It describes how we feel about some of the things we do. We don't wake up in the morning looking forward to giving our evening over to pornography. We don't leave the house each day eagerly anticipating our next one-night stand. These are unwanted behaviors on our part, no matter how compulsively we pursue them.But "unwanted" also can describe how we feel about ourselves--both as a consequence of our broken behavior and as a driver of it. If we have the courage to study our sexual brokenness--to look beyond the shame of it to its roots--we will find that there's a deeper brokenness there waiting to be healed, and a God there waiting to be our healer.

     After ten years together, Carrie Nolan is devastated when she's dumped by her hot-shot chef boyfriend, Kevin Mulvey, without even a backwards glance! But on reflection, she has sacrificed her own long-term happiness by pandering to his excessive ego in their successful Dublin restaurant (and out of it) – but not anymore! While Kevin is 'living the dream' with his beautiful new Brazilian girlfriend, Carrie seeks solace from a circle of mismatched strangers who need her as much as she needs them. With Christmas just around the corner, all is not quite as it seems and a catastrophic sequence of events leads to the unthinkable. How far do you need to fall before you learn the true value of family and friends? And is it ever too late to start again... Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern, Jodi Picoult and Sheila O'Flannagan. Praise for What Happened to Us: 'A thoroughly enjoyable story!' Love Books Actually. 'I devoured this fabulous read' Sandra. 'Another brilliant 5-star read for me from this author' Donna Maguire. 'This is a wonderful uplifting character-driven story' Amazon Customer. 'One of the best books I have read for ages' Suzanne. 'I absolutely loved reading What Happened To Us?' Ginger Book Geek.

    And that can make relationships hard, whether with intimate partners, with friends, or in our professional lives. Understanding the motivations and dynamics of these different personality types can be the key that unlocks sometimes mystifying behavior in others—and in ourselves.This book from Suzanne Stabile on the nine Enneagram types and how they behave and experience relationships will guide readers into deeper insights about themselves, their types, and others' personalities so that they can have healthier, more life-giving relationships. No one is better equipped than Suzanne Stabile, coauthor, with Ian Morgan Cron, of The Road Back to You, to share the Enneagram's wisdom on how relationships work—or don’t.• Why do Sixes seem so intimidated and put off by Eights, who only wish the Sixes would stop mulling things over and take action?• Why do Fives seem so unavailable, even to their closest family and friends, while Twos seem to feel everybody else’s feelings but their own and end up irritating people who don’t want their help?• How in the world can Fours be so open and loving to you one day and restrained and distant other times?The Enneagram not only answers these questions but gives us a way out of our usual finger pointing and judging of other people—and finding them wanting, perplexing, or impossible. Suzanne's generous, sometimes humorous, and always insightful approach reveals why all the types behave as they do. This book offers help in fostering more loving, mature, and compassionate relationships with everyone in our lives.

    In a world overwhelmingly obsessed with it, why is the church so silent about it? While our secular culture twists, perverts, cheapens, and idolizes sex, there are gaping holes in the church's guidance of young people. The result is generations of sexually illiterate people drowning in the repercussions of overwhelming sin struggles.Enough is enough, says Mo Isom. With raw vulnerability and a bold spirit, she shares her own sexual testimony, opening up the conversation about misguided rule-following, virginity, temptation, porn, promiscuity, false sex-pectations, sex in marriage, and more and calling readers back to God's original design for sex--a way to worship and glorify him. This book is for the young person tangled up in an addiction to pornography, for the girlfriend feeling pressured to go further, for the "good girl" who followed the rules and saved herself for marriage and then was confused and disappointed, for the married couple who use sex as a bargaining tool, for every person who casually watches sex play out in TV and movies and wonders why they're dissatisfied with the real thing, and for every confused or hurting person in-between. Sex was God's idea. It's time we invited him back into the bedroom.

    But what if you knew that opening your front door had the power to radically change the world? To make an impact and leave a legacy with everyday invitations?Jen Schmidt has set out to reframe how we think about hospitality and to equip us to walk a road of welcome in our daily lives. Jen knows that every time we choose open-door living—whether in our homes or by taking hospitality on the road just like Jesus—those we invite in get to experience the lived-out Gospel, our kids grow up in a life-lab of generosity, and we trade insecurity for connection.Just Open the Door is a personal yes-you-can guide to offering the life-changing gift of invitation. Whether you’re a seasoned host looking for renewed inspiration or a nervous newbie not sure where to begin, these personal stories, practical ideas, and poignant insights will give you the confidence you need to see your home as the most likely location for changing the world around you, one open door at a time.

    Family is difficult because family—every family—is an echo of the gospel. Family can be the source of some of the most transcendent human joy, and family can leave us crumpled up on the side of the road. Family can make us who we are, and family can break our hearts. Why would this social arrangement have that much power, for good or for ill, over us?

    We think of nothing else. We feel nothing else. We care about nothing else. Yet while we wouldn’t expect someone to return to daily activities immediately after suffering a broken limb, heartbroken people are expected to function normally in their lives, despite the emotional pain they feel. Now psychologist Guy Winch imagines how different things would be if we paid more attention to this unique emotion—if only we can understand how heartbreak works, we can begin to fix it.Through compelling research and new scientific studies, Winch reveals how and why heartbreak impacts our brain and our behavior in dramatic and unexpected ways, regardless of our age. Emotional pain lowers our ability to reason, to think creatively, to problem solve, and to function at our best. In How to Fix a Broken Heart he focuses on two types of emotional pain—romantic heartbreak and the heartbreak that results from the loss of a cherished pet. These experiences are both accompanied by severe grief responses, yet they are not deemed as important as, for example, a formal divorce or the loss of a close relative. As a result, we are often deprived of the recognition, support, and compassion afforded to those whose heartbreak is considered more significant.Our heart might be broken, but we do not have to break with it. Winch reveals that recovering from heartbreak always starts with a decision, a determination to move on when our mind is fighting to keep us stuck. We can take control of our lives and our minds and put ourselves on the path to healing. Winch offers a toolkit on how to handle and cope with a broken heart and how to, eventually, move on.

    What more could you wish for than a poignant, heart-warming saga to read this Christmas? LIVERPOOL, 1943Yorkshire is the place Lana has always called home, but it’s now filled with painful memories of her fiancé, Dickie, who was killed at sea. When she accepts the challenging position of headmistress at a school in Liverpool, she hopes a new beginning will help to mend her broken heart.A BATTLE TO FIGHTNot everyone at Bingham School is happy about her arrival but Lana throws herself into the role, teaching children from the local village and the nearby Dr Barnardo’s orphanage. She thrives in her work, but soon finds herself falling for a man who she would once have considered the enemy – and is torn between what she knows is right, and taking a risk that might see her lose everything.THE STRENGTH TO HOPEThere are children that desperately need her help, and Lana must fight for everyone’s happiness, as well as her own. But one young girl in particular shows her that there is a way through the darkness – because even when all seems lost, there is always a glimmer of hope to be found…

    For many young people, the transition is a bumpy one, fraught with opportunities to make mistakes and bad choices. The clear expectations they had at home or in school are gone, and they may feel unprepared to face what comes next.But sometimes we make it harder than it has to be. Combining entertaining stories from his own experience, insights from the Bible, and compelling evidence from research, "JP" Pokluda lays out a roadmap for how to navigate life as an adult, addressing topics like- friendships and dating- career and money management- interpersonal conflict- controlling anxiety- recovering from addiction- and discovering your purpose on this earthAnyone struggling to find a footing in the world of adult life will welcome this witty, non-patronizing guide.

    . . and the lessons he and his family would learn along the way.Now two years after Joey's passing, as Rory takes their four-year-old daughter Indiana's hand and walks forward into an unknown future, he takes readers on his incredible journey from heartbreak to hope and, ultimately, the kind of healing that comes only through faith.A raw and vulnerable look deeper into Rory's heart, Once Upon a Farm is filled with powerful stories of love, life, and hope and the insights that one extraordinary, ordinary man in bib overalls has gleamed along the way.As opposed to homesteading, this is instead a book on lifesteading as Rory learns to cultivate faith, love, and fatherhood on a small farm while doing everything, at times, but farming. With frequent stories of his and Joey's years together, and how those guide his life today, Rory unpacks just what it means to be open to new experiences."This isn't a how-to book; it's more of a how we, or more accurately, how He, God, planted us on a few acres of land and grew something bigger than Joey or I could have ever imagined."

    She threw herself into raising her boys and showered them with love. Her sense of betrayal ran deep. After all, Hector had told her they were true mates, fated to be together forever. Now, another man is telling her the same thing. Can she believe in fate again? Can she risk opening her heart once more? She’s here. Catherine. His Catherine, the woman who Julius recognized as his mate on the exact same day she married another man. Lucky Bear Ruth is new in town. After spending years raising her siblings, she is now fulfilling her own ambitions. Training to be a teacher was the best thing she ever did, right alongside moving to Bear Creek. Sure, she’d like a man to share her life with, but if that doesn’t pan out, she is content to be alone. Michael lives a simple life. He might be a lottery winner, which earned him the name, lucky bear, but he knows money doesn’t buy you happiness. It does, however, buy you a large parcel of forest to call home. If only he had a mate to share it with, he’d be the happiest bear alive. Or cubs. And two cubs just walked into his life. Fostered by his best friend, Dean, Jason and Jenny are in need of a permanent home. Could he take them in and give them the life, and love, they deserve? Fated Bear Frankie’s heart isn’t her own. Literally. So how is she supposed to know if the man she’s met is her fated mate, or that of her borrowed heart? Can she trust in fate? Adam always though his fated true mate was dead. He’d built a life on the knowledge that he would be alone forever. Frankie turns all his plans upside down. Yet both of them have inner ghosts. Ghosts from the past that might destroy their future together. Song Bear Elise has known loss. Now she’s ready to love. Moving to Bear Creek was a big decision for bear shifter, Elise. She left behind a life, a career, and a mountain of memories. However, the thought of watching Frankie’s children grow up, and the chance to open a new organ transplant coordination department at the hospital in Bear Bluff, persuaded Elise it was the right decision. Then, on a morning run in the mountains, she hears a song. Not just any song. And not just any singer. Elise lost her heart to Hank Rivera when she was fourteen. He was hers. And she was his. It didn’t matter that every other girl on the planet thought the exact same thing. Then he disappeared. Until now. Could it be that the Hank Rivera truly is hers? Blind Date Bear Tiana is resigned to her life as a single woman after her husband left her years ago. Who has time for a relationship when you have a child to raise and elderly parents to care for? Not to mention her ex-husband who lives in a trailer at the end of the garden. Then she's set up on a blind date by her best friends and her world changes forever. Because her date is a bear shifter and she's his mate. His mate for life and he doesn't intend to ever let her go. When Mason agrees to go on a blind date, he never expects to meet his true mate. But here she is in front of him. Now all he has to do is convince Tiana she has room in her life, and her heart, for a bear shifter in love. Builder Bear After a disastrous first marriage to an abusive husband, Haley is just about getting by. She has built a new life for herself and her two wonderful daughters with the help of her amazingly supportive friends, Tiana and Sorcha.

    In September 1939, Bella was a carefree teenager living in Poland when the German army struck. She was rounded up with her friends and family and sent to a series of grim Jewish ghettos. After loved ones were separated and lost through the war years, Bella survived by changing her identity. Narrowly escaping death each time, she moved from place to place, odd job to odd job, new name to new name. After finding the birth certificate of a Catholic girl five years her senior, she became Sabina Mazurek. Then she went into the eye of the storm, Germany, where she believed she might be safest. "Sabina is her story. As in "Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank and "Night" by Elie Wiesel, Bella Kuligowska marshaled unexpected resources to manage as a teen during the horrors of World War II. Sabina offers a different perspective on how many Jews survived outside of the concentration camps, in more familiar yet infinitely hostile settings, with the help of others along the way.

    By contesting long-held cultural paradigms, this book equips you to see how sexuality is rooted in the broader context of God's heart and His work for us on earth. It provides a framework from which to understand the big picture of sexual challenges and wholeness, and helps you recognize that every sexual question is ultimately a spiritual one. It shifts the paradigm from combating sexual problems to confidently proclaiming and modeling the road to sacred sexuality. Instead of arguing with the world about what's right and wrong about sexual choices, this practical resource equips you to share the love and grace of Jesus as you encounter the pain of sexual brokenness--your own or someone else's.

    In light of twelve years of spearheading research, Dr. Brené Brown disperses the social myth that powerlessness is shortcoming and contends that it is, in truth, our most precise measure of valor. Dark colored clarifies how powerlessness is both the center of troublesome feelings like dread, sadness, and dissatisfaction, and the origin of adoration, having a place, satisfaction, sympathy, development, and innovativeness. She expresses: "When we stop ourselves from powerlessness, we remove ourselves from the encounters that convey reason and importance to our lives." Brave Greatly isn't tied in with winning or losing. It's about valor. In reality as we know it where "never enough" overwhelms and feeling anxious has turned out to be second nature, helplessness is subversive. Awkward. It's even somewhat unsafe now and again. What's more, beyond a shadow of a doubt, putting ourselves out there implies there's a far more serious danger of getting censured or feeling hurt. In any case, when we advance back and analyze our lives, we will find that nothing is as awkward, unsafe, and pernicious as remaining outwardly of our lives looking in and pondering what it would resemble on the off chance that we had the valor to venture into the field—regardless of whether it's another relationship, a vital gathering, the imaginative procedure, or a troublesome family discussion. Brave Greatly is a training and an intense new vision for giving ourselves a chance to be seen.

    We're flooded with so much practical information that we wonder if we're choosing the right way. And we may be missing the one thing God really wants us to give to our children: His life. God doesn't include a divine methodology for parenting in the Bible, but He does provide principles that can enable any faithful parent to bring His life into the life of their home.In The Lifegiving Parent, respected authors and parents Clay and Sally Clarkson explore eight key principles--heartbeats of lifegiving parenting--to shed light on what it means to create a home where your children will experience the living God in your family. Now parents of four grown children--each with their own unique personality and gifts--Sally and Clay have learned (sometimes the hard way!) that the key to shaping a heart begins at home as you foster a deep and thoughtful God-infused relationship with each child. Filled with biblical insight and classic Clarkson stories, The Lifegiving Parent will equip you with the tools and wisdom you need to give your children much more than just a good Christian life. You'll give them the life of Christ. (Don't miss the companion piece, The Lifegiving Parent Experience!)

    Here's a proven method that makes it not only considerably easier, but also much more effective for people on both sides of the conversation. Oren Sofer's method for effective communication is a unique combination of mindfulness with the modality called nonviolent communication (NVC), a method popular since the 1960s that is based on the belief that all human beings have the capacity for compassion and resort to violence or behavior that harms others only when they don't recognize more effective strategies for meeting needs. NVC provides those peaceful strategies. Oren's unique method for fostering peaceful--and effective--communication has three "steps" or components: (1) presence: bringing mindful awareness to the interaction, (2) intention: clarifying and setting a goal for the interaction, and (3) attention: learning to really hear and understand in a way that enables you to navigate the difficulties, express yourself clearly, and listen like it really matters--which it most certainly does. The steps are accompanied by many practical exercises, and in the course of this three-part training, readers will learn how to apply these skills to personal and social relationships with romantic partners, friends, colleagues, and family.

    But this isn't just another dating book. Drawing on her extensive expertise as a clinical psychologist, as well as the latest research, hundreds of patient interviews, and key principles in positive psychology, Dr. Jennifer Taitz challenges the most common myths about women and love (like the advice to play hard to get). And while she teaches how to skillfully date, she'll also help you cultivate the mindset, values, and connections that ensure you'll live your best, happiest life, whether single or coupled up.

    Yet that is exactly what Henrietta Schodde determines she will do as she impetuously buys a cabin in the newly forming settlement of Estes Park. Despite assurances from Henrietta that the locals appear amiable, her relatives are concerned and recruit the assistance of long-time family friend Collan Wallace, who unbeknownst to Henrietta, has also just begun homesteading in the area.The last thing Collan desires is to watch over the woman who has been his nemesis since childhood. But the pair quickly realize that there is more than each other to fight about when they discover an unscrupulous Englishman, Lord Dunraven, is hungry for their land.Endearing and engaging, Settling the Wind, is historical fiction based on actual events that reveals the courage of Colorado’s pioneers in the face of more struggles than they could have imagined.

    And there is no greater fear than that their children will walk away from God.After serving together in pastoral ministry and raising their now-grown children, Phil and Diane Comer know those hopes and fears well. Like all new parents, they were intimidated and unsure about how to take on the task of spiritually training their young children. But now, with all four of their children grown and establishing their own households of faith, Phil and Diane have embarked on a quest to help the next generation of parents raise passionate Jesus followers.Drawing on years of pastoral counseling, teaching, leading, and decades of watching families from the perspective of pastors and leaders in ministry, Phil and Diane instruct, guide, encourage, and offer hope and practical help to Christian parents.Raising Passionate Jesus Followers is a manual full of practical, biblically based, and time-tested guidelines that parents will be able to turn to again and again through every stage of their children's development, including . . .Formulating a planLaying the foundation, ages 0-5Doing the framing, ages 6-12Installing the functional systems, ages 13-17Completing the finish work, ages 18-22And keeping the front door open for your grown children

    A true wartime drama based on the experience of Dorothy Joy Kinney Chambers M.D. and her family. This sweeping biographical novel brings to life the dramatic experience of a valiant woman who, armed only with the white coat of her profession, found the courage to live her life on the razor’s edge and survived it. It’s a captivating story of service and sacrifice, of love and the searing emotions that gripped this missionary doctor throughout her imperiled course.“A lovely story of an extraordinary woman! The use of contemporary sources adds authenticity to an ordeal that could be overwhelming in its grimness were it not described so vividly and poetically.” —Dorey Schmidt, Ph.D.Dorothy Kinney had found herself in remote India in 1928, a medical missionary charged with building up a hospital for the women and children of Assam. The fledgling doctor began her practice in Gauhati, where her surgeries were performed by the light of a kerosene lamp in an open-air clinic with no electricity, no running water, and no sewer system. She left it ten years later a fully functioning modern hospital, with running water, electricity, and the complete devotion of the people of Assam. It was there she fell in love. Pregnant with their second child, Dorothy, her missionary husband Fred Chambers, and their daughter Carol Joy, set out on a voyage that would take them to their new missionary post in Iloilo, on the Philippine island of Panay. One day later War was declared in Europe. She could not know that by the time her unborn baby turned eighteen months old her little family would be swept into a Japanese internment camp. With four thousand other prisoners of war she struggled to feed her little family in the prison at Santo Tomas, a place where hundreds died and most starved. Had General MacArthur’s bold rescue not liberated them, the entire camp would have been lost. Many remember Dorothy Chambers in her white coat of courage, doctoring the children of the camp, never knowing that her little family would come within just twenty-four hours of execution. This is her story.

    With the single camp growing at ten times the rate of the actual population, it is now the norm to be single well into our thirties - the average marriage age for women is 35 and 37 for men. But nobody seems to have told society, romcom makers, songwriters, marriage-hungry mothers, 'tick-tock' uncles, our mates or us that.Cue: single anxiety. Love addiction. Spending hours scrolling through dating apps. Being inconsolable when he/she doesn't text. Humming 'Here Comes the Bride' when they do.Catherine Gray went through all of this. And then some. She took a whole year off dating to get her love-hooked head straight. How do we chill our boots about our single status? Detach from 'all the good ones are gone!' panic? And de-programme from urgent, red, heart-shaped societal pressure to find your 'other half*'? We know intellectually that single is far preferable to panic-settling, yet we forget that almost constantly. Why? Psychologists and neuroscientists tell us? Let's start the reverse-brainwash and locate our happily-single sanity, for good. Are you in?*Spoiler: you're already a whole person.

    When the attorney turned stay-at-home mom tentatively volunteers to represent Amina Hamid, a woman seeking asylum, Jessica must learn an unfamiliar area of the law. Soon, rising opposition to Muslim immigration and unexpected prejudices put her relationships on shaky ground.Amina fled Syria with little more than memories that now fight against the images splashed on the news. Seeking a secure future and freedom from guilt and grief, she must learn to trust others amidst the reality of fear and hate.To find stability, Jessica and Amina will both need to harness their own strengths, which may lie in connections that transcend generations, cultures, and continents.

    Don’t Forget Your Crown puts the power in your hands to change that by bringing every aspect of relationships back to what the foundation should have been from the beginning; self-love. It’s not that everything you’ve been taught was wrong, it’s that it no longer applies to today’s world because most relationship advice has been tailored to whatever hand society dealt. But the world has changed, and women are no longer in need of validation from a man. Men are now aware of emotional needs once ignored. Narcissists are everywhere, sex has never been easier to find, and true commitment has never been valued less. Trying to follow Granny’s blueprint for her 60-year marriage, applying recycled techniques from books published decades ago, or listening to well-intended friends who hate to see you alone more than they are aware of how to stop you from hurting isn’t going to cut it. If you’re going to end the cycle of giving your all to someone and getting half of that, at best, in return, you’re going to have to use a more practical approach that has proven successful for millions of people no matter what the circumstances were. You’re going to have to start with you. Don’t Forget Your Crown is a break down of the most commonly misconstrued relationship beliefs handed down over the years that have resulted in the rampant dysfunction today for both men and women. By taking a second look at these concepts through a lens of self-love, we see the holes in the logic that has created both victims and perpetrators of ghosting, cheating, situationships, forced relationships, emotional abuse, and running back to the same situation that broke us just to be broken again. No, that’s not “just the way life goes.” It ends here, if you decide it will. Building an empire with the love of your life is not a matter of luck reserved for a chosen few. It’s a matter of not forgetting your crown so you can recognize and receive the one who has theirs, as well.

    A woman of passion and spirit who deserves to explore the great unknown…and to indulge in the temptation she encounters along the way! Readers are loving The Backpacking Housewife:

    Her body seems to have betrayed her. Her confidence in the goodness of God is rattled. Her loved ones don't know what to say. Her heart is broken. She may feel guilty, ashamed, angry, depressed, confused, or alone.With vulnerability and tenderness, Adriel Booker shares her own experience of three consecutive miscarriages, as well as the stories of others. She tackles complex questions about faith and suffering with sensitivity and clarity, inviting women to a place of grace, honesty, and hope in the redemptive purposes of God without offering religious clichEs and pat answers. She also shares specific, practical resources, such as ways to help guide children through grief, suggestions for memorializing your baby, and advice on pregnancy after loss, as well as a special section for loved ones.

    They provide unlimited ways for us to learn, grow, thrive, and have fun! Yet, as we know, relationships aren’t always a “bed of roses”—especially romantic ones. They don’t make themselves, nor do they continue happily on autopilot once they begin. In this one-of-a-kind book, bestselling authors don Miguel Ruiz, Jr. and HeatherAsh Amara share their seven secrets to healthy, happy relationships: Commitment Freedom Awareness Healing Joy Communication Release Understanding and enacting these principles can help you at any stage in your intimate partnering, whether you’ve been with someone for many years or are currently single and want to prepare for a relationship. The authors make clear that the principles in this book aren’t secrets because they are hidden away, but are more akin to undiscovered focal points that can lead to deeper, more meaningful connections. Part of the secret, as you will see, is in the art of putting these ideas into practice day after day and year after year.

    The welfare state was revolutionary: it lifted thousands out of poverty, provided decent homes, good education and security. But it is out of kilter now: an elaborate and expensive system of managing needs and risks. Today we face new challenges. Our resources have changed. Hilary Cottam takes us through five 'Experiments' to show us a new design. We start on a Swindon housing estate where families who have spent years revolving within our current welfare systems are supported to design their own way out. We spend time with young people who are helped to make new connections - with radical results. We turn to the question of good health care and then to the world of work and see what happens when people are given different tools to make change. Then we see those over sixty design a new and affordable system of support. At the heart of this way of working is human connection. Upending the current crisis of managing scarcity, we see instead that our capacities for the relationships that can make the changes are abundant. We must work with individuals, families and communities to grow the core capabilities we all need to flourish. Radical Help describes the principles behind the approach, the design process that makes the work possible and the challenges of transition. It is bold - and above all, practical. It is not a book of dreams. It is about concrete new ways of organising that already have been developing across Britain. Radical Help creates a new vision and a radically different approach that can take care of us once more, from cradle to grave.

    James Sexton knows this. After dealing with more than a thousand clients whose marriages have dissolved over everything from an ill-advised threesome with the nanny to the uneven division of carpool duties, he also knows all of the what-not-to-dos for couples who want to build--and consistently work to preserve--a lasting, fulfilling relationship. Described by former clients as a "courtroom gunslinger" and "the sociopath you want on your side," Sexton tells the unvarnished truth about relationships, diving straight into the most common marital problems. These usually derive from dishonest--or nonexistent--communication. Even when the alleged reason for separation is one spouse's new "personal trainer," there's likely a communication problem that predates the fitness kick. Symptom and root cause get confused all the time.Sexton has spent his career working with spouses-to-be-no-longer. Reverse engineering a relationship can help to identify and fix what does not work. Ever feel like you're holding back criticism of your spouse because you just can't have that fight right now? Sexton will tell you to "Hit Send Now." Maybe you aren't as adventurous as you used to be, or need some "you time," but for some reason it seems weird or exhausting to change up the routine now. Sexton knows where that mentality leads and offers viable alternative paths to take. Though he deals constantly with the heartbreak of others, he still believes in romance and the transformative power of love. This book is his opportunity to use what he has learned to help couples that aren't so far gone get back on track.

    His wife’s death left him devastated but he’ll do anything to lose himself into work at the Inspector General’s office of the CIA. A brilliant, if prickly investigator, he’s spent his career chasing down the Agency’s thieves and liars. When his boss forces him to take a low-level assignment to investigate a missing employee in Australia, he soon finds that even in the red dust of the Outback, there is romance – and death – just a sweltering heartbeat away.

    As Christians, it can be tempting to think that care should be left up to those who are more "qualified" pastors, leaders, or counselors. But in this book, experienced biblical counselor Ed Welch encourages readers to see that anyone who has trusted in Jesus is equipped to care for others, even--or maybe especially--those who feel weak and needy themselves. With discussion questions and short chapters meant to be read with others, Welch guides individuals and small groups through 8 lessons aimed at helping ordinary Christians create a community where people are free to be open, admit weakness, ask for help, and bear one another's burdens--a community that cares for each other in times of trouble.

    If we can understand what makes these gatherings effective and memorable, then we can reframe and redirect them to benefit everyone, host and guest alike. Parker defines a gathering as three or more people who come together for a specific purpose. When we understand why we gather, she says -- to acknowledge, to learn, to challenge, to change -- we learn how to organize gatherings that are relevant and memorable: from an effective business meeting to a thought-provoking conference; from a joyful wedding to a unifying family dinner. Drawing on her experience as a strategic facilitator who's worked with such organizations as the World Economic Forum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the retail company Fresh, Parker explains how ordinary people can create remarkable occasions, large and small. In dozens of fascinating examples, she breaks down the alchemy of these experiences to show what goes into the good ones and demonstrates how we can learn to incorporate those elements into all of our gatherings. The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of big ideas with real-world applications that will change the way you look at a business meeting, a parent-teacher conference, and a backyard barbecue.

    We have lost touch with our inner selves, the self that has all the answers, that is imbued with the natural balance of joy and productivity. What have we forgotten? What have we lost to this mechanical lifestyle? The secrets to joy, aren’t secrets at all. They aren’t being whispered. You are just not listening loudly enough to the wisdom of your inner voice. This book is a reminder to listen.It is a detailed exploration of elements such as personal qualities, interpersonal skills and healthy habits that make up the path to intuitive happiness and productivity.

    The tense situation requires all of his skill and experience get things under control. Then tragedy strikes, an innocent victim dies, and many lives are forever changed. While struggling to pull himself out of the depths of despair, John is notified that he is heir to his aunt and uncle’s cabin on a lake where he spent much of his youth. His return to Wisconsin’s Northwoods brings healing and a sense of peace long forgotten. Little does John know that danger is waiting for him in the north country and he will be forced to hit it head on.

    Drawing on her extraordinary healing technique; the Connection Process Teal offers a way to experience connection once again.Loneliness is reaching endemic proportions in our society, reflected by rising suicide rates and increased mental illness. Now, more than ever we need to find a way to connect. Loneliness, is a feeling of separation or isolation, it is not necessarily the same as the physical state of being alone. This book is for people who suffer from loneliness, the kind that cannot be solved by simply being around other people. Their aloneness is a deeply embedded pattern that is both negative and painful; it is often fueled by trauma, loss, addiction, grief and a lack of self-esteem and insecurity. In The Anatomy of Loneliness, Teal identifies the three pillars or qualities of loneliness: Separation, Shame and Fear and goes on to share her revolutionary technique; The Connection Process, a form of intuitive journeying, usually involving two people a ‘receiver’ and a ‘journeyer’. Through a series of exercises each person experiences ‘walls’ and ‘blockages’ as they move through the process both participants face their fears learning from these to reach a place of unconditional love and acceptance.

    Paige’s carefully constructed life begins to unravel as the truth of Miles’s paternity threatens to destroy everything she has grown to cherish. As Paige slowly opens herself up—by befriending an eccentric mother, confronting her own deeply buried vulnerabilities, and trying to make sense of her absent father’s unexpected return—she realizes breakthroughs aren’t only for the lab. But when tragedy strikes, Paige must face the consequences of sharing a secret only she knows. With grace and humor, Julie Clark shows that while the science is fascinating, solving these intimate mysteries of who we are and where we come from unleashes emotions more complex than the strands of DNA that shape us.

    

    Neither of them knew at the time that Ryan was living out a death sentence brought on by a worsening genetic heart defect. Soon it became clear he needed major surgery that could either save his life--or result in his death on the operating table. The young couple prepared for the worst. When Ryan survived, they both realized that they still had a future together. But the near loss changed the way they saw all that would lie ahead. They would live and love fiercely, fighting for each other and for a Christ-centered marriage, every step of the way.Fierce Marriage is their story, but more than that, it is a call for married couples to put God first in their relationship, to measure everything they do and say to each other against what Christ did for them, and to see marriage not just as a relationship they should try to keep healthy but also as one worth fighting for in every situation. With the gospel as their foundation, Ryan and Selena offer hope and practical help for common struggles in marriage, including communication problems, sexual frustration, financial stress, family tension, screen-time disconnection, and unrealistic expectations.

    Unflinching, even. Joy Beth doesn’t back down from those hard conversations that need to be happening, not just in our churches but in our small groups, our social circles, our relationships.” —Mandy Hale, creator of The Single Woman and New York Times bestselling authorDid you enter adulthood thinking marriage would naturally find you, only to end up at a second-cousin’s wedding, dodging yet another bouquet the night before you turned thirty? Maybe you’ve started wondering, is this the best the single life has to offer? Joy Beth Smith says it’s not. The single life doesn’t have to be the runner-up version of God’s best. It doesn’t have to leave you constantly waiting for “real life” to begin. Party of One offers a trade: let go of the tired lies weighing you down and turn toward truth. Understand that:You don’t have to be married to be wise. You don’t have to be a mother to have supernatural love. You don’t have to own a home to be hospitable.Singleness is not meant to be pitied, shamed, fixed, or even ignored. It is to be celebrated.God doesn’t promise you a husband, but he does promise comfort, intimacy, and satisfaction.With humor, self-awareness, and been-there perspective, Party of One delves into the insecurities and struggles of singleness and encourages you to find the good, the true, and the beautiful, to dive headfirst into community, and to stop pressing pause on a life you never expected.

    To make polyamorous communities inclusive, we must all acknowledge our part in perpetuating racism and listen to people of color. Love's Not Color Blind puts forward the framework—through research, anecdotal testimony, and analogy—for understanding, identifying, and confronting racism within polyamorous communities.

     Lord Anthony Hetheridge, a legend at Scotland Yard, has just married Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield. The newlyweds couldn't be more different. Tony Hetheridge is sixty, blue-blooded, and the perfect English gentleman sleuth. Bold, blonde Kate is thirty-three, working class, and modern London to the bone. Falling in love with Kate turned Lord Hetheridge's life upside down, and he wouldn't have it any other way. In BLACK & BLUE, Tony, Kate, and DS Deepal "Paul" Bhar take on the death of a widely-hated art dealer. Was it counterfeits that brought him down, or drug smuggling, or his parade of scorned women? In BLUE BLOODED, Tony, and Kate, and Paul face perhaps their greatest challenge when the fiendish Sir Duncan Godington returns, bent on revenge.

    You never have been, and you never will be. While it may not always feel like it, God desires for you to have a relationally healthy, emotionally engaged, and spiritually mature husband with whom you can share your days.In Loving Him Well, Gary Thomas builds on concepts from his bestselling book Sacred Marriage to reveal the inner workings of a man’s heart and mind. He delves into Scriptures that help women gain biblical insight to influence their husbands. Exploring the research of neuroscientists, trained counselors, and abuse victim advocates, Gary also interviews dozens of wives to find what has worked and what hasn’t as they’ve sought to build the best marriage possible. In this newly updated version of Sacred Influence, Gary Thomas outlines practical applications you can begin using today.  Thomas desires to “encourage women who are in good marriages that could get even better; and offer hope and a new path forward to women who feel invisible or marginalized in their marriage.” You’ll discover the influence you can gain and the peace of mind you can build when you go first to God for your worth, validation, protection, and provision and then learn how to use that platform to help your husband draw closer to you and closer to God.After decades of marriage ministry, ministering to couples of various walks of life in one of the largest cities in America, and gaining a new sensitivity for many of the issues facing contemporary women, Gary has rewritten this book, adding new stories and fresh illustrations to help wives understand, love, and influence their husbands. Loving Him Well offers encouragement and biblically based support for the transformation of your marriage, drawing you and your husband closer together, the way God intended.

    

    In their new book, the couple will relate the story of their first encounters as teenagers, the importance of communication, and how they've been able to keep that spark burning through all these years. The Mann's have delighted and inspired audiences through music, a string of plays and movies, as well as several television series—Meet the Browns, The Mann's, and Mann & Wife. They'll share about their often hilarious and sometimes controversial interactions with each other, their blended family of five grown children and eight grandchildren, and how these relationships enrich their lives. Given their recording careers, touring, filming, and managing an outrageous family, The Mann's will share with readers the day-to-day challenges, successes, and joys that happen behind the scenes."Our dear friends David and Tamela Mann have made us laugh, dance, and sing. They have also taught us how to love unconditionally. Their thirty-year marriage is a testament that love, family, and commitment still exist. Their new book, Us Against the World, is filled with wisdom on sustaining everlasting love. Everyone needs to read this book!"—DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good, producers and authors of the New York Times bestseller The Wait

    

    Filled with biblical insights and drawing on resources from church history, with practical wisdom and reflection questions in each chapter, this book explores the universal need for friendship, what true friendship really looks like, and how to cultivate relationships that go deeper than enjoying similar tastes or shared interests. As readers discover the biblical vision of true friendship, they will be encouraged to pursue it with enthusiasm and joy.

    Covering topics such as true love, romance, purposeful relationships, purity, boundaries, singleness, and glorifying God in every stage of our relationships, Love Defined unpacks God's original design for romance, showing modern women how to experience God's best for them in their relationships. Full of biblical truths and step-by-step application of concepts discussed, the book also includes a chapter-by-chapter study guide to be used individually or in small groups, as well as four letters from godly women who have been married for 30, 40, and 50+ years, offering priceless, hard-won advice to single women.

    . . but there is hope.Sexuality is a fundamental part of what it means to be human--part of God's beautiful design when he created all things. And yet, sex in our world today looks nothing like the way that God intended it to be. Sexual brokenness surrounds us and, in one way or another, affects us all.This sexual brokenness reveals our deep need for redemption--something quick fixes, mere behavior modification, or a set of rules can't provide. Honest and direct yet kind and caring, this book points us to the only place we can find help for sexual brokenness--the transforming grace of Jesus Christ. Only this grace offers hope for a life of freedom, purity, and joy as God intended.

    With a click of the mouse you can learn the names for sex acts your grandparents never knew existed. But are people any happier in bed? Probably not. Research from the Kinsey Institute suggests that 25% of American women in heterosexual relationships are markedly distressed about their sex lives.There’s no shortage of books these days on sex technique. But that’s not what most people are interested in. What they really want is to have great sex in a committed relationship, in which case all the technical expertise in the world won’t help you very much. For that, you need to understand sexual feelings—how they operate, what rules they follow, and how they connect to the rest of who you are.Dr. Stephen Snyder's unique approach has helped over 1,500 individuals and couples master the erotic challenges of long-term relationships. Integrating the latest research on human sexuality with compelling stories from his 30 years of experience working with over 1,500 individuals and couples, Love Worth Making will help people of all ages and backgrounds master the erotic challenges of long-term relationships, understand their sexual feelings, and enjoy them for life.

    It’s something you do," teaches Terry Real. "It’s a minute-by-minute practice of connecting to others through empathy, vulnerability, and accountability." With Fierce Intimacy, this renowned author offers a revolutionary way of living in connection—one that allows you to cherish your partner, yourself, and your relationship in equal measure.How to Communicate with Love and Respect—Even When You Argue Terry’s approach to relationship is called "full-respect living"—to skillfully and honestly assert your needs while also honoring your partner’s needs. In these six sessions, he presents invaluable training for individuals and couples on developing the skills necessary for this authentic way of connecting. You’ll begin by learning how to clear away the outdated beliefs and habits that keep you from developing healthy self-esteem. Then Terry will help you and your partner transform the Five Losing Strategies that sabotage relationships into the Five Winning Strategies that lead to clear communication, trust, and mutual support. "When we dare to be more vulnerable and open and honest, we are forging new territory," says Terry Real. Whether you’re still seeking a partner or want to breathe new life into your existing relationship, Fierce Intimacy brings you essential tools for connecting with true respect, uncompromising honesty, and ever-deepening love.HIGHLIGHTS • The adaptive child—how to recognize and defuse self-sabotaging habits • Unhealthy self-esteem traps for men and women • Identifying your CNI (Core Negative Image)—a key to making arguments constructive instead of destructive • The Feedback Wheel—a four-step approach to revolutionize your communication • The Five Losing Strategies: our impulses to control, retaliate, and be right all the time • The Five Winning Strategies for shared happiness, connection, and success

    Frankel, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office ARE YOU A VICTIM OF SUBTLE ABUSE? Are you always the one apologizing?Constantly questioning and blaming yourself?Do you often feel confused, frustrated, and angry? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're not alone. Nearly half of all women--and men--in the United States experience psychological abuse without realizing it. Manipulation, deception, and disrespect leave no physical scars, but they can be just as traumatic as physical abuse. In this groundbreaking book, Avery Neal, founder of the Women's Therapy Clinic, helps you recognize the warning signs of subtle abuse. As you learn to identify patterns that have never made sense before, you are better equipped to make changes.From letting go of fear to setting boundaries, whether you're gathering the courage to finally leave or learning how to guard against a chronically abusive pattern, If He's So Great, Why Do I Feel So Bad? will help you enjoy a happy, healthy, fulfilling life, free of shame or blame."This book can open eyes for people who may have lost pieces of themselves along the way. Great examples and exercises. It is a companion from start to finish." --Dr. Jay Carter, author of Nasty People "No-nonsense insights and practical ways to regain control of and empower your life."--Dr. George Simon, author of In Sheep's Clothing"The new gold standard in abuse recovery, allowing readers to break free from old patterns and reclaim their lives." --Jackson MacKenzie, author of Psychopath Free"This insightful book can awaken self-esteem, save relationships, even save lives."--Gavin de Becker, author of The Gift of Fear

    Whether you're married, single, or dating, now is the time to ask yourself: What steps can I take today to build an incredible marriage for tomorrow?With compassion and clarity, licensed counselor and relationship expert Debra Fileta shows that when we can work through the struggles of marriage, we get to experience the joys! Learn about eight powerful choices that will encourage and equip you to take your marriage from average to exceptional and find astonishing survey results from thousands of singles and couples on topics like love and attraction, sex, conflict, and communication.A beautiful exchange occurs when you learn what it means to choose we before me. Discover practical steps that will give you confidence and courage on the adventure of Choosing Marriage.

    Unfortunately, relationships can make and break human beings too. Why are relationships such a circus for most of us? What is this primal urge within us that demands a bond – physical, mental, or emotional – with another? And how do we keep this bond from turning into bondage? These are the fundamental questions that Relationships: Bond or Bondage looks at as Sadhguru shares with us the keys to forming lasting and joyful relationships, whether they are with husband or wife, family and friends, at work, or with the very existence itself.Sadhguru is a yogi and profound mystic of our times. An absolute clarity of perception places him in a unique space in not only matters spiritual but in business, environmental and international affairs, and opens a new door on all that he touches.

    HEY, U UP? tackles all the milestones of relationships today—both glorious and embarrassing— with sections ranging from “How to Ask Someone Out After You’ve Slept with Them” all the way to “Establish Your Family as the Christmas Family by Turning Your Significant Other Against Their Own Parents.” In addition to the laugh-out-loud essays, lists, questionnaires, and even flowcharts further enliven the pages.

    AMS is getting men back to the basics to attract the quality of women they genuinely want to attract and to stop settling for scraps. There’s a theory commonly known in the dating world as the 80/20 rule that states 20 % Of Men Sleep With 80% Of the women in the world while the other 80% of men fight over the last 20% of women. I don’t want men to complain about this, I want men to do the self improvement to put themselves in the top 20%. No PUA magic tricks or Dating coach snake oil magic formula here. It’s all about doing the hard work to make yourself a more attractive  mate to attract the women you want

    Hear six sets of people at different points in their quests for romantic and familial love, including a young couple whose immigration status has forced them to consider marriage, a stepmother trying to put the pieces back together for four children whose mother died by suicide, a nonbinary child desperate to connect with their single mother, a divorced couple whose two-household relationship may prove that marriage doesn't have to end after divorce, and more. Listen and better understand your own relationships through the struggles of these people and Esther's remarkable insights.

    Until one summer night, when a shocking betrayal sent Laura running through the pines, down the dock, and into a new life, leaving Casey and a first love in her wake.But the past is impossible to escape, and now, after seventeen years away, Laura is pulled home and into a reunion with Casey she can’t resist—one last scavenger hunt. With a twist: this time, the list of clues leads to the settings of their most cherished summer memories. From glistening Jade Cove to the vintage skating rink, each step they take becomes a bittersweet reminder of the friendship they once shared. But just as the game brings Laura and Casey back together, the clues unravel a stunning secret that threatens to tear them apart…“This is a lovely debut by Doan, exploring themes of motherhood, daughterhood, and first love with tenderness and humor. The writing is fresh and charming, a perfect read for anyone who spent her teenage years reading the racy bits of cheap paperbacks out loud to their best friends.”-Booklist, STARRED* review“Doan’s characters leap off the page…[An] accomplished debut novel…Will please readers who grew up with the novels of Judy Blume.”-Publishers Weekly“With a vivid sense of place and characters as real as your high school besties, this debut novel is sure to please fans of Kristin Hannah and Elin Hilderbrand.”-Library Journal“A poignant tale of mothers and daughters finding their ways home to each other.”-Kirkus Reviews“Summer Reads: Coolest Books of the Season”-Globe and Mail“Best New Books to Put in Your Beach Bag”-PopSugar “Best Books of Summer 2018”-Family Circle“Best New Books for Summer 2018”-Coastal Living“A trip down memory lane becomes a hunt for long-buried secrets in Amy Mason Doan’s gripping and poignant debut. An evocative tale of family, first love, and the unique and lasting gift of a friendship formed in girlhood.”-Meg Donohue, USA Today bestselling author“There is not a word or a plot line out of place in The Summer List, Amy Mason Doan’s fabulous debut. These characters and their stories are going to stick with you for a long, long time.”-Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Admissions and The Captain’s Daughter“An ideal summer read…a compelling blend of love, betrayal, secrets and reconciliation…”-The Oregonian“An amazing debut.”-Authorlink“Read this one on the beach with your BFF.”-HelloGiggles"The perfect summer read. Beautifully drawn characters creating a page-turning mystery. I stayed up way too late to find out what happened! Impossible to put down!”-Bestselling author M. O’Keefe“In her mesmerizing debut, Amy Mason Doan challenges everything we think we know about family and forgiveness. Readers will be swept up in this haunting story of buried secrets and lost love.”-Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Two-Family House“With its exquisite detail, The Summer List wouldn’t let me go, and the unexpected ending gave me chills…Irresistible.”-Jennifer S. Brown, author of Modern Girls“A tender novel about friendship lost and rekindled, and uncovering the truth of the past.”-Polly Dugan, author of So Much a Part of You and The Sweetheart Deal“Moving…compelling…beautifully written characters.”-The Girly Book Club

    We search for The One but find ourselves staying single because nobody measures up. We long for a happily-ever-after but break-up after break-up leave us bruised and confused.Rewriting the Rules: An Anti Self-Help Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships is a friendly guide through the complicated - and often contradictory - advice that's given about sex and gender, monogamy and conflict, break-up and commitment. It asks questions about the rules of love, such as which to choose from all the rules on offer? Do we stick to the old rules we learnt growing up, or do we try something new and risk being out on our own? And what about the times when the rules we love by seem to make things worse, rather than better?This new edition, updated throughout, considers how the rules are being 'rewritten' in various ways - for example in monogamish and polyamorous relationships, different ways of understanding sex and gender, and new ideas for managing commitment and break-up where economics, communities, or child-care make complete separation impossible. This book considers how the rules are being 'rewritten' in various ways, giving you the power to find an approach that best fits your situation.

     Ellie Matthews is tired of her fifteen minutes of fame. After consulting on a high-profile murder case a few months ago, she wants nothing more than to fade back into obscurity and resume her life as a mild-mannered college professor. But when a family friend goes missing, Ellie finds herself thrust back into the grisly world of crime scene investigation. It isn’t long before Ellie’s young friend is found murdered and her death is tied to a previously unsolved case. Based on the cryptic poems left on the victims, the department soon realizes that the killer’s vendetta is against them. It takes all Ellie has to push her personal feelings aside and partner with Detective Nick Baxter one more time. The duo must stop at nothing to catch a vengeful serial killer before it’s too late.

    and we will find them less confusing, and love them more deeply...Mothers of sons are worried about raising their boys in a world where negative images of masculinity are front and centre of our media, almost every day. Not only that, but statistically our boys are still struggling in many ways.Even though we live in a time where we recognise that nothing in gender is fixed, it remains a fact that the influence of a mother on her son is massive.A mother of four sons herself, Maggie Dent draws on her personal experience - and over four decades work as a teacher, counsellor and now author and speaker - to help build understanding, empathy and compassion for our boys. Maggie shares her five key secrets that every mum needs to know, and uses the voices of men she has worked with and surveyed to reveal what really matters in a boy's relationship with his mother and other mother figures.Maggie is one of Australia's most popular parenting educators and her seminars about boys have sold out all across Australia and in the UK. She is finally sharing her insights, her reflections, and (as always) her humour around mothering boys in this book that will help you be the mum your son needs you to be.

    She’s spent a lifetime making the best of things, hasn’t she? Determined to throw herself into village life, Tess starts a choir and gathers a team of volunteers to restore the walled garden at Ramblings, the local stately home. Everything could be perfect, if she weren’t sharing a cottage and a cat with a man whose manner is more prickly than the nettles she’s removing… As winter approaches, Tess finds herself putting down her own roots as fast as she’s pulling them up in the garden. But the ghosts of the past hover close by, and Tess must face them if she’s to discover whether home is where her heart has been all along.

    While men are walking on the moon, life in London for sixteen-year-old Jane takes unexpected turns. On the point of falling in love with her best friend Karl, she discovers that there's more to her father's spectacular girlfriend than at first meets the eye. In the sweltering heat of a fast-moving evening, other revelations quickly follow, reconciling Jane with her father but also reopening wounds from the past, laying bare raw emotions kept suppressed for too long. And as the evening draws to a close, the night's drama has only just begun, unfolding in a sequence of violent events that threaten to have lasting repercussions for Jane and the people she loves...Lightened by a gentle touch of humor, with magic tricks, sexuality and family secrets all playing a prominent part, The Madness of Grief is a mystery and a thriller contained in a coming-of-age tale of friendship, betrayal and loss.

    Yet as anyone in a long-term relationship will tell you, it can also be one of the most challenging. Almost half of all first marriages end in divorce, and chances go down from there. So how do you beat the odds? "All successful long-term relationships are secure relationships," writes psychotherapist Stan Tatkin. "You and your partner take care of each other in a way that ensures you both feel safe, protected, accepted, and secure at all times." In We Do, Tatkin provides a groundbreaking guide for couples. You’ll figure out whether you and your partner are right for each other in the long term, and if so, give your relationship a strong foundation so you can enjoy a secure and lasting love. Highlights include:Create a shared vision for your relationship, the key to a strong foundation• It’s all about prevention—learn tools and techniques for preventing problems before they occur• Understand how to work with the psychological and biological influences in your relationship—neuroscience, arousal regulation, attachment theory, and more• Numerous case studies with helpful examples of healthy and unhealthy interactions, sample dialogues, and reflections• Dozens of exercises—the newlywed game, reading facial expressions, and many more fun and serious practices to develop intimacy and security• Handling conflict—how to broker win-win outcomes• Build a loving relationship that helps you thrive and grow as both individuals and a couple Common interests, physical attraction, shared values, and good communication skills are the factors most commonly thought to indicate a good partnership. Yet surprisingly, current research reveals that these are only a small part of what makes for a healthy marriage—much more important are psychological and biological influences. With We Do, you’ll learn to navigate these elements and more, giving your relationship the best possible chance to succeed.

    

    

    Tony Evans wants to encourage you to live fully where you are.Kingdom Single will encourage you to see yourself as complete in Christ and free to serve Him. It will empower you to live as Kingdom men and women in a corrupt culture.Tony Evans is a much-loved pastor and known for his sense of knowing when to encourage and when to lovingly admonish, to help people become who God calls them to be. If you are single and reading this book--or if you lead or pastor singles--your identity in Christ will be affirmed. Additionally, you will receive coaching for what to look for in a prospective spouse, and be challenged to live godly lives while pursuing Kingdom causes.

    Sarah Wakefield, the wife of a physician, is taken captive with her two babies. Their fate falls into the hands of the warrior Ćaske, with whom she has slim acquaintance. As war rages, little does she know how entwined their lives will become.Beneath the Same Stars is the gripping story of two people, caught between worlds, who are willing to do almost anything to defend those they care about—including each other. But the drama is bigger than themselves. Tragic forces have been set in motion....Inspired by actual events surrounding the U.S. Dakota War.

    Her adult children arrive to intervene. So does her estranged daughter-in-law, Joli, recently released from prison for abuse of Alida's grandchildren. Alida is horrified when Joli becomes Stan’s caregiver in a nursing home. After his death, Alida uncovers his secret life that forces her to question her once-happy marriage. Meanwhile, Joli ingratiates herself back into the family, inflaming Alida's fear of potential harm to her beloved grandchildren. As she struggles to protect them, she must face the consequences of secrets that were hidden from her as well as ones that she herself hides.

    Losing her young son to a tragic accident had nearly driven her to the point of madness and now she was on the verge of losing her husband too. In a last ditch effort to save their marriage, she decided to book a romantic cabin vacation for just the two of them up in the mountains of North Carolina. She thought she had experienced the worst life could throw at her. Little did she know that the wilderness had in something else in store for her, when she finds herself left alone and fighting for her life.

    Are you ready?In Fledge, counselor, educator, and mother Brenda L. Yoder helps Christian parents navigate the many transitions of the launching years. How do you parent tweens at home and young adults away from home at the same time? What’s a good balance between boundaries and freedom? How can you pray for your fledgling youth? And what do you do with all that mom grief?Your job as a parent isn’t over; it’s just changing. Equip yourself with biblical wisdom for this season of transition in your family life. Learn the patterns to avoid and the habits to pursue. Launching your children can be scary, and some days it might make you crazy. But you’ve been raising them to do just this. Fledge will help you release your children into the future that God has planned for them.

    The pressure to “have it all” wreaks havoc on our bodies and emotional well-being, and also creates unrealistic expectations. Toxic comparisons and the need to perform enforces damaging ideals of who and what we should be, making it harder for us to connect with who we really are. But what if there was a way to break free from these patterns and beliefs? What if you could free your body from stress and trauma, tap into your inherent creativity, and connect more authentically with the people who matter? In this life-changing book, intimacy expert and counselor Michaela Boehm shares practical rituals and exercises to show you simple, everyday changes that will revolutionize your connection to yourself, your life, and your relationships. Beyond the outdated stereotypes of femininity lies the ancient wisdom of the Wild Woman archetype, a path to reconnecting with our “body intelligence.” In this book, you will learn to: - Re-wild yourself by connecting to who you really are and integrating body, emotions, and mind for powerful expression in the world. - Switch effortlessly between “doing” and “being,” allowing you to access both empowered success and personal fulfillment. - Unlock creativity and intuition through understanding how body, heart, and mind can work together. - Engage in relaxed, body-specific exercises that help you connect with yourself and your chosen relationships.

    He loses his friends and returns home alone, surviving the town's pity by hiding in the bar. Emotionally scarred, he only finds the determination to lift himself up when he realizes what remains to be lost. He buys a little green Jeep, like the one that gave him shelter in the war, and hopes it will lead to salvation again. But the fortune it brings tarnishes, and James is left to sacrifice the thing that gave him hope for the people who need him most.Over the next thirty years, the Jeep changes hands, passing between friends, family, strangers, and lovers. A single mother who buys a car for her reckless son nearly destroys a friendship with a man who silently loved her for two decades. An insecure youth at the start of his career learns that the most important lessons are the ones you never set out to learn. A family torn apart by their differences finds that love can be the hardest road to take. And a city architect must choose between the easy way to restoration or a difficult path that could save more than a rusty old Jeep.Readers of Mitch Albom, Nicholas Sparks, Jeep owners everywhere, and viewers of This is Us will enjoy this heart-warming tale of restoration and redemption, a must read book for anyone inspired by the resiliency of the human spirit.Winner of the 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award for First Novel. Finalist in the 2018 IAN Book of the Year Awards in the category of Literary / General Fiction!"I am sitting here trying to find the words to convey what an absolutely incredible novel this is...The writing was flawless...I can't think of a specific audience that would enjoy this novel, it is simply a must-read for everyone." - Dandelions Inspired

    In Desert Cabal: A New Season in the Wilderness, Amy Irvine admires the man who influenced her life and work while challenging all that is dated—offensive, even—between the covers of Abbey’s environmental classic. Irvine names and questions the “lone male” narrative—white and privileged as it is—that still has its boots planted firmly at the center of today’s wilderness movement, even as she celebrates the lens through which Abbey taught so many to love the wild remains of the nation. From Abbey’s quiet notion of solitude to Irvine’s roaring cabal, the desert just got hotter, and its defenders more nuanced and numerous.

    Life is filled with belly rubs, quiet walks, and shared moments that remind you how good it feels to be loved. This book is a celebration of all the little delights that make having a dog in your life such a treat.

    Coined as one of the original voices of modern relationships, Perel has accumulated up to 20 million listeners for her coveted TED talks and has become the go-to therapist for couples seeking help with intimacy. Most noted for her work on erotic intelligence and her expertise on issues of infidelity, Esther Perel covers all in her frank and refreshing Audible Audio Shows series, which began in 2017 and listens in on couples talking through their problems in Esther’s therapy room. Esther Perel talks to us about the making of her podcast series with Audible, what she hopes listeners can gain from the intimate discussions and what she learns from her clients.

    But now, two years later, she’s ready to face up to her past; she’s ready to go back.But Emma’s unannounced return causes more problems than she could have foreseen. The people she knew and loved aren’t ready to forget, let alone forgive. And the one person she wants to reconnect with the most, her mother, can’t remember who she is.Just as Emma starts to rebuild trust, an uncovered family secret and a shocking past crime threaten her newly forged future...Sometimes simply saying sorry isn’t enough.Perfect for readers of Ruth Hogan or Amanda Prowse, this is an extraordinary and unforgettable novel about running away from yourself – and finding a way back.

    If you love Broadchurch you'll be completely hooked.TV journalist and media darling Oonagh O'Neil can sense a sinister coverup from the moment an elderly priest dies on the altar of his Glasgow church. His death comes as she is about to expose the shocking truth behind the closure of a Magdalene Institution. The Church has already tried to suppress the story. Is someone also covering their tracks?DI Alec Davies is appointed to investigate the priest's death. He and Oonagh go way back. Oonagh now faces the biggest decision of her life. But will it be hers to make? What secrets lie behind the derelict Institution's doors? What sparked the infamous three-day riot that closed it? And what happened to the three Maggies who vowed to stay friends forever? From Ireland to Scotland. From life to death.

    His fiction set in the world of Vermont’s fabled Northeast Kingdom chronicles the intertwining family histories of the natives, wanderers, outcasts, and others who settled in this ethereal place. In its obituary, The New York Times wrote, “Mr. Mosher’s fictional Kingdom County, Vt., became his New England version of Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County.”In Points North, completed just weeks before his death, Mosher presents a brilliant, lovingly-evoked collection of stories that center around the Kinneson family, ranging over decades of their history in the Kingdom. From a loquacious itinerant preacher who beguiles the reticent farmers and shopkeepers of a small New England town, to a proposed dam that threatens the river that Kinneson men have fished for generations, the scandalous secret of a romance and its violent consequences, and a young man’s seemingly fruitless search for love—Points North is a full-hearted, gently-comic, and beautifully-written last gift to the readers who treasure Howard Frank Mosher.Points North --Where is Don Quixote? --Good Sam Merryton --Sisters --Friendship in Indiana --Kingdom of heaven --Lonely hearts --Dispossessed --What Pliny knew --The songbirds of Vermont

     Read the complete Love's Encore Trilogy in this special omnibus edition, which contains all three unabridged books in one convenient bundle. A Road Through Mountains While working back stage at a suburban Connecticut community theater, star-crossed lovers Rorie and Cecily are reunited almost twenty years after their relationship came to an abrupt end. Can they overcome the ghosts of the past to find their happily ever after together? Your Name in Lights The second book of the series finds Rorie and Cecily embarking on a new life in sunny California, but will the pressures of time, distance, and some very persistent paparazzi be too much for them? Fifty Percent Illusion In the final book of the series, Rorie and Cecily are looking forward to a quiet, predictable life when unexpected news changes the course of their future forever. Can the twists and turns of fate lead to a happy ending?

    A chance meeting with hot wolf Rhys leads to long steamy nights in his bed, and just when he starts to think they may have a future together, she runs. Disappearing into the night without a trace, Kasie ignores the undeniable connection she felt with Rhys. She can’t be with him, it will only bring trouble to his door, and she refuses to have that on her conscience. Until her desperate flight is halted when she crashes her car and who should rescue her? Rhys. Now she’s stuck. No car, no cash, and one sexy wolf demanding answers.Rhys faces his own challenges, with the memories of their stolen nights burned in his mind how can he convince Kasie she’s safe with him when she won’t even tell him what she’s running from? All he knows is she’s haunted by nightmares and cries another man’s name in her sleep.Can they face the threat that is coming together? Or will their world go up in flames?

    This book explores topics such as love, spirituality, womanhood, suicide, addiction, ancestral trauma and the unwavering power of healing from the inside out. WITCHDOCTORPOET is an offering to those in need of a sensual and empowering stance on the realities and legacies of the African Diaspora.

    She hasn’t bumped into many neighbours yet but with her upcoming wedding to plan there’s plenty to keep her busy!Fran is still trying to get used to a life without her husband by her side. It’s hard enough raising two children on her own – she doesn’t have time to even think about dating…Pamela is fed up with being taken for granted by her grown-up children and grumbling husband. She’s ready to shake things up a little, but will her family even notice?So when the three women hear about a ‘happiness course’ starting on Hope Street, surely it’s the perfect opportunity to let their hair down, laugh with new friends and maybe even change their lives in ways they never expected…Don’t miss The Happiness List, a delightfully uplifting story from bestselling author Annie Lyons, coming soon!

    Every day, Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein takes on the relationship problems of thousands of dedicated readers. They look to her for wisdom on all matters of the heart- how to cope with dating fatigue and infidelity, work romances, tired marriages, true love, and true loss. In her column, she has it all figured out, but in her real life she is a lot less certain. Whether it's her own reservations about the traditional path of marriage and family, her difficulty finding someone she truly connects with, or the evolution of her friendships as her friends start to have their own families, Meredith finds herself looking for insight, just like her readers. As she searches for responses to their concerns, she's surprised to discover answers to her own. But it's after her mother is diagnosed with cancer that she truly realizes how special her Love Letters community is, how this column has enriched her life as much, if not more than, it has for its readers.Can't Help Myself is the extraordinary (and often hilarious) story of a single woman navigating her mercurial love life, and a moving and poignant portrait of an amazing community of big-hearted, love-seeking allies.

    He is going to quit his advertising job and, when his money runs out, he is going to die. He just has one final mission: A trip to Japan. It’s a trip he was supposed to take with his girlfriend, Sara. It’s a trip inspired by his regrets. And it’s a trip to pay homage to the Japanese, the inventors of his chosen suicide technique.In preparation for his final voyage, Jonathan enrolls in a Japanese language class where he meets Riko, who has her own plans to visit her homeland, for very different reasons. Their unexpected and unusual friendship takes them to Japan together, where they each struggle to make peace with their past and accept that happiness, loneliness, and grief come and go―just like the cherry blossoms.Haunted by lost love, Jonathan must decide if he can embrace the transient nature of life, or if he must choose the certainty of death.

    The challenging part is keeping that spark alive while you and your partner deal with "the real world." Your relationship can often seem less urgent than the day-to-day emergencies that you deal with -- your job, finances, children, and that to-do list full of chores. They all demand your immediate attention. So how do you find the time to nurture your love and intimacy?? What often gets lost in the shuffle is the love you share with your partner. Maybe you've neglected some of the positive habits you adopted when you were dating to win over your love partner. Or perhaps all of your conversations seem to end in arguments? Or worse, you might occasionally wonder if your relationship is even worth salvaging. The Solution: Build Mindful Relationship Habits If you want to build a deeper connection with your spouse or partner, then one solution is to build "Mindful Relationship Habits." In a mindful relationship, you are intentional about all your choices and interactions with your partner. You become more proactive in responding to each other's needs and less reactive to the challenges that often arise. You evolve to a higher level of interaction with one another. DOWNLOAD:: Mindful Relationship Habits -- 25 Practices for Couples to Enhance Intimacy, Nurture Closeness, and Grow a Deeper Connection In Mindful Relationship Habits, Wall Street Journal bestselling authors S.J. Scott and Barrie Davenport show you how to have a more mindful relationship by applying 25 specific practices. These habits will help you be more present with one another, communicate better, avoid divisive arguments, and understand how to respond to one another's needs in a more loving, empathic, and conscious way. With the relationship advice outlined in this book, you will get insights and lessons learned from a variety of relationship and mindfulness experts -- all backed by scientific research. Each habit presented offers a clear explanation of why it's valuable to the health of your relationship and instructions on how to make the habit a natural part of your interactions with your partner. Would You Like To Know More? Download now to re-create the magic in the most valuable relationship in your life. Scroll to the top of the page and select the buy now button.

    Through clear explanation, specific examples, and practical exercises, Dr. Miller offers a step-by-step process for developing your skillfulness in empathic listening. With a solid basis in sixty years of scientific research, these communication skills are not limited to professionals, and can be learned and applied in your everyday life. Instead of assuming that you know the meaning of what you think you heard, empathic listening lets you develop a more accurate understanding and prevent miscommunication. Empathic understanding can help to deepen personal relationships, alleviate conflict, communicate across differences, and promote positive change. The author also discusses skills for expressing yourself clearly, and for strengthening close relationships and friendships. Through empathic understanding you have access to life experience far beyond your own, and over time, listening well and deeply becomes a way of being, fostering a compassionate and patient acceptance of human frailties--those of others as well as your own. ""The quality of empathic listening that Carl Rogers brought to us decades ago, that unlocks treasures of intimacy, trust, peace and healing, is alive and well in Bill Miller's own unique voice, as he extends the meanings of this vital relational element for today's world. Readily integrated into our everyday lives and the larger cultures of human conflict, my hope is that we choose to live out the delicate yet strong principles of connection that Listening Well offers us."" --Gay Leah Barfield, Co-Founder and Former Director, Carl Rogers Institute for Peace, Center for Studies of the Person, La Jolla, California ""If there ever was a time for Listening Well, it is now. In its pages, we learn to use our ears to dissolve differences, open hearts, and build bridges. Nothing more needs saying."" --Scott D. Miller, Director, International Center for Clinical Excellence ""Listening Well is a super moon in the dark night sky: brilliant, absorbing, and illuminating. Bill Miller, co-developer of the revolutionary motivational interviewing, blends art and science in teaching the quintessential skills of listening and in fostering human connection."" --John C. Norcross, Professor of Psychology, University of Scranton ""Listening Well is a terrific, hands-on book for individuals or groups dedicated to caring relationships. Full of insight and practical exercises to improve listening skills, I highly recommend it to professionals and lay people alike."" --Debra Engquist, Retired Pastor ""Listening Well is about much more than listening. This short, easy-to-read book provides a brief course in human relationships. With many useful explanations, examples, and exercises, the author demonstrates the what, why, and how of empathy in human interaction. The book is eminently useful for those who want to or need to improve their listening and relationship skills at work or in personal settings."" --Howard Kirschenbaum, Former Chair, Counseling and Human Development, University of Rochester Dr. William R. Miller is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico, with over forty years of experience in teaching empathic understanding. His many books include Lovingkindness, Quantum Change, Motivational Interviewing, and Portals: Two Lives Intertwined by Adoption.

    Her wedding was postponed twice and now December 23 is the date she and her husband-to-be have marked on their calendars. When the Amish bishop is involved in an accident and lands in the hospital, Deborah's secret fear is that her wedding will be postponed yet again. That isn't her only worry. She's forced to keep a secret from her fiance and is troubled with the lie. If he found out, it could ruin everything. Meanwhile, the bishop has problems of his own when a life-threatening condition goes undetected. Could this be the end of the Amish community of Pleasant Valley as everyone knows it? Also in the Amish Women of Pleasant Valley series: Book 1: The Amish Woman and Her Last Hope Book 2 The Amish Woman and Her Secret Baby Book 3 The Amish Widower's Promise Book 4 The Amish Visitors Book 5 The Amish Dreamer Book 6 The Amish School Teacher Book 7 Amish Baby Blessing All Samantha Price books are clean and wholesome reads.

    You can't understand his every spiritual need—but God knows. This book of insightful, guided prayers and carefully matched scriptures will enable you to pray for your husband with resolve and passion. Each day, your confidence will grow as you are inspired to approach God with a sincere and courageous heart for your spouse.You can become a powerful force of prayer for your husband's life. Move from uncertainty to assurance as you devote yourself daily to conversation with the Lord who created, knows, and fiercely loves your husband.

    With a series of caring partners all the way from her high school sweetheart to her current fiancé, Sophie explores her sexuality and the very nature of love itself, questioning everything we’ve all been taught about relationships. She shares each of her revelations—sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious—and ultimately uncovers the incredible power of making room for all kinds of love in one’s life.Complete with informative charts (did you know there are five distinct types of jealousy?) and witty illustrations, Many Love is an empowering, heartwarming memoir offering a memorable glimpse into an unconventional life.

    His wife surprises him by insisting they did. And then she's gone. He knows this can't be true. Can it? They only met later in life, so why would Grace's departing words hint at a shared youth? Haunted by this notion, Daniel journeys into the past to discover the truth. 'Remember' is a unique love story. Find out how it really began...

    Soon after, she falls head over heels in love with a gorgeous girl, Lana, a woman she meets only by pure chance during a captivating encounter between flights within Vienna’s Airport terminal. This love seemed far from being reciprocated and rather hopeless. Or was it?Lana meets Claire whilst going from Slovenia on route to the US making plans for her perfect married life. This encounter reveals the essence of who she is within. She discovers a new side to herself. She becomes torn between two worlds and must decide. Whatever her decision, there will be consequences. She can suppress her feelings and memories during the day. Can she control them in her dreams? Will her dreams be strong enough to make Lana follow her heart?

    But it doesn’t have to be this way. In Your Money, Your Marriage, Brian and Cherie Lowe offer straight talk and power principles for getting your finances back on track so you can get back to your romance. Take it from them—the Lowes worked off $127,000 in debt in just four years, and emerged not only financially free but better together. Join Cherie, personal finance blogger at Queen of Free, and Brian, family law attorney who’s seen it all when it comes to marital money struggles, in this journey to help you and your spouse go from different books to the same page. Through candid and hilarious stories, fresh ideas and practices, and a few winks along the way, Brian and Cherie reveal the secrets to “financial foreplay” able to help every couple thrive together in finance and romance alike. You’ll learn how to:Develop “passionate patience” with each other toward a shared financial goalIdentify unhealthy financial habitsSave smart on date nightsSort through misaligned expectations as a coupleBeat the comparison gameCultivate a stronger relationship on a budget of zero dollars Couples share much more than a bank account or even a bedroom—they share a sacred union. Imagine what your marriage could be if you could put cash conflict behind you. Your Money, Your Marriage is an invitation to find out, and to thrive together.

    

    But will she win her prince? When store manager David Warwick, her secret crush, unexpectedly invites florist Ellie Ashton to represent the store at a glittering London ball, she needs help to look the part. The ball is a dream come true. But will she win the love of her prince, or will shyness and self-doubt send her running away at midnight? Love in Store Book #4.5. The series is set around a stately old London department store, and many of the same settings and characters appear in each book. But there is no need to read them in order. Every story is a complete romance, following a different couple through the trials and joys of a developing love, to their happy-ever-after. All involve a strong faith element. Uses British spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Complete with British English Glossary. Shorter novella length - 22,000 words, approximately 85 print pages.

    

    But the world is a harsh place for anyone who is different. Bri’s Aunt Olivia is a vet with a thriving practice. She is set in her ways, single and surviving, channeling her emotions into her work and her love of Bri. Siera has a supportive but silent father, an overpowering helicopter mom, plus her Aunt Deb who adores her. Despite their individual battles against hurt, prejudice and rejection, can these four women find love against the odds?

    It's essential to our emotional and spiritual health, and without it we don't feel whole. Yet today our culture faces an intimacy crisis. Many of us, even when we're in a committed relationship, still feel painfully alone. For more than four decades, world-renowned author, counselor, and teacher Manis Friedman has empowered couples to successfully navigate their own intimacy issues and replace loneliness and unfulfilled expectations with a deeply soulful and satisfying relationship. In this refreshingly frank, sensible, and at times humorous guide, Rabbi Friedman and Ricardo Adler share the deeper truths at the heart of our longing for intimacy along with practical wisdom from Jewish tradition-insights anyone can use to recapture passion, save their relationship, and tap into the essence of the true intimate experience. One by one, The Joy of Intimacy exposes the myths about love, sex, and intimacy that separate rather than bring us together and shows how to overcome the greatest obstacles to a healthy intimate relationship. You'll explore secrets to preserving your natural spontaneity, setting the mood for intimacy, and making your bedroom a sacred space. You'll also learn how to increase your sensitivity to the sacred experience of oneness that has the power to transform every aspect of your marriage and nourish all those around you. Whether you are married or single, in a relationship or seeking to create one that is both meaningful and lasting, The Joy of Intimacy will give you the skills and confidence you need to keep your relationship alive, fresh, and fulfilling.

    It's my hope that with this book, you can as well."--Stella HarrisSex is still a touchy subject despite recent sex-positive advances. We live in a culture that vilifies people who are sexually adventurous and frames our kinks as shame-inducing perversions. Many people have never been able to talk openly about sex with their partner(s). But, you can get what you want out of the bedroom--if you ask for it. Why should anyone settle for mediocre sex?!Whether addressing sexual frustration with your partner, trying out new fantasies, or negotiating the terms of a BDSM scene, Stella Harris believes that communication skills are vital to sexual fulfillment. Tongue Tied gives readers straightforward advice on how to conquer their fears, identify their needs, and feel positively empowered. Harris charmingly takes readers through all aspects of communication, from basic interpersonal skills to negotiation advice for expert-level kink play. Learn how to have fun, embrace silly moments, support your loved ones, and take personal responsibility for your desires.An incredible guide full of exercises, tools, and personal examples, Tongue Tied is a must-read for people of every experience level and relationship status.

    On partial disability because of gunshot injuries, she’s relegated to doing surveillance gigs and background checks. But things are looking up, since her on-again, off-again relationship is back on and might stay that way. When Annie is hired by Laura Carlton to follow her husband to get evidence of cheating, Annie is certain the case won’t take long. Nick Carlton grew up with money and privilege and has a sex addiction dating back to his high school days. But things go sideways when Annie finds her target dead in an alley just a few blocks from her own home. Working with her former partner, Gunnar Jansson, Annie digs deeper into Carlton’s background, slowly excavating his past to reveal the multiple suspects and motives. The list includes his many lunch-hour-tryst partners, a local shop owner, and his business partner, among others. Layer by layer, Annie uncovers a truth that runs much deeper than anyone expected.

    But what if there was something more? What if you could have success and fulfillment in equal measure? In response to these fundamental questions, Professors Jeff Thompson and Stuart Bunderson draw on research, personal experience, and gospel truths to dispel common myths that can stand in the way of seeking your true calling, the work that brings the greatest meaning and satisfaction to your life. Is there only one true calling for you? Can you still find your calling if you choose to stay at home? What if your calling doesn’t pay enough to live on? Discover the answers to these questions and many more as you learn to tap into the spiritual gifts of God and realize how your talents can bring gratification to your life and blessings to those around you. Brimming with practical activities and applications, this guidebook to pursuing your ideal life’s work will inspire the confidence you need to translate aspiration into action.

    To say that Harriet and her mother had a difficult relationship is a wild understatement; the older Harriet grew, the more estranged they became. By the time Harriet's mom died at age 76, they were out of contact. Yet Harriet felt her death deeply, embarking on an exploration of what family estrangement means—to those who cut off contact, to those who are estranged, to the friends and family members who are on the sidelines. Shadow Daughter tackles a subject we rarely discuss as a culture: family estrangements, especially those between parents and adult children. Estrangements—between parents and children, siblings, multiple generations—are surprisingly common, and even families that aren't officially estranged often have some experience of deep conflicts. Estrangement is an issue that touches most people, one way or another, one that's still shrouded in secrecy, stigma, and shame. In addition to her personal narrative, Harriet employs interviews with others who are estranged, as well as the most recent research on family estrangement, for a brave exploration of this taboo topic. Ultimately, Shadow Daughter is a thoughtful, deeply researched, and provocative exploration of the ties that bind and break, forgiveness, reconciliation, and what family really means.