WINNER of PenCraft Award - Best Fiction Book of The YearIn an enthralling saga, Mary Magdalene, the most misunderstood woman in history, returns strong and true as the irresistible voice of the banished feminine divine. Holding an intriguing legacy in her hands, she unveils the scandalous secrets, prophecies, and confidential teachings of Jesus. Using the profound language of the soul to construct in the reader the essence of a divine state, this book could be called pure alchemy from beginning to end. Overflowing with enthralling descriptions detailing the creation, Heaven and Hell, the hidden life of Jesus, the truth about Mother Mary, and the secrets of death, endorsed by obscure ancient texts-this book sets spiritual and historical literature apart.After twenty-five years of research this could be the most authentic portrayal recounting accurate details of what happened next-after the crucifixion.Prophecy spoke of two Messiah's-Jesu was the first.

Betrothed to the arrogant Lord Francois, Nicolette Duprey was plunged into blissful confusion upon meeting Davide, a mysterious knight-errant en route to the Crusades. In countenance he could have been Francois’s twin, yet his heart was as gentle as her lord’s was cruel. But Nicolette’s fragile hopes were crushed when Francois insisted on marrying her before he too joined the fight against the Infidels. Cherishing a precious yet dangerous secret, Nicolette dreaded her husband’s return. When the day came, she raised sad eyes to behold him, resigned to her fate. But in his face she saw a miracle—for the man who embraced her was the gallant, tender Davide, the lover she feared she had lost!

A retired group of legendary mercenaries get the band back together for one last impossible mission in this award-winning debut epic fantasy. "Fantastic, funny, ferocious." -- Sam Sykes Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best, the most feared and renowned crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld. Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk, or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay's door with a plea for help -- the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for. It's time to get the band back together.

A pioneering expert in the study of hip-hop explains why the music matters--and why the battles surrounding it are so very fierce.

Traditional songs from the British Isles, each features guitar chord symbols and special tunings. Informative notes to each song, a discography and a bibliography.

An intimate portrait of the diverse music-making at the center of Amish faith and life. Singing occurs in nearly every setting of Amish life. It is a sanctioned pleasure that frames all Amish rituals and one that enlivens and sanctifies both routine and special events, from household chores, road trips by buggy, and family prayer to baptisms, youth group gatherings, weddings, and “single girl” sings. But because Amish worship is performed in private homes instead of public churches, few outsiders get the chance to hear Amish people sing. Amish music also remains largely unexplored in the field of ethnomusicology. In Why the Amish Sing, D. Rose Elder introduces readers to the ways that Amish music both reinforces and advances spiritual life, delving deep into the Ausbund, the oldest hymnal in continuous use. This illuminating ethnomusicological study demonstrates how Amish groups in Wayne and Holmes Counties, Ohio—the largest concentration of Amish in the world—sing to praise God and, at the same time, remind themselves of their 450-year history of devotion. Singing instructs Amish children in community ways and unites the group through common participation. As they sing in unison to the weighty words of their ancestors, the Amish confirm their love and support for the community. Their singing delineates their common journey—a journey that demands separation from the world and yielding to God's will. By making school visits, attending worship services and youth sings, and visiting private homes, Elder has been given the rare opportunity to listen to Amish singing in its natural social and familial context. She combines one-on-one interviews with detailed observations of how song provides a window into Amish cultural beliefs, values, and norms.

"The legend of the Yellow Rose of Texas holds an indisputable place in Lone Star culture, tethered to a familiar song that has served as a Civil War marching tune, a pop chart staple and a halftime anthem. Almost two centuries of Texas mythmaking successfully muddled fact with fable in song. The true story of Emily D. West remains mired in dispute and unrecognizable beneath the manipulative tales that grew up around it. The complete truth may never be recovered, but author Lora-Marie Bernard seeks an honest account honoring the grit and determination that brought a free black woman from the abolitionist riots of Connecticut to the thick of a bloody Texas revolution. A Lone Star native who grew up immersed in the Yellow Rose legend, Bernard also traces other stories that legend has obscured, including the connection between Emily D. West and plans for a free black colony in Texas."--Back cover.

It was the season of the blockbuster. Between August 12 and November 26 1991, a whole slew of acts released albums that were supposed to sell millions of copies in the run-up to Christmas. Metallica, Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Garth Brooks, MC Hammer, and U2 - all were competing for the attention of the record-buying public at the same time. But perhaps the most attention-seeking act of all was Guns N Roses. Their albums Use Your Illusion 1 and 2, released on the same day, were both 75-minute sprawlers with practically the same cover design - an act of colossal arrogance. On one level, it worked. The albums claimed the top two chart positions, and ultimately sold 7 million copies each in the US alone. On another level, it was a disaster. This was an album that Axl Rose has been unable to follow up in fifteen years. It signaled the end of Guns N Roses, of heavy metal on the Sunset Strip, and the entire 1980s model of blockbuster pop/rock promotion. Use Your Illusion marked the end of rock as mass culture. In this book, Eric Weisbard shows how the album has matured into a work whose baroque excesses now have something to teach us about pop and the platforms it raises and lowers, about a man who suddenly found himself praised to the firmament for every character trait that had hitherto marked him as an irredeemable loser.