When Gabby and her friend Roy decide to put on a play about "Queen Gabriella" for their neighbor, the two make use of letters from Gabby's magic book to create words that form a stage and props for their performance.

When the dead whisper, chaos follows. Gabby thought she had faced it all: raising a baby, working through grad school, and dealing with cadaver exhibits. But when a silent cadaver unexpectedly stirs, her world doesn’t just shift – it shatters. Once quiet ghosts scream into the night. Buried secrets claw to the surface. And a dark and ancient force sets its sights on Gabby and those she loves. With her family in danger and her sanity hanging by a thread, Gabby isn’t just fighting for survival but for the essence of her very being. Can she uncover the truth behind the supernatural forces besieging her, or will the darkness consume everything she’s fought to protect? The Sweet Skull is the second book in Manuel Ruiz’s The Sugar Skull series.

What happens after "happily ever after"? Alice Hirsh is about to find out... Alice, a former New Yorker who thought she'd never feel at home in the bizarre world of the San Fernando Valley, was adapting, raising her 5-year-old daughter while trying to keep her job and make her new house a home. When her attorney husband lands a trophy client – box-office queen Rose Maris – things begin to look up. Then Alex starts working late – a lot. He crunches his paunch into a six-pack and trades his Gap ensembles for Armani everything. Soon, Rose and Alex's affair blazes in the tabloids and Alice is plunged into trash-gossip hell. Her life crumbles around her as she navigates her newly single self through suburban LA --a place rife with porn stars, psycho soccer moms and nutty neighbors. Is there a chance to wrest Alex from the Sexiest Woman Alive? And if so... would Alice want him back? And what about George--her college sweatheart? Or Johnny, a walking charm-bomb paparazzo? As Alice inventories the rubble of her life, she desperately searches for her bearings and is forced to ask herself what she really wants from life, love and herself.

Stagestruck Blanche would like to be a part of a theatrical bear troupe's new play, but, her shyness causes problems until she discovers a special talent of her very own.

This is book 1 of The Mansion {Madres Mansion}. The cold breeze on my face, clinging tightly to my bare arms. My arms wrapped around my torso in an attempt to keep me warm. Tears stream down my face as memories of Harry's cruel betrayal flood my mind. Of all days, he chose my birthday to hurt me. My red pumps created a gentle click sound with every contact it made with the tarred road. Creating the only sound the night breeze brings to my ears. Asides from my sobs and the distant barks of the neighborhood dogs. My third sense is suddenly activated as I sense I'm being followed. I smell danger. Walking alone on such desolate streets doesn't seem like the best idea I could have come up with. I wasn't thinking straight when I made that choice. I should have called my driver to come to get me! This creepy feeling becomes more intense and I decide to do the one thing I know I'm good at; run! I throw my purse and phone away as I begin to run in the frenzy I feel something hot on my trail, when I look back, all I see is dark fog. The more reason to run faster. The road was fairly lit by moonlight, my heart in my mouth, and prayers of help and mercy escaping my lips. Finally, I hear music playing from loudspeakers. I'm close to civilization! I keep running frantically… Tales of missing children are considered a fallacy till teenage Sonia goes missing... Follow Sonia on her desperate quest to break free... And bring the truth to light.

An endearing story about a little girl who doesnÍt think she can. ñUp there! The tree can be our ship!î one of LouÍs friends exclaims when they decide to play pirates. ñUmmm ƒî responds Lou. Usually she loves adventures. But this is new. Lou has never climbed a tree before. And she knows she canÍt do it. She doesnÍt even want to try. But this adventure does look fun, and when all her excuses run out, Lou realizes the bravest adventurers are those who TRY. An inspiring lesson for anyone whoÍs ever avoided something hard.