You can not stand underneath the masterwork that is the Sistine Chapel without considering the genius and painstaking work that went into its creation. Michelangelo Buonarroti never wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel, though. Appointed by the temperamental Julius II, Michelangelo believed the suspiciously large-scale project to be a plot for failure conspired by his rivals and the "Warrior Pope." After all, Michelangelo was not a painter—he was a sculptor. The noble artist reluctantly took on the daunting task that would damage his neck, back, and eyes (if you have ever strained to admire the real thing, you know). Andrew Graham-Dixon tells the story behind the famous painted ceiling over which the great artist painfully toiled for four long years. Linking Michelangelo's personal life to his work on the Sistine Chapel, Graham-Dixon describes Michelangelo's unique depiction of the Book of Genesis, tackles ambiguities in the work, and details the painstaking work that went...

She can lose her birthright, but not her heart! Meredith Clark wants no part of her long-ago identity as Rosemary Randall. She's created a more exciting life as the courtesan, Calista, and her newest lover is both intriguing and rugged enough to capture her fancy. But the widowed Earl of Grayling craves more than this woman's dazzling intelligence and fiery passion. He wants her as his mistress, and if she won't agree to that, he'll settle for taking her home as his daughters' governess. Determined never to be tied down to one person or place, Meredith prepares to run again. Yet something deep inside her yearns to stay -- until she discovers Constantine’s real identity. Now she's faced with the hardest choice of her life. Should she trust the man she's coming to love with the secrets of her past, or flee to save them both from an even greater heartbreak? Hunting the Hero is the final sizzling regency romance novel in the Wild Randalls series -- available in print and digital editions.About the AuthorBestselling historical author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after, no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she weaves sizzling English set love stories that push the boundaries of regency era propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning. Brimming with new ideas, she frequently wishes she could type as fast as she conjures new storylines. While writing full time north of Sydney, Australia, Heather collects dust bunnies in all corners of the house and does her best to wrangle her testosterone-fuelled family into submission. You can catch Heather’s news at www.heather-boyd.com

    All's quiet at the 87th Precinct on Christmas Eve… until Steve Carella's fellow detectives appear with a kid who's stolen a sheep, a robber with a bagful of gold, two guys fighting over a sack of frankincense, and a young couple who give birth to a baby boy at midnight!     Warner Books, 1994. Hardcover, 40 pp.

Trevor Tower doesn't worry about being short until he is assigned dog-walking duty with Loyola Louden, the tallest person in his class. But the dogs are a wonderful distraction, and even before Trevor and Loyola vow to solve the mystery of a missing spotted dog, they are becoming good friends.

Paranormal Romance, Erotic Romance

When architectural restorationist Alaynia Mirabeau inherited her late aunt's home, Chenaie, she encountered difficulties. Shain St. Clair, a proper Southern gentleman who owns Chenaie in 1875, tries to assist her-though she believes his estate is hers. Basil the ghost has sent her back in time to prevent her from renovating Chenaie, but two angels-on holiday-insist that he send her back to her own time. Paranormal time-travel romance by Trana Mae Simmons; originally published by Five Star

Caleb Drake never got over his first love. Not when he got married. Not when she got married. When life suddenly comes full circle, Caleb must decide how how far he is willing to go to get the aloof and alluring Olivia Kaspen back. But for every action in life, there is a consequence, and soon, Caleb finds out that sometimes love can come at an unbearably high price.

Gabrielle Cody has accepted her destiny as God’s warrior, charged to destroy all evil, but she wasn’t prepared to see Detective Luther Cross ever again. He’s the beacon of reality in her life, the one thing that makes her feel human, like a real woman. But Gaby must resist involvement with Luther now, for she is protecting streetwalkers. Her life of retribution is far too dangerous, and this time, it’s not just their hearts that won’t come out unscathed.