In 1964, Patricia MacKay immigrated to Canada from England in search of the wild-open lands and cowboy culture that captivated her as a child. In the 1960s, the Wild West was still alive and kicking in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, although it had been tamed--a little. Old-time hospitality and helping anyone in need was the acknowledged way of life. Pat learned the Cariboo-Chilcotin way of life first hand by spending her summers working on guest ranches and finding other jobs to keep her occupied during the winter. From learning how to cook on the job to kitchen disasters and successes, roundups, branding, square dances and falling in love, she slowly gained acceptance into the tight-knit communities of BC's Interior. Ranching meant long hours, hard work, and a lifestyle all its own. Entertainment was homemade. There were rodeos, dances, and music around campfires in the summer and ice hockey, tobogganing, and parties in the winter. Sadly, that way of life is gradually disappearing, but this book relives the way things were between 1964 and 1976; it tells of a unique brand of people from a variety of backgrounds who made this part of the west their home.

Presents informative, straightforward answers to the most-asked questions. Covers all the crucial issues that teenage girls are faced with.

This is the first book-length study of the popular novelist Tom Robbins. Whimsy and humor characterize Robbins' work, but style and language are the keystones. Hoyser and Stookey show how Robbins deftly uses style and humor to depict the absurdities and injustices of our world. His novels constantly challenge perceptions of the world that people automatically label as normal. His fiction criticizes the complacency of humans in a world becoming increasingly alienated from nature and the joy of life. In addition to a critical analysis of each of his novels, the study contains biographical material never before published and the first full-length bibliography on Robbins, including a bibliography of reviews of his fiction. This is the first book-length study of the popular novelist Tom Robbins. Whimsy and humor characterize Robbins' work, but style and language are the keystones. Hoyser and Stookey show how Robbins deftly uses style and humor to depict the absurdities and injustices of our world. His novels constantly challenge perceptions of the world that people automatically label as normal. His fiction criticizes the complacency of humans in a world becoming increasingly alienated from nature and the joy of life. In addition to a critical analysis of each of his novels, the study contains biographical material never before published and the first full-length bibliography on Robbins, including a bibliography of reviews of his fiction. The study features a biographical chapter, a chapter on context and style, and individual chapters on each of his novels, ^IAnother Roadside Attraction^R, ^IEven Cowgirls Get the Blues, Still Life with Woodpecker, Jitterbug Perfume, skinny legs and all^R, and ^IHalf Asleep in Frog Pajamas^R. Each novel is analyzed for plot structure, characterization, and thematic elements. In addition, Hoyser and Stookey define and apply an alternative critical perspective from which to read each novel. The reading of each of Robbins' novels will be enriched by this perceptive study.

Sleepy Time Theater By: Jeff J Baker Filled with philosophical, idiotically profound, and though-provoking takes on society, Jeff J Baker’s collection of quips and one-liners are full of humor while also sparking interesting discussions on today’s world. Baker reflects on issues of aging, adulthood, technological advances, and family dynamics using humor and blatant honesty about the world in which we live.

'Here's what I learned in the panty lesson. My life is so jumbled up right now, and I try each individual thing and try to unravel it and fix it. And when it doesn't happen, I become anxious and really frustrated. So I think I need to look for the obvious source of the knot and concentrate on that.' ... 'So you think that the panty theory is all about following my truth?' 'Yes, Victorie, I do.' Andy nodded his head slowly. 'I'm not saying it will be easy, but I think it's necessary for your healing to follow your truth wherever it is taking you.' Victorie Powers seemed like just another suburban Christian housewife, taking care of her husband and girls. But deep inside, she was very troubled and very much in denial about the ugly, dark events from her teenage years. That is until a dispute with a mortgage company over a missing payment resulted in trouble for her family. Only when she learns that her daughters are suffering because they are watching her suffer does she realize it's time to sort through the pain of the past. And so begins a long, often distressing, but ultimately triumphant journey through therapy with Andy, her Christian therapist. Through a divine lesson of untangling panties, as well as therapy sessions with Andy, Victorie's turmoil is relived. Readers will feel her raw emotions, hurting when she hurts and cheering when she finds moments of joy. Jaws will drop at some of the shocking revelations; hearts will ache, and hearts will be healed as Victorie's heart is made whole again through purging the past and learning to love and accept herself in a way never before possible. This is a story from denial to acceptance, from blame to forgiveness, from trauma to triumph. Join Victorie as she learns to follow her truth in The Panty Theory.

A Love as Wild as the West . . . Aubrey Madison is starting over. Leaving Los Angeles and everything behind except the scars of her ruined past, Bree sets out for cowboy country. Now she has a new home, a new job-and a new worry: the ruggedly sexy rancher who makes her long for things she shouldn't . . . Rough and tumble cattleman Max Jameson has broken wild stallions and faced angry bulls. Yet the redheaded city cupcake who turned up at the High Heather Ranch might be his undoing. Bree has a plan to rescue the ranch from foreclosure that's just crazy enough to work. But will Max gamble his future on a beautiful stranger? Praise for Laura Drake and her novels: "Touchingly real. Tender and timely. Laura Drake creates characters you know you've met and you have to root for." -- Pamela Morsi, USA Today bestselling author on The Sweet Spot "An emotionally packed story that will pull all the heartstrings." -- Christie Craig, New York Times bestselling author on The Sweet Spot/DIV

The author of the best-selling Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips and Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor takes on the crazy sexy subject of what and how we eat, drink, and think. Crazysexydiet.com On the heels of Kris Carr’s best-selling cancer survival guidebooks and her acclaimed TLC documentary comes her new journey into a realm vital to anyone’s health. Infused with her signature sass, wit and advice-from-the-trenches style, Crazy Sexy Diet is a beautifully illustrated resource that puts you on the fast track to vibrant health, happiness and a great ass! Along with help from her posse of experts, Carr lays out the fundamentals of her Crazy Sexy Diet: a low-glycemic, vegetarian program that emphasizes balancing the pH of the body with lush whole and raw foods, nourishing organic green drinks, and scrumptious smoothies. Plus, she shares the steps of her own twenty-one-day cleanse, and simple but delectable sample recipes. In ten chapters with titles such as, “pHabulous,” “Coffee, Cupcakes and Cocktails,” “Make Juice Not War,” and “God-Pod Glow,” Carr empowers readers to move from a state of constant bodily damage control to one of renewal and repair. In addition to debunking common diet myths and sharing vital tips on detoxifying our bodies and psyches—advice that draws both on her personal experience as a cancer survivor and that of experts—she provides helpful hints on natural personal care, how to stretch a dollar, navigate the grocery store, eating well on the run, and working through the inevitable pangs and cravings for your old not-so-healthy life. Crazy Sexy Diet is a must for anyone who seeks to be a confident and sexy wellness warrior.

Under different circumstances, a week at a rustic lesbian retreat would undoubtedly bring much-needed rest and tranquility. But unless she can track down a ruthless killer, Cassidy James may be headed for another sort of peace and quiet—the kind that comes with headstones!!! Someone is trying to kill Dr. Allison Crane, head physician at a Portland women’s clinic and president of Women On Top, the influential lesbian organization to which she has willed her substantial estate. Reviewing the evidence, Private Investigator Cassidy James quickly deduces that the culprit is someone close to Allison—someone who knows the intimate details of her daily life. Posing as Allison’s new girlfriend, Cassidy accompanies her to a Women On Top retreat deep in the Oregon wilderness, hoping to lure the would-be murderer into the open. With danger lurking just outside their cabin, the undercover detective discovers that the alluring Allison wants her under-the-sheets as well—and the feeling is overwhelmingly mutual…

An NPR Best Book of the Year A Vanity Fair Best Summer Read "A haunting, mind-bending memoir. . . . riveting." —New York Times "A mixture of biography and true crime, this narrative . . . offers more plot twists, shocking revelations and shady characters than most contemporary thrillers." —NPR The Book of Atlantis Black will have you questioning facts, rooting for secrets, and asking what it means to know the truth. A young woman is found dead on the floor of a Tijuana hotel room. An ID in a nearby purse reads “Atlantis Black.” The police report states that the body does not seem to match the identification, yet the body is quickly cremated and the case is considered closed. So begins Betsy Bonner’s search for her sister, Atlantis, and the unraveling of the mysterious final months before Atlantis’s disappearance, alleged overdose, and death. With access to her sister’s email and social media accounts, Bonner attempts to decipher and construct a narrative: frantic and unintelligible Facebook posts, alarming images of a woman with a handgun, Craigslist companionship ads, DEA agent testimony, video surveillance, police reports, and various phone calls and moments in the flesh conjured from memory. Through a history only she and Atlantis shared—a childhood fraught with abuse and mental illness, Atlantis’s precocious yet short rise in the music world, and through it all an unshakable bond of sisterhood—Bonner finds questions that lead only to more questions and possible clues that seem to point in no particular direction. In this haunting memoir and piercing true crime account, Bonner must decide how far she will go to understand a sister who, like the mythical island she renamed herself for, might prove impossible to find.

Travels With Mary…Mary and Me By: V. L. French Two very young women, barely out of their teens with three daughters each, divorced, never having enough money, partaking of food stamps, living in the slums of suburban Pittsburgh: what could possibly go wrong? Find out in this uplifting, funny, and at times, frightening, tale about two young women very determined to survive and succeed. This book is, for the most part, many funny stories lovingly stitched together to make a warm quilt of laughter with only a few tears and fears. It is an attempt to tell the tale of two very young women trying to make their lives and the lives of their six daughters better while living in cruel poverty. Their wits helped to pull them through. Their sense of humor helped to sustain them. It tells the reason why they were forced into this life of coping with food stamps, less than adequate vehicles, and never enough money in their struggle to survive and succeed. But it has many moments of hilarity too. The hope is that this book will illustrate that one never has to settle for what may seem like an unfortunate destiny. You needn’t be stuck in a seemingly hopeless situation if you are determined to change that path and make your life better. The story continues with how their paths go in very different directions later.