A celebrated writing coach with a sense of humor and a gentle touch, she’s also a master writer herself with a long and distinguished career in both teaching and practicing the art of writing.The Book on Writing contains 25 chapters in three sections: A dozen essential but easy-to-apply guidelines to good writing, from the importance of clarity to the value of a conversational tone. Paula LaRocque believes learning is easier and more successful when we are not only told but also shown. So her Book on Writing is chockfull of actual writing examples that supplement and illustrate principles that apply as naturally to fiction as they do to nonfiction.How to tell a story—from building suspense, to effective description, to the uses of metaphor and literary devices. Paula LaRocque also deals with the narrative “engine” and the value of the archetype in plotting and characterization—as well as with pace and speed and leveling what she terms writing’s “speedbumps.” A clear and concise handbook that deals with common problems in grammar, usage, punctuation, and style—the kind of problems that often trouble even wordsmiths. The handbook also debunks pesky language “rules” that are actually myths. The Book on Writing is one-stop shopping for writers. Read it once, and you’ll be a better writer. Read it often, and you’ll be among the best.

    J&J Super Pretzels... Dunkin' Donuts... Little Caesar's Crazy Bread... These are some of America's greatest food inventions. Now, thanks to intrepid kitchen sleuth Todd Wilbur, you can make home versions of over 50 more of your favorite foods. All of them are shockingly easy to prepare with ingredients from your local supermarket! Wilbur's fabulous clones leave out the preservatives and include suggestions for making high-cholesterol dishes lower in fat without changing the tastes we all love. Included, too, are the fascinating origins of each product; Todd Wilbur's own amazing kitchen adventures, narrow escapes, and near-death experiences; and even his learned-it-the-hard-way cooking tips.