After a detachment of photographic reconnaissance aviators is sent from Florida to the USS FDR, five cruise widows are left behind. With a lengthy separation ahead of them, the widows have no choice but to establish a bond as their husbands begin their mission. The five women, who already know a great deal of trust and faith is necessary to be a good navy wife, are at different stages in life, but new to this type of separation. Nan Levin is a mother of two with a talent for creating delicious meals and clothes from designer patterns. Pat Dunn is happy to have her mother help with her children. Mert Sorensen is an excellent cook and baker and mother of three who runs her house like a business. Lia Hayes has seen her share of tragedies, but is now a happily pregnant newlywed. Beth Williams, whose husband is the photographic interpreter for the detachment, is an exceptional bridge player. As the five women find companionship during the separation, none have any idea that a catastrophe aboard the ship will cause not all of their husbands to return home. Cruise Widows shares the compelling tale of five women who embark on an unforgettable journey of bonding, friendship, and heartache after their naval husbands head to sea.

A VINTAGE MURDER MYSTERY When private detective Nigel Strangeways books tickets for a holiday in the Greek islands with renowned sculptor Claire Massinger, he has no idea that the trip will end in tragedy. From the moment the boat sets sail it becomes clear that many of his fellow passengers - from a neurotic widow to the ship's lecturer - have guilty secrets to hide, but do any of them also have a motive for murder? It will take all of Nigel's insight and flair if he is to uncover the truth. A Nigel Strangeways murder mystery - the perfect introduction to the most charming and erudite detective in Golden Age crime fiction.

SINGLE? WIDOWED? DIVORCED? Having trouble coping with the Single Scene? Tired of the same old faces at singles events? Here’s a fresh look at how to break away from the humdrum and loneliness and meet that special person who is already out there looking to meet you! It’s a no-nonsense sharing of the experiences of over 15,000 “singles”, written to be fun, witty and very adaptable to your daily lifestyle. You’ll feel confident - and happy - about being Single Again! WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT AFTER YOU’VE FOUND “MR/MS WONDERFUL”? Read George B. Blake’s sequel book, “Married Again: Making the Right Decision The Next Time.” It will show you whether your new found love is really the right one for you. Quotes the experiences of over 3,200 singles who had been married two or more times. Also ideal for the engaged couples to discuss and solve any potential problems before the “I DO’s”. Even features a pre-nuptial agreement that cost $1,500 in legal fees to prepare. If you want to be sure your new mate is right for you, you must read “Married Again.”

From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World "A Tourist's Best Friend!" —Chicago Sun-Times "Indispensable" —The New York Times Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide: More than 100 cruise lines and 500 ships reviewed and ranked for value and quality Complete details on cruise lines, ships, and itineraries around the world Industry secrets for getting the lowest possible fare, plus extras like free vacation days Everything you need to know to make planning your cruise vacation fun and easy Helpful hints for getting the best cabin—without breaking your bank account

"I feel that a woman who has become a widow can have a life." THE INTERESTS OF EVERY READER, male or female, who has lost a dear one are explored when Zelin delves into universal themes of life, love, and death, and touches hearts of all ages. Through memories, letters and reflections, 78-year-old Zelin speaks of the dilemmas of healing and learning to live after her husband's death. Mourning and grief, loneliness, humor and healing ("Sometimes I think that in every tragedy there exists bizarre comedy.") are related with courage and honesty-and hope. She comes to understand widowhood as a woman's issue that warrants awareness and understanding in our culture. Zelin speaks for the forgotten women-widows of all ages.

Celia Carlton has been mentally and physically abused by her husband, Drew, since the death of their baby some 10 years ago. After a dinner party, Drew goes one step too far and rapes her. Celia starts to fight back and makes plans to escape from the marriage. Raising as much money as she can, and changing her appearance, she obtains false documentation showing her new identity as Chloe Armstrong. Armed with her new documentation and confidence, Celia books a world cruise, planning to leave the ship at a far off destination and begin a new life. Her plans in place, she drugs her husband then murders him. Once on board the ship, she becomes friendly with a kindly gentleman, Clive Gunnall, who falls for her and asks her to marry him. Seeing him as a way to consolidate her new identity, she agrees to marry him. However, she is drawn to the wickedly handsome Greek Captain, Andros Faldiki, and has an affair with him whilst planning her future with Clive. While Celia enjoys herself, living the life of a wealthy widow on board ship, Drew's body is discovered and a major murder hunt, led by DCI Charlie Meadows, is launched. All the evidence points to Celia as the murderer but, unable to locate Celia anywhere, the investigation loses momentum and, as other crimes are committed, the search is scaled down. After weeks at sea, undiscovered, Celia begins to believe she has gotten away with the murder. Follow Celia as she travels the world, enjoying the attentions of both Clive and the Captain and see if she finally pays the price for her crime.

Life rushes on for us all, our days filled with the mundane, the trivial, the routine. Until sometimes, for some of us, something big and horrible and unexpected happens - like a bereavement. The author of 'A Widow's Words' has just lost her husband of nearly thirty years. Partly as therapy, she spills out to us everything that has happened, and how it has made her feel. She is driven to describe and capture as much as possible of her late-husband's life and character, so as to somehow preserve him for posterity. She wants the world to know what a wonderful person he was, and what an amazingly close and special relationship they had. This book is an expression of grief. Others who find themselves bereaved will associate with it, and may find the comments and observations helpful. It if hasn't happened to you, it may make you think ahead, and prepare.

Twenty-four engrossing tales of human life, each with a twist in the tail. A collection of bite-sized novellas to enjoy in a busy life of commitments. Entertaining short fiction with an after-taste of surprise and disquiet. “During the hour of perusal, the soul of the reader is at the writer’s control” Edgar Allan Poe . A Bad Lot is a collection of twenty-four short stories. Twenty-four stories each in a different style, set in different times and in different places showing the frailty that humans are capable of. The Neapolitan thief can almost be forgiven, and the lone woman in the Manor house might have been more perceptive about her suitor. The Cambridge lawyer had no guts; lies have short legs in a Caribbean resort. A crush on a police inspector is a poor excuse for some behaviour, and buying a holiday home in the sunny Algarve may have its downfalls but, for her love of dogs, the woman from Norfolk will have to be rewarded in heaven. Whether giraffes have mythical powers is questionable, while being slave to a Nordic god could confuse any young man. Yes, the world around us is full of surprises. We have all come across the feelings these characters in A Bad Lot experience. Our senses record the world around us but, in our brains, it is our frail humanity that overlays the information with illusion – our vanity, jealousy, sexuality, insecurity, love, ambition and guilt warp our perception. This anthology of short stories takes us on an entertaining tour of our capacity for self-deception. Lyrical and clever, they tackle the challenges of our demons.

When literary biographer and memoirist Louise DeSalvo embarked upon a journey to learn why her father came home from World War II a changed man, she didn’t realize her quest would take ten years, and that it would yield more revelations about the man—and herself—and the effect of his military service upon their family than she’d ever imagined. During his last years, as he told her about his life, DeSalvo began to understand that her obsession with war novels and military history wasn’t merely academic but rooted in her desire to understand this complex father whom she both adored and reviled because of his mistreatment of her. Although she at first believes she wants to uncover his story, the story of a man who was no hero but who was nonetheless adversely affected by the his military service, she learns that what she really wants is to recover the man that he was before he went away. As DeSalvo and her father uncover his past piece-by-piece, bit-by-bit, she learns about the dreams of a working-class man who entered the military in the late 1930s during peacetime to better himself, a man who wanted to become a pilot. She learns about what it was like for him to participate in war games in the Pacific prior to the war, and its devastating toll. She learns about what it was like for her parents to fall in love, set up house, marry, and have children during this cataclysmic time. And as the pieces of her father’s life fall into place as works to piece together the puzzle of everything she’s learned about this time, she finds herself finally able to understand him. Chasing Ghosts is an original contribution to the understanding of working-class World War II veterans who did not conventionally distinguish themselves through “heroic” actions and whose lives were not until recently considered worthy of historical or cultural attention. It personalizes the history of those sailors who served in the Navy aboard aircraft carriers and on islands in the Pacific prior to, and during World War II and contributes to the current vital conversation about the often-unrecognized effects of war and its traumas upon those men and their families. It reveals the lifelong devastating consequences of military service on those men and women who fell in love, married, and set up house. And it reveals the complexity of what it is like to be the daughter of a father who has gone to war.