Sometimes our greatest moments of enlightenment come from our worst mistakes. ​When life supplies eleven-year-old Tommy Grant with some unfavorable circumstances intruding on his otherwise tranquil life in Ohio, he retreats into the spell-binding Order of Cosmic Champions. When he discovers that the largely successful animated program and toy line is holding a nationwide "Create-A-Character" contest where applicants submit their action figure designs, Tommy knows he has to enter as surely as he knows his own name. But when Tommy's character design fails to win the contest, he finds his world crumbling from all sides. And there is only one way he knows to fix it. What follows is a whirlwind coming-of-age adventure of righting wrongs, overcoming perilous obstacles, confronting our inner demons, and challenging the limits of reality. In this waxing nostalgic and imaginative fantasy, readers will discover what excitement lies waiting when you take risks and conquer your fears. Only one question remains: In the final hour when you heed the call, the courage to give your all, will you stand or fall?

Five years after the demise of Robert Weeks, his shadow still haunts Elsie and Travis. Along with their young daughter, April, the Morlands have found peace, but when the sun sets, nightmares drag Elsie back to the worst day of her life. Still, it's all in the past, right? When April claims a man with green eyes taps on her window at night, it's only a matter of time before children begin to disappear again. Starting with April. With their daughter stolen and an undead madman seemingly back from the grave, Elsie and Travis have no choice but to return to the twisting, turning streets of Slattery Falls. What will it cost them to get their daughter back and make sure Robert Weeks stays dead this time?

Could there really have been a mysterious tribe that had lived in the nearby uninhabited island centuries ago? Could all of them really have fled the island due to terrifying events? Or it could be one of the many folklores that Damir, Mala and Sarah had heard over the years about the many islands of the Maldives, where they live, or so they thought!Until the terrifying events in the folklore starts coming true. Can history be repeating itself?Follow Damir, Sarah and Mala as they embark on a journey across the Maldives to find answers - a journey that leads them to be locked in a race against time in millennia-old feud between the most powerful beings in existence and a race that was thought to have long since gone extinct in the world.Damir and the Hidden Atoll is a thrilling supernatural story that middle grade and young adults will love!

"When are the 1970s going to begin?" ran the joke during the Presidential campaign of 1976. With his own patented combination of serious journalism and dazzling comedy, Tom Wolfe met the question head-on in these rollicking essays in Mauve Gloves and Madmen, Clutter and Vine -- and even provided the 1970s with its name: "The Me Decade."

The Otis, an inconsequential river-not the Hudson-flows through Wattsville, a small city a few hours north but a universe away from the real City, capital C. You might think the everyday people who live here, in this land of scarce opportunity, are also inconsequential. Until you meet them. Sam, a cross-dresser with a voice like Tina Turner's and his best friend Carol, a cashier who stress eats, prove their mettle when Carol's daughter Garnet is imprisoned for defending herself against a violent boyfriend. Sam and Carol's plots to save Garnet have consequences, however. An innocent boy is blamed for their actions and kidnapped, a dog gets poisoned, and Garnet's life is imperiled as parole becomes a distant dream. In the end, it's the river that offers up justice for these heroes-at-heart. But they will need to be able to swim.

Reviews over 400 seminal games from 1975 to 2015. Each entry shares articles on the genre, mod suggestions and hints on how to run the games on modern hardware.

A compelling, terrifying story of a devastating virus. You catch it in conversation, and once it has you, it leads you into another world where the undead chase you down the streets

Proven techniques for songwriting success This friendly, hands-on guide tackles the new face of the recording industry, guiding you through the shift from traditional sales to downloads and mobile music, as well as how you can harness social media networks to get your music "out there." You get basic songwriting concepts, insider tips and advice, and inspiration for writing — and selling — meaningful, timeless songs. Songwriting 101 — get a grip on everything you need to know to write a song, from learning to listen to your "inner voice" to creating a "mood" and everything in between Jaunt around the genres — discover the variety of musical genres and find your fit, whether it's rock, pop, R&B, gospel, country, or more Let the lyrics out — master the art of writing lyrics, from finding your own voice to penning the actual words to using hooks, verses, choruses, and bridges Make beautiful music — find your rhythm, make melodies, and use chords to put the finishing touches on your song Work the Web — harness online marketing and social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and others to get your music heard by a whole new audience Open the book and find: What you need to know before you write a single note Tips on finding inspiration Ways to use poetic devices in lyrics Computer and Web-based shortcuts and technologies to streamline songwriting A look at famous songwriting collaborators Writing for stage, screen, and television How to make a demo to get your song heard Advice on how to make money from your music Learn to: Develop your songwriting skills with tips and techniques from the pros Use social networking sites to get your music out to the public Break into the industry with helpful, how-to instructions