Books published by publisher Bella Books

A true story of the criminal justice system and a small-town teacher who prevailed against the most heinous accusations imaginable. Tonya Craft, a Georgia kindergarten teacher and loving mother of two, never expected a knock on her door to change her life forever. But in May 2008, false accusations of child molestation turned her world upside down. The trial that followed dragged her reputation through the mud and lent nationwide notoriety to her name. Tonya’s life spiraled into a witch-trial nightmare in which she was deemed guilty before her innocence could be determined by a jury. Her children were taken away without even a goodbye, and her own daughter was forced to take the stand against her in a courtroom. The situation seemed hopeless, and Tonya was shell-shocked and heartbroken. But that didn’t keep her from finding the strength to fight. Over the course of two terrifying years, Tonya rallied to take charge of her own defense, flying across the country and knocking on doors on a desperate quest for answers, and defying her own lawyers on more than one occasion. Tonya’s goal was not only to avoid conviction; it was to clear her name, and, most of all, regain custody of her children. Accused is about more than Tonya’s shocking trial and fight for justice. It is the story of a mother’s extraordinary love, the faith that sees her through it all, and the forgiveness that sets her free.

Lauren thinks she has a pretty good life—so why is it that she feels crazy most of the time? She figures it’s nothing she can’t fix by getting her first girlfriend and doing better at school. But how is she ever going to find a girlfriend in Duluth, Minnesota? When she meets a group of kids who are telling a science fiction story online and gets invited down to the Twin Cities, she gets more attention than she ever expected, from two very different girls: charming Sierra and troublesome Blake. Blake helps Lauren understand that she’s not the crazy one in her life. But Blake's attention—and insights into life and living with bipolar disorder—threaten to destroy everything Lauren has created for herself, including her relationship with Sierra.

The decision can’t be put off any longer. A medical crisis turns Nico’s body into a battleground, crushing Nico under conflicting family pressures. Having lived genderqueer for years, Nico is used to getting strong reactions (and uninvited opinions!) from everyone, but it is Tucker’s reaction that hurts the most. Jess Tucker didn’t mean to hurt Nico, but she panicked. And after the worst year of her life, she’s hanging on by a thread. Forget recovery time and therapy, she needs to put the past behind her and be normal again. But when her relationship with Nico becomes more than she can handle, she cuts and runs. In this riveting sequel to Just Girls, comes a love story about bodies, healing, and knowing who you really are.

Celebrate the human-feline bond with all its joys, mysteries, and life-changing moments. Gwen Cooper—author of the blockbuster bestseller Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life With a Blind Wonder Cat—returns with the ongoing adventures of her much-beloved, world-famous fur family. Ideal for new readers and longtime fans alike, this memoir told in eight purr-fect cat stories is filled with all the humor and heart Gwen’s devoted readership has come to know and love. Raised in a dog-loving family, Gwen never pictured herself as a “cat person.” But from the very first feline she adopted—an adorable five-week-old rescue kitten, slow to learn how to trust after life on the streets—Gwen was smitten. Eventually one rescue kitten became five, and all the ups and downs of a life with cats are lovingly depicted here: From the obsessive cat who teaches himself to play fetch and demands it morning, noon, and night from his hapless human mom; to the crafty white beauty who raises outside-the-litter-box thinking to the level of an art form; to the routine vet trip that turns into a hijinks-filled misadventure on the streets of Manhattan with three (VERY cranky!) felines in tow. And Homer, the Blind Wonder Cat himself, returns triumphant in new tales of life and love after worldwide fame. Sure to be treasured by cat lovers everywhere, My Life in a Cat House will leave you laughing out loud, shedding an occasional tear, and hugging your own cat a little bit closer. Read and rejoice!

In Pretty Little Killers, journalist Daleen Berry and investigator Geoffrey Fuller expand upon their New York Times bestselling ebook The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese to give you even more information behind one of the most horrific and shocking murders of our time. Including over 100 pages of new material, Pretty Little Killers shares the latest theories and answers the questions that have left many people baffled. After killer Shelia Eddy pled guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison and Rachel Shoaf was sentenced to thirty years for second-degree murder, family, friends, investigators, and other key sources reveal the facts you would have learned if the case had gone to trial. Including specific details drawn from Rachel’s confession, Pretty Little Killers looks at the crime through the eyes of the victim and killers, providing intimate testimony from the pages of Rachel’s personal journal, Skylar’s diary and school papers, and court records. Berry and Fuller examine all this, including previously unreported details about Rachel and Shelia’s rumored lesbian relationship and explain why more than one investigator believes Skylar’s murder was a thrill kill. Most important, Pretty Little Killers provides a satisfying answer to Skylar’s final question: “Why?”

Celebrate the human-feline bond with all its joys, mysteries, and life-changing moments. Gwen Cooper—author of the blockbuster bestseller Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life With a Blind Wonder Cat—returns with the ongoing adventures of her much-beloved, world-famous fur family. Ideal for new readers and longtime fans alike, this memoir told in eight purr-fect cat stories is filled with all the humor and heart Gwen’s devoted readership has come to know and love. Raised in a dog-loving family, Gwen never pictured herself as a “cat person.” But from the very first feline she adopted—an adorable five-week-old rescue kitten, slow to learn how to trust after life on the streets—Gwen was smitten. Eventually one rescue kitten became five, and all the ups and downs of a life with cats are lovingly depicted here: From the obsessive cat who teaches himself to play fetch and demands it morning, noon, and night from his hapless human mom; to the crafty white beauty who raises outside-the-litter-box thinking to the level of an art form; to the routine vet trip that turns into a hijinks-filled misadventure on the streets of Manhattan with three (VERY cranky!) felines in tow. And Homer, the Blind Wonder Cat himself, returns triumphant in new tales of life and love after worldwide fame. Sure to be treasured by cat lovers everywhere, My Life in a Cat House will leave you laughing out loud, shedding an occasional tear, and hugging your own cat a little bit closer. Read and rejoice!

Eat Sweet, Savory, and Free with Debbie Adler’s Mouthwatering Plant-Based Recipes, Free of the Top 8 AllergensIn 2013, Debbie Adler’s Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats: Allergy-Free and Vegan Recipes From the Famous Los Angeles Bakery proved that cooking for those with allergies and food sensitivities doesn’t mean giving up dessert.Now Sweet Debbie goes savory with more than 100 plant-based recipes free of the top eight food allergens—dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish—plus free of refined sugar and oils.Motivated by her own son’s life-threatening allergies, Adler has spent the last six years creating meals to nourish and delight her entire family—meals that are both savory and safe—including:Lemon Basil Blueberry MuffinsSweet Miso Forbidden Rice Ramen Noodle BowlRoasted Butternut Squash Enchilada RoundsYam Gnocchi with Sriracha PestoMediterranean Quinoa BurgersSpanakopita Enchiladas with Roasted Red Pepper Cream SauceCinnamon Raisin BreadCafe Macchiato Sandwich CookiesDebbie’s super satiating, divinely delicious, and accessibly easy-to-prepare recipes show just how incredible, versatile, and flavorful allergy-free, plant-based cooking can be! Her entrees, pastas, soups, sides, breads, and sweets are a guaranteed—and guaranteed safe—hit for school, kids’ parties, work events, and more.

You know your diet should be rich in plants for optimal health. So shouldn’t the products you apply to your skin, which are absorbed into your body, also be filled with plants? If you’ve ever looked at the back of your so-called “natural” facial moisturizer or body cream and seen a list of complicated additives you couldn’t recognize or pronounce, then you know firsthand that mass-produced synthetic beauty products can be something of a mystery. With Plant-Powered Beauty: The Essential Guide to Using Natural Ingredients for Health, Wellness, and Personal Skincare (with 50-plus Recipes), harness the power of plant-based energy to maintain your natural beauty and let your skin glow like never before. Natural beauty experts Amy Galper and Christina Daigneault show readers how to deconstruct beauty labels, parse ingredients lists, make informed choices about the products they use—and, most important, better understand how their skin works. At the heart of Plant-Powered Beauty, you will find more than 50 easy-to-follow recipes to make your own plant-based skincare and beauty products, such as: Almond Milk Facial CleanserAnti-aging Facial ScrubBlemish GelChoc-o-Mint Lip BalmCoconut Whip Makeup RemoverVitamin-Rich Hair Health SerumQuick and Fresh Cucumber-Thyme Body ScrubMoisturizing Body Oil for Super-Dry SkinNatural MouthwashPlant-Powered Beauty unlocks sought-after wisdom for all aspects of plant-based personal skincare and celebrates the shift in beauty trends, bringing us back to natural beauty and reconnecting us with plants and healthy choices.

“Mack snuck a look over her shoulder at the cheerleaders just as Veronica took her place at the top of the pyramid. Time seemed to slow as Veronica swung her long, blond ponytail over her shoulder, pompoms high in the air…”Mackenzie is used to being different from other kids—and to being bullied for not fitting into the rigid social expectations of her Catholic high school. Luckily, Mack’s best friend Lila has her back so school isn’t the total hell it could be. But it’s pretty damn close.Until something very mysterious happens—Mack becomes a cheerleader magnet. Even she has a hard time believing it. And Lila is not too happy about her friend’s sudden popularity with the cool kids.Is Mack being set up for an epic fail? Or is she finally headed for acceptance–and maybe even romance…M.B. Guel is the winner of Bella’s “fan fiction to published author” contest. Queerleaders is their debut novel.

Is Your Kitchen a PlantPure Kitchen?The grassroots plant-based nutrition movement inspired by the film PlantPure Nation has helped foster a growing community of whole food, plant-based eaters. Key to its success has been the PlantPure Director of Culinary Education Kim Campbell’s inspiring and delicious recipes. In 2015, her cookbook, The PlantPure Nation Cookbook, helped change the way people view the food they put in their bodies. Now, Campbell is back with even more inventive recipes bursting with flavor in The PlantPure Kitchen.Campbell builds on favorites from her last cookbook, turning recipes like the Creamy African Stew into tasty African Wraps, and shares tons of new recipes that will turn any plant-based eater into a chef with ease. With compassion for the challenges of following a plant-pure diet, Campbell lends advice about the best natural sweeteners, the most useful kitchen tools for plant-based cooking, vegan-friendly substitutions for making recipes gluten-free, and a whole lot more.Whether you are new to the lifestyle or looking to expand your own recipe repertoire, The PlantPure Kitchen makes committing to your health through eating plant-based exciting, accessible, and easy!From dips and spreads, like Crockpot Apple Butter, to classic dinners, like Welsh Rarebit, The PlantPure Kitchen’s recipes will inspire you to lead a more plant-pure life.Recipes include:Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel MuffinsAsian Noodle SaladSouthwestern Chili MacPotato-Crusted Mushroom QuicheWelsh RarebitSlow Cooker Jackfruit TacosHot Fudge Sundae CakeFeaturing a foreword by T. Colin Campbell, coauthor of the groundbreaking national bestseller The China Study, this book will become a kitchen staple for PlantPure veterans and newcomers alike.

They say that whoever you are it’s okay, you were born that way. Those words don’t comfort Emily, because she was born Christopher and her insides know that her outsides are all wrong.They say that it gets better, be who are you and it’ll be fine. For Emily, telling her parents who she really is means a therapist who insists Christopher is normal and Emily is sick. Telling her girlfriend means lectures about how God doesn’t make that kind of mistake.Emily desperately wants high school in her small Minnesota town to get better. She wants to be the woman she knows is inside, but it’s not until a substitute therapist and a girl named Natalie come into her life that she believes she has a chance of actually Being Emily.A story for anyone who has ever felt that the inside and outside don’t match and no one else will understand...

Celebrate the human-feline bond with all its joys, mysteries, and life-changing moments. Gwen Cooper—author of the blockbuster bestseller Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life With a Blind Wonder Cat—returns with the ongoing adventures of her much-beloved, world-famous fur family. Ideal for new readers and longtime fans alike, this memoir told in eight purr-fect cat stories is filled with all the humor and heart Gwen’s devoted readership has come to know and love. Raised in a dog-loving family, Gwen never pictured herself as a “cat person.” But from the very first feline she adopted—an adorable five-week-old rescue kitten, slow to learn how to trust after life on the streets—Gwen was smitten. Eventually one rescue kitten became five, and all the ups and downs of a life with cats are lovingly depicted here: From the obsessive cat who teaches himself to play fetch and demands it morning, noon, and night from his hapless human mom; to the crafty white beauty who raises outside-the-litter-box thinking to the level of an art form; to the routine vet trip that turns into a hijinks-filled misadventure on the streets of Manhattan with three (VERY cranky!) felines in tow. And Homer, the Blind Wonder Cat himself, returns triumphant in new tales of life and love after worldwide fame. Sure to be treasured by cat lovers everywhere, My Life in a Cat House will leave you laughing out loud, shedding an occasional tear, and hugging your own cat a little bit closer. Read and rejoice!