The third thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Land of Elyon series! The Land of Elyon has begun to fail, poisoned by the evil that creeps across the Dark Hills and into Bridewell. As she moves toward a thrilling conclusion, Alexa must find a way to overcome the Lonely Sea, rescue Yipes from the clutches of Victor Grindall, and unlock the mystery of the Tenth City. But can she find the answers she needs in time to save The Land of Elyon?

"Brilliant. . . . A powerfully observed, stylistically elegant exploration." --The New York Times A New York Times Notable Book of the Year "The book's strength lies in Naipaul's extraordinary ability as a storyteller to draw striking portraits of a cross section of individuals."--The Boston Globe Fourteen years after the publication of his landmark travel narrative Among the Believers, V. S. Naipaul returned to the four non-Arab Islamic countries he reported on so vividly at the time of Ayatollah Khomeini's triumph in Iran. Beyond Belief is the result of his five-month journey in 1995 through Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, and Malaysia--lands where descendants of Muslim converts live at odds with indigenous traditions, and where dreams of Islamic purity clash with economic and political realities. In extended conversations with a vast number of people--a rare survivor of the martyr brigades of the Iran-Iraq war, a young intellectual training as a Marxist guerilla in Baluchistan, an impoverished elderly couple in Teheran whose dusty Baccarat chandeliers preserve the memory of vanished wealth, and countless others--V. S. Naipaul deliberately effaces himself to let the voices of his subjects come through. Yet the result is a collection of stories that has the author's unmistakable stamp. With its incisive observation and brilliant cultural analysis, Beyond Belief is a startling and revelatory addition to the Naipaul canon. "Highly accomplished. . . . Another display of Naipaul's remarkable talent." --The Independent (London)

Burton & Swinburne return in a new series! The Beast is coming. History will be remade. Since the assassination of Queen Victoria in 1840, a cabal of prominent men-including King George V, HRH Prince Albert, Benjamin Disraeli, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel-has received guidance from the Afterlife. The spirit of a dead mystic, Abdu El Yezdi, has helped them to steer the empire into a period of unprecedented peace and creativity. But on the eve of a groundbreaking alliance with the newly formed Greater German Confederation, scientists, surgeons, and engineers are being abducted-including Brunel! The government, in search of answers, turns to the Afterlife, only to find that Abdu El Yezdi is now refusing to speak with the living. Enter the newly-knighted Sir Richard Francis Burton, fresh from his discovery of the source of the Nile. Appointed the king's agent, he must trace the missing luminaries and solve the mystery of Abdu El Yezdi's silence. But the Beast has been summoned. How can the famous explorer fulfill his mission when his friends and loved ones are being picked off, one by one, by what appears to be a supernatural entity-by, perhaps, Abdu El Yezdi himself?

When Peter Moran, a former World War I pilot, picks up a man on the roadside while driving through a bitter rainy night, he is startled to discover that the bedraggled man is a wartime comrade of his who has just survived a crash landing. As he learns more about his old friend’s strange mission, Moran finds himself entangled in treasonous international plots, flying adventures, and tests of both his bravery and his loyalty.

The adventure continues in this fourth book of the epic multiplatform fantasy series. Cracks In The Ice Strange things are happening at the frozen edge of the world. Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan have crisscrossed Erdas in their quest to stop the ruthless Conquerors. Only the four of them, supported by the gifts of their legendary spirit animals, have the power to defeat an evil takeover. While chasing down a lead in the cold north, the heroes arrive at a quiet village where not everything is as it seems. Rooting the truth out of this deceptively beautiful place won't be easy - and the team is already out of time. The Conquerors are right behind them.

“Dirk Pitt is oceanography’s answer to Indiana Jones,” praises the Associated Press. “Exotic locations, ruthless villains and many narrow escapes—Cussler’s fans come for swashbuckling [and] he delivers.” And now the Cusslers bring us Pitt’s most dangerous adventure of all... It is the greatest advance in American defense technology in decades — an attack submarine capable of incredible underwater speeds. Nothing else in any other nation’s naval arsenal even comes close. There is only one problem: A key element of the prototype is missing — and the man who developed it is dead. At the same time, ships have started vanishing mid-ocean, usually never to be found again, but when they are, sometimes bodies are found aboard . . . burned to a crisp.What is going on? And what does it have to do with an Italian submarine that itself disappeared in 1943, lost at sea? Or was she? It is up to NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his team, aided by a beautiful NCIS agent and by Pitt’s children, marine engineer Dirk and oceanographer Summer, to go on a desperate international chase to find the truth, from Washington to Mexico, Idaho to Panama. What they discover at the end of it is a much, much greater threat than even they imagined. If they don’t succeed in their mission, the world as they know it might end up a very different place — and not a pleasant one. Filled with breathtaking suspense and extraordinary imagination, Poseidon’s Arrow is further proof that when it comes to adventure writing, nobody beats Clive Cussler.

Brace yourself for a thrilling high-seas adventure and dare to set sail for the "Isle of Fire." ""A great explosion rocked the crowded harbor. Flaming debris screamed into the sky and then rained down into the burning water below. The ferocious blaze engulfed ship after ship expanding the circle of destruction in mere heartbeats. The fire rain had been unleashed."" As Cat s memory returns, he realizes that he has lived two very different lives: One as the son of the ruthless Bartholomew Thorne; the other as the recipient of friendship and kindness from Declan Ross and the crew of the Robert Bruce. Now Cat must choose whether to return to the ways of his notorious father and join the evil Merchant, or defy the Merchant and risk his life to save his friends. The best-selling "Isle of Swords" adventure continues in "Isle of Fire" as ancient mariners rise from legend and cut an all-too-real swath of destruction across the Atlantic. The newly formed Wolf Fleet scours the Caribbean, hunting the pirates they once called comrades. And in the pitiless winds of a monstrous hurricane, whole fleets will be blasted apart and devoured."

A short story about hitting the open road and things that go with it.There’s something magic inside us all – and it’s trying to get out!The rules of chance, even physical laws, are breaking down. The time of magic is returning.And Bethlehem Jones finds she’s sharing her body with Lynese, an unpredictable water-sprite entrapped within one of her ancestors in an ancient war.Hell-bent on restarting that war, bigger, more powerful magical spirits are attempting to break free of their own human confinement. Can Beth use Lynese’s powers without relinquishing her own control? Or is untrustworthy Lynese her most dangerous foe of all?

Follow Ziggy Two Step, courier extraordinaire, as he delivers urgent packages throughout Riverton. A short story of 32 pages which I hope will amuse you. Reading time should be about 45 minutes or so. Reviews here on Smashwords are welcome - Thanks.Who would ever have imagined that being a bicycle courier could be so exciting, dangerous and demanding? Ziggy Two Step is oblivious to most of what is happening around him even though he is often the cause of it. Follow Ziggy Two Step, courier extraordinaire, as he delivers urgent packages throughout Riverton.(NOTE: There may be a problem with the Oct 31/2012 revision ... for a more readable version, pick the version before that one. Sorry for the inconvenience)Please check out my other FREE stories as well.

A Sailor Stef Costigyn story.Stef is not too popular with the Old Woman of the Sea Boy, so she goes ashore and takes her also in trouble bulldog Mika with her. When a Frenchwoman sinks the boot into Mika, well, a woman who doesn’t stick up for her dog is the lowest of the low. Stef and Frances have to settle this with five ounce boxing gloves.A Gender Switch Adventure.When you were younger, did you ever think it would be cool to control an element? Despite what you thought, this was based off of fact. The Poweras are a different "Ethnic" group of people, hailing from the planet Powiera. This particular group of Poweras are on a journey to where? Los Angeles,California. There, they must save their friend. On the way, they meet a lovely duo of gentlemen who promise that they will be friends till their destination. Lies. They want simply to have them killed by none other than the most feared man in Powera history. In short, Aqua is an adventure story with a dash of romance, a modern twist on our childhood games.

Key members of G.L.O.V.E. are being assassinated and Otto, gone rogue, is behind the killings. Raven and Wing must find him before the order to eliminate him can be carried out ...

A young man walks into a gun store, curious to learn how easy or difficult it is to buy a firearm. The experience turns out to be very different to what he was expecting. Set in apartheid South Africa in the 1970s, this darkly humorous short story will entertain both the gun enthusiast and the anti-gun lobbyist alike.“Things go right all the time, Hank. Just not for the right people.”Henry Ludlow is a man being crushed by the humdrum of modern life. His will is eroded as the world takes its toll on one little man.Set in a typical Melbourne setting, Henry's story is an allegorical tale of depression and the struggle to live up to the expectations of his work, his marriage and family.

Ward, a mercenary drifter, is hired to help Breakers Incorporated investigate a problem in ruined Seattle: a dark cloud is rising around the remains of the Space Needle, and there are rumors of a warlord uniting the Goblin clans under one banner. The Breakers pay in gold, which almost makes up for the questions hovering over the whole operation.“Something Rotten,” Volume 1 of 7 of The Mercenary’s Guide to Ruined Seattle.Sixty years ago, CERN screwed the world by tearing a hole in reality and letting the magic return in a flood; large chunks of the major cities were destroyed but eventually life went on. Today, teams of explorers delve into the ruined cities to retrieve lost artifacts…and occasionally to stop threats before they get too big to handle.Ward, a mercenary drifter, is hired to help Breakers Incorporated investigate a problem in ruined Seattle: a dark cloud is rising around the remains of the Space Needle, and there are rumors of a warlord uniting the Goblin clans under one banner. The Breakers pay in gold, which almost makes up for the questions hovering over the whole operation. Questions like, “Why are they so hostile?” and “Why exactly was the second in command meeting with a Goblin in the middle of the night?”

Bestselling author Garth Nix's amazing Seventh Tower series is back--now with a great new look! Tal and Milla are only one step away from death. Evil is only one step away from triumph. An old war is made new again. The ultimate power is up for grabs. As shadows rage, ancient spells return, illusion reigns and corruption threatens. The search for hope is the bravest quest. The Seventh Tower is the key to it all.