The Toymaker JD Ballam

A young man investigating his father's untimely death. A woman's initials, carved in an ancient tree. A half- forgotten hex sign revealing a crooked path. An Appalachian community that closes ranks to preserve its secrets.

A tale of moonshine, murder and Blue Ridge Mountain magic by the author of The Road to Harmony

available in April 2008

Author Bio:

J.D. Ballam was born in the Appalachian Mountains of
western Maryland. The early years of his life there form
the basis of his popular memoir, The Road to Harmony
(1999), which Dirk Bogarde described as “a book to cherish.”
He is the author of poetry, plays and numerous academic
works. He teaches English and Creative Writing at the
University of Oxford. He is married with three children.

Winner of the 2006 Needle Award
Ransom Seaborn Bill Deasy

"Nobody who knows Bill Deasy's wonderful music will be surprised to find that this book is filled with soul...and the evolution of a heart everyone will recognize, and root for."
-Jane McCafferty, author of "One Heart"

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Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article

POD-DY MOUTH review

Here are some comments from the judges of the 2006 Needle Award. . .

"What an unexpected literary treasure. It’s not just hype; Jay Gatsby and Holden Caulfield have nothing on Dan Finbar."

"Deasy has penned a fantastic debut novel. [New York Publishers] need more books like this and less of everything else. This is [the kind of book] that comes to mind when someone says American Literature.”

"Ransom Seaborn is beyond memorable—it’s haunting. I was still thinking about it days later and poised to open it and start again. It’s simply beautiful."

Miss Alice Merriwether's Long Lost Cakes & Further Arcane Inducements to Wonder Barry Aitchison

Nice people saying very nice things about Miss Alice:

Northwest Passages / Barbara Roden

Washington Post / Michael Dirda discussion

"Full of suspense...twists at the end for a clever, highly imaginative closing..." read the full review by clicking here

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Conflicting Desires Notes on the Craft of Writing Erotic Stories Han Li Thorn

Qualities like plot and character often take a back seat in erotic fiction—and why shouldn’t they? The reader picks up a dirty book for one reason: to be turned on, right? So why should a writer bother with all that difficult craft stuff?
But what if there were more to it than that? What if readers wanted a real novel with a real story that satisfied them emotionally and intellectually, as well as erotically? It’s possible to craft such a story. This book shows you how.

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Raising Cane The Unexpected Martial Art Octavio Ramos Jr

Editorial Review:

"An unfortunate aspect of our society is that the criminal element most often attacks individuals who are perceived as weak (i.e., women, children, the aged, and the disabled). The techniques explained in Raising Cane would not only be effective but -in some cases - devastating and deadly. An elderly person or someone who is resigned to carrying a cane for a physical impairment could take this book, practice the exercises Mr. Ramos suggests, train and condition as specified in Section 5, and become quite capable of defending themselves from assault."

...................................- -Master Ron Geoffrion, 6th dan
......................................President and Chairman of the World Tae Kwon Do Association, New Mexico Schools

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Better Than Real Huw Lyan Thomas

A CyberPunk Novel/Science Fiction/Thriller

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"Thomas weaves a complex web of mind back-ups, character deaths and clone regenerations and whips it all into a frenzy of action and intrigue that left me wondering when his next book will be coming"
click here to read the full review

Hamlet From the Velluminous Shakespeare Series

An uncluttered presentation of Hamlet, typeset as poetry to bring the Bard's immortal voice to the fore (much as it would have been in the original manuscript) and free of distracting extrania and over-busy layout. Scholarly versions are available elsewhere; this edition will appeal to lovers of the pure.

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