The definitive collection of South Carolina's odd, wacky, and most offbeat people, places, and things, for South Carolina residents and anyone else who enjoys local humor and trivia with a twist.

Much has happened in South Carolina throughout its checkered three hundred year history. It Happened in South Carolina goes behind-the-scenes to tell its story, in over 30 short episodes that reveal the intriguing people and events that have shaped the Palmetto State. * Discover the escapades of "Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet, who terrorized the coastline alongside the notorious Blackbeard. * Make the acquaintance of young Eliza Lucas, who changed the course of American history when she took charge of the family plantation at the tender age of sixteen. * Learn about the famous Haile Gold Mine, at one time the most successful producer of gold east of the Mississippi River. * Learn how the Jenkins Orphanage Band originated the dance craze known as the Charleston.

Paul Bradshaw was orphaned as an infant over fifty years ago. His father, a professional musician, suddenly died of a heart attack when Paul was eight days old. Within a year, his mother was gone, as well; ."died of a broken heart," he was always told. He had always accepted this explanation without question. Now, as a grown man and father of three boys approaching their own tentative adulthood, the rusting, armor of Bradshaw's youthful idealism begins to fail him in mid-life. At the edges of a mental crisis, Paul receives a package offering him tantalizing clues to a past he's long denied. He decides a fuller, deeper reckoning with his true background is clearly overdue. But where do you go to learn truths lovingly kept from you for half a lifetime? Where do you go to find an identity you can't recall? Bradshaw embarks on a journey of discovery that ends in a radical hypnotherapy of many months. He mysteriously crosses the boundaries of time and space to "visit" 1940s Indiana and Culver Military Academy just as World War II is winding down. There he encounters the parents he never knew and the spark of parental love he missed as a child is kindled into a beguiling, fascinating flame. It illuminates Paul's life in new and unexpected ways, not all of them happy or ideal. As Paul interacts with his parents approaching their ultimate fate (and his own looms ahead on the horizon), does he intercede to change their destiny? Can he? Should he? Will he dare to try? What is real and what is fantasy? Ultimately, Paul learns what he is supposed to find in the gift of this "impossible" second chance? For anyone who has ever wanted to reach beyond the here and now to touch what might have been, The Lullaby Lost is a must-read. Here is a love story that breaks all the rules about time and memory, life and death. In the tradition of "Field of Dreams," The Lullaby Lost is an unforgettable story about one man's quest to fill an indefinable emptiness in his life -- transcending the limits of reality. It restores one's faith in the amazing power of love.

Everyones guide to protecting yourself from dishonest people, by the nations most respected reference-check expert

Unqualified hires, abusive nannies, delinquent renters, dishonest contractors . . . in todays dog-eat-dog world, what readers dont know about the people they depend on can definitely hurt them. Written in plain, jargon-free English by Monster.coms reference expert, Reference Checking for Everyone tells managers, business owners, HR professionals, landlords, administrators, and even parents how to find everything they need to know about anyone.

Paul Barada covers every aspect of personal intel-gathering with a wealth of easy-to-access information on:

• Choosing the best employees, tenants, nannies, service providers, and other key people
  
• Navigating the complex legal issues--includes a waiver form and lists of questions that can and cannot be asked legally
  
• Getting information quickly to avoid slowing down the hiring or rental process
  
• Exposing liars and dealing with dishonest candidates, renters, and others
  
• Obtaining in-depth history, even when confronted with no comment policies