If ever a writer needed an introduction Arthur Conan Doyle would not be considered that man. After all, Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the foremost literary detective of any age. Add to this canon his stories of science fiction and his poems, his historical novels, his plays, his political campaigning, his efforts in establishing a Court of Appeal and there is little room for anything else. Except he was also an exceptional writer of short stories of the horrific and macabre. Something very different from what you might expect. Born in Arthur Conan Doyle was born on 22 May 1859 at 11 Picardy Place, Edinburgh, Scotland. From 1876 - 1881 he studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh following which he was employed as a doctor on the Greenland whaler Hope of Peterhead in 1880 and, after his graduation, as a ship's surgeon on the SS Mayumba during a voyage to the West African coast in 1881. Arriving in Portsmouth in June of that year with less than GBP10 (GBP700 today) to his name, he set up a medical practice at 1 Bush Villas in Elm Grove, Southsea. The practice was initially not very successful. While waiting for patients, Conan Doyle again began writing stories and composed his first novel The Mystery of Cloomber. Although he continued to study and practice medicine his career was now firmly set as a writer. And thereafter great works continued to pour out of him.

The English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I of England (James VI of Scotland, 1567-1625; in England he reigned from 1603).Beaumont & Fletcher began to collaborate as writers soon after they met. After notable failures of their solo works their first joint effort, Philaster, was a success and tragicomedy was the genre they explored and built upon. There would be many further successes to follow.There is an account that at the time the two men shared everything. They lived together in a house on the Bankside in Southwark, "e;they also lived together in Bankside, sharing clothes and having one wench in the house between them."e; Or as another account puts it "e;sharing everything in the closest intimacy."e;Whatever the truth of this they were now recognised as perhaps the best writing team of their generation, so much so, that their joint names was applied to all the works in which either, or both, had a pen including those with Philip Massinger, James Shirley and Nathan Field.The first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647 contained 35 plays; 53 plays were included in the second folio in 1679. Other works bring the total plays in the canon to about 55. However there appears here to have been some duplicity on the account of the publishers who seemed to attribute so many to the team. It is now thought that the work between solely by Beaumont and Fletcher amounts to approximately 15 plays, though of course further works by them were re-worked by others and the originals lost.After Beaumont's early death in 1616 Fletcher continued to write and, at his height was, by many standards, the equal of Shakespeare in popularity until his own death in 1625.

Publius Terentius Afer is better known to us as the Roman playwright, Terence.Much of his life, especially the early part, is either unknown or has conflicting sources and accounts.His birth date is said to be either 185 BC or a decade earlier: 195 BC. His place of birth is variously listed as in, or, near Carthage, or, in Greek Italy to a woman taken to Carthage as a slave. It is suggested that he lived in the territory of the Libyan tribe that the Romans called Afri, near Carthage, before being brought to Rome as a slave. Probability suggests that it was there, in North Africa, several decades after the destruction of Carthage by the Romans in 146 BC, at the end of the Punic Wars, that Terence spent his early years.One reliable fact is that he was sold to P. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, who had him educated and, impressed by his literary talents, freed him.These writing talents were to ensure his legacy as a playwright down through the millennia. His comedies, partially adapted from Greek plays of the late phases of Attic Comedy, were performed for the first time around 170-160 BC. All six of the plays he has known to have written have survived.Indeed, thanks to his simple conversational Latin, which was both entertaining and direct, Terence's works were heavily used by monasteries and convents during the Middle Ages and The Renaissance. Scribes often learned Latin through the copious copying of Terence's texts. Priests and nuns often learned to speak Latin through re-enactment of Terence's plays. Although his plays often dealt with pagan material, the quality and distinction of his language promoted the copying and preserving of his text by the church. This preservation enabled his work to influence a wide spectrum of later Western drama.When he was 25 (or 35 depending on which year of birth you ascribe too), Terence travelled to Greece but never returned. It has long been assumed that he died at some point during the journey.Of his own family nothing is known, except that he fathered a daughter and left a small but valuable estate just outside Rome.His most famous quotation reads: "e;Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto"e;, or "e;I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me."e;

We all love a good crime story. An anthology of short crime stories, written by the finest of craftsman of their age, is always a welcome treat. The short story is often viewed as an inferior relation to the Novel. But it is an art in itself. To take a story and distil its essence into fewer pages while keeping character and plot rounded and driven is not an easy task. Many try and many fail. In this series we have a selection of short stories from many of our most accomplished writers written at the beginnings of Detective fiction. Our stories include these classics: The Adventure of the Dying Detective by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Secret Garden by GK Chesterton, Gentlemen and Players by E W Hornung, The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe, The Death Of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce, The Man With The Cough by Mrs Molesworth, The Man With The Pale Eyes by Guy de Maupassant, On Duty With Inspector Field by Charles Dickens, The Stolen Cigar Case by Bret Harte, A Scandal In Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle

Euripides is rightly lauded as one of the great dramatists of all time. In his lifetime, he wrote over 90 plays and although only 18 have survived they reveal the scope and reach of his genius. Euripides is identified with many theatrical innovations that have influenced drama all the way down to modern times, especially in the representation of traditional, mythical heroes as ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. As would be expected from a life lived 2,500 years ago, details of it are few and far between. Accounts of his life, written down the ages, do exist but whether much is reliable or surmised is open to debate. Most accounts agree that he was born on Salamis Island around 480 BC, to mother Cleito and father Mnesarchus, a retailer who lived in a village near Athens. Upon the receipt of an oracle saying that his son was fated to win "e;crowns of victory"e;, Mnesarchus insisted that the boy should train for a career in athletics. However, what is clear is that athletics was not to be the way to win crowns of victory. Euripides had been lucky enough to have been born in the era as the other two masters of Greek Tragedy; Sophocles and schylus. It was in their footsteps that he was destined to follow. His first play was performed some thirteen years after the first of Socrates plays and a mere three years after schylus had written his classic The Oristria. Theatre was becoming a very important part of the Greek culture. The Dionysia, held annually, was the most important festival of theatre and second only to the fore-runner of the Olympic games, the Panathenia, held every four years, in appeal. Euripides first competed in the City Dionysia, in 455 BC, one year after the death of schylus, and, incredibly, it was not until 441 BC that he won first prize. His final competition in Athens was in 408 BC. The Bacchae and Iphigenia in Aulis were performed after his death in 405 BC and first prize was awarded posthumously. Altogether his plays won first prize only five times. Euripides was also a great lyric poet. In Medea, for example, he composed for his city, Athens, "e;the noblest of her songs of praise"e;. His lyric skills however are not just confined to individual poems: "e;A play of Euripides is a musical whole....one song echoes motifs from the preceding song, while introducing new ones."e; Much of his life and his whole career coincided with the struggle between Athens and Sparta for hegemony in Greece but he didn't live to see the final defeat of his city. Euripides fell out of favour with his fellow Athenian citizens and retired to the court of Archelaus, king of Macedon, who treated him with consideration and affection. At his death, in around 406BC, he was mourned by the king, who, refusing the request of the Athenians that his remains be carried back to the Greek city, buried him with much splendor within his own dominions. His tomb was placed at the confluence of two streams, near Arethusa in Macedonia, and a cenotaph was built to his memory on the road from Athens towards the Piraeus.

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in late April 1565 and baptised there on 26th April. He was one of eight children. Little is known about his life but what is evident is the enormous contribution he has made to world literature. His writing was progressive, magnificent in scope and breathtaking in execution. His plays and sonnets helped enable the English language to speak with a voice unmatched by any other. William Shakespeare died on April 23rd 1616, survived by his wife and two daughters. He was buried two days after his death in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church. The epitaph on the slab which covers his grave includes the following passage, Good friend, for Jesus's sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed me the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones. Here we publish his historical play from 1596 'King John'.

The life of William Shakespeare, arguably the most significant figure in the Western literary canon, is relatively unknown. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1565, possibly on the 23rd April, St. George's Day, and baptised there on 26th April. Little is known of his education and the first firm facts to his life relate to his marriage, aged 18, to Anne Hathaway, who was 26 and from the nearby village of Shottery. Anne gave birth to their first son six months later. Shakespeare's first play, The Comedy of Errors began a procession of real heavyweights that were to emanate from his pen in a career of just over twenty years in which 37 plays were written and his reputation forever established. This early skill was recognised by many and by 1594 the Lord Chamberlain's Men were performing his works. With the advantage of Shakespeare's progressive writing they rapidly became London's leading company of players, affording him more exposure and, following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603, a royal patent by the new king, James I, at which point they changed their name to the King's Men. By 1598, and despite efforts to pirate his work, Shakespeare's name was well known and had become a selling point in its own right on title pages. No plays are attributed to Shakespeare after 1613, and the last few plays he wrote before this time were in collaboration with other writers, one of whom is likely to be John Fletcher who succeeded him as the house playwright for the King's Men. William Shakespeare died two months later on April 23rd, 1616, survived by his wife, two daughters and a legacy of writing that none have since yet eclipsed.

Robert Bridges was born in Walmer, Kent on the 23rd of October 1844. He went to study medicine intending to practise until the age of forty and then retire to write poetry. Lung disease forced him to retire in 1882, and from that point on he devoted himself to writing and literary research. However, Bridges' literary work started long before his retirement, his first collection of poems having been published in 1873. He was appointed Poet Laureate in 1913 by George V, the only medical graduate to have held the office. He died in Oxford on the 21st of April 1930. Here we present Prometheus The Firegiver.

Thomas Middleton was born in London in April 1580 and baptised on 18th April. Middleton was aged only five when his father died. His mother remarried but this unfortunately fell apart into a fifteen year legal dispute regarding the inheritance due Thomas and his younger sister. By the time he left Oxford, at the turn of the Century, Middleton had and published Microcynicon: Six Snarling Satirese which was denounced by the Archbishop of Canterbury and publicly burned. In the early years of the 17th century, Middleton wrote topical pamphlets. One - Penniless Parliament of Threadbare Poets was reprinted several times and the subject of a parliamentary inquiry. These early years writing plays continued to attract controversy. His writing partnership with Thomas Dekker brought him into conflict with Ben Jonson and George Chapman in the so-called War of the Theatres. His finest work with Dekker was undoubtedly The Roaring Girl, a biography of the notorious Mary Frith. In the 1610s, Middleton began another playwriting partnership, this time with the actor William Rowley, producing another slew of plays including Wit at Several Weapons and A Fair Quarrel. The ever adaptable Middleton seemed at ease working with others or by himself. His solo writing credits include the comic masterpiece, A Chaste Maid in Cheapside, in 1613. In 1620 he was officially appointed as chronologer of the City of London, a post he held until his death. The 1620s saw the production of his and Rowley's tragedy, and continual favourite, The Changeling, and of several other tragicomedies. However in 1624, he reached a peak of notoriety when his dramatic allegory A Game at Chess was staged by the King's Men. Though Middleton's approach was strongly patriotic, the Privy Council silenced the play after only nine performances at the Globe theatre, having received a complaint from the Spanish ambassador. What happened next is a mystery. It is the last play recorded as having being written by Middleton. Thomas Middleton died at his home at Newington Butts in Southwark in the summer of 1627, and was buried on July 4th, in St Mary's churchyard which today survives as a public park in Elephant and Castle.

Anna Sewell's only published novel, Black Beauty, is an extraordinary classic that deals with animal life and focuses on the importance of good animal treatment. The idea of writing a book about animal rights has been inspired by Sewell's own physical disability which has made her dependent on horse-drawn transportation. The narrator in Black Beauty is himself a personified horse who tells his life story and describes the world through his own lenses. Sewell says that the objective of writing the novel is to sensitize people to the sufferings of "e;working animals"e; and she has actually succeeded in fostering legislation protecting horses and in influencing public attitudes towards animal pain. Black Beauty's life crucially changes when he is taken from a country farm to pull cabs in the city of London. The different ordeals that he has to go through often contain a moral lesson that teaches kindness and sympathy not only for the poor animals, but also between human beings themselves. Indeed, the novel does not miss to cover the hardships of London taxi drivers either. Generally, Sewell's seminal classic has had a great influence on other writers of animal stories and has opened up new windows of discovering animal life.

All profits from the sale of this eBook will go to Lumos, a charity founded by J.K. Rowling to end the institutionalisation of children worldwide. As familiar to many Hogwarts students as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are to Muggle children, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of popular stories written for young wizards and witches. Translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, they include fascinating additional notes from Professor Albus Dumbledore, with intriguing glimpses into his life at Hogwarts, as well as illustrations from J.K. Rowling herself.For wizarding and Muggle readers alike, this is a must-have edition, featuring fate-seeking witches, a hairy-hearted warlock and the tale of the three brothers who tried to cheat Death . . .By buying this unique and special book, you are helping Lumos to make sure that, by 2050, no more children live in institutions or orphanages around the world, and that every child is able to enjoy their right to grow up in a family.All profits from the sale of this eBook will go to Lumos. The Lumos Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales with registered charity number 1112575.

J.K. Rowling’s five-film Fantastic Beasts adventure series continues with the original screenplay for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Version révisée d'octobre 2015.Les colonnes du temps" est le conseil de lecture du site www.monBestSeller.com, sélectionné pour le Prix Concours de l'auteur indépendant 2015.Automne 2003.Notre planète est agressée par une sphère lumineuse qui dévore lentement sa surface.Seuls ses p?les semblent épargnés par l'avidité du monstre qui, en peu de temps, finit par effacer l’Europe et l'ouest asiatique.Tandis que la population mondiale se terre dans des grottes ou colonise l'Alaska, les nations s'organisent et b?tissent une immense base souterraine, en Sibérie.Celle-ci devient le refuge de scientifiques réunis dans une course contre l’annihilation totale de notre monde. Parmi eux, Patrick Schimmer, jeune géologue fran?ais qui, sans le savoir, jouera un r?le important dans le devenir de l'humanité.Ceci est son histoire...Ce qu'en pensent les lecteurs :?" Lisez-le ! Même si vous n'êtes pas amateur habituel de science-fiction comme moi. J'ai été englouti par cette histoire qui vous plonge dans un futur peut-être pas si lointain quand on voit ce qu'on fait à notre planète""Fantastique ! (et je ne parle pas que du genre). Je dévore et recommande. Ps. A quelle page commence l’histoire d’amour pour que tous les ingrédients du succès soient réunis ? !""Dès le départ on est dans le feu de l'action, les personnages sont captivants, le décor est bien planté. On ne s'ennuie pas, pour moi c'est le principal. Bon livre.""Un chef d'oeuvre d'imagination et d'humanisme, truffé d'humour et de références culturelles.""Il y a beaucoup de clins d'oeil pour la génération des quarantenaires ayant une même enfance et regardé les mêmes séries TV... (Est-ce que les jeunes d'aujourd'hui vont capter ??) Les personnages sont attachants, le livre est bien écrit."

When?her job brings her to the city where her grandmother lives,?Lissa?first meets Jason.?Though their attraction to one another is immediate, Lissa refuses to be tempted into romance with a man in Jason’s occupation. She has been influenced by her mother to believe anyone in a creative job has the potential for ruin and starvation. These childhood teachings drove Lissa to actions that she now regrets. Although Jason is handsome and considerate, Lissa is wary and feels it is better to have a husband with a secure job than one who is at the mercy of public trends. Jason is determined not to fall for another committed career woman, and risk the pain of breaking up, as he did with his former fiancé. Taking second place to his wife’s work is not what he wants in a marriage. In addition, he takes his faith seriously and worries about Lissa’s ambivalent relationship with God. Will past experiences stand in the way of their relationship or will they grow together to find true love? ?

Bitan, the most valuable substance in the human universe, makes communication across vast distances possible.? Bitan only comes from one planet.? And that planet has a problem. The TransGalactic Corporation sends Luis Ahmad on a desperate mission to help the human colony on Bitanthra. Can Luis save the colony and stop the collapse of communications throughout the galaxy?

Do you want to transition to a new career or job but have no idea where to start? Here’s a step-by-step guide for your next career move to get the results you desire faster and painlessly. *FREE 100+ page worksheet booklet inside.* This book will take you by the hand to create an easy-to-follow masterplan for your life’s dreams. Learn from award-winning author, Tikiri, who used the techniques in this book to go from being an immigrant teen with $20 in her pocket to managing multi-million-dollar projects and traveling the world. You’ll discover how to: Craft smart goals that align with your personal dreams and vision for life.Design a practical step-by-step execution plan to reach your vision.Manage your days and weeks more effectively, so you can reach your goals faster. And much more Your Rebel Plans is a life-changing workbook with down-to-earth advice, inspiring quotes and plenty of space for you to write your answers. If you’d like to create a roadmap to your dream future, pick up Your Rebel Plans today! ___________________ The Rebel Diva Series - Your Rebel Dreams – How to discover your purpose and power up your life.Your - Rebel Plans - How to create a masterplan for your career change. - Your Rebel Life – Easy habit hacks to transform the most important pillars of your life.Bust Your - Fears - Three easy tools to conquer your fears and upgrade your career and life. The Rebel Diva book series is for the busy working woman who's juggling everything and wishes life had more to give her. Don't just read self-help. Get the Rebel Diva guides that will take you by the hand and show you step-by-step how to create your dream life.

Betty Falconen: the most overqualified low-rent geneticist in Atlanta. Overwhelmed by old insecurities and struggles to pay the rent. Her dreams of cutting-edge research withering on life-support. Betty wanted more from life and work. Will a stranger in a coffee shop bring the change she craves? Or prove her fears right after all? An excerpt from DNA Never Lies: An offer too good to refuse, but at what cost? One last surprise waited for Betty: an application to qualify as a contractor for the Baron County Police Department. Specifically, to re-examine evidence from recent crime scenes. A background check, a confidentiality agreement, and…an offer of payment. “Wow,” Betty whispered, shaking her head. Payment equal to what she’d earned over the last six months of work her lab assistants could do in their sleep. Turning Detective Willa Belladeux down cold didn’t seem nearly as easy as it had the night before, but not because of the money. Well, not only because of the money. The feeling of being in demand, of being appreciated, carried a lot more weight and influence. The idea of getting to work in the field she’d wanted. Yes, what she’d trained for. What her talents and skills were best suited for. All of that together got Betty up and dialing the number on the business card clipped to the application before she could change her mind.

From modern tales involving myths re-told, to trips to the far future where the end of the world is imminent, to an alternate reality where a jetpack-wearing hero fights for truth and justice. Other tales include a vampire and an elf vanquishing evil thus saving the worlds they inhabit. ?A remarkable collection of exciting stories guaranteed to thrill you. ?Stories included: War Eagle Captain Virtue and the League of Evil The Beast of Cadboro Bay Dark Night A Simple Assignment Scavengers

This special book is a real world combination of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. You begin with a precise blueprint of how to assemble a winning crypto portfolio. Then you continue on to expand your knowledge by entering the world of?blockchains beyond cryptocurrencies.? The official book of the 2018 Nordic Trading Competition at the Nasdaq OMX Exchange The book includes the following and much more! - Intensive and rapid guide to understanding the connection between cryptos and the blockchain - How to assemble and execute a crypto portfolio like a pro - Using crypto exchanges insider info to your advantage - Bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading tactics - How blockchain can be applied in your world - Smart contracts - ICOs This is a?combination of: The Next Level Of Cryptocurrency Investing and Blockchain: Real-World Applications And Understanding

A single dad. A special-needs child. Can he break down parent-teacher barriers to help his son? Ben’s frantic, sixty-hour workweek has no room for family. But when he learns he must care for the autistic son he never knew he had, he turns his can-do attitude toward helping his five-year-old adjust to a new school and home. And while he knows caring for Kyle will be challenging, he didn’t expect it to open his eyes to life’s everyday wonders… Schoolteacher Melanie is committed to a positive environment for every student. So when the new parent in class resists her advice for his ASD child, she fears he’s just another stubborn dad. But as she convinces Ben to work with her to support Kyle’s development, it could spark the beginning of a beautiful bond… From the creative mind of a psychologist, teacher, and specialist in autism disorders comes a collection of five memorable novels of life and love on the spectrum. Featuring schoolkids, shut-ins, and chefs, these unique fictional accounts depict the challenges and celebrate the joys of raising children and young adults with special needs. Autism Box Set contains Books 1-5 of the inspiring School Daze fiction series. If you like true-to-life stories infused with practical information, compassionate characters, and tales of overcoming adversity, then you’ll adore Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell’s heartwarming anthology. Buy Autism Box Set to join a brave journey of love and understanding today!

When snow shuts down Greg Heffley's middle school, his neighborhood transforms into a wintry battlefield. Rival groups fight over territory, build massive snow forts, and stage epic snowball fights. And in the crosshairs are Greg and his trusty best friend, Rowley Jefferson. It's a fight for survival as Greg and Rowley navigate alliances, betrayals, and warring gangs in a neighborhood meltdown. When the snow clears, will Greg and Rowley emerge as heroes? Or will they even survive to see another day?