The Pulitzer Prize-nominated novel from the author of the New York Times bestselling novel *We Were the Mulvaneys* Joyce Carol Oates has taken a shocking story that has become an American myth and, from it, has created a novel of electrifying power and illumination. Kelly Kelleher is an idealistic, twenty-six-year-old “good girl” when she meets the Senator at a Fourth of July party. In a brilliantly woven narrative, we enter her past and her present, her mind and her body as she is fatally attracted to this older man, this hero, this soon-to-be-lover. Kelly becomes the very embodiment of the vulnerable, romantic dreams of bright and brave women, drawn to the power that certain men command—at a party that takes on the quality of a surreal nightmare; in a tragic car ride that we hope against hope will not end as we know it must end. One of the acknowledged masters of American fiction, Joyce Carol Oates has written a bold tour de force that parts the black water to reveal the profoundest depths of human truth.

Claire has everything she ever wanted: a husband she adores, a great apartment, a good job. Then, on the day she gives birth to their first baby, James informs her that he's leaving her. Claire is left with a newborn daughter, a broken heart, and a postpartum body that she can hardly bear to look at. She decides to go home to Dublin. And there, sheltered by the love of a quirky family, she gets better. So much so, in fact, that when James slithers back into her life, he's in for a bit of a surprise.

An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, from a breakthrough new voice in YA fiction. dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t. Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.

As teenagers Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were the only witnesses to a high-profile murder. Amid heated public debate, the two seemingly glamorous teens were dubbed "The Ice Cream Girls" by the press and were dealt with by the courts-Poppy headed to prison after being convicted for murder and Serena was set free. Years later, after having led very different lives, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened. The only problem is she has no one to turn to and no clue where to begin her hunt for Serena. Meanwhile, Serena is married with children and wants no one in her present to find out about her past. Constantly looking over her shoulder, Serena knows she should come clean to her husband, however, she can't seem to find the words. With Poppy determined to salvage what's left of her reputation, Serena may not have a choice in reopening a can of worms that may threaten both their lives...again.

Antonia Fraser's Warrior Queens are those women who have both ruled and led in war. They include Catherine the Great, Elizabeth I, Isabella of Spain, the Rani of Jhansi, and the formidable Queen Jinga of Angola. With Boadicea as the definitive example, her female champions from other ages and civilisations make a fascinating and awesome assembly. Yet if Boadicea's apocryphal chariot has ensured her place in history, what are the myths that surround the others? And how different are the democratically elected if less regal warrior queens of recent times: Indira Gandhi and Golda Meir? This remarkable book is much more than a biographical selection. It examines how Antonia Fraser's heroines have held and wrested the reins of power from their (consistently male) adversaries.

Rome is crumbling. The child-emperor, Heliogabalus, diverts the Roman populace with parties, circuses, and celebrations, while his mother and grandmother jockey for power behind the scenes. The government is riddled with scandal and no business is conducted without bribes which grow ever larger. Religions joust for prominence, with factions of Christians seeking to overthrow the ancient Roman pantheon. Courtesans, once honored for their skills and protected by special guards, have become targets of opprobrium. The vampire Ragoczy Germanius Sanct' Franciscus, already subject to extra taxes and regulations because he is a foreigner, falls under the maleficent eye of Telemachus Batsho, a minor functionary who dreams of power and wealth. When Franciscus thwarts his attempts to extort ever-increasing sums from a young Roman of good birth, Batsho swears revenge. Franciscus finds his activities closely monitored and is accused of treason and conspiracy. His friends, threatened with similar scrutiny, abandon him to Batsho's mercies or urge him to leave the Eternal City.But Franciscus has many ties to Rome. He has taken under his protection a beautiful courtesan who was brutally beaten by the very men who should have been protecting her. She has been the vampire's sustenance for many months. Franciscus is also held in the city by the plight of the family Laelius. The Domina's health is failing despite the vampire's great medical skills; her son has converted to Christianity and rails against his mother's beliefs; her daughter Ignatia, who has sacrified her own life to care for her mother, realizes that when her mother dies, her fate will rest in the hands of her increasingly fanatical brother. Determined to claim pleasure for herself, Ignatia invites Franciscus's attentions, inflaming him with the power of her untapped sexuality. Unfortunately, they are not unobserved, and their simple yet powerful act of love sparks a conflagration that destroys Ignatia's family and nearly brings about the vampire's True Death.

Robena finds an answer to her 11:11 visions with the help of a friendly swamp dragon.Robena searches for meaning in her life and wants to know what the magical numbers of 11:11 mean. She finds a message of faith through the help of swamp dragons.

The true beauty of a rose (love) is that it responds so intimately and wonderfully in accordance to how it is kept, treated and respected; and there are always thorns there to remind, should one forget.This story was inspired by Brian Aldiss' Supertoys Last All Summer Long. But instead of exploring what happens when a couple recieves a child that is a robot this story explores what happens when a child recieves a surrogate parent that is a robot. It's done with alternate history, the year 1957, and aliens that resemble us but say very little about their origins are trading technology and advanced machines for some of our soil.Quickly companies form partnerships with the extraterrestrials and single mother, Lydia Meyer is convinced by a slick salesman that used to sell vacuum cleaners to purchase a new Solomon series robot to be a companion for her lonely son. It goes badly.

Quick biographies of fairly famous people.TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTIONPART ONE:Some Writings by the AuthorEDGAR RICE BURROUGHS: A REAL HOOKER or,“The Mystery of Missing Foreword” NIGHTMARE WITH A QUEEN…OF BLOODTHE REAL STRAIGHT DOPECONCERNING A FAMOUS LOVE SONG!DREAMER OF TOMORROWDAD AND ISome Fiction From ElsewhereIN DEFENSE OF PROSTITUTIONSAY RUM, CHUMPARTY BUSINESSSUDDENLY LUST SUMMERBIG DAVE’S GIRLFROZEN SMILES & GLAD HANDSPART TWO:About the Writer1. A TAPED INTERVIEW WITHCHARLES NUETZELby Lynn Munroe2. AN E-MAIL INTERVIEW WITHCHARLES NUETZELby Charles A. Gramlich3. WHY ALL THE PEN NAMES?An Interview with Charles Nuetzelby Bill EwingDE MOUSE WENT WILD!!!4. SOME BIO OF SORTSedited by Robert Reginald5. Scorpion Books—THE BOOKS WITH A STINGby Victor A. BerchPART THREE:Introductions are Shameless Ads for the Wildside Print-to-Order Editions of my books.ADAPT OR DIETHE ERSATZSLAVES OF LOMOOROLOST CITY OF THE DAMNEDGOLD LUSTTROPIC OF PASSIONOPERATION: DOUBLE-CROSSMURDER TIMES 4SOFTLY AS I KILL YOUMISTRESS OF THE DAMNED & DEATH IN HER ARMSANY ONE CAN DIEMURDER MOST TERRIBLETHE SEX CULT MURDERSTHE CASTING COUCHERSBODIES 4 SALEONE SUMMER OF LOVEPARLEY IN PASSIONMIDNIGHT LOVERSSTAR BITCHSEX QUEENKRISTABLUES FOR A DEAD LOVERBORN TO BE LOVEDSEX IS MY BUSINESSSYNDICATE WOMANJEANNEVER IN HER ARMSTHE BODY MERCHANTSHOLLYWOOD NYMPHFLUFFDIMENSIONS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTUREIntros That Never WereTORLO HANNIS OF NOOMASHOLLYWOOD MYSTERIESTHE EPIC DIALOGS OF MHYOSLAVEGIRL OF NOOMASSWORDMEN OF VISTARPART FOUR:AN ALMOST COMPLETE CHECKLIST OF MY BOOKS PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES, LISTED BY PEN NAMEWHERE TO FIND MY EBOOKS ON THE INTERNET

"The Mermaids of the Darian Coast" is a short story that takes place during the 1577-1580 circumnavigation of the world by Francis Drake. It is a companion piece to the author's critically acclaimed novel, At Drake's Command.Fractime’s story tells of key times surrounding the Universal War, a conflict pitting humanity against machine and itself throughout time.When John Mackinac stumbles upon a means to stop the enemy entering his universe involving the reversal of the Earth’s magnetic poles, an ancient and secretive society, the Family, comes to the NGA’s aid in this seemingly impossible feat. The Family, citing an archaic legend, enlists John to their cause claiming he is the key to ending the Universal War. (ver 2.0)

Samples from the ebooks in Les Études - The Nature Series. These include the following Études: SkyScapes, Mountains, Sunsets, Maritime, Deserts. A full ebook in its own right, Les Études - The Nature Series: Samples is perfect for getting a burst of colour and spice into your day, and also for getting a flavour of the Études!These two short stories examine the hidden lives of outsiders from society - people who are put on the outside because of mental illness. Their remarkable stoicism and the valuable contributions they can make are put on display here, for the reader to consider.We all know by now that the mentally ill suffer from cruel and crude stereotypes and stigmas of being "defective," "crazy," and "weak", as well as a still-pervasive belief that they are generally prone to committing crimes. Here are two portraits of mentally ill people that show how they often do stand aside from mainstream society, yet inject that mainstream with important insights and inspiration.In the first story, "The Exalted Mortals," Lester, a young man with schizophrenia, finds through the darkness his niche in the world of art - he makes as his subjects the mentally ill and other people with disabilities, conveying to his audiences what contributions the disabled make, and how they strive to love be loved just as others do. He finds in the efforts of the disabled remarkable examples of what the human spirit is capable of, and there is the implication that even more could be accomplished if the seen and unseen barriers to the disabled were lowered.The second story, "Strange Jill," shines a light on the unique perspective of a mentally ill school girl, who knows what "cool" really is, and tries to teach a curious schoolmate what knowing is all about in this world.Neither story contains adult or otherwise explicit content, though the themes might best be discussed with the younger reader.

This collection of humorous poems is written by Lynne, who is a kiwifruit grower and keen gardener.Luna is a fairy who has made some bad decisions in her young life. Her king has given her one last chance to redeem herself. If she succeeds, she will marry Thomas at the change of the seasons. If she fails, she will be banished from her home troop, and her betrothed, forever. AnnaBell was extremely envious of Luna. She was born late in the evening of the first day of the new year, just a few hours after Luna. From AnnaBell’s point of view, everything that went wrong in her life was Luna’s fault. Because of this, AnnaBell spent the majority of her time finding ways to cause problems for Luna. When AnnaBell learns of the orders Luna has received from the king, she immediately starts planning how to ruin everything for Luna, once and for all.

A true romance that began after Wayne reluctantly agreed to write Karen. A mutual friend pleaded with him to write her and try to help; she wanted to break the chain of her addiction to methadone.A Prisoner and a Poem for a Princess is creative nonfiction that twists romance and spirituality into something so special and unique that only hearts and souls understand.A true romance that began after Wayne reluctantly agreed to write Karen. A mutual friend pleaded with him to write her and try to help; she wanted to break the chain of her addiction to methadone.Her heart called his to make it whole. The poem Wayne wrote for Karen peeked into the future, where spirituality would merge the gap between peace and pain for him to find comfort in a situation he could not understand. Two Broken Hearts touched where only true love goes. Neither Wayne nor Karen knew her heart would leave a crack in his that would ultimately enlighten him about a phase of existence that he had never experienced. A Prisoner and a Poem for a Princess is creative nonfiction that twists romance and spirituality into something so special and unique that only hearts and souls understand.

It started with a pair of boots sticking out of the bushes. We called 911. They didn't believe us. What the heck? My mom had "waterworks." BUT then there was a cop who'd be just perfect dad material...Plus, my dog got stuck up in a tree. And Stinky Weston saw us drive by in the back of a patrol car, which was cool. Good day all around.Then, the bad guys came...It started with a pair of boots sticking out of the bushes. We called 911. They didn't believe us. What the heck? My mom had "waterworks" at the police station. BUT, aside from the cop with bad breath, there was a cop who'd be just perfect dad material...I'd been looking for a dad for a while.Plus, my dog got stuck up in a tree. And Stinky Weston saw us drive by in the back of a patrol car, which was cool. "Whaja do NOW, jerk?" he yelled at me.Good day all around.Then, the bad guys came...