Phoenix Locke was a 19 year old dancer working at a truck dealership to make ends meet. Kyle Miller was the handsome technician completely infatuated with her. Surely a storm like Phoenix could never be interested in him? When they finally do start to date it's the sparks fly and it looks like it will be a fairy tale romance. The universe, it seemed has other plans. Will Kyle make it home from deployment in time to save her from her controlling father? Or will Phoenix blow through his life like a thunderstorm is meant to?

“Olbinski chases storms . . . capturing lightning, tornadoes and dramatic cloud formations in images that convey the awesome power and beauty of nature.” —International Business Times The storms that cross the Great Plains of North America each spring are some of nature’s most spectacular. They can also be some of the most dangerous. Most people who live in areas susceptible to these storms keep a close eye on the weather reports and take cover or evacuate when one is on the way. Storm chasers keep an even closer eye on the weather data, but for a different reason: they don’t run away when they see a storm approaching, they follow it! Professional photographer and Emmy Award winner, Mike Olbinski has chased storms throughout his native Arizona, as well as even further afield, including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. Whether he’s photographing lightning, tornadoes or even cloud formations, his remarkable images are able to convey nature in its most dramatic and impressive forms. With over 100 stunning colour photographs, this book brings together some of Mike’s most breathtaking images from the past five years as he describes his love of the open road and the thrill of capturing the perfect storm on film. “These pictures are truly fascinating; they show just how small we are and how little control we have over the environment and that these storms can pack a wallop. For fans of weather and spectacular photos, this is the book for you.” —San Francisco Book Review (5-star review) “A striking series of breath-taking pictures of nature lashing out from apocalyptic skies.” —Daily Mail Online

Winner of the 2017 Eisner Award in the Best Academic/Scholarly Work category 2017 Prose Awards Honorable Mention, Media & Cultural Studies Over the last 75 years, superheroes have been portrayed most often as male, heterosexual, white, and able-bodied. Today, a time when many of these characters are billion-dollar global commodities, there are more female superheroes, more queer superheroes, more superheroes of color, and more disabled superheroes--but not many more. Superwomen investigates how and why female superhero characters have become more numerous but are still not-at-all close to parity with their male counterparts; how and why they have become a flashpoint for struggles over gender, sexuality, race, and disability; what has changed over time and why in terms of how these characters have been written, drawn, marketed, purchased, read, and reacted to; and how and why representations of superheroes matter, particularly to historically underrepresented and stereotyped groups. Specifically, the book explores the production, representations, and receptions of prominent transmedia female superheroes from their creation to the present: Wonder Woman; Batgirl and Oracle; Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Star Wars' Padmé Amidala, Leia Organa, Jaina Solo, and Rey; and X-Men's Jean Grey, Storm, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, and Mystique. It analyzes their changing portrayals in comics, novels, television shows, and films, as well as how cultural narratives of gender have been negotiated through female superheroes by creators, consumers, and parent companies over the last several decades.

Award-winning and highly acclaimed author, Michèle Phoenix, pens a story of marriage and missions, and what happens when they don’t always align. “The Poisonwood Bible for a new generation.” —Elizabeth Musser, author of The Long Highway Home “I felt torn between two worlds. Each with its own mystery. One more captivating than the other, but the other more real and breathing.” It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. But while Sam treks into the Himalayas for weeks at a time, finding passion and purpose in his work among the needy, Lauren and Ryan stay behind, their daily reality more taxing than inspiring. For them, what started as a calling begins to feel like the family’s undoing. At the peak of her isolation and disillusion, a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again. But as her communication with Aidan intensifies, so does the tension of coping with the present while reengaging with the past. It’s thirteen-year-old Ryan who most keenly bears the brunt of her distraction. Intimate and bold, Of Stillness and Storm weaves profound dilemmas into a tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry. “In this fine novel, Phoenix realistically captures the deep struggles enveloping a missionary family.” —Publishers Weekly

On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston with a 12-foot storm surge that flooded most of the island. The salt water then killed between 40,000 and 50,000 trees in Galveston. After they died, the trees were cut down. A local citizen made the suggestion to carve the stumps into sculptures. Three different professional artists and one amateur artist carved all of the carvings on the island. The first carving was completed in 2009, and the stumps continue to be carved as of 2014. They have become a must-see tourist attraction in Galveston.

The author of I, Claudius reimagines the Trojan War for the young reader. “The writing is clear, straightforward, and, in places, poetic” (Kirkus Reviews). The Iliad has it all: war, corruption, greed, power, and the passions of both gods and men. In this detailed retelling, Robert Graves draws the major characters of this timeless classic in broad, gritty strokes, making Agamemnon, Paris, Odysseus, and others accessible for young readers. Written with a younger audience in mind, The Siege and Fall of Troy is nevertheless exhaustively researched and compelling enough to be of interest to both students of history and adult readers. With humor, wit, and energy, Graves is expert at weaving a story based on exhaustive scholarly research and deep imaginative prowess.

The Evangelical Parallel New Testament features the New Testaments of eight translations that are used by various segments within the American evangelical community today. It includes the recently published English Standard Version, Holman Christian Standard Version, The Message, the New Living Translation and Today's New International Version. The EPNT shows the translation philosophies and word choices made by diverse groups of evangelical scholars in the last three decades of the Twentieth Century.

From live productions of the 1950s like Requiem for a Heavyweight to big budget mini-series like Band of Brothers, long-form television programs have been helmed by some of the most creative and accomplished names in directing. Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors brings attention to the directors of these productions, citing every director of stand alone long-form television programs: made for TV movies, movie-length pilots, mini-series, and feature-length anthology programs, as well as drama, comedy, and musical specials of more than 60 minutes. Each of the nearly 2,000 entries provides a brief career sketch of the director, his or her notable works, awards, and a filmography. Many entries also provide brief discussions of key shows, movies, and other productions. Appendixes include Emmy Awards, DGA Awards, and other accolades, as well as a list of anthology programs. A much-needed reference that celebrates these often-neglected artists, Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the history of the medium.