Books with author R Nelson

One American student. One semester in England. One unexpected mystery...Studying abroad at Oxford University for a term should be adventure enough in itself, right? That's what Anna Merritt thinks - and, at first, everything seems to be living up to her safe and reasonable expectations. She has an eccentric tutor, lots of opportunities for soul-searching, and two new friends with whom to enjoy the ride. But then, her tutor tells her that one of her friends is in danger - and disappears. Suddenly, Anna finds herself launched into an international mystery, including a post-term European tour, an enigmatic bowler-hatted stranger, and an adventure far and away beyond her plans...Interview with the AuthorQ: What makes the Gatekeeper trilogy special?A: Who doesn't like a bit of adventure, particularly of the European kind? The Gatekeeper series takes the reader through adventure in every form. In the first book, adventure finds us unexpectedly; in the second, we learn the dangers of trying to manufacture adventure for ourselves; in the third, we realize that the truest and biggest adventures always turn out to be rather different than what we've planned. Q: What is the main character like?A: Anna Miranda Merritt is a girl very much like me - a likeness which is the cause of most of her woes, alas. Her unquenchable thirst for beauty and meaning leads her right into the literary, cultural arms of Oxford University, a place which captures her heart and awakens new dreams in her soul. It is this love of all things British - and, more importantly, the deep and surprising relationships she discovers in England, Ireland, and beyond- that makes her coming of age story uniquely poignant.Q: Do I have to read the books in order?A: I have an abiding devotion to order, particularly of the chronological kind. I wrote these books over a period of thirteen years, so they are a kind of authorial autobiography. Ergo, reading the trilogy in order certainly gives some insight, as you can chart the personal and artistic growth of the author along with the main character. That being said...I also have an abiding commitment to personal freedoms. Do what you will; I believe you will enjoy Anna's story in whatever sequence. :-)Q: Why should readers give this series a try?A: This is a story about beginnings, endings, and all the quietly real drama that occurs in the most ordinary of lives during these "in-between" times. For anyone who's ever found themselves, lost themselves, or is still searching, these characters have something to say. I wish you joy of the journey!Gatekeeper trilogy series eBook categories:- Young adult series- Free books- Literary series- Mystery series- Europe- Culture and geography- School and education- Coming of age- Contemporary British- Fiction - Art and architecture

Years before Resa Nelson wrote her 4-book Dragonslayer series (The Dragonslayer’s Sword, The Iron Maiden, The Stone of Darkness, and The Dragon’s Egg), she wrote two short stories that were published in Science Fiction Age magazine. These are her Dragonslayer short stories, both of which were recommended for the Nebula Award. (Appropriate for adults and teens, ages 14 and up.)In "The Dragonslayer’s Sword", Astrid the blacksmith struggles to choose between protecting herself from a new dragonslayer’s unwelcome advances and the necessity of keeping his weapons in good shape so he can protect her village from dragons. Her fellow villagers believe the previous dragonslayer has been killed by a dragon, but Astrid knows the real reason he’s gone missing and this knowledge haunts her.In "The Silver Shoes", Astrid is surprised by a visit from Lenore, a newcomer who acts as if the village’s customs and laws don’t apply to her, leaving her friendless. But when asking Astrid to make a pair of silver shoes for her, Lenore reveals her disturbing past and the true meaning of her request for these shoes.. Follow her on Twitter @ResaNelson.

Little Red Hood is a modern day twist of Little Red Riding Hood, Red's mother likes to keep her safe at home. But one day Mum gives Red the opportunity to go to her go to Grandma’s on her own - as long as she doesn’t talk to any strangers along the way. Red naively tells Mr Patel, the local friendly shopkeeper (whilst buying her Gran cakes for a treat) that her Grandma has left the door on the latch because of her arthritis, unaware that their conversation is being listened to. On her journey to Grandma’s with Buster (her dog) she meets different characters. But what happens when she gets to Grandma’s? And just who is sleeping in Grandmas bed? And most importantly who is going to come to the rescue? This book is aimed at young children aged 9+REVIEW: Usborne Publishing "Original and gripping," Kate Davies, Assistant Editor, 2006

Frances can forgive. She can even forget. But she can never escape her past. In this compelling psychological thriller from the acclaimed author of Teach Me, Frances Robinson has the perfect life: loving adoptive parents, a great best friend, and a cute new boyfriend. But Frances has a secret. Once upon a time she wasn’t Frances Robinson. She was Shine, and she lived with her three sisters and her birth mother, Afton Jelks, far out in the country. But the loneliness overtook Afton’s fragile mind, and one day she smothered her daughters, one after another. Only Frances escaped. Now Afton is out of prison. And she wants to finish what she started.

In 1987, the city of Chicago hired a former radical college chaplain to clean up rampant corruption on the waterfront. R. J. Nelson thought he was used to the darker side of the law—he had been followed by federal agents and wiretapped due to his antiwar stances in the sixties—but nothing could prepare him for the wretched bog that constituted the world of a Harbor Boss. Director of Harbors and Marine Services was a position so mired in corruption that its previous four directors ended up in federal prison. Nelson inherited angry constituents, prying journalists, shell-shocked employees, and a tobacco-stained office still bearing a busted door that had been smashed in by the FBI. Undeterred, Nelson made it his personal mission to become a “pneumacrat,” a public servant who, for the common good, always follows the spirit—if not always the letter—of the law.Dirty Waters is a wry, no-holds-barred memoir of Nelson’s time controlling some of the city’s most beautiful spots while facing some of its ugliest traditions. A guide like no other, Nelson takes us through Chicago’s beloved “blue spaces” and deep into the city’s political morass. He reveals the different moralities underlining three mayoral administrations, from Harold Washington to Richard M. Daley, and navigates us through the gritty mechanisms of the Chicago machine. He also deciphers the sometimes insular world of boaters and their fraught relationship with their land-based neighbors. Ultimately, Dirty Waters is a tale of morality, of what it takes to be a force for good in the world and what struggles come from trying to stay ethically afloat in a sea of corruption.

A ghostly love story from the author of Teach Me.Welcome, all ye faithful—and otherwise—to a ghost story, a romance, and a reckoning unlike anything you’ve read before. Acclaimed YA author R. A. Nelson delivers a tantalizing tale set in the environs of the evangelical revival circuit and centered around Ronald Earl, who at ten became the electrifying “boy wonder” preacher known as Little Texas. Now sixteen, though the faithful still come and roar with praise and devotion, Ronald Earl is beginning to have doubts that he is worthy of and can continue his calling. Doubts that only intensify when his faith and life are tested by a mysterious girl who he was supposed to have healed, but who is now showing up at the fringe of every stop on the circuit. Is she merely devoted, or is she haunting him? Fascinating and original, this is an unusual story whose reverb will be deeply felt and which will inspire lively book discussion.

Life couldn't get crazier for Anna Merritt...Leaving college is hard. It's even harder when half your mind and all of your heart are an ocean away. Freshly returned from her semester abroad at Oxford University, Anna Merritt is finding life at her small private college in the States almost unbearable. Between picking up old friendships, starting a new job, dealing with unexpected suitors, and pining for England, how is she supposed to discover and prepare for the next step of the crazy journey called "life"? Thank goodness she has letters from her good friend Eddie to keep her company...and a surprise visit from the enigmatic Mr. Truman, who has another mysterious mission for her to complete.Interview with the AuthorQ: What makes the Gatekeeper trilogy special?A: Who doesn't like a bit of adventure, particularly of the European kind? The Gatekeeper series takes the reader through adventure in every form. In the first book, adventure finds us unexpectedly; in the second, we learn the dangers of trying to manufacture adventure for ourselves; in the third, we realize that the truest and biggest adventures always turn out to be rather different than what we've planned. Q: What is the main character like?A: Anna Miranda Merritt is a girl very much like me - a likeness which is the cause of most of her woes, alas. Her unquenchable thirst for beauty and meaning leads her right into the literary, cultural arms of Oxford University, a place which captures her heart and awakens new dreams in her soul. It is this love of all things British - and, more importantly, the deep and surprising relationships she discovers in England, Ireland, and beyond- that makes her coming of age story uniquely poignant.Q: Do I have to read the books in order?A: I have an abiding devotion to order, particularly of the chronological kind. I wrote this series over a period of thirteen years, so they are a kind of authorial autobiography. Ergo, reading the trilogy in order certainly gives some insight, as you can chart the personal and artistic growth of the author along with the main character. That being said...I also have an abiding commitment to personal freedoms. Do what you will; I believe you will enjoy Anna's story in whatever sequence. :-)Q: Why should readers give this series a try?A: This is a story about beginnings, endings, and all the quietly real drama that occurs in the most ordinary of lives during these "in-between" times. For anyone who's ever found themselves, lost themselves, or is still searching, these characters have something to say. I wish you joy of the journey!Gatekeeper trilogy series eBook categories:- Young adult series - girl - woman- Literary series- Mystery series- Europe- Culture and geography- School and education- Coming of age- Contemporary British- Fiction - Art and architecture- Fiction - Theater - Theatre

What happens after the dream comes true?Surely this must be "happily ever after." Anna Merritt is going to live in England, she has a job with the Truman Foundation, and she is being reunited with all her old companions - even Nicholas. But when life in London turns out to be quite different from how she'd imagined it, and when Mr. Diggs turns up again with a plan to destroy what the Trumans have worked so hard to build, Anna and her friends must all reconsider the dream of "home" - and what they are willing to sacrifice for it.Interview with the AuthorQ: What makes the Gatekeeper trilogy special?A: Who doesn't like a bit of adventure, particularly of the European kind? The Gatekeeper series takes the reader through adventure in every form. In the first book, adventure finds us unexpectedly; in the second, we learn the dangers of trying to manufacture adventure for ourselves; in the third, we realize that the truest and biggest adventures always turn out to be rather different than what we've planned. Q: What is the main character like?A: Anna Miranda Merritt is a girl very much like me - a likeness which is the cause of most of her woes, alas. Her unquenchable thirst for beauty and meaning leads her right into the literary, cultural arms of Oxford University, a place which captures her heart and awakens new dreams in her soul. It is this love of all things British - and, more importantly, the deep and surprising relationships she discovers in England, Ireland, and beyond- that makes her coming of age story uniquely poignant.Q: Do I have to read the books in order?A: I have an abiding devotion to order, particularly of the chronological kind. I wrote this series over a period of thirteen years, so they are a kind of authorial autobiography. Ergo, reading the trilogy in order certainly gives some insight, as you can chart the personal and artistic growth of the author along with the main character. That being said...I also have an abiding commitment to personal freedoms. Do what you will; I believe you will enjoy Anna's story in whatever sequence. :-)Q: Why should readers give this book series a try?A: This is a story about beginnings, endings, and all the quietly real drama that occurs in the most ordinary of lives during these "in-between" times. For anyone who's ever found themselves, lost themselves, or is still searching, these characters have something to say. I wish you joy of the journey!Gatekeeper trilogy series eBook categories:- Young adult book series - girl - woman- Literary series- Mystery series- Europe- Culture and geography- School and education- Coming of age- Contemporary British- Fiction - Art and architecture