Thing, a young girl who hides beneath a mask, and her handicapped companions--a crow, a toad, a goldfish, and a kitten--set off on a desperate quest to find the Dragon of the Black Mountain so they'll be free of the agonizing pebbles embedded in them by an evil witch. Along the way they meet two others harmed by the witch: a hornless unicorn and a cursed knight.

THE RING'S THE THING ... Thing was a young girl who hid beneath a mask. Her companions included a crow, a toad, a goldfish, and a kitten. Never had a more unlikely band of unheroic heroes set off on a difficult and dangerous quest. But Thing had a ring with unusual powers. . . . Summer was an orphan who only wanted to find a husband and settle down. But first she had to help out a blind knight with amnesia and a winged pig. But how to get those two, as well as a raggle-tail assortment of other creatures in distress, to the far-distant place where they belonged Summer owned almost nothing¾except a certain magic ring. ... Summer was cast adrift in London by the untimely death of her parents. Then an uncle left her a legacy that would lift her up from poverty¾if she took a dragon's egg into uncharted Asia. The task was daunting and time was short, but her late uncle had also left her a very remarkable ring. ... Three very unusual heroines in widely separated eras, each wearing for a time a ring made from a unicorn's horn, a ring with extraordinary powers. . . . At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). "People who think they hate fantasies are going to like this one." ¾USA Today "Endearing characters. . . . Brown's incredible journey is a find." ¾Publishers Weekly "Compelling ... a rare treat for fantasy lovers." ¾Library Journal "Don't miss this brilliantly conceived, superbly crafted, and eminently beguiling fantasy foray." ¾Romantic Times

The diaries of Mary Davis Brown offer a rare glimpse of times past in the rural community of York County, South Carolina, during the nineteenth century, a time when faith in God and the good earth were still the pillars of family life. Born on March 21, 1822, Mary began poignantly recording her thoughts, poetry, prayers, and daily activities in 1854 upon the death of her eight-year-old son. She continued her writings through the Civil War years and until late 1901 when she was almost 80 years old. Fortunately, these diaries have survived for over a century and a half and, because of their delicate condition, now rest in a fireproof, humidity and temperature controlled vault in the South Caroliniana Library on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Oil In Our Lamps is the culmination of many years of painstaking effort by the descendants of Mary Davis Brown. Her diaries, more than worthy of publication, can now be enjoyed by modern-time folks who will find them enlightening, enriching, and heart-warming.

A young orphan in Victorian London, Sophie will receive a substantial legacy from her late uncle if she can successfully return a dragon's egg to an uncharted region of Asia, and armed only with a magical ring, a mysterious unicorn figure, and a telepathic cat, Sophie braves untold perils on her quest.

How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Editor adrienne maree brown finds the answer in something she calls "Pleasure Activism," a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work. Drawing on the black feminist tradition, including Audre Lourde's invitation to use the erotic as power and Toni Cade Bambara's exhortation that we make the revolution irresistible, the contributors to this volume take up the challenge to rethink the ground rules of activism. Writers including Cara Page of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice, Sonya Renee Taylor, founder of This Body Is Not an Apology, and author Alexis Pauline Gumbs cover a wide array of subjects—from sex work to climate change, from race and gender to sex and drugs—they create new narratives about how politics can feel good and how what feels good always has a complex politics of its own. Building on the success of her popular Emergent Strategy, brown launches a new series of the same name with this volume, bringing readers books that explore experimental, expansive, and innovative ways to meet the challenges that face our world today. Books that find the opportunity in every crisis!

What does it mean to be on a gluten-free diet? For those afflicted with a celiac disease diagnosis, it often means no wheat, rye, barley, and oats, which can also mean no fun. With a restricted diet, coming by healthful recipes can be both tedious and overwhelming. But with the right ingredients and a bit of determination, delicious baked goods can be created by celiacs and non-celiacs alike! Going Gluten-Free: Breads and Baked Goods with Mary Brown is a treasure trove of recipes containing a unique combination of flours and ingredients that will allow the average celiac to create a variety of breads, cakes, and cookies that are both delicious and safe to consume. Tailored to be easily managed by cooking experts and novices alike, this collection of gluten alternatives will save both money and health issues. Throw on an apron and join Going Gluten-Free: Breads and Baked Goods with Mary Brown . Diagnosed with celiac disease in 1999, Mary Brown vividly remembers how hard it was to take the first step into the 'gluten-free world.' Her recipes are primarily breads and baked goods that one really craves when placed on the gluten-free diet. She offers numerous tips and helpful websites. Mary is a member of the Southeast Minnesota Celiac Support Group and resides in Rochester, Minnesota, with her husband, Chris, and their three children.

In this sequel to Pigs Don't Fly, Summer faces seemingly insurmountable odds and an even more arduous journey to be with the only man/dragon for her--even if she has to disguise herself as a young boy, escape an ambushed caravan, figure out to do with a 10-year-old and a dancing bear she accidentally acquired, plus convince her lover's fellow dragons that their relationship is perfectly natural.