Finding out that his kindly neighbor has left him a fortune is astounding. Fulfilling the man's last request to be returned to the land of his birth seems easy enough. Little does Ivo know how much that one trip will change his life.Vitki is the Dýka, the dagger that seeks vengeance, the right hand of the king. Given an order to protect Ivo with his life, Vitki knows he has a fight ahead of him. Someone wants to keep Ivo from claiming his rightful place in the Vítkovský Klan and they're willing to kill in order to prevent it.It's up to Vitki to make sure Ivo can claim his inheritance, or die trying.

    Then there's the theft of a very valuable violin. Are the two incidents connected? The Seven mean to use all their detective know-how to find out!Book 11: Secret Seven Fireworks (first published in 1959) In book eleven, Jack's little sister, Susie, is so annoying! The Secret Seven are furious when they discover she's formed her own "detective gang"! Then some money is stolen, and Susie is a chief suspect. The Seven can't quite believe it - Susie wouldn't do anything that bad... would she?Book 12: Good Old Secret Seven (first published in 1960) In book twelve, there are strange happenings indeed at Torling Castle! Someone is hiding out in the ruined tower, making the resident jackdaws very unsettled. Who is it, and what do they want? The Secret Seven are on it.These timeless stories are perfect for young fans of mystery, adventure or detective series.

    Was it suicide or homicide?Standing up to her father, heir to the Broadway/Hale Department Store fortune, Linda is disinherited, then ostracized from the family she loves. When her father marries his mistress, Denise Minnelli, stepmother to Liza Minnelli, the family unravels.Once a child of privilege, Linda recounts, in vivid detail, her extraordinary life—summers on the family's 10,000 acre ranch in Northern California, hunting trips to Africa and Alaska, high society vignettes of a fourth-generation San Francisco family, and her father's final decision: to leave the entire family fortune to Minnelli.But amid the ashes, Linda finds a new strength: the strength to forgive the one who started it all.REVIEWS:"...a jolting memoir." ~The New York Post"...a book you won't be able to put down." ~David Patrick Columbia, New York Social DiaryMEET LINDA HALE BUCKLIN:Linda feels blessed to be surrounded by her three grown sons, two daughters-in-law and two grandchildren. A fourth-generation San Franciscan, she now lives with her husband in Mill Valley, CA.

    A single mom who only wants peace - until she meets him. But they're both convinced it's too late for love... Mavis Williams is destined to be alone. Years ago, her ex kicked their daughter Nina out for being a shifter, and Mavis' heart was broken. Now, she's finally been reunited with Nina, and moved to beautiful Glacier Park...but she can't let go of her guilt and grief. And there's no one in her life to help. Colonel Wilson Hanes, Marine and snow leopard shifter, has dedicated his life to the military, served in combat, and been promoted to a high-level job in Washington. After decades of service, he's realized that when he retires, he has nothing to look forward to. He's married to his job, and it's too late for him to find a mate, let alone a family. But when Wilson comes to Glacier Park for a wedding, he's captivated not only by the rugged wilderness, but also by the quiet, graceful woman he meets there. And Mavis is shocked to feel a connection that she'd thought would never happen--with a man who understands the tragedies life can bring. Can Wilson show Mavis that love is nothing to fear? And what happens when Mavis' ex starts to stir up trouble? Combining romance, family, and a touch of magical wonder, Snow Leopard's Lady will delight fans of TS Joyce, Terry Bolryder, and Harmony Raines. Pick up this standalone BBW interracial romance today! No cliffhangers!

    But when he fled the country to escape prosecution and entrusted her with his hard-won empire, Gino realized that Lucky Santangelo is no different than him—Lucky is a woman who could seize the reins of power with all the cunning, drive, and strength of a true Santangelo. Poised, sensuous, hungry for pleasure, Lucky is in love with power—and determined to fight for it. From New York penthouses and the villas of Southern France to the casinos of Las Vegas and the bedrooms of Beverly Hills, here's the unforgettable story of a woman on top of a world of love, sex, and wealth—where power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

    Army Pathfinders. The vanguard of the Allied forces in World War II Europe. Countless times they preceded invasions and battles vital to bringing the enemy to its knees.Because before the front lines could move forward, the Pathfinders had to move behind enemy lines . . .The first into combat, and the last out, their advance jumps into enemy territory were considered suicide missions by those who sent them into action. World War Two’s special operations commandos, they relied on their stealth, expert prowess, and matchless courage and audacity to set the stage for airborne drops and glider landings throughout Europe.They were born of hard necessity. After the invasion of Sicily almost ended in disaster, General Jim Gavin was determined to form an all-new unit of specialized soldiers who would jump ahead of the airborne forces—including the now legendary Easy Company—without any additional support, stealing across enemy terrain to scout and mark out drop zones with a unique array of homing equipment.Sporting Mohawk haircuts, war paint, and an attitude of brash confidence, they were the best of the best. Their heroic feats behind the lines were critical to nearly all of the Allies’ major victories from Normandy to snowy Bastogne—where they saved the day for thousands of besieged American troops in an operation almost forgotten by history—to the attack on the Ruhr River in Germany.This is the story of the U.S. Army Pathfinders—their training, bonding, and battlefield exploits—told from the perspectives of the daring men who jumped and the equally bold transport crews who risked everything to fly them into action.INCLUDES PHOTOS

    Zane is immediately drawn to the charming and attractive Kit. But Kit is much more than he seems. He is a two-hundred-year-old half-human, half–red-fox spirit who guards a Gate between the mortal and spirit worlds—a fact Zane should recognize, but doesn’t.Orphaned at a young age, Zane never learned he comes from a long line of mystical Keepers. Kit needs Zane’s help to protect the Gate, but how can he tell Zane of his legacy when that will crush Zane’s dreams of traveling the world? If he takes up the mantle, Zane will be bound to the Gate, unable to leave it. But when Zane realizes Kit’s true nature, and his own, he’ll have to make a choice—fight to protect Kit and the Gate, or deny his destiny and any chance of a future with Kit.

    Few composers write more than one or two symphonies in their lifetimes. Beethoven spent a year on his shorter symphonies but more than six years on his 9th Symphony. But Georg Philipp Telemann composed at least 200 overtures in a two-year period. Over his lifetime Telemann's oeuvre consists of more than 3,000 pieces, although “only” 800 survive to this day. He was not the only person whose productivity defied all reason. Greek scientist Archimedes discovered mathematical phenomena that weren't confirmed for 17 centuries. Isaac Newton invented classical physics and was one of the inventors of calculus. Benjamin Franklin wrote, published, politicked, invented, experimented, and humored, sometimes all at the same time. Theodore Roosevelt was the first American to earn a belt in judo, hunted, wrote numerous books, and read four hours a day, even during the busiest moments of his political life. This book will explore the lives of the 18 most productive people in history. We will look at the cultures into which they were born and see the methods that they used to achieve such sweeping results. Perhaps we can also create enough time to focus on the tasks in life that are truly meaningful.

    Is this a new relationship or have they been together for years? How did they meet and find one another? Does the book, the door, or this spot on the sidewalk have special meaning for these men? Are they travelling abroad, or is this setting their home? What sort of experiences and memories have they shared (perhaps including romantic moments and spicy moments along with everyday moments)? Please feel free to use these questions and ideas as jumping-off points for the story you’re inspired to tell!Photo Description: In the photo, two older men sit in front of big wooden doors, perhaps in France. They look comfortable together, as if they have experienced life and finally discovered what is most important. They have their arms entwined, and appear to be laughing as they look through a book.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

    We’ve known each other since we were young and though we’ve had our troubles we’ve managed to stay together. My parents never approved of him because my dad was rich and famous and he wasn’t. Please tell me how we got to this moment and what’s happened in our lives.Photo Description: The photo I chose showed two handsome young men— one in a suit, the other in a kilt. They both have rosebuds in their lapels, and they’re kissing as well as clasping their hands together. The background looks like a garden, and all these elements together made me think of a wedding.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

    I use 'remains' in the loosest sense of the word: my grandfather, 45, puffed his last breaths of air into my birthday balloon before suffering a massive heart attack right there at my birthday party which becomes his deathday party.Feeling responsible for 45's death, and as a thank-you for filling Clinical Dad's void after leaving that questionable suicide note, I make it my quest to return 45 to his birthplace amongst the corn of Iowa, USA, suspended inside his soul-bubble. This journey might also help me with my identity-crisis ... I'm a genealogy student, by the way. And who knows, maybe I'll find love - I tend to find things when I'm not looking for them.Join me on a desperate race against time to unveil the truth as my birthday balloon begins to deflate and loose 45 forever to the wind

    When a young dwarf child is accidentally chosen to participate in a challenging quest, three warriors - and a scholar - join together to track down a long lost piece of dwarven history!Coming face-to-face with the rarest wildlife Lentari has to offer, soaring high through the clouds in the clutches of the dragons, and trying to solve the most cryptic scavenger hunt anyone has ever seen, five dwarves are led on a quest to solve a mystery that has confounded their fellow dwarves for centuries!Let the treasure hunt begin!

    Shirer was a correspondent for six years in Nazi Germany-and had a front-row seat for Hitler's rise to power. His most definitive work on the subject, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, is a riveting account defined by first-person experience interviewing Hitler, watching his impassioned speeches, and living in a country transformed by war and dictatorship.William Shirer was originally commissioned to write The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler for a young adult audience. This account loses none of the immediacy of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich-capturing Hitler's rise from obscurity, the horror of Nazi Germany's mass killings, and the paranoia and insanity that marked Hitler's downfall. This book is by no means simplified-and is sure to appeal to adults as well as young people with an interest in World War II history.

    The truth is: politics and innuendo clouded that story from the very beginning, with the result that few people really understand who The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were and what forces propelled them to their infamous fate. The Royal W.E. examines the individual and intertwined lives of Wallis and Edward – or “W.E.” as they referred to themselves – and provides readers with unique glimpses of the real people, as opposed to the sensationalized characters, that were The Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Through careful study of more than 75 years of rhetoric and scholarship, Victoria Martínez takes on the most controversial charges lodged against the couple (Was Wallis a hermaphrodite? Were the Duke and Duchess Nazi sympathizers?) with candor and evenhandedness. In analyzing the early lives of Wallis and the ex-king and their later relationships with other members of the Royal Family, her approach is to deal with all parties as human beings, whose true faults – though significant – were far less sinister than history has led us to believe. Ms. Martínez also addresses the ever-popular subject of the Duchess’s jewels, including new research on the famous 1946 Ednam Lodge jewel heist to dispel the long-held rumors that the Duke and Duchess committed jewel theft and insurance fraud. The subjects in this book are not always mainstream, well-known, or even consistent with “popular” opinion, and the objective is not to make anyone “like” the couple. Instead, readers will find refreshingly honest and accurate portrayals of W.E. that will help them understand the real people behind the myth and hype. “Prejudice and preconception are difficult things to set aside, particularly after so many years of negative stories and sordid rumor, but I think readers here will discover an alternative and convincing look at the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I am sure they would approve and perhaps, just perhaps, the future may be a little bit kinder to Edward and Wallis because of the efforts of people like Ms. Martínez.” -Greg King, author of The Duchess of Windsor: The Uncommon Life of Wallis Simpson

    History has no record of him. There is a moral in that, somewhere.""The problem with being a pain in the ass is that you never quite know who's trying to get you.""Why do people keep insisting that I join the 21st Century? I *LIVE* in the 21st Century! I just don't want to be bothered by the shitheads on the internet!""I have no mouth. And I must scream.""I think love and sex are separate and only vaguely similar."