Why “the Muslim question” is really about the West and its own anxieties—not IslamIn the post-9/11 West, there is no shortage of strident voices telling us that Islam is a threat to the security, values, way of life, and even existence of the United States and Europe. For better or worse, "the Muslim question" has become the great question of our time. It is a question bound up with others--about freedom of speech, terror, violence, human rights, women's dress, and...

Life On VIctoria Square #4: It's Tutu MuchBullies come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. Dana Milton finally opens her own dance studio on Victoria Square and one of her Broadway Babies (age 8) is a classic tyrant. Can she teach her students about respect for one another—and when it’s time to stand up for oneself, or is it all tutu much?The immensely popular Booktown Mystery series is what put Lorraine Bartlett’s pen name Lorna Barrett on the New York Times B...

Life On Victoria Square #3 - A companion series to the Victoria Square Mysteries by Lorraine BartlettKatie Bonner needs a pick-me-up one cold and gloomy fall day, and the US Mail delivers—literally. A mysterious package arrives at Artisans Alley with her name on it, but the return address is obscured and the treasure inside, a beautiful bone china teacup, is broken. Before Katie can open the accompanying card, she’s called away and one of the vendors mista...

Former Sheriff's Office detective Ray Davenport now owns the Wood U gift shop on Victoria Square, but it’s his talented younger daughters who steal the show with their displays and packaging designs. The girls believe they can earn money with their window-dressing skills for the other businesses on the Square, but the only merchant who hires them conspires to reap the rewards of their labor without paying a cent. Will they have to swallow their pride and ask Katie Bonner for help to get wh...

Return to Aurelia’s magical bookshop in the second book in the Midnights On the Square series, featuring a brand new cast of beloved characters from the pages of classic novels.“Andersen sweeps readers into a delicious conceit in the follow up to The Midnight Book Club ... continuing the series’ exploration of literature’s power to unite, reshape, and transform. Readers who love books about books—and find comfort in the idea that stories have lives beyond their...

Don Parsons and Nick Ferrell bought a ramshackle Victorian spinster and plan to transform her into a Painted Lady. Weddings and other parties are a part of their business plan. They’ll be hosting a small ceremony and reception for bride-to-be Lauren Washborne … except she doesn’t seem all that enthusiastic about her upcoming nuptials. Don wants to know why—but Nick is against the idea. Will Lauren have a chance to live happily ever after, or will her suitor be left at the altar?

Life On Victoria Square stories are companions to the Victoria Square Mysteries by Lorraine Bartlett.You know about Victoria Square thanks to the Victoria Square Mysteries. Artisans Alley takes center stage in those books, but the merchants--and their businesses--are just as intriguing. They all have stories to tell ... and that's what the Life on Victoria Square companion series is all about.So settle back and really get to know the merchants. Learn about their li...

Two’s company… If you asked Mollie whether she struggled as a single mum, she’d have to cover her daughter’s ears before answering. Surrounded by friends, watching Esme grow into the sassiest eleven-year-old in North London, and building her name as TV chef Mollie Makes, Mollie’s never been happier. Well, that’s what she’d tell you. But as her best friends pair off, and Esme starts getting into trouble at school, Mollie wonders whether life would be different – not better…but easier – with...

Two years after mourning the death of her husband, Marianna Spencer ventures alone to Wolf Creek, Wisconsin, in search of the perfect fabric for her latest original quilt design. Once there, she spots a For Sale sign in the front window of the quilt shop and makes a brash decision to buy the business.Back in Green Bay, Wisconsin with her new found excitement rising, the last person she expects to see on her doorstep is Rachel, her teen step-daughter, with a baby. Marianna has never...

When Clayton Sommers comes to town, will Megan Reynolds' desire to leave Wolf Creek waver?Megan Reynolds has spent years establishing her flower shop, Rainbow Gardens, as a vital part of Wolf Creek Square. But now she's restless. After secretly entering national floral-design contests, Megan has—at last—been chosen as a finalist. If she wins, she'll be on the road several months in the coming year. But that also means closing Rainbow Gardens. With her dream of leav...

Will helping a friend bring Millie Ferguson love, along with a new life on Wolf Creek Square?Still mourning the death of her husband and son, Millie Ferguson says yes to Richard Connor's request that she temporarily manage the bookstore on Wolf Creek Square. Richard, an old friend, asks for the favor because his daughter-in-law is struggling to run the book and toy shop through her high-risk pregnancy, but it has become obvious she can't keep up the pace.Gr...

Six years ago, a secret tore Georgia Winters' family apart—now she wants to reunite them, but that means letting the truth come out...Downsizing costs Georgia her job as a paralegal, but her beloved uncle invites her back to Wolf Creek to work in his one-man legal firm. Feeling ready to face the past, Georgia is optimistic about mending fences with her family, once she owns up to her part in the troubles.Georgia's plan doesn't include romance or running int...