“No dragons, but [Crystal Singer] has all of [Anne] McCaffrey's gifts for world-building and characterization . . . an excellent book.”—Chicago Sun-Times Her name was Killashandra Ree; and after ten grueling years of musical training she was young, beautiful—and still without prospects. Then she heard of the mysterious Heptite Guild on the planet Ballybran, where the fabled Black Crystal was found. For those qualified, the Guild was said to provide careers, security, and the chance for wealth beyond imagining. The problem was, few people who landed on Ballybran ever left. To Killashandra the risks were acceptable . . .

A Crystal Singer novel—a captivating blend of adventure, intrigue and romance. Killashandra Ree's life was one of catastrophic changes. She had joined the Heptite Guild to become a crystal singer, get rich, and forget her past. And at first everything went just as she had hoped. In one season on the deadly beautiful world of Ballybran, she had sung Black Crystal, grown wealthy, and met a man who made her sorrows seem unworthy of notice. But then, a year later, a devastating storm turned her claim to useless rock. In short order she was broke, she had crystal sickness so bad she thought she'd die, and the only way she could be true to the man she loved was to leave him. . . .

Crystal had destroyed Killashandra’s memory, and only crystal could restore it—if she dared! When Killashandra Ree joined the mysterious Heptite Guild, she knew that she would be forever changed. Crystal singing brought ecstasy and pain, near-eternal life . . . and gradual loss of memory. What she hadn’t counted on was the loneliness she felt when her heart still remembered what her mind had forgotten. Fortunately, someone still cared enough to try to salvage what was left of Killashandra’s mind. But she would have to learn to open herself—to another person, and to all her unpleasant memories. “A treat for long-time McCaffrey fans, a good read and a satisfying look at one of the most haunting facets of the crystal singers’ profession.”—Locus

Fifteen-year-old Menolly allies with magnificent dragons in the first book in the Harper Hall trilogy, set within science fiction legend Anne McCaffrey’s beloved and bestselling Dragonriders of Pern series. For centuries, the world of Pern has faced a destructive force known as Thread. But the number of magnificent dragons who have protected this world and the men and women who ride them are dwindling. As fewer dragons ride the winds and destruction falls from the sky, Menolly has only one dream: to sing, play, and weave the music that comes to her so easily—she wishes to become a Harper. But despite her great talents, her father believes that a young girl is unworthy of such a respected position and forbids her to pursue her dreams. So Menolly runs away, taking shelter in a cave by the sea. Miraculously, she happens upon nine fire lizards that could possibly save her world...and change her life forever.

K-pop (Korean popular music) reigns as one of the most popular music genres in the world today, a phenomenon that appeals to listeners of all ages and nationalities. In Soul in Seoul: African American Popular Music and K-pop, Crystal S. Anderson examines the most important and often overlooked aspect of K-pop: the music itself. She demonstrates how contemporary K-pop references and incorporates musical and performative elements of African American popular music culture as well as the ways that fans outside of Korea understand these references. K-pop emerged in the 1990s with immediate global aspirations, combining musical elements from Korean and foreign cultures, particularly rhythm and blues genres of black American popular music. Korean solo artists and groups borrow from and cite instrumentation and vocals of R&B genres, especially hip-hop. They also enhance the R&B tradition by utilizing Korean musical strategies. These musical citational practices are deemed authentic by global fans who function as part of K-pop’s music press and promotional apparatus. K-pop artists also cite elements of African American performance in Korean music videos. These disrupt stereotyped representations of Asian and African American performers. Through this process K-pop has arguably become a branch of a global R&B tradition. Anderson argues that Korean pop groups participate in that tradition through cultural work that enacts a global form of crossover and by maintaining forms of authenticity that cannot be faked, and furthermore propel the R&B tradition beyond the black-white binary.

Longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize 2020 Life's a drag... Why not be a queen? 'Stories like the one where you shagged a 79-year-old builder and knocked over his sister's ashes while feeding him a Viagra. Or the time you crashed your car because you were giving a hand job in barely moving traffic and took your eye off the car in front. That's the kind of dinner-party ice-breaker I'm talking about.' Northern, working-class and shagging men three times her age, Crystal writes candidly about her search for 'the one'; sleeping with a VIP in an attempt to become a world famous journalist; getting hired and fired by a well-known fashion magazine; being torn between losing weight and gorging on KFC; and her need for constant sexual satisfaction (and where that takes her). Charting her day-to-day adventures over the course of a year, we encounter tucks, twists and sucks, heinous overspending and endless nights spent sprinting from problem to problem in a full face of make-up. This is a place where the previously unspeakable becomes the commendable - a unique portrayal of the queer experience. (c) 2019, Crystal Rasmussen (P) 2019 Penguin Audio

A guide to quartz crystals from both an ancestral and scientific point of view, with the mission of helping readers identify their mind patterns and wounds to reconnect with the authentic self. It's estimated that 10 billion quartz crystals are used every year in electronic devices--from smartphones to computers, credit cards, watches, digital cameras, TVs, cars, and much more. When you think about it, it's almost impossible to imagine life without crystals. These same crystals we see in so much of our technology have been used over the course of many centuries, and by many different cultures around the world, for healing. In fact, crystal healing is alive and well today, with modern-day healers harnessing the energy of quartz crystals to help alleviate suffering. What is it that has drawn scientists and healers around the world to crystal technology, and what are the similarities between the ways these two groups have used the stones? In this book, crystal healer and holistic therapist Beatriz Singer answers these questions--and more. She takes readers on a journey to understand the many wonders of quartz crystals, so that we can use their powers to bring peace and healing to ourselves and the world.

Award-winning artist Whelan has illustrated the work of almost every major author in speculative fiction. Here are featured all the artist's major recent paintings, as well as a series of 25 never-before-seen works produced especially for this book. Over 100 full-color reproductions.

“Crystal Muse is pure enchantment. It is written with grace, deep knowledge, and the kind of magic that comes only from years and years of experience trusting and working in the unseen realms. I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to live a more delightful and fulfilling life.”— CHRISTIANE NORTHRUP, M.D., New York Times best-selling author of Goddesses Never Age Crystal Muse explores how you can transform life’s challenges into opportunities for growth by being equipped with the right crystals and mindset. Learn how you can connect with crystals and empower your life by using this guide to set such transformational intentions as: —Attracting love through learning to love yourself —Relieving anxiety by surrendering to meditation —Becoming a magnet for prosperity —Crystallizing a breakthrough —Consciously conceiving a new life —Cutting your unhealthy energy cords —Getting rid of insomnia to sleep with your mind fully at rest —Cultivating the connection with your creative spirit —Aligning with the energy of the moon —Grounding yourself with the energy of the earth; and —Finding the temple within These practices are a collection of over 25 years of rigorous research, world travel, and spiritual quests by holistic healer and crystal expert, Heather Askinosie. For over two decades, Heather and her business partner, Timmi Jandro, have been offering insights into crystals through their crystal healing business, Energy Muse. Throughout Crystal Muse, Heather and Timmi share their personal stories on the path toward alternative practice, and explain how these remedies can work for the reader’s life too.

A journalist recounts the surprising history of accidents and reveals how they’ve come to define all that’s wrong with America. We hear it all the time: “Sorry, it was just an accident.” And we’ve been deeply conditioned to just accept that explanation and move on. But as Jessie Singer argues convincingly: There are no such things as accidents. The vast majority of mishaps are not random but predictable and preventable. Singer uncovers just how the term “accident” itself protects those in power and leaves the most vulnerable in harm’s way, preventing investigations, pushing off debts, blaming the victims, diluting anger, and even sparking empathy for the perpetrators. As the rate of accidental death skyrockets in America, the poor and people of color end up bearing the brunt of the violence and blame, while the powerful use the excuse of the “accident” to avoid consequences for their actions. Born of the death of her best friend, and the killer who insisted it was an accident, this book is a moving investigation of the sort of tragedies that are all too common, and all too commonly ignored. In this revelatory book, Singer tracks accidental death in America from turn of the century factories and coal mines to today’s urban highways, rural hospitals, and Superfund sites. Drawing connections between traffic accidents, accidental opioid overdoses, and accidental oil spills, Singer proves that what we call accidents are hardly random. Rather, who lives and dies by an accident in America is defined by money and power. She also presents a variety of actions we can take as individuals and as a society to stem the tide of “accidents”—saving lives and holding the guilty to account.