and the Florida Crackers -the zany but lovable folks who populated the remote hamlet that was Marjorie Rawlings’ home. With a gift for humor and a venerable ear for dialect comes the author’s personal accounts of the people, scenery and wildlife of Cross Creek.Short Stories:A Crop Of BeansBenny and the Bird DogsJacob’s LadderThe PardonVarmintsThe EnemyGal Young UnAlligatorsA Plumb Clare ConscienceA Mother In MannvilleCocks Must Crow

    When a fly fishing guide discovers his favorite spot is in jeopardy and the secret it holds. Together with the son of his nemesis and a reluctant local woman, he sets out to save the Key.

    When she meets the locals, she’s absolutely sure. There’s just one problem; she’s 8 months pregnant. The village is turned upside down when Barbara Hamilton, pillar of the community, is found dead at Gadding Goslings playgroup. No one could have murdered her except the people who were there. The police suspect all of them, including Pippa herself…With a baby due any minute, and hampered by her toddler son, can Pippa unmask the murderer? Will Much Gadding return to normal? And does anyone in Much Gadding even know what normal is?Murder At The Playgroup is the first cozy mystery featuring Pippa Parker, mum and amateur sleuth, and set in the quiet but eccentric English village of Much Gadding.

    Acting Police Chief Ruth Murphy of New Derby, a suburb of Boston, investigates the death of prominent businesswoman Tracey Kendall and finds not only a multitude of suspects but a danger to her chance at becoming Chief.

    So do cats, bunnies and every other creature that must temporarily call it home. Running an animal shelter is hell, but Lucy knew that coming in. Dealing with the constant stream of homeless animals, tight budget and tighter Board of Directors, while maintaining a 20 year marriage, is exhausting. But it's all worth it each and every time an animal gets adopted. What Lucy could not foresee is that an unknown enemy would declare war on Mercy. Disturbing notes, nasty pranks and the horrible murder of a beloved co-worker threatens Mercy's very existence. Ferocious in the defense of her employees and the animals they care for, Lucy must identify and stop this enemy, or die trying.

    Given a year to prove he can make rain during Florida’s economic drought, David rolls up his sleeves and lands the client of his dreams—Frank O'Reilly, a real estate developer embroiled in dozens of lawsuits and hell-bent on turning a profit during the recession. Little does David know that Frank's company is involved in a murderous plot to cover up years of mortgage fraud in the Sunshine State. As David prepares for a trial that will make or break his career, he discovers that a secret investor in Frank’s company is responsible for murder and will continue killing to hide the truth. The only thing David can’t figure out is whether Frank is the conspiracy’s victim or its mastermind. To answer that question, David must risk far more than partnership as he unravels one dark secret after another about his client, his law firm, and, ultimately, himself.

    What's the hardest, you ask? Sniffing bombs? No sir. That's easy once you know what to look for. Apprehending perpetrators? Nope. That's fun. The hardest part of being a K-9 is training people.Humans don't know how to communicate. It's not their fault that they have blunt teeth, fixed ears, and no tail. As for their nose, they can't tell goose guano from duck poop and can't even read each other's thoughts.That's why they need dogs. To guide them, take care of them, and set them right.Becoming K-9 is the story of how I grew from a feisty pup into a fierce K-9. How I looked after my humans, helped them focus on the half-full bowl of kibble, and taught them unconditional love. Because, whether you're young or old, rich or poor, dog or human, there's nothing more potent than love. Not even death. Love is the only thing we get to take with us when we die.

    . .Judy Nunn's latest bestselling novel will take you from the cotton mills of England to the magnificent theatres of Melbourne, on a scintillating journey through the golden age of Australian showbusiness.'So, Will, are you going to come with me and my team of merry performers to the sunny climes of Australia, where the crowds are already queuing and the streets are paved with gold?'In the second half of the 19th century, Melbourne is a veritable boom town, as hopefuls from every corner of the globe flock to the gold fields of Victoria.And where people crave gold, they also crave entertainment.Enter stage right- brothers Will and Max Worthing and their wives Mabel and Gertie. The family arrives from England in the 1880s with little else but the masterful talents that will see them rise from simple travelling performers to sophisticated entrepreneurs.Enter stage left- their rivals, Carlo and Rube. Childhood friends since meeting in a London orphanage, the two men have literally fought their way to the top and are now producers of the bawdy but hugely popular 'Big Show Bonanza'. The fight for supremacy begins.Waiting in the wings- Comedy, tragedy, passion and betrayal; economic depression, a pandemic and the horrors of World War One...

    After repeatedly responding to an abandoned and allegedly haunted farmhouse for 911 hang up calls, she discovers a dead body in a secret room. The forensic investigators determine that the body has only been dead for three to four days, but the case takes an unexpected turn when Sarah runs the victim's fingerprints and learns that her Jane Doe actually died 20 years ago. When the investigation intersects with a larger confidential case, Sarah finds herself caught between the FBI and US Marshals and realizes that she may be closer to the victim than she thought. As Sarah’s involvement in the case deepens, she finds her career is not the only thing at stake… Someone wants her dead.

    But then someone had to go and get murdered.When he’s sent to investigate an accidental death from a house fire, it seems like just another open-and-shut case... until he discovers the victim was dead before the fire started.It isn't long before Sam stumbles upon a dark side to the victim’s past and unwittingly ignites a powder keg of secrets. Soon he is caught in a maze of murder, abuse and corruption.Was it the vengeful arsonist? The widow with a sordid past? The son with a chip on his shoulder? Or is an ambitious warden trying to keep a prison scandal under wraps? One thing’s for sure: the more Sam fans the flames, the more likely he is to get burned.Set among the colorful backdrop of East Texas, this taut page-turner is sure to keep you guessing until the very last page.

    Lutheran pastor, saving lives and taking care of bad guys (who get saved)." WARRIOR MONK revolves around a former CIA assassin, Stephen Grant, who has lived a far different, relatively quiet life as a parish pastor in recent years. However, a shooting at his church, a historic papal proposal, and threats to the Pope's life mean that Grant's former and current lives collide. Grant must tap the varied skills learned as a government agent, a theologian and a pastor not only to protect the Pope, but also to feel his way through a minefield of personal challenges. Larry Kudlow, CNBC's "The Kudlow Report," said, "Ray Keating has created a fascinating and unique character in Pastor Grant. The way Keating intertwines politics, national security and faith into a compelling thriller is sheer delight." U.S. Congressman Pete King, the Ranking Member on the House Homeland Security Committee, declared, "CIA intrigue, the Vatican, international terrorism and brutal assassinations make Warrior Monk a fast-moving, riveting read right out of today's - and tomorrow's - headlines. Add challenging religious issues, which the author makes us confront, and you have a brilliant novel. Ray Keating knows what he is writing about and writes it extraordinarily well." And Paul L. Maier, best-selling author of A Skeleton in God's Closet, commented, "Holy Scripture and unholy gun play in the same novel? Exactly - and you'll love the combination! WARRIOR MONK offers a riveting mix of action, romance, and intrigue, served up by a master wordsmith. Keating's Pastor Stephen Grant manages to wield both Bible and bullets with equal expertise. Grant is clearly in control whether in or out of the pulpit."

    Now I’m on my way home to a mother who disapproves of me and four sisters who barely know me. Is it possible for a witch like me to find space in a place she doesn’t belong?I didn’t think they’d dismantle the paranormal military with a wave of their bureaucratic magic wand, but they did. Everything I’d spent the previous fifteen years of my life doing and being was ripped away from me in an instant, out of my reach.And now that the paranormal military’s gone, I’ve got nothing left to fight for.So I’m on my way back to Forkbridge, Florida, to the family coven of the goddess Athena, which is led by high priestess Minerva Arden. My mother’s name. The hippie witch mother I left thirteen years ago, against her explicit wishes, to join the military rather than take my place at her side.Mother no doubt expects me to return home to claim my birthright and fulfill my destiny to the goddess Athena.Not a chance.Or so I think.Because when the goddess Athena sends you a talking owl that slaps you with a divine superpower and tells you to go save someone with it, it’s really hard to say no.

    At 37, his greatest skill is killing people from up to a mile away. He knows there aren’t many job opportunities in the civilian world for that. However, he knows the south Florida waters, is an experienced diver, loves to fish, and knows his way around a boat. A waitress in a waterfront restaurant in north Key Largo gives him an idea and he runs with it. An old friend helps get him set up as a charter fishing and dive boat Captain and a new friend helps him buy just the right boat. Danger lurks in the sleepy little town of Marathon, in the middle of the Florida Keys, as well as in the swamps of the Everglades. But danger doesn’t expect to run into a man like Jesse, who will not only respond swiftly, but with a vengeance unexpected.

    Yet. No one believes six-year-old Billie Mae knows how she died. Archivist Andrea Kelley's best friend, police detective William Taka, doesn't believe Andrea is actually conversing with a ghost. And Andrea can’t believe Taka has been doubting her sanity, that she’s scared for the safety of a little girl’s ghost, and that she’s really discovered the trail of a serial killer. Until... She’s relying on strangers to help her investigate, being followed by both the local crime boss and the state cops, fielding phone calls from the dead, and skulking around in the dark, unsure of anyone who crosses her path. Did Billie Mae’s mom kill her? Has Andrea’s bestie run away when she needs him most? How many more kids and cops will die before everyone believes it’s murder?

    Trouble is, she’s sure she’s already found—and lost—hers. Now the young widow has inherited half the vineyard she considers her own, and she’s got one chance to produce a vintage that could make or break her career. But when the flashy, impetuous Clovis de Valois is revealed as heir to the other half, her dreams of independence are dashed into chaos.Cerise and Clovis seem to be opposites in every way that matters. Can their passion for winemaking—and secretly each other—unite them beyond their differences? Or will their clash ruin the vineyard, and the hearts, they’re both desperate to save?