Showing results by author "Vanessa Le" in All Categories

A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past. The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it's been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude.

The first in-depth look at Lance Armstrong's doping scandal, the phenomenal business success built on the back of fraud, and the greatest conspiracy in the history of sports. Lance Armstrong won a record-smashing seven Tours de France after staring down cancer, and in the process became an international symbol of resilience and courage. In a sport constantly dogged by blood-doping scandals, he seemed above the fray. Then, in January 2013, the legend imploded. He admitted doping during the Tours and, in an interview with Oprah, described his "mythic, perfect story" as "one big lie."

If you’ve ever felt ineffective, invisible, or inarticulate, chances are you weren’t actually any of those things. Those feelings may instead have been the result of a lack of awareness we all seem to have for how our words, actions, and even our mere presence affect other people. In You Have More Influence Than You Think, social psychologist Vanessa Bohns draws from her original research to illustrate why we fail to recognize the influence we have, and how that lack of awareness can lead us to miss opportunities or accidentally misuse our power.

Consent is the story of one precocious young girl’s stolen adolescence. Devastating in its honesty, Vanessa’s painstakingly memoir lays bare the cultural attitudes and circumstances that made it possible for a 13-year-old girl to become involved with a 50-year-old man who happened to be a notable writer. As she recalls the events of her childhood and her seduction by one of her country’s most notable writers, Vanessa reflects on the ways in which this disturbing relationship changed and affected her as she grew older.

Our favorite books keep us company, give us hope, and help us find meaning in a chaotic world. In this fresh and relatable work, atheist chaplain Vanessa Zoltan blends memoir and personal growth as she grapples with the notions of family legacy and identity through the lens of her favorite novel, Jane Eyre.

She’s my best friend’s sister. Off-limits. Before he died, I promised I’d never touch her. After years in the military, I’m back in Montana determined to clear his name. No one’s hero. Just a mountain man. A mercenary set on revenge. Now, I owe it to my friend to protect his sister. Except being near her shreds my resolve. She tempts me at every turn. Each day is a brutal torment, and my honor and willpower…are about to snap.

After a betrayal derailed her interior design career, Liz Bennet found a fresh start in New York. Now an executive assistant by day and stage kitten by night, she’s discovered a second home with the performers at Meryton, Manhattan’s top-tier burlesque venue. Love’s the last thing on her mind when she locks eyes with Will Darcy across the crowded club, yet the spark between them is undeniable - that is, until she overhears the uptight wealth manager call her merely “tolerable”.

In 2005, Vanessa Woods accepted a marriage proposal from a man she barely knew and agreed to join him on a research trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country reeling from a brutal decade-long war that had claimed the lives of millions. Settling in at a bonobo sanctuary in Congo's capital, Vanessa and her fiancee entered the world of a rare ape with whom we share 98.7 percent of our DNA.

Eat Your Spanish is an interactive Spanish learning podcast for kids and families!

Nicole Oruwari has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of Lagos, and a glamorous group of friends. She left gloomy London and a troubled family past behind for sunny Lagos, becoming part of the Nigerwives—a community of foreign women married to Nigerian men. But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her alleged perfect life start to show. As the investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, her auntie Claudine decides to take matters into her own hands.

I can pretend all day long because I’m Thatcher Manning, the guy who doesn’t do relationships. I’ll give a woman a wild romp. Hell, I’ll give her anything. Anything but my heart. I decided a long time ago I’d never get serious with a woman. The fact that I’m leaving town in a few months only cements that decision. But then Astrid has to get under my skin. She hands over the reins in bed - and out - and now I’m catching feelings. The kind you can’t fake.

When Vanessa Williams was growing up, she had a plan: She'd go to college and major in musical theater; afterward she'd get her MFA from the Yale School of Drama, and then she would embark on a successful career on Broadway. But her life took a detour and she wound up the first black Miss America in September 1983 (an accomplishment that she never planned for or desired), only to be forced to resign ten months later due to a nude photo scandal - much to the shock of her mother, Helen, who had told her, "never pose nude for anyone."

Philadelphia school teacher Kady Parks discovers she’s the heir - along with half-sisters she didn’t know existed - to the Steele fortune, including a real-life cattle ranch. Instead of spending her summer break at home, she’s in Barlow, Montana. And the West is as wild as she imagined, for two hot cowboys have decided to lay claim, taking her for one wild ride. And Kady? She’s ready to dig in her spurs and hang on tight.

When Abigail Carr returns to Bridgewater after long years away at Finishing School, Gabe and Tucker Landry will not be dissuaded from the only woman who’s held their attentions - and affections - for years. They’re done waiting. When Abigail claims she must return to Butte, and to her fiancé, Gabe and Tucker refuse to give up so easily. Since she doesn’t have a wedding band on her finger, nor love in her heart, they consider Abigail free for the taking. And seduce her they do....

In the U.S., many of the most significant social justice victories of our time have been spearheaded by women of color leaders. From the streets, to the ballot box, to elected office, no other demographic group stands up more consistently and unequivocally for human rights, democracy, and the planet. Remarkably, they’ve accomplished this despite conditions—in their fields and organizations—that make leadership uniquely treacherous for them. For women of color leaders, the game is rigged. How much more could humanity be winning if we unrigged it?

Vanessa Davis Griggs combines Terry McMillan sass and Jan Karon spirituality in the second part of her moving Blessed Trinity trilogy about a congregation striving to gain Heaven while struggling with earthly concerns. Pastor George Landris has a monumental mandate for his flock. He wants them to cast off their strongholds (i.e., their weaknesses), and this sets off a flurry of soul-searching and repentance with humorous and poignant results.

A killer caught, the mastermind still at large, and an exile growing into her power. Arrow's freedom from the Erith is finally in her grasp. But there is a rogue magician at large. Ruthless, determined, skilled in unclean magic, the powerful rogue threatens everyone and everything, including the life Arrow wants to live. With the true strength of her magical power unlocked, Arrow may be the only one who can stop him.

As an archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Syd Walker spends her days in Rhode Island trying to protect the land's indigenous past, even as she’s escaping her own. While Syd is dedicated to her job, she’s haunted by a night of violence she barely escaped in her Oklahoma hometown 15 years ago. Though she swore she’d never go back, the past comes calling. When a skull is found near the crime scene of her youth, just as her sister, Emma Lou, vanishes, Syd knows she must return home.

Emma James felt secure in her life. Money, social standing, and the protection of her stepbrother. Or so she thought. When she discovers his dark secrets, he turns on her and sells her to a western brothel to keep her quiet. There, she’s forced to work or participate in an auction...and she’s the prize. One look at Emma James, and Whitmore Kane and Ian Stewart know she would belong to them. Marriage was the only way to truly claim her...so they bid and bid well. But danger has tracked Ian around the world and threatens their newfound relationship.

Rose Lenox has always been more comfortable on the back of a horse than wearing ribbons and bows. For years, she’s been content working on the family ranch, but lately she’s wanted more. She’s determined to strike out on her own and find freedom from her unorthodox family. Chance Goodman has watched Rose grow up from a spitfire little girl into a fiery woman. He’s wanted her for years, waiting patiently until he could make her his.