Human beings are made in the image of God, the ultimate source of creativity, yet many of us don't recognize the inherent creativity we have. I have written a book for creators called "The Crowd, the Critic, and the Muse" that addresses the soulishness of human creativity. It is a book that reminds us who we are, and aims to inspire us to be who we are made to be. The book was inspired by a conversation that started with a blog I wrote last year called "Zombies, Wine and Christian Music." I wrote that blog thinking very few people would pay any attention to it, but within a couple days of posting, it had nearly fifty-thousand hits! This surprised me, but it also showed this is a conversation people are wanting to have. A lot of the most popular creative expressions of our culture (religious or not) have become anemic and soulless. We live in a noisy, technologically-crazed, consumeristic, fame-worshiping culture that has provided a less-than-healthy ground in which to plant our creative endeavors. In the book I suggest we must address this problem by looking deeper than the art itself; into our cultural conditioning as well as our most basic beliefs, doubts, passions, instincts, and gears. Our creativity comes directly from our humanness, and if we want our creative work to be richer and more robust, we must not simply try harder; we must become different. This is a book for creators written from the perspective of an artist. Through story and reflection, I hope to inspire some fresh thought and awareness of the roots of our creative endeavors. How we order creation is directly entwined with what it means to be human. So what shall we make of the world?

     Rachel is a rising tennis star. But does she want success more than she wants a 'real' life, and a steady boyfriend like everyone else? Susie is Rachel's mother. All she wants is her partner Billy - but he's left her, and it's a huge shock. Is she brave enough to start again? Gordana is Rachel's grandmother. She has everything she ever wanted: health, wealth and a loving family - or at least she thinks she does. Ivan is the link between them all: Rachel's dad (and coach), Susie's ex-husband and Gordana's son. It's no secret that he can be difficult. But nobody is prepared for what happens when he gets arrested, or the changes that it forces on all their lives.

    But Merry has a secret: the magic has stopped flowing from her fingers. Try as she might, she can’t summon up the sparkle that makes her stories shine. And as her deadline whooshes by, her personal life falls apart too. Alex tells her he wants something other than the future she’d always imagined for them and Merry finds herself single for the first time since – well, ever. Desperate to get her life back on track, Merry leaves London and escapes to the windswept Orkney Islands, locking herself away in a secluded clifftop cottage to try to heal her heart and rediscover her passion for writing. But can the beauty of the islands and the kindness of strangers help Merry to fool herself into believing in love again, if only long enough to finish her book? Or is it time for her to give up the career she’s always adored and find something new to set her soul alight??The brand new series from Holly Hepburn, author of A Year at the Star and Sixpence. Parts one to four in the new series are available to pre-order now: BROKEN HEARTS AT BRIGHTWATER BAY, SEA BREEZES AT BRIGHTWATER BAY, DANGEROUS TIDES AT BRIGHTWATER BAY and SUNSET OVER BRIGHTWATER BAY ~*~Praise for Holly Hepburn~*~ 'A fresh new voice, brings wit and warmth to this charming tale of two sisters' Rowan Coleman 'Warm, witty and laced with intriguing secrets! I want to pull up a bar stool, order a large G&T and soak up all the gossip at the Star and Sixpence!' Cathy Bramley 'You'll fall in love with this fantastic new series from  star of women's fiction, Holly Hepburn. Filled to the brim with captivating characters and fantastic storylines in a gorgeous setting ... simply wonderful. I want to read more!' Miranda Dickinson 'The Star and Sixpence sparkles with fun, romance, mystery, and a hunky blacksmith. It's a real delight' Julie Cohen 'Like the dream pub landlady who always knows exactly what you want, Holly Hepburn has created the most delightful welcome to what promises to be a brilliant series, in the first Star and Sixpence. The sisters are warm and intriguing, the neighbours are (mostly!) friendly and the gossip is utterly addictive. I was very sad when it was time for last orders, and am already looking forward to the next round. Especially if a certain blacksmith happens to be at the bar...' Kate Harrison 'Warm, witty and utterly charming, Snowdrops at the Star and Sixpence is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter's day.

    His voice so raw. His scent so animal.But is this wrong? Is he just taking advantage of me?I don’t have any experience with men. His presence is driving me crazy.I want this, but I feel so guilty.I’m too young. He’s twice my age.We barely know each other.Proper young ladies don’t do these things.Right?But why do I crave him so badly?Fine… I’ll give in.Just this one time.Just to see what it’s like.I hope I don’t enjoy it too much.I don’t want to get addicted to this kind of thing.

     Before Project Overtime, Task Force Zombie, or Green Ghost, there was just Nick Bauer, a teenager. Then he, his twin sister Nikki, and two of their friends dared to visit Voodoo Village, and everything changed. Find out how Green Ghost became Green Ghost in The Ghost of Voodoo Village. Then find out more about General Thomas Steeple, the brain behind Overtime, and his ominous visitor from Texas. See if Captain Randall and Lieutenant Carlos' new crew chief has her eyes on more than their AH-72 Comanche. And what about those ten mysterious CHILSS in their special, hidden chamber? If you're one of the thousands who read Standing The Final Watch and can't wait for Standing In The Storm this spring, let this bonus material tide you over until you can get your next fix of Nick Angriff, Green Ghost, and the 7th Cavalry. You bought the ticket, now take the ride.

    A storehouse of inspired and inspiring reading, it is a collection of brief, stimulating biographies as well. There are selections from John Burroughs, Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, William Cullen Bryant, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Shakespeare, Hippocrates, Confucius, and many others. A distillation of the greatest thoughts, ideas, and philosophies that have been handed down to us through the ages, this is a book to turn to over and over again—a book of moral, spiritual, and ethical guidance—an unfailing source of comfort and inspiration for all.

    Entrepreneur John Assaraf started with nothing and went on to create a multimillion-dollar empire and achieve the life of his dreams, earning himself the nickname "The Street Kid." Now he shares the best of what he's learned so you, too, can create the life of your dreams. Having It All contains practical exercises and powerful lessons to help you achieve greater happiness and long-lasting success. You will learn how to: Develop and utilize the seven power factorsall highly successful people use Apply the most advanced techniques that world-class athletes and entrepreneurs use to eliminate mental obstacles Pinpoint and design the exact life you truly want Use the power of your subconscious mind to develop empowering success habits

    She is fresh out of rehab, her husband and children aren’t home for the holiday, and her Christmas tree has alopecia.Days from Christmas, Rebecca has to explore her grief about a loss so huge, it tipped her over the edge, and imagine a future that maybe spent alone.But she learns that, while Christmas for one is possible, it’s just a lot nicer when there’s family to share it with.Love, loss and forgiveness come together to make a Christmas that Rebecca will never forget, and one that will unwrap a joyous future, even it’s not at all like what she imagined was waiting for her under the Christmas tree.

    A forgotten battle on a hellish island in the Northern Solomons. Sergeant Carver and Able Company are veterans of Guadalcanal. After much needed rest they’re thrown back into combat with untested recruits. With the help from veterans like Corporal O’Connor, the woodsman from Oregon, and Private Willy, the thug from the city, they must mold the replacements to become the veterans they’re trying to replace. The mission is like nothing they’ve tackled before. They’re not meant to take the island, but to defend the six-mile beachhead. It’s a bloody and thankless job, in a forgotten corner of the war. The Japanese are slowly starving. They must push the Allies back into the sea at any cost. Their only advantage is superior numbers. The GIs will need a miracle, and even then it may not be enough. Buy Bloody Bougainville, the second book in Chris Glatte’s gritty WWII series, today!

    2. There will not be a X-men: Misfits #2Referenced:http://manga.about.com/b/2010/04/12/d...

    

    Emma is a must-read for fans of Patricia Scanlan and Cathy Kelly. 'A writer who understands exactly how women think' Cathy Kelly Tess can't quite believe her luck - she's marrying Marco, the man of her dreams, in an exquisite traditional Italian wedding, surrounded by her adoring family. But when an ex puts in an unexpected appearance in Rome, Tess is instantly taken back to glorious Huntersbrook House and the warmth and joy of the Craig family. Memories she thought she had long-buried and left behind in Ireland suddenly resurface at the worst possible moment. Forced to face both her past and future on the evening of the rehearsal dinner, Tess is thrown into turmoil. Which man - and moment - will win out? From Rome to the Irish seaside town of Caracove Bay... Don't miss Emma's sublime novel The Summer Guest.

    A mixed force of torpedo boats from Allied Coastal Forces is ordered to intercept and sink her.Navigator Ben Quarry has other worries. His girlfriend, Rosie, is set on returning to occupied France as an SOE agent. His former mistress, now the wife of his CO, Bob Stack, has embarked on an affair with another officer. Ben’s got to tell him.But in the heat of battle, survival is everything… A standalone naval thriller from a writer who was there, Band of Brothers will keep you gripped. Praise for Alexander Fullerton ‘The scene of battle is quite overpowering’ Sunday Times‘What le Carré is to the spy genre, Fullerton is to novels of naval warfare’ South Wales Echo‘The most meticulously researched war novels that I have ever read’ Len Deighton ‘His action passages are superb, and he never puts a period foot wrong’ Observer ‘The finest of modern writers about naval warfare’ Manchester Evening News

    The naval war in the Pacific is raging when Captain Thurston VC resists an office job to take command of HMS Inflexible, a proud and powerful aircraft carrier. It is no easy task. The overwhelming determination of the Japanese fighters and the cruel weather conditions make Thurston's command fraught with difficulties. But the struggle to provide air support for the US and Commonwealth troops must continue. Home is on the other side of the world, barely a reality, and Thurston finds that he is striving to do the right thing, not only as the Captain of the Inflexible but also in his private life. For a while he and his men are under daily attack from a deadly enemy, Thurston is plagued by feelings of guilt and remorse for the woman he has left behind. A. E. Langford's third compelling naval adventure is an evocative account of life at sea during one of the most perilous and hard-fought battles of this century.