Even the sturdiest of people have their limits. For Captain Melinda Morris, USN, that limit came in the form of a bomb that violated the peace of a Baghdad café. Her career ended, her body damaged, her marriage finished, her home lost—a strong woman learned what it meant to be broken. She remembered her father’s words from over two decades before. “If you ever need us, the ranch is here. Come home.” She did. She left the sea that had been her life to return to her first love—the land and horses. Her father was long dead, but the ranch was there, as well as the memory of his reminder that a Morris never gives up. Those words held her fast as she dealt with the nightmares that never quite ended, leaving her with the mystery of an unfilled promise to a dying mother whose name she never knew. The ranch, the horses, the love of family, and a promise to her brother, Hoyt, gave her an anchor to hang onto. When Addie Romero returned home to the neighboring ranch, she brought home a history of success and her own nightmares from a story she could tell no one, at least not until she saw Mel again. Former three-time World Champion Cowgirl—an accomplishment that was her springboard into a successful career in the world or horses, movies, and the California high life—Addie was ready to return, perhaps to heal an old and deep wound that never lost its grip on her heart and mind. Together, Addie and Mel would seek the gold to mend the broken, to create something even more beautiful than before.
Explore the world''s greatest buildings! Architecture is filled with amazing illustrations and photographs that take you to the heart of the world''s landmark buildings. Get the opportunity to look beyond the facade. Examine materials and technology that shape buildings, and identify thekey elements and decorative features of each architectural style. This is the best definitive visual guide on architecture; it covers 5,000 years of architectural design, style, and construction from airports to ziggurats. Dissects architectural wonders inside and out Includes palaces, great temples, cathedrals and towering modern skyscrapers
Designed for those preparing to write in the current multimedia environment, MediaWriting explores: the linkages between print, broadcast, and public relations styles outlines the nature of good writing synthesizes and integrates professional skills and concepts Complete with interesting real-world examples and exercises, this textbook gives students progressive writing activities amid an environment for developing research and interviewing skills. Starting from a basis in writing news and features for print media, it moves on to writing for broadcast news media, then introduces students to public relations writing in print, broadcast, and digital media, as well as for news media and advertising venues. Rather than emphasizing the differences among the three writing styles, this book synthesizes and integrates the three concepts, weaving in basic principles of Internet writing and reporting. This book provides beginning newswriting students with a primer for developing the skills needed for work in the media industry. As such, it is a hands-on writing text for students preparing in all professional areas of communication--journalism, broadcasting, media, and public relations.
In a world that often appears to be spinning out of control, there has possibly never been a time when the need for true leaders has been more urgent than today. Leadership is certainly an enigma. Some believe that a leader is someone who has followers. Does that mean that the person with the most Twitter followers or Facebook fans is a true leader? Hardly. While followers may be part of the equation, leadership cannot be about followers alone; and it can’t be just about winning the popular vote. In fact, some of the greatest leaders in history were the least popular. In The Business of Redemption, James Arthur Ray brings together his nearly 30 years of experience in leadership, entrepreneurship, performance, and business. He tracks his meteoric rises and epic falls, successes and failures, to suggest that leadership is about “paying the price.” Leadership is earned through battles and risk, failures and successes, resilience and grit and resourcefulness; and the courage and commitment to get back up and never give up. True leaders take Absolute Responsibility when things go badly; and they give all the credit and praise when things go famously well. True leaders are fighting for a cause that’s bigger than their own personal creature comforts, moods, and needs and that takes The Business of Redemption.
Answers rarely come from expected sources. The need for answers to save a troubled humanity forces Kidwell Brown and Aisha Sudda, two total strangers, into roles they never could have anticipated. Kidwell and her life-partner, Anna Montoya, live a quiet life in their mountain home until the day Kidwell is drawn to visit the Kiva cave at Bandelier National Monument. Hundreds of miles away, Aisha Sudda Fletcher lives another quiet existence, along with her husband, Greg, until the day she is drawn to visit a garden beside a vandalized mosque. On that day, both Kidwell and Aisha are chosen. These humble women soon learn that the time of prophets has not yet passed. Their mystical guides direct the women to "find their allies," and so the lives of Kidwell, Aisha, Anna and Greg are forever intertwined. They will face victory and exile, mystery and certainty. In the end they may well change humanity. A master machinist once told Kayt C. Peck that she did with words what he did with metal. Her career has included serving as a journalist, a U.S. Naval Reserve public affairs officer, and a grants writer raising over $30 million for public and nonprofit organizations.
In the first of an extraordinary series from bestseller S.J.A. Turney, the fate of Empire hangs in the balance... Istanbul, 1481: The once great city of Constantine, a strange mix of Christians, Turks and Jews, now forms the heart of the Ottoman empire. The conquest, still a recent memory, means emotions run high; danger is never far away. Skiouros and Lykaion, sons of a Greek farmer, are conscripted into the infamous Janissary guards and taken to Istanbul. As Skiouros escapes into the Greek quarter, Lykaion remains with the slave chain, becomes an Islamic convert and guards the Imperial palace. But one fateful day Skiouros picks the wrong pocket and begins to unravel a plot reaching to the highest peaks of Imperial power. He and his brother are left with the most difficult decision faced by a conquered Greek: is the rule of the Ottoman Sultan is worth saving? The epic and unputdownable first book in S.J.A. Turney’s Ottoman Cycle, The Thief’s Tale is perfect for readers of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.
Darkness will not last forever. Together we can climb toward the light. They were as troubled as we, our ancestors, those who came before us, and all for the very same reasons: fear of illness, a broken heart, fights in the family, the threat of another war. Corrupt politicians walked their stage, and natural disasters appeared without warning. And yet they came through, carrying us within them, through the grief and struggle, through the personal pain and the public chaos, finding their way with love and faith, not giving in to despair but walking upright until their last step was taken. My culture does not honor the ancestors as a quaint spirituality of the past but as a living source of strength for the present. They did it and so will we. In the same voice that has comforted and challenged countless readers through his daily social media posts, Choctaw elder and Episcopal priest Steven Charleston offers words of hard-won hope, rooted in daily conversations with the Spirit and steeped in Indigenous wisdom. Every day Charleston spends time in prayer. Every day he writes down what he hears from the Spirit. In Ladder to the Light he shares what he has heard with the rest of us and adds thoughtful reflection to help guide us to the light Native America knows something about cultivating resilience and resisting darkness. For all who yearn for hope, Ladder to the Light is a book of comfort, truth, and challenge in a time of anguish and fear.
Adventure to the four corners of the Ottoman Empire. Includes all four books in The Ottoman Cycle series; The Thief’s Tale, The Priest’s Tale, The Assassin’s Tale and The Pasha’s Tale. The Thief’s Tale: Istanbul, 1481. The once-great city of Constantine, with a mix of Christians, Turks and Jews, now forms the heart of the Ottoman empire. The conquest, still a recent memory, means emotions run high and danger is never far away. Skiouros and Lykaion, sons of a Greek farmer, are conscripted into the infamous Janissary guards and taken to Istanbul. As Skiouros escapes into the Greek quarter, Lykaion remains with the slave chain, becomes an Islamic convert and guards the Imperial palace. But one fateful day Skiouros picks the wrong pocket and begins to unravel a plot reaching to the highest peaks of imperial power. He and his brother are left with the most difficult decision faced by a conquered Greek: is the rule of the Ottoman Sultan worth saving? The Priest’s Tale: Crete, 1492. After a sojourn on a Venetian-controlled island, Skiouros has learned everything he needs to know for his true quest: destroying the person responsible for his brother’s death. Meanwhile, across the Mediterranean, a small fleet of Turkish galleys is engaged in a desperate last attempt to save Islamic influence on the Iberian Peninsula. While the great naval commander Kemal Reis battles to survive, his subordinate yearns to murder every hint of Christian life. When Skiouros’ ship crosses paths with the violent would-be pirate, things turn sour. With his life at stake, Skiouros must confront unpleasant truths about his past... The Assassin’s Tale: Italy, 1493. As the inquisition takes hold in Spain and the Vatican seethes under the rule of the Borgias, Skiouros embarks on a mission to discover the truth about the death of the usurper sultan, Cem. Gathering old friends and new, Skiouros travels the length of Italy in his quest for vengeance and the quieting of his brother's restless soul. But on his dreadful quest he will face more than just physical danger... For beneath all his strength, does Skiouros have a heart black enough to commit murder in the name of revenge? The Pasha’s Tale: It’s been five years since Skiouros left the city of Constantine. He has come to understand the dreadful price exacted by vengeance. Saved from the French authorities by Dragi – the Romani crewman of a Turkish galley – he and his friend Parmenio are once again bound for the east. But Dragi’s aid comes with a price... In the Ottoman capital, the populace prepares for a great festival; for the first time in years the Sultan’s three sons are all to be present. But a sect of disenfranchised Romani are plotting a deadly coup. Can Skiouros thwart the mysterious Kingbreaker and save the Sultan’s sons? A riveting historical adventure, perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell. Praise for S.J.A. Turney ‘If you enjoy a fast paced, action packed read, you can't go wrong with these books.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review ‘Simon Turney has become one of my favourite historical novelists; he certainly does his research, but is a master storyteller too.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review ‘An excellent series... well told and fast paced with ample betrayal and intrigue. A must read.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review ‘I rarely give 5 stars, but I can't help it. This was a fabulous, well written, well researched series. which gets better with each book.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review ‘It is easy to see why S.J.A. Turney is top of the pile in ancient historical fiction... the narrative pulls you along easily so you become part of the story. Superbly done, plenty of action and suspense. Highly recommended historical fiction.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review
This volume provides a full fifty-two weeks of devotional material based on the Revised Common Lectionary for Year C. Drawing from the insightful Bible commentaries in the Connections series, each week of offerings also includes scriptural and literary readings, lectio divina, spiritual practices, questions for journaling, and a prayer. This resource has been crafted with mainline, lectionary preachers and lay leaders in mind, both to supplement their planning for the week and to feed their souls in the midst of the work of ministry. Individuals and small groups will find their faith deepened through regular contemplation and devotional insight.
