Each year, the flowering of cherry blossoms marks the beginning of spring. But if it weren’t for the pioneering work of an English eccentric, Collingwood “Cherry” Ingram, Japan’s beloved cherry blossoms could have gone extinct. Ingram first fell in love with the sakura, or cherry tree, when he visited Japan on his honeymoon in 1907 and was so taken with the plant that he brought back hundreds of cuttings with him to England. Years later, upon learning that the Great White Cherry had virtually disappeared from Japan, he buried a living cutting from his own collection in a potato and repatriated it via the Trans-Siberian Express. In the years that followed, Ingram sent more than 100 varieties of cherry tree to new homes around the globe. As much a history of the cherry blossom in Japan as it is the story of one remarkable man, The Sakura Obsession follows the flower from its significance as a symbol of the imperial court, through the dark days of the Second World War, and up to the present-day worldwide fascination with this iconic blossom.

This book is a stunningly beautiful record of the nation's biggest springtime festival. As the 100th anniversary of the National Cherry Blossom Festival approaches in the Spring of 2012, millions of people from across the country will gather to revel in the beauty of the Cherry Blossoms. Capturing the true essence of spring, Blunt's striking photography will also allow those who are unable to travel to the festival the chance to experience the splendor of the blooming cherry blossoms through his photography.

A luscious celebration of baking for life, love and happiness. Flour and Stone is a petite bakery in inner-city Sydney with a large and devoted following for its panna cotta lamingtons, flaky croissants, chewy cookies, dreamy cakes and delectable pastries of every kind. Nadine Ingram and her dedicated team bake with finesse and love to bring pleasure to the city. In this book Nadine shares her signature recipes, all carefully explained and rigorously tested for the home kitchen. Family, in every sense, is at the heart of Flour and Stone — this recipe collection is given in the hope that you will nurture your own loved ones with the timeless, comforting art of baking. These are the treats you’ll want to eat for the rest of your life. 'Beautiful recipes written by a master baker with care, skill, and that intangible ‘something’ that makes me want to bake every single cake and pastry.' Belinda Jeffery

Yaeko Sugama Weldon's memories of a poor but happy childhood shattered by the destruction of war offer a window to a different culture and an eye-opening look at how civilians survive the fears and horrors of a war they never wanted. Cherry Blossoms in Twilight is a learning experience about the Japanese culture as well as a personal account of WWII in Japan, gently told for a younger audience but nonetheless unflinching in its message of the humanity of all - even the enemy's people.

Movie star Alistair Ingram strolled into Dolls & Doms private men's club in Las Vegas for his bachelor party and limped out with a torn shirt, red welts covering his chest and a broken engagement splashed all over the pages of every celebrity magazine in the country. A session with club Dominatrix, Black Betty, will do that to a man. With Alistair's manager breathing down his neck and Black Betty's abusive ex-husband alerted to where she's been hiding for the past ten years, there's only one thing to do: Lie. And get the hell out of Las Vegas. But the real ruse is on Alistair and Black Betty, because despite both of their best efforts, they've gotten under each other's skin. Can their explicit dance of domination and submission end in anything other than disaster? THE SUBMISSION OF ALISTAIR INGRAM is the first in a novella series from www.DollsandDoms.blogspot.com, where erotic tales from the Dolls & Doms private men's club are told in weekly episodes.