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Letter to My Daughter
by George BishopBONUS: This edition contains a Letter to My Daughter discussion guide.A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry--and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz's return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to convey "everything I've always meant to tell you but never have." In her painfully candid confession, Laura shares memories of her own troubled adolescence in rural Louisiana, her bittersweet relationship with a boy she loved despite her parents' disapproval, and a personal tragedy that she can never forget. An absorbing and affirming debut, Letter to My Daughter is a heartwrenching novel of mothers, daughters, and the lessons we all learn when we come of age.Look for special features inside.Join the Circle for author chats and more.RandomHouseReadersCircle.com
Letter to My Daughter: A Novel
by George BishopBONUS: This edition contains a Letter to My Daughter discussion guide.A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry--and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz's return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to convey "everything I've always meant to tell you but never have." In her painfully candid confession, Laura shares memories of her own troubled adolescence in rural Louisiana, her bittersweet relationship with a boy she loved despite her parents' disapproval, and a personal tragedy that she can never forget. An absorbing and affirming debut, Letter to My Daughter is a heartwrenching novel of mothers, daughters, and the lessons we all learn when we come of age.Look for special features inside.Join the Circle for author chats and more.RandomHouseReadersCircle.com
The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn
by Alison WeirBONUS: This edition contains a The Lady in the Tower discussion guide.Nearly five hundred years after her violent death, Anne Boleyn, second wife to Henry VIII, remains one of the world's most fascinating, controversial, and tragic heroines. Now acclaimed historian and bestselling author Alison Weir has drawn on myriad sources from the Tudor era to give us the first book that examines, in unprecedented depth, the gripping, dark, and chilling story of Anne Boleyn's final days.The tempestuous love affair between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn scandalized Christendom and altered forever the religious landscape of England. Anne's ascent from private gentlewoman to queen was astonishing, but equally compelling was her shockingly swift downfall. Charged with high treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London in May 1536, Anne met her terrible end all the while protesting her innocence. There remains, however, much mystery surrounding the queen's arrest and the events leading up to it: Were charges against her fabricated because she stood in the way of Henry VIII making a third marriage and siring an heir, or was she the victim of a more complex plot fueled by court politics and deadly rivalry? The Lady in the Tower examines in engrossing detail the motives and intrigues of those who helped to seal the queen's fate. Weir unravels the tragic tale of Anne's fall, from her miscarriage of the son who would have saved her to the horrors of her incarceration and that final, dramatic scene on the scaffold. What emerges is an extraordinary portrayal of a woman of great courage whose enemies were bent on utterly destroying her, and who was tested to the extreme by the terrible plight in which she found herself. Richly researched and utterly captivating, The Lady in the Tower presents the full array of evidence of Anne Boleyn's guilt--or innocence. Only in Alison Weir's capable hands can readers learn the truth about the fate of one of the most influential and important women in English history.
The Sheen on the Silk
by Anne PerryArriving in Constantinople in 1273, Anna Zarides vows to prove the innocence of her twin brother, Justinian, who has been exiled to the desert for conspiring to kill a nobleman. Disguising herself as a eunuch named Anastasius, Anna moves freely about in society, maneuvering close to the key players involved in her brother's fate, including Zoe Chrysaphes, a devious noblewoman with her own hidden agenda, and Giuliano Dandolo, a ship's captain conflicted by his growing feelings for Anastasius. As leaders in Rome and Venice plot to invade Constantinople in another Crusade to capture the Holy Land, Anna's discoveries draw her inextricably closer to the dangers of the emperor's treacherous court--where it seems that no one is exactly who he or she appears to be.
Stop Getting Ripped Off: Why Consumers Get Screwed, and How You Can Always Get a Fair Deal
by Bob SullivanThe "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Gotcha Capitalism" strikes again to help readers evade the financial traps big businesses set for unwary consumers--and shows how to get the best possible deals every single time.
F My Life: It's Funny, It's True, Except When It Happens to You
by Maxime Valette Guillaume Passaglia Didier Guedj MissbeanToday, my boss fired me via text message. I don't have a text messaging plan. I paid 25 cents to get fired.Your girlfriend dumped you, your car broke down, your boss passed you up for the big promotion. Life's not fair, but there is one sure-fire way to ease your pain-laughing at someone else who had an even worse day than you did. Enter the devastatingly funny world of F My Life, where calamity is comedy. Covering every disastrous pratfall in love, work, family-life, and more, F My Life proffers other people's ruinous, real-life happenings to brighten your gloomiest day: someone getting dumped through a greeting card, ignored at their birthday party, or insulted by their own grandmother. Spanning everything from ironic twists of fate to down-right shameful moments, F My Life's squirm-inducing stories are schadenfreude at its finest. So today, take solace in knowing that at least you're not that guy. There now, don't you feel better?Today, my boyfriend broke up with me. I cried and told him that I loved him. He gave me a quarter and told me to call someone who cared. I threw the quarter in his face and ran. I waited for the bus, but when I got on, I realized I was 25 cents short of the fare. I walked home in the rain. Today, my mom walked in on me looking at a 1978 Playboy. She asked if I found it in the basement. I said yes. Then I realized she was the centerfold. Today, I got in line at the grocery store. The woman in front of me looked right at me, turned to her friend, and said "That reminds me, I forgot to get acne cream."From the Trade Paperback edition.
Saving Dinner: The Menus, Recipes, and Shopping Lists to Bring Your Family Back to the Table
by Leanne ElyCertified nutritionist Leanne Ely has a simple philosophy: "Make it and they will come." Dinner, that is. Take-out, opening a can, or microwave fare shouldn't pass for a nice, healthy meal-and nothing can replace a family's time together. Believe it or not, preparing dinner can be a stress-free endeavor. Even your time in the supermarket can be cut in half!Full of practical tips on simple, healthy meal planning, Saving Dinner is the ideal solution for today's busy parents who would love to have their family sitting around the dinner table once again-sharing stories along with a nutritious meal. Efficiently divided by season, each section features six weeks of menus with delicious recipes, side dish suggestions, and an itemized grocery list that is organized by product (dairy, meat, produce) to make one-stop shopping a snap. Plus the book is packed with helpful hints and short cuts in the kitchen that make cooking easier and more fun.From Big Basil Burgers and Salmon Carbonara to Crockpot Chili and Spicy Apricot Chicken, Saving Dinner will have your family coming back to the table-and back again for seconds!Leanne Ely is considered the expert on family cooking and healthy eating. Between her popular "Heart of a Woman" radio show in Southern California and her weekly "Food for Thought" column on the ever-popular Flylady.net Web site, thousands of fans have already discovered Leanne's secrets to easily prepared, well-balanced meals. From the Trade Paperback edition.
How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew
by Erin BriedPractical and empowering, "How to Sew a Button" offers more than 100 step-by-step essential tips for cooking, cleaning, gardening, and entertaining.
The 5-Factor World Diet
by Laura Moser Harley PasternakFollowing on the heels of his hugely popular blockbuster, The 5-Factor Diet, celebrity trainer and nutritionist Harley Pasternak has searched the world to add a little variety and spice to your weight loss plan. The 5-Factor World Diet takes the 5-Factor principle of five meals a day, five core ingredients, five-minute prep time, and incorporates the best foods and nutritional habits from ten of the world's healthiest countries. While jetting to exotic locales with some of Hollywood's biggest stars as their personal health and fitness expert, Pasternak has sampled local cuisine from many corners of the world. Consequently he has made a fascinating discovery: the farther he journeyed from the United States, the easier it was to seek out foods that were both nourishing and slimming. Now he reveals the international diet secrets of the world's healthiest people, including the self-control technique used by the Japanese that prevents them from overeating. the trick to combating heart disease in France (it's not just the wine). the reason Swedes stay slim and trim year round and have among the highest average life expectancies (80. 74 years). the key to Singapore' s low obesity rate (less than 2%). an explanation why notorious food-loving Italians are among the healthiest people in the world Pasternak also shares helpful advice about ordering in restaurants, as well as pantry-stocking and cooking tips. With suggested menus and more than 120 delicious recipes--from Japanese Chicken Yakatori and French Ratatouille to Chapchae Korean Stirfry and Oven Baked Swedish Meatballs-- The 5-Factor World Diet will keep you healthy, fit, and looking your absolute best.
The New Good Life: Living Better than Ever in an Age of Less
by John RobbinsHow do you define the good life? For many, success is measured not by health and happiness but by financial wealth. But such a worldview overlooks the important things in life: personal contentment, family time, spirituality, and the health of the planet and those living on it. A preoccupation with money and possessions is not only unhealthy, it can also drain the true joy from life. n recent years, millions have watched their American Dreams go up in smoke. The international financial collapse, inflation, massive layoffs, and burgeoning consumer debt have left people in dire financial straits-including John Robbins, a crusader for planet-friendly food and lifestyle choices, who lost his entire savings in an investment scam. But Robbins soon realized that there was an upside to our collective financial downturn: Curtailed consumerism could lead us to reassess our lives and values. The New Good Life provides a philosophical and prescriptive path from conspicuous consumption to conscious consumption. Where the old view of success was measured by cash, stocks, and various luxuries, the new view will be guided by financial restraint and a new awareness of what truly matters. A passionate manifesto on finding meaning beyond money and status, this book delivers a sound blueprint for living well on less. Discover how to * create your own definition of success based on your deepest beliefs and life experience * alleviate depression, lower blood pressure, and stay fit with inexpensive alternatives for high-cost medications * develop a diet that promotes better health-and saves you money * plan for-and protect yourself from-future economic catastrophes * cut down on your housing and transportation costs * live frugally without deprivation * follow in the footsteps of real people who have effectively forged new financial identities. The New Good Life provides much-needed hope and comfort in a time of fear and uncertainty. Here is everything you need to develop high-joy, low-cost solutions to life's challenges. Practical and timely, this book equips you with the skills needed not only to survive but to thrive in these challenging times.
Romancing Miss Bronte
by Juliet GaelIn this astonishing novel, a brilliant mélange of fact and fiction, Juliet Gael skillfully and stylishly captures the passions, hopes, dreams, and sorrows of literature's most famous sisters--and imagines how love dramatically and most unexpectedly found Charlotte Brontë.During the two years that she studied in Brussels, Charlotte had a taste of life's splendors--travel, literature, and art. Now, back home in the Yorkshire moors, duty-bound to a blind father and an alcoholic brother, an ambitious Charlotte refuses to sink into hopelessness. With her sisters, Emily and Anne, Charlotte conceives a plan to earn money and pursue a dream: The Brontës will publish. In childhood the Brontë children created fantastical imaginary worlds; now the sisters craft novels quite unlike anything written before. Transforming her loneliness and personal sorrow into a triumph of literary art, Charlotte pens her 1847 masterpiece, Jane Eyre.Charlotte's novel becomes an overwhelming literary success, catapulting the shy and awkward young woman into the spotlight of London's fashionable literary scene--and into the arms of her new publisher, George Smith, an irresistibly handsome young man whose interest in his fiercely intelligent and spirited new author seems to go beyond professional duty. But just as life begins to hold new promise, unspeakable tragedy descends on the Brontë household, throwing London and George into the background and leaving Charlotte to fear that the only romance she will ever find is at the tip of her pen. But another man waits in the Brontës' Haworth parsonage--the quiet but determined curate Arthur Nicholls. After secretly pining for Charlotte since he first came to work for her father, Arthur suddenly reveals his heart to her. Romancing Miss Brontë is a fascinating portrayal of an extraordinary woman whose life and work articulated our deepest human longing: to love and be loved in return. From the Hardcover edition.
Coming Home (Chesapeake Diaries #1)
by Mariah StewartBut 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.
Home Again (Chesapeake Diaries #2)
by Mariah StewartDallas MacGregor is living the Hollywood dream. At thirtysomething, she's an award-winning actress beloved by the public and bound for even bigger success. But when her soon-to-be-ex-husband, producer Emilio Baird, is caught in a sex scandal, Dallas's charmed life turns tabloid nightmare. Determined to shield her young son, Cody, from the ugly uproar, Dallas seeks refuge in sleepy St. Dennis, Maryland--the Chesapeake Bay town where her happiest childhood days were spent. Reunited with her boisterous great-aunt, Dallas wants nothing more than to leave her Hollywood days behind. And when she crosses paths with local veterinarian Grant Wyler, her high school summer love, she finds he's everything she remembers, and more--and that the spark is still there. But Dallas's promising new life takes a troubling turn when the unimaginable happens and she finds herself living a mother's worst nightmare--and Emilio storms into St. Dennis to save the day, along with his damaged career. Trapped in the unwanted glare of the limelight once again, Dallas discovers that it's coolheaded Grant who is willing to risk everything to protect her and her son, and to secure the future they were always meant to share.From the Paperback edition.
Almost Home (Chesapeake Diaries #3)
by Mariah StewartWhen she was young, Steffie Wyler always knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life: 1. Make ice cream. 2. Marry the coolest boy in town. 3. Live happily ever after. These days, Steffie is the proud owner of One Scoop or Two, a wildly popular ice cream parlor. But the cool guy left town right after high school, before they could scratch the surface of their mutual attraction to see what, if anything, lay beneath. Steffie's made a great life for herself in St. Dennis, but true love has never come knocking. Wade MacGregor left for college in Texas and remained there to start a successful business with his best friend, Robin Kennedy, but he's always felt something was missing. Then life throws him a curveball: A third partner has robbed the company blind, and Robin has died--but not before entrusting Wade with a precious secret. Now back in St. Dennis, Wade's determined to do whatever it takes to protect his friend's legacy--and to figure out, once and for all, if the sparks that fly whenever he's with Steffie are just temporary fireworks or the lights in the window leading him home.From the Paperback edition.
Love Me to Death (Lucy Kincaid #1)
by Allison BrennanSix years ago, Lucy Kincaid was attacked and nearly killed by an online predator. She survived. Her attacker did not. Now Lucy's goal is to join the FBI and fight cyber-crime, but in the meantime, she's volunteering with a victim's rights group, surfing the Web undercover to lure sex offenders into the hands of the law. But when the predators she hunts start turning up as murder victims, the FBI takes a whole new interest in Lucy. With her future and possibly even her freedom suddenly in jeopardy, Lucy discovers she's a pawn in someone's twisted plot to mete out vigilante justice. She joins forces with security expert and daredevil Sean Rogan, and together they track their elusive quarry from anonymous online chat rooms onto the mean streets of Washington, D.C. But someone else is shadowing them: A merciless stalker has his savage eye on Lucy. The only way for her to escape his brutality may be another fight to the death.
If I Should Die: A Novel Of Suspense (Lucy Kincaid Ser. #3)
by Allison BrennanIf I Should Die includes Allison Brennan's chilling novella Love Is Murder, formerly available exclusively as an eBook! A TRIP TO THE DARK SIDE: Aspiring FBI agent Lucy Kincaid and her P.I. boyfriend, Sean Rogan, are heading to the Adirondack Mountains for a pleasant romantic getaway when they detour to help troubled friends, owners of a new resort who are battling malicious vandals. After Lucy and Sean pursue an arsonist into an abandoned mine shaft, Lucy stumbles upon an even more heinous crime--and the perfectly preserved remains of its victim. The only thing more disturbing than the discovery of the corpse is its sudden disappearance. While the local police remain skeptical, Lucy is dead certain that there's a connection between the sabotage at the resort and the murder--one that the less-than-neighborly citizens of Spruce Lake seem to have a stake in keeping hidden. Then, when a cold-blooded sniper targets Sean and Lucy, FBI agent Noah Armstrong enters the fray to ensure that more bodies don't hit the ground. Now three outsiders race to untangle a violent conspiracy before they end up like the rest of Spruce Lake's secrets: dead and buried.
Kiss ’Em Goodbye: An ESPN Treasury of Failed, Forgotten, and Departed Teams
by Dennis PurdyTHEY'RE GOING, GOING, GONE. . . . Their names roll off the tongue, a litany of the damned: the Providence Steam Roller, the Wilmington Quicksteps, the Cincinnati Porkers. They are the lost squads of professional sports history-teams forsaken by fans, fleeced by owners, or forgotten by time. Until now. Kiss 'Em Goodbyeunearths the real stories of dozens of vanished teams that once graced-and often disgraced-North America's big leagues. Like the St. Paul Apostles, the only major league team ne...
Dream Team: How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
by Jack MccallumThey were the Beatles of basketball, the Mercury Seven in sneakers. In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team that captivated the world, kindled the hoop dreams of countless children around the planet, and remade the NBA into a global sensation. As a senior staff writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona. For the duration of the Olympics, he lived with, golfed with, and--most important--drank with some of the greatest players of the NBA's Golden Age: Magic Johnson, the ebullient showman who shrugged off his recent diagnosis of HIV to become the team's unquestioned captain and leader; Michael Jordan, the transcendent talent at the height of his powers as a player--and a marketing juggernaut; and Charles Barkley, the outspoken iconoclast whose utterances on and off the court threatened to ignite an international incident. Presiding over the entire traveling circus was the Dream Team's beloved coach, Chuck Daly, whose laissez-faire approach proved instrumental in getting the most out of such disparate personalities and superstars such as Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, and Scottie Pippen. Drawing on fresh interviews with the players, McCallum provides the definitive account of the Dream Team phenomenon. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the controversial selection process. He takes us inside the team's Olympic suites for late-night card games and bull sessions where the players debate both the finer points of basketball and their respective places in the NBA pantheon. And he narrates a riveting possession-by-possession account of the legendary July 1992 intrasquad scrimmage that pitted the Dream Teamers against one another in what may have been the greatest pickup game--and the greatest exhibition of trash talk--in history. In the twenty years since the Dream Team first captivated the world's attention, its mystique has only grown--and so has its influence. The NBA is now flush with international stars, many of them inspired by the exuberant spirit of '92. Dream Team vividly re-creates the moment when a once-in-a-millennium group of athletes came together, outperformed the hype, and changed the future of sports--one perfectly executed fast break at a time. The Dream Team was . . . Michael Jordan, Guard, Chicago Bulls Magic Johnson, Guard, Los Angeles Lakers Larry Bird, Forward, Boston Celtics Charles Barkley, Forward, Phoenix Suns Chris Mullin, Forward, Golden State Warriors Scottie Pippen, Forward, Chicago Bulls John Stockton, Guard, Utah Jazz Karl Malone, Forward, Utah Jazz David Robinson, Center, San Antonio Spurs Patrick Ewing, Center, New York Knicks Christian Laettner, Forward, Duke University Clyde Drexler, Guard, Portland TrailblazersFrom the Hardcover edition.
The Exile of Sara Stevenson: A Historical Novel
by Darci HannahIn 1814, Sara Stevenson, the well-bred but high-spirited daughter of celebrated Scottish lighthouse designer Robert Stevenson, falls in love with a common sailor, Thomas Crichton. On the day of their clandestine elopement, Thomas mysteriously disappears, leaving Sara heartbroken, secretly pregnant, and at the mercy of her overbearing family. Refusing to relinquish her hopes that Thomas will someday return to her, Sara is banished to an eerie lighthouse on lonely and remote Cape Wrath. There she meets William Campbell, the reclusive yet dashing light-keeper who incites her ire--and interest. Soon Sara begins to accept her life on the cape and her growing attraction to William--until a mystifying package from an Oxford antiquarian arrives, giving intriguing clues to Thomas's whereabouts. Through her correspondence with the antiquarian, Sara slowly uncovers the story of her beloved's fate. But what she doesn't immediately grasp is that these letters travel an even greater distance than she could have imagined--as the boundaries between time and space unravel to forge an incredible connection between a woman and a man many years apart. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Bloodshot
by Cherie PriestVAMPIRE FOR HIRE Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn't usually hang with her own kind. She's too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist--even though Ian doesn't want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files--documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn't bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Life! By Design: 6 Steps to an Extraordinary You
by Laura Morton Tom FerryAre you one of the 123 million people in this world who is dissatisfied in your life? Do you run day-to-day on autopilot? Have you settled for "good enough"? Are risks just too risky? Are you living in a coma and don't even know it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are living by default and not By Design! This book will help you discover a passion for life that extends beyond your career and material success-a passion that involves your identity, your self-worth, your relationships, and your health. It is time to emerge from your coma, embrace renewed vitality, and approach life By Design! In this dynamic hands-on guide, world-class success coach and motivational leader Tom Ferry reveals the secrets to achievement at work and at home, and how to create a greater balance between the two. This book will help you conquer the four addictions that are holding you back from living up to your greatest potential: addiction to the opinions of others, addiction to drama, addiction to the past, and addiction to worry. By becoming aware of these addictions, you will be better equipped to respond to uncertain times and to the challenges that crop up in your daily life. Tom Ferry's unique six-step approach to living By Design will help you emerge from complacency into action and accomplishment. Step 1: Explore the Core Seven life assessments-your career, your intimate relationships, your finances, your physical body, your spirituality, your attitude about the world, and your intellectual self-and pinpoint the areas in which you want to improve. Step 2: Make the conscious, deliberate choice to change your life and find fulfillment, no matter the obstacles. Step 3: Create your Life! By Design by declaring what you want for yourself, defining your goals, and devising a concrete plan to make it happen. Step 4: Identify the actions you can take to ensure that you thrive in all areas of your life. Step 5: Visualize your life as you want it to be. This simple but profound exercise is a proven technique that will lock in your vision and will lead you toward achieving your goals. Step 6: Create accountability and structure to break old habits and gain the discipline required to live life to your fullest potential. It's time to draw the line between the past and the present as you face your fears, and go for everything you really want. This is Life! By Design. And the results will astound you!
Blood Born (Vampire #1)
by Linda Howard Linda JonesWhen the human and the vampire worlds collide, there will be hell to pay. Luca Ambrus is a rare breed: vampire from birth, begotten by vampire parents, blood born. He is also an agent of the Council--the centuries-old cabal that governs vampirekind, preserving their secrecy and destroying those who betray them. When a cryptic summons leads him to the scene of the brutal killing of a powerful Council member, Luca begins the hunt for an assassin among his own people. But instead of a lone killer he discovers a sinister conspiracy of rogue vampires bent on subjugating the mortal world. All that stands in their way are the conduits, humans able to channel spirit warriors into the physical world to protect mankind. Chloe Fallon is a conduit--and a target of the vampire assassin who's killing them. When Luca saves her life, an irresistible bond of trust--along with more passionate feelings--is forged between them. As more victims fall, Chloe and Luca have only each other to depend on to save the world from the reign of monsters--and salvage their own future together.
Running Wild: The Men from Battle Ridge (Men from Battle Ridge #1)
by Linda Howard Linda JonesIn book 1 of this steamy new contemporary Western romance series by two blockbuster authors, a cowboy and a woman on the run take a stand and fight for love. Carlin Reed lives in fear, off the grid, moving from place to place. So Battle Ridge, Wyoming, a small town in the middle of nowhere, seems like a good place to lie low for a while. But after becoming cook and housekeeper to cattle rancher Zeke Decker, Carlin suspects that she's made her first mistake. Rugged, sexy, and too distracting for his own good, Zeke is pure temptation mixed with something deep and primal that makes Carlin feel almost safe. Soon things are getting way too hot in the kitchen. Zeke doesn't challenge Carlin's terms: cash, dead bolts, and no questions. It is easy to see that she's a woman in trouble. Problem is, he's so blindsided by his attraction to her he can't think straight. Zeke tries to stay all business, no complications--but that game plan is sabotaged the second Carlin gets under his skin. And when her terrifying past follows her to the ranch, Carlin faces a heartbreaking choice: run away from the man she loves, or put him in the crosshairs of a madman.
Nights of Villjamur
by Mark Charan NewtonFollowing in the footsteps of writers like China Miéville and Richard K. Morgan, Mark Charan Newton balances style and storytelling in this bold and brilliant debut. Nights of the Villjamur marks the beginning of a sweeping new fantasy epic.Beneath a dying red sun sits the proud and ancient city of Villjamur, capital of a mighty empire that now sits powerless against an encroaching ice age. As throngs of refugees gather outside the city gates, a fierce debate rages within the walls about the fate of these desperate souls. Then tragedy strikes--and the Emperor's elder daughter, Jamur Rika, is summoned to serve as queen. Joined by her younger sister, Jamur Eir, the queen comes to sympathize with the hardships of the common people, thanks in part to her dashing teacher Randur Estevu, a man who is not what he seems.Meanwhile, the grisly murder of a councillor draws the attention of Inspector Rumex Jeryd. Jeryd is a rumel, a species of nonhuman that can live for hundreds of years and shares the city with humans, birdlike garuda, and the eerie banshees whose forlorn cries herald death. Jeryd's investigation will lead him into a web of corruption--and to an obscene conspiracy that threatens the lives of Rika and Eir, and the future of Villjamur itself. But in the far north, where the drawn-out winter has already begun, an even greater threat appears, against which all the empire's military and magical power may well prove useless--a threat from another world. From the Hardcover edition.
Seven Seasons in Siena: My Quixotic Quest for Acceptance Among Tuscany's Proudest People
by Robert RodiSiena seems at first glance a typical Italian city: within its venerable medieval walls the citizens sport designer clothes, wield digital phones, and prize their dazzling local cuisine. But unlike neighboring Florence, Siena is still deeply rooted in ancient traditions--chiefly the spectacular Palio, in which seventeen independent societies known as contrade vie for bragging rights in an annual bareback horse race around the central piazza.Into this strange, closed world steps Robert Rodi. A Chicago writer with few friends in town and a shaky command of conversational Italian, he couldn't be more out of place. Yet something about the sense of belonging radiating from the ritual-obsessed Sienese excites him, and draws him back to witness firsthand how their passionate brand of community extends beyond the Palio into the entire calendar year. Smitten, Rodi undertakes a plan to insinuate himself into this body politic, learn their ways, and win their acceptance.Seven Seasons in Siena is the story of Rodi's love affair with the people of Siena--and of his awkward, heartfelt, intermittently successful, occasionally disastrous attempts to become a naturalized member of the Noble Contrada of the Caterpillar. It won't be easy. As one of the locals points out, someone who's American, gay, and a writer is the equivalent of a triple unicorn in this corner of Tuscany. But like a jockey in the Palio outlasting the competition in the home stretch, Rodi is determined to wear down all resistance. By immersing himself in the life of the contrada over seven visits at different times of the year--working in their kitchens, competing in their athletic events, and mastering the tangled politics of their various feuds and alliances--the ultimate outsider slowly begins to find his way into the hearts of this proud and remarkable people.By turns hilarious and heartwarming, and redolent with the flavor of the Tuscan countryside, Seven Seasons in Siena opens a window on daily life in one of the most magical regions in all of Italy--revealing the joys to be found when we stop being spectators and start taking an active part in life's rich pageant.