Short stories.

Secret serpents, devilish demons, mysterious magicians - the folk tales of Iraq teem with otherworldly creatures, magic and earthy humour. Award-winning novelist Elizabeth Laird has gathered together the very best Iraqi stories during her time in the Middle East - stories ranging from thieving porcupines who get their come-uppance to the hilarious tale of the chaos caused by a handsome stranger who knocks at a house inside which lurks a marriageable daughter. Meticulously researched and elegantly retold, the stories reveal the true, traditional heart of Iraq, far removed from today's news headlines.

Around the globe, poverty has held too many people in its grip for too long. While microfinance - small loans to impoverished individuals - initially attracted attention in the press, it didn't achieve the scale, scope, and profitability necessary to substantially combat poverty. All that changed with Vikram Akula's creation of SKS Microfinance. In this highly personal narrative, A Fistful of Rice, Akula reveals how he pieced together the best of both philanthropy and (to his surprise) capitalism to help millions of India's poor transition from paupers to customers to business owners. As thoughtful as Barack Obama's personal journey in Dreams from My Father, as harrowing as Paul Farmer's battle against infectious disease in Mountains Beyond Mountains, and as gripping as Greg Mortensen's fight for education in Three Cups of Tea, Akula's story shows how traditional business principles can be brought to bear on global problems in new ways. A Fistful of Rice offers not only inspiration but also lessons for anyone seeking to transform tenacity, creativity, and innovation into potent tools for fighting even the most seemingly intractable human burdens.

Gypsum LaZelle had nearly given up. She’d already watched her two older siblings experience the transition—the sudden, debilitating process that turned them from ordinary children into mages, gifted spellcasters like their beautiful mother. Perhaps she was a late bloomer, she thought until her younger siblings came into their powers as well. Now, at twenty, Gypsum fears that she must accept her fate: a mundane life without magic. She can live with being ordinary, an outsider. After all, someone in the family had to take after her father…But one day, alone at home wither family away, Gypsum falls terribly ill. And when the symptoms pass, something has changed. Something she’s dreamed of for such a long time—and suddenly, isn’t ready for at all. “One of the most original and important writers of fantasy working in America today.”—The New York Review of Science Fiction

From the wild and wacky world of favorite funnyman Jean Shepherd, a dozen truer-than-life tales of tailgating on the Jersey Tumpike, infuriating infants, and other everyday catastrophes, defeats, and humiliations that are the familiar fate of Americans everywhere. Jean Shepherd was one of America’s favorite humorists, his most notable achievement being the creation of the indefatigable Ralphie Parker and his quest for a BB gun in the holiday classic A Christmas Story. But he was so much more, a comic Garrison Keillor–like figure whose unique voice transcended the airwaves and affected a whole generation of nostalgic Americans. A Fistful of Fig Newtons is classic Jean Shepherd—sidesplittingly funny and sardonically irreverent. It is a brilliant comic assessment of American life—all of them delivered in Jean Shepherd’s witty, classy, unforgettable style.

Fourteen outstanding authors. Fourteen extraordinary stories. One bestselling universe.It's the Twenty-Second Century. The galaxy has opened up to humanity as a hyperactive beehive of stargates and new technologies, and we suddenly find ourselves in a vast playground of different races, environments, and cultures. There's just one catch: we are pretty much at the bottom of the food chain.Enter the Four Horsemen universe, where only a willingness to fight and die for money separates Humans from the majority of the other races. Enter a galaxy not only of mercenaries, but also of Peacemakers, bounty hunters, and even a strung out junkie in the way of a hired assassin.Edited by bestselling authors and universe creators Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy, "A Fistful of Credits" includes all-new stories in the Four Horsemen universe by a variety of bestselling authors--and some you may not have heard of...yet. The fourteen authors take on various aspects of the universe, giving you additional insight into a galaxy that isn't at war...but definitely isn't at peace. There's only one thing for sure--anything's possible for a fistful of credits!Inside you'll find:Foreword by Dr. Charles E. Gannon"The Last Alpha" by Mark Wandrey"Breach of Contract" by Terry Mixon"Paint the Sky" by Jason Cordova"Surf and Turf" by Jon R. Osborne"Stand on It" by Kevin Ikenberry"Lost and Found" by Jon Del Arroz"Gilded Cage" by Kacey Ezell"Legends" by Christopher Woods"With the Eagles" by Doug Dandridge"Dead or Alive" by Paul Corcoran"Hide and Seek" by Christopher Nuttall"Information Overload" by Charity Ayres"Enough" by Chris Kennedy"CASPer's Ghost" by Brad R. Torgersen

Private investigator Bernie and his canine partner Chet are picked to keep an eye on the notorious bad boy actor Thad Perry when people who may know a secret about the star start turning up dead.

"This collection contains some of the odds and ends of my career that I don't mind seeing reprinted for followers of my work to examine ... they are fun and I hope they will entertain."--Intro., p.10

Madison can see souls. Honestly, it’s kind of gross. Madison Fox is shocked when she learns her soul sight is more than a distasteful affliction: It’s a weapon for battling evil. Roped into a job she doesn’t want, Madison wades into a world where monsters actively hunt her and deadly experiences are becoming the norm. Her survival depends on mastering the mechanics of her ethereal powers—fast. If only she had a clue what she was doing... A Fistful of Evil is a fresh urban fantasy perfect for fans of Darynda Jones and Jim Butcher. Find out for yourself why urban fantasy readers can’t get enough of this laugh-out-loud internationally bestselling series. Download your copy today! READER REVIEWS “This story will have you captivated from start to finish” ★★★★★ “Rebecca Chastain has a hit series here, one full of humor, danger and amazingly awesome characters! ★★★★★ “The amount of laughs, adventure, world building, and mishaps made this story totally worth reading. I recommend this to Urban Fantasy fans everywhere.” ★★★★★ “this is a very fun new series that I plan to get a whole lot more of, ASAP” ★★★★★ “Well-written, captivatingly charming, downright hysterical at times... a must read!” ★★★★★ SERIES READING ORDER A Fistful of Evil (Book 1) A Fistful of Fire (Book 2) A Fistful of Flirtation (Book 2.5; a newsletter-exclusive bonus novella) A Fistful of Frost (Book 3) Madison Fox Novella Box Set (Book 4) FORMATS Available in ebook, print, and audiobook AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Rebecca Chastain is the USA Today bestselling author of the Madison Fox urban fantasy series and the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles fantasy trilogy, among other works. Inside her novels, you’ll find spellbinding adventures packed with supernatural creatures, thrilling action, heartwarming characters (human and otherwise), and more than a little humor. Rebecca lives in Madison’s territory and is keeping her fingers crossed that Madison will be able to protect her soul from the evil invasions plaguing her Northern California town. Visit Rebecca’s website for behind-the-scenes bonus content, free short stories, and links to social media. REBECCA CHASTAIN’S OTHER BOOKS NOVELS OF TERRA HAVEN -Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles- Magic of the Gargoyles (Book 1) Curse of the Gargoyles (Book 2) Secret of the Gargoyles (Book 3) Lured (Book 3.5; a newsletter-exclusive bonus novella) -Terra Haven Chronicles- Deadlines & Dryads (Book 0.5) Leads & Lynxes (Book 1; forthcoming) STAND ALONE Tiny Glitches