Watch out for that jellyfish After the death of his fianc e due to medical errors, hospital pharmacist Daniel O' Dwyer escapes to Oak Island, North Carolina. The only things on his mind are fresh sea air, fresh seafood, Fat Tire Amber Ale, and the avoidance of any type of healthcare institution. But fate and jellyfish draw him back, and reluctantly he agrees to go undercover to combat narcotic drug diversion at nearby Boiling Grove Community Hospital. With minimal assistance from Willie, his socially imbalanced sidekick, Daniel must navigate through dangerous situations and wild characters, including a brawny redneck with a Bob Marley tattoo; a foreign physician with bat-like qualities; and a lackluster Human Resources Director with a penchant for Mai Tais and Ebenezer Scrooge.Ripped Tide: A Daniel O'Dwyer Oak Island Adventure is a humorous take on a very serious issue.Ripped Tide is a 2017 McGrath House Indie Book Award Winner in the Humor Category.
Sometimes it takes a village to solve a mystery (or at least the local patrons and owners of No Egrets). One of the regulars, Bobby Portis, has been missing from his barstool at No Egrets for several days. Two others quickly contract mysterious blood diseases. Is there a connection? No Egrets, a quaint bar on Oak Island, North Carolina, is owned by Glenn, a surgeon lured away from the medical field by a swordfish and island life, and his wife Glenda. They join their bar patrons in a search for Bobby and the mystery of the sudden illnesses. "No Egrets: A Glenn and Glenda Oak Island Mystery" has more twists and turns than a small intestine. The crazy characters include Matilda, an ancient barfly who travels the island on a dilapidated Vespa and has a different drink for each day of the week...a psychotic, card-carrying Communist goon named Otto...Richard Crabgrass, a never-say-die bit actor who auditions for every movie and television part in Wilmington...the pungent fish cleaner from the Southport docks, Pinhead Paul...Joshua "Ism" McCarthy, surfer dude rumored to turn into his ancestor, Senator Joe McCarthy if a communist sets foot on Oak Island...and Daniel O'Dwyer, pharmacist hero from "Ripped Tide". Praise for "Ripped Tide" the 2017 McGrath House Indie Award Winner in the Humor Category."Rx, Drugs and Rock n' Roll...a fun, breezy read." - Christy Perry Tuohey, author of "Panther Mountain: Caroline's Story"."...reminds me of the style of writing of Carl Hiaasen and John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series." - Janet Matthews, Amazon.com.
Some of the best stories about Ancient Greece are mixed with actual historical events: equal parts truth and fantasy, and that's what makes them so intriguing. The Trojan War for example, in which we see the hero Achilles, the bulwark of the Greek Army who saved the kidnapped Helen, is told from the perspective of his goddess mother. But did you know that according to the ancient Greeks, Achilles had the choice to live a long and happy life or die by his ambition to be remembered as a hero? Even with all the intervention of his Immortal mother who called in favors from the gods, she could not change the fate of her son, which was allegedly set by the Fates when he was born.Greek Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Heroines, Monsters, and Classic Greek Myths of All Time is filled with interesting tidbits about the most popular heroes, gods and goddesses, as well as some little known facts and interpretations about their lives. You'll find timelines and the genealogy of the Immortals as well as the men and women who were subjected to their whims and used as pawns to further their intentions. It gives us deep insight into the philosophy of this "religion", into the minds of great thinkers of the time and how they viewed their world - the earth, the heavens, the stars, and the afterlife. But this book is as entertaining as it is informative. Discover how the great Olympian and King of the Gods, Zeus himself, was controlled by his wife, Hera, and how something as meaningless as a pomegranate seed fated poor Persephone to being the Goddess of the Underworld, at least part-time, that is.Find out about the four seasons, what or who inspires music and poetry, why life is limited to a certain span of time, how each person is allotted certain gifts and why, how the gods intervene, what came before Olympus, and how we got the names of many of our constellations and stars.It may seem like superstition today, but a mere 3000 years ago, these were strongly held beliefs that influenced everything in daily life including philosophy, religion and government in the same way today's dominant religions influence society. Greek Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Heroines, Monsters, and Classic Greek Myths of All Time is a fun read and a book you'll want to refer to again and again. It should find a place in your reference library and onto your reading list.
The world of the Vikings is larger than life, filled with sagas of warriors who made fighting a career, but there's a lot more to Viking history than blood-letting and piracy. Their achievements, rich culture and craftsmanship contributed greatly to our world today, and their explorations helped make up the boundaries of nations. The Vikings: Raiders, Explorers, and Seafaring Warriors by author Lance Hightower will give you a glimpse of the battles that raged for more than 300 years, sparked by the cultural and religious differences that were the trigger for warring with the Franks, England and Ireland, and for trade and exploration into the Muslim empire, the Byzantine Empire, as far as Russia, Spain and North America.They came from Sweden, Norway and Denmark, not as one army, but as separate tribes who assaulted their way through Christendom as retaliation for the destruction of their holy icon. They came from the sea in a way that ingeniously allowed them to go where no conventional ship dared, and they were able to navigate waters without benefit of the sun to guide them. They used boats that made ship-building history - light, fast, and equally efficient in shallow rivers and mighty oceans.They terrorized, traded, bartered, took slaves, colonized, fought and died all in the name of Odin, god of the battle-slain. Perhaps in the end, they fought more for territory and riches than principle, but the history of the Vikings will always remain as one of the most enthralling of all Ages, where honor was crucial, death on the battlefield was preferred to idleness, and the stormy pantheon of their gods still held the greatest influence in their lives.The brilliant sagas come to life with snippets of modern translations, told like tales of old should be told, with dread, heroics and excitement. Lance Hightower combines his own expertise with the latest archeological findings and information given to us from ancient text to present a first-rate portrayal of the Vikings in an easy-to-read format that is a refreshing change from the usual dry delivery of history.
"HE" is a story that had to be told. The traumatic, raw accounts of mental, physical, and emotional abuse of a child. While the story starts with the childhood of the boy, it also continues to basically tell his life story. The lack of self-esteem and fear of failure he suffered was the after effect of his fearful treatment at an early age. The author exposes the successes, failures and disappoints that occurred in this one individual's long life. The author knew this would be read by some people who can identify with the main character. I is hoped that the readers can ultimately take encouragement for the example of this one life.
The first biography of Peter Matthiessen, the novelist, naturalist, and Zen roshi, whose trailblazing work championed Native American rights and helped usher in the modern environmental movement, by award-winning writer Lance Richardson. "A stunning, formidable achievement by a brilliant biographer. Lance Richardson takes his readers on a wild ride with Peter Matthiessen."--Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of American Prometheus Peter Matthiessen (1927-2014), a towering figure of twentieth-century American letters, achieved so much during his lifetime, in so many different areas, that people have struggled to pin him down. While ambivalent about his WASP privilege--as a teenager he demanded that his name be removed from the New York Social Register--he attended Yale and cut his teeth in postwar Paris, co-founding The Paris Review as he worked undercover for the CIA. But then, after a rebellious stint as a Long Island fisherman, he escaped into a series of wild expeditions: floating through the Amazon to recover a prehistorical fossil; embedding with a tribe in Netherlands New Guinea; swimming with sharks off the coast of Australia. His novels, inspired by his travels, were unclassifiable meditations about Caymanian turtle hunters and frontier outlaws in the Florida Everglades. Meanwhile, his nonfiction became legendary: nature books like Wildlife in America--"key parts of the canon of emergent environmental writing," says Bill McKibben--as well as advocacy journalism supporting Cesar Chavez, Leonard Peltier, and Native American land claims. Underlying all Matthiessen's disparate pursuits was the same existential search--to find a cure for "deep restlessness." This search was most profoundly articulated in The Snow Leopard, his famous account of a 250-mile wildlife survey across the Himalayas. In True Nature, Lance Richardson reconstructs the full scope of a spiritual quest that ultimately led Matthiessen, even as he inflicted great pain on his family, to the highest ranks of Zen. Drawing on rich primary sources and hundreds of interviews, Richardson depicts Matthiessen's life with page-turning immediacy, while also illuminating how the writer's uncanny gifts enabled him to sense connections between ecological decline, racism, and labor exploitation--to express, eloquently and presciently, that "in a damaged human habitat, all problems merge."
This beautifully illustrated cocktail book celebrates tropical vacation in a glass: 60 delicious rum recipes, from legendary classics to fresh new creations. Sweet, bright, and flavorful, rum has been the life of the party among spirits for centuries. Celebrating this legacy and fresh new takes on this tropical treat, Rum Made Me Do It is jam-packed with innovative and crowd-pleasing cocktail recipes and gorgeous illustrations from beloved cocktail illustrator Ruby Taylor. This beautiful book will be your guide to the many classic cocktails that fuel rum's popularity while showcasing its versatility beyond those beloved mojitos and pina coladas. Author Lance Mayhew, award-winning mixologist and Certified Specialist of Spirits, explains everything you need to know: how to choose among rum's many varieties, craft the perfect punch, and build upon rum's delicious base. From tried-and-true favorites to beautiful new creations, Rum Made Me Do It's recipes will delight party guests and send you on vacation without leaving the comforts of home.
The story of the Supermarine Spitfire has been told across many years and the debate about it is enduring, yet the Spitfire remains a true icon. For aviation enthusiasts, for historians, for modellers, the word Spitfire conjures many stories and affections. This book presents the Spitfire enthusiast with an up-to-date history of the Spitfire-not just in its design and application in war, but also as a flying memorial and as an aero modellers' vital focus. The text examines recently revealed forgotten aspects of the Spitfire story; by combining the elements of design, the story of a weapon of war and a revered scale model, this book frames an essential chapter in aviation history. Packed with original and contemporary images and information, and displaying unique Spitfire model collections, the narrative bridges an important gap and is a worthy addition to the FlightCraft series.
A new, comprehensive guide to motoring and transport museums offering a fresh conversation on their role and the portrayal of our motoring history. Written by a long-established motoring writer with wide experience of driving and the fettling of old cars all over the world. This new motor museum companion includes: British motoring and transport museums guide via descriptions and photographs. 90 British museums described. Comprehensive world motor museum listing: over 350 global museums cited. Out-takes from visits to selected overseas museums. Provides a glossary of old-car/motorcycle terms and types to assist the museum visitor and old car enthusiast. Discusses the museum culture and its new age. Visits to many museums by the author were self-funded: he paid his own way.
The Second World War Jeep was one of the most famous and influential military vehicles of all time, and over 600,000 were produced. It served with all the Allied forces during the war on every front and it has been the inspiration behind the design of light, versatile, rugged military and civilian vehicles ever since. In this, the first volume in Pen & Sword's LandCraft series, Lance Cole traces the design, development and manufacturing history of the Jeep and describes its operational role within the Allied armies. A selection of archive photographs showing the Jeep in service in European and Pacific campaigns gives a graphic impression of how adaptable the Jeep was and records the variety of equipment it could carry. The book is an excellent source for the modeller, providing details of available kits, together with specially commissioned colour profiles recording how the Jeeps used by different units and armies appeared. Lance Cole's introduction to the Jeep is necessary reading and reference for enthusiasts and modellers.
What really happened at British Leyland (BL)? Was it 'just' the cars, or were other factors vital to the story? Who really was to blame for BL and MG Rover's death? The 'truth' about BL is deeper than its cars - were ultra- Left-wing plots to topple BL and British society real? Did secret deals and political intrigue really exist? Was it Labour or Conservative powers who 'killed' BL, or was it BL itself? How was it that BL's design genius was hobbled? Author Lance Cole lifts the bonnet on BL and presents a forensic yet easy to read new analysis in a story of BL, its cars, and the era of their motoring as powers on the political Left and Right waged war, sometimes even with themselves. Here is a book about cars and more, a conversation on all things BL: this is a new account of a classic British story told across a trail of evidence in a British industrial and political drama. Many mistakes made BL, but some of the cars were superb, the designs of genius, the engineering excellent; it is just that we have either forgotten, or been brainwashed into believing the worst. In a BL book like no other, written by a classic car fanatic with a background in industrial design, automotive, and wider journalism, this story lifts the lid on BL's cars and more. The author also adds inside knowledge from time working in the motor industry. Lance Cole tells the deeper BL story across the era of its greatest successes and its biggest failures.
In a classic car photography book packed with an eclectic mix of automotive images, Lance Cole (author of the Classic Car Adventure) presents a stunning collection of photographs of old cars of all marques and types captured in many locations. Across Allards to Bugattis, Citroens DKWs, Porsches, Saabs, Triumphs, Voisins, VWs, and a pot-pourri of well-known classics, the author has journeyed far and wide to create a wonderful diary of classic car moments amid the great enthusiasm for nostalgia on wheels. A mix of cars, people, portraits, action and atmosphere all blend in to a colourful journey across the classic car world in a diverse blend of marques and eras. 250 colour and black and white images populate an odyssey across a landscape of cars in an interesting format that pitches multi-million pound cars alongside more humble names. Seen on the move and static, Lance Cole's photographs capture the essence of metal sculpture, light falling upon paint and form, and the design hallmarks of old cars prior to the age of digital design authoritarianism when so many cars look similar. If you love old metal, patina, paint, leather, and enthusiasm, all captured across vintage, veteran, classic and modern classic metal, then the Classic Car Gallery is a rare memento of the cars of yesteryear seen in the celebration of their today.
