Books published by Riverdale Avenue Books

Talented actor. Charismatic celebrity. Woman magnet. A free thinker and an independent soul. That's the shorthand when it comes to the worldwide perception of Keanu Reeves. But there's more to the real Keanu than pop culture talking points and, in Keanu Reeves' Excellent Adventure: An Unauthorized Biography by New York Times bestselling author Marc Shapiro, the star of Speed, John Wick, Point Break and countless big and small films proves to be a lot more contrary and anti-establishment than most Hollywood cookie cutter celebrities.Equal parts biography and character study, Keanu Reeves' Excellent Adventure: An Unauthorized Biography is an ink blot/rat in a maze journey as the actor deals with his life and times in straightforward, often philosophical and spiritual manner. He can be shy, self -effacing, an introvert and somebody who has been a pain in the side of the Hollywood establishment. He's also found time to be an all around good guy as he deals with life's ups and downs. But at the end of the day, Keanu Reeves is nothing less than human.He's dealt with the deaths of those he's loved the most. He makes no bones about the fact that he comes from a dysfunctional upbringing. He's walked away from big-budget studio films in favor of doing Hamlet for peanuts. And, early on, he didn't think twice about starring in the overtly gay-themed way out of the mainstream theater production Wolfboy. He's readily admits to having done drugs and has had his run ins with the law. And along the way his risen to that rarified air of international star.

Hard Work is its own reward. Nobody knows that better than the heavy rock band Greta Van Fleet who in a matter of years have raced from obscurity as teens growing up in the tiny Michigan town of Frankenmuth to the top of the international hard rock mountain. Hard Work: The Greta Van Fleet Story by New York Times Bestselling Author Marc Shapiro takes you along for this high wire ride to the top.Equal parts biography and inspirational story, Hard Work: The Greta Van Fleet Story takes the band on an often surreal and edge-of-your seat journey. At a time when popular music had become predictable, pre-fab and the process of making it had been deluded by the likes of American Idol and America's Got Talent, Greta Van Fleet brought their brand of guitar heavy, very Led Zeppelin-like heavy metal to the public in the trenches. These underage musicians made their bones playing very adult biker parties, dive bars where they often were not allowed inside except to play and spending countless hours driving in cramped vans to the middle of nowhere to play for an audience of 10. But persistence would ultimately pay off. They signed with Lava Records and put out a series of albums that captured the fantasy with music that paid homage to hard rock's past and pointed the way to a joyous rocking future.This book includes• Exclusive interviews with local club owners from Greta Van Fleet's early days;• Complete Greta Van Fleet discography, including outtakes from recording sessions, live garage recordings, concert recordings and recordings of unreleased original songs• The real story behind Greta Van Fleet's controversial Saturday Night Live appearance.• Greta Van Fleet's literary and musical influences--beyond Led Zeppelin!• And the real story of life on the road!"This book is biography but it is also a blueprint to anybody that wants to make real, believable music," said author Marc Shapiro. "Greta Van Fleet slugged it out in the rock and roll trenches and their reward is that they are currently one of the biggest bands on the planet. If you follow their lead, you can get there too."One of Greta Van Fleet's major influences, Led Zeppelin postulated in their song Rock and Roll the lyric 'It's been a long time since I rock and rolled." Hard Work: The Greta Van Fleet Story indicates that the return of true, passionate straight-ahead rock is now.

John Cangelosi: The Improbable Baseball Journey of the Undersized Kid from Nowhere to World Series ChampionA born and bred New Yorker, John Cangelosi's claim to fame was as a super-quick base stealer with a tremendous work ethic. He played on that 1997 Florida Marlins team that surprised everyone by wining the World Series. In this biography, he teams up with noted sports writer K. P. Wee to share his stories of growing up in Brooklyn and what it took to become an MLB player. This is an inside look at a real everyman of baseball, full of stories about stealing bases against legendary pitchers and catchers, and how it felt to celebrate the first championship in Marlins history."[Cangelosi] put forth the effort in the way he played, and he got back to the big leagues. You salute guys like that. And that's why with the younger players, you just tell them, 'Hey, look. You wanna try to get to the big leagues? Do what he does. Show up, and play hard every night." -Terry Collins, former Buffalo Bisons manager and Houston Astros manager"If you have that blue-collar work ethic and not give up on your dreams, anything can happen. That's what happened for me in those years in the 1990s." -John Cangelosi

There are two sides to the BTS story. The all too familiar rags to riches odyssey in which seven young South Korean boys (RM, Suga,V, J-Hope, Jin, Jimin, Jungkook) emerge from obscurity to become true superstars in the pop music universe. Of equal importance was the relationship between the wide-eyed group members and the forward-thinking head of their record company, Bang Si-hyuk, which resulted in newfound freedom and a new way of creating the K-Pop sound. Both of these elements and more are the subject of the book Burn the Stage: The Rise of BTS and Korean Boy Bands by New York Times-bestselling author Marc Shapiro.This timely look at BTS and the K-Pop genre, told in quotes and anecdotes from BTS, delves into the history of K-Pop music, its pivotal twists and turns, insights into the modern K-Pop training and audition process, as well as the rise of BTS and their personal and professional development on the road to worldwide popularity.Author Marc Shapiro acknowledges that making the BTS story more than a mere rehashing of familiar material was a challenge. "This was an opportunity to follow the story of what many considered 'The Next Big Thing' hand in hand with the group in fairly real time. Seeing what they experienced as it happened rather than looking back on their lives years later. There was a sense of immediacy that appeared more in tune with the way the world turns now. Which is fast."As with the current state of pop culture, BTS and the K-Pop world are constantly evolving and presenting new challenges and ideas. Burn the Stage: The Rise of BTS and Korean Boy Bands chronicles BTS in the now. There will certainly be a future.

Laura Antoniou's consensual world of owners and slaves known as The Marketplace has been thrilling readers of BDSM fiction for over 25 years. In that time she has invited other authors to come "play in her sandbox" more than once. In this second anthology of "fanfiction" set in The Marketplace, 18 stories explore both familiar favorites and brand new characters, and delve into many of the themes that run through the series including service, sadomasochism, and the need to belong.The authors range from award-winning novelists to fanfic veterans to bright-eyed new folks and their stories here run the gamut of genres including crime fiction, paranormal, and romance. Fans of erotic fiction may recognize the names of Elizabeth Schechter, LN Bey, Erzabet Bishop, and Soulhuntre. Karen Taylor, an erotica writer and also Laura's wife, contributes an introduction to the volume, as well.

Farrell Hirsch has lived more lives than any dozen of the proverbial rejuvenating cats you've heard about. Not many people can say they've launched multiple national radio networks, worked with the coaching staff of a major league sports team, executive produced star-studded awards shows, been the co-creator of high-tech start up, written a play that played at Lincoln Center, optioned a TV pilot to major production company, and been the CEO of a nationally recognized not-for profit. Hirsch was one of the people who founded The Ovation Awards, LA's answer to The Tonys. Writing, producing, and lining up talent for those shows for seven years brought him into contact with stars like Charlton Heston, Annette Bening, Carol Burnett, Neal Patrick Harris, Stephen Sondheim, Nathan Lane, Danny Glover, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, and hundreds more.And then, for no particular reason, since he hadn't really ever worked in radio, he was hired to launch national radio networks, on SiriusXM. The first of these was taking on the inimitable task of turning the world's most visual brand, Playboy, into something viable in the world's least visual medium, radio. The endless drudgery of having to spend countless evenings at The Playboy Mansion parties, of recording Bill Cosby, Etta James, Elvis Costello at the Playboy Jazz Festival, having celebrities like Carmen Electra, Donald Trump, Fleetwood Mac come in the studio, hanging at the Super Bowl with Warren Moon and Lil John was exhausting. These are his stories…

Roland Marcus-rich, handsome and pushing 40-is still not over the fact that his 20-year relationship has ended, and desperately needs someone to distract him while he attends a bevvy of charity events in New York. With all eyes upon him, including his ex's (who left him for a younger man), Roland accidentally bumps into a hot young guy in a used book store…a strapping male hustler whom he decides to hire for one week to accompany him to his social events. He offers him $5,000, with no strings attached, to just stand by his side and look pretty.Josh Holden, a young guy who is helping to support his son and saving money to buy a business with his best friend and ex-wife, is only too happy to escort Roland anywhere he wants to go that week. And he's not doing it just for the money…Roland learns in less than a week's time that his future can still hold both earth-shattering sex and a love of real substance.

Anxious for adventure and the chance to prove she's not the spoiled socialite her friends and family believe her to be, Victoria Moore buys The Circle Cat ranch, rolls up her sleeves, and begins the repairs that will turn the ramshackle place into the best dude ranch in Arizona. One thing she didn't plan on was a dark, down-on-his-luck cowboy smashing into her barn. But when he does, she turns the problem into an opportunity. Armed with limited experience, but a lot of determination, Victoria sets out to get what she wants from the wandering cowboy.The last thing Lang Thompson wants is to get tangled up with a woman. Especially one who's used to getting what she wants when she wants it. He knows what rich girls like her expect and he isn't interested in playing games. But he's no match for Victoria's hardworking determination and sexy brand of innocence.

A rousing story of adventure on the high seas, Naked Launch: Book Two picks up the intertwined stories of Alan Steele, Malcolm Lowe and Henry Morgan where Book One leaves off.Now mature and toughened men who met as callow youths looking for adventure and the chance to make their fortunes, Alan and Malcolm are infamous masters of their own pirate ship while Henry has chosen a more conventional path but still loves and respects his old friends. Alan and Malcolm command a ship crewed by gay pirates who work, eat, sleep and love naked as nature intended while waging war on puritanical Spanish traders and plantation owners.Equal parts 17th-century adventure tale and sly utopian fantasy, Naked Launch: Book Two is a captivating mix of historical drama and sultry romance, rendered with meticulous attention to period detail.

Lin-Manuel Miranda created the Broadway hit-musical of the decade in Hamilton. His earlier production In The Heights set theater audiences dancing to a hip hop/ Latin beat. And if you have children or are a child at heart, you know all about the music of Moana. But there's a lot you don't know about this pop culture genius.Miranda's story is the classic American Dream on full display. The son of Puerto Rican immigrants, Miranda's life-long obsession with music, theater and the possibilities of creating for The Great White Way drove him through the ups and downs of the highly competitive world of Broadway and, through sheer drive, determination and an abundance of creative talent has made his way to the top of the entertainment world.Through extensive research in a number of widely divergent sources, Shapiro has pieced together the life and times of Lin-Manuel Miranda, replete with all the large and small moments that comprise the character of a literal creative renaissance man, composer, actor, culturally and socially savvy and multi-Tony-Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning giant of the Broadway stage whose future is only limited by his imagination which is always on the go and creating worlds to comeRenaissance Man: The Lin Manuel Miranda Story is a blueprint for success, an inspirational guide to following one's dreams and, perhaps most important, the answer to the question of what following your dreams can bring.

Ancient codes and a legendary killer lure a young detective into a dark and dangerous world. When a murdered historian is marked with a mysterious code, homicide detective Dee Brentano worries about his colleague - her missing father, Alexandre. FBI special agent J. R. Pierce tells her that Alexandre is wanted for this murder. Desperate to find him first, she discovers that Alexandre has items that several people - including Pierce - would kill to possess. One is a letter attributed to Jack the Ripper. Another is an erotic cryptograph. Dee encounters a potential ally in Detective Gregory Brenner. She's attracted to him, but fears that he's playing her to find her father. She's also drawn to her father's protégé, Scott Bateman, who can decode the Ripper letter's secret message and the symbol on the murdered historian. It's bait for luring supernatural entities. It's also a map to locating her father. Dee must choose her path wisely. One leads to a supernatural lover, the other to an immortal serial killer. Dean Koontz called Ramsland's Ghost: Investigating the Other Side, "The best book of its kind I've ever read," and Publisher's Weekly stated that "Ramsland is a master of foreboding." Whitley Streiber found The Heat Seekers to be a "gem" and said, "Katherine Ramsland is a marvelous novelist, who approaches her subject with chilling, fascinating inner knowledge."

Liv called her hunger the Void, a bottomless pit of sexual desperation. She thought she knew it, and herself. Until a night with Cassandra silenced it. And brought out something in Liv she didn't think possible: submission.One taste of that, and Liv wanted more.But Cassandra isn't an easy dominant, and her demands aren't simple. She expects Liv to earn her way into her good graces, too follow her every command and whim. How many hurdles must Liv jump before she can kneel before Cassandra? Before Cassandra will lay claim to her?Just what will it take to become Cassandra's "L?" And, if Liv achieves it, will the outcome be all she's hoped for? Find out in a timeless tale, retold. Find out in Story of L.Winner, Lesbian Erotica, 2011 Lambda Literary Awards"This is a story with some real depth to it, one that forces us to explore our own ideas of dominance and submission, even as Liv learns about hers."-Sally Bend, reviewer, Bending the Bookshelf

In book one of this classic gay pirate historical, originally published in the 1970s, the young Englishman Alan Steele yearns for adventure and a seafaring life. Even if the reality doesn't quite match up to his fantasies, there's still plenty of romance, danger and the tantalizing promise of wealth for a young man willing to take risks.From Bristol, England to Spanish plantations in the Caribbean, Alan and his new friends Henry, Malcolm and Morgan go from cabin boys to captains packing lifetimes full of love, sex, injustice and rebellion into a few years, emerging tough-yet still tender-men who know what (and who) they want.Pirates of the Caribbean has nothing on this rollicking novel of young men and the sea!

Thanksgiving…the sexiest time of the year..NOT!Thanksgiving needs a marketing do-over. It should be the sexiest time of the year when you consinder that we get four full days off from work, too much good food and drink, football, left-overs, binge-watching, and the intoxicating rush of shopping, either in the flesh or online, for presents for others and yourself. And maybe even a trip back home to rekindle old flames.In these pages you'll find some bonafide Thanksgiving smut, but this is mostly a collection of hot spanking stories featuring everything from alpha werewolves to strict librarians, and even an installment in Trinity's Blacio's continuing naughty stepbrother series.Giving Spanks by Jack StrattonLove in the Elevator by Renee RoseTommy Takes Off His Boots by Ryan FieldA Super Spanking by Louisa BacioHappy Birthday by Oleander PlumeSpank Me, Mr. Darcy by Lissa Trevor and Jane AustenSpanked by Her Stepbrother by Trinity BlacioShe Has to Touch by Jennifer WilliamsPunishment Befitting the Crime by DL King

#MeToo: Essays About How and Why This Happened,What It Means and How To Make Sure It Never Happens AgainMore than 16 million people had posted their #MeToo story and support against sexual harassment by mid-October as a reaction to Rose McGowan's brave admission that she had allegedly been raped by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. A groundswell of reaction to and exposure of this sexual predation was unleashed that has spread throughout Europe and beyond. New revelations of unacceptable behavior in every industry break every day as people come forward in response to the viral #MeToo posts. Protests are scheduled such as the "Take back the Workplace" Hollywood march in November of 2017, and legislation is being drafted in New York and California to finally change the way things have been for far too long.This is the turning point. Things are going to change.This is a historic moment and it needs to be memorialized, passed around and passed on. Although social media is a fantastic means of igniting a fire, it needs to keep burning, like a torch.So Riverdale Avenue Books, a woman-owned leading hybrid publisher, is putting its money, words and power, behind this and publishing this collection of 26 essays from people who understand want to make this change, and we, as a society, have got to figure out a way to drive that change forward.So pass this book around. Share it with your sons, brothers, fathers, your daughters, sisters and mothers, your co-workers and friends. Read passages to them, if they won't read it for themselves. Leave it on the desk of someone who should know better.Help us make this movement more than a hashtag.