A Spy With Scruples![]() The unintended consequences of acing a test . . . Or when all else fails, try blackmail. In July of 1964, after marrying in Paris, Desirée and Scott Stoddard are honeymooning in the South of France when their idyll is interrupted by a notice from Scott’s draft board advising him that his status is being reviewed. Desirée, the former French countess who is already three months pregnant, doesn’t understand why her new husband, an American, must traipse off to some military base in Germany to be tested. Scott’s remarkable scores on the tests attract the attention of the CIA, and Scott, much to his dismay, becomes part of their world of intrigue and deceit. How can he get back to the life that he and Desirée had envisioned? When all else fails, blackmail is the answer.A Spy with Scruples plunges readers into the complicated political world of Cold War Europe. From neutral Switzerland to the aristocratic salons of Paris to bombed-out Berlin, Scott ingratiates some and offends more. But he has a plan.
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The Art Of Dying![]() A CRIME THRILLER REMINISCENT OF THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS AND THE DEPARTED. When the bizarre death of a mob foot soldier sparks an escalating war between Boston’s Irish and Italian mafia, Detective Ray Hanley’s relentless search for the truth uncovers evidence of a serial killer obsessed with the art of human suffering. As the body count rises, Detective Hanley must navigate a minefield of crime families, dirty politicians, and crooked cops, while matching wits with a deranged serial killer. But temptation, betrayal, and death threaten to derail the investigation… and justice doesn’t come without a price. Follow Derik on social media:
Bulwark![]() Sheriff Clay Finnes has to admit that the fantastical stories, told by an accident victim as well as unusual sightings of wolves, things are getting a bit strange. A visit to the ominous Gingerbread House makes him realize that his life as he knows it will never be the same. Follow Brit on social media:
Staying Bothered![]() "When's the last time you were bothered?" When activist and philanthropist Jamie Amelio poses this question, she's not talking about being bothered about traffic, spilled coffee, or work deadlines. She's talking about the BIG BOTHERS, like how you feel when you learn that every day 1,600 children die from diseases directly linked to unsafe water or a lack of basic sanitation facilities. Or the staggering statistics for suicidal children. What did you do with that feeling? In Staying Bothered, Amelio shows readers that every one of us is capable of affecting real, positive change in our communities and around the world if we just do ONE thing. Amelio describes what "being bothered" really means, a term she coined to explain the uncomfortable feeling we all get when we learn about a terrible wrong--maybe in our neighborhood, maybe across the world. But more importantly, Amelio emphasizes "staying bothered." Because while that initial feeling might motivate us to get involved, finding a way to make it last is the key to making a difference. Staying Bothered tells the story of how Jamie overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to positively change her world and the lives of tens of thousands of children and in doing so sparked a movement! What bothers you? You'll be surprised at how this simple question can be a powerful motivator to Staying Bothered: Find Your Passion, Commit to Action, Change the World. Follow Jamie on social media:
Grace In The Wings![]() New York City, 1920. Grace Michelle has everything she wants: a home, a family, and a future career as a costume designer for famed showman Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.’s Ziegfeld Follies. Pretty good for a girl who once lived on the streets of New York City. But when her sister, Sophia, the star of the show, is murdered, Grace’s safe and protected life is shattered. Battle-scarred by the war and emotionally scarred by his past, Chet Riker has made it a practice to keep his distance from others; love, after all, leads only to pain. But Chet has a problem—a big one: he’s become indebted to mob-boss Joe Marciano in an attempt to save his estranged mother’s life, and Marciano wants him to pay up or else. Desperate to get the money, he contacts former client Florenz Ziegfeld for work. Soon, Chet finds himself playing bodyguard for introverted Grace, who has reluctantly agreed to be Ziegfeld’s new leading lady—on the condition that Ziegfeld promises to find Sophia’s killer. Upon meeting Grace, Chet quickly finds his hardened theory that love equals pain tested. Grace, meanwhile, is swept up in a life she never wanted as the Follies’ star, and as the pawn in a series of publicity stunts during a transcontinental train trip to California that puts her life at risk. Who would want her and Sophia dead? Together, she and Chet must confront publicity-hungry Florenz Ziegfeld, power-driven Joe Marciano, and their own pasts to find Sophia’s killer—and let themselves love once again. Follow Kari on social media:
The Mindful Day![]() Designed for over-scheduled professionals looking to incorporate mindfulness into their daily lives, this enriching, step-by-step guide draws on contemplative traditions, modern neuroscience, and leading psychology to bring peace and focus to the home, workplace, and beyond. International teacher Laurie J. Cameron creates a road map for finding deeper purpose and joy.
Vanishing Girls![]() Read the USA Today bestselling thriller that "keeps the dramatic reveals coming" as Detective Josie Quinn desperately chases a killer hidden within her close-knit town before it's too late and they claim another victim (Publishers Weekly). The little girl curled into a tiny ball as the chamber grew colder around her. "Please," she whispered, rocking back and forth. "I want to go home." When Isabelle Coleman, a blonde, beautiful young girl goes missing, everyone from the small town of Denton joins the search. They can find no trace of the town's darling, but Detective Josie Quinn finds another girl they didn't even know was missing. Mute and unresponsive, it's clear this mysterious girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Josie can get from her is the name of a third girl and a flash of a neon tongue piercing that matches Isabelle's. The race is on to find Isabelle alive, and Josie fears there may be other girls in terrible danger. When the trail leads her to a cold case labelled a hoax by authorities, Josie begins to wonder is there anyone left she can trust? Someone in this close-knit town is committing unspeakable crimes. Can Josie catch the killer before another victim loses their life? Follow Lisa on social media:
The Body Double![]() A dark, glittering debut novel, The Body Double is the suspenseful story of a young woman who is recruited by a stranger to give up her old life and identity to impersonate a reclusive Hollywood star. A strange man discovers our nameless narrator selling popcorn at a decrepit small-town movie theater and offers her an odd and lucrative position: she will forget her job, her acquaintances, even her name, and move to Los Angeles, where she will become the body double of the famous and troubled celebrity Rosanna Feld. A nervous breakdown has forced Rosanna out of the public eye, and she needs a look-alike to take her place in the tabloid media circus of Hollywood. Overseen by Max, who hired her for the job, our narrator spends her days locked up in a small apartment in the hills watching hidden camera footage of Rosanna, wearing Rosanna's clothes, eating the food Rosanna likes, practicing her mannerisms, learning to become Rosanna in every way. But as she makes her public debut as Rosanna, dining at elegant restaurants, shopping in stylish boutiques, and finally risking a dinner party with Rosanna's true inner circle, alarming questions begin to arise. What really caused Rosanna's mental collapse? Will she ever return? And is Max truly her ally, or something more sinister? With echoes of Hitchcock's Vertigo,The Body Double is a fabulously plotted noir about fame, beauty, and the darkness of Hollywood. Follow Emily on social media:
An Improbable Pairing![]() It began as a simple flirtation . . . In September of 1963, Scott Stoddard, an American graduate student, is traveling to Switzerland, when he meets the Countess de Rovere, a French divorcee; he is smitten, and she is intrigued. What begins as a little coquetry soon becomes a serious love affair, much to the consternation of the Countess's ex-husband and mother, not to mention the Countess's friends of European high society. A meeting of equals poses problems enough, but what about one between two people who seem to have so many differences? And when a man of traditional attitudes couples with an independent and self-confident woman, something's got to give. It won't be the countess. As their liaison transcends an affair that cannot be dismissed, they all agree that something must be done. An Improbable Pairing is a historical romance that chronicles the enduring themes of a young man's coming of age and the rebellious love of the mismatched. This pas de deux, set in the golden years of 1960s Paris, Geneva, Gstaad, and Cannes, provides an insider's peek into the worlds of haute couture, three-star gourmet restaurants, and lavish hotel suites—the domains of rank and privilege. But society's privileged resist when an interloper threatens to upset their cozy structure. Follow Gary on social media:
The Moments Between![]() Tragedy strikes the life of Claire DuPont when her husband of nine years is killed in a train accident on his way home from work, leaving her alone with two small children. One morning, six months later, she awakes to find him alive and there with her in the house, like he had never been gone. With her head spinning she picks up her phone only to see the date is actually three months before the accident ever occurred. Bewildered but grateful, she writes it off as a very vivid, bad dream. But as time goes on, she realizes that events are unfolding exactly the way they did in her dream. Racing against time, she desperately tries to change the inevitable but finds herself helpless to change anything. Unwilling to give up, she vows to stop at nothing to save her husband before it’s too late. ![]() Use these hashtags when posting about The Moments Between on social media: #bestsellingauthor #nataliebanks #themomentsbetween Follow Natalie on social media:
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March 2020
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