Pat answers to peevish questions and provocative customer comments, smart answers to even tougher questions, questions with no easy answers, and customers say the darnedest things.

I wrote this because someone put a gun to my head and said, “Write.” And do you know how long it takes to type with one hand while your other hand is shaking from holding a loaded Sig Sauer? Well, at least twice as long.

A National Indie Bestseller An NPR Best Book of the Year A New York Times Best Book of the Year An Amazon Best Book of the Year A Booklist Editors' Choice A BookPage Best Book of the Year A NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year A Today.com Best of the Year PRAISE "A modern masterpiece." —The New York Times Book Review "Supple, sparkling and original." —The Wall Street Journal "Mesmerizing." —TODAY.com "This book could change the world." —BookPage "Like nothing else you've read or ever will read." —Linda Sue Park "It hooks you right from the opening line." —NPR SEVEN STARRED REVIEWS ★ "A modern epic." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ "A rare treasure of a book." —Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "A story that soars." —The Bulletin, starred review ★ "At once beautiful and painful." —School Library Journal, starred review ★ "Raises the literary bar in children's lit." —Booklist, starred review ★ "Poignant and powerful." —Foreword Reviews, starred review ★ "One of the most extraordinary books of the year." —BookPage, starred review A sprawling, evocative, and groundbreaking autobiographical novel told in the unforgettable and hilarious voice of a young Iranian refugee. It is a powerfully layered novel that poses the questions: Who owns the truth? Who speaks it? Who believes it? "A patchwork story is the shame of the refugee," Nayeri writes early in the novel. In an Oklahoman middle school, Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of a skeptical audience of classmates, telling the tales of his family's history, stretching back years, decades, and centuries. At the core is Daniel's story of how they became refugees—starting with his mother's vocal embrace of Christianity in a country that made such a thing a capital offense, and continuing through their midnight flight from the secret police, bribing their way onto a plane-to-anywhere. Anywhere becomes the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy, and then finally asylum in the U.S. Implementing a distinct literary style and challenging western narrative structures, Nayeri deftly weaves through stories of the long and beautiful history of his family in Iran, adding a richness of ancient tales and Persian folklore. Like Scheherazade of One Thousand and One Nights in a hostile classroom, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE (a true story) is a tale of heartbreak and resilience and urges readers to speak their truth and be heard.

The Talking to Kids about Narcolepsy series to help adults in a child's life talk to them about what the narcoleptic in their life goes through every day. Narcolepsy is hard enough to describe to other adults; trying to describe it to children sometimes feels impossible. "Mommy's brain is broken" or "Daddy wants to play with you but he is too tired" just doesn't cut it after a while. Automatic Behavior is when a part or parts of the brain go into a micro-sleep state. The body keeps going but the narcoleptic has no real control or memory of what is going on. How do you tell a child that you are actively listening to them but if your brain decides to fall asleep they might have to repeat themselves? How do you explain to them that you wanted to put their artwork on the fridge and not the dishwasher but your brain turned off? It's so hard to be tired all the time. How can a narcoleptic person put it into words that Narcolepsy not only hurts the child but hurts them too? This books is written in the voice of a child. The child in the story is telling her friend about her mother's Narcolepsy. It uses simple language and examples of how Narcolepsy and Automatic Behavior can effect a family in everyday life. There are follow up questions at the end of the story to help families talk about the material in the book and begin a meaningful discussion. Narcolepsy is not like in the movies. It's not randomly falling over and snoring comically. It's not a luxury to take naps during the day when the body requires it to function. This book and the rest in the series is meant to help educate and spread awareness This book should not be used in any way as a means to diagnose Narcolepsy or Automatic Behaviour. Diagnosis of any medical condition should only be made by a licensed physician. This book is in no way authorized, sponsored, or endorsed by The LEGO Company

A bundle of books #1-#4 in Bella Lore’s REJECTED BY THE BETA paranormal romance series! This complete bundle offers books one through four in one convenient file, with over 100,000 words of reading. For as long as Isabel can remember, she’s been a rogue. Her parents are deceased; she has no pack, no mate, and no one at all except for her older brother Ben. She’s grown used to being a nobody, the butt of others’ jokes, and for the most part, alone. But in BOOK #1, during a routine errand gone wrong, Isabel stumbles onto a pack’s territory and comes face to face with a fierce—and devastatingly attractive—shifter the likes of which she’s never seen or felt. Isabel is certain this is her mate. But will he accept her, a nobody rogue? Or will he reject her to maintain his status in his pack? In BOOK #2, Isabel embarks on the kind of life she’s only dreamed of. After overcoming the betrayal and lies of her past, Isabel finally feels like she belongs. She’s engaged to be married to the love of her life, James, closer than ever to her brother, Ben, and has become a respected member of the pack. She finally has the family she’s always yearned for. And, soon, her family might be getting even bigger. Until the unthinkable happens. In an instant, Isabel loses everything. Now, she’s driven by two forces: her need for revenge and her love for her daughter. Is her love strong enough to keep her alive? Can Isabel ever overcome her tragedy? And can Caleb, the gentle, kind monk who saved her, help her find love anew? In BOOK #3, when Isabel is kidnapped by the arrogant and handsome demon king, she proves to be a rebellious prisoner. But, even as she is determined to see him only as a villain, she can't help but feel her heart soften against the powerful demon king. Despite her suffering, Isabel adapts to life in the demon caste. Despite herself, she shares moments of affection with the demon king. With insights from the castle staff, she discovers the hidden history of the Righ. Isabel can’t help but wonder what else the elves, her supposed protectors and friends, might be hiding from her. In a moment, her world turns upside down. Will Balin, once her love, become her enemy? Will Isabel uncover the truth and save her friends before it’s too late? Or will she be destined for a life of rejection? In BOOK #4, with the demon king fatally injured, it is up to Isabel to save him—a feat she can only accomplish by accepting their true mate bond that eclipses millenniums. However, as she learns to love her true mate, she notices danger on the horizon, and those that want to destroy their bond will stop at nothing to do so. The fate of the demon king—and the universe—rests in Isabel’s hands. Now, she must embark on a quest to uncover her true destiny. Can Isabel embrace a legacy so old it exceeds language and logic? And can she unlock her powers in time to save her people and stop the impending war? REJECTED BY THE BETA is a dazzling new fantasy series rife with love, heartbreak, betrayal, tragedy, magic, and heart-pounding suspense. A riveting page turner, it is filled with characters that will make you fall in love and a world you will never forget.

“A rich backdrop of period detail . . . This emotionally rich and socially aware novel touchingly evokes a time when the personal became awkwardly political.” —Publishers Weekly Cyrus Stapleton thinks he’s done everything right—married young, fathered two precocious kids, and partnered in his Seattle law firm—but his wife, Jude, yearns for more. Envisioning Cyrus as all the czars and dictators of the nineteenth century rolled into a three-piece suit and herself as the liberated visionary, Jude sheds her ring, then her married name, and finally her bewildered husband. Gripped by helplessness and self-doubt, Cyrus wonders how it came to this. Is it the fault of Jude’s women’s group and its fiery leader, Lill Epstein, the ex-army feminist with silicone breasts? Does Jude have a new lover? How does a reasonable man behave in the face of his wife’s demands for custody, alimony, and child support? How can he salvage his relationship with his kids when he sees them only twice a month? And what is he to do when, contrary to his best judgment, he becomes attracted to none other than Lill Epstein? Searching for a way back to normal—through a men’s therapy group, the misguided assistance of his younger brother, and his kids (who begin to act out in troubling ways)—Cyrus must navigate through twists and turns, and a courtroom battle, to survive the upheavals of 1970s America with his heart intact.

A godsend for every parent and professional who has ever been confronted with the perplexing and frustrating challenges of unpredictable and uncontrollable outbursts that seemingly have no rhyme or reason. This book provides some realistic approaches and a wide variety of simple, doable techniques for coping at home, in school and in life. The author is a social worker who first struggled with these challenges in her own home and then with her clients.

A contemporary romance from the bestselling author of SWEET AMY JANE and WHISPERED HEAT. "Sensual..sexy...a treat to read." —#1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Sandra Brown As the only child of celebrated photo-journalists who were always off on assignment, lifestyle expert Chloe Pembrook now enjoys staying in one place and making life beautiful. Ace Ellsworth III, the only child from a dynasty of ill-gotten old money, is an award winning reporter. Much to the chagrin of his family, he loves taking skeletons out of the closet and splashing them on the front page of the newspaper. When Chloe witnesses a murder, she and Ace are thrown together on a suspenseful chase that takes them from Chicago to the Hamptons. The stakes are high and if they don't learn that they each can't get their own way, the killer will get his.

This book is the story of an incredible journey. It is the odyssey of recovery. This is a firsthand account of what it takes to overcome the greatest theft; the stolen self. This is the story of the recovery of a shattered spirit. This is an account of what gauntlets must be run to experience the ultimate victory. The victory of self actualization. In the end all we search for is ourselves. This book is about what ways, what mazes, what illusions, what lies, what inheritances we must live to break apart and free ourselves from. We must own every tragic mystery in order to let each mysterious secret go. The path to humility is the road less traveled. From the words of Robert Frost: This is an autobiography of a girl who took the road less traveled and it has made all the difference. The great paradox is; the gift is not the Divine providence of freedom from the fear of being ones' self. The end result is not about being who we are. The gift is the purpose that blooms from such manifest; the benevolent opportunity to expose the path to someone else. There is no end result. As the purpose of life becomes apparent it expands as light outside the hard borders of materialism. That light is love, a governing energy little recognized and eternally sought. This is a story of a girl who struggles through each level and into womanhood to find what love really is. That flame so sought, no longer a flicker so small its source is questionable, is become a fire that is undeniable as the light and warmth it heaves out is seen and felt by the most blind and bitterly cold.

Living Simply, Living Rich offers a unique perspective on the concept of simple living. While most discussions on the topic take the position that simple living requires adherence to the idea that we must “do without” and embrace absolute minimalism, Bob Lee insists that simple living is no more the right path than capitalism or materialism. “Crash diets, whether in nutrition or lifestyles, have no chance of permanent success,” he states. Instead, this book shows how a more focused lifestyle offers fulfillment, a responsible way of living and a more realistic approach to sustained changes in the way we interact with the world around us. Living Simply, Living Rich works, whether you are poor or rich, middle-income or no income. It is an approach to living that remembers that the whole approach is just that: about living. Experiences replace acquisitions, relationships replace career success. This book may be life changing, but it is not a lifestyle manual. It is a pathway to choosing your unique road. Robert Frost was right. Choosing the least travelled path will make all the difference.