Stevenson's brooding historical romance demonstrates his most abiding theme-the elemental struggle between good and evil-as it unfolds against a hauntingly beautiful Scottish landscape, amid the fierce loyalties and violent enmities that characterized Scottish history. When two brothers attempt to split their loyalties between the warring factions of the 1745 Jacobite rising, one family finds itself tragically divided.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER "[A]n extraordinary book, a work of staggering virtuosity. With its publication, a giant world of literature has just grown twice as tall."--Newsday From Ralph Ellison--author of the classic novel of African-American experience, Invisible Man--the long-awaited second novel. Here is the master of American vernacular--the rhythms of jazz and gospel and ordinary speech--at the height of his powers, telling a powerful, evocative tale of a prodigal of the twentieth century. "Tell me what happened while there's still time," demands the dying Senator Adam Sunraider to the itinerate Negro preacher whom he calls Daddy Hickman. As a young man, Sunraider was Bliss, an orphan taken in by Hickman and raised to be a preacher like himself. Bliss's history encompasses the joys of young southern boyhood; bucolic days as a filmmaker, lovemaking in a field in the Oklahoma sun. And behind it all lies a mystery: how did this chosen child become the man who would deny everything to achieve his goals? Brilliantly crafted, moving, wise, Juneteenth is the work of an American master. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Here’s what I know about the realm of possibility— it is always expanding, it is never what you think it is. Everything around us was once deemed impossible. From the airplane overhead to the phones in our pockets to the choir girl putting her arm around the metalhead. As hard as it is for us to see sometimes, we all exist within the realm of possibility. Most of the limits are of our own world’s devising. And yet, every day we each do so many things that were once impossible to us. Enter The Realm of Possibility and meet a boy whose girlfriend is in love with Holden Caulfield; a girl who loves the boy who wears all black; a boy with the perfect body; and a girl who writes love songs for a girl she can’t have. These are just a few of the captivating characters readers will get to know in this intensely heartfelt new novel about those ever-changing moments of love and heartbreak that go hand-in-hand with high school. David Levithan plumbs the depths of teenage emotion to create an amazing array of voices that readers won’t forget. So, enter their lives and prepare to welcome the realm of possibility open to us all. Love, joy, and these stories will linger. From the Hardcover edition.

It seems no mother of a newborn has ever been more hilarious, more honest, or more touching than Ann Lamott is in OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS. A single parent whose baby's father is out of the picture, Lamott struggles not only to support her little family by her wits and her writing, but to stay sober at the same time. Faith in God helps; so does her loyal band of helpers, from her childless best friend Pammy to her mother and "Aunt Dudu" to the folks at the La Leche League hotline. And between colic, wheat-free diets, and the triumph of solid food, Lamott learns that blessings and losses come together, and that as our capacity for joy increases, so does our capacity for grief. "An enormous triumph . . . Charming . . . Powerful . . . A gracious book, with dozens of lovingly drawn characters and a deep, infectious religiosity throughout. It is also funny." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Smart, funny and comforting . . . Lamott has a conversational style that perfectly conveys her friendly, self-deprecating humor." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review From the Trade Paperback edition.

Winner of six Nebula and two Hugo awards for her fiction, Connie Willis is acclaimed for her gifted imagination and bold invention. Here are eleven of her finest stories, surprising tales in which the impossible becomes real, the real becomes impossible, and strangeness lurks at every turn. The end of the world comes not with a bang but a series of whimpers over many years in "The Last of the Winnebagos." The terror of pain and dying gives birth to a startling truth about the nature of the stars, a principle known as the "Schwarzschild Radius." In "Spice Pogrom," an outrageous colony in outer space becomes the setting for a screwball comedy of bizarre complications, mistaken identities, far-too-friendly aliens--and even true love.  From the Paperback edition.

The award-winning novel about being out, being proud, and being ready for something else . . . now in paperback. Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write. And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time. So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn't even know that love is possible. This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to? Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising. From the Hardcover edition.

Award-winning author Javier Marías examines a household living unhappy in the shadow of history, and explores the cruel, tender punishments we exact on those we love. As a young man, Juan de Vere takes a job that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Eduardo Muriel is a famous film director - urbane, discreet, irreproachable - an irresistible idol to a young man. Muriel's wife Beatriz is a soft, ripe woman who slips through her husband's home like an unwanted ghost, finding solace in other beds. And on the periphery of all their lives stands Dr. Jorge Van Vechten, a shadowy family friend implicated in unsavoury rumours that Muriel cannot bear to pursue himself - rumours he asks Juan to investigate instead. But as Juan draws closer to the truth, he uncovers more questions, ones his employer has not asked and would rather not answer. Why does Muriel hate Beatriz? How did Beatriz meet Van Vechten? And what happened during the war? As Juan learns more about his employers, he begins to understand the conflicting pulls of desire, power and guilt that govern their lives - and his own. Marias presents a study of the infinitely permeable boundaries between private and public selves, between observer and participant, between the deceptions we suffer from others and those we enact upon ourselves.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Sixfold.org is an all-writer-voted journal. All writers who upload their manuscripts vote to select the highest-voted $1000 prize-winning manuscripts and all the short stories and poetry published in each issue.Sixfold is an all-writer-voted journal. All writers who upload their manuscripts vote to select the highest-voted $1000 prize-winning manuscripts and all the short stories and poetry published in each issue.In Sixfold Poetry Winter 2014: Debbra Palmer | Bake Sale & other poemsAnn V. DeVilbiss | Far Away | Like a Mirror & other poemsMichael Fleming | On the Bus & other poemsHarold Schumacher | Dying To Say It & other poemsHeather Erin Herbert | Georgia’s Advent & other poemsSharron Singleton | Sonnet for Small Rip-Rap & other poemsBryce Emley | College Beer & other poemsHarry Bauld | On a Napkin & other poemsGeorge Mathon | Do You See Me Waving? & other poemsMariana Weisler | Soft Soap and Wishful Thinking & other poemsMichael Kramer | Nighthawks | Kaua’i & other poemsJill Murphy | Migration & other poemsCassandra Sanborn | Remnants & other poemsKendall Grant | Winter Love Note & other poemsDonna French McArdle | White Blossoms at Night & other poemsTom Freeman | On Foot | Joliet | Illinois & other poemsGeorge Longenecker | Nest & other poemsKimberly Sailor | The Bitter Daughter & other poemsRebecca Irene | Woodpecker & other poemsSavannah Grant | And Not As Shame & other poemsMichael Hugh Lythgoe | Titian Left No Paper Trail & other poemsMartin Conte | We’re Not There & other poemsA. Sgroi | Sore Soles & other poemsMiguel Coronado | Body-Poem & other poemsFranklin Zawacki | Experience Before Memory & other poemsTracy Pitts | Stroke & other poemsRachel A. Girty | Collapse & other poemsRyan Flores | Language Without Lies & other poemsMargie Curcio | Gravity & other poemsStephanie L. Harper | Painted Chickens & other poemsNicholas Petrone | Running Out of Space & other poemsDanielle C. Robinson | A Taste of Family Business & other poemsMeghan Kemp-Gee | A Rhyme Scheme & other poemsTania Brown | On Weeknights & other poemsJames Ph. Kotsybar | Unmeasured & other poemsMatthew Scampoli | Paddle Ball & other poemsJamie Ross | Not Exactly & other poemsContributor Notes

The epic story of Noah's Ark, retold from the perspective of Noah's sixteen-year-old granddaughter.The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic……until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

The Virgin in the Garden is a wonderfully erudite entertainment in which enlightenment and sexuality, Elizabethan drama and contemporary comedy, intersect richly and unpredictably.

On a routine trip to the market, a houseboy meets some visitors from out-of-town who change the course of his life.Cassie Tremblay divides her time between working the cash register at her neighborhood coffee shop and studying to produce the grades to get into a top-tier university. Sam, a mysterious co-worker at The Daily Grind, seems to have taken an instant dislike to her, but for Cassie, the looming specter of the SAT Verbal section is a much bigger concern. After a freak accident nearly leaves Cassie and her co-workers dead, a spell cast in desperation transforms her from a regular teen to a valuable familiar: a magical well a demon can tap. As if she didn’t have enough problems, now every demon (and their monstrous minions) seems to be after Cassie’s latent magic, and will stop at nothing to possess her. Sam, now her “master” (loath as Cassie is to admit it) works to protect her, but she soon realizes the security bought by his barely controlled black magic comes at a terrible price. She would love nothing more than to earn her freedom for herself, but with no ability to cast spells of her own, how can she fight back against creatures that wield awesome powers beyond mortal comprehension? Blending a hint of gothic romance with wry humor, The Problem with Black Magic is a YA-friendly novel that contains enough depth for genre fans of all ages. The first book of The Familiar Series, this is a tale of one young woman’s struggle for independence in a brand new world of sorcery, intrigue, and wonder.

This is the story of Lazarus of Bethany, told through tale and tribulation.This is the story of Lazarus of Bethany, told through tale and tribulation.*Darkness.Nothing.There was a void in the world around him, without light or sound.A heaviness weighed on Lazarus’ soul as he grasped for being. He sensed in the darkness there had been light only moments before but he could not grasp what that light was.Suddenly he felt a pulse in his chest. Something heavy held his body firm. Memories flooded through his mind of heat, cattle… family. Where are my sisters? What has happened to me? The world was somehow wrong.He tried to move but found he could not, could not raise the heaviness above him. He smelt earth.Then, with a thrust, he pushed his bound arms out of the cave soil he was buried in and braced them on the earth, using his weakened strength to pull upward. Earth caved in about him as he rose from his grave, his arms and legs bound with bandages. There was a cloth over his face he could not remove. He saw a faint light before him through the cloth.“Lazarus, come out,” a voice beckoned.He walked slowly in his bandages toward the light and could feel a warm breeze move about him. The sun radiated in the cloth over his eyes.“Unbind him, and let him go,” the voice returned.He felt coarse hands on his arms as bandages were unwrapped from him. Coolness came over his skin where they had been. Lazarus breathed heavily, unsure of what was happening. He had a vague memory of being sick before this. He was barely aware of who he was.The cloth over his face was pulled away and he squinted as sunlight blinded him. A bearded man with long wavy hair stood in the light. Jesus, he thought in disbelief as the man approached, placing his palm on Lazarus’ forehead.“You are healed, brother,” Jesus told him as Lazarus’ sisters rushed to his side. “You are still needed in this world.” There was a crowd gathered beyond the cave’s entrance.“Brother…” Martha cried and kissed his cheek. Her soft hands grasped one of his. Tears streamed down her face. “What a blessing…”Mary had embraced him and was kneeling before Jesus now. “Thank you, Jesus. How could we doubt you are the son of God?”“Rise, sister,” Jesus told her. “There is no need to kneel for me. God’s grace is given freely. It is him who we should praise.”“And through you he has raised our brother from his tomb. We are forever in your debt.”Jesus took her hand and helped her to rise. “All I ask is your belief and your mouths to spread God’s word in the coming days. Our people will soon face days when believing is much harder than it is now. But come, let us rejoice in what God has done.” He turned to Lazarus, embracing him. Lazarus felt the warmth of the man and felt his sense of confusion change to a feeling of peace. When Jesus pulled his arms away Lazarus walked out into the sun, through the awestruck crowd toward his home.A sheep baaed as he passed. He opened the front door to his home and headed to his room, lying down on his straw bed, closing his eyes and giving in to darkness and rest.

Love, friendship, heartbreak and tigers. When two teenage boys in the Netherlands find themselves promoted from roustabout to apprentice tiger trainers the possibilities are immense, but also treacherous. And as they become men the friends discover that the biggest danger is not the tigers.When Jake wakes up, he expects the day to be just like every other day, ordinary. So when Jake heads to school for one of his last days of college, little does he know that his whole life is about to be turned upside down.When his best friend (and crush) Olivia asks him to help her get out of a dangerous situation, he is determined to help her and finally share the feelings he has been hiding. But he doesn't realize the danger she is in. After being chased by dangerous people, almost being blown up, and being face to face with the barrel of a gun, he is realizing it might not be so easy to share how he feels.With the help of his friends, can Jake help save Olivia and finally make his feelings known? Or are they in over their heads? What Jake does know is that his life will never be ordinary again.