With his gorgeous, successful wife, Jenny, his country pile, and gold discs hanging in his plush bathroom, he seems to have it all. But all is not well between Jenny and Solomon; as her business continues to grow, her affection for her husband begins to diminish, and soon divorce is on the cards. To try and win Jenny back, Solomon throws his bruised heart into trying out for a reality TV show that turns lapsed pop acts into opera singers. The ace up his sleeve is an eccentric octogenarian opera coach he employs to get ahead of the competition but, to his surprise, Solomon learns far more than how to improve the quality of his vibrato; especially when his coach asks Solomon to duet with newly single Samantha... Sex, Drugs & Opera is the debut novel of Tears for Fears musician, Roland Orzabal.

     Elliot is transported to Eden because he's their last hope: A man filled with a power not seen in centuries. He has the rare ability to learn talents from all talent trees, not just one. Only he's not the man everyone thinks he is. Downtrodden his entire life, he's been harboring dark desires deep inside him for years. And now he's finally been given the opportunity to live them. Instead of a hero's journey, Elliot is about to embark on the ultimate villain's journey. Dark Cultivation is a work of fiction exploring what happens when a dark character takes power, not endorsing it. There's sex, violence, gore and profanity. Don't read if you trigger easily.

    Written by arts educator Steven Aimone, it’s packed with solid, friendly, hands-on instruction, as well as inspiring images, and backed by the trusted AARP name. Aimone teaches an accessible style called expressive drawing that emphasizes line and mark, rather than rendering a specific object, which for many people, can create barriers to self-expression. Exercises start off simple and quick, encouraging readers to work on instinct and feeling, while the later ones focus on detail and refinement. The book features hundreds ofimages of work by well-known artists from Debuffet to Jim Dine—and each chapter includes a profile of someone who came to drawing late in life and achieved recognition.

    In this book, Miller writes about each of the past 53 years in popular music-1957-2009- via countdown song lists, blending the perspectives of a serious musician, a thoughtful critic, and an all-devouring music fan. Miller not only tells you why he loves particular songs, but also what was going on in the musical world in which they competed to be heard.

    Almost anything you do on paper or canvas, you can do on a rock. Rock Art Handbook will show you how, with more than 30 step-by-step tutorials featuring dot painting, marbling, embellishments, and much more. It's the perfect opportunity to use your favorite craft supplies, from nail polish to puff paint to gelly roll pens, or to try something new. There are plenty of kid-friendly options--like chalk, washi tape, and glitter glue--too. And what do you do with the rocks when they're finished? Author Samantha Sarles, who blogs at ColorMadeHappy.com, has plenty of ideas!

    Linda Kemp shows beginners and advanced artists how to harness the power of these often overlooked areas surrounding a painting's focal point. Troubleshooting suggestions and secrets are included.

    Whether you listen to Mozart or Duke Ellington, Aaron Copland's provocative suggestions for listening to music from his point of view will bring you a deeper appreciation of the most rewarding of all art forms.

    As award-winning teachers, they have a proven game plan for helping artists of all levels overcome common problems and see immediate improvement in their work. As professional composite artists, they know the tricks and tools for achieving incredibly lifelike results. In this friendly, foolproof guide to drawing, they share it all: Easy-to-master techniques for achieving a convincing sense of depthHow to draw challenging textures like metal and furPutting personality into your portraits40+ step-by-step demonstrations featuring a variety of people, animals and natureEasy enough so that beginners can jump right in, and comprehensive enough to help more accomplished artists refine their skills. This book covers all the essentials, teaching you the secrets of realistic drawing one step at a time, building the skills you need to tackle any subject convincingly--even those you've always thought were beyond your reach. Before you know it, you'll be turning out picturesque landscapes, stellar portraits--any subject that inspires you to put pencil to paper!

    These traits include obsessions with food and sex, addiction to pleasure, excessive rationality and a tendency to focus on the negative. A University of Chicago psychology professor, the author also believes we must free our minds of cultural illusions such as ethnocentric superiority or identification with one's possessions. He urges readers to find ways to reduce the oppression, exploitation and inequality that are woven into the fabric of society. Further, he wants us to control the direction of human evolution by pursuing challenging activities that lead to greater complexity while opposting chaos and conformity. Each chapter concludes with self-help questions and mental exercises designed to help readers apply the insights of this literate manifesto to their daily lives.

    Author Mike Rohde shows you how to incorporate sketchnoting techniques into your note-taking process--regardless of your artistic abilities--to help you better process the information that you are hearing and seeing through drawing, and to actually have fun taking notes. The Sketchnote Handbook explains and illustrates practical sketchnote techniques for taking visual notes at your own pace as well as in real time during meetings and events. Rhode also addresses most people's fear of drawing by showing, step-by-step, how to quickly draw people, faces, type, and simple objects for effective and fast sketchnoting. The book looks like a peek into the author's private sketchnote journal, but it functions like a beginner's guide to sketchnoting with easy-to-follow instructions for drawing out your notes that will leave you itching to attend a meeting just so you can draw about it.

    You'll learn about aroma and balance, what to look for on wine labels, and how to find the best prices! When you Download This Book, you'll learn all about many Well Known White Grape Varieties: Chardonnay Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio Gewurztraminer Muscat/Moscato/Muscatel Verdejo Semillon Wine: Everything You Need to Know to Master the Wine Game also explains these Well Known Red Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Syrah/Shiraz Tempranillo Pinot Noir Zinfandel Sangiovese Grenache/Garnacha You'll also learn what you really need to know about appellations such as Vins de France/Table wines and Vin de Pays/IGP. Wine: Everything You Need to Know to Master the Wine Game also has chapters on sparkling wines like champagne and fortified wines like sherry, port, and marsala. Hurry! Download Wine: Everything You Need to Know to Master the Wine Game right away! Just scroll to the top of the page and select the Buy Button. Download Your Copy TODAY!

    By the time you finish this book, you'll have all the skills you need to achieve a striking likeness in a drawn portrait. Artist and life drawing expert Jake Spicer takes you through a series of carefully crafted tutorials, from how to put together a basic portrait sketch to developing your portraits and then taking your drawings further. From understanding and constructing the head and shaping the hair, to checking the relationships of the features and achieving a lifelike expression, every aspect of the portrait process is examined, along with advice on which materials to use and how to find a model.

     When a woman with horns and hooves came to my door, I could have stayed in bed. I could have ignored her invitation to a world unknown. Instead, I saved her life. And that changed everything. She is a marvelous creature, with fickle desires and a mischievous glint in her onyx-black eyes. She is brazen and brash and bold — though vulnerable. She is hunted. But she is not without hope. A goddess of resplendent grace and beauty watches over the mythical races of the dark forest. She awaits a champion to save them from the brink of a violent extinction. To protect the women I grow to love, I must abandon my small and backwater life to become something more. I must become her emissary. A holy goddess who sees without sight. A muscled cyclopean beauty en route to the castle's door. A thirsty satyress with a penchant for cherry wine. Together, we will reshape the world. WARNING: This book contains violence and gore, explicit sexual encounters, puppets, a goddess with no love of privacy, monster girls in mortal danger, a pampered prince, dazzling divine artifacts, insatiable women, blessed intercourse in a holy temple, death and dismemberment, a god whose anger ignites at deception, a pageant dressing room of hideous horrors, and a rapist who gets tossed into another dimension.

    

    This, the most detailed and lavishly illustrated book on the cathedral available in English, beautifully evokes the awe-inspiring monument that attracts countless visitors from around the world.