Showing results by author "V.V.A.A." in All Categories

Each night, the world is overrun by bloodthirsty demons. For centuries, humanity survived only by hiding behind defensive wards - magical symbols with the power to repel the demons. Now, the rediscovery of long-forgotten combat wards has given them the magic they need to fight back. In Tibbet’s Brook, the fighting wards have brought change, but the factions and grudges of a troubled past remain. Selia Square, the woman they call Barren, has long been the force that holds the Brook together. As a terrifying new threat emerges, she rallies her people once again.

They stand with the Elder Dragons and the Spirit Dryads as creatures of legend. Timeless. Immortal. They live solitary lives, drawing power from their own soul. They are the hermits of the sea, their power unmatched in the ocean. Yet, this power is not attained easily, for as Thera will learn, the life of a baby Mystic Turtle is full of trials and tribulations.

Dark tides flow as Arek and his party try desperately to flee Arcadia before the realm collapses, swallowed whole by the life-stealing touch of the nephilim. Their only escape is the Gate of the East Winds, ruled by the Celestial Zafir. Once brothers-in-arms with both Arek and Duncan's aeris forms, now Zafir rules his kingdom with an iron fist. Arcadia dies beneath them, a place even the mighty Celestial seeks to escape, but what price must Arek pay for passage? Always hunting them is Alion Deft, Queensmark of Lilyth and magehunter turned demon.

Humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction. Each night, the world is overrun by demons - bloodthirsty creatures of nightmare that have been hunting the surface for over 300 years. A scant few hamlets and half-starved city-states are all that remain of a once proud civilization, and it is only by hiding behind wards, ancient symbols with the power to repel the demons, that they survive. A handful of Messengers brave the night to keep the lines of communication open between the increasingly isolated populace.

Discover the secret world between the trees where fairies, unicorns and even monsters dwell. Take a stroll through enchanted woods and dance with pixies and dryads by the light of the stars. Escape Baba Yaga and fall in love with a prince in disguise. Taste the fruit at the goblin market and be whisked away on a magical adventure.

Sharing is caring. Especially when it comes to your wife. Taryn can’t keep her hands to herself, despite her husband being only minutes away, racing home to put his hands all over her. But she’s just too impatient even as his coworkers, who she’s never met, pull up to their house seconds after she goes over the edge by herself. Carrie knows what Taryn did. She can see it all over her face, smell it all over her body. Taryn doesn’t know how to take it when it’s clear that her husband’s coworker wants to make out with her. And more. Much more. Before the turkey’s out of the oven...

This is a book of stories and inspiration. And it’s a little more than that. It’s a collaboration of 25 end-of-life experts, coaches, healers, therapists, and practitioners who’ve trained in modalities to assist the dying, and their caregivers. This is a powerful book with glimpses into what’s next for us. It’s a collection of brave authors who share, not only what death means to them, but how life has changed with their deeper understanding.

Augustus Rodin was not only the greatest sculptor but also one of the most remarkable personalities of modern times. Frederic V. Grunfeld's exhaustive biography, the first in over fifty years, documents a lifetime of both artistic and personal struggle against poverty, against the conservative Salon, and against an art establishment that for years denied him recognition.

Jerry and Diane show us how to look at every relationship as if there were only two emotions: love and fear. Fear, whose motto is "seek, but never find," is a product of our ego - our negative mind that views life as a constant battle in which we must defend ourselves, pass judgments and condemn. Love, the absence of fear and its accompanying guilt, is a beautiful light symbolizing our connection to a Higher Power.

The evil sorcerer Arunis is dead, yet the danger has not ended. For as he fell, beheaded by the young warrior-woman Thasha Isiq, Arunis summoned the Swarm of Night, a demonic entity that feasts on death and grows like a plague. If the Swarm is not destroyed, the world of Alifros will become a vast graveyard. Now Thasha and her comrades - the tarboy Pazel Pathkendle and the mysterious wizard Ramachni - begin a quest that seems all but impossible. Yet there is hope: One person has the power to stand against the Swarm: the great mage Erithusmé.

Dave is spending his final summer before college working at Frightmares House of Horrors, a struggling haunted house attraction held together by malfunctioning killer clown mannequins, a cheap replica Annabelle doll, and a lot of improvising. After a particularly disastrous shift ends in an employee walkout, Dave reluctantly takes over a role for his friend, however, he makes a horrifying discovery—a real dead body, hidden on set. But when Dave returns with help, the body is gone. Dave realizes the killer must know what he saw. Could he be their next target?

Internationally-acclaimed author George V. Higgins—a master of action and suspense—continues his gripping series in Bomber’s Law. Higgins’ riveting style enlivens this tale of cops and mobsters set in a world of fast-talking wise guys and heavily-armed exiles from Palookaville. When Brian Dennison succeeds “Bomber” Lawrence as head detective in the Massachusetts State Police Department, he soon realizes that Boston’s upwardly-mobile mobsters aren’t going to let him hang around until retirement age.

When a petty bureaucrat confiscates the communications relay, the aliens and their human partners must unite to rescue their property and protect those they love from the clutches of corruption and blackmail. To help those she loves, Mindy must boldly go the last place she ever wanted to...back home.

Well that certainly wasn’t in the benefits package. I’m staring at my grumpy boss’s package while getting passed over for yet another promotion. I want to unwrap it. My sex drive has been pedal to the metal since this whole hotwife thing started, and I can’t seem to pump the brakes. I want everyone I can get my hands on, even the jerk who runs the company I work for. Parker’s always been gorgeous, the type of gorgeous that should have had me pushing kids out of the bounce house at the company picnic and finding a better use for it, despite my husband standing right there. But come...

Decades after Nathalie Hart's fateful mission to Bethesda, Earth teeters on the brink of collapse. As the planet's resources dwindle, the orbital elites of the ruling Yun Ju play a dangerous game with Earth's population from space. Jason Nevsky, driven by his aunt Nathalie's legacy, fights to save a starving planet. But when he uncovers a sinister political plot, he realizes the Yun Ju will stop at nothing to maintain their power. His mission becomes a desperate gambit that could either save Earth or doom it forever.

Her life is the dream that many desire. She's the wife of a famous Army Ranger and the daughter-in-law of the Queen of R&B. She even owns a castle on a rock surrounded by mountains and lakes. But looks can be deceiving. Being married to the Menders has been no bed of roses. Yet, none of that matters now that her son is cancer free thanks to the Menders' son magic hands.

Discover the iconic landmarks, hidden gems, and cultural treasures that make Amsterdam unique. From the picturesque canals and historic architecture to world-class museums and bustling markets, this guide provides detailed descriptions and insider tips to help you navigate the city with ease.

Trace Taylor was at a shooting range when the world was kidnapped by the alien species called the ‘Esvol’ to begin humanity's integration with the System. Each individual person is given a femtochip implant and a class to fend for themselves before being sent back to Earth. Once Trace returns, she finds that the planet too is left scarred by this encounter. Faced with monsters, dungeons, an annoying AI, and a lot of insane idiots, how will Trace come to survive this newly-changed planet?

After centuries in stasis, a lost task force returns home. Arriving from the infinite void the surviving ships discover that the Imperium lies in ruin. The Homeworld itself is destroyed, and nothing lives in the Ancestral System except an infestation of unknown bipedal beings - creatures soft, red of blood and warm of flesh.... When you colonize a planet, make sure the owners aren't coming back.... MECH is the story of a new Earth colony built upon the ancient Homeworld of a civilization presumed (incorrectly) to be long dead.

Welcome to the Shades of Magic Readalong! This podcast actually started on Youtube as a way to help readers catch up on the Shades of Magic Trilogy before the release of The Fragile Threads of Power. In this readalong I will cover sections of the books in each episode, giving an overview of the plot as well as some inside info into the writing process.