Fashion designer turned amateur sleuth Maddie Springer can’t wait to spend the holidays with her boyfriend, LAPD Detective Jack Ramirez. It’s their first Christmas together, but between her zany family and wacky friends, Maddie’s having a hard time finding alone time with her man. Come Christmas morning, this is one holiday she’ll be sure to remember… naughty or nice. Views: 60
The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in villages just a few miles apart. At the turn of the last century, when Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished from his village and sent to hide in America as an apprentice to a shoemaker in Little Italy. Without explanation, he leaves a bereft Enza behind. Soon, Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America with her father to secure their future. Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America, Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job in Hoboken until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza, determined to forge a life without him, begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of the international singing sensation, Enrico Caruso. From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill, to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy, to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until, finally, the power of their love changes both of their lives forever. Lush and evocative, told in tantalizing detail and enriched with lovable, unforgettable characters, The Shoemaker's Wife is a portrait of the times, the places and the people who defined the immigrant experience, claiming their portion of the American dream with ambition and resolve, cutting it to fit their needs like the finest Italian silk. This riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write, one inspired by her own family history and the love of tradition that has propelled her body of bestselling novels to international acclaim. Like Lucia, Lucia, The Shoemaker's Wife defines an era with clarity and splendor, with operatic scope and a vivid cast of characters who will live on in the imaginations of readers for years to come. Amazon.com Review Kathryn Stockett Interviews Adriana Trigiani Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Alabama with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she moved to New York City, where she worked in magazine publishing and marketing for nine years. The Help is her first novel. Kathryn Stockett: This is by far your most epic novel to date. How long did it take you to write The Shoemaker’s Wife? Adriana Trigiani: I worked on this story for over 20 years as I wrote scripts and novels and had my own family. There are scraps of paper, dinner napkins, and bills with timelines and notes scrawled across them. There are old notebooks filled with my grandmother’s musings from 1985. I collected train tickets, copies of ships’ manifests, and a silk tag with my grandmother’s name from garments she had created. I traveled as far as the Italian Alps and as close as the few blocks it takes me to walk to Little Italy in New York City to capture the historical aspects of the story. All of this went into the novel. It was a delicious gestation period.Stockett: This is a novel, but it is inspired by a true story—a family story, right?Trigiani: Yes—my grandparents, Lucia and Carlo. Their love was a dance with fate. It is riddled with near misses against a landscape of such massive world events that it’s a wonder they got together at all. My challenge was to present their world to the reader so it might feel it was happening in the moment. I wanted the reader to have the experience I had when stories were told to me by the woman who lived them.Stockett: The novel takes place during the first half of the twentieth century--what is so compelling about this period of time to you?Trigiani: The cusp of the twentieth century was a time everything was new—cars, phones, planes, electricity, even sportswear, and in each innovation was a kind of explosive potential. No one could predict where all the inventions would lead, people only knew that change was unavoidable.My grandparents were delighted every time America presented them with something they had never seen before. And my grandparents’ sense of wonder never left them, so I tried not to let it leave the page, be it a cross-country train ride or the first snap of the bobbin on an electric Singer sewing machine.Stockett: Through the remarkable story of Enza and Ciro, your novel tells the larger story of the immigrant experience in America.Trigiani: What a gift immigrants were and are to this country! They bring their talents and loyalty and make our country even greater. My grandparents were proud to be new Americans. Assimilation was not about copying an American ideal, but aspiring to their own version of it. The highest compliment you could pay a fellow immigrant was: he (or she) was a hard worker. I hear the phrase work like an immigrant said, but really, it’s bigger than that—we must also dream like immigrants.Stockett: The Shoemaker’s Wife seamlessly brings together fictional characters and historical figures—how did the wonderful Caruso enter the novel?Trigiani: It started with a three-foot stack of vinyl records—my grandmother Lucia’s collection of Caruso. Her absolute devotion to The Great Voice lasted her whole life long. I knew, in order to write this novel, I had to fall in love with Caruso too, because he sang the score of my grandparents’ love affair.When Lucia passed, I went to my first opera, seeking understanding and comfort. As the music washed over me, I began to understand why my grandmother was such a fan. The words were Italian, and the emotions were big; nothing was left unexpressed in the music. If only life were that way.Review“Within the pages of this novel, Trigiani’s 10th, is a gloriously romantic yet sensible world that seamlessly blends practicality and beauty…built around the staggering cultural and social changes the war years swept in…. Trigiani’s very best…exquisite writing and a story enriched by the power of abiding love.” (USA Today )“I’ve always loved reading Trigiani, but [this] is something totally new and completely wonderful: a rich, sweeping epic which tells the story of the women and men who built America dream by dream. If you’re meeting her work for the first time, get ready for a lifelong love affair. Splendid.” (Kathryn Stockett, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Help )“The breathtaking… historical novel sparkles in exquisite details and vivid descriptions.” (Huffington Post )“The novel is a sweeping epic, but at its heart, it’s a love story. It speaks to an era of possibilities.” (Providence Journal )“This expansive epic, which seems tailor-made for a miniseries, manages to feel both old-fashioned and thoroughly contemporary…[an] irresistible love story.” (Booklist )“Trigiani’s gift for using vivid details to create a strong sense of place and her warm affection for her characters will make this a satisfying read for her many fans.” (Library Journal ) Views: 60
"Gabe, you have a daughter."Six years ago, Gabe Benton left Texas to seek his fortune. The woman he loved and left behind was heartbroken—and fled the state with a secret. She was pregnant with his child.Now, Gabe is a millionaire ranch owner. And beautiful Maddie Halliday is back—temporarily. The passion between them is still hotter than the Texas sun. But when Gabe proposes for their daughter's sake, Maddie's flat-out no stuns him. Can the man who always gets his way learn to compromise—for the sake of cherished family days and wild Western nights? Views: 60
He's nameless, faceless, and has nothing left to lose—and now he has a gun. Alone except for his beloved bulldog, Churchill, a despondent man who's failed at his career, his marriage, and his own simple hopes makes his way across the fierce American landscape and the spectacle of his own bitter past. As he heads home to his distant brother, he witnesses various tragedies and crimes which bring out the killer in him. Tom Piccirilli brings us a suspense story for our current struggling times, taken directly from a broken heart. It is full of realism, grit, and a depth of the dark streets that give voice to the fears most of us can barely imagine. The terror of loss, the overwhelming dread of failure, the desperate push towards crime, the horror of missed-out, mediocre dreams. And the all-too-average explosive rage. Views: 60
SUMMARY:Now with this striking new adult novel from author and creator Francine Pascal, millions of devoted fans can finally return to the idyllic Sweet Valley, home of the phenomenally successful book series and franchise. Iconic and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood. WANT MORE SWEET VALLEY RIGHT NOW?? Become a fan of Sweet Valley Confidential on Facebook or Twitter. Views: 60
Product DescriptionWhen Pearl Richland inherits her aunt's 1950s motel she returns to her roots. Tired of the big city, she's ready for small town life, especially when sexy cowboy Wil Marshall comes in to escape an ice storm. Pearl never thought she'd turn in her high heels and start dating a cowboy, but Wil's got an awful lot to offer if a girl's available for a whole lot of fun, sizzle, and unexpected trouble...About the AuthorCarolyn Brown is an award-winning author who has published 36 bestselling romances for the library market. She now writes bestselling single title cowboy and country music mass market romances. Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. Views: 60
College freshman Laney and her sexy new biology professor just can't seem to get along. They got off on the wrong foot from the start, and things have been downhill ever since. Laney knows he is attracted to her - she caught him checking out her ass, after all - and he's so gorgeous he makes her wet just standing next to her. But Dr. Parker has been a relentless jerk since day one, and Laney can't seem to do anything right. The sexual tension just makes them grate on each other even more, until Laney finally reaches her boiling point and decides to give the professor a lesson in female anatomy that is bound to get her some extra credit. 4400 words. Includes excerpts from the Brooklyn Reese stories Seducing the Daddy, Kissing the Pink, My Best Friend's Dad, and Kelli Wolfe's Wet for Brother. Original Title: Dominating Devon Views: 60
HEARTBREAK CANYON—THE MEN OF HEARTBREAK LIVE BY THEIR OWN RULES—PROTECT THE LAND, HONOR THE FAMILY…AND NEVER LET A GOOD WOMAN GO! ONE MOMENT OF PLEASURE Ethan James had spend a lifetime looking for trouble. Until he received a photo of a woman who seven months ago, had claimed him, body and soul—for a single night. A woman who was now seven months pregnant… TWO ALTERED LIVES Grace Prescott had always accepted what little she'd been given. Then Ethan resurfaced, proposing marriage for the child's sake. But she wanted the whole dream. The baby—and a husband who loved her. And this time, she wasn't going to settle for less… Views: 60
After seven months of an affair they can only pursue on occasional weekends, Jackson Spey and Adin Swift are more in love than ever. More frustrated, too. Their periods of separation are becoming intolerable. Adin can't help but feel responsible...just as he can't help worrying Jackson's patience is wearing thin.Celia, Adin's live-in girlfriend, has been aware of the men's relationship from the start. She also knows Adin's sense of honor will not allow him to walk out on her. Neither stupid nor insensitive, Celia realizes most triangles have a breaking point, and this one has reached that stage.Just as she's on the verge of arranging a meeting with Jackson, the wizard is summoned to do a strange favor for a fellow practitioner of magic. Noah Curry's beloved partner, Perez Pei, has disappeared. Despondent and desperate, Noah uses a unique kind of influence to enlist Jackson's aid.As the lovers wonder what Celia's intentions are and as Adin considers taking drastic... Views: 60
Batting second--book #2 in a brand-new early chapter book mystery series where each book is set in a different American ballpark! Mike and Kate are waiting for Kate's mom at a boring press conference in Yankee Stadium when the team official says something that makes Mike perk up his ears. There are rumors that the ghost of Babe Ruth is haunting the new stadium! A chill air blasts down a service hallway before every home game, along with various thumps and bumps. Is the Bambino really searching for his missing locker?The Pinstripe Ghost includes a fun fact page about New York's Yankee Stadium.Cross Ron Roy's mystery series with Matt Christopher's sports books and you get the Ballpark Mysteries: fun, puzzling whodunnits aimed right at beginning readers.From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 60
