When Marvin Redpost agrees to go over to Casey Happleton's house, he doesn't know what he's in for. Casey shows him the magic crystal she has just found and offers to give Marvin a few wishes. Is the crystal really magic? Or is it too good to be true?

Mrs. Pidgeon has been reading Aesop’s fables to her second grade class. What’s a fable? Well, it’s a story that has animals as characters, and it teaches you something important, and . . . Once again it is Gooney Bird Greene who knows how to turn lessons into fun. She has an idea. A fabulous idea! What if each child creates his or her own fable, and tells it to the class? One by one Mrs. Pidgeon’s students create costumes and stories and morals and excitement. Everyone except Nicholas. What on earth is making Nicholas so unhappy? Leave it to Gooney Bird, of course, to help him solve his problem . . . in a truly fabulous way.

How badly can a simple night at the movies go? When you're freelance monster hunter Eric Margrave and his ghostly partner Lydia, well, the simplest night out can end up being downright magical. And no, that isn't a good thing.Eric Margrave, monster hunter-for-hire, and his spectral partner Lydia have faced down ghosts, zombies, dark gods, and evil sorcerors together. But there is a thing more terrifying than all of these evil beasts combined: a broken television.Eric and Lydia are in need of a break. And when Lydia's beloved TV dies an early death, Eric offers her a night at the movies to help them both unwind. But this wouldn't be Eric's life without something going horribly wrong, and the movie theater is not the relaxing night they went out in search of.It's going to be a magical night for our heroes.

These are the voyages of the starship, A.S.F. Willful Child. Its ongoing mission: to seek out strange new worlds on which to plant the Terran flag, to subjugate and if necessary obliterate new life life-forms, to boldly blow the... And so we join the not-terribly-bright but exceedingly cock-sure Captain Hadrian Sawback - a kind of James T Kirk crossed with 'American Dad' - and his motley crew on board the Starship Willful Child for a series of devil-may-care, near-calamitous and downright chaotic adventures through 'the infinite vastness of interstellar space'... The bestselling author of the acclaimed Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence has taken his life-long passion for 'Star Trek' and transformed it into a smart, inventive and hugely entertaining spoof on the whole mankind-exploring-space-for-the-good-of-all-species-but-trashing-stuff-with-a-lot-of-hi-tech-kit-along-the-way type over-blown adventure. The result is this smart. inventive, occasionally wildly OTT and often very funny novel that deftly parodies the genre while also paying fond homage to it.

Angel Sabato has been in love with best friend Grace O'Brien for 10 years--but he's only just realized it. Too bad she doesn't take him seriously when he tells her about his feelings. Reeling from the rejection, Angel hightails it out of town. Now Grace is left to wonder if her problems from the past are keeping her from opening herself to love. But she brushes these "useless" musings aside, concentrating instead on the work she's doing as an apprentice to folk healer Tante Lulu and keeping up with the old woman's good deeds. Such as starting a foundation to help families still homeless after Hurricane Katrina. One family consists of 5 children who lost their parents. The eldest, only seventeen, has been struggling to take care of her siblings and lying like heck to the state agencies in order to keep everyone together. Tante Lulu and Grace take the children under their wings and decide the foundation will build a house for them. Re-enter Angel, who helps with the construction. Unbeknownst to Grace, Tante Lulu has decided to try her hand at matchmaking again. And Tante Lulu has never failed before!

STOP. You should not have touched this flyer with your bare hands. NO, don't put it down. It's too late. They're watching you. My name is David Wong. My best friend is John. Those names are fake. You might want to change yours. You may not want to know about the things you'll read on these pages, about the sauce, about Korrok, about the invasion, and the future. But it's too late. You touched the book. You're in the game. You're under the eye. The only defense is knowledge. You need to read this book, to the end. Even the part with the bratwurst. Why? You just have to trust me. The important thing is this: The drug is called Soy Sauce and it gives users a window into another dimension. John and I never had the chance to say no. You still do. I'm sorry to have involved you in this, I really am. But as you read about these terrible events and the very dark epoch the world is about to enter as a result, it is crucial you keep one thing in mind: None of this was my fault.

Newly married to novelist Rosie M. Banks, Bingo bucks the current trend by being extremely happy, although he does tend to lose his shirt on various horses. This collection of wonderfully funny stories features a cast of outrageous characters.

Independently wealthy eco-terrorist Twilly Spree teaches a flagrant litterbug a lesson--and leaves the offender's precious Range Rover swarming with hungry dung beetles. When he discovers the litterer is one of the most powerful political fixers in Florida, the real Hiaasen-style fun begins.

A rather likable Lucifer, decidedly un-evil demons, sorcery gone awry, romance and hilarity are the theme of this heart-warming very tall taleDeep in the rugged mountains of southern West Virginia, nestled in the cradle of an idyllic little valley, the tiny town of Brandell, and its colorful cast of lovable characters, hold an ancient secret. Here, in this most unlikely of places, the women of Brandell Valley cook, clean, shop, gossip, dream, fall in love – and guard the gates of Hell. The tranquility of daily life in the valley is disrupted when Lucifer finds a way out of the depths. He simply quits his job as the devil, packs his bags, and heads for Florida. Pandemonium erupts in the valley when, without the devil to keep things in check, various demons find their way out of Hell and wander into Brandell. A rather likable Lucifer, decidedly un-evil demons, sorcery gone awry, romance and hilarity are the theme of this heart-warming very tall tale. (Author's Note - Although Brandell is a real town in southern West Virginia, the story I've written... may not be exactly true.)

An energetic, comic tale of Captain Major's battle with the Borer.When Captain Major is blamed for the rise of the new supervillain, the Borer, she must find new partners to save Metroville from destruction.The second Captain Major story in the series, The Borer details Captain Major's struggles with supervillains and single life. Dee Major signs up with ChooseYourOwnCompanion.com, a 80s nostalgia dating site. When a date goes horribly wrong, Captain Major can't jump into action because her new enemies are just too ordinary. Dee Major tries to defuse the situation, but a new super villain is born. The Borer immediately seeks his revenge against Captain Major by destroying the city she comes out of retirement to protect.The story continues to reward soft-core nerdery, with nods to Dig Dug, Dead Poets Society, GamerGate and super hero tropes from Ben Edlund to Stan Lee.The Borer includes language and themes likely to be appropriate for those fourteen years and older. It's less explicit than the Deadpool movie.

“Among the most indelible American novelists of the last hundred years. . . . [Harrison] remains at the height of his powers.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times on *The River Swimmer* New York Times best-selling author Jim Harrison is one of America’s most beloved writers, and of all his creations, Brown Dog, a bawdy, reckless, down-on-his-luck Michigan Indian, has earned cult status with readers in the more than two decades since his first appearance. For the first time, Brown Dog gathers all the Brown Dog novellas, including one never-published one, into one volume—the ideal introduction (or reintroduction) to Harrison’s irresistible Everyman. In these novellas, BD rescues the preserved body of an Indian from Lake Superior’s cold waters; overindulges in food, drink, and women while just scraping by in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; wanders Los Angeles in search of an ersatz Native activist who stole his bearskin; adopts two Native children; and flees the authorities, then returns across the Canadian border aboard an Indian rock band’s tour bus. The collection culminates with He Dog, never before published, which finds BD marginally employed and still looking for love (or sometimes just a few beers and a roll in the hay), as he goes on a road trip from Michigan to Montana and back, arriving home to the prospect of family stability and, perhaps, a chance at redemption. Brown Dog underscores Harrison’s place as one of America’s most irrepressible writers, and one of the finest practitioners of the novella form. **Praise for Jim Harrison’s Brown Dog: “There is broad comedy in the writing, but also tenderness, and never a moment when the reader isn’t rooting for Brown Dog to get it right. . . . We would all be the poorer if deprived of Jim Harrison’s first-rate stories.”—The New York Times Book Review on The Summer He Didn’t Die “Brown Dog, an old friend to fans of Harrison, . . . boasts the rare ability to reject the frills and artificial complexities of modern life and keep to the basics. . . . Like reading a book describing dear friends.”—Miami Herald on The Farmer’s Daughter “A 21st-century version of Huck Finn.”—The Charleston Gazette on The Farmer’s Daughter**

There's strange things afoot on Mars. Mike must dig deep if he's going to find out what's going on, make it out alive, and locate the mysterious Rose.There's strange things afoot on Mars.In this incredibly skewed and slightly humourous tale, Mike must dig deep if he's going to find out what's going on at Mars Incorporated, make it out alive, and above all else locate the mysterious Rose.And... what's the deal with the Black Cat, and why is it so important that Mike follows it? To make matters worse, he doesn't even like cats!

The last thing Rex ever wanted to do was break Cara’s heart. That’s why he’s canceling prom… at the last minute. But will Cara ever understand that, after being a zombie longer than he’d care to remember, Rex is simply tired of doing the chicken dance. And breaking human girls’ hearts?!?Grayman chronicles a daring and disturbing experiment to decisively end the tenacious threat of global terrorism. A group of powerful corporate and political players lever a desperate world to create a multinational force of surgical strike teams, authorized to cross borders and pursue targets with impunity; armed with advanced weapons, technology and armor; and directed by a cutting-edge artificial intelligence. But more than simply employing high-tech military might, this new army is designed to fight a true “information war” by operating completely in the public eye, their missions crafted for maximum marketability, their operatives shaped into Hollywood-style action heroes.The series focuses on the man being groomed to be the wired public’s greatest hero: Given the “stage name” Mike Ram, he’s charismatic, talented and damaged unknown, pushed by circumstance to become a merciless predator. Initially little more than a trauma-driven serial killer, he’s given a new identity and is re-programmed to kill on cue to satisfy the media’s thirst for violent and visible retribution against an equally vicious enemy. Ram quickly rises from being a murderer on the run to being an untouchably popular celebrity and global leader, as his every action plays out on the public stage.In Book One: Acts of War, the enigmatic “Grayman” has been killing known terrorists throughout Europe in spectacularly brutal fashion. Captured by Coalition forces, he is recruited by a joint military and intelligence project to create the ultimate counter-terror force, only to find himself being carefully groomed into something unthinkable: a popular hero.

LizAnne had looked forward to becoming the next First Lady of the State. Her husband was a "shoo-in" to become the next Governor. That is, until he was carted off to jail for alleged campaign wrong-doing. So, with Eddie in jail and no available money, LizAnne needed a job. But, not knowing anything except party planning and smiling for the cameras on the campaign trail, LizAnne was at a loss untilLizAnne was to become the next First Lady of the State. The smooth-talking Ed Christie was certain to become the next Governor...until he was carted off to jail for alleged campaign wrong-doing. LizAnne needed a job, and she needed a job fast. And, to her surprise, a friend from twenty-something years ago became her new employer.