For Birdie Jaworski, life as an Avon Lady was a bittersweet mix of embarking on gossip-worthy adventures, searching for Mr. Right, and making emergency lotion requests in the middle of the night... while managing as a single parent. Birdie hawks Avon at a strip club, a bowling alley on Men's League Night, and of course door-to-door. She meets customers who answer the door naked, who want to buy wrinkle cream for their pet monkey, or who are harboring dark - and funny - secrets. She even sells Avon to celebrities who want to keep their zits a secret! The book captures Birdie's complicated and hilarious relationship with the cosmetics giant - and her customers - and reveals a surprising and touching account of her personal life. Birdie's stories have appeared in many online and print journals as well as on National Public Radio. Birdie's blog on which this memoir is based, has been featured in the New York Times, Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Positive Thinking magazine.

Three romantic suspense novels from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Jigsaw Files novels. Butterfly A tough-as-nails detective is on the case of a murdered celebrity photographer—and hot for the star witness. But as things heat up and they grow closer to each other, the killer grows closer to them . . . Bloodlines When a child’s skeleton is found hidden in a wall, Olivia Sealy’s past resurfaces. Her former sweetheart is the detective assigned to the case, which reminds her of the kidnapping ordeal she underwent as a child. Plus, there is the matter of the kidnapper the police never apprehended . . . Mimosa Grove A Louisiana woman’s gift of second sight leads her to a missing girl, and the mystery man of her dreams . . . “[Sala] spins an intricate tale of treachery and terror.”—RT Book Reviews on Mimosa Grove

A woman in the wrong place at the wrong time must rely on a tough-as-nails cop in this romantic thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author. Pregnant and homeless, China Brown isn’t a threat to anyone. But when she accidentally witnesses a murder, the killer attempts to silence her too. Although China survives, she loses the baby who meant more to her than her own life. Distraught and alone, she finds herself turning to an unlikely source of comfort. Hard-bitten Det. Ben English is on the case, and he thinks the victim—a celebrity photographer—was killed for the scandals his camera could expose. But there’s something even more intriguing to Ben than the secrets at the heart of the crime: the star witness. Undeniably drawn to China, Ben vows to keep her safe. But as they grow closer to each other, they also grow closer to the killer. “In a truly riveting story, Ms. Sala draws you in from the very beginning. She delivers main characters who will touch your hearts and quirky secondary characters who will intrigue you as you try to figure out whodunit.” —RT Book Reviews

Mysteries are among the most popular books today, and women continue to be among the most creative and widely read mystery writers. This book includes alphabetically arranged entries on 90 women mystery writers. Many of the writers discussed were not even writing when the first edition of this book was published in 1994, while others have written numerous works since then. Writers were selected based on their status as award winners, their commercial success, and their critical acclaim. Each entry provides biographical information, a discussion of major works and themes, and primary and secondary bibliographies. The volume closes with appendices and a selected, general bibliography. Public library patrons will value this guide to their favorite authors, while students will turn to it when writing reports.

Like other fictional characters, female sleuths may live in the past or the future. They may represent current times with some level of reality or shape their settings to suit an agenda. There are audiences for both realism and escapism in the mystery novel. It is interesting, however, to compare the fictional world of the mystery sleuth with the world in which readers live. Of course, mystery readers do not share one simplistic world. They live in urban, suburban, and rural areas, as do the female heroines in the books they read. They may choose a book because it has a familiar background or because it takes them to places they long to visit. Readers may be rich or poor; young or old; conservative or liberal. So are the heroines. What incredible choices there are today in mystery series! This three-volume encyclopedia of women characters in the mystery novel is like a gigantic menu. Like a menu, the descriptions of the items that are provided are subjective. Volume 3 of Mystery Women as currently updated adds an additional 42 sleuths to the 500 plus who were covered in the initial Volume 3. These are more recently discovered sleuths who were introduced during the period from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1999. This more than doubles the number of sleuths introduced in the 1980s (298 of whom were covered in Volume 2) and easily exceeded the 347 series (and some outstanding individuals) described in Volume 1, which covered a 130-year period from 1860-1979. It also includes updates on those individuals covered in the first edition; changes in status, short reviews of books published since the first edition through December 31, 2008.

A guide to series fiction lists popular series, identifies novels by character, and offers guidance on the order in which to read unnumbered series.