Download the first five chapters of The Riverman, the first book in an exciting new series about the fine line between friends and enemies, fact and fiction, by Aaron Starmer! Alistair Cleary is the kid everyone trusts, the kid who wraps his fingers around secrets and never lets go. Fiona Loomis is not the typical girl next door. One day she shows up at Alistair's house with a proposition: she wants him to write her biography. Fiona says that in her basement there's a portal that leads to a magical world where a creature called the Riverman is stealing the souls of children. And Fiona's soul could be next. If Fiona really believes what she's saying, Alistair fears she may be crazy. But if it's true, her life could be at risk. It's up to Alistair to separate fantasy from reality. The Riverman, by master storyteller Aaron Starmer, will leave you questioning the responsibilities of friendship, the boundaries of imagination, and the true origin—and ownership—of the stories we tell.
Alistair Cleary is the kid who everyone trusts. Fiona Loomis is not the typical girl next door. Alistair hasn't really thought of her since they were little kids until she shows up at his doorstep with a proposition: she wants him to write her biography. What begins as an odd vanity project gradually turns into a frightening glimpse into the mind of a potentially troubled girl. Fiona says that in her basement, there's a portal that leads to a magical world where a creature called the Riverman is stealing the souls of children. And Fiona's soul could be next. If Fiona really believes what she's saying, Alistair fears she may be crazy. But if it's true, her life could be at risk. In this novel from Aaron Starmer, it's up to Alistair to separate fact from fiction, fantasy from reality.
Welcome to Level Five where Chimeras are born. Against their will they are mutated and transformed. Created as weapons to hunt and kill on command, but who can control a monster with hatred surging through his blood? If you like the old Creature Features, you'll love these stories. Dark. Gritty. Thought provoking. And lots of fun. Volume One: Rise of the River Man Mutter has been abandoned, beaten and left to die, but he's never been truly afraid, until he arrives at Level Five in Conguise's laboratory. There are things in the other cages that are beyond his experience, beyond nature. The shots his new master is giving him are making him stronger, faster and hungry. He's always hungry just like the creatures in the other cages. He was raised to obey but he must escape before he's fed to a beast or worse becomes one. Volume Two: Feeding Fersia In saving a life, McBrid makes a deadly mistake. Now, he must recreate the deadliest monster on Level Five but to do that he must find a host. He never intends to like the girl he's transforming. Can he stop the transformation before it's too late? Volume Three: Breaking the Brush Men Glick and the others are born into a world that wants them dead. From the moment they crawl from the earth, they're hunted and killed. Can he and his friends hide from those who want to kill them and if they do, will they survive the toxic land they were born into? Volume Four: Rage of Rattus Norvegicus All Rufus has ever wanted was to keep his younger brother and sister safe, but they've been captured. Now, the only way to survive and stay together is to go to the laboratory. At first, it seems okay. There's food, water and shelter, but the shots they're given are changing them all. They must escape but how can they when his sister is pregnant? Will Rufus and his siblings escape the laboratory and if they do, can they stop their transformation before it kills them all? Volume Five: Leaving Level Five The only way out of Level Five is through the belly of a beast. Read the exciting culmination of volumes two through four and discover who lives, who dies and who escapes Level Five. The Chimera Chronicles box set a collection of stand-alone dystopian, genetic engineering story about human-animal hybrids. It’s urban fantasy/science fiction that’ll make you question who the real monsters are. Whether you’re an animal rights activist or just love your pets, this book will make you root for those in the laboratory. These books were formerly sold as Conguise Chronicles Volumes One through Five
Super fans. Groupies. Stalkers.These people will give anything for the idols they worship, be they rock stars, actor, or authors. Or even serial killers.Lori's obsession is with Edmund Cox, who was convicted of butchering more than twenty women. She will do anything to get close to him, so when he gives her a task, she accepts.She has no idea of the horror that awaits her.Edmund says she must go to his cabin in the woods and retrieve a key to deliver to a mysterious figure known only as The River Man.She brings along her sister, and the trip becomes a surreal nightmare, one that digs up Lori's personal demons, the ones she feels bonds her to Edmund. Soon she will learn The River Man is not quite fact or folklore, and definitely not human . . . at least not anymore.
The government sends Brian back to the Canadian wilderness in this beloved follow-up to the award-winning classic Hatchet from three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen! Two years after Brian Robeson survived fifty-four days alone in the Canadian wilderness, the government wants him to head back so they can learn what he did to stay alive. This time Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist, will accompany him. But a freak storm leaves Derek unconscious. Brian's only hope is to transport Derek a hundred miles down the river to a trading post. He's survived with only a hatchet before--now can Brian build a raft and navigate an unknown river? For the first time it's not only Brian's survival that's at stake. . . An IRA-CBC Children’s Choice A Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year “Vividly written, a book that will, as intended, please the readers who hoped that Paulsen, like Brian, would ‘do it again.’” —Kirkus Reviews Read all the Hatchet Adventures! Brian's Winter The River Brian's Return Brian's Hunt
***Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray's bestselling Scottish detective series*** ***Don't miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.*** Whether you've read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, THE RIVERMAN is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER SERIES: 'Warm-hearted, atmospheric' ANN CLEEVES 'Relentless and intriguing' PETER MAY 'Move over Rebus' DAILY MAIL 'Exciting, pacey, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS 'Superior writing' THE TIMES 'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH _______________ When the dead body of a man is fished out of Glasgow's River Clyde the morning after an office celebration, it looks like a case of accidental death. An anonymous telephone call and a forensic toxicology test, however, give DCI Lorimer reason to think otherwise. Probing deeper into the life and business of the deceased accountant, Duncan Forbes, a seemingly upright member of the community, Lorimer find only yet more unanswered questions. And when the firm's human resources manager is found dead in her riverside flat these questions become only more complex -- not to mention more disturbing. And Lorimer is having to cope not only with deceptions devised to hide the facts, but also with suspicions from those far closer to home . . .
Twelve-year-old Alistair continues his quest to find his missing friend, Fiona, in Aquavania, a world where wishes can nearly come true, but he learns that the Whisper, once a boy named Charlie from his own world, has plans for Alistair and has used Fiona to try to get to him.
Blythe, California, is located along the Colorado River in the Palo Verde Valley, a part of the great Sonoran Desert. The town is, in modern times, 100 miles from nowhere, two hours of high-speed freeway travel to anywhere. Riverman Desertman describes the settlement and early work in the Valley, when getting there was a two-day trip north from the stage stop at Glamis, or south from Blythe Junction (now the town of Rice). There was no established road to the west, across nearly 100 miles of open desert to the Coachella Valley. Travelers to the east had to be ferried across the river, where they faced a trek of at least 60 miles to Wickenburg. All of this took place, in 1907, at the pace of a mule team or a fast horse. Blythe pioneer Camiel Dekens recollections graphically describe the difficulties early settlers faced in their efforts to transform a river-bottom valley to a productive farming community. At the same time, he paints vivid portraits of some of the individuals who shared his time and space, many of whom gave their names to streets and roads that crisscross the Palo Verde Valley. According to Riverside County Historical Commission Chairman Bill Jennings, in his Forward to the 1990 Edition: Riverman, Desertman fills a vital niche in the short shelf of Riverside County history books. In the late 1950's, a veteran newspaper writer, Tom Patter-son, met Camiel Dekens and their chemistry was responsible for creating a rich memoir that chronicles an important time in the desert's long history. Because it concerns a relatively obscure area and represents one man's impact, it might otherwise have been ignored in the sparse recorded history of the Colorado (Western Sonoran) Desert. Tom had no tape recorder, being a newsman of the old school. Instead, he took tons of handwritten notes and went over the data carefully with his source. As a result, Riverman, Desertman is a concise, competent accurate chapter in the rich history of Riverside County. Co-author Tom Patterson, in his Introduction, says: This book is primarily the story of Palo Verde Valley in its days of hard struggle, early hope and steady growth from 1907 until 1922. During most of that time Camiel Dekens struggled along with it. Interestingly, the period of his own personal difficulties came when despondency began to overcome the Valley and his sense of mission returned when the Valley could again see its way ahead. Dekens, who applied himself to a raw place and saw it become the home of commerce and family life felt himself distinctly a part of Palo Verde Valley. Dekens recollections of characteristics of the Palo Verde Valley in the early years of the twentieth century-- its remote location, desert surroundings and the impact of a mighty and untamed river make this work a unique contribution to the history of a unique and remote area.
Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers straight into the nightmare of a raging wildfire as 12-year-old Sam is trapped by explosive flames and deadly smoke that threaten to take his life. Can he survive? Flames race toward Sam Castine's summer camp as evacuation buses are loading, but Sam runs back to get his phone. Suddenly, a flash of heat blasts him as pine trees explode. Now a wall of fire separates Sam from his bus, and there's only one thing to do: Run for his life. Run or die.Lungs burning, Sam's only goal is to keep moving. Drought has made the forest a tinderbox, and Sam struggles to remember survival tricks he learned from his late father. Then, when he least expects it, he encounters Delphy, an older girl who is also lost. Their unlikely friendship grows as they join forces to find civilization.The pace never slows, and eventually flames surround Sam and Delphy on all sides. A powerful bond is forged that can only grow out of true hardship -- as two true friends beat all odds and outwit one of the deadliest fires ever.At the end of the novel, information about wildfires and useful safety tips add to the reader's understanding of one of the US's most dangerous natural disasters.
“This quietly profound book belongs on the shelf next to Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild.” —The New York Times The riveting true story of Dick Conant, an American folk hero who, over the course of more than twenty years, canoed solo thousands of miles of American rivers—and then disappeared near the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This book “contains everything: adventure, mystery, travelogue, and unforgettable characters” (David Grann, best-selling author of Killers of the Flower Moon). For decades, Dick Conant paddled the rivers of America, covering the Mississippi, Yellowstone, Ohio, Hudson, as well as innumerable smaller tributaries. These solo excursions were epic feats of planning, perseverance, and physical courage. At the same time, Conant collected people wherever he went, creating a vast network of friends and acquaintances who would forever remember this brilliant and charming man even after a single meeting. Ben McGrath, a staff writer at The New Yorker, was one of those people. In 2014 he met Conant by chance just north of New York City as Conant paddled down the Hudson, headed for Florida. McGrath wrote a widely read article about their encounter, and when Conant's canoe washed up a few months later, without any sign of his body, McGrath set out to find the people whose lives Conant had touched--to capture a remarkable life lived far outside the staid confines of modern existence. Riverman is a moving portrait of a complex and fascinating man who was as troubled as he was charismatic, who struggled with mental illness and self-doubt, and was ultimately unable to fashion a stable life for himself; who traveled alone and yet thrived on connection and brought countless people together in his wake. It is also a portrait of an America we rarely see: a nation of unconventional characters, small river towns, and long-forgotten waterways.
