Agatha finalist Jane K. Cleland brings us an irresistible new blend of coziness, crime, and collectibles... The autumn foliage is in full fiery glory on a beautiful day in the little coastal town of Rocky Point, New Hampshire. Josie Prescott arrives at the town's renovated lighthouse to conduct an antiques appraisal and is horrified to discover the bludgeoned body of her neighbor Zoë's beloved nephew, Frankie. The owners of the lighthouse are avid antiques collectors, and Josie soon begins to suspect that a scrimshaw tooth from their collection may be the key to solving the crime that has shaken Rocky Point, and broken her dear friend's heart.

The Silent Auction They're back! Your favorite members of The Bronxville Book Club--Kathryn, Lizbet, Giselle, Chelsea, Francesca, Carole, Sarah and Madison--are welcoming the Braithwaite family to the charming village of Bronxville! And what better way for Morgan, Brooke, and the three Braithwaite children to get to know their new neighbors than by participating in the highly successful Memorial Day activities at the Bronxville School. The jewel in the crown of the holiday weekend is, of course, the eagerly anticipated Silent Auction. This year, Lizbet Wellington Smith has organized a Silent Auction that will surpass all others and raise record-breaking funds for The Bronxville School. With Lizbet's able assistance, Morgan Braithwaite has entered his family's names on several of the red-white-and-blue ribboned bidding sheets for such items as...a condo in Vail...a Spa Cruise...Skybox tickets...Gourmet dinners...Breakfast at Tiffany's...and a Holiday House tour of spectacular homes. Join Morgan at 2 p.m. on Memorial Day when the winners of the Silent Auction items are announced. The Braithwaites are in for quite a year as they get to know the residents of the affluent village that is endlessly copied but never matched...and the residents themselves are in for Silent Auction surprises no one ever would have expected... ********** Buzzzz, Murmurs Follow Novel The Bronxville Book Club "has created a stir...with residents venturing guesses as to the real identities of the fictional characters." The New York Times **********

The Big Book of Benefit Auctions is the ultimate step-by-step handbook on how to plan and have a successful and effective auction. Auction committees will find it an invaluable reference as it provides all the tools they will need for complete auction planning and management. From setting the goal for the event, to organizing the committee, procuring auction items, building the audience, preparing the catalog and through auction night cashiering (check out) services, everything you will want to know about the auction process is readily at your fingertips in this resource guide. The book will not only contain important "how to" information, it will also explain why some decisions and activities are not only good practices, they are essential to having a well-run and efficient event. Also, the book will discuss important strategies for maximizing revenue at your event, and will cover common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

There has never been a greater need for raising the funds necessary to promote the causes that will help build a sustainable future. In Money for the Cause: A Complete Guide to Event Fundraising, veteran nonprofit executive director Rudolph A. Rosen lays out field-tested approaches that have been among those that helped him and the teams of volunteers and professionals he has worked with raise more than $3 billion for environmental conservation. As Rosen explains, fundraising events can range from elite, black-tie affairs in large cities to basement banquets and backyard barbeques in small-town America. Money for the Cause runs the gamut, demonstrating methods adaptable to most situations and illustrating both basic and advanced techniques that can be duplicated by everyone from novice volunteers to experienced event planners. Each chapter begins with a pertinent, real-life anecdote and focuses on major areas of event fundraising: business plans and budgets, raffles and auctions, tax and liability matters, contract negotiation, games and prizes, site selection, food service, entertainment, publicity, mission promotion, food and drink service, and effective team building and use of volunteers. The author applies each topic to the widest possible range of events, providing practical detail and giving multiple examples to cover the differences in types of organizations and their fundraising activities. Whatever the funding objective may be, Money for the Cause: A Complete Guide to Event Fundraising is both a textbook and a practical reference that will be indispensable to anyone involved in mission-driven organizations, whether as a volunteer, a professional, a student, or an educator. To learn more about The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, sponsors of this book's series, please click here.

Transform fundraising events into long-term revenue with expert auction advice A Higher Bid is the nonprofit school and organization guide to planning and executing more exciting, more lucrative special event fundraisers. In this book, award-winning consultant, fundraiser, speaker, and professional auctioneer Kathy Kingston shares her proprietary and proven approaches to audience development, board empowerment, leadership succession, guest cultivation and engagement, and donor development. You'll learn how live auctions, special appeals, innovative icebreakers, silent auctions, and new technologies can help increase revenue, and how to execute these events in a way that translates to a stronger donor base for long-term giving. Kingston describes how to match the guest list and catalog for better results, and reveals the strategies professional auctioneers use to curate the right auction items and discover the right people to generate optimum revenue and engage donors. This book offers a fresh approach to fundraising, showing you how charity benefit auctions can be made a centerpiece of fundraising special events to drive both short- and long-term fundraising goals while providing a fun and inspiring opportunity to generate awareness and keep supporters excited about the mission. Using Kingston's proven framework, you'll learn effective ways to: Strategically increase high-profit revenue streams Increase your organization's donor base Empower the board toward efficiency and productivity Engage supporters more deeply and keep them invested Donors are the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization, and sustainable revenue depends upon their high engagement and willingness to give. Well-executed benefit and charity auctions have proven to be effective fundraisers for nonprofits, associations, and schools of all types, and A Higher Bid is the expert guide to optimizing these special events for maximum impact.

A surprising number of women in their 40s, 50s and 60s are deciding to reconnect with horses. The author shares learning from her own journey, from horse people she interviewed for the book and from experts who helped her along the way. Riding Horseback in Purple is a compelling read for animal lovers, regardless if they dream of getting a horse.