Enjoy this FREE fantasy series prequel by epic action-adventure author Kenneth Brown . . . Journey with Haskell as he grows from orphan to king in this thrilling action adventure fantasy! Captured by Gadiel's thugs and thrown into a life of crime, Haskell must learn to survive in the dangerous underworld of the kingdom or face death. But as he navigates the cutthroat world of thieves and smugglers, Haskell discovers he possesses a hidden talent for magic, a power that Gadiel will stop at nothing to control. As Haskell struggles to forge his own path and escape Gadiel's clutches, he becomes enamored with Princess Noreen, the beautiful and sheltered daughter of the king. Determined to win her affection and become more than a common thief, Haskell vows to become a lord and prove his worth to the princess. As he fights for love and power in a world of danger and deceit, Haskell must find the strength and courage to seize his destiny and claim his place in the kingdom. Exciting, heart-pounding, young adult, action-adventure, fantasy book. Haskell Orphan to King is the prequel to the Mountain King Series. For fans of Pedro Urvi, David A Wells, Robin Wideman, and J Sullivan. Step into the magic world of Aloheno and experience a thrilling adventure that starts at the towering black castle and its intimidating king. Enjoy!

A collection of the first two books in the Mountain King Series, including Eclipse of the Triple Moons and Zita's Revenge. Eclipse of the Triple Moons THEY WERE JUST PLAYING A GAME Four teenagers playing a real-life fantasy game in a Montana mountain cave find a portal to another world. Alpherge, Sherry, Lily, and Erik step through the shimmering portal, and find themselves in a strange world with three moons hanging low in the sky. As they explore this new world, they come across an ancient and powerful magical staff imbued with the ability to control elemental magic. But their adventure takes a turn for the worse when they learn that a ruthless dark sorcerer seeking to harness the power of the triple moon eclipse kidnaps their friend Lily. Vowing to save their friend despite the dangers, the trio sets out to rescue Lily, using the magical staff to overcome the many obstacles and enemies they face along the way. As they journey through enchanted snow-capped mountains, they discover a hidden strength within themselves and the true power of friendship. This fast-paced Young Adult Fantasy Action-Adventure story has many twists and turns and forces the teens to use their wits and abilities to save their friend. But, will they reach their friend before the sacrifice on the day of the triple solar eclipse? Zita’s Revenge The mysterious and treacherous world of Aloheno holds many secrets, but none as powerful and sought-after as the legendary golden crown. When high school students Erik and Al discover the crown's potential to open a portal back to Earth, they must battle against the vengeful Zita and her powerful magic to capture it. With the aid of the wise mentor Gadiel and the courage of their convictions, Erik and Al must confront their inner demons and resist Zita's wrath. Will they succeed in their quest, or will Zita triumph?

High school junior, Erik Anderson, and his friend Alpherge, find themselves stranded on the distant planet of Aloheno, desperate to find a way home. They soon discover that the only way off the planet is to rescue the stone warriors, ancient guardians who have been imprisoned by the malevolent tyrant Haskell, the Mountain King. To do so, the boys must find the legendary golden crown, a powerful artifact that holds the key to unlocking the stone warriors' prison. But Zita will stop at nothing to prevent them from succeeding, and will do whatever it takes to exact her revenge on the boys. As they journey through the treacherous landscape of Aloheno, Erik and Alpherge are aided by the wise and mysterious Gadiel, a mentor to Zita's father who possesses ancient knowledge and powerful magic. But as they draw closer to the golden crown, they must also confront their own inner demons and navigate the complicated feelings that have formed between Zita and Erik. Will they be able to capture the golden crown, or will Zita's vengeful plans come to fruition?

This funny fractured fairy tale goes behind the scenes of Rumpelstiltskin. New York Times Bestselling author Liesl Shurtliff "spins words into gold [Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor winner]." In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse. To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end. A Texas Bluebonnet finalist and winner of the ILA award for middle grade fiction, Rump is perfect for fans of Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted or Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm. And don't miss Liesl Shurtliff's other fairy tale retellings: Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk and Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood. "A fresh riff on the Grimm Brothers' Rumpelstiltskin, told with wit from the impish point of view of the troublemaker himself." —People "Lighthearted and inventive, Rump amusingly expands a classic tale." —Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fablehaven.

A provocative dystopian thriller set in a future that seems scarily possible, Flashback proves why Dan Simmons is one of our most exciting and versatile writers. The United States is near total collapse. But 87% of the population doesn't care: they're addicted to flashback, a drug that allows its users to re-experience the best moments of their lives. After ex-detective Nick Bottom's wife died in a car accident, he went under the flash to be with her; he's lost his job, his teenage son, and his livelihood as a result. Nick may be a lost soul but he's still a good cop, so he is hired to investigate the murder of a top governmental advisor's son. This flashback-addict becomes the one man who may be able to change the course of an entire nation turning away from the future to live in the past.

This groundbreaking study explores the later lives and late-life writings of more than two dozen British women authors active during the long eighteenth century. Drawing on biographical materials, literary texts, and reception histories, Devoney Looser finds that far from fading into moribund old age, female literary greats such as Anna Letitia Barbauld, Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth, Catharine Macaulay, Hester Lynch Piozzi, and Jane Porter toiled for decades after they achieved acclaim -- despite seemingly concerted attempts by literary gatekeepers to marginalize their later contributions. Though these remarkable women wrote and published well into old age, Looser sees in their late careers the necessity of choosing among several different paths. These included receding into the background as authors of "classics," adapting to grandmotherly standards of behavior, attempting to reshape masculinized conceptions of aged wisdom, or trying to create entirely new categories for older women writers. In assessing how these writers affected and were affected by the culture in which they lived, and in examining their varied reactions to the prospect of aging, Looser constructs careful portraits of each of her Subjects and explains why many turned toward retrospection in their later works. In illuminating the powerful and often poorly recognized legacy of the British women writers who spurred a marketplace revolution in their earlier years only to find unanticipated barriers to acceptance in later life, Looser opens up new scholarly territory in the burgeoning field of feminist age studies.

Women were dying, the blood drained from their bodies and two mysterious pinprick marks imprinted on their necks. And for all her training as a chemist, Angelina Corbett could not help wondering whether the whispers of "vampire" haunting her uncle's isolated estate might have a basis in fact -- especially after meeting their enigmatic neighbor, the earl of Trelayne ...