In 1364, orphaned Brin, raised by gypsies and watched over by a guardian angel, must decide who to trust with the medallion left to him by his parents and which has a mysterious connection to the city of Rome and to the Holy Grail.

A spirited collection of stories revealing the extremes of the human experience from the author of The Ice Storm In his first story collection, Rick Moody provides readers with a poignant, brazenly honest glimpse into the lives of a wide array of characters, from a paranoid husband obsessively listening in on his wife’s phone calls to the junkies and sex addicts of New York City’s underworld. Whether they’re grasping for connection or struggling to survive in a dismal and indifferent environment, these individuals’ haunting voices and the evocative worlds they inhabit make for a diverse and powerful volume. Experimenting with form—one story is told as a term paper, another as an annotated bibliography—Moody demonstrates the vast range of his fascinations and talents, as well as his arresting command of language. Candid depictions of contemporary society and the inner-workings of distinctive characters’ minds bring these inquisitive, heartrending, and at times undeniably funny accounts to life. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Rick Moody including rare images from the author’s personal collection.

She was the beautiful new girl in high school, but she had a secret she was keeping from everyone. Even from the rough-around-the-edges north-end boy who was falling in love with her. And try as he might to break through her shell and be the friend who would hold her hand and share her burden, she always seemed reluctant to open up. And when he finally learned what she had been hiding, it would test his love for her. Set in the year 1961, when love was innocent, full of the atmosphere of that time.

"[Thayne's] books are wonderfully romantic, feel-good reads that end with me sighing over the last pages." —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author Celebrate the season with this sparkling and heartwarming holiday romance that proves sometimes all you need is a little Christmas magic… Employed as the live-in caretaker of Angel’s View Ranch, Annelise McCade is just trying to make it through the holidays with both her sanity and her niece's and nephew’s faith in the magic of Christmas intact. The six-year-old twins recently lost their mother, so Annie tells herself it won’t be a problem to bring them to her workplace. The Sheridans haven’t visited Angel's View in years, not since the patriarch, Wallace, died. They would never know the twins were there…until Tate Sheridan shows up out of the blue two weeks before Christmas. But Tate surprises Annie by asking them to stay and help him get the house ready for one last family Christmas before the ranch is put on the market. Annie and Tate have three days to work their magic before the Sheridan clan arrives—and to work through the growing attraction between them. But Annie simply can’t fall for the man who's about to put her out of a job and a home. Still, the sparkle of the season is impossible to deny…and this Christmas has surprises in store for everyone. Return to Hope’s Crossing this Christmas in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s latest heartwarming story of matchmaking at the holidays, All is Bright!

"The Crown" meets "Game of Thrones" in this dazzling tale of glamour, enchantment, and betrayal, written by #1 New York Times bestselling author, Melissa de la Cruz. Once, they were inseparable, just two little girls playing games in a formidable castle. Now Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the mightiest empire in the world, and Aelwyn Myrddyn, a bastard mage, face vastly different futures. As the annual London season begins—a whirlwind of wealth and magic marked by lavish parties and gorgeous girls vying for the attention of young royals—the talk of the town is Ronan Astor, a social-climbing American with only her beauty to recommend her. After falling for a handsome rogue on the voyage over, she must balance her desire for love with her duty to save her family's position. Meanwhile, Isabelle of Orleans finds herself cast aside by Leopold, heir to the Prussian crown, in favor of a political marriage to Marie-Victoria. Isabelle is bent on reclaiming what is hers, but Marie doesn't even want Leopold—she lost her heart long ago to a boy she will never be able to have. Desperate to escape a life without love, Marie turns to Aelwyn, and the girls form a perilous plan that endangers the fate of the monarchy. "Preening royalty, a touch of magic, and dramatic betrayal. What's not to love?" — Teen Vogue "This character-driven novel has fabulous balls, glitzy gowns, and plenty of drama and plot twists, making it hard to put down." — School Library Journal

Earth Angel Series: Book 1

A towering epic of fantasy, The Pearl, is launched in The Ring of Five Dragons. Filled with action, color, and the myriad details of another world, The Pearl is the first great fantasy series of the new millennium, set to rival Robert Jordan, David Eddings, George R. R. Martin, Terry Brooks, and Terry Goodkind in popular appeal. This astonishing first volume opens as the Kundalan people have suffered for a century under the viciously oppressive, technologically-superior V'ornn invaders. In the resulting crisis of faith -- why hasn't their goddess Miina saved them? -- Kundalan religion has fallen under the control of evil forces from within who forbid the teaching of traditional sorcery, pretending to have no magic of their own. The V'ornn's mysterious leaders, the Gyrgon, know better, and search for the lost Ring of Five Dragons, the key to the door of the fabled Kundalan Storehouse, and perhaps to Kundalan sorcery as well. But misused, the Ring is the trigger of seemingly inexorable annihilation for V'ornn and Kundalan alike. Now from among the oppressed must arise the hero of prophecy, the Dar Sala-at, who alone can wield the sorcerous power to save the world. Thus begins a huge epic rooted in the conflict between spiritual and technological cultures. The twisting plot raises difficult and provocative moral questions in the course of a constantly surprising, sometimes shocking, fantastic adventure that will transport fantasy readers to new heights of enthusiasm, and make them ask for more. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.