In Hotly in Pursuit of the Real, the beloved bestselling novelist Ron Hansen opens the doors of his writing studio to share with us his passions for history, scandal, theology, Jesuits, the American West, and golf (which he plays even in bad weather). If Hansen's novels explore people very different from himself--from a stigmatic nun to a Victorian poet to Billy the Kid, and even Hitler's niece--the meditations in this book do the opposite, allowing us to glimpse the wellsprings of his imagination, the places and traditions and books that drive him to create made-up worlds. In that sense, the reflections in these pages truly serve as "notes toward a memoir." As each section unfolds, we gain a clearer sense of Hansen's aesthetic, the parallels he sees between writing and the sacraments, between literature's capacity to make history present to us and the Church's rich array of traditions, including the Jesuit charism that has inspired great writers, such as Gerard Manley Hopkins (and himself). Equally adept at telling a hilarious anecdote and guiding us through a complex, ambiguous episode in history, Hansen's language remains fresh and invigorating. Hotly in Pursuit of the Real takes you inside one writer's imagination, only to send you back out into the wide world with new eyes.

Don't miss this laugh-out-loud, enemies-to-lovers romance that's How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days meets White Collar with a dash of The Thomas Crown Affair thrown in!All Jolene Carter has ever wanted is a bakery of her own. There's only one problem. Her father, Robert Carter, is a world-renowned art thief and she's, well, sort of his protégé. But he's promised her this next job in New York will be their last, and she won't let anyone get in the way of her dreams...especially not the distractingly delicious FBI agent hot on her tail.Agent Nate Parker has been on the Robert Carter case for years, and if rumors of the aging criminal's retirement are true, this might be his last chance to nail him. With the legacy of his late father in the back of his mind, the stakes are more personal than anyone realizes. He won't let anything stand in the way of justice...especially not the red-headed vixen who keeps giving him the slip.He's a cop who'd never bend. She's a con who'll never break. But all's fair in love and larceny...

As team leader of the popular personal security company Troubleshooters Inc., Alyssa Locke is no stranger to dealing with danger. Her next assignment, though, is supposed to be a breeze: teach self-defense techniques to an assemblywoman and her chief of staff after a political controversy generates a blizzard of hate mail—including death threats. But then, while in New York City, Alyssa and her squad of moonlighting Navy SEALs discover a dead body. And then another one. While investigating a suspect, Alyssa is ambushed and finds herself imprisoned by the deranged serial killer she’s been after for years: The Dentist. Cut off from everyone, Alyssa must call upon all of her strength and skill to survive this confrontation with the sadistic monster, meanwhile trusting that her Troubleshooter teammates—led by her husband, operative Sam Starrett—will reach her before it’s too late.

A missing rockstar, a suspected murderer on the run, and a chase through some of the world's most romantic destinations Sarah Burrowes is left with a shattered heart and a huge mortgage after the love of her life abruptly runs out on her. An aspiring journalist, Sarah spends her days slaving away at a gossip magazine—far from her dream job. Heartbroken and fed up, Sarah decides to take her career by the reins and lands herself the assignment of a lifetime in Europe. But there's a catch—her boss pairs her with gorgeous but egocentric photographer, Nick, who just happens to be her ex's best friend. But when Sarah's assignment takes a darker turn, she discovers there's more to this story than meets the eye. Is she ready to risk everything to get the scoop?

Assigned to move next door to suspense writer Taylor O'Toole by his superiors, who believe that she may be able to lead them to a missing Navy scientist, Navy SEAL Jack Broussard finds himself falling for his new neighbor.

An exciting full-color storybook featuring the DC Super Friends™—plus an eye-catching lenticular cover! The Joker and Lex Luthor team up to take down Batman™, Superman™, and the rest of the high-flying DC Super Friends™! Boys and girls ages 3 to 7 will love this action-packed DC Super Friends™ storybook which features an eye-catching lenticular cover that makes it appear as though the heroes are really racing to the rescue! DC Super Friends™ is a unique brand that gives preschoolers their very own versions of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes from DC Comics: Superman™, Batman™, Wonder Woman™, Aquaman™, The Flash™, Cyborg™, Hawkman™, and Green Lantern™.

An insider's hilarious, whirlwind account of his years spent globe-trotting in search of the holy grail of handbags: the Birkin For more than twenty years, the Hermès Birkin bag has been the iconic symbol of fashion, luxury, and wealth. Though the bag is often seen dangling from the arms of celebrities, there is a fabled waiting list of more than two years to buy one from Hermès, and the average fashionista has a better chance of climbing Mount Everest in Prada pumps than of possessing one of these coveted carryalls. Unless, of course, she happens to know Michael Tonello . . . Michael's newfound career started with an impulsive move to Barcelona, a vanished job assignment, no work visa, and an Hermès scarf sold on eBay to generate some quick cash. But soon the resourceful Michael discovered the truth about the waiting list and figured out the secret to getting Hermès to part with one of these precious bags. Millions of dollars worth of Birkins later, Michael had become one of eBay's most successful entrepreneurs—and a Robin Hood to thousands of desperate rich women. With down-to-earth wit, Michael chronicles the unusual ventures that took him to nearly every continent, from eBay to Paris auction house and into the lives of celebrities and poseurs. Flirting with danger, Michael recounts the heady rush of hand delivering his first big score to famed songwriter Carole Bayer Sager in Paris; how he had to hire thugs to rescue a bag that one of his "shoppers" held for ransom; and the story of the Oscar-worthy performances that allowed him to snag "reserved" bags from other, less dogged Birkin seekers. Whether he's relating his wining and dining, buying and selling, dodging and weaving, laughing and crying, or schmoozing and stammering, Michael is a master raconteur who weaves together tales of hunting Birkins in the world's most posh locales, memories of meals that would make any gastronome salivate, anecdotes of obsessed collectors with insatiable desires, and sweetly intimate stories about his family, friends, and finding true love. The result is a memoir that is distinctive, fun, page-turning, and as addictive as its namesake.

Ace freelance PR woman and amateur detective Temple Barr is 30-going-on-19 when she agrees to do homicide lieutenant Carmen Molina a big favor and go undercover as a contestant at Teen Idol, a TV reality show. The lieutenant is worried because someone is threatening the contestants--including her own 13 year old daughter--by leaving mutilated Barbie dolls all over Las Vegas. Reliving the years of melodrama and teen angst while acting as a nanny-cum-diversion is bad enough, but Temple is dismayed to discover her professional nemesis is in charge of PR for Teen Idol-and, even worse, her romance novelist aunt has flown in from New York to be a judge. Can redheaded Temple fool her nearest and least dearest with a black dye job to complement her new punk persona, Xoë Chloë Ozone? Temple is on her own among 28 unnatural blonds, who all say they'd kill to make the final cut and be named Teen Idol Queen... and one of them might actually do it. Usually Temple has an ace or two up her sleeve, but Max Kinsella, Temple's ex-magician boyfriend, is AWOL plotting to infiltrate a sinister cabal of terrorist magicians, and neighbor-slash-sometime love interest Matt Devine is in Chicago, tracking down his shocking family roots. Luckily, there's one one alpha male Temple can always lean on: Midnight Louie, her black alley-cat roommate. Louie is already on the case, ensuring that all the "little dolls" under his care debut on national TV as more than lovely corpses. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The last man she ever wanted to see... Might be the only one who can save her... Things are about to get HOT in the bayou! Evie Baker's luck just ran out. Thanks to an ex-partner with organized crime ties, she's lost her restaurant, her money, and nearly all her self-respect. Forced to return to her hometown and work as a shampoo girl in her mother's salon, she doesn't think her luck can get any worse. But then someone starts shooting at her, her sullen baby sister is suddenly missing, and the high school heartthrob who stole her heart--and her virginity--is the only man big enough and bad enough to help. Captain Matt "Richie Rich" Girard can't afford to get involved. He's already on the verge of a court-martial after a Top Secret op gone wrong, and he's been ordered to stay out of trouble while he's home for his sister's wedding. But when Evie's ex-partner turns up dead, staying out of trouble is the last thing on Matt's mind. He failed Evie once before; he can't fail her again. If he's going to protect her from a killer, and find her sister before time runs out, he'll have to risk his entire future--and both their lives--to do it.

Compiled in honor and celebration of veteran anthropologist Harold C. Fleming, this book contains 23 articles by anthropologists (in the general sense) from the four main disciplines of prehistory: archaeology, biogenetics, paleoanthropology, and genetic (historical) linguistics. Because of Professor Fleming's major focus on language — he founded the Association for the Study of Language in Prehistory and the journal Mother Tongue — the content of the book is heavily tilted toward the study of human language, its origins, historical development, and taxonomy. Because of Fleming's extensive field experience in Africa some of the articles deal with African topics. This volume is intended to exemplify the principle, in the words of Fleming himself, that each of the four disciplines is enriched when it combines with any one of the other four. The authors are representative of the cutting edge of their respective fields, and this book is unusual in including contributions from a wide range of anthropological fields rather than concentrating in any one of them.