Flash fiction, short stories, novelettes, and a poem or three round out this author’s tenure in the Top Writers Block cooperative. Themes range from loneliness and poverty to out of the ashes and meringue. Yes meringue, along with stitches, pumpkins, trash day, fools rush in and why me? Comedy and romance interweave with tragedy, sometimes within the same tale.A variety of brief and not so short tales are presented in this anthology, with themes that include why me, fools rush in, trash day, loneliness, poverty, out of the ashes, stitches, meringue, and pumpkins. “The Todd Lambert Special” pays homage to the author’s Alvin’s Farm series; “He’s Among Angels” explores the memory of a beloved sibling. “Pork Fried Rice and Recessed Lights” was inspired by NaNoWriMo and kitchen renovations, while “Various Little Birds” recalls Britain and embroidery. From flash fiction and poetry to novelettes, motifs are explored via humor and tenderness, with plenty of love added for good measure.

In this fourth volume, unknown attackers begin launching assaults in Green Bay and nearly kill Claude Jolliet. But the biggest problems arise from a flood on the Mississippi that inundates the primary shipping and supply center of Canada. Elise and Shawn have 14 days to get systems there running again before the economy of the country collapses.In this fourth volume, unknown attackers begin launching assaults in Green Bay and nearly kill Claude Jolliet. A business war also erupts between the Murphy family and Tilden Foster’s family. But the biggest problems arise from a flood on the Mississippi that inundates the primary shipping and supply center of Canada. Elise and Shawn have 14 days to get systems there running again before the economy of the country collapses. In the process they discover friends and foes as the conflict between the Catholic north and Protestant south escalates.

A new and unusual gardener brings more than a summer's cornucopia to the Richter estate.Scarecrows have a creepy mystique about them. They’re lifeless, yet resemble us. Despite their positive utility (I assume they do keep birds from eating crops though I haven’t observed a scarecrow long enough to really know firsthand), a person will usually stumble upon one that appears neglected, tattered and worn. They’re often spotted from afar in lonely, desolate, out-of-the-way places and their eyes seem to follow passersby. Did its head turn, too, or was it just that its head and neck have loosened from its stranglehold upon the post it was hung from? Their bodies are often discovered unnaturally twisted -- victimized by the elements, birds or other hungry, curious animals. Doesn’t it sometimes look that like they tried to wriggle free?Coming across a scarecrow can really help bring out the imagination! Imagine being lost or stranded with no sign of civilization around and coming across a scarecrow whose better days are far behind him. It almost looks desperate, hanging up there, angry, with nothing to lose. Patiently waiting to escape, life can’t get much worse than a scarecrow’s version of being nailed to a post eerily resembling a crucifix. The buzzing of insects and the brushing together of the wheat and corn in the swaying wind are the only sounds you hear for miles. You are more than aware that you are alone and as vulnerable as that poor bag of twisted, tormented, human straw staring down at you.You approach cautiously, then its sunken eyes suddenly open, and it comes alive. Anger lights up his suddenly human eyes. The expression on its face turns into a twisted smile. You step back, dumbfounded, as the scarecrow tears itself from its cross with one thing on its mind -- revenge. Halloween and Indian folklore can definitely make for an interesting combination!

This is the story of a small town in America. It is a Gothic literary novel which traces the intersecting narratives of six residents of an Upstate New York trailer park. When one of them stumbles upon a young man's body in the woods, it sets them all down a path leading ever deeper into the grotesque underbelly of their decaying community.Thomas discovers more to life with the help of Merlin and voices from a tall pine tree. He offers gratitude to the world and a little bit of magic.

A collection of poems celebrating life, love, and the beauty of Folly Beach, SC; while also exploring the depths of angst and despair that had to be navigated to get there. Features "Advice to New Runners," "Hard-packed Sand," "Driving into Winter," "The Magic Day," and many others.Folly Beach Love Story is a poetry collection exploring life, love, and the beauty of Folly Beach, SC. It tells the story of one man's efforts to rebuild his life and find new ways to accept and experience love. Among the feature poems are:"Advice to New Runners" "Hard-packed Sand" "Driving into Winter" "The Magic Day""Portrait of the Artist's Folly Beach Shack"and many others.

Through My Rhymes is a collection of poetry written by Jesse Chamberlain. This is volume one in an on going collection with additional volumes coming soon.Using his life experiences, he taps into his heart, head and soul to craft his poetry. This is for everyone to read, enjoy and hopefully connect with one or more pieces.Through My Rhymes Volume 1 is the first book in an ever growing collection of poetry written by Jesse Chamberlain. Using his life experiences, he taps into his heart, head and soul to craft his poetry. Volume 1 contains varying poems that are mostly inspired by true events that occurred in his life. Other poems are creatively woven fictional tales to entertain on certain levels. Hopefully you will enjoy reading all of them and connect with one or more of the poems.

Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence. Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy. (Includes Special, Never-Before-Solicited Opinions on Breastfeeding, Princesses, Photoshop, the Electoral Process, and Italian Rum Cake!)

In 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaïre, two African American boxers were paid five million dollars apiece to fight each other. One was Muhammad Ali, the aging but irrepressible “professor of boxing.” The other was George Foreman, who was as taciturn as Ali was voluble. Observing them was Norman Mailer, a commentator of unparalleled energy, acumen, and audacity. Whether he is analyzing the fighters’ moves, interpreting their characters, or weighing their competing claims on the African and American souls, Mailer’s grasp of the titanic battle’s feints and stratagems—and his sensitivity to their deeper symbolism—makes this book a masterpiece of the literature of sport. Praise for The Fight  * “Exquisitely refined and attenuated . . . [a] sensitive portrait of an extraordinary athlete and man, and a pugilistic drama fully as exciting as the reality on which it is based.”—The New York Times “One of the defining texts of sports journalism. Not only does Mailer recall the violent combat with a scholar’s eye . . . he also makes the whole act of reporting seem as exciting as what’s occurring in the ring.”—GQ* “Stylistically, Mailer was the greatest boxing writer of all time.”—Chuck Klosterman, Esquire “One of Mailer’s finest books.”—Louis Menand, The New Yorker   Praise for Norman Mailer   “[Norman Mailer] loomed over American letters longer and larger than any other writer of his generation.”—The New York Times “A writer of the greatest and most reckless talent.”—The New Yorker “Mailer is indispensable, an American treasure.”—The Washington Post “A devastatingly alive and original creative mind.”—Life “Mailer is fierce, courageous, and reckless and nearly everything he writes has sections of headlong brilliance.”—The New York Review of Books “The largest mind and imagination [in modern] American literature . . . Unlike just about every American writer since Henry James, Mailer has managed to grow and become richer in wisdom with each new book.”—Chicago Tribune “Mailer is a master of his craft. His language carries you through the story like a leaf on a stream.”—The Cincinnati Post**

In these two wickedly funny, sexy novellas, MaryJanice Davidson introduces the sort of lovers who'll steal everything. . .your wallet, your keys, your inhibitions, and sometimes even your heart. Thief Of Hearts There's never a dull night in the ER for Dr. Jared Dean, especially when he sees the woman of his fantasies beating the crud out of the city's biggest, toughest mobster. It's enough to get a guy all hot and bothered. Not that it matters when SuperHotButtKickingChick gets away without giving her name. The name's Kara, aka The Avenging Angel, sort of a Robin Hood with better shoes. But now her latest revenge stunt has just landed the gorgeous doc on a mobster's hit list. There's only one thing to do: guard Dr. Jared's extremely fine bod until she can figure a way out of this mess for both of them. Jared's only too happy to accommodate. Anything to have her close at hand. . .and in his bed. As for her closed heart? He's got a plan for that, too. . . Wild Hearts Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. Too bad he was trying to steal her car. Kat Wechter has no intention of letting that happen. Not one to ever play it safe, it's amazing what an irresistible bad boy can drive a woman to do (pun intended). But Chester "Chess" McNamara is not your typical car thief. Seems he's fueled (ouch) by more complicated motives. And to find out what they are, Kat is more than willing to go along for the ride. . .(couldn't resist). "Once again, Davidson delivers off-the-wall entertainment." --Booklist on The Royal Pain

A member of one of the most distinguished and honored families in Iraq, Mayada grew up surrounded by wealth and royalty. But when Saddam Hussein's regime took power, she was thrown into cell 52 in the infamous Baladiyat prison with seventeen other nameless, faceless women from all walks of life. To ease their suffering, these "shadow women" passed each day by sharing their life stories. Now, through Jean Sasson, Mayada is finally able to tell her story--and theirs--to the world.

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she’s determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for “completers”— www. through-the-light.com. While she’s on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she’s not on the Web, Daelyn’s at her private school, where she’s known as the freak who doesn’t talk. Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she’s waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she’s made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won’t give up. And it’s too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life... isn't it? National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters shines a light on how bullying can push young people to the very edge.

A stunning new way to celebrate the small moments that make up a life. In flashes of vivid prose — sometimes in pieces only one page long — Abigail Thomas breaks up the notion of what is "memoir" to tell us some true stories from her life: about love and upheaval, mistakes and loyalties, adventures and domesticities; marriage and motherhood at a very young age; a second husband who becomes both an ex and a dear friend in need; a smart-mouthed sister who helps her get through hard times; the many shades of feminine power and female rage; the changing face of desire. Safekeeping is a book in which white space speaks as eloquently as what is revealed. Openhearted and effortlessly funny, these brilliantly selected glimpses of the arc of a life are, in the age of too much confession, a welcome breath of fresh air. From the Hardcover edition.

Winter Break super-secret perfect cocoa recipe: 8 oz steamed whole milk (no skim! doesn't work!) 2 tbsp. dark cocoa powder (big scoops) 1 tbsp. sugar (can't be too sweet) 4 dried, crushed mint leaves (or 1 tbsp. mint syrup) Stir thoroughly. Add mint swizzle stick. Combine with cute ski instructor, or brother's cute best friend, or cute guy you never noticed was so cute...Enjoy.

This hilarious look at creative blockage and blunder is a laugh-out-loud tribute to artist procrastination. In How to Avoid Making Art, the bestselling author of The Artist's Way delivers a (tongue-in-cheek!) guide to doing anything and everything you possibly can to avoid making art. Anyone who is engaged in a creative pursuit will no doubt identify with these wonderful cartoons by award-winning artist Elizabeth Cameron of creative wannabes doing everything except actually getting down to work. "For most people creativity is a serious business," says Julia Cameron. "They forget the telling phrase 'the play of ideas' and think that they need to knuckle down and work more. Often, the reverse is true. They need to play." Ultimately, the characters in this book show us how we can turn our procrastination into play and our play into great work. With this delightful volume, Julia Cameron once again hits the nail on the head on the subject of creativity.

In a dazzlingly original work of nonfiction, the award-winning novelist Colson Whitehead re-creates the exuberance, the chaos, the promise, and the heartbreak of New York. Here is a literary love song that will entrance anyone who has lived in—or spent time—in the greatest of American cities. A masterful evocation of the city that never sleeps, The Colossus of New York captures the city’s inner and outer landscapes in a series of vignettes, meditations, and personal memories. Colson Whitehead conveys with almost uncanny immediacy the feelings and thoughts of longtime residents and of newcomers who dream of making it their home; of those who have conquered its challenges; and of those who struggle against its cruelties. Whitehead’s style is as multilayered and multifarious as New York itself: Switching from third person, to first person, to second person, he weaves individual voices into a jazzy musical composition that perfectly reflects the way we experience the city. There is a funny, knowing riff on what it feels like to arrive in New York for the first time; a lyrical meditation on how the city is transformed by an unexpected rain shower; and a wry look at the ferocious battle that is commuting. The plaintive notes of the lonely and dispossessed resound in one passage, while another captures those magical moments when the city seems to be talking directly to you, inviting you to become one with its rhythms. The Colossus of New York is a remarkable portrait of life in the big city. Ambitious in scope, gemlike in its details, it is at once an unparalleled tribute to New York and the ideal introduction to one of the most exciting writers working today.