The microchips have taken control! Why have the microchips in Deacon’s neighborhood—chips in traffic signals, ATM machines, mobile phones, and cars---started to communicate with Deacon? Do they want to help him out, to get free ice cream, good grades, or the occasional day off from school? No, the Chip Network wants much more from Deacon and many other children in Silicon Valley whose parents work for high-tech companies.

The importance of the Outsider. Chip Rock has just aged out of the pathetic orphanage known as Boys Hall, in the comically doleful little town of No Palms on the SoCal coast. Low on luck and opportunity, Chip sets out to find a meaningful place in the world. It's no ordinary journey. Aimless and quick with bad choices, Chip wanders into a rich tapestry of characters: the grumps at the No Palms Women's Club; the nagging neighbor Rosita right across the street; the Old Town Dog, luckless fishermen, and the pretty new girl at the bank. Never shy, Chip meets an outcast butcher named Deacon O’Dell, seemingly the embodiment of all Chip's lousy luck, rolled into one person. Nonetheless, sparks set off an unlikely bond and an adventure of stunning hardships, but with a remote chance for rejuvenation. CHIP ROCK and the FAT OLD FART tells the story of the comic and poignant friendship between 23 year old Chip and 55 year old Deacon, and explores the glue which bind together imperfect families and flawed friendships. Author Michael Daswick is the winner of the two greatest literary awards from Columbia University. His inspiring work tackles epic themes of guilt, redemption, loss, struggle, friendship and fatherhood. Rich yet quirky, always mixing humor with drama, Michael writes at the crossroads of sophistication and the idiosyncratic. Fat Old Fart constantly mixes striking settings, and noble decisions that lead to unexpected results. It’s a coming-of-age saga about Chip -- and a coming-of-old-age awakening for Deacon, who strives to learn the true meaning of fatherhood. A spree of events teaches the orphan Chip how families are born not only by blood, but also through friendship, workplace, and neighborhoods. Families beget entire communities. From No Palms to Mexico, their adventure and struggle brings together a vastly different collection of people, building into a desperate and very emotional ending which none of them expect. Fat Old Fart grew out of several linked short stories, always portraying the Underdog, from which author Michael Daswick won both of Columbia's prestigious literary awards: The Bennett Cerf Memorial Prize for Fiction and The Cornell Woolrich Fellowship for Creative Writing. He lives in Scottsdale with his wife Kim and family. Fat Old Fart is the first in the Chip Rock Series. The sequel is CHIP ROCK and the CATALINA KID. Chip’s early years at Boys Hall are chronicled in the award-winning short story collection, HALLBOYS.

Up until 1980, less than 50 brave souls had managed the monumental open-ocean solo swim from the SoCal coast to Catalina Island. But that's exactly what Cal, a simple burger artist, sets out to do in Chip Rock and the Catalina Kid. In the clammy coastal town of No Palms, Chip Rock and his pals have aged out of the pathetic orphanage known as Boys Hall. 27 miles across the channel, Catalina Island sits in the haze. Catalina Kid tells the saga of Chip's lifelong friend, Cal, an industrious yet unsettled dreamer, looking for a meaningful role in his world. Following a seemingly random remark, Cal shocks the community when he embarks on a daring 27-mile open-water swim to Catalina Island. His daunting attempt will captivate the entire town, including: Haley, the tenacious heart-throb who entangles Cal's swirling emotions; and Sherwin, a 5 year-old pipsqueak and cheerleader. As Haley helps in her mysterious ways, and the waves pound the No Palms cliffs, Cal's harrowing attempt turns perilous, drawing the entire town into the physical and emotional trials of his punishing adventure. The suspense builds from the moment Cal dips his toe in the water. Catalina Kid reveals the unlikely hero in all of us, and how ordinary people react to extraordinary situations. Chip Rock and the Catalina Kid is the nail-biting sequel to Chip Rock and the Fat Old Fart. Michael Daswick's first book, Chip Rock and the Fat Old Fart, is a novel about revelations, underdogs, the fragile threads that hold families together, and fatherhood. This sequel, Chip Rock and The Catalina Kid, explores the strength of dreams and the unexpected pursuits of heroism.

e-artnow presents the Christmas Specials Series. We have selected the greatest Christmas novels, short stories and fairy tales for this joyful and charming holiday season, for all those who want to keep the spirit of Christmas alive with a heartwarming tale. Children of the Tenements is a collection of stories and tales about orphans and poor children living in the slums of New York City. It provides an interesting insight into city life at the turn of the century and shows how the spirit of Christmas can make an impact even on the most unfortunate ones.

An old flame brings a business tycoon a Texas-size surprise . . . Cecelia Morgan needs to take her business to the next level, and decorating the new luxury resort in Royal, Texas, is just the ticket. But at the meeting to pitch her designs, she comes face-to-face with Deacon Chase, her former flame from the wrong side of the tracks who grew up to be a billionaire hotelier. Turns out he’s the silent partner in this project. Their chemistry is off the charts. Too bad she’s spoken for. But when the blackmailer terrorizing the Texas Cattleman’s Club targets Cecelia, revealing a past secret that ruins her present engagement, she turns to Deacon for comfort—and before she knows it, she’s unexpectedly expecting . . .

Do you love stories with sexy, romantic heroes who have it all—wealth, status, and incredibly good looks? Harlequin® Desire brings you all this and more with these three new full-length titles in one collection! EXPECTING THE BILLIONAIRE'S BABY Texas Cattleman's Club: Blackmail by Andrea Laurence Thirteen years after their breakup, Deacon Chase and Cecelia Morgan meet again…and now he's her billionaire boss! But while Deacon unravels the secrets between them, Cecelia discovers she has a little surprise in store for him, as well… PRIDE AND PREGNANCY by Sarah M. Anderson Secretly wealthy FBI agent Tom Yellow Bird always puts the job first. But whisking sexy Caroline away to his luxury cabin is above and beyond. And when they end up in bed—and expecting!—it could compromise the most important case of his career… A BEAUTY FOR THE BILLIONAIRE Accidental Heirs by Elizabeth Bevarly Hogan has inherited a fortune! He's gone from mechanic to billionaire overnight and can afford to win back the socialite who once broke his heart. So he hires his ex's favorite chef, Chloe, to lure her in, but soon he's falling for the wrong woman… Look for Harlequin® Desire's April 2017 Box Set 2 of 2, filled with even more scandalous stories and powerful heroes!