Petra is fifteen years old and it's her first day at school, any school. She is at least five years ahead of anyone her age academically, she can speak at least three languages, but has no memories before waking up in a hospital bed with terrible head injuries. She had been in a coma for three years after a tragic accident that killed her parents, or so she believes. Two years later she is making her first foray into the real world. In addition to the terrors of trying to make friends, dealing with her sexuality and the school bully, she has to fit into a world she does not understand. She needs a cocktail of drugs every day to keep her alive and there is the second consciousness in her head who invades her dreams and is slowly gaining a foothold in her waking state. All she wants is to be a normal teenager, but her alter ego has other ideas. Who was Petra? What is Gentek? What connection does Petra have to a serial killer being sought by the Swedish police? Her guardians know more than they are telling.

In an ancient city carved from stone, one desperate young woman searches for peace—in the calm before the Romans attack. In AD 106, a single mother can be certain of one thing—destitution. So Cassia and her six-year-old son flee to Petra, seeking refuge in the loving arms of family. But the great stone city is not what Cassia imagined. And family cannot be trusted. When a secret reveals her son’s true bloodline, the boy becomes the target of a royal conspiracy. He’s snatched from Cassia’s grasp. In her darkest hours, Cassia finds herself surrounded by followers of the Way, a subversive new religious group whose disciples are frequently sentenced to arenas with starved lions and blood-soaked sand. Why would they seek out more danger by helping her? And what kind of religion gives freely and asks for nothing in return? Roman soldiers soon surround Petra, immersing the city in panic and further endangering Cassia’s son. She realizes he cannot be saved by human efforts alone. Her only hope lies with the followers of the Way . . . and her willingness to trust their One True God. Reading Group Guide Included “Higley’s meticulous research enhances readers’ understanding of the daring lives of the first Christians.” —RT Book Reviews, of City on Fire “If you liked Francine Rivers’ A Voice in the Wind, you’ll love Palace of Darkness! It grabbed me from page one and never let go.” —Colleen Coble, USA Today bestselling author

7th Blue: Xorn: Rude Awakening By: Katrina Hibbs 7th Blue: Xorn: Rude Awakening is the first book of many in a science fiction-fantasy action-adventure series. It follows a nine year old prince, Xorn Midus, and his misadventures that follow after he had been made a slave and thrown into the System. His father, the immortal dictator Syon Midus, begins a war in search of the artifact, the Tear of Archanon. Though he is unsure of his fate, Xorn fights to get answers as to what happened the night his father killed his mother, Lady Oriah Midus, and started the goose-chase for the Tear. It doesn't take long for Xorn to learn about another child being held captive; Mika Indri, a ten year old daughter of a farmer who was orphaned at the start of the war. After almost a year of being in limbo, the war finds its way to the mother-ship of Lord Syon and the guardians of the Tear, the Priest of Archanon, and they make a crash landing into Xorn and the other's lives. Aiden Mulch, the fourteen year old lone surviving priest is the only one who has a clue what is really happening, and the prospect is very grim. During this exciting tale, the grip of reality is loosened and magic becomes more apparent when the destroyer, Klaravex, begins to awaken from his slumber. Mika, Xorn, and Aiden are forced to uncover the truth about how Syon defeated this god of destruction and came to power. Read with awe as our heroes interact and their friendships grow.

The magical heralds emerged from the mist. I hadn’t thought they’d seen me, but before I knew it I was tasked with choosing the guide for the next merlin in exchange for the ability to read. They didn’t even ask me if I wanted this! Now, all I had to do was survive. If only they’d decided to grant me a little magic as well…. But I’m stubborn, and magic or no magic, I walked a path that introduced to spirits and led me through a war. I didn’t know magic. I didn’t know how or even if I could carry out the herald’s task. But the one thing I did know was that I wanted to make a difference in the world. I became a healer. Then the herald’s prophecy started knocking on my door and my life became even more complicated. Avalon is a gate to other worlds, even Earth. Healer’s Awakening is a story of young lady who just wants to find her own voice in a world full of turmoil. This series is a continuing story and needs to be read in the following order: Book 1 Healer's Awakening Book 2 Healer's Journey Book 3 Healer's Love Avalon is a gate to other worlds, even Earth. Healer’s Awakening is a story of young lady who just wants to find her own voice in a world full of turmoil.

Wake up, and cease your sleep. After years of not fully living life, climbing an illusionary corporate ladder, and recovering from a failed marriage, a sudden insight and a fated encounter lead to an amazing journey of finding ones higher self. This is a true story of one womans awakening, where we are taken along a path filled with both its challenging struggles and its blissful joys. A dare from a friend and a meeting with a guide begins an unexpected and life-changing journey toward seeing life anew and finding inner peace. Through reflections while sipping green tea, we unravel our conditioning and answer the question Who made you? Each lesson moves you through such themes as sadness, struggle, celibacy, Tantra, selflessness, and a final encounter with birth. The beginning is an end as the end is only the beginning. Sip your green tea as if its the last moment in your life. Have you ever thought you could be awakened? We all can, if we step outside our illusion and embrace life in a new way.

A genderbent retelling of the classic fairytale Peter and Wendy... Neverland is in trouble. An evil mage that can shape-shift into a gigantic crocodile has stolen the Neverland Clock and broken the spell upon it so that time has returned to Neverland. As a consequence the girl who never grew up - did. Petra Pan, now a young woman, travels to London, England in search of a knight worthy enough to be able to pull the only weapon capable of defeating the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca from the stone - Excalibur. Petra along with her loyal male fairy companion, Tinker, encounters a fencing champion named Eirwen Darling, who after committing a heroic deed, appears to be the perfect knight, and one whom Petra falls in love with at first sight. She kidnaps Eirwen and his two younger sisters, and takes them to the dying mystical island of Neverland. Afterwards, Eirwen struggles with not only his budding feelings for the beautiful and surprisingly well-endowed Petra Pan, but also his doubts about being Neverland's foretold knight and would-be King. Will Eirwen be able to find his 'happy thought' and learn how to fly in order to gain an extra edge in battle before it's too late?

The Awakening of the West is an insightful and elegantly written history chronicling the developing relationship between Buddhism and Western culture. As anyone familiar with the work of Stephen Batchelor (best-selling author of Buddhism Without Beliefs) would expect, The Awakening of the West is presented in a fresh and lively way and backed by thorough research. Using the innovative approach of starting with the present and working back in time, Batchelor makes it easy to connect familiar contemporary Buddhist teachers to their historical roots. He breathes life into history by capturing the personalities and times of famous and lesser-known but important Buddhist figures. After absorbing these stories and their context, readers will not only have a greater appreciation of Buddhism as a religion but can gain insights that can help them develop their own discerning wisdom. The Awakening of the West is a unique, engaging and important book for anyone seeking a greater understanding of Buddhism.