Each tale in author Kevin Moore’s debut collection celebrates the hope, magic, and memories so central to the true meaning of Christmas. Celebrate the season of miracles with this collection of short stories about the lives of ordinary people and the lessons they learn during an extraordinary time of year. You’ll meet a young boy who reevaluates his perceptions after he’s forced to spend Christmas with his stern grandfather, an attorney who seemingly has everything but really has very little; a burned-out homecoming queen who grows weary of her own excuses for failure; and many other memorable characters. As Moore’s protagonists face adversity and sadness, they learn important lessons, gain hope, and experience powerful transformations. The perfect length for reading before bed, on your daily commute, or during a quiet hour, these tales offer you the opportunity to step away from your own life and into a world where it’s always Christmas and where—despite the often painful realities of life—there is always a lesson to learn and a reason to celebrate.

    Worried that her family and work colleagues will discover its existence, she withdraws from everyone and turns to food to suppress her emotions. Twenty-five kilos later, Isla has hit rock bottom and realises she needs the help of her fitness model cousin, Grace, to help get her back on track. But when Grace is injured, Isla finds she lacks the skills and motivation to continue her fitness regime on her own. Fortunately, another saviour arrives in the form of Wes, a cute local personal trainer who convinces Isla to check out his gym. Before long, Isla is rocking her new lifestyle and on the road to getting her old self back. But nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, and she soon finds herself battling a whole new set of challenges, including a rival at a competing gym, an increasingly stressful job, and her deepening feelings for an unpredictable Wes. Will Isla ever resolve the chaos in her life and come out the other end healthy, happy and sane? She sure hopes so.

    Their interaction had a profound effect on them both. When Lisa is sent to live with relatives, the two are sure they will never see each other again. Eighteen years later, Seven often wonders what happened to the girl who lived down the hall. He never forgot her or the objectionable circumstances under which they lived. Lisa, now twenty-six, realizes that she has lived in a cocoon for years, putting her life on hold to care for her grandmother. Upon her grandmother’s death, she has no regrets, only an eagerness to begin anew. Lisa throws herself back into life, but after years of abuse, she shies away from romantic connections. Fate steps in at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, bringing Seven and Lisa face to face with the past—and possibly their future. Seven is still scarred by his childhood—his father’s absence and his mother’s prostitution—and Lisa has never experienced true intimacy. Will they be able to take their lives in a new direction? Introduction to Love and Self tells the passionate tale of a man and woman who share an indelible connection. Follow them as they embark upon a tantalizing sexual journey, seeking the trust and love that each desperately craves.

    With the school director on a power trip and evidence of shady dealings, there’s nothing relaxing about it. Maybe it would be easier if she wasn’t so distracted by Captain MacAlister, the local cop she can’t get along with, yet can’t get out of her head. She didn’t trek up to the middle of nowhere to lose her heart. Mac doesn’t need the kind of trouble he believes Katherine will bring. He’s got enough to deal with from poachers to drug crime. Mac has rules to maintain his faith, like avoiding the pull of an attractive woman who doesn’t fit his life. But when he meets Katherine, he’s drawn in by her intelligence and strength, despite getting burned by her quick temper. When near tragedy strikes, Katherine reveals her feelings, and Mac doesn’t hesitate to respond. If only their scars, both seen and unseen, didn’t threaten to tear them apart. Two wary hearts must soften and two steel wills bend if they have any hope of making it down the broken trail to love.

    They have a life they love in a world they have created for themselves that is filled with harmony and happiness and a touch of chaos too. Then a tragic accident stops their world on a dime. Peace is shattered. Everything is torn asunder as a child is lost—a son and brother—and those left behind are thrust into the darkness of grief and guilt. Celia’s Journey takes the Stranes from the pit of despair through the tentative steps toward healing—testing the strength of their love, searching the depths of their pain, and finding the triumph of their spirit.

    She spends her days producing glamorous runway shows and her nights pursuing her dream of being a writer by exposing the juicy secrets of the fashion underworld. But working 24/7 has sucked all the juiciness out of her own life until a mysterious new client sporting a sweet pair of blue suede shoes knocks her off her feet.

    At the height of the Cold War, he fell for the enemy: Irina, a Soviet naval officer. The streets of Moscow are a world of subterfuge, but they must keep their secret from the KGB.When war erupts in the South Atlantic, Tom is forced to abandon Irina. With the Soviets on his tail, he leads his dive team into the most dangerous place on Earth: a shipwreck with live nuclear weapons. The task is illegal and deniable, but failure is not an option; millions of lives are at stake.With the British submarine HMS Sultan and the Soviet submarine Arkhangelsk facing each other down like gunfighters, Tom’s confronted with a harsh realisation: Irina’s on the other side, playing for the opposition. How can he choose? Will saving Irina lead to the failure of his mission? Can he lead his team to success against the odds?If you like the sound of ‘Jason Bourne meets The Hunt for Red October’, join Tom now in the most dangerous place on Earth.

    Rescued, she is taken to a secret valley, safe. The bearded mountain man and his Indian companions grow in her affections until she opens her heart to her big blue-eyed rescuer. Danger and adventure surround them but the most frightening threat is from her one-time fiance and his obsession with Maryan.

    Now, with paranormal events escalating against her whole family, Joni must get rid of the entity before it destroys them.

    even the most devout canine advocates may come away touched to the core." -Adrea Gibbs, Life With Dogs Meet Shadow. He's a little older and slower than he used to be, but he has a heart of gold, and he's a good dog. People always tell him so. He'll never hesitate to give your face a good licking, and there's no one he loves more than his human, Brian. Brian got a new puppy for Christmas though, leading him to abandon Shadow at the shelter he came from eleven years earlier. Shadow is devastated. Worse, the clock is winding down, even as a caring shelter worker helps him heal from the betrayal. Each day brings him closer to being euthanized in order to make more room at the shelter, and his fate rests in the hands of the very species that betrayed him—humans. Shadow’s story is the story of countless real-life dogs that end up in shelters every year. In an effort to help save them, 20% of royalties will go to Love & Second Chances all-breed dog rescue.

    The word, "idiot" is derived from the Greek word meaning "common man." Aren't we all common man? In fact, there is only One who was uncommon man--Jesus Christ. Elaine W. Miller encourages couples to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and run a marriage marathon like an idiot, but not like a fool. An idiot may stumble or fall, but a fool runs the wrong way. We All Married Idiots teaches husbands and wives to stop concentrating on the three things you will never change in your marriage and begin focusing on the ten things you can. Then, you will esteem your mate as a gift to treasure, not as an idiot to tolerate. Elaine W. Miller is a popular author and speaker known for sharing biblical insights with warmth, enthusiasm, and humor. A member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, she has been encouraging audiences for over 25 years. Elaine and her husband, an ordained minister, have been married 41 years. Together they have led many marriage retreats and counseled numerous hurting couples. Residing in upstate New York, Elaine and Dan enjoy a beautiful and sometimes idiotic life together. Elaine is the author of two additional books, Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Moms and Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Wives.

    Skai was the youngest of five children. Her mother passed when she was just six years old, leaving her in the care of her brother Randy. To keep the kids out the system, Randy took custody of all the children. The only problem was that he hated Skai. Skai found herself being abused mentally, physically, and emotionally by her oldest brother. She grew up hating herself. She had no education, no job, and no one in the world that cared for her. She felt like she was all alone. That was until she met Izzy. Izzy is a retired street dude turned legit. While working on a job, he came across Skai. He had a soft spot for this girl. He knew that she was troubled, but he was unaware as to how deep her troubles were. When her brother resurfaces, things take a turn for the worse. To save her from her past, Izzy found himself turning back to the streets with his guys Xavier, Jay, and Smoke in his corner. What he didn't know was that her present was just has haunting as her past. He thought he had the situation under control, until….

    Though her father had become a mean alcoholic since her mother passed when she was very little, Jasmine loves him and does her best to take care of him. But when money becomes more important to him than anything, Jasmine knows she has to get out of the house, and as quickly as possible. Her desperation causes her to turn to becoming a mail order bride, and before she knows it, she’s on a train heading to the Wild West. Albert is a kind man, very different from her father, and Jasmine settles into married life. But before long, she realizes that Albert, too, has his problems, and secrets that threaten to tear them apart. When danger strikes, Jasmine is pushed to her very limit. Will she ever break through to Albert? Will she find true love? Is she destined to live a life of loneliness forever?

    Pilar thought that life in Florida would be great, since it is nicknamed, The Sunshine State, but little did she know, dark clouds would surround her, after getting involved with Brandon ‘Blizzy’ Lewis, who had his own set of problems; women and gambling. Barak ‘Duke’ Ramses, a native of Egypt, and next in line to be crowned King. At the age of 16, his father, dropped him and his younger brothers off in the United States, as an effort to make them men, and find their own way. Duke made a way for himself, and his brothers, after opening up a chain of pool halls. After Blizzy, one of his faithful customers, and best friends, started stealing money from the company and the customers, putting the Florida location in jeopardy of being shut down. Duke sends one of his brothers to take care of Blizzy, not knowing that Pilar was only inches away and witnesses the murder. After being caught and begging for her life, Duke spares her, but not before putting a strict detail on Pilar, making sure she doesn’t go to the police. Pilar gets fed up with being followed, and ends up moving into Duke’s house, against the wishes of one of his brothers, who also thought that he was not fit to be King. After getting to know Pilar personally, Duke starts to develop feelings for her, but he can’t act on them, due to the secrets that he has. Will Duke risk it all and act on his feelings for Pilar or will he walk away and leave behind an affair that could lead to something special?

    Ten years before… When a fly-on-the-wall documentary crew drops in on a night shift in Bath city centre, PC Ellie Grange and her team are fuelled with anticipation at the thought of becoming TV reality stars. They need it real. They want it uncensored – and they crave a true-to-life experience of the demands faced by Britain's cops on our streets. It's a beautiful evening – the first night shift of a set in the historic Georgian city… what could possibly go wrong? The exhilarating prequel to the first Detective Deans novel, STORM LOG-0505.