Stories To Sing In The Dark

The speculative shines bright in the dark with these stories by Matthew Bright: a boy with a secret begins work at a strange library housing all the books never written; Dorian Gray's love of beauty struggles in the face of AIDs-era San Francisco and the Castro; the tomb of the Empress is adrift in space and hungry for the concubines aboard her; two men in an old film finally realize that they are trapped but still they seek the means for finally declaring their love for each other. These and other tales of the queer fantastic should be the perfect bedtime read.

Far too often, life’s challenges and questions cause people to fight feelings of doubt and despair, as they search endlessly for hope. In Singing in the Dark, Ginny Owens introduces the reader to powerful ways of drawing closer to God and how the elements of music, prayer, and lament offer rich, vibrant, and joyful communion with Him, especially on the darkest days. Ginny has gained a unique life perspective, as she has lived without sight since age three. She brings rich, biblical teaching that will encourage readers and compel them to dig deep into the beautiful songs, prayers, and poetry of Scripture—the same words through which the people of the Bible flourished in impossible circumstances. Singing in the Dark includes reflection and journaling prompts at the end of each chapter.

New York Times bestseller How do you hold on to hope when you don’t get the ending you asked for? When Katie Davis Majors moved to Uganda, accidentally founded a booming organization, and later became the mother of thirteen girls through the miracle of adoption, she determined to weave her life together with the people she desired to serve. But joy often gave way to sorrow as she invested her heart fully in walking alongside people in the grip of poverty, addiction, desperation, and disease. After unexpected tragedy shook her family, for the first time Katie began to wonder, Is God really good? Does He really love us? When she turned to Him with her questions, God spoke truth to her heart and drew her even deeper into relationship with Him. Daring to Hope is an invitation to cling to the God of the impossible—the God who whispers His love to us in the quiet, in the mundane, when our prayers are not answered the way we want or the miracle doesn’t come. It’s about a mother discovering the extraordinary strength it takes to be ordinary. It’s about choosing faith no matter the circumstance and about encountering God’s goodness in the least expected places. Though your heartaches and dreams may take a different shape, you will find your own questions echoed in these pages. You’ll be reminded of the gifts of joy in the midst of sorrow. And you’ll hear God’s whisper: Hold on to hope. I will meet you here.

As a little girl walks to catch the school bus on a dark and windy winter morning, she finds that by singing, the woods aren't as scary, the walk isn't as long and the wind isn't as cold.

"Lush and lavish, Sing Me Forgotten hit all the right notes." —Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrow "A deliciously magical feminist twist on the beloved classic The Phantom of the Opera." —Kester Grant, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Court of Miracles Isda does not exist. At least not beyond the opulent walls of the opera house. Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house’s owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales high—and that she stay out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives. But Isda breaks Cyril’s cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she’s ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finds in his memories hints of a way to finally break free of her gilded prison. Haunted by this possibility, Isda spends more and more time with Emeric, searching for answers in his music and his past. But the price of freedom is steeper than Isda could ever know. For even as she struggles with her growing feelings for Emeric, she learns that in order to take charge of her own destiny, she must become the monster the world tried to drown in the first place. "Enchanting, lush, and decadent." —Adalyn Grace, author of All the Stars and Teeth Also by Jessica S. Olson: A Forgery of Roses

'Gripping . . . You won't put it down' Sunday Telegraph A shocking collection of dark stories, ranging from chilling contemporary fairytales to disturbing supernatural fiction. Alone in a remote house in Iceland a woman is unnerved by her isolation; another can only find respite from the clinging ghost that follows her by submerging herself in an overgrown pool. Couples wrestle with a lack of connection to their children; a schoolgirl becomes obsessed with the female anatomical models in a museum; and a cheery account of child's day out is undercut by chilling footnotes. These dark tales explore women's fears with electrifying honesty and invention and speak to one another about female bodies, domestic claustrophobia, desire and violence. 'A brilliant collection of stories . . . All will burrow their way into your brain and not let go' Stylist 'Shimmers with menace . . . Fans of Angela Carter and Shirley Jackson take note' i Newspaper KIRSTY LOGAN WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF BRITAIN'S TEN MOST OUTSTANDING LGBTQ WRITERS by Val McDermid for the International Literature Showcase in 2019

Libraries are magical places. But what if they’re even more magical than we know? In Cyrille Martinez’s library, the books are alive: not just their ideas or their stories, but the books themselves. Meet the Angry Young Book, who has strong opinions about who reads what and why. He’s tired of people reading bestsellers, so he places himself on the desks of those who might appreciate him. Meet the Old Historian who mysteriously vanished from the stacks. Meet the Blue Librarian, the Mauve Librarian, the Yellow Librarian, and spend a day with the Red Librarian trying to banish coffee cups and laptops. Then one day there are no empty desks anywhere in the Great Library. A great horde of student workers has descended, and they will scan every single book in the library: the much-borrowed, the neglected, the popular, the obscure. What will happen to the library then? Will it still be necessary? The Dark Library is a theoretical fiction, a meditation on what libraries mean in our digital world. Has the act of reading changed? What is a reader? A book? Martinez, a librarian himself, has written a love letter to the urban forest of the dark, wild library, where ideas and stories roam free.

I have known Dr. Massey for a number of years. During that time, he had quietly and consistently completed an amazing number of incredible humanitarian projects while conducting a very successful professional life. While serving as the school superintendent of the largest K-8 public school system in California, I asked him how he found the time and resources to help so many of the children in my district. Mind Realignment Naked Secrets for Building a Better You is his answer to my question. It is a remarkable collection of thought and advice intended to unleash the power within you. I have met many people who enrich the world through serving their fellow man. But very few have succeeded in accomplishing the goals that they set for themselves and almost no one sets the bar as high as Dr. Massey. I urge you to read this book. I will be applying its message chapter by chapter, day by day to my own life and work. Dr. Massey is a tough act to follow, but he has left a trail for us to take, if we will only aspire to making the world a better place. The Honorable Jean Fuller, PhD. State of California Assembly Member, 32nd District If you are looking for practical wisdom, incisive insight, hearty encouragement and wisdom both current and past, look no further! Drawing widely from many sources as well as using his own pen, Manzoor Massey has provided us all with what we much need wisdom for life. This book will, no doubt, bless and inspire and challenge and change you. Randall L. Roberts, Senior Pastor Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California Practical, simple, but provocative tool to realign the minds of all who are willing to part with their unproductive past and experience a more rewarding future. Dr. Massey was vice-president of my corporation. I requested him to apply the wisdom of his book to train my executive teams. If heeded, this book will build better families, better communities and better businesses. Jose Arredondo, Businessman Bakersfield, California Dr. Massey has written an empowering, uplifting, and inspiring book for us all. Through his many years of experience and study, he has compiled a wealth of valuable wisdom, and he has graciously passed them on to us. I whole-heartedly recommend that you read this book with an open heart and mind and get ready for real nuggets of truth that apply to real life, and can be transformational! Pastor James Ranger Bakersfield New Life Center Dr. Massey is a keen student of human behavior and its impact on life. In Mind Realignment for Excellence he presents succinct and practical advice for rebuilding your life. Best of all, it illustrates and advocates balance the very quality that is so easily lost in the juggling of competing priorities that form our daily agendas. The book's format is best suited for the baby-boomer - iPod generation. Lowell C. Cooper, General Vice President General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Washington D. C. Dr. Massey's Mind Realignment Naked Secrets for Building a Better You is to the serious person what the power-bar is to the devoted athlete. It is full of succinct and powerful statements packed with energy. All it takes to fall upon a pearl of wisdom is to just open a page and look anywhere and it lands on the bull's eye each time. The reflection given to digest it, and the effort spent in applying it, is bound to be rewarded with lasting inner healing. Devadas Moses, MD, DrPH. Loma Linda, California