Blunt Force Magic

Blunt Force Magic
Author: Lawrence Davis
Publisher: WildBlue Press
Total Pages: 332
Release: 2018-01-10
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1947290118

An out of practice wizard-turned-courier must save a young witch—and the world—in this urban fantasy mystery for fans of Jim Butcher and Benedict Jacka. Five years removed from a life as an apprentice to a group of heroes who battled supernatural evils, the once-promising student Janzen Robinson has become a package courier. He now works the daily grind, passing time at a hole-in-the-wall bar and living in a tiny, run-down apartment on the south side of Cleveland, Ohio. Then from the ancient recesses of unyielding darkness known as the Abyss, a creature has been summoned: a Stalker, a predator whose real name must never be spoken. It’s a bastardization of the natural order, a formidable blend of dark magic and primal tenacity. Its mission? To end the life of a fiery, emerging young witch. Thrust into the role of protector, a position once reserved for those he’d lost years ago, the out-of-practice “Artificer” is forced to confront his painful past while facing an unstoppable monster hell-bent on destruction. Janzen must keep one step ahead of the beast as he journeys through Cleveland’s magical underbelly to uncover why it’s been brought to our world. He will need to rely on old friends, a quiet stranger, and his own questionable wits to reach the other side of this nightmare—that just might cost him his life and, quite possibly, the world itself. “A modern fantasy with a touch of noir, a dash of detective thriller, and a sprinkling of humor throughout.”—Steve Jackson, New York Times–bestselling author of Monster

Magic for a Price

Magic for a Price
Author: Devon Monk
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2012-11-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0451464869

For most of her life, Allison Beckstrom has used magic and accepted the heavy price it exacts. But now that all magic is poisoned, it’s no longer just using people—it’s killing them. With Portland about to descend into chaos, Allie needs to find a way to purify the wells of tainted magic beneath the city. But the only options left to her are grim: attempt to close down magic forever, or follow her father’s plan to set magic into the right hands—even though she’s learned to never trust his word. Now, Allie will have to make a choice and face the darkness of her own deepest fears, before time runs out for them all…

The Book of Magic

The Book of Magic
Author: Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2021-10-12
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1982189460

Master storyteller Alice Hoffman brings us the conclusion of the Practical Magic series in a spellbinding and enchanting final Owens novel brimming with lyric beauty and vivid characters. The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three-hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work. A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art. The younger generation discovers secrets that have been hidden from them in matters of both magic and love by Sally, their fiercely protective mother. As Kylie Owens uncovers the truth about who she is and what her own dark powers are, her aunt Franny comes to understand that she is ready to sacrifice everything for her family, and Sally Owens realizes that she is willing to give up everything for love. The Book of Magic is a breathtaking conclusion that celebrates mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers, and anyone who has ever been in love.

The Magic Island

The Magic Island
Author: William Seabrook
Publisher: Courier Dover Publications
Total Pages: 433
Release: 2016-04-21
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 048679962X

This 1929 volume offers firsthand accounts of Haitian voodoo and witchcraft rituals. Author William Seabrook introduced the concept of the walking dead to the West with this illustrated travelogue.

Dawn of Legacy

Dawn of Legacy
Author: Lawrence Davis
Publisher: Wildblue Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023-06-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781960332110

Unexpected crucibles, gut-wrenching loss, and time in prison... The last few years have not been kind to Janzen Robinson. His tenure as the unelected Champion of Cleveland was rough, but it's hard not to catch glimpses of hope as tides of change have rippled throughout the city. Now out of prison, the Artificer is surprised to see just how much his mission and influence have taken root. Full Circle Protection grew from being an operation run out of a beatdown truck to needing a fully functional office. Their ragtag crew of castaways are only a uniform away from seeming professional. And all that ugly that went bump in the night? It began to see that there are no easy meals in the land of Clev. This newfound order is put to the test, though, as a new kind of enemy emerges, launching an attack that isn't motivated by old vendettas or orchestrated by some secret manipulator. This is an assault that threatens to blur the lines between this world and the sleepy mask it wears, and to take not only their lives but the world Balance with it. The Monsters And Men Trilogy by Lawrence Davis is fast-paced, heart-pounding urban fantasy at its best and no one will see this twist coming.

A Pinch of Magic

A Pinch of Magic
Author: Michelle Harrison
Publisher: HMH Books For Young Readers
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2020
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0358193311

A spellbinding middle grade fantasy about three sisters--adventurous Betty, curious Charlie, and proper Fliss--who go on a quest to break the curse that's haunted their family for generations. All Betty Widdershins wants is an adventure--one that takes her far away from Crowstone, the gloomy island where she's always lived. But instead of an adventure, Betty and her sisters, Fliss and Charlie, are given of a set of magical objects, each with its own powers: a scruffy carpet bag, a set of wooden nesting dolls, and a gilt-framed mirror. And these magical objects come with their own terrible secret: the sisters' family is haunted by a generations-long curse that prevents them from ever leaving their island--at the cost of death. The sisters set out to break the curse and free their family forever. But after stumbling upon a mysterious prisoner who claims to be able to help them, they find themselves in great danger. And in order to break the curse--and stay alive--they must unravel a mystery that goes back centuries, one that involves shipwrecks, smugglers, and sorcery of the most perilous kind.

Creativity, Inc. (The Expanded Edition)

Creativity, Inc. (The Expanded Edition)
Author: Ed Catmull
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2014-04-08
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0679644504

The co-founder and longtime president of Pixar updates and expands his 2014 New York Times bestseller on creative leadership, reflecting on the management principles that built Pixar’s singularly successful culture, and on all he learned during the past nine years that allowed Pixar to retain its creative culture while continuing to evolve. “Might be the most thoughtful management book ever.”—Fast Company For nearly thirty years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing such beloved films as the Toy Story trilogy, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, and WALL-E, which have gone on to set box-office records and garner eighteen Academy Awards. The joyous storytelling, the inventive plots, the emotional authenticity: In some ways, Pixar movies are an object lesson in what creativity really is. Here, Catmull reveals the ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so widely admired—and so profitable. As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream as a Ph.D. student, and then forged a partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his founding Pixar with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter in 1986. Nine years later, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever. The essential ingredient in that movie’s success—and in the twenty-five movies that followed—was the unique environment that Catmull and his colleagues built at Pixar, based on philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, such as: • Give a good idea to a mediocre team and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team and they will either fix it or come up with something better. • It’s not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take them. • The cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them. • A company’s communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody. Creativity, Inc. has been significantly expanded to illuminate the continuing development of the unique culture at Pixar. It features a new introduction, two entirely new chapters, four new chapter postscripts, and changes and updates throughout. Pursuing excellence isn’t a one-off assignment but an ongoing, day-in, day-out, full-time job. And Creativity, Inc. explores how it is done.

Destruction Of Justice

Destruction Of Justice
Author: Lawrence Davis
Publisher: Wildblue Press
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2019-03-05
Genre:
ISBN: 9781948239059

Janzen Robinson has decided to come off the bench and dive head first into Cleveland's magical underworld. With his new partner and perpetually exhausted friend Grove, he's just starting to get a handle on all the supernatural happenings when disaster shows up at their doorstep and doesn't even have the decency to knock.

Whisper of Shadows

Whisper of Shadows
Author: Diana Pharaoh Francis
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2016-04-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1611947200

War is coming . . . When the FBI uses an anti-magic law to arrest and torture Riley's boyfriend, they have no idea what hell they are about to unleash. If Riley can't rescue Clay before he breaks, the result will be a disaster of epic proportions. With time running out, Riley and her family must rely on two people more likely to stab them in the back than actually help. And, even if Riley manages the rescue, she's still got to deal with two kidnappings and the return of her dad from the dead--the same dad who'd been willing to see her dead to protect his secrets. What's a girl to do? Kick ass, take names, and protect those she cares about at all costs. "The characters and the world building are fantastic." --Book Junkiez on Edge of Dreams "Good pacing, a complex and layered plot, and intriguing characters illustrate why the author delivers such amazing reads!" --Jill Smith, RT Book Reviews on Edge of Dreams "A kickass thrill ride with magic, sex, guns, and mystery."--John Hartness, Bestselling Author of The Black Knight Chronicles on Trace of Magic Diana Pharaoh Francis is the acclaimed author of a dozen novels of fantasy and urban fantasy. Her books have been nominated for the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award and RT's Best Urban Fantasy. Whisper of Shadows is the third book in her exciting new urban fantasy series--The Diamond City Magic Novels.

Bacchanal

Bacchanal
Author: Veronica Henry
Publisher: 47North
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2021-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781542027816

Evil lives in a traveling carnival roaming the Depression-era South. But the carnival's newest act, a peculiar young woman with latent magical powers, may hold the key to defeating it. Her time has come. Abandoned by her family, alone on the wrong side of the color line with little to call her own, Eliza Meeks is coming to terms with what she does have. It's a gift for communicating with animals. To some, she's a magical tender. To others, a she-devil. To a talent prospector, she's a crowd-drawing oddity. And the Bacchanal Carnival is Eliza's ticket out of the swamp trap of Baton Rouge. Among fortune-tellers, carnies, barkers, and folks even stranger than herself, Eliza finds a new home. But the Bacchanal is no ordinary carnival. An ancient demon has a home there too. She hides behind an iridescent disguise. She feeds on innocent souls. And she's met her match in Eliza, who's only beginning to understand the purpose of her own burgeoning powers. Only then can Eliza save her friends, find her family, and fight the sway of a primordial demon preying upon the human world. Rolling across a consuming dust bowl landscape, Eliza may have found her destiny.