THE CHRISTMAS VISITORS - For spirited Martha Coblentz and her twin Mary, the snow has delivered the perfect holiday and birthday present to their door--handsome brothers Nate and Bram Kanagy. But when unforeseen trouble interrupts their season's good cheer, it will take unexpected...  more

THE CHRISTMAS VISITORS - For spirited Martha Coblentz and her twin Mary, the snow has delivered the perfect holiday and birthday present to their door--handsome brothers Nate and Bram Kanagy. But when unforeseen trouble interrupts their season's good cheer, it will take unexpected intervention--and sudden understanding--to give all four the blessing of a lifetime... KISSING THE BISHOP - As the year's first snow settles, Nazareth Hooley and her sister are give n a heaven-sent chance to help newly widowed Tom Hostetler tend his home. But when her hope that she and Tom can build on the caring between them seems a dream forever out of reach, Nazareth discovers that faith and love can make any miracle possible...

Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas So what if she can't hook a fish? This city girl has a plan to snag something else...and his name is Justin. Lucy Binoche is reasonably attractive, intelligent, and fit. She has French lineage and betterthanaverage hair. So why is she nearly 30 and still...  more

Love Finds You in Snowball, Arkansas So what if she can't hook a fish? This city girl has a plan to snag something else...and his name is Justin. Lucy Binoche is reasonably attractive, intelligent, and fit. She has French lineage and betterthanaverage hair. So why is she nearly 30 and still single? Justin Gerard is the rugged hottie new to her churchs singles group. When he signs up for a camping trip in the Ozarks, Lucy loses no time writing her name on the line beneath his. Theres only one problem Lucys idea of "roughing it" is suffering through a long line at Starbucks. She assumes she can rely on the grace of God and the assistance of her friend to get through. But at the campsite in Snowball, Arkansas, Lucy bungles everything she attempts as she tries to impress Justin. She cant fish, hike, or ride a horse; caves make her hyperventilate; and hotair balloons make her ill. Soon, events are snowballing out of control. Will Lucy pretend to be someone shes not just to snag a boyfriend? Or will she discover someone who loves her just as she is? Love Finds You is a series of fulllength romance novels that give readers a peek into the flavor of local life across the United States. The novels are uniquely named after actual American towns with quirky, interesting names that inspire romance and are just plain fun! This means that each fictional story draws on the compelling history or unique character of a real place. Our fresh, original love stories will feature everything from romance kindled in small towns, to old loves lost and found on the high plains, to new loves discovered at exciting vacation getaways.

Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is a sweet river town known for its theater, chopping, and cuisine.  But tough times are crushing tourism -- until a hard-swinging baseball team and three hometown heroes begin to revitalize the community, one inning at a time. Determined to prove her...  more

Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is a sweet river town known for its theater, chopping, and cuisine.  But tough times are crushing tourism -- until a hard-swinging baseball team and three hometown heroes begin to revitalize the community, one inning at a time. Determined to prove her independence, Mia Monroe is no longer Daddy's little rich girl.  Buying an old car with the last of her money, she sets out for who knows where. . . until her clunker clunks out in Cricket Creek.  With no plan and no credit cards, Mia has to find more resilience that she's ever needed before.  And a little help from an attractive new acquaintance wouldn't hurt . . . As first baseman for the Cricket Creek Cougars, Cameron Patrick has two jobs: winning games and keeping his nose clean.  If he can do both, he might just make it back to the minor leagues.  He knows Mia is trouble from the moment she catches his eye -- but he can't stop looking.  And maybe the kind of trouble is exactly what he needs.

Linda Davis's local fabric shop is a place where women gather to share their creations:  quilts commemorating important events in their lives.  Wedding quilts, baby quilts, memorial quilts -- each is bound tight with dreams, hopes and yearnings. Now, as her only child readies...  more

Linda Davis's local fabric shop is a place where women gather to share their creations:  quilts commemorating important events in their lives.  Wedding quilts, baby quilts, memorial quilts -- each is bound tight with dreams, hopes and yearnings. Now, as her only child readies for college, Linda is torn between excitement for Molly and heartache for herself.  Who will she be when she is no longer needed in her role as mom?  What will become of her days?  Of her marriage? Mother and daughter decide to share one last adventure together -- a cross-country road trip to move Molly into her dorm.  As they wend their way through the heart of the country, Linda stitches together the scraps that make up Molly's young life.  And in the quilting of each bit of fabric -- the hem of a christening gown, a snippet from a Halloween costume -- Linda discovers that the memories of a shared journey can come together in a way that will keep them both warm in the years to come....

Knitting finally takes its rightful place on the spectrum of personal obsessions, alongside golfing, fishing, and gardening. The tangled life of the knitter is the subject of inspired nuttiness in these 300 tongue-in-cheek meditations from the self-proclaimed yarn harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee....  more

Knitting finally takes its rightful place on the spectrum of personal obsessions, alongside golfing, fishing, and gardening. The tangled life of the knitter is the subject of inspired nuttiness in these 300 tongue-in-cheek meditations from the self-proclaimed yarn harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. As any knitter can attest to, this is an activity fraught with guilt, frustration, over-optimism, sly deception, and compulsion, along with passionate moments of creative enlightenment. To soothe the unraveled knitter's soul, Pearl- McPhee has selected some of her favorite quotes to cast off from, and then, like the standup comic of the knitting world, she rants, raves, and reflects on common experiences that are sure to leave avid knitters in stitches. At Knit's End captures the wicked — and wickedly funny — musings of someone who doesn't really believe it's possible to knit too much, and who willingly sacrifices sleep, family, work, and her sanity on a regular basis in order to keep doing it. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has seen it all — from the deadly “second sock syndrome,” to a house so full of yarn she can't find her washing machine, to desperate all-nighters spent feverishly finishing gifts. This hilarious collection of short, pithy readings offers plenty of reassurance for anyone who has ever wondered, “Am I alone in my mania?”

In 2004, Kevin Malarkey and his six-year-old son, Alex, suffered an horrific car accident. The impact from the crash paralyzed Alex?and medically speaking, it was unlikely that he could survive. ?I think Alex has gone to be with Jesus,? a friend told the stricken dad. But two months later, Alex...  more

In 2004, Kevin Malarkey and his six-year-old son, Alex, suffered an horrific car accident. The impact from the crash paralyzed Alex?and medically speaking, it was unlikely that he could survive. ?I think Alex has gone to be with Jesus,? a friend told the stricken dad. But two months later, Alex awoke from a coma with an incredible story to share. Of events at the accident scene and in the hospital while he was unconscious. Of the angels that took him through the gates of heaven itself. Of the unearthly music that sounded just terrible to a six-year-old. And, most amazing of all . . . Of meeting and talking to Jesus. The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven is the true story of an ordinary boy?s most extraordinary journey. As you see heaven and earth through Alex?s eyes, you?ll come away with new insights on miracles, life beyond this world, and the power of a father?s love.

Brian O'Connor is a successful lawyer, loving husband, and devoted father. He also happens to be blind. Driven his entire life to be independent, Brian has achieved much, but he has been so busy proving his triumph over blindness that he hasn't stopped to consider how his carefully...  more

Brian O'Connor is a successful lawyer, loving husband, and devoted father. He also happens to be blind. Driven his entire life to be independent, Brian has achieved much, but he has been so busy proving his triumph over blindness that he hasn't stopped to consider how his carefully crafted life can all come crashing down in an instant. When his young son is diagnosed with cancer, the long ensuing battle brings Brian to his knees as he comes to terms with his own limitations and his need for faith.

WHO IS THE HUNTER? At night, a 700-pound Siberian tiger makes an impossible leap from his seemingly impenetrable cage and drags a young woman to a horrific death.  The beast is called Rajah, a ruthless killing machine possessed of almost supernatural intelligence, and an insatiable...  more

WHO IS THE HUNTER? At night, a 700-pound Siberian tiger makes an impossible leap from his seemingly impenetrable cage and drags a young woman to a horrific death.  The beast is called Rajah, a ruthless killing machine possessed of almost supernatural intelligence, and an insatiable appetite for blood.  Only Dr. Meg Brewster, the beautiful veterinarian at the L.A. Zoo, suspects that something more than animal nature is at play. AND WHO IS THE PREY? Now, as Rajah roams a panic-stricken city, it's up to Meg to stop his relentless rampage of violence.  Joined by two men -- one she used to love, and one she's rapidly falling in love with -- she'll track him down in a tense and dangerous chase, unaware that there are others in on the hunt as well, intent that neither Meg nor any of her search party survive... Uncaging a fury not experienced since Jaws, CLAW is a tale of stark, unimaginable terror that is fast-paced, riveting, and completely believable.  

In Jersey City the code of the streets is simple. No matter what, you don't talk to the cops. You don't snitch. But when young bus driver Andre Bolden witnesses a murder on his route, the code gets personal and every decision leads him deeper into worlds that he never intended to...  more

In Jersey City the code of the streets is simple. No matter what, you don't talk to the cops. You don't snitch. But when young bus driver Andre Bolden witnesses a murder on his route, the code gets personal and every decision leads him deeper into worlds that he never intended to enter. In this rich story that ratchets up the tension and suspense at every turn, the reality of life on the street is infused with spiritual truth. Gifted storyteller Booker T. Mattison's realistic tale of revenge and redemption offers hope about the strength of community against violence and intimidation.

At the height of the Cold War, two Americans are runnng a bar in the West German capital, called Mac's place. One of the pair, Michael Padillo, isn't around a lot; he keeps disappearing on "business trips." McCorkle, his partner, wisely doesn't ask questions; he knows Padillo has a second job...  more

At the height of the Cold War, two Americans are runnng a bar in the West German capital, called Mac's place. One of the pair, Michael Padillo, isn't around a lot; he keeps disappearing on "business trips." McCorkle, his partner, wisely doesn't ask questions; he knows Padillo has a second job -- he's a (reluctant) US agent. But McCorkle is ready to answer a call for help from Padillo, and he joins his friend in a blind journey with no inkling of what they will encounter at the turn of each dark and dangerous corner.

Best be nimble, best be quick, I'm right here and you're my pick . . . The last thing Ford Elkhart remembers is walking his girlfriend back to her car. Now he's lying tied and gagged on a cold, dark floor, with only one chance to escape before he ends up like the bones...  more

Best be nimble, best be quick, I'm right here and you're my pick . . . The last thing Ford Elkhart remembers is walking his girlfriend back to her car. Now he's lying tied and gagged on a cold, dark floor, with only one chance to escape before he ends up like the bones surrounding him. Assistant State's Attorney Daphne Montgomery is devastated by her son's disappearance and is immediately convinced that his kidnapping is connected to the white supremacist she's just had jailed for murder. FBI Special Agent Joseph Carter isn't so sure -- especially when he learns that Ford's girlfriend is also missing. Is Ford's abduction payback for Daphne's courtroom victory, or is he a pawn in an even more dangerous game? 

Sam Capra must commit an impossible assassination -- or he will lose the only person in the world who matters to him . . .  Sam Capra has one reason to live: to rescue his baby son from the people who abducted him. An ex-CIA agent, Sam now owns bars around the world as cover for his...  more

Sam Capra must commit an impossible assassination -- or he will lose the only person in the world who matters to him . . .  Sam Capra has one reason to live: to rescue his baby son from the people who abducted him. An ex-CIA agent, Sam now owns bars around the world as cover for his real mission-working undercover for a secret network as mysterious as it is powerful, while using his skills to find his child.  Now the kidnappers have offered a deadly deal: they'll surrender Sam's child...if Sam finds and murders the one man who can expose them. Teaming up with a desperate young mother whose daughter is also missing, Sam tracks his prey -- and his son -- across the country in a dangerous race against time, and must unravel a deadly conspiracy if he's to rescue the only person in the world that matters to him. 

In late 2009, CIA officers in Afghanistan’s Kabul station allowed a Jordanian doctor into their closest confidence. In truth, the doctor was an al-Qaeda double agent -- and when he blew himself up, the station’s most senior officers died with him. Years later, the station still...  more

In late 2009, CIA officers in Afghanistan’s Kabul station allowed a Jordanian doctor into their closest confidence. In truth, the doctor was an al-Qaeda double agent -- and when he blew himself up, the station’s most senior officers died with him. Years later, the station still hasn’t recovered. Recruiting has dried up and the agency’s best Afghani sources are being eliminated. At Langley, the CIA’s chiefs begin to suspect the worst: somehow, the Taliban has infiltrated the station. When they ask John Wells to investigate, he reluctantly agrees to return to the country where his career began. One thing is certain: Americans are dying, and an American is responsible. Wells is the only one who can unearth the truth -- if it doesn’t bury him first . . .

A city on flood alert, a killer on the rampage Heavy rains have burst the banks of the Willamette River; several people have died in the furiously rising waters ...but the latest victim didn't drown: She was killed before she went into the water. Soon, other victims are found, and Police...  more

A city on flood alert, a killer on the rampage Heavy rains have burst the banks of the Willamette River; several people have died in the furiously rising waters ...but the latest victim didn't drown: She was killed before she went into the water. Soon, other victims are found, and Police Detective Archie Sheridan realizes that Portland has a new serial killer on its hands. Reporter Susan Ward is on the story, but she's also got other leads to chase, and some secrets can be too frightening for prying eyes ...with Archie following a bizarre trail of evidence, and Susan close behind, the pair must unearth the identity of a vicious murderer, and uncover the truth behind a mystery more than sixty years old...

Autumn wants something special for her twenty-first Birthday.  She has the sports car, the apartment, and the private college.  Now she wants excitement.  She's going to get it. Daddy has signed up Autumn and her friends for the "ultimate urban reality" game; a...  more

Autumn wants something special for her twenty-first Birthday.  She has the sports car, the apartment, and the private college.  Now she wants excitement.  She's going to get it. Daddy has signed up Autumn and her friends for the "ultimate urban reality" game; a simulated drug deal, jailbreak, kidnapping, and manhunt.  The authorities know all about it. That's why they're disregarding the cries for help.  How convenient for a gang of players taking it to the next level.  They're playing for real.  When forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett and her partner, Gabe Quintana, are pulled into the game, the stakes are raised.  After all, nobody wants to spoil Autumn's fun.  And nobody is leaving this party alive.

Retired Army Ranger John Holliday and his friend Eddie travel to Cuba in search of Eddie's brother, who has vanished mysteriously. Soon they find themselves trying desperately to stop the shocking plot of a secret Templar cabal that has been growing for five hundred years. As the conspiracy...  more

Retired Army Ranger John Holliday and his friend Eddie travel to Cuba in search of Eddie's brother, who has vanished mysteriously. Soon they find themselves trying desperately to stop the shocking plot of a secret Templar cabal that has been growing for five hundred years. As the conspiracy tightens its iron grip around the corrupt and dying Castro regime, Holliday must find Eddie's brother before it is too late and the secret horror of what lies in the Valley of Death is revealed.

Victorian enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his young assistant Thomas Llewelyn, first introduced in Will Thomas's critically acclaimed debut novel "Some Danger Involved", are back with a new mission. When a bomb destroys the Special Irish Branch of Scotland Yard, all fingers...  more

Victorian enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his young assistant Thomas Llewelyn, first introduced in Will Thomas's critically acclaimed debut novel "Some Danger Involved", are back with a new mission. When a bomb destroys the Special Irish Branch of Scotland Yard, all fingers point to the increasingly brazen factions of Irish dissidents seeking liberation from English rule. Volunteering their services to the British government, Barker and Llewelyn set out to infiltrate a secret cell of the Irish Republican Brotherhood known as the Invisibles. Posing as a reclusive German bomb maker and his anarchist apprentice, they are recruited for the group's ultimate plan: to bring London to its knees and end the monarchy forever. Their adventures take them from an abandoned lighthouse on the craggy coast of Wales to the City of Light, where Llewelyn goes undercover with Maire O'Casey, the alluring sister of an Irish radical. Llewelyn again finds himself put to the test by his enigmatic employer as he is schooled in the deadly science of bomb making.

As a midwife-in the turn-of-the-century tenements of New York City, Sarah Brandt has seen suffering and joy, birth and death. Now she is about to take part in something more unusual in the crime-ridden streets of the teeming city -- a search for justice. After a routine delivery, Sarah visits...  more

As a midwife-in the turn-of-the-century tenements of New York City, Sarah Brandt has seen suffering and joy, birth and death. Now she is about to take part in something more unusual in the crime-ridden streets of the teeming city -- a search for justice. After a routine delivery, Sarah visits her patient in a rooming house -- and discovers that another boarder, a young girl, has been killed. At the request of Sergeant Frank Malloy, she searches the girl's room. She discovers that the victim is from one of the most prominent families in New York -- and the sister of an old friend. The powerful family, fearful of scandal, refuses to permit an investigation. But with Malloy's help, Sarah begins a dangerous quest to bring the killer to justice before death claims another victim...

An American bishop gets kidnapped outside his cabin in the High Sierras one snowy morning in November 2008 by three liberation theologians who look like terrorists. They take him off to southern Mexico in his own helicopter and put him on trial for his sins in front of an international...  more

An American bishop gets kidnapped outside his cabin in the High Sierras one snowy morning in November 2008 by three liberation theologians who look like terrorists. They take him off to southern Mexico in his own helicopter and put him on trial for his sins in front of an international television audience. A jury of his peers, six retired Latin American bishops, find him guilty, and give him a surprising sentence. He falls in love with his kidnappers and leads the American Catholic Church into a radical new way of being, still Catholic, but aggressively accountable to the people, which is to say aggressively American. The fictional bishop in this novel is, obviously, based on Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles in a piece of reality fiction that pushes the envelope. It is set in the reality of the current priest-sex-abuse scandal, and it projects ahead in time to tell the story of a colorful crewand a new Cardinal Mahony working to give Catholics a voice, a vote, and citizenship in their Church

Novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1945. Like most of Steinbeck's postwar work, Cannery Row is sentimental in tone while retaining the author's characteristic social criticism. Peopled by stereotypical good-natured bums and warm-hearted prostitutes living on the fringes of Monterey,...  more

Novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1945. Like most of Steinbeck's postwar work, Cannery Row is sentimental in tone while retaining the author's characteristic social criticism. Peopled by stereotypical good-natured bums and warm-hearted prostitutes living on the fringes of Monterey, Calif., the picaresque novel celebrates lowlifes who are poor but happy.

From an orphan with a clubfoot, Philip Carey grows into an impressionable young man with a voracious appetite for adventure and knowledge. Then he falls obsessively in love, embarking on a disastrous relationship that will change his life forever.

Teeming with perilous, exotic locales and widespread examples of social injustice, this bold adventure follows one man's plight to seek his fortune while commenting on the widespread social and economic effects of the African gem trade. Plagued by a bitter divorce and an overbearing father,...  more

Teeming with perilous, exotic locales and widespread examples of social injustice, this bold adventure follows one man's plight to seek his fortune while commenting on the widespread social and economic effects of the African gem trade. Plagued by a bitter divorce and an overbearing father, gem-expert Lonny Cushman flees to the lawless sapphire fields of Madagascar. Homesick and lonely, he dreams of the perfect stone that will fuel an independent career as a gem dealer back in New York and allow him to see his seven-year-old daughter. Finally unearthing the greatest sapphire discovered in the last hundred years, he finds that the power brokers of Diego Suarez want the stone for themselves, and now Lonny must call on all his ingenuity and cunning to escape with his life. Richly detailed and riddled with seedy complexities, this thrilling narrative offers readers a rare glimpse into the culture, the people, and the underbelly of Madagascar.

In this remarkable debut novel set in 1940s Mexico, Marc Bojanowski has crafted a work of startling originality -- a poetic, mesmerizing tale of loyalty, violence, love, and redemption. Written in the searing voice of its unnamed narrator, this is the story of a young man drifting through the...  more

In this remarkable debut novel set in 1940s Mexico, Marc Bojanowski has crafted a work of startling originality -- a poetic, mesmerizing tale of loyalty, violence, love, and redemption. Written in the searing voice of its unnamed narrator, this is the story of a young man drifting through the badlands of California and Mexico after the death of his mother. He eventually settles in Canción, a sleepy Baja city on the verge of transformation. Lured by money and fame, he enters into an underground world where men fight against trained dogs before a raucous crowd of the town's elite businessmen and those who work for them. With an uncommon display of strength, skill, and sheer fearlessness, he becomes an overnight success. Before long he catches the eye of a powerful businessman, whose grand vision is to turn Canción into a lucrative resort destination. But when the dog fighter finds friendship with a revolutionary old poet and is drawn toward a mysterious young woman, he becomes ensnared in an intricate web of promise and deceit. Caught between the ways of his past and the dreams of his future, he is forced to make a devastating choice that ignites a mixture of jealousy, greed, lust, and betrayal, culminating in a fight both for his life and the fate of the city. Haunting, lyrical, imaginative, and immensely powerful, The Dog Fighter is a stunning novel of beauty and brutality that announces the arrival of an extraordinary new talent in American fiction.

When Robey Childs's mother has a premonition about her husband, a soldier fighting in the Civil War, she does the unthinkable. She instructs her only child to retrieve his father from the battlefield and bring him home. Just fourteen and ill-prepared for the journey, Robey sets off wearing the...  more

When Robey Childs's mother has a premonition about her husband, a soldier fighting in the Civil War, she does the unthinkable. She instructs her only child to retrieve his father from the battlefield and bring him home. Just fourteen and ill-prepared for the journey, Robey sets off wearing the coat his mother sewed to ensure his safety: blue on one side, gray on the other. However, it is the gift of an uncommon horse that changes Robey's destiny - a horse that becomes his only companion, guide, and protector. As they plunge into a world of death and destruction, Robey is cloaked in the invincibility of youth. But the horrors of war, the truth of his own nature, and the inextricable connection between the two turn the boy into the best a man can be - and the worst, irrevocably scarred by all that he has seen and done. This "powerful, redemptive narrative" in the tradition of The Red Badge of Courage is a brutally honest portrait of what war does to men and how it allows - even compels - them to love what they should hate.

Nineteen-year-old Joy Louie has run away from her home in 1950s America to start a new life in China. Idealistic and unafraid, she believes that Chairman Mao is on the side of the people, despite what her family keeps telling her. How can she trust them, when she has just learned that her...  more

Nineteen-year-old Joy Louie has run away from her home in 1950s America to start a new life in China. Idealistic and unafraid, she believes that Chairman Mao is on the side of the people, despite what her family keeps telling her. How can she trust them, when she has just learned that her parents have lied to her for her whole life, that her mother Pearl is really her aunt and that her real father is a famous artist who has been living in China all these years? Joy arrives in Green Dragon Village, where families live in crowded, windowless huts and eke out a meager existence from the red soil. And where a handsome young comrade catches her eye...Meanwhile, Pearl returns to China to bring her daughter home - if she can. For Mao has launched his Great Leap Forward, and each passing season brings ever greater hardship to cities and rural communes alike. Joy must rely on her skill as a painter and Pearl must use her contacts from her decadent childhood in 1930s Shanghai to find a way to safety, and a chance of joy for them both.

Julie Otsuka’s commanding debut novel paints a portrait of the Japanese internment camps unlike any we have ever seen. With crystalline intensity and precision, Otsuka uses a single family to evoke the deracination—both physical and emotional—of a generation of Japanese...  more

Julie Otsuka’s commanding debut novel paints a portrait of the Japanese internment camps unlike any we have ever seen. With crystalline intensity and precision, Otsuka uses a single family to evoke the deracination—both physical and emotional—of a generation of Japanese Americans. In five chapters, each flawlessly executed from a different point of view—the mother receiving the order to evacuate; the daughter on the long train ride to the camp; the son in the desert encampment; the family’s return to their home; and the bitter release of the father after more than four years in captivity—she has created a small tour de force, a novel of unrelenting economy and suppressed emotion. Spare, intimate, arrestingly understated, When the Emperor Was Divine is a haunting evocation of a family in wartime and an unmistakably resonant lesson for our times. It heralds the arrival of a singularly gifted new novelist.From the Hardcover edition.

Hayley Jo Zimmerman is gone. Taken. And the people of small-town Twisted Tree must come to terms with this terrible event?their loss, their place in it, and the secrets they all carry. In this brilliantly written novel, one girl?s story unfolds through the stories of those who knew her. Among...  more

Hayley Jo Zimmerman is gone. Taken. And the people of small-town Twisted Tree must come to terms with this terrible event?their loss, their place in it, and the secrets they all carry. In this brilliantly written novel, one girl?s story unfolds through the stories of those who knew her. Among them, a supermarket clerk recalls an encounter with a disturbingly thin Hayley Jo. An ex-priest remembers baptizing Hayley Jo and seeing her with her best friend, Laura, whose mother the priest once loved. And Laura berates herself for all the running they did, how it fed her friend?s addiction, and how there were so many secrets she didn?t see. And so, Hayley Jo?s absence recasts the lives of others and connects them, her death rooting itself into the community in astonishingly violent and tender ways. Solidly in the company of Aryn Kyle, Kent Haruf, and Peter Matthiessen, Kent Meyers is one of the best contemporary writers on the American West. Here he also takes us into the complexity of community regardless of landscape, and offers a tribute to the powerful effect one person's life can have on everyone she knew. (20090713)

Jeanne Les Flambeaux-you know, the famous Flambeaux clan, the great chefs and restaurateurs of the Southwest-is the black sheep of her very accomplished family. She has a few problems. Like, for one, she can't cook. And she hears voices for another. And she screws up everything she touches for a...  more

Jeanne Les Flambeaux-you know, the famous Flambeaux clan, the great chefs and restaurateurs of the Southwest-is the black sheep of her very accomplished family. She has a few problems. Like, for one, she can't cook. And she hears voices for another. And she screws up everything she touches for a third. No one, including herself, ever expected her to amount to anything, so she hasn't; she thinks of herself as an idiot savant-if you drop the savant part.When her parents take a much-needed vacation, leaving her in charge of the family's ancient, prized possessions-a crystal skull and a priceless ruby scepter-she wakes up the next morning to find that her lover, Johnny (what is she doing with that loser?), has stolen the scepter. This propels her on a wild and wacky journey across the Great American Southwest, trying to catch up to Johnny and the scepter.To complicate matters, single women start mysteriously disappearing throughout the southwestern. The police and the FBI have few clues-and Jeanne, as she stalks Johnny, is herself being stalked by someone or something. Fortunately-or unfortunately, Jeanne can't quite figure it out-she's aided in her impossible task by the crystal skull . . . now a talking crystal skull, which, of course, speaks only to her. The crystal skull, who calls himself Crane, leads Jeanne (who is rapidly becoming an actual heroine) through the casinos of Las Vegas, the mysteries of Kitt Peak, desert cults in Arizona, and finally to a wild climax that outdoes Tom Robbins . . . and maybe even gives Carlos Castaneda a run for his pesos. Light and sexy, filled with imaginative characters and situations, and some of the hottest secret recipes from the Flambeaux recipe drawer, Coyote Cowgirl will leave you laughing and begging for a sequel.

Jeanne Les Flambeaux-you know, the famous Flambeaux clan, the great chefs and restaurateurs of the Southwest-is the black sheep of her very accomplished family. She has a few problems. Like, for one, she can't cook. And she hears voices for another. And she screws up everything she touches for a...  more

Jeanne Les Flambeaux-you know, the famous Flambeaux clan, the great chefs and restaurateurs of the Southwest-is the black sheep of her very accomplished family. She has a few problems. Like, for one, she can't cook. And she hears voices for another. And she screws up everything she touches for a third. No one, including herself, ever expected her to amount to anything, so she hasn't; she thinks of herself as an idiot savant--if you drop the savant part.When her parents take a much-needed vacation, leaving her in charge of the family's ancient, prized possessions--a crystal skull and a priceless ruby scepter--she wakes up the next morning to find that her lover, Johnny (what is she doing with that loser?), has stolen the scepter. This propels her on a wild and wacky journey across the Great American Southwest, trying to catch up to Johnny and the scepter.To complicate matters, single women start mysteriously disappearing throughout the southwestern. The police and the FBI have few clues--and Jeanne, as she stalks Johnny, is herself being stalked by someone or something. Fortunately--or unfortunately, Jeanne can't quite figure it out--she's aided in her impossible task by the crystal skull . . . now a talking crystal skull, which, of course, speaks only to her. The crystal skull, who calls himself Crane, leads Jeanne (who is rapidly becoming an actual heroine) through the casinos of Las Vegas, the mysteries of Kitt Peak, desert cults in Arizona, and finally to a wild climax that outdoes Tom Robbins . . . and maybe even gives Carlos Castaneda a run for his pesos. Light and sexy, filled with imaginative characters and situations, and some of the hottest secret recipes from the Flambeaux recipe drawer, Coyote Cowgirl will leave you laughing and begging for a sequel.

Sam Hunter has spent twenty years escaping his past. Now it has caught up to him in the weirdest of all possible ways. As a boy growing up in Montana, he was Samson Hunts Alone -- until a deadly misunderstanding with the law forced him to flee the Crow reservation at age fifteen. Today he is a...  more

Sam Hunter has spent twenty years escaping his past. Now it has caught up to him in the weirdest of all possible ways. As a boy growing up in Montana, he was Samson Hunts Alone -- until a deadly misunderstanding with the law forced him to flee the Crow reservation at age fifteen. Today he is a successful Santa Barbara insurance salesman with a Mercedes, a condo and a hollow, invented life. The one day, shortly after his thirty-fifth birthday, destiny offers Samuel Hunter the dangerous gift of love in the exquisite form of Calliope Kincaid -- and a curse in the unheralded appearance of an ancient Indian god by the name of Coyote. Coyote, the trickster, has arrived to transform tranquility into chaos, to reawaken the mystical storyteller within Sam . . . and to seriously screw up his existence in the process.From Christopher Moore, author of Practical Demonkeeping, comes a quirky, irreverent new novel of love, myth, metphysics, outlaw biking, angst and outrageous redemption.

Beloved novelist Gregory Maguire returns at last to the land of Oz. There he introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully, Liir is shattered in spirit as well as in form. But...  more

Beloved novelist Gregory Maguire returns at last to the land of Oz. There he introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully, Liir is shattered in spirit as well as in form. But he is tended at the Cloister of Saint Glinda by the silent novice called Candle, who wills him back to life with her musical gifts. What dark force left Liir in this condition? Is he really Elphaba's son? He has her broom and her cape -- but what of her powers? Can he find his supposed half-sister, Nor, last seen in the forbidding prison, Southstairs? In an Oz that, since the Wizard's departure, is under new and dangerous management, can Liir keep his head down long enough to grow up? For the countless fans who have been dazzled and entranced by Maguire's Oz, Son of a Witch is the rich reward they have awaited so long. Read by the author Unabridged, 12 CDs, 14.5 hrs  

LUSKAN IN FLAMES! The Arcane Brotherhood, a cabal of powerful wizards with a dangerous secret agenda, have infiltrated the Hosttower of the Arcane, seizing control of the port city of Luskan.  No one has been able to stand against them, and their iron hand is beginning to squeeze the...  more

LUSKAN IN FLAMES! The Arcane Brotherhood, a cabal of powerful wizards with a dangerous secret agenda, have infiltrated the Hosttower of the Arcane, seizing control of the port city of Luskan.  No one has been able to stand against them, and their iron hand is beginning to squeeze the life blood from the city.  Captain Deudermont doesn't like what he sees, and is determined to save Luskan from the Arcane Brotherhood -- and itself.  But he may not be able to do both.

John Scratch, the Devil himself, is the protagonist in this stunningly imaginative, sharp, funny, and tender novel, as he tricks, teases, and prods America to greatness in the hope of luring his lost love back down to Earth from Heaven.  A stunningly imaginative, sharp, funny, and slyly...  more

John Scratch, the Devil himself, is the protagonist in this stunningly imaginative, sharp, funny, and tender novel, as he tricks, teases, and prods America to greatness in the hope of luring his lost love back down to Earth from Heaven.  A stunningly imaginative, sharp, funny, and slyly tender novel featuring the Devil himself, John Scratch. He's made of wood. He cooks an excellent gumbo. Cows love him. And he's the world's first love story ... and the world's first broken heart. Meet the darkly handsome, charming John Scratch, aka the Devil. Ever since his true love, a fellow fallen angel named Arden, decided that Earth was a little too terrifying and violent, John Scratch has been trying to lure her back from the forgiving grace of Heaven. Though neither the wonders of Egypt nor the glories of Rome were enough to keep her on Earth, John Scratch believes he's found a new Eden: America. John Scratch capitalizes on the bounty of this arcadia as he shapes it into his pet nation. Then, one dark night in the late 1960s, he meets three down-on-their-luck musicians and strikes a deal. In exchange for their souls, he'll grant them fame, wealth, and the chance to make the world a better place. Soon, the trio is helping the Devil push America to the height of civilization--or so he thinks. But there's a great deal about humans he still needs to learn, even after spending so many millennia among them.

When Marty Andrews gets bitten by a mangy mutt while walking her teacup poodle, her blond hair darkens, the hair on her legs starts growing at an alarming rate, and her mood swings put her dream job as a sales rep for Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics in serious jeopardy. Then a drool-worthy man shows up at...  more

When Marty Andrews gets bitten by a mangy mutt while walking her teacup poodle, her blond hair darkens, the hair on her legs starts growing at an alarming rate, and her mood swings put her dream job as a sales rep for Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics in serious jeopardy. Then a drool-worthy man shows up at her door claiming that he accidentally bit Marty. And since he's a werewolf, she is now, too. Thinking Keegan Flaherty is clearly insane, Marty refuses to believe a word until a kidnapping makes her realize there's more at stake than just her highlights. And she must put her out-of-control life in the hands of the man who makes her blood run wild in more ways than one...

Ex-detective Macmillan has a taste for bad girls, but his last lover really took the cake and his humanity. Now a half-demon, Macas lost his friends, his family, and his job. Then a beguiling vampire asks for his help to find her son. Suddenly, Mac has a case to work on that leads him deep into...  more

Ex-detective Macmillan has a taste for bad girls, but his last lover really took the cake and his humanity. Now a half-demon, Macas lost his friends, his family, and his job. Then a beguiling vampire asks for his help to find her son. Suddenly, Mac has a case to work on that leads him deep into the supernatural prison where Mac learns that cracking the case will cost him his last scrap of humanity.

A rejected, overachieving workaholic attempts to overcome her rage and humiliation during a whirlwind, hedonistic weekend in which her true worth is put to the test -- when she gives up control, she feels an exhilarating freedom she's never felt before. Chase Davidson has always been driven...  more

A rejected, overachieving workaholic attempts to overcome her rage and humiliation during a whirlwind, hedonistic weekend in which her true worth is put to the test -- when she gives up control, she feels an exhilarating freedom she's never felt before. Chase Davidson has always been driven to succeed. Growing up poor, Chase vowed she would rise above the squalor of her childhood and become successful. When her Fortune 500 Company doesn't promote her, Chase is beyond distraught. Disgraced and furious, she wants her power back. Needing a quick fix to soothe her damaged ego, she impulsively accepts an invitation to an island adventure that promises to fulfill her every desire -- including her desire to be "number one." Forced out of her comfort zone, both emotional and sexual, what she experiences is more than what she bargained for, but exactly what she needed.

Right where he wants her... LATE NIGHT... As resident fix-it girl for an apartment complex in a tiny Texas town, Bonnie James makes enough money to pay the bills and have a little fun on the side. She likes checking out the other tenants and sometimes indulges in her own sexual fantasies...  more

Right where he wants her... LATE NIGHT... As resident fix-it girl for an apartment complex in a tiny Texas town, Bonnie James makes enough money to pay the bills and have a little fun on the side. She likes checking out the other tenants and sometimes indulges in her own sexual fantasies by watching them late at night. It's exciting, it's erotic, and it always leaves her ready and willing for more. ...TURN ON When you're a bounty hunter, late night stake-outs are part of the job. So Wynn Collier should be concentrating on his own business, not watching a Peeping Tom with the sweetest body west of the Mississippi. But he's a hot-blooded male on a hot Texas night and he can't resist the chance to investigate every one of her delectable curves.

ONE WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN CURSED NEVER TO FIND LOVE . . . ONE MAN WITHOUT A SOUL WHO WANTS HER MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF . . . THEY MEET IN A SMALL ISLAND TOWN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WHERE MAGIC IS IN THE AIR AND FATE IS A FORCE TOO POWERFUL TO DEFY. . . . In New York Times bestselling...  more

ONE WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN CURSED NEVER TO FIND LOVE . . . ONE MAN WITHOUT A SOUL WHO WANTS HER MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF . . . THEY MEET IN A SMALL ISLAND TOWN IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, WHERE MAGIC IS IN THE AIR AND FATE IS A FORCE TOO POWERFUL TO DEFY. . . . In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas's Crystal Cove, Justine Hoffman has made a comfortable life for herself on the island of Friday Harbor. She is the proprietor of a successful boutique hotel, and she has the safe, predictable life she has always wanted. Growing up with her flighty, nomadic mother, Marigold, has instilled in her a deep longing for stability. But in spite of everything Justine has achieved, there is still something missing. Love. And after years of waiting and dreaming, she is willing to do whatever it takes to change her destiny. What Justine soon discovers is that someone cast a spell on her when she was born, with the result that she will never find her soul mate. Determined to change her fate, Justine finds a way to break the enchantment, never dreaming of the dangerous complications that will follow. And when Justine meets the mysterious Jason Black, she accidentally unleashes a storm of desire and danger that threaten everything she holds dear . . . because Jason has secrets of his own, and he wants more from her than fate will ever allow.  

Book Description Things are heating up at Bailey?s Pub... Working as the cook at his family?s pub, Liam O?Neil has nothing but respect for his firefighter regulars. But when firefighter Sophie Tyler takes a part-time job at the pub, Liam must be cautious. A widower with two young sons, he...  more

Book Description Things are heating up at Bailey?s Pub... Working as the cook at his family?s pub, Liam O?Neil has nothing but respect for his firefighter regulars. But when firefighter Sophie Tyler takes a part-time job at the pub, Liam must be cautious. A widower with two young sons, he can?t put his heart on the line for someone who walks into burning buildings. But how can he ignore the fire burning within?

Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook are together again in Richard Castle's thrilling follow-up to his New York Times bestseller, Heat Wave. When New York's most vicious gossip columnist, Cassidy Towne, is found dead, Heat uncovers a gallery of high profile suspects, all with compelling...  more

Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook are together again in Richard Castle's thrilling follow-up to his New York Times bestseller, Heat Wave. When New York's most vicious gossip columnist, Cassidy Towne, is found dead, Heat uncovers a gallery of high profile suspects, all with compelling motives for killing the most feared muckraker in Manhattan. Heat's murder investigation is complicated by her surprise reunion with superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook. In the wake of their recent breakup, Nikki would rather not deal with their raw emotional baggage. But the handsome, wise-cracking Pulitzer Prize-winning writer's personal involvement in the case forces her to team up with Rook anyway. The residue of their unresolved romantic conflict and crackling sexual tension fills the air as Heat and Rook embark on a search for a killer among celebrities and mobsters, singers and hookers, pro athletes and shamed politicians. This new, explosive case brings on the heat in the glittery world of secrets, cover-ups, and scandals.

Tabloid-writer Harper Rostov breaks up with her boyfriend only to fall into the arms of Nick Cavallaro---certified punk-rock God who is considered a genius by fans and critics alike. Harper's newly single heart gets an overdose of chemistry from the Hitchhiker's Revenge guitarist as she...  more

Tabloid-writer Harper Rostov breaks up with her boyfriend only to fall into the arms of Nick Cavallaro---certified punk-rock God who is considered a genius by fans and critics alike. Harper's newly single heart gets an overdose of chemistry from the Hitchhiker's Revenge guitarist as she falls for his intoxicating charisma. Over the course of a single week, Harper is swept up in their sexual energy and the allure of the band. But soon she can't help wondering if what she thought she wanted --what she left her sweet, caring boyfriend for-- is everything she'd hoped it would be. Plotted with precise timing and set against an incredibly vivid portrait of the ever-changing East Village, Falling Is Like This is a comedic and touching account of the whirlwind affair with a rock star every girl dreams about.  

Three new stories of timeless love and tantalizing fantasy... "Counting Crows" by Mercedes Lackey In Lady Gwynhefar's dark, lonely court, her only ally was noble Sir Elloran, a warrior willing to fight for her honor. But would her powerful spell capture his heart -- or tumble the kingdom...  more

Three new stories of timeless love and tantalizing fantasy... "Counting Crows" by Mercedes Lackey In Lady Gwynhefar's dark, lonely court, her only ally was noble Sir Elloran, a warrior willing to fight for her honor. But would her powerful spell capture his heart -- or tumble the kingdom into chaos? "Drusilla's Dream" by USA TODAY bestselling author Rachel Lee Every night Drusilla Morgan dreamed of courageous and handsome Miles Kennedy. Their quest: to battle evil and find true love. Yet when the sun rose, would Drusilla's fantasy man become a reality. "Moonglow" by Nebula Award-winning author Catherine Asaro In a world where kings married for magic, Iris Larkspur was required to wed the prince -- despite the spell that kept him deaf, mute and blind. Healing her bridegroom would take a power greater than any she'd ever known -- one only two bonded hearts could provide!

Vampires have always lived in Eastern Europe. But with the fall of the Soviet Union, they began to spread across the continent, then the world, turning whole populations into vampires or human cattle. Having overrun India, the far East, and the great cities of North and South America, the forces...  more

Vampires have always lived in Eastern Europe. But with the fall of the Soviet Union, they began to spread across the continent, then the world, turning whole populations into vampires or human cattle. Having overrun India, the far East, and the great cities of North and South America, the forces of Night are now spreading into the countryside to consolidate their conquest. In a town on the New Jersey shore, the vampires have just arrived, along with their human henchmen, the cowboys, who round up human cattle for the overlords in return for the promise of eternal life later. For the vampires wish only a few of their own kind to rule, and feed. The rest of humanity are to be helpless herds, the source of the blood of life. Falsely accused of abuse, Father Dan is drunk in a basement waiting for the end. His superior has betrayed the local Catholic congregation and become a vampire. Sister Carolyn has become a formidable killer of cowboys and vampires. Dan's niece, escaped from the conquest of New York, has made her way south to find him. Brought together by Rabbi Zev Wolpin, who is shaken by the vampires' fear of the cross and holy water, they plan their resistance. Against all odds, they discover that there just might be a way for humanity to really fight back. But first they will have to kill the vampire king of New York.

Every January 1, a quirky crowd storms out across North America for a spectacularly competitive event called a Big Year -- a grand, expensive, and occasionally vicious 365-day marathon of birdwatching. For three men in particular, 1998 would become a grueling battle for a new North American...  more

Every January 1, a quirky crowd storms out across North America for a spectacularly competitive event called a Big Year -- a grand, expensive, and occasionally vicious 365-day marathon of birdwatching. For three men in particular, 1998 would become a grueling battle for a new North American birding record. Bouncing from coast to coast on frenetic pilgrimages for once-in-a-lifetime rarities, they brave broiling deserts, bug-infested swamps, and some of the lumpiest motel mattresses known to man. This unprecedented year of beat-the-clock adventures ultimately leads one man to a record so gigantic that it is unlikely ever to be bested. Here, prize-winning journalist Mark Obmascik creates a dazzling, fun narrative of the 275,000-mile odyssey of these three obsessives as they fight to win the greatest -- or maybe worst -- birding contest of all time.

"Animals are a gift to the human race -- a gift that humans rarely take full advantage of. Only now are we even beginning to understand what a marvelous blessing animals truly are." When Allen Schoen began practicing veterinary medicine twenty-three years ago, his peers scoffed at...  more

"Animals are a gift to the human race -- a gift that humans rarely take full advantage of. Only now are we even beginning to understand what a marvelous blessing animals truly are." When Allen Schoen began practicing veterinary medicine twenty-three years ago, his peers scoffed at his assertion that animals have feelings and emotions. Today he is one of America's most celebrated veterinarians, traveling worldwide to treat the domestic animals of scores of clients and working daily to improve the ways we understand and interact with our animal friends. Kindred Spirits shares the transformative power of Schoen's remarkable methods and his vision for a society in which we cease to be owner and pet, human and animal, but are simply respected companions connected by an inimitable bond -- kindred spirits. Treating animals just as any healer would treat human beings, Schoen draws on his extensive experience in veterinary practice and the latest research in animal neurophysiology to show how humans and animals can mutually benefit from heightened awareness and respect. Along the way, he explores how alternative healing methods are revolutionizing his profession, and, in the tradition of James Herriot, shares heartwarming, fascinating stories of animals and their caretakers who have deeply enriched each other's lives. Through moving scenes -- such as the cancer-stricken dog that helped its guardian cope with diabetes, or the ailing German shepherd, King, who fights to stay alive so he can assist and comfort his ailing human companion -- Kindred Spirits details the many ways in which the human-animal bond can provide a wellspring of love and support, and help us all lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Kindred Spirits also outlines Schoen's special prescription for improving the care we give our animals and deepening the kindred connection between us. He shows us how to ensure the well-being of our animal companions through adopting simple healing practices at home, such as providing them with the most nutritious foods and performing a "natural pet scan" weekly to identify any major health concerns. Through simple techniques such as co-species meditation, kindred relaxation, and sharing mindful moments, Schoen shows us how we can enhance our relationship with our animals and our connection with the world around us. Creating a new synthesis of conventional veterinary and alternative medicine, and offering a timely vision for all creatures great and small, Kindred Spirits will touch and enlighten anyone seeking deeper levels of awareness and uplifting stories of true love.

Terri Crisp has saved hundreds of animals in some of the worst disasters in history. "Out of Harm's Way" tells the unforgettable story of the often miraculous, sometimes heartbreaking rescues she has effected. A resource section, which lists animal rescue and aid organizations, is...  more

Terri Crisp has saved hundreds of animals in some of the worst disasters in history. "Out of Harm's Way" tells the unforgettable story of the often miraculous, sometimes heartbreaking rescues she has effected. A resource section, which lists animal rescue and aid organizations, is included. With heartwarming photographs and an invaluable resource section for preparing pet owners for disaster situations, this book is a deeply affecting story that will touch and inspire all animal lovers.  

Once in nine lives, something extraordinary happens... The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen's veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old eyeless kitten...  more

Once in nine lives, something extraordinary happens... The last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart. Then Gwen's veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old eyeless kitten who'd been abandoned. It was love at first sight. Everyone warned that Homer would always be an "underachiever," never as playful or independent as other cats. But the kitten nobody believed in quickly grew into a three-pound dynamo, a tiny daredevil with a giant heart who eagerly made friends with every human who crossed his path. Homer scaled seven-foot bookcases with ease and leapt five feet into the air to catch flies in mid-buzz. He survived being trapped alone for days after 9/11 in an apartment near the World Trade Center, and even saved Gwen's life when he chased off an intruder who broke into their home in the middle of the night. But it was Homer's unswerving loyalty, his infinite capacity for love, and his joy in the face of all obstacles that inspired Gwen daily and transformed her life. And by the time she met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most important lesson of all: Love isn't something you see with your eyes. Homer's Odyssey is the once-in-a-lifetime story of an extraordinary cat and his human companion. It celebrates the refusal to accept limits -- on love, ability, or hope against overwhelming odds. By turns jubilant and moving, it's a memoir for anybody who's ever fallen completely and helplessly in love with a pet.

Vicki Hearne's dramatic report from the front lines of the "pit bull wars" is a penetrating inquiry into the appropriate relations between animals and the human world, a song of praise for the "dance of friendship" between animals and people, and a hell of a dog...  more

Vicki Hearne's dramatic report from the front lines of the "pit bull wars" is a penetrating inquiry into the appropriate relations between animals and the human world, a song of praise for the "dance of friendship" between animals and people, and a hell of a dog story.  

In the tradition of Dewey, A Lion Called Christian, and Homer’s Odyssey, HUCK is an unforgettable true story of a lost puppy and a family who learned a valuable lesson about tenacity, faith, and the generosity of strangers. This story begins with a little boy’s dream.  Janet...  more

In the tradition of Dewey, A Lion Called Christian, and Homer’s Odyssey, HUCK is an unforgettable true story of a lost puppy and a family who learned a valuable lesson about tenacity, faith, and the generosity of strangers. This story begins with a little boy’s dream.  Janet Elder’s son Michael was about four when he began begging for a dog.   His relentless campaign went on for years.   At one point, when Michael was about seven years old, there was even a PowerPoint presentation entitled, “My Dog,” with headings like “A Childhood Without a Dog is  a Sad Thing.” Janet almost caved, but then thought about the impracticalities and the logistics--their city apartment, her and her husband Rich’s demanding jobs, their need to get away.   So as much as she hated having a heartbroken boy on her hands, she remained steadfast: no dog.  What makes her reconsider her long-standing position on a family dog is a breast cancer diagnosis.   Worried about the toll the illness would take on eleven-year-old Michael and Rich, Janet decides the anticipation and excitement over the arrival of a new puppy would be the perfect antidote to the strain on the family of months of treatments for her illness. The prospect of a new puppy would be an affirmation of life, a powerful talisman for them all. On Thanksgiving weekend, shortly after the treatments were completed, they bring home a sweet, mischievous, red-haired, toy poodle, they name Huck, who quickly and conclusively wins everyone’s heart.   A few months later, the family ventures south to attend the Yankees’ spring training and enjoy a much-needed vacation, leaving Huck for the first time with Janet’s sister in  Ramsey, New Jersey.  Barely twenty-four hours into their trip, Janet gets a dreaded phone call.  Huck has slipped through the backyard fence and run away.  Broken hearted and frantic, the family races home to begin a search for little Huck.   It’s a race against time, for Huck, lost in an area he is entirely unfamiliar with, faces the threat of bears, coyotes, raccoons,  swamps, freezing temperatures, rain, and fast cars on curvy roads.  Moved by the family’s plight, strangers – from school children to the police lieutenant -- join the search. As the days pass, finding a small puppy in a densely wooded area in freezing and rainy weather proves to be an incredible test. Buoyed by grit, the open arms of strangers, and faith, the family soldiers on. Touching and warm-hearted, HUCK is a page-turning, heart-stopping story about resilience, the kindness of strangers, and determination. It is a story about hope, a story the reader will neither put down nor forget.  

Parlez-vous Doggish? At long last, dogs will know just how smart their owners can be. By unlocking the secrets of the hidden language of dogs, psychologist Stanley Coren allows us into the doggy dialogue, or "Doggish," and makes effective communication a reality. Drawing on substantial...  more

Parlez-vous Doggish? At long last, dogs will know just how smart their owners can be. By unlocking the secrets of the hidden language of dogs, psychologist Stanley Coren allows us into the doggy dialogue, or "Doggish," and makes effective communication a reality. Drawing on substantial research in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and years of personal experience, Coren demonstrates that the average house dog can understand language at about the level of a two-year-old human. While actual conversation of the sort Lassie seemed capable of in Hollywood mythmaking remains forever out of reach, Coren shows us that a great deal of real communication is possible beyond the giving and obeying of commands. How to Speak Dog not only provides the sounds, words, actions, and move-ments with which we can effectively communicate with our dogs, but also deciphers the signs that our dogs give to us. With easy-to-follow tips on how humans can mimic the language dogs use to talk with one another, original drawings illustrating the subtleties of their body language, and a handy visual glossary and "Doggish" phrasebook, How to Speak Dog gives dog lovers the skills they need to improve their relationships with their pets.

You know that your dog's hearing is very sensitive--so how do you create an environment of sound that suits your canine companion's specific needs? Now psychoacoustic expert Joshua Leeds and veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner provide the answer with Through a Dog's Ear: simple sound-based...  more

You know that your dog's hearing is very sensitive--so how do you create an environment of sound that suits your canine companion's specific needs? Now psychoacoustic expert Joshua Leeds and veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner provide the answer with Through a Dog's Ear: simple sound-based solutions to help your dog live a longer, happier, and healthier life. Using the latest science on how dogs hear and react to sound, Leeds and Wagner provide a treasury of fresh insight on the inner life of our best friends, including: * Sound ideas for nervous dogs: tips and tricks for making any house or apartment more comfortable for canines * How sensitive is your dog? The unique ways that different sizes, breeds, and individuals respond to sound * Turning sound into a tool to overcome separation anxiety, food aggression, thunderstorm panic, and other behavior challenges * 45-minute CD of music psychoacoustically designed for dogs For any reader who has wondered what's really happening when their dog perks up his ears and cocks his head--or when he hides in the closet--Through a Dog's Ear is an indispensable source of cutting-edge research, heartwarming stories, and practical advice. Leeds and Wagner pave the way for using sound to provide relief for Rottweilers, comfort for collies, and serenity for spaniels everywhere.

Amy Carter is missing. And there’s no one less capable of finding her than Max Bravo. Max Bravo is a mid-rung opera singer with a diva's towering ego. And he doesn’t do favors. Not until the day he visits a troubled friend in Berkeley and offers to walk her dog. Max...  more

Amy Carter is missing. And there’s no one less capable of finding her than Max Bravo. Max Bravo is a mid-rung opera singer with a diva's towering ego. And he doesn’t do favors. Not until the day he visits a troubled friend in Berkeley and offers to walk her dog. Max quickly discovers the local dog park in Berkeley, California. It’s an odd, private little world -- a preserve for neighborhood crackpots and lay-abouts, and, incidentally, their dogs. But, the park regulars are friendly. Clubby. They even serve beer. Before long, Max can’t stay away. When one of the regulars disappears, Max’s interest in the dog park turns to obsession. Amy Carter -- beautiful, adored, pregnant -- has vanished. The circumstances bode the worst. What happened to Amy? The dog park club has brewed up a theory. And they mean to prove it.

In the Corduroy Mansions series of novels, set in London’s hip Pimlico neighborhood, we meet a cast of charming eccentrics, including perhaps the world’s most clever terrier, who make their home in a handsome, though slightly dilapidated, apartment block. Corduroy Mansions is the...  more

In the Corduroy Mansions series of novels, set in London’s hip Pimlico neighborhood, we meet a cast of charming eccentrics, including perhaps the world’s most clever terrier, who make their home in a handsome, though slightly dilapidated, apartment block. Corduroy Mansions is the affectionate nickname given to a genteel, crumbling mansion block in London’s vibrant Pimlico neighborhood and the home turf of a captivating collection of quirky and altogether McCall-Smithian characters. There’s the middle-aged wine merchant William, who’s trying to convince his reluctant twenty-four-year-old son, Eddie, to leave the nest; and Marcia, the boutique caterer who has her sights set on William. There’s also the (justifiably) much-loathed Member of Parliament Oedipus Snark; his mother, Berthea, who’s writing his biography and hating every minute of it; and his long-suffering girlfriend, Barbara, a literary agent who would like to be his wife (but, then, she’d like to be almost anyone’s wife). There’s the vitamin evangelist, the psychoanalyst, the art student with a puzzling boyfriend and Freddie de la Hay, the Pimlico terrier who insists on wearing a seat belt and is almost certainly the only avowed vegetarian canine in London. Filled with the ins and outs of neighborliness in all its unexpected variations, Corduroy Mansions showcases the life, laughter and humanity that have become the hallmarks of Alexander McCall Smith’s work.  

Professional dog walker Ellie Engleman doesn't know much about the ins and outs of dog shows. But when one handler is killed, Ellie will learn that it's a dog-eat-dog world. Especially since the killer might now have it out for her. She and her sometime boyfriend, Detective Sam Ryder,...  more

Professional dog walker Ellie Engleman doesn't know much about the ins and outs of dog shows. But when one handler is killed, Ellie will learn that it's a dog-eat-dog world. Especially since the killer might now have it out for her. She and her sometime boyfriend, Detective Sam Ryder, will have to dig up the truth faster than a speeding bulldog...

Honoring the wish of her late grandmother, Maura Donovan visits the small Irish village where her Gran was born—though she never expected to get bogged down in a murder mystery. Nor had she planned to take a job in one of the local pubs, but she finds herself excited to get to know the...  more

Honoring the wish of her late grandmother, Maura Donovan visits the small Irish village where her Gran was born—though she never expected to get bogged down in a murder mystery. Nor had she planned to take a job in one of the local pubs, but she finds herself excited to get to know the people who knew her Gran. In the pub, she’s swamped with drink orders as everyone in town gathers to talk about the recent discovery of a nearly one-hundred-year-old body in a nearby bog. When Maura realizes she may know something about the dead man—and that the body’s connected to another, more recent, death—she fears she’s about to become mired in a homicide investigation. After she discovers the death is connected to another from almost a century earlier, Maura has a sinking feeling she may really be getting in over her head... 

Miniaturist Gerry Porter has been looking forward to her thirtieth high school reunion. But when a former athlete is murdered, Gerry must employ all her skills to reconstruct the scene of the crime.

Jane Austen meets Anne Perry in a historical mystery series featuring the hero and heroine from Pride and Prejudice Following the birth of their first child, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy are looking forward to enjoying life at Pemberley, but family commitments draw them away to Mansfield...  more

Jane Austen meets Anne Perry in a historical mystery series featuring the hero and heroine from Pride and Prejudice Following the birth of their first child, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy are looking forward to enjoying life at Pemberley, but family commitments draw them away to Mansfield Park. While there, the Darcys get involved with marriage arrangements, star-crossed lovers, deceit, mistaken identity, and even murder. Once again the Darcys take center stage as the Regency era's answer to The Thin Man's Nick and Nora in this delightful series by the 2007 Daphne du Maurier Award-winning author of North by Northanger.

Hayley Snow's life always revolved around food. But when she applies to be a food critic for a Key West style magazine, she discovers that her new boss would be Kristen Faulkner -- the woman Hayley caught in bed with her boyfriend! Hayley thinks things are as bad as they can get -- until the...  more

Hayley Snow's life always revolved around food. But when she applies to be a food critic for a Key West style magazine, she discovers that her new boss would be Kristen Faulkner -- the woman Hayley caught in bed with her boyfriend! Hayley thinks things are as bad as they can get -- until the police pull her in as a suspect in Kristen's murder. Kristen was killed by a poisoned key lime pie. Now Hayley must find out who used meringue to murder before she takes all the blame.

Kate Ardleigh is everything the Victorian English gentlewoman is not -- outspoken, free-thinking, American...and a writer of the frowned upon "penny-dreadfuls." Soon after her arrival in Essex, England, a body is unearthed in a nearby archeological dig -- and Kate has the chance to...  more

Kate Ardleigh is everything the Victorian English gentlewoman is not -- outspoken, free-thinking, American...and a writer of the frowned upon "penny-dreadfuls." Soon after her arrival in Essex, England, a body is unearthed in a nearby archeological dig -- and Kate has the chance to not only research her latest story ... but to begin her first case with amateur detective Sir Charles Sheridan.

When Lori Shepherd’s husband, Bill, is summoned to the reading of a will at the resplendent country estate of Earl Elstyn, Lori jumps at the chance to come along. She didn’t expect, however, to find herself entangled in a messy—and dangerous—family dispute. The aristocratic...  more

When Lori Shepherd’s husband, Bill, is summoned to the reading of a will at the resplendent country estate of Earl Elstyn, Lori jumps at the chance to come along. She didn’t expect, however, to find herself entangled in a messy—and dangerous—family dispute. The aristocratic earl has called together the entire Elstyn family to disclose the beneficiaries of his fortune, and all present will be affected. But someone has a grudge against the Elstyns and will stop at nothing for revenge. A burning topiary, a suspicious maid, family secrets, and threatening notes lead Lori to seek her phantom Aunt Dimity’s help in identifying the culprit before he or she can torch the whole house—with the guests in it.

When writer-for-hire Jaine Austen signs on to script vows for the ultimate Bridezilla, "I do's" soon become "I wish I hadn't's"--and curtains for the bride spell a veil of woes for Jaine... Jaine's accepted her share of lame gigs to pay the bills, but...  more

When writer-for-hire Jaine Austen signs on to script vows for the ultimate Bridezilla, "I do's" soon become "I wish I hadn't's"--and curtains for the bride spell a veil of woes for Jaine... Jaine's accepted her share of lame gigs to pay the bills, but rewriting Shakespeare's got to be an all-time low. The fiasco begins with a call from Jaine's high-school nemesis, uber rich uber witch Patti Devane. It seems Patti will soon be sashaying down the aisle with another former classmate from Hermosa High, and she'd like the exchange of vows to evoke Romeo and Juliet...except without the "downer" of an ending. Even worse than the assignment itself is dealing with Patti as a client. At least Jaine's not alone, as nobody can stand the demanding, spoiled, and incredibly rude Bridezilla from Hell. Patti's managed to rack up an amazingly long list of enemies in a short time, not the least of whom include her prospective mother-in-law, the soon-to-be ex-wife of Patti's stolen soon-to-be groom, and just about everyone involved in the wedding preparations. So it isn't a complete surprise when the erstwhile Juliet plunges to her death during her balcony scene. The loosened bolts that brought down the bride were clearly an act of sabotage--what's not so obvious is whom, among Patti's numerous haters, committed this murder most foul. Was it the caterer she threatened to ruin? The bridesmaid tossed out of the wedding party for being too chubby? Jaine's determined to learn the truth--if only to end the hideous walk down memory lane kicked off by her association with Patti. Between fending off advances from the nerd of her high school nightmares and figuring out ways to stop Prozac the cat from corrupting the victim's pet Poodle, Jaine's involvement in this case keeps veering between comedy and tragedy. That is, until another body is discovered--and the killer starts laying plot for a final act--starring Jaine...

Named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1993, Bull Run has become a modern classic of historical fiction for young adults.  In this brilliant narrative, Fleischman re-creates the first great battle of the Civil War from the points of view of 16 different...  more

Named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1993, Bull Run has become a modern classic of historical fiction for young adults.  In this brilliant narrative, Fleischman re-creates the first great battle of the Civil War from the points of view of 16 different participants. Through an unflinching narrative of the Battle of Bull Run, human faces begin to emerge from the faded pages of history.  Read by a varied cast of narrators, the characters on both sides spring to vivid life as they share their feeling as the battle of Bull Run rages around them.  Intimate and instructive, this recording is a tour de force that will please parents and teachers who are looking for a way to interest youngsters in reading and history. Recommended for listeners ages 10 and up. Unabridged: 2 Compact Discs, Running Time: 2 hours, Cast of narrators, in order of appearance, includes:  George Guidall, Christina Moore, Andy Paris, Peter Francis James, Barbara Caruso, Robert Sevra, Johnny Heller, Tom Stechschulte, Robert Poe, Paul Hecht, John McDonough, Jeff Woodman, Sam Gray, Richard Davidson, Sally Darling, and Mark Hammer.

More than 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, and most of them control it by taking prescription drugs with potentially dangerous side effects. But there is a natural, affordable, and easy-to-manage alternative to medication: the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)...  more

More than 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, and most of them control it by taking prescription drugs with potentially dangerous side effects. But there is a natural, affordable, and easy-to-manage alternative to medication: the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Developed by a world-class team of doctors and nutritionists, the DASH diet is clinically proven to lower blood-pressure levels and thereby reduce the risk of heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. Now, with The DASH Diet for Hypertension, readers can benefit from: • A hearty and healthful selection of DASH menus, recipes, even grocery lists • DASH weight-loss and exercise programs for everyday living • The science behind DASH, including calorie worksheets and a formula to calculate body-mass ...and much more from this revolutionary program, which is recommended by the American Heart Association; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the American Society for Hypertension; and other leading medical authorities.

"The book is a message of hope and reassurance for laymen, especially aging members of the baby-boom generation alarmed by all the attention being paid to Alzheimer's and imagining worst-case scenarios for themselves."--Washington Times EXCITING NEW DISCOVERIES IN THE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION...  more

"The book is a message of hope and reassurance for laymen, especially aging members of the baby-boom generation alarmed by all the attention being paid to Alzheimer's and imagining worst-case scenarios for themselves."--Washington Times EXCITING NEW DISCOVERIES IN THE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF MEMORY LOSS A world-renowned neurologist presents the first groundbreaking memory-loss protection plan Millions of aging Americans are afraid of losing their most precious possession­­their memory. They are desperate for anything that will help them to regain it. Now, for the first time, The Memory Cure shares the absolute latest that science has to offer in the form of a protection plan. Dr. Majid Fotuhi, one of the world's foremost experts in the field of Alzheimer's Disease and brain function, outlines an exciting and highly effective plan that targets each of the 13 risk factors contributing to the development of memory loss. Drawing from cutting-edge, longitudinal studies from all over the globe that have followed tens of thousands of subjects from middle life into older age, Dr. Fotuhi deciphers the patterns that are repeatedly revealed. These include the fact that lifestyle affects the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's Disease, as well as the severity of normal memory loss that accompanies the aging process. The results profoundly suggest that these conditions can be prevented­­regardless of genetic disposition­­by addressing the crucial 13 risk factors. In addition Dr. Fotuhi's protection plan also includes seven steps to protect the brain and sharpen memory for life. Filled with tests, questionnaires, and real-life profiles, The Memory Cure offers readers specific ways to reduce their risk and increase mental agility, while providing them with an accessible and comprehensive book on the workings of the aging brain.

On April 10th, 2003, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, faced with the task of seizing the presidential palace in downtown Baghdad, ran headlong into what Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North called, "the worst day of fighting for U.S. Marines." Hiding in buildings and mosques, wearing...  more

On April 10th, 2003, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, faced with the task of seizing the presidential palace in downtown Baghdad, ran headlong into what Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North called, "the worst day of fighting for U.S. Marines." Hiding in buildings and mosques, wearing civilian clothes, and spread out for over a mile, Saddam Hussein's militants rained down bullets and rocket propelled grenades on the 1st Battalion. But when the smoke of the eight-hour battle cleared, only one Marine had lost his life. Some said the 1st Battalion was incredibly lucky. But in the hearts and minds of the Marines who were there, there was no question. God had brought them miraculously through that battle. As the 1st Battalion's chaplain, Lieutenant Carey Cash had the unique privilege of seeing firsthand, from the beginning of the war to the end, how God miraculously delivered, and even transformed, the lives of the men of the 1st Battalion. Their regiment, the most highly decorated regiment in the history of the Marines, was the first ground force to cross the border into Iraq, the first to see one of their own killed in battle, and they were the unit to fight what most believe to have been the decisive battle of the war-April 10th in downtown Baghdad. Through it all, Carey Cash says, the presence of God was undeniable. Cash even had the privilege of baptizing fifty-seven new Christians-Marines and Sailors-during the war in Iraq. The men of the 1st Battalion came to discover what King David had discovered long ago--that God's presence could be richly experienced even in the presence of enemies. Here is the amazing story of their experience.