The Dirty Nose Series

The Family Tree series began the summer of 2004 as an amusement for my grandchildren. An intended short story grew to book size, then to book two and finally book three.

The Family Tree series began the summer of 2004 as an amusement for my grandchildren. An intended short story grew to book size, then to book two and finally book three.

From the "queen of urban fiction" (Publishers Weekly), Vickie Stringer, come three scorching tales of love, lies, and loss. Dirty Red Mischievous and manipulative, eighteen-year-old Red is an expert at deception with a provocative femininity. She employs her dirty ways—even faking a pregnancy with her boyfriend—to win a closet full of Gucci bags, a deluxe condominium full of baby accessories, a new car, and a book deal. But when one of Red's scams backfires and she winds up truly pregnant by her inmate ex-boyfriend, Bacon, she finds herself in more trouble than she's ever known. The drama truly unravels when Red's picture-perfect cons fall apart due to the power of—surprisingly—love. Still Dirty In Still Dirty, Red is again caught in a web of murder, theft, and deceit. We find her and her boyfriend Q running for a plane to Mexico after a violent fight with her ex-boyfriend Bacon, a released convict. Bacon is on their heels and determined not to let Red get away alive. Will Q come to her rescue once again? Or will he tire of cleaning up after Red's dirty deeds? Dirtier Than Ever Bacon returns from prison and suddenly Q is left for dead. With Q out of the picture, Bacon now has Red to himself. His sights are set on being the top hustler with Red by his side. He believes Red has finally changed when she reveals the truth about her past. But all comes to a head when the snooping detective, Thomas, suspects Red’s involvement in Q’s getting shot and the murder of Zeke, Q’s best friend. With two murders, a tumultuous love affair, and money on her mind, Red must make a decision . . . does she turn over a new leaf or revisit her dirty ways of old?

This second book in the My Body Science series confronts the curiosity children have about the holes in their noses. For an entertaining, informative and hopefully helpful few minutes, read this book to a child. You'll both have fun! Full color.

Dirty Bertie - the boy with nose-pickingly disgusting habits - is back for another helping of comic chaos! More disgusting than ever with crazier plans and increasingly madcap schemes, Bertie continues to delight his legions of fans who revel in his revolting ways. Join Bertie in Rats! as he crosses paths with a cheeky rodent, takes part in a chaotic cross-country run and tries to get his dog Whiffer to eat healthily - with disastrous results!

Coconut Dreams explores the lives of the Pinto family through seventeen linked short stories. Starting with a ghost story set in Goa, India in the 1950s, the collection weaves through various timelines and perspectives to focus on two children, Aiden and Ally Pinto. These siblings tackle their adventures in a predominantly white suburb with innocence, intelligence and a timid foot in two distinct cultures. In these stories, Derek Mascarenhas takes a fresh look at the world of the new immigrant and the South Asian experience in Canada, as a daughter questions her father's love at an IKEA grand opening; an aunt remembers a safari-gone-wrong in Kenya; an uncle's unrequited love is confronted at a Goan Association picnic; a boy tests his faith amidst a school-yard brawl; and a childhood love letter is exchanged during the building of a backyard deck. Singularly and collectively, these stories will move the reader with their engaging narratives and authentic voices. "This charming collection of stories resides between a suburban childhood in Canada and inherited, often mythic, tales from Goa that belong to the elders. Characters decide on love with rings lost at sea and soothe babies with stories of elephants in mountains. The voices in these stories are from people who seem far away and yet are inside us. Prepare to be delighted." --Kim Echlin, author of Under the Visible Life "The stories in Derek Mascarenhas's Coconut Dreams remind one of the high stakes in a child's world, the way that danger looms just fractionally outside safety. Like all proper enchantments, these vignettes are dark, light, strange, and vivid such that they delight and charm in equal portions." --Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, author of All the Broken Things, Perfecting, and The Nettle Spinner. "In this evocative collection, Derek Mascarenhas takes up the fictional Pinto family and turns it gently in his hands, revealing new truths--and new questions--with every shift in point of view. A moving, multifaceted debut." --Alissa York, author of The Naturalist