In the future, people are disease-free and thin, but physically weak and increasingly lazy. Intensive exercise is viewed as the primary risk factor for accidents and injuries, and is all but outlawed by powerful health insurance corporations. This is the story of one man who leads an underground running club as its members prepare for an upcoming race they are determined to win at any cost.A local amusement park seems the perfect setting for seven-year-old Jack’s birthday party. The adults alternate between socializing with each other and chaperoning their children playing throughout the park. It seems like a fun time for everyone, but apparently not. Mandy would rather be finishing her homework than participating in her little brother’s escapades, especially when she considers his classmates in attendance that would make better company for him. It’s safe to say when Jack appears to go missing in the theme park she finds it more believable he is somewhere he shouldn’t be rather than lost or worse. She is right and wrong in the worst ways possible.

Goodreads reviews 4 starsEmperor Sarizen Judas is vicious when provoked, has a serpentine intelligence and possesses a force of will thata grinds mountains . His hatred is blind, relentless and damaging to the nation. Surr, one of Sarizen's own High-Princes, has abandoned his people in the South and traveled to the Inner Kingdom. He must kill SarizGoodreads reviews 4 starsEmperor Sarizen Judas has ruled uncontested since his ascension fifty years ago. He is vicious when provoked, has a serpentine intelligence and possesses a force of will that grinds mountains. His control over the elemental Mantra is unmatched. But, he is also dangerously repressive of all non-human species. His hatred is blind and relentless, damaging not only to the afflicted but also the nation itself. This is why Surr, one of Sarizen's own High-Princes, has abandoned his people in the South and traveled to the Inner Kingdom. He must kill Sarizen, even if it seems impossible and may cost him everything.

The Unlucky Thirteen virus kills all thirteen-year-olds. When children turn thirteen, they fly or die. Fly to a distant planet that holds the cure, or die on Earth.Zak Connors has been chosen to fly. To survive, he must discover the secrets of a mysterious planet - Kronnus 13.This is one of a series of character interviews from The Flame Before Us. This interview is with Hekanefer, formerly a Mitsriy scribe attached to a military unit stationed in Gedjet and part of the army responsible for defending the province. He is now living in Shalem. If you like the interview and extract, The Flame Before Us is available as a full-length novel.The Flame Before Us:Conflict and commitment in the shadow of a city's downfallThe raiding ships have come before, but this time it is different. This time the attackers are coming to stay. The great kings and their vassals collapse as the newcomers advance.Walk with refugees, migrants, and defenders of the land alike, as they struggle to create a different way of life beside the ruins of the old. Can alliance, commitment and love survive the turmoil?

**For fans of *Fifty Shades of Grey*, *Bared to You*, and *Release Me* comes an all-new erotic series of three enigmatic and powerful men, and the striking women who can bring them to their knees.** *He promised to take me as far as I could go—and I wanted to go to the edge.* My whole life has been a cover, a con, a lie. I was born into the grift, raised on the thrill of playing someone I’m not. As a rule, I never let anyone get too close—until Cole August makes it impossible for me to stay away. Cole is tough, sexy, and intensely loyal, yet his secrets are dark and his scars run deep. Not many women can handle his past, or the truth behind his fierce demands. But something about him beckons me—and our desire is a game I must play. I know he’s dangerous, that even his touch is trouble, but what is passion without a little risk? ***Ignited* is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.**

Although Truman Capote’s last, unfinished novel offers a devastating group portrait of the high and low society of his time. Tracing  the career of a writer of uncertain parentage and omnivorous erotic tastes, Answered Prayers careens from a louche bar in Tangiers to a banquette at La Côte Basque, from literary salons to high-priced whorehouses. It takes in calculating beauties and sadistic husbands along with such real-life supporting characters as Colette, the Duchess of Windsor, Montgomery Clift, and Tallulah Bankhead. Above all, this malevolently finny book displays Capote at his most relentlessly observant and murderously witty.

For many years Sierra Leone and Liberia have been too dangerous to travel through, bedevilled by a uniquely brutal form of violence from which sprang many of Africa's cruellest contemporary icons - child soldiers, prisoner mutilation, blood diamonds. With their wars officially over, Tim Butcher sets out on a journey across both countries, trekking for 350 miles through remote rainforest and malarial swamps. Just as he followed H M Stanley through the Congo - a journey described in his bestseller Blood River - this time he pursues a trail blazed by Graham Greene in 1935 and immortalised in the travel classic Journey Without Maps. Greene took 26 bearers, a case of scotch, and hammocks in which he and his cousin Barbara were carried. Tim walks every blistering inch to gain an extraordinary ground-level view of a troubled and overlooked region. As a journalist in Africa, Tim came to know both countries well although the wars made trips to the jungle hinterland far too risky. This is where he now heads, exploring how rebel groups thrived in the bush for so long and whether the devil of war has truly been chased away. He encounters other 'devils', masked figures guarding the spiritual secrets of jungle communities. Some are no more threatening than schoolmasters but others are much more sinister, relying on ritual cannibalism as a source of their magical power. Tim encounters these devils on an epic journey that demands courage, doggedness and good fortune. Chasing the Devil is a dramatic travel book touching on one of the most fraught parts of the globe at a unique moment in its history. Weaving history and anthropology with personal narrative - as well as new discoveries about Greene - it is as exciting as it is enlightening.

Zane is not a good man, but who said he has to be to fulfill his Outsider destiny? The battle has come to a head and, with everything on the line, it's time the Outsiders stopped playing it so easy. At least as far as Zane is concerned. Raquel exists to handle flames. Her soul mate needs to be a man who can handle her heat. Zane is just the man for the job. But with the world exploding around them, it may be too late for love. The battle has just begun and yet it's already too late. Unless they can still win the day.

This short novel that is told with almost fable-like simplicity: Matt Harper is a first-time counselor at a boy’s summer camp when he witnesses a casual brutality that leads to murder. The bullying, gluttonous headman Ed Nolan (who has "reduced Camp Pleasant to a microcosm of the Third Reich") is portrayed as one stereotype that the reader is not sorry to see killed off. Instead, all of our sympathy is reserved for the possible suspects: Merv Loomis, the homosexual counselor Nolan humiliates into quitting; the troubled ten-year-old Tony Rocca; Nolan’s meek wife, Ellen; and several others. The setting and tone have the distinct feel of the early 1950s, but a casual reference to actress Catherine Deneuve places the action in the mid-60s or later. In other hands, perhaps this minimalist plot would be inadequate, but Matheson, author of Somewhere in Time and Hell House as well as classic Twilight Zone teleplays, has such a command of his craft that reading this book is pure pleasure. The simple writing style brings to mind Hemingway. "It was a Wednesday night and there were movies down in the lodge so I sent my boys there and stayed in the cabin, packing my trunk." Occasionally, Matheson waxes poetic: "I lay there staring at the wall, feeling my heart thud slowly in my chest like the fist of a dying man on the wall of his prison." Readers will find in Matheson’s book a deeply engaging story with a clear writing style that is a pleasure to read.

“There would be no happy ending for us. He was too damaged. I was too broken.” Two years ago, Lorrie’s mother was murdered. But that wasn’t the end of it. Reeling from the tragedy, Lorrie’s father spiraled into alcohol, depression, and finally suicide. The two most important people in Lorrie’s life are both gone but she’s still alive. Trying to recover from the tragedy, Lorrie returns to campus, ready to pick up the pieces of her life. All Lorrie wants is to get back to “normal.” Then she meets Hunter. The man, the legend, “the Hammer.” Hunter is a cage fighter who takes on every fight like he’s got nothing to lose. His life is a tangled mess of girls, booze, and fist fights. And while it may seem like he’s got a devil-may-care attitude, he’s fighting a private cage-match with a monster he can’t defeat. Lorrie knows that Hunter is the exact type of guy she should stay away from, especially in her fragile state, but Hunter has other ideas. As Hunter and Lorrie grow closer together, will they be able to overcome their pain and heal each other? Or will they both end up wrecked? WRECKED RESCUED (WRECKED BOOK TWO: Coming Early 2014)

Refusing to lose her brother to the violent Hermanos street gang, Benny turns to Dimitri, the dead sexy Russian who lives in the apartment above her family's bakery. He's the only man tough enough to get through to Johnny and save him from a life in prison—or worse. There's nothing Dimitri won't do for Benny, even if it means dealing with her troublemaking brother. He quickly realizes that it's not just Johnny and his thug friends that pose a threat to Benny. A shady real estate developer needs to buy her bakery to secure a multi-million dollar deal and he'll stop at nothing to make her sell. Threatened from all sides, Benny finds safety in Dimitri's strong arms—and in his bed. Her big, sexy Russian has no intention of ever letting her go—and he'll brave the fires of hell before he lets anyone harm her. Reader's Note: Dimitri is an incredibly passionate man with a dominant streak—and Benny is only too happy to indulge his need for a little…restraint.

Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison. When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates. Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed. But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

An “impressive” tale of psychic power, Native American mysticism, and an ancient evil in Alabama, from the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song (Associated Press). Born and raised in rural Alabama, Billy Creekmore was destined to be a psychic. His mother, a Choctaw Indian schooled in her tribe’s ancient mysticism, understands the permeable barrier between life and death—and can cross it. She taught the power to Billy and now he helps the dead rest in peace. Wayne Falconer, son of one of the most fervent tent evangelists in the South, travels the country serving his father’s healing ministry. Using his unique powers to cure the flock, Little Wayne is on his way to becoming one of the popular and successful miracle workers in the country. He helps the living survive. Billy and Wayne share more than a gift. They share a dream—and a common enemy. They are on separate journeys, mystery walks that will lead them toward a crossroad where the evil of their dreams has taken shape. One of them will reject the dark. The other will be consumed by it. But neither imagined just how monstrous and far-reaching the dark was, or that mankind’s fate would rest in their hands during an epic showdown of good versus evil. From the author of Gone South, Boy’s Life, and the Matthew Corbett series, a master of suspense who has won the World Fantasy and Bram Stoker Awards, Mystery Walk offers “creepy, subtle touches throughout [and] splendid Southern-town atmosphere” (Kirkus Reviews).

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe? Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning. *This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content. Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+ *

This is nonfiction commentary. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Palace Walk, the Journey of Ibn Fattouma, the Beggar, Midaq Alley, the Thief and the Dogs, Children of Gebelawi, the Beginning and the End, Cairo Trilogy, Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth, the Search, the Day the Leader Was Killed, Miramar, Arabian Nights and Days, the Harafish, Palace of Desire. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Palace Walk (Arabic title ) is a novel by Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, and the first installment of Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy. Originally published in 1956 with the title Bayn al-qasrayn (lit. Between the Two Palaces), the book was translated into English in 1990. The setting of the novel is Cairo during and just after World War I. Palace Walk is the first book of the Cairo Trilogy, set in Cairo, Egypt. It begins in 1917, during World War I, and ends in 1919, the year of the nationalist revolution. The book's Arabic title translates literally into 'between two palaces' - a phrase which highlights the cultural and political transition Egypt experienced at this time, developments brought into focus by the lives of the el-Gawad family., M K Ahmad Abd al-Jawad is the tyrannical head of his household, demanding total, unquestioning obedience from his wife, Amina, his sons, Yasin, Fahmy and Kamal, and his daughters, Khadija and Aisha. A fearsome and occasionally violent presence at home who insists on strict rules of Muslim piety and sobriety in the house -- for example, his wife is hardly ever allowed to leave the house, to maintain the family's good name -- al-Sayyid Ahmad permits himself officially forbidden pleasures, particularly music, drinking wine and conducting numerous extramarital affairs with women he meets at his grocery store, or with courtesans who entertain parties of men at their hou...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=6829111

The works of this award-winning poet and novelist are rich with the language and influences of two cultures: those of the Dominican Republic of her childhood and the America of her youth and adulthood. They have shaped her writing just as they have shaped her life. In these seventy-five autobiographical poems, Alvarez’s clear voice sings out in every line. Here, in the middle of her life, she looks back as a way of understanding and celebrating the woman she has become.

In this third installment in the #1 bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper series, a luxurious ocean liner becomes a floating prison of scandal, madness, and horror when passengers are murdered one by one…with nowhere to run from the killer. . Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly. But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?

Bearing an Hourglass is a fascinating, richly imagined tale that reaches beyond the normal science fiction/fantasy realm. When life seems pointless to Norton, he accepts the position of Incarnation of Time. With the other incarnations—Death, Fate, War, and Nature already distracting him, Satan springs a cunning trap. Science fiction/fantasy legend Piers Anthony combines a gripping plot with a serious and thought-providing study of good and evil. Unabridged, 1 audiobook audio file, 13 hours 50 minutes 8 seconds

All Ben Vecchio wanted was a quiet summer before his last semester of university. Was that too much to ask? All Tenzin wanted was a cache of priceless medieval coins that had been missing for several hundred years. And some company. Phrases like “never again” don’t mean much when you’ve been a vampire for several thousand years. And promises made in the heat of anger don’t outweigh the lure of gold. Ben Vecchio thought he knew everything there was to know about the immortals of Italy. But when Tenzin tempts him into another adventure finding a cache of rare gold coins missing since the nineteenth century, he’ll discover that familiar places can hold the most delicious secrets. And possibly, the key to his future.

When homeschooled farm girl Piper McCloud reveals her ability to fly, she is quickly taken to a secret government facility to be trained with other exceptional children, but she soon realizes that something is very wrong and begins working with brilliant and wealthy Conrad to escape. "Piper decided to jump off the roof. It wasn't a rash decision on her part. This was her plan: Climb to the top of the roof, pick up speed by running from one end all the way to the other. Jump off. Finally, and most importantly, don't fall. She didn't make plans in the event she did fall, because if you jump off the roof of your house and land on your head, you really don't need any plans from that point on. Even Piper knew that. So that's what she did. She jumped clean off her roof. But before we get to what happens next, you'll probably need to know a thing or two about a thing or two..."

[Siren Ménage Everlasting: Erotic Futuristic, Post-Apocalyptic, Military/Special Ops, Sci-Fi Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, HEA] Have a few wrongs to make right? Then you need…the Drunk Monkeys. Shasta Myers has had to be the strong one in her family. As a county traffic signal computer programmer, she doesn’t make a lot, but she refuses to compromise her morals for a quick buck as a black-hat hacker. Then her world implodes. Juju, Delta, and some of the Drunk Monkeys are in Houston to shut down another of Silo’s Kite labs. So when they barely stop the adorably unprepared Shasta from stumbling into a potentially deadly situation, it’s not difficult for the two men to fall hard and fast for her. Now the situation’s deteriorating all over the world, and Silo’s ratcheting up the pressure. They’ll need someone of Shasta’s skills to stay a step ahead of the apocalyptically determined minister. Will Shasta’s feelings for Juju and Delta be enough to convince her to join their battle to save the world and what’s left of her family?

In this rich and deeply satisfying novel by the beloved author of The Art of Mending, and Open House, a resilient woman embarks upon an unforgettable journey of adventure, self-discovery, and renewal.  Betta Nolan moves to a small town after the death of her husband to try to begin anew. Pursuing a dream of a different kind of life, she is determined to find pleasure in her simply daily routines. Among those who help her in both expected and unexpected ways are the ten-year-old boy next door, three wild women friends from her college days, a twenty-year-old who is struggling to find his place in the world, and a handsome man who is ready for love. Elizabeth Berg's The Year of Pleasuresis about acknowledging the solace found in ordinary things: a warm bath, good food, the beauty of nature, music, friends, and art. "Berg writes with humor and a big heart about resilience, loneliness, love, and hope. And the transcendence that redeems," said Andre Dubus about Durable Goods. And the same could be said about The Year of Pleasures.