"Washburn brings a new kind of terror. " —Marc Cameron THIS IS NOT A TEST It begins with a computer malfunction. A 737 passenger jet drops from the sky from 34,000 feet. Then another. And another. At the same time, the unthinkable happens in our nuclear power plants. Water pumps fail. Nuclear cores melt. Untold millions could die . . . THIS IS THE FUTURE OF TERROR With each passing hour, orchestrated cyber attacks unleash a massive wave of death and utter destruction. Chemical plants explode. Floodgates burst open. Power grids self-destruct. From Wall Street to Washington, the fear is going viral—and the panic could lead to the total annihilation of America. THIS IS WORLD WAR 3.0 Missiles and guns are useless. Generals and diplomats are powerless. America's last hope lies with two specially trained FBI agents: Hank Goodnight and computer programmer Paige Randall, who must penetrate...

Real pitch meetings happened in tiny, stuffy offices, stacked to the ceiling with towers of shoddy, half assed scripts, fast food wrappers littering the floor like greasy shrapnel because busy people tend to toss without looking, and to top it off they always (and I mean always) reeked of stale coffee and the even staler guys who chugged it.Have you ever read a book and thought, "gee I'd really like to know more about all those background characters!" Well we here at Team Pop Culture thought of that; because we're awesome, and we've got you covered. Behold, the Everything Sucks series! All of these short stories are stand-alones, and will make sense even if you haven't read the novel "Pop Culture Sucks, Manifesto of a Vampire" (*cough* it's a great book though *cough*)The series will either introduce you to, or expand on, various characters from the Pop Culture Universe. You'll get peeks at things like: Iris's time in the Underground Gary's life in the late 1940's Stitch, the Speakeasy barkeep And many all new charactersSo whether you're familiar with these guys or not, this is a series you should check out!

Set in the far future, new empires, which have risen from the rubble of a devastating war, are looking across the Great Rift to the untouched stars which lie there. Great riches and power will come to those who can control them. Refugees from the earlier, destroyed civilization have already made a home here and they look upon the newcomers with decidedly mixed emotions.

One of the biggest land grabs in America's history sets off a powderkeg of trouble for the Ridgeway family ranch—and ignites a deadly new fight for the fate of the nation . . .THE OKLAHOMA LAND RUSH At high noon on April 22, 1889, the U.S. government offered up two million acres of free land to anyone brave enough to take it—first come, first served. The fact that it was in the heart of Indian Territory didn't stop thousands of would-be settlers from trying to stake a claim. For them, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. But for the Ridgeway family—and the native tribes of the region—it's a disaster waiting to happen. On top of warding off cattle rustlers, they now have to compete for everything they have just to hold their ground. Together they will face every battle head-on to keep their dream alive . . . History would call it the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. But the Ridgeways—and thousands like them—will call...

'The next time I went for air you were at the surface, sideways, prone and ragdolling in the mouth of a shark. But the shark was holding you gently, do you understand? It was holding you like you were made of glass, like you were its child.'In 1995 in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores is saved from drowning by a shiver of sharks. His family, struggling to make ends meet amidst the collapse of the sugar cane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favour from ancient Hawaiian gods. But as time passes, this hope gives way to economic realities, forcing Nainoa and his siblings to seek salvation across the continental United States, leaving behind home and family. With stunning physical detail and a profound command of language, Washburn's powerful debut examines what it means to be both of a place, and a stranger in it.

Stuck in a small wooden rowboat, stalked by an unknown beast, two teenage girls must fight their fear and try to survive.Prospector Dan Rourke is always the first one to go in springtime and the last one out in the fall. This year, he’s left it a bit late. After days on snowshoes, and with night falling, he desperately needs to warm up. The Ghost Saloon still stands, but he’ll burn it down if he has to, unless McKittrick’s ghost has other ideas. A short story of western adventure.

It's time for the Harvest Festival again, and Phyllis is determined to bake a killer pecan pie.Hollywood comes to Weatherford, Texas, as a movie company arrives to shoot scenes for a film based on the novel by Phyllis Newsom's friend Eve. But movie fantasy turns to deadly reality as a murder recreated for film turns out to be the genuine article, and once more Phyllis has to track down a cunning killer to see that justice is done.Death Bakes a Pecan Pie is the fourteenth novel in the critically acclaimed and best-selling Fresh Baked Mystery series. Phyllis and her friends tackle another complex case with all the humor, camaraderie, good-hearted warmth, and delicious recipes that have made readers around the world fall in love with this series.Recipes included!

As the Martian force tries to consolidate their position in the U.S., President Theodore Roosevelt gathers the best scientific minds and industry leaders to meet the Martian challenges. Staking everything on a roll of the dice, a joint army-navy force are in the midst of developing a landship to win the war. The big question is if they can complete it in time.

AN AMERICAN DREAM IN THE MAKING From acclaimed storyteller Tim Washburn comes a thrilling new saga of the Old West, the sprawling story of one frontier family—and the Texas home they fought for, lived for, and died for . . . THE LEGEND BEGINS When the Ridgeway family staked their claim on four-thousand acres of land in northwest Texas, they knew they had their work cut out for them. Located on a sharp bend of the treacherous Red River, their new home—the Rocking R Ranch—was just a stone's throw away from Indian territory. It was as lawless and wild as the West itself, crawling with unsavory characters, cattle rustlers, horse thieves, outlaws, robbers, and worse. But still, the Ridgeways were determined to make the Rocking R a success—and a home—for their four remarkable children: Percy, Eli, Abigail, and...

The Battle for Earth continues! The merciless invaders from the Red Planet have entrenched themselves all over the world, but President Theodore Roosevelt and the men of the US Army and Navy are focused on the aliens threatening the American heartland. As forces are rushed to meet the invader, science and industry race to build the weapons needed to match the fantastic machines of the aliens. But not all is well with the Martians as they struggle to adapt to a new world. The lines are drawn as each side prepares for what they hope will be the decisive battle. This is the second book in the first trilogy of The Great Martian War.

The kingdoms of the east have all but forgotten the old magic. Science has replaced the wizards; muskets and cannons have replaced the swords and armor of the old knights. But across the mountains, Atark, a shaman of their ancient enemy, the nomadic Kaifeng, has rediscovered the old magic and, thirsting for revenge for his murdered family, he unleashes it in a new war of conquest. As city after city falls to the invader, Matt, a young soldier, and Jarren, a reluctant scholar, desperately search for an answer to this seemingly unstoppable weapon. Meanwhile, Kareen and Thelena, two young women from different cultures, are thrown together by fate—and find that in a world drenched in blood, the only thing they can count on is each other.

"Just think LEGEND OF ZELDA meets GAME OF THRONES." -- Nathan Tucker, Numinous Locke loves stories--they fill him with a longing he can never quite describe --but he's not the sort of kid who actually lives adventures himself. That is, until a bloodthirsty band of marauders passes near his home and Picke, a musical sylfe, dares him to follow. In hopes of fulfilling his longing, Locke accepts the dare. This leads him on a quest where he must face snarling wolves, wield a magic blade, and risk his life to rescue a Goddess--a girl he hardly knows but who he can't stop thinking about. In the spirit of Legend of Zelda and Peter Pan, SONG OF LOCKE portrays a detailed fantasy world, somewhat grittier than its forebears and drenched in human emotion. The tale has swordfights, witty banter, crushes, and even some subtle philosophy smuggled in. It's an epic for everyone who loves good stories--for anyone who has longed for something that seemed forever out of reach.

Olivia Rose and her friends have just finished their first semester as college freshmen and are planning to raise a little hell on their college break, but have no idea just what hell is to be raised. Hungry for a good time, they provoke the locals only to find themselves in a nightmare that never seems to let up. With their lives on the line, this young group of friends fight to escape this hopeless situation while the locals sink their teeth into this sick game of cat and mouse. The only chance at survival is to meet violence with violence. The terror unfolding will have you reconsidering your drive through small-town America.

Seven years ago, as Camm Smith herded a pack of little trick-or-treaters past the decaying mansion in her hometown of Trona, California, her young neighbor Hugh disappeared, becoming the latest in a string of vanished children. Now a high school senior, Camm is still haunted by the old tragedy and is convinced the answer lies hidden in the abandoned house. Joining forces with her best friend, Cal—who happens to be Hugh's older brother—Camm naively begins a perilous search for the truth. Events quickly spiral out of control, however, and as more people begin to die, Camm and Cal discover it will take all of their combined ingenuity to fend of the evil being lurking deep within the bowels of the mansion and federal agents determined to keep old secrets permanently hidden. The two friends must race against the clock to discover the truth about the house before they, too, disappear without a trace.

It's time for the State Fair of Texas—and cooking contests galore! Fryers are heating up and stomachs are growling. But Phyllis Newsom had better watch out. Someone's brought an appetite for murder.... Phyllis and her friends Carolyn and Sam are ready to whip up their best dishes and win some ribbons in Dallas. And they're excited to learn that one of their favorite celebrity chefs—Joye Jameson of The Joye of Cooking—is broadcasting her TV show from the fair. When Phyllis's funnel cake is picked as one of the best of that category, Joye invites her and the other finalists to prepare their delicious recipes live on the air. But Phyllis's moment in the spotlight is spoiled after Joye suffers a deadly allergic reaction from one bite of her funnel cake. Now she's gone from top entry to top suspect. So in order to clear her name, Phyllis will have to turn up the heat on this investigation before the real killer slips through her fingers.......

One might say that CJ Washburn is obsessed with Stella Summers. After all, common sense all but takes flight when she goes missing for a time. How could he not think to check his email or voice mail or not find the note she had left in his apartment? He runs to the scene of a body dump in fear that it is her, possibly the third victim in what appears to be turning into a serial killing rampage.  “And this guy calls himself a private investigator?”  A private investigator he is, and a good one at that. However, women’s bodies keep turning up and by the fourth victim he becomes a person of interest; by the fifth, the prime suspect and the subject of a manhunt from the Idaho panhandle to Southern Arizona. Bodies continue to drop around him until his deepest fear is pushed upon him and his investigative skills are challenged at the highest level. In a message from the killer he learns that the next victim will be one of the women in his life; his daughter, his girlfriend, his attorney or even his ex-wife. Who is the next target of this deranged killer? About the Author James Paddock spent his youth in the Big Sky Country, of Montana, graduating Charles M. Russell High School in Great Falls. The following forty-plus years included a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Idaho, service with the U.S. Navy, owner/operator of a small business in South Carolina, a career as a Graphic Designer and a marriage that produced three fine children, who then have provided bragging rights for many extremely fine grandchildren. James is now living in Florida, with his wife, Penny, enjoying the sun & rain and working on his next novel.

When Things Go Really SouthNo one is surprised when feisty Delilah Dickinson opens her own literary travel agency in Atlanta after her divorce. But during her first group's tour of an old plantation modeled after Tara from Gone with the Wind--complete with a full cast of actors--things go south really fast. The actor playing Clark Gable playing Rhett Butler is found dead, apparently the victim of a fatal dose of Southern in-hospitality. Before anyone can even think "Where shall I go? What shall I do?" Delilah finds herself taking over the investigation when the #1 suspect turns out to be her son-in-law. But life starts imitating art when the actors begin taking their roles a little too seriously--believing they actually are Ashley Wilkes, Scarlett O'Hara, and Melanie. Next stop: Sunset Boulevard."Amusing, breathlessly quick." --Publishers Weekly"Liva J. Washburn's mysteries are among the best." --Mystery News"Gone with...

Product DescriptionAt this year's school carnival fund-raiser, the obnoxious president of the Parent Teacher Organization is found stabbed through the heart with Phyllis Newsom's own knife, with traces of incriminating frosting. Clearing her name will be no piece of cake...

In a desolate mining town, deep in the Mojave Desert, the struggle continues against unearthly predators straying across dimensional boundaries. At the forefront of the skirmish, teens Camm and Cal, have seen their feelings for each other deepen in spite of misguided efforts by federal agents to keep them apart. Cal has been arrested and the manhunt for Camm is expanding. Hoping to protect Camm, Cal makes a deal with the agents to guide an expedition through a portal in the Searles Mansion to the parallel world of the deadly Mojave Green, where Cal's friend, Lenny, is lost. The agents hope the Mansion holds the secret to controlling alien crossovers, and believe Cal can help them uncover that secret. Not understanding what Cal is doing, Camm is devastated by Cal's apparent betrayal. Making matters worse, Camm's secret ally, Agent Allen, is also compelled to join the mission to save Lenny. Camm is left alone to face her worst nightmare, a seemingly indestructible creature...

Following the defeat of the Martian invasion of Britain, a new threat to humanity lands in the American west. President Roosevelt musters the captains of industry and leading scientists to find a way to turn back the Martian tide

Dan Callahan's daughter was supposed to take care of her fourth grade class's pet mice over the Christmas vacation—or so she claimed. Melissa Logan, the little girl's teacher, wondered why she had gotten close with the handsome single dad, only to have him back off unexpectedly. But when the mice went missing, the truth about everything came out, and the search for the elusive creatures led not only to unexpected secrets from the past but also to the answers that two lonely people had been seeking without even knowing it.NAUGHTY OR MICE is a heartwarming Christmas novelette from award-winning author Livia J. Washburn. Funny, poignant, and romantic, it's a charming "tail" you won't soon forget.

From Publishers WeeklyGone with the Wind provides the inspiration for Washburn's fun Literary Tour mystery, the first in a new cozy series. Divorcée Delilah Dickinson, who owns an Atlanta travel agency, has high hopes for her new tour to sites associated with Margaret Mitchell and her landmark novel. Unfortunately, by the time the group reaches Tara for a dinner dance, which includes local actors portraying the famous characters, nothing's running smoothly. Then Steven Kelley, the actor playing Rhett Butler, turns up dead in the mansion's garden. In classic Agatha Christie fashion, a sheriff's department investigator tries to catch the killer by keeping the group at Tara overnight—with Delilah's unasked for assistance, of course. Much like the charismatic Rhett, Steven had an eye for the ladies, but otherwise lacked any Clark Gable charm. Washburn (_Murder by the Slice_) supplies an amusing, breathlessly quick resolution to what proves a featherlight crime of passion. (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Product DescriptionNo one is surprised when feisty Delilah Dickinson opens her own literary travel agency in Atlanta after her divorce. But during her first group's tour of an old plantation modelled after Tara from "Gone with the Wind" - complete with a full cast of actors - things go south really fast. The actor playing Clark Gable playing Rhett Butler is found dead, apparently the victim of a fatal dose of Southern in-hospitality. Before anyone can even think 'Where shall I go? What shall I do?' Delilah finds herself taking over the investigation when the number one suspect turns out to be her son-in-law. But life starts imitating art when the actors begin taking their roles a little too seriously - believing they actually are Ashley Wilkes, Scarlett O'Hara, and Melanie. Next stop: Sunset Boulevard.

From magic to murder, from felines to faeries, the authors of NINE DEADLY LIVES spin thirteen tales featuring those sometimes aloof and occasionally dangerous but always adorable creatures we know and love as cats! Whether it's mystery, fantasy, historical, or romance, these cat tales provide plenty of entertainment and thrills!In Livia J. Washburn's SECOND NATURE, a Hollywood stuntwoman must solve an attempted murder case—on a cat!Can Dominique dare to hope she—the girl everyone shunned—could win the love of sexy Bran MacKenzie, the most popular guy in town? In Deborah Macgillivray's SHOES, SHADES, AND FAERYDUST, it might happen!Lovey Villines's cat, Mr. Fred, is the only witness to her possible murder. Brady Rowe, a veteran police officer, searches for a key that will open MR. FRED'S TREASURE BOX and possibly clear everything up.In Mollie Hunt's CAT'S CRADLE, a cat lady discovers a stray kitten trapped in a gym bag. She finds herself pursued through Portland's warehouse district...

AND SO IT BEGINS... In the United States, the Department of Defense and the NSA computer networks have been hacked. A nuclear-armed CIA drone has lost all flight control. North Korea . . . Iran . . . Russia . . . and soon the gates of Hell will open. DEFCON 1—FULL SCALE NUCLEAR WAR Humanity's most terrifying nightmare has become reality. Bombs are detonated, missiles are launched, counterstrikes are ordered, and within minutes, untold thousands of megatons have left countless millions dead or dying. Devastation of biblical proportions has fallen over the land . . . and the USA has been hit the hardest. NOW THE SURVIVORS ARE ON THEIR OWN... The death toll is incalculable. Following the devastation, there is no law, no power, no communication. But there are survivors. And now the real battle begins, on the ground, hand to hand, person to person. Can those who remain survive long enough to rebuild...

The chili in Texas is red-hot . . . and so is murder!Phyllis, Sam, Carolyn, and Eve head for West Texas to compete in a Fourth of July chili cookoff. Thousands of people have descended on a sleepy little ghost town, turning it into a boomtown for chili mavens, gamblers, musicians, and media. Raucous excitement fills the air, but so does chili when a sabotaged propane cooker explodes, killing the much-hated current champion. The victim leaves behind a tangled trail of sleeping with other men's wives, cheating at cards – and maybe at chili cooking – and deadly anger. With Sam a possible suspect in the murder, emotions run hot as a bowl of Texas red as Phyllis has to untangle these threads in order to put her finger on the killer!Livia J. Washburn's beloved Fresh Baked Mystery series is back with another novel full of tasty recipes, dastardly doings, and brilliant sleuthing by Phyllis Newsom and her friends. THE GREAT CHILI KILL-OFF is a delicious dish of murder and detection.

A pair of teens must face a demon from their past In Trona, California, an isolated mining town deep in the Mojave Desert, an unearthly creature once preyed upon the town's folk for decades. Armed with secrets from a puzzle box, Camm and Cal stood against the creature and believed they vanquished the monster. But when they hear that Trona's children are still disappearing, the teenagers, with unsuspecting friends in tow, return to warn the innocent townspeople of the true nature of the creature. However, things have changed; death has come in a new form and the balance between dimensions has been altered. Only a band of few misfits can stop the coming desolation—but it may already be too late.

Phyllis Newsom stands a good chance in the Christmas cookie contest with her snowflake-shaped lime sugar cookies. But Mrs. Simmons? gingerdoodles might give her a run for her money?until she's found strangled in a pile of cookies. With many on Santa's naughty suspect list, this case is a cookie Phyllis means to crumble?

Nothing Can Prepare You. . .It strikes without warning. A massive geomagnetic solar storm that destroys every power grid in the northern hemisphere. North America is without lights, electricity, phones, and navigation systems. In one week, the human race is flung back to the Dark Ages. Nothing Can Save You. . .In Boulder, Colorado, weather technicians watch in horror as civilization collapses around them. Planes are falling out of the skies. Cars are dead. Pandemonium and terror grip the Northern Hemisphere. As nuclear reactors across North America face inevitable meltdowns, the U.S. President remains powerless in a heavily guarded White House. From London to Boston to Anchorage, there is no food, no water, no hope. It's every man for himself. . .and it will only get worse. Survival Is Everything. Only one man--army veteran Zeke Marshall--is prepared to handle a nightmare like this. But when he tries to reunite...

In the latest from the national bestselling author of Trick or Deadly Treat, Phyllis Newsom returns with a festive Christmas recipe that's to die for... 'Tis the season in Weatherford, Texas, and everyone in town is gearing up for the annual holiday parade and tree-lighting ceremony in the town square, where Phyllis Newsom will be serving her much-anticipated candy cane cupcakes. Local rancher Barney McCrory manages to charm one away from her before the ceremony begins. But unfortunately, when the minty confection is finished, so is he. This isn't the first time someone has dropped dead after eating one of Phyllis's treats. But when the paramedics determine the rancher was shot, suspicion swiftly falls on McCrory's daughter and her husband—who both stand to reap some sweet rewards from his death. Though Phyllis doesn't want to get mixed up in another murder investigation, something about this case doesn't sit right with her. With a little help...

"Washburn brings a new kind of terror. "—Marc CameronFIRST THE GROUND SHAKES . . . At Yellowstone National Park, earthquake tremors are common. But today, park scientist Tucker Mayfield detects something different: a disturbing new increase in activity—and intensity . . .THEN THE LAVA RISES . . . Lurking beneath the park's natural wonders, earth's largest supervolcano begins to awaken after 640,000 years. If—or when—it blows, two-thirds of the North American continent will be destroyed . . .NOW THE WHOLE WORLD TREMBLES . . . IN FEAR Racing against time, Tucker Mayfield mobilizes a team to evacuate all visitors from the park—including his family at the Old Faithful Inn. But when the earthquakes intensify, and the death toll rises, a shockwave of panic spreads across the nation. Troops are deployed, emergency plans activated. But nothing can stop a natural disaster of this magnitude. When the...

Two action packed holiday Western stories by award winning author Livia J. Washburn.Blue NortherHired gun Lucas Hallam has been outnumbered plenty of times, but when he comes upon a necktie party for a young boy accused of cattle rustling, he has to step into danger once more—even with the odds stacked against him. No one should hang on Christmas Eve.When the nearby cattle stampede, it looks like things can't get any worse. But the weather is turning deadly, and if they don't get the cattle to shelter—as well as themselves—everything will be lost. Can Hallam protect them from the coming BLUE NORTHER?A Creature Was StirringMistaken for a "skookum", Buffalo Newcomb is shot by a young boy, Tom Villard, as he stops by a creek to fish. When he comes to in a small cabin, Buffalo is grateful to realize that the boy's mother, Ella, has removed the bullet and he has a safe place to recover.It's Christmas Eve, and A CREATURE WAS STIRRING—Buffalo can only hope he's strong enough to keep it...

In China, just because something is banned, doesn't mean it can't boom... Statistically, zero percent of the Chinese population plays golf, still known as the "rich man's game" and considered taboo. Yet China is in the midst of a golf boom — hundreds of new courses have opened in the past decade, despite it being illegal for anyone to build them. Award-winning journalist Dan Washburn charts a vivid path through this contradictory country by following the lives of three men intimately involved in China's bizarre golf scene. We meet Zhou, a peasant turned golf pro who discovered the game when he won a job as a security guard at one of the new, exclusive clubs and who sees himself entering the emerging Chinese middle class as a result; Wang, a lychee farmer whose life is turned upside down when a massive, top-secret golf resort moves in next door to his tiny village; and Martin, a Western executive maneuvering through China's byzantine and highly political business...

Going back to school can be a killer!Phyllis Newsom and Sam Fletcher come out of retirement to take substitute teacher jobs as a favor for some friends, but they soon realize that the more things change, the more they stay the same. That means getting up early, dealing with students and other teachers, and helping out with extracurricular activities. The problem is, for Phyllis, stumbling over dead bodies is an extracurricular activity!When murder strikes at the school's Friday the Thirteenth dance, it's unlucky not only for the victim but also for the student who's the prime suspect. Sam's granddaughter has a crush on the boy and can't believe he's a killer. Neither can Phyllis. The police are convinced, though, so the only way Phyllis can help him is to uncover the true identity of the killer stalking the halls of the high school before it's too late!