As Different As Oil And Water! Allowing a movie crew to take over her gas station in Yewville was a bad idea, and it never would have happened if Carrie Smith's home hadn't desperately needed a new roof. Then, along with the stretch limos, came Luke Mason and his Ferrari—a picture-perfect combo no small-town girl could resist. While the petite mechanic was pretending she thought everything about Hollywood and the sweet-talking charmer was phony, her prickly reserve was challenging Tinseltown's hottest property, and he wasn't going to give up. After all, women everywhere would die for his megawatt smile. Surely he hadn't fallen for the only woman who could do without it. No way would Christmas arrive without Carolina Rose Smith knowing just what the determined Luke Mason was all about!

As Different As Oil And Water! Allowing a movie crew to take over her gas station in Yewville was a bad idea, and it never would have happened if Carrie Smith's home hadn't desperately needed a new roof. Then, along with the stretch limos, came Luke Mason and his Ferrari–a picture-perfect combo no small-town girl could resist.

Fresh from reenacting a Civil War battle, Kyle Sherman, dressed in his Union uniform, is lost in Yewville, South Carolina. Dixie Lee Smith knows such a man should be treated as the enemy?shunned, or at the very least ignored. But with no Southern gentlemen pounding down her door, Dixie finds herself wondering if maybe the state of their potential "union" should be addressed. And once she discovers there's competition for Kyle, this particular rebel belle stops worrying about which side won the war, determined to win the handsome Yankee for herself. She's got a battle on her hands for sure. Because Kyle himself might not be so easy to subdue!

A sweeping chronicle of Jewish life in the Tar Heel State from colonial times to the present, this beautifully illustrated volume incorporates oral histories, original historical documents, and profiles of fascinating individuals. The first comprehensive social history of its kind, Down Home demonstrates that the story of North Carolina Jews is attuned to the national story of immigrant acculturation but has a southern twist. Keeping in mind the larger southern, American, and Jewish contexts, Leonard Rogoff considers how the North Carolina Jewish experience differs from that of Jews in other southern states. He explores how Jews very often settled in North Carolina's small towns, rather than in its large cities, and he documents the reach and vitality of Jewish North Carolinians' participation in building the New South and the Sunbelt. Many North Carolina Jews were among those at the forefront of a changing South, Rogoff argues, and their experiences challenge stereotypes of a society that was agrarian and Protestant. More than 125 historic and contemporary photographs complement Rogoff's engaging epic, providing a visual panorama of Jewish social, cultural, economic, and religious life in North Carolina. This volume is a treasure to share and to keep. Published in association with the Jewish Heritage Foundation of North Carolina, Down Home is part of a larger documentary project of the same name that will include a film and a traveling museum exhibition, to be launched in June 2010.

Bethany Burke was intrigued by her new ranch hand—a man she'd ordered from a catalog! Strong, quiet Colt McClure had a way with animals and a past he never spoke of. The mystery only deepened when a baby girl arrived on the ranch doorstep—addressed to Colt! Colt's lovely boss made him want to reveal his secret past—especially because Bethany thought he was the baby's father! True, the cowboy had a few closely guarded secrets, but being somebody's daddy wasn't one of them. The wrangler was desperate to reveal the truth—but baring his soul could mean losing his heart.

Maybe this Christmas they'll see each other in a brand-new light… Schoolteacher Bella Hart and her neighbor Sam Anderson are both newcomers to Magnolia, North Carolina, yet they’ve grown to be good friends. But lately she’s noticed a distinct charge in the air when they’re together. Still, from what Bella can see, the attractive and popular firefighter may be more of a good-time playboy than stable-relationship material. Hopefully her plans to spend Christmas back home in Colorado will give the attraction between them time to cool down. Then Bella's puppy, Tater, is injured days before Christmas, and she decides to stay in town to take care of him. Sam insists that Bella come with him to his Blue Ridge Mountain hometown for Christmas, hoping that Bella might see him in a new light there. But his hopes are dashed as soon as she meets his older brother. On paper, responsible and even-keeled Kyle is perfect for Bella—the exact opposite of a man like Sam. Good thing Bella doesn’t give a Christmas fig about what looks good on paper. All she wants for Christmas is Sam. And in this season of joy and giving, could her wish possibly be about to come true?

Included are Kaye Gibbons, Robert Inman, Margaret Maron and Robert Morgan

With novels like Ellen Foster and A Virtuous Woman, award-winning writer Kaye Gibbons has gained both critical acclaim and a large, devoted following among readers. This literary companion equips the reader with information about characters, plots, dates, allusions, literary motifs, and themes from the bestselling author's works. After an annotated chronology of Gibbons' life, the work presents 103 A-Z entries that include Snodgrass's analysis, cover the writings of reviewers and critics, and provide selected bibliographies. Appendices offer an historical timeline with references to corresponding historical events from Gibbons' novels, along with a list of 42 topics for group or individual research projects.