They are what I am and I am what they are We both bow down to different God's in the morning and at night Our tatoos tell different stories Both proud of what we should be ashamed of They bring out the worst in me and I in them All these things accumulate and become the enemy It comes from what we have and who we are Every one is a soldier for what they believe in You have be careful that you don't go off on the deep end of a philosophy or doctrine You can get out there and get lost and never make it back Between the truth and reality is a place called common sense and balance In the grip of pride everything you say and do is right.

In this lyric poet book may be of your dreams that you feel about life as we see it.

The true confession of an assassin, a sicario, who rose through the ranks of the Southern California gang world to become a respected leader in an elite, cruelly efficient crew of hit men for Mexico's "most vicious drug cartel," and eventually found a way out and an (almost) normal life. Martin Corona, a US citizen, fell into the outlaw life at twelve and worked for a crew run by the Arellano brothers, founders of the the Tijuana drug cartel that dominated the Southern California drug trade and much bloody gang warfare for decades. Corona's crew would cross into the United States from their luxurious hideout in Mexico, kill whoever needed to be killed north of the border, and return home in the afternoon. That work continued until the arrest of Javier Arellano-Félix in 2006 in a huge coordinated DEA operation. Martin Corona played a key role in the downfall of the cartel when he turned state's evidence. He confessed to multiple murders. Special Agent of the California Department of Justice Steve Duncan, who wrote the foreword, says Martin Corona is the only former cartel hit man he knows who is truly remorseful. Martin's father was a US Marine. The family had many solid middle-class advantages, including the good fortune to be posted in Hawaii for a time during which a teenage Martin thought he might be able to turn away from the outlaw life of theft, drug dealing, gun play, and prostitution. He briefly quit drugs and held down a job, but a die had been cast. He soon returned to a gangbanging life he now deeply regrets. How does someone become evil, a murderer who can kill without hesitation? This story is an insight into how it happened to one human being and how he now lives with himself. He is no longer a killer; he has asked for forgiveness; he has made a kind of peace for himself. He wrote letters to family members of his victims. Some of them not only wrote back but came to support him at his parole hearings. It is a cautionary tale, but also one that shows that evil doesn't have to be forever.

Note to customers: This book is also available under the title "You Can't Park There!: The Highs and Lows of an Air Ambulance Doctor". 'People get into this work for "the juice", meaning the adrenaline rush, but they don't tell you about the other juices - the mud, blood, snot and grot.' Confessions of an Air Ambulance Doctor is the first ever behind-the-scenes account of life onboard an air ambulance. The first of its kind to carry doctors and surgeons who can take the hospital to the patient. Drug addicts, lorry crashes, open-heart surgery, stab wounds, headless chickens, mating llamas, and strip routines – it’s all in a day’s work for emergency doctor Tony Bleetman and his team. Whether they are landing in the middle of the M1 or at a maximum security jail, Tony and his crew Helimed 999 are the first on the scene in the most critical of emergencies. This gripping read will make you laugh, cry and marvel at the wonders of life (and death) in equal measure.

This document is unique! It was written by the hand of a mob boss, on simple sheets of paper, between 2022 and 2023. For the first time, a Marseilles Tony Montana lifts the veil on the northern neighborhoods, the shootouts at the foot of the towers and the thousands of drug users who flock there every day. From his Algerian childhood to his run-ins with the law, via his career as a lookout, a drug dealer... and a dad, the man who calls himself Amin Kacem throws us into the world of Scarface. With his vivid, unvarnished pen, the mob boss tells of violence, danger, injustice, greed and the will to live. More than a story about a man and drugs, for the author, this book is a testament. Above all, it’s a terrible response to those who are surprised that entire neighborhoods are collapsing; it’s a thunderclap that will give pause to young people dreaming of a career as super-dealers; and it’s a merciless challenge to the politicians who, for a long time, could have, and therefore should have, prevented the current tragedies and imminent catastrophe. Amin Kacem is currently being held in a prison in the south of France. Daniel Barrionuevo, his lawyer, practices at the Aix-en-Provence bar.

I originally thought of the idea of writing a book whilst I was off work sick, I wanted to write about my life as a drummer, whilst recollecting about the bands I’ve played with, memories from my childhood began to surface, I realised I have many stories to tell. As you read through this book you’ll see how I managed to make good of every situation, every accident, incident or relationship failure, I literally just carried on until the next event. I made it to 48 before the past caught up with me.

America's National Guard was once considered a ragtag gaggle of pretend soldiers. Beginning in the 1980s the National Guard gradually transformed into today's highly flexible operational force that answers our nation's call for overseas combat deployments as well as domestic emergencies that run the gamut from lifesaving disaster responses to staffing Covid clinics. Brigadier General Paul "Greg" Smith describes his personal journey during these years, from a callow cadet to a committed commander leading military forces in response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Smith gives a humorous, gritty, and sometimes touching glimpse into the inner workings of this unique military organization while offering portraits of the men and women who serve as the minutemen of our age. His reflections on service, duty, and the complexities of command will enlighten anyone who seeks to better understand the challenges of leadership.

Now a major TV series. Read the hilarious rom-com that inspired the hit sitcom Not Dead Yet starring Gina Rogriguez. As recommended on Davina McCall's Making the Cut podcast, and perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Ruth Jones and Marian Keyes. 'The new Bridget Jones' – Celia Walden, Telegraph 'Funny but layered . . . this is a perfect and inspiring new year read' – Red A novel for any woman who wonders how the hell she got here, and why life isn't quite how she imagined it was going to be. And who is desperately trying to figure it all out when everyone around them is making gluten-free brownies. Meet Nell. Her life is a mess. In a world of perfect Instagram lives, she feels like a disaster. But when she starts a secret podcast and forms an unlikely friendship with Cricket, an eighty-something widow, things begin to change. Because Nell is determined. This time next year things will be very different. But first, she has a confession . . . Confessions of a Forty-Something by Alexandra Potter will make you laugh, and it might even make you cry. Above all, it will remind you that you're not on your own – we're all in this together. 'Brilliant! Laughing out loud' – Emma Gannon, podcaster (Ctrl Alt Delete) and author of Olive 'Say hello to a book that will have you laughing with every page, whether you're 20, 40 or 80' – Heat

A pioneer of Chicano rock, Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara performed with Frank Zappa, Johnny Otis, Bo Diddley, Tina Turner, and Celia Cruz, though he is best known as the front man of the 1970s experimental rock band Ruben And The Jets. Here he recounts how his youthful experiences in the barrio La Veinte of Santa Monica in the 1940s prepared him for early success in music and how his triumphs and seductive brushes with stardom were met with tragedy and crushing disappointments. Brutally honest and open, Confessions of a Radical Chicano Doo-Wop Singer is an often hilarious and self-critical look inside the struggle of becoming an artist and a man. Recognizing racial identity as composite, contested, and complex, Guevara—an American artist of Mexican descent—embraces a Chicano identity of his own design, calling himself a Chicano “culture sculptor” who has worked to transform the aspirations, alienations, and indignities of the Mexican American people into an aesthetic experience that could point the way to liberation.

More Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up: the laugh-out-loud sequel to the hilarious, WTF AM I DOING NOW?! runaway bestseller! 'The new Bridget Jones for our times' - Celia Walden, The Telegraph 'The story of Nell Stevens’ struggle through her imperfect, messy life doesn’t just make brilliant fiction, it’s turning into a cultural revolution!' - Matt Cain, author of The Madonna of Bolton There is no magical land you finally arrive at where everything is figured out, fixed and sorted. Life, like us, is a sum of moving parts, and if we’re lucky, we get to keep f**king up, figuring it out and laughing in the face of it all. Nell’s back. Her life still isn’t going to plan. And she’s still asking the big questions and getting none of the answers. Like, for example: 1. Why is falling in love so easy, but staying in love so hard? 2. What do you do when your friendships are put to the ultimate test? 3. Can we ever really live in the moment and leave the past behind? 4. When everything goes tits up, do you fall apart or jump on a plane to LA with Cricket (an eighty-something widow and your BFF)? 5. And when all else fails, will celebrity-scented candles, smashed avocados and Instagram filters save us?* In this hilarious, un-put-downable follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up, now the basis for the major TV series, Not Dead Yet, there are laugh-out-loud lessons to be learned, truths to be told, adventures to go on and joys to discover. But first, Nell has some more confessions . . . *#onlyjoking #sortof #LOL Praise for Alexandra Potter: 'Say hello to a book that will have you laughing with every page, whether you're 20, 40 or 80' - Heat 'Brilliant! Laughing out loud' - Emma Gannon, author of Olive 'Funny but layered, light-hearted but surprisingly deep, this is a perfect and inspiring new year read' - Red