What if Lincoln never became president, and the Civil War never took place? What if Columbus never discovered America, and the Inca developed a massive, technologicallyadvanced empire? What if magic was real and a half-faerie queen ruled England? What if an author discovered a book written by an alternate version of himself? These are just some of the possible pathways that readers can take to explore the Other Earths that may be waiting just one page away.

A vivid, energetic account of the life of Louisa May Alcott that explores Alcott's life in the context of her works, all of which are to some extent autobiographical.

Tracing the rise of Napoleon as the leader of the barnyard animals and his ensuing dictatorship in the farmyard community, this classic satiric allegory serves as a warning to all societies as it depicts the slide from revolution to totalitarianism. Orwell transforms the seeming pastoral innocence of his setting into a pernicious political theater of repression and control. This new edition of critical essays examining Animal Farm provides 10 to 12 full-length critical essays for students of literature, plus a chronology of the author's life, a bibliography, an index, and notes on the contributing writers. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Henry James is considered by many to be the greatest American novelist. His shorter works--such as The Turn of the Screw and Daisy Miller--are staples of the high school curriculum, and his longer, more complicated novels--including The Bostonians, The Portrait of a Lady, The Ambassadors, and many more--are some of the greatest and most influential novels ever written.Critical Companion to Henry James covers the life and works of Henry James as well as the related people, places, and topics that shaped his writing. Other features in this new title include a chronology of James's life, bibliographies of his works and of secondary sources, and black-and-white photographs and illustrations, providing essential background for the study of this literary master.Coverage includes: Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the rediscovered masterpieces of the American canon. The novel depicts a woman's struggle for personal awareness and self-empowerment and has inspired many of the African-American women writers who have followed in Hurston's footsteps. This study guide to the novel features short excerpts of critical essays, an annotated bibliography, an index, and an introductory essay by renowned literature professor Harold Bloom. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

A collection of fantasy tales about fire-breathing reptiles includes contributions by Jonathan Stroud, Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Diana Gabaldon, and Tamora Pierce.

A comprehensive and eye-opening portrait of one of the most significant and improbable figures of the twentieth century--from her childhood in Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution to her years as a screenwriter in Hollywood, the publication of her blockbuster novels, and the rise and fall of the cult that formed around her in the 1950s and 1960s.

Editor Anita Silvey asked more than one hundred leaders in society the question, "What children's book changed the way you see the world?, " and writers, inventors and scientists, politicians and activists, artists, and media personalities share their stories with full-color excerpts from beloved children's books.

This volume brings together for the first time a range of primary materials about Harriet Beecher Stowe's private and public life written by family members, friends, and fellow writers who knew or were influenced by her before and after "Uncle Tom's Cabin" catapulted her to fame. Included are periodical articles by Fanny Fern and Charles Dudley Warner; biographical essays by Sarah Josepha Hale and Rose Terry Cooke; letters by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Harriet Jacobs; recollections by Frederick Douglass, Annie Adams Fields, Isabella Beecher Hooker, and Charles Beecher; and poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar and John Greenleaf Whittier. An introduction at the beginning of each essay connects it to its historical and cultural context, explanatory notes provide information about people and places, and the book includes a detailed introduction and a chronology of Stowe's life. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Richly and precisely illustrated with many rare images, this masterly work on the complete Dickens, man and writer, offers an indispensable and comprehensive look at one of the greatest novelists of all time. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Writing effective business English is about creating clear, concise messages and avoiding verbosity; but the fewer words there are, the more important it is to get them right. This volume in the "Better Business English" series focuses on presentations, reports, note-taking, PR writing, technical writing, and writing for the web. "Make an Impact with Your Written English" helps non-native speakers write business English in a confident and competent voice. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Offering timely advice in an era when the burden of production and publicity frequently falls on authors, this essential reference reflects on methods for being focused, productive, and savvy in the craft of writing. Discussing a wide range of essential topics for self-promoting authors, this important guide explores questions such as "How can authors use social media and the internet?" "How does the new online paradigm affect authors, readers, and the book industry?" "How can authors find the time to both create and promote their work? "and "What should never be done?" Through good-humored encouragement, practical tips of the trade culled from 25 years of experience as a writer, reviewer, editor, publisher, agent, and blogger are shared. Including topics such as personal space versus public space, deadlines, and networking, the benefits of interacting with readers through new technologies is revealed. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

"...Laurell K. Hamilton spins a story of a princess who decides to take her own destiny in hand and rescue a pampered Prince Charming from an evil sorceress in 'Can he bake a cherry pie?' A selkie on the run from a century-old marriage arrangement has finally found true love--only to have the darkness from her past return to threaten both her and her dearly beloved in...Yasmine Galenorn's 'The shadow of mist.' ...Marjorie M. Liu tells the tale of a young princess who escapes betrothal to a warlord by entering a magical forest. But when an evil queen sends her on a quest to 'The Tangleroot Palace, ' she faces dangers more perilous than marriage. When a princess refuses her boring betrothed, the king holds a competition to see who will win his daughter's hand. But in matters of the heart, is a winner truly worthy--or can a loser offer even more in ... Sharon Shinn's 'The wrong bridegroom'?"--p. [4] of cover.

Captured by Germans after the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, soldier Kurt Vonnegut and other prisoners of war were taken to Dresden, Germany, where they were confined in a cement shed used for butchering livestock and called "Schlachthof-funf" or "Slaughterhouse-Five." Several weeks later, American and British planes firebombed Dresden, killing 135,000 civilians and leveling the city. Amazingly, the prisoners survived, by taking cover in an underground meat locker. Vonnegut spent two decades coming to grips with the experience, producing this classic American novel as his ultimate response to the ordeal. In this new collection of critical essays, students of literature will find information about the author's life and other works, an index for quick reference, notes on the contributing writers, and an introductory essay by noted literary scholar Harold Bloom. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

"New York Times"-bestselling author Morrison and "Essence"-bestselling author Noire collaborate on this too-hot-to-handle novella that proves there's nothing more powerful than a woman bent on seduction and revenge. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Many critics view Invisible Man as the greatest African-American literary achievement to date. This classic novel reflected race relations in America at the beginning of the civil rights movement. Few works have brought to life with such candor and lyrical grace, the life of a man who feels himself marginalized to the point of being rendered invisibly nonexistent. This new offering in the Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations series considers Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man through a selection of critical essays. Additional features include an index for easy reference, notes on the contributing writers, a bibliography of the author's work, a chronology detailing the author's life, and an introductory essay by literature professor Harold Bloom. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

"How to Write Effective Business English" teaches the non-native reader how to create clear, concise messages and avoid verbosity. Assuming an intermediate knowledge of English, this book provides guidelines for further development, deals with real life scenarios and gives readers answers that even their bosses might not know. Focusing on emails, letters, resumes or job applications, it gives readers an easy system for writing clearly, quickly and easily. It will also appeal to native English speakers who feel that their written business English needs practice. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Writing picture books is not easy. Picture books are a unique form of writing with a large audience of 2- to 8-year-olds, and they must appeal to both the adult purchaser and the child listener/reader. They are generally 32 pages long and must be tightly focused and told partly through illustrations. And novice picture book writers make a lot of mistakes--and get a lot of rejections from publishers flooded with inappropriate manuscripts. From this book these writers will learn the writing and revision process that will lead them to creating more salable picture book manuscripts. Ann Whitford Paul covers researching the picture books market, creating characters, point of view, plotting, tips on writing rhyme, and moreaall the lessons writers need to write great picture books that will appeal to both editors/agents and young readers/parents. She uses a mix of instruction and hand-on exercises, often asking readers to cut, color and paste their way through revision. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

This concordance for King's epic Dark Tower series details character names, place names, and references to each other, and the rest of King's work. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Twitter has become a powerful tool, and one that is open to anyone to use. And writing in the "short form" (140-160 characters) is not limited just to Twitter, but other forms of social networking, too, such as Facebook (175 million users) and LinkedIn (16.5 million users). And so the question becomes: how do I best use the 140 character space for myself and my business? "140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form" by Dominic Sagolla aims to do for Twitter and other social networking sites what Strunk&White's "The Elements of Style" did for good writing on paper via lessons in grammar and composition, but also discussing the importance of simplicity, honesty, and humor. Sequential short form communications represent a new kind of memoir. A collection of time-stamped journalistic entries can even be considered a stand-alone work, much like the collected letters of old. Unlike the older forms of literature, though, the new work is alive and off the page. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.