When Natasha's ex ups the ante and exposes some disturbing news about her friends, she's forced to cut ties, but can she really walk away from the women who have been standing by her side? Some friends help us heal . . . If you ask her, Natasha Davila will tell you there's nothing more important to her than her kids. She'll do anything for her son and daughter-even play nice with her ex-husband. Only now she's facing a problem she never expected: her ex is re-marrying and suing for full custody. She could fall to pieces . . . or she could call on her friends. Some help us change . . . There's Sara, whose tough talk hides a soft-and loyal-heart, and Haley, who has so much more to offer than a pretty face. When they're together, Natasha doesn't have to be someone's wife or someone's mother. She can just be. And some remind us what true friendship is really about . . .
A girl with anxiety disorder finds an unlikely friend -- and emotional support animal -- in the form of an adorable fainting goat. Twelve-year-old Marvel is afraid of absolutely everything -- amusement park rides, food poisoning, earthquakes, and that big island of plastic floating through the ocean. She also obsesses about smaller worries like making friends, getting called on by the teacher, and walking home alone. Her parents and the school therapist call her worries an anxiety disorder, but Marvel calls them armor. If something can happen, it will. She needs to be prepared. But when Marvel stumbles on a group of older kids teasing a baby goat that has mysteriously shown up on the soccer field, she momentarily forgets to be afraid and rescues the frightened animal. Only Butter isn't any old goat. She's a fainting goat. When Butter feels panic, she freezes up and falls over. Marvel knows exactly how Butter feels and precisely what Butter needs -- her. Twelve-year-old Marvel is afraid of absolutely everything -- amusement park rides, food poisoning, earthquakes, and that big island of plastic floating through the ocean. She also obsesses about smaller worries like making friends, getting called on by the teacher, and walking home alone. Her parents and the school therapist call her worries an anxiety disorder, but Marvel calls them armor. If something can happen, it will. She needs to be prepared. But when Marvel stumbles on a group of older kids teasing a baby goat that has mysteriously shown up on the soccer field, she momentarily forgets to be afraid and rescues the frightened animal. Only Butter isn't any old goat. She's a fainting goat. When Butter feels panic, she freezes up and falls over. Marvel knows exactly how Butter feels and precisely what Butter needs--her. Soon, the two are inseparable, and Butter thrives under Marvel's support. But Butter also helps Marvel. Everything is better with Butter by her side, and Marvel starts to imagine a life in which she doesn’t have to be so afraid . . . until she’s told she might have to give up Butter forever. Will Marvel find a way to fight for her friend? Or will she revert back to the anxious, lonely person she used to be?
The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.
Whether its parental, platonic, or passionate, we all experience love at some point in our lives―as well as all the ups and downs that go along with it, from blissful to agonizing. In all of its myriad forms, love has been one of the greatest inspirations for poetry for as long as there have been poets, because its abundance, or lack thereof, profoundly impacts our lives in ways that are otherwise difficult to articulate. This collection of thoughtful and heartfelt poems speaks with a simple elegance, resonating with sincerity that is hard to deny, giving words to thoughts and feelings we might struggle to find on our own, and perhaps more importantly, offering comfort and assurance that, for better or worse, we are not alone. “Our thoughts, feelings, wants, needs, and fears are valid and worth sharing. All too often, we hide our thoughts and feelings from others and take on a burden that can sadly be too much for some to bear ... I want people to know that they are worthy of love, and that they need to convey their thoughts and feelings when they are struggling, so they do not have to go through those struggles alone.” ~ Rodney James Dick
The powerful story of a mother’s struggle to save her son from addiction—and the strength and hope for change that she found in her grief When the author’s son, Tristan, began experimenting with drugs at age of fourteen, Kathy Wagner told herself it was just a phase. But by the time he was fifteen, she had to face the gravity of Tristan’s addiction. Unable to get him treatment without his consent, she did everything else that she could to try to save her child, from sending him to China to study kung fu with Shaolin monks, to signing him up for culinary school, to paying for his drugs in an attempt to keep him safe. When Tristan finally began his recovery journey, six years later, she was unexpectedly thrown onto her own recovery path. Learning from other parents of children struggling with addiction, she began, for the first time, to live for herself. But soon her oldest daughter needed help for her own addictions, and Tristan struggled with relapse, eventually dying by accidental fentanyl overdose. After Tristan’s death, Wagner struggled to find herself without him and travelled the world to be alone with her pain. But she soon realized that to truly heal, she needed to come home to her family, and herself, in all their messy wonder. Told with compassion and insight, Here With You is a story about how addiction tore a family apart and how they came back together through shared love and a deep commitment to learning a better way. Timely and honest, it will resonate with those struggling with substance abuse, their families and anyone who wants to better understand the impact of the current drug toxicity crisis.
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.
Master the art of digital painting with the help of this full-color guide by learning how to implement blending layers, as well as use brushes, color wheels, and techniques using the power of the free tools provided by Krita Key Features Unlock the powerful tools offered by Krita to create customizable UIs Discover useful tips, tricks, and hacks to build compelling designs and speed up your digital workflow Learn how to use the brush tool and manage colors to create beautiful artwork Book DescriptionKrita is a free, open-source digital painting program with industry-leading functionality and a creative suite of tools able to bring any visual idea to life. It allows for a fast, clean approach to creating digital art, without the hassle of pay-to-play or subscription license fees, but just like all other art software, it takes time and effort to learn it. This book provides a comprehensive look into functional tools, visual problem-solving, and leading painting techniques using Krita to unleash your inner artist. You’ll learn the functionality and tools of Krita for creating digital and print-quality work as well as explore manipulation toolsets, custom brush creation, overviews of color spaces, and layer management. As you progress, you’ll get to grips with ‘key styles’ needed to make professional-grade digital art, through techniques such as photobashing, 3D paint-overs, and more traditional painting methods, along with covering how Krita handles these workflows. Next, you’ll work through a few step-by-step art pieces using the skills and tools learned throughout the book. By the end of this Krita book, you’ll have a solid understanding of the Krita work environment and be able to bring your artistic visions to life with a myriad of leading industry-standard techniques.What you will learn Use layers, layer management, and layer blending modes to make images pop Understand Krita’s default workspace and customize it Understand the terminology of digital visual communication (dots per inch, resolution, and more) Explore color in a digital space, such as RGB profiles and Look-Up-Tables (LUTS) Discover the color wheel for painting and learn how digital color (light and alpha channels) works as opposed to traditional painting materials Focus on proper layer management for easy, non-destructive manipulation of art pieces quickly Who this book is forIf you're an artist wanting to take your artwork and portfolio to a professional level, then this book is for you. You'll need some experience using art creation software (ideally Krita, Photoshop, or Clip Studio Paint) before you jump in, but beginners willing to use external sources to keep up will find plenty of useful information. Artists looking to upgrade their skills for work in the entertainment industry will benefit the most from this digital art book.
As if called by the object, Leif Dæganssen, an archeologist from Norway, uncovers an ancient chest buried beside his coastal cottage in western Ireland. The intricately decorated artifact might confirm the existence of a Viking settlement on Inishmore. Leif is driven to establish a link between himself and the Scandinavians who once inhabited the rugged isle. For as long as she can remember, Lorraine O’Connor has had dreams of a Norse warrior. And even though she’s never fully understood the reason, she welcomes the meaningless pleasure of being in a Viking’s protective embrace—until the day she meets that very Northman on an impulsive vacation to Ireland. Though blindsided by the relevance of her dreams and the eerily familiar man within them, Lorraine can’t help but feel drawn to Leif. The more she gets to know him, the more she’s convinced they’ve shared a life together in a time long forgotten. As their pasts and present lives begin to intertwine, old conflicts and angers rise to the surface. Leif and Raine must win the right to be together in this life – if Raine can even convince Leif he was once her ancient Viking lover. *Previously published as The Fall of Rain. (This new edition has been partially rewritten and professionally edited, along with a new title and new cover.)
Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
Judith Merril was a pioneer of twentieth-century science fiction, a prolific author, and editor. She was also a passionate social and political activist. In fact, her life was a constant adventure within the alternative and experimental worlds of science fiction, left politics, and Canadian literature. Better to Have Loved is illustrated with original art works, covers from classic science fiction magazines, period illustrations, and striking photography.
