A mysterious wall appears where none previously existed and something other than mere curiosity prompts a close-up examination, accidentally setting off a violent explosion which ruptures the barrier and sends all three hurtling into an alien, highly-dangerous world where skies are purple and vermilion forests endemic; home to a dreadful flying predator - not unlike the dragon of mythology - besides other, equally fearsome carnivores.Two of their number return leaving one behind, prisoner of an enormously strong but beautiful woman possessed of extraordinary powers. The escapees vow to re-enter, sworn to rescue their companion regardless of danger, but are eventually to discover another, preordained and vitally important reason for their presence. How will they survive and will they somehow manage to fulfil their destiny and ultimately return home...?

    Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Still Life With Woodpecker, Villa Incognito, Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, Jitterbug Perfume, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Skinny Legs and All, Another Roadside Attraction, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Still Life With Woodpecker (1980) is the third novel by Tom Robbins, concerning the love affair between an environmentalist princess and an outlaw. As with most of Robbins' books, it encompasses a broad range of topics, from aliens and redheads to consumerism, the building of bombs, romance, royalty, the moon, and a pack of Camels. The novel continuously addresses the question of how to make love stay. The story is sometimes called a post-modern fairy tale. The book begins in "the final quarter of the twentieth century," at a year never specified, presumably in the early 1980s. It revolves around a family of deposed European royalty living in a small house in the suburbs outside of Seattle, under the protection of the CIA. They consist of: the father, King Max, a former gambler and poker player whose prosthetic heart valve makes a loud scraping noise when he gets excited; the mother, Queen Tilli, an opera-lover with a strong foreign accent and a fondness for saying "Oh, oh, spaghetti-o"; Gulietta, the non-English-speaking maid (and, as it turns out, Max's half-sister) and the daughter, Leigh-Cheri, a redheaded vegetarian liberal princess and former cheerleader, having pulled out of classes after being asked to resign from the cheer squad after having a miscarriage while cheering at a football game. Leigh-Cheri proclaims herself celibate, withdraws from public life and cloisters herself in her room, only to emerge to ask her parents for permission to go to the Care Fest, a lib...More: http: //booksllc.net/?id=217300

    The people during this time were getting eaten by a vicious species of Dragon. The ruling King finally orders the total annilation of all living dragons. A powerful wizard, named Merlinus, who is a friend to the king, does not agree with the Kings order, for Merlinus knows all Dragons are not what they seem. So he does what he must to protect a family of Dragons that he had befriended. And to protect his Dragon friends, Melinus performs the spell of weightlessness and tells the Dragons to fly up and to hide in the cover of the Clouds. An unforeseen ability of the Dragons weightlessness spell is that a Dragons fire now looks like that of lightning and their roar is like that of thunder. Melinus tells the Dragons to live within the clouds and to only come down at night to eat. An apprentice to the wizard who has grandeur of his own has a plan for Dragons that he has hidden deep within a mountain cavern. Now enters a widowed mother, her young boy, who had also befriended a dragon, though a very young one. They suddenly find themselves caught between the Kings order and a battle that has begun between two species of Dragons. A battle that would determine control of the skies above the Kingdom of Albian. This Apprentice’s plan has consequences that may bring the Kingdom and perhaps the very world we live in today to an devastating end.

    For the few who have yet to experience The Martian, it's a perfect appetizer. For passionate Weir fans, it's a delicious dessert.Stories included in this audio-exclusive collection are:"Access""Antihypoxiant""Annie's Day""The Real Deal""Bored World""The Midtown Butcher""Meeting Sarah""The Chef""The Egg"©2017 Andy Weir (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

    THIS IS A 3,000 WORD SHORT STORY EQUIVALENT TO 18 PAGES.Genre: FantasyA Minneapolis reporter is sent to Georgia to write a tongue-in-cheek article about mermaids, but instead finds herself enchanted by the mysterious man who rescues her.

    When he accepted the hit, Russ would not have believed whose interests he was actually serving. Now, with the job done, an otherworldly being is giving him with one hand what was just taken from him with the other. His life. Skills are everything and what doesn't kill you makes your skills stronger. Placed into the world of skills, Russ found himself faced with a new life governed by a system he did not completely understand. It is, however, a completely new start. Will Russ continue doing what he does best? Or will he be able to achieve the things that he had always wanted but considered to be a lost cause in his old life? Why not some of both? This is a litrpg story where the main character acquires skills and levels them up by using them. He gets ability choices as he levels up and as a reader you will be going through the choices with him, in most cases.

    She didn’t know the quiet, reserved guy very well, but that doesn’t stop her from feeling there was something she could have done to help him. Hoping to find some sense of closure, Hadley attends Archer’s funeral. There, Hadley is approached by a man who calls himself Death and offers her a deal. If Hadley accepts, she will be sent back 27 days in time to prevent Archer from killing himself. But when Hadley agrees to Death’s terms and goes back to right the past, she quickly learns her mission is harder than she ever could have known.Hadley soon discovers Archer’s reasons for being alone, and Archer realizes that having someone to confide in isn’t as bad as he’d always thought. But when a series of dangerous accidents starts pushing them apart, Hadley must decide whether she is ready to risk everything—including her life—to keep Archer safe.From award-winning Wattpad author Alison Gervais (HonorInTheRain) comes In 27 Days, a story of redemption, first love, and the strength it takes to change the future.

    Right now. Save ourselves and leave this place to burn. Tell me that's how you want your story to go and we'll write it straight across the sand."Dustwalk is Amani's home. The desert sand is in her bones. But she wants to escape. More than a want. A need.Then a foreigner with no name turns up to save her life, and with him the chance to run. But to where? The desert plains are full of danger. Sand and blood are swirling, and the Sultan's enemies are on the rise.

    There's an imbalance in the lands of Faélondul. The Zaxson, Draizeyn Vereux, conspires to exterminate the infestation in Nazil. He plans to eradicate the humans.Led by the priestly cast called the Cha, the Xenophobic Nazilians dominating Faélondul justify their brutalities against the humans. But when the First Chosen of the elite guard discovers Brahanu Ravenot lost near the gates of the city, not only his life, but also his entire system of beliefs is forever changed. With the demands of his position and the pressures of his family, can Pentanimir overcome his internal struggles and protect Brahanu, or will war erupt in the lands and consume them both?

    You were in a car accident.They say true love can last forever.You hit your head, which caused your brain to swell.Can span any distance, stretch across time, last beyond death.The pressure against your skull damaged your brain.Which leads one to wonder …The damage left you unresponsive to most kinds of stimuli.If you fall in love in your dreams,And this unresponsive state is what's known as a coma.Can you find that love when you wake up? Full length Romantic Drama standalone.

    Thirty-five beautiful rivals. . . And only one will claim Prince Maxon's heart. THE SELECTION is the epic no. 1 New York Times bestselling series. Now available in a five-book boxed set. THE SELECTION is the chance of a lifetime and 17-year-old America Singer should feel lucky. She has been chosen for the reality TV lottery in which the special few compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon's love. Swept up in a world of elaborate gowns, glittering jewels and decadent feasts, America is living a new and glamorous life. And the prince takes a special interest in her, much to the outrage of the others. Rivalry within The Selection is fierce and not all of the girls are prepared to play by the rules. But what they don't know is that America has a secret - one which could throw the whole competition. . . and change her life forever. The story continues in THE HEIR and THE CROWN as America's daughter undertakes her own Selection - who will she choose? Is she destined for true love?Prepare to swoon with all five books in THE SELECTION series!Author BiographyKiera Cass graduated from Radford University with a degree in History. She grew up in South Carolina and currently lives in Blacksburg, Virginia with her family. In her spare time, Kiera enjoys reading, dancing, making videos and eating unhealthy amounts of cake. You can learn more about Kiera at kieracass. com, follow her on twitter via @kieracass, and see her silly videos at YouTube. com/user/kieracass. - The Selection Series 1-5: The Selection, The Elite, The One, The Heir And The Crown By Kiera Cass (Paperback)

    The path in front of Leyna and her erstwhile friends becomes especially perilous when they get a new goal: to find a way to the plane of Demiurges, the creators of worlds. Yet who can know more about portal traveling and parallel worlds than those who created them? The brave company led by charismatic Leyna still has a long way ahead, fraught with dangers, yet full of thrilling escapades. Trying to find her way back home, she continues to explore the fantastical land laid bare in front of her. She is learning and discovering new and unexpected abilities with the help of her loyal companions, not even shunning the assistance of demons. But in the end, would Leyna find it within herself to leave this new world behind for good? Leyna: Elven Lands is the second book in the fantasy romance series written by Helen E. Peters. It is not a classic romance tale, but an exciting adventure, filled with good-natured humor, vibrant and memorable characters, and magic mystery. A witty story of a strong modern woman thrown into the epicenter of an epic fantasy adventure and trying to figure out this new world and its fairy inhabitants has already gained a huge international fanbase.

     Her family massacred, her home destroyed, she escapes with nothing but her mother’s heirloom and the desire for vengeance. When she’s found by Dormael, a Warlock of the Conclave, she learns that her mother’s keepsake—the very reason her family was killed—holds the power to unleash boundless destruction. Dormael and Shawna must flee for their lives before a vengeful enemy and guard against the deadly secret it seeks to unearth. Some secrets are best left buried, and vengeance must be pulled from the fists of the gods. With danger closing in around them, Shawna and Dormael are left with little choice. Will they escape, or will they drown beneath a tide of blood? From book two, The Knife in the Dark:Sanctuary beckons, but hides a deadly secret within. Dormael and D’Jenn bring a dangerous artifact home to the Conclave, hoping to answer the riddle behind an ancient mystery. But their homecoming only raises more questions as they discover an undercurrent of lies beneath the surface—lies that have been eating at the foundation of the Conclave itself, and subverting all they’ve sworn to uphold. Caught in a web of treachery, they must uncover the truth to free themselves, and keep an ancient weapon from falling into the wrong hands. To survive, Dormael and D’Jenn may have to sacrifice everything. With their home crumbling around them, they’re forced to make a dreadful choice. Will they navigate the waters of intrigue steeping the Conclave in turmoil, or be crushed by the cold heels of their enemies?From book three, The Old Man of the Temple:An archaic power awakens, but the shadows of antiquity conceal a terrible truth. Fugitives from the Conclave, Dormael and his friends flee with the armlet in their possession. Hounded by their former allies, they undertake a dangerous trek to an ancient ruin—a place where the only things older than the stones are the secrets buried beneath them. Pain and darkness wait in the halls of the dead, but something worse may be closing in from behind. With evil stirring, the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Will Dormael and his friends uncover the mystery of the artifact, or be destroyed by those who wish its power for themselves? For Dormael, D’Jenn, and Shawna, failure could mean the destruction of everything they know. The war is just beginning, and the gods will weigh the price in blood.

    Keep our existence a secret. Period. The day my sister broke that rule one too many times, I knew there would be consequences. I expected us to be sent to one of those schools for “troubled” kids—and maybe Daizlei Academy was, in a way. But really, it was far more complicated than that. You see, I thought that world had forgotten me. Forgotten us. For years we were left alone, and one day . . . we weren’t. It was only when I got there that I remembered the second rule: Trust no one. Because in our world? They would kill me if they knew the truth of what I am. Daizlei Academy is a school for Supernaturals. And me? I’m so much more. *This is a New Adult Academy series with slow-burn romance and a strong but flawed heroine. It is labeled New Adult for stronger language and some mature situations. As the heroine ages and grows so does the content of the stories.* This boxset contains: 1. Heir of Shadows 2. Scion of Midnight 3. Queen of Lies 4. Vessel of Destruction

    When Karlee finds work in a small coastal community setting up a weekly newspaper, the location jogs the ghost's memory and triggers violent visions from its past. A severe storm brings Cole Maxwell, the commitment-challenged landlord living in the marina, off the water and inside. He and Karlee share their accommodation while repairs are completed on his boat. Cole's interest in Karlee makes him hyper-vigilant, and it doesn't take long before he discovers the ghost. The more Karlee learns about the ghost's background, the less certain she is of her own. She'll have to trust her instincts to find everyone a peaceful ever after...if she can exorcise the dark creature manipulating them all.#Ghost #Thriller #Suspense #Romance #Haunting #Amnesia #Telekinesis;