Showing results by author "A. A. Black" in All Categories

When college basketball coach Malik Shaw goes missing after a family tragedy, it looks like just another retired athlete gone off the rails. But Malik's childhood friend, private security specialist Ty Johnson, quickly begins to suspect that there is more to it. Chasing the truth, Ty and his business partner, Ryan Lock, begin to uncover a sinister conspiracy of silence in a sleepy Minnesota college town.

Peter Santori is living the dream. He’s got a hot gangster boyfriend named Gio who treats him with the respect he deserves. Michael Kage Santori is fascinated with his uncle Peter’s journals. Not only does the story play out like a Shakespearean tragedy, but it could hold the key to why his life turned out the way it did. Complicated. Kage lost his boyfriend, and the only way to get him back is to play hardball with some real bad guys.

Dan Fisher is a fun-loving slacker from SSU with a passion for partying and dancing. When rich girl Avery Wakefield offers him a brand-new designer wardrobe in exchange for posing as her boyfriend, he reluctantly agrees. He hates lying, but it's hard to turn down nice clothes and a chance to live in a historic mansion in Savannah for two weeks. What he doesn't count on is falling hard for her mysterious, straight brother.

You've seen him on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart offering up his trademark angry observational humor on everything from politics to pop culture. You've seen his energetic stand-up performances on HBO, Comedy Central, and in venues across the globe. Now Lewis Black's volcanic eruptions can be found in Nothing's Sacred, a collection of rants against stupidity and authority, which oftentimes go hand in hand.

ALL THE SMOKE pairs two of the most outspoken and controversial players of their time. Known as fiery, intense competitors during their on-court careers, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson are now two of the most widely respected voices by today’s crop of NBA stars. Serving as mentors to numerous players throughout the league and with their hands firmly on the pulse of the game, they have first-hand insight into the minds, lives and pressing issues facing today’s players. Barnes and Jackson, who have played alongside two generations of All-Stars, will dish on the latest news and drama from on...

Poisonous girls whose kisses will kill. A fateful eating contest with the devil. Faeries who return to Ironside, searching for love. A junior prom turned bacchanalia. In twelve short stories, eerie and brimming with suspense and unexpected humor, Holly Black twists the fantastical creatures you thought you knew in ways you’ll never expect.

A copy editor at the Cleveland Herald is found hanging above the grinding wheels of the newspaper assembly line, a wide strap wrapped around his throat. Forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner has her suspicions about this apparent suicide inside the tsunami of tensions that is the news industry today - and when the evidence suggests murder, Maggie has no choice but to place her trust in the one person she doesn't trust at all.

Amidst the rugged beauty of Oregon's Opal Creek Wilderness, a contestant on a reality survival show falls to his death from an isolated cliff, his body later devoured by black bears. The show's producers are spinning it as a tragic accident, but local police suspect murder. While enjoying a leisurely tour of the Oregon wine country, Detective Thomas Austin is drawn into the mystery when he learns that the deceased is a well-known author who lived minutes from his own home.

Sister Joan receives a photo of her art school classmates, reminding her of a reunion pact they made 20 years ago. But for three of group, it’s too late - they’re already dead. Joan is more determined than ever to attend the get-together. Then another copy of the photo arrives, again anonymously, with the dead friends crossed out and an ominous black circle drawn around Sister Joan. Ten old friends. Three are dead. Is she next?

Sister Joan heads to the serene shores of Loch Morag for a spiritual retreat in a cave up a steep hill. She’s hoping for peace and quiet, but she soon finds trouble. Six years ago, the womanizing husband of the local store-owner disappeared. Then the minister’s wife died of an overdose. Was it an accident or suicide? Then, after a sudden storm, a body surfaces in the loch. What’s going on? The grumpy villagers don’t want to talk about it. Sister Joan must abandon her solitude to search for the killer and unearth the truth.

An indentured human woman. An Imperial man on a mission. A fake marriage born in the stars. When my master died, I believed I’d be set free. Instead, I’m sent to a temple where I’m forced to continue doing the one thing I know—pleasing alien males. Until Gael the Returner arrives. Half-human and half-Imperial, he travels the galaxy, rescuing humans.

Ruling a kingdom is challenging under any circumstances. But Aurora - queen of Perceforest and queen of the Moors - is reigning under the weight of two crowns. Caught between the prejudices that divide her kingdom and eager to establish lasting peace, Aurora is determined to sign a treaty to unify the humans and the Fair Folk. But as spiky dark flowers grow fiercely around Perceforest’s borders and a stable boy mysteriously disappears, tensions between humans and faeries are at a dangerous high.

I've lived in the shadows. Now I have the chance to escape from them and start over. My cousin and best friend sent me to Alaska to get away from my family. A fresh start. I should have known my past wouldn't let me go that easily. As I fight to overcome it, deadly secrets are revealed. I may not survive. Can I manage to be happy? Three infuriating men seem to think I can, even though I've rejected them. Will the shadows finally consume me?

Kelsey Rena is an enigma. She's a girly-girl who's wild for football, craves action movies, and loves knocking back a cold beer with her three best friends - all male. She's a puzzle, too, when it comes to sex. Here are three hot guys always ready and within reach, and she's never seemed interested. There must be a lucky mystery man somewhere who's been satisfying the girl of their secret dreams. The three pals plan to find out. And when they do, they'll see a side of Kelsey they've only dared to fantasize about.

Conrad Black, bestselling author of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom and Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full, turns his attention to his "friend" President Donald J. Trump and provides the most intriguing and significant analysis yet of Trump's political rise. Ambitious in intellectual scope, contrarian in many of its opinions, and admirably concise, this is surely set to be one of the most provocative political books you are likely to listen to this year.

From the moment I scent her, I have to have her underneath me. The human female spins and runs straight into my chest. “Oh!” she says but then she stops, frozen as she stares up at me. “Hi.” I, too, am stopped in place. This female is nothing like the others I have seen. She is petite, with long flowing black hair. Her features are as foreign to me as any humans, but for some reason I find her face pleasing.

The High King of Ulfaria needs no introduction. What I need is an omega. And now, I've found one. Kim. She is small and perfect, as I knew she would be. I will demand her obedience, then I will give her the perfect nest and allow her to bear my heirs. She vows to defy me, but one way or another, she will submit.

Procrastination is the reason why you might have lost your job, earned lower grades, lost that big opportunity, and consequently ended up in a freefall into a state of anxiety, embarrassment, panic, or even depression. It is the reason why you might be one of the 40 percent of people worldwide who have experienced substantial financial loss. It is also the reason why you may have lost many friendships, broken up with your lover, or even become an insomniac.

Studies show that people who are good with words and can read other people’s emotions, needs, and vulnerabilities are more likely to get things done their way and live the life they’ve always wanted. That’s because those people have worked on their abilities to persuade and psychologically manipulate people around them with the most powerful mind-controlling techniques.

Whether you want to write short stories, simply want better insight as a reader, or even if you are looking for a new lens through which to view American history, the 24 rich and informative lectures of Great American Short Stories: A Guide for Writers and Readers will show you the ins and outs of this infinitely adaptable - and intrinsically American - literary form. Professor Jennifer Cognard-Black of St. Mary’s College of Maryland guides you through the technical aspects of the short story, while also digging deep into the history of the form in the United States.