The beautiful, iron-willed Wild Ginger is only in elementary school when we first meet her, but already she has been singled out by the Red Guards for her "foreign-colored eyes." Her classmate Maple is also a target of persecution. It is through the quieter, more skeptical Maple, a less than ardent Maoist whose father is languishing in prison for a minor crime, that we see this story to its tragic end. The Red Guards have branded Wild Ginger's deceased father a traitor and eventually drive her mother to a gruesome suicide, but she fervently embraces Maoism to save her spirit. She rises quickly through the ranks and is held up as a national model for Maoism. Wild Ginger now has everything, even a young man who vies for her heart. But Mao's prohibition on romantic love places her in an untenable position. Into this sexually charged situation steps Maple, creating an uneasy triangle that Min has portrayed with keen psychological insight and her characteristic gift for lyrical eroticism.

Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B00EZ5R78O. NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, ELLE CASEY, brings readers the romantic suspense novel DON’T MAKE ME BEAUTIFUL. This story was inspired by true events. If you liked the movie "Sleeping With the Enemy", then you might like this story too.  No one knew a woman lived there or that she even existed. A monster, living in darkness... At twenty-two, Nicole doesn't even look human anymore. The beast made sure of that. So she hides. A monster, consigned to a life of fear and solitude. This is all she deserves, she is quite sure of that.  And then one day out of the blue, the autographed baseball caught by Brian Jensen at the latest Marlins game enters her prison and manages to turn her world completely upside down. Temptation comes in the form of pity at first, and then perhaps something more. Does she dare to believe the things she's told, that this is not the life she was meant to live? That being a monster is not her forever-fate? And will she be willing to risk everything, to reach out and accept the helping hands around her and share her deepest, darkest secrets? She knows only too well that hands can hurt. Finding out whether they can also heal is a risky proposition, especially when the beast is still out there. Looking for her. Content warning: Violence, foul language, and adult situations. Not meant for younger readers.  A note from Elle about this book: A really long time ago, I read an article in a newspaper or a magazine (I haven’t been able to locate the original) about a woman who was so badly beaten over a long period of time, she couldn’t leave her house. I thought about that woman a lot over the years and about what her thoughts might have been, her fears, her reality … and this book was my attempt to both exorcise those thoughts from my brain and also shed some light on a subject —domestic violence— that I feel should never be left in darkness.

A novel written by a veteran of the war in Iraq, The Yellow Birds is the harrowing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive. ****"The war tried to kill us in the spring." So begins this powerful account of friendship and loss. In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year old Private Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Murphy cling to life as their platoon launches a bloody battle for the city. Bound together since basic training when Bartle makes a promise to bring Murphy safely home, the two have been dropped into a war neither is prepared for. In the endless days that follow, the two young soldiers do everything to protect each other from the forces that press in on every side: the insurgents, physical fatigue, and the mental stress that comes from constant danger. As reality begins to blur into a hazy nightmare, Murphy becomes increasingly unmoored from the world around him and Bartle takes actions he could never have imagined. With profound emotional insight, especially into the effects of a hidden war on mothers and families at home, The Yellow Birds is a groundbreaking novel that is destined to become a classic.

Cast adrift during the War Between the States, Shannon Conner grew to womanhood in a lonely cabin high in the Colorado Rockies. Though stubborn and courageous, Shannon is ill-prepared to deal with the predatory Culpepper brothers—and the intoxicating ardour of the man who defends her honour, Rafael 'Whip' Moran.A loner and a wanderer, a man tied to no place or promise, Whip aids the wary young 'widow' who has a walk like honey and a determined grip on her shotgun. But neither the Culpeppers nor grizzlies are as dangerous to Whip as the passion Shannon offers him—a passion that could cost Whip the freedom that is as much a part of him as his soul.

25 of the best short stories published on the web in 2009/10--chosen by the editors of ChamberFour.com, a website dedicated to making reading more enjoyable and more rewarding. Includes a wide range of stories from great online lit mags. This anthology is DRM-free and free to download. Find a complete table of contents, a PDF version, author bios, interviews, and more at Chamber Four.~BOOK ONE~ Sara is a Guardian, an elite human warrior trained to battle the races of Rhea, but she soon finds herself on a quest to save them when their afterlife is invaded by a powerful, mysterious race called the Pelasgians. In the journey that follows, she will see a side of the Rheans never before seen, and discover that the Pelasgians are a much greater threat than anyone can imagine.Vampires, mummies, werewolves and other creatures of mythology are reimagined as various races who must join forces to confront an ancient evil.

‘Nana I’ll always love you’ is a story aimed at 5-9 year olds. For George there are few things in life more important than Nana and drawing. Then one day he finds out that she’s dying. Devastated by his sudden loss George finally remembers the promise he made to her to carry on drawing…This is a poetic description in prose form of much anticipated first night of a couple, Arunabh and Rini, based on pure imagination. Happiness of a married life is standing on few solid pillars. Some of them are faith, love for each other, mutual respect, physical intimacy, mental compatibility, common goals, children, good communication, resilience, financial stability and understanding between each other. I am not mentioning them in any order of importance.

A collection of short fiction; psycho-horror, supernatural, fantasy and psychotic behaviour.This is a contemporary Neo-Gothic horror story set deep in the heart of Florida's dark, foreboding Everglades. At its core, it’s a modern day morality tale wrapped in the Neo-Gothic genre. The story takes place near Lost Man’s River. Yes, there really is a Lost Man’s River. Want to speculate how it got its name? The story involves the ongoing clash between modern, agnostic view of reality and the native superstitions of past. One of those schools of thought loses. Big time. It has been compared to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King.It’s a quick, fun read, but you may want to leave the lights on when you go to bed.

In this coming of age story, Meara Quinn is about to find out there are worse things than moving to a tiny oceanside town before her senior year. Like discovering there's a secret being kept from her and knowing it's a life-changer.With over 300 five-star ratings on Goodreads, the Never Forgotten series is an award-finalist young adult paranormal romance series that will appeal to fans of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Siren by Kiera Case, and The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith.In this coming of age story, Meara Quinn is about to find out there are worse things than moving to a tiny oceanside town before her senior year. Like discovering there's a secret being kept from her and knowing it's a life-changer.After experiencing vivid visions of her absentee father, Meara decides she deserves answers. With the help of her new friend Evan, a guy she happens to be falling for, she embarks on a journey in the hopes of unlocking family history and finding her true self. But when she meets a handsome stranger at a local club who knows far more about her than he should,her world is again shaken. In him, Meara may have uncovered the key to the very secret that will reveal not only who she is... but what she is.The Never Forgotten series starts as a light paranormal romance with an Irish/Scottish folklore twist and grows into an under water urban fantasy where love, loyalty and friendship face the ultimate test. If you like mermaids, sirens, and other water fae you may not have met before, this series is for you.

For lovers of Haiku everywhere. Kristina Howells creates her first collection of 100 Haikus, all ranging from different themes.INTRODUCTIONLet me begin by telling you the story of my interaction with one of my cliens, well, patients, to illustrate the importance of this book. I was helping my patient who was in great physical and mental distress. She was so much in agony that she asked me to do anything and or give her anything to relieve her pain. This is because, before now she had been elsewhere without much help. She had tried many therapies without much success. Well, the story proceeded and she insisted on her demand. I told her that, “I can only give you what I have. What I have include what I know”. That is exactly where this book is heading. Writers write their books from experience and skilful abilities which may have been inherited: an experience that may flow from inspiration, instructions whatever their form, active lessons learnt in education, professional or personal tragedies and tri-umphs. My own understanding is not different. If anything, I have been through them all—bereavement and failings amongst others.I can only give you what I have, in poems and in other forms of words, from experience that I have acquired.Like my patients who ultimately found relief from my offering, I hope this book will serve as a great comfort to you, the readers.Now, the book is divided, broadly, into sections to make for easy search and access. Readers may discover that, life in general is a continuum. As such, while individual poems as sources of encouragement may be read individually, the poems as in, life may be read altogether.My target audience is just you who in times of need, you may requires simple words of encouragement to give you a boost. If my poems have resonated with you and help your personal situa-tion, then, I have achieved my aims.

Tess Gordon is forced to overcome her fear of sleeping alone in her room when she is taken on an exciting adventure by her collection of thematic dolls.In the late 21st Century, Earth's ecosystem is rapidly approaching the point of complete collapse. In a stroke of luck, an ancient alien ship is discovered on Mars with technology that could allow mankind to relieve the pressures on their homeworld and settle the stars. Many people view this wondrous technology as a gift, but there are those on Earth who wish to see it destroyed as a danger to everyone. When a team of researchers is lost after receiving an ominous alien warning during a prototype test, UNSA Commander Adrian Daniels is forced to participate in a political cover-up and lead his remaining crew into unknowable danger, while struggling against a tide of deadly intrigue. Meanwhile, Sally Yeung, the young prodigy who leads Commander Daniel's research team, must race to uncover the secrets of a vanished alien civilization to not only save the crew, but possibly all of humanity as well.

Issue #2 of B0t. A fanzine. For fans.Jay Leicester (pronounced "Lester") is a retired airline pilot, retired because he could not stand the bureaucratic web the government spun over the aviation industry, and partly because anyone with the price of a bus ticket could fly on the airlines which resulted in overbooking, overcrowding, and near chaos on every route. Raised in a family of Judges and police officers, the only thing he knew to fall back on was the law. Opening his own private investigation business was a natural evolution, especially since he had trouble with authority, and could work outside the constraints of legalese. Handling mostly aviation related cases, recovery of stolen aircraft, investigating drug-hauling pilots, and helping set up corporate aviation departments kept him busy.In Blind Overlook we find Leicester doing a favor for an attorney friend and taking a case far removed from aviation. It involves something he knows nothing about, the art world. A beautiful, but enigmatic young woman who owns an art gallery in New Orleans hires him to travel to Maine where a body has been found fitting the description of her brother and partner in the gallery. He has not been heard from and the young lady grows concerned as he was traveling with four hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash with which to buy a collection of work by an artist named, Rockwell Kent. Delving into this situation leads Leicester straight into a confrontation with the most powerful Mafia figure in the United States, a local detective, a police sergeant, local fishermen, and a friendly, but suspicious waitress at a local caf . The entire populace of the small community seems involved in the murder, the missing brother and his money. Maine coastal locals and offshore islands provide a unique setting for a powerful work reminiscent of Ross MacDonald or John D. McDonald. Character driven and plot oriented, this is a must read for the serious Mystery/Thriller 'aficionado.'There are a total of 10 ebooks in the Jay Leicester Mysteries Series by JC Simmons:Blood on the VineBlind OverlookSome People Die QuickIcy Blue DescentThe Electra FilePopping the ShineFour Nines FineThe Underground LadyAkel DamaThe Candela of Cancri

This booklet contains seventeen poems about the joy, wistfulness, and danger inherent in canoeing in autumn.These seventeen poems celebrate canoeing lakes and rivers in a season of short, bright days that are tinged with a bit of wistfulness for another season past. They include poems about the peacefulness of September and the joy that is October, as well as the danger that is canoeing in November. This is part of the series, Canoeing Poems: A Year in Four Volumes.

In a world in which the police have telepathic powers, how do you get away with murder? Ben Reichs heads a huge 24th century business empire, spanning the solar system. He is also an obsessed, driven man determined to murder a rival. To avoid capture, in a society where murderers can be detected even before they commit their crime, is the greatest challenge of his life.

A short story about brothers, basketball, growing up, and growing apart.Rob was the wonder kid growing up, so his older brother Danny took on the role of slacker. It's the middle of the night, but Danny is fighting with his girlfriend again, so there he is at Rob's door. A few beers later, they're playing one-on-one basketball for the first time in years, and it's feeling a little bit too much like old times for Rob.

Andy is an elite Harrhein soldier, a Lancepesade (medieval precursor to Lance Corporal) in the Royal Pathfinders. He's injured and recovering in a frontier fort, working in the armoury, when he realises he isn't alone. Something else is there, too small and quiet to be human.Harrhein is a kingdom in a fantasy world, very much like earth but set five hundred years in the past. There are constant incursions by tribesmen and raiders from the north and east, and Andy is a soldier with the elite Royal Pathfinders. He has taken a spear through the thigh and his presence in the armoury is good for the Kingdom, when there is an infiltrator. An ordinary soldier would probably not even notice the presence of the strange being, let alone catch it.Harrhein is based on a mixture of European countries and this is a story about soldiers, from a time when professional soldiers were beginning to evolve, but the majority were still bound to their lord. The author has clearly drawn on his own experiences to give authenticity to the military angle.