The Gold Hunters: A First-Hand Picture of Life in California Mining Camps in the Early Fifties


John David Borthwick - 2009
    Borthwick’s classic memoir captures the prosperity and excitement of the West Coast in the early 1850s. Following the discovery of gold in California in 1848, Scotsman Borthwick left New York and sailed to the West Coast where he joined the gold hunters of California. Borthwick’s account provides a fascinating look at life in the new cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, chronicling the often lawless society which came hand in hand with the newly found wealth of the gold hunters. Drinking, gambling and violence played a huge part in Borthwick’s world and his memoir includes many compelling tales of personal scrapes and adventures. The Gold Hunters offers a unique look at the life in the gold camps of the nineteenth century American West — the different cultures attracted by the discovery of gold, how they related to one another and their contrasting food, clothes and entertainment. John David Borthwick, born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1824, was a nomadic Scottish journalist and author, he first arrived in North America in 1847 and three years later found himself in the Gold Rush of California. He eventually left America in 1856 and spent the rest of his days in Scotland and London. This edited edition of Borthwick's memoir was first published in 1917.

French Revolution: A History From Beginning to End (One Hour History Book 1)


Henry Freeman - 2016
    The world was changing, moving away from ingrained beliefs about religion, reason, society, and the rights of the individual and turning more towards the laws of nature as interpreted by the scientific method. Nowhere was the influence of this radical new way of thinking more apparent than in France, and the upheaval this caused would come to bloody fruition in the form of revolution. Inside you will read about... - An Environment of Revolution - Rise of the Third Estate - The Rights of Man - Vive la Revolution! - Reign of Terror - The Last Revolutionaries And more! Explore the triumph and terror that existed in France during the French Revolution. Review the causes and the lasting effects brought about during this tumultuous time period when the common people of France struggled to remake their world upon the cornerstone of liberty.

North Korea: A Bare Bones History


James Friend - 2015
    Kim Il Sung wasted little time before plunging the country into a futile war which cost more than two million people their lives. His son, Kim Jong Il, would wallow in obscene luxury as North Korea suffered one of the Twentieth Century’s most terrible famines. Kim Jong Un has only recently ascended to power. However, he has already ordered his own uncle’s execution by antiaircraft gun. The North Korean people are told that they are the most fortunate in the world. In reality they are the most oppressed. North Korea is a country where criticising the government, or even watching a foreign film, can lead to imprisonment and death.North Korea: A Bare Bones History tells the story of one of the world’s most enigmatic nations. It’s an extraordinary history of war, assassination, kidnapping, terrorism, and an attempt to decapitate a rival head of state.

On the Trail of a Vicious Killer


Ethan Westfield - 2019
    When the Arapaho mine collapses, a series of tragic events are to follow: murdered bodies of locals are identified in the woods, as well as downtown. Jack will attempt to solve the riddle of the sudden deaths, while he'll be confronted with an impossible dilemma: Is it a creature that should be blamed for the mysterious losses, or is there another evil force that is threatening the town?Laura Allsop had just moved to Griswold along with her husband, when he tragically died in the mine cave-in. Although they got married for companionship and she was never genuinely enamoured with him, Laura is deeply traumatized by his bitter end. Despite the fatal start of her new life in Griswold, she will not give up. She is determined to stay, and run a small kitchen in order to make her living. Will she finally manage to overcome the sorrowful events of the past and build a better future? A thrilling story full of adventure, mystery and romance, where the expected becomes the unexpected. How will Jack and Laura trace the dangerous menace, so that the cursed town doesn't face another horrific loss?

The Kingmaker 1-3 (The Kingmaker, #1-3


Gemma Perfect - 2017
     The Kingmaker. Seize the Crown. Born to Rule DESTINED TO DIE. BORN TO RULE. “One of the best premises I have come across in the fantasy world.” YA Books Central “If you’re a fan of YA lit with courageous young ladies and mysteries, read this book today!” The Book Nerd Girl “I am sixteen years old and I will die on the morning of my seventeenth birthday. As tradition dictates, I will be sacrificed and my life’s blood will determine which one of my two brothers will be King. My blood will kill one and crown one. My name is Everleigh and I am the Kingmaker.” Terrified of her fate but resigned to her death, Everleigh has less than a week to live. The legend of the Kingmaker goes back millions of years and Everleigh would never dare to question her deadly inheritance. Kingmakers are special; their magic chooses the rightful King of the Realm and they all die on their seventeenth birthday. Except this one. Saved from the inevitable, Everleigh learns that she is the Kingmaker who will live, the Kingmaker who will rule, the Kingmaker who will be Queen. But not everyone agrees with an age-old prophecy that says that a girl will rule the Realm and soon Everleigh is locked in a deadly battle for the throne. Can she escape her blood-thirsty enemies and live long enough to be crowned Queen? Seize the Crown “If I am not the Kingmaker, who am I? If I am not Queen, who am I?” Believing her first love is dead, devastated by her brother’s actions, and cruelly denied of the crown she believes is her own, Everleigh faces the fight of her life in the second book of The Kingmaker Trilogy. Millards’s deadly ambition sees him wear the crown that should rightfully be on her head. Everleigh is determined to avenge her loved ones and seize the crown and if a fight is what it takes to rule, she will fight or die trying, in this fantastic follow up to The Kingmaker. Seize the Crown follows Everleigh on her quest for revenge and the throne, as she battles against her brother and his murderous tyranny. Born to Rule Maddeningly, the crown still eludes Everleigh as we begin the breath-taking conclusion to The Kingmaker Trilogy. In a hugely welcome turn of events, her first love is back at her side, the crown is almost on her head and she is ready to rule. But with Millard on the run and attacks being made ‘in the name of the King’, Everleigh must put a stop to her brother before her Kingdom is in ruins and if, as Queen, she must slay her own sibling, she will gladly do it. The Kingmaker Trilogy is a magical young adult fantasy, packed with fantastical twists, heart-stopping action and fabulously feisty females. If you enjoy reading Sarah J. Maas, Victoria Aveyard and Melissa Meyer then you’ll love The Kingmaker Trilogy. Pick up your copy today!

Strange Crime


Portable Press - 2018
    Dumb crooks, celebrities gone bad, unsolved mysteries, odd laws, and more—Strange Crime has plenty of stories that will make you ask yourself, “What could they possibly have been thinking?” This easily portable paperback book is ideal for readers on the go. Take it to school, to work, to jury duty!

Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris


David King - 2011
    As decapitated heads and dismembered body parts surfaced in the Seine, Commissaire Georges-Victor Massu, head of the Brigade Criminelle, was tasked with tracking down the elusive murderer in a twilight world of Gestapo, gangsters, resistance fighters, pimps, prostitutes, spies, and other shadowy figures of the Parisian underworld.The main suspect was Dr. Marcel Petiot, a handsome, charming physician with remarkable charisma. He was the “People’s Doctor,” known for his many acts of kindness and generosity, not least in providing free medical care for the poor. Petiot, however, would soon be charged with twenty-seven murders, though authorities suspected the total was considerably higher, perhaps even as many as 150.Who was being slaughtered, and why? Was Petiot a sexual sadist, as the press suggested, killing for thrills? Was he allied with the Gestapo, or, on the contrary, the French Resistance? Or did he work for no one other than himself? Trying to solve the many mysteries of the case, Massu would unravel a plot of unspeakable deviousness. When Petiot was finally arrested, the French police hoped for answers. But the trial soon became a circus. Attempting to try all twenty-seven cases at once, the prosecution stumbled in its marathon cross-examinations, and Petiot, enjoying the spotlight, responded with astonishing ease. His attorney, René Floriot, a rising star in the world of criminal defense, also effectively, if aggressively, countered the charges.  Soon, despite a team of prosecuting attorneys, dozens of witnesses, and over one ton of evidence, Petiot’s brilliance and wit threatened to win the day.Drawing extensively on many new sources, including the massive, classified French police file on Dr. Petiot, Death in the City of Light is a brilliant evocation of Nazi-Occupied Paris and a harrowing exploration of murder, betrayal, and evil of staggering proportions.

Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris


Graham Robb - 2010
    This is the Paris you never knew. From the Revolution to the present, Graham Robb has distilled a series of astonishing true narratives, all stranger than fiction. A young artillery lieutenant, strolling through the Palais-Royal, observes disapprovingly the courtesans plying their trade. A particular woman catches his eye; nature takes its course. Later that night Napoleon Bonaparte writes a meticulous account of his first sexual encounter. An aristocratic woman, fleeing the Louvre, takes a wrong turn and loses her way in the nameless streets of the Left Bank. For want of a map—there were no reliable ones at the time—Marie-Antoinette will go to the guillotine. Baudelaire, Baron Haussmann, the real-life Mimi of La Bohème, Proust, Charles de Gaulle (who is suspected of having faked an assassination attempt on himself in Notre Dame) —these and many more are Robb’s cast of characters. The result is a resonant, intimate history with the power of a great novel. 16 pages of illustrations.

Her Master


Jenika Snow - 2011
    This story has been revised. A bite of a story… Claret isn't just a bar for the paranormal, but a portal to another dimension. It plays tricks on the mind, and whoever enters will experience agony or ecstasy. Once Nena steps insides Claret she realizes that the price to leave may be more than she is willing to pay. But once she is in Master Erach's hold, she realizes that the life she has experienced thus far doesn't compare to what the dominant and alpha vampire has in store for her. *This short story is told in the first person from the heroine’s point of view. This is also a quick read with an ending that doesn’t fit in the HEA or HFN category. It’s purely for enjoyment purposes and has some darker content. Please be advised.

Under the Rain


Emma S. James - 2020
    

Welcome To Dong Tam (Jayhawk Two One Book 1)


Michael Trout - 2014
    This is the first in a series of true stories about a young helicopter pilot’s tour of duty in Vietnam.

Clearwater Witches Box Set, Books 1-3: Crystal Magic, Wild Magic, & Circle Magic


Madeline Freeman - 2015
    (Approximately 250,000 words.) Books Included:1. Crystal Magic2. Wild Magic3. Circle MagicCrystal MagicWhen tragedy forces Kristyl Barnette to move to the small town of Clearwater with her estranged aunt Jodi, Kristyl tries to leave her past behind. She catches the attention of Owen Marsh, who accepts her without question and who may be able to understand her better than anyone.But Owen isn't the only one who notices her. The mysteriously alluring Fox Holloway draws Kristyl's eye whenever he's around. And Clearwater High's chief mean-girl, Crystal Jamison, has her sights set on Kristyl and will stop at nothing to prove what Kristyl really is.A witch.Magic can be as dangerous as fire, and Aunt Jodi wants Kristyl to have nothing to do with it. But when a mysterious illness threatens her aunt's life, Kristyl will do anything to cure her. Enlisting the help of witches could save Jodi, but is dealing in magic worth the consequences?Wild MagicKristyl Barnette's life was finally coming together. But one spell changed everything.When people begin dying mysteriously, Kristyl must form new alliances with old friends in order to prevent more deaths--and to save the circle from destruction.Power comes at a price. Will Kristyl be able to pay it before it's too late?Circle MagicIt's only a matter of time before everything Krissa Barnette knows and loves is destroyed.Her father, absent for five years, returns to reveal the reason he left was to learn how to defeat a dangerous foe. His mysterious companion, Anya, possesses a wealth of knowledge about the fight but conceals many secrets.But Krissa has secrets, too, including the reason why she and Owen Marsh have a connection. And it's difficult to keep the truth from Fox Holloway now that the three of them are linked by a binding ritual.It's a race against time to enact the spell that will rid the world of Seth once and for all, but with threats coming from all angles, will Krissa and her friends succeed?

The Nazi Murder Machine: 13 Portraits in Evil


Ben Stevens - 2014
    The world can only be ruled by fear...'  So declared Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer of Germany. A leader of millions, served by men and women of such appalling savagery, such merciless evil, that they make the words 'barbarians' and 'pitiless' seem all but redundant.  This book features 13 such 'servants of Hitler'. Included are names almost as infamous as Hitler's own - Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels - yet also the cowardly, but wholly sadistic Irma Grese (female guard at the Auschwitz concentration camp, in sole charge of some 30,000 inmates) and Bruno Tesch, one of the owners of the pest-control company Tesch and Stabenow, who amassed a fortune through the sale of the Zyclon-B gas crystals, used in the concentration camp gas chambers, to the Nazis.(Originally published with ten entries. Three extra entries added 2014/11/06)ALSO AVAILABLE: 'Auschwitz: A Short History' (Ben Stevens).THE WHISTLER: A MURDERER'S TALE     '5 stars for a gripping and gritty read... The ending won't be what you think it will be... it's far better...' Lloyd Tackitt (Bestselling author of the EDEN series)'Moves easily between eras... Arrives at an ending I never saw coming...' Stephanie De Pue'Literary brilliance... A very dark story of Germany's past...' Shelby Austin'The power of music can touch your heart and save your life...' Shirley Waayenberg'An engaging book and totally believable...' Marti C Temple 'Excellent story...' Glora Hawthorne'Many twists and unexpected side issues. Author's long research paid off big-time...' Richard Milbrodt 'Read this after the Book Thief... The same genre and very well written...' Christopher Doyle'Authentic... An engaging story...  A brilliant half-Jewish violinist on the run from Nazis...' Rachel D. Reyes'A story of beauty and brutality during WWII...' Kadee from Littlerock, CA 'Passionate and powerful. I read it in a day as I had to understand... Gives numerous perspectives with intelligence and care. Outstanding!' SamL 'Haunting and rivetting...' hitza 'Great use of flashbacks to tell of what was going on during World War II... Hard to put it down...' Edwin E Hooker 'Compare this to the Book Thief... Blends past and present in a new and exciting way...' Lou Zitnik 'Engagind... Had me turning the pages wanting more...' K DeGrazia  'Great writing can be done about those ghastly times...' AvdE'A marvellous book...' Carole Weinstein       'The characters are very strong...' Amanda'A chilling insight into life in WW2 Germany...' Meesh J 'I got more and more engrossed...' Alan G 'I became totally absorbed in this novel after reading just the first few pages...' Bonnie Gleckler Clarke

Seconds to Disaster


Glenn Meade - 2012
    ˃˃˃ The Plane Truth About Flying "Meade and Ronan pull back the curtain on the airline industry and shine a bright light on the dark corners. Everyone who flies or cares about someone who flies should read this eye-opening account of the current state of commercial air travel. What you don't see can hurt you."--Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, retired airline pilot, consultant, speaker, CBS News Aviation and Safety Expert, and author of Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America's Leaders and Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters ˃˃˃ Children's Safety On Aircraft Is Second Class These revelations are made in the hope that any resulting debate will contribute to making air travel a safer experience for both crew and passengers alike.Seconds to Disaster will not only pose and answer questions as to why accidents happen, but also offer solutions as to how they can be further prevented.And it will explore a highly contentious issue: what parts do both the airline industry and the worldwide watchdog authorities responsible for governing that industry contribute in playing dice with passenger lives, through negligence and collusion. Scroll up and grab a copy today.

The Paris Bookseller


Kerri Maher - 2022
    It's where some of the most important literary friendships of the twentieth century are forged--none more so than the one between Irish writer James Joyce and Sylvia herself. When Joyce's controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Beach takes a massive risk and publishes it under the auspices of Shakespeare and Company.But the success and notoriety of publishing the most infamous and influential book of the century comes with steep costs. The future of her beloved store itself is threatened when Ulysses' success brings other publishers to woo Joyce away. Her most cherished relationships are put to the test as Paris is plunged deeper into the Depression and many expatriate friends return to America. As she faces painful personal and financial crises, Sylvia--a woman who has made it her mission to honor the life-changing impact of books--must decide what Shakespeare and Company truly means to her.