Five strangers gather at Eric's inn on a remote Hebridean island after he advertises in the London weeklies for "Christmas at the edge of the world." Harry, a military widower, is fascinated by General Gordon and the last days of Khartoum. Jessica is a voice-over artist and actress. Jon is a vain actor who is dangerously obsessed with Jessica. Anita, a salesperson in the stationary department of a store and, Ronald, a psychoanalyst who is pining for the cooking and domestic skills of his recently departed wife. Each has their own reasons for escaping the usual festivities, but the refuge of the island is complicated as Eric's wife Mabel flounces out at the last minute and the locals and visitors mingle and clash.A beautifully timed comic novel with a hint of the supernatural.Review"A fine balance between comedy and tragedy ensures the reader a sense of deep satisfaction after the last page." -- Ruth Rendell "Ellis...[has a] broad grasp of human nature and the elusiveness of contentment." -- The Atlantic MonthlyFrom the PublisherThe five guests at the inn on a remote Scottish island have at least one thing in common--they are all in flight from Christmas. Are their respective unhappinesses impervious to the influence of the uncanny? This shrewd and witty gem, originally published in 1990, won the Best Novel award from Britain's Writers' Guild. 

Winged Estcort from the bestselling author of WWll sea adventure, including the hugely popular Bolitho novels written under the pseudonym Alexander Kent.As the grim years of the Second World War go by, the destruction of Allied shipping mounts. Out of the terrible loss of men and ships, the escort carrier is born. At twenty-six, fighter pilot Tim Rowan, RNVR, is already a veteran of many campaigns. Now he joins the escort carrier, GROWLER, a posting which takes him first to the bitter waters of the Arctic and all the misery of convoy duty to Murmansk, and then south to the Indian Ocean and the strange new terror of the Japanese Kamikaze. . .

My first sale, a rollicking post-apocalyptic tale of drag racing and demons.

A local trucking company has been hit by a series of hijackings, and the Hardy Boys are enlisted to get to the bottom of the crime. They go undercover as truck drivers and quickly discover that life behind the wheel is full of surprises . . . .

The Hardy brothers, Frank and Joe, are surfing in Hawaii, riding a crime wave into danger - somebody's trying to deep-six champion surfer Jade Roberts, and Frank and Joe are determined to keep her from going under.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [207]-215)

This volume includes all of the writer's earliest short and medium-length fiction (including some previously unpublished stories) covering the years 1952-1955. These fascinating stories include "Beyond Lies the Wub, " "The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford, " "The Variable Man, " and twenty-two others.  Stories In This VolumeStabilityRoogThe Little MovementBeyond Lies the WubThe GunThe SkullThe DefendersMr. SpaceshipPiper in the WoodsThe InfinitesThe Preserving MachineExpendableThe Variable ManThe Indefatigable FrogThe Crystal CryptThe Short Happy Life of the Brown OxfordThe BuilderMeddlerPaycheckThe Great COut in the GardenThe King of the ElvesColonyPrize ShipNanny

Since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, the abortion issue has sharply divided the nation—with strong and committed activists on both sides. In this book, eleven-term congressman Ron Paul takes an in-depth look at the abortion issue from a pro-life perspective.Congressman Ron Paul is well known for views that emphasize individual and economic liberty. To some, his stance against legal abortion has been considered a contradiction. In this book, Dr. Paul addresses that contradiction head-on, exploring the history of abortion in the United States and its medical aspects as an obstetrician and gynecologist in an interesting and comprehensive explanation of his philosophy.ABOUT THE AUTHORAn eleven-term congressman from the State of Texas, Ron Paul also attended Gettysburg University and Duke University School of Medicine. After graduating, he served as a flight surgeon in the US Air Force before moving to Texas—where he opened a private medical...

Akar Kessel, a weak-willed apprentice mage sets in motion events leading to the rediscovery of the magical device, the crystal shard. But is it merely an inanimate device… or is it capable of directing the defeat of Ten-Towns? Or have the barbarians already arranged for that themselves? Their brutal attack on the villages of Ten-Towns seals their fate, and that of the youn barbarian Wulfgar. Left for dead, Wulfgar is rescued by the dwarf, Bruenor, in exchange for five years of service… and friendship. With the help of the dark elf, Drizzt, Bruenor reshapes Wulfgar into a warrior with both brawn and brains. But is Wulfgar strong enough to reunite the barbarian tribes? Can an unorthodox dwarf and renegade dark elf persuade the people of Ten-Towns to put aside their petty differences in time to stave off the forces of the crystal shard?

The hero is Eupolis, weary, cynical and believing only in comedy. The heroine is Athens, at the height of her schizophrenic glory. A startling mixture of comedy and tragedy, THE WALLED ORCHARD is the poignant, charming story of their turbulent relationship. THE WALLED ORCHARD is a masterpiece of historical fiction from Tom Holt, best-selling author of over twenty comic fantasy novels. For information on this and other Orbit titles visit the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk**

Fiona Byrne received an offer from the Earl of Dreyford, whom she scarcely knew. But she eventually accepted his offer, to escape from her odious Cousin Charles. Both Fiona and Robert guard their secrets from the past-desires that they thought could never be fulfilled. But true love has a way of winning out in the end. Regency Romance by Nina Coombs Pykare writing as Nina Porter; originally published by Jove

Geoffrey Staddon had never forgotten the house called Clouds Frome, his first important commission and the best thing he had ever done as an architect. Twelve years before the day in September 1923 when a paragraph in the newspaper made his blood run cold, he had turned his back on it for the last time, turned his back on the woman he loved, and who loved him. But when he read that Consuela Caswell had been charged with murder by poisoning he knew, with a certainty that defied the great divide of all those years, that she could not be guilty. As the remorse and shame of his own betrayal of her came flooding back, he knew too that he could not let matters rest. And when she sent her own daughter to him, pleading for help, he knew that he must return at last to Clouds Frome and to the dark secret that it held. 

In the aftermath of a typhoon, Captain Nathaniel Drinkwater brings His Britannic Majesty's frigate Patrician into the shelter of the Pearl River on the China coast. Seeking the means to refit, Captain Drinkwater finds himself caught up in the bizarre events following the British occupation of Macao and Admiral Drury' attack on Canton. Drinkwater is relieved to be assigned to escorting a convoy to Penang. The convoy's cargo includes a mysterious quantity of silver and a single passenger. Spite, treachery, greed, perversity, and cruelty lead to a climactic encounter in the remote tropical rain forest of Borneo.