New Release Books by Barbara Allan

When Vivian Borne - true-crime writer, antiques dealer and drama queen - and her co-author daughter Brandy travel to London in luxury to meet their new editor, they don't predict their vacation will end in murder . . . but, plunged into a complex mystery, they have no choice but to carry on.

That local theater diva of a certain age, Vivian Borne—a.k.a. Brandy’s Mother—is sheriff of Serenity County now, but still hot on the trail of precious antiques. On a tour of the historic Wentworth Mansion, the two dedicated dealers are aglow at the treasure trove of priceless objects . . . never dreaming everything will turn to ashes, hours later. A charred corpse in the ruins is identified as the mansion’s caretaker, a one-time flame of Vivian’s. But Tony Cassato—Brandy’s beau and Serenity’s Chief of Police—throws cold water on Sheriff Vivian’s suspicions of murder. Then Brandy spots a certain familiar item for sale on the Internet, and Mother suspects the fire is just a smoke screen. When their doggie detective, Sushi the shih tzu, sniffs out a second body in the woods, Mother and Brandy turn up the heat on a homicidal torcher. Because any killer who takes on the Borne girls is playing with fire. Don’t miss Brandy Borne’s tips on buying and selling antiques on the internet! Visit us at kensington.com

A mother-and-daughter sleuthing team are on the trail of the bad guys in this “diverting” cozy mystery (Publishers Weekly). As spring lassos small-town Serenity, Iowa, Brandy Borne’s crime-bustin’ mama, Vivian, hatches a harebrained scheme to run for county sheriff—ropin’ in her daughter as campaign manager. First stop: a local assisted-living home, the ideal place to round up some voters and some much-needed funds. But shortly after they snag a valuable donation, a signed photo of an old-timey cowboy actor, a massive explosion sends Brandy to the ER and the donor to the grave. Now the ditzy duo—aided by their clever shih tzu, Sushi—must lay down the law on a deadly renegade . . . Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mysteries “A hilarious team of snoops.”—Joan Hess “One of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine “The exploits of the ditzy heroines remain endlessly amusing.”—Kirkus Reviews “Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor.”—Library Journal Includes Brandy Borne’s tips on white elephant sales!

This book provides a ‘no-nonsense’ guide to project management which will enable library and information professionals to lead or take part in a wide range of projects from large-scale multi-organization complex projects through to relatively simple local ones. Barbara Allan has fully revised and updated her classic 2004 title, Project Management, to incorporate considerable developments during the past decade, including: the development and wide-scale acceptance of formal project management methodologies; the use of social media to communicate and disseminate information about projects and the large shift in the types of project library and information workers may be involved in. The text is supported by practical case studies drawn from a wide range of LIS organizations at local, regional, national and international levels. These examples provide an insight into good practice for the practitioner, from an individual working in a voluntary organization on an extremely limited budget, to someone involved in an international project. Content covered includes: an introduction to project management, project workers and the library and information professiondifferent approaches to project management, the project cycle, the people side of projects and management of changediscussion of project methodologies, project management software, open source software, collaborative working software and use of social mediaproject initiation, communication, analysis and project briefsdeveloping project infra-structure, scheduling, working out the finances and carrying out a detailed risk analysisworking in partnerships, in diverse and virtual teams, and managing change. If you are an LIS professional involved in project work of any kind, whether on a managerial, practical, academic or research level, this is an invaluable resource for you.

An auction house becomes a crime scene in this rollicking mystery starring an “amusingly ditzy duo” (Kirkus Reviews). With their reality TV series, Antiques Sleuths, Brandy Borne and her quaintly kooky mother, Vivian, have a real hit on their hands. But when the bidding turns deadly, Brandy finds herself ornately framed for murder. Aided only by Sushi, their loyal shih tzu, and police dog Rocky, the wacky mother-and-daughter sleuthing team races to determine how an empty antique frame can hold a deadly portrait, before they become the subjects of another masterpiece of murder. Includes Brandy Borne’s tips on investing in antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n’ Treasures Mysteries! “If you delight in the absurd and enjoy manic humor, you’ll treasure the Trash ‘n’ Treasure mysteries.” —Mystery Scene “The characters, both primary and secondary, shine with brassy humor.”—Publishers Weekly

Emerging Strategies for Supporting Student Learning provides a straightforward and accessible guide to the latest learning and teaching practices appropriate for use with higher education students. It is both an exciting and challenging time to be working in higher education as the sector experiences rapid changes including: an increasingly diverse student population with changing expectations; changes in technology including the rise in the use of social media; increased emphasis on employability and internationalisation; development of new social learning spaces; as well as an ever-decreasing resource base. As a result of these changes, new approaches to supporting student learning are developing rapidly. In the past five years, developments in both the theory and practice of learning and teaching have created a complex landscape which it is sometimes difficult to navigate. Emerging Strategies for Supporting Student Learning provides practical guidance and brings together theory and practice in an accessible style. The book covers a wide range of tools and techniques (relevant to face-to-face, blended learning and online practices) which will suit students in different contexts from large groups of 500+ to very small classes of research students. This practical book makes extensive use of case studies, examples, checklists and tables and contains: - An analysis of the current higher education landscape, the changes that are occurring and the diverse nature of students populations - An exploration of new theories of digital literacy including case studies demonstrating how library and information workers have applied these models in practice - A demonstration of the many different ways in which academic library and information services are working in support of student employability - A theoretical overview of different approaches to teaching and learning including Kolb’s learning cycle, Laurillard’s conversational framework for university teaching, Entwistle’s teaching for understanding at university, Land and Meyer’s threshold concepts, and the Higher Education Academy’s work on flexible pedagogies - Practical guidance on designing, developing and evaluating courses and other learning and teaching events in different situations in including face-to-face, flipped classroom, blended learning, and online learning - An exploration of approaches to personal and professionals development including 90+ approaches to workplace learning; accredited courses; short courses, conferences and workshops; networking through professional organisations; and developing online networks. Emerging Strategies for Supporting Student Learning will be essential reading for different groups working in colleges and universities including library and information workers, staff developers, educational technologists, educational development project workers, educational change agents and students of library and information science who are planning their careers in higher education institutions.

A special holiday short story in the series starring “a hilarious team of snoops” (Joan Hess). Hey Santa, get a clue . . . Baby, it’s cold outside at the small town of Serenity’s annual Holiday Stroll festivities. But that doesn’t stop Brandy Borne and her theatrical mother, Vivian, from making merry. That is, until the two find something frosty in Santa’s workshop—the jolly man in red, dead as a doornail. And the goodies inside his donation bag have vanished like cookies and milk on Christmas Eve. It’s up to Brandy and Mother—with spirited shih tzu Sushi in tow—to take the reins and start checking off their naughty list. But the sleuthing duo might have to reckon with some ghosts of Christmas past before finally unwrapping the murderer… “One of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Don’t miss Brandy Borne’s tips on antiques!

The author, Barbara Allan was born to working class parents and she is forever grateful and proud to her lovely Mum and Dad who taught her their values: honesty, truth and principles. Their maxim was, "Remember, there's always someone worse off than you."

The wife of a local tycoon is murdered, and there’s a wealth of suspects to choose from…“A madcap series with nonstop humor.”—RT Book Reviews It happened at Serenity's swap meet, right after Brandy Borne and her ever-more-eccentric mother, Vivian, finished shooting the pilot for their very own TV show, Antiques Sleuths. Brandy just, well, lost her balance and fell . . . into the helpful arms of an old flame, local tycoon Wesley Sinclair III. But did Brandy's innocent slip lead to the murder of Wesley's wife, Vanessa? Sure, Vanessa was furious that she caught Brandy in Wesley's embrace. And she did storm off threatening dire consequences for her humbled husband. So when Vanessa turns up very dead, the local tongue-wag is that Wesley may have permanently dethroned the queen of his castle. But Brandy—along with her notoriously nosy mother and their sleuthing shih tzu Sushi—is determined to dig for the whole truth. Each new clue points in a different direction. What about this suspicious Club of Eight, a super-secret high-society bridge group that supposedly has very liberal rules about “partners”? When a key witness joins the dead list, Brandy and Vivian know they've got to crack this case before the remorseless killer puts an end to their antiquing days—forever! “A likable heroine.”—Booklist “One of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Includes Brandy Borne's tips on swap meets!

It’s curtains at Christmas in a special short story:“If you delight in the absurd and enjoy manic humor, you’ll treasure the Trash ‘n’ Treasure mysteries.” —Mystery Scene During the dress rehearsal for a festive Christmas play in small-town Serenity, Iowa, star Madeline de Morlaye topples over—on stage!—after a bite of prop pastry. Since the frosty actress had earned plenty of enemies through her offstage dramatics, the cast of suspects is longer than Santa's "Naughty or Nice" list. Prop mistress Brandy Borne and her diva-turned-director mother, Vivian—assisted by their savvy shih tzu, Sushi—must solve this fruitcake fatality before it's curtains for anyone else. Includes A Tasty Recipe! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n' Treasures Mystery Series "Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor." —Library Journal "A humorous cozy that teems with quirky characters." —Booklist "Thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships." —Romantic Times Book Reviews "A hilarious team of snoops." —Joan Hess

A trip to a New York comic-book convention pits antiques dealers against a villain: “Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops.”—Joan Hess Small-town Iowa sleuths Brandy and Vivian Borne—with their trusty shih tzu, Sushi—head for a Big Apple comics convention to sell a rare 1940s Superman drawing. When an intruder breaks into their hotel suite, their madcap Manhattan misadventure is only beginning. Soon the out-of-towners stumble onto a murder victim impaled by a pen-shaped award. Villains abound—from cartoonists to crime bosses—creating a jumble of clues. But Brandy and Vivian will leave no comic-book page unturned in their race to trap a ruthless killer. “The exploits of the ditzy heroines remain endlessly amusing.”—Kirkus Reviews “Fans of the series will enjoy the banter between this pair of engaging characters.”—Booklist “Humorous… Tips about comics collecting add to the cozy fun.”—Publishers Weekly Don't miss Brandy Borne's tips on antiques!

Throughout the ages, histories and folk tales pop up to tell us about children, even infants, who grow up without the care and supervision of human adults. These lost ones, so it goes, must have been nurtured by wolves or other miraculous caregivers, and whether actual or fabricated, these stories with their possibilities of totally fantastical outcomes, intrigue us deeply. We wonder: Exactly how did such children survive? What conditions or circumstances might be required? What would they do if their humans found them? Could or would they eventually grow up to lead "normal" lives? WILDERNESS CHILD is an imagined story inspired by a true incident from the Bubonic Plague of 1350.

A special Christmas short story in “one of the funniest cozy series going” (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine). The Christmas rush is on as Brandy Borne and her quaintly quirky mother, Vivian, sniff out plum collectibles for resale, only to find the owner of a Santa's workshop worth of treasures has received some deadly tidings. It's beginning to look a lot like murder. . .but who wanted the deceased closed for the holidays—permanently? Maybe a rival antiques dealer, a Grinch who collects Christmas? Or the victim's suspiciously frosty stepchildren? Brandy and Vivian check their list of who's been naughty or nice, but it may take a Christmas miracle—and some help from Sushi, their elfin shih tzu—to tie a bow around the season's most wanted killer. Includes Brandy Borne’s tips on antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "A humorous cozy that teems with quirky characters." —Booklist "Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops." —Joan Hess "Thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships." —Romantic Times Book Reviews

Excerpt from A Series of Allegorical Designs, Representing the Human Heart From Its Natural to Its Regenerated State: With Explanatory Addresses, Meditations, Prayers, and Hymns, for the Instruction of Youth IN conformity to the act of Congress of the United States, entitled, An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and pro prietors Ofsuch oopies, during the time therein mentioned and also, to an act, entitled, An act supplementary to an act, en. Titled, an act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the Oopies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extend ing the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This book provides a straight forward and pragmatic guide to leadership, management and team working in contemporary library and information services. Contemporary managers and leaders in library and information services are working in a challenging context; dealing with multiple demands on their time, expertise and resources. This book translates theories in team work, management and leadership into practical guidance backed up with examples and case studies from current library and information workers globally. There is a focus on attitudes, values and practices that make for good leadership and management. The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership, Management and Team Working is a book that a new or aspiring manager or team leader will use to guide them through the first few years in their new role. It will also provide guidance and support to new or aspiring directors of library services and help them to navigate their way through decision making and problem solving at senior levels.

Barbara Allan's introduction to the prison system came after her husband murdered his own father. Before that, she had faced her husband's alcoholism, his violent episodes, and multiple attempts to protect herself and her two daughters. But it was her confrontation with the criminal-justice system that has stuck with her-for almost fifty years. Founder of Prison Families Anonymous, Barbara discovered early on that families of the incarcerated had to do their own time, struggling to navigate a system that ignored them and sometimes actively shunned them. This is her story

A mother-and-daughter team explore old furniture—and an old murder: “One of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Brandy Borne and her dramatically ditzy mother, Vivian, are stars of the new reality show Antiques Sleuths. The season opens in a perfect location—a quaint old house echoing with the unsolved whispers of a sixty-year-old axe murder. But when the show's producer meets a similarly grisly end, Brandy and Mother must chop around for clues, axe the right questions, and get the edge on a murderer's mysterious motives. Otherwise our sharp-witted sleuths may face cancellation—on the cutting room floor! “The characters, both primary and secondary, shine with brassy humor.”—Publishers Weekly Don’t miss Brandy Borne's tips on antiques! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . “Thrills, laugh-out-loud moments and amazingly real relationships.”—Romantic Times Book Reviews “Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops.”—Joan Hess “You'll laugh out loud.”—Mystery Scene

Deck the halls with murder . . . To Brandy Borne and her ditzy diva mother, homicide in small-town Serenity is the gift that keeps on taking. But murder turns merry as Brandy and Vivian gather collectible clues in a wintry workshop, seek the grinch who dimmed a pageant star's twinkle, and bag the humbug helper who snuffed a sidewalk Santa. Aided by Sushi, their elfin shih tzu, our seasonal sleuths crumble a bountiful batch of Christmas crookies. And though suspects may show bad will, and good cheer seems in short supply, this collection of Trash 'n' Treasures holiday homicides sparkles as the Borne girls wrap up three frolicsome felonies. Includes Brandy Borne's antiques tips and yummy recipes! Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash 'n' Treasures Mysteries "A madcap series with non-stop humor."--RT Book Reviews "Plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor."--Library Journal "The exploits of the ditzy heroines remain endlessly amusing." --Kirkus Reviews "One of the funniest cozy series going." --Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Autumn has descended on Serenity, that quiet, cozy town nestled in the crook of the mighty Mississippi River--or, one might say, with crooks. For the rain and fog have also brought an undercurrent of chaos--and it's not just because the fall colors clash alarmingly with Vivian Borne's pantsuits. The only remedy is a trash 'n' treasures shopping spree. But the Bornes are about to get more than they bargained for. . . Brandy Borne and her suspiciously well-informed mother, Vivian, have the winning bid on an abandoned storage unit's "mystery" contents, which they discover includes a vintage cornet. But when they arrive to claim the rest of their loot, the space is empty--except for the recently stowed body of Big Jim Bob, Vivian's tipster--a.k.a. former flame. Only one thing is certain: someone has definitely put the "rage" in storage! Murder turns to mayhem when an intruder steals into the Borne home, tries to mete out some ruff justice to Brandy's ferociously fluffy shih tzu, Sushi, and makes off with the cornet. But why is the horn worth killing for? Clues soon lead the sleuthing Borne duo to the next stashed victim--and some of Serenity's juiciest secrets. Now Brandy and Mother will have to play a perilous game of cat-and-mouse droppings to catch the corpse-hoarding killer before it's time to blow "Taps" for all concerned. . .

After her mom makes a counterfeit confession, an antiques dealer must find the real murderer: “A sure-fire winner.”—Publishers Weekly Brandy Borne is pretty sure her “charmingly eccentric” (a.k.a. “off her meds”) mother, Vivian, didn't kill that viperous mousy-haired busybody Connie Grimes. But there's the small matter of her guilty plea. . ..While Mother blithely adapts to life behind bars by organizing a jailhouse theater troupe, seven-months-pregnant Brandy and her intrepid shih tzu, Sushi, trundle into a morass of fake antiques and faux collectibles. In the dog days of summer, they'd better not bark up the wrong tree—or a scheming killer just may put the bite on them… “An often amusing tale complete with lots of antiques-buying tips and an ending that may surprise you.”—Kirkus Reviews "If you like laugh-out-loud mysteries, this one will make your day." --Romantic Times (4.5 stars) Praise for Barbara Allan and the Trash ‘n' Treasures Mystery Series. . . "You'll laugh out loud as Brandy and Vivian bumble their way through murder investigations in far-from-serene Serenity, Iowa." --Mystery Scene "One of the funniest cozy series going." --Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

The fourth work in the widely acclaimed, laugh-out-loud Trash n' Treasures series by the husband-and-wife writing team, "New York Times"-bestselling author Max Allan Collins and mystery-writer Barbara Collins.

An antiques dealer browses for suspects: “Lively…this bubbly tongue-in-cheek cozy also includes flea market shopping tips and a recipe.”—Publishers Weekly Winner of a Romantic Times Award for Most Humorous Mystery As the Christmas season gets into full swing in the Mississippi River town of Serenity, Iowa, antiques connoisseur Brandy Borne finds herself in the midst of holiday mayhem when Walter Yeager, an old flame of her mother’s—and a fellow antiques dealer—becomes a victim of Yuletide homicide. And his precious first edition of Tarzan of the Apes has disappeared… “Brandy and her eccentric mother make a hilarious team of snoops.”—Joan Hess “Surely one of the funniest cozy series going.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

This practical handbook is an essential course companion for business and management students at degree level. It contains case studies, exercises, tips and self-assessment tools that will help students with their personal and professional development. The book covers key areas, such as: Learning and teaching methods Study strategies Time management Research methods Assessment activities Exam techniques Job searching And it also emphasizes the skills that are key for business and management courses, which include: Academic writing Critical and reflective thinking Effective communication Interpersonal skills Project management Research skills Team working Study Skills for Business and Management Students has been carefully structured to be used throughout a degree course in order to hone the skills necessary to get a good degree and begin a successful career. An accompanying website www.openup.co.uk/businesssuccess has more information on related careers with up-to-date web links.

"This outstanding book outlines an easy-to-follow 10-step approach to preventing and managing diabetes, along with many strategies and recommendations to help you achieve your goals. From advice on how to make the right food choices to the latest information on exercise, stress management and medications, everything is presented in a straightforward way to cut through the confusion and help you thrive."--

A con artist meets his end on a country road—and a lot of swindled senior citizens are suspects: “Hilarious…a delightful debut.”—Joan Hess Determined to make a new start in her quaint hometown on the banks of the Mississippi, Brandy Borne never dreams she'll become the prime suspect in a murder case. . . Moving back in with her eccentric, larger-than-life mother, Brandy Borne finds small-town Serenity, Iowa, anything but serene. It seems an unscrupulous antiques dealer has swindled Vivian out of the family's heirlooms. But when he is found run over in a country lane, Brandy becomes Murder Suspect Number One--with her mother coming in a very close second. . . The list of other suspects is impressive--the victim's business seems to have been based on bilking seniors out of their possessions. And when the Borne "girls" uncover a few very unsavory Serenity secrets, they become targets for a murderer whose favorite hobby seems to be collecting victims. “A likable heroine.”—Booklist “Enormously entertaining.”—Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Includes Brandy Borne's tips on antiques!

Anyone wishing to be a successful supervisor must learn the interpersonal skills of communication, assertiveness and the psychology of motivation in order to build a successful team with a positive ethos. This book provides a practical guide to supervisory skills for team leaders and supervisors in library and information work. Although reference is made to relevant management concepts, its strength is that it translates theory into practice, and the focus is decidedly on the latter. This is very much a 'how to' guide for anyone wishing to develop a supervisory role in an ILS context. Each topic is covered in a practical and down-to-earth manner, and is illustrated by examples and case studies from different types of ILS. The text also offers self-development inventories and checklists. Key topics covered are: working as a supervisor or team leader motivation confident supervision managing the whole team managing work: delegation and monitoring giving feedback and praise communication skills for supervisors managing difficult situations training and development the supervisor and human resource management gaining support as a supervisor or team leader.

This book outlines an easy to follow 10-step approach to preventing and managing diabetes.

This essential guide should be on the desk of any library and information professional, records manager, archivist or knowledge manager involved in planning and introducing an ERM system, whether in a public or private sector organization. Information professionals currently face the challenge of providing end-user education and staff training to very large and diverse groups, whilst integrating the use of ICT into their teaching. But there seems to be a tendency within the literature to focus solely on face-to-face learning or on e-learning, and this is a lost opportunity. This book offers a new blended learning approach, combining the two techniques to make best use of the advantages of each while minimizing the disadvantages. It provides information professionals with a practical guide to the design and delivery of such training programmes, illustrated with a range of library-based examples, checklists and case studies. Many organizations establish projects, sometimes using external funding, as a means of developing their education and training provision, and the book provides a practical overview of this subject in the context of blended learning. Key areas covered include: technologies in the classroom virtual communication tools integrated learning environments websites and web tools models of teaching and learning planning and designing learning activities individual and group learning coaching and mentoring engaging with communities of interest and practice managing learning and teaching projects. Readership: This unique book will be of great value to any information professionals involved in establishing and delivering end-user education and staff development, whatever their previous experience. It will also benefit staff developers in school, college and higher education, library and information students, independent consultants and trainers, and information suppliers such as database providers.