Imbrifex Books

1429: A city under siege. A future in the balance.

When another glitch in time threatens the fabric of history, eighteen-year-old Dan Renfrew and his partner Sam Cahill jump into the past again. They land in medieval France, just before Joan of Arc's miraculous lifting of the Siege of Orléans. But this is a world dominated by religious intolerance and fear, where one wrong step could lead to torture or death at the hands of Catholic priests. And when accusations begin to surface, Dan and Sam find themselves in an  impossible race against time. To survive--and keep history intact--they must outwit fanatics, dodge soldiers, and endure the chaos of 1429. One wrong move could cost them their lives . . . and rewrite the future forever.

Urban Waters, Wild Catch!
Explore the unexpected with Urban Fly Fishing Dallas-Fort Worth, your ultimate guide to hidden fishing streams in the heart of the bustling Metroplex. Suitable for all skill levels, this guidebook reveals secret, fish-abundant creeks that you would swear are nowhere near a city. From quick outing to day-long excursion, find accessible, scenic spots for unforgettable angling experiences, all easily accessible from a dog park, a paved trail, or a green space provided by the city—along with free parking! Led by local expert Greg DeMars, wade into DFW’s unsung natural treasures for unique fly fishing adventures—right around the corner.

What’s inside:

• More than 70 parking and access points on 17 streams and ponds
  
• Five sections, each covering a different area of the Metroplex
  
• Detailed maps and descriptions
  
• More than 300 color photographs, including close-ups of the key sport fish available
  
• How to read the water to catch more fish
• The most effective fly patterns and detailed tying instructions
  
• How to enjoy the springtime white bass run
  
• When and where to catch trout in north Texas
  
• Local fly shops, guides, clubs, and groups
  
• History, culture, and fascinating fishing facts about Dallas-Fort Worth
  
• Angler-friendly hangouts, brewpubs, and restaurants

MISSION: SAVE THE WORLD

DESTINATION: ANCIENT MONGOLIA

One jump to save all time

Life is progressing normally for sixteen-year-old Dan Renfrew when he accidentally transports himself to England in the year 1066. He soon realizes that he’s trapped there, and that’s not his only astonishing discovery. Dan learns that he’s descended from a long line of time jumpers—secret heroes who travel to the past and resolve glitches in the time stream that threaten to alter subsequent history. The only way Dan can return home is to set history back on its proper course in the Anglo-Saxon age. This is no easy task. A Viking horde is ravaging England in the north while a Norman army threatens to invade from the south. 

In between and desperately struggling to hold on to his throne is Harold Godwinson, the newly-crowned English king. Dan is fighting to ensure that events play out correctly when he finds himself plunged into an even more lethal conflict. To save history, Dan must battle a band of malevolent time jumpers whose lust for wealth and power threatens the entire future of the world.

Bayou City: An Angler’s Paradise

The fourth-largest city in the U.S. has a secret hiding in plain sight: All that water means it’s a fabulous place for fly fishing. Travel no further than to the city’s “concrete flats” to stalk carp with Houston’s iconic skyline as a backdrop. Just outside the metro area, wade in the secluded spring-fed waters of the Pineywoods to find spotted bass, largemouth bass, and a variety of panfish. Launch a canoe or kayak in nearby lakes and backwaters to search for gar and bowfin. Add some adventure with a trip to Village Creek, a fascinating biozone where bass and catfish thrive along with four varieties of carnivorous plants and 35 species of orchids. With Fly Fishing Houston & Southeastern Texas as your guide, discover the rewards for anglers this unique region offers, from inside the city limits to the countryside beyond.

• 38 detailed on-the-water descriptions of "wades" located on 12 unique streams and waterways
  
• Descriptions of access points for paddles in local lakes 
  
• Suggestions for creating personalized fly boxes for southeastern Texas
  
• More than 300 color photographs, including close-ups of the key sport fish available
  
• QR codes supplying GPS coordinates for optimal parking for each wade location
• Recommendations for the best gear to get started fly fishing
  
• Angler-friendly breweries and fly shops
  
• Local history, info, and events
  
• Insider tips for sneaking up on fish
  
• An overview of current water use regulations in the Houston area and how anglers can help keep streams, creeks, bayous, and even ditches available to fly fishing enthusiasts

 Silver Medalist, Outdoor Adventure Guides, 2023 National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA).

Sean Whittlesea was there when his wife was murdered. He saw the light leave her eyes. He held her dead body in his arms.  He knows he wept, but he cannot recollect a single other detail. Tormented by the tragedy, Sean relives the horror over and over again. As he struggles to recall what really happened, his imagination serves up an endless chain of scenarios. The truth, however, remains hidden in the vault of his memory, and the key is nowhere to be found.   

Nearly two decades later, Sean, now remarried and a father of two, wins a bizarre contest hosted by his eccentric boss. The prize is the Memory Palace, a state-of-the-art black box that purportedly allows its possessor to relive every moment he has ever experienced, playing out all the memories on a screen.

While the small machine at first appears to be the answer to the mystery surrounding the death of his wife, it instead upends Sean’s life. He pushes his family further and further away as the Memory Palace forces him to confront harsh realities and difficult questions that he lacks the strength to face or answer. Spiraling downward, Sean encounters increasingly harrowing challenges that force him to realize that his memory is not the only thing at stake. To recover the truth about his past, Sean must fight for his very life.

Falling in love. Evading the authorities. Chasing the rabbits.

Now high school sophomores, the self-styled “Freaks” are back in class in quiet Quapaw City, Arkansas. They grapple with the ordinary challenges of everyday teen life: cliques, cars, and crushes. While everything appears normal on the surface, looks have rarely been more deceiving. A secret government task force—fully aware of the unusual powers the Freaks have acquired—is determined to capture them. 

Even as the mysterious Baltar Sterne shares ancient wisdom and offers hope, a new menace silently emerges in the woods outside of town. Clever, inexorable, and far more lethal than the Freaks’ first superhuman foe, this traveler from another world possesses powers that can only be described as godlike. The Freaks and their town will be tested in horrific ways they are powerless to predict or even imagine.

"Those who like their dystopias especially gritty will want to take a look.”—Publishers Weekly

The Purge is here. New Orleans must die.

Long after the destruction of all electronic technology, the Bright Crusade rules the world as a fundamentalist Christian theocracy. Gabriel Troy is Lord of Order for the New Orleans Principality. For years, he and his deputies have fought to keep their city safe from the attacks of the Crusade’s relentless enemies, the Troublers—heretical guerillas who reject the Crusade’s rule and the church’s strict doctrines. As their crowning achievement, Troy’s forces capture the Troublers’ local leader. The city has never been more secure.

Alarming intelligence leaks from Washington: Supreme Crusader Matthew Rook plans to enact a Purge—the mass annihilation of everyone deemed a threat to the Crusade. Rook orders his forces to round up all but the blindly loyal and march them to New Orleans. Once the prisoners have been chained inside, the Crusaders will wall off the city and destroy the levees. The resulting deluge, reenacting the Biblical deluge of Noah’s time and the city’s devastation during Hurricane Katrina, will kill everyone inside.

Forced to choose between the Crusade and the city he has sworn to protect, Troy and five other conflicted conspirators gird for battle, fully aware that the looming apocalypse will demand horrific choices, test their faith, and require them to join forces with their sworn enemies.

Get Your Balls, Bats, and Sticks on Route 66!

Immortalized in countless books, songs, and movies, Route 66 is a timeless icon of American culture. Until now, however, no guide to this historic byway has focused on another beloved part of American culture: sports. That all changes with RoadTrip America A Sports Fan's Guide to Route 66. In this groundbreaking new book, sports writer and lifelong sports fan Ron Clements goes beyond nostalgic buildings and classic cars to highlight historic sports venues, storied sports professionals, and current sports events along the Mother Road.

Rolling west from Chicago to Santa Monica, the author shares inside information about the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB teams based in the cites and towns along Route 66. In addition, enjoy anecdotes gathered from auto and horse racing tracks, rodeo arenas, golf links, and the magnificent lineup of high school and collegiate sports programs to check out along the way.

The book has more than 300 photos and maps showing the various attractions in each of the eight states covered: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. And because no book about the Mother Road would be complete without it, there's plenty of info about the iconic roadside attractions that have entertained and enthralled travelers for the past century.

Playing cops was just a game until the bullets were real.

The gravy train hasn’t stopped in the hollers of western Virginia for more than thirty years when Stony Shelor starts his junior year at Jubal Early High. Class divides and racism are still the hardened norms as the Eisenhower years draw to a close. Violence lies coiled under the calm surface, ready to strike at any time.

On the high school front, the cool boys are taking their wardrobe and music cues from hip TV private dick Peter Gunn, and Dobie Gillis is teaching them how to hit on pretty girls. There’s no help for Stony on the horizon, though. Mary Lou Martin is the girl of his dreams, and she hardly knows Stony exists. In addition, Stony can’t seem to stay out of juvenile court and just may end up in reform school. A long, difficult year stretches out in front of him when a new boy arrives in town. Likeable bullshit artist Jack Newcomb dresses like Peter Gunn, uses moves like Dobie Gillis, and plays pretty good jazz clarinet.

Jack draws Stony into his fantasy of being a private detective, and the two boys start hanging around the county sheriff’s office. Accepted as sources of amusement and free labor, the aspiring gumshoes land their first case after the district attorney’s house is burglarized. Later, the boys hatch an ingenious scheme to help the deputies raid an illegal speakeasy and brothel. All the intrigue feels like fun and games to Jack and Stony until a gunfight with a hillbilly boy almost gets them killed. The stakes rise even higher when the boys find themselves facing off against the Ku Klux Klan.

When a wildfire destroyed her home and worldly possessions in the hills above Los Angeles, it didn’t take Megan Edwards long to recognize an opportunity. 

It took her husband a little longer (“Give me five minutes to grieve!”), but they were both soon planning to make the most of their sudden “stufflessness” and hit the road. They did so a few months later in a freshly built four-wheel-drive motorhome that was even more unusual because of the office in the back instead of a bedroom. This all happened back when “Internet” had not yet entered the lexicon but “email” had. The mobile office would allow Edwards to file stories with the newspapers she wrote for by cell phone. That was the idea, at least. At the beginning of 1994, cell service was patchy, unreliable, and expensive.

They also thought they’d be traveling for six months or so, when, they believed, they’d settle down and get back to normal. But five years and thousands of miles later, they were still on the road. In that time, they’d watched the Internet grow from a mysterious fad prized by people in remote locales into an unstoppable universal phenomenon. They started a website, RoadTripAmerica.com, to share road tripping tips and ideas. Slowly, their dream of being “at work, at home, and on the road, all at the same grand time” became a reality.

This edition marks the twentieth anniversary of Edwards’s memoir, which was first released in 1999. At its heart a story of making lemonade when life gives you lemons, this memoir is also a riveting and at times hilarious look at the early years of the World Wide Web. With a new introduction by the author and a foreword by Chris Epting, enjoy an armchair adventure across North America when the Internet was young. This edition also includes 22 photos dating from when the author lived on the road.

Add fun, history, and jaw-dropping natural wonders to your southwestern road trip with RoadTrip America's Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips, each one beginning and ending at an Interstate highway and drivable within a day. 

Full-color maps and photographs illustrate easy-to-follow scenic routes through breathtaking landscapes and iconic towns in Arizona and New Mexico. Discover the surreal beauty of White Sands, watch the sun set over Monument Valley, or explore the subterranean marvels of Carlsbad Caverns. Find out why Jerome was "the Wickedest Town in the West" or walk in the footsteps of Wyatt Earp in Tombstone. Pamper yourself at a spa in Taos or soak up the vibes at an "energy vortex" in the red rocks of Sedona. With this brand-new, up-to-date guide as your companion, all this and much, much more will be yours to discover and enjoy—one extra day at a time!

• Stunning color imagery and photography throughout
• Easy-to read, full-color route maps with points of interest, mileage, and more
• Color-coded pages for easy identification of routes by geographic region
• Up-to-date insider tips for getting the most out of each route and staying safe
• Phone numbers, websites and visitor info for parks, attractions, and out-of-the-ordinary lodging & dining
• Researched and written by native Arizonan and adventure traveler Rick Quinn, whose road trips have taken him from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska and San Francisco to Washington D.C. Photographer, travel writer, and anthropologist, Quinn is an expert on the topography, history, and culture of the American southwest and how best to enjoy its wonders by automobile.

It may be a “best-kept secret,” but central Texas has some of the best fly fishing in America. With Texas native and fly fishing expert Aaron Reed as your guide, enjoy dozens of wades and paddles, all within easy reach of Austin.

Discover secluded spring creeks braced by soaring limestone cliffs. Wade in broad pools dotted with lily pads and stands of water willow. Paddle deep, slow rivers. Easy-to-follow narrative, detailed maps, and gorgeous color photographs make it easy to “Go fishing now!” even if you have only a few hours to spare.

There’s something for every angler in central Texas. Visit the nation’s southernmost trout fishery on the Canyon Lake tailwaters. Catch more than half a dozen species in a single day, including native Guadalupe bass and the only cichlid native to the United States. Fly Fishing Austin and Central Texas is your passport to the challenges and rewards of angling in this unique and beautiful region.

A look inside:

"Picture a beautiful young woman racing down the freeway in a classic red Corvette with a distrustful Julius Caesar riding shotgun...A wild ride from start to finish." —Booklist Magazine

In 1999, an elite interdisciplinary team headed by Nobel laureate Andrew Danicek gathered in California to carry out a ground-breaking time-travel experiment. While the rest of the world remained unaware, Julius Caesar was successfully transported from the last day of his life to a specially-constructed covert facility. Four days of conversation with historians and Latin scholars were planned, followed by Caesar’s return to the moment from which he was extracted. But despite the team’s meticulous efforts to maintain secrecy and plan for all possible exigencies, a kidnap attempt plunges Caesar into peril. Fully aware that the future of civilization may hang in the balance, one team member must summon strength she didn’t know she possessed to return Caesar to the Ides of March.

The shocking details of Caesar's visit and its effect on subsequent events have been protected by draconian nondisclosure agreements....until now.

Situated in the heart of the magnificent Southwest, Las Vegas is surrounded by spectacular natural landscapes.

Within easy reach are five national parks, including Zion, Grand Canyon, and Death Valley. Dozens of state parks, regional preserves, recreation areas, and public lands offer amazing variety, from sand dunes and salt flats to alpine meadows, waterfalls, and ancient forests. Unique plant and animal life as well as archaeology, paleontology, and fascinating Wild West history are all waiting to be discovered in this region, making Las Vegas an ideal basecamp: Hikers can enjoy solitude and unspoiled wilderness by day and world-class urban amenities by night. Base Camp Las Vegas includes 101 of the best hiking destinations within hours of Las Vegas.

The author has hiked each of the 101 featured routes more than once, and she describes each in detail, including route, elevations, terrain, flora & fauna, and historical details. She notes the best season for enjoying each one, what to wear, and what to take along. She describes any hazards or inconveniences that hikers might encounter and rates the difficulty of each hike from easy to strenuous. She's also included an easy-reference guide to the top five hikes in a variety of categories including birdwatching, stargazing, wildflowers, wetlands, kid and teen favorites, most strenuous, and most remote. 

Base Camp Las Vegas tells hikers where and when to go--and also how to prepare--to enjoy the best trails this unparalleled region has to offer.

The Merino Rose. Ted Spencer has a hard enough time believing the celebrated violin really exists. To find it sitting on his coffee table is nothing short of incredible. The stuff of legend, the exquisite Guarnerius has been missing for centuries.

But even though the renowned instrument is a violin lover's dream come true, it holds only heartache for Ted. The value of the Merino Rose may be beyond measure, but he has acquired it at too high a cost.

Ted found his soul mate when he met Olivia de la Vega his senior year in high school. In the school's production of Camelot, Ted was cast as Lancelot, Olivia as Guenevere. They should have spent their lives together, but strings got in the way: family ties, career objectives, and the tangled web of fate.

Will the Merino Rose bring the two star-crossed lovers together at last, or will their love always remain the melancholy sound of distant violins?

A working girl is found dead in the desert. Can a calendar girl uncover the truth?

In this award-winning prequel to GETTING OFF ON FRANK SINATRA, it’s Christmastime in Sin City. 

Aspiring journalist Copper Black meets Victoria McKimber, an outspoken prostitute at one of Nevada’s legal brothels. She’s offered Copper the exclusive right to tell her story. Not only will the Las Vegas Light’s “calendar girl” get a byline, but she can also impress her boyfriend and parents when they arrive for the holidays.

Copper is busy with work, Christmas shopping, and fantasizing about a whole week with her long-distance boyfriend. She’s also helping her brother, a civic-minded pastor who is spearheading plans for a new center to serve the homeless. Things are hectic but under control when shocking news breaks. Victoria McKimber has turned up dead.

As she investigates the violent death, Copper evades enemies, juggles boyfriend, work, and family, and races against time to save her brother from a sinister plot. Unless she can expose the truth about Victoria McKimber, somebody just might get away with murder.