Dive into the world of Harrowgate Valley University, where not everything is as it seems on the surface. This shared world anthology features eight tales of secrets, scholarship, and the paranormal."The Sensation of Pain,” Hieronymus HawkesNew faculty member Tom Babbage realizes there's something strange about Harrowgate Valley University. Could it somehow be linked to the recent disappearance of his mother, a former professor?“The Thief,” Sheri QueenJoe Malon...

Ajax Bigelow has a problem. He really doesn’t like science, but he must write a science journal for his science teacher Ms. Turri “or else”. He decides to chronical the events in class as they study what he calls “stuff” and Ms. Turri calls matter. Ajax Bigelow’s Science Journal – Stuff begins with Ajax’s reaction to the assignment and his acceptance that he’d better do it. He begins as instructed by telling about his family – himself, his parents, and his older brother Sammy, who he consi...

Lieutenant Leah Samuels catches the first homicide case of the new year 2235, and a monster blizzard is obscuring the evidence. The Murder Scene Investigators find only blood and microscopic pieces of flesh and bone of an estimated twenty-plus people. With a winter that will last another six months, she can’t wait until spring to find more evidence in the killing field. Leah resorts to good old-fashioned detecting—and trusting her gut. The motive for the murders is more bizarre than she co...

Elegant music and dance, astronomical research, courtly intrigue--and murder, in a world inspired by 18th century Versailles.In Avrenante, the Hall of Mirrors still sparkles. The music and dance are beyond compare. They are almost enough to distract Marguerite from her fear of the King's Inquirer, and the death that awaits a murderess.Marguerite, Duchesse de Lille, was only trying to defend herself. She didn't mean to kill the Marechal-Duc de Nolhac. Now, the Duc's powerful...

This is the essential guide to achieving and maintaining physical fitness and body tone through kayaking.

Oh ye imps of sour water, not Tzakende, the city with more gods than rats or the Ngarra where even the little children carry knives. Priests or knives, priests or knives...which would it be?Layla led a free life as a gem thief, her choice of the two careers open to a woman who'd left her husband, but she had broken the cardinal rule of her trade: she'd stolen from a temple. While the huge emerald had netted her a tidy sum, it had also attracted the attention of the Goddess of Mirth...

Layla knew those beautiful, glimmering opals would be trouble. She just didn't know how much trouble. She wants to lead a quiet life in lssrandar, leaving Gods, politics, and gem-thievery behind, but life won't let her.Arakante, her sometime lover, unexpectedly appears. He tells her that her friend and teacher, Firousi, has been kidnaped by the priests of Sarinsat. Then, Layla is framed for a theft she didn't commit!To save Firousi, Layla must travel to The Ngarra where lit...

In "The Tent Dwellers," Albert Bigelow Paine crafts a vivid narrative that transports readers into the rugged wilderness of the American West. Through the lens of a camping trip taken by a group of friends, Paine's prose melds humor with poignant reflections on nature, camaraderie, and the essence of adventure. His literary style is characterized by richly detailed descriptions that capture the wild beauty of the landscape, evoking the spirit of early 20th-century outdoor literature while ...

In "Franklin: A Sketch," John Bigelow presents a nuanced biographical portrayal of one of America'Äôs founding figures, Benjamin Franklin. Written in the 19th century, this work epitomizes the literary style of the period, characterized by its formal tone and rich, descriptive passages infused with both admiration and critique. Bigelow's synthesis of historical facts, anecdotes, and Franklin's own writings creates a tapestry that not only showcases Franklin's multifaceted personality but a...

Kelly Black is a little bit Nancy Drew and a little bit Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All she wants is to live a quiet, normal life but that is not fated to be. An innocent shortcut, late at night, propels her into another world: a world of adventure, mystery and family secrets.Kelly meets Fagan who initially appears to her as a cat. Fagan is an Animelf, a mysterious creature that has the power to transform into any animal at will. He also has the ability to transport himself to anothe...

Winner of the Lambda Literary Award!The Thing About Jellyfish meets Raymie Nightingale in this tender middle grade novel from Lisa Jenn Bigelow, acclaimed author of Drum Roll, Please.Hazel knows a lot about the world. That’s because when she’s not hanging with her best friend, taking care of her dog, or helping care for the goats on her family's farm, she loves reading through dusty encyclopedias.But even Hazel doesn’t have answers for the questions awaiting her as ...

WHEN Dr. S. P. Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, established the Children's Room in that great museum, he took for his motto, "Knowledge begins in wonder," and he put into this room a selection of specimens especially intended to excite interest in the young mind.