THE BROKEN LINE What do you really know about your parents? Look, when you get this message, call me, Elaines twin brother tersely instructed. And before Lane could terminate the connection, she snatched up the receiver and greeted her younger brother. It had been a while since they had last spoken, and when he mentioned their parents, she was curious and picked up. Missing? How could that be? Where were her parents? In The Broken Line, Elaine steps into Kash Bennett and Leslie Scotts world of mystery and intrigue while retracing their steps and realizing that much of the existence she enjoyed as a child was a cover for a double life. Not unlike Alice falling through the proverbial rabbit hole where nothing is as it seems, Elaine realizes that her parents disappearance might be far more than a tragic accident and her own life may be more complicated than she ever thought possible; especially when she learns her soon-to-be ex-husband, Jack Phillips is in the family business as well. Combining the journals she finds in her parents attic, Elaine follows the clues from as far back as 1947 China to the present day in trying to locate her folks. She blends new age technology with old world spy techniques to close the gap in finding Kash and Leslie and the mole they had been chasing for nearly six decades.

It's been a week without power. No phones. No computers. Nothing. Whatever shred of humanity is left in people is slowly dwindling away. Gangs are forming, people are starving, and the whole country is in a free-for-all.Accompanied by his neighbor, Nelson, Mike leaves Pittsburgh and heads to his family's cabin in Ohio. For Mike the only thing worse than not making it to the cabin is the fear of his family not being there when he does.

Poetry. Reference. Textbook. This book is very instructive when it comes to such things as line breaks, overcoming writer's block, editing, manuscript layout, and staying motivated. Judith Skillman draws from her own experiences as poet, workshop leader and teacher. This isn't a how-to-write-poetry book, rather it's a how-to-improve-your-poetry book; one that benefits all levels, from beginner to seasoned pro. "In BROKEN LINES, Judith Skillman distills the wisdom gained from her long successful career as a poet into a succinct few dozen pages that are remarkable for their liveliness and enthusiasm as well as for their accessibility. Aspiring poets should find the practical advice she offers not only helpful but inspiring."—Stephen Meats, Poetry Editor, The Midwest Quarterly

A violin and a middle-school musical unleash a dark family secret in this moving story by an award-winning author duo. For fans of The Devil's Arithmetic and Hana's Suitcase. It's 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers -- and the death of her beloved grandmother -- Shirli Berman is intent on moving forward. The best singer in her junior high, she auditions for the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof, but is crushed to learn that she's been given the part of the old Jewish mother in the musical rather than the coveted part of the sister. But there is an upside: her "husband" is none other than Ben Morgan, the cutest and most popular boy in the school. Deciding to throw herself into the role, she rummages in her grandfather's attic for some props. There, she discovers an old violin in the corner -- strange, since her Zayde has never seemed to like music, never even going to any of her recitals. Showing it to her grandfather unleashes an anger in him she has never seen before, and while she is frightened of what it might mean, Shirli keeps trying to connect with her Zayde and discover the awful reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret spills out, and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful.

This is a book of ghost stories, and for the most part, ghosts are jealous monsters, intent upon our destruction. They never appear overtly here, yet we gradually become aware of their presence the way spirits in haunted houses trod over creaky floors, slam doors, and issue sudden gusts of wind. The poems are Koan-like—the fewer the words, the more charged they are. The engine driving this sense of haunting and loss is money, which Davis describes as “federal bone” boiling around us. Bison in Nebraska are reduced to bones, “seven/standing men/tall” fodder for the fertilizer used by farmers in the 1800s. Though they often specify dates, there’s an equality to the hauntings—every instance has its moment, and persists, despite being in the past, present, or future. If there really was a 1980 or 1848 or 1499, Davis implies it is somewhere. Index of Haunted Houses is spooky and sad—a stunning debut, one that will surprise, convince, and most of all, delight.

Cites successful examples of community-based policing.