Low Angles

      Jim Stinson
     Low Angles

Against his better judgment, Hollywood foot soldier Stoney Winston arrives at a flea-bitten desert Hamlet to help Diane LaMotta direct her first feature, a no-budget indie action potboiler titled Cycles from Hell. He finds the production being killed by sabotage that turns into stabbing, near-drowning, and violent death.(Newly proofed and reformatted text) Against his better judgment, Hollywood foot soldier Stoney Winston arrives at a flea-bitten desert Hamlet to help Diane LaMotta direct her first feature, a no-budget indie action potboiler titled Cycles from Hell. The director’s hostile, the cameraman’s drunk, the crew’s rebellious, and the real bikers playing most of the parts perform as bad as they smell. Diane and a biker momma start fighting over Stoney, while the production’s being slowly killed by systematic sabotage that turns into stabbing, near-drowning, and violent death.Stoney’s only weapons are his courage, his movie smarts, and his friend, Scuzzy. Courtly Nathaniel Hawthorne (“Scuzzy”)Fenster supports his Talmudic scholarship by playing heavies in biker films. Since he stands six-six, weighs 300 pounds, and sprouts hair in all directions, the very sight of him would make Attila wet his pants. He works a lot.

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    Spring Fevers

      Matt Sinclair
     Spring Fevers

An anthology of short stories, Spring Fevers explores tales of relationships in their varied states: love -- requited and unrequited -- friendships discovered and lost, family in its many guises, and the myriad places in between. Individual stories in the anthology will appeal to fans of young adult, literary, and science fiction, as well as other genres.An anthology of short stories, Spring Fevers is an exploration of relationships in their varied states: love -- requited and unrequited -- friendships discovered and lost, family in its many guises, and the myriad places in between. Created by Cat Woods and Matt Sinclair, Spring Fevers arose from their work with the Agent Query Connect online writing community, and while membership in the free site was not necessary for inclusion in the anthology, the ten writers whose stories appear are all members. Authors include MarcyKate Connolly, S.Q. Eries, Robb Grindstaff, J. Lea Lopez, Mindy McGinnis, R.S. Mellette, Yvonne Osborne, Matt Sinclair, A.M. Supinger, and Cat Woods. The debut publication of Elephant’s Bookshelf Press, Spring Fevers was edited by the team of Robb Grindstaff, Matt Sinclair, and Cat Woods, with cover design by Calista Taylor, and book design by R.C. Lewis. A new anthology is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2012.

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    Boy Soldier

      Brad Beals
     Boy Soldier

Like most boys in the kingdom, Joshua dreams of being called to battle for his King. But when the call comes, will his own pride and vanity lead him off the path to the city? Boy Soldier is a picture of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, how it crushes our foolish notions about what God wants from his people, and how it leads us to freedom. But it's also the adventure of a boy and his mule.There lived a boy once, a very long time ago, whose name was Joshua. He grew up in the country, on a small farm far from the noise and close air of the city, and though he was a boy, he worked a man's day, so he was quite strong…Part IIn which Joshua comes to a very big, very important understanding.One day, this Joshua was at work in the fields loading bundles of grain onto a wagon when a peddler, leading a mule that pulled a wagon piled high with all manner of things, stopped at the fence by the road and shouted for the boy to come."I'm afraid I have no money to buy what you're selling," said Joshua when he was close enough to speak politely."Don't mind about that," replied the peddler. "Besides, what I want you to have you cannot buy, for in addition to being a peddler extraordinaire, I am also a servant of the King, and the King has called all who would to come at once to the city. Here." And the peddler held out a handbill—that's an old fashioned kind of flyer—that read:Come!Any who calls himselfmy soldier, Come!And be preparedfor war!So begins the story of Joshua's preparation for warfare. Though as it turns out, his ideas and King's are as far apart as strange things can be...

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    Daughter of Sparta: Chapter Five

      Kristen LePine
     Daughter of Sparta: Chapter Five

Set in ancient Greece, Daughter of Sparta follows Gorgo, the real daughter of King Cleomenes I of Sparta, and the events leading up to the Ionian Revolt. Chapter Five focuses on the two foreigners who have come to Sparta seeking support for an Ionian Revolt: Aristagoras of Miletus and his nephew Perseus. This is the fifth installment to this series; Chapters 1-4 are available for free.Historic Heroines is pleased to release the fifth installment in its first original fiction series: Daughter of Sparta by Kristen LePine. Set in ancient Greece, Daughter of Sparta follows Gorgo, the real daughter of King Cleomenes I of Sparta, and the events leading up to the Ionian Revolt. Chapter Five focuses not on Gorgo, but on the two foreigners who have come to Sparta seeking support for an Ionian Revolt: Aristagoras of Miletus and his nephew Perseus. Historic Heroines is an independent publisher of historical fiction and nonfiction that champions the female perspective.

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    Musings of a Nascent Poet

      Stephanie Barr
     Musings of a Nascent Poet

What do you call poetry that rhymes, has rhythm, tells stories (accessible to normal people not just intelligentsia) and runs longer than 20 lines, sometimes far longer? Unsellable in today's market. Also charming, thought-provoking, evocative, even brilliant, the kind of stuff that, if written 150 years ago, would have been taught to you in school. But written today. Sort of.Myths and romance, Armageddon and the occult, teddy bears and fairy tales, anything can be fodder for an epic poem and Stephanie Barr proves that with this collection of poetry from her earliest days writing that is eclectic, quirky, evocative, brilliant but highly accessible while somehow holding to old-fashioned notions on poetry, making it sound as good as it looks. This is poetry made to be read aloud, all but sung. The years seem eons, ages,Since I traveled, young and free,When the songs my harp would whisperWould bring everyone to me.Women young and soldiers agedCame to hear my siren lyre,Came to lose themselves in music,Dulcet sounds of sweet desire.So, if lyric language is your bag, if you still get transported with the poetry of Keats and Poe, but long for messages a little more here and now, this may be the poetry collection for you.

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    Mildred Pierce

      James M. Cain
     Mildred Pierce

Mildred Pierce had gorgeous legs, a way with a skillet, and a bone-deep core of toughness and determination. She used those attributes to survive a divorce in 1940s America with two children and to claw her way out of poverty, becoming a successful businesswoman. But Mildred also had two weaknesses: a yen for shiftless men and an unreasoning devotion to her monstrous daughter. Out of these elements, Cain created a novel (later made into a film noir classic) of acute social observation and devastating emotional violence - and a heroine whose ambitions and sufferings are never less than recognizable. Narrated by Christine Williams.

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    Heartbreakers

      Ali Novak
     Heartbreakers

"When I met Oliver Perry, I had no clue he was the lead singer for The Heartbreakers. And he had no idea that I was the only girl in the world who hated his music."Stella will do anything for her sick sister, Cara—even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD...for four hours. She's totally winning best birthday gift this year. At least she met a cute boy with soft brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes while getting her caffeine fix. Too bad she'll never see him again.Except, Stella's life has suddenly turned into a cheesy love song. Because Starbucks Boy is Oliver Perry—lead singer for the Heartbreakers. And even after she calls his music crap, Oliver still gives Stella his phone number. And whispers quotes from her favorite Disney movie in her ear. OMG, what is her life?But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver—dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band—when her sister could be dying of cancer?Ali Novak wrote her...

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    Under the Fan Palm

      Richard George
     Under the Fan Palm

Seventy-six verses celebrating a wide variety of experiences.Seventy-six verses: march through them in this book. All manner of meters, rhymes, stanza forms, syllabic and accentual verse, and free verse celebrating multiple natural occurrences and fauna, are represented here. The poet marks the seasons, flowers, and creatures of his ordinary life in extraordinarily limned bursts of clarity and vision.

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    Nelson Branco's Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 36

      Nelson Branco
     Nelson Branco's Soap Opera Uncensored: Issue 36

Daytime TV's first and only new hot e-zine: Weekly summary of soap opera's hottest news, stories, humour, gossip, blind items, fearless predictions, top stars/stories/couples/characters to watch, snark galore, review and analysis.INSIDE — SPECIAL DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS NEWS EDITION — Here We Go Again: Eric Braeden Out? Why Y&R Is Writing Out Victor Newman During Contract Negotiations! Inside Sony’s New Battle With Daytime’s Biggest Superstar! DAYS Casts Eric Brady! Find Out Who’s Playing Sami’s Twin! Yep, Eileen Davidson IS DAYS-Bound! Inside the Sony Deal That Pissed Off Davidson! DAYS: Gay Storyline On The Backburner! Kirsten Storms Back On GH? Plus: Exclusive Interview: Jen Lilley On Losing Her Job! AMC/ONE LIFE To Live On? B&B’s Kay Alden: “I’d Love To Head Writer Y&R With Sally Sussman Morina!” Susan Lucci Headed to GH? Emmy Awards Roundup! This Just In: Joanna Johnson Out At B&B! And What That Means For Crystal Chappell! Why Adrienne Frantz Cleaned Out Her Dressing Room At B&B! Plus: Her Near-Death Experience! Guess Where Peter Reckell’s Moving To? Why GH’s Bradford Anderson Was Kicked Off The Emmy Red Carpet! GH Secret: Who Is Finola Hughes’s Newest Co-Star? Y&R’s Jess Walton Update! Latest on DAYS’s New Book! Which Vixen Is Headed Back To Y&R? Is Jackie MacInnes Wood Leaving B&B? Plus: Unbelievable Blind Items!

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    Girl on the Sidelines

      Jade Herrera
     Girl on the Sidelines

Everyone has a story, and this is mine. Told in verses and lines of poetry join me as I share my past and present experiences.Through every chapter of my life, poetry became the music that harmonizes with my thoughts and feelings. In this book I open another chapter of my life with poetry I have written based on important details that colored the blank pages of my life.I am opening myself to the world, offering them songs of poetry I have written and composed with the lyrics and melodies of my heart and soul. And this time around you will meet the real girls who is writing behind poems and singing unknown songs.

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    The Parthian

      Peter Darman
     The Parthian

The story of Pacorus, a prince of the Parthian Empire who is captured by the Romans and sent to Italy to live out the rest of his days as a slave. But fate intervenes and he is freed by a gang of runaway gladiators led by a man named Spartacus. This is the epic tale of the Spartacus slave revolt, as told by the man who fought by his side.This is the story of Pacorus, a prince of the Parthian Empire. When the two mighty empires of Parthia and Rome clash, Pacorus and his warriors are captured and sent to Italy in chains. Landing in Italy near Mount Vesuvius, they are set to endure a living hell in the fields under the overseer's whip. But fate intervenes and they are freed during an attack on the camp of their Roman captors by Spartacus and his followers. Pacorus accepts the offer of Spartacus to raise a force of horsemen to fight with him against the Romans. Thus begins the epic tale of the Spartacus slave revolt, as told by the friend and cavalry general of the slave leader, a tale of love, war, savagery, honour and the eternal quest for freedom.

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    Trump and the Blue Gold Dress

      Donna Anastasi
     Trump and the Blue Gold Dress

We all remember the internet sensation where a photograph of a dress was posted, and across the country we found that some people saw a white dress with gold trim and others saw a blue dress with black trim. There is a similar phenomenon going on in our country right now between the Trump supporters, the “Golds,” and the non-supporters, the “Blues.” This essay attempts to represent both sides.We all remember the internet sensation where a photograph of a dress was posted, and across the country we found that some people saw a white dress with gold trim and others saw a blue dress with black trim. Gazing on the same object we clearly saw what we saw and were baffled that someone else saw it differently. What made the blue gold dress an especially interesting optical illusion was that our biological makeup prevented us from seeing the object through the lens of the other group no matter how long we stared at it. There is a similar phenomenon going on in our country right now between the Trump supporters, the “Golds,” and the non-supporters, the “Blues.” This essay attempts to represent both sides of the story so that we may listen to one another and together begin to clean up this terrible mess we’ve gotten ourselves into.

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    Hard Times

      Charles Dickens
     Hard Times

Hard Times by Charles Dickens. Hard Times - For These Times (commonly known as Hard Times) is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1854. The book surveys English society and satirises the social and economic conditions of the era. Hard Times is unusual in several respects. It is by far the shortest of Dickens' novels, barely a quarter of the length of those written immediately before and after it. Also, unlike all but one of his other novels, Hard Times has neither a preface nor illustrations. Moreover, it is his only novel not to have scenes set in London. Instead the story is set in the fictitious Victorian industrial Coketown, a generic Northern English mill-town, in some ways similar to Manchester, though smaller. Coketown may be partially based on 19th-century Preston.

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