Older men and younger women, humiliation and blackmail, naughty girls and alpha males, spanking and bondage and hot sex, these stories will take you to the limit ... and then cross over. Visit her online at www.natashastevensbooks.com

    Kendi, author of the number one bestseller How To Be an Antiracist, and fellow historian Keisha N. Blain, Four Hundred Souls begins with the arrival of twenty enslaved Ndongo people on the shores of the British colony in mainland America in 1619, the year before the arrival of the Mayflower. In eighty chronological chapters, the book charts the tragic and triumphant four-hundred-year history of Black American experience in a choral work of exceptional power and beauty. Contributors include some of the best-known scholars, writers, historians, journalists, lawyers, poets and activists of contemporary America who together bring to vivid life countless new facets to the drama of slavery and resistance, segregation and survival, migration and self-discovery, cultural oppression and world-changing artistic, literary and musical creativity. In these pages are dozens of extraordinary lives and personalities, rescued from the archives and restored to their rightful place in America's narrative, as well as the ghosts of millions more.Four Hundred Souls is an essential work of story-telling and reclamation that redefines America and changes our notion of how history is written.

    Here are exiles, emigrants, and wanderers uprooting their families from the Philippines to begin new lives in the Middle East, the United States, and elsewhere—and, sometimes, turning back again. A pharmacist living in New York smuggles drugs to his ailing father in Manila, only to discover alarming truths about his family and his past. In Bahrain, a Filipina teacher drawn to a special pupil finds, to her surprise, that she is questioning her own marriage. A college student leans on her brother, a laborer in Saudi Arabia, to support her writing ambitions, without realizing that his is the life truly made for fiction. And in the title story, a journalist and a nurse face an unspeakable trauma amidst the political turmoil of the Philippines in the 1970s and ’80s.In the Country speaks to the heart of everyone who has ever searched for a place to call home. From teachers to housemaids, from mothers to sons, Alvar’s powerful debut collection explores the universal experiences of loss, displacement, and the longing to connect across borders both real and imagined. Deeply compassionate and richly felt, In the Country marks the emergence of a formidable new writer.

    As Hagedorn points out in her insightful introduction, Manila is a city burdened with a violent and painful past, with a long heritage of foreign occupation. The specters of WWII (during which the city suffered from U.S. saturation bombing), and the oppressive 20-year reign of dictator Ferdinand Marcos live on in recent memory. The Filipino take on noir includes a liberal dose of the gothic and supernatural, with disappearance and loss being constants."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"This Southeast sampler is unique, possessing an overall gritty tone. Each slice of supernatural splendor pulls the reader in with their nontraditional heroes…Ultimately, readers get a strong taste of the real Manila and all her dark secrets, wanting more of while being slightly afraid of what she might do next. Manila is the perfect place for noir scenes to occur, and it is easy to get sucked into its deadly nightshade of doom."--Criminal Class PressBrand-new stories by: Lourd De Veyra, Gina Apostol, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo, F.H. Batacan, Jose Dalisay Jr., Eric Gamalinda, Jessica Hagedorn, Angelo Lacuesta, R. Zamora Linmark, Rosario Cruz-Lucero, Sabina Murray, Jonas Vitman, Marianne Villanueva, and Lysley Tenorio.Manila provides the ideal, torrid setting for an Akashic Noir series volume. It's where the rich rub shoulders with the poor, where five-star hotels coexist with informal settlements, where religious zeal coexists with superstition, and where politics is often synonymous with celebrity and corruption.From the Introduction by Jessica Hagedorn:Manila is not for the faint of heart. Built on water and reclaimed land, it’s an intense, congested, teeming megalopolis, the vital core of an urban network of sixteen cities and one municipality collectively known as Metro Manila. Population: over ten million and growing by the minute. Climate: tropical. Which means hot, humid, prone to torrential monsoon rains of biblical proportions.I think of Manila as the ultimate femme fatale. Complicated and mysterious, with a tainted, painful past. She’s been invaded, plundered, raped, and pillaged, colonized for four hundred years by Spain and fifty years by the US, bombed and pretty much decimated by Japanese and American forces during an epic, month-long battle in 1945.Yet somehow, and with no thanks to the corrupt politicians, the crime syndicates, and the indifferent rich who rule the roost, Manila bounces back. The people’s ability to endure, adapt, and forgive never ceases to amaze, whether it’s about rebuilding from the latest round of catastrophic flooding, or rebuilding from the ashes of a horrific world war, or the ashes of the brutal, twenty-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos . . .Many years have passed since the end of the Marcos dictatorship. People are free to write and say what they want, yet nothing is different. The poor are still poor, the rich are still rich, and overseas workers toil in faraway places like Saudi Arabia, Israel, Germany, and Finland. Glaring inequities are a source of dark humor to many Filipinos, but really—just another day in the life . . .Writers from the Americas and Europe are known for a certain style of noir fiction, but the rest of the world approaches the crime story from a culturally unique perspective. In Manila Noir we find that the genre is flexible enough to incorporate flamboyant emotion and the supernatural, along with the usual elements noir fans have come to expect: moody atmospherics, terse dialogue, sudden violence, mordant humor, a fatalist vision.

     WereBabies is a collection of Shapeshifter romances featuring one common theme, producing a BABY! There is something for everyone as the box set includes WereWolves, WereBears, WereDragons, WereTigers, WereLions and even Vampires! All of these books have been top 10 bestsellers in their category on Amazon with some even being #1 bestsellers. And do not forget, each book can be read standalone so you will never be left hanging! This is your chance to own them all for one LOW price! No catches! The 10 BREATHTAKING Paranormal Pregnancy Novels included in this collection for you are... (Warning: All these books contain scenes of a sexual nature) Book 1 -The Lion's Love Child - Jade White (OVER 100 5* REVIEWS!) A hot one night stand with a handsome man named Dylan got extremely complicated when Grace discovered she was somehow pregnant. Little did she know, Dylan was actually a WereLion and she was now carrying the Lion's love child.. Book 2 – The Spawn Of The Vampire - Samantha Snow (A #1 BESTSELLER) 9 months after a passionate night with the handsome Victor Titus, Shawna King now has a beautiful baby boy. Only problem is, she has no idea that the baby's father is a vampire... Book 3 – The Alpha's Surrogate - Angela Foxxe (A #1 BESTSELLER) Alpha Wolf Richard Dallas has no choice but to hire a human female to be surrogate and produce a cub for him. When Reign accepted the job of being a surrogate she had no idea that her job was set to be even more important then she could ever have imagined.. Book 4 – The Seed Of The White Tiger -JJ Jones After being impregnated by White Tiger shifter Gregor, Dominique is now carrying a cub. Carrying a cub means she is considered Gregor's mate and this now makes her a target for his enemies too.... Book 5 – The Tiger's Pregnant Bride - Bonnie Burrows A friends-with-benefits arrangement was all it was for WereTiger Sable and curvy Olivia. However, when Olivia mysteriously fell pregnant this meant that under the law that Sable follows, they MUST marry or face execution... Book 6 – The Seed Of The Dragon - Serena Rose (A #1 Bestseller) 5 years on from a fling with a handsome stranger, Rachel is living a happy life raising her son. Little does she know, her son has inherited his father's dragon shifter abilities and Rachel's life is about to change again in a way she could never have imagined... Book 7 – A Billionaire Bear's Baby - Amy Star (*A BOX SET EXCLUSIVE*) Life could not get better, a handsome man, a dream home endless amounts of money and a baby on the way. However, Tiffany is unaware of Billionaire Gus's secret life as a WereBear but soon she would find out in the most shocking way possible... Book 8 – The PlayTiger Billionaire - Maria Amor Playboy WereTiger Billionaire Nick needs an heir to pass his fortune on to if the worst was to happen. So he hired a surrogate mother called Cynthia to produce a child for him and Cynthia was about to find out just how dangerous the tiger life really was...

    Sometimes, when they’re lucky enough, it’s to find a mate…a sweet, human mate…since shifter females are in such short supply. Untethered Winston wishes it was his turn to find a partner because he’s done with all the screwing around. Done with all the meaningless one-night-stands. He might head into town, when it’s his turn, but he’s staying far away from temptation. He’ll wait until his name comes up on the mating list and then he’ll settle down. His good intentions are blown to hell when he meets Ana, a timid female struggling with an event from her past. Who is this beautiful creature? This broken, sad shadow of herself. Winston promises to help her. Hell, they’ll help each other. He might have vowed celibacy but he’s not dead. Not by a long damn shot. This way, he can spend time with a beautiful female without any expectations and in return, he’ll help her get over her fears. Problem is though, friends should not be this attracted to one another. They definitely shouldn’t be this intrigued by each other. Keeping his hands off of her is becoming an impossibility. Will he be able to let her go when the time comes? Thing is, he’s not so sure anymore. Unbound It all started with a dare. One little dare. Just a string of silly words that landed Alice smack bang in the middle of the ‘Dark Horse’ bar surrounded by utter chaos. Like most pick-up joints, the place is a meat market, but on steroids. The guys aren’t just simply guys, they’re shifters. Taller, bigger…hot damn…talk about jaw on the floor gorgeous. She can’t help but stare, back pressed against the wall, eyes wide, blood coursing just a little faster through her veins. That’s when he arrives. Impossibly big and brooding, seeming to look right through her with those dark eyes. She’s so tempted to leave with him, to let him make good on all of those dirty promises. Problem is, he’s just so annoyingly arrogant. Why does she feel like she’s punishing herself when she walks out…alone? Ash watches in shock as the human turns and leaves. No female has ever turned him down. Not. Ever. He can scent that she wants him, so why is she denying her basic needs? Try as he might, he can’t stop thinking about her…about what she would look like under him. Cheeks flushed, eyes glassy, biting down on her lip as she… Ash decides that he has to have her. She’s awakened the hunter in him and he knows just where to find her. Just one time - he’ll give her exactly what she needs - and then he’ll be out of her life forever. He’s not looking for a mate, definitely not looking for love. Unfortunately, he’s about to find out that just once with this particular female might not be enough. Unchained Long ago Gage failed at love. He recently failed the human female he'd been assigned to protect. Now, the Alphas have clearly lost their ever-loving minds because they’ve given him the same duty a second time. Well, he isn’t going to take the mission. He’ll bring the human to the village, as instructed, and then she’ll become someone else’s problem.

    These diverse authors challenge the common misconception that today's young people are apathetic, shallow, and materialistic. Aged ten to thirty-one, these atheist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, pagan, transgender, heterosexual, bisexual, metrosexual Americans are from every type of background and ethnicity, but are united by their struggle toward a common goal. They are the inheritors of their parents' legacy from the sixties, but also have the imagination and courage to embark on new paths and different directions. In letters addressed to their parents, to past generations, to each other, to the youth of tomorrow and to their future selves, each author articulates his or her vision for the world as they work towards racial, economic, gender, environmental and global justice. As the editors write in their introduction: "From globalization to the war on terrorism and beyond, our generation is compelled to action in the midst of a rapidly changing, and unique political moment Our challenge, and yours, is to live our lives in a way that does not make a mockery of our values."

    In these incisive and provocative essays, Suzuki looks unflinchingly at the destructive forces of globalization, political short-sightedness, and greed. Suzuki cautions against blind faith in science, technology, politics, and economics, and provides inspiring examples of how and where to make those changes that will matter to all of us and to future generations. In this time of global unrest and uncertainty, Suzuki provides an important reminder of how we are all connected and of what really matters. Written with clarity, passion, and wisdom, this book is essential reading for anyone who admires David Suzuki, who wants to understand what science can and can't do, or who wants to make a difference.Published in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation.

    An abortion provider reinvents birth control, Sheila Bapat envisions an economy that values domestic work, a teenage rock band dreams up a new way to make music, Katherine Cross rewrites the Constitution, and Maya Dusenbery resets the standard for good sex. Combining essays, interviews, poetry, illustrations, and short stories, The Feminist Utopia Project challenges the status quo that accepts inequality and violence as a given—and inspires us to demand a radically better future.

    In defense of human rights and equality, she assails the corrupt and educates the misguided with compassion, Swiftian wit, and complete literary authority.In this compelling collection, Pollitt skewers one hypocrite after another. She suggests, for example, that creationists be permitted to oppose the teaching of evolution only so long as they agree to forgo the benefits of the theory–such as flu vaccines. She gently wonders if those who denounced the decision to allow Terri Schiavo to die in peace would themselves be satisfied to be video-diagnosed by Senator Bill Frist. And in the title essay about fundamentalists’ antagonism toward sex education and STD prevention, she asks, “What is it with these right-wing Christians? Faced with a choice between sex and death, they choose death every time.”Pollitt is one of the most eloquent and persuasive voices in American political conversation of this or any other era, and Virginity or Death! Is a marvelous demonstration of her keen insight, mordant humor, and sense of justice.“Katha Pollitt has long and rightly been hailed for her brilliance, wit, and great insight into politics, social issues, and women’s rights. As with all of her work, I am enormously grateful for Virginity or Death!, and also deeply jealous.”–Anne Lamott, author of Traveling Mercies

    Because a predator lies in wait. This compelling new collection from the editors of the bestselling Stalkers tells of worlds where evil waits and watches...and kills. Each story will send chills up your spine, keep you burning the lights all night, and have you looking over your shoulder—just in case the Predator is there. So lock your doors, check your windows, and get ready to savor fiction that touches the primeval places…where all your screams are born.

    Desperate to win back his father’s approval, the boy hatches a plan involving his father’s love of slasher films. If the boy can become a real-life slasher right out of the movies, it just might be an opportunity to make his father proud again, no matter what the cost.In Iain Rob Wright’s “The Reckoning,” the year is 2035 and people live inside their individual worlds. Amelie’s ‘pod’ is a marvel of tech-centric existence, taking care of her every need. But when a serial killer that the press have named ’The Reckoning’ comes calling for Amelie, her futuristic living space turns deadly.In William Malmborg's "Billy's Blade," a budding serial killer bites off more than he can chew when he tries to stab Stacy Collins to death on the Prairie Path. A ruthless investigative journalist, Stacy goes on the offensive, goading the killer with unflattering articles, all in hopes of sparking a second encounter. Will Billy and Stacy meet again?Jeff Strand’s “Twentieth Anniversary Screening” recounts the grisly events surrounding the terrible slasher flick THE ROOFER, remembered only because an obsessed fan tried to reenact the murders as they played out on the screen. When the same theater shows the film twenty years later, will the warnings that this is a really, really bad idea be justified?

    Represented in the anthology are such distinguished spell weavers as Edgar Allen Poe ("The Black Cat"), Wilkie Collins ("A Terribly Strange Bed"), Henry James ("Sir Edmund Orme"), Guy de Maupassant ("Was It a Dream?"), O. Henry ("The Furnished Room"), Rudyard Kipling ("They"), and H.G. Wells ("Pollock and the Porroh Man"). Included as well are such modern masters as Algernon Blackwood ("Ancient Sorceries"), Walter de la Mare ("Out of the Deep"), E.M. Forster ("The Celestial Omnibus"), Isak Dinesen ("The Sailor-Boys Tale"), H.P. Lovecraft ("The Dunwich Horror"), Dorothy L. Sayers ("Suspicion"), and Ernest Hemingway ("The Killers"). "There is not a story in this collection that does not have the breath of life, achieve the full suspension of disbelief that is so particularly important in [this] type of fiction," wrote the Saturday Review. With an introduction and notes by Phyllis Cerf Wagner and Herbert Wise.

    No man is harder than police chief Theodore Graves, and no man is more determined to keep his uncle's ranch in the family instead of being sold to developers—but one woman might be. The ranch was coowned by Jillian Sanders's uncle, and she's just as resolved to stay on the ranch. The only problem is she and Theodore fight like cats and dogs. And their uncles' wills stipulate that in order to keep the land, they must be married…  FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!  Texas Wild by New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson Megan Westmoreland needs answers about her family's past, and Rico Claiborne is the man to find them. But when the truth comes out, will Rico offer her more than a shoulder to lean on?

    The focus in American Hybrid is on the blend; the more than seventy poets featured here--including Jorie Graham, Albert Goldbarth, and Lyn Hejinian--have found new and often unique ways to reconfigure the innumerable and sometimes conflicting voices of the past thirty years. The editors have crafted short introductory essays on each of the poets in the anthology, providing biographical backgrounds and positioning them within the current of contemporary poetry. This new anthology is essential reading for those who care about the present moment--and the future--of American verse.