The vibrant Phoenix art happening First Friday promises business and pleasure for Ari Adams. For one thing, moving on from the painful past she shared with Molly Nelson has brought a new woman into her life. But an old building with a body inside threatens the art community and implicates every member of the First Friday Council. Hired to investigate and guard the FFC’s interests, Ari takes on the disquieting assignment at her boss’s request. Secrets at the Veteran’s Administration and human greed create a dangerous quagmire, and when the victim’s identity and the names of her employers are revealed, Ari realizes she has no one she trusts to help her—except Molly. But working with Molly again would mean opening old wounds and risking the fresh start Ari thought that she wanted… A Grand Plan is the latest in the Golden Crown Literary Award-Winning Ari Adams Mystery series by best-selling and Lambda Nominated Author Ann Roberts. Views: 28
At seventeen Lori Schiller was the perfect child -- the only daughter of an affluent, close-knit family. Six years later she made her first suicide attempt, then wandered the streets of New York City dressed in ragged clothes, tormenting voices crying out in her mind. Lori Schiller had entered the horrifying world of full-blown schizophrenia. She began an ordeal of hospitalizations, halfway houses, relapses, more suicide attempts, and constant, withering despair. But against all odds, she survived. Now in this personal account, she tells how she did it, taking us not only into her own shattered world, but drawing on the words of the doctors who treated her and family members who suffered with her. In this new addition, Lori Schiller recounts the dramatic years following the original publication -- a period involving addiction, relapse, and ultimately, love and recovery.Moving, harrowing, and ultimately uplifting, THE QUIET ROOM is a classic testimony to the... Views: 28
When scarecrows appear in the cliffs above Montana's famous Smith River and a little girl reports being chased by one in the night, state investigator Harold Little Feather is brought in to find the culprit. Are the menacing effigies related to a copper-mining project that threatens the purity of the Smith? That's Harold's initial suspicion, but his investigation takes an ominous turn when a decapitated body is found in the river.
As Harold's search leads him back in time through the canyon's history, Sean Stranahan launches his raft upriver. He has been hired to guide a floating party that includes Clint McCaine, the manager of the mine project; Bart Trueblood, the president of “Save The Smith,” a grassroots organization devoted to stopping the project; and the documentarian filming their arguments. McCaine and Trueblood grew up on the Smith on neighboring ranches, and as they travel downstream, it’s revealed that the two share a past that runs much deeper and darker than their opposing viewpoints.
The currents of the seemingly unrelated trips will soon flow together, and Stranahan's long-time love Sheriff Martha Ettinger will enter the fray as the boats hurtle toward a date with danger at a place called Table Rock. Views: 28
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II offers more inspiring stories to help you master the game we call life. Today's teens have ever more issues and social pressures to juggle than young adults just 20 years ago. This book, like its predecessor, can be your guide - a beacon in the darkness, a safe haven in a storm, a warm hug in the cold and a respite from loneliness. There's no preaching as to what you should and shouldn't do. Instead, this book is full of teens sharing their experiences on learning to accept like, becoming the best person you can be, being happy with who you are, and loving yourself - no matter what. Views: 28
A powerful and lively work of immersive journalism, Brin-Jonathan Butler's story of his time chasing the American dream through CubaWhether he's hustling his way into Mike Tyson's mansion for an interview, betting his life savings on a boxing match (against the favorite), becoming romantically entangled with one of Fidel Castro's granddaughters, or simply manufacturing press credentials to go where he wants—Brin-Jonathan Butler has always been the "act first, ask permission later" kind of journalist. This book is the culmination of Butler's decade spent in the trenches of Havana, trying to understand a culture perplexing to Westerners: one whose elite athletes regularly forgo multimillion-dollar opportunities to stay in Cuba and box for their country, while living in penury. Butler's fascination with this distinctly Cuban idealism sets him off on a remarkable journey, training with, befriending, and interviewing the champion boxers that Cuba seems to... Views: 28
A personal history of two major London bombings.An insider's description of dealing with major terrorist outrages.A personal reflection of the professional and emotional aspects of dealing with these horrific events. Cliff Todd was a forensic scientist completely involved with all aspects of both the 7/7 and 21/7 terrorist bombings in London. Cliff continued to be closely connected to the various court cases that followed these harrowing events up until his retirement from the forensics department of the MOD in 2013. It was only with this retirement that he was able to properly review his involvement with these terrorist outrages. Up until this point, through his connection with the actual events and the ongoing prosecutions, he had always had to look at these two major bombings from an entirely professional and objective perspective. Now he was able to look at them from a much more personal and... Views: 28
RetailNot every happily ever after comes easily. Some love stories are born in the dark...Cole Andrews knew he would be best friends with Libby Michaels from the moment he met her on the bus ride to preschool. As they grew up together in the rural Kentucky mountains, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But Libby had been hiding something and that secret puts her in danger. Cole vows to keep her safe but after 9-11 he goes off to war, nearly losing his life. He returns to Kentucky, determined to heal and start their lives together but Libby's past is threatening their happiness with deadly results. Cole has to use all his training as a soldier to keep her safe but will it be enough to save them both?Dark Mountains is a romantic suspense novella.From the AuthorI started this book right before my first child was born in 2004. Between kids, life and working on other projects, I finally finished Dark Mountains in 2013 and it was made available as an eBook July 2. Authors don't normally get published by taking years to write a novel between diaper changes and cooking dinner but for me, that's what it took. My family has and always will come first but the desire to write, to create worlds that a reader can escape to, has always been a passion. Although this is my first published work it certainly won't be my last! I hope you enjoy it! From the Inside Flap"Please, Pa," she whimpered, her eyes begging him. "Help him, please." He spit again but didn't answer. Libby looked back at me and I knew instantly what she was going to do. "Libby, don't," I begged, my voice full of fear. Eyes locked with mine, she took a step forward. The snake hissed, its head moving with Libby's movement. Jackson stared at Libby and then back at me as she took another step forward. "You've got to jump fast, Cole," she whispered as the snake shifted its gaze from her to me. "It won't be distracted for long." "Libby, no," I begged again. My arms were shaking now. Fear welled up in my throat as she took another step. "Stop!" Jacksonson shouted, making Libby jump back. "Move again and I'll tan your hide so hard you won't sit for a week." Libby's face paled but she didn't move. Jackson climbed onto the wagon without fear. The snake was still watching me as my arms shook. He reached out just as my arms gave out and the hay bale dropped. The snake lunged towards me, fangs out. Jackson grabbed its head just before it bit into my leg. I fell backwards, landing hard on my ass. I shoved myself further back until I was up against the stack of hay. Libby rushed over to me, her hands going to my shoulders. Jackson held the snake, its jaw snapping. He stepped towards us as he caressed the snake's head. He knelt down, snake in hand, until he was eye level. The snake's gleaming fangs were inches from my face. I felt the bile rising in my throat as little, black dots flashed in my eyes. "You afraid of snakes, boy?" His voice was cold and empty. "Hmm?" He looked at me, his eyes dark and calculating. "Yes'sir," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "You'd better be," his voice was menacing as he ran a finger down the top of the snake's scaly head. "Keep your hands off her." The threat in his warning was unmistakable as his eyes moved to Libby's hands, still clenching my shoulders. Jackson stood up slowly and stepped off the wagon. He laid the snake on the ground and it slithered away, silent and docile. He turned back to us, spitting into the dirt. "Get off, both of ya," he growled, jerking his head. "Go home." Willing my muscles to move, I scrambled up, stumbling to the edge and jumping down. Libby followed me as I ran to the edge of the tree line. Her pa climbed back onto the tractor and drove it slowly out of the field. "Cole?" Libby put a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged her off as I walked towards the trees. When she started to follow, I turned quickly and yelled. "Stay!" I saw her shrink back, dragging her eyes to the ground. I wanted to apologize but my need for keeping her away was stronger. I half-ran to the nearest tree, bent over and promptly threw up everything I had eaten that day. When my stomach was empty, I gagged, heaving until the last of the strength left my body. I stumbled back and collapsed in the tall grass. I felt Libby's hand grip my shoulder and turn me towards her. Her face was pale but her eyes were strong as she forced me to look at her. I stared at her, seeing the fear leave her eyes, replaced by sorrow. Not uttering a word, she wrapped her arms around me. My exhausted body gave up as I leaned into her. She laid my head on her chest and I did something I swore I'd never do in front of her. I cried. Views: 28
This startling, far-reaching book captures the tumult, ambition, hardship, and serenity that mark today's India. Theroux's Westerners risk venturing far beyond the subcontinent's well-worn paths to discover woe or truth or peace. A middle-aged couple on vacation veers heedlessly from idyll to chaos. A buttoned-up Boston lawyer finds succor in Mumbai's reeking slums. And a young woman befriends an elephant in Bangalore. We also meet Indian characters as singular as they are reflective of the country's subtle ironies: an executive who yearns to become a holy beggar, an earnest striver whose personality is rewired by acquiring an American accent, a miracle-working guru, and others.As ever, Theroux's portraits of people and places explode stereotypes to exhilarating effect. The Elephanta Suite is a welcome gift to readers of international fiction and fans of this extraordinary writer. Views: 28
Jodi Adams has landed her dream job as a summer intern at the local city paper, The Montgomery Times. This killer summer job will launch her senior year with a bang as she goes after the hard angle on an investigative piece on area hospitals. But when Jodi's reporting reveals information her employer doesn't want to hear–much less publish–Jodi and Stan Taylor find that the information trail is vanishing before their eyes. Lives are at stake, and it looks like theirs could be next. Watch your back on Black Friday. Views: 28
At age 50, Maria Leonard Olsen drank her way out of my 25-year marriage. She had, against advice, put all her eggs in the motherhood basket, willfully derailing her successful law career. As teenagers, her precious children did not need her in the hands-on way they previously had. Her husband and she had grown apart because, among other things, they failed to nurture that important relationship. She was depressed and stuck.When she turned 50, she had the distinct feeling that she was on the downward slope of her life. Actuarially speaking, she was. So when she turned 50, her gift to herself was to go on a crusade to make the most of whatever time she had left. She set out to do 50 new things that were significant, at least to her. The list spanned physical challenges, adventure travel, and lifestyle changes. Each taught her something about herself and about how she wanted to lead the next years of her life to come. This work follows the work she did to accomplish those... Views: 28
Take Me There is a passion project for Tristan Taormino, who presents erotica by, for, and about transfolk, FTMs, MTFs, genderqueers, gender outlaws, as well as two-spirit, intersex, and gender-variant people in her newest anthology. Among the diverse array of voices in Take Me There, one important theme running throughout the stories is the power of seeing and being seen. It’s not simply about passing, but about being acknowledged and desired in a sexual context. Affirmation and want collide in Andrea Zanin’s story of a baby butch dyke and the transwoman she picks up in a small-town café. Likewise, the main character in Helen Boyd’s All Girl Action” longs to be touched as a woman by other queer women. The characters of these stories are ready and willing to go there and they do, over and over again. Views: 28
