Camp Nurse: My Adventures at Summer Camp


Tilda Shalof - 2009
    It’s an experience we remember vividly; a time of food fights and cabin raids, first kisses and bittersweet heartbreaks, endless days of sun and fun away from parents. But there’s one person who has a take on camp unlike anyone else: the camp nurse.Camp Nurse reveals what it’s like to be the person kids turn to for help, comfort, and advice. Throughout nurse Tilda Shalof’s six summers at camp, kids troop through the infirmary with a variety of ordinary—as well as some extraordinary—complaints, questions, and ailments, including the symptom endemic to every summer camp: homesickness. Along the way she discovers it’s often the emotional boo-boos that need more attention than the bug bites, poison ivy, and scrapes and scratches that come with the territory.Camp Nurse is funny, entertaining, insightful, and above all heartwarming. It’s filled with all the twinges of nostalgia one expects to get when remembering long-ago summers at camp.Praise for Tilda Shalof’s other books: “A cracking good read.” – Quill & Quire “The best-seller no one can put down.” – Montreal Gazette

Twenty-Eight Snow Angels: A Widow's Story of Love, Loss and Renewal


Diane Dettmann - 2011
    With honesty and a clear perspective, Diane reveals her daily struggles as she faces the difficult realities of grief. The reader feels her pain and at the same time rejoices in her commitment to tackle the daily challenges of life on her own and succeed. Her heartfelt story inspires hope as readers discover they can build a meaningful life-alone or with someone new-after a devastating loss. This inspirational story vividly portrays the painful depths of grief that many people experience with a loss in their life. Diane's descriptive writing captivates the reader and engages them in the journey through her painful loss. Alone for the first time in her life, she realizes the healing powers passing strangers provide as they float in and out of her life. Along the way, she discovers personal strengths and skills she never knew she possessed. With sparks of humor scattered throughout her story, she provides the readers with a glow in the darkness that inspires them to keep going. Twenty-Eight Snow Angels is a book that will leave the reader thinking, "Someone finally gets it " Even counselors, family members and friends who read this book can gain a deeper understanding of how ravishing grief can be to people who have experienced a traumatic loss in their life. "A keenly observed story of the sudden death of a husband. The reader feels the grief and the hope that follows." %u2013Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go "Writer Diane Dettmann's grief makes small events, like the sale of a beloved piano, become as momentous as the sale of a national treasure. In the process, she rediscovers faith, community and love." -Susan Parker, author of Walking in the Deep End "In Twenty-Eight Snow Angels, writer Diane Dettmann gives us a poignant account of a life badly rent and ultimately revitalized in a way we can take to heart." -Peggy Lang, award-winning ghostwriter "The reader is drawn in and captivated by Diane's vivid account of her grief after the death of her loving husband . . . a powerful story of love, grief, hope and faith all can learn from." -Mary Jacks, M.S. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist "Diane's piano move was one of our most memorable. It really touched us all" -Paula Soukup, Manny's Piano Company, Inc.

Addicted: Notes from the Belly of the Beast


Lorna Crozier - 2001
    What is this craving that overpowers all else? What is it like to be addicted, and what does it take to get straight or sober? In this new and expanded edition of a widely praised collection, an outstanding roster of courageous writers present vivid renderings of the addiction experience in all its highs and lows.These first-person accounts describe battles with alcohol, heroin, smoking, food, gambling, and sex. Some contributors still struggle with their habits; others have managed to defeat them; two lost their lives to addiction's ravages. This is a book about compulsion, recovery, and struggle: a potent concoction that will have readers hooked.Contributors include Lorna Crozier, Peter Gzowski, Patrick Lane, Evelyn Lau, John Newlove, Stephen Reid, David Adams Richards, Lois Simmie, Sheri-D Wilson, and Marnie Woodrow.

Picnics & Promises: Six Delicious Summer Romances


Jan Elder - 2017
     MOOSED OPPORTUNITIES—JAN ELDER Rev. Samantha Evans loves Moose Creek, Maine, the land of moose and men, particularly her fiancé Eric Palmer. Forest ranger, Eric, strives to plan their wedding, but Samantha’s busy schedule, his interfering ex-wife, missing college students, and a pregnant moose, all conspire against him. Will their lives continue to be a series of Moosed Opportunities? ZARA’S FOLLY—CLARE REVELL British equestrian, Zara Michaels, heads south to convince TJ Greggson to sell his property to her developer father. Any way she can. TJ co-owns the stables, catering to disabled children—his life’s purpose. His brother wants to sell. TJ doesn’t. Can TJ help untangle Zara from her past follies, or will their secrets destroy them both? A POCKETFUL OF WISHES—MARY MANNERS As childhood neighbors, Jenna Palmer and Carter Stevens discover first love. When a cross-country job transfer separates them, they promise to one day find each other. Years go by and they lose touch until an accident causes their paths to once again cross. Can their promise stand the test of time, or will time crush their promise…and their love? SWEET DELIGHTS—CECELIA DOWDY Patty-Lynn is stunned when she runs into her wealthy ex-boyfriend, Sam. She’s still haunted by their painful breakup seven years ago. Recently widowed, Sam now wants to fix their broken relationship. Seeing Patty-Lynn, happy in her bakery, gives him hope. Can her prize-winning pie recipe sweeten his new business venture and heal their broken hearts? IMPERFECTLY PROVERBS 31—AUTUMN MACARTHUR The last thing geeky Samantha Rose planned for was the homemaking blog only her sister was ever supposed to see going viral. After a disastrous picnic, Daniel Novak, the cynical reporter dispatched to interview her, insists he must reveal the truth. But that could ruin everything, including their budding love. A COURTSHIP FOR CLOVER—MARION UECKERMANN Clover Blume’s chance of getting to know the groomsman escorting her to her sister’s wedding is threatened when he’s delayed. Jonathan Spalding’s money hasn’t managed to buy him one thing: a woman to love. Is the auburn-haired beauty partnering with him at his best friend’s wedding finding a way into his heart? What will it cost Jonathan to realize it profits him nothing to gain the world, yet lose his soul? And the girl.

Amazed by Spain: How an Unexpected Legacy Changed our Lives


Susan Shenton - 2019
    Before sisters Sue and Linda inherit a village house in the hills they have little interest in Spain, but on travelling out to see their new possession they begin to warm to the idea of spending time there with their husbands Paul and Bill. After an enjoyable summer holiday the prospect of living in the village becomes irresistible and this book describes their transition from visitors to residents and the diverse selection of people they meet along the way. This amusing and informative memoir is an ideal read for those interested in the possibilities of expat life in rural Spain.