Amid the rubble of a difficult childhood lie memories of huddling beneath beds and behind sofas while parental wars raged. Sisterhood was safety . . . once. But now? Faced with legal papers for a fraud she didn't commit, Tandi suspects that her sister has done something unthinkable. With Tandi's wedding just around the corner, a trip to the North Carolina Tidewater for a reckoning with Gina was not part of the plan. But unraveling lies from truth will require confronting strained sibling bonds and uncovering a dark family secret that could free Tandi from her past or stain her future forever. (Novella)

    Raised in the male dominated, warrior culture of Variss, she struggles to be a good Varisean woman. She hates poetry. She’s no good at art. And the thought of marriage makes her shudder.Instead, to the eternal disappointment of her father, Falen wants to be a scientist. She dreams of journeying to the southern city of Ral Tora to study at its famous engineering academy. But Falen’s dreams, it seems, are doomed to failure. That is, until a chance encounter with a stranger that could change everything. Could this stranger hold the key to Falen’s hopes? Or will she realize she should be careful what she wishes for?This 23,000 word novella is a prequel to the epic fantasy series, The Wrath of the Northmen

    Once you've met Jim Fosse you'll never feel quite the same about opening your e-mails ...A darkly humorous short story of obsession from John Dolan, author of 'Everyone Burns'.WARNING: Contains sexual references and some really terrible grammar.

    A female officer who is attacked in the line of duty must protect her own husband from his worst impulses in this short story, first published in The Blue Religion (Michael Connelly, ed.) and recognized as one of 2009's Best American Mystery Stories (Jeffery Deaver, ed.).

    This book will appeal to people of all ages—nine to ninety-nine—who want to share a classic, heart-warming literary adventure at Christmastime. Next Christmas in Girouette is the story of a brother and sister—Autry and Oxana Quinn—who find themselves stranded in a Girouette, a virtual ghost town, from Thanksgiving through Christmas when their father is taken seriously ill. Their grandfather, a Marine Captain long retired, plus an eccentric old café proprietress, a Blackfeet Indian horse trader who once served as the town’s mayor, a couple who published the local newspaper and an ancient deaf-mute trapper are the only remaining inhabitants of Girouette. These self-styled, “diehards” all seem to have one thing in common. Thanks to a mysterious event 60 years earlier, they still believe in Santa Claus. Girouette features something for everyone: carefree cowboys who race their horses over snow covered country road, a team of wolves trained to pull a dogsled, a stroll that nearly turns tragic on a buffalo jump, a serialized newspaper story titled “The Adventures of Rocky Mountain Santa,” a desperate attempt to escape from an abandoned copper mine, a night-time journey through the mountains on a frozen river and the miracle that delivers wayfaring strangers to Girouette during a storm on Christmas Eve. The book revels in the solitary beauty of winter in Big Sky Country, the enduring wisdom of the elderly citizens of Girouette, the excitement of frontier history coming to life, the inspiration of a family healing itself and the magic of an old-fashioned western Christmas. Read Next Christmas in Girouette with your family this year, and you’ll want to revisit it for years to come at holiday time.

    Now that Sparrow, her ward, has reached nine years of age, she reckons he needs a male role model in his life. With typical efficiency she sets about finding a father-figure by drawing up a series of checklists for each candidate, and following a strict protocol for interviewing them.So far, all the contenders have failed miserably to get enough ticks in the right boxes. But Ferne is focused and nothing is going to stop her from fulfilling her responsibilities…...except maybe a saboteur out to wreck her business; drunken neighbours; her unfortunate past from which it is so difficult to escape; her estranged mother; long-lost sister; and her Jack Russell, Merrie, who is not above galloping over and nipping any prospective role models she thinks Will Not Do.Katie Fforde (best-selling rom com author and President of the Romantic Novelists' Association) said of 'All His Own Hair': 'Susan Alison handles difficult issues with quirky humour and uplifting results.'(To give you some idea of length - 'White Lies and Custard Creams' is 83,700 words long and 'All His Own Hair' is 87,300 words long.)Susan Alison is the Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner for 2011. She has won competition awards for short fiction and sold numerous stories to commercial publications. Her fiction concentrates on the relationships humans forge with each other (and quite often with their dogs). She is a freelance artist.Jill Mansell (best-selling rom com author) said of 'White Lies and Custard Creams': "Susan Alison has written a lovely, quirky romp packed with off-the-wall characters - original, intriguing and great fun!"

     Americans are angry and divided along party lines. They’re tired of the endless wars, high gas prices, and high unemployment. They’re tired of the graft in DC and on Wall Street. They’re tired of being spied on and herded like cattle into the prison industrial complex. Like in years before, they’re certain that, this time, their guy will change everything. The Republican and Democratic saviors make their promises, and the true believers swoon, but domestic terrorists aren’t buying what these politicians are selling. Truck driver George Chapman is in the right place at the right time to foil an assassination attempt on one of the most influential men in politics. Some might say the reluctant hero was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some might say it was a false flag. Nonetheless, his fifteen minutes of fame grows because of his extraordinary gift. Will he use his gift and newfound fame to unite the country or to tear it apart? A revolution is coming. Which side are you on? Adult language, content, and sexual violence.

    But she only has four days to decide, which means she will most likely have to cancel her weekend trip away. She dials her friends to let them know, and excitedly launches into a speech about the opportunity. But when she pauses, a sexy, inquisitive stranger is on the other end, and he’s eager to hear about her store, her passions and her life. She’s dialed the wrong number--- and the man on the other end, with his deep voice, his charming jokes and his excellent advice, is a surprise she never expected…Will this wrong number turn out to be right man for Carly?Featuring an excerpt from Barbara Delinsky’s upcoming novel, Sweet Salt Air.

    After all, she barely passed high school, flunked the driving test four times, and fell into a pool at her sister's wedding. Marcy is keen to continue her literary success, but she cannot think of a single idea for her next book. Hounded by her agent, family, and friends, she decides to sequester herself in a rustic cabin in the mountains. There, she finds herself face-to-snout with a surprise visitor—a rascally black dog who must have escaped from his owner at a nearby campground. Enter hunky cowboy Jackson Parker, who runs the stables for the campground and helps Marcy survive the antics of the ill-behaved, zany dog. There's something tender and gentle about this man, who could easily grace the cover of any romance novel. Soon Jackson has Marcy rethinking her own beliefs about what heroes are really made of...and what God intends for her life. It's cowboys, canines, and capers galore in this charming novella for animal lovers.

    Inseparable since they were very young, they've always shared everything together, including the darkest parts of their lives. Elena's beginning to realise that her feelings for Karl are growing into something more. But her mother's about to drop a bombshell on her – one that will change the course of her life, and heart, forever. PUBLISHER'S NOTES: For fans of the series, this story includes two parts of Elena's past that were made reference to in The Witching Pen: 1) The moment that Karl turns up on Elena's doorstep having been beaten and 'jumped on' by his father and 2) "The Sex Talk" between Elena and her mother.Book length: short story (over 5500 words)

    She had a few friends who consisted of her roommate since freshmen year Carissa and Chantel who was the only friend that she’s had since her childhood, she was mainly the only thing that she vaguely remembered from her childhood. She’s in a relationship with Chantel’s fraternal twin brother Mike who later cheats on her. In the beginning of her junior year in college she meets this guy named August, and he's known for only wanting one thing from girls and that's sex but he see’s something different in Melissa and he’s willing to try committing with her. Melissa's been hurt one too many times that she doesn’t want another relationship, so being the type of person that August is he makes an deal with her. Which is Sex and no Commitment, but at this rate they are both going it's going to be a tough deal to follow through with. And there's something that Melissa forgets to mention to August, will he still want her after she tells him? So many questions, but you gotta read to find out.

    Every step brings him closer to an end he’s ill-prepared to confront. And while stakes are life and death, he’s hoping his life is the only one that’s taken.

    An old friend shows up in town to stay and they have decisions to make about some big plans for their future. Spend a little more time in Bellingwood during the holidays and see what everyone is up to. Rebecca and Andrew have a party to attend, Polly has yet another rescue. It's just one more week in that little world we all love.

    

    Seuss tells the funny rhyming story of Annie G. Magee, a young girl who wants to meet Dr. Seuss and find out what makes him so unique. Not content to simply write to Dr. Seuss, Annie travels to his house, summons her courage and knocks upon the door. Dr. Seuss is not at home, but Annie isn’t ready to give up quite yet.