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His articles and essays have appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites across America. As editor for Face News, he also runs a nonfiction group there. His strange noir fiction, "Lords" was an instant cult classic on the infamous Lords of Bakersfield.

His twitter novel, “Small Places” (twitter.com/smallplaces) is the first original literary novel on Twitter. He lives in Bakersfield, California. You can also follow his daily rants: twitter.com/nickbelardes]]> male San Jose, Calif. 1968/10/04 2518281 1571089 0977020908 9780977020904 1 <![CDATA[Lords, Part 1]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185342357m/1571089.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1185342357s/1571089.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1571089.Lords_Part_1 3.67 3 Based on the 'Lords of Bakersfield' news stories of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Lords: Part One is the most controversial work of fiction to ever come out of the Southern San Joaquin Valley. It's a story of media and high-profile corruption in a conservative city close to the Hollywood storm. For those who remember such a time, this story will sink its teeth into readers, just as that great dust storm of 1977 tore into the valley, spitting its own aliens onto Great Central Valley streets already taken over by unseen powers of the most corrupt kind…

]]> 2985334 2.33 3 1 2005 6613526 1573443603 9781573443609 1 <![CDATA[Random Obsessions: Trivia You Need To Know]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6613526-random-obsessions 2.33 3 Random Obsessions: Trivia You Can’t Live Without, historian Nick Belardes has dug into the raw source material found in historical archives, scientific studies, and libraries the world over. You’ll also read first-person interviews with people who can explain the unexplained, from the permanently puzzling Mothman conspiracy to secret Star Wars Jedi religious cults, and the charmingly eccentric reason why British aerospace engineers sent teddy bears floating out into space.

Truly trivia you can’t live without, Random Obsessions is filled with facts, lists, definitions, and astonishing information guaranteed to provide you with the best cocktail conversation for many years to come! Your guide, Nick Belardes, has devoted his life to poking around the peculiar and perplexing. Explore the unknown stories behind why the nation’s capitol didn’t stay in Philadelphia, why some fossils are smiling, and how, if Preparation H existed in the early 1800s, Napoleon would have won Waterloo. These real-world facts are outlandish enough to sharpen your brain and occupy your mind for hours of reading. This book is so fascinating and fun, you’ll become obsessed, too!</DIV>]]> 2985334 2.33 3 1 196011 3.89 106 25 2009 6624239 0595655009 9780595655007 0 <![CDATA[The Blimperwhirls]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6624239-the-blimperwhirls 0.0 0 The Blimperwhirls, a zany and sometimes scary Christmas story, where Santa suddenly thinks that his magical ways of doing things have become outdated.</p>

But look out! In Santa’s attempts to change the North Pole, big trouble comes his way, including bubble ships that drop paper package bombs, and a mischievous candy cane-hunting, self-doubting toy that hasn’t been seen in ten thousand years: the Imp of Christmas Doubt.

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