With a voice that is both sophisticated and deeply Southern, author John Rowell evokes the memory of the great Truman Capote in this wonderful collection of short stories, peopled with unforgettable, endearing characters and filled with wry insights. Drawn from the emotional well of a young man who grew up in love with the glittery, glamorous world of music and movies and theater—far removed from his own more prosaic life in North Carolina—and informed with honesty and compassion, the seven short stories that comprise The Music of Your Life showcase the talent of a remarkably gifted writer. Compulsively readable and always accessible, each story takes the reader into the mind and heart of its central character, whether a young boy suffering from Lawrence Welk damage and teetering precariously on the edge of puberty ("The Music of Your Life") or a not-so-young-anymore man for whom fantasy and reality have become a terrifying blur and who finds himself slipping over the edge toward total meltdown ("Wildlife of Coastal Carolina"). Nostalgia plays a part in these stories as a somewhat jaded New York film critic looks back on his life and the movies that shaped him ("Spectators in Love"), and an aging flower-shop owner ruefully assesses the love he found and lost when, as an eighteen-year-old, he embarked on a Hollywood career that never soared but did include one particularly memorable appearance on the I Love Lucy television show ("Who Loves You?") These stories all create entire worlds within which the characters live and struggle to find their way. Funny, touching, serious, and tender, the tales within The Music of Your Life are sure to appeal to anyone who has ever known the awkwardness of being "different," and while life is often harsh for the stories' characters, the bold determination with which they persevere offers inspiration to all.

During his tour of duty in Vietnam, Billy (Georgia Boy) Ricks becomes an American hero. Not only does he save his Recon Marine squad from annihilation, but later Billy saves his Lieutenant from an attack by a disgruntled Black soldier in the aftermath of the Martin Luther King murder. When he returns to his family, however, Billy is not met with yellow ribbons tied around oak trees, but the harsh reality of unemployment.

In this pioneering exploration of African American slang - a highly informal vocabulary and a significant aspect of African American English - Maciej Widawski explores patterns of form, meaning, theme and function, showing it to be a rule-governed, innovative and culturally revealing vernacular. Widawski's comprehensive description is based on a large database of contextual citations from thousands of contemporary sources, including literature and the press, music, film and television. It also includes an alphabetical glossary of 1,500 representative slang expressions, defined and illustrated by 4,500 usage examples. Due to its vast size, the glossary can stand alone as a dictionary providing readers with a reliable reference of terms. Combining scholarship with user-friendliness, this book is an insightful and practical resource for students and researchers in linguistics, as well as general readers interested in exploring lexical variation in contemporary English.

Anna Newsom had led a quiet life until World War II German POWs were brought to her small Alabama town to a work camp to spend the duration of the war. With no money for college, Anna needs a job and she is picked to take books to the prisoners. With her own brother off at war, and fighting her family's disapproval, Anna struggles with feelings of disloyalty but finds herself relishing her visits to the prison camp as she takes on the role of teacher, sharing her love of history and literature, and even her faith with the prisoners. As the war drags on, Anna takes comfort in the fact that she, like her brother, is making a difference in the war effort. She slowly begins to see the prisoners as young men who are also tired of war and want to start a new life. Anna becomes close to one prisoner in particular, a man named Klaus, who is a leader to the men but he has lost his way spiritually. Due to circumstances from his youth, Klaus no longer believes in God, and although he is drawn to Anna, he cannot share her faith. Anna begins to question her judgment, her feelings, and her faith as she falls in love with Klaus. Knowing that no one close to her would accept a relationship with the enemy, Anna finds herself isolated and afraid of what the future will bring.

Pleasure before business… John Stallion may be a ruthless CEO who thinks he can buy her family's Texas ranch, but Dallas businesswoman Marah Briscoe intends to put her considerable charm and savvy into breaking his iron grip on the proposed deal. Instead, she's blindsided by a man as infuriating as he is irresistible—a man who makes it clear he plays to win, especially where a beautiful woman is concerned. Marah is feisty and furious, but all John can think about is the feel of her soft skin and full, sensual lips. The line between business and pleasure is crossed the moment she storms into his office wearing skinny jeans and sultry perfume. Determined to get closer to this passionate woman who has invaded his life, he begins their negotiations with a kiss.…

Just a few miles outside of Albuquerque New Mexico in a remote valley something has gone horribly wrong. To their eternal regret some people have mistaken the screams echoing in the hills as coyotes singing to the moon. When Josey drives his truck down into the valley he quickly learns the disturbing truth. It's not coyotes howling. It's men or what used to be men. Josey discovers that the valley is home to the depraved, the noble, the damned, the innocent, the beautiful, and of course the walking dead. When the least dangerous thing you encounter is an angry rattlesnake you know you've made a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Nestled in a remote valley, the residents of The Albuquerque Springs Trailer Park have lived out there lives nearly forgotten by the rest of the world. The trailer park is home to dozens of illegal immigrants, a hermit who has turned his back on society, a veteran of World War 2, a grumpy old woman, a family of Meth cookers known to local police officials as the Redneck Gourmets, and a beautiful young woman, are just a few. Life was peaceful and quiet (actually quite boring) until a deadly industrial accident killed Juan, one of the illegal immigrants. His friends and neighbors promised to dispose of the victim's body. Unfortunately, he came back and disposed of them- one mouthwatering bite at a time.

Based on the author's own experiences in Vietnam, this novel is "dynamic and poignant . . . detailing the rugged journey from free-spirited youth to the rewarding fulfillment of honor, courage, and commitment in the United States Marine Corps."--"Leatherneck" magazine.