Showing results by author "Matthew S." in All Categories

Eleven-year-old Kiera Quinn is sure she’s having a nightmare. She doesn’t believe a nap that started in her suburban bedroom ends in an empty wasteland. She doesn’t believe everyone she’s ever known may have never existed - and she definitely doesn’t believe an old man who tells her she will resurrect the world. The odd shaman clad in junk and old computer parts claims she is "the child born of the earth", humanity’s only chance to survive. Desperate and scared, Kiera humors him, hoping her bad dream ends soon.

Saving the world isn’t easy. It’s even harder when you’re only nine. Kelly Donovan used to be a nobody. Well, a smart nobody. Skipping ahead a year in school made her the smallest kid in fifth grade and a target for bullies in search of an easy mark. She tried to follow her father’s advice and ignore them, but it didn’t do any good. Escaping into her favorite comic books at least helped her through the day. Who needs friends anyway? Sometimes, dreams find a way to come true, even if nobody asked them to.

A move to the small town of Spring Falls, New York, is the perfect cure for Mia Gartner’s horrid commute. However, her new home isn’t quite empty. She adored working in fine art restoration, but a two-hour ride each way got old fast. When her husband found a house for sale at a suspiciously low price, they jumped at it. Mia expected chemical contamination, a fixer-upper, or termites, so when the problem turned out to be persistent rumors of haunting, she set aside her worries.

Sophie lives in a most peculiar cottage at the center of the Forgotten Forest, its inside much larger than its outside. You see, the house must be large, for it holds a great troll as well as a little girl. As one might expect, working for such a creature is rather frightening to a seven-year-old, but the endless expanse of black trees outside is even scarier. She’s afraid to make even the slightest sound, for the troll abhors loud children. He’s not terribly fond of quiet children either - unless they’re in his stew. Sophie’s precious light offers comfort in her darkest moments.

No longer a small child, Wisp accompanies Dad on one of his treks, her first time more than a few steps away from the cabin. A day exploring with him is the happiest time of her life, but joy is short-lived. A monster follows them home. Safe in her haven, she hides while Dad goes outside to confront the beast. She wakes alone the next morning and waits. Alas, her hope of his return fades with the daylight. Afraid but determined, Wisp sets off on her own into the Endless Forest to find Dad - before the Tree Walkers catch her.

Bronx born and bred, Mackenzie Ferrara is both nervous and excited to begin her career as a restorer of fine art at the prestigious Cloisters in New York City. The star of the restoration team is a handsome and reserved Italian, Anthony Bataglia. On loan from the Ufizzi, he is renowned for his ability to bring pre-Renaissance treasures back to life. Despite a rocky start, the two form a close working relationship, which Mackenzie hopes will blossom into something more. But as she works with him she begins to notice patterns and unexplainable similarities in all of his restorations.

This "easy-to-understand" information was prepared by medical specialists to educate and inform professional truck drivers about important health issues. Diseases and risk factors are discussed along with good nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes for improving your health. Learning and applying this information will translate into lower health insurance premiums, job security and perhaps even saving your life.

Solstice Winters has spent most of her life halfway between normal society and the world of her magical parents. However, when getting caught between two worlds becomes more than metaphorical, being able to summon light or open locks might not be enough.   

The year was 1997. For Brian “Legs” Hamilton and his friends, it was the summer that followed graduation from college, the summer before life as an adult actually began—back when they were still invincible. Legs and his friends embark upon one last road trip before they must face the real world. They set their sites on rafting amidst the canyons of the Rio Grande River along the Mexican border as their final chaotic drug-fueled exploit. A five-day adventure that was supposed to be the best time in these young men’s lives ends as a nightmare that will haunt them forever.

Ten-year-old Emma doesn’t believe in faerie tales or monsters that secret children away in the night—until she meets one. She lives in a quiet village at the edge of Widowswood with her parents, her Nan, and her little brother, Tam.

In this fairy tale storybook for children, Princess Denise lives a simple life in a tranquil village, oblivious to her royal lineage. On her fifteenth birthday, a peculiar package arrives bearing the royal seal. A letter revealed a shocking truth: she is the king's daughter! Filled with excitement and disbelief, Denise embarked on a journey of self-discovery guided by the King's letters. These messages, filled with wisdom and love, exposed a world Denise had never known. They taught her about the royal family, the King's other children, and the expectations of a princess.

Deputy Marshal Zeb Clemens usually goes out looking for trouble—but sometimes, it finds him first. The town of Silver Mesa seemed ideal for him: not too large, not too small, neither too remote nor too close to civilization… and even a woman he fancies. It’s the perfect hometown for a man who cannot die.

This pod provides insight into mental health and relational health in brief but impactful episodes.

The North American Jules Verne Society is pleased to present its first-ever anthology of short stories, written by a select group of modern authors, inspired by classics like Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Around the World in Eighty Days, and other novels and stories by the 19th-century master of “Extraordinary Voyages,” Jules Verne.

Mingled Waters explores a range of issues related to the intersection of three important streams of our shared relational existence: the teeming, troubled, and often chaotic depths of psychology, politics, and theology.