"A fast-paced noir thriller. The Ice Maiden deserves a spot at the top of your reading list." -Best Thrillers Get ready for a pulse-pounding thrill ride that will leave you gasping for breath! The Ice Maiden, the first book in the Doug Bateman Thrillers series, is a must-read for fans of gripping thrillers. Maine State Police detective, Doug Bateman, is struggling to keep his life together after the death of his son and the unraveling of his marriage. But when a mutilated corpse is discovered in the local lake, he sees a chance for redemption. Teaming up with a talented new deputy from the Sheriff's office, Bateman throws himself into the investigation, only to discover that the killer is playing a twisted game with them. As the body count rises and Bateman's relationship with his colleague heats up, he must race against time to catch the ruthless killer before he claims more innocent lives. With its authentic setting, unexpected romance, and spine-tingling thrills, The Ice Maiden will keep you guessing until the very end. If you love fast-paced police procedurals with complex characters and a heart-pumping plot, then you won't want to miss this crime thriller by B.D. Smith. Order your copy now and discover why critics are raving about The Ice Maiden!

This book takes armchair adventurers and archaeological enthusiasts not only to the excavation, but back through Peruvian history as it revisits the 1995 discovery of the mummy of a 14-year-old who died or was sacrificed some 530 years ago.

Every town has an old lady all the children just know is a witch. When Johanna and Casper must spend the afternoon at her house, there’s nothing to do, except listen to a story. While the siblings await their mother’s return from the hospital where she’s visiting their ailing father, Mrs. Kinder reads them a story of adventure, magic and music. Mrs. Kinder’s mysterious golden book tells an intertwined tale of two young men—the sensitive Sculptor who carves a beautiful woman from ice and the thieving Sorcerer searching for a spell that will bring the statue to life. The story twists and turns, from the Frozen Forest, to the land of the Lemon Trees, to the home of the Swamp Witch, as the Sculptor’s and Sorcerer’s adventures circle each other. Their inevitable confrontation reveals buried memories that force each of them to confront the true cost of love and redemption. The Ice Maiden's Tale the perfect story-within-a-story with magic, adventure and romance reminiscent of The Princess Bride for a new generation of readers. Excerpt: Mrs. Kinder settled herself in the chair across from the children and cracked open the book. She adjusted her spectacles, ever so slightly, then caressed the page with her wrinkled fingers. “In our world, when magic happens outside of a storybook, we call it a miracle. And miracles are considered so rare and special that lifetimes can go by without so much as a hint of one. But there are faraway places where our kind of miracles are as common as blades of grass in an open field. In the northern region of one of these worlds, in the top far east corner, past green forests, swamps, lakes, and even an ocean, there lived a young artist named Gabriel.” .... “This isn’t a very good story.” Casper complained. "Casper!” Johanna exclaimed in embarrassment. Mrs. Kinder laughed. “That’s because I’m not even at the story part yet, but it’s high time we get started. This story doesn’t begin, the way you think it might and the way most stories do. It doesn’t begin with a big adventure or a journey, or even pirate treasure. It starts with a tiny choice—one that seems unremarkable at the time, but that changes the course of destiny. One crisp morning, our Gabriel decided to search for firewood—and it’s with that simple decision that our tale begins.”

A first-person account of the 1995 discovery of the over 500-year-old Peruvian ice mummy on Mount Ampato and a description of the subsequent retrieval and scientific study.

In the thirteenth century, on an isolated island in the far north of Europe, Ulrika, the daughter of a Viking chief, is at a loss after her brother was kidnapped. She stumbles upon a Scottish aristocrat named Grant who has landed on their shores, and she comes up with an idea: if she carries out out a sham marriage with him, she will be able to receive a large dowry from her father. Then she can pay the ransom to get her brother back! Grant is different from the men on the island and unexpectedly her heart beats fast throughout the wedding ceremony. But can this elegant man learn to love a woman who behaves like a man?

They'd met but once.Yet during that encounter,Jalia Shahbazi knew that herlife was in danger. At least, herlife as she wanted it. So she'dfled Bagestan, where she wasreenthroned royalty, forEurope, where she was refreshingly herself, tofight falling prey to the man his people called theFalcon: Sheikh Latif Abd al Razzaq Shahin. And whenmaintaining distance proved impossible, she flauntedthe last weapon in her arsenal.Another man's ring.Yet Latif saw through the lie. He knew there was noman behind the bauble, just as he knew that herpassion was his for the taking.Her love was another matter….

The queen of fairies took me to the green hill to dwell . . . No one believes in fairies any more. No one goes up to the common. Except Franz. Something is there, watching him. Something cold and wild. And pleasant is the fairy land but a tale to tell. Edrin is no longer safe. Her tribe is plotting against her, with hatred in their eyes. Why is she so drawn to the human boy? Can he save her from the cold - and from the tribe?

Unmentionable? Sure. But I'll try to tell you anyway...The mouth organ is inside my mouth. It is stuck in sideways. The pain is terrible. My eyes water. Some things you just can't talk about. Locked in the loo. Kissing a cold, cold kid. Being a little squirt. Burning your behind. Unmentionable short stories from the brilliant Paul Jennings.