Romancing the Zone


Book Description

A successful business woman and single mother, Liz Elliott is fast approaching the age of forty. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Becca is a freshman at Chilton College in Ashton, Vermont. Becca also happens to be a rising star for the Lady Stingers basketball team—just as her mother had been twenty years ago. But back in those early days a dirty little secret had collapsed Liz's world—a secret she has kept hidden from everyone—especially her daughter. Now Liz finds herself accepting her daughter's challenge to return to college and finally earn the degree that has so long eluded her. As if that isn't enough, Liz has also somehow found herself back in the gym—and playing out her final year of basketball eligibility. Soon sparks fly when Liz encounters resistance from the new head coach, Sheridan Ross. Coach Ross has no patience for babysitting an over-the-hill athlete—not while she's worried about her own plans to move up the career coaching ladder as quickly as possible. Now in addition to battling the coach, Liz's world begins to crumble when the secret from her past returns to Ashton...




The Friend Zone


Book Description

Fall in love with this hilarious and heartwarming USA Today bestselling romantic comedy that LJ Shen calls "an absolute treat." Kristen Peterson doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children. Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen -- especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he'd be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to keep him at arm's length. The Friend Zone will have you laughing one moment and grabbing for tissues the next as it tackles the realities of infertility and loss with wit, heart, and a lot of sass. "Your next favorite romantic comedy...The Friend Zone is that rare beach read with tons of heart that will make you laugh and cry in equal parts." ---PopSugar "Your next rom-com to obsess and cry over." ---Cosmopolitan Goodreads Choice Awards nominee - Best Romance, Best Debut O, The Oprah Magazine Best Romance Novels of the year Audie Award Finalist USA Today bestseller Bookish Best Books of the year SheReads Best Romances of the year Women's Health Best Romance Novels of the year Good Housekeeping Best New Books for Summer PopSugar Best Books of Summer Publishers Weekly Starred Review Booklist Starred Review Booklist Top 10 Romance Debuts of 2019




From Pinballs to Pixels


Book Description

From early classics like Contact to marvels like High Speed, gaming publisher Williams dazzled arcade goers with its diverse range of quality pinball games. The age of video games catapulted the company into legend with blockbusters like Defender and Joust, and by the end of the 1980s it was the largest coin-op publisher in North America. Williams' acquisition of Bally/Midway began a period of hits that included Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam, as well as the best-selling pinball machine of all time, The Addams Family. The history of Williams spans nearly six decades and is filled with great games, huge gambles and technical innovations that impacted every aspect of pinball and arcade video games. With interviews of 40+ former designers and executives from Williams/Bally/Midway, as well as information from hundreds of contemporaneous news reports and documents, this book presents a never-before-seen chronology of how the small company became a coin-op juggernaut. Thirty pinball and 26 video game classics are examined in depth with direct input from the people who made them, along with the story of the events that shaped one of gaming's greatest publishing houses.




Love in the Zone


Book Description

One week, six years ago was all they had before secrets and lies tore them apart. After hurling words like daggers before they’d parted, they never dreamed they would see each other again. If they can open their hearts, they might be able to let go of the past and build a future. Francesca “Frankie” O’Connell was a woman in a man’s world. A former Marine and star wide receiver in a women’s football league, she was used to always following the play. When an old friend offers her a chance at her dream job it also comes with a place that might be the secret to her father’s recovery from a stroke. Working with the man who broke her heart wasn’t something she prepared for. Will the one who got away throw a wrench in all her new plans, or will he help her succeed beyond her wildest dreams? Rushford Avery hadn’t planned on settling in King’s Folly permanently. Accepting a job at Cormac University was supposed to be temporary until he got his grandmother settled in her childhood hometown. Then it was back to England and his plans for his future. Instead, every day he planted deeper roots and became more involved in the lives of people in the community. He hardly ever thought about the woman who’d destroyed him six years ago with a few well-chosen words. Will her reappearance in his life help him strengthen his place in the community, or tear it out at the roots? Rush and Frankie still have chemistry for days. The problem is their vivid memories of the circumstances that tore them apart are just as powerful. Their jobs, an unexpected dance competition, and the reappearance of an ex push them together and force them to confront the lies and secrets that have haunted them both for six years. Will love help them look past their mistakes and find their destiny together? Welcome to Love in the Zone, the fourth book in the Gridiron Knights series set in King’s Folly, South Carolina, where football is king, and the locals have something to say about everything. When you come for a visit, you’ll never want to leave. This is a stand-alone romance. It can be read and enjoyed on its own. If it’s your first taste of the Gridiron Knights, check out Second Chance Option to find out how Tess and Cade found their happily-ever-after, Shotgun Romance to learn Olivia and Nick’s story and Romancing the Receiver to get a taste of Ben and Lily.




Love Zone


Book Description




Romancing the Vine


Book Description

In Romancing the Vine, Alan Tardi, former owner of Follonico in New York, describes his life in the Piedmonte district of Italy focusing on the cultivation and harvest of the region's celebrated Barolo wine, and including rare local recipes.




Legal Rights, Local Wrongs


Book Description

Shows how education reforms take place within cauldrons of political interests and conflicting values and beliefs.




A Prince on Paper


Book Description

Named one of Amazon's Best Romances of May! The Reluctant Royals series returns with a good girl searching for the life that’s not too big, and not too small, and the bad boy prince who might be just right for her… Nya Jerami fled Thesolo for the glitz and glamour of NYC but discovered that her Prince Charming only exists in her virtual dating games. When Nya returns home for a royal wedding, she accidentally finds herself up close and personal—in bed—with the real-life celebrity prince who she loves to hate. For Johan von Braustein, the red-headed step-prince of Liechtienbourg, acting as paparazzi bait is a ruse that protects his brother—the heir to the throne—and his own heart. When a royal referendum threatens his brother’s future, a fake engagement is the perfect way to keep the cameras on him. Nya and Johan both have good reasons to avoid love, but as desires are laid bare behind palace doors, they must decide if their fake romance will lead to a happily-ever-after.




Romancing the Receiver


Book Description

Betrayal destroyed his future. An accident shattered her dreams. Life closed a door for each of them, if they can learn to trust one another, love will open a new one. Ben Coleman spent two years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Being cleared of all charges couldn’t give him back his dreams of playing professional football, but freedom gave him a chance to heal. When an old friend offers him the opportunity to coach football at Cormac University Ben believes he can finally put the past behind him and build a future. Will the mysterious deputy with secrets help him rebuild his life, or tear it to pieces again? After an accident as a teenager robbed her of her senses of taste and smell, Lily Mooney had to let go of her dream of being a professional chef. She never wanted to be a cop like three of her brothers, but more than a decade after her accident she was still on the job, and will be until she finishes one last investigation, the one that will set her best friend free. Will the compelling new coach at Cormac University help Lily find the answers she’s looking for, or make her question everything she thought she knew? Ben and Lily fight an instant attraction. Neither of them is looking for a relationship. Even if they were, there are a million reasons why they’re wrong for each other. Both of them are running from the past and the dreams that still haunt them. But King’s Folly is a small town and, with friends in common, they can’t exactly avoid each other. When their jobs collide and people they love almost get caught in the crossfire, they have no choice but to turn to each other. Will they learn that love is the key to unlock their dreams for the future? Welcome to Romancing the Receiver, the third book in the Gridiron Knights series set in King’s Folly, South Carolina, where football is king, and the locals have something to say about everything. When you come for a visit, you’ll never want to leave. This is a stand-alone romance. It can be read and enjoyed on its own. If it’s your first taste of the Gridiron Knights, check out Second Chance Option to find out how Tess and Cade found their happily-ever-after and Shotgun Romance to learn Olivia and Nick’s story.




Game Love


Book Description

What does love have to do with gaming? As games have grown in complexity, they have increasingly included narratives that seek to engage players with love in a variety of ways. While media attention often focuses on violent emotions and behavior in gaming, love has always been central to the experience. We love to play games, we have titles that we love, and sometimes we love too much or love terrible games for their shortcomings. Love in gaming is rather like love in life--often complicated and frustrating but also exciting and gratifying. This collection of fresh essays explores the meaning and role of love in gaming, describing a number of ways--from coding to cosplay--in which love can be expressed in, for and around games. Investigating how gaming involves love is also key to understanding the growing importance of games and gamers as cultural markers.