Showing results by author "Maria K" in All Categories

It should have never happened. But it did. It should have been left alone. But it wasn’t. No one should have gone in. But someone did.

Alexander Kuprin prefaced his novel The Pit about the lives of early 20th century Russian prostitutes as follows, "I know many people will find this novel amoral and inappropriate, but nevertheless I dedicated it from the bottom of my heart to mothers and young people" Indeed, the novel's publication was followed by an explosion of outrage. The "good" society accused Kuprin of slander and forever exiled him from its sitting rooms, charity auctions, and holiday balls. Progressive intellecutals winced and shuddered, but could not help admitting Kuprin had a point.

After being rescued from the greedy mole by her faithful swallow and brought to the tropical kingdom populated by elves, Thumbelina finds herself thrust into the intricacies of elvish court politics and facing yet another marriage no one had asked her about.

Adventures in Land Far Away continue when one of its smaller dwellers stumbles onto a very...big...mess.

After a prolonged battle with a strange sleep disorder, Philip Stokes becomes one of the patients at IRIS - International Research Institute of Sleep. He comes to realize even this exclusive institution doesn't have all the answers, and sometimes, its highly capable specialists must rely on unconventional expertise to solve their patients' problems.

An odd little baby is born into a Finksparkle family. When teasing ensues thanks to her strange yellow nose and odd wings, the brave little Finksparkle sets out on a journey to find her own lot in life.

This love story for nerds initially appeared in the author's anthology Elemental Tales and Other Unusual Adventures.

This installment of the Alternative Endings series takes a fresh look at Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen", following Kai and Gerda in a somewhat different direction than the original.

Serafima Nichols decided a cross-country road trip from North Carolina to Oregon would be an adventure. Little did she know that somewhere in the middle of nowhere, this adventure would take a very unsettling turn.

An old and insightful tale, Indian Tale About Four Deaf Men holds up surprisingly well in the modern context.

The Binge is more than just a cookbook. It is an endlessly amusing, semi-biographical, all-around irreverent discussion of all things food with a stack of delicious recipes thrown in for good measure.

Over the past six years, Michael K. Simpson’s Unlocking Potential has helped leaders motivate, inspire, and fully engage their teams. This revised edition, written with Maria Sullivan and Kari Saddler, builds on that powerful foundation for a new generation of leaders. The key is not just managing but coaching - developing the talents of your organization’s most important asset: the employees. In any successful organization, that begins with the basic skills developed by Simpson: building trust, recognizing potential, challenging paradigms, and more.

Alternative Endings series dips into the realm of alternative beginnings by pondering what might have really happened before the opening scene of the beloved classic Beauty and the Beast.

The lore and everyday life of the Caucasus Region had a great impact on Mikhail Lermontov's work. In addition to serious, profound pieces with very clear Caucasus influence, like "The Hero of Our Time" and "Demon", he offers up this very traditional and slightly mischievous tale of a wandering minstrel in search of happiness.

Another Christmas comes to Land Far Away, and with it comes a new set of troubles and adventures.

Two continents, divided. Two lands, honoring their heritage to ensure the well-being and prosperity of their people. One tradition to keep them all going.

A beautiful collection of female archetypes from the author of The Garnet Bracelet and Sulamyth.

From Egypt to a Russian village to the mountains of Eastern Europe and back, one of the old-fashioned gentlemen of Russian literature, Nikolai Leskov, takes his listeners on a journey of spirit, mind, and imagination.

As Christmas comes to Land Far Away, all creatures make ready for the festivities. One young Linzer is not satisfied by the prospect of gifts - she wants to capture the big man, Father Christmas himself.

A set of fascinating tales on various aspects of nature - ruthless, strange, puzzling, yet invariably beautiful and captivating.