On the Edge


Book Description

THE STORY: The setting is the rubbish-strewn backyard of Betty's rundown bungalow near a U.S. Air Force base in rural England. Deserted by a succession of lovers, Betty makes ends meet by selling herself to the young airmen, while her current live-




Jimmy & Rita


Book Description

In Round, she writes: "Let's get married, Rita says. / She puts her head in Jimmy's lap, / nuzzles his balls through his underwear. / The guy on the ropes goes down. / He pushes her away. / Her voice / in his ear now, drowning out / the count. Marry me, Jimmy. / He sees the crowd / on its feet, screaming, / him just lying there."




Frankenstein Follies


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Secret of Skull Island


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To Where we Once Belonged


Book Description

This novel is inspired by the reality of true events in a small coastal town during the Second World War, some of the characters are based on people who lived, others are purely fictitious. It is a fact realised only in recent years that the town of Colwyn Bay and its population deserved huge recognition for its vitally important administrative role during wartime in feeding the nation. This function is now celebrated annually at a festival each April since the publication of ‘Colwyn Bay Accredited’. The prologue describes a young girl fascinated by the diary of her great grandmother written as a teenager during the war years. We visit Spain, and continue on to Liverpool and North Wales in an obscure seemingly insignificant area. Set in the 21st century, stories of the past and wartime years surface in memories of the characters, all of whom have their own agenda for returning, and many have connections to each other. Rita, retired to the Costa Blanca is an ageing former singer, famous and successful in the past, and now wealthy but widowed and lonely. There has been a family rift with her brother and she has no children of her own. An explanation of the appearance of the mysterious stranger at The Metropole is eventually revealed in a surprising twist. A glimpse of the future is disclosed. Themes of regeneration, the downward spiral of society, in comparison to attitudes during former times of challenge and adversity, and nostalgic curiosity about the past in a hometown are explored. Many mysteries are explained but some things will never be known.




The Throwaway Children


Book Description

Gritty, heartrending and unputdownable – the story of two sisters sent first to an English, then an Australian orphanage in the aftermath of World War II. Rita and Rosie Stevens are only nine and five years old when their widowed mother marries a violent bully called Jimmy Randall and has a baby boy by him. Under pressure from her new husband, she is persuaded to send the girls to an orphanage – not knowing that the papers she has signed will entitle them to do what they like with the children. And it is not long before the powers that be decide to send a consignment of orphans to their sister institution in Australia. Among them – without their family's consent or knowledge – are Rita and Rosie, the throwaway children. What readers are saying about THE THROWAWAY CHILDREN: 'I haven't felt so immersed in a book in a very long time and have recommended to just about everyone' 'Heart wrenching' 'A truly powerful book'




Four Short Stories of Global Rescuer


Book Description

For my customers, four short stories in one book to include: "The Egyptian-Mallorca Affair" (sequel story to "The Tripoli Mission"), "Rape Day Wednesday," "Darlene" (sequel story to "The Razzle-Dazzle"), and "Tubers Daughter" at one low price.




The Oxford Handbook of the Hollywood Musical


Book Description

Since the release of Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! in 2001, the film musical has returned to popularity as one of the most important cinematic genres, a box office hit that appeals to audiences of all ages. Yet the history of the musical on film goes back over seven decades earlier than that, stretching from early examples like The Jazz Singer (1927), the first ever film with synchronized sound, through the Astaire-Rogers musicals of the 1930s, the MGM and Warner Brothers extravaganzas of the 1940s and '50s, and the roadshow era of the 1960s. The genre's renaissance with La La Land (2016) and The Greatest Showman (2017) proves that it remains as appealing as ever, capable of both high critical acclaim and widespread box office success. The Oxford Handbook of the Hollywood Musical, curated by editor Dominic Broomfield-McHugh, reflects and expands on current scholarship on the film musical in a handbook that mixes new discoveries through archival research with new perspectives on familiar titles. It addresses issues such as why audiences accept people bursting into song in musicals; how technology affects the way numbers are staged; and how writers have adapted their material to suit certain stars. It also looks at critical issues such as racism and sexism, and assesses the role and nature of the film musical in the twenty-first century. A remarkable survey at the cutting edge of the field, The Oxford Handbook of the Hollywood Musical will be a resource for students and scholars alike for years to come.




Hollywood at the Races


Book Description

“An informative and amusing look at the close relationship between Golden Age Hollywood and West Coast horse racing. A fascinating read.” —Christina Rice, author of Mean . . . Moody . . . Magnificent! Horse racing was so popular and influential between 1930 and 1960 that nearly 150 racing themed films were released, including A Day at the Races, Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry, and National Velvet. This fast-paced, gossipy history explores the relationship between the Hollywood film industry, the horse racing industry, and the extraordinary participation of producers, directors, and actors in the Sport of Kings. Alan Shuback details how all three of Southern California’s major racetracks were founded by Hollywood luminaries: Hal Roach was cofounder of Santa Anita Park, Bing Crosby founded Del Mar with help from Pat O’Brien, and Jack and Harry Warner founded Hollywood Park with help from dozens of people in the film community. The races also provided a social and sporting outlet for the film community—studios encouraged film stars to spend a day at the races, especially when a new film was being released. The stars’ presence at the track generated a bevy of attention from eager photographers and movie columnists, as well as free publicity for their new films. Moreover, Louis B. Mayer, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Betty Grable, and Don Ameche were all major Thoroughbred owners, while Mickey Rooney, Chico Marx, and John Huston were notorious for their unsuccessful forays to the betting windows. “The more entertaining vignettes pair the names of old-time screen stars with ribald tales of racetrack depravity.” —Thoroughbred Daily News




The Fury and the Power


Book Description

Eden Waring has known fear in her life. She is an Avatar, a talented young psychic with the ability to produce at will her doppelganger - her mirror image, who calls herself "Gwen" and possesses remarkable powers beyond even Eden's gifts. Gwen can be invisible to mortal eyes, if she chooses to be, and can even travel back and forth in time. As gifted as Eden and Gwen are, there is an even stronger entity that stalks them, coveting Gwen's unique talents. He is known as Mordant, the Dark Side of God, a being both ageless and deadly, so evil that his soul was split in two by the Caretakers, ancient souls in surprising positions of earthly influence, who are charged to watch over humankind. In order to regain his full potential for destruction and reach his goal of world domination, he must accomplish two goals: seduce Eden Waring through any means necessary and take away Eden's control of her own doppelganger. In human form, Mordant is the ultimate trickster: handsome, wealthy, charming. But when he is provoked, he is nothing but deadly. Eden is his unwitting prey, stalked from the barren Rift Valley of Kenya to the holy streets of Rome, and finally to the neon glitz of Las Vegas, where a terrible and frightening reckoning is waiting to pounce on them both.