His professor, the renowned E. C. Mabie, remarked as he got up and dismissed the seminar, "Well, we all have to paint our nudes!" Tom's earlier comment in his journal that the play "is well-constructed, no social propaganda, and is suitable for the commercial stage" seems accurate enough in 1999, but woefully naive deep in the Depression when the play's sexual explicitness—particularly its matter-of-fact acceptance of a woman's right to her own sexuality—would have been seen as not only shocking but also politically radical. Spring Storm would later be disavowed by the author as "simply a study of Sex—a blind animal urge or force (like the regenerative force of April) gripping four lives and leading them into a tangle of cruel and ugly relations."But the solid and deft characterizations of the four young people whose lives intertwine—the sexually alive Heavenly Critchfield, her earthy lover Dick Miles, Heavenly's wealthy but tongue-tied admirer Arthur Shannon, and the repressed librarian Hertha Nielson who loves Arthur—are archetypes of characters we will meet again and again in the Williams canon. Epic in scope, a bit melodramatic in execution, tragic in outcome, Spring Storm created a wave of excitement among theatre insiders when it was given a staged reading at The Ensemble Studio Theatre's Octoberfest '96. This edition has been prepared, with an illuminating introduction, by Dan Isaac, who initiated the Octoberfest production.

    Rosie, Mummy and Daddy’s little Princess, can certainly look after herself though, and cunningly throws secret spanners in the works for her sisters. As the girls grow older, Rosie becomes more and more manipulative and her schemes soon take on a more malicious note. But even she can go too far and, when Olivia and Emily find out what she has in store for them, they decide the time has come to put a stop to their sister’s antics once and for all … Praise for Marcia Willett: 'Unexpected subtlety and charm ... a genuine voice of our times' - The Times 'With beautifully ironic observations and flashbacks to a mysterious past, the story has a twist in the tail so staggering that it necessitates re-reading and a strong cup of tea' - The Lady Willa Marsh was born in Somerset and lives in a Georgian parsonage in Devon with her husband and two Newfoundlands. As Marcia Willett, she also writes well-reviewed novels published by Headline.

    Feeling like what they have is real, Canary’s more than willing to go however many rounds necessary with Kalena to get her point across. Just when Canary thinks things have settled down, Laxton hits her with another curveball: baby talk. Still scarred from her prior miscarriage, the thought of parenthood scares Canary, but Laxton just might be the one to help her overcome her fear. Canary is like a breath of fresh air to Laxton and his family, and the only thing that could make life better is Canary saying she’s ready to call Houston home. With his eye on the prize, Laxton is focused on the future and putting a few babies up in Canary, but his past won’t let him be great. No matter how much he pushes her away, Kalena is the ultimate headache for Laxton and refuses to let the next chick replace her. Kalena says nothing but death can keep her from Laxton, but the question is, whose life will be lost when it’s all said and done? Kenji and Silk may seem like the most unlikely couple, but when she agrees to stick by his side after finding out just how he makes his money, he knows he’s got a real one for sure. Kenji’s heart tells her that Silk is the one, and when he introduces her to his family, he knows Kenji is all he’ll ever need. When they least expect it, a bomb that Makiyah drops threatens to shatter the love Kenji and Silk think they’re building together. Will he be able to love Kenji past her flaws, or will their perfect love story end before they can make it to the altar? On top of that, Silk learns some shocking news that has him out for blood. Determined to destroy all that threatens his mission to uncover the truth, Silk just might sacrifice someone in his inner circle. Makiyah is hit with the ultimate betrayal when she learns the truth about her sister, Maleeah, and Ali. Through it all, the one thing that’s kept her smiling is knowing her mother will be released from prison soon. Maleeah has other plans, though, and when she shows up to steal her sister’s thunder yet again, Makiyah is faced with a hard decision: stay true to her love for Ali, or make him and Maleeah pay for their betrayal. Which path will she choose? Get ready to jump right back to the thick of things with Canary, Laxton, Kenji, Silk, Makiyah, and Keylon as they all fight to win the same thing: the heart of a real one.

    

    Hope Springs is filled with rough and ready men. Can a family of damaged women bring true Hope to this desperate town?A carriage accident killed Lily’s parents and left her and her sisters disfigured or disabled. Now they are to be thrown from their home and their hopes of becoming mail order brides were dashed when the men turned them down because of their disabilities.Book 1 – The Scarred and Rejected Bride Lily knows this calls for desperate measures so she writes to one last man and does not mention her scars. Kit McFarlan wants a wife to control his three rowdy children. Lily will do. That is until he sees her scars. The wedding is off, but Lily and her sisters are a feisty bunch and Kit did not bargain for what comes next. Will Lily get her man or will the sisters be left out in the old? Book 2 – The Crippled Bride and the Orphaned Baby Maye was crippled in the carriage accident that killed her parents. How can she ever find love? What man could love a woman who is not even whole?A new man in town is struggling with his brother’s baby. The child’s parents were killed but Craig needs to work if he is to feed baby Constantine. How can he work and look after a baby? A chance meeting tells him he needs a bride and he asks Maye to marry him.“That was the most unromantic proposal ever,” Maye said but still she accepts.As Maye falls for the handsome cowboy she wonders how she can go on. Is this all there is to life?Danger and heartache threaten to tear the couple apart. Can they survive and find love?The books are sweet, clean, historical, western, romances.

    Poole, three women are determined to ride their rich men's successes to the very top. . .When her marriage to an NFL phenom ended, so did Adrienne Sheppard's chance at wealth and security. Now she's betting on her exclusive new nightclub--and her new man--to turn her luck around. . . Sexy vixen Shanice Whitaker is taking her pay-for-play schemes to a whole new level to stack up the mad fortune of her dreams. . . And Zakiya Lee is sure she knows how to work the sports fame game straight into full-time professional wife-hood with her NBA star. . .But Zakiya's all-access pass to her man isn't keeping him from straying, or endangering her dreams. Shanice's exploding stardom is putting all her dirty tricks of the trade under the merciless media spotlight--and her future on the line. And Adrienne's insatiable greed for having it all right now is blinding her to business-ending secrets. Soon all three will learn the hard way that truly making it on their own will cost more than they bargained for. . ."Poole's latest sizzles with sex, dazzles with drama, and captivates with boundless emotion. . .Exciting and compelling from the first to the last page." ??RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars on Another Man Will"A definite must read." --Candice Dow on Somebody Else's Man "Colorful. . .if you love scandal, this is the book for you!" --Anna J on A Rich Man's Baby

    Bridie O’Hara, a beautiful young girl, is torn away from her native Ireland by her father – a freedom fighter, turned traitor, when he has to flee the wrath of the Fenians. Violated by him she ends up in a correction convent. Her escape, and meeting up with Bruiser Armitage, a pimp, sets her fate. One man tries to save her, Will Hadler, a kind, hard-working miner, whose love for Bridie knows no bounds. His rescue of her brings her happiness, but the demons inside her never give her peace. When Andrew Harvey, master of Hensal Grange, takes a fancy to her it is the beginning of Bridie sinking back into degradation. Her daughter, Bridget pays the price. Unprotected by her drunken mother, Bridget suffers rape and the heartbreak of having to give up her child, Megan.Book Two: AN UNBREAKABLE BOND: It is 1913 and for Megan and her friend, Hattie, the time has come to take up their placements and make their way in the world. Megan’s path leads her to fall into a marriage with a man she does not love and at whose hands she suffers beatings and rape. With Hattie’s help she finally escapes, but her path crosses that of the beautiful, rich and powerful, Laura Harvey. It is Laura’s need to have her wish at any price that triggers an eruption of violence that brings Megan near to death and sends Jack, the man both Megan and Laura love to prison, for a murder he did not commit.Hattie’s path crosses that of paedophile, Lord Marley. She is raped by him and his companion. Her ten pound silence money buys her an abortion but her choices have gone and she is forced into a life of prostitution. It is when she stumbles across an evil, child sex ring and is determined to break it that she once more encounters Lord Marley and though she succeeds in her quest and gets her revenge, she pays a terrible price. Hers and Megan’s enduring friendship bring them through.Book Three: TOMORROW BRINGS SORROWSet in 1939 – 1959, As the world faces many changes brought on by war, Megan has found happiness with Jack, but the threat of Megan’s schizophrenic son Billy, still casts a shadow over them. His release is imminent and for Sarah, Jack’s daughter, this opens up a fate she cannot fight. With her love and respect for Billy eroded over the years as she came to realise he has an evil core, Sarah now lives in fear of him and what he will do if she refuses him. Forsaking her true love, she marries Billy in an attempt to protect those who are very dear to her, but love and hate will out and the consequences are devastatingThose consequences are compounded by the incestuous love between twins Theresa and Terrence Crompton and their taking of all they need from whatever source they please.

     Danger is no stranger to the heartaches of the world. After losing her adoptive mother, she almost crumbles under a domino effect of misfortune. When she meets Sleep, she thinks she’s finally found a captain to save her, but when she learns his main goal is to pimp her out, Danger wastes no time getting from under his thumb. On the run to get as far away from Sleep as possible, she lands in Dallas, where she reunites with her bestie. Free is the true definition of dangerous curves. A BBW with enough personality to steal any show, she’s quick to flash a smile that hides her own set of demons. It’s hard to be comfortable in your skin, especially when family is the main one trying to tear you down, but Free is determined to stunt on everybody that has a problem with her weight— family included. Add the kind of street smarts that make a natural born hustler, and Free is every hitta’s dream come true. Whether they can handle her is the real question. Stranger is a self-made boss in his own right, a dude whose name rings bells in the streets and commands respect even while he’s locked up. Growing up with a schizophrenic for a mother made him unbreakable, but not above the law when he gets caught slipping. Done serving his time, he only has two things on his mind: hitting the streets and getting to the money by any means necessary. After stumbling across a connect and an offer he can’t refuse, Stranger agrees to collect a blood debt in exchange for the keys to the streets. Will his decision cost him more than he’s willing to give up? Where Stranger is a silent killer, Spazz, his younger brother, leaves a path of destruction with anything he touches. Wild, rude, and reckless, he’s ready to get it poppin’ if you even look at him wrong, and there’s only one thing that can tame his temper: his five-year-old daughter. With a mouth to feed and a street legacy to claim, he’s down with no hesitation when Stranger brings him into his plan to re-claim the streets. With his brother by his side, Spazz is ready to put his city on the map. Stranger never let his heart take his focus off the money, until he meets Danger. Mesmerized by her effortless beauty, he just has to have her, but there’s one problem: she’s on the arm of the same guy he’s planning to take down. Is he willing to kill for love? Spazz always gets what he wants, and he knows Free will be his from the minute he meets her. Never being attracted to BBWs in the past, he’s powerless against Free’s hypnotizing thickness, and her confidence and slick mouth are just the type of bonus that makes her worth the chase. Will he convince Free to take a chance on a real one? Ain’t nothin’ like lovin’ a savage, and once you get inside the head of one, your life will never be the same. Take a journey with Danger, Free, Stranger, and Spazz as they try to cheat the past for the future. Nothing goes as planned in love, especially once you’re Turned out by a Savage.

    

    As Alan recounts tales from his extraordinary life, he relives the sporting occasions, radio broadcasts and famously long drinking sessions that have defined his career. He takes readers inside the talkSPORT studio for a behind-the-scenes view of his most memorable interviews, and talks for the first time about the on-pitch rivalries and dressing room debriefs of his footballing career.With his typically outspoken and irreverent delivery, Alan shares everything from his thoughts on how the sports he loves have changed to his top tips for picking winners (and many losers) at Cheltenham. And he revels in wine-soaked jaunts in the South of France and late-night supermarket sweeps with Ray Parlour – if you can keep up.Packed full of never-before-told stories, refreshing appraisals, sporting controversy and a cast of larger-than-life characters, this is a brutally honesty and wickedly funny insight into an extraordinary life.

    From building his village into a town, producing food and protection and more, the real troubles have only begun for him in his [Magic Life]. Not only will he have to face animals, monsters and other demon tribes that appear like grass, to advance he will even have to go against other gods, angering them to carve out his path as a Lord player but his troubles aren't only in the game. The real world is slowly changing along with the game and he will have to start adapting as he slowly unfurls his wings.

    In Places To Stay In The Night, the lives of two families are irrevocably altered by heartbreaking tragedies. "Ann Hood's big book, her 'breakthrough'".--Booklist.

    Each of their lives are in turmoil but their love for each other will see them through the most troubled of times.Worthing, 1947Widowed Grace Roberts comes home from her factory job one day to find that her eldest daughter Bonnie has run away to London. Utterly distraught she has no choice but to carry on with her life, struggling to make ends meet for her and youngest daughter Rita. Her boss, Norris Finley is a powerful and calculating man. He promises to assist Grace, but his help will come at a hefty price…Pregnant Bonnie arrives in London eager to be reunited with George so they can begin their new life together. But while she waits anxiously on the platform at Victoria station, he never turns up. Unable to return home as she can’t bear the thought of bringing shame to her family, she is left to fend for herself and her unborn baby.Disturbed by the apparent relationship between her mother and Norris, Rita flees home and meets Emilio who she marries. Yet Emilio is guarding a deep secret and when Rita uncovers the truth, she is left heartbroken.Caught in the very worst of times and separated from one another, can the strong bond of family love eventually bring Grace, Bonnie and Rita back together again?

    Find out what happens when Iman secrets catch up with her & she realizes some times its best not to play games & keep secrets from dudes in the trap…! Love, Deceit, drama, and treachery at its finest!

    1942, Manchester World War Two is in full swing and Lily Mullins is determined to do her bit for the war effort. Her friends and sweetheart have all joined up and Lily's sure there must be a role for her that goes further than knitting socks for the troops! When she decides to volunteer for the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, Lily soon discovers that she has a talent as a wireless operator. Helped along the way by a special gang of girls, she finds strengths she didn't know she had and realises that the safety of the country might just be in her hands . . . Meanwhile, Danny is determined to marry Lily, but his letters home become more and more distant. Will a long separation mean the end of their love story?An uplifting and inspiring novel of women on the home front. '[The story] read so true to me and I really didn't want to put it down . . . It may be fiction but those things could, and did, happen.' Vera Morgan, wartime WAAF 'An impeccably researched and uplifting story of love, loss and courage: a heartwarming read that will captivate all those who love a good war story.' Clare Harvey, author of The Gunner Girl'A wonderful, inspiring story. I can't wait to read more from Shirley Mann.' Sheila Newberry