Cassandra
CASSANDRA paces for a little while, her tenuous connection with reality wavering. Could she have convinced CLYTEMNESTRA not to kill her, if she'd said the right words? If she did, would that have spared AGAMEMNON? How would she have felt if that was so?Cassandra, a Trojan princess, has been taken captive by the king who destroyed her home to live as his new consort. But the god Apollo has other plans, Cassandra can see them coming, and worst of all? No one will listen. Goodbody's debut play reworks Aeschylus' Agamemnon to give voice to a woman abused by gods and men. Weaving the writer's personal experience with sexual assault and abusive relationships into an ancient tale, the play takes us on an intimate journey as Cassandra struggles to tell her story before it's too late.
Our Own Miracle
Rosa Flores relives her long struggle for a child on her way to the delivery room in a Los Angeles hospital, having already decided to sacrifice her own life for her unborn baby. Inspired by a true story, this is the journey of a Mexican American woman born and raised in Los Angeles, a teacher and artist in her thirties who dreams of building a loving family. After a painful breakup that affects both her personal life and her work as a kindergarten teacher, Rosa meets Luke Anderson, a lawyer, at a family gathering. Their connection is immediate, and they build a happy marriage that lasts more than a decade. But their dream of becoming parents slowly turns into a relentless battle. Despite consulting leading doctors, enduring repeated miscarriages, isolation, and eventual financial strain, they are told that Rosa cannot have children. Denial, anger, depression, and grief begin to erode the stability of their marriage and shake the foundations of their faith.As time runs out, Rosa and Luke take one final risk and place their hopes in an old friend who is now a fertility doctor. Against the odds, in-vitro fertilization succeeds, and Rosa becomes pregnant with a baby boy. Yet hardship does not ease. Their parents fall ill, and Rosa's deeply religious mother attempts suicide, further destabilising their sense of belief and purpose. On the way to the delivery room, Rosa is prepared to give her life to save her child, while her doctor faces a devastating professional dilemma over who can be saved. Rosa survives the birth, but the baby is discovered to have a potentially severe heart condition and is placed on life support. Almost simultaneously, Rosa is diagnosed with leukemia and is unable to see or hold her son. Powerless in the face of both their lives hanging in the balance, Luke is shattered. Forced to confront mortality, marriage, and motherhood in their rawest form, Rosa begins to reassess her relationship with herself and with life. She chooses to fight, agreeing to aggressive chemotherapy in the hope of survival. As mother and child face their most fragile moment, the question remains: will they survive this final battle, and will life allow them the happiness they have fought so hard to claim?
A Doll's House, Men of Honour, When We Dead Awaken
'Oh, be not afraid. I am cast out of society, but you, is it not true, you walk around as a man of honour? What more do you want?' (Laura Kieler, Men of Honour) Very few readers and audiences know that Ibsen's iconic feminist drama A Doll's House was built upon the real-life story of a woman called Laura Kieler, who was his friend and fellow writer. Her life fell apart when A Doll's House came out and the world saw her deeply private life splashed across its stages. With tremendous determination and perseverance, she managed to recover from the trauma that Ibsen's play caused her, and channelled her pain into a successful play of her own called (pointedly) Men of Honour. The play, performed in Copenhagen in 1890, caused great debate and fierce controversy. Ibsen eventually responded to her play by likewise writing a drama: When We Dead Awaken, his final work. This new edition traces the conversation between Ibsen and Kieler through these plays, across almost two decades and brings Kieler centre stage, and deepens our understanding of Ibsen's A Doll's House and When We Dead Awaken. These three plays create a fascinating whole: a fusion of vantage points, contexts, and visions still reverberating on and off stage today. Furthermore, the two Ibsen plays speak to each other in startling and fresh ways. This volume also explores 21st century concerns about consent and the many ways in which women in particular are still not heard. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
What We Did Not Touch Still Burned
What We Did Not Touch Still Burned is a quiet, aching literary novel about desire, restraint, and the invisible moments that change us more than any action ever could. When two strangers meet and recognize something unsettlingly familiar in each other, they form a connection built not on touch, but on attention, honesty, and the dangerous intimacy of being seen. Bound by circumstance, morality, and timing, they circle one another in conversations heavy with meaning, always stopping just before the line that would undo them both.As longing deepens and secrets surface, each must confront who they are when no one is watching - and who they might become if they allow themselves to want too much. This is a story about emotional fidelity, quiet courage, and the cost of choosing safety over fire. It asks what it means to honor desire without surrendering to it, and how some loves exist not to be lived, but to be survived.
The Mule-Bone
The Mule-Bone is a landmark theatrical work by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston that captures the humor, conflict, and cultural richness of African American life in the early twentieth-century American South. Centered on a courtroom dispute sparked by a simple mule bone, the play explores themes of justice, community authority, folklore, and social tradition.Written in vibrant dialect and rooted in Black folk culture, the play blends comedy and social commentary while preserving the rhythms and storytelling traditions of rural Southern communities. The Mule-Bone stands as an important collaboration between two major figures of the Harlem Renaissance and remains a valuable contribution to American drama and cultural history.This work is well suited for readers interested in African American literature, drama, folklore, and the study of early twentieth-century American theater.
Extinction
'Extinction' is a courtroom drama exploring themes of power, money and self-survival of all living organisms. The adjudicating panel includes the Democratic Counsel, Theocratic Counsel (an angel) the Voice of the Almighty, and a quirky scientist, Dr Sciencestein.Participants on trial represent different nations, told from various perspectives. Actors take on multiple roles, using props to shift between characters on the World Panel. Testimony is given by penguins, gorillas, insects, and homo sapiens.Grounded in fact and environmental evidence, the play blends acting, song and dance. Its organic nature encourages performers to explore and expand on current environmental themes, while engaging audiences with thought-provoking material.As a dramatic work, it allows for creative use of sound, lighting, slides and choreography - giving performers scope to experiment with special effects while developing performance and movement skills.Music not available at this time. If wanting to proceed with production please contact me at carolecampbell390@gmail.com
Amazing Churches
Every great church makes a statement, and it is seldom simply theological. An offering of thanks to a beloved minister, a monument to a powerful ruler, a colonialist vaunt - a church is never really just a church. Ornate or spartan, immense or intimate, from the Middle East and across Europe, from Alaska to Argentina, Asia to Africa, the construction of churches has given the world some of its most beautiful buildings - its most splendid interiors, its most atmospheric spaces, an inspiration not just to Christians but to humankind. Including Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran, Baptist, Calvinist, Pentecostal and Mormon places of worship, Amazing Churches features early basilicas and magnificent medieval cathedrals, mud-hut churches and soaring 21st century edifices. In exploring these sacred places, Michael Kerrigan reveals not just the different approaches to faith across continents and over centuries, but gives us a glimpse into a wider history of the world touched by Christianity. Illustrated with more than 190 photographs, Amazing Churches includes more than 150 chapels, basilicas and cathedrals dating from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Wanted
From a surreal musical satire featuring much-loved American rogues like Billy The Kid and Ma Barker to a bitter takedown of the Iraq War and its toll on one family, these four plays by David Epstein expose painful home truths about our nation's soul."There is a fine, lovely and lyric madness at the Cherry Lane Theater. It is called Wanted, it is by David Epstein and Al Carmines, and, at last, it restores the art of the musical to the Off-Broadway theater. This is a musical that is new, engrossing and has a surging vitality that takes all before it. . . . . It's that rare thing, a show that is as funny as it is provocative. I recommend it wholeheartedly."-Clive Barnes, New York Times"Myth becomes cartoon, cartoon myth. . . . Wanted doesn't lecture anybody, though. It is content to reflect a rooty‐toot-toot gaiety we, as a people, seem actually to feel-reflected in gags and high kicks and pin‐spots and drum‐rolls."-Walter Kerr, New York Times"Rousing theatre!"-Douglas Watt, The Daily News
Exact Change
In these three plays (Exact Change, Hair of the Dog, and Shades), dramatist and screenwriter David Epstein brilliantly sketches the bleak, despairing-and howlingly funny-underside of contemporary American life. "I haven't laughed so much in a theater all year. With Epstein's blackish sense of humor and wry relish of the odd, his play fizzes with talent."-Benedict Nightingale, The Times of London "You begin by watching unexplained actions; and when exposition arrives it propels the action through the roof. . . . By this time, Exact Change has also parted company with Mamet and revealed itself as more than an efficient laughter-machine. Nothing halts the present-tense narrative; but, from throwaway lines, you begin to assemble detail about the past . . . One sign of this writer's quality is that he can bring the piece to such an ending without jumping the comic rails: chilling but still brilliant."-Irving Wardle, The Independent on Sunday
The Jovian Signal
"The signal seems to be man made, you see..."When Ray arrives at the Lunar Space Hotel, he is pretty sure he will get back home with the next shuttle. Soon one covert sabotage after the other casts him into a desperate fight for survival.Nikki was born on Hotel Daedalus and grew up together with Ray when he stayed there years back. Their affection grows stronger as they embark on a reckless journey through the solar system in pursuit of the origin of an alien radio signal coming from on of Jupiter's moons.The ordeal grows friendships and love as it changes the fate of the whole human race...An epic space adventure packed with stakes that never drop. Alien mystery, and human conspiracy leads to deadly betrayals and mutiny. This book is a gripping tale of interplanetary space exploration, self-determination and love, it challenges readers to consider the future of humanity in our solar system and beyond.
Chrysalis by Neetha Raman
'Will Vividha be able to do justice to her inheritance and prove that her parents' faith in her was not misplaced? California-bred media heiress Vividha has spent much of her young life partying to hide the deep impact of losing her parents in early childhood. But as she approaches her 28th birthday, everything changes. Her grandfather, head of the family-owned media house in Chennai, summons her back home to fulfill the terms of her parents' Will. Thinking that she needs to spend just a year there, she reluctantly travels to Chennai with her faithful companion Winnie. On reaching, she is shocked to learn that she must either stay on and manage the family business or get disinherited and lose a sizeable chunk of the family wealth and the media house. Outraged, hurt and betrayed, she decides to return to California. However, Winnie's harsh criticism of her selfish attitude, her grandfather's unconditional love and his unquestioning acceptance of her decision to return make her pause; on a sudden whim, she pivots to give the family business a chance. With Winnie and her grandfather Ramanujam Ayer at her side, Vividha cautiously navigates the tricky corporate world, fueled by several cups of filter kaapi.Will she be able to pull it off? Will she reboot Ayers Media successfully?Will she be able to emerge from her self-imposed cocoon of loneliness and grief, to open her heart to the unconditional love around her? Will she finally embrace her legacy and her roots?
Once The Birds Fly
Faiz goes to meet Pari after twenty-five years. A woman who showed him how to love. Yet there is more waiting for him. Pari, a girl who was born in Quetta, and breathed among norms, culture and man-made rules, wanted more from her life. What she didn't know was that life was going to bring her love, heartaches and trials which would turn her into a strong and wiser woman. Once The Birds Fly is a story which is a blend of culture, struggle, racism and love.
Jesus Plays
If you could meet Jesus in person today, what would he say? Would you like his looks, his way of speaking, his smell, his friends, his style?Would you like him, no matter your religious affiliations?In Jesus Plays, Jesus returns to the 21st century, this time to the United States. No matter what Jesus says or does, Christians and non-Christians alike don't recognize him.Despite their lives improving when they use Jesus's ideas, they conspire against him either to kill him or to force him into the role of their Christ/mafia-king. But Jesus has new ideas at play.Jesus Plays is built around a dozen of Jesus's ancient sayings explained and brought forward by Jesus in ways that might surprise any hearer, religious or not.By the same playwright as No Average Joseph...Brian J. Shircliff, biblical scholar, somatic-movement explorer, wind enthusiast.Open your heart.Begin the inner-revolution.Let love rule.
Dear 20-Something
So, you've reached your 20s. You're an adult now! Now, what? Dear 20-Something is here to help you answer those questions that are no doubt coming up for you. It tackles questions like: To college or not to college? What is a love tribe and how do I get one? Savings...what savings? Dear 20-Something will guide you through these topics in a non-judgemental and unorthodox way. Start reading today and get yourself where you need to be.
51 Shades of Chocolate
Small town beauty Clarissa, is suffering from a major heartbreak when her fianc矇 unexpectedly leaves her for his career. Determined to start fresh, she embarks on a new journey in Miami...This is where she finds love like she has never felt before in the form of chocolate. Chocolate is a ravishing intelligent well built alpha male, who touches Clarissa in ways she has never felt before. Buckle up its wild ride inside 51 shades of chocolate.
Petals of the Glass Garden
In a world where light can be shaped and hope can be shattered, Petals of the Glass Garden follows Elara, a young woman bound to an ancient power born of loss, resilience, and quiet courage. As shadows rise and the Umbral Lord seeks to unmake all that endures, Elara discovers that true strength is not found in domination, but in connection, creation, and shared light. Alongside Kael, whose art turns energy into living beauty, she must confront fear, memory, and the fragile brilliance within every soul. This is a story of healing after devastation, of love forged in darkness, and of a city reborn through unity. Step into Eldoria, witness the garden of light, and let its petals change you. Open the book and begin the journey today.
Willy Willy
When heatstroke brings geologist Willy to the brink in the Australian outback and triggers epileptic seizures, he makes the impetuous decision to go to temperate Sweden to recover. Sweden is undergoing a great social experiment, which includes taking in political refugees from a score of conflicts and dictatorships. Willy pinballs through alien landscapes in lyrical cascades, looking for a new self in dorm and woods on a pink girls' bike, humbled by clumsiness in a new language, a bit dazed at the press of Cold War Europe, amused at a trickle of spies and schemers, roused to affection for his language classmates.When he meets fiercely fay Svea she is as a dream he could not have dared. Her scorn undoes him, but she is also intrigued at his wry haplessness. "But hear the world singing. It makes me want to say, holy, and to use words like, OK, chryselephantine in a sentence. I am in the company of Paddy bloody Hannan, gold's here men!""No, but what is happening, merde! What has truly happened!"
The Foundation
Dr. Vanderman was a narcissist who employed only like - minded people in his Foundation. This vast monolith is situated ominously in the tranquil countryside of the Netherlands. Here, government restrictions were certainly more liberal than in the UK, and a group of unscrupulous professionals sensed this. Behind the walls of this vast, secure complex, is the good doctor's brainchild. A sinister story unfolded.Elizabeth lived in a different world, where love was always present. Her faithful carer was always at her side. She had developed a devoted relationship with Elizabeth. Recognised after mother, who worked for Dr Vanderman, rejected her at birth. Then there was the French underworld figure who became a colleague of Dr Vanderman. He sensed there was money to be made from Dr Vanderman's creation once he heard there was another complex planned for Australia.This is a story of political intrigue, a story of murder and greed, set against a backdrop of innocence. In this, An Innocents Story, who will survive this dystopian nightmare?
Tales from Shakespeare (Warbler Classics Illustrated Edition)
Tales from Shakespeare has enchanted generations of readers with its graceful retellings of Shakespeare's most beloved plays. First published in 1807 by siblings Charles and Mary Lamb, these luminous stories bring the wit, romance, and tragedy of the Bard's work to life for readers of all ages, preserving his poetry while making his plots vividly accessible. In this new edition, Arthur Rackham's exquisite black-and-white chapter illustrations accompany the tales, transforming each into a feast for the imagination. His delicate linework captures the timeless magic of Shakespeare's world-its fairies and kings, star-crossed lovers, and noble fools-with the whimsy and depth that have made Rackham one of the most cherished illustrators of the Golden Age of book art. Whether revisiting these stories or discovering them for the first time, readers will find Tales from Shakespeare an enduring gateway to the genius of Shakespeare. This handsomely produced edition includes an essay by Louis N. Feipel on the dramatization of classic works.
Envy Kills
"Meet Tricia Maguire. What fun!" says Readers' Favorite. "She's feisty but funny, holy but horny, nosey but nice."An ambitious young widow and journalist, Tricia dreams of romance and children with Justin Hardy, and a leap from her small New Jersey paper to The New York Times. But she's fighting more than deadlines-her weight, her ticking biological clock, her envy, and the scars of a disastrous first marriage that left her wary of men.When a shocking murder rocks the local museum, Tricia investigates with daring. Every suspect hides a darker motive than the last. A chase through a swamp. A gunfight in a solarium. An unstable kidnapper. And in the end, Tricia discovers that envy does indeed kill.Will she achieve her Times-worthy ambitions-or finally choose love? Can she make peace with herself before her battles consume her, despite her Twelve Step spirituality?A witty, suspenseful mystery steeped in the grit of noir Central Jersey.
Tales from Shakespeare (Warbler Classics Illustrated Edition)
Tales from Shakespeare has enchanted generations of readers with its graceful retellings of Shakespeare's most beloved plays. First published in 1807 by siblings Charles and Mary Lamb, these luminous stories bring the wit, romance, and tragedy of the Bard's work to life for readers of all ages, preserving his poetry while making his plots vividly accessible. In this new edition, Arthur Rackham's exquisite black-and-white chapter illustrations accompany the tales, transforming each into a feast for the imagination. His delicate linework captures the timeless magic of Shakespeare's world-its fairies and kings, star-crossed lovers, and noble fools-with the whimsy and depth that have made Rackham one of the most cherished illustrators of the Golden Age of book art. Whether revisiting these stories or discovering them for the first time, readers will find Tales from Shakespeare an enduring gateway to the genius of Shakespeare. This handsomely produced edition includes an essay by Louis N. Feipel on the dramatization of classic works.
In the Film Studio
These twelve stories are set mainly in parts of England or Scotland. The first four have film, theatre and TV as their setting. The middle five are about relationships and the passage of time. The last three are Cambridge tales with the same main protagonist.
Candida
In the bustling parsonage of Reverend James Morell, a Christian Socialist, his idyllic life with his devoted wife, Candida, encounters a disruption when the young, passionate poet, Eugene Marchbanks, arrives, unveiling an intense, hidden attraction for her.This intimate story probes the essence of love, marriage, and loyalty, as Candida finds herself the object of a subtle yet profound choice between the unwavering stability of her husband and the fervent admiration of the poet, each man offering her his own definition of love.
Karma's Here
With Karma fighting for her life against the serum Phoenix Corps injected her with, Ridge will do anything to keep her and their found family safe-even if it means leaving Fairway forever.But Karma made a vow. Phoenix Corps destroyed her world, experimented on her body, and threatened everyone she loves. She won't run. Not when the job isn't finished.Blowing up the loading docks bought them time, but now Phoenix Corps is hunting them with everything they've got. Staying means death. Leaving means Phoenix Corps wins.Then they learn about records hidden deep inside the corporation-evidence that could bring down the entire operation. The source? A former Phoenix Corps employee claims he wants to help. He's got a plan and needs her to get him and his team inside, and back out again.It sounds too good to be true.As Karma recovers her strength, she knows this is their shot. One last infiltration to end Phoenix Corps forever. But in a world where survival means trusting no one, how do you tell the difference between an ally and a trap?Some promises are worth the risk. The question is: who else is willing to die to keep them?
Forever Connected
FOREVER CONNECTEDSome loves can only be measured by what they survive.It's December at La Hacienda, a Costa Rican coffee plantation nestled in mountains that have witnessed three generations of secrets. Vivika-fifty-two, battle-tested, finally clear-sighted-waits for him.Six months since Marbella. Since the shooting. Since Bash walked away from his father's empire and lost his sight protecting her.When he arrives with Priss, Luiz, and Renata, he's different. Vulnerable in ways he never allowed himself to be. The eyepatch is gone. The pirate swagger softened. He can identify coffee by scent alone, navigate by sound and touch, read her moods from the cadence of her breathing.He can't see her face anymore. But he sees her completely.The jade man she's worn for thirty years finally reveals its full story. It was never just protection. Never just evidence. It was a promise made before she was born-by men who built empires on stolen things and sons who spent their lives trying to break the cycle.Bash is carrying its twin. Always has been.As the winter solstice approaches and their chosen family gathers-the Pussy Posse flying in from London, Theo arriving from the mountains, Alejandro discovering truths about his own blood-one final letter from Am穩lcar surfaces. What was stolen. What was recovered. What connects them all across decades and continents.But the past isn't finished with them yet.When Bash's father appears at La Hacienda-one final test, one final threat-Vivika doesn't flinch. Neither does Bash. They've both learned that some battles you fight together, standing side by side, even when one of you can't see what's coming.The blessing happens at the chapel as fireflies witness what humans feared to name. Not a wedding. Something deeper. A declaration that connection doesn't require perfection. It requires presence. Choice. The courage to stay.Forever Connected is a story about: What happens after sacrifice. How grief transforms into gratitude. The difference between being rescued and being met. Chosen family versus blood. And discovering that the deepest connection isn't about two people completing each other-it's about two whole people choosing to walk alongside each other, eyes open or not.Perfect for readers who love: Love stories that earn their happy endingsHeroes transformed by sacrifice and lossInternational settings from Costa Rica to PortugalChosen family and friendships that span decadesComplex multi-generational sagas with secrets finally revealedWomen who claim their power without apologyStories where vulnerability becomes the greatest strengthForever Connected is the third and final book in The Between Journeys Trilogy.In Book One, Between Journeys, Vivika learned that autonomy isn't given-it's claimed. She found her own true north between two impossible men.In Book Two, Mountains of Love, she discovered that independence isn't the destination. She stepped into the space someone else's sacrifice created and made it her own.In Book Three, Forever Connected, she learns the hardest lesson of all: connection doesn't mean losing yourself. It means being whole enough to stand alongside someone else-and brave enough to stay.The Between Journeys Trilogy follows one woman's journey from dependence to independence to connection-becoming whole.Three decades. Three continents. Three loves.Vivi loved dangerously. Lost courageously. Found herself entirely. And in the end, discovered that some connections transcend everything-blood, time, sight, and the boundaries we build to keep ourselves safe.
Tartuffe
"Beauty without intelligence is like a hook without bait." Jean Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name of Moliere, is considered to be, without a doubt, at the head of French comedy. Renowned for his satirical works, Moli癡re delighted in exposing the vices and foibles of the day, mercilessly lampooning the social pretensions and conceits of 17th-century French society. This talent is exhibited nowhere better, than in Tartuffe, a 1664 verse comedy with serious overtones, Tartuffe, is a penniless scoundrel and religious imposter, who is invited by a gullible benefactor to live in his home. Tartuffe wreaks havoc when he imposes a rigidly puritanical regimen on the formerly happy household, breaking off the daughter's engagement, attempting to seduce the wife of his host, and resorting to blackmail and extortion. Ultimately, his schemes and malicious deeds lead to his own downfall. This timeless comedy with its biting satire, witty dialogue and irreverent staging, have made Moliere one of France's greatest and most influential playwrights for over four centuries. Tartuffe is essential reading for students of theater and those who enjoy great literature.
A Simple Twist of Chocolate
Synopsis: A Simple Twist of ChocolateBased on true events. Book One of The Chocolate Syndicate.There is more to chocolate than sweetness-it binds us to ancient memory and the invisible roots of longing, loss, and love.In A Simple Twist of Chocolate, a seemingly chance encounter between two strangers on an international flight begins to unravel a tale that spans continents, generations, and the hidden legacy of cacao. Ariel, an introspective consultant returning from India with the ashes of a friend, crosses paths with Damion, a curious and charming fellow passenger. As their conversation deepens, Ariel begins to share a story-her story-interwoven with mystery, romance, danger, and an obsession that has haunted her for decades: the search for a mythical cacao once thought to be lost.What begins as a covert assignment for a private investigative firm leads Ariel into the jungles of Central and South America, where a legendary strain of cacao-an aphrodisiac and ancient sacrament-is rumored to survive. But this hunt is not hers alone. Years earlier, Edward Burke, a power-driven businessman, discovered the intoxicating potential of this elusive chocolate, triggering a chain of betrayals, disappearances, and secrets carefully buried.Ariel's own origin is steeped in shadow. Born of a secret affair and given up for adoption under pressure, she unknowingly carries within her the thread that connects all players in the unfolding drama. A single envelope of cocoa beans, hidden beneath the Oregon soil in childhood, silently links her to a legacy of mysticism, exploitation, and buried love.As Ariel's sabbatical from consulting becomes a deep dive into the spiritual and scientific mysteries of chocolate, she comes to realize that her life is not a coincidence-it's a confluence. The story reveals a network of seekers-each driven by the belief that chocolate, in its purest form, is not merely food, but a medium to the divine.From the windswept coastlines of Oregon to the sacred fires of Varanasi, from high-level political blackmail to backwoods ritual, A Simple Twist of Chocolate is a story of rediscovery-of hidden truths, lost family, and a power that tastes like heaven but may cost the soul.
The Winterkeepers Gift
In a land once gripped by an unending winter, the stories of Veridia whisper of frost that could silence entire kingdoms and of a guardian whose heart was colder than the deepest snow. Kaelen the Winterkeeper has ruled for centuries, bound to an ancient power that demands isolation and unwavering duty. His realm is beautiful yet merciless, a world sculpted from ice where warmth is a distant memory. Mortals fear him, legends warn of him, and no one has ever dared to stand in his path until Elara.Elara is a baker from a humble village, a woman whose life revolves around simple joys: the heat of her oven, the comfort of sweet spices, and the fierce love she holds for her sister, Lyra. When a cruel fate steals Lyra into the clutches of the frozen north, Elara refuses to accept loss as her destiny. With nothing but her courage and her devotion, she ventures into the heart of the eternal frost, determined to bring her sister home.Her arrival in the icy domain of the Winterkeeper sets into motion a chain of events that neither of them could have foreseen. Elara sees not a heartless immortal but a lonely soul carved by centuries of solitude. Kaelen sees not a fragile mortal but a woman whose warmth could challenge the very essence of his power. What begins as a confrontation soon becomes a delicate unraveling of truths as they learn that the greatest battles are not fought with magic but with the heart.As the land begins to thaw, old secrets rise, and the fragile bond between them is tested by destiny, sacrifice, and the unforgiving pull of mortality. Elara must choose between saving her sister and protecting the love she never expected. Kaelen must confront the impossible decision between his eternal duty and the fleeting beauty of a life shared.Their choices will reshape Veridia forever, transforming a frozen kingdom into a world reborn through love, hope, and the courage to change what once seemed unchangeable.If you believe in stories where love defies the impossible, where magic blooms from sacrifice, and where the warmth of a single heart can shift the fate of an entire world, then this book awaits you.Begin the journey now and let the thaw begin. Don't be left out !
Contemporary Voices in Fiction
'Contemporary Voices in Fiction brings together the diverse landscape of contemporary storytelling from the metaphysical to the personal, the unspoken to the audacious. The vast range of human experience is captured in this collection, comprising prominent themes and motifs into tales that appeal to readers of all ages. Together, these stories show that fiction is more than mere entertainment; it deepens our understanding of ourselves and others. Each story in this collection invites readers to pause, reflect, and engage thoughtfully. The collection honours the timeless ability of fiction to challenge, educate, and alter our perception of reality through these stories.
Kisses From A Killer
The Kisses Series is a dark, emotionally charged crime-thriller saga that follows Detectives Myrna Watkis and Dessa Simms through a sequence of murder cases tied together by chilling symbolism and long-buried secrets. Each installment features a standalone investigation, but beneath every case runs a deeper narrative thread: the legacy of violence, the power of memory, and how trauma shapes the choices people make. The "kiss" motif, from chocolate wrappers to metaphorical marks left on victims, acts as the signature that links these crimes across the years, revealing that nothing in these cases is random. As the detectives peel back layers of evidence, they confront their own shadows, dangerous pasts, and the thin line between justice and vengeance. Book 1: Kisses From a Killer introduces the detectives and the first case. Book 2: Kisses From the Dead expands the world and the consequences of the past.
Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide
Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide gathers a vibrant selection of family-friendly one-act scripts, each celebrating holiday traditions from Western and Eastern cultures. Under the editorial guidance of American playwright Danah Lassiter, the book showcases diverse voices from around the world, each offering a unique lens on celebration while sharing universal themes of joy, togetherness, and tradition. With small casts of six characters or less, these imaginative shorts are ideally suited for small theatre troupes, classrooms, and community programs eager to honor cultural diversity on stage.Selected from hundreds of submissions to Kinsman Quarterly's global playwriting contest, these scripts were chosen by a dedicated review team for their originality, cultural richness, and performance-ready appeal. The collection proudly features the Grand Prize winner, Russell Nichols, alongside runner-ups Maya De La Torre and Melanie Payne, whose works anchor this anthology with exceptional storytelling and memorable characters. Whether for a school performance, community events, or intimate theatre production, Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide invites audiences to experience the beauty of holidays that connect us all.
Woven Bliss
The unnerving character of Hazel appears to turn the lives of Jacqueline and Jason upside down... No one could foresee the outcome.... This Woven Bliss, they surrounded themselves with was about to crumble....Will they be able to get back to normal and sustain their loving relationship they once had, or will the hauntings of Hazel prevent that... Will they survive.... The hurdles of Hazel's obsession... become infectious as she tries to cling to her desired ownership....As the tides of time that bind together, the memories of those gone still sit there... Their presence will not be forgotten... For the joy and pain that come together, it's the joy that finally wins through, it has the strength to.... This third novel captures the very essence of tragedy but will the Gibson family recover from such tragedies, and its bereaved presence to a new light, a new way of life....
What You See May Not Be
What You See May Not Be is a multi-character perspective into the mind of a strange man named Dave. Throughout this work of fiction, the reader will be immersed in the mind of a man whose favorite movie is Silence of the Lambs, and he finds inappropriate places in which to quote and enact this movie. As with all of Reid Matthias's novels, the gamut of emotions are felt: humor, pain, sadness, tragedy, and deep introspection into what makes human beings tick.As the story unfolds, Dave gathers people around him like bees on honey. Wherever he goes, he creates community, while at the same time, his mysterious nature makes people wonder who he truly is and why there seems to be shrouded secrets surrounding him. Dark things. Uspoken things.When his fiancee's daughter becomes sick, Dave's world is turned upside down, and Dave's plummet into the depths of his past reveal unimageable tragedy. Where will it end?
Loyalties
Loyalties presents an intense examination of how a community reacts when its sense of order is threatened by suspicion. Instead of focusing on who committed a wrongdoing, it reveals how quickly people protect their own reputations and how easily judgment shifts when status is at stake. Power is treated as something fragile, constantly maintained through silence, agreement, and the willingness to look away. Individuals become more concerned with how they appear to others than with fairness. Accusations force everyone to reveal what they value: safety, social standing, or personal integrity. When conflict grows, each person chooses whether to align with truth or with convenience. The idea of loyalty becomes distorted into obedience, where defending certain individuals matters more than doing what is right. Private doubt clashes with public behavior, exposing how easily influence shapes opinion. The story reveals that prejudice can drive decisions, pushing people to defend the familiar rather than consider justice. Ultimately, the work challenges the idea that loyalty is virtuous, showing that unexamined loyalty becomes a barrier to honesty, courage, and accountability.
Together Yet Alone
'Through the lives of Raj and Reema, a newly married couple trying to balance love, duty, and family expectations, this book shows the hidden truths of Indian marriages. Their story begins with joy, rituals, and dreams - but once the celebrations end, real life slowly brings quiet changes. The smiles fade into silence, and the happiness turns into small sacrifices that no one talks about.Each chapter shows how many couples live like this - together, yet emotionally distant. Using real stories, research, and honest reflections, the book talks about the unseen loneliness in marriage, the pressure on women to adjust, and the roles that society forces on both partners.It also reminds us that silence is not always peace, and compromise is not always love. Many people stay in marriages that look happy from the outside but feel empty inside.Still, there is hope. Through Reema's journey of self-discovery, the book shows that awareness, communication, and self-respect can bring back balance and real connection.In the end, Together Yet Alone asks one simple but powerful question: Can two people truly stay together if they forget who they really are?
A Lady, A Kiss And Two Idiots
This book was born from too much imagination, quite a few plot twists, and just the right amount of chaos - fitting, considering the title. It began with a wild idea: a practical-romantic fusion featuring Melicia, the bold survivor of a man's world; Keith, the introverted gentleman who still believes in loyalty, sincerity, and quiet love; and Ryan - the chaos in Keith's life, the friend who brings headaches but stands firm when it truly matters.Keith found love, but she wasn't what he expected. In fact, she was more than he could handle. Out of his league, unpredictable, dangerous in all the wrong and right ways - yet she liked him for exactly who he was. A simple man with a simple lifestyle, content with routine, honest intentions, and a quiet heart.Melicia, a con artist who married wealthy men, took their money, and moved on to the next target, shattered Keith's peaceful life with cinematic mayhem - car chases, dangerous men, stolen heirlooms, schemes, cons, hiding, running, and every twist you'd expect in an action movie. Keith's world flipped the moment she walked into it. He and Ryan were swept into the madness, but Keith stood by her through every mess, and Ryan - being the loyal idiot he is - stood by Keith.They might be idiots in the real world, but together, they survived. Together, they followed Melicia into danger and somehow crawled out alive, proving that even fools can be heroes with the right woman leading the way.To my friends and family - your patience deserves a medal.And to the readers: thank you for picking up A Lady, A Kiss, and Two Idiots. These characters are chaotic. They're flawed. They make terrible decisions. But they love fiercely - and so did I while shaping them into the versions you meet in this book.This story exists because you're here, willing to go along for the ride.
The London Prodigal As It Was Played By The King's Majesties Servants
The London prodigal as it was played by the king's majesties servants depicts the downfall and redemption of a misguided youth whose reckless choices strain his family bonds and social standing. The play unfolds around themes of repentance, familial duty, and the moral consequences of indulgence. The story begins with an anxious father lamenting his son's wasteful behavior, setting a tone of both concern and irony that threads through the narrative. As deceit, vanity, and misjudgement steer the young man toward personal ruin, the plot contrasts moral weakness with enduring parental hope. Through moments of conflict, humor, and eventual self-realization, the play mirrors the tension between vice and virtue, exposing the temptations that accompany wealth and youth. At its heart, the work highlights the restorative power of forgiveness and the enduring faith in one's ability to change. Blending moral instruction with comedic undertones, the piece captures an age-old reflection on human frailty and spiritual renewal through lessons learned from folly and forgiveness.
The Two Noble Kinsmen
The two noble kinsmen presents a story where loyalty and affection collide, testing the limits of honor and personal desire. The narrative begins within a ruling court preparing for a celebratory union when a group of grieving figures arrives, pleading for justice after a devastating conflict. Their appeal leads to renewed confrontation and the capture of two noble prisoners whose bond is defined by deep mutual respect. While held in confinement, both encounter a figure whose presence reshapes their priorities. What once united them begins to fracture as admiration turns into longing, and longing becomes rivalry. The work explores how powerful emotions can blur duty, turning friendship into conflict. Freedom becomes both a physical goal and a metaphor for release from inner turmoil. Through shifts in fortune, misunderstandings, and unexpected alliances, the story examines how individuals struggle to choose between loyalty to another and loyalty to themselves. The play reveals that noble intentions can still lead to painful outcomes, suggesting that honor and love do not always coexist peacefully. Ultimately, the narrative reflects how emotional battles can be as defining and transformative as any external war.
Count Julian A Tragedy
Count Julian: A Tragedy unfolds as a powerful tragedy rooted in Spain's turbulent past, exploring themes of honor, vengeance, and moral conflict. The narrative opens in a scene charged with emotional intensity, where the central figure faces the anguish of past choices and the deep sorrow surrounding his family's fate. His conversation with the Metropolitan of Seville exposes the depth of his guilt and his burning resentment toward the nation's ruler, whose actions have brought personal ruin and national disgrace. This tension between private pain and patriotic duty drives the drama forward, transforming an individual's anguish into a reflection on loyalty and the cost of justice. The play intertwines personal betrayal with political turmoil, portraying the devastating impact of pride and corruption. Through its eloquent dialogue and tragic realism, the work captures the hero's descent into moral conflict while examining the thin line between righteousness and revenge, ultimately revealing the destructive power of passion when justice is clouded by grief.
Twelve Nights of Starlight
When the sky fractures into shimmering light on a quiet winter night, Mira knows her life will never be the same. For years, she has felt an unexplainable pull toward the stars-an ache buried deep in her chest, a whisper tugging at the edges of her dreams. But nothing prepares her for the moment the Starlight Veil opens before her eyes, revealing a being both extraordinary and impossibly familiar.Kael is unlike anything Mira has ever encountered-an ethereal guardian bound to a dimension of pure luminosity, existing between time, memory, and fate. His presence is radiant yet haunting, his existence a paradox: he remembers every star he has ever touched, but nothing of the human heart he seems drawn to.For twelve nights, as the Veil opens again and again, Mira and Kael are pulled into an intimacy that defies reason. Their connection deepens through shared visions, emotional resonance, and the unmistakable echo of a bond that feels older than the cosmos itself. But each encounter brings new revelations-some wondrous, some devastating. The Veil is unstable. The worlds are shifting. And forces older than galaxies are watching.As Mira uncovers forgotten truths about her past and Kael struggles against the fading boundaries holding him to his realm, both must confront a terrifying question: Are they meeting for the first time... or finding each other again?When cosmic laws tighten and ancient energies awaken, Mira faces an impossible choice-let Kael disappear forever, preserving the balance between realms, or break the rules of creation itself for a love that was never meant to exist.Haunting, romantic, and filled with breathtaking imagery, Twelve Nights of Starlight is a luminous tale of soul-deep connection, multidimensional wonder, and the fierce courage it takes to choose love in the face of destiny. Perfect for fans of star-crossed romances and atmospheric fantasy, this novel will pull you into a universe where emotion is magic and love is written in the constellations.If you're ready to lose yourself in a cosmic love story that lingers long after the final page, get this book now.
