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For both the film buff and the general moviegoer, this celebrated handbook unlocks the secrets of noir movies and their relevance todayFor a tour of noir cinema, No Daylight in this Face is the perfect companion, and Barry Gifford is an ideal guide. His choice selection of films exposes the menacing, moody, and oftentimes violent underbelly of this dark movie genre that occupies a favorite niche in American popular culture.Some are classics, some are little known and seldom seen, but all, once viewed, are deeply remembered by aficionados of noir. Gifford's roll call of unforgettables includes these, and more: The Asphalt Jungle, Body and Soul, Body Heat, Charley Varrick, Chinatown, The Devil Thumbs a Ride, D.O.A., Double Indemnity, High Sierra, Key Largo, Kiss of Death, Mean Streets, Mildred Pierce, Mr. Majestyk, Out of the Past, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Strangers on a Train, White Heat, along with several noir classics from Europe―Repulsion, The Hidden Room, Shoot the Piano Player, The 400 Blows, Odd Man Out.Gifford identifies the directors and names the many noir stars, the greats and not-so-greats who were cast in the indelible roles of hoods, B-girls, psychopaths, grifters, gumshoes, waifs, tarts, femme fatales, mobsters, molls, and ex-cons.In an introduction, novelists Edward Gorman and Dow Mossman collaboratively applaud Gifford's selections and his insights: “The movies discussed here range from the lowest of the B's to the biggest of the A's, and this book is going to make you want to run out and locate every one of them (and good luck to you; finding The Devil Thumbs a Ride could take you a lifetime). Through Barry Gifford's eyes, we begin to see their similarities and their value. What Andrew Sarris did for the mainstream film in The American Cinema, Barry does here for the crime film.”With a connoisseur's insight and an offbeat sensitivity perfectly tailored to his subjects, Gifford's brief essays cover a hundred of the noir buff's favorites. His highly polished impressions take the reader through five decades of noir to find both the heart and the art of the plotline.

In the near future, when every autumn is fire season in California, wealthy San Franciscans flee their city for smoke-free pastures. Among them are the Petersons, a family enriched by the lumber industry, who traditionally spend every August in Hawaii. This annual retreat, once a period of leisure and luxury with golf, hikes, and high-society mingling, takes a turn when 22-year-old Cole Peterson aligns himself with Aid For Earth, a climate justice organization. Cole and Aid For Earth proceed to mire the Peterson family in scandal, alleging that Peterson Lumber started a forest fire, covered up their culpability, and then profited off a government contract to extract the burnt lumber.Smokebirds is not just a narrative about the complexity of familial bonds and the facade of integrity; it is a commentary on the enduring power of privilege against the backdrop of climate justice. It captures the tension between societal expectations of accountability and the reality of an elite untouched by the demands for change, reflecting on who truly bears the cost of our environmental crises.

United States Supreme Court decisions have interested me since my twenties. My primary interest has been in the cases decided by split votes. If the nine Court justices voted 9 or 8–0 (sometimes a justice’s seat was vacant or a justice did not vote), or even 7 or 8–1, I have generally given such cases little thought, assuming that those decisions were probably reasonable.  That assumption was based on the fact that given the different backgrounds, training and philosophies (think Democrats v. Republicans) of the justices, when they all, or almost all, agree on a case, they probably reached a fair decision. Of course, there have been bad unanimous Supreme Court decisions, depending on whom you ask, but they seem to have been few over the years. Conversely, when I see a 5–4 decision, as in the Second Amendment case of District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008) (Heller), the subject of this book, I tend to take notice.The 5–4 (or the occasional 4–3) decisions bring up questions of why there would be such a split vote. Given that all the justices are said to be accomplished attorneys, and that they all have presumably read and heard the same facts and law of a case, why did their conclusions differ? It should be so simple. The justices should just read the law, absorb the facts, listen to the oral arguments, and make the right decision.That, of course, isn’t life, given laws and facts are often imprecise, if not in dispute, and that humans, with all our differences, are involved in the analysis and voting.This brings me to the raison d’etre of this work: the 5–4 vote of the consequential 2008 Supreme Court Heller decision. That decision found in the Second Amendment an individual right to arms for self-defense in the home, unconnected with the militia. Prior to that decision, no Supreme Court decision had ever found an individual right to arms in the Amendment.I examined the decision and researched, with others helping, Colonial and founding-era documents, firearms laws and related material surrounding that decision. That examination and research culminated in this book showing why the Heller decision was not supported by the facts presented in its Opinion.

Cash's search for catharsis might just send him on a new path to chaos. Inexplicably, Cash has become troubled, depressed, irrationally angry with his friends, and worried unaccountably about the safety of his daughter and grandson. Callie suggests he see Abe Stein, the therapist who helped her son, Lew.Reluctantly, Cash agrees, and the two men begin to explore his largely forgotten past--particularly the story of his parents, who died in a car accident when he was seven. They examine his distant memories, his barely recalled dreams, his feelings about the daughter he didn't know until she was twenty-five, having a new grandson. It appears that there is some basis for his depression, his irrational anger, but something does not fit.As the horrors from his past come alive in the present, Cash and Callie must assemble their most trusted allies: Andre, a prosthetic-legged Afro-Caribbean mercenary; Itzac, the "Macher," perhaps the largest diamond traders in the world; Seattle Detective Ed Samter, a proven partner; and now Abe. Therapy raised dormant, burning issues from his past, but nothing has prepared Cash for the enemy he's about to face in Out of the Past, the exciting third Callie and Cash thriller... This time, he must take on the unthinkable...

Citizen Wynn recounts the cautionary saga of uber-wealthy casino king Steve Wynn, who built a global gambling empire on fantasy, grift, and misogyny before hubris and #MeToo brought him down. Part Mafia history, part deeply researched social commentary, part Horatio Alger gone horribly awry, Citizen Wynn is a modern morality tale with instant appeal to 100 million Americans who gamble regularly as well as millions more who recognize the Wynn name from Macao to Monaco.

Joe Bosco is an arrogant, hard-charging transplant surgeon whose ambition knows no bounds. He pursues his job with a take no prisoners approach and saving patients is not just his job, or even his passion—it’s his religion. After doing his surgical residency, he passes on a job offer from Stanford, instead taking a position at a private hospital in San Francisco which pays Joe an exorbitant salary and where the bottom line is…the bottom line. Joe leaves behind academic medicine, much to the chagrin of his father— a German Jewish Holocaust survivor who is a world-renowned neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner—and his girlfriend, Kate, who sees Joe turning into a different man than the one she met at Harvard Medical School.Dr. Bosco makes it to the top as a star in the transplant world but soon realizes that the new world he inhabits is fraught with moral and ethical transgressions, some his partners commit and, eventually, some he commits. When the hospital administration sides against Joe in an operating room catastrophe, he is isolated, left with a career in shambles, a girlfriend who wants nothing to do with him, and a father who can’t hide his disappointment.It is not until his life spins out of control that Joe must come to terms with his own failings and find his true purpose in life…in the most unlikely of places.

To win the battle for Earth, what will Thomas have to lose?In the aftermath of the Mastership arriving in Muir Woods, Thomas, Elly, and Eno have to face the heightened danger in their situation. The Martin ship on Earth can only mean the worst: their mentor Ignatius has been captured by Mars authorities and their secret mission potentially exposed. The threesome agree that they must return to rescue Ignatius and find themselves once again on a tenuous voyage through time. In the battle to keep the hope for humanity alive, Thomas will have to make hard choices. He grapples with his feelings for Elly, the truth of his past, new alliances, and new enemies… all while he fights for the world he has been so suddenly thrust into.

Hell or High Winter is a contemporary, urban reimagining of the myth of Hermes and Persephone. A supernatural action/adventure with sharp wit and a deep soul. Over the Ages, gods and goddesses have come in and out of fashion. Each deity struggles to cope with their dwindling popularity. Some fade into oblivion, refusing to answer the desperate prayers of mortals as they establish a new identity beneath the stars. Others spend the millennia waiting by the proverbial phone...desperate to be called into service. Hermes and his godly cohorts confront a new challenge—how to survive without constant worship and adoration. It may just be that even mystical beings can become addicted...gods and goddesses are junkies for the thrill of controlling a mortal's fate. In the digital age of the 21st Century, what the hell is Hermes, Messenger of the Gods, to do? ...Because no one is listening.

Minos, the third work in the Corey Logan Trilogy, derives from the mythical king of Crete who every lunar year condemns seven Athenian youths and seven maidens to be eaten by the ferocious Minotaur. Minos begins at the Olympic Academy, where Billy's friend Sara has just carved a magic circle in the hardwood bathroom floor with an ancient double-edged dagger. She twirls inside her circle calling on the Oracle of Apollo to help her find a modern-day Theseus, the reincarnation of Athens' hero of all heroes who slew the Minotaur. Lost in her magical dance, she knocks over a candle, sets fire to the curtains, and is suspended from school. She is sent to Abe for treatment. Abe discovers that Sara has patched together an entire mythological universe and language with which she tries to make him see that lives are at stake. It is not easy to convince the authorities. But Corey knows that young people are indeed being murdered, and soon Sara's dire warnings begin to make sense. But who is the modern-day descendant of Minos? The key is inside Sara's head.

When the global pandemic forced his ninety-six-year-old father into isolation, filmmaker Ari Gold became concerned that loneliness would kill his father's spirits. As a prolific novelist who began writing in his twenties, Herbert Gold's incredible oeuvre included twenty-four novels, five collections of stories and essays, and eight nonfiction books. So, Ari mailed his father a poem, asking for one in return. Later, Ari's twin brother, Ethan, also got into the game. Thus was launched a lifesaving literary correspondence, and a testament to the bonds of family.The resulting poems are playful, honest, funny, and moving. Secrets are invoked alongside personal – and often painful – history. Ari and Ethan’s mother, Herbert Gold’s second wife, died in a helicopter crash alongside the famous rock promoter and impresario Phil Graham in 1991. Her ghost roams through the poems and the wonderful archival photos included in full color throughout.In Father Verses Sons, a lushly illustrated “correspondence in poems,” ranges across the life, family, and death of a remarkable father. The father and his sons write tenderly of their hunger for connection, about the woman that all three men have lost (a mother, a wife), and about the passion that all three seek. Ultimately, these poems tell a singular story of men bumbling their way towards love.

Corey Logan was set up. She knows Nick Seasons terrible secret. Coming home from prison, all Corey wants is to be with her son. To get him back, she needs to make a good impression on the psychiatrist evaluating her. But Dr. Abe Stein doesnt believe she was frameduntil his well-heeled mother falls for the charming state attorney general candidate, Nick Season.As the dogs of war are unleashed, Corey and her son run for their livestaking her boat up the Pacific Northwests remote Inside Passage. Inside Passage is the first in Weissbourds haunting, heart-stirring Corey Logan trilogy.

"Santa Pulmo was a quiet little beach community -- until Corona came calling. Many suspected that Danno was patient zero, exposed at a Juggalo concert in Reno, only to return as a superspreader. But how Corona arrived in Santa Pulmo is only part of the story. In The Corona Verses you will also meet Danno's sidekick Pugs, clad in doctor's garb, hawking bogus cures in a strip mall parking lot; a homeless traveler who discovers redemption; a conspiracy theorist trapped aboard a ship with snake-handling religious nuts, a 1980's sitcom star, and a militia that can't shoot straight; a teenager experiencing new freedom behind his mask; a disenchanted Catholic priest searching for God in a karate dojo; a yacht-rock idol who escapes to Santa Pulmo to finally find peace; and Al the UPS delivery man, who connects the community and saves the town from a race war. The Corona Verses is an unexpected collection that both faces the darkness of the human condition and explores the levity and even comedy that comes with being alive."--

Now They’re All Here is more than just a celebration of television history; it’s a family album from one of America’s most iconic entertainment families. The King Family has been performing together (and with solo careers) since the 1920s: vaudeville, radio, musical films of the 1940s, kitschy sci-fi from the 1950s, tours across the country, recordings in musical genres from jazz and big band to Broadway and pop—even cartoons and video games.The title of this book comes from the only line “Grandma Pearl” ever had during their run on television; a gathering of all the members of the family arriving at Grandma’s home on their 1967 Thanksgiving special. This visual journey brings to life the moments that defined The King Family’s career on stage and off. Through rare behind-the-scenes photos, personal anecdotes, and journals reaching back to the early twentieth century, readers experience a glimpse of the family’s musical legacy.Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to their story, Now They’re All Here offers a nostalgic and heartfelt tribute to a family that defined the spirit of family entertainment for generations.

The year is 2086.  The Mars Station, a cold and colorless interior city of ten thousand on the Red Planet is ruled by a ruthless Governor bent on creating a future dedicated solely to scientific advancement.  The population includes several hundred children, all of whom have been genetically designed…except for one. Fifteen year old Thomas Knight was the last child born on Earth and sent to Mars as an infant to escape the floods that ravaged the planet.  He leads a dull existence on the claustrophobic Station, and lives for the nights when he sneaks out of the segregated Boys' Quarters to break into the Artifacts Museum, where he can feed his obsession with all things Earth-related.  Finding an old Webster's Dictionary, he collects mysterious words that form a portrait of the magical planet of his birth.One night, Thomas encounters an older settler who informs him that he is the heart of a bold mission, conceived by the father he has never known...to save the planet he has never seen.

My Last Resume: New and Collected Poems showcases an exquisite body of poetry spanning more than five decades. While Joseph Di Prisco, a true Renaissance man, has achieved success across genres, his lifetime of work showcased in the long-awaited My Last Resume is proof that, for Joe, it's always been poetry.

"The observance of Biblical fasting, prayer, and tithing principles has produced miraculous results since the Old Testament days. Abraham gave of his increase, and the Lord made him the Father of Nations; Daniel prayed and was untouched by lions when thrown into their den; and Jesus Himself fasted at decisive moments in His life. The modern-day church can experience similar miraculous results if the believers return to living the way the Bible teaches." In this book, Fasting, Prayer and Tithing, we will explore these biblical principles and examine the results yielded from their practice. God's desire is for us to follow His teachings so that we can live victorious lives. Suppose we adhere to the practice of Fasting, Prayer and Tithing. In that case, we will see the renewal and transformation of worship in the body of Christ and the manifestation of God's glory in our situations/circumstances. Get your copy of Fasting, Prayer and Tithing today!

An engaging, realistic account of when our people met up with an entirely different set of humans—the Neanderthals.Genetic and archaeological data indicate that this actually happened in southern Europe about 45,000 years ago when mammoths and saber-tooth tigers roamed the land. Science Corners on many pages feature amazing topics such as how genetics show that most of us are part Neanderthal, the earliest musical instrument ever found, and what factors likely caused the demise of Neanderthals.

Walker Clark did not set out to be an acting coach, life coach, business coach, or any other type of coach for that matter. He discovered what being an actor could do for individuals. Not the acting you already know about; Walker's way of being an actor has given him and others permission to create new ways of being and acting in life-unencumbered by the past. Permission to act is the freedom and the possibility to be someone new: to be an actor-one who lives as the possibility of being anything. This discovery has left him free to be and free to engage and interact with life in the present, which allows for enormous power and impact with the people he coaches. Permission to Act is a memoir of sorts. It started out as a means of answering a seemingly simple question posed by his father. You may be entertained. Coaches may discover coaching, parents may discover parenting, and athletes may discover their sport. As you take this journey with Walker you may discover what permission to act is for you...or maybe you'll just laugh.

Mi A Talk (I Am Talking) is a poetry collection echoing the author's diverse life seasons. These verses, born from a passion for writing, provide insight and inspiration. Uniquely, this collection offers poetic utterances and coloring pages -inviting relaxation and meditation. Order your copy of this one-of-a-kind book today!

An art crime thriller for the agesAlternating between London and Paris in the 1940s, the 1960s, and the present, Watching Over You explores the provenance of a collection of paintings hidden from the plundering Nazis during World War II and the fate of the families entangled in the search for the lost artworks.The novel touches on the themes of greed and heroism inspired by the stolen works, tracing the web of collaborators, opportunists, and art dealers who exploited the Third Reich’s lust for prestigious trophies. The hero, restaurateur Michel de la Rue, walks a financial tightrope while his spendthrift head chef and brother, Antoine, depletes their strained resources. The narrative switches between Michel and Antoine's foodie tour of France (which is being filmed by a documentary TV crew), the machinations of art dealer Alain Deschamps, and his pursuers—Interpol’s Lorenzo Pieters and the Le Monde journalist, Fabian Ritzier.The battle between Michel trying to protect his family’s precious heirloom and Alain’s brutal hunt for the missing paintings results in a relentless chase across the continent.

"Teenage Stella Grey has always felt an intense recurring sense of dâejáa vu...often plagued by strong dreams that feel more real than her waking moments. One ill-fated morning, her dream from the night before actually comes to life, as she awakens and finds her house ransacked and her mother unconscious near their broken-in front door. Her next moments are scary, shocking, and earth-shattering as she is kidnapped and delivered to a Gothic mansion, The Manor de Rãeves. Over the next few days Stella grapples with where she is and why she was taken. She is trapped by a cast of chilling characters forcing Stella and the other captured, unwilling "recruits", the "Dreamers," to endlessly sleep while The Manor staff forcibly extract their dreams. Dreams that amazingly foretell the future. Along the way Stella befriends two other Dreamers: Nina, a fiery girl who often refuses orders and her smart yet sheepish compaion, Caleb. Stella even comes face to face with one of her own recurring drams in Charlie, a boy whose blue eyes she has seen before and cannot help but be drawn to. These four must navigate the eerie experiments the Manor forces upon them while concocting an escape. Their morality and grit are challenged as each of the foursome comes face to face with bizarre dreams that are painting terrifying pictures of the future."--Provided by publisher.

"Years after the death of their beloved son, there is a knock at the door of Nikolai and Vera's apartment. Introducing himself simply as 'Sergeant Bertrand', the unknown visitor triggers a precipitous journey into the depths of the human soul"--

Dick Cheney Shot Me in the Face...and Other Tales of Men in Pain is an enthralling and award-winning story collection. Unpredictable, humorous, sometimes dark, and surprisingly heartfelt, these stories explore the secret life of men as they pass into adulthood, middle age, and old age, confronting lust, pain, guilt, bewilderment, and mortality. In eighteen stories we meet: a distraught husband who experiences heartbreak and salvation after his wife dies in a car accident caused by a texting teenager; a successful man who returns to his hometown and finds his first love stacking jars at a local Costco; a sheriff in a Western town who confronts a pedophile and his own past abuse; an Iraq war veteran turned bodyguard who encounters the biggest threat of his life in a Las Vegas Nightclub; a successful attorney who abandons his legal career to play the iPad guitar, and Henry who is shot in the face by...Dick Cheney.

O’Leary’s new collection is a frank, unflinching follow-up to 2017’s successful DICK CHENEY SHOT ME IN THE FACE. Here O’Leary does the impossible: dive into the psyches of the most destructive men– a stalker, a Klansman, public shooters— and creates narratives that neither rationalize, nor over-empathize. Refreshingly, these stories deliver both valuable insight, and perspective-enhancing humor. Employing fiercer social commentary and broader imagination, these new stories are concerned with justice, redemption, mockery of a decaying and violent culture and the often greedy men behind it. But for every grubby and disastrous man, there’s hope in the form of the unexpected: a centenarian whose invisibility is a weapon, a retired Montana rancher, a California tomato farmer, an elderly Black woman from Brooklyn with some powerful knitting needles, two fly fishermen–even the Earth herself. While nostalgia, humor, and blunt delivery hook the reader, O’Leary is dead serious about calling out liars, the indignities of American retirement, contagious gun violence, and other social and political ills.