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On a golden August morning in 1939, sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska send their father off to defend Poland against the looming threat of German invasion. The next day, the first bombs fall on Warsaw, decimating their beloved city and shattering the world of their youth.

When Antonina's beloved Marek is forced behind ghetto walls along with the rest of Warsaw's Jewish population, Antonina turns her worry into action and becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. Helena finds herself drawn into the ranks of Poland's secret army, joining the fight to free her homeland from occupation. But the secrets both are forced to keep threaten to tear the sisters apart--and the cost of resistance proves greater than either ever imagined.

Shining a light on the oft-forgotten history of Poland during WWII and inspired by true stories of ordinary individuals who fought to preserve freedom and humanity in the darkest of times, The Warsaw Sisters is a richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of our deepest ties.

A gorgeous, large-format gift hardcover featuring city maps from all over the world, from ancient history to the present day.

With a stunning neon cover and packed with countless facts for curious readers to return to again and again, this is a perfect gift for children who want to explore history from around the world.

Co-authored by award-winning children's authors Tracey Turner and Andrew Donkin in consultation with specialist curators at the British Museum, readers can visit cities from every inhabited continent on Earth, from the walled city of Jericho built over 10,000 years ago, to the modern-day metropolis of Tokyo, the most-densely populated city in the world today.

Featuring vibrant, beautifully detailed artwork from Libby VanderPloeg, each carefully researched map takes readers on a city tour at a unique moment in time--from exploring Athens in ancient Greece during the birth of democracy, to walking the beautiful lamplit streets of medieval Benin, deep in the West African rainforest. Readers can even visit China's long-lost capital city of Xianyang--a city for which no original map exists, which was brought to life with support from the British Museum's fantastic team of experts.

Cities featured include Jericho, Memphis, Athens, Xianyang, Rome, Constantinople, Baghdad, Jórvík, Benin City, Tenochtitlán, Granada, Beijing, Venice, Delhi, Cuzco, Amsterdam, Sydney, Paris, London, Bangkok, Saint Petersburg, New York City, Berlin, San Francisco, and Tokyo, plus an exploration of Cities of Today and Cities of Tomorrow.

The Haunted meets House of Salt and Sorrows in this young adult debut horror by acclaimed Canadian master of the macabre Joel A. Sutherland.

Seventeen-year-old Josephine Jagger is a talented writer with special abilities she doesn't fully understand. Over the years she has developed methods to cope with the voices she hears in her head, but the old house her family has inherited in Vermont makes Josephine question what's real and what's not more than anything she's ever encountered before. It's filled with shadows, and whispers, and the unshakable feeling of being watched. Josephine then catches her first glimpse of a shadowy woman with long hair, pale skin, an impossibly wide smile and hollow pits for eyes. Her name is Dorcas, the ghost of a witch who died three hundred years ago. She has summoned the family to Vermont to ensnare them - then consume them - in order to rise from the grave and live again...

A Practical Guide to Decorating Your Home with Purpose and Personality

Full of practical action items and bursting with unique and inspiring photos, The Story of Your Home is your room-by-room guide to creating a home that reflects the personality and purpose of the people who actually live there. So often the designs in magazines and on Pinterest just aren't quite... you. You want your home to tell your story, to function well for your family, to make your guests feel at home.

Our homes are where we create memories, build relationships, and find sanctuary. With the help of interior designer Courtney Warren and her DesignSense Quiz, you'll start by determining the heart behind your home and the story you want to tell through it. She'll guide you through your house, one room at a time, providing tools to stretch you beyond mere aesthetics to the true essence of how you live and what you want your home to say to the people who live in it and those you invite in. Each chapter ends with a section tackling the most asked about design topics.

In this hilarious and clever “how-to” picture book, a little girl and a know-it-all narrator are thwarted by a cat who refuses to take a bath. The perfect read-aloud for fans of Snappsy the Alligator and Interrupting Chicken.

Step one: fill the bath

Step two: put the cat in the bath

Step three: put shampoo on the cat

Step four: rinse the cat

Step five: dry the cat.

Seems simple, right? One problem: the cat has no intention of doing ANY of these things! Watch as the steps keep changing, the cat keeps escaping, the girl keeps eating cookies and the mess keeps escalating. Soon it's not just the cat who needs a bath - it's the whole house! This spoof on an instruction manual features an increasingly bewildered human, a nonchalant cat and a know-it-all narrator who really doesn't know it all. How DO you give a cat a bath? Read on to find out!

When your dying mother has one last request, how can you say no?

Grace Tingley and Brian Posey are forty-something twins whose lives have gone in very different directions. Grace, now a private school teacher in coastal Connecticut, was a PhD candidate at Yale when an unexpected pregnancy threw her plans into a tailspin. Brian, an adventure travel executive in Seattle, barely scraped through an obscure New England college and recently married Ella, after three years in an intimate relationship with a charismatic man from Jamaica.

When their widowed mother Cinny, a charter member of Woodstock Nation, is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Grace and Brian are there for her last days in hospice care. This is where Cinny reveals her staggering plan for the siblings: They're to sprinkle her ashes, mixed with their father's, at a series of exotic locations around the globe--some remote, some challengingly public, all known and loved by the Poseys.

Joined by their own immediate families, Grace and Brian set off on a funereal odyssey that uncovers more about their parents' relationship, and themselves, than the twins find it easy to admit.

By turns hilarious, profound, jarring, and poignant, Pocketful of Poseys bounds dizzily across the United States to New Zealand, Thailand, Italy, and more, as the last of Cinny Posey's secrets are exposed, and her survivors are forced to confront the strength of the ties that bind them all together--for worse and for better.

When Light Breaks Through takes us beyond the witch trials to tell a riveting, expansive story of what happened in Salem Village.

1692. In what begins as a daring adolescent game, twelve-year-old Ann Putnam becomes a ringleader of the “afflicted children” who accuse scores of people of witchcraft, resulting in twenty executions and untold misery for those imprisoned and their families in Massachusetts and Maine.

1697. Joseph Green, a young schoolteacher who is in love and eager to marry, takes on the Salem Village ministry that no one else wants and sets about mending the bitter discord that divides the congregation and the village. With his wife Elizabeth, he gradually earns the respect and trust of his congregation, eventually taking some dramatic actions that move the people to confront their future together as a community.

1706. With Joseph’s help, Ann delves into the darkness of her past, uncovering startling truths about her family and her childhood motivations. Standing before the neighbors whose loved ones she has sent to jail or to their deaths, she makes an appeal that could finally unite the people in forgiveness.

The compelling narrative takes us from the girlhood friendship of Ann and Abigail Williams, the other ringleader in the witch trials, to the intense, often shocking drama of the trials themselves, and to the small farming village on the edge of the frontier in 17th-century Massachusetts where Joseph Green pursues his quest to unite a bitterly divided people.

When Light Breaks Through is fact-based historical fiction. Its characters are based on real people. Its account of the witch trials and the public events surrounding them is grounded in public documents and historical research.

Reviews

"What sets the novel apart is Murphy’s heartening examination of later events, as minister Joseph Green becomes an appointed preacher in Salem Village years later and transforms the famously miserable town into a space for healing and community. . . . When Light Breaks Through is a showcase for Murphy’s mastery of historical events and their consequences over years . . . Written with clear, engaging prose and a strong sense of what life actually felt like, this offers an intimate and hopeful take on a horrific patch of history." —Booklife by Publisher’s Weekly

“I was immediately drawn into reading Brenda Murphy's When Light Breaks Through for its compelling characters and thought-provoking themes of forgiveness and peace. I particularly liked the story's richly detailed and evocative worldbuilding of 17th-century Salem Village, the farming community, family life, disputes within and between families, land disputes, and power struggles. The characters and the story sprang to life through those details. The novel's most challenging and chilling parts were the trials and the dark, complex web of motivations, accusations, grievances, and revenge.” —Readers’ Favorite

A double helping of Narwhal and Jelly in a brand-new format! Join the underwater duo in this two-book graphic novel bind-up of their first two adventures — with extras like drawing guides, a superhero name generator and a pod pledge!

"Hilarious and charming. The most lovable duo since Frog and Toad." —Dav Pilkey, creator of the Dog Man and Captain Underpants series

A podtastic offering for new and old fans alike! This paperback bind-up of the first two Narwhal and Jelly titles (Unicorn of the Sea! and Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt) is full to the brim with personality, hilarity and most importantly, waffles. Join Narwhal and Jelly on their very first meeting, all the way to them becoming superheroes!

The remarkable, must-read story of Charlie Chaplin's years of exile from the United States during the postwar Red Scare, and how it ruined his film career, from bestselling biographer Scott Eyman.

Bestselling Hollywood biographer and film historian Scott Eyman tells the story of Charlie Chaplin's fall from grace. In the aftermath of World War Two, Chaplin was criticized for being politically liberal and internationalist in outlook. He had never become a US citizen, something that would be held against him as xenophobia set in when the postwar Red Scare took hold.

Politics aside, Chaplin had another problem: his sexual interest in young women. He had been married three times and had had numerous affairs. In the 1940s, he was the subject of a paternity suit, which he lost, despite blood tests that proved he was not the father. His sexuality became a convenient way for those who opposed his politics to condemn him. Refused permission to return to the US from a trip abroad, he settled in Switzerland, and made his last two films in London.

In Charlie Chaplin vs. America, bestselling author Scott Eyman explores the life and times of the movie genius who brought us such masterpieces as City Lights and Modern Times. This is a perceptive, insightful portrait of Chaplin and of an America consumed by political turmoil.

Come play with Ploof! Meet a friendly cloud full of feelings in this interactive picture book for fans of Hervé Tullet's Press Here, from the creator of Narwhal and Jelly and the co-creator of Science Explorers.

Ploof is a puffy cloud who's a little lonely — but now you're here, and the fun can begin! Can you help Ploof overcome their shyness? Play pretend? Make Ploof laugh with your funny faces, find their hiding spot, give them a high five! Full of imaginative and interactive fun, each page of this perfect book for preschoolers offers a chance to play. By following cues to say hello, clap, blow, shake, wave or make a funny face, young readers will be delighted to see the effects of their actions on Ploof. They'll learn social-emotional skills like empathy, encouragement and kindness through Ploof's emotional journey — and, along the way, they'll learn how to be a fantastic friend!

Join Ploof's adventures in a brand-new series co-written and co-illustrated by Narwhal and Jelly creator Ben Clanton and up-and-coming picture book maker Andy Chou Musser.

Do you know all there is to know about dinosaurs? They're mean, green, and not very smart, right?

Well, this book is here to show you that you're WRONG! But don't worry, even the experts can't be right all the time...

From fossilized feathers to long-necked look-alikes, this ingenious book is packed with so many amazing dinosaur discoveries, you'll soon become a paleontology pro. Including jaw-dropping research that will debunk many myths about all kinds of prehistoric creatures--you'll never look at a pigeon the same way again!

With fascinating, friendly, and easy-to-understand text written by zoologist Dr. Nick Crumpton and amazingly detailed color artwork on every page, this beautifully produced hardcover gift book with an incredible tactile cover will delight dinosaur fans of any age.

This beautiful new work of historical fiction was inspired by the diary of an 18th-century Roman Jewish girl who was imprisoned in a convent cell by the Catholic Church in an attempt to forcibly convert her.

"An intricately detailed novel of resistance and community." --Kirkus Reviews

Anything But Yes is the true story of a young woman's struggle to defend her identity in the face of relentless attempts to destroy it. In 1749, eighteen-year-old Anna del Monte was seized at gunpoint from her home in the Jewish ghetto of Rome and thrown into a convent cell at the Casa dei Catecumeni, the house of converts. With no access to the outside world, she withstood endless lectures, threats, promises, isolation and sleep deprivation. If she were she to utter the simple word "yes," she risked forced baptism, which would mean never returning to her home, and total loss of contact with any Jew--mother, father, brother, sister--for the rest of her life. 

Even in Rome, very few people know the story of the Ghetto or the abduction of Jews, the story of popes ever more intent on converting every non-Catholic living in the long shadow of the Vatican. Young girls and small children were the primary targets. They were vulnerable, easily confused, gullible. Anna del Monte was different. She was strong, brilliant, educated, and wrote a diary of her experiences. The document was lost for more than 200 hundred years, then rediscovered in 1989. Anything But Yes is also based on Davidow's extensive research on life in the eighteenth-century Roman ghetto, its traditions, food, personalities, and dialect.

Includes Italian to English glossary.

Two popular storybook titans, princesses and dinosaurs, battle to determine who should star in this laugh-out-loud picture book for fans of Shark vs Train and The Book With No Pictures.

This is a princess book!

No, it's a dinosaur book!

No, it's . . . a T. rex book? A dragon book? A rubber ducky book?!

From Linda Bailey, award-winning and critically acclaimed author, and Joy Ang, Adventure Time-artist and illustrator of the Mustache Baby series, comes an irresistibly irreverent picture book in which plucky princesses and determined dinosaurs have a battle royale over whose book this is. When they start calling in the big guns - or rather, the big carnivores - and decide to build a wall to resolve their differences, princesses and dinosaurs alike learn a thing or two about open-mindedness and sharing.

A little girl's love of dim sum spills over into her dreams, taking her on a fantastical food-filled adventure, in this picture book love letter to Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen. Beautifully illustrated with a gold foil cover, this is the perfect gift for foodies of all ages.

Liddy is so excited about going to the Dim Sum Palace tomorrow with her family that she can't sleep. So when a delicious smell wafts into her room, she hops out of bed, opens her door and steps into... an actual palace of dim sum! There are dumplings, baos, buns and more delicious treats than one girl can possibly eat. Liddy just has to take a bite, but she slips and falls... into a bowl of dumpling filling. The chefs are so busy rolling, folding and pinching dough that they don't notice they've prepared a most unusual dumpling for the Empress—a Liddy dumpling! Worst of all, she looks good enough to eat...

This deliciously humorous debut picture book, inspired by X. Fang's memories as a child of epic dim sum feasts, is a dreamworld adventure that is at once a glorious celebration of the sensory world of childhood and a loving helping of food, family and culture.

A breathtaking picture book about incredible animal migrations, illustrated by the winner of the 2019 Waterstones Children's Book Prize, Jenny Løvlie.

Over the cold, mirrored waters of the Arctic, a tiny tern sets off on the world's longest animal migration. On her way, she passes humpback whales, caribou, Canada geese, leatherback turtles, and monarch butterflies, each on their own incredible journey south for winter. When the Arctic tern finally arrives, she must find a new home on the Antarctic shore... until it's time to return to the northern skies once again.

A beautiful, lyrical, and reassuring bedtime story, perfect for young animal lovers, with a map and double-page spread of non-fiction facts at the end.

The telling of stories has been a pastime of many cultures through the generations, but to the Native and Indigenous peoples, the sharing of folklore and legends specifically relayed the history and experiences of the tribes. In Coyote Stories, Mourning Dove recounts the history of the Animal People through the adventures of Sin-ka-lip’ and his work for the Spirit Chief.

“We who lived the days of tribal life before our destruction began remember with gratefulness our storytellers and the delight and joy and richness which they imparted to our lives. We never tired of their tales, though told countless times. They will, forsooth, never grow old, for they have within them the essence of things that cannot grow old. These legends are of America, as are its mountains, rivers, and forests, and as are its people. They belong!”

In the time of the Animal People (Chip-chap-tiqulk), follow the adventures of Coyote (Sin-ka-lip’) the most important Animal Person that ever was. Put to work by the Spirit Chief, Coyote–despite his love for imitation and trickery–helps to make the world a good place to live for Animal People and New People alike while occasionally amusing himself with mischief.

Containing over two dozen tales from, “The Spirit Chief Names the Animal People,” to “Coyote Imitates Bear and Kingfisher,” Coyote Stories is Mourning Dove’s collections of legends recounting the history of the world in it’s youth.

Professionally typeset with a beautifully designed cover, this edition of Coyote Stories is a classic of Native and Indigenous literature reimagined for the modern reader.

A warm-hearted and witty fractured fairy-tale adventure for Christmas.

It's Christmas Eve and Father Christmas has fallen asleep at the Three Bears' cottage but NOTHING will wake him. It's up to Baby Bear and the Fairy-Tale Rescue Rangers to deliver the last presents so EVERY child gets a gift. But how will they cross the Roaring Rushing River, navigate the Deepest Darkest Wood, and get past the Most Monstrous Mountain... all before the children wake up on Christmas morning?

The perfect picture book to share with children 3+ at Christmas!

Just like Volume one, Sudoku Stonkers 2 is Very Hard! This is no idle threat, these are not puzzles for the faint-hearted. Each Puzzle is unique and has been chosen specifically to stretch the power of logic!

Just as volume one came with a warning so does this edition: These puzzles may cause hair loss from excessive pulling, brain scramble or freeze, insomnia from constant thinking, until the most experienced Sudoku solvers are rendered to blubbering wrecks. Only the very persistent will solve these puzzles, by employing the very best strategies.

Well, are you up for it?

Almost two years after Lilly Kurtz first traveled to Pinecraft, Florida, with friends, she's decided to make a fresh start there. She's ready to be new-and-improved Lilly, a Lilly without a past, a Lilly with no secrets. At first, everything goes well. She gets a job, her coworkers feel like family, and she enjoys reconnecting with her friends. But it turns out the past is reluctant to be left behind.

When Lilly meets hardworking farmer Eddie Byler, she can't get him off of her mind. But then she discovers that Eddie actually lives just a few miles from her hometown in Ohio. Lilly knows that he's not going to like it when he finds out what secrets she's been running from. And she knows she could never follow the man she's falling in love with back to a place where she's never felt accepted.

Will Lilly have to give up on love in order to find peace? Or could it be that love is actually the solution to all of her problems?

A fascinating book about the vehicles that have shaped our world, written by narrowboat captain and children's author Matt Ralphs, with stunning color illustrations on every page by Rui Ricardo.

From ancient chariots and Viking longships to racing cars, rockets, and solar-powered airplanes, our world has been changed by the pioneering development of many incredible vehicles. Take a journey through time to discover how these 50 groundbreaking inventions changed the world and how they might even shape our future...

A fun and festive reimagining of the classic American folk song, "We're Going on a Bear Hunt," made famous by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.

Three children are off on a hunt for the perfect Christmas present! But first they've got to get through the spiky Christmas trees, a herd of hungry reindeer, some noisy carol singers, and a very busy toy store! But there are SO MANY toys... will they ever find the perfect present?

This joyful stocking stuffer has zingy neon ink on the cover and throughout, and is filled with cute characters and Christmas surprises! Repeated phrases and sound words make this an interactive picture book, great for sharing with the whole family at Christmas.

Fall Word Search

100 + word search Puzzles

2100 Words

Relaxing Fun

A Great Fall Gift for Women & Men!

The arrival of a mysterious new neighbor inspires a kid to write her own poetry in this humorous and unforgettable new middle-grade novel by award-winning author Cary Fagan.

Andie Gladman is your typical kid - she lives in a small town, doesn't have many friends and quietly puts up with taunts from the school bully, Myrtle Klinghoffer. But one day, a new neighbor moves into the house next to Andie's family... and he looks awfully familiar. Could he be famous author Hans Christian Andersen?

Andie sure thinks so, and the arrival of this well-known writer inspires Andie to write her own poems (with a feminist twist) based on his classic fairy tales. Her newfound hobby leads her to make a friend and finally feel some excitement about her previously quiet life... but will a shocking revelation change everything for Andie?

A dark fantasy Grim Reaper origin story perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.

In the snow fields of Moirai, a child is buried as she screams. In the morning, she is found wrapped in a blue blanket—still very much alive.

Thus begins the strange life of Morena, the last descendant of the Fate Atropos. Doomed with the dark gift of death, imprisoned for all of her life in a stone tower, Morena’s only view is the Obsidian Sea. Her companion in this lonely cell is her non-magical sister, and to save her, she will bow to a bloodthirsty queen.

Hiding her strength and her soft heart, Morena hones her murderous abilities, serving as assassin and slave to an unstoppable villain - her mother, Malinda the Mad Queen. There’s no hope of escape until the arrival of a mysterious prince who claims to be her betrothed. He's there to rescue her - on the back of a dragon, no less - and Morena is all too willing to throw herself into his muscular arms. But all is not as it seems with the gray-eyed prince of her girlhood fantasies, a fact which becomes immediately apparent as they journey to his castle. She meets a strange cast of characters - witches, Fae, goblins, and the other descendants of the Fates.

Set in an epic fantasy world in a timeline of hundreds of years, this most unlikely of heroines will surprise and defy all readers’ expectations and assumptions about the Grim Reaper and how she came to be.

Ideal for fans of greek mythology retellings, who want the spice of Fourth Wing. This YA fantasy is the first book in a stunning new series featuring the Three Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, and their last descendants.

(Note: This book contains adult material and various trigger warnings, including death, dismemberment, imprisonment, an abusive parent, and suicide.)

Winter Word Search

100 + word search Puzzles

2100 Words

Relaxing Fun

A Great Winter Gift for Women & Men

The National Park Service manages more than 21,000 miles of hiking trails across 85 million acres of land. Yellowstone alone is home to more than 1,000 miles within its 2.2 million acres. Choosing the right trails is no easy task.

The Dayhiker's Guide is here to help simplify hiking decisions. With 210 color trail maps, it details more than 220 of the best hiking trails in the United States. Distance and difficulty. Elevation and elevation gain. It's all there. Most importantly, thanks to years exploring our National Parks, the monumental task of paring down a list of nearly unlimited options is taken on by an extremely reliable source. Whether it's sliding down snow hills along Mount Rainier's Skyline Trail, bounding down sand dunes at Death Valley, or walking among Bryce Canyon's colorful hoodoos under a fresh blanket of snow, these trails are sure to make you smile (and sweat, and maybe even cry-tears of joy, of course!).

Hiking is about going into the wild. Feeling free. Communing with nature. And, quite possibly, finding yourself. If you plan on finding yourself hiking in a National Park sometime soon, this book will help you find your trails.

I am Lady Ramillia Winmoore, daughter of the very late Earl of Brooksberry, or I was lifetimes ago. I am an immortal, and this is my story. Do what you will with it, but I must warn you: this tale is not for the faint of heart. Highborn Victorian Lady that I was, my life was one of violence and cruelty.

Lady Ramillia Winmoore has suffered gaps in her memory her entire life. This darkness has proven to be a blessing until the day she awakens strapped to an examination table at the West Freeman Asylum for Lunatics. Imprisoned for the gruesome murder of her parents, she is forced to endure years of torture until salvation arrives in the form of a benefactor named Sir Julian Lawrence. Betrothed to her through an arranged marriage, Julian helps her gain freedom.

But appearances are deceiving and soon Ramillia learns the cost she must pay. The horrors she encounters in his household are far worse than the asylum. When he inducts her into a society of bloodthirsty, cruel immortals, she is forced to join them and accept their way of life.

Armed with talents she doesn’t know she has, Ramillia must break free of a prison she cannot see, kill an enemy who cannot die, and find a daughter who she cannot remember—all with the help of an ally she does not know.

In this chilling gaslight-era Gothic horror novel where paranormal powers are bred and collected, friends and foes are not always what they seem when immortality is at stake.

A Multilayered Story of the Tragedy, Triumph, and Peculiarity of New Orleans.

Amid the infection of urban decay and fatuous political causes, mischief looms in the New Orleans neighborhood of Gentilly Terrace. A newly elected tax assessor, Jerry Sonothanx, is burdened with gambling debts and childcare payments and in desperate need of cash. After receiving a tip that a family-owned Vietnamese grocery store in his district is running an illegal lottery, Jerry sees an opportunity for financial salvation and enlists the services of an opportunistic political insider to teach him the gentle art of extortion.

Meanwhile, FBI Agent Margot Hoang finds herself increasingly smitten with a local police officer even as she is assigned to surveil the same lottery-running grocery store that is thriving in her childhood neighborhood.

And Lecky Calloway, a henpecked middle-aged lawyer married to the wealthy scion of an old New Orleans family, determines that he's ready to experiment with his suppressed sexuality while trying to support his daughter as she undergoes addiction recovery.

The paths of these characters intersect when a tragic crime at the grocery store irrevocably alters their lives. Weaving a fascinating, complex political crime story full of keen satire, petty struggles, and crooked public servants, The Prophets of Gentilly Terrace depicts life on the gritty streets of a once-grandiose city.

America was founded on the concept of the innate and inalienable rights of humankind. Many Christians see an echo of the imago Dei—that every human being carries the image of God—within those ideals. Yet these rights were systemically withheld from the Black and enslaved residents of this country for centuries. Through it all, Black people have proclaimed the truth of their dignity and personhood in powerful and profound ways.

Crowned with Glory collects many of the writings of these men and women, both familiar and lesser-known, to shine a light on what has always been there: an enormous movement of Black Americans demanding the liberty they were promised and deserved. With moving and insightful reflections on these oft-forgotten or suppressed voices, author Jasmine L. Holmes offers a hopeful and encouraging testament to the power of unrelenting cries for justice that will strike a chord with anyone looking for a robust Christian history of resistance.

If you want to understand how we got here, read this book. If you want to know where we go from here, read it again.

This original compilation—a small treasure—offers a concise and contemporary compendium of some key North American (Turtle Island) wisdom teachings to help support people through this era of transition.

"I ask you to listen, not just with your minds. I ask you to listen with your hearts, because that's the only way you can receive what it is, what we are giving. These are the teachings of our hearts."

- Frank Decontie, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg

What do some of the venerable, deeply rooted wisdom teachings of the Americas offer in our era of transition?

This Soul*Sparks small treasure offers an array of thoughtful messages, a compilation of keys that everyone has opportunities to turn. We'd be wise to understand and then to weave their enduring insights into the fabric of what we are creating for ourselves, our children, and our children’s children

The words of contemporary elders, in particular, sound notes of urgency.

What's the day-to-day, decade-to-decade life of a teacher like?

Documenting Patricia Austin's forty-plus years as an educator, Tales from a Teaching Life: Vignettes in Verse invites readers along on a chronological journey through elementary and university classrooms. Austin captures modes, moods, and moments of teaching, from a stumbling entry into the profession to an unexpected dive into the brave new world of online instruction. In verse at turns reflective, surprising, and humorous, these poems testify to the strength and profound impact of teachers everywhere.

Reviews

“Tales from a Teaching Life anticipates life for beginning teachers . . . and generates memories for those like the author who have spent their lives in sundry classrooms at all levels.”—Virginia McGee Butler, retired teacher and author of Becoming Ezra Jack Keats

“Teachers are the backbone of, and best hope for, human society, but you don’t have to be one to enjoy this honest, insightful, and captivating read. Highly recommended.” —Leslie Staub, author of If You Were An Elephant

“Poignant yet whimsical, Tales from a Teaching Life is a bit of truth we’d all be better for hearing. Any teacher will see parts of themselves reflected on the page, echoing across time and space with the evidence of a life well lived. Brava!”—Marti Dumas, author of the Wildseed Witch series

Tammy Dietz grew up committed to her family’s Mormon faith, a profoundly patriarchal hierarchy that declares men superior and women subordinate, that demands devotion, purity, and chastity. But when the dogma of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints clashes with the forces of a changing world, Tammy’s destiny transforms.

Patriarchy provides order but also chaos in a family with a depressed mother and a hoarding father. Set in the affluent Bay Area, Tammy’s coming-of-age story is one of poverty amid wealth and a desire for status, recognition, and inclusion, both inside the Church and out. But when Tammy breaks the most serious of rules, her once certain path falters, her once protective community turns intrusive, and she finds herself on an unexpected journey.

It’s 1950. Mary Belanger, a Reserve Army operating room nurse is called up and must leave behind a philandering husband and the baby of his runaway sister. All too soon, Mary is thrust into combat surgeries dealing with unimaginable wounds and forced to grow in ways she never imagined. She and the other nurses do the impossible every day saving the lives of American servicemen. When the war reaches a stage there is hope for victory, their fate is dealt a cruel blow.

At a time when US Army regulations prohibited men from serving as nurses, the actual experiences of the MASH Nurses operating close to combat is told in this compelling tale.

Mike Weedall reveals the real MASH where gallows humor ruled. Based upon the real-life experiences of the women who served in the Korean War, the courage and gallantry of these Angels of Mercy are told in a fast-paced novel.

Bailey Ventura is sure she’s met Mr. Right when she goes to Las Vegas and meets gorgeous head of casino security, Carter Davis. Charming and swoon-worthy, not to mention an Elvis tribute artist, Carter is just the kind of man Bailey can see herself growing old with. But to keep the romance going, she'll need to come up with a plan.

Luck is on Bailey's side when she wins a sexy red Thunderbird convertible! She now has the perfect excuse to ask Carter to go on a road trip with her. And when Carter agrees to accompany her on the drive home, she thinks he, too, is interested in a relationship. But all is not as it seems. Carter has an ulterior motive. He’s looking to get a million-dollar diamond out of Las Vegas, which means Bailey could very well be on a road trip to heartbreak.

Join Zeb Hogan, host of the National Geographic television show Monster Fish, on the science adventure of a lifetime.

On May 1, 2005, a Thai fisherman caught a truly monstrous Mekong giant catfish. At 646 pounds, it captured the world's attention, and with awe and wonder, it was deemed the largest freshwater fish on record. There was no denying its size, but when biologist and research associate professor Hogan saw a photo of the fish, he wondered if it really was the biggest in the world. To his surprise, no one had systematically sought to answer the question: Which of the giant freshwater species really was the largest?

Seeking to answer that question has brought Hogan face to face with massive arapaima and piranha in the Amazon, alligator gar in Texas, pigeon-eating wels catfish in France, stingrays in Cambodia, and the gnarled-toothed sawfish in Australia. Part of his scientific adventure has been captured on Monster Fish, and Hogan now tells the full story of his 25-year quest to understand the mysteries of some of the oldest, largest, most bizarre creatures on Earth.

The fate of these giant fish motivates Hogan to understand the various species he studies. The megafish's numbers are dwindling, and the majority of them face extinction. In this book, he teams up with award-winning journalist Stefan Lovgren to tell, for the first time, the remarkable and troubling story of the world's largest freshwater fish. It is a story that stretches across the globe, chronicling a race against the clock to find and protect these ancient leviathans before they disappear forever.

Chasing Giants: In Search of the World's Largest Freshwater Fish combines science, adventure, and wonder to provide insights into the key role the massive fish of our lakes and rivers play in our past, present, and future.

Keyhole is humorous science fiction about a down-on-his-luck spaceman’s quest for a lost world.

Nick, a hapless alien with a gambling problem and a nasty loan shark on his tail, is on a wild quest for a lost world. With his trusty buddy Egrog by his side, Nick embarks on an adventure filled with interstellar cannibals, dragons, and a poetry-obsessed AI. He soon discovers a secret that could make him and Egrog rich but could also prove fatal.

Life and death hang in the balance as Nick gambles with his last chance for salvation.

Creeley Nash has been running her entire life.

That includes running drugs for a wannabe kingpin. On a drug run to Palm Springs—the town where Creeley escaped her no-good mother as a teen—she’ll encounter a sun-drenched facade beneath which lurks a web of dark secrets. A Good Rush of Blood follows Creeley as she unravels the mystery of her estranged mother’s murder conviction.

Peopled with bent cops, grizzled reporters, hardened drug dealers, eccentric sidekicks and sexy librarians, this sweaty, fast-paced neo-noir finds stellar noir scribe Matt Phillips (Countdown, Know Me from Smoke) at the apex of his dirty, lethal game.

After five unsuccessful Seasons on the marriage mart, Miss Adelaide Duveen has resigned herself to the notion that she's destined to remain a spinster forever—a rather dismal prospect, but one that will allow her to concentrate on her darling cats and books. However, when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue that resembles the plots in the spy novels she devours.

Former intelligence agent Gideon Abbott feels responsible for Adelaide after society threatens to banish her because of the distraction she caused to save his case. Hoping to return the favor, he turns to a good friend—and one of high society's leaders—to take Adelaide in hand and turn her fashionable.

When danger surrounds them and Adelaide finds herself a target of the criminals in Gideon's case, the spark of love between them threatens to be quenched for good—along with their lives.

Can you imagine a future that includes your enemies? If not, what happens next?

From one of the most courageous and visionary leaders of our time comes Troubling the Water, an immersive book about the violence and injustice that threaten to drown us all. Activist Ben McBride recounts how he first waded into the water: from the Kill Zone in Oakland, where he moved with his young family, to the uprising in Ferguson, to the moral impoverishment of the white evangelical church. In the truth-telling tradition of Bryan Stevenson and Bishop William Barber, McBride leads us right into the fury and fragmentation of our moment, and then steadies us once we're there.

What would it take to truly belong to each other? Radical belonging, McBride argues, means looking at our implicit biases, at our faulty understandings of power, and at how we "other"—or "same"—people. Sometimes it even means troubling the waters—speaking hard truths in situations that appear calm but that cloak injustice.

With a blend of provocation and good humor, McBride leads us beyond inaction on the one hand and polemic on the other. What results is an indelible manifesto—a troublemaking reverend's call to the most urgent task of our time. As inequality, racism, and alienation weaken our common life, well-meaning people ask: What do I need to do to create a world where all can belong? But McBride asserts that instead, we need to ask: Who do I need to become?

Building a shared humanity is hella messy. "Peacemaking" sounds cloying and staying apart seems safer. But unless we want violence to intensify, we are running out of options. In this unforgettable book, McBride reminds us that wading into conflict and stirring up truth is the only way to find real healing.

Disappointment, hope, struggle, love, failure and resilience are everyday themes that occupy our thoughts and constitute our inner monologue. In this book, the writer takes you on a journey of self-reflection. It invites each of us to pause and reflect on the beauty, simplicity and complexity of life. To reconnect with ourselves and nature. And to rediscover ties and pure feelings with our families, friends, and the world around us… “The water gliding forming ripples on the lake. Above the clouds, blue skies, pure air… You are you… time to get happy, smile and laugh again.” And “silence, alone with my thoughts again, inviting, and familiar, like communing with an old friend…”

Dr Ibanzo is a psychologist by training and an alumnus of the Walden University, USA and the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. She is a native of Jamaica and credits her success to her faith in God. She has travelled extensively and has over 20 years of teaching experience having taught in Jamaica, China and Japan.

She is an avid reader and writer and enjoys music, reading, writing, watching black and white films, travelling and doing Pilates.

Just a Minor Threat is a book of Glen E. Friedman's most outstanding photographs of the Washington, DC, band, Minor Threat, one of the most influential hardcore punk bands in music history. While the book offers Friedman's best-known photographs of the band, most of the pictures in this volume, shot in 1982 and '83, have never been seen before.

The book has writing by Zack de la Rocha, Jello Biafra, Ian F. Svenonius, Alec MacKaye, and Jamie Shanahan. Friedman's own introduction explains how he initially met the band, and the lifelong friendships that grew from there.

The first time Friedman made pictures of Minor Threat was in Southern California early in the summer of 1982, then later on their home turf of Washington, DC. At the end of that same year, he shot them at an 'explosive and uncontrollable' performance at CBGB in New York City. In addition to these, Just a Minor Threat also comprises very rare candid and posed photos of the band, including many from the same roll as the now.

Marika Bonetti is preparing dinner when she gets a phone call from the police informing her that the EMS has taken her daughter, Jessica, to the emergency room of the local hospital. Dropping everything, Marika drives to the hospital, where she learns that Jessica is in a coma from a drug overdose. Though her daughter has often gotten into trouble, Marika didn’t know she was taking hard drugs, and she wonders where Jessica got the drug that has put her life in jeopardy. Marika’s husband, Frank, arrives as they’re taking Jessica to the ICU, and they speculate that their daughter may have gotten the drug from a person she met on social media, where she’s always searching for someone who will love her and make her happy.

At the age of thirty-two, Jessica doesn’t have a job that pays enough for her to live independently, she doesn’t have a real social life, and she doesn’t have whatever it takes to avoid repeatedly getting into trouble. Over the next few days as Marika visits her daughter in the hospital and prays for her recovery, she wonders what she did wrong as a mother that made Jessica turn out this way, and looking for an answer, she examines her life as far back as she can remember. After all that has happened she still loves her daughter unconditionally, and she has a residue of hope for her, but her faith is challenged.

Two young lizard friends in the Outback of Australia want to 'wear' their best for the annual Dreamtime Celebration where all the animals come together for the ceremony honoring the Sky Above and Earth Below, and all that nature has to offer. It will be a very important event in their young lives.

Then, they have the brilliant idea of enhancing their own natural markings for ones they think are "extra special" rather than accept themselves for who they are, but it all turns a bit sour.

How do they learn to accept themselves rather than pretend they need to be different? The lizards soon discover that truth is more important, and also that forgiveness goes both ways in Dressing for Dreamtime.

For seventeen-year-old Shaun Treadway, terror and rage are a way of life. Living with the fear that his abusive stepfather will one day kill his mother, Shaun decides to kill him first-by setting fire to his childhood home with his stepfather inside.

Fleeing Baltimore to his mother's hometown in West Virginia, he hides out in his family's isolated cabin. Except the small town of Blackthorn Peak is anything but welcoming. The streets are deserted, there is no sign of life, and at the end of Main Street is the creepiest abandoned building he's ever seen: Blackthorn Peak Lunatic Asylum.

Investigating the grounds, Shaun meets the elusive and mysterious Cass. Thrilled to find someone his own age, he asks her on a date. On the night they're supposed to meet, though, Cass desperately tries to get him to leave. Running into the asylum, she tells him to never return.

He decides to do just that-leave. This girl and this town are far too creepy for him to stay. But when he hears Cass's scream, he can't help but rush into the building. What he discovers once inside is far darker and more sinister than even his worst nightmare. Uncovering the secrets that Cass keeps just might cost him his life.

How would you describe the Abundant Life?

Some would describe it from a financial perspective. Some would describe it from the perspective of power and influence. Some would describe it from the perspective of health and well-being.

A carefully curated collection of sermons delivered during the author's time as a pastor, 'The Abundant Life: Practical Theology for Abundant Living' will contribute to the readers' understanding of the Abundant Life Jesus offers and will assist them in their journey toward a blessed life.

Jesus said that He came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. He made it clear that the only sure foundation for the Abundant Life is the good, sound theology of the Word of God, Holy Scripture, and a living faith relationship with Him. And the more we know and live that Word, the deeper that relationship with Him, the more abundant life becomes. As the saying goes, "A Bible that is falling apart from use, usually belongs to a person who is not falling apart."

When such a life on this earth is ended, and the person goes to heaven into everlasting glory, God and people will say of it: “This was a life well-lived; this was a life with a lasting legacy; this was the well-governed life; this was the abundant life.” It is my hope and prayer that the messages in this book might have some small part, or perhaps a greater than small part, in contributing to the readers’ understanding of the abundant life. As Jesus said, He came and went to the cross, and rose again, so that we might have the new life, the blessed life, the well-governed life, the abundant life.

The tragedy of gun violence is depicted in annotated illustrations that illuminate a society gone hamn; from legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D (Public Enemy, Prophets of Rage, etc.)

"With his latest work of graphic nonfiction, Chuck D uses his art and hip-hop rhymes to show how the US has been held hostage by gun violence and a growing sense of hopelessness... A focused, fresh, urgent text filled with pictures worth 1,000 words and rhymes worth thousands more." —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED review

In Summer of Hamn, legendary hip-hop artist Chuck D takes on gun violence with rhythmic, inventive writing and passionately raw art. He has long spoken out against gun violence, including how it intersects with rap and hip-hop culture. Summer of Hamn is the bound journal Chuck D carried with him in the summer of 2022—a summer marked by a particularly high rate of gun death.

In these pages, victims are memorialized, politicians are skewered, and vehement pleas to eradicate gun violence are made. Jaw-dropping statistics (40% of all personal guns in the world are owned by US citizens; there are 100 million more guns in the US than there are citizens) intersect with poetic reflections ("Another mall shooting seems normalized in Columbus / Raining outside in Ohio / Raining inside folks panic / Inside hearing shots bust"), all written in Chuck's hand over vibrant, utterly original, neoexpressionist ink and watercolor art.

This book is the follow-up to STEWdio, the debut trilogy on Chuck D's Enemy Books imprint, in which he invented a new medium—the "naphic grovel"—a bound journal brimming with his observations and reflections of current events in both art and prose. Summer of Hamn is the second release on the imprint.

At the turn of the 20th century, Maria-Luisa Moresco was not like most Italian women of her time. She was driven to achieve her professional aspirations when others looked for a happy and healthy family and a peaceful environment to call home. But when multiple tragedies struck - earthquakes and storms, unexpected deaths, wars and invasions, broken relationships, even murders she-and later her daughter Chiara-were forced to find a way forward despite their irreplaceable losses. Against the backdrop of a Europe in constant turmoil, they determined that hard work was unavoidable and favorable connections helped. Yet something else mattered more: their persistence and resilience.

Mark Jamilkowski took a long journey, full of twists and turns, to discover more about these astounding, complicated, talented women. Via The Road to Moresco, he tells their awe-inspiring stories in fiery detail. In the end, he learned something amazing about himself. Maybe you will, too. You're invited to come along.

"When writers write with unsullied beauty, the words hum in your head. Haunt your dreams. Beckon your desires. And in the rose brimmed dawn, the world becomes your own. Forever wholly. Forever conquered."

Landon Cassidy, an up-and-coming writer on the brink of a literary breakthrough, flees from unsurmountable pressure to traverse the northwest. With few belongings, and his mutt Maple, a stranger in a strange land, he stumbles into a chance encounter with a reclusive literary legend.

Landon's world is turned upside down when he is swept up in the encompassing beauty of the author's life, both past and present.

From drunken one night stands to doomed romances, Landon chances for an opportunity with redemption while battling his inner demons in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains.

Our ability to rejuvenate, and reverse and prevent many chronic, fatal diseases is now a reality made possible by the discoveries of the science and laws of metabolic efficiency.

This book describes precisely how aging and many chronic diseases are caused by progressive losses of metabolic efficiency. It offers an original, mechanical, specific mechanism that explains both the underlying and precipitating causes of arterial plaques, heart attacks, and strokes in cardiovascular disease.

The loss of specific aspects of efficiency that cause Alzheimer’s, inflammatory bowel disease, Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and other conditions are identified.

Our conventional daily routines, i.e., how we typically eat, exercise, breathe, rest, sleep, and cleanse, induce costly and damaging metabolic processes. When we refine our daily routines according to the laws of metabolic efficiency, we avoid these metabolic processes and their costs, and use the conserved energy and nutrients for protein synthesis, cell division, targeted protein breakdown, regrowth, healing, repair, maintenance, and rejuvenation.

The laws inform us why and what we must do to be maximally efficient. The Universal Rejuvenation Program incorporates all the laws and tells us how to refine how we eat, condition, rest, sleep, breathe, and cleanse to maximize our supplies, and minimize our expenditures, of energy and essential nutrients.

Invisible boundaries have isolated Cor's village for centuries. He discovers a way out.

What he finds outside is a blighted and violent world in decline. Similar boundaries have fragmented the earth, while draining it of life—and he is tasked with fixing it, together with several fellow wanderers.

They soon gain the power to cross those boundaries and venture into the unknown lands beyond them. What will they find waiting there...?

"The Yawning Gap is simply splendid. Readers will savor every word. Highly recommended for fans of Patrick Rothfuss and Robert Jordan." -BlueInk Review (starred review, selected for BlueInk Review's Best Books of 2023)

"The story masterfully combines action, romance, politics, adventure, and humor. ... Highly recommended for readers who appreciate expertly crafted fantasy." -Maria Yinks, Manhattan Book Review (5-star review)

"With a richly-detailed world, memorable characters, and thrilling battle sequences, C.V. Vobh's The Yawning Gap is an imaginative, sweeping first entry in a new fantasy saga." -Jessica Thomas, IndieReader (IR-approved review)

"C.V. Vobh has a fantastic central concept for this epic fantasy series ... You can never be sure what isolated corner of this blighted world they'll uncover next ... Readers seeking an accomplished fantasy work with wonderful worldbuilding, great characters, and a fresh, unique plot will certainly enjoy The Yawning Gap." -K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite (5-star review)

"You are lucky to have stumbled upon The Yawning Gap. ... Vobh's world is inspiring and the characters more than memorable. The book breathes new life to the fantasy genre." -Alexandria Ducksworth, Independent Book Review

"Expansive but tightly focused, [The Yawning Gap] offers epic fantasy in the classic sense ... Vobh's brisk dialogue keeps the pages turning, as do flourishes both poetic ... and satiric. ... Comparable Titles: Raymond E. Feist, Tad Williams." -BookLife Review

"A powerful saga of realization, growth, and confrontation ... Compelling and commendable not just for its action and intriguing twists, but for a special brand of world inspection." -D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review

"The Yawning Gap is absolutely stellar. Vobh's prose is a wonder all in its own, as there is a delightful poetry ... and a cadence that drives the story forward ... Readers will kick themselves for missing out on this." -M. DeAngelo, Tellest

"It seems my heart is made of tissue paper; I wish the world would handle it more delicately." —Richelle E. Goodrich

A collection of original poetry by American novelist, poet, & illustrator, Richelle E. Goodrich.

Each chapter in this book touches on a specific emotional experience that affects the human heart within a lifetime. For example, the first chapter, titled TO LOVE, includes twelve poems that express aspects of love. Another chapter, titled TO LOATHE, includes poetry touching on life’s harsher challenges. The literary works in this book were written in a variety of poetic styles including sonnets, haikus, free verse, and cinquains. A Heart Made of Tissue Paper is a treasury of hard-earned joys and sorrows survived.

In Playin' Possum, readers get an intimate look at country music legend George Jones through the eyes of his wife of thirty years.

Ask anyone who knows country music, "Who was the GOAT—the greatest of all time?", and the answers will inevitably lead to George Jones.

Millions of people know the name of the iconic country music artist, George Jones, but few people know that behind the man and his golden voice was a strong, feisty woman who not only saved his life from cocaine addiction, alcoholism, and other abusive and self-destructive behaviors but also was instrumental in saving his soul.

Legends, half-truths, and downright lies abound about the iconic singer, but what secrets do people not know about him? What was it like to live with him through the darkest shadows and in the brightest of lights?

Married for more than thirty years to the greatest country music singer who ever lived, the man Frank Sinatra had whimsically referred to as "the second-greatest singer in America," Nancy Jones knew George Jones better than anyone else on earth—the good George and the bad George, the horrendous, and the hilarious. George and Nancy married on March 4, 1983, and with her help and encouragement, he quit his wild and wicked ways—for a while. Nancy soon learned, however, that the demons held a strong grip on the man she loved, and they were not about to release him without a fight. But Nancy Jones is a tenacious fighter, and most people who knew "the Possum," credit Nancy with saving his life and rebuilding his career.

For the first time, in Playin' Possum, Nancy Jones reveals the true "insider" perspectives and little-known poignant and as well as humorous stories about the country music icon—his battles with cocaine, alcohol, abusive behavior toward her and others, his battles with himself, and most of all, his battles against the demons that sought to control him and ultimately destroy him.

Nancy knew there was a good man inside George Jones, and she felt strongly that God had given her the assignment to help him, even if he hurt her. She refused to give up on Jones. Although Tammy Wynette sang "Stand By Your Man," it was actually Nancy Jones who stood by George for more than thirty years, and helped bring him to the Light. Together, they brought joy and light to millions of people.

Rebecca copes with family turmoil, a home invaded by demons, and what it means to grow up in this gripping sequel to Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World that's perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Charlie Hernández.

Rebecca Reznik is having a rough time. Her dad lost his job, and her parents are fighting all the time. Her obnoxious brother, Jake, is acting out even more than usual. And post-Bat Mitzvah Becca is expected to be grown up and spiritually mature—whatever that means—but in the wake of these upsets to her routine, she just feels frustrated and helpless. Even worse, she's starting to suspect that the awful vibes surrounding her house might be about more than family drama.

When Becca discovers a (not) Hanukkah goblin that's turned her bedroom upside down, literally, she and her best friends Naomi and Eitan once again find themselves facing down demons from Jewish lore.

Armed with the lessons learned from her last tussle with mythological figures and the loyalty of her friends, Becca will do whatever it takes to defend her fractured family and save Hanukkah.

As a young doctor working in the middle of the HIV epidemic in the early '90s, Alicia Blando feels unsure of the effectiveness of the medical profession. To gain insight into her life's path, she seeks advice in some unconventional places, and lands on astrology as her way forward. Astrology, based in astronomy, has specific rules; it can't be easily manipulated. The scientist in her can't help but respond to this idea.

At a pivotal group demonstration, Alicia finds a mentor, Iris, who introduces her to the study of astrology. By learning to read the horoscope, Alicia gains insight into her potential and manifests her ambition to travel and explore healing techniques from indigenous cultures. Eventually, her search for new teachers and past knowledge takes her from Manhattan to the Peruvian Amazon, Belize, and Bolivia, where she discovers ancient ways of healing among people who consider the sky to be a continuation of nature on earth. She connects with the tenets of astrology as the language that describes man's connection to the sky environment. The horoscopic map gives information that can assist in making better choices in life, Alicia learns; it has the potential to analyze a person's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and health concerns.

Alicia's journey off the beaten path ultimately leads her to true self-exploration and connection with the world around her, as well as a desire to share her knowledge. In Open for Interpretation, she shares her story of finally finding the map she's been seeking—and explains how we can all use that map to access our true selves and untapped potential.

Belle and Chloe are loving twin sisters who do everything together. But one day, tragedy strikes when Belle is burned by a pot of boiling soup. Coping with third-degree burns on several areas of her body, she must spend a few months in the hospital for treatment and later have surgery to reduce her scars.

Meet the family Glass. They just bought the home of their dreams, and are about to embark on a new stage in their life.

Meet Lucas Glass, their father. He's obsessed with the Sunshine Family—a psychedelic rock band from another era that famously devolved into a suicide cult. This is their house, complete with a family crypt.

Meet Dana Glass, their mother and Lucas's wife. She is fascinated with the house, in a way that is far more passionate—more intimate—than she's ever been, even with her husband.

Meet Rae and Lily, the daughters of the family Glass. When Rae makes friends with the Sisters of Sorrow, dark mothers who exist within the walls of the house, she starts a very dangerous game. Lily was buried alive as part of one of her father's documentaries, and while she was near death, she was touched by a ghostly presence.

Meet the Glass House, once the Gemini House, and before that the Coffin House, constructed out of repurposed coffin wood and ancient occult magic. It has its own ancient sentience, and loves Dana Glass with all its wooden heart.

From Paul Jessup, best-selling video game designer and award-winning short fiction writer, comes a haunted house novel that opens a door into a world filled with blood and madness.

Manifest what you need by using the power of your mind...

This chapter-by-chapter workbooks will allow you to unleash the power of your mind, and learn how to:

• Discover the various brain wave states and how they can help you learn faster and reach your goals
• Improve your health, grades, and unlearn bad habits
• Learn how to get into an alpha state
• Experience the author’s exercises for retraining your mind
• Resolve your problems through visualization
• Find out how to help people heal

And much more!

*Please Note: This is an unofficial companion workbook and summary for Jose Silva’s The Silva Mind Control Method. This companion is designed to further your understanding of the book and is designed to help you reflect. This is not the original book.

Are you or a loved one recovering from the effects of a stroke or traumatic brain injury?

This book provides activities to help along the journey to recovery.

Activities help with the following:

• Fine motor skills
• Language skills
• Attention
• Memory
• Speech
• problem-solving skills

Activities include:

• Tracing
• Coloring
• Matching
• Mazes
• Repeating words
• Memory games
• Word search

... and much more.

This collection of novelettes takes the reader from the not-to-distant future to a time when travel between worlds is a common occurrence. Each stop along mankind's journey outward to the stars is accompanied by a deeper look inward--from examining how extraterrestrial beings might use our own biology against us, to whether a human consciousness can survive in a virtual environment, to how wishes are really granted. Original and thought provoking, these stories—which include an interstellar religious thriller involving a second coming of Christ—will stimulate the intellect and engage the imagination.

Margrete has lost the love of her life to Darius's twisted games. In her fury, she opens a portal to the underworld, the place where gods and goddesses of legend reside. Refusing to let death or Darius win this battle, Margrete sets out to find Bash's soul and return it to his body, and she'll stop at nothing to bring him home.

Once in the underworld, however, Margrete comes face to face with the gods of lore, and they aren't happy about the magic simmering in her veins. She's not like them—Margrete is something entirely new, as is her magic, and that makes her a threat.

Stuck in the land of the undead, Bash senses Margrete. She has come for him, but Darius has followed her as well, and he hasn't given up on having her as his queen. Can Bash escape his ethereal prison and find his way back to the woman he loves, or will her past life come between them and steal her away from him forever?

Cruel gods lie in wait, and dangerous monsters seek to destroy the human realm. With Bash's fate and the future of the world resting on Margrete's shoulders, she must decide how far she's willing to go to protect all they've fought for. Even if it means losing the very thing she's fought to protect-her humanity itself.

The third book of this exciting fantasy trilogy is perfect for readers who love high-seas adventures, swashbuckling heroes, and forbidden, steamy romance. Fans of Danielle L. Jensen's The Bridge Kingdom, and Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses will be enthralled.

Susan Seah's powerful debut poetry collection expounds on her love for our four-legged best friend, family member, soothsayer, and unwavering loyalist. Through each poem, Susan paints vivid portraits of the pups in her life, sharing humorous, heart-warming, and emotional stories of their antics, imagined thoughts and secret conversations with her.

In one poem titled "35", Susan grapples with the heartbreaking reality of the lifespan of dogs and shares her hope for her pup to live to a ripe old age of 35. In another poem titled "I wish you could talk", Susan depicts the longing many dog owners hold to build a deeper connection with their pups through playful conversations. At the heart of her poems lies the intertwining experiences, unbreakable bond and the mutual love shared between people and their canine companions.

Poetry for Pups is a must read for all dog lovers, and certainly for all dogs with the help of their humans.

“The Truth Hurts for a Little While. A Lie Hurts Forever.” – Ryan Bigge.

Ride-or-die childhood friends Cleo, Sarah, and Milton begin life as freshmen at Kensington University with an unspoken pact: Always stay close and never be apart long enough to miss each other. The three friends are inseparable… until Sarah vanishes without a trace.

Hot on the trail of Sarah’s disappearance, Cleo soon discovers her longtime friend had a hidden life and her deception ran deeper than what Cleo could have imagined.

Both wide-eyed friends left get familiar with three sides to every story: the new group of friends who swear they haven’t seen her, Sarah’s, and the truth.

They all harbor secret grudges against Sarah, including Cleo and Milton. But if Cleo ever wants to find out what happened to Sarah, she must train her mind to foster two things:

1. Those she would take a bullet for will always be behind the trigger.

2. The worst part about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.

For fans of Holly Jackson, Michele Leathers, and Jessica Goodman comes this tale of dark secrets, conditional friendships, and obsessing about an investigation that could get you killed..

In 1519, at the Chateau Clos Luce in France, Anne Boleyn is the formal apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo is now an old man, and is working feverishly to build a clock that will end Anne's dark curse. Set upon her by the Goddess years ago when Anne unknowingly dabbled in black magic, the power of her curse has magnified. The terrible suffering that threatens Anne Boleyn now extends beyond her own timeline to a great great great granddaughter, some 500 years in the future.

In present day, Ellie Bowlan, a history academic specializing in 16th century France, has worked herself to the bone and her relationship with John Chelsea is strained. John is the love of her life, but their careers have gotten in the way, and she is left feeling lost and betrayed. When Ellie's best friend asks her to attend his wedding at a medieval castle in France, she realizes this may be her chance to set things right. Until Ellie and John arrive at the wedding and discover something menacing about the owners of the Chateau Clos Luce.

Leonardo and Anne are desperate to design the da Vinci clock, a device so ingenious it exists at the edge of science and magic itself. When it is built, the clock will not only be capable of keeping time, but also of bending it. But when Leonardo dies before the great invention is completed, Anne must act alone to find a way to finish the clock so she can find the girl in the future and save them both from a terrifying fate.

This collection comprises books one and two of the Wars of the New Humanity series.

Republic Falling: Advent of a New Dawn (book #1)

Eden, the utopian motherworld of humanity's Commonwealth, is a haven of luxury and prosperity. Its inferior counterpart, the planet designated Satellite One, offers only mediocrity to its people, despite the Commonwealth Government's promises of equality.

Now war erupts between humanity's two planetary habitats, and a young soldier named Randal Scott, alongside his lover, Stacie Spencer, seeks revenge on the man who annihilated his mother and joined the insurrectionists, his own father. Together, they become embroiled in a web of violent conflict, lies, and conspiracies that have Randy questioning both of the combat forces in opposition, the Commonwealth Defense Force and the insurgency known as the Coalition of Rebel Factions.

Republic Under Siege: Threat from Within (book #2)

The Commonwealth's domestic war is over, but peace remains elusive.

Akane Sugimori, a young colony immigrant from Satellite One, becomes an outcast within Eden's class system but retaliates, and she aims to recruit Randal Scott, one of Satellite One's liberators, into a social-justice organization fighting a clandestine war against murderous extremists scheming to preserve the status quo.

This character-driven adult science-fiction series explores themes of rebellion, ethics and morality, classism, and revolution. It will appeal to fans of W.C. Bauers, William C. Dietz, David Weber, Nicholas Sansbury Smith, or simply readers looking for thought-provoking fiction that is rife with action and adventure.

Give your child's bedtime experience a mindful change of pace.

The world today is full of distractions and stress. From a young age, our kids’ day to day are packed with activities and stimuli that can be overwhelming.

Our kids' natural energy level also makes unwinding difficult around bedtime. And they never have the time to connect and reflect on their inner selves.

What better way to help than taking them on a trip to a world of dinosaurs!

The Relaxsaurus aims to help kids fall asleep while sharing valuable life lessons.

From learning how to honor their own feelings to the importance of valuing their own efforts, this book has many lessons to be discovered.

Within the collection of short stories, your child will discover a mix of the following:

• Relaxing meditation to help your child calm down and prepare for a cozy night's sleep.
• Wonderful life lessons that can help them connect with their inner selves.
• Helpful affirmations that will help them take over tomorrow with confidence.

Grab your copy today to incorporate it into your child's bedtime routine!

Imagine a tongue-in-cheek travel guide that intentionally provides comically unhelpful and absurd advice for navigating London. The guidebook takes a lighthearted approach, embracing the idea that getting lost and stumbling upon unexpected adventures can be part of the fun.

Please DO NOT Go To London is the first book for the upcoming series of Ultimate Unhelpful Guides, where we'll take you on a whimsical journey through various destinations, armed with hilariously useless tips that are guaranteed to leave you both amused and bewildered.

A voracious predator. A frantic plea for aid. Can she stop a dangerous menace from devouring the dragons’ offspring?

Rhea Monroe has missed her childhood friend. She's excited when the young dragon she grew up with returns to Earth after years away. Hearing that the dragons are in desperate need, the recent college grad immediately vows to help. But the instant they arrive in the dragon world, they're tasked with helping to defeat a frightening, formless creature known simply as The Terror.

Teaming up with her boyfriend and other allies both human and winged, the resourceful companions struggle to cultivate a plan to defeat the ravenous attacker. But after a huge misstep awakens the monstrous horror, they’re aghast as two of their own are consumed….

Can Rhea and her friends stop The Terror and prevent a devastating apocalypse?

Summoned by Dragons is an absorbing fantasy novel. If you like compassionate heroine journeys, nuanced characters, and grand new worlds, then you'll love Joan Marie Verba's sky-high adventure.

Read Summoned by Dragons to save the hatchlings today!

Budding artist May Parker is captivated by the Japanese exhibits at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and longs to know more about her mother's heritage--which her mother refuses to speak of because of the heartache she left behind in Japan. Wanting to experience more of the exhibits, May works as a Camera Girl--but her curiosity leads her into danger when a suit of samurai armor becomes the target of an elusive art forger.

After ten years apart, May is reunited with her childhood friend Lee Munro, a police detective assigned to keep a watchful eye on the exposition. Their friendship immediately begins to blossom with hints of something more, but when they become entangled in a dangerous heist involving the samurai armor and their love is threatened, can they overcome the odds against them?

With impeccable research and award-winning writing, bestselling author Tracie Peterson presents the dramatic conclusion to her Pictures of the Heart series.

Lorelei Collins possesses a soft heart for any animal in need, so when she finds a buffalo calf bawling beside its mother's lifeless body, she can't help but bring it home to raise on the ranch she and her sisters are building in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. Little does she realize that its white coloring is rare and considered sacred by Native Americans, which makes it highly valuable to them and the European trappers alike.

A flood of men visit their ranch to regard the marvel, some trying to woo Lorelei into marriage so she'll bring the buffalo calf along as dowry, and others trying to steal the calf outright. When the men's advances become more sinister, she approaches Tanner Mason, the quiet and mysterious owner of the new trading post, with an idea: She and the calf will move to his post, along with her family's trusted Blackfoot friend. This will solve both their problems, bringing customers to his trade room and protecting her family from the trouble brought on by so many strangers. Yet as the danger travels with her, Lorelei and Tanner are faced with a threat greater than anything they're prepared for--one that will test the limits of both their abilities and the love growing between them.

USA Today bestselling author Misty M. Beller delivers an exhilarating addition to the Sisters of the Rockies series fraught with peril, adventure, and romance amid the majesty of the Rocky Mountains.

A man and his three youngling dragons must survive alone in a world that believes dragons are monsters.

Jacob grew up hearing of the evils of dragons, though he never believed it to be true. When he finds himself in the den of a dragon, he is more than a little shocked, however the dragon chooses not to kill him. the man sees that the dragon is dying and worse she is a mother with a clutch of eggs. Jacob can do little to help the mother dragon, though he resolves to help the eggs hatch.

Without their mother only one thing can save them. Jacob must bond to the youngling dragons. Raising three unruly dragons for fifty years will be no easy task. Can Jacob truly do this on his own?

Embers in the Wind is the first book in the Fire of Life series.

Sisters of the Soul is an epic tale spanning over sixty years in the lives of Elizabeth Dumond, a white woman, and her best friend, Sophie Washington, a slave. Their bond of friendship defies the racial barriers of the 19th century as they face adversity together. The story crosses the Continent of North America, starting at Sweetbrier Plantation in Louisiana and ending in San Francisco, California, with an interlude at Vancouver Island, Canada. A compelling, cinematic story unfolds as different characters narrate the sometimes violent and tumultuous life events.

Sisters of the Soul touches on themes of slavery, friendship, romance, love, hatred, tragedy and joy, and of strong women surviving and thriving in an unpredictable and often brutal world. Ultimately, Sisters of the Soul is a story of redemption and transformation, and of healing a fractured relationship between a mother and her daughter.

This book is designed to allow you, the intelligent layperson, biblical student, or scholar, to better understand and appreciate the plain and simple meaning of the text of the Book of Genesis.

The biblical figure Abraham was born in the great Mesopotamian city of UR. His mother tongue was Akkadian, the earliest Semitic language, which is now extinct.

Medieval biblical scholars did not have any understanding of Akkadian, but thanks to archeological discoveries in Mesopotamia and the

rediscovery of the Akkadian language in modern times, the biblical text, its idioms, and customs can now, finally, be better and more deeply understood.

This book will uniquely allow you to understand the Book of Genesis as never before.

An introduction describes the method of interpretation known as peshat and reveals how the field of comparative Semitics enlightens us.

Chapter-by-chapter analyses of selected verses of the biblical text examine the meanings of various biblical words in light of information gleaned from Akkadian.

Vocalized Hebrew with transliterations and translations gives access to high-level linguistic understanding even for neophytes.

A glossary explains relevant terminology, and a map and table of chronology give further context to the discussion.

This is a must-have resource for any student of the Bible.

In Scarburn County, Tennessee there is a small mountain community called Black Rock, known for its unusual and prevalent blight that affects all vegetation...

When an unexpected death forces Christopher "Kit" McNeil to return to his small hometown in the Tennessee mountains after eighteen years, he must confront his past and a secret he's kept since he was twelve.

A talented guitarist with a history of bad choices and even worse luck, Kit soon reunites with an old friend and learns about recent disappearances and mysterious deaths in the area. They begin to wonder if it's connected to what they witnessed in the woods when they were kids and if a creepy local family is involved. Stranger still, almost half of their high school graduating class has died.

When more shredded bodies begin appearing, Kit becomes a suspect. But what he discovers is even more frightening-evil has set its sights on him and his friends and it won't stop until it gets what it needs.

Can Kit and his friends band together in time to stop this ancient evil? Or will a new reign of terror that the Cherokee once called Uyaga be unleashed to roam the earth once more?

The first children's book from the best-selling author of We Should All Be Feminists and Americanah — a tender story about a little girl's love for her mother's scarf, and the adventures she shares with it and her whole family.

Chino loves the scarf that her mama ties around her hair at night. But when Mama leaves for the day, what happens to her scarf? Chino takes it on endless adventures! Peeking through the colorful haze of the silky scarf, Chino and her toy bunny can look at her whole family as they go through their routines.

With stunning illustrations from Joelle Avelino, Mama's Sleeping Scarf is a celebration of family, and a touching story about the everyday objects that remind us of the ones we love.

After the death of her parents, Mennonite Brenna Zimmerman relocates to the Lancaster County farm of her Old Order Amish relatives. There, she befriends Rylan Sanders, a disabled veteran, and commits to rising above her own grief to help him as much as she can. But when things take a turn for the worse, Brenna finds herself at a loss for what to do.

As Brenna struggles, her Mennonite friend Johann Mazur, a soldier in the Ukrainian Army, encourages her to distance herself from Rylan. But when she discovers that Rylan's army buddies are withholding secrets that could help with his psychological healing, Brenna is torn between her feelings for Johann and her commitment to help Rylan.

Inspired by the story of her great-great-aunt who served with the Red Cross and supervised German POWs during World War II, Brenna considers her own future and must decide if she has the courage to give up the comforts she craves for the life she truly wants.

Bestselling author Leslie Gould continues her evocative Amish Memories series with a compelling dual-time tale set during World War II and present-day Lancaster County.

Discover the comically unhelpful side of Paris in Please DO NOT Go To Paris. From ineffable baguettes to quirky neighborhoods, this whimsical journey exposes the unconventional and hilarious aspects of the City of Lights. Embrace absurdity, leave guidebooks behind, and experience Paris like never before. Laughter guaranteed! Au Revoir, Not Adieu!

Please DO NOT Go To Paris is the second book for the upcoming series of Ultimate Unhelpful Guides, where we'll take you on a whimsical journey through various destinations, armed with hilariously useless tips that are guaranteed to leave you both amused and bewildered.

Doria James never meant to stumble into Vespertine Books, a hidden gem of a bookshop, and she certainly never meant to leave with a volume of fantasy romance stories. But, after meeting the shop’s handsome owner, Miles Oak, she does just that. Soon she’s returning for more than just books. She’s returning for the mystery that is Miles.

Every book he lends her seems to draw her closer to him, but as strange things begin to happen, Doria discovers a darkness hanging over the cozy space she has come to adore, as well as the man chained to it.

Told in part via several fantasy romance short stories, Bittersweet Breadcrumbs is a tantalizing tale that will ensure you never look at bedtime stories the same again.

There are creatures lurking in our world. Obscure creatures long relegated to myth and legend. They have been sighted by a lucky—or unlucky—few, some have even been photographed, but their existence remains unproven and unrecognized by the scientific community.

These creatures, long thought gone, have somehow survived; creatures from our nightmares haunting the dark places. They swim in our lakes and bays, they soar the night skies, they hunt in the woods. Some are from our past, some from other worlds, and others have always been with us-watching us, fearing us, hunting us. These are the cryptids, and Systema Paradoxa tells their tales.

***

In an ongoing effort to thwart the villainous Order of the Sanguine Hand, Agents Lydia Wainwright and Keilah Holliday of Her Majesty's Bureau of Preternatural Affairs journey to the remote Congo to investigate a potential threat of unknown origin, identified only as Crimson Whisper.

Embarking upon the airship, the Grand Enterprise, they are soon beset by strange encounters, including a most unexpected attack resulting in more questions... and three corpses, fortunately not their own. Will they be in time to foil the Order's nefarious plans? Or even escape the jungle alive?

Brace yourself for another harrowing Wainwright and Holliday Adventure.

Cat is a fire elemental in modern day Phoenix, AZ, working as a math tutor and waitress at a local strip club. She struggles to control her fire power which goes wild whenever she's angry. Her temper spikes when her ex-best friend Rafael moves back to down, but she finds comfort with Aspen, her high school boyfriend.

Rafael is a water elemental who regrets his fall out with Cat. His water powers get out of hand when he's jealous, and seeing Aspen, a handsome earth elemental, get close to Cat constantly has him flooding the room.

But Aspen has a plan: rebuild the burnt bridges between the two former friends, then see if the three of them can grow a stronger love together.

At her eighteenth birthday party, Liliana Blaire finally gets to Swap: a personalized bot will take over her body, while Lily herself will join the rest of the human population in a fantastic simulation called Zurithia. In Zurithia, the deaf can hear. The stars can sing. An endless supply of magical adventures awaits. After a life of her AI-controlled mother forcing her to wear painful silver ears to correct her hearing, Lily can’t wait.

But when her best friend Michael rejects his Swap, Lily discovers that the charming, magical Zurithia commercials are lying. If she Swaps, she will be utterly alone, locked away in her own pocket of simulation separate from everyone else. And she will never get to return to her body.

As Michael searches for a group of human resistors, Lily must fight the transformation she’s yearned for her whole life. But with a vicious bot competing for control of her brain, saying no to her Swap is more dangerous than she anticipated. Yet more than just her own soul hangs in the balance—a human hiding behind screens has programmed a reboot that will wash away the souls of everyone still trapped in Zurithia, and Lily might be the only one who can stop him.

An enigmatic and rich private businessman is negotiating an acquisition of a large media company. Lucas Strong, Chairman and CEO of Strong Holdings is a handsome forty-year-old bachelor billionaire.

Gemma Stone is the corporate lawyer that works for the target company that Strong Holdings is interested in acquiring. When Gemma and Lucas Stone first meet across the boardroom table, she is instantly struck by his presence, there is an intensity about him that stirs some deep, forgotten sensation in her, and whilst not wanting to admit it to herself, she finds herself drawn to this enigmatic man.

But just who is Lucas Stone? As part of her company’s due diligence process, Gemma undertakes research on Strong Holdings, but the more she looks into Lucas Strong, the man himself, the more questions arise than answers. Unbeknown to Gemma, Lucas Strong does indeed keep a dark secret. Most of his existence has been a lie.

“You need to understand that being a prince means only one thing. You’re a target. She’ll stop at nothing to get her hands on you.”

The Kingsfort family is exiled royalty, once powerful rulers of an other-world monarchy where connection to the elements equals status, favour and control. Their only son will be the 40th king of Arvalonia when he turns 16. Pity they ‘forgot’ to tell him.

Pity they ‘forgot’ to tell him.

Torn from Earth, thirteen-year-old Brave Kingsfort lands alone in a wild new world. On the run from a ruthless tyrant, his unpredictable talent for connecting to the elements is the least of his worries until he discovers it might be his only way out.

Seventeen-year-old True Harboursfort is determined to prove she’s more than her parents’ bargaining chip. When her plans for elemental advancement are sabotaged and the callous decision at the heart of her dysfunctional family is revealed, everything changes. Including herself. Beyond recognition. It’s terrifying.

So why does it feel so good?

Forced to make an alliance, Brave and True must overcome their families’ lies to trust one another and survive.

All the while, deeply guarded mysteries lurk in the shadows, waiting to reshape their world forever.

The Dangers of Being Brave & True is a young adult fantasy novel grounded in unexpected friendship and elemental magic.

May Balance be your guide.

A new collection from critically acclaimed author Terry Grimwood. A Devil's Dozen of stories that move effortlessly between science fiction and horror, touching upon the modern world and the 20th century and then taking us beyond...

In contemporary London an office worker receives a hand-delivered invitation to a mysterious burlesque cabaret…

A private eye is brought in by the police when an old army buddy is reported missing; a buddy he watched die on the beaches of Normandy four years before…

A would-be music journo loses his heart to a punk rocker, only to discover that good intentions can be the most destructive…

We witness the fall of Lucifer, and the rise of Lilith…

We meet the third US astronaut to walk on the moon (whose name will never be remembered) and learn of what they found there…

We witness London in meltdown as half the populace proves to be... other.

Contents:

The She

Laurel

Stuka Juice

The Man Who Wasn’t Dead

The Dark Above The Fair

The Third Man On The Moon

When They Unmasked

What It Is

Strings

The Listeners

Heavies

Space

Survivors

About the Author

“Deep space, far-flung futures, or the darkest dungeons of a troubled mind... you’ll go willingly, and never want to leave.” – Dave Jeffery

“...effortlessly creates an effective atmosphere...and – when needed – he also evokes a sense of harrowing dread.” – Seregil of Rhimineei

“...a writer who gets better with every piece of work.” – Mark West

One season. I just need to stick it out for one season...

Ryan Preston has done seven years in the NHL; he worked hard to get there, and he's all set up to sign a fresh contract.

That's until his twin brother, Liam, calls in the ultimate favour. Liam asks Ryan to play a season in the UK in his place, because now's Liam's chance to play in the big league.

Ryan agrees because it's just for one season, right?

He'll be back home in Canada before he knows it.

I always told myself no hockey players...

Jenna Roberts has been surrounded by hockey her entire life.

Her best friend plays for the city's team and her uncle is a coach for the junior team; she knows what hockey players are like.

She's newly single, on the hunt for a new job and has to move back in with her parents. With a series of failed dating attempts, she's done.

When Jenna and Ryan find themselves spending more and more time together, they're certain they can just be friends, right?

Desert stillness meets the cacophony of Las Vegas.

Norman "Fats" Rangle, an ex-deputy sheriff, operates a horse stabling and excursion business with his brother and sister-in-law on their family ranch in the small rural community of Blue Lake, a few hours outside of Las Vegas. By chance, high on a southern Nevada mountain range, Fats discovers the wreckage of a plane that crashed two years earlier. Although he reports his find to the sheriff, he does not disclose that someone had already been to the crash site—evidence that Fats deliberately destroyed.

Soon, Fats is tracking back and forth between Las Vegas and Blue Lake in a search for a missing cousin, a briefcase full of cash, and, finally, for a killer. Along the way, Fats also begins to understand that he's searching for himself and his place in a rapidly changing West.

Angry and alienated, Fats distrusts everyone he meets, from sleaze-merchants and political power brokers to two women: one he wants to believe in, a retired judge; and the other, a police sergeant, he can't quite believe isn't deceiving him. After all, in this Nevada, corruption is a given. Everybody lies. Much is uncertain—motives, loyalties, affections. But in Drowning in the Desert, one thing is certain: water is a precious resource that can both kill and be killed for.

From the moment they met, James and Maci knew they would be a part of each others' lives forever.

As friends, of course.

Because anything else would be crazy…right?

As their senior year at Birch Creek University begins, the promise of change is on the horizon. But at least they know they'll always have one another. After all, when you tell each other everything, what can possibly come between you?

But what if they don't tell each other everything? And can one secret really be enough to change life as they know it?

TROPES: Friends to lovers, he falls first, banter, small town / big family, dual POV, FMC in stem, and ALL the autumn vibes

Debut collection from author Emma Coleman. Contemporary tales of rural horror and dark fantasies steeped in folklore from one of genre fiction's best kept secrets.

Emma is an avid haunter of old churches and libraries. Her fiction is steeped in local colour and rooted deep in her native Northamptonshire, imbuing her settings with shades and contours drawn from her love of nature, her passion for literature, and her own keen eye for detail. Her fiction is atmospheric, mesmeric, and frequently disturbing.

Excerpt from "Five Small Boys":

There is a green corner, lodged between centuries-old stonework. So green, the triangular plot is shaded by an old pear tree and its lime-green leaves; as the wind blows, the sunlight spots on mosses and dock, and the scent of damp earth catches on the breeze.

Apple-green, mint-glitter, pea-shoots and elf’s-hat, the mossy-drench twinkle… so green. The dew is constant. The grass forever agleam. Soak, drip.

Nobody visits that corner any more, and no one has spoken of it for a long time. But it is beautiful, like an emerald grotto, tucked up against the stone walls of the farmhouse, and hidden amongst the meadows.

The old farm is abandoned; stonework crumbles and the beams are dry and peppered with woodworm. The broken windows of slanted glass are dirty with droppings and dust. Nobody visits.

Except for five small boys, who are about to arrive on their bikes. They’re coming, laughing and jostling, crashing through tall grasses and nettles.

Contents:

Introduction

Five Small Boys

He Who Saw The Abyss

The Glasshouse

A Daughter

The Babies of Springtime

Unearthed

Home

Opus Anglicanum

Lamassu

The Upright Man

The Magic Trick by Boz Boole

The Lighthouse

Untitled

Cora Somerville is being hunted.

That much isn't new; the government has been after witches like her for decades, and ever since they took Cora's mother and brother, she's determined to help her coven smuggle witches to safe havens.

Then after a botched rescue, she runs into him. Theo. An old friend who'd almost been more, but vanished without a trace. To her shock, he's not just back in Los Angeles-he's now a witch hunter, and he's been assigned to bring her entire operation down.

As the fate of the two intertwine, Theo can't bring himself to turn Cora in, and Cora doesn't want to admit she needs Theo's help. Most of all, neither wants to face all the things they left unsaid a decade ago...

But with the rest of the witch hunters closing in, working together and rekindling the past might be the only way to survive.

Are you an older adult looking to strengthen your body, maintain independence, and improve your quality of life?

Discover the power of senior strength training and unlock a healthier, happier lifestyle with this comprehensive book featuring exercises designed to help seniors improve their strength, balance, and flexibility.

This book is the perfect solution for anyone wanting to start strength training, no matter their age or fitness level. Featuring exercises designed to help build strength, improve posture, and increase mobility, this book is the go-to resource for older adults who are looking to stay active and healthy.

Key Benefits:

• Easy-to-follow exercises that are safe and effective for seniors

• Tips for strengthening muscles and improving balance and flexibility

• Full-body strength training program designed specifically for seniors

• Boost your energy and improve balance and coordination

Don't wait any longer to take control of your health and well-being. Start your journey to a healthier, stronger you today with this comprehensive guide to senior strength training. Get your copy today and unlock the power of strength training for a stronger, healthier you!

Few resources. Limited time. One girl to change everything.

In a world that nears human extinction lies a place called Ashville, where the government formed the World Inhabitance Group to save their people. The Group initiated a plan: assign each eighteen-year-old a death date. Each mistake costs you time. Every move is watched. And only the select are immune to the rules.

For seventeen-year-old Nova James that’s the way it’s always been. But when a rebellion forms and her city is destroyed, Nova is forced to do a forbidden task: seek answers outside the city walls.

She’s on the run, but she’s not alone. Alex, a mysterious boy, joins her cause. Along the way, they discover a government secret so sinister, they may not survive. And the farther they go, the more they confirm the truth...in this world, it kills to be less than perfect.

Please note: Death Date (Chapters 1-40) first appeared in the Kindle Vella Program under the same name.

When Randall Stanford arrives at the house his father left him, he raises Thornfold's population from 70 to 71.

For residents, it's unexpected, reigniting rumors about how the man who lived there disappeared, and why someone looking like him is back.

Pushed to uncover what happened to a father he never met, Randall finds himself entangled in the lives of people who don't take kindly to strangers, and the sinister secret of a desert town teetering on the edge of extinction.

Inspired by the supernatural and elements that define the Southern Gothic, Buried By Sunset is a sweltering small-town horror that will leave you unsettled long after the final page.

Culinary Transformation for a Healthier You!

Start your journey to a healthier you today with Your Guide to Plant-Based Meal Prep! This comprehensive guide will provide you with the tools you need to save time and money while creating delicious and nutritious plant-based meals. With simple and easy-to-follow recipes, nutrition tips, meal prepping strategies and more, you will learn how to create 10-minute meals, build your own meal plans, stock your pantry, cook once and eat twice, and so much more. You will be able to take charge of your plate and achieve your health goals with the help of this guide.

Benefits of reading this book:

• Enjoy delicious, nutritious plant-based meals
• Feel energized and nourished
• Transform your health
• Save time and money

• Expert nutrition tips
• Expert meal-prep advice
• Delicious recipes
• Meal prepping strategies
• Plant-based nutrition
• 10-minute meals
• Meal planning
• Herbs and spices for flavor

Take charge of your plate and get back into the kitchen with Your Guide to Plant-Based Meal Prep! Get your copy today and start transforming your health

Reveals the significant influence card playing and other games had on U.S. Presidents—from George Washington to Joe Biden—and, therefore, impacted all Americans. The book illustrates how almost all presidents played games and used other pastimes to escape the overbearing stresses of the presidency. But equally—if not more—importantly, the book describes how cognitive games, such as poker and chess, go far beyond stress relief, creating a link between those games and politics. The book discusses how numerous presidents used the camaraderie of poker games to their political advantage, some creating contacts that helped their rise to the presidency. It also details the author’s discovery that the highest rated presidents were card players, which helped in their strategic thinking, risk-taking, bluffing and ability to read their opponents—skills explained through game theory, a science that the book examines.

Walking on Divided Paths is an autobiographical story about a young man born into the complex cultural society of Swaziland (South Africa). He describes his journey in life between two cultures, that of his Swazi father and mixed-blood mother. The intertwining of these different cultures and lifestyles led him to explore his heritage and struggles in seeking to understand interracial acceptance within the Swazi and wider African community.

He further describes how the Emaswati culture deals with marriage, death, and family values. The story will take you through the passage in life of physical, emotional, spiritual abuse, and forgiveness. The setting of the story happens in both Swaziland and neighbouring South Africa.

How to permanently stop overthinking, even about overthinking. End rumination and procrastination to ensure you never miss another opportunity with these 8 simple steps.

Have you ever felt the pain and disappointment of missing an opportunity you were afraid of grabbing, leaving you with more questions, self-doubt, and deeply-ingrained regrets?

Did you know overthinking is the cause of your lack of health, inability to sleep, or that problem you have with motivation and getting started with tasks?

Overthinking leads to problems with your emotions, self-confidence, and mental energy because your mind won’t stop spiraling down distorted pathways created in your youth.

Surely, you don’t want to fear failure, hold self-limiting beliefs, or make poor decisions anymore. Excitement is abundant once you realize you won’t have to miss another opportunity, make an irrational or reactive decision, or procrastinate to avoid the fear of failure.

Get ready for some great news because you’ve found the answers and the steps to help you stop overthinking.

8 practical steps can change how you think, feel, and behave, as well as change how you respond to future fears and self-limiting triggers – so you can live your life free from second thoughts, ruminations, and self-doubt.

In this book, here’s a fraction of what you’ll discover:

• 8 practical steps to stop overthinking and its accomplices, each with various exercises
• 17 common cognitive distortions that cause ruminating thoughts and dissonance
• The #1 organization framework to help you set the foundation of the steps in this book
• An amazing two-minute rule that will help you apply the 8 steps to your life
• How to prioritize tasks and goals, set SMART and GROW goals, using an old president’s advice
• Over 10 CBT exercises to reframe negative thoughts and self-limiting beliefs
• How to use Socratic Questioning to challenge self-limiting beliefs and ANTs
• The secret to making rational decisions through a trusted behavioral therapy
• 6 steps to solve problems logically and without emotional influence
• How to use Autogenic Training, the four As of stress responsiveness, and the 3x3 technique to reinforce effective decisions
• How you can fight procrastination by mastering your mind through proactive growth
• Marrying the East’s philosophy with the West’s psychology to end perfectionism and grab every opportunity within your Ikigai
• How to pursue your greatest self to ensure your passions drive your motivation
• The #1 unique method for facing your fears, overcoming cognitive dissonance, and taking back control over your thoughts

And much more.

Even if you weren’t successful on your journey to stop overthinking before, remember that you didn’t have the unique eighth step inside this book that will make all the difference.

Don’t overthink it… Just get started with these 8 practical steps and see how much easier your life will be.

Do you often find yourself haunted by the weight of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations? Are inexplicable emotional burdens, fears, and self-doubts holding you back, leaving you restless and yearning for something more?

You may not realize that the silent saboteur lurking in your psyche, those unexplored shadows, are the barriers between you and your dreams. And worse yet, the solution – shadow work – might be a concept you've never encountered, leaving you trapped in a cycle of frustration and stagnation.

Dive deep into a transformative exploration of femininity, where you'll uncover the profound potency of shadow work. This isn't just another self-help trend; it's the key to understanding and addressing the most profound, often hidden, aspects of ourselves. By embracing and understanding these shadows, you can unlock the path to your unmanifested dreams.

This book guides you on a journey to:

• Expose the intricate interplay of self-image and the often destructive relationship patterns that stem from unresolved shadows.
• Provide a nurturing yet candid roadmap to confront and heal the wounded inner child and dismantle the crippling voice of the inner critic.
• Unveil the undeniable connection between suppressed shadows and unmanifested dreams, offering you the tools to bridge the chasm between aspiration and reality.
• Highlight the mystique and transformative power of the mind-body bond, charting a course from anxiety-ridden stress to rejuvenating serenity.
• Illuminate the realm where intuition is not merely a guiding whisper, but a powerful force for genuine spiritual growth.
• Teach the redemptive practice of forgiveness, demonstrating its role in freeing oneself from resentment and unlocking genuine gratitude.

From deciphering societal constraints on womanhood to guiding readers through the enlightening practice of shadow work, each chapter is a beacon, illuminating the path to holistic growth and profound transformation.

Embark on this intimate and necessary journey, and you'll unearth the revelation that your dreams' fulfillment doesn't just lie at the destination, but in the courage to confront and understand the shadows along the way.

Do you struggle to communicate in social situations? Are you worried about being misunderstood or judged when you speak? Has avoiding social gatherings become a norm?

If yes, then you're not alone. Millions of people around the world find it hard to talk to others. In fact, in the United States alone, 12.1% of adults suffer from a social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Often times, social anxiety leads to social awkwardness, which could have negative consequences on your life, especially if you’ve become accustomed to any of its potential side effects. You see, communication is essential in every aspect of your life as it helps connect you to other people, build relationships, and accomplish your goals – personal and professional!

The worst of its harmful effects may have already hit you. Why do you keep getting passed over for that promotion at work? What about failed relationships because of misunderstandings?

The good news? Learning how to effectively communicate takes time, but it's a skill that can be mastered with the appropriate strategies and consistent effort. This book provides a wealth of advice on how to overcome social anxiety, bolster self-esteem, and develop conversational skills that will come in handy in any social situation.

Inside this life-changing guide to unlocking your full potential and bettering your life through communication, you will discover:

• How lack of communication negatively impacts your life — poor communication destroys, both internally and externally!
• The critical importance of not being self-critical — reframe your negative thoughts and be kind to yourself so that you can openly talk to others
• How to rebuild your self-esteem and boost self-confidence — learn to talk to anyone without feeling nervous or uncomfortable
• The significance of nonverbal communication — understand what people truly mean behind their silence and beyond their words!
• Active listening skills you can harness for more meaningful conversations — communication goes both ways; listening is as important as speaking!
• Why must you learn how to ask the right questions — use the power of questions to impress others and keep the conversation going!
• How to avoid being poisoned by toxic individuals when communicating with them — handle hard-to-handle people!
• The big deal with small talk — become good at small talk and thrive in social situations where unpleasant conversations are inevitable

And much more…

Communicating effectively is the key to getting what you want out of life and living the life you imagine.

There has never been a better time to start talking your way into a better job, more fulfilling relationships, and a brighter future. Start now!

"An academic novel and a novel of ideas, served up cheerfully and heroically by a very talented writer who doesn't care if both these genres are out of fashion . . .You shouldn't either." —Ptolemy Tompkins, Modern Book of the Dead and #1 NYT bestselling Proof of Heaven

AMAZON REVIEWS:

"Literary humor at its best." —Petra Barnett

"...the book is a sort of love letter to philosophy, Plato in particular." —Mike Smith

"You don't have to know Plato to enjoy it, but you will discover something of Plato in reading it..." —Laura Stevens

A Footnote to Plato takes place in 2012 at a tiny liberal arts college in Vermont.

A senior philosophy professor finds himself embroiled in a student drama that leads to a false accusation of sexual harassment and an investigation intended to force him out. He faces a disgraceful end to his long career unless he retires immediately. But he refuses to be, as his students like to say, an epic failure.

A promising math student resorts to dealing coke to pay for college. What he really needs is a bit of luck.

The professor and student meet in the Maintenance Committee and soon form a Socrates-Plato bond. When the professor decides to take him and a small group of students to Greece to film an online lecture series, it's an opportunity of a lifetime for the student, and the professor's last chance to save his reputation—and maybe leave behind a legacy.

Sixty-two eclectic stories with sixty-two miniatures to match.

Dive into a provocative mixed-media collection from the creative and twisted mind of dark fiction author and multidisciplinary artist Elle Mitchell.

Enter stories where urban legends are real and love can be beautiful or violent, where ghosts are both figurative and literal, where bunny aliens are totally normal, and where darkness means drug addiction, zombie apocalypse, grief, cannibalism, and a hitman with OCD. Within the pages of this genre-defying collection, you'll find an array of short stories, poems, and photographs that plumb the depths of what it means to be human. Each piece has an accompanying miniature or assemblage that brings another fascinating layer to this already unique collection.

Take a journey through the unexpected in We Used to Be Different. It's more than just another collection of stories, it's an experience.

Dorothy Fiske, eighty-three, adores movie stars, jewelry, murder mysteries, and men. At twenty-five, inspired by Judy Garland and Angela Lansbury, she moved to Los Angeles from a religiously strict Midwestern home. Despite the glamour, Dorothy, heartbroken, was childless. She blamed her sweet, unambitious husband, Eugene, claiming his sperm was weak, but Dorothy knows the truth.

Ruth, a sixty-six-year-old home health aide, fears eviction from her LA apartment due to her unusual, antisocial behavior. Previously fired from a nursing facility for residents dying under her care, Ruth targets Dorothy, a widow from a wealthy family in Pacific Palisades, California. Lonely yet prideful, Dorothy hires Ruth as a "lady's maid." Ruth accepts the position and masterfully entwines herself into Dorothy's life because she wants to live in Dorothy's house, alone.

The Palisades is a deliciously spun psychological suspense brimming with dark humor in which two women develop a peculiar relationship amid a miasma of Ruth's disturbing memories and Dorothy's pervasive delusions of old Hollywood. Poverty and privilege mingle, companionship turns bizarre, and identity is questioned as the women desperately try to fulfill their shared yearning for motherhood.

Boobs of Steel: The tendency for the strongest physical female fighter in a group or cast to also have the largest breasts. —TV Tropes

Lara Croft... Power Girl... Tifa Lockhart... They're three of the most loved and loathed characters in all pop-culture. Since the late 1990s all three have also been favorite targets for outraged feminists and woke keyboard warriors who believe that a bountiful cup size is a crime against humanity.

Within these pages, sci-fi author J. Ishiro Finney chronicles the history of the Boobs of Steel trope, its associated archetypes, and the impact these Amazons have had on our art, literature, and cultural landscape. Often assumed to be a modern creation, the so-called "Boobs of Steel" heroine is an outgrowth of a storytelling tradition as old as humanity itself.

This first installment of the Boobs of Steel series explores the legacies of the Amazon, the Valkyrie, and Jungle Queen, and how they formed the basis for nearly every action heroine today. It also addresses these archetypes in the age of cancel culture, and how the heroic feminine is being systematically purged from all media. In here you will learn exactly why the woke mob are dead wrong when they scream that our favorite busty heroines are "sexist, racist, and offensive!"So, suit up and strap in. It's gonna be a fun ride.

Cursed for killing a god, an immortal man with the ability to see the dead must protect a mortal god from a looming evil that threatens to unleash chaos upon the world, in this gripping and action-packed fantasy novel.

"It left me excited to read more in this series and from the author." - Kathryn Mcleer, Top Reviewer at Booksprout

"Good plots, good characters. I liked the diversity of it as well. A different kind of story." - Rebecca Slone, Vine Voice

"Couldn't put it down." - Sue Wallace, Top Reviewer at Booksprout

Cursed for an eternity, Cane is an immortal man who can see the dead and walks the Earth as a punishment for killing a god. Living an existence of pain and suffering for centuries, he has been reduced to hunting monsters lurking in the shadows of our 21st-century world.

But when a god is awakened in a mortal body, Cane's torturous reality is disrupted. Her past is a mystery, and a threat is seeking to destroy her. As Cane fights to save her from this looming evil, he discovers that her true identity is tied to his past and that her fate is intricately intertwined with his own.

Journeys of the Lost: The Saga of Cane is a contemporary supernatural fiction novel that blends historical locations and facts with storytelling. It is the first in a planned series of three and features a colorful cast of characters, including strong women, LGBT, and ethnically diverse characters.

The book also includes light romance and explores themes of determination, defiance, injustice, and redemption. The adventure will take readers across the globe, from Israel to China, North America, and even Antarctica, as sinister forces threaten to destroy the world.

If you liked HIS DARK MATERIALS, or HIGHLANDER, you will LOVE this book.

People talk a lot about the male gaze and how harmful it is to women but little is spoken about the female gaze and the harm it causes.

The most terrifying monsters are the ones that lurk inside...

After discovering everything she's ever known has been a lie, Calay understands humanity's brutality firsthand. Now, depleted rations, unexplained aberrations, and an ecosystem in collapse have driven her to the brink of madness-even with Jacob by her side. When a mysterious woman sent from the stars promises to grant every desire she's ever locked away in her shattered heart, she's forced to make an impossible decision: remain on a dying Earth or journey to a planet two-billion lightyears away in an effort to save them all. Clinging to the dream she might yet find somewhere to call home, she agrees. After all, how much worse could it get?

When she arrives on the shimmering, glass-city planet Téras, Calay desperately want to believe in a better future. Despite being haunted by the past she'll never escape, her hope is buoyed by the reunion with the mother she thought long-dead and the possibility of uniting their civilizations. The reality, however, is more horrifying than anything she could have imagined. As the universe descends into darkness, she finds herself trapped in the far reaches of deep space, face to face with dangerous forces, unyielding truths, and feral monsters that will force her to confront the darkest parts of herself, pushing her to the very limits of what it means to be human.

In this gripping queer sci-fi odyssey, Calay's journey through love, betrayal, and self-discovery becomes a fight not only for her life, but the survival of Earth itself.

She didn't just study legends, she became one.

Maya had big dreams about her future, filled with the fascinating tales of ancient history. She longed to escape her mundane reality and dive into the myths and legends of the past. But when a cunning sage tricks her into releasing the powerful BloodStorm, her life takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, Maya finds herself living a story that's far more thrilling than anything she's ever read in her textbooks.

The BloodStorm triggers the awakening of seven distinct Bloodlines in humans, gifting them with incredible abilities. These abilities can vary greatly, from casting enchanting curses and performing miraculous healing, to gaining the ability to fly or shape-shift at will. However, possessing such immense power also brings grave risks.

In a world thrown into chaos, the Bloodline clans are under the control of a merciless ancient ruler, the Master Sage. He stirs up conflict and causes suffering among those without power. In these desperate times, Maya finds an unexpected friend and ally in Anders, a gadget-obsessed bounty hunter. With Anders' knowledge of gadgets and Bloodline societies and Maya's LifeDeath power, they form a partnership with surprising potential.

Is Maya destined to rise as a beacon of hope, or will she crumble under the weight of her own doubt and the darkness of the Master Sage's reign? Her unique ability to tap into all Bloodlines makes her a potent force for change—but it also paints a giant target on her back. To challenge the relentless Master Sage, Maya must master her powers and confront the responsibility and risks that come with wielding them.

The Male Gaze: something we continuously see in media, psychology, and our everyday lives.

The objectification of women has unfortunately been something that we are subjected to every day, whether we realize it or not. However, many people don’t realize the dangers of this thought processes. The Male Gaze has been attributed as the core of the sexual harassment, abuse, and sexual assault as a result of the over-fetishization of women in the media. In this book, we’ll go over the various ways that the male gaze can do harm to women as a whole, as well as the people fighting against this endless objectification.

Xochitl Ramirez is powerless. But when her mom's death incriminates the strongest man in the world, she becomes determined to shine a light on these so-called heroes.

So, she starts her blog, "Storm Chaser," and armed with only a camera, she exposes the truth behind New York City's billion-dollar "hero" industry. When her lens finally catches the number one hero in his pursuit of a strange robot, her life is turned upside down. Connecting the dots between a number of untimely deaths swept under the rug by those pulling the strings, she discovers a mishmash of unlikely allies. Between her attraction blooming for a "villain" turned sidekick, and her discovery of an underground vigilante group who may be just as bad as the corrupt heroes, she quickly finds no one is who they seem.

Meanwhile, discontent for the entire system grows as regular people realize their comics, playing cards, and favorite movies feature the morally gray. In an instant, the powerless begin to pose a genuine threat to the "heroes." Xochi must rely on her wits and the help of her newfound friends and lover to break out of a system now branding her a terrorist, or else become another faceless victim conveniently left out of the narrative.

It's 1920 New Orleans and Jesse Pike is slowly ascending the New Orleans upper-class social scene.

He's the owner of the most popular brothel in the entire city, and rubs shoulders with businessmen, corrupt politicians, and stage stars alike. He's also the leader of a violent street gang that pulled off the biggest heist of liquor since the beginning of prohibition. Jesse sets up a scheme to sell the booze, and use the profits to help him start a legitimate business. However, several obstacles get in his way: Clyde, the mentally disturbed oldest Pike sibling, is released from prison and takes issue with how Jesse runs things; Jesse's aging mentor refuses to let him leave behind crime; and an overzealous young DA decides to reopen an investigation into liquor heist to increase his chances of being elected mayor. Jesse is forced to make a decision: does he walk away from a life of crime and his family forever? Or will he continue down the road of violence that has begun to erode his psyche, much as it has Clyde's?

The Pike Boys has all the thrills, plot twists, and quick pace of conventional gangster fiction, with the heart, depth, and nuance of a literary novel. In between the shootouts, violence, and debauchery, there is the overarching question of "can people actually change?" The reader will see that the answer is not so simple-especially when you live in a place like New Orleans.