As a native of Scotland, bestselling author Iain Banks has decided to undertake a tour of the distilleries of his homeland in a bid to uncover the unique spirit of the single malt. Visiting some of the world's most famous distilleries and also some of its smallest and most obscure ones, Banks embarks on a journey of discovery which educates him about the places, people and products surrounding the centuries-old tradition of whisky production. Using various modes of transport - ferries to the islands, cars across the highlands, even bicycles between bus stops - Banks' tour of Scotland combines history, literature and landscape in an entertaining and informative account of an exploration in which the arrival is by no means the most important part of the journey.

Enjoy this riveting tale. Lucky Martin is a daredevil test pilot who's perfected the design for a new bomber plane that the Navy is sure to buy. What makes the plane unique is its ability to dive straight down at seven miles a minute and suddenly level off—stressing the wings at nine times the plane's weight—without breaking apart. Unfortunately for Lucky, hostile foreign powers are determined to see him fail so they can scoop up the plane's design for their own use. Following a string of "accidents" which nearly kill him, Lucky Martin becomes "Unlucky" Martin, making his future look very luckless indeed, unless he can stay alive to outwit the enemy. "Primo pulp fiction." —Booklist

7 people from every part of the world: each plagued with dreams & obsessions since childhood that don't make sense. Ernie Magawan is the 1st to make the self-discovery. Though born on earth, they're from a planet across the galaxy on a mission that they must complete for the future of the galaxy. Now he must find and awaken the other six. A powerful enemy has been waiting for them all their lives.Some enemies are so powerful and strategically placed that the only way one can fight them is through Wisdom. And there are times, while fighting those enemies, one is faced with a choice – a test of one's character – one moves forward by listening to the heart, all the while the brain is screaming for the alternative. Should the initial result appear a disaster, the brain says 'I told you so', but later one realises that that was exactly the right choice – the test passed with flying colours.Seven people, born in every corner of the world: each has been plagued with doubts, dreams and obsessions since childhood that don't make sense. They each had a twin who didn't share their obsession, and made their lives miserable. Ernie Magawan is one of them, and is the first to make the self-discovery. He is an alien born in a human body.Though born on earth, they are in fact, Zondon, from a planet clear across the galaxy, here on a mission that they must complete. The future of the human race, and of the galaxy depend on it. Those memories are awakened through contact with a mysterious green crystal.On 'awakening', Ernie Magawan realises that he must find and awaken the other six. The action adventure takes him on a roller-coaster ride from the archaeological site in Egypt where he found the crystal, to the streets of Bangkok, to the mountains of Afghanistan, to Jerusalem, to a nuclear silo in North Korea, and finally the Golden Triangle. On the way, he and his growing team rub shoulders with international terrorists, Neo-Nazis, migrant farm workers, and a mystic rabbi, as well as their ultimate enemy, a formidable creature, also from across the galaxy, in the guise of a powerful international financier and terrorist boss, who has been waiting for them all their lives.Armed with extrasensory powers of mind control as well as access to vast political resources, terrorist organisations and WMDs, their enemy is the hidden hand behind all diabolical conspiracies. An International Suspense ThrillerRobby Charters has spent time in about half of the places mentioned in the narrative (and did research on the other half). But apart from having "been there and done it", his biography wouldn't make very interesting reading, which is just probably as well. He was born and raised in Thailand, and presently lives in Northern Ireland with his Thai/Chinese wife, Bless and their son, Abie.

“The Friendly Ambassador” series blends Greek Myth with traditional Science-Fiction, taking a different approach to the legend of Atlantis, the origination of the Amazons, and the true nature of mythical creatures such as the Cyclops and Centaurs as aliens from other worlds. The story features aliens, war and mayhem on a grand scale. It’s not for the squeamish. Even the women are dangerous.As private secretary to Li-Sen-Tot, the Tun-Sho-Lok Ambassador on Eden, Gusta knew how badly the war was going. But when the treaty her government had signed with the Keruh was broken, even she was unprepared for the unimaginable savagery that followed. And with her children lost in the city, escape seems impossible.As two mighty fleets gather for the coming battle in space, Anaxilea begins the bombardment of Eden with a heavy heart. She feels no anger towards the Edenites, but the Keruh Host was now on Eden, and the Edenites would not escape from the fate that awaited them.The Atlantian Senate feared that a similar fate would overtake their world. But Ares knew differently. What the Tun-Sho-Lok scientist, Kel-Cid-An had created at Ephesus was a genetic masterpiece, the perfect warrior. But could these fighting clones be produced in enough numbers to defeat the Keruh?“The Friendly Ambassador: The Beginning of the End” is the first part of a four part galactic epic that mixes Science-Fiction with Greek Mythology and the legend of Atlantis.

A young boy growing up in a medieval world finds himself torn between the duties of his religious cast and a forbidden dragon that befriends him. The boy discovers more questions than answers the more time he spends with the dragon and studying with his masters. Answers can only lie beyond the forbidden mountain that overshadows the village—Black Rock, the home of the beast itself.Book 1 of The Forbidden Scroll series. A young boy growing up in a medieval world finds himself torn between the duties of his religious cast and a forbidden dragon that befriends him. The beast is nothing like the village elders have taught—acting more like friend than foe—yet to be found with it would mean expulsion from the village. The boy discovers more questions than answers in his studies as an apprentice. His confusion deepens the more he visits the dragon that defies all his masters teach. The answers can only lie beyond the forbidden mountain that overshadows the village—Black Rock, the home of the beast itself.

I am Custard. I'm 11 years old and have created a treasure-hunt game. Read my paranormal-investigation notes and figure out the clues hidden within the text of the notes. These clues will lead you to a special stone hidden somewhere in the United States. If you find the stone, report it on the website (including the code engraved on the stone), and you will be paid reward money. It's free to play.My name is Custard Marks. I am an 11-year-old boy. I am the creator of CustardQuest.The game is pretty simple. I travel around the country investigating paranormal events and unexplained phenomena. Just read my investigative notes and figure out the clues hidden within the text of the notes. These clues will lead you to unique stones hidden somewhere in the United States. If you find a stone, report it on the website and include the code engraved on the front of the stone, and you will be paid via Paypal whatever the pre-announced reward amount is for that particular CustardQuest. The reward money will be relatively small at first and will increase as the number of participants increases. The smaller reward amounts will also allow me to conduct frequent CustardQuests. New CustardQuests will be released periodically, usually every few months.The notes are about 8-10 pages long and are written in plain English -- no ciphers or codes, but maybe a word game or two. Sounds easy enough, right? Good luck.

After he gets shot from the same guy who killed his team, Joey wakes to find the city he always knew taken over by the two people he was trying to take down. Will Joey make it out alive to be the one to save his city and friends? Or will he scream and crumble internally as he takes a bullet to his head?Joey's world turned upside down after witnessing the executions of his lifelong friends. Then things start to get chaotic when someone from his childhood returns and causes more tension and forces him to remember painful memories from his past, while, at the same time, he tries to stay strong and remain intact for his friends. But after he gets shot from the same guy who killed his team, Joey wakes up to find that Ryan has been elected Mayor, and that Kyle is right there helping him. Will Joey make it out alive to be the one to save his city and friends? Or will he scream and crumble internally as he takes a bullet to his head?

Living in Africa can cause some humorous situations, these are some short stories about such situations that came my way. In some I can only describe myself as the initiator, not intentionally!Life is filled with adventure, from having to share a deep-drop toilet with various creepy crawlies in the middle of the night, to flying airliners kept in the air by prayers and flapping wings. There are ghosts in the desert, and funerals at sea that can go wrong, there are scores to be settled and bombs to be ducked! There are the heart sore of disappearing pets, and the pain of hunting the unknown, there is a life to be lived!

If ever a chill entered her soul, or the hope suddenly drained from her heart, she knew a bogle was to blame. Birdie McAdam, a ten-year-old orphan, is tougher than she looks. She's proud of her job as apprentice to Alfred the Bogler, a man who catches monsters for a living. Birdie lures the bogles out of their lairs with her sweet songs, and Alfred kills them before they kill her. On the mean streets of Victorian England, hunting bogles is actually less dangerous work than mudlarking for scraps along the vile river Thames. (See glossary!) Or so it seems—until the orphans of London start to disappear . . .

this short story concerns two tourists on a rail journey between bangkok and chiang mai and a surprise which waits for them in chiang maiThis short story is written by francis chang a resident of chiang mai, the mountain city in north thailand. it concerns two western tourists on a rail journey between bangkok and chiang mai, their experiences and what could be a disatrous end to their holiday in chiang mai

With no dowry, for Jessica Gordon there was little prospect of eventual marriage in 1870’s Ireland. Her sister Sarah, who was already sixteen, had no dowry either. An arranged marriage with a settler in the colonies was the best that could be done for her. The two girls were to sail half-way around the world so Sarah could marry a man she had never met.For twelve-year-old, nearly thirteen, Jessica Gordon there was little prospect of eventual marriage in 1870’s Ireland. Being the sixth daughter in a large family, there was no money for a dowry, and without that no young man in her class could afford her. The fourth daughter, Sarah, was already sixteen years old, and there was no dowry for her either. An arranged marriage with a settler in the colonies was the best that could be done for her. She was to sail half-way around the world to marry a man she had never met. When Sarah offered to swap her cabin-class ticket for two in steerage, and take her younger sister with her, Jess accepted gladly. The shortage of women in the colonies would offer her the best prospects she could hope for. As they boarded the sailing ship Haldia in the London Docks, Jess little expected what the sisters found aboard that crowded emigrant ship. The friendship and rough humour of both passengers and crew saw them through nearly four months of being buffeted about by every wind that blew.

The offspring of Zeus the king of the Greek gods and a Greek woman named Electra. Tau possessed the strength of Zeus.Tau was bigger than the other children and stronger than the rest, at the age of 10 he was as big as a 16 year old boy, having "Sullen", "Smoldering" and "volcanic" blue eyes with a black hair in a "square-cut mane”As big as a giant and massive, his skin was bronzed from constant exposure to the sun, a tall man standing 6.5 feet tall, mightily shouldered and deep hairy chest, with a massive corded neck and heavily muscled dangerous lines of limbs. His brow was low and broad, his eyes a volcanic blue that smouldered as if with some inner fire.

The lost city of Atlantis is real. As Lieutenant Josh Pierce discharges from the military following eight tough years of service, he comes home to find his life turned upside down. Shortly after, strangers arrive to volunteer Josh for a meeting with the newly-formed Atlantis team.The lost city of Atlantis is real. As Lieutenant Josh Pierce discharges from the military following eight tough years of service, he comes home to find his life turned upside down. Shortly after, strangers arrive to volunteer Josh for a meeting with the newly-formed Atlantis team.Unlike anything you've read before, Lost City is a story of love, deception and exploration, all tied into a city that thrived thousands of years before our own civilization. As the mission of the Atlantis team slowly unfolds miles beneath ocean, Josh begins to wonder who he can actually trust?Only one thing is evident. Someone is lying.

For too long the habitants of Istanbul have been proud of their city having one leg in Europe and another in Asia. Now trouble brews in the cosmopolitan city as strange creatures rush through the portals opening up all over the city. John Maser -employed by the UN Taskforce, soon finds that he has to do things outside of his job description in order to survive.For too long the habitants of Istanbul have been proud of their city having one leg in Europe and another in Asia. Now trouble brews in the cosmopolitan city. John Maser's last assignment takes him to Istanbul where the rules of physics are unraveling around the habitants of Istanbul.The UN Taskforce is locked in a desperate battle as the strange creatures rush through the portals opening up all over the city. He soon finds that he has to do things outside of his job description in order to survive.

A Sparrow Falls, another gripping installment in Wilbur Smith's Courtney Family Adventure seriesMark Anders grew up on eight thousand acres of African land that bore his family name. Then he fought in Europe's Great War and, upon returning to his ancestral home, he saw savagery unlike any other....In Africa, Mark's family estate has been despoiled. His grandfather has died under mysterious circumstances. And he has inherited a murderous enemy—the rogue scion of the powerful Courtney clan—in an altogether new kind of war.Now, Mark will make a fateful choice between two women. Journey into the wilderness to uncover his grandfather's fate. Find his way through battles raging between fathers and sons, generals and politicians, and nature and man. In an age of violent conflict, Mark Anders will live or die for justice—and his fight will echo across a country he always loved....