"CROSSINGS"--from author ALEX LANDRAGIN--an unforgettable and explosive genre-bending debut--a novel in three parts, designed to be read in two different directions, spanning a hundred and fifty years and seven lifetimes

Crossings

On the brink of the Nazi occupation of Paris, a German-Jewish bookbinder stumbles across a manuscript called Crossings. It has three narratives, each as unlikely as the next. And the narratives can be read one of two ways: either straight through or according to an alternate chapter sequence. The first story in Crossings is a never-before-seen ghost story by the poet Charles Baudelaire, penned for an illiterate girl. Next is a noir romance about an exiled man, modeled on Walter Benjamin, whose recurring nightmares are cured when he falls in love with a storyteller who draws him into a dangerous intrigue of rare manuscripts, police corruption, and literary societies. Finally, there are the fantastical memoirs of a woman-turned-monarch whose singular life has spanned seven generations. With each new chapter, the stunning connections between these seemingly disparate people grow clearer and more extraordinary. Crossings is an unforgettable adventure full of love, longing and empathy.

Reviews

 

"An exquisite novel. My initial melancholy rage at not having written it myself swiftly transformed into blissful gratitude that it exists at all, and that I am lucky enough to read it. Sure to be one of the biggest literary events of the year."
―Sam J. Miller, Nebula Award Winning author of Blackfish City

"This delightful puzzle box of a novel is full of clever structural tricks that echo works by Nabokov and Cortazar, but Crossings goes beyond postmodern gamesmanship and finds real heart and soul in its compelling characters and old-fashioned storytelling ethos. Alex Landrigan has given us a deeply satisfying read!" ―Dan Chaon, author of Ill Will

"Crossings is at once a romance, a puzzle box, and a supernatural mystery that spans not only the globe but also the centuries. Landragin has crafted a richly imaginative novel sure to appeal to fans of Cloud Atlas and Possession."
―Tom Sweterlitsch, award-winning author of The Gone World

“Crossings is playful, obsessive, romantic, intelligent, and wholly absorbing, with fascinations enough for a whole shelf of novels. I followed its alternate sequence rather than its conventional one, and reading it I had the unusual―for me maybe even unprecedented―sense, no matter where I was in the page count, that I was always occupying its exact center. Like its characters, I was never sure how close I was to the beginning of the story, how close to the end, which gave it an aura of inexhaustibility. It's a book that feels not endless but endlessly replenishable."
―Kevin Brockmeier, New York Times Bestselling author

“Alex Landragin works a vast magician’s kit of erudite invention and heart in this enchanting debut. Crossings is a novel to savor and re-read."
-Wells Tower, author of Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned

'The style is in the tradition of storytelling of old, where tales are told rather than shown, and somewhat like Scheherazade (who is referenced in the book) the reader is seduced by the telling.' -Readings

'[An] elegant and unusual debut' -Australian Book Review

'Just as the dolls fit into one another, Crossings all makes sense at the end, neatly and satisfactorily resolving its multiple narrative threads and possibilities with grace, attention to detail and emotional acuity. No matter which narrative path a reader takes, there is no sense of confusion or dissatisfaction, just a little sadness at having to farewell such a fine book.' -Sydney Morning Herald


ALEX LANDRAGIN



ALEX LANDRAGIN is a French-Armenian-Australian writer. Currently based in Melbourne, Australia, he has also resided in Paris, Marseille, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Charlottesville. He has previously worked as a librarian, an indigenous community worker and an author of Lonely Planet travel guides in Australia, Europe and Africa. Alex holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne and occasionally performs early jazz piano under the moniker Tenderloin Stomp. Crossings is his debut novel. 

http://www.alexlandragin.com/

"PERRY MASON"--successful novels by ERLE STANLEY GARDNER became the basis for long-running hit TV series starring RAYMOND BURR as the brilliant criminal defense lawyer who only lost one case in his career

Perry Mason Series Book Series

Criminal lawyer and bestselling mystery author Erle Stanley Gardner wrote nearly 150 novels that have sold 300 million copies worldwide. 

Starting with his first book, Gardner had a very definite vision of the shape the Perry Mason character would take:

"I want to make my hero a fighter," he wrote to his publisher, "not by having him be ruthless to women and underlings, but by creating a character who, with infinite patience jockeys his enemies into a position where he can deliver one good knockout punch."

Perry Mason: The Complete Series

 

Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, this long-running legal drama series was guilty of just one thing: being great TV. For nine seasons from 1957-1966, Perry (Raymond Burr) defended seemingly indefensible cases with help from his beautiful secretary Della Street (Barbara Hale) and suave private investigator Paul Drake (William Hopper). The series won three Emmys and became the template for every US courtroom drama that followed. After appearing as Perry Mason for nine seasons, Burr continued his portrayal of the lawyer for four decades. Burr appeared in 26 TV movies produced between 1985 and 1993. 

 

 

 

Erle Stanley Gardner

 

Erle Stanley Gardner (July 17, 1889-March 11, 1970) was an American lawyer and author of detective stories who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray, and Robert Parr.

 

Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.

 

As author William F. Nolan notes, "Gardner, more than any other writer, popularized the law profession for a mass-market audience, melding fact and fiction to achieve a unique blend; no one ever handled courtroom drama better than he did." 

"MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS"--from AGATHA CHRISTIE--a classic Hercule Poirot Mystery--1974 film version features Albert Finney as Inspector Poirot and a galaxy of stars as the passengers and suspects

Murder on the Orient Express

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.

En route to London, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot has booked winter passage on the fabled Orient Express. Among the assortment of fellow passengers, one wealthy American holds a unique distinction: he has been found dead of multiple stab wounds in the night compartment of the Calais coach. By dawn, thirteen travelers, each bearing a secret, will find themselves suspect in the most ingenious crime Poirot has ever solved... 

Snowbound in the Balkan hills, the passengers on the Orient Express awaken to the shocking news that one of their number had been viciously murdered in the night. With a business more grim than murder afoot, Poirot has not a moment to waste. For the killer is still at large on the train...

Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again. 

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

A lavish train trip through Europe quickly unfolds into a race against time to solve a murder aboard the Orient Express. In December, 1935, when his train is stopped by an avalanche. the world's greatest detective -- Hercule Poirot -- is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before. He must interrogate all passengers and search for clues before the killer can strike again. Murder, intrigue, and a star-studded cast directed by Sidney Lumet make this stylish production of Murder on the Orient Express one of the best Agatha Christie adaptations to see the silver screen. Among the suspects are colorful characters played by Richard Widmark, Anthony Perkins, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Wendy Hiller, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York, and Ingrid Bergman, whose performance won her a third Academy Award.  

"PRIME SUSPECT"--Lynda La Plante’s thrilling detective novel Prime Suspect introduced readers around the world to Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison--books became basis for smash-hit PBS series starring the incomparable HELEN MIRREN

Prime Suspect

An international bestseller, Lynda La Plante’s thrilling detective novel Prime Suspect introduced readers around the world to Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, a gritty investigator locked in a tooth-and-nail struggle to claim the authority, acceptance, and respect she deserves from Scotland Yard's chauvinist detective squad—even as she desperately tracks the maniac now running loose in the streets of London. Fans of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone books and the work of Kathy Reichs or Karin Slaughter will be immediately drawn to La Plante’s Jane Tennison, the remarkable, no-nonsense police woman who laid the groundwork for all the rest who followed.

In the dark night of the soul . . . . 

If   Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison hadn't been a  woman, she might not have noticed the victim's shoes  . . . . and that they didn't match the size given on  the info sheet now so obviously misidentifying the dead blonde as a hooker named Della Mornay. Being so through, so good at the details, made Jane a  top investigator; being a woman made the boys in the  squadron want to see her fall on her face. But  Jane Tennison was determined to catch the madman  stalking women in London's street shadows. She had a  prime suspect, and she needed to make the charges  against him stick. She also needed to keep her own secret in check: she couldn't let anyone see  that she was falling apart inside, as her obsession  with cracking this case and breaking out from  under the heel of the station house boy's club took  over life, destroying her relationship with the man  she loved, pushing her closer and closer to the  dark urges of a killer . . . .

A dark and riveting race against the clock, Prime Suspect is an unforgettable introduction to this bestselling series from Edgar Award-winning author Lynda La Plante.

"It's not your average police procedural when Scotland Yard's Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison shows up to solve a murder...She is a fully developed character whose attitudes resonate with the reader, and LaPlante's plot is great. This thoroughly enjoyable mystery is highly recommended."-- Library Journal


 

Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection

The Emmy®-winning crime series seen on PBS

"A perfect marriage of astoundingly talented actress and brilliantly conceived character" --USA Today
 
"Riveting" --The Boston Globe
 
Oscar® winner Helen Mirren is Detective Jane Tennison, "one of the great character creations of our time" (The Washington Post), in a series that won more than 20 major international awards and raised the bar for police dramas.
Tenacious, driven, and deeply flawed, Tennison rises through the ranks of Britain’s Metropolitan Police, solving horrific crimes while battling office sexism and her own demons.

“Rare is the drama that works so well on two levels: as a crackling whodunit and as a finely tuned character study of a strong but insecure woman trying to prove herself in a man’s world” (Time).

Seen on Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! and created by crime writer Lynda La Plante, Prime Suspect features some of Britain’s biggest stars, including Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), Zoë Wanamaker (Poirot), David Thewlis (Harry Potter), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Ciarán Hinds (Jane Eyre), Tom Bell (Reilly: Ace of Spies), and Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting).


LYNDA LA PLANTE



Born and raised in Liverpool, La Plante trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where her fellow students included Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and Ian McShane.

After finishing her studies, she began her career as an actress appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company in a variety of productions, as well as popular television series including Z-Cars, The Sweeney, The Professionals, Bergerac and Rentaghost.

Whilst filming The Gentle Touch with Gill Gascoigne, La Plante wrote a treatment for a TV series based on a botched bank robbery. Widows was commissioned by Verity Lambert of Euston Films for Thames Television. It became one of the highest rating series of the early 1980s.

Following the overwhelming success of Widows, La Plante became a sought-after crime writer and subsequently signed her first book deal with Pan MacMillan. Her debut novel, The Legacy, was published in 1987 and received both critical and best-seller success. Her second, third and fourth novels came soon after – The Talisman (1987), Bella Mafia (1990) and Entwined (1993) – all of which became international best sellers.

In 1990 La Plante started working on her next television project, Prime Suspect, which was released by Granada in 1991. Prime Suspect starred Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison, airing in the UK as well as on PBS in the United States. In 1993 La Plante won an Edgar Allen Poe Writer’s Award for her work on the series. She also received the Dennis Potter Award from BAFTA and was made a fellow of the British Film Institute.

In 1993 La Plante formed her own television production company, wrote and produced high-rating series The Governor (ITV), Supply and Demand, Killer Net (Channel 4), Mind Games (ITV) and acclaimed series Trial and Retribution and The Commander (ITV). During this period La Plante also released the Cold series of books – Cold Shoulder, Cold Blood and Cold Heart, followed by Sleeping Cruelty (2000).

In the United States La Plante co-wrote and was executive producer of The Prosecutors (1996 NBC) alongside Tom Fontana (starring Stockard Channing). La Plante was also executive producer of Bella Mafia (1998 CBS), starring Vanessa Redgrave, which she adapted from her novel of the same name. In 2001, she co-produced The Warden (TNT), starring Ally Sheedy (a changed format of La Plante’s series The Governor) along with her adaptation of UK hit Widows (2002 ABC). La Plante also produced the pilot (based on her Cold series) of Cold Shoulder (2006 New Regency/CBS), starring Kelly McGillis, and executive produced Daniel Petrie Jnr’s adaptation of her show Framed (2002 TNT) which starred Sam Neill and Rob Lowe.

In 2002, after completing the novel Royal Flush (2002), La Plante moved to Simon & Schuster UK. Here she began working on her Anna Travis series, which includes Above Suspicion (2004), The Red Dahlia (2005), Clean Cut (2007), Deadly Intent (2008), Silent Scream (2009), Blind Fury (2010), Blood Line (2011), Backlash (2012) and Wrongful Death (2013). So successful were the books that a UK television series was written and produced by La Plante for ITV starring Kelly Reilly and Ciarán Hinds. Twisted (2014) continues La Plante’s run of internationally acclaimed bestsellers.

Lynda La Plante was made a CBE (2008) for services to Literature, Drama and Charity. She is a member of The Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame and is the only lay person to be made a fellow of The Forensic Science Society.

She lives in London and New York with her son Lorcan and Cockapoo Max.

http://lyndalaplante.com/

"HEIRESS FOR HIRE"--from New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter--in this stunning series debut, a duke's mysterious bequest brings fortune—and passion—to three young women...(see my review)

Heiress for Hire

Minerva Hepplewhite has learned the hard way how to take care of herself. When an intruder breaks into her home, she doesn't swoon or simper. Instead, she wallops the rogue over the head and ties him up—only to realize he is Chase Radnor, the man who nearly got her convicted of her late husband's murder. Now, he's insisting that Minerva has inherited a fortune from his uncle, a wealthy Duke. Only one thing could surprise her more: her sudden attraction to this exasperating man...

Chase can't decide whether Minerva is a wronged woman or a femme fatale. Either way, he's intrigued. Since the scandal surrounding her husband's death, she has set up a discreet detective business to rival Chase's own. She may be the perfect person to help him uncover the truth about his uncle's demise. But as proximity gives way to mutual seduction, Chase realizes he craves a much deeper alliance...

MY REVIEW:  Acclaimed historical romance author Madeline Hunter begins her "A Duke's Heiress Series" with "Heiress for Hire", which features a smart, resourceful heroine who is as brave as she is beautiful. Minerva Hepplewhite left behind an unhappy past and created a new life and a new identify. Starting her own investigative agency with the help of two friends, she has an aptitude for discovering the secrets of others while hiding secrets of her own. An intruder into her home turns out not to be a thief, but another private investigator on a mission of personal importance. Chase Radnor, nephew of the eccentric and recently deceased Duke of Hollinburgh, has been tasked with finding three unexpected, previously unknown heirs to the Duke's estate. His attempt to uncover information about Minerva while snooping about her home is thwarted by a blow to his head and an inquiry by Minerva herself. Chase and Minerva have their suspicions about each other--she doesn't know why the Duke named her in his will, and Chase is not sure of her real identity. However, as the two of them continue to cross paths. their initial spark of mutual awareness flames into something deeper and hotter. There is more than one mystery to be solved, and Chase and Minerva are equally matched at deduction--can these two inquiring minds solve the puzzles which just might keep them apart? When truths are revealed, will there be hope for a bright and happy future for all? "Heiress for Hire" is an intelligent, intriguing sparks-fly historical romance, and I look forward to the upcoming books in the series.

Book Copy Gratis Kensington Books via BookishFirst


Praise for Heiress for Hire:

“At the heart of this smart, satisfying Regency romance—the first in a new trilogy from Hunter (Never Deny a Duke)—is the mystery of why a duke would bequeath a fortune to a woman he’d never met. Chase Radnor, gentleman investigator and nephew to the late duke, is instantly suspicious upon meeting newly minted heiress Minerva Hepplewhite. His eccentric uncle’s fall from a parapet looks like murder, and Minerva gained a great deal from his death. The self-reliant young widow also has a dark, secretive past that makes her a perfect suspect. To clear her name, Minerva begins her own investigation into the duke’s death, launching Hepplewhite’s Office of Discreet Inquiries, and she and Chase form an uneasy alliance as they first compete for, then begin to share, clues. Hunter gives the well-matched pair plenty of ground to cover with a wide cast of memorable suspects, and their clever detective work is a consistent pleasure. The plot moves apace, but Chase and Minerva’s relationship is treated patiently, with their attraction simmering alongside mutual respect, and their eventual love scenes are sensitively rendered. Romance readers craving substantive mystery and intelligent leads will savor this pitch-perfect love story.”—Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW

“An unexpected heiress finds love with the nephew of her benefactor as they both investigate the death that brought them together… Their banter is sharp and exciting.”—Kirkus Reviews

Praise for the previous works of Madeline Hunter
 
“Fueled by an abundance of subtle wit and potent sensuality . . . an exquisitely crafted love story by one of the romance genre’s masters.”—Booklist
 
“A rash, adventure seeking heroine and an honorable, take charge hero clash splendidly as passions blaze . . . to the delight of all concerned.”—Library Journal
 
“Intelligent and memorable. . . .  With its tangy dialogue, Pride and Prejudice themes, bits of mystery and nefarious characters, readers may be reminded of Jane Austen.”—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick)
 
“Hunter . . . spins the intrigues of an enterprising bastard son and a resourceful artist to delightful effect in this excellent launch.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“Stellar . . . hits all the literary marks. Hunter’s effortlessly elegant writing exudes a wicked sense of wit; her characterization is superbly subtle, and the sexual chemistry she cooks up between her deliciously independent heroine and delightfully sexy hero is pure passion.”—Booklist (starred review)


Madeline Hunter

 

Madeline Hunter is a nationally bestselling author of historical romances who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. Her books have won two RITA awards and seven nominations, and have had three starred reviews in Publishers Weekly. In a parallel existence to the one she enjoys as a novelist, Madeline has a Ph.D. in art history and teaches at an East Coast university.

http://www.madelinehunter.com/

"A TOWN LIKE ALICE"--Nevil Shute's most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, follows its enterprising heroine from the Malayan jungle during World War II to the rugged Australian outback--made into a superb mini-series with an outstanding cast--Bryan Brown--as Joe Harman--will steal your heart

A Town Like Alice 

Nevil Shute’s most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, follows its enterprising heroine from the Malayan jungle during World War II to the rugged Australian outback.

Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. But it turns out that they have a gift for her as well: the news that the young Australian soldier, Joe Harmon, who had risked his life to help the women, had miraculously survived. Jean’s search for Joe leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals.

 

Praise

 

“Entertaining. . . . Dramatic. . . . Shute is a natural and effective story-teller.” —The New York Times

“A ripping tale of budding romance and grace under pressure.” —The Times (London)

“A harrowing, exciting, and in the end very satisfying war romance.” —Harper’s

A Town Like Alice

 

A Town Like Alice tells of a young woman who miraculously survived a Japanese "death march" in World War II, and of an Australian soldier, also a prisoner of war, who offered to help her--even if it may cost of his life....

Set against the brutal chaos of World War II, a love story begins that will take two lovers through a living nightmare of captivity, across three continents and two decades. From the steamy jungles of Malaya to the dusty and desolate outback of Australia Based on Nevil Shute' international bestselling novel A Town Like Alice follows the lives of Jean Paget and Joe Harman. Meeting in Malaya--she an attractive young English captive and he a cheerful Australian POW tortured for a simple act of kindness. Separated first by their captors then by the distance of passing years, the two are finally reunited in the rugged outback of Australia-to face a challenge every bit as demanding as their wartime trials.

Winner of numerous international awards, this breathtaking miniseries stars Helen Morse (Agatha, Picnic At Hanging Rock) and Bryan Brown (winner of the Australian Oscar for Breaker Morant).



Nevil Shute

Nevil Shute Norway was born in 1899 in Ealing, London. He studied Engineering Science at Balliol College, Oxford. Following his childhood passion, he entered the fledgling aircraft industry as an aeronautical engineer working to develop airships and, later, airplanes. In his spare time he began writing and he published his first novel, Marazan, in 1926, using the name Nevil Shute to protect his engineering career. In 1931 he married Frances Mary Heaton and they had two daughters. During the Second World War he joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve where he worked on developing secret weapons. After the war he continued to write and settled in Australia where he lived until his death in 1960. His most celebrated novels include Pied Piper (1942), A Town Like Alice (1950), and On the Beach (1957).

"FOLLOW THE STARS HOME"--from author LUANNE RICE--beautiful novel of heartbreak and healing--made into a memorable Hallmark Hall of Fame film--a personal favorite--with a stellar cast

Follow the Stars Home

"Acclaimed novelist Luanne Rice "touches the deepest, most tender corners of the heart" (Tami Hoag, author of A Thin Dark Line). Her stories remind us how precious and fragile life can be—and that we must risk our hearts every day to know happiness. Follow the Stars Home is just such a novel."

Being a good mother is never simple: each day brings new choices and challenges. For Dianne Robbins, being a devoted single mother has resulted in her greatest joy and her darkest hours. Weeks before her daughter was born, she and her husband, Tim McIntosh, received the news every parent fears. Tim had not reckoned on their child being anything less than perfect, and abruptly fled to a solitary existence on the sea, leaving Dianne with a newborn—almost alone.

It was Tim's brother, Alan, the town pediatrician, who stood by Dianne and her exceptional daughter. Throughout years of waiting, watching, and caring, Alan hid his love for his brother's wife. But one of the many hard choices Dianne has made is to close her heart toward any man—especially one named McIntosh. It will take a very special twelve-year-old to remind them all that love comes in many forms and can be received with as much grace as it is given.

As lyrical and moving as the poetry of nature, Follow the Stars Home is a miracle of storytelling that will take your breath away. If words alone can dare us to confront our fears and to choose joy over sorrow, then Luanne Rice's magnificent novel is a benediction and a call to celebrate our lives.

"A tightly paced story that is hard to put down....[Rice's] message remains a powerful one: the strength of precious family ties can ultimately set things right." —Publishers Weekly

"One of those rare reading experiences that we always hope for....What a joy!" —Library Journal 

 

Follow the Stars Home

 

Sometimes we choose the wrong person to fall in love with. Dianne Parker meets and marries the handsome and charismatic Mark McCune, never noticing the quiet attention of his brother David, a soft-spoken pediatrician. Their marriage seems perfect until the birth of their daughter, Julia, a baby with genetic abnormalities. Mark, who can't face the idea of a less-than-perfect child, walks out leaving Dianne to confront the challenges of being a single mom. As the years pass, Dianne and her mother Hannah remain selflessly devoted to Julia. David introduces Dianne to a young girl from a troubled home as a 'mother's helper', and things begin to change. Julia gains a best friend and Dianne find renewed strength and hope, but David must wait patiently for a chance to reveal his true feelings. In the process, Dianne learns that love is more than what you feel for someone---it's what you're willing to give of yourself. 

 

Luanne Rice

 

Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-three novels including CLOUD NINE, BEACH GIRLS, and THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF SISTER. LAST DAY will be out in February 2020. Five of her books have been made into movies and mini-series, many have been New York Times bestsellers and two of her pieces have been featured in off-Broadway theatre productions. She lives on the Connecticut shoreline.

http://www.luannerice.net

"An Elegant Woman: A Novel"--For fans of Mary Beth Keane and Jennifer Egan, this powerful, moving multi-generational saga from National Book Award finalist Martha McPhee--ten years in the making--explores one family's story against the sweep of 20th-century American history.

An Elegant Woman: A Novel

Drawn from the author’s own family history, An Elegant Woman is a story of discovery and reinvention, following four generations of women in one American family. As Isadora, a novelist, and two of her sisters sift through the artifacts of their forebears’ lives, trying to decide what to salvage and what to toss, the narrative shifts to a winter day in 1910 at a train station in Ohio. Two girls wait in the winter cold with their mother—the mercurial Glenna Stewart—to depart for a new life in the West. As Glenna campaigns in Montana for women’s suffrage and teaches in one-room schoolhouses, Tommy takes care of her little sister, Katherine: trapping animals, begging, keeping house, cooking, while Katherine goes to school. When Katherine graduates, Tommy makes a decision that will change the course of both of their lives.

A profound meditation on memory, history, and legacy, An Elegant Woman follows one woman over the course of the 20th century, taking the reader from a drought-stricken farm in Montana to a yellow Victorian in Maine; from the halls of a psychiatric hospital in London to a wedding gown fitting at Bergdorf Goodman; from a house in small town Ohio to a family reunion at a sweltering New Jersey pig roast. Framed by Isadora’s efforts to retell her grandmother’s journey—and understand her own—the novel is an evocative exploration of the stories we tell ourselves, and what we leave out.

Reviews

 

“Thoughtful…Delicately rendered characters inform a richly textured family portrait." —Kirkus review

"Martha McPhee has outdone herself with this irresistibly lively, worldly-wise, wonderfully imagined novel, wherein the American art of self-invention is explored with an clear eye to the price it exacts. All the characters are richly realized—none more so than the narrator, who regards her family myths with amused skepticism, tenderness and a consistently engaging intelligence."—Phillip Lopate, author of A Mother's Tale and Two Marriages


MARTHA McPHEE

 

MARTHA McPHEE is the author of the novels An Elegant Woman, Dear Money, L’America, Gorgeous Lies, and Bright Angel Time.  Her work has been honored with fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts and The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.  In 2002 she was nominated for a National Book Award.  Her novels have been Best Books of The Year on The New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune lists.  Her essays and reviews have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Newark Star Ledger, Vogue, More, Harper’s Bazaar, Self, Traveler, Travel & Leisure, among many others. McPhee is a tenured member of the English Department at Hofstra University., where she teaches fiction in the MFA program. She lives in New York City with her children and husband, the poet and writer Mark Svenvold.

http://www.marthamcphee.com

"MY KIND OF PEOPLE"--by LISA DUFFY--From the author of "The Salt House" and "This Is Home" comes a profound novel about the power of community and a small town's long-buried secrets as a group of New England islanders come together for a recently orphaned girl.

My Kind of People

On Ichabod Island, a jagged strip of land thirteen miles off the coast of Massachusetts, ten-year-old Sky becomes an orphan for the second time after a tragic accident claims the lives of her adoptive parents.

Grieving the death of his best friends, Leo’s life is turned upside down when he finds himself the guardian of young Sky. Back on the island and struggling to balance his new responsibilities and his marriage to his husband, Leo is supported by a powerful community of neighbors, many of them harboring secrets of their own.

Maggie, who helps with Sky’s childcare, has hit a breaking point with her police chief husband, who becomes embroiled in a local scandal. Her best friend Agnes, the island busybody, invites Sky’s estranged grandmother to stay for the summer, straining already precarious relationships. Their neighbor Joe struggles with whether to tell all was not well in Sky’s house in the months leading up to the accident. And among them all is a mysterious woman, drawn to Ichabod to fulfill a dying wish.

Perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Ann Leary, My Kind of People is a riveting, impassioned novel about the resilience of community and what connects us all in the face of tragedy.

Reviews

 

"My Kind of People is a powerful, endearing story about the life-altering moments that can shatter our reality—and the lengths the people who love us will go to put us back together. This multi-generational tale shows off Lisa Duffy’s true talent for capturing voice and making her readers feel every emotion right along with her characters. This is the perfect story for book clubs and best friends to read together. Lisa Duffy’s writing positively shines."—Kristy Woodson Harvey, bestselling author of Slightly South of Simple

"There's a beautiful thing that happens, as if by magic, midway through every Lisa Duffy novel: I blink awake to the world around me and realize I've been transported, transformed, and utterly invested in the lives of characters who feel like friends. My Kind of People is indeed filled with *my* kind of people: layered, conflicted, underestimated souls who are deeply impacted by one another as their lives intersect and entwine. A moving story of healing, resilience, and every imaginable type of love—between neighbors, parents, spouses, surrogates, and new and old friends—finding a way."—Jessica Strawser, bestselling author of Not That I Could Tell

"Lisa Duffy writes with wisdom and empathy about an endearingly authentic cast of characters. In disarmingly spare prose, she tells a moving story about family, marriage, and community, and the challenge of knowing when to break ties and when to come together. Don't let the summery island setting fool you - this is a beach read with substance and heart."—Karen Dukess, author of The Last Book Party

"Authentic characters resonate throughout this engrossing novel. . . . Intensely real and deeply emotional, Duffy’s rich novel is worth savoring from the very first page."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A beautifully drawn portrait of a motherless girl and a rudderless woman both trying to find their place in the world— but who find each other instead. Lisa Duffy nails the complexities of modern relationships, and proves that she’s a storyteller that’s here to stay.”—Colleen Oakley, author of Close Enough to Touch and Before I Go

"Lisa Duffy’s latest novel, a story of joy and struggle in a coastal New England town, is full of engaging characters you’ll remember long after you turn the final page. This Is Home reveals the truth of human nature, which seeks to heal and forgive those we love, even when they break our hearts."—Sandi Ward, author of Something Worth Saving

“Duffy's latest is a novel of family, friendship, and the meaning of home… Also touching on such topics as post-traumatic stress disorder, military service, and addiction, This Is Home makes a great addition to any family life or women's fiction collection.”—Booklist

"Lisa Duffy’s beautiful novel delves into that most elemental of themes—home—with insight and grace. This is a book to savor."—Kimmery Martin, author of The Queen of Hearts

"This phenomenal novel reveals such unique and endearing characters struggling through upheaval and loss in order to forge the true shape of their family. They face each day with humor, grit, and vulnerability that draws the reader in. Libby, Quinn, Bent, and even the world’s smelliest dog rush to life on these pages and have carved out a place for themselves forever in my imagination. Building on her emotional debut novel, this book solidifies Duffy as a master of writing hope into heartbreak."—Devin Murphy, national bestselling author of The Boat Runner and Tiny Americans


ALSO BY LISA DUFFY: 

 

The Salt House

They have a beautiful family, a growing lobster business, and the Salt House—the dilapidated oceanfront cottage they’re renovating into their dream home. But tragedy strikes when their young daughter doesn’t wake up from her afternoon nap, taking her last breath without making a sound.

A year later, each member of the Kelly family navigates the world on their own private island of grief. Hope spends hours staring at her daughter’s ashes, unable to let go. Jack works to the point of exhaustion in an attempt to avoid his crumbling marriage. Their daughters, Jess and Kat, struggle to come to terms with the loss of their younger sister while watching their parents fall apart.

When Jack’s old rival, Ryland Finn, threatens his fishing territory, he ignites emotions that propel the Kelly family toward circumstances that will either tear them apart—or be the path to their family’s future.

Told in alternating voices, The Salt House is a layered, emotional portrait of marriage, family, friendship, and the complex intersections of love, grief, and hope.  

 

This Is Home

From the author of book club favorite The Salt House comes a deeply affecting novel about a teenage girl finding her voice and the military wife who moves in downstairs, united in their search for the true meaning of home.

Sixteen-year-old Libby Winters lives in Paradise, a seaside town north of Boston that rarely lives up to its name. After the death of her mother, she lives with her father, Bent, in the middle apartment of their triple decker home—Bent’s two sisters, Lucy and Desiree, live on the top floor. A former soldier turned policeman, Bent often works nights, leaving Libby under her aunts’ care. Shuffling back and forth between apartments—and the wildly different natures of her family—has Libby wishing for nothing more than a home of her very own.

Quinn Ellis is at a crossroads. When her husband John, who has served two tours in Iraq, goes missing back at home, suffering from PTSD he refuses to address, Quinn finds herself living in the first-floor apartment of the Winters house. Bent had served as her husband’s former platoon leader, a man John refers to as his brother, and despite Bent’s efforts to make her feel welcome, Quinn has yet to unpack a single box.

For Libby, the new tenant downstairs is an unwelcome guest, another body filling up her already crowded house. But soon enough, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, when Libby and Quinn stretch and redefine their definition of family and home.

With gorgeous prose and a cast of characters that feel wholly real and lovably flawed, This Is Home is a nuanced and moving novel of finding where we belong.


Lisa Duffy

 

Lisa Duffy is the author of This is Home and The Salt House, named by Real Simple as a Best Book of the Month upon its June release, as well as one of Bustle’s Best Debut Novels by Women in 2017, a She Reads Book Club selection and Refinery 29’s Best Beach Reads of 2017. 

Lisa received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Massachusetts. Her short fiction was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and her writing can be found in numerous publications, including Writer’s Digest. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and three children. 

http://www.lisaduffywriter.com 
 

"KINGS COUNTY"--Seven years in the making, from critically acclaimed novelist and memoirist DAVID GOODWILLIE, "Kings County" is an ambitious, exuberant, and wholly unforgettable tale of two star-crossed lovers in 21st-century Brooklyn, whose lives are torn apart after their deepest secrets come to light.

Kings County

It’s the early 2000s and like generations of intrepid young hopefuls before her, Audrey Benton arrives in New York City on a bus in the dead of winter, eager to escape her troubled past. Broke but resourceful, she soon finds a home for herself amid the burgeoning music scene in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. But the city’s freedom comes with risks, and Audrey makes dangerous compromises to survive. As she becomes a minor celebrity in indie music circles, she finds an unlikely match in Theo Gorski, a shy but idealistic mill-town kid—the first in his family to attend college—who’s struggling to establish himself in the still-patrician world of books. As artistic “Brooklyn” explodes around them, the young lovers forge a bond as unlikely as it is unbreakable. But when an old friend from Audrey’s past disappears under mysterious circumstances, it sparks a dangerous series of escalating crises that force her and Theo to confront, head on, a shocking secret that threatens not just their relationship, but their very lives.

From the raucous protests of Occupy Wall Street to the hushed halls of the publishing world, from million-dollar art auctions to late-night Bushwick drug dens, Kings County captures New York City at a heightened moment of cultural reckoning. Confronting the resonant issues and themes of our time—sex and violence, art and commerce, friendship and family—it’s a new kind of love story, both coolly classic and vividly contemporary, that dazzles with wit and moral resonance, with two unforgettable characters at its core. Richly plotted and deeply humane, Kings County is an epic coming-of-age tale about bravery, consequences, and finding one’s place in an ever-changing world.

Reviews

 

“Dazzling writing, propulsive storytelling, relevant and timeless characters—that’s exactly what David Goodwillie has accomplished in Kings County. He’s created a true urban tableau, at once gritty and hopeful. Kings County crystallizes how it feels to be young and in love in New York City.”—Stephanie Danler, author of Sweetbitter

“Goodwillie has the anthropology of New York down. In Kings County, young professionals struggle to find their moral compass as they test the limits of their relationships under the glare of city lights, and suffer the dramatic effects of their past and present decisions. He weaves suspense around a dark, page-turning mystery that stays palpable to the end, and his confident—and often comedic—narrative hand allows him to seamlessly fold in contemporary events and generate a necessary social document for this new age of unenlightenment.”
—Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves

“Kings County is a heart-wrenching love story, a character-driven suspense novel, and a lush thrill-ride through the New York City aughts. For some of us who lived in Brooklyn at the turn of the century, it’s a meticulous period piece that doesn’t sacrifice immediacy for the nostalgia it provokes. For those who didn’t, it’s a scintillating glimpse into the zeitgeist that followed 9/11—the music, movements, and sense of impending upheaval that foretold our chaotic present.”—Melissa Febos, author of Abandon Me

“Goodwillie captures the rapturous soul of a bygone Brooklyn: the songs, the sex, the bars, the youth! And then the churn of relentless change, the broken hearts, the crushing realities. But it is the searing burn of discovery that makes Kings County a true and continual delight.”—Joshua Ferris, author of Then We Came to the End

“Goodwillie pins his characters to the page with a lepidopterist’s merciless affection—and then, by some trick of resuscitation, lets them fly in a Brooklyn that’s a kind of darkly miraculous forest populated by charismatic and errant fauna. Kings County is a thrilling and persuasive read.”—Joseph O’Neill, author of Netherland

“With Tom Wolfean sociological precision, David Goodwillie casts an insider’s eye on the Brooklyn creative class in a gripping novel as suspenseful as it is panoramic. Kings County is a grand, galloping ride.”—Teddy Wayne, author of Apartment


David Goodwillie

 

David Goodwillie is the author of the acclaimed novel AMERICAN SUBVERSIVE (Scribner). Hailed as "genuinely thrilling" by The New Yorker, and "a triumphant work of fiction" by the AP, it was a New York Times Notable Book of 2010, and a Vanity Fair and Publisher's Weekly top ten Spring debut. He is also the author of the memoir SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME (Algonquin), for which he was named one of the "Best New Writers of 2006″ by members of the PEN American Center. Goodwillie writes about books for The New York Times and The Daily Beast, and his fiction and nonfiction have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, including New York, Popular Science, Men's Health, Black Book, The New York Observer, and The New York Post. He has played professional baseball, worked as a private investigator, and been an expert at Sotheby's auction house. A graduate of Kenyon College, he lives in New York City.

http://www.davidgoodwillie.com  

"THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS"--by MEGAN MIRANDA--from the New York Times bestselling author of "The Last House Guest" comes a riveting new novel of psychological suspense--a young woman plagued by night terrors after a childhood trauma wakes one evening to find a corpse at her feet

The Girl from Widow Hills

Everyone knows the story of “the girl from Widow Hills.”

Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed. Fans and fan letters, creeps, and stalkers. And every year, the anniversary. It all became too much. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye.

Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching, the media will inevitably renew its interest in Arden. Where is she now? Soon Olivia feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet is the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life, as Arden Maynor.

And now, in this propulsive page-turner from suspense master Megan Miranda, the girl from Widow Hills is about to become the center of the story, once again.

Reviews

 

“A hauntingly atmospheric and gorgeously written page-turner, The Girl from Widow Hills is a deeply thought-provoking, riveting mystery about the complex weight of history and the dangerous power of the lies we tell ourselves.” —Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and A Good Marriage

"Sleep-walking is creepy. You’re asleep, but you're walking through the night— like the living dead. I knew when I started The Girl from Widow Hills I was in for some shivers. But I had no idea the terrors that were in store."  —R.L. Stine, bestselling author of Goosebumps and Fear Street

"With Hitchcockian flair, Megan Miranda shrewdly examines what becomes of the people at the center of those rare, sensational news stories that capture the nation’s attention. The Girl from Widow Hills gave me the creeps in the best way possible." — Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network


ALSO BY MEGAN MIRANDA



The Last House Guest

Littleport, Maine is like two separate towns: a vacation paradise for wealthy holidaymakers and a simple harbor community for the residents who serve them. Friendships between locals and visitors are unheard of - but that's just what happened with Avery Greer and Sadie Loman.

Each summer for a decade the girls are inseparable - until Sadie is found dead. When the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can't help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie's brother Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they're saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name before the facts get twisted against her.

Reviews

 
“If you want to sample the black humor of summer resort relationships, have breakfast at the local diner of a pretty coastal town like Littleport, Me., the setting for Megan Miranda's The Last House Guest. Dizzying plot twists and multiple surprise endings are this author's stock in trade, but she warms them up by establishing the close friendship between Sadie Loman...and Avery Greer...And, oh boy, does she ever know how to write a twisty-turny ending (or two, or more).”—MARILYN STASIO, New York Times Book Review

"Once again, Megan Miranda has crafted the perfect summer thriller. The Last House Guest is twisty and tense, with a pace that made my heart race. An edge-of-your-seat, up-all-night read."—RILEY SAGER, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Time I Lied

"No one can be trusted in the latest chilling thriller from master of suspense, Megan Miranda. The Last House Guest is a lightning-fast mystery, full of menace and unexpected twists and turns that will have readers on the edge of their seats.  A riveting read!"—MARY KUBICA, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl

“This searing small-town thriller from bestseller Miranda (The Perfect Stranger) explores the complexities of female friendship and the picturesque fictions that money can buy...Sharply drawn characters both ground and elevate the bombshell-laden plot, while evocative prose heightens tension and conjures place. Miranda delivers a clever, stylish mystery that will seize readers like a riptide.”—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)

“The narrative, which flips between 2017 and 2018, grows increasingly tense as Avery, who is a surprisingly reliable narrator, gets closer to the truth...Most compelling are the class tensions between Littleport's year-round residents and the seasonal, moneyed tourists as well as the elusive nature of memory and the intricacies of friendship. An evocative…thriller.”—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“The vivid description of this isolated town sets the stage for the revelation of Littleport’s secrets...Miranda's exploration of how Avery's and Sadie’s lives intertwine give the story its depth. Fans of Michele Campbell and Mary Kubica, who like family drama supporting their suspense, will enjoy.”—BOOKLIST


Megan Miranda

 

Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of ALL THE MISSING GIRLS, THE PERFECT STRANGER, and THE LAST HOUSE GUEST, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. She has also written several books for young adults, including COME FIND ME, FRAGMENTS OF THE LOST, and THE SAFEST LIES. She grew up in New Jersey, graduated from MIT, and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children.

Her next adult suspense, THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS, will be published on June 23rd, 2020.

Follow @MeganLMiranda on Twitter and Instagram, or @AuthorMeganMiranda on Facebook.

www.meganmiranda.com
 

From author KATHERINE CENTER--four excellent works of contemporary romantic women's fiction--"What You Wish For"--"Happiness for Beginners"--"How to Walk Away"--and "Things You Save in a Fire"

What You Wish For

From Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.
 



Happiness for Beginners

A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It's supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother's even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can't imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen's well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming where she will survive mosquito infestations, a surprise summer blizzard, and a group of sorority girls.

Yet, despite everything, the vast wilderness has a way of making Helen's own little life seem bigger, too. And, somehow the people who annoy her the most start teaching her the very things she needs to learn. Like how to stand up for herself. And how being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes you just have to get really, really lost before you can even have a hope of being found.

NY REVIEW:  Seek the happiness that you desire and deserve, and propel yourself forward through a journey of self-evaluation, unexpected discoveries, and amazing revelations. This is "Happiness for Beginners", from author Katherine Center. In her early thirties and post-divorce, Helen Carpenter thinks a three-week adventure trek through the wilderness of wonderful Wyoming will make her a new woman--a tougher, stronger woman better able to chart and navigate the course of her own life. She certainly didn't plan on taking the trip with her younger brother's best friend, Jake, someone whom she had never liked, but Fate stepped in and changed the game plan. Jake, younger than Helen by a decade, has always had a serious crush on Helen, and this may be a chance for long-held emotion and attraction to come to full bloom. How will Helen handle an involvement with someone whom, for years, she had told herself she loathed? Going from your daily city-life routine to facing the challenges of the wild will definitely change the perimeters of your thinking-box, open your mind, and expand the horizons of your heart. Katherine Center's charming characterizations and involving story-line will captivate your reader's imagination, and it might just inspire you to take your own journey of a lifetime.

Book Copy Gratis Amazon Vine


 

How to Walk Away

From the author of Happiness for Beginners comes an unforgettable love story about finding joy even in the darkest of circumstances.

Margaret Jacobsen has a bright future ahead of her: a fiancé she adores, her dream job, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment.

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect.

How to Walk Away is Katherine Center at her very best: an utterly charming, hopeful, and romantic novel that will capture reader’s hearts with every page.


 

Things You Save in a Fire

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel about family, hope, and learning to love against all odds.

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it's an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.

The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the handsome rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because she doesn't fall in love. And because of the advice her old captain gave her: don't date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?

Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life, love, and the true meaning of courage.


Katherine Center


 


Katherine Center is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away, the upcoming Things You Save in a Fire (August 2019), and five other bittersweet comic novels. Six Foot Pictures is currently adapting her fourth novel, The Lost Husband, into a feature film starring Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, and Nora Dunn. Katherine has been compared to both Nora Ephron and Jane Austen, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Katherine recently gave a TEDx talk on how stories teach us empathy, and her work has appeared in USA Today, InStyle, Redbook, People, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, Real Simple, Southern Living, and InTouch, among others. Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her fun husband, two sweet kids, and fluffy-but-fierce dog. 

http://www.katherinecenter.com/ 

"French Cooking for Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian"--by Chef François de Mélogue--from Paris direct to your table—classic Parisian cooking--complete French cookbook for beginners (see my review)

French Cooking for Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian

Classic Parisian cooking comes home in this French cookbook for beginners.

The French may not have invented cooking, but they certainly have perfected the art of eating well. In this definitive French cookbook that’s perfect for beginners, you’ll discover how to make the timeless, tasty cuisine served up at French dinner tables and in beloved bistros and brasseries.

Author François de Mélogue breaks down classic French cookbook dishes like Duck Confit with Crispy Potatoes, Bouillabaisse, and Coq au Vin into easy-to-follow steps perfect for the newcomer. Along the way, you’ll learn how to put together a cheese board any Parisian would be proud of, fry the perfect pommes frites, and pair food and wine like a pro. Let’s get cooking the French way! Bon appetit!

This essential French cookbook for beginners includes:

• Classic flavors—Discover more than 75 recipes you’ll love, from Steak Tartare to Tarte Tatin.
• A taste of Paris—Learn to shop like a Parisian and how to prepare 4 classic cocktails from the City of Light.
• Essential extras—Beyond French cookbook recipes, you’ll find 12 tips for souffle success, expert advice on how to make a pan sauce, and a guide to French wines.

MY REVIEW:  "French Cooking for Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian"--by Chef François de Mélogue--is much more than a cookbook featuring delicious French cuisine. The introduction, in which Chef Francois details his early life with another great cook--his own mother--is written with great love of subject and an obvious passion for the good things in life. The reader is then treated to "Parisian Home Cooking 101" which features "Travels to the City of Lights"; "The French Obsession With Food"; "The French Pantry"; "Kitchen Equipment"; "How To Shop Like a Parisian"; and "French Wine". With great relish, the Chef explains "The Holy Trinity Of Salts"; "Herbs And Seasonings"; "The Three Fats Of France"; "Vinegars"; "Mustards"; "Staple Fruits And Vegetables"; and much more. The section on French wine advises how to match food and wine, offers notes on six wine regions, and explains how to read a wine label and how to serve wine. Then there are the recipes--from "Breakfast & Eggs"; "Appetizers"; "Salads & Sandwiches"; "Soups & Stews"; "Main Courses"; "Sides & Vegetable Dishes"; to "Desserts". You'll dream and drool over such delectable dishes as: "Almond Brioche Toast"; "Burnt Fingers"; "Croque Monsieur"; "French Onion Soup"; "Simple Roast Chicken"; "Potatoes Anna"; and "Chocolate Pots de Creme". The recipe for "French Onion Soup" is a "must-make stand-out"--infused with so much savory goodness, it will immediately become a family favorite.

Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers

Chef François de Mélogue



Chef François grew up in a very French household in Chicago.

Chef François de Mélogue has over 30 years of cross-cultural culinary experience, Chef François brings an impressive culinary history and a unique Mediterranean cooking style. After graduating top in his class from the notable New England Culinary Institute, Chef François began his career in a number of highly acclaimed kitchens across the country, including Chef Louis Szathmary’s restaurant The Bakery in Chicago, Old Drovers Inn, a Relais and Chateaux property in New York and Joel Robuchon Gastronomie restaurant in Paris, before opening award-winning restaurant Pili Pili in his hometown of Chicago, rated in the Top Ten new restaurants in the World by Food and Wine magazine in 2003. While working with Robuchon, Chef François began to shape his personal culinary philosophy of “Cuisine Actuelle,” which showcases the natural flavor in the ingredients he uses to create his dishes. Chef Francois specializes in simply prepared Mediterranean-inspired cuisine that is enhanced by his appreciation and knowledge of fine wine, craft beer, charcuterie and cheese. In line with his belief that food should be prepared without unnecessary distractions or alterations, Chef François creates honest, healthy and delicious cuisine that is approachable and always delightful.Chef François resides in Vancouver, Washington with his wife Lisa and seven-year-old son Beaumont, who has proclaimed himself the family saucier. He has written his first cookbook about Provence, entitled Cuisine of the Sun: A Ray of Sunshine on Your Plate, and works for Foods in Season, America’s foremost foraging company specializing in hyper-seasonal, wild foraged and fished foods from the Pacific Northwest.

Chef François' latest publication French Cooking for Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian takes you on a culinary journey well beyond the streets of Paris.

Follow his blog Pistou and Pastis and Simple French Cooking both websites are filled with delicious recipes and beautiful photos.

http://eattillyoubleed.com

"THE STORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON"--by Lisa Trusiani--the life of George Washington for kids (of all ages)—a story about fighting for independence and building a country (see my review)

The Story of George Washington: A Biography Book for New Readers

George Washington became the first president of the United States of America and is known as the father of our country. He won the fight for American independence from England, but before that, he was a hardworking kid who enjoyed challenging himself in school and sports. He learned that overcoming challenges in his life would help make him a great leader.

Explore how George went from being an ambitious farm boy in Virginia to the most well-known founding father in American history. How will his revolutionary spirit inspire you?

This book about George Washington for kids includes:

• See George’s progress—Unlike other books about George Washington for kids, this one has a visual timeline of his life so you can get a picture of his important milestones.
• Helpful definitions—Discover a glossary with easy-to-understand definitions for the more advanced words and ideas in this book about George Washington for kids.
• A lasting legacy—This unique book about George Washington for kids explains how he changed the world for future generations and you.

If you’ve been searching for fun, colorful books about George Washington for kids, look no further—this one has it all!

MY REVIEW: "The Story of George Washington: A Biography Book for New Readers", written by Lisa Trusiani and illustrated by John John Bajet, is an entertaining and educational view of the life of a remarkable American. Suitable for readers of all ages, this slim volume, with its straightforward text and colorful imagery, depicts the story of a well-to-do Virginia farm boy who became the first president of the United States and who would be forever known as "the father of our country". Like many wealthy colonists of the era, the Washington family were slave owners. Later on in his life, after surviving many battles of war and politics, and observing people of numerous different life circumstances, George Washington realized that slavery was not humane. A war hero and strong leader, he served two terms as president, refused a third term and closely followed the principles of the U.S. Constitution. He helped to pick the location for our nation's capital, and even though he never lived there, he helped with the design of the White House. During his lifetime, he was a farmer. surveyor, inventor, soldier, politician and president, but he enjoyed nothing as much as did being at home at his beloved plantation, Mount Vernon. George Washington lived during revolutionary and turbulent times in the history of our country and he left a lasting and unequaled legacy.

Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers


 

LISA TRUSIANI loves to research life in the past and often imagines going back in time to meet trailblazers and other fascinating people. Lisa has written award-winning comic book stories for Marvel Entertainment and a syndicated newspaper strip. She is happiest when writing for children and teens and finding homes for vintage treasures. This is in addition to enjoying the company of her exceptional family and friends. Her heart belongs to two places in this world, Maine and Maplewood.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2299024.Lisa_Trusiani 




John John Bajet is a designer, animator, and illustrator of children's books. You can visit him at johnbajet.com.