A little girl makes a huge mess playing in the kitchen. Includes brief notes about how children explore their environment.

The latest volume in the acclaimed Heiresses of Russ series features stories that are anything but invisible: the women in these tales are not hiding and are not easily overlooked but rather are choosing the harder path, the more dangerous route, whether that leads to love or loss or adventure. Included in these pages are stories that have won a World Fantasy Award, a Tiptree Award, and a British Fantasy Award...but every one of these stories chosen by guest editor A.M. Dellamonica (herself an award-winning writer of queer speculative fiction) is emblematic of the new vitality to be found in lesbian-themed tales of wonder, the eerie, and the miraculous.

An inexplicable message flashed onto the screen of his Apple II computer at 3 a.m. heralds the beginning of a startling quest for frustrated author Herman Orff. Taking up the offer of a cure for writer's block leads him 'to those places in your head that you can't get to on your own' - and plunges him into a semi-dreamland inhabited by a bizarre combination of characters from myth and reality: the talking head of Orpheus; a lost love; the young girl of Vermeer's famous portrait - and a frequency of Medusas.

"Fans of Hillerman will love this unique and quirky detective duo."-Leslie Glass, bestselling author of Judging Time A Howard Moon Deer Mystery In the deserts of New Mexico, someone has just discovered his inner child . . . and it's about to throw a deadly temper tantrum. When Howard Moon Deer's girlfriend Aria storms from his cabin in the middle of the night, he just considers it another conflict in their tempestuous relationship. But when he finds her Jeep abandoned down the road with no sign of her nearby, his instincts lead him on an investigation that uncovers the dark underbelly of a trendy southwestern town. With the help of blind ex-detective Jack Wilder, Howard follows a trail of clues leading to a men's encounter group known as the Warrior Circle. Its members are prosperous local businessmen and upstanding members of the community . . . or are they? As the pair edge closer to the truth about Aria's disappearance, one thing becomes crystal clear-someone is acting out a murderous fantasy of power and revenge-and Howard and Jack may be the next victims! "Westbrook knows how to mix satire with action."-New York Times Book Review "Westbrook possesses a masterful sense of narration." -Washington Post, Book World

"Fans of Hillerman will love this unique and quirky detective duo."-Leslie Glass, bestselling author of Judging Time A Howard Moon Deer Mystery In San Geronimo, New Mexico, the rich and famous mingle with the down and out-and the secrets of the past collide with the crimes of the present.... Shortly after private eye Howard Moon Deer decides to settle down with his latest lady love, he accepts a new case that takes him away from the homefront-and introduces him to the dangerous passions that drive San Geronimo's thriving art scene.... Howard and ex-police commander Jack Wilder have been hired to investigate Sherman Stone, a man notorious for his torrid liaisons and low-life friends. Rumor has it that he's planning to have his wealthy wife killed. But before Howard can separate fact from fiction, a local hobo is murdered-and then Sherman himself meets an untimely end. Now Howard and Jack must follow a sinister trail of clues that leads them into the past-to the night when a precious painting was stolen and a murderous legacy was born.... "Robert Westbrook is a wise, witty, and wonderful writer."-Judith Van Gieson "Westbrook writes with authority and amusement."-Los Angeles Times "Westbrook possesses a masterful sense of narration."-Washington Post, Book World

A deranged assassin has gunned down fourteen women students in Montreal. Celebrated Actress, Madeleine Blais, is haunted by a sense that somewhere out there, where her filmed image roams so freely, someone is determined to kill her too. Her old friend and lawyer, Pierre Rousseau can do nothing to shift her growing despair. So when on Christmas morning she is found hanging in a barn close to her grandmother's cottage in the small Laurentian town of Ste-Anne, the obvious verdict is that Madeleine's depression has driven her to suicide. Only her grandmother's unshakeable belief in Madeleine's love of life induces the police to launch a murder investigation, in which Pierre, with secrets of his own to hide, takes a leading role.

Inspired by the author's career as a sportswriter for the Washington Post, Squeeze Play tells the story of female reporter A. B. Berkowitz, who is assigned to cover the men of the Washington Senators -- the worst team in major league baseball. Life in the locker room shows her not just the players'…um…assets but also their all-too-human frailties. Love for the game and love for the newspaper business are the stars in this hilarious and heartbreaking novel that "will have you singing a rousing chorus of 'Take Me Out to the Locker Room'"(People).

Deborah Eisenberg is almost unmatched in her mastery of the short story form. In this, her seventh collection, she demonstrates her virtuosic abilities in precisely distilled, unflinchingly honest studies of human connection and disconnection. From a group of friends whose luxurious Manhattan sublet becomes a front-row seat to the catastrophe of 9/11; to the Roman holiday of a schoolteacher running away from the news of her ex-husband's life-threatening illness; to the too painful love of a brother for his schizophrenic sister, Eisenberg evokes painful and tender truths, both poetic and deeply political. 'The stories are, in their masterly crosshatching of light and dark, concentrated bursts of perfection’ The Times ‘Wonderful . . . written with a ruthless, compassionate eye and a subtle humour' Guardian ‘Further confirms her reputation as one of the most imaginative and exquisitely perceptive of today’s short story writers' Scotland on Sunday 'She makes you smile as much as she haunts with stark truths . . . In the US, many people consider Eisenberg to be up there with Alice Munro, the female monarch of the short-story form. It’s time the UK considered putting her up there too’ Financial Times

Deborah Eisenberg is nearly unmatched in her mastery of the short story form. Now, in her newest collection, she demonstrates once again her virtuosic abilities in precisely distilled, perfectly shaped studies of human connection and disconnection. From a group of friends whose luck in acquiring a luxurious Manhattan sublet turns to disaster as their balcony becomes a front-row seat to the catastrophe of 9/11; to the Roman holiday of a schoolteacher running away from the news of her ex-husband's life-threatening illness, and her unlikely guide, a titled art scout in desperate revolt against his circumstances and aging; to the too painful love of a brother for his schizophrenic sister, whose tragic life embitters him to the very idea of family, Eisenberg evokes, in brooding passionate and brilliant prose, a brutally honest portrait of our lives today, showing us truths which are both poetic and deeply political. 'Like Alice Munro, virtually her only equal in the field, Deborah Eisenberg seems incapable of writing a bad short story . . . Eisenberg's writing at times approaches the beauty of a line of poetry. She manipulates her readers with a master's blend of humor and poignancy. Her stories are wondrous' San Francisco Chronicle

Illustrations and gently rhyming text follow two mothers and their toddler on a sunny day.

When a spaceship carrying Neil Armstrong accidentally time travels to 1869 Texas, cowboy Nat Love decides to trade in his horse for a trip to the Moon, and stepsiblings Abby and Doc must untwist history and get everyone back to their own time.

An imaginative account of the real-life love affair between Bill Hickok and Sally Ovenshine, in the adventurous days of the American West, follows the two lovers from their strange initial meeting through Hickok's violent death

"An epic story spanning two continents and six centuries, The Love of Stones follows three very different people, each in their own way consumed by the same desire. At the heart of their lives is the Three Brethren, the legendary jewel that binds them together in a narrative as clear and irresistible as the facets of a diamond."--BOOK JACKET.

After Yair Berman left her and shattered all her dreams, the devastated Shlomtzion Drore escaped as far as possible from him and her intensely religious life in Jerusalem, becoming an interior designer in secular Tel-Aviv. Twenty-one years later, her daughter has become engaged to his son, and Shlomtzion is forced to visit the controversial settlement in which Yair lives, not only to plan the wedding but to confront her former love and the mistakes of her life. Set in Israel between the Six Day War and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, If You Awaken Love is the intensely moving story of a stormy and spiritual young girl and her love-hate relationships with her childhood sweetheart, with her father, and with God. Translated by David Hazony.

Stephen King's chilling novella "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe" leads 22 modern masters of the macabre in carving their own eerie chapters into the Book of Love. Visit a place where ecstasy meets agony, and the carnal and the creepy spawn unholy terror. Other contributors to this all-star anthology include Ramsey Campbell, Stuart Kaminsky and others.

Comedy Joseph Fields and Peter de Vries adapted from the novel by Mr. de Vries Characters: 2 male 4 female Interior Set Tom Ewell played the Broadway part of a suburban husband in a 5 year childless marriage. He and his wife decide to adopt a baby but a loud mouth neighbor upsets the apple cart when the adoption investigator comes to call. However not to be outdone Ewell finds himself in the clutches of the investigator who has suddenly turned color. Later she announces that she is pregnant and is going off to have the baby. She will see that the man and his wife receive the child in due time through the agency. Shortly after the baby arrives however the wife learns of the matter and starts packing to go home to Mother. But it turns out that the adopted baby was not fathered by the husband and also that the wife is now herself pregnant; and matters are mended. "It offers laugh after laugh." N.Y. World Telegram & Sun.

Four-time Edgar Award-winning author Lawrence Block's definitive essay collection on the art of writing fiction For ten years, crime novelist Lawrence Block funneled his wealth of writing expertise into a monthly column for Writer's Digest. Collected here for the first time are those pieces illuminating the tricks of the authorial trade, from creating vibrant characters and generating seamless plots, to conquering writer's block and experimenting with self-publishing. Filled with wit and insight, The Liar's Bible is a must-read for experts, amateurs, and anyone interested in learning to craft great fiction from one of the field's modern masters. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lawrence Block, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author's personal collection.

Obsessive and confessional, sifting over every action and thought, Contempt is a tale about the precarious nature of love and integrity; a study of the limits of our subjective nature and of storytelling itself. It was adapted for the screen by Jean-Luc Godard in 1963.

"Denied by his father, abandoned by his mother, Adam has been in flight from his past for twenty years--until he returns to investigate the possible murder of his father by one of the church members."--Jacket.

An Oscar-winning actress and the greatest actor of the English theater engage in a fairy-tale romance, until secrets of the past and crippling ambition threaten to destroy their legendary love in this passionate and scandalous international bestseller from the author of Horse People . Filled with scandal, gossip, passion, and romance, Curtain is the story of Robert Vane, a famous actor of the English theater, and Felicia Lisle, an award winning actress from Hollywood’s biggest film, as they ignite in a romance that burns through the pages. But as their relationship deepens, truths reveal themselves that might push the couple to their breaking point. Secrets about Robert’s involvement with another actor from the theater and Felicia’s darkening mental madness begin to rip the couple apart, shaking their careers and relationship to the core.