Showing results by narrator "Amanda Ronconi" in All Categories

Alice and Daphne, both successful and accomplished working mothers, harbor the same secret: obsession with their weight overshadows concerns about their children, husbands, work - and everything else of importance in their lives. The two women meet at Waisted. Located in a remote Vermont mansion, the program promises fast, dramatic weight loss. Alice, Daphne, and five other women are desperate enough to leave behind their families for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The catch? They must agree to always be on camera; afterward, the world will see Waisted: The Documentary.

Emily Glass knows she’s neurotic. But she’s got it under control. Sort of. She dons compression socks when she flies (because, you know, deep vein thrombosis) and responds to people routinely overestimating her age with more Lifespin classes and less gluten. Thankfully, she also has David, the wonderful man she’ll soon call husband - assuming they can survive wedding week with her wildly dysfunctional family. Emily’s therapist mother, Marla, who’s been diagnosing her children since they were in diapers, sees their homecoming as the perfect opportunity for long-overdue family therapy sessions. Less enthused are Emily and her two siblings.

Macy Moore skedaddled from her hometown of Beauty, Georgia, to Florida in order to make her own way in the world. Successful and happy, she couldn't be more proud of her corporate executive job, her just-perfect boyfriend, and her beachside condo. But it all falls apart when she reads the first email of the day. She's demoted to the lowest rung on the corporate ladder...and dumped! She goes from being "someone" to a being "nobody", all on the eve of returning home to emcee her high school reunion.   

A must-read for anyone who cares why so many celebs are sporting "bumps", or whether they are really "just like us", this guide - nay, rulebook - lays down the law on what you need to know to play Hollywood in a simple and concise manner.

Sarah Martin had every intention of skipping her high school reunion. Once a popular girl and valedictorian, she's now pushing forty, divorced, and running a small bookstore in Nashville - not exactly an impressive life. But Sarah's best friend, Kristen, won't take no for an answer, and she won't let them return to Briley High without Roxanne, the missing third in their senior-high trio.

On a lake in northernmost Minnesota, you might find Naledi Lodge - only two cabins still standing, its pathways now trodden mostly by memories. And there you might meet Meg, or the ghost of the girl she was, growing up under her grandfather’s care in a world apart and a lifetime ago. Now an artist, Meg paints images "reflected across the mirrors of memory and water", much as the linked stories of Vacationland cast shimmering spells across distance and time.

Witty, snarky, and (deep down) sincere, Elizabeth Paulson offers advice and encouragement for 20- and 30-somethings on their quest to find love - or at least requited lust.

Can you stand the heat? It's just another night in the French Quarter's newest restaurant. And, of course, at Facile that means complete chaos - a distracted head chef, a private party full of family dysfunction, and a visit from a celebrity chef trying to poach the best in the kitchen. Served: Facile Restaurant Omnibus, Volume 1 offers a range of hot heroes.

The Facile Omnibus, Volume 2, offers an enchanting assortment of spicy, sassy heroines. In Steamed, hostess Abby gives a recently dumped customer the night of his life. Pastry artist Lydia takes no lip from the world's pickiest diner in Whipped, no matter how mouthwatering he may be. In Sizzled, food critic Lakshmi just wants to sate her hunger...for food and her delicious yet frazzled ex.

Delia Montgomery is on the worst date in the history of dates. The charming, funny version of Chip that she met online was an Internet mirage, dissolving to leave her with an overcoiffed raging douche canoe. Chip seems to be following some sort of handbook entitled How to Make Your Date Want to Stab You in the Face in Three Easy Steps. Between the backhanded compliments and "helpful" suggestions, Delia is seriously considering tunneling her way through the floor of Facile with a shrimp fork.

All Jason Parker wanted was to do was throw a nice anniversary dinner for his parents at Facile, just one nice dinner that his parents didn't end up planning, cooking, or funding. It's too bad that his family seems hell-bent on ruining it. Between his older brother stealing credit for the planning, his uncle stealing the silverware, and his sister' stealing everyone's joy, it's enough to send Jason running for the comfort of Facile's bourbon supply.

Kate Ravineux expected her romantic dinner at Facile to end in a proposal from her boyfriend, Scott. She did not expect to open that sacred little blue box to find a keychain. A keychain. Stinging from the realization that her boyfriend considers her a "fixer upper" worthy only of cohabitation he has to hide from his mama, Kate ditches Scott at the table and makes a run for the elevator.

Remy Billodeaux is the king of his kitchen, master of all he surveys. He is accustomed to praise and accolades, to female patrons lining up to be his "flavor of the evening". He is not accustomed to celebrity chefs, food critics, and wannabe chefs intruding on his kingdom. And Sabine Devereaux is just the cherry on the sundae of a bad night. She can't be intimidated. She can't be outsmarted or outcooked. And she's not falling for his usual flirty tricks.

Publicist EJ Lasher is not thrilled to hear that her ex-boyfriend, celebrity chef Morgan Jeffries, is visiting Facile, the latest restaurant she's promoting. She and Morgan did not leave things on a good note - well, technically, she left the note is his knife case, and he didn't notice it for weeks. And she doesn't look forward to facing Morgan's famous profanity-driven temper when he realizes she works for Facile.

Lee Broussard is just a nice guy doing a favor for a friend - delivering a gift to an anniversary dinner at Facile - and ends up seeing his girlfriend sucking chocolate mousse off some strange guy's finger. Shocked speechless and on the verge of dismantling the classy dining room with his bare hands, Lee is distracted by lovely seating hostess Abby DuLane, who yanks him into the nearest closet.

The final story in the Facile Restaurant series! Served, by Jacey Conrad and Gia Corona, gives you a look at each of the couples as they wrap up their steamy night's work.

Facile's manager, Xavier Blackwell, has reputation for being ruthless, smart, and savvy with the ladies. While the first two descriptors are correct, the third portion of his reputation is not exactly accurate. While the posh London accent and prowling persona have garnered him many a lady's attention, for Xavier, there's been only one woman - one woman who seeped into his soul and left her mark on his heart. And she chose tonight, one of the most hectic, disastrous nights in Facile's history, to visit his restaurant.

Facile's chief pastry chef, Lydia Conner, has watched the jerk at table seventeen run her fellow kitchen staffers ragged all night with his special requests and substitutions. But she knows she can sweeten his sour mood with one of her legendary desserts. No man alive can resist her special flourless chocolate cake...except for the jerk at table seventeen.

Tessa thought her day had hit rock bottom when she came home to find her best friend riding her boyfriend like a bronco in the skank rodeo. And then she arrived for her shift at Facile to find that she would be waiting tables in the same section as gorgeous, conceited Colt. Colt, who considered himself God's gift to the sighted. Colt, who honestly seemed to think that diners came to Facile for him and not the delicious food.