Without the National Grid, Britain is in left in the dark - no lights, no heat, no electricity...Three months later, from among the British refugees now scattered across northern France, a nation itself rocked by the crisis, a young soldier is recruited for a mission that takes him back home.This is his story, as he ventures back to find his homeland ravaged, its population scattered, and civilisation on the brink. This is a tale of an alternative future, set in a Britain at once recognisable and massively altered.

    But the Saudis are leaning on the Americans to prevent an overt response. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for the hostages.Enter the mercenaries.John Brannigan retired from the Marine Corps, and isn’t all that happy about it. Now, with American lives in the balance, he’ll come back to the action, recruiting a small crew of men ready to stare death in the face.They’re alone, outnumbered, and outgunned.There’s no backup coming.Have they signed up for a mission, or a suicide run?

    The second stunted by her sister's shadow. The youngest propelled by desperation. Gwen is the oldest of four children in the Aaldenberg family, and the one who seems to have it all. She's also most desperate to escape. Betta, having nursed their dying grandpa for the past three years, is anxious for Gwen to go, so she can finally have reins to the family business. And Esmerelda, viciously determined to follow in Gwen's footsteps, vies for popularity as a freshman in high school, only to learn she must sell her soul, reputation, and most prized possession for acceptance. When Gwen's fiancé moves to town, Gwen does her best to resign herself to a local life, while Betta struggles for meaning without the store. In order to carve out a place for herself, Betta must decide to what lengths she'll go in order to become her own person, and Gwen must decide what's more important: her sister or her future. Can this family pull through their disappointment, jealousy, and regret? Or will they cling so tightly to their desires that it ruins them?

    The story is a dark comedy about a suicidal young man named John Campbell who, after a failed suicide attempt, heads to Virginia to visit an aunt he hasn’t seen in ten years. But his rental car runs out of gas deep in the mountains. When he decides to walk in the middle of the night, he winds up in a town that is isolated from the rest of the world—Strangeville. Unable to leave, he meets an assortment of loveable oddball characters—the beautiful Delilah, Klemm Johnson, Clarissa Puddworthy, Biff Flannigan, Jeboriah Varmint, Cleetus McChoparooski, and others.

    In 1977, Jeannie Light left her fine plantation home amid heartbreak and came to Graves Mill, a tiny hamlet in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Alone in an utterly new kind of life, Jeannie was determined to find the courage to make a fresh start.To Jeannie’s surprise, she found herself called upon by her new neighbors to open the old, deteriorated country church, a place that had once united the fractured community of mountain folk. With no training, and no small amount of trepidation, she undertook the task. And as she embarked on an unforeseen series of adventures, from heartbreaking to hilarious, Jeannie would learn more than she ever expected about faith, loving your neighbor, and doing the work that God sets in front of you. Because sometimes, God calls us to go where there is no path . . . and leave a trail.

    Whether they have been wounded by pastors or people in the pews, these believers have had enough and are jumping ship in massive numbers.Pastor and churchgoer Chris Jackson is honest about his own failings as well as those of the church at large. He identifies with many of the hurts churchgoing Christians have experienced. In Loving God When You Don't Love the Church, he hopes to provide healing to wounded and disillusioned believers and restore the wonder of a genuine relationship with Jesus and his bride, the church. Jackson's humility, compassion, and practical advice for healing and restoration will touch those who have left the church and those who love them.

    A few months ago she was in a dead-end job, was hopelessly single, and she played video games just to inject a little bit of excitement into her life. That all changed the day she met Nathan Hart—not just a great romantic match, but also someone offering Sarah a job that included all the adventure she could possibly want.Of course, the fact that Nate’s job offer was with the infamous supervillain Doctor Oracle added to the thrill.Now a full-fledged member of Doctor Oracle’s team, Sarah’s added tons of new skills to her arsenal: from lock picking to hot-wiring a car to flying an airplane, she’s learned things over the last few months that would put her old résumé to shame. But now it’s time for her to step up and tackle the final hurdle to becoming a true equal in Oracle’s team: leading her own mission.Determined to do her best no matter what, Sarah will take on all the plotting and scheming for a job that gets more complicated at every turn, assisted by an unexpected new ally from the superhero side of the fence, Oracle’s team of skilled professionals, and a boyfriend whose constant threats to buy an engagement ring just might be serious. And somehow, that last part is the thing that makes her the most nervous.

    It is an ache for the homecoming. The Greeks called it nostalgia.  Post-modern man, homeless almost by definition, cannot understand nostalgia. If he is a progressive, dreaming of a utopia to come, he dismisses it contemptuously, eager to bury a past he despises. If he is a reactionary, he sentimentalizes it, dreaming of a lost golden age. In this profound reflection, Anthony Esolen explores the true meaning of nostalgia and its place in the human heart. Drawing on the great works of Western literature from the Odyssey to Flannery O'Connor, he traces the development of this fundamental longing from the pagan's desire for his earthly home, which most famously inspired Odysseys' heroic return to Ithaca, to its transformation under Christianity. The doctrine of the fall of man forestalls sentimental traditionalism by insisting that there has been no Eden since Eden. And the revelation of heaven as our true and final home, directing man's longing to the next world, paradoxically strengthens and ennobles the pilgrim's devotion to his home in this world. In our own day, Christian nostalgia stands in frank opposition to the secular usurpation of this longing. Looking for a city that does not exist, the progressive treats original sin, which afflicts everyone, as mere political error, which afflicts only his opponents. To him, history is a long tale of misery with nothing to teach us. Despising his fathers, he lives in a world without piety. Only the future, which no one can know, is real to him. It is an idol that justifies all manner of evil and folly. Nostalgia rightly understood is not an invitation to repeat the sins of the past or to repudiate what experience and reflection have taught us, but to hear the call of sanity and sweetness again. Perhaps we will shake our heads as if awaking from a bad and feverish dream and, coming to ourselves, resolve, like the Prodigal, to "arise and go to my father's house."

    Everything was arranged. Like every good Amish girl, Miriam knew she should do what her parents wanted. Even though she only had vague memories of the boy who had now turned into a man, she was going ahead with it. When she was reacquainted with him, the only thing she felt was disappointment. There is another Amish man who's taken her attention, and he's shown his interest.Will she have the courage to stop the wedding and ruin her parents plans?Is this new man worth it, or is she in for another let-down?You will love this sweet coming of age Amish romance because it's filled with love, independence, and making the right choices.

    A time of legends that nearly destroyed the world. Out of the chaos Mankind has struggled, and from the ashes of destruction civilization has once more returned to the land.But unknown to man a forgotten evil stirs in the west, for generations it has worked its foul craft in the shadows. Growing stronger, no longer content to lurk in the darkness consumed by hatred and gnawing on its own ambitions. It has grown powerful and in its might it seeks to throw down what remains of the old world and destroy the petty kingdoms of man.The last of the immortals has returned from his self-imposed exile. He has seen the danger and seeks a Talisman lost for three thousand years. Only the sword Aethir, forged by the immortals can save the world. Old legends have come to life, and the age of man is on the brink of destruction. Now he must convince an outlaw and a fugitive to aid him in its recovery or all is lost.

    On the tumultuous journey overseas, Sophia and Mary both give birth. Neither mother knows how closely their destinies will be intertwined by a secret with the power to shatter their lives.

    Now that Sparrow, her ward, has reached nine years of age, she reckons he needs a male role model in his life. With typical efficiency she sets about finding a father-figure by drawing up a series of checklists for each candidate, and following a strict protocol for interviewing them.So far, all the contenders have failed miserably to get enough ticks in the right boxes. But Ferne is focused and nothing is going to stop her from fulfilling her responsibilities…...except maybe a saboteur out to wreck her business; drunken neighbours; her unfortunate past from which it is so difficult to escape; her estranged mother; long-lost sister; and her Jack Russell, Merrie, who is not above galloping over and nipping any prospective role models she thinks Will Not Do.Katie Fforde (best-selling rom com author and President of the Romantic Novelists' Association) said of 'All His Own Hair': 'Susan Alison handles difficult issues with quirky humour and uplifting results.'(To give you some idea of length - 'White Lies and Custard Creams' is 83,700 words long and 'All His Own Hair' is 87,300 words long.)Susan Alison is the Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner for 2011. She has won competition awards for short fiction and sold numerous stories to commercial publications. Her fiction concentrates on the relationships humans forge with each other (and quite often with their dogs). She is a freelance artist.Jill Mansell (best-selling rom com author) said of 'White Lies and Custard Creams': "Susan Alison has written a lovely, quirky romp packed with off-the-wall characters - original, intriguing and great fun!"

    This book offers readers a wonderful opportunity to spend time each day getting to know God more intimately. This insightful guide to the names of God provides 366 life-changing, personal devotions for new Christians and longtime believers. As readers explore 122 names and attributes of God, they will discover something special about who God is, who they are, and how they relate to others. Includes a Scripture and name index for easy navigation to favorite verses. Now in paper.

    

    The only reason she agreed to take it was because the position hinged on her father winning a presidential election. She figured she could agree to take the job, he'd lose the election, and she'd be off the hook. James Cartwright won the election. He was a widower, and had no interest in living in the White House residence by himself. Not only did he lobby to have his daughter appointed as Vice President, on the grounds of bringing her in to help reform education, he also talked her into giving up the Vice Presidential home to live in the White House with him. Things were going along well. They're now six years into their jobs, making strides in their agendas, when life as they know it comes to a screeching halt. Molly is in the middle of making a speech when Secret Service agents surround her and carry her off the stage. Within the next few hours, she is given devastating news, sworn in as the next President, charged with trying to discover who the traitor is, needs to figure out which nation is responsible for this mess, and is put into the precarious position of fending off a war, all while trying to mourn a parent. Molly's challenges do not stop there. She's contending with two sets of senior staff; her own and her father's. Certain people doubt her ability to maintain focus when her personal life has just been through the spin cycle. A staff member disappears when the Secret Service is spread too thin. Everyone thinks there may be pertinent information on the President's phone, and Molly has a plan on trying to hack into it, if they could just get the thing to her. Her personal aide is afraid and refuses to even step foot into the residence for fear of Lincoln's ghost. The man who targeted her father reveals himself enough to torture Molly with images, threats, and a FedEx shipment. A little digging around reveals a surprising relationship, and a long-harbored dream Daddy was keeping secret. And, in her bid to get to the truth of all that is afoot, the rookie President turns suspicion onto herself, hoping to draw the enemy forward.