The critically acclaimed author of Good-bye and Amen, Leeway Cottage, and More Than You Know returns with a sharply perceptive and emotionally resonant novel about all the ways we talk about one another, the sometimes fine line between showing concern and doing damage, and the difficulty of knowing the true obligations of friendshipGossipBeth Gutcheon "Did you know that the origin of the word gossip in English is 'god-sibling'It's the talk between people who are godparents to the same child, people who have a legitimate loving interest in the person they talk about. It's talk that weaves a net of support and connection beneath the people you want to protect."Loviah "Lovie" French owns a small, high-end dress shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Renowned for her taste and discretion, Lovie is the one to whom certain women turn when they need "just the thing" for major life events baptisms and balls, weddings and funerals or when they just want to dish in the dressing room. Among the people who depend on Lovie's confidence are her two best friends since boarding school: Dinah Wainwright and Avis Metcalf. Outspoken and brimming with confidence, Dinah made a name for herself as a columnist covering the doings of New York's wealthiest and most fabulous. Shy, proper Avis, in many ways Dinah's opposite, rose to prominence in the art world with her quiet manners, hard work, and precise judgment. Despite the deep affection they both feel for Lovie, they have been more or less allergic to each other since a minor incident decades earlier that has been remembered and resented with what will prove to be unimaginable consequences. These uneasy acquaintances become unwillingly bound to each other when Dinah's favorite son and Avis's only daughter fall in love and marry. On the surface, Nick and Grace are the perfect match a playful, romantic, buoyant, and beautiful pair. But their commitment will be strained by time and change: career setbacks, reckless choices, the birth of a child, jealousies, and rumor. At the center of their orbit is Lovie, who knows everyone's secrets and manages them as wisely as she can. Which is not wisely enough, as things turn out a fact that will have a shattering effect on all their lives.An astute chronicler of everything that makes us human, Beth Gutcheon delivers her most powerful and emotionally devastating novel to date. Gossip is a tale of intimacy and betrayal, trust and fidelity, friendship, competition, and motherhood that explores the myriad ways we use and abuse "information" about others be it true, false, or imagined to sustain, and occasionally destroy, one another.

The all-American chronicle of radio legend Carol Miller, from her rise to success in a male dominated world, to the rockstars she's know along the way, to, for the first time, the private story of her quietly waged battle with a deadly disease.As one of the nation's top radio DJs, Carol Miller introduced the music of Bruce Springsteen to the New York airwaves, was on a first-name basis with Sir Paul McCartney, dated Steven Tyler, and has been recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her on-air approach and singular voice have infl uenced the sound of rock radio for more than four decades, and her satellite and syndicated Get the Led Out programs are heard nationwide. In Up All Night, Carol spins the entertaining, moving, and revealing story of her life and times in rock radio and beyond. A nice Jewish girl from Queens, Carol was supposed to be a doctor or, at the very least, a lawyer. But hearing a doo-wop trio in the alley under her window changed the direction of her life forever: she fell in love with popular music. As the tumult and excitement of the sixties rocked colleges across America, Carol a biology major at the University of Pennsylvania became an underground rock DJ at the campus radio station. Radio jobs in Philadelphia and New York City quickly followed, and Carol rose to the top of the profession. But even as she enjoyed a professional and personal life imbued with rock and roll glamour, Carol harbored guilt, disappointment, and alienation, believing she'd failed her traditional, intellectual Jewish parents and often feeling like an outsider in the very culture she had helped to create. The specter of an unnamed illness that had claimed many of her relatives' lives hung over hers as well, and she too would face a monumental challenge when diagnosed with breast and uterine cancer. Told in the distinctive voice that has charmed millions of listeners for decades, Up All Night is a frank, funny, and inspiring memoir. Offering snapshots of the rarefied world of pop music and the shifting social history of our times, it is as much a cultural chronicle as it is one woman's candid and moving story.

Baseball is the only game where the defense has the ball.So begins an inside look at baseball's most scrutinized group of players relief pitchers and life in the most intriguing bullpen of all, that of the New York Yankees.Second-guessed and overstressed, the manager finds his use of the bullpen the most debated topic after any game, but the reliever is the guy in the spotlight, game on the line, alone on a raised mound of clay.Bestselling sportswriter Charley Rosen takes the reader on the wild journey that is the evolution of relief pitching over the years and examines the eccentric characters who have taken on the pressure of closing out games or not. Bullpen Diaries is full of interviews with key players, coaches, and scouts from around the league; replete with the drama of blown plays and walk-off grand slams; and laced with funny anecdotes about Yankee greats throughout the years.To underscore the drama and difficulty of being a reliever, Rosen uses key games in the 2010 season acknowledged now as the Year of the Pitcher to highlight strategies and mistakes, examine relievers on the rise or on the way out, and analyze the teams and the pitchers the Yanks faced. Bullpen Diaries also takes a look at Yankee strategies for success past, present, and, most important, future. Lastly, Rosen reveals his predictions for 2011 and beyond for baseball's most storied franchise.With insight on current players from around the league and tales of Yankee legends, Stadium history, and the author's Bronx childhood, Bullpen Diaries is a love letter to baseball and a pure joy for all fans of America's favorite pastime.

Serial entrepreneur and journalist Shane Snow delves into the reasons why some people and some organizations are able to achieve incredible things in implausibly short time frames, showing how each of us can use these "smartcuts" to rethink convention and accelerate success.Why do some companies attract millions of customers in mere months while others flopHow did Alexander the Great, YouTube phenom Michelle Phan, and Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon dash to the top in less time than it takes most of us to get a midlevel promotionHow do high-growth businesses, world-class heart surgeons, and underdog marketers beat the norm?Like computer hackers, a handful of innovators in every era use lateral thinking to find better routes to stunning accomplishments. Throughout history, the world's biggest successes have been achieved by those who refuse to follow the expected course and buck the norm.Smartcuts is about bucking the norm. In it, Snow shatters common wisdom about success, revealing how conventions like "paying dues" prevent progress, why kids shouldn't learn multiplication tables, and how, paradoxically, it's easier to build a huge business than a small one.Smartcuts tells the stories of innovators who dared to work differently and lays out practical takeaways for the rest of us. It's about applying entrepreneurial and technological concepts to success, and how, by emulation, we too can leapfrog competitors, grow businesses, and fix society's problems faster than we think.

Kim Kardashian is a phenomenon.Despite her privileged upbringing in Beverly Hills, ten years ago Kim was just a modest stylist to stars like Paris Hilton and Brandy, making extra money selling her clothes on eBay. But a combination of hard work, an astute business brain, a hit TV series and a body to die for turned her life around.In this revealing unauthorized biography of Kim, bestselling author Sean Smith discovers a sweet, kind, and smart young woman whose life story reads like an X-rated version of Dynasty . . . an infamous murder case, elopement, a notorious sex tape, a seventy-two-day marriage, gender transition and impossibly glamorous designer dresses.Finding love with one of the biggest stars on the planet, Kanye West, she has begun her own dynasty with her daughter, North, and the approaching birth of her son. Now, as Kim Kardashian West, she is the most photographed and talked-about celebrity of the past decade. Her following on Instagram alone exceeds 42 million, over 4 million more than the population of her home state of California.Kim Kardashian follows her extraordinary journey from her childhood and amazing family to her turbulent love life and multi-million-dollar lifestyle. It is the ultimate insight into an icon of our times.

Could this baby be his royal heir? Crown Prince Dane of Montenevada has just heard the rumours of a secret baby of royal birth. With the kingdom in uproar, his only choice is to confront the sister of his sworn enemy – the woman who still haunts his dreams. Alexandra Acredonna has feared her precious son will be taken from her. And then Dane shows up, furious that she’s kept from him the result of their lost week of passion. He offers her an ultimatum, one that will keep her identity secret. But Alexandra wants more – a place at his side and a husband who will recognise her…as his beloved bride. The Royals of Montenevada Three gorgeous princes… and how they meet their brides-to-be!

From boardroom… Sally Finch has come to Sydney for a fresh start. She’s not looking for a relationship – and she really tries to ignore her attraction to her brooding MD, Logan Black. To ballroom… Logan is absolutely focussed on business, but when he’s roped in to attending a charity ball it’s bubbly, fun-loving Sally who steps in to help him brush up on his dance moves! To bride and groom…? Sally’s falling for Logan, but it takes two to tango! Will Logan put his life plan on hold and make his receptionist his wife?

Mills & Boon Sweet series promises love affairs to last a lifetime…Carly Bishop hasn't celebrated Christmas for six years not since icy Mount Hood claimed her fiance's life and left her a widow before she was a bride. But this year, handsome Jake Porter is determined she'll enjoy herself. Jake is a mountain rescuer, big-hearted and courageous, but Carly is too scared of loving him in case she loses him. In a whirl of festive fun, sleigh rides and snowball fights, Christmas starts to weave its magic. Though it's Jake who is melting Carly's heart.

The blind millionaire All his life, rich and powerful Jeremy Fulton had needed no one. Now he was going blind – and he had to reveal his secret to the woman he’d once overlooked: the shy and poor Eden Byars. Accepting her temporary help would be hard – and acting on their unexpected attraction unforgivable… Jeremy claimed he had nothing to offer a woman. But Eden wouldn’t give up on the man she’d loved from afar for so long. Could she find a way to bring light to this proud millionaire’s heart? It would take a miracle…

Rich man’s proposal; snow-white bride Samantha Barnett would describe herself as an ordinary girl. Flynn McGranger would call her beautiful. If he weren’t about to destroy her career. A rich, successful journalist, Flynn aims to write a scathing review of Samantha’s little bakery. He never mixes business with pleasure. But the secrets she’s clearly keeping intrigue him, and her innocence has caught him off guard… What’s happened to him? He’s being ridiculous! The Christmas-coated town has gone to his head. Either that, or this small-town girl has unlocked the city-slicker’s heart… A Bride for All Seasons ’Tis the season to fall in love…

Shelly Hansen was horrified when Great Aunt Milly's infamous wedding dress arrived. Family legend said she'd marry the next man she met. So when she ran into handsome Mark Brady, Shelly told herself - and him - that she wasn't interested. But then she started seeing him everywhere…

Enjoy the dreams, explore the emotions, experience the relationships. He’ll teach her to trust – and to love. After a crushing betrayal, Melanie Harris is beginning to put her life back together. Dr Kent Mattson wants to help the fragile beauty. But he has pressing problems of his own – two homicide investigations that may be linked. The situation gets complicated when he realises that Melanie knew both victims. Then Melanie’s sister goes missing – and Melanie realises that she needs to let go of the past. To save Ariel, she’ll have to trust Kent, the man who’s shown her how to love again.

Gala opera evenings. Sudden wealth and fame. Dangerous undercover missions into the heart of Nazi Germany. No one would have predicted such glamorous and daring lives for Ida and Louise Cook two decidedly ordinary women who lived quiet lives in the London suburbs. But throughout the 1930s, the remarkable sisters rescued dozens of Jews facing persecution and death. Ida's memoir of the adventures she and Louise shared remains as fresh, vital, and entertaining as the woman who wrote it. Even when Ida began to earn thousands as a successful romance novelist, the sisters directed every spare resource, as well as their considerable courage and ingenuity, towards saving as many as they could from Hitler's death camps. Safe Passage is a moving testimony showing us what can happen when conscience and compassion are applied to a collapsing world. [The Cook sisters]] defy the generalisation of social history: they were extraordinary. Telegraph

A plain hoyden, he had called her Miss Charlotte Cartwright has never forgotten Roland Temple’s contemptuous rejection of her hand in marriage. And she’s not about to forgive either – even if Roland, the new Earl of Amerleigh, is now older, wiser and ten times as handsome! Roland has returned home from the wars to find much has changed – including his spitfire of a neighbour. He’s soon determined to right the wrongs of the past – and this time the hoyden will be his bride!

“Claire Grant, you will die. Over and over again. ” A selfless act of bravery propelled Seattle schoolteacher Claire Grant into the centre of a manhunt. Now catching a terrorist depends on her – and her ability to play his deadly revenge game. One wrong move and she’ll die. And so will an innocent child. Her best chance for staying alive is charismatic FBI agent Luke Krueger – a man with his own agenda. Separate, Claire and Luke are pawns. But together, can they uncover the terrorist’s weakness and stop the madman once and for all?

Rescued by a gorgeous stranger… A secluded cabin nestled in the Rocky Mountains is the perfect place for Melody Crawford to hide from the world. With her two faithful dogs, she fearlessly puts her life on the line to rescue missing people…but the rest of her life is a mystery. Ex-Army Ranger John North needs Melody’s help. She knows the unforgiving mountains better than anyone. He knows Melody sees him as an outsider, but this enigmatically beautiful woman calls to the man inside him. She needs to trust him, and come what may he’ll break down her barriers – kiss by snowy kiss… Heart to Heart Where laughter, tears – and happy endings – are guaranteed!

Brooding ranch owner Brody Hamilton keeps his heart out of reach. But there's something about vivacious stable manager Lucy that brings joy to his hardened soul.Lucy Farnsworth has just discovered she's of royal blood. She should be glad, but it has blown her world apart, and she finds herself just wanting to be the old Lucy again.At Prairie Rose Ranch, Lucy's found the man who makes her feel she belongs. Only, she hasn't told him she's a princess....

Caroline can't imagine settling into a dull, respectable marriage. Her zest for life and alluring innocence draw the attention of Sir Rathbone - who is far from dull But should she resist the attentions of the most sought-after bachelor in town?

All Emery Kendall wanted was to flee painful memories of Christmases past. She craved distraction and healing, and the mountains of Idaho offered both...plus the key to a long-buried family secret. But when she met her host, rancher Nate Cavazos, she hardly got a warm welcome....The former army ranger's smoldering good looks masked deep emotional scars. And now he had his hands full as guardian of two orphaned nieces. That seemed to be all the involvement he could handle right now.Still, Nate couldn't ignore his fierce attraction to Emery or his nieces' instant attachment to her--until Emery's secret shattered their happiness. Would it be a lonely Christmas for four lost souls? Or the best family holiday ever?

Just back from a tour of duty, all Major Brant Western wanted was a hot meal and a warm bed. What he didn’t need was a stunning socialite in disguise who’d just shown up at his family’s ranch. Scandal trailed bad girl Mimi everywhere she went. But once Brant discovered her secret, how could he turn her away? Being stranded in the middle of nowhere in a blizzard was not Mimi’s idea of fun. Until she started to realise that sexy soldier Brant could offer her more than just shelter from the storm.

Experience the thrill of life on the edge and set your adrenalin pumping! These gripping stories see heroic characters fight for survival and find love in the face of danger. Willow Harris needed someone who was willing to go beyond the law… Someone who would take a dangerous mission in a foreign land to rescue her kidnapped baby. Hope was all Willow had…until she found The Equalizers. Spencer Anders needed a second chance… He may have been new to the Equalizers, but Spencer had earned his stripes specialising in hostage retrieval. But with Willow at his side, anything could happen. The only thing Spencer knew for sure：surrender was not an option.