Catherine Gigante-Brown – författare

A powerful, moving coming-of-age novel that blurs the line between Young Adult and Women’s fiction, BTS begins in 1970s Brooklyn and morphs to the present day, following Desi Ruiz and Cici Piccolo as they blossom from shy teenage misfits to confident women. Desi and Cici experience first crushes, come to terms with crippling grief, feel unabashed joy and discover who they are. From encounters with the neighborhood perv to teen crushes, sexual awakening, surviving Catholic school (and puberty!), BTS is a story of true, pure, intense friendship that is lost—and found.

Brooklyn Roses, the third and final installment of The El Trilogy, follows the travails and triumphs of that loud, loving Italian-American family from Borough Park. The riveting story picks up more than a dozen years after The Bells of Brooklyn, in the turbulent late 1950s/early 1960s. It weaves an unforgettable tale that encompasses forbidden love, illicit crime, joyous celebrations, heartbreaking tragedies-and the intricacies of life itself. Are we destined to repeat the sins of our fathers or forge a different road? It''s all there-beloved new characters, tried-and-true favorites and that captivating combination of folklore, food and family that''s become a Gigante-Brown trademark.

A historic novel set in 1936 Brooklyn. It was an era when the Navy Yard sang, when Coney Island was bright lights and pure enchantment, and Wednesdays held the promise of Dish Night at the Loews 46th Street Theater. The elevated train, or El, was the lifeline that coursed through it all. In the El''s shadow, an earthy, ebullient Italian-American family resides: Poppa, the beneficent patriarch; Bridget, his devoted wife and mother of their six grown children; Rosanna, their eldest, who is married to Tony, a dangerous drunk; Kewpie, their nubile teenage daughter; and Tiger, their scrappy ten-year old son. A stark drama quickly unfolds as a terrible secret is revealed. The El weaves a timeless family saga through a colorful array of unmistakably Brooklyn characters as the Paradisos weather seasons of joy, loss and desire, and experience simple delights in the midst of the Depression. Here, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. It is a place of unconditional and unrequited love, where the unimaginable is indeed possible, and the whims of a violent alcoholic threaten to destroy the idyllic applecart of the entire clan''s existence. The El is at once homey and horrific, lusty and innocent, fanciful and shocking. It is a complicated mosaic of light and dark, fired with savory flavors and vivid images.

"Everybody thinks they''re going to ''make it.'' But the truth of the matter is that very few have ''it.'' And if they do, it''s not going to be like anything they ever imagined." This is what happens to a dream deferred. Set in 1979 New York City, Different Drummer chronicles Cara Funk (née Carol Finkelstein), a female drummer struggling to break out of the wedding music trade and succeed as a rock musician. Rapidly approaching 30, this is Cara''s self-imposed last chance and she''s willing to sacrifice everything to "make it." Told through journal entries and running commentary from a colorful cast of supporting characters, Cara''s saga unfolds in a mad swirl of Sergio Valente jeans, drugs, song lyrics, decrepit rock clubs, cheesy bar mitzvahs, White Castle sliders, punk anthems and ruffled tuxedo shirts. Will Cara ultimately triumph, go out in a blaze of glory or just fade away?

Set in 1993, Paul and Carol Go to Guatemala is part travelogue, part social commentary and part romance. The novel chronicles a couple''s budding relationship as they explore a wild and wonderful third-world country in the final throes of a civil war. Through Carol''s journal entries, it weaves the compelling story of two wayward travelers who learn to appreciate the raw beauty of a ravaged land...and fall in love along the way-with Guatemala and each other. But will they survive lost luggage, chicken busses, active volcanoes, Mayan ruins, food poisoning and a fateful game of "Hearts?" Time will tell.

A revolutionary book that validates sexual uniqueness instead of making it a source of shame.

Are you sexually aroused by a specific object, act or behavior? Do you keep your thoughts a secret? Do you worry that your partner will find out and reject you? Do you feel ashamed, alone and embarrassed?

I''ve got good news! You''re not broken. You''re not a freak, pervert or sexual deviant. You have a sexual fetish. This fetish can be embraced, controlled and managed.

My name is Jackie A. Castro and I can help you. I am a licensed psychotherapist in the state of California. For over two decades, I have worked with clients who have agonized about having erotic interests "out of the norm". I have developed a ground breaking Five Point Fetish Plan that will provide winning tools for fetish management including ways to introduce your fetish to a long-term partner.

Includes: Checklists, Exercises, Quizzes and Practical Solutions.

"Fetish and You" will help you transition from shame and self-loathing to confidence and self-acceptance.

That would never happen to me...

So many of us go through life with the belief that drug addiction could never happen to us or a loved one; especially a high achieving son. Carol Farley tells the story of her extraordinary son who was also her business partner, roommate and best friend.

Anyone who has lost someone close to drug addiction will identify with this book. It is our hope that you find it helpful knowing you are not the only one. We also hope it provides a strong word of caution for any of us that believe we are above addiction.

And finally, this book gives us a genuine look into who Jeremy Fjeld was in a story that only a loving mother could tell. It''s a wild ride of triumphs and tragedies. Carol holds nothing back. She gives it to you straight. This is as real as it gets. Strap in.