'Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas, and all through the tiny community of Pine Cove, California, people are busy buying, wrapping, packing, and generally getting into the holiday spirit.But not everybody is feeling the joy. Little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a holiday miracle. No, he's not on his deathbed; no, his dog hasn't run away from home. But Josh is sure that he saw Santa take a shovel to the head, and now the seven-year-old has only one prayer: Please, Santa, come back from the dead.But hold on! There's an angel waiting in the wings. (Wings, get it?) It's none other than the Archangel Raziel come to Earth seeking a small child with a wish that needs granting. Unfortunately, our angel's not sporting the brightest halo in the bunch, and before you can say "Kris Kringle," he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos, culminating in the most hilarious and horrifying holiday party the town has ever seen.Move over, Charles Dickens -- it's Christopher Moore time.

Evan Tanner can't sleep. Ever. Which gives him plenty of free time to get involved in lots of interesting endeavors in all sorts of exotic locales. Now Tanner's in Thailand with a partially baked plan and a butterfly net, hoping to snare a beautiful missing chanteuse who's metamorphosed into an international jewel thief. Tanner hopes everyone will buy his disguise as a rare butterfly researcher. And everyone does . . . Except the guerilla band holding him captive. They intend to remove his head when the sun rises, so Tanner must put his fate in the hands of a randy Thai youth who will do anything for a woman, even set a suspected spy free. Soon they're running through the jungle together, chased by bandits, soldiers, and yellow fever, and racing headlong into the heart of darkness—and into the flames of war.

London in 1599 is a wild place, filled with paradoxes: while on the one hand it is an incredibly enlightened, sophisticated time, breeding playwrights like Shakespeare, on the other, it is also barbaric and cruel, with daily public executions, torture, and heads of prisoners impaled on spikes. It is also a time of superstition and grave public danger, with a lack of sanitation, and the Bubonic Plague spreading in the streets, carried by rats. In this environment Caitlin and Caleb land, on the search for her father, for the third key, for the mythical shield that can save humankind. Their mission takes them through a whirlwind of London’s most amazing medieval architecture, through the British countryside’s most breathtaking castles. It takes them back into the heart of London, where they just might meet Shakespeare himself, and see one of his plays live. It brings them to a little girl, Scarlet, who just might become their daughter. And all the while, Caitlin’s love for Caleb deepens, as finally they are together—and as Caleb might just finally find the perfect time, and place, to propose to her. Sam and Polly have traveled back, too, and as they find themselves stuck together on their own journey, their relationship deepens, as they each, despite themselves, can’t help feeling more deeply for each other. But all is not well. Kyle has come back, too, as has his evil sidekick, Sergei, and they are both intent on destroying everything good in Caitlin’s life. It will be a race to the finish, as Caitlin is forced to make some of the hardest decisions of her life if she is to save everyone who is dear to her, save her relationship with Caleb—and try to make it out alive.

Reid Alexander's celebrity life is an open book. Every relationship, every error in judgment is analyzed by strangers. His latest mistake totaled his car, destroyed a house and landed him in the hospital. As his PR team works overtime to salvage his image, one thing is clear—this is one predicament he won’t escape without paying for it. Dori Cantrell is a genuine humanitarian—the outward opposite of everything Reid represents. When his DUI plea bargain lands him under her community service supervision, she proves unimpressed with his status and indifferent to his proximity, and he soon wants nothing more than to knock her off of her pedestal and prove she's human. Counting the days until his month of service ends, Dori struggles to ignore Reid’s wicked pull while challenging him to recognize his own wasted potential. But Dori has secrets of her own, safely locked away until one night turns her entire world upside down. Suddenly their only hope for connection and redemption hinges on one choice: whether or not to have faith in each other.

The Human-Covenant War, a desperate struggle for humankind’s very survival, has reached its boiling point on the mysterious, ring world called Halo. But the fierce Covenant warriors, the mightiest alien military force known, are not the only peril lying in wait. As the fortress world of Reach and its brave defenders were bombarded to rubble, a single cruiser fled the carnage with the battle’s only human survivors—Captain Keyes, his crew of a few hundred Marines, and the last remaining SPARTAN super-soldier, the Master Chief. With the cruiser’s artificial intelligence, Cortana, concealed in his battle armor, the Master Chief crash lands on Halo in the midst of a massive Covenant occupation. Curiously, the alien soldiers appear to be searching for something hidden on the ring. Built by a long-dead race, Halo harbors many deadly secrets, but one overshadows them all. Now the Master Chief must lead the scattered troops in a brutal race to unravel Halo’s darkest mystery—and unleash its greatest source of power. . . .

Olive Schreiner was a South African author, anti-war campaigner, Feminist and intellectual. She is best known for her novel The story of an African Farm which has been highly acclaimed. Any profits generated from the sale of this book will go towards the Freeriver Community project, a project designed to promote harmonious community living and well-being in the world. To learn more about the Freeriver project please visit the website - www.freerivercommunity.com

Set in Mississippi during the Civil War and Reconstruction, THE UNVANQUISHED focuses on the Sartoris family, who, with their code of personal responsibility and courage, stand for the best of the Old South's traditions. From the Trade Paperback edition.

One by one, the Free Nations had fallen, until finally America too was under the heel of the invader. Now the only hope resides in a mountain redoubt where six men work in secret on a plan to rock the planet. . . .

A new father is visited by his childhood imaginary friend. A woman falls in love with a cartoon character. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse show up at a big-box retail chain. Sometimes humorous, often poignant, and always memorable, the six short stories in this collection may just make you believe impossible things.In this fictionalized case study, Robert Perrine describes what a typical project looks like within information technology. The project begins with the idealistic goals of formalizing best practices for project management. Towards the end the project is just a mad scramble to avoid disaster.The key lesson learned is to study the communications requirements more deeply and delve into the limitations imposed by the "way things are done around here" thinking patterns.

Would the tormented pet of a psycho, after witnessing countless abominations, begin to exhibit disturbing behavior? Find out in "Unleashed" what happens when a cat is driven over the edge and beyond the brink.Told from the viewpoints of a detective, a dog, and a villainous homicidal feline, "Unleashed" is a humorous tale of revenge and terror when an abused cat lets loose her pent-up rage after being the pet of a psycho. The kitty has witnessed the maniac's demented deeds and suffered at his hands. Now it's her turn. She's pursued by a dogged detective and a canine sleuth on this rollicking payback crime spree. From CHOCOLATE-COVERED EYES: A SAMPLER OF HORROR and OUT-OF-MIND EXPERIENCES by Lori R. Lopez.

A panther provides a clue so the Boxcar children can solve the mystery of a missing ranger at the Everglades National Park in Florida.

A lot can go wrong in six months of chryosleep, and Dr. Karen Arianne has been under for 153 years. Even worse, the most powerful force in the galaxy, the Central Academic Funding Council Administration, now has application forms so long they come with embedded therapy. But before she can worry about that, Arianne will have to find out why so many cultural evolution researchers are being murderedIn theory, getting funding for research in the 45th century is easy. You just fill in a few thousand forms and send it to the most powerful force in the galaxy - the Central Academic Funding Coucil Administration. However, the bureaucracy induced by the vast distances of outer space mean that decisions take so long that the only sensible solution is chryogenetic freezing. However, Dr. Karen Arianne did not expect to be frozen for 153 years. In that time, all space-hell has broken loose, and she now has as much chance of getting a job as a space wolf in galaxy town. Also, idioms seem to have changed a bit in a century and a half. Come to think of it, so has everyone's language and culture.She has been woken from chryosleep to solve a mystery. Someone is murdering people who study cultural evolution, an important field in a pan-galacitc community where languages change faster than messages take to reach their destinations.Who would want to kill researchers? Can she trust the Administration? What are the mysterious Bloggeration planning? Will she ever get a job?Satire that puts the pace in space opera and the fun in academic funding application. And the itch in hyper-niche.Cover images adapted from:VST images the Lagoon Nebula by ESO/VPHAS+ team https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VST_images_the_Lagoon_Nebula.jpgEngraved Printing Plate by Edinburgh City of Print https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Engraved_printing_plate.jpg

Two small time hoodlums travel to Horizon Street. They heard, from another crook, that easy money could be had from the Oracle living there. But, of course, the Oracle had different ideas about easy money and being an easy mark.The Oracle lives on Horizon Street. At least that’s what another crook told Dunce and Ed. There was easy money to be had with a minimum of work. All that would be needed were a few threats and a bit of arm-twisting.The Oracle lived in a dark room at the end of a dead-end alley. She had no intentions of falling for strong-arm methods and giving out money.This story is the product of an assignment given to the writers of the First Saturday Writers of the Eastern Shore.

5 friends. 1 killer. WHO WILL SNAP? In nine weeks Charlie Miller's life goes from absolute perfection to gruesome tragedy. All it takes is one night, one blade, and her boyfriend, best friend and new friends all either end up as suspects or dead.5 friends. 1 killer. WHO WILL SNAP? In nine weeks Charlie Miller's life goes from absolute perfection to gruesome tragedy. All it takes is one night, one blade, and her boyfriend, best friend and new friends all either end up as suspects or dead. But Charlie's world of pro football golden boys, law school domination and New York City nightlife crumbles long before sudden death. Everyone she cares about is at risk because one of them has a twisted darkness lurking beneath, and if Charlie wants to survive, she’ll have to see past these beautiful faces and find that single, poisonous soul. Because they want Charlie out of the way. Set up. Gone. And to succeed, they'll destroy. Start at the beginning. Question them all. Snapped is Ketley’s monthly seven part New Adult Novella series, and the weeks have closed in. This series is complete! SHADE, Part 2 SIN, Part 3 SACRED, Part 4 SUSPECT, Part 5 SURRENDER, Part 6 STAY, Part 7.

When Robert and Richard Johansson, the third, explore their new surroundings in the midst of the Rocky Mountains they inadvertently stumble into a troll. Armed with the troll queen's own machinations to infiltrate and learn whether the human race of the 21st century is ready to interact with faerie folk again after centuries apart, the little troll becomes an adopted brother to the Johanssons.When Robert and Richard Johansson, III explore new surroundings in the Rocky Mountains they meet a Mountain Troll in the hills above their home. Armed with the troll queen's own machinations to infiltrate and learn whether the human race of the 21st century is ready to interact with faerie folk again after centuries apart, the little troll becomes an adopted brother to the Johansson family, and discovers more than he expected about what it is to be human.During the course of their interaction, Robert realizes that someone from an entirely different culture, even a non-human one, can be as close as a brother. But in the end, when it is time to return Kile to his troll family and to collect the real Little Ricky, they face a serious threat from the goblins of the high peaks of the Rockies. With the help of family and friends from the small town of Maple Springs, the two Troll Brothers make their way back to the troll city and reunite both families.Troll Brother includes a cameo by the Institution for the Preservation of Magical Artifacts (IPMA). The IPMA was first introduced in the short story, "The Old Silk Hat: A Frosty the Snowman Prequel", which is offered for free.

Based on data gathered by CB Insights, these research briefs provide a data-driven look at private company financing and exit activity in the payments tech industry. CB Insights is the ideal tool for those engaged in private equity, venture capital, corporate development, investment banking, corporate innovation & strategy, angel investment and consulting.Based on data gathered by CB Insights, these research briefs provide a data-driven look at private company financing and exit activity in the payments tech industry.CB Insights is the ideal tool for those engaged in private equity, venture capital, corporate development, investment banking, corporate innovation & strategy, angel investment and consulting. Whether it is deal sourcing, due diligence, or market and competitive intelligence, CBI has been created to assist you in discovering the right private company information in the most efficient, comprehensive way. Our proprietary sourcing methods enable CB Insights to track high-value private companies ranging from early-stage companies funded by angel investors, government grants and incubators to private equity and venture capital backed firms to under the radar mid-market private companies. CB Insights tracks companies across sectors and industries covering everything from industrial to internet, manufacturing to mobile and biotech to business services.

"Charli" is a concept draft of the first in a series of thrilling short stories. Charli follows a chilling account of murder, infidelity, and thrilling suspense as a man attempts to solve the brutal murder of his less than faithful fiance, guided only by a mysterious voice on the phone.Bendigo Joules, raised on a small farm in east Texas in the 40's and 50's, scratched out a life filled with the joys, surprises, trials and love that only an adventurous and giving spirit could produce. His life ended tragically in his sister's company at the age of eighteen, and Abbie Joules is determined that his memory not vanish forever. Fortunately 'words work' is her specialty, and she has sculpted an image of a bygone era in which her brother stars in riveting tales filled with humor, adventure, and the full warmth and foibles that humanity has to offer. You will not soon forget the life of Bendigo or his loving sister, Abbie, nor the many characters she paints with both sensitivity and vivid colors: Price and Pleasure Walker, Booptriska Kazmierski, Ziggy Pugh, Cat-Fish and Fish-Cat, and many others. It is a book for readers of any age who want their day to feel warm, bright and friendly."I figured I was a goner," Corrinth said. "That car was going over the edge of the dump, right down into that filth and--BLEWY! I was going to cook, right along with the rats. Can you imagine? On my first date with Ben?" (from The Rat Stomp)Dirk Palowski snatched up Ziggy and chucked him under his arm like a wiener pig, then ran around the track like a tramp hauling a stolen ham, with all the boys in hot pursuit. For the first time in his life, Ziggy was in demand. (from Five Seconds For A Winner)