Based in Washington D.C., Joni Pinter is in serious trouble. After being told by everyone that her boyfriend’s sister, Rumor Mason, is getting released from prison, she is nervous about the future of her long-term relationship with Egan Russ. No matter where she goes, everyone warns her about the trouble Rumor brings if she’s allowed to intrude on the lives of anyone she comes near. In the beginning Joni does her best to maintain a positive attitude, but after being bullied into letting Rumor live in her home by her man, Joni discovers that the stories are all true. Maintaining control of her relationship and her home become the least of her worries. In the end she is concerned for her life.

“Dark, seductive . . . Noirish and sexy, this provocative novel explores what it’s like to be a woman on the edge.” —Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire “[A] crispy biscotti of a novel . . . You’ll feel indecent reading it in public.” —Molly Young, Vulture A trip to Italy reignites a woman’s desires to disastrous effect in this dark ode to womanhood, death, and sex To cool-headed, fastidious Pricilla Messing, Italy will be an escape, a brief glimpse of freedom from a life that's starting to feel like one long decline. Rescued from the bedside of her difficult mother, forty-something Cilla finds herself called away to Rome to keep an eye on her wayward teenage niece, Hannah. But after years of caregiving, babysitting is the last thing Cilla wants to do. Instead she throws herself into Hannah's youthful, heedless world—drinking, dancing, smoking—relishing the heady atmosphere of the Italian summer. After years of feeling used up and overlooked, Cilla feels like she's coming back to life. But being so close to Hannah brings up complicated memories, making Cilla restless and increasingly reckless, and a dangerous flirtation with a teenage boy soon threatens to send her into a tailspin. With the sharp-edged insight of Ottessa Moshfegh and the taut seduction of Patricia Highsmith, The Worst Kind of Want is a dark exploration of the inherent dangers of being a woman. In her unsettling follow-up to Catalina, Liska Jacobs again delivers hypnotic literary noir about a woman whose unruly desires and troubled past push her to the brink of disaster.

As a young bride, Jennifer Smith couldn’t wait to build her life with the man she adored. She dreamed of closeness, of being fully known and loved by her husband. But the first years of marriage were nothing like she’d imagined. Instead, they were marked by disappointment and pain. Trapped by fear and insecurity, and feeling totally alone, Jennifer cried out to God: What am I doing wrong? Why is this happening to us? It was as if a veil had descended between her and her husband, and between her and God—one that kept her from experiencing the fullness of love. How did Jennifer and her husband survive the painful times? What did they do when they were tempted to call it quits? How did God miraculously step in during the darkest hour to rescue and redeem them, tearing down the veil once and for all? The Unveiled Wife is a real-life love story; one couple’s refreshingly raw, transparent journey touching the deep places in a marriage that only God can reach. If you are feeling disappointment or even despair about your marriage, the heart-cry of this book is: You are not alone. Discover through Jennifer’s story how God can bring you through it all to a place of transformation.

Based in Washington D.C., Joni Pinter is in serious trouble. After being told by everyone that her boyfriend's sister, Rumor Mason, is getting released from prison, she is nervous about the future of her long-term relationship with Egan Russ. No matter where she goes, everyone warns her about the trouble Rumor brings if she's allowed to intrude on the lives of anyone she comes near. In the beginning Joni does her best to maintain a positive attitude, but after being bullied into letting Rumor live in her home by her man, Joni discovers that the stories are all true. Maintaining control of her relationship and her home become the least of her worries. In the end she is concerned for her life.

SOS!! Think it would be fun to get stuck on a deserted island with the guy you sort of like? Well, try adding the girl who gets on your nerves big-time (and who's crushing on the same guy), the bossiest kid in school, your annoying little brother, and a bunch of other people. Oh, and have I mentioned that there's no way off this island, and no one knows where you are? Still sound great? Didn't think so. Now all I have to worry about is getting elected island leader while keeping my crush away from Little Miss Priss. Oh, and one other teeny-tiny little thing: surviving. Get me outta here!

One of the New York Post's Top 10 Career Books of 2012 and a Booklist Top 10 Business Book DO YOU WORK WITH A MEAN GIRL? A woman’s field guide to the new frontier of professional development—working with other women Women-to-women relationships in the workplace are . . . complicated. When they’re good, they’re great. But when they’re bad, they can ruin your day, your week—even your year. Packed with proven advice from two of today’s leading experts in workplace relationships, this one-of-a-kind guide gives women the tools they need to navigate difficult situations unique to women-to-women relationships—whether with a boss, a colleague, a client, or an employee. Have you dealt with a woman in the workplace who: “Accidentally” excludes you from important meetings? Seems intent on taking you down professionally? Gossips about you with other coworkers? Makes you look bad by missing deadlines? Forms a “pack” of mean girls to make your life miserable? Mean Girls at Work isn’t just about surviving difficult situations. It’s about transforming a toxic relationship into one that benefits and supports both of you. This book is also for women who engage in mean behavior . . . but don’t know it. After all, who hasn’t gossiped about a female coworker? Who hasn’t rolled her eyes in the presence of a woman she doesn’t like? Who hasn’t scanned another woman head to toe—which is just a nonverbal way of saying, “You’ve just been judged”? The authors provide invaluable advice to the more subtle ways of being mean—even if they’re not intended. With a workforce composed of a higher percentage of women than ever, workplace dynamics have changed. Crowley and Elster cover every conceivable scenario, providing critical advice on how to rise above the fray and move forward professionally. Mean Girls at Work is your map to dodging the mines and moving forward in today’s transformed workplace. Praise for Mean Girls at Work “An invaluable suit of armor for surviving nine to five!” —Leil Lowndes, bestselling author of How to Talk to Anyone “If you think the emotional cruelty of comedies like Mean Girls and Heathers doesn’t exist in the real world workplace, think again. In Mean Girls at Work, Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster valuably chronicle female vs. female predators and offer solid defensive strategies.” —Ann Kreamer, author of It’s Always Personal: Navigating Emotion in the New Workplace “Whether you are in your twenties and just starting your professional career, your midcareer forties, when you are supposed to have figured it out already, or a woman in her fifties or sixties who’s seen it all—this book is a must-read. . . . The authors have finally given women the tools and the sound advice necessary to deal with . . . conflicts that keep us all from succeeding. . . . Carry this book with you to work every day!” —Carolyn Cassin, President, Michigan Women’s Foundation “A must-read for women of all ages in today’s workforce. This book offers what we all need to develop the capacities to endure this ever-changing workplace. We know it is all about relationships and you need the skills outlined in this book to survive and thrive when the Mean Girls attack.” —Kim Harrington, Coordinator, Professional Development and Training, Office of Human Resources, California State University, Sacramento

London, 1836. Street-smart Maggie Burnett from the back alleys of Cheapside, is imprisoned in filthy, rat-infested Newgate Gaol. There she meets the gentle Sarah Hamilton, and the rough Scottish woman, Agnes MacDonald. Along with a hundred other women, they have been sentenced to transportation to start a new life on the other side of the world. Once on board the ship to Van Diemen’s Land, they realize that Newgate was comfortable compared with the perilous journey on the high seas with a crew of lustful sailors. In a land where men outnumber women seven to one, it will take all of their courage and wits just to survive. What choices do each of them make when faced with the dangers inside the Female Factory, and the loneliness, violence and fear of the unknown outside? Will the taint of the ‘convict stain’ follow them for the rest of their lives? Inspired by true events of the lives of convict women in early colonial Australia, this is a tale of resilience, rebellion and compromise. Lynne Hume’s deft weaving of well-researched historical facts with carefully crafted characters brings authenticity to this fictional tale. Readers will be swept along, wanting to know more, and pondering what they might do in the same situation.