A City Of Bloodsuckers

This novel is a work of fiction, and the characters are all fictional—that is, they come out of my imagination. But if they bear any resemblance to specific judges, lawyers, and cops, it is not a matter of coincidence. It is because I chose to use such names for them to get mad, the same way I am mad about the injustice done to me by three judges for a crime I cried and swore I did not commit. I was charged and found guilty even though I was the one who was assaulted and battered—an assault and battery that has now partially left me deaf and, above all, has left me with only one testicle, while the judges and the attorneys have played their games right. I also created this fictional event of the court. I have used names that came out of my imagination to represent all the players in this book, and I put them in chapters where they are meant to serve my purpose the same way three notorious judges all served their purpose against me. But I should make it clear, though, that the names of the noncourtroom players whom I have used here are products of my imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Therefore, the actions and motivations of these players are entirely my idea. Again, simply put, there is no connection in the manner I brought them into the book. If I have caused embarrassment to anyone other than some judges I have directed my anger to or the attorneys, the security men of Circus Circus Hotel & Casino, and the cops, in any manner, I wish, here and now, to apologize openly and sincerely. And bear in mind that without the humanities—with the novelists, playwrights, poets, and actors of our world, let alone the comedians to express the First Amendment or mock those who wrong us or who rule the world—we would not have movies or theaters. Therefore, all the movies we might think we have would be worth nothing. Ogbebor K. Ogbesia November 8, 2001

Fifty-million-dollar lottery winner Randy Rush was only out for personal justice when he launched a court battle against Jeremy Crawford, a skilled con man who exploited mutual relationships and a deeply devoted Christian facade to swindle him out of more than $4.6 million.

“Sink your teeth in” (People) to the scariest, hungriest, undeadliest collection of vampire tales ever assembled—with stories from Stephen King, Dan Simmons, Bram Stoker, and many more. Dark, stormy, and delicious, once you’re in its clutches there's no escape. From the first to last bite, it's a bloody good read. Featuring: · The macabre dens of the immortal · Unexpected guests · Shadowy figures · Ancient mysteries

A pioneering and groundbreaking work of narrative nonfiction that offers a dramatic new perspective on the history of humankind, showing how through millennia, the mosquito has been the single most powerful force in determining humanity’s fate Why was gin and tonic the cocktail of choice for British colonists in India and Africa? What does Starbucks have to thank for its global domination? What has protected the lives of popes for millennia? Why did Scotland surrender its sovereignty to England? What was George Washington's secret weapon during the American Revolution? The answer to all these questions, and many more, is the mosquito. Across our planet since the dawn of humankind, this nefarious pest, roughly the size and weight of a grape seed, has been at the frontlines of history as the grim reaper, the harvester of human populations, and the ultimate agent of historical change. As the mosquito transformed the landscapes of civilization, humans were unwittingly required to respond to its piercing impact and universal projection of power. The mosquito has determined the fates of empires and nations, razed and crippled economies, and decided the outcome of pivotal wars, killing nearly half of humanity along the way. She (only females bite) has dispatched an estimated 52 billion people from a total of 108 billion throughout our relatively brief existence. As the greatest purveyor of extermination we have ever known, she has played a greater role in shaping our human story than any other living thing with which we share our global village. Imagine for a moment a world without deadly mosquitoes, or any mosquitoes, for that matter? Our history and the world we know, or think we know, would be completely unrecognizable. Driven by surprising insights and fast-paced storytelling, The Mosquito is the extraordinary untold story of the mosquito’s reign through human history and her indelible impact on our modern world order.

As a welfare kid who grew up in the streets, Randy Rush had to fight for everything he got and knew what it was like to struggle. So, when he was suddenly handed $50 million in tax-free money, he vowed to use his new-found wealth to help others. But what he didn't see coming was Jeremy Crawford. In his gripping, adrenaline-packed memoir, Rush takes readers on his rocket-fueled journey after a trip to the corner grocer to buy food for his beloved cat, Conway Kitty, leads to the discovery that he has won Canada's $50 million Lotto Max jackpot. Soaring on a seemingly endless endorphin high, Rush spends the months following his wintraveling, feeding his passion for rare sports cars, considering charitable causes, and splurgingon friends - paying off their debts and even giving them a free place to stay in million-dollar homes. But his world comes crashing down when he discovers that Dave Crawford, a man he loved like an older brother and had generously provided for, has served him up to his con artist son, Jeremy - who scams Rush out of nearly $5 million. Reeling from Dave's betrayal and fueled by the discovery that the Crawfords are serial con artists who have devastated the lives of more than a hundred others, Rush embarks on a mission to take his adversaries down. But as his quest for justice drags on, his festering rage reaches a boiling point and he is faced with a choice: Let the Crawford's cons destroy him, or re-focus his attention on doing good in the world and enjoying the enormous gift he has been given.

The Vampire Archives is the biggest, hungriest, undeadliest collection of vampire stories, as well as the most comprehensive bibliography of vampire fiction ever assembled. Dark, stormy, and delicious, once it sinks its teeth into you there’s no escape. Vampires! Whether imagined by Bram Stoker or Anne Rice, they are part of the human lexicon and as old as blood itself. They are your neighbors, your friends, and they are always lurking. Now Otto Penzler—editor of the bestselling Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps—has compiled the darkest, the scariest, and by far the most evil collection of vampire stories ever. With over eighty stories, including the works of Stephen King and D. H. Lawrence, alongside Lord Byron and Tanith Lee, not to mention Edgar Allan Poe and Harlan Ellison, The Vampire Archives will drive a stake through the heart of any other collection out there. Other contributors include: Arthur Conan Doyle • Ray Bradbury • Ambrose Bierce • H. P. Lovecraft • Harlan Ellison • Roger Zelazny • Robert Bloch • Clive Barker

Jody never asked to become a vampire. But when she wakes up under an alley Dumpster with a badly burned arm, an aching neck, superhuman strength, and a distinctly Nosferatuan thirst, she realises the decision has been made for her. Making the transition from the nine-to-five grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that's where C. Thomas Flood fits in. A would-be Kerouac from Incontinence, Indiana, Tommy (to his friends) is biding his time night-clerking and frozen turkey bowling in a San Francisco Safeway. But all that changes when a beautiful, undead redhead walks through the door ... and proceeds to rock Tommy's life - and afterlife - in ways he never imagined possible.

Blood-sucking insects are the vectors of many of the most debilitating parasites of man and his domesticated animals. In addition they are of considerable direct cost to the agricultural industry through losses in milk and meat yields, and through damage to hides and wool, etc. So, not surprisingly, many books of medical and veterinary entomology have been written. Most of these texts are organized taxonomically giving the details of the life-cycles, bionomics, relationship to disease and economic importance of each of the insect groups in turn. I have taken a different approach. This book is topic led and aims to discuss the biological themes which are common in the lives of blood-sucking insects. To do this I have concentrated on those aspects of the biology of these fascinating insects which have been clearly modified in some way to suit the blood-sucking habit. For example, I have discussed feeding and digestion in some detail because feeding on blood presents insects with special problems, but I have not discussed respiration because it is not affected in any particular way by haematophagy. Naturally there is a subjective element in the choice of topics for discussion and the weight given to each. I hope that I have not let my enthusiasm for particular subjects get the better of me on too many occasions and that the subject material achieves an overall balance.