Silver Lake Secrets

HIGH-STAKES HOMECOMING Nicole Braun left Silver Lake under a cloud of suspicion--and someone isn't about to let her forget her troubled past now that she's returned home. The single mom has worked hard to overcome her reputation, but suddenly she's the target of an unknown enemy. Only local police chief Brett Eggert has the power to protect her and her young son. But nothing prepares the lawman for the discovery that Nicole's little boy is the nephew he never knew he had. With Nicole's secret revealed, Brett is more determined than ever to ensure her safety and find out what's behind her deadly homecoming.

The bucolic rural farming area of East Cape Girardeau on the Mississippi across from Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is disturbed by a renegade cop. A gambling man and a serial abuser, he is chased down by his own police department after a hot game of Texas Hold 'Em at the local casino goes bad. Join the chase as this corrupt cop runs into the Ozarks when his own son turns against him with the support of our three main female characters.

Secret Walks: A Walking Guide to the Hidden Trails of Los Angeles is a sequel to the popular Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles, and features another collection of exciting urban walks through parks, canyons, and neighborhoods unknown and unseen by most Angelinos. Each walk is rated for duration, distance, and difficulty, and is accompanied by a map. The walks, like those in Secret Stairs, are filled with fascinating factoids about historical landmarks—the original Bat Cave from Batman, the lake where Opie learned to fish on The Andy Griffith Show, or the storage barn for one of L.A.’s oldest wineries. The book also highlights the people who made the landmarks famous: the infamous water engineer William Mulholland; the convicted murderer and philanthropist Colonel Griffith J. Griffith; Charles Lummis, who walked from Cincinnati to Los Angeles to take a job on the L.A. Times; and tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney, who dug canals to drain the marshes south of Santa Monica and create his American “Venice.” Written in the entertainingly informed style that has made Secret Stairs a Los Angeles Times best-seller, Secret Walks is the perfect book for the walker eager to explore but tired of the crowds at Runyon Canyon or Temescal Park.

Dive into the enchanting world of "Animal Stories from a British Forest," a delightful collection of heartwarming tales that will captivate young readers and adults alike. Follow the charming creatures that inhabit the lush forest as they navigate friendship, courage, and the beauty of nature. With whimsical prose and captivating storytelling, this book is sure to spark imagination and leave a lasting impression. Join these lovable characters on their adventures through the British forest and discover the magic that surrounds us all.

Containing walks and detailed maps from throughout the city, Secret Stairs highlights the charms and quirks of a unique feature of the Los Angeles landscape, and chronicles the geographical, architectural, and historical aspects of the city’s staircases, as well as of the neighborhoods in which the steps are located. From strolling through the classic La Loma neighborhood in Pasadena to walking the Sunset Junction Loop in Silver Lake, to taking the Beachwood Canyon hike through “Hollywoodland” to enjoying the magnificent ocean views from the Castellammare district in Pacific Palisades, Secret Stairs takes you on a tour of the staircases all across the City of Angels. The circular walks, rated for duration and difficulty, deliver tales of historic homes and their fascinating inhabitants, bits of unusual local trivia, and stories of the neighborhoods surrounding the stairs. That’s where William Faulkner was living when he wrote the screenplay for To Have and Have Not; that house was designed by Neutra; over there is a Schindler; that’s where Woody Guthrie lived, where Anais Nin died, and where Thelma Todd was murdered . . . Despite the fact that one of these staircases starred in an Oscar-winning short film—Laurel and Hardy’s The Music Box, from 1932—these civic treasures have been virtually unknown to most of the city’s residents and visitors. Now, Secret Stairs puts these hidden stairways back on the map, while introducing urban hikers to exciting new “trails” all around the city of Los Angeles.

This intimate pocket-sized guide to the City of Roses features quirky eccentricities known only to locals, such as weather machine in Pioneer Courthouse Square, the International Rose Test Garden, and the only three-door elevator west of the Mississippi. Also included are details about a bookstore that occupies an entire city block, bus routes, and sites for science fiction aficionados.