"For nonwriters, it is a glimpse into the trials and satisfactions of a life spent with words. For writers, it is a warm, rambling, conversation with a stimulating and extraordinarily talented colleague." — Chicago Tribune From Pulitzer Prize-winning Annie Dillard, a collection that illuminates the dedication and daring that characterizes a writer's life. In these short essays, Annie Dillard—the author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and An American Childhood—illuminates the dedication, absurdity, and daring that characterize the existence of a writer. A moving account of Dillard’s own experiences while writing her works, The Writing Life offers deep insight into one of the most mysterious professions.

John McEuen is one of the founding members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, NGDB. Now 50-years strong, the band is best known for its evergreen bestselling album Will the Circle Be Unbroken and for its gorgeous version of the song "Mr. Bojangles." McEuen is one of the seminal figures who conceived and originated the fusion of folk, rock and country, a unique sound still hugely popular today. In addition to performing on tour with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and on dozens of bestselling NGDB albums (many of which went platinum and gold), McEuen also has a successful solo performing and recording career. And as a music producer, he won the Grammy Award in 2010 for producing The Crow, a music album by Steve Martin, John's lifelong friend. McEuen writes candidly and movingly about the ups and downs in his life. Among the highs was NGDB's tour of the Soviet Union in 1977; they were the first American group to perform there. Among the downs was the breakup of his family in the 1980s. McEuen is a born storyteller, and his tales of working with everyone from Linda Ronstadt to Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash to the Allman Brothers to Bob Dylan to Dolly Parton to, of course, Steve Martin will thrill every fan of folk, rock, and country music alike.

Kentucky has a rich culinary tradition with distinctive regional recipes that reflect the unique heritage of the commonwealth, and few know that tradition better than Linda Allison-Lewis. In the ten years since the publication of her celebrated first collection, Kentucky's Best: Fifty Years of Great Recipes, letters and e-mails have poured in from readers clamoring for a collection of the best recipes from her popular food column. Kentucky Cooks: Favorite Recipes from Kentucky Living presents the most popular recipes from the pages of Kentucky Living magazine. In Kentucky Cooks, traditional and contemporary flavors are united in the best recipes the state has to offer. Kentucky Cooks offers a diverse assortment of the magazine's most requested recipes. Featuring entrées, side dishes, sandwiches, snacks, breads, desserts, and more, there is something for every taste in this collection of delicious Kentucky favorites. Each section begins with an anecdote shared by a Kentucky Living staffer, a reader of the column, or related by Allison-Lewis herself. Ease into the day with morning specialties like Gingerbread Waffles, Caramel Apple–Filled Crepes, or Breakfast Tortilla Roll Ups. Cooks will be delighted to find savory selections for weeknights as well as special occasions, including new twists on old standbys such as Blackberry Vinaigrette Salad, Buttermilk Chive Biscuits, Crispy Oven-Fried Chicken, Coffee-Pecan-Glazed Ham, or Crouton and Walnut Catfish. Many entrées take a fresh look at regional favorites; Venison Italian, Pork Shoulder with Stir-Fried Vegetables and Plum Sauce, Southwest Slow-Cooker Burritos, and Grilled Chipotle Adobo Pork Tenderloin fuse unexpected ingredients for an international zing. Seasonal ingredients appear in innovative combinations in Vidalia Onion Finger Sandwiches, Shrimp Julep with Pear Salad, Honey-Baked Tomatoes, and Bison Tenderloin with Roasted Asparagus and Stone-Ground Cheese Grits. Indulge your sweet tooth with decadent desserts like Quick-and-Easy Blackberry Cobbler, Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Chocolate Cinnamon Pudding, Orange-Slice Cake, or Black Forest Fudge Trifle. Better yet, start with dessert and see if you have room left for dinner! Whether enjoying a family meal, entertaining friends and neighbors, or hosting a holiday celebration, the recipes in Kentucky Cooks will inspire you to savor all the best the region has to offer.

An Amazon Top 30 bestseller.***Each Joe Dillard novel can be read as a standalone.***A beautiful, young, rising star in the country music world is found dead in a Nashville hotel room.The owner of her record company is charged with murder.In the seventh installment of Scott Pratt's best-selling Joe Dillard series, Dillard is hired to travel to Tennessee's capital city to defend Paul Milius, a record company baron accused of strangling Kasey Cartwright, his label's young star. Dillard navigates Nashville's unfamiliar legal system and the world of country music in search of the truth, but he soon finds himself confronted with a web of lies so masterfully woven that he fears he may never find any answers. As the trial begins and the tension mounts, Dillard fears that not only will his client be wrongfully convicted, but that Dillard himself may not survive."Pratt's richly developed characters are vivid and believable, especially the strong Southern women who fight their male-dominated culture from behind a facade of vulnerability." -Publisher's Weekly

A six-year-old girl is kidnapped from her bed in Tennessee's oldest town.The ransom note demands millions.In this fifth installment of the highly-acclaimed and best selling Joe Dillard series, Dillard is hired to represent the parents of a child who has gone missing. As the clock ticks, Dillard desperately tries to find the little girl, but the return of his wife's dreaded disease and the stunning appearance of his father combine to push Dillard to his emotional limit. "I have grown to love Joe Dillard." - Janet Lindsay"This author has created a cast of characters and a protagonist so real they virtually jump off the page." - Mark Rubenstein