Never properly trained, he's been learning on the job. Outwitting vampires, wrestling werewolves, banishing powerful demons – all while holding down a teaching gig. But wizarding is in his blood, and he’ll do whatever it takes to protect his dysfunctional city, even if he mashes a few toes along the way. Watch your feet. Readers react: ★★★★★ "Spellbinding!” ★★★★★ "Kept me glued to every page. An awesome character with an amazing life." ★★★★★ "Professor Everson Croft is supernatural but never superhuman. He lives and breathes and has doubts and a wicked sense of the ironic. Can't wait for more!" ★★★★★ "This series had me hooked after the first novel. Five books in, and it's still got me wanting more." ★★★★★ "As a book lover and admirer of magic, I love this series!" This value set features the first four novels and the prequel novella in the Prof Croft series: Book of Souls, Demon Moon, Blood Deal, Purge City, and Death Mage. If you like occult action, spell-crackling suspense, and moments of heart, heroism, and all-out laughter, you’ll love Prof Croft!

    Eight years ago, he lost his wife and child at the hands of a killer known only as Mr. Gray. But now, Mr. Gray is back, and with strange powers that allow him to appear anywhere at will. Scott must protect a new family – a woman and her autistic son – from the madman's attacks. All they can do is run...and try to find the secret behind THE MERIDIANS.

    Now she’s met Scott Landis and his son, Randy. His adopted son.About the time she falls in love with Scott, circumstances convince her Randy is the baby she gave away nine years ago. But what can she do?If she confronts Scott, she'll lose his love, and he'll keep Randy from her. If she marries Scott without telling who she is, she'll have Randy and Scott, but be living a lie. Is there a happy ending to her life?

    Othello's recount of her childhood, of the truck that was the only home she knew during the first six years of her life, the two-room shack that claimed her mother's life in a tragic fire, the abusive behavior of an alcoholic father, and the eleven long years she spent with her siblings at an Oklahoma orphanage, is captivating. Recording her memories in a simple yet touching style, Othello conveys strength of emotions that have been distilled and clarified over time. Cry Into the Wind is a story of triumph over adversity: a testimony to the strength of the American Spirit and a valuable source of inspiration for those struggling to overcome the effects of an abusive childhood.

    Bridging the chasm between educational and social history, this book was one of the first to examine developments in higher education in the context of the social, economic, and political forces that were shaping the nation at large.Surveying higher education from the colonial era through the mid-twentieth century, Rudolph explores a multitude of issues from the financing of institutions and the development of curriculum to the education of women and blacks, the rise of college athletics, and the complexities of student life. In his foreword to this new edition, John Thelin assesses the impact that Rudolph's work has had on higher education studies. The new edition also includes a bibliographic essay by Thelin covering significant works in the field that have appeared since the publication of the first edition.At a time when our educational system as a whole is under intense scrutiny, Rudolph's seminal work offers an important historical perspective on the development of higher education in the United States.

    His hands are locked together as if in prayer. Rookie police officer John Drake is first on scene. His superiors want to call it an accidental death, but he isn't convinced. In his previous life, Drake saw his share of dead bodies. He knows this was not an accident. When he uncovers a list with five names including the name of the dead man, there's only one question. Are the names on the list suspects or potential victims?

    He doesn't laugh when I mention vampires."They're in the cellar," he says.It must be the heat. The old man is delusional. At least that's what I tell myself. Things are different in the middle of the night. When monsters come tapping, it's impossible to dismiss the idea that the Maine woods hold secrets--deadly secrets. Until the Sun Goes Down - a terrifying and inventive novel by Ike Hamill A new look at the vampire genre, this book draws you into the slow madness that overtakes our protagonist. There's not much time Until the Sun Goes Down.

    But when the baby dies of natural causes while under her roof, and knowing her neighbour will be devastated, Minnie swaps it with one of the infants in her care.Now seventeen, Jewel Nightingale knows nothing of her true origins. But assaulted by her hateful cousin and making the dreadful discovery that she is pregnant, she faces a desperate dilemma. Fleeing her job as a domestic maid, she follows an advertisement to a house in Bolton's dark slums, where a woman promises to help her when the child is born. Little does Jewel know that there’s a terrible price to pay . . .Can she keep herself – and her baby – safe? And what will happen when Jewel discovers the truth about where she came from? Gritty and page-turning historical saga set in Northern England in the late 1800s, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin.

    It is our turn," writes Conrad Black in this scintillating manifesto for how Canada can achieve an exalted role in world affairs. For over 400 years we have toiled in the shadows of our potential and achieved an indifferent recognition among other nations. Chipper, patient, and courteous, we have pursued an improbable destiny as a splendid nation in the northern section of the new world, a demi-continent of relatively good and ably self-governing people, but most would agree we have neither developed a vivid national personality nor realized our true potential. Our main chance, writes Black, is now before us and it is not in the usual realms of military or economic dominance. With the rest of the West engaged in a sterile and platitudinous left-right tug of war, Canada has the opportunity to lead the advanced world to its next stage of development in the arts of government. By transforming itself into a controlled and sensible public policy laboratory, it can forge new solutions to the tiresome problems besetting welfare, education, health care, foreign policy, and other governmental sectors the world over, and make an enormous contribution to the welfare of mankind. Canada has no excuse not to lead in this field, argues Black, who offers nineteen visionary policy proposals of his own. "This is the destiny, and the vocation, Canada could have, not in the next century, but in the next five years of imaginative government.

    

    Hopefully.They have to look after the peace and quiet in a small town that has the unfortunate nickname “Monster Town.” Why in the world would the town be called that? Well, let’s just say that the residents of this little burg are a bit unusual and leave it at that.Anyway, what would happen if a terror came drifting into town that could scare the bejeezus out of any law abiding monster? Find out when the sheriff and his deputies go on the hunt for the Boogerman.

    She restores historic carousels -- her dream career -- working from her own studio in a former roller skating rink. Though black herself, she spent her first years in a Basque immigrant community in Nevada, the adopted child of a single mother. And after the mother's death, she was raised by her Aunt Joy in a Catholic Worker house.  Mirai has a lot going for her -- but then, why is everything suddenly falling apart? Her current, year-long carousel project is veering crazily out of control, in both schedule and budget. The guy who dumped her only months before has shown up married and -- as far as Mirai is concerned -- to the worst possible person. Her mother's death long ago is looking less and less like an accident. And Joy, the one person who has had her complete trust, may know more about that death than she has let Mirai believe.  Mirai knows how to restore a carousel, but can she restore relationships with those she loves? Can she strip the old paint of past wrongs to prepare her life for new, more vibrant colors? And will her eyes be clear enough to spot the brass ring when it finally comes within reach? ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson, a retired historic preservation architecture consultant, is the author of several novels, plus books on such diverse subjects as soapmaking and baking with cookie molds. She currently lives in Friday Harbor, Washington, in the San Juan Islands, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE Next morning, I picked out Will's car parked on the street in front of the coffee shop. No room for doubt -- Will had a real screamer of a car, an old red Mustang convertible. Not that he described it that way. His version started off with "1964-1/2" for the model year and "poppy red" for the color, then veered into details about the color of certain key engine parts -- at which point I had always zoned out so far, I didn't hear the rest of the speech. There it sat, parked at the curb in Peregrine Falls, Idaho, already collecting a few admirers. Not even counting the vanity plate -- ORGAN4U -- the car had so much of Will's personality attached to it, I felt mildly nauseated. As an alternative to kicking a fender, I slammed into the coffee shop. "Whoa, Mirai! Remember us?" The crew had gathered at the only big table in the Clearwater Cafe. I'd been so wrapped up in my own problems, I hadn't even seen them. They were all there -- Evangeline, Harvey, Mr. Papadakis. And Will. Neither fight nor flight was practical. I sat down at the table. The waitress hurried to me with a coffeepot and mug. I ordered the special and sipped my coffee. "Clearwater" was certainly the word for that coffee -- they must have named the restaurant after it. I glanced around the table, skipping over Will. Mr. Papadakis caught my eye. "What's the agenda?" he asked. "We'll go to the park as soon as we're done here. Check out the carousel, then have lunch with the committee. We have to give the owners a preliminary report tomorrow morning." Evangeline smiled. "How long are you staying?" she asked me. "All week. You?" "I'll stay awhile. I may want to work on things in place." In Evangeline's case, "awhile" could mean several months. She had an answering service, but no permanent address. At the moment, I envied her. Harvey shook his head. "I'm leaving tomorrow night. I'll come back later, when the work on the building starts. For now, a couple of days will do it." It was Will's turn, so I had to look toward him then. He sat quietly, holding a coffee cup. Will had never worn jewelry, but now a ring glinted on his finger. A plain gold ring on the fourth finger of his left hand. A wedding ring.

    Caleb Cantrill, a gentleman who has found something very interesting in the ground, and though he doesn't know it yet, he is about to have a very, very bad day.Set in the wilds of the Cascade mountains of Western Canada in 1895, this introductory tale from CLAW: Emergence is the first in a series which will form a rich tapestry of discovery, betrayal, and insatiable hunger, all delivered with small-town Canadian flair.

    Whatever it takes, there will be no sharing of the fame he’ll receive. Deep below a quaint street in London there’s a secret room. A sarcophagus has rested there for a thousand years. When an astonishing set of diaries is found, secrets lost for centuries are revealed. Even the journals themselves are amazing. They were written by a monarch whom history says never existed. Roberto Maas, a businessman who’s not what he appears to be, searches a medieval crypt for answers. You’d expect to find bodies in a crypt, but along with ancient corpses there are modern ones too. Roberto must be wary – his psychotic partner has dark secrets of his own. The mystery unravels and time begins to run out. Roberto Maas races to learn what the discoveries beneath the ancient city really mean.

    Now Dani, along with her four companions, must fight against incredible odds to survive a night that no one will ever forget.A night that will forever be known as ‘the hatching.’The Hatching is a horror novel inspired by John Carpenter movies, as well as the classic stories of Stephen King and Richard Matheson. If you love taut, fast-paced claustrophobic horror, you’ll love The Hatching.