A journey of self-discovery capped off by a bad batch of moonshine transforms Rabelais into a cult leader. Meanwhile, John wants nothing more than to be left alone, but is caught between the burgeoning movements unwittingly started by his two friends. Dark, caustic, and wickedly sardonic, St. Anthony's Fire casts a burning light on the absurdities of 21st century society in the form of The City. If reading it leaves you feeling frustrated and miserable, with a worse outlook on life and the world around you, then it has done its job.

    Around 1000 years back, anyone could go for a purgatory voyage to experience life after death for 12 days through a tunnel in Bharmaur, Himachal Pradesh. But no one could recall what happened to him during his purgatory voyage. Once, a person from Bundelkhand, named Kalidas went for a purgatory voyage. He experienced life after death and surprisingly, he was able to recall all those incidents of a different planet. After returning to his state, he embarked on a discourse about his purgatory voyage and his scary encounters with the King of Bundelkhand.Could anyone believe in his riveting account of the voyage or people smelled a foul play?• RECOMMENDATION •The novel "Purgatory Voyage" by Adarsh Kumar Khare is about a story that dates back to 925 AD of a village person, otherwise living peacefully, whose life is thrown into a turmoil consequent to an extraordinary experience of the afterlife, an outcome of his deed (karma) and sense of inquiry. The story is beautifully weaved with threads of mythology, traditional Hindu beliefs, and folklore. At the same time, there is a conscious effort to bring out the social behavior, rituals, and festivities of village life of that period along with the political order of the King with his subjects.There is a gripping narration of Kali, the protagonist of the novel, of other-worldly experience of his visits to after-life planets of hells and heavens, of torments and punitive actions meted out to sinners, and accounts of suffering the souls have to undergo for the various sins committed in their earthly lives. The author seems to have largely drawn from the “Pretkalp” part of Garud Puran for making such a vivid description of the splendors of the city of Yam, the horrors of various hells, and the excruciating journey of an ordinary soul through all this.The most interesting part of this novel is the day-by-day recount by Kali of incidents, pain, and suffering of his soul and other fellow souls in his 10-days sojourn to different types of hells and also exploring parts of Yam City and heaven. The curiosity of a reader is held on toes as the account of each day unfolds, much like the Arabian nights.I find ‘Purgatory Voyage’ by Adarsh Khare a hugely fascinating story in which one cannot leave reading halfway. It latches on to your curiosity and leads your imagination till you reach the end and sigh a sense of relief and joy of having gone through the upheavals along with the protagonist of the story. I think this is the achievement of Adarsh Khare in writing this book.Asit Kumar, Advisor in the Ministry of Petroleum, New Delhi.Purgatory Voyage is a very interesting novel based on one of the important ancient scriptures of India, specifically the Garuda Puran. Adarsh Kumar Khare has used his creative craft to bring back alive the old teachings of India in a story of fiction that should strike a chord with all age group people, particularly those who have some inclination to occultism. The author has followed a style of simple storytelling that generates curiosity in the mind ‘what next’. It was a joy to read the book describing what life after death could be like, with vivid descriptions of different hells and heaven, and punishment or reward according to committed sins or virtuous work. Most of the geographical locations including river, valleys, and forests bear names either similar or the same as those that exist in present-day India and that adds much credence and authenticity to arouse interest in the reader’s mind, even though it is a fiction. This book is a must for those who have some fascination towards Indian rich cultural heritage including ancient scriptures and those having the curiosity to peep into the future of life after death.Pradipta Kumar Das, Bestselling author of Power of the Universe lies within you.

    Inspired by the author’s own experiences of US military operations during the Vietnam War, Boot is a debut literary novel that charts the journey of Marine George Orwell Hill, known affectionately as G. O. by his brothers-in-arms, as he comes to grips with the psychological impacts of war in the jungles and rice paddies of Southeast Asia. Faced with military life ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, G. O. must navigate the absurdity of warfare and suppress his humanity to survive psychologically. The war challenges his presuppositions—about the world, about life, about himself—as soon as he lands in Vietnam. And his pondering deep questions about humanity becomes a fruitless task in a situation forcing him to accept life for what it is in every gory, absurd detail. Boot is a credible contribution to new literary fiction about the Vietnam War, combining satire and psychology in historical fiction.

    In his imagination, Mark is a heroic soldier, a surgeon, and a daredevil striving to live up to the ideals of the 1950s. When his family uproots from Queens, New York, to start afresh in Massachusetts, Mark finds refuge from loneliness in an unlikely friendship with an eccentric, wealthy, elderly neighbor who has shut out the world following a debilitating accident. Their mutual gift for conjuring up imaginary worlds to cope with reality which for Mark includes the confusing teachings of his Jewish faith leads them to push the boundaries between these two realms, exploring the fine line between love, imagination, and the existence of God."

    An alien discovery in space with global repercussions.In a dystopian future, the earth is under strain due to natural disasters and accelerating pollution of the environment. On the coast of Madagascar, a ruthless corporate leader creates his own vision of the future in the shape of Tabula Rasa, a mega-complex inhabited by over a million people. Jonathan Jarl, a rookie agent for the Amber group, is on his first assignment and is assigned to retrieve the famous Nebra Sky disc that has been stolen. During the mission, he is faced with some of Tabula Rasas darkest secrets. Meanwhile, in orbit around the moon, a discovery is made that has potential implications for the entire human race but Tabula Rasa is doing everything in its powers to keep the discovery secret. In a lab within Tabula Rasa, an idealistic scientist decides to share the discovery with the world. She takes a fateful decision that puts her life on the line. Jonathan is thrown into a breakneck race for time and Tabula Rasa is the first thrilling installment about Jonathan Jarl and the Amber group.

    Growing up in 1960’s San Francisco as a young artist, Will finds himself at odds with his Nazi war criminal Grandfather and radical Jihadist mother. When Will’s mother spearheads a terrorist attack in San Francisco, the boy must decide if he is going to turn a blind eye or take part in an operation that can only result in the destruction of his own family. As the conflict within the family unit comes to a boil, Nazi hunter and Mossad spymaster Saul Greenbaum steps out of the shadows to recruit Will Hessler, and forge him into the agent that Mossad needs to defend the homeland. Can Will grow up fast enough to survive a clash with a PLO splinter group that has already buried several seasoned operatives from both the CIA and Mossad?

    Time outside their lab has jumped forward by twenty-two hours. Minutes before this illogical space-time event, they were analyzing a mysterious glowing nodule extracted from an unknown marine specimen.News of this marine life reaches powerful governments, inadvertently triggering a race to hunt, capture and control it. But these governments and their nationalist leaders have never faced a team of scientists known as the Paramarines. They have no idea to what lengths Sebastian and his Paramarines will go in order to protect the species from capture and exploitation.The first of a multi-book series, this genre-bending novel leaves readers on the edge of their seats. Thrilling like Blake Crouch and science-driven like Ted Chang, all approached in ways you’ve never seen before. A captivating adventure, a heartbreaking story of love, and a true display of human ingenuity and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.

    From the ancestral blood and sweat of its settlers—the immigrants, the slaves, the Cherokee—a new generation strives for prosperity in the united township of Grafton.Across the unfolding decades, childhood friends, mothers and daughters, wives and lovers will have their bonds tested. New hopes and dreams lie beyond the river, and as allegiances are challenged, a harmonious community finds itself grappling with inevitable cultural change—change that creates a vast, opportune, and unpredictable new beginning for generations yet to come.

    What we cannot lose.A sweeping masterwork of love and loss, secrets and survival, On the Sickle's Edge is told through the voices of three characters who lay bare their family's saga: the endearing, scrappy South-African born Lena, transported to Latvia and later trapped in the USSR; her granddaughter Darya, a true Communist whose growing disillusionment with Soviet ideology places her family at mortal risk; and Steven, a painter from Boston who inadvertently stumbles into the tangled web of his family's past. Against the roiling backdrop of twentieth-century Russia and Eastern Europe, the novel delivers equal parts historical drama, political thriller and poignant love story.On the Sickle's Edge takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through some of the most tumultuous events of the 20th century. Instantly immersed in seven generations of the Shtein family, we witness their exhilarating celebrations and provocative controversies, and gain an intimate understanding of the pivotal events in South Africa, Latvia and the Soviet Union. Neville Frankel's ability to combine historical insight and human passion is spellbinding. I couldn't put it down. --Pamela Katz, The Partnership: Brecht, Weill, Three Women, and Germany on the BrinkIn the hands of a masterful storyteller, On the Sickle's Edge pits the weight of an oppressive regime against individual tenacity and profound personal courage. Inspired by Frankel's own family history, this multi-generational epic holds up a mirror to a universal truth: all immigrants face the powerful tension between assimilation and cultural identity. We have--all of us--lived life on the edge of the sickle. --Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee

    But his stellar reputation and faith are put to the test when he agrees to defend Dr. Johanna Anderson, a brilliant and beautiful psychologist. Jo is accused of failing to prevent the death of Seth Bell, a senator’s son she was treating with a revolutionary technology-assisted therapy called the Mind’s Eye. The controversial technique provides insights into what patients are thinking and feeling and determines whether they’re telling the truth—so why didn’t it detect that Seth was suicidal?As the case unfolds, a shadowy firm, Horizon Finance, sees a golden opportunity to profit by seizing the Mind’s Eye and auctioning it to intelligence services around the world. And Horizon will stop at nothing—not even murder—to succeed. As the danger escalates, Mike and Jo feel the heat of a mutual attraction. But when Mike’s loyal paralegal, Val, unearths evidence that could blow the case apart, Mike realizes he stands to lose much more than just a verdict.

    The first in The Woman and the Witch TrilogyCan a little bit of magic save a woman trapped in darkness?Meet Angie and Frieda, two unforgettable characters who will live in your memory long after you turn the last page.Nothing ever changes in the village of Witchford until the day a hundred-year-old, bad-tempered witch falls and breaks her hip, and a fifty year old cleaner decides her life is over.Both are haunted by ghosts, but can Frieda help Angie find out what her long dead father is trying to tell her? And can Angie help Frieda fight off the wolf who circles ever closer?A story of empowerment and friendship, 'The Woman and the Witch' explores the freedom ageing can bring, and the power of the natural world.

    A Top Gun for the new millennium, LIONS OF THE SKY propels us into a realm in which friendship, loyalty, and skill are tested, battles won and lost in an instant, and lives irrevocably changed in the time it takes to plug in your afterburners. Sam Richardson is a fighter pilot’s pilot, a reluctant legend with a gut-eating secret. He is in the last span of his tour as an instructor, yearning to get back to the real action of the Fleet, when he is ordered to take on one last class—a class that will force him to confront his carefully quarantined demons. Brash, carefree, and naturally gifted, Keely Silvers is the embodiment of all that grates on him. After years of single-minded dedication, she and her classmates can see the finish line. They are months away from achieving their life-long dream, flying Navy F/A-18 fighters. They are smart and hard-working, but they’re just kids with expensive new toys. They’re eager to rush through training and escape to the freedom of the world beyond, a world they view as a playground full of fast jets and exotic locales. But Sam knows there is a darker side to the profession he loves. There is trouble brewing in the East with global implications. If they make it past him they will be cast into a dangerous world where enemy planes cruise the skies over the South China Sea like sharks, loaded with real weapons and hidden intentions. Early Praise for Lions of the Sky Paco Chierici has written a humdinger of a book. Through vividly drawn characters, he takes us inside a Navy fighter squadron showing their incredibly difficult day to day lives, including the obstacles women still face in this tight knit community. ...a terrific window into a world very few people see. —The Honorable Ray Mabus, 75th United States Secretary of the Navy Lions of the Sky is gripping, fast paced, and authentic. If you want a real, edge of the envelope thriller, look no further! — Brandon Webb former Navy SEAL, pilot and New York Times Bestselling author. I was BLOWN away! Paco put me right back in the cockpit and the Ready Room. Lions of the Sky is intense, and personal, and thrilling, especially the ending. A must read! —Lea Gabrielle. Journalist and F/A-18 Naval Aviator Francesco “Paco” Chierici made flying some of the U.S. Navy’s most treacherous fighters look easy. But it’s his deep and lasting infatuation with that deadly aerial artistry — and his ability to describe it so accurately and vividly – that set him apart as an aviator, a documentary film producer, and writer. Paco’s eye for detail, salty irreverence, and skill as both an aviator and a writer, make this fictional work very real. Strap in for an unforgettable ride. — Dave Hirschman, Author of Hijacked – The True Story of the Heroes of Flight 705, and AOPA Pilot Editor at Large An experienced fighter pilot, Paco Chierici knows what he’s writing about here. Fans of military fiction, strap into your favorite ejection seat and get ready for a high speed, G-pulling, missile-shooting thrill ride. — Ward Carroll, author of Punk’s War, Punk’s Wing, and Punk’s Fight Paco Chierici’s debut novel is an unforgettable story of pride, lust, loss, betrayal and redemption...set today in a carrier-based fighter squadron in combat. Timely and gripping, Lions of the Sky is an exciting supersonic techno-thriller with well-written g-spikes of human drama that kept me turning the pages.

    Work on the Santa Fe Trail, and on a Mississippi River boat give him a start, but the years of Civil War leave him broke and footloose in South Texas. There he discovers more cattle running loose than he ever knew existed. Teaming up with two ex-Federal soldiers, he sets out to gather his wealth, one head at a time. While gathering and driving Longhorns, Mac and his friends meet an interesting collection of characters, including Margo. Mac and Margo and the crew learn about Longhorns, and life, from hard experience before they eventually head west. Outlaws and harrowing river crossings are just two of the challenges they face along their way.

     What, then, could render two veteran homicide detectives speechless as they stand over their latest victim? Tightly-wound Dickie Jones and his smart and cocky partner, Matt “Pretty Boy Floyd” Tyler, find themselves entangled with gang members and a sexy drug dealer as they uncover a nefarious plot rife with greed, sex, and betrayal. Can law enforcement’s “odd couple” survive fights, shootouts, and a sniper who wants them dead? What about their wives, and their captain, all of whom have had it with them both? A Good Bunch of Men will have you laughing, gasping, and craving the next in the Dickie Floyd Detective series. *** “Finally, someone wrote it the way it should be written and added a few twists along the way. Real page turner.” – J. Sheehy “I was totally blown away. Unable to put the book down. Anyone with law enforcement experience MUST read this book.” – JZ “There's nothing like authenticity to set a book apart.” – Jackson “This work of fiction will take you into the heart of a homicide investigation, with its many twists and turns. Excellent character development and the story is a page-turner.” – A. Argott “If you want to know how murders are truly investigated and solved, and how homicide detectives think, walk, and talk, then A Good Bunch of Men is for you.” – J. Knight “This book gets you behind the yellow tape of a murder scene and investigation. You will feel as though you're living the life of a homicide investigator.” – Cliff Yates “I've read a lot of law enforcement type stories, and this is probably the best one yet. The author obviously writes from experience.” – George B. “But once in a while, an author comes along who has not only been there and done that, but comes to the table with an eye for plotting, dialogue, and intrigue. And when that happens, one can celebrate their literary blessings.” – Dean Scoville, Author of A Gun, A Badge, and An Attitude. “Dickie Floyd belongs on the bookshelf of every Joseph Wambaugh and Michael Connelly fan. Wambaugh and Connelly write about LAPD. The author has written the quintessential LA County Sheriff's Department novel.” – Phil “Crime, fights, guns, with laughs and a dash of booze mixed in give us an inside look at the life of homicide detectives.” – Richard Powers

    Without warning, Russian tanks have crossed the frontier and are pouring into the city. The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia has begun. Arriving with the troops is Colonel Grigori Dal, a seasoned KGB officer and coldblooded killer. While the country slips into chaos, Dal uses the fighting as cover to apprehend an American prisoner of war from a military prison in Prague. Within days, only a cursed woman and a troubled war hero will stand between him and protecting the Cold War’s darkest secret: proof U.S. servicemen were secretly transferred to the Soviet Union.R. Cyril West’s award winning novel of tragic love, suspense, intrigue, and the dangerous machinations of the human heart—The Thin Wall.*BRAG Medallion Award