
Vatican Vamps by Megan Hammer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Gabriel Walker had the perfect life: a loving wife and a baby on the way until a seemingly random crime left him stranded between life and death. Caught up in a battle between good and evil, Gabe discovers he has been chosen to join a centuries-old secret brotherhood. The question is, why was he chosen, and will he survive long enough to find out?
Secrets of the Magic Ring by Karen McQuestion
When nine-year-old Paul explores the hole dug for his backyard swimming pool, he discovers a box containing a ring--a ring that turns out to be magical. Moments later, a mysterious boy shows up demanding the ring; luckily, Paul's trusty dog, Clem, scares him away. To keep the ring safe, Paul hides it in his pillow case, where, to his horror, it's discovered by his mother, who loans it to his Aunt Vicky. Things get even stranger when Vicky, a nonswimmer, falls into the now finished pool and discovers that her greatest secret wish has been granted--she can swim! As the ring gets passed around and wishes are made, a wild series of talents and circumstances threaten to turn their lives upside down forever. But Jasmine, a fairy of the woods, has an idea--and if everyone cooperates, she just might be able to put an end to the shenanigans and return their lives to normal. Wildly original and full of vibrant, chaotic imagination, Secrets of the Magic Ring is proof of the old adage "Be careful what you wish for."
When a tourist stops for the night in the beautiful beach town of Bowen, in North Queensland, Australia, resting and enjoying her surroundings are the only expectations she can imagine. That evening, the young woman takes a picnic basket down to the water's edge for her dinner and meets a crab, who just so happens to pinch her bottom! As the woman daydreams about the ocean at her feet and relaxes to feel the environment around her, a beautiful mermaid suddenly pops out of the water and tells her about the wonderful world beneath the sea. What special message will the mermaid ask the young woman to pass on to the children who live on the land? Angel Wings, Faery Dust and Other Magical Things: A Story About Merpeople will delight and surprise readers as it weaves a breathtaking tale of the mysteries and gifts of the sea. Roxanne Roberts lives in Collinsville, North Queensland, Australia, where she teaches high school. By writing, she hopes to share the gifts of love and understanding with children. Ms. Roberts is working on the next book in the Angel Wings, Faery Dust and Other Magical Things series, the story of a young girl meeting her guardian angel for the first time and discovering the love and comfort from knowing he is there. Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/RoxanneRoberts
In times of great need, a beautiful, kind and generous witch appears in the land to lend assistance and to heal all hurts. Such is the basis of the new children's fantasy Angel Wings, Faery Dust and Other Magical Things: A Story About Witches, Warlocks and Such. With the help of her guardian angel, other witches and wizards, faeries, elves and magical creatures, the good witch is able to visit towns and villages all over the world to make the world a better place. This good witch has certainly earned her Angel Wings! Says the author, "At times I look around the world and see all the hurt and anger, and feel like I need to be proactive in helping things change. Teenagers respond so well to positive affirmation, and when the people in their lives believe in them rather than condemning them. My role as a teacher is not only to teach, but to help students develop their potential as brilliant, kind and giving people. Sometimes, a single word or action, a random act of kindness is all it takes to heal someone who is hurting." Roxanne Roberts is a high school teacher and the mother of a teenager and a toddler. She lives in Northern Queensland, Australia. "I have always been attracted to the healing arts and to non-Western/traditional forms of healing." She credits JK Rowling with encouraging a generation of children to once again grow up with the belief in magic. Her next book in the series is about a mermaid and saving the oceans. Publisher's website: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/AngelWingsFaeryDustAndOtherMagicalThings.html
Chance is a Texan vampire hunter until a botched raid kills his team and sends him running for his life. Looking for a place to lie low, Chance takes what looks like an easy job in California. Dispose of a mysterious object. No vampires involved. But Chance’s life is never that simple. Within hours of reaching the West coast, his contact is murdered and Chance is left holding the key to a demonic weapon of mass destruction. To make matters worse, the weapon was stolen from the ruthless head of a multi-national corporation who will do anything to get it back. With supernatural hit men on his heels, Chance has no choice but to turn to the creatures he once hunted. Soon he’s neck deep in otherworldly seductresses, rival werewolf gangs, ravenous witches, and dysfunctional vampires. His only hope is to gain their trust, and their help, before all Hell breaks loose.
Down And Out in Manhattan is the story of life-changing decisions and second chances. When Margaret Maghpye, single and living in Manhattan, is fired from her job she decides to take a bold leap. With the thought of facing another painful holiday season, she exhausts her savings on a Mexican cruise, hoping it will lift her spirits. Having spent her scarred, young adult life making all the wrong choices, at first blush, this seems to be just another mistake of a lonely dreamer. As she struggles to survive shipboard intrigue and entrapment, there's a bright spot when she befriends a fellow passenger, Michael Sanders - an enigmatic recluse with plenty of reasons to keep to himself. But, having felt the sting of heartbreak time and again, Maggie may not be ready to embark on another relationship. When Michael must leave the ship to assist in an emergency, she wonders if their friendship will endure the distance between them, particularly when she encounters a crisis of her own.
I wrote a Girl's Guide to Guys as a kind of self-help book for teenagers to help them with relationships. It's not too serious, and includes loads of advice on how to chat to boys, and how to handle dates and stuff. I wrote it because I just wished that there was a book like it to help me on what to do when it comes to boys, because I found it a nightmare when I was younger! It all started when I was 16. It was summer and I was bored, so i decided to write a lads guide for myself, just for fun. I read shout all the time and I loved how chatty and funny it was, so I decided to write with the same attitude - keeping it fun and positive! Chatting to boys can be so stressful and serious, but shout showed me it doesn't have to be. It's always packed with great advice, and I learned so much about boys from it, which was a great help for writing the book!
"Love of Chocolate" - this unusual novel by Nicholas Reardon comes with a hint of Manga Art as the pages of the book are brought to life with the illustrations of the manga artist Heby Sim. With this story, the author produces a new and unique type of book, which crosses the boundaries between the pen of the writer, and the brush of the artist, plus a lot of Chocolate. More details on this book and others in the series plus of course the characters drawn by the artist can be seen at our associated website. Abbey Jones was not what you could call an ordinary girl. The only thing she could remember when she was found washed ashore as a child was that she was an orphan, true she looked a normal girl, but she had a secret and that was uncontrollable hair. She knew that most girls complained about their hair, in fact hers looked perfect. She loved her uncontrollable soft long blond hair, it was only that she just wished it would stop stealing chocolates and threatening to bite people! This is another book from Nicholas Reardon of Reardon Publishing.
A self help guide by Amy Mah (Vampire) for teenage vampire girls, the guide is fully illustrated by manga Artist Heby and is written in an easy to follow A - Z format explaining everything a teenage vampire girl would need to know about living life as a modern Vampire. What is fashionable to wear when eating out? Fang maintenance & how to keep your claws sharp. Should you let a boy bite you on the first date? Easy to understand clear advice is given to every day problems Example: When you get an urge to bite: We all get those normal urges to bite things, and I must point out it is very normal, Claws are all well and good in a fight but a bite gives the extra advantage of getting a refreshing drink at the same time. Lots of girls worry about showing their Fangs in public believing that to show your fangs is rude, but don't be shy they can be a girls greatest asset (ok second greatest asset) if a boy is being rude to you, don't just snarl at him, just bite him! You are a vampire why do you think you have sharp teeth if not for sinking them into a boy that is being rude to you.
When Darakin, an elemental mage of the Kwagl realm, is accidentally summoned to a strange world full of unknown technology, he finds himself overwhelmed and, worst of all; his elemental summoning magic won’t work here. After reciting a translation spell, Darakin meets Mrowley, the cat. Armed only with Mrowley’s company and limited knowledge of the human world, Darakin sets off to find work and to search for a way home. His strange accent lands him a job as a bouncer in a pub that employs illegal aliens. There he meets the beautiful Nora. As he falls in love with Nora, he learns that he wasn’t the only creature summoned from his realm. Time is of the essence as he searches for a way to kill a dangerous, seemingly invincible demon without the use of his precious elemental magic.
Red Velvet and Absinthe explores love and lust with otherworldly partners who, by their sheer fantastical nature, evoke passion and desire far beyond that which any normal human being can inspire. Although the greats such as Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, and Daphne du Maurier are long dead, these contemporary authors keep the Gothic spirit alive and well by interpreting it in new and exciting ways. Red Velvet and Absinthe offers readers a collection of unique and original stories that conjure up the atmospheric and romantic spirit of the Gothic masters (and mistresses) but take things a bit further by adding to the brew a generous dosage of eroticism. Lie back and listen to the wind howling outside your window as you read these stories in the flickering light of a candle, the absinthe you’re sipping warming your body like the caressing touch of a lover’s fingers . . .
Suburban Prophets by Geoffrey Brokos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(Target audience recommended: Young Adult such as Jr. High Boys to College Male dumb humor)
Suburban Prophets is fast pace, short and on crack. Perfect for something to read on a long trip, boring day at work or for the short attention span.
Do ghost really exist? Micah, a senior in high school, who has grown up in the church his whole life, wonders why ghosts are never talked about. With his two coworkers, Ivan, a movie film buff dealing with a break up, and Cory, a weed smoking film student decide to go ghost hunting after a ghost sighting at work.
The three look up supposedly haunted places online and set on a quest to see if they are real. Experience the relationships, adventures, in a dark ridiculous comedy thriller.
Recommended 14 and up for drug references, inappropriateness, and dark imagery.
17-year-old Alex Detail has been kidnapped and sent off to fight in a hopeless war against The Harvesters, an alien force that is trying to extinguish Earth's Sun. Unfortunately for Alex's kidnappers (and the world) he has lost the mega-IQ that allowed him to win the last war with The Harvesters ten years ago when he was just 7 years old. But now the House of Nations is out of options. The end of life is imminent. Alex must survive the war long enough to make it to Pluto, where, underneath the planet's frozen surface lies the only force in the solar system that can stop The Harvesters.
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a body at the side of the road |
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after-effects of the typhoon |
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A father weeps while carrying the body of his child... For your help...visit this blog: http://sendong.republicanegrense.com/ |