{"product_id":"9781450267991","title":"The Velvet Thorn: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eAsian singer-composer Bella Mariposa can’t ignore the difficulties in her marriage to physician Daniel Miranda. In hopes of salvaging her union and regaining some sense of balance not only for herself, but also for her children, she flees to a spiritual retreat in Hollywood.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eAt the retreat, she meets Father Derek Lindenberg, who is noted for his absolute resolve to stifle his human feelings to fit the unyielding framework of his priesthood. The two form a close bond and then, the unexpected happens: they fall deeply, irrevocably in love. But how can they survive the grueling twists and turns of the machinery of life?\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eWhat follows is a gripping story of how the incessant pendulum of our daily lives can act erratically; how seemingly unshakeable principles, like those borne of tradition and religious beliefs, can suddenly be displaced and challenged; and how the forces of love and fate will test the unbending rules of society.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Velvet Thorn\u003c\/i\u003e uncovers the subtle shades of emotion that, though muffled by convention, forge their way to escape and express themselves in the most wonderful prism of colors that only love can see and understand.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"iUniverse, Incorporated","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47128711987440,"sku":"9781450267991","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781450267991_p0.jpg?v=1763837082","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781450267991","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}