Books with author Rebecca Kalman

"Kauffman has done something remarkable with The Gunners . . . She's made spending time with [her characters] not just tolerable but delightful. And she's achieved this not by manufacturing likability, but by so convincingly rendering the affection between them that you accept each character's foibles as readily as they do one another's . . . There's so much generosity and spirit and humor shared by whatever characters are on the page at any given time that I was always happy to accompany them." ―The New York Times Book Review Following her wonderfully received first novel, Another Place You’ve Never Been, called “mesmerizing,” “powerful,” and “gorgeous,” by critics all over the country, Rebecca Kauffman returns with Mikey Callahan, a thirty-year-old who is suffering from the clouded vision of macular degeneration. He struggles to establish human connections―even his emotional life is a blur. As the novel begins, he is reconnecting with “The Gunners,” his group of childhood friends, after one of their members has committed suicide. Sally had distanced herself from all of them before ending her life, and she died harboring secrets about the group and its individuals. Mikey especially needs to confront dark secrets about his own past and his father. How much of this darkness accounts for the emotional stupor Mikey is suffering from as he reaches his maturity? And can The Gunners, prompted by Sally’s death, find their way to a new day? The core of this adventure, made by Mikey, Alice, Lynn, Jimmy, and Sam, becomes a search for the core of truth, friendship, and forgiveness. A quietly startling, beautiful book, The Gunners engages us with vividly unforgettable characters, and advances Rebecca Kauffman’s place as one of the most important young writers of her generation. "A moving novel . . . Each character comes to terms with their dark past, and uncertain futures―like an intimate hangout session, dashed with suspense and few extra layers of emotional beauty. You'll find yourself thinking of Freaks and Geeks, The Big Chill, and maybe all those friends you've been meaning to text." ―Entertainment Weekly, The Must List

"A riveting portrayal of the joys and mysteries of growing up, and of friendship itself." ―People Mikey Callahan, a thirty-year-old who is suffering from the clouded vision of macular degeneration, struggles to establish human connections―even his emotional life is a blur. As the novel begins, he is reuniting with "The Gunners," his group of childhood friends, after one of them has committed suicide. Sally had distanced herself before ending her life, and she died harboring secrets about herself and her friends. In this quietly startling, beautiful book, Mikey, Alice, Lynn, Jimmy, and Sam search for the core of truth, friendship, and forgiveness. "Kauffman has done something remarkable with The Gunners." ―The New York Times Book Review "A moving novel . . . Like an intimate hangout session, dashed with suspense and a few extra layers of emotional beauty." ―Entertainment Weekly

You’ve probably heard of Anna Gristina, the notori­ous “Soccer Mom Madam,” who allegedly operated a multimillion-dollar escort service with clients from the Forbes billionaires list to Capitol Hill. But you haven’t heard of the woman who helped bring the Soccer Mom Madam down—until now. Call Girl Confidential is Rebecca Kade’s compelling, intimate account of her career as an escort...and her work as an undercover agent for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Strictly raised as a Southern Baptist, Rebecca Kade never dreamed she would compromise her values by someday becoming a high-priced escort. But when her rock star former lover took her to court in a drawn-out custody battle for their daughter, Rebecca’s legit day job barely covered her exorbitant legal fees. She needed to make money and lots of it—fast. Rebecca first became an escort for Kristin Davis, aka “The Manhattan Madam,” and her classic beauty made her an instant favorite with the host of wealthy, powerful men who were willing to pay thousands to sleep with her. When she went to work for Anna Gristina, the stakes were even higher and the clientele more prominent. From Wall Street bankers and CEOs to famous U.S. politicians and Middle Eastern princes as well as Grammy winners, Rebecca met the world’s most influential movers and shakers. Then her deepest fears came true. Kristin Davis was arrested, and Anna Gristina also landed on authori­ties’ radar after going undetected for fifteen years. Rebecca had two choices: refuse to cooperate and go to jail—risking never seeing her daughter again—or com­ply fully, even if it meant giving up Gristina, who trusted Rebecca implicitly. She agreed to go undercover for the DA’s office. And the more incriminat­ing evidence she collected, the more she placed herself in danger. Candid and fascinating, this revealing memoir gives readers a glimpse into the little-known life of a high-priced escort turned confidential informant.

What's the point in friends, if you can't share your secrets?The Gunners used to be inseparable. A gang of latchkey kids, they took their name from the doorbell of the abandoned house they played in as children - and drank in as teenagers. Together they navigated the difficult journey from childhood to adolescence and learnt their first vital lessons about becoming adults; Mikey, Sam, Lynn, Alice, Jimmy and Sally are more like a family than just friends. One day, Sally suddenly stopped speaking to them and wouldn't explain why. Years later, Sally's suicide forces the Gunners back together for her funeral. All of them have secrets they are reluctant to share, secrets which mean they must reassess their happy memories and finally be honest about the reasons Sally left.This is a generous and poignant novel about the difficulty - and the joy - of being a true friend.

The jaw-dropping account of an escort who spent years working undercover as a criminal informant.You’ve probably heard of Anna Gristina, the notori­ous “Soccer Mom Madam,” who allegedly operated a multimillion-dollar escort service with clients from the Forbes billionaires list to Capitol Hill. But you haven’t heard of the woman who helped bring the Soccer Mom Madam down—until now. Call Girl Confidential is Rebecca Kade’s compelling, intimate account of her career as an escort...and her work as an undercover agent for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Strictly raised as a Southern Baptist, Rebecca Kade never dreamed she would compromise her values by someday becoming a high-priced escort. But when her rock star former lover took her to court in a drawn-out custody battle for their daughter, Rebecca’s legit day job barely covered her exorbitant legal fees. She needed to make money and lots of it—fast. Rebecca first became an escort for Kristin Davis, aka “The Manhattan Madam,” and her classic beauty made her an instant favorite with the host of wealthy, powerful men who were willing to pay thousands to sleep with her. When she went to work for Anna Gristina, the stakes were even higher and the clientele more prominent. From Wall Street bankers and CEOs to famous U.S. politicians and Middle Eastern princes as well as Grammy winners, Rebecca met the world’s most influential movers and shakers. Then her deepest fears came true. Kristin Davis was arrested, and Anna Gristina also landed on authori­ties’ radar after going undetected for fifteen years. Rebecca had two choices: refuse to cooperate and go to jail—risking never seeing her daughter again—or com­ply fully, even if it meant giving up Gristina, who trusted Rebecca implicitly. She agreed to go undercover for the DA’s office. And the more incriminat­ing evidence she collected, the more she placed herself in danger. Candid and fascinating, this revealing memoir gives readers a glimpse into the little-known life of a high-priced escort turned confidential informant.

You've probably heard of Anna Gristina, the notori-ous "Soccer Mom Madam," who allegedly operated a multimillion-dollar escort service with clients from the Forbes billionaires list to Capitol Hill. But you haven't heard of the woman who helped bring the Soccer Mom Madam down--until now. "Call Girl Confidential" is Rebecca Kade's compelling, intimate account of her career as an escort . . . and her work as an undercover agent for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Strictly raised as a Southern Baptist, Rebecca Kade never dreamed she would compromise her values by someday becoming a high-priced escort. But when her rock star former lover took her to court in a drawn-out custody battle for their daughter, Rebecca's legit day job barely covered her exorbitant legal fees. She needed to make money and lots of it--fast. Rebecca first became an escort for Kristin Davis, aka "The Manhattan Madam," and her classic beauty made her an instant favorite with the host of wealthy, powerful men who were willing to pay thousands to sleep with her. When she went to work for Anna Gristina, the stakes were even higher and the clientele more prominent. From Wall Street bankers and CEOs to famous U.S. politicians and Middle Eastern princes as well as Grammy winners, Rebecca met the world's most influential movers and shakers. Then her deepest fears came true. Kristin Davis was arrested, and Anna Gristina also landed on authori-ties' radar after going undetected for fifteen years. Rebecca had two choices: refuse to cooperate and go to jail--risking never seeing her daughter again--or com-ply fully, even if it meant giving up Gristina, who trusted Rebecca implicitly. She agreed to go undercover for the DA's office. Though authorities were trying to nab Gris-tina for illegal prostitution, they still expected Rebecca to continue working as a call girl. And the more incriminat-ing evidence she collected, the more she placed herself in danger. Candid and fascinating, this revealing memoir gives readers a glimpse into the little-known life of a high-priced escort turned confidential informant.

JANEY BURKE despises her life at St. Jerome's Orphanage in 1902 Sturgis, South Dakota. She harbors a messy stew of hurt, anger and confusion after having been deposited there at the age of eight by her own mother. She compensates by carrying out elaborate pranks and fiercely defending the younger children against bullies. Though these actions endear her to her peers, she is a thorn-in-the-side to the home's authority figures. Only her friendship with the shy half-Shoshone girl, EMMA TWO-SHOES makes life tolerable.Then on her fifteenth birthday a dapper stranger waltzes into St. Jerome's. Janey learns that this Englishman, SEBASTIAN KENT, has come to take her to Deadwood to be reunited with her mother. She is further shocked when he reveals her mother is the Wild West icon, CALAMITY JANE. Author_Bio: Rebecca Willman was raised in rural Ohio. She attended Anderson University, Wright State University and Urbana University and had two careers--the first as an educator and the second as a non-profit director. During those careers she worked with children of all ages from kindergarten through college. While a classroom teacher, her favorite part of the day was reading to her class from a good book. Since childhood, she has also loved writing her own stories and poems. Along with writing, she also enjoys being active in community groups, traveling, researching history, and reading mysteries. She resides in Springfield, Ohio with her husband, Larry. They have two grown children and one granddaughter.Keywords: Historical, Teen, Coming-Of-Age, Orphans, South Dakota, Women's Issues, Bullying, Friendship, Action-Packed, Suspenseful

[Read by Michael David Axtell] Following on her wonderfully received first novel, Another Place You've Never Been, called ''mesmerizing,'' ''powerful,'' and ''gorgeous,'' by critics all over the country, Rebecca Kauffman returns with Mikey Callahan, a thirty-year-old who is suffering from the clouded vision of macular degeneration. He struggles to establish human connections -- even his emotional life is a blur. As the novel begins, he is reconnecting with ''The Gunners,'' his group of childhood friends, after one of their members has committed suicide. Sally had distanced herself from all of them before ending her life, and she died harboring secrets about the group and its individuals. Mikey especially needs to confront dark secrets about his own past and his father. How much of this darkness accounts for the emotional stupor Mikey is suffering from as he reaches his maturity? And can The Gunners, prompted by Sally's death, find their way to a new day? The core of this adventure, made by Mikey, Alice, Lynn, Jimmy, and Sam, becomes a search for the core of truth, friendship, and forgiveness. A quietly startling, beautiful book, The Gunners engages us with vividly unforgettable characters, and advances Rebecca Kauffman's place as one of the most important young writers of her generation.

[Read by Michael David Axtell] Following on her wonderfully received first novel, Another Place You've Never Been, called ''mesmerizing,'' ''powerful,'' and ''gorgeous,'' by critics all over the country, Rebecca Kauffman returns with Mikey Callahan, a thirty-year-old who is suffering from the clouded vision of macular degeneration. He struggles to establish human connections -- even his emotional life is a blur. As the novel begins, he is reconnecting with ''The Gunners,'' his group of childhood friends, after one of their members has committed suicide. Sally had distanced herself from all of them before ending her life, and she died harboring secrets about the group and its individuals. Mikey especially needs to confront dark secrets about his own past and his father. How much of this darkness accounts for the emotional stupor Mikey is suffering from as he reaches his maturity? And can The Gunners, prompted by Sally's death, find their way to a new day? The core of this adventure, made by Mikey, Alice, Lynn, Jimmy, and Sam, becomes a search for the core of truth, friendship, and forgiveness. A quietly startling, beautiful book, The Gunners engages us with vividly unforgettable characters, and advances Rebecca Kauffman's place as one of the most important young writers of her generation.

JANEY BURKE despises her life at St. Jerome's Orphanage in 1902 Sturgis, South Dakota. She harbors a messy stew of hurt, anger and confusion after having been deposited there at the age of eight by her own mother. She compensates by carrying out elaborate pranks and fiercely defending the younger children against bullies. Though these actions endear her to her peers, she is a thorn-in-the-side to the home's authority figures. Only her friendship with the shy half-Shoshone girl, EMMA TWO-SHOES makes life tolerable. Then on her fifteenth birthday a dapper stranger waltzes into St. Jerome's. Janey learns that this Englishman, SEBASTIAN KENT, has come to take her to Deadwood to be reunited with her mother. She is further shocked when he reveals her mother is the Wild West icon, CALAMITY JANE. Rebecca Willman was raised in rural Ohio. She attended Anderson University, Wright State University and Urbana University and had two careers--the first as an educator and the second as a non-profit director. During those careers she worked with children of all ages from kindergarten through college. While a classroom teacher, her favorite part of the day was reading to her class from a good book. Since childhood, she has also loved writing her own stories and poems. Along with writing, she also enjoys being active in community groups, traveling, researching history, and reading mysteries. She resides in Springfield, Ohio with her husband, Larry. They have two grown children and one granddaughter. Keywords: Historical, Teen, Coming-Of-Age, Orphans, South Dakota, Women's Issues, Bullying, Friendship, Action-Packed, Suspenseful