To Save Christmas, Rook Needs A Miracle.In this companion novella to The Compendium of Curious Collectibles series, all Rook wants is to find the perfect gift for Sweet Pea. But when the Wheelers kidnap him on Christmas Eve, he promises to help them save the life of Prodigal's dying brother, Spider, by obtaining the only thing capable of healing him—a bowl of magical eggnog soup.But to keep his promise, he'll need to persuade the Life Miser to have a serious change of heart. The Life Miser hates Christmas, and he's refused to give away any gifts, including the eggnog soup that Spider so desperately needs. And with Spider's condition worsening, time is running out to rescue him.Luckily, Rook has a plan. Using the magic of a rare Collectible called the Christmas Chronicler, he intends to convince the Life Miser by showing him the true spirit of Christmas. But the Christmas Chronicler's magic is fading, and if Rook's plan fails, then Spider's death will... Views: 313
Mellie has been hypnotized by a pair of gorgeous green eyes, attached to a very yummy package for months now. Unfortunately for her, her brain goes on hiatus anytime Morris Jackson is around. Looking like a bobble head whenever he asks her anything isn’t the best way to go about getting a man like him interested. Not like ruggedly handsome ex NavySEALs go for quirky, accident prone introverts like her. Plus, even if she did have a snowballs chance in hell with him, him being her brothers SWAT teammate doesn’t bode well for her. A girl can dream though!Morris: Those blue eyes sucker punched him the minute he looked into them. It felt like the ground had literally gone out from under him. Mellie is everything that he could ever want and everything that he shouldn’t have. Even if he didn’t know that she’s too good for a guy like him, her brother would never be okay with it. He is over protective and proud of it. But at some point you have to say screw the consequences and go after what you know is meant to be yours.Too bad someone wasn’t happy for them when they found their way to one another. Someone will make sure that they don’t stay together by any means necessary. They’ll even kill to get what they want. Views: 313
Every piece of work published has a particular message to pass across to the public “DECEMBER WITHOUT DISASTER, HOW TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CRISIS”, is a piece written to fore-arm all and sundry against the crises associated with December and its celebrations. Presented in simple language and with practical lesson, the book is relevant to all and for all times but most particularly in viewDecember, the last month of the year is a very important month in the calendar year, it is a unique month because of the celebration of Christmas, which mark the birthday of Jesus Christ. It is a month characterized with so many activities, such as harvesting of crops, harvests thanksgiving and bazaar for funds raising to support the church, buying and selling of goods and services, balancing of account, marriage ceremonies, birthday ceremonies, etc. it is remarkable a month for which people travel from place to place in preparation for the CHRISTMAS celebration, many churches and other organization do organize conferences, revivals, crusades, and retreats during this month of December, which it the time of preparation and great expectation.Finally, comes the Christmas celebration, which is paramount among all. At the mention of the month-December, what comes to the mind of everybody is Christmas. Price of goods and services rise higher than necessary. This makes things difficult for the less privilege one in the society, such that some people say that Christmas is not for the poor.However, we thank God for some philanthropists in our society who are helping the poor. Through Christmas season is the time of giving and receiving, but people give with different intentions. Some give because of what they can get in return from the recipient. But some give because they want to give, and they know that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Some children during this season form the habit of begging even from strangers, which may be detrimental to them as no one knows “who is who”. These strangers may be ritualists or kidnappers who use money or other gifts as baits to catch the children. This bad attitude which some children see as fashionable may be caused by parental irresponsibility or by the greed or the children. Whatever be the cause, parents should try to give their children proper home training in order to avoid future regret. As the saying goes “doing the right thing today means no regret tomorrow”.I hereby enjoin all parents and guidance to read proverbs (22:6), which says, “teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life”.Immediately after Christmas comes, Boxing Day, this is a special day that employers present gifts in boxes to their employees. Masters also present gifts in boxes to their servants on this day.After the Boxing Day comes the Holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, which is celebrated the Sunday after Christmas. On this day couples renew their marital vows and exchange gifts to each other. Parents are also reminded of their parental responsibilities, which is the only debt they owe to their children. Children are also reminded of their obedience to their parents, which is the only debt they owe to them.Husbands are reminded to show love and honour their wives. Wives are also reminded to submit completely to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-4)Finally, comes the new year, which is celebrated every 1st day of January. On this day the church honours and celebrates the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.The unfortunate thing about all these celebrations is the “get rich quick” syndrome, which has become the order of the day. This leads to all kinds of crimes such as artificial scarcity of commodities and skyrocketing rise of prices, armed robbery, ritual killing, and prostitution in which young women sell their bodies in order to buy the latest wear in town just to show up!As women use their bodies as baits to catch men, so do men use their money to catch women, like every other seasons though more obvious this season, not minding the consequences that follow.Now for us to celebrate all the ceremonies and pass through December without disaster and have a crisis free Christmas, we must be prayerful in everything we do, and do all to the glory of God. We must also apply moderation in everything we do, knowing that God requires moderation in everything about life. Views: 313
When Alice Seagrove is found dead, a name carved into her body, old memories are stirred up for DI Hal Luchewski. The name is that of a murdered sex offender – and the man who killed him, convicted in Hal's first ever murder case, has just been released from prison. As he digs deeper, Hal discovers multiple links between Dr Seagrove, the recently released killer Nino Gaudiano, and Nino's long-missing daughter Louisa. Hal must tread a fine line as he digs into the secrets of several people involved in both cases – and time is running out. Meanwhile, Hal's convoluted personal life is strained, as his relationship with boyfriend Stevie is on the rocks and he has to deal with revelations about his world-famous father... Views: 313
The ladies of Clerkenwell Central Hall are none too pleased at having their Temperance meetings disrupted by the rowdy Communists next door, but for Miss Olive Stapleton in particular, the uneasy coexistence proves fatal when she is found stabbed through the heart with a paper-knife. Enter Freddy Pilkington-Soames, who’s been recruited by British Intelligence to investigate a suspected Communist plot to stir up a general strike. Freddy thinks there’s more to Miss Stapleton’s death than meets the eye, but as he delves more deeply into the mystery it only becomes more puzzling. What is the connection between the murder and the coded newspaper advertisements? Is a Welsh firebrand politician really as harmless as he seems? And what does the beautiful wife of an Austrian revolutionary philosopher want from him? It all points to one thing: danger ahead. But time is running out, and Freddy must act fast to stop the conspirators, or risk becoming the unwitting pawn in... Views: 313
It takes a village to combat preventable errors and omissions that cause millions of deaths and sickness in our nation's hospitals and care facilities. That is the message that sets Your Patient Safety Survival Guide apart from other books.Each year, one out of every four hospital patients in the United States will be harmed by the care they receive. Over 400,000 will die as a result. Although most of these deaths are due to human and system errors—not faulty medical decisions or diagnoses—this annual death toll—as well as the millions of additional incidents of survivable patient harm—could be cut in half through consistent use of simple and nearly cost-free safety behaviors.In Your Patient Safety Survival Guide, Gretchen LeFever Watson delivers a patient-centered blueprint on how to transform the patient-safety movement so that millions of unnecessary illnesses and deaths in hospitals, outpatient facilities, and nursing homes can be avoided.... Views: 312
Football is everything, but love is the only game that matters.Tate Donavon, the newest Philadelphia football hottie, has been in love with Gia Capri since the moment he laid eyes on her back in college. Unfortunately, that was the same night her destructive and doomed relationship with the troubled Matt Lampert began. Tate didn’t stand a chance.In the year since Matt took his own life, Gia’s been sleep-walking through her days and just barely surviving her nights. She’s not sure that she’s capable of anything else . . . until Tate finds her sitting on the floor of a grocery store, crying over potato chips.Tate would give anything to bring back Gia's old sass and spark. But no matter how hard he tries—or how much he loves her—mending what’s broken in her soul might take more than he can give.Sometimes love isn’t enough. But when one heart is patient and steadfast and true, even the deepest wounds... Views: 312
Before she could touch him she saw it—the handle of a weapon sticking out between his shoulder-blades. Playwright Martin Pitt's acclaimed new play, The Lily Flower, is having its London premiere. When the curtain rises, in attendance are the lovely Julia Dallas; Lord Charles Kulligrew; absent-minded professor Edward Milk and his opinionated spinster sister, Agatha; and Julia's friend Benvenuto Brown, the accomplished artist and amateur sleuth. Before the evening is through, rave notices for the play will have to sit beside the reports of a grisly murder which takes place during the performance itself. Benvenuto Brown's investigation will take him far beyond theatreland, to France and the suspected lair of an assassin ... What Dread Hand? was originally published in 1932. This new edition features an introduction by crime fiction historian Curtis Evans. "Miss Gill is a consummate artist ... [Her work] may be unhesitatingly recommended to detective fiction... Views: 312
Unlike other branches of the armed services, the Navy draws it police force from the ranks, as temporary duty called Shore Patrol. In this funny, bawdy, moving novel set during the height of the Vietnam War, two career sailors in transit in Norfolk, Virginia—Billy "Bad-Ass" Buddusky and Mule Mulhall—are assigned to escort eighteen-year-old Larry Meadows from Norfolk to the brig in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he is to serve an eight-year sentence for petty theft. It's good duty, until the two old salts realize the injustice of the sentence and are oddly affected by the naive innocence of their young prisoner. In the five days allotted for the detail, they decide to show Meadows something of the life he doesn't yet know, to help him survive the long ordeal ahead and to purge their own shame. What follows is an unlikely road trip by bus and train up the Eastern seaboard and an indelible journey of initiation and discovery, filled with beer-soaked wisdom, big city... Views: 312
Ruby faces her biggest challenge yet when she's sent on an indefinite case with three other Hunters.Settled in with her role as a Hunter, Ruby embraces the newest request in a small country town. Things heat up as communication breaks down, and she finds herself dealing with far more than demons.Ruby's days are tied in with the community centre, but as she battles with the challenges that face her, leading to horror she could never have imagined, she also finds herself looking for more answers to questions that shouldn't have arisen. Views: 312
