From the first shot fired by his grandfather on a jungle trail in 1903 to the day his father captured plans for the Chinese invasion of South Korea, William Crawford Woods’s family has fought in nearly every American war of the twentieth century. Drawing on his family’s letters, journals, official records, and other artifacts found in his grandmother’s attic, Woods has revived their stories—accounts of his grandfather, who served in the Philippine War and World War I; of his uncle, who rose from a West Point cadet to staff command in the 11th Airborne and died in action in the Battle of Manila in World War II; and of his own father, who transformed himself from a sedentary lawyer into a soldier and a spy. To lighten the dramatic and emotional load of his family’s service, Woods occasionally calls on memories of his own time in the army, which he calls “brief, bloodless, and largely comic.” Woods fortifies this work of nonfiction with his skills as a novelist, crafting dramatic scenes and engaging dialog, offering far more than operational battlefield stories. He explores the wider impact of war, as we learn of his grandfather’s struggles with his wife’s patrician parents; his uncle’s involvement with Cy Caldwell, a superstar aviator of the 1930s; and his father’s swift ascent from civilian to counterspy. Stand in the Fire is both an engrossing chronicle of a family who served in every American conflict from the Philippine War to the Cold War and a profoundly personal window into a family’s patriotic inheritance. This intimately documented history vividly conveys successive generations’ personal calls to serve, tells the stories of their paths to selfhood through military experience, and reflects on how they found fulfillment and adventure in their service, as well as evasion of the domestic scene. Woods has skillfully created a memoir about the construction of memory forged in military service and American masculinity. Stand in the Fire is a powerful exploration of the love between fathers and sons and an attempt to honor family valor. “I became aware of a debt to my ancestors I felt I could discharge by writing this book,” Woods writes. “It was a way of keeping faith with those ancestors.”

A Civil War hero’s exploits told in his own words

Apprentice witch Catalina Gato is prohibited from assuming her human form in front of her new employer without his express permission. Since he doesn’t know he’s a warlock, he can’t give it, leaving her in a familiar’s limbo. To make matters worse, she’s barred from leaving his house, and her attempts to enlighten him of his true nature results in burnt notes, charred walls, and exploding laptops. On All Hallows’ Eve, she gets one night of freedom. Deciding some no-strings-attached sex might take the edge off the intense attraction she feels for her clueless boss, she signs up for Madame Eve’s service. When she meets her masked mystery date at the Castillo Capital, she realizes she might have gotten much more than she bargained for. After being gifted a one-night stand from his annoying best friend, attorney Leo Difuoco reluctantly ventures to the Castillo Capital to celebrate Halloween. When he meets his oddly familiar green-eyed date in a Cat Woman costume, flames literally ignite, sparks magically fly, and life as he knows it changes forever.

Featured in USA Today's "Best Rom-Coms" of May 2023 and one of the Washington Post's best romances of the year! "The Stand-In is a charming, engaging rom com that drips in glamour and sparkles with banter. Chu's exploration of multi-racial identity was resonant and nuanced. The Stand-In is truly a stand out romance." — USA Today bestselling author Andie J. Christopher Gracie Reed was just fired by her overly "handsy" boss at the worst possible moment. She's been scraping together every extra dollar to get her mother into a top-notch memory care center. To make matters worse, a paparazzo has mistaken her for a famous Chinese actress in town for a new project and the resulting snapshot's gone viral. Gracie's barely holding it all together...until a mysterious SUV rolls up beside her on the street, and she's offered the opportunity of a lifetime. Gracie can't believe what she's hearing: due to their uncanny resemblance, gorgeous actress Wei Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam Yao, the other half of Chinese cinema's infamous golden couple. Problem is, Sam is the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie's ever met. But if it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie's in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting her attraction to Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs to step out of the spotlight. In the end all the effort in the world won't be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself...and her heart. Readers will delight in this glamourous, swoon worthy enemies-to-lovers romance that is as hilarious as it is heart-wrenching.