Once Upon A Tower

'Nothing gets me to a bookstore faster than Eloisa James' - Julia Quinn Once upon a time a duke fell in love... Gowan Stoughton of Craigievar, Duke of Kinross, values order and self-control above all else. So when he meets a lady as serene as she is beautiful, he promptly asks for her hand in marriage. With a lady... Edie - whose passionate temperament is the opposite of serene - had such a high fever at her own debut ball that she didn't notice anyone, not even the notoriously elusive Duke of Kinross. When her father accepts his offer... she panics. And when their marriage night isn't all it could be, she pretends. In a tower. But Edie's inability to hide her feelings makes pretending impossible, and when their marriage implodes, she retreats to a tower - locking Gowan out. Now Gowan faces his greatest challenge. Neither commands nor reason work with his spirited young bride. How can he convince her to give him the keys to the tower . . . when she already has the keys to his heart? 'Eloisa James is extraordinary' - Lisa Kleypas 'Romance writing does not get much better than this' - People

A young group of friends must navigate conspiracy and sorcery in one of the most legendary cities of the Forgotten Realms—Waterdeep When the newest Blackstaff—a powerful wizard who defends the city of Waterdeep—is captured as part of an evil ploy for power, a motley crew of accomplices must band together to restore the Blackstaff to power and save the city. Laraelra, Meloon, Renaer and other legendary heroes of the Forgotten Realms form an unlikely team, rising above their humble origins to complete an epic quest through the City of Splendors. Together, they fight side by side in the race to reach Blackstaff Tower before the forces of evil can claim it as their own. Blackstaff Tower is the first book in a series of standalone novels set in Waterdeep.

A remarkable young woman blazes her own trail, from the backwoods of Russia to the court of Moscow, in the exhilarating sequel to Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale. Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch. Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey. But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself. Praise for The Girl in the Tower “[A] magical story set in an alluring Russia.”—Paste “Arden’s lush, lyrical writing cultivates an intoxicating, visceral atmosphere, and her marvelous sense of pacing carries the novel along at a propulsive clip. A masterfully told story of folklore, history, and magic with a spellbinding heroine at the heart of it all.”—Booklist (starred review) “[A] sensual, beautifully written, and emotionally stirring fantasy . . . Fairy tales don’t get better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[Katherine] Arden once again delivers an engaging fantasy that mixes Russian folklore and history with delightful worldbuilding and lively characters.”—Library Journal

"A gorgeous and thrilling paean to the ferocious power of women. The characters live, bleed, and roar. "―Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel • Named One of the Best Books of the Year by NPR Books • Barnes and Noble • BookPage In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in this powerful novel of magic, family, and the suffragette movement. In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box. But when the Eastwood sisters―James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna―join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote―and perhaps not even to live―the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive. There's no such thing as witches. But there will be. An homage to the indomitable power and persistence of women, The Once and Future Witches reimagines stories of revolution, motherhood, and women's suffrage—the lost ways are calling. Praise for The Once and Future Witches: "A glorious escape into a world where witchcraft has dwindled to a memory of women's magic, and three wild, sundered sisters hold the key to bring it back...A tale that will sweep you away."―Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author "This book is an amazing bit of spellcraft and resistance so needed in our times, and a reminder that secret words and ways can never be truly and properly lost, as long as there are tongues to speak them and ears to listen."―P. Djèlí Clark, author The Black God's Drum For more from Alix E. Harrow, check out The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

Once upon a time… A duke fell in love Gowan Stoughton of Craigievar, Duke of Kinross, values order and self-control above all else. So when he meets a lady as serene as she is beautiful, he promptly asks for her hand in marriage. With a lady Edie—whose passionate temperament is the opposite of serene—had such a high fever at her own debut ball that she didn’t notice anyone, not even the notoriously elusive Duke of Kinross. When her father accepts his offer… she panics. And when their marriage night isn’t all it could be, she pretends. In a tower. But Edie’s inability to hide her feelings makes pretending impossible, and when their marriage implodes, she retreats to a tower—locking Gowan out. Now Gowan faces his greatest challenge. Neither commands nor reason work with his spirited young bride. How can he convince her to give him the keys to the tower… When she already has the keys to his heart?

Use fairy tales in the library and classroom to increase students' proficiency in story structure, reading comprehension, writing, and speaking skills, and to foster collaboration with teachers. Teach core language arts skills using familiar fairy tales in AASL, IRA/NCTE standards-based, ready-to-use lessons. Use materials standard to every library to teach the curriculum, inspire a love of fairy tales, and include English Language Learners (ELL) in meaningful ways. Involve students in standards-based learning while they enjoy the charm and intrigue of their favorite fairy tales. Librarians and language arts teachers will find the information they need to increase vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and writing and speaking skills in their students, by using the wide appeal of fairy tales. Reproducible templates, worksheets, and planning guides are included.

Once Upon a Time There Was a Little Girl shares the moving stories of seven women who as young girls experienced the early loss of their mothers through death or physical or emotional abandonment. The women explore their personal traumas through their responses to seven fairy tales in which there was no nurturing maternal presence. Dr. Marcella Shields is a psychologist with over thirty years of experience who reveals the inspiring journeys of these women who eventually triumph over suffering and learn to rely on the bond they have formed with each other to help reclaim their passion for life. By exploring seven timeless fairy tales in which the heroine finds her way through the grief of abandonment, the women offer a deeper understanding of the significance of the mother-daughter bond and the devastating consequences for the daughter if this bond is ruptured early. The poignant life stories and dreams courageously offered by these women show how fairy tales allowed them to understand and refashion themselves, and provide a source of encouragement and hope for other women who have experienced early maternal loss. Fathers raising daughters without a consistent maternal presence will also find the reflections valuable.