Outside the church it is freezing, raining, but inside Lavonia is doing just fine. She is seated on the first pew in her widow's weeds facing the casket of her x-husband and his common-law wife in the choir. Young Betty will have her day in the seat of honor for another dead man. Then the two women face off against each other in the white limo on the way to the cemetery and all hell breaks loose.Blood CountsIn this polite place:A hand trained in the waysof death and deliverycups a pill, slides a gurney,shrink-wrapped, bubbling,through sterile chambersoverfilled with hintsof salvation servedon sheets of steel.Suffering is silent here: Purple or black fishes dartin diversionary circlesat the backs of smiling clerks,when blood countsdon't add up.

The bestselling author of Nop’s Trials presents the true story of his search for the perfect sheepdog In April of 1988, Donald McCaig traveled to Scotland to buy a young, well-bred female sheepdog to raise and train for use on his three-hundred-acre Virginia farm. He knew exactly what he wanted: a Scottish border collie, considered the best sheepdog in the world because the breed is hardworking, smart, strong, and fast, with unique personalities. McCaig attends dog trials and meets numerous trainers, fellow shepherds, and top handlers before he finally finds Gael. From his heartfelt prayers that Gael will pass her eye exam to his faithful sheepdog Pip’s reaction to the new bitch on the farm, Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men chronicles McCaig’s journey through the Scottish highlands, where border collies have been bred since the seventeenth century, and illuminates the ennobling bond between humans and dogs. This ebook contains sixteen pages of photos.

Ryan is about to board a plane, knowing that the next twenty-four hours will change everything. His mission is to stop the biggest terrorist attack America's ever seen. Ryan works for CHERUB, a secret organisation with one key advantage: even a trained terrorist won't suspect that a teenager is spying on them. For official purposes, these children do not exist.

A hostile nation comes, unprovoked, from beyond the Pillars of Hercules.As Atlantis comes to a technological stall, the warlords of Greece prepare to uphold the virtues of their nation.See Plato's legend to come to life in this epic tale of war, love and deceit.On the dawns of a worldwide cataclysm, a nation at the peak of its technological progression comes to an abrupt stall. The Atlanteans have depleted their last deposits of orichalcum, without it they cannot further the development of their nation. The only place left to search for the precious ore however is upon the lands surrounding the Parting Sea. The very place the Atlantean god fled from at the dawn of the new age. King Atl’As sends his first chosen, Thu’Ra, between the Fingertips of Poseidon to watch over his family as they attempt to steal everything from the ruling powers of the Mediterranean.Upon learning a hostile nation comes from beyond the Pillars of Hercules, the troubled Athenian warlords prepare Greece against the invasion whispered to be sweeping across the lands their nation vows to keep free. Against political turmoil and personal struggles, Arbicos and Arbephest ready themselves to protect the Hellenes.On course for an unimaginable confrontation, none that live are prepared for a climate change that is about to shake the earth to its core.

Eile, as the fighter and thief Braveheart, and Sunny, as her magic-user partner White-Lion, are playing a scenario in the online role-playing game Otherworld. They have been hired by a powerful count to rescue his young wife, kidnapped by a dragon. However, there is a snag; the mission won't be as simple as it sounds. This is a short story, with a Preface and Sample Excerpts.About a year before they met in the real world and became Team Girl, Eile Chica and Sunny Hiver played an online role-playing game called Otherworld, a more family-friendly version of World of Warcraft and other such games. Eile had created the fighter and thief Braveheart, whereas Sunny played a magic-user named White-Lion. They met while independently exploring a lost temple of evil, became friends and partners, and adventured together afterwards.This is one of their sessions. They broke into the country villa of a powerful count to steal whatever they could, but were caught. Rather than have them hung, he "hired" them to rescue his young wife, who had been kidnapped by a dragon. However, the mission won't be as simple as it sounds, because a previous rescue attempt went seriously wrong, and now the Girls have to clean up the resulting mess.If they can.

The sixth installment in the Swindle series, in which The Man With The Plan gets a new rival . . . and the search for a missing lottery ticket becomes a hunt of epic proportions. JACKPOT: the top prize in a game or lottery; a sensational and unexpected success, stroke of luck, windfall, bounty, pay day . . . What would you do with $30,000,000? That's the question everyone in Cedarville and every town near it is asking, because right now there's an unclaimed lottery ticket worth that much -- and the money will go to whomever finds it first. Griffin Bing, The Man With The Plan, wants to be the lucky winner. But he's got competition. Darren Vader, Griffin's number-one enemy, will stop at nothing to find it. And a new kid in town, Victor Phoenix, is also in on the big hunt. He's got an advantage that Griffin would have never guessed: Griffin's own friends are helping Victor out. But why? Griffin's going to need a lot of help -- from a rowdy Doberman, a completely strange invention, and a very random set of wheels -- to hit this jackpot and win his friends back.

Jack and Kaya live in a small seaside town in Australia. When they see a strange white light shining from a giant rock in the forest, it takes them to a place both familiar and yet like nowhere they know. But where exactly are they? And can they make it back in time? The Stone Gate is an exciting action adventure that brings climate change / global warming vividly to life for young adult readers.A strange rock in the forest. A mysterious crystal. A full moon. An ancient secret. How do you find your way home when you've never left?Twins Jack and Kaya live in a small seaside town in Australia. When they see a dazzling white light shining from a giant rock in the forest near their home, it takes them on an adventure to a place both familiar and yet like nowhere they know. But where exactly are they? And can they find their way back in time?The Stone Gate is an exciting and fast-paced action adventure that brings climate change / global warming vividly to life for young adult readers.

An unedifying episode from the unorthodox life of Captain Hesperus, star trader. Money is tight, the engines are failing, and there's soup on the ceiling ...A novella set in the universe of the classic computer game "Elite", and its fan-made remake "Oolite".An unedifying episode from the unorthodox life of Captain Hesperus, star trader. Money is tight, the engines are failing, and there's soup on the ceiling ... still, there's nothing that can't be fixed with one sweet deal. A cargo of machinery destined for a low-tech Anarchy system: what could possibly go wrong?A novella set in the universe of the classic computer game "Elite", and its fan-made remake "Oolite".

In the custody of the enforcer corps, Jazz is facing a long stint in the mallow mines. But the jokes on them, because the magical stone in her belly is about to backlash, causing her a horrific and painful death and robbing them all of the pleasure of turning her into a slave. Good plan, Jazz.Jazz, Season One, Episode FiveJazz just barely managed her way back to Nittsburg all in one piece, but DJ wasn’t as lucky. As sooner as they crossed the border, Jazz was been taken into custody by the enforcer corps. On her way to the magistrate with the Not Now Stone kicking up a serious fuss, she has only minutes to get to her office and scrub the stone in her old pickle jar of solution. But the enforcer corps, the magistrate, and practically everyone else doesn’t like Jazz a bit, and would love to see her do a stint in the mallow mines.Her only consolidation is that if she doesn’t get the stone scrubbed, she’ll suffer a terrible and painful death long before she can be sentenced.

Princess Electra is apprenticed to a physician she admires. Her life is falling into place. The arrival of Gypsies from her childhood burdens her with a promise to keep a secret and an invitation from Barburee sends her on a journey filled with dangers.In Book 1 (Princess Electra) Electra met her real parents, the King and Queen of Fernland for the first time. She chose not to live the life of a princess and chose instead to help a poor village survive.In Princess Electra Book 2 Out of Barburee, Electra finds her chosen life of simplicity threatened by the spectre of the Great Khan's army. She is called back to play her role as Princess of Fernland, but how much will she be willing to give up to aid her countrymen? Electra's quick wit comes to the fore once again as kingdoms clash and alliances rise and fall.In Princess Electra Book 3 Gypsy Music, Electra is living alone at King's Lake, pursuing a career in medicine. The arrival of a Gypsy caravan and the invitation from Bataar to attend the Nomadic Games, bring a new round of travel and adventure.

Travel back in time with the Gonkers as they visit Jesus and the Apostles. This is a book for young Catholic kids, or for anybody that would like to learn a little bit about Jesus through a light humored historical adventure seen through the eyes of children. It creates an excellent opportunity to share the faith with our little ones.THIS IS A SHORT STORY OF APPROX. 5,000 WORDS.Claire knows only a world where most of humanity lives inside sparsely populated cities protected from the Outside by guarded walls. She is a new Driver whose job is to transport items between these cities. Under the watchful eye of her Protector, Shaun, Claire makes her first run from San Jose to Angel City to bring back medicine needed to save hundreds of lives. However, the trip takes them through the dangerous land of the Outsiders. Using their skills, Claire and Shaun must escape from their armed pursuers in a chase across miles of barren wasteland with no hope of help.

James A. Michener, the master of historical fiction, revisits the scenes of his first great work, Tales of the South Pacific, the Pulitzer Prize winner that brought him international acclaim. In this sequel collection, Michener once again evokes the magic of the extraordinary isles in the Pacific—from Fiji and Gaudalcanal to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea—through stories that burst with adventure, charm, and local color. For Michener’s many fans around the globe, Return to Paradise is a precious second look at a land of enchantment by one of the most gifted storytellers of the twentieth century. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener's Hawaii. Praise for Return to Paradise  * “A brilliant book and a worthy successor to Tales of the South Pacific*.”—The Atlanta Constitution  * “This is a book that should be read by everyone. . . . All who have seen the South Pacific will find on every page the odors of frangipani, copra, blood, and beer.”—*The New York Times  * “There’s drama and pathos and adventure and humanity . . . and a very high degree of excellence. Michener can write.”—Kirkus Reviews***

A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours' walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya's in an astonishing and moving way.

Strange snow creatures are attacking the small town of Haydens' Point and sending the residents into a panicked frenzy. Will the townsfolk be able to band together to eliminate this evil or, is it already too late?In a war between the humans and the inhabitants of the sea—humans will lose. Xanthus Dimitriou—the most lethal Dagonian to rise from the ocean—is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. But first there’s one small thing he needs to do… kill a beautiful young woman in a wheelchair.Killing her doesn’t start out as part of his plan. He entrenches himself deep in the human world. Aligning himself with his enemies, he prepares to send them to Triton to face their punishment. Then Sara Taylor rolls onto the scene. Xanthus knows at once she’s a criminal. And her crime? Being born. She’s a human/Dagonian half-breed, an abomination. Killing her should be an easy job. All he has to do is break into her apartment, slit her throat, and feed her body to the sharks. Simple, right? Wrong. If only she weren’t so beautiful, so innocent, so sweet... Saving the world may have to wait. It appears Xanthus has a woman to save. But protecting her may cost him his own life.

The year is 2474, Jean Summers has to travel the depths of space to battle gangsters and Fascists in her bid to find her missing brother. Along the way she meets Ray Connors who joins her in her quest along with two space marines.It is July 25, 1864 when the good inspector James Wright is called to the chief inspector, as a murder suspect has asked for him by name. Unsure of what could be afoot, the inspector finds his good friend and sometimes ally the Count of Samerand cuffed in irons for the murder of a man. The count faces death if proven guilty, and the obvious affection the have for each other does not help the matter. How will the count save himself before he meets his end?