The Daisy Chain

How did this country allow $250 billion to be stolen, squandered and finally sucked down the drain in a scandal that Newsweek has called "the biggest financial mess in U.S. history"? The definitive -- and uproariously entertaining -- answer lies in this prize-winning account of how the cleanest little savings & loan in Texas became the government's black hole -- once Big Bad Don Dixon rode into town.

Set in an incredibly exciting period of history, a pacy debut, brimming with adventure and romance.England, 1771: Recently orphaned Daisy Salter moves from quiet Suffolk society to the hustle and bustle of London. A talented botanical illustrator and amateur scientist, frustrated Daisy finds herself governess to the daughter of her sister and brutish noble brother-in-law.However, a chance encounter with pre-eminent scientist Joseph Banks changes everything and, when the extent of her talent is revealed, Daisy not only becomes Artist in Residence at the magnificent Kew Gardens, but confidante of Queen Charlotte, King George III's wife.But whilst science and plant hunting expeditions are flourishing, at sea the &‘triangular trade' is in full swing and Daisy is unwittingly inveigled into espionage, tea smuggling and the slave trade. Who is friend and who is foe? Can Daisy work out who to trust before disaster strikes?

The abrupt disappearance of young Daisy Chance from a small Texas town in 1973 spins three lives out of control—Jed, whose guilt over not protecting his friend Daisy strangles him; Emory Chance, who blames her own choices for her daughter’s demise; and Ouisie Pepper, who is plagued by headaches while pierced by the shattered pieces of a family in crisis. In this first book in the Defiance, Texas Trilogy, fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper has a sickening secret: He’s convinced it’s his fault his best friend Daisy went missing. Jed’s pain sends him on a quest for answers to mysteries woven through the fabric of his own life and the lives of the families of Defiance, Texas. When he finally confronts the terrible truths he’s been denying all his life, Jed must choose between rebellion and love, anger and freedom. Daisy Chain is an achingly beautiful southern coming-of-age story crafted by a bright new literary talent. It offers a haunting yet hopeful backdrop for human depravity and beauty, for terrible secrets and God’s surprising redemption.

'A wholly delightful novel' Allan Massie, Scotsman Lily Crawford and Jeanie Taylor, from very different backgrounds, are firm friends from their childhoods in Kirkcudbright. They share their ambitions for their futures, Lily to be an artist, Jeanie to be a dancer. The two women's eventful lives are intertwined. In the years before the First World War, the girls lose touch when Jeanie runs away from home and joins a dance company, while Lily attends The Mack, Glasgow's famous school of art designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. A chance meeting reunites them and together they discover a Glasgow at the height of its wealth and power as the Second City of the Empire - and a city of poverty and overcrowding. Separated once again after the war, Lily and Jeanie find themselves on opposite sides of the world. Lily follows her husband to Shanghai while Jeanie's dance career brings her international fame. But the glamour and dissolution of 1920s Shanghai finally lead Lily into peril. Her only hope of survival lies with her old friend Jeanie, as the two women turn to desperate measures to free Lily from danger. Inspired by the eventful and colourful lives of the pioneering women artists The Glasgow Girls, particularly that of Eleanor Allen Moore, Daisy Chain is a story of independence, women's art, resilience and female friendship, set against the turbulent background of the early years of the 20th century.

Jim is a retired captain with the Ventura County Sheriffs Department in California after nearly 31 years of service. During that time, Jim spent 6 years in detectives, investigating all matter of crime from burglaries to murder. Jim is the author of three other published books, one optioned screen play and an anthology of short stories which is soon to be published. He makes his home in Northern California and Idaho. Braden Mckinley was born in 1942 in Western Pennsylvania and schooled locally. In 1962 he married his high school sweetheart, Nancy. He joined the Ventura County Sheriffs Department in 1965, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant before accepting an appointment as Chief Investigator with the District Attorneys Office. He retired in 1993. He has produced or performed in a hundred stage plays and a television series. He makes his home in California.

It is 1941. Britain is in the grip of the Second World War, and in Ireland, ten year old Lizzie Doyle is getting on with her life and trying to adjust to the arrival of her wild cousin Vicky from England. Vicky is trouble, she's a flirt, she's devious and she's headstrong. Can she and good natured Lizzie ever be real friends? Suggested level: intermediate, junior secondary.

“Delicious and delectable quilts . . . adorn the pages of this fabulous new book . . . it is just what everyone’s bookshelf has been waiting for” (Fabrications). Immerse yourself in the sumptuous world of Jelly Rolls with 17 exciting quilting projects. Learn how to turn the pre-cut, 2 ½-inch strips into fabulous quilts, each of which can be made from just one 40-fabric roll. Jelly Roll Quilts features unique advice on making the most of this fresh approach to fabric, as well as tips on adapting the quilts to your existing stashes. Step-by-step instructions and easy-to-follow diagrams ensure that untying your beautifully rolled fabric will be the first step to quilting heaven! Includes photos

53 women, each linked To The next in a chain of eclectic vignettes. Think, imagine, embrace and wonder not only about their lives . . . but your own.