Samantha is going to sing at The Max and everyone'll be there to support her-she thinks. When boyfriend Damian Montorro doesn't show, all things come crashing down for Sammie. Will Damian come through like a knight in shining armor and help her get through this, or will she have to face this on her own? Find out in this aspiring singer's story.“Now introducing, Samantha Burns for the opening act!” the announcer said to the crowd. The crowd cheered. Of course, it was only a courtesy cheer. I wasn't the one they came to hear. I was preparing the crowd for the pros. Sammie doesn't usually get stage fright. She's used to the thrill and excitement of performing. But when her boyfriend Damian Montorro doesn't show, she's got another thing coming. Sammie put all her faith in him being there, and she questions herself whether that's the right thing to do. But more importantly, will she be able to get past her troubles with Damian or will she wimp out?

Countless un-parallel universes intersect in a place where science and magic function perfectly.A Crossroads World. A world that holds a fantastic and deadly secret.An ultra-advanced species, the Common, govern this world and invite other advanced species to set up enclaves where the planet's extraordinary properties draw an assortment of gods and demons like supernatural moths to a flame.The first human allowed there, Professor David Goldberg, is secretly tasked by Earth's governments to observe the Common. But Goldberg's mission might not be as secret as he thinks.Someone or something with unknown motivations sends truly terrifying monsters bent on taking him down.Opening Wonders. Fantasy, science fiction, mythology, adventure, mystery, rich history—and more.

During the grand opening celebration of the new American headquarters of an immense Japanese conglomerate, the dead body of a beautiful woman is found. The investigation begins, and immediately becomes a headlong chase through a twisting maze of industrial intrigue and a violent business battle that takes no prisoners.

Fighting for her dream could have unexpected consequences...She can handle the Texan threatening her plans...But can she resist his adorable little girl?The Colorado mountain cabin is perfect for Avery Winslow's dream—a B and B for service dogs and their families. Except fast-talkin' Texan Jake Cutter wants the land for a luxury resort. Now Avery's fighting for her dream and her town. But Jake and his sweet little girl have already charmed Avery's favorite service dog...and her guarded heart might just be next.From Harlequin Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.Rocky Mountain Family

A successful guitarist. Broken by one, made by another...and wrecked by the one person he's trusted since birth.Jimmy Trent wasn't born with a guitar in his hand, but his big brother Ken showed him the ropes at a tender age. Jimmy was hooked, and when the band Brainchild was born, he began to fulfill his childhood dream. With Ken by his side, Jimmy soars with his band, reaching milestones most rock stars simply get to witness from their parent's garages. But when Mandy, Jimmy's first love, comes into the picture, all bets are off. When the supermodel doesn't bring him all the promises a proper wife should, the rock star finds himself in a hole that he can't dig himself out of.Cindy Kilgore never thought her beloved husband would stoop to the level that fifty percent of men have, but when she receives the news that he's warmed another woman's bed, she packs her bags to move back to the hometown she's missed. With her mother suffering from a recent stroke, it's all...

For tens of thousands of years, the races of a far-off galaxy have co-existed, mostly civilly. Over the millennia, each has spread beyond the cradle and created vast societies, kingdoms, nations, associations, and other identities across multiple solar systems. While the universe still has much uncharted territory, the greatest enigma is the void. The emptiness between galaxies has always been a source of mystery and disquiet, but none are prepared when a new threat emerges from the unknown darkness. A former starfighter pilot, a deposed queen, a broker of commodities and influence, a pirate crew, and an average family man find their lives upended in a myriad of ways - both separately and together. All will face choices and challenges that lead to confrontation with the extragalactic invaders, whether they like it or not. The opening gambit of the void incursion will forever change life across the galaxy. The only question...

SFNovelists.com proudly offers you twenty-five first chapters from forthcoming and currently available novels across the spectrum of science fiction and fantasy.Twenty-five First Chapters from Twenty-five WritersEvery reader knows that the trouble is not finding something to read, but finding something you want to read. Sometimes, it’s something familiar, something known. Sometimes it’s something new, something unexpected.SF Novelists proudly offers you twenty-five teasers, twenty-five first chapters across the spectrum of science fiction and fantasy. Twenty-five tastes, to tempt your appetite for adventure… to lure you into unknown worlds…And give you something new to read.Featuring:7th Sigma by Steven GouldBone Shop by T.A. PrattBones of Faerie by Janni Lee SimnerThe Brahms Deception by Louise MarleyCarousel Tides by Sharon LeeThe Cloud Road by Martha WellsDangerous Water by Juliet E. McKennaThe Dread Hammer by Trey ShielsFlesh and Fire by Laura Anne GilmanFright Court by Mindy KlaskyThe Heretic by Joseph NassiseHouse of the Star by Caitlin BrennanIndigo Springs by A.M. DellamonicaJade Tiger by Jenn ReeseKat, Incorrigible by Stephanie BurgisMedium Dead by Chris DolleyMidnight at Spanish Gardens by Alma AlexanderPlay Dead by John LevittShade by Jeri Smith-ReadyThe Snow Queen’s Shadow by Jim C. HinesSpellcast by Barbara AshfordThe Spirit Lens by Carol BergTruthSeeker by C.E. MurphyUp Against It by M.J. LockeWith Fate Conspire by Marie Brennan

Discover The Blackgaard Chronicles, a new book series that explores more of the story beyond the Adventures in Odyssey audio drama series!An evil genius launches his attack on the heart of Odyssey. A conniving city councilman is secretly carrying out plans against John Avery Whittaker and Whit's End. Yet Philip Glossman is only a pawn in a dark game played by the mysterious Dr. Regis Blackgaard.Meanwhile, against Whit's express orders, Eugene and Connie tamper with a top-secret computer room—and the destructive Applesauce program is unleashed. Can Whit counter the forces opposing him? What does Dr. Blackgaard really want?

Dan Hodges was on the verge of the life he'd always wanted: a beautiful girlfriend, high school graduation just ahead, and a promising baseball career.Then, in one ill-fated moment, it all vanished.Dan clawed his way back over the course of a grueling year but, just when he was ready to reclaim his world, darkness descended again. Can he emerge one more time ... Alive on Opening Day?In the spring of 1973, Dan Hodges is on the verge of starting the life he's always wanted.He is dating the girl of his dreams.He is about to graduate from high school.Best of all, he is headed to college as a baseball star. Then, in one ill-fated moment, his world is crushed, and Dan is plunged into nothingness for nine long months.When he finally emerges from his personal oblivion, nothing is the same. Devastated by what he has lost but bolstered by all that he still has, Dan is determined to rebuild his life, and that's what he sets out to do.Just when it seems he is about to reclaim his lease on a promising future, darkness begins to eat around the fringes of his vitality once more.Can Dan latch on to all he holds dear and make it through the shadows to emerge, once again ... Alive on Opening Day?

Once in a great while a science fiction story is so visionary, yet so close to impending scientific developments that it becomes not only an accurate predictor, but itself the locus for new discoveries and development. True Names by Vernor Vinge, first published in 1981, is such a work. Here is a feast of articles by computer scientists and journalists on the cutting edge of the field, writing about innovations and developments of the Internet, including, among others: Danny Hillis: Founder of thinking machines and the first Disney Fellow. Timothy C. May: former chief scientist at Intel--a major insider in the field of computers and technology. Marvin Minsky: Cofounder of the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab. Chip Morningstar and F. Randall Farmer: Codevelopers of habitat, the first real computer interactive environment. Mark Pesce: Cocreator of VRML and the author of the Playful World: How Technology Transforms Our Imagination. Richard M. Stallman: Research affiliate with MIT; the founder of the Free Software Movement.

She's been a pawn for too long. It's time to take control of the game... The first female magic user to reach adulthood in England for centuries, Seraphina Winyard is viewed as a freakish chattel by some...and by others as a danger that must be erased from history. Held captive and humiliated like a performing animal, she cannot dream of a future, and has no hope in the present. Until she escapes. When her former guardian is murdered, suspicion falls on Seraphina. Aided by the brilliant surgeon Hugh Miles, she must discover how to wield her power to find the true murderer before her leash is replaced by a noose. With her life at stake, Sera has to hurry. The deeper she digs, the more she discovers she is a pawn in someone else's game. A game of magic and lies that intends to resurrect an ancient evil. A game that will shake England to its core and threaten everyone she loves... A blend of magic and...

Iras is one of the Collared; she is one of the men and women who live to provide taboo pleasures to the super-soldiers known as the Swords. To win a war, Tyrese created the Swords—men and women faster, stronger and tougher than ordinary soldiers, with the killer instincts to match. But when the war is over, the Swords' need for certain sorts of... stimulation remains. So the Arena was created, where the Collared voluntarily serve the Swords, providing them with an outlet for their aggression that they literally cannot live without. Amidst the futuristic torture devices of the Arena, Iras serves Gavir, an officer. He fulfills her deepest, darkest desires and a bond forms between them. But a dark secret from Iras's past threatens all they have, and all they hope for.Award-winning author Elizabeth Schechter spins a tale that is part space opera, part romance, and 100% sexy. 

In The Bowers Files novels, FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers has stopped some of the most vicious serial killers ever imagined. Now, in the fifth exciting installment, author Steven James takes readers back to Bowers’s terrifying beginning. Milwaukee, 1997. In a city reeling from the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer, a series of gruesome kidnappings and mutilations draw authorities into a case like nothing they’ve ever seen. Cops think a Dahmer copycat is on the loose. But Patrick Bowers, working as a homicide detective, suspects this is more than an ode to the infamous cannibal. When he discovers that the shocking acts reference some of the most notorious and macabre killers in our nation’s history, the investigation spirals into a nightmare of manipulation, brutality, and terror. Wielding groundbreaking investigative techniques, Bowers must now face off with a killer who will stop at nothing to get his message out to the world. Chilling, gritty, and packed with twists and turns, Opening Moves is Steven James’s most heart-pounding novel yet. Review“[A] master storyteller.”—Publishers Weekly “Opening Moves is a mesmerizing read. From the first chapter, it sets its hook deep and drags you through a darkly gripping story with relentless power. My conclusion: I need to read more of Steven James.” —Michael Connelly, New York Times bestselling author of The Drop“With a multi-dimensional quality, Steven James writes with a confident, assured ease. Just good, old-fashioned, gimmick free storytelling that pushes the envelope to the edge and beyond.” —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of *The Columbus Affair“Steven James has created a fast moving thriller with psychological depth and gripping action. Opening Moves is a smart, taut, intense novel of suspense that reads like a cross between Michael Connelly and Thomas Harris…Opening Moves is a blisteringly fast and riveting read.” —Mark Greaney, New York Times bestselling author of Ballistic *About the AuthorSteven James is the author of more than thirty books, including the critically acclaimed thrillers The Pawn, The Rook, and The Knight. He has a master’s degree in storytelling and has taught writing and creative communication on three continents. When he’s not writing and speaking, you’ll find him trail running, rock climbing, or drinking French roast coffee near his home in eastern Tennessee.

Chaos and confusion. The tidal wave of tension before release. The Badger Hole Bar is having its Grand Opening. Madrik and his new team have been frantic. Trying to get everything ready in time is hard enough, but there are problems. Of course, it might help if the BHB would stop rearranging the architecture, or no new emergencies came up. Since that would be an impossible situation, they will just have to do what they can and leave the rest to fate, luck, or whatever. That just leaves one main worry... What if no one comes?

With a little boy's help, can he let go of painful memories? Casey Evans wants no part in the holidays, which is a major problem for Mayor Sutton Wentworth. Sutton has her heart set on their town winning a national Christmas contest, and Casey's refusal to decorate his coffee shop could ruin everything. Thankfully, her precious son has worked his charms on Casey. But can one little boy—and his mother—change the mind of the local grinch?From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.Thunder Ridge Book 1: Surprise Christmas FamilyBook 2: The Sheriff's PromiseBook 3: Opening His Holiday Heart

The Earth is changing. The alien invasion brought social upheaval, advanced technology, and an armada of peacekeeping robots. But Alan, a college student pursuing a now-useless degree, cares little about all of this. He has only one thing on his mind: the Game. A fully immersive virtual reality, the Game appears to be a major part of the invading civilization. Alan can't wait to play, recklessly diving into the digital universe. Soon though, Alan realizes the Game is anything but simple, and the stakes are higher than he ever imagined. **

Artist and writer Stephanie Radok possesses a unique international perspective. For over twenty years she has written about and witnessed the emergence of contemporary Aboriginal art and the responses of Australian art to global diasporas. In "An Opening: Twelve love stories about art", Stephanie Radok takes us on a walk with her dog and finds that it is possible to re-imagine the suburb as the site of epiphanies and attachments. "Art wants to enter our lives, yet it is a rare art writer who lets it do that. Writing with full personal disclosure, Stephanie Radok lets us in on her secret. Art can inspire love, and a whole host of other unruly emotions. 'An Opening' is a confession, a provocation, a celebration - a highly original, much-needed book in a field that too often prefers to be offputting and hermetic. A revelation, a gem." - Nicholas Jose. "In 'An Opening' Stephanie Radok engages sensuously and poetically with the art she has seen from her place in the suburbs of...

From the minds of New York Times bestselling author Carl Weber and Essence bestseller La Jill Hunt comes the newest entry into the game-changing Family Business saga. The year is 1978, the Duncan brothers and their tough-as-nails women have vanquished their rivals and taken their place as the leaders of Waycross, Georgia's criminal enterprises. However, their rise to power has not gone unnoticed, and the family is rocked when their mother, Ms. Bettie, is kidnapped and her body is found in a swamp. No one knows who the killers are, but instead of drawing closer, the family is split when their grief-stricken leader, LC, is offered membership in the South's most powerful black organization, the Council. Membership has its privileges, but they do not include his brothers. LC packs up his growing family and moves to Atlanta to open his first car dealership. Unable to deal with his mother's death, Lou Duncan searches for her killers with the help of an unlikely...

ReviewNo library of western/southwestern materials can be without this book. . . . --Books of the Southwest This book goes far beyond biography, into the nature and soul of the American West. It is Stegner at his best, assaying an entire era of our history, packing his pages with insights as shrewd as his prose. --Ivan Doig Product DescriptionThe author recounts the successes and frustrations of John Wesley Powell, the distinguished ethnologist and geologist who explored the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon, and the homeland of Indian tribes of the American Southwest. "No library of western/southwestern materials can be without this book. . . ."-- Books of the Southwest.

As Samantha Lee and her squad of elite soldiers embark on what everybody believes to be a routine patrol mission along the borders of Union space, she's certain she'll be back home with her family on Mars for Christmas.At the same time, Tarek Winters and the motley human and alien crew of the freighter IRON MAIDEN take on a job a thousand lightyears away from Earth, expecting it to be an easy and profitable run.But a war is coming*.*The three human superpowers watch each other warily from behind vast fleets while plotting to take control of key colonies and trade routes. The great Rasenni Empire, once the unchallenged master of known space, is in decline, ensnared in debauchery and beset by old and new enemies. Pirates, raiders, and slavers run rampant on the fringes of civilized space.Everybody is looking for the proverbial spark that ignites the powder keg -- and everybody is looking in the wrong direction!For Corr'tane of the Ashani Dominion has set out to guarantee his people's survival - even if the cost is a war that will drown known space in blood...ReviewOpening Moves is an intense, thought provoking, exciting, and at times, tear jerking read. I would highly recommend this book.-- Fantascize.comAbout the AuthorJames Traynor is a life-long geek and scifi & fantasy afficionado. Writing, building worlds and creating characters are his passion. If you want to find out more about the THE TEARS OF ORION universe or just want to stay up to date, check his website at orionstears.com or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/Traynor_J 

Tilda Shalof had been taking care of critically ill patients in an intensive care unit for more than twenty-five years, but taking care of herself had never been a priority. That is, until she could no longer ignore her extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and crushing chest pains. When the results came in, it was time to face the music: Tilda required immediate open-heart surgery to replace a defective valve and to repair damage done to this vital organ. Tilda's story takes readers from the diagnosis through all her fears and concerns, the or, her stay in the icu, the cardiac ward, recovery at home, rehabilitation, and ultimately, her return to work in the hospital armed with new insights on the patient's perspective. She learned more in her week-long stay as a patient than in all her years caring for the critically ill, especially about trust and working in partnership with her caregivers.In Opening My Heart, Shalof expertly weaves recollections...

There’s something on the air. Something wild and dark and dangerous and it’s coming for the Aspen Brook Clan. Canyon’s job is to protect the Clan, to help his twin brother, Mesa, keep their little family safe, secure, no matter what monsters are lurking in the Montana Mountains. But there are whispers of a prophesied pair of wolves that have been found, a duo of white wolves that hold more power between them than anyone can guess. When Granite, the guardian of the distant pack, comes to them, torn and bleeding, bringing the rest of the North Peak’s destroyed clan with him, Canyon knows he has to go. The pair he finds will change his life and the future of his entire clan.

Written in a unique biographical format, Robert Willoughby interweaves the stories of six brothers who shaped the American trans-Mississippi West during the first five decades of the nineteenth century. After migrating from French Canada to St. Louis, the brothers Robidoux—Joseph, Francois, Antoine, Louis, Michel, and Isadore—and their father, Joseph, became significant members in the business, fur trading, and land speculation communities, frequently interacting with upper-class members of the French society.Upon coming of age, the brothers followed their father into the fur business and American Indian trade. The oldest of the six, Joseph, led the group on an expedition up the Missouri River as Lewis and Clark had once done, designating a path of trade sites along their journey until they reached their destination at present-day Omaha, Nebraska. Eventually the younger brothers set out on their own westward expedition in the mid 1820s, reaching both Colorado and...

A Simon Bognor mystery - On the eve of the Flanagan Fludd Literary Festival, the Reverend Sebastian Fludd is discovered gently swinging from the end of a rope in his own church. While Sebastian's cousin and lord of the manor, Sir Branwell Fludd, is keen to wrap up the affair with the minimum of fuss, Branwell's friend, Sir Simon Bognor, is more concerned to get to the truth. Did the mild-mannered vicar really take his own life - or was his unexpected demise the result of something more sinister?

NO WOMAN CAN RESIST SEXY AND SEDUCTIVE SHAY,front man for the hot new band everyone's talking about. When best friends Zee and Loni meet him after a concert, Zee practically throws herself at him. But not Loni. A smart and savvy literature student, Loni wants a man with brains, not bravado. So when Shay goes for her instead, she wants no part of it.Now Shay can't get Loni out of his mind. Even as he gears up for the national tour that's sure to launch him to stardom, Shay is compelled to see the poetry-quoting beauty again before he hits the road. Despite her initial brush off, he feels there could be something between them. Not a one-night gig, but something real.The very different paths Shay and Loni are on should never have crossed. But they did. And there's no going back. Everything and everyone in their lives are pulling them apart. Can love bring them back together?

Chaos and confusion. The tidal wave of tension before release. The Badger Hole Bar is having its Grand Opening. Madrik and his new team have been frantic. Trying to get everything ready in time is hard enough, but there are problems. Of course, it might help if the BHB would stop rearranging the architecture, or no new emergencies came up. Since that would be an impossible situation, they will just have to do what they can and leave the rest to fate, luck, or whatever. That just leaves one main worry... What if no one comes?

A New York Times Bestseller and Boston Globe Bestseller! It's America's most popular sport, played by thousands, watched by millions, and generating billions in revenues every year. It's also America's most controversial sport, haunted by the specter of life-threatening injuries and plagued by scandal, even among its most venerable personalities and institutions. At the college level, we often tie football's tales of corruption and greed to its current popularity and revenue potential, and we have vague notions of a halcyon time—before the new College Football Playoff, power conferences, and huge TV contracts. Perhaps we conjure images of young Ivy Leaguers playing a gentleman's game, exemplifying the collegial in collegiate. What we don't imagine is a game described in 1905, not today, as "a social obsession—this boy-killing, man-mutillating, education-prostituting, gladiatorial sport."In The Opening Kickoff, Dave Revsine tells the riveting...

The breakout novel from award-winning author Joan Thomas, it perfectly balances the dark underside of modern life, love, and family with wit and sharp observation: for fans of Good to A Fault, the works of Carol Shields, of Meg Wolitzer, and Jonathan Franzen. A stunning character-driven novel about the human desire to do the right thing, and the even stronger desire to love and to be seen for who we truly are. Deeply felt, sharply observed, and utterly contemporary. Liz, Aiden, and Sylvie are an urban, urbane, progressive family: Aiden's a therapist who refuses to own a car; Liz is an ambitious professional, a savvy traveler with a flair for decorating; Sylvie is a smart and political 19 year-old, fiercely independent, sensitive to hypocrisy, and crazy in love with her childhood playmate, Noah, a bright young scientist. Things seem to be going according to plan. Then the present and the past collide in a crisis that shatters the complacency...

Before there was the family, there was just the business. From the minds of New York Times bestselling authors Carl Weber and Eric Pete comes the game-changing prequel to their blockbuster Family Business saga. Travel back to a small Southern town where, before there was Duncan Motors, there were the Duncan brothers: Louis, aka Sweet Lou, a lover of ladies and life . . . and a man you did not want to cross; Lawrence, aka Larry, a screw-up as attracted to trouble as it was to him; and Lavernius, better known as LC, the soft-spoken college boy who simply wanted to sell cars. But the Duncan brothers weren't alone at the crossroads. There was also the mysterious and seductive Chippy, a woman who saw a way out of her circumstances and dared to take it. Witness what changed the course of their lives when ambitions intersected with opportunity that came calling one day in the form of a man named Alejandro Zuniga. Welcome to the familiar, but as you've...

The men of Twisted Steel are great with their hands.And they're not afraid to get dirty.Asa Barrons is never lonely for long. Co-owner of the Twisted Steel custom motorcycle shop, he works hard and plays harder. But he never allows his after-hours affairs to interfere with business-until he meets racing royalty PJ Coleman. While the blue-eyed blonde is all princess on the outside, on the inside Asa can see that this woman is ready to take a walk on the wild side.PJ knows trouble when she sees it, and Asa is the complete package: fast bike, killer ink, and a sinfully sexy smile that has her imagining things nice girls never do. She talks her way onto the Twisted Steel team to prove her painting skill, and soon learns that Asa is eager to show off some skills of his own.With the help of Asa's expert touch, PJ is initiated into a world of wicked desire. No limits. No inhibitions. No turning back. But as perfect as their passion seems, a...

Brooke and Aly are forced to work with their nemesis in the tenth and final sparkly story in this shimmering series about two sisters who open their own mini-nail salon.Have Aly and her nemesis Suzy Davis finally reached détente? Brooke and Aly's mother and Suzy's mother join forces and decide to open up a new salon. Does that mean the girls will actually have to work together in a brand-new Sparkle Spa? Like it or not, these frenemies are now in business together!

Opening Day is a 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. Girls are coming through an Upstate New York fishing village, but they aren't all coming out--alive! Out fishing, Police Chief Matt Davis stumbles upon the remains of a murder victim, killed approximately six months earlier. With no evidence, no ID, and no clues, it's up to Matt to not only find the murderer, but to discover the victim's identity.

Part One... Light and darkness... All Kein wanted was to be devoured. She had been told since joining her school that it was very important that a house or clan devour her, so when she met a creature promising to devour her, she was confused at first, but then she was consoled that someone wanted her. A world of monsters and a world of humans... Loneliness can be a very strong emotion...

Caney Paxton wanted his cafe to have the biggest and brightest sign in Eastern Oklahoma-the "opening soon" part was supposed to be just a removable, painted notice. But a fateful misunderstanding gave Vietnam vet Caney the flashiest joke in the entire state. Twelve years later, the once-busy highway is dead and the sign is as worn as Caney, who hasn't ventured outside the diner since it opened. Then one blustery December day, a thirtyish Crow woman blows in with a three-legged dog in her arms and a long-buried secret on her mind. Hiring on as a carhop, Vena Takes Horse is soon shaking up business, the locals, and Caney's heart...as she teaches them all about generosity of spirit, love, and the possibility of promise-just like the sign says.From Publishers WeeklyLetts's gently humorous second novel confirms the promise of her debut, Where the Heart Is. For 12 years, wheelchair-bound restaurateur and Vietnam vet Caney Paxton hasn't left his Sequoyah, Okla., cafe, known (thanks to a sign-maker's error) as the Honk and Holler Opening Soon. Now it's Christmas time, 1985, and for Caney and four-times married waitress Molly O, who helped raise him, the holiday looks bleak: business is slumping, overdue bills are piling up and the roof is leaking. Worried about her teenage daughter, Brenda, a country musician seeking her fortune in Nashville, Molly O is too preoccupied to recognize the romantic interest of cafe regular Life Halstead; Caney, ashamed of his part in the war, feels trapped by his wound and his painful past. But that changes when luck brings the Honk and Holler two new employees: beautiful young Crow Indian drifter Vena Takes Horse, who signs on as a carhop, and Vietnamese refugee Bui Khanh, a cook and handyman running from a guilty secret of his own. Initially skeptical of the two outsiders, Honk and Holler habitu?s come to value Vena and Bui, especially after an act of violence threatens Bui's life. Even a few unresolved loose ends can't diminish the cumulative effect of this warm, sentimental tale, abundant with quirky detail and homespun wisdom, which emphasizes not only the power of romantic love but the healing powers of community as well. Author tour. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalYA-In 1973, Caney Paxton returned from Vietnam in a wheelchair. While in the VA hospital, he and some buddies designed a cafe that was built on a then-busy highway outside of Sequoyah, OK. The cafe was supposed be called The Honk and Holler, but because of a misunderstanding and about a half a case of Coors, the nonrefundable $600 red-neon sign read "The Honk and Holler Opening Soon." Caney retreated to his cafe and for 12 years led a lonely life with only his combat nightmares and his regular customers for company. One day shortly before Christmas, a Crow woman named Vena Takes Horse appears at the door wearing red cowboy boots and carrying a severely injured dog. Caney could see that "she was trouble" but gave her a job, thus changing his life forever. Bui Khanh, a Vietnamese immigrant, arrives sometime after Vena and in broken English also asks for work. He becomes more than a short-order cook; he helps free Caney from his terrible nightmares. Caney, Vena, and Bui become the focus in a cast of unforgettable characters who carry heavy burdens and live life on the edge. As she did in the award-winning novel Where the Heart Is (Warner, 1995), Letts will again captivate young adults with this story of love, hope, and humanity.Carol Clark, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is the story of Naiya Kapur, a Princeton University graduate who comes to Mumbai to chase the big Indian dream - Bollywood. Naiya isn't searching for her soulmate, or hoping to find her roots in the India her parents once knew; she is searching for fame, fortune and fun in the new India. We follow Naiya as she navigates the labyrinthine lanes of Mumbai and Bollywood, where identities are fluid and murky - and where lines are meant to be crossed. In the middle of scuttling between auditions and parties of every hue, Naiya enters into a potentially 'happily ever after' relationship - that turns out to be an 'it's complicated' one - with a neurotic ex-model-turned-film producer. As she battles her demons and tries to deal with her increasingly tangled life, the stage is set for high drama, and her Opening Night.

Reminiscent of Bernard Malamudâ€(tm)s The Natural, W. P. Kinsellaâ€(tm)s Shoeless Joe, and the film Field of Dreams, OPENING DAY is a novella with the kind of magic charm that transcends sport and rises to the level of heroic myth. When the owner of a downtrodden team in the AA Mid Florida League discovers that his aging groundskeeper was once a star in the Negro Leagues, a public relations scheme is hatched. But what begins as a stunt leads to an astonishing outcome that no one, least of all Buck Wilson, the unassuming former great, could have predicted.

The main character in the series is a perfect example of why people should not make assumptions about other people. Having been raised in a dysfunctional environment left her both with some emotional scars and a means to cope with them. Means that would surprise others. Understanding the different layers of not only her but of the people she calls her friends lends credit to the phrase: "Every cripple has their own way of walking."

Dan Hodges was on the verge of the life he'd always wanted: a beautiful girlfriend, high school graduation just ahead, and a promising baseball career. Then, in one ill-fated moment, it all vanished. Dan clawed his way back over the course of a grueling year but, just when he was ready to reclaim his world, darkness descended again. Can he emerge one more time ... Alive on Opening Day?