The grisly killing of an elderly school master is only the beginning of plot by a shadowy gang of thinkers to systematically murder off a rival group of rogue philosophers in this tale of power, lust, treachery, war and murder!Once upon a time philosophers weren't aloof academics pondering esoteric questions--they were also soldiers, statesmen, spies, founders of secret societies and even assassins!Set against the slow decline of the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, "School of Athens" is the story of two wars. The first is the long and bloody struggle between Athens and Sparta, one waged on battlefields across the Mediterranean. The second is a secret conflict between philosophers, fought in the shadows of alleys around the world.What do these wars have in common? Who is this mysterious cabal? What secret are they willing to kill to protect? It's a race to solve a mystery before the killers strike again, and only one man has the answers: a young, foul-mouthed, street-fighting, alcoholic with a death wish named Socrates.

A brutal account of the storming of the north gate in the fight for Hougoumont Farm, a fictional story based on historical events. The outcome of Waterloo may well of hinged on the struggle for Hougoumont Farm, death is indescriminate in the turmoil and carnage of battle!Please leave a review for this story as it is free for you to read and feedback will help me write better stories. ThanksReturn to Hougoumont is a graphic account of a defining moment in the Battle of Waterloo. Early on in this momentous battle French troops drove contingents of the Coldstream Guards from a pine wood and into the adjacent Hougoumont Farm where the main Guards contingent was dug in within the walls. For a brief moment there was a chance for the French to breach the North Gate, it was bloody and glorious. Death was indescriminate in this struggle and heroes decided the fate of many.Had Hougoumont fallen then Wellington's position would of been untennable and history would of had a different outcome.This is a gripping account told by Shaun Parker in his first short story.

One day while rummaging around in the church attic, Pastor Butch Gregory discovers evidence that something in his beloved church's past has been covered up. Unable to get it out of his mind, he begins to try and find out what happened almost forty years ago, and what he discovers opens up the floodgates of healing.One day while rummaging around in the church attic, Pastor Butch Gregory discovers evidence that something in his beloved church's past has been covered up. Unable to get it out of his mind, he begins to try and find out what happened almost forty years ago, and what he discovers opens up the floodgates of healing. The Land Begins to Heal is a reminder that there is a spiritual dynamic to addressing the injustices of the past.

This is the story of the most corrupt kingdom in the word, titled: ‘Even the gods must repent’. In the Kakuta Kingdom, idolatry, corruption and all forms of wickedness compete for supremacy, here corruption was legalized, before the new king came along, who fought the corrupt system. though his efforts was futile until a new Church came to town.As if it was not enough that the King left the bathroom naked without knowing it, he came out and saw himself standing there, addressing the gathering, He was shocked, wondering who the duplicate was that has his look, his voice and his clothes, that was when he realized he was naked, he crashed to the floor and crawled back to his room before he was seeing by the gathering.This is the story of the most corrupt kingdom in the word titled: ‘Even the gods must repent’. In the Kakuta Kingdom, idolatry, corruption and all forms of wickedness compete for supremacy, here corruption was legalized, until the new king came along, who fought the corrupt system. though his efforts was futile until a new Church came to town.

Saturday night, summer of 1920. Mowbray Park is where the local lads go for a laugh, a beer, and a smoke. Eight-year-old Lucky sneaks out of bed to discover his brother and hero has taken a dare that could cost much more than his one shilling bet.This prizewinning boyhood adventure is a short story is set in 1920 in East Brisbane, Australia. Based on true stories told by the author's father, 'Mowbray Brothers' gives a glimpse of a more innocent era of gaslight, tinkling pianos, and home-baked cookies. It tells of nighttime escapades such as fishing for bream in the riverside baths and a swimming race through shark-infested waters.

Living in a family with two perfect sisters and parents who just don't get her, Ant MacPherson finds it easier to lie. After all, the only one who appreciates her is her dog, Pistachio. But when a concerned teacher sees the truth behind Ant's lies, it seems as though she might be in for a change . . .

More Than Love: The Barrington Billionaires 5

Ruth Russell, an astronomer working at the Maurice Frazer Observatory, is enjoying herself in Rome - that is, until her lover, Charles Digham, a fashion photographer and writer of obituary verses, has his camera stolen. The thief ends up as a headless corpse in the zoo park tolleta. Johnson Johnson, enigmatic portrait painter, spy and sleuth, is in Rome to paint a portrait of the Pope and is therefore on hand to investigate in one of Dunnett's usual thrilling and convoluted plots that grips the reader from cover to cover. There is something far more deadly at stake than just the secrets of a couture house ...

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year Winner of the Lannan Literary Fiction Award Winner of the Guardian Fiction Award In 1940 a boy bursts from the mud of a war-torn Polish city, where he has buried himself to hide from the soldiers who murdered his family. His name is Jakob Beer. He is only seven years old. And although by all rights he should have shared the fate of the other Jews in his village, he has not only survived but been rescued by a Greek geologist, who does not recognize the boy as human until he begins to cry. With this electrifying image, Anne Michaels ushers us into her rapturously acclaimed novel of loss, memory, history, and redemption. As Michaels follows Jakob across two continents, she lets us witness his transformation from a half-wild casualty of the Holocaust to an artist who extracts meaning from its abyss. Filled with mysterious symmetries and rendered in heart-stopping prose, Fugitive Pieces is a triumphant work, a book that should not so much be read as it should be surrendered to. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Skinny and suffering from diabetes, Ralph Moody is ordered by a Boston doctor to seek a more healthful climate. Going west again is a delightful prospect. His childhood adventures on a Colorado ranch were described in Little Britches and Man of the Family, also Bison Books. Now nineteen years old, he strikes out into new territory hustling odd jobs, facing the problem of getting fresh milk and leafy green vegetables. He scrapes around to survive, risking his neck as a stunt rider for a movie company. With an improvident buddy named Lonnie, he camps out in an Arizona canyon and "shakes the nickel bush" by sculpting plaster of paris busts of lawyers and bankers. This is 1918, and the young men travel through the Southwest not on horses but in a Ford aptly named Shiftless. New readers and old will enjoy this entry in the continuing saga of Ralph Moody.

Told in multiple viewpoints, A Tangle of Knots is a magnificent puzzle. In a slightly magical world where everyone has a Talent, eleven-year-old Cady is an orphan with a phenomenal Talent for cake baking. But little does she know that fate has set her on a journey from the moment she was born.  And her destiny leads her to a mysterious address that houses a lost luggage emporium, an old recipe, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever.  However, these encounters hold the key to Cady's past and how she became an orphan.  If she's lucky, fate may reunite her with her long-lost parent. Lisa Graff adds a pinch of magic to a sharply crafted plot to create a novel that will have readers wondering about fate and the way we're all connected.Praise for A TANGLE OF KNOTS:"[A] blithe magical puzzle." --Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal"Lisa Graff has created a beautiful world of deliciously interconnected stories that draw you in." --Abby West, Entertainment Weekly [A-]"Subtle and intricate, rich with humor and insight, this quietly magical adventure delights." --Kirkus Reviews [STARRED]"Graff’s story has a warmth and gentle humor that, along with the premise, calls to mind Ingrid Law’s Savvy." --Publishers WeeklyReviewA book's title can be as much a warning as an enticement, so let readers ages 9-12 beware: They'll need to pay close attention to keep straight the many intertwined characters in Lisa Graff's blithe magical puzzle "A Tangle of Knots" (Philomel, 240 pages, 16.99). Here we find ourselves in a Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in which most people have a striking "Talent." Cady has a talent for baking the single most delicious cake for anyone she meets; Zane has a talent for long-distance spitting (surprisingly useful, it turns out); others have talents for origami, whistling, knot-tying and getting lost. Alas, the villain of the tale has a talent for stealing other people's talents, and it's his thievery that propels events through one twist after another until, like a magician's trick rope, all the narrative knots disappear at the end, with a flourish.(Meghan Cox Gurdon )A-  Author Lisa Graff has created a beautiful world of deliciously interconnected stories that draw you in. It looks an awful lot like our world, but things are slightly off. It's a world with magic running through it. One where people have Talents — that's right, with a capital "T." At the heart of it all is Cady, an orphan whose baking skills are unparalled. She's particularly adept at sussing out the perfect flavor of cake for a person, whether they know it or not. (In fact, each chapter begins with a cake and recipe, with names like V's Mystery Fudge Cake. Graff is said to have baked each of the recipes.) It soon becomes clear that Cady is unknowingly tied to a group of people staying at a boarding house above a lost luggage store: a family with three spirited kids, a woman who's lost the ability to speak, a loner, and the grouchy owner. If Cady is at the center of the story, which is told from multiple viewpoints, the thread through the tale is the large man in the gray suit enigmatic grin that 'suggested he knew more about the world than he's letting on.' He shows up just in time to give a nudge in the right direction to those who need it, imparting a little insight about fate along the way.Things get slightly confusing near the end as all the pieces come together, but the sheer enjoyment of the building storyline and a careful read of Graff's lyrical style mitigates that.(Abby West )STARRED REVIEW A mysterious man in a gray suit, an assortment of vintage, powder blue suitcases and a beguiling orphan girl with an amazing talent for baking cakes are among the tasty ingredients in Graff’s delicious new novel.Multiple, varied characters intersect to reveal long-held secrets and imaginative connections. Cady is the only orphan remaining at Miss Mallory’s Home for Lost Girls in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where people are either Fair or Talented. Those who are Fair, like Cady’s friend, Marigold, envy those like Cady with a special gift. Cady’s is for baking: She can look at any person and immediately know the flavor of their favorite cake. Cady makes the most beautiful cakes, guaranteed to win the hearts of their recipients—and baking-contest judges. Marigold, meanwhile, has no special Talent, and the mysterious, nefarious Owner has more than his fair share. Graff weaves a miraculous tale of whimsy with the same attention to detail as a master chef. Carefully blending past mistakes and regrets with future wishes and dreams, she shows us the power of loving ourselves and the pain of living in the past. The narrative shifts from character to character, always in the third person, revealing bits and pieces of the story; occasional cake recipes are sprinkled throughout.Subtle and intricate, rich with humor and insight, this quietly magical adventure delights. (Fantasy. 8-12)America’s got Talents in this cozy novel from Graff (Double Dog Dare), set in a contemporary world in which certain people have specialized abilities, from levitation to spitting perfectly. Eleven-year-old orphan Cady has a Talent for baking—not only does Cady create the most delicious cakes around, she innately knows what someone’s “perfect” cake is. When she gets adopted, her Talent helps unravel the mysteries of her past, but it also puts her in danger of losing her ability. Set mostly in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Graff’s story has a warmth and gentle humor that, along with the premise, calls to mind Ingrid Law’s Savvy. The author flips neatly between the perspectives of multiple characters, and the intricate connections between the narratives come together in a pleasing way as secrets are revealed. Readers who share Cady’s love of baking will appreciate the inclusion of several cake recipes, like Marigold’s lime pound cake and Mrs. Asher’s honey cake, which are mentioned throughout the story and tied to key characters. Ages 8–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media. (Feb.)About the AuthorLisa Graff is an award-winning novelist whose books have been named to a total of 15 state award lists. She has an MFA from The New School in Writing for Children and is an adjunct professor at McDaniel College. She lives in New York City.

Laris is a young orphaned ex-refugee gifted with the beast master ability allowing her to communicate with animals. Her closest companion is a remarkably intelligent and mysterious cat-like creature named Prauo, whose origin is shrouded in mystery. Laris, having made a home for herself with the Quades, a family of Arzor ranchers, also has become friends with beast masters Tani and Hosteen Storm, who help her develop her beast master skills. When Laris inherits a spaceship from a distant relative, she realizes that she might now fulfill her dream of finding Prauo's home planet. But it won't be easy, and she is relieved when she is able to convince her new extended family to embark with her on a journey into the unknown depths of space.What Laris and her friends find in space, however, tests their beast master abilities and threatens their lives. Prauo's homeworld is beset by dangers the intrepid travelers could not have anticipated. It will take all of their...