English Middle Ages

From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages. In handsomely crafted prose and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on the brink of collapse to the grandeur of its rebirth, the Renaissance.

We tend to think of the Middle Ages as a dark, backward, and unchanging time characterized by violence, ignorance, and superstition. By contrast, we believe progress arose from science and technological innovation, and that inventions of recent centuries created the modern world. We couldn't be more wrong.

The Lost Book of Oakwood is a captivating middle-grade mystery that follows four young friends on an exciting adventure in their small town of Oakwood. When a valuable book of local legends disappears from the town library, Maya, Leo, Alice, and Sam take it upon themselves to solve the case. As they delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover clues about a legendary book that may hold secrets to Oakwood's past. With a cast of intriguing characters including the nervous librarian Mr. Abernathy, the enigmatic historian Professor Lind, and the suspicious Mayor Thompson, the young detectives ...

Curious Kali invites young readers into a magical journey driven by the fearless wonder of a 9-year-old girl. When Kali discovers a mysterious map tucked inside her grandmother’s attic, it launches her into a series of whimsical adventures that unfold across enchanted forests, glowing lantern festivals, echoing mountains, and starlit observatories. Along the way, she’s guided by magical creatures, ancient riddles, and the quiet power of curiosity itself. This heartwarming middle-grade fantasy is perfect for children ages 8–12 who love stories about brave girls, magical puzzles, and ...

One of the SurfWriter Girls' Best Beach Books "...a gripping story about two people who do not seem to belong together but somehow fit perfectly." — Award Winning Author Alicia Dean Set in contemporary London and California, In Your Dreams! is an emotional roller coaster following an upper-class British actor’s pursuit of an American who is not impressed by or attracted to him just because he’s the leading man in a BBC-TV drama. Jamie’s star is rising and—tired of fake-dating for publicity—he would like to meet a smart lady with compatible interests and values, who is not star-...

Between the 12th and 14th centuries, just as today, corruption for political and commercial power raged in the fledgling cities of Italy. In this period of splendor, the protagonists of four short tales are involved in a myriad of intrigues. The first story’s title is the original Latin name of the medieval town where the events take place, Grata Aura. A young woman secretly catches sight of a handsome young man who has come to her father to negotiate a marriage pact. It is love at first sight. However, she soon discovers he is not there on his own behalf, but that of his brother, an old ...

Friends. Neighbors. Lovers. The improbable romance began when she was 45. It was a time before computer games, music videos and web browsers. Married couples didn't contemplate divorce, and people suppressed illicit desires. Linda Watson was a widow with two children. She lived a life of suburban leisure. When her neighbor and best friend, Cindy Sloan, asked Linda to watch her house and cook a few casseroles for Cindy’s college-age son; Linda agreed. Wayne Sloan was unhappy with the prospect of a neighbor monitoring his activities, but his mood changed when Linda made an unexpected ...

Teacher. Former Student. Big Surprise. Margaret Kitchens was a 43-year-old English teacher, and she never expected to have a fling with a former student. She taught school in a time before voice mail, instant messaging and social media. Ryan Henderson was a Quarterback on the football team, and one of Margaret’s brightest students. Whenever Margaret eyed him across the classroom Ryan would look away and try to focus his thoughts on academic matters. After high school graduation Ryan went to college, became a Petroleum Engineer, and reunited with a former classmate while Margaret had an ...

The boy who became a knight… Rupert was the naughtiest boy in the kingdom of Calloway. But everyone in Calloway, from the least to the greatest, knows the tale of how that very naughty boy became a great knight. From being thrown in the dungeon for disrespecting the king to hunting the Big Bad Wolf to facing a terrifying beast with nothing more than a shepherd’s staff, Rupert’s adventures will engage beginning and seasoned readers alike. Other characters—brothers who are cursed by a witch, a girl who keeps running into a mysterious stranger, and a lumberjack with a heart of gold—...

WHAT IF YOU COULD BE A DOCTOR AT FOURTEEN YEARS OLD? Connor Hansen officially became a doctor two days ago--along with all of his friends. They are child prodigies who were selected at just three years old to undergo intensive medical training as part of a groundbreaking new experiment called Kid Docs. While navigating his first days as an emergency room doctor, fourteen-year-old Connor will experience his first pangs of love (toward a fifteen-year-old obstetrician, Cassie), deal with his explosive older brother (a sixteen-year-old heart surgeon), and try to figure out why his friendship ...

Since he was a young boy, Jack MacFadden's imaginary friend, Puck, has always been around, but now Jack is thirteen and Puck has still shown no sign of leaving. And, if that wasn't enough, Jack's also been targeted for assassination by a faerie death squad... Audience/Genre: Middle-grade-through-early-young-adult contemporary fantasy Word count: 25,000 words (novella)

Discover the Adventure of a Lifetime with Grandpa's Glowing Book Series - Perfect for Fans of Magic Treehouse and Chronicles of Narnia. Welcome to the magical world of Story Keeping, where grandpa's glowing books come to life and young Riles, our hero, embarks on incredible adventures that will keep readers on the edge of their seats! In this action-packed series, Riles and his siblings dive into grandpa's books, helping heroes and learning what it means to be brave and heroic. As a Story Keeper, Riles doesn't have superpowers, but that doesn't stop him from battling intergalactic pirates ...

This book was designed to help all those who feel isolated and lonely start on the path of joy and contentment. They not only will discover that we are never really alone in the world, but that we are the creators of our own feeling of loneliness.

No magic? No problem. Until you get attacked by demons. I’ve lived my whole life thinking I wasn’t magic. Believing that all the supernatural awesomeness was for everyone else. I shunned the world. Now, at middle-age I discover everything I thought about my life up until was founded on half-truths. When the pub I inherited from my unknown father gets burnt to the ground by the demons, well, they’re just asking for me to get involved. You can’t just come to my town, burn down my building and get away with it. Only thing is, the situation in Cougar Creek is a much bigger mess than I ...

You’re not fragile. You’re not finished. And you sure as hell don’t need a chair workout and a protein bar full of lies. Building Muscle at 60 cuts through the hype and delivers what older lifters actually need: hard truths, tested strategies, and results that don’t vanish when the fads fade. Written for men and women who want more than just “aging gracefully,” this no-nonsense guide dismantles myths about muscle loss, testosterone, training intensity, and what’s really possible after sixty. It covers everything from fighting sarcopenia and rebuilding joint-friendly strength ...

Older Woman. Younger Man. Surprise Visitor The unexpected romance took place when cell phones were a novelty, and “good girls” didn’t get pregnant before marriage. Margaret Hudson was 49 and a widow. She lived a comfortable suburban life, playing weekly tennis matches at the country club with her close friend Karen Walker. A power outage during a hurricane brought Margaret and her 26-year-old neighbor, Wayne Myers, together for an extended period of unexpected passion. It’s not an ideal arrangement, and it becomes difficult to keep private from Karen Walker. Margaret’s oldest ...

Welcome to Crayton Middle School—where the vending machines eat your change, the janitor closet leads to another dimension, and one kid’s sketchbook might be the only thing standing between the school and total reality-erasure. Dexter “Doodle” Dalton isn’t your average sixth grader. Armed with a magical pencil that brings his drawings to life—and an attitude somewhere between sarcastic and snack-obsessed—Dexter finds himself at the center of a mystery no one else even realizes is happening. When Ms. Pine, the school’s quirky art teacher, vanishes in the middle of class, the ...

The crown of England is the oldest surviving political institution in Europe. Throughout this audiobook Dr David Starkey emphasises the Crown's endless capacity to adapt to circumstances and reshape national policy, whilst he unmasks the personalities and achievements, the defeats and victories, which lie behind the kings and queens of British history. Each of these monarchs has contributed to the religion, geography, laws, language, and government which we live with today.

Unlock the Secrets of Hawthorne Manor… If You Dare! A spooky haunted house chapter book for brave middle-grade readers ages 8–12. At the edge of town looms the eerie and mysterious Hawthorne Manor—a house long whispered about for its ghostly sightings and buried secrets. Most steer clear. But five friends—Oliver, Olivia, Ethan, Violet, and Jack Hawthorne—are drawn to uncover the truth behind the chilling legends. What begins as a daring exploration quickly turns into a spine-tingling quest. Guided by cryptic clues, spectral allies, and their own courage, the kids journey through ...

INSTA-LOVE LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN . . . ANNABELLE WINTERS STYLE! She's a tribute for my King. But her voice makes my heart feel strange. Her eyes make my knees feel weak. Her scent makes my body tighten. When I close my eyes I see her face . . . When the storms winds blow they whisper her name . . . The gods and goddesses urge me on . . . She's yours, they shout from the clouds . . . She's yours, they whisper from the waves . . . She's yours to keep, Viking! So what will you do? What will you do, Viking?! If you've read my other novella series, you know how wild my stuff can get. It's not ...