From Publishers WeeklyIn this taut ghost story set in the California of everyone's dreams-and nightmares-from Hugo and Nebula winner Bear (_Darwin's Children_), anything-goes hardcore porn films have blasted softcore screenwriter Peter Russell's career. The horrifying abduction and murder of his young daughter has destroyed Russell's marriage; his best friend has just died; and Joseph Weinstein, the reclusive sugar daddy who employs Russell as a dogsbody, seems to be descending into senility. Worse follows. In pursuit of financial security, Russell sells Weinstein on "Trans," a seductive new gadget promising unlimited instant broad-band communication, and all too soon reaching out and touching via Trans even wakes the dead, whose path to the hereafter is now so clogged with spam and unlimited phone calls that they return to haunt the living. Bear's ability to incorporate scientific concepts into tightly woven, fast-paced story lines reaches menacing new proportions here, because it draws on that nagging suspicion that the ubiquitous, innocent-appearing cell phone may really be killing off its users. By deftly extrapolating that doubt into everyone's most dreaded fears-loss of job, loss of friends, loss of children-Bear reanimates the old story of Faust, who sold his soul for unlimited knowledge and power, hinting ominously that the price of rampant technology may be dearer than we think. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistIn perhaps his most mainstream novel to date, Nebula Award winner Bear envisions what might happen should a new technology open the floodgates on another dimension. In the near future, the technology in question is the "trans," a sort of souped-up cell phone with near-infinite bandwidth and perfect reception anywhere in the world. Peter Russell is a washed-up director of soft porn, living on handouts and reeling from the death of his closest friend, when the device's manufacturers offer him a chance to revamp his career and film their promotional videos. One of the assignment's perks is, of course, a batch of free trans phones--a blessing that may actually harbor a curse. For Peter begins to unravel and to see ghostly simulacra of both the living and the dead. Is he losing his mind, or have the trans' inventors tapped into a force that literally bends minds and even reality? Bear's masterful prose, effectively chilling and reminiscent of Koontz at his best, makes this a good pick for sf and horror fans. Carl HaysCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"I know what you are..." As a prima ballerina for the Houston Symphony Ballet Company, Lorena Childs is used to having people stare at her after a performance, especially when on tour with her company. But when she meets the dark stare of Conor Blake, a parent of one of the kids she’s been guest teaching at a local dance studio, she doesn’t find the usual fan’s adulation. If anything, Conor looks furious, despite his polite words. And when he shakes her hand before leaving, the shock that races up her arm is anything but normal chemistry between a man and a woman. Then he shows up during her company’s rehearsals the next day and says the words she hears so often in her nightmares…”I know what you are.” Can she convince him not to take away her only remaining happiness and the last tie to her former human life? As a descendent of a local group of blood-born witches, Conor grew up hearing the warnings about how vampires would always crave his blood above another human’s due to the powerful energy his kind are able to draw up. But even though the existence of day walker vampires is generally accepted now, they usually prefer to stay in the closet and try to appear as normal humans. And they certainly never came to the East Texas town of Taylorsville. So he never dreamed that his own daughter would be in dangerous proximity to one, especially not at her dance studio. Yet not only has one of the loveliest predators come to their town, but she is actually guest teaching innocent children every day. He intended to confront Lorena and threaten to reveal her secret to the public if she does not immediately leave her ballet company and stay away from all children. But once he is alone with her backstage, the pull she creates within him becomes stronger than his original plans, leaving him to wonder…how will he protect his loved ones and the innocents of his town when he can’t even seem to protect himself from Lorena’s powerful attraction?

When thirteen-year-old Matthew Whately goes missing from Bredgar Chambers, a prestigious public school in the heart of West Sussex, aristocratic Inspector Thomas Lynley receives a call for help from the lad's housemaster, who also happens to be an old school chum. Thus, the inspector, his partner, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, and forensic scientist Simon Allcourt-St. James find themselves once again outside their jurisdiction and deeply involved in the search for a child--and then, tragically, for a child killer. Questioning prefects, teachers, and pupils closest to the dead boy, Lynley and Havers sense that something extraordinarily evil is going on behind Bredgar Chambers's cloistered walls. But as they begin to unlock the secrets of this closed society, the investigation into Matthew's death leads them perilously close to their own emotional wounds--and blinds them to the signs of another murder in the making....From the Paperback edition.

Seventh in the brilliantly addictive series of murder mysteries by an acclaimed and popular writer.It's Book Week, and Poppy and Graham are helping out at their local literacy festival. However, when the authors start getting anonymous notes featuring cartoons of themselves suffering grisly deaths, the intrepid pair realize that the world of children's books is murkier than they could ever have imagined. They'll have to move quickly to discover who's at the bottom of it - before fiction turns into fact...

Praise for Joan Aiken:"Joan Aiken's invention seemed inexhaustible, her high spirits a blessing, her sheer storytelling zest a phenomenon. She was a literary treasure, and her books will continue to delight for many years to come."—Philip Pullman"Aiken writes with the genius of a born storyteller, with mother wit expanded and embellished by civilized learning, and with the brilliance of an avenging angel."—The New YorkerJoan Aiken's stories captivated readers for fifty years. They're funny, smart, gentle, and occasionally very, very scary. The stories in The Monkey's Wedding are collected here for the very first time and include six never before published, as well as two previously published under the pseudonym Nicholas Dee. Here you'll find the story of a village for sale . . . or is the village itself the story? There's an English vicar who declares on his deathbed that he might have lived an entirely different life. After his...

Enjoyable mental exercises to help boost performance on IQ tests This engaging book offers readers the ultimate in calisthenics for the brain. Using the same fun, informative, and accessible style that have made his previous books so popular, Philip Carter helps people identify mental strengths and weaknesses, and provides methods for improving memory, boosting creativity, and tuning in to emotional intelligence. Featuring never-before-published tests designed specifically for this book, plus answers for all questions, this latest treasure trove from a MENSA puzzle editor outlines a fun, challenging program for significantly enhancing performance in all areas of intelligence.

From the best-selling author of Breath, Eyes, Memory and Krik? Krak!, a stunning new work of fiction that brings us deep into the intertwined lives of a small town where a little girl, the daughter of a fisherman, has gone missing.Claire Limyè Lanmè--Claire of the Sea Light--is an enchanting child born into love and tragedy in a seaside town in Haiti. Claire's mother died in childbirth, and on each of her birthdays Claire is taken by her father, Nozias, to visit her mother's grave. Nozias wonders if he should give away his young daughter to a local shopkeeper who lost a child of her own, so he can give her a better life. But on the night of Claire's seventh birthday, when he makes the wrenching decision to do so, she disappears. As Nozias and others look for her, painful secrets and startling truths are unearthed among a host of men and women whose stories connect to Claire, her parents, and the town itself. Told with the piercing lyricism and...

RetailFrom New York Times bestselling author Jeff Shaara comes the riveting final installment in the Civil War series that began with A Blaze of Glory and continued in A Chain of Thunder and The Smoke at Dawn.November 1864: As the Civil War rolls into its fourth bloody year, the tide has turned decidedly in favor of the Union. A grateful Abraham Lincoln responds to Ulysses S. Grant’s successes by bringing the general east, promoting Grant to command the entire Union war effort, while William Tecumseh Sherman now directs the Federal forces that occupy all of Tennessee.In a massive surge southward, Sherman conquers the city of Atlanta, sweeping aside the Confederate army under the inept leadership of General John Bell Hood. Pushing through northern Georgia, Sherman’s legendary “March to the Sea” shoves away any Rebel presence, and by Christmas 1864 the city of Savannah falls into the hands of “Uncle Billy.” Now there is but one direction for Sherman to go. In his way stands the last great hope for the Southern cause, General Joseph E. Johnston.In the concluding novel of his epic Civil War tetralogy, Jeff Shaara tells the dramatic story of the final eight months of battle from multiple perspectives: the commanders in their tents making plans for total victory, as well as the ordinary foot soldiers and cavalrymen who carried out their orders until the last alarum sounded. Through Sherman’s eyes, we gain insight into the mind of the general who vowed to “make Georgia howl” until it surrendered. In Johnston, we see a man agonizing over the limits of his army’s power, and accepting the burden of leading the last desperate effort to ensure the survival of the Confederacy.The Civil War did not end quietly. It climaxed in a storm of fury that lay waste to everything in its path. The Fateful Lightning brings to life those final brutal, bloody months of fighting with you-are-there immediacy, grounded in the meticulous research that readers have come to expect from Jeff Shaara.Praise for Jeff Shaara’s new Civil War series* The Fateful Lightning “Outstanding . . . Shaara combines his extensive knowledge of military history with his consummate skill as a storyteller to vivify [Sherman’s March to the Sea]. . . . The Union and Confederate strategies, tactics, and points of view are both represented, providing a measure of balance and clarity to a campaign that is often viewed through a lopsided lens. By concentrating on the western theater throughout this series, Shaara has opened a welcome literary window to some of the less familiar Civil War battles and campaigns.”*—BooklistA Blaze of Glory“[An] exciting read . . . This novel is meticulously researched and brings a vivid reality to the historical events depicted.”*—Library Journal“Dynamic portrayals [of] Johnston, Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman.”—The Wall Street JournalA Chain of Thunder “Shaara continues to draw powerful novels from the bloody history of the Civil War.”—Kirkus Reviews “Shaara’s historical accuracy is faultless. . . . The voices of these people come across to the reader as poignantly clear as they did 150 years ago.”—Historical Novels Review The Smoke at Dawn “Beautifully written . . . Shaara once again elevates history from mere rote fact to explosive and engaging drama.”*—Bookreporter

The daughter of chart-topping pop star Holla Jones, stylish and sensitive Hudson Jones is on the brink of her own musical debut. Hudson has inherited her mother's talent, but she hasn't yet embraced Holla's love of the megawatt spotlight. Can Hudson find a way to perform that reflects her own low-key style? Or will Holla see to it that her only daughter becomes a pop music sensation?Go behind the music in this third novel in Joanna Philbin's stylish and heartfelt Daughters series.

The safe haven of the Noble Warriors has been demolished and the Nomana have disbanded. When a young boy preaching peace and joy mesmerizes all who come in contact with him, a large following grows quickly—one that soon includes Morning Star and the Wildman. Yet Seeker, who is obsessed with his increasingly perilous journey to kill the last savanter, finds his mission placing him at odds with this new leader. As loyalties and friendships and faith are tested, all three heroes must question: Who can be trusted? And what can be believed?

From one of Britain's leading writers comes a biting satire about a country founded on Nihilism and a government gone mad Nihilon is a country where honesty is outlawed, drunk driving is mandatory, and nihilism reigns supreme. Five researchers are sent into the midst of this chaos to compile a new guidebook about the peculiar, unexplored land and its all-powerful leader, President Nil. Adam, Benjamin, Jaquiline, Edgar, and Richard attempt to gather information—but find themselves swept up by a nation turned upside down. As they navigate their way to the capital through artificial mist created by President Nil to disorient his people, the writers are stopped by ordinary citizens whom they quickly discover cannot be trusted. Adam accidentally starts a ground war, Benjamin is forced to buy a car, and Jaquiline discovers that robbery is not only legal, but encouraged. The researchers, who arrived as tourists, will find that although it is easy...

The year is 1827, and in a remote hut on the high plains of New South Wales, two strangers spend the night in talk. One, Carney, an illiterate Irishman, ex-convict and bushranger, is to be hanged at dawn. The other, Adair, also Irish, is the police officer who has been sent to supervise the hanging. As the night wears on, the two discover unexpected connections between their lives, and learn new truths. Outside the hut, Adair's troopers sit uneasily, reflecting on their own pasts and futures, waiting for the morning to come. With ironic humour and in prose of starkly evocative power, the novel moves between Australia and Ireland to explore questions of nature and justice, reason and un-reason, the workings of fate, and the small measure of freedom a man may claim in the face of death. A new novel by Malouf is a major event; The Conversations At Curlow Creek will confirm him as one of the greatest novelists of our time.

Previously published in Holiday MagicFrom acclaimed author Cathy Lamb comes a tender and uplifting story of the challenges and surprises of family, belonging, love...and Christmas.Some people careen through life trailing chaos in their wake. Others get to pick up the pieces. Meredith Ghirlandaio is generally in the latter category, especially when it comes to her irresponsible sister, Leia. Leia's latest move: abandoning her two children while she runs off to rediscover herself. Meredith immediately steps up, bringing rebellious Sarah and withdrawn Jacob back to her hometown of Telena, Montana, where she opens a B&B.Despite the "Merry Meredith" nickname she earns from her guests, she's too wary—and too busy—to get involved with any man. Especially one like handsome, self-assured Logan Taylor. But Logan's not easy to shake, and makes it plain that he's drawn to everything about Meredith—her tough talk and her cowboy hats, her softness...

In each installment of 7 Hours, a character is visited by the enigmatic Thomas Constant, who makes a heart-stopping statement: "You are about to die. But you may choose from one of three options: Live seven more hours, travel back in time and relive seven hours, or accept the inevitable and die now."Mattie Bigham has lost his job, is losing his wife, and is not losing any weight. At just under four hundred and fifty pounds, he figures his doctor's prediction that he's going to drop dead any second is about to come true. He is right.When Thomas Constant appears, Mattie chooses murder—to carry out revenge on the bully who tormented him all through school. Except when he arrives for the showdown, he's shocked to find this man in a scenario not unlike his own. Things get complicated quickly, and time is running out.The clock is ticking. What will you do with the time you have left?

Ever since his best friend, Andy, was in a car accident that left him in a coma, Charley Finch has been having nightmares in which he helps Andy escape the clutches of the demon, Zorl who is on a mission, it seems, to push Andy through the Door of Death. Within these dreams, Charley and Andy are sometimes cartoon characters in wild animations, or merely boys in hazardous escapades evading Zorl on steep mountains, dark forests or hiding in a shadowy ancient castle. After a month of these nightmares, Charley's family doctor refers him to a child psychiatrist, the towering dark, T. Arambaala. After several sessions, Dr. Arambaala sends Charley to a sleep lab of a local university where it is decided that lucid dreaming may be the only way for Charley to take control of his dreams and defeat Zorl. After Dr. Sybil Galt, the Dream Witch, teaches Charley how to become a lucid dreamer, or an oneironaut, a relentless battle ensues between Charley and Zorl until, after several...