"Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus"Virginia grew up. Yes, THAT Virginia—who became a teacher—encouraging students through the Great Depression, World War II, and the polio epidemic. "The Santa Claus Girl," a novel drawn from true events, imagines Virginia's far-reaching influence and her exceptional gift of inspiration. Set in New York City, 1952—the height of the Polio epidemic—the story soars with the challenges faced by a young WWII veteran, who must race against time, public fear of the disease, and demons from his past, to help save the life of a little girl.NYC cab driver Ben Wilson was enjoying his drive to the airport that February morning in 1952. His passenger was his WWII army buddy, pilot Joe Martinez, who'd just formed a small air cargo company with two weathered C-47s, luck, and a prayer. With the best of intentions the men promise to stay in touch.The year passes quickly, filled with extraordinary news events. The...

Who would you betray to save a life? Medium Eliza Robinson will do anything for her daughter, including working on a confidential investigation at the Supernatural Human Accountability Partnership agency with her ex—the person who killed her fiancé, Ben. She's desperate to find out the truth about Ben's past and what really happened the night he died, and she won't let anyone stand in her way. Her daughter's life depends on it. Paris Evans knows Eliza will never forgive her role in Ben's death, but has vowed to protect Eliza and her daughter at all costs. She can't let anyone learn the truth about what happened that night, or who Ben really was. Not when so many lives—including her twin's—hang in the balance. As the investigation heats up, it reignites the fire between Eliza and Paris. These two powerful psychics—one who can communicate with the dead via letters and the other who has prophetic dreams—will risk...

When Bernie and Libby Simmons, sisters and co-owners of A Little Taste of Heaven, are hired to cater a posh pooch party, they wind up stepping into a fresh murder investigation! At A Little Taste of Heaven, Bernie and Libby Simmons cater all sorts of affairs, from book clubs to bridal showers and everything in between. So when their counterman, Googie, asks them to cater a doggie wedding for his girlfriend Jenni's eight-month-old golden retrievers, they jump on the opportunity. The reception, which will also serve as a grand opening for Jennie's new doggie daycare center, is no small affair. Bertha and Ernie—the bride and groom—will be celebrating with more than a hundred guests, including the puppers' pals and their people. But all weddings, even shaggy shindigs, come with some drama. Not everyone in town is excited about the upcoming pup-tuials—or Jenni's business. Someone is sending threatening messages to Bernie, Libby,...

Middle-grade fans of Pam Muñoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising, will find a new Mexican heroine to love in Solimar and a fresh, magical story! On the brink of her Quinceañera, and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her. After the magical frenzy, she realizes she's been given a gift—and a burden: she can predict the near future! She has also become a protector of the young and weak butterflies. This alone would be a huge responsibility, but tragedy strikes when a neighboring king invades while her father and brother and many others are away. The remaining villagers are taken hostage—all except Solimar. Can this princess-to-be save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarch butterflies from a greedy and dangerous king? Written for ages 8 to 12 by the Newbery Honor Medal winner of...

A mother recovering from an abortion in a Borscht Belt rental. An eccentric aging landlord, haunted by a mysterious death. A grief-stricken Hasid. A scheming real estate agent looking for her break, her dogged daughter longing for her way out (specifically, a career as a human mermaid), and her addict boyfriend mired in it.These lives—strangers, neighbors, family, friends—entwine and separate over the course of one fevered upstate summer, in a haunting and hilarious debut novel by acclaimed author Sara Lippmann. In her inimitable prose, she mercilessly explores the predatory side of human nature through conflicts of faith, trauma, desire, belonging, and longing—the particulars of Judaism and feminism, parenting and partying, small-town life and big blundering dreams, as well as the timeless question: How do we carry on?

Sparks fly when a prince on the run collides with a celebrity chef. A Michelin-starred restaurant and his own TV show fill every waking moment of Tony Snye's hectic life. Hungry for love, the lonely chef consults the celebrity matchmaking experts at Manhattan's Assured Elites. He never dreams their all-knowing algorithms will pair him with a prince fleeing an arranged marriage. Return to the world of Assured Elites, the Manhattan matchmaking service on a mission to ensure no hot gay celebrity remains unpaired. The novels in the Assured Elites gay romance series can be enjoyed in any order. Here's a checklist to get you started: ♥A Fiercer Heat ♥A Higher Flame ♥A Hotter Fire ♥Flaming

D K Broster's Weird fiction has long been forgotten, but she wrote some of the most impressive British supernatural short stories published between the wars. Melissa Edmundson, editor of Women's Weird, Women's Weird 2, and Helen Simpson's The Outcast and The Rite, all published by Handheld, has curated a selection of Broster's best and most terrifying work. From the Abyss contains twelve stories, including:'The Window', in which a soldier wanders into a deserted chateau, which does not approve.'The Pavement', in which the protectress of a Roman mosaic cannot bear to let her burden go.'The Taste of Pomegranates' draws two women into the very, very far-off past.'From the Abyss', in which two lost women may be the same person.'Clairvoyance', in which the ornamental weaponry in Strode Manor is more than merely decoration.