Black Brew

Mick Wheland, Ivory Tower's guitarist realized two important things about himself. He prefers sex with men over women and the idea of a committed relationship doesn't scare him as much as it once did. He's ready for stability in his life. The problem is knowing where to look for Mr. Right while touring with a band. Sonny (Rooster) Roostarelli abandons his Vancouver cabin after a harsh divorce and moves back to Los Angeles. He claims relocating is for business purposes but now that his marriage is over, Rooster feels ready (perhaps) to settle down – with a man. A chance encounter for Wheland and Rooster rekindles an old friendship which rapidly becomes something more. Can two high-profile rock stars make a life together in such an artificial world or will past mistakes and secrets keep them from finding their forever?

It’s a mission that could bring the world to the brink of nuclear war. Now time is running out.It starts with a high-stakes theft: weapons-grade plutonium is stolen from Russia. The Russian army is about to attack Chechnya to get it back. But U.S. intelligence discovers that the stolen shipment is actually on a rogue Russian freighter in the Black Sea. It turns into a global nightmare: a secret mission gone awry; an American submarine commander arrested and hauled before a military tribunal in Moscow; and a game of brinksmanship so dangerous that war might be its only possible conclusion.As the U.S. Navy searches for weapons-grade plutonium that has been smuggled out of Russia by terrorists, a submarine mishap escalates the international crisis. With the world watching, JAG Officer Zack Brewer is called to Moscow to defend submarine skipper Pete Miranda and his entire crew. It is a heart-stopping race against the clock. With Russian missiles activated and programmed for American cities, Brewer stalls for time as the U.S. Navy frantically searches the high seas for a floating hydrogen bomb that could threaten New York Harbor.

The Brewtal Truth Guide to Extreme Beers is the first guide of its type, defining what makes certain craft beers “extremely extreme,” featuring descriptions and ratings of more than a 100 of the most insane beers in the world—broken down into a handful of specific categories. These are outrageous brews with unusual ingredients, ridiculously high alcohol by volume (ABV), bizarre names and sometimes unsettling flavors. Appealing to casual and serious beer drinkers alike, the book is the perfect gift for the adventurous guy (or girl) who’s always looking for new experiences; the book is a reference guide and a challenge all at once. In addition to focusing on some of the most interesting and hardcore beers in the world, it also features profiles on craft-beer loving metal musicians and extreme craft beer brewers, making it a highly entertaining read. The book sets the scene for what an extreme beer is, drawing parallels and metaphors from the music scene. The author includes an explanation of extreme styles and what defines them. Each beer profiled receives an “extreme” rating, tasting notes information about the beer and what makes it extreme, and a musical pairing selected by the author. There is also a resources section where readers can find recommendations on how and where to buy these brews. Working in partnership with Decibel Magazine, and created out of his Brewtal Truth column with Decibel, Adem Tepedelen opens up the fun and fascinating world of extreme beer.

A young, Voncorian family has their existence thrown into turmoil by a vaporous, malevolent force of evil that seemingly carries itself upon the wind. With each appearance, this force grows stronger as it destroys everything within its scope. After a particularly vicious occurrence takes her beloved husband, Nolan and nearly kills her youngest son, William, Azreal takes her seven children and flees her homeland of Ingoton for the anticipated safety of her husband's birthplace. Before being driven from their land by this evil, Azreal and her children are joined by the Council of the Glen. These five individuals, along with the magistrate, help each other escape a madness that has consumed the heart and mind of everyone else in the Province of Ignoton. Before this group of family and friends flee, they become aware that the evil that nearly took young William's life has somehow changed him. What they fail to realize, however, is that someone in their company has already given over their heart and mind to this evil. Allied with this dark force, the traitor watches and waits, ready to deliver the death stroke to young William before he can come to own his time.

Mark F. Sohn’s classic book, Mountain Country Cooking, was a James Beard Award nominee in 1997. In Appalachian Home Cooking, Sohn expands and improves upon his earlier work by using his extensive knowledge of cooking to uncover the romantic secrets of Appalachian food, both within and beyond the kitchen. The foods of Appalachia are the medium for the history of a creative culture and a proud people. This is the story of pigs and chickens, corn and beans, and apples and peaches as they reflect the culture that has grown from the region’s topography, climate, and soil. Sohn unfolds the ways of a table that blends Native American, Eastern European, Scotch–Irish, black, and Hispanic influences to become something new—and uniquely American. Sohn shows how food traditions in Appalachia have developed over two centuries from dinner on the grounds, church picnics, school lunches, and family reunions as he celebrates regional signatures such as dumplings, moonshine, and country ham. Food and folkways go hand in hand as he examines wild plants, cast-iron cookware, and the nature of the Appalachian homeplace. Appalachian Home Cooking celebrates mountain food at its best. In addition to a thorough discussion of Appalachian food history and culture, Sohn offers over eighty classic recipes, as well as mail-order sources, information on Appalachian food festivals, photographs, poetry, a glossary of Appalachian and cooking terms, menus for holidays and seasons, and a list of the top 100 Appalachian foods.

Charlotte has entered a golden age of craft brewing, and while this fermented frenzy may feel altogether new, it evokes a forgotten heritage that dates back to colonial days. Beginning with Captain James Jack, whose tavern was a Patriot haven burned by the British during the Revolution, local beer writer Daniel Hartis follows a frothy trail through the highs and lows of this sudsy story. Grab a pint and discover how Prohibition took hold of Charlotteans. Ruminate over odes to beer by the Brew Pub Poets Society, and sample the personality and spirit on tap today around the Queen City.

Author Andrew Chambers is a bit of recluse. He prefers the solitude of his peaceful farm in the middle of nowhere just outside of Chicago. But being invited to a convention for newly published books and authors is exciting. Though Chambers knows traveling to New York City could be a crazy and frightening journey, he embarks on the adventure. On his first day out and about in New York, Chambers follows a path his father and grandfather before him took. He finds himself in Central Park at the Chess Pavilion sitting across the table from Connor MacCarith, a former Chicago policeman. MacCarith was known as one of the bravest policeman of his time, and unfortunately, he paid dearly while breaking up a speakeasy in the late 1930s. Chambers wants to hear the story of this hero’s life. MacCarith begins his tale when he was only nineteen years old and change in one of the unruliest cities in Chicago. What follows is a narrative filled with adventure and interesting characters, sharing a chronicle of friendship, death, justice, and passion.