Big Fish meets The Notebook in this emotionally evocative story about a man, a woman, and an alligator that is a moving tribute to love, from the New York Times bestselling author of the award-winning memoir Rocket Boys—the basis of the movie October Sky.Elsie Lavender and Homer Hickam (the father of the author) were high school classmates in the West Virginia coalfields, graduating just as the Great Depression began. When Homer asked for her hand, Elsie instead headed to Orlando where she sparked with a dancing actor named Buddy Ebsen (yes, that Buddy Ebsen). But when Buddy headed for New York, Elsie's dreams of a life with him were crushed and eventually she found herself back in the coalfields, married to Homer.Unfulfilled as a miner's wife, Elsie was reminded of her carefree days with Buddy every day because of his unusual wedding gift: an alligator named Albert she raised in the only bathroom in the house. When Albert scared Homer by grabbing his pants,... Views: 23
The murder of one of the computer dating service Compu-Mate's clients sends Miami trial lawyer Jake Lassiter and retired coroner Dr. Charlie Riggs on the trail of a killer that leads them to a London insane asylum. Reprint. *K. *
### From Publishers Weekly
In contrast to his taut, punchy first novel, To Speak for the Dead , Levine's second is characterized by excess--an outlandish plot, too many characters and too many soggy wisecracks. But the blistering running commentary of hero-lawyer Jake Lassiter on drug dealers, developers and life in murder-a-day Dade County, Fla., plus a horrific denouement, easily makes up for the tale's shortcoming. With his Latin-spouting, bonefishing sidekick, retired coroner Charlie Riggs, the former Miami Dolphins linebacker tracks a serial killer and runs up against political corruption. The killer's first three victims are women who belong to Compu-Mate, an electronic network whose members talk dirty to one another. Jake, dragooned into becoming a special prosecutor, turns for guidance to Pamela Metcalf, an icy British psychiatrist in Miami on a book tour. As the body count mounts, suspicions fall on ambitious state attorney Nick Wolf, with a shadowy past in Vietnam; detective Alejandro Rodriquez; drunken drama professor and failed actor Gerald Prince; and the owners of Compu-Mate, ex-jockey Max Blinderman and his gorgeous spouse, Bobbie. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
### From Library Journal
The second psychological thriller pairing lawyer Jake Lassiter and retired coroner Charlie Riggs ( To Speak for the Dead , Bantam, 1990). Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 23
From Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss comes the next hot novel in the ALFA Investigations series, Guilty Sin. When a mission puts a woman under Ret's protection, he and his longtime girlfriend Alese welcome her into their home. What starts out as a friendship rooted in trust ignites into a romance far bigger than any of them expect. Love isn't always neat, and sometimes it can't be confined to an even number. Get ready for the hottest book of the series yet. Ret is prepared to make you beg. ALFA Investigations Series: Book 1: Sinful Intent Book 2: Unlawful Desire Book 3: Wicked Impulse Book 4: Guilty Sin ALFA Bonus Novellas: Top Bottom Switch Rebound Views: 23
Anna enters her beloved dog Banana in a contest in the fourth book of a charming illustrated chapter book series about the joys and challenges of elementary school friendships.Anna can't wait for the Puppy Parade. She's certain Banana will win. Soon Banana will be famous—and that means Anna will be famous, too! But when Sadie and Isabel suggest they all enter the parade together, Anna starts feeling a little unsure about sharing her dog—and the spotlight—with her friends. How can Anna be Best in Show and a good best friend? Views: 23
Emma Maxwell knew her stepmother, Celeste, must have some scheme in mind, even before they arrived in Venice. When she heard what it was, Emma wanted no part of it. Then she met Count Vidal Cesare, on whom Celeste had designs, and decided he was old enough and experienced enough to look after himself.Emma was very firm about her own future. She informed the Dowager Contessa, "No, signora. When I marry it will be for love. And my husband will love me . . . and only me!" Views: 23
Life in Sassafras Springs has always been predictable, boring even, but one afternoon that changes when Eben McAllister's pa challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras that rival the real Seven Wonders of the World. The reward? An adventure that Eben's been craving — a trip to Colorado. Even doesn't think he'll have any luck — he can't think of one single thing that could be considered wondrous in Sassafras — but he's willing to try. Little does he know that the Wonders he'll discover among his neighbors, friends, relatives, and family will give him the adventure of a lifetime...without ever leaving his home. Views: 23
The goal is ninety. Just ninety clean and sober days to loosen the hold of the addiction that caused Bill Clegg to lose everything. With seventy-three days in rehab behind him he returns to New York and attends two or three meetings each day. It is in these refuges that he befriends essential allies including the seemingly unshakably sober Asa and Polly, who struggles daily with her own cycle of recovery and relapse. At first, the support is not enough: Clegg relapses for the first time with only three days left. Written with uncompromised immediacy, NINETY DAYS begins where Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man ends-and tells the wrenching story Clegg's battle to reclaim his life. As any recovering addict knows, hitting rock bottom is just the beginning. Views: 23
Tilly Farmer is thirty-two years old and has the perfect life she always dreamed of: married to her high school sweetheart, working as a guidance counselor in her hometown, trying for a baby. Perfect. In fact, on the surface you might never know how tough things used to be. At seventeen, Tilly lost her mother to cancer, her father drowned his grief in alcohol, and she played parent to her two younger sisters more often than being a kid herself. Still Tilly never let tragedy overtake her belief that hard work and good cheer could solve any problem. Of course she's also spent a lifetime plastering a smile on her face and putting everyone else's problems ahead of her own. But that relentless happiness has served her well--her sisters are grown and content, her dad is ten years sober, and she's helping her students achieve all their dreams while she and her husband, Tyler, start a family. A perfect life indeed. Then one sweltering afternoon at the local fair,... Views: 23
In need of a fresh start for herself and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Hannah Montgomery decides to relocate from Flagstaff, Arizona, to a ranch out in Eastern Washington, just outside Newport. It’s through living out in the open country that she hopes to reconnect with God and discover His will for their lives.Enter Luke Williams, a busy investment banker with a dying father who lives on a ranch with fifteen acres of land. When Luke’s not flying out of state to meet with clients or in meetings all day, he’s out at the ranch, tending to his father’s needs.When Luke realizes he needs someone full-time at the ranch to be with his father, he discovers Hannah. When Hannah needed a way out that wasn’t going to set her back financially, she found Luke and his father, Mac.She has a past that still hurts. He has a history that’s complicated.Luke might have all the qualities of a good and decent man, but so did her ex-husband who secretly had another family for over a decade. Can Hannah put the past behind her and let herself have another chance at love?Let this Christian romance warm your heart and draw you close to the One who loves you without condition. When It Rains is Book 2 of “The Potter’s House Books” series, stories of love, hope, redemption, and second chances. Views: 23
The first meeting between Antonio and Olivia at the Paradise Ballroom is brief, but electric.Years later, on the dawn of World War II, when struggling Italian singer Antonio meets the wife of his wealthy new patron, he recognizes her instantly: it is Olivia, the captivating dance hostess he once encountered in the seedy Paradise Ballroom. Olivia fears Antonio will betray the secrets of her past, but little by little they are drawn together, outsiders in a glittering world to which they do not belong. At last, with conflict looming across Europe, the attraction between them becomes impossible to resist—but when Italy declares war on England, the impact threatens to separate them forever.The Girl from the Paradise Ballroom is a story of forbidden love and family loyalties amid the most devastating war in human history. Views: 23
Justin McCarthy is a magnet for every man hunter in Sydney—they picture themselves spending his millions and cuddling up to him at night!Rachel is Justin's idea of the perfect assistant. That is, until he pays for a complete makeover—one that unlocks the beauty within! Where once he was happy to have Rachel safely behind her desk, now Justin wants her across his—wild and willing. But then fantasy becomes reality, and Justin hasn't counted on love becoming part of his agenda! Views: 23
