But the wealthy Fitzgeralds who live at Ballygrace have little time for village girls, until Madeleine, their unstable, delicate daughter, meets Tara. Tara is everything Madeleine isn't, yet the two girls find themselves becoming firm friends. When Tara meets Gabriel, Madeleine's older brother, she becomes painfully aware of the differences between the Fitzgeralds and the Flynns. Without a wealthy family behind her, Tara will have to work her way to the life she dreams of. Then Tara finds herself with a heartbreaking decision to make, and must leave the world of Ballygrace behind her and flee to England . . .

    He is warned by night whispers to flee from his tiny mountain village of Dun Mare. The stolen egg of a dragon will pay his way, if he manages to live long enough to sell it. However there are forces against him far beyond his understanding. All he believes he knows about his life and home is false, but the egg of the black dragon is the key. Many believe black dragons do not exist or have gone extinct. Gareth finds himself alone in a strange world of tempest seas, flying dragons, and powerful foes vying for the mental powers he may possess, and for control of the egg. Telepathic teachers a secret sisterhood, and the king's armies willing to kill for a black dragon are only the beginning of Gareth's story. The second book of the series is expected to be published by October of 2015.

    53 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more – everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Keeping Faith. This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion and a Free Quiz on Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult.

    Young Kyle struggles to make it through the school day without being noticed, but others intend to make him the center of attention.

    Never been to a movie. Never played baseball with a real team. Never got over feeling guilty for the loss of his brother. But change is in the air. Billy discovers he has a natural talent for baseball, especially as a pitcher. Maybe, just maybe, there's more in store for him than life on the farm. But can Billy convince his father of that? Or is he destined to spend the rest of his life pitching nothing but hay?Teenager Billy Baggs is desperately needed on his family's struggling dairy farm, but he's also an extraordinarily gifted natural baseball player. How he struggles to reconcile his father's desire to keep him on the farm with his coach's interest in getting him on the field is at the heart of this ‘meaty story.… The complex characters grow and change in profoundly real ways.''K. ‘[With] flashes of humor, a wealth of lovingly recounted details evokes the difficult daily life on a small dairy farm.''Publishers Weekly. 1994 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)1993 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)

    Theo, her lovable chocolate Lab, has been her faithful companion since she was born. But now, as a result of the Great Recession, Courtney's world is unraveling. Her father has been unemployed for a long time and the bank is about to foreclose on their home. Soon her family will be moving into an apartment that doesn't allow dogs. Heartbreakingly for Courtney that means Theo won't be able to come along. After unsuccessfully trying to find someone to take the old dog, Courtney's parents decide to take Theo to a no-kill animal shelter as a last resort. But when the day of reckoning arrives something completely unexpected occurs. It ends up leading Courtney on an extraordinary journey, which teaches her important life lessons and makes her understand that a dog's love is forever.

    The rarest of gems, one capable of turning any mage into an unstoppable force of destruction. A gem found only in the empty lands surrounding the Tyber River. And now war has come. Endless war between Esteria and the native Tyberons, a savage and mysterious people who prowl the grass-covered land with spearpoints ready. Unable to end the conflict the Esterians rely on mercenaries to bolster their military, desperate men like Dain Gladstone, a disgraced Paladin. Dain dreams of a peaceful life, a quiet home of his own, and he’s willing to fight for it. The Esterians have a new plan to conquer their enemies. A bold expedition to strike into the heart of the Tyberons and Dain finds himself caught at its center. Can his dream survive the River of Spears?

    Now, though, she must leave behind all she knows to begin a life as a mail order bride. But when fate leaves her an infant to care for on the dangerous journey, she finds herself in an adventure she never dreamed of in her lonely room. And loving a man she was never meant to love. Stagecoach driver Salvatore Gadara has promised to deliver Emily and the helpless infant safely to their destination. But swollen rivers, broken wagons and bitter snowstorms delay his mission, and he realizes his simple job has grown into a mission of love. Now Salvatore must deliver the woman and child he has grown to care for into the arms of another man—that is, if they even make it to their final destination. But sometimes, love takes a path of its own …

    He is standing right here in front of me. This could be the start of something special. It should be the start of something special. Only life isn’t always that simple, is it? With Aidan back in Cheshire and work on Blossom View well under way, it would appear that things are finally falling into place for Sadie Valentine. Her career with the charity is keeping her busy, Aldo is enjoying being off the market and her relationship with her mother is starting to heal, but it’s not long before the cracks start to show. Not wanting to succumb to the anxiety that is slowly casting a shadow over her newly-found happiness, Sadie attempts to press on with her life regardless. As Sadie tries to paper over the cracks, blasts from the past return to tip her world upside down in ways she could never have imagined. With her limits being tested once again, can Sadie use her experience and strength to break free from her anxiety once and for all? They say that the past should stay buried, but what if some ghosts simply refuse to lie low? Slip into Sadie’s world as she tries to adjust to a potentially life-changing discovery and change the perception of mental health forever. The other books in the ANXIETY GIRL series are available worldwide from Amazon. Praise for the ANXIETY GIRL series – “An excellent book combining a very meaningful story with a significant, yet sympathetic, account of mental health challenges faced by many in the modern world.” “This book allowed the reader to understand how much mental health can affect anyone at any time, no matter who you are or where you come from.” “Just reading this book has helped immensely with my anxiety and given me ideas on coping strategies.” “I am a sufferer of anxiety and depression and could relate throughout the whole book.” “This is a powerful story that anyone who has suffered from anxiety can relate to.” “Anxiety Girl has inspired me to learn more about anxiety. Brilliant book that everyone with or without the condition should read.”

    Those things and a little bit of luck have kept him alive, but Angus’ luck is about to be put to the ultimate test. When every clue in a robbery gone wrong points to a unit of corrupt cops, Angus is forced to confront the cop culture he’s been a part of his entire career. Hunted, alone and with no place left to turn, Angus embarks on a pedal to the metal, action packed hell ride down into the gutters where right and wrong quickly become twisted and problems are solved with gunfire and bloodshed. Angus will put his own morality on the line, but will he become the very monster he set out to destroy? This explosive thriller is perfect for fans of heroes who shoot first and ask questions later. Start reading to experience Angus Sullivan’s pulse pounding rampage now!

    But heartbreak awaits among the tidy gardens and green lawns and soon seventeen-year-old Alison is forced to take on responsibility for her out-of-work father and brothers and put her own ambitions aside.Love as well as loss threatens Alison’s future, however, and leads her into a relationship with teacher Jim Abbott, an affair which her brothers, even the brooding Henry, are powerless to understand, let alone prevent. Throughout the Depression years of the early 30s, the Burnsides – united by a shared heritage yet divided by their dreams – square up to the challenge of poverty and fight to hold the family together, whatever the cost.

    Ever hear of the term Pyrrhic victory? A young Roman soldier is a part of history in which the phrase was created.

    FICTION: Poolside at their motel, the Fab Four fell into conversation with a snappy-dressing local named Bert the Shirt, who listened as the band worked out a harmony to the most beautiful song he’d ever heard--and wouldn’t hear again for over half a century. FACT: That night, the Beatles played an unannounced free concert in the motel bar. Everyone was welcome. Local musicians showed up with guitars and keyboards, and had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of jamming with the Beatles till 4 am. This legendary event has forever after been known to Key West locals as THE PARADISE GIG.FICTION: Next day, hung over and exhausted, the Beatles left for the airport, having somehow lost a stained and battered notebook that held a priceless stash of unrecorded songs. NOW CUT TO THE PRESENT: A beautiful woman is doing a yoga headstand on a Key West beach when she’s abducted by a pair of thugs. An aspiring young singer is offered a recording deal that seems a bit too good to be true. Bad things happen to a couple of one-hit wonders…And old Bert hears a new song that is hauntingly familiar, but that he can’t quite place.Could it possibly be the same song he’d heard at poolside so many years before? Could it be that all the present mayhem circles back through the decades to THE PARADISE GIG? Could the precious, even sacred, Beatles notebook possibly turn up after all these years? Could Bert be the hero who would rediscover that stash of unheard songs for music lovers everywhere—and save a young singer’s life in the process? With Nacho, his intrepid Chihuahua, at his side, and with no one but bumbling detective Pete Amsterdam for an ally, the undaunted Bert the Shirt sets out through the Florida haze to piece it all together, learning along the way how much the world has changed—and how much it has not. In equal parts suspenseful and nostalgic, funny and romantic, this time-bending caper celebrates the power of music and the many tricks of memory, the joys of youth and the comforts of age, and the free and funky spirit of Key West.