If Holly Lane can't finish her romance novel by Christmas, she must return the advance she spent to pay off her parents' mortgage. Reluctantly she agrees to collaborate with English mystery author Noel Atterberry to finish the book. Working together in Noel's English manor, they feel the same heat of attraction as their fictional hero and heroine. But for Noel romance means heartbreak. With Holly, and in the novel they are co-writing together, he rejects a happy ending and demands their characters die in a fiery car crash. Will Holly and Noel manage to write a happily-ever-after for their fictional couple—and themselves—by their Christmas deadline?
Film plays a vital role in the celebration of Christmas. For decades, it has taught audiences about what the celebration of the season looks like – from the decorations to the costumes and to the expected snowy weather – as well as mirrors our own festivities back to us. Films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Home Alone have come to play key roles in real-life domestic celebrations: watching such titles has become, for many families, every bit as important as tree-trimming and leaving cookies out for Santa. These films have exported the American take on the holiday far and wide and helped us conjure an image of the perfect holiday. Rather than settling the ‘what is a Christmas film?’ debate – indeed, Die Hard and Lethal Weapon are discussed within – Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural focuses on the how Christmas is presented on the deluge of occasions when it appears. While most Christmas films are secular, religion makes many cameos, appearing through Nativity references, storylines involving spiritual rebirth, the framing of Santa as a Christ-like figure and the all-importance of family, be it the Holy family or just those gathered around the dining table. Also explored are popular narratives involving battles with stress and melancholy, single parents and Christmas martyrs, visits from ghosts and angels, big cities and small towns, break-ups and make-ups and the ticking clock of mortality. Nearly 1000 films are analyzed in this volume to determine what the portrayal of Christmas reveals about culture, society and faith as well as sex roles, consumerism, aesthetics and aspiration.
In the tradition of Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, a wise and fascinating book that shows us how “we can make deadlines work for us instead of the other way around” (The Wall Street Journal). Perfectionists and procrastinators alike agree—it’s natural to dread a deadline. Whether you are completing a masterpiece or just checking off an overwhelming to-do list, the ticking clock signals despair. Christopher Cox knows the panic of the looming deadline all too well—as a magazine editor, he has spent years overseeing writers and journalists who couldn’t meet a deadline to save their lives. After putting in a few too many late nights in the newsroom, he became determined to learn the secret of managing deadlines. He set off to observe nine different organizations as they approached a high-pressure deadline. Along the way, Cox made an even greater discovery: these experts didn’t just meet their big deadlines—they became more focused, productive, and creative in the process. An entertaining blend of “behavioral science, psychological theory, and academic studies with compelling storytelling and descriptive case studies” (Financial Times), The Deadline Effect reveals the time-management strategies these teams used to guarantee success while staying on schedule: a restaurant opening for the first time, a ski resort covering an entire mountain in snow, a farm growing enough lilies in time for Easter, and more. Cox explains how to use deadlines to our advantage, the dynamics of teams and customers, and techniques for using deadlines to make better, more effective decisions.
In this heartwarming, feel-good novel, a snowstorm brings a cast of very different characters together at a sleepy New England inn, just in time for Christmas—and maybe even in time for a Christmas miracle. A New England inn seems like the picture-perfect place to spend the holidays. But when a snowstorm shuts the roads and keeps them all inside, the guests find themselves worrying that this Christmas may not be exactly what they dreamed of. Molly just needs to keep her head down and finish her latest book, but her writer’s block is crippling. The arrival of Marcus, a handsome widower with two young girls, is exactly the distraction she doesn’t need. Hannah was hoping for a picturesque winter wedding, but her plans come crashing down when her fiancé calls everything off. She reconnects with her childhood friend, Luke, when he comes to check on his grandmother before the storm. Jeanne and Tim don’t know how they’re going to keep the inn open another year—or how to bridge the distance between them in their marriage. With a flurry of unexpected guests, they’ll have to work together to fix all the problems that crop up. But will it be enough to rekindle their relationship? With faith, and a little bit of Christmas magic, the inn—and its inhabitants—might just make it through the holidays after all in this “beautiful story about strangers becoming friends…and having an unexpectedly joyous time” (Publishers Weekly).
Includes actual instructions! “You might not think that a book about cleaning could be funny but this made me laugh out loud” (The Financial Times). For many reasons, men often neglect housekeeping chores—even when they share the house with other humans who wish they could get some help in that department. How to Get Things Really Flat combines witty observations, true tales of family life, useful information that takes the mystery out of such phenomena as dishwashers and vacuums, and answers to timeless questions including: When dusting, where does the dust go? What is the worst thing that can happen while ironing? Is housework therapeutic? How can I impress people with bicarbonate of soda? Aren’t men supposed to be dirty? And more! “A delightfully amusing tale about the joys and tribulations of doing housework that also serves as a very good primer on how to actually do housework . . . His main target audience is men. But women, I think, will also find Martin’s observations funny and many of his tips helpful . . . And if, after laughing your way through Martin’s text, you’re still not into doing housework, he has a tip for that, too: Hire a cleaner.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune “Martin’s lighthearted but quite handy guide looks at the reasons why men don’t help out around the house as much as they ought to and proposes what can be done about that . . . After reading this offbeat and thoroughly delightful guide to housework, it’s hard to imagine anyone not wanting to give this stuff a try. Martin does what your mother never could: he makes doing chores seem fun, exciting, and rewarding.” —Booklist
From international film phenomenon, Richard Curtis, and awardwinnning illustrator, Rebecca Cobb, comes a heartwarming tale of a magical, unconventional Christmas. Christmas is the same every year, isn't it? Same food, same routine, same visiting the neighbours and going for a walk. Except for the year of That Christmas... Find out what happens when traditions are upturned, when chaos reigns, and what's really important when people come together... Richard Curtis is an award-winning and international film-director and script writer, and the creator of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Notting Hill, Yesterday and Mr Bean. Rebecca Cobb has collaborated with the Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson and Orange-Prize-winner Helen Dunmore, has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize and the prestigious Kate Greenaway Award multiple times.
Countries emerging from civil war or protracted violence often face the daunting challenge of rebuilding their economy while simultaneously creating the political and social conditions for a stable peace. The implicit assumption in the international community that rapid political democratisation along with economic liberalisation holds the key to sustainable peace is belied by the experiences of countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Often, the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction revolve around the timing and sequencing of different reform that may have contradictory implications. Drawing on a range of thematic studies and empirical cases, this book examines how post-conflict reconstruction policies can be better sequenced in order to promote sustainable peace. The book provides evidence that many reforms that are often thought to be imperative in post-conflict societies may be better considered as long-term objectives, and that the immediate imperative for such societies should be 'people-centred' policies.
On November 10, 1995, Nigeria’s military dictatorship executed nine environmental activists. Among them was Ken Saro-Wiwa, the charismatic spokesman of the Ogoni people, whose land in the fertile Niger River delta has been grotesquely polluted by the Royal Dutch Shell Corporation. During Ken’s incarceration, his brother, Dr. Owens Wiwa, fought valiantly to save his life. When his quest failed, Owens narrowly escaped Nigeria with his life, first to London, and then to Toronto. His story is a heart-stopping saga of personal courage and official corruption, of individual selflessness and corporate greed.
This collection of 101 festive holiday stories will warm readers' hearts and spread the wonder of the holiday season with its tales of love, joy, and awe. A fantastic holiday gift and a great way to start the season! Christmas is an exciting and joyous time of year, a time of family, friends, and traditions. You will delight in reading the 101 merry and heartwarming stories about holiday traditions, family, and goodwill. Remember, all our stories are 2Santa safe3 so they can be enjoyed by the whole family.
After serving in the National Guard during World War II, Trav leaves his hometownof Savannah, Georgia to follow his lifelong dream of becoming a radio sports announcer. Soon, Trav is one of the most sought after announcers, not to mention one of the most sought-after bachelors, with offers from radio and television stations across the South - and offers from women all across his radio listening area.
