When Qi, Classical musician and university student from China, and her boyfriend, Larry, find a middle-aged woman in the street, desperate for water and shelter, they do what most nice humans will naturally do: they help. But who is this woman, Devon, and why is she convinced that a large and dangerous organization is out to get her? Whoever she is, she's about to turn Qi's and Larry's world upside down. Qi's and Larry's relationship is on thin ice as it is. He's ready to take her hand in marriage and become a pastor. The only problem? Qi has a strong distaste for religion, and even more so the idea of marriage. What she would rather do is ditch her entire lifestyle, join a thrash-metal band, and rock out! She allows all of her responsibilities to fly out the window as her personality transitions into something that Larry hardly recognizes. But what happens when it begins to appear as if a dangerous organization really is out to get this middle-aged woman they rescued? And even worse, what will Qi do when it appears that people are out to get her, as well? In this screwball comedy that follows No Dice, get to know this twisted and upside world even more with a whole new set of characters, plus familiar ones as well.
Which sort of seducer could you be? Siren? Rake? Cold Coquette? Star? Comedian? Charismatic? Or Saint? This book will show you which. Charm, persuasion, the ability to create illusions: these are some of the many dazzling gifts of the Seducer, the compelling figure who is able to manipulate, mislead and give pleasure all at once. When raised to the level of art, seduction, an indirect and subtle form of power, has toppled empires, won elections and enslaved great minds. In this beautiful, sensually designed book, Greene unearths the two sides of seduction: the characters and the process. Discover who you, or your pursuer, most resembles. Learn, too, the pitfalls of the anti-Seducer. Immerse yourself in the twenty-four manoeuvres and strategies of the seductive process, the ritual by which a seducer gains mastery over their target. Understand how to 'Choose the Right Victim', 'Appear to Be an Object of Desire' and 'Confuse Desire and Reality'. In addition, Greene provides instruction on how to identify victims by type. Each fascinating character and each cunning tactic demonstrates a fundamental truth about who we are, and the targets we've become - or hope to win over. The Art of Seduction is an indispensable primer on the essence of one of history's greatest weapons and the ultimate power trip. From the internationally bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power, Mastery, and The 33 Strategies Of War.
What if the killer she's hunting turns out to be the woman she's falling for? 'Tense, chilling and distinctive, this is a one-sitting read' Guardian 'A bloody good read' Val McDermid ---- Just because the most dangerous criminals in society are caught and locked up, doesn’t mean they stop committing crime. That’s where Kennedy Allardyce comes in – working in one of Scotland’s toughest prisons, monitoring not just the prisoners, but also the staff. And she’s just stumbled across her most dangerous foe yet – rumours of a corrupt guard, nicknamed Scout, with lethal influence. And what’s worst, it seems they’ve already realised Kennedy is on their tail. Despite her growing fear, there is one thing going right for Kennedy. The enigmatic new prison officer Molly is beautiful and ready to sweep her off her feet. But Kennedy can’t afford to let her guard down. Because with Scout hiding very close by, her next mistake might just be her last . . . ---- 'A significant crime debut. Authoritatively authentic, irresistibly pacey and nerve-shreddingly tense' Chris Brookmyre ‘An assured debut by former prison officer, taking us inside the claustrophobic and ofttimes gladiatorial setting of a modern prison. With the dodgy guards and vicious cons, this is a topical dive into the darker aspects of our penal system. Terrifyingly authentic’ Vaseem Khan ‘Raw, brutal, claustrophobic, fast and impossible to put down. Written by someone who's walked the walk and seen the prison system close up’ Neil Lancaster, bestselling author of Dead Man’s Grave ‘Grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go’ Professor David Wilson, leading criminologist and author of My Life with Murderers ‘Brilliantly plotted, and so tense I forgot to breathe in places’ Lisa Hall, author of Between You and Me ‘Gritty and unflinching, unbearably tense and claustrophobic, it gripped me throughout. Claire’s professional expertise shines through and gives such authenticity to the story’ Natalie Chandler, author of What We Did Readers are loving Five by Five 'I was hooked right from the first page of this book and I did not want to put it down' ***** Reader Review 'A cracking debut thriller' ***** Reader Review 'Fast pace, vivid characters and dramatic plot, Five by Five is gritty, compelling and surprisingly affecting' ***** Reader Review 'Such an exciting read' ***** Reader Review 'An incredible book. The characters are believable and relatable. I loved the setting, I haven’t read many set in a prison' ***** Reader Review
For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, Sigh, Gone shares an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works of classic literature. In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans struggle to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age memoir told through the themes of great books such as The Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Tran navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and teenage rebellion, all while attempting to meet the rigid expectations set by his immigrant parents. Appealing to fans of coming-of-age memoirs such as Fresh Off the Boat, Running with Scissors, or tales of assimilation like Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Displaced and The Refugees, Sigh, Gone explores one man’s bewildering experiences of abuse, racism, and tragedy and reveals redemption and connection in books and punk rock. Against the hairspray-and-synthesizer backdrop of the ‘80s, he finds solace and kinship in the wisdom of classic literature, and in the subculture of punk rock, he finds affirmation and echoes of his disaffection. In his journey for self-discovery Tran ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes—and ultimately saves—him.
Weirdos roam everywhere around us, at times they move within us too. However, one cannot be definitive about the salient features or the rich attributes that make them so. The short stories of this book do accept this fact and therefore, the titular characters described in those stories are not marked out as them, leaving the onus on the intelligent readers to judge for themselves.
The Art of Fire Emblem Awakening contains an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the smash-hit 3DS game, from beautifully illustrated renditions of your favorite characters, to storyboards for in-game events, character designs, weapon designs, character profiles, and the entirety of the script with every possible branch of dialogue! Relive some of the most poignant moments of the game, or see what might have been if you had made different in-game decisions with the Art of Fire Emblem Awakening!
Three girls, two guys, five secret journals. The five most popular students at Noble High have secrets to hide; secrets they wrote down in their journals. Now one of their own exposes the private entries... I am leaking these because I'm tired and I know you are too. The success bar is too high and pretending has become the only way to reach it. Instagrams are filtered, Facebook profiles are embellished, photos are shopped, reality TV is scripted, body parts get upgraded like software, and even professional athletes are cheating. The things we believe in aren't real. We are pretenders.