That's Paris, a #1 Hot New Release in Essays &amp; Travelogues, offers "a deep understanding of the enormous and beautiful complexity of Paris." - Global Living Magazine If you've ever traveled to Paris or dreamed of setting foot on its cobblestone streets, you'll enjoy escaping into this collection of short fiction and nonfiction stories about France's famed capital. From culinary treats (and catastrophes) to swoon-worthy romantic encounters (and heartbreaking mishaps), this anthology takes you on a journey through one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Visit this cosmopolitan metropolis through the eyes of Parisians, Francophiles and travelers who fell in love with the city and still hold a piece of it in their hearts. That's Paris is a glimpse into living, loving and laughing in the City of Light. So fasten your seat belts and prepare for landing – you'll be arriving soon in Paris through the pages of this humorous and heartwarming book! Interview with the Editors There are so many stories about Paris. What makes this book unique? The charm of this short story collection is the variety of voices from people who, for the most part, have spent a considerable amount of time in the City of Light. Stephen Clarke, author of best-selling book A Year in the Merde sets the tone in the foreword, reminding us there is always more to write about Paris! What types of stories will we find in this anthology? From humorous essays to Paris love stories, this book has it all. There are foodie anecdotes, tales of family secrets and friendship, stories set at sidewalk cafés. That's Paris is perfect for those who have visited Paris or would love to one day. After Hemingway and the Lost Generation, how does it feel to be a modern-day author writing about Paris? Some of the stories in That's Paris are set in the same places featured in A Moveable Feast. Paris hasn't changed much in all these years! It still inspires us to write.

That's Paris: An Anthology of Life, Love and Sarcasm in the City of Light

Literature & Fiction

Goutet, Jennie

Lesage, Vicki

Chapuis, Audrey M.

Cimino, Adria J.

del Rio, Sarah

Floyd, Leslie

Hayes, Amy Lynne

Heise, April Lily

Marie, Elle

Contemporary

Velvet Morning Press

#1 Best Seller in Time Travel Romance and Magical Realism Why does Kat feel she knows Will when she's never met him before? Or has she? Kat has been too busy fighting the demons of her past to focus on love. But when she meets charismatic Will in London her world is turned upside down. An enigmatic woman named Destiny, saying she has a secret to share, whisks Kat and Will off to magical midnight parties where champagne flows freely and nothing is what it seems, almost like the soirées are happening in another time. And then there are those dreams that unfold in an elegant 19th century British castle... Torn between fear of the unknown and fascination at what might happen between her and Will, Kat must find the courage to change her life and discover true love. Alternating between the reality of day and the mystery of night, this story of déjà vu and righting past wrongs will delight fans of Susanna Kearsley and Sarah Addison Allen. <h2>Interview with the Author</h2> What was your inspiration to write Close to Destiny? I used to stay at a beautiful, mysterious London hotel for business trips. The dim and elegant setting made me think of clandestine parties, midnight encounters, dreams. I wove these elements-with a dash of magic-into this love story. It seems as if it might fall into several genres? It's contemporary literary fiction / women's fiction, yet includes magical realism and a touch of paranormal romance. Readers say it reminds them of the time travel romance The Time Traveler's Wife and novels by Sarah Addison Allen. I included mystical romance to transport the reader to another place... and to question our notions of reality. And in general, I aim to write fiction that is fast-paced, with surprising plot twists. What message do you hope readers take with them? The book deals with facing (or refusal to face) mistakes of the past, healing old wounds and starting over. And for any of us who has ever wondered, "Do I have a soulmate? Will I ever find my soulmate?" this story addresses that in a unique way. Another important theme is (big surprise) destiny. How much control do we have over our own destiny? What are your favorite genres to read? I enjoy a wide variety, but my favorites are literary fiction and women's fiction with strong female protagonists. And I like a little twist of magical realism.

Close to Destiny

Stories by best-selling and award-winning authors cover themes of love, friendship and memories in this compelling compilation. A rock &amp; roll concert that will forever be etched in the minds of the fans who witnessed it. An adult orphan searching for a "forever home." A survivor from World War II, on a journey to find one last memory of her mother. What do these stories have in common? They all answer the question: What will you leave behind? Long after we've left this world, our legacy remains. Or doesn't. Or remains only in the minds of those who knew us, those whose lives we've touched. Those we've written to, or about. What mark would you leave? How should people remember you? Should they remember you? This chilling, stunning, eerie, and hopeful collection of fiction and nonfiction stories will stick with you long after you've finished reading it. Includes stories from New York Times best selling author Regina Calcaterra, Sherwood Anderson Award winner Kristopher Jansma and Canadian best selling author Marissa Stapley, along with 11 others. Interview with the Editors We see some big names in Legacy: Regina Calcaterra, whose memoir Etched in Sand was a New York Times best seller; Kristopher Jansma (The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards), winner of the 2014 Sherwood Anderson Award for Fiction; Jenny Milchman (Cover of Snow), winner of the Mary Higgins Clark Award for best suspense novel of 2013—and that's just to name a few! How did you manage to assemble such a list of talented authors? We were inspired by the #30Authors blog event hosted by The Book Wheel, where authors reviewed their favorite books of 2014 on participating blogs. So we thought, how about featuring the work of these authors in an anthology? We liked the idea of best-selling authors, award-winning authors and a few talented debut authors collaborating on a project. So we invited them to participate, and to our delight, they were just as excited to contribute to such an anthology as we were to publish it. Why the theme of legacy? Words remain. And the writer's art is created through words. So it seemed the perfect subject to explore through fiction and nonfiction stories. What is the meaning of life? How do you find meaning in life? Sometimes the answer is in death, which these stories convey. What sorts of tales will we find in the book? Our writers wrote along a common theme, legacy, yet each story is very different. It is interesting to see each author's take on the idea. You'll find the classic love story, stories of family secrets, friendship and life-changing experiences, mother-daughter relationships, father-son relationships, an on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller, a World War II mystery and Holocaust remembrance, stories of mean girls, and a tribute to rock &amp; roll. Legacy has something for everyone.

Legacy: An Anthology

Stapley, Marissa

Calcaterra, Regina

Jansma, Kristopher

Foley, Maureen

WHITEHOUSE, David

Carroll, Stephanie

Young Lee, Paula

United States

If you love Liane Moriarty and Colleen Hoover, you'll love ENTANGLEMENT and the Hollywood Lights Series. "Equal parts heartbreaking and heartening, Entanglement shines a light on the interior lives of two flawed and fascinating women." --Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Woman Last Seen in her Thirties Best friends with troubled pasts escape to Los Angeles, finding danger along the path to redemption. Someone just tried to kill Greta Donovan, and she's not saying who. The worst part is, she didn't see it coming. She may be fiercely intelligent, but she can't relate to people. And she hasn't a clue where men are concerned. After college, Greta moves to Los Angeles with her best friend Daphne Saito. Charismatic Daphne teaches Greta how to wear stilettos, apply lip gloss, and navigate Hollywood nightlife. Greta comes into her own: she falls in love with her new boss and befriends an aging movie star. But trouble looms. Daphne is determined to succeed, and drags an unwilling Greta into the limelight with her. One night Daphne takes her Hollywood ambitions a step too far, and her actions push Greta into the path of danger. Will their friendship survive? Will Greta? "Pryal deftly portrays relationships that are under the magnifying glass, obsessive and dysfunctional, while still capturing the complexity and love of those intense early twenties friendships." --Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author of The Blackbird Season

Entanglement

Pryal, Katie Rose Guest

Genre Fiction

Fun and flirty Laney gives her life a complete makeover after her career and love life go down in flames. “Smart, sassy, hilarious.” (New York Times best-selling author Claire Cook) After Laney Delaney gets unfairly booted from her designer job at a bridal boutique and catches her fiancé cheating, she drowns her sorrows in a Frosted Cowboy cocktail—and locks eyes with a sexy stud, Tom, at the bar. And then she meets hot fireman Jake and tepid-but-nice fireman Mike. Faced with a life full of fresh possibilities, Laney embarks on a new career path while stumbling through the L.A. dating scene. Laney is on the verge of reinventing her life and finding her true passion. But the journey is full of embarrassing bumps, hilarious mishaps and wrong turns. Can Laney find her way and learn to believe in herself—with or without a sexy hunk by her side? “A sweet, funny tale.” – Publishers Weekly “The perfect escape from life’s monotonous treadmill.” – Readers' Favorite (5 Stars) Cheers! Keep tabs on the Happy Hour RomCom Series: <ul>
<li>Book 1 – Frosted Cowboy</li> <li>Book 2 – Love on the Rocks (with Salt)</li> <li>Book 3 – Tequila Slammer</li>
</ul> Interview with the Author What was your inspiration to write Frosted Cowboy? In a writing class, the teacher had us pull an adjective and a verb from a hat. I got frosted and cowboy. "What the heck am I going to do with that?" I thought, so I just wrote, "'I'll have a Frosted Cowboy,' I said to the bartender." I wrote two pages and turned it in; my teacher loved it and wanted more. So I developed it into the story of a woman whose Plan A didn't work out when she had never even considered a Plan B. At the time, my own Plan A was failing, and I had never really considered a Plan B. My story is nothing like Laney's, but I wanted to see where her story would go. As you’ll see in the book, the Frosted Cowboy cocktail plays a part in Laney’s story—and I even include the recipe for it at the end! It seems your book could fit into several genres. How would you categorize it? Laney Delaney is a lovable heroine who finds herself in ridiculous dating and work situations, so I'd categorize it as chick lit or romantic comedy. There's a light-hearted romance and of course some sex, but I wouldn't say this is a sexy romance novel; more a romcom. Anyone looking for love or could use a laugh will enjoy this book! How is Laney's story different from other chick lit? Wait, are you saying a chick lit heroine who catches her fiancé cheating on her and then loses her job and has to start over again isn't original?! I'm kidding of course. What sets Laney apart is she's sassy, yet not cool. I liked the idea of a fashion designer who was talented and creative, but not very fashionable. She's a fish out of water, but doesn't know how to jump in the pool, or even if she wants to. In business and in love, she's searching for her true passion and struggles to reconcile what she thinks she needs with what she thinks she wants. Do you have any more books planned? Yes. I don't want to say too much because I'm a bit superstitious, but I'm in the early stages of writing a book intersecting present-day lives of people who share a past. There might be a love triangle. And a little sex. And hopefully a lot of laughter. Thanks for reading!

Frosted Cowboy

Ross, Charlene

Humor & Satire

#1 Amazon Best-Selling Author What would you do if you received a letter from your past self? Sweet Corie and fiery Scarlet were best friends. Inseparable. Sisters of the heart. Until that one life-changing night they both wish they could take back… Twenty-eight-year old Corie Harper embarks on an emotional journey after receiving a letter to herself she forgot she wrote. Although she spent a decade hiding her secrets, each page reminds her of the friendship she lost with her best friend, Scarlet, when her now-husband, Tucker, got between them. Scarlet, who hasn’t seen Corie since, blazed her own path and left the past far behind. Or so she thinks. Pregnant with a baby she’s scared to have, Scarlet must decide if she wants to continue alone or find the courage to mend her broken friendship. Can these former best friends overcome the betrayal that changed their lives? "An engaging, not-to-miss debut with characters that stayed with me long after I finished reading." - Robin Bielman, USA Today bestselling author "This fine debut novel convincingly explores the ties of love and friendship at the breaking point." - L. Gott, The Fictional 100 Book club discussion guide included. Discover the tangled friendships and deep-rooted secrets of Conejo Springs in the Friendship & Secrets series. Each book can be read as a standalone. Interview with the Author What was your inspiration to write Letters for Scarlet? When I was teaching high school English, my seniors wrote letters to themselves, which I saved and sent to them five years after graduation. I imagined the impact of a tragedy happening in that time span and increased the period to ten years so the characters could be older and more established in their lives. There are lots of great women's fiction books to choose from these days! What makes Letters for Scarlet fresh? I switch between two narrators, one in first-person-present and the other in third-person-past, to show their lives from different points of view—both their strengths and flaws. Personally, I don't like characters who are all hero or all villain. The story focuses on friendship, or rather, a loss of friendship between two former high school friends. What can you say about their relationship? As teenagers, Scarlet and Corie were incredibly close and thought they would be best friends forever. “Sisters of the heart” if you will. But with that closeness came underlying jealousy and competition that carried into their adult lives. Tragedy and betrayal exacerbated these messy emotions and left holes they're both still trying to fill. Do you have any more books planned? Yes! Although there is a sense of closure at the end of Letters for Scarlet, I left the door open to explore the characters' futures, together or separately. I also wrote Guest List, a prequel novella that takes readers on a journey of events leading up to Corie and Scarlet’s high school reunion. Is this book part of a series? Each book can be read as a standalone, but all have ties to the world of friendship and secrets rooted in Conejo Springs. What do you enjoy reading? Primarily, I love women's fiction, literary fiction, and memoir. But any time spent reading is a good time! Thanks for reading!

Letters for Scarlet

Gardner, Julie C.

A vignette from the Amazon best-selling author of Letters for Scarlet and Guest List. A month before my fortieth birthday, under the influence of inspiration (not to mention half a pitcher of margaritas), I concocted a specific plan—one that offered an obvious starting line, a concrete ending and clearly digestible nuggets of achievement along the way. For the next five months I'd train for a race. Not just any race. A midlife marathon. While I convinced my forty-year-old legs they could run more than three miles at a time, I would also write a memoir chronicling tales of gladness and woe. Twenty weeks of running. Twenty weeks of writing. All I needed was a new pair of shoes, a couple of notebooks and a handful of pencils, and by springtime, I'd be ticking two big items off my bucket list: completing a marathon and a book. What could be simpler? Also available when signing up for Julie's newsletter: https://bit.ly/runningwithpencils Interview with the Author In addition to this vignette from your real life, you also write fiction, including Letters for Scarlet. What was your inspiration to write that novel? When I was teaching high school English, my seniors wrote letters to themselves, which I saved and sent to them five years after graduation. I imagined the impact of a tragedy happening in that time span and increased the period to ten years so the characters could be older and more established in their lives. Guest List is a prequel novella to Letters for Scarlet. Should I read it first? Up to you! The books can be read in either order. I wrote Letters for Scarlet first, but realized there was a lot more backstory to my characters than could fit in just one book! Guest List takes us back a bit in time and delves a little deeper into some of the secondary characters from Letters for Scarlet. It’s a short read but it covers a lot of ground, particularly the different ways female friendships play out over time. There are lots of great women's fiction books to choose from these days! What makes Letters for Scarlet and Guest List fresh? I switch between narrators, sometimes employing first-person-present and sometimes third-person-past, to show my characters’ lives from different points of view—both their strengths and flaws. Personally, I don't like characters who are all hero or all villain. What do you enjoy reading? Primarily, I love women's fiction, literary fiction, and memoir. But any time spent reading is a good time!

Running with Pencils

Biographies & Memoirs

Memoirs

#1 Amazon Best-SellerThe invitations for their ten-year high school reunion have arrived. But not everyone is looking forward to the event… Corie cringes at the idea of going to the Conejo High School reunion. No longer the sweet and innocent girl her friends knew, she dreads facing them, knowing she’s hiding more secrets than she can count. Fiery Scarlet, formerly Corie’s best friend, is now a high-powered attorney who has all but left the little town of Conejo Springs behind. She’s managed to block the memories for this long… but is it time to reconsider? Renata’s self-confidence is still as low as it was in high school, despite continually working out and desperately trying not to worry about what people think of her. Will she have the courage to face the crowd of girls whose approval she never stopped seeking? And sassy Kate is organizing the whole thing, even though she graduated in the class before them. What’s up her sleeve? The high school reunion could be a smash hit or a total disaster. It all depends on who shows up. “Enticing and delightfully dramatic... Not to miss!” – Award-winning author Jennie Goutet Discover the tangled friendships and deep-rooted secrets of Conejo Springs in the Friendship & Secrets series. Each book can be read as a standalone. Interview with the Author Guest List is a prequel novella to the highly praised novel Letters for Scarlet. So should I read it first? Up to you! The books can be read in either order. I wrote Letters for Scarlet first, but realized there was a lot more backstory to my characters than could fit in just one book! Guest List takes us back a bit in time and delves a little deeper into some of the secondary characters from Letters for Scarlet. It’s a short read but it covers a lot of ground, particularly the different ways female friendships play out over time. And what was your inspiration to write Letters for Scarlet? When I was teaching high school English, my seniors wrote letters to themselves, which I saved and sent to them five years after graduation. I imagined the impact of a tragedy happening in that time span and increased the period to ten years so the characters could be older and more established in their lives. There are lots of great women's fiction stories to choose from these days! What makes Guest List and Letters for Scarlet fresh? I switch between narrators, sometimes employing first-person-present and sometimes third-person-past, to show my characters’ lives from different points of view—both their strengths and flaws. Personally, I don't like characters who are all hero or all villain. Is this book part of a series? Each book can be read as a standalone, but all have ties to the world of friendship and secrets rooted in Conejo Springs: Book 1: Guest List Book 2: Letters for Scarlet Book 3: Forgetting Ophelia What do you enjoy reading? Primarily, I love women's fiction, literary fiction, and memoir. But any time spent reading is a good time!

Guest List

Women's Fiction

A beautiful and talented Hollywood screenwriter. A seemingly perfect life. A troubled past that threatens to unleash chaos at any moment. Chasing Chaos is "... as psychologically astute as it is engaging." - Kathryn Craft, award-winning author of The Far End of Happy. Daphne Saito, who’s wandered from one meaningless relationship to the next, is afraid to love because harm has always come to those around her. But when she meets Marlon, she lets her guard down. Until an unstable ex-boyfriend and an enigmatic woman from her past return with plans for revenge. Danger is on the horizon for those close to Daphne—and for her. Donna Tartt meets Tana French in this tense, evocative psychological thriller. Author Interview What was your inspiration to write Chasing Chaos? I wasn't sure I was going to write a series set in the world of Entanglement back when I was writing Entanglement. But once the book was out, after every book event and when I met people who read the book, everyone seemed to ask, "What happens to Daphne?" And they were right. She deserved her own story. It seems like part psychological thriller, part love story. What would you call it? It’s definitely both. Daphne is surrounded by danger – part real and partly from her own paranoia – but she’s also looking for love. Daphne struggles to believe she is worthy of love and need to learn to love herself first. Should I read Entanglement first? Because Chasing Chaos is set five years after the end of Entanglement, it very much stands alone as a story. And you can read Chasing Chaos first without spoiling Entanglement. What types of books do you enjoy reading? I will read any book except ones where the female characters are afterthoughts or non-existent. I love historical romance, urban fantasies, Booker Prize winners, SF (especially by women, and I wish there were more), psychological thrillers like Tana French (she's her own category), P.D. James (so is she), and of course that great big category called women's fiction.

Chasing Chaos

Katie Rose Guest Pryal

#1 Amazon Best Seller in Women's Fiction Friendship, loss, and an enchanting trip to Paris… Amy and Kat had a plan: A secret trip to Paris. Even Amy’s husband wouldn’t know about it. But when Amy loses Kat to cancer, she knows the plan has disappeared forever. Or has it? Guided by Kat’s bold voice and dissatisfaction with her own calorie-counting life in Phoenix, Amy takes the plunge and sneaks off to Paris without telling a soul. Once there, however, she finds that her problems have come right along with her. Through adventures laced with luscious food and a glimpse into an unexpected side of Paris, Amy learns that often in life, love, and friendship, nothing is exactly as it seems. Will she choose her new life in Paris or revive the one she left behind? "Discover a Paris that few casual tourists see" (Paris Voice) in this highly praised "can't-put-down… absorbing adventure" (Kirkus Reviews) Now optioned for film and TV by Papazian-Hirsch Entertainment! Book club discussion guide included. Interview with the Author What inspired you to write The Paris Effect? This is easy. I am a member of two book groups. We love talking about stories and characters, why we liked or didn't like a novel, what books and reading mean to us. I've done a lot of pondering about what makes a satisfying reading experience. Simply put, I wanted to write a novel that my book groups would enjoy reading and talking about. I love books about Paris! Do you think I will like this book? Yes, I believe so! But this isn't your typical book about Paris. At first it may seem like chick lit (a secret trip to the romantic city of Paris!) or a travel memoir (Amy ventures abroad without telling her husband and ends up on a voyage of self-discovery), though I'd say at its core it's women's fiction: Amy deals with the loss of her best friend and the downward (and sideways) spiral that ensues. She questions herself and her choices. She ultimately has to make some tough decisions. It's an emotional ride. What kind of story is The Paris Effect? Reviewers call it an engrossing adventure that's both funny and touching. Literary types would probably say it's a coming of age story because the main character, Amy (who loves all things French, and is diet-obsessed and believes French women don't get fat), takes the first big risk of her life by running away to France, soon learning the truth of the expression, "Wherever you go, there you are." I call it a tale of self-discovery that for the reader doubles as a virtual mini-vacation to Paris, giving a unique glimpse of Paris life. Many books have been written with Paris as the setting. What sets yours apart? Who doesn't like a Paris love story? For many of us, Paris is the ultimate romantic dream destination. And don't get me wrong—Paris is truly as romantic as it's cracked up to be! But it's also a multilingual, multinational metropolis of street hustlers, diesel fumes, and pickpockets. Amy encounters all of these and more, including some wonderfully kind strangers. She gets to know a Paris that few casual tourists ever see. And so will you. Thanks for reading!

The Paris Effect

Burns, K.S.R.

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