Showing results by narrator "Amy Soakes" in All Categories

A central theme of Ostrovsky's plays is the inevitable struggle between the demands of personal morality and and those dictated by social propriety. In this grim drama, the dramatist sketches a tragic incident arising from the conflict of two social classes: the petty tradesmen and the nobility. From the coarse environment of the first emerge honest, upright natures like Krasnov, the earnest shokeeper; from the superficial, dawdling culture of the second come weak-willed triflers like the ineffectual landowner, Babayev.

In his short life, Australian poet Barcoft Boake completed 30 poems, the most famous of which is the pastoral lament, "Where the Dead Men Lie", which was first published in the The Bulletin in December, 1891. This collection was prepared and edited by critic and anthologist, A. G. Stephens, who also appended a detailed memoir of the poet.

This collection was published in 1901 and contains some of Lawson's best known stories. Most of the stories are set in the Australian bush, and feature many of Lawson's iconic characters, like squatters, swagmen, and struggling selector farmers. A persistent theme is the harshness of rural life and the inevitability of personal tragedy.

Two goblins, a snarky treasure map, and the hilarious quest for a lost gem. Magic never caused so many problems. Sounds straightforward enough. But Sneath and Clutter aren't your usual goblins, and the map has plans of its own. Join the brothers on their hilarious adventure as they bumble through caves, almost drown in an icy lake, and are chased by nasty, magical villains. And all for the love of gold and jewels.

If she can’t bond with a dragon she’ll be expelled for good.... After three unsuccessful terms at Alveria’s Dragon Akademy, 17-year-old tamer trainee Mari has one last chance to bond with a dragon. If she fails, her dream of joining the Dragon Guard alongside the troubled Crown Prince, will be over for good. And that is not something she's willing to accept. Prince Kai has been stuck in his dragon form for two years, making any normal public life impossible.

No sooner has Narissea successfully recovered the Stone Crown and used its power to fend off Inyene, the evil metal queen, she discovers the crown can’t be removed. And it’s consuming her mind with its poisonous whispers. Irrational commands and uncharacteristic rage burst forth before she considers their impact. Unwittingly, dragons across the land are enslaved by forced obedience to her every word.

She can save her people - or doom the world. Narissea faces an impossible choice. Armed with a map discovered in the hidden shrine, she’s forced to lead Inyene’s heir through the wilds of the Plains to claim the ultimate prize. For only the wearer of the Stone Crown can command all dragons and take the High Throne that rules over the three kingdoms. To place the crown’s power into Inyene’s hands is unthinkable. Yet failure to obtain it means certain death.

The three kingdoms lie splintered, their aging dragon riders content with stories of glorious battle victories. But a new evil creeps across the land. Inyene, a powerful noblewoman of the Northern Kingdom, plunders valuable resources to power mechanical dragons in her quest to gain a foothold in the Middle Kingdom. From there she will ascend the High Throne, once again uniting the realms under a single crown. For the wearer of the Stone Crown can wield unlimited power - if it can be found.

In the early Renaissance, a captain born in a noble family must choose. Will he marry the child bride his father has chosen or the woman who has captured his heart? The doctor's assistant is brave, learned, and handles a weapon like a man. Unfortunately, her beauty is beyond compare, and without a dowry, she attracts the attention of a powerful man who would have her as his mistress.

After a catastrophe in the real world leaves Kraven's broken body trapped in a regeneration capsule, his mind is connected to the latest new-generation virtual reality game, World of Noria. But things in game-world are not all they seem, and to survive, Kraven will need a strength he has little time to cultivate.

Jasmine's a tough, savvy woman who's worked hard to get where she is. Used to being used by men and women, looking to get ahead, she doesn't trust easily when it comes to relationships. Shane's her cousin's best friend from Australia who's been working in Cherry Springs while he gets his Masters. Now that school's out, he's going to have to leave the country. She's always kept him at arm's length, afraid to ignite the passion that sparks whenever he's near. He does everything in his power to remind her of what she's missing.

Big, sexy men who don’t relate well to kids need not apply.... Ben Harland is, by his own admission, a bit of a grouch. He doesn’t do soppy chick flicks or cozy home and family. He sure doesn’t need any more drama in his world. But life has a way of biting him in the ass. Cue insta-daddyhood to an eight-year-old girl who lands on his doorstep and an out-of-control attraction to Stewart Island's hot school teacher. Kezia Murphy plays her widow card well. When you don’t trust people not to let you down, you don’t get involved.

Grace Dobbs, a champion at her local gun club, lives a quiet life in Western Australia with her mother. But when a violent killing spree in the neighborhood involves Grace coming to the rescue, she is catapulted into the limelight as a local heroine. However, her fame spreads much further than the local town, bringing her to the attention of someone in Britain who is very keen to meet her. But what does this person want? And can they be trusted?

A short story about how two people stopped smoking. After a day working together Penny teaches Joe how to stop smoking in simple terms.

Ryan "West" Westlake belongs on the island. It's in his blood and who he is. Nobody can deny that. When Piper Harland walked out of his life years ago, West let her go. He'd never stand in the way of a woman and her dreams. But now that she's back, their past smacks him right in the face. With tempers flared and desires heightened, West just might realize what he lost so long ago. Piper would do anything for her brother - even if means going back to Stewart Island - the one place she swore she'd never go again.

Maggie Walker has never called Wirra Station home. Orphaned as a child, she spent more time at boarding school and then working in the city than she ever spent on the edge of the outback. But when her great aunt dies, Maggie inherits everything and reluctantly returns to tidy the place up before selling. Ambitious cowboy-next-door Max O’Connor has the means and the desire to buy Wirra Station outright and return it to its former glory. But first, he wants elusive Maggie Walker to know what she’s giving up.

In the light of the early dawn, Lady Fay traverses her parapet wall and waits with bow drawn taut. Only when she realizes the group of men who exit the Saxon rowboat are tonsured does she allow herself to breathe. She need not shoot another of King Alexander's suitors. At least not today. With a wicked grin, she lets go the bowstring, and the arrow makes a perfect arc to land directly in front of the one in the lead. She isn't so fond of priests, either.

What's your name, sweetheart? That was the first thing. I wasn't his sweetheart, and he should have already known my name. But, that was the moment I became caught in Tyler Lohan's sight. He was wonderful and complicated, and I'd spent my life trying to hate him for being the golden boy who had everything so easy. However, as with all things, Tyler wasn't the person he appeared to be from the outside, and once I saw him - the real him - I fell, and I don't think I ever got back up.

What foul devilry is this? They told her he was dead. After six long years without a word, her knight falls onto his knees and sings poetry. Then he denies their son? Heed this well. She's no longer an innocent who'll giggle and tarry on his every word. The sharp edge of her tongue and knife is the only welcome he'll get. She'll not marry him. Besides, the pain would be too much to bear should he ever leave again.

It always happens when you least suspect it. Love. The chemistry. The pull. Even when you don’t want it to. Timing - it’s a bitch. And then you have to make a choice. Do you regret what is, or what isn’t? Because when love’s involved, there’s always regret. And my story is no exception.