Murky waters challenges the refined image of spa towns in eighteenth-century Britain by unveiling darker and more ambivalent contemporary representations. It reasserts the centrality of health in British spas by looking at disease, the representation of treatment and the social networks of care woven into spa towns. The book explores the great variety of medical and literary discourses on the numerous British spas in the long eighteenth century and offers a rare look at spas beyond Bath. Following the thread of 'murkiness', it explores the underwater culture of spas, from the gender fluidity of users to the local and national political dimensions, as well as the financial risks taken by gamblers and investors. It thus brings a fresh look at mineral waters and a pinch of salt to health-related discourses.

I don’t know why you complain, For the dismal nights, And the anguished seas, Have always been my muse.

Claire Murray thought she was leaving her problems behind when she accepted a new position within Suarez Travel and relocated to Baton Rouge. Her excitement quickly diminishes when her mysterious stalker makes it known that there is no place Claire can hide. She is instantly attracted to the enigmatic Tristan Delacroix, who becomes more of a mystery to her every time they meet. Claire is thrust into a world of fear, confusion, and passion that will ultimately shake the foundations of all she once believed.

Im writing to share how Ive learned to journey through life, with God, gratitude and peace within my heart. I love flowers, the smell, the feel and the beauty they create. They start as a seed and as long as it is properly nurtured, it blooms into the most beautiful sight. When the seasons change some flowers are able to withstand the storms, while others die or become dormant until a new season comes. I choose to use the lotus flower as the art piece for this book. The reason for this is how a lotus is created. It emerges from the depths of the muddy swamp and blooms the most beautiful flower that opens when the sun rises and at nightfall it closes and goes beneath the water until dawn. The process reminds me of how we were created and ever changing. According to research it takes 60 days to change a habit; within 30 days you will notice the change, and 60 days for others to notice. My desire is for this book to brighten the light that is already within you and you blossom to greatness.

In the mid 1930s, in the workroom of Parisian jeweler Boivin, a jewelry designer created one of the most coveted pieces of jewelry in the world: the famous starfish pin. Created out of gold and encrusted with 71 cabochon rubies and 241 small amethysts, the starfish was distinctive because its five rays were articulated, meaning that they could curl and conform to the bustline or shoulder of the women who wore it. The House of Boivin made three of them. After seeing it in the showroom of a Manhattan jewelry merchant, Burns set off on a journey to find out all she could about the elusive pins and the women who owned them.

What if the key to changing your life--and yourself--is already in your hand? So many women struggle with what to do with their daily lives. They feel trapped in everyday drudgery and disappointment, in dull domestic duties, and in mundane jobs they despise. Where is the abundant, purposeful life they were promised? Kari Patterson shows readers the truth: in each unremarkable life lies an opportunity to see, know, love, and be utterly transformed by a God who meets everyone right where they are. Instead of stepping away from real life to find God, Patterson equips women with a six-step practice to move further in and meet Him in the humdrum moments of everyday existence. And when a woman's inner being is truly changed by the sacred, everything in her world changes too--right down to tackling the dirty dishes. Through entertaining narrative, candid real-life stories, Bible study, and practical instruction, Sacred Mundane guides individuals or small groups to discover the beautiful sacredness in the lives they already lead. Women who long to grow in God and make a real difference in the world--no matter how small--will reach eagerly for this book and the radical transformation it offers. "Our daily routine, with its mundane tasks and mindless repetition, is ultimately an offering of worship to God. What a great truth from a great God!" --Ann Byle, author of The Making of a Christian Bestseller and coauthor of Devotions for the Soul Surfer