Book picks similar to
An Orphan's Heart by Lori Crane


non-fiction
historical
considering
not-sure

Starmaker: Life as a Hollywood Publicist with Farrah, the Rat Pack and 600 More Stars Who Fired Me


Jay Bernstein - 2011
    From his childhood in Oklahoma City and his first job in a Hollywood mail room to the ownership of his own public relations firm and his work as a personal manager and television producer, Bernstein's life is chronicled in his own words. In addition to his rise to greatness, Bernstein also describes the relationships he had with stars and relates the stories behind some of the crazy stunts he pulled to garner attention, such as paying women to throw hotel keys at Tom Jones, having Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart's legs insured for one million dollars, and getting married underwater for an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Written with style and a sense of humor, this autobiography shares the intimate details of Jay Bernstein's fascinating life.

The Sunday Girls


Maureen Reynolds - 2007
    Ann would love to stay at school but following the death of her mother she is forced to become a housemaid to support her family. Her employer, Mrs Barrie, couldn't be kinder, but the spiteful housekeeper Miss Hood makes Ann's life a misery. When she meets Maddie, the daughter of a prosperous Dundee solicitor, the only thing they have in common is that they were both born on a Sunday, but they become firm friends, finding fun and laughter in good times and bad.

Leah Remini: My Escape from Scientology


Johnny Dodd - 2016
    Ron Hubbard—begins in Brooklyn's working-class Bensonhurst neighborhood, where she was introduced to the religion by her mom. More than three decades later, Leah summoned the courage to leave the church—something few celebrities at her level of fame have ever done before and almost none have ever talked about. This People Spotlight Story explores Leah Remini and her escape from Scientology.

The Gunfighter


Robert J. Conley - 2001
     One day brings the meanest gunfighter in the West – nicknamed the Widowmaker – into town, and though he says he wants to live a quiet life, the whole town’s on the edge of their seat. Who has he come to kill this time? At everyone’s insistence, Barjack does his job to suss out what the Widowmaker really wants – but wouldn’t you the guy’s actually real friendly once you share a drink or two with him… Trouble’s brewing in Asininity, and it looks like it ain’t coming from the Widowmaker. It’s looking like Barjack may need to work together with the fearsome gunfighter to bring peace back to town – if such a thing is possible. Praise for Robert J. Conley “Conley portrays the rough and tumble frontier from the Indian point of view… Veteran novelist Conley works on three levels: murder mystery, frontier political potboiler, and the search for personal identity.” — Booklist “Conley [is] in the ranks of such writers as… Louise Erdrich… and W.P. Kinsella as literary interpreters of the Indian experience.” — Sunday Journal-Star (Lincoln, NE) “Conley [is] among the most productive and inventive of modem Western novelists” — Dale L. Walker, Rocky Mountain News “Conley speaks with a clear Cherokee Indian voice to show how his tribe’s cultural characteristics have survived centuries of abrupt change to give readers an understanding of the fullness and humanity of the Cherokees as a people.” — The Cherokee Advocate Robert J. Conley (1940-2014) was an acclaimed Cherokee author with over fifty books to his name, winning the Spur Award for Best Western Novel twice, as well as another Spur Award for a short story. He was also awarded the 2014 Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Contributions to Western Literature. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

Merlin's Awakening


Tom Larcombe - 2013
    Before he learns much about the current age, the Germans put him to work as a researcher in their occult research facility and as a teacher of conscripted young wizards. His research uncovers the existence of a malevolent artifact hidden in the facility. At its full potential, the artifact could allow the Germans to dominate the war, assuring their victory. He also finds the staff of the facility on the edge of madness, driven there by an insidious creature of dark magic. As the SS insinuates itself into the facility, Merlin may be the only one who can resist them and destroy the dangerous artifact before it's too late to save his students, himself, and the world.

Me And Mine: A warm-hearted memoir of a London Irish Family


Anna May Mangan - 2011
    It might have been the London of the 1950s where 'No Blacks, No Irish No Dogs' was the welcome put out for immigrants, but for the big family that was Anna May Mangan's, it was still better than the poverty they'd hailed from; 'Don't waste today worrying because tomorrow will be even worse' was their motto. But Ireland came with them in the dance halls, holy water and gossip and there was always the warmth of the Irish crowd, in and out of one another's houses 'as if there was no front door'.

Help Self: Learn from my mistakes so you can make different ones!


Tanya Hennessy - 2020
    And wrong. This is not your average self-help book.There are no filters, no frittatas and no fake. In Help Self, Tanya gets real as she discusses food, love, friendship, careers and mental health, and (of course) she gets real hilarious too.From being mistaken for a pregnant woman when she'd just had too many Cheezels, to understanding whatever alien language your friend's child is speaking, to overcoming an unexpected breakup with your best friend, Tanya Hennessy has all the life-hack, pro-tips for getting through this chaos we call life.

Looking for Jane


Judith Redline Coopey - 2012
    Well, what if you don’t have no people? Or any you know of? What then? Are you doomed?” This is the nagging question of fifteen-year-old Nell’s life. Born with a cleft palate and left a foundling on the doorstep of a convent, she yearns to know her mother, whose name, she knows, was Jane.When the Mother Superior tries to pawn her off to a mean looking farmer and his beaten down wife, Nell opts for the only alternative she can see: she runs away. A chance encounter with a dime novel exhorting the exploits of Calamity Jane, heroine of the west, gives Nell the purpose of her life: to find Calamity Jane, who Nell is convinced is her mother.Her quest takes her down rivers, up rivers and across the Badlands to Deadwood, South Dakota and introduces her to Soot, a big, lovable black dog, and Jeremy Chatterfield, a handsome young Englishman who isn’t particular about how he makes his way, as long as he doesn't have to work for it. Together they trek across the country meeting characters as wonderful and bizarre as the adventure they seek, learning about themselves and the world along the way.

The Untamed Bride And The Respectable Mayor: A Clean Western Historical Romance Novel


Felicity Wells - 2020
    He finds the perfect woman in a marriage ad – only to later find out that she’s a lot more than the quiet, beautiful trophy wife he was expecting.Willa is a wild, talented, and free-spirited woman used to riding, shooting, and roping on the plains. Her parents told her she would never find anyone to marry her, but desperately wanting a husband and family of her own, she becomes a mail order bride and travels to Eureka Valley, excited to meet the love of her life.Abel and Willa clash over what the town expects of them. Abel wants to redeem his reputation with a demure, well-behaved wife, but Willa just wants to be loved and accepted for who she is.When a gang closes in on the town, putting all the townspeople in jeopardy, the two must come together and try to save the town.But along the way, will they be able to salvage their struggling relationship? Or will the pressure of societal expectations and the danger the gang puts them in lead to the end of their marriage?If you like fast-paced clean romance and action-packed stories, you won't be able to put down this addictive Novel by Felicity Wells."The Untamed Bride And The Respectable Mayor" is a stand-alone Western Historical Romance Novel of approximately 500 pages.

From Victim to Hero: The Untold Story of Steven Stayner


Jim Laughter - 2010
    Steven’s story inspires and exemplifies the goodness and strength within the human spirit. The trauma experienced by the family is shared, giving insight of the impact on the marriage, children, and friends. Whether in abuse or abduction, From Victim to Hero portrays the grooming, lying and strategies used by predators to convince and coerce their victims into compliance. This book reiterates the three principles victims must realize – 1. Nobody has the right to hurt you. 2. It’s not your fault. 3. You don’t have the right to hurt others. Buy this book. Share it with your children. Keep them safe.Ed Smart (father of kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart)President, Surviving Parents CoalitionIn this book, From Victim to Hero, Jim Laughter expresses Steven’s heart and brings to light the extraordinary spirit of a young man that endangered himself because he believed rescuing Timmy White was the right thing to do.Diane L Brown, Founder/DirectorSafety Kids, Inc.

Conditions are Favorable


Tara Staley - 2013
    You are searching. You are here to find yourself, fill some kind of hole in your heart...there's no other reason why such fine men would be here but to find--or maybe lose--yourselves. Which is it?"Fall into the year 1900 at Kitty Hawk, NC, when life consists of shipwrecks, shoot-outs…and flying machines. When Orville and Wilbur Wright arrive to conduct flight experiments, their posh dignity stands in stark contrast to a community of rough old salts who believe in a “good God, a bad devil, a hot hell, and more than anything else, that the same good God did not intend for man to ever fly.”The Wright brothers may be able to defy divine edicts, theorize about relative velocities and engineer the world’s first flying machine. But when it comes to women, they are terribly love-shy.That doesn't deter Kitty Hawker Madeleine Tate. When she meets these two odd bicycle mechanics from Ohio, she is immediately struck by the brothers’ intellect, dandy appearance—and their grip on bachelorhood. Their shyness and fixation on flight puzzles her, too, but she finds her growing fondness for Orville hard to resist. He represents a splendid taste of the Outside World, the place where she can escape the poverty and fear that define life on a stormy sandbar.And Orville is flattered by her affections, but he has long-accepted the fact that he and Wilbur are social misfits who let one bad experience with courtship harden their hearts forever. He finds his shyness, obsessions and memories tough obstacles to overcome. But Madeleine is determined to break through his shell to find out who he really is--a brilliant inventor? A lunatic risking his life for the sake of something the world deems impossible? Or is he someone just like her, with real hurts, dreams and desires?With stunning detail that rings true of early twentieth century life, author Tara Staley artfully depicts the story of two individuals who both, in their own unique ways, learn to spread their wings and fly."Gorgeously written, with the time, the place and the people evoked so dazzlingly, you can hear the wings of the Wright's flying machine, wafting in the air." Caroline Leavitt, NYT bestselling author, PICTURES OF YOU

Conversations with Tom Robbins


Liam O. Purdon - 2010
    1932) has become known as the principal voice of American countercultural fiction. His cult celebrity was further solidified by the success of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976) and Still Life With Woodpecker (1980). Robbins's mix of vivid language, ribald humor, philosophical musings, controversial commentary on religion and sexuality, and concentration on female protagonists and feminine consciousness has marked almost all of his fiction, as well as his short writings.Despite his undeserved reputation as 1960s hippie icon, all of Robbins's work remains popular and in print, and his later novels--including Jitterbug Perfume (1984), Skinny Legs and All (1990), Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas (1994), Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates(2000), Villa Incognito (2003), and B Is for Beer (2009)--engage thoroughly with current politics, mores, and trends.Conversations with Tom Robbins brings together more than twenty interviews with the acclaimed author, from the mid-1970s to the present. Throughout the volume, Robbins discusses his working methods, his fusion of Eastern and Western philosophical traditions, the need for wit and humor in serious fiction, and the ways living in the Pacific Northwest has fueled his work.

Finding Allie


Delaney Cameron - 2015
    A gently-bred female doesn’t offer herself to a stranger. If she does, she must be willing to accept the consequences. But what if among those consequences is one she hadn’t expected? Nicholas Ashton knows all too well what awaits him at Waverton: marriage and the inevitable heir. He is only too happy to delay his arrival by accepting an invitation from an old friend to spend a few weeks at Groome Hall. When he is thrown (literally) into Allie’s path, he begins to suspect his hitherto calm, orderly life may never be the same. Allie and Nicholas might be determined to forget their very unorthodox first meeting, but fate has other ideas. And when has fighting fate ever been easy?

Joan Miro: I Work Like a Gardener


Joan Miró - 2017
    Their conversation, one of the most illuminating and insightful looks into MirO's philosophy and creative process, was first published in a limited edition of seventy five copies in 1964. Though long out of print, this bilingual "treasure," in the words of Maria Popova, "remains the most direct and comprehensive record of MirO's ideas on art." This beautiful new edition presents an updated English translation of MirO's invaluable text in an elegant and striking package. In addition to Taillandier's original foreword, a new preface by preeminent MirO scholar Robert Lubar provides wider context and insight. An appendix includes the original French text in its entirety. Joan MirO I Work Like a Gardener brings to life the words and work of one of the most beloved and influential artists of the twentieth century.

Behind the Sequins: My Life


Shirley Ballas - 2020
    In 1996, Shirley retired from competitive dancing to become a highly-acclaimed coach and now holds the enviable position of Head Judge on BBC One's prime time show Strictly Come Dancing.In Behind the Sequins, she leads us through her dramatic and determined life, from growing up in a rough estate on the Wirral and leaving home at 14 years old, to conquering the high-octane world of ballroom and coping with betrayal, bullying, two broken marriages and a personal tragedy that left Shirley and her family devastated.Speaking from the heart, Shirley leaves her dancing shoes at the door to tell you the story of a fiery, strong-willed grafter who could make the brat pack blush.