Especially for a girl like me. I can't talk to him about girl stuff. Forget going shopping together. Plus, I don't think Charlie has ever giggled in his life. Belly laughed until he peed his pants yes, giggle no. Of course there are tons of benefits to having Charlie for a best friend. I get to see inside the working mind of a teenage male. Believe me it can get scary in there. I get to learn everything I will ever want to know about football, star wars, and the unique specialness of the internal combustion engine. Most of all I get to hang out with the greatest guy ever. The type of person you know has your back no matter what. We'd been through too much together to let anything come between us. Or at least that is what I used to believe. All of it was going to disappear if Cindy Jenkins got her claws into him. This short story also includes the first three chapters of "Certain Rules"

    She loved her students, her co-workers and her school and one new college President threatened her future with them all. T. R. Matthews fired half the staff and started his campaign to eliminate her job as well. Imara planned to eliminate his job, until he had her up against the whiteboard screaming his name. She has a man, but her body wants the one who is ruining her whole career. The new college President, T.R. Matthews, has made it his mission to bring Far Rockaway Community College back to its former glory. Unfortunately that includes eliminating employees like the adjunct professors. Matthews is up for the job and was thought to have thick skin, until the fiery Ms. Winters crawled under him and began to unravel his facade. He wants her and he will get her. They fight, they argue, and they fuss, but will the forces working against them prevail or will they overcome their internal and external obstacles?

    A whimsical comment from a kind stranger, 'Be sure to search for purple cows,' brings hope to a woman and her children fleeing from a life filled with trouble. In A Search for Purple Cows, Susan Call reveals to the world how painful a relationship can be when love deteriorates into a cycle of abuse and betrayal. Her moving memoir chronicles how she first met her husband, a handsome, stylish, generous man with whom she worked. Eventually they fell in love, married, and had two children. Their life seemed idyllic -- they had a beautiful home and everything a family could desire. But soon, inside those walls, Call was tormented by her husband's alcoholism, domestic abuse, and infidelity that cast her family into a world fraught with fear and despair. God found her in the midst of her pain, and showed her, through the unlikely source of a Christian radio station, that a journey toward Him was possible even in the most unthinkable circumstances. Call eventually found the strength to move on and start anew. Written with candor and grace, A Search for Purple Cows will leave you laughing, crying, and believing that God is present and able, ready to bring hope and healing.

    Before Poirot can begin to assess the clues, a second corpse is found, murdered in the same way as his client. &A crime novel in which two desperate youngsters, short of money and restless for excitement, place an advertisement saying they are willing to do anything and to travel anywhere, but their first assignment for a sinister client plunges them into more danger than they could have imagined.

    Abiding by his vision, he marks them as his. A gift to guide his chosen ones on the rightful path to redemption.Detective Inspector Paolo Storey is out to stop him, but Paolo has problems of his own. Hunting down the killer as the death toll rises, the lines soon blur between Paolo’s personal and professional lives.

    He doesn’t do romance, avoids friendships… and when asked about his work, says he is a security consultant. A man on a missionThe ex-Special Forces operative has seen it all before. But when he witnesses barbaric acts in the Congo, he can’t simply walk away. Plagued by the scale of the unspeakable crimes and its victims, Zeb breaks the rules - both his own, and those whom he works for - by seeking his own brand of justice. A man with no futureWith a maverick intelligence analyst, Broker, along for the ride, Zeb finds himself up against an adversary who is more than a match for his skills.From the rainforests of the Congo to the concrete jungle of New York, Zeb enters a shadowy world – a world where he alone is interested in justice. Everyone else wants the affair buried… and Zeb along with it.

    Miserable at his day job, he decided to take a leap of faith. His path to success was all or nothing, victory or death.He quit his job and dropped out of the white-collar world with all its trappings and amenities. Unemployed, he had to give up his residence. With a sleeping bag and a sackful of clothes he headed to Northwest London's Gladstone Park, settling in among the homeless, transients, dog walkers and the occasional irritated park worker. His only solace, an A4 notepad and a pen.Like the author, the main character Colossus Sosloss also quits his job, becomes homeless and sleeps in the park. Colossus observes the other homeless who reside at the park. Many of them with treatable or controllable mental illness but, in the post-Margaret Thatcher England, such individuals are human refuse. Dumped into society to fend for themselves and spiral downward amongst the neatly-trimmed hedges and glistening, manicured lawn of the sprawling public space.The character's travails are reminiscent of a Lewis Carroll-type adventure with subtle Dickensian undertones. Which include a lost parrot and an unfortunate man named Squirrel. We follow Colossus on his journey to the edge of sanity, with humorous interjections and clever idioms. A hero's quest, that inevitably ends with subterfuge, realization and reflection.Today, no longer homeless, Craig Stone is probably one of the most promising young writers to grace the indie and self-publishing world. Though at 31, Stone is a surprisingly mature author who transcends the generations. His literary work is suitable for the very young and for those who have lived an interesting life.The Squirrel That Dreamt Of Madness is an imaginative tale that can only come from a brilliant, albeit delightfully demented, mind. Stone mixes humour with the cold, stark reality of life. Everything and everyone, is a metaphor for something either sinister or truthful. Gifted students may soon find this book on their required reading list for their advanced High School contemporary literature class.The author does not have a long laundry list of writers who inspired him, though he definitely channels some Steinbeckian qualities (the novel was written during the height of the Great Recession) and J.D. Salinger's, The Catcher in the Rye.Like Hemingway who retreated to the wild and lawless pre-Castro Cuba to pen his magnum opus The Old Man and the Sea, Stone chose to immerse himself in a colder and wetter climate to experience what his character had to endure. The old adage, you write what you know, still rings resonantly true. Stone certainly writes what he knows, and writes it exceptionally well." --http://enovelreviews.com/thesquirrelt...Interview with the BBC: http://bit.ly/BBCComedyCafeInformation on the Dundee Book Prize:http://www.dundeebookprize.com/http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/?p=51086You can find Craig Stone here:Twitter: https://twitter.com/robolollycopWebsite: www.thoughtscratchings.comA NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR...The simple truth is, I will get nowhere without your help. I need readers to read The Squirrel that Dreamt of Madness, so if you are looking for a book to read, or wanting to try a new author, please try me.It would mean the world if you did.Thank You.Craig.

    The Billionaire Briggs Brothers are four brothers that are alpha and oh so hot! They may be a little bossy, but they love their curvy, strong-willed women. Sit back and enjoy as each of the brothers finds love. Just Call Me Baby OwenI'm a billionaire that doesn't have time for fun, dating, or anything else.But when I accidentally get on a call with Emily, a phone sex operator,my life changes.Now instead of chasing dollars and companies,I'm chasing her.EmilyDon't get attached.That's the rule.But after the first time I talked to him, I knew he was special.He's gone out of his way to find out who I am and then to help my family.He's too powerful. Too rich. Too much.I may be crazy, but all I want is him. Mr. Boss Man TylerShe's my brother's assistant and off limits.But I don't care.My days of flings and one-night stands are over.Because I'm pretty sure that Jamie is holding my heart in her hands.JamieHe's my boss.Well, actually my boss' brother.But I can't fall for him.He's younger than me and is probably just looking for his next conquest.That is until he tells me what he really wants...And that's me. Playing Dirty JasonFrom the minute I saw her, I wanted her.But she wasn't interested.She said she didn't have time for a relationship.But I convinced her, made a deal with her.She gives me what I want, and she gets what she wants.It was all good...until I upped the stakes.MoiraI've always put my relationships first.Always.But not anymore.I am going to have my art hanging in a gallery, and no man is going to stand in my way.He tries to convince me to let him help me, but I'm not falling for it.If he wants my heart, he's going to have to prove it. Tempting the Doctor CamI was in Mexico to help raise money for a charity.One look at the curvy doctor, and I knew I wanted her.When thugs try to hurt her and steal the medicine from the orphanage,I save her. And in turn, she becomes mine.EveHe's like nothing I ever expected.He's a billionaire, and I was sure he was "that" guy.But then he saves me and makes it his mission to keep me safe.He may have been a playboy at one time,But the way he looks at me makes me think maybe he's changed.At least my heart hopes so.

    As he reflects on the previous day's events that included his wife walking out on him and with their joint savings, the return of the voice in his head, his subsequent loss of another $150,000 at the blackjack tables, and then waking up next to a total stranger, Doc's already damaged life has taken another serious dip downward. In order to pay off his new debt, Doc is forced to do something he vowed years ago never to do again; take a corporate job. Doc's new boss, an octogenarian Chinese casino owner with a taste for curling and political intrigue, along with the return of an old love help to reenergize Doc as he tries to rebuild his life in Sin City. At a major crossroads, Doc draws on the expertise of Merlin, his coke-addled, phobic colleague from a prior life and Summerman, a part-time ghost who is certain he can help Doc deal with the voice in his head. By the time this initial installment in B.R. Snow's Damaged Posse series is wrapped up, Doc, Merlin, and Summerman have joined forces and are armed and ready to wreak havoc on the bad guys as well as themselves."A really strong opening novel in what has real potential to become an incredibly popular series. It's unusual to see four fully-developed main characters juggled as seamlessly as they are here and B.R. Snow has set the Damaged Posse series up in a way that provides himself with a wide variety of directions to move in future volumes. The storylines are compelling, the characters pop off the page, and Snow displays a sense of irreverence which serves him well as he takes on greed, hypocrisy, and the vagaries of relationships. Best of all, he is one very funny writer. Don't miss this one and the ones that follow. Comic crime hasn't looked this good is a very long time."

    Packed with beloved lines of verse, literary portraits, and illustrations — and statements from the bearers on their tattoos’ history and the personal significance of the chosen literary work — The Word Made Flesh is part photo collection, part literary anthology written on skin.

    11, No. 1, June 2017 "Gresham's surrealistic stories, at their best, shake us from within, and deepen the notion that we are islands of consciousness; in this way, they compel us to confront our own intellectual detachments and emotional blindspots in order for us to engage better with the world. They are also fundamentally stories about our modern world, its cross-cultural realities, and the fractured lives we lead in them. We Rose Up Slowly is an absorbing and disturbing read definitely worth spending an afternoon with." Sam Ng in Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, July 2016 Read more about the book on the We Rose Up Slowly Facebook Page or on the author's website.

    He rarely remembers anything that doesn't concern the game. He's never had a good enough reason to reprioritize his life or change his ways.Relying on her sisters most of the time, Abigail Harris is trying to put her life in order. She's now a graduate student and living on her own. It's not until Felix deems her his lucky charm that her life begins to change. Now, Abigail isn't sure if she should be focusing on her happiness or the professional baseball player.Can the two handle any fastballs that come their way or will they strike out under pressure?

    It's the one day of the year when everyone has a shot at finding true love—even a rapacious, over-sexed turtle god. It's a celebration of hobos and heartbreak, Lionel Richie impersonators and banana-brandy-flavored rice wine. It's The Festival of Earthly Delights.Boyd Darrow is a young American living in Puchai, a tiny Southeast Asian country that tourist brochures refer to as "The Kingdom of Winks." In a series of letters written to a mysterious recipient, Boyd tells of the delights, humiliations and brain-bending misadventures he experiences while adjusting to life in the small college town of Mai Mor. He and his somewhat less-than-faithful girlfriend, Ulla, were hoping to start their lives over in Puchai, but Puchai has an agenda all its own.Ulla's been hired to organize the talent show at the town's annual "Festival of Taang," but she seems more interested in the possibilities of cultural exchange with a local revolutionary. Meanwhile, Boyd grapples with a culture in which baby owls are considered a delicacy, turtles are worshipped as deities, and a wink can have one of 379 possible meanings (including "You're fired," "There's something in my eye," and "I want to kiss your lips!"). He's also falling for his boss's daughter, a half-Puchanese girl with a black eye and a troubling past. Lines are crossed, secrets are revealed, and, as Boyd's life inevitably spins out of control, the Festival draws closer with each day...Hilarious and wise and fiercely original, The Festival of Earthly Delights is a no-holds-barred celebration of love, cultural differences, and one man's reluctant embrace of the sensual pleasures of this world, in all their awkward, enigmatic glory.ADVANCE PRAISE"If Puchai were a real country, I'd be a citizen by now, or at least an illegal alien. What a glorious novel!" —Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story"Matt Dojny's novel is a true delight. I can't think of any writer since Kingsley Amis who's been able to write high-minded comedy that packs such a punch. I've never enjoyed a comic novel more." —John Wray, author of Lowboy"Matt Dojny's narrator Boyd Darrow is as poetically drawn as J.D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield, and as intimately hilarious as C.D. Payne's Nick Twisp. Dojny has created an entire country filled with characters that are so fresh and endearing, you'll find yourself wishing Puchai were a real place. I love this book." —Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords, The Daily Show)"Comic novels can be whimsical, or clever, or delightful, or witty, or canny, or powerful. Rarely are they all of those things. Matt Dojny's large-hearted, bright-minded novel has drawings and letters and love and loss, and now you do, too." —Ben Greenman, author of What He's Poised to Do and Superbad

    Fourteen-year-old Alexis Austin is fixing the plumbing, the tea, and all the problems of the world, it seems, in her landlady mother’s absence.The quirky tenants—a hilarious mix of misfits and rabble-rousers from days gone by—rely on Alexis all the more when they discover a plot to sell the Hotel. Can Alexis save their home? Find her real father? Deal with her surrogate dad’s dicey past? Find true love? Perhaps only their feisty pet crow, Habib, truly knows.Thirty-six of the most interesting writers in the Pacific Northwest came together for a week-long marathon of writing live on stage. The result? Hotel Angeline, a truly inventive novel that surprises at every turn of the page. Provoking interesting questions about the creative process, this novel is by turns funny, scary, witty, suspenseful, beautiful, thrilling, and unexpected.

    "Gardner captures like no other the buildup of chemistry between a man and a woman..." 3AM Magazine http://bit.ly/gr9AF0"Enter the book we couldn't put down, one which kept us riveted..." MARIE CLAIRE "Mary is in a very fragile place after the death of her father, distance in her relationship with her mother, and a tenuous sobriety which has long slipped away but for her hiding it from her family. It’s under such inauspicious timing, while living in London, that Mary starts up a correspondence with a dreamy poet, but from the very beginning things are far from how they appear." LINUS'S BLANKET http://bit.ly/iCNqLK