Stake Night is the story of a single year in the glamorous and competitive world of show horses, where the rewards are large and so are the lengths to which people will go to win. For the owners, it is about wielding power through money in their quest to proudly hold the prestigious World Championship trophy. For the riders, it is about demonstrating technical skill and nerve by out-riding their competitors and maneuvering their horse in the frenetic ring so the judges notice it. For the trainers, it is about finding the key that makes your horse out-perform others that might actually be more talented and achieving the professional recognition that leads to new clients and financial security. For everyone, it is about settling scores and finding a way to win the championship. The central character is Jennifer, a young, relatively unknown trainer. She can't believe her luck when a rich client brings her the reigning world champion horse and tells Jennifer to prepare the horse for her timid daughter to ride. Jennifer quickly learns that this horse and rider are a dangerous and doomed combination, and she must move carefully to find an alternative that keeps her important client from leaving the barn and ruining Jennifer's chances to finally join the ranks of the most well-known and respected trainers.

This book could save your life: Protect yourself from violence and learn survival skills for dangerous situations with this essential guide from a former military intelligence officer. In a civilized society, violence is rarely the answer. But when it is, it's the only answer. The sound of breaking glass downstairs in the middle of the night. The words, "Move and you die." The hands on your child, or the knife to your throat. In this essential book, self-protection expert and former military intelligence officer Tim Larkin changes the way we think about violence in order to save our lives. By deconstructing our assumptions about violence -- its morality, its function in modern society, how it actually works -- Larkin unlocks the shackles of our own taboos and arms us with what we need to know to prevent, prepare for, and survive the unthinkable event of life-or-death violence. Through a series of harrowing true-life stories, Larkin demonstrates that violence is a tool equally effective in the hands of the "bad guy" or the "good guy"; that the person who acts first, fastest and with the full force of their body is the one who survives; and that each and every one of us is capable of being that person when our lives are at stake. An indispensable resource, When Violence is the Answer will remain with you long after you've finished reading, as the bedrock of your self-protection skills and knowledge.

The first novel in a YA fantasy romance series featuring “vampires with bite and girls who bite back. A witty, exhilarating and fresh take on an old tale” (Kelley Armstrong). On her sixteenth birthday, Solange Drake is going to die . . . But that’s okay. As the only daughter ever born to an ancient vampire dynasty, Solange’s sweet sixteen just means she will fully come into her own as an immortal. Unfortunately, it also means a lot of people both dead and undead are now watching her. Especially Kieran Black—a vengeful agent with an anti-vampire league who blames Solange’s family for his father’s death. Luckily, Solange has her human best friend, Lucy, who tries to help her have as normal a life as possible, despite her overprotective brothers and the politics of the undead realm. But when Solange is abducted by a power-hungry vampire queen, it will take all her friends—as well as the daring and dangerous Kieran—to rescue her before she loses her eternal life . . . In this “action-packed” (School Library Journal) story of love, loyalty, and blood ties, Alyxandra Harvey kicks off a saga of thrills with a nail-biter—and a neck-biter—that will have readers eager to devour the rest of the series. Hearts at Stake is the 1st book in the Drake Chronicles, which also includes Blood Feud and Out for Blood.

An innocent woman... or a vampire? The Stake is a spine-chilling tale of horror by Richard Laymon, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Clive Barker. 'Laymon uses a typewriter ribbon soaked in cold blood' - Burt Hirschfeld In an abandoned hotel in a Californian ghost town, horror writer Larry Dunbar and his friends make a chilling discovery. By chance they stumble on a coffin hidden under the stairs. Within lies the corpse of a naked female - with a stake through its heart. Was she the innocent victim of a gruesome murder? Or was she a vampire? There's only one way for Larry to solve the mystery - he must pull out the stake... What readers are saying about The Stake: 'A totally brilliant and vibrant read, the storyline was always nail biting' 'The characters are richly developed, and the story is a real page turner; so much so you end up hoping you never reach the end' 'Richard Laymon is the king of horror'

A book of poetry by Charles Valle

Sometimes you need an assassin to save you… Eleven years ago, Lieutenant William Stanton's entire world imploded. He lost his brother and the family he created with his Marine squad. He left his old life behind to hunt down the people responsible for his brother's death. Avenging his brother is all he's thought about, all he's been working toward, for over a decade. A sexy little assassin shouldn't be able to distract him from that goal, but Colt makes him want things he's been without for years. Going rogue from the CIA is a gamble, but Colt 'Shadow' Castillo knows his worth. He's not surprised when his handler sends someone to bring him back in, but the man that shows up is not who he expects. The missing lieutenant of the Black Raiders lives up to the stories Colt has been told, but there's a darkness in the man only someone like himself can recognize. Something that draws him in and leaves him wanting more. Colt has people to save, and Will has a murder to avenge, but can they handle that along with what may be a chance at happiness when reality and all the dangers that comes with it crashes down around them?

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Two starcrossed magicians engage in a deadly game of cunning in the spellbinding novel that captured the world's imagination. • "Part love story, part fable ... defies both genres and expectations." —The Boston Globe The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

A collection of Courtney's columns from the Texas Monthly, curing the curious, exorcizing bedevilment, and orienting the disoriented, advising "on such things as: Is it wrong to wear your football team's jersey to church? When out at a dancehall, do you need to stick with the one that brung ya? Is it real Tex-Mex if it's served with a side of black beans? Can one have too many Texas-themed tattoos?"--Amazon.com.