Saving Susie Belle

For six years, a nameless miniature schnauzer was imprisoned in a Welsh puppy farm, a breeding bitch who would have been killed if she failed to produce enough puppies. But for this little dog, peace came before death. Rescued from the grubby nightmare of puppy farming, she now has a new life, a loving home, and a beautiful name - Susie-Belle. This book tells the story of Susie-Belle, and her road to recovery.

In the week before Christmas, on a cosy bed beside a log burner a dog snoozes happily, her belly full of lobster. Just a few months earlier she had lain in the cold and filth of a Welsh puppy farm, her belly empty of food but full of yet another litter of puppies. The contrast could not have been greater.For six years Susie-Belle had been trapped in a life of misery as someone's commodity, a breeding bitch in a puppy farm, tied up in the back of a putrid shed, never seeing the outside world, receiving little or no care and experiencing neglect to a horrifying degree.For dogs like her, the end is usually a grim death, whether it's because they fail to be a good breeder or because they have simply become too old and weary to produce and raise the puppies that are demanded of them.A far happier ending awaited this little dog though as she was rescued, lifted out of the dark and grubby hidden nightmare that is puppy farming and brought to safety by someone who cared enough to make a difference.This is the moving tale of what life was like for one small dog, how it changed, and why no dog should ever be allowed to suffer at the hands of humans who value commercial profits more than life itself.This is the story of Susie-Belle and her road to recovery.

This delightful new children's book, Saving Maya, is perfect for readers aged 8 and above. It tells the story of two dogs who are destined to become sisters. An uplifting tale, based on a true-life story, not only introduces young readers to pet rescue and adoption, but also educates children about the cruel reality of today's puppy trade, where dogs are confined in farms to produce puppies. Readers first meet Willow, a much-loved family pet living a happy normal life with Patsy. One day, Patsy decides to get Willow a sister but, she soon finds out that something is not right; she discovers that many of the puppies she admires come from awful places: puppy farms! Maya is one of those dogs. She's stuck in a filthy, dark barn and has been there her whole life. When readers first meet Maya, she's in a terrible state and fears her life is nearly over. However, rescue comes and readers follow Maya's journey to a place of safety, where for the first time in her life, she experiences kindness and eventually finds herself living with Willow and Patsy. This tale of courage and survival will appeal to children who enjoy tales about animals. Saving Maya can also be used in the classroom to educate children on the ethics of animal cruelty.

“Prepare yourself for a daring, unsparing takedown of millennial Manhattan, trick by glossy trick.” —Beatriz Williams We are a bifurcated generation, the Romantics versus the Realists: those who prefer transistor radios to Bose sound systems, scuffed ocean liner trunks to gleaming Rimowa hard shells, fountain pens to BlackBerry keyboards, restored old roadsters to eco-friendly hybrids, the unsmudgeable guarantee of old illusions to present-life ones, tinny and certain to disappoint. When M. meets Belle at Dartmouth, they become the unlikeliest best friends. Belle is an unapologetic Romantic famous on campus for her bright red accessories and hundred-watt smile, while M. is a tomboyish Realist who insists she’ll always prefer her signet ring to any diamond. Despite their differences, they are drawn together, and after graduation they both move to New York with all the unfounded confidence of twenty-two. M. secures a job at the city’s most prestigious investment bank, and Belle turns her nostalgic aesthetic into one of the first lifestyle blogs, which quickly goes viral. Their future is spread before them, a glittering tableau of vintage cocktails, password-guarded parties, and high-octane ambition. But as they are pulled deeper into their new lives, and into the charming orbit of their Gatsby-esque new friend, Jeremy, style and substance—and dreams and reality—increasingly blur. In this fake plastic world, what do success and love and happiness even look like? Dazzling, whimsical, and full of yearning, Fake Plastic Love is the transporting story of bright young things tested by the unsentimental realities of post-graduate life. Tipping its hat to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kimberley Tait’s gorgeous, incisive debut is a portrait of millennial Manhattan—equal parts nostalgia and modernity—that explores the timeless question: You will be a grand total of what you spend your time doing, so what do you want to add up to?

Ruth is a woman who believes in and despairs of the curative power of love. Her daughter, Eleanor, who is addicted to drugs, has just had a baby, Lily. Ruth adjusts herself in ways large and small to give to Eleanor what she thinks she may need—nourishment, distance, affection—but all her gifts fall short. After someone dies of an overdoes in Eleanor's apartment, Ruth hands her daughter an envelope of cash and takes Lily home with her, and Lily, as she grows, proves a compensation for all of Ruth's past defeats and disappointment. Love without fear is a new feeling for her, almost unrecognizable. Will it last? Love and Missed is a whip-smart, incisive, and mordantly witty novel about love's gains and missteps. British writer Susie Boyt's seventh novel, and the first to be published in the United States, is a triumph.

I wanted to ask for a divorce. Instead of the fight I expected, she agreed—with a few stipulations, all of which revolved around our son leaving for college in the fall. Keeping those promises would be a challenge, no doubt. But all I had to do was uphold my end of the deal then walk away without a backward glance. Somewhere along the way, our charade became my reality. With each day that passes, I realize time is once again my enemy. I can’t lose her a second time. I’ll never walk away—she healed my soul. Saving Grace is now my only hope.

"Shereen Vedam delightfully combined Regency paranormal drama with lively characters and touches of humor. A treat to enjoy!"--NYT bestselling author Jo Beverly A tale as old as time . . . Lady Annabelle Marchant was a belle of the ball in London until she attempted to save a man's life with her psychic senses. She failed miserably, leaving him dead and her disgraced. All she wants now is a chance to comfort his widow by cleansing the woman's home of her husband's restless spirit. But the widow's son accuses her of coming to the wilds of Cheshire to snag him as a husband. Rufus Marlesbury, the beastly Earl of Terrance, is suspected of murdering his father. He has come home to clear his name by finding the real killer before the new year, or Rufus will be called in front of the House of Lords to answer for the crime. With an unruly manor ghost terrorizing the occupants, and corpses piling up in the village, Belle must find a way to uncover the man beneath the beast. Rufus, too, must learn to believe in the love of a woman who has no reason to trust him. Only by working together can they stop a killer before he strikes again . . . . Once upon a time, Shereen read fantasy and romance novels to entertain herself. Now she writes heartwarming tales braided with threads of magic and love and mystery elements woven in for good measure. She's a fan of resourceful women, intriguing men, and happily-ever-after endings. If her stories whisk you away to a different realm for a few hours, then Shereen will have achieved one of her life goals.

Features selections from the sketchbooks of forty artists, illustrators, and designers that capture their travels around the world in drawings and paintings.