To prove her innocence of crimes against her own son, King Edward, Emma of Normandy must walk barefoot over nine scalding ploughshares and come out unscathed.Set in the Dark Ages of Engla-lond, the "Last Tales of Mercia" are ten short stories featuring real historical figures and characters from the "Sons of Mercia" series. Though strongly connected to the series, they can be read independently.Support for right-wing populism in Europe has steadily gained attention from media and policy-makers over the past decade. Most of this attention, however, has been focused on the core supporters of right-wing populist parties (RPPs) – the members and the street activists – at the expense of the topic of this publication, the ‘reluctant radicals’. These are our main protagonists: the soft, uncommitted supporters of RPPs. They are crucial for two straightforward reasons: the reluctant radicals are the bulk of RPP support as well as those who can most easily be brought back to the mainstream, thereby depriving RPPs of their main electoral base. This publication is the first of a series produced within Counterpoint’s project ‘Recapturing Europe’s Reluctant Radicals’. Our aim here is to draw an accurate portrait of these voters by exploring the characteristics of the reluctant radicals in ten European countries, with a particular focus on France, Finland and the Netherlands. We aim to critically test some common assumptions – in particular, that right-wing populism is the preserve of disadvantaged young men – as well as outline the contours of the political and cultural context in which the data needs to be interpreted. The result is a better understanding of the diversity of the support for these parties as well as a more accurate reading of the context in which they arise – the histories, traumas, memories, resentments and fears that drive the choices of the reluctant radicals.

In the small town of Grace Valley, California, it's hard to keep secrets - so how much longer will June Hudson hang on to hers?

Welcome to the last issue of the year! Featured in this issue are: author, Olivia Stark, NanoWrimo stories by Tish Thawer, JA Clement, Lynn Rush, Erin Danzer, a sneak peak into the Christmas Lites anthology by Cambria Hebert, Amy Eye and Jenn Pringle, Poetry by Jamie Danzer, Denny Marshall, Thomas Michael McDadeWelcome to the last issue of the year! Featured in this issue are: author, Olivia Stark, NanoWrimo stories by Tish Thawer, JA Clement, Lynn Rush, Erin Danzer, a sneak peak into the Christmas Lites anthology by Cambria Hebert, Amy Eye and Jenn Pringle, Poetry by Terra Kelly, Jamie Danzer, Denny Marshall, Thomas Michael McDade, Short stories by Matthew Wilson, Melynda Fleury, Amy Eye, and book reviews by Cambria Hebert.If you would like to contribute to January's issue, please send in all material by December 23 to [email protected].

It's part of the Halloween anthology "Eye Candy". In this story Tara Sivec gathers the Holiday family together one last time as they try to make this ghostly holiday one to remember—or one they’d rather forget…

Foster child Soony has a sunny personality, learning difficulties, a tendency to swear like a trooper … and an imaginary friend called Popcorn. But is Popcorn imaginary? And if not, who is she?A childless couple knows that fostering a teenage girl with learning difficulties may pose certain challenges.Soony has a sunny personality, an affectionate nature and a tendency to swear like a trooper and behave unpredictably in public. She seems to be settling in well to her new life. Soony's social worker and the staff at her former care home are reassured that the placement is working well and that all three members of the new family are becoming attached to one another.However, June and Jim are becoming aware that there is a fourth member of the family - Soony's imaginary friend Popcorn.But is Popcorn imaginary?And if not, who is she?

When Gia first set out to bring back her runaway brother, she had expected the missing pearls and a relieved reconciliation; not the stranger she finds instead. Set in the colourful Roaring Twenties, 'Three of Spades' is a short story of family and tragedy in an experiment into the senses.In this Young Adult science fiction tale, sixteen-year-old Anna Hart flees a deadly situation in a failing human colony on the planet Silva. Using her skills with an ancient weapon and her empathic ability, she struggles through danger and betrayal, searching for a place where love and hope can thrive. Please note: This Episode is the first of five episodes that make up the novel Yesterday, the first book of the Aftermath trilogy, and is offered as an introduction to the characters and world in the sweeping story of Aftermath. Subsequent Episodes will be released as written to fill out the book in serial fashion.Aftermath Trilogy:YesterdayShe's Leaving HomeImagineShirley Kennett is an award-winning author of urban fantasy, thrillers, and science fiction. She is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and a past board member of International Thriller Writers.

What you’re about to read will horrify you. I want it to horrify you. It horrifies me. I wrote it because I feel it’s important to point out where we’re headed—the terminus we’ll reach should certain trends continue. The Afterword is not fiction. It’s as least as horrifying as the story. I mean it sincerely. Please read it.This is the third poem in the series of "Dreams As I..." The "Dream" series provides the reader the opportunity to dream those secret dreams with the writer, and discover what can lie just up ahead in life.

Oh look, Half-finished stories :) these will have to do until I can finish something substantial. Soon! I promise. These aren't meant to be taken seriously.Quartet OverviewThe Earth Woman Tree Woman Quartet is a near future fantasy with a progressive political bent, a diverse set of characters, and links to recordings of many original songs.Ninas Twei is the mystical place where all of Earth’s species dance and sing together to ensure the continuance of life on Earth – all, that is, except Homo sapiens. Greed and the lust for power has barred them from the dance.Giselle, an activist school teacher, finds herself called to a small rural community to join a group of people who, becoming their Tla Twein (mythical animals or gods), are able to travel to Ninas Twei.Gathering an increasingly diverse group of people from the city, the country, and the world, the Tla Twein engage in a life and death struggle to heal the rift in the natural order and defeat the forces of greed.Giselle, the Earth Woman Tree Woman, joins with the Wolfwind, and together they become all things – earth, air, and water; flora and fauna – a compassionate force for the well-being of the earth.Book One: Journey to Ninas TweiA stray cat struts into Giselle’s apartment bringing an elusive melody? A majestic homeless woman sings her a prophesy and a red-tailed hawk silently urges her to travel north from the city to a rural farming community on the north coast, where she finds an ocean-side house next to a hilly forest, and a new job.Three people in Arundel have been waiting for Giselle, believing that she, and two children, Enid and Jésus, are missing pieces in their attempt to bring humans back to the dance of life. Yameno, 30, the last member of the Tuwillian nation living in Arundel, is guardian of the sacred spring. His nation has a tradition of transforming into their Tla Twein and traveling to Ninas Twei to watch and guard the dance. Yameno’s Tla Twei is a large grey wolf. Dan, 50, a black gardener and scholar, is the hawk. Hazel, 47, a librarian, becomes the cougar. With subtle, often musical encounters, Giselle and the children are drawn into the group. Yameno, carves a sculpture of Giselle’s Tla Twei, the Earth Woman Tree Woman and transform to their Tla Twein and join, becoming all things – wolf and tree, earth, water, and air.But Enid’s grandfather, Gunther, who learned the secrets of the Tla Twein when married to Hazel’s sister, blames Hazel and the others for his wife’s death. When he stumbles on an encounter between Enid and the cougar he knows is Hazel, he arouses the town and a cougar hunt is planned.Ninas Twei is in imminent danger. Hunt or no hunt, the Tla Twein must travel there. On the day of the cougar hunt they meet in a forest clearing where, singing their songs, they transform to their Tla Twein, journeying to Ninas Twei through a vortex splashed with color – and sometimes pierced by tremors and sharp pain. In Arundel Jésus and Enid are reported missing and the townspeople’s hunt for the cougar turns to one for the children.In Ninas Twei they watch the incredible dance of life and find the Weaving Tree where Giselle can trace people’s stories and see the relationship between the problems on earth and the absence of humans from the dance. The source of the tremors and pain is somewhere beneath this tree and it is dying.Suddenly the ground shakes and a gapping crevice opens up swallowing the screaming children. The others are tossed back to earth in their human form just as the hunters come down the path into the clearing. Obsessed with anger, Gunther raises his gun accusing Hazel of being “the devil”. Hazel and Dan have only a moment to transform to their Tla Twein as he shoots. Hazel and Dan disappear, leaving behind the bodies of a cougar and a hawk.The children are missing. Giselle and Yameno are accused of kidnapping them. They walk back down the hill back of Giselle’s house in the custody of the sheriff.Hazel and Dan call to each other, their voices growing fainter and fainter as they float away from each other in a gray empty place.

When Chris finds out his cousin Sammy is in a gang, his friends Blaise and Johnny determine to get him out with the help of some talented friends.In a world where there are few functioning societies left the New City of Sydney stands above them all, but it has secrets. The people that control the city are not politicians, or bankers, they are Alphas. They are elite, untouchable, and control everything from the shadows.Rise and Fall is the explosive sequel to Two Delta India Echo. Following the story from Two Delta, Jack and the team are making their way into the mega-corporation know as MDC. Jack, an alcoholic, disgraced military soldier is forging a road to redemption. His visual enhancements, military training, and drive to make good on his life push him to take a stand, but he can't do it alone. Thankfully the elite have no shortage of enemies, and none more-so than the tech wizard Cindy. With her family taken from her by a corrupt government while she was still a child, Cindy has spent her life throwing the biggest spanners she can find into the works of any Government in power.Between them they have a small window of opportunity to get into MDC and show the world what is happening before them. The only question that remains, is if a pair of renegade individuals can hold it together long enough to achieve their goal.Based on character from the Red Shift novel, dig yourself deep into a world where fiction meets fact.

Having run out of hours in his work week, Adam, a grizzled old trucker, is determined to spend his two days off at home with his wife Lil, rather than by himself three hundred and fifty miles away. Risking a hefty fine, Adam heads for home. Most professional drivers know, good conversation can be the best way to pass the time and keep you alert. Hoping for pleasant conversation he picks up a hitchHaving run out of hours in his work week, Adam, a grizzled old trucker, is determined to spend his two days off at home with his wife Lil, rather than by himself three hundred and fifty miles away. Risking a hefty fine, Adam heads for home after dropping off his load of produce. As most professional drivers know, good conversation can be the best way to pass the time and keep you alert. Hoping for pleasant conversation he picks up a hitch hiker, but soon realizes he will have to settle for the next best thing, a heated debate. The two of them spar off verbally on a wide range of Christian beliefs but ultimately end up on the one belief common to most religions of the world. Exposing the origins of this belief and how it has misdirected humans from the start, they explore further to find an, unorthodoxed yet God inspired salvation plan for all aspects of humanity. In The Eden Conspiracy, author Clayton B Carlson takes a fresh approach to the mystery novel genre. Leaving the espionage and murder mystery behind, Clayton focuses his attention to the mystery of faith. On what foundations do Christians secure their faith? Do they use doctrines and traditions they have accepted as true? Or do they search Bible scriptures to find and prove where God may lead? This story peals layers of assumptions off of some basic Bible truths, revealing firm bedrock where your faith can stand strong. The Eden Conspiracy may be of interest to believers from all faith backgrounds, as it explores a belief common to all religions of the world and one that has transcended all generations. Religions have long promised some sort of an afterlife awaiting people. Most religions teach that people have an immortal soul, or spirit, that is innate within them, a force they are born with and will live on after their earthly body dies. Spiritually minded people may be shocked when they discover where the Bible claims this belief originated. Shrouded in mystery, few have recognized the truth that is now laid bare in The Eden Conspiracy.

This is a story collection of shorter, flash fiction pieces that I hope you will enjoy. It is a dramatic, literary collection whose theme explores the situations involving racism in the south.In 16th STREET the story takes you to the night before the notorious bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama in the 1960s in which six little black girls were killed. This is a fictitious exploration of one family's memory of their child who was killed.THE SUMMER POOL is a chilling piece, which explores the dynamics between older and newer generations in the south and their approach to the issue of race. A young woman is faced with an older woman's racism and has to find a way around it so that her newly acquainted friends can take a dip.In MALAS HIERBAS, an old, gentile woman of the south deals with her husband's death and the ever-changing world around her. She is confronted by the changing times when her gardener takes ill and she has no one else to hire, but a friend of her housemaid's who is also Latino.

**From the author of the international bestseller *The Outsiders* comes a "stylistically superb" novel that "packs a punch that will leave readers of any age reeling" (SLJ, starred review).  ** Rusty-James is the number one tough guy among the junior high kids who hang out and shoot pool at Benny's. He's proud of his reputation, but what he wants most of all is to be just like his older brother, the Motorcycle Boy. Whenever Rusty-James gets in over his head, the Motorcycle Boy has always been there to bail him out. Then one day Rusty-James' world comes apart, and the Motorcycle boy isn't around to pick up the pieces. What now? Like Hinton's groundbreaking classic *The Outsiders*,* Rumble Fish *was adapted into a movie by Francis Ford Coppola and remains as relevant as ever in its exploration of sibling relationships, the importance of role models, and the courage to think independently.  This edition includes an exclusive Author's Note. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults A *School Library Journal* Best Book of the Year A *Kirkus Reviews* Editor's Choice "Sharper in focus and more mature in style than Hinton's *The Outsiders*." —*Booklist* "Hinton, on her own turf, is still unbeatable." —*Kirkus Reviews* "S.E. Hinton is a brilliant novelist." —*Publishers Weekly* **

A New York Times and Washington Post notable book, and one of the Financial Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Slate, Mother Jones, The Daily Beast, and BookPage's best books of the year An instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage is the remarkable story of a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present. Here Haruki Murakami—one of the most revered voices in literature today—gives us a story of love, friend­ship, and heartbreak for the ages.

Lurching from the cappuccino bars of Notting Hill to the blissed-out shores of Thailand, Bridget Jones searches for The Truth in spite of pathetically unevolved men, insane dating theories, and Smug Married advice ("'I'm just calling to say in the potty! In the potty! Well, do it in Daddy's hand, then!'"). She experiences a zeitgeist-esque Spiritual Epiphany somewhere between the pages of "How to Find the Love You Want Without Seeking It" ("can self-help books really self help?"), protective custody, and a lightly chilled Chardonnay.