The Second Fly Caster: Fatherhood, Recovery and an Unforgettable Tournament

Erik is proud that his father is a great fly caster, but then an unexpected outcome of a casting tournament leaves Erik questioning what once seemed to be only a sport.Years later, these questions deepen when Erik’s ideals are crushed by war. He struggles with his demons, until a discovery leads him to new meanings of fly casting. Through their prism, Erik sees the world in a forgiving light.From The Second Fly Caster:When I was a boy I thought my father was the greatest fly caster on earth, so I grew up dreaming of following in his way and not of becoming, as my mother wanted, an accountant.Today, I am a man who often relives the important events in my life, but when I think back to the five state casting tournaments my father won, most of their images and sounds have melted and flowed into downstream memories, except for the images and sounds of one special tournament. Instead of fading over time, they ripened in my mind in more than just a visual way, and now they are almost as vivid as the moments of today. …e-Story Description: Erik, a young boy, is proud that his father, the winner of several state championships, is probably the greatest long distance fly caster on earth. But then a threatening prelude and an unexpected outcome of a casting tournament leave Erik reeling with unanswered questions about what once seemed to be only a sport.These questions linger and then, years later, deepen when Erik’s idealistic plans and actions are crushed when he experiences combat in the Vietnam War. He struggles, unsuccessfully, with his demons, until a seemingly accidental discovery lead him back to the ways and new meanings of fly casting. Through their prism Erik learns to see himself and the world in a forgiving light.
Views: 591

Have a Little Faith: A True Story

In Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds--two men, two faiths, two communities--that will inspire readers everywhere. Albom's first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have a Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from Albom's old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he'd left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor--a reformed drug dealer and convict--who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof. Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat. As America struggles with hard times and people turn more to their beliefs, Albom and the two men of God explore issues that perplex modern man: how to endure when difficult things happen; what heaven is; intermarriage; forgiveness; doubting God; and the importance of faith in trying times. Although the texts, prayers, and histories are different, Albom begins to recognize a striking unity between the two worlds--and indeed, between beliefs everywhere. In the end, as the rabbi nears death and a harsh winter threatens the pastor's wobbly church, Albom sadly fulfills the rabbi's last request and writes the eulogy. And he finally understands what both men had been teaching all along: the profound comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself. Have a Little Faith is a book about a life's purpose; about losing belief and finding it again; about the divine spark inside us all. It is one man's journey, but it is everyone's story. Ten percent of the profits from this book will go to charity, including The Hole In The Roof Foundation, which helps refurbish places of worship that aid the homeless.
Views: 583

The Living Hell of Teddy the Table

There's a new game in town, and they're calling it 'tag.' The boys at Triton are getting physical with surreal gaming, and the game is getting physical back at them.When everyone was telling about their own heroic stories, however, what does it mean? I have got nothing to say, this world exists as it is supposed to be, my story won’t end so far.I used to dream about such a world, totally free, no limitation, excited and exhilarated. Now look at it, I have lost everything...
Views: 576

The Porcupine of Truth

The author of OPENLY STRAIGHT returns with an epic road trip involving family history, gay history, the girlfriend our hero can't have, the grandfather he never knew, and the Porcupine of Truth. Carson Smith is resigned to spending his summer in Billings, Montana, helping his mom take care of his father, a dying alcoholic he doesn't really know. Then he meets Aisha Stinson, a beautiful girl who has run away from her difficult family, and Pastor John Logan, who's long held a secret regarding Carson's grandfather, who disappeared without warning or explanation thirty years before. Together, Carson and Aisha embark on an epic road trip to find the answers that might save Carson's dad, restore his fragmented family, and discover the "Porcupine of Truth" in all of their lives.
Views: 575

The Colorado Curveball

Batter up! Baseball action and exciting whodunits star in this chapter book series! Next up is Colorado! Mike and Kate arrive in Colorado to a ballpark covered in snow! Luckily, the stadium has a heater that can melt the fluffy flakes in time for next day's game. But when the ballpark engineers get a mysterious note saying that someone may tamper with the scoreboard, the snow becomes the least of the cousins' problems. It's time for Mike and Kate to switch into sleuth mode and solve a mystery that will take them underground, a mile above sea level, and even face to face with a dinosaur!Ballpark Mysteries are the all-star matchup of fun sleuthing and baseball action, perfect for readers of Ron Roy's A to Z Mysteries and Matt Christopher's sports books, and younger siblings of Mike Lupica fans. Each Ballpark Mystery also features Dugout Notes with more amazing baseball facts.
Views: 571

Only Ever Us

A smokin' hot second chance holiday romance from USA Today Bestselling Author J.H. Croix! That guy. He just walked back into my world. It all started when I set the curtains on fire at a funeral. Actually, it all started seven years ago in college. Rowan Cole was that guy—the one I couldn't forget. We'd once been best friends. Maybe more. We almost had it all. I've spent years trying to forget him and the tragic night that tore us apart. As bad luck would have it, he's the firefighter who shows up to rescue me from the church I almost set on fire. Speaking of flames and melting, Rowan still has the ability to set me on fire. Just by existing. He's downright delectable, all rugged man wrapped in a body of pure muscle. I do not want to want him again. This small town is making it awful hard to avoid him. Especially when he's determined to prove he's worth it. Rowan & Mae's story is perfect for readers who love...
Views: 560