But the stories end abruptly on the day Adele and her sister are orphaned, and they grow up with only each other to rely on. Adele finds work in an antiques shop but when a wrongful accusation robs her of her reputation, her future looks bleak. So it's not hard for Col Vincent, a successful businessman, to persuade Adele to marry him. Adele grows to love him - until she realises that her husband is a violent man. In the 1930s, a woman who leaves her husband faces penury. Somehow Adele survives, and then news comes that will transform her life, bringing back the haunting memory of the Lydgate Widow - and the man who has loved Adele for decades...

    Mystery, romance, and a dog called Randall will delight and move you. With a bonus alternative prologue to the first book, this collection is the perfect read for lovers of old fashioned romance, family secrets, mysteries, and warm characters you'll grow to love. MARTHA: Where was she all those years? A short, stunning story of love and loss, and the resilience and strength of a woman. THE STATIONMASTER'S COTTAGE: Christie Ryan inherits a rundown old cottage in a small town she's never heard of. Hidden inside are old love letters and unworn wedding rings. With her own life at a crossroads, she meets reclusive artist, Martin Blake, and his golden retriever, Randall. The dog adores her, but his owner refuses to help Christie discover the truth. With time against her, will solving the mystery bring her happiness, or heartache? Award winner, Amazon bestseller. JASMINE SEA: As Christie settles into her new home, the newfound peace is disturbed by a troubling series of crimes in the normally sleepy town. As pressure builds for her to sell the cottage, Christie's future plans are threatened by a mysterious woman who commissions a painting from Martin. In a heart-stopping series of events, Christie comes face to face with her greatest fear… and there is no going around it. With only one chance to save those she loves, will her life be the price? THE SECRETS OF PALMERSTON HOUSE: In 1853, Palmerston House was lost in a game of poker. Now, someone wants it back. Christie finds herself in the middle of a new mystery, trying to discover what do a nineteenth century diary, a grandfather clock, and an old key have in common. As a dangerous plot unfolds, long hidden secrets threaten to change everything held dear to the town. THE CHRISTMAS KEY: A heartwarming novella rounding off the Christie Ryan Romantic Mystery series with the last of the secrets revealed, and delightful Christmas magic to touch the favourite residents of River's End.

    In addition to his day job in the Oxfordshire countryside treating cows, dogs, pigs and cats, he's also worked with an astonishing range of species around the world, including crocodiles, rhinos and pandas. In this charming collection he introduces us to some of his favourite patients, ranging from beloved family pets through to magnificent creatures of the wild. Whether microchipping armadillos, anaesthetising giraffes or advising the makers of the Jurassic World series on exactly how to operate on a velociraptor, Jonathan's love for his work and the entire animal kingdom is infectious. From the preposterous (castrating a sugar glider) to the poignant (encountering victims of rhino poaching), the stories in The Travelling Vet will delight and enthral every animal lover.

    What is going on inside the head of a nightingale as it sings, and how does its brain improvise? How do desert birds detect rain hundreds of kilometers away? How do birds navigate by using an innate magnetic compass?Tracing the history of how our knowledge about birds has grown, particularly through advances in technology over the past fifty years, Bird Sense tells captivating stories about how birds interact with one another and their environment. More advanced testing methods have debunked previously held beliefs, such as female starlings selecting mates based on how symmetrical the male's plumage markings are. (Whereas females can discern the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical markings, they are not very good at detecting small differences among symmetrically marked males!)Never before has there been a popular book about how intricately bird behavior is shaped by birds' senses. A lifetime spent studying birds has provided Tim Birkhead with a wealth of fieldwork experiences, insights, and a unique understanding of birds, all firmly grounded in science. No one who reads Bird Sense can fail to be dazzled by it.

    They unearthed a treasure trove of Cretaceous dinosaurs and mammals, including several new species, that has already helped to reshape our understanding of the dinosaur age. In Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs, team leader Michael Novacek, Provost of Science of the American Museum of Natural History and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, re-creates the day-to-day drama of field exploration over the past six years in the Gobi and recounts his and his colleagues' historic discoveries, reported in front-page headlines across the world. In a remarkable narrative that interweaves expedition chapters with in-depth scientific discussions on the nature and importance of the fossil record, Novacek takes us on a journey that explores the very nature of scientific inquiry and dinosaur research.

    Part I asks: Is evolving Nature all there is – self-generated, self-sustaining, self-contained? Are human beings, as the topmost outgrowth of Nature, responsible to none other but themselves? That is the stance of naturalist and atheist Richard Dawkins. Or is evolving reality derived from, and dependent on, a transcendent Source and Destiny, to whom humans are accountable and whose benevolence reaches out to humans as persons because humans are persons? That is the conviction of the Christian faith. Part II shows that Dawkins’ interpretation of religion is deficient even in evolutionary terms and lacks the objectivity and impartiality of genuine science.Backed with in-depth study and thorough research, Richard Dawkins’ God Delusion: A repentant refutation is a masterfully written work that attempts to provide answers to believers and non-believers by presenting scientific and religious reasoning.

    That word is formication, and the implied sense of horror and fascination, contends Richard Conniff, is something many of us actually crave. His Spineless Wonders presents an unabashed wallow in the joy of formication. Spineless Wonders is an engaging, sophisticated, and humorous mix of natural history and human lore. Through his journalistic assignments, Richard Conniff has been in contact with invertebrates for more than twenty years - tarantulas in the upper Amazon region, dragonflies in Arizona, squid in Florida, and flies on the rim of his beer glass. Discoveries about the extraordinary habits and idiosyncrasies of the moth, the leech, the ant, and the slime eel are opening new frontiers in the exploration of our natural universe. Spineless Wonders takes us directly to these wild and wonderful outposts to observe the hazards of being around invertebrates, the bizarre adaptions that enable them to survive in the world, and also the astonishing work they do - work that enables us to survive.

    Investigative journalist Cal Flyn's ISLANDS OF ABANDONMENT, an exploration of the world's most desolate, abandoned places that have now been reclaimed by nature, from the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea to the "urban prairie" of Detroit to the irradiated grounds of Chernobyl, in an ultimately redemptive story about the power and promise of the natural world.

    These fascinating, enigmatic creatures are a key lynchpin in the working of our planet. Without them the landscape, as well as every aisle in our supermarkets would look radically different. And we're not just talking about honey bees. There are more than 20,000 species of bee worldwide and only a handful make honey. Some live in colonies and others are solitary. We can all help protect them - and they desperately need protecting - but you can't save what you don't love. And you can't love what you don't know. The Good Bee is a celebration of this most vital and mysterious of nature's wizards. Here you'll discover the complexities of bee behaviour - as well as the bits that still baffle us - the part they play in the natural world, their relationship with us throughout history, how they are coming under threat and what we can all do about it.Beautifully produced, with hand-made illustrations throughout, it is a story for our times and a book to treasure.

    This manual will help train wellness coaches—a group comprised of fitness professionals, including personal trainers, dieticians, nurses, and physical therapists—in the techniques and concepts to work with individuals on improving all areas of wellness including fitness, nutrition, weight, stress, and management of life issues that impact health.

    Each case includes an extended discussion, definition of terms, clinical pearls, and USMLE format review questions. This interactive learning system helps you to understand essential concepts instead of memorizing facts.

    

    While struggling to control her new power and curb the pain she learns a powerful truth that could thrust an entire continent into civil war.The stones of power protect the five kingdoms of Wayland - and have done so for two hundred years. Now those stones are failing and a dark power threatens to take control. With the help of her brother, and a young thief, Shaeleen sets out on a dangerous journey to gather and restore the power of all the stones.Will she succeed before the endless lies destroy her? Readers of YA fantasy, unique magic, mighty wizards, reluctant heroes, coming of age, and sword and sorcery will thoroughly enjoy the TruthSeer Archives!

    In their place, an iron-fisted empire has arisen, one that has finally brought order to the war-torn lands. An empire that has outlawed magick for anyone but itself.At last, it seems that peace has come to Emaneska. Or, that is what the emperor would have Emaneska believe. On the fringes of the Arkan Empire, a different story is being written. Those who show magick talent must join the empire, live as an outlaw, or hang for their crimes.The Last War is still being fought, homestead by homestead, and a young peasant girl is about to be thrust into the violent world that exists beneath the lies of empire.Welcome back to Emaneska.

    Contains all three books in the epic fantasy series. The Gods and Kings Chronicles box set includes: A Wizard's Dark Dominion The Guardian The Guardian Stone When Demetry, a promising young wizard at Taper Academy, discovers a fire-damaged book hidden in the headmaster’s study, he can hardly believe his luck. The book contains the original teachings of the gods, spells and enchantments that grant men the power to manipulate the elements and bring life to the inanimate. Ignorant of the consequences, Demetry delves into the book’s dark arts. But when he fails to control the book’s most treacherous spell, it sets off a deadly chain of events that leads to war, the fall of kingdoms, and the reemergence of gods long thought dead. What Reviewers are saying: "It's dark, intense, and character-driven. The setting is full-to-bursting with palpable magic and struggle. And if I say much else, I think I'll be giving far too much away. Like most good books, it's best discovered for yourself." "A dark take on the old sword and sorcery genre that is refreshing and doesn't irk you with tired clichés. Read it now!" "Can't wait to see what's next. Worth the price of admission and then some."