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A God in the Shed
-Barnes & Noble Best Horror Books of 2017 Pick -Runner-up for the American Library Association's Horror Book of 2017 "One of the most enthralling novels I've read in the last ten years. Dubeau is a force to be reckoned with." --Jerry Smith, Fangoria Magazine and Blumhouse.com "This is the page-turner you've been looking for." --Barnes & Noble The village of Saint-Ferdinand has all the trappings of a quiet life: farmhouses stretching from one main street, a small police precinct, a few diners and cafés, and a grocery store. Though if an out-of-towner stopped in, they would notice one unusual thing--a cemetery far too large and much too full for such a small town, lined with the victims of the Saint-Ferdinand Killer, who has eluded police for nearly two decades. It's not until after Inspector Stephen Crowley finally catches the killer that the town discovers even darker forces are at play. When a dark spirit reveals itself to Venus McKenzie, one of Saint-Ferdinand's teenage residents, she learns that this creature's power has a long history with her town--and that the serial murders merely scratch the surface of a past burdened by evil secrets. -
Heidi Heckelbeck Casts a Spell
Heidi Heckelbeck displays her witching skills in this second book of a new young chapter book series! Now readers between the ages of five and seven can read chapter books tailor-made for a younger level of reading comprehension. Heavily illustrated with large type, Little Simon's young chapter books let young readers feel like they are reading a "grown-up" format with subject, text, and illustrations geared specifically for their own age groups! Heidi Heckelbeck seems like any other eight-year-old, but she has a secret: She's a witch in disguise. Careful to keep her powers hidden (but excited to use them all the same), Heidi's learning to live like any other kid--who just happens to be witch. And with easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers. Thanks to meanie Melanie Maplethorpe, Heidi is cast as a scary tree in the school play, The Wizard of Oz. Heidi decides to get even with Melanie by casting a spell on her. The result of the spell? Melanie--who has the lead role as Dorothy--will forget her lines. As the day of the play nears, Heidi carefully collects all the ingredients she needs. But when she casts her spell, will Heidi's revenge be as sweet as she thinks? -
The Serpent in Heaven
#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her "gripping, twisty" (Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her) alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series. Felicia, Lizbeth Rose's half-sister and a student at the Grigori Rasputin school in San Diego--capital of the Holy Russian Empire--is caught between her own secrets and powerful family struggles. As a granddaughter of Rasputin, she provides an essential service to the hemophiliac Tsar Alexei, providing him the blood transfusions that keep him alive. Felicia is treated like nonentity at the bedside of the tsar, and at the school she's seen as a charity case with no magical ability. But when Felicia is snatched outside the school, the facts of her heritage begin to surface. Felicia turns out to be far more than the Russian Mexican Lizbeth rescued. As Felicia's history unravels and her true abilities become known, she becomes under attack from all directions. Only her courage will keep her alive. -
Mythology
Presenting the newest discovery in the series with the Midas touch -- a mythical exploration fit for the gods. In the early nineteenth century, an English nobleman embarked on a tour of the sites of ancient Greece. He brought as his guide a primer on Greek myths written by his friend Lady Hestia Evans, a devotee of Lord Byron who had recently taken the same voyage. In the true Romantic spirit, Lady Hestia's book was not only lavishly illustrated but also boasted many paper crafts and novelties, including a card game featuring the twelve Olympians, an oak-leaf oracle of Zeus, a pop-up Pandora's box (with hope still inside), a booklet retelling the tale of Odysseus, a piece of the Golden Fleece, an obolos coin to pay the ferryman on the River Styx, and many more flaps, foldouts, and other surprises. The nobleman added his own witty comments and drawings along the way, but seems to have wished for something odd at the Delphic oracle: as the book nears its end, it slowly begins to turn . . .to gold. Now, for lovers of Greek myths and those just discovering their timeless power, this fascinating volume is faithfully reproduced with all its Romantic ambience, clever wit and novelty features intact. -
Sold outThe Hunters
Book 1 of the thrilling new series from David Wragg, acclaimed author of THE BLACK HAWKS.She's on the run. They're out to kill.
But what happens when you catch a hunter?Ree is a woman with a violent past - a past she thought she'd left behind. After years of wandering, she and her niece Javani have finally built a small life for themselves at the edge of the known world.
But sometimes the past refuses to stay there, and Ree's is about to catch up with her. This time, there will be blood.
For the land is in turmoil and professional killers have arrived in their town looking for an older woman and child, setting off a desperate chase through deserts, mountains, and mines. Ree will have to discover her former self if she is to keep them both alive.
From a master of modern fantasy comes a new thrilling trilogy, full of intrigue, bloodthirsty stakes - and a heroine who just won't quit.
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The Wicked Deep
A New York Times bestseller. "A wickedly chilling debut." --School Library Journal
"Complex and sweetly satisfying." --Booklist
"Prepare to be bewitched." --Paula Stokes, author of Girl Against the Universe
"A story about the redemptive power of love." --Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be
"Eerie and enchanting." --Jessica Spotswood, author of The Cahill Witch Chronicles Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge--and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them. Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow... Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under. Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters' return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into. Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters. But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself. -
New Suns 2: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color
The stunning follow-up to the multiple-award-winning anthology of SFF by people of colour Octavia E. Butler said, "There's nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns." New Suns 2 brings you fresh visions of the strange, the unexpected, the shocking--breakthrough stories, stories shining with emerging truths, stories that pierce stale preconceptions with their beauty and bravery. Like the first New Suns anthology (winner of the World Fantasy, Locus, IGNYTE, and British Fantasy awards), this book liberates writers of many races to tell us tales no one has ever told. Many things come in twos: dualities, binaries, halves, and alternates. Twos are found throughout New Suns 2, in eighteen science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories revealing daring futures, hidden pasts, and present-day worlds filled with unmapped wonders. Including stories by Daniel H. Wilson, K. Tempest Bradford, Darcie Little Badger, Geetanjali Vandemark, John Chu, Nghi Vo, Tananarive Due, Alex Jennings, Karin Lowachee, Saad Hossain, Hiromi Goto, Minsoo Kang, Tlotlo Tsamaase, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Malka Older, Kathleen Alcalá, Christopher Caldwell and Jaymee Goh with a foreword by Walter Mosley and an afterword by Dr. Grace Dillon. -
Skyriders
An Amazon Best Book of the Month! Wings of Fire meets Skandar and the Unicorn Thief in this epic fantasy adventure set in a world where human and skysteed share a deep bond of friendship and love. When monsters emerge to attack the empire, it's up to Kiesandra and her beloved winged horse N'Rah to prove to herself and the imperial army that she has what it takes to lead them to victory . . . and survival. Thirteen-year-old Kiesandra's best friend isn't human, but that doesn't stop her from sharing jokes and secrets with her winged horse, N'Rah. She, like every other person with a skysteed, can communicate with N'Rah through her mind. Their bond is critical when one day, monsters from long ago reemerge to ravage a nearby village. No one knows how to fight the fearsome chimerae except Kie's uncle . . . and now Kie. Injured in the battle, Uncle Dug makes her promise to bring his attack plan and weapons to the capital. Kie reluctantly agrees. At the palace, she and N'Rah attempt to gain the trust of the royals and train the army in Dug's lessons. But how can a young girl and her skysteed convince anyone that only they know how to defeat the deadly monsters? Buzzing with action, heart, and friendship, this first book in the Skyriders series show that kids can achieve the impossible--especially with flying horses on their side. -
The Garden of Words
On rainy mornings, Takao can never bring him-self to go to school-instead, he spends that time at the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen gardens and finds a brief reprieve from everything else in his life among the trees and flowers. And on one of those mornings, he discovers a mysterious woman named Yukino in his haven, skipping work, and an unlikely friendship blooms between them. But though these two are the center of this story, they are far from the only ones trying to find their way in life.
From director Makoto Shinkai comes a deeper look at his award-winning 2013 film, The Garden of Words, full of additional scenes and perspectives to show a whole new side of the many characters who brought the film to life. -
Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook
From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a familiar story with a dark hook--a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the blackhearted villain Peter says he is... There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan's first--and favorite--lost boy to his greatest enemy. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate's sword. Because it's never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock--the kinds of playthings that bite. Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter lies. -
Sold outGrumpycorn
Oh, what a Grumpycorn!Unicorn wants to write the most fabulous story in the world. But he has no idea what to write!When his friends try to join in, will Unicorn turn into a... Grumpycorn?A funny and feisty picture book celebrating friendship, teamwork, and the joys of storytelling.Sold out -
Knights vs. Dinosaurs
An ALA Notable Title
"Absurdly entertaining. Victorious on all fronts."--Booklist (starred review)
Renowned for their courage, their chivalry, and their ability to fight mythical creatures, the Knights of the Round Table must face their most dangerous opponents yet--DINOSAURS!
This heavily illustrated middle grade novel from award-winning author and artist Matt Phelan is a hilarious, rip-roaring tale of derring-do perfect for reluctant readers and fans of How to Train Your Dragon and The Terrible Two.
Let me tell you a secret about the Knights of the Round Table: they don't have much to do. The realm is at peace and dragons are few and far between. So Merlin decides to send the knights out on a real adventure to a world filled with the most terrible lizards of all: DINOSAURS!
Knights vs. Dinosaurs is a highly illustrated, fast-paced adventure full of uproarious knightly hijinks, surprising secrets, and terrifying dinosaurs. With art on nearly every page, including an epic fight scene depicted in several graphic-novel style spreads, this engaging story is Monty Python for young middle school readers.
A great choice for reluctant readers, aspiring knights, and fans of Peter Brown's The Wild Robot.
"This rollicking story is suspenseful and silly. An excellent choice for all readers."--School Library Journal (starred review)
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The Hedgewitch of Foxhall
In this gorgeous stand-alone fantasy romance perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Allison Saft, a rebellious witch undertakes a last-ditch quest to restore magic to medieval Wales--as two princes vie for her heart.
Magic is fading from Wales--choked off by King Offa's Dyke, the enemy earthworks that spans the entire border. Even the dragons have disappeared. And now an attack is imminent.
Prince Taliesin would love to watch magic die. Prince Dafydd fears it, and the throne. But when their father promises the crown to whichever son can destroy the dyke and restore magic to Wales, the brothers are forced into an uneasy rivalry.
Ffion works hedgewitch magic for poor folk, not princes. Unlike the power-hungry Foxhall coven, she uses only what nature can spare. But when the coven's greed costs Ffion everything, she will need power beyond her wildest dreams to get back what she's lost.
So when Prince Taliesin arrives, begrudgingly seeking a witch's aid, Ffion agrees to help him--even if it means walking from one end of Wales to the other with the most use-less peacock she's ever clapped eyes on. Even if it means striking a bargain with Dafydd behind Tal's back. The fate of Wales depends on their quest . . . and so might the fate of Ffion's heart.
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The Inevitability Of: Death's Gate
For centuries a Hobbs witch has held Death's Gate, but for the first time in history, the next Gatekeeper has no magic.
Rikaria Hobbs is an overachieving realist who knows that her summer tradition of taking a couple months off from real life to spend them with her grandmother is on borrowed time. She decides this will be her last summer, but when she starts seeing spirits, hearing voices in her head, and is accosted by a demon, her plans turn to dust.
After confirmation from her grandmother, magic becomes her reality and her role as the next Gatekeeper looms over her future. Rika has a lot of catching up to do, but with the help of a stunning stranger, her grandmother, and the voice in her head that continues to grow stronger, Rika wades into the secrets connecting her family to the politicking opportunists around them.
Rika must decide if who she wants to be and who she needs to be can coexist. Family is everything, especially in this.
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On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume II
Following the immense success of Volume I with over 35,000 copies sold, On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume II brings a host of new topics to table in even more detail and depth. Writing advice tends to be full of 'rules' and 'tips' which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. Aimed at specific, applicable, and practical discussions, from writing fight scenes to first-person narration to hard and soft worldbuilding, Volume II is a 'must have'.
On Writing
- Fight Scenes
- Handling Pacing
- Mentor Characters
- Positive Arcs and Redemption Arcs
- Power Escalation in a Magic System
- Flashbacks and Backstory
- Civil Wars
- First-person Narration
- Dark Lords
On Worldbuilding
- Fantasy and Alien Races
- World Histories
- Monarchies
- Place Names
- Class, Wealth, and Power
- How Class Systems are Maintained
- How Class Systems Collapse
- Cities and Towns
- Hard versus Soft Worldbuilding