This story begins as a parody of a famous trial that took place in the 1990s. However, the travesty develops a life of its own. The spoof takes place in the 1930s in the deep South. It has similar names, and in a number of other ways parallels the 1990 trial. This satiric drama has hardships, fun times, romance, murder, suspense and mystery. It delves into the backgrounds of some of the key players.

The call to the New World in the sixteenth century reaches all countries and every station of the peoples of Europe. The poor and the rich, the adventurous and the desperate, the honorable and the thief make a shared way across the sea. Life is renewed and hope is restored to all who arrive in the colonies. Dangers and struggles of the frontier force the common and the privileged to join. Love is the absolute power that will unite souls that would otherwise be forbidden to meet. Here the princess and the pauper are called forth from unequal societies to unite in lasting romance. Separated by trials, assailed by villains, and abandoned by circumstance to ready temptation the two survive in America by their love and desire to with each other. Hearts will be uplifted. Optimism shall be restored. Youth shall be regained. These are promised.

Here is a collection of tales varying in length, and differing in other ways as well. And with no relation to each other. There is an element of historical truth in each, together with lots of imagination. A few are what I would call poetic-prose mini stories. So I invite you to enjoy reading all of these stories as I have enjoyed creating them.

A stately mansion sits atop the crest of Hummingbird Hill on the outskirts of Big Spring, Texas. This is the tale of that mansion and the trials and tribulations experienced by its inhabitants over the years, as it goes from the family home of James “Buck” Henderson and his wife, June, to one of the South’s most elegant “sporting” houses, to a home for runaways, and finally, a family home again. It is a tale of love, hate, rape, incest, murder, and intrigue. The story begins with Buck Henderson’s early years in Philadelphia, to his heroism during World War I, his battlefield promotions and medals for bravery, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, his recovery in a Denver hospital, and his marriage to June. After securing an engineering degree at Penn State, Buck and June set out for Big Spring, Texas, where they find success in the oil field supply business and raise a family, but their happiness is followed by rape, murder, and the sale of their beloved mansion.

‘Superb sleuthing! I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Dedley End and can’t wait to go back!’ Heidi Swain, author of The Cherry Tree Café Once Upon a Crime... Nancy Hunter and her grandmother Jane Hunter run the Dedley Endings Bookshop, selling crime, thriller and mystery books, in a small, quiet Cotswold village where nothing ever happens... That is, until the wealthy and reclusive Roth family open up their mansion for the first time in thirty years, inviting the people of Dedley End to a lavish engagement party. While everyone is thrilled to finally look around the mansion on the hill, the festivities are quickly cut short when beautiful Lucy, recently married to young Harry Roth, is found dead after being pushed over the first-floor balustrade. But who among the guests could have been capable of her murder – and why? Nancy and Jane decide to investigate – after all, not only do they own a crime themed bookshop, they were also both named after famous literary detectives – but soon wonder if they’ve taken on more than they can handle. Especially when it seems the killer has worked out that they’re hot on their heels... Can they catch the murderer before the murderer catches up with them? Or will there be a deadly ending to this story? Praise for Murder at the House on the Hill: ‘Such a fab book - really puts the cosy in cosy crime!’ M. A. Kuzniar, author of Midnight in Everwood ‘This is a brilliant ‘whodunnit’ which gave me some serious Miss Marple feels...it’s absolutely brilliant and a pleasure to read’ Head in a Book18 ‘I loved this brilliant cozy read...it felt very Christie-esque. Nancy and Jane were fab, I loved their relationship. And I can’t wait for more.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review ‘Even gave me some Murder, she wrote vibes... I truly enjoyed reading this funny, cosy mystery’ Tizi’s Book Review ‘A cosy crime story with lovable characters and a gripping storyline, perfect for curling up with’ Kelly T’s Space ‘I really enjoyed this cosy crime, I was hooked with the storyline but also charmed by the characters’ Kraftireader ‘A very well written story with a crime to solve but also with characters that the reader really starts to care about.’ Reader Review ‘What an absolute delight this was to read... I was still guessing whodunnit until the end.’ Wrong Side of Forty UK ‘I loved the characters of Nancy and Jane...a gripping read, which certainly held my attention and kept me guessing.’ Ginger Book Geek ‘A delightful detective duo, a charming and clever cosy mystery.’ Diane Jeffrey, author of The Silent Friend ‘A cosy, satisfying and enjoyable murder mystery full of intrigue...and even better, with a bookshop too!’ Ella Allbright, author of The Last Charm ‘A well-executed murder mystery...I loved every second of it.’ Reader Review ‘A blast! It’s fast paced, fun and it keeps you guessing till the end!...The story is filled with lots of characters and unusual twists.’ Reader Review

Home is where the heart fits . . . Summer Murray is ready to shake things up. She doesn’t want to work in risk management. She doesn’t want to live in Hartford, Connecticut. So she plans a grand adventure: she’s going to throw out all the stuff she doesn’t want and travel the country in her very own tiny house house shaped like a train caboose. Just Summer, her chihuahua-dachshund Shortie, and 220 square feet of freedom. Then her take-no-prisoners grandmother calls to demand Summer head home to the Pacific Northwest to save the family bakery. Summer has her reasons for not wanting to return home, but she’ll just park her caboose, fix things, and then be on her way. But when she gets to Cat’s Paw, Washington, she’s shocked by her grandmother’s strange behavior and reunited with a few people she’d hoped to avoid. If Summer is going to make a fresh start, she’ll have to face the past she’s been running from all along . . . Praise for Celia Bonaduce and her novels “A bingeworthy trilogy about smart, quirky women who feel like friends. In Much Ado About Mother she shows us just how strong (and funny) the mother-daughter bond can be. Loved it!” —Clare O'Donahue, author of The Kate Conway Mysteries “Celia Bonaduce writes well rounded, real life characters straight from the heart. I loved this book!&rdquo —Phyliss Miranda, New York Times bestselling author on A Comedy of Erinn “The Merchant of Venice Beach has a fresh, heartwarming voice that will keep readers smiling as they dance through this charming story by Celia Bonaduce.” —Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author

Recipient of the Jo Anne Stolaroff Cotsen Prize Occupied from around 7500 BC to 5700 BC, the large Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement of Catalhoyuk in Anatolia is composed entirely of domestic buildings; no public buildings have been identified. First excavated in the early 1960s, the site was left untouched until 1993. During the summers of 1997-2003 a team from the University of California at Berkeley (the BACH team) excavated an area at the northern end of the East Mound of Catalhoyuk. The houses there date predominantly to the late Aceramic and early Ceramic Neolithic, around 7000 BC. Last House on the Hill is the final report of the BACH excavations. This volume comprises both interpretive chapters and empirical data from the excavations and their materials. The research of the BACH team focuses on the lives and life histories of houses and people, the use of digital technologies in documenting and sharing the archaeological process, the senses of place, and the nature of cultural heritage and our public responsibilities.