Life in the spotlight has all kinds of hang ups. Taylor Jefferies fled the Hollywood spotlight and found herself helping the citizens of the small town of Keeneston. As luck would have it, the sexy man who caught her eye and found a place in her heart joined her at college that fall. She just had to graduate college, find a new job, and try to stay out of the media spotlight she’d grown to hate to make her happily-ever-after possible. Trey Everett has done a lot of growing up since he left Keeneston for college. Now twenty-six years old and making a name for himself in the NFL, he has found true love. It’s just as simple as asking America’s Sweetheart, Taylor Jefferies, one little question to secure his happiness. The only problem stopping his fairy tale ending is that someone is determined to kill the mood . . . and the love of his life.
We all do it. We toggle from text, to email, to Facebook, and back to text, all while working, helping a child with homework, or God forbid, driving. We can order clothes, pay bills, transfer funds, buy groceries, and pay a parking ticket in the time it takes to cook a bag of microwaved popcorn. These errands would have taken the better of a day's time not ten years ago. Where has it gotten us? Do we feel more accomplished? More productive? At peace with a mile-long to-do list we are able to check, check, check as we click, click, click? Research says, "No", and we should be alarmed. Hung Up Why You Should Put the Phone Down (and Other Life Advice) takes a fresh look at how smartphone addiction is affecting our children and us with candid and personal narrative intended to inspire change. The book is short (most can read in an hour) and includes a step-by-step guide for how we can better manage our phone habits. If you've ever felt like you were being pecked to death by the ping of your phone, this book is for you.
I have heard it said that we all shall pay for the sins of the father. Someone once told me that when the next generation has it rough, its because they are reaping what the generation before them has sowed. This is what Creole people would call Blood Magic in the Basement (or so Ive been told). I am Vernon Lucas II and my father was a kingpin in the heroin drug trade. I cant say that my adult life has been easy, but at least as a child I never really wanted for anything. Ive been told that since my family has helped to poison many people in America with illegal drugs, that I was cursed to suffer in my adult life for their sins. I almost believed that for a time. I felt very restless in my adult life and very few goals that I set for myself ever worked out for me. I felt ashamed and even embarrassed by my family, until I began to research the reasons why they did what they did in the first place. My father and his brothers came from very humble beginnings. His mother, my Grandmother was a field hand/housewife and her husband, my Grandfather was a share cropper as well as a bootlegger. They lived, loved and struggled in the segregated south of the early 1900s. There have been rumors about how mean my Grandfather was, but by the time I had to live with him he was much kinder and gentler. My Fathers brother, Frank Lucas was at least 20 years older than he was, so it was natural for him to look up to my Uncle Frank as not only an older brother but also as somewhat of a Father figure. Frank left home at a very early age to make his own way in life and turned to a life of crime out of necessity. He became one of the best at what he did. It was just a matter of time before my father eventually followed in his footsteps. I am by no means condoning what they did in the 60s & 70s I just want to let it be known that they were not Harvard Educated, to say the least and they felt that they didnt have much choice in what they did. To follow their American dream, they sold narcotics and cut out the middle man in doing so. This allowed them to sell it very pure and inexpensive. Needless to say, it pissed a lot of people off. Once they made their fortune, they invested within their community, gave an economic boost to many minorities across America, as well as paying back taxes and saving the homes of certain celebrities. These were only some of the positive things that they accomplished. The real story is that of the Country Boys. Even though there wouldnt be any Country Boys without the help of my Uncle Frank. The Country Boys and Frank Lucas were 2 completely separate entities. It took the help of the Country boys to expand Frank Lucas empire and even though it started out with number running and narcotics, it eventually became so much more. My father, Vernon (Shorty) Lucas Sr. helped run the Country Boys and with the help of his brothers he was able to pull his family and everyone he knew out of obscurity and poverty. Frank wasnt very proud of what he felt he had to do to make a living so he lied to his mother and told her that he was a business man. When he brought her up north from North Carolina he Lived in New York and set his Parents and most of his siblings up in Northern New Jersey. This autobiographical tale gives firsthand insight on what it was actually like growing up in such a household. I have decided to share at least the first 30 years of my life to show exactly what I personally went through as the son of an American Gangster. It has been an emotional roller coaster for me and I cannot determine which came first; the chicken or the egg. Meaning: Was my lifes emotional instability inherited, or was it caused by the way I had to live? You be the judge. I am hoping this autobiography serves some as a manual as well as entertainment through self education. So in synopsis, what Im trying to convey is that the Lucas family is so much more than this gangster image
Published to coincide with his highly anticipated new sitcom – a mockumentary follow-up to Extras from the pens of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant – Size Matters Not is the surprising and hilarious story of the world’s biggest little actor. When Nana Davis heard an advert on the radio seeking small people for the third Star Wars movie little did she know it was a moment that would transform her tiny grandson’s life. Aged only eleven and just two-feet-eleven inches in height, Warwick went on to make his screen debut as Wicket the Ewok in 1983’s box-office smash Return of the Jedi. It was the beginning of a career that would see him star in some of the biggest films of the last thirty years. Still just three-foot-six, Warwick owes his success to a boundless optimism. His one-in-a-million genetic condition may have opened doors through which other actors couldn’t fit, but it has also led to trials and tragedy – from the seemingly mundane challenge of supermarket shopping, to the sometimes heartbreaking story of his struggle to start a family. By turns funny and moving, Size Matters Not is a big story from a big man, who just happens to be very, very short.
A surreal, lyrical work of narrative nonfiction that portrays how the largest domestic oil discovery in half a century transformed a forgotten corner of the American West into a crucible of breakneck capitalism. As North Dakota became the nation's second-largest oil producer, Maya Rao set out in steel-toe boots to join a wave of drifters, dreamers, entrepreneurs, and criminals. With an eye for the dark, absurd, and humorous, Rao fearlessly immersed herself in their world to chronicle this modern-day gold rush, from its heady beginnings to OPEC's price war against the US oil industry. She rode shotgun with a surfer-turned-truck driver braving toxic fumes and dangerous roads, dined with businessmen disgraced during the financial crisis, and reported on everyone in between -- including an ex-con YouTube celebrity, a trophy wife mired in scandal, and a hard-drinking British Ponzi schemer--in a social scene so rife with intrigue that one investor called the oilfield Peyton Place on steroids. As the boom receded, a culture of greed and recklessness left troubling consequences for investors and longtime residents. Empty trailers and idle oil equipment littered the fields like abandoned farmsteads, leaving the pioneers who built this unlikely civilization to reckon with their legacy. Part Barbara Ehrenreich, part Upton Sinclair, Great American Outpost is a sobering exploration of twenty-first-century America that reads like a frontier novel.
“A sexy, funny, sweet story about second chances and found family . . . I fell in love with Ridley Falls and everyone in it.”—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers “This immersive tale will have everyone flipping pages.”—Good Morning America ONE OF THE BEST ROMANCE NOVELS OF 2023: Cosmopolitan, USA Today A music critic stuck in a spiral of epic proportions targets her teenage crush for a career comeback and a chance at revenge. What could possibly go wrong? Sammy Espinoza’s life is a raging dumpster fire. Her desperate attempt to win back her singer ex-girlfriend has landed her in hot water at work, and she has one last chance before her editor cuts her column. Luckily, Sammy has a plan to redeem herself, but it won’t be easy. Rumor has it that Max Ryan, the former rock god, is secretly recording his first-ever solo album years after he dramatically quit performing. And it just so happens that he and Sammy have history: Right before Max got his big break, he and Sammy spent an unforgettable night together. Exclusive access to Max’s new music would guarantee Sammy’s professional comeback and, even better, give her the opportunity to serve some long-awaited revenge for his traumatic ghosting. But Max lives in Ridley Falls, Washington, and Sammy has history there as well: a family that never wanted her and a million unanswered questions. Going back would mean confronting it all—but what else does she have to lose?
"Curly and Floppy Twistytail: The Funny Piggie Boys" with the aid of Howard R. Garis is a pleasing kid's book that takes young readers on a fascinating journey with two endearing piglets, Curly and Floppy Twistytail. Written by way of the prolific children's creator Howard R. Garis, acknowledged for his resourceful and whimsical testimonies, this book is probable to captivate the hearts of young audiences. The tale follows the escapades of Curly and Floppy as they navigate a global full of fascinating characters and thrilling reviews. The mischievous piglet brothers embark on amusing and sometimes silly adventures, providing younger readers with a feel of pleasure and marvel. Garis, renowned for his ability to create enticing and pleasing tales for children, can also infuse the narrative with humor, life training, and a hint of fable. As Curly and Floppy encounter diverse demanding situations and make new pals, readers may additionally discover themselves immersed in a world where creativeness knows no bounds. The colourful and playful storytelling style, coupled with Garis's knack for growing relatable characters, can also make "Curly and Floppy Twistytail" a loved addition to kid's literature.
Harlequin Romantic Suspense brings you four new titles for one great price, available now! Looking for heart-racing romance and high-stakes suspense? This Harlequin Romantic Suspense bundle includes Operation Unleashed by Justine Davis, Special Ops Rendezvous by Karen Anders, Protecting Her Royal Baby by Beth Cornelison and Lone Star Redemption by Colleen Thompson. Look for 4 new compelling stories every month from Harlequin Romantic Suspense!
