Sprinklers sprayed lawns; the hum of leaf blowers and weed trimmers filled the air, racing against daylight to finish their Saturday evening chores. On the street, kids played or clustered in groups around streetlights as if waiting for them to glow in the coming twilight. The amber lamps flickered on, glowing steady. Moths appeared almost as if breathed from the night air. Fireflies waltzed across lawns in weak but whimsical imitation of the nightlights of Fairbury. The lights flickered. Dimmed. Blackness shrouded the neighborhood as screams pierced the night air. One little boy. One terrified family. One loving community. Life changes–sometimes in an instant. For the Cox family, that change comes on a lazy June evening. A raven flies into a power line and falls to its death as a transformer blows. Three-year-old Nathan Cox points to the ground and says, “Look, Daddy!” Fire consumes a fence and Jon Cox leads his son to safety–or so he thinks. Impending twilight hides a live power line that lies in the shadows of the alley. Screams rip through the night air and the hearts of Jon and Kelly Cox as Nathan writhes in pain. Jon jerks his son to safety, but not before the damage is done. The paramedics agree. “He should be dead.” The doctors work through torturous therapies to heal him–therapies little Nathan doesn’t understand. His words rip through the hearts of his parents–his family. “Don’t hurt me, Daddy.” But through the pain, the fear, the loss of the carefree innocence of a life before trauma, bright moments appear and grow. Strangers from all over the world band together, united in prayer for the healing of one pain-riddled little boy. Strangers all across the country offer help in the way of fundraisers. And through it all, one community shows the power of uniting together in one purpose. Car washes, bake sales, business donations and discounts, donation cans, and a recycling drive appear one after the other in an effort to help offset the staggering financial burden of nearly a month in a hospital–without insurance. In one great leap of faith and show of love, a group of musicians gather to present a benefit concert. Businesses offer free fliers, matching donation funds, and volunteer time. People appear from all corners of the town to do their part to ensure that the concert is a rousing success. One theme runs through the course of each event and surmounts every obstacle. “God’s got this.” And little Nathan? He’s the inspiration that ties it all together. His heart wrenching cries and screams as he tries to walk again unites a community. His goofy smile and loopy comments add hope amid the pain of suffering. Ask him–just ask him what happened. He’ll tell you. “A bird died.”

    Extra material: An Author’s Note is included in the back of the book.Mike Costa has lived his whole life in The Strip, Pittsburgh’s warehouse and factory district. His father’s large Italian family runs a food wholesale business, and Mike is used to the sounds and smells of men working all night to unload the trains that feed the city. But it’s 1933, and the Depression is bringing tough times to everyone. Money problems only add to Mike’s worries about his beloved grandfather, who is getting forgetful and confused.     Mike is being tormented at school by a loud-mouth named Andy Simms, who calls Mike “Macaroni Boy.” But when dead rats start appearing in the streets, that name changes to “Rat Boy.” Around the same time Mike notices that his grandfather is also physically sick. Can whatever is killing the rats be hurting Mike’s grandfather? It’s a mystery Mike urgently needs to solve in this atmospheric, fast-paced story filled with vibrant period detail.From the Hardcover edition.

    Alma the cat lives with Madame SoSo, an opera diva. When Madame rehearses, Alma softly sings along. Madame doesn’t know Alma’s secret—in fact, she doesn’t pay Alma much attention at all. But on the night of the big performance, Madame comes down with laryngitis . . . and at last Alma is given a chance to prove she is no ordinary animal. Accompanied by vivid, detail-filled illustrations, this story will resonate with anyone—feline or human—who has ever longed for a moment in the spotlight.

    There's the story about great-grand uncle Mustard who upgrades his family to a lovely three-bedroom brick house. (All's well until some wolves with snout-warts show up.) And there's the one about how starving Grandma Lois was forced to take a job spinning straw into gold. (Impossible to do . . . until a hairy chimney troll comes along.)With allusions to classic fairy tales, plus a storytelling rat to rival Scheherazade, this book—which also includes black-and-white illustrations, a family tree, and a map of Bob's neighborhood—is sure to hold both cats and kids captive.

    And trust. They want things just so. And, sometimes, they do not want to come inside. But a little patience and a little attention can make all the difference . . .Here’s a loving tribute to feline companionship, sure to warm human and kitty hearts—because cat company is worth waiting for!

    Purrloom Popcorn, an exotically beautiful cat with one blue eye and one gold eye, receives his first real love from a lonely girl and an array of ghost cats.

    The dog's name is Cookie, and although fun-loving Gabby enjoys Cookie's company, grouchy Bud does not. In fact, Bud gets so fed up with Cookie that he kicks her out of the house. "No dogs allowed " he declares. But when a big black rain cloud approaches and Gabby looks worried, will Bud have a change of heart? Greeting card artist Anne Davis offers sly humor and bold, expressive art in a story that is pitch-"purrfect" in every way.

    When Denis receives a call to help an abused and starved racehorse called Lady May, he has no idea how this new bond of friendship will shape his life. Toby, Denis and Lady May’s adventures through the Northumberland countryside tells a special story filled with love, laughter and loss.

    Named Muffler, and raised by simple goat herders, Muffler seems all set to lead a perfectly normal and peaceful life- except that he has the power to talk to animals. This leads him into a friendship with Grimbold, a black cat who knows a lot more than he lets on. Enemies in the world of night continue to conspire against Muffler and his long-lost family, and since cats are the only creatures, apart from poets, who can slip between the mundane and magical realms, Grimbold soon emerges as Muffler's ally in a struggle beyond his wildest dreams.

    He’s smart, talented, sometimes even charming. You’d think he could find a better gig than carrying on his grandfather’s legacy as a ‘Private Dick.’Cole is out of money, out of ideas, and out of his league. That’s why he’s stuck looking for a stolen Sinatra record… a record that may be just a figment of an old man’s imagination.Of course, if that were true, Moss wouldn’t have so many people busting down his door.A vivacious redhead, a foul-mouthed Irish rock star, and a whip-smart little girl only complicate the job, when all Cole wants is a good cup of coffee and some Hot Sinatra.If only he can stay alive—and in one piece—long enough to find it. Advance Praise for HOT SINATRA:“Axel Howerton is one of the best new crime fiction writers out there—hell, one of the best writers, period. Do yourself a favor and settle into Axel’s groove.” – Scott S. Phillips, Author of Squirrel Eyes and Tales of Misery & Imagination, and Writer/Director of Stink of Flesh and Gimme Skelter“Moss Cole sizzles hotter than bacon.” – Red Tash, Author of Troll, Or Derby and This Brilliant Darkness

    Every member of the family will enjoy this tale of wagon trains, cowboys, settlers, love, romance, and did I mention wagons?

    Often words cannot describe man's best friend, so sometimes you've got to break the rules! Susan Campbell Bartoletti unleashes a whole new pack of adjectives in this howling ode to the hound dog. Together, with Beppe Giacobbe's feist-y art, Bartoletti re-domesticates the dictionary and revolutionizes the way pets are portrayed, in a list poem wordsmiths and dog devotees will sit up and beg for.

    Here she meets some stray cats who call themselves “The Gang of the Feline Sun". The new friends convince her to escape her owners and become a free cat. But while Brina enjoys her newfound freedom and all the new types of delectable bugs the countryside has to offer, her young owners are panicking over losing her, a member of their family. Brina must make a choice to live with her owners , where it’s safe (but confined) or go in the wilderness. A heartwarming tender cat tale.

    But, when something dark from Frisk's past emerges, can the two of them overcome whatever comes their way, no matter what? *** Read It FREE With Kindle Unlimited Or Prime Membership! Don't have a Kindle device? No worries! Read it on your PC, Mac, Tablet Or Smartphone! ***

    As part of his duties Jim is in charge of the ship's cat, a beautiful tortoiseshell that also appears happy to be on board. He calls the cat by the ship's construction number, 4-0-1, certain that she will bring him good luck. And he's delighted when 4-0-1 shortly gives birth to a litter of kittens. But once the ship's trial runs are completed and it's ready to launch to sea, Jim notices that 4-0-1 is nowhere to be found. He's got to find her--the Titanic can't cast off without her lucky cat. Jim is faced with a decision that will affect the rest of his life.