Consecrated Ground is a multiracial lesbian paranormal tour de force that will leave you wary of the shadows and absolutely breathless. Like her father before her, Joan Matthews is a witch. For generations, their family of binder witches has protected Calvert, Oregon from vampires by strengthening the land with spellcraft. Pushing back against tradition, Joan defied her father and left town to become a war witch, one who fights the monsters hand-to-hand. But when her father dies, Joan returns to find her hometown assailed by a vampire lord’s endless attacks—and the answers lie with the one woman who chose a rival over Joan. Leigh Phan once believed her heart was safe and her future was set. When Joan left town, Leigh’s choices led to ruin and unintended consequences. Now Leigh harbors a dark secret forcing her to live a moment-to-moment existence. Her only hope of survival lies in trusting the war witch who left her behind. Now it's up to Joan to fight for a town she left behind, while Leigh faces a destiny she never imagined was possible. With Calvert on the brink of total destruction, Joan and Leigh join forces and face inconvenient truths in order to save their town—and each other.

Alternative budgets are presented as a method of political mobilization that advances fiscally responsible government allocation of resources in this treatise on the enlightened alternatives to the neoconservative agenda of slashing social services. The basics of budgeting, the technical and political contexts of budgeting, and the relationship between budget legislation and fiscal constraints on governments are among the issues discussed to make the more esoteric aspects of budgeting understandable. A budget that emphasizes the needs of poor people, women, and the environment is outlined with information on how to construct alternative budgets, analyze the possibilities of government funding, and mobilize political activists to propose clear, affordable alternatives to neoliberal government cutbacks.

"BlackRoseCity is a collection of poems exploring the underpinnings of interpersonal relationships in communities isolated by socio-political barriers and reflecting the memories of a city youth growing up in Norwich. The setting is the urban and suburban neighborhoods of Norwich, Connecticut. The citizens refer to it as Rose City, after its official flower. Through narrative snapshots, BlackRoseCity invites the reader to witness the lives of a small town's blossoming youth, as well as the imprisonment within a concrete garden of the town's adults, trapped in economic and psychological despair."--Back cover.

In this companion to the award-winning Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Darius suddenly has it all: a boyfriend, an internship, a spot on the soccer team. It's everything he's ever wanted--but what if he deserves better? Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his trip to Iran, a lot has changed. He's getting along with his dad, and his best friend Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, varsity soccer practices, and an internship at his favorite tea shop, things are falling into place. Then, of course, everything changes. Darius's grandmothers are in town for a long visit, and Darius can't tell whether they even like him. The internship is not going according to plan, Sohrab isn't answering Darius's calls, and Dad is far away on business. And Darius is sure he really likes Landon . . . but he's also been hanging out with Chip Cusumano, former bully and current soccer teammate--and well, maybe he's not so sure about anything after all. Darius was just starting to feel okay, like he finally knew what it meant to be Darius Kellner. But maybe okay isn't good enough. Maybe Darius deserves better.

Sigh! Who asked me to have no diploma and no work experience, I will just be a male servant! Chen Thirteen helplessly made his decision. He didn't expect that the male servants would be such a noble and promising profession. There were many employers, and his life suddenly became colorful ...