“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. "Darkness Box" is a short story originally published in the collection The Wind's Twelve Quarters.

In the tradition of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, comes a poignant memoir about a marriage that was as deep and strong as it was mysterious and complex Upton and Sally Brady were a rare breed: cultivated and elegant, they lived a life of literary glamour and high expectations. Sally a debutante; Upton a classics major from Harvard, they met at the Boston Cotillion. He was articulate, witty, and worldly, and he danced like Fred Astaire. How could she resist? Despite raising four children on Upton's modest wage as the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic Monthly Press, theirs was a world of champagne, sailboats, private islands, famous writers, family rituals, and ice-cold martinis. They lived life on their terms. But as time wore on, Upton, the charming and brilliant husband, the inventive, beguiling partner, grew opinionated, cranky, controlling, and dangerous. When Upton died suddenly one evening in their Vermont cottage, Sally began uncovering secrets. As she went through his papers, she discovered that her husband of forty-six years had desired the love of other men. Her riveting, charismatic husband was not quite the man he appeared to be, and a year of mourning became for Sally a time to unravel the dark and unexpected web he had left behind. Hers is a moving and powerful story of coming to terms with what cannot be changed. It is also a story of great love.

Read 3 sizzling, dark, paranormal romance novels. Passion can be lethal... Caressed by Moonlight Dorian Vlakhos is no ordinary aristocrat. He is a vampire king, who will do anything to save his clan from complete annihilation, before an ancient curse can claim his immortal life. Penniless and orphaned, Victoria Kingston has nothing to bring to a marriage, yet she must shackle an unsuspecting gentleman into marriage by the end of the month or forfeit her rights as guardian of her younger sister. With the help of her dearest friend, Victoria begins her hunt, and vows to stay far away from the dark, mysterious, Dorian Vlakhos. After meeting the beautifully innocent Miss Kingston, Dorian had to have her. He would do absolutely anything to make Victoria his. One sweet stolen kiss would bring them together while a force, more powerful than any vampire, would bind them for all eternity, but treachery, war, and death rule Dorian's dark world and Victoria would be fortunate to survive. Caressed by Night Dimitri Arsov, the last remaining pure vampire, was thought to be dead for the past four hundred years. Now, he is back and has a score to settle with the traitor that had tried to kill him centuries ago. But as he waits for his prey to blindly step into his carefully laid trap, his overwhelming hunger for blood is triggered when he saves a beautiful art historian. Kerstyn Ingmar's life was normal and straight up boring until the night she is rescued by the dangerously sexy, powerfully mesmerizing, Dimitri. Unable to resist his diamond blue eyes and intense kisses, she is drawn into his world of darkness and closer to her impending doom. While their desire consumes them, Dimitri is haunted by images of a bloody and deadly future. As his enemies draw near, he must find a way to save his mate from her destiny before fate destroys them both. Caressed by a Crimson Moon Consumed by madness and tormented by dark memories of blood and death, Hadrian Lucretius, King of the Validus Clan, has returned after living in self-imposed exile for nearly three hundred and fifty years. To maintain peace with the vampires, Eva Maldonado is offered as a sacrifice to the crazed vampire king by her father, the alpha of the Silveria Shifter Pack. Hadrian's reputation is both legendary and lethal; he is ruthless, bloodthirsty, lusty, and soulless. When Eva arrives at the ancient fortress high in the Carpathian Mountains, she is shocked to find a ravaged man with dark burning eyes filled with loneliness and dangerous desire. Would she be his lover...or his prey? His savior...or his victim? Would Hadrian lure her into madness or would their perilous passion be their redemption?

Are you confused, hurt and heartbroken? Did your dream relationship turn into a nightmare, leaving you gasping for air and devastated? Do you feel betrayed? Do you think you are irrationally clinging to the idea of a relationship as if it was an addiction? There are only a few things more heinous than realizing you have been a victim of narcissistic abuse. After the initial period of having found your other half, you eventually find yourself in a relationship that resembles more of a nightmare than a dream. Soon, you will start to understand that the person who was supposed to love you and support you, was selfish, malicious and abusive. They don't give you closure. They don't care enough to help you move on. You need to look for answers and understanding on your own. This is what you will find in this book. 'A Box Full of Darkness' is the ultimate guide to understand narcissistic abuse and its malicious dynamics. It offers an explanation of narcissistic manipulation tactics and eases the victims' and survivors' minds by shining a light on the nature of abuse. "Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift."-Mary Oliver Zita Fontaine, as a survivor of narcissistic abuse, offers a personal perspective to abusive behaviours through a relatable narrative and scientifically backed, yet still easy-to-understand materials. Through this book you will learn about why it is so hard to recognise narcissistic abuse; what are the most common narcissistic manipulation tactics and how to react to them; how to leave a toxic relationship; how to move on after the breakup, how to heal and reclaim your life; and how to turn around your trauma and rewrite your narrative to live your best life. Because even if you were given a box full of darkness, the time will come to close it and put it away for good. Let your best life start now.

In tracing this story of discovery, astronomer and physicist Harrison explores the concept of infinite space, the structure and age of the universe, the nature of light, and other subjects that once were so perplexing.

Messina Doe was just looking for a warm place to spend the night. What she discovers is a place the human race had long ago buried and forgotten. The dark Fey haven't forgotten humans. The throne room of the Unseelie court is the hottest underground nightclub around, but if you step through the wrong door, there is no going back. No one ever escapes. Never. Once, someone did.

Get the first three books in the After the EMP series in one box set!If the power grid fails, how far will you go to survive?Madison spends her days tending plants as an agriculture student at the University of California, Davis. She plans to graduate and put those skills to work only a few hours from home in the Central Valley. The sun has always been her friend, until now.When catastrophe strikes, how prepared will you be?Tracy starts her morning like any other, kissing her husband Walter goodbye before heading off to work at the local public library. She never expects it to end fleeing for her life in a Suburban full of food and water. Tackling life's daily struggles is one thing, preparing to survive when it all crashes down is another.The end of the world brings out the best and worst in all of us.With no communication and no word from the government, the Sloanes find themselves grappling with the end of the modern world all on their own. Will Madison and her friends have what it takes to make it back to Sacramento and her family? Can Tracy fend off looters and thieves and help her friends and neighbors survive?The EMP is only the beginning.The Darkness Trilogy (Books 1-3 in After the EMP) follows the Sloane family as they attempt to survive after a geomagnetic storm destroys the nation's power grid.