Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The plot follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, during which a series of messages on the walls on the school's corridors warn that the "Chamber of Secrets" has been opened and that the "heir of Slytherin" will kill all pupils who do not come from all-magical families. These threats are followed by attacks which leave residents of the school "petrified". Throughout the year, Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger investigate the attacks, and Harry is confronted by Lord Voldemort, who is attempting to regain full power.

From National Book Award and Printz Honor winner M.T. Anderson comes the amazing conclusion to his Norumbegan Quartet! Brian and Gregory have seen it all. They've played a strange, twisty game and won, and then created their own...sort of. They've gone to investigate intergalactic suburban sprawl that was infringing on the Vermont forests, and landed in the empire of New Norumbega inside the huge body of an alien. They've escaped certain death, walked right into it, and wreaked small amounts of havoc of their own. And finally, they're going to make sense of all their travels and adventures...if they possibly can! Part fantasy, part mystery, part quest, part Monty Python, the Game of Sunken Places #4 brings to a close the incredible, strange, funny journey of Brian and Gregory, as only the masterful M. T. Anderson could.

From Mathew Pearl, the bestselling author of *The Dante Club, * a masterful tale of literature, obsession, and murder The year is 1870. Five years after a series of Dante-inspired killings disrupted Boston, a man is found murdered in the public gardens of London with an enormous stone around his neck etched with a verse from the Divine Comedy. When more mysterious murders erupt across the city, all in the style of the punishments Dante memorialized in Purgatory, poet Christina Rossetti fears her brother, the Dante-obsessed artist and writer Gabriel Rossetti, will be the next victim. Christina enlists poets Robert Browning and Alfred Tennyson, and famous scholar Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, to assist in deciphering the literary clues. Together these unlikely investigators rush to unravel the secrets of Dante's verses in order to find Gabriel and stop the killings. Racing between the shimmering mansions of the elite and the dark corners of London's underworld, they descend further and further into the mystery. But when the true inspiration behind the gruesome murders is finally revealed, Christina realizes that the perpetrator has even bigger and more horrific plans than she had initially thought. A dazzling tale of intrigue from the writer Library Journal calls "the reigning king of popular literary historical thrillers," The Dante Chamber is a riveting adventure across London and through Dante. Expertly blending fact and fiction, Pearl gives us a historical mystery like no other, captivating and enthralling until the last page.

A Tragic Disappearance After a harrowing otherworldly confrontation on the shores of Exmouth, Massachusetts, Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is missing, presumed dead. A Shocking Return Sick with grief, Pendergast's ward, Constance, retreats to her chambers beneath the family mansion at 891 Riverside Drive - only to be taken captive by a shadowy figure from the past. An International Manhunt Proctor, Pendergast's longtime bodyguard, springs to action, chasing Constance's kidnapper through cities, across oceans, and into wastelands unknown. But in a World of Black and White, Nothing Is as It Seems And by the time Proctor discovers the truth, a terrifying engine has stirred - and it may already be too late....

In the corridors of Chicago's top law firm: Twenty -six-year-old Adam Hall stands on the brink of a brilliant legal career. Now he is risking it all for a death-row killer and an impossible case. Maximum Security Unit, Mississippi State Prison: Sam Cayhall is a former Klansman and unrepentant racist now facing the death penalty for a fatal bombing in 1967. He has run out of chances -- except for one: the young, liberal Chicago lawyer who just happens to be his grandson. While the executioners prepare the gas chamber, while the protesters gather and the TV cameras wait, Adam has only days, hours, minutes to save his client. For between the two men is a chasm of shame, family lies, and secrets -- including the one secret that could save Sam Cayhall's life. . . or cost Adam his.

True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime Fiction Based on Strange, But True, HistoryWill Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late? On Blackwell's Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving. With her late parents' fortune under her uncle's care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society's demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women's lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. And Edyth fears she will never be found. At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth's plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave...

Six strangers awaken in an empty room with metal walls, no door, and what appears to be a two way mirror. Then one by one, they start to die. From Brett J. Talley, author of the Bram Stoker Award nominee, That Which Should Not Be."Claire's life revolves around Starbucks, stilettos and her career as an Advertising Account Director for AJC. That is until her boss Carl decides to send her on a mission to visit every one of the 200 YHA hostel in England and Wales as part of a marketing campaign. More used to five-star spa resorts than 'flea-infested hostels' Claire only takes the assignment to save face. It becomes clear to her the 'mission' is a ruse to make her resign.Together with her hated 1980s Skoda Estelle - another part of the assignment - Claire sets off for Berwick-Upon-Tweed and a new way of life. Will Claire get used to sharing a room, going without skinny lattes and travelling in an Eastern European rust bucket. More importantly, will travelling the length and breadth of her home country enable Claire to forget her lost love Michael?"Volume 1 of 'Two-Hundred Steps Home' contains the first 31 instalments of Amanda Martin's daily challenge on her WriterMummy blog. February's instalments will be published as Volume 2 in March 2013.

    In a hidden chamber beneath an estate in Zurich, a tomblike vault is discovered containing the Unholy Trinity - Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. In Paris, an elite assassin resurfaces with the intent to raze three major cities through acts of terrorism. In Rome, an old and deadly faction rises once again to remove Kimball Hayden permanently from the ranks of the Vatican Knights. In Vatican City, the pontiff continues to cling to dark ambitions that places the seat of the papacy in moral jeopardy. Once again, the Bangladeshi returns to discover his caretaker's secret, a crate that holds the Unholy Trinity. Now with the power to unleash them from their sarcophagus to spell true Hell on Earth, the elite assassin is on the move to turn the Vatican into the Kingdom of Flames. As Kimball Hayden and his team of Vatican Knights try to rise to the occasion, Kimball soon discovers that he has become the subject of a targeted killing from an old enemy and a guild that has lived in the shadows for centuries, only to emerge once again to hunt down the Vatican Knight in a final contest. With the Unholy Trinity about to raze Vatican City to scorched ruins, and as a deadly cabal hunts down Kimball Hayden with the blessing of the pope, the Vatican Knights quickly find themselves with their backs against the wall and the odds against them overwhelming.

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WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HELEN SIMPSONFrom familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires and werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.

The road to immortality is a long one. With the empire secure, Otto turns his focus west. The first piece of The Immortality Engine lies across the ocean in Lord Colt's Workshop. Complicating Otto's mission, Eddred of Markane already in Colt's Land trying to persuade them to help him defeat the empire. Can Otto navigate a web of politics and intrigue unlike anything he's ever encountered? Or will his mission fail before he even reaches Colt's Workshop?

25 of the best short stories published on the web in 2009/10--chosen by the editors of ChamberFour.com, a website dedicated to making reading more enjoyable and more rewarding. Includes a wide range of stories from great online lit mags. This anthology is DRM-free and free to download. Find a complete table of contents, a PDF version, author bios, interviews, and more at Chamber Four.~BOOK ONE~ Sara is a Guardian, an elite human warrior trained to battle the races of Rhea, but she soon finds herself on a quest to save them when their afterlife is invaded by a powerful, mysterious race called the Pelasgians. In the journey that follows, she will see a side of the Rheans never before seen, and discover that the Pelasgians are a much greater threat than anyone can imagine.Vampires, mummies, werewolves and other creatures of mythology are reimagined as various races who must join forces to confront an ancient evil.

  Master storyteller Philip Pullman returns to the world of Lyra and Will, Mrs Coulter and Lee Scoresby, Pantalaimon and Iorek Byrnison, in this must-have companion to the His Dark Materials trilogy. A book of stunning, moving, exhilarating, breathtaking scenes set during the events of Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass: from Serafina Pekkala sitting quietly on her cloud pine broom, listening to Dust, ahead of the epic battle with the Angels, to the capture of Lord Asriel by the armoured bears. Snapshot scenes that illuminate and expand upon Pullman's iconic world: they will fill the reader with wonder. … This His Dark Materials trilogy is a major, critically acclaimed HBO/BBC TV series starring Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy, Dafne Keen, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The perfect gift for every fan, of any age. His Dark Materials is one of the most popular and successful children's series of all time....

Pure Fantasy Adventure that takes off from the very first page! 7000+ readers have spoken about how this story grabbed them, pulled them in and transported them to a place that isn't just creative, it's pure imagination. You'll be moving at a fast pace along an epic journey that can only be described as incredible. Everything you're looking for in a "can't put it down" weekend read is right here.This is NOT a stand-alone story. Beyond The Hero’s Chamber is the continuation of The Hero’s Chamber. If you didn’t read The Hero’s Chamber, just go online and do a quick search. It’s a wonderful story that thousands of people have enjoyed for years. You’ll find the eBook available in every downloadable format on smashwords.com.If you’ve already read the The Hero’s Chamber, welcome back! You’re in for a real treat.

Pure Fantasy Adventure that takes off from the very first page! 7000+ readers have spoken about how this story grabbed them, pulled them in and transported them to a place that isn't just creative, it's pure imagination. You'll be moving at a fast pace along an epic journey that can only be described as incredible. Everything you're looking for in a "can't put it down" weekend read is right here.Pure Fantasy Adventure that takes off from the very first page! 7000+ readers have spoken about how this story grabbed them, pulled them in and transported them to a place that isn't just creative, it's pure imagination. You'll be moving at a fast pace along an epic journey that can only be described as incredible. Everything you're looking for in a "can't put it down" weekend read is right here.This book was written after having an epiphany. I literally woke up from a dream and began writing. This story is appropriate for any reader age 9 and above. You'll find no gratuitous violence, foul language or nightmarish scenes. What you will discover on these pages is an adventure unlike anything I had ever dreamed about before; a fantasy tale worthy of reading aloud and a cast of characters that could only have come from deep within a creative mind.In The Hero's Chamber, two young men take a reluctant journey to find something that hasn't existed in thousands of years. Their guide may not be trustworthy, their fate is almost certain death but without this effort, their world, the original Earth, will die. Our adventurers are led by a young woman who must remain unseen, she is forbidden to speak and yet without her, there can be no success. Join this unforgettable group as they struggle through an epic journey that none of them expected, none of them asked for and none of them may survive.

Making it? Or faking it? The ancient Japanese art of raku pottery is highly dramatic — the colorful one-of-a-kind pots are pulled from the kiln, glowing and red-hot. But when Nancy and her friends visit a local crafts village, Bess is the one who nearly goes up in flames when she's showered with sparks! And that's only the beginning. Nancy's been alerted by Theresa Kim, a rising young artist at the village, that someone is producing brilliantly made fakes and selling them as antiques — for lots of money. Now the pressure is on for others to join the illegal operation. When Nancy starts to investigate, she discovers that amid the beautiful treasures lurks a very clever — and dangerous — counterfeiter. If Nancy doesn't watch her step, she may be the one going up in smoke!

In a perfect suburb, families vanish without a trace. Haunted by his own past, Inspector Corrigan uncovers a cult of predators led by the phantom mastermind, Murk. To them, murder is a philosophical art—a righteous culling of the weak. To stop the hunt, Corrigan must enter a twisted game where he is the final prey.

Green Peyton wrote this popular book that continues to be widely read today despite its age.

Chapter I: A Mysterious Visitor. The great house at Chad was wrapped in sleep. The brilliant beams of a June moon illuminated the fine pile of gray masonry with a strong white light. Every castellated turret and twisted chimney stood out in bold relief from the heavy background of the pine wood behind, and the great courtyard lay white and still, lined by a dark rim of ebon shadow. Chad, without being exactly a baronial hall of the first magnitude, was nevertheless a very fine old house. It had been somewhat shorn of its pristine glories during the Wars of the Roses. One out of its original two quadrangles had then been laid in ruins, and had never been rebuilt. But the old inner quadrangle still remained standing, and made an ample and commodious dwelling house for the family of the Chadgroves who inhabited it; whilst the ground which had once been occupied by the larger outer quadrangle, with its fortifications and battlements, was now laid out in terraces and garden walks, which made a pleasant addition to the family residence. The seventh Henry was on the throne. The battle of Bosworth Field had put an end to the long-drawn strife betwixt the houses of York and Lancaster. The exhausted country was beginning to look forward to a long period of prosperity and peace; and the household at Chad was one of the many that were rejoicing in the change which had come upon the public outlook, and was making the most of the peaceful years which all trusted lay before the nation. Several changes of some importance had passed over Chad during the previous century. The wars had made gaps in the ranks of the family to whom it had always belonged. There had been sundry edicts of confiscation--as speedily repealed by the next change in the fate of the day; and more than once the head had been struck down by death, and the house and lands had passed either to a minor or to some other branch of the family. There had been the confusion and strife betwixt the various branches of the family which was a characteristic of that age of upheaval and strife; but the present owner of the estate, Sir Oliver Chadgrove, seemed firmly settled in his place. He had fought on Henry\'s side at Bosworth, and had been confirmed by that monarch in the possession of the estate of Chad; and since that day none had tried to dispute his claim; nor, indeed, would it have been very easy to do so, as he was undoubtedly the rightful representative of the older branch of the family. A just and kindly man, he was beloved of those about him, and would have been staunchly supported by his retainers had any adversary arisen against him. His only enemy was the Lord of Mortimer, who owned Mortimer\'s Keep, the adjoining property, and had cast covetous eyes on Chad during the stormy days of the late wars, more than once trying unsuccessfully to step in between the disputing parties and claim it as his own, not by the power of right, but by that of might alone. However, he had not been successful in this attempt; and for the past few years there had been a semblance of friendliness between Sir Oliver and his proud and powerful neighbour....

The Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the ôFour Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature." It is renowned for its huge scope, large cast of characters, and telling observations on the life and social structures of 18th century China and is considered by many to be the pinnacle of classical Chinese novels. The ôRed Chamberö is an expression used for the sheltered area where the daughters of wealthy Chinese families lived. Believed to be based on the authorÆs own life and intended as a memorial to the women that he knew in his youth, The Dream of the Red Chamber is a multilayered story that offers up key insights into Chinese culture.

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

In the quiet, dimly lit clinic of Dr. Adrian Harrow, mirrors are more than just reflective surfaces; they are tools for delving into the human psyche. Dr. Harrow's innovative mirror therapy takes a dark turn when patients begin experiencing disturbing phenomena—seeing shadows and hearing whispers from within the mirrors. As these incidents escalate, Dr. Harrow teams up with folklore expert Elena Markham and Detective James Corbin to uncover the truth behind these supernatural occurrences. Their investigation reveals that the mirrors, once part of an occult collector's estate, may be acting as gateways or amplifiers for an entity known as "Mirrormask." This shadowy figure exists between reflections and reality, feeding off the emotional and psychological energies of the patients. As they delve deeper, they discover that the mirrors have absorbed the essence of their surroundings, becoming conduits for something far more sinister. To combat this...

Conspiracies, secrets and high-octane adventure in the Congo. Another gripping thriller from the author of The Forbidden Temple.People have been disappearing in what the explorer Stanley called the black heart of Africa -- the impenetrable forests of northern Congo. But when a brilliant young English doctor vanishes, alarm bells really start to ring. Intelligence chief Jack Milton sends a message to his godson Luca Matthews (The Forbidden Temple hero) in the Himalayas asking him to go to Africa and find Joshua. Reluctantly Luca obeys, but he is no longer the man he once was, traumatised by his part in the death of his best friend, his legendary climbing nerve shot to pieces. Meanwhile in Africa, mining troubleshooter and brilliant flying pilot, Beatrice (Bear) Makuru, also wants to brave the northern wilderness. Coltan is the mineral without which no mobile phone or computer would work. Explosions have been wrecking coltan mines. Bear needs to find out why. Her journey with Luca to Africa's black heart is the beginning of an utterly terrifying sequence of events, uncovering a secret so simple yet so startling that it could rock the foundations of the civilised world. 

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HELEN SIMPSONFrom familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires and werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.

The Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the ôFour Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature." It is renowned for its huge scope, large cast of characters, and telling observations on the life and social structures of 18th century China and is considered by many to be the pinnacle of classical Chinese novels. The ôRed Chamberö is an expression used for the sheltered area where the daughters of wealthy Chinese families lived. Believed to be based on the authorÆs own life and intended as a memorial to the women that he knew in his youth, The Dream of the Red Chamber is a multilayered story that offers up key insights into Chinese culture.

Enter the world of Evie Steppman, born into the dying days of the British Empire in Nigeria. It's loud and cacophonous. Why? Because Evie can hear things no one else can. Although she's too young to understand all the sounds she takes in, she hoards them in a vast internal sonic archive. Today, alone in an attic in Scotland, Evie's powers of hearing are starting to fade, and she must write her story before it disintegrates into a meaningless din. But the attic itself is not as quiet as she hoped. The scratching of mice, the hum of traffic, the tic-toc of a pocket watch and countless other sounds merge with the noises of Evie's past: her time in the womb, her childhood in Nigeria, her travels across America with her lover . . .

Calvary Gaol, standing bleak and forbidding on the Cumbrian hillside, exerts a curious hold over Georgina Grey. For her family's history is closely bound up in its dark and terrible past. It's there that her great-grandfather worked as a prison doctor in the 1930s; where his involvement in a bizarre experiment would change the course of his life forever.TV presenter Chad Ingram is fascinated by Calvary too. For he plans to conduct a new experiment in the now-disused gaol - an experiment that will take place in the brooding desolation of the old execution chamber.Chad's experiment and Georgina's curiosity will have horrifying consequences. For someone has their own reasons for suppressing the shocking truth about Calvary. Someone who will go to any lengths to ensure the past remains buried . . .**

Kids Series:  The Elijah ProjectBook 3:  Trapped by ShadowsIn book four of the series, Elijah is held captive in a mysterious Chamber. Here he sees all he can become if he denies his faith and follows Shadow Man. In their attempts to rescue him, Zach and Piper are also imprisoned. Soon they are mesmerized by dreams of greatness. Will they break free from the sinister device and follow the truth . . . or will they forever pay the cost of following darkness?

It’s hard to fall in love with an earnest, appealing young hero like Harry Potter and then to watch helplessly as he steps into terrible danger! And in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , the much anticipated sequel to the award-winning Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , he is in terrible danger indeed. As if it’s not bad enough that after a long summer with the horrid Dursleys he is thwarted in his attempts to hop the train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. But when his only transportation option is a magical flying car, it is just his luck to crash into a valuable (but clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what happens that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts. Chilling, malevolent voices whisper from the walls only to Harry, and it seems certain that his classmate Draco Malfoy is out to get him. Soon it’s not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at Hogwarts. The mysteriously gleaming, foot-high words on the wall proclaim, “The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware.” But what exactly does it mean? Harry, Hermione, and Ron do everything that is wizardly possible—including risking their own lives—to solve this 50-year-old, seemingly deadly mystery. This deliciously suspenseful novel is every bit as gripping, imaginative, and creepy as the first; familiar student concerns—fierce rivalry, blush-inducing crushes, pedantic professors—seamlessly intertwine with the bizarre, horrific, fantastical, or just plain funny. Once again, Rowling writes with a combination of wit, whimsy, and a touch of the macabre that will leave readers young and old desperate for the next installment.

Creating an exhibition for her college, Lizzie discovers connections to an Italian prince with a family collection from the Renaissance. In Bologna, Lizzie finds ancient alligators, master paintings, unicorn tusks, and rarities from around the globe in a “cabinet of curiosities." The mummified occupant of a sarcophagus draws her into a mystery that reaches from ancient Egypt to WWII Italy.

Special Agent Sydney Fitzpatrick, forensic artist to the FBI, returns to Quantico to help identify a brutally murdered young woman. But when Sydney's friend and colleague, the forensic anthropologist who assisted her, is killed in a hit-and-run, a covert government team takes over the investigation, and Sydney is suddenly removed from the case. Certain her friend's murder is connected to the first case, Sydney investigates. She discovers that the first victim was not only an archeological student, but also the daughter of the ambassador to the Holy See. Just before she was killed, the ambassador's daughter claimed to have found one of three keys that just might lead to a map of the long lost Templar treasure. Sydney's search for answers takes her to the streets of Rome, and into the underground crypts and caverns in Naples, one step ahead of a ruthless killer. Time is running out for Sydney as a fellow government agent is kidnapped. And the ransom demanded? The Templar map.

In this lyrical reimagining of the Chinese classic Dream of the Red Chamber, set against the breathtaking backdrop of eighteenth-century Beijing, the lives of three unforgettable women collide in the inner chambers of the Jia mansion. When orphaned Daiyu leaves her home in the provinces to take shelter with her cousins in the Capital, she is drawn into a world of opulent splendor, presided over by the ruthless, scheming Xifeng and the prim, repressed Baochai. As she learns the secrets behind their glittering façades, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and hidden passions, reaching from the petty gossip of the servants’ quarters all the way to the Imperial Palace. When a political coup overthrows the emperor and plunges the once-mighty family into grinding poverty, each woman must choose between love and duty, friendship and survival. In this dazzling debut, Pauline A. Chen draws the reader deep into the secret, exquisite world of the women’s quarters of an aristocratic household, where the burnish of wealth and refinement mask a harsher truth: marriageable girls are traded like chattel for the family’s advancement, and to choose to love is to risk everything. From the Hardcover edition.Review“Pauline Chen’s boldly imagined retelling of The Dream of the Red Chamber is a literary wonder. An epic yet intimate account of palace intrigue and political tumult that dazzles on every page. Heartbreaking, exhilarating, and impossible to put down.”—Julie Otsuka, author of The Buddha in the Attic“Rarely does a cast of beloved literary figures from another culture and time come alive on the pages of a modern writer’s work. Pauline Chen has reimagined the characters from my very favorite novel to make a compelling new version of China’s great literary masterpiece. I highly recommend The Red Chamber. It will transport you into an altogether new world.” —Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha “In Pauline Chen’s transporting interpretation of the Chinese classic The Dream of the Red Chamber, the byzantine machinations and behind-the-screen politics of the Jia family are so skillfully rendered as to bring to mind a delicate ink painting suddenly and vividly brought to life. A remarkable achievement.”—Janice Lee, author of The Piano Teacher“The Red Chamber draws a memorable portrait of the Qing dynasty era, revealing a dangerous world of intrigue and secrets within the entrapping web of societal mores and manners. Written in a precise, cinematic style, Chen's novel brings this fascinating historical period to vivid life.” —Dan Chaon, author of Stay Awake “Fans of historical fiction who appreciate resonant details, unexpected intrigue, and multigenerational plotting will find this work irresistible. With just the right blend of the highbrow literary and guilty summer pulp, Chen just might put this 18th-century classic on 21st-century bestseller lists.” —Library Journal “A vivid portrait...From the mighty heights to the depths of poverty and despair, the significance of female relationships, friendships, and rivalries are at the forefront of this compelling glimpse into an exotic time and place.”—Booklist “A vivid, lively reimagining...Despite their Eastern origins, Chen’s engaging heroines seem like direct descendants of the doomed, repressed women of classic Western literature.”—Book Page“Leisurely...supple...Chen often touches notes of emotional depth.” —Kirkus Reviews “Ambitious and exquisite...utterly absorbing...sure to astound and enthrall readers up until the very last page. The Red Chamber reads like a Chinese Downton Abbey and is a fitting homage to a beloved masterpiece.” —Tribute Books“The excesses of Imperial China frame this elegant story of shifting fortunes, power struggles, palace intrigue, betrayal, and love...The Red Chamber takes a long hard look at the complex interconnected desires, ambitions, and conventions that can bind a family together—or tear it apart.”—The Daily Beast, “Hot Reads”“Moving, startling, and quite beautiful...a welcome, memorable introduction to characters vivid in the imaginations of generations of Chinese readers.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer “Compelling...intricate...thoughtful and provocative...No doubt Chen has provided us with a work that will not only be found on the list of historical classics but also become a part of the lexicon of the greatest love stories in the world.”—8Asians.org“Here is clearly a work of love and a pleasing introduction to a novel—and a world—that Americans deserve to get to know.” *—The Columbus Dispatch “The Red Chamber offers a window into a foreign world...Chen’s framework provides a context for her characters’ actions, as often flawed as they are heroic, that makes things not just knowable but comprehensible.”—The Denver Post“Full of lavish details of the palace, sumptuous feasts, and day-day minutiae, levitating whispered conversations overheard by the wrong parties, capricious scheming between family members, and gossip hidden beneath every elegant tapestry and beaded pillow to lofted heights...There’s much to do about more serious matters, too—especially in the latter half of the novel, when political unrest in Beijing threatens to destroy the family’s tenuous hierarchy.” —Publishers Weekly“Bold and memorable...Chen retells and recreates in lush detail the daily life inside the Rongguo Mansion, where scandalous secrets and lies are hidden behind a grand façade.”—Chicago TribuneNew York Daily News* Summer 2012 Must-Reads Review“Pauline Chen’s boldly imagined retelling of The Dream of the Red Chamber is a literary wonder. An epic yet intimate account of palace intrigue and political tumult that dazzles on every page. Heartbreaking, exhilarating, and impossible to put down.”—Julie Otsuka, author of The Buddha in the Attic“Rarely does a cast of beloved literary figures from another culture and time come alive on the pages of a modern writer’s work. Pauline Chen has reimagined the characters from my very favorite novel to make a compelling new version of China’s great literary masterpiece. I highly recommend The Red Chamber. It will transport you into an altogether new world.” —Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha “In Pauline Chen’s transporting interpretation of the Chinese classic The Dream of the Red Chamber, the byzantine machinations and behind-the-screen politics of the Jia family are so skillfully rendered as to bring to mind a delicate ink painting suddenly and vividly brought to life. A remarkable achievement.”—Janice Lee, author of The Piano Teacher“The Red Chamber draws a memorable portrait of the Qing dynasty era, revealing a dangerous world of intrigue and secrets within the entrapping web of societal mores and manners. Written in a precise, cinematic style, Chen's novel brings this fascinating historical period to vivid life.” —Dan Chaon, author of Stay Awake

High quality action-packed stories of explorers encountering mind-bending aliens/entities from beyond space and time! In the first a voyager of colossal magnitude and origins crashes into the Antarctic and Russian intelligence agencies uncover it from beneath the ice near an American ice station! In the second explorers find a pulsating alien sphere and enter a black hole it holds in its confines!

A Tragic Disappearance After a harrowing otherworldly confrontation on the shores of Exmouth, Massachusetts, Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is missing, presumed dead. A Shocking Return Sick with grief, Pendergast's ward, Constance, retreats to her chambers beneath the family mansion at 891 Riverside Drive - only to be taken captive by a shadowy figure from the past. An International Manhunt Proctor, Pendergast's longtime bodyguard, springs to action, chasing Constance's kidnapper through cities, across oceans, and into wastelands unknown. But in a World of Black and White, Nothing Is as It Seems And by the time Proctor discovers the truth, a terrifying engine has stirred - and it may already be too late....

Simeon's life is falling apart, and he fears he may never see his wife and daughter again. As he arrives in Jerusalem for Passover, he is looking for a miracle. In this novel, Sigmund Brouwer retells the passion of Christ through the eyes of one man as he experiences an astonishing encounter with Christ in his last hours of life.

Kids Series:  The Elijah ProjectBook 3:  Trapped by ShadowsIn book four of the series, Elijah is held captive in a mysterious Chamber. Here he sees all he can become if he denies his faith and follows Shadow Man. In their attempts to rescue him, Zach and Piper are also imprisoned. Soon they are mesmerized by dreams of greatness. Will they break free from the sinister device and follow the truth . . . or will they forever pay the cost of following darkness?

From two masters of dark fantasy comes a chilling tale of magic and possession, set in-and beneath-fabulous Venice, a city slowly being swallowed by the very waters that have made it one of the wonders of the world. Geena Hodge is an American archaeologist working to salvage Venicers"s past from the encroaching Adriatic Sea. When she and her lover, Nico, discover the lost library of Petrarch under the Piazza San Marco, they rejoice not only at the historical significance of the find but at the opportunity to bring worldwide attention-and much-needed funding-to their endeavors. But that find soon leads to another, a room buried more deeply still: the fabledChamber of Ten, where centuries ago the secret rulers of Venice, in their quest for absolute power, met to plot betrayals and murders. After entering the Chamber, Geena and Nico are thrust into the midst of an ancient feud, a deadly battle of wills and black magic that threatens to poison the cityrs"s future with the evils of its past.

Two thousand years ago in Egypt's exotic city of Alexandria, the single most revered treasure of the Mediterranean would inexplicably disappear from the pages of history. Believed irretrievably lost to all but legend, few dared dream the possibility that it might still exist . . .Until now! Guided by the discovery of an ancient artifact, a determined professor of archaeology and a beautiful New England heiress join forces in the quest of a lifetime. Overcoming treachery and deadly obstacles, they follow an ever-murderous trail that eventuallyleads them to a barren, desert valley containing a stunning secret -- one the modern world may not yet be prepared to accept.

In a private-school conspiracy novel, 16-year-old Jason Weatherby knows exactly why he's at the Lambert School for the Gifted. And it's not for his brains. His dad is an influential state senator. It's this same connection that lands him a spot on the secretive Chamber of Five, the elite group of students who run the school with a shadow government, tapping into the same lines of powers as their parents. When he's asked to physically assault and ruin the reputation of another student as part of his initiation, Jason sees firsthand the depravity of the Chamber--and decides to work from the inside to take it down. But Jason taps into a conspiracy--and school secrets--far more insidious than he could ever have imagined. From award-winning author Michael Harmon comes a taut, thrillingly paced novel about the perils of privilege. Can one bold student set things right?From the Hardcover edition.