Robert Burkholder, a successful pro quarterback in San Diego, seems to have everything that a glamorous California lifestyle promises will make him happy: a fabulous beach house, amazing parties with celebrity friends, and a gorgeous model named Taylor who is eager to date him. Yet feelings about his guilty past begin to prevent him from committing to her, or anything else. While visiting Pennsylvania after an injury sidelines him, Robert meets Anna Miller, the kind Mennonite mother of a talented high school football player that his alma mater just happens to be desperate to recruit. As he builds a relationship with Anna, along with her son Jacob and his sassy girlfriend Jenny, Robert finds himself questioning his worldly values and seeking spiritual answers amid a new community of Christian friends. As the colorful fall landscapes of Pennsylvania call to his heart, will Robert chase Taylor in California or return to his roots where Anna awaits? Will long hidden autumn secrets awaken dormant passions and help Robert choose between love, football, and his faith?
Birds follow a cycle that depends on the seasons: When caterpillars are at their peak in summer, bird nests are filled with hungry babies hollering for food; in winter, a high-fat menu at the feeder helps birds make it through the night. By taking advantage of these natural cycles to plan feeder offerings and garden beds, readers can turn their backyard into an irresistible haven for a colorful assortment of birds in all kinds of weather. Highlights of this captivating book include features such as: - comprehensive explanations of how seasonal changes like spring rains and winter winds affect bird habits and behaviors in the backyard - hints and tips for attracting birds by offering what they need in each season, such as crushed eggshells when mother birds need extra calcium for egg-laying - Snazziest Stars and Supporting Cast--which birds can be attracted in which seasons - Cheat Sheets for Migration--when to expect various migratory visitors - interesting insight into feeding routines, courtship and mating rituals, and nesting areas to create a hospitable habitat - Build or Buy--quick-and-easy birding projects As many as one in five Americans already consider themselves birders, and this spirited and fun guide will seduce many newcomers to bird watching's bountiful pleasures.
Dyviniti is on a path that leads to a world of discovery. She visits the coastal area called St. Manx Bay where she opens the door to encounters of the mysterious. She becomes acquainted with an individual with a strange, dark aura and they become friends. She encounters a handsome shadowy stranger who wants to become more than an acquaintance. Later she recognizes the man of dreams from her past and she is no longer seventeen. He resides in St. Manx Bay. Kismet has granted them The Night of the First as he uncovers there is more to Dyviniti than meets the eyes. He is intrigued by the mystery of her being. In his pursuit he reveals he knows her secrets and he too has a few. The biggest influences are yet to come as Dyviniti’s life is on a grand redesigned on the shores of St. Manx Bay in the Ligoncy Secrets.
“The queen of beach books” (The Star-Ledger) returns to the shores of Nantucket in a novel about one memorable summer when flirtations flourish, family dramas play out, and scandalous secrets surface. NAMED ONE OF TEN BEST SUMMER BOOKS TO READ ON THE BEACH BY SMARTERTRAVEL Memorial Day weekend means that seasonal visitors have descended on the glamorous island of Nantucket. For year-round resident Darcy Cotterill, it means late-night stargazing in the backyard of the beautiful house she grew up in and inherited from her beloved grandmother. It’s also Darcy’s chance to hit the beach and meet her new summertime neighbors. But the last person the thirty-year-old librarian expects to see staying next door is her ex-husband, Boyz, along with his wife, Autumn, and stepdaughter, Willow. Darcy must also navigate the highs and lows of a new romantic relationship with local carpenter Nash Forester even as she becomes smitten with handsome vacationer Clive Rush, a musicologist in town to write a book and visit family. And she finds herself pulled into the concerns of Boyz, Autumn, a charming elderly neighbor, and an at-risk teen. As the season nears its end, Darcy must decide her next move: retreating to the comforts of her steady and secure island life, or risking it all for a chance at true happiness. Praise for Secrets in Summer “Full of rich details about life on Nantucket, this breezy tale is at once nostalgic and hopeful. . . . The story is filled with sweet moments of unlikely female connections. An easily digestible, warmhearted tale of eye-opening friendships.”—Kirkus Reviews “[Nancy] Thayer’s latest is a lovely and heartwarming contemporary read with its blend of humor and emotion set against the beautiful backdrop of Nantucket Island. Her well-crafted plot is infused with warmth and heartfelt, tender moments. Darcy is a strong, independent yet vulnerable heroine who will appeal to readers. Thayer’s engaging storytelling and authentic, endearing characters will keep readers turning the pages.”—RT Book Reviews “Thayer’s beachside novel brims with themes that women’s-fiction readers love, and the plot skims important issues—infidelity, fear of commitment, grief—while maintaining its focus on Darcy’s personal growth and the intergenerational friendship between the four women.”—Booklist (starred review)
Autumn Goldschmidt had everything going for her, her dreams where full, her family and friends were right by her side, nothing was going to stop her, she felt on top of the world knowing her whole life was ahead of her, but that all changed on that dreadful night when she was left all alone after her parents passed away in a car accident. If that wasn't enough, she was then ripped away from the only other family and life she knew. Autumn's aunt and uncle had made the choice to ship her off to a boarding school telling her it was in her best interest. Autumn wanted to stay and had begged them to let her stay with them, but once the cab door was shut and she was closed off from the only family she knew, she allowed the walls to build up around her heart and she vowed never to return to Jackson, Montana ever again. Autumn started her life over in Homer, Nevada where she opened a small little shop, where she threw herself into her work. She made a point not to make friends or see anyone. Her life had become her shop until her best friend Nichole asked her to come back to Jackson, Montana where all her dreams had disappeared and her abandonment issues started. Once Autumn was back in Jackson Montana, she had all her raw emotions she tried to bury dead inside of her, seep out and things started to happen to her once more.
Conrad's Secrets explores a range of knowledges which would have been familiar to Conrad and his original readers. Drawing on research into trade, policing, sexual and financial scandals, changing theories of trauma and contemporary war-crimes, the book provides contexts for Conrad's fictions and produces original readings of his work.
Headstrong American heiress Lillian Bowman has come to England to find an aristocratic husband. Unfortunately, no man is strong enough to tame the stubborn beauty's fierce will. Except, perhaps, the powerful and arrogant Earl of Westcliff—a man Lillian despises more than anyone she's ever met. Marcus, Lord Westcliff, is famous for his icy English reserve and his supreme self-control. But something about the audacious Lillian drives him mad. Whenever they're in the same room, they can't stop themselves from battling furiously to gain the upper hand. Then one afternoon, a stunningly sensuous encounter changes everything . . . and Lillian discovers that beneath the earl's reserved façade, he is the passionate and tender lover of her dreams. What neither Westcliff nor Lillian suspect, however, is that a sinister conspiracy threatens to destroy any chance of happiness. After a shocking betrayal endangers Lillian's safety—and possibly her life—will Marcus be able to save her before it's too late?
Eating fills more than physical needs, which might be why we are inclined to gorge on fatty foods when feeling tired or depressed. Deborah Kesten posits that different types of food affect, not merely reflect, emotions, that how one prepares and proceeds to dine actually affects not only our emotions, but also our physical and social well-being. Kesten encourages the reader to take a kaleidoscope approach to food that appreciates its true multidimensionality. Combining scientific fact with traditional food practices from around the globe, Kesten provides reasons and ways to benefit from the six healing secrets of food — socializing, feelings, mindfulness, appreciation, connection, and optimal eating.
The town itself was one that stood at the foot of Virginia's blue mountains. The house where the Corners lived was on the edge of the town, facing a street which ended at the front gate. At the side of the garden another long street wound its way uphill and was called the old County Road when it began to go down grade. The house was a rambling old affair which had not been painted for some years and was, therefore, of an indescribable hue. One wing was shut up, but the remainder was made excellent use of by four lively girls, of whom the eldest was Nancy Weston. She was variously known as Nan, Nance or Nannie, though she greatly preferred Nannette and sometimes stealthily signed herself so. When she was, as her Cousin Phil expressed it, "on the bias," he often delighted to tease her by calling her Sharp Corner, but her Aunt Sarah often declared that West Corner suited her perfectly since from that quarter sprang up the briskest, as well as the most agreeable, of breezes.
