American Smoke

Across America, the pure love and popularity of barbecue cookery have gone through the roof. Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and beyond, barbecue is one of the nation's most distinctive culinary arts. And people aren't just eating it; they're also reading books and articles and watching TV shows about it. But why is it, asks Adrian Miller - admitted 'cuehead and longtime certified barbecue judge - that in today's barbecue culture, African Americans don't get much love?

Solomon takes care of his people. All he expects in return is for everyone on his team to remain solid. Anyone who refuses to show loyalty no longer earns his favor, and family is not exempt. Kaori Randall embraces one concept: love and be loved. She is raised by parents and grandparents, who are examples of happy, healthy relationships. Kaori has high expectations when it comes to her own happiness, which makes the failure of her own love life a huge disappointment.

“A poignant, sexy and satisfying romance featuring likeable, complex characters whose intense emotional connection leaps off the page." —All About Romance on Feel the Fire Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels. Freewheeling smoke jumper Brandt...

"Blackstock's intense and twisty story will please fans of her faith-grounded crime dramas." --Publishers Weekly Terri Blackstock, the "queen of Christian suspense" (CBA Market) delivers a riveting story of the secrets and lies that are too close to home. One father was murdered. Another was...

Smoke Kings is a powerful and propulsive novel with a diverse and unforgettable cast of characters. Like Steph Cha's Your House Will Pay it explores decades of racial tensions through a fictional landscape where the line between justice and revenge is blurred.

Since the first English Christian fundamentalists arrived in the 1600s on the shores of what would become the United States, Christianity has become increasingly embedded in the nation's social and cultural fabric. The Founders purposefully intended that a high, strong "wall of separation" keep church and state apart in the new nation, while allowing individual religious freedom untrammeled by government—and vice versa. But Christians with theocratic dreams keep trying to breach the wall. Through their efforts, God is now in evidence everywhere in the country.

In a gritty and cautionary tale, a former drug dealer must deal with ghosts from his past when he's reunited with one of his best customers. Smoke used to supply Breanne with crack so she could block out an existence she couldn't escape from, and he was hungry enough to take anything she had to offer in exchange for his magic rocks. Fast-forward 16 years and Breanne is back to tell him he is the father of her 16 -year-old son.

After a few ups and downs, Alec "Smoke" Avery and Anne Phillips have found a rhythm they can both groove to, and they’ve made a love connection. But just when they think they can finally settle down, their past comes back to haunt them in ways they never imagined. Smoke's former flame is stalking him, and she's determined to have him all to herself. That's the last thing Smoke needs while he's trying to deal with Anne's emotional baggage and convince her that he's all the man she needs.

Evocatively chronicled, Erickson tells what it is like trying to stop the unstoppable. Bad Smoke, Good Smoke gives voice to the particular pains that ranchers must face in our era of climate change and ever more powerful natural disasters.

Between running an illegal gambling house and preparing for her husband to be released from prison, Lauryn learns a vicious lesson in family values and how dealing with family can be like dealing with a total stranger. It will only take a single bullet to divide her family, but even more bullets to bring it back together.

Udo and Nnamdi have a perfect relationship. They are respected and regarded as a Black power couple in the impenetrable London business scene. They are the poster couple for successful Black African immigrants and have been ranked in the top 10 of the most influential Black people in Britain for the fifth year in a row.

More like sisters than best friends, Issa Bui and Olivia Nong grew up dreaming of becoming movie stars. But for young Vietnamese women in 1930s Hollywood, the MGM back lot seems unreachable. Undeterred, Issa knows she’s meant for great things. The blood of shamans runs through her veins. To find fame in this town, for herself and for Olivia, Issa needs to make connections. For starters, with her dead grandmother Bà Ngoại.

"I'm an American in my thirties. I have been happily married many years to a wonderful, beautiful woman. We share almost everything together. The love and smell of a good cigar is not one of those things." Small quips and advice from a complete idiot. Enjoy!

Smoke & Mirrors is the third book from internationally bestselling poet Michael Faudet, author of Bitter Sweet Love and Dirty Pretty Things--both finalists in the 2016 and 2015 Goodreads Readers Choice Awards. Michael Faudet's latest book takes the listener on an emotionally charged journey...