Dark. Gorgeous.” – The Rumpus“Completely screwed-up and fantastic.” – Continual ProgressBestselling Independent Novel – Strand Book StoreOn the night he decides to jump off his Upper West Side rooftop, a prep school teen encounters a lost girl dancing on the ledge. They split cigarettes, spill secrets, and hatch an unexpected plan: to play out a romantic relationship over the course of one night, and discover whether magic can truly exist. As the game propels them through scattered haunts of the city, the line that separates fantasy from reality blurs, leading each to reconsider what is real, what is illusion, and whether the dawn will bring with it a new beginning or a violent end.In his triumphant debut novel, newcomer Nathaniel Kressen weaves a real-time psychological love story, introducing two unforgettable characters searching for meaning in post-9/11 New York City.

    Ansel Easter was a favored minister until he rescued a grotesque creature from a carnival sideshow. His sons, C and Sam, suffer in the shadow of their outcast father until his violent death. C and Sam leave the home their father built for a new beginning, and find fortune building a lucrative business called the Associates — but when a rash of deaths has the townspeople looking at C and Sam as suspects, they find their father's legacy reaches further than they expect. Taut, dark, and engrossing, The Easter House holds up as a brilliant work of fiction some 30 years after its initial publication.

    Moving between New Yorks Wall Street and the beauty of Corsica, Berberians novel is a literary rendering of Marxs Capital for the 21st century: where a fund trader makes his profits through the collapse of overseas markets--and ensures it with the aid of a hired assassin.

    What if you find him—and he doesn’t remember you? In her captivating new novel, Susan Shapiro explores the perils of revisiting past passion. Lila Penn leaves Wisconsin for graduate school in the big city, where she falls for her professor Daniel Wildman. Decades after their tangled link, she arranges a tête-à-tête in downtown Manhattan. But the shocking encounter blindsides Lila, causing her to question her memory—and sanity. Switching between Greenwich Village and Tel Aviv, the saga unravels the sexual secret that’s haunted Daniel and Lila for thirty years.“Frank, darkly funny, entertaining...”—New York Times Book Review“A promiscuously readable guilty pleasure...”—Elle Magazine“Funny and original, with a soulfulness beneath the humor.”—Ian Frazier“Sly, candid, disarming...”—Pam Houston“Shapiro’s voice is so passionate and honest,it’s bewitching.”—Erica Jong“Irresistible energy, winning humor... breathtakingly frank honesty.”—Philip Lopate“Unputdownable.”—Gael GreenePublisher’s Weekly, October 2015:In raw and elegant prose, Shapiro (Five Men Who Broke My Heart) sensitively examines the subject of the one who got away—and what happens when you try to revisit an old romance. When brash, naive graduate student Lila Lerner arrives in New York City from Baraboo, Wisc., she immediately falls for her poetry professor, Daniel Wildman, who is 20 years her senior. As the tale opens, a now-happily married Lila attends the book signing of her former love, and is appalled when he doesn't seem to recognize her. But is his forgetfulness real, or simply a defense mechanism? Shapiro then leads the reader into the past, skillfully illustrating why Daniel's reaction is so upsetting to Lila and even leads her to think that her own memory is faulty. The author deftly toggles through decades, opening in 2010 and often moving to the early '80s, and from New York City to Israel, telling the story from Daniel's point of view as well as Lila's—lending empathy to a character who could have been the stereotypical older man taking advantage of a younger woman. Shapiro's witty, flawed characters leap off the page, showing the before, during, and after of a love affair. Library Journal, October 15, 2015: Lila Penn came to New York City from Wisconsin in 1980 as an idealistic young student in a graduate writing program. She fell in love with the city and with her professor and mentor, Daniel Wildman, but their relationship ended abruptly when he left for Tel Aviv. Professor Wildman turned out to be more indecisive than wild, and Lila was very young. Now, 30 years later, both are happily married to other people. But is there still a spark between the former student and her much older professor? Forward to 2010: Wildman has just won a Pulitzer Prize for his writing. Lila nervously decides to go to his reading and book signing, but it doesn't go well. Could it be that her former love doesn't even remember her? This wistful story of love and poetry is told from the viewpoints of both characters, then and now. Shapiro (Overexposed) is especially clever in her portrayal of the petty dramas and rivalries of creative writing programs. VERDICT This wry look back at a complicated and doomed romance is a sophisticated and witty novel about academia and New York publishing.—Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA

    Bibi, the first male in twelve generations of Browns not to have taken his own life, has a furious crush on a beautiful nine-fingered woman and an unbearable urge to understand the meaning of Time, the Universe, and America. So Bibi begins his quest--careening through a world of bizarre cults, gravity-defying crones, and lunatics of every stripe--all for a chance to meet his long-lost uncle Otto, a legendary junk-dealer who lives on the Hope Valley Hubcap Ranch. Because in a world that is spinning a little too fast, and a little too wildly, Bibi’s destiny is to find the essence of hope, the beauty of hubcaps, and the meaning of life in the Valley of the Hubcap King....With a touch of Candide, a dash of Don Quixote, and healthy dose of Zen, Sean Murphy’s wondrous, riotous novel is the story of an ordinary man searching through a hilariously off-kilter world--for the truths that might just save us all.From the Paperback edition.

    She must be killed. But she ran before they could act. She ran across the Dakota prairie until she could run no more. She turned and faced the oncoming warriors. She had no hope, yet she would defy them until the end. Then came the thunder.

    And if she falls, he will be there to catch her, lift her, and push her again until she flies to stars…” Love…does it mean going around the trees in Switzerland, singing tra-la-la-la in the snow? Is it chanting “I love you” mantra a thousand times a day? Is it about gifting teddies and roses to your partner? Or is it bombarding each other with a thousand and one pings in Messenger from morning till night? Life batters Samaira. Stuck to these clichés, she loses everything…her love, parents, and wealth. Hopeless, she collides against the dynamic boss of Creative Tanks (CT), Vivian, who basically holds great contempt for losers. He aims to be the top entrepreneur in India, whereas Samaira has not even a notion of her dreams. Fate plays its own game when she goes in search of work, where she encounters him again. An air of mystery surrounds her, which tugs at him. Despite being opposites, sparks fly, and they are attracted. Vivian is perfect, but she vows that she will never fall in love again. He reaches a point where he would do just about anything to bring back the smile on her face. The chase begins. She keeps running away…from love, hope, and aspirations, and he keeps trying to bring her back on track. Thus their journey begins from the end, with oodles of inspiration and love… Vivian breaks Samaira’s shell and guides her into pursuing her broken dreams. He promises that he will be there for her if life pulls her down and hold her tight when she needs support. Together, they vow to each other, “We can. We will. We must.” But when Vivian tumbles and it is Samaira’s turn to break his fall, will she catch him? Walking on the arduous path of life, will they climb the ladder of success together or crash and burn? Can love be enough of a catalyst to attain their dreams? And now life threatened not to throw just lemons but huge melons…

    For Storm Rivers, this very statement had recently become the story of her life. Storm's life had never been all bad; but meeting Jasper Goodson, had definitely put the cherry on the top. Life was better than ever. She was happy and she was in love. And the man of her dreams was Perfect...or was he? What goes on behind a closed door---stays behind a closed door. Storm lived by this motto and as truths about her Mr. Perfect start to unfold, Storm finds herself in a sticky situation and a tug-a-war of what's right...and what's wrong. What is she hiding? Well, you'll have to overlook the Painted Smile on her face to find out.

    Then Charlie's business empire crashes and he vanishes. While their privileged beautiful daughters Olivia and Emma have to come to terms with being broke, eleven-year-old Mac refuses to talk about what happened. When Charlie's estranged mother, Vera opens her doors to the broken family, secrets emerge that reveal there was more to Charlie than meets the eye. But Charlie's shell shocked family aren't the only ones asking questions . . . The darkly enigmatic Russian billionaire Lukaz Mihailov arrives in Dublin with some unfinished business. What better way to track down Charlie than befriend his pretty and very vulnerable, abandoned wife Shelley . . . Is blood is always thicker than water? Maybe Charlie's family are simply better off without him ....

    It is the blessing and it is the curse. What if love comes in your way and the situations turn your fate up-side-down? One such story is "The Mistake: A True Love Story". Vijay Singh an enthusiastic student steps into the engineering college and he meets Ankita, a girl with a dark past. He follows her and does crazy things to get her. His passion for her is undying and when Ankita agrees to be with him. Unfortunately, he meets with an accident and gets admitted to the hospital. Fate takes a strange turn.What will happen to Vijay Singh? What is the unknown past of Ankita? Will they recreate their love and passion for each other after the accident? What are the consequences which Vijay faces? The plight of Vijay's courtship is one filled with peaks and valleys.Review:"It's an amazing book. Truly touched my soul...!! I am 100% sure that this book is based on true story. Have u ever fall in love, what was that actual feeling, emotions and affection from him/her you can experience every single emotion in this book."-Amit, Amazon Top Reviewer

    In the Middle East Israel faces extinction, even though it agreed to a ‘peace treaty’ bowing to US pressure, under which it gave up much of its God-given land. Russia, Iran, Libya and several Muslim countries invade northern Israel, fulfilling Biblical prophecy. Israel cries out for America to come to its military defense. The President refuses. Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders plead with the President to change his mind and help Israel survive what will surely be total destruction. Tanks and troops storm into Israel, shedding blood, as Israel pleads for help. The Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem leads a national assembly at the Wailing Wall, praying that God fulfill His Word and destroy the invaders, before Israel is shoved into the sea. Can Israel survive the onslaught?Will America, as a betrayer of God’s chosen people, be destroyed in one day, one hour and one moment? How will Americans who ignored the warnings and didn’t flee survive attacks on US cities? How will preppers fare? What will life be like after The Day for those still alive? What happens to the nations which invaded Israel and to the world after The Day?Are ancient prophecies being fulfilled before our very eyes?

    

    The smoke-spewing, banshee-wailing, fearsome black thing hisses like a thousand cobras... and the villagers declare that this Thing is an Iron Demon—a yakada yaka.The Burghers who drive these Iron Demons have a penchant for challenging authority and courting trouble, sometimes just to liven things up in the railway outposts... and so it is that Sonnaboy and Meerwald chase a large group of villagers all across Anuradhapura, mother-naked but not much bothered by it, Ben Godlieb conjures up a corpse in his cowcatcher, Dickie Byrd single-handedly demolishes a Pentecostal Mission and is hailed as the messiah of the Railway fraternity, and Basil Van der Smaght filches a human heart and feeds it to the Nawalapitiya railway staff ...and to cap it all, Sonnaboy takes French Leave to act in The Bridge on the River Kwai!

    With a fluency of tone and a gifted eye, he examines the dark and unfathomable moments in the most committed relationships; the small distances that stretch into miles between generations and couples when long-buried secrets tumble out into the light; or the eccentricities that may label us as odd yet mark us as unique. Capturing the bewilderment and tenderness in failed connections or missed moments, his characters stand vivid in their human frailty and we warm to them almost despite ourselves. A lonely wife determined to gather her far-flung family for a reunion invents the perfect lie to persuade them; an old woman recalls how she once trained a black crow the art of thieving; and the off-duty small-town cop on his last round of the evening who does a distressed family a great service when he summons the courage to shoot their gravely injured dog.These poignant tales reveal the subtleties in love and indifference or the strange, sad, breathtaking tricks of chance that can change a life in a second. As Lychack moves among these characters with all their virtues and failings, he observes the inevitable disparity between their realities and their dreams even while investing their stories with wit, humility, and a large measure of grace. That he succeeds so remarkably in transferring it all to the page is evidence of his prodigious talent.

    With a foreword by Robert Shapard and an afterword by Christopher Merrill, this book brings you fresh approaches to an exacting form that demands precision, a species of brevity that is surprisingly expansive. Writers say the pieces are hard to compose, but readers say they are easy to appreciate, a pleasure to envision, a wonder to watch life spun out and painted in small places. Real and surreal, lyrical and prosaic, here are 135 stories by 89 authors, certain to make you think.