The perfect tool for writers who seek to eliminate stale, trite language. The entries in this reference are conveniently arranged to allow writers to quickly find the offending phrase and a sharp alternative.
This compilation of American slang contains more than 5,000 common slang terms with easy-to-understand definitions and sample sentences. The book's unique classification of slang terms under key words makes it easy to search for and discover any term. By organising terms this way, slang terms that share a common key word can be classified together for easy reference. For example, under the key word 'Chip,' the following terms are alphabetically listed: bargaining chip, blue chip, cash in one's chips, chip in, chip off the old block, chip on one's shoulder, in the chips, let the chips fall where they may, and when the chips are down. Slang terms with more than one key word are also cross-referenced, and sample sentences lend meaning to the slang terms by showing their applications in writing and in conversation.
Pervasive drug abuse among children and young adults is at an all-time high. None of us expect it to happen in our own homes, but it can Written from parents of kids on drugs, to parents of kids on drugs, Hit by a Ton of Bricks highlights pastor and speaker John Vawter's experience with his daughter on the road from addiction to sobriety. Other pastors, counselors, and teachers share their journeys in this poignant, groundbreaking book about substance abuse. - Explore what drew now-sober adult children to drugs and/or alcohol. - Walk with the authors through difficult days and sleepless nights. - Hear intimate stories that provide encouragement and strength. - Understand the miracle of God's grace.
Covering over 10,000 idioms and collocations characterized by similarity in their wording or metaphorical idea which do not show corresponding similarity in their meanings, this dictionary presents a unique cross-section of the English language. Though it is designed specifically to assist readers in avoiding the use of inappropriate or erroneous phrases, the book can also be used as a regular phraseological dictionary providing definitions to individual idioms, cliches, and set expressions. Most phrases included in the dictionary are in active current use, making information about their meanings and usage essential to language learners at all levels of proficiency.
Life is a series of losses. I've decided to be very Zen about it. I have lost two husbands, my parents, my brother, countless friends; it is just one loss after another. You might as well get used to it." So muses the author's mother in this poignant and humorous memoir about mothers and daughters. Loss is a way of life for both Catherine and her mother. But where it made the daughter ravenous for contact, it made the mother lose her appetite for people. While the two always had a fierce attachment, by turns intimate and tumultuous, decades of fractious and contentious and frustrating interactions found a reprieve after the birth of Catherine's daughter, Olive. Witty and direct, weaving back and forth in time, the book charts the transformation of this volatile and unique mother-daughter relationship from longing to connection. A book about love, mortality, and the nature of family bonds, It Hit Me Like a Ton of Bricks is a must-read for anyone trying to navigate their way through the distance between their fantasies of love and the realities of family relationships.
What Haunts Me – Ghost Killer – Book 1 (a supernatural/paranormal thriller) is the first book in an episodic series. It is currently listed on Amazon as a pre-order item and will be officially published on November 15, 2014. http://www.amazon.com/What-Haunts-Me-Ghost-Killer-ebook/dp/B00NH0QU40 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23214897-what-haunts-me---ghost-killer---book-1 Back cover: You can’t kill something that’s already dead. Unless of course you’re George. There are ghosts and demons that wander among the living; they do not haunt in the traditional sense. Instead, they plague the living with diseases and physical deformities, and once a ghost finds its victim it will haunt them for a lifetime. A mild illness brings on the dreams, which trigger the suppressed memories, which in turn allows George to see ghosts. Along with this new sight into a realm unknown to most, George instinctually knows that he must kill the ghosts. Of course none of this makes sense, but he cannot control the urge to kill when he encounters them, because deep inside, he knows this is what he must do. Another thing he knows; if he kills a ghost, a person nearby is suddenly healed. His acceptance of this newfound ability to see and kill ghosts becomes his obsession, but it is also destroying his life and threatening his sanity. George seeks the help of Phil, a known paranormal expert, who briefly explains his new ability, but also warns him about a dangerous man who is looking for a powerful ghost killer, and insinuates that George is that powerful ghost killer. Soon after, George meets Billy, a young woman with a brazen and unlikable personality. However, she is another ghost killer, and that makes her someone he needs to know. With the help of Billy and Phil, George looks for answers as to how and why he’s become what he is and who and what the dangerous man wants. His quest for knowledge leads him to new friends and allies, but also to enemies he could never have imagined, enemies that killed his mother and grandparents and now want him.
A first-person narrative of a woman whose family was touched by HIV/AIDS explains the real ways through which HIV can be transmitted and the emotions can experience when a friend or family member has the virus.
My poems come from my journey in life experience from one of the eleven children in Mississippi, to joining the US Marine Corp at seventeen years old during the Vietnam war era and after spending 13 months of overseas duty, I was honorable discharge after my return, as a young man I began to use alcohol as a substance, to deal with that experience and the social ills of that era and it lingered, became a problem later on in life. I began to write poetry as a emotional outlet to ease the pain of my journey to sobriety, which has been fifteen years now. I know the journey is not over but the road is smoother now. That's why I am sharing my pain, my victories, my joy and laughter with you for the veterans suffering with PTSD, anyone dealing with depression, anxiety or mental issues or a bad relationship, a rough day at work, a bad hair day, waiting in the doctor's office to see what the Xray says. After reading a poem, I want you to say that Joseph Theophilus Lowe is that poet, who made me throw that tissue away and put a smile on my face and made my day. May god bless and may you find your way. Sincerely, Joseph Theophilus Lowe
"An accessible, informative, insider’s view, this book reminds readers that there is still a long way to go." — Kirkus Reviews Weaving together her own story with straightforward questions and answers, the author explains the real ways that HIV/AIDS can be transmitted and explores the common experiences and emotions that might be encountered by friends and family members of someone who has the virus. She also discusses why HIV/AIDS is often still kept a secret and the importance of treating this condition like any other. With up-to-date medical information that has been thoroughly vetted by experts, this first-person narrative offers an invaluable look at what it is like to watch someone you know battle HIV/AIDS. Back matter includes a glossary, a bibliography, and resources for further information.