A coming-of-age story of the time during and after World War II, Wild Hands Toward the Sky introduces young, fatherless John Walter McElligott as he grows up -- lonesome and longing -- in a rural Illinois farm community. He and his mother now live with his aunt and uncle, but he is inescapably drawn to the other men of the area who served in the war and returned -- especially his older cousin, Sam, who was injured during the D-Day invasion and fought on through Europe until the end of the war. Out of their own respect for John Walters father, who was killed on Guadalcanal, these veterans treat the boy with a calculated deference and are compelled to teach him their hard-earned lessons about life, responsibility, duty and honor.
She thought her love for him was unrequited, but when they meet again, she may just find that she's the one he can't forget West Indies, 1571. Shipwrecked on an island for most of her young life, Lily Christian is rescued by the dashing sea captain, Valentine Whitelaw. On the voyage back to England, Lily falls hard for the sun-bronzed man, but her love is not returned. Back among the glittering halls of court, Valentine tries to forget the young beauty he plucked from the Caribbean. But when he discovers innocent Lily is caught up in a treacherous plot to murder the queen, he will do everything in his power to protect Lily and save his liege. Thrust together into perilous adventure, Valentine and Lily have only each other to trust...and to love. Praise for Laurie McBain: "Lush and evocative."—Publishers Weekly "Wonderfully romantic."—Romantic Times
“A satire of writerly ambition wrapped in a psychological thriller . . . An homage to Patricia Highsmith, Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe, but its execution is entirely Boyne’s own.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE Maurice Swift is handsome, charming, and hungry for fame. The one thing he doesn’t have is talent—but he’s not about to let a detail like that stand in his way. After all, a would-be writer can find stories anywhere. They don’t need to be his own. Working as a waiter in a West Berlin hotel in 1988, Maurice engineers the perfect opportunity: a chance encounter with celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann. He quickly ingratiates himself with the powerful – but desperately lonely – older man, teasing out of Erich a terrible, long-held secret about his activities during the war. Perfect material for Maurice’s first novel. Once Maurice has had a taste of literary fame, he knows he can stop at nothing in pursuit of that high. Moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he matches wits with Gore Vidal, to Manhattan and London, Maurice hones his talent for deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented and vulnerable in his cold-blooded climb to the top. But the higher he climbs, the further he has to fall. . . . Sweeping across the late twentieth century, A Ladder to the Sky is a fascinating portrait of a relentlessly immoral man, a tour de force of storytelling, and the next great novel from an acclaimed literary virtuoso. Praise for A Ladder to the Sky “Boyne's mastery of perspective, last seen in The Heart's Invisible Furies, works beautifully here. . . . Boyne understands that it's far more interesting and satisfying for a reader to see that narcissist in action than to be told a catchall phrase. Each step Maurice Swift takes skyward reveals a new layer of calumny he's willing to engage in, and the desperation behind it . . . so dark it seems almost impossible to enjoy reading A Ladder to the Sky as much as you definitely will enjoy reading it.”—NPR “Delicious . . . spins out over several decades with thrilling unpredictability, following Maurice as he masters the art of co-opting the stories of others in increasingly dubious ways. And while the book reads as a thriller with a body count that would make Highsmith proud, it is also an exploration of morality and art: Where is the line between inspiration and thievery? To whom does a story belong?”—Vanity Fair
Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children gives the reader over 40 essays that examine specific types of children's books and offer suggestions in each category. Among the topics covered are: imagination, faith, classic literature, middle school books, race, fantasy, contemporary children's books, Shakespeare, art history, Newbery books, young adult novels, poetry, and more. Curated and edited by Leslie and Carey Bustard with Théa Rosenburg (a mother-daughter team and a children's books blogger), Wild Things and Castles in the Sky will encourage and envision parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends--to know the power of a good story and to share it with a child they love.
Wild Sky Night Sky Series # 2 Young Adult Paranormal with romantic elements First published 2015 Skylar, Calvin, Dana, and Milo are back, but now their unlikely Destiny-fighting team includes... Garrett Hathaway...? When Garrett’s friend Jilly goes missing, Coconut Key Academy’s most “popular” bully and all-around douche approaches Sky and Calvin to ask for help. From Garrett’s description of the missing girl’s telekinesis, it’s likely that Jilly is a Greater-Than like Sky and Dana—a girl with rare super-powers. And it’s highly likely that Jilly’s been kidnapped for her valuable blood—an essential ingredient in the dangerous, addictive street drug called Destiny, which makes users young, healthy, beautiful—and profoundly evil—before it kills them. When Skylar and her team finally track down Jilly, the girl oddly refuses to be rescued. In the struggle that ensues, Calvin—who’s been in a wheelchair since he was nine—is accidentally injected with Destiny. For the short-term, he can walk again, but the drug willeventually kill him. After it turns him evil... Unless Sky can find a way to save her best friend’s life... Wild Sky is the second book in a YA series set in the same dark future as Suzanne Brockmann’s Born to Darkness, the first installment in her Fighting Destiny paranormal romance series. The Night Sky YA series has the same mix of suspense, romance, humor, and the paranormal, and deals with many of the same themes, including society’s relentless exploitation and devaluation of females, and the empowerment that comes when women and girls recognize their strength and intellect, and stand up, fight back, and save the day. (119K words or 436 pages) Don’t miss... Night Sky Series # 1: Night Sky Night Sky Series # 0.5: Dangerous Destiny (When Skylar Met Calvin)
In this Pulitzer Prize–finalist biography, the author of Mad at the World examines the little-known life of the man behind the well-known bird survey. John James Audubon is renowned for his masterpiece of natural history and art, The Birds of America, the first nearly comprehensive survey of the continent’s birdlife. And yet few people understand, and many assume incorrectly, what sort of man he was. How did the illegitimate son of a French sea captain living in Haiti, who lied both about his parentage and his training, rise to become one of the greatest natural historians ever and the greatest name in ornithology? In Under a Wild Sky this Pulitzer Prize finalist, William Souder reveals that Audubon did not only compose the most famous depictions of birds the world has ever seen, but he also composed a brilliant mythology of self. In this dazzling work of biography, Souder charts the life of a driven man who, despite all odds, became the historical figure we know today. “A meticulous biography and a fascinating portrait of a young nation.”—San Francisco Chronicle “As richly endowed and densely packed as the forests of Audubon’s day.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune “Deftly weaves together the story of the self-taught artist and naturalist…with the development of scientific inquiry in the early years of the republic and the lives of ordinary Americans as the new nation spilled westward over the mountains from the Eastern seaboard.”—Los Angeles Times
Successful developer Mitchell Granger never intended to return to Three River Ranch but when he dodges a setup by claiming a sweetheart back home, his eccentric, matchmaking client insists on meeting her. He can't scuttle the deal. But now he needs a girl to play along. Unfortunately, the girl he named happens to be his first love...and biggest mistake. This is going to cost him big. Midwife Sabrina Becker forgave Mitch for leaving, but she never forgot the pain. She agrees to pose as Mitch's fiancée, but he has to build the town a new maternity clinic. A good one, with room to grow and all the amenities. This time, she won't be on the losing end of their time together. In fact, she'll play her role well enough that when he leaves, it'll break his heart, instead of hers. But as Mitch sheds his corporate skin and picks up his dusty jeans and cowboy hat, Sabrina discovers he's not that boy anymore. She sees someone new, a man who's loving, complicated, and honourable. But can she risk her heart again? Mitch still doesn't deserve her and he won't hurt her again. But all the money he's made is nothing compared to the treasure he left behind—if he can only convince Sabrina to trust him.
Cowboy Zach Gamble has been through hell and back. The driver in a devastating crash that killed his brother and paralyzed his father, he’s got emotional wounds far worse than any physical scars. Saving the family ranch is his penance. He’ll keep Twinridge Ranch going even if it kills him – which it might. Physical therapist Desiree Burke loved the challenge of a hopeless case – until a false claim of elder abuse shattered her reputation, and her confidence. But when her friend Rory begs her to come to Twinridge to help a man learn to walk again, she can’t say no. But the Gamble men might be the challenge of her life. Zach’s father has given up and Zach? He won’t even admit to the pain that Des reads on his body. The former foster child is both fascinated and envious of the Gamble family bonds but Des knows better than to get attached. The new therapist is driving Zach nuts. Can’t she see how fragile his father is? Why does she push so hard? Worse yet is the compassion he sees when their eyes meet. He doesn’t need it, doesn’t want it, doesn’t deserve it. But Des’s touch unlocks something inside Zach that he thought was dead. She makes him feel, and he doesn’t want that. But then Des works her way into his ranch, his family, and his life. He can’t resist her and now, to earn her love, he has to find forgiveness for the person he blames most: himself.
