On 20th January 1886, the first installment of what is probably the first West African novel in English was published in a Ghanaian newspaper, the Western Echo, by a male author using the pseudonym ‘A. Native’. Preceded by a proud editorial which welcomed the arrival of this ‘work of “local effort”’ by ‘a native gentleman’, Marita: or the Folly of Love was serialised in 40 episodes, ending two years later in January 1888. It describes the disastrous consequences for African men of uniting according to the colonial Marriage Ordinance of 1884: this ordinance enshrined the Christian, Victorian ideal of marriage as a monogamous and lifelong union, and is shown in the story to transform peaceful, well-behaved women into shrews and termagants who are bent upon seizing domestic power from their husbands. The story proved to be so popular and relevant that it survived the closure of the Western Echo in December 1887 and found a new host in the Gold Coast Echo, before disappearing from the press, unfinished, in February 1888.

First impressions, thank goodness, really can't be trusted! When marine biologist Holly Leonard agrees to help Parker Brant write a book on giant sea turtles, she expects a charming and charismatic charter boat captain--not the strait-laced, all-business dud who greets her. For his part, Parker is surprised to find that Dr. Leonard is not the matronly grandmother he expected but a blue-eyed beauty who's lively, fun-- and a total klutz. Unfortunately, the harder Holly tries to shed her "Holly Folly" nickname, the clumsier she becomes. Holly's has breezed into Parker's well-ordered world like a hurricane--but will he welcome the disruption?

Ever since her mother died and her father lost his shoemaking skills, Fortunata has survived by telling fake fortunes. But when she's tricked into telling a grand fortune for a prince, she is faced with the impossible task of fulfilling her wild prophecy—or her father will be put to death. Now Fortunata has to help Prince Leonato secure a magic sword, vanquish a wicked witch, discover a long-lost golden shoe, and rescue the princess who fits it. If only she hadn't fallen in love with the prince herself !

Fiction. Short Stories. Women's Studies. Following her acclaimed novels Clown Girl and The Stud Book, Monica Drake presents her long-awaited first collection of stories. THE FOLLY OF LOVING LIFE features linked stories examining an array of characters at their most vulnerable and human, often escaping to somewhere or trying to find stability in their own place. These stories display the best of what we love about Monica's writing the sly laugh-out-loud humor, the sharp observations, the flawed but strong characters, and the shadowy Van Sant-ish Portland settings. "What can I say about Monica Drake's stories? They are brilliant, sure. They are hilarious, yes. Each one is a marvel. But more importantly-they are raw and awake and full of life. At the center of each one is the bright beating heart of what literature can be: Relevant, unusual, entertaining, fascinating, unique. These are not characters-and Drake's is not a voice-that you can ignore or forget."—Pauls Toutonghi"

In Edwardian London, a girl dreams of being an artist, despite her family's disapproval. Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl. After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

"Sometimes He wrings the worship from our hearts." There are times when worship overflows easily and effortlessly from a heart full of gratitude and praise. Yet, there are other times when God seems far and we feel we have nothing left to offer. We are tired, or thirsty, or imprisoned in our own chains through our own devices, or caught in the waves of a tumultuous sea. This is when God shows us His steadfast love. He wraps His eternally powerful, ultimately creative, nail-scarred hands around our hearts and squeezes with appropriate might—yielding an honest plea for Him to save us and deliver us from our circumstances, fears, and self control. And He does. He initiates with His steadfast love, and responds with the same. Walk with Lauren as she shares what she has learned of the steadfast love of the Lord.

Beautiful heiress Emily Penthorne was so excited by her trip to London that she en route she allowed herself to flirt with a devastatingly handsome perfect stranger. Unfortunately, when she arrived she learned from her Uncle Cyril that Viscount Dunstan, the “perfect stranger,” had been chosen as her guardian—with the duty to teach her to be a lady. Regency Romance by Nina Coombs Pykare; originally published by Dell Candlelight Regency Special