Celebrated artist and lead character designer of Brave, Ratatouille, and Despicable Me, Carter Goodrich, shows that sometimes, even the prickliest people—or the crankiest cacti—need a little love. Hank is the prickliest cactus in the entire world. He sits in a pot in a window that faces the empty desert, which is just how he likes it. So, when all manner of creatures—from tumbleweed to lizard to owl—come to disturb his peace, Hank is annoyed. He doesn’t like noise, he doesn’t like rowdiness, and definitely does not like hugs. But the thing is, no one is offering one. Who would want to hug a plant so mean? Hank is beginning to discover that being alone can be, well, lonely. So he comes up with a plan to get the one thing he thought he would never need: a hug from a friend.
A few weeks after his wife died in an accident, Dix Mallory, a college professor in the quiet Northern California town of Los Alegres, receives harassing phone calls from a man claiming to have been her lover. Rather than ignore them, Dix sets out to nab the caller and uncovers murder.
Historical Inspirational Western Romance Four Short Stories for the price of three!!! Sweet and Clean THE RANCHER'S BAD-LUCK BRIDE Bad luck follows Celia Thompson into Texas where she goes with her new husband to start a new life. A tragic misfortune leaves her stranded and alone in the middle of the rugged West Texas wilderness. When Nate Walker sees buzzards circling in the distance, he rides out to investigate. He discovers a young widow, who is ill and in dire straights. He takes her to his ranch to rest and recuperate. In time, Celia recovers her health, but can her heart heal enough to accept and return Nate's love? THE RANCHER'S SECOND-CHANCE BRIDE Two sweethearts torn apart . . . One day after school, Josh Stone and Emma Carter pledge their love to one another beneath the old kissing tree. Then Josh's life takes a drastic turn when his father dies. He must work night and day to save his ranch and has no time for courtship. Emma's father sends her to Atlanta to live with her grandmother so she can forget about Josh. But she can't. True love reunited . . . After five long years, Emma finally returns to Cactus Gap. When she meets Josh again, their time apart fades away, and their love still burns strong. Can they take up where they left off? Will they be able to overcome the obstacles of pride and prejudice to find their happy-ever-after? THE RANCHER'S BLUE RIBBON BRIDE You know what they say: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach . . . Maddie Carmichael is darn near the best cook in Cactus Gap, and she has the blue ribbons to prove it. She loves Chet Grayson, but can't marry him because of a promise she made to her dying mother. Maddie's loyalty to her family only makes Chet love her more. He vows to find a way so they can be married. Will he succeed and win his blue ribbon bride? THE RANCHER'S RUNAWAY BRIDE When her pa promises her hand to a man older than himself, Cora Hodges has no choice but to run away. With no kith or kin to turn to, she flees the only home she’s ever known and seeks help from her good friend, Gabe Sanders. If anyone can help her out of her predicament, that rugged rancher will be more than able. But will the handsome rancher be willing? Gabe's friendly feelings for Cora have undergone a drastic change since she’s grown into a beautiful young woman. When Cora comes to him in dire need of rescue, what’s a fella to do but offer matrimony and the protection of his name? But how will Gabe endure a marriage in name only, loving Cora the way he does? KEYWORDS: sweet romance, clean romance, inspirational romance, Christian romance, Texas romance, cowboy romance, historical, historical western romance, short story, series romance, anthology, bundle, box set
Nadeen was a young woman who enjoyed adventure, as long as she was able to do what she pleased. Her father was a man much like her, and he was going to obtain what he desired through her marriage to a gentleman from New YorkRiley Donovan. He looked and acted like a gentleman in the east, but how would he be when he got what he wanted in a wife and all the money he wanted? Riley Donovan was an egotistical man, with a less-than-gentlemanly outlook in life and love. He wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. Would it serve his purpose or bring his downfall? Only time will tell. Travis was a true gentleman. He also had adventure on his mind. He was planning on building a mill in the new state of Oregon. He had planned and worked and saved for this for quite a while and was anxious to get started, hopefully with the love and understanding of his father.
When your child has been through an upsetting or stressful event, it can feel overwhelming. Is your child traumatized? Are new behaviors normal, or signs of PTSD? What can you do to make your child feel safe again? Psychologist Melissa Goldberg Mintz knows what is needed to support a traumatized child--and she knows that loving parents play the most important role. In this wise and authoritative guide, Dr. Goldberg Mintz shares specific, critical information and insights into what trauma looks like at different ages, why some kids exposed to the same event react very differently, how to help your child through trauma triggers, when to seek professional help, and more. She provides crucial tools for ensuring that your child doesn’t feel constrained by fear--and can face future challenges with hope and resilience. Winner (Second Place)--Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award, Family & Relationships Category
Historical Inspirational Western Romance Four Short Stories Sweet and Clean THE RANCHER'S ORPHAN BRIDE Rachel Hendricks moves to Cactus Gap, Texas, to reclaim her young brothers whom she sent out West on the Orphan Train after their parents died. She plans to reunite her family and make a home for them so they can start a new life together. Reese Cooper takes the Hendricks boys under his temporary guardianship and provides room and board in exchange for good honest work. Even though he still mourns the death of his wife, the two boys inch their way into his battered heart. When their sister comes to claim them, Reese discovers the healing power of love. THE RANCHER'S OUTLAW BRIDE Emily Parker is an outlaw on the run. Dressed as a boy and wounded by a bullet, she seeks shelter from the cold winter's night in Jake Stewart's old barn. Barricading herself in a stall behind a bale of hay, she's ready to shoot anyone who dares enter her temporary sanctuary. When Jake discovers an injured fugitive hiding in his barn, his only thought is to save the young man's life. When he discovers his patient is a lady in disguise, he realizes he's stumbled upon trouble with a capital T. As he nurses Emily back to health, Jake learns the true meaning of love and vows to help her anyway he can . . . even if it means marriage. THE RANCHER'S COMANCHE BRIDE While tracking and hunting game, Cal Jackson discovers a young Comanche woman hiding in his pasture. From the very first moment he sees her, a strong bond is forged between them. Cal has almost given up on finding someone he can love. Has fate brought him this Indian maiden to call his very own? After her tribe is brutally massacred, Yanny runs for her life. Injured, weak and hungry, she welcomes a handsome stranger's offer of help. Accepted into the midst of the loving Jackson family, she slowly heals and recovers from the bloodbath she miraculously survived. But can she survive in the white man's world? Can she win the love of the man who saved her? THE RANCHER'S RELUCTANT BRIDE When Sarah Monroe's abusive husband dies, all she feels is blessed relief. When she inherits her uncle's house in Cactus Gap, she moves to Texas for a chance to start fresh. Happy in her new-found freedom, she swears off men and marriage forever. Until she meets Zach Whitfield. Zach is on a mission to find a bride. From the moment he sees Sarah, he's completely smitten. When tragedy strikes, leaving him guardian of his best friend's young daughter, Zach asks Sarah for help. Can he break down the fortress surrounding her fragile heart? Can he persuade her to become his wife? KEYWORDS: sweet romance, clean romance, inspirational romance, Christian romance, Texas romance, cowboy romance, historical, historical western romance, short story, series romance, anthology, bundle, box set
Have you ever wondered what’s going on in your teenager’s mind? This engaging book will give you the tools to understand just that to ultimately help you keep the close connection you both need during these tricky years. Following on from her acclaimed book for parents of younger children, Sheila Redfern brings the reflective parenting model to parents of teenagers. Teenagers can be experienced as prickly and hard to get close to – like a cactus – but Dr. Redfern shows us how this stage of your child's life can be more enjoyable and connected than you'd imagined. Rather than focusing on their behaviours, this book emphasises how we can teach teenagers to manage their feelings and relationships in safe ways. It advocates theories underpinning reflective parenting – mentalizing, attachment and neuroscience – as essential for building resilience and security in young people, which is crucial through the storm and stress of adolescence. Chapters are filled with everyday, relatable scenarios and practical advice on pressing issues such as self-harm, social media and gaming, risk and ASD. There is also a chapter devoted to adoptive parents and foster carers. This practical guide aims to help readers become more reflective and available as parents and understand what might be in their teenager’s head. It also serves as an essential resource for clinicians working with families.
The town of Emerald, California is a quiet, mostly peaceful place. The struggle for power between Moss Williams, the head of the Rancher’s Association, and Skip Traeger, the local business tycoon who owns half the town goes mostly unnoticed by the townsfolk until a body turns up in the water hole. Now, Marshal Mason Boydette has to get to the bottom of the biggest mystery Emerald has ever seen. But the Marshal isn’t alone. Along the way, he’ll try to get help from his trusty deputy, an unorthodox trio of drifters who blow into town, the local minister, and a town full of people who are forced to make a choice between justice and the easy way out. Everyone’s lives are turned upside-down, and everyone must take sides before it is too late and their entire way of life disappears forever.
Expect the unexpected in Audrey Carlan’s Falling Series. Reader’s beliefs in conventional romance are tested when love proves anything really can happen. From a billionairess falling for a cowboy to a stripper falling for a New York City attorney, this series is simply about star-crossed lovers falling for each other under unusual circumstances. The three-book set follows Aspen Reynolds and Hank Jensen in Angel Falling, London Kelley and Collier Stone in London Falling, and Camille Johnston and Nathaniel Walker in Justice Falling. All three books share the expect-the-unexpected theme but can also be read individually.
