Most Popular Books by Patrick Matthews

A boy goes on the run in this fast-paced fantasy debut. Created by dragons.That''s the truth that Al has known all his life: The five mortal races were created by dragons to gather magic. Since then, the dragons have ruled the world, branding mortals according to their worth, shaping their societies, even training a lucky few to handle magic themselves. Now Testing Day is here, the day when Al will be assigned his place in the world. If his rank is high enough, he''ll have everything he''s ever wanted.But Al is in for the shock of his life. By the time Testing Day is over, he will be shunned . . . and targeted by the ruthless assassins known as Cullers. With no magic, little money, and a sword he''s not entirely sure how to use, Al must escape into the wilderness, beginning a journey that will lead him to strange new friends, brutal enemies, and the terrifying truth about the dragons.It''s one boy against the world - and some fearsome beasts - in this fun fantasy-adventure!

PT boats captured the imagination of the American public during WW2. From the darkest days of 1941 and 1942, the PTs were bravely slugging it out with the overwhelming Japanese invasion forces. PTs extracted MacArthur from Manila, and when he returned, it was on a PT. The PTs were nimble and quick, and packed a wallop. They were Davids to the Axis Goliaths. And the crews-what young man wouldn''t want to be a dashing PT sailor? This collection of WW2 ads follows the PTs and their crews from those dark early days to the final victory and the promise of carefree yachting in the ensuing peace. The ads in this volume are some of the most interesting of those PT ads originally published in color. Also look for the companion volume, "Fighting Boats for a Fighting Navy: Black & White Collection", which contains these same ads in grey tones, and a much larger number of additional ads originally published in black & white.

PT boats captured the imagination of the American public during WW2. From the darkest days of 1941 and 1942, the PTs were bravely slugging it out with the overwhelming Japanese invasion forces. PTs extracted MacArthur from Manila, and when he returned, it was on a PT. The PTs were nimble and quick, and packed a wallop. They were Davids to the Axis Goliaths. And the crews-what young man wouldn''t want to be a dashing PT sailor? This collection of WW2 ads follows the PTs and their crews from those dark early days to the final victory and the promise of carefree yachting in the ensuing peace. Over 200 wartime PT ads are crammed into this affordable "Black & White Collection". Also look for the companion volume, "Fighting Boats for a Fighting Navy: Supplemental Color Edition", which contains a selection of the most colorful ads from this larger B&W edition.

How far would you go to save your home? A lot has happened since Al left home. He’s learned to sail, fought assassins, faced down dragons, even seen an entire city be destroyed. Now, he just wants to go home. But Al''s home has changed. The castle and city have fallen under the control of Magister Trejir, a powerful worker of magic. Trejir''s soldiers are terrorizing the people of Dockside, and nobody has the strength or courage to fight. What can one boy with a sword do against the soldiers and magic of Trejir? Find out in this action-packed sequel to Dragon Run!

“Bradley''s Dragons is a magical journey that has a great message on handling bullying. It was an exciting adventure that my son couldn''t put down.” - Creative Child Magazine (winner of their 2020 Children''s Book Of The Year award) “A compelling cast of characters with rich backstories round out this fantastical story of a scared kid learning to stand up to bullies and be true to himself.” - Booklife “This book is seriously awesome! 5 stars are rare for us, yet we’d give this one 7 if that were possible. Seriously, I could barely put it down – great characters, good plot lines, enough depth, and breadth to really get into it. And finally, a tale told fully that will have you biting your nails and turning pages as fast as you can.” - ReadingWithYourKids.com The first time a hunter came for him, Bradley Nash was only nine years old. That was three years ago, and he barely escaped. Now, he lives with his family in a Florida trailer park. He doesn’t remember the attack, doesn’t know anything about hunters, or dragons, or even magic. All he knows is that he suffers from a crippling fear of strangers. He sits in the back of his classes and keeps to himself, always worried that an anxiety attack may strike. As his twelfth birthday approaches, however, he discovers that dragons, magic, and hunters are all real, and that he and his family are in more danger than he could possibly have imagined. The hunters are coming and his world will never be the same.

Luxury, elegance, speed – these are just a few of the characteristics that one inevitably associates with classic wooden yachts. Even though owning one of these originals may remain out of reach for most of us, models of these "runabouts" can be built by anyone. In this book, Patrick Matthews describes in detail all the steps for building a mahogany yacht based on a kit and thus saves even beginners from the pitfalls of such a construction. But experienced modellers will also appreciate the comprehensive tips – especially in the often-dreaded area of finishing. Many tips on improving kits, but also perspectives on building models according to blueprints round off this book on mahogany yachts in the model. From the content: • Overview of different kits • Tools and workplace • Building a kit • Hull construction and propulsion • Finishing • Details • Drive operation • Drive improvements • Remote control electronics • Improvements • Model gallery • Construction documents • Sources

CURSED WITH MAGIC Abigail has a powerful magic inside her, one that will turn her into a monster if she''s not careful. She''s not the only one cursed. There are other children just like her, sleeping in a cave deep underground. Abigail keeps them safe, draining their power just as she drains away her own, desperately searching for a cure. But what if there is no cure? What if her cave is a prison, and not a place of healing? How can she save the sleepers when she''s not even sure how to save herself?

6 Introduction; 8 Understanding Burgundy; 10 Burgundy''s uniqueness; 14 Making sense of the wines and wine law; 18 Good wine and how to find it; 22 Geography - the roads, rivers, railways, and towns; 24 How to get there; 26 How to travel around; 28 Where to stay; 30 How and where to eat; 32 How to make a little French go a long way; 34.

Luxus, Eleganz, Geschwindigkeit – das sind nur einige der Eigenschaften, die man unweigerlich mit den klassischen Edelholz-Yachten in Verbindung bringt. Auch wenn der Besitz eines solchen Originals für die meisten von uns unerreichbar bleiben dürfte, sind Modelle von diesen „Runabouts“ für jedermann nachzubauen. Patrick Matthews beschreibt in diesem Buch ausführlich alle Schritte zum Bau einer Mahagoniyacht auf der Basis eines Bausatzes und bewahrt so auch Einsteiger vor den Klippen eines solchen Baus. Aber auch erfahrene Modellbauer werden die umfassenden Tipps – vor allem im häufig gefürchteten Bereich des Finishs – zu schätzen wissen. Viele Tipps zur Verbesserung von Bausätzen, aber auch Ausblicke auf den Bau von Modellen nach Bauplan runden dieses Buch zu Mahagoniyachten im Modell ab. Aus dem Inhalt: - Übersicht über verschiedene Bausätze - Werkzeuge und Arbeitsplatz - Bau eines Bausatzes - Rumpfbau und Antrieb - Finishing - Details - Fahrbetrieb - Antriebsverbesserungen - Fernsteuerelektronik - Verbesserungen - Modellgalerie - Bauunterlagen - Quellen

What exactly happens when you get stoned? Why does your mouth dry up and why do you become so interested in food and sex? Why can some people work when they''re stoned and others can''t? What are the tobacco companies'' plans for exploiting the potential legal market? How come there''s so much cannabis found in prisons and how does it get there? Who brings it across national borders? CANNABISCULTURE answers all these questions and more. Thirty years after THE TIMES ran an advertisement calling the law against cannabis ''immoral in principle and unworkable in practice'', the drug''s legalisation has become a live political and social issue. But there is surprisingly little information available on the drug: from its medicinal properties to its function as a commodity which is traded on a global scale, its role in various religions to the many ways in which it can be cultivated and its effect on the body and mind.

Of Dice & Pen is a collection of short stories by noted game designers, including the last Gord the Rogue story from the late E. Gary Gygax (1938-2008). The anthology is dedicated to the memory of Gary Gygax. The collection includes stories from the imaginations of these top gamers: Gary Gygax was one of the original inventors of Dungeons & Dragons, the founder of TSR, Inc., and the first and longest-playing Dungeonmaster; he is considered by many to be the "Father of Role-Playing Games." K.R. Bourgoine is a creator of card, board and role-playing games. Chris Clark is founder of Inner City Games and co-founder of Hekaforge Productions (with Gygax). Lisa Steenson is co-founder of Gut Bustin'' Games and invented the Redneck Life boardgame. Matt Forbeck is a full-time author and game writer, and is a 23-time nominee, 12-time winner of the Origins Award. Carey Grayson is the designer of the game 24/7. Andrew Looney is the Chief Creative Officer and co-founder of Looney Labs, which publishes the card games Fluxx, Chrononauts, and produces the Icehouse game system, among other games. Graeme Thomson is the inventor of GO Mental and is the co-principal of HL Games. James L. Cambias is the author of GURPS Space and STAR HERO, and is the co-founder of Zygote Games; seven of his stories have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Thomas Rafalski is a writer of role-playing-game material. Tim Pelzel is the inventor of the game Science Fusion, the Elements of the Sciencenauts. Elizabeth T. Danforth is a writer, editor and artist who has contributed material for more than 100 game companies and book publishers; in 1996 she was inducted into the Academy of Gaming Arts and Design Hallof Fame. Andy Vetromile is a freelance writer, editor and designer in the gaming industry. Jason S. Walters is the author of numerous role-playing-game books. David Wainio is co-founder of Three Sages Games. Patrick Matthews is founder and game designer of Live Oak Games. Curt Covert is the owner of Smirk and Dagger Games. Rick Loomis is the founder and president of Flying Buffalo Inc., the longest-running adventure game company under its original management; his credits include Tunnels and Trolls role-playing game, Nuclear War card game, and the first president of the Game Manufacturers Association. Lee Kamberos is the creator of StrikeForce 2136 RPG. Catherine G. Thomson is a co-founder of HL Games.