Amelia usually loves Christmas, but this year is her first one alone since her husband passed away – though she's not quite by herself. Somehow, she's been lumbered with a menagerie of pets over the holidays, no thanks to the new village vet closing the local kennels. Between a parrot, two tortoises and god-knows-how-many baby mice, Amelia ends up seeing a lot more of Jules the vet than she planned to. And despite her neighbours' fury for the man who shut down a local institution, she can't help enjoying every moment she spends with Jules. She tells herself it doesn't really matter as surely Jules will be driven out of the village by this time next year. But as Amelia's about to discover... ...love isn't just for Christmas!
From the wombat who creates a beautiful tree to the pony who finds a new home, from a bear with a delicious recipe to Santa's unexpected helper and many more: meet the special animals who feature in these sparkling new stories for young readers, from both established and emerging authors, in a collection of entertaining illustrated tales for young readers, spiced with a touch of Christmas magic. Edited by Beattie Alvarez, A Christmas Menagerie features original stories by popular authors Gabrielle Wang, Sherryl Clark, Michael Pryor, Janeen Brian and Sophie Masson, as well as several new and emerging writers, and is beautifully illustrated in full colour by David Allan, Kathy Creamer, Fiona McDonald, Ingrid Kallick, and Yvonne Low.
There is no crueler cage than the confines of the human mind in this riveting sequel to Menagerie from the New York Times–bestselling author. When their coup of Metzger’s Menagerie is discovered, Delilah Marlow and her fellow cryptids find their newly won freedom brutally stripped away as they are sold into The Savage Spectacle, a private collection of “exotic wildlife.” Specializing in ruthless cryptid cage matches, safari-style creature hunts and living party favors, the Spectacle’s owner, Willem Vandekamp, caters to the forbidden fetishes of the wealthy and powerful. At the Spectacle, any wish can be granted—for the right price. But Vandekamp’s closely guarded client list isn’t the only secret being kept at the Spectacle. Beneath the beauty and brutality of life in the collection lie much darker truths, and no one is more determined than Delilah to strip the masks from the human monsters and drag all dark things into the light. “Oh what a disturbingly dark, and haunting world Rachel Vincent has crafted! Spectacle is definitely not for the fainthearted. However, it is the characters who are the heart and soul of Spectacle. The world they live in is harsh and brutal but it is the strength, love, and loyalty we see emerging out of the darkness that makes Spectacle so significant. I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the third book of the Menagerie series!” —Fresh Fiction “A bravura example of fantasy series-building.” —Publishers Weekly
Make the holidays extra special with hand-made ornaments of oven-bake clay! Find step-by-step instructions to make ten unique animal ornaments, including a panda, polar bear, mouse, owl, arctic seal, blue bird, reindeer, penguin, fox, and elephant. Add accessories like a santa hat and scarf, and surprise your friends and relatives this Christmas with an unforgettable, hand-made ornament.
To protect those most vulnerable, Haven Haviland must trust her heart--and her regrets--to a mysterious newcomer in this moving contemporary romance. Few in the community of Whisper Canyon have actually met Jace Daring, a handsome recluse who lives at Aspen Crossroads, the farm at the edge of town. But that doesn't stop the rumors about the multiple women who live with him. He must protect the truth--that his farm-to-table restaurant will provide new livelihoods for women rescued from human trafficking--or he risks the safety and futures of those relying on him. But he can't do it alone. Haven Haviland has always been everyone's safe place to fall until one mistake closes her counseling practice and leaves her open to the town's gossip. Trusting men has gotten her in trouble before. However, accepting Jace's job offer to mentor the rescued women seems like the perfect way to right her wrongs. When the mayor's campaign to clean up Whisper Canyon targets Aspen Crossroads, the restaurant comes under fire, dangers from the women's pasts are awakened, and Haven's sins are exposed for all to see. Jace would sacrifice himself to save Haven and the women under his care, but his efforts might not be enough. And in the end, it might not be the women most in need of saving after all.
Forty fine-feathered friends to crochet using easy-to-master techniques with projects for all skill levels, from the bestselling author of Edward’s Menagerie. You’ll be as happy as a lark as you crochet your way through this colorful collection of birds, including a bashful Flamingo, a romance-writing Owl, and a politically incorrect Pheasant. Read all about these kooky characters, their adorations and aversions, daydreams and delusions, then crochet them for friends and family. Each bird can be crocheted in four different sizes, making over 160 different pattern possibilities—so pick your first project and get started! The patterns use basic stitches, are grouped by difficulty and include step-by-step technical guides for beginners, so there’s no excuse to chicken out. These loveable birds are quick to make using a super-soft yarn in a sophisticated color palette, and will become your best friends as their larger-than-life personalities and easy-to-master techniques get their claws into you. Praise for Edward’s Menagerie: Birds “This book is a hoot! (Pun intended . . . ) . . . I’m not naturally a fan of amigurumi, but this book by Kerry Lord may change all that.” —Bonnie Bay Crochet “Edward's Menagerie: Birds has some of the most adorable toy birds that I have ever seen! . . . The author put a tremendous amount of detail into each bird pattern, which makes them all adorable in their own way.” —The Stitchin’ Mommy
Presents the author's selection of his best short stories, as well as a new piece, in a collection that includes "The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary," "Mono No Aware" and "The Waves."
London, 1857. Meet Jaf, a young street urchin who survives an encounter with an escaped tiger in the city’s East End and stumbles into a job with its owner, Mr. Jamrach, a collector and seller of wild animals. Commissioned by Jamrach to find and capture a mysterious, exotic creature, Jaf joins a whaling ship bound for the South Seas and begins a wonder-filled voyage of discovery. But when disaster befalls the crew, Jaf ’s journey becomes a desperate survival tale that pushes love, friendship and humanity to their outermost limits. Beautifully written and utterly spellbinding, Jamrach’s Menagerie conjures the smells, sights and flavours of the 19th century, from the squalor of Victorian London to the lush islands of the Dutch East Indies. A great, salty, historical adventure, with an extraordinary story of love and sacrifice at its core, this is an astonishing literary achievement.
Christmas is in the air in Kedgewick Creek, North Carolina, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Will romance find four couples in the month of December or will the pressure to keep the festivities Mistletoe Square is known for keep these couples apart? Find out in this collection of four novellas from inspirational authors Pepper Basham, Cara Putman, Janine Rosche, and Teresa Tysinger. The Christmas Clue to Loving You by Pepper Basham After five years away, Piper Dawson returns home to Kedgewick Creek and is pulled into a Christmas Scavenger Hunt that resurrects a heartbreak from Christmas past she’s not quite ready to mend. Will a matchmaking granny, a little Christmas magic, and a cute guy in a kilt make all the difference to her Christmas yet-to-come? Silver Bell Secrets by Cara Putman Growing up with dyslexia, Avery Blair didn’t love books, but the family-owned bookshop held her heart. She never expected her little business on the backside of nowhere to garner a New York City publishing house’s attention. Hunter Chase has lived an “always winter, never Christmas” existence, and spending the holidays in Christmas Town U.S.A. wasn’t exactly on his Christmas wish list, but he had no choice when his boss gave him an ultimatum. Can small town and big city discover a Christmas future that will last far beyond the page? An Unscripted Christmas by Teresa Tysinger Ellie and Oliver Larson face a Christmas full of uncertainty rather than festive cheer. Ellie is tired of playing a supporting role to Oliver’s passion of running the Kedgewick Creek Playhouse. Oliver can’t imagine his life without her. When things go off script, will their love story find its second act? Dreams in Toyland by Janine Rosche Toy shop owner Peyton Hammond knows a secret that could take down online giant Kiljoy Toyz and its owner, Joey Kiljoy. After the two adversaries spend Christmas Eve delivering gifts for charity, will the sun rise on newfound love, or will prejudice and lost dreams keep hope in the dark?
