Amirosian Nights

The Greek island of Amiros offered everything Rachel wanted for her vacation: lovely beaches, leisurely afternoons at the seaside cafe, and evenings of bouzouki music at the local taverna. When a lucky accident lands her a job in a bouzouki band, she finds herself working among the locals -- learning from them, struggling to communicate with them, loving them -- and finding out a lot about herself. The foreign locale and locals provide the inspiration for romance and personal discovery triggered by music, language, and culture.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Grandmothers celebrates the special bond between grandmothers and their grandchildren. Grandmothers of all ages and experience will delight in these stories. A great grandmother-to-be and Mother’s Day gift! The moment a grandchild is born, a grandmother is born too. This collection is full of stories by grandmothers about being a grandmother, and grandchildren about their grandmothers. Personal stories about legacies and traditions, grandma’s wisdom and lessons from grandchildren as well as the joys and challenges of grandparenting, will touch the heart and tickle the funny bone of all grandmothers.

After a fellow traveler disappears, Andy can't concentrate on vacationing. Worse, he's saddled with two children who aren't his, an angry would-be girlfriend, and a self-appointed younger brother who is more reckless than he is. No wonder he starts seeing double.

Andy Veracruz is content with his life as the leader of a mariachi band, but when his lover is accused of murder, he has no choice but to defend her. In the process he faces the loss of his strongest loyalties as well as his entire career. arly Readers Say.... What do you get when you mix warm sultry days, late nights filled with Mariachi music, a jealous husband and a beautiful seductive wife? D.R. Ransdell's new book, Mariachi Murder will plunge you into the smoky and seamy world of machismo, musicians, and the women who love them. Pour a cool drink, sit back and enjoy a glimpse into a world few people will experience outside the pages of this book. You will learn about the music and people that make it, and find out that sometimes there are no neat answers. --I.C. Enger, Author of BLUE ICE "It's mystery, music, and murder, Southern California style. Andy Veracruz just wants to play his music, but when his girlfriend wants a baby, his boss goes on a trip and the boss' sexy wife gets involved with murder, Andy just can't keep from jumping into the thick of it. Ransdell burns up the nightclub scene with a slick and saucy story to keep your feet moving to the tunes and your mind guessing till the end." -- Stephen L. Brayton, author of Alpha Mariachi Murders is set near LA, in the fictional Squid Bay. It's summer with long, stifling nights and no air conditioning. The heroine Yiolanda is a sensuous temptress with a murky past. The hero Andy Veracruz is a thirtyish man, who although he refuses to be tied down by anyone or anything but his music, is drawn deeper and deeper into Yiolanda's web....So get a copy quick and feel the heat of summer begin. --J. L Greger, Author of COMING FLU About the Author: D.R. Ransdell teaches writing in Tucson, Arizona, where she moonlights as a mariachi player. Travel is her passion, so she spends vacations traipsing around new countries, experimenting with new languages, and dancing to new music. She shares her house with five cats, whose bird-chasing and lizard-eating activities add color to her stories.

A reckless concertmaster, a determined conductor, and a priceless violin turn Andy Veracruz into a substitute soloist. Desperate to keep his new music job, mariachi violinist Andy agrees to chase after a runaway concertmaster accused of murder. He poses as a soloist, but what happens when the other musicians realize he's a fraud?

When high school graduate Gina Campanello wins a trip to Thailand, the last thing she wants is to visit a bunch of temples and museums with her gung-ho older sister. Luckily, before Gina leaves Tucson, a neighbor gives her the mission of delivering a small stone elephant to a long-lost relative. When Gina and Rachel hit Bangkok, Rachel carts her sister from Wat Pho to the Grand Palace, but all Gina can think of is Koon Somchai, the estranged engineer she has promised to track down. By the time she leaves Bangkok, she's no closer to her goal. In Chiang Mai, the second city of the girls' tour, Gina finally gets some leads after consulting with natives. She visits the local engineering school and writes furious emails to recent graduates. The problem is that by the time she narrows down her search, she's about to board a plane for the beautiful beaches of Phuket. While Rachel enjoys lovely ocean views and leisurely afternoons in the pool, Gina can't stop thinking about the mysterious man she was supposed to find. When the man's grandson is able to arrange transportation for her return to Chiang Mai, Gina can't turn down the offer, no matter the personal cost.

Rising From The Mist in the sun-blushed hills of Tuscany is Il Piccolo Rustico, a 300-year-old stone farmhouse that Nancy Doran dreams of lovingly restoring into an idlyllic home. All her husband Phil can see is a crumbling money pit that, as far as dreams go, is more of a nightmare. Reluctantly leaving behind high -octane, air-conditioned Los Angeles where he lives and works as a writer-producer, Phil is uprooted to a strange country intoxicated by O sole mio, virgin olive oil and oak-aged Chianti. The local village reveals itself to be a hive of seething passions, secrets and age-old blood feuds, and the newcomers find that life is not all strolls around town during the passagiato and relaxing under the awnings of picturesque cafes. Beset by a rift of exasperating challenges - from the cunning tricks of the Pinatore family to an infuriating Byzantine Italian bureaucracy - it is only with an inspired touch of the 'Inner Italian' that Phil and Nancy finally manage to soften the hearts of their neighbours and are embraced by the community.