Michael A. Hemmingson

The launch of a brand new series that blends the best elements of science fiction and fantasy. The world of Harmony, along with its close-knit colony planets, long ago isolated itself from the rest of the universe. But in a universe where the human-based Confederate Star System fleet finds itself hard-pressed to stand against ever-increasing attacks by the alien Marillon Empire, the Harmonic Empire cannot be left alone. For if the CSS cannot win an alliance with Harmony, the Marils will surely find a way to invade the planet and seize control of the unique and invaluable metal, which only the Harmonites can produce. Yet invasion is far from the only threat the people of Harmony face. The gulf between rich and poor, rulers and ruled continues to widen, threatening to destroy the very structure of their society—while the planet itself is becoming increasingly unstable. In this time of crisis, one young woman

"Phil Landsdale has problems. He's out of a job, his son's a pyromaniac, and his wife is running out of excuses as to why she comes home six hours late from work every night." "In his new role as house husband, Phil learns that when you have a lot of time on your hands, you begin to notice your neighbors, the intricate nuances of their comings and goings, and the discord created by someone who doesn't follow the normal routine - like Cassandra Payne, the tall and sexy neighbor across the street." "Phil and his newfound friend, Bryan, an ex-detective who lives next door, have been keeping tabs on Cassandra. But when Cassandra's husband is gunned down on his way from the airport, Phil and Bryan realize that the beautiful Cassandra might be hiding more beneath that eensy-weensy miniskirt than meets the eye; and Phil finds himself drawn into the dark and mysterious world of Cassandra Payne." --Book Jacket.

"William T. Vollmann is a writer of enormous novels that are stuffed with entire worlds of creation and destruction. This critical study traces his career to date with chapters devoted to each of his novels, as well as his short stories and major nonfiction. Also included are seven interviews spanning the years 1991-2007"--Provided by publisher.

Written in flowing, descriptive prose, The Garden of Love is comprised of a variety of styles, settings, and narrative techniques. Each story presents not just a different subject, but a different way of seeing the world. From the realism of the opening stories, the collection moves through narratives of Ovidian transformation and Borgesian inversion to conclude with tenuous voices of elusive identity. Along the way, we encounter a man who dreams for others, a book that mirrors its reader, and a widow who takes her husband’s soul on a journey to the end of the world. Readers who enjoy the imaginative departures of writers as different as Carver and Calvino, will find much to like in these stories.

Comes now this fascinating and enticing new collection of transgressive smut by Michael Hemmingson, author of such Blue Moon Books classics as The Comfort of Women, The Dress, House of Dreams, Amateurs, The Rooms, and 66 Chapters About 33 Women. Hemmingson gently, sometimes aggressively, explores the sensual nature of trains, cars, art exhibits, and foreign countries. The women in these stories are strong, independent, and lurid -- working as strippers, writers, actresses, grad students, and filmmakers. In "The Installation," a desperate young lass puts an ad in the paper: "Female Will Do Anything for $10.000." In "Jolene," a man gets involved with a sassy strumpet he witnessed engaging in a juicy gang bang. In "Natalie," a bold gal reveals her desire to be spanked, while "Mo" is a cautionary adventure about a sexy young college student who only performs oral sex with her partners. The need to connect, sexually and spiritually, with The Other is explored in "The End of Celibacy" and "Feeling Something," while the title story examines the pros and cons of extramarital coitus. Every story is eloquently written in perfect sentences, and explicitly rendered in Hemmingson's trademark fashion that has earned him a cult following in the literary erotica genre.

Sharing a backstage history of his early life and career--and paying tribute to his father, Arthur Lithgow--the author reveals why actors are driven to perform, and why people are driven to watch them do it.