Written by a team of leading China specialists, this updated 2nd edition of Chinese Politics explores the dynamics of state power and politics in contemporary China, focusing on the Xi Jinping era.Through its multi-disciplinary contributions, this book explores the extent to which Xi has reshaped the political, economic, socio-cultural, and demographic terrains of the PRC, as well as Beijing’s foreign policy. The book will help readers to think productively about the traje...

Earning a higher salary rarely solves financial stress; in fact, it usually exacerbates it. As our income grows, so do our tastes, leading to an invisible phenomenon known as lifestyle creep. We upgrade our cars, our homes, and our wardrobes, entirely trapping ourselves in a high-stress cycle where we must work relentlessly just to maintain an inflated baseline of consumption. Intentional Wealth provides a roadmap for escaping this exhausting financial treadmill. True wealth is not measure...

Just when something feels played out, a fresh viewpoint can revitalize it. That's the power of being a writer. You get to show people a way of perceiving the world they had never considered before. FICTION VORTEX: Founded in the 277th year of the Takolatchni Dynasty, Fiction Vortex set out to encourage people to write and publish great speculative fiction. It sprang fully formed from the elbow of TWOS, retaining none of TWOS’s form but most of i...

The character, Danny, shares a story of adventure in the deep south. A son of a single mother, She leaves Danny with grandparents on a farm in the backwoods. The life of a country boy has many twists and turns. A story of prejudice, fun and heart breaking situations.The story elevates into a story of a stepchild forced to leave the dirt road life and live with his mother.As Danny marries, masters a craft and eventually starts a small business. The corporate world of highly educated people ...

East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte, is an edited collection of thirty-one essays that trace the experience of a California community over three centuries, from eighteenth-century Spanish colonization to twenty-first century globalization. Employing traditional historical scholarship, oral history, creative nonfiction and original art, the book provides a radical new history of El Monte and South El Monte, showing how interdisciplinary and community-engaged scholarship ca...

From the bestselling author of The Spaceship Next Door:“I don’t know how old I am.My earliest memory is something along the lines of fire good, ice bad, so I think I predate written history, but I don’t know by how much. I like to brag that I’ve been there from the beginning, and while this may very well be true, I generally just say it to pick up girls.” --Adam the ImmortalSurviving sixty thousand years takes cunning and more than a little luck. But in the twenty-first cen...

Paranormal cop Miranda Contreau investigates a possible demon attack and gruesome murder.What she finds are six adorable cats and six cute, fuzzy kittens.Related? Surely not…Find out why USA Today bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith calls Dermatis “one of the best writers working today.”“Feline Design” was originally published in The Ghostbreakers: New Horrors (Rage Machine Books, 2005).

When God whispers, the wise listen. In this short story, a busy husband and father fails to heed the quiet voice of the Lord. In doing so, he experiences the loving admonition of God whispering loudly. 2750 words, available at no charge.

We all want to live forever, but we shouldn't. We're not supposed to. Ironically, if we could literally live every single day that time and space have left, our lives would be almost meaningless. It's the end of lives that cause them to matter.But your life, short as it is -- and perhaps because it's short -- can have more meaning and more effect on other people than you can possibly imagine… if you chose to let it.The end of your life is not the end. Not unless you let it ...

More lyrics from my personal view on life and events. Lyric writing is an escape from the daily grind of everyday life for me. A way to relax and express what I find difficult to say vocally.

An ancient craft, long forgotten, adrift alone, sending out a distress call.Simply trying to get back home.Imagine it's surprise when it discovers someone from its homeworld.(Doctor Who fanfic, written under creative commons terms)

101 Dating Questions to Start Amazing ConversationsAre you tired of running out of things to say on a date? Would you like to be able to approach new people and start conversations quickly and easily?If so, this short book is exactly what you need to guarantee your conversation never runs dry.Written by the UK's top Dating Coach and Dating Expert, James Preece, you'll learn the secrets of exciting discussion subjects and what singles really want to talk to you about...