Clint rides into the town of Pleasant, Wyoming, just passing through. The town lives up to its name, with people treating him in the hotel, livery, cafes and shops. But the most unusual thing about the town is that it has a lady sheriff. Seems nobody else wanted the job, and she did. But when push comes to shove and she’s called upon to track a killer, no one in Pleasant will step up to help—except the Gunsmith.
Angels. Emma Cramer doesn’t consider herself an angel by any stretch of the imagination. Temporarily stranded, broke and unable to pursue her dreams of working in the big city following her mother’s death, Emma’s life changes when she rescues a small child and a puppy who get trapped in a garage where Emma’s truck has finally breathed its last . The girl’s relieved and grateful grandmother believes Emma has been sent by angels because her family needs temporary help. She offers Emma a job, a good salary and a place to stay until after the holidays. It seems like a Christmas miracle for both of them. Angels often appear when least expected, but when the most needed. Cynical sheriff and rancher Cole Drayton has heard that all his life, but he’s never been in the market for much else. He can take care of his daughter, his ranch and his family on his own without his meddling mother, but his long protected heart and desire for isolation is no match for a beautiful stranded stranger and a misfit puppy who make his daughter laugh and him feel alive again. Can unsuspecting hearts intersect at the moment when love and trust is needed most? Anything is possible with the magic of the Christmas season and faith in the Christmas angels
Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun (1755-1842) was an enormously successful painter, a favorite portraitist of Marie-Antoinette, and one of the few women accepted into the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. In her role as an artist, she was simultaneously flattered as a charming woman and vilified as monstrously unfeminine. In the Exceptional Woman, Mary D. Sheriff uses Vigee-Lebrun's career to explore the contradictory position of "woman-artist" in the moral, philosophical, professional, and medical debates about women in eighteenth-century France. Central to Sheriff's analysis is one key question: given the cultural norms and social attitudes that regulated a woman's activities, how could Vigee-Lebrun conceive of herself as an artist, and indeed become a successful one, in old-regime France. Paying particular attention to painted and textual self-portraits, Sheriff shows how Vigee-Lebrun's images and memoirs undermined the assumptions about "woman" and the strictures imposed on women. Engaging ancien-regime philosophy as well as modern feminism, psychoanalysis, literary theory, and art criticism, Sheriff's interpretations of Vigee-Lebrun's paintings challenge us to rethink the work of this controversial woman artist.
“A colorful and inventive adventure tale.”—Washington Post “It’s True Grit, New York style.”—New York Post “One of the best mystery novels of the year: wonderful and very entertaining.” —New York Journal of Books “Stewart deftly combines the rough-and-tumble atmosphere of early twentieth-century New York City with the story of three women who want to live life on their own terms.” —Library Journal, starred review In 1915, lady cops were not expected to chase down fugitives on the streets of New York City. But Constance Kopp never did what anyone expected. Constance and her sisters aren’t living the quiet life anymore. They’ve made headlines fighting back against a ruthless silk factory owner and his gang of thugs. After Sheriff Heath sees Constance in action, he appoints her as one of the nation’s first female deputies. But when a German-speaking con man threatens her position—and puts the honorable sheriff at risk for being thrown in his own jail—Constance will be forced to prove herself again. Based on the Kopp sisters’ real-life adventures, Girl Waits with Gun introduced the sensational lives of Constance Kopp and her sisters to an army of enthusiastic readers. This second installment, also ripped from the headlines, takes us farther into the riveting story of a woman who defied expectations, forged her own path, and tackled crime along the way. “A fast-moving, craftily written novel.”—BookPage “[An] irresistible madcap adventure.”—PopSugar “Stewart leaves the reader wondering about one mystery still developing unsolved . . . Readers will just have to wait—impatiently, no doubt—for book No. 3.”—Boston Globe
In the spirit of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, The Sheriff of Yrnameer is sci-fi comedy at its best—mordant, raucously funny, and a thrilling page-turner. Meet Cole: hapless space rogue and part-time smuggler. His sidekick just stole his girlfriend. The galaxy’s most hideous and feared bounty hunter wants to lay eggs in his brain. And the luxury space yacht Cole just hijacked turns out to be filled with interstellar do-gooders, one especially loathsome stowaway, and a cargo of freeze-dried orphans. Cole gathers a misfit crew for a desperate journey to the far reaches of the galaxy: the mysterious world of Yrnameer, the very last of the “your-name-heres”—planets without corporate sponsors. But little does Cole suspect that this legendary utopia is home to a band of outlaws bent on destroying the planet’s tiny, peaceful community.
The bestselling author of Girl Waits with Gun brings the real-life escapades of the famous crime-fighting Kopp sisters to life in this extraordinary novel that is "perfect for book groups" (Booklist). Deputy sheriff Constance Kopp stands up to the “morality” laws of 1916, defending the independent young women in her prison against dubious charges when no one else will. From the patriotic Edna Heustis, who left home to work in a munitions factory, to the sixteen-year-old runaway Minnie Davis, these and other publicly shamed women who were packed off to a state-run reformatory find an unlikely ally in Constance, who uses her authority — and occasionally exceeds it — to investigate and defend them at all costs. But it's Constance's sister Fleurette who forces her to reckon with her own ideas of how a young woman should and shouldn't behave. Set against the backdrop of World War I, and drawn from true characters and events, this novel is timeless in its themes of justice and equality, and is sure to delight fans of historical and detective fiction alike.
The Lady's Paladin: A Policeman's Guide for the American Woman and the Western _ inker is interlaced with encouraging, helpful information for women of all ages regarding a number of subjects. Within its pages, women will see their gender from a heightened perspective, thereby sensing much greater potential within themselves. In this process, they will come to better understand men""the fine and decent and, most notably, those to avoid in any relationship. Married or single, young or old, the reader will be taken behind the scenes in police settings and read accounts of tragic incidents, some of which could have been prevented. DeLaMater skillfully navigates numerous police cases, providing the reader with helpful insight to better help her avoid potential pitfalls for herself and loved ones, including potentially harmful relationships. His vast police experience will keep the reader on the edge of her seat at times and occasionally bring disgust upon learning of officials who failed society through their arrogance, incompetence, or impotence. At the same time, he clearly applauds the dedicated, competent, and hardworking. Beyond heart-wrenching accounts of tragic events, many in which the author was personally involved, he effortlessly traverses to romantic stories with a touch of humor. Unafraid of self-criticism, he is likely to bring delightful thought and encouragement to the unsuspecting reader. She will surely find in him a kindred spirit and a true friend as his respect for women is clearly visible. Humility and deep thought emanate from this read as the author adeptly mixes things up a bit to stimulate the mind""all to benefit women in relationships with others, including their children. Finally, this work ties together one's present status with great future potential as it introduces a heartwarming destiny for any woman seeking the most of what life has to offer. Yes, The Lady's Paladin: A Policeman's Guide for the American Woman and the Western Thinker is based on both logic and a compilation of facts and evidence. It is truly an eye-opening work unlike no other.
An Amazon Best History Book of the Month This true crime story transports readers to a tumultuous time in Texas history—when the old ways clashed with the new—as it sheds light on police brutality, gun control, Mexican American civil rights, and much more “[A] riveting story of a time when sheriffs could get away with murder.” —Dallas Morning News Beeville, Texas, was the most American of small towns—the place that GIs had fantasized about while fighting through the ruins of Europe, a place of good schools, clean streets, and churches. Old West justice ruled, as evidenced by a 1947 shootout when outlaws surprised popular sheriff Vail Ennis at a gas station and shot him five times, point–blank, in the belly. Ennis managed to draw his gun and put three bullets in each assailant; he reloaded and shot them three times more. Time magazine’s full–page article on the shooting was seen by some as a referendum on law enforcement owing to the sheriff’s extreme violence, but supportive telegrams from across America poured into Beeville’s tiny post office. Yet when a second violent incident threw Ennis into the crosshairs of public opinion once again, the uprising was orchestrated by an unlikely figure: his close friend and Beeville’s favorite son, Johnny Barnhart. Barnhart confronted Ennis in the election of 1952: a landmark standoff between old Texas, with its culture of cowboy bravery and violence, and urban Texas, with its lawyers, oil institutions, and a growing Mexican population. The town would never be the same again. The Last Sheriff in Texas is a riveting narrative about the postwar American landscape, an era grappling with the same issues we continue to face today. Debate over excessive force in law enforcement, Anglo–Mexican relations, gun control, the influence of the media, urban–rural conflict, the power of the oil industry, mistrust of politicians and the political process—all have surprising historical precedence in the story of Vail Ennis and Johnny Barnhart.
