EACH NIGHT I DIE is the authors true story about how he and his family coped as best they could with his confused and destructive leap into manhood until one by one, they could cope no more. On the other hand, it shows that an absent father, a poor working mother, neighborhood of despair, inadequate education and destructive streets do not have to determine the fate of every urban child in America; that fate lies within. The authors life is a microcosm of many southern families who migrated North in search of a better life. This book is for everyone, regardless of ethnicity or background; and relates to all human emotions: Its about tragedy and triumph, hope and hopelessness, addiction and recovery, faith and fear, life and death, choices and consequences, so it appeals to a diverse audience. A man is not finished when he is defeated; he is only finished when he himself throw in the towel. The author believes his message is a timely one, and our past is over, and should not enslave us for the rest of our lives. No one is beyond the power of redemption, and I believe my life was spared to tell my story, as I remember all of the many lives lost to drugs, prison, and violence; not to mention, the potentials that ended all too soon in a cold, damp grave.
For fans of DIRTY HARRY and Italian pulp crime noir films! A hard-nosed cop in a violent, corrupt metropolis. A stolen samurai sword. A strange green fog... The Mayor, perhaps himself the most corrupt, is ready to do anything to control and channel the rampant criminality -- and, in so doing, assure his re-election. But is Detective Cronenberg -- a man torn between duty and justice -- willing to let him get away with his horrific plans? THIS ISSUE: "No Salvation" - In a dark metropolis that is rotten to its core, soon-to-be-retired Detective Cronenberg, his faith in law and order gone, takes justice into his own hands. Meanwhile, hooded cultists celebrate human sacrifices, collecting fresh blood to awaken an ancient power. A Caliber Comics release.
For fans of DIRTY HARRY and Italian pulp crime films! A hard-nosed cop in a violent, corrupt metropolis. A stolen samurai sword. A strange green fog... The Mayor, perhaps himself the most corrupt, is ready to do anything to control and channel the rampant criminality -- and, in so doing, assure his re-election. But is Detective Cronenberg -- a man torn between duty and justice -- willing to let him get away with his horrific plans? THIS ISSUE: "Give Me a Break" - Cronenberg employs subtle interrogation techniques -- his fists and gun. Frustrated and crazed with jealousy, the Mayor is prepared to do anything to cleanse and rule his city with an iron grip. Enraged, he sends his goons to take out the detective once and for all. All the while, the blood ritual to awaken the sword and its immortal guardians is almost complete. A Caliber Comics release.
* 2022 Young Lions Fiction Award, Winner. * A BookBrowse "20 Best Books of 2022" * VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, Longlist. * An ABA "Indie Next List" pick for November 2021. * "A Best Book of 2021" —New York Public Library, Cosmopolitan, Independent Book Review * "October 2021 Must-Reads" —Debutiful, The Chicago Review of Books, The Millions In 1913, a Russian ballet incited a riot in Paris at the new Théâtre de Champs-Elysées. “Only a Russian could do that," says Aleksandr Ivanovich. “Only a Russian could make the whole world go mad.” A century later, in November 2013, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered at Independence Square in Kyiv to protest then-President Yanukovych’s failure to sign a referendum with the European Union, opting instead to forge a closer alliance with President Vladimir Putin and Russia. The peaceful protests turned violent when military police shot live ammunition into the crowd, killing over a hundred civilians. I Will Die in a Foreign Land follows four individuals over the course of a volatile Ukrainian winter, as their lives are forever changed by the Euromaidan protests. Katya is an Ukrainian-American doctor stationed at a makeshift medical clinic in St. Michael’s Monastery; Misha is an engineer originally from Pripyat, who has lived in Kyiv since his wife’s death; Slava is a fiery young activist whose past hardships steel her determination in the face of persecution; and Aleksandr Ivanovich, a former KGB agent, who climbs atop a burned-out police bus at Independence Square and plays the piano. As Katya, Misha, Slava, and Aleksandr’s lives become intertwined, they each seek their own solace during an especially tumultuous and violent period. The story is also told by a chorus of voices that incorporates folklore and narrates a turbulent Slavic history. While unfolding an especially moving story of quiet beauty and love in a time of terror, I Will Die in a Foreign Land is an ambitious, intimate, and haunting portrait of human perseverance and empathy. "Kalani Pickhart's timely debut novel, I Will Die In a Foreign Land, is about the 2014 Ukrainian revolution which provided a pretense for Russia to annex Crimea. The story follows the experiences of several characters whose lives intersect as the country's political situation deteriorates. There's a Ukrainian-American doctor, an old KGB spy, a former mine worker, and others, and these episodes are interspersed with folk songs, news reports and historical notes. The effect—kaleidoscopic but never confusing—provides an intimate sense of a country convulsing, mourning, and somehow surviving." —CBS News, "The Book Report: Recommendations from Washington Post critic Ron Charles" (Watch the full video on CBS News, February 6, 2022).
Winner of the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing, Priyanka Champaneri’s transcendent debut novel brings us inside India’s holy city of Banaras, where the manager of a death hostel shepherds the dying who seek the release of a good death, while his own past refuses to let him go. Banaras, Varanasi, Kashi: India’s holy city on the banks of the Ganges has many names but holds one ultimate promise for Hindus. It is the place where pilgrims come for a good death, to be released from the cycle of reincarnation by purifying fire. As the dutiful manager of a death hostel in Kashi, Pramesh welcomes the dying and assists families bound for the funeral pyres that burn constantly on the ghats. The soul is gone, the body is burnt, the time is past, he tells them. Detach. After ten years in the timeless city, Pramesh can nearly persuade himself that here, there is no past or future. He lives contentedly at the death hostel with his wife, Shobha, their young daughter, Rani, the hostel priests, his hapless but winning assistant, and the constant flow of families with their dying. But one day the past arrives in the lifeless form of a man pulled from the river—a man with an uncanny resemblance to Pramesh. Called “twins” in their childhood village, he and his cousin Sagar are inseparable until Pramesh leaves to see the outside world and Sagar stays to tend the land. After Pramesh marries Shobha, defying his family’s wishes, a rift opens up between the cousins that he has long since tried to forget. Do not look back. Detach. But for Shobha, Sagar’s reemergence casts a shadow over the life she’s built for her family. Soon, an unwelcome guest takes up residence in the death hostel, the dying mysteriously continue to live, and Pramesh is forced to confront his own ideas about death, rebirth, and redemption. Told in lush, vivid detail and with an unforgettable cast of characters, The City of Good Death is a remarkable debut novel of family and love, memory and ritual, and the ways in which we honor the living and the dead. PRAISE FOR THE CITY OF GOOD DEATH “In Champaneri’s ambitious, vivid debut, the dying come to the holy city of Kashi to die a good death that frees them from the burden of reincarnation…. In sharp prose, Champaneri explores the power of stories—those the characters tell themselves, those told about them, and those they believe. . . . This epic, magical story of death teems with life.” —Publishers Weekly “Brimming with characters whose lives overlap and whose stories interweave, Champaneri’s exquisite debut delves into the consequences of the past, and how stories that are told can become reality even when they contain barely a shred of truth. As Pramesh discovers, the bitterness of past wounds can bring hope for redemption and life.” —Bridget Thoreson, Booklist “Lush prose evokes the thick, close atmosphere of Kashi and the intricate religious practices upon which life and death depend. Rumor and superstition hold sway over even the most level-headed people, twisting what’s explainable into something extraordinary—with tragic consequences. . . . The City of Good Death is a breathtaking, unforgettable novel about how remembering the past is just as important as moving on.” —Eileen Gonzalez, Foreword Reviews, Starred Review "Champaneri’s Kashi is teeming and vivid . . . the book frequently charms, and it's as full of humor, warmth, and mystery as Kashi’s own marketplace." —Kirkus Reviews “The City of Good Death is the debut novel of Priyanka Champaneri but it has the confidence of a master storyteller. Drawing on the rich literary traditions of Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy, Champaneri’s epic saga will satisfy armchair travelers thirsty for adventure, and sick of looking out their windows.” —Chicago Review of Books "In intricate detail and with remarkable skill, Champaneri writes a powerful tale about the pull of the past and our aching need to understand the mysteries and misunderstandings that thwart our relationships. An atmospheric and immersive debut with a rich cast of characters you won’t soon forget." —Marjan Kamali, author of The Stationery Shop
A compelling autobiography revealing how the author and his family coped as best they could with poverty, despair, inadequate education, violence and racism, until one by one, they could cope no more.
Each Night, I Die: Reload is David Belton's true story on how he and his family coped as best they could with his confused and destructive leap into manhood until one by one, they could cope no more. On the other hand, it shows that an absent father, a poor working mother, neighborhood of despair, inadequate education and destructive streets do not have to determine the fate of every urban child in America; that fate lies within. The author's life is a microcosm of many southern families who migrated North in search of a better life. This book is for everyone, regardless of ethnicity or background; and relates to all human emotions: It's about tragedy and triumph, hope and hopelessness, addiction and recovery, faith and fear, life and death, choices and consequences, so it appeals to a diverse audience. A man is not finished when he is defeated; he is only finished when he himself throws in the towel. The author believes his message is a timely one, and our past is over, and should not enslave us for the rest of our lives. No one is beyond the power of redemption, and I believe my life was spared to tell my story, as I remember all of the many lives lost to drugs, prison, and violence; not to mention the potentials that ended all too soon in a cold, damp grave.
Caught in traffic. Trapped in a cubicle. Stuck in a rut. Tangled up in red tape. In the real world, sometimes you feel powerless—but not in Dungeons & Dragons (D & D). In this fantasy-adventure, you have all kinds of special powers. You can slay the evil dragon, overcome the orc or the ogre, haunt the werewolf, and triumph over sinister trolls. You venture into strange realms, encounter strange creatures, and use magical powers. Your character grows and develops with every adventure. With this guide, you can learn the ins and outs of D & D and start playing right away. Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies gives beginners the basics of the complex game and helps experienced players fine-tune their roleplaying. It guides you through: Creating your character (a powerful fighter, a sneaky rogue, a crafty sorcerer, or a charismatic cleric), and character advancement The races: humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings The types of character actions: attack rolls, skill check, and ability checks The 6 abilities: strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, charisma Feat requirements and types Playing the game, including moving in combat, attacking with a weapon (melee attacks or ranged attacks), and damage and dying Picking skills, armor, weapons, and gear Choosing spells if your character is a sorcerer or domains for a cleric Building encounter or combat strategies and using advanced tactics Maximizing your character’s power with the acquisition of the right magic items: armor, weapons, potion, scroll, ring, wand, staff, rod, plus wondrous items D & D game etiquette Becoming a Dungeon Master There’s even a sample play session that walks you through typical play, gets you comfortable using the battle grid and character markers, lets you test player characters against each other and against monsters, and shows you how to add story elements to create an adventure. Produced in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, written by D & D game designers, and complete with a battle grid, a sample dungeon map, and a glossary, this guide arms you with the knowledge to create and equip a character and empowers you to enter the captivating, fascinating world of D & D.
