In My Mailbox #9

Happy Sunday everyone! Here’s a quick rundown of the books I found this week In My Mailbox.

The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

Summary: Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine—a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can’t make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that’s why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla’s Cucinotta, she’s determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother’s legacy. But Holly’s four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla’s chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter’s heart. Juliet, Holly’s childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can’t find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla’s essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed—andtested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

Melissa Senate’s website can be found here.

Freefall by Mindi Scott

Summary: How do you come back from the point of no return? Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend, Isaac, alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time when Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn’t wake up. Convinced that his own actions led to his friend’s death, Seth is torn between turning his life around . . . or losing himself completely. Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and so different from everything and everyone he’s ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own, and Seth soon realizes he isn’t the only one who needs saving . . .

Mindi Scott’s website can be found here and her blog here.

Courage Companion by Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons

Summary: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anais Nin Looking for the confidence to face life’s challenges? Feeling the need for new inspiration and adventure? Do you know what it takes to be really brave? Courage comes by taking action before we are forced to do so. And in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face…we must do that which we think we cannot.” Courage, also known as bravery, will, and fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Physical courage is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, and threat of death, while moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, or discouragement. Authors Mary Beth Sammons and Nina Lesowitz have gone to the front lines of adversity and fear to surface the brave hearts who took action before they were forced to, confronting and overcoming their fears in ways that inspire us all. From world-class athletes to spiritual teachers, to cancer patients, to ordinary people who took extraordinary action to transform their lives, these courage warriors will show you how to turn apprehension into action. Enriched with motivational quotes, expert advice, and power practices, this courage guidebook will show you how to live your life with guts and gusto.

Find more details here.

Creative, Inc. by Joy Deangdeelert Cho and Meg Mateo Ilasco

Summary: As the hipster classic Craft, Inc. did for crafters, this book will teach all types of creatives illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, animators, and more how to build a successful business doing what they love. Freelancing pros Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho explain everything from creating a standout portfolio to navigating the legal issues of starting a business. Accessible, spunky, and packed with practical advice, Creative, Inc. is an essential for anyone ready to strike out on their own.

{Thanks, as always, to The Story Siren for inspiring this IMM post}