When Lisa Fittipaldi went blind at the age of forty-seven, she descended into a freefall of anger and denial that lasted for two years. In this moving memoir, she paints a vivid picture of the perceptual and emotional darkness that accompanied her vision loss, and her arduous journey back into the sighted world through mastery of the principles of art and color. The challenge of a child's watercolor set, thrown down like a gauntlet by her frustrated husband, opened the door to a new life. "I truly feel that unless blindness had toppled the carefully maintained edifice I called my life, there is no way that I would be the kinder, more fulfilled person I am today," Lisa writes.--From publisher description.
Dive into A Brush of Darkness, the first book in the Abby Sinclair trilogy. The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares. Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.
Capture the Vibrant Colors of the Jungle with 25 No-Sketch Projects Grab your paintbrush, smock and explorer’s hat and get ready to paint your way through the jungle! Dana Fox, bestselling author of Watercolor with Me in the Forest and Watercolor with Me in the Ocean, returns with 25 new beginner-friendly watercolor projects that capture all the beauty and vibrancy of a jungle landscape—no sketching required. From furry friends and exotic beasts to colorful flowers and tropical fruits, these adorable projects will help you hone your watercolor skills in just a few simple steps. And with every project printed on special, high-quality art paper, you can paint directly on the page. Dana’s straightforward approach and easy-to-follow instructions lead you through every step of the watercolor process, so no matter your skill level, you’ll get frame-worthy results every time. Projects are divided among the popular wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, with each section accompanied by practice examples that teach you the basics. Learn to paint fur detail on cute critters like sloths and monkeys, or how to layer colors to create the amazing patterns of the Bengal tiger and poison dart frog. You can also create beautiful blends of color for papayas, hibiscuses and other wild fauna. With Dana’s lively art and simple directions, you’ll be painting masterpieces in no time.
"A gripping tale told by a gifted writer."--Beverly Lewis Caroline Fletcher is caught in a nation split apart and torn between the ones she loves and a truth she can't deny The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, Caroline Fletcher is raised to believe slavery is God-ordained and acceptable. But on awakening to its cruelty and injustice, her eyes are opened to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. At the same time, her father and her fiance, Charles St. John, are fighting for the Confederacy and their beloved way of life and traditions. Where does Caroline's loyalty lie? Emboldened by her passion to make a difference and her growing faith, will she risk everything she holds dear?
What if by chance you met a famous person? And he wanted you...I showed up to the movie set bright and early Monday for a one-day sub position on a blockbuster sequel. It was crucial to prove myself as a makeup artist to break into the Hollywood scene.While waiting on the obnoxious actor assigned to me to finish a phone call, it suddenly happened. I saw him standing in the doorway-Evan Hutchinson. Never mind I'd already fallen into his lap when someone knocked into me earlier. We'd gotten past that little embarrassment. But why did the movie's famous British heartthrob request me for touch-ups? Either way, I did them, of course. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to touch his face-but with a makeup brush? What I didn't expect was for him to talk to me-to borderline flirt with me.Once I was home and talking on the phone with my long-distance boyfriend about nothing important, the call came. Evan Hutchinson requested me to finish the movie as his personal makeup artist. After nearly dropping the phone from shock, I'd accepted.It's now Wednesday night, and the other actors have left. For some reason, Evan asked me to stay. We were alone in his apartment, seated on his couch. Somehow, we ended up discussing what it's like to do a movie kiss with someone you aren't romantically involved with.Before finally leaving for home, I lowered my car window to say good night. Then the craziest thing happened-Evan offered to show me what a kiss is like. And he suggested I let him know if I'd ever like him to practice with me.Now I don't know what to do because I can't stop thinking about Evan Hutchinson kissing me...*** This is a contemporary romance/new adult stand-alone novel. No cliffhanger. It contains moderate steam and sensitive subject matter. Recommended for 18+.
A star-studded urban fantasy anthology starring bestselling authors Rachel Caine, Jennifer Estep, Kevin Hearne, Seanan McGuire, and Rob Thurman, and including Delilah S. Dawson, Kelly Gay, Mark Henry, Hillary Jacques, Jackie Kessler, Kelly Meding, Allison Pang, Nicole D. Peeler, and Jaye Wells, whose stories explore the creepy, mysterious, and, yes, sometimes magical world of traveling carnivals. Come one, come all! The Carniepunk Midway promises you every thrill and chill a traveling carnival can provide. But fear not! Urban fantasy’s biggest stars are here to guide you through this strange and dangerous world. . . . RACHEL CAINE’s vampires aren’t child’s play, as a naïve teen discovers when her heart leads her far, far astray in “The Cold Girl.” With “Parlor Tricks,” JENNIFER ESTEP pits Gin Blanco, the Elemental Assassin, against the Wheel of Death and some dangerously creepy clowns. SEANAN McGUIRE narrates a poignant, ethereal tale of a mysterious carnival that returns to a dangerous town after twenty years in “Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea.” KEVIN HEARNE’s Iron Druid and his wisecracking Irish wolfhound discover in “The Demon Barker of Wheat Street” that the impossibly wholesome sounding Kansas Wheat Festival is actually not a healthy place to hang out. With an eerie, unpredictable twist, ROB THURMAN reveals the fate of a psychopath stalking two young carnies in “Painted Love.”
Finch chronicles the harrowing true story of two friends who plunge 900 feet into the water in South Africa--and only one returns. What happened that day is the stuff of nightmarish drama, but it's also a compelling human story of friendship and of coming to terms with loss and tragedy. 8-page color photo insert.
Sebastian Gage returns home to battle the ghosts of his past and prevent them from destroying his future with Kiera in the latest exciting installment in this national bestselling series. July 1831. It's been fifteen years since Sebastian Gage has set foot in Langstone Manor. Though he has shared little with his wife, Lady Kiera Darby, about his past, she knows that he planned never to return to the place of so many unhappy childhood memories. But when an urgent letter from his grandfather reaches them in Dublin, Ireland, and begs Gage to visit, Kiera convinces him to go. All is not well at Langstone Manor. Gage's grandfather, the Viscount Tavistock, is gravely ill, and Gage's cousin Alfred has suddenly vanished. He wandered out into the moors and never returned. The Viscount is convinced someone or something other than the natural hazards of the moors is to blame for Alfred's disappearance. And when Alfred's brother Rory goes missing, Kiera and Gage must concede he may be right. Now, they must face the ghosts of Gage's past, discover the truth behind the local superstitions, and see beyond the tricks being played by their very own eyes to expose what has happened to Gage's family before the moors claim yet another victim...
Just how tough are the country's most prestigious law schools? Most alumni would answer with stories of humiliating "Socratic dialogue failures" in the classroom and all-night, caffeine-fueled cram sessions. Until now, the traditional concept of the law-school experience was the one presented in Scott Turow's One-L, published in 1977, a dark description of his first year at Harvard Law School. Twenty-four years later things have definitely changed. Turow's book became the accepted primer--and warning--for aspiring law students, giving them a glimpse of what awaited: grueling nonstop study, brutally competitive classes, endless research, and unfathomable terminology. It described a draconian prison and endless work in the company of equally obsessive, desperate fellow students. Yet, sidestepping terror and intimidation, law students (and new authors) Robert Byrnes and Jaime Marquart entered highly prestigious law schools, did things their own way, earned law degrees, and were hired by a Los Angeles law firm, turning Turow's vision upside down. In their parallel narratives--two twisted, hilarious, blighted, and glorious coming-of-age stories--Byrnes and Marquart explain how they managed to graduate while spending most of their time in the pursuit of pleasure. Byrnes went to Stanford to reinvent himself--after a false start in politics he wanted to explore the life of the mind. It took him virtually no time to discover that the law was neither particularly intriguing nor particularly challenging. He could play around the clock. When Byrnes wasn't biking he was getting drunk and smoking crack. Finding himself when he discovered the right woman, Byrnes finally moved to Los Angeles during his third year and flew upstate only to take final exams. Born and raised in a small town in Texas, Marquart had never lived outside the state before arriving at Harvard. Amazed at his own good luck, he approached school with all due diligence. Disenchantment followed shortly thereafter, and Marquart learned he needn't be intimidated by his classmates and teachers. With a mysterious and bizarre companion--another student called the Kankoos--Jaime took up traveling but devoted most of his energy (and considerable money) to gambling, counting cards in casinos around the country. Irreverent, funny, and downright shocking, Brush with the Law will inspire undergraduates to bone up for the entrance exam, while outraging lawyers and the admissions officers of their beloved alma maters. Upon realizing how easy it was to get good grades, Jaime relates: "I approached my second year with [one] goal . . . take classes that required the least amount of work and the least amount of attendance . . . To accomplish my . . . goal, I devised The System, a short instruction manual on the principles behind selecting and ditching law school classes. The System's goal was to screw off as much as possible, with few if any consequences." --from Brush with the Law
