. . A tsunami is one of the last things Dr. Andrew Held expects while entertaining guests on Phoenix Island, the tiny, isolated outpost of Washington State he has made his private home. But when a French nuclear bomb test in the South Pacific goes awry, the ensuing tidal wave destroys his island estate and severs all ties to the mainland. The survivors are nine: Andrew Held himself, the brilliant Hungarian-born nuclear physicist who helped create the bombs he now campaigns against. Donald Campbell, steward to Dr. Held but secretly a fugitive from justice, with hungers he can barely contain. Diana Lindgren, the lovely yet emotionally damaged young girl hired to help with the guests, and Rolf Morgan, her Native American boyfriend, impelled by love to follow her to Phoenix in his fishing boat. There’s Carlo Minatti, a Hawaiian musician with a winning manner and easygoing style. The sculptor Warren Brock, urbane, hedonistic, openly gay, with a barbed wit that takes no prisoners. Blake and Norma Mansfield, a New York middle-class couple, likeable to everyone but each other. And Felicia Stowe Held — Andrew’s estranged wife — a ravishing socialite whom he pushed away in a moment always regretted and who has now come seeking divorce. Nine individuals with little in common and histories setting them far apart, yet each with unique, unexpected strengths, virtues, and talents. As hopes of quick rescue dim, their only chance of survival is to bridge their differences, transcend their conflicts, and learn to live in harmony with each other — and in some cases, with themselves. Part techno-thriller, part romance, part wilderness survival story, part utopian novel, Charlotte Paul’s “Phoenix Island” sold over a million copies as a mass-market paperback in the late 1970s and 1980s. Now it is reborn in a newly-edited 35th Anniversary Edition. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Charlotte Paul (1916-1989) led a life marked by the pursuit of numerous careers — news editor, wife, back-to-the-lander, freelance writer, mother, novelist, rural newspaper proprietor, memoirist, parole board official — and usually several of these at once. Living mostly in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, with a multi-year stint in Washington, D.C., she spent her final two decades on Lopez Island, one of Washington State’s enchanting San Juan Islands. On these she modeled chief locales of what became her most popular novel, “Phoenix Island.” ///////////////////////////////////////////////// BISAC SUBJECTS FIC002000 FICTION / Action & Adventure FIC036000 FICTION / Thrillers / Technological FIC028070 FICTION / Science Fiction / Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic FIC019000 FICTION / Literary SOC040000 SOCIAL SCIENCE / Disasters & Disaster Relief

    Her friends know it, her parents know it—even Laura acknowledges she lives either with her head in the clouds or buried in a romance novel. It’s proved harmless enough, even if it hasn’t delivered her a real-life dashing hero yet. But when her latest relationship ends in a disaster that costs her friendships, her job, and nearly her sanity, Laura swears off men and hopeless romantic fantasies for good. With her life in tatters around her, Laura agrees to go on vacation with her parents. After a few days of visiting craft shops and touring the stately homes of England, Laura is ready to tear her hair out. And then, while visiting grand Chartley Hall, she crosses paths with Nick, the sexy, rugged estate manager. She finds she shares more than a sense of humor with him—in fact, she starts to think she could fall for him. But is Nick all he seems? Or has Laura got it wrong again? Will she open her heart only to have it broken again?

    Jenny's pretty face and lively sense of humour make her everyone's favourite girl, whereas Laura is mean and moody and she's never out of trouble. Their mother, Mary, loves them both and frets about Laura's behaviour, but soon that's the least of her worries... Her father's new young wife, Celia, is about to bring shame on the family by leading Laura astray. Jenny attracts the attention of two young lads in her street who both want to court her. Mick and John have been mates since they were kids but now war is declared, and it's every man for himself! Meanwhile Laura's resentment begins to build and it's only a matter of time before things come to a head. Who will learn that a little tenderness goes a long way?

    Except maybe her posh long-lost grandmother Matilda...But life isn't going well for Matilda either. The acclaimed etiquette books she wrote in her youth are no longer selling, her mortgage repayments are enormous and now her disheveled granddaughter has turned up out of the blue and she is not at all what Matilda hoped she'd be...In an attempt to get a new book deal and make some much needed money, Jess and Matilda decide to use Matilda's old etiquette guides and teach messy, modern Jess how to become the ultimate demure lady. The true test of their project will be to capture the heart of the sexy, notorious playboy Leo Frost and prove that Matilda's guides still work.Transforming Jess from trashy to tasteful will be no easy feat, and when Leo starts falling for Jess's newfound charms, what started out as a way to make some cash suddenly becomes a whole lot more complicated ...**THIS BOOK WAS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED UNDER THE TITLE THE VINTAGE GUIDE TO LOVE AND ROMANCE/LESSONS IN LOVE AND ROMANCE**Laugh your socks off with this hilarious feel-good chick lit read! It's packed with laugh out loud feel good moments, swoony, sexy romance, and truly unforgettable characters ! If you like funny romance books by Sophie Kinsella, Christina Lauren or Sophie Ranald, then you'll LOVE this hilarious laugh-out-loud romantic comedy from bestselling romance author Kirsty Greenwood.

    Tragedy follows when they both fall in love with the same man.

    Harlan Coben’s The Stranger is a provocative crime thriller that will leave the reader guessing until its final pages. Set in the comforts of small town suburbia it invokes the theory that nothing is as it seems and sometimes the fairy tale with the white picket fence is just that – a fairy tale. Adam Price learns the hard way that the truth doesn’t necessarily set you free and sometimes it can do more harm than the deception itself. When Adam Price is approached by the stranger at a youth athletics meeting he is ill-prepared for the life-altering information the man presents to him. Learning of his wife’s deceptions from a perfect stranger is even more unsettling than the secrets themselves. That conversation changes the course of Adam’s life forever and when he confronts Corinne her guarded response is puzzling. Then his wife turns up missing and Adam knows the only thing he can do is search for the stranger and get to the bottom of Corinne’s disappearance once and for all. This companion to The Stranger also includes the following: • Book Review • Story Setting Analysis • Story elements you may have missed as we decipher the novel • Details of Characters & Key Character Analysis • Summary of the text, with some analytical comments interspersed • Thought Provoking /or Discussion Questions for both Readers & Book Clubs • Discussion & Analysis of Themes, Symbols… • And Much More! This Analysis of The Stranger fills the gap, making you understand more while enhancing your reading experience.

    That was her mistake.Praised as "a worthy rival of Scott Turow and John Grisham" (Chicago Tribune), Sabin Willett made a powerful debut with his legal thriller, The Deal. Now he's made the leap from the courthouse to the White House in an even more accomplished international thriller involving political corruption, multibillion-dollar deal making, kidnapping, and assassination. At the center of this fast-paced novel is a fascinating heroine: Louisa Shidler, a thirty-seven-year-old U.S. ambassador, mother, and convicted traitor. Betrayed by her husband, her government, and her powerful boss and mentor, she is abandoned by everyone except her daughter, Isabel. But when the girl is kidnapped, Louisa learns that there is no limit to betrayal's reach--and no limit to what one woman will do to survive it.As the action moves relentlessly from Washington, D.C., to Geneva, Switzerland, from Dubai to Paris to Cody, Wyoming, it becomes evident that Louisa and her daughter are mere pawns in an international bribery scheme of unprecedented proportions. But when the pawns refuse to fall, the bigger pieces begin to topple.Charged with political savvy, shrewd characterizations, and a tense, tightly constructed plot, The Betrayal is a thriller of the highest caliber that will further enhance Sabin Willett's growing reputation.

    Everyone piles through its gates - and Cupid lies in wait to sprinkle a little midsummer madness on them all.Teacher Ginnie is desperate to forget her crush on headmaster Mark, and hopes glamping might do the trick. But Mark is also heading for Wild & Free to reform his college band ... desperate not to be seen by anyone he knows. Mark's bandmate James dreams of a festival blow-out with his son, Guy ... until his wife Victoria's ambition kills the dream. Now she and Guy are en route to Wild & Free instead but when Guy meets Shanna-Mae and falls for her earthy charms, Victoria is determined to snap Cupid's arrow.Will the magic of the festival send them wild? Or set them free to find peace and love?

    Two daughters. One school place. Imogen and Lily are old friends - they've shared hangovers, unsuitable boyfriends and wild nights out together. But now they're mums, and their partying days are behind them. When a place comes up at one of the best primary schools in the area, both women want it for their daughters. From faking religious beliefs to bogus break-ups, Imogen and Lily will go to any lengths to secure the perfect school for their children - and so will all the other mothers.Will their friendship survive the strain? Will their marriages take the pressure? And when a sexy new vicar arrives on the scene, will the mothers' keep focus for long enough to keep their eyes on the prize?

    There she hopes for a fresh start, and a chance to heal her broken heart in the pristine lakeside surroundings. But an ocean may not be enough to protect Justine from the devastating secrets that drove her away, and the memories that continue to haunt her new life...

    Killian Lone comes from a long line of gifted cooks stretching back to the 17th century, and he yearns to become a famous chef himself. When he starts an apprenticeship under Max Mann, the most famous chef in London, he looks set to continue the family tradition. But the reality of kitchen life is brutal. Even his fellow apprentice, Kathryn, who shows Killian uncharacteristic kindness, can’t stop him being sucked into the vicious and debauched world of 1980s fine dining; and gradually he is forced to surrender his dream.Then he discovers a dark family secret – the legacy of an ancestor who was burnt as a witch for creating food so delicious it was said to turn all who tasted it mad. Killian knows he can use this secret to achieve his ambitions and maybe, finally, to win Kathryn's affections. But is he willing to pay the price?

    It is 1940, and Germany has just invaded France. Across the ocean, in Sweetwater, Tennessee, Penelope, a beautiful alchemist, receives a letter from her childhood friend, Naomie, urging her to France. Bereft from the loss of her widowed father, Penelope leaves her life and travels to German-occupied Paris. There, she meets Naomie's brother, the brilliant alchemist Fulcanelli and his mysterious apprentice, Lucien.Falling headlong into the alchemy's esoteric world, she helps Fulcanelli and Lucien resist the Nazi forces. She trains as a spy and infiltrates a powerful brothel, Le Chambrement. As the horrors of war close in around her, Penelope must seduce a murderous Nazi officer in a desperate calculation to save her lover, Lucian. Through the devastating magic of life, Penelope learns that alchemy has far more to do with the person than the element.The Measure of Gold is an epic story of alchemy, betrayal, courage, and transcendent love.

    Always the anchor for friends and her three angst-ridden teenagers, it's time to look carefully at herself. The journey for Gerri and her family is more than revealing—it's transforming. Andy doesn't have a great track record with men, and she's come to believe that for her a lasting love is out of reach. When she finds herself attracted to her down-to-earth, ordinary contractor—a man without any of the qualities that usually appeal to her—she questions everything she thought she wanted in life.Sonja's lifelong pursuit of balance is shattered when her husband declares he's through with her New Age nonsense and walks out. There's no herbal tonic or cleansing ritual that can restore her serenity—or her sanity. Miraculously, it's BJ, the reserved newcomer to Mill Valley, who steps into their circle and changes everything. The woman with dark secrets opens up to her neighbors, and together they get each other back on track, stronger as individuals and unfaltering as friends.

    Need a ladder, a hedge trimmer or a waffle-maker? You can borrow it from the Library of Shared Things.Single dad Adam is doing a good job of raising his daughter, Zoe, whilst burying his past and moving forwards. When he agrees to run a mending workshop at the Library, new friendships start to blossom.Jennifer is a volunteer at the Library. When her younger sister Isla moves back to Cloverdale after their mother dies, Jennifer finds herself wondering whether Isla is hiding something.And when Adam's daughter Zoe makes a startling discovery, it's time for the people at the Library of Shared Things to pull together and help one family with its biggest challenge of all.This is a novel with community at its heart. It's about the kindness we can find when we least expect it and the bonds we can form when we're not even looking.

    Her husband, the head of a global brassiere empire, didn’t think twice about leaving her after thirty-three years of marriage for a 32DD lingerie model. Now Harvey the Home-Wrecker is missing in action, but Marcy’s through thinking about what a cliché he is. What she needs now is a party-size bag of potato chips, a good support system, and a new dress.Striking out on her own is difficult at first, but Marcy manages to find traces of humor in her heartbreak. Even while devastated by Harvey’s departure, she still has her indomitable spirit and her self-respect. She has no intention of falling apart, either, even when her adult children drop a few bombshells of their own and she discovers a secret about her new, once-in-a-lifetime friend. Life may be full of setbacks, but by lifting herself up by her own lacy straps, Marcy just may be able to handle them all.