This book is a change from the first because there is more love in my life and in my heart and the past has helped me to grow into a better person. This project has been in the worlds for a few years and I have finally gotten to the point that the work was ready for others to read. I am now stronger, more able to deal with my emotions and able to adapt to new challenged that come my way. My poems are a way for me to deal with anger, grief, joy, pain and most of all heartache. I am hoping that everyone who takes the time to read my work will take something good from it and enjoy the time and energy that I have put into the poems and the book. These poems come from my heart and soul and the one thing that I can be sure of if nothing else, is that at the end of the day when the book is done and I am finished with my work, I can say that if one person reads it and likes it then I have done something worthwhile.

book of poetry by poet Linda Varsell Smith

Kate Meader’s blazing Hot in Chicago firefighter series has “everything you want in a romance” (RT Book Reviews, Top Pick)! The flames of desire burn out of control in this sexy third novel when ex-lovers unexpectedly reunite for a sizzling affair that will have the director yelling, “Quiet on the set!” Actor Molly Cade, America’s fallen sweetheart, finally has her shot at a Hollywood comeback with a dramatic new role as a tough-as-nails firefighter that promises to propel her back to the big time and restore her self-respect. Wyatt Fox, resident daredevil at Engine Co. 6, needs a low-key job to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest rescue stunt. Consulting on a local movie shoot should add just enough spark to his day. Especially when in struts Molly Cade: the woman who worked his heart over good, and then left him in the Windy City dust. Their story is straight out of a script: irrepressible, spunky heroine meets taciturn, smoldering hero. But these two refuse to be typecast, and when the embers of an old love are stoked, someone is bound to get burned…

“There is no way you can read this book and not feel more love for those around you—and as you do, you can see the healing changes that love will bring.” —Magical Blend Magazine The sensitive, profound and rare insights in Alchemy of the Heart help us gain entrée into the most precious, and misunderstood, component of our being—the heart. They show us that while love can be compassionate and nurturing, it can also be powerful, dynamic and practical—a catalyst for spiritual growth. Drawing on wisdom from the world’s great spiritual traditions, this inspiring guide explores how you can overcome hidden blocks to giving and receiving more love. You’ll learn how you can soften and strengthen the heart to create more meaningful relationships in all areas of your life. And you’ll discover how even the most intense lessons of love, if we are willing to learn from them, can be the open door to a higher love—and a higher way of loving. “It is critical for personal well-being and the betterment of world relations to open the heart to its highest spiritual potential—that is, divine love. This book explores how we can recapture this experience by nurturing ourselves, cultivating gratitude, overcoming self-criticism, using affirmations and prayers, guarding against toxic thoughts and feelings.... Prophet guides us through these processes drawing on her extensive spiritual experience.... Through this ‘pocket guide to practical spirituality’ we learn...how we can become ‘a living transformer of love.’ ” —Bodhi Tree Book Review

This innovative book offers an original insight into the context and times of St Teresa of Avila (1515 – 1582) as well as exploring her contemporary relevance from the perspective of some of the foremost thinkers and scholars in the Teresian field today including Professors Julia Kristeva, Rowan Williams and Bernard McGinn. As well as these academic approaches there will be chapters by friars and nuns of the Carmelite order living out the Carmelite charism in today’s world. The book addresses both theory and practice, and crosses traditional disciplinary and denominational boundaries – including medieval studies, philosophy, psychology, pastoral and systematic theology - thus demonstrating her continuing relevance in a variety of contemporary multi-disciplinary areas.

In a thriving education system, students experience learning that prepares them as the vital keepers of a just and democratic society. Teachers as professionals and experts, not cogs in a machine, are essential to this goal. Sparks Into Fire offers design principles for facilitating effective professional learning in which teachers are active learners engaging in experiential learning, discussing problems, analyzing student work, and sharing their expertise with one another. The author introduces each principle with a compelling and illuminating story from his extensive experience teaching students and facilitating teacher learning in Providence, RI; Oakland, CA; and South Korea. These narratives, along with specific practices, show the reader not just what to do but how to do it. Whether you are a school leader, lead teacher, PD facilitator, or teacher educator, you can apply the ideas in this book to design collaborative experiences that revitalize teacher practice and, in turn, spark a fire in the hearts and minds of students. Book Features: Provides key principles and practices that can transform the quality of teacher learning in any subject area and across disciplines. Offers a human-centered approach to teacher learning with a focus on equity. Shares practical tools for facilitating teacher learning coupled with real-life examples and stories. Includes a set of reflection questions to encourage readers to recall stories from their own learning journeys.