Detective Duran thinks he's searching for a missing woman. He soon finds out he's pursuing the last remaining evidence of a CIA cover up. The police are looking for Velma Bloom, a young woman who has gone missing. All that's left of her is her car parked in front of a house containing two dead Russian men. Velma is a twenty-five year old woman who loves her life of booze, sex, and cigarettes. But this sassy, over-educated waitress has a secret-a strange ability she's never been able to understand. Answers come unexpectedly and from an unexpected source. Armed with her new knowledge, she sees her way to forging a new future. She only has one obstacle-making sure she stays alive. Now she has vanished, and rookie detective Jackson Duran is trying to find her. She hasn't left many traces, and everything Duran discovers about her only complicates his search. What he does learn leads him to some sinister truths he never thought he'd know, and would rather not know.

Merrily is called to investigate a possible ghost sighting in her seventh fascinating adventure In the affluent, historic town of Ludlow, a teenage boy dies in a fall from the castle ruins. Accident or suicide? No great mystery—so why does the boy's uncle, retired detective Andy Mumford, turn to diocesan exorcist Merrily Watkins? More people will die before Merrily, her own future uncertain, uncovers a dangerous obsession with suicide, death, and the afterlife hidden within these shadowed medieval streets.

Alfie the circus clown and his dog, Sherlock, make a perfect pair. When Alfie loses something, Sherlock is on the job sniffing it down. But one day, Alfie loses his smile, and its not that easy to find. Alfie and Sherlock make the rounds of the circus hoping to solve the mystery of the lost smile. They visit everyone from the ringmaster, to the tight-rope walker, to the elephant trainer, the strong man, the bareback rider, the juggler, the man on stilts, the lion tamer, the trapeze artists and even the roustabout. Where is Alfies smile? The delightful presentation of multiple new characters teaches children to sequence as they try to solve the mystery of the lost smile. A colorful picture book for children, The Clown That Lost His Smile tells a heartwarming story of friendship as a clown and his dog take a delightful romp through the circus. Youll never guess where Alfie finds his smile!

“Ursula Le Guin is more than just a writer of adult fantasy and science fiction . . . she is a philosopher; an explorer in the landscapes of the mind.” – Cincinnati Enquirer The recipient of numerous literary prizes, including the National Book Award, the Kafka Award, and the Pushcart Prize, Ursula K. Le Guin is renowned for her spare, elegant prose, rich characterization, and diverse worlds. "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" is a short story originally published in the collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters.

As children, many of us have had dreams and aspirations of what we hoped to achieve in our future. But for some of us, we only hoped that our tortured lives are nothing but a mere dream. However, for Kelly Anderson, this hope is too much to ask because her nightmares are indeed real. As long as she can remember, Kelly had been surrounded by violence and dysfunction. Having a mother who was emotionally unavailable and a father who was a violent alcoholic, it is no wonder Kelly felt abandoned and alone the first time she was raped. But Kelly would soon learn that her only escape from her torture is by death. This is the true story, based on actual events, of a child's struggle to cope with the pain and confusion of physical and sexual abuse. In this disturbing story, you will experience life through the eyes of the victims as well as the victimizers. You will follow Kelly's quest to find love, freedom and serenity amid so much turmoil. You will feel Kelly's pain and understand what really lies beneath: THE TORTURED SMILE

27 short stories. 27 narrators. 1 terrifying puzzle. There’s something disquieting about a town with too many twins, a killer pie, and a man with two different color eyes. When Cain, a devilish stranger with a candle wax smile, moves into a rural southern town people are brutally murdered with alarming rapidity. It’s up to a band of curious high schoolers, a decrepit hermit, and a grieving mortician to solve the riddle and keep the town from being destroyed. That is if they can survive cannibalistic dentists, body-snatching demons, and oftentimes worst of all, each other. {Smile} is a horror novel made up of 27 short stories narrated by 27 unique voices. Each story is told in alphabetical order by title, but when combined they interweave to tell an intense and twisted tale about one man/demon/thing’s quest to become human through manipulation and murder.

"If you read just one book this year, read How to Walk Away" Nina George, author of The Little Paris Bookshop Maggie Jacobson has a bright future ahead of her, with a handsome boyfriend and a promising career, until an accident on what should be one of the happiest days of her life takes it all away. In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Maggie must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing family secrets, heartbreak, and the possibility that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect. PRAISE FOR HOW TO WALK AWAY "A marvelous example of acceptance and healing and a celebration of family." USA Today "A story about survival that is heartbreakingly honest and wryly funny, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Elizabeth Berg." Kirkus "Poignant, funny, heartbreaking." Jenny Lawson, bestselling author of Furiously Happy "A heartbreak of a novel that celebrates resilience and strength." Jill Santopolo, bestselling author of The Light We Lost "Warm, witty, and wonderfully observed." Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of First Comes Love "With its appealing characters and wisdom about grappling with life's challenges, Center's sixth novel has all the makings of a breakout hit." Booklist (starred review)

Take The Chump Challenge True Or False: 1. Treating a girl you like to a dinner date is a great idea. 2. Slipping sexual innuendo into a conversation with a girl you hardly know is a bad idea. 3. Talking to the prettier of two girls is a good idea. If you answered false to all three questions, you just might be a PUA (pickup artist.) Otherwise, you are an AFC (average frustrated chump.) If you think that's crazy, consider this: these dynamics have been confirmed hundreds of times by hundreds of men. The Layguide teaches any guy the proven techniques of the best pickup artists in the world: • The 3-seconds Rule (the most important rule you'll ever learn). • Developing the confidence of a true player. • How to become an Alpha Male. • The most successful approaches. • Gimmicks that work. • Closing the deal. Armed with the wisdom collected in The Layguide, you will never again waste money on go-nowhere dates. You will never again hesitate to approach a beautiful woman. You will no longer fear rejection. You will never be a supplicating chump just because a woman is attractive. You WILL be an unapologetically sexual male with poise, power, and the skills to have any woman you desire. Tony Clink is the webmaster of www.layguide.com, and one of the most successful pick-up artists in the world.

Two friends Ema and Joshua their lives change completely when Josh moves years pass and Ema copes she then fi nds out she and her parents have to move to a different state Colorado there she meets up again with Josh but little did she know that thats the place where her life would change she goes to college and thats where she meets the Ezniezs Alisha, Jessieh, Cassandrah, Maxxon and Robert. You see the thing is the ezniez along with Joshuas family hide a secret they are vampires and Josh is a jaguar you see both Robert and Josh love Ema and they wont give up till she chooses one.

This is a story of love. Love, which is the same no matter the soul's shell. No one should have to be ashamed of the people they love as we are all human. I love you. Who would have ever thought the words which caused me such dread in the past could ever come to sound so beautiful and feel so very wonderful? Returning to Japan after the loss of his mother, Hitori hopes to start anew. He enters school and longs to make new friends. Quickly, he realizes that friendship will not be the only thing he finds. Befriending a quiet classmate, Hitori finds himself falling hopelessly in love. Akaya is a shy, quiet boy who finds himself stumbling through life, afraid of many things. At first, he is bothered by the outrageous look of the new student. Before long, however, he comes to enjoy the company of the blue haired man and wonders how he made it so long without a friend like Hitori. As their friendship blossoms then turns to love, the boys have to learn to ignore harsh words from school, society and family alike. Despite this, their love grows and soon they realize soul mates really do exist. The sun shines brighter than ever before and the nights aren't nearly as cold as they once were. Love has finally warmed the two distraught souls and created an illusion of serenity. As seasons change, the boys continue to defy society and become something magical. But upon receiving horrible news from his mother, everything in Akaya's life changes. When a time limit is placed on their love, the boys fight to make their remaining time together something meaningful. Love becomes their whole life as they realize they may not get the fairytale ending to their relationship. Without him I am like a book ripped in half. Without the beginning, you would surely be confused and without the end you will never be fulfilled. What could tear these two apart? After fighting past societal norms, school bullying, and angry parents, what could finally break them apart?