Showing results by author "Usher" in All Categories

It's the wedding of the year in Pigsend, at least if you talk to Vicky Hamblin. The bride-to-be is dead set on making her wedding to baker Allen Mackey the most perfect spectacle in the history of weddings, if only to impress her two snooty aunts. Bev's in charge of hosting them at the Weary Dragon Inn, along with a carefully-curated list of other family members, all designed to impress. But when things start going awry, and Vicky suspects someone might be out to sabotage her wedding, Bev's on the case once more. Can she find out who's out to get the bride before the big day?

Spring is on the horizon, and the Weary Dragon Inn is getting its annual deep clean. But before Bev can even finish scrubbing the windows, Carpenter Earl's workshop goes up in flames. Earl's convinced the local kids are behind the mischief, but when more buildings come crashing down under mysterious circumstances, Bev's on the case once more. The cozy follow-up to Secrets and Snowflakes, Beasts and Baking is the fourth installment in the Weary Dragon Inn series, following amnesiac innkeeper Bev and the curiosities that occur in the quaint fantasy village of Pigsend.

Firewing Investigations follows dragon shifter PJ Norris as he searches the land newly freed from an evil queen for more of his kind. Along with his best friend Grant, and a brand new amulet that unleashes the dragon in his mind, PJ sets off on a magical, cozy adventure – solving a few magical mysteries along the way.

Happy ever afters are for suckers, and Cat Keller is no sucker. After years of watching her mother go from marriage to marriage, heartbreak to heartbreak, she’s put a set of rules into place–never stay the night, never bring a boy home–to avoid the same fate. Then she meets radio deejay and local heartthrob Jude Oliver. One by one, Cat’s rules bend and break under Jude’s patience and persistence. Soon, only one rule remains: no falling in love. Can Cat keep the walls around her heart intact? Or will she face her biggest fears and allow herself to fall?

Comic book artist Sunny Oliver is prepared for anything. Rabid fans? No biggie. Zombie apocalypse? Piece of cake. Her older brother’s best friend? Er…not so much. He’s chipper. He’s obnoxious. He’s…hot?

Von Virginia Woolfs herzzerreißendem Abschiedsbrief an ihren Mann bis zum höchsteigenen Eierkuchen-Rezept von Queen Elizabeth II. an US-Präsident Eisenhower; von Gandhis Friedensersuch an Adolf Hitler bis zu Iggy Pops wundervollem Brief an einen jungen weiblichen Fan in Not, zelebriert und dokumentiert "Letters of Note" die Faszination der geschriebenen Korrespondenz mit all dem Humor, der Ernsthaftigkeit, der Traurigkeit und Verrücktheit, die unser Leben ausmachen. Prominente Autoren, Schauspielerinnen und Schauspieler lassen die Briefe durch ihre Stimmen lebendig werden.

After flunking out of university, PJ Norris has been given a new quest: search a world newly-freed from an evil queen for more dragon shifters like himself. Along with his best friend Grant, they set out with nothing but an amulet and PJ's burgeoning dragon senses to guide them. The first stop is a former queenside stronghold of Gilramore, where townsfolk are being bothered by swarms of butterflies. The mayor and townsfolk swear there's no one with magic in their midst, but as PJ uncovers more of their secrets, he realizes the queen's grip might've not been as strong as advertised.

Big dreams. Tierney Chandler had 'em. Why else would she leave her small town—and her picture-perfect fiancé—behind? Nine years later, the town's still small, her dreams are mostly still dreams, and her still-perfect ex is still interested. And, it turns out, so is his cousin. Jack Elliott has changed a lot in the years since Tierney left, even if his old crush on her hasn’t. His easy charm (and irresistible baked goods) reel her in, and she finds herself making excuses to come home for the first time in years.

After the Second Kingside War, magical folks like baker Lillie Dean are once again able to live freely and use magic openly. Lillie is taking this new freedom to heart, and has just moved to the seaside town of Silverkeep to start a brand new bakery and begin her life again.

The Harvest Festival is the most-anticipated event in the quaint village of Pigsend, and Bev and the Weary Dragon Inn are ready to welcome visitors from near and far. But when strange occurrences begin happening, including the destruction of Bev's beloved herb garden, Bev's got to put her sleuthing hat back on to uncover the truth.

Magical baker Lillie Dean is settling into her new life in Silverkeep, along with all the creatures who'd come out of hiding after magic was made legal once more. The south side of town near the wharf is bustling with new neighbors, including merchant Jeremias Scarp, who's just procured a magical pendant that he swears is going to take his fledgling business to the next level. But when that pendant goes missing, Lillie's on the case to find out who might've taken it, while also avoiding the attention of powerful Mr. Globe.

A climate catastrophe can be avoided, but only with rapid and sustained investment in companies and projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To the surprise of many, this has already begun. Investors are abandoning fossil-fuel companies and other polluting industries and financing businesses offering climate solutions. Rising risks, evolving social norms, government policies, and technological innovation are all accelerating this movement of capital.

Lessons from the Set is a comprehensive filmmaking guide that takes a cinephile’s do-it-yourself approach to low-budget indie film production and distribution. The book is peppered with filmmaking tips and tricks, as well as valuable, practical insight into the process of writing, directing, producing, and distributing commercial feature films on a low budget - whether you’re working with $1,000 or $1 million.

It's been thirteen years since the Dark Years ended. Thirteen years since the mad War Faery responsible was imprisoned in stone. Now, with goblin attacks on the rise, it seems Galanta, the Goblin Queen, is intent on returning the land to chaos and terror. Isadora Scrumpleton is trying not to think about the Dark Years. She's just been chosen by her "familiar", found out she's half faery, and discovered she's dating the second-in-line to the Faery Throne. That's enough for one teenage witch to handle. But when goblins attack her village, Izzy is forced into action....

Summer has arrived in Pigsend, and it’s not just the sweltering temperatures putting everyone on edge. It’s the sixth anniversary of the war ending, and a cadre of soldiers is camping north of town to keep the peace and monitor for strange activity. Rumor has it a rebellion is brewing, one that threatens to plunge the country back into war—not that anyone in Pigsend is keen on that. At the Weary Dragon, Bev’s playing host to the usual set of travelers, including butcher Vellora’s old commander Andres.

The Muffin Man is widely regarded as the first documented serial killer. He prowled the streets of the Seven Dials neighborhood of London just three and a half miles from White Chapel and possibly the most famous of all killers. When a prostitute witnesses the Muffin Man take a life and decides blackmail is a better option than going to the police, the Muffin Man seeks out help to deal with her.

PJ Norris continues his search for more dragon shifters and arrives in the town of Padstow, a town full of magic-mining gnomes and the humans who've built an economy around catering to them. So when the mine experiences magical surge that throws the town into a frenzy, Firewing Investigations is hired to look into it in hopes they'll discover a dragon shifter.

In News for the Rich, White, and Blue, Nikki Usher recasts the challenges facing journalism in terms of place, power, and inequality. Drawing on more than a decade of field research, she illuminates how journalists decide what becomes news and how news organizations strategize about the future. Usher shows how newsrooms remain places of power, largely white institutions growing more elite as journalists confront a shrinking job market.

The summer solstice has arrived, and, of course, the town of Silverkeep is divided on how to celebrate it. The magical folk, eager to reclaim their traditions after six years in hiding, have requested the town square to hold their event, but it's already been reserved by the transplants, who've grown accustomed to their own ways of celebrating.

Chaz Scalise controls a vast crime organization. He's vicious and calculating. His whims decide who lives, who dies and who gets sold. Getting an agent of the law close to him is next to impossible. Little does he know that a reluctant bride will serve him his downfall with a cup of gourmet coffee.