Charles Westover grew up in a small midwestern town, learning guitar at an early age. After graduating high school, he joined the Army, married and shipped off to Europe where he honed his singing and guitar skills. Back home, Westover joined a local band while working at a carpet store.Soon he co-wrote, ""Runaway,"" one of the great rock and roll songs of the era and took on the stage name Del Shannon. Shannon went on to record many more hits and became a superb interpreter of the songs of other. He was the first American recording artist to cover a Beatles' tune, wrote Peter and Gordon's ""I Go to Pieces,"" and produced hit records for Brian Hyland and and the rock group, Smith. At a time when his career seemed to be on the upswing, Shannon's live ended tragically at his Southern California home. A rock legend himself, he would eventually be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If you appreciate the great rock singers of the past, you will want to read The Music of Del Shannon.

After Lissa Rogers and Kendra Kozak set out on a summer adventure, the two teenagers arrive at Terrebonne Key, an island in the Louisiana bayou rumored to be the location of a legendary treasure. But they aren’t alone on the island. Now dangerous fugitives are holding them hostage, and the girls’ only hope for survival is investigator Del Shannon. When Del learns that Lissa is the granddaughter of her former mentor, Louise Lassiter, she decides to take the case. But then Del botches the ransom money drop, and her chances of rescuing Lissa and Kendra grow slim. With time running out, Del teams up with Frank Falconet—an old flame from her past—to find the two girls, and the secret to Terrebonne Key’s hidden fortune, before it’s too late. Praise for the Del Shannon series: “The fast-flowing story will engage readers. It’s nice to see a woman in control in the leading role.”—Kirkus Reviews “This is a truly exciting plot which makes for a great read. Del is a very strong and competent main character that lovers of suspense, western, and mystery books will absolutely enjoy!”—Suspense Magazine

"The funniest book Pynchon has written." — Rolling Stone "Entertainment of a high order." - Time Part noir, part psychedelic romp, all Thomas Pynchon—private eye Doc Sportello surfaces, occasionally, out of a marijuana haze to watch the end of an era. In this lively yarn, Thomas Pynchon, working in an unaccustomed genre that is at once exciting and accessible, provides a classic illustration of the principle that if you can remember the sixties, you weren't there. It's been a while since Doc Sportello has seen his ex- girlfriend. Suddenly she shows up with a story about a plot to kidnap a billionaire land developer whom she just happens to be in love with. It's the tail end of the psychedelic sixties in L.A., and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment, like "trip" or "groovy," except that this one usually leads to trouble. Undeniably one of the most influential writers at work today, Pynchon has penned another unforgettable book.

On October 15, 1967, bass player Steve Boone took the Ed Sullivan Show stage for the final time, with his band The Lovin' Spoonful. Since forming in a Greenwich Village hotel in early 1965, Boone and his bandmates had released an astounding nine Top 20 singles, the first seven of which hit the Billboard Top 10, including the iconic Boone co-writes "Summer in the City" and "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice." Little did Steve Boone know that the path of his life and career would soon take a turn for the bizarre, one that would eventually find him looking at the world through the bars of a jail cell. From captaining a seaworthy enterprise to smuggle marijuana into the U.S. from Colombia, to a period of addiction, to the successful reformation of the band he'd helped made famous, Hotter Than a Match Head tells the story of Boone's personal journey along with that of one of the most important and enduring groups of the 1960s.

With one of the decade's most enduring singles and videos, "No Rain," a quadruple platinum 1992 debut album, and touring alongside rock's biggest names, Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon could not overcome a dangerous drug addiction. Only two records into a promising career, Hoon was dead from an overdose at 28. This is the first book to tell the group's story, culled from over 50 interviews, including the surviving band members and those closest to the band. Includes 20 pages of photographs.

RUNAWAY is a fascinating account of the life and music of 60s rock star Del Shannon. From humble beginnings in the rural Midwest, this bar band guitarist rocketed to overnight superstar status when his first big hit clinched the #1 spot on the American Billboard charts, resulting in an international hit in over 20 other countries during the year 1961. Del Shannon soon followed up “Runaway” with more hits, including “Hats Off To Larry,” “So Long Baby,” “Hey! Little Girl,” “The Swiss Maid,” “Little Town Flirt,” “Two Kinds of Teardrops,” “Handy Man,” “Do You Wanna Dance,” “Keep Searchin’,” and “Stranger In Town.” Shannon was the first American artist to cover a Beatles song in “From Me To You.” In the late 60s and early 70s, he shifted his focus into production, launching the career of country artist Johnny Carver, discovering a group called Smith that saw a #3 hit with a Shannon-Smith arrangement of “Baby It’s You,” and produced fellow contemporary Brian Hyland’s Top 5 hit “Gypsy Woman.” Del worked with Jeff Lynne and Dave Edmunds in the 70s, with Tom Petty seeking him out to produce Shannon’s comeback album in 1981, resulting in a #33 hit “Sea of Love” in America.

A photographic look into the world of vinyl record collectors—including Questlove—in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms. Compelling photographic essays from photographer Eilon Paz are paired with in-depth and insightful interviews to illustrate what motivates these collectors to keep digging for more records. The reader gets an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions, including Gilles Peterson and King Britt, as well as a glimpse into the collections of known and unknown DJs, producers, record dealers, and everyday enthusiasts. Driven by his love for vinyl records, Paz takes us on a five-year journey unearthing the very soul of the vinyl community.

An appreciation of Rock-n-Roll, song by song, from its roots and its inspriations to its divergent recent trends. A work of rough genius; DeanOCOs attempt to make connections though time and across genres is laudable."

Witness a miracle this Christmas... A little snowman longs for a voice of his own so he can sing Christmas carols like human children do. When a cardinal gives him hope and a little girl shows him kindness, he receives his voice in a joyful, unexpected way.