Walk in My Combat Boots: True Stories from America's Bravest Warriors


James Patterson - 2021
    McRaven, US Navy (Ret.). The most moving and powerful war stories ever told, by the men and women who lived them.*Walk in my Combat Boots* is a powerful collection crafted from hundreds of original interviews by James Patterson, the world’s #1 bestselling writer, and First Sergeant US Army (Ret.) Matt Eversmann, part of the Ranger unit portrayed in the movie *Black Hawk Down*.These are the brutally honest stories usually only shared amongst comrades in arms. Here, in the voices of the men and women who’ve fought overseas from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, is a rare eye-opening look into what wearing the uniform, fighting in combat, losing friends and coming home is *really* like. Readers who next thank a military member for their service will finally have a true understanding of what that thanks is for

Caste Away: Growing Up in India's "Most Backward" Caste


Hill Krishnan - 2015
    Its pages are ripe with shame, honor, and survival-based decisions, such as a father killing his own daughter to preserve the family's reputation, a grandfather thieving a goat to feed his family and burying its bones in the night, and women employing natural poisons to kill their female infants in order to avoid the devastating costs of dowry.Perhaps it is also a story of how to survive as a "Most Backward" boy in a society that values light skin more than education, designated by British colonizers as "habitually criminal," where ancient caste rivalries persist even into an era of rapidly unfolding modernity. Is it possible, one wonders, for a boy to leave his caste identity behind and adopt new ways of seeing himself, shattering hundreds of years of prejudice?"Growing Up in India's 'Most Backward' Caste" illustrates the potential for faith, effort, and vision to overcome even the cruelest of abuses and biases. Its author, Dr. Hill Krishnan, later took on multiple identities disallowed by his roots: engineer, movie actor and performer, political scientist, professor, candidate for public office in the United States, motivational speaker, and now, as an author telling his story. In "Growing Up in India's 'Most Backward' Caste," one observes the earliest, most pivotal moments in which he first defies oppression."Growing Up in India's 'Most Backward' Caste" is truly eye-opening—a brave, intimate portrayal of life as a "Most Backward" child resisting all categorization, inspiring the rest of us to challenge our own perceived limitations.

Tender is the Scalpel's Edge: Stories from the Journal of an NHS Consultant Surgeon


Gautam Das - 2016
     What is it like to be the senior surgeon when a young woman is brought to casualty with a life-threatening bleed? What does the fear of cancer do to a person? Is it ever best not to tell the patient everything? Tender is the Scalpel’s Edge draws on Gautam Das’s real-life experiences working in Britain’s busy NHS hospitals, from the plunging depths of a patient dying on the operating table to the euphoria of a life saved by teamwork and skill. Described in exquisite detail and with extreme sensitivity, Gautam shares his journey from a medical student fighting his own inner demons to a senior NHS consultant surgeon. Shards of his earlier life in India add to the richness of the narrative in tales that observe life with all its contradictions, like the little village boy with bone cancer. While other anecdotes take in the lighter side of life, Tender is the Scalpel’s Edge is written to inform and engross the general reader, as well as those with a curiosity of life behind the surgeon’s mask. Written in a manner similar to other medical biographies including Henry Marsh’s Do No Harm, Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal and When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Tender is the Scalpel’s Edge is a moving collection of true stories from a professional at the frontline of medical care.

King: Black Cossacks MC


Evelyn Glass - 2016
     ABBIE I thought I knew what I was doing. But that before King claimed me. Under his chiseled, tattooed body lies ruthlessness I can’t even comprehend. But when he stares into my eyes… I can practically hear him snarl. Feel his rough hands on my curves. Scarred body pinned against mine... Hard voice echoing in my ears: “Never forget. You are MINE” I’M THE LAST THING SHE NEEDS. KING But I'm her only chance at getting out of this alive. I didn’t plan to bring Abbie into my life, but now that she’s here, I’m not letting go. She has no idea about the storm on the horizon. No idea how much danger she’s in. She can try to run. She can try to hide. But she needs to understand: I will find her and drag her back. Lash her to my bed. And make her MINE. KING is a full-length, standalone romance novel with steamy hot sex, NO CHEATING, strong language, a happily every after ending and NO CLIFFHANGERS. Contains dark and disturbing themes, and over the top sexiness that may be uncomfortable for some readers. Perfect for fans of Joanna Blake, Alexa Riley, Devon Hartford, Sabrina Paige, Winter Renshaw, Vanessa Waltz, Emilia Kincade and Melanie Harlow

My Father's Prostitute: Story of a Stolen Childhood


Steven Whitacre - 2014
    From his difficulties growing up, to his drug addiction, failed relationships, and struggles with parenthood, the author takes us through the ups and downs of a life spent in the shadows, trying to make sense of the events that formed the basis of his being. Sometimes tragic, sometimes hopeful, but never sugar coated, My Father’s Prostitute – Story of a Stolen Childhood takes the reader on an emotional ride which reminds us that the human spirit is more powerful than the demons that haunt us.

The Almost Wives Club Box Set


Nancy Warren - 2019
    Love comes in unexpected ways at inconvenient times in these five full-length romantic comedies where one designer bridal gown leads each bride to her perfect groom—even if he's not the one she'd had in mind. Follow five runaway brides in this romantic comedy series as they find love in the most unexpected places. Book 1 — The Almost Wives Club: Kate Is the bridal gown a matchmaker? Kate Winton-Jones is marrying one of America’s most eligible bachelors. Edward Carnarvon III is rich, handsome and hers. But at the final fitting of her wedding gown, one of the seamstresses pricks her and a tiny blood spot appears on the outrageously expensive gown. Its famous designer fires the clumsy seamstress on the spot, whereupon the girl puts a curse on the dress and storms out. Kate doesn't believe in curses. She’s modern, American and in love with the perfect guy. What could go wrong? Book 2 — Secondhand Bride As the poor relation in the rich and powerful Carnarvon family, Ashley Carnarvon is used to hand-me-downs. But getting handed down a wedding dress that’s cursed? Okay, the curse is bad enough, but even worse, the dress doesn’t suit her. The fabulous gown was designed for a taller, slimmer bride who ran away before the wedding and never wore the dress – which gets back to the curse… Book 3 — Bridesmaid for Hire Tasmine Ford is such a perfect bridesmaid, she’s made a side business out of it. But, when a gorgeous designer wedding gown is handed to her, after the bride who is supposed to wear it climbs out the window on her wedding day, she starts to wonder, will she always be a bridesmaid and never a bride? It’s not that she doesn’t know exactly who she wants to marry. But Eric Van Hoffendam wants to cry on her shoulder, not ask for her hand in marriage. Book 4 — The Wedding Flight She’s passing a vintage store on Melrose Avenue when Meg O’Reilly catches sight of the prettiest wedding dress she’s ever seen. On impulse she tries it on and the guy who runs the vintage store tells her she looks beautiful. The gown fits like it was made for her and when she twirls in front of the mirror, she feels like a fairy princess. Not even her Doc Martens ruin the effect. Book 5 — If the Dress Fits Evangeline is a former supermodel more famous for the men she’s dated and the scandals she’s been involved in than for her acting talent. Now, the famous Brit has turned her hand to designing wedding gowns and lingerie for the rich and famous. It’s an open secret that she only designs her outrageously priced gowns for attractive women. The Diva Designer also has a famous temper. She’s been wildly successful until an unfortunate incident ended with a seamstress cursing both her and her latest wedding gown. Now rumours are circulating, and the press are picking up the juicy story of the cursed wedding gown. Four brides have attempted to get married in the cursed dress and none of them has made it down the aisle. To squelch the rumours, Evangeline announces publicly that she is wearing the gown herself—for her own wedding. Five romantic comedies for one low price—The Almost Wives Club Box Set For a romantic read full of love, laughs and friendship, scroll up and grab your copy today.

Japan


David Murray - 1894
    In Toscanelli's map, used by Columbus as the basis of his voyages, “Cipango” occupies a prominent place to the east of Asia, with no American continent between it and Europe. It was the aim of Columbus, and of many subsequent explorers, to find a route to this reputedly rich island and to the eastern shores of Asia. The latitude of the most northern point of Yezo is 45° 35', and the latitude of the most southern point of Kyushu is 31°. The longitude of the most eastern point of Yezo is 146° 17', and the longitude of the most western point of Kyushu is 130° 31'. The four principal islands therefore extend through 14° 35' of latitude and 15° 46' of longitude. The empire consists of four large islands and not less than three thousand small ones. Some of these small islands are large enough to constitute distinct provinces, but the greater part are too small to have a separate political existence, and are attached for administrative purposes to the parts of the large islands opposite to which they lie. The principal island is situated between Yezo on the north and Kyushu on the south. From Omasaki, the northern extremity at the Tsugaru straits, to Tokyo, the capital, the island runs nearly north and south a distance of about 590 miles, and from Tokyo to the Shimonoseki straits the greatest extension of the island is nearly east and west, a distance of about 540 miles. That is, measuring in the direction of the greatest extension, the island is about 1130 miles long. The width of the island is nowhere greater than two hundred miles and for much of its length not more than one hundred miles. The second largest island is Yezo, lying northeast from the Main island and separated from it by the Tsugaru straits. Its longest line is from Cape Shiretoko at its northeast extremity to Cape Shira-kami on Tsugaru straits, about 350 miles; and from its northern point, Cape Soya on the La Perouse straits to Yerimosaki, it measures about 270 miles. The centre of the island is an elevated peak, from which rivers flow in all directions to the ocean. Hakodate the principal port is situated on Tsugaru straits and possesses one of the most commodious harbors of the empire

Lawyer X


Patrick Carlyon - 2020
    It took the police a decade to curtail the violence and bring down criminal kingpins Carl Williams, Tony Mokbel and their accomplices. When the police finally closed the case file, just how they really won the war, with the help of an unlikely police informer, would become a closely guarded secret and its exposure, the biggest legal scandal of our time.Lawyer X is the scandalous, true story of how a promising defence barrister from a privileged background broke all the rules - becoming both police informer and her client's lover - sharing their secrets and shaping the gangland war that led to sensational arrests and convictions. The story of how Nicola Gobbo became Lawyer X, and why, is a compelling study in desperation and determination.Lawyer X is the definitive story of Melbourne's gangland wars and its most glamorous and compelling central character, based on the ground-breaking work of investigative journalists Anthony Dowsley and Patrick Carlyon, who broke the story for the Herald Sun in 2014, and their five-year struggle to reveal the truth about the identity of Lawyer X.

People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo--and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up


Richard Lloyd Parry - 2010
    The following winter, her dismembered remains were found buried in a seaside cave. The seven months in between had seen a massive search for the missing girl, involving Japanese policemen; British private detectives; Australian dowsers; and Lucie's desperate, but bitterly divided, parents. As the case unfolded, it drew the attention of prime ministers and sado-masochists, ambassadors and con-men, and reporters from across the world. Had Lucie been abducted by a religious cult, or snatched by human traffickers? Who was the mysterious man she had gone to meet? And what did her work, as a "hostess" in the notorious Roppongi district of Tokyo, really involve?Richard Lloyd Parry, an award-winning foreign correspondent, followed the case since Lucie's disappearance. Over the course of a decade, he traveled to four continents to interview those caught up in the story, fought off a legal attack in the Japanese courts, and worked undercover as a bartender in a Roppongi strip club. He talked exhaustively with Lucie's friends and family and won unique access to the Japanese detectives who investigated the case. And he delved into the mind and background of the man accused of the crime--Joji Obara, described by the judge as "unprecedented and extremely evil." With the finesse of a novelist, he reveals the astonishing truth about Lucie and her fate. People Who Eat Darkness is, by turns, a non-fiction thriller, a courtroom drama, and the biography of both a victim and a killer. It is the story of a young woman who fell prey to unspeakable evil, and of a loving family torn apart by grief. And it is a fascinating insight into one of the world's most baffling and mysterious societies, a light shone into dark corners of Japan that the rest of the world has never glimpsed before.

The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream


Patrick Radden Keefe - 2009
    Like other immigrant groups before them, they showed up with little money but with an intense work ethic and an unshakeable belief in the promise of the United States. Many of them lived in a world outside the law, working in a shadow economy overseen by the ruthless gangs that ruled the narrow streets of New York’s Chinatown.The figure who came to dominate this Chinese underworld was a middle-aged grandmother known as Sister Ping. Her path to the American dream began with an unusual business run out of a tiny noodle store on Hester Street. From her perch above the shop, Sister Ping ran a full-service underground bank for illegal Chinese immigrants. But her real business-a business that earned an estimated $40 million-was smuggling people. As a “snakehead,” she built a complex—and often vicious—global conglomerate, relying heavily on familial ties, and employing one of Chinatown's most violent gangs to protect her power and profits. Like an underworld CEO, Sister Ping created an intricate smuggling network that stretched from Fujian Province to Hong Kong to Burma to Thailand to Kenya to Guatemala to Mexico. Her ingenuity and drive were awe-inspiring both to the Chinatown community—where she was revered as a homegrown Don Corleone—and to the law enforcement officials who could never quite catch her. Indeed, Sister Ping’s empire only came to light in 1993 when the Golden Venture, a ship loaded with 300 undocumented immigrants, ran aground off a Queens beach. It took New York’s fabled “Jade Squad” and the FBI nearly ten years to untangle the criminal network and home in on its unusual mastermind.THE SNAKEHEAD is a panoramic tale of international intrigue and a dramatic portrait of the underground economy in which America’s twelve million illegal immigrants live. Based on hundreds of interviews, Patrick Radden Keefe’s sweeping narrative tells the story not only of Sister Ping, but of the gangland gunslingers who worked for her, the immigration and law enforcement officials who pursued her, and the generation of penniless immigrants who risked death and braved a 17,000 mile odyssey so that they could realize their own version of the American dream. The Snakehead offers an intimate tour of life on the mean streets of Chinatown, a vivid blueprint of organized crime in an age of globalization and a masterful exploration of the ways in which illegal immigration affects us all.www.doubleday.com

Walking Your Blues Away: How to Heal the Mind and Create Emotional Well-Being


Thom Hartmann - 2006
    Yet our minds and hearts often suffer for years with debilitating symptoms of distress or upset. Why is it so hard for our minds and hearts to heal? The key to healing them is simple and can be just a short walk away.Walking--a bilateral therapy that has been a part of human life throughout history--allows people to heal emotionally as quickly as they do physically. Bilateral therapies engage both sides of the brain and unlock natural states of optimal function and creativity. Thom Hartmann examines how memory works and why emotional shock can resist normal healing. He found that the simple act of walking is effective in treating emotional disturbances ranging from temporary upsets and problems to chronic conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Case studies have shown dramatic results. Walking consciously, while holding a distress or desire in mind, can rapidly dissolve the rigidity of a traumatic memory or negative mind state, dispersing its unpleasant associations in as little as a half hour’s time. While walking has always been a natural part of life, its importance in promoting and maintaining mental health is only recently being rediscovered. Hartmann’s simple yet potent exercises allow us to create our own walking journeys to restore our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being as well as rejuvenate our body’s health.

A Hero's Love


Posey Parks - 2019
    I plan to learn what makes her body tick. The more my fingers stroll along her curves causing sparks to fly, I realize the occasional hook-ups aren't enough. The physical chemistry is a bonus but just the tip of the iceberg. I want it all with Malaysia. I may work sixty-plus hours a week, but I'm never too tired to spend time with Malaysia. During the day I'm a brain surgeon. At night, I protect the streets of Boston from the scum of the earth who prey on the less fortunate. Can Malaysia handle my after-hours duties? Or will the weight of the danger prove to be too heavy?

Baby Fever


Lauren Landish - 2017
    Replaying the perfect night over and over and thinking about what could've been.Now I'm back in her town, and it could be my one chance to claim what should have been mine forever and not for just one night.I've got it all figured out. But as soon as I see her, I come to a screeching halt.What's with the anger in her eyes? And whose baby is she carrying?Am I too late to make her mine?This collection features Baby Daddy, Duty, and Alpha's Baby. Three secret baby romances. Also includes a special exclusive peak at Racing Hearts, releasing August 8th. Available for a very limited time.

Big Bear Mountain - The Complete Series


Bianca James - 2016
    Women are a complete mystery to him. Every time he opens his mouth to speak to one, it leads to a big misunderstanding. Or a huge argument.But his bear gets other ideas after they rescue a feisty and spirited city girl from the slopes of the treacherous and unforgiving Big Bear Mountain.Curvy, junior executive, Elle needs to get away from the city in a hurry. A big hurry. Finding out her boss is a money laundering crook doesn’t leave her with too many options, especially when the cartel find out how much she knows about their operation.They’re coming after her and a quick getaway into the mountains seems like a pretty good plan.When her car is hanging over the edge of a cliff, though – not so much.Bear JusticeBig Bear Mountain erupts when a blazing female PI clashes with the hot-as-sin town sheriff.Medically discharged after being injured during a covert operation, Jack Raven tries to adjust to post army life as the Sheriff of Big Bear Mountain. His bear is quite at home, but in his human form, Jack’s finding small town law enforcement challenging, to say the least.And challenges don’t come much greater than the audacious and bossy private investigator, Cassie Hunter who has come to town to claim her inheritance while conducting a covert operation of her own.If Jack isn’t finding it hard enough to deal with her, his bear has locked sights on the curvaceous and outlandish woman as his mate.Assassins, bombs, kidnappers, guns and a mystery more than a century old – that’s what Cassie brings to Jack’s quiet mountain town.Bear AmbushFormer Navy pilot Lt Jim ‘Spider’ Webb has been far too busy saving lives on Big Bear Mountain to look for a mate for his bear. But finding that elusive fated mate means everything to the bear.Erin Parker is on a mission. The curvy, sassy reporter is snooping around the mountain for a big career making scoop. She’s in the wrong place, for sure and it’s definitely the wrong time.The cartel is back and this time they’ve come in force, hell bent on vengeance.Can Spider save his fellow shifters and protect Erin from the wrath of the cartel? Or is there more to this inquisitive and high-spirited girl than meets the eye?Unexpected Mate (Dragon Shifter Romance)*** A 20,000 word standalone bonus story with no cliffhanger ***#1 Best Seller in Superhero Fantasy eBooksDeclanDisgraced and outcast from his dragon shifter clan for refusing to enter into an arranged coupling, Declan roams the city as a motorcycle vigilante; dispatching ruthless justice as only a dragon can. A dragon needs more to do than just guard his enormous treasure hoard.Declan has given up on ever finding his perfect mate, his princess. But sometimes fate takes a hand in unexpected ways and in unexpected places. OliviaA sassy, curvy girl who’s been fooled once already by an enigmatic and handsome bad-boy biker who told her he loved her and adored her soft curves.

Diseases without Borders: Boosting Your Immunity Against Infectious Diseases from the Flu and Measles to Tuberculosis


Michael Savage - 2015
    Michael Savage explains the origins of viruses and their impact on the U.S. With new and resurgent diseases resulting from unregulated immigration and a politicized public health system, Michael Savage sees the need for some changes - starting with the President and the Center for Disease Control telling us the truth. Savage makes his case for the government to enforce travel bans, the use of quarantines and the importance of proper border screenings. However, this is not a cure or treatment for any of these diseases. With Zika virus, tuberculosis, hepatitis, Enterovirus 68 and other new disease threats emerging across the U.S., Savage will explain ways to fortify your immune system and defend against these and other diseases. Drawing from his extensive training, Dr. Savage examines the benefits of using specific nutrients to boost the human immune system which, in turn, increases the odds of surviving a viral infection as well as preventing other diseases. Based on his knowledge of the politics of medicine being played by the Obama mandarins and his Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Nutrition from the University of California, Berkley, Dr. Savage presents solid information to protect your health. Whether you want to defend your body against deadly diseases, boost your immunity, or learn more about the government's impact on reemerging and imported diseases, DISEASES WITHOUT BORDERS is your source for informative, helpful, and potentially life-saving advice.