On the Potuguese in India.

An Appalachian Feud Blows Up in 1912 Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime In Carroll County, a corn shucking is the social event of the season, until a mischievous kiss leads to one of the biggest tragedies in Virginia history. Ava Burcham isn’t your typical Blue Ridge Mountain girl. She has a bad habit of courtin’ trouble, and her curiosity has opened a rift in the middle of a feud between politicians and would-be outlaws, the Allen family. Ava’s tenacious desire to find a story worth reporting may land her and her best friend, Jeremiah Sutphin, into more trouble than either of them planned. The end result? The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912.

With her newfound faith, Catherine Dougall hopes to take the remnants of her threadbare life and make something beautiful, even if society shuns every choice she makes. Dr. David Ross must save his war hospital from ruin, but when his notorious aunt makes an offer he can't refuse, he must choose between his surprising affection for a reformed flirt or his dreams. From the beautiful Derbyshire countryside to the trenches of World War One, Catherine and David must learn to trust in a God who never forgets his children and fashions beauty out of the most broken things.

Filled with anecdotes and fascinating information, "a spicy read indeed." (Mark Pendergrast, author of Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed the World) The perfect companion to Mark Kurlansky's Salt: A World History, Pepper illuminates the rich history of pepper for a popular audience. Vivid and entertaining, it describes the part pepper played in bringing the Europeans, and later the Americans, to Asia and details the fascinating encounters they had there. As Mark Pendergrast, author of Uncommon Grounds, said, "After reading Marjorie Shaffer's Pepper, you'll reconsider the significance of that grinder or shaker on your dining room table. The pursuit of this wizened berry with the bite changed history in ways you've never dreamed, involving extraordinary voyages, international trade, exotic locales, exploitation, brutality, disease, extinctions, and rebellions, and featuring a set of remarkable characters." From the abundance of wildlife on the islands of the Indian Ocean, which the Europeans used as stepping stones to India and the East Indies, to colorful accounts of the sultan of Banda Aceh entertaining his European visitors with great banquets and elephant fights, this fascinating book reveals the often surprising story behind one of mankind's most common spices.

Poor Petunia Pepper! Every year disaster strikes her on school picture day. Poofy hair, pumpkin-style smiles and pink eye create pictures that only her family could love. But this year, Petunia promises herself things are going to change. She plans carefully for the perfect picture day. Unfortunately, she misses the school bus and begins a series of misadventures that lead to yet another picture day catastrophe. In the end, Petunia spots her picture on the front page of the local newspaper, featuring her heroic rescue of a runaway poodle. Now that's a picture everyone in her class will love! Children will laugh and groan along with Petunia as she learns that outward appearance isn't everything, and God thinks we all are pretty awesome just the way we are. (Time Out for God's Word page at end of book includes scripture references.)

Uncover the Story Behind a One-Hundred-Year-Old Love Letter Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure. Clara Blackwell helps her mother manage a struggling one-hundred-year old family bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, but the discovery of a forgotten letter opens a mystery of a long-lost romance and undiscovered inheritance which could save its future. Forced to step outside of her predictable world, Clara embarks on an adventure with only the name Oliver as a hint of the man’s identity in her great-great-grandmother’s letter. From the nearby grand estate of the Vanderbilts, to a hamlet in Derbyshire, England, Clara seeks to uncover truth about family and love that may lead to her own unexpected romance.

A young Seema discovers a cache of letters and papers in a locker belonging to her deceased mother. Besides chronicling her far-roving life across Canada, USA, Mexico, and India, these offer a glimpse into her private history—her feelings for M, a major leader of the Communist movement in British India and abroad; her commitment to, not only him, but also his cause; and her struggle to keep alive her feelings for him after his disenchantment with Communism. Even as Seema’s mother grows increasingly cynical about the Communist cause, Seema blossoms into a rebel, voicing her dissent during the Emergency. If her insurgent spirit is curtailed, it is on account of a marriage that cramps her style. All at once, Seema’s story crisscrosses with her mother’s—as both women try making sense of lackluster alliances; as both find comfort in letters. A deftly woven tale spanning India’s pre- and post-Independence history, Letters to Mamma is, above all, a celebration of words. These are words staining missives; words connecting the contradictory worlds of idealism and reality; and words that remind readers why Keki N. Daruwalla remains one of India’s greatest writers.