Rendered in the American vernacular with vivid imagery and a wry, dark sense of humor, these thwarted and sometimes violent lives jump off the page at the reader with inexorable force. A father pumps his son full of steroids so he can vicariously relive his days as a perpetual runner-up body builder. A psychotic rural recluse comes upon two siblings committing incest and feels compelled to take action. Donald Ray Pollock presents his characters and the sordid goings-on with a stern intelligence, a bracing absence of value judgments, and a refreshingly dark sense of bottom-dog humor.With an artistic instinct honed on the works of Flannery O' Connor and Harry Crews, Pollock offers a powerful work of fiction in the classic American vein. Knockemstiff is a genuine entry into the literature of place.

    In times of difficulty and depression, we often look around to find a source of inspiration and to give us a ray of hope. This book contains the stories of 10 famous people whose lives were tried and challenged. Like most, they felt unbearable pressure and difficulties. They, however, devised ways to make it out of their hellhole and succeed in their own fields. Each person can find an account that he or she can relate to in this collection of motivational stories. Oprah Winfrey’s rags to riches story, Eminem’s abuse of drugs and alcohol and Abraham Lincoln’s dream for his country are only a few of society’s successes we recognize. Each individual featured in this book encountered a difficult passage but, nonetheless, made it through. These stories are bound to be examples and serve as sources of motivation for those who are in need. We must learn to see that life’s trials are nothing but passing circumstances and that something can be done to overcome them. Here Is A Preview Of People Whose Stories We'll Cover In This eBook... Sylvester Stallone Soichiro Honda Joanne Rowling Michael Jordan Oprah Winfrey Marshall Mathers Arnold Schwarzenegger Phil Ivey Anthony Robbins Abraham Lincoln Download your copy today! Take action today and download this book for a limited time discount of only $2.99! Tags: Motivational Stories, Inspirational Stories, Successful People, Success stories, Motivation stories, Inspiration stories, Motivational kindle, Sylvester Stallone, Soichiro Honda, J.K. Rowling, Joanne Rowling, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Marshall Mathers, Eminem, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Phil Ivey, Anthony Robbins, Abraham Lincoln, success kindle, motivation kindle, inspiration kindle, perseverance, determination.

    Then a rough case on the boards of her 911 operator's job collides with a family conflict at home, and Elizabeth finds herself finally coming apart at the seams. A four-state road trip--trapped in a car with her mother--is the last thing she needs. Their destination may be beautiful Hatteras Island, but the reason for going is anything by pleasant. After one disastrous hurricane, and with a second one working its way up the coast, it's time to convince Aunt Sandy to abandon her little seaside store on North Carolina's Outer Banks and return to the family fold in Michigan. But when the storm sweeps through, the three women will discover that sisterhood and the sea can change hearts, lives, and futures . . . often in the most unpredictable of ways.

    A cross between William Faulkner (Times-Picayune) and John Irving (Detroit Free Press), Dufresne once again masterfully charts the power of truth and lies and the magic hidden in the mundane.

    The walking wounded. These are the stories of ordinary people.

    The brain is not an organ of sex. Might as well speak of a female liver."--Charlotte Perkins GilmanCharlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), a leading figure in the women's movement of the early twentieth century, is a pillar of the American feminist canon. This edition of her work includes her best-known story, "The Yellow Wall-paper," a terrifying tale about a woman driven to the brink of insanity by the "rest cure" she is ordered to follow by her doctor to relieve her postpartum depression. Also included is a wide range of other short stories; an abridged version of her little-known but brilliant utopian novel, Herland, about a peaceful all-female world; and selections from her landmark treatise, Women and Economics, first published in 1898 to universal acclaim.

    Sometimes we tell these stories to make people laugh. Sometimes we tell them to make people think. Sometimes we tell them so we can increase the chances we'll see the other person naked.Paul Shirley's stories are about an adulthood spent all over the world: living in Spain, playing in the NBA, and having his heart (and spleen) broken. But they're also stories about growing up in small-town Kansas: triumphant spelling bees, catastrophic middle school dances, and a Sex Ed. class taught by his mother.They're funny stories. They're vulnerable stories. Most of all, they're universal stories, just as the stories we tell on dates should be.

    This book, which won raves at its first publication, shows all the hallmarks of the writer who became the award-winning film director so well known today.

    Join us this season for funny stories and lots of pie. Contains some adult content. These characters are from the Mitchell Family Series and Mitchell Healy Series.

    Hunter Windswept Snows by Donna Walo Clancy Colorado Christmas Killer by Jenna St. James Death the Halls by Karoline Barrett Carols and Killers by Patti Benning Christmas Reunion Killer by Summer Prescott

    She raised her children with the income from just a few acres of land that she managed on her own, tending to the cattle and crops with maternal concern, all the while minding her unruly husband. Every obligation met, all accounts squared up, each meal cooked to satiate the tongue and heart—Amma never rested, not even when bedridden with Parkinson’s. She lived a farmer’s life and died a farmer’s death.Amma is a homage to a way of life and values—simplicity, honesty and hard work—lost to us today. Peppered with unsentimental nostalgia and delightful humour, and vividly documenting village and farming life in the Kongu region, Amma tugs at generational memory. Murugan’s non-fiction writing, his first to appear in English, is as deeply affecting as his fiction.

    “Scroll Through the Weapons” is about a couple taking care of their underfed and almost feral nieces and nephews. “Signal to the Faithful” follows a boy as he takes a tense road trip with his priest. And “Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine,” the title story, is about a narcissistic rock star who moves back home during a rough patch. These stories all build on each other in strange and remarkable ways, showcasing Wilson’s crackling wit and big heart.Filled with imagination and humor, Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine is an exuberant collection of captivating and charmingly bizarre stories that promise to burrow their way into your heart and soul.

    . . They say that cats don't like change. But Luna, an imaginative tabby, understands that sometimes it's necessary. When her owner, Annika, moved back to her small New England hometown six months ago along with her sixteen-year-old twins, Luna knew it was for the best. Ever since Annika's husband, Peter, died suddenly, the family has been floundering. Luna, too, is guilt-ridden, sure she could have done more to save her favorite person. Luna also knows something the others don't know. Peter's spirit is still with them, and Luna believes there is something he needs her help to do . . .Annika has been struggling to move on. It doesn't help that her son, Donovan, blames her for his father's death. Peter always told Annika that they had the best love story going, yet the fact is that much of their story has been hidden away, even from their children. When Annika's first love, Sam, arrives to plow them out during an intensifying storm, the truth begins to emerge at last. And Luna--watchful and unwavering in her affection--may be her family's best hope of learning how to forgive and to heal . . .Praise for Sandi Ward's Something Worth Saving "Told with empathy and hope, this would be a perfect gift for cat lovers or anyone who enjoys a fresh take on the family drama." --Booklist

    As evocative of an era as it is psychologically penetrating, "The Paper Wife" is the story of a friendship, a triangle, and a trial by fire as three young friends struggle to find their moral footing during the turbulent years of the Vietnam War.

    He's confronted the HOA. He's even taken on Santa himself. He doesn't usually win. These are the tales of the Dumb White Husband and they are all available here in this collected edition.This handsome volume includes:Dumb White Husband vs. the Grocery Store - John would rather sit and watch the game, but his wife needs some things at the store. Can he complete the list and get back in time to see the end of the game?Dumb White Husband vs. Halloween - Every Halloween, Chris has the scariest house on the block and gives out the best candy. But, this year, someone is showing him up and he'll stop at nothing to find out who.Dumb White Husband vs. Santa - Erik has planned the perfect Christmas for his family. The plan is foolproof, bulletproof and flame retardant. Nothing can undo the hours of planning and preparation. Nothing except maybe odd-shaped packages, ill-timed fruitcakes or an errant neighborhood Santa Claus.Dumb White Husband vs. the Tooth Fairy - Erik always has a plan and he's sure he would have figured out the whole Tooth Fairy thing eventually. But, when his three-year-old son takes a frisbee to the mouth, he's forced to speed things up. Between neighborhood kids with big mouths and unhelpful dentists he's going to need to improvise. Will he bend to the pressure of inflation? Will he get caught in the act? And, what do you do with those teeth anyway?Dumb White Husband for President (A novella) - There comes a time in every man's life when he must stand for the things he believes in. John doesn't believe in bagging his grass. So, when a new allergy-prone neighbor gets the HOA to require it, there's only one thing he can do - run for President of The Creeks of Sage Valley Phase II.John, Chris and Erik put aside most of their differences to run a campaign that they hope will see John elected as President and end the meddling of the rule-loving new kid on the block. Will they succeed? It's doubtful.