So why would anyone dump a body in their orchard? Can the visionary Father Ambrose hold onto his own peace of mind, help his fragile community survive, and assist the police to catch a murderer? Life Without Shoes is a gentle newcomer in the world of clerical mysteries--welcome!Donna Fletcher Crow, The Monastery Murders SeriesIn the tradition of Grantchester, the Rabbi Small mysteries, the Cadfael Chronicles, and The Monastery Murders Series, Life Without Shoes confronts a modern-day monastic with a horrifying crime.It's late summer and Father Ambrose is looking forward to an abundant and joyful harvest at New Life Ecumenical Retreat. That dream is shattered when someone dumps a body in one of their orchards.As Abbot, Ambrose is forced into the role of protector of New Life and, eventually, private investigator, working alongside Sheriff Charlie Cormley to identify and bring the perpetrator to justice. He has no fondness for the world beyond the gates, but now he must put all that aside and do what's best for his community.Through meditation and his commitment to compassionate service, Father Ambrose finds himself engaged with the outside world in ways he couldn't have predicted, and in the process, must prove the innocence of the New Life community or see it crumble around him.

    101 hilarious and dirty jokes for adults.

    It is packed with stories and anecdotes from behind the image. There are tips on using social media to get your images seen by millions. The book offers advice on hiking, travel and the great outdoors as well as useful information on technical subjects such as where to focus and shooting RAW. After reading this book, not only will your photography start to improve, but you will be inspired to get up and out at dawn and stay out until dark. This book is for the beginner as well as the seasoned professional. Travel, Learn, Explore, Shoot.

    Lila Stone’s patients are suddenly developing deadly infections and she can’t figure out why. Could it have anything to do with her secret double life? While she juggles her orthopedic practice, her sick patients, and her late night addiction, a new romance begins to bud. Lila’s complicated life, filled with highs, lows and designer clothes will take you on a wild ride into the intimate psyche of a woman who wants it all, but may not be ready to have it all.

    The city nestled along the Mighty Mississippi. She returns to Burlington. The solitude she desires as she restores her grandmother's small house isn't turning out to be all she hoped for. Before she knows it her cousin Casey is at the door desperate to find refuge from a high pressure job she can no longer sell her soul for. Together the two discover long hidden answers to old family mysteries as they also seek the answers to the sudden changes in their lives. But it is Mary's unanticipated ownership of the family ancestral white elephant that brings family members unexpectedly to her door in the middle of the night. Before long, the small house is once again crowded with family. From her Aunt Charlie who longs to be free of the cloistering concern of her grown children to nineteen year old Mallie who dreams of something different than what her parents dream of for her. Return to Cedar Hill, first in the Hills of Burlington books, brings six women together, family and friends, each at a crossroad in their lives, and searching for something they've not yet found.

    When Rob's busy schedule leaves Shelia longing for love and affection she falls into the arms of Jason. Jason is the handsome and powerful heir to The Young Family Empire. He has been married to his beautiful wife Karen for three years. He loves her and treats her like a queen, but lately he seeks adventure. When he begins an affair with Sheila he finds out she’s just the adventure he needs. After they decide they will keep their affair going, Jason creates some rules. But when feelings began to develop and the rules get broken, drama begins. How far will Jason and Sheila go to protect their affair? Games Lovers Play is the first book in the Games Lovers Play Series. Each Book is about 30,000 words. This book contains page turning drama and explosive love scenes!

    After a disastrous marriage, Angie Jamison has no interest in giving her heart to another man. Angie now devotes her life to training and placing therapy dogs. When her German shepherd pup bonds instantly with a friend’s brother, Angie offers to loan him the shepherd on one condition: he socialize the pup and teach her basic obedience under Angie’s instruction. Ryan figures he has nothing to lose by giving the pup a temporary home. The dog’s companionship might even help him cope with the all-consuming guilt that has plagued him since the night his best friend died in his arms. Can the love of a therapy dog help heal Ryan and Angie’s damaged hearts and give them the courage to trust in love?

     A spiritual romance based on a true life-story Bridge to Another Dimension is an exceptional novel that dares take the reader beyond the familiar and well known. It will introduce you to a world hidden from view and broaden your consciousness to a message from the world beyond life. Souls can communicate, if our hearts are open to listen Based on a true story and was written with a genuine sense of mission, Bridge to Another Dimension is both an inspiring dive into the world of souls and other dimensions and a gripping love story, read with bated breath.

     To this day, her brothers, Jason and Brandon, and two cousins, Zach and Tyler have never stopped looking. The Fierce Four, as the town’s residence have come to call them, went so far as to open their own private security firm—Eagle—in the name of figuring out what happened to Annabelle. It’s a good thing, too, because ever since the girl’s disappearance, Mystic Springs has been plagued with cases of kidnapping, missing persons, and stalking—it would seem this town is in high need of protection. JASON When a woman by the name of Rebecca Sauder spills into private security agent, Jason Braun’s office with grave concerns for her life—she’s being stalked but can’t prove it, the threats in the air feel like cold hands tightening around her throat, but the police won’t help—everything Jason thought he knew about Mystic Springs—and falling in love—is quickly turned on its head. Not only is Rebecca being stalked to a life-threatening extent, but her aggressor holds the key that will unlock the first clue as to what happened to Annabelle Braun all those years ago. BRANDON When a brand-new client, a quiet mysterious woman by the name of Molly Jaspers hires Eagle Security—and Brandon specifically—he soon realizes he might not want to be a loner forever. Molly is far too enchanting, and the reason she’s come to his private security firm, too intriguing. Her sister was killed in a car crash that Molly knows was no accident. And the twist that keeps her up at night? It was Molly’s own car that her sister was driving. ZACH Agent Zach Winter spent his senior year of high school in love with the girl next door—stunning, French transfer student, Sophia Rothschild. It was never more than that, admiration from afar, despite their mutual attraction. Sophia chose the captain of the football team instead and got married quickly after graduation, but she never left Zach’s thoughts. When Sophia shows up at his private security firm, having been framed for the murder of her late husband, Zach finds the old flame that used to burn in his heart for her is reignited. TYLER Brittany Masterson comes with a dark past, one she’s working hard to forget. Beautiful and slender, with an edge of sorrow radiating from her alluring blue eyes, she’s built her life around her precious daughter, Ella, and is determined to find happiness in Mystic Springs. The bedrock of her effort is a promise she made to herself to never again become involved with a man. But that promise is quickly shattered when she has no choice but to accept the help of the very sexy bodyguard Tyler after young Ella goes missing. JESSICA Adam Walsh has big dreams. Born and raised in the backwoods of Alaska, he’s held his long-term goal of opening a cabin building company in the forefront of his mind. But money has never been easy to come by. Scrimping and saving, for the past three years he’s been moonlighting as an exotic dancer in Anchorage’s premiere male strip club. He’s got the body and the moves, but does he have what it takes to win the heart of a woman like Jessica when he hires her for protection against a stalker who has been targeting a number of the Beefcake dancers?

    He may look like your regular ginger flabby tabby, but unlike most tabbies, he can actually communicate with his human, reporter for the Hampton Cove Gazette Odelia Poole. Max takes a keen interest in the goings-on in their small town, by snooping around with his best friends Dooley, a not-too-bright ragamuffin, and Harriet, a gorgeous white Persian. Their regular visits to the police station, the barbershop and the doctor’s office provide them with those precious and exclusive scoops that have made Odelia the number one reporter in town. Purrfect Murder When the body of a bestselling writer is discovered buried in the last Long Island outhouse, and a new policeman arrives in town to solve the murder, it looks like things are about to change in Hampton Cove. Detective Chase Kingsley doesn’t take kindly to nosy reporters like Odelia snooping around his crime scene or interviewing his suspects. And to make matters worse, he’s got a cat of his own in Brutus, a buff, black bully, who, just like his owner, likes to lay down the law. Soon Brutus isn’t just restricting access to the police station, but he’s putting the moves on Harriet, breaking up the band.

 Now it’s all Odelia, Max and Dooley can do to try and solve the murder, in spite of Detective Kingsley’s and Brutus’s protestations, and show the overbearing cop and his bullyragging feline how things are done in Hampton Cove. Purrfectly Deadly When famous eighties pop star John Paul George is found floating facedown in his pool, Hampton Cove’s premier sleuthing tabby Max and his feline friends are on the case. Soon they’re chasing leads and following clues, helping their human Odelia Poole, reporter for the Hampton Cove Gazette, solve the murder.

 Meanwhile, new cop in town Chase Kingsley has his own problems to deal with. An old scandal threatens to get him kicked off the force. And even though Odelia and Chase don’t always see eye to eye, she decides to help him clear his name, even if it means keeping Chase’s cat Brutus, Max’s self-declared nemesis, in town.

 Soon Max is up to his whiskers in drug dealers, boy toys, disgruntled ex-wives and even more drug dealers, all while competing with Brutus for the title of Hampton Cove’s one and only ‘true detective.’ Purrfect Revenge Blorange tabby Max and ragamuffin Dooley are on the case again. This time a world-famous reality star has been found murdered in her own bed, and it looks like the crime just might be terror-related. The Kenspeckles, stars of the well-known reality show Keeping Up with the Kenspeckles, are in town to film a new season of their show, so the case soon turns into a complete media circus, with the Kenspeckles insisting the entire investigation is filmed for their show.

 Odelia Poole, Hampton Cove’s premier reporter, teams up with Detective Chase Kingsley to catch the killer, but with cameras filming their every move, and every Kenspeckle a suspect, they’re not making a lot of progress. Good thing Odelia’s cats Max and Dooley can sneak around undetected, tracking leads and hunting clues. But first they have to pacify Shana’s French Bulldog Kane, who just might be in possession of the clue that breaks the case. And they have to outsmart Chase’s black tabby Brutus, who has his own reasons to find the killer.

    You would find yourself closely connected to these stories. They will encourage you to explore your own potential to inspire you, and to achieve your real worth. This book will also help you to understand the traits that keep you from achieving your dreams. The book lays down a process to help you emerge from the clutches of negativity and develop a positive approach towards life.By investing time in yourself, acknowledging your potential, setting a worthy goal, avoiding common traps, surviving bad days and harvesting the power of thoughts, you can be successful.Read this interesting book to Know Your Worth.-------------------------------------------------N.K. Sondhi:N.K. Sondhi’s first book was 'Management of Banking', which draws upon his experiences as a manager in the Punjab National Bank. He then turned to fiction writing, bringing forth the seen and unseen aftermaths of the partition of India in 1947 in his novel 'Cart full of Husk'. He followed it up with a short non-fiction, 'Forgotten City of Delhi (How Delhi became Delhi)'. He wrote his next book, 'A Match Made in Heaven: A 2000-year-old love story', based on the life of an Indian princess, who became first queen of Korea in 48 AD.Working with young people as he pursued social activities after his retirement, he sensed the restlessness among youngsters, who are facing a large number of problems due to stiff neck to neck competition in every field of life. Growing use of advanced technology has further alienated them from the main stream of the society. This has led him to initiate this book 'Know Your Worth' with the young and enterprising writer Ms. Vibha Malhotra.-------------------------------------------------Vibha Malhotra:Vibha Malhotra is the founder of 'Literature Studio' and editor-in-chief of the literary e-journal 'Literature Studio Review'. In the past, she has worked as an editor with Dorling Kindersley (Penguin Random House) where she has edited beautiful coffee table books on subjects such as history, nature, fitness, lifestyle, and travel.She is also a poet and a translator. Her work has been published in literary journals across the world such as Wasafiri, Muse India, Tipton Poetry Journal, The Luxembourg Review, Red Fez, and in dailies such as The Times of India and Ceylon Today. 'Know Your Worth' is her first work as an author.Vibha holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Newcastle University, UK. She teaches creative writing to all age groups. By Profession, Vibha is a Lead Software Engineer at Adobe Systems.-------------------------------------------------CONTENTS1. Acknowledge Your Superpowers2. Invest in Yourself3. Take Charge4. Set a Worthy Goal5. Identify Your Worst Enemy6. Turn Your Fear into an Opportunity7. Avoid the Common Traps8. Harvest the Power of Thoughts9. Watch Your Attitude10. Keep Your Communication Clear11. Be Mindful12. Surviving Bad Days13. Nurture Your Ecosystem14. Stay SuccessfulINVEST IN YOURSELF Now that you know that you have superpowers that are there within you and can be harvested whenever you need them, it is important to take time to really explore all your strengths and weaknesses. Only then can you be fully prepared to achieve your goals. But we are mostly clueless that understanding ourselves doesn’t have to be a slow, tedious process, it can always be sped up.All of us are born with inherent likes and dislikes. Even a fetus in the womb has its own taste preferences, resulting in the seemingly irrational food cravings that expecting mothers experience. These preferences, likes, and dislikes are clues to the things you will be good at. If a child enjoys painting more than singing, chances are that the child will be better at painting than he/she is at singing. You can think of these as clues that nature chose to expose to us so that we can carve a satisfying path for ourselves.Most of us, even as adults, have whims, and mostly we choose to ignore them. Even as children, we are rarely able to indulge in every whim. There are always limitations – in terms of time, finances, facilities etc. – to keep us from fully exploring what we are capable of. But these are not the only factors that stop us. The biggest factor, in fact, is our own inhibitions, especially once we are grown-ups. We are afraid of new experiences, afraid of disappointment, afraid of failure, afraid of making fools of ourselves. And this fear keeps us from taking advantage of opportunities to gather new experiences. Let us try to understand this with the example of a young girl called Shikha. Shikha and the Ideation CompetitionShikha was an editor at a publishing house. She was very good at her job and apart from being an excellent editor, she also often proposed new book ideas to the publishing house.The publishing house announced a competition in which teams would work together and come up with new book ideas that they would then present to a jury comprising of senior publishers from all over the world. The selected idea would then be converted into a book that would be sold all over the world.Shikha had never ever participated in a competition, let alone won it. She wasn’t at all confident of her abilities to work in a team. And the fact that the competition was about new book ideas was making her restless. By proposing new book ideas in the past, she had earned a reputation in that area. Her colleagues and even her boss thought of her as a creative thinker. Shikha was worried that if she participated in this competition and lost it, her reputation as a creative thinker would be tarnished too. Can you guess why she was so full of doubts? It was because she had always attributed her past achievements to good luck, and had never given herself any credit for the book ideas she had come up with. Thus, she was afraid of being exposed as someone who really did not possess any great talent.She was still in this state of dilemma when she discovered that her manager had already nominated Shikha’s name for the competition. Now she had no choice, so she decided to go with the flow. With each passing day, her desperation to win the contest increased, and by the time the date of the competition arrived, she found herself unable to sleep. She knew that she would do anything to win this competition. For the first time in her life she was this passionate about something. She wanted to give it her all.On the day of the competition, she was put in a team and the team started with discussing the various ideas that all members had. Shikha had a great idea, but when she saw more merit in the idea proposed by another team member, she voted for it to be taken up for further preparation and the final presentation. She was almost feverish with excitement. And when her team members were of the opinion that they should give their best and not really care if they win or lose, Shikha was single-minded about her goal of winning the competition. Her focus proved to be contagious and soon all her team-members too were bubbling with enthusiasm. Guided by their single goal, the group of strangers really became a team and the initial idea evolved to become something they all believed in. Though the team leader was someone else, everyone could see that Shikha was the driving force for the team. When it was time to present their idea, the team leader proposed that Shikha should do it. And the presentation left the judges mesmerized. When their team emerged the winner, no one was surprised. Their idea and their presentation of it were deemed to be the best.Once she was out of the competition frenzy, Shikha herself was surprised. She couldn’t understand what had come over her during the competition. But she was glad to discover this other Shikha. She had gone into the competition based on her creative thinking, but her team had emerged a winner because of her team spirit and leadership skills. Shikha was surprised to discover these two new skills in herself. She had never thought herself capable of what she had achieved. Most of us are like Shikha – capable, but afraid of failure and public ridicule. And this is why we do not take chances in life. We like to play safe. But one can never really truly understand oneself by remaining in a shell. Unless you experience new things, you can never experience a new you. Unless you take risks, you can never transcend your normal, day-to-day existence.But, what gives us the capacity to take risks? Our confidence on our strengths and abilities. And from where do we get this confidence? Unfortunately, it isn’t a commodity and you cannot buy it from a shop. Money can’t buy you confidence. You need to work hard to develop it. You need to test yourself, which is again done by putting yourself in situations that you feel are beyond your reach. So, this is once again a chicken-and-egg situation. But after you have been through some such cycles and are confident of the situations you can handle, you are in a better position to fix your goals.However, it is easier said than done. Unfortunately, life is not a fairy tale and this means that we will not succeed every time we take up a challenge. There will also be times when we fail. This is inevitable. We will invariably have to face problems, and this may shake our confidence. Dealing with failures is not easy. It is like a double-edged sword. If you take failures too seriously, they may end up crushing you. On the other hand, if you take them too lightly, you will not learn any lessons from them, which means that the risk that you took would go to waste. So, you need to recognize failures for what they are – failures. Nothing more, nothing less. If you fail in a challenge, it does not mean that you yourself are a failure. This is the most common mistake we commit. Failing a challenge means that you failed that challenge. You need to analyze the situation, see what you could have done better, and move on to the next challenge where you can test your learnings.This act of never giving up, will give you confidence and this confidence helps us realize our capabilities. And this, in turn, shows in our personality. We hold our head high. We walk with determination. We talk with conviction, and we are normally in a good mood. Confidence also gives us perseverance – the ability to keep going after a failure. If you haven’t invested in yourself, you are more likely to give up after a failure or two.Confidence helps us stay on our path and not go astray. Many hurdles and problems may block our way and discourage us, but if we have confidence, we will not let these hurdles stop us. Instead we will search for an alternate path to our goal. The Little Bird and the BranchOnce a little bird landed on a branch high up a tall tree. The jungle below was full of dangerous predators but at this height, they posed no danger to the little bird. Feeling safe and protected, the little bird rested, enjoying the beautiful view around, and feeling completely at peace. Just as the bird became used to the branch, a strong wind started blowing, shaking the entire tree. The tree swayed with such intensity that it appeared the branch would break and fall down.To other animals, this could be a matter of great worry, but the little bird was not worried. Do you know why? Because the little bird knew its own powers and strengths. Even if the branch was to fall down, the bird knew that it had wings and the ability to fly. And the bird was also aware that if this branch was to fall, there are many other branches that could be used instead. Therefore, the bird, though tiny in size, sat on the branch, braving the high wind. The animals below, all of them much stronger than the bird, were filled with much admiration for this courageous little creature who was braving difficult circumstances. The story of this small bird tells us a lot about our own self-confidence and courage. If one road is blocked there are others we can follow. And if there are no new roads, there’s always the earth on which we can make a new road.

    He lands an enviable gig writing about shopping and fashion for the city’s major newspaper, but an ill-fated promotional junket gets Albo into hot water. He becomes a gossip item and finds himself caught in an acrimonious war between Old and New Media. Here's a gimlet-eyed account of the back-biting media scene, a glimpse into the inner workings of the fashion crowd, and a candid portrait of what it takes to survive as a writer in today’s chattering and watchful New York City."I was perilously close to exposing a secret underground economy of promotion: favors and junkets and banquets and gifts that keeps the city in motion, and keeps underpaid writers at work. Basically, I became the Silkwood of Swag."

    A Race Too Far is the story of how the race unfolded, and how it became a tragedy for many involved.Of the nine sailors who started the race, four realised the madness of the undertaking and pulled out within weeks. The remaining five each have their own remarkable story. Chay Blyth, fresh from rowing the Atlantic with John Ridgway, had no sailing experience but managed to sail round the Cape of Good Hope before retiring. Nigel Tetley sank whilst in the lead with 1,100 nautical miles to go, surviving but dying in tragic circumstances two years later. Donald Crowhurst began showing signs of mental illness and tried to fake a round the world voyage. His boat was discovered adrift in an apparent suicide, but his body was never found. Bernard Moitessier abandoned the race whilst in a strong position and carried on to Tahiti, where he settled and fathered a child by a local woman despite having a wife and family in Paris. Robin Knox-Johnston was the only one to complete the race.It has undoubtedly become the most legendary of modern stories of men pitting themselves against the sea. Forty years on, Chris Eakin recreates the drama of the epic race, talking to all those touched by the tragedies surrounding the Golden Globe: the survivors, the widows and the children of those who died. It is a book that both evokes the primary wonder of the adventure itself and reflects on what it has come to mean to both those involved and the rest of us in the forty years since.

    And in the Crogan's Adventure, you'll get an epilogue to the story of one of the brothers from Crogan's Loyalty.

    But are they? He is probably the only man who has ever requested the recipe for an airline’s lasagna or wanted to enjoy his flight with an inflatable rubber woman sat on his knee. Prepare to meet the man who must have his diet of stir-fried mulberry leaves accommodated and the man who left his false teeth on a flight and is sure he recognized them on a later flight—in a flight attendant's mouth. Ravenscroft's correspondence tackles travel annoyances like excess baggage charges alongside more surreal letters, such as the one starting out asking an Australian airline if they offer an authentic Australian experience (for instance, Australian cuisine or in-flight movies) which then moves on to the question of at what age a baby is safe from being swallowed by a dingo.