Winner of the Writers' League of Texas's Discovery Prize for Middle Grade/Young Adult! "The Powerses' worldbuilding and writing will keep [readers] hooked. They will find themselves questioning what is fact and what is fiction and cheering Adam on as he journeys in this new, strange world. A gripping, philosophical paranormal thriller." --Kirkus Reviews "In this intriguing tale of life and death (literally, there are soul guides and a grim reaper), siblings J. L. and M. A. Powers explore the intersections of fear and power in relation to limbo, as Adam and his newfound friends try to become everything they are supposed to be...[This] will keep readers on the edge of their seats, wanting more--which is good, considering this is the first of a series." --Booklist "Fans of Holly Black and Cassandra Clare will enjoy this series starters." --School Library Journal "This novel was well constructed and rich in detail. The characters are well rounded and realistic...I enjoyed this novel very much and am excited for the next book in the series. I would recommend this novel to fans of Reaper fiction and any fantasy." --Life My Way (blog) "A very entertaining read." --Read Explore Repeat (blog) "If paranormal is your thing...give this one a try." --Reading Through Life "You won't want to put this one down: it's Hogwarts for soul guides, with family rivalries and developing powers aplenty. The writing flows and the characters have a rich depth to them, even with their own secrets that we may or may not find out before this volume ends. Thank goodness it's the first in a series; I have more to look forward to and so will you. Give this to your Gaiman fans, for sure; hand it to your Potterheads that are ready to meet a new group of friends. Give it to your readers that enjoy seeing life from a different point of view." --Mom Read It "Broken Circle is perfect for anyone who has ever been intrigued by figures of death (like the Grim Reaper, or the Underworld), enjoys YA fiction, and also likes boarding school settings." --Utopia State of Mind (blog) "Broken Circle's exacting mix of myth, science and the paranormal discloses that the whole world's destiny is at stake if powers and abilities like Adam's fall into the wrong, crepuscular hands. The Powerses have placed a sympathetic kid and his crew bravely in the midst of some very big questions (it's OK to think Harry Potter). What happens gives a different spin to everything on Earth and whatever may come after." --The Center for Fiction/Junior Edition column Adam wants nothing more than to be a "normal" teen, but his reality is quickly leaking normal. Afraid to sleep because of the monster that stalks his dreams, Adam's breakdown at school in front of his crush Sarah lands him in the hospital. As he struggles to cope with his day-to-day life, Adam can only vaguely comprehend some sort of future. His mother died when he was only four and his eccentric father--who might be an assassin, a voodoo god, the reincarnation of the Buddha, or something even stranger--is never available when Adam really needs him. Even his paranoid grandfather, who insists that people are "out to kill the entire family," is no help. Adam's life takes an even weirder turn when a fat man with a gold tooth and a medallion confronts his father regarding Adam's supposed "True Destiny." Adam is soon headed toward a collision with life, death, and the entities charged with shepherding souls of the newly dead, all competing to control lucrative territories where some nightmares are real and psychopomps of ancient legends walk the streets of North America.
After her beloved grandmother's death, seventeen-year-old Khosi is left with an empty house, her younger sister, and her promise to finish school but violence in Imbali may take even that.
When longtime animosities between a Mexican and a white American student at a Texas high school finally flare into violence, one ends up in the hospital with a broken arm and a fractured ego. A few hours later, the other ends up dead. In the reverb, friends and enemies alike are left to grapple with loss, suspicion, and rapidly escalating racial tensions. Narrated with brutal candor by six boys—each with a very different take on the week’s events—The Confessional blends murder mystery, contemporary politics, and high school drama to create a gritty, fast-paced read.
Vermont The New Sodom is a chronicle of Vermont´s last fifty years as it has been transformed from an idyllic state into a modern day Sodom; an experiment conducted by an influx of city dwellers. Progressive politicians have strived to make over Vermont´s small hill and valley towns into a playground for gays. Gays from all over the country account for one quarter of marriages in the new Vermont. Vermont´s caretakers of old attempt to return her to her former self.
Amina lives on the edges of Mogadishu. Her family's house has been damaged in Somalia's long civil war, but they continue to live there, reluctant to leave their home. Amina's world is shattered when government forces come to arrest her father because his art has been officially censored, deemed too political. Then, rebel forces kidnap Amina's brother. She reacts by creating street art to give herself a sense of hope and to share with people all over the city who hope for a better, more secure future.
With the discovery of the hyperdrive, mankind at last possessed the means of going out to the stars. Four expeditions had already gone by the fine the fifth starship left Pluto for Vega. Carrying its complement of scientists and military personnel, they arrived at the solar system of Vega to find one planet sufficiently like Earth to allow them to land. Here, they discovered mystery. The ruins of great cities built on the shattered remains of still earlier fortresses, showing that some great race of conquerors had passed that way sometime in the past thirty thousand years. No life now remained on this planet and speeding to the next sun, they found a civilisation which possessed powers so utterly strange to them that one native almost succeeded in destroying them and taking over the ship. And still the mystery remained, for the legends of the planet spoke of a race of gods who had come down from the stars twenty thousand years before. It was not until they reached the planet of a red giant sun that they ran into a race of creatures so fantastically alien that there was no defence against them, and they learned the real identity of the race which had conquered the stars millennia before...
What if the world as you had known it wasnt as it appeared? For Abigail Watson, life had always been quiet and simple until now. Still reeling from the shock that her life as she knew it was now over, Abby has to adapt to the fact that Ben is her biological father and that she had been reincarnated after 500 years. To make matters worse, Abby is part of a family that has passed powers on from generation to generation. Powers that she has been gifted but are not under her control. Abbys parents then send for an old family friend that will be able to train her. As time goes on though, thoughts of Ethan, her one true love, emerge, and she wonders where her missing wolf has gone.
When Kenny Beavers starts first grade smaller than all his classmates, a much larger bully enjoys taunting and terrorizing him. Noticing how upset Kenny is, a favorite neighbor informs him that he has a loving protector...the Goofus bird, who left one of his feathers on Kenny's shirt. Trouble is, Goofus is invisible. So how does Kenny know he's real? Out of shear frustration, Kenny taps into Goofus' invisible world where time somehow stands still. He delights in hearing Goofus "in his head" and appearing anywhere he desires with the huge white owl at his side, even at Merlin's Magic Mountain, simply by thinking himself there. The two enjoy many rides at the theme park, including the scary roller coaster. And Kenny discovers how people really feel inside, despite how they appear on the outside, by moving right through their bodies. Goofus uses Kenny's newly discovered powers to help him understand what makes his classmate so mean. With his greater understanding and self-confidence, Kenny no longer feels "too little," or even scared of the bully. "Many children need a reservoir of coping skills. This book (aimed at ages 6 to 10) is a great resource to help them find their own inner strength to add to that reservoir," says school librarian Barbara Gibson. Kenny has learned how to listen to that inner voice that guides and protects all of us. In six chapters with 10 illustrations, Goofus Feathers reignites that wonderful preschool imagination just when school tends to dampen it. J.L. McBride got the theme for Goofus Feathers, her first fiction, by "listening" to her own Goofus bird.
Dive into a mystical world full of powers, idols, war, and trials. Alora's Rule will keep you on the edge of your seat as you uncover death threats as well as love.
Myths and legends about the most popular gems, rocks and crystals are revealed and retold. A comprehensive reference section gives technical data on the featured stones and many more identified by mineralogists.
What is the difference between a hero and a villain?A hero should always use their power for good: a detective devotes his life to chasing gifted villains; a girl uses her frost powers to rescue her father; a weary sidekick faces her childhood nemesis; and a young man must protect his loved ones against a tyrannical authority.But having unique gifts means facing tough decisions: a doctor must choose between saving his reputation or his patient; a young woman saves a drowning man and finds herself in danger as a result; a student discovers the consequences of choice; and a wannabe hero takes on a supervillain hoping she'll be invited to the hero's league.And the line between good and evil is oftentimes blurred: a self-made hero crosses that line to save the world; a lovesick henchman blindly follows his master's orders; a mentor attempts to prevent a pupil from being drawn to villainy; a superpowered military team questions their orders despite the inevitable consequences.Follow these men and women as they set out to save themselves, and the world, from the great evils around them.
Turn the page and open the door into the thrilling saga of The Dragon King, where myth and lore, love and magic are intermingled in a world where the strength of a pure heart stands against the powers of dark magic. Guardians, protectors of goodness and light in the world, had scarcely survived the Great War against their adversary Abdenagon the Destroyer, a fallen Guardian condemned to rule the nether gloom, who found a path into the world of the living through tempting the hearts of Guardians whose hearts fell into darkness, dark lords battling each other and the humans for the rule of all. After rebuilding the carnage of the long war, the Guardians of pure heart could not expunge the fear and hatred the humans felt toward them for the unimaginable suffering caused by the dark lords wielding their powers for evil. Guardians were forced to withdraw from the humans to live in the safety of their mountain sanctuary, Ellery Glen. In the millenniums of peace that followed, Abdenagon did not rest, regaining his strength he found in Fangull, a willing heart to fall into darkness, a servant who surpassed his expectations. Great darkness loomed over the world once again. A war the Guardians were ill prepared to fight-with their powers limited by ancient weaves, their eyes blinded, and their hearts bound by eons of beliefs and traditions that no longer held true. They awaited the fulfillment of the prophecy that a king would come to lead them into battle. The king that came was not what they had expected; their hearts fell into despair as the evil one stirred and darkness threatened to eclipse their world of goodness and light. Thus begins The Chronicles of Dragons, Wizards, and Kings of Ellery Glen.
The material is presented in massive tables, and detailed instructions with examples are given that describe how to use the tables. Individual chapters are bookmarked to make it easy to navigate.
Narco, the nastiest Bounty Hunter the Fae have ever seen is now trailing Mia! How will her new powers react? One day Mia can create a bubble to protect her team, the next, she's blowing up trees by mistake. Now that real danger is stalkin her, will she be able to harness the powers of her ancestor, Princess Violet and defend herself, her friends, and her school? While studying for a test, Mia accidentally portals her team inside the Louvre! What she doesnt know is that her enemy has spies everywhere. When they report where she's gone, Narco sees this as a chance to attack! Poor Mia, she has all this power, but still can't control it. When her slamball team is teetering on an important win, is it Zander's imagination, or does Mia defy the magic and help them to victory without even realizing what she's done? Now, she's learning to harness her power and gaining new allies. With the added support of two grumpy gargoyles and a pixie who sneezes magic, what's next for this Unwanted Princess? Scroll up and click Read Now or Read for Free to discover why Mia's the Unwanted Princess today! **Previously released as part of the Chronicles of the Fae Princess Trilogy
CEDAR BUG BOARDS: In Search of the Truly Trivial I was Catholic until in 1967, when a supposedly homeless man came to the door, asked for, and was refused, a bed for the night. The event might have seemed trivial, its consequences less so. In the resulting soul-searching I became agnostic, even atheist, though still during this period I was at times aware of some force beyond the material that spoke to me. In 1971, in the fallout from the failure of a cherished enterprise, I attempted to return to my Catholic roots, but found I couldn't. After a period of anguish, I discovered first Buddhism, then Quakerism, each in ways arguably more trivial than the one that had led me from Rome. Trivial in the sense that I stumbled upon each by different strokes of chance. I was also taking my dreams, more seriously than most do these days. Analysis of significant dreams (not all dreams are significant) plays a major role in Cedar Bug Boards, along with a range of other phenomena that sceptics dismiss as unworthy of human attention. I continued to develop interests in new age ideas, and in varieties of Mahayana Buddhism, until in May of 2004 I experienced another event which, again, could be dismissed by others as trivial, but for me was earthshaking. It led directly to this quest over the last seven/eight years to understand and to write about it, its consequences, and its spiritual significance. All these "trivial" yet for me highly significant happenings presuppose the existence of a real spiritual power that does not interfere in our lives unless we ask it to. This is not to say that it may not put signs, and even wonders, in our way. The power is well known to Quakers, but for most of them it seems not to manifest in any particularly paranormal or overtly supernatural way. Yet I was finding that the power I was becoming aware of could, and did. Thus this first volume of three (update in 2018, it will finally be four) deliberately attaches the earlier account from The Quaking Buddha to these later very personal revelations of how this change was experienced. The second volume, View from the Playpen explores these in much greater detail. Phenomena such as mediumship, prophecy, consulting of oracles, near death experiences and miracle became central to my understanding of the world, along with the actual experience (though it curiously only lasted for three and a half months) of direct communication, as I felt it to be, with such higher powers. I painstakingly recorded their seemingly trivial workings in my life, which mostly took the form of what Carl Jung famously patented as "synchronicities," as well as other supposedly chance events.
Chariot commander Jehu is anointed king of Israel to strike down the House of Ahab. Drawn from the biblical account of 2 Kings 9 and 10, this fictional narrative recounts Jehu's rebellion from his early years as a charioteer under King Ahab through his anointing by a prophet under Elisha and his assault against the royal house of Israel, told in the voices of Jehu, Queen Jezebel, King Ahab, Elijah, Elisha, Jezebel's daughter Queen Athaliah and granddaughter Jehosheba, High Priest Jehoiada, King Ethbaal I of Tyre, and others. The union of Phoenician princess Jezebel and Ahab of Israel has combined the sea powers of Tyre and Sidon and the land power of Israel--a union that is being extended to Israel's sister kingdom of Judah with the union of Jezebel's daughter Athaliah with the king of Judah. The melding of Phoenicia, Israel, and Judah is reaching its tipping point as a harried prophet rushes into Jehu's army camp and anoints him king of Israel. Jezebel, her prophets of Baal, her son King Joram of Israel, her daughter Queen Athaliah of Judah, and Athaliah's daughter Jehosheba conspire together and against each other as Jehu's rebellion threatens Jezebel's realm.
Chariot commander Jehu is anointed king of Israel to strike down the House of Ahab. Drawn from the biblical account of 2 Kings 9 and 10, this fictional narrative recounts Jehu’s rebellion from his early years as a charioteer under King Ahab through his anointing by a prophet under Elisha and his assault against the royal house of Israel, told in the voices of Jehu, Queen Jezebel, King Ahab, Elijah, Elisha, Jezebel’s daughter Queen Athaliah and granddaughter Jehosheba, High Priest Jehoiada, King Ethbaal I of Tyre, and others. The union of Phoenician princess Jezebel and Ahab of Israel has combined the sea powers of Tyre and Sidon and the land power of Israel—a union that is being extended to Israel’s sister kingdom of Judah with the union of Jezebel’s daughter Athaliah with the king of Judah. The melding of Phoenicia, Israel, and Judah is reaching its tipping point as a harried prophet rushes into Jehu’s army camp and anoints him king of Israel. Jezebel, her prophets of Baal, her son King Joram of Israel, her daughter Queen Athaliah of Judah, and Athaliah’s daughter Jehosheba conspire together and against each other as Jehu’s rebellion threatens Jezebel’s realm.
New world. New friends. New dangers. New sexy guys! The second installment of the Chosen Saga . . . Charlie's back and hotter than ever Literally! This time she's going up in flames. Finally learning the crazy, insane truth was one thing, but crossing over into a supernatural world was something not even Charlie could fathom. In a world of magic, beauty and danger, the unthinkable has happened. She has been captured and held prisoner by a mad person out for all their powers. There isn't much time left before she's hooked up to "the machine"! And she isn't the only one. Willing to do whatever it takes to get herself and the others out safely-even if that means trusting a sexy stranger-which could condemn her soul. But Charlie will fight with everything she has to see her family, friends, Tru and Jace before she falls prey to this power-hungry psycho. With her newfound powers, escape should be a walk in the park. But Charlie soon finds its more like a crawl through quicksand. The stakes are high and times running out. Will Charlie ever see her family again? Is the guy in her dreams a savior or executioner? She doesn't have time to question, only to choose.
- A beautiful and comprehensive guide to gemstones - Includes sections on the magical, mystical, and healing powers of gems - Covers precious and semi-precious stones
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