{"title":"All Books","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"standard-gift-card","title":"Bublish Gift Card","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/form.jotform.com\/203554340185047\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ed742d;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGive the gift of a great book this holiday season!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGift cards can be used to purchase any item on bublishbooks.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGift cards can be used in conjunction with discount codes and can be applied towards tax and shipping costs at checkout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish-Books","offers":[{"title":"$10.00","offer_id":37765716574378,"sku":"","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"$25.00","offer_id":37765716607146,"sku":"","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"$50.00","offer_id":37765716639914,"sku":"","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"$100.00","offer_id":37765716672682,"sku":"","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/2.png?v=1608567507"},{"product_id":"always-with-me-9781944417543","title":"Always With Me","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Riveting and consuming—I loved it and anxiously look forward to the next book in the series!” \u003cem\u003e—Goodreads \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eAfter her third broken engagement, Gianna Campbell comes home to help with the family business and to heal her heart, only to realize that she has become the town joke—dubbed the runaway fiancé. If that wasn't bad enough, who should show up in town but her former crush Zach Barrington, a man who has other reasons to hate her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZach returns to Whisper Lake not only for a job opportunity but also for a chance at personal redemption. The last person he wants to see is Gianna, who once got him kicked out of the only place that made him feel whole. But when an accident sends her into the lake, their first face-to-face meeting in years leaves them both breathless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd suddenly the past feels a lot closer...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZach and Gianna back away as fast as they come together, both wary of more danger to their damaged hearts. But their search for a truth leads them to surprising secrets, life-changing revelations, heartbreaking emotion, and the chance for a love more powerful than they ever imagined. Can they trust each other the second time around?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Freethy is a #1\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublishers' Weekly\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRomance Writers of America.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eShe has won the honor twice for her novels\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaniel's Gift\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Way Back Home. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" target=\"_blank\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Whisper Lake Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Barbara Freethy books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164100266,"sku":"9781944417543","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_dcc8d9c2-bd96-427a-a6b4-d61ba71023f7.jpg?v=1636991351"},{"product_id":"haint-blue-a-tipsy-collins-novel-9781647043261","title":"Haint Blue: A Tipsy Collins Novel","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Haint Blue\u003c\/em\u003e is a highly engaging paranormal mystery filled with frolic, fun, and genuine nail-biting moments as we race to its conclusion. The book is filled with charming and likable characters that will keep you invested throughout.… Stephanie Alexander gives us a really fresh take on the paranormal genre, setting this novel apart from others within the genre.” \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—Readers' Favorite,\u003c\/em\u003e 2021 Gold Medalist for Paranormal Fiction\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Charleston's favorite ghost-talking divorcée returns in Alexander's latest supernatural mystery.… A well-told, deeply felt addition to a ghostly mystery series.\"\u003cem\u003e —Kirkus \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClairvoyant single mom Tipsy Collins is easing into a post-divorce new normal. She's solved a century-old murder mystery and brought peace to her house. She's rebuilding her artistic career and co-parenting with her ornery ex-husband. She's hopeful that her boyfriend is Mr. Right. Mercurial phantom Henry Mott still haunts her house, but he's become a dear friend. Tipsy plans to return to her lifelong habit of ignoring restless spirits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA series of sudden financial and personal setbacks leave her feeling like she's back to square one, until a new friendship offers unexpected financial salvation. Ivy More has been haunting a Sullivan's Island cottage since the 1940s. Ivy's eccentric granddaughter, Pamella Brewton, will pay big bucks if Tipsy can figure out how to free her moody, volatile Meemaw. It turns out there was more to Ivy's death than a simple swan dive off the dock at low tide. To complicate matters, Ivy had a secret lover. Shockingly, he's someone Tipsy has seen before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs Tipsy struggles with heartbreak, her ex-husband's shenanigans, and a growing sense of frustration with life, she turns to Henry for help solving Ivy's mystery. She finds herself learning from her brooding housemate, but also from Ivy, who has far more in common with Tipsy than either of them expect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSCROLL FOR SAMPLE!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStephanie Alexander is a writer and a family law attorney. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, their blended family of five children, and their miniature dachshunds, Trinket and Tipsy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Excerpt:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cu\u003eChapter 1\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost two years after her ex-husband moved out, Tipsy Collins was still trying to figure out her life. She’d learned some handy lessons, for sure. When it comes to personal revelations, divorce is the gift that keeps on giving. For example, as her dating life collapsed around her like a house of unpleasantly prophetic tarot cards, she reached the liberating yet disheartening conclusion that she would never understand men, living or dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike most women in their thirties, Tipsy had plenty of experience with the behavior of \u003cem\u003eliving\u003c\/em\u003e men, but she only understood that \u003cem\u003edead\u003c\/em\u003e men were just as flummoxing because she lived with one. After a lifetime of avoiding spirits, she’d inherited ghostly roommates when she had the good fortune to move into Miss Callie’s house in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant, across the Ravenel Bridge from Charleston. Thanks to her former brother-in-law’s generosity with his late mother’s home, she didn’t pay rent, but she had to share space with two cantankerous, kooky phantoms. Jane and Henry Mott hadn’t escaped their miserable marriage with ‘til death do us part, but with Tipsy’s help and the mystery of their century-old murder solved, Jane had done the sensible thing. She moved on. A year later, Henry still lingered in Ms. Callie’s house, as confounding as ever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn this morning a few days after the Fourth of July, Tipsy brushed past him as she hustled her three children—Ayers, Mary Pratt, and Olivia Grace—out the door for camp. “Morning, Henry,” she said under her breath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry sat at the dining room table. He whispered to himself as he wrote in the air with one pale finger. His dark blue eyes followed his imaginary penmanship. Bright red, tousled hair hung in his face. He smiled, as if he’d just noticed Tipsy wrestling her three boisterous kids into submission in the foyer. “Good morning, Miss Tipsy,” he said, “Where are y’all off to today?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDropping them at summer camp.\u003c\/em\u003e Tipsy spoke in her mind. Henry would hear her as clearly as if she hollered through a bullhorn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course! How could I forget? I apologize, but this chapter of THE GREAT STORY is terribly demanding of my attention.” Even when he was grinning like a fox in the early stages of rabies, Henry cut a dashing figure at Ms. Callie’s antique mahogany table. In the age of kitchen islands, such edifices of formal meals were going the way of the flip phone. Meanwhile, neither Henry nor the furnishings had changed much since he died in 1923.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhich chapter now?\u003c\/em\u003e Tipsy asked, although she pretty much knew the answer. Henry was compiling his mysterious magnum opus at a speed approximating that of a drunk slug crawling up a slippery wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m \u003cem\u003enearly \u003c\/em\u003efinished with chapter two!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother voice rose in Tipsy’s mind. Her Granna, who had died years ago but shared her talent for seeing the dead and hence some of her headspace, spoke up with her usual country forthrightness. \u003cem\u003eIt’s taken him a year to finish two chapters, \u003c\/em\u003esaid Granna. \u003cem\u003eHe wants you to transcribe for him, but you’ll have joined me in the afterlife before he’s finished. Why doesn’t he move on now that he can?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI don’t know, Granna, but if he wants to hang around haunting this place, that’s his choice\u003c\/em\u003e. She looked at the eccentric ghost like her own errant offspring. \u003cem\u003eBesides, I’m used to him at this point, bless his crazy ass heart.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Y’all have a nice day now,” said Henry. “I’ll take the basket of clean clothes to your room.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy gave him a subtle thumbs up. Henry’s telekinetic powers definitely came in handy around the house.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHe’s more helpful than Big Ayers was,\u003c\/em\u003e said Granna, in reference to Tipsy’s famously self-centered ex-husband.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIf I have to live with a man, I think I prefer a dead one. Living men drive me to drink.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStill getting the heebie-jeebies from Will?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThat’s as good a way as any to describe his vibes lately.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kids’ arguing recaptured her attention. Little Ayers had typical nine-year-old boy morning energy. He was singing a borderline inappropriate rap song he’d heard on YouTube at his father’s house. He tugged one of Olivia Grace’s curly brown pigtails while bouncing his soccer ball on his knee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Stop it,” said O-liv.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ayers, stop it. Hold onto the ball. What’s that song? I don’t like the sound of it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s the clean version, Mom.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’d lately switched from \u003cem\u003eMama\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003eMom\u003c\/em\u003e, reminding her that there was a lot more YouTube in her future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy helped Mary Pratt sling her camp backpack over her shoulders. “Your bathing suit and towel are in—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Where’s my lunchbox, Mama?” asked Mary Pratt. “Did you put fruit snacks in there?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ayers, \u003cem\u003estaaaaap\u003c\/em\u003e!” Olivia Grace was about to lose it. While she was often the most compliant member of the Collins Kids Triad, she’d been known to clobber her siblings when they pushed her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ayers Lee! You’re almost ten years old, for heaven’s sake. Leave your sister alone!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“She started it! She called me a poophead!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh lord, are we revisiting poophead? O-liv, \u003cem\u003eno more poophead.\u003c\/em\u003e” Tipsy reached for M.P.’s lunchbox. She planned to head straight to Sullivan’s Island to discuss a new painting commission after drop off, so she wore wedges and a long sundress. As a freelance artist, commissions were her most important source of income. She always dressed up to meet a potential client, but her outfit was not kid-friendly. As she handed over the pink rectangle, she stumbled on her hem and stepped on her own toe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Damnit!” she yelled. “Shit!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe kids shut up mid-complaint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You okay, Mom?” Ayers flipped his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“She cussed,” Mary Pratt whispered to Olivia Grace. Olivia Grace grimaced in acknowledgement. The two girls, as identical at seven-years old as they had been as newborns, didn’t need to talk to communicate any more than Tipsy had to speak to talk to Henry or Granna.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy looked in the hallway mirror and straightened her dress. A tall, slim woman with wavy brown hair and gray eyes stared back at her. She appeared only mildly frazzled. No parenting induced eye tick yet, but hell, it wasn’t even eight in the morning. Still plenty of time for her hair to stand on end and her mascara to run. She smiled at her reflection as if practicing for a television interview. Money was always tight in her post-divorce life, and she needed this commission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer phone dinged insistently as she gave Little A his water bottle. “Yes, buddies. I’m fine. I’m sorry I cursed, but y’all are driving me batty. Let’s all try to chill out, okay?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sorry,” said Ayers. “Sorry, O-liv.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“S’okay,” said Olivia Grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I don’t need fruit snacks,” said Mary Pratt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“All good, y’all. Please get in the car.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey meandered out the front door, chatting and laughing with the abrupt conviviality of children, while Tipsy grabbed her purse. She looked at her phone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill Garrison Text Message (2)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt’s about time\u003c\/em\u003e, she thought. He’d been distant the past week and hadn’t texted a good morning. She swiped across the text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill: Did you go to Pamella’s about the commission yet?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy: No, I told you, I have to drop off the kids first. Driving to Sullivan’s after.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe question irritated her. Will had connected her with Pamella Brewton, as he’d done carpentry work on her house. His sporadic communication of late harped on this meeting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy: Why do you keep asking?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe stuck the phone in her purse and walked down Ms. Callie’s front steps with the July sun baking her shoulders. She checked the kids’ seatbelts and got into her old faithful Tahoe. Her phone dinged again as she buckled her belt. She tried and failed to ignore it. She couldn’t stop herself. Her arm might as well have belonged to someone else.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe swiped across Will’s next text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust let me know how it goes. And can I come over tonight to talk?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy’s heart sank. Will Garrison was no chatterbox. If he wanted to talk, it couldn’t be good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy dropped off the kids—the girls to swim camp and Little Ayers to soccer camp—without sending Will any messages demanding clarification. So frustrating of him to drop a “talk” on her with no context, but she refused to question him and then wait for another vague text that would likely increase her anxiety. She drove over the Ben Sawyer Bridge, but she didn’t slow down to admire the stretch of picturesque marsh between Sullivan’s Island and Mount Pleasant. Her mind raced over the past year as she crept through Sullivan’s quaint business district, with its coffee-wielding pedestrians and stop-and-go golf cart traffic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill initially started acting weird around Thanksgiving. He’d cited his frustration at having a girlfriend to answer to during deer season, and she thought he was breaking up with her. She was crushed, until she realized he wasn’t really going anywhere. She gave him space and he slowly came back around. By February, with deer season over and Will not much of a duck hunter, things almost returned to normal. Tipsy understandably felt more insecure about their relationship, however, and not only because of the break up scare. As their first bucolic summer together faded behind them, frustrating trends emerged that neither Tipsy nor Will seemed able to resolve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen she was brutally honest with herself, she knew she’d always struggle to give Will the long leash he wanted. His idea of an appropriate leash was more like an invisible fence. She never understood where the boundaries were. Tipsy didn’t think of herself as high-maintenance, but she did have expectations. She was happy for Will to spend time on the weekends hunting or fishing, as long as their relationship remained a priority. After all, she’d already been a deer stand widow in her marriage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs for herself, she continued to wish Will would be more expressive. She thought with time and patient encouragement, he’d open up more, but she’d accepted that Will would never be one for effusive declarations of love or long, deep conversations about feelings. Tipsy had gone so long without any of that, she found herself craving it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMaybe we’ll never be able to make each other happy\u003c\/em\u003e, she thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer emotions did an about face, as they always did. She loved so many things about Will. He was as steady as a summer day was long. He was always there to help when she needed him, whether it be connecting her with new painting clients through his work as a residential contractor or fixing her garbage disposal. Most complicating of all, their lives were as entwined as the invasive vines that crept up the walls of Ms. Callie’s house. The twins regularly had sleepovers with his two younger daughters. Her two best friends, Lindsey and Shelby, were married to his closest old friend (P.D.) and dating his closest new friend (Brian), respectively.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLastly, and not unimportantly, they never lacked for physical chemistry. She still got the tingles when he ran his hand up her arm. Given the big messy picture, she’d decided the good outweighed the bad. She’d made the conscious decision to stick it out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAm I settling or expecting too much\u003c\/em\u003e? She’d never figured out the answer to that question. Granna, who married the first boy she ever kissed and lost him to bladder cancer twenty-some years later, didn’t know either.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe missed Jane, Henry’s wife. If she still haunted the house, Tipsy could talk to her about Will. Jane had always listened while offering snippets of practical advice. She was compassionate without being judgmental. Tipsy knew what Lindsey would say (“Just give him some time!”) and what Shelby would say (“I love Will but if he’s back on his bullshit, then screw him!”).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI tend to agree with Shelby,\u003c\/em\u003e said Granna.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy pondered as she drove past Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church into the historic district known as Moultrieville. \u003cem\u003eIsn’t there something in between? Between a mile long leash and screw you? Between settling for less and expecting perfection? And why am I still asking these questions?  \u003c\/em\u003eFrustration roiled in her midsection. \u003cem\u003eI’ve been divorced for going on two years. Shouldn’t my life be sorted out by now?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGranna didn’t provide an answer, which meant she didn’t have a good one for those questions, either. Tipsy followed her phone’s directions down Middle Street toward the south end of Sullivan’s. While the northern Breach Inlet side of the island had a sparse, grassy beach town feel, the southern end had a small town \u003cem\u003eSteel Magnolias\u003c\/em\u003e vibe; that is, if Chinquapin Parish had included Revolutionary War fortifications. The oldest remaining homes were mostly tiny bungalows, but a few pseudoplantation houses with traditional double-decker piazzas lingered on Officer’s Row, a section of historic military housing on I’On Avenue. Ancient live oaks had observed the island’s long, dark history, including a tragic stint as a quarantine station for enslaved Africans. Post-Civil War, an African American farming community had slowly transitioned to an exclusive seaside enclave. Brick ranchers from the 1960s with hodgepodge additions huddled beside towering contemporary board and baton mansions. As always, Sullivan’s was proudly disorganized and eccentric. The architectural version of an academic convention; an eclectic mix of sleepy tenured professors and arrogant doctoral students.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe took a few sharp turns onto Thompson Avenue near Station 14, on the Intracoastal side of the island along the marsh. She looked up as her phone announced that she had arrived at her destination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill had told her that Pamella Brewton— Pam-ella, with two l’s, don’t forget— was a little eccentric.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom the looks of this place\u003c\/em\u003e, said Granna, \u003cem\u003ehe wasn’t telling tales.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe house was one of the island’s clapboard senior citizens. Butterflies, moths, and fat bumble bees flittered over a front yard covered in white daisies and yellow brown-eyed susans. Purple wisteria blossoms and Confederate jasmine swarmed over the trellis above the front gate. The archway looked as if it were made of flowers instead of the same rotting wood that made up the fence. A cracked flagstone path led to a two-story house on raised pilings. Five crooked steps ended in a wide, slightly lopsided porch furnished with four red rocking chairs and a Charleston green joggling board. The strangest thing about the whole place, however, was the color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything from the siding to the shutters to the fence itself was painted in shades of pale blue. Given the peeling state of it all, it was an old paint job, and a stubborn one. A bit of fading here and there, but otherwise that blue paint clung to the wood like a bad case of frostbite.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHaint blue\u003c\/em\u003e? Tipsy asked Granna.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLooks like it, but my word, someone got a mite carried away\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy nodded her agreement. Normally haint blue—the shade of pale blue common to South Carolina porch ceilings—was one of her favorite colors. This house’s color scheme reminded her of diluted toilet bowl cleaner, or mouthwash spit in a sink.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt took a moment to make sense of the darker blues and sea greens that interrupted all that used Listerine. At least ten bottle trees dotted the yard. They rose out of the flowers, iron crab legs capped with cobalt claws. A few were crafted from driftwood. Those upright arboreal skeletons reminded Tipsy of morbid Christmas trees decorated with spacy blue lights.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs she shut off the ignition, she read Will’s text again. She swallowed the lump in her throat like an egret trying to gulp down a particularly large fish. She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and got out of the truck.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGood decision. He threw the ingredients in the pot\u003c\/em\u003e, said Granna. \u003cem\u003eLet him stew a while.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe pulled the jasmine away from the weathered gray sign on the trellis. \u003cem\u003eTrue Blue Cottage.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bottle trees couldn’t possibly be waving at her; they were made of metal or stiff dead wood. Still, something about the sunlight glinting off the blue glass made the whole yard seem topsy-turvy. \u003cem\u003eIf I didn’t know how such things worked, I’d think there were spirits moving around in there.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSo silly! \u003c\/em\u003esaid Granna. \u003cem\u003eImagine trying to cram Henry Mott’s lanky behind into one of those itty bitty bottles.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy walked under the trellis and down the path. The browneyed susans bent toward one another as if they were gossiping about an unwelcome visitor. She climbed the creaky stairs, but when she got to the porch, she turned back to the yard. Sunshine on the pale blue fence created an unpleasant glare. She closed her eyes, but the shape of the bottles remained in splotchy blue streaks in the blackness. She rubbed her face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe door swung open behind her. It banged against the exterior wall. “You \u003cem\u003emust\u003c\/em\u003e be Tipsy!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy spun around. “Yes. Hey!” The woman before her was probably around fifty, even taller and thinner than Tipsy, with dark curly hair and bright green eyes. She wore a neon pink Bohemian tunic, green and yellow striped cropped jeans with fringe at the bottom, and a pair of sandals that wrapped halfway up her calf. Somehow, it all worked. “Pamella?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s me, honey! Pam\u003cem\u003e-el-la,\u003c\/em\u003e with two l’s!” Pamella grabbed her hand and squeezed, hard. Tipsy winced. Still, she couldn’t help but smile back at this pretty woman who dripped enthusiasm like a leaky bucket of happiness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Come \u003cem\u003eon in\u003c\/em\u003e. I am so beyond happy to meet you! When we spoke on the phone, I knew you were the \u003cem\u003eperfect\u003c\/em\u003e artist for this project. Will Garrison had so many nice things to say about you. So did May Penny!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“May Penny Collins?” asked Tipsy, surprised at the mention of her former mother-in-law.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes! She and Tripp were friends of my late father.” She peered over Tipsy’s shoulder. Her voice dropped to a whisper, as if the spirits in the bottles might hear her. “It’s pretty impressive to get a glowing reference from your \u003cem\u003eex-husband’s mother\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah, well, we’ve had our moments.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePamella tugged her toward the threshold and then abruptly stopped. Tipsy bumped into her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, wait. Listen, I inherited True Blue from my daddy a couple years ago. I just moved back to town from Atlanta. So good to be back in the \u003cem\u003ereal South\u003c\/em\u003e.” She wiggled her shoulders. While she didn’t blink for emphasis the way Jane had, she added pizazz to words of import. Mostly in flailing hands, wagging eyebrows, and those shoulders that bounced like she danced to music only she could hear. Pamella talked as fast as a New Yorker, yet her husky voice retained its Southern twang. Like a taxicab horn crossed with a baying hound dog. “I know it looks like a \u003cem\u003efricked up \u003c\/em\u003eversion of the witch’s house from Hansel and Gretel.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s truly blue, that’s for sure.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hopefully I’ll be able to change it soon, if this works out.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, jeez. I don’t do exterior painting. Is that what—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course you don’t! You’re an artiste \u003cem\u003eextraordinaire\u003c\/em\u003e!” She dragged Tipsy into the house. True Blue had no foyer. Upon crossing the threshold, they were in the living room. A brown leather sofa and matching club chair sat around a hideous coffee table with a glass top and a base made from an old boat propeller. No carpets on the old hardwood floors. Faded beachy prints on the walls and a faint musty smell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePamella led her toward the kitchen in the back of the house. It was as fresh as the rest of the house was dated. White cabinets, white quartz countertops, and light wide plank wood floors courtesy of Will. An oyster shell chandelier hung over the island. All perfectly orderly, with the exception of two empty sauvignon blanc bottles and a wine glass in the sink. Pamella pointed at a bare expanse of wall behind the rustic kitchen table. “I’d like to hang it here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Perfect.” Tipsy sized up the wall. “You want a painting of the front of the house with you and your father sitting on the stoop?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes. Or \u003cem\u003emaybe\u003c\/em\u003e the back. To get the marsh view? I’m not sure yet.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll do a bunch of sketches to give you some ideas.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Great. I want the figures to be me as a child and him as a younger man. I never knew my mother, so it was just me and Daddy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m sorry—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“She ran out on us when I was a baby. No biggie.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy’s own mother had left her, albeit as a teenager and not an infant. Even before her mother had really peaced out, Granna had basically raised Tipsy in her tiny, threadbare house in the rural upstate. Tipsy knew firsthand that maternal abandonment was kind of a biggie, but she didn’t know Pamella from Adam so she kept her mouth shut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I can’t believe I don’t have a photo of me and Daddy outside!” said Pamella.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s okay. If you show me a couple pictures of the two of you from back then, it won’t be a problem. I’ll work y’all in however you want. Position, facial expression, whatever.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“That’s pretty cool. Will said you could paint \u003cem\u003eanything\u003c\/em\u003e, but I didn’t know he meant, like, \u003cem\u003eanything\u003c\/em\u003e.” Cue shoulder wiggle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy shrugged. She had no way to explain her supernaturally inspired ability to replicate life with paint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePamella gestured to the table. “Let’s sit. Can I get you anything to drink?” The lady herself had a large Yeti tumbler. Tipsy shook her head as she joined her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I hope I’ll be able to display the painting here.” Pamella sipped from her Yeti. “But if I \u003cem\u003ehave\u003c\/em\u003e to sell the house at least I can take something of it with me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You’re thinking of selling? The market on the island is sure hot.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I don’t need to sell it for the money. I need to sell it… because… \u003cem\u003eyou know\u003c\/em\u003e. The \u003cem\u003eyou know what\u003c\/em\u003e.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I do?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Will didn’t tell you?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He told me I was coming out here to talk about a painting commission.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You are… and we did talk about the painting. Of course I want the painting. But he didn’t mention anything about my grandmother?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m sorry?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePamella leaned back in her chair. “My grandmother haunts this house. Will told me you have \u003cem\u003esome experience\u003c\/em\u003e with such things.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy about fainted. Her eyes bugged from her head like she was dead herself and someone needed to close them. No living person had ever frankly called out her talent for seeing the dead. She’d confided in exactly two people about it: Granna and Will. Yet Pamella was stating she had some experience with the paranormal in the same way she might ask to look at Tipsy’s paintings on her Instagram feed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe tried to eke moisture out of her suddenly parched mouth. Maybe she’d misinterpreted Pamella. “Will told you I have experience with what now?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ghosts, lady. He told me you had a similar problem in your own house and you dealt with it.” Pamella snapped her fingers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What else did he tell you?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Not much. Just that you’d found out \u003cem\u003ewhy\u003c\/em\u003e the ghosts in your house were stuck there, and then they moved on.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Can I have some water?” Tipsy stood and walked past the kitchen island. She opened a few cabinets, and removed a tumbler. She ran lukewarm water from the tap. She needed to guzzle this water and the cold might make her head explode. How dare Will casually tell this woman about her lifelong secret?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePamella started chattering behind her. “So. Right! My grandmother haunts the house—my father’s mother. Ivy More Brewton. She died in 1944. Fell off the dock out back, bless her heart, when my father was only twelve. She—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ma’am. Pamella. I need a minute. I came out here thinking this was a painting commission, not an invitation to conduct a s.ance.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I \u003cem\u003ereally, truly\u003c\/em\u003e do want the painting. But if you can help me with this other problem—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How do you even know the house is haunted? Can you see ghosts?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, but I know she’s here. Things happen in this house. Objects move. Doors open and shut. Sometimes, when she’s angry—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“She gets angry?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I think so. When I was a teenager Daddy and I got in an argument about my curfew one night. He was \u003cem\u003eso strict\u003c\/em\u003e. I was kind of, like, a \u003cem\u003erebel\u003c\/em\u003e, but like in an eighties punk rock way that wasn’t \u003cem\u003ethat\u003c\/em\u003e rebellious. Like I wore leather jackets and once I dyed my hair jet black. I wanted to go to a party at— wait. Where was I? Oh, right. We were yellin’ at each other and the coffee table flipped over. Magazines went everywhere. Daddy’s bourbon all over the floor. Then the windows flat out \u003cem\u003eexploded\u003c\/em\u003e. I still have a scar, where glass hit me.” She showed Tipsy a thin line on the side of her cheek. “It \u003cem\u003ewas\u003c\/em\u003e a loud argument. I suppose we were disturbing her peace.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How do you know it’s your grandmother?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Daddy couldn’t see ghosts, so he never actually laid eyes on her either. \u003cem\u003eHis\u003c\/em\u003e grandmother, Ivy’s mother Alma More, somehow knew it was Ivy. Maybe she saw ghosts.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite Tipsy’s hesitation, the discovery of a kindred family caught her interest. “It does run in families, but not always in a straight line. My mother has no supernatural talent, but her mother, my Granna, she did.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I didn’t inherit anything from Ivy besides my face, from what photos tell me.” She patted her cheek. “Anyway, after Ivy died, Alma warned Daddy about her haunting this place. Alma died long before I was born, so I never got to ask her any questions.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“So your grandmother—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eMeemaw\u003c\/em\u003e. I always wanted a grandmother to like, teach me to bake and sew and stuff. Ivy was as close as I could get. So I call her Meemaw.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Meemaw. Okay. Pamella, listen. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. I’m sure it must be annoying—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s gone beyond annoying. It’s gotten worse over the years. When I was a child, Meemaw rarely got angry. By my thirties, it got \u003cem\u003ebad\u003c\/em\u003e. She’d go quiet for a few days and then she’d rage around like our family hurricane. Daddy loved this place, but we couldn’t stay here as often as he would have liked. That’s why Daddy painted the \u003cem\u003ewhole damn place\u003c\/em\u003e haint blue and set up all those frickin’ bottle trees. You know the old stories. \u003cem\u003eKeep the spirits at bay. Trap them in bottles.\u003c\/em\u003e Yada-yada-yada.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy glowered, her sense of justice offended. “He wanted to trap his own mother in a bottle?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Is she still his \u003cem\u003emother\u003c\/em\u003e? I don’t know anything about this stuff. I’ve tried to do research, but there are a lot of charlatans out there. I mentioned to Will that the house is haunted. He’s the first person that ever gave me any \u003cem\u003ereal hope\u003c\/em\u003e something could be done about it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It seems pretty quiet here now.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ve only been back for two months. I rented a townhouse downtown. I paid the kitchen contractors bonuses to get things done faster. But she’s starting to get annoyed. I can \u003cem\u003etell\u003c\/em\u003e. Two days ago, when I arrived, all the potted plants I’d set up on the porch were turned upside down. Dirt \u003cem\u003eeverywhere\u003c\/em\u003e. Yesterday, I opened the back door, and even though it’s a hundred degrees out, I felt a chill like I’d been plunked down in Antarctica.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy filled her water glass again and sat down. “If she’s throwing things around and stuff like that, then she was a seer herself.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What do you mean?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Only ghosts who were able to see ghosts as living beings have that  kind of telekinetic power.” Tipsy thought of Henry knocking over the bookshelf in her kitchen a few days after she moved to Miss Callie’s. How afraid she’d been of his power. It sounded like this woman Ivy was just as volatile, if not more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt’s one thing dealing with your own restless spirits\u003c\/em\u003e, said Granna. \u003cem\u003eBut someone else’s…\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat was enough for Tipsy. “I’m sorry. I hate that you’re having these problems, but I don’t think I can get involved.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Please,” said Pamella. “I \u003cem\u003eseriously\u003c\/em\u003e don’t know what else to do. My father had three houses during my childhood. His family home downtown near the Battery, a new house in Atlanta where he did business, and this cottage. The house downtown was lovely, but I never missed it when he sold it. \u003cem\u003eAtlanta\u003c\/em\u003e? Not a second thought. Sold it myself when he passed. This place, though—it’s \u003cem\u003eso special\u003c\/em\u003e. I want to make it happy and cozy again, like when I was little. I’d seriously like to live here, but I can’t if Meemaw can’t find peace. Poor woman, stuck here like a fly between a screen and glass. It’s seriously \u003cem\u003eso\u003c\/em\u003e sad.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs much as instinct yelled at her to run out of this house, Tipsy felt the familiar burn of compassion for Pamella and her late grandmother. “I agree. The lingering dead are always sad, believe me. Maybe there’s another way to get some peace around here.” Even as she said it, Tipsy couldn’t think of any other reasonable solution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I don’t even know if I could sell the house. In my research I found a legal case from New York or somewhere, where someone got sued for not disclosing a haunted house! How can I sell a place and say, yeah, it needs a new roof, and my dead grandmother might hit you upside the head with a broom? \u003cem\u003eSo tacky\u003c\/em\u003e. And potentially litigious.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I get it. But I didn’t give Will permission to tell anyone about my ghosts. It’s a private matter—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’ll make it worth your while.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s not that—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fifty thousand.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Excuse me?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Fifty thousand dollars.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy about fell out. “Are you serious?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Let’s say three thousand for the painting. Forty-seven for the exorcism!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTipsy sat back in her chair. Fifty thousand dollars would be life changing for her. She no longer suffered from painter’s block and she’d been making decent money from her paintings, but she always watched her bank account like a hawk flying above a sneaky fish. Unlike other business endeavors, as an artist she was one person and she only produced so much. She refused to let the quality of her work suffer. That kind of money would finally give her a cushion. She could pay off her credit cards and start saving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If you’re sure, and you really have fifty thousand dollars you can just hand over—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePamella grinned. “Don’t you worry about that, lady. My daddy left me a lot more than a haunted cottage and a shed full of haint blue paint.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=Tipsy+Collins+series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eShop the Tipsy Collins series\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716161282218,"sku":"9781647043261","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_73bc2241-b18b-4644-8fde-e098e40036b3.jpg?v=1636991283"},{"product_id":"the-jade-tiger-9781735244907","title":"The Jade Tiger","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2021 National Indie Excellence Award Finalist, Mystery\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2020\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cb\u003e BookLife Prize Finalist, Mystery\/Thriller\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Set in 1928, Cooper's promising debut and series launch introduces aspiring opera singer Penelope Harris...Cooper reveals intriguing secrets about her lead that make the prospect of future books welcome. Fans of Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher will enjoy Penelope's adventures.\"\u003cem\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e—Publisher’s Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"…an engrossing and polished historical mystery that wins high marks for authentic settings, a multi-layered plot, and vibrant characters enhanced by clever dialogue and differentiating voices. Set in 1928, descriptions and vernacular phrasing reminds the reader of time and place but never gets trite.” —\u003c\/span\u003eMary Amati\u003cem\u003e, BookLife \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Jade Tiger \u003c\/em\u003etransports the reader to the 1920s, when opera singers and adept piano players graced high-end social events...The 1920s atmosphere, the well-developed characters, and the murder-mystery thread make this novel a worthy read.\"\u003cem\u003e —InD'Tale Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNEW YORK, OCTOBER 1928. The Big Apple teems with the glitter of Bright Young Things, Prohibition, and scofflaws\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—the \u003c\/span\u003eperfect place for Penelope Harris to start her life over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a former opera singer turned Shanghai nightclub owner, she's seen and done a lot, maybe too much. With any luck, she'll leave more than The Jade Tiger casino behind her\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003ea murdered husband, a blackmailing torch singer, and Thom Lund, the ex-cop who stole her heart. But Penelope has never had that kind of luck; her past is already waiting for her in New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen someone murders her chiseling blackmailer at an out-of-control party and Thom is accused of the crime, Penelope must face down her darkest memories to prove his innocence. Is the murderer her cousin Charles, suckered into a hasty marriage by Penelope's blackmailer? Or is it Penelope's over-protective mother, who can't remember a thing after a blow to the head? Or was it Thom after all, ready to commit murder to save Penelope from the blackmailer's wicked plans?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the opulent mansions of the obscenely wealthy and the grit of a Hell's Kitchen speakeasy, Penelope and Thom must navigate double-crosses, bad liquor, bootleggers, and dark, obsessive love to find the murderer before the past reaches out to put a noose around both their necks. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eE.W. Cooper is the author of the award winning Penelope Harris historical mystery series—\u003ci\u003eThe Jade Tiger \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eMurder at the Met. \u003c\/i\u003eA lifelong fan of classic whodunit mysteries and Grand Opera, Ms. Cooper lives quietly with her partner, children, three dogs, and one cat in a very noisy house in South Texas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=jade%20tiger*\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=jade%20tiger*\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eShop the Penelope Harris Mysteries series\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ink Dog Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716162330794,"sku":"9781735244907","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_1b1d6226-9317-499e-a772-8ebf21e32e6d.jpg?v=1636991324"},{"product_id":"christmastime-1940-a-love-story-9781946229052","title":"Christmastime 1940: A Love Story","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A charming, heartwarming tale of two people looking for a second chance at love and family. [Mahkovec] remarkably conveys Droom's transformation, [and] readers will enjoy the novel's detailed imagery, which has a whimsical and pleasingly old-fashioned quality throughout.\" \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSet in New York City against the backdrop of impending war, \u003cem\u003eChristmastime 1940\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of an unlikely romance between a struggling young mother trying to make a fresh start and a man who has lost his connection to humanity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe curmudgeonly Charles Drooms is perfectly content with his life as the owner of a successful accounting firm. However, when the beautiful widow, Lillian Hapsey, and her two young sons move down the hall from him, his narrow world is shaken. Three forces—Lillian, the Christmas season, and a mysterious little boy—converge to stir up powerful memories, pushing Drooms to make some life-altering decisions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAuthor Bio: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLinda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThemes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=christmastime%20series*\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Christmastime series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=1\u0026amp;q=Linda+Mahkovec%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Linda Mahkovec books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164526250,"sku":"9781946229052","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_7695974a-8fc5-4deb-9e24-7553042c26b9.jpg?v=1636991357"},{"product_id":"blue-mercy-9780957341203","title":"Blue Mercy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA literary family drama, with a murder at its heart, full of emotional twists and surprises.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWill you side with mother or daughter?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Mercy Mulcahy was 40 years old, she was accused of killing her elderly and tyrannical father. Now, at the end of her life, she has written a book about what really happened on that fateful night of Christmas Eve, 1989.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tragic and beautiful Mercy has devoted her life to protecting Star, especially from the father whose behavior so blighted her own life. Yet Star vehemently resists reading her manuscript.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy? What is Mercy hiding? Was her father's death, as many believe, an assisted suicide?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr something even more sinister?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this book, nothing is what it seems on the surface and everywhere there are emotional twists and surprises. (\"Breathtaking, and I mean literally -- actual gasps will happen\" said one reader review).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet in Ireland and California, Blue Mercy is a compelling novel that combines lyrical description with a page-turning style to create an enthralling tale of love, loss and the ever-present possibility of redemption.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for Orna Ross and \u003cem\u003eBlue Mercy\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A lyrical, gripping and heartbreakingly beautiful tale of love, loss and the ever-present possibility of redemption.\" - \u003cem\u003eWE Magazine for Women\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Epic sweep...ambitious scope... an intelligent book\". - \u003cem\u003eSunday Tribune\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A riveting story...vividly brought to life.\" - \u003cem\u003e Emigrant Online\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eORNA ROSS has worked in every branch of books publishing: as author, editor, teacher, mentor, novelist, poet and even as an (accidental) literary agent. Since 2012, she has been successfully self-publishing her own books and she is founder and director of The Alliance of Independent Authors. Get an email when Orna launches a new book: http: \/\/www.ornaross.com\/connect\/new-book-out\/ ORNA SAYS: \"My NOVELS usually take the form of family-based dramas. Often they are historical fiction and usually there's a murder mystery or other buried secret from the past causing chaos in the present. I enjoy writing emotional twists and surprises around big themes -- identity, family loyalty, the struggle between freedom and belonging. My POEMS are simple and accessible and tend towards the inspirational. My NONFICTION is about applying the creative process to everything in life. We've all been educated to neglect our creative capacities -- a big mistake, as the Creative Age overtakes the Information Age. Thankfully, as with strength in any other muscle, we stop losing it by using it. The 'Go Creative!' books show how to become more creative in every aspect of life. INSPIRATIONS: #1: HISTORY: I agree with Mr Hartley that the past is, indeed, another country and it's my favourite place to travel -- reading and writing historical fiction is my favourite thing to do. I'm especially drawn to bohemian times and places where shackles are thrown off and creativity flourishes -- fin de siecle Paris (1890s); literary revival and revolutionary Ireland (1910\/20s); hippy (1960s) and gay lib (1980s) San Francisco... #2: GENDER: I write the kind of women's fiction that explores what it is to be a woman, in various times and places. But I think both men and women have feminine and masculine dimensions. We are all seeded by man and born of woman and we all carry 'male' and 'female' characteristics. How these play out, in an individual life and in different societies, is endlessly fascinating to me. #3: IRELAND: I don't only write about Ireland but it is a strong influence. Because so many millions have emigrated from there, its stories reach beyond its own shores. There is always a particular flavour to Irish writing and readers tell me they experience in my books too. #4: THE SEA: Everything I really needed to know, I could have learned by watching the waves. #5: THE SPACE BETWEEN THE WORDS. About which the less said, the better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Orna Ross","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48007027949738,"sku":"9780957341203","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_f8a7cdd4-9cdf-4d32-8b18-6fde1b945129.jpg?v=1636991182"},{"product_id":"the-winter-sisters-9780984974894","title":"The Winter Sisters","description":"\u003cp\u003eDr. Waycross knows bleeding and blistering, the best scientific medicine of 1822. He arrives in the Georgia mountains to bring his modern methods to the superstitious masses. But the local healers, the Winter sisters, claim to treat yellow fever, consumption, and the hell-roarin' trots just as well as he can. Some folks call the sisters herb women; some call them witches. Waycross calls them quacks. But when the threat of rabies\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e—incurable and fatal—comes to town, Dr. Waycross and the Winter sisters must combine their science and superstition in a desperate search for a remedy. Can they find a miracle cure, or has the age of miracles passed?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Qw Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48055813603498,"sku":"9780984974894","price":16.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_5644da83-8dc7-4824-bbaf-1db220072933.jpg?v=1636991183"},{"product_id":"dont-say-a-word-9780990695189","title":"Don't Say a Word","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Powerful and absorbing … Sheer hold-your-breath suspense.” \u003cem\u003e—NY Times, USA Today,\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eand Publishers Weekly bestselling author, Karen Robards\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e12 weeks on the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Bestseller List!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom #1 \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Barbara Freethy comes an award winning tale of romance and suspense.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything she's been told about her past is a lie...\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJulie De Marco is planning a perfect San Francisco wedding when she comes face-to-face with a famous photograph, the startling image of a little girl behind the iron gate of a foreign orphanage—a girl who looks exactly like her. But Julia isn't an orphan. She isn't adopted. And she's never been out of the country. She knows who she is—or does she?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaunted by uncertainty, Julia sets off on a dangerous search for her true identity—her only clues a swan necklace and an old Russian doll, her only ally daring, sexy photographer Alex Manning. Suddenly nothing is as it seems. The people Julia loved and trusted become suspicious strangers. The relationships she believed in—with her mother, her sister, and her fianc\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eé—are shaken by new revelations. The only person she can trust is Alex, but he has secrets of his own. Each step brings her closer to a mysterious past that began a world away—a past that still has the power to threaten her life...and change her future forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A page-turner that engages your mind while it tugs at your heartstrings...\u003cem\u003eDon't Say a Word\u003c\/em\u003e had made me a Barbara Freethy fan for life!\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Diane Chamberlain\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"An absorbing story of two people determined to unravel the secrets, betrayals, and questions about their past. The story builds to an explosive conclusion that will leave readers eagerly awaiting Barbara Freethy's next book.\" \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—NY Times bestselling author Carla Neggars\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Dark, hidden secrets and stunning betrayal boil together in a potent and moving suspense. Freethy's story-telling ability is top-notch.\" \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Romantic Times Magazine Top Pick of the Month\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What drew me to \u003cem\u003eDon't Say a Word\u003c\/em\u003e was the fear of the unknown. Everybody has questions about who they are and where they came from,, but to come face to face with the answers is scary. Ms. Freethy created a world full of suspense that is as thrilling as it is tragic. Julie serves as a beacon that from some of life's darkest moment can rise many of the brightest.” \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—I Love Romance Blog\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Freethy is a #1 \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e USA Today\u003c\/em\u003e Bestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from \u003cem\u003ePublishers' Weekly \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e Library Journal\u003c\/em\u003e and has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from \u003cem\u003eRomance Writers of America.\u003c\/em\u003e She has won the honor twice for her novels \u003cem\u003eDaniel's Gift \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e The Way Back Home. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Barbara Freethy books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48023852843178,"sku":"9780990695189","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_3db1818e-7502-473f-bc01-b36114ac142b.jpg?v=1636991184"},{"product_id":"the-nantucket-inn-9780991243532","title":"The Nantucket Inn","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e**Now a USA Today Bestseller ** \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLisa Hodges needs to make a decision fast. Thanks to her dead husband's gambling addiction, their savings is almost gone. In her early fifties with a large, waterfront home on Nantucket to support, Lisa hasn't worked in over thirty years, has no in-demand skills and is virtually unemployable. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer only options are to sell the house and move off-island, or, she could use her cooking and entertaining skills and turn her home into a bed and breakfast. She desperately needs it to succeed because she has four grown children with problems of their own and wants to stay close to them. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer oldest daughter, Kate, has a fabulous career in Boston--working as a writer for a popular fashion magazine and engaged to a dangerously handsome photographer, who none of them have met. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKate's twin, local artist, Kristen, has been reasonably content with her on-again off-again relationship with an older, separated businessman. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer son, Chase, runs his own construction business and is carefree, happily dating here and there but nothing serious. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eYoungest daughter, Abby, is happily married to her high school sweetheart, and they've been trying to have a baby. But it hasn't happened yet, and Abby wonders if it's a sign that maybe their marriage isn't as perfect as everyone thinks. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCome visit Nantucket and see how Lisa's new bed and breakfast has an impact on almost everyone in her family. It's the first book in a new series that will follow the Hodges family, friends, and visitors to Nantucket's Beach Plum Cove Inn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKelley, Pamela M.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Pamela M. Kelley lives in the historic seaside town of Plymouth, MA near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been a book worm and still reads often and widely, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. She writes women's fiction, small town romance and suspense and you'll probably see food featured and possibly a recipe or two. She is owned by a cute little rescue kitty, Bella.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piping Plover Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716155613354,"sku":"9780991243532","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_17f000fd-efd8-4cc4-b1f0-3dab41efb53a.jpg?v=1636991185"},{"product_id":"two-coins-a-biographical-novel-9780996384544","title":"Two Coins: A Biographical Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A powerful story with a vivid setting, compelling plot, and multifaceted characters.\"\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e2019 Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“5 Stars!\u003ci\u003e Two Coins, \u003c\/i\u003ewith its overtones to women's rights, is nothing less than a stellar and ageless novel.\u003ci\u003e\" —2019 Chanticleer International Book Awards Semi-Finalist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDuring the Great Scandal of British Calcutta in 1883, newspapers were flying off the shelves in Calcutta, Edinburgh, and London.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Reverend William Hastie had charged \u003c\/span\u003eMary Pigot, lady superintendent of the Scottish Female Mission in Calcutta, with mismanagement and immorality. The headlines were damning. But Miss Pigot isn't taking the reverend's accusations sitting down. She decides to fight back!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAfter ten years of hard work growing the mission, raising funds and educating women, Miss Pigot's career is in ruins as a result of the scandal. With nothing to lose, she takes her case to the Calcutta High Court and sues Hastie for malicious libel. A woman publicly suing a man! It's just the type of scandal that sells lots of newspapers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBased on actual events, \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTwo Coins\u003c\/em\u003e takes readers into Justice William Norris' steamy courtroom in the middle of monsoon season as the scandal engulfs the entire missionary community—destroying almost everyone involved. Will Miss Pigot prevail?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eTwo Coins\u003c\/i\u003e portrays a nearly forgotten event in time where a determined woman fought the oppressive powers that be. Risking reputation in a time when that was all a woman had, Mary Pigot’s story is illustrative of staying the course to the bitter end.\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e“Sandra Wagner-Wright does a masterful job bringing the scene to life. Well-researched and colorful, readers step back in time and experience the trials and tribulations alongside her well-developed characters…a forgotten tale of power, corruption, and women’s rights based on a true story. Readers will be shocked and delighted.”\u003cstrong\u003e \u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eSeattle Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\"I don’t know that I could have enjoyed this book more, and I feel I learned a great deal. A work of historical fiction that is both entertaining and informative is a rare treat, and this is not one that should be passed by. Five Stars.\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eManhattan Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\"Wagner-Wright's extensive research allows her to stay remarkably true to history while her creativity brings an outstanding story of courage and fortitude to life. A powerful story with a vivid setting, compelling plot, and multifaceted characters.\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSandra Wagner-Wright taught women's \u0026amp; global history at the University of Hawai`i. Rama's Labyrinth is her first work of historical fiction. When not writing, Sandra enjoys travel \u0026amp; practicing yoga. Sandra writes a weekly blog on history, travel \u0026amp; the idiosyncrasies of life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Wagner Wright Enterprises","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716155678890,"sku":"9780996384544","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_6dad83ab-a7f5-4c41-b23d-71b757222f6a.jpg?v=1636991187"},{"product_id":"the-martini-club-mystery-9780997676150","title":"The Martini Club Mystery","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSmart. Savvy. Retired. Bored. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe members of The Martini Club include a former CIA operative, a one-time Washington ad man, an ex-journalist, a retired brothel owner, an ex-airline pilot, and a non-practicing rabbi. This eclectic group assembles once a month to drink gin martinis, debate great issues and tell stories that may or may not be true. When an enigmatic financier offers them a chance to get “back in the game” and turn one-million dollars into untold riches, the retirees jump at the opportunity. But their plans are quickly stymied by the suspicious death of a local landowner, forcing The Martini Club to sober up and investigate potentially deadly hidden agendas.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSCROLL FOR SAMPLE!\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlan Eysen wrote for many years about real-world financial and political corruption. At \u003cem\u003eNewsday\u003c\/em\u003e, he served as a prominent member of the investigative team that won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for exposing misconduct involving Long Island public officials. After more than thirty years in journalism, he became a political consultant and experienced the other side of the story. Today, Eysen resides in the lowcountry of South Carolina, where he continues to write and be inspired by the colorful characters and harrowing situations he experienced firsthand as a reporter. He can often be found crafting his strong fictional characters with the help of an equally strong dry gin martini.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Excerpt:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003eChapter 1: Flying\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJay Corrigan flew lazy circles over the Parrot’s Caw subdivision. The sky was azure blue; the golf course below a winding strip of brilliant green. This was the time the retired airline pilot had been waiting for—no schedules, no responsibilities, just the pure joy of making lazy circles in the sky.\u003cbr\u003eThe tiny two-seat Cessna 152 responded instantly to Corrigan’s touch. He was hands-on flying in this little high winged bird. He and the plane were one body linked by touch. Corrigan no longer was managing a computer-driven commercial plane, responsible for hundreds of passengers. He was just having fun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eOops\u003c\/em\u003e, he thought, remembering he did have one responsibility today. He had promised the Parrot’s Caw Property Owners Association that he would take photographs of the fifteen-hundred-acre development, with its thirty miles of roads and drains, its seventy-five drainage ponds, its twenty-plus miles of walking and biking trails, and many acres of carefully trimmed flowers, bushes and trees. The association board had requested the photos as part of its preparation for negotiations with the property’s developer.\u003cbr\u003eYet he hesitated.\u003cbr\u003eInstead of shooting photos, he climbed to thirty-five hundred feet to get a more panoramic view of the area. There was Parrot’s Caw, a complex of more than two thousand homes, town homes and condominiums. Its residents were upper middle class, mostly a mixture of successful businessmen and professionals—doctors, lawyers, accountants and engineers. Of course, he had met some offbeat souls, retired college professors, an ex-CIA operative, even a former journalist. Good folks to drink with.\u003cbr\u003eThe neighborhood’s manicured lawns, landscaped gardens and rolling golf course painted a sharp contrast to what Corrigan saw when he looked to the southeast. There, he spotted a distinctly different neighborhood. It was made up mostly of rundown shanties and mobile homes sitting on concrete blocks. Poor blacks lived there. He could make out several of them riding bikes on the slender, two-lane roads—\u003cem\u003enot for the exercise\u003c\/em\u003e, he thought, \u003cem\u003ebut because they can’t afford cars. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo the south lay the city of Stuarton, known to many as The Miracle City because the colonial seaport town had survived a British siege and blockade during the Revolutionary War by trickery as much as grim de­termination. Its militiamen intermixed real and artificial cannons on their ramparts to give a more formidable appearance and poked numerous unmanned rifles out of windows and over parapets to further the impression of a greater number of defenders. Some of their dead were propped up behind these weapons to add authenticity. After weeks of bombardment, the British fleet withdrew rather than test Stuarton’s defenses further by landing troops.\u003cbr\u003eToday, Stuarton residents were largely middle class, earning their living from small businesses that catered either to the tourist trade or the sale of farm products. A small section was filled with venerable mansions, some still occupied by the heirs of their original builders. Most of these architectural jewels, however, were now in the hands of successful entrepreneurs and celebrities who enjoyed a certain anonymity among Stuarton’s polite, look-the-other-way citizenry.\u003cbr\u003eFlying in a slow turn to the north, Corrigan was able to peer out his window far to the west. There he saw miles of farms and small ranches. \u003cem\u003eDamn\u003c\/em\u003e, he thought, \u003cem\u003eI think I see some cattle and real cowboys down there. Now it’s time to play. \u003c\/em\u003eWith that, he pushed the throttle in to full power and pulled the control wheel into his gut. The Cessna’s engine roared as its nose pointed straight up to the sky. For a tantalizing moment, the plane remained motionless, stalled, as if hung on an invisible string. Then, its left wing dropped precipitously, and the plane began to spin— slowly at first, then more rapidly. It looked to Corrigan as if the earth, not the plane, was spinning more and more rapidly as it rose up toward him. He laughed, shoved the control wheel forward, leveled the wings, pressed hard on the right rudder and reduced power. As the spin stopped, he eased off the right rudder and gently pulled back on the control wheel, putting the plane back in level flight. \u003cem\u003eFun’s over. \u003c\/em\u003eThe altimeter indicated he had lost 150 feet.\u003cbr\u003eHe turned back to the southeast toward Parrot’s Caw and began a slow descent. He reached for his camera, an old German Leica, banked the plane over to a for­ty-five-degree angle, and began shooting. By the time he tied down the little rental plane, he was ready for a drink. \u003cem\u003eWhere the hell are Brady, Smyth and Ginsberg when you need them?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003eChapter 2: In the Beginning\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMany of Brody Brady’s personal daily rituals were the result of his creative imagination. There was, for example, his Tuesday and Thursday walking schedule. On those two days, Brady wore a towel around his neck and a headband that said FEDERER. He would start his walks at precisely 10:00 a.m., which allowed him to reach his halfway point, the development’s tennis courts, a half hour later. This coincided with the conclusion of the regular women’s doubles tennis matches. Brady would offer his towel to any attractive lady who seemed in need of such assistance. Soon the players expected Brady to arrive, and some struck up an acquaintance with “that charming man.”\u003cbr\u003eOn Wednesdays, Brady would borrow his neighbor’s Yorkshire Terrier for a walk. He had learned that women were attracted to small, fluffy dogs. Though the Yorkie was a male named Brute, on their walks Brady called him Lover Girl. A heavy coat of hair concealed the distinguishing male member until the dog was picked up to be cuddled. This made for lengthy conversations with women concerning male and female anatomy. After each walk, Brady returned the dog promptly to its owner, borrowing it off schedule only if a Yorkie-loving woman decided to pay him a personal visit.\u003cbr\u003eMondays and Fridays were set aside for what Brady called “conversation walks,” strolls with a special group of men more or less his age. He was seventy-eight. All the men invited on these walks were bright, well educated, mostly retired, and above all interesting. They also shared a kindred taste for martinis.\u003cbr\u003eThe Brady walkers, as they began calling themselves, met at the entrance to the Parrot’s Caw Clubhouse, an English Tudor structure that fed and lubricated golfers, pinochle players and those interested in spending a day away from their spouses. It was after one such conversation walk that The Martini Club was born. To say it was formally created would be an overstatement. Best to say it simply evolved from a discussion between Brady and Nathan Ginsberg on the merits of drinking, and their inability to do so while walking.\u003cbr\u003eGinsberg was slightly younger than Brady, and could discuss anything from philosophy to baseball scores with wit and wisdom. He was tall, nearly as tall as Brady. Unlike Brady, though, Ginsberg was broad shouldered and muscular with a perpetual three days growth of beard. He could have passed for one of those mature male mod­els featured in erectile dysfunction commercials.\u003cbr\u003e“What I admire about you, Nathan,” Brady said, “is that you can hold your liquor so well. In my ethnic persuasion, that would be considered a badge of honor. In yours, probably not so much.”\u003cbr\u003e“True, especially since I am a rabbi.”\u003cbr\u003e“A rabbi?” Brady responded in disbelief. “During my days in Washington, I ran into lots of Jews who could drink with the best, but none of them was a rabbi.”\u003cbr\u003e“A heavy drinking Jew is the quintessential assim­ilationist. If he can drink like a goy, he can pass for a goy, so deep is the Jewish inferiority complex,” Ginsberg replied. “But passing for a goy doesn’t work well in the rabbi business. Congregations want rabbis not only to be Jewish, but to look Jewish and smell Jewish. That means, horseradish on your breath…yes; liquor on your breath… no. Fortunately, I am retired. I took up drinking after my working years. All that being said, there is precedence for having a drunken leader in the Bible.”\u003cbr\u003e“Is this going to be a sermon on the virtues of drinking?” Brady asked in expectation of some witty Talmudic offering. “Being of Irish heritage and having labored in some of the best bars in D.C., I can say I need no conversion.”\u003cbr\u003e“In your case, no conversion, just a little Jewish perspective,” Ginsberg responded. “I think you already understand the sins and virtues of alcohol. In Genesis, God decides he doesn’t like the life He has created on earth with Adam and Eve, so He tries again. He floods the world, and drowns everybody except for one righteous man, his family and a bunch of animals—there is some dispute as to their number—but in the end, all are saved, and life begins again on this lonely planet.”\u003cbr\u003e“Touching. So what’s the point?”\u003cbr\u003e“The point is this: the one righteous man He picks to lead the little band of start-overs is a vintner named Noah. Immediately after he finds dry land, what does Noah do?”\u003cbr\u003e“I know.” Brady responded with a wink. “He lets all those creatures off the ark to go copulate.”\u003cbr\u003e“My question was rhetorical, smart guy. The Bible says, ‘And Noah, the farmer, began and planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine and was drunken.’ Things get a little sloppy after that, but Noah lived nine hundred and fifty years and started a whole line of descendants, including you and me. My point is that if it weren’t for a drunken pre-Jew, none of us would be here.”\u003cbr\u003e“Hallelujah,” replied Brady. “And that explains why Jesus turned water into wine. He just wanted to keep the party going.”\u003cbr\u003eBefore Ginsberg could reply, Gerald Smyth joined them with a healthy clap on both their backs. “So boys, what are we going to argue about today?”\u003cbr\u003eIt was then that Brady had an epiphany. “The three of us love to drink martinis, tell wild stories and argue about everything from politics to women. Why don’t we meet at each other’s homes instead of on the street, so we can imbibe while we altercate? The host will supply the martinis and some food. We can call it The Martini Club. Each of us can bring in an additional member as long as he is a kindred spirit.”\u003cbr\u003e“There must be only one rule,” Ginsberg responded, “that there are no rules, no passwords, no secret handshakes or special number cards with our faces on them, nothing that will bring order out of the chaos we are seeking.”\u003cbr\u003e“Agreed,” Smyth said.\u003cbr\u003e“Whoa,” Brady objected. “You have suggested a rule that cannot be put in place unless there are rules for voting a rule in or out of place. Without such formative rules, there can be no way to adopt primal rules for barring rules.”\u003cbr\u003e“I would suggest that does not have to be the case,” Ginsberg countered. “The religious and scientific laws that govern us did not require an a priori mechanism to put them in place. These laws are givens. They are inherent to the universe, like gravity and magnetism. God made them all out of nothing, a void.”\u003cbr\u003e“Are you, rabbi, suggesting that God created gravity and magnetism?” asked Brady.\u003cbr\u003e“Yes, exactly. Science can’t explain what set this all in motion. I am suggesting that God is our convenient name for the universality that put all these laws in place without benefit of outside jurisdiction or requirement of a majority vote. When Moses stood before the burning bush and asked God his name, God answered, ‘I am what I am,’ or as the Greeks translated it ‘I will be what I will be.’ How much more universal can you get? How can that be challenged?”\u003cbr\u003eSmyth raised a large, hard hand, silencing the de­baters. “Enough,” he cried. “It is clear we are standing atop Mount Sinai at this very moment—though there isn’t a hill in sight—and we have just received revealed truth. The Martini Club has been called forth as a revelation. The first meeting will be held at my place within the week.”\u003cbr\u003eThe Martini Club was born and grew to ten mem­bers, each bringing a special personality and branch of knowledge to the assemblage—the theater arts and fine arts, politics, business, aviation, journalism, espionage, sex and psychology.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003eChapter 3: Brody Brady\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSam Grieger’s first encounter with the manipulations of Brody Brady came as he was unpacking boxes and placing items where his wife Sheila had dictated—dishes in the cabinets near the refrigerator, toaster oven on the counter near the coffee maker, automatic can opener to be screwed into the base of the cabinet overhanging the dishwasher. \u003cem\u003eIf I let my mind go blank\u003c\/em\u003e, he thought, \u003cem\u003eI won’t remember that I failed shop in high school and that my teacher called me tool disadvantaged. I have twisted myself like a circus contortionist into the twenty-two inches between the dishwasher and the overhanging cabinet and am trying to rotate screws into remarkably hard wood. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSomeone began aggressively banging on the front door.\u003cbr\u003e“Who is it?” Grieger called.\u003cbr\u003e“Your neighbor, Brody Brady. It’s an emergency.”\u003cbr\u003e“Hold on a minute.”\u003cbr\u003e“I don’t have a minute. It’s an emergency.”\u003cbr\u003e“What’s the emergency?”\u003cbr\u003e“I’m bleeding.”\u003cbr\u003e“Hold on.” Grieger untwisted himself carefully off the dishwasher, mindful that his skull could be penetrated at any moment by partially driven steel screws.\u003cbr\u003eHe opened the door to see Brody Brady looking like a gaunt parody of the Statue of Liberty, right hand held high, wrapped in a towel sodden with blood. As a retired newspaper reporter, Grieger had seen his fill of bloody bodies, but Brody Brady looked different. \u003cem\u003eProbably because he’s still alive. \u003c\/em\u003e“I’ll call 911.”\u003cbr\u003e“No time for 911,” Brady replied. “Do you have some large bandages?”\u003cbr\u003e“Yes, somewhere in one of these boxes,” Grieger answered, pointing at a hallway filled with half-opened boxes. “My wife would know where, but she isn’t home.”\u003cbr\u003e“Then you will have to do. Start going through the boxes,” Brady commanded.\u003cbr\u003eGrieger began rummaging through them without success. He looked up to see Brady dripping blood. “You are bleeding on my boxes and on my new parquet floor,” Grieger shouted.\u003cbr\u003e“I don’t want to bleed on your boxes and floor, so get me some bandages quickly,” Brady snapped back.\u003cbr\u003eIn desperation, Grieger grabbed Brady by his blood tipped arm and rushed him to the kitchen sink. \u003cem\u003eAt least now he won’t bleed to death on my new floor\u003c\/em\u003e. He pulled away the blood soaked towel revealing a gash that ran from Brady’s middle finger, across his palm nearly up to his wrist. “This needs stitches. A bandage won’t do it,” Grieger said, trying to feign compassion.\u003cbr\u003eGrieger recalled the cops slipping on plastic gloves and booties before touching the victims of mob hits. \u003cem\u003eWhat if this guy has AIDs or hepatitis? Am I going to die from a horrible disease I haven’t even derived in some perverse pleasure? \u003c\/em\u003eAloud, he said, “Why don’t you go to the emergency room? There’s a hospital nearby. I’ll drive you.”\u003cbr\u003e“I can’t go,” Brady replied. “See the 18-wheeler down at the end of the block. It’s full of my stuff. They’re unloading it into my place right now. I have to tell them where to put things.”\u003cbr\u003e“I still think you should go to the emergency room. Just let them dump the furniture wherever. My wife will be home soon, and I’ll tell her to tell the movers where to put things. She knows that sort of stuff. She puts things in all the right places. Her mother taught her.”\u003cbr\u003e“She doesn’t know where I want to put my things, nor does her mother,” Brady responded, agitation creeping into his voice.\u003cbr\u003e“Sheila has great instincts about that kind of stuff,” Grieger replied knowingly. “It’s in women’s genes. When we lived in caves, they put all the rocks in all the right places. That’s how we learned to sit down. By the time we come back from the emergency room everything will be right where it should be.”\u003cbr\u003e“No,” Brady replied resolutely. “I will stay with my furniture to the end, even if I bleed to death and it’s your fault.”\u003cbr\u003eGrieger realized his situation was hopeless. Brady was prepared to die just to make sure his furniture was properly placed, and would blame him with his dying breaths. He rushed to the closet and grabbed a large beach towel emblazoned with the image of a very large crab. He twisted it around Brady’s wound and secured it with several turns of packing tape. The flow of blood was slowed but not stopped.\u003cbr\u003e“You are still bleeding,” Grieger said hopelessly.\u003cbr\u003e“I take Coumadin. It’s a blood thinner. You see, I have a bad heart,” Brady explained like some patient teacher. “It’s very hard to stop the bleeding.”\u003cbr\u003e“I think we should go to the emergency room,” Grieger answered.\u003cbr\u003e“I’m already scheduled to go in tomorrow for some minor heart surgery. I’ll have them stitch up my hand at the same time, a kind of two for one,” Brady countered, smiling.\u003cbr\u003e“Heart surgery tomorrow?” Grieger questioned, no longer surprised at his neighbor’s answers. “I don’t think they combine such things.”\u003cbr\u003e“I’ll talk to them,” Brady said confidently. “I can be quite persuasive. Besides, I have Medicare. It’s all covered.”\u003cbr\u003eGrieger knew Brady had won. It was time to soldier on. Grieger marched him to the door. “Keep your arm elevated. As soon as my wife gets back we’ll find some real bandages and bring them over to your place,” he said. “By the way, how’d you get this cut?”\u003cbr\u003e“They were bringing in a case of my very good wine, and they dropped it. I reached inside the case to check the damage and was stabbed by a bottle of Argentine Malbec,” Brady replied with a grin.\u003cbr\u003e“What a waste of good wine,” Grieger sympathized, smiling back.\u003cbr\u003e“I knew I’d like you,” Brady answered as he left, towel and hand held high.\u003cbr\u003eAnd thus their friendship began. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cu\u003eChapter 4: The Chant\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The next time Sam Grieger saw Brody Brady was at the get-to-know you meeting of the newly formed Parrot’s Caw Condominium Owners Association, or PCCOWA, as it came to be known. The event was held in an all-purpose ballroom at the development’s central building, quaintly called The Domain. The ballroom itself was named The Dunk since it also served as a basketball court. The backboards were pulled up on this occasion, serving as anchors for the strings attached to large red, white and blue balloons that caromed off the coffee-colored ceiling. Periodically, they would snag on the folded hoops and make gaseous sounds as they pulled free. Their flat­ulence was overwhelmed now by the powerful voice of Chris Bideau, the property manager and developer’s son.\u003cbr\u003e“I personally want to thank each of you for being the first settlers in a row of unique condominium structures that RB\u0026amp;S Homes hopes to fill with comfortable retirees from the north, just like yourselves.” Recalling his reli­gious education at Goodness of God College, he added, “You are on the frontier of the Promised Land. Thanks to RB\u0026amp;S Homes, you have at long last escaped the cold, the shoveling of snow, the driving on ice, the wearing of heavy winter coats, the chill of icy winds and the huge heating bills…and you deserve it.” Mixing his biblical ge­ography, Bideau went on to proclaim, “You are no longer East of Eden. You are \u003cem\u003ein \u003c\/em\u003eEden. Amen, brothers and sisters!”\u003cbr\u003eHis audience responded to his revival meeting oratory with polite applause, but not a single Hallelujah.\u003cbr\u003eUnshaken, Chris Bideau switched to a more down-to-earth approach. “Each table has bottles of wine and delicious chocolate chip cookies. And there is more to come. We have chicken wings waiting in the kitchen oven and ice cream in the freezer.”\u003cbr\u003eWarming more to his master of ceremonies role, he added, “But before we get to the eating and drinking, RB\u0026amp;S Homes is going to treat you to something really special. We have created a Parrot’s Caw chant,” he shouted. “Chant it with me. It goes this way: PEE-SEE-SEE-OH-WHO-WAWA. The P not only stands for Parrot. It stands for perfect,” he yelled into a crackling microphone. “Remember, accent on the first PEE and the WHO.” He began rocking and rhythmically shouting:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePEE-SEE-SEE-OH-WHO-WA-WA.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePEE-SEE-SEE-OH-WHO-WA-WA.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003ePARROT’S CAW HAS ALL THE POW-WA.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\nA scantily dressed female, clearly wearing little or no underwear, jumped on the stage next to Bideau and began wiggling her bottom and waving pom-poms. She was slender, bosomy and pretty, but clearly years beyond her high-school cheerleading days.\u003cbr\u003e“PEE-SEE-SEE-OH-WHO-WA-WA,” she cheered. “C’mon, folks,” she cried out. “Let’s all join in.”\u003cbr\u003eHer low-cut top and mini skirt had awakened interest among the male condo owners. “Not since my high-school basketball days have I seen a wiggle like that,” shouted a recently retired Wall Street lawyer sitting close to the stage. “But I left the cheering to the cheerleaders. I just tried to score—one way or the other.” His remarks drew a round of applause and whistles from the men in the audience. His wife whacked his arm with her handbag.\u003cbr\u003eNobody joined in the chant. The pom-pom girl stopped wiggling.\u003cbr\u003e“Ah, c’mon folks,” a frustrated Chris Bideau pleaded into the microphone. “We’re all on the same team here. We should have a cheer. We’ve got to have a cheer.”\u003cbr\u003e“We’d rather have the chicken wings,” someone yelled from the back of the room.\u003cbr\u003eThen Brody Brady jumped up. “In the meantime, why don’t you let the young lady play some music and do some singing. I understand she’s a got a great voice.”\u003cbr\u003e“Okay, okay,” Chris Bideau responded, getting Brady’s message. “RB\u0026amp;S Homes wants you to have a good time tonight.” He signaled for the waiters to start bringing out the chicken wings. Turning to the pom-pom girl, he announced, “Get your other equipment on the stage, honey. It’s time for you to entertain us.” The girl quickly put two turntables, an amplifier and two speakers on the stage.\u003cbr\u003eBideau was about to hand her the microphone when a big man with a heavy beard walked in and shouted, “Hold it! She don’t sing. She don’t play music. She don’t strip. And she don’t wiggle, unless I say so. And I ain’t said so, so I’m taking her home.”\u003cbr\u003e“Who are you?” Bideau asked.\u003cbr\u003e“I’m her manager, her boss and her pimp,” the big man said as he walked passed tables of gawking condo owners on his way to the stage.\u003cbr\u003e“What the hell is going on, Brody?” Chris asked. “I thought you paid her.”\u003cbr\u003e“I did,” Brady answered from his seat only a few feet away. Some heads turned toward him with curiosity, but most remained fixated on the big man in the T-shirt, leather vest and large tattooed arms as he headed toward the girl.\u003cbr\u003e“Just a moment, sir,” Bideau said as he stepped between the two. “If this is about money, we can straighten this out.”\u003cbr\u003eThe big man stopped and looked at Chris, who at six feet four inches stood two inches taller than the big man and at two hundred and forty pounds was twenty pounds heavier.\u003cbr\u003e“This ain’t about money. The broad tried to go into business on her own. She needs to be taught a lesson,” he said. He attempted to move around Bideau, but Bideau moved with him.\u003cbr\u003e“Out of my way before I bust your skull,” the big man said, pulling out a sharpened steel rod from a side pocket in his leather pants. Within seconds, Bideau smashed his knee into the thug’s groin. As the big man doubled over, Bideau brought his right fist down on the back of his head, seized his right wrist in an iron grip and spun him around. The steel rod went flying. The bearded man screamed as his shoulder snapped, and he collapsed in a moaning heap on the floor. This would be the last thing the big man remembered before waking up in the Stuarton Hospital emergency room.\u003cbr\u003eBideau seized the microphone. “This is all some kind of misunderstanding, folks. Just stay seated and we’ll go on with the evening. We still have ice cream sundaes coming.” The image of sundaes didn’t change the mood. The condo owners were streaming toward the doors.\u003cbr\u003eThe pom-pom girl was packing her equipment hastily and crying. “He’ll kill me!”\u003cbr\u003e“If he comes near you, tell him he’ll answer to me,” Bideau responded.\u003cbr\u003eHe saw Brody Brady leaving with the crowd. “Brady, we have to talk, now!”\u003cbr\u003eBrady stopped and turned to face Bideau, who was stepping over the big man.\u003cbr\u003e“You sold me on the chant. You sold me on the girl. You sold me on the night, Mr. Public Relations Man. And look what’s happened. The condo owners are fleeing; some pimp tried to kill me, and I have to explain all this not only to the cops but also to my dad. I’m also out the five hundred bucks I paid you for your ideas and another two hundred and fifty for the cheerleader.”\u003cbr\u003e“They would have come around to chant after a few more glasses of wine and some dancing,” Brady replied in a reassuring voice. As for the girl, I met her at a strip club downtown. She was pole dancing, playing music and singing. Seemed very talented, so I set her up with you. I didn’t know we were supposed to go through her manager. You’d better call 911,” Brady added as he headed for the door before Bideau decided to put him next to the big man.\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48055824777386,"sku":"9780997676150","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_1e6822e8-90ae-4f2a-af59-f62bde916794.jpg?v=1636991188"},{"product_id":"wings-and-feet-9780997810332","title":"Wings and Feet","description":"\u003cp\u003eA butterfly and a boy adopt each other into a unique friendship where they learn to adapt to their differences turning it into a caring bond that will break the barriers of time to be passed on from generation to generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716155744426,"sku":"9780997810332","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_b64f68f1-9283-4654-b30d-1084db3e8b84.jpg?v=1636991190"},{"product_id":"daggers-destiny-9780998230054","title":"Dagger's Destiny","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"I highly recommend\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDagger’s Destiny.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eFor anybody with an interest in historical fiction, there is plenty to love in the setting Linnea Tanner has created. For those with an interest in epic fantasy...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDagger’s Destiny is a book sure to keep your interest. Both genres are blended together into a seamless whole with outstanding results.\"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e —Readers' Favorite\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA Celtic warrior princess accused of treason for aiding her enemy lover must win back her father's love and trust. In the rich and vibrant tale, Author Linnea Tanner continues the story of Catrin and Marcellus that began with the awarding-winning novel\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eApollo's Raven \u003c\/em\u003ein the Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series. Book 2,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDagger's Destiny\u003c\/em\u003e sweeps you into an epic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWar looms over 24 AD Britannia where rival tribal rulers fight each other for power and the Romans threaten to invade to settle their political differences. King Amren accuses his daughter, Catrin, of treason for aiding the Roman enemy and her lover, Marcellus. The ultimate punishment is death unless she can redeem herself. She must prove loyalty to her father by forsaking Marcellus and defending their kingdom--even to the death. Forged into a warrior, she must overcome tribulations and make the right decisions on her quest to break the curse that foretells her banished half-brother and the Roman Empire will destroy their kingdom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eYet, when Catrin again reunites with Marcellus, she is torn between her love for him and duty to King Amren. She must ultimately face her greatest challenger who could destroy her life, freedom, and humanity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWill Catrin finally break the ancient prophecy that looms over her kingdom? Will she abandon her forbidden love for Marcellus to win back her father's trust and love? Can King Amren balance his brutality to maintain power with the love he feels for Catrin?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e2019 Readers' Favorite GOLD MEDAL Fiction Magic\/Wizardry\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e2019 Global Ebook Award GOLD MEDAL Fantasy\/Historical\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-mosaicflow-col\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-mosaicflow-item\" id=\"mosaic-1-itemid-3\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-photo fl-photo-align-center\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-photo-caption fl-photo-caption-below\" itemprop=\"caption\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2019 eLit Book Award: Bronze Medal Fantasy\/Science Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n2018 New Apple Book Awards: Official Selection Fantasy\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-photo-caption fl-photo-caption-below\" itemprop=\"caption\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-mosaicflow-col\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-mosaicflow-item\" id=\"mosaic-1-itemid-4\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-photo fl-photo-align-center\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-photo-caption fl-photo-caption-below\" itemprop=\"caption\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-row fl-row-full-width fl-row-bg-color fl-node-5d95114e979c2\" data-node=\"5d95114e979c2\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-row-content-wrap\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-row-content fl-row-fixed-width fl-node-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-col-group fl-node-5e20a8ca9eba3\" data-node=\"5e20a8ca9eba3\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-col fl-node-5e20a8ca9ee12\" data-node=\"5e20a8ca9ee12\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-col-content fl-node-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-module fl-module-gallery fl-node-5e20a8bcbcec9\" data-node=\"5e20a8bcbcec9\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-module-content fl-node-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-mosaicflow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"fl-clear\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Imbued with both Roman and Celtic traditions, myths and legends, the story draws a contrastive parallel between the two cultures and civilizations. There are memorable scenes such as the brilliant description of the fertility rite meant to validate Marcellus's claim to kinship and to symbolize his union with the Earth Goddess who bestows rich crops and large livestock. If the realism of the story is ensured by the constantly changing network of political alliances and backstabbing, its beauty springs from the wonderfully interwoven mythological references and enlightening mystical experiences.\" —\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOnlineBookClub.org\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"...a wonderful tale of romance, intrigue, mystery, and legend to create an entertaining and complex story...the magic of the druids was woven into the story, complementing the drama being created between Catrin's desire to prove her loyalty to her father, and the machinations of Rhan and Marrock. Everything meshes together to give the reader a truly entertaining story of love, magic, and betrayal.\" —\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe International Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"There is never a dull moment in this book...\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIf you are looking for an exciting adventure that leaves you wanting mo\u003c\/span\u003ere, do not pass up \u003ci\u003eDagger's Destiny\u003c\/i\u003e. Boasting fully developed characters and a well-defined setting, this book caters to all readers. The romance, fantasy, action and subterfuge are sure to win over readers from several genres.\"\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e —\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eLiterary Titan\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (Gold Book Award)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e“Ancient Rome and Britain are the background settings for this epic tale of love, betrayal and political intrigue. The Roman era and the ensuing battles between the clan leaders in Britain during the first century AD do not often appear as the setting for fantasy novels—a pity, since this era is very intriguing. Dagger’s Destiny is historical fantasy at its finest, and a must read for anyone who enjoys history involving ancient Rome.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Majanka Verstraete for InD’Tale Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Author Linnea Tanner is a master storyteller of historical fantasy. Set in first century Britannia, a fantastical isle, the theme of balancing duty with illicit love, the consuming lust for power, intrigue and Celtic magic provides conflict and twists in this spell-binding story.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—AuthorsReading\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Dark magic, familial revenge and an illicit romance. This story packs a punch and the author doesn’t hold back on the intrigue or the mystical power of the druids. You may have heard the phrase ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’, then this story has it in spades.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Author Luciana Cavallaro\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAward-winning Author Linnea Tanner weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue into the backdrop of Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology which held women in higher esteem. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eDepending on the time of day and season of the year, you will find her exploring and researching ancient and medieval history, mythology and archaeology to support her writing. As the author of the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eCurse of Clansman and Kings series, she has extensively researched and traveled to sites described within each book. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eA native of Colorado, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry. She lives in Windsor with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;amp;q=curse%20of%20clansmen%20and%20kings*\u0026amp;nbsp;\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;amp;q=curse%20of%20clansmen%20and%20kings*\u0026amp;nbsp;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48041536520362,"sku":"9780998230054","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_263174f0-5e43-42c7-97d2-ca8865e20d7e.jpg?v=1636991191"},{"product_id":"amulets-rapture-9780998230078","title":"Amulet's Rapture","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"With a gripping plot, mind-blowing storytelling, and unpredictable twists, Amulet's Rapture is going to be among my top three favorites of this year.\" \u003cem\u003e—Readers' Favorite\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"One of the novel's most ambitious gambits is its richly atmospheric blending of supernatural elements into the broader story. The tale features ghosts, animal familiars, shapeshifters, and all kinds of spiritual communications, and Tanner's skill at interweaving these elements is shown by how seamless the whole process feels...This is a strong entry in Tanner's enjoyable series.\" \u003cem\u003e—Kirkus Reviews \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBlood stains her Celtic home and kingdom. The warrior Druid princess will do anything to retake her kingdom. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAlthough Catrin is the rightful heir to the Celtic throne in Britannia, she is lucky to be alive. After witnessing the slaughter of her family at the hands of her half-brother, who was aided by the Romans, she is enslaved by a Roman commander. He disguises her as a boy in the Roman Legion with the belief that she is an oracle of Apollo and can foretell his future. The sole bright spot in her miserable new life is her forbidden lover Marcellus, the great-grandson of the famed Roman General Mark Antony.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBut Marcellus has been wounded and his memories of Catrin and their secret marriage were erased by a dark Druidess. Though Marcellus reunites with Catrin in Gaul and becomes her ally as she struggles to survive the brutality of her Roman master, he questions the legitimacy of their marriage and hesitates to help her escape and retake her kingdom. If their forbidden love and alliance are discovered, her dreams of returning to her Celtic home with Marcellus will be shattered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e2020 The Coffee Pot Book Club Award, 5 Stars\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Tanner pens a compelling narrative, and she writes with imagination and a great deal of energy. This is a book that is triumphant in all ways. If you are looking for your next great historical fantasy series set within a realistic Roman backdrop, then look no further than \u003cem\u003eAmulet's Rapture\u003c\/em\u003e...Fans of Jez Butterworth's Britannia will fall in love with this book. I highly recommend.\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Mary Ann Yarde for The Coffee Pot Book Club\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"…readers who seek a strong romantic feel to their fantasies will appreciate Tanner's writing. She peppers her plot with just enough of these steamy scenes to keep romance fans invested.\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Literary Titan (Gold Book Award) \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The author, Linnea Tanner has done extensive research into Roman history, mysticism, anthropology, and religions. For those that had not read books 1 and 2, the author brings the story-line forward smoothly. I had read the previous two books, but it was good to have a little refresher. This trilogy is one of my favorite books of the year.\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—★★★★★ Reader Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAward-winning Author Linnea Tanner weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue into the backdrop of Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology which held women in higher esteem. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eDepending on the time of day and season of the year, you will find her exploring and researching ancient and medieval history, mythology and archaeology to support her writing. As the author of the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eCurse of Clansman and Kings series, she has extensively researched and traveled to sites described within each book. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eA native of Colorado, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry. She lives in Windsor with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;amp;q=curse%20of%20clansmen%20and%20kings*\u0026amp;nbsp;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Apollo Raven Publisher, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716155809962,"sku":"9780998230078","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_40202c8a-8f82-4183-818c-5aaa8f68714d.jpg?v=1636991192"},{"product_id":"einsteins-compass-a-ya-time-traveler-adventure-9780998830889","title":"Einstein's Compass: A YA Time Traveler Adventure","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"...a riveting fantasy about soul-searching and growth which will keep young adult readers engrossed to the end.\"\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Diane Donovan, Senior Editor, Midwest Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHow did Albert Einstein come up with his wondrous theories of light and time? \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEinstein's Compass: A YA Time Traveler Adventure\u003c\/em\u003e, a young Albert is gifted a supernatural compass that allows him to travel through time and space. He finds wisdom in other dimensions, like the lost city of Atlantis, but evil forces seek the power of the compass, including a monstrous, shape-shifting dragon from a different age. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCan the compass protect Albert from such villainy?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSCROLL FOR SAMPLE!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e2020 Texas Indie Best Book Award Winner – YA Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Award 1st Place \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e– Historical Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Award 2nd Place \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e– YA Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Award Honorable Mention \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e– Sci-Fi\/Fantasy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2020 RONE Cover Award 1sr Runner-Up – Fantasy\/Sci-Fi\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2019 Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2019 eLit Award Winner – Juvenile\/YA Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2019 National Indie Excellence Award Finalist – YA Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2019 International Book Awards Finalist – YA Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“5 Stars...an intriguing plot that…comes together with a fantastic swell of energy towards the end and builds to a startling and brilliant conclusion…\u003cem\u003eEinstein’s Compass\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a highly recommended story for those readers who enjoy an involved plot with plenty of amazing scenery, details and clever connections.”\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e—K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“…there’s plenty of world-building and enough character intrigue to keep readers turning the pages. A fun fantasy adventure.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Historical Novel Society\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Einstein's Compass\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eexhibits a solid writing style and dutifully hits Einstein's developmental and educational milestones while weaving in an imaginative backstory and unique antagonists' perspectives. The\u003cem\u003e what if\u003c\/em\u003e of Albert Einstein developing his landmark scientific theories through the aid of spiritualism and time travel, all the while battling an immortal dragon-person from Atlantis, is certainly a unique concept.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—BookLife Magazine, a division of Publisher's Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“…a glorious romp through a fantastical world of dragons and god-like light healers who are entrusted with protecting mankind from the realms of evil–wrapped around the historically-accurate adventures of the incomparable Albert Einstein…Although it is intended for a Young Adult audience, it is well suited to adults who enjoy fictionalized history with a wide-ranging epic theme and a Harry Potter-esque plot…This is highly recommended for those who enjoy a saga of good vs. evil that spans tens of thousands of years, for readers who devour novels that blend history and fantasy, and for anyone who is simply looking for a unique story that they will not want to put down.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Jacqui Murray, Author,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eAsk a Tech Teacher\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The story is original and entertaining, not only as the Young Adult genre it is geared toward, but also for those adults who wonder about answers to so many questions on the spiritual and mystical plains… I found this story to be entertaining, enlightening, and a must read for those who believe that time travel has possibilities. It is a well-crafted novel with complexities and depth that many will find a fascinating read. I highly recommend this to any adult young or older. A fascinating perspective you won’t want to put down. I hope there is another book along the same lines in my future.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Rox Burkey, Author,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eThe Enigma Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This is an amazing story…I was impressed with how the authors managed to incorporate the known information on the lost continent of Atlantis, Light Workers, souls, reincarnation, time travel and the early years of Albert Einstein before he became famous, into a mesmerizing work of fiction readers will have difficulty putting down.\"\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Doug Simpson, Author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eWe Lived In Atlantis\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A complex YA time-traveling adventure,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eEinstein’s Compass\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecombines various mythologies, religions, and science in a good vs. evil battle that takes the famous scientist and gives him a greater calling. Featuring actual events from Einstein’s life, the plot steadily progresses and shows Albert’s growth and increased understanding, which is neatly intertwined with the supernatural light vs. evil plot line…the combination of science with the supernatural is a winner, and the good vs. evil fight is interesting, making this a good book for YA readers.” \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSarah E. Bradley,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eInD'Tale Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Einstein’s Compass\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ehas a real vibrancy…clearly this is a work of genuine passion from Blair and Bright and it shines in every drip of ink on the page.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Sebastian J. Brook, Doctor Who Online Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A great book for the YA audience. I liked how the book shows us the world of good and evil through the magical compass. I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the fact that time travel, history, and fantasy were combined to tell an interesting story. A well written book.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Ben Franklin 2020 Awards Judge \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“\u003c\/strong\u003e…extremely unique and just downright entertaining! Such a fantastic tale! I highly recommend!”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e★★★★★\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eNetGalley Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In [this] young adult fantasy novel \u003cem\u003eEinstein’s Compass\u003c\/em\u003e, a boy struggles with supernatural forces of light and darkness, hoping to find his place within it all…Both supernatural and scientific, \u003cem\u003eEinstein’s Compass\u003c\/em\u003e is a young adult adventure that focuses on spiritual enlightenment and cosmic destinies.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—Vivian Turnbull, Clarion ForeWord Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeatured in\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBookLife’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFirst Lines: September 2019,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003ea “roundup of some of the best opening lines from titles by BookLife authors.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrace Blair is an award-winning self-help and motivational author, and podcast host, who has assisted thousands to find their spiritual wisdom to solve everyday challenges. Throughout her adult life, Grace became a serious student of the spiritual. She found that, often, psychological principles and practices were incomplete, but could be filled out by adding the missing spiritual component. Her approach was always to see practical applications for what she uncovered in the mystical. It was through immersing herself in this field of study and experience that she came up with her idea for her book, \u003ci\u003eEinstein's Compass\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband, Dr. John Blair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Excerpt:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cu\u003ePrologue\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eCirca 10,400 BCE – The Islands of Poseidon\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eT\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003ehe earth tremor stopped Raka in his tracks. The Atlantean healer priest raised his right hand over his violet eyes and searched the landscape for signs of disturbance. He shrugged when he discovered nothing amiss, then continued his way toward the council meeting. What Raka did not understand was that the jolt he felt was not an earthly shudder, but a spiritual one. He had started walking toward the darkness that was the Sons of Belial, and with his first step, the door of the inner Temple of Light had slammed shut to him. So, began his journey as a fallen Angel of Light.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA brisk summer afternoon sea breeze from the east puffed out Raka’s shoulder-length blond hair. At more than six feet tall, the bronzed man of twenty-five was handsome, and he knew it. He smiled as he swept a hand through his hair, then patted a hidden pocket in his cloak to check the vial of DNA he had stolen from the Temple of Healing. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe feel of the vial triggered memories that he found less than pleasant. His hands curled into fists as he felt a strange rage build in the pit of his stomach.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAll I do is run around as an errand boy for Uncle Thoth and my brother Arka,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehe thought angrily.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhy won’t Uncle Thoth show me how the fire crystal works? He never includes me in the critical discussions. Until I can control my “impulses,” they won’t let me be privy to the more buried secrets of Light.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis lips curled into a snarl at the thought.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMy grandfather was the mighty god Atlas! Admittedly, I am meant for greatness, like him.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka had been entertaining thoughts like these for months until they had finally consumed him. His Consciousness of Light had constricted as the negativity grew. Eventually, his anger and frustration had built to the point that they overshadowed his judgment and propelled him to action. Thus, the dispirited Prince of Light was on the island of Aryan to meet with the Council of the Sons of Belial. He hoped to be placed in an elevated position in their council in exchange for betraying his Atlantean brethren. But if he wasn’t received in the way he deserved, he had a plan B.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAryan was a military complex and the promised land of power, pomp, and ceremony. The Temple of Darkness was established by former Angels of Light who, like Raka, had become jealous of the energy in the Temple of Light that they could not access. They had rejected the discipline of the Light of God. The veils of Light that once surrounded the Angels of Light dimmed and the angels became as asleep to the Spirit within. The gross heaviness of fear descended around their bodies. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout years, those attracted to the Temple of Darkness increased in number. Their separation from the Light created trepidation among the people of the world. As their following grew, the Council of the Sons of Belial and its army sought to insulate the five islands of Poseidon from outside invaders. The Atlanteans, following the inner spiritual Light, left the struggles for worldly power to the Council of the Sons of Belial and its warriors. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAtlantis, with The Temple of Light, was a garden of God’s loving and a sanctuary from worldly stresses, a flourishing place of divine innocence and healing. People from the surrounding islands and the world at large came to refresh and restore themselves in body, mind, and spirit. The Sons of Belial knew the real driving force was the Spirit of life that lay on Atlantis. The invisible emanation of the Firestone crystal was the energy source of the planet. Thanks to it, the circling satellites in space recharged the temples and cities around the world. The Council of Five of the Sons of Belial had their own ideas about what could be done with the planet’s most potent energy source and lusted after the fire crystal. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGeneral Tora-Fuliar was the leader of Aryan Island. Seven feet tall, blond and blue-eyed, the fortyish man was typical of his race. He and his cohort of four colonels had agreed to meet with the priest-scientist cum spy Raka, ostensibly to discuss his joining them. But their real purpose was to use his knowledge to wrest control of the Firestone crystal from the Atlanteans, whom they considered weak and inferior. The secret meeting would take place in Belial, the cliff fortress with towering walls that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArriving at the fortress, Raka was met at its massive twin gates by four Aryan soldiers who had been told to expect him. As they beckoned him inside, the priest of Light saw carcasses of wild boar strewn across an enormous marble altar and recognized what they meant. He held his breath as the stink of foul, stale blood and dark purpose filled the air. The blond, blue-eyed warriors checked Raka for weapons, and he smirked as his precious vial eluded their search. The guards escorted Raka through a second gate inside the fortress to the southern tower. He was led into a vast, foreboding, windowless chamber that had been carved out of the island’s living rock. His eyes narrowed at the pentagram painted in blood in the middle of the torch-lit room. The dark energy of the animal sacrifice held during the full moon of the previous night lingered in it. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the far end of the war room, the symbol of the Black Sun hung behind the general’s massive desk, which was hewn from dark obsidian that had been formed in a volcanic cataclysm eons ago. Covering the fifteen-foot-high walls to the right of the writing table hung maps of the world. The general and his colonels were seated on severe, straight-backed ebony chairs around a polished black marble table. Dressed in black linen trousers and tan shirts with the Black Sun symbol on each collar and black alligator boots, the five somehow managed to appear casual despite their rigidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka strode up to the black table to greet the ruling council of the Sons of Belial. Taking in the scene, he thought to himself that while the five appeared relaxed, there was a tension in the room. To Raka, they resembled nothing more than a pack of wolves ready to leap. He straightened his golden silk garment and smiled, nodding to the general. “I am honored that you agreed to meet with me, General.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the general stood, he sniffed as if taking in Raka’s scent, then inclined his head. “Welcome. We have been looking forward to this meeting.” He motioned to Raka to sit down across from them. Raka’s eyes scanned the room as he settled warily into his chair. The dark and barbarous energy of the council made him uncomfortable. The general forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and began. “We understand you want to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ehelp\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eus.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka inhaled profoundly and adjusted his energy field to withstand the negative force emanating from those present. Nodding, he replied, “If you recall, at the Temple of Healing I used energy healing stones to alleviate your pain a few months ago. You had sustained a back injury in a rather unfortunate incident.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general frowned but grunted in agreement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You stayed with us on Atlantis for several days to recuperate, and each time I came to treat you, you questioned me about the Firestone energy crystal.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general nodded. “I did.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Its value is obvious, but tell me what your interest in it is.” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general was not about to reveal his real intention to an untested outsider, so he said, “The firestone crystal is possibly one of the most important artifacts on the planet. You Atlanteans are focused on research and your sciences and arts. You are ill-prepared to defend the Firestone from those who would use it for their own gain.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka nodded in understanding as the general continued. “We Aryans are strong. The Firestone should be guarded by our soldiers. After all, it is the energy source for all of the planet.” The general leaned in as if to thrust his argument forward. “The council and the Sons of Belial are best suited to protect the crystal and you healers of Atlantis. We know that unless we are taught the mysteries of the crystal, disaster could be imminent.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka saw the energy around the general’s body turn dark with flares of red, and he recognized the lust for power. He was also aware the general was not telling him everything. No surprise there. The healer was not some ignorant novice; he knew the warrior wanted to use the firestone crystal to enhance the Aryan’s military might—and his own power. He was aware that with the Firestone, they could be invincible. And that they could and most likely would use this power to attempt to control the Atlanteans and take dominance over the entire planet. Despite his hopes for forming an alliance with the Sons of Belial, Raka now accepted that it would be a long time before these people trusted him—if they ever would. He wondered if he would even survive after he delivered what they wanted. He sighed inwardly, conceding to himself that this was not going to go the way he had hoped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill, he would play along for a while. Looking the general in the eye, he said, “General, I believe I could assist you in gaining access to the firestone crystal.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general and his colonels nodded with interest as Raka continued. “But there are other things I might do for you. I noticed the beasts you have sacrificed to absorb their power. What if you could have even greater physical power than that you leech from the boars you kill?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe colonels murmured, and the general’s eyes narrowed. He glanced at his minions, who could barely conceal their grins as each entertained his own twisted fantasy of power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka continued with a sly smile, “Yes, I assumed you would be interested.” He leaned back, appearing casual and said, “Of course, if I were to assist you, then I would want something in return.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general leaned forward. “Of course. What do you want?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka pulled the vial from his pocket and held it up as he said with a sneer, “I wanted to be a part of you. But how can I trust any of you when you lie to my face? I am not about to turn over the power of the crystal to someone who would deceive me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general’s face darkened, but before he or the council could react, Raka pulled off the vial’s stopper and downed the contents in one gulp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn truth, Raka was not sure what to expect. The vial had been received from a planet in the Draconian constellation with which Atlantis had become allied. As part of their treaty, the Draconian had been supplying the healers of Atlantis with a solution of their DNA. Mere drops mixed with herbs could regenerate a limb or restore the nearly depleted life force of an injured or sick patient. The amount Raka had just swallowed had never been tried before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe instant the liquid touched his tongue, Raka’s body began to change. The five Sons of Belial were frozen in place as Raka’s body began writhing and twisting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA scream tore from deep within Raka’s throat, and with a shudder, the healer of Light’s form began to shift. His soft human feet started to swell and extrude wicked-looking claws. His skin became rough and toughened. The thick leather straps of his sandals burst with a snap. His legs contracted and bent into a reptilian shape, even as his torso elongated and a tail sinuously extended from the base of his spine. His pink flesh turned a greyish green, then scales emerged from his chest, arms, and neck. His supple lips thinned, and a long serpentine tongue darted out from between them. He tasted the air with his new senses. As he transformed, his airways and throat opened wide. Raka collapsed to the ground, shuddering in ecstatic agony as the pain of bone, sinew, and flesh reconfiguring itself consumed him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally breaking free of their horrific fascination, the council reacted, and the war room erupted into pandemonium. Drawn by the shouts, a score of soldiers bearing spear and shields rushed into the chamber. It was a credit to their intensive training that the scene that greeted their eyes caused them but a moment’s pause. With crisp precision the soldiers spaced themselves around the writhing reptile and thrust their spears forward, their points forming a 360-degree-barrier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut they were already too late; Raka’s vulnerability had passed. His transformation into a twelve-foot dragon was complete. He was fully awake and ready to take control. The former Healer of Light felt intoxicated with raw power and luxuriated in it. Almost casually, he stretched out the reptilian claws at the end of his fingers and with a flick of his arm sliced open one of the warriors from chin to belt. His long, slithery tongue sensed the blood and offal much more thoroughly than before. With his reptile vision, the dim light in the room became bright. Awed beyond belief, Raka began to realize what his quest for power had wrought. He threw his head back and laughed as the guards’ spears bounced harmlessly off his thick, scaly hide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe air was electric with his power. He glanced disdainfully at his attackers. Sneering at their puniness, he walked toward the warriors. With a swipe of his tail, he knocked the legs out from under several of them, sending them crashing to the floor. As the others slowed to avoid tripping over their fallen comrades, Raka inhaled, then spewed a blast of fire that blackened and crisped the skin of the soldiers remaining at the front of the charge. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite his momentary victory, Raka knew more troops would soon descend upon the chamber. Enough of them, and he might be subdued. With bursts of fire blazing from his mouth, he cleared a path for himself. His eye sought the general and his colonels and found them huddled behind the stone table, which they had upended. “Now you see the power of Raka!” he exulted. “I will be back to claim my seat at the head of the council once you realize you have no choice but to kneel at my feet.” Letting loose a final blast of fire that was absorbed by the thick marble tabletop, Raka ran from the room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka fled through the rock hallways of the fortress until he came to the far wall that rose out of the eastern edge of the island. He gazed over the edge and found himself looking into the angry breakers crashing into the jagged rocks more than a hundred feet below. There was nowhere else to go. Cursing himself for not studying the island better, he prepared to defend himself. As the soldiers started pounding toward the parapet where he stood, Raka saw he had no choice. Exhaling a last massive blast of flame to buy another few seconds, Raka jumped up on the low wall and flung himself off into the air. He appeared to hover there for a moment before plummeting down and out of sight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cheer broke from the soldiers’ throats but was quickly stifled as the irate general stormed out among them. “Where is he?” The soldiers feared the general’s reaction, but one finally pointed to the far ledge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShaking his head in disapproval at the soldiers’ incompetence, he strode to the parapet and stared down at the rocks below, hoping to see the ruined remains of the dragon’s body. But he saw no trace of Raka’s remains. He turned and screamed for the soldiers to get down to the rocks and find the dragon’s body.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSometime later, an exhausted captain of the guard hesitantly approached the general. “We’ve searched every nook and cranny below the cliffs, sir.” The general raised his eyebrows in question. The guard captain shook his head and looked at his feet. “Nothing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general snorted but did not appear too surprised. Heartened by the lack of response, the captain frowned and said, “I thought we brought a priest in to see you, sir. Where did the dragon come from?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not the question, Captain. What you should be asking is, where did it go?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwimming furiously under the water, Raka tried to process what had taken place. His jump from the cliff had been a risk, but it had paid off. After just a moment of unconsciousness after the impact, his body had quickly restored itself enough for him to escape into the sea. Now he found himself barely bruised. He was shaken from his meeting with the Sons of Belial and wanted nothing more than to sequester himself for a while and consider his new body. He also needed to plan his next moves. The remote caves of Aryan Island would suit that purpose, he decided.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith his new strength and supernatural speed, he quickly arrived at his destination; an underground cavern near the shore where he and his brother, Arka, had camped when they were children hunting for crystals. Dragging himself to a pool of water fed by a natural spring, Raka stared at his image. The once handsome, blue-eyed priest\/scientist with shoulder-length golden hair was now a twelve-foot-long, flesh-eating changeling. His beady red eyes widened as he shook his head in disbelief. He snorted at his grotesque body. Unsure of what to expect, he gently touched the black four-inch horns on the top of his head. Spongy, he thought. He gazed with some approval, though, at his massive arms.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe turned to find short, black, spiny wings on his back and a long tail protruding from the base of his spine. With his razor-sharp alligator talons, he jabbed and pinched his armored dark-greenish skin. No tenderness, no marks or blood surfaced. He opened his mouth to examine his long, rough, but slimy reptilian tongue and the wickedly sharp bony ridge behind his lips, more like a raptor’s beak than anything else. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis quick self-inspection complete, Raka found himself both horrified and fascinated. He now had so much raw physical power, but... At what cost? His mind reeling, the dragon paced. “Can I fix this and return to normal?” He considered everything he knew about the Draconian DNA, which had been used for healing and even regeneration of organs and limbs. In every case he had studied or been involved with, there had never been a report of reversal of the effects it produced. As the consequences of his rash actions finally dawned on him, Raka collapsed onto the cavern’s sandy floor and sobbed. When his frustration and grief finally dissipated late into the night, he succumbed to his exhaustion and fell asleep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e***\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaka sat in his grotto on a battered wooden armchair that had washed up on the shore of his hideaway cove. For the last day or so he had done little but experiment with his new form and new powers. He had begun to develop a healthy respect for his strength and the seeming indestructibility of his body. He had come to grips with the realization that there was no going back. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTruth be told, he was beginning to think he wouldn’t have wanted to go back even if it were possible. He had not been appreciated. Neither his uncle Thoth nor his twin, Arka, had ever recognized his promise. “If only Arka had let me practice the mystical arts with him, I would have shown him what I could do. Fool! It’s his fault I am here,” Raka muttered to himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe day before his meeting with the Council, reflecting further, Raka remembered his quarrel with Arka. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArka pointed to the container on the counter. “Where were you today? You were supposed to take the ruby crystals to the Temple of Healing. We had to cancel the treatments when they did not arrive.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRaka petulantly stared at the ground. “Something important came up.” Then he looked up at Arka defiantly. “But I told Prensa to take the crystals to the temple. It’s his fault the treatments were canceled, not mine.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArka frowned. “Prensa? He is our cook, not your servant.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArka shook his head as if to disperse Raka’s weak excuse, then changed course. “The temple guard said he saw you walking with a female member of the Belial Brotherhood near the gardens. What were you doing there with her?”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“She wanted to know what we did in the Temple of Healing,” Raka lied. “I showed her around the temple grounds.”\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eThat wasn’t all I showed her,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRaka thought to himself with a lascivious smirk.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArka could only shake his head in resignation.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe memory aroused Raka’s anger, which brought him crashing back to the present. “I am meant to do important things, not just be an errand boy!” he shouted at the rock walls of the cavern.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith thoughts of revenge seething in his mind, he snatched at a rat that had the misfortune to scurry past. It was the first sustenance he’d had since the transformation—he hadn’t really been hungry. He angrily tore a leg off and took a bite, the first food he’d had since changing form. As he swallowed, he felt something a transformation begins—short, gray hairs started to replace the scales on his arm. Raka stopped chewing and watched the shift. He was a changeling, he realized, but the transformation didn’t end with his dragon form. Tossing the still squirming rat aside, he plucked a beetle off the cave wall and bit down on it with a sickening crunch. A moment later, his skin began hardening into a chitinous shell. Concentrating, he found he was able to control, or even halt, the changes to his structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe thought of changing into other forms intrigued him. His mind flooded with information he had learned in his healing energy classes. Raka felt something else as he sorted through what was happening. It was a sort of knowing, an intuition. Could this be from the dragon DNA he had ingested? 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He would have to test out how long this would last, but he suspected it would hold until he decided to take on another form. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs he discovered more of the strengths his new form provided, Raka reveled in the thought that he had nothing to fear. Then, an ancestral memory—perhaps connected to his dragon DNA—flared in his mind. He saw many of his fellow reptiles trapped in a burning structure, writhing in agony. Fear welled up in him at this vivid memory. He had at least one vulnerability: fire. Raka tore himself away from the vision and shakily drew in a deep breath to calm his trembling body. “Enough wasting time on what I fear. 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From his days working alongside his father at a New England general store, to Harry's endearing and heartbreaking relationships, to sudden snowstorms, to quirky fiascos of found kittens and spilled jam jars, always...always there is a curious constant. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough it all, each and every winter, a Christmas card arrives at Harry's Craftsman bungalow from a mysterious woman named Sadie Welles. And when the two of them unexpectedly meet, Harry Dane soon finds himself in an intricate love story spanning Eighteen Winters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoanne DeMaio is a \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e USA Today\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of contemporary fiction. The novels of her ongoing and groundbreaking Seaside Saga journey with a group of beach friends, much the way a TV series does, continuing with the same cast of characters from book-to-book. 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Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=joanne%20demaio%20the%20winter%20series*\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eShop The Winter Series\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Independently Published","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158234794,"sku":"9781079270457","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_27d8e715-6e99-4eba-afb6-e0d5864756c1.jpg?v=1636991221"},{"product_id":"a-friendly-little-murder-a-violet-carlyle-cozy-historical-mystery-9781082746734","title":"A Friendly Little Murder: A Violet Carlyle Cozy Historical Mystery","description":"\u003cb\u003e August 1925 \u003c\/b\u003e After a slew of cases for Jack, a new book, and a series of business meetings for Vi, and an excess of Violet's stepmother for them both, Vi and Jack determine to flee to a lodge in the woods. A little fresh air, a ramble or two, afternoon naps, lingering mornings over a cup of Turkish coffee and perhaps all will be aright again. Only one morning walk ends with a body and yet again, Violet, Jack, and their friends find themselves involved in a mysterious death. The main suspects for the killer are none other than the victim's long-time friends. Just why do you turn on an old friend? And if you've done it once, will you do it again? \u003cb\u003eBook THIRTEEN in the Violet Carlyle Mysteries. Are you ready for the roaring twenties? You'll love Vi, her patient husband Jack, her indulgent twin Vic, and their friends. For fans of Carola Dunn, Jacqueline Winspear, Georgette Heyer, and Lee Strauss. A light, cozy mystery with a fun peek into life in the life of a bright young thing. No swearing, graphic scenes, or cliffhangers.\u003c\/b\u003eThe Violet Carlyle Mysteries1- Murder \u0026amp; The Heir2- Kennington House Murder3- Murder at the Folly 4- A Merry Little Murder*5- Murder Among the Roses6- Murder in the Shallows 7- Gin \u0026amp; Murder 8- Obsidian Murder 9- Murder at the Ladies Club 10- Wedding Vows \u0026amp; Murder11- A Jazzy Little Murder12- Murder by Chocolate*13- A Friendly Little Murder 14- Murder by the Sea15- Murder on All Hallows16- Murder in the Shadows17 A Jolly Little Murer*There are two short stories that fall between A Merry Little Murder and Murder Among the Roses. They are: New Year's Madness and Valentine's Madness. There is a short story that falls between Murder by Chocolate and A Friendly Little Murder found in Candlelit Madness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Independently Published","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158333098,"sku":"9781082746734","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_c597ae35-0cf5-4fb1-8e29-62627a13c7ae.jpg?v=1636991224"},{"product_id":"murder-by-chocolate-a-violet-carlyle-historical-mystery-9781082747540","title":"Murder By Chocolate: A Violet Carlyle Historical Mystery","description":"\u003cb\u003eJuly 1925\u003c\/b\u003eLady Violet is Mrs. Wakefield now, and she's settled rather comfortably into her life. During a trip to her country house, she meets a chocolate artisan, she decides that nothing else will suit than an evening at home-with chocolate-as a married woman. When she invites her friends to her house, she little expects her home to be christened not by chocolate but by murder. Yet again, Vi, Jack, and friends are dragged into a murder investigation. Just who would commit the crime of poisoning chocolate? And why? The Violet Carlyle Series1- Murder \u0026amp; The Heir2- Kennington House Murder3- Murder at the Folly 4- A Merry Little Murder*5- Murder Among the Roses6- Murder in the Shallows 7- Gin \u0026amp; Murder 8- Obsidian Murder 9- Murder at the Ladies Club 10- Wedding Vows \u0026amp; Murder11- A Jazzy Little Murder12- Murder by Chocolate 13- A Friendly Little Murder14- Murder by the Sea15- Murder on All Hallows16- Murder in the Shadows17- A Jolly Little Murder18 - Hijinks \u0026amp; Murder19 - Love \u0026amp; Murder20 - A Zestful Little Murder 21 - A Murder Most Odd22 - Nearly A Murder*There are two short stories that fall between\u003ci\u003e A Merry Little Murder\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eMurder Among the Roses\u003c\/i\u003e. They are: \u003ci\u003eNew Year's Madness and Valentine's Madness. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Independently Published","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158365866,"sku":"9781082747540","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_da44719b-89d9-4b52-8ffc-0d3e87d40ae7.jpg?v=1636991225"},{"product_id":"the-farmhouse-a-hickory-grove-novel-9781087856957","title":"The Farmhouse: A Hickory Grove Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA desperate hairdresser. Her handsome friend. And a farmhouse full of secrets. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Maggie Devereux is served an unexpected eviction notice, everything falls apart. Out of options, the nearly divorced forty-something stumbles across an unopened letter regarding her late aunt's estate: a ramshackle farmhouse on the outskirts of town. It could be the perfect solution, if it weren't on the verge of collapse and teeming with complicated family secrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProperty investor Rhett Houston needs a fresh start. So when he bumps into his old friend, Maggie, who's looking for help with a project, he jumps right in. Soon, Rhett finds himself growing close to the hardworking family, and he realizes he's at a crossroads: stay in the city where he's made a life, or move home to Hickory Grove to help Maggie for good. His choice would be easy, \u003cem\u003eif\u003c\/em\u003e she weren't still married. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCan friends become more under the right circumstances? \u003cem\u003eThe Farmhouse\u003c\/em\u003e is a romantic, small-town women's fiction set in charming Hickory Grove. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Elizabeth Bromke, Author","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158431402,"sku":"9781087856957","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_71b6e306-ceca-479f-8f64-cbba922d7be8.jpg?v=1636991226"},{"product_id":"little-beach-bungalow-9781090956859","title":"Little Beach Bungalow","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eNight Beach\u003c\/i\u003e comes a novel as alluring as a weathered cottage by the sea.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe cottage is nestled along winding Sea View Road, set back from the sandy street. Surrounded by swaying dune grass, it's a shabby little beach bungalow with an open back porch overlooking a sparkling Long Island Sound. A sign propped in the front window says: For Rent. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWell, the cottage was For Rent ... until one particular lobsterman booked a summer stay there. As Shane Bradford settles into the New England beach town of Stony Point, he unloads more than boxes and duffels. With his arrival, he unpacks secrets, and entwined histories, among his circle of beach friends. Old loves surface. New ones emerge, too. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLittle Beach Bungalow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e follows Shane's simmering summer days back on the Connecticut shore, and much is in store.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Independently Published","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158464170,"sku":"9781090956859","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_17d5a05f-a3f0-4fae-92e3-bf86bbde9f63.jpg?v=1636991227"},{"product_id":"a-fatal-journey-9781091088306","title":"A Fatal Journey","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerils and plots in British India...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Rose Beckingham's pursuit of an international spy leads to the uncovering of an assassination plot, she'll have to race against time to prevent a crime before it occurs. 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Or will a mercenary killer escape and carry the truth away with him?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Independently Published","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158529706,"sku":"9781091088306","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_ce92d110-7ec9-4841-8078-bf4fd72166fa.jpg?v=1636991228"},{"product_id":"kennington-house-murder-a-violet-carlyle-cozy-historical-mystery-9781092639712","title":"Kennington House Murder: A Violet Carlyle Cozy Historical Mystery","description":"\u003cb\u003eApril 1923.\u003c\/b\u003eAfter a winter on the Amalfi Coast, Lady Violet Carlyle returns home for her little sister's wedding. The last time Vi was with her family, she was the pauper daughter who needed to wed before she lost her chance. 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Through sheer courage and immense bravery, they withstood unimaginable tragedy and seemingly insurmountable obstacles to survive. But secrets held close in order to protect would later come back to nearly tear the family apart. But the discovery of a long lost letter would bring clarity and resolution to the pain and heartache the women had endured for years.” \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Melissa Foster, NYT and USA Today bestselling author, \u003cem\u003eHave No Shame\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKatherine wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't found the letter...Katherine Arthur's dying mother arrives on her doorstep, forcing her to relive a past she wanted to forget. When Katherine was young, the Arthur family had been affluent city dwellers until shame sent them running for the prairie, into the unknown. Taking her family, including young Katherine, to live off the land was the last thing Jeanie Arthur had wanted. But, she did her best and made a go of it. For Jeanie's husband, Frank, it had been a world of opportunity. Dreaming, lazy Frank. But, it was a society of uncertainty-a domain of natural disasters, temptation, hatred, even death.Ten-year-old Katherine had loved her mother fiercely, put her trust in her completely, but when there was no other choice, and Jeanie resorted to extreme measures on the prairie to save her family, she tore Katherine's world apart. Now, seventeen years later, Katherine has found the truth\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eshe has discovered the last letter. After years of anger, can Katherine find it in her heart to understand why her mother made the decisions that changed them all? Can she forgive and finally begin to heal before it's too late? \u003cem\u003eThe Last Letter\u003c\/em\u003e is the novel for every daughter who thinks she knows her mother's story.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Kathleen Shoop, in her debut novel, has crafted a beautifully written novel that will captivate readers. Evoking the strong emotions that are often found in mother\/daughter relationships, Shoop mixes the heartwarming closeness of family with the heart-wrenching pain of betrayal to present a story that will resonate fans of exquisite literature. I look forward to seeing more work from this talented author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction with a western flair.” \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e—Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“This story is AWESOME. The story itself has excellent flow and the words are woven so that I would at times forget I was reading and just see the story move through me. It is a sad tale, although still beautiful. I also enjoyed all the detail of what a hard life it was to be a pioneer in the Dakotas. How people made a success of it was in part just pure dumb luck, because the land doesn’t seem to help at all. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSo, go pick up this book\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e—I am giving it 5 stars and permanently adding it to my library to enjoy again and again.” \u003cem\u003e—Lilac Wolf and Stuff Reviews \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Kathleen Shoop hypnotizes readers with her words bringing the story to life in such an enthralling way that it is so hard to put the book down.\u003cem\u003e The Last Letter,\u003c\/em\u003e the first book in \u003cem\u003eThe Letter Series,\u003c\/em\u003e had me completely hooked. It took hold of me and transported me into the story and into the unforgiving prairie life. I felt all the emotions within it, sadness, joy, loss, grief, anger, frustration, my heart felt as if it was actually about to break as I became completely overwhelmed. The author’s writing is superb and the reason I think I felt so emotional was the pure connection she makes happen between the reader and characters. I find myself now desperately awaiting the next book in the series from this amazing author.” \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Sharon Martin, \u003cem\u003eBeck Valley Books \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKathleen Shoop, PhD, is a language arts coach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Last Letter (2011 IPPY Gold Award Winner--Best Regional Fiction, Midwest) is her debut novel. She is published in four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and regularly places articles and essays in local magazines and newspapers. Kathleen is also married and the mother of two children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158824618,"sku":"9781456347208","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_3a4165d8-e345-41b1-9ab0-7fdf3a8a68e9.jpg?v=1636991238"},{"product_id":"after-the-fog-9781469935706","title":"After the Fog","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndependent Publisher Book Awards - Silver Medal Winner - Best Regional Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEric Hoffer Award Finalist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNational Indie Excellence Awards Winner - Literary Fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeck Valley Books 1st Place Winner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"...a well-written story set authentically in a historic place and time, around an intricate plot which includes most of the elements that provide for a good \"soap opera,\" or a book that would be accepted by Oprah Winfrey\" \u003cem\u003e—Historical Novel Society\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA love story wrapped in historical drama...In the steel town of Donora, Pennsylvania, site of the infamous 1948 \"killing smog,\" headstrong nurse Rose Pavlesic tends to her family and neighbors. Efficient and precise, she's created a life that reflects everything she missed growing up as an orphan. She's even managed to keep her painful secrets hidden from the love of her life, Henry, her dutiful children, and large extended family. When a stagnant weather pattern traps poisonous mill gasses in the valley, neighbors grow sicker and Rose's nursing obligations thrust her into conflict she never could have fathomed. Consequences from her past collide with her present life, making her once clear decisions as gray as the suffocating smog. As pressure mounts, Rose finds she's not the only one harboring lies. When the deadly fog finally clears, the loss of trust and faith leaves the Pavlesic family-and the whole town-splintered and shocked. With her new perspective, can Rose finally forgive herself and let her family's healing begin? Will love be enough?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter the Fog is the second novel by bestselling Kindle author Kathleen Shoop. Her debut novel, The Last Letter, garnered multiple awards in 2011. A Language Arts Coach with a Ph.D. in Reading Education, Kathleen lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158857386,"sku":"9781469935706","price":15.24,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_23f79ccf-2c20-4c4e-8a59-0a66b3d4b76f.jpg?v=1636991240"},{"product_id":"blue-jeans-and-coffee-beans-9781479262779","title":"Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Bestseller\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eEscape to Stony Point, cuff your jeans and walk along the water's edge in this nostalgic story bringing old friends, and their lives, back to the sea.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAfter years of pursuing a denim design career, Maris Carrington never imagined trading her Chicago studio for a New England shingled cottage. But a forgotten home movie tucked inside a dusty attic box leads to an unexpected summer ... One of uncovering family secrets while settling her father's estate, one of inheriting a forlorn German shepherd, one of reconnecting with old friends on a weathered boardwalk, beneath starlit skies on a beach nestled in a crook of the Connecticut coast. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer design career had become a shell, curving around her like the intricate whorls of a conch, shielding her until now. Until fried clam dinners and carousel rides beckon a lost love. But can Maris ever really go back? Can these beach friends ever be who they were to each other all those summers ago? Now one of her circle is dead; another unemployed and struggling in a tenuous marriage; another regretting a fateful decision; while one is missing a mother, ever seeking a connection she longs for. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTo the backdrop of seaside cottages and a boarded up beach hangout, to the soundtrack of whispering lagoon grasses and a vintage jukebox, \u003ci\u003eBlue Jeans and Coffee Beans\u003c\/i\u003e asks if we can really design our own lives, or if our fate lies somewhere in the stars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She lives with her family in Connecticut. To learn more about the author and her books, visit Joannedemaio.com.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158922922,"sku":"9781479262779","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_fc70d27e-98b3-4842-a4f4-0c4fc98a0580.jpg?v=1636991241"},{"product_id":"elizabeths-heart-book-two-9781492814993","title":"Elizabeth's Heart: Book Two","description":"\u003cb\u003eAgainst all odds, they risk everything.\u003c\/b\u003eThe 1929 Series takes an unexpected turn when Simon Sinclair finds himself under the doctor's radar after his prophetic visions land him in a Massachusetts asylum. In 1929, mental health treatment was anything but a solution. With no recovery, Simon faces extremities like shock therapy, mind-numbing medications, and torture. But nothing tortures him more than his feelings for the newest patient in the insane asylum: Elizabeth Williams. With one look into her eyes, Simon finds himself lovestruck. But his pining leads to more visions, which leads to more treatments. Unable to stop the dreams, he must bear it all for her.Like every patient there, Elizabeth is a troubled young woman-with a dark secret. But nothing could prepare Simon for the darkest secret of all: Elizabeth suffers from a personality disorder. Devoted to her, Simon only sees the real Elizabeth, not the violent version of her. While the new couple falls deeper in love, the wards grow concerned that they're making their conditions worse-as if they're feeding off of each other. Realizing freedom is the only way for them to be together, Simon and Elizabeth escape with the help of an unlikely hospital source who's hiding his own secrets. Their escape proves to be temporary, as they're sent back to the asylum, where Simon's worst nightmare comes true: Elizabeth's violent personality makes an appearance and triggers repeated visions that Simon can't decipher. After a selfless act of love, Simon's actions places one of the main characters from the novel 1929 in serious danger.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159381674,"sku":"9781492814993","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_fce7f4a9-7c38-404a-8a21-0e31baee1cb1.jpg?v=1636991245"},{"product_id":"snowflakes-and-coffee-cakes-9781492933175","title":"Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes an enchanting novel about love, family, and the delicate power of snowflakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReluctant to leave her cherished New England hometown after her sister's winter wedding, former journalist Vera Sterling makes a sudden decision. She takes what's left of her severance pay and invests it in real estate...in one particular drafty colonial home and old timber barn set upon the pretty banks of Addison Cove. In that rough-hewn barn, she discovers a secret treasure left behind by the previous owner, the proprietor of the long-forgotten Christmas Barn gift shop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile restoring her rundown, wood-sided home\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e—its creaking floors, broken bannister, and neglected widow's walk—that secret slowly unfolds like a bit of snowflake wonder, crystallizing hopes and dreams for many in this small Connecticut town. But mostly for Derek Cooper whose own tragic story has headlined Addison's news. And whom Vera has come to love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the first snowstorm hits during Derek's annual Deck the Boats Festival at the cove, residents become stranded. It is then up to Vera to not only bring the town together, but to mend one man's heart she fears she may have lost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSnowflakes and Coffee Cakes\u003c\/em\u003e is a heartwarming story, one that reminds us to look to winter's stars. Because snowflakes can grant very special wishes...if only we believe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoanne DeMaio is a \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e USA Today\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of contemporary fiction. The novels of her ongoing and groundbreaking Seaside Saga journey with a group of beach friends, much the way a TV series does, continuing with the same cast of characters from book-to-book. In addition, she writes Winter Novels set in a quaint New England town. Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=joanne%20demaio%20the%20winter%20series*\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eShop The Winter Series\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159414442,"sku":"9781492933175","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_837c61a8-6d6f-43b7-9cd2-472967f3f48a.jpg?v=1636991248"},{"product_id":"1930-book-three-9781494971137","title":"1930: Book Three","description":"After the gloomy memorial, the formerly pampered 1929 characters mourn the loss of Aryl Sullivan. Claire, now a pregnant widow, is too devastated to cope and withdraws from the group, delving into a deep depression. Caleb drowns his own sorrow in a bottle of whiskey, and Jonathan becomes obsessed with finding the true cause for the boat's explosion. And Ava anxiously awaits the birth of their child. As the family and friends come to grips with Aryl's death, the struggle to survive both emotionally and financially strains everyone in different ways.So it's up to Maura to see them past the worst of it, but she faces setbacks of her own when complications arise in her pregnancy. The new sheriff, Marvin, is working both sides of the law and takes advantage of Caleb's state, getting him involved in bootlegging that threatens the business and his family. A concerned Patrick tries to help him, but stubborn as a mule, Caleb won't listen.But the gears of life slowly start to move again, and new friends are made and old enemies return. Claire finds refuge in Gordon, a widower, and the two find a common bond, finally allowing her to move on and accept her new life.Until she's met with a shocking surprise.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159447210,"sku":"9781494971137","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_9d595c40-edfe-459a-ab4d-70c4ba71d169.jpg?v=1636991250"},{"product_id":"an-uncollected-death-a-charlotte-anthony-mystery-9781496163370","title":"An Uncollected Death: A Charlotte Anthony Mystery","description":"Broke, friendless, and career in freefall - can a murder get her life back on track? Things appear to be looking up for Charlotte when she is offered a new editing job. Finding her new boss battered and left for dead on her first day, however, was most definitely not in the job description. She turns amateur sleuth in an attempt to continue with her editing assigment but complications set in from the start. The notebooks that she needs are well hidden and the only clues to their whereabouts are extremely cryptic. To add to Charlotte's problems, she is not the only one with an interest in the notebooks. The town's criminal element will stop at nothing, up to and including murder, to get their hands on the prize.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeg is a long-time nonfiction writer, most recently of The Minimalist Woman blog and its related self-help and cookbooks. She now focuses almost exclusively on fiction, and has written and published two mysteries, An Uncollected Death and An Unexamined Wife. A third, An Undisclosed Location, is slated for release in Summer of 2015. Meg has an MA in English. She lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband, writer and photographer Steve Johnson. .\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159512746,"sku":"9781496163370","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_18c0ae68-f2a5-4100-b787-d9d95d65c805.jpg?v=1636991251"},{"product_id":"the-denim-blue-sea-9781505650747","title":"The Denim Blue Sea","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Joanne DeMaio returns to seaside Stony Point in this novel filled with beach friends, love, and the enchantment of a sandy boardwalk winding along the shore.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDuring two August weeks, denim designer Maris Carrington and coastal architect Jason Barlow prepare for their much-anticipated wedding. Guests arrive early, turning keys in charming cottage doors to begin their New England summer escape. The wedding is a reason for old friends to gather again; to meet in their shabby beach hangout and get the jukebox cranking; to walk that weathered boardwalk beneath a starry sky; to breathe the sweet salt air. \"Cures what ails you,\" one of the friends, Neil, always said long before his life was sadly claimed. But his legacy was not. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen Maris discovers Neil's long-lost journal, its passages reveal a heartbreaking secret. Can truths be found within its timeworn pages? Can this leather-bound journal unite the friends as their lives begin to fray? A bittersweet family reunion, a surprising encounter from a devastating accident, a shocking confession leaving one marriage shattered--all will test the once close-knit circle. Suddenly this safe haven on the tranquil Connecticut shoreline churns with emotional turmoil, threatening even the beach wedding just days before it is to happen. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eYet like a silver cap on a breaking wave, love and friendship wash ashore with hope, ever shimmering, in \u003ci\u003eThe Denim Blue Sea\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She lives with her family in Connecticut and is currently at work on her next novel.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159774890,"sku":"9781505650747","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_825375c5-1486-45ca-8d26-0cc023ec3d8f.jpg?v=1636991253"},{"product_id":"an-unexamined-wife-a-charlotte-anthony-mystery-9781508463702","title":"An Unexamined Wife: A Charlotte Anthony Mystery","description":"Is love worth killing for? In the second book of the Charlotte Anthony series, plans for an idyllic holiday in Aspen are disrupted by the discovery of a dead professor in his lab full of suspicious-looking plants. Once again, Charlotte joins forces with Detective Barnes to solve a murder that is anything but straightforward. 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Contact: megwolfewrites@gmail.com Web: megwolfe.com\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159807658,"sku":"9781508463702","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_5396b204-711b-458b-b017-0bad9854a6ca.jpg?v=1636991254"},{"product_id":"the-road-home-9781511801249","title":"The Road Home","description":"THE ROAD HOME...The Long-Awaited Sequel to Award-Winning, Bestselling Author Kathleen Shoop's The Last Letter...1891-Living separately for three years, fourteen-year-old twins, Katherine and Tommy Arthur, have done their best to make each boarding house feel like home. But unrest grows as they are driven to questionable actions just to survive. Meanwhile their desperate mother is confronted with breaking yet another promise to her children. Then a miracle descends. Hope rises on a cold, rainy night and changes everything. If Jeanie could just get word to Katherine and Tommy, she knows she can set their lives right again. Agitators, angels, and dangerous \"saviors\" illuminate the Arthurs' unmatched determination and smarts.1905-Though she tries to forget the awful years that hurt so much, the memories still haunt Katherine. Now, tearful mourners at her mother's funeral force her to revisit a time in her life that both harmed and saved her in the most unexpected ways. Tommy grieves his mother's passing as well. He too is thrust backward, compelled to rediscover the events in his life that shaped the man he has become. Will he commit to reconstructing his broken life? The Arthurs come to understand that forgiveness is the only way back to hope, the only way to find all that was good in the misfortune that transformed their lives forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBestselling author Kathleen Shoop holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women's fiction and romance. Shoop's novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer's Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania with her husband and two children.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159840426,"sku":"9781511801249","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_2942a3e5-1c7c-4705-a6e6-07e38eac85f0.jpg?v=1636991256"},{"product_id":"snow-deer-and-cocoa-cheer-9781515120773","title":"Snow Deer and Cocoa Cheer","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Joanne DeMaio delivers a delightful novel about following your heart on the snow-dusted journey home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJane March's greeting cards have lost their jingle. While worried about her job at New England's Cobblestone Cards, she stumbles upon a forgotten box of her mother's nostalgic paintings. They depict small-town Addison's covered bridge and red barns and picket-fenced colonials. If only Jane's designs could capture the same heart. When her mother shows her how with a Christmas to-do list of memories in the making, Jane gets checking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWes Davis has come home again, jilted and a little bitter. His autumn wedding's off, and so is his holiday spirit. Even seeing the rustic wooden deer his father whittles by lantern light doesn't help as he settles back into the shabby Victorian home of his childhood. It is only when Wes encounters the sparkling Jane March on his winding mail route that his cold winter heart begins to thaw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs the fall months turn wintry, and the season merry, a funny thing happens in this charming Connecticut town: Jane and Wes check off items on that Christmas itinerary, together. But falling in love wasn't included on the list. Or was it?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSnow Deer and Cocoa Cheer\u003c\/em\u003e is a treasured keepsake, reminding us that like winter's first snow, life brings a beautiful flurry of its own unexpected moments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoanne DeMaio is a \u003cem\u003eNew York Times and USA Today\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of contemporary fiction. The novels of her ongoing and groundbreaking Seaside Saga journey with a group of beach friends, much the way a TV series does, continuing with the same cast of characters from book-to-book. In addition, she writes Winter Novels set in a quaint New England town. Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=joanne%20demaio%20the%20winter%20series*\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eShop The Winter Series\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159873194,"sku":"9781515120773","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_ee5bc5a7-39cc-44f4-8666-e9be807da954.jpg?v=1636991257"},{"product_id":"the-kitchen-mistress-9781519301413","title":"The Kitchen Mistress","description":"THE KITCHEN MISTRESS--Katherine's Story-The Letter Series-Book 3For every woman who's had to choose between the secrets that protect her and the people she loves the most...1892-Des MoinesKatherine Arthur and her family are back and it's time to collect the money Mrs. Mellet left them in her will. The tidy sum will allow the family peace of mind and a future that's stable and fulfilling. But when things don't go exactly as planned, Katherine steps up to do more than her share. Hired as a kitchen mistress, her intuition (with the help of a mysterious recipe book), cooking prowess, and work ethic make her the perfect partner for the enigmatic, wealthy woman next door. Then Aleksey Zurchenko arrives.Violet Pendergrass is a well-heeled, progressive woman with half a fortune in one hand and a plan for enduring prosperity in the other. Resourceful, shrewd, and tough, Violet doesn't realize her one and only weakness leaves her vulnerable as she attempts to solidify her independence in a 19th century world. She sees unparalleled value in Katherine's gifts and does her best to keep the girl close, to keep her true work secret from her mother and the world. Katherine's loyalties to her mother and Violet grow strained and soon her commitment to both frays even further as her feelings for Aleksey grow. Katherine must decide if pursuing her work with the formidable Violet and protecting her family are more important than following love. Can she do it all? Love, hope, joy, secrets buried in walls and hearts; all are threatened by those who claim to care about the Arthurs. Can Katherine separate what's right and true from what it takes to survive? Are they even different things?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBestselling author, Kathleen Shoop, holds a PhD in reading education and has more than 20 years of experience in the classroom. She writes historical fiction, women's fiction and romance. Shoop's novels have garnered various awards in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY), Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Readers' Favorite and the San Francisco Book Festival. Kathleen has been featured in USA Today and the Writer's Guide to 2013. Her work has appeared in The Tribune-Review, four Chicken Soup for the Soul books and Pittsburgh Parent magazine. Kathleen coordinates Mindful Writing Retreats and is a regular presenter at conferences for writers.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159905962,"sku":"9781519301413","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_7837a752-20a2-4e0a-bf62-3fbb4e1c87b6.jpg?v=1636991258"},{"product_id":"the-thiefs-heart-9781519582003","title":"The Thief's Heart","description":"For anyone who's ever needed a second chance, to find love, to find the right path in life...Des Moines, 1892. After losing their promised inheritance, the Arthur family's luck finally changes. An extraordinary woman, Violet Pendergrass, provides refuge for them to rebuild their broken lives. Or has she? Handsome fifteen-year-old Tommy Arthur has one foot in manhood and the other dragging up the rear of his boyhood years. He strives to protect and provide for his family, but turning to booze when scared or worried creates as many problems as solutions. Unsure of who he can trust, fiery redhead Pearl Riverside challenges and excites him at every turn, softening his heart toward the idea that goodness exists in the world. Tension builds between Tommy and his mother as her affection for a generous man increases. At the same time, distance grows between Tommy and his twin sister, Katherine, as each chooses their secrets over family. Violet Pendergrass demands more from Tommy and he begins to question her motives. When disaster strikes for Tommy's little sister, Yale, the actions of a sinister judge, a crooked minister, and the infamous charlatan, Dreama, are revealed. Facing more jailtime as vigilante mobs form, the clock runs down on Tommy's chance to take responsibility for his own choices. Is it too late for him to save his family, to open his heart and fully love those who need him as much as he needs them?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716159971498,"sku":"9781519582003","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_3b373298-1e88-4772-8288-a8442732270a.jpg?v=1636991259"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/collections\/All_Books.png?v=1648563394","url":"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/collections\/all-books\/women-florida.oembed","provider":"Bublish-Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}