In a seemingly ordinary field on Sharon Butala's land on the prairies of Canada lie the secrets of the past. When she and her husband, Peter, decide to let the field return to its natural state, the wonders of the prairie landscape begin to reveal themselves to her. Over a twenty-year period, as she walked this field, she tried to understand what lessons could be leanred from its mysterious markings, its wildlife, grasses and plants, its massive rocks and boulders deposited there as glaciers retreated. The field became a tabula rasa on which she could project her own dreams and imagining about the landscape that has informed her writing and inspired life. Butala's keen intelligence ranges over prehistory, natural history, Amerindian custom, the farming and ranching ways of life, and the politics of the West today. Wild Stone Heart captures brilliantly the collision of past and present and one woman's search for her own place in the world.
Mercenary. Murderer. Monster. Task has been called many names in his time. “Echoes of Brandon Sanderson and Scott Lynch.” – SFF World “Grimdark with heart and soul.” – Anna Smith Spark, author of The Empires of Dust Trilogy “A very, very good read." – Fantasy Faction “A brutal delight with thrilling action and heart, rowdy and wise, bloody and tender at the same time." – Dyrk Ashton, author of The Paternus Trilogy Best Self-Published Fantasy Novel – 2017 Booknest Fantasy Awards ——— Golems are built for war and little else. In centuries past, they were a terrifying staple of the battlefield. Empires were conquered on the backs of golems. Now, time and fear have whittled their kind down to a precious few, kept only by kings and warlords. Task of Wind-Cut is one such machine of war. Task was built to kill. Built to win. Thousands have died at his stone hands. He cared once, perhaps, but far too many years have passed and too much blood has been spilled. Task has become numb to the chaos he wreaks for his masters. A slave to the spells that bind him. Now, Task has a new master to serve and a new war to endure. In the far reaches of the Realm, Hartlund is in the grip of civil war, tearing itself in two over coin and crown. This time, Task will fight for a boy king and a general bent on victory. Beneath his formidable stone, Task longs for change. For an end to this cycle of warfare. For proof of light and good amongst the foul darkness of humanity and war. It will take the mind of an unusual stable-girl to change his. ——— ABOUT THE HEART OF STONE Packed with action and yet emotionally charged, The Heart of Stone is an epic military fantasy novel that explores the facets of human nature and the roots of warfare and conflict. Told through the eyes of Task, a five hundred year-old war-golem, this standalone fantasy is perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Mark Lawrence, Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie. ——— MORE PRAISE FOR THE HEART OF STONE “From the fascinating world-building to the intriguing, colorful and memorable characters, The Heart of Stone is a pleasure to read.” – BookNest “Dark, brutal and violent, and packed with heart and emotional depth, The Heart of Stone is an intriguing novel.” – Alan Baxter, author of The Alex Caine Series “This is Ben’s best book yet. Plain and simple.” – Michael R. Miller, author of The Dragon’s Blade Trilogy "A solidly written and fascinating dark fantasy." – BiblioSanctum ——— MORE BOOKS BY BEN GALLEY (Available in ebook, paperback and audio) Emaneska Series – The Written – Pale Kings – Dead Stars - Part One – Dead Stars - Part Two – No Fairytale Scarlet Star Trilogy – Bloodrush – Bloodmoon – Bloodfeud Chasing Graves Trilogy – Chasing Graves – Grim Solace – Breaking Chaos Standalones – Shards Keywords: fantasy, epic fantasy, epic, dark fantasy, dark, ya fantasy, military fantasy, golem, golems, monsters, mythological creatures, magic, standalone novel, stand alone, battle, war, emotion, humanity, ben galley, fantasy author
In all your boyhood dreams of growing up, did you dream of being a "nice guy"? Eldredge believes that every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue. That is how he bears the image of God; that is what God made him to be.
Ditch the storybook wedding, banish Bridezilla, and walk down the aisle in truth and in style: You are a Stone Fox Bride and this is your bridal guide. Molly Rosen Guy founded the brand Stone Fox Bride as an alternative to outdated, plastic-princess wedding culture. Her stylish and subversive approach is being embraced by creative, modern brides who believe in love and romance, but have no interest in running off into the sunset. In an inspiring mix of intimate storytelling, gorgeous visuals, and candid advice, with an aesthetic that channels Bianca Jagger in a white tux rather than Cinderella in a frilly gown, Molly Rosen Guy—your cool, hippie chic guide through the wilds of wedding planning—encourages brides-to-be, and their ladies in tow, to say no to all things phony, frilly, and silly. Featuring personal essays that explore the nuances of the process, including a raw, unairbrushed look at the realities of the early days of marriage, she tells us that a Stone Fox Bride should never sacrifice her style, her story, or her sanity to please others; she reassures us that weddings don't have to be free of confusion, shades of gray, or cellulite; and reminds us that marriage, like love, is equal parts complicated and beautiful. Praise for Molly Rosen Guy and the Stone Fox Bride phenomenon “The current wedding-wear darling of the jammin’ and Instagrammin’ set [offers] an insouciant, antiestablishment approach to weddings.”—The New York Times “[Molly Rosen Guy is] making waves in the bridal industry thanks to her eclectic eye and refusal to conform to clichéd traditions.”—W “Molly Rosen Guy built a business filling the needs of women who long for something more than your run-of-the-mill, princess-y flou for their big day.”—Vogue
Like its phenomenally popular predecessor, The Perfection of the Morning, Wild Stone Heart has once again touched a chord with Canadian readers, becoming another #1 bestseller. It's no wonder -- this resonant and deeply moving exploration of a seemingly ordinary field in southwest Saskatchewan is at once an ancient mystery, a lyrical journey between past and present, a fascinating lesson in natural history, and a woman's intimate search for her own place in the world. With every book, Butala delicately carves new and uncharted spiritual geography. Wild Stone Heart is no exception, a classic work that will appeal to all of her many fans.
'So good I read it twice' - Hilary McKay, author of The Skylarks' War 'This thrilling time-slip adventure oozes magic and heart' - Bookseller EDITOR'S CHOICE When Charlie's longed-for brother is born with a serious heart condition, Charlie's world is turned upside down. Upset and afraid, Charlie flees the hospital and makes for the ancient forest on the edge of town. There Charlie finds a boy floating face-down in the stream, injured, but alive. But when Charlie sets off back to the hospital to fetch help, it seems the forest has changed. It's become a place as strange and wild as the boy dressed in deerskins. For Charlie has unwittingly fled into the Stone Age, with no way to help the boy or return to the present day. Or is there? What follows is a wild, big-hearted adventure as Charlie and the Stone Age boy set out together to find what they have lost – their courage, their hope, their family and their way home. Fans of Piers Torday and Stig of the Dump will love this wild, wise and heartfelt debut adventure.
When forbidden desire becomes something deeper, the past is exposed, and the betrayal is more than expected.Krystina I'm flawed and damaged. My capacity for love is limited, and I'm the only one who can repair the pieces of my shattered heart.But that was before meeting Alexander Stone. Now, he is everywhere I turn-in my mind, in my heart, and in my soul. I can't deny him. He's the glue holding my soul together. He's my addiction, and I'm unable to stay away. But committing to love Alexander is only the beginning. When he's blackmailed about a secret he's kept since childhood, everything we fought to overcome is threatened. It rocks the fragile foundation on which our relationship is built-trust. Alexander I have rules. Krystina breaks them. She's strong, determined, devastatingly beautiful-and stubborn as hell. Her quick wit and firecracker attitude is the complete opposite of what I want in a woman. But I still want to claim her, tame her, and make her mine. I can't get her out of my mind.However, being with someone like her is a risk. I have too many secrets. Surrendering the truth about my father's murder would be devastating-not only to the empire that I worked so hard to build, but to my very identity.Follow the journey of Alexander Stone and Krystina Cole in The Stone Series, a heart-wrenching and seductively steamy three-book series.
A broken man, Khraen awakens alone and lost. His stone heart has been shattered, littered across the world. With each piece, he regains some small shard of the man he once was. He follows the trail, fragment by fragment, remembering his terrible past. There was a woman. There was a sword. There was an end to sorrow. Khraen walks the obsidian path.
You can run from the past...but you can't hide from love When private investigator Valerie Parker tails a cheating wife one night, it’s business as usual – until the woman is murdered and the man she’s with becomes the prime suspect. She’s astonished to discover the man’s identity: Alex DeMarco, a man she was once insanely in love with and who shattered her dreams and broke her heart… all in the same day. As a cop, Alex feels obligated to offer the stranded woman a ride home. When she ends up dead and Val Parker is the one who places him at the scene of the crime, he knows the grudge she holds may affect her testimony and put him behind bars forever. Then her life is threatened, and soon they’re on the run together, working to clear his name and protect her life. Once again, Alex find himself drawn to this wild, impetuous woman from his past, even as every step they take deeper into the Texas Hill Country may be their last.
He’s forged from heaven. She’s promised to hell. Professor Maximus Kane can no longer deny his passion for his stunning yet mysterious student, Kara Valari. But surrendering to their desires carries more consequences than just violating the Alameda University conduct codes. Kara has defied her destiny. Higher directives have been violated. Now there’s hell to pay. It’s a crisis for which there seems no solution, until the explosive secrets of Maximus’s bloodline are exposed. Despite all his doubts and fears, Maximus has no choice but to accept help from his enigmatic father, which means coming to terms with his heritage and embracing a bizarre new world of gods and demons. Because somewhere in that world—in the strange and sordid secrets surrounding his past—is the key to protecting Kara’s future. Nothing has ever meant more to him than saving the treasure of her life and the fire of her heart. While earth’s lower realms seek payback for Kara’s transgressions, Kara finds a new ally in a surprising place: the Valari matriarch herself. Beneath the scrutiny of the world press, Veronica orchestrates a plan to protect her daughter by doing what she does best—shining the spotlight on her. But by her side, Maximus can’t escape the glare of the paparazzi. Can they buy time and blind their enemies with Kara’s fame? Or will Hollywood’s new “it” couple and their forbidden love incite more vengeance than they’d ever bargained for?
