A traffic incident is causing a traffic backup on a Rhode Island Bridge. One down on her luck woman thinks she has deduced the reason, as does a man stricken with road rage, but the truth may be sometihng all together different.More at www.banocanut.comPrequel to Book Two of The Gifted Series. Everyone loves a good protagonist and always looks at the antagonist as a bad guy. But what is the antagonist's background, their history? Are they really all that bad? This short story introduces the antagonist in book two of my upcoming Gifted Series. I hope you enjoy this brief introduction and keep a look out for my books in The Gifted Series.Result of a short-story writing contest.

PS Wright has plagiarized another of Granny Which's tales. This time, a bit of a family tall tale has turned up in the wrong universe.When a couple of youngsters wander along the river, they have an odd encounter and experience some most unusual weather. Lucky for Augustus Deforest, May has brought along her umbrella. The wily old catfish known as grey beard doesn't stand a chance.What you more description of a seven page story? Ok, here it is. PS Wright has gone and plagiarized Granny Which Witch's very own family legend. And if that weren't bad enough, she done added some romancy stuff into it.It's ok though. There's big old blue catfish which folks call a grey beard where we come from. He's a wiley one. Augustus Deforest plans to take that one home for his Gran to cook up for dinner. May and Augustus meet by the riverbank. That's when all sorts of odd stuff starts to happen with the weather that might be all due to the Army Corps of Engineers, or maybe something worse. In any case, May is prepared for whatever might happen. She brought her umbrella.

On the run from the government and terrorists, Sgt Sebastian Stone  and Dr Julia Davenport have stumbled on to a shocking conspiracy – but exposing it could cost their lives. While they don’t “do” relationships, their passionate attraction is undeniable, but, as the clock runs down, they must stop this deadly threat...and realise that some things are worth the risk!

This book contains ten short stories written by William Forde, the founder of Anger Management and a leading Relaxation Trainer in Great Britain for over 50 years. It has been written for the 5-9 year-old reader and provides an ideal 10-minute reading slot fill for children during morning assemblies at school and before going to sleep at night. The stories deal with child problem issues of today.In areas of educational, social and moral development, the power of ‘story-telling’ remains unsurpassed. It is an important avenue of effective communication and learning between parent and child; teacher and pupil. ‘Everyone and Everything’ are short punchy stories that maintain the interest of the 5-9 year-old child.‘Story-telling’ stimulates the imaginative and creative processes of the mind and body and makes more things possible than would otherwise be achieved without it. To storytell about issues concerning behaviour that creates everyday problems for the child reader and which can relate to emotions that the child finds difficult to healthily express is a sure-fire way of grabbing their attention time span.The ten stories in ‘Everyone and Everything’ were written for the 5-9-year-old reader in 1990. While they helped to raise a lot of money through their sales for ‘Children in Need’ during November, 1990, their true value is that they can greatly assist in the improvement of aggressive and tense behaviours by children today.I wanted all of the stories I wrote in ‘Everyone and Everything’ to embrace and include the basic principles of Relaxation Training methods and Anger Management aspects of behaviour. As the original founder of ‘Anger Management’ courses in Great Britain during the early 70s and a leading exponent and instructor of Relaxation Training since the age of 22 years, I felt suitably equipped to write about those aspects of behaviour.‘Everyone and Everything’ was my very first published children’s book and proved so popular with children, class-room teachers and school heads that approximately 4,000 copies were sold within the Kirklees Community during November, 1990 alone.‘Everyone and Everything’ went on to prove so popular with heads of schools in subsequent years, not only because of the issues the stories raised, but because of their length and language used. They were easy to read and be read to, and for busy head teachers, the stories could be used ideally within a ten-minute morning-assembly slot. I offer this book freely as an e-book and would advise the school teachers and head teachers of our Primary School Children to consider the merits of reintroducing some of the stories therein to their future school assemblies. I would also ask any downloader of this book who enjoys its content, to promote its readership base and to make a small donation to the Children in Need Appeal next November.William Forde 22nd May, 2012

Swot and Gemma - two unsuspecting schoolchildren - are chosen by enchantress Zophenas, to help her escape from the Underearth. They have to bring her three items that might do the trick; the soul of Waldo the warlock, the magic ointment that enables a witch to fly and a woman who has turned into a two-tailed cat. In return they will receive a starflash opal and six wishes.Zophenas is an enchantress but is trapped in the Underearth. How can she escape? She has heard of three possible ways; to find the soul of Waldo the warlock, to secure the magic ointment made by a witch, enabling her to fly and to capture a woman who has turned into a two-tailed cat.For these tasks she recruits two schoolchildren - Swot, with a gift for maths and his sister Gemma. They find Waldo, who recalls hiding his soul in a bird. But which one? They retrieve it but the ointment - guarded by giant toads - is still needed. Zophenas helps by turning the children briefly into black beetles. The ointment is secured and unbaptised babies, used to bind it - and now also black beetles - rescued from the home of Hagatha the witch. Swot and Gemma also capture the woman who turns into a two-tailed cat. But when Zophenas is freed and the children are offered the starflash opal and the wishes, they make a surprising and wise decision.

Based on the Grimm short story series. The fairy tales you know with a wicked twist.A woman, Jane, who seems out of place in her own world is transported to a world of fairy tales. All is not happy endings, for the world of AaBack's Grimm holds a dark and deadly secret for Jane.In our world, Jane has lived life as if a curse has been on her her entire life. As an artist, she has created...Based on the Grimm short story series. The fairy tales you know with a wicked twist.A woman, Jane, who seems out of place in her own world is transported to a world of fairy tales. All is not happy endings, for the world of AaBack's Grimm holds a dark and deadly secret for Jane.In our world, Jane has lived life as if a curse has been on her her entire life. As an artist, she has created artwork of many fairy tale characters, but her favorite is the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. When she enters the World of Grimm, Jane comes across the Beast, and she's instantly struck with a need to help him. What Jane doesn't understand is that his curse is nothing like the ones in the fairy tales.AaBack's Grimm Dark Fantasy Fairy Tale Series:#1 Tale Of Two Worlds: The Wizard, The Battle Mage, And The Werewolf#2 Friends Reunited: The Janus Beast, The Rose Beauty, And The Cursed Duckling#3 Dragon Scorned: The Towering Mountain Citadel, The Sword Of Cross-Worlds, And The Maximus-curse

Evan Temple was elected President of the United States several months earlier. He has a lot on his plate—the economy, a war with Iran, keeping social cohesion. But one of the last things President Temple expected was an ultimatum that a secret society had warned him about before he became president...before they made him president!These short stories are about what we may think we see and feel as much as they are about any reality we are living in. From the well known Professor Kurtz and his groundbreaking paper on "human de-evolvement," to giant sea turtles suddenly appearing in neighborhood swimming pools, to state governments desperately searching for novel ways to raise money in dire economic times, and to hope in unusual places. We all continue to look for resolution of some kind. Do we not?

A villainous land baron kidnaps a young woman, intent on making her his bride in order to gain her father's oil-rich property. But he doesn't count on her secret love coming to the rescue.Shelly Q, a good-looking and intelligent model, has a handsome and billionaire tycoon falling heads-over-heels in love with her.A shocking and strange incident occurs, which alters Shelly’s gray cells. She descends into a state of hallucinatory madness, and then slowly gets drawn into a vortex of deadly murders, attacks, and acts of deceit, greed and manipulations.Does Shelly really live through the nightmare? Was she imagining the events? Is Shelly dead, and is her ghost experiencing the evil? Or, does Shelly really experience and solve all the nastiness that follows the shocking incident?Read the novelette and hitch a terrifying ride on a nightmarish journey full of death, delusions and an unusual denouement.

When Charlie and Dwayne headed out to play a little baseball on the afternoon of Halloween, they had no idea the adventure they were about to embark upon. When Dwayne hit a ball that headed straight for old Mr. Rollon's window, the two boys were in for the scariest night of their life!This collection of twelve stories contains three from each of the following genres- realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and ghost stories. Here is a brief description of each story-1. a ghost hungry for memories2. a mother who is said to bite off the head of any suitor for her daughter of which she doesn't approve3. a dragon who doesn't want to leave behind a star pupil4. a boy who finds gold while hunting for lost golf balls5. a fish that cannot be caught6. an old woman who finds her past too tempting7. an elf boy who comes to terms with his allergies8. a soldier who confronts his fears9. a human colonist who survives an alien bug10. a little creature who steals grandpa's socks11. three burglars who get more than they bargain for12. a little girl who learns there is more to death than dying

Throughout Maya Angelou’s life, from her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, to her world travels as a bestselling writer, good food has played a central role. Preparing and enjoying homemade meals provides a sense of purpose and calm, accomplishment and connection. Now in Hallelujah! The Welcome Table, Angelou shares memories pithy and poignant–and the recipes that helped to make them both indelible and irreplaceable. Angelou tells us about the time she was expelled from school for being afraid to speak–and her mother baked a delicious maple cake to brighten her spirits. She gives us her recipe for short ribs along with a story about a job she had as a cook at a Creole restaurant (never mind that she didn’t know how to cook and had no idea what Creole food might entail). There was the time in London when she attended a wretched dinner party full of wretched people; but all wasn’t lost–she did experience her initial taste of a savory onion tart. She recounts her very first night in her new home in Sonoma, California, when she invited M. F. K. Fisher over for cassoulet, and the evening Deca Mitford roasted a chicken when she was beyond tipsy–and created Chicken Drunkard Style. And then there was the hearty brunch Angelou made for a homesick Southerner, a meal that earned her both a job offer and a prophetic compliment: “If you can write half as good as you can cook, you are going to be famous.” Maya Angelou is renowned in her wide and generous circle of friends as a marvelous chef. Her kitchen is a social center. From fried meat pies, chicken livers, and beef Wellington to caramel cake, bread pudding, and chocolate éclairs, the one hundred-plus recipes included here are all tried and true, and come from Angelou’s heart and her home. Hallelujah! The Welcome Table is a stunning collaboration between the two things Angelou loves best: writing and cooking. From the Hardcover edition.

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell nee Stevenson (1810-1865), often referred to simply as Mrs. Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. She is perhaps best known for her biography of Charlotte Bronte. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and as such are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature. She married William Gaskell, the minister at Cross Street Unitarian Chapel in Manchester. They settled in Manchester, where the industrial surroundings would offer inspiration for her novels. Her first novel, Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life, was published anonymously in 1848. The best known of her remaining novels are Cranford (1853), North and South (1855), and Wives and Daughters (1866). She became popular for her writing, especially her ghost story writing, aided by her friend Charles Dickens, who published her work in his magazine Household Words. Her other works include The Grey Woman (1865), Lois the Witch and The Old Nurse's Story and Other Tales.

Geek Love is the story of the Binewskis, a carny family whose mater- and paterfamilias set out–with the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopes–to breed their own exhibit of human oddities. There’s Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly normal Chick, whose mysterious gifts make him the family’s most precious–and dangerous–asset. As the Binewskis take their act across the backwaters of the U.S., inspiring fanatical devotion and murderous revulsion; as its members conduct their own Machiavellian version of sibling rivalry,* *Geek Love throws its sulfurous light on our notions of the freakish and the normal, the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the obscene. Family values will never be the same. From the Trade Paperback edition.

In the kingdom of Neroche, nightmarish creatures have been unleashed as weapons in a war of evil. Morgan the mercenary, daughter of a treacherous black mage, must fight against them-as well as for her very life. Miach of Neroche would risk his own life to save Morgan's, but he must do so at the peril of the realm, forcing dangerous choices in the deadliest of quests. **

Written to commemorate the Bicentennial in 1976, James A. Michener’s magnificent saga of the West is an enthralling celebration of the frontier. Brimming with the glory of America’s past, the story of Colorado—the Centennial State—is manifested through its people: Lame Beaver, the Arapaho chieftain and warrior, and his Comanche and Pawnee enemies; Levi Zendt, fleeing with his child bride from the Amish country; the cowboy, Jim Lloyd, who falls in love with a wealthy and cultured Englishwoman, Charlotte Seccombe. In Centennial, trappers, traders, homesteaders, gold seekers, ranchers, and hunters are brought together in the dramatic conflicts that shape the destiny of the legendary West—and the entire country.

Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary, the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark. A new psychological thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of STOLEN and FLYAWAY.