first reads

[close] “Cadillac Man’s story is grueling. His book is not. He works to put human faces on the men and women you see huddled under overpasses and in alleyways, and there are cracks of light in the tale he tells, even moments of joy, bravery and suspense.”—Dwight Garner, New York Times

A moving, funny, and unforgettable memoir of homeless life in New York City, Land of the Lost Souls spans Cadillac Man’s sixteen years on the streets. Over those years, he recorded his daily life, writing hundreds of thousands of words in a succession of spiral-bound notebooks. In his gritty and poignant voice, Cadillac narrates his descent into homelessness, the struggles and surprises of his life, and the story of his love affair with a young runaway. The United States has a homeless population of close to seven hundred thousand: Cadillac’s stories are their stories, but his voice is all his own. [close]

[close] Meet the Carne sisters, Deirdre, Katrine, and Sheil, growing up together in 1930s London. Eldest sister Deirdre is a journalist, Katrine a fledgling actress, and young Sheil is still with her governess; together they live a life unchecked by their mother in their bohemian town house. Irrepressibly imaginative, the sisters cannot resist making up stories, as they have since childhood; from their talking nursery toys, Ironface the Doll and Dion Saffyn the pierrot, to their fulsomely imagined friendship with real high-court Judge Toddington—whom, since Mrs. Carne’s jury duty, they have affectionately called Toddy. But when Deirdre meets Toddy’s real-life wife at a charity bazaar, the sisters are forced to confront the subject of their imaginings—and this may mean the end of their childish innocence. [close]

[close] Meet the romantics and the unromantics, the passionate and the fainthearted, the tragic and the comic, in all their lyrical glory. This anthology explores the full range of emotions inspired by poetry's most popular subject: love. Antonia Fraser has made a touching, inspired and wonderfully diverse selection. Poems range from the fifteenth century to the present, from ballads to sonnets to modern verse. Included alongside well-known classics by Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, are contemporary poems by Kathleen Jamie, John Burnside and Carol Ann Duffy, illuminating the ways of the heart in all its forms. [close]

[close] In the tradition of The Official Preppy Handbook, The Uptight Seattleite is the Stephen Colbert of left-wing satire.

The author of the wildly popular Seattle Weekly advice column teaches Americans everywhere how to embrace their inner leftist. Artfully balancing the cosmic with the cosmopolitan, the Uptight Seattleite (aka Adrian) delights his loyal readers each week with snide insight on everything from fashion ("Can I pull off a Rasta beret?") to ear-bud etiquette. In A Sensitive Liberal's Guide to Life, he brings his savvy smugness to his widest audience yet, on topics such as the hierarchy of transportation righteousness (what to do with the clunky old Subaru after purchasing a Prius) and ethical behavior at the grocery store, including how to handle the horror forgetting to bring your reusable burlap sack.

Other day-to-day advice covers what to read on the bus (Vonnegut versus The Kite Runner versus The Economist) and feasting at the buffet of diversity, with tips for shooting a condescending smile at those who don't know how to use chopsticks. The Uptight Seattleite also helps readers navigate the big issues, such as responsible parenting (which calls for a mini-landfill kit, perfect for the backyard and ready to be stuffed with environmentally unfriendly diapers). For every insecure liberal-and those who love to make fun of them-the Uptight Seattleite offers us laughs from the pinnacle of political correctness.
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[close] Still Alice
by: Lisa Genova


A 50 yrs old congnitive psychology professor at harvard slowly loses her thoughts and memories to a Harrowing Disease. Only discover that eachday brings a new way of living and Loving.
I enjoyed this book I also learned alot from it. [close]

[close] “This is a terrific book…Broad in scope, peppered with detail, insightful, it could be the basis for a classroom or book club review of American history from our founding as a nation through the 20th century.”—Christian Science Monitor

Daniel Wolff examines the early lives and educations of twelve notable Americans, from Benjamin Franklin to Elvis Presley—the lessons they learned inside the classroom and out. How Lincoln Learned to Read is a vividly told history of American ideas, providing a hopeful look at the enterprise of education and the divergent paths to success. [close]

[close] On the eve of their Silver Anniversary, Mary Gooch is waiting for her husband Jimmy--still every inch the handsome star athlete he was in high school--to come home. As night turns to day, it becomes frighteningly clear to Mary that he is gone. Through the years, disappointment and worry have brought Mary's life to a standstill, and she has let her universe shrink to the well-worn path from the bedroom to the refrigerator. But her husband's disappearance startles her out of her inertia, and she begins a desperate search.

For the first time in her life, she boards a plane and flies across the country to find her lost husband. So used to hiding from the world, Mary finds that in the bright sun and broad vistas of California, she is forced to look up from the pavement. And what she finds fills her with inner strength she's never felt before. Through it all, Mary not only finds kindred spirits, but reunites with a more intimate stranger no longer sequestered by fear and habit: herself. [close]

[close] This inspiring book, loaded with illustrations, will show you how to present your photography, digital imaging, or graphic design work. Whether you are a student aiming to start an internship, a freelancer looking for work, or a professional needing to brand yourself visually, you will learn how to present yourself to your potential employer through step-by-step visual aids, key perspectives from top-notch industry professionals, and inspiration through a vast collection of real-world examples.

*Learn to stand out from the crowd
*Communicate an effective concept and message
*Demonstrate impeccable skill and craft
*Create a custom-made portfolio book
*Translate and extend your ideas into an online portfolio
*Develop integrated self-promotional materials and marketing strategies [close]

[close] “Khadivi…has a lyrical style reminiscent of…Michael Ondaatje…The Age of Orphans evocatively captures the desperate longing for home, family and a life erased. It’s an affecting tale.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer

Orphaned in a massacre on his Kurdish village, Reza Khourdi is adopted by the assailants and conscripted into the army of Iran. Reza is promoted to the rank of captain, marries an educated Tehrani woman, and slowly forgets the brutality of his past. But when he is deployed back to the mountains of his youth to suppress the nationalist uprisings of the still defiant Kurds, the life he has built for himself begins to crumble. The Age of Orphans is a literary debut of unmistakable power. [close]

[close] A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses.

In this book, Lew tells the stories of his work with these horses and the lessons each one has taught him. Sometimes heartbreaking and often uplifting, Lew has condensed his lifetime of learning into messages for the Christian life. Today, Lew shares these messages with more than 50,000 people each year through horse training presentations at Miracle Mountain Ranch and nationally through his Sermon on the Mount Ministry.

The author’s engaging style and adroit mixture of well-tested anecdotes and thoughtful instruction make this a winning read—and not just for horse lovers. [close]

[close] (Giveaway is for a finished, bound book).

Hailed as a “gorgeous, brutal writer,” by Richard Price, the acclaimed, bestselling author of SERENA captures the eerie beauty, stark violence, and rugged character of Appalachia in stories that span the Civil War to the present day.

Few writers know the heart and soul of a region as does Ron Rash. Like William Faulkner’s Mississippi or Ivan Doig’s Montana, Rash’s Appalachia is a dichotomous land of beauty and brutality settled by characters as remarkable and enduring as the mountains and hollows they call home. In this rich collection, the acclaimed author limns this territory in stories breathtaking in voice and power.

In “Corpse Bird,” a man becomes haunted by a childhood folk tale when a mysterious bird makes its home in his neighbor’s tree and their daughter suddenly takes ill. In “Back of Beyond,” a pawn shop owner who profits from the stolen goods of local meth addicts—including his own nephew—comes to his brother’s aid when he’s threatened by his son. The pregnant wife of a Lincoln sympathizer alone in Confederate territory takes revenge to protect her family from a menacing wayward soldier in “Lincolnites.”

Rash masterfully crafts a patchwork of luminous stories, rich in beauty, suspense, and violence, that draw from the mythical, mysterious, and rawness of the people and the landscape of Appalachia.
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[close] The name “Cro-Magnon” inspires images of a snowbound world, mammoth hunting, and eerily alluring cave paintings. Who were these ancient people? In a word, they were us—the first anatomically modern humans.

Bestselling author Brian Fagan brings these early humans out of the deep freeze with his trademark mix of erudition, cutting-edge science, and vivid storytelling. Cro-Magnon reveals human society in its infancy, facing enormous environmental challenges—including a rival species of humans, the Neanderthals.

For ten millennia, Cro-Magnons lived side by side with Neanderthals, an encounter that Fagan fills with drama. Using their superior intellects and tools, these ingenious problem solvers survived harsh conditions that eventually extinguished their Neanderthal cousins.

Cro-Magnon captures the indomitable adaptability that has made Homo sapiens an unmatched success as a species. Living on a frozen continent with only the most basic tools, Ice Age humans survived and thrived. [close]

[close] A riveting recreation of one of Victorian England’s biggest scandals, the first book by a rising talent.

On a steamer passage from France to England in 1852, nineteen-year-old Theresa Longworth met William Charles Yelverton, a soldier destined to become the Viscount Avonmore. A flirtation began that soon blossomed into a clandestine, epistolary affair, ranging from the shores of England to the battlefields of the Crimean War. Five years after their first meeting they married secretly in Edinburgh, and then, at Theresa’s urging, they married again that summer in Dublin—or did they?

Separated by circumstance soon after they were wed, the two would never again live together as man and wife. When Yelverton left Theresa to marry another woman, Theresa found herself having to prove that their marriage had ever existed. Multiple trials ensued, in Ireland, England, and Scotland, and for months their scandal captivated each nation. Newspapers broadcast each detail of the proceedings, songwriters dedicated ballads to Theresa, and novelists such as Wilkie Collins borrowed the courtroom melodrama for their plots. Over the course of the very public ordeal, Theresa lost any chance of a private married life.

In this brilliant debut, Chloë Schama portrays a woman at the forefront of changes that the twentieth century would bring to women’s lives everywhere. Theresa’s story is both a courtroom drama full of steamy intrigue and the chronicle of how one woman made a life for herself as an unmarried author and public speaker in a society that had little space for either. Thrust into the spotlight, Theresa reincarnated herself as “Teresina Peregrina,” traversing the globe and writing about her journeys: she visited the Mormons in the American West, crossed paths with John Muir in Yosemite, and ventured into the far reaches of Asia and Africa, where she spent the last years of her life. Events beyond her control forced Theresa to become a woman of the world, when she would have settled for a world defined by her husband.

In Wild Romance, Chloë Schama unearths the inspiring tale of a woman who held onto her ideals of independence, of self-reliance, and—despite everything—of love, and who never gave up.
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[close] An incomparable resource for those touched by grief—a groundbreaking volume of elegies by the most important names in modern poetry.

We all share life’s passages, from love to grief, and during them often turn to poetry to express the inexpressible. But while anthologies of love poetry abound, The Art of Losing is the very first anthology of its kind, delivering 150 devastatingly beautiful contemporary elegies that embrace the pain, heartbreak, and healing stages of mourning.

Selected and introduced by National Book Award finalist Kevin Young, the poems are artfully arranged to correspond with the grieving process: starting with Reckoning, moving through Remembrance and Rituals, then ending with Recovery and, finally, Redemption. And with contributions from men, women, and a full range of races and faiths, the breadth of human experience is captured. Whether read aloud at a funeral service or privately for comfort, these poems prove a worthy companion to the necessary, and often messy, process of grieving.

A singularly thoughtful gift for those coping with grief, as well as a vital resource for the loved ones, clergy, and hospice workers who guide us through the process of letting go, The Art of Losing will be an essential source of comfort and beauty.

With poems by Elizabeth Alexander, Simon Armitage, John Ashbery, W. H . Auden, John Berryman, Lucille Clifton, Billy Collins, Emily Dickinson, Rita Dove, Louise Glück, Ted Hughes, Jane Kenyon, Galway Kinnell, Kenneth Koch, Philip Larkin, Li-Young Lee, Philip Levine, Marianne Moore, Les Murray, Frank O’Hara, Sharon Olds, Mary Oliver, Robert Pinsky, Adrienne Rich, Theodore Roethke, Anne Sexton, Dylan Thomas, Natasha Trethewey, Derek Walcott, James Wright, and others. [close]

[close] An engrossing novel of murder, organized crime, and politics in contemporary Italy—the first in a series of Italian crime novels by a promising new writer.

On a hot summer morning, Arturo Clemente is sloppily murdered in his Roman apartment by a mysterious slasher. Though the murder appears amateurish, even random, Clemente is no ordinary victim. An animal rights activist campaigning against dogfighting, he is married to a prominent politician and sleeping with Manuela Fusco, the daughter of a dangerous crime boss.

Police inspector Alec Blume has a favorite suspect, but the investigation is already being manipulated by both the Senate and the Fusco crime ring. As the details of the case continue to trickle out, Blume soon realizes he is being watched from on high—and that solving this crime may be the least of his worries. Angry, sleep-deprived, and unsure who to trust, Blume is losing control of his investigation. As the mob tightens its grip on the city, and with the killer still at large, Blume’s struggle for justice may cost more innocent lives.

In this riveting debut novel, we are introduced to Blume, an American expatriate and seasoned police veteran. Intelligent yet sometimes petulant, instinctive yet flawed, Blume is a likable and trustworthy protagonist for this first installment of a gritty and promising series. [close]

[close] A luminous love story and an internationally acclaimed masterpiece, published in the United States for the first time.

Born in 1944 in New York City, Thomas E . Kennedy spent his youth hitchhiking and writing his way around the United States before moving to Europe, where he has quietly published over twenty books. In the decade from 1995 to 2005, he wrote the Copenhagen Quartet, four novels set in the Danish capital, his adopted home. Published in Ireland and Denmark, the Copenhagen Quartet won international awards and was hailed as a “masterpiece” by Duff Brenna. Critics concurred, establishing Kennedy as a daring writer of rare grace and vision. Yet his work has never seen major publication in his native country.

In the Company of Angels is the first novel of the Quartet to appear here, a powerful story of two damaged souls struggling from darkness to light. Imprisoned for teaching political poetry to his students, Bernardo Greene has been tortured for months in Pinochet’s Chile when he is visited by two angels who promise that he will survive to experience beauty and love once again. Months later, in Copenhagen, where he has come for treatment, the Chilean exile befriends Michela Ibsen, herself a survivor of domestic abuse. In the long nights of summer, the two of them struggle to heal, to forgive those who have left them damaged, and to trust themselves to love.

Taking on the very best and the very worst of human experience, In the Company of Angels is a moving, achingly human story that achieves a fable-like quality rare in contemporary fiction. Dense with wisdom and humanity, this already acclaimed novel is a riveting testament to the resilience and complexity of the human heart. [close]

[close] This first novel by Ada Leverson (whom Oscar Wilde called “the wittiest woman in the world”) is the story of Edith and Bruce Ottley, who live in a very new, very small, very white flat in Knightsbridge. On the surface they are like every other respectable couple in Edwardian London, and that is precisely why Edith is beginning to feel a little bored. Excitement comes in the form of the dazzling and glamorous Hyacinth Verney, who doesn’t understand why Edith is married to one of the greatest bores in society. But then, Hyacinth doesn’t really understand any of the courtships, jealousies, and love affairs of their coterie: why the dashing Cecil Reeve insists on being so elusive, why her loyal friend Anne is so stubbornly content with being a spinster, and why she just can’t seem to take her mind off love… [close]

[close] The best of St. Clair McKelway, a longtime New Yorker writer, whose astonishing career and work have been overlooked for too long.

Named for his great-uncle, a prominent newspaperman, St. Clair McKelway was born with journalism in his blood. And in thirty-six years at the New Yorker, he made “fact-writing” his career. His prolific output for the magazine was defined by its incomparable wit and a love of New York’s rough edges. He had a deep affection for the city’s “rascals”: the junkmen, con men, counterfeiters, priests, beat cops, and fire marshals who colored life in old New York. And he wrote with levity and insight about his own life as well, a life marked by a strict Presbyterian childhood, a limited formal education, five marriages and divorces, and sometimes debilitating mental illness.

Like Joseph Mitchell and A. J. Liebling, McKelway combined the unflagging curiosity of a great reporter with the narrative flair of a master storyteller, and he helped establish the New Yorker’s unique brand of journalism in its most storied years. William Shawn, who began as McKelway’s assistant and became the magazine’s revered editor, described McKelway as a writer with the “lightest of light touches,” his striking style “too odd to be imitated.”

Reporting at Wit’s End collects McKelway’s most memorable work from the 1930s through the 1960s, creating a portrait of a long-forgotten New York and of one of its consummate chroniclers. [close]

[close] A Dry Creek Wedding by Janet Tronstad

When her neighbor proposes a "practical" marriage, romantic Rene Mitchell throws the ring in his face. Fleeing Texas for Montana, Rene rides with trucker Clay Preston. Clay doesn't believe in romance...until Rene changes his mind!

A Mule Hollow Match by Debra Clopton

Trace Crawford broke Paisley Norton's cousin's heart--so Paisley thinks he deserves whatever trouble he gets! Yet Trace really is lost when it comes to caring for his new niece. Paisley's got a soft heart for children...and for adorably clueless cowboys, too.

Please, note -- the books for giveaway are not large print. They are regular type.

Also, if you're a fan of Love Inspired books, join us in the Goodreads discussion group for Love Inspired Historicals. [close]

[close] THis is an author signed pre-publication copy of Going with Gabriel, a 320,000 word work of literary fiction. It is a story told through the single viewpoint of the title character and is written thoughout in third person, present tense.

Gabriel is a 33 years old ex-microbiologist, part of a quartet working on human infertility. The team had discovered a prion-like, permanent infertility agent, sexually contagious across both genders. Obsessed by the human population explosion they had cultivated, then secretly disseminated the agent world-wide via their own, so-called ‘ladybird’ program. Afterwards the conscience stricken Gabriel, suffering a near breakdown, had dropped out of his old life.

Living now as an itinerant, eventually he re-discovers and makes use of his own extraordinary musical talent. As the novel begins he is travelling and playing the streets with fellow musician, Sonny Ojitsu. Roughly the first half of Going with Gabriel is about the title character’s life on the road, his making of music, his finding of love and his efforts to avoid exposure. But threatened by illicit recordings and consequent loss of obscurity he re-establishes contact with his two surviving micro science colleagues. Each of them dies in less than well explained circumstances. Although the Ladybird infertility program remains undiscovered, its effects are already being widely felt. Government and other agencies are hot on its - and now Gabriel’s trail.

If the first half of the novel asks Gabriel (and us) difficult questions about the modern cult of celebrity and about the way our societies and our populations are developing, the second half answers them. The ‘Farland’ society into which Gabriel is now propelled is in fact inspired by the ‘Pantocracy’ devised in the nineteenth century by the poets Coleridge and Wordsworth, who developed it in turn from the writings of Socrates.
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[close] When Pancho arrives at St. Anthony's Home, he knows his time there will be short: If his plans succeed, he'll soon be arrested for the murder of his sister's killer. But then he's assigned to help D.Q., whose brain cancer has slowed neither his spirit nor his mouth. D.Q. tells Pancho all about his "Death Warrior's Manifesto," which will help him to live out his last days fully--ideally, he says, with the love of the beautiful Marisol. As Pancho tracks down his sister's murderer, he finds himself falling under the influence of D.Q. and Marisol, who is everything D.Q. said she would be. [close]

[close] Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be your average, happy, vanilla eighth grader. But with Shakespearean scholar parents who dress in Elizabethan regalia and generally go about in public as if it were the sixteenth century, that’s not terribly easy. It gets worse when they decide that Hamlet’s genius sevenyear- old sister will attend middle school with her— and even worse when the Shakespeare project is announced and her sister is named the new math tutor. By the time an in-class recitation reveals that our heroine is an extraordinary Shakespearean actress, Hamlet can no longer hide from the fact that she—like her family—is anything but average. [close]

[close] What is loss?
The echo that surrounds the word GONE.

What is love?
The deepest of your heart’s desire.

Green lives every day with feelings of loss. Her family is gone, the boy she loves is missing and the world she once knew has been transformed by tragedy. In order to rediscover the truth about love, hope, and magic, she must venture away from her home, collecting the stories of a group of women who have been branded as witches because of their mysterious powers. Only though their stories will Green find her own heart’s desire.

For many readers who cherished Alice Hoffman’s spellbinding GREEN ANGEL, this novel marks the extraordinary return of an unforgettable character. For new readers, it presents a beautiful exploration of how we must confront what we fear most, and how we can find love that is everlasting.
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Ahimsa Timoteo Bodhrán (Contributor), Cameron Bustamante (Contributor), Todd Denny (Contributor), Billie Rain(Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Chris Crass (Contributor), Michael Flood (Contributor)

[close] On The Road To Healing is a pro-feminist anthology for men working to end sexism. Originally published as a series of zines between 1995 and 2004, the works inside have served as a resource and as a challenge to all men who want a world that is free from oppression and war. Contributors include Sam Pullen, Donald Cavanaugh, Jeff Ott, Tony Switzer, Loolwa Khazzoom, Chris Dixon, Qwo-Li Driskill, Ahimsa Timoteo Bodhrán, Cameron Bustamante, Todd Denny, Basil Shadid, billie rain, Chris Crass and Michael Flood. [close]

[close] Fade to Black is a tempestuous and witty love story, complete with dangerous twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very last page. Kate Callahan is a news reporter in Salt Lake City whose life seems to be perfect. Her attentive boyfriend, Jesse Vasquez, is determined to prove his love for her. But the day she steps through the doors of KHB as their newest reporter and meets photographer Rich Spencer, everything changes. There is something about the way he caresses her with his eyes, speaks to her without saying a word, and lights her skin aflame with a simple touch that makes her rethink everything she’s ever known. Ultimately, she is faced with an impossible choice—one that tears her heart in two—which becomes excruciating when fate steps in and decides for her. Walking along a mountain of heartache and regret, Kate struggles to find a world where love does conquer all. [close]

[close] Finding fulfillment is not dependent on success or achievement as defined by the culture you grew up in. Fulfillment is what occurs when you strip away what that culture has told you is real and you discover your natural self in the natural world. You are a product of, a part of and an expression of the natural world; and when you discover it, it discovers you and the most important and fundamental relationship of your life unfolds. When you become your natural self in the natural world, you open the doorway to fulfillment, as well as an infinite capacity for personal and spiritual growth. Let me show you the natural path to that doorway.

See my website and/or blog for additional information.

www.intuisdom.com
www.becomingthenaturalself.blogspot.com

Anton Elohan Byers [close]

[close] In a remote, piney wood in Finland stands an austere convalescent hospital called Suvanto. It is the 1920s, and the patients, all women, seek relief from ailments real and imagined. On the lower floors are the stoic Finnish women; on the upper floors are foreign women of privilege--the "up-patients." They are tended to by head nurse Sunny Taylor, an American who has fled an ill-starred life only to retreat behind a mask of crisp professionalism.

On a late summer day a new patient arrives on Sunny's ward--a faded, irascible former ballroom-dance instructor named Julia Dey, whose difficulty and tightly coiled anger place her at the center of the ward's tangled emotional life.

As summer turns to fall, and fall to a long, dark winter, the patients hear rumors about changes being implemented at Suvanto by an American obstetrician who is experimenting with a new surgical stitch. Their familiar routine threatened, the women are not happy (they were not happy before), and the story's escalating menace builds to a terrifying conclusion. [close]

[close] It is the middle of the twentieth century, and in a home economics program at a prominent university, real babies are being used to teach mothering skills to young women. For a young man raised in these unlikely circumstances, finding real love and learning to trust will prove to be the work of a lifetime. In this captivating novel, bestselling author Lisa Grunwald gives us the sweeping tale of an irresistible hero and the many women who love him.

From his earliest days as a “practice baby” through his adult adventures in 1960s New York City, Disney’s Burbank studios, and the delirious world of the Beatles’ London, Henry remains handsome, charming, universally adored—and never entirely accessible to the many women he conquers but can never entirely trust.

Filled with unforgettable characters, settings, and action, The Irresistible Henry House portrays the cultural tumult of the mid-twentieth century even as it explores the inner tumult of a young man trying to transcend a damaged childhood. For it is not until Henry House comes face-to-face with the real truths of his past that he finds a chance for real love. [close]

[close] On assignment in London, FBI Agent Morgan Nash finds himself moments away from a bullet through the heart when the case he's working goes awry. But fate has other plans, he discovers when he wakes in a world far removed from his own.

At work cataloguing ancient manuscripts in the British Museum, Ezra Glacenbie inadvertently creates the magic that pulls Morgan out of the twenty-first century and into the nineteenth. It's an impromptu vacation which may become permanent when the spellbook goes missing.

Further upsetting Morgan's search for a way home is the irresistible temptation to investigate the most notorious crime of the nineteenth century. But it's the unexpected romance blossoming between Morgan and Ezra that becomes the most dangerous complication of all. [close]

[close] Is there life after music?

Juliette Miranda isn't quite sure. While living out her dreams in Los Angeles, she is forced to make an unexpected return to her hometown where she must struggle to save her relationships, and sanity, from the long shadows of her rock 'n' roll past.

Despite her best efforts, some issues refuse to stay locked in her closet. By recounting tales of her past - like the rock star boyfriend who sang more romantic songs to his dog than to her, or being abandoned in Jamaica by a drugged-out Jim Morrison wanna-be - Juliette hopes to understand her present.

Her chronicle reveals an open, passionately honest look at a girl whose life isn't turning out exactly as she hoped. Her morning neuroses become the vanguard to a broader story that incorporates her loving yet crazy family, indelible friendships, and career mishaps.

Lightly fictionalized to protect the identities of the not-so-innocent, Morning Neurosis is more than a kiss and tell. It's an intimate look into Miranda's real life experiences as she strives to find love, music ... and herself. [close]

[close] Selected as Sunshine State Young Reader Award finalist for 2010
Great for all children 5-8 years old

The Thrilling Adventure of a Young Girl and her Tiny Dog.

Father said Malia has only three weeks to train tiny Teacup, or else. Suddenly, the poodle disappears! Oh, no, this is trouble! Malia wonders what her stepbrother, Phillip, is hiding under his desk? Will Malia overcome her fears and believe in herself enough to rescue Teacup? Hanging upside down in a tree, Malia unravels the mystery of who dognapped lit...more Malia and Teacup: Out on a Limb
(ISBN: 978-0-9825109-1-9)

The Thrilling Adventure of a Young Girl and her Tiny Dog.

Father said Malia has only three weeks to train tiny Teacup, or else. Suddenly, the poodle disappears! Oh, no, this is trouble! Malia wonders what her stepbrother, Phillip, is hiding under his desk? Will Malia overcome her fears and believe in herself enough to rescue Teacup? Hanging upside down in a tree, Malia unravels the mystery of who dognapped little Teacup and discovers how to outsmart a wild animal with her courage.

“Action-packed terrific read for children from 7-9.” Lynn Nolan, M.Ed. 34 years in elementary education.

Dr. Barrow’s new fiction book for children, Malia and Teacup: Out On A Limb (ISBN: 978-0-9825109-1-9) illustrates complicated problem solving and a journey of self-discovery in a fast-paced and fun book to read, with 120 pages and 16 illustrations. The book introduces young readers, ages 7-9, to important life lessons through the comedic misadventures of Malia and her tiny poodle.

BOOKS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE
WITH
PSYCHOLOGICAL ARMOR FOR KIDS

How can an adventure book empower children and make them safer?

“A spoonful of adventure makes the psychology go down,” according to Dr. Molly Barrow, author of relationship books Matchlines for Singles and Matchlines for Step Parenting and practicing psychotherapist. Just as Mary Poppins helped children take their medicine with a little sugar, Barrow uses exciting adventure books to embed subtle positive messages about building self-esteem. “Self-esteem is the single most important factor for the safety of a child,” says Barrow. “High self-esteem is psychological armor for children.”

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[close] Sunshine State Young Reader Award finalist for 2010.
Dr. Barrow has made her reputation as an expert in improving relationships, whether the arena is couples intimacy or the workplace. Now she adds to her audience with a major venture into children's literature. Her Malia and Teacup series recently launched its first title: "Awesome African Adventure." It's a rollicking read for kids 9 years old and up, as well as their parents and grandparents.

Grandma is dead but remains well preserved in the freezer, her voice often advising 12-year-old Malia. Dad is dead and mom has run off with a misfit beau, and the looney doings of her wheelchair-bound Grandpa are not quite what a middle-schooler needs for guidance.

Understandably, Malia's demeanor has been less than pleasant. Her life at school has turned into a nightmare. She has frustrated her teachers, become a target of abuse from her classmates, and is threatened by the mean-spirited school psychologist with being taken away from Grandpa's abysmal though loving care.

Then comes news that is both good and bad: The industrious school shrink has discovered that Malia's father is alive, remarried and living in Kenya. Soon, even though she feels a responsibility to stay with her ailing Grandpa, Malia is bound for Africa to live with a man who chose to disappear from her life 10 years earlier.

In Kenya, Malia finds herself a secondclass citizen. Remote and demanding, her father insists on highly disciplined behavior, and Malia almost always fails to meet his expectations. Her stepmother is selfabsorbed as well as preoccupied with her pregnancy. Her stepbrother schemes to get Malia in trouble.

Although her father's lifestyle indicates an abundance of wealth, allegedly from his success in the petroleum industry, Malia feels more at home with the loving and playful family of one of her father's African employees.

Soon after arriving in Africa, she becomes responsible for an undersized poodle, a gift rejected by her stepbrother. The delightful Teacup provides Malia with emotional salvation during an arduous transition.

Malia's adventures in Africa include partaking in a tribal ceremony, surviving an elephant stampede, rescuing Teacup from a monkey, witnessing a terrorist bombing in Nairobi and confronting a vicious government inspector who calls her father an assassin.

Malia herself wonders about her father. It's obvious that he has a secret life, but not obvious just what the secret is.

As Malia's dangerous adventures and family conflicts pile up, she strives to overcome her fears and stand up for herself. More and more, she demonstrates not only determination, but also the ability to solve problems, to be patient when necessary and to realize that while appearances are often deceiving, it is sometimes for a good reason.

Young readers will identify with Malia's outsider sensibility, with her frustrations and — one hopes — with her growing resourcefulness and enhanced decisionmaking skills.

While engaging her audience in high adventures in exotic settings, Dr. Barrow imparts important life lessons and advances knowledge about and tolerance for other cultures.

For younger readers, Dr. Barrow has prepared "Out on a Limb," an abbreviated treatment of Malia and Teacup's African experience. In the pipeline: "Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon" set in Bhutan and "Queen to Bishop's Right," an English mystery.

Dr. Barrow has found a recipe that mixes humor, action, respect and understanding in just the right proportions. Fanciful enough to hold a child's attention, and wise enough to help children grow up without sermonizing and without belittling their actual problems, these are the kinds of books that parents and teachers, as well as kids, have been seeking. [close]

[close] Just because fairy tales don’t exist doesn’t mean we don’t need them—need their promise of a happily ever after—need their heightened, fanciful language to infuse our flat, modern vernacular with pomp and poof and oompf—but need especially their infusion of momentous meaning into our seemingly pointless actions and humdrum adult lives. Through that hole of need enters Reb Livingston’s stunning God Damsel: a pyrotechnic, syntactical orgy wherein the speaker’s both creator and victim of a world that mirrors our own in disappointment and loss. She’s a creator of her own language, yet a victim of the limitations of all language. The poems are like the bizarre, hybrid-mutant animals slithering around the island of Dr. Moreau—cross-breeds of humor, whimsy, sharp intelligence, and deep—near unspeakable—sadness. I can hear Henry Darger’s Vivian Girls eerily reciting from God Damsel, like a primer, in unison. Do avoid the dreaded Woe-Dodo, and take a stroll through the puffy pink clouds (careful to avoid the inky-icky black pits) of God Damsel-land.

—Jennifer L. Knox
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[close] To read Karl Parker's poems is to revel in the tremendous reach of a mind that, more than any other I've read (more than John Clare, more than Khlebnikov or Kharms or Huerta) can render me awed at the realization that we, each of us, have a person inside our skins with us. Parker enacts this phenomenological remembering with such a wit and lyricism, and such a grief, that I believe him likely one of the smartest, saddest, funniest writers alive. He is without doubt one of my favorite writers. I have been following his work for years. And so will people for years to come.

—Gabriel Gudding
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[close] MATCHLINES FOR SINGLES
by
Dr. Molly Barrow

Tired of Looking for The Right One
And Ending Up with the Wrong One?

Matchlines will help you be a better partner and recognize just who is the perfect Match for you.

Dr. Molly Barrow provides tools and tips that you can use today to make all your relationships balance and feel better fast!

Matchlines for Singles is psychological self-help to improve the selection of a compatible partner, balance existing relationships, build self-esteem and learn assertiveness skills with Matchlines, an original theory of relationships that helps to create harmony and happiness.
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[close] There’s much to be learned here. At this long moment—this book—in Garin Cycholl’s continuing project the prairie’s a verb (“light cracked and/ prairied”), the landscape of the Midwest “a haggard trophy”; these pages tangle exquisitely with the varieties of distance and from South-of-70 to the city of the big shoulders and beyond, the work teases belief out of chrome, tours the nature of vipers, and traces (and burns) the blue in green. Rafetown Georgics is a confidence of practical matters (rural and otherwise), a jukebox of voices telling wonders, an astonishing book.

— C. S. Giscombe [close]

[close] New York, 1919. His career as a concert pianist ended by a war injury, Sutton Albright returns to college, only to be expelled after an affair with a teacher. Unable to face his family, he heads to New York with no plans and little money--only a desire to call his life his own.

Jack Bailey’s life has changed as well. After losing his parents in the influenza epidemic, he hopes to save their beloved novelty shop--now his--by advertising on the radio, barely more than a novelty, itself.

Sutton lands work in Jack’s corner of the city and the two conclude they couldn’t be less suited for friendship. But when Sutton loses his job, Jack gives him a place to stay. Sutton returns to the piano to play for Jack and finds the intervening months have healed him. The program promises to rescue Jack’s business and Sutton’s career...but success brings its own risks for two men falling in love. [close]

[close] In this erotic historical paranormal romance series set in the heart of Tuscany’s centuries-old wine country, three half-Satyr brothers receive a letter that sends them in search of three endangered half-Faerie brides.

Charming youngest brother Lyon is so ruggedly handsome that his looks have actually caused women to swoon. Though he resents that duty calls him to wed and doubts that he can ever love one woman, he nevertheless travels to Paris in search of the third bride.

At first glance, Juliette seems a good choice for him, for he discovers her to be a courtesan. Their passionate night together leaves him sated beyond his wildest imaginings, but her magic results in dire repercussions that only she can reverse.

Discoveries about her past and the monster who rules her life send Juliette fleeing Paris and heading straight into Lyon’s arms. She must learn to face her fears and trust in love because the fate of an entire wine industry hangs in the balance.

Publisher: Kensington Aphrodisia
$12.95
also by author: Nicholas / Raine / Lyon / Dominic / Dane (June 2010)
www.elizabethamber.com

Praise for Nicholas, The Lords of Satyr:

"The leading man is the sexiest one this reader has seen in a long time!"
-- Romantic Times Book Reviews

"Kept me spellbound and wanting more."
-- Joyfully Reviewed (Recommended Read)

Praise for Raine, The Lords of Satyr:

“One of the strongest heroines I have ever read . . . great, erotic sex. ”
-- TwoLips Reviews (Recommended Read)

“A must read book for 2008!”
-- ParaNormal Romance reviews
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[close] I am giving away a copy of The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter. This is a book that compares the Harry Potter series with J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. In addition to these comparisons, the book gives an explanation of the sources of Harry Potter's subtle religious symbolism, including a study of iconography derived from the Bible, the writings of the Early Church Fathers, Medieval bestiaries, Christian artwork, and the Arthurian quest for the Hallows of the Holy Grail. The book is essentially a compilation of my lectures from the Harry Potter Symposia Portus 2008, Azkatraz 2009, and the upcoming Infinitus 2010. It is an enjoyable read for any Harry Potter fan who wants to explore the deeper meaning of the popular series. [close]

[close] A satirical joyride in the tradition of Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams, First Contact introduces us to the hyper-intelligent Rigelians, who admire Woody Allen movies and Bundt cake, and who urge the people of Earth to mend their ways to avoid destruction of their planet. But the president of the United States, a God-fearing, science-doubting fitness fanatic, is skeptical of the evidence presented to him and sets in motion a chain of events that will change the lives of his young attaché, an alien scam artist, several raccoons, and a scientist who has predicted the end of the universe. Parrot sketch excluded.
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[close] This book received 5 stars from Reader's Favorite Book Reviews.

Brooke Marie Baker, eighteen, has been sent west as a mail-order bride. As the stage nears Greer's Ferry, where she is to meet the man she's pledged to marry, she tries to swallow the lump of nervousness in her throat. Can it be any worse than living with Uncle Jackson...or Hank? she wonders. All men are the same, aren't they? But with her parents and sister dead, she has no choice.

Sky Jordan, a rancher, holds a single yellow daisy in his hand as he watches the ferry cross the river. Ever since he'd found out his surly cousin, Jason, had sent for a mail-order bride, his mind and heart had been ill at ease. No woman deserves to be left with the likes of Jason. But now he questions his own plans to claim the bride for himself. Why am I drawn to this woman I don't even know?

Just in time for Valentine's Day! Enter to win this book for the Christian Romance addict in your life! (Even if it's you. :)) [close]

[close] The Adventures of the Poodle Posse, book #2, The Princess and the Frenchmen/No Dogs Allowed! Grab your beach ball and your shovel and come join Woody, Archie, Daisy and Mrs. Flout---as the adventures continue in the garden, at the shore and with a whole new host of furry friends that make managing the posse of poodles even more puzzling. If you love dogs, a good laugh and some twists and turns, you're going to love The Adventures of the Poodle Posse. (suggested for readers, grades 2+, as a read-aloud for younger children, and dog lovers of all ages. The book contains two tales and b/w illustrations that make it a great read for youngsters transitioning to chapter books.) [close]

[close] Years earlier Erik faked his death and vowed the Phantom would never again haunt the Opera Garnier. But strange packages left by Anna, an unwanted Samaritan turned unlikely friend, cause him to desire the unattainable—love. Battling the nobleman determined to lock him away, Erik must control his demons and tame a heart unexpectedly beating for two opposite women: Christine, who he longs to love, and Anna the woman who saw beyond his bitter soul to the man beneath the mask. In the midst of a brutal manhunt, can he be loved for himself or is he condemned to be The Phantom of the Opera? Murderer, Maestro, Magician, Mastermind. [close]

[close] A compelling, often hilarious, and unfailingly compassionate portrait of life inside a women’s prison

When FBI agents knocked on her door to investigate a ten-year-old crime, Piper Kerman barely resembled the reckless young woman she’d been shortly after graduating Smith College. Happily ensconced in a New York City apartment, with a promising career and an attentive boyfriend, she was suddenly forced to reckon with the consequences of her very brief, very careless dalliance in the world of drug trafficking a decade earlier.

Following a plea deal, Kerman spent fifteen months at “Club Fed,” the infamous women’s correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, where she met a surprising and varied community of women living under exceptional circumstances. In Orange Is the New Black, Kerman tells the story of being locked up in a place with its own codes of behavior and arbitrary hierarchies, where a practical joke is as common as a down-and-dirty fight, and where the uneasy relationship between prisoner and jailer is constantly and unpredictably recalibrated.

Endlessly fascinating, moving, and enraging, Orange Is the New Black offers a unique and revealing perspective on the criminal justice system, the reasons we send so many people to prison, and what happens to them when they’re there. [close]

[close] URL for review is here:
http://www.forewordmagazine.com/reviews/...

Light Beneath Ferns
by Anne Spollen

Diaphanous and deceptive, Light Beneath Ferns is a subtle ghost story narrated by Elizah Rayne, a critical and thoughtful fourteen-year-old girl who prefers her own dark and insightful thoughts to the prattle of her classmates. At the core of this book are relationships and mystery. Elizah’s father disappears in a fog of gambling debt-induced shame only to reappear through a window in the dead of night. Elizah’s mother and her guidance counselor join forces in an effort to better understand her, but end up in deeper darkness. Nathaniel, a boy who understands Elizah better than anyone, sometimes seems like a dream: he has puzzlingly cold skin and doesn’t leave any footprints in the snow.
Elizah and her mother move to a small house on the edge of a cemetery in an effort to escape the shame of her father’s past gambling debts. Although her new classmates find Elizah’s proximity to the cemetery eerie, she likes the quiet and the sense that the cemetery holds a secret. When she finds a human jawbone half-buried in the riverbank one autumn day, that secret is revealed bit by bit, artifact by artifact.
While Elizah’s mother and Mrs. Daytner plan her social calendar, assign her friends and a boyfriend, and worry about her seeming isolation, Elizah begins to lead a double life centered around Nathaniel. He is a compellingly quiet boy who spends his days walking around the cemetery and floating on the river in an elegant, old-fashioned boat. When she can’t spend time with Nathaniel, she begins to get involved with her mother’s new friends, who explore the secrets of the supernatural during their parties. Slowly at first, and then in a torrent, information about the cemetery and the town’s past begins to appear and weave together. Elizah must put together all of these fragments, keep her pesky classmates and fake boyfriend at bay, and decipher how she feels about her father’s disappearance, her mother’s new boyfriend, and her own infatuation with a boy that is literally half-there.
Spollen keeps readers in a fog for the majority of this novel, pulling them along with tidbits and clues, but the story is really driven by Elizah’s unique and piquant personality. The prose is slippery and creates a spectacularly suspenseful atmosphere that would easily buoy the reader through to the riddle’s end, but Elizah’s strange observations and wise but tongue-in-cheek musings are what will make young adult readers relate to this novel. There is a lot to be learned from Elizah’s story about love, death, time, relationships, and how they all blend together in a silvery whirl of mystery. (February) Elise Nagy

Reviewed by: Elise Nagy | Jan/Feb 2010
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[close] I'm giving away two signed ARCs of THE REINVENTION OF EDISON THOMAS.

Eddy Thomas can read a college physics book, but he can’t read the emotions on the faces of his classmates at Drayton Middle School. He can spend hours tinkering with an invention, but he can’t stand more than a few minutes in a noisy crowd. With his prodigious science knowledge, Eddy invents a traffic-calming device to solve a safety problem, but he can’t invent a solution to his bully problem. Or can he? By trusting his new friends and accepting their help, Eddy learns that even the mechanics of friendship can be learned.
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[close] What if your novel attracts the wrong kind of attention…and an age-old evil turns out to be all too real?

[Please watch book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDXTyk3uS... ]

Author Beth Rider's second vampire novel has hit number one and she is flying high on her new-found fame. But at a fated book signing that runs late into the night, Beth is confronted by an evil she'd only experienced in nightmares. Jack Dawn, a supernatural monster belonging to an ancient race of bloodthirsty immortals known as the Rakum, vows to track down and kill the young writer because of the vile redemptive message her book is bringing his people.

The Rakum have spread evil among mankind since the Beginning, growing in strength and influence with every passing century. A respected Elder among his brethren, Jack recognizes the novel's destructive potential and his duty to destroy her before the book's promises annihilate his Kind. His method of subduing the novelist is an ancient punishment perpetrated against humans who bring them the ultimate displeasure; Jack marks her as a Rabbit. By forcing her to ingest his poisonous blood, Beth's body now regenerates endlessly and she is set free to be tracked by his hungry brethren. The plan? His people will torture her, slowly, night after night, until she goes insane. Marking her was easy - now Jack only has to sit back and wait for the Rakum to do their worst.

Jack's proselyte Michael Stone was brought up from his youth to be strong, sensible and oftentimes, brutal. But at one hundred and thirty, Michael is old enough to appreciate the quiet and ordered life he'd carved out for himself over the years. Aware that his Elder has marked a human for death, Michael is on the lookout as he leaves work late one night. When he stumbles upon the beautiful and apparently innocent Beth Rider, he is instantly smitten, despite the fact that a few seconds later he realizes that she is the target of his Elder's fury. Puzzled by Jack's unreasonable condemnation, Michael takes it upon himself to protect the lovely author from the limitless lust of his brethren.

Facing the most terrifying trial of her life against creatures known only in fables, one simple woman will unintentionally threaten the very existence of a powerful and accursed people. In the climactic mêlée, it is a race to the death, or if Beth has her way, a race to the life-of every Rakum who makes the choice.

(NOTE from author: Although not exactly a Christian book, a theme of redemption runs through this exciting and fast-paced vampire tale. Some hard-line atheists may find portions unpalatable. All others are loving it to pieces!)
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[close] POEMS FROM THE HEART by Marc Wambolt

POEMS FROM THE HEART is an honest, sincere, and deeply touching collection of poems that chronicle the important events and special times in one man's life.
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[close] On the heels of the original cookbook "Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's," this new portable cookbook is filled with quick and easy recipes featuring Trader Joe's ingredients and time-saving tips. This collection of recipes includes author favorites from the original cookbook, favorites from their blog, and new recipes being unveiled for the first time. Delicious and healthy dishes feature everything from American comfort classics to ethnic fusion delights, vegetarian dishes, family-friendly meals, and entertaining ideas. This tall-and-skinny book is the perfect take-along size for trips to the store or planning meals on the go.

Recipes take advantage of the array of prepped and fresh ingredients at Trader Joe's to create gourmet meals in a fraction of the time it would take from scratch. Most recipes require only 10-15 minutes of prep time, making homemade food possible any night of the week. A sampling of the recipes includes Tomato and Mozzarella Skewers, Spicy Asian Slaw, Cream of Broccoli Soup, Herb Crusted Tilapia, Simply Quiche, Eggplant Parmesan, Lime Grilled Chicken, Coconut Curried Vegetables, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Chocolate Coffee Fudge, and No Moo Mousse. [close]

[close] Fragile Replacements explores the way we live through language, experiencing births, deaths, and rebirths through it, but the book also examines how our language is filled, controlled, and crafted by our societies. Advance Words include Clayton Couch's observation that Allegreza's "capacity to create resonant, 'deep' images is extraordinary." William Allegrezza has published poems around the world while editing Moria Poetry, a journal dedicated to experimental poetry and poetics, and Cracked Slab Books. [close]

[close] The Floating Order is an innovative collection of nineteen stories.

"There are no safe, saccharine fairy tale endings. This is contemporary Brothers Grimm for adults." ~The Short Review [close]

[close] This book giveaway is in honor of black history month and in celebration of Valentine's day! It's a book about hope, dreams, possibilty, faith and women's empowerment. If we can think it and believe it, it can be...
Please visit my website http://www.theonlywayisup.net for more information about "The Only Way is Up." [close]

[close] "THE DRYING POT; And The Refining Fires Necessary to Become A Vessel Used By God"

Today more than ever it is important for Christians to understand they are called by God! You as a Child of God have a plan and purpose for your life, however there is a transformation process God uses to take you from the marred piece clay to a vessel He can use for His glory. In her new book; The Drying Pot; And The Refining Fires Necessary to Become a Vessel Used By God, Sandra shows you God truly does have a plan and purpose for your life! And she will teach you the steps necessary to go through your trial and how you can come out victoriously! Sandra shares personal lessons and fascinating stories as well as Biblical insights on how to endure as you wait on God. Learn how: To walk victoriously through the refining fires in your life right now. How God’s power works in your life. To wait on God and gather the valuable lessons He wants you to learn. To stand on the Word of God and get results! [close]

[close] Just in time for Valentine's Day... a sassy bisexual twist on Jane Austen's beloved classic.

What is the real nature of Darcy's intense friendship with Charles Bingley, to explain why he would prevent Bingley's marriage to Elizabeth's beautiful and virtuous sister Jane? How can Darcy reconcile his own desire for Elizabeth with his determination to save his friend from a similar entanglement? What is the disturbing history behind Darcy's tortured relationship with his foster brother, George Wickham? And what other intimacies, besides their cherished friendship, are exchanged between Elizabeth and Charlotte Lucas?

Ann Herendeen, acclaimed author of Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander, reimagines this classic love story, focusing on the untold aspects of Jane Austen's timeless novel. Pride/Prejudice brings to light all the buried secrets, potential scandals, and unspoken, forbidden loves of Austen's story, weaving a tale of intertwined passions, pride humbled, and ultimately, freedom from prejudice.
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[close] A hilarious memoir about the ending of a marriage that should have lasted forever-or at least for five years.

It's an age-old story. Girl meets boy. Girl marries boy. Girl decides she is way too young to be stuck in nuptial mediocrity.

When Sascha realized that the one person she didn't want at her thirtieth birthday party was her husband, she knew that it was time for the relationship to end. So, like the hordes of others of her generation for whom starter marriages are as common as Louis Vuitton knock-offs and $5 Starbucks lattes, they got divorced. With wit, moxie, and honesty, Sascha spills about the horrible ex-boyfriends, awkward dates, drugs, a near-death experience, and memories of growing up in an unconventional household that led to her short-lived marriage.

A story of love, loss, a flat-screen TV named Ruby, and plenty of misguided decisions, How to Get Divorced by 30 is a hysterical look at what exactly "Til death do us part" means today .

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[close] Valerie Johnson and Athena are two very different women. Or are they? Valerie is a business executive who married her high school sweetheart, Stanley. Fifteen years later, they have two kids and live in the suburbs, wondering where the time has gone. Athena is the hottest pop diva in the world, successful and independent. Fifteen years later, she is lonely at the top, wondering why she did not marry her truelove, Brad. Things get interesting when Brad makes a Jay Gatsby return and a case of mistaken identify brings Stanley and Athena together for a midnight rendezvous. In the end, love has the last laugh. [close]

[close] This fascinating book looks at the secret of life after death and the mystery that happens to 3% of te population. A must read for those who are interested in dreams, the afterlife and supernatural. The dreams were found to be helpful and comforting to those who had lost a friend or loved one.

2010 Mom's Choice Awards, Gold Winner, Adult Books in Body, Mind and Spirit [close]

[close] Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save. [close]

[close] In Caitlin’s world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That’s the stuff Caitlin’s older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon’s dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger’s, she doesn’t know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white—the world is full of colors—messy and beautiful.

Kathryn Erskine has written a must-read gem, one of the most moving novels of the year. [close]

[close] What if the motives of men and women were more than the result of upbringing or social standings? Could hatred, as well as love, be kept and nurtured throughout lifetimes and over thousands of years? In From the Painted Stick we are introduced to Pete, a man consumed by dreams of a time and place before documented history.
Are these delusions or memories...and why do they become more urgent when he meets a troubled and angst-ridden student named Kevin? Why does Kevin trust him, and what will they find when they leave their small New England town for the foreign and myhstical Gibraltar? Perhaps the answer lies in the ancient painted stick they have shared in dreams, or else this seemingly complicated alliance is really brutally simple. [close]

[close] Beautiful illustrations by Michael Slack introduce quirky characters that are quite literally hands. Watch the wicked witch move through four fractured fairy tales, causing trouble for Handsel and Gretel; Handerella; Thumbelina; and Nose White (She's a nose, but her beloved is a hand-some finger prints). Alas, the witch never gets her comeuppance--she escapes out the back cover of the book!

Hardcover with dust jacket
Chronicle Books
Michael Slack
http://www.slackart.com/
Joan Holub
http://www.joanholub.com [close]

[close] Bullets and blackmail and beaches...

A hit man and a hurricane and a high-stakes political campaign

...And Night Falls ramps up the action and suspense when Pensacola native Shelley Goodnight finds the body of a murder victim...but not just any victim. Dead man Farrell Gilbert worked at the desk next to Shelley's in her father's real estate office...an inconvenient fact the authorities can't ignore.

Add a hitman, Hurricane Ivan, and conscientious Deputy Clay Cameron from Santa Rosa County to the mix, and the tension tightens like a corkscrew. [close]

[close] Future Hope is a futuristic story that speculates on society 150 years from now. The story follows Major David Sanders as he embarks on the maiden voyage through interdimensional space to find new inhabitable worlds for mankind to colonize.
There are themes of good vs evil, romance, religion and science. [close]

[close] Aliens? Vampires? A pagan cult? Or, just a bunch of sociopaths? Uncovering the truth will push Dak over the edge and rewrite the history of the world, as we know it. * * * * * * * * * * JUICE drops you into the ho hum daily life of Dak, an unimpressive, small time businessman. As an endless victim of Murphy's Law, Dak dreams of hitting it big. But, when an accidental discovery launches him into a twister of dangerous mishaps, a tiny town in the Smoky Mountains becomes an epicenter of macabre events. Surrounded on all sides by mysterious "foreigners," Dak must survive unbelievable encounters in a desperate attempt to save his daughter and reclaim a lost love. * * * * * * * * * * Dak sucks you into his boring life and drags you through a series of eye-popping situations. Splattered with humor, splashed with suspense, riddled with clues and laced with sexual tension, JUICE is a tasty tale of heart stopping possibilities. A fun adventure that spirals out of control toward a plausible twist on a popular legend. REVOLUTION is inevitable. [close]

[close] "Acts of Ineffable Love" is a book of short stories by Glenn Alan Cheney, author of "Thanksgiving: The Pilgrims' First year in America" and a few novels, including "Frankenstein on the Cusp of something" and "Passion in an Improper Place."

You can read excerpts from "Acts of Ineffable Love" at cheneybooks.com. [close]

[close] My favorite Poems of 2009. The pages are filled with love, laughter, acceptance and to believe in one's self.

[close] On a sunny afternoon in March 1922, Deputy Sheriff Morton was gunned down in cold blood, and his grandson, Sherman, wants revenge. For Sherman, only an eye-for-an-eye retribution will serve the demands of justice, but elements of the community feel differently. Soon the national media ignites a frenzy amongst boys' organizations across the country, coaxing the governor to consider a stay of execution for the two youths responsible for the crime.

As Sherman's anger and frustration increase, his life begins to unravel--affecting his job and his relationship with the girl he loves.

This riveting true story about the last legal hanging in Georgia captured the attention of a nation, but more importantly, it racked the soul of a boy who dearly loved his grandfather. How does one deal with the long-lasting effects of murder? Does a punishment ever fit the crime? Is it possible, or even necessary to forgive a murderer? Find out within the pages of An Uncertain Justice, a look into the scope of justice and mercy that will make you question what you believe
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[close] In the world of football, Frank Leahy was as important as Beethoven to music, Shakespeare to dramatic poetry, Michelangelo to sculpture. Greatness was not thrust upon Frank. He achieved it through hard work and determination. But, first, he had to have the makings. From those makings, he was capable of going to town. By applying his formula for success, nothing could have kept him from achieving the heights he reached. The life story of Notre Dame football coach, Frank Leahy, is one of fiery inspiration, humor, and unwavering determination. From the family farm, to one of Knute Rockne's fighting Irish, to head football coach at the golden dome, Leahy's philosophy and antics, both on and off the field, illustrate a model for greatness and the fantastic stuff of legends. [close]

[close] Fifteen-year old Genna Colon believes wishes can come true. Frustrated by the drug dealers in her building, her family’s cramped apartment, and her inability to compete with the cute girls at school, Genna finds comfort in her dreams of a better future. Almost every day she visits the garden and tosses coins into the fountain, wishing for a different life, a different home, and a different body. Little does she know that her wish will soon be granted: when Genna flees into the garden late one night, she makes a fateful wish and finds herself instantly transported back in time to Civil War-era Brooklyn. [close]

[close] When disgraced former Alabama football star Ennis Skinner is released from prison after ten years, all he wants is to make his amends. Earning forgiveness isn’t easy in an unforgiving town like Montgomery, Alabama, however—not in a Southern capital still haunted by its complicated legacy as the birthplace of both the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. Ennis is no sooner reunited with his ailing father—a one-time hero in the Movement—than he is drawn into investigating the disappearance of the daughter of the dead girlfriend responsible for his downfall. As a vulnerable nineteen-year-old incapable of distinguishing fantasy from reality, this girl—nicknamed “Dixie”—may just hold the key to mysteries that will determine whether Montgomery will put its past to rest by electing its first-ever African American mayor.…

As Ennis’s search for Dixie becomes a quest for personal redemption, he encounters a colorful cast of characters, each with his or her own peculiar ties to Alabama history: High C, the methamphetamine cook-cum-hometown publishing magnate whom Ennis tried to kill a decade earlier; Walk Compson, the “Great Man” of history who returns to the fight for racial equality after a curious period of self-exile; Amory Justice, the incumbent mayor who, with his dirty-tricks loving daughter, Reese—known locally as “the Kudzu Ann Coulter”—will go to any length to stay in power; and, finally, Red, the Zelda Fitzgerald-quoting painter whose body art represents a uniquely alluring effort to exorcise the demons of the South.…

At once fast-paced and character driven, Dixie Noir is as sticky and overheated as an August afternoon in the land of cotton.
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[close] Signed copies! Set in the lush, Irish steampunk Hotel of the Damned, 'and Falling, Fly' pits the fallen angel of desire, now a vampire, against a self-medicating neuroscientist to explore the nature of feminine desire. The result of extensive academic research in mythology and neuroscience and personal exploration of remote Irish locations, 'and Falling, Fly' has garnered advance praise from Anya Bast and Julie Kenner.

“Intriguing from page one…White asks hard questions about desire, damnation, love and sacrifice in a beautiful, poetic way that will keep you utterly spellbound.”
—Anya Bast, author of 'Wicked Enchantment'

Olivia is a vampire bored with modernity. Tattooist, boyfriend, black-metal singer: everyone you don’t love tastes the same. The fallen angel returns to Ireland’s subterranean L’Otel Matillide—the Hotel of the Damned—to bury her hope with her severed wings.

In this flame-papered, inertia-powered hotel, Olivia encounters Dominic O’Shaunnessey, a revolutionary neuroscientist secretly plagued by impossible visions. Dominic, convinced that Olivia is delusional and not damned, urges her to enroll in his research. His medication, he asserts, can cure her of mythology. She counters that his hallucinations are past-life memories and part of an ancient curse of repeated, remembered incarnations.

In a secret Hell where billionaires and burned-out rock stars mingle with ancient and allegorical beings, Olivia and Dominic discover the only force consistent between their opposing realities is the deep, erotic gravity between them. Bound to each other finally in a knot of interwoven freedoms, Dominic and Olivia—the vision-touched scientist and the earth-bound angel, reborn and undead—encounter the mystery of love: it is both fall and flight.

Winners' books will be shipped shortly after publication date of March 2. Must be 18 or older to enter. [close]

[close] Isabella is determined to marry James…

Isabella Weston has loved James Sheffield for as long as she can remember. Her come-out ball seems the perfect chance to make him see her in a new light.

James is determined never to marry…

James is stunned to find the impish girl he once knew has blossomed into a sensual goddess. And if he remembers his lessons, goddesses always spell trouble for mortal men.

A compromise is clearly necessary.

When Izzie kisses James, her artless ardor turns to a masterful seduction that drives him mad with desire. But, no stranger to heartbreak, James is determined never to love, and thus never to lose. Can Isabella convince him that a life without love might be the biggest loss of all? [close]

[close] Imagine a secret so evil that exposing it could destroy you or set you free.

This is the true story of a father reunited with his young son. He discovers, over time, that the boy’s mind is fractured into more than 400 multiple personalities that protect his secrets. The family’s lives are threatened when they discover he is also possessed by demons that seek to destroy them. The boy’s mother offered her son up to a satanic cult and to abuses so horrific that they seem more like fiction than reality.

How does this happen to a God-fearing family, and how do they deal with what is revealed to them? A young boy’s secrets could destroy this family, or, at the very least, bring it to its knees. When the O’Neal family is threatened by mysterious forces, cultic rituals, and a labyrinth of obstacles, they find out how far they will go and how hard they will fight to save one of their own and themselves in the ultimate, real life battle of good versus evil.

Everybody has a secret. Some are darker than others. What would you do to protect your secrets? [close]

[close] Spirituality Simplified is an easy-to-understand overview of basic spiritual principles, supported by passages from the works of many respected spiritual teachers. With insightful content drawn from nearly 40 books covering a variety of topics, it not only gives you a solid introduction to the concept of spirituality, it also serves as a virtual roadmap to other published works that can provide greater detail on the subject areas you find most interesting.

Although designed primarily for mainstream readers interested in pursuing a path of spiritual growth, seasoned veterans on this path will find Spirituality Simplified to be a valuable, centralized resource for the wealth of information related to spirituality. Interested readers can download a free PDF file with two chapters of the book by visiting http://www.spiritsimple.com. [close]

[close] The wireless crackles with news of blitzed-out London and of the war that courses through Europe, leaving destruction in its wake. Listening intently on the other side of the Atlantic, newly-wed Emma considers the fragility of her peaceful married life as America edges closer to the brink of war. As the reporter’s distant voice fills the room, she sits convincing herself that the sleepy town of Franklin must be far beyond the war’s reach.

But the life of American journalist Frankie, whose voice seems so remote, will soon be deeply entangled with her own. With the delivery of a letter into the hands of postmistress Iris, the fates of these three women become irrevocably linked. But while it remains unopened, can Iris keep its truth at bay? [close]

[close] Win a *signed* copy of SHUTTER ISLAND, the graphic novel -- signed by Dennis Lehane!

"Profane. Terrifying.... Unrelentingly grim." -Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times ("'Shutter Island' is a different nightmare in graphic novel form" January 1, 2010)

Dennis Lehane's masterpiece of mystery and suspense -- brought to life for the first time as a graphic novel by international artist Christian De Metter. [close]

[close] It's time to stop fighting, and go home. Those were the words, written by a minor but well-reputed Bengali poet, that finally persuaded Aruna Ahmed Jones to exit her ground-floor Victorian flat wearing only jeans and a t-shirt, carrying nothing more substantial than a handbag, and keep on walking. Leaving behind the handsome Dr. Patrick Jones, her husband of less than a year, Aruna heads to Heathrow, where she boards a plane bound for Singapore, and her old life. When Aruna left for London, she was fleeing many things: her recently deceased father, the only family she'd ever had; her best friend and lover, Jazz, and the life they'd tried, and failed, to create together; the complicated psychological diagnosis she preferred to forget. But after years of fleeing the ghosts that continue to haunt her, Aruna is about to discover that running away is really the easy part; it is coming home—making peace with Jazz, with her past, and even with herself—that is hard. With shades of Slumdog Millionaire and The Namesake, Roopa Farooki’s novel is luminous and gripping. [close]

[close] This is Jim Lally's first poetry collection. In this chapbook, he describes the life of a poet-farmer in Kentucky.

"Like the man covered with stick-tights that cling after a walk in a summer field, these reports from Jim Lally's world -- about falling barns, clothes-lines, spring peepers, ghost trees, poke berries, Quaker meetings, and Daniel Boone (even an homage to the letter W) -- stick with the reader long after the journey. What holds them to us is a discerning eye, an ear for language and for nature in its hummings, a readiness to explore the small ground which opens to the resonating world around us." - Richard Taylor, Author of Rail Splitter

Sample Poem:

Learning to Waltz

One-Two-Three
One-Two-Three
One-Two-Three
“It’s walking down the sidewalk
on the balls of your feet.
It’s moving in circles as you go,”
she teaches.
“Keep your body in balance,
your back straight,
your partner firmly in hand.”
I’m surprised to hope that this hour
of my embarrassment will never end,
for my beautiful instructor
dances the way she breathes,
with the grace and ease
attained in the performance
of any necessity of life.
When she leads, I bend
to her steps perfectly;
when I lead, I’m the essence of klutz:
trying to remember my right from left,
trying to keep my heels up when I turn,
trying to count like a toddler to three.
“Relax into the truth of yourself,”
she says.
“You were born wanting to waltz.”
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[close] In honor of the upcoming President's Day holiday, we're offering a copy of this book SIGNED BY BOTH AUTHORS.

In July 1776, fifty-six men risked their lives and livelihood to defy the British and sign the most important document in the history of the United States and yet how many of them do we actually remember?

"Signing Their Lives Away" introduces readers to the eclectic group of statesmen, soldiers, gentlemen, and scoundrels who were chosen to sign this historic document and the many strange fates that awaited them.

Some died from war-related injuries; others had their homes and farms seized by British soldiers; a few rose to the highest levels of U.S. government (ten signers were later elected to Congress). George Wythe was murdered by his nephew; Button Gwinnett was killed in a duel; and of course Sam Adams went on to fame and fortune as a patriot/brewer.

Complete with a reversible parchment jacket (offering a facsimile of the Declaration on the reverse), "Signing Their Lives Away" provides an entertaining and enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages. [close]

[close] In this impressive debut collection, Tara Masih shows an intimate sense of understanding her characters' innermost feelings, creating a memorable map of diverse characters that span the globe and several eras. Ghosts dance, butterflies swarm, men crystallize, the sun disappears, and water plays a role in both destruction and repair of the soul. With an unflinching eye, a mythical awareness of the natural world, and poetic, crafted prose, Masih examines the dark recesses of the mind and heart, which often leads to a small or great triumph or illumination that will resonate long after the last page is turned. [close]

[close] Elaine Aron follows up her bestsellers on the highly sensitive person with a groundbreaking new book on the undervalued self. She explains that self-esteem results from having a healthy balance of love and power in our lives. Readers will learn to incorporate love into situations that seem to require power and deal with power struggles that mask themselves as issues of love. From the bedroom to the boardroom, her strategies will enable us to escape feelings of shame, defeat, and depression; dissolve relationship hostility; and become our best selves. [close]

[close] When a famed Oxford historian is found dead in his study one night, all evidence points to his son, Stephen. About to be disinherited from the family fortune, Stephen returns to home after a long estrangement—and it happens to be the night his father is shot to death. When his fingerprints are found on the murder weapon, Stephen's guilt seems undeniable. But there were five other people in the manor house at the time, and as their stories slowly emerge—along with the revelation that the deceased man was involved in a deadly hunt for a priceless piece of art in Northern France at the end of World War II—the case begins to unravel.

Everyone has a motive, and no one is telling the truth.

Part courtroom drama and part historical thriller, The Inheritance is a dark, dynamic thriller that tests the strength of blood ties, loyalty, and revenge. [close]

[close] Can Leah give up what she wants to get what she needs? Already sloshed from one-too-many drinks at a faculty party, Leah Thornton cruises the supermarket aisles in search of something tasty to enhance her Starbucks—Kahlua, for example. Two confrontations later—Leah is sitting in the office of the local rehab center facing an admissions counselor who fails to understand the most basic things, like the fact that apple juice is not a suitable cocktail mixer. Rehab is no picnic,but through the battle she finds a reservoir of courage she never knew she had, and the loving arms of a God she never quite believed existed.


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[close] Tessa Russo is a stay-at-home-mother of two young children and the wife of Nick Russo, a renowned pediatric surgeon. Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie—a little boy who has never known his father. Although both women live in the same upscale Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common, at least on paper. But one night, while Charlie is at a sleepover, a split-second accident sends him to the hospital and Dr. Russo. From that night forward, everyone is changed forever, their lives intersecting in ways no one could have imagined.

In alternating points of view, Giffin tells a story of three good people caught in an untenable triangle, each questioning everything they once believed about love and loyalty. And each, ultimately discovering, what is truly at the heart of the matter. [close]

Adriana Kraft, Keeb Knight, Dona Lee, Doug Harrison, Shanna Germain, Brenna Lyons(Goodreads Author), Trish DeVene, Julia Barrett, Blue Canyon, Bill Brent, Madeline Moore, Jolene Hui, Emerald, D. L. King, Craig J. Sorensen, Jeremy Edwards

[close] What is a Cougar woman? She's age 40 or over, and she dates younger men. She's also intelligent, confident, attractive, enjoys sex, and she knows what she wants.

The Cougar Book is a new and exciting anthology edited by Jolie du Pré celebrating Cougar women and their relationships. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy these 23 stories written by the top names in erotica: Rachel Kramer Bussel, Shanna Germain, Bill Brent, Madeline Moore, Jolene Hui, Emerald, D. L. King, Craig J. Sorensen, Jeremy Edwards, Donna George Storey, Sascha Illyvich, Heidi Champa, Tara S. Nichols, J. C. Wesner, Randall Lang, Adriana Kraft, Keeb Knight, Dona Lee, Doug Harrison, Brenna Lyons, Trish DeVene, Julia Barrett, and Blue Canyon.

“And the women who embrace ‘cougardom’ openly without fear or reservation, are, in fact, pioneering a new social phenomenon—prime women not only acknowledging their continuing sensuality and sexuality, but embracing it wholeheartedly.”
--From the introduction by Valerie Gibson, The Original “Cougar”
[close]

[close] A new book on the history of cooperatives in America, documenting the importance of cooperatives throughout our country's history and their particular relevance today. With an expansive sweep and breathtaking detail, For All the People examines each of the definitive cooperative movements for social change--farmer, union, consumer, and communalist--that have been all but erased from our collective memory. John Curl, with over forty years of experience as both an active member and scholar of cooperatives, melds theory, practice, knowledge and analysis, to present the definitive history from below of cooperative America.

"It is indeed inspiring, in the face of all the misguided praise of 'the market', to be reminded by John Curl's book of the noble history of cooperative work in the United States." Howard Zinn, author of A Peoples History of the United States
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[close] A second anthology of verse by artist and sculptor Margaret Havill Reid (1936-2004), "Love & City Dreaming" contains 78 poems of which only eight have previously been published. Named Poet of the Year in 1993 and Chief Runner-Up in 1994, Margaret was highly accomplished in just about every genre of verse. A life-long advocate of women's rights, Margaret is chiefly remembered for her political and spiritual poems, but she was also an extremely witty humorist. All three of these genres are represented in this collection, carefully selected from the 1,200 poems she left behind. The book is illustrated with her original artwork and photographs. [close]

[close] "Gringa in a Strange Land" is a novel of the counterculture era through the eyes of a 20-something American woman
called Erica Mason who has hit the road and ended up living in Merida, Mexico.
Through encounters with all kinds of colorful characters and travels around this fascinating part of the world, Erica strives to become a serious artist in an aimless subculture. One critic said that "finishing the novel is like awakening from a dream of Mexico that felt so vividly real." [close]

[close] For Sig Hansen and his brothers, commercial fishing is as much a part of their Norwegian heritage as their names. Descendents of the Vikings who roamed and ruled the northern seas for centuries, the Hansens' connection to the sea stretches from Alaska to Seattle and all the way to Norway. And after twenty years as a skipper on the commercial fishing vessel the Northwestern--which was his father's before him--Sig has lived to tell the tales.

Sig first went out onto the Bering Sea on the Northwestern at the age of twelve, and every summer after that until he graduated high school. With its brutal storms of forty-foot waves, gale winds, freezing spray and treacherous ice-cover, the Bering Sea is a true frontier, deadly in its unpredictability. To be a successful fisherman, you need to be a mechanic, navigator, welder, painter, carpenter, and sometimes, a firefighter. To be a successful fisherman year after year, you need to be a survivor.

This is the story of a family of survivors; part memoir and part adventure tale, Northwestern Saga brings readers on deck, into the dockside bars and into the history of a family with a common destiny. [close]

[close] You’re a smart person. You really are. Most of the time. So why are you having such trouble making sense of your love life? Whether you’re single and wondering where your “one” could be hiding; head over heels in a new relationship and vowing that this time it’ll work; or finding that married life isn’t the thrilling adventure you’d once anticipated . . . you might be surprised to discover that the answer lies in your own ‘Cupidity’—stupid love. In this book, popular authors Hayley and Michael DiMarco identify 50 of the most common acts of Cupidity, ways to avoid them and learn from them, and some surprising things God has to say about relationships. With the help of their inside information, smart, successful love can be just around the corner. [close]

[close] The new groundbreaking style-guide from bestseller author Charla Krupp on how to look 10 pounds lighter, 10 years younger and 10 times sexier every day, all year--in summer, winter, at the gym, even in a swimsuit!

You'll never get dressed the same way again once you discover:

*smart, easy ways to hide arm flap, a big bust, a muffin top, back fat, Buddha belly, a big booty, wide hips, thunder thighs, and heavy calves-and that's only half the book.

*which fabrics, colors, and styles make women look fat

*absolutely the best shades, shapes, and brilliant buys to make the pounds invisible

*clever solutions for special fashion situations--workout gear, evening wear, and even swimsuits!

*which products, fashions, and services you shouldn't waste your money on

*the top ten tips that will make you look thinner by tonight!

So, if you've ever put on a piece of clothing and asked "Does this make me look fat?" Finally, here is the book that will answer your question. [close]

[close] Imprisoned aboard a zeppelin that floats above a city reminiscent of those of the classic films Metropolis and Brazil, the greeting card writer Harold Winslow is composing his memoirs. His companions are the only woman he has ever loved, who has gone insane, and the cryogenically frozen body of her father, the devilish genius who drove her mad. The tale of Harold's decades-long thwarted love is also one in which he watches technology transform his childhood home from a mere burgeoning metropolis to a waking dream, in which the well-heeled have mechanical men for servants, deserted islands can exist within skyscrapers, and the worlds of fairy tales can be built from scratch. And as he heads toward a final, desperate confrontation with the mad inventor, he discovers that he is an unwitting participant in the creation of the greatest invention of them all--the perpetual motion machine. The Dream of Perpetual Motion is a memorable debut that will be one of the most talked about books of the year and remind readers of authors such as Michael Chabon and Jonathan Lethem.
[close]

[close] King Kong Theory
By Virginie Despentes

With humor, rage, and confessional detail, Virginie Despentes—in her own words “more King Kong than Kate Moss”—delivers a highly charged account of women’s lives today. She explodes common attitudes about sex and gender, and shows how modern beauty myths are ripe for rebelling against. Using her own experiences of rape, prostitution, and working in the porn industry as a jumping-off point, she creates a new space for all those who can’t or won’t obey the rules. [close]

[close] Adam March is a self-made "Master of the Universe." He has it All: the beautiful wife, the high-powered job, the glittering circle of friends. But there is a price to be paid for all these trappings, and the pressure is mounting. One day Adam makes a fatal mistake. His assistant leaves him a message with three words: your sister called. What no one knows is that Adam's sister has been missing for decades. That she represents the excruciatingly painful past he has left behind. And that her absence has secretly tormented him all these years. When his assistant brushes off his request for an explanation for favor of her more pressing personal call, Adam loses it. And all hell breaks loose.

Adam is escorted from the building. He loses his job. He loses his wife. He loses his life. He doesn't believe it is possible to sink any lower when he is assigned to work in a soup kitchen as a form of community service. But unbeknownst to Adam, this is where is life will intersect with Chance.

Chance is a mixed breed Pit Bull. He's been born and raised to fight and seldom leaves the dirty basement where The Boys keep him in between fights. But Chance is not a victim or a monster. It is Chance's unique spirit that helps him escape and puts him in the path of Adam.

What transpires is the story of one man, one dog, and how they save each other--in ways they never expected.
[close]

[close] This is Jude Lally's first poetry collection. The author speaks from his unique perspective as a writer confined to a wheelchair and describes the everyday frustration of an intelligent and creative human being dealing with the physical challenges of Friedrich's ataxia.

"These unflinching poems let us walk in unfamiliar shoes of someone who sees the world from wheels, revealing our customary world with re-imagined perspectives that are powerful and empowering. They give us words and heart to re-discover the ligatures that bind us, world to world, human to human." --Richard Taylor, Author of Rail Splitter

Sample poem:

Gravity

Up: in the air, in the chair, in my lap, in the clasp of my hand.
Down: to the ground, beyond my reach, between these feet, beneath this seat.
So quickly things fall below me –
Well, it’s not supernatural… It’s just GRAVITY.

Gravity – When all I wanted was to stay awake, you weighed on my eyelids like some unwanted blindfold, as if – I needed to be told, “Bedtime, lights out, I say!”

Gravity – You wouldn’t let the boxer rise to finish the fight – too bad; 10 count in the 9th. Your aim is to get the best of people. You drag them down even when they’ve turned their lives around. That ain’t nice! What gives you the right?

Gravity – You’re the reason toothpaste dribbles down my chin onto my crotch after I’ve already dressed and am headed for the door. Now I gotta face the daunting task of changing pants. Thanks a lot, now I’ll never make my escape.

Gravity – You keep me bending, you keep me reaching, you keep me doubled over. I’ve done many a face dive because of you, right to the floor, suffered rug burn on my forehead, rolled out of bed, hit the deck, took a spill, tested my will.

Gravity – You asshole, remember that night when I came home with ol’ what’s her name and we were so close to bed but without my strap on I succumbed to the floor instead. Well I’ve fixed that now at least; started wearing my seat-belt everywhere.

Gravity – A million times my book fell, my Discman dropped, the batteries lost. Could you delay me any more? How many times will you make me rinse off my silverware? Spilled drinks, over-turned ashtrays, dinner-go-plop – WHAT THE HELL? – do you really think I can operate a mop?

Gravity – You sick son-of-a-bitch, always taking up all my time. Whether you’re swallowing my cell phone, making off with my money or causing the arching of my spine, you always keep this smile in decline.

Gravity – What purpose do you serve anyway? Without you things would always stay right up in the air, and guess what? That’s how I like it. So sometimes, I wish you’d just stay the fuck away from me!

I can’t stress enough the gravity of the situation.
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[close] Joe Hill has been hailed as "a major player in 21st-century fantastic fiction" (Washington Post); "a new master in the field of suspense" (James Rollins); "one of the most confident and assured new voices in horror and dark fantasy to emerge in recent years (Publishers Weekly); a writer who "builds character invitingly and plants an otherworldly surprise around every corner" (New York Times).

This gifted and brilliantly imaginative author catapulted to bestsellerdom with the chilling Heart-Shaped Box and cemented his reputation with the prizewinning volume of short fiction 20th Century Ghosts. At last, the New York Times bestselling author returns with a relentless supernatural thriller that runs like Hell on wheels. . . .

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a thunderous hangover, a raging headache . . . and a pair of horns growing from his temples.

At first Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.

Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic.

But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside. . . .

Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge. . . . It's time the devil had his due. . . . [close]

[close] I know you're up in heaven, God,
and can hear my voice from there.
I'm just a little child.
Will you answer my short prayer?

So begins this delightful book that affirms God's readiness to answer our prayers, no matter what our age.

With engaging rhymes and beautiful illustrations, This Little Prayer of Mine assures children that God is always near--watching, listening, caring, and eager to respond to their requests. They'll also learn that prayer isn't just about asking for things, but about sharing their feelings of sadness and uncertainty as well as of thanksgiving and joy.

Most importanly, This Little Prayer of Mine reminds children—and those who love them—that they can trust God to tenderly care for them, no matter what the future holds. [close]

[close] If you’ve ever had the opening bars of a song transport you back in time or remind you of a pivotal spiritual moment, Matthew Paul Turner’s honest—and frequently hilarious—musings will strike a chord. Straightforward and amusing, Hear No Evil is Turner’s “life soundtrack,” a compilation of engaging personal stories about how music—and music’s ability to transform—has played a key role in his spiritual life.

Groove along on his journey as young evangelical Turner attends forbidden contemporary Christian concerts, moves to “Music City” Nashville, and dreams of becoming the Michael Jackson of Christian music.

Cosmic and compelling, keen and funny, every page is a new encounter with the people, places, and experiences that have taught the music-editor-turned-author some new things about God, forced him out of his comfort zone, and introduced him to a fresh view of grace along the way. [close]

[close] Would you allow the military to reanimate your corpse, knowing it would commit atrocities, if it meant avoiding service in a brutal war during your lifetime?

What if your level of citizenship depended on your answer? To gain a chance at a better life, or feed your family, which would you choose then? Or would you choose neither, and accept a life of hardship and poverty?

What if you came face to face with your own death, and realized too late you had made the wrong decision?

Nico Wachalowski is a war veteran. That makes him a first-tier citizen. Formerly a police detective, he has reintegrated into civilian life as an agent in the FBI. During his time in the war, he encountered the reanimated soldiers known as ‘revivors’ many times. When they begin to turn up inside the city, he is tapped for his expertise in a field he’d rather leave behind.

Faye Dasalia is a police detective. She and Nico worked together long ago, but while he decided to serve, she opted to be wired for reanimation. That makes her a second-tier citizen. In the course of investigating a string of murders, she stumbles on a situation that brings her face to face with the revivors she will one day become herself.

Calliope Flax refused to serve. She also refused to be wired for reanimation. That makes her a third-tier citizen. As a result, she ekes a living in a housing project which has been mostly abandoned. Highly taxed, and with few rights, she seems to be on a path of self-destruction until circumstance drops her in the middle of the biggest terrorist plot the country has ever known.

Zoe Ott is a third-tier citizen as well, but unlike Calliope, she was born with a gift. Zoe can manipulate the thoughts of others. This ability allows her to live above the poverty line, but just barely. The gift also comes at a price; she is constantly assaulted with visions from both the past and future, with no way of knowing which is which. In the depths of late-stage alcoholism, she has long since stopped trying to make sense of it all when a particularly persistent vision prompts her to contact Nico just as events begin to unfold.

The four are drawn together by circumstances which at first seem unrelated. By the time they realize their fates are connected to a fifth, unseen enemy, that enemy has nearly gathered the power to strike a blow that has the potential to change everything, forever. [close]

[close] Roger Donnelly's best friend says that Jesus and the Virgin Mary have started talking to him. Jesse Montoya is Roger's all-time best pal, and he swears he's having visions and can work miracles. Roger has stood by Jesse since the first grade, but as time passes and Jesse insists his mysticism is real, Roger reluctantly gets dragged into Jesse's weird world of Catholic dreams and maybe-miracles. OUR LADY OF THE LOWRIDERS is a comic novel, a trip through the '60s and '70s with a pair of best buddies trying to make sense out of growing up Catholic in L.A. suburbia. As they fall in love with irresistible girls, battle psycho nuns, and dodge random acts of an apparently pissed-off God, Roger and Jesse learn that the real miracles aren't always so obvious. [close]

[close] Meet Johnny Goodwin. He's grown up in a quiet Brisbane suburb with loving parents, a faithful dog and an unrequited yearning for his teenage sweetheart Angie Everson. Now in his last year at school, he's finally caught her eye by starring in a teacher-baiting panto. Dreams are already taking shape of a career in entertainment, perhaps with Angie by his side. All he's got to do is pass his exams, get to uni and keep away from Gina Wood, that weird girl who once let him touch her…

Dave Franklin's fifth novel begins as a dark tale of teenage sexual obsession.

[close]

[close] (This giveaway is for a finished, bound book).

"A terrific, original, and important work." - Doris Kearns Goodwin

It is perhaps the most memorable moment from the 20th century—a moment that left a family and a nation mourning, a moment that many recall as their first historical memory—the assassination of President Kennedy.

Within seven weeks of the President’s death, Jacqueline Kennedy had already received over 800,000 condolence letters. In the two years following President Kennedy’s death, the volume of correspondence exceeded a million and half letters.

The letters, essentially untouched for 46 years, bring to life the hope, idealism, and sense of possibility JFK embodied to many Americans during his brief presidency, and how his death inspired a universal and profound sense of purpose and sadness, the feeling that our country had been changed forever.

Written in the extraordinary eloquence of so-called “ordinary” Americans, the letters constitute a remarkable human record-on elegant stationary, in poor handwriting, in pencil, in type, on simple lined writing paper, from across generations, nationalities, races, and religions.

Historian and Radcliffe Fellow Ellen Fitzpatrick culls 300 of these extraordinary letters, offering a snapshot of the United States as it existed in 1963, revealing the complexity of race relations and early progress against racism, the political and religious culture of the era.

In three parts, each with an introductory essay by Fitzpatrick—Americans’ vivid recollections of where they were when they heard about the assassination; views of Kennedy and the Presidency (specifically concerning race, war, politics, and aspirations for the country); meditations on the nature of life and death—Fitzpatrick illuminates the historical insights to be gained from the condolence letters, and draws contrasts to the early twenty-first century. [close]

[close] Formally innovative and playful, drawing on personal experience and research, Michelle Noteboom’s first collection of poems weaves together obsessions about skin and body, desire and violence, science and sensuality. Here, edges are blades as well as boundaries. They are horizons and frontiers between physical and mental territories; frames of what is seen, felt, grasped. Noteboom takes us on a poetic exploration of skin as border between self and the world, of language as limit between self and meaning. This is writing that maps and migrates, transgresses and erodes in a constant collage of exchange between the inner and outer realms. While remaining firmly rooted in a real sense of physicality, Edging little by little catapults us into a futuristic outpost "on the outskirts of something", where identity blurs and our bodies become “a new kind of language". [close]

[close] Win an arc of Caragh M. O'Brien's BIRTHMARKED.
Excerpt:
Gaia closed her eyes and paused. She had never performed a blade delivery. She had seen her mother do it almost a dozen times, but only when the mother's life was at risk, and in most of those cases, the mother had died afterward. But here, the mother was dead already. There was nothing to lose, and there was a chance--a remote one certainly, but a chance--that she could save the baby inside. It took her less than an instant to realize she had made her decision already, the moment she'd seen the mother drop through the hangman's platform.

For more info, check out www.caraghobrien.com. [close]

[close] On a quiet Sunday morning in San
Francisco, scholar Ethan Storey and
his girlfriend are touring an open house
in the hills. It is an archive of rare books
and Ethan comes to believe that the
rarest of the rare may be here: the logbooks of the 1577–1580 world voyage
of Sir Francis Drake. These have been
lost to history—suppressed by Queen
Elizabeth, who thought they contained
the state secrets of the Northwest Passage. Where had Drake sailed? A brass
plate purportedly left behind by Drake
near San Francisco Bay and found in the
1930s had been accepted as genuine,
then exposed as fraud, re-validated and
exposed again. It was always suspected
that the actual records of the voyage
might still exist, and if found would
make the plate, validated, a treasure for
its owner. But if the powerful California
family that held the “plate of brass” was
desperate for cash, yet would rather
destroy the logbooks than see them
made public, something else must be
going on.

The logbooks are the nexus of a contemporary story of greed as violent and
conspiratorial as anything in the sixteenth century. As Ethan, a university
professor in midlife with doubts about
his much younger lover, searches for the
logs, he also discovers much more about
her, his emotionally detached father, and
the power of historical events to shape
our lives. [close]

[close] Some girls have all the fun. Calgarian writer Wanda St.Hilaire has taken her passion for travel, especially to Spanish speaking countries, and has given readers an opportunity to experience Cuba from an original and spirited perspective.

In the infancy of Cuba’s tourism, Wanda St.Hilaire takes a trip to the tiny island. In spite of her love of all things Latin, she puts herself on a travel ban to Castro’s Cuba, one that lasts twenty years.

When she is forced to cancel a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico at the last minute, she finds herself in Cuba twice, on back-to-back trips. Walking into the backstreets of Havana, eyes wide open, she is pulled into a dalliance with a charismatic cubano.

In The Cuban Chronicles, St.Hilaire’s travelogue/memoir, she describes that underneath the façade of Cuba’s tourism lies the desperation of a society living mostly in abject poverty. When tourists mingle with locals, we get a glimpse of what underlies the frivolity of Cuban entanglements. St.Hilaire speaks with an authentic voice and doesn’t mince words; she recounts her own activities, emotions and opinions with refreshing honesty. The author is a natural storyteller and her vivid descriptions of people and her surroundings make Cuba come alive for the reader. Being an epistolary composition (the book is based on a series of letters to a friend in Paris), the author’s tone is warm and confidential, and peppered with touches of humor.

Think Eat, Pray, Love meets Bridget Jones’s Diary with a dash of cayenne!
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[close] Like Alfred Nobel, Joseph Pulitzer is better known today for the prize that bears his name than for his contribution to history. Yet, in nineteenth-century industrial America, while Carnegie provided the steel, Rockefeller the oil, Morgan the money, and Vanderbilt the railroads, Pulitzer ushered in the modern mass media.

James McGrath Morris traces the epic story of this Jewish Hungarian immigrant's rise through American politics and into journalism where he accumulated immense power and wealth, only to fall blind and become a lonely, tormented recluse wandering the globe. But not before Pulitzer transformed American journalism into a medium of mass consumption and immense influence. As the first media baron to recognize the vast social changes of the industrial revolution, he harnessed all the converging elements of entertainment, technology, business, and demographics, and made the newspaper an essential feature of urban life. Pulitzer used his influence to advance a progressive political agenda and his power to fight those who opposed him. The course he followed led him to battle Theodore Roosevelt who, when President, tried to send Pulitzer to prison. The grueling legal battles Pulitzer endured for freedom of the press changed the landscape of American newspapers and politics.

Based on years of research and newly discovered documents, Pulitzer is a classic, magisterial biography and a gripping portrait of an American icon. [close]

[close] A tale of two cities…
Two girls…
And a life-altering swap.

Daisy’s just landed the perfect job: spending a year in Paris writing about fashion. Swapping homes with French student Isabelle seems like the perfect arrangement.

Sensible Isabelle, however, finds London bewildering. But all her assumptions about crazy English guys are overturned when she meets hunky gardener Tom.

Meanwhile, fun-loving Daisy discovers that Paris is the City of Love, and more than one Monsieur Right… [close]

[close] CHAIM SCHLESSEL lost his family to the Holocaust more than sixty years ago. He vowed to embrace life and protect his own wife and children from his painful memories and harrowing experiences. Finding solace in his family, his painting and the healing effects of his wife’s cooking, he has kept his nightmares at bay. But when a new neighbor unwittingly triggers the terrors of his past, Chaim is faced with the horrors that increasingly haunt his soul and threaten his sanity.

DAVID SCHLESSEL, grown, married and successful, is plagued by the always taboo subject of his father’s suffering at the hands of the Nazis. As a second generation survivor, he struggles with his father’s unwillingness to discuss the past and his own inability to communicate with those he loves. With his marriage falling apart and his relationship with his own children deteriorating, David, after numerous false starts, ultimately vows to conquer his inner turmoil.

United by a history they cannot discuss, yet starkly alone in their private struggles, father and son confront their demons as well as one another in a stand-off that will change them both forever.


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[close] Your beliefs, identity, family or even your life... gone. Each of the thirty short stories in this collection explores the threat or experience of loss.

"All the little things that we lose is the sort of book I dream of reading: telling portraits of people faced with loss, and change and challenges...an exemplary work from a rising and vital talent." - Phillip A. Ellis, editor Australian Reader magazine

"Wonderfully unsettling...short fiction told masterfully." - Craig Bezant, editor Eclecticism E-zine

"Sheldon's writing is assured, vivid and revealing." - Nicole Taylor, literary editor, Sketch magazine [close]

[close] Lynn Westner is floating along on the security of her marriage and job. That is until she crashes when her husband wants a divorce and her job is lost to downsizing. Adrift, Lynn grabs the only lifeline available, the ghost of her one foray into adultery.

Lynn's travels take her from bloominton to San Antonio and Seattle to Sedona. She finds more sense of herself in each city and returns ready to face life as a single woman of a certain age.

Written with humor and poignancy, Sensing Passion is not a love story. It does contain explicit sex and language along with an adult theme. If you are uncomfortable with strong language, explicit sex, or adult themes, please do not enter.

Good Luck
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[close] Sophie Hegel is a shy New York lawyer from small-town Florence Arizona, known not for the Renaissance but for housing a large prison. She’s just graduated from Yale Law School and landed her first job when, one evening she feels a fist-like ball form at the base of her throat. Diagnosed with the psychological condition Globus Hystericus, this “fist-ball” wreaks havoc on her life, causing difficulty eating, speaking, and eventually breathing. With a cast of characters that includes a pornographer father, a sister with a knack for getting knocked up by denizens of the town pen, a tough-talking fashion maven, a painter of male nudes, an eccentric Sing Sing-residing client and a bevy of privileged Manhattan attorneys and judges, Swallow is a dark comedy about the distance that can separate fathers and daughters, and about a young woman’s struggle to survive in a world of pedigreed professionals for which she has no preparation. [close]

[close] Vivianne Blackstone devotes herself to her career, putting her love life on hold. Her latest project is a spaceship designed to protect Earth from the deadly Tribes. But its engineer, the alluring Jordan McArthur, now threatens both her job and her wary heart . . .

Jordan's past goes back to King Arthur, and he must find the ancient artifact that can save the galaxy. Vivianne's ship is his best hope, but convincing the fiercely independent beauty won't be easy. Especially when the passion flaring between them burns through their defenses - and love is the last thing they need to survive. [close]

[close] Sam Keller knows he’ll never find the excitement he craves in Middleton, Iowa—not while he’s busting his ass in nursing school and paying rent by slaving away in a pharmacy stockroom. But before his mother died, he promised her he’d grow up to be a good man, so he needs a stable career and a good husband, not a dead-end job and empty sex.

Then Sam meets Mitch Tedsoe, an independent trucker who makes a delivery to a shop across the alley. Innocent flirting quickly leads to an affair, and when Mitch offers to take Sam on a road trip west, Sam jumps at the chance for adventure with his fantasy man... but Mitch also comes with a past. A threesome with the other man in Mitch’s life would have been just another kinky ride, but somewhere between the Mississippi River and the Colorado Rockies, Sam falls in love.

But can a relationship born out of escape and indulgence become something that lasts? Will a fantasy man be willing to settle down into reality, or is the adventure and excitement Sam finds with Mitch just another stop on a delivery man’s journey? For better or for worse, eventually Sam is going to discover the answer, because no matter how far away he travels, eventually all roads lead home. [close]

[close] Delicious and magical, here is a debut novel about a new (and slightly misunderstood) girl at a boarding school. Laurel has always loved flowers, but when a class project calls for research into the Victorian language of flowers, she makes a potent discovery. Her affinity for blooming things is actually age-old magic, passed from one generation to the next-a bittersweet gift from her beloved mother, who’s recently died-and it gives Laurel the power to make people fall in and out of love. Laurel’s introduction to the secret society of flowerspeakers is rife with complications and mishaps-especially when her classmates convince her to use her magic at the prom. This evocative coming-of-age story lingers in the air much like the fragrant blooms that determine Laurel’s fate so mysteriously. [close]

[close] A vibrant and enthralling historical novel about art and passion, The Miracles of Prato brings Renaissance Italy in the era of the Medici to glorious life—as it tells the story of an illicit love affair between the renowned painter Fra Filippo Lippi and his muse, a beautiful nun half his age.

A magnificent blend of fact, historical color, emotion, and invention, The Miracles of Prato is a novel that will delight the many fans of Tracy Chavalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and Susan Vreeland’s Girl in Hyacinth Blue

“Like Fra Filippo’s paintings, this love story, set in one of the most intriguing historical periods, is suffused with clear, warm color and fine attention to detail.”
—Debra Dean, author of The Madonnas of Leningrad [close]

[close] The true life narrative account of a young man living with the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in a parent. The disease was diagnosed in his mother when the author was seventeen years old in 1979, long before Alzheimer's disease was a household term. The account candidly traces with graphic detailed description and dialogue the course of the fatal illness. The emotional issues of such pivotal events as the loss of autonomy of driving a car and entry into a nursing home are experienced through the eyes of a young son. From a concurrent viewpoint Alzheimer's is explained with the wisdom of a 21st century physician who has personally experienced the emotional anguish, and thus the fact-based journey is a truly unique dual-perspective Alzheimer's memoir. The story juxtaposes the active uphill battle to become a doctor set against the backdrop of the passive helpless struggle of losing a parent to the disease. The narrative provides explicit commentary on the modern plight of the physician and the global connection family members of an Alzheimer's victim painstakingly share. The unusual, seldom before elicited insights of the dual-perspective vigorously address universal issues such as coping, hope, futility, humiliation and societal bias toward the disease throughout the text. [close]

[close] A reclusive widow known for her scientific scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she poisoned her husband . . . A rakehell rogue notorious for his devil-may-care antics, Lucas Bingham--the Earl of Hadley--is not accused of murdering anything--save for the rules of Polite Society. The only thing they have in common is seeing their names featured in the lurid gossip columns of London's newspapers. Until an ancient manuscript draws them together.

Ciara needs a titled fiancé to quell the slanderous speculations which may send her to the gallows. Lucas needs brilliant scholar to help his elderly uncle decipher the secrets of the mysterious manuscript. So when her friends urge her to accept the earl's proposal of a temporary alliance, Ciara decides that she has no choice but to make a deal with the Devil. And so begins a seductive dance of sinful pleasures and hidden desires as the two of them waltz through the mansions of Mayfair. Lies, intrigue, treachery, sex. They find themselves facing slanderous whispers, unscrupulous relatives-not to speak of their own simmering passions, which quickly ignite into dangerous flames. It's a potent mix and the result may be explosive-and perhaps deadly-if they don't watch their step. [close]

[close] Love Always, Hobby and Jessie. A memoir about the difficulty of marriages as experienced by a couple of "The Greatest Generation." They had many tests of their relationship and their resolutions were as unique as their methods of problem solving. The chapters, each a stand-alone story, reveal much about the talented Hobby and the attractive Jessie as described by their only child. Special inclusions include photos of Hobby and Jessie as well as some pictures from Hobby's published photojournals. [close]

[close] NEW! Twinkle Star of the Week
With a glittery cover, simple astromony facts on the endpapers, and a humorous story, this hardcover picture book is sure to delight young readers.

Every bright star in Ms. Sun's class can hardly wait to be a superstar of the week. Twinkle know what she'll share when it was her turn--her very favorite song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! As she awaits her big week, the others in the class take their turns: Blaze shares asteroid cookies, Beamer brings his pet Comet, and Shimmer leads the class in a game of Constellation Tag. Then Blink sings -- oh, no! -- the very song Twinkle thought that only she knew! Can Twinkle find something else to share? Maybe if she wishes and wishes...

Hardcover picture book
Albert Whitman & Co.
By Joan Holub
Illustrated by Paul Nicholls
$16.99 [close]

[close] Win a copy of my new erotic romance, Players!

Mishon and Ryan, two players engaged in an erotic battle of wills, find themselves beaten by love.

Mishon Lewis has always enjoyed having men fall at her designer shoe-clad feet. And none more so than her attractive but geeky college bud Ryan Anders. But now, Ryan has transformed himself into a hot womanizer by taking a How To Be A Player course. As he turns his newly acquired skills on her, she wonders if he’s using her as his final exam. Well, if so, he’s in for one helluva battle. She’ll crack his newfound and oh so sexy confidence and have him panting for her once more.

Ryan has lusted after the sexy siren since they met. But watching her skim through, and reject, men other women would do anything to keep, had convinced him she was out of his league. That was before the course. With a re-imaging and new skills has come a confidence he’s always wanted. And even better, the ability to go head to head with Mishon.

What neither of them realizes is that there is a third player in their game. Love. [close]

[close] Young widow Brandy Beauchamp inherits a long-established bed and breakfast on Vancouver Island from an old friend. It needs energy and commitment, but the beautiful, shabby property can be restored. With her five year old daughter Gabby, Brandy moves to British Columbia and sets about building a new life—only to discover that a local property developer has very different plans, and very direct methods of persuasion… [close]

[close] The Urban Skinny plan is not a diet. (Yeah, yeah -- you’ve heard that before.) Urban Skinny will teach you how to work any city, not have the city work you over.

It will take you from just plain urban to fabulously Urban Skinny. It won’t tell you how to avoid urban culinary temptations; it will show you how to navigate them and indulge in all a city has to offer while still being able to zip up those True Religions.

Urban Skinny is all about strategy -- it’s a livable plan for city dwellers with busy work and social lives. It isn’t about being perfect -- it’s about being consistent with your eating and working through every challenging situation you may encounter when you live a jam-packed urban lifestyle. [close]

[close] Product Description
This is an inspirational book that pulled at my heart! A must read if you are in the process of finding your authentic you. - Bridgette Martel, Director of Operations Amedisys Hospice Have you ever wondered if you have an angel walking beside you through life? This book shares insights into how we are guided personally and helped to realize who we really are. It outlines 7 promises we make at birth to the angel promised to us and the promise our angel makes to us as well. It is a fictional book based on universal truths seen in many sacred texts. When you read this book, you will find elements of your own story reflected in them. Your soul and imagination will come alive with anticipation at this Novel being more than a possibility in your own life... It is a book for anyone of any religious background. It can be read as a philosophical text that reveals what is sacred to each of us. "Angel of Promise" does share how we mature into adulthood and become more soul than body over time. Since it is a fictional book, you can read it without having to filter it through your own beliefs. " Angel of Promise is full of insight and inspiration.What a joy it was to take the journey with Lee on the path to self discovery and peace. If only we all had such an angel, to allow us to explore our own experiences and to guide us through the transition from suffering to healing." - Jodi Williamson Hanley, Amedisys Hospice Social Worker
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[close] After the break up of a long-term relationship, forty-something Caroline Traeger must put her life back together. Left alone with her seven-year old daughter, she desperately searches back through her life for an explanation for her personal failures. Through stories of her adventurous past, she explores love, desire, commitment, and loneliness, comparing her own choices to those of other women she's met along the way. [close]

[close] They're the McCords...three rugged, sexy cowboy cousins who'll inherit the family range--if they seek the treasure hidden on it. But even more precious are the women who can tame their wild hearts...

She was the one person who shook Jesse McCord's quiet determination. She was the only one he ever let in, body and soul. Then suddenly Amy Parrish was gone and the oldest McCord cousin devoted his life to the family ranch. Now Amy is back, offering help to Jesse find the McCord gold. Yet Jesse's not about to give her a second chance, and he hopes his pride will protect him from her irresistible charms. But under the wide prairie skies a dangerous, unseen enemy is fast closing in, threatening Amy and Jesse's very lives and the promise of their ...

MONTANA LEGACY [close]

[close] Win a FREE copy of The Menopause Makeover: The Ultimate Guide to Taking Control of our Health and Beauty During Menopause. Look and feel great again in 12 weeks! [close]

[close] Sign up between Feb. 14 and Feb. 21 to win one of three signed copies of NAKED EDGE from author Pamela Clare.

[close] Struggling domestic-goddess-in-training Ofy is determined to turn heads at this year's International CraftOlympics. To do that, she'll need the help of her best friend, Star. Considering herself a serious artist, Star is hesitant, but finally agrees to help as a way to end her own creative slump. Truthfully she thinks Ofy is a little loca about the whole craft thing - and about her idol: Local TV personality, Crafty Chloe. Star doesn't trust the bottle-blonde, even after she becomes part of their crafting team. As the competition heats up, Star will learn Chloe's dirty little secret, why crafting means so much to Ofy, and that beauty, art, and creativity can take many more forms than a canvas hanging in a gallery. [close]

[close] Hidden from mortals for all eternity, Annwyn, the Otherworld, is home to shapeshifters, wraiths and dragons. But in a nightclub called Velvet Haven, desire brings humans and immortals together…

Built atop the mystic passageway to Annwyn, the gothic nightclub Velvet Haven has seen its share of lost souls—both mortal and immortal. It is here that Bran, the shapeshifter king of the Sidhe, searches for his brother, who is ensnared by a centuries-old curse. When a vision foretells his own death, he knows his time to find Carden is running out.

For help he must turn to Mairi, a mortal woman with an unusual aura. Bran has never liked humans, other than using their sexual pleasure to restore his magic energy. But with Mairi everything is different. Her lush curves and teasing caresses enflame him like no Sidhe has ever done. He has no idea that the woman he’s falling for holds the key to his destruction – or his salvation [close]

[close] Over the past 3 years, Hardwick, Vermont, a typical hardscrabble farming community of 3,000 residents, has jump-started its economy and redefined its self-image through a local, self-sustaining food system unlike anything else in America. Even as the recent financial downturn threatens to cripple small businesses and privately owned farms, a stunning number of food-based businesses have grown in the region—Vermont Soy, Jasper Hill Farm, Pete's Greens, Patchwork Farm & Bakery, Apple Cheek Farm, Claire's Restaurant and Bar, and Bonnieview Farm, to name only a few. The mostly young entrepreneurs have created a network of community support; they meet regularly to share advice, equipment, and business plans, and to loan each other capital. Hardwick is fast becoming a model for other communities to replicate its success. The captivating story of a small town coming back to life, The Town That Food Saved is narrative nonfiction at its best: full of colorful characters and grounded in an idea that will revolutionize the way we eat. [close]

[close] Who’s the queen of kundalini bloopers, Emily Dickinson’s attitude problem (that bitch) and California dreams? It’s Melissa Broder, who will charm your pants off and then show you a little tough love in this vivid, witty first collection of poems: WHEN YOU SAY ONE THING BUT MEAN YOUR MOTHER.

MOTHER redefines the way we think of poetry. Here's what you'll get:

* A visa for junkie studies
* Bat Mitzvah stress syndrome
* Emily Dickinson's attitude problem
* JR Ewing's Mercedes
* A camp counselor in the NRA
And more!

National Poetry Prize Winner David Groff says: “Whether she is writing about the baggage borne by modern romance or declaring 'you have mixed feelings about suicide prevention,' Melissa Broder speaks with tart charm and arresting detail of a generation figuring out how and what to love. Her poems are droll, edgy, a little on edge, and deftly poetic. Even when they speak out of the side of their mouth, under their breath they are wonderfully, and subversively, moral.” [close]

[close] Rodale was founded on the belief that organic gardening is the key to better health both for us and for the planet, and never has this message been more urgent. Now Maria Rodale, chairman of Rodale, sheds new light on the state of 21st century farming. She examines the unholy alliances that have formed between the chemical companies that produce fertilizer and genetically altered seeds, the agricultural educational system that is virtually subsidized by those same companies, and the government agencies in thrall to powerful lobbyists, all of which perpetuate dangerous farming practices and deliberate misconceptions about organic farming and foods. Interviews with government officials, doctors, scientists, and farmers from coast to coast bolster her position that chemical-free farming may be the single most effective tool we have to protect our environment and, even more important, our health. [close]

[close] Every day we make choices. Coke or Pepsi? Save or spend? Stay or go? Whether mundane or life-altering, these choices define us and shape our lives. Sheena Iyengar asks the difficult questions about how and why we choose: Is the desire for choice innate or bound by culture? Why do we sometimes choose against our best interests? How much control do we really have over what we choose? Sheena Iyengar's award-winning research reveals that the answers are surprising and profound. In our world of shifting political and cultural forces, technological revolution, and interconnected commerce, our decisions have far-reaching consequences. [close]

[close] In Seattle’s undead circles, Amanda Feral is one of the beautiful zombies. Of course, when you’re socializing with werewolves, devils, and rampaging yetis, there’s not that much competition. Still, Amanda has a stylish rep to maintain, which is getting tricky now that her tanking ad agency is obliterating her finances. The fastest way to make some cash: appear on a new reality show, American Minions, hosted by lecherous wood nymph Johnny Birch. Classy? Maybe not, but a girl’s gotta eat.
With zombie gal pal Wendy posing as her bitchy agent, Amanda settles in to “Minions Mansion,” crowded with 24-7 video cameras and undead fame whores. When Johnny is found incinerated in a locked room, Amanda decides to channel her inner Miss Marple (minus the fugly cardigans) and find out who’s responsible. Was it Hairy Sue, the white trash stripper yeti? Tanesha, the glamorous trannie werewolf? Angie, the Filipino vampire with a detachable head? Unveiling the culprit in a heart-stopping finale won’t just save the show from cancellation, it might just keep Amanda alive—or as close as a ghoul can get…

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[close] In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer thinks she's ordinary: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.

Karen Healey introduces a savvy and spirited heroine with a strong, fresh voice. Full of deliciously creepy details, this adventure is a deftly crafted story of Māori mythology, romance, betrayal, and war. [close]

[close] LOST WITNESS
A lost little boy winds up in the world of homeless teens, and in the arms of counselor Niki Alexander. Did he witness a gruesome murder?
Homicide Investigators Luis Perez and Nelson Spalonetti suspected a woman found murdered in an alley was adrug mule from Mexico. Could the child who appeared at the same time be her son? The traumatized boy wouldn't speak; the police needed to find and question Barky, the street teen who found him.
Several years ago Niki quit the police force to work with troubled teens like Barky, not young children, but she couldn't help getting involved in the case of this sad little boy. When the child disappears, the stakes are raised. Who took him and why? [close]

[close] 2 signed copies of Shadowglass, book #2 of the Shadowfae Chronicles -- a lush new urban fantasy series, populated with beautifully imagined fairies and brimming with dark eroticism.

A seductive magic mirror lies hidden deep in a demon’s lair, with a simple warning: don’t stare at the glass…

Ice is a thief and a scammer—a troubled fairy trying her best to eek out a meager living in the squalid underworld of the Shadowfae. When she spends a hot night with a demon lord, she discovers a powerful magic mirror in his lair—and pilfers it, knowing it’s the key to escaping her bleak life as a two-bit con artist. But Ice soon discovers that its power comes with a price…madness, which is slowly overtaking her.

Indigo oozes darkness, danger and tempting sensuality. He’s been sent to destroy Ice and bring the mirror back to its rightful owner. A mission that, if he fails, will cost him his life. But when he meets Ice, he faces an even greater challenge: an insatiable sexual hunger that neither of them can deny, and dark passions that threaten to claim them both forever. The trouble is, the longer he stays within the mirror’s reach, the greater its hold on his sanity—and his determination to save Ice…
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[close] Thank you for entering to win my novel, "The Skye in June." It's a tale about the MacDonalds, a Scottish family, and their youngest child, June, who has an uniqueness that attracts unusual people. After a tragedy they emigrate from Scotland to San Francisco. The family implodes when June, is drawn into the world of mysticism and her sisters come of age during the colorful circa 1960's. It is a story of reconciliation and acceptance.

Anyone who loves a good read of San Francisco's history during the 1950's and early days of the '60's, will enjoy this story. It is rich with nuances of Scottish culture and language. The sisters are lively, funny and rebellious as they find ways to deter their father from having control over them. The story takes readers through issues of family and how it changes over the years, religion, as wells as the challenges of immigrants, and the world of mysticism.

"Not since author Amy Tan's early writings has a woman's voice so strongly resonated from one of San Francisco's most famous neighborhoods. Author June Ahern's powerful coming of age tale, “The Skye in June”, is the evolution of a young psychic and her passage through a unique time and place-–a must read." - Jim Toland, "Fire And Fog"
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[close] How do we come to be who we are sexually? How do we cope with the forces of desire? How can we understand the relationship between the transcendent and the physical, between the wish for love and the anarchy of the erotic? Award-winning writer Daniel Bergner looks for answers in the stories of four people whose unusual desires raise fascinating questions about the erotic differences between men and women and the nature of ecstasy itself.

“Riveting...Powerful...as much about desire and what’s normal as it is an exploration of why we are the way we are, whether we like it or not.” —New York Times Book Review [close]

[close] "Our family was nearly torn apart on several occasions by arguments started when the refrigerator door was open for what my father deemed as `too long.'"

Welcome to Weston Locher's Musings on Minutiae where the author offers up hilarious observations and insights on topics of great importance such as:

Living in an urban apartment complex - "...if I become an admitted pet owner, then I have to pay not only a several hundred dollar deposit to the apartment complex, but I'm pretty sure that they also reserve the right to harvest some of my bodily organs..."

Life with frenetic felines - "They scamper in front of my legs, causing me to fall and face plant into whatever furniture is closest. They especially like to play this game when I'm carrying piping hot coffee."

And much more!

Chock full of humorous essays and personal anecdotes, Musings on Minutiae will keep you laughing for as long as you have a pulse.

For more information: http://www.musingsonminutiae.com [close]

[close] Twenty-nine year old Lindsey Rose has, for as long as she can remember, lived in the shadow of her devastatingly beautiful fraternal twin sister, Alex. Determined to get noticed, Lindsey is finally on the cusp of being named Creative Vice President of an elite New York advertising agency, after years of 80 plus hour weeks, migraines, and profound loneliness. But during the course of one devastating night, Lindsey’s carefully-constructed life implodes.

Humiliated and desperate, she flees the glitter of Manhattan and retreats to the time warp of her parents’ Maryland
home. Lindsey struggles to maintain her identity as the smart, responsible sister while she secretly tries to piece her career back together. But somehow, Lindsey finds herself taking a low-key job for a dating service – and having the time of her life. Things get even more complicated when the twin sisters, who are finally beginning to have a real relationship, fall in love with the same guy. Then a long-held family secret is unleashed, flipping Lindsey into the one spot she never dreamed she’d land. [close]

[close] Lord James Rutherford fights the inexorable demise of his bachelorhood with every sane bone in his body. But succumb he does, to the single-minded determination of the delectable Missy Armstrong—an innocent, a seductress, and his most grave indiscretion. Just as he’s resigned himself to a marriage to his best friend’s sister, he discovers the consequences of a forgotten night of drunken passion has left yet another lady of ton compromised.

For Millicent ‘Missy’ Armstrong, being ruined by the man of her dreams is nothing to wring her hands and bury her face in her hands about. But when an offer of marriage isn’t immediately forthcoming, and whispers of James’s betrothal to another—and pending fatherhood—reaches her ears, there isn’t an acre of land on the Continent far enough on which to escape. Then, in an abrupt reversal, James is back on her doorstep with the offer she’d yearned to receive…two weeks and one woman too late.

In the face of her unwavering refusal, James launches a war to win back her passion, her trust, and her love. A war as ruthless as it is seductive. With the wounds of her heartbreak still fresh and raw, can he convince her that far from the second choice, she has always been the only choice for him?
[close]

[close] The Remarkable Truth about the Agents of Heaven

People have long been fascinated by stories of angel sightings, yet many contemporary beliefs about angels are based on misconception and myth rather than solide, biblical truth.
As he's done so brilliantly for decades, respected Bible teacher Dr. David Jeremiah uses Scripture to unveil the remarkable truth about these agents of heaven and their role in our world and our lives.
What are angels? What is their role in God's plan? Are they present? Do they appear? Do they give us personal insight about our work and our worship?
In this broad and thorough survey of Scripture, Dr. Jeremiah clearly and simply separates fact from fiction as it relates to angels. His enlightening findings are supported with illustrations and insights from prominent teachers, such as Billy Graham, Corrie ten Boom, C. S. Lewis, and more.
Dr. Jeremiah's down-to-earth style guides readers around the hype about angels and directly into the "substance of things unseen!" [close]

[close] A DEADLY MENACE IS BREAKING THROUGH THE GROUND. THE PEOPLE OF ABASCAR MUST ABANDON THEIR STONE REFUGE AND FLEE INTO VULNERABILITY IN THE FOREST. BUT THEIR KING HAS HAD A VISION…

Following the beacon of Auralia’s colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of refugees. It’s a city only imagined in legendary tales. And it gives him hope to establish New Abascar.

But when Cal-raven is waylaid by fortune hunters, his people become vulnerable to a danger more powerful than the prowling beastmen––House Bel Amica. In this oceanside kingdom of wealth, enchantment, and beauty, deceitful Seers are all too eager to ensnare House Abascar’s wandering throng.

Even worse, the Bel Amicans have discovered Auralia’s colors, and are twisting a language of faith into a lie of corruption and control.

If there is any hope for the people of Abascar, it lies in the courage of Cyndere, daughter of Bel Amica’s queen; the strength of Jordam the beastman; and the fiery gifts of the ale boy, who is devising a rescue for prisoners of the savage Cent Regus beastmen.

As his faith suffers one devastating blow after another, Cal-raven’s journey is a perilous climb from despair to a faint gleam of hope––the vision he sees in Auralia’s colors. [close]

[close] Win SMASH CUT! This is the U. K. Edition.
More about SMASH CUT: The murder of Paul Wheeler has all the elements of a blockbuster: family rivalries, incalculable wealth, and a prominent man dying in the arms of his beautiful mistress. It's a case that could earn Derek Mitchell even greater star power. When the Wheeler family approaches him about defending Creighton for his uncle's murder -- even before he's charged -- he jumps at the chance.

But Derek soon discovers that Julie will stop at nothing to secure justice for Paul -- and that includes preventing Derek from defending Creighton. Infuriated, Derek realizes that his hands have been tied in a way that could not only cost him the case, but ruin his entire career.

Although Creighton has a rock-solid alibi, Julie is convinced that he is responsible for Paul's murder. But the homicide detectives have another theory. Caught in several lies, and keeping secrets from Derek and the police, Julie is suspected of casting blame on Creighton to cover her own crime. Meanwhile, Derek fears he's once again being duped...yet he burns with jealousy when he thinks of Julie with her late lover.

But the more Derek learns about Creighton and his darker side, the more he doubts the young man's innocence.

And hiding in a squalid motel under an assumed name is the one man, a career criminal, a killer, who knows the truth.

The clock ticks down toward a shocking ending as Derek and Julie seek to learn whether Creighton's fascination with movie murders is merely a bizarre hobby or depravity. Has he begun reenacting cinema's goriest scenes...and, if so, who will be his unwitting costars? They won't know until the final SMASH CUT. [close]

[close] Win HELLO, DARKNESS! This is the U. K. edition.
More about HELLO, DARKNESS: A person who lives and works in darkness and seclusion. Someone who is reluctant to interact with other people except by telephone. A life so contained that even daylight is shunned.

For reasons that come to light — pun intended — in the book, Paris Gibson works alone each night in a remote radio station. Although her late night show has high ratings and a loyal audience, she is known to her listeners only by her smoky, provocative voice. They confide to her their most private thoughts, their triumphs and failures, but Paris carefully guards her own personal life.

When a listener who goes by the coy name of Valentino calls her one night and tells her about the violent act he’s about to commit, she is thrust into a high-profile police investigation. It’s commandeered by Dean Malloy — the one person who knows the secret behind Paris’s fiercely protected privacy. [close]

[close] Win THE CRUSH (this is for the U.K. English edition).
About THE CRUSH: A trauma surgeon who is highly successful and respected by her colleagues, Rennie is independent, self-reliant, and devoted to her work almost to the exclusion of everything else. She has her life arranged exactly as she wants it. Everything in her structured world is in perfect order. . .until Lozada enters it.

He brings with him Wick Threadgill, a cop on “indefinite leave” from the police department. He’s as glib, charming, attractive, and persuasive as a snake oil salesman, but burdened with a guilt that’s outsized only by his hatred for Lozada. [close]

[close] Win an advanced copy of TAGGED!

HOW DO YOU TAKE A STAND WITHOUT STANDING OUT?

Kate Morgan is just as confused as the rest of her classmates when she arrives at Cleary High to find six life-size gorillas spray painted on the side of a building. Could the culprit be one of her friends or classmates? And is the kind-of-amazing creation really vandalism, or a work of art? She's tempted to stay out of it, mostly because, as the police chief’s daughter, she's always accused of being a snitch. But when gorillas start appearing throughout the state, her investigative instincts kick in.

Now Eli, Kate’s favorite co-worker at the local coffee shop, is MIA. With her best friend, Lan, preoccupied with her own boy troubles, Kate needs to figure out some things on her own. Like why she can’t stop thinking about Eli. And what she will do when all clues about the graffiti point to someone she knows...


[close]

[close] Love's journey is sometimes traveled with baggage. Is devotion enough to carry the load when it gets heavy or even deadly? Tracy is an entrepreneur in the computer industry who didn't know her new love interest had a deceptive past which would force her to answer that question. When Edmund, a charismatic and prominent attorney swept her off her feet, Tracy was ecstatic about the relationship and a chance to ride love's train, but she didn't realize that sometimes, all that glitters is not gold. Soon scandal and skeletons come creeping out of Edmund's closet. As he frantically tries to stay one step ahead of the dirty little secrets that haunt his past, Tracey finds herself pondering the reality of whether she really knows the man she loves. She is forced to decide whether Edmund's past will tear them apart or bring them closer together. As the relationship struggles to blossom against the odds, Tracy prays that love will be enough to conquer all, including what's Hiding in the Shadows. In a tantalizing and perplexing mystery, Claudia Brown Mosley lures readers along a path of unraveling the enigma of truth. Hiding in the Shadows is an intriguing and thrilling suspense of obsessive pursuit, destructive lies and the reality that's buried in between. [close]

[close] Win SMOKE SCREEN! This is the U. K. edition.
More about SMOKE SCREEN: When newswoman Britt Shelley wakes up to find herself in bed with Jay Burgess, a rising star detective in the Charleston PD, she remembers nothing of how she got there...or of how Jay wound up dead.

Handsome and hard-partying, Jay was a hero of the disastrous fire, which five years earlier had destroyed Charleston's police headquarters. The blaze left seven people dead, but the death toll would have been much higher if not for the bravery of Jay and three other city officials who risked their lives to lead others to safety.

Firefighter Raley Gannon, Jay's lifelong friend, was off-duty that day. Though he might not have been a front-line hero, he was assigned to lead the investigation into the cause of the fire. It was an investigation he never got to complete. Because on one calamitous night, Raley's world was shattered.

Scandalized, wronged by the people he trusted most, Raley was forced to surrender the woman he loved and the work to which he'd dedicated his life. For five years his resentment against the men who exploited their hero status to further their careers--and ruin his--has festered, but he was helpless to set things right.

That changes when he learns of Jay Burgess's shocking death and Britt Shelley's claim that she has no memory of her night with him. As the investigation into Jay's death intensifies, and suspicion against Britt Shelley mounts, Raley realizes that the newswoman, Jay's last sexual conquest, might be his only chance to get personal vindication--and justice for the seven victims of the police station fire.

But there are powerful men who don't want to address unanswered questions about the fire, and who will go to any lengths to protect their reputations. As Raley and Britt discover more about what happened that fateful day, the more perilous their situation becomes, until they're not only chasing after the truth but running for their lives.

Friends are exposed as foes, heroes take on the taint of criminals, and no one can be trusted completely.
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[close] Take a journey onto a path that winds into a park full of wild and not-so-wild creatures from A to Z. Children can learn the alphabet while identifying more than two hundred animals in twenty-six letter descriptions using an easy to follow ABC's approach. There is even an index for all of the animals in the book!

"Great it is to be the letter G with such fine keepers of this character including a giant Giraffe, a beastly Gorilla, and a genial Guinea Pig."

See more at http://www.atozwalk.com [close]

[close] Nothing ever happens in the small town of Marlo . . . until the residents begin seeing their private conversations posted online for everyone to read. Then it’s neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, as paranoia and violence escalate. The police scramble to identify the person responsible for the posts and pull the plug on the Website before it destroys the town. But what responsibility do the people of the town have for the words they say when they think no one is listening? Life and death are in the power of the tongue.
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[close] IN JUPITER'S SHADOW, a memoir mystery.

HIDING FROM OTHERS IS EASY.
HIDING FROM YOURSELF IS TRICKIER.

Born in 1966 in rural Western New York – the last of six children in a devout Catholic family – Greg Gerard dreams of adventure and escape. He's different from his older siblings; he is "The Caboose."

Mystery surrounds young Greg. At church, the priest dips his head, whispering indistinguishable prayers. At home, the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and his favorite detective, Jupiter Jones from The Three Investigators, provide an endless supply of intrigue. He longs for the day when he too can solve a real-life puzzle. At thirteen, Greg's stumbles across a profound mystery – in the bathtub on the second floor of his parents’ brick house.

While investigating the clues, he builds a hidden detective agency in the family barn, a place to dodge his father's alcoholic mood swings and listen to The CBS Radio Mystery Theater. He discovers companionship with his handicapped older brother (who suffers from hydrocephalus and memory problems). Ultimately, mentorship from a Jesuit priest (an actor with a Hollywood past) and the shock of a close friend's unexpected death propel Greg to a point where he is able to solve the mystery between the shadows of expectation and the light of self-awareness.
[close]

[close] An award-winning debut novel—a lyrical journey into memory, and into the depths of a conflicted region, for fans of Michael Ondaatje, John Banville, and Rohinton Mistry.

Kirpal Singh is riding the slow train to Kashmir. With India passing by his window, he reflects on his destination, which is also his past: a military camp to which he has not returned for fourteen years.

Kirpal, called Kip, is shy and not yet twenty when he arrives for the first time at General Kumar’s camp, nestled in the shadow of the Siachen Glacier. At twenty thousand feet, the glacier makes a forbidding battlefield; its crevasses claimed the body of Kip’s father. Kip becomes an apprentice under the camp’s chef, Kishen, a fiery mentor who guides him toward the heady spheres of food and women.

In this place of contradictions, erratic violence, and extreme temperatures, Kip learns to prepare local dishes and delicacies from around the globe. Even as months pass, Kip, a Sikh, feels secure in his allegiance to India, firmly on the right side of this interminable conflict. Then, one muggy day, a Pakistani “terrorist” with long, flowing hair is swept up on the banks of the river and changes everything.

Mesmeric, mournful, and intensely lyrical, Chef is a brave and compassionate debut about hope, love, and memory set against the devastatingly beautiful, war-scarred backdrop of occupied Kashmir. [close]

[close] The definitive, highly biased, and frequently accurate report card on evolution’s illustrious (and sometimes absurd) 3.5-billion-year career.

From Aristotle to Charles Darwin, Carolus Linnaeus to the Crocodile Hunter, humans have been studying animals for thousands of years. But in all that time, no one has ever answered the most important question of all: Are these animals even any good?

We can all feel good about the king cobra. That is an A-plus animal. Think about it—you don’t want to be the one who gives it an A-minus. But what about the hippo? You may think it’s bald and wrinkly and adorably fat, but when you get up close to give it a big hug, you’ll realize it weighs up to eight thousand pounds and can bite you in half. D-minus.

And let’s not even get started on the alpaca.

In The Animal Review, Jacob Lentz and Steve Nash give authoritative listings and ratings of dozens of your favorite (and least favorite) animals. Expanded from their popular blog, the entries mix fascinating animal facts with hilarious assessments, set off with brilliantly captioned photos and enlightening charts and graphs. Organized by biosphere—animals that hail from the land, sea, sky, and “other,” it’s a perfect mix of humor and fascinating biology. Sophisticated yet kid friendly, this book is an appealing gift for animal lovers of all ages. [close]

[close] From the bestselling author of Red Azalea and Empress Orchid comes the powerful story of the friendship of a lifetime, based on the life of Pearl S. Buck.

In the small southern town of Chin-kiang, in the last days of the nineteenth century, two young girls bump heads and become thick as thieves. Willow is the only child of a destitute family, Pearl the headstrong daughter of zealous Christian missionaries. She will ultimately become the internationally renowned author Pearl S. Buck, but for now she is just a girl embarrassed by her blonde hair and enchanted by her new Chinese friend. The two embark on a friendship that will sustain both of them through one of the most tumultuous periods in Chinese history.

Moving out into the world together, the two enter the intellectual fray of the times, share love interests and survive early marriages gone bad. Their shared upbringing inspires Pearl’s novels, which celebrate the life of the Chinese peasant and will eventually earn her both a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize. But when a civil war erupts between the Nationalists and Communists, Pearl is forced to flee the country just ahead of angry mobs. Willow, despite close ties to Mao’s inner circle, is punished for loyalty to her “cultural imperialist" friend. And yet, through love and loss, heartbreak and joy, exile and imprisonment, the two women remain intimately entwined.

In this ambitious new novel, Anchee Min brings to life a courageous and passionate woman who is now hailed in China as a modern heroine. Like nothing before it, Pearl of China tells the story of one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers, from the perspective of the people she loved and of the land she called home. [close]

[close] A crucial piece of the conversation about climate change, Diet for a Hot Planet makes the disturbing connection between food production and global warming.

In 1971, Frances Moore Lappé’s Diet for a Small Planet sparked a revolution in how we think about hunger, alerting millions to the hidden environmental and social impacts of our food choices. Now, nearly four decades later, her daughter, Anna Lappé, picks up the conversation. In her groundbreaking new book, the younger Lappé exposes another hidden cost of our food system: the climate crisis.

While you may not think “global warming” when you sit down to dinner, our tangled web of global food—from Pop Tarts packaged in Tennessee and eaten in Texas to pork chops raised in Poland, with feed from Brazil, shipped to South Korea—contributes to as much as one-third of the global warming effect. Livestock alone is associated with more emissions than all of the world’s transportation combined. Move over Hummer. Say hello to the hamburger.

If we’re serious about the climate crisis, says Lappé, we have to talk about food.

In this groundbreaking book, Lappé exposes the interests resisting this conversation and the spin-tactics companies are employing to defuse the heat. She also offers a vision of a food system that can be part of healing the planet—and the climate. Lappé explores how food can be a powerful entry point for tackling our most pressing environmental problems. With seven principles for a climate-friendly diet and success stories from sustainable food advocates around the globe, Lappé dishes up strategies and stirring inspiration to bring to life food that’s better for people and the planet.

An engaging call to action, a spirited call for a food system for tomorrow, Diet for a Hot Planet delivers a hopeful message during this troubling time.
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[close] By day, Valerie Cooper, Dierdra Dawson, and Foxy Brown assist their husbands, all partners at the law firm Brown, Cooper, and Dawson. But at night, they become Vanilla Cream, Cherry Cream, and Sugar Cream, and run an upscale swingers club called Creamé. Their clientele include everyone from judges, lawyers, politicians, and police officers, to soccer moms and housewives. Business is booming at the hottest club in town. Until the police chief extends an indecent proposal to Foxy: sleep with him, or go to jail. [close]

[close] Celebrities, foodies, and media people rely on the Blueprint Cleanse for relief from the excess, overindulgence, and toxins we are all exposed to every day. Now, the founders of the cleanse praised in Elle, Vogue, and Every Day with Rachel Ray, offer THE 3-DAY CLEANSE, an at-home juice cleansing program for everyone.

Cleansing allows the digestive system to rest so you can rid yourself of the toxins everyone accumulates, whether from unhealthy eating or simply from our environment. The 3-DAY CLEANSE offers a customized program based on your own personal health and lifestyle. Unlike other cleanses, the Blueprint Cleanse includes sufficient calories and natural fats, making for an easier yet incredibly effective cleanse.

This books guides readers through step-by-step guidelines for a 1-day, 3-day, and 14-day cleanse, as well as a long-term maintenance plan. Throughout are sidebars, quick tips, secrets and advice from people who have successfully done the cleanse. In addition to the juice, raw, and partially-raw food recipes in the book, the authors include advice on battling the urge to cheat and working the cleanse into a busy lifestyle.

Prepare to boost your immune system, alleviate allergies and PMS, improve your mood and sex drive, and clear up your skin. Finally, the juice service adored by many is available for you to create in your own home! [close]

[close] That was so much fun, let's do it again...Enter to win a signed hardcover copy of 8th Grade Superzero!

[close] How does someone truly become evil? Is it due to terrible events in their lives? Or are they born that way? These are the questions Benny Rosato must answer after her twin sister Alice drugs her and leaves for for dead, buried underground in a remote field. As Alice slips easily into Bennie's life, doing her job, interacting with her friends, seducing her boyfriend, she never counts on the fact that Bennie is tougher than she seems. And that, against all odds, Bennie will escape. But escaping is only the first challenge. Alice's sociopathic lies are so believable that she has everyone convinced that she is Bennie, and Bennie is her deranged twin sister Alice. As Bennie descends further into Alice's life, she starts to feel the pull of evil herself. As the clock ticks and Alice gets closer to her ultimate goal, Bennie must face the shocking truth that she is perhaps more like Alice than she ever realized... [close]

[close] They are known as the turbaned tide. Novelist DIYA DAS explores the journey made by Indian immigrants from the subcontinent to America’s shores. Weaving the narrative as historical fiction, the novel focuses on a young girl who uncovers the American roots of her Indian family tree.

The story unfolds in three venues. The protagonist discovers a Californian ancestor, a scholar-turned-farmworker who participated in the 1917-18 Ghadr movement to gain Indian independence from Great Britain. She then follows the voyage of a doctor aunt who immigrated to Chicago in the 1970s and was also a newspaper columnist. Finally, the narrator explores how to merge her Indian and American identities as she attends a Hindu festival in New York City.

The novel is filled with rich cultural details, solid historical references and fitting literary allusions. Diya's research ended up taking her on a personal journey. The narrator’s odyssey mirrored that of the author. Where facts and imagination did not create a coherent story, Diya employed elements of her own life as a first generation Indian American immigrant. [close]

[close] Winner Lone Star Contest!
Winner Winter Rose Contest!
5 Ribbons ~ Romance Junkies
5 Cups ~ Coffee Time Romance
5 Hearts ~ Romance Studio
5 Books ~ Long and Short Reviews
5 Hearts ~ Night Owl Romance
5 Kisses ~ Two Lips Reviews

Investigative reporter Joshua Miller has turned his back on life. Since cancer claimed his wife, he can’t bring himself to write another story. Then he hears about a fascinating woman who piques his curiosity.

After being struck by lightning, Sarah Reid finds herself with a gift… and a curse. She can heal the sick and dying. She soon realizes that along with the special gift also comes danger to her own life. Feeling responsible for the death of her best friend, Sarah reasons that perhaps she has received the gift to make amends, no matter the personal cost. Neither expects sparks to fly when they meet.

Sarah discourages Josh’s persistence in investigating her while he fights his attraction, refusing to acknowledge that she can truly save people.

Can Sarah break through Josh's stubborn cynicism and show him that miracles really can come true by leading him back to love? [close]

[close] Fly By Night was nominated for a Ned Kelly award for best first crime novel in 2004. It was published in Croatia in 2009.

Since then, Narrelle M Harris has gone on to write fantasy fiction, including two books about witches and one (the first in a series) about vampires in the streets of modern Melbourne, Australia.

In Fly By Night, successful musician Frank Capriano returns home to Perth for his mentor's funeral, along with his band-mate and lover Milo. Frank's old friends are having money troubles and are trying to make ends meet through smuggling, but that turns out to be only the tip of the iceburg. Soon they have a murder to contend with.

This volume also contains the novella Sacrifice. Duo Ex Machina arrive in Melbourne to promote their new album, only to be disturbed by headlines blaring "Second Murder in Botanic Gardens: Police suspect anti-gay killing". Before they know it, the two musicians are juggling a heavy public relations schedule with yet another murder mystery. [close]

[close] "Thanksgiving: The Pilgrims' First Year in America" is not a book about a holiday. It's a book about people - everything they did between the landing of the Mayflower and the famous harvest feast of the following fall.

Americans know too little about the Pilgrims. They spent that first winter aboard the Mayflower. By spring, half of them had died.

This isn't a book to read only in November. It's to read anytime you want a better sense of what it means to be an American, to understand where we come from.

You can read excerpts from this book at NLLibrarium.com/thanksgiving . Please have a look before you enter the give-away contest.

You may also want to read some related essays the author, Glenn Alan Cheney, has posted on Goodreads. [close]

[close] Ross is dead, and Blake, Sim, and Kenny are furious. To make it right, they steal Ross's ashes and set out from their home on the English coast for the tiny village of Ross in southern Scotland, a place their friend had always wanted to go. What follows is an unforgettable journey with illegal train rides, bungee jumping, girls, and high-speed police chases--all with Ross's ashes along for the ride. As events spin wildly out of control, the three friends must take their heads out of the sand long enough to answer the question: What really happened to Ross?

Keith Gray is an award-winning author from the United Kingdom, making his U.S. debut with this action-packed and darkly humorous novel about friendship and loss. [close]

[close] Laura Bennett is not a soccer mom or a PTA mom or a helicopter mom—and she’s certainly not mother of the year. Another breed of mother entirely, Laura is surely more Auntie Mame than June Cleaver. As a busy mother of six, Laura is on an impossible mission: raising a brood of fast-moving, messy, wild sons in the jungles of Manhattan. So what other choice does she have than to sit back, grab a martini, and let the boys be, er, boys?

In Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday?, Laura gives her irreverent take on modern motherhood and proves that a strong sense of humor and an even stronger sense of self are the mother’s milk of sanity. In a series of refreshingly candid and hilarious anecdotes, she unapologetically breaks every rule in the Brady Bunch playbook: She gives her kids junk food, plays favorites, and openly admits to having “a genetic predisposition to laissez-faire parenting.” Children, she observes, don’t need constant supervision from neurotic, perfectionist parents. Allow kids to make mistakes and entertain themselves and they’ll turn out just fine—even if you do sometimes forget to pick them up from school.

Beyond the mayhem of a life among males, Laura celebrates the glories of womanhood with a generous helping of wit and style. She gives thanks to the fashion gods for the essentials—red lipstick, Manolo Blahniks, and Lycra shapewear—but reminds us that true style comes from an inner compass that points directly at oneself. In every aspect of life, Laura gives one simple, powerful piece of advice: “Dress like you want it or stay home.”

Brutally honest, outrageous, and sure to raise a few eyebrows, Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday? is a riotously funny read—and it’ll go fabulously well with your new handbag.
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[close] In the wake of his wife’s murder, agent Grady Shields turned his back on the FBI—and everything else—to retreat into the vast solitude of Montana, grieve for his lost love, and forget the world. But after years in seclusion, his sister’s wedding draws him to St. Dennis, a peaceful town on the Chesapeake Bay. Though he swears he isn’t interested in finding love again, Grady can’t ignore the mutual sparks that fly when he meets Vanessa Keaton.

Although her past was marked by bad choices, Vanessa has found that coming to St. Dennis is the best decision she’s ever made. Bling, her trendy boutique, is a success with tourists as well as with the townspeople. She’s made friends, has a home she loves, and has established a life for herself far from the nightmare she left behind. The last thing she’s looking for is romance, but the hot new man in town is hard to resist. And when Vanessa’s past catches up with her, Grady finds that he’s unwilling to let her become a victim again. As together they fight her demons, Grady and Vanessa discover that life still holds some surprises and that love doesn’t always have to hurt. [close]

[close] This is an interactive book about moral choices for ages 8 and up. There are 25 stories about moral dilemmas and the reader is asked what he or she would do in that situation. Each story is also followed by thought questions which stimulate great discussions both in the home and in the classroom. Has received excellent reviews and is a wonderful resource for both the home and the classroom. Recipient of the 2008 American Authors Association Silver Quill Award.
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[close] IT'S RAINING CATS AND DOGS! PIGLETS AND BABY BEARS, TOO! Just the right weather for a girl who wants a pet and just the right book to celebrate a new arrival. Zoe wants a pet more than anything in the whole world. Then on the night before her aunt Ellie's baby shower, it actually starts raining cats and dogs . . . and ducklings and piglets, too. Or does it? This charming book by a favorite author and illustrator is the perfect gift to celebrate a new arrival--human or otherwise. [close]

[close] Miki, Valencia, Teela Raye, and Brandi share one thing...they are all addicted to sex. United through Sexaholics Anonymous, these women try to recover from their dependence on wild, spontaneous, and even sometimes, dangerous sex. From whips and chains, to sex in public, they have done it all! Led by Dr. Rachel Cummings, each woman takes the first step to recovery by sharing her biggest sexual act with the group. SEXAHOLICS takes readers through the outrageous experiences of four women on their long path to success. [close]

[close] Thirty years ago, Rockwell collaborated with her husband, Harlow, on "The Supermarket." This beloved favorite has been newly updated for today's young readers. In her signature style, Rockwell conveys the thrill of a trip to the supermarket from a young child's point of view. Full color. [close]

[close] Playful, kid-friendly poems from five alternating points of view explore the volcanic process and its effect on the surrounding land, flora, and fauna. Full color. [close]

[close]
A collection of 409 thoughts, quotes, lessons, ideas, suggestions, reminders, and words of advice and encouragement to help you lead a more prosperous, rewarding, peaceful, happy, and fulfilling life.

This book is filled with advice, lessons, ideas, reminders, and suggestions for how to live a more rewarding and balanced life. It is about attitude, determination, goals, persistence, success, relationships, planning, personal and spiritual growth, and fulfillment. It is about choices and personal responsibility inspiring you to create the drive, the burning desire to achieve what you want. It is about seeing life from a different point of view.

This book is about changing your way of thinking and changing your way of doing things and taking charge of your life.
It is about losing the fear that you may have that does not allow you to move forward to create a better life for yourself and your love ones. It is about daring yourself to be successful, no matter what the odds and learning to lead a peaceful, less stressful way of life. No more excuses! [close]

[close] Jacob learns the rules of baking from watching TV, and now he's ready to make his own peach pie. Even when things get messy, and Jacob's parents say there is no more time for baking, he is determined not to give up. Includes a pie recipe. Full color. [close]

[close] Day to day, season to season, Mom tends the family's small flock of sheep, and then shears and washes, cards and dyes, spins and knits. Every step of the way, her little girl watches and asks, "What are you doing?" As playful as it is informative, this rambunctiousread-aloud features a mother and daughter making a game of their warm and wooly enterprise. [close]

[close] A brilliantly atmospheric novel that brings to vivid life both the dizzying
triumphs and terrible sorrows of the Brontë sisters, and how love
dramatically and most unexpectedly found Charlotte Brontë.
In a brilliant mélange of fact and fiction, Juliet Gael tells the extraordinary and
poignant story of Charlotte Brontë and her remarkable family, her celebrated
sisters, and brilliantly debauched brother. Romancing Miss Brontë vividly brings to
life Charlotte Brontë's passions and hopes, dreams and sorrows. The Brontë
sisters had both great successes and brilliant failures as writers, but they are also
known for the tragedies that befell their family's household. Even after attaining
wide literary acclaim and celebrity, Charlotte remains lonely, keenly longing for
companionship. Glamorous forays into London and meeting premier society
members fail to fill the void. Life at Haworth is lonely, with only her aging father
and his brash curate, Arthur Bell Nichols, for company. But then, most
unexpectedly, after secretly pining for her through the years, Arthur begins wooing
a reluctant Charlotte, coaxing her to envision a life--and love!--with him. [close]

[close] As a young boy in medieval Italy, Leonardo Fibonacci thought about numbers night and day. He was such a daydreamer that people called him a blockhead. However, when he grows up, he becomes a brilliant mathematician who discovers the Fibonacci sequence. Full color. [close]

[close] The team that brought you GNASH, GNAW DINOSAUR is back. With laugh-out-loud, whimsical rhyme by award-winning poet Tony Mitton, future palaeontologists are uniquely introduced to all kinds of dinosaurs. Details about where they lived, what they ate, and how they got around are answered mixing humor and information with appealing artwork and a flap that can be flipped for engaging interaction. Dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes stomp around and pounce their way through the pages of this fact-filled book. And who knew dinosaurs could be so funny and colorful! [close]

[close] Written with the wisdom and grace devoted readers have come to expect
from the award-winning author of The Virgin of Small Plains comes this
brilliantly moving tale of family, murder, and redemptive love.
Rose, Kansas, is a quiet town poised between the orderly and the
unpredictable, where a shocking secret was long ago buried...until it vengefully
stirs to life one fateful day. English teacher Jody Linder wakes up one morning to
find her three intimidating rancher uncles on her doorstep. They bring shocking
news: the man convicted of murdering her father, and presumably her mother, is
being released from prison and coming back to Rose, Kansas, with his son,
attorney Collin Crosby. Convinced of his father's innocence, Collin provokes Jody
to face the stunning mystery behind her tragic past, an investigation that
endangers them both. Moving, surprising, and beautifully textured, The Scent of
Rain and Lightning blurs the boundaries between suspense and literary fiction.
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[close] A young couple meets cute and it's love at first sight. And then one day they wish for a child, and their wish comes true. An ideal gift book for expecting parents, new babies, and toddlers curious about their own beginnings. Full color. [close]

[close] Maria Finn's husband was cheating. First she threw him out. Then she cried. Then she signed up for tango lessons. It turns out that tango has a lot to teach about understanding love and loss, about learning how to follow and how to lead, how to live with style and flair, take risks, and sort out what it is you really want. As Maria's world begins to revolve around the friendships she makes in dance class and the milongas (social dances) she attends regularly in New York City, we discover with her the fascinating culture, history, music, moves, and beauty of the Argentine tango. With each new dance step she learns—the embrace, the walk, the sweep, the exit—she is one step closer to returning to the world of the living. Eventually Maria travels to Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango, and finds the confidence to try romance again.

As exhilarating as the dance itself, the story whirls us into the center of the ballroom dancing craze. And buoyed by the author's humor and passion, it imparts surprising insights about how to get on with life after you've lost in love. [close]

[close] Signed finished copy!
"authentic and memorable"
-- Booklist

"rural Alabama of 1932 is brought to life"
-- School Library Journal

"strong tale of hope and survival"
-- Library Media Connection, *recommended

"captivating... a tale that will stay with the reader forever" -- Robin Smith, Bookpage.com
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[close] "WRITING IS REWRITING" is packed with all the basics and essentials of writing fiction including the three special elements I consider most important for the creation of a successful story and achieving publication -
STORY - and all its elements
STRUCTURE - as opposed to format
REWRITING - vital for honing prose
7 Chapters, and Index [close]

[close] It's been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the library fundraising committee, who invited him to speak, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect—right down to the homemade Devil’s Food Cake she made herself. Murder, however, was not on the menu.

When Thom's manager ends up dead on stage, Sadie does what any woman with a history of solving murders does--jumps right in to offer her guidance and expertise. The police, however, are not very appreciative. In fact, they’d rather she just go home. But can Sadie help it if she keeps stumbling over information? Can she help it if the people intricately woven into the deception keep crossing her path? The more she learns, the broader the spectrum becomes and when the police refuse to take her seriously, Sadie has no choice but to sidestep them altogether in the pursuit of justice.

With her son Shawn at her side, her reputation on the line, and a full cast of suspicious characters, Sadie Hoffmiller is once again cooking her way through a case that offers far more questions than answers.
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[close] SHE HAS AN OPEN FUTURE

Gladys moves to live with an estranged aunt in Lagos and to continue her search for a job. Before long she lands the job of her dreams with the foremost oil company in the city and makes several new friends. She also gradually resolves the mystery of why her aunt previously cut all ties with their family. But the best part about her new life is meeting Edward Bestman.

HE HAS A CLOSED PAST

Edward is good-looking, super rich but emotionally scarred. Gladys gets him to see that she loves him and that together they can surmount all their differences. However, when they return from a romantic trip abroad, they find that some unnamed people are about to take over his business empire. Edward's past has come back to haunt both of them as Gladys is enmeshed in the loss of several million shares of the Bestman Group.

AND HE WILL PAY . . . WITH HIS HEART

Who are the people close to Edward who want to betray him and destroy his happiness with Gladys? Will Edward overcome his fear of love and commitment and put his trust in Gladys? [close]

[close] DARK END OF SPECTRUM will make you think twice before turning on your cell phone or PDA!

DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM is a frighteningly plausible, headline ripping tale of the real threats that loom in cyberspace based on the author's years of research into the hacker culture.

DARK END OF THE SPECTRUM is a thriller that will connect with everyone with a cell phone, PDA or wireless device.

When digital terrorists known as ICER take over the US power grid and the cell phone network, they give the government an ultimatum - bomb the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan with nuclear weapons to put an end to Al-Quada.

When the government refuses,the group destroys most of the downed aircraft in several major airports.

When ICER sends a pulse that will kill everyone on the East Coast, only security expert Dan Riker can stop them, but ICER has kidnapped his family. Will Dan save his family or will millions die? [close]

[close] In bed at night, Amy peers from under her covers at the dark shadows on the wall. But what is that flicker of light from the window? As she discovers the source of the mysterious light in her own backyard, she also learns something important about herself. The light, like many things in life, is something to be treasured but not contained, appreciated but always free. Here is a story to light one's eveningsany time of year. [close]

[close] Exclusive galleys of the latest by Yoko Ogawa, author of The Housekeeper and the Professor; suitable for mature audiences only.

In her mother's crumbling seaside hotel on the coast of Japan, quiet seventeen-year-old Mari works the front desk. When one night they are forced to expel a middle-aged man and a prostitute from their room, Mari finds herself drawn to the man's voice. She sees in this man something she has long been looking for.
Mari begins to visit him, and he soon initiates her into a dark realm of both pain and pleasure. As Mari's mother begins to close in on the affair, Mari's sense of what is suitable and what is desirable are recklessly engaged.

Hotel Iris is a stirring novel about the sometimes violent ways in which we express intimacy and about the untranslatable essence of love. [close]

[close] very once in a blue moon, a masterful writer dives into gothic waters and emerges with a novel that—like Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Minette Walters’s The Breaker, and Donna Tartt’s The Little Friend—simultaneously celebrates and transcends the tradition. Welcome Margaret Leroy to the clan.

What’s the matter with Sylvie?

Such a pretty girl. Four years old; well loved by her young mother, Grace. But there’s something . . . off about the child. Her deathly fear of water; night terrors; most of all, her fixation with a photo of an Irish seaside town called Coldharbour.

Haunted and haunting, Yes, My Darling Daughter is a wonderfully original, deliciously suspenseful mystery, "a haunting book and a tantalizing read" (The Providence Journal). [close]

[close] Detective. Polyglot. Chef. Eunuch. Investigator Yashim Returns in this Edgar® Award-Winning Series.

Istanbul, 1840: the young sultan Abdülmecid believes that Gentile Bellini's vanished masterpiece, a portrait of Mehmet the Conqueror, may have resurfaced in Venice.

What begins as a simple inquiry soon turns into a murderous game of deception and suspense, played out among the faded palazzi and sluggish canals of the decaying city. Dealers, forgers, and aristocrats become fatally involved, as the search for the Bellini portrait uncovers a threat to the stability of the Ottoman throne, and the peace of Europe. [close]

[close] Rising above the Spirit of Rejection and a slew of generational curses, a four year old girl walks smack into the cruelty of LOVE-DENIED! Her war scars become a testimony of a chase for the cure thru failed relationships, sexual escapades with professional athletes, and an addiction to the “VIP” room.

Her chase leads her to the gutter reaching for the extended hand of God. In His Mercy, He delivers her and shows her where she belongs. But can she receive it? Will she ever believe it? Where does her chase take her?...Where does it begin?..& how will it all end?

This book will satisfy the most avid reader of Urban Fiction, Romance & Fantasy as it captivates and inspires you. ManChaser will cause you suspense, leave you intense, and at times make you angry. But in the end, leave you with a reason to keep moving past your past, to becoming, as your scars become your weapons to OverCome Rejection.

In your chase…Don't Ever Give Up...Don't Ever!!!
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[close] Perhaps one of the biggest issues all women face is their own insecurity. Beth Moore, one of today’s most admired and trusted Christian writers, wants women to be free from the insecurity trap. So Long, Insecurity will strike a chord with women everywhere, as Beth speaks truth into the lives of readers, showing them how to deal with their innermost fears, rediscover their God-given dignity, and develop a whole new perspective—a stronger sense of self. Women of all ages and backgrounds will resonate with this message of security and discover truths that will free them emotionally and spiritually and lead them to a better life as they walk with God. [close]

[close] In the small Connecticut seaside town of Stuart Cove, David, a young ambitious professional takes a short leave of absence from his job at the New York Daily Press to settle his elderly aunt’s affairs after her death. On a visit to the Fishhook Pub, an old fisherman approaches David. This old man has a story to tell—a story about a lighthouse keeper named Danny and the loss of the fishing vessel, Seahawk. She went down during a storm back in 1956, but as the old man says, “That doesn’t tell the whole story.” David finds his life, and the lives of others, forever changed by this tale and the spirit of the Seahawk’s captain, Scott Spear. [close]

[close] By air, land, and sea, migrating animals are "going home." Salmon, turtles, whales and manatees travel by sea. Hummingbirds, butterflies and geese fly with determination. And caribou thunder across vast plains. Both illustrations and text capture a sense of movement and purpose - plus a sense of mystery and amazement. [close]

[close] In a unique blend of caricature and realism, five adorable cartoon bluebirds - a band in search of a different song for their upcoming concert - go birdwatching (and bird-listening) across the continent. Along the way they see remarkable (real) birds from the bald eagle in Alaska to mallard ducks in Boston, and discover the joys of birdwatching. The book is chock full of information about the birds, in the form of "field guide" pages, journal entries by the BLUES, and birding tips.
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[close] “Will I never see you again either?” I asked, feeling as though I was about to jump off a high mountain peak and hope to land without hurting myself. That’s how impossible everything seemed at that moment, no matter what I did.
“Perhaps we will meet again,” Sasha said, softening his voice. “But you must see that it does not matter. You have so much ahead of you. It’s your choice now. Choose the future! Choose life!”

For Anastasia Romanov, life as the privileged daughter of Russia’s last tsar is about to be torn apart by the bloodshed of revolution. Ousted from the imperial palace when the Bolsheviks seize control of the government, Anastasia and her family are exiled to Siberia. But even while the rebels debate the family’s future with agonizing slowness and the threat to their lives grows more menacing, romance quietly blooms between Anastasia and Sasha, a sympathetic young guard she has known since childhood. But will the strength of their love be enough to save Anastasia from a violent death?

Inspired by the mysteries that have long surrounded the last days of the Romanov family, Susanne Dunlap’s new novel is a haunting vision of the life—and love story—of Russia’s last princess. [close]

[close] Before he died, Melissa’s father told her about stars. He told her that the brightest stars weren’t always the most beautiful—that if people took the time to look at the smaller stars, if they looked with a telescope at the true essence of the star, they would find real beauty. But even though Melissa knows that beauty isn’t only skin deep, the people around her don’t seem to feel that way. There’s her gorgeous sister Ashley who will barely acknowledge Melissa at school, there's her best friend Ryan, who may be falling in love with the sophisticated Courtney, and there’s Melissa’s mother who’s dating someone new, someone who Melissa knows will never be able to replace her father.

To make sure she doesn’t lose her father completely, Melissa spends her time trying to piece together the last of his secrets and completing a journal her father began—one about love and relationships and the remarkable ways people find one another. But when tragedy strikes, Melissa has to start living and loving in the present, as she realizes that being beautiful on the outside doesn't mean you can't be beautiful on the inside.

This is a lyrical tale of love, loss and self-discovery from the author of THE SEPTEMBER SISTERS
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[close] Fear doesn't come naturally to Mathilda Savitch. She prefers to look right at the things nobody else can bear to mention: for example, the fact that her beloved older sister is dead, pushed in front of a train by a man still on the loose. Her grief-stricken parents have basically been sleepwalking ever since, and it is Mathilda’s sworn mission to shock them back to life.
Mathilda decides she’s going to figure out what lies behind the catastrophe. But she must risk a great deal—in fact, she has to leave behind everything she loves—in order to discover the truth. [close]

[close] Autographed copies.

Waiting for Appa traces the pain and confusion of Eunhae, who continues to cling to her dead father's memory like the ashes she refuses to toss into the sea during his memorial. She withdraws from everyone who seeks to love her, and as she grows to womanhood, her confusion over her feelings and the actions of her relatives deepens. When she goes back to her ancestral home in search of answers, her journey uncovers far more than she expected.

This book will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers because it’s really about several universal themes we can all identify with - the unbearable loss of a loved one, the unrelenting grief that comes from not knowing the whole story, and the joys of life that can easily slip through ones fingers if one refuses to live in the present. Finally, with knowledge comes some measure of peace and contentment, and with understanding comes wisdom to live the life to the fullest.


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[close] With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade.

Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel. [close]

[close] Thirty million American smokers say they want to quit smoking, but lack the motivation. 201 Reasons Not to Smoke is intended to motivate smokers to quit by describing over 100 ways that tobacco harms the smoker's health, often leading to prolonged disability and early death; problems from nicotine addiction, such as cravings and waste of time; the best methods of quitting tobacco; health hazards of secondhand smoke; increased dangers of injury from fire and nicotine poisoning; smokers' social and relationship problems; and the economic costs of smoking, including the cost of cigarettes and career problems. The book includes a section on the best methods of supporting others in their efforts to quit smoking. Contains complete and accurate discussions of tobacco-related illnesses that have been reviewed by prominent physicians and scientists. The author is an educator who has written textbooks, and is expert at explaining complex subjects in clear layman's language. No other book on the market contains such a thorough review of the problems caused by smoking. A comprehensive index is included. [close]

[close] Secrets & Lies
After the near genocide of his race, Teague Johnson now spends his life hiding in plain sight. In a city populated by humans and Nightfeeders alike, he and his brother are forced to cloak themselves in forged histories in order to blend in among the hierarchy of society.

Teague's weekly trysts with Kyle Drake give him a reason to anticipate the future -- until Kyle unexpectedly disappears. Afterward, Teague's life is thrust under a microscope, endangering everything he holds dear. Allegiances are tested, and the lines of friendship blur in a race to stop an inhuman killer. Kyle's fate hinges on Teague's ability to untangle the intricate web of secrets and lies before it's too late.

The Hard Truth
Blackmailed into claiming a birthright he doesn't want, Cadge Johnson is thrust into a world of politics and intrigue. His only ally is old friend and former lover, Red Taylor -- a Nightfeeder he has kept at arm's length for decades. The sordid past they share is nothing compared to the trials ahead. After nearly a century of love, loss, murder, and deception, only the cold, hard truth will finally set them free. [close]

[close] Signed copy! Weston Wilson is not immortal and he is of this world. But, aging is not part of his existence, and eighteen-year-old Sophie Slone is determined to find out why. In doing so, she could also uncover something about her own life expectancy that she may not want to know. Suddenly, immortality will mean everything and nothing all at the same time.

Intensely fascinating and rich with determination, The Pace brings together romance, mystery, and suspense in a compelling bond that is sure to have readers asking for more. [close]

[close] BAIT FOR LUNCH is a contemporary children's early reader with great kid-appeal, told from the point of view of narrator Gilroy Tanaka. Young Gilroy is dismayed to discover that Grandpa’s idea of tasty food is vastly different from his own. In trying to open Gilroy’s eyes to interesting new food, Grandpa serves squid and fish eggs for lunch, and octopus for dinner. When well-meaning Grandpa shows up to Gilroy’s school with more unusual snacks to share with the whole class, it’s more than a hungry kid can bear. A resourceful Gilroy manages to solve his food dilemma in a way that satisfies them both.

Children ages 4-8 will find Bait for Lunch to be a fun story with laugh-out-loud moments. Ryan Shaw’s engaging and whimsical artwork enhances the reading experience.

See the book's website at http://www.baitforlunch.com for more information about the book, including a fun kid's craft activity and teacher ideas.
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[close] Love… Like Snow In Florida On A Hot Summer Day is where Romeo & Juliet meets Desperate Housewives, with a dose of Girlfriends.

Marriage vows are not meant to be broken and when LaDamien Bryson took Kim Friar to be his wife he wanted so desperately to honor those vows. But when a man loves a woman he will not stop his pursuit until he has her safely in his arms and he resides in her heart. It’s when that woman isn’t his wife that all hell breaks loose.

In this steamy hot novel, loyalties are tested, commitment is held to the fire, and no life is left unchanged, as three lives become intertwined in a web of lust and deceit.

One man, two women, and a struggle for his undivided love sets the stage for a riveting story that will have you taking a closer look at your own relationship and asking “what if?”

Love...Like Snow In Florida On A Hot Summer Day is a tale of love, betrayal and obsession, served with a scandalous twist. [close]

[close] On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., America’s quintessential civil-rights leader, was assassinated. Two controversial questions remain unanswered even today–who assassinated him and why?

While honeymooning with his beautiful wife Joy, Rick Champion, a successful African-American entrepreneur, becomes enraged when he learns of Dr. King’s murder and vows to identify and destroy the perpetrators. His quest turns treacherous and deadly. A clandestine power elite bent on world domination decimates the highly successful software company he established with his two best friends to finance his strategy. Mounting a counterattack, he becomes proficient in astrology and uses it to penetrate the cabal, devise an ingenious plan known only by him, and establish a secret organization of prominent, highly accomplished African American men to implement the plan. However, his happy marriage to Joy, the love of his life, is threatened when she discovers his involvement with the diabolical power elite.

With Rick’s marriage on the rocks and the sudden, unexpected betrayal of his secret organization by one its embittered members, the story rockets to an unexpected finale that changes the world’s political, social, and economic landscape forever.
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[close] Grace Lisa Vandenburg orders her world with numbers: how many bananas she buys, how many steps she takes to the cafe, how many poppy seeds are in her daily piece of orange cake. Every morning she uses 100 strokes to brush her hair, 160 strokes to brush her teeth. But Grace's life is about to change on a day when all the tables at her regular cafe are full, and a stranger, Seamus Joseph O'Reilly (19 letters in his name, just like Grace's), invites her to sit with him. Because no matter how organised you are, how many systems you put in place, you can't plan for people. They are unpredictable and full of possibilities. And suddenly, Grace may be about to lose count of the number of ways she can fall in love. [close]

[close] Christy Williams finally has her life on track. She’s putting her past behind her and working hard to build a career as an antiquarian book buyer. But things begin to unravel when a stolen Hemingway first edition is found in her possession, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. With no one to turn to, she yearns for her estranged younger sister, May, whom she abandoned after their parents’ untimely deaths. Soon, Christy’s fleeing from her shattered dreams, her ex-boyfriend, and God. Could May’s Triple Cross Ranch be the safe haven she’s searching for? Will the sisters realize that each possesses what the other desperately needs before it’s too late? A stunning debut from the latest Christian Writers Guild winner. [close]

[close] Radish tells the story of five exceptional women, each at a crossroads, each waiting for the plane that will take her to a new chapter. There's Nan, the brassy, brilliant business woman hanging onto her job by a thread. There's Cathy, a woman who rarely sleeps alone but often wakes up by herself. There's Holly, the hair stylist who has always lived in someone else's shadow. There's Margo, a master life-juggler, pushed to the brink from keeping too many balls in the air. There's Patty, who has sung her heart
out in every dive and harbors the darkest of secrets. When a storm strands these five extraordinary women, they make an outrageous decision to rent the luxury suite at the airport hotel with each other--strangers one and all. There they find the answers they've been seeking, the joy they've been missing, and the unexpected and always cherished connections that unite all women. [close]

[close] On her tour of the English countryside, a chance encounter in the streets alerts Miss Prudence Watson to the inhumane working conditions at the worsted mill. She learns that the owner is William Sherbourne, a Royal Naval officer just returned from sea. Following in his wake is his reputation as a cad and a secret so ghastly he’ll do anything to protect it. Even worse, he’s handsome and charming and not at all the villain Prudence expected him to be. [close]

[close] Win A Copy Of "PurposeFull You"...
If you or someone you know have been living with doubt about your purpose in this life, enter this contest. "PurposeFull You" is a friend to friend motivational book to help you to see the importance you have in this life. Through encouraging words and a few shared experiences, Shalonda "Treasure" Williams will dare to get you to understand that you are purposeful right where you are. Compact but full of words to help uplift your spirits. [close]

[close] "A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him."
----

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself. [close]

[close] When someone leaves three mystery flowers outside her dorm door, Laurel thinks that maybe the Avondale School isn't so awful after all — until her own body starts to freak out. In the middle of her English presentation on the Victorian Language of Flowers, strange words pop into her head, and her body seems to tingle and hum. Impulsively, Laurel gives the love bouquet she made to demonstrate the language to her spinster English teacher. When that teacher unexpectedly and immediately finds romance, Laurel suspects that something — something magical — is up. With her new friend, Kate, she sets out to discover the origins and breadth of her powers by experimenting on herself and others. But she can’t seem to find any living experts in the field of flower powers to guide her. And her bouquets don't always do her bidding, especially when it comes to her own crush, Justin. Rumors about Laurel and her flowers fly across campus, and she's soon besieged by requests from girls — both friends and enemies — who want their lives magically transformed — just in time for prom. [close]

[close] A fairytale for children:A young girl named Vasilisa has to go to the Queen of Asps to ask for the Brew of Life to save her dying old father. The Queen is not very friendly to say the least and tries her best to see the girl dead. Vasilisa does not scare easily, read for yourself: "..."Did you enjoy your last meal, cutie?" said a low, cackling voice from the dark of the cave. The witch snapped her fingers and several torches along the wall shot out fire. Standing now in front of Vasilisa, the witch could as well have been a thousand years old. Her long twisted chin rested in the middle of her chest, her nose reached far away from her wrinkled face, blazing red eyes were half hidden under the bushy eyebrows and her skin was almost black from dirt and old age. Stinky gray hair stood straight up on her head, as if terrified of the owner. "Did you come to take a peek at the looking glass inside my cauldron? You may not like what you see."
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[close] Eight-grader Roy Morelli can't wait for baseball season to start so he can take his rightful place as shortstop for the Pilchuk All-Star team. Being on the All-Stars is just the warm-up for the big leagues: the varsity baseball team at the high school Roy will go to next year. But when Roy's divorced parents find out he's failing history, they make him quit the All-Stars. It's not "his "fault the only thing interesting about history class is Valerie Hopkins, and she won't even give Roy the time of day.
Now Roy is stuck on a losing team in the wimpy rec league, and instead of playing ball every spare minute, he's spending his afternoons with a tutor--who just happens to be his dad's brainiac girlfriend. If Roy's going to impress the varsity baseball coach, he's sure he should be looking out for number one, not wasting his time studying. After all, "baseball "is what Roy does best. But when his grades continue to slide and his teammates get tired of his know-it-all attitude, Roy Morelli will need to step up to the plate. . . . [close]

[close] How to Do Nothing literally tells "how to do nothing with nobody all alone by yourself"—real things, fascinating things, the things that you did when you were a kid, or your parents did when they were kids. This is a book to free your kid from video games for a few hours, a handbook on the avoidance of boredom, a primer on the uses of solitude, a child's declaration of independence.

If you don't remember how to make a spool tank, what to do with an old umbrella, whether "pennies" come before or after "spank the baby" in mumbly-peg, or how to make rubber-band guns, slings, or clamshell bracelets, it's OK because Robert Paul Smith has collected all of this and more in How to Do Nothing. It's a book for kids, but parents are not prohibited from reading it.

Robert Paul Smith is the author of the best-selling Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing. and of the novels So It Doesn’t Whistle, The Journey, Because of My Love, and The Time and the Place. Smith was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, and graduated from Columbia College in 1936. He worked as a writer with CBS Radio.
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[close] Fourteen-year-old Adya Jordan swears that before her head injury she was a forty-year-old mother of six. Is she going crazy, or did she really live through an entirely different life? 1985 is nothing like she remembers, although her first day of high school certainly is!

A typical girl with atypical genes, Adya tries to recapture her old life, hiding her growing conviction that she has done this before. Memories of the man she loved and a family she adored haunt her, even though her future husband doesn't even know she exists.
Accidentally discovering the secretive Three Eleven Corporation might know more about her situation than she does, she is convinced the twenty-eight men heading up the company are responsible for the changes in her world. Adya finds her way into their ranks, journeying to the tropical island headquarters to begin an orientation into their prestigious internship program.

The Three Eleven Company controls the development and distribution of Twenty-first Century technology brought with them from the future. Charged with the task of preparing the world for an impending disaster, each member of the team uses his scientific background to create a solution for a problem the planet does not know it is facing. They don't have time to deal with a feisty young girl poking around.

Nicholas Weaver is trapped in the future, and has spent more than ten lifetimes trying to set things right in the past. He does it all for the love of a woman, but vows this will be the last time.

Banished to the frozen Canadian Sheild for asking too many questions of CEO Abraham Fairfield, Adya finds the men in the underground city of Sanctum are interested in more than just her genes as they search for the answer to her presence in the timeline.
In the end, Adya encounters a choice no mother should ever face: save her children...or everyone else. [close]

[close] Meet Kevin Pugh, 12-year-old couch potato. Now meet Cromwell, his part beagle, part potato chip dog. Kevin's looking forward to spending his summer doing as little as possible. Unfortunately, Kevin's father, former Chicago Bears star player/super-sports fanatic, Howie Pugh, feels differently. So does Cromwell, who has suddenly and mysteriously developed a fascination with agility competitions: running up seesaws, leaping over hurdles, soaring through hoops (sometimes). If he has to do anything, Kevin would rather do something for newly obsessed Cromwell, but dog agility lessons do not constitute a sport in his father's mind, so football camp it is. Until some well-timed events collide, literally, and soon Kevin's found a way for he and Cromwell to take classes, and the upstart Team Cromwell is born.
Andy Behrens has written a hilarious novel with a dry-as-dirt protagonist who's constantly tortured by the goings-on around him. It's also a charming story about a boy and his dog, as well as a meaningful and heartfelt look at a relationship between a boy and his father who don't always see eye-to-eye. [close]

[close] BARNABY GRIMES IS a tick-tock lad, running errands in his city, day and night, and "highstacking" around the rooftops in search of new mysteries to solve. In this first adventure, Barnaby is attacked one night by an enormous dog and soon finds himself swept up in a world of crooked doctors, poor and ill-advised patients, strange tonics, and very expensive furs. . . . [close]

[close] Deborah Grabien is a musician and the author of many adult novels. She lives in San Francisco, California, with her husband, a fellow musician. The pair rescues stray cats and finds homes for them and is active in local feral cat rescue organizations. Dark's Tale, her first novel for young readers, was inspired by this work and the recent encroachment of coyotes on Golden Gate Park. You can visit her online at www.deborahgrabien.com. [close]

[close] London, 1783. Orphan Cirrus Flux is being watched. Merciless villains are conniving to steal the world's most divine power--The Breath of God--which they believe Cirrus has inherited. Now he faces a perilous journey through the dirty backstreets of the city as a sinister mesmerist, a tiny man with an all-seeing eye, and a skull-collecting scoundrel pursue him. Cirrus must escape them, but he'll need to trust some unlikely allies if he hopes to thwart his foes . . . and survive a grand and terrifying showdown. [close]

[close] Joshua Wynn is a preacher's son and a "good boy" who always does the right thing. Until Maddie comes back to town. Maddie is the daughter of the former associate pastor of Joshua's church, and his childhood crush. Now Maddie is all grown up, gorgeous--and troubled. She wears provocative clothes to church, cusses, drinks, and fools around with older men. Joshua's ears burn just listening to the things she did to get kicked out of boarding school, and her own home.
As time goes on, Josh goes against his parents and his own better instincts to keep Maddie from completely capsizing. Along the way, he begins to question his own rigid understanding of God and whether, as his mother says, a girl like Maddie is beyond redemption. Maddie leads Josh further astray than any girl ever has . . . but is there a way to reconcile his love for her and his love for his life in the church? [close]

[close] Lisa Glatt is the author of Abigail Iris: The One and Only, as well as the short story collection The Apple's Bruise and the novel A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That. She teaches at California State University, Long Beach and is married to writer David Hernandez. http://www.lisaglatt.com/

Suzanne Greenberg is the author of Abigail Iris: The One and Only, as well as Speed-Walk and Other Stories, Winner of the Drue Heinz Prize for Literature, 2003. She currently teaches creative writing at California State University. She lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband and their three children. www.suzannegreenberg.com

Joy Allen has illustrated over 30 books for children, including the popular American Girl Hopscotch Hill School series and Abigail Iris: The One and Only. Her art has appeared on the cover of Publishers Weekly, in the L.A. Times, and on the Today Show. She lives in Cameron Park, California. www.joyallenillustration.com [close]

[close] This story begins with Mariamne, a vulnerable girl who knows little of the ways of the world. Much as she wants to be in control of her own destiny, she soon learns she has no such power. She must do as her father and brother see fit, and when tragedy strikes, Mari must marry a man she does not love and enter a household where she is not welcome, for the good of her family.
But she finds a small way to comfort herself when she meets an Egyptian wisewoman who instructs her in the ways of the occult arts. In the spirit world, Mari finds she has power. Here, she really is in control of her fate. But is she? Or is the magic controlling "her"?
This gripping portrait of one of the most misunderstood and controversial Biblical figures is the story of a young girl's path through manipulation and possession, madness and healing, to a man who will change the world forever. [close]

[close] On a secret mission to evaluate whether the human race should be annihilated, a space alien inhabits the body of a bullied fourteen-year-old boy.

[close] A bushel of facts and fabulous photographs make this 24 Karat informational book shine.
The mile gets its name from the term mille passus, whichmeans "a thousand paces." The abbreviation for pound (lb.) comes from the Latin libra pondo. Feet, pounds, quarts, miles: these are words we use every day. But where did they originate, and what do they actually mean?
Once again, Ken Robbins takes an everyday subject and, through spectacular photographs and straightforward and entertaining text, makes it come alive. [close]

[close] In 1981, DJ and Vietnam vet Max August was thrust into a hidden war between the forces of chaos and order. In that war, magick – real, potent magick- was the chief weapon. Mentored by legendary alchemist Cornelius Agrippa, Max was an eager student. Before Agrippa died in 1985 – having lived for five hundred years – Max learned the secret to stopping the aging of his body, making himself “timeless.” Nearly three decades later, he saves Dr. Pamela Blackwell from a magickal dart that would have killed her. Her life-saving research has made her an enemy of the FRC, a cabal intent on world domination. From San Francisco to Barbados to the shores of Suriname, Max and Pam must fight off magick-wielding assassins, legions of zombies, and the FRC’s more mundane weapon – corporate clout and friends in high places. Max may be powerful and immortal, but he’s not indestructible. He’ll need all his powers, his hard-earned fighting skills, and Pam’s help to prevent a genocidal apocalypse.

Steve Englehart has written for such series as Captain America, Batman: The Dark Detective and The Justice League of America and for his novel The Point Man.
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[close] 'Til Eternity scripturally defines the events coming before, during, and after Christ's second coming. Highlighted within these seventy events is the resurrection at the coming of the Son of Man, the physical return of the Messiah, the appearing of the Word of God, and the descent of the Lamb of God. What is each event? Who is involved? Where will it happen? When will it happen? Why will it happen? There is no greater warning than grasping the eternal consequences of His coming.

In this late hour, the love for the world is at an all time high. False teachers are turning many Christians away from the truth. Church leaders are refusing to judge between the righteous and the wicked; between those serving God and those who aren't. Such compromise will usher in the greatest persecution believers will ever experience. The only way to overcome will be through obedience to the Holy Spirit (Rev. 3:21-22).

'Til Eternity highlights the events coming before, during, and after the Second Coming of Christ. We will begin with the next event on God's end time calendar. After studying the last seventy events in order you will discover:

* What events will warn His Coming is near?
* Who are the teachers deceiving so many?
* Where will His Coming end?
* When will the Great Tribulation be shortened?
* Why will the Beast overcome so many saints?

Whoever is a friend of the world is an enemy of God (Jam. 4:4). This is why the world will be worshippping the Beast when the Lord gathers His elect (2 Thes. 2:1-4). Instead of yielding to the enemy, let us overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, even if it costs us our lives (Rev. 12:11). [close]

[close] Have you ever wanted to have a career as a promotional model or spokesperson and didn't know where to start?Here is your chance with this easy-to-read guide book that helps you learn tips of the trade, tools and skills you need, invaluable Q&A and over 200 different agent listings to get you started! [close]

[close] *You can also enter another giveaway to win a copy of Pride and Promiscuity!*

Part biography and part cultural history, this splendid book not only tells the captivating story of Jane Austen's life, but also her literary legacy. The slow growth of Austen's fame, the changing status of her work, and what it has stood for in English culture is a story of personal struggle and family dynamics as well as a history of critical practices and changing public tastes. Jane's Fame is essential reading for anyone interested in Austen's life, works and unshakable appeal. [close]

[close] *You can also enter another giveaway to win a copy of Jane's Fame!*

In 2002, an amateur Jane Austen scholar, while staying at a Hertfordshire estate, stumbled upon a hidden cache of manuscript pages and made an extraordinary literary discovery – lost scenes from Jane Austen’s novels that reveal an altogether different dimension to her oeuvre.

Pride and Prejudice’s Bingley sisters appear as Sapphic seductresses; Mansfield Park’s incest subtext becomes manifest; and Darcy gets more than his shirt wet.

This incisive parody of academic study is sure to astonish and delight mischievous Austenites. [close]

[close] A woman named Faith is jolted from her simple existence when she learns she is a lightworker, an evolved soul sent to Earth to increase love. Complicating this startling news is the revelation that she hasn't been fulfilling her life's purpose and has one year to prove herself - or be pulled from her assignment! As Faith confronts this daunting task, she faces very human concerns, including releasing her own negativity, searching for love, and even a dead blind date! How will Faith fare as she begins her spiritual journey and finds her gifts tested beyond anything she's known?

From author Caroline A. Shearer: “I appreciate non-fiction, but I’ve always gravitated to fiction for reading pleasure. And, while the ideas in non-fiction books certainly are valuable and can be implemented in our lives instantaneously if we so choose, in practice, it usually is more of a process. That’s why I’m creating a fiction series where the reader can grow along with the main character as she incorporates spirituality into everyday life. Faith, like many of us, starts in a very “earthy” place and will evolve over time. Plus, she’s fun, and it’s a good mystery story! It’s great for anyone who wants to dip their toe into this area but isn’t quite ready to pick up a non-fiction book that, for example, labels the purchaser as a ‘lightworker.’”

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Lightwo... [close]

[close] In the future, Earth has been invaded by an alien race and been completely destroyed. Humanity escapes the planet however, and starts again on a new world. In the midst of this, humans with "supernatural powers" discover their roles as defenders of humanity. [close]

[close] At the Lowara Gypsy Camp outside Windsor, England, in 1806, a young woman will lose her independence in a common marriage market transaction. Jade knows she is promised to Dimitri, a possessive abuser.

When Jade learns her father plans to send her into the arms of another man in order to protect her, she finds only slight consolation . . . until she encounters her intended.

Evan Dark is a half-Gypsy gentleman—nothing like Dimitri. Caught in a battle between tribes, Jade is a piece of property, the ideal runaway bride. In order to escape Dimitri’s clutches, she sails for Charleston with Evan as his indentured servant. But, engaged to another woman as part of a plantation merger in South Carolina, Evan’s affiliation with Jade can never be more than professional.

Evan must choose between fulfilling his obligation to marry his betrothed or accept his overpowering passion for Jade, a woman his matchmaking Gypsy grandfather deemed the perfect Romany wife.

In nineteenth-century America, where insincere tradition meets old money and arranged matrimony in upper-crust society, Evan faces the most difficult decision of his life: Remain loyal to the fiancée he holds in commitment . . . or be true to the lover he holds in his heart.

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[close] The Substitute Bride

Fleeing an arranged marriage, debutante Elizabeth Manning exchanges places with a mail-order bride bound for New Harmony, Iowa. Life on the frontier can’t be worse than forced wedlock to pay her father’s gambling debts. But Ted Logan’s rustic lifestyle and rambunctious children prove to be more of a challenge than Elizabeth expects. She doesn’t know how to be a mother or a wife. She doesn’t even know how to tell Ted the truth about her past—especially as her feelings for him grow. Little does she know, Ted’s hiding secrets of his own, and when their pasts collide, there’s more than one heart at stake. [close]

[close] Who are you supposed to look up to when it seems like every adult you know is more screwed up than yourself?

Looming above Zach Ramsey's hometown are the smokestacks of the truck assembly plant, the greasy lifeblood of this Detroit suburb. Surrounded by drunks, broken marriages, and factory rats living in fear of the pink slip, Zach is getting out of Blaine after graduation. But first, he's going to enjoy the summer before his senior year.

Rolling in cash from selling stolen beer, getting smashed with his best friend Tank, and falling in love for the first time, Zach's having a blast until he uncovers dark secrets that shake his faith in everyone—including Tank, whose 'roid rages betray a shocking habit.

With enough evidence to nail the town's steroid kingpin, Zach is faced with the toughest decision of his life—one that will prove just what kind of adult he's destined to be. [close]

[close] Frank Fisher is nothing. He wants to be something. When a mysterious young woman named Bonnie offers assistance by injecting seeds of inspiration directly into his brain, Frank finds himself involved in a twisting mystery full of addiction, desperation and self-discovery. Broken Bulbs, a novella by Eddie Wright, tells the story of the lengths one young man will go in the pursuit of "somethingness." [close]

[close] On the banks of the Merrimack River at the close of World War II, a young mill worker dreams of marrying rich and finally becoming Mrs. Somebody Somebody. But that dream is complicated--not only for her but for all of Lowell, which is changing rapidly as the
twentieth century progresses, and which Winn chronicles perfectly in a series of lives brushing up against one another. She writes from the perspective of mill owners and union
organizers, hard-working immigrants and overindulged children, and weaves them together to create a brilliant portrait of a place. In the tradition of Richard Russo and Elizabeth Strout, Winn captures the heart of industrial America, making it come alive with
her absolutely stunning prose. [close]

[close] Fourth book by Ophelia Finsen.

Renata shrugged her shoulders. “I suddenly felt like it. I felt so tired of everything that I just had to… I just had to shake things up a bit.”
“Yes, but did you really have to shake them about in the centre of town?”

Renata is disillusioned with her life and her office job. Elsa could use a warm, home-cooked meal. Nelly finds inspiration in an incidence of street crime. And whatever is going on, Lucinda will already have been there, done that.
Jimanac is a warm and vibrant city, full of life, variety and eccentric characters muddling through the day-to-day living. Women of all ages and backgrounds looking for a little peace and a little hope.

Through these twelve short stories, you are invited down to street level; to come and experience what it is to be a woman of Jimanac. [close]

[close] Best-selling gay erotica author J. M. Snyder delivers four stories about men who find love and lust while “hard” at work. From a hotel employee putting in overtime during a comic book convention, to a pair of coworkers who finally hook up while on a business trip, from a supervisor who hires a new salesman in the hopes of taking their working relationship beyond its professional level, to a tattoo aficionado whose crush on his tattoo artist keeps him returning to the parlor for more ink, each story explores the dynamics between men in the workplace.

The four novelettes in this collection are available separately as e-books, but are only available in print in this single-author paperback collection. Contains the following stories:

* Carey'd Away
* Double Standard
* On Company Time
* The Tattooed Heart [close]

[close] Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.

On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.

Beautifully written and feverishly paced, Everlasting is an unforgettable journey of passion, secrecy, and adventure. [close]

[close] When sisters Sadie and Zuzu Brooks move to Salt Lake City, they discover a secret room in the attic of their new house, with a sign that reads “Palace Beautiful” and containing an old journal. Along with their neighbor, dramatic Belladonna Desolation (real name: Kristin Smith), they take turns reading the story of a girl named Helen living during the flu epidemic of 1918. The journal ends with a tragedy that has a scary parallel to Sadie and Zuzu’s lives, and the girls become obsessed with finding out what happened to Helen after the journal ends. Did she survive the flu? Is she still alive somewhere? Or could her ghost be lurking in the nearby graveyard?

Sarah DeFord Williams has created a gripping read that covers two time periods, many fantastic characters, and a can’t-put-it-down ending, all with delightful, extraordinary prose. [close]

[close] Win an ARC (advanced reading copy) of THE MONEY BOOK...

"The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed" describes a completely new, comprehensive system for earning, spending, saving, and surviving as an independent worker.

This is a book for people like us, and we all know who we are.

We make our own hours, keep our own profits, chart our own way. We have things like gigs, contracts, clients, and assignments. All of us are working toward our dreams: doing our own work, on our own time, on our own terms. We have no real boss, no corporate nameplate, no cubicle of our very own. Unfortunately, we also have no 401(k)s and no one matching them, no benefits package, and no one collecting our taxes until April 15th.

It’s time to take stock of where you are and where you want to be. Who is planning for your retirement? Who covers your expenses when clients flake out and checks are late? Who is setting money aside for your taxes? Who is responsible for your health insurance?

Take a good look in the mirror: You are.

This handbook to financial serenity is must reading for the self-employed. It is about nurturing your future and putting your finances first.

http://www.facebook.com/TheMoneyBook
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[close] Heralding the arrival of a stunning new voice in American fiction, Robin Black’s If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This takes readers into the minds and hearts of people navigating the unsettling transitions that life presents to us all.

Written with maturity and insight, and in beautiful, clear-eyed prose, these stories plumb the depths of love, loss, and hope. A father struggles to forge an independent identity as his blind daughter prepares for college. A mother comes to terms with her adult daughter’s infidelity, even as she keeps a disturbing secret of her own. An artist mourns the end of a romance while painting a dying man’s portrait. An accident on a trip to Italy and an unexpected connection with a stranger cause a woman to question her lifelong assumptions about herself.

Brilliant, hopeful, and fearlessly honest, If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This illuminates the truths of human relationships, truths we come to recognize in these characters and in ourselves.
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[close] An intricate, powerful story of loss, hope, and courage in the face of evil.

“I wanted to tell the story of a child whose world is shattered so badly that no one can make it right: not his parents, or the cops, not the church or the community. How does the boy cope? Where does he find strength and down what dangerous path will that strength take him?” – John Hart

The Last Child, comin soon to paperback, traverses the wilderness between innocence and hard wisdom, between hopelessness and faith, and establishes John Hart as a writer of unique power. [close]

[close] Beautifully written, and composed with a novelist's eye for detail, this book tells the story of an exceptional man and the culture from which he emerged.

Taha Muhammad Ali was born in 1931 in the Galilee village of Saffuriyya and was forced to flee during the war in 1948. He traveled on foot to Lebanon and returned a year later to find his village destroyed. An autodidact, he has since run a souvenir shop in Nazareth, at the same time evolving into what National Book Critics Circle Award–winner Eliot Weinberger has dubbed "perhaps the most accessible and delightful poet alive today."

As it places Muhammad Ali’s life in the context of the lives of his predecessors and peers, My Happiness offers a sweeping depiction of a charged and fateful epoch. It is a work that Arabic scholar Michael Sells describes as "among the five 'must read' books on the Israel-Palestine tragedy." In an era when talk of the "Clash of Civilizations” dominates, this biography offers something else entirely: a view of the people and culture of the Middle East that is rich, nuanced, and, above all else, deeply human.

Adina Hoffman is the author of House of Windows: Portraits from a Jerusalem Neighborhood. Her essays and criticism have appeared in the Nation, the Washington Post, the Times Literary Supplement, and other publications. She lives in Jerusalem. [close]

[close] WHO GOT LIZ GARDNER is a coming-of-age novel about the (mis)adventures of a dysfunctional, self-centered but essentially good-hearted aspiring actress growing up during the hedonistic 80s and 90s. A first-person narrative in a strikingly fresh voice, the story is mostly set in New York City and later Los Angeles, as Liz pursues her twin goals of finding A) a career in acting, and B) a decent man (The One). Both of these goals prove elusive, though not from any lack of trying on Liz’s part. The daughter of a five-time drama queen divorcee and a thoroughly despicable wealthy philandering shrink, Liz starts out with more psychological baggage than most people collect in a lifetime. It's no surprise that she soon seeks out male companionship to fill her emotional void, or that the assorted men she beds invariably prove to be disposable ciphers. But instead of caving in and becoming a basket case, Liz summons up her inner moxie and sets out on her quest to find a good life and someone with whom to share it.

Who Got Liz Gardner is sexy, edgy women’s fiction complete at 127,000+ words. My novel is an absolute meal with flavors and ingredients reminiscent of Bridget Jones Diary, Good in Bed, Sex and the City finished with a dash of Fear of Flying. Like great recipes, all the flavors come together to produce an extraordinary experience.
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