Praised as “Australia’s answer to Maeve Binchy, a modern-day Jane Austen” (The Sun Herald, Australia), Monica McInerney, internationally bestselling author of The Alphabet Sisters, returns with a poignant novel of love, loss, and the enduring strength of family ties. Nestled in a picturesque corner of southern Australia, the Valley View Motel has been run by the Quinlans for years—and nobody adores the place more than Lola, the family’s lovable and mischievous Irish-born matriarch. So when she insists that her relatives spend their Christmas elsewhere, the close-knit bunch can’t help but be a bit curious. Lola has always had a knack for clever schemes; after all, she once slyly reunited her three feuding granddaughters, whom she nicknamed the Alphabet Sisters. And with the holiday season fast approaching, Lola decides it’s time to stir up some extra excitement. Plotting in secret and online, Lola thinks it would be fun to invite a select group of strangers to stay at the motel for Christmas. Will these guests become friends, ignite sparks, fall in love? As she counts down the days until their arrival, Lola’s own family dramas threaten to upend her best-laid plans. Yet amid moments of humor, heartache, and unexpected twists of fate, Lola finds that she’s the one who’s in for the biggest surprise of all. “[Monica] McInerney’s assured writing sparkles. . . . When you reach the end, [Lola’s Secret] will leave you feeling like you’ve been given a huge, warm hug.”—Hello! magazine “A delicate treat . . . a lovely, gentle story of a family, a Christmas, love and different kinds of adventure.”—The Courier-Mail (Australia) “Exploring universal family issues of loss, rivalry, aging and grief, [Lola’s Secret] is a warm, witty and moving novel.”—Woman’s Day (Australia) Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more.

LOLA's is a unique bakery dedicated to achieving one simple goal. Every day, they handcraft the most delicious cupcakes, slices and celebration cakes you have ever tasted. Using only the finest ingredients, LOLA's bakers mix, bake and decorate every single cake by hand, giving their customers a fresh, fun, delicious and truly wholesome experience. And now you can try their wonderful handcrafted bakes at home. There are more than 70 mouth-watering recipes for everything from the LOLA classic flavours to deliciously original ideas like Cosmopolitan, Chocolate Chilli, Maple Syrup and Rose Pistachio. Also included are recipes for scrumptious bars and slices – try a Salted Caramel Brownie or an Apricot and Pistachio Flapjack – or delicious larger bakes, such as the sophisticated Chocolate and Mandarin Cake, Earl Grey Tea Fruit Loaf and Chocolate Fudge Cake.

About the Book Series This book series for teens and tweens is designed to raise awareness of the physical and chemical world around them and the direct connections they have to it. Presented in a fictional story format, concepts that seem boring and irrelevant to young readers are presented in the familiar context of a fictional teenager's life. More topics and themes can be presented in this format than there are elements in the periodic table! About the Phantom Vandals Mystery A visit to the high school that Lola Derez and her friend Zendeeka will be attending in the fall turns into a nightmare. Lola catches two intruders vandalizing campus--but she is the only witness! When she becomes the prime suspect to the crime, she vows to prove her innocence using logic and some chemistry she learned at home. But can Lola be resourceful and bold enough to convince her family and friends--and the police--that she didn't do it? About the Friendly Enemies Mystery The start of summer is a time of celebration for Lola Derez and her family. This year is extra special: her grandparents are making a rare visit. But an unexplained accident at the Recycling Center where Lola's dad works sparks a drastic change in some familiar people. They set in motion a string of events that puts an entire neighborhood in danger--including Lola and her family! Curiosity and quick thinking help her discover a plot of revenge. But can Lola act in time to stop a sinister attack on innocent people?

As girls growing up in Clare Valley, Australia, Anna, Bett, and Carrie Quinlan were childhood singing stars known as The Alphabet Sisters. The unbridled enthusiasm of their flamboyant grandmother Lola was the glue that held them together. As adults, though, the women haven’t spoken in years–ever since Bett’s fiancé deserted her to marry the younger Carrie. Now Lola is turning eighty and she is determined to reunite the girls for a blowout bash. And no one ever says no to Lola. Bett, who fled to London after the scandal of losing her fiancé, is hesitant to face her sisters and her hometown–especially since she has yet to find another man. Sophisticated Anna, the eldest sister, isn’t too keen on the prospect either, though she’s secretly grateful for any excuse to leave her crumbling marriage behind in Sydney. And Carrie, who remained in Clare Valley, is perhaps the most apprehensive. Her marriage–the nominal cause of the sisters’ estrangement–is also on the rocks. Was she wrong to have followed her heart and run off with Bett’s fiancé? When Lola shares her special request, that the girls stage a musical she has written, their short visit becomes a much longer commitment. As they are forced to spend more time together, the sisters must confront the pain that lingers between them. Preconceptions and misunderstandings are slowly put aside and the three find themselves gradually, irresistibly enveloping one another once again–until an unexpected turn of events changes everything in ways none of them could have ever imagined. . . . Layering the lighthearted antics of small-town life with a heartbreaking story of loyalty lost and found, The Alphabet Sisters is an unforgettable story of two generations of women who learn that being true to themselves means being true to one another. BONUS: This edition contains excerpts from Monica McInerney's Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, The Faraday Girls, Family Baggage, Greetings from Somewhere Else, and Upside Down Inside Out.

Gypsies in America are hidden. With estimates between fifty thousand and over a million, the Gypsy population is as mysterious as their ways, and vast amounts of misinformation swirl around them. Lola's Luck peers behind the curtain, past the paisley walls and twinkling lights to find an "expert advisor on love, business and marriage." Lola's Luck introduces a remarkable woman who drew a young anthropologist into her colorful society, changing her life. A true story of luck, kinship, love and an entire world hidden from view, Lola's Luck is a stunning personal memoir of life among the Gypsies of America. Here is a fresh response to the stereotypes that surround a traditional culture trying to keep itself alive in the face of American values. In the end, it is Lola's story-"the story of the world!"-that is riveting. Hand on hip, heart as big as the widest space, a Gypsy, yes, and a Queen.

Miguel Guzman isn't exactly looking forward to the summer now that his mother has agreed to let the Sword family—a father, his three daughters, and their dog—live with them while they decide whether or not to move to Vermont. Little does Miguel know his aunt has something up her sleeve that just may make this the best summer ever. With her usual flair for creativity and fun, Tía Lola decides to start a summer camp for Miguel, his little sister, and the three Sword girls, complete with magical swords, nighttime treasure hunts, campfires, barbecues, and an end-of-summer surprise! The warm and funny third book in the Tía Lola Stories is sure to delight young readers and leave them looking forward to their own summer fun!

The sequel to Ripley Jones's unforgettable YA thriller Missing Clarissa, The Other Lola is about what happens when the people you love the most are the people you can trust the least. In the months after Cam and Blair broke their small hometown’s legendary missing-girl story and catapulted to accidental fame, they vowed never to do it again. No more mysteries, no more podcasts, and no more sticking their heads where they don’t belong. Until Mattie Brosillard, a freshman at their high school, shows up on their doorstep, begging Cam and Blair for help. Mattie's sister Lola disappeared mysteriously five years ago. No trace of her was ever found. Now, she's back--but Mattie is convinced the girl who returned is an impostor. Nobody believes Mattie's wild story--not Mattie's brother, not Mattie's mother, and not even Cam and Blair. But something is definitely wrong in the Brosillard family. And Blair has her own reasons for wanting to know what really happened to Lola while she was gone. With Cam and Blair still struggling with the aftermath of their first mystery—and with new secrets swirling between them—the stakes are higher than ever in this can’t-miss sequel to Missing Clarissa.