Starman After Midnight

Starman After Midnight is a genuinely human, quirky novel-in-stories set in a middle-class neighborhood of Austin, Texas from Scott Semegran, the award-winning author of The Codger and the Sparrow. In suburban Wells Port, things are not what they seem: wild animals appear unexpectedly in backyards, raised garden beds produce fruit in days, not weeks, and a mysterious figure lurks across sidewalks late at night. The stories in Starman After Midnight weave an often hilarious and sometimes melancholy spell. Four young boys are terrorized by a wiener dog on their walk to school, but strategize for a safer route. A beer-loving man befriends a likeminded neighbor, only to discover his jovial new acquaintance is a registered sex offender. An elderly Uber driver suspects a young rider is being lured by a night stalker and debates whether he should help her or mind his own business. Connecting these stories are two next-door neighbors—Seff and Big Dave—who couldn't be more different: one a progressive-minded writer, the other a conservative plumber. Their love of beer drinking, backyard philosophizing, and gossiping brings them together. When several pets in the neighborhood wind up missing or worse—dead—Seff and Big Dave monitor their security cameras for the culprit. When they discover a naked man roaming their street late at night, suspicions are raised while hysteria spreads through the neighborhood social media app. What is the connection between the missing pets and this naked man? Seff and Big Dave form a posse of neighbors to find out. Moving between humor and surrealism, friendship and grief, Starman After Midnight is a novel told in stories, a collection that adds up to something greater than the sum of its parts. From the quirky imagination of Scott Semegran, Starman After Midnight packs a comedic punch and uncovers the magic that seems possible in ordinary places.

Starman After Midnight is a genuinely human, quirky novel-in-stories set in a middle-class neighborhood, weaving an often hilarious and sometimes melancholy spell about neighbors discovering a shadowy figure lurking in their yards.

Experience an evocative combination of fantasy, history, and Jewish folklore in this lush and lyrical fairytale-inspired novel from the author of The Sisters of the Winter Wood. Deep in the Hungarian woods, the sacred magic of King Solomon lives on in his descendants. Gathering under the midnight stars, they perform small miracles and none are more gifted than the great Rabbi Isaac and his three daughters. Hannah, bookish and calm, can coax plants to grow even when the weather is bitterly cold. Sarah, defiant and strong, can control the impulsive nature of fire. And Levana, the fey one, can read the path of the stars to decipher their secrets. But darkness is creeping across Europe, threatening the lives of every Jewish person in every village. Each sister will have to make an impossible choice in an effort to survive—and change the fate of their family forever. Praise for The Light of the Midnight Stars: "Storytelling as spellcasting. Rossner has conjured something vivid and wild and true."—Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies "Rossner creates a lush, immersive world through which the sprawling plot meanders, punctuated by moments of intense grief. The result is as lovely as it is heartbreaking." —Publishers Weekly "Rossner's tale is as lyrical as the slow growth of roots, the quick dance of fire, and the stately procession of the stars. Blending folktale with history, hope with tragedy, its touch will linger on your heart long after you put it down."—Marie Brennan For more from Rena Rossner, check out The Sisters of the Winter Wood.

Life changed for Michael Francis at the age of 21 when Paul McCartney walked into his father's boxing gym to watch his friend John Conteh preparing for a fight. Paul hired Michael as his security guard, beginning a thirty-year music business career in which he worked with such legendary names as Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, The Osmonds, Sheena Easton, Frank Sinatra, Bon Jovi, Cher and Kiss. As tour manager, Michael was responsible for every aspect of their safety and their comfort, from making sure they were not mobbed on stage to making sure they got paid. Whatever they wanted, he got hold of. To some of them he became close. He was best man at Jon Bon Jovi's wedding, and provided personal security for five years for Cher at her Malibu home. He shared their wildest excesses, their highs and their lows; he saw their fears and, all too often, their loneliness and paranoia. Sometimes hilarious, frequently shocking, always perceptive, STAR MAN is the outrageous, uncompromising and brutally honest story of one man's life with the biggest stars of rock.

There’s a new kind of villain loose in Gotham and he’s out to steal the city’s heart-literally. The monstrosity named Midnight is convinced that he’s doing Batman’s job, only better than Batman ever could, and he’s using the Dark Knight’s greatest enemies to prove his point. This deluxe edition collects Batman: Gotham After Midnight #1-12 and features a brand-new introduction by Steve Niles, original outlines and scripts, and behind-the-scenes art by Jones-plus a previously unpublished tale of terror, “The Abyss,” illustrated by Jones and written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly!

First-year intern Dr. James Braiden receives an education in timeless truths from Karel “Star Man” Starn, a mysteriously ageless patient at a long-term mental health facility shrouded in rumors, secrets, and bureaucratic cover-ups. At first, Braiden is so distracted by suspicious patient files and reports of paranormal events, he nearly misses the golden opportunity to learn from a master. As the maverick doctor works doggedly to unravel troublesome discrepancies in Starn’s case file, a series of rarefied conversations between Braiden and Starn take place behind closed doors. Roles are reversed as patient guides doctor through a mind-bending journey. Starn builds his case for a new way of living in the world methodically, doling out successive layers of gemlike insight at each meeting. When the Star Man speaks, saying things like “What we call evil in the worldly experience is not an entity unto itself. It only has as much power as we ourselves ascribe to it. There is only one real, true power, and that is the power of Love,” Braiden is intrigued but resistant. When he is able to integrate the wisdom offered by Starn, Braiden finds healing for his broken heart, new beginnings with another love, and a better way to practice medicine. By the end of the novel, Starn has transferred over to his hand-selected protégé the most brilliant aspects of our zeitgeist. Stories that touch the quiet place inside us transcend time and inspire us to think about our individual purpose within a universe greater than ourselves. Herman Hesse's Siddhartha and Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist are such stories. In a similar way, Star Man: A Novel aims to show readers that a mindset free of fear unleashes unlimited possibilities, and that love always finds the way home.

As Jack, Mikaal and a holographic image of the Golden Age Starman continue their search through space for former Starman Will Payton, they arrive on the world of Krypton, decades before its explosion—and meet a teenager named Jor-El! 'Stars My Destination' part 4.

"Are you ready to Man Up? According to national statistics, over fifty percent of you working men are unhappy in your jobs. In Star Man, author Gary Combs asks: Is it your work that really bothers you? Or, could you be wrestling with a mixed sense of purpose or conflicting priorities that keep boiling inside? If you are among the men who tend to barricade themselves in their man-caves, turning inward and seeking their own solutions, then what is really holding you back? Star Man tackles these questions head-on from a uniquely male perspective. Tracing five major areas of a man's daily life - love relationships, family focus, work life, community involvement, and health issues - Combs develops a balanced approach to ensuring that all five areas are given their rightful place. In each aspect, he moves you quickly to a self-assessment of your everyday questions: 1. My days are so full of "busyness" Who has time to think anymore? 2. I keep saying, "Someday I'll _____." Will that day ever come? 3. How can I make sure it does? Filling each area of daily concern with personal anecdotes and humorous man-talk, often poking fun at the way men speak (and the way women hear), Star Man concludes with the thought provoking point that every man is looking for some greater meaning. With conviction, Combs suggests that God is acting at the center of all that a man does, whether or not he realizes it. Star man concludes with the encouraging reminder and personal witness that every man is sustained by God's strength and His grace. It is in recognizing His divine influence and following His will that you find the answers you seek." "Star Man can help any man-especially those in their thirties, forties, and fifties-take the steps necessary to regain balance. Don't hesitate-let Gary's messages help you forge your path to a more balanced life today!" -Floyd Gilbert President, National PresbyterianMen(PCUSA) "Star Man will hit home for lots of men, especially those who feel uncertain about their priorities and need to get centered again!" -Don Douglas, Vice President of Church Growth, International Cooperating Ministries