Book 1 of the Sam Seabury Series. At least every five months the body of a young girl turns up dead in a remote tropical lagoon on Thailand's Koh Phangan Island. The local village pipeline carry stories of the place being haunted. Ghosts soar through the trees. Dark spirits lurk below the water. Scary apparitions appear in the night. From then on, the place is called Dead Girl Beach. Municipal police, one nautical mile down the coast in the village of Had Rin, order signs to be posted in the area to prevent people from going there. Most people take the signs seriously and stayed away, all accept Greta Langer. She's a monstrous Amazonian on a kill spree and a bevy of naive, unsuspecting bar hostesses working the bars on Sunrise Beach are her victims. The place has become her office and she's always open for business. Views: 10
The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is among the most demanding sailing competitions in the world. Unpredictable seas make the 628-nautical-mile course grueling under the best conditions, but the 1998 race proved to be the most perilous to date when a sudden and violent storm struck. Winds gusted over 100 mph and monstrous 80-foot waves towered over boat masts. Six sailors perished and another 55 were saved in what became the largest search and rescue operation in Australia's history. In the face of turmoil and tragedy, a crew of "amateur" sailors piloted their tiny vessel, the AFR Midnight Rambler, not only to the finish but to overall victory. While bigger, better-equipped yachts attempted to maneuver around the storm, Ed Psaltis and his crew made the daring decision to head directly into its path. Their triumph—perhaps even their survival—owes itself to an extraordinary level of teamwork: an alchemy of cooperation, trust, planning, and execution. Into the Storm... Views: 10
ELLEN McCLARETY, a recent divorcée, has opened a new bake shop in her small Midwestern town, hoping to turn her life around by dedicating herself to the traditional Danish pastry called kringle. She is no longer saddled by her ne’er-do-well husband, but the past still haunts her—sometimes by showing up on her doorstep. Her younger sister, Lanie, is a successful divorce attorney with a baby at home. But Lanie is beginning to feel that her perfect life is not as perfect as it seems. Both women long for the guidance of their mother, who died years ago but left them with lasting memories of her love and a wonderful piece of advice: “At the end of every day, you can always think of three good things that happened.” Ellen and Lanie are as close as two sisters can be, until one begins keeping a secret that could forever change both their lives. Wearing her big Midwestern heart proudly on her sleeve, Wendy Francis skillfully illuminates the emotional lives of two women with humor and compassion, weaving a story destined to be shared with a friend, a mother, or a sister. Views: 10
King Maximilian of Valdastien, handsome, clever but with a well deserved reputation as a ladies man, is under pressure from his Prime Minister to leave behind his bachelor ways, get married and produce an heir as soon as possible. Despite the fact that he vowed never to marry, with political unrest in Europe and encroaching danger from the Prussians, the King reluctantly decides to visit the surrounding countries to seek a suitable Queen.Meanwhile, beautiful but tempestuous Princess Zita flies across the alpine countryside of neighbouring Aldross on her dazzling horse Pegasus.Full of a fire that matches the stunning flame red of her hair and sparkling with intelligence, Zita could not be more different to her elder sister, the placid and homely Princess Sophie. So when a visit by King Maximilian is heralded, their shrewd mother wastes no time in ordering Princess Zita to stay out of sight so that she cannot catch the King's eye and ruin any matrimonial chances for her... Views: 10
Hester MacDaniel is recovering from an engagement gone awry by summering at her brother's holding in the Highlands, and looking after her brother's young step-daughter, Fiona. Tiberius Flynn, heir to the English Marquis of Quinworth, appears on Hester's doorstep claiming he's Fee's paternal uncle, and he's been sent by her English relations to make the girl's acquaintance. Tye believes his brother's dying wishes compel him to take Fee south with him, but he doesn't plan on Hester capturing his heart, even as she fights him tooth and nail for custody of Fiona. Views: 10
Mary Yukari Waters' novel "The Favorites" brings to mind the Japanese notion of ma, which refers to negative space – the gap between objects, the silence between events. In the book's maze of family secrets, what is left unsaid often weighs more heavily than what is spoken. During a summer visit to her family in Kyoto, 14-year-old Sarah… Views: 10
The Civil War was undeniably an integral event in American history, but for African Americans, whose personal liberties were dependent upon its outcome, it was an especially critical juncture.The Union defeat of the Confederacy brought African Americans a simultaneous victory over their captors, freeing them from slavery and domination and establishing them as masters of their own fate. But African Americans were far from passive victims of the war. Black soldiers fought on both sides of the conflict Union and Confederate.In Climbing Up to Glory: A Short History of African Americans during the Civil War and Reconstruction, Wilbert L. Jenkins explores this defining period in a story that documents the journey of average African Americans as they struggled to reinvent their lives following the abolition of slavery.In this highly readable book, Jenkins examines the unflagging determination and inner strength of African Americans as they sought to construct a solid... Views: 10
Lola Bannon has trusted San Francisco Police Detective Del Mason with her life—and her mending heart. But the tumultuous arrival of Del’s sensuous and charismatic ex, Janet, plays on her deepest insecurities. Even though Del dismisses Janet’s histrionic pleas for help as transparent manipulation, Lola feels on shaky ground. Hoping that Janet is gone for good, Lola devotes herself to research for her new novel while Del takes on a perplexing new case for the department. Then a violent turn in the investigation shatters the future they had only just begun to believe in. Will two lovers turn their backs on each other when they need each other the most? Views: 10
Ellie Garrett never planned on being a divorced, single mother—she also
never planned to get married again. Ever. Her ordinary life changes when
the house across the street is sold. The new owner is Nick
Coulter—quarterback and MVP for the Sacramento Defenders. Oh yeah, he’s
also one of People magazine’s top 100 most beautiful people and
America’s most eligible bachelor. So why would she pick him to have her
first crush on since her divorce? Recently retired from the NFL, Nick is
more than ready to find a wife and start a family. He's tired of his
high-profile lifestyle and moves to Pleasant Wood, Colorado, hoping to
finally settle down and focus on his foundation Kids Come First. It
would just feel nice to be a normal guy. Of course being rebuffed by
Ellie the first few times he meets her makes him feel a little too
normal. As Nick and Ellie become acquainted, their mutual attraction is
hard to ignore. But Ellie’s been hurt before by her womanizing
ex-husband. She’s not sure that Nick has left behind his playboy
reputation. Can she risk falling in love with the celebrity football
player or will she miss her chance at scoring big in the game of love? Views: 10
