In his sequel to Calabrian Tales, the historical fiction about the paternal side of his family, Peter Chiarella comes forth with an account of his maternal relatives, the Zinzi family from southernmost Italy, in Out of Calabria (published by Trafford Publishing).

Reminiscent of Melania Mazzucco's VITA and Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, Out of Calabria spans the period from 1860 - 1920, set first in Calabria in the southernmost region of mainland Italy and later in New York City. Vitaliano Zinzi, Chiarella's great-grandfather, seized the role of patriarch and head of the family at age 10 when his father and two brothers were killed in the war. He worked hard to become a wealthy man, becoming known as "Baron Zinzi," and expected his children to marry into esteemed, prominent families.

Vitaliano sires two sons and two daughters. When his oldest, Caterina, falls in love with a peasant field hand, he is scandalized by their marriage and torrid relationship. Meanwhile, Concetta, Baron Zinzi's younger daughter, has fallen for a young man trapped in a loveless marriage with an older woman. Eventually the man leaves his wife for Concetta and the couple makes their home on the same shabby street as Caterina and her husband.

Follow these two couples as they travel to New York, where they are determined to rise above their peasant status. Will they find success on America's shores, or will the harsh realities of circumstance prove to be too much? Should the sisters have followed Vitaliano's advice and married rich men instead of following their hearts? What will become of them in New York? Find out in the pages of Out of Calabria, a compelling portrait of Southern Italy and the United States at the turn of the century. Discover more in the pages of this engaging new book.

Peter Chiarella was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduated from St. John's University in New York. Now retired from the corporate world, Chiarella resides in Napa, Calif., where he spends his time as a wine grape grower and vintner. He and his wife have four children and three grandchildren.

Debut Author and Geophysicist Embarks on Voyage to Discover Sunken Treasure and Independence

In his thrilling new novel Roof of Hell (published by Trafford Publishing), author Roger Alidade embarks on a life-threatening treasure hunt in the isolation of the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean as two individuals search for answers to their personal questions of life path and history.

When a small jade Buddha figurine snagged by a Dutch Harbor fishing trawler in the remote Aleutian Islands surfaces in public, its existence sets off a treasure hunt for Imperial Japanese wealth looted after WWII, but a ticking time bomb, the mighty volcano Mt Shishaldin rumbles and spews gray ash high into the sky, threatening all who dare enter her shadow.

In the middle of this race appears Eric, a successful corporate geophysicist and salvage expert for a multinational conglomerate who has just walked away from the perfect corporate life when the burning desire to get back in the field and escape the ever-entombing office overcame him. Fortunately, he has agreed to help a mysterious Japanese-American lawyer from NYC named Naomi, who is also at a life crossroads, on her quest to recover her heritage - a heritage that can only be found in a lost submarine linked to the jade figurine.

As Eric struggles to make sense of the few available bits of information about the location of the Japanese sub, he chides himself for running away from the good life, especially because this adventure may end up killing him. However, he soon becomes resolved to enter the fight when the highest tech salvage ship in existence, the Mediterranean, a ship often commissioned by his old company, shows up in the harbor. With the help of the aging captain of the creaking Arctic Sun and his illusionary side kick, Frankie, Eric and Naomi head into the treacherous dark waters and hidden shoals around the smoldering Mt. Shishaldin. Of course, their uncertainty about who they really are becomes magnified by the disappointing results as they search in vain.

Low on fuel, daring to get even closer to the deadly volcano, can the crew of the Arctic Sun find this mysterious treasure? Or will it continue to elude explorers for years to come? Will Eric and Naomi survive if their heavily armed rival ship, the Mediterranean, captures them? And will they escape the arctic waters before the volcano blows and unleashes a tsunami of epic proportions? Find out in the startling conclusion of Alidade's masterful thriller Roof of Hell, a book that surpasses the archeology and action of Indiana Jones and Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventures combined.

Alidade had worked for more than 30 years as a geophysicist in energy exploration, covering virtually every continent, sea and ocean around the world. In his free time, he enjoys photography, studying ancient civilizations, and combining the two into his travels. Roof of Hell is Alidade's first official fiction publication.

Trafford Publishing is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors. For more information, please visit http://www.trafford.com.

Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol' tops the eBook & audiobook charts a seventh month

OverDrive (www.overdrive.com), the leading global distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, and other digital content to libraries, today announced the 'Most Downloaded Books from the Library' for March 2010. For complete lists, visit www.overdrive.com/mostdownloaded. Nicholas Sparks' "The Last Song" and Stieg Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" moved up on both the adult fiction audiobook and eBook charts, while Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol" remained the most downloaded adult fiction title for the seventh consecutive month. Digital books by Sue Grafton, Rick Riordan, and Malcolm Gladwell were also among the most downloaded books from the library in March.

The 'Most Downloaded Books from the Library' lists are organized by subject and format, and compiled based on activity at more than 10,000 libraries in the OverDrive global network. Complete lists for audiobooks and eBooks in adult fiction, adult nonfiction, juvenile fiction, and juvenile nonfiction are available at www.overdrive.com/mostdownloaded.

'Most Downloaded Books from the Library' lists are developed based on a formula that includes books checked out and on a waiting list at OverDrive-powered libraries.

In the vein of Touching the Void and Between a Rock and a Hard Place, NOT WITHOUT HOPE (William Morrow; One Day Laydown March 2, 2010; Hardcover; $25.99; 246 pages; ISBN: 978-0-06-199399-2) by Nick Schuyler and Jere Longman is the true story of the headline-making tragedy that took the lives of three men (two of them promising NFL players) - a tale of survival and determination, friendship and loss, love and hope against unfathomable odds - told from the remarkable young man who alone survived.

What began as a relaxing fishing party became a harrowing tale of death and survival against almost impossible odds. On Saturday February 28, 2009, 24-year-old personal trainer, Nick Schuyler and three football friends - Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, 26, Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith, 29, and Will Bleakley, 25, a teammate from the University of South Florida - sailed away from Tampa Bay for a day of fun in the Gulf of Mexico.

But 35 miles off the coast of Florida, their 21-foot boat flipped, hurling the four athletes into the rough water. For more than 12 hours, the foursome gripped the boat as the temperature dropped to 60 degrees and the waves climbed to more than 10 feet. Donning the life jackets Bleakley bravely retrieved from inside the overturned craft, the friends passed the time swapping stories of loved ones and memories from the gridiron. Yet to Schuyler's horror, he watched as one by one, Marquis then Corey, and finally his best friend Will succumbed to hypothermia brought on by the choppy seas and cold temperatures. As the hours lengthened, Schuyler held two of the men in his arms as they passed, powerless to save them, and watched in horror another (delirious from the cruel effects of hypothermia) tear off his life jacket, and dive beneath the icy surface never to be seen again.

Left alone - cold, despondent, in pain, and exhausted - Schuyler remained at sea for more than forty hours (holding on to the sharp propeller, hoping against hope and clinging to the thought that he couldn't bear to have his mother attend his funeral) before the Coast Guard miraculously rescued him. NOT WITHOUT HOPE is much more than a story of survival. It is an inspiring story of friendship, resolve, and courage.

Nick Schuyler's ordeal made national headlines and the book's publication will coincide with the anniversary of the tragedy. Since the tragedy, Schuyler has formed the Nick Schuyler Foundation, which supports a number of charitable causes, including the U.S. Coast Guard, which helped save his life.

Nick Schuyler lives in Tampa, Florida, where he is still a personal trainer.

Jere Longman is a sportswriter for the New York Times, whose previous books include the New York Times bestseller Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and Crew Who Fought Back; The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How It Changed the World; If Football's a Religion, Why Don't We Have a Prayer?: Philadelphia, Its Faithful, and the Eternal Quest for Sports Salvation; and The Hurricanes: One High School Team's Homecoming after Katrina.

SOURCE William Morrow/HarperCollinsPublishers

If you are trying to get "back to basics," the first place to start is in the kitchen. Helping to remind readers of home and a more simple time, "Mamas House Oh' So Good Home Cooking" (published by AuthorHouse) has recipes to thrill the family cook who wants the kitchen to feel like home.

Author Brenda Kay (Gee) Fink has compiled some of her favorite recipes to show the reader "good old fashioned, simple and easy everyday dishes you can have on the table fast with perfection." These recipes have stood the test of time -- and most importantly the taste buds -- of her children and husband of 45 years.

With staples like "Good Old Flour Biscuits" and "My Mama's Missouri Cornbread," Kay brings the reader home to "Mamas House Oh' So Good Home Cooking." Then she adds her own twist on the recipes. She grew up with the home cooking to make any cook want to become "an old fashioned cook."

For the working mom who still wants her children to enjoy a home-cooked meal or the single cook who is tired of the "microwave" lifestyle... "Mamas House Oh' So Good Home Cooking" is full of recipes that have fed generations and a perfect addition to any novice or experienced cook's collection.

Brenda Kay (Gee) Fink was born in the small town of Sanger, Calif., and has lived there her entire life. She is the mother of two daughters and was married to a wonderful man for 45 years. She is the grandmother of seven.

She lives on a farm outside of Sanger with all her cattle and horses. She is currently working on her second cookbook.  SOURCE AuthorHouse

Historian Details Centuries of History on His Search for the Meaning of the Holy Grail in New Book

In his new nonfiction, "Finding the Holy Grail" debut author Sean Mac Aodhagain covers countless centuries of history surrounding the legend of the infamous Holy Grail and its major influences on the people of today's world.

Open to the first page and embark on a voyage on your own quest of discovery. Glimpse the mythical lives of some of the most renowned individuals who have helped weave the fabric of our cultural collective and ideas about heroes, salvation and even faith. To feel the symbolic, cultural and religious power of this divine relic and quickly become intoxicated with its historical relevance, one needs only read Mac Aodhagain's introduction, where he states:

        Throughout all the quests, the searching, surmising, and guessing
        that has gone on since Jesus at the last supper surrounded by the
        apostles took the chalice ... in his hands and said, 'This is my
        blood, the blood of the new covenant, which will be shed for all men
        so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.' The same cup
        that caught the stream of blood and water that ran from the side of
        Jesus on the cross and from then on became just a shadow, an icon of
        the death of Christ and the saving of the world. It was carried in
        safe keeping to all corners of the world to proclaim and to imitate
        the last supper so that the entire world would know and revere its
        power of salvation until the end of time.

Here's your opportunity to realize how the myths, the magic, and the strength of previous generations, evolving from the Romans to Medieval church to major motion pictures, have undoubtedly shaped all modern people, in "Finding the Holy Grail," a journey of the mind, spirit and of self-discovery. The unending search for the cup of cups continues even today, and as such, Mac Aodhagain's book will continue to awaken the minds of modern knights for centuries more.

The author writes under the name of Sean Mac Aodhagain, the Irish translation of his name, which means "John Son of Fire," the fire in this case being his writing. In addition to "Finding the Holy Grail," his first book, Mac Aodhagain has eight books of poetry ready for publication, covering topics including Celtic poetry, life experiences, wit, humor, love and even lost love. He also has been working on a collection of short stories that he plans on publishing in the near future. Aodhagain has been crafting his poetry and prose since he was only 9 years old, and after 40 years of studying the Irish and European history of the Celtic people (eight years of which was an in-depth study of Celtic Irish history), he is finally able to share his knowledge with the world in his amazing book, "Finding the Holy Grail."

SOURCE AuthorHouse

Dorothy Gilman, celebrated author of the Mrs. Pollifax series of spy novels, has been chosen as this year's Grand Master by Mystery Writers of America (MWA). MWA's Grand Master Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as significant output of consistently high-quality material. Gilman, a New Jersey native, has written and contributed to over 30 books that feature uncommon and unique characters. Her writing has continually kept readers coming back for 60 years.

"What a lovely surprise!" Gilman said. "The list of past Grand Masters is like a Who's Who of the great mystery writers of the last century. To be chosen for this award by my professional peers has to be the greatest honor of my 60 years as an author. Thank you, Mystery Writers of America! And thank you, too, for your important work on behalf of our profession."

"During her long writing career, Dorothy Gilman has helped to shape the mystery genre," Frankie Y. Bailey, Executive Vice President of MWA, said. "MWA is delighted to have this opportunity to honor Ms. Gilman for her work, including the 'unexpected Mrs. Pollifax,' a widow past her youth, whose curiosity, humor, and humanity make her a protagonist that readers of all ages have enjoyed accompanying on her exotic adventures."

Two extraordinary members of the mystery community with a collective respect for the genre will also be honored by MWA with the Raven Award at this year's Edgar Banquet. Zev Buffman, distinguished Broadway Producer, and the Mystery Lovers Bookshop, one of the largest specialty mystery bookstores in the U.S., will each be presented with Raven Awards. Established in 1953, the award is bestowed by MWA's Board of Directors for outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing.

Mr. Buffman's experiences incorporate a vast variety of entertainment ranging from Hollywood acting experiences to producing more than 40 Broadway shows and 100 national tours. He has served as President and CEO for many "first class" performing arts centers, including the Jackie Gleason Center in Miami Beach, the Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale, and the historic Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. Zev Buffman's vision and drive make him the ideal candidate for the Raven Award.

Zev Buffman said, "I have just learned something that exceeded my wildest expectations! Mystery Writers of America have selected me as one of two recipients of the 2010 Raven Award. I will accept the award with the kind of reverence and appreciation that only comes to a person after years, nay - decades of reaching for the moon and the stars. Thanks for getting me up there..."

Mystery Lovers Bookshop (MLB) of Oakmont, Pennsylvania is receiving the Raven Award in recognition of the constant support and dedication they have shown to the mystery community. MLB in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, opened its doors on Halloween 1990. In the 19 years following, it has grown to be one of the largest and most recognized mystery bookstores in the country. The store was founded by Mary Alice Gorman, formerly director of a victim services agency, and her husband Richard Goldman, a former software executive.

Mystery Lovers Bookshop is perhaps best known for its annual Festival of Mystery, an event held each spring which regularly attracts over 400 mystery readers to a one-evening extravaganza involving fifty or more authors. Monday, May 3, 2010 will be the date for the fifteenth Festival.

"Wow, that's terrific" was the initial reaction of co-owner Richard Goldman to the news about the Raven. Said his partner, Mary Alice Gorman, "We're honored at this recognition but the credit for our success really goes to our staff, our customers and, most importantly, to the authors who make our Festival such a success."

Previous Raven winners include Kate's Mystery Books in Cambridge, MA, The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and The Poe House in Baltimore, MD.

The 2010 Ellery Queen award is being awarded to Barbara Peters and Robert Rosenwald of Poisoned Pen Press (PPP). The Ellery Queen award is given to editors or publishers who have distinguished themselves by their generous and wide-ranging support of the genre. Barbara Peters and Robert Rosenwald founded Poisoned Pen Press in 1996. Its original mission was to publish reference and out of print books but it quickly shifted gears to original work and today averages 36 new novels a year with a backlist fully in print. The press' authors have earned numerous award nominations and wins and a basket of starred reviews.

Barbara said, "Robert and I are surprised and delighted to receive the 2010 Ellery Queen Award. What wonderful company we are in. I remember introducing my dear friend Susanne Kirk, formerly with Scribner, the night the Ellery Queen award was given to her and thinking how awed I was, and am, with her achievements. And Rob and I will be thinking of Sara Ann Freed, another booster of our fledgling press and recipient of the award. Nothing could be more meaningful to us professionally and personally. MWA has been key to our pursuing publishing with Poisoned Pen Press since the very first book we published was nominated for an Edgar for Best Critical/Biographical Work. It energized and inspired us to stick with an otherwise insane adventure."

Over the years, James Lee Burke, Sue Grafton, Bill Pronzini, Stephen King, Marcia Muller, Dick Francis, Mary Higgins Clark, Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, P.D. James, Ellery Queen, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Graham Greene, and Agatha Christie have been honored as MWA Grand Masters.

The Edgar Awards, or "Edgars," as they are commonly known, are named after MWA's patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. The Edgar Awards Banquet will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Thursday, April 29, 2010.

Celebrating their 65th anniversary in 2010, MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses almost 3,000 members in three categories of membership that include authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well publishers, editors, and literary agents. For more information on Mystery Writers of America, please visit the website: www.mysterywriters.org

SOURCE Mystery Writers of America

Taste of Home, the #1 cooking magazine in the country, introduces The Comfort Food Diet Cookbook, featuring America's favorite comfort recipes with only a fraction of the fat and calories.

The Comfort Food Diet Cookbook, on shelves December 31, 2009, is a sensible approach to eating, cooking, and living that helps readers shed pounds without feeling deprived. Enjoy pizza, lasagna, mac-n-cheese, pulled pork and even cheesecake while loosing weight. The perfect diet for those who love hearty, satisfying foods, the cookbook is packed with low-calorie versions of the mouthwatering staples that families enjoy most. Each recipe has been tested by a registered dietician to ensure the nutritional value fits into a healthy lifestyle. The new Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook features tips for a balanced diet, portion-size chart, six-week meal plan, 80 "free foods" and worksheets to plan meals ahead. To motivate and inspire a healthier lifestyle, real success stories of individuals who have dropped weight with the Comfort Food Diet are included. With 433 recipes of the foods most craved, the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook is the diet that doesn't feel like a diet.

"There is an overwhelming number of diets that are extremes of what people should be eating," says Peggy Woodward, a Taste of Home Food Editor and Registered Dietitian. "These diets are unsuccessful because of all the restrictions that leave dieters feeling deprived. The Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook offers an alternative to extreme diets and incorporates lighter versions of favorite foods for long-term success."

To ensure weight loss success, The Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook has tips on exercise, portion control, ordering healthy when dining out, and a removable clip-and-keep calorie guide for the person the go. Also included is access to exclusive web content at www.ComfortFoodDietCookbook.com, the online community featuring additional recipes, success stories, and helpful tools. As a special bonus, a dietitian is available online to provide support, answer questions, and offer suggestions. The Comfort Food Diet Cookbook takes the guesswork out of losing weight and helps you keep it off.

"Taste of Home has always provided easy-to-make, budget-friendly recipes that use everyday ingredients," said Catherine Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief of Taste of Home. "The Comfort Food Diet Cookbook is another way that Taste of Home is meeting the needs of today's families, by offering healthy meals that are as satisfying as they are good for you."

The Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook focuses on what people can eat, not what they have to give up. Each recipe is reviewed by a registered dietician and tested by the Taste of Home Test Kitchen to ensure it is healthy, affordable and successful each time it's prepared. Taste of Home reflects the caring and sharing that home cooks across America serve up every day. This new cookbook is a guide to healthy eating that teaches simple changes for weight loss success and maintaining your goal weight.  

SOURCE Taste of Home

 Harlequin Enterprises Limited a global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction, and SOFTBANK Creative Corporation one of Japan's leading publishers/producers of digital content, announced today the digital distribution of Harlequin comics for Kindle, the eBook reader distributed by Amazon.com.

Harlequin manga are comic adaptations of Harlequin's romance novels and are currently digitally distributed by Harlequin and SoftBank Creative within and outside of Japan. The digital comics, just released for Amazon's Kindle, are English versions of Harlequin's Japanese manga, which have been digitally distributed in that country since 2007. An ideal blend of "East meets West," the manga are acclaimed for their perfect marriage of Japanese-style comics and Harlequin's world-renowned romances.

Harlequin's digital comics have been optimized for viewing on Kindle DX. Amazon.com's Kindle DX has a 9.7" screen capable of displaying PDF files. Six Harlequin digital manga are currently available on Kindle at an introductory price of $3.99 USD per title. Subsequent comics will sell for $4.99 USD each in the United States.

Harlequin also announced today the mobile digital distribution of Harlequin comics to subscribers of two major North American mobile service providers, AT&T and Verizon, in conjunction with For-side.com Co., Ltd. The digital comics are available on pay-per-download basis at E-Books & Comics, a mobile digital book distribution site developed and operated by For-side.com for North American mobile service providers.

Harlequin is currently a leader in selling digital versions of its text-based books in the U.S. and Japan. The company -- which releases more than 110 titles per month -- was the first major publisher to make its complete frontlist catalog available in the eBook format. Harlequin has pursued a goal of meeting the needs of its current audience and reaching a new and diverse base of readers. It is Harlequin's ambition to offer stories to readers in all formats, for consumption at all times.

SOURCE Harlequin Enterprises Limited

In her Caribbean fairytale of untouched beauty and effervescent wildlife, "Islands Enchanted" Kathy Badenock brings to life the stories of a family of islands, sharing their unique temperaments and the dynamics that develop between each family member and the humans occupying their bodies of land.

Revolving around five main islands who live on the Enchanted Sea, Yuru, Hairo, Noan, May and Uni, "Islands Enchanted" shares their eclectic personalities and adventures. Yuru is the eldest sister island and looked upon as the most beautiful of all the islands in the family. Full of pride over her beauty, Yuru began to ignore the advice and thoughts of others and became a victim of her own vanity when she was punished with a cold. After sneezing, coughing and hurling hot rocks and lava, she finally learned her lesson and began to feel better.

The other siblings include Hairo, or "Land of the Clouds," who plays hide-and-seek among the clouds with her sister Yuru, and May, who loves to play and is reluctant to grow up. Uni is the quietest of all the siblings, she likes humans and enjoys looking at them and providing for them. In turn, her humans return her attentions with care and festivals. Sometimes, the humans are not as loving and turn to fighting and hurting each other. Uni, a truly objective judge of events, makes peace between them in interesting ways. Despite the small troubles, she still loves the sound of the drums when the humans dance to bring rain or celebrate a wedding, cherishing most of all humanity's ability to stand together unified.

The world in the Enchanted Sea will be forever changed when the Europeans approach their shores for the first time. How will the island family react to their presence? Can they survive through the changes that these visitors will bring?

Based on the rich history and cultural background of the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines of the Caribbean, "Islands Enchanted" offers readers a fresh perspective on the stories held within the heart of a land. The intimate relationships between the sibling islands and the dynamic connections between the landscape and its inhabitants prove that the old adage "no man is an island" still holds true.

Escape to beautiful, sunny isles and discover their mysteries within the pages of "Islands Enchanted."

Kathy Badenock grew up on Union Island of Grenadine and completed most of her studies on the mainland. She earned her bachelor's degree in physical education and sports and currently lives and works on St. Vincent as a physical education teacher. This is her first book.

SOURCE AuthorHouse