A timely and uncanny portrait of a world in the wake of fake news, diminished privacy, and a total shutdown of the InternetBEFORE: In Bristol's center lies the Croft, a digital no-man's-land cut off from the surveillance, Big Data dependence, and corporate-sponsored, globally hegemonic aspirations that have overrun the rest of the world. Ten years in, it's become a center of creative counterculture. But it's fraying at the edges, radicalizing from inside. How will it fare when its chief architect, Rushdi Mannan, takes off to meet his boyfriend in New York City—now the apotheosis of the new techno-utopian global metropolis?AFTER: An act of anonymous cyberterrorism has permanently switched off the Internet. Global trade, travel, and communication have collapsed. The luxuries that characterized modern life are scarce. In the Croft, Mary—who has visions of people presumed dead—is sought out by grieving families seeking connections to lost...

In 1970, Violet Hawkins' only wish at eighteen is to escape her life in the Dayton, Ohio foster-care system and make her way to the west coast to enjoy a mellow life and find the love she's been missing all her life. She makes it to San Francisco, but soon learns she needs a job if she's to live properly. A kind, young man named Kenton Chandler offers her a sandwich and a job at his father's inn and vineyards. With nothing to lose, Lettie takes him up on his offer and begins a whole new life in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.  She immediately falls in love with the land and is fascinated with the idea of growing grapes in order to make wines. She, Kenton, and Rafe Lopez become friends as she learns about running the small inn on the property.At the same time she marries Kenton, a stroke kills his father. And then before she can tell Kenton she's pregnant, he dies in an automobile accident. Heartbroken and burdened with the gift of the Chandler Hill Inn and Winery,...

Private investigator Jeri Howard is on vacation in New Orleans when a friend asks a favor: her sister Laurette has disappeared with a boyfriend, and Jeri's trip turns into a case. Slade, a mercurial musician, tends to strike out when thwarted, sometimes leading to deadly consequences. Jeri's investigation takes her from French Quarter clubs to workaday NOLA, then back to California, into jeopardy—and an explosive conclusion.

He's got iron control...But she might be his undoing!Part of The King's Elite: Haunted by Penny Penhurst's courage on the witness stand, meticulous barrister Lord Hadleigh offers her a housekeeper position at his estate. Despite trying to stay detached, Hadleigh is charmed by her small child and surprised by how much he yearns for this proud woman! Can he break through his own—and Penny's—barriers to prove he's a man she can trust...and love?

Despite being young and romantically inexperienced, Sophie Woods is an old soul who believes in true love, working hard at her bar, and always trusting her instincts. And from the moment she meets Nico, she knows without a doubt that he is her one-and-only. Twelve years her senior, the handsome architect is only sure of two things when it comes to Sophie: she's far too young for him, and he wants no part in upsetting her protective older brother. Broke and broken, Nico Bentley moves to Cliffside Bay for a fresh start at both work and play. But in a cruel twist of fate, it's the one woman he can't have whose captivating smile makes him forget all about his past. Yet when tragedy turns the vivacious Sophie into a shell of her former self, it will be Nico, and only Nico, who steps up to bring the joy back into her life. And in the process, the depth of his feelings for her can no longer be ignored. In this installment of USA Today bestselling author Tess...

Is it possible to fall for one man while carrying another man's baby? Pregnant by a loser. Stranded in a snowstorm. Rescued by a tall, dark, and handsome man already snagged by another girl. Due to her pregnancy, Darcy Rhodes' is forced to remain in Garret Tulane's hometown and their growing friendship brings nothing but scandal. Is it possible to fall for one man while carrying another man's baby? The answer is yes.But what will Garret choose with everything he holds dear at risk?

Is there ever a good enough reason to let your children think you're dead? Fourth in the USA-Today bestselling Pacific Horizons series, in which characters facing tragedy, heartbreak, and painful family secrets are drawn to the wild beauty of the natural world. Breaching whales and howling wolves refresh their spirits, but only human love can heal their souls... Since leaving her home in Maine two years ago, geriatric nurse Mei Lin has done nothing but make mistakes. For penance, she took a private-duty nursing job no one else wanted – caring for a dying woman in a remote Alaskan town in the dead of winter. But affable optimist Mei Lin couldn't even get self-punishment right. She's been hopelessly happy in the welcoming little community of Gustavus, and now, as the summer sun lingers and the wildflowers bloom, she realizes that her real penance will be having to leave. Meeting mammal biologist and bear specialist Thane Buchanan seems...

A mind-bending journey through some of the most weird and wonderful facts about our universe, vividly illuminating the hidden truths that govern our everyday lives. "The tone is consistently light and breezy...an addictive, intriguing, and entertaining read...a handy guide for anyone yearning to spice up their conversational skills." — Booklist Fact: You could fit the whole human race in the volume of a sugar cube. Fact: The electrical energy in a single mosquito is enough to cause a global mass extinction. Fact: You age more quickly on the top floor than on the ground floor. So much of our world seems to make perfect sense, and scientific breakthroughs have helped us understand ourselves, our planet, and our place in the universe in fascinating detail. But our adventures in space, our deepening understanding of the quantum world, and our leaps in technology have also revealed a universe far stranger than we ever imagined. With brilliant...

When Megan and Ben meet the attraction is instantaneous. The only problem? Ben is bound for Australia in just a week's time! Determined not to let what they've just found go, Ben suggests they get married so that she can go with him. Megan is shocked but doesn't want to lose him, so she agrees. Virtual strangers the two embark on an unforgettable journey, determined to make a success of their hasty marriage... An adventurous contemporary romance perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy

No rest for the wicked means no rest for good witches. Michelle thought ridding the world of demons would finally give her some time to rebuild her magical reserves, but fate has other plans. Someone has unleashed magical mayhem on her town, inflicting its residents—magical and mundane, living and inanimate—with all kinds of dangerous spells, and she's the only witch capable of containing the damage. She can't even have a date night with Elron without things going to the dogs. Dogs whose barking can send people flying across rooms, for starters. To add to her misery, the premier of all the witches has chosen Michelle to be her successor, but tragedy strikes before their plans can even start. Michelle's never wanted to be a politician, and navigating the treachery of the clans proves to be a deadly game—one that Michelle doesn't know how to play. As Michelle struggles to solve one witch-made emergency after another, the...

Ursula's visit to her Devon relatives leads to murder, mayhem and a possible plot to free Mary, Queen of Scots in the latest Ursula Blanchard Tudor mystery. February, 1586. When the queen's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, learns that Ursula is to visit her relatives in Devon, he asks her to find out what has happened to two of his local agents, who have been strangely silent recently. On arrival in the small Devon village of Zeal Aquatico, Ursula discovers that both spies in question have met with mysterious - and fatal - accidents. Or is there more to it than that? What did the two spies find out that got them killed? Is there any truth to the rumours that King Philip of Spain, in league with the queen's cousin, Mary Stuart, intends to launch an invasion from the south coast? As Ursula pursues her investigations, it becomes clear that someone in Zeal Aquatico is determined to stop her finding out the truth ... whatever it takes.