Many, many years ago there lived in Nara, the ancient Capital of Japan, a wise State minister, by name Prince Toyonari Fujiwara. His wife was a noble, good, and beautiful woman called Princess Murasaki (Violet). They had been married by their respective families according to Japanese custom when very young, and had lived together happily ever since. They had, however, one cause for great sorrow, for as the years went by no child was born to them. This made them very unhappy, for they both longed to see a child of their own who would grow up to gladden their old age, carry on the family name, and keep up the ancestral rites when they were dead. The Prince and his lovely wife, after long consultation and much thought, determined to make a pilgrimage to the temple of Hase-no-Kwannon (Goddess of Mercy at Hase), for they believed, according to the beautiful tradition of their religion, that the Mother of Mercy, Kwannon, comes to answer the prayers of mortals in the form that they need the most. Surely after all these years of prayer she would come to them in the form of a beloved child in answer to their special pilgrimage, for that was the greatest need of their two lives. Everything else they had that this life could give them, but it was all as nothing because the cry of their hearts was unsatisfied. So the Prince Toyonari and his wife went to the temple of Kwannon at Hase and stayed there for a long time, both daily offering incense and praying to Kwannon, the Heavenly Mother, to grant them the desire of their whole lives. And their prayer was answered. A daughter was born at last to the Princess Murasaki, and great was the joy of her heart. On presenting the child to her husband, they both decided to call her Hase-Hime, or the Princess of Hase, because she was the gift of the Kwannon at that place. They both reared her with great care and tenderness, and the child grew in strength and beauty.

Today, the Pacific islands reflect the best and worst in western society. On the one hand are the bravery and persistence of early European navigators, missionaries, and government officers; the early, well-meaning efforts by many westerners to help the islanders become ‘civilized’; the assistance readily given in times of natural disasters; and the grants and concessional loans to help Pacific countries develop into independent economic entities, to name but a few. On the other hand are the persistence in demolishing the islanders’ tropical culture and turning them into unwilling citizens or dependents of temperate countries, like puppets; the arrogance of assuming that modern western democracy and societal norms, which date back but a few generations, must replace the islanders’ far longer-standing societies; and the continuation of all these efforts to westernize them and their countries in the face of growing awareness in those Pacific countries of the value of their own well tried-and-tested lifestyles—to name but a few. What if history had gone another way? What if the Pacific islanders had taken over Europe instead? That would have been impossible, of course, or would it?

Are you tired of spending hundreds of dollars on face creams, beauty treatments, massages, and aromatherapy? Do you question all those impossible to pronounce ingredients on the back of your bath products and lotions? Have you wondered why some products are tested on animals instead of humans? The body care products that we buy from the retail chains and makeup counters are full of chemicals that not only don't really help our skin, but can harm it as well. Making your own organic body care products doesn't require you to be a chemist or parfumier. Making body care products at home is something that even a total beginner can dabble in. Many people start making body care products because they have an interest in essential oil benefits, have sensitivities to store bought beauty and skin care products, or just want another outlet for their own creativity. Organic body care products have benefits that exceed just being naturally amazing for your skin and hair, there are aromatherapy benefits, and tons of savings for your bank account! Not to mention, organic body care products are a green solution that produces very little waste and consumes very little energy. You won't be filling up your trash bins with empty lotion and shampoo bottles anymore! All the supplies you need for organic body care are reusable! This guide is full of tips and tricks for making your own organic body care products for total beginners. The recipes are easy to follow and the information in the guide is comprehensive and easy to understand. By the time you are at the end, not only will you have tons of knowledge about the benefits of essential oils and organic body care, you'll have enough recipes for body care products to last the year! Most of the recipes in the last half of this guide require very little ingredients and supplies, the best part is that they don't take long to make and make incredible gifts. Being able to put your own unique spin on healthy, aromatic body care is something that you care be proud of gifting this holiday season!

I want to thank and congratulate you for downloading this book ? Healthy Essential Oils Guide For Skin Care, Hair Growth, Allergies, Weight Loss, Natural Cleaning: 47 NEW Essential Oils Recipes To Heal, Build And Improve Your Health For Beginner?. If you're looking for balance, for beauty products based on plants and essential oils, if you long for a more serene and pure lifestyle, without turning your present habits and ways upside down, this little guide is for you. Circulatory problems, cellulite, flabby stomach, constipation, toxin elimination, stimulants or draining products, beauty masks... This straightforward and practical guide contains my little recipes, all tested by me. . All my friends agree: these recipes are effective, pleasant and economical. Why spend a fortune, when generous Nature is there, ready to provide all that you need? In short, here is a gentle solution for your body-care, which you can prepare and use within your own four walls. The little recipes below will bring you second-to-none bodily comfort and well-being. Adopt bio products for a healthy body. Learn to love yourself – take some time just for you. It's really important. The Definition of Essential Oils Essential oils contain the true essence of the plant they are derived from. The liquid essential oil is usually distilled by a steam or water process, from the flowers, leaves, stems, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. You might be surprised to discover essential oils don't actually feel oily. Most essential oils are clear, except for a few oils like lemongrass, patchouli, or orange, which are yellow or amber in color. Don't confuse therapeutic essential oils and fragrance oils, which aren't the same. Fragrance oils are perfume oils, containing synthetic chemicals, and they have absolutely no therapeutic value. In the United States, there are no aromatherapy regulations, or regulations on how the term aromatherapy is used. When buying commercial products, remember they could contain ingredients that use fragrance oil or synthetic chemicals. Carefully read all the ingredients. Even when a manufacturer claims a product contains natural ingredients, or that they are made from essential oils, you must be careful. Even when the product says it is made only from natural ingredients it can still contain fragrance oils or other synthetic products. Only a couple of drops of essential oil are needed to be able to claim a product is made with essential oils. The best way to be sure that you have a high quality therapeutic product is to make your own products, and we will provide you with some great recipes to get you started and help you to develop your skills. Before long, you will be a master at creating these recipes.

Prester John tells the story of a young Scotsman named David Crawfurd and his adventures in South Africa, where a Zulu uprising is tied to the medieval legend of Prester John. Crawfurd is similar in many ways to Buchan's later character, Richard Hannay.

Set in the fictional Central European country of Evallonia the novel follows Scottish visitors in the overthrow of a corrupt republic and the restoration of the monarchy. It is a sequel to Castle Gay, in which some Evallonians visited Scotland on a secret mission two years before the start of this novel.

Hi there, I'm Olivia Hampshire. I write hot, steamy Swirl Romance novels, and this one, “Priceless! Paying for Pleasure,” kept me hot through the entire writing process, knowing that one of the main characters would end up in her dream room at the Swirl Resort, “The Mandingo Room.” This swirl, romantic adventure takes place at the Swirl Resort, located on the ocean in the wonderful city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Swirl Resort is owned by Christine, one of the most beautiful, curvy, well endowed blonds on the planet, and her partner of business and love, Jerome. Jerome is a big, handsome hunk of black man that has made hundreds of thousands of dollars getting paid by the most wealthy white women from all over the world to give them pleasure. Christine and Jerome opened the Swirl Resort providing people access to great interracial pleasure. They have hired the most beautiful, kind, well endowed, black men and women, all well traveled and educated to provide conversation, companionship and yes sexual pleasure to world travelers that lust for this experience. In this stand alone book, 4 single, somewhat wealthy white women decide to vacation at the luxurious Swirl Resort. One has decided that she is going to pay for sex until she can't take anymore. She is a professional with an ok job, that pays great money. A friend of hers is in the situation where her husband has just died and she is just along to see the beach and get away from her Sacramento home for a while. The third, a sexy, wonderful real estate attorney, is looking for love, she has only made bad decisions with men in the past, so she goes along for the ride with great caution. The fourth one, she needs money. This is a love and lust adventure. Enjoy the ride.

A collection of gothic stories from Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula featuring: A Dream of Rend Hands, Crooken Sands, Old Hoggen, The Dualitists, The Man from Shorrox.

At a country house, five guests gather and are chosen by a brilliant scientist to take part in a shocking experiment which will let them glimpse one year into the future. However, when the experiment takes place, two of the guests see their own obituaries in The Times one year after. Will they be able to change their destinies?

What came first, the chicken or the egg? It is obviously the chicken, right? I mean, where would an egg come from if it were not laid by a chicken? So the chicken had to have come first. Now I hear your anger, there is no need to shout. You are asking me where the chicken came from and I will answer your question in the very next sentence. The chicken came from an egg. I hear you breathe a sigh of relief as if you have won the argument. I can see the slight smile on your face as you believe yourself to have won the argument but this is not so, for you see, the egg which you are so happy about had to have come from a chicken. So, obviously, the chicken came first. Now that we have established that, we can get on to the content of this book. You are here to learn everything you need to know about raising backyard chickens. The question which will no doubt be on your mind is, why would I want to raise backyard chickens? The answer to this question is, why not? The most obvious benefit of raising chickens in your own backyard is the eggs. Most laying hens will lay an egg every day or two. If you were to have three chickens in your backyard then you could expect to have up to three eggs every day. These humble little eggs will be the best eggs which you have ever tasted. They will be more flavorful than the eggs you would buy in the store and more colorful than the rising sun. If you are raising backyard chickens then there is a good chance that you are composting in your backyard too. If you are not then these little-feathered beasts will take care of your table scraps and turn it into some of the best compost known to man (and woman). The chickens will also take care of the bugs and other small animals which may roam into your yard. When they have processed these scraps or bugs, they will poop all over your lawn (or wherever else you have put them. This compost poop will help your plants and flowers grow like nothing else. We all love the smell of freshly cut grass but the time saved by not having to mow your lawn will more than make up for that. Let them roam free on your lawn and they will trim it for you. As an added bonus, you do not even need to pay them.

High-Low, supernatural teen fiction--Apartment 4A follows a struggling teen, Bree, who has to take care of herself in a less than ideal situation. Bree is an orpan living with her aunt who is suffering from dimentia. She also has a dodgy brother that drinks too much. She has no one to count on but herself, until she starts hearing noises from a nearby empty apartment. Written at a 2.0 reading level, each book contains approximately 2500 words. Books are not sold separately. Bree knew her boss was dealing drugs. But she needed the job. Her brother only came home to steal. And her aunt was ill. “Just one last job,” Bree thought.

High-Low, supernatural teen fiction--Apartment 4A follows a struggling teen, Bree, who has to take care of herself in a less than ideal situation. Bree is an orpan living with her aunt who is suffering from dimentia. She also has a dodgy brother that drinks too much. She has no one to count on but herself, until she starts hearing noises from a nearby empty apartment. Written at a 2.0 reading level, each book contains approximately 2500 words. Books are not sold separately. Bree turned the knob of apartment 4A. The door was unlocked. They walked in. It was empty. Andre looked around. “This is where we used to live.”

One day when she was younger and better-looking, and when her voice was stronger, Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov, her adorer, was sitting in the outer room in her summer villa. It was intolerably hot and stifling. Kolpakov, who had just dined and drunk a whole bottle of inferior port, felt ill-humoured and out of sorts. Both were bored and waiting for the heat of the day to be over in order to go for a walk.

Big raindrops were pattering on the dark windows. It was one of those disgusting summer holiday rains which, when they have begun, last a long time—for weeks, till the frozen holiday maker grows used to it, and sinks into complete apathy. It was cold; there was a feeling of raw, unpleasant dampness. The mother-in-law of a lawyer, called Kvashin, and his wife, Nadyezhda Filippovna, dressed in waterproofs and shawls, were sitting over the dinner table in the dining-room.

The students of Carter High return for their senior year. These books continue the stories from Carter High Chronicles and introduce new characters. Topics are involving and pertinent to young adult readers: romance, sports, friendships, exams, work, family. In just 48-pages, struggling readers can easily complete each novel. Laine used to think that it was OK to be a few minutes late. She often put her own needs before others, especially her best friend, Tess. But Laine finds out the hard way that being late does matter. Will she learn to be on time?

A classic novel of ruthless revenge set in the steel jungle of an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico – and on the sea bed below it. Now reissued in a new cover style. A sunken DC-3 lying on the Caribbean floor. Its cargo: ten million, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in gold ingots, emeralds and uncut diamonds guarded by the remains of two men, one woman and a very small boy. The fortune was there for the taking, and ready to grab it were a blue-blooded oilman with his own offshore rig, a gangster so cold and independent that even the Mafia couldn’t do business with him and a psychopathic hired assassin. Against them stood one man, and those were his people, those skeletons in their watery coffin. His name was Talbot, and he would bury his dead – but only after he had avenged their murders.

A remarkable collection of short stories set in Wyoming from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of ‘The Shipping News’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’. ‘Bad Dirt’ is filled with the vivid and willful characters for which Proulx has become known. Each story occupies a community or landscape described in rich and robust language, with an eye for detail unparalleled in American fiction. In ‘The Contest’, the men of Elk Tooth, Wyoming, vow to put aside their razors for two seasons and wait to see who has the longest beard come the 4th of July. Deb Sipple, the moving protagonist of ‘That Trickle Down Effect’, finds that his opportunism – and his smoking habit – lead to a massive destruction. And ‘What Kind of Furniture Would Jesus Pick?’ is the story of Gilbert Wolfscale, whose rabid devotion to his ranch drives off his wife and sons. Proulx displays her wit in every story of this stunning collection, as well as her knowledge of the West, of history, of ranching and of farming. Her profound sympathy for characters who must use sheer will and courage to make it in tough territory makes this collection extraordinarily compelling.

The penultimate volume of the mighty Riftwar Cycle War rages in Midkemia but behind the chaos there is disquieting evidence of dark forces at work. Jim Dasher’s usually infallible intelligence network has been cleverly dismantled; nowhere is safe. He feels that the world is coming apart at the seams and is helpless to protect his nation. Quiet palace coups are underway in Roldem and Rillanon; and King Gregory of the Isles has yet to produce an heir. In each kingdom a single petty noble has risen from obscurity to threaten the throne. Lord Hal of Crydee and his great friend Ty Hawkins, champion swordsman of the Masters’ Court, are entrusted with the task of smuggling Princess Stephané and her lady-in-waiting, the lovely but mysterious Lady Gabriella, out of Roldem to a place of greater safety. But is there any safe haven to be found? Meanwhile, Hal’s younger brothers Martin and Brendan are attempting to hold the strategic city of Ylith against an onslaught of Keshian Dog Soldiers, and a mysterious force from beneath the sea. The Kingdom might lose Crydee and recover; but if Ylith falls, all is lost. An unknown player appears to orchestrating these conflicts. Can Pug and the Conclave of Shadows track down this source before Midkemia is destroyed?

A powerful novel set at the end of World War II about one woman and her family's struggle for survival. The thrust of this epic novel occurs in the spring of 1945, during an event known in Germany as Die Flucht, or The Flight, when some 12 million Eastern European ethnic-Germans fled their ancestral homes to escape the advancing Soviet Army. ‘The Flight’ tells the story of Ida, a mother who attempts to take her children from their village in East Prussia to the assumed safety of Berlin. Travelling by foot, boat and rail across enemy lines, she quickly discovers that their survival is dependent on her will to save them, and on overriding the silent tragedies they will face during the journey west. Ida's is a terrifying passage, soaked with a bleak sadness, but her quiet bravery and sorrowful resilience in the face of the depravity of war is captivating. Told with clarity and beauty, in a remarkably understated way, ‘The Flight’ is a captivating novel of authenticity and power, which opens up a chapter of World War II long overlooked.

An astonishing literary debut, this collection of mature and intricate stories introduces a powerful new voice in fiction. ‘A STUNNING DEBUT’ Margaret Atwood ‘IRRESISTIBLE’ Alice Munro In this beautifully written collection, Vincent Lam weaves together black humour, investigations of both common and extraordinary moral dilemmas, and a sometimes shockingly realistic portrait of today's medical profession. Twelve interlinked stories introduce us to a group of medical students over ten years, as they make the transition from medical school to hospital life. The stories span the unique challenges faced by young, inexperienced doctors – having to decide during a first human dissection whether it is more important to follow the anatomy textbook or keep a tattoo intact – but also delve into their private lives, their relationships and family histories, their fears and motivations. Riveting, convincing and precise, ‘Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures’ looks with rigorous honesty at the specificities of the lives of doctors and their patients and brings us to a deeper understanding of the challenges and temptations that surge around us all.

Doris Lessing’s first book after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature revisits her childhood in Southern Africa and the lives, both fictional and factual, that her parents led. ‘I think my father'’s rage at the trenches took me over, when I was very young, and has never left me. Do children feel their parents' emotions? Yes, we do, and it is a legacy I could have done without. What is the use of it? It is as if that old war is in my own memory, my own consciousness.’ In this extraordinary book, Doris Lessing explores the lives of her parents, both of them irrevocably damaged by the Great War. Her father wanted the simple life of an English farmer, but shrapnel almost killed him in the trenches, and thereafter he had to wear a wooden leg. Her mother Emily's great love was a doctor who drowned in the Channel, and she spent the war nursing the wounded in the Royal Free Hospital. In the first half of this book, Lessing imagines the lives her parents might have made for themselves had there been no war, a story that has them meeting at a village cricket match as children but leading separate lives. This is followed by a piercing examination of their lives as they actually came to be in the shadow of that war, their move to Rhodesia, a damaged couple hulking over Lessing’s childhood in a strange land. ‘Here I still am,’ says Doris Lessing, ‘trying to get out from under that monstrous legacy, trying to get free.’