Another investigation for Miss Silver. Lurking beneath the tranquillity of the country village of Greenings is a tinder-dry passion which owes its origins to events in the recent past. When Clarice Dean is found drowned in a watersplash, the match is set. Can Miss Silver put out the blaze? Views: 29
A marriage and a family reach breaking point on an annual holiday in the loveliest hotel in Ireland.Dermot Bolger is one of the leading figures on the Irish literary scene. Very influential, amazingly energetic and prolific, popular and extremely well respected.Dermot writes fast-paced, incredibly readable novels, usually with a thriller element, always about Ireland, more often than not about its Troubles. 'Temptation' is quite different. It is about family life. It describes five days in the lives of Alison, her husband Peadar and their three children, who are taking their annual holiday on the southeastern coast of Ireland. Each member of the family has his or her own hopes for the holiday and preoccupations about the lives they are briefly leaving behind. The holiday serves as a turning point in their lives, as Alison and Peadar's marriage is put to the test and the vulnerabilities of their children are brought to the fore.Previous novels have... Views: 29
From Publishers WeeklyAn entrepreneur and an innovator in African-American hair care became the first black female millionaire in America. The life of this historical figure, born Sarah Breedlove, was researched heavily by Alex Haley and proves to be a rich subject for Due, who relied on interviews, letters and other data compiled by the late author of Roots. The strong-willed heroine was born in Delta, La., in the 1860s to sharecropper parents, and was orphaned at age seven. Sarah and her older sister, Lou, find employment as washerwomen for a spirited black woman who runs a laundry business in Vicksburg, Miss. At 14, Sarah marries a good man, but when he is brutally killed, she and her daughter, Lelia, are nearly destitute, until Sarah starts her own laundry business in St. Louis. Sarah works hard for years before stumbling upon the "miracle" ingredientAsulfurAthat cures her painful, itching scalp and promotes hair growth. Perfecting her increasingly popular concoction, she turns her kitchen into a production line/beauty parlor. After she marries flashy adman C.J. Walker, a nationwide ad campaign turns Madam C.J. Walker into a household name, the business funding a beauty college where women ("black roses") are trained to care for African-American hair. Walker gains entry to the black elite and extraordinary material wealth, yet the same toil that builds her business leads to personal heartbreak and cuts her life short. The author of two supernatural thrillers (My Soul to Keep; The Between), Due's leap into historical fiction is accomplished and enlivened by rich characterizations. A few flash-forward scenes necessary for the story's irony or suspense barely halt the polished pacing and keen-eared dialogue as this dramatic rags-to-riches narrative moves briskly toward a bittersweet end. Agent, John Hawkins. Sample chapter distributed through select African-American beauty salons nationwide; 5-city author tour. (June) FYI: Due's own grandmother was a graduate of the Madam C.J. Walker School of Beauty Culture. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalYA-A fictionalized account of Madame C. J. Walker's riveting life as researched by Alex Haley prior to his death. Born Sarah Breedlove, Walker rose from an uneducated laundress to a woman of wealth. She was an ingenious and brilliant entrepreneur who created numerous hair and beauty products for women; however, she is most renowned for her invention of "the pressing comb" which allowed black women to relax their hair. Black leaders such as Booker T. Washington often sought her support both financially and as a community leader. Her legacy is reflective in many of the writings of Langston Hughes. Moreover, Walker was known as an elegant public speaker, and often commenced her speeches with the well-known one-liner, "I got my start by giving myself a start." Accordingly, the "Black Rose" (a phrase coined by Walker) believed that if an individual worked hard she could achieve her goals and much more. Wealth and notoriety came with a price, however: personal sacrifice and loss. Teen readers will love this fascinating novel.ayo dayo, Chinn Park Regional Library, Prince William, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 29
'Brilliant and addictive . . .Think of The Hunger Games with vampires' Richelle MeadAgainst all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. Every decade there is a government sponsored hunt. When Gene is selected, he must learn the art of the hunt while eluding his fellow competitors whose suspicions about his true nature are growing . . . Views: 29
Against the backdrop of the great Bristol Bay salmon fishery, thirteen-year-old Zoey Morley struggles with her parents divorce, her moms bush-pilot boyfriend, and the pangs of growing up during her summer in the real Alaska. Author Annie Boochever tells a compelling tale of a divided family living a remote lifestyle where getting along as a team is a matter of survival. Zoey learns to trust the artist inside her and finds she and her new friend Thomas have something in common. Readers will live the lessons learned and taught by this young girl who finds that hard work, compassion, and the ability to see things in her own special way lead her toward happiness in a place that at first seems just too far away. Views: 29
THE AGENT:Burke Lonigan, weapons expert and world-class charmerTHE MISSION: To destroy a dangerous traitor, while defending his woman and child!Facing off with a deadly menace was easy for Burke Lonigan—until a beguiling beauty stepped in danger's path. The only way Burke could protect Callie Severin was to make her his wife. Then Burke discovered his new bride was the beautiful stranger he had taken to his bed one passionate night long ago—and the mother of the child he'd never known! Now Burke was determined to defend his family—and damn the consequences to his heart!a year of loving dangerouslyWhere passion rules and nothing is what it seems.... Views: 29
Do you know a friend or have a spouse who's getting a little older and could use some ribs tickling? Could you use a perspective-altering, shot-in-the-arm about how to look at the minor aches and pains of going over the hill? For some, getting older is definitely not a laughing matter. For Martha Bolton, however, there's one lesson she's learned that makes aging easier--laughter and longevity go hand-in-hand! Like other top Christian humorists Barbara Johnson and Patsy Clairmont, Bolton's humor is based in a faith that teaches while it makes you laugh. In Didn't My Skin Used to Fit, the message is that life after forty can be as much fun (even more so) than life before forty. When you can't stop the crow's-feet from walking over your face, it's time to laugh about it.ReviewA laugh-out-loud look at life past the forty mark. -- Mark Lowry, Comedian, singer and songwriterAbout the AuthorMARTHA BOLTON is a full-time comedy writer and the author of thirty books. She has been a staff writer for Bob Hope for fifteen years along with writing for Bob Gaither, Ann Jillian, Phyllis Diller, and many others. She has received two Angel Awards and an Emmy Nomination. Views: 29
