“A sharp, wise, and hilarious novel. . . . We loved it!” — Lucy Sykes & Jo Piazza, authors of The Knockoff An addictively readable romantic comedy, drama, and mystery rolled into one, about two very different strangers whose lives become intertwined when they receive an unusual proposition. The Decent Proposal is a funny, tender, and enchanting story about love, attraction, and friendship: Jane Austen in Los Angeles. A struggling Hollywood producer, Richard Baumbach is twenty-nine, hung-over, and broke. Ridiculously handsome with an innate charm and an air of invincibility, he still believes good things will come his way. For now he contents himself with days at the Coffee Bean and nights with his best friend Mike (that’s a woman, by the way). At thirty-three, Elizabeth Santiago is on track to make partner at her law firm. Known as “La Máquina” The Machine—to her colleagues, she’s grown used to avoiding anything that might derail her quiet, orderly life. And yet recently she befriended a homeless man in her Venice neighborhood, surprised to find how much she enjoys their early-morning chats. Richard and Elizabeth’s paths collide when they receive a proposal from a mysterious, anonymous benefactor. They’ll split a million dollars if they agree to spend at least two hours together—just talking—every week for a year. Astonished and more than a little suspicious, they each nevertheless say yes. Richard needs the money and likes the adventure of it. Elizabeth embraces the challenge of shaking up her life a little more. Both agree the idea is ridiculous, but why not? What ensues is a delightful journey full of twists, revelations, hamburgers, classic literature, poppy music, and above all love, in its multitude of forms. The Decent Proposal is a heartfelt and often hilarious look at the ties that bind not just a guy and a girl but an entire, diverse cast of characters situated within a modern-day Los Angeles brought to full and irrepressible life.

Practical guide for authors wishing to approach a book publisher or agent with a manuscript or book proposal. Includes cartoons and other illustrations, useful contacts list, model book proposals, and bibliography. Published simultaneously in paperback and as a downloadable PDF file. Whitton is a freelance writer and journalist, teacher of specialist writing courses, and author of 'The Australian Writer's Marketplace'. Hollingworth is a freelance writer and cartoonist working primarily in the corporate sector. They have also collaborated on 'Mission Possible: How to Make Money from Your Writing'.

Sydney McKnight and single father Burke Holden agree to pretend to be a couple to please Sydney's father, but soon wonder if they should give love another chance.

In one of the most powerful and darkly satirical works of the 18th century, a chilling solution is proposed to address the dire poverty and overpopulation plaguing Ireland. Jonathan Swift presents a shockingly calculated and seemingly rational argument for using the children of the poor as a food source, thereby addressing both the economic burden on society and the issue of hunger. This provocative piece is a masterful example of irony and social criticism, as it exposes the cruel attitudes and policies of the British ruling class towards the Irish populace. Jonathan Swift's incisive critique not only underscores the absurdity of the proposed solution but also serves as a profound commentary on the exploitation and mistreatment of the oppressed. A Modest Proposal remains a quintessential example of satirical literature, its biting wit and moral indignation as relevant today as it was at the time of its publication. JONATHAN SWIFT [1667-1745] was an Anglo-Irish author, poet, and satirist. His deadpan satire led to the coining of the term »Swiftian«, describing satire of similarly ironic writing style. He is most famous for the novel Gulliver’s Travels [1726] and the essay A Modest Proposal [1729].

Reviewers have called it "powerful" and "brilliant." Newly released for its 25th anniversary edition, Jack Engelhard's novel "Indecent Proposal" has found its place alongside such classics as Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina." "Indecent Proposal" remains one of the most widely-read and discussed novels around the world, due to the strong writing and riches that include a moral dilemma for the ages. The novel was translated into more than 22 languages, and Hollywood produced a mega-hit movie based on this book starring Robert Redford and Demi Moore. The novel stands as a remarkable achievement from a great and legendary novelist. Though Hollywood only skimmed the surface of Engelhard's masterpiece, the theme is eternal, even biblical - temptation The plot has riveted the world's readers and moviegoers. A destitute couple tries their luck in an Atlantic City casino. The wife, Joan, is utterly gorgeous. She attracts the attention of an oil rich sultan who can buy anything he sets his eyes on. Can he buy people? Can he "buy" Joan? What would you do for a million dollars? Reviews "Precise, almost clinical language...is this book fun to read? You betcha " "- The New York Times" "The prose is vivid, cool and muscular, the story is great. In all, the fine tension between desire and high moral principal make "Indecent Proposal" a well-crafted book...well-wrought characters, exhilarating pace...it's beautifully written." "- The Philadelphia Inquirer" "A gut-wrenching study on love, money and trust." "- National Public Radio (NPR)" "Written with the sparseness of Hemingway but the moral intensity of I.B. Singer." - Michael Foster, author of "Three in Love" (HarperCollins) About the Author Contemporaries have hailed novelist Jack Engelhard as "the last Hemingway" and of being "a writer without peer and the conscience of us all." "The New York Times" commended the economy of his prose... "precise, almost clinical language." His bestselling novel "Indecent Proposal" made him internationally famous as the foremost chronicler of moral dilemmas and of topics dealing with temptation. Works that followed won him an even greater following, such as "Escape From Mount Moriah," his book of memoirs that won awards for writing and for film. His latest novel "Compulsive" draws us into the mind of a compulsive gambler in a work stunningly brilliant and original, and seductively readable. Engelhard writes a weekly column for "The Washington Times." His website: www.jackengelhard.com

Harlequin Presents offers you another chance to enjoy this bestselling novel from Sandra Marton. The boss’s marriage demand! When Cade Landon planned to return his late father’s oil company to its former glory he expected a challenge—but not in the form of feisty manager Angelica Gordon. She’s different from any other woman he’s met, and Cade doesn’t know whether to sack her or seduce her! Seduction might be the only option when Angelica reveals that a deal between their fathers has given her a stake in the business. Shrewd negotiator Cade sees an opportunity to ensure Angelica’s compliance and satisfy the chemistry bubbling between them—by making her his convenient wife! Book 1 in the Landon’s Legacy quartet Originally published in 1995.

A poignant look at empathetic encounters between staunch ideological rivals, all centered around our common need for food. While America's new reality appears to be a deeply divided body politic, many are wondering how we can or should move forward from here. Can political or social divisiveness be healed? Is empathy among people with very little ideological common ground possible? In A Decent Meal, Michael Carolan finds answers to these fundamental questions in a series of unexpected places: around our dinner tables, along the aisles of our supermarkets, and in the fields growing our fruits and vegetables. What is more common, after all, than the simple fact that we all need to eat? This book is the result of Carolan's career-long efforts to create simulations in which food could be used to build empathy, among even the staunchest of rivals. Though most people assume that presenting facts will sway the way the public behaves, time and again this assumption is proven wrong as we all selectively accept the facts that support our beliefs. Drawing on the data he has collected, Carolan argues that we must, instead, find places and practices where incivility—or worse, hate—is suspended and leverage those opportunities into tools for building social cohesion. Each chapter follows the individuals who participated in a given experiment, ranging from strawberry-picking, attempting to subsist on SNAP benefits, or attending a dinner of wild game. By engaging with participants before, during, and after, Carolan is able to document their remarkable shifts in attitude and opinion. Though this book is framed around food, it is really about the spaces opened up by our need for food, in our communities, in our homes, and, ultimately, in our minds.

“Utterly charming… A Proposal They Can't Refuse is a surefire winner!” —Mia Sosa, USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man Natalie Caña turns up the heat, humor and heart in this debut rom-com about a Puerto Rican chef and an Irish American whiskey distiller forced into a fake engagement by their scheming octogenarian grandfathers. Kamilah Vega is desperate to convince her family to update their Puerto Rican restaurant and enter it into the Fall Foodie Tour. With the gentrification of their Chicago neighborhood, it's the only way to save the place. The fly in her mofongo—her blackmailing abuelo says if she wants to change anything in his restaurant, she'll have to marry the one man she can't stand: his best friend’s grandson. Liam Kane spent a decade working to turn his family’s distillery into a contender. But just as he and his grandfather are on the verge of winning a national competition, Granda hits him with a one-two punch: he has cancer and has his heart set on seeing Liam married before it’s too late. And Granda knows just the girl…Kamilah Vega. If they refuse, their grandfathers will sell the building that houses both their businesses. With their futures on the line, Kamilah and Liam plan to outfox the devious duo, faking an engagement until they both get what they want. But soon, they find themselves tangled up in more than either of them bargained for.

Tess, Emma and Raine–about to be swept off their feet in Wedded Blitz! Hiring a man wasn't something Tess Lonigan had ever done before. But in her fast-track career, business functions were simply easier with a partner at her side! Dating for real was complicated; it was far easier to employ a pretend fiance!