Best of
Illness

2016

The Maid's Courage


Rosie Goodwin - 2016
    After a series of drunken mistakes, her father is imprisoned for murder, and Ginny and her little brother Charlie lose the only home they've ever known. Worse is to come. Charlie is only eight years old and has a weak chest. Ginny is determined to keep him with her, but he is taken to the workhouse before she has a chance to save him. Lonely and desperate, Ginny wanders the streets of Nuneaton. She finds honest work at the pie shop - until she is forced to fight off the unwanted advances of the baker and she's out on the streets. It's only then that she remembers her father's final words - the housekeeper of Lamp Hill Hall will help her. Soon Ginny is employed as a laundry maid, the very lowest rung of the ladder. Her beauty and grace mean that she catches the eye of the house's mistress, who raises Ginny up to play lady's maid to the difficult and demanding Miss Diana. All Ginny wants is to find her brother - and it will take all her strength of heart and courage to bring her family together again.

Desperately Seeking Epic


B.N. Toler - 2016
    Hating her would have been easier.She was the past, and he was hell-bent on keeping her there.Or so he thought...Craigslist Ad: DESPERATELY SEEKING EPIC You’re my father.I don’t know much about you. I know your name is Paul James, you’re a thrill seeker, and once upon a time you did stunts and people called you ‘Epic.’I’ve been told you don’t know about me. That it’s complicated. But for me it’s simple.Here’s the thing: I’m twelve years old…and I’m dying.And as much as this could crush my mother, I have to meet you before I go. In time, I’m sure she’ll understand. She’s still in love with you.So, Epic, if you read this, please come back. You don’t have to be my dad. You don’t even have to tell me you love me or you’re sorry. Just come see me. Patiently waiting, but running out of time,Neena

Ms. Bixby's Last Day


John David Anderson - 2016
    The good ones. The not-so-good ones. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard. The ones you’ll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. But Ms. Bixby is none of these. She’s the sort of teacher who makes you feel like the indignity of school is worthwhile. Who makes the idea of growing up less terrifying. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind.Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she is very sick and won’t be able to finish the school year, they come up with a plan. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand just what Ms. Bixby means to Topher, Brand, and Steve—and what they are willing to go to such great lengths to tell her.John David Anderson, the acclaimed author of Sidekicked, returns with a story of three kids, a very special teacher, and one day that none of them will ever forget.

The Food of Love


Amanda Prowse - 2016
    Nineteen years of marriage to a man who still warms her soul and two beautiful teenage daughters to show for it: confident Charlotte and thoughtful Lexi. Her home is filled with love and laughter.But when Lexi’s struggles with weight take control of her life, everything Freya once took for granted falls apart, leaving the whole family with a sense of helplessness that can only be confronted with understanding, unity and, above all, love.In this compelling and heart-wrenching new work by bestselling author Amanda Prowse, one ordinary family confronts unexpected difficulties and discovers that love can find its way through life’s darkest moments.

The Ending I Want


Samantha Towle - 2016
     Taylor Shaw had the perfect life—until she was sixteen. That was when everything changed. From that moment on, life went from bad to worse…to the worst. After recovering from a brain tumor, months later, she suffers the tragic loss of her whole family. Since that fateful day, she’s been coasting through life. Now, the brain tumor has returned, and Taylor decides she’s had enough. She’s going to take her fate into her own hands. No more hospitals. No more surgeries. No more anything. She’s going to join her family. It’s her decision. What she longs for. The ending she wants. She just has a list of things to do before she goes. First, go to England. Second, kiss a stranger… Only, Taylor didn’t expect Liam Hunter, the stranger—with his handsome face, his six-foot-three of gorgeousness, and his oh-so-hot English accent—to change things. To change her. To change the ending she wanted. What is a girl, who is standing on the edge of nothing, to do when offered the chance of everything?

Counting Thyme


Melanie Conklin - 2016
    But it also means the Owens family has to move to New York, thousands of miles away from Thyme’s best friend and everything she knows and loves. The island of Manhattan doesn’t exactly inspire new beginnings, but Thyme tries to embrace the change for what it is: temporary.After Val’s treatment shows real promise and Mr. Owens accepts a full-time position in the city, Thyme has to face the frightening possibility that the move to New York is permanent. Thyme loves her brother, and knows the trial could save his life—she’d give anything for him to be well—but she still wants to go home, although the guilt of not wanting to stay is agonizing. She finds herself even more mixed up when her heart feels the tug of new friends, a first crush, and even a crotchety neighbor and his sweet whistling bird. All Thyme can do is count the minutes, the hours, and days, and hope time can bring both a miracle for Val and a way back home.

A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles: A True Story of Love, Science, and Cancer


Mary Elizabeth Williams - 2016
    She takes a once-in-a-lifetime chance and joins a clinical trial for immunotherapy, a revolutionary drug regimen that trains the body to vanquish malignant cells. Astonishingly, her cancer disappears entirely in just a few weeks. But at the same time, her best friend embarks on a cancer journey of her own--with very different results. Williams's experiences as a patient and a medical test subject reveal with stark honesty what it takes to weather disease, the extraordinary new developments that are rewriting the rules of science--and the healing power of human connection.

The Cast-Off Kids


Trisha Merry - 2016
    Their mother walked out on them. (They don't remember her.) Their grandmother tried, but couldn't manage them. And now their young father has given up on them too. These cast-off kids desperately need somewhere to live and a family to love them. They've come to the right place. Trisha and Mike welcome them into their home and their hearts. There are now ten children under five in this household, where every day is filled with cuddles, fun . . . and more than a few challenges. After ten eventful years of love and laughter, they are reclaimed by their jealous mother, a stranger, who sets fire to their memories and sends them to a succession of care homes. Finally the younger one sets out on a quest to find the only two people who have ever loved him.

Enshrine


Chelle Bliss - 2016
    Alone and afraid, I clung to the one man I shouldn’t. I was warned about him and told to stay away. “He’s dangerous,” they said. But the man who could hurt me the most, gave me the greatest comfort. "He's not who they think," I told myself. But just like an illusion, things are never what they seem.

Lick & Play


Kylie Scott - 2016
    But she sure never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. One thing is certain: being married to one of the hottest rock stars on the planet is sure to be a wild ride. PLAY Mal Ericson, drummer for the world-famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job fine, but he didn’t count on finding the right girl. Anne Rollins never thought she’d meet the rock god who plastered her bedroom walls―especially not under these circumstances. Being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. Or could it?

When Friendship Followed Me Home


Paul Griffin - 2016
    A former foster kid, he keeps his head down at school to avoid bullies and spends his afternoons reading sci-fi books at the library. But that all changes when he finds a scruffy abandoned dog named Flip and befriends the librarian’s daughter, Halley. For the first time, Ben starts to feel like he belongs in his own life. Then, everything changes, and suddenly, Ben is more alone than ever. But with a little help from Halley’s magician father, Ben discovers his place in the world and learns to see his own magic through others’ eyes. Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, this book is a must-read for dog lovers and fans of emotionally resonant middle grade novels like One for the Murphys and Okay for Now.

Soar


Joan Bauer - 2016
    He really loves baseball and he knows just about everything there is to know about his favorite sport. So when he’s told he can’t play baseball following an operation on his heart, Jeremiah decides he’ll do the next best thing and become a coach.Hillcrest, where Jeremiah and his father Walt have just moved, is a town known for its championship baseball team. But Jeremiah finds the town caught up in a scandal and about ready to give up on baseball. It’s up to Jeremiah and his can-do spirit to get the town – and the team – back in the game.Full of humor, heart, and baseball lore, Soar is Joan Bauer at her best.From the Hardcover edition.

Abruption


Riley Mackenzie - 2016
    Guy Hunter secures his dream fellowship with a beautiful free spirit by his side. Two unexpected blue lines don't even shake his resolve—he is on his way to having it all. Until he isn’t.Abruption: a sudden breaking offJules Chiappetti loves her boisterous over-involved Italian family but is determined to pave her own way. An MBA and boardroom job is her ticket out. Until it isn’t. Abruption: an unexpected eventFour years later, Guy is consumed by the challenges of being a single father, still struggling with the aftermath that derailed his life and left his son with special needs. He doesn't realize his world went dark the same day his wife's did, until Jules, his son's new nurse, shows him the light.

Scarlet Stone


Jewel E. Ann - 2016
    In a single breath, everything becomes nothing, and she finds herself on a plane to Savannah, Georgia in search of the meaning of life. After securing a six-month lease for a beachfront house on Tybee Island, Scarlet changes the way she looks, thinks, eats—basically her entire outlook on life. She needs peace, but what she gets is a housemate who looks like Thor, acts like a warden, and smells her proximity like a Bloodhound. Theodore Reed is a carpenter and perfectionist with a body built of steel, a black, hollow heart, and a hunger for revenge. He doesn’t like company, girly-smelling crap, and British accents. He resents every breath she takes. She’s fascinated by his every move. In time, they discover their coexistence is toxic, their physical attraction is electric, the secrets they keep mean the difference between life and death, and the only truth they share is that everything is a lie. “Over eighty-five percent of the world's population believes in a higher power, yet, very few people believe in miracles.” Do you believe?

In-Between Days: A Memoir About Living with Cancer


Teva Harrison - 2016
    In this brilliant and inspiring graphic memoir, she documents through comic illustration and short personal essays what it means to live with the disease. She confronts with heartbreaking honesty the crises of identity that cancer brings: a lifelong vegetarian, Teva agrees to use experimental drugs that have been tested on animals. She struggles to reconcile her long-term goals with an uncertain future, balancing the innate sadness of cancer with everyday acts of hope and wonder. She also examines those quiet moments of helplessness and loving with her husband, her family, and her friends, while they all adjust to the new normal.Ultimately, In-Between Days is redemptive and uplifting, reminding each one of us of how beautiful life is, and what a gift.

The Bubble Boy


Stewart Foster - 2016
    They call it a crash when the walls start spinning and the pictures blur. Then the ceiling turns black and the floor turns black and I don't know which way I'm facing any more. Eleven-year-old Joe can't remember a life outside of his hospital room, with its beeping machines and view of London's rooftops. His condition means he's not allowed outside, not even for a moment, and his few visitors risk bringing life-threatening germs inside his 'bubble'. But then someone new enters his world and changes it for ever. THE BUBBLE BOY is the story of how Joe spends his days, copes with his loneliness and frustrations, and looks - with superhero-syle bravery, curiosity and hope - to a future without limits. Expect superheroes, super nurses and a few tears from this truly unique story.

Never Bet Against Occam: Mast Cell Activation Disease and the Modern Epidemics of Chronic Illness and Medical Complexity


Lawrence B. Afrin - 2016
    Afrin started coming to understand that a newly recognized type of mast cell disease, now called mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), was the underlying diagnosis in many patients he was seeing who were each suffering large assortments — quite different from one patient to the next — of chronic multisystem inflammatory illnesses of unclear cause. Dr. Afrin soon gained experience that MCAS is far more prevalent than the only mast cell disease previously known to medicine (the rare disease of mastocytosis) and that most MCAS patients, once accurately diagnosed, can eventually find significantly helpful medications targeted at the disease. The frequency and magnitude of the improvements Dr. Afrin has seen — even the relief that comes from finally having a unifying diagnosis other than "psychosomatism" — have spurred him to focus in this area, not only tending to the needs of his patients but also pursuing research to advance our understanding of the disease and helping to educate other professionals who in turn can help even more of the many people who have long been suffering not only the symptoms of the disease but also the natural concern of not understanding why one would be so "unlucky" to have acquired so many medical problems. As it turns out, such patients are not so unlucky and truly have just one root issue (and a very common one at that), which has the biological capability to develop, directly or indirectly, into most or all of their previously diagnosed problems. There is a great deal yet to learn about this, but even with just the present very limited understanding, the opportunity to diagnose and help patients with MCAS seems to be enormous and Dr. Afrin felt a description of the disease, written for the general public, might help lead some MCAS patients on a journey to diagnosis and improvement sooner rather than later. Dr. Afrin hopes this book will help people who might have, or do have, MCAS. A portion of the proceeds of purchases of this book will go to support research and education in this area.

You First


Stephanie Fournet - 2016
    Private. Insanely talented.Gray Blakewood is the most successful crime writer under the age of thirty—and he has a secret that could cost him his life.He just wants to finish his latest novel before his world unravels, and the last thing he needs is a beautiful distraction.Meredith Ryan, his new personal assistant, has seen more than her fair share of hard knocks. And, still, she’s the sweetest person he’s ever met.She deserves a lifetime of happiness—which he can’t offer.But he can’t seem to stay away.

Courage Rises: A Pride and Prejudice Continuation


Melanie Rachel - 2016
    In her husband's absence, Elizabeth is faced with an influenza outbreak at Pemberley, and she must make a dangerous decision to keep everyone alive.

Two Three Four


S.C. Daiko - 2016
    One of the most eligible bachelors in Rome. Hot as f*ck and my boss. Why am I crushing on him? I don’t do crushes. And I definitely don’t do falling in love. But when Max proposes a “friends with benefits” relationship, and introduces me to his favorite kink, I find I can’t resist. And then there’s Steve. Open to anything and a total hunk. I shouldn’t want two men in my bed. Except I do want them. I want them so bad I can’t keep my head straight. It’s lust, simple as that. No strings… just two guys, a girl, and a whole lotta sex. I can handle that. Sure I can. It’s no big deal. It’s not like I’m gonna fall for them or anything, right? *** Sexy Italian Max has the starring role in some hot dreams and wild nights for Lauren when she leaves her life in Seattle behind to work for his company in Rome, Italy. There she’ll meet gorgeous Englishman Steve, and soon crazy ideas start to form in Lauren’s mind about having both men in her bed. When Lauren’s fantasy becomes reality, the two sex gods take her to such heights of kinky pleasure she never imagined possible. So what could possibly go wrong? *** TWO THREE FOUR includes the never before published prequel, TWO, an updated version of THREE, and FOUR. A panty-melting emotional read. 18+only. And, for a limited time, at the special price of $0.99 .

Mommy’s Little Soldier: A troubled child. An absent mom. A shocking secret.


Casey Watson - 2016
    Despite letters being sent home regularly, his mother never turns up for any appointments, and when the school calls home she always seems to have an excuse.Though Casey has her hands full, she offers to intervene for a while, to try get Leo engaged in learning again and remaining in school. The head’s sceptical though and warns her that this is Leo’s very last chance. But Casey’s determined, because there’s something about Leo that makes her want to fight his corner, and get to the bottom of whatever it is that compels this enigmatic boy to keep running away. With Leo so resolutely tight-lipped and secretive, Casey knows that if she’s going to keep this child in education, she’s going to have to get to the bottom of it herself…

The Last Flight


Gregory P. Liefer - 2016
    Connor finds himself in a constant battle against his internal demons during his quest to reach the survivors of a remote plane crash deep in the Alaskan mountains--a rescue that perhaps only he can pull off.The stranded plane's captain, Scott Sanders, takes charge after the crash, in spite of his injuries and the realization that his dream of flying for a major airline is destroyed. One of the passengers, a retired school teacher, assists him while barely holding herself together. They soon realize that time is not on their side in the Alaskan polar climate.Connor, who's haunted by the horrors of war and a turbulent past, is torn between ending his life before the inevitable and saving the marooned crash victims before it's too late. His underlying intentions are unknown, even to himself, until the very end. Aided by an untested protégée and a mysterious young girl found at the crash site, Connor struggles in a desperate gamble to achieve the near impossible. Amid the turmoil of an approaching storm and almost certain failure, his flying skills and drive for redemption are the only hope.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction--novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Still Emily: Seeing Rainbows in the Silence


Emily Owen - 2016
    Highly intelligent, athletic and a gifted musician, she was destined to excel in whichever field she chose to pursue. At the age of 16, Emily was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) and less than a month later, she was in hospital and fighting for her life. Over the coming years, NF2 would steal her education, her smile, her hearing, her ability to walk. With her life plans in ruins, Emily struggled to find meaning and identity. Good things in her life weren't good any more. Because they were no longer there. With gentle humour and heart-breaking honesty, Emily shares her story. Slowly and painfully, she discovers value in new places, seeing the rainbows in the silence.

The Memory Book


Lara Avery - 2016
    At first just a little, and then a lot. So I'm writing to remember.Sammie was always a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as humanly possible. Nothing will stand in her way--not even a rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly start to steal her memories and then her health. What she needs is a new plan.So the Memory Book is born: Sammie's notes to her future self, a document of moments great and small. It's where she'll record every perfect detail of her first date with longtime crush, Stuart--a brilliant young writer who is home for the summer. And where she'll admit how much she's missed her childhood best friend, Cooper, and even take some of the blame for the fight that ended their friendship.Through a mix of heartfelt journal entries, mementos, and guest posts from friends and family, readers will fall in love with Sammie, a brave and remarkable girl who learns to live and love life fully, even though it's not the life she planned.

Arms of Grace


Eleanor Chance - 2016
    A lonely, troubled nurse. What will she risk to save him?Grace Ward's sterile existence is thrown into chaos when a baby is abandoned in her ER. From the moment an unknown couple thrusts the unconscious infant into Grace's arms, her life will never be the same.The baby's identity is shrouded in secrecy. Grace names him Johnny, and even with an experienced staff treating him, his life hangs in the balance. As Grace grows more attached to him, major events threaten their bond and his life. A deadly infection sweeps through the hospital, Johnny's mysterious origins come to light, and Grace's personal life grows increasingly complex. When Johnny's prognosis creates an ideological chasm that leaves the hospital staff on opposing sides, Grace refuses to bow to the mounting pressure that could destroy her career and even her life. Her vow to protect Johnny at all costs is the beginning of a journey to heal the scars of her past and create the safe and loving future they both deserve.Arms of Grace is a finalist in consideration for production by Wind Dancer Films, a silver medalist in the Readers' Favorites Book Awards, and also a recipient of the B.R.A.G. Medallion

La Vie en Rose: {Life in Pink}


Lydia Michaels - 2016
    Then life happened. Finding herself one fiancé short of her happily ever after, she leaves the fairytales behind. Some days are simply too perilous for pink gowns and pearls. Riley Lockhart is the sort of man who can make a woman lower her gaze with only a smile. That he doesn’t realize his charm makes him all the more enchanting. Determined to save Emma the pain of her breakup, he steps in as a friend, but soon finds himself wanting more. She was just a girl, but she somehow winds up being the strongest woman he’s ever known. Losing her is not an option and when life can’t be tied neatly in a pretty little bow, he holds tight to all that he loves most in this world—his Emma. His hero. Sometimes the greatest scars are worn on the inside.

Meeting The Unpredictable


Riann C. Miller - 2016
    He spends his days hiding behind the protective walls he has so carefully built and has no intentions of changing . . . until he meets the unpredictable.Lennie Jacobs is an intoxicating mess. She never stays anywhere long enough to form a solid relationship with anyone, including her family, because she has taught her fragile heart that love isn’t an option.What started as a way to pass the time soon blossoms into something neither expected.He was never meant to be permanent.She can’t promise forever.But, when life and love are on the line, everything changes.Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Lecretia's Choice: A Story of Love, Death and the Law


Matt Vickers - 2016
    In Lecretia’s Choice, Matt tells the story of their life together, and how it changed when his proud, fiercely independent wife was diagnosed with a brain tumour and forced to confront her own mortality. The death she faced—slow, painful, dependent—was completely at odds with how she had lived her life. Lecretia wanted to die with dignity, to be able to say goodbye well, and not to suffer unnecessarily—but the law denied her that choice. With her characteristic spirit, she decided to mount a challenge in New Zealand’s High Court, but as the battle raged, Lecretia’s strength faded. She died on 5 June 2015, at the age of forty-two, the day after her family learned that the court had ruled against her. Lecretia’s Choice is not only a moving love story but compulsory reading for everyone who cares about the dignity we afford terminally ill people who want to die on their own terms. In 2015 Matt Vickers supported his wife, Lecretia Seales, in her campaign to gain the right to choose how she died. Lecretia’s Choice is his first book.

Monday's Child


Linda Finlay - 2016
    But when she was summoned to help out at Red Cliffs - a haven for poverty-stricken children from the cities - by her godfather Samuel she also found her own second chance within its walls. Now she will do anything to help the mischievous, loveable children there. Especially Monday whose continued silence tears at her heart.But with Samuel's health failing and his grasping nephew Christian eager to inherit, Red Cliffs is under threat. Sarah needs to fight - the children need her, and surprisingly she find she needs them. Will she be able to save the school and protect the little girl she's come to love so much, the one she's named Monday's Child?Monday's Child is the first in the Red Cliff Ragged School series, soon to be followed by Orphans and Angels. Praise for Linda Finlay 'Warm and atmospheric, you can practically taste the sea breeze' The Express'Take time out for a page-turner about family mysteries and betrayal' Take-a-Break'A compelling saga . . . with a surprising and emotional ending which weaves together the storylines in a most satisfying way. Strongly recommended and a great read on a Cornish holiday' cjbrownecrimewriter.com'A captivating and emotional novel about a strong woman struggling to find her own way in the world when others wish to see her fail' Winstone Books

Love Disorder


Yuriko Hime - 2016
    With no other relatives to take her in, she had no choice but to go with leading female celebrity, Uno, because of a prior agreement with her mother. More than the enigma, the beauty, and the riches, there was something strange about Uno. Something that made Riri question her sexuality, her emotions, and more importantly, her sanity.

Undisputed


A.S. Teague - 2016
    Parties, women, fame—what more could I want? As the undisputed MMA light heavyweight champ, I’ve faced the world’s toughest men. But, with a single glance, I knew that the five-foot-five redhead with a smart mouth and innocent eyes would be my hardest opponent yet. Sidney O’Neil isn’t my type. While I spend my nights out drinking at the trendiest clubs in town, she spends hers taking care of her sick nephew. She is nothing I thought I wanted, yet she’s somehow become the one thing I need. But what happens when the world is tipped on end and I’m no longer who she needs? How do I convince her that we’re worth the fight when all she knows is defeat?I’ve never lost a match, and I refuse to start now.But, sometimes, the toughest fight of your life is outside the cage.

The Best I Could


R.K. Ryals - 2016
    He was smoking a cigarette, and I was lost. It was an abysmal beginning. It was the start of something huge.

12 Hours in Paradise


Kathryn Berla - 2016
    It's the last day of Dorothy Patmont's family vacation. Soon, she must head back to Reno, where all that waits for her is the cold and the snow. To top it all off, her brother, Chester, acted like a little jerk and ate one too many cookies from the sample jar in the cookie store. But his antics have an unexpected benefit-attracting the attention of an intriguing boy who could change her life forever. Treats can be sweet, but love is sweeter still... Arash Atkinson, fluent in four languages and an adventurous soul, is in Waikiki for a high school band competition. When he meets Dorothy, he realizes their time together is limited. "Come out and play," he texts her. A night of romantic adventure ensues, and Arash discovers an app that claims it can make people fall in love after answering thirty-six questions in each other's presence. With each question asked, their stories and feelings continue to unfold. But with every hour that passes they're more at risk of being found out-Dorothy, by her parents, and Arash by his school chaperone. And then Arash gets the dreaded phone call-he has been discovered missing from his room, and must return immediately. Can they finish the questions before facing their consequences? When time is running out, true love cannot wait. What Arash and Dorothy have is beyond special, something that comes along once in a lifetime, and begins with Twelve Hours In Paradise...but can it survive the trials of the real world?

My Counterfeit Self


Jane Davis - 2016
    A woman with white hair. An embossed envelope from the palace.Lucy Forrester, for services to literature, you are nominated for a New Year’s Honour. Her hands shake. But it’s not excitement. It’s rage.For five decades, she’s performed angry poems, attacked government policy on everything from Suez to Trident, chained herself to embassy railings, marched, chanted and held placards high. Lucy knows who she is. Rebel, activist, word-wielder, thorn in the side of the establishment. Not a national bloody treasure.Whatever this is – a parting gesture, a final act of revenge, or the cruellest of jokes – it can only be the work of one man. Dominic Marchmont, outspoken literary critic and her on/off lover of fifty years, whose funeral begins in under an hour. Perhaps, suggests husband Ralph, the invitation isn’t the insult it seems? What if Dominic – the man they both loved – has left her an opportunity? Completely gripping, excellently written and skilfully put together, I can't recommend My Counterfeit Self highly enough ~ Isabel Wolff, author of GhostwrittenFrom the award-winning author of Half-truths and White Lies, an emotional story of hidden identities, complicated passions and tangled truths.

Wildflowers


Suki Fleet - 2016
    But as the days slip away, Xavi isn’t sure he can keep his promise to stay with Sam; he isn’t sure about anything anymore.On the edge of the sea, in a field of wildflowers, Xavi finally realises that if they keep on going as they are, he’s going to lose Sam, in every way possible. And he can’t bear it. Loving Sam becomes the only truth Xavi knows, saving him the only thing that makes sense.Now he just has to convince Sam that life—and love—are worth fighting for.

Standing Strong: An Unlikely Sisterhood and the Court Case that Made History


Diane Reeve - 2016
    Deeply in love, they spent every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday together at his place or hers . . . that is, until she learned about his Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday women.  But her heartbreak was just beginning. After discovering his cheating, she tested positive for HIV and learned that Philippe had knowingly infected her. Even more shocking was the sick reality that Philippe was deliberately infecting numerous women in their 20s through 60s, with little in common except their vulnerability. Despite plummeting t-cell numbers, Diane vowed to stop Philippe from victimizing anyone else. In a race against time, Diane knitted together a band of Philippe's conquests. This sisterhood, bound by overwhelming  emotional and physical pain, fought tirelessly to have him convicted in a landmark victory relying on new DNA science.  This is not just a story ripped from the headlines; it is one woman's hard-won victory over a crushing experience and a frustrating judicial system—and her mission to help empower others to stand strong.

The Door


Lizzy Ford - 2016
    Nothing can be worse than serving probation under the supervision of a bitter, elderly woman, known as the Caretaker, running a bed and breakfast in the middle of the Arizona desert.Then the strangers begin arriving. They appear every night at sundown at the end of the driveway and vanish early in the morning, armed men and women who don’t quite look or act normal and never travel in vehicles, despite the property being twenty miles from town. Where they come from baffles Gianna, as does the single rule the Caretaker gives her. The front door must remain unlocked and the house accessible to the dangerous visitors no matter how unusual or frightening they are. When one of them arrives wounded, Gianna helps save him and unknowingly makes a powerful friend, one from a very faraway place. In fact, from another world entirely, the world that starts at the end of the driveway. Before she can learn more, Gianna is left alone with the strangers and must choose whether she’ll take over the Caretaker’s role as hostess or return to New York and risk jail time for violating her probation. Frustrated with her life, Gianna locks the front door instead. Her world will never be the same.

Solaced: 101 True Stories About Corsets, Well-Being, and Hope


Lucy Williams - 2016
    While corsets are well-known to accentuate the wearer's waist, embrace their curves and flatter their figure, there’s more to a corset than meets the eye. Solaced: 101 True Stories about Corsets, Well-Being, and Hope sheds light on firsthand experiences of individuals that defied life's hurdles and wore their corsets as armor—both in a literal and figurative sense—rather than wearing them as shackles. In Lucy's inspiring anthology, every heartrending story is a retelling of strength and determination. This eye-opening read gives a fresh perspective on corsetry as it addresses the controversial hype that has since swept the media. With one enthralling testimony at a time, Solaced refutes the persisting myths and stigmas that have labeled this otherwise effective therapeutic method to be outdated, eccentric, or inhumane. Discover for yourself how a corset proved to be the long-awaited answer for many; relieving pain from those who suffer from chronic illness and pain disorders, protecting those who had survived domestic abuse from ex-partners or frightening mugging attempts, soothing those suffering from deep grief, social disorders, anxiety and PTSD, as well as playing a crucial role toward recovery for victims of vehicle collisions, stroke and cancer survivors alike. Chosen among thousands of entries, Lucy has carefully compiled these 101 enlightening verified stories from real, living corset wearers in the 21st century who have transformed their lives and shown that the corset is a versatile tool—not merely for vanity, but for those seeking healing and restoration. "Therapeutic support and bracing, combined with a corset’s aesthetic customizability, comfort, luxuriousness, and elegant appeal, may improve patient compliance and encourage faster rehabilitation overall." Put simply, good health shouldn't be a last resort. Therapeutic corsetry brings together fashion and function; treatment and tailoring; corrective care and couture. The corset wearers herein choose to throw taboo to the wind... and lace themselves in solace.

Tainted by Crazy


Abby McCarthy - 2016
    I did the one thing I’ve been dreading for the last thirteen years, I finally went home. I needed to get back on my feet and I needed my Grams. As much as I wanted to pretend life was working for me, it wasn’t.The problem with home though is that everywhere I turn, her ghosts were haunting me. Crazy, crazy, crazy, just like her, just like my momma. I wanted to pretend that crazy didn't exist, but it was all around me, trying to do its best to pull me under. There’s one problem with that, Keenan Rys. He’s determined not to let it. And I’m determined to keep him away.

Daisy’s Gift: The remarkable cancer-detecting dog who saved my life


Claire Guest - 2016
    Sensing something was wrong, Claire visited her GP and soon found out she had a very deep – and difficult to diagnose – form of breast cancer. Daisy had saved her life, simply by smelling her cancer.With her scientific background and deep love of dogs, Claire intuited that Daisy and her canine pals could save many more lives, and set up the charity Medical Detection Dogs. Though faced with many challenges, Claire and her dogs have proven to be a remarkable asset to cancer detection, and have changed the lives of many seriously ill people and their families. This is the story of how our relationship with dogs can unleash life-saving talents, changing not only the medical world, but our own lives too.

Handbook: A Graphic Novel


Kevin Budnik - 2016
    It's an account of personal guilt and stress as well as a story about relationships and moving on.

Pretty Hurts


Shyla Colt - 2016
    As a make-up artist and stylist, she’s seen the cruelty and unrealistic expectations of perfection required in the industry. When her hair begins to fall out and she discovers she has Alopecia Areata she’s forced to dig deep and find the beauty in herself. The last thing she expects to find during her struggle is love, but barber, Edgar Gilborn is a temptation she may not be able to resist. When Edgar Gilborn agrees to open his Barbershop early to accommodate a woman with a hair crisis, the last thing he expects to walk in the door is a curvaceous dime piece who threatens to break his one-year dating drought. Healing from a broken engagement he’s focused on his business and family. Now he has his eyes set on a different prize. Can he show her hair doesn’t matter, and the chemistry between them is worth exploring?

Seventeen Wishes


Erica Alexander - 2016
    Between the lies and the truths.Between hope and finality.This is the place I’ve created for us.For Lilly and me.A place without expiration dates.A place where I can be me and where the promise of tomorrow exists, even if it’s a lie I tell myself.Our time is limited, so I’ll make the most of it and hope she’ll forgive me for the lies I told us both.***Previously a part of Between Hearts: A Romance Anthology*** *Stand Alone Novella.*Not recommended for readers younger than 18.

Anatomical Venus: Wax / Sex / God / Death


Joanna Ebenstein - 2016
    1790), a perfect object whose luxuriously bizarre existence challenges belief. It - or, better, she - was conceived of as a means to teach human anatomy without need for constant dissection, which was messy, ethically fraught and subject to quick decay. This life-sized wax woman is adorned with glass eyes and human hair and can be dismembered into dozens of parts revealing, at the final remove, a beatific foetus curled in her womb. Sister models soon appeared throughout Europe, where they not only instructed the specialist students, but also delighted the general public. Deftly crafted dissectable female wax models and slashed beauties of the world's anatomy museums and fairgrounds of the 18th and 19th centuries take centre stage in this disquieting volume. Since their creation in late 18th-century Florence, these wax women have seduced, intrigued and amazed. Today, they also confound, troubling the edges of our neat categorical divides: life and death, science and art, body and soul, effigy and pedagogy, spectacle and education, kitsch and art. Incisive commentary and captivating imagery reveal the evolution of these enigmatic sculptures from wax effigy to fetish figure and the embodiment of the uncanny.

Sweaty Palms: The Anthology About Anxiety


Liz EnrightBarbara Geoghegan - 2016
    The book contains more than 350 beautiful pages of black and white comics by 50 incredible indie cartoonists. We've collected their stories to present a very intimate and comprehensive look at what it’s like living with anxiety.This anthology is our way of helping to destigmatize mental illness. As cartoonists, we can’t think of a better medium for the job! Visual storytelling gives a face to abstract things, like anxiety, which can be very difficult or painful to convey otherwise. It is our hope that readers will connect with the stories and know that they aren’t alone.

The LDN Book: How a Little-Known Generic Drug — Low Dose Naltrexone — Could Revolutionize Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases, Cancer, Autism, Depression, and More


Linda Elsegood - 2016
    Administered off-label in small daily doses (0.5 to 4.5 mg), this generic drug is extremely affordable and presents few known side effects. So why has it languished in relative medical obscurity? The LDN Book explains the drug’s origins, its primary mechanism, and the latest research from practicing physicians and pharmacists as compiled by Linda Elsegood of The LDN Research Trust, the world’s largest LDN charity organization with over 19,000 members worldwide. Featuring ten chapters contributed by medical professionals on LDN’s efficacy and two patient-friendly appendices, The LDN Book is a comprehensive resource for doctors, pharmacists, and patients who want to learn more about how LDN is helping people now, and a clarion call for further research that could help millions more.

Dessert First


Dean Gloster - 2016
    Especially now, when her beloved younger brother Beep is in his second leukemia relapse, and a bone marrow transplant from Kat may be his only chance.But Kat's worried that she and her bone marrow may not be up to the task: She can't even complete homework, and she's facing other rejection--lost friendships, a lost spot on the soccer team, and lots of heartache from her crush on her former best friend, Evan. Kat doesn't know if her bone marrow will save Beep, or whether she can save herself, let alone keep her promise to Beep that she'll enjoy life and always eat dessert first.Dessert First is a funny, moving story about coping, appreciating sweetness, and learning to forgive.

When Your Greatest Romance Is a Friendship


Victor Lodato - 2016
    Essay published in the Modern Love Column of the New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/st...

Alternative Baker: Reinventing Dessert with Gluten-Free Grains and Flours


Alanna Taylor-Tobin - 2016
    From peak-of-season fruit pies nestled in an irresistibly crunchy crust, to cookies that positively melt in your mouth, author Alanna Taylor-Tobin offers more than 100 wholesome treats utilizing easily accessible alternative grains and flours for every taste and baking level.Now let’s get baking—let’s reinvent dessert.

Hunter


Skylar Heart - 2016
    Word around here is, he doesn’t date. So why do his eyes keep roving over me? Why does he want to talk to me? Rumor has it, Hunter’s good at two things: making art, and getting into fights. I love art, but I can’t stand violence. I’ve been on the receiving end of it too many times. My life is simple, it needs to be if I want to graduate and keep my eating disorder at bay… I sleep, I eat, I go to class and I definitely Do. Not. Date. So why do I want him to hold me in his strong arms and cradle me to his broad chest? HUNTER She’s like a spooked little mouse. Not my type at all. Until she looked up at me and I was caught in her azure eyes. But I won’t let her get close. In the last four years, I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever loved. I will never trust anyone ever again. The second I do, I’ll find myself alone again. So, what’s the use? So I create big metal installations, I go to class when I feel like it, I drink and get into fights at the bar. I have to stay away from Lizzy, because my darkness will only make hers worse. I know I have to, but that isn’t what my heart wants. When I see the pain in her eyes, I can’t resist her. I want to help her, touch her… Own her. This is a standalone full length New Adult romance with a bad boy and a girl who battles anorexia, but they're still able to get their Happy Ever After (and no cheating).

My Summers With Benny


Caitlin Ricci - 2016
    When he meets Benny, he finds an outgoing boy his own age that shares his love of reptiles. Benny doesn’t have any other friends though because he’s been HIV positive from birth and no one understands. They’re even afraid of him, which is something Alex doesn’t understand at all.They spend nearly every day together during that first summer and each summer after that they come back together. Their lives change as they grow up, but their friendship only gets stronger until it gives way to love and Alex realizes that his dad moving next door to Benny was the best thing to ever happen to him.Nothing is as good as being in love with his best friend, and over the years Alex realizes just how much Benny means to him. He doesn’t know how long he’ll ever have with Benny, but whatever time he does have he’s determined to make the most of it.

Raised on Ritalin


Tyler Page - 2016
    I would take it for almost 8 years. Did it make me who I am? This is a personal story of ADD but also the story of ADD/ADHD itself - what it is, how it came to be, treatments, controversies, and lots of context.

The Ebola Epidemic: The Fight, the Future


Connie Goldsmith - 2016
    From the samples, researchers discovered a new virus, which they named the Ebola virus after a river in Central Africa. The virus killed two hundred eighty people before it seemingly disappeared into the jungle. No one suspected the virus would erupt in West Africa nearly four decades later to cause an unprecedented epidemic. Ebola has riveted--and terrified--the world since its reemergence from the jungle, killing more than eleven thousand people in West Africa since December 2013. Transmitted through bodily fluids--blood, saliva, sweat, vomit, feces, and semen--the disease causes high fever, widespread pain, nausea and vomiting, and severe diarrhea. Patients may develop dangerous bleeding and organ failure. With no effective treatment available, about 40 percent of infected people die within days. Using proper protective gear, safe burial protocols, cleansing techniques, and educational outreach, the disease has been slowed in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone--at least temporarily. Can researchers develop vaccines quickly enough to prevent new outbreaks? Will Ebola move beyond West Africa? Readers will hear from Ebola survivors, learn what experts say about this devastating disease, and draw their own conclusions about whether another epidemic can be prevented.-- "Journal"