Returning to her Ohio hometown was the last thing Emma Sheffield ever expected. Following her husband's tragic death, which leaves her alone with two young kids, she needs the love and support only her family can provide. Antonio Mendez moved to Smithview to rebuild his broken relationship with his son, and they are finally closer than ever. But the absence of a warm family life draws him to a devastatingly lonely woman. Too bad Emma's the sister of his ex-wife's husband who hates his guts. Emma's instant attraction to Antonio warns her to stay away. He offers her a job using her long-neglected passion for interior design, and she's more thrilled than she should be to spend time with him. Before long, temptation consumes them. Will a startling discovery force them together…or apart?
Mommy, will I ever see Buddy again? How do we explain to our little ones that their beloved pets have gone home to be with the Lord? Do our loyal animal companions understand how deeply they are missed? For children, the sudden loss of a precious pet can inspire difficult questions about life and death. How can we reassure mourning youngsters that our dearly departed pets have found everlasting peace? Gary Kurz, acclaimed author of Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates and Wagging Tails in Heaven, provides thoughtful guidance on soothing a child’s heartbreak after the passing of a beloved four-legged friend—affirming that through their unconditional love, every one of them has a unique place in heaven. Sensitive and insightful, When Is Buddy Coming Home? reveals the power of faith in the wake of grief, uplifting animal lovers of all ages with the comfort that separation from our loved ones—including those with paws, tails, and wings—is only temporary. Praise for Gary Kurz and Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates “Wonderful, inspiring and comforting.” —Mary Buddemeyer-Porter, author of Will I See Fido in Heaven? “A great comfort to me and all I am associated with.” —Terry Hickey, Founder, Halton/Peel Pet Loss Support Group
Going Home is a collection of narrative short stories and accounts of the journey from life and through death--"their final chapters"--of a number of patients, family members, and close friends as I experienced it with them and their families. A person's date of birth is the beginning chapter, and death is the ending of the last chapter. Each story is unique and different as to what people may say, hear, see, or do at the moment of death and their entrance into eternity--their final home. Hopefully, the stories will help people understand and show the readers that the journey from life into death and eternal life does not have to be scary or feared. It can be a calm, peaceful, holy, sacred, and beautiful experience.
According to Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy is the greatest blues guitarist of all time. An enormous influence on these musicians as well as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, he is the living embodiment of Chicago blues. Guy's epic story stands at the absolute nexus of modern blues. He came to Chicago from rural Louisiana in the fifties—the very moment when urban blues were electrifying our culture. He was a regular session player at Chess Records. Willie Dixon was his mentor. He was a sideman in the bands of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He and Junior Wells formed a band of their own. In the sixties, he became a recording star in his own right. When I Left Home tells Guy's picaresque story in his own unique voice, that of a storyteller who remembers everything, including blues masters in their prime and the exploding, evolving culture of music that happened all around him.
This study focuses on the representation of the family in American drama, in particular, on various uses and conventions of the figure of the prodigal husband or son. It considers the lineage and function of this figure from the writings of Augustine, medieval iconography, Renaissance prodigal son plays, and temperance melodramas to such contemporary manifestations as television talk shows, the Recovery Movement, and plays by contemporary writers including Spalding Gray, Ntozake Shange, and Cherrie Moraga.
Award-winning journalist Brian McGrory goes head to beak in a battle royale with another male for a top-spot in his home, vying for dominance with the family’s pet rooster. Brian McGrory's life changed drastically after the death of his beloved dog, Harry: he fell in love with Pam, Harry's veterinarian. Though Brian’s only responsibility used to be his adored Harry, Pam came with accessories that could not have been more exotic to the city-loving bachelor: a home in suburbia, two young daughters, two dogs, two cats, two rabbits, and a portly, snow white, red-crowned-and-wattled step-rooster named Buddy. While Buddy loves the women of the house, he takes Brian's presence as an affront, doing everything he can to drive out his rival. Initially resistant to elements of his new life and to the loud, aggressive rooster (who stares menacingly, pecks threateningly, and is constantly poised to attack), Brian eventually sees that Buddy shares the kind of extraordinary relationship with Pam and her two girls that he wants for himself. The rooster is what Brian needs to be – strong and content, devoted to what he has rather than what might be missing. As he learns how to live by living with animals, Buddy, Brian’s nemesis, becomes Buddy, Brian’s inspiration, in this inherently human story of love, acceptance, and change. In the tradition of bestsellers like Marley and Me, Dewey, and The Tender Bar comes a heartwarming and wise tale of finding love in life’s second chapter - and how it means all the more when you have to fight for it.
Enter the world of Holly Well Springs... where the Christmas spirit lives on. With long gorgeous silver-blonde hair and stunning eyes that flicker with silver, Nessa can’t help that so many men find her fairy-princess-like appearance irresistible. But she doesn’t want to settle for a maybe relationship when she knows her forever love is out there somewhere. Things take a dangerous turn when one guy just won’t take no for an answer. Nessa’s parents decide that the best way to keep her safe is to send her far away to a small town in Montana, where her mother had grown up and her aunt is still running the town’s bakery. Nessa has always heard about Holly Well Springs, the town that celebrates Christmas all year long. From the time she sets foot there, she knows it feels like home. The only problem? A somewhat gruff yet handsome chief of police who keeps bumping heads with her from the moment she arrives. But as she spends more time with him, Nessa begins to realize that what she feels for Evan may just be that forever she’s been looking for all along. True love.
When an army vet becomes a firefighter in small-town Colorado, the flames of an old love reignite in this sweet romance by bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray In Woodland Park, a small town nestled in the foothills of Pikes Peak, Anderson Kelly and Chelsea Davis were once the high school “it” couple—the star quarterback and the valedictorian. They broke up when Anderson joined the army and one poor decision at a fraternity party changed Chelsea’s life. Now, she works long shifts in a senior center to support her nine-year-old son, Jack. After multiple tours in Afghanistan, Anderson has changed, too—physically scarred but mentally strong—and he decides to move back to Woodland Park. Anderson and Chelsea steer clear of each other to avoid reopening old wounds, until they are forced to reconnect through the senior center. They soon discover that the love they once shared never completely vanished. But it will take a fire, a dangerous collision, and the love of one little boy to help Anderson and Chelsea see that the future they've always yearned for is in sight...
As the United States approaches its 50th year of mass incarceration, more children than ever before have experienced the incarceration of a parent. The vast majority of incarceration occurs in locally operated jails and disproportionately impacts families of color, those experiencing poverty, and rural households. However, we are only beginning to understand the various ways in which children cope with the incarceration of a parent – particularly the coping of young children who are most at risk for the adversity and also the most detrimentally impacted. When Are You Coming Home? helps answer questions about how young ones are faring when a parent is incarcerated in jail. Situated within a resilience model of development, the book presents findings related to children’s stress, family relationships, health, home environments, and visit experiences through the eyes of the children and families. This humanizing, social justice-oriented approach discusses the paramount need to support children and their families before, during, and after a parent’s incarceration while the country simultaneously grapples with strategies of reform and decarceration.
"Lisa Plumley creates charming characters. Her books are a delight!" -- USA Today best-selling author Rachel Gibson USA Today bestselling author Lisa Plumley does it again with another sparkling, sexy novel of crazy coincidences—and crazier love... About the book...Her name was Josie, she was a showgirl......until the night she Heimliched a martini olive out of fabulously wealthy and eccentric casino owner Tallulah Carlyle. Now Josie Day—proud new owner of one of Tallulah's spare estates—is leaving Vegas behind for...Donovan's Corner, Arizona? Ironically, her "reward" has brought her right back to the dusty hometown she thought she'd left behind forever. Still, Josie's ready to prove there's more to her than feathers and a wicked rumba. She plans to sell the old mansion and use the profits to open a dance school. But first, she'll have to figure out some fancy footwork to avoid knocking heads—and other things—with caretaker and local bad boy Luke Donovan... It isn't every day a woman like Josie comes strutting into town—which is fortunate, since her presence on the estate has Luke hotter and more bothered than he's been since, well, ever. He's a little annoyed with his Aunt Tallulah, though. This was supposed to be his property to renovate and sell—an opportunity to make good after being cut off from the family fortune. But Josie doesn't have to know that...at least not until Luke figures out a way to make both their dreams come true—and prove that Vegas isn't the only place where taking a chance can change everything... What people are saying..."In this heartwarming, often humorous story, the feisty Josie proves that you can go home again --if you've got the right stuff. And once again, the talented Plumley, whose books include Perfect Switch, proves that when it comes to writing romantic comedy, few do it better." --Booklist (starred review) "Secrets, misunderstandings, and miscommunications complicate this bright, amusing story, which takes a pair of protagonists with opposing goals, adds a host of family upheavals, and lets the off-beat tale unfold. For readers who like their contemporaries with up-front humor, sassy dialog, and small-town settings." --Library Journal "Turning not-so-perfect, unlikely characters into romance heroes and heroines is Lisa Plumley's forte, and she once again delivers a zany cast who will make you laugh. If you want a light romance that will have you chuckling every few pages, Josie Day Is Coming Home won't disappoint you." --The State newspaper "Plumley's story is lighthearted, with some serious tug-at-the-heart moments. Josie is upbeat and unbeatable, while Luke is determined and just the sort of guy Josie needs to make that happily ever after ending." --The Oakland Press "Josie Day is a delight. Plumley writes her lead character using determination, beauty, and notorious appeal. Luke Donovan is simply: sexy, dangerous and fun. They are a wonderful couple." --Contemporary Romance Writers
