Book picks similar to
A Terrible Beauty: the murder at Joyce's Tower by V.M. Devine
ireland
2-unread-fic-free
unread-fic-historical
unread-fic-mystery
Devlin's Ride
Carson McCloud - 2016
A quiet spot to settle down. He's found the perfect place on the edge of Eastern Oregon's high desert. At the base of the rolling Ochoco Mountains there's a canyon with a steady spring called the Clearwater. Clearwater offers rich grazing for Nate's herd and room to grow. But perfection comes at a cost. Nate isn't the only one who has plans for the Clearwater. Rhett Baron and his crew of gunhands will stop at nothing to take the spring. Nate may have gotten to the water first, but can he keep it? In the tradition of Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey comes Devlin's Ride by Carson McCloud.
Martyrs (Legends of the Great Savanna)
Justin L. Lincoln - 2018
Waking up in the Great Savanna, James struggles with a less-than-useful interface before he comes across two creatures locked in battle. The shoulder high grass allows him glimpses of a lion-esque creature fending off a torrent of scales and claws. Sneaking up to steal a better look at the surreal situation, James discovers two things. 1. Getting hurt in the game.... well hurts! 2. This noble race of lion-men, named Martyrs, have almost been decimated by the scaled lizard creatures. By unwillingly saving the life of a Martyr cub, James is adopted into their village. He grows to love the beauty of the Great Savanna and his adopted game brother, whose life he saved... That is until PATRICK arrives, and the tranquility of the game is shattered. James embarks on a mission for answers to his steadily increasing list of questions. On the top of that list, "What the hell happened to the human race, and where is my damn brother!?" LitRPG Categories = Town Building & MOBA
Of No Value: A Vietnam War Era Memoir
Derrick Wolf - 2017
When Derrick Wolf and Kent Campbell were wounded in battle, they thought the war was over for them. And while the war may have been done with them, the army was not. Of No Value is an unvarnished depiction of the absurdity of war and army life in the early 1970s. From the pitiful treatment received at the army's hospitals to the completion of their service, they were scorned and insulted by the military. The contempt continued at home, this time at the hands of their fellow Americans, who spat and called them "baby killers." Of No Value is a memoir spanning the experiences of two soldiers from the time of their combat injuries to their discharge. It not only captures the ludicrous machinations of the military but also depicts the colorful counterculture life of the United States in the early 70s. Both Wolf and Campbell are Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipients. Wolf is also the author of Boys for Men, a best-selling Vietnam memoir.
Tortillas & Peanut Butter: True Confessions of an American Mom Turned Mexican Smuggler
Linda Sonna - 2016
An unfortunately common situation...quickly develops into a wonderfully uncommon and heartfelt adventure." - An Erma Bombeck "Hot Tamale" http://humorwriters.org/2016/02/19/ho... - “Spot-on, highly entertaining, and absolutely hilarious” - Lynne Willard, Editor & U.S. expat - - "Jaw droppingly hilarious" Carol Penn-Romaine, award-winning writer - - A wealth of cultural information tucked between the chuckles - - Includes discussion questions for book clubs & classrooms - - As the zany protagonist comes to understand Mexico & appreciate Hispanic culture, readers do the same - - 20% of profits go to the ACLU - - "Holy Cow! This book is hilarious!" - Cynthia Norman, Cosmic Philosopher - “Learning about a new culture can be hilarious – as seen through this book!” – Diane Gilliard, Counselor - An Amazon Top-10 Bestseller in Travel/Mexico (7/17-9/17); Biography/Memoir, Crimes & Criminals, Solo Travel, Single Parenting, Teen & Young Adult Biographies (various dates) - SYNOPSIS A suburban housewife liberates herself from her peanut-butter-and-jelly life and flees to Mexico. While battling the cultural quirks that send less adventurous souls hightailing it back to the U.S., she struggles to learn Spanish, cope with foreign customs, raise her kids, and run a school. To supplement her meager income she smuggles, using her gift for gab and wily wit to outfox the government officials. But not all of her smuggling tricks and tactics go as planned. EMBEDDED MULTICULTURAL ISSUES - The women’s movement - The 1960s cultural revolution - Culture shock - Immigrant adjustment & adaptation - Immigrant parenting issues - Identity development in children of immigrants - Intergenerational value clashes in immigrant families - Diverse customs & mores - Racism - Sexism - Prejudice - Classism - Ageism - Cultural evolution - Expatriate re-integration - Individualist/Independent (e.g., North American) vs. Interdependent/Collectivist (e.g., Hispanic) orientation to: ° Time (past/present/future) ° Activity (being/becoming/doing) ° Social relations (hierarchical/collateral/egalitarian) ° Self-efficacy (fate/destiny vs. personal control)
Take The Body And Give Me The Rest (Soldiers and Gods Book 1)
Jules Schenk - 2013
He could feel the man's life force, his memories, his talents and hard won skills filling his own mind and body, turning him into something much more than the lowly soldier he'd been just mere moments before. Take The Body and Give me the Rest, is the first novel in the new Dark Fantasy series, by Julius Schenk a new Australian Fantasy Author.
Once Broken
D.M. Hamblin - 2016
It's a story about a single mother, Jackie Martin, who has two objectives: First to raise her daughter, Gina with her self-esteem unscathed by her father’s abandonment; Second, to see her daughter’s father, Tony Salvucci suffer for his abandonment. Both objectives come to pass. With lots of twists and turns and memorable characters, Once Broken is an inspirational story about forgiveness vs. revenge and living one's life moving forward, no matter how painful the past.
The Target H
Lionel Derrick - 2000
heroin trade. Mark Hardin... He'd learned how in Vietnam: Infiltrate the enemy's position, determine the plan of action and then strike swiftly, taking out as many key men as possible, wreaking destruction, leaving chaos in your wake. He is a new breed of warrior, without uniform, without rank - dedicated to the American way of life, and pledged to fight anyone who seeks to destroy it. On either side of the law. That's why he's in Los Angeles. Just the beginning of a long and lonely series of brush fire wars.
After Home
Carrie Crafton - 2013
But now, five years after her husband's death, she's managed to make a simple life for herself, despite problems with her teenage daughter. However, things in the small-town community Beth thought would be a sleepy haven for her are about to get a lot more interesting.
Nobody's Sorry You're Dead
Jeri Green - 2016
She lives in a small town in the Southern Appalachians where nothing much happens. Nothing much, that is, until murder comes to town. And it isn’t until Hadley is given the job of cleaning out the victim’s house, an incredible hoarder of the first degree, that Hadley begins to unravel the mystery. When it's discovered that Eustian Singlepenny has been poisoned and a friend is arrested for his murder, Hadley dives head first into the muddy maze, searching for clues to the killer’s true identity. A humorous tale full of local color and wit, this is the first book in the NOBODY mystery series.
Blackthorn
Nate Johnson - 2017
Petty Officer Logan is tasked with escorting Kaylee Williams through the rough streets of Montlake. Little did he know a simple assignment would morph into a race across the galaxy. If he wants to get her to safety, Miller must avoid pirates, the Imperial Navy, and the hazards of deep space. All while keeping a decrepit starship from blowing up along the way. Kaylee Williams desperately needs to get to Taurus. The future of the Empire rests with the secret information she carries. But can she trust this strange man to help her? But, if she can’t trust a man who repeatedly risks his life for her. Then who can she trust.
The Book of Craw: A Hobo's Testament (Companion Volume to "The Dirty Parts of the Bible")
Sam Torode - 2013
The Book of Craw -- comprised of poems and proverbs from Craw's own notebook -- is the companion volume to The Dirty Parts of the Bible: A Novel.
The Last Whisper of the Gods
James Berardinelli - 2015
With powers so mighty that even kings bowed to them, they existed outside the common laws of men. But a thousand years ago, the gods, angry at their creations for giving adulation and worship to wizards, withdrew magic from the world. The wonders of a lost age faded from memory with history giving birth to myths and children's stories... For one common stableboy, Sorial of Vantok, wizards are no more a real concern than the other long-gone creatures of legend: elves, wyrms, dragons, and trolls. There is only the immediacy of keeping the straw clean and the animals fed to avoid the wrath of his master, the innkeeper Warburm. But Sorial's mysterious past is about to impinge on his present. The secrets surrounding his birth are set to collide with a heretical theology decreeing that the gods are no more. With assassins lurking in the shadowy recesses of the stable, a relentless heat wave turning Winter to Summer, and a duke's daughter showing more interest in him than is proper, Sorial discovers that the "safe" world of his childhood is under assault. His destiny will not allow him to merely observe the disintegration of the social order; he must uncover his past so he can act to safeguard the future.
Nightsong: A Neanderthal mystery
M.J. Rhodes - 2016
When Bronwyn learns later that she was the only witness to the abduction of a young boy, she takes it upon herself to find the boy. Her obsessive search for the boy triggers deep memories of her own—Neanderthal—ancestor. Can these memories from 40,000 years ago help her to find the boy, and also help her to understand who she really is?
Tales From The Loon Town Cafe
Dennis Frahmann - 2013
Just be assured a cup of coffee at this small town spot always comes with a story. It's the go-go 1980s when journalist Wally Pearson gets mugged in Times Square. It's a jolt that prompts him to throw away his career and open a cafe in his small hometown. Little does he know that in doing so he's about to get entrapped in the collision of fame, fortune, ambition and love in the northwoods of Wisconsin-all tempered with more than a little delusion. His Loon Town Cafe is the common meeting ground for many different forces. Chicago millionaire Henry Van Elkind plots from his lavish summer camp a transformation of the region. The Native American tribe, whose reservation edges the town, is about to flex its muscle on fishing and gambling rights. Wally's young wait staff is more interested in romance, and his oddball trio of regulars spend much of their time arguing over probing spacemen, giant musket and the availability of wild strawberry jam. "Tales from the Loon Town Cafe" captures the unique character and rhythms of small Midwestern towns. But it also recognizes the undercurrent of despair and sometime downright loopiness that emerges when most everyone thinks they know most everything that's going on. But of course they don't really know all, and that's why "Tales from the Loon Town Cafe" is ultimately a mystery of life.
Solar Storm: Episode 1: IMPACT
Marcus Richardson - 2017
Each episode will be released as they are finished so readers do not have to wait until the entire story is written to read along. Solar Storm is a look at our future through the eyes of the average American, with an aim to educate and inspire. Jay Cantrell will find his family…or die trying. Episode 1 He had the perfect life as a small-town librarian: married just over a year to his second wife, an airline pilot, he also has a daughter in college studying to be an astrophysicist. He's ready to celebrate the first year of his new marriage as he adjusts to an empty nest and a new stage in life. But the sun had other plans and sent a coronal mass ejection as an anniversary present. Awakened before dawn one morning in mid-December by northern lights that blanket the sky—in central Illinois—Jay's world changes in the blink of an eye. Flying a planeload of passengers to Hawaii, his wife Kate experiences the CME in a whole other light and must fight to stay alive every step of the way. Leah, Jay's daughter, witnesses the impact through the eyes of a student far from home. Jay must decide to stay and wait for news of his wife or leave before things get worse to find his daughter. The problem is, with no electricity, he doesn't know how bad it is...anywhere. Will he set out to rescue his daughter and make a harrowing journey through a post-apocalyptic wasteland only to find the power is still on, two states away? In a world where electricity is a thing of the past, can there be any hope for the future? After all, it's not a matter of if a CME will strike the earth, but when. Solar Storm is serialized story published in 5 episodes of about 20,000 words each. Each episode will be released as they are finished so readers do not have to wait until the entire story is written to read along. Solar Storm is a look at our future through the eyes of the average American, with an aim to educate and inspire.