DIVDIVIn ancient Rome, a poor philosopher races to rescue his kidnapped lover before she is abused by the sinister Christian cult/divDIV /divDIVThe son of a wealthy Roman family, Marcus gave up the prestige and riches that were his birthright to devote himself to philosophy. His noble mind attracted Tullia, a Senator’s daughter whose father wanted her to have nothing to do with the penniless intellectual. The news that she is to marry a prosperous merchant shatters Marcus, who goes to her house, hoping to plead his case, only to see her attacked and abducted by disguised ruffians./divDIV /divDIVThat she was kidnapped is tragedy enough, and it gets worse when he learns who took her: the sinister Christian cult. He knows not what vile rituals they will expose her to, and he does not want to find out. His lover in danger, the philosopher must turn warrior before it is too late./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Barbara Hambly, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection./divDIV /div/div

'In the beginning there was nothing but vast emptiness on earth and in the sky. Itbu-moo, the Mother Creator, shaped the mountains, rivers and lakes. But something was missing. Why did her creation feel empty? So, taking a fresh ball of snow, she created the first man . . . and then the first woman. These became the chief deities of the Lepchas.' Thus begins one of the stories in this delightful book, a compilation of folk tales of the Lepchas, passed down through the ages. Custodians of a language and script of the same name, the Lepchas inhabit regions that currently fall under the state of Sikkim, in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, Ilam district of eastern Nepal and the south-western parts of Bhutan. Ancient lore suggests that they have inhabited in the region from time immemorial. The tales included in this collection-describing gods, goddesses, people, animals and nature in a cohesive world where one cannot do without the other-skilfully bring to life the beliefs and rich culture of this unique community. Accompanying each short story are stunning illustrations, etching the lyrical sweep and mood of the tale.

A group of friends start a secret society in this “intense page-turner” (Kirkus Reviews) from the author of The Telling and The Creeping that examines the all-consuming love of lifelong friendship—and what someone is capable of when they’re afraid of losing it. Izzie loves nothing more than her three best friends, Viv, Graham, and Harry, and the bond the four of them share. And she’s terrified of their friendship falling apart next year when they go off to college. To bind them together, she decides to create something that will belong only to them, a special thing that they’ll always share between the four of them. And so they dream up the Order of IV, a secret society devoted to mischief that rights wrongs and pays back debts. At first, it works like a charm—but when the Order of IV’s escapades get recognition beyond their wildest expectations, other people start wanting in. And soon, what started as a game of friendship is spiraling into something dangerous and beyond their control—and before it’s over, they’ll pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Set in the 19th century, author Mike McCluskey tells a gripping family saga, that will enthral the reader in this suspenseful story. With courage and determination an extraordinary woman uncovers deceit, betrayal and murder in her pioneering family’s past. Born in 1884 at a NSW Northern Tablelands homestead, Grace O’Connell is burdened with illegitimacy. Overcoming prejudice and persecution she gains love, happiness and fortune. Despite her triumphs she cannot escape the spectre of evil and immorality that haunts her adventurous life. With faith and tenacity she strives to atone for the sinful legacy of her inheritance. Yet, probing too deeply, she reveals shocking secrets that should have remained buried with the dead forever. Author Mike McCluskey draws on extensive experience in rural journalism as well as research of his pioneering ancestors to portray this gripping family saga set in the untamed splendour of one of Australia’s wild mountain ranges.

First century Christians endured severe persecution, including death, from both the Jews and Romans. The Revelation of Jesus Christ was recorded by the Apostle John primarily to give those beleaguered souls strength and hope as their world became increasingly intolerable. They needed to know that God had not forgotten them. The Angels Riddle is the result of an exhaustive critical analysis of the symbolism and imagery Jesus used to convey His message of hope. A progressive process was used to analyze and decode each part of the message into a clear and concise format. This is a deep study meant to be used with your Bible and suitable materials to record any crib notes you may desire to make along the way. Commentary is provided as you progress through the book. Details, symbols, and difficult language are broken down into manageable groups through analysis and comparison to multiple Bible passages; backed up by only the Word of God. The Angels Riddle is a critical analysis and study of the most difficult book in the Bible. Dont hurry; your patience will be rewarded. I will attest that, though many have tried, few could have succeeded as Jim has in peeling back Revelations many layers. Jim has summarized centuries of biblical scholarship, and pulled together a deep and impressive bibliography. In the process, he became a Revelation scholar himself. - Larry Prescott, PhD.