Laura James

Parker Westwood is well on her way to qualifying for the US woman's gymnastics team. Determined to be on that podium in red white and blue with a gold medal around her neck. She could do it too but the Phoenix Basin pack has other plans for her. She survived what she thought was a dog attack only to be chained up in a kennel underground. There's someone else there too, though not in the cage. There's someone else inside her head. A second presence, another soul living inside her. One with fangs who's just as scared and angry as Parker is. Werewolves. She'd been attacked by werewolves and they turned her. Even if she manages to escape where could she run? She can't go to the police and cry wolf, she can't go back to the gym. Her dreams are over. Wolfing out in the middle of a double layout is grounds for disqualification, oh and death. Parker's living in a hell and try as she might there is no escaping. An unlikely group has come to spring her out and destroy her tormentors. Another Wolf pack. The Phoenix pack is out of control and needs to be taken out. But is it too late? Is there enough left of Parker's sanity that she can be saved? Or will she and her wolf be put down along with her abusers?

Parker Westwood is well on her way to qualifying for the US woman's gymnastics team. Determined to be on that podium in red white and blue with a gold medal around her neck. She could do it too but the Phoenix Basin pack has other plans for her. She survived what she thought was a dog attack only to be chained up in a kennel underground. There's someone else there too, though not in the cage. There's someone else inside her head. A second presence, another soul living inside her. One with fangs who's just as scared and angry as Parker is. Werewolves. She'd been attacked by werewolves and they turned her. Even if she manages to escape where could she run? She can't go to the police and cry wolf, she can't go back to the gym. Her dreams are over. Wolfing out in the middle of a double layout is grounds for disqualification, oh and death. Parker's living in a hell and try as she might there is no escaping. An unlikely group has come to spring her out and destroy her tormentors. Another Wolf pack. The Phoenix pack is out of control and needs to be taken out. But is it too late? Is there enough left of Parker's sanity that she can be saved? Or will she and her wolf be put down along with her abusers?

A girl longs for her mother’s attention. But Mummy is always busy helping everyone else and their children! Day by day, the narrator recalls what it was like growing up with her mother, who was a nanny, as well as a friend, baker, maker, teacher, cleaner and more. As the youngest in her family, the girl stayed home and helped amuse the children her mother looked after. She went along on trips to the Caribbean greengrocer in their Brooklyn neighborhood, where her mother would almost always forget to buy her favorite fruit. She eavesdropped on her mother’s conversations, waiting for her turn to talk, only to be shooed away. She even accompanied her mother on office-cleaning expeditions on Saturdays. Mummy seldom had a moment to spare. But looking back on a special surprise one Easter Sunday, the narrator realizes that her mother was always thinking about her own children, in spite of the demands of her domestic work and the central role she played in her community. Based on Laura James’ childhood in Brooklyn, and accompanied by her gorgeous, vibrant illustrations, this simple story is a moving reflection of race, class and labor in North America, including the Caribbean. Key Text Features dialogue illustrations Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

Bunty is the farmer’s dog at Withy Hook Farm, and the weather reporter for the Daily Bark, Puddle's best (and only!) newspaper for dogs. But when Farmer Val is INJURED, it’s up to Bunty to keep the farm running. Suddenly, Bunty’s life isn’t as right as rain – it’s a WHIRLWIND, as she rushes to collect eggs, check on lambs – and deal with a herd of HUGE cows! Can Bunty and her friends rise to the challenge ... or will it be a COW CALAMITY?This young fiction series by the author of Captain Pug is perfect for fans of The Secret Life of Pets and Toto the Ninja Cat.

Bob is the stationmaster’s dog at Puddle Train Station and a reporter for the Daily Bark, Puddle's best (and only) newspaper for dogs. It’s up to Bob to make sure the trains are on time every day. He has everything under control until the day he digs up the SCOOP of a lifetime in the park – a DINOSAUR skeleton! Suddenly Bob’s life isn’t running like clockwork, it’s running WILD, as he and the other News Hounds catch the scent of a dastardly dinosaur THIEF. Can Bob pull off a daring dinosaur rescue, or is he on the express train to DISASTER? This young fiction series by the author of Captain Pug is perfect for fans of The Secret Life of Pets and Toto the Ninja Cat.

The first book in a charming new chapter book series about enterprising young pups who start a neighborhood newspaper, for fans of The Secret Life of Pets. Gizmo is a city dog, so when he moves to the village of Puddle with his journalist human, he doesn't know WHAT to expect. Certainly not FLOWERS. Or BEES. And he couldn't have even imagined MUD. Luckily he's got Jilly, the wolfhound next door, to show him around. But Jilly has a problem. Her puppies are going to be adopted by new owners who live far away -- she'll never see them again Gizmo has got a nose for a story, and a great idea to help Jilly. What if the dogs of Puddle started a newspaper to get the word out and keep these pups closer to home? Stop the presses Perfect for fans of The Secret Life of Pets, this is the first book in a charming and humorous new chapter book series -- featuring full-color illustrations -- about the things dogs get up to when their humans aren't looking.

The first book in a charming new chapter book series about enterprising young pups who start a neighborhood newspaper, for fans of The Secret Life of Pets. Gizmo is a city dog, so when he moves to the village of Puddle with his journalist human, he doesn't know WHAT to expect. Certainly not FLOWERS. Or BEES. And he couldn't have even imagined MUD. Luckily he's got Jilly, the wolfhound next door, to show him around. But Jilly has a problem. Her puppies are going to be adopted by new owners who live far away -- she'll never see them again Gizmo has got a nose for a story, and a great idea to help Jilly. What if the dogs of Puddle started a newspaper to get the word out and keep these pups closer to home? Stop the presses Perfect for fans of The Secret Life of Pets, this is the first book in a charming and humorous new chapter book series -- featuring full-color illustrations -- about the things dogs get up to when their humans aren't looking.

Being able to connect with and hear from the spiritual world as a young child helped Laurie to endure an abusive childhood, but even this special connection cannot protect her from the pain of her husband leaving her for her stepmother. Left financially and emotionally devastated, Laurie joins the military in order to provide for her young son and begins an incredible journey though the challenges of being a single parent, several relationships and another marriage, a sexual addiction, and military career in a largely male-dominated field. Through it all, Laurie continues to receive messages from her Spirit Guide, which she sometimes embraces and other times turns away from at her own peril.In this second book of her memoirs that follow her life from age 20 to 40, Laurie shares the twists and turns of her complicated life and the spiritual journey that serves as the framework for her path. Told in a no-holds-barred fashion with humor, grace, and insight, her story is one that will help others to re-examine their own lives as part of a greater blueprint and an evolution of their soul.

Being able to connect with and hear from the spiritual world as a young child helped Laurie to endure an abusive childhood, but even this special connection cannot protect her from the pain of her husband leaving her for her stepmother. Left financially and emotionally devastated, Laurie joins the military in order to provide for her young son and begins an incredible journey though the challenges of being a single parent, several relationships and another marriage, a sexual addiction, and military career in a largely male-dominated field. Through it all, Laurie continues to receive messages from her Spirit Guide, which she sometimes embraces and other times turns away from at her own peril.In this second book of her memoirs that follow her life from age 20 to 40, Laurie shares the twists and turns of her complicated life and the spiritual journey that serves as the framework for her path. Told in a no-holds-barred fashion with humor, grace, and insight, her story is one that will help others to re-examine their own lives as part of a greater blueprint and an evolution of their soul.

Gizmo is a city dog, so when he moves to the village of Puddle with his journalist human he doesn’t know WHAT to expect. Certainly not FLOWERS. Or BEES. And he couldn't have even imagined MUD. Luckily he's got Jilly, the wolfhound next door, to show him around. But Jilly has a problem. Her puppies are going to be given to new owners far away. She’ll never see them again! Gizmo might not know the difference between a cow and a tractor but he's got a nose for a story, and a great idea to help Jilly. What if the dogs of Puddle had a newspaper? STOP PRESS!A charming and hilarious new illustrated young fiction series about the things dogs get up to when their humans aren't looking, from the author of The Adventures of Pug series. Perfect for fans of Toto the Ninja Cat and The Secret Life of Pets.

-Did we design our physical life with our Creator before we arrived?-Is the physical experience designed as a school of learning to evolve our souls? -Do we have help from the spiritual side as we make our journey? -Does free will interfere with the blueprint we designed? -How do other souls impact our journey?-Is the balance of being connected to both sides important? -Are we all Spiritual Warriors in a battle to align the Physical Self with the Spiritual Self? Through this memoir, Subtle Whispers: To an Innocent Child chronicles the childhood and adolescence of a girl born into a dysfunctional existence - divorce, abandonment, physical and psychological abuse, and despair. While young Laurie navigates a lonely and confusing physical journey, her soul learns to connect to the spiritual side, giving her hope and guidance for survival....

-Did we design our physical life with our Creator before we arrived?-Is the physical experience designed as a school of learning to evolve our souls? -Do we have help from the spiritual side as we make our journey? -Does free will interfere with the blueprint we designed? -How do other souls impact our journey?-Is the balance of being connected to both sides important? -Are we all Spiritual Warriors in a battle to align the Physical Self with the Spiritual Self? Through this memoir, Subtle Whispers: To an Innocent Child chronicles the childhood and adolescence of a girl born into a dysfunctional existence - divorce, abandonment, physical and psychological abuse, and despair. While young Laurie navigates a lonely and confusing physical journey, her soul learns to connect to the spiritual side, giving her hope and guidance for survival....

This hilarious, brightly illustrated chapter book starring Fabio the flamingo detective and his sidekick Gilbert the giraffe is perfect for fans of CatStronauts and The Bad Guys. In a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee lives the world's greatest flamingo detective. His name is Fabio. He's not tall or strong, but slight and pink. And he's very, very clever. Fabio and his giraffe associate Gilbert are taking a trip on the famed Ostrich Express--the fastest train in the world But just after the conductor calls, "All aboard ", a priceless ruby necklace disappears without a trace. Fabio can never stay away from a whodunit. Can he and Gilbert use their snooping skills to catch the thief before the case goes off the rails? Don't miss these other books from Laura James Fabio The World's Greatest Flamingo Detective: The Case of the Missing Hippo The Pug seriesCaptain PugCowboy PugSafari Pug

Justice is blind, they say, but perhaps not to beauty. In supposedly dispassionate courts of law, attractive women have long avoided punishment, based largely on their looks, for cold-blooded crimes. The Beauty Defense: Femmes Fatales on Trial gathers the true stories of some of the most infamous femmes fatales in criminal history, collected by attorney and true crime historian Laura James.With cases from 1850 to 1997, these 32 examples span more than a century, across cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status. But all were so beautiful, as James demonstrates, that they got away with murder.When Madeline Smith, a Glasgow socialite, tried to end a relationship with one man to date another, her jilted lover proved difficult to shake. She solved the problem, James writes, with arsenic-laced chocolates. And in Warrenton, Virginia, mild-mannered heiress Susan Cummings gunned down her polo-playing husband, Roberto, following a disagreement. While these two women lived in different centuries and on different continents, both of their lawyers argued that they were too beautiful to be killers. And in both cases, the juries bought it.In telling the stories of Madeline Smith and Susan Cummings—and 30 others—James proves the existence of the so-called Beauty Defense and shines a spotlight on how gender bias has actually benefited femmes fatales and affected legal systems across the world.

'Zany ... Even reluctant readers will have a blast' IRISH TIMESIn a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee lives Fabio, the world’s greatest flamingo detective. He’s not tall or strong, but slight and pink. And he’s very, very clever …Most of the time. But when an unusual lapse of judgement leads Fabio to accept a ride in his associate Gilbert’s plane, little does he know he’ll be nose-diving into a new mystery!When the tiny plane crash-lands near a remote village in the savannah, all Fabio wants is a pink lemonade to calm his nerves. But the town well has dried up, and the water didn’t just disappear on its own! Fabio’s on the case, and it’s going to take a daring sting operation to set things right.The third book in the hilarious and stylish illustrated mystery series from the author of Captain Pug.

This hilarious, brightly illustrated chapter book starring Fabio the flamingo detective and his sidekick Gilbert the giraffe is perfect for fans of CatStronauts and The Bad Guys. In a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee lives the world's greatest flamingo detective. His name is Fabio. He's not tall or strong, but slight and pink. And he's very, very clever. When Fabio and his giraffe associate Gilbert drop in to the Hotel Royale for a relaxing glass of lemonade (pink, naturally), Fabio is persuaded to judge the hotel's talent contest. But when the most promising contestant--Julia the jazz-singing hippopotamus--goes missing, Fabio must put his thinking cap back on and solve the mystery Don't miss these other books from Laura James The Pug series Captain Pug Cowboy Pug Safari Pug

'Zany ... Even reluctant readers will have a blast' IRISH TIMESIn a small town on the banks of Lake Laloozee lives the world’s greatest flamingo detective. His name is Fabio. He’s not tall or strong, but slight and pink. And he’s very, very clever.It's the height of summer and Fabio and his associate Gilbert are taking a relaxing holiday journey on the fastest train in the world! But no sooner does the conductor call ‘All aboard’ than a very expensive ruby necklace disappears and the great detective is back on the case!The second book in the hilarious illustrated mystery series by the author of Captain Pug.

Meet the dastardly, the black-hearted, the really rather peckish ... Pirate Pug! The fourth book in Laura James’s beloved FULL-COLOUR illustrated series about a roly-poly pug and his best friend, Lady Miranda. Perfect for fans of Claude and Squishy McFluffPug and Lady Miranda are off to the seaside! Pug is dreaming of naps under the beach umbrella, but when a little mishap means he has to wear an eyepatch, things quickly get a lot less snoozy! Soon Pirate Pug and his ragtag crew of friends find themselves on the trail of buried treasure. They have to reach the island where X marks the spot before the other pirates beat them to it. There’s just one problem – Pug is scared of water!Pirate Pug is the fourth book in Laura James’s joyful illustrated series about a roly-poly pug and his best friend, Lady Miranda. It is perfect for fans of Claude and Squishy McFluff.