Rory Brown grew up in care but found a home, friendship, and a much-needed sense of security working on the Double J ranch. As far as Rory is concerned, fellow cowboy, Zane Fox, is perfect. Zane is strong but gentle, kind, big, ruggedly handsome ... and straight. Rory works alongside Zane, eats alongside Zane, and when an ice storm causes a power outage, he sleeps alongside Zane ... for warmth. Inhibitions lowered after getting drunk on his twenty-first birthday, Rory Kisses Zane and confesses his feelings for the man. The next day, when Rory learns his father is dying, although estranged from the man, Rory feels obligated to see him one last time. Zane follows Rory to Kansas and confesses he has feelings for Rory, too. After learning his father has died, Rory and Zane set off for home in Zane's old truck. However, bad weather and a mechanical breakdown mean they have to hole up in a guesthouse. Rory doesn't mind, it gives him a chance to explore things with his hunky new boyfriend. And there's a lot of Zane to explore. Life on the ranch is little short of idyllic, Zane is everything and more Rory could want in a lover, protector, and friend. A tiny part of Rory knows he should brace himself for if/when the other shoe -- or cowboy boot -- drops. Rory is thrown when evidence of Zane's heterosexual past reveals itself, leaving him totally devastated. Are Zane's feet made of clay, or can he redeem himself and once again become Rory's rock?

Young adults often struggle with confusion or guilt because they perceive themselves as different from others, especially their peers. For some of these individuals, the arts can help them cope with adolescent turmoil, allowing them to express their emotions in poems, stories, painting, songs, and other creative outlets. Sensitive teachers and parents know how important it is for young people to realize that they are not alone in their quest for self-knowledge and finding their way in the world. It can make a difference when readers find something in a book that helps them understand more about who they are and helps them understand others. In Portrait of the Artist as a Young Adult: The Arts in Young Adult Literature, Lois Thomas Stover and Connie S. Zitlow examine books in which the coming-of-age for young adults is influenced by the arts. Stover and Zitlow consider the connection between the arts and a young person’s developing sense of self, the use of art to cope with loss and grief, and how young adults can use art to foster catharsis and healing. The young people in these books either identify as artists or use the arts in intentional ways to explore their identities. They often have artistic gifts that make them stand outside the norms of teenage life, yet those gifts also help them find a sense of community. Artists considered in this book include painters, photographers, sculptors, actors, directors, choreographers, dancers, composers, musicians, graffiti artists, and others. The books discussed also explore the ways adults can nurture the artist’s development and understand the way young people sometimes use the arts to form their unique identity. Included is an annotated bibliography organized by art discipline, as well as an appendix about using the arts pedagogically, making Portrait of the Artist as a Young Adult a valuable resource for educators, parents, librarians, and young adults.

The members of a poor rural church on the Dingle Peninsula in a remote corner of southwest Ireland are stunned to learn that their tiny parish has been bequeathed Moore's Point, the historic estate of a wealthy, eccentric land owner, only to discover that there is an intriguing specification to the will that has the potential to pit the local church and its pastor against his bishop and the diocese in which the church exists. As an assessment of the estate's manorial great house and its surrounding land holdings are beginning, a series of surprising incidents, personal involvements, interesting local characters, and a few mysterious happenings begin to occur, many of these serving to further complicate the efforts of the young pastor, his pastoral council and the parish barrister to resolve the growing conflict with the diocese.

Don’t miss the stunning conclusion to Allie Therin’s Magic in Manhattan series! “Allie Therin built a world that came alive and flew off the pages.” —Gay Book Reviews New York, 1925 Arthur Kenzie is on a mission: to destroy the powerful supernatural relic that threatens Manhattan—and all the nonmagical minds in the world. So far his search has been fruitless. All it has done is keep him from the man he loves. But he’ll do anything to keep Rory safe and free, even if that means leaving him behind. Psychometric Rory Brodigan knows his uncontrolled magic is a liability, but he’s determined to gain power over it. He can take care of himself—and maybe even Arthur, too, if Arthur will let him. An auction at the Paris world’s fair offers the perfect opportunity to destroy the relic, if a group of power-hungry supernaturals don’t destroy Rory and Arthur first. As the magical world converges on Paris, Arthur and Rory have to decide who they can trust. Guessing wrong could spell destruction for their bond—and for the world as they know it. Magic in Manhattan Book 1: Spellbound Book 2: Starcrossed Book 3: Wonderstruck Roaring Twenties Magic Book 1: Proper Scoundrels Book 2: Once a Rogue Liar City Book 1: Liar City

Rory’s known from birth the date she’s destined to die. When Rory unexpectedly meets the man who could break her curse, she has to decide if falling in love is worth risking what’s left of her life… and his life, too. If you love strong female heroines, interracial romance, and a little magic in your first kiss, then one-click this "Sleeping Beauty" fairytale retelling, written by USA Today Bestselling fantasy romance author Mary E. Twomey. Google Subjects: paranormal romance, french folklore, fairytales, myths and legends, fairy tales, young adult, YA, high school, paranormal, romance, paranormal books, YA paranormal fantasy, YA paranormal romance series, series or anthology, magic, coming of age, epic fantasy series, YA magic, fantasy and magic, YA coming of age, YA ebook, ebook, YA high school romance, YA teen, teen book, YA urban fantasy, YA shifters, YA shifter romance, scandinavian folklore 101, garden gnomes, urban fantasy series, teen magic, YA paranormal fantasy, YA ebooks, YA books, YA trilogy, YA urban fantasy romance, teen and young adult books, teen books for girls in high school, teen love triangle, paranormal, paranormal fantasy, young adult urban fantasy, young adult fantasy, young adult teen, young adult witches, young adult witch romance, young adult fantasy and magic, fantasy romance, first in series, beauty and the beast retelling, fairytale retelling, interracial romance, Sleeping Beauty

The Best of Times is a collection of stories. Please find a cozy cushion, a comfortable pillow, or a soft rocker and read about the times of The Renau's, Harding's, of Rory, and Colton, and many other characters. The barrier island city of Galveston was in the path of a devastating storm, that few, including the Renau family, were ready to be stricken with in Storm. Walk towards the Music, Walk towards the Light finds the return of the Harding's, Wallace and Leslie, as they contemplate selling off their Garden Oaks home where they have remained decades for a new lifestyle of independent living in their senior years. Mrs. Maywall had a gigantic yard that was an exciting play land for two brothers, Rory and 'Crackle Tooth', along with neighbor kids in The Shared Sandwich. Rory travels to the state capital, and meets new friends while on the capitol grounds. Friendships among kids are often spoken to heart to heart, or from a gesture of food offerings, in Potato Chips. A youngster playing is normal in life, a rite of passage. For Rory, his playmates found out at an early age, what can happen when not watching the cars driving on the neighborhood streets, in The Kids Play Mate. Cumming was the Iowa home of grandma, and grandma wanted to go home for a visit. So finds Rory on a road trip of a thousand miles, and the growing pains he encountered in Cumming. Saved Encounter is a story of fate, a story where being at the right time and place in 1959 was apparently what was in the life plan, for Ben, in 1959. The School of the Blessed Chalice was Rory's school, and he excelled at altar serving and reading. Life was routine in every way, until one November day, in Gone. Gift, has Rory discovering Santa's secret present hiding place, for the family presents. Rory had to keep the secret stash a secret, especially when the gift was a much anticipated camera. The Sound of the Train, day in, day out. The sounds were heard. The click, the clack, the rat tat tat rattle of the tracks. Barky: Birdy the Backyard Blue Jay Meets Barky, The wind had bits and pieces of particles in it, besides rain droplets. One of these bits and pieces blowing in the wind was a little seed. This little seed is how our story begins: The story of Barky. Read about Birdy the Backyard Blue Jay's next adventure. Colton, Teen Secret Agent: Find the Parents, is the next chapter in the story of high school student turned secret agent, in search of his parents in such locations as Segovia, Madrid, Rome and more. Teen Speak, A Teacher's Story, The bell rings and classes start for four hundred students in the Church of the Cross Parish religious education on Wednesday evening. The student's stories are many. Life is not all a bed of roses for the parish youth, especially when the Sourpuss patrol is on the prowl. Pocketful of String and a Handful of Beads is a story of prayer and family, and thinking the positive over adversity. Another lesson in life's journey, for Rory.

A massacre in the Scottish Highlands is far more than the family tragedy it first appears to be, in this riveting police procedural. The slaughter of the Dawson family seems to be a heartbreaking case of murder-suicide—another deeply troubled man who violently snapped and killed his wife and children before ending his own life. But DI Alec McKay doesn’t think it’s as open-and-shut as it looks. Why was a BMW parked at the Dawsons’ holiday home on that last day of tourist season—and why are its owners also now dead? Why is the new senior investigating officer acting so erratically? And most chillingly of all, who is sending out packages containing toys taken from the crime scene? Before McKay can close the case, he will have to face down a threat from the past—and a crime that could shatter his heart—in this twist-filled thriller from the acclaimed author whose previous police procedurals, written under the name Michael Walters, were praised as “pulse-pounding” (Chicago Tribune) and “compulsive reading” (The Independent).

This was not the homecoming Brick envisioned After the trauma of his last case, and after three months spent recovering in Ireland, life is looking up for newly retired homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh. Back home in Washington, D.C., a new job shows promise when he's asked to train criminology students in cold case techniques. Then he's off to a whirlwind weekend in Chicago with Nora, an Aer Lingus flight attendant he'd met in Ireland. There he receives shocking news that his former partner's wife and twin infants have been kidnapped. Brick rushes to D.C. to support Ron, the man who's always had his back—but as days pass, Brick questions how well he really knows this man. Brick's cold case—the unsolved hit-and-run death of a college student—is heating up. Brick finds gaping holes in the original investigation. Is it possible diplomatic immunity granted someone a "get-out-of-jail-free card"? Meanwhile, Ron's family tragedy unfolds in a most bizarre manner, and the escalating cold case points to D.C. corruption at the highest level. Things are getting complicated . . . very complicated . . . and dangerous. Duplicity is perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and Robert Crais While the novels in the Brick Kavanagh Mystery series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is: Relentless Duplicity

No longer just a cult classic, Gilmore Girls is a cultural staple for TV fans. Airing from 2000–2007, Gilmore Girls focused on the relationship between thirty-something single mom Lorelai and her teenage daughter, Rory. While exploring themes of family, romantic love, friendship, and life’s choices, this quirky show featured fast-paced dialogue, funny quips, and a steady stream of pop-culture references. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Gilmore Girls served as a launching pad for the careers of its stars—including Lauren Graham, Melissa McCarthy, Alexis Bledel, Jared Padalecki, and Milo Ventimiglia. The series’ popularity was so enduring that ten years after its initial run, a revival season was released on Netflix. In Gilmore Girls: A Cultural History, Lara C. Stache and Rachel Davidson offer an engaging analysis of the popular series. The authors examine how the show serves as a representation of American culture and politics, reflects complexity within multiple mother-daughter dynamics, and employed literature, movies, and music to drive the dialogue and plot. They also explore how the choices made in the series reflect social values of the time, reinforce and challenge traditional ideas of gender and feminism, and unpack the cultural significance of this endearing series. As both a mirror and a construction of contemporary American culture, the series achieved critical accolades and became a cult classic, at once both unassuming and dynamic. This book offers new ways for fans to appreciate the appeal and value of this binge-worthy favorite as part of the larger culture in which it exists. Gilmore Girls: A Cultural History will be of interest to fans of the show as well as to scholars and students of television, media, and American popular culture.

Rory was given a great gift, the Mystical Hagpipe made from the right-hand tusk of the first Haggis giving him extraordinary powers and also the ability to travel through time. But unfortunately, he had lost it and was therefore unable to find his creature friends 'Nessie' (Loch Ness Monster), 'Hag' his Pet Haggis and 'Ben' the Great Scottish Eagle or even call on them for aid. His father was trapped in the past enslaved by Vikings. Rory had met St Columba the author of the Book of St Columba which predicted Rory's life history and it gave him instructions on how he could save his father. This task was impossible without the Hagpipe's power which he needed to make any attempt to rescue his father but first he has to remake the Magical Sword. The Grant Spey-Wife had told him that he would have eight years of hardship if he lost the Hagpipe so how was he going to get it back, remake the Sword and save his father?