In February 2006, Rob Hewitt went missing while diving in the sea off the Kapiti Coast. Seventy-five hours later, he was found in the water alive. TREADING WATER is the story of the spiritual journey Rob made during that time. It traces Rob Hewitt's humble beginnings, through the childhood events that shaped him, his career in the navy, and the days and nights adrift at sea and how the ordeal changed his life.
When you're living one step at a time, the next one could change your life...forever. Love is the last thing on Jack Harrington's mind when he sets out to meet Andi Walsh's flight. Recently back to work after spending more than a year tending to his comatose wife, Jack is focused on getting through each day and caring for his three daughters. However, the moment he sets eyes on Andrea Walsh, the interior designer who has come to decorate the hotel his company is building in Newport, Rhode Island, Jack begins to wonder if Andi might be his second chance. After a disastrous marriage, Andi, single mom to a hearing-impaired son, isn't exactly looking for love, either, but that's what she finds with Jack. The two embark on a long-distance relationship fraught with challenges as they balance the needs of their children and dueling careers while Jack continues to care for his wife, Clare. Just when Jack thinks his life is once again settled, he is confronted with a new challenge that tests him in ways he never could've imagined, leaving him to wonder if "happily ever after" is in the cards for him.
When the Vet Volunteers find some abandoned ducklings, they know there's no time to lose. Without a mother, the ducklings must learn to swim on their own. But where did they come from? When Brenna and the rest of the Volunteers learn that the ducklings are abandoned Easter pets, they hatch a plan to educate their community about baby animals--but they also must teach the ducklings to swim before it's too late.
From nineteenth-century public baths to today's private backyard havens, swimming pools have long been a provocative symbol of American life. In this social and cultural history of swimming pools in the United States, Jeff Wiltse relates how, over the years, pools have served as asylums for the urban poor, leisure resorts for the masses, and private clubs for middle-class suburbanites. As sites of race riots, shrinking swimsuits, and conspicuous leisure, swimming pools reflect many of the tensions and transformations that have given rise to modern America.
Treading Water teaches some lessons about life. Author Carrie Wills has been writing since the age of nine. She says, "I've always fantasized about having a summer love of my own, and it wasn't until I sat down on the porch of my beach house in Acapulco that I found myself dreaming up a story about a boy that meets a girl during their last summer before they both go off to college. I think it's important to remind ourselves that it always gets better, and even if I changed the story a couple of times, it was always clear to me that Claire, my main character, had to overcome something that had happened to her, because at the end of the day, we all have to forget the past and move on." A student in Mexico City, author Carrie Wills loves living there. "There is something about our culture that sets us apart from the rest. It might be the warmth and passion we Mexican people have toward everything and everyone that makes us so special. Sure we may have our problems, but what country doesn't?" She would love to be a full-time writer someday. "I like to think of writing as my day job because I spend most of my time coming up with stories inside my head wherever I am. Just give me a pen, a paper and my iPod, and I can literally sit and write for hours on end." After a traumatic event that turns her world upside down, Claire Evans, a once free-spirited young girl, embarks on a journey to her grandmother's beach house for the summer, looking to start her life over before going to college. By taking a summer job in a flower shop, Claire begins to realize the true meaning of friendship and loyalty, and slowly crawls out of her shell, leaving behind all the feelings and memories that held her back from enjoying the life she thought she had lost forever. Jake Conway, on the other hand, is outgoing and successful. He finished his last year in school as football captain and top of his class, making all the girls fall in love with him. Little do they know that behind those blue eyes and soft smile lies a secret that is eating him up inside. With the weight and responsibility of being the man in charge of his family after his father's death, versus the dream of leaving for the big city someday, Jake must choose between having a life of his own for once, or being there for his family. When Claire and Jake's paths cross under the hot summer sun, both try to forgive and forget the past and start on a new path. This romantic novel shows that we all need to forget the past and move on, sometimes by Treading Water. About the Author First-time author Carrie Wills is a student in Mexico City. Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/CarrieWills Cover Design Regina Luna and Belen KNW
When you’re living one step at a time, the next one could change your life…forever. Recently back to work after spending more than a year tending to his comatose wife, Jack is focused on getting through each day and caring for his three daughters. However, the moment he sets eyes on Andrea Walsh, the interior designer who has come to decorate the hotel his company is building in Newport, Rhode Island, Jack begins to wonder if Andi might be his second chance. After a disastrous marriage, Andi, single mom to a hearing-impaired son, isn’t exactly looking for love, either, but that’s what she finds with Jack. The two embark on a long-distance relationship fraught with challenges as they balance the needs of their children and dueling careers while Jack continues to care for his wife, Clare. Just when Jack thinks his life is once again settled, he is confronted with a new challenge that tests him in ways he never could've imagined, leaving him to wonder if "happily ever after" is in the cards for him. "This isn't your typical romance where you're positive you're going to get the happy ending you were hoping for at the beginning. It will rip your heart out at times and having you weeping for joy at others. A stunning story about learning to love again and learning when to let go to those you love." A Reviewer Top Pick at Night Owl Reviews. "Treading Water is a definite must read! Treading Water creates an emotional firestorm within the reader. It shines the light on the good and the bad in life and proves that one moment can change everything and it’s never too late to find love. Marie Force grabbed my heart and squeezed every ounce of emotion out of it but most importantly her monumental story left me blissful. Treading Water may be fiction but it gives me hope; hope in everyday people and happily ever after. I cannot wait for the next book in this trilogy, Marking Time." —Joyfully Reviewed, a "Recommended Read" for November 2011! The Treading Water Series Book 1: Treading Water (Jack & Andi) Book 2: Marking Time (Clare & Aidan) Book 3: Starting Over (Brandon & Daphne) Book 4: Coming Home (Reid & Kate) Book 5: Finding Forever (Maggie & Brayden)
Sydney Hanley was four years old when her mom gave her the nickname “Fishy Girl.” Growing up by a lake, Sydney was always in the water—often deeper than her mother would have liked. She played mermaids with her sister, catch with her brothers, and swam laps to her neighbors’ buoys and back. She would spend hours in the lake for days at a time. She could never just be by the water; if she was near it, she had to go under, had to swim. At freshly nineteen, in the spring of her senior year of high school, Sydney learned how to properly tread water for the first time. Now in college, Sydney reflects on her time spent as an athlete throughout her life with her memoir, Treading Water. She refuses to hold back the raw moments of her journey toward college athletics as she extends a lifeline to those struggling in a world obsessed with the curation of self-images. Treading Water breaks into “writing sketches” to convey Sydney’s personal entrapment with the relentless pursuit of perfection, the emotional toll of being consistently reduced to statistics, and the lull that follows a blatant failure to meet expectations. The memoir also delves into critical moments in Sydney’s life where seeking help and embracing vulnerability propelled her toward a stage of healing and self-acceptance. With Treading Water, Sydney shares how sometimes just keeping her head above water was exhausting. Sometimes, she even gave up completely. But ultimately, she created her own path back to self-fulfillment and acceptance. Her memoir is a testament to the importance of mental health in sports, the courage it takes to speak out, and the strength in the legs of those still treading.
Chantel is a single mother of a teenage boy living in Los Angeles. Each day she works low waged jobs to provide for her family. Despite all her efforts, she always managed to come up short. Being the youngest of six children, Chantel struggled with self worth and self identity in her large family. Chantel always felt like she was living her life in the shadow of her high achieving siblings. Her envy for those around her filled her heart with bitterness and sadness. The loneliness in her life would soon be replaced with a man from her past. Chantel felt a rebirth in love and a world of possibility. Her happiness would be short lived when tragedy struck. Her world would be changed forever. The losses in her life made her question whether or not her presence had any true value. How will she emerge? Soon she realized that darkness can sometimes shine a light on the things that she never thought she could possibly reach. Sometimes in life it’s hard to keep your head above the wave, so you read water until you can be saved. Show more Show less
