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Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition.

When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, if she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees, with a catch: Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.The inn is busy with holiday guests—including Aretha Franklin Sloan's perpetually single nephew Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is definitely not the right woman for Daniel—and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

Cuddle up for some warm holiday cheer as New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson explores the unforeseen consequences of meddling with mistletoe when love is on the line.

These critters are disgusting — and fun, too! — and now they're brought together for the first time in a new collection! Learn about flies, spiders and worms in this hilarious illustrated nonfiction, perfect for beginning readers.

Flies can walk on the ceiling. Worms have existed for 120 million years. And spiders have four pairs of eyes. What do they have in common? They're all disgusting! Elise Gravel's Disgusting Critters series has charmed and grossed out thousands of readers.

This paperback bind-up of three of nature's most beloved, and yuckiest, creatures — the fly, the worm and the spider — is filled with fascinating facts and hilarious humor that will amuse and teach at the same time.

In these essays, Toynton remembers her émigré relatives, some of whom left Germany as soon as Hitler came to power, others only escaped later.

While Evelyn Toynton's father became a hard-working, civic-minded American, with a great sense of obligation to his suburban community, her uncle never stopped feeling like an exile in the US; as soon after World War II as he could, he began making trips back to Germany. The women in her family also had widely varying relationships to the societies in which they found refuge. One of them, after browbeating a Nazi police chief into having her husband released from Dachau, wound up in England and became a passionate Anglophile; another, a widow deprived of all material comfort and security, retreated into seclusion in her tiny New York apartment, distancing herself from American life and finding solace in her beloved German poets. A fierce Zionist who smuggled guns and money from Europe into Palestine under the noses of the British went on to found a kibbutz and fight for the rights of Arabs as well as Jews. Then there was the author's German-born mother, who emigrated to the U.S. only to be struck down by tragedy and forced to live separately from her children, but still found ways to nurture them and provide them with a haven from their sorrows. All of them had lost not only their native homeland and their sense of identity but many of the people they loved. Yet each found ways to give meaning to their lives, whether in their own small circles or in the larger world.

Toynton speaks to a universal immigrant family experience, some embrace a new life, others forge a compromise between their new home and old traditions, while a few never fully find their way.

A contemporary teen romance novel, now available in paperback, featuring a Palestinian-Canadian girl trying to hide her autism diagnosis while navigating her first year of high school, for fans of Jenny Han and Samira Ahmed.

Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun.

But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script.

With unexpected mishaps and joyful moments, this uplifting picture book celebrates the power of noticing others and embracing friendship.

Seen is a heartwarming tale of friendship and kindness as Elisha and Ariana embark on a delightful adventure through FeatherTown. From the charming bakery to the flower shop and unexpected postal mishap, the story beautifully illustrates the magic of noticing others. In the end, amid laughter, ice cream, and the companionship of her rowdy pup, Teddy, Ariana discovers that being truly seen by her best friend is all she ever wanted.

This beautiful picture book celebrates the joy of connection and simple acts of kindness.

Exploring a critical lesson about our nation that is as timely today as ever, Decade of Disunion shows how the country came apart during the enveloping slavery crisis of the 1850s.

The Mexican War brought vast new territories to the United States, which precipitated a growing crisis over slavery. The new territories seemed unsuitable for the type of agriculture that depended on slave labor, but they lay south of the line where slavery was permitted by the 1820 Missouri Compromise. The subject of expanding slavery to the new territories became a flash point between North and South.

First came the 1850 compromise legislation, which strengthened the fugitive slave law and outraged the North. Then in 1854, Congress repealed the Missouri Compromise altogether, unleashing a violent conflict in "Bleeding Kansas" over whether that territory would become free or slave. The 1857 Dred Scott decision--abrogating any rights of African Americans, enslaved or free--further outraged the North. And John Brown's ill-planned 1859 attack at the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry stirred anger and fear throughout the South.

Through a decade, South Carolina, whose economy depended heavily on slave labor, struggled over whether to secede in a stand-alone act of defiance or to do so only in conjunction with other states. Meanwhile, Massachusetts became the country's antislavery epicenter but debated whether the Constitution was worth saving in the effort to abolish bondage. Both states widened the divide between North and South until disunion became inevitable. Then, in December 1860, in the wake of the Lincoln election, South Carolina finally seceded, leading the South out of the Union.

Beginning with the deaths of the great second-generation figures of American history—Calhoun, Webster, and Clay—Decade of Disunion tells the story of this great American struggle through the aims, fears, and maneuvers of the subsequent prominent figures at the center of the drama, with particular attention to the key players from Massachusetts and South Carolina.

This history is a sobering reminder that democracy is not self-sustaining—it must be constantly and carefully tended.

1919. A year of violence. And in a small Vermont town, Murder.

A young woman is strangled, and her naked body left in a frozen backyard a few streets from her home and her husband's church. Pastor's wife, Red Cross Volunteer, and the loving mother who read scripture to her three children before kissing them goodnight, Rose on Saturday nights met men for dates at a bordello.

On her last walk toward home, death waited for her in the cold, fog covered night.

Her story, one of sex, infidelity, and corruption, gripped the nation. But seen now, over 100 years later, Rose's murder and its aftermath are more than the titillating tale--thinly veiled for polite consumption as a cautionary moral lesson--newspapers reported at the time about this "sporting" woman. She wasn't a loose woman, but a liberated one who the murderer tried to silence before she could tell her secret.

But secrets don't stay buried and in Body On Ice, a novella based on a true story, there is retribution from the grave.

Adam and Victor are brothers who have the usual fights over the remote, which movie to watch and whether or not it's morally acceptable to eat people.

Well, not so much eat... just drink a little blood. They're vampires, hiding in plain sight with their eclectic yet loving family. Ten-year-old Adam knows he has a better purpose in his life (well, immortal life) than just drinking blood, but fourteen-year-old Victor wants to accept his own self-image of vampirism. Everything changes when bodies start to appear all over town, and it becomes clear that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for the family.

Can Adam and Victor reconcile their differences and work together to stop the killer before it's too late?

This gripping and emotionally riveting tale is a dark and timely retelling of The Wizard of Oz which unravels the prejudices of the Midwest in the late 19th century.

Kansas, 1896. After a tornado destroys the Gale family farm, 11-year-old Dorothy goes missing. As the days pass, the Gales are increasingly terrified the worst has happened. But when the girl turns up unharmed four days later, the townsfolk breathe a sigh of relief. That is, until Dorothy herself relates her account of the events that took place during her disappearance.

In vivid detail, Dorothy describes a fantastical land and its magical inhabitants: a scarecrow, a tin man, a cowardly lion, a wizard, a witch. Her recollections are not only regarded as delusional, but also as pagan and diabolical in nature, especially when the body of a local spinster is found matching Dorothy's description of a witch she claims to have killed. Authorities find incriminating evidence tying Dorothy to the real murder, and they sentence Dorothy to the Topeka Insane Asylum.

When 28-year-old psychologist Dr. Evelyn Grace Wilford arrives at the asylum to interview Dorothy, she begins to wonder if Dorothy truly committed the crime or if something unfathomable has really occurred.

In a small town full of insidious secrets, Evelyn sets out to save Dorothy from her terrible circumstances, but can't help but fear whether something menacing may be lurking just out of sight.

Death is neither the beginning nor the end for the children of Bridlington in this debut trans YA horror book for fans of Rory Power and Danielle Vega.

Chuck Warren died tragically at the old abandoned mill, but Paz Espino knows it was no accident — there's a monster under the town, and she's determined to kill it before anyone else gets hurt. She'll need the help of her crew — inseparable friends, bound by a childhood pact stronger than diamonds, distance or death — to hunt it down. But she's up against a greater force of evil than she ever could have imagined. With shifting timeframes and multiple perspectives, Lockjaw is a small-town ghost story, where monsters living and dead haunt the streets, the homes and the minds of the inhabitants.

For readers of Wilder Girls and The Haunted, this trans YA horror book by an incredible debut author will grab you and never let you go.

Dive into the enigmatic allure of Mist and Moonbeams: Stories from the Great Lakes Edge, a captivating collection of five short stories that traverse the heart and soul of the Great Lakes region.

Each tale is a testament to the power of human emotion, the depth of the human heart, and the indomitable spirit of adventure that lies within us all.

Love in Her Two-Hearted

Embark on a journey of self-discovery with Sonny, a widow who navigates the untamed wilderness of the Big Two-Hearted River. In her solitude, she confronts the rapids of grief and the wilderness of her own heart, seeking a peace that seems as elusive as the river itself. This stirring novella celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of nature.

You Can’t Start A Fire With Moonlight

Under the mesmerizing glow of a super blue moon by Lake Huron, Michelle and Christopher find themselves entangled in a forbidden love that challenges everything they thought they knew about desire, loyalty, and betrayal. This tale of lost love and the quest for redemption is a haunting exploration of the choices that define us.

Confessions of an Efficient Cause

In the bitter winter of 1992, Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline becomes the backdrop for a dark conspiracy that threatens the lives of young students. Follow Detective Manuj Hemottia as he unravels the mysteries of a sinister organization, diving deep into a case that tests the limits of his determination and courage. This gripping story weaves together elements of mystery, suspense, and the unyielding quest for justice.

A Hummingbird in Winter

Discover the future complexities of love and identity with Dash and Cynthia, whose budding romance in the heart of Toronto challenges the very essence of what it means to truly know someone. This poignant futuristic tale delves deep into the secrets that bind us, the truths that define us, and the love that transforms us.

Careful, Icarus

In the shadowy corners of Cleveland, Spider and his crew embark on a daring heist that could elevate them to the top of the criminal underworld. But at what cost? Torn between ambition and his love for his daughter, Spider's journey is a thrilling narrative of risk, redemption, and the fine line between dreams and delusions.

Mist and Moonbeams: Stories from the Great Lakes Edge weaves together the rich tapestry of human experience with the mystical allure of the Great Lakes. Each story invites you to embark on a journey of love, loss, discovery, and redemption, where the only constant is the profound connection between the human spirit and the natural world. Discover the magic, mystery, and majesty of the Great Lakes region through these unforgettable tales.

Some love fades... But true love flourishes...

Even when you're left wondering what went wrong...And if you can ever learn to live without your love...

Gail Ferr has known Colton Reeves since they were young, but it's not until their freshman year of high school that she notices his sun-kissed skin and vibrant green eyes. Soon, Gail and Colton become inseparable, their relationship blooming as they move toward their senior year.

One summer day changes everything for both of them, leaving Gail to navigate her life without Colton. She discovers an inner strength and gains success she's only dreamed of. But she never truly forgets Colton: their love story has no bounds, one that flourishes through tragedy and triumph and grows stronger with time.

Will there ever be a day she learns to live fully without him, or does the past have a way of coming full circle?

In a world eerily parallel to our own, life is bisected by the Barrier—a monolithic edifice that symbolizes division and control. It segregates nations and dictates the very fate of those bold enough to cross.

Right Hand of the Resistance, by Paul Michael Peters, a dystopian story melds the heart-pounding suspense of Tom Clancy, the speculative genius of Dan Simmons, and the prescient vision of George Orwell, capturing the essence of a divided society. It challenges the 'Golden Rule' to ask, "How well should we treat one another?" The narrative follows the perilous treks to the north, fraught with danger yet illuminated by the hope of a better existence beyond the oppressive divide.Paul Michael Peters maps a world where passage across the Barrier involves high costs and profound sacrifices, under the watchful eyes of authorities dictating fates. Amidst this, a covert resistance emerges, daring to defy and dismantle the status quo, embodying the novel's core of rebellion and resilience.

Through a blend of suspense, intrigue, and fiction, Paul Michael Peters dissects themes of love, faith, family, power, and control. This narrative compels readers to question their realities. Right Hand of the Resistance is an exploration of human extremes, delivering a narrative that resonates deeply with our contemporary challenges while hinting at ominous futures.

As the leaves fall, an enemy rises.

All is peaceful at West Side Sandwiches… until Zelda's mother shows up, suitcase in hand, for a surprise visit. When an outing to Broadway goes up in flames, and a new threat bubbles up from the witches' swimming pool, an old-fashioned seance seems like just the thing to settle the spirit world—but in magical Manhattan, nothing is ever that simple.

Ghosts. Magic. Mothers. This time, it's going to take more than spells and sandwiches to save the world.

Having left her hometown in the Idaho mountains eight years ago after her sister's tragic death, Assistant District Attorney, Sylvianna Dunlap, returns for a memorial. Her short weekend visit is sidelined, however, when she discovers someone wants her dead.

Dealing with old heartbreak, old friends and long distant memories, Sylvie must find out who is after her before it's too late. Lucky for her, local rancher, Duncan Jamison, is more than willing to step in and help an old friend out but between stoking old relationships and trying to get back to her new life in North Carolina, Sylvie must decide who she can trust. Duncan Jamison has secrets and so does the killer.

The only question is, will Sylvie and her friends be able to stop who's after her or will she become the next victim?

The magical island of Chynchin is facing conquerors from abroad and something sinister from within in this entrancing fantasy from the Grand Master Award-winning author Nalo Hopkinson.

Veycosi, in training as a griot (an historian and musician), hopes to sail off to examine the rare Alamat Book of Light and thus secure a spot for himself on Chynchin's Colloquium of scholars. However, unexpected events prevent that from happening. Fifteen Ymisen galleons arrive in the harbor to force a trade agreement on Chynchin. Veycosi tries to help, hoping to prove himself with a bold move, but quickly finds himself in way over his head.

Bad turns to worse when malign forces start stirring. Pickens (children) are disappearing and an ancient invading army, long frozen into piche (tar) statues by island witches is stirring to life—led by the fearsome demon known as the Blackheart Man. Veycosi has problems in his polyamorous personal life, too.

How much trouble can a poor student take? Or cause all by himself as the line between myth and history blends in this delightfully sly tale by one of greatest novelists.

Offering heart-stopping adventure and forbidden romance, this break-out young adult novel delivers a story as shocking as The Hunger Games with a thought-provoking allegory about the casual acceptance of slaughtering animals for food.

The book alternates in perspectives between Hawk, an 18-year-old boy, who lives in a human village deep in the forest, hidden from the giant ones, and Mira, a 17-year-old girl, whose people came to this land several generations ago and were told by their gods that hunting the small human animals would save them from starvation.

Mira has grown up in a medieval town in this new land, and she is now at an age when she is being pressured to find a boy to marry.

However, when she learns that the human animals in the forest are rapidly being hunted to extinction, she sets aside any thoughts of settling down and becomes determined to save the wild humans from the hunters—and the butchers.

Her resolve is tested when she comes face to face with Hawk, who has secretly entered Mira’s town on a terrifying mission. Mira’s involvement with this wild human boy could have far-reaching consequences—it could help save humanity... or end it.

After the arrest of Chancellor King and the murder of his eldest son and heir, Ghost, the King family and the streets of New York City are thrown into chaos.

The throne of Five Points is without a sitting king for the first time since its inception. The vacancy doesn’t last long, however, as Chancellor’s older brother, Chapman, takes the opportunity to usurp the crown, breaking the line of succession and stepping over his nephew Shadow. Chapman’s first act as the new king is to banish what remains of his broken family, branding them enemies of the crown.

The coronation of a new king promises to bring back balance to the Monarchy, but there are some who question Chapman’s claim to the throne and refuse to kneel to before a “false king.” What follows is a war between different factions of the Monarchy, each with its own agenda, and the crown of Five Points as the prize.

Stripped of all wealth and power, Maureen King and her son Shadow are forced to vacate their family estate and end up back where it all began for them: the slums of Brooklyn. Maureen refuses to sit idle while her brother-in-law reaps the spoils of what she and her husband built. In the raging conflict that ensues, Maureen places a seemingly impossible task on the shoulders of Shadow—to reclaim what was stolen from their family and take back the crown.

A young artist meets Stephen Crane as America’s hunger for empire draws them both into war.

Oliver Fischer, a self-styled bohemian, boardwalk caricaturist, and student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, enrages his banker father and earns the contempt of Philadelphia’s foremost realist painter Thomas Eakins when he attempts to stage Manet’s scandalous painting The Luncheon on the Grass. Soon after, he is ensnarled, along with Mark Twain and Andrew Carnegie, in a clash between the Anti-Imperialist League and their expansionist foes. Sent to Key West to sketch the 1898 American invasion of Cuba, in company with war correspondent Stephen Crane, he realizes––in the flash of a naval bombardment––that our lives are suspended by a thread between radiance and annihilation.

The Caricaturist, the penultimate, stand-alone book in The American Novels series, is a tragicomic portrait of America struggling to honor its most-cherished ideals at the dawn of the twentieth century.

“Captivating and energetic... The Caricaturist rollicks through a turbulent American epoch via an artist’s coming-of-age.” —Foreword Reviews (starred review)

“A resonant story of art, rebellion, and politics.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The sole survivor of a serial killer might hold the key to stopping a new spree of murders in this propulsive horror thriller in the vein of The Black Phone and The Whisper Man.

Dark and twisting at every turn, fans of Catriona Ward will love this chilling new tale from the deviously inventive horror author that Peter Farris calls the "clear heir to Stephen King."

Beware the one who got away... Father Silence once terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, disguising himself as a priest to prey on the most vulnerable members of society. When the police finally found his "House of Horrors," they uncovered nineteen bodies and one survivor—a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Nearly two decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death, but by the next morning, the detective who made the original arrest is found dead. A new serial killer is taking credit for the murder and calling himself the Outcast.

The detective's daughter, Tess Claibourne, is a detective herself, haunted by childhood trauma and horrified by the death of her father and the resurgence of Father Silence's legacy.

When Tess's daughter is kidnapped by the Outcast, Tess is forced to face her worst fears and long-buried memories. With no leads to follow, she travels back to Twisted Tree to visit the boy who survived and see what secrets might be buried in the tangled web of his broken mind.

With captivating prose and an old-school horror flair, Sleep Tight is a must-read, haunting tale from a true master of the genre.

A summary of the main points for the book Help! My Room Exploded.

The focus of this book is three-fold.

First, it dives into the root of the problem for many families struggling with ADHD which is parent/child relationships. The question arises how can we have positive relationships and interactions with kids who are constantly on the verge of explosion? Parents can take heart there is an explanation for why you pull away from edgy, disruptive children. You can only take so many negative interactions before your brain attempts to protect you from getting hurt again. The great news is making specific changes to how you interact and spend time with your kids can fix these issues.

Second, examine how clutter affects you. Cluttered living environments add a layer of distraction, overwhelm, and frustration for those with ADHD, and their families. Lage a teenager with ADHD explains how he reduced his ADHD symptoms through decluttering, and you’ll explore how scientific studies back up his findings. An easy step-by-step plan is laid out to simplify kids’ rooms. It’s important to optimize the areas of the home that kids with ADHD use regularly to promote concentration.

Third, the book reminds us that parents often need to work on themselves before they can help struggling children. It follows a mom and how she overcame her fears to help her son and daughter. Don’t forget that you are the expert on your child. Doctors are experts in their fields and teachers in their classrooms, but they don’t live with your kids. You are the expert and YOU must be bold, so your kids get the help they need.

Conclusion:

A fast-paced life is stressful for every family, but when you add ADHD behaviors to a family stretched to the limits you may hit a breaking point. It’s best to be proactive and carve out time for your kids before everything explodes!

The good news is, that making specific changes in your child’s bedroom can improve cleanliness, encourage good study habits, boost your relationship, spark creativity, help concentration, promote calmness, and improve mental health.

One hero will risk it all to save the world... and the woman he loves.

In late World War I France, disillusioned black American soldier and musician Sgt. David Pierce fights the German enemy and tours the French countryside with the famed Harlem Hellfighters Band. These “Men of Bronze” are not only brave soldiers, but talented musicians who are conquering Europe with a secret weapon—Jazz.

In a cruel irony, David and his fellow soldiers are forbidden to serve in the war as Americans; instead, they fight for a grateful French army. As he battles in the trenches and with the relentless color line, David also has an unfinished war raging back home in the U.S. Facing an uncertain—yet certainly unhappy—future, he meets a woman who will change his life forever. However, her secrets challenge everything David believes about love, duty and sacrifice.

How far will he go to win on all fronts?

As a 28-year-old farmhand, John Gauthier falls in love with both the farmer's wife and her sister, forcing him to face the question: Do I follow my heart or do the right thing?

In an attempt to right an impossible situation, John leaves the hardscrabble dairy farm and turns to the church, becoming a Roman Catholic priest. But as the head of Sacred Heart parish he struggles with a church council more interested in getting bodies in the seats than helping the needy. It is here John faces new questions: How do people keep faith in God when bad things happen to good people? And, what happens when faith, or love, is not enough?

Following the arc of John's life between 1929 and 1962 in rural Vermont, Some Things Aren't Meant to Be is a love story, a coming-of-age story, a story about faith in God, and a celebration of literature and writing.

God's people are meant to be a blessing to others.

Yet in the Scriptures, throughout history, and in our own times we too often see the people of God causing harm to people on the margins. Rather than caring for the widowed and the orphaned or loving the sojourner, too often we see abuse of power that breaks spirits and inflicts lasting harm.

For anyone who has felt left out or pushed out of the church, Othered is your invitation to find spiritual rest and belonging in a God who loves, restores, and blesses the outcast and the marginalized. Jenai Auman draws on her experience growing up as a biracial kid in the American South as well as working within toxic ministry environments to reveal a hopeful, trauma-informed way forward.

This book illuminates how hurt and betrayal in the church are longstanding problems that God neither sanctions nor tolerates. It offers holistic responses to the grief, anger, and trauma that come with being ostracized or oppressed by the church. And it shows how God provides shelter and provision in the midst of the wilderness.

Because God sees, hears, and loves you—even if the church has failed you.

A tribal people called the Pala Vaia, "First and Lost Ones," have lived in Lassar since ancient times, coexisting peacefully with the Lasska people.

But the Pala Vaia have always been wanderers, seemingly out of place wherever they are...

And the Lassar's fanatical new ruler, Impera Shurik, wants to destroy the tribes.

Sixteen-year-old Khari, a Vaia Lamp-Carrier, must use all her dreams and their interpretations to save her people from extinction.

Khari's dreams lead her and a small group of Vaia out of their native country into neighboring Namora, where they must find allies, particularly a Namoran priest with an extraordinary mental gift of his own.

The Vaia's search for a safe homeland will change the lives of all the people it touches, as well as the future of two nations-if it's not too late.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things:

Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—

Of cabbages—and kings—

And why the sea is boiling hot—

And whether pigs have wings."

—Lewis Carroll, The Walrus and the Carpenter

Pigs Have Wings is a touching tale of Miz Peg, who wants nothing more than to dance and sing.

With short legs and big feet, it's harder for a pig than you would think. Peg gets all tangled up trying to twirl. Everyone laughs and tells Peg “don’t you know, pigs don’t have wings.” Peg is finally able to leap in the sky when a baby bird lands on her head and shows her how to hip and hop. A wise owl helps her learn that we all have our own wings when we believe. From that day on, Peg dances with all her heart. She finds her own way to shine!

With light-hearted rhymes and high-stepping illustrations, this tale is gentle inspiration for everyone who wants to find their own wings within—and imagine they can accomplish anything.

'Best Beloved, Are you up in your room this afternoon, I wonder, or are you sitting here beside me, looking out over the water - with your head resting on my shoulder...?'

Told with original love letters, Maplecroft, the first book in the Maplecroft family saga series, tells the story of Austin and Errington who lived and loved in the once budding industrial town of Preston, Ontario, Canada. A love, troubled by long-enduring absences, mysterious illness, and an overbearing father whose portrait now hangs in the Cambridge Hall of Fame.

Over a century after their love blossoms, the discovery of the letters is made by Lauren. Suffering a recent tragedy, Lauren finds solace in the words of Austin and Errington and the old Muskoka cottage where the two stories intersect. 

Transporting the reader to turn of the century Southern Ontario, this richly atmospheric historical fiction is the gateway to the heartbreakingly beautiful love letters of Austin and Errington and their deeply moving Edwardian love story. It's about enduring love and the power to imagine when we find ourselves apart.

The story of a woman abandoned by her father, an anarchist who blows up dams, presents complex environmental issues further complicated by thorny family dynamics.

Seventeen years ago, Tilly Stone (age 13) is left to fend for herself in rural Pennsylvania when her infamous eco-terrorist father disappears under mysterious circumstances. Ever since she’s tried to forget the dams they blew up together and forge a new life until her father’s return threatens to upend her small-town world and her friend- ship with the dogged FBI agent still pursuing him.

Ultimately, as the past and present fuse and blow up with more than one kind of casualty, Tilly must choose between the father she loves and her home.

Gem Stone Swenson wants her life back.

Dominated by her big-wig husband, domineering mother, and demanding teenaged daughters, the socialite escapes into memories of a madcap road trip she and her hippie sister took twenty years earlier. It was the summer of 1978, the summer that Gem fell in love with a hunky, small-town deputy sheriff.

Does he still run his fingers through his thick, dark hair? Do his jeans still hug his buns in a way that melts her knees?

There's only one way to find out. As soon as she gets out of jail for cold-cocking her cheating husband, she's going to hit the road again in search of long-lost love.

Sweetly heartwarming, rollickingly funny, and oh-so-sexy, Tough Rocks is one road trip you don't want to miss. Enjoy the ride.

Some Vacations Last Forever...

In the unwinding case of Cremation Vacation, a frothy bachelor by the name of Dean Smith has landed face first in a life puddle created by the loss of a brother he barely knew. The travel company and its valuable assets have been decreed to this vacant hearted man, but they are attached to tangible requirements. Dean must choose between spreading his estranged brother’s ashes with Trish at meaningful locations around the world or walk away nearly empty handed and leave one hundred percent of the business to Trish. Either decision is selfish. For Trish, there is only one way to save the Grand Island Travel Company and it’s a choice she expects to regret for the rest of her life.

This twilight tale rides the wake of our mortality and sheds light on the value of unconditional love and the adventures that create it. Cremation Vacation is guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and think about the people you love, and have loved, in ways you never imagined.

This feminist retelling of Greek mythology reimagines the story of Aeneas and the women once left at the fringes of his story, perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes.

To the world he's a legend. To her he's a liar.

Lavinia never asked to be fought over. But now her childhood sweetheart has waged a war that threatens to destroy everything she holds dear, all because Lavinia's father has promised her to somebody else-Aeneas. Aeneas, rumored to be the son of Venus, is famed for his bravery, cunning, and his vision for a new great Empire. He is also secretive, slippery, and Lavinia wonders why he will never discuss the past he left behind.

So when a stranger arrives in the camp with stories about Aeneas that suggest he is not what he seems, Lavinia realizes she has to take her future, and that of her people, into her own hands.

With striking prose and an inquisitive eye cast back on mythology, The Heir of Venus is an impactful and relatable story of a fight for the truth, set in the rich world of Greek mythology.

There's nothing quite so romantic or inspiring as Paris in the spring—and what better place for a woman to reinvent herself and start over.

In this deeply moving novel, three women must come together and fight for the happy ending they dream of.

Life doesn't always serve up the perfect dish, but second chances are always on the menu... Kate is bruised from a heartbreaking betrayal. Artistic Gabi is struggling to overcome a crippling creative block. Learning how to make culinary magic at the celebrated Paris Cooking School is the perfect antidote. Taking the first flight out of Australia, both women find themselves in the city of lights and love. But for Sylvie, the school's owner, things are not looking so promising. She is under siege from a harassment campaign that threatens to destroy everything she has worked for while also juggling a commitment-shy lover, Claude. Each woman will be transformed by what unfolds that spring-and the course of their lives will be changed forever.

A delicious novel about love, hope, and the consolations of the perfect strawberry tart.

Legendary Hip-Hop Artist Chuck D has been touring the world ever since his band Public Enemy put out their first album in 1987. Now, at age sixty-three, Chuck is frequently asked how he manages to still put on such high-energy performances.

His response is simple: he practices Pilates, a form of exercise and body conditioning that has become increasingly popular over the last decade (though it was originally developed by Joseph Pilates in the early twentieth century).

Chuck’s appreciation for Pilates took a major leap in 2016 when he was setting out on a rigorous tour schedule with a powerful and energetic new band called Prophets of Rage (a supergroup including members of Public Enemy and Rage Against the Machine). Over the next four years, the group would perform to more than two million people across the globe. As Chuck admits, he simply could not have delivered on such a massive level without his practice of Pilates, under the guidance of trainer Kathy Lopez. In RAPilates, Chuck and Kathy present an illustrated program of Pilates exercises for people of all ages, including the over-forty crowd.

The volume includes introductions from both Chuck and Kathy, which are followed by more than thirty mat-based Pilates exercises that are carefully explained by Kathy and beautifully illustrated in Chuck’s inimitable style that he has demonstrated in his previous books of visual art, including STEWdio and Summer of Hamn. Like those two books, RAPilates is published on Chuck’s Enemy Books imprint, which is hosted by Akashic.

Cats are out to explore the galaxy… dogs are ready to protect it.

In the vast expanse of the galaxy, feline explorers from the Cat Exploration Corporation, led by the ambitious Blake, yearn to make their mark and unveil the secrets of uncharted space. All Blake desires is to honor his father's legacy and contribute to the endless curiosity of catkind. Meanwhile, Shadow, a loyal canine under the banner of the Tofferis Empire, is determined to pass his trials and stand as a stalwart guardian, protecting the very galaxy the cats seek to explore.

At the forefront of the Mineral Mining Corporation, Jade, a charismatic catsplorer, spearheads daring expeditions into uncharted territories. His mission: to unearth valuable minerals crucial for advancing feline exploration. Little do they know that their individual aspirations will intertwine in an unexpected political showdown, where cats and dogs are at the center of a cosmic power struggle.As Blake, Shadow, and Jade navigate the complexities of interstellar politics, allegiances are tested, and the line between friend and foe blurs against the backdrop of unexplored galaxies.

In Space Cats: Making Enemies, the first installment of the series, these unsuspecting heroes find themselves entangled in a captivating space opera with a feline twist. Will they emerge victorious, or will the clash of paws and claws reshape the destiny of the cosmos? Embark on a thrilling journey that combines cosmic curiosity, canine loyalty, and the indomitable spirit of feline explorers.

If you're a fan of space adventures where the stakes are as high as the humor is charming, Space Cats: Making Enemies awaits your cosmic companionship.

Conversation is more than just words being spoken, interpreted, and acted upon by others.

Conversation is also the ultimate human interest activity, bringing people into direct contact with people in all of their complexity and vulnerability. The main characters in Parker's ten multi-genre stories set in the heart of Appalachia want to be heard; to have others listen to them-really listen-and understand their needs and concerns.

The characters in these stories do not always get listened to, and many of them find that the need for attention comes from aggression. A woman confronts her father about his dementia. Two fathers whose guilt and shame over the disappearances of their sons hide more sinister motives. A young boy frustrated with a ring appraisal learns a lesson about how people and things can be valued equally. Each of the characters in the collection is faced with a balance of talking and listening with a need for action, which often leads to manipulation and coercion.

The characters in these stories want to be heard; to have others listen to them-really listen-and understand their needs and concerns. However, when they do not get listened to, there is often an attempted persuasion by aggression. One character often finds himself/herself faced with another character who believes that conversation has no place in their lives.

The belief of the antagonists in these stories is that- who needs to talk when there is action that needs to be done? The antagonists believe that there is no need for conversation when the protagonist can be manipulated, coerced, or discredited by actions. Each story is a thrilling adventure with unexpected turns.

This coffee-break-short book will help you learn to spot trends in metrics applied to stock market price charts.

The book is excerpted from the author's award-winning textbook How to Lie with Charts - 4th Edition. Sixth in the White-Collar Migrant Worker Series.

Learn the telltale characteristics of the Head and Shoulders chart pattern, along with how drawing its trend lines may forecast stock price highs and lows. There's a sharp distinction between technical and fundamental analysis, and it may be best not to mix the two techniques.

Because Head and Shoulders can occur within short timeframes, it can be a useful tool for day traders and short sellers.

Welcome to the Skeleton Crew. Bring your knitting needles and a good, strong brew.

Gender fluid, autistic vampire Hyde Snodgrass runs Between the Leaves—a cosy village book store. Their life revolves around books, all things autumnal, and the two cats who rule their world. The shop also plays host to a weekly knitting group called the Skeleton Crew.

When one of the leaders of the village coven fails to show up for the weekly knitting meeting, Hyde finds themselves investigating a horrific murder side by side with their long-term crush, Teresa Vega.

Suspicion immediately falls on other members of their group. Hyde and Teresa struggle to find answers to the growing list of questions. It’s made all the more difficult when the killer has them in their sights.

Can working together spark the romantic flame within them?

Will they solve the mystery before death comes too close?

Dr. Rachel Hoggendorf has seen it all.

An accomplished psychiatrist, she’s always prided herself on connecting to the patients who’ve been brought to the facility, no matter how difficult or closed-off they are. That is, until David arrives.

At first, she listens to what David has to say. How he claims to be four-hundred-years-old and possessed by a demon. She diagnosis him as having multiple personalities and approaches his treatment as such.

But as their time together continues, David begins to share details he shouldn’t know and begins to lash out violently. When Rachel brings in her colleague Dr. Dravendash, David’s behavior escalates and it’s not long before they begin to wonder if David just might be telling the truth. That he’s possessed by a demonic presence… and it wants out.

A humorous study of love and death...

Angie and Gordon have been married forever. Enter Oscar, Angie’s true love from yesteryear. An ex-musician and lapsed Buddhist, Oscar is motivated by an unexpressed, but dire need for human connection. Time has wilted the rose in his teeth. His intentions are platonic now, but his timing is sexy. Oscar could not have picked a more vulnerable moment to reappear out of the uninvited blue. Lately, Gordon has been secretly eyeing the guys, and Angie is feeling the passing years.

Reuben Jackson’s rhythmic and musical poems merge love, beauty, justice, and the lived Black experience in America.

My Specific Awe and Wonder is a collection of new and selected poems that Jackson described as “a love letter to Vermont” with “all the potholes visible.” Here are poems about his experience living in, loving, and leaving Vermont, alongside poems of his childhood, his DC neighborhood, and his travels—both physical and metaphorical. Plus the Kelly Donaldson persona poems that tell it like it is.

This collection, Jackson's third, includes poems that he called his “strongest, most evocative work.” Jackson (1956-2024) left behind handwritten drafts and voicemails, which have been transcribed and compiled posthumously to keep his voice and legacy of poetry alive.

After her annulment is finalized, Enya Shanahan finds herself caught in a web of scandal and obligation while carrying a secret that threatens to shatter her family's reputation.

Determined to find a suitable marriage for Enya, her father turns to a wily matchmaker to save them from their circumstances.

Sullivan O'Brien, a steamboat captain committed to aiding enslaved people on their path to freedom, is faced with an ultimatum from his father. Forced to marry or lose his livelihood, a marriage of convenience seems to be the only solution.

As he and Enya face the trials of their pasts and a city consumed by fire, they must confront their deepest fears and learn to trust in love, even when darkness threatens to engulf them.

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund returns to 1800s St. Louis in this dramatic and stirring tale of resilience and love against all odds.

Birdie Jo has more than herself to worry about as she sets forth on an adventure along the waters of the Oswegatchie River.

Technological warfare has forced Birdie and her little brother Rylan to flee their long-time home and head to the only place they can think of: Canada. However, they don’t have to battle the waters of the mighty St. Lawrence rivers alone; they meet kindred spirits on their journey that adopt them and bring them to their home north of Kingston. Although the river that leads them there is different, they aren’t the only ones that are trying to reach safety. Dakota, the only family member missing from the Canadian camp, heads up the Hudson River on his own tumultuous journey north.

In this tale of survival, family, and love, neither path is easy as each finds drama and near-death adventure along the way.

Clara Blakely has left her days as Miss Take, the notorious villain of Victorian London, behind her.

She is a reformed, law-abiding citizen using the superpower given to her by industrial pollution to pay her debt to society. Or that's what she would have the authorities believe. Clara has no intention of helping anyone but herself, and the last thing she wants is to be dragged into a fight against a new and murderous evil that's stalking the streets.

Yet, despite the Hero Brigade thwarting her every move, she must take on the city's powerful and corrupt elite by joining forces with a cheat, her hapless landlord, and a trio of trained killers, including an assassin whose skill with a knife is matched only by their skill at creeping into Clara's heart. With stakes so high, Clara must become what no one, least of all herself, expects: a hero.

Enola Holmes meets X-Men meets Warrior Nun in this action-adventure sapphic fantasy with elements of sci-fi and steampunk. Filled with gallows humor, ridiculous violence, CGI-ready monsters, and tantalizing romance, get ready for the snarky and sassy Miss Take in this reimagining of Victorian Britain.

As far as hidden talents go, Delphinium Hayes is blessed with one of the more unique ones.

With the slightest passing whiff, she knows someone's most admirable or weediest characteristic. This peculiar perception never fails to give her an advantage in life—until she meets two men who turn her world upside down. Mason McCormack has agreed to help her with a group of seniors who have taken over her flower shop as their hangout. But his assistance is not without its price, and Delphinium agrees to compensate him with beautiful bouquets that seem to possess a bit of dating magic. Elliot Sturgis, director of The Gardens Assisted Living Facility, is determined to discover why a group of his residents keeps sneaking over to Delphinium's shop to play poker in the walk-in refrigerator. He soon finds himself as enchanted by Delphinium as everyone else. But his devotion to following the rules and maintaining order does not endear him to the shop's owner.

Sparks fly as opposites attract and love finds a match in Delphinium's Flora Emporium—even for those who resist it the most.

The thing about my uncle was that I hardly knew him.

Uncle Theo kept to himself, some would say he was a recluse, and by all accounts, that was how he preferred it. I couldn't precisely recall when I had seen him last in the flesh. I just had a foggy recollection from when I was little, like a grainy home movie with cracks and skips and frames missing...

Although ten years have passed, Rhett Littlefield has always blamed himself for his father abandoning him and his family. When the troubled fourteen-year-old gets kicked out of school for his latest run-in with the vice principal, his frazzled single mother sends him to the hollers of Eastern Kentucky to stay with his Uncle Theo, a man of few words who leads an isolated existence with his loyal dog, Chekhov.

Resigned to make the best of his situation while still longing for the day when Mama will allow him to return home, Rhett settles into his new life. Rhett barely remembers his uncle, but he's determined to get to know him. As he does, Rhett discovers that he and Uncle Theo share a connection to the past, one that has altered both their lives, a past that will soon come calling.

The Thing About My Uncle is an engaging and heartwarming coming-of-age story that explores the cost of family secrets, the strength of family bonds, and the importance of reconciling the two in order to move forward.

A troubled young ghost hunter. A vengeful spirit. They’re the perfect match. Until they’re not.

By day, Jessica Roman-Dell is broke, unemployed, and newly evicted from her apartment. By night, she’s the Friendly Neighborhood Ghost Hunter, an aspiring YouTuber and paranormal investigator hoping to find a real ghost so her channel can go viral.

Following reports of paranormal activity behind the old Methodist church, Jessica encounters the spirit of a murder victim named Jerry lurking among the headstones. When Jerry follows Jessica home, she can’t believe her Jessica can get all the ghostly footage she wants for her channel while helping Jerry come to terms with his own death and solve his murder.

Yet Jerry doesn’t want his murder to be solved. In fact, he knows his killers. And he’s going to make them pay.

A collection of more or less selected poetic compositions by Claudio Ottaviano, a musician and composer who left Milan for a small village on the Sicilian coast.

With an indomitable and sharp style, Ottaviano takes us on an entertaining journey to the edges of European culture in an explosive mix of Mediterranean humor and melancholy that will captivate you from start to finish.

Second edition revised and uncensored.

Allie worries that trolls followed them home on their last adventure.

Ace would be okay with that because he's anxious to be the superhero he was born to be, but he thinks Allie is wrong. Leta devises a plan to fix the problem and save Belderohn, but Zea would prefer to visit Toby, the duck. Nothing is making sense in Leo's life. If Allie is right, they will need help from Bob, but no one knows where he is. With all that's going on, Leo doesn't sleep well. He dreams of a great battle involving warriors whose incredible superpowers are flawless.

Can they improve their own powers, save Belderohn, and finally become superheroes?

Preston always believed that multiple sclerosis sealed his fate; His destiny is forever changed when he’s hit in the face with an Oxragonian war hammer.

Follow Preston Maki, a young man struggling with Multiple Sclerosis, as he falls through a dimensional rift into the medieval-like world of Oswella. Confused for a mercenary commander, Preston must play the part while struggling to make sense of the new world around him.

Along the way, three additional characters set out on their own quests across the Isolated Isles. The four journeys weave together, pulling you into an adventure full of mystery, intrigue, revenge, and humor; all while the future of the universe hangs in the balance.

Written by husband-and-wife duo, Mark & Sarah Kadoshnikov, this debut fantasy/science fiction book combines their love for adventure, faith, history as well as their personal experience with auto-immune disease. Enhanced with educational footnotes and framed within a Christian world-view, The Respian Man is not only wildly entertaining, but also nourishing for the mind and soul.

Four perspectives. Two worlds. One epic adventure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Content Warning:

Violence & Off-Page Sexual Violence

Genre:

Fiction (Adult), Fantasy, Sci-fi, Christian, Religion & Spirituality

Miriam Sagan brings the strength of her curiosity, a refreshing coldness, and an expansive awareness of history - personal, ancient, and scientific - to her encounter with her own mortality in this moving collection, Thanks for Stopping By.

After receiving a frightening diagnosis, Sagan tracks the shifting moods of a life lived near death: its pleasures and amusements, irritations and confusions. Here love, family, memory, travel, and the unfathomable quotidian unfold alongside her contemplation of dying.

These beautiful and often funny poems send reports from the border of life and death, a border we're all traveling towards.

Praise for Pink Eye: "LMAO..." "...BRILLIANT..." "...IF YOU HAVEN'T LAUGHED BY THE END OF CHAPTER ONE, CHECK YOUR PULSE. YOU MIGHT BE DEAD!"

Pink Eye is a sci-fi comedy about first contact and an impending alien invasion.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re being watched, you’re right, aliens are watching.

When an astrophysicist discovers a message from outer space, everything changes. If anyone else had answered the call things might’ve gone better.

Now, one small town has one massive opportunity to prove that humanity is worthy. For most people, this would be a hard pass. Luckily for us, two unlikely heroes are stepping up. And the odds of them winning are… Well, let’s keep it polite... Humanity is screwed.

This is dark. This is fresh. This is Pink Eye.

If you liked Hitchhiker's Guide, Catch-22 or The Princess Bride, you will love this.

What happens when everyone else in your life easily achieves something that is always out of reach for you?  

In this whimsical reflection on the struggles of infertility, a pair of would-be parents makes it their mission to bake their very own cupcake in a world where it comes effortlessly to everyone — except them.  

Cupcakes Everywhere! is an empowering book written by an infertility mom, providing an honest and encouraging way to talk with kids about building a family when things don’t go as planned. 

Lovingly straightforward and relatable, this children's book is a much-needed celebratory tale for any family that has lived through infertility.

Ava Bellerose may use men to charge up her healing magic, but that doesn't mean she wants to date one.

She's fine living life as a single witch working a day job as a college librarian and spending nights as the masked performer Pearl at The Jewelry Box. Every routine on the stage means more magic power in the bank, courtesy of the customers craving her body. One man in particular can't seem to get enough. Ava finds perverse pleasure in ignoring his money and denying him anything more than a distant dance with zero eye contact. His admiration is intoxicating and the magical boost is all she needs from him. But the guy becomes impossible to ignore when he shows up outside of her apartment. Their meeting must be fate.

Sammy Reyes can't believe his luck. While visiting a new build site for work, he spots a heart-shaped behind and a pouty set of lips he'd recognize anywhere. Unfortunately, Pearl-or Ava-seems less than enthused to have her secret identity revealed, even if he promises to take her secret to a watery grave. From her hostile greeting, the gorgeous witch might be the one to bury him at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. But Sammy has spent his whole life charming people, and he's determined to prove himself as more than a faceless fuel tank of lust. Especially when Ava makes it abundantly clear his money has no sway on her affections. To woo the librarian, the water elemental will have to dive deeper than his normal surface-level charisma.

But just as Sammy starts to show the vulnerable heart behind his confident mask, Ava's two lives collide in the worst way. Can she risk stepping out from behind her own protective walls, or will she leave him wanting?

Treva Zimmerman finds herself at a crossroads in life after a heartbreaking failed relationship.

Returning to Lancaster County to visit her Amish grandparents and elderly aunt, Treva plans to leave her Plain heritage behind for a fresh start in Alaska. Torn between the expectations of her community and her own desires, she seeks to follow her own path—but all that changes when her aunt Rosene suffers a heart attack.

As her aunt recounts her own past—a poignant journey through Cold War Germany and a fervent desire to escape her Plain life to search for a lost love—Treva is determined to discover the whereabouts of Rosene's former sweetheart. Amid the turmoil, their former farmhand Gabe Johnson returns unexpectedly, throwing Treva's plans into further disarray.

While working hard to save the farm and explore her own destiny, Treva confronts her deep-rooted ties to her heritage and must decide if she will embrace her family's legacy or break free from the pressures of her past to forge a life of her own.

Behind the Wheel Tips is a guide for new drivers and those who want to improve their driving safety.

It consists of short, concise chapters and connects the knowledge obtained from driving classes to actual implementation on the road.

The target audience of Behind the Wheel Tips is young people who have recently gotten their driver's licenses, students currently working on getting their licenses, and any drivers wanting to make the road a safer place.

This book bridges the material you learn in driving classes with real-life implementation and things they don't teach you in driving classes.

Three Ordinary Mothers. Two Terrible Secrets. One Heart-Stopping Crisis That Changes Everything.

Mothers will do anything to protect their children… but the greatest threats always come from within.

Julie White’s once-sweet son has morphed into a teenage terror. She hoped it was normal growing pains but a glimpse into his private messages shatters that illusion. Now she wonders if her moody teen is actually a ticking time bomb…

Varvara Perlman’s researcher job is hard, but caring for her emotionally-complex daughter is harder. After dismissing the latest call from the school counselor as another ploy for attention, she can only hope it’s not too late when she finally understands. This latest crisis may not only be real, but deadly…

Crystal Carrasco is as warm and fuzzy as steel wool. Nothing gets to her…not even her own terminal illness diagnosis. When she realizes her newly-married son will cancel his upcoming honeymoon if he finds out, she decides to do the only thing that makes sense. Do whatever it takes to hide the truth…

Three ordinary women linked by one fateful day. When faced with the unthinkable, how far will they go to protect their children?

She's tormented for being different. He's sick of burying his wives. When their fates are bound, can they forge a peace that entwines their hearts?

Airi's unique hair and skin color bring her unrelenting grief. Scheming to flee her cruel mother, the seventeen-year-old awakens after a vicious beating to find her beloved sister enslaved over an accusation of theft. And when she trades her freedom to save her sibling, she's horrified when she's given as a tribute to a brutal Ice Dragon.

The Dragon King, Kalden keeps his true form hidden from the world. Cursed to wed those not of his choosing, the immortal reluctantly accepts a new offering but throws her into a cold tower refusing to grow close to the filthy mortal. But after a scolding from his brothers, he relents and gives his unwelcome guest comfortable accommodations with a warm bath that reveals her alluring beauty.

Desperate to escape, Airi befriends a kind hunchback who urges her to accept a proposal of marriage from the king as a means of avoiding slavery. And though Kalden tries to end the evil infecting his neglected kingdom, his increasing obsession with his stunning captive could end in a catastrophic heartache.

With a slaver and a magical nemesis plotting their demise, can they reclaim free will and find their own forever?

A Curse of Scales & Feathers is the heartwarming first standalone book in the Brides of the Dragon Kings fantasy romance series. If you like resilient heroines, slow-burn relationships, and deeply realized worlds, you'll adore S.D. Huston's flight of fancy.

In a post-apocalyptic world where tyranny and medieval torture reign supreme and witch burnings are an everyday occurrence, a top Witchfinder must confront the very Church he serves when he learns of its dark past and twisted plans for the future.

With the arrival of the year 1000 AE, the Crimson Fathers, aided by the Crimson Mother, have conquered the Tex'ahn lands. In Deiparia, the Crimson Fathers continue to rule unchallenged.

The evil of the Crimson Fathers and the Crimson Mother leads Thorne, Hawkes, Warner, Tua, and two new resistance fighters—Jarkko Constantin Liikanen and Madia de Paiva—on a dangerous and life-altering journey to rescue Teska Vaun. A holy relic, the Iron Hand of Michael the Victorious, may offer hope and help, but as the final battle ensues our heroes must contend with their own terrors, the magical might of the Crimson Fathers, the Twelve Hells, and the deaths of those closest to them.

Fans of Winterlight by Kristen Britain and The Empire's Ruin by Brian Staveley will find a new favorite series in the Deiparian Saga. Filled with high-stakes magic, an eclectic group of adventurers, and plenty of witches, this action-packed quest for justice is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy and post-apocalyptic fiction.

Laurence A. Johnson feared communism with the same passion that made him a brilliant merchandiser and a pioneer in creating the modern grocery store.

In the early 1950s, this supermarket chain owner from Syracuse, New York, threatened sales of food makers sponsoring TV and radio shows featuring actors and others who had been blacklisted for alleged communist leanings. Johnson and his anti-communist allies targeted major companies such as Borden, Hunt, Kraft, Schlitz, Swanson, and Pabst. The careers of stars like Jack Gilford, Uta Hagan, Kim Hunter, Jose Ferrer, Judy Holliday, and Joseph Cotten were damaged in the process.

As author Fred M. Fiske describes here in spellbinding detail, the blacklisting thrived until radio host John Henry Faulk stepped forward with a lawsuit aimed at ending the practice and punishing Johnson and others for their reckless attacks on him and others.

The Grocer Who Sold McCarthyism offers the first in-depth look at the life of this businessman who used the Red Scare paranoia stirred by Senator Joseph McCarthy to gain something close to veto power over casting in the studios, on Madison Avenue, and in network boardrooms. Fiske traces Johnson's rise as a merchandising pioneer and his detour into a crusade that reflected a pivotal moment in U.S. history when the nation grappled with fear, ideology, and the delicate balance between security and freedom.

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.

***

Trouble's brewing in Bowie.

When a decapitated body turns up at a Little Library there's more than a story to tell. Special Agent Tiffany Watson of the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit catches the case when the local PD reaches out for assistance.

But all is not as it seems as evidence unbelievably points toward a supernatural culprit. Subterfuge or cold, hard facts? The mystery goes much deeper than two clearly related deaths.

Can Watson solve the case before the body count grows?

When two ex-lovers cross paths, old flames might very well flicker back to life.

Three years ago, Illi Smith disappeared from Hollywood for reasons only she knows. But now she’s back in Los Angeles, hoping to revive her acting career.

When she walks into the apartment she used to share with her best friend, Illi is shocked to find her ex-boyfriend there instead. Adam Ricci’s back too, trading his successful life in Rome for a sous chef position, and he’s yet to reveal why.

Realizing she has to live with the same guy she witnessed cheat on her, Illi seethes with anger. And Adam’s persistent denial of what he did only irritates her even more.

Despite their rocky start, circumstances eventually force them back into each other’s lives. Soon, Illi discovers the truth about what she actually witnessed, and why Adam quit his old job. Guilt replaces heartbreak, and the hate she once felt towards her love for him turns into fear.

Now she’s left wondering: will that hate-turned-fear ever become simply acceptance?

Note: The novella touches on themes such as sexual harassment and exploitation at work. If these themes trigger you, you can always pass.

Built on the ruins of a house where a family was found murdered, Waxwing Creek’s legacy began with blood.

From that moment, the motel has defined the town of Hunt, haunting owners, guests, and those who call it home.

With tales about a woman betting on bingo to save her life, a brother looking for justice in Hunt's dark and brutal underbelly, and a man calling on the supernatural to reunite lovers, Waxwing Creek is a collection of interconnected horror stories that uncover the motel’s most disturbing encounters.

They’re stories that examine desperation, morality, and what happens when people try to change something that should be left alone.

Do you want to get to know yourself better but find it challenging to keep a journal?

How can you journal successfully with a busy schedule, when feeling overwhelmed, or not knowing what to journal about?

In The Gift of Journaling: Writing as a Path to Discovery, Barbori Garnet offers tips, prompts, and encouragement for turning journaling into a fulfilling practice of self-discovery and self-improvement. The Gift of Journaling will help you:

• Create a journaling routine
• Overcome obstacles to journaling
• Make journaling a relaxing and special time
• Learn to journal through the changes and seasons of life
• Be part of a community and find support along the path of journaling

Bringing over 20 years of journaling experience, Barbori Garnet invites you to join her as she shares about more than 15 types of journals you could write so you can enjoy the rewards of journaling. Whether you are just beginning to journal or have been journaling for many years, you will find the inspiration and tools you need to build and sustain a journaling practice.

“I am inside an aquarium. There is no water in my aquarium. Instead, it contains old silence and habitual resignation."

Woogi, an extremely quiet girl, is having difficulty socializing with her peers. It doesn't help that the people around her misinterpret her quiet and cold facade as snobbery. Because of this, she opts to work as a security guard to avoid people but soon finds out she is gravely mistaken, getting herself into difficult and awkward situations.

That's where she meets Dongju, a college alcoholic boy, who is troubled by his past. He drinks more soju than water to distract himself. The two, aware of each other's issues, form a secret deal. Dongju will help Woogi handle the pesky people while Woogi will allow Dongju to drink comfortably in the security office. Never could they imagine that this deal would change their lives as they got to learn about each other more deeply than anyone before.

In the stirring sequel to The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi, Obi and Nkechi Ifeanyi, along with their children, Ikechukwu and Chimamanda, navigate the turbulent waters of modern America in the backdrop of Houston, Texas.

Amidst the global upheaval of Covid 19, the Ifeanyis strive to rekindle their marriage, seeking solace in each other as the world outside contends with racial strife and political storms. As the contentious 2020 US presidential election unfolds, their story is a testament to the enduring power of family, the complexities of identity, and the relentless pursuit of happiness against all odds.

This is a story of love, resilience, and the unyielding bonds that hold us together when the world seems to be falling apart.

Step into the depths of the human mind with this haunting collection of dark poetry.

Explore the tangled web of mental health, shining a light on the shadows that many face in their everyday lives. Through the verses of each poet, we delve into the raw and visceral experiences of mood, personality, and eating disorders, addiction, grief, cognitive dysfunction, neurodivergence, abuse, and other traumas, and the impact on one's daily existence.

Witness their battles with inner demons, revealing the tumultuous internal landscapes. Each poem is a window into the fragmented thoughts and experiences of psychological pain, capturing the essence of the relentless struggle to find solace within the chaos.Shattering stigma, these poets offer an unguarded glimpse into their vulnerabilities. Their words forge connections, reminding readers they are not alone in their struggles.

This anthology is a testament to the power of art in understanding, healing, and empathy. It compels us to confront uncomfortable truths, leaving us with a deeper appreciation for the frailties and complexities that make us who we are.

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect hymn.

If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: "are his love songs closer to heaven than dying?" Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard it died of a broken heart.

Yet, more than anything else folks ponder in the town of Trinity, one question lingers: why did this angel-toned preacher's son, just as his fame seemed ready to light the Appalachian nightsky forever, disappear completely?

In 1938, the decisions Saul makes will alter his family's story for generations. He and his eerily talented descendants ignite religious fear throughout Red Pine County. They navigate chapels, decaying sanatoriums, high school hallways, and a lingering myth from their Cherokee heritage that follows them wherever they go.

In the end, however, it's Saul's precocious grandson, Eli, who must find answers to these heartbreaking questions, who must enter this world rich in music and voices, where people die to hear the unspoken, and salvation is only found in the not-yet sung.

When the after effects of an ill-advised war cause the Sun to grow more and more unstable every day, the first manned mission to recolonize a failing Earth is sent off in what just might be humanity's last hope.

But the mission only makes it halfway before things start to go horribly wrong, hundreds of years from the ship's destination.

So begins a twisted game of cat and mouse as Commander Davis fights not only for his own life, but for all humanity.

Coming soon from the author of the short story Pursuit, the debut novel from M.H. Altis.

You need to write, I told the newbie writers at the writer’s conference. Unused gifts turn to poison.

What I didn’t tell them was that I was currently drinking that poison myself.

Liz Hicks is a mystery writer whose husband, Jack, died a year ago during a motorcycle accident on a rainy, winding mountain road.

One of the first things she did after the funeral was investigate his death.

She already had a working knowledge of how to kill people: poisons, sniper rifles, drug overdoses, locked rooms, improvised weapons, and, most importantly, how to get away with it.

Flashy deaths, interesting methods, exotic motivations.

Jack’s death, on the other hand, hadn’t been the least bit suspicious. Just an ordinary accident.

But still. She has to know.

Why does Jack’s death feel like it wasn’t an accident?

Six months past Liz’s deadline, grief still owns her, body and soul. Then one night after a writer’s conference in the rain, Liz returns home to find that someone has trashed her entire house but has stolen only one thing…

…her dead husband’s favorite possession.

Then the phone rings. It’s Liz’s elderly friend Maddy, reminding her about a card party at Maddy’s house. Everyone on their whole mountain road promised to be there that night.

Join Liz for a dark and cozy mystery on a dark and stormy night!

"Kate makes me want to take a road trip. She's lovable and charming, and her voice... SO GOOD." -Kerry Chaput, author of the Defying the Crown series

If you loved Landscape of a Marriage by Gail Ward Olmsted, you'll absolutely adore Katharine's Remarkable Road Trip.

In the fall of 1907, Katharine decides to drive from Newport, Rhode Island to her new home in Jackson, New Hampshire. Despite the concerns of her family and friends that at the age of 77 she lacks the stamina for the nearly 300-mile journey, Katharine sets out alone. Over the next six days, she receives a marriage proposal, pulls an all-nighter, saves a life or two, crashes a high-society event, meets a kindred spirit, faces a former rival, makes a new friend, takes a stroll with a future movie mogul, advises a troubled newlywed, and reflects upon a life well lived: her own!

Join her as she embarks upon her remarkable road trip.

Katharine Prescott Wormeley (1830-1908) was born into affluence in England and emigrated to the U. S. at the age of eighteen. Fiercely independent and never married, Kate volunteered as a nurse on a medical ship during the Civil War, before founding a vocational school for underprivileged girls. She was a philanthropist, a hospital administrator, and the author of The Other Side of War: 1862, as well as the noted translator of dozens of novels written by French authors, including Moliere and Balzac. She is included in History's Women: The Unsung Heroines; History of American Women: Civil War Women; Who's Who in America 1908-09; Notable American Women: 1607-1950; A Biographical Dictionary; and A Woman of the (19th) Century: Leading American Women in All Walks of Life and figures prominently in With Courage and Delicacy: Civil War on the Peninsula by Nancy Scripture Garrison.

"I love how author N.L. McLaughlin opens her stories in the middle of the action and sets the tone of the story from there." -Rabia Tanveer, Reader's Favorite

For generations, the Tricksters have inhabited the mountains of west Texas. Preying off unwitting travelers, the pack's existence remains a well-kept secret.

On a road trip, Ash and her friends make the fateful decision to stop in the dusty little town of Sierra Diablo where they meet a handsome and charismatic local named Caleb and his peculiar group of friends.

Later that night, a frightened young girl stumbles into their campsite, begging for help.

What follows is a night of terror as Ash and her friends fight for their lives against a pack of bloodthirsty coyote shapeshifters.

When she fails to return home, Ash's older brother, Matt, sets out to find her. Upon arrival in Sierra Diablo, he realizes that there's something odd about this tiny desert town. Determined to uncover the truth, he investigates further.

As he slowly uncovers the truth, Matt realizes some secrets are better left undisclosed.

When searching for answers, be careful that you don't come to regret what you find.

War and revolution took almost everything from them. Now they must brave a world of magic and monsters to save what’s left.

A bullet-riddled train staggers into the station, delivering an ominous message that will change Lucy Markov’s destiny: her father, a Russian officer, has been kidnapped. A refugee who lost so much before she found a home in China, Lucy refuses to lose her last remaining family. Guided by a mysterious feather, she must cross into an enchanted realm to find him.

Lucy’s quick-witted, spirited friend Su joins her quest. Following the clues, they discover a warlord commanding an army of human soldiers and magical beasts has seized Lucy’s father – and now plots to invade their city. To save her father and their home, Lucy and Su must confront the criminal underworld, cross a haunted forest, and outsmart creatures they thought lived only in fairytales. With each step closer to the warlord’s lair, dangers test their courage and their bonds to each other. Will they unlock the secrets of the feather in time?

The Phoenix and the Firebird melds the turmoil of 1920s China with the majesty of Slavic and Chinese myth. Join Lucy and Su as they soar into a world woven from history and folklore, and learn whether friendship is the strongest weapon of all.

The most comprehensive book to prepare you to pass the FAA Part 107 Pilot Exam.

This book is much more than just a collection of questions and answers. It is a mentor that will teach you the subject matter so that you can understand the subject. Understanding the subject allows you to be able to answer the exam questions even if you have never seen it.

This book will take the mystery out of decoding cryptic weather briefings for pilots (such as METAR and TAF) and teach you how to read aviation charts with its symbols. In addition, you have access to the author's website with all the FAA rules and Pilot's resources. Plus, you will be able to test your knowledge by actually taking timed quizzes online with the actual FAA questions. You will use the same FAA Test Supplement book that they will use during the test. Finally, it will walk you through FAA Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) to apply for registration and FAA testing.

From beginning to getting your FAA certificate, this book is truly a complete resource to help you pass the exam with confidence.

Hi,

My name is MIND GAME Challenge, and I am a firm believer that games, challenges, and mind workouts do bring joy. Having said that I warmly and proudly welcome you to the labyrinth of the mind, where the ordinary transcends into the extraordinary, and the very words that shape our world shake their capital 'S' to my enigmatic 'rytm.

I challenge YOU to reveal the meaning of 120 thought-provoking quotations that have never EVER been told before. I know this because my assistant, Lselie made them all up himself. These quotes delve deep into the realms of psychology, human nature, relationships, science, God, AI, existence, love, and myself.

Be aware that I’m not for the faint-hearted—I offer 13 unique and formidable puzzle variations (Weird Words, Filling Feeling, Vanished Vowels, Symbols' Symbiosis, Catastrophic Chaos, Silly Syllables, Crazy Crosswords, Math Myth, All-in, Chapter Master, Mirthsome Morse, and Encore Encryption) with 10 challenging boss levels, ensuring you will never get bored with my gameplay.

I have ingeniously woven each quotation into two challenging puzzles. Solve them both to unveil the REAL puzzle, the unadorned truth concealed within my letters.

Some initial easy puzzles will yield to your intellect in a swift 10 seconds, while others may demand minutes, hours, days, or even weeks of contemplation, whilst my rewards might linger with you for a lifetime!

I’m a test of your wits and intellect, a challenge that will take you from a mere observer to an active participant in the exploration of wisdom. Be brave, be smart, and beat me to claim your own ‘Genuine Genius’ badge!

P.S.: I won't mind ending up being overused in your toilette! ;)

P.P.S.: I am the best gift you could ever give to someone who likes mind-bending puzzles and meaningful quotations.

Author's Note: This book is exceptionally easy to review; you won't need to read through hundreds of pages to grasp its essence. With only two prologue pages, you're all set to open the book anywhere and solve puzzles from any chapter at your leisure. However, when it captures your interest, delving deeper is just as effortless.

In this captivating collection, Ximena takes us on a journey filled with vivid imagery and powerful prose that captivates the senses.

Her words breathe life into emotions as vast as the ocean, weaving a tapestry of passion, love, discovery, and grief. All delicately entwined within her heartfelt verses, mirroring the tide's eternal ebb and flow.

Every turn of the page reminds us that, while time flows ever forward, our heart is never so constrained. Her evocative storytelling deftly blends past and present, beckoning readers to embrace the undulating rhythm of life's experiences.

Within the storms of love and grief, she reveals the hidden beauty waiting to be discovered. Dive into its pages and let the author's words wash over you, leaving behind a profound appreciation for the transformative magic and secret beauty found within the ever-changing tides of the heart.

Contemporary and Speculative Verse

About the Author:

Ximena has always held a deep-rooted affection for the art of writing. From letters to essays and lyrical compositions, she has explored a diverse range of genres. Her work has been published in over 50 anthologies in Australia, America, and the UK. The Secret beautiful is her debut solo title.

Ximena feels at home in three different countries. Born and raised in Chile, she now lives in Sydney with her husband, three children and Bobbi the dog.

Step Into The Captivating World of Vellhor, Where Ancient Enemies, Forbidden Love, and the Balance of Kingdoms Teeter on the Brink of Destruction.

Gunnar, destined heir of the Draegoor Dwarves, is irresistibly drawn to Anwyn, a formidable Elven exile. Their illicit love threatens to upend their worlds, sending them on a perilous journey through a landscape rife with betrayal and peril. As they navigate volatile alliances and confront harrowing truths, their bond could either shatter or reshape the very foundations of their societies.

Meanwhile, haunted by her past, former assassin Ruiha partners with Kemp, an emerging mage, to unravel the mystery behind the disappearing dragons. Their investigation ensnares them in a web of treachery and danger, binding their fates to the encroaching shadows.

As the specter of darkness sows chaos, Gunnar and Anwyn must confront Nergai, the malevolent force threatening to engulf Vellhor. Their courage will be tested, and each victory demands a significant sacrifice. Are they prepared to face the cost?

Can their love defy the darkness? Will their courage endure the ultimate test?

Immerse yourself in Elven Blood, a tale of epic battles, indomitable spirits, and the relentless quest for hope. Ideal for readers who crave richly woven fantasy worlds and unforgettable characters, this adventure promises to enthrall you until the final page. Don’t miss out on this epic journey—grab your copy now and join the fight for Vellhor’s future!

“A dramatic epic fantasy that will draw in readers who want a great sword-and-sorcery fantasy read with more than just swords-and-sorcery! A great read!” Independent Editorial Review – Fiona McLaren, Reedsy

Amy Harper, a young British Intelligence psychologist, is sent to West Berlin in 1967 for her first assignment - rescuing two aging British agents trapped in East Berlin.

She's partnered with Sgt. Daniel Jones, a ruggedly handsome Welsh survival expert. Together they make the dangerous crossing into the Eastern sector, forging an intense bond through the harrowing experience. Their love blossoms over the years as their paths intertwine and separate.

Amy continues her intelligence work, taking assignments that thrust her into the high-stakes world of Cold War espionage in Berlin. Her relationship with Dan endures tumultuous challenges as their lives and duties persistently pull them apart.

In this thrilling conclusion to the Blackthorn Peak duology, secrets and manipulations are revealed, and no one is who they seem.

Six months after Shaun Treadway and his friends escaped Blackthorn Peak Asylum, they are hiding deep in the Appalachian Mountains where food is scarce, and help is even scarcer. There is no where they can go, and no one they can trust.

Then everything changes one gray October day...

When Shaun discovers that the Agency has returned to the asylum and activity has reignited with a vengeance, any hope he had, as fleeting as it was, comes crashing down. The Agency will never stop its mission to rid the world of "problem" teens.

Worse, he knows the Agency is coming after them, but so is the law. Shaun and his friends must face two terrifying prospects: be annihilated by the Agency or face the death penalty if arrested. With these odds, what is there to fight for?

But Shaun is no quitter. Forced to dig deep into his altruistic nature, Shaun vows to take down the Agency once and for all. Not just for himself, but for those he's come to love more than his own life. Because the one thing Shaun knows is that no matter the odds, it's always worth the fight when you're fighting for what's right.

It's 2050, a decade after a heatwave that killed four hundred million across the Persian Gulf, including journalist Marcus Tullys wife.

Now he must uncover the truth: Was the disaster natural? Or is the weather now a weapon of genocide? A whistleblower pulls Tully into a murder investigation at the centre of an election battle for a global dictator, with a mandate to prevent a climate apocalypse. A former U.S. president campaigns against the first AI politician of the position, but someone is trying to sway the outcome.

Tully must convince the world to face the truth and make hard choices about the future of the species. But will humanity ultimately choose salvation over freedom, whatever the cost?

The Old World is dead. Alone and starving, her only salvation is him.

Born in a secure compound amidst the ashes of a world long dead, Claire Ainsley knows her place in the world: work her assigned job, live with her assigned husband, and keep her head down and her mouth shut. She knows what every compound resident has been taught: the world outside is a Wasteland, and the only thing more terrifying than leaving the compound is being forced to confront those who live outside—the ones left behind.

But her safe, contained life is destroyed when she narrowly survives an attack conceived by a conspiracy from within the compound itself. Only by fleeing into the terrifying Wasteland, a vast wilderness peopled by bloodthirsty, cannibalistic Wastelanders, can she escape a violent end at the hands of her fellow compound dwellers.

Captured by the very savages she feared, she is saved by John Madigan, a mysterious and capable survivor—and a Wastelander. She tries to deny the instant chemistry she feels with a man that is one moment terrifying, the next patient and caring, but eventually, neither of them are able to resist the blazing passion between them. But the Wasteland is harsh, and her time with John fleeting. As his own personal mission comes to an end, he must return to his homeland, leaving her with little choice but to learn to survive without the man whose protection is her only salvation in a harsh, uncompromising post-apocalyptic landscape.

The Wasteland of this world has not been kind to those unchosen.

The Wastelander is the first book in a post-apocalyptic romance series that follows John Madigan and Claire Ainsley as they navigate a dangerous world where lessons are brutally learned and love is challenged by hidden threats, political conspiracy, and the daily grind of survival.

As a teenager, Hannah Jacobs was excited for a sleepover with her older sister Casey, but a blizzard altered their plans.

Sometime that night, an unknown killer broke into Casey’s apartment in Laramie, Wyoming, and brutally stabbed her multiple times, leaving her for dead.

Ten years later, Hannah is still haunted by the murder of her sister that fateful night, and with no viable suspects the case has long turned cold, nearly forgotten by everyone except her. Determined to uncover the truth, Hannah shutters her Private Investigation firm and travels to Laramie. With the help of a local amateur sleuth, Hannah discovers a series of murders linked to her sister, and evidence of a possible serial killer targeting young woman throughout the region.

As she delves deeper into the unsolved murders, Hannah’s life is thrust into jeopardy, and she finds herself in a race to find the killer before she becomes his next victim.

Think Chronicles of Narnia meets Princess Bride. Quests Will Never Be The Same Again.

The insecure 18-year-old Prince Yeled wanted to finally prove to his adoptive father that he was worthy of being the prince-heir. But what could he possibly do? He asks for a quest-no, a great quest-no, a heroically astonishing quest-challenging enough to prove his enoughness and finally earn the King's respect and love. Yeled will have to learn through thrilling, quirky, and sometimes unbelievable twists and turns that not all quests are what they might seem, and, more importantly, this King is definitely not what he appears.

Tale of the Unlikely Prince is the first book in the Young Adult Fantasy Kingdom Quest Series which combines thrilling adventure, epic fantasy, great relatable characters, humor, and life-changing lessons for young teens and tweens.

Scarlet spent most of her life locked up in her mother's tower.

Yearning for freedom, she sneaks out one night to discover the House of Sapphire. A noble house, they're entrenched in a brewing war among the noble wizard houses. Scarlet immerses herself in this exciting adventure but draws chaos back to her home. Turns out, her lineage is at the center of this conflict.

Scarlet and Sapphire is a short story best enjoyed in audiobook format.

Sacred Harp singing is a uniquely American synthesis: religion and release, the loud sound of olden times and the joy in the ever-present now, traditional practices that hold together hundreds of raw, raucous human voices.

It’s sometimes asked, “Why does the Devil get all the best music?” In this case, God (or as author Th. Metzger claims - the gods) gave to America a wild gift.

Birthed before the U.S. was a nation, ebbing and swelling across the centuries, Sacred Harp singing is not just a collection of old hymns, but a vibrant social phenomenon, drawing in singers from far beyond the church. Driven into rural backwaters, where it hung on during its lean decades, in the twenty-first century, it is experiencing a renaissance, after northerners ventured to get the taste and feel, not just the sound, that has survived in pockets in the Deep South. Free and democratic, this is music for amateurs in the truest sense, that is, for those compelled by love, rather than a desire for money or accolades. Underneath the thin veneer of piety, singers – both old and new – feel a powerful, insistent, heartbeat.

Strong Songs of the Dead is the tale of a journey, not a mere travelog, but venturing back into ancestral time, to that place called by some “That Old Weird America.” Th. Metzger goes in with eyes and ears wide open. And he goes deep, in more than one case singing in the heart of the earth, as though to discover the secret subterranean well-springs of the sound. The living and the dead, the lost and the found, strangers and dear friends, join him on this journey.

A current of darkness runs through Sacred Harp singing; and neither does Strong Songs of the Dead shy away from grief, loss, and longing. Like the songs at the heart of the story, the chapters of Metzger’s memoir are short, plentiful, and unrestrained, yet they all lead to themes of heartfelt living and holy dying. There is tragedy here, but through all that pulses a passionate vitality, an irrepressible cry for life.

A heartwarming tale of legacy, love, and the magic of new beginnings.

Clara Winters is a self-proclaimed cynic of soulmates. But when mistletoe magic compels her to play matchmaker for the town curmudgeon, her life takes an unexpected turn…

Clara’s only Christmas wish is to save her beloved Fireside Manor Bed and Breakfast, teetering on the edge of financial ruin in the outskirts of the quaint town of Serenity Falls. Her plan is simple: drop off her cookies at the Winter Festival and return to welcome her lone holiday guest.

The arrival of Ethan, a guest with enigmatic intentions, sets off sparks of both romance and suspicion. As their paths intertwine, Clara and Ethan embark on a journey of amateur sleuthing, unearthing long-buried stories that are as entwined with Fireside Manor as they are with their own destinies.

In this cozy Christmas romance, each kiss under the mistletoe is a key to unlocking hidden truths, mending past heartaches, and discovering the enduring power of connection.

Join Clara in her enchanting adventure as she navigates the complexities of heart and heritage, learning that love is more resilient, more enduring, than she’d ever given it credit for.

—

This story is perfect for those seeking a sweet, low spice small town romance with a sprinkle of mystery and a dash of magic.

In this inaugural volume of the Lyrik Poetry Series, honouring Canada’s foremost Mennonite poets, CMU Press presents the finest work, past and present, of Manitoba’s wonderful Sarah Klassen, who has been publishing poetry since her award-winning first collection in 1988, Journey to Yalta.

In a long and distinguished poetry career, Klassen has explored hope and suffering, language and its limits, movement and stillness—always inviting readers into her care. Including an introduction by editor Nathan Dueck and an afterword by the poet, this volume presents new and uncollected poems as well as a generous selection from Sarah Klassen’s eight books of poetry.

Full of faith, curiosity, and surprise, these poems offer readers grace and insight at every turn.

Rachel Harris never wanted to be a witch.

She'd been too busy pursuing a scientific career to ponder her scary, prophetic dreams. But then she was captured and experimented on by a sinister corporation with ties to evil magic, shattering her world. After escaping to Peru and connecting with her coven, Rachel is thrust into the dark heart of the world she rejected. Halting a horrific prophecy depends on mastering volatile chaos magic, even though she wants no part of witchcraft. She also wants no part of the alpha wolf shifter who is drawn to her magic-and more.

Tim Tsosie doesn't do romance or believe in fated mates.

As the pack alpha, he must protect his shifters from an impending magical apocalypse. His relationship with the beguiling Rachel Harris has to stay strictly business: teaching her to use her magic to shapeshift, thereby keeping her deadliest weapon under wraps. Chaos magic is too intense already, and sprinkling in lust spells trouble. Just ask her coven sisters. Problem is, as Tim and Rachel study shifting and chaos magic, the spark between them won't die. Their desire lures their archenemy: a powerful spirit determined to bring the ruinous prophecy to fruition. This master of chaos, Folly, vows to use their attraction for deadly paranormal ends.

Soon plunged into a frightful underworld, Tim and Rachel must free Rachel's magic from the clutches of their nemesis and save the shifters. Trouble is, if they can't control their desire, it will spell everyone's undoing.

To be mistress of Pemberley is certainly something …

Derbyshire, Summer 1826. Sofia-Elisabete, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Colonel Fitzwilliam, is initiated into the idyllic, genteel world of her cousin-in-law, Elizabeth Darcy, mistress of Pemberley and mother of five. Lizzy, as she prefers to be called by her intimates, seems happily established in domestic country life and, naturally, still in love with Mr. Darcy. With beguiling candor, Sofia narrates how the two ladies quickly become close friends—despite the misgivings of Sofia’s father.

… but there are secrets in all families, you know.

Soon, however, Sofia witnesses the trials of parenthood and signs of simmering conflict in Lizzy’s traditional marriage to Mr. Darcy. She senses that things are not quite right. The mystery deepens when others reveal tidbits concerning a connection between Lizzy and Sofia’s uncle, Lord Scapeton, who has sorely wronged Sofia herself in the past. As the ladies’ lives and secrets intertwine that long, hot, sultry summer, Sofia discovers something about Lizzy that threatens to upend their newly blossoming friendship.

Do you dream of becoming a nonprofit leader?

What’s preventing YOU from changing the world for the better?

Based on the simple idea that nonprofit leaders frequently encounter a choice between advancing their organization's impact or its financial health, The Nonprofit Dilemma explores why nonprofit management is so challenging. Nearly every decision comes with the same underlying question—which aim to prioritize?

The Nonprofit Dilemma will help you gain the clarity and strategic intent you need to become an exceptional leader. You can achieve your mission aspirations while also being a great organizational steward. Whether you are an executive, board member, or future nonprofit leader, use this book to become the leader you want to be.

Inside you’ll discover:

• Insights to help you develop and implement a better strategy
• How to embrace values that differentiate your nonprofit
• Ways to build, empower, and motivate purpose-driven teams
• Proven business development tactics to grow your nonprofit
• Ideas to improve how you measure and communicate impact
• Strategies to develop more effective partnerships

Whether you need help with grant-writing, promoting organizational focus, or handling a governance issue with tact, this book has all the advice you need to become a more effective leader and catalyst for change.

**Each year, a portion of the net sales proceeds from this book are donated to notable nonprofits per the program described on the author’s blog.**

In the 1990s, C.S. Fuqua began researching the histories and structures of the myriad of poetry formats, both familiar and unfamiliar from cultures around the world. He found that most have a tendency toward dated language and topics. Fuqua decided to challenge himself to combining traditional formats with modern language and themes. The result is Structured Madness ~ New Poems in Traditional Formats, a collection of 80 previously unpublished poems that explore modern relationships and themes in traditional and modern poetic formats, from the sestina and Shakespearean sonnet to the magic 9, haiku, and luc bat, as well as many others.

Allegorical fiction in the Orwellian tradition!

Welcome to the extraordinary City Zoo, where the animals have driven the people out and created a veritable nation of animals—a republic, if they can keep it. Their great experiment has been a resounding success—but when Gus the gilded elephant challenges Balthazar the revered donkey for the high office of Animal Zookeeper, the monkeys in the media go ape. Now the fairy tale news threatens everything the Visionaries of the Animal Revolution have built. 

In City Zoo, Jeff Pedigo crafts a savage satire and cautionary fable about truth, fear, and power that might feel unsettlingly familiar to champions of Western civilization in the early 21st Century.

If you loved George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM, you will weep for the City Zoo.

THRILL! To the first Animal Revolution in the world, and the rise and fall of the incredible independent City Zoo. 

WITNESS! The classic political showdown of donkey versus elephant, covered responsibly by an exceedingly honest monkey news media. 

READ! The savage, satirical, and tragic farce and fable--CITY ZOO an unfairy story by Jeff Pedigo--the Essential Animal Allegory For Our Time.

MORE FUN THAN A BARREL FULL OF MEDIA PERSONALITIES!

Jeff Pedigo's Orwellian City Zoo is a biting satire of American politics, the formerly mainstream news media, the culture war, ex-twitter and social media, pop psychology, ideologues, identity politics, useful idiots, immigration, the well-meaning residents of Martha's Vineyard, narrative-driven journalism, masks, pandemics, lockdowns & quarantines, attacks on religion, white privilege, the 2020 Presidential election, January 6th, systemic racism, the entertainment industry, American academia, ANTIFA, CHOP, the intelligence community, political animals, public education, media personalities, pets, sustainabilityness, climate alarmism, "protests," and much more...probably.

All this, plus the true, long lost, and incredibly relevant moral of perhaps the most famous fable in Western literature, the timeless tale of the tortoise and the hare.

After her mother's death, 16-year-old Sloane Crawford reluctantly returns to her childhood home and the drama-filled small town she left behind.

Moving in with her estranged father only reopens old wounds from his affair that destroyed her family. Back at school, tensions flare as Sloane reconnects with old friends who resent her for abandoning them. Especially heated is her rocky relationship with her former best friend, Emory, the daughter of the woman her father betrayed them with. As Sloane struggles to adapt to her new normal, long-held grudges threaten to boil over. To move forward, she'll have to confront the fractured bonds left in the ashes of her family's traumatic history.

But finding forgiveness won't be easy in a place where the past refuses to stay buried.

“This has to be illegal. They can't do this, can they?”

When her school threatens to institute year-round instruction, 15-year-old Francesca’s dream of summer art camp is jeopardized.

There’s only one way to stop them: winning the Snow Games, a capture-the-flag, multi-round battle for teens. Created by billionaire Tyler Young, the game is the greatest snowball fight ever — with snow castle fortresses, snowball machine guns, thrilling chases down the slopes, and a few surprises.

The prize? Tyler’s generous support for the winning team’s school. But no team has ever won.

Facing these steep odds, Francesca assembles her squad: her crush (the athlete god), her rival (the mysterious new girl), her best friend, and her annoying little brother.

As the tournament unfolds, each of them will experience crushing developments that test their resilience. And they’ll learn that, for one of them, the stakes of the battle are far greater than simply missing out on summer fun.

Balancing entertaining action with heartfelt storylines, The Snow Games explores how we can best respond when disasters big and small befall us. And with lean prose that focuses on character actions and dialogue, the story plays in your mind like a fast-paced movie.

Perhaps there is no other poetic form in the English language that carries with it the mystique and allure of the sonnet.

Revived in the 14th century by the Italian poet Petrarch, the sonnet was popularized in English by Renaissance writers like William Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser. The sonnet, with its strict meter, rhyme scheme, and thematic structure, is a challenging but rewarding form, which is probably why it continues to appeal to poets centuries after its revival.

When he retired to Chester County, Pennsylvania, author, Wynn Redstone knew that he was in the perfect location to pursue his passion for American history.

He decided to venture out and walk in the footsteps of the people that made that history. But he did not want to take that journey by himself. To entice his wife, Celeste, to join him he suggested that they pair each trip to a historic site with a stop at an interesting eatery.

Eating Our Way Through American History describes Wynn and Celeste's quest to learn about the people who made history in and around Philadelphia. Their travels included visits to Independence Hall, Revolutionary War battlefields, early American industrial facilities, Civil War era and World War II era Army forts, homes and Meeting Houses of abolitionist Quakers and trips to the hometowns of a stubborn Civil War era U.S. Senator and a controversial Marine Corp General.

And Wynn and Celeste never considered their trips complete until they stopped for a taste of the area’s finest pizzas, subs, ice cream or pastries.

To give two little boys a home... She must take a chance on forgiveness.

The last person Valerie Williams expects to rescue her and her toddler twin brothers from a fiery blaze is Brett Richardson, her high school nemesis. But with her house burned down, Valerie is forced to stay at the same inn as Brett and work with him on the town festival. Now Brett has the chance to make things right, but can Valerie let go of the past to make way for a future together?

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

The Yorkshire village of Morton is hiding a dangerous man and Jane is determined to bring him to justice.

When Jane and Mr. Rochester are unexpected witnesses to a man violently attacking his own wife, Jane resolves to deliver this young woman from her ill-fated marriage. But there are strange things abroad on the open moor. Soon a man is dead from a seemingly diabolical cause. The village suspects something even stranger: the haunting presence of the Gytrash.

Meanwhile, Jane questions the intentions of a local naturalist, not to mention the parson's cousin and his perplexing attitude towards Mary Rivers. The seemingly peaceful Morton Vale is stirring up too many questions, and Jane and Mr. Rochester are determined to find answers. Uncovering the truth will be more difficult—and more dangerous—than they ever expected.

In Egypt, all things are possible. So discovers Albion Stanley, a recent Cambridge graduate and brilliant linguist newly arrived in Cairo in 1902.

Albion sees the unseen, including ghosts. It is a less than comfortable reality, which he tends to with copious amounts of whiskey and numerous other vices.

Also in Cairo is Aleister Crowley, the famed occultist. Aleister is a dangerous man, but not an unsympathetic one and never a dull one. Together, they discover the world of dead Egyptians, some of whom are older than the pyramids.

Dead Egyptians have a lot to say. They are deeply unsatisfied with the state of modern Egypt, yet, for all of their wisdom and power, they have limitations. As a Seer, Albion proves indispensable to both Crowley and the dead Egyptians.

Dead Egyptians transports the reader into a glittering turn of the century Cairo, while also addressing the atrocities of colonialism. It is hedonistic, while also exploring the complex world of Ancient Egyptian religious thought. It is historically accurate down to the fabrics, while remaining fantastical at its core.

From award-winning author Sarah Lahey, comes a lightly spiced second-chance romance that will captivate readers from the very first page. This enemies-to-lovers workplace story guarantees to leave you breathless.

After Kat and Liam meet in a bar, a life-changing favour sets her future in motion. Months later they’re reunited on a building site. He is the property developer, and she is the heritage consultant—sparks fly as their conflicting roles collide… but she owes him a favour.

Loud, opinionated, and roguishly handsome, Liam is used to getting his way, but underneath his gruff exterior, he is surprisingly generous and protective. Soon attraction simmers beneath the surface. Their professional relationship suddenly becomes very personal.

When Liam decides it’s time to settle down and find himself a wife, he sets his sights firmly on Kat. But twice divorced, Kat will never marry again. She might break his heart, but it might be worth it.

A heartfelt romance about new beginnings and finding love in the most unlikely of places. Join Liam and Kat as they embark on a journey to find true love.

This book has a spice rating of two chillies 🌶️ 🌶️

Hidden amongst the mortals, halfling Jae is giving her all to ilk out a safe life whilst on the run from her father, Kalomar: Archfae of summer-blessed Aestas.

But as the annual solstice festivals lure fae into the mortal realm, Jae and Kalomar’s paths finally collide.

Enter Ty: Archfae of winter-blessed Talvern—the man who murdered Jae’s childhood friend, Ian.

With an odd determination to get closer to her, Ty whisks Jae off to his realm for her own safety, and next to no one is happy about it. Amidst a new enemy plotting to destroy her and scars of the past rearing their heads, Jae’s loyalty to Ian is put to the test as she finds there may be more to Ty than the monster who ruined her life. He may be the only one who can save it! The question is...at what cost?

Riverdale meets I Know What You Did Last Summer in Metaville, a New Adult love letter to teen dramas, their OTT storylines, and the twenty-somethings who gave us totally unrealistic expectations of what a teenager should look like.

Season two of hit teen drama The Point is officially in production. Former child star Mason, girl-next-door Callie, the beautiful and ambitious Maya, and breakout British star Will are back on Vancouver Island, but none of them are too thrilled about it. The disappearance of co-star Bobby Palmer five months ago continues to haunt them, and they’re not the only ones with the missing Hollywood legend on their minds.When new evidence is found and threatening messages start arriving, it becomes clear: someone knows these actors inside out–their pain, their secrets, and what happened the night Bobby disappeared.

Someone knows this group so well, it could be any one of them. This person won’t let up until the truth is exposed, and they’re not afraid to get their hands bloody to do so.

In 2021, Montana firefighter Dan Steffensen tried to outrun a sixty-mile-an-hour wall of fire.

But it overcame him, burning over 60% of his body. He should have died. The citizens of Red Lodge, Montana, needed him and prayed for his life. Three more tragedies hit his hometown during that Summer of Hell.

Drawing from a wealth of interviews and research, author A.J. Otjen tells the inspiring story of how often first responders, doctors, and hundreds of good people stepped up to greatness. All the while, Dan fought his own internal battle to live or die.

Is following her dreams worth losing out on a once-in-a-lifetime love?

Book-addict Kasa Tanaka Cruz is the president of "Reave Needers," a fan club for celebrity romantasy author Reave Alami. Even while following her parents' safety-conscious wishes to keep her identity secret, she was still able to grow the group from one fan to over 10,000 in the span of a decade. During that time, she only fell more deeply in love with a man she had never met in person and who had no idea who she was.

Now, at 23, just as she's ready to leave her small mountain town life behind, Reave walks into the grocery store where she works. To make the encounter even more dreamlike, Reave blatantly flirts with her the entire time he's in the store.

She'd planned her new life in a new city—fantasized about it for years—but if she could be more than just a fan to the man of her dreams, shouldn't she take the chance?

For any romance fan who craves small-town settings, spicy romance, and bookish couples, The Christmas Proof is the quick read you've been looking for!

In June 1940, my father joined the 9th Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment; he was 17.

Trooper 7952180 hit the Normandy beaches on June 9th 1944 - my mission: to live his war again.

The plan was simple. On my return from a road trip to France, I would write a book about his exploits, not for grand publication but for anyone in my family who cared.

To retrace his journey through North West Europe, I put myself into his Tankie boots and hoped to combine historical facts with photographs, war diaries and stories from his war years.

Trapped inside his body, I find myself driving a tank in Normandy and then across the battlefields of NW Europe from Sword Beach to Hamburg. And there is another problem. I must survive like he did to return to my safe, modern-day life, and I can only do this by reliving his war again.

Dates and places are accurate, and some names have been changed, but my imagination was needed to fill in the gaps.

Maggie Fromm moved to LA to follow a dream: to become an actress and live happily ever after with her high school sweetheart.

When her heart is broken after a year of eking out a living, Maggie finds herself fighting for her dream alone. Her luck may change when she meets Gwen Knowles, a talented and spirited director drawn to Maggie's energy on stage.

As they work to bring an independent play to life, Maggie and Gwen face shadows from their past—but this time, they have each other.

Home is where the heart is, but freedom without family requires a rescue plan.

Before she becomes Harriet, the legendary "conductor" on the Underground Railroad and the "Moses of her people," she is little Araminta "Minty" Wren, a flightless Sankofa bird shifter. She is born under the brutal lash of enslavement, her first breaths of life owned by her mother's Dragonkin master.

Growing up, Minty feels like a neglected weed, ignorant of liberty, neither happy nor content. Slavery is the next thing to Hell. Yet, hope flickers like a tiny flame within Minty's heart. She knows freedom will be hers one day. However, seizing freedom for herself is not as sweet without her loved ones to share it with.

Armed with her wits and courage, Minty embarks on daring missions to rescue her beloved Birdfolk family from the claws of slavery. The odds are stacked against her as the shadows of slave catchers lurk in every corner.Will she manage to save her family and lead them to freedom, or will her attempts at liberation be cut short?

In this alternative fantasy history, an African American historical figure is reimagined, and resistance against oppression is a deadly endeavor. Minty's transformation into Harriet, a legendary hero, is not just a change of name but a fierce battle for freedom, echoing the timeless resilience of those who seek liberation. Harriet's Escape is the first book in the Seizing Freedom Black historical fantasy fiction trilogy.

Drinking glasses of cava in the sunshine, indulging in delicious tapas, and learning Spanish with ease is what Amy Breen, a hard-charging physician and mother of three, expected of life in Spain.

But when she and her young family move to Barcelona, the tranquilo lifestyle of their new country has other ideas for her. Join Amy and her family in their mishaps and adventures living in Barcelona and traveling throughout Europe, and watch as Amy—openly and with a self-deprecating humor—unfolds her struggles in her transition from a handle-it-all doctor and mother in the States to full-time parent who needs her kids to translate.

The tranquilo way of life is Amy's adversary, and then teacher, in this humorous personal and family journey.

Mars. The near future. Across the Red Planet's stark, unforgiving expanse, a unique future society unfolds, one that teeters on the brink of triumph - and catastrophe.

With relationships between Mars and Earth careening towards breaking point, Ailia Bax, a war-weary journalist haunted by flashbacks from her past, is thrust into the heart of the brewing conflict. A terrorist threat dogs her every step, and she must navigate a treacherous landscape of intrigue, the fickleness of human nature, and her own demons.

Set against the backdrop of a vividly imagined Martian society composed of humans and sapient robots striving towards a utopian future, Ailia is forced to delve deep into the complexities of Red Planet life. As she forges alliances, she becomes an unlikely ally in the Martians' fight for self-determination and makes decisions that will ultimately shape the fate of a new world.

Emergent Mars is a thought-provoking utopian science fiction tale and a slow-burn political thriller rolled into one. Compelling and immersive from start to finish, with outstanding characters and superb world-building, it's a thoroughly engrossing read that combines real science, philosophy, psychology, and political economy into a stunning portrait that could completely change how you imagine our future beyond the confines of Earth.

When you think of democracy, what comes to mind?

Comparing democracy to monarchy, are you thankful to be living free rather than suffering oppression under a medieval tyrant? What if you could be evidentially shown that the democracy you hold so dear is not only less ideal than you’ve been taught, but is actually inferior to the kingdoms of the Middle Ages?

Get ready for a real history lesson you won’t soon forget. In Jeb Smith’s latest work Missing Monarchy, he uncovers eye-opening facts about the Medieval period, kingship, democracy, and more. When you learn how societies of our past addressed their governmental needs, you may begin to perceive that our current system isn't the utopia it is commonly portrayed as. And as you come to understand how power is wielded under our democracy, you just might start missing monarchy too.

When her 86-year-old mother falls and breaks her hip, Sandra Tyler is 42, with a nursing infant and precocious toddler.

In her forthcoming memoir The Night Garden: Of My Mother (Pierian Springs Press; October 23, 2024), Tyler, the acclaimed author of Blue Grass, a New York Times Notable Book of The Year, mines what it means to be divided between the role of mother and daughter, with empathy and affectionate comedy.

After this fall, Tyler’s mother insists on hiring her own caregivers—a motley patchwork of lost souls, including the too-friendly who think Scrabble is a good idea. But when she has a near-fatal fall, it is the author who hires a live-in aide, Chandice, who moves into her mother’s house as if it were her own, with her KitchenAid mixer, bake pans, and apple-and-kale concoctions. Where should Tyler’s allegiance lie when her mother threatens to fire Chandice for overloading the washing machine? At what cost to their relationship should she no longer defer to her mother’s staunch guidance?

As her mother’s dementia worsens, Chandice warns the author about other daughters “gone crazy” watching their mothers become unrecognizable—after her mother’s death, the author is admitted to a psychiatric ward, where she sleeps the “sleep of the dying,” as her mother slept in her final weeks. But in the timelessness of this ward, she can wonder: was her closeness with her mother not of best friends, but something inherent in their dispositions as a writer and artist—in that compulsion to be seen and heard?

The Night Garden candidly explores what it means for a daughter to have her focus fractured by conflicting responsibilities while still seeking, above all else, her mother’s approval, protection and love.

The rebellion is in hiding. It has been a year since Boatman King attempted to overthrow the Empire, but instead had to escape London with his wife and their closest allies.

Not all of Boatman King’s allies are in hiding. Maverick “The Beast” Kirabo is on a mission to finish what he started on the streets of London. The former gladiator has a score to settle and revenge to unleash: Rome will fear him as they once adored him.

Despite its failure, Boatman King’s rebellion has spread disquiet in Rome’s political circles. Grand Protector Faust dispatches a pair of hunters to search the country and bring Boatman and his followers back to London for reckoning. Although Faust is the official face of Rome’s leadership, Emperor Maximus is thirsty to stamp his mark on the world and step out from his dead father’s shadow.

Unbeknownst to Faust and Maximus, a terrifying presence is watching the unrest and relishing in the vulnerabilities it’s causing.

A team of con artists travel the country, marrying rich, unsought women, only to clean them out on their wedding night.

The only problem is their last mark's father happens to be a secret underworld kingpin now bent on avenging his homely daughter's broken heart.

After Angie Robertson’s new husband disappears with over $200,000 in wedding gifts and a brand new 911 Porsche convertible, her gangster father makes it his mission to seek retribution. Alongside him is Angie’s brother and heir to the Robertson empire, Sebastian, who, like his father, is eager to enact a swift revenge.

Meanwhile, the missing groom and his team of con artists speed along the southwestern coast, searching for the next town and rich, lonely girl they could scam out of a couple hundred grand. The Wedding Bandits have been doing this for years, and they’ve only gotten better with time.

Settling in the small town of Oak County, the team starts their usual routine of finding a mark. The new target is the daughter of the town Sheriff, a sage man who came into substantial wealth in years past for an act of heroism.

Unbeknownst to the bandits, as they plot and scheme a way to separate the Sheriff from his millions, Angie’s brother and father have been tracking their movements, inching closer each day to their coveted vengeance.

And yet, despite all the secrets and malicious behavior, love manages to bud between the bandits’ dauntless leader and the Sheriff’s homely daughter. It seems like Cupid may have finally caught up to the traveling hustler.

Unfortunately, so have the FBI…

The mission becomes a ticking time bomb that ends in abduction, heartbreak, and murder. And the person you least expect may be the one to squeeze the trigger.

Drama on the Soviet border, displacement, a runaway horse and a sleigh ride across virgin snow; much of A Life in Tales plays out against the changing landscape in Ukraine over recent decades.

A young idealist marries the daughter of a Ukrainian refugee and is overawed as he sees the USSR for the first time and observes the post-Soviet changes before the schism with Moscow leads to the Russian invasion.

Ambush in the Namibian mountains and a double shooting in Ethiopia also feature as do readily identifiable stories of friendship and family tensions.

David Roberts employs vivid description, keen observational skill and wry humour to evoke key episodes and characters from his life. Though not always the chief protagonist, he is ever-present.

Love, loss, longing and belonging are the key themes of this collection of sensitive short stories that make up an evocative memoir.

A collection of two decades of columns from the Winnipeg Free Press about all kinds of religious faith.

John Longhurst's journalistic reflections provoke thought and questions about faith, inviting readers to think beyond their own religions, theologies, and denominations. Why do people believe what they do? What might we learn from each other's acts of faith?

John Longhurst is the recipient of the 2021 Lieutenant-Governor's Award for the Advancement of Inter-religious Understanding in Manitoba. He has served as the director of communications for several international relief and development organizations, and continues to write for the Winnipeg Free Press and many other publications.

He took her innocence…She took his honor. But when danger unhinges their world, someone will have to fall on their sword.

The lust. The betrayal. The love. Sometimes the hardest battle…is seducing your enemy.

Alexandra wants one thing: to train with her sword, never mind the outraged public. But when the achingly handsome Monsieur Philippe kisses her, she finds herself willing to give up her heart and even her blade to be with him. That is, until she learns Philippe took another woman to bed after giving Alexandra her first kiss. Shattered and humiliated, Alexandra is done with etiquette. She’s done with skirts and ruffles. And men. Now, five years later, she’s a mercenary, known for her quick wits, expert blade, and dedication to protecting the people she guides through the uncharted forests of Provence. And if, by chance, she ever sees Philippe again, she’ll have no problem knocking that seductive smile right off his goddamned face.

Philippe never forgot the tender kiss he and Alexandra shared, and he never forgave himself for acting so badly. Years later, when he finds himself tracking a mysterious band of foes, the mercenary hired to lead him is none other than the enticing girl he unwittingly destroyed. But Alexandra is a woman now, a breathtaking and dangerous woman. Though he must balance his mounting desire for her with his duty to tame the venomous nest of criminals, Philippe soon realizes that winning Alexandra’s affection will mean he must strip his pride, lay his title on the line, and fight harder than ever before. And if dodging a few of her punches means he can maybe get another taste of her, then this adventure might be more explosive than he ever expected.

Something magical happens at an old rundown factory.

A newly made silver salad bowl can see, talk, cook and fly! And so begins Betty the Bowl's incredible journey. A small unexpected dent means she is offloaded to the sale rack at the back of a thrift store. Ten-year-old Shannon and her family are happy to bring Betty and her new friends home to their small farm. When Betty is mistakenly left behind at the park after Shannon's birthday party.

It will take a Rescue Squad of friends who risk their lives to search for Betty. Shannon makes her way to the Big City, but it's a whole new world that presents surprises around every corner. Shannon finds hope when her new unexpected friend Lakoiya offers to help. Shannon, her dog Waddlin, Lakioya and the Rescue Squad, Smart, Left & Right, Salt & Pepper find true friendship, teamwork and courage.

Effortless Menopause for the Savvy Woman is a groundbreaking book that revolutionizes the way women approach and manage menopause.

Written by a dedicated advocate for women's health, this guide challenges common misconceptions about menopause, presenting it not as a period of decline but as an opportunity for growth and rejuvenation.

This comprehensive guide is rooted in the author's personal journey and extensive research into holistic health strategies. It offers women empowering and practical solutions to manage the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of menopause. From mitigating hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness to fat loss, the book covers a wide range of topics essential for navigating this transitional phase with grace and confidence.

The book places a strong emphasis on dietary strategies, particularly the benefits of the carnivore, ketovore, and keto diets, in alleviating menopause symptoms. It also introduces fresh perspectives on exercise, tailored specifically for menopausal women, focusing on routines that support bone strength, vascular health, muscle mass, and mental wellness.

Beyond symptom management, the guide delves into the importance of mental and emotional support, advocating for a supportive community and the practice of self-care. It reassures readers that all advice is evidence-based, blending scientific research with personal insights to offer a guide that is both credible and relatable.

The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Effortless Menopause invites readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, encouraging them to view menopause as a positive, life-enhancing phase. It's not just a book; it's a call to action for women to engage actively with their health, embrace menopause with optimism, and share their stories to foster a supportive community. This book stands as a testament to the strength and resilience of women, offering gratitude and solidarity to all who join in this transformative journey.

Splicing can fix anything—if you can afford it.

Sixteen-year-old Avall Tinning lives in a near-future world where genetic engineering, or “splicing,” is used to treat everything from acne to cancer—assuming you can afford it. And assuming you support it, which Avall’s mom definitely does not.

That means when Avall’s best friend Lyra can’t afford treatment for a life-threatening disease, Avall takes matters into her own hands. She finds Dr. Cutler, a geneticist who runs a summer camp where underprivileged teens can “earn” treatment by participating in research. He agrees to splice Lyra, but only if Avall serves as a stand-in for her friend at his camp. Avall decides it’s a small price to pay for Lyra’s life.

Until the camp—and Dr. Cutler—turn out to be shady as hell. There’s an Infirmary where Dr. Cutler conducts questionable genetic experiments on the campers. And risky challenges designed to pit campers against each other. Also, the doctor has a shadowy past involving over-splicing, illegal human cloning—and Avall’s mother. The stakes become even higher when Lyra is hospitalized with pneumonia.

Ultimately, Avall must decide if her friend’s life is more important than the other campers—including her summer-camp crush, Dr. Cutler’s son.

In a world teetering on the brink of destruction, one man’s quest ignites an epic battle between light and darkness.

Ten years ago, Boren was a young boy when he saved his homeworld of Komad by destroying a portal linking it to the corrupted world of Taytos. He paid a price for his sacrifice: he became himself trapped on that crumbling world. For a decade, he has survived, hunted by the Four Anjuns, the ancient demigods who rule Taytos’ world-spanning empire from the shadows.

Driven by a thirst for vengeance, Boren forges a perilous alliance with an imprisoned ancient dragon and its spawn. With newfound, yet little understood, power coursing through his veins, he sets out on his quest for retribution. Yet, there are schemes at play that threaten both worlds. Hidden plots, in which Boren, the dragons, and the Anjun themselves are risking everything to achieve their desires.

Meanwhile, on Boren’s homeworld, his old allies face a dire threat. Mysterious magic wielders, known as Jasver's Acolytes, shatter a hard-won peace. Led by Deuc, a priest of the Order of the Righteous, and the battle-hardened warrior mage Feridun, Boren’s former comrades must uncover the truth behind these dark forces before it’s too late.

As the fates of two worlds collide, Boren must confront his past and embrace his destiny. Will he and his allies thwart the Anjun's apocalyptic schemes, or will both realms fall into eternal darkness?

Rise of the Nemesis is a breathtaking journey through treacherous landscapes and heart-pounding battles, where loyalty, power, and sacrifice shape the destiny of worlds. Dive into this dark and captivating novel set in the Portal Wars Universe, where every choice could mean the difference between salvation and annihilation.

Quest for Survival is a post-apocalyptic coming-of-age story with elements of sci-fi that focuses on the power of family and the resilience of the human spirit amidst terrible circumstances.

700 years from now a catastrophic comet alters the earth, causing the mass extinctions of animals and humans. For Sven, age 19, food is a constant worry in their secluded canyon home.

The clan led by their Grandma, has strict rules against leaving the safety of the canyon for reasons known only to her.

When they turn 5, children in this clan are chosen for their specific roles in their dystopian society. Sven was selected as the future leader, but she struggles with the immense pressure of responsibility at such an early age. Overwhelmed by the mounting pressure, Sven embarks on a perilous journey with her siblings to venture beyond the canyon's confines. To find other survivor groups and secure sustenance and new ideas for their clan's survival.

In their quest, they stumble upon a startling revelation-they are not the sole remnants of humanity.

Kaiya's career as a power wielder wasn't off to a great start.

So far, she and Benji had managed to unleash the Fragments Queen, along with seven Shards.

The only way to fix their mistakes is as a team; water, wind and fire working together. Torn between her duty as a power wielder and the end of her college career, the time for passivity is over.

As the team struggle with who to trust and enemies all around them, Kaiya must decide who she wants to be, if she wants any chance of a future.

STEP INTO YOUR POWER.

Dance Daughters of the Most High! is a fresh and timely look at seven of the most often overlooked, underappreciated, and misunderstood women in the Old Testament, written for individual and small group studies.

• Did you know there was a woman who almost single-handedly saved the line of Jesus? Her story reads like a Mission Impossible thriller.

• Did you know another woman’s quick actions may have rescued the Exodus while Moses stood by and did nothing?

• Another woman snatched her vital city from a rampaging psychopathic general. Her actions may have kept David’s fragile kingdom from splintering further. She is included in the ancient Jewish list of the twenty-three truly upright and righteous women who came out of Israel.

• Against many odds, another woman—not even a Jew—defeated one of the most feared generals of her day. As a reward, Jewish scholars proclaimed her to be even more blessed than the four renowned Jewish matriarchs, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah.

Women and men will be inspired by the fascinating accounts of these noble mothers of our faith. It is high time they received their due.

Get set to embark on an extraordinary journey unlike any other.

Within the depths of Fundamental Mechanics of the Human Thinking Mind, you'll uncover revelations that have eluded billions of people from the far past to the present moment.

Not even the Buddha himself fully grasped the intricate mechanics of the thinking mind, which has led to a great deal of confusion surrounding this topic for millennia!

This isn't just another book on meditation; it's the definitive guide:

THE ONE AND ONLY SOURCE FOR MEDITATION'S FIRST PRINCIPLES.

In a landscape cluttered with vague notions and mystical interpretations, this book stands as a beacon of clarity.

It unveils the inner workings of the thinking mind, the very instrument that shapes all of our experiences, both good and bad. With this understanding at your fingertips, you'll navigate life's challenges with unparalleled ease and harmony.

Through a detailed framework, readers gain insight into how present moment awareness and concentration practices impact key brain functions, leading to transformative improvements in mental health, cognition, and overall well-being.

Here lies the key to rewiring your brain for superior performance and resilience.

With precise knowledge and proven techniques, this book ensures a successful and enduring practice—one that transcends false beliefs and flawed approaches. It's an indispensable resource for those seeking to deepen their understanding of nature, evolution, and our place in the world.

The journey to self-discovery begins here!

Introduce your little ones to the exciting world of finance with Financial Fun from A-Z!

This delightful children's book takes young readers on an engaging alphabet adventure, teaching them important money and financial concepts from A to Z. From Assets to Banking to Credit Scores and beyond, each page is filled with colorful illustrations and simple explanations that make learning about money fun and easy.

Spark curiosity and lay the foundation for a lifetime of financial wisdom with this charming book. Perfect for children ages 0 to 9!

Who says there never enough time anymore?

Help yourself to thirty-one tales and poems of wit and wonder for those with but a little time to read. Pick up Danielle Ackley-McPhail’s collected flash fiction for a quick trip through the whimsical to magical to speculative and back again.

• When a lunch lady sees it all, including the goblin apocalypse.

• A mermaid dreams of swimming through the sky.

• A young girl’s maddening descent into the world of red.

• Cadet Alexander must conquer the mountain… her own squad… and the local fauna… in an exercise to prove her mettle.

• Have you ever looked into the heart of a star? Do so, and come away forever changed.

And many more fantastic tales to transport you for just a moment or two...there and back again In a Flash!

Step into the mind of Georgi, a 40-year-old woman, who uses humor and music, to cope with a combination of debilitating medical conditions that are killing her.

But today, she takes back control...

Escaping her isolated existence with her abusive husband to board the luxurious ship of a controversial offshore organization, D-LAD. Their mission, to give people suffering from deadly illnesses one last taste of living, before ending their suffering, humanely. An option not legally available to her back home.

But imagine her surprise to discover Bryant, her long-lost high school love is one of her doctors on the ship. She’s even more shocked when he reveals that they have to pretend they don’t know each other, because D-LAD has more sinister motives than she could ever have imagined.

As time runs out, follow her struggle to uncover the truth, all while coming to care about her diverse group of fellow passengers on their own journeys to death with dignity.

Is D-LAD really evil? Or is Bryant just not ready to lose her again?

Lady Isovar is a mighty and supremely confident knight errant who leaps into adventure with both feet and then tracks it all over the rug.

Chevson, her long-suffering squire and companion, is a former student of stone magic who spends most of his time keeping his mistress from causing enthusiasm-related injury to innocent bystanders. A tragic turn of events has sent them far from home, where they roam the countryside righting wrongs, smiting miscreants, deposing despots, and taunting their foes, often with seriously questionable one-liners. This new life is more than enough for Izzy, but Chevson wants nothing more than to set right what he harmed long ago. Following clues to sites of ancient power, they might just achieve his aim. That is, if they aren't murdered, dismembered, devoured, executed, roasted, or derailed by Izzy's bravado first.

The Glorious and Epic Tale of Lady Isovar is an epic fantasy story of adventure, friendship, heroic battles, and vile villains.

Content Warning: This book includes a lot of medieval-style violence and some gore (so long as it's not a Fourthday).

God Unlimited: Why We Believe in God investigates all the main reasons we tend to believe in God with conciseness and humor.

The author does his best to question these reasons and reveal their truths and fallacies. As it turns out they do not stand up to scrutiny. Yet in the end the book claims we all believe, even the ambivalent and atheists. Find out why.

Are you fed up with your 9-5 job, feeling burnt out, and tired of giving up your precious time working for others living paycheck to paycheck? It's time to take control of your life and start your own business!

Here‘s what you will discover in this book:

• How to beat your fears and develop a mindset that will change your life.

• Discover the perfect business idea while following your passions, or if you are getting started with little money.

• Compose an outstanding business plan that will blow away your investors and hit your entrepreneurial objectives.

• Important steps commonly overlooked by new small business owners.

• The secret to successfully attract loyal customers.

• How to be financially literate and ways to keep your small business afloat.

• Techniques to strategically navigate through common challenges and setbacks faced by new entrepreneurs.

Are you ready to take control of your life and turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality?

A deep dive into the nuances of effective business communication

Business Communication Essentials You Always Wanted to Know is a tell-all book on the theme of Business Communication. If you have been struggling with designing and implementing an effective business communication strategy in your organization, this book will be of immense help to you.

Business Communication Essentials simplifies the processes of business communication in a way no other book has dealt with the subject-matter. It highlights the essential steps that must be taken at any time to transform your business communication approaches.

Reading this book will provide you with all the secrets of powerful and effective business communication. Whether you are a student or a C-suite executive, the pragmatic and easy procedures for achieving quality and top-notch business communication practices that you will discover in this book are truly invaluable.

You will gain an understanding of the following:

• Types of business communication and its importance for business growth
• Audience demographics and drafting relatable business messages
• How to communicate effectively in this fast-paced world
• Some modern tools for effective business communication

This book is written in a conversational tone and is packed with fun examples that will aid the learning experience.