After losing everything and having no choice but to move back to her childhood home just in time for the festive season, Effie has finally reached rock bottom. But maybe this year, something – or someone – can make Effie believe in Christmas all over again… One December night three years ago, Effie Thomas’s life was turned upside down when she discovered the truth about her cheating fiancé, Todd. Since then, her life has basically been a series of unfortunate events, culminating in one awful day in which she loses both her job and her home. There is nothing for it but to return home to her mother’s poky little cottage in the sleepy village of Effisham. Effie, a self-professed Christmas hater is forced to accept the first job she can find… which just happens to be working as an elf in a grotto at the local garden centre. She is immediately driven mad by Jack, the happy-go-lucky “Head Elf” who doesn’t take life too seriously… but he also makes her laugh. And he just happens to be extremely good-looking. Effie begins to wonder if Jack might be the one who can help her forget Todd.Effie is surprised when she actually starts enjoying herself – and when the grotto is vandalised and she rebuilds it overnight, she discovers she might actually have a hidden talent for design. When more visitors than ever come to the garden centre, Effie wonders if finally, at the age of 28, she can at last make her mother proud.Ah yes, Effie’s mum… determined to set Effie up with a nice lad from the village. But not everyone is what they may seem. It seems everyone has a secret – Jack included. And can Effie forgive and forget when Todd arrives back on the scene full of regret and promises?For Effie, Christmas is the season of hurt and heartbreak, even if everyone else is celebrating joy and goodwill. Surely it’s about time she turned it all around?The perfect festive romantic comedy to curl up with in front of the fire.

    

    Mass action overthrew Tunisia’s Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. The revolutionary wave spread to the far corners of the Arab world, from Morocco to Bahrain. It seemed as if all the authoritarian states would finally be freed, even those of the Arabian Peninsula. People’s power had produced this wave, and continued to ride it out. In Libya, though, the new world order had different ideas. Social forces opposed to Muammar Qaddafi had begun to rebel, but they were weak. In came the French and the United States, with promises of glory. A deal followed with the Saudis, who then sent in their own forces to cut down the Bahraini revolution, and NATO began its assault, ushering in a Libyan Winter that cast its shadow over the Arab Spring. This brief, timely analysis situates the assault on Libya in the context of the winds of revolt that swept through the Middle East in the Spring of 2011. Vijay Prashad explores the recent history of the Qaddafi regime, the social forces who opposed him, and the role of the United Nations, NATO, and the rest of the world's superpowers in the bloody civil war that ensued. Vijay Prashad is the George and Martha Kellner Chair of South Asian History, and professor and director of international studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books, including Karma of Brown Folk and, most recently, The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World.

    Maybe your kids have never liked games. Are you out of fun ideas to try? Whatever your situation you are sure to find some amazing games in this book!Would you like your child to get up and get moving? You will find lots of amusing games that incorporate all types of movement to get the wiggles and giggles out of your child. Does your child love watching stories where the hero beats the bad guy? Would your kid enjoy hunting for lost treasure? Can you imagine playing basketball inside? Are you interested in helping your child learn new things while having fun? No problem! This book includes different games for a variety of interests.If you are looking for new ideas or want an update on an old game, there is something here for you to share with your kids to keep them entertained for hours! Most of the games are designed to be played alone, with a parent, or with a group. If you have an only child, don’t worry about inviting a whole brigade of neighborhood children into the house to play these games. Another great thing about the indoor games you will find in this book is that they are played with relatively few items. Most of the parts are made from items lying about your house, like construction paper, paper plates, masking tape, ping pong balls, bean bags, pool noodles, and a timer. This means there’s no need for you to run out and get anything before you can begin playing. So even if a rainy day catches you by surprise, you will be ready to roll, hop, hide, kick, and toss with just a few household items.21 Fun Indoor Games for Kids Book Includes FREE BONUS Baskets, Balls & Drinking Straws Stand Up, Sit Down, Turn Around, Touch the Ground Don’t Stand By . . . Let It Fly Indoor games will have you laughing and playing in all new ways with your child! In the process of learning the games, you will spend quality time teaching and learning from each other. Isn’t that what every parent wants? Extra special time set aside with their kids to connect and have fun? You bet it is!So take a few minutes to read through the instructions and then pick out one game to try today. You will not regret the time invested in creating meaningful and active play experiences for your child!

    In this superb anthology can be found the best of the English-speaking world’s inspirational and reassuring verse, including such classics as Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’ and W.H. Davies’ ‘Leisure’. This beautifully illustrated collection of over 120 poems is sure to offer solace, hearten the soul and motivate the human spirit.

    But the guests have other things on their minds… Libby: The BloggerLife is Instagram-perfect for food blogger Libby…until she catches her husband cheating just weeks before her Italian cooking club’s grand opening.Evie: The MumEve’s marriage isn’t working, but she’s not dared admit it until now. A trip to Italy to help Libby open The Sunshine and Biscotti Club might be the perfect escape…Jessica: In Love with her Best FriendJessica has thrown herself into her work to shut out the memory of the man who never loved her back. The same man who’s just turned up in Tuscany… Welcome to Tuscany’s newest baking school – where your biscotti is served with a side of love, laughter and ice-cold limoncello!

    She'd set aside her career as a writer to build a home for them on a vineyard in the Tuscan hills, which was a dream come true for any woman. And it had been for Isabella too--until recently. After years of not writing, she finds herself under a deadline and faced with the worst case of writer's block that she's ever known. When a friend invites her to come stay at her beautiful house in Indonesia, Isabella reluctantly agrees, thinking it just might be the thing she needs to get back to her work. But when she finds distraction--and comfort--with another man, she must face the truth about her problems before she makes a mistake that will cost her everything. Lost for Words is the first standalone book in The Nomadic Sisterhood series, an exciting new series that features women who travel to find adventure and themselves. If you love the books of Debbie Macomber, Bette Lee Crosby, Fern Michaels and Lisa Wingate, you will love Lost for Words and The Nomadic Sisterhood series. Order the book today and get ready to escape to the enchanting islands of Indonesia.

    Her father, determined to improve the family’s lot, relocates to Georgia.Ezekiel Salter scrimps to buy a ticket in Georgia’s 1807 Land Lottery, wins, and he and his impoverished family head west to newly-created Murcheson County.Prominent since colonial times, the Underwoods foresee the growing demand for cotton and acquire extensive acreage in newly-opened lands in central Georgia. Dispatched by his father, Jacob Underwood begins construction of Poplar Grove plantation.And, the slave known as Gant, his wife and daughter, Lucey, have no say as to their destination…the highest bidder will decide for them…and if the family remains intact.Spanning over fifty years, Murcheson County chronicles the four families’ fortunes against the backdrop of the most turbulent time in American history.An epic saga of slavery, emancipation, war and hardship, Murcheson County will remain in your heart long after the winds of war have stopped blowing.

    

    Private investigator Tom Bennett's daughter was kidnapped ten years ago. As he attempts to find solace, a series of unexpected phone calls lead him down a dark and desperate path. Against the better judgment of his partner, therapist, and ex-wife, he digs into past suspects that he had previously given up on. Vengeful parents? Ruthless drug syndicate he had stripped apart and put behind bars? Or an entirely new suspect he’d missed? One new question, one new answer. Pull the thread and follow Tom on his journey of heartache as he stops at nothing to get his daughter back.

    She tries to distance herself from the game by getting a degree and trying to do something positive with her life. When the system takes her older brother prisoner and death’s knock takes her daddy and her other brother away from her, those beliefs are more evident than ever. Never knowing her mother, since she died during her delivery of Fawn, Fawn feels all alone in this world aside from having her best friend, Amiko. Still reeling from the loss of her father, she is confronted by his right-hand man to learn she controls her daddy’s empire. Although she wants no part of the street-life, he’s able to convince her to attend a meeting that will change her life forever. Meeting Lark ‘Law’ Gutierrez makes Fawn want to reevaluate all her life choices. The only problem is that he is kingpin in the streets of Laredo. It’s like she can’t escape the streets that have taken her family, because something about Law is pulling her to him like a fish on a hook. He shares her sentiments. This meeting forces her to take some sort of control of her father’s empire, and she soon learns that the hate that took her family from her isn’t over. As she and Lark become close, she realizes that he has her back in more ways than one, and will protect her, whatever the cost of that may be. Can she withstand the grit of the street-life and hang on to what she’s built with Lark? Or will it overtake her and swallow her whole?

    After fifteen years of marriage, Kameron is demanding a divorce on the night of their anniversary, leaving Camille shattered and confused. Needing a relief from the pain and anger that seems to now live where her heart once lived, Camille finds herself in the bed of a handsome stranger. Despite her one night of unforgettable relief, Camille runs for the hill the next morning, making sure not to awaken the man that she only knows by the name of, DJ. Even after things between Camille and Kameron comes to an end, Kameron continues to shake her world with his lies and betrayals. Dion ‘DJ’ Roberts is a twenty-five-year-old NFL quarterback, who had made up in his mind that he is done with love and relationships. After learning the woman that he once loved, loved the money and fame more than him, DJ vowed to never be weakened by the four letter word again. To DJ, the only woman that was worth loving is his sister, until a one-night stand left him wondering… On a night out in the town, DJ and Camille finds themselves in the same club, and neither had not forgotten one detail of the night of passion they shared together. This time, DJ refused to let the lovely Camille disappear without a trace. Even though Camille is finally now divorced, her life is still far from drama free. Will DJ be able to put the broken pieces of Camille’s heart back together, or will his own trust issues alone with obstacles in the form of people make them both walk away, sticking to their vows to never love again?

    When Rob's busy schedule leaves Sheila longing for love and affection, she falls into the arms of Jason, her husband’s brother.Jason is the handsome and powerful heir to The Young Family Empire. He has been married to his beautiful wife Karen for three years. He loves her and treats her like a queen, but lately, he seeks adventure. When he begins an affair with Sheila he finds out she is just the adventure he needs.After they decide they will keep their affair going, Jason creates some rules they both swear to abide by: Rule number one, our spouses come first. Rule number two, no falling in love, because I will never leave my wife. Rule number three, if anything starts to change or one of us breaks a rule, we end the affair. But when the rules get broken and secrets they both never could have imagined are exposed, the real drama begins. How far will Jason and Sheila go to protect and keep their affair going? In this Three Book Box Set, Readers Will Enjoy Over 100,000 words of page-turning drama and explosive love scenes!

    

    Additional narrators include Geoffrey Palmer O.B.E., Sir Donald Sinden, and Elaine Stritch. Music: 'Reverie De Sebastian' by Steve Davies.