Edgar Allan Poe, author, poet, literary critic and editor, was born in Boston, January 19, 1809. His parents, Elizabeth Arnold and David Poe, were both actors who separated shortly after his birth.

By the age of 2, Edgar was alone and semi-destitute with his siblings Henry and Rosalie – David remained an absent father and Elizabeth died tragically from tuberculosis, alone on a straw bed while her children looked on helplessly.

This uncertainty and instability were patterns that continued throughout Poe’s life, mimicked in his art. Catastrophe, insanity, excess, dereliction and depression would haunt him whilst informing the psychological horror of his wildly popular tales and poems of horror and mystery, including ‘The Fall of the House of the Usher’, ‘The Raven’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.

Poe heralded a new interpretation of the Gothic form in American fiction and his genius and artistic prowess remain iconic. Yet his extraordinary life has frequently been the subject of conflicting, doubtful and contested information.

Carefully documenting one of the most flawed, troubled and fascinating figures in literary history, a man of letters, philosophy, art and science, Woodberry presents a rare and in-depth account of Poe’s family background.

Including personal correspondence and private notes, this is an elegant and mesmerising biography documenting Poe’s greatest eccentricities, achievements, affairs and sorrows.

George Edward Woodberry (1855-1930) was an American literary critic and poet. Born in Massachusetts, he studied at Harvard University. His other titles include the biographies Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Swinburne.

PHOEBE’S HERON, the story of 12-year-old Phoebe Greer, is set in Colorado in 1900. Her first-person narrative begins when Phoebe, her family, and Nurse Daisy arrive at their new cliff-top cabin in the foothills of the Rockies. They have moved from Denver hoping that the fresh air will heal Phoebe’s mother’s tuberculosis.

While Phoebe wants nothing more than for her mother to get well, she misses city life in Denver and her best friend Lisbeth, whose parents own Denver’s finest millinery store, where the two girls have spent hours in front of the looking-glass parading with fancy feathered hats on their heads.

Phoebe loves to draw. Her father gives her a sketchbook, and she soon meets Jed, a local boy. However, young Jed is a plume hunter, a commercial hunter of birds. He desperately wants to find a great blue heron, whose feathers were in great demand for women’s hats.

Gradually, the two youngsters become friends. Jed shows Phoebe the delights of the natural world in the Colorado Rockies, and their friendship deepens.
On her own one day, Phoebe sees a magnificent great blue heron in the creek, which she sketches in her book. But she does not tell Jed about seeing this bird. Then, Phoebe’s mother grows worse, and soon, all will change.

This is a lovely, lyrical story about discovery and friendship, and ultimately the courage to take a stand for something greater than oneself.

WINNIE ANDERSON holds an MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and has had stories published in 
various children’s magazines. This is her first novel. She lives in Baltimore, MD, and Evergreen, CO. Her website is WinnieAndersonBooks.com.

This omnibus includes the first three books of the Mortis Vampire Series.

Death Beckons - Working late one night, Natalie Pierce is kidnapped by a creature that looks like a harmless old man, but is something far more terrifying. Waking up in a creepy mausoleum, she is forced to endure three nights of indescribable agony. Her life is forever altered when she is transformed into a monster of myth and legend; a vampire.

Lonely and full of despair, she comes face to face with the irresistible and enigmatic Lord Lucentio. Justice bringer for the European Vampire Council, Luc has been sent to Australia to kill Natalie's maker, but someone has already beaten him to it. He quickly discovers that Nat is far from an ordinary fledgling. He suspects that she is Mortis, a figure of both hope and dread among their kind.

Natalie is propelled into a dark and mysterious underworld that takes her far away from her hometown of Brisbane. Her arrival was foretold long ago and her fate is already sealed. Nat's entire species is in danger and it is her job to save them. She desperately wants to escape from the burden that has been thrust upon her, but she is inextricably linked to a two thousand year old prophecy. An unknown enemy has begun to whittle down their already limited numbers. If Nat fails to accept her destiny, all vampires will soon cease to exist.

Death Embraces - Natalie Pierce awakens to find herself buried in a box that strongly resembles a coffin. After some initial confusion she remembers that she has become a member of a very exclusive club; the living dead.

Natalie has three important tasks ahead of her. One: escape from her underground prison. Two: hunt down the creature responsible for imprisoning her. Three: discover who or what is behind the cause of the sentient shadows that only she can see.

As the long awaited and highly unanticipated Mortis, Nat has abilities that no other vampire has ever before possessed. She must utilize the strangeness that sets her apart from her new kin to fulfill a prophecy that was written over two thousand years ago. The ancient text predicts that it is her destiny to wipe out the vast bulk of her own kind. Despite all of the weird and wacky powers that she has gained, not even Mortis can avoid her fate.

Death Deceives - From the moment she’d been turned into Mortis, Natalie Pierce had been fated to come face to face with the first vampire ever created. Hideously transformed over thousands of years by the diseased blood that runs through his veins, the First had created an army of grey skinned imps. His plan is to enslave humanity and to turn them into a vast herd of cattle to feed his offspring.

Nat and her friends are all that stands between the humans and the bat faced, orange eyed imps. Aside from the overwhelming odds against them, Natalie foresaw an even bigger danger. As vampires, they were all highly susceptible to becoming possessed by their shadows. Once that happened, they could then be turned into imps by the First. Luc, Geordie, Igor and Gregor would be doomed from the instant they set foot inside the First’s lair.

A recent prophecy had foretold that an army would come to Natalie’s aid. With many of her new kin already possessed by their shadows, Nat was uncertain where this mystery army would come from. She could only hope that the prophecy would come true. If it didn't, she would be facing the First and his growing army of ravenous offspring alone.

"Unique women's fiction story packed with emotion, humor and sexiness. I could not turn the pages quickly enough..." ~Caridad Pineiro, NYT Times & USA Today Bestselling Romance Author
 
2017 Independent Publishers Award in Romance (Bronze)
 
Forty-two and widowed, romance writer Jillian Grant believes hospitals equal death. Plagued by loss and convinced more is imminent, she has come to equate the absence of pain with happiness. When she spots a hot, young landscaper with an eerie resemblance to the male lead in her next novel, she convinces him to pose as her cover model.

Working multiple jobs to put himself through college, twenty-four-year-old Raine MacDonald is no stranger to loss. Behind his handsome face and rockin' body lie family tragedy and agonizing secrets. When circumstances put him in the hospital at the hands of his estranged father, fate delivers Jillian as his unwitting savior and her home as his temporary sanctuary.

In close quarters, their chemistry ignites and Jillian is torn between facing her fears and grasping a chance at happiness. She must decide if age is just a number and if she's willing to risk the possibility that losing Raine will shatter her heart more than death.

Olivia takes a risk and gets entangled in a psychological maze. Her past rushes through to bring identification with a malevolent force so unhinged she threatens everything Olivia has worked for...

Mind games start. Torment becomes the seduction.

Olivia Stark was the highest paid teen actress in Hollywood. Not anymore.

A trip to Las Vegas turns upside down when Olivia becomes privy to a secret... and events combust in a way no one expected.

A bombshell opens a hatch for Olivia to spy into the deep recesses of an eerie past.

It begins at a film industry charity event in Sin City drawing big-name producers, including Vivika James. Olivia is convinced she holds the secret to her future.

So she makes a choice which catches her in a treacherous maze of deceit, mistaken identity and diabolical mind games.

Olivia's life put on the line by her own choices.

Enter Jeremy Durant, a transplanted Los Angeles lawyer who dropped out of the partnership racket to work at Slaten's Premier Hotel & Casino on the Strip. Olivia convinces Jeremy of an outlandish prospect, which leads her into darkness.

Olivia's Turn is an arousing psychological thriller where the mind games humans play have a cost.

But what makes someone snap?

Olivia Stark doesn't consider the risks she takes. She goes after what she wants willing to pay the price.

How far would you go to get what you want?


 

The most hilarious travel guide you need, when on the road in Belgium or the Netherlands. Whether you want to flirt with someone, get them in your bed ("I do regret it"), know what to say on a wedding ("You're the worst best man"), in a restaurant, long term relationship ("We should get a dog"), breakup ("I'm taking the dog with me!"), in a pub ("I can't feel my shoe."), traffic ("I think we're flashed") or just want to have a decent conversation... It's all there!

I've never had a problem with getting my hands dirty. I prefer it. 
 
Hard work. Long days. Watching my crew create something beautiful from nothing - that's what I was all about. 
 
A blue-collar construction worker who happens to own the business too. 
 
And things were going great. Life was about my little girl and my business. Until my best friend's father died. 
 
The funeral was a place of reunion, coming home, and warmth through remembrance until she walked in. My Best Friend's little sister. 
 
Time stood still.
 
How in the world had Lauren grown into the cold, hard-ass, beautiful woman that stood before me? Where was the small town girl I thought she would turn out to be?
 
I'd convinced myself that all I wanted was to be a good father to my little girl, but something else resurrected inside of me seeing Lauren again. 
 
I wanted to be a good husband too. 
 
Every Good Girl Deserves a Bad Boy. ~ Weston

SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE **$0.99** (normally $4.99)

Cam Crawford, brother of Palm Beach homicide cop Charlie Crawford, just checked himself into a ritzy rehab facility in Connecticut. Admitted the same day were a drunk, an addict, and a psychopath.

With little in common except deep psychic scars are Avril, a drugged-out actress, Rachel, a 18-year old self-destructive wild child, and haunted, pretty boy, Cam, just trying to piece together their tormented lives.

All they want is to learn how to cope, find peace of mind, make a few friends…but better watch out, because there are a few twisted people inside the ivy covered walls of Clairmount. And not everyone’s going to make it home.

Corridor Man 6: Exit Strategy
The Corridor Man series is written by Mike Faricy under the pseudonym Nick James. The series should be read in order.
Time to update the resume
Crime lord Luis Morales has made Bobby Custer an offer he can't refuse. Psychotic, narcissistic, psychopathic, greedy, unprincipled...and always charming Bobby forms a new law firm. But first he has to figure out an Exit Strategy Low and behold Bennett Hinz, head of the firm, provides Bobby with the perfect opportunity, and things fall into place, literally. From that point on it's it's all pretty simple...just as long as he doesn't get caught.

Corridor Man 6: Exit Strategy It's complicated, nerve wracking and you might just want to leave the light on when you read this.

Are you addicted to your phone? Are you spending too much time on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Is the internet causing you to feel depressed, lethargic, and unmotivated?

If so, you're not alone.

More people than ever are realizing their phones, laptops, and other devices are negatively impacting their quality of life. Their relationships are suffering. Their stress levels are increasing. Their sleep quality is in a tailspin. Many are even suffering chronic aches and pains.

Being constantly plugged in comes at a severe price.

Here's the good news: there's a simple way to enjoy a quieter, more relaxed daily experience. Take a vacation from technology.

In DIGITAL DETOX, Amazon bestselling author Damon Zahariades provides an effective, step-by-step plan.

Nothing is left to your imagination. Nothing is left unexplained. Every aspect, from the factors that led to your technology addiction to the life-changing benefits you'll enjoy after taking a technology vacation, is detailed in this fast-moving action guide.

Creating a more rewarding lifestyle begins with giving yourself permission to disconnect.

Buy DIGITAL DETOX today to experience more creativity, less anxiety, and a boost of inspiration!

Real Men Eat Cupcakes

Annie McPherson has had it with all the blind dates her grandmother and auntie set her up with. She just wants to be left alone to run the Sweet Indulgence cupcake bakery – even if it means she’ll remain single forever.
Jack’s just been through a gut-wrenching break-up, and women are the last thing on his mind. Now he’s on a mission to pick up cupcakes for his niece’s birthday party—not a mission to fall in love. Pulled in by Annie’s good looks and witty charm, though, temptation proves too sweet.
But will Annie’s pesky grandmother and auntie welcome Jack as Annie’s choice or will they have him jumping through hoops to prove he’s the one?
Fans of Debbie Macomber, Sherryl Woods, and Susan Wiggs are sure to love Sweet Indulgence, the first sweet romance novel in the Charleston Harbor series.
This book is too sweet to pass up! Scroll up to one click and begin your indulgence today!

“This book is more than the story of two French soldiers, although that story is worth telling by reason of the strange inversion of their two careers. For one of them surrendered Metz in 1870 and was sentenced to death, while the other surrendered France in 1940 and was sentenced to become its ruler. The first Marshal was made a scapegoat by his defeated country; and when the second Marshal came to power, the scapegoat was France.”

François Bazaine and Henri Petain are two of France’s most famous generals.

Bazaine joined the Foreign Legion in 1832, a time when standards were reasonably poor. Their expeditions often took them miles away from home, so requests to travel to lands afar from King Louis Phillipe were expected. From the beginning of his career, Bazaine’s dedication, and hard work were noted. His position of Mariscal had not been an easy achievement, he’d risen through the ranks, only for his country to betray him.

Surrendering at Metz, Mariscal Bazaine became a scapegoat when France was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War.

Bazaine was held captive for a while, and on his return, he realised he’d been put forth as a scapegoat.

Immediately, he launched into clearing his name, but was then given a life-sentence, much to the repulsion of Mac-Mahon, who’d served with Bazaine in the Foreign Legion.

Marshal Petain’s life was elusive, only for the sake of preserving his objectivity.

Marshal Petain was raised and educated in his hometown. Hardened by regimental life, Petain joined the 3rd Chasseurs as lieutenant in 1884, a time when Paris was going through its rousing years.

In 1916, Petain’s heroic capabilities were put to the test, and he succeeded. Verdun was under attack from the Germans and Verdun’s defence was placed at the hands of Petain.

It seemed the Germans intended the attack to draw innumerable French forces to the protection of Verdun, thereby weakening its army.

But this was not Petain’s view.

He saw beyond what others were seeing. His reputation was sealed through his success at Verdun.

Through a twist of fate, Petain was sentenced to death for treason on his return to France from Germany; a fate he was pardoned from due to his service.

After losing her parents, American artist Elena set out on a trip around the world. Now, in the sultry heat of the Middle East, she’s having a hard time imagining returning to real life back home. But with half of her vacation still ahead of her, she and her friend are packed and ready to move onto their next destination... when a chance encounter changes everything. A dark, handsome stranger with a devilish grin catches Elena’s eye, but how could she know that an innocent favor is about to change her life forever?


Sheikh Asim always relies on his intuition...with business and with women. Along with his brothers, he works hard to keep their company profitable, but he prefers to live in the moment. With pressure mounting from his mother to settle down and marry a family friend, Asim needs an escape. He’s enchanted by the beguiling American beauty he sees at the café, and she couldn’t have come along at a better time. But when he asks her to be his fake fiancée, he never could have known she would change his life forever.

The two waste no time coming together, but when the spontaneity wears off and Elena learns of an unexpected complication, will Asim be ready to face the future?

The most influential military treatise in the western world from Roman times to the 19th Century was Vegetius’ De Re Militari. Its influence on our own traditions of discipline and organization are evident everywhere.

Richard Coeur de Lion carried De Re Militari everywhere with him in his campaigns, as did his father, Henry II of England.

Manuscript copies survive from the 10th to the 15th centuries. It was translated into English, French, and Bulgarian before the invention of printing. The first English printed edition was by William Caxton in 1489.

Flavius Vegetius Renatus was a Roman of high rank in the late fourth century. In some manuscripts he is given the title of count, but unfortunately little else is known of his life.

He states quite frankly that his purpose was to collect and synthesize from ancient manuscripts and regulations the military customs and wisdom that made ancient Rome such a powerful military force. According to his statement, his principal sources were Cato the Elder, Cornelius Celsus, Paternus, Frontinus, and the regulations and ordinances of Augustus, Trajan and Hadrian.

The first book treats of the choice and exercises of new troops; the second explains the establishment of the legion and the method of discipline; and the third contains the dispositions for action.

This edition is the 1767 translation by Lieutenant John Clarke.
 

Praise for Vegetius

“A God, said Vegetius, inspired the legion, but for myself, I find that a God inspired Vegetius.” Austrian Field Marshal, Prince de Ligne

“However, there are spirits bold enough to believe themselves great captains as soon as they know how to handle a horse, carry a lance at charge in a tournament, or as soon as they have read the precepts of Vegetius.” Montecuccoli, the conqueror of the Turks at St. Gotthard

Albion Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

My name is Charlotte Lear and I didn’t want to be a werewolf. But thanks to circumstances totally beyond my control—okay, mostly—that’s what I am.

Now every month the full moon turns me into a hairy, angry, smelly wolf and all I can do is make sure I’m contained so I can’t hurt anyone else. I’m trying my best to live a normal life (well, as normal as possible when you’re a werewolf and your best friend is dating a vampire).

But when the wolf who turned me insists I go to a mandatory wolf pack meeting, everything changes. Before I know it, a group of militant monster hunters armed with silver bullets has me in their sights. With the help of an annoyingly dogged (but admittedly kind of sexy) werewolf named Raff, I have to stop the hunters before they kill me and every other werewolf they can find.

Moon Cursed is book one of The Reluctant Werewolf Chronicles, a humorous urban fantasy series with suspense and a little bit of romance.

"Great book. Dark--yes. Grotesque--certainly. Sexually explicit--without a doubt.
And the writing is excellent. Character development & dialogue, is as real as it gets.
A terrifying, non-putdownable horror."
Jeff Bennington, Kindle Book Awards

From a secret duo of USA Today Bestselling Authors, comes the first COMPLETE STANDALONE in the Modern Love Series.

Who knew sleeping with the enemy could be this fun?

Was the one night stand a good idea?

Well, no. Probably not in retrospect.

In my defense I had just moved back into my grandparent's house, I'd lost my dream job, and a guy on Tinder had stood me up. It was like life had suddenly stamped 'LOSER' on my forehead.

So when the guy behind the bar started giving me THE look...you know, the one that promised I'd be screaming his name into the wee hours of the morning? When that guy also has the perfect amount of scruff on his chiseled chin, biceps bulging out of his t-shirt, and a cocky grin you knew he'd earned in the sack...when he gives you that look, you don't bother to figure out what your six degrees of separation are. You jump on that horse and ride it!

Pun fully and completely intended. And accurate by the way.

I fully admit to feeling sorry for myself and acting impulsively, but by the time I'd figured out WHO the bartender was, I was already falling for him.

** Note: This book was previous titled "The Bartender". Same great story with a fresh new look.**

I never expected Avery to come crashing into my life. 

TIRED OF FEELING STUCK? Use These 15 Scientifically Proven Secrets to Build Mental Toughness and Unleash Your Inner Champion...

Discover the 15 daily habits to build mental toughness, unleash the mindset of a champion, and achieve peak performance.

I've always been interested in peak performance.

World-class athletes. 

Elite military soldiers. 

Rockstar salespeople. 

Business moguls.

They all have a "secret" to thrive in difficult situations. To rise above chaos and succeed. To defy the odds and achieve incredible results. 

So I went on a long journey to study what made them tick.

How were they able to achieve such amazing success? 

What mindset, traits, and behaviors did they have that made them the high-performers that they were? 

How were they able to consistently maintain high performance?

In one word, it's mental toughness.

It's self-confidence, belief, visualization, and the ability to control their emotions and take action.

But it boils down to mental toughness.

So I became obsessed with learning about mental toughness.

I read books, and articles, and watched videos to discover how to build mental toughness.

During my research, I identified 15 key habits to help build mental toughness.

This is my step-by-step manual I created for regular people that want to build mental toughness, build a champion mindset, and unleash their potential.

I share simple, scientific secrets, tips, and habits that regular people can use to achieve mental toughness - in as little as 15 minutes a day.

Here's What You'll Discover

• How a little-known breathing “trick” can instantly build mental toughness (use this when you’re scared, nervous, or anxious to think clearly, make decisions quickly, and ACT decisively)
• Why visualization doesn’t work, and the ACTUAL way to visualize so that you see almost instant results (I reveal the difference between “passive” visualization and “active” visualization)
• How top-performers like Tiger Woods, Lebron James, and Tom Brady talk to themselves so that they perform under pressure (it has to do with raising their internal standards so that they ACT like champions)
• How to push past discomfort and fear by having a clear, definite purpose (a clear purpose activates a part of your subconscious mind so that you have unshakable resilience)
• How the secret of having “micro-goals” helps you build mental toughness by constant progress (this is how elite military professionals are able to get out of disastrous situations)
• How to use the power of cold water to build mental toughness (it’s tough, but will unleash a sense of power and confidence you never thought you had)
• The scientific link between body language and confidence, self-esteem, mental toughness, and peak performance (once you discover this, you’ll never want to slouch again!)
• How to build mental toughness by cutting out pornography and harnessing your sexual energy
• How to train your subconscious mind to attract good things - by freely giving them away
• And so much more…

Imagine the sense of mental toughness, power, and dominance you’ll have after using these simple habits.

I wrote this book to be action-oriented. It’s short and sweet with no fluff.

Buy now and start using the secrets to build mental toughness and reach new levels of success.

The Birth of Venus, Primavera, The Adoration of the Magi.

Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, commonly known as Sandro Botticelli, created some of the most beautiful pieces of art the world has ever seen.

Born into a period of greatness for Florentine art he flourished under the patronage of Lorenzo de’ Medici.

Art historian Robert Henry Hobart Cust's concise work uncovers the depth of Botticelli’s work.

Cust provides an overview of Botticelli’s life in the context of Lorenzo de Medici’s patronage, Dante Alighieri’s friendship, Michelangelo’s competition and Girolamo Savonarola’s revolutionary sermons.

But mostly the weight of this study is placed on Botticelli’s art; how his invention demonstrates itself, how his conception of the figure is demonstrated and how he created some of the most interesting paintings of the early Renaissance.

Where possible art referenced in the work have been linked to and are visible as high definition images for anyone with an eReader with web browsing capabilities.

Robert Henry Hobart Cust (1861-1940) was an art historian of the Italian Renaissance and Sienna. After attending Eton, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge and Magdalen College Oxford he published his first major work on Il Sodoma, Giovanni Antonio Bazzi. In subsequent years, Cust had to fend off reviewers who found - as Cust did himself - Sodoma's subject matter and lifestyle immoral. After writing books on Botticelli and Da Vinci he issued his own translation of an abbreviated version of the life of Benvenuto Cellini, based on a newer edition of the Italian. He served in the RAF during World War I.

Albion Press is an imprint of Endeavour Press, the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.