When the dead whisper, chaos follows. Gabby thought she had faced it all: raising a baby, working through grad school, and dealing with cadaver exhibits. But when a silent cadaver unexpectedly stirs, her world doesn’t just shift – it shatters. Once quiet ghosts scream into the night. Buried secrets claw to the surface. And a dark and ancient force sets its sights on Gabby and those she loves. With her family in danger and her sanity hanging by a thread, Gabby isn’t just fighting for survival but for the essence of her very being. Can she uncover the truth behind the supernatural forces besieging her, or will the darkness consume everything she’s fought to protect? The Sweet Skull is the second book in Manuel Ruiz’s The Sugar Skull series.

The secrets hidden within the Sugar Skull have the power to protect… or destroy. 17-year-old Ricky Luna is trapped in a home that feels more like a prison than a refuge. Each night, he dreams of escaping, of finishing school, and skipping town with the girl he loves. But each morning brings him crashing back to reality. Life seems hopeless – until a mysterious midnight visitor arrives and opens Ricky’s eyes to the magic surrounding his world, leaving him with only a warning of dark things to come. Days later, Ricky comes into possession of an enchanted sugar skull. Desperate for change, he opens himself to the dark powers lurking inside the sugar skull. Objects begin to move, untouched. Bad luck follows Ricky wherever he goes. And a mysterious death divides his family. As the evil inside the sugar skull grows, it threatens to consume everything. Ricky must uncover the truth behind the sugar skull’s power before it destroys everything he cares about. The Sugar Skull is the first book in Manuel Ruiz’s The Sugar Skull series.

"Whether it's the Magician shooting the sugar skull bullseye each time, the High Priestess seeing her reflection in the water (thus revealing her inner truth in the form of a sugar skull), or the Fool feeling confident that he will create and manifest the perfect sugar skull by the time he finishes his journey, we all have an unrealized version of our true potential lying in wait. Let the light-hearted illustrations and color palettes of The Sugar Skull Tarot Deck offer you all the inspiration you need to be the best person you can truly be. So when you are finally reflecting on the outside how you've been feeling on the inside, you will be presented to the world as you've always seen yourself-confident, magical, and ready to give and receive love"--

Sugar and SkullsJesseWhen I was ten I was a naïve, shy girl. A girl who dreamed of sunsets and roller skates. Until my grandparents died. Then I found myself alone in the world. One bad thing after another seemed to find me but I dealt. I dealt because a man with a black leather jacket and ink from head to toe told me how to survive this world. He told me sometimes you have to get mean. And so, I embraced my mean. I hated it at first but as time went on being mean became second nature. I rule my world, staying ahead, never stopping. You won't find anyone like me. I'm Jesse Miller and I'm one of a kind. I'm fine on my own. Fine.Perfect.Good.Until, I'm not. DirkWhen I found Jesse at ten years old she was cute as a button and sweet as a jar of honey. I gave her a bit of advice to survive this world. I hated to be cynical, but she was in the foster care system. She needed to learn a little mean, otherwise she would be eaten alive.Now, I've found her again and believe me, Jesse Miller isn't a little girl anymore. Seems she took my advice to heart. I may have created a monster. She's a dark-haired vixen with a wicked mind and sharp tongue. Jesse is very, very enticing. She thinks she can do it on her own.She doesn't have to.She has a family.A tribe.Me.She has me.Sugar and Skulls is a stand-alone novel. It is a dark romance, but I promise it does have a HEA. There is no cheating in this novel. It does contain dark content, including, but not limited to profanity, sexual abuse, and violence. It could possibly have triggers for some individuals.

Now available in a hardcover gift edition! Spanning three generations, Muy Bueno offers traditional old-world northern Mexican recipes from grandmother Jeusita's kitchen; comforting south of the border home-style dishes from mother Evangelina; and innovative Latin fusion recipes from daughters Yvette and Veronica. Muy Bueno has become one of the most popular Mexican cookbooks available. This new hardcover edition features a useful guide to Mexican pantry ingredients. Whether you are hosting a casual family gathering or an elegant dinner party, Muy Bueno has the perfect recipes for entertaining with Latin flair! You'll find classics like Enchiladas Montadas ("Stacked Enchiladas"); staples like Homemade Tortillas and Toasted Chile de Arbol Salsa; and light seafood appetizers like Shrimp Ceviche and Scallop and Cucumber Cocktail. Don't forget tempting Coconut Flan and daring, dazzling cocktails like Blood Orange Mezcal Margaritas and Persimmon Mojitos. There is truly something in Muy Bueno for every taste! This edition features more than 100 easy-to-follow recipes, a glossary of chiles with photos and descriptions of each variety, step-by-step instructions with photos for how to roast chiles, make Red Chile Sauce, and assemble tamales, a rich family history shared through anecdotes, photos, personal tips, and more, and stunning color photography throughout.

From the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Willa-nominated author Denise Hamilton comes SUGAR SKULL Acclaimed by award committees and critics for her groundbreaking The Jasmine Trade, Denise Hamilton returns with a penetrating new Eve Diamond crime novel sure to confirm her reputation as a rising star. Los Angeles Times reporter Eve Diamond usually works out of the paper's San Gabriel Valley bureau, but she's taking a weekend shift downtown when a distraught Vincent Chevalier breaks through security and demands her help. His fifteen-year-old daughter, Isabel, is missing, and the cops won't go looking for her until forty-eight hours have passed. The man thinks he knows where she might be -- with some runaways in a dismal squat in East Hollywood. He wants Eve as his witness when he enters the squat and tries to bring Isabel home. Eve senses a possible story: Why would a privileged young girl from Pasadena spend time with the down-and-outs in East Hollywood? But there will be no interview with Isabel. Isabel is dead, her body wrapped in a dirty futon and abandoned in a derelict basement. Eve's questions have only begun. What brought the blond-haired teenager to such a tragic, early demise? Did a man named Finch, who's had past arrests for drugs, burglary, and theft, have something to do with Isabel's murder? What about her father? There's something unsettling about him. And what was Isabel's relationship with Paolo Langdon, her schoolmate and the son of a socialite hostess and a prominent politician? Even as Eve must fight against powerful forces that want her off the story, she finds herself emotionally drawn to the brooding scion of a Mexican music-promotion titan. It's dangerous to mix professional with personal, but Silvio Aguilar is hard to resist. And in his world, in the little sugar skull confections that commemorate the Mexican Day of the Dead, Eve may find some clue to a killer. Written with the authenticity and bold strokes that Denise Hamilton has made her own, Sugar Skull is much more than a triumphant crime novel -- it's a dazzling portrait of a city full of diversity. Rich with nuance and insight, this is compelling, illuminating crime writing at its best.

To save a life, she must embrace the darkness. Mia Morales has never been ordinary. Beneath her sweet, trusting demeanor, she hides an extraordinary ability: she can manipulate liquid. As a botany student, she uses her talent to bring dead plants back to life. She plans to keep her ability a secret. But secrets have a way of getting out. A mysterious stranger appears, drawn to Mia’s unique gifts. He offers her a chance to master her abilities and use them for a higher purpose. If she succeeds, she might be able to save an innocent child’s life. If she fails… The darkness of the underground holds the secret to mastering her abilities. But other things lurk in the shadows. Relentless demons. Ricky and Gabby, two demon hunters with secrets of their own. And a dark individual with an even darker plan. As The Day of the Dead approaches, the line between the living and the dead blurs. If Mia’s not ready, the child she’s trying to save won’t be the only one who loses their life. The Shattered Skull is the third and final book in Manuel Ruiz’s The Sugar Skull series.