He can't even afford medical treatments for his ailing son.When bestselling novelist Jack Fleischer takes an interest in him as a co-author, Ben thinks he has found his big break. But he quickly learns that working with Fleischer is no dream job. The bestseller is demanding, angry, and cruel.BEN IS LOSING EVERYTHINGSince signing the contract with Fleischer's publisher, Ben is being followed by shadowy agents. His wife is accusing him of things he doesn't remember doing, and the contract is full of bizarre terms. Like dangerous research trips that involve binge drinking, torture, and worse. Writing has become nearly impossible, and if Ben breaches the contract, he'll lose everything.But Ben is not about to surrender to Fleischer. He is willing to do anything in his power to save his family, and his life.

    Desperate to prove his talents have value, he agrees to work for Dr. Foster, a psychologist who secretly hires performers to infiltrate the everyday lives of his patients, and then stage situations which advance their therapy. This part-time job becomes Jordan's toughest role yet as he's assigned to follow an eccentric patient named Julie, lie his way into her life, and help Foster rebuild her trust in men. White Oleander author Janet Fitch raved, “Kevin Alex Baker is a rare find, and Head Games is a sweet discovery, a ripping page-turner.”

    So much of what has happened in recent weeks defies explanation for the remnant of the resistance to the last Dictator, survivors of the last human war. Out of tribulation and loss, they stumble into a fresh breeze of hope that seems too good to be true. Yet, peace has fallen all around the world, and the new ruler in Jerusalem enforces that peace through an odd assortment of people spread over the Earth. Even the weather and wildlife have been transformed for the comfort of the remaining people. Could this be what the Christians looked forward to for millennia, the Kingdom of God come to Earth, the Reign of Jesus Christ? Even in the face of gracious prosperity, for the world and its inhabitants, the seeds have been planted for one last human revolt against God.

    . . Jean and Rosie, opposites in every way, are dealing with different aspects of their lives when they find themselves working side-by-side in the same real estate company. Despite reluctance, they also find themselves teaming up for some new mid-life adventures filled with excitement, romance and plenty of drama. As they become better acquainted, a friendship begins to form. They laugh, cry, and even fight together. Until finally, during a slumber party and while sporting polyester pajamas, they entrust their lives completely to each other and share their deepest, darkest secrets. Through it all, they discover how truly wonderful having a best friend, at any age, can be. If you’ve ever had or needed a best friend, have wondered what life was all about, have been ashamed of something you’ve done in the past, or if you’ve ever lost someone you loved with all of your heart, then you MUST read this book! Praise for in Polyester Pajamas: “In Polyester Pajamas is at once gutsy, poignant, tear-inducing, and wickedly funny. I recommend this book to anyone who has experienced love, loss, heartbreak, happiness, and new beginnings. In short, In Polyester Pajamas is for everyone. It’s a brave, ballsy, brightly colored novel by a brave, ballsy, brightly colorful writer. Bravo, Catherine Dougherty.” —Jennifer Niven, author of Velva Jean Learns to Drive, Velva Jean Learns to Fly, and Becoming Clementine

    Will Williams' budding detective skills be equal to the task of catching any of the murderers? Will his current gin intake permit him to remember any of the details?Transcribed from the original interviews, the only changes made have been to names, places, dates and facts. Oh, and cutting out all the heavy swearing.

     Gwen Mongan is a thirty-three-year-old Marketing Communications executive in an innovative startup. Besides her exciting career and dream home, former social worker Gwen’s life is full with great friends, community service, and a passion for matchmaking. The only problem is her boss: the impossibly demanding and maddeningly charismatic hi-tech superstar, Jake Folton. When Jake goes too far, Gwen thinks it’s time to look for a new job. But Gwen soon discovers it’s going to take more spunk and ingenuity than she knew she possessed to get away from a guy who doesn’t take no for an answer. In fact, it’s going to turn her tidy existence upside-down. Can a racehorse named Purple Lemonade, a deadly Funnel-Web Spider, and a dubious Bachelor-of-the-Year contest finally show Gwen that some people are not what they seem and some risks are worth taking? Debut novelist Myra Kendrix brings her own experience in hi-tech marketing to this page-turning comedy, set against the vibrant cityscape of Sydney, Australia.

    But a few years down the road, she's stuck in a pothole. No job (not good). No man (very not good). Nothing has turned out as she'd intended.There's only one way to get out of the hole: throw out the ideas that landed her there and start over. So, using the ancient Chinese tradition of the five elements of life - Metal, Fire, Wood, Water, Earth - Isabel breaks her own life down to its essentials to explore five areas of inner and outer change.She calls in a feng shui consultant to discover that her bedroom decor is draining the father (whatever that means)... takes a motivational workshop to experience the power of doing... turns a silent meditation retreat into an exercise in unrelenting being... sits at the feet of a Brixton guru to examine the nature of mind... and undertakes a shamanic ritual in the Amazon to part company with her own mind completely. As rich as the book is in the particulars of a life hilariously lived, it's also universal: readers can see themselves in Isabel's experience and look at their lives with new eyes.

    Stunned, Carrie drives all night to her quirky hometown and collapses in a near-catatonic state. A crew of ladies spanning three generations realize it’s up to them to help Carrie get her life out of the ditch. Known as the “Presbyterian Mafia,” these are not sweet old gals. They have a book club that never reads, a garden club that doesn’t garden, and a bible study class that gossips about the Methodists. They’re known around town for antics including catfights, car chases and Voodoo rituals. The women enlist Carrie’s former childhood best friend Portia (now a lawyer) and her flamboyant cousin Eric (recently returned from New York) in their effort. While dealing with the after-effects of her imprudent gunplay and managing a hair color disaster, Carrie meets Rhett Richards. He’s an attractive oil field worker who can make women think un-Christian thoughts by the mere act of wearing a pair of tight wranglers. Carrie soon learns that hometowns can be the perfect places to bury old scandals and create new ones.

    There was nothing in it. I don't really know why I took it. Maybe it made me feel more secure, the way children sometimes carry around a blanket or a teddy bear. I actually hadn't prepared anything. I had no lesson plans, no ideas about what I might say. I had no books, no materials. I didn't even think I was going to have a job until the day before. Since the call, I was meeting with all kinds of people to get my paperwork finished and I had no time to prepare. Some teachers decorate their classrooms. I hadn't bought any posters or decorations. The walls of my classroom stood bare. I got there about two hours early, standing in the middle of the room, feeling a little sick. Maybe it was something I ate, but my stomach spun around inside me. But then, as I stood there, examining the bare walls of the classroom, I started to realize, Room 203 was my room. Mine. No one else would teach in this room but yours truly, for the next 180 school days. Of course, I had been in the room a few times before, but on this day, the room belonged to me. My dream had become real. The gravity of the whole situation really made me want to throw up." - excerpt from Stories from a Teacher *NOTE TO PARENTS/READERS* - Book contains some adult language/content. Book's linked short stories will resonate with high school students and young teachers. note - v 1.102 - 1/3/2015

    Set in the 1980s, she endures a sub-zero marriage to Mike, Assistant Manager of Friendly Finance, as well as the impossible role of mother to fifteen-and-a-half-year-old Kim and fourteen-year-old Molly. Adding to her misery, is the job she loathes at Big Brother Insurance Company. Life in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California is a soap opera. Kim and Molly skip school, smoke pot, and call each other bitch, while Mike loan sharks by day and guzzles Coors by night. Eventually a line is drawn across the matted shag carpet when Mike sides with the girls.Pushed to her limit when Kim's truancy draws the attention of the State Attorney's Office, Margie flees to San Francisco and a new life.

    She needed a ride. A simple lift turned into the adventure of a lifetime. When Meg was stranded in the Bahamas, her life was dramatically changed through an encounter with an old friend that turned into adventure, danger, and discovery. Meg Freeman and Jon Davenport began a surprising adventure, connected to a 17th century, shipwrecked Spanish galleon. Both Freeman and Davenport had experienced the sorrow of losing a spouse, but they found a renewed friendship as they had an amazing undersea discovery and encountered challenges along the way. Join this couple’s adventure of romance and suspense where the long way home became a ride that would change their lives forever. The Long Way Home is book one in The Davenport Series.

    Inside it is an old journal. Its writer, she discovers, was her father, a man who vanished mysteriously when Maya was an infant.As she reads through the brittle pages, his story is revealed — as is hers — but there's far more to this treasure than meets the eye. The journal presents a spiritual teaching he has developed specifically for her. As Maya delves into its wisdom, her life begins to change in remarkable ways...Across a rapidly changing physical and psychological landscape, Maya's journey becomes a cross-country adventure, She is swept up into a world of psychic visions, energy vortexes, secret government programs, and a spiritual underground that has revived an ancient meditation practice that may literally change the world. Along the way, Maya unravels the secrets of her past as she encounters the awesome power of a global change in the making.Waking Maya is a thrilling, wisdom-packed quest to understand the deepest principles of our reality.

    The catch? Kate soon discovers Warren has a Big Secret. And that he’s possibly crazy.During her journey, Kate stumbles into the lair of paranoid militants calling themselves the League for the Suppression of Celery. When they learn her destination is Oxnard -- celery capital of the world -- they stop at nothing to indoctrinate her into their nefarious cult.Her escape from the League sends her racing toward her happily-ever-after while being pursued by members of the League who want her back, and by the compelling new friend who inexplicably quits his job to travel across the country to find her.

    

    Desperate to prove she is still relevant, the fiftysomething accepts a shady job offer from Pierre Barton, secretive billionaire owner of Barton Pharmaceuticals. Isolated in a facility outside London, she agrees to test a new top-secret product guaranteed to make her look thirty years younger. Anna is starting to look on the outside the way she feels on the inside: ageless. But she soon discovers that her predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, leading her to research just who stands to gain—and lose—with this miraculous product. When Pierre drops dead in front of her, she takes off on a dangerous journey across Europe hoping to stay alive long enough to uncover the truth.With the hard-won knowledge that younger isn’t always better, Anna is determined to escape and reclaim her life before it’s too late.