John Carter first appeared in 1912 in the pages of The All-Story magazine and immediately entered the dream-life of American readers young and old. He was Edgar Rice Burroughs’s favorite among his many creations and remains a favorite of lovers of science fiction and fantasy everywhere. On the occasion of John Carter’s centenary, The Library of America invites readers to rediscover A Princess of Mars, the adventure-pulp classic that gave the world its first great interplanetary romance.
At the heart of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is the ancient book, The Codex, the Book of Abraham. The story begins with the theft of the pages from the book and, as the story progresses, it becomes clear that not only have the Flamels and Doctor John Dee fought over the book for centuries, but that the entire adventure really began centuries ago, when Nicholas bought the book from a mysterious one-handed stranger.
Fantasy fiction is filled with magical books and scrolls, most famously, The Necronomicon in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The extraordinary and shamefully neglected Clark Ashton Smith created The Book of Eibon, while Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan, used the Unaussprechlichen Kulten when he wrote about the Cthulhu Mythos. These are all fictional books--but the Book of Abraham is different. It really existed.
Like everyone else in the series (with the exception of the twins), Nicholas Flamel was a real man and we know quite a bit about him. He was a poor bookseller and a scrivener. He would have bought and sold manuscripts and also made a little extra money writing letters for people who could neither read nor write. In his own diaries, he tells how he bought a 21-page metal-bound book from a mysterious stranger. We even know the price he paid for the book: two florens, and Nicholas leave us a very clear description of it. "It was not made of paper or parchment, as other books are, but of admirable rinds (as it seemed to me) of young trees."
Nicholas goes on to give a very detailed description of each page. The book was written in a language he could not understand, so he and Perenelle, his wife, set out on a journey across Europe looking for someone who could help them translate the mysterious text. According to Flamel's own account, in the south of Spain he met a man called Master Canches who helped him begin the process of translation. Canches explained that this book contained the secret of alchemy and that if Nicholas and Perenelle were prepared to spend the rest of their lives studying it, then it would reveal wonders to them.
What is clear is that by the time the poor bookseller and his wife returned to Paris, they had become phenomenally wealthy. The Flamels put their money to good use and established churches, hospitals and schools and were so well known and beloved in Paris that there are streets named after them both. The streets exist to this day.
The original of the Book of Abraham is now missing--Cardinal Richelieu is supposed to have had a copy, and in the Flamel's will there is a suggestion that it passed to a nephew, but Nicholas made copies, and these still exist.
Legend has it that The Codex was a book of alchemical formulae--a sort of chemistry text book. And of course it reputedly contained the great secret of alchemy: how to create a lapis philosophorum--a philosopher's stone (which was more of a white or red powder or sometimes a purple glass, rather than a stone). This powder could turn ordinary metal into gold and help to prolong life, making the alchemist virtually immortal.
Did it make the Flamels immortal? Shortly after they died, their graves were opened by grave robbers looking for jewels and fine clothes. The graves were empty. And of course, there are reports of the Flamels appearing all across Europe for many years after their deaths.
I spent many years working as a dealer in rare and antique books--and I loved the idea of not only making a bookseller the hero of a story, but making the story about an antique book. And, before you ask: no, I do not have The Codex.
Monsters. Bloodsuckers. The evil. The damned. Eryn McCain knows they exist-she's been hunting them since she was a child. At sixteen, she's ready to take on all comers. Being a shapeshifter gives her an advantage when it comes to her unusual part-time job. The hours suck and the pay is, well, non-existent, but bonuses like inhuman strength and night vision make tracking scary beasties a dream come true. Especially in a town like Redgrave.
When an ancient demon targets Redgrave High, Eryn and her crew of hunters must face their innermost fears to prevent the Harvest Moon Dance from becoming one serious Monster Mash. Loyalties are tested and temptations abound. With questions ever brewing, can Eryn share a future with the brooding, noble, human Alec-the hunter after her heart? Or will she succumb to her enemy's son, Wade, a seductive predator as bloodthirsty as she is?
What happens when you're both the beauty and the beast?
Kelly Milner Halls is the author of nonfiction books and articles for young readers on a variety of quirky topics, including In Search of Sasquatch. Chris Crutcher is the award-winning author of several young adult novels, including Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes and Whale Talk. They recently had a conversation about collaborating on a pair of linked stories for Kelly Milner Halls' Girl Meets Boy, a he-said/she-said anthology of collaborative short stories.
Kelly Milner Halls on Girl Meets Boy: Creating Girl Meets Boy, a he-said, she-said anthology for Chronicle books was a new challenge for me because I am best known for creating high interest nonfiction. But picking the writers I wanted for my YA project was a no brainer. I wanted the writers about whom I’d written and I wanted the best. My friend Chris Crutcher is the best of the best, and he was my partner in our interactive story pairing. So I caught up with him to ask a few questions about writing for Girl Meets Boy, as well as a few questions about his upcoming Fall 2012 release, Period 8.
Kelly Milner Halls: How did you feel about contributing to Girl Meets Boy --the concept of two authors exploring the same plot points from two different points of view?
Chris Crutcher: It's a very interesting idea, and novel. Perspective is always an author's friend, and the idea that perspective alone can create two different stories from one point of view is intriguing.
Milner Halls: You created the lead story for the pair of stories we wrote together. Were John Smith and Wanda Wickham characters you created just for Girl Meets Boy or were they rooted in other creative projects?
Crutcher: They were created for Girl Meets Boy. I'm sure I've used pieces of their personalties elsewhere, but they were specific to this anthology.
Milner Halls: Have you ever considered writing a book from alternating points of view as Joyce Carol Oates did in Big Mouth & Ugly Girl?
Crutcher: I haven't read that particular book. Angry Management contains a novella that tells the story from three different perspectives. It's not all that hard to do.
Milner Halls: Girl Meets Boy is often controversial in the topics it examines including sexual abuse, homosexuality, transgenderism and inter-racial relationships. Is there emotional value in fictionalizing realistic life issues?
Crutcher: I'm sure there is, but the emotional value of any story comes from the reader.
Milner Halls: Which is more difficult, writing a full-length novel or writing a short story for an anthology like Girl Meets Boy?
Crutcher: It's probably a toss-up. Short story is easier from a plot point of view because usually it's about a single thing and there's not room for great complexity like there is in a novel. But short story requires word economy and straightforwardness to a degree that a novel might not. Writing Short Story is a great way to train for writing longer material.
Milner Halls: What can you tell us about your new novel, Period 8?
Crutcher: I can tell you to read it.
Milner Halls: Period 8 is highly suspenseful, in the tradition of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Was it fun to write such a gripping page turner?
Crutcher: It's more in the tradition of The Deep End. Writing is seldom "fun" for me. It's interesting and intriguing and challenging. When I write taut suspense I rely a lot on good editing. My editor at HarperCollins (Greenwillow) is excellent at knowing when I drift, and she's quick to let me know.
Milner Halls: Your friend Charlie Price is now a critically acclaimed, Edgar Award winning mystery writer. Did he have any influence on the development of Period 8?
Crutcher: Only in that he read an early on and we talked about the structure of mystery and suspense. Charlie is a master of structure.
Milner Halls: It's premature to ask, especially considering Period 8 is a Fall 2012 release, but are you working on anything else?
Crutcher: I'm working on my next novel (though it's on hold until I put the finishing touches on Period 8).
Milner Halls: Is it possible you'll contribute to another anthology for me in the future?
Crutcher: I'm not big on writing for anthologies, partly because I have a harder time writing when someone else comes up with the focus of the stories, but I certainly wouldn't rule it out if you comes up with another great idea. A lot of my willingness to write for anthologies comes from timing. If I'm working on something and I'm behind, which I almost always am, there is little chance. But if I do have time and the subject is interesting to me, I can be talked into it.
Everything Amanda said about her past was a lie. Now, to save her, the truth must be revealed.
When Amanda Valentino went into hiding, Nia, Callie, and Hal were shocked to learn that everything they thought they knew about her was false, even her name. But from the clues she leaves behind, they discover the danger that forced her to lie and then drove her underground. Despite the risks, her friends are determined to help Amanda.
Following their latest lead, Nia unearths a series of mysterious symbols scattered throughout town. It’s a code used by the secret organization that is hunting Amanda and proves just how powerful and far-reaching the group is. Luckily Nia, Callie, and Hal are not alone, as a new player emerges from the shadows to join their search. But will it be enough? All they know is that Amanda chose them for a reason and there’s no going back now. . . .
A charming tale of breakups, friendships, new crushes, and magic, The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten is perfect for fans of Lauren Myracle, Ally Carter, and Meg Cabot.
When Lucy's boyfriend breaks her heart, she discovers just how far she'll go to mend it. Lucy is stunned when her boyfriend suddenly ends things on the first day of sophomore year. She barely knows how she'll make it through the rest of the year without her one true love. Then she meets three beautiful girls who promise Lucy they can fix her broken heart. All Lucy has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her and break his heart in the next seven days. And then she'll be a member of the Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers—irresistible to guys, unbelievably popular, and able to control magic. Lucy longs for her broken heart to mend, and the sisterhood's magic just might be the perfect way to win back her ex . . . but how far is she willing to go?
Beware of a bite under a full moon . . . It will complicate your love life.
Celeste has more to worry about than a secret romance with a hot guy from the wrong side of town. That guy, Brandon, is a werewolf. With gossip and hostility swirling at school, it’s time to find a cure for his nocturnal condition, and perhaps the one person who can help is his scientist father. But what if a “cure” makes things worse and Brandon becomes a werewolf full time?
To keep Brandon’s secret safe, Celeste must hide her relationship with him from her best friends, but with the Moonlight Ball approaching, she must make a choice. Her dream is to go with her one true love—Brandon. But once the sun goes down, the clouds separate, and the full moon appears, could she really walk into the dance on the arm of a werewolf?
In this installment of the sumptuously romantic Full Moon series, Celeste faces her fears and her friends and finds out whether she’s strong enough to stand up for herself and her one true love.
Well, it may be—when you’re Persephone Alcmedi, Lustrata of the witches, and your lover is Domn Lup of the wærewolves. For once, however, the disturbance is not Seph’s foster daughter, Beverly, her wacky grandmother, or her newly rediscovered mother. This time, it’s the ancient and incredibly sexy vampire Menessos, bearing bad news: because the vampire council fears he is plotting a power grab, Menessos is being hunted by a trio of truth-seeking vampire sisters so dangerous they are usually kept locked in stone.
His dreams imperiled, Menessos needs Seph more than ever . . . and she needs him. Now, Seph has magical promises to fulfill for the wæres, multiple mundane family challenges to meet, vampire politics to confront . . . and into the bargain she’s balancing two sexy supernatural males. It’s enough to drive any woman insane, especially when you throw in a dragon and—even worse—a government investigator. As danger threatens, Seph isn’t sure she can stay alive for the rest of the day . . . let alone long enough to accomplish all that needs to be done.
Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L.A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip - and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.
The third & final novel in David Gilman's supercharged sophisticated adventure series, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz, James Patterson, and the Jason Bourne movies.
Unfortunately, she's not very good at shape-shifting yet, so she's given a guide named Kano—who's distractingly gorgeous in his human form. But right away they get off on the wrong foot; Sumi can't understand why this boy doesn't seem to like her. When they find out that an evil fairy queen holds the final mirror shard needed to complete their mission, Sumi will have to discover what true beauty and perfection are, or she could lose Kano and her chance to become a fairy godmother.
Girl-powered adventure filled with danger and magic--perfect for girls who have outgrown the American Girls books and Disney Fairies.
Visit FairyGodmotherAcademy.com.
