Lara Prior-Palmer was seeking the unknown. In search of adventure aged nineteen, she entered the world's toughest horse race - a 1000km. ride through extreme conditions in the Mongolian wilderness.

Since her suicide at age thirty, Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) has been celebrated for her impeccable and ruthless poetry, which excels at describing the most extreme reaches of Plath's consciousness and passions. Her work includes the autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar, and such collections as The Collosus, Ariel, and the Pulitzer Prize -- winning Collected Poems. Based on exclusive interviews and extensive archival research, Rough Magic probes the events of Plath's life -- including her turbulent marriage to the English poet Ted Hughes -- in a biography that stands alone in its compassionate view of this fiercely talented, deeply troubled artist.

The Demon Chernobog¾ Foiled but Not Conquered in The Shadow of the Lion¾ is Back to Conquer Sixteenth-Century Venice! Chernobog had come within a hair of seizing absolute power in Venice, but was thwarted by the guardian Lion-spirit, who awoke to protect his city from the power-mad demon. But the power of the Lion is limited to Venice, and Chernobog has a new ally in the King of Hungary, who has beseiged the island of Corfu to seize control of the Adriatic from Venice. Trapped on the island is the small band of heroes who awoke the Lion and thwarted Chernobog before. Far from the Lion's help, Manfred and Erik lead guerrillas against the foe, and Maria discovers ancient magical powers on the island. If she can make alliance with them, she may be able to repel the invaders¾but not without paying a bitter personal price. . . . At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Praise for the Prequel, The Shadow of the Lion: "The prolific Lackey and cohorts Flint and Freer whip up a luscious bouillabaisse of politics, intrigue, love and black magic set in an "Other-worldly, New-Age Venice. . . ." The authors' use of contemporary American vernacular . . . instead of pompous period speech keeps the pages turning fast. . . ." ¾Publishers Weekly "[A] massive concoction of alternate history, high fantasy, and historical romance set in the sixteenth-century Venice of an alternate world . . . rich plotting, vivid characterization, and splendid evocation of Renaissance ethics and culture should make readers turn all the pages." ¾Booklist ". . . a sweeping alternate history. .. .The authors deftly wield the juxtaposition of fantasy and history into a finely crafted story." ¾Romantic Times "[A] top pick . . . fast-paced action and complex, believable settings." ¾The Bookwatch

Broadway stage manager, director, and teacher Steven Adler discusses the history of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). During six years of research, Adler attended more than 40 RSC productions. The text is based largely upon interviews with more than 60 members of the Company, including actors, directors, stagehands, designers, producers, stage managers, craftspeople, and administrators. Coverage includes theater facilities, budgeting, producing, directing, designing, and acting. c. Book News Inc.

THE STORY: Transplanting characters from The Tempest to present-day New York, ROUGH MAGIC is a Shakespearean action-adventure-fantasy in the tradition of Harry Potter and The X-Men that conjures a mythical, magical meta-universe in which the

The story of legendary the Bill Walsh--the thoughtful, articulate coach who led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl wins and was voted coach of the decade in the 80s--portrays the growth of his team and their incredible 1992 season.

Looking for some magical help for those unpredictable curveballs that life throws your way? Spells for Tough Times is a unique and comprehensive toolkit for coping with and rising above just about any difficulty—whether it's a minor annoyance, embarrassing quandary, or unexpected crisis. Refreshingly positive and practical, this magic book features over 150 easy-to-perform spells and rituals that address specific problems we all commonly face. Organized by major areas of concern, you'll find customizable spells related to personal habits and emotions, family and children, relationships, pets, health, house and home, career, finances, legal disputes, world events, death, and handling grief. Compatible with all spiritual paths and levels of spellwork experience, these simple yet potent spells will help you find peace, let go of stress, and survive every bump in the road. Reconnect with an estranged relative Banish an unwanted crush Speed recovery from a serious illness Move on after divorce or infidelity Heal from the loss of a loved one or a pet Manage the pressure of being overextended at work From layoffs and foreclosures to child bullying and identity theft, this book combines magical and mundane solutions to help you navigate life's hurdles and hardships with grace, serenity, and hope.

"Think the next Educated or Wild. Palmer’s memoir of beating the odds to become a horse champion is an inspiring saga of perseverance—and a classic underdog tale." —Entertainment Weekly At the age of nineteen, Lara Prior–Palmer discovered a website devoted to “the world’s longest, toughest horse race”―an annual competition of endurance and skill that involves dozens of riders racing a series of twenty–five wild ponies across 1,000 kilometers of Mongolian grassland. On a whim, she decided to enter the race. As she boarded a plane to East Asia, she was utterly unprepared for what awaited her. Riders often spend years preparing to compete in the Mongol Derby, a course that re–creates the horse messenger system developed by Genghis Khan. Many fail to finish. Prior–Palmer had no formal training. She was driven by her own restlessness, stubbornness, and a lifelong love of horses. She raced for ten days through extreme heat and terrifying storms, catching a few hours of sleep where she could at the homes of nomadic families. Battling bouts of illness and dehydration, exhaustion and bruising falls, she decided she had nothing to lose. Each dawn she rode out again on a fresh horse, scrambling up mountains, swimming through rivers, crossing woodlands and wetlands, arid dunes and open steppe, as American television crews chased her in their jeeps. Told with terrific suspense and style, in a voice full of poetry and soul, Rough Magic captures the extraordinary story of one young woman who forged ahead, against all odds, to become the first female winner of this breathtaking race. "Taking off on a horse into the Mongolian Steppe sounds like the bracing inverse to an overpopulated, busy urban life, but having the skills and grit to pull it off is another thing entirely. . . . Lara Prior–Palmer attempted the Mongol Derby not really knowing what she was getting into; she ended it knowing much more about herself, and a race champion besides." ―Estelle Tang, Elle