Hauntings is a collection of supernatural short-stories that remains on the threshold between the fantastic and the psychological. Perhaps ghosts and strange forces do exist here, but they?re always invited by the obsessions, hatreds and passions of the living. In the first story, Amour Dure, a historian researching Medieval Italy falls in love with the portrait of a Machiavellian woman and becomes the means to carry on a centuries-old revenge. In Dionea, a mysterious little girl cast ashore is taken in by Catholic nuns, but her pagan ways prevent her from adjusting. The longest story, Oke of Okehurst, concerns a woman whose obsession for family history brings about a tragedy. In the final story, A Wicked Voice, a musician scoffs at an 18th century singer who may have made a deal with the Devil to receive his talent, and starts hearing his voice wherever he goes. The role of women and the danger of the past are recurrent motifs in these stories: in Amour Dure, we read the life story of one Medea da Carpi, a schemer who tried to kill her way to power and sacrificed her lovers one by one to get it. In The Wicked Voice the protagonist takes us to the music of the 18th century; apart from the unusual idea of haunting someone through a ghost voice, this story seemed the weakest one to me.

Crony capitialism has lead to the end times in this story featuring an all disabled cast who must fight for their lives in a dying world with only one bleak unspecific called "The Fix", but for all anyone knows it's glorified euthanasia. Legless Pre-Op Transwoman Michelle must decided whether or not to take her own life faced with the horrors of the dying world and the impossibility of transition.Crony capitalism has lead to the end times and it is up to an atheist hispanic man named Clark, a one handed white catholic named Isaac, a suicidal legless pre-op transgender named Michelle, and their native american friends the crippled Piet and the blind Raven to do the only thing that one can do in the end times. Attempt to survive the Apocalypse in the worm of an airborne virus no one is immune to brought on by greed, GMOs, and Right Wing politics.Weekly listening to their radio for food drops and any chance at repairing the world. One day the group hears about a mysterious substance known as The Fix, what it does, when it will drop, if they'll still be alive when it does, and if that can save the world currently unknown to them. All they can do is try to survive until a brighter day comes, if it ever will.A sensational Sci-Fi book that young adults of all ages will adore. The young will love the deep connections the characters feel for one another and the older will love the political and environmental subtexts. Written by HawlSera aka Jessica Nichols-Vernon, one of the prolific writers of the long time standing furry writing group "The Transformation Story Archive"

"The end of the world began roughly about the time that Billy Carver’s butt rang about halfway through the War of 1812."The end of the world, as told by a teenager."So as near as I could tell the end of the world began roughly about the time that Billy Carver’s butt rang for Santa Claus about halfway through the War of 1812."Sixteen year old Briar Gamble is having a bad day.It started with the cell phones singing for Santa Claus. Then came the tanks and the storm troopers.The Black Masks, in their black fish bowl sunglasses.And then along came Captain Albino.The shooting started shortly after that.Like I said - Briar Gamble is having a REALLY bad day.And it's about to get worse.

Beautiful, flirtatious, and recently widowed, Lady Susan Vernon seeks an advantageous second marriage for herself, while attempting to push her daughter into a dismal match. A magnificently crafted novel of Regency manners and mores that will delight Austen enthusiasts with its wit and elegant expression.

Charming, insightful and immensely entertaining in its unique presentation of one of America's legendary figures, Mount Vernon Love Story, by famed suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark, shows the reader the man behind the legend, a man of flesh, blood and passion, and in the author's skilled hands, the story and the man come fully and dramatically alive. Mary Higgins Clark's interest in George Washington was first sparked by a radio series she was writing in the 1960s, called "Portrait of a Patriot," vignettes of American presidents. Always a lover of history, she wrote this biographical novel -- her first book -- and titled it Aspire to the Heavens, which was the family motto of George Washington's mother. With all events, dates, scenes and characters based on historical research, the book was published in 1969. Its recent discovery by a Washington family descendent led to its reissue under its new title, Mount Vernon Love Story. In researching George Washington's life, Mary Higgins Clark was surprised to find the engaging man behind the pious legend. He was a giant of a man in every way, starting with his physical height. In an era when men averaged five foot seven inches, he towered over everyone at six foot three. He was the best dancer in the colony of Virginia. He was also a master horseman, which was why the Indians gave him their highest compliment: "He rides his horse like an Indian." She dispels the widespread belief that although George Washington married an older woman, a widow, his true love was Sally Carey Fairfax, his best friend's wife. Martha Dandridge Custis was older, but only by three months -- she was twenty-seven to his twenty-six when they met. Mary Higgins Clark describes their relationship from their first meeting, their closeness and his tenderness toward her two children. Martha shared his life in every way, crossing the British lines to join him in Boston and enduring with him the bitter hardship of the winter in Valley Forge. As Lady Bird Johnson was never called Claudia, Martha Washington was never known as Martha. Her family and friends called her Patsy. George always called her "my dearest Patsy" and wore a locket with her picture around his neck. In Mount Vernon Love Story, Mary Higgins Clark tells the story of a rare marriage and brings to life the human side of the man who became the "father of our country."

Sam Green is an art student with some pretty creative habits when it comes to solving mysteries, in this new series from author and artist Sarah Vernon. It's the coldest part of a Boston winter when her friend Catherine is found dead in the painting studios one evening. The police are quick to rule her death a suicide, but Sam knows that something doesn't seem right. Despite the protests of her friends Rebecca and Stephanie (although - happily - with the help of her crush Arun), Sam starts to poke around the old art department building. Peering into the dark corners of studios and underneath piles of musty art supplies, Sam soon uncovers some surprising suspects and motives behind Catherine's death, in an art department simmering with artistic jealousy, resentment, and more relationship drama than a daytime talk show could handle.The only question is, will Sam be able to find out who killed Catherine before that...

In 1691 the town of Crossfall taught the witch Thessaly how to die. Now she has come back with an army of scarecrows.Hell will surely follow.In 1691 the town of Crossfall taught the witch Thessaly how to die. They beat her, they shot her, they hung her - but nothing worked. When they finally tried to bury her alive Thessaly set the field against them. The first man died as a gust of wind harrowed the meat from his bones. A root,flung like a dirty javelin, cut a second man down. Many more deaths followed. The Preacher Fell impaled the witch upon her very own broom but she dragged him down into the field to wait for three more centuries.Three hundred years later Maddy Harker will murder her bullying husband Vic. She will bury him in the field as she buried her abusive father years before that. The very same field where the revenant spirit of Thessaly Cross lies waiting.In three days Vic will rise again - a thing of dirt, bone and hatred.Men will call him the Tatterdemon.And hell - and Thessaly - will followThis is the first volume of the Tatterdemon Trilogy. If you liked this first volume you can purchase all three volumes either separately or you can save money and purchase them all together in a three volume omnibus.

Tormented by his religious family and the broader conservative community of Pawley' s Island, South Carolina, fourteen-year-old Josh struggles with the pressure to conform to their puritanical standards. As he embarks upon his high school years, Josh meets a supportive cast of eccentric small-town characters, falls in love with his classmate, becomes obsessed with David Bowie, and fumbles in his attempts to make his own thongs. But it' s when his elderly neighbor gives him a copy of Walt Whitman' s " Song of Myself" that he begins to understand his own sexuality. Our Bodies Electric is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the exuberance of youth, the individual quest for sexual identity, and the joy of finding connections in the most unexpected of places.

Sinatha Emerson is a smart girl who is fighting for her life. Her mother Jackie loves her but loves her new husband more. What is a young girl to do in a situation like this? Does she have and advocate? And if she does will it matter?THIS IS SHORT, SHORT STORY!Readers of Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel, James Patterson and Nora Roberts will enjoy this explosive psychological thriller. Allen and Cynthia Hunt are an upper middle-class San Francisco couple who find themselves on a deserted hiking trail at the wrong time. A momentary lapse in judgement plunges them both into an endless nightmare that threatens to destroy not only their marriage, but their very lives. From Rabid Readers Reviews:The Drive-By Wife is a wonderful psychological thriller in the vein of "Cape Fear" and "Misery." If you like Stephen King, Dennis Lehane and Gillian Flynn, you will like Mike Wells. "This book is a gripping, absorbing and disturbing portrayal of domestic strife leading to a violent nightmare." - Emma Hunneyball, Book Reviewers (UK)"Excellent character development, plot line is through-the-roof original, and the whole premise is marvelously bizarre and intimidating." - The Word Verve, Alpharetta, GA (USA)"If you are into psychological crime thrillers grab this book." - Reviewer CristiAk, Juneau, Alaska"I have read most of the great thrillers and this is right at the top with them. Wells does not disappoint." Sheena Jennings, Butte, Montana (USA)

Award-winning author Olympia Vernon’s third novel, A Killing in This Town, is a taut, poetic masterpiece that exhumes a horrific epoch from the annals of the American South.There is a menace in the woods of Bullock County, Mississippi, and not only for the black man destined to be lynched when a white boy comes of age. The white men who work at the Plant are in danger, too, but they refuse to heed Earl Thomas’s urgent message that the factory is slowly killing them; turning a deaf ear to the black pastor. Thomas knows he should try to deliver the message again, but he hears the blood of his murdered friend calling to him from the ground, and fears that he will be the next black man to be dragged to his death. Adam Pickens, a white boy now on the eve of his thirteenth birthday, isn’t sure he wants to wear the garb being readied for him by the Klan seamstress, or participate in the town’s ugly ritual. It is only when Gill Mender—a man haunted...

My family's whiskey empire needs to keep me as CEO. But thanks to my dad's will, to take my place as rightful head of the company, I need to find a wife. If I could just get my brother Sean's pain-in-the-arse best mate, Grace, out of my head long enough to focus on finding a decent woman.The woman maddens me, but she's a longtime friend of the family, so giving her a job as my assistant is the only way I can keep everyone off my back. But the more time I spend with her, the more I find myself looking differently at this girl from my past.Too bad she's decided not to give me the time of day.Each book in the Murphy Brothers series is STANDALONE:* Straight Up Irish* Murphy Brothers

NFL football star Vernon Davis delves into his astonishing career, from winning Super Bowl 50 in 2016 with the Denver Broncos to reinventing himself as an actor and producer, and recalls the hard-won lessons—including that infamous press conference—that paved his path to success. INCLUDES AN INTRODUCTION FROM COACH MIKE SINGLETARY In October 2008, after a San Francisco loss to Seattle, Vernon Davis was put on blast by Coach Mike Singletary in a fiery speech criticizing his "me-myself-and-I attitude." It proved to be the turning point in Davis's career, and the inspiration for him to change his mind set and his game plan, as well as his perspective on life and family. At the time, Davis was a young, talented player drafted by the San Franscisco 49ers in 2006 at number six, one of the highest drafted tight ends in NFL history. He played ten years for the 49ers, including a 2013 Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens in a 34–31...

Here in book five of the series, characters have to face their fears. And readers will learn to trust God one step at a time, even when it doesn't seem to make sense.Will mysterious events cause the Last Chance Detectives to run scared?Memories of Mike's dad resurface when a space shuttle mission goes bad and the family of the pilot witness the shocking disaster in the desert skies above Ambrosia. Will Mike ever discover the truth about his dad's plane crash in the Middle East? Why won't God answer his prayers?Soon another mystery unfolds as reports of strange and frightening apparitions filter in from the desert, along with smoky green fog. Could aliens and enemy soldiers both be attacking Ambrosia?Mike, Winnie, Ben, and Spence investigate at an abandoned military base—only to discover that their greatest fears await them.

In the fourth book of the series, readers learn that God will never leave you.Will Mike find his way out before he runs out of water?Winnie, Ben, and Spence have just found Mike's compass in the dirt at an old abandoned motel in town. And worse, the empty getaway car from yesterday's bank robbery is sitting in the motel's courtyard.The Last Chance Detectives launch a desperate search for one of their own—but it's a race against time, and the odds are against them.A manhunt . . . the figure of a winged jaguar . . . flames in the desert sky . . . and a trail of clues lead out into the barren, unforgiving wilderness known as Fire Lake.

It was Billy McTavish's first sea voyage.He had signed on to the serve as convoy escort on the THISTLE a Royal Canadian Navy corvette.Through U-Boat attack and Luftwaffe bombing runs, Billy had thought he had seen all of the horror that the Atlantic could offer a young Canadian sailor.But Big Jimmy Noonan had other ideas...It was Billy McTavish's first sea voyage.He had signed on to the serve as convoy escort on the THISTLE a Royal Canadian Navy corvette.Through U-Boat attack and Luftwaffe bombing runs, Billy had thought he had seen all of the horror that the Atlantic could offer a young Canadian sailor.But Big Jimmy Noonan had other ideas...]***WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING ABOUT STEVE VERNON'S WRITING! "If Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson and Robert Bloch had a three-way sex romp in a hot tub, and then a team of scientists came in and filtered out the water and mixed the leftover DNA into a test tube, the resulting genetic experiment would most likely grow up into Steve Vernon." – Bookgasm "Steve Vernon is something of an anomaly in the world of horror literature. He's one of the freshest new voices in the genre although his career has spanned twenty years. Writing with a rare swagger and confidence, Steve Vernon can lead his readers through an entire gamut of emotions from outright fear and repulsion to pity and laughter." - Cemetery Dance "Armed with a bizarre sense of humor, a huge amount of originality, a flair for taking risks and a strong grasp of characterization - Steve's got the chops for sure." - Dark Discoveries “Steve Vernon is a hard writer to pin down. And that’s a good thing.” – Dark Scribe Magazine "This genre needs new blood and Steve Vernon is quite a transfusion." –Edward Lee, author of FLESH GOTHIC and CITY INFERNAL “Steve Vernon is one of the finest new talents of horror and dark fiction" - Owl Goingback, author of CROTA "Steve Vernon was born to write. He's the real deal and we're lucky to have him." - Richard Chizmar

It's the night before Halloween and Viper, leader of Viper's Vermin, has been presented with the biggest score of the year by Bad Wolf of the Lunar Legends. When the job proves too horrible to actually pull off Viper in kidnapped and threatened with rape, death, and the destruction of her gang who are being forced into pulling off the gig anyway. This is the first story of Queen Of Anarchy.Taking place in a dark future in an alternate reality where Homo Erectus could not compete with their lupine counterparts VIper's a 17 year old bad ass gerbil woman in charge of her own biker gang. One with a moral compass who has refused what was described as the Biggest Job Of The Year fearing it too horrible to pull off. As a result she finds herself kidnapped and having to escape the lair of the most notorious thug around Bad Wolf, or else she will find her gang doing the job anyway and herself raped then murdered. This is just the first chapter in an epic saga of Urban Fantasy taking inspirations from real world spirituality.Recommended reading for Feminists, Furries, Spiritualists, and lovers of Exploitation Films. best of all it's only the start of a series featuring Viper's Vermin in smart political satire on why Right Wing Politics would be the death of the United States. Previously an Amazon exclusive, the debut chapter of this series is now available on Smash Words FOR FREE! I've gone back and forth on publishing this, but thanks to my friends I finally decided to go through with making this a series.

The theory of evolution has been around for over 150 years. Each year more information is discovered supporting the theory. The author describes some convincing evidence in support of evolution. He concludes by asking how much more evidence is required before evolution is accepted as fact.What people are saying about this book:"Finally, someone uses my WHOLE quote!": Ned Kelly."I guess I should have known it would come to this.": Noah"If only I had passed through Seagull City on my way to Rangoon!" Russell Guy.

Grab a copy of NINE of the wildest and weirdest cat stories that you have ever come across. Fantasy, mystery and true-to-life tales of cat wonder. "Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause most inconvenience." - Pam Brown "There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person." - Dan Greenberg "Cats are like music. It is foolish to try to explain their worth to those who do not appreciate them." - Anonymous Table of Contents 1. "The Boy Who Loved To Draw Cats" by Steve Vernon 2. "Gilroy and the Kitten" by Jamie Ferguson 3. "Nine Lives" by Leah Cutter 4. "Coyotes, Cats and Other Creatures" by Karen L. Abrahamson 5. "Here, Kitty Kitty" by Annie Reed 6. "The Night Mischief Became a Real Cat" by Annie Reed 7. "A Gingersnap Cat Christmas" by Danielle Williams 8. "When She Gained Her Soul" by Felicia Fredlund 9. "Eclipse" by Linda Jordan

One Wild Night- EPISODE 1 in the first season of the Forever Wild Serial. (This is a six part series with one book releasing every 3 weeks)One Wild Night Can Change EverythingValerie Wilder doesn’t do serious relationships. She also doesn’t usually wake up in Vegas next to a male stripper…A male stripper who happens to be her new husband.One Wild Night- EPISODE 1 in the first season of the Forever Wild Serial. (This is a six part series with one book releasing every 3 weeks)One Wild Night Can Change EverythingValerie Wilder doesn’t do serious relationships. She also doesn’t usually wake up in Vegas next to a male stripper…A male stripper who happens to be her new husband.A quickie divorce seems like the answer, but the Nevada legal system doesn’t think so. When her new husband suggests flying back to Chicago with Valerie she accepts, wondering if one night in Vegas could turn into something much more

"Stylish, smart, and scary as hell.” Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hour of the Witch A young gay man in a perfect marriage will do anything to keep a dangerous indiscretion from his loving husband.Oliver Park, a recovering addict from Indiana, finally has everything he ever wanted: sobriety and a loving, wealthy partner in Nathan, a prominent DC trauma surgeon. Despite their difference in age and disparate backgrounds, they've made a perfect life together. With everything to lose, Oliver shouldn't be visiting Haus, a gay bathhouse. But through the entrance he goes, and it's a line crossed. Inside, he follows a man into a private room, and it's the final line. Whatever happens next, Nathan can never know. But then, everything goes wrong, terribly wrong, and Oliver barely escapes with his life.He races home in full-blown terror as the hand-shaped bruise grows dark on his neck. The truth...

We weren't the church going types but Sally didn't want to get married in a garden. People don't listen in gardens she'd said. Too many distractions with barking dogs and noisy kids. A wedding is an important thing apparently; vows should be absorbed by all guests. Not sure why this is a priority when the guest list boasts the likes of Sally's Aunty Dot with uncontrollable gas and a penchant for yelling out to every passer-by to fetch her a beer. But who was I to question?— from "My Ernest Decision" by Kylie Orr"Yer 'usband." Donohoe cocked the pistol. "Where is he?"Sarah froze.He crossed the room, jammed the pistol to her throat, so she coughed from the pressure of it."Out with it, moll!""Laying dingo traps," she gasped.The pressure eased. "Anyone else 'ere?"She shook her head.A speculative gleam appeared in his eyes. "Well now," he came closer, whispered in her ear, "'tis just the two of...

Phantom Keys is mostly about a brother and sister who discover they have special powers. Giovanni and Gwendolyn Stephens learn about their family's past. While Giovanni is trying his best to live up to his father's name, Gwendolyn is busy with her very own personal issues. Gwendolyn's boyfriend, Marcus River, the former cop, now private detective, has no clue of Gwen's nor Giovanni's double life.The courage of a kidnapped young girl is tested, but her strong will to live will not allow her to become a victim. This dark story of sustained suspense focuses on the thought process of this young woman as she awaits the return of her captor and culminates in a surprise ending. The Captive was selected by San Diego Writer’s Ink Anthology, Vol 4 as one of San Diego’s finest writers. The story lends itself to a quick, but intense read.

Adrian Chase s like something out of a fantasy. Well, if my fantasies included a sexy smirk and a guy working at city hall.But anything further with the charmer is quickly squashed when I find out he's on city council. The exact guy who is trying to stop the building of a new dog park that the animal shelter desperately needs close by.It's literally my job as an intern to get this project seen to completion before the summer's over. Now if only I could get this political prick out of my head long enough to do that.

After being sent to St. Vernon’s Hospital – the Strange & Unusual Diseases Ward – Morris Hollett's world quickly becomes full of magical adventure and mystery. He makes some very unusual friends and is introduced to the extraordinary world of the Wizzers. But, can Morris save them all, and himself, from the The Evil Doctor Dreebil or will the unthinkable happen?Morris Hollett wakes up one day looking and feeling rather odd - his skin is blue, his tongue is constantly changing colour and he’s seeing three of everything. He’s rushed to St Vernon’s Ward for Strange & Unusual Diseases where all patients suffer the weirdest of illnesses and he’s put in a luxurious room away from everyone else. He soon finds out that he’s really very special and ‘suffering’ from Yiddle’s, which means nothing to him. After meeting the smallest boy ever and his friend with the most eyes ever, Morris learns that he has been hit by a spell; a spell which cures everyone else in the Strange & Unusual Diseases Ward. The people in the ward have been unfortunate to have been on the receiving end of spells practised by trainee Wizzers who live in an old part of the hospital called The Acorn.Morris’ adventure quickly turns to panic when he finds out that he is wanted by The Evil Doctor Dreebil. He wants to control the power of the Yiddle’s spell and really has a problem with the Wizzers, who, Morris discovers are the protectors of every young boy and girl and are the most happiest and cheerful people he’s ever met.He’s a nasty type, Dreebil, and when he kidnaps Morris’ two new best friends, Morris is left with a choice that could mean that his friends suffer the worst fate at the hands of the evil doctor, or the patients in the Strange & Unusual Diseases Ward go uncured before the Yiddle’s spell expires. Can Morris escape The Evil Doctor Dreebil, save his friends and the patients of the Strange & Unusual Diseases Ward or will the unthinkable happen?

In the heart of London, a jewel of the ton and her Bow Street lover reunite... A MANSE IN MAYFAIR LADY ALLISON WELDON has a ball to go to, but not before confronting the Bow Street Runner who broke her heart. Sneaking into his London apartment, she expects to call out a cad but finds something else entirely. Wreckage. Ruin. A hollow man. And the dangers which haunt him? Still looming. She dives into the mystery, eager to prove herself useful—to relight that spark in her lover's eyes. But danger is not their only obstacle in love... A HUMBLE GARRET HARRY PLYMOUTH once dreamt of little else besides holding Lady Allison—his Primrose—in his arms. That was until the night he woke to a dagger over his heart. Driven from his home by nameless tormentors, he wants Allison as far from him as possible. But she is set on rendering aid, and he knows he needs her help. Together, they...

The Last Chance Detectives are searching for a long-lost treasure, but they're not the only ones.In book seven of the Last Chance Detectives series, readers learn that people aren't always what they seem—and that some treasures are worth more than gold.Mike and his friends come across an ancient artifact that could unlock riches beyond their wildest dreams. Those dreams are threatened, however, by an unexpected break-in that has the local sheriff puzzled. When a mysterious stranger shows up in town, Mike, Winnie, Ben, and Spence wonder if they are in more danger than they realized.Their hunt for the treasure becomes a race against time as the Last Chance Detectives come face-to-face with perhaps their greatest foe ever! Quest for the King's Crown is a story of heart-pounding action, age-old mysteries, and several unexpected twists. Does the gang have what it takes to meet this challenge?The Last Chance Detectives won't stop until the mystery is solved!

Named as one of the 100 Best Things in the World by GQ magazine in 2003, the riotous adventures of Vernon Gregory Little in small town Texas and beachfront Mexico mark one of the most spectacular, irreverent and bizarre debuts of the twenty-first century so far. Its depiction of innocence and simple humanity (all seasoned with a dash of dysfunctional profanity) in an evil world is never less than astonishing. The only novel to be set in the barbecue sauce capital of Central Texas, Vernon God Little suggests that desperate times throw up the most unlikely of heroes.

Since I play no mean part in the events of this chronicle, a few words concerning my own history previous to the opening of the story I am about to tell you will surely not be amiss, and they may help you to a better understanding of my narrative. To begin with an unimportant fact—unimportant, that is, to you—my name is Malcolm François de Lorraine Vernon. My father was cousin-german to Sir George Vernon, at and near whose home, Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, occurred the events which will furnish my theme. Of the ancient lineage of the house of Vernon I need not speak. You already know that the family is one of the oldest in England, and while it is not of the highest nobility, it is quite gentle and noble enough to please those who bear its honored name. My mother boasted nobler blood than that of the Vernons. She was of the princely French house of Guise—a niece and ward to the Great Duke, for whose sake I was named. My father, being a younger brother, sought adventure in the land of France, where his handsome person and engaging manner won the smiles of Dame Fortune and my mother at one and the same cast. In due time I was born, and upon the day following that great event my father died. On the day of his burial my poor mother, unable to find in me either compensation or consolation for the loss of her child\'s father, also died, of a broken heart, it was said. But God was right, as usual, in taking my parents; for I should have brought them no happiness, unless perchance they could have moulded my life to a better form than it has had—a doubtful chance, since our great virtues and our chief faults are born and die with us. My faults, alas! have been many and great. In my youth I knew but one virtue: to love my friend; and that was strong within me. How fortunate for us it would be if we could begin our life in wisdom and end it in simplicity, instead of the reverse which now obtains! I remained with my granduncle, the Great Duke, and was brought up amid the fighting, vice, and piety of his sumptuous court. I was trained to arms, and at an early age became Esquire in Waiting to his Grace of Guise. Most of my days between my fifteenth and twenty-fifth years were spent in the wars. At the age of twenty-five I returned to the château, there to reside as my uncle\'s representative, and to endure the ennui of peace. At the château I found a fair, tall girl, fifteen years of age: Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, soon afterward Queen of France and rightful heiress to the English throne. The ennui of peace, did I say? Soon I had no fear of its depressing effect, for Mary Stuart was one of those women near whose fascinations peace does not thrive. When I found her at the château, my martial ardor lost its warmth. Another sort of flame took up its home in my heart, and no power could have turned me to the wars again.

The Library of Alexandria is an independent small business publishing house. We specialize in bringing back to live rare, historical and ancient books. This includes manuscripts such as: classical fiction, philosophy, science, religion, folklore, mythology, history, literature, politics and sacred texts, in addition to secret and esoteric subjects, such as: occult, freemasonry, alchemy, hermetic, shamanism and ancient knowledge. Our books are available in digital format. We have approximately 50 thousand titles in 40 different languages and we work hard every single day in order to convert more titles to digital format and make them available for our readers. Currently, we have 2000 titles available for purchase in 35 Countries in addition to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Our titles contain an interactive table of contents for ease of navigation of the book. We sincerely hope you enjoy these treasures in the form of digital books.

Deep in the forest, in a decaying hunting lodge, a curious bond flickers into existence . . .
A LIFE TINGED BY RUIN
BETH CLARKE has earned perhaps the most dubious distinction in England-that of being kidnapped twice in one night. Thirty years old and burdened with new responsibilities, her life is a far cry from the rebellion of her youth. Worse, a greedy land agent has designs on her new fortune. When his attempt to abduct her is waylaid by a band of highwaymen, the thieves' mysterious "Captain" offers Beth a strange salvation—perhaps not only from a cold night, but from a cold past, as well . . . 
A PAST MARRED BY MUTINY
RHYS BOOKER was born to a different name, one that he no longer deserves. Cruel turns of fate have brought him here, to a life outside the law—a life that felt like the only possibility before she came into it. With a robbery gone sideways, he can't simply...

"People don't understand how desperate you have to be to eat a boot," he replied. "Exploration of uncharted territory is very demanding, especially in the arctic. They don't realise what we went through: the bitter cold, the scurvy, the unknown. Men died of starvation out there; they did desperate things. These were good men reduced to scraping moss from rocks to survive. Yes, we ate boot leather as well, but it was an act of desperation, a last ditch attempt at survival. They act like I ate my boots as a matter of choice."— from Act of Defiance by Harold MallyTwenty-six award-winning short stories vividly bring Australian history to life, in this anthology from both established and new writers. Chosen by Gregory Blake, Jamie Hodder, Nadine Smith and David Vernon, Australian history has never been more interestingly and entertainingly presented.

In this dark comedy taking place over twenty-four hours, a blizzard pummels Toronto as a beloved high school teacher coerces his teenage student to assist in his violent suicide forcing the student, his best friend, the friend's bulimic mom, and a down-low cop to outrun each other, the storm, and the ghosts haunting them. I Met Death & Sex Through My Friend, Tom Meuley is a breathtaking and hilarious novel about the lengths people will take to erase themselves in order to matter.

Vernon Poche just wants to go home, but home isn't the same anymore. Hurricane Katrina changed all that. Could the ghosts who remain haunting the empty streets show him the way? Paul Siefken, President and CEO of Fred Rogers Productions is known as the very best in educational children's media on broadcast and digital platform. He now brings his talent to print form in this lovingly written and touching story of New Orleans historic people and culture - just for kids of course.

Mary James is the firms toughest client. The sexy Hollywood accent turned pariah after a leaked sex tape surfaced. One she claims is totally fake.If I want to move up to associate in my PR firm, I have to take her on as a client.The two of us figure the easiest way to help her is simple: a fake relationship.But what happens when something fake gets to be too real and fame gets involved?Each book in the Friendship, Texas series is a STANDALONE*Edge of Glory*Rumor Has It*Meet Virginia*Part of Me*The One That Got Away*Something to Talk About*Love Like Crazy

No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing - cats are always watching you. Even when you think that cat is totally ignoring you, that cat is watching. Do you own a cat? Take a quick look, and see if that cat doesn't flick one ear, or twitch their tail, or even briefly cock one vertical eye into a kind of a gun-slit winky-peek radar-honing right in your general direction - while all the while letting on like that cat doesn't even notice you. So, seeing that your cat is doing all of that watching, maybe you had better grab yourself a look at these nine magical cat tales. Read them to yourself or better yet read them aloud to your cat and see if you can't irritate one of those low and rumbling growls of indignation that only cats can seem to make happen. Just watch and see. "In ancient times cats were worshiped as gods; they have not forgotten this." - Terry Pratchett "The problem with cats is that they get the same exact...

A LOL Romantic comedy series set in the small, fictional town of Friendship, Texas. The first three books in the series, together in one set: Edge of Glory Jay Morningstar was an Olympic swimming legend. I had a poster of him wearing nothing more than his gold medals and a pair of man panties on my bedroom wall. Needless to say when Jay walked into my parents’ restaurant in the tiny town of Friendship, Texas, I made an idiot of myself. But somehow he likes me. Me, Lia Conti, the weird girl with strict Italian parents. Now if only I could get used to the fact that whatever I have with this superstar is real--no matter what the tabloids and other people seem to tell me. Rumor Has It Eddie Justice is the epitome of sexy with his dimpled smile and crooning country lyrics, but to me he’s just the boy next door. Now that we’re both back in Friendship, Texas in less than desirable circumstances, maybe it’s finally time I tell him how I feel. Of course fate has a way of f*cking things up. The last thing either of us expected were the ups and downs of falling in love with your best friend. Meet Virginia Everything in life has always come easily to me. Except Virginia, the art student studying abroad in Sicily where I’m helping at my cousin's restaurant. Now that I’ve met her, I can’t get her out of my head. She’s too good for me and we both know it. And even though it feels like it could be the worst thing for both of us, I can't help but want every part of her. Now if only we both knew how bad we were for eachother. This series is complete! Each book in the Friendship, Texas series can stand alone, but you'll see updates on your favorite characters throughout each book. 1. Edge of Glory 2. Rumor Has It 3. Meeting Virginia 4. Part of Me 5. The One That Got Away 6. Rumor Has It 7. Love Like Crazy

Lachlan Dunn lifted his eyes from the book he was trying to read. He studied his uncle in the dim lamplight. "What you all done up for?"Thaiter grinned and finished tucking his clean shirt into his trousers. "It's me birthday. I'm off ta the Cosmopolitan for a couple.""Your birthday?" Lachlan laughed."You'll note. I'm done right. Clean and shaven." Thaiter did a spin and twinkled his eyebrows. "I might get lucky tonight."— from "Done Right" by Donna FieldhouseThe postman dropped a bundle of mail and there's a letter with the AIF crest, I recognised the same rising sun symbol from Uncle John's slouch hat. Nanna concentrated for a long time, holding the thin paper out at arm's length as if any closer would risk infection by a terrible disease hidden there. She stretched her old thin arms away from her as if trying to bring the important words into focus.— from "Water or Speed" by Karen LethleanRaise the term 'history' in a conversation in any group and half the participants will...

A "profoundly raw and gripping" novel of a young girl in Mississippi struggling with poverty and a troubled family (The Baltimore Sun). In Mississippi, fourteen-year-old Maddy Dangerfield has just impulsively drawn a naked woman on the pages of Genesis in bright red lipstick during Sunday service. The community is scandalized, and her devout, long-suffering mother's response is to force her to spend weekends nursing her Aunt Pip—an outcast who lives on the edge of town. Now Maddy moves between her own home—which she shares with her hard-working, Bible-reading mother and her drinking, gambling, womanizing father—and Commitment Road, where she serves as caregiver for her aunt, who is dying of breast cancer. Grievances from the past have left Pip estranged from the family, but as Maddy spends time with her and her eccentric neighbor, Fat, she begins to discover the exhilaration of speaking your own mind and living...

I entered the church...It struck me suddenly that all this crowd of men and women standing all round, these priests chanting and moving about the altar, were dead... Vernon Lee was a polymath whose copious writings include deeply learned studies of art, music, literature, and history, but also a small but exquisitely crafted group of Gothic tales, most of which first appeared in fin de siècle periodicals including the iconic Yellow Book. In these stories of obsession and possession, transgressive desire reaches out from the past — through a haunting portrait, a murdered poet's lock of hair, the uncanny voice of a diabolical castrato — dragging Lee'sprotagonists to their doom. Among those haunted by Lee's 'spurious ghosts' was Henry James, who praised her 'gruesome, graceful...ingenious tales, full of imagination'. This new edition includes Lee's landmark 1890 collection Hauntings complete, along with six additional tales and the 1880 essay 'Faustus and Helena', in...

The Hitch Hikers is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Vernon L. McCain is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Vernon L. McCain then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.

Part social epic, part punk-rock thriller, writer/filmmaker Virginie Despentes's Vernon Subutex trilogy continues the Man Booker International Prize shortlisted sprawling tale of an ex-record shop clerk's celebrity fortunes and misfortunes.Rock star Alex Bleach might be dead, but he has a secret. It's a secret that concerns several people, but the only person who can unlock it is Vernon Subutex, former record shop proprietor turned homeless messiah and guru, last seen hallucinating and feverish on a bench. He has tapes of Alex that will shake the world. The hunt is on, and the wolves are closing in.Meanwhile, the cast of lovers and killers in Vernon's orbit is in violent disarray. Aïcha wants to know the truth behind the death of her mother, the porn star Vodka Satana. And if she finds the bastards responsible, she wants to make them pay, whatever Céleste thinks of her plan. Céleste wants Aïcha to get a grip and stop hanging around with Subutex's...

One of Vulture's most anticipated books of 2021Paris may burn, the world may crumble, but Vernon Subutex shall reign supreme! — The final installation of writer/filmmaker Virginie Despentes's Man Booker International Prize shortlisted punk-rock trilogy.As storm clouds gather, portending a final reckoning, ersatz rave-cult leader Vernon Subutex decides to return to Paris. Even if it means leaving behind his disciples. He has to. He's got a dentist's appointment.Back in the city, he learns that an old friend from his days homeless on the Paris streets has died and left him half of a lottery win. But when Vernon returns to his commune with news of this windfall, it's not long before his disciples turn on each other. Such good fortune does not accord with the principles Vernon has handed down.Meanwhile, the monstrous film producer Laurent Dopalet is determined to make Aïcha and Céleste pay for their attack on him,...

Danny Dragonbreath has seen a lot of weird things, but nothing quite like the inside of his best friend Wendell's brain. Wendell has been having terrible nightmares, and Danny and Wendell's totally-not-girlfriend Suki agree to venture into the iguana's mind to get rid of the thing causing the dreams—before Wendell goes permanently insane. There's more scary stuff in Wendell's strange and nerdy subconscious than Danny bargained for, and getting out of there is no easy feat, even for a ninja girl and an almost-fire-breathing dragon.The eighth book in the smoking hot Dragonbreath series for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate will make you laugh until smoke comes out your nose!

The surprise winner of the 2003 Man Booker Prize, DBC Pierre's debut novel, Vernon God Little, makes few apologies in its darkly comedic portrait of Martirio, Texas, a town reeling in the aftermath of a horrific school shooting. Fifteen-year-old Vernon Little narrates the first-person story with a cynical twang and a four-letter barb for each of his diet-obsessed townsfolk. His mother, endlessly awaiting the delivery of a new refrigerator, seems to exist only to twist an emotional knife in his back; her friend, Palmyra, structures her life around the next meal at the Bar-B-Chew Barn; officer Vaine Gurie has Vernon convicted of the crime before she's begun the investigation; reporter Eulalio Ledesma hovers between a comforting father-figure and a sadistic Bond villain; and Jesus, his best friend in the world, is dead-a victim of the killings. As his life explodes before him, Vernon flees his home in pursuit of a tropical fantasy: a cabin on a beach in Mexico he once saw in the movie Against All Odds. But the police-and TV crews-are in hot pursuit. Vernon God Little is a daring novel and demands a patient reader, not because it is challenging to read- Pierre 's prose flows effortlessly, only occasionally slipping from the unmistakable voice of his hero-but because the book skates so precariously between the almost taboo subject of school violence and the literary gamesmanship of postmodern fiction. Yet, as the novel unfolds, Pierre 's parodic version of American culture never crosses the line into caricature, even when it climaxes in a death-row reality TV show. And Vernon, whose cynicism and smart-ass "learnings" give way to a poignant curiosity about the meaning of life, becomes a fully human, profoundly sympathetic character. -Patrick O'Kelley Pierre takes a freewheeling, irreverent look at teenage Sturm und Drang in his erratic, sometimes darkly comic debut novel about a Texas boy running from the law in the wake of a gory school shooting. Vernon Gregory Little is the 15-year-old protagonist, a nasty, sarcastic teenager accused of being an accessory to the murders committed by his friend Jesus Navarro in tiny Martirio, "the barbecue sauce capital of Texas." Vernon manages to make bail and avoid the media horde that descends on the town after the killings, but he's unable to get to the other gun-his father's-which he knows will tie him to the crime, despite his innocence. His flight path takes him first to Houston, where he unsuccessfully tries to hook up with gorgeous former schoolmate Taylor Figueroa; the crafty beauty, promised a media job by the evil Lally, who's also duped Vernon 's mom, follows him to Mexico and efficiently betrays him. Most of the plotting feels like an excuse for Vernon 's endless, sharply snide riffs on his small town and the unique excesses of America that helped spawn the killings. Unfortunately, Vernon 's voice grows tiresome, his excesses make him rather unlikable and the over-the-top, gross-out humor is hit-or-miss. Pierre 's wild energy offers entertaining satire as well as cringe-provoking scenes, and though he can write with incisive wit, this is a bumpy ride. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Starting a life and family? CheckGetting Offers for higher paying jobs? Check Turning down a hottie from the past...Um...not so much.Blaine Crabtree never considered himself a lucky man until Libby Gentry came into his life. Now, he isn't sure if he is lucky or just the biggest sap in the parish. To be fair, he is a married man now with a baby on the way, but that doesn't stop old habits from dying hard. With his friends calling for him to go out and a job relocation out of town, he isn't getting to see much of Libby, but a certain ex keeps finding her way back to him. When Blaine feels like the walls are closing in around him, will he break out and go on his own path or are he and Libby meant to be?

Some stories tiptoe up and whisper in your ear – all sweetness and gumdrops and happy-ever-after-after-there-you-go. Then, there are the weird ones. We’re talking talking-chickens, blue plague spam monkeys, tug boats of unbridled and fetid fecundity, tulwar-swinging cab drivers, malls that maul you, gnawing on screwdrivers and jig-lining elder gods coming at you faster than a ride-on mow-down massacre mower shopping cart caravan. This is a collection for the seriously messed up minds of all you readers who have grown tired of the trite detritus of day-to-day storytelling These are some of the weirdest, most messed up mind-bending kind of stories that have ever been written – and I’m daring you to read them now.Plague Monkey Spam – a novella of spider-gods, storytelling and the kitchen sink Gnarly Ho-Tep Hoedown Two-step – a story told over a hand of potato chip poker Hunger Time at the Midnight Mall – a yarn of belly-grumble and fear The Last Curl of Gut Rope – chicken, egg, chicken, egg, crack this riddle if you dare. All of this wonderful madness is brought to you by Steve Vernon – the creator behind the cult novella classic - Long Horn, Big Shaggy: A Tale of Wild West Terror and Reanimated Buffalo. Read this if you dare.

Will has got a terrible secret.He keeps this secret hidden in the field out back behind his house.Sam and Artie will do just whatever Will tells them to do because they know what Will’s secret is and they’ll do anything to make sure that Will doesn’t lose his temper on them.Because you can never tell about Will…What critics say about A FINE SACRIFICE.“A FINE SACRIFICE is a chillingly understated story of a baseball-obsessed man’s type of creep, his misogynistic outlook and the soul-warping effects he’s had on the unfortunate people in his orbit.” - Jim Lee, Scavenger’s Newsletter (1999)“Steve Vernon was born to write. He’s the real deal and we’re lucky to have him.” - Richard Chizmar, Cemetery Dance Magazine

The Fall of Doctor Onslow (1994) was the sixth and final novel by Frances Vernon (1963-1991). Published posthumously, it is perhaps her finest work. Set in 1858 it is the story of Dr George Onslow, reformist headmaster of a leading public school, who harbours private passions that are fated to be the death of his life's ambition.'A searing indictment of the process of education... The narrative is tersely written in a style that successfully captures Victorian restraint and its stifling sensibilities.' Ben Preston, Times'A remarkable work, written with spirit and erudition... It is difficult to believe when reading it that the author was a child of our times and did not actually live in the middle of the last century: she recreates that world so vividly, with such understanding of its characters, such an ear for its speech, such feeling for its attitudes and taboos.' Jill Delay, Tablet

Sweet and sexy!! Loved it! This is the type of story you read again and again- #1 New York Times best selling author Rachel Van Dyken Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth. Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for. Now, as Melanie struggles to pick up the pieces, she realizes that John may be the only one to put her life back together…unless he shatters it first.

A myth-busting novel about America's most infamous and beloved outlaw, Billy the Kid, from a critically acclaimed historical novelistAccording to legend, Billy the Kid killed twenty-one men, one for every year of his short life; stole from wealthy cattle barons to give to the poor; and wooed just about every senorita in the American Southwest.In Lucky Billy, John Vernon digs deeply into the historical record to find a truth more remarkable than the legend, and draws a fresh, nuanced portrait of this outlaw's dramatic and violent life.Billy the Kid met his celebrated end at the hands of Pat Garrett, his one-time carousing partner turned sheriff, who tracked Billy down after the jail break that made him famous. In Vernon's telling, the crucial event of Billy's life was the Lincoln County War, a conflict between a ring of Irishmen in control of Lincoln, New Mexico, and a newcomer from England, John Tunstall, who wanted to break their grip on the town. Billy signed on...

Spanning the length and width of Nova Scotia, these 25 blood-chilling yarns make perfect campfire fare. Somestories are so terrifying that they have been told far and wide, such as "The Ghosts of Oak Island" or "The Haunting of Esther Cox." Others, including "The Murder Island Massacre" and "The Caledonia Mills Spook," might be lesser known, but are no less scary. These stories of the haunted, the supernatural, and the inexplainable are part history, part folklore, and a lot of old-fashioned, frightening fun.

In 1691 the town of Crossfall taught the witch Thessaly how to die. They beat her, they shot her, they hung her - but nothing worked. When they finally tried to bury her alive Thessaly set the field against them. The first man died as a gust of wind harrowed the meat from his bones. A root,flung like a dirty javelin, cut a second man down. Many more deaths followed. The Preacher Fell impaled the witch upon her very own broom but she dragged him down into the field to wait for three more centuries. Three hundred years later Maddy Harker will murder her bullying husband Vic. She will bury him in the field as she buried her abusive father years before that. The very same field where the revenant spirit of Thessaly Cross lies waiting. In three days Vic will rise again - a thing of dirt, bone and hatred. Men will call him the Tatterdemon. And hell - and Thessaly - will follow.

Danny Dragonbreath can't breathe fire, but he has no fear. And that comes in handy when a bad grade at school inspires him to enlist his cousin the sea-serpent's help with a research project. Using a hybrid of comic-book panels and text, Ursula Vernon introduces an irresistible set of characters that will have readers laughing until smoke comes out of their noses!

Maxwell Ross had set into motion a plan to avenge his younger brother. But he was wreaking revenge on the wrong woman, as Gemma Coleridge was only too happy to tell him—at first. But soon, too soon, her heart overrode her head. She lost her anger in Maxwell's arms, in the firm pressure of his lips on hers, and dared to dream of a happiness that could last forever with this rugged Scottish laird.

The delight of Christmas shoppers at the unveiling of a London department store's famous window display turns to horror when one of the mannequins is discovered to be a dead body... Mander's Department Store in London's West End is so famous for its elaborate window displays that on Monday mornings crowds gather to watch the window blinds being raised on a new weekly display. On this particular Monday, just a few weeks before Christmas, the onlookers quickly realise that one of the figures is in fact a human corpse, placed among the wax mannequins. Then a second body is discovered, and this striking tableau begins a baffling and complex case for Inspector Devenish of Scotland Yard. Vernon Loder's first book The Mystery at Stowe had endeared him in 1928 as 'one of the most promising recruits to the ranks of detective story writers'. Inspired by the glamour of the legendary Selfridges store on London's Oxford Street, The Shop Window Murders followed, an entertaining and richly...

William Tripp Chapman has always been the black sheep of his family's political dynasty. His oldest brother has a six-figure income, his youngest-groomed for the senate. And Tripp is the brother known for wrecking his Porsche after a drinking bender and winding up in rehab.On the night of his father's presidential election he takes a detour and meets a waitress at a local hole-in-the-wall diner. Samantha "Sam" Green is just as broken as he is, but covers it up with enough snark so that no one tries to get too close.When Sam gets kicked out of her apartment, Tripp agrees that she can crash on his couch until she gets on her feet. But as they grow closer physically, the ghosts of their past threaten to burden their new relationship.The only way they can overcome their demons is to face them instead of running. Can Sam help Tripp find his way or will their own battles bury them?

Princess Harriet is nobody's hamster damsel in distress! Book two of this series for Babymouse and Princess in Black fans is filled with even more action and twisted fairy tale fun Princess Harriet has absolutely no interest in brushing her hair, singing duets with woodland animals, or any other typical princess activities. So when a fairy tells a very bored Harriet about twelve mice princesses who are cursed to dance all night long, she happily accepts the quest and sets off with a poncho of invisibility and her trusty battle quail. But when she arrives at the Mouse Kingdom, she discovers there's more to the curse than meets the eye, and trying to help is dangerous business . . . even for a tough princess like Harriet. From the creator of Dragonbreath, comes a laugh-out-loud funny new comic-hybrid series, bursting with girl power and furry fairy tale retellings.

The Marquis of Westmarch (1989) was Frances Vernon's fifth novel, and perhaps her most original and richly imagined work, fit to stand comparison with Theophile Gautier's famous gender-bending historical romanceMademoiselle de Maupin (1835).Its protagonist is Meriel Longmaster, a handsome and well-liked nobleman who conceals a secret known only to the loyal steward who has known him since youth - and who begins to feel the need to confide that secret in another. Meriel's choice, however, will have dire consequences.'A book which combines the narrative excitement of Georgette Heyer with the sexual premises of Germaine Greer... a provocative and lively presentation of feminist issues.' Caroline Brandenburger, Independent'A fantastic, haunting, and extremely well-written story of love and death.' Philippa Toomey, Times

From the creator of Dragonbreath comes a tale of witches, minions, and one fantastic castle, just right for fans of Roald Dahl and Tom Angleberger. When Molly shows up on Castle Hangnail's doorstep to fill the vacancy for a wicked witch, the castle's minions are understandably dubious. After all, she is twelve years old, barely five feet tall, and quite polite. (The minions are used to tall, demanding evil sorceresses with razor-sharp cheekbones.) But the castle desperately needs a master or else the Board of Magic will decommission it, leaving all the minions without the home they love. So when Molly assures them she is quite wicked indeed (So wicked! REALLY wicked!) and begins completing the tasks required by the Board of Magic for approval, everyone feels hopeful. Unfortunately, it turns out that Molly has quite a few secrets, including the biggest one of all: that she isn't who she says she is. This quirky, richly illustrated novel is filled with...