Warning: The Candidates: Based on a True Country is not for the faint of heart.It is a political satire of epic disproportion. The story centers on Skip LaDouche and Harry Pinko, the two front-runners campaigning for the presidency of the United States, who have managed to claw, bribe, and scam their way up the political ladder. They are what we’ve come to expect from our leaders: self-serving and unqualified.When Kimmy Faimwhorre, the reality tele...

An open, reliable account of Latter-day Saint temple ceremoniesTemples are the defining landmarks of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—striking buildings that members regard as deeply sacred and largely private. For those outside the faith, these sanctuaries can seem mysterious, even off-putting. Inside the Temple offers something that has long been missing: a clear, fair, and accurate account of what actually happens within these spaces....

Althea struggles to adapt to an unexpected twist in her life—not being kidnapped in six whole months.The strange police from the faraway city claim the abilities she thought of as magic are really 'psionics,' and say she is far stronger than anyone they have ever seen. Despite their curiosity, they let her remain in the Badlands to protect her from an evil they call corporations.Of course, Althea knows all too well how powerful her healing gift is. For most of her life, she...

Risa Black will decide the fate of an entire planet. After all, an angel told her so.Orphaned young, she grows up among the resistance, fighting to give the people of Mars command of their own destiny. Two governments from Earth vie for control of the Red Planet. She wants them gone, regardless of how many explosives it takes.To the outside world, she's an emotionless, broken marionette. Inside, her father's fiery end haunts her every waking moment. She never cared...

An irreverent black comedy about sex, drugs, murder… and children's baseball.Dwayne Devero is just like you and me, except he simply doesn’t give a s**t any more. He’s had enough. He’s done with people living life wrong. You’ll do it right, or he’ll bury you under the bases at the ballpark where he coaches. It’s just that simple.Tired of poor decisions being made all around him, from the politics of player positions on his son's little league baseball team ...

In the wake of a twenty-year war, the people of Lucernia struggle to believe their former enemies aren't demon-loving savages. However, that's easy compared to the more alarming change: accepting their nation now has two queens.Many citizens in a land devoted to the God of Purity view the love between Kitlyn and Oona as unnatural, but the young women have earned guarded acceptance in the wake of their heroic deeds. Alas, unrest stirs in the shadows. Worse, Oona thinks the ...

In the aftermath of World War Three, the most famous face in the world belongs to a nine year old girl.Maya Oman is the daughter of the woman who controls what's left of civilization, the CEO of Ascendant Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Her smile is as ubiquitous as air, selling everything from vital medicine to vanity drugs with risky side effects. Lifelike android clones reside in over a dozen homes, shielding her from the violent resentment of a population straining under her mothe...

Purgatory holds a precarious position in the afterlife beliefs of most Christians. Often viewed as a doctrine that is held only by Roman Catholics, purgatory has historically been maligned by its detractors as unbiblical, theologically problematic, and a product (and source) of superstition. Moreover, it would appear that belief in purgatory has declined in the faith-lives of Catholics as well, many of whom now seem keen to forget the fears and anxieties that its existence might have raise...

"What? You were expecting William Faulkner?"--From the introductionAward-winning author Matthew S. Rotundo is back with another collection of tales that will transport you through space and time. On this journey, you will discover…A down-on-her-luck movie star learning to fight back against a digitized Hollywood.A future in which Little Brother is always watching.The consequences one Holocaust survivor faces when offered a chance t...

Death isn't a big deal in the virtual world of online gaming, but after poking her nose where it doesn't belong, Dakota Marx finds herself running for her life―and reality doesn't come with a respawn.At twenty-two, she's still slinging coffee at an Amazon Cafe despite having a degree in programming. It's not because she's unlucky, unmotivated, or even that she fancies herself an underground activist crusading against evil corporations... hunting for a 'real' job would take time awa...

God's will be done.After eleven years as a priest living by these words, Father Antonio Molinari never imagined who would teach his strongest lesson of faith―a vampire.As a member of a secret order within the Vatican, he investigates and debunks supernatural events. A case of possession brings him to the French countryside, where two local clergy offer him the chance of a lifetime. They claim to have captured a vampire, and beg his expertise in helping them study the fiend....

Despite widespread reforms in recent years, expanded social welfare programs in Global South democracies still fail to reach many of those who need them most. Persistent Citizens draws on original focus group data from Brazil and Argentina to develop a new concept of 'state-centric persistence' to explain these gaps in access. State-centric persistence – unmediated, individualized pursuit of state benefits – is increasingly important in the Global South. The book connects existing research...