Showing results by author "V.V.A.A." in All Categories

Vibrant, believable characters help drive a fictional story. Along with a clever plot, well-drawn characters make us want to continue reading a novel or finish watching a movie. In Creating Characters, Dwight V. Swain shows how writers can invent interesting characters and improve them so that they move a story along.

For time out of mind, bloodthirsty demons have stalked the night, culling the human race to scattered remnants dependent on half-forgotten magics to protect them. Then two heroes arose - men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Warded Man, tattooed head to toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combat - and emerge victorious.

Two sisters face love, rivalry, and a shocking disappearance amidst the luxury of Palm Springs from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic series and Landry series—now popular Lifetime movie events. Like everyone else in Palm Springs, Gish idolizes her smart...

Now extensively revised in this ninth edition, A History of Russia covers the entire span of the country's history, from ancient times to the post-communist present. Keeping with the hallmark of the text, Riasanovsky and Steinberg examine all aspects of Russia's history—political, international, military, economic, social, and cultural—with a commitment to objectivity, fairness, and balance, and to reflecting recent research and new trends in scholarly interpretation.

You don’t need 100 rental properties for short-term rental success. Profitable Properties is about doing more with less. It’s about maximizing the ROI from each real estate investment. Written by a prior Airbnb employee, Superhost, guest of 2,000+ nights on Airbnb, and author of best-seller Optimize YOUR Bnb, Profitable Properties is an all-in-one guide for new and existing short-term rental owners and real estate investors. Other books talk about basics, but not Profitable Properties. Daniel Rusteen is intimately familiar with Airbnb and teaches you the details you need to optimize.

Countless research and anecdotal reports have shown that psilocybin can help relieve numerous mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, crippling fear, substance dependence, PTSD, and OCD, among others. And not only mental health conditions, but also physical ailments such as migraines or cluster headaches, among others. Additionally, it has been used to noticeably improve your daily performance and general well-being.

Growing up on modern day Earth, I had no idea I’d been selected from birth to help a dying race save their population. So when a starship abducts me for a royal wedding with galactic consequences, my only option is to help its crew of beautiful officers complete their mission. The catch? I have to protect my gorgeous bride and new allies from an alluring enemy who wants my immunity to a fertility-killing plague for herself, even if it means I have to take command.

Lost and cut off from Earth, the crew of the starship Valiant seeks a way home. In the 11th book of the Star Force series Cody Riggs collides with the overwhelming power of the Ancients. They fly incomprehensible ships and consider humans to be curiosities. Caught between ghosts of the past and demons of the present, Cody is abandoned by everyone. His girl, his crew, and even his ships change sides, exiling him in the cold depths of space.

Strang isn’t the small, quaint town it appears to be. It’s haunted every night by a creature the townsfolk refer to as Halloween. Once the sun sets each day, Halloween emerges to collect its treats: a small, live offering from each household. The residents comply because no one wants to be the target of Halloween’s tricks.

It's been 297 days since David died - and came back. He may have survived the avalanche, but the aftermath has been far worse. His wife moved out, taking his son with her, and a devastated David hasn't left his house since, terrified of the mysterious new power that followed him home from the ill-fated expedition. After months in seclusion, David's ready for a fresh start, and ventures out, determined to keep his power in check. But David's power isn't the one he needs to worry about.

La historia del viaje vital de un escritor hacia la comprensión, por el Premio Nobel de Literatura V.S. Naipaul. Un camino en el mundo es la historia del viaje vital de un escritor hacia la comprensión, tanto de los sencillos materiales de la herencia -la lengua, el carácter, la historia familiar- como de las largas y entretejidas hebras de un pasado histórico profundamente complejo: «Cosas apenas recordadas, cosas que solo se liberan mediante el acto de escribir.».

Everly Skolder, the self-proclaimed Empress of the world, has fully embraced her inner darkness. With sheer magical might and the assistance of her devoted followers, her influence has reached a global peak. Alongside new additions to her gang—er—inner court, like her pet rat, Matty, and the mysterious Dullahan, Everly's helping the reluctant citizens of Winstead to embrace her vision of the future . . . whether they like it or not. She's charismatic, powerful, and dangerously unstable. In short, she's the perfect villainess.

Porn Addiction is dangerous and destructive, but there is a way to reclaim your former self. Every so often, we succumb to temptation. A little puff here. A sip there. A harmless video clip in quiet moments alone. Before we know it, those innocent acts blossom into uncontrollable addictions. Our lives spiral out of control, and we hurt everything we know and love, especially ourselves. Frank V. found himself in such a predicament. This is his story.

Through five editions, The 36-Hour Day has been an essential resource for families who love and care for people with Alzheimer disease. Whether a person has Alzheimer disease or another form of dementia, he or she will face a host of problems. The 36-Hour Day will help family members and caregivers address these challenges and simultaneously cope with their own emotions and needs. Featuring useful takeaway messages and informed by recent research into the causes of and the search for therapies to prevent or cure dementia, this edition includes new information.

In Storm Assault , the eighth book of the Star Force series, the story moves in a new direction. Massive fleets are built by both Star Force and the Imperials - but there is a third player in the game: the Blues.

V. E. Schwab here! I’m the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the Shades of Magic series, Vicious, and more. Join me here as I chat with fellow successful authors about their origin stories, creative processes, work-life balance, and how they bring the stories you love to life. We’ll dive into the many paths from that first spark of an idea to the final page of a book, because there’s no one right way to write—just the way that works for you. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or simply a lover of stories, join us as we explore the craft (and magic) of story telling.

Welcome to the Shades of Magic Readalong! This podcast actually started on Youtube as a way to help readers catch up on the Shades of Magic Trilogy before the release of The Fragile Threads of Power. In this readalong I will cover sections of the books in each episode, giving an overview of the plot as well as some inside info into the writing process.

Meet extraordinary LGBTQ+ heroes from throughout history—51 biographies for kids ages 8 to 12 You're invited to meet artists, athletes, scientists, activists, and more—all in the same book. LGBTQ+ Heroes introduces you to 51 LGBTQ+ role models from today and as far back as the 1800s who have...

It’s been five years since the end of the Hive Wars. Straker has handed over the burden of governing the Earthan Republic to civil authorities. This should be a happy time, as Straker and his most loyal soldiers retire to a planet and step off the galactic stage. Unfortunately, authoritarian forces within the Earthan Republic are still simmering with rage at his victory. Rumors reach Straker of a growing new Republic Fleet manned by state loyalists. Planets begin to fall under their influence and go dark. Even in retirement, they see Straker’s Breakers as a threat.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.