Making the Mistakes So You Don't Have toHe's written more than a dozen books, including the highly acclaimed Terin Ostler/Fortannis fantasy series, the Teddy Roosevelt/steampunk adventure Big Stick, and the horrifically funny Bloodsuckers. He's also edited a slew of great books, including the Fantastic Books anthologies Release the Virgins and Three Time Travelers Walk Into…, and he co-edited Across the Universe and two volumes ...

In 1897, Beverly Haddad is well aware that her sex and race will keep her from investigating the deadly and mysterious lightning strikes that have plagued New York. She seeks help from Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, and soon the two find themselves hunted by a vast conspiracy known as Gideon's Trumpet, which has access to amazing new scientific devices never before seen. With the help of Mark Twain and others, they launch an attack, aided by Teddy's new massive lightning gun, which h...

Book 1 of the Tales of Fortannis.When a cowardly young bard is called before the Duke and told that he must perform a task because of an ancient prophecy involving a mysterious Arch, he is certain there has been a grave mistake. When the Duke's own men later try to kill him and he is forced to run, unsure who to trust, he realizes that it may be his own grave that is in question.Terin Ostler struggles to overcome his inexperience and limitations to figure out the m...

Norman Mark was a politician with skeletons in his closet. Literally.Disgraced journalist Steven Edwards considers the "Batties"—the loonies who believe that vampires are real and Norman Mark is one—just another crazy tin-foil-hat extremist group. Then someone shoots at Mark, changes into a bat, and flies away before Steve's eyes, leaving him as the prime suspect. With the help of the Batties, Steve goes underground. The only way he can establish his innocence is by proving vampire...

Book 3 of the Tales of Fortannis.One barbarian tribe has a prophecy saying the legendary hero Bishortu will unite the three warring tribes. Another has a prophecy that directly contradicts this, and they want Bishortu dead. And a third, which may or may not be comprised of werewolves, refuses to let anyone know what their prophecy says. Meanwhile, the Duke on whose land the barbarians live wants them all gone.In the middle of all of this is squire Terin Ostler, who...

Book 4 of the Tales of Fortannis.This brand new collection of Michael A. Ventrella's short stories features the further adventures of Terin Ostler and his squire pals, as well as many of his stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies. Included as well are two brand new stories, as well as commentary on each one."From peeved epic heroes coping with zombies and dwarves who dye their beards, to a pirate captain who refuses to learn the names of his ...

Book 2 of the Tales of Fortannis.Everyone thinks Terin is the "chosen one" who will defeat the gryphons at the Arch, but he has no idea what it is he is supposed to do. And just when it looks like things are getting really bad… they get worse.Reviews:"A non-standard quest story with an atypical thrust-into-the-role hero that nevertheless keeps you turning the pages at the end of every chapter, eager to find out what happens next. Full of engaging characters...

Billboard magazine named The Beatles the greatest performing musical act of all time, and their albums continue to chart to this day. This is no surprise to the author, who combed through nearly 60 years of the magazine, week by week, to compile a list of every song and album that charted. The end result is an intriguing look at the band's influence, including their solo efforts. The author assigns points to the positions of songs and albums on the charts in order to create a list...

There are creatures lurking in our world. Obscure creatures long relegated to myth and legend. They have been sighted by a lucky-or unlucky-few, some have even been photographed, but their existence remains unproven and unrecognized by the scientific community.These creatures, long thought gone, have somehow survived; creatures from our nightmares haunting the dark places. They swim in our lakes and bays, they soar the night skies, they hunt in the woods. Some are from our past, so...

Tales from the Archives are short stories set in the world of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. They explore events mentioned in the novels, characters seen and unseen and may include novel teasers of things to come. This volume includes:Bitter Pill by Bill BlumeMiss Sharpe is not used to working for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. She is used to being a killer for hire, the Jade Dagger, an artisan of death. Yet when called on to find an immortal in the city of he...

This anthology follows the same theme as Ruth and Ann's Guide to Time Travel Volume I. In this anthology, 30 authors provide their amazing visions on the theme of time travel, showing their storytelling skills while delighting readers. These stories take readers to the past, alternate present, and the future.

"Here we come. Walking down the street. We get the funniest looks from everyone we meet. Hey, hey, we're The Monkees!"The idea of creating a tv series about a wacky rock group similar to The Beatles had been unsuccessfully kicked around Universal Pictures and Columbia Pictures since 1962, but by 1965, The Beatles were on their second tour, and their Help! album, single, and tour created a popularity wave called Beatlemania. The enormous success of their A Hard Day's Ni...