Reporter Maddy Banks doesn’t realize what she’s getting into when she makes arrangements to have an anonymous interview with an assassin. Her life in Paris was safe, with a devoted if slightly smug boyfriend and a career that was slowly taking off. When she first meets the man calling himself Constantine she can’t see him and his voice is disguised. Even so, she feels a distinct, erotic pull that horrifies her. Con has no use for relationships, particularly with a reporter. But he can’t get Maddy Banks out of his mind, and when he runs into her later that evening he can’t resist playing with fire. Neither of them had any idea how brightly it would burn.

The only complete edition of stories by the undisputed master of detective literature, collected here for the first time in one volume, including some stories that have been unavailable for decades. When Raymond Chandler turned to writing at the age of forty-five, he began by publishing stories in pulp magazines such as “Black Mask” before later writing his famous novels. These stories are where Chandler honed his art and developed his uniquely vivid underworld, peopled with good cops and bad cops, informers and extortionists, lethally predatory blondes and redheads, and crime, sex, gambling, and alcohol in abundance. In addition to his classic hard-boiled stories–in which his signature atmosphere of depravity and violence swirls around the cool, intuitive loners whose type culminated in the famous detective Philip Marlowe–Chandler also turned his hand to fantasy and even a gothic romance. This rich treasury of twenty-five stories shows Chandler developing the terse, laconic, understated style that would serve him so well in his later masterpieces, and immerses the reader in the richly realized fictional universe that has become an enduring part of our literary landscape.

There were two brothers—identical twins—and though I loved them both, my soul belonged to only one. Annalia Del Valle has loved Preston Sawyer all her life. The daughter of an impoverished migrant farmworker, she grew up as an outcast in what was no more than a tiny, cooped up shack in California’s Central Valley. But her heart found freedom in the land, in the wide-open spaces of Sawyer Farm, and in the boys who were her only friends. Preston has yearned for Annalia since he was a boy. But a sense of honor kept him from pursuing her until he’s unable to hold back any longer and their worlds—and bodies—collide one hot summer night. A night that sets off a chain of events that will alter their lives forever. Now Annalia is back in town after disappearing without a trace for six long months. Determined to reclaim her heart, her life, and the baby she left behind—the son who was created in a moment of lust and love and pent-up yearning. Preston has survived grief, a ravaging drought, and the despair of heartache, but he’s not sure he can survive Annalia again. And he might be unwilling to try. Will pride and bitterness keep him from the one thing he’s always longed for? How do you heal what is irreparably broken? How do you forgive that which is unforgivable? How do you discover that real honor comes not from circumstance, but from the place deep in our hearts where truth resides? And how do you move beyond the wounds of the past to discover that some loves are as solid as the ground beneath your feet, and as enduring as the earth itself? THIS IS A STAND-ALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY GEMINI. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF NEED AND CAPTIVATE After landing a lead role in the high school musical, freshman Liliana Faltin is hoping for some stability and happiness in her life. But her mom's live-in boyfriend has a thing for booze, touching, and telling dark family secrets. And the other people in her world aren't exactly role-model material, either. Her unreliable father cries a lot, wears blue tights, and drives a little beige car. Her backstabbing best friend cares more about being popular than being real. And her older, married sister is showing up with big purple bruises on her face. Then there's Paolo, who's cute and nice and makes Lily want to recite romantic movie lines. To deal, Lily writes letters to John Wayne. Sure, he's a dead movie cowboy, but at least the Duke knew about doing the right thing, about being a hero. Now, Lily just needs to figure out how to be a hero herself. Praise for Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend and Love (and other uses for duct tape): "Provocative . . . The author's poetic prose ably captures her heroine's emotional upheavals."--Publishers Weekly ..".honest, earthy, and appealing." --KLIATT "An emotional story that's true at heart." --Kirkus

Langston Cane V is 38, divorced and working as a government speechwriter, until he’s fired for sabotaging the minister’s speech. It seems the perfect time for Langston, the eldest son of a white mother and prominent black father, to embark on a quest to discover his family’s past -- and his own sense of self. Any Known Blood follows five generations of an African-Canadian-American family in a compelling story that slips effortlessly from the slave trade of 19th-century Virginia to the modern, predominantly white suburbs of Oakville, Ontario -- once a final stop on the Underground Railroad. Elegant and sensuous, wry and witty, it is an engrossing tale about one man’s attempt to find himself through unearthing and giving voice to those who came before him.

Now back in print--a classic work of Native American literature by the bestselling author of "Ceremony" Leslie Marmon Silko's groundbreaking book "Storyteller," first published in 1981, blends original short stories and poetry influenced by the traditional oral tales that she heard growing up on the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico with autobiographical passages, folktales, family memories, and photographs. As she mixes traditional and Western literary genres, Silko examines themes of memory, alienation, power, and identity; communicates Native American notions regarding time, nature, and spirituality; and explores how stories and storytelling shape people and communities. "Storyteller" illustrates how one can frame collective cultural identity in contemporary literary forms, as well as illuminates the importance of myth, oral tradition, and ritual in Silko's own work. This edition includes a new introduction by Silko and previously unpublished photographs.

When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can’t help admitting, maybe he’s right. When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn’t so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won’t even call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team herself. And why Brian is so, so out of her league. When you don’t talk, there’s a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D. J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.

A boiled-down gem of a Marías story about how Elvis (in Acapulco to film a movie) and his hard-drinking entourage abandon their interpreter in a seedy cantina full of enraged criminals after insults start to fly. When the local kingpin demands to be told what the Americans are saying, Elvis himself delivers an even more stinging parting shot – and who has to translate that?

The murdered woman could have been her double. When reporter Meghan Collins sees the sheet-wrapped corpse in a New York City hospital, she feels as if she's staring into her own face. And Meghan has troubles enough already without this bizarre experience. Nine months ago, her much-loved father's car spun off a New York bridge. Now, investigators are saying that there's no trace of his car in the river, and they suspect he faked his own death. With frightening speed, links start to appear between Meghan's father and her dead lookalike. Meghan may be in danger herself, but she's determined to find the truth to the mystery. In a nightmare journey spiraling from New York to Connecticut to Arizona, Meghan finds that the truth can sometimes be deadly. Librarian's note: See alternate cover edition of ISBN 0671888587 here.

Short Stories and poems. Humor ,young adult, ghost, romance, and thriller, these range across various genres. Salt 'n Pepper provides tasty reading snacks when there is no time for a full meal.The short stories and poems in Salt 'n Pepper do not need a long description. Simply taste them and see. 'The Jenuine Junkyard Dog' is forty pages, the longest short story in the collection.

There was an Old Lady who swallowed -- all sorts of things. But how did the animals feel about that?Ten years ago two children went missing and were presumed to be victims of a satanic ritual. Police charged the antisocial brother of one of the victims with the crime, but the real culprit's still on the loose. The approaching anniversary prompts the killer to strike again, but there's a private investigator who's beginning to ask the right questions about what happened a decade earlier. The killer discovers that he's being hunted, and decides to do whatever it takes to stay hidden. Lincoln Pierce always wanted to be a private detective, but his life didn't end up the way he expected. His daughter's debilitating disease forced him to make some questionable decisions, and he's been paying for them ever since. He's determined to make the most of a bad situation, and has started looking into a case that could change his entire career, if he doesn't get killed in the process.

Cheryl Oliphant doesn’t do well in social situations. The fourteen year old girl’s best friend, Nicolena, is a four-foot, South American tree boa and her parents are getting divorced. On the plus side, Cheryl just met Teddy Rasmussen who offered her a sympathetic ear plus an inch-thick slice of apricot, sour cream loaf.Jen, Delcie and Tanner, three teens spending their summers in a small Wisconsin lake town, encounter a boy with a tie to an old abandoned lake house. But, as they discover, he is no mere boy, and a trusted family member holds secrets about a decades old murder. The teens are in real danger, and the ancient secret must be brought to light. Some secrets lie buried for good reasons, as they learn, Together, as they work to solve the mystery with the help of an old family friend, they face increasing threats from a supernatural agency that defies belief.Terror lies thick in the deep Wisconsin pines, and horror lies just across the lake...

This is the story of Marcus: bonded out of jail where he has been awaiting trial for murder, he is sent to the Hebert plantation to work in the fields. There he encounters conflict with the overseer, Sidney Bonbon, and a tale of revenge, lust and power plays out between Marcus, Bonbon, BonBon's mistress Pauline, and BonBon's wife Louise.

Tobacco plantation owner Alvin Tolle is confronted with a split-second decision that will affect the rest of his life.All of my books are drawn from the American frontier in the 1800s. This story is about one man at the forefront of dealing with racism and slavery in North Carolina.Runaway is a snippet from my hard copy novel "The Carolinian," available at Amazon.The inspiration for my stories draws from my novels and family tales of settlers who journeyed to the American frontier in the 1800s. Their accounts, passed down through the generations, paint pictures of courageous and adventurous people—a hearty lot—who had perseverance, self-reliance, and, despite dangers and fears of the unknown wilderness, overcame their misgivings. Most were not famous or widely celebrated, yet they carved out homes, farms, and a life on the frontier, and, in the process, created a great nation. They are heroes in my eyes.From my research, I better understand the plight of early Native Americans. They were ultimately swept aside by the oncoming tide of settlers, despite being fierce and resourceful. There came a time for compassion by the conquering invaders. Too many times, it did not occur. Unavoidably, the stain remains a part of America’s legacy.Thank you for reading my short stories and novels.Richard PuzHere are other books for your review ~Novels in the Six Bulls Series ~Six Bulls-The OhioansRafting from Ohio to Missouri down the big rivers of America, pioneers load their families and possessions on flatboats, seeking a new life on the American frontier. Adventures abound during their exciting and dangerous trip.The CarolinianAbraham learns how to be a man during the Battle of New Orleans and applies those principles on his tobacco plantation in North Carolina. Shunning slavery, he moves his family west. Their adventures produce a riveting account of pioneer life in the wilds of a new country, while battling the ever-present Hooker, the slaver.AvengeThe theft of prized horses sets a young man on a journey of adventure. On the trail of the last outlaw, he roams the vast wild American frontier, following the murder and rapist, as they clash in an epic battle of wits. Only one can survive.Short Stories ~AbrahamYoung raw-recruit Abraham is exposed to the terror of war during the Battle for New Orleans. A frontiersman provides the wisdom to help him become a hero.Arkansas StormPioneers on flatboats are towed by a steamboat when they run into a storm that threatens their lives and the loss of all they own.Beanblossom CreekChief Black Hawk’s men are on the warpath and Captain Custis Cauley and his militiamen are waiting. The battle that follows is epic.Captain Jonathan BuzzardBrazen and courageous, the captain takes on the five outlaws threatening a pioneer’s family—exciting and action packed!Danny BoyWhimsical and humorous, a riverbank tavern is the setting for pioneers quenching their thirst after their long wagon train journey to Indiana. It’s a roaring good time, until a fight breaks out to enliven the evening.NewtoniaSettlers on the frontier are caught between warring armies as the Civil War rages. In the midst, human compassion is extended.SmokePrairies are one of God’s greatest gifts, but these can also be deadly. Pioneers take desperate measures to save everything they have created.Sourdough Wind MineThieves steal gold ore and come face to face with the “enforcer.” Deep underground in the mine, the encounter plays out among flying bullets in the darkness.StainThe government’s Indian Removal Act of 1830 is being implemented and farmer James Stinson and his family are in the cross hairs. This is one of many tragic stories about Indian displacement in the 1800s and remains a stain on American history. Roaring RiverBushwhackers ambush two men, killing one. The survivor leads a posse to track down the band of killers, leading to an epic battle.Three BellsSettlers prepare for war with Chief Black Hawk and his warriors on remote farms in Indian. What happens one fateful night changes them forever.

"Faith by Thomas D. Demus" is a modern adaptation of the story of Thomas Didymus (better known as "Doubting Thomas"), as told through the perspective of a bridge operator who endures the most unimaginable tragedy a father can experience. In lieu of payment for the book, I ask that you make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House.Many, if not all, have felt loss, and yet, amidst the pain, we feel alone. We seek out certain people, a favorite song, a beloved book, words that touch the outer edges of our grief so that, while it does not relieve our pain, at least we feel the love of companionship. As for me, I channeled my suffering, and the love at its root, into this book. "Faith by Thomas D. Demus" is a modern adaptation of the story of Thomas Didymus (better known as "Doubting Thomas"), as told through the perspective of a bridge operator who endures the most unimaginable tragedy a father can experience. In the novella, Thomas struggles to survive through all the doubt, fear, and anger that coincide with his sudden loss. In lieu of payment for the book, I ask that you make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House. My goal is to raise one million dollars so that families facing similar circumstances as the characters in the book receive top-notch healthcare for their children without losing the loving support of their families by their sides. Thank you and God bless.