Every field has its 'boss man' the one who sets the style and makes the rules. In bluegrass and early country music, the man is Bill Monroe. In the world of urban blues, the man is Muddy Waters. Using their own words and dozens of remarkable photographs, James Rooney compares and contrasts the careers of these two bossmen.

Every field has its "bossman"--the one who sets the style and makes the rules. In bluegrass and early country music the man was Bill Monroe. In the world of urban blues, the man was Muddy Waters. Using their own words and dozens of remarkable photographs by David Gahr, Carl Fleischhauer and John Byrne Cooke, the author compares and contrasts the careers of these two bossmen. Both grew up in remote rural areas. Muddy Waters heard field hollers, church music, jubilees, shouts, string band music, and the raw sound of the delta blues; for Bill Monroe it was square dance music, hymns, old country ballads and the fiddling of his Uncle Pen Vandiver. Both brought their music to the big cities: Bill to Nashville, Muddy to Chicago. Musicians who passed through their bands went on to form bands of their own, giving rise to the worlds of Bluegrass and Chicago Blues. But this is more than a book about music; it is a book about black and white America. In microcosm, it is almost a history of this country; and it sets up striking comparisons that cut deep into our heritage and ways. In the words of Pete Seeger: "Anyone in the world wanting to understand American music could well start right here."

From New York Times Bestseller, Vi Keeland, comes a sexy new standalone novel. The first time I met Chase Parker, I didn’t exactly make a good impression. I was hiding in the bathroom hallway of a restaurant, leaving a message for my best friend to save me from my awful date. He overheard and told me I was a bitch, then proceeded to offer me some dating advice. So I told him to mind his own damn business—his own tall, gorgeous, full-of-himself damn business—and went back to my miserable date. When he walked by my table, he smirked, and I watched his arrogant, sexy ass walk back to his date. I couldn’t help but sneak hidden glances at the condescending jerk on the other side of the room. Of course, he caught me on more than one occasion, and winked. When the gorgeous stranger and his equally hot date suddenly appeared at our table, I thought he was going to rat me out. But instead, he pretended we knew each other and joined us—telling elaborate, embarrassing stories about our fake childhood. My date suddenly went from boring to bizarrely exciting. When it was over and we parted ways, I thought about him more than I would ever admit, even though I knew I’d never see him again. I mean, what were the chances I’d run into him again in a city with eight million people? Then again... What were the chances a month later he’d wind up being my new sexy boss?

What people are saying about the Award-Winning BDSM book, THE BOSSMAN (Book 1 in The Bossman Series) **Winner of Eroticon USA's "Next Top Erotic Author" contest** "A fast-paced naughty erotic romance that will tug at your heartstrings while making you squirm." --USA Today Bestselling Author Sue Lyndon “The Bossman combines a bad boy hero, a sympathetic heroine and spanking for a sizzling, fun read. Nobody writes a bad boy hero like Renee Rose.” ~ Cara Bristol, USA Today Bestselling Author From USA TODAY BEST-SELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE...the BDSM mafia romance that launched the award-winning Bossman Series. Joey knows he wants Sophie for keeps from the moment he walks into her life. She is hot, classy and full of fire, even though submission turns her on. Unfortunately, his involvement in the mafia is a hard limit for her.

He'd desired her—and denied himself her company—for far too long. Now Marcos Allende finally had his secretary right where he wanted her. He'd convinced her to play the role of his lover while he conducted the deal of his life. And once the pretense was over, Marcos would move heaven and earth to make Virginia Hollis his true mistress. She longed to be more than merely Marcos's dedicated assistant. Yet she'd readily agreed to play along, hoping to ensconce herself in his bed…and then his heart. But could she keep a permanent place in his life once he discovered her secret?

Nothing had stopped Jason Reagert from making his own millions. And now that he was securely ensconced at Maddox Communications, he was determined to become an even bigger success. Then startling news broke and Jason—along with everyone else—discovered he had gotten heiress Lauren Presley pregnant. He couldn't afford even a whiff of scandal, so he proposed to his lover of one night. Surely she'd agree to a lifetime of convenience, if only for the baby's sake.

Mr. August: Luke Garnier, rich as royalty, sexy as sin Looking for: A fast track to fatherhood The mother-to-be? His straitlaced secretary. Business meant staying focused on the bottom line, and Luke wasn't looking for a wife. Just an heir…with no strings attached. Persuading his faithful assistant, Haley Rollins, to be his surrogate seemed an expedient solution. But once shy Haley joined him in their marriage bed, the construction mogul discovered their business arrangement had some world-rocking "employee benefits"….