Timothy Schaffert

Schaffert concocts an imaginary series of young adult books that have supposedly taken the world by storm. Theyre known as Miranda-and-Desirees because of the two plucky sisters who are their heroines. The institution that Miranda and Desiree have made famous sounds almost as well known as Hogwarts. But its "Rothgutts Asylum for Misguided Girls. No. 11, called "The Coffins of Little Hope," is the last book in the series. Fans of the series are in...

"Clementine, sometimes known as Judge, is a 72-year-old reformed con artist with a penchant for impeccably tailored suits. Her life of crime has led her from the uber-wealthy perfume junkies of belle epoque Manhattan, to the scented butterflies of Costa Rica, to the spice markets of Marrakesh, and finally the bordellos of Paris, where she settles down and opens a legitimate shop bottling her favorite extracts for the ladies of the cabarets. In 1941...

"For weeks after the sinking of the Titanic, Yorick spots his own name among the list of those lost at sea. As an apprentice librarian for the White Star Line, his job was to curate the ship's second-class library. But just as he was about to board to tend to his library throughout the passage, a superior takes his place, leaving Yorick stranded at the dock. The Titanic was not Yorick's first brush with death, but as with every near-miss he manages...