In 1990, Barbara Holland inherited her mother's summer cabin in the northern Blue Ridge Mountains. She quit her job in Philadelphia, said goodbye to friends and family, and moved into a different world. On the mountain she wrestled with winter isolation, stoked the woodstove and learned to live with the wildlife. Just as she settled into this gentle world where crime was a toolbox stolen from the back of a pickup truck, it began to change. The suburbs were moving in, changing the very bedrock of the community.

Throughout history there have been women, endowed with curiosity and abundant spirit, who stepped out of the cave, cast off the shackles of expectation, and struck out for new territory. In this ode to bold, brash, and sometimes just plain dangerous women, Barbara Holland reanimates those rebels who defied convention and challenged authority on a truly grand scale: they traveled the world, commanded pirate ships, spied on the enemy, established foreign countries, scaled 19,000-foot passes, and lobbied to change the Constitution. Some were merry and flamboyant; others depressive and solitary. Some dressed up as men; others cherished their Victorian gowns. Many were ambivalent or absentminded mothers. But every one of them was fearless, eccentric, and fiercely independent. Barbara Holland evokes their energy in this unconventional book that will acquaint you with the likes of Grace O’Malley, a blazing terror of the Irish seas in the 1500s, and surprise you with a fresh perspective on legends like Bonnie Parker of “Bonnie and Clyde” fame. With wit, wisdom, and irreverent flair, They Went Whistling makes a compelling case for the virtue of getting into trouble.

It's Saint Patrick's Day weekend in chilly upstate New York, and Samantha Davies, children's picture book author and sometime sleuth, is excited to attend the annual outdoors games put on by the local Wings Falls fire company. It will be a weekend filled with fun activities such as a skillet toss, four-wheeler race, and the ever-popular decorated wooden outhouse race across the ice. Sam is looking forward to dancing the night away with her beau, police detective Hank Johnson at the Firefighter's Ball. Sam's rug hooking group, the Loopy Ladies is sponsoring one of the outhouses and their senior member, Gladys O'Malley, will have the honor of riding on the "throne" to the finish line. Only not all goes as planned when the neighboring fire company's chief is found in Gladys' place—frozen solid and dead as a doornail! To make matters worse, both Gladys' and Sam's fingerprints are all over the evidence at the murder scene, taking them from attendees to suspects. Now it's up to Sam to clear their names and get to the truth. The only problem is the victim had disagreements with almost everyone in town, from the Wings Falls fire chief to a sexy blonde named Sunny Foxx—with two xx's—and a slew of other suspects. Can Sam find the killer before the Luck of the Irish runs out for her? Or will she become chilled to the bone when the killer catches up to her... "A doggone entertaining mystery filled with small town scandals! Funny and entertaining!" ~ Fresh Fiction

Drew loved their new home in Negley, Ohio. He was happier here. It was a much safer environment to raise his children. He was concerned about the pictures he found in a drawer of missing children from the area. Surely there was no need for concern as some of the pictures dated back to the 1950s. He was concerned, however, about the homeless family living in the deserted brick house across the creek. It was not a safe place for the children living there.

MediaWriting is an introductory, hands-on textbook for students preparing to write in the current multimedia environment. Rather than just talk about the differences among the styles of print, broadcast, and public relations, MediaWriting sythensizes and integrates them, while weaving in basic principles of Internet writing and social media reporting. Complete with real-world examples, practical writing exercises, and tips and information for entering into the profession, MediaWriting continues to give students the tools they need to become a successful media writer. The new edition has been extensively rewritten to reflect the dynamic nature of the profession, paying significant attention to how the Internet and social media have become essential communication tools for print and broadcast journalists, and public relations professionals. Further updates and features include: Increased attention to computer-assisted reporting, the preparation of online copy, and social media applications Two new chapters on lead writing and new new media A separate chapter focused solely on ethics Explanatory "how to" boxes that help students understand and retain main themes Illustrative "It Happened to Me" vignettes from the authors’ professional experiences Discussion questions and exercises at the end of every chapter Suggested readings that highlight biographies, books, and websites that expand the scope and definition of professionalism In addition to new multimedia elements, the fourth edition’s companion website features enhanced resources for both students and instructors, including chapter overviews, writing tips, a test bank, sample critiques, and a sample syllabus.

With characteristic elegance and delicious wit, Barbara Holland, ("a national treasure,"-Philadelphia Inquirer) celebrates the age-old act of drinking in this gimlet-eyed survey of man's relationship with booze, since the joyful discovery, ten thousand years ago, of fermented fruits and grains. In this spirited paean to alcohol, two parts cultural history, one part personal meditation, Holland takes readers on a bacchanalian romp through the Fertile Crescent, the Mermaid Tavern, Plymouth Rock, and Capitol Hill and reveals, as Faulkner famously once said, how civilization indeed begins with fermentation. Filled with tasty tidbits about distillers, bootleggers, taverns, hangovers, and Alcoholics Anonymous, The Joy of Drinking is a fascinating portrait of the world of pleasures fermented and distilled.

Through descriptions of the town's schools, streets, homes, and natural surroundings, Leff offers this affectionate, insightful portrait of his adopted home of Collinsville, Connecticut, a village that looked perfectly ordinary until he fell prey to its rhythms and charm.