Snappsy the alligator is having a normal day when a pesky narrator steps in to spice up the story. Is Snappsy reading a book ... or is he making CRAFTY plans? Is Snappsy on his way to the grocery store ... or is he PROWLING the forest for defenseless birds and fuzzy bunnies? Is Snappsy innocently shopping for a party ... or is he OBSESSED with snack foods that start with the letter P? What's the truth? Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) is an irreverent look at storytelling, friendship, and creative differences, perfect for fans of Mo Willems.
The nightmare's gone, but what about that alligator? You have to be so careful getting in and out of bed! Maybe a midnight snack to lure him into the garage will do the trick. In this funny and beloved follow-up, Mercer Mayer faces another nighttime fear head-on.
A touching and heartwarming picture book about adoption, acceptance, and inclusion. A Crocodile in the Family is a charming children’s story about a family of birds who stumble across a lone egg in the Australian bush. After taking it home to care for the egg themselves, they discover it’s actually a baby crocodile! The bird family raises the baby crocodile as one of their own, and as their community continues to ask questions about their reason why they keep him, the family says the answer is simple. Because he belongs, that’s why! With a story that captures your heart and stunning illustrations, A Crocodile in the Family is the perfect children’s book about what makes a blended family so beautiful.
Unavoidable liason… Every Tuesday, Hayley Morgan drops off her six-year-old son, Max, at the baby-sitter's, then drives the deserted stretch of highway south from New Orleans to the maximum security prison where she works. Every Tuesday, Max waits out front at the baby-sitter's, eager for Hayley to return. One Tuesday, the routine isn't quite so smooth. Because Max disappears. He's been abducted. But there's one man—lawyer Slade Reeves—who can help her. He's Hayley's only link to Max. She knows she has to trust him, although he appears to be invovled with Max's kidnapping. Even worse, she starts falling for Slade…falling for the enemy.
But Now I See is the dramatic story of a Vietnam veteran turned Protestant minister, who wrestles with questions about guilt and about forgiveness, who gets it and who doesn't? Rev. Will McKenzie ministers to a large congregation among the elegant but decadent society of pre-Katrina New Orleans. When a member of his congregation murders her unfaithful husband, Will's wartime flashbacks accelerate, pressing him to face his own inner conflicts and driving him to resolve guilt for what he did during the war and guilt for surviving when others died. As he struggles, Will encounters repeated lures from a seductive church member, the unending demands of his congregation, and his own brush with emotional breakdown. The novel offers spiritual and psychological insights into our human nature and the dynamics of guilt and forgiveness. Written with dry humor amid life's unflinching realism, the narrative lures the reader deeper and deeper into the essence of human existence. Will's inner transformation invites us to evaluate our own views of love and acceptance, in the face of guilt and the need for forgiveness. A rich and profound experience awaits the reader of this exceptional novel.
Escaping their conquered planet Zion, the Nomein flee to an uninhabited planet to rebuild their new home on Halcyon and forget their people's tragic past. Everyone follows blindly under Mayor Surfiet's rule as they keep their heads down and avoid questions, except for one. Narb, a waste transporter, searches for clues to find his Father, the Great King of Zion. Narb is haunted by vivid, prophetic dreams of a planet in ruin, and when he looks to the stars, Halcyon's destruction and redemption are unraveled. With the help of a newfound friend, Bleep, Narb urgently seeks to evacuate the planet and spread the word of their impending doom as they are enraptured in an all-out war on truth. This unlikely duo must evangelize the only salvation Halcyon has left while evading government detection. But who will listen?
Exotic dancers begin disappearing around the South Bay area in record numbers just after a well-fed, 6-foot alligator is spotted in the San Pedro's Machado Lake. Alto saxophonist Loose Bezich, whose topless terpsichorean girlfriend is terrified, doesn't believe in such concurrences. Loose calls on bandleader and fellow-jazzman Lars Lindstrom to help him check out the scene. Lars, musician turned detective, faces is biggest challenge to date as California's "Reggie-gator" serial killer becomes obsessed with the trumpet man's beautiful Norwegian lady. A story set in the cities of San Pedro, Denver and Boulder, and the French Riviera.
August 1952, the Korean War was in its second year. Granny stirred the pot on the stove as the image of Andy getting on the bus headed to the army base crossed her mind; she heard a noise then looked toward the front door. Momma looked up as she sat at the table shelling beans, impressed at the two men in uniform as they came in. They paused for a moment as they removed their caps. Her brother Andy was home on leave, bringing along a buddy of his, Clive, to enjoy a home-cooked meal and spend a few days on the Gulf Coast along the Long Branch River. Andy had spun many tales of his time along the river, and Clive was eager to see for himself. Their daddy was at the store working alone; usually they all would work together, allowing his wife and daughter to be at home when they arrived. Clive was immediately attracted to Momma: slim build, long black hair, and hazel-green eyes. Momma was swept off her feet, and she and Clive married nine months later. Daddy had to force Clive to marry and face his responsibilities. Granny never did like him very much because he was much older than her daughter and there was always strife between them, but she was pleased the children would have a daddy. She turned fifteen ten days after giving birth to her firstborn. By 1960, Momma had five children and a husband who was abusive and too interested in other women. Near year’s end, he decided to leave once again, never to return. He left the family car, but Momma could not drive. Granny was living with them since her husband passed, and she could not drive either. They met Allen Stone, who lived in their neighborhood, who agreed to drive them to Machanna, which should have only taken about four hours. Several months later, their kidnapper Allen Stone was arrested along with Momma. They were placed in a foster home until she was cleared of any involvement with him in his crime-ridden trail across the country. She remained there with them working in the foster home until she paid them back for their care and raised enough cash for the trip home. Almost a year later, they made their way to Uncle Andy’s house in Machanna.
In her first novel, Gay Walley weaves two stories into a seamless narrative—a woman's quest for love, and the drunken, vagabond childhood she endured with her father. Raised on a barstool, Charlee spends her youth drinking in the dark dives of New England and Montreal with a father who flees from woman to woman. As an adult, in one of her father's haunts, she encounters the man whose flaws and attractions will make her face every emotion that confounded her dad. She longs for companionship, but from her father she has learned to trust only her own will and crave solitude. Can she overcome a life of defiant independence and her distrust of affection? Walley's daring prose style allows the writer to make Charlee's rough but endearing past immediate and vital in her present. “I often think the truth,” Charlee supposes, “was that my father lost me in a card game. He was losing; indeed, he lost everything. The men are all sitting around the bar, and this card game is a secret, all-consuming vice of my father's. He will do anything to keep in the game. And he says, 'Okay, I've got nothing except my daughter. When she's eighteen, you can have her. You can take her and do whatever the hell you like.'” Populated with tough, brilliant characters who crisscross New England, Strings Attached is a novel about the search for love, about the possibilities and impossibilities of that quest. Walley says, “These searching characters fall away and toward each other, as we do in every love affair, and come to their ultimate truths.”
Enforcer Rigel Patterson is known around Shifter Headquarters as a playboy, and he’s okay with that. After all, he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying himself while he waits for Fate to deliver his mate to him. While at a club, Rigel is thrilled when She finally delivers the other half of his soul to him—a handsome human named Tucker. Rigel quickly whisks his mate out of the club, enjoying a night of passion. Except, upon waking the next morning, he finds Tucker gone. Rigel realizes that he should have done a little more talking, but it’s too late. He enlists the aid of friends to help him find Tucker. When Rigel runs across Tucker by accident, he’s overjoyed. In his enthusiasm, he accidentally outs Tucker to his parents. After an explosive display, Rigel realizes explaining he’s an alligator shifter, mates, and the paranormal world could be the least of his problems. Can Rigel convince Tucker to forgive him and give them a chance?
