Books with author McPherson

His life hasn't been a fairy tale... but after getting chased through the woods of Beacon Island by his new classmates, Eddie discovers a mysterious pen pal at the bottom of a well. Her note says her name is Ember and needs his help. Despite fearing that it all could be an elaborate prank, Eddie takes a chance and believes her.But Ember does not live at the bottom of a well.Far away, in a world of darkness, Ember is trapped in a tower. She is a Fen — a luminous being whose skin glows and whose breath brings objects to life. However, few Fen are left. Most of them were murdered or enslaved by their greatest creations, the Perfect — living statues that shape reality as they dance.Eddie will have to unravel the mysteries of Beacon Island if he has any hope of helping his new friend. Meanwhile, Ember's life balances on the edge of a Perfect's unstable temper. One misstep, one wrong word and she will suffer worse than death.Two worlds, kept divided for thousands of years, are about to intertwine.

Enjoy this fully illustrated edition of Hallowed Ground by James M. McPherson, one of today's greatest Civil War historians. James M. McPherson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom, and arguably the finest Civil War historian in the world, walks readers through the Gettysburg battlefield-the site of the most consequential battle of the Civil War. McPherson makes stops at Seminary Ridge, the Peach Orchard, Cemetery Hill, and Little Round Top, as well as other key locations. He reflects on the meaning of the battle, colorfully describes the events of those terrible three days in July 1863, and places the battle and war in the greater context of American and world history. Along the way, he provides stories of his own encounters with the place and debunks several popular myths. This is the first illustrated version of this groundbreaking and important book and includes vintage photographs, memorabilia, and maps, as well as full-color photography of the battlefields and historical landmarks as they stand today. Sidebars written by contemporary soldiers, statesmen, and women of the day, as well as pieces by some of today's best-known historians and writers, add context to this engaging and popular book.

Dereck, is a normal thirteen-year-old boy who has agreed to take care of his five-year-old sister, Jessie, while their mother is away overnight. As the big brother, he intends to keep his sister safe, taking on the role of their dad who died in a car accident the year before. Derek loves his sister, but her constant need of his attention is starting to get on his nerves. However his mom is always reminding him to spend time with his little sister. The only thing Jessie wants Dereck to do is read fairy tales to her, though he would prefer they do anything else like shoot bottle rockets or throw a baseball around. When Jessie takes a nap, a violent storm moves in, causing Dereck to stumble down the steps to the cellar of their home. When Jessie screams out for help, Dereck imagines a tree crashing through her window, trapping his sister in her room. Trying to run to his sister's rescue, he falls through the cellar floor and wakes up in Oz - an Oz filled with all the fairy-tale characters Jessie loves (and he hates) so much. Right away Dereck meets a farmer and his wife who live on the far side of a cornfield that grows beside the yellow road that weaves itself through Oz. The couple is waiting on the Dorothy girl from Kansas to pass by so they can make a deal with her. If she helps them catch a pesky man-sized crow, they will give her a secret map that shows a shortcut to the Emerald City. But when Miss Glinda warns the farm girl not to take the shortcut, Dereck, with the help of the six-foot crow, decides to 'borrow' the map without the farmer's knowledge so that Dereck can rush to the Wizard as quickly as possible so the great Oz might send him back to his sister who, he knew, was yelling for him to help her. Dereck meets Miss Glinda's personal assistant who has dressed herself like the good witch and calls herself Glindalina. Right before his eyes, the Wicked Witch of the West talks the assistant into becoming her evil assistant so she can help her make sure Dorothy will get the shortcut map, take the shortcut, and die so the green witch can get her hands on the silver slippers she wants from the farm girl so badly. Miss Glinda is livid and scares the wicked witch away so that she won't be able to give Dorothy the shortcut map. With the help of Crow, Dereck sneaks the map from Miss Glinda, and takes off down the yellow road where he battles a giant, a wolf, an ogre and somehow loses the yellow road, winding up in the middle of a thick forest where he runs into a little girl who wears a red cloak. The girl introduces him to her grandmother who brings out an old photograph of a young man who favors Dereck a good deal. But how could that be? Within the short visit, the old lady finds out about Dereck planning to take the shortcut and gives him a safety charm since she heard that the shortcut between the yellow road and the Emerald City is a very dangerous path. Dereck makes it to the shortcut path, finding a beautiful lady who quickly morphs into an ugly hag and tells Dereck he must die so that she and the other creatures kept captive there will be freed at last. Dereck remembers bottle rockets in his backpack and uses them to destroy the creature and catch the surrounding forest on fire. Miss Glinda calls for a dragon to take Dereck home then and there. When Dereck arrives back to his house, he finds Jessie hiding in her bedroom closet as the storm outside has started to move away. A few days later, Dereck notices in the artwork of Jessie's fairy tale books, small things in the background like he had seen on his journey but were never mentioned in the age-old stories. He discovers the artist is from his own hometown and looks up the artist's picture, realizing he looks very familiar and suddenly remembers the old photograph that Red's grandma had shown him. That was the artist who had looked like him. But how could that be? Had the artist been to the same place? Dereck may never know.

[*Read by the author - Miles McPherson]Miles McPherson, founder of the Rock Church in San Diego, speaks out about the pervasive racial divisions in today's Christian church and argues that we must learn to see people not by the color of their skin, but as Christ sees them--humans created in the image of God.Miles McPherson has had enough of shying away from a major problem in America today: racial tension. It's a topic that's widely recognized, yet rarely acknowledged. Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America today, and our preference for clinging to those who are like us leads to big problems in our country as a whole. Even Christians--who, if they claim to follow God, should be the people most outspoken against racism--fall short, and many of us feel obliged to choose sides. Us vs. them. Cops vs. protestors. Blacks vs. whites.The Third Option is a plea on behalf of a brokenhearted God who, Scripture teaches, is frustrated with those of us who claim to believe in Him but are really ""faking the faith."" McPherson argues that we must rise above the issues that divide us and be part of something bigger. The Third Option challenges both believers and seekers to fully embrace God's goodness and power.As senior pastor of Rock Church in San Diego, he doesn't shy away from core issues that have caused a great divide both within the church and across the country. He believes that instead of choosing one of two sides, there is a third option--one that's proven to bring people together, mend relationships, and promote genuine peace in communities. Miles exposes common misconceptions that keep people at a distance and encourages us to engage with those who look different from us and expand our world.Full of practical takeaways and exercises to help us understand the points of view of others, this book inspires, encourages, and equips us to make positive changes in our country--starting with ourselves.

A fast-paced adventure for fans of Twilight and The Mortal Instruments. What if there was another you, in another world? DEZARAY IS FROM EARTH.LEXOVIA IS FROM COLDIVOR.BUT WHEN THEY ACCIDENTALLY TRADE PLACES... Dezaray is thrust into a world on the brink of war. And the only one powerful enough to stop it, is Lexovia.Struggling between surviving in a strange world, moving on from her tormented past and not falling for the boy with blue eyes, Dezaray must also keep her identity hidden, masquerading as Lexovia, so the beasts that hunt the sorceress, don't learn that she's left the realm unguarded.But the beasts aren't the only problem. Lexovia is stuck in England and knows little of the human world. And the sorceress soon discovers that England may carry magical secrets of its own.As both girls strive to find a way to trade back and restore balance to their worlds, Dezaray begins to wonder if that's what she truly wants. Will she have the strength to leave when the time comes? And will Lexovia find a way to return before it's too late?

This “appreciative biography that rolls as smoothly as a film reel” (Cleveland Plain Dealer) celebrates one of cinema’s greatest clowns, painting a detailed portrait of the man behind the mayhem and offering a fresh look at the classic comedies that defined the Golden Age of Silent Film. Writer—and avowed fan—Edward McPherson takes the reader on a fascinating journey through Buster Keaton’s life and times, from the vaudeville stage to the glittering screens of early Hollywood, where he rivaled even Charlie Chaplin as the master of silent comedy. Based on extensive research, this biography reveals Keaton in his prime as an antic genius—equal parts auteur, innovator, prankster, and daredevil—focusing on his glorious 1920s films, which “McPherson evokes with insight and enthusiasm” (Washington Post Book World).

When 17-year-old, Dezaray Storm drunkenly stumbles across a portal one night, her abused and broken life begins to change, mainly because she starts living someone else's life. Accidently trading places with the most powerful sorceress of the realm, Coldivor, Dezaray finds herself assuming the identity of her magical lookalike, having to convince everyone in the realm that she's the real deal.Aside from a few minor hiccups along the way, like the fact that she is not magical nor does she know even the simplest cards trick; Dezaray soon finds herself settling in. Particularly in the arms of Milo; a blue-eyed jokester with the ability to teleport. However, it doesn't take long for Dezaray to realise that life on the other side is far from glitz and glamour and that creatures unimaginable are hunting her. A war is brewing between the seven empires of Coldivor and those that long to take over. Dezaray's enchanted double is their only hope; their secret weapon, set to be unleashed on her eighteenth birthday when she is gifted the powers of her forefathers.But for the enchantress to return, Dezaray has to leave, and the thought of going back to Islon fills Dezaray with dread, for more reasons than one. Torn between a reality she can't stand and a fantasy she can't keep, Dezaray is struggling to see how any choice she makes will lead to a happy ending.At Water's Edge is a young adult, epic fantasy tale of magic, parallel worlds, young love and war.