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A Beautiful Moon Waiting: An Adoption Memoir by Ashley Banion


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Into Thin Air: A gripping NEW fast-paced mystery


Deborah Rogers - 2020
    A sister's worst nightmare.When Julia's estranged sister, Toni, goes missing in Turkey, Julia thinks it’s just another one of her sister’s irresponsible stunts. But when Toni’s backpack and passport wash up along the Istanbul seafront, Julia realizes the situation is far more serious than first thought.Desperate for answers, Julia travels to Istanbul to find out what’s happened to Toni. As she delves deeper into her sister’s mysterious disappearance, everything points to Toni being abducted. But as a stranger in a strange land, who will believe Julia? And as she gets drawn into a web of lies and betrayal, could Julia be in danger herself?Set against the stunning backdrop of Istanbul, Into Thin Air is a gripping, fast-paced mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.If you like page-turning mysteries set in exotic locations, you love this latest standalone novel from Deborah Rogers.

"I'll Get You!" Drugs, Lies, and the Terrorizing of a PTA Mom


Sam Rule - 2016
    When a school parent angrily accused Kelli of keeping her son waiting during the afterschool pick-up, it appeared to be a simple confrontation with an overprotective mother. Kelli soon learned, however, that she was the target of a twisted plot against her that involved drugs, lies, schemes, and a campaign to ruin her life. The vendetta led to reputations tarnished, careers lost, secret lives uncovered, two parents in jail, families destroyed, and a $5.7 million civil judgment. "I'll Get You!" Drugs, Lies, and the Terrorizing of a PTA Mom is the true story of an ordinary American woman who survived an evil conspiracy that turned her life upside down and shook her hometown to its core.

The Ticket


Cherie Mitchell - 2019
    A winning lottery ticket. Nothing will ever be the same again.When Paige and Katie's friend Leandra suddenly returns from several years living overseas without bringing her husband and son back with her, Paige has more questions than she has answers. However, before she has the chance to ask Leandra about what really happened in Australia her friend has an announcement to make. With great fanfare, she tells both Paige and Katie that she bought a lottery ticket for them all to share and the ticket was a winner.Paige and her family are swept up in a whirlwind of exciting changes as the full impact of the win begins to sink in. However, not all the changes are positive and Leandra seems to think that because she bought the ticket she now has control over their decisions.Paige's once happy life starts to spiral out of control as her relationship with her husband slowly fractures, her children have difficulty settling into their new lives, and she bickers almost daily with her once best friends. On top of that, it seems Leandra is hiding a secret.Win some, lose a lot.

Fierce at Four Foot Two


Terra Jolé - 2017
    But she quickly learned that while she may have been ready for Hollywood, Hollywood wasn't necessarily ready for her. At four foot two, Terra was born with achondroplasia, a form of short-limbed dwarfism, and because of her diminutive stature she often faced unimaginable prejudice and bigotry. After spending time in the trenches, as an evil elf on Ozzie Osbourne's Merry Mayhem Tour and later as a dancer on Miley Cyrus's Bangerz Tour, Terra struck out on her own and carved out a career for herself as a mini-Britney and mini-Gaga impersonator. But with her larger than life optimism and absolute belief in herself, Terra was determined not to be a "mini-anything" for long and she ultimately captured the hearts of reality TV fans around the world as the star and executive producer of the groundbreaking A+E Network's Lifetime television show Little Women: LA.

Forgiving Troy: A True Story of Murder, Mental Illness and Recovery


Thom Bierdz - 2009
    He is a fan favorite and his book opens all of the doors and windows into his personal life of tragedy and redemption, the murder of his mother, familial mental illness, and Thom's now openly gay and proud lifestyle. Thom has forgiven his schizophrenic brother, Troy, who will spend the rest of his life in a Wisconsin state prison.

The Bad Nanny


Emily Shiner - 2021
    She believes that a nanny is just what she needs to let her be a better mother and get back to work.At first, her husband isn’t so sure. But after Abigail gets what she wants and hires Haley to take care of her daughter, she knows that her life is about to get better.She can work. Get a full night’s sleep. Be the mother she wants to be.But then she starts losing time. And when she finally finds out the truth of what’s happening, it may all be too late.She trusted Haley to take care of her daughter. She never thought it would go this far.

Run Rachel Run: The Thrilling, True Story of a Teen’s Daring Escape and Heroic Survival During the Holocaust


Rachel Blum - 2017
    (Not just based on a true story.) Rachel Blum was 12 when the Nazis invaded her town. Over the next three years, she witnessed war, risked her life to smuggle food for her family, escaped liquidation, hid with a kind Polish couple whose son worked for the SS, was questioned if she was a Jew by an SS General and engineered an incredibly dangerous scheme to overturn a moving trainload of 1,000 Nazi soldiers.Hers is not just an incredible, action-packed story, but represents a character arc that young women, as well as young men, as well as adults of all types can draw inspiration from. She did not begin as a selfless, courageous young girl she came to be. Her strength and determination evolved through her experiences.Once you start “Run Rachel Run,” you won’t be able to put it down. Once you finish, you’ll be shivering in awe how invigoratingly heroic the story of Rachel Blum is. Reviews “This is incredible!” Jessica Classen “What a testimony of courage and love” Rick Dearmore “Wonderful and inspiring and brave person” Helen Schwab An Excerpt July, 1944. Ivan Roluk couldn’t believe he was listening to a 15-year-old girl – and putting his life and the life of his family in her hands!But she was right. Driving trains for the Nazis for three years now, he knew exactly who the Germans were. He knew that there were once more than 20,000 Jews in the girl’s home town of Ludmir, and now there was only one. The courageous young girl, Rachel.Rachel -- who had just convinced him to risk his life, as well as the life of his wife and son.There was a risk either way, of course. The war was coming to an end and who knew what the Germans would do to them once they didn’t need his services any longer. It was a risk to do it, but a risk not to do it.He looked behind him. The 20 train cars filled with over 1,000 wounded Nazi soldiers snaked behind his engine-car like a meandering river. In the caboose at the tail of the train was his wife, his son and the little Jewish girl.Suddenly, he heard a slam. What was that? It sounded like the door connecting the engine-car to the first car, which was occupied by high-ranking Nazi officers. Was one of them coming up front?The moment of truth had arrived.He thrust the throttle full ahead….The train jerked forward…. He looked out the window. There, up ahead, was the bend! Had he waited too long?There was no more time to think. There was no more time for fear. It truly was now or never. He leaned out the open side door….

A Random Act: An Inspiring True Story of Fighting to Survive and Choosing to Forgive


Cindi Broaddus - 2005
    Phil McGraw's beloved sister–in–law, an ordinary woman transformed by tragedy who has become an extraordinary hero for us all.In 2001, Cindi Broaddus was a passenger in a car driving along a lonely highway on her way toward a much–anticipated vacation. Suddenly, the predawn peace was shattered when an unknown assailant threw a gallon–sized jar full of sulphuric acid off an overpass and through the windshield. Though Broaddus was covered with second– and third–degree burns across her face and body, miraculously she did not die.Today, she is not only alive and well, but has a positive message of survival and hope to share.A Random Account recounts Broaddus's incredible journey from life–threatening disaster to recovery. Throughout her years–long, often excruciating recuperation – involving numerous reconstructive surgeries, multiple skin grafts, and implanted tissue expanders – this single mother of three has had one goal: to prevent such a terrible crime from happening again. Although her attacker has never been caught, Broaddus travels far and wide, sharing her story, lobbying for improving highway safety, and offering hope and down–to–earth guidance for other victims of senseless tragedy. For such a random act can happen to anyone, turning one's life upside down in an instant. As compelling as it is important, A Random Act is a must–read tale of tragedy and triumph from a truly remarkable woman.

Never Reply All


Dan Friedman - 2020
    

The Resort


M.J. Hardy - 2021
    When three women win a holiday in a Facebook competition, they think it’s by chance.It’s not.When one woman accompanies her husband on business, she thinks she’ll return with him.She won’t.Welcome to the resort, where nothing is as it seems.Invited guests testing the facilities before it opens its doors in one weeks’ time face some uncomfortable truths.Who will survive the week and who won’t leave at all?

The Beautiful Snow: The Ingalls Family, the Railroads, and the Hard Winter of 1880-81


Cindy Wilson - 2020
    It beautifully details the dramatic events of a harrowing winter with months of never-ending blizzards leading to railroad blockades that all but cut off fledgling communities. But what really happened during the Hard Winter of 1880–81? Lively and rewarding, The Beautiful Snow is a new look at the Hard Winter. Pulling from nearly three thousand regional newspaper articles, The Beautiful Snow weaves the historical record around and through Wilder’s fictionalized account of The Long Winter. From the tireless efforts to dig out the railroad blockades, to lavish oyster parties, to carefully spun boosterism, the Hard Winter comes to life with extraordinary tales of survival, resilience, and defiance that adds rich context to Wilder’s beloved novel.

The Lies I Told Him


Vanessa Garbin - 2021
    He refuses to let his mother know what’s wrong and becomes very reclusive.But Daphne’s son is not her only concern. Far from it. Her husband is acting oddly. And she is getting messages from an ex-partner she’d very much rather forget.Her family life seems to be unravelling at the seams, so when Gabriel’s classmate Leo gets in touch and promises to help her son, she has hopes she can address at least one problem.But things aren’t quite as they appear. Add online shaming, flaming, and cyberbullying to the mix and Daphne’s life looks like it’s heading for catastrophe…

Diana: Case Solved: The Definitive Account and Evidence That Proves What Really Happened


Dylan Howard - 2019
    My husband is planning ‘an accident’ in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for him to marry.” —Letter written by Princess Diana, late 1996   It is a moment that remains frozen in history. When the Mercedes carrying Diana, Princess of Wales, spun fatally out of control in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris in August 1997, the world was shocked by what appeared to be a terrible accident.   But two decades later, the circumstances surrounding what really happened that night—and, crucially, why it happened—remain mired in suspicion, controversy, and misinformation. Until now. Dylan Howard has re-examined all of the evidence surrounding Diana’s death—official documents, eyewitness testimony and Diana’s own private journals—as well as amassing dozens of new interviews with investigators, witnesses, and those closest to the princess to ask one very simple question: Was the death of Princess Diana a tragedy…or treason?   Diana: Case Solved has uncovered in unprecedented detail just how much of a threat Diana became to the establishment. In these pages you will learn of the covert diaries and recordings she made, logging the Windsors’ most intimate secrets and hidden scandals as a desperate kind of insurance policy. You will learn how the royals were not the only powerful enemies she made, as her ground-breaking campaigns against AIDS and landmines drew admiration from the public, but also enmity from powerful establishment figures including international arms dealers, the British and American governments, and the MI6 and the CIA.   And, in a dramatic return to the Parisian streets where she met her fate, the two questions that have plagued investigators for over twenty years will finally be answered: Why was Diana being driven in a car previously written off as a death trap? And who was really behind the wheel of the mysterious white Fiat at the scene of the crash?

Dirty Liar


Marissa Finch - 2020
    A chance to get away from my stifling apartment, the sweat of the city, a job I hate. A Sunday morning hiking in the woods with my dog is a dream come true … until it becomes a nightmare. I don’t see the hole until it’s too late. Then I’m at the bottom of it, staring up at the ground twelve feet above me. A stupid accident. Or was it? Because soon, someone’s bringing me food and water. Someone who doesn’t want me to see his face. Someone who knows what I did. Out there, someone wants revenge. And down here, at the bottom of a hole, a lifetime of lies is about to unravel… A fresh and original thriller, Dirty Liar asks how well we ever truly know the people we love. Guaranteed to keep you turning pages long into the night!

Surrender: A Memoir of Nature, Nurture, and Love


Marylee MacDonald - 2020
    Now she shares her story with the child she gave away.Adopted at birth, Marylee's parents told her she was a "chosen child." She tried her hardest to be a model daughter, but divorce sent her into the comforting arms of a handsome Catholic boy.It's a familiar story. Romeo and Juliet. Theirs was the love story of all time.Starry-eyed, she surrendered to passion. Unfortunately, it was 1961. Pregnant girls were sent away, and their babies given up for adoption. History was repeating itself.Nature vs. nurture: Which plays a greater role in who we become? The family we were raised in, or the parents we never knew?In telling her adult son the story of his birth, can the narrator find compassion for her own wounded inner child?If you like truthful accounts laced with the passion of youth and the wisdom of age, read Marylee MacDonald's funny and poignant memoir about how we grow up, grow old, and learn to accept ourselves.