A young girl will fight against cancer in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a firefighter.Burning Heart is a short story about the courage and braveness of Lina, an eighteen-years-old girl whose dream is to become a firefighter. Besides the normal complications of the process to become a firefighter, Lina will also have to fight against the Osteosarcoma in her heel, and face her father's opposition.

Adult retelling of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast with a dark and engaging new twist.The kingdom is falling into ruin. The reclusive King is imposing higher and higher taxes and those who cannot pay are imprisoned.Leona Winters never imagined herself a barmaid – but it’s the only job she’s been able to get, the only thing keeping her from prison and her dying mother supplied with the medicine that she needs. But when the tavern can no longer afford to keep Leona and she can't pay the Collectors, she's thrown into jail, deep in the heart of the castle...where she meets the Beast.For years, the Beast has run the dark palace, hiding its secrets in silence. He cannot speak; and yet Leona can hear him. He never thought it was possible - and now he can't let her leave.He strikes her a bargain: a position in the castle, room and board for her mother, in exchange for her help in breaking the dark curse that has settled over the kingdom.But some curses weren't meant to be broken. And the cost might be Leona's life.

Never Too Late by Robyn Carr released on Apr 18, 2006 is available now for purchase.

Maggy's grandfather knows he'll be dead by the time she's born. The only gift he can afford is one he makes with his own hands. As he finishes the little wooden chair, he has no idea that his gift will not only be her protector and companion, but it will teach her the meaning of Love.Includes a free bonus story: The Price of Friendship.Maggy's grandfather knows he'll be dead by the time she's born. The only gift he can afford is one he makes with his own hands. As he finishes the little wooden chair, he has no idea that his gift will not only be her protector and companion, but it will teach her the meaning of Love.Includes a free bonus story: The Price of Friendship.Independent Reviewer Captainlock: Amazing BookThis book may seem like a book for little kids, but once you start reading it, it gets better and better. Definitely a book I would recommend to a friend. Worth every penny. If you have doubts about buying it the forget them! You will not be disappointed, that I can assure you of.Independent Reviewer Book Junkie: Kleenex AlertThis short story was well written, it made you smile at points with the things the little girl came up with and then it made you fear what was going to happen next and in the end you are crying and fearful at the same time. The story is told from the view of the little wooden rocking chair in the little girls room, rocking chair recounts past events as well as what is happening in current time.

What is the meaning of identity? A woman living in an isolated cottage on the central California coast watches the fog drift across a desolate landscape. Several miles to the south, another woman, a patient in a Santa Monica hospital who has survived a brutal assault, struggles to regain her memory and her identity. These two women are connected, but how? What brings them together?What is the meaning of identity? A woman living in an isolated cottage on the central California coast watches the fog drift across a desolate landscape. Several miles to the south, another woman, a patient in a Santa Monica hospital who has survived a brutal assault, struggles to regain her memory and her identity.These two women are connected, but how? What brings them together? Is intensive psychotherapy the key to unlocking the mystery, or will something more uncover their shared bond?

Being influenced by two, very different, mystical sea creatures, it falls on a young midshipman to travel through his own past, present and future to unravel the mystery and seal the fate of the English merchant vessel, The Windermere,1758 - In the mid-Atlantic, the Windermere, an English merchant vessel sinks in calm waters, on an empty horizon. All hands are lost.1758 - The Windermere, sails safely into harbour in Hudson Bay.Both of these realities are true and false. Being influenced by two, very different, mystical sea creatures, it falls on a young midshipman to travel through his own past, present and future to unravel the mystery and seal the fate of the Windermere.Praise for David D Sharp's work:"Charming, delightful and heartwarming.""Complete magic.""Delightfully quirky and delicate."This is a short fantasy story, totalling around 10,000 words. It also includes the bonus short "The Passing", a coming of age tale set in the Scottish Highlands.

Scared of spiders? This short story will help you to overcome this fear and maybe you'll even begin to take an interest in the spiders in your garden and document your findings. Its all about how a little bit of knowledge can change our perceptions of the things we fear most.Lola, the spider lady, came to the club to introduce the women to the world of spiders. She knew she would have to win them over by telling them about some of the interesting techniques that spiders used to catch their prey but it threw her a bit when one woman screamed at the sight of a big hairy spider and another person got up and ran from the room. Trying harder now, she showed them some slides and soon a few of the women came over to view Goldie, the big hairy spider that had initially scared them.The woman who had run from the room returned and soon asked a few questions and in no time at all she became Lola's biggest fan and even started a spider diary of her own. Here she recorded the activities of the spiders in her own garden and also introduced her family to the world of spiders.So if you have a fear of spiders, this short story might help you to overcome it.

Sarah’s childhood is plagued with family tragedies, so when the love of her life appears, she radically changes her life. Years later, she realizes that for some people life is not all roses. Envious of her one and only friend, she daydreams, which results in her making the worst mistake in her life.Two events moved me to write this story. The first event occurred in the summer of 2011. That summer I was visiting the emergency room at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Medical Center (I had dropped a steel beam on my foot and wasn’t sure if I had broken anything, but that’s another story). While I was in the waiting room, a man came in and walked up to the reception counter, not 10 feet from where I sat. He pulled a pistol from the waistband of his shorts and pointed it at his head. A USAF staff sergeant had just come into the area behind the otherwise empty reception desk. He was shocked and tried to get the man to calm down. The man with the gun told the staff sergeant, “I have PTSD and can’t take it anymore.” Then the man with the gun pulled the trigger.Fortunately, I think self-preservation kicked in at the last second and his hand wavered. The bullet missed his head by a fraction of an inch, and he was eventually talked out of committing suicide. I found out later that this wasn’t some kid just back from Iraq or Afghanistan—this was a senior soldier whose demons still haunted him.I believe many Americans don't understand how prevalent injuries are among our returning warriors—both obvious injuries and ”hidden” injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) —or how devastating both the obvious and hidden injuries can be.The second event that motivated me to write this story was a celebration we hold at the Dayton Dragons baseball field (Fifth Third Field). The Dragons are a Cincinnati Reds farm team, and the company I work for sponsors a pair of events, in coordination with the Dragons, to honor our military. During the game we welcome airmen returning from overseas, facilitate a video greeting from a deployed warrior to his family, and stand proud as a group of youngsters take their oath of enlistment. This, to me, is a very moving experience as the local community honors our heroes.I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you are like me, and you get choked up when you hear the National Anthem or watch Old Glory pass by in a parade, I think you’ll love it.I’m donating fifty percent of my revenue from this book to military-friendly charities. You can help me decide which charities to support. See how at the end of the book. I look forward to your input.Joe G.

Three short novels show Golding at his subtle, ironic, mysterious best. The Scorpion God depicts a challenge to primal authority as the god-ruler of an ancient civilization lingers near death. Clonk Clonk is a graphic account of a crippled youth's triumph over his tormentors in a primitive matriarchal society. Envoy Extraordinary is a tale of Imperial Rome where the emperor loves his illegitimate son more than his own arrogant, loutish heir.

Tom Stoppard’s magnificent trilogy, The Coast of Utopia, was the most keenly awaited and successful drama of 2007. Now “Stoppard’s crowning achievement” (David Cote, Time Out New York) has been collected in one volume, with an introduction by the author, and includes the definitive text used during Lincoln Center’s recent celebrated run. The Coast of Utopia comprises three sequential plays that chronicle the story of a group of friends who come of age under the Tsarist autocracy of Nicholas I, and for whom the term “intelligentsia” was coined. Among them are the anarchist Michael Bakunin, who was to challenge Marx for the soul of the masses; Ivan Turgenev, author of some of the most enduring works in Russian literature; the brilliant, erratic young critic Vissarion Belinsky; and Alexander Herzen, a nobleman's son and the first self-proclaimed socialist in Russia, who becomes the main focus of this drama of politics, love, loss, and betrayal. In The Coast of Utopia, Stoppard presents an inspired examination of the struggle between romantic anarchy, utopian idealism, and practical reformation in what The New York Times calls “brilliant, sprawling . . . a rich pageant.”

In the hopeful 1950s, Frank and April Wheeler appear to be a model couple: bright, beautiful, talented, with two young children and a starter home in the suburbs. Perhaps they married too young and started a family too early. Maybe Frank's job is dull. And April never saw herself as a housewife. Yet they have always lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. But now that certainty is about to crumble.With heartbreaking compassion and remorseless clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April mortgage their spiritual birthright, betraying not only each other, but their best selves. From the Trade Paperback edition.

They are the very best America has to offer --- the few and the proud. The Marine Corps has served our nation with distinction, and achieved an almost mythical status among America's defenders. Now, Tom Clancy tells us the real story of the men and women who serves in this most hallowed branch of the Armed Forces. With the same compelling style and eye for detail that marked his bestselling nonfiction works Submarine, Armored Cav, and Fighter Wing, Clancy paints fascinating picture of the Corps as only he could.

The Main and Hazard families clash on and off the Civil War’s battlefields as they grapple with the violent realities of a divided nation America’s master storyteller continues his reign with Love and War, a story steeped in passion and betrayal. With the Confederate and Union armies furiously fighting, the once-steadfast bond between the Main and Hazard families continues to be tested. From opposite sides of the conflict, they face heartache and triumph on the frontlines as they fight for the future of the nation and their loved ones. With his impeccable research and unfailing devotion to the historical record, John Jakes offers his most enthralling and enduring tale yet.  This ebook features an illustrated biography of John Jakes including rare images from the author’s personal collection.

(MMF) Gwen has a cheating ex, a paranoid best friend, crazy overprotective and ultra-religious parents…and is a successful erotica writer. Forced to overcome her fear of flying to search for their sister in Rapid City, Gwen doesn't expect to run into her internet buddy, Tim. Better yet, Tim's boyfriend, Jack, is a police detective. They welcome Gwen and her older brother, Liam, to stay with them during their search. Jack earned his "Stoneface" nickname after personal tragedy hardened his heart. He loves Tim, but Gwen stirs up painful memories that make Jack's feelings for her suspect in his own mind. It doesn't help that he falls in love with her. Unfortunately, finding their sister leads to more problems. Shattered trust, broken hearts, and Liam coming out to their parents in a defiant showdown make Gwen question her priorities. Can she risk her heart again trying to break through Jack's "Stoneface" façade?

In his novels and stories, F. Paul Wilson has spent over four decades chronicling a Secret History of human civilization – the events, the conspiracies, the human and non-human forces that have shaped its course. A history of the world that remains undiscovered, unexplored, and unknown to most of humanity. Some of this Secret History has been revealed in his Adversary Cycle, some in his Repairman Jack novels, and bits and pieces in other, seemingly unconnected works. Taken together, even these millions of words barely scratch the surface of what has been going on behind the scenes, hidden from the workaday world. Running nearly 100,000 words, SCENES FROM THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE WORLD acts as a sampler and organizer of the thirty plus novels and various short stories that form the huge mosaic Wilson has assembled. It includes unseen artwork and a new timeline available nowhere else.