The Curse Of Beauty

A riveting, scandle-filled biography of the most famous nude model in America, Audrey Munson (1891-1996) whose beauty brought her extraordinary success and great tragedy. Many readers will recognize Audrey Munson, even without knowing her name. She was America's first supermodel. Munson's beauty, though, was also her curse, exactly as a fortune teller predicted in her youth. Her looks won her entry to high society, but at a devastating cost. In 1919 she became a recluse, eventually being admitted to an asylum whre she remained until her death. This is her story.

The tumultuous and heartbreaking life of a world-famous model whose riveting story of beauty, fame, passion, murder, and madness in the Gilded Age captivated a nation. As America was stepping into the modern era, one great beauty became the artist’s model of choice. Her perfect form became the emblem of the Gilded Age and appears on the greatest monuments of New York and the nation. Supermodel, actress, icon—her beauty paved the way for a life of glamour, passion, and ultimately tragedy. She dated the millionaires of the fashionable Newport colony, became the first American movie star ever to appear naked in a film, but her promising film career collapsed, her doctor fell in love with her and killed his own wife, and on her fortieth birthday, her mother committed her to an insane asylum. She remained there until her death in 1996 at the age of 104 and is now buried in an unmarked grave. Her name is Audrey Munson. Many readers will recognize Audrey Munson, and have walked by her in the street, without even knowing her name. She stands atop New York’s Municipal Building. She sits as “Miss Manhattan” and “Miss Brooklyn” outside the Brooklyn Museum, is immortalized on the Manhattan Bridge, the Frick Mansion, the New York Public Library, and the Pulitzer Fountain outside the Plaza Hotel. In gold, bronze, and stone, she still graces bridges, skyscrapers, fountains, churches, monuments, and public buildings across the nation, from Jacksonville to San Francisco, from Atlanta to the Wisconsin state capitol. From James Bone, the former New York Bureau Chief of The Times of London, this brilliantly reported investigative biography reveals, for the first time, the riveting truth of the forgotten life of an iconic beauty.

Before the Muses spoke of Medusa, a woman inspired the myth. In a time of political turmoil and shifting power in Ancient Greece, Thais, daughter of the Tiryns chieftain, navigates a treacherous landscape filled with danger, betrayal, unexpected love, and shallow alliances. When King Oceanus arrives with his army, intent on seizing control of Tiryns, Thais finds herself torn between her father's desire for peace and the council's thirst for war. But even as the city faces a threat from without, the greatest danger may lie within, as long-held secrets and hidden agendas threaten to tear Tiryns apart. Desperate to end the conflict, Thais strikes a deal with the enemy, setting in motion a chain of events that will change the course of history and test the limits of her strength, both in love and courage. Perfect for fans of epic historical sagas, slow-burn romance, and mythic retellings, this standalone installment of the Ancient Legends series offers a compelling and imaginative take on the historical roots of Greek mythology's most enduring myths. With its richly detailed world-building and complex characters, The Curse of Beauty is a must-read for anyone who loves tales of love, loss, and redemption. Don't miss out on what readers are calling "incredible," "unstoppable," and "exceptional." Winner of the gold medal for the 2022 Readers' Favorite Awards in the Fiction-Mythology category, The Curse of Beauty is a masterful work of historical fiction that will leave you spellbound. Grab this gripping historical drama today, and go back to a time when men became legends and kings became gods.

Aurora has always enjoyed her simple life. She loves to explore the beautiful woods surrounding her quaint cottage. She even likes living with her bumbling yet well-meaning aunts. But when Aurora discovers a dark secret about her past, her whole world turns upside down. Will she be able to save herself from an imminent curse? This beautiful novel filled with whimsical illustrations tells Aurora’s story in the upcoming Disney film, Maleficent.

"No one does magical realism quite like McLemore, and this third novel, laced with slow-burning suspense, folklore, romance, and spun together with exquisite, luxuriant prose, proves it.,,, Sheer magic: fierce, bright, and blazing with possibility."— Booklist (starred) Love grows such strange things. Anna-Marie McLemore's debut novel The Weight of Feathers garnered fabulous reviews and was a finalist for the prestigious YALSA Morris Award, and her second novel, When the Moon was Ours, was longlisted for the 2016 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Now, in Wild Beauty, McLemore introduces a spellbinding setting and two characters who are drawn together by fate—and pulled apart by reality. For nearly a century, the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds of La Pradera, the lush estate gardens that enchant guests from around the world. They’ve also hidden a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. But then, after generations of vanishings, a strange boy appears in the gardens. The boy is a mystery to Estrella, the Nomeolvides girl who finds him, and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself; he knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, La Pradera leads them to secrets as dangerous as they are magical in this stunning exploration of love, loss, and family.

You think you know the story of Sleeping Beauty, but the real story is far more spellbinding… Gorse is the thirteenth and youngest in a family of fairies tied to the evil king’s land and made to do his bidding. When accident-prone Gorse falls ill just as the family is bid to bless the new princess, a fairytale starts to unfold. Sick as she is, Gorse races to the castle with the last piece of magic the family has left—a piece of the Thread of Life. But that is when accident, mayhem, and magic combine to drive Gorse’s story into the unthinkable, threatening the baby and the kingdom.

At midnight the spell ends......and the curse begins.She's a disfigured peasant girl with the odds stacked against her.He's the prince who broke her heart and has regretted it ever since.Together they'll face an evil threatening to destroy them and everyone they love...Cursed with a birthmark marring her face, Adelaide has been scorned her whole life. But when an invitation to the prince's ball arrives unexpectedly, she must choose...Does she dare risk ridicule from the prince who hurt her years ago, or will she give up the chance to face him once again?Rescue comes when a fairy godmother offers her a pair of magical glass slippers transforming her rags into an elegant gown and removing the mark covering her face. But the gift comes at a terrible price...Adelaide learns the magical slippers remove more than just her birthmark, they devour part of her soul - leaving her cursed in a far worse way. She'll have to confront the prince and learn to forgive In order to save herself and those she loves.If you like classic tales re-imagined in a fresh new way, you'll love Cursed Beauty. This clean fantasy fairy tale will keep you turning the pages to discover the next cursed twist.One Click to Start Reading Your Next Favorite Fairy Tale Retelling Now

Fans of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series and Lauren Kate's Fallen novels will devour The Beautiful and the Cursed, a wholly original interpretation of gargoyle lore. After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and her younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris. In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties for Ingrid, and, disturbingly, the house her twin brother, Grayson, was sent ahead to secure for the family isn't a house at all. It's an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures. And Grayson is missing. Yet no one seems worried about his whereabouts save for Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home. Ingrid is sure her twin isn't dead--she can feel it deep in her soul--but she knows he's in grave danger, and that it's up to her and Gabby to find him before all hope is lost. The path to Grayson will be twisted, leading Ingrid to discover dark secrets and otherworldly truths that, once uncovered, can never again be buried. Praise for the Dispossessed Trilogy: “A deliciously satisfying mix of historical fiction, mystery, and supernatural romance.”—The Bulletin “Morgan combines fantasy with gothic romance in this well-crafted standout.”—Booklist “Forbidden romance and hot kissing abound.”—Kirkus Reviews “Morgan keeps the plot moving with constant action…dark adventure and romance.”—School Library Journal “Morgan's fluid descriptions, inventive otherworldly elements, and characters with convincing motivations result in an immersive first installment.”—Publishers Weekly