues Sarah's extraordinary story as she struggles to make a home in the Arizona Territory. It is winter 1906, and nearing bankruptcy after surviving drought, storms, and the rustling of her cattle, Sarah remains a stalwart pillar to her extended family. Then a stagecoach accident puts in her path three strangers who will change her life. In sickness and in health, neighbor Udell Hanna remains a trusted friend, pressing for Sarah to marry. When he reveals a plan to grant Sarah her dearest wish, she is overwhelmed with passion and excitement. She soon discovers, however, that there is more to a formal education than she bargained for. Behind the scenes, Sarah's old friend Maldonado has struck a deal with the very men who will become linchpins of the Mexican Revolution. Maldonado plots to coerce Sarah into partnership, but when she refuses, he devises a murderous plan to gain her land for building a railroad straight to Mexico. When Sarah's son Charlie unexpectedly returns from town with a new bride, the plot turns into an all-out range war between the two families. Finally putting an end to Udell's constant kindnesses, Sarah describes herself as "an iron-boned woman." She wants more than to be merely a comfortable fill-in for his dead wife. It is only through a chance encounter that she discovers his true feelings, and only then can she believe that a selfless love has at last reached out to her. . . .

From the best-selling author of The Dovekeepers, The River King confirms Alice Hoffman as "one of our quirkiest and most interesting novelists" (Jane Smiley, USA Today). People tend to stay in their place in the town of Haddan. The students at the prestigious prep school don't mix with locals. Even within the school, hierarchy rules as freshman and faculty members find out where they fit in and what is expected of them. But when a body is found in the river behind the school, a local policeman will walk into this enclosed world and upset it entirely. A story of surface appearances and the truths submerged below.

Good is Wicked and Wicked is Good in the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die series!This digital original novella is the seventh installment in the series' prequel arc, and reveals how some members of the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked came to be.Dorothy Gale's armies killed Lanadel's entire family, and she's determined to seek revenge. She sets off to find the elusive, secretive group known as the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. They're rumored to be training their own army to defeat Dorothy. But when she finds them, Lanadel soon learns that she's seriously underprepared both in fighting skills, as well as magical abilities, and she has to prove herself in order to join the Order and become one of them.Danielle Paige delivers a dark and compelling reimagining of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, perfect for fans of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Beastly by Alex Flinn, and Wicked by Gregory Maguire, and follows some of...

Halloween is fast approaching and, with it, Alexandria’s eighteenth birthday. Will Alex, Peter and James find Liam’s lost receptacle before the impending sacrifice on All Hallows Eve? Will the anger and darkness that’s plaguing Alex overcome her? Can Alex find a way to defeat Liam or will she suffer the consequences of so many pure blooded witches before her? All Hallows Eve is the gripping conclusion to the New England Witch Chronicles Series. For more information, please visit: www.chelseabellingeri.com

The outstanding new Sam and Remi Fargo adventure from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author. An 800-year-old treasure... an ancient cypher wheel... a brutal murder... and a man who will stop at nothing to claim what he considers rightfully his. Husband-and-wife treasure-hunting team Sam and Remi Fargo have gone on impossible missions before and faced many perils, but never have they faced an adversary as determined as the one before them now. The battle will take them halfway around the world, and at its end will be either one of the most glorious finds in history — or certain death.

Master of middle-grade adventure Roland Smith returns with a second installment in this fast-paced action series. Chase and his friends Nicole and Rashawn have just survived Hurricane Emily, the storm of the century, but their troubles are just beginning. Though they've made it to the safety of Nicole's family's farm -- the winter home of the Rossi Brothers Circus -- the flood waters are rising and they need to reach higher ground. The circus's lions have escaped their cages, and a mean and unpredicable leopard is also on the loose. And then, of course, there's the problem of the wildlife preserve next door! Have Chase and his friends lived through a terrifying night only to face a new danger?