Unemployed geographer and rock climber Atlas can't seem to work or climb or even love right--but he's trying his bes''vans'' his way across the US with his best friend--leaving one woman behind to follow another--he searches for a state of intense awareness called the ''rockhead, '' while struggling to discover what part of his self is purely will, and what part is simply determined. But when he suffers an extreme fall on 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite, Atlas's search for understanding becomes a struggle for survival. To save his injured partner, he has to climb the hardest section of the wall without a rope-and discovers that the ''rockhead'' lies at the crossroads of what is determined, what is will, and what is love: a place within his own heart. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Sean Toren has climbed and traveled all over the world, but loves Yosemite most of all. He is a psychotherapist living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and son. AUTHOR HOME: Minneapolis, M

Set on the island of Mallorca, The Rocks is a double love story told in reverse. Opening in 2005 with a dramatic event that seems to seal the mystery of two lives, the story moves backwards in time, unravelling over sixty years, amid the olive groves and bars, the boats and poolside parties, the lives and relationships of two intertwined families within an expat community of endearing and flawed characters. As one story is revealed, another, sweeter one, a love story of a couple from the younger generation, arises in the wake of their elders' failures. The Rocks is a darkly comic, bittersweet, finally heartbreaking novel, that slips back in time to reveal the shocking incident that marked and altered these lives for ever.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a decade since One Jump Ahead: Challenging Human Supremacy at Checkers was published. I’m delighted to have the oppor- nity to update and expand the book. The ?rst edition ended on a sad note and that was re?ected in the writing. It is now eleven years later and the project has come to a satisfying conclusion. Since its inception, the checkers project has consumed eighteen years of my life— twenty if you count the pre-CHINOOK and post-solving work. It’s hard for me to believe that I actually stuck with it for that long. My wife, Steph, would probably have something witty to say about my obsessive behavior. Rereading the book after a decade was dif?cult for me. When I originally wrote One Jump Ahead, I vowed to be candid in my telling of the story. That meant being honest about what went right and what went wrong. I have been criticized for being hard on some of the characters. That may be so, but I hope everyone will agree that the person receiving the most criticism was, justi?ably, me. I tried to be balanced in the storytelling, re?ecting things as they really happened and not as some sanitized everyone-lived-happily-ever-after tale.

Living with her father in a nature preserve in Portland, Oregon, thirteen-year-old Caroline only merges with the civilized world once a week when they go into the city, but an encounter with a backcountry jogger derails their entire existence.

An epic new science fiction series about faith, family, and alien invasion in the wilds of Alaska. When a shooting star plunges through the atmosphere and touches down in the Alaska wilderness, only two earthlings are present to witness the event. But they perceive two utterly different realities. What park ranger Jace Kuliak sees is a UFO and the arrival of a dangerous alien species from beyond the solar system. What Poppy Prophecy sees is the star called Wormwood, as recorded in Scripture, and the arrival of an archangel of the Apocalypse. The thing is -- they're both sorta right. Poppy Prophecy is the despotic patriarch of a large End-Times prepper family that is busily converting a depleted copper mine into its own private doomsday bunker. Their copper mine is a century-old relic from territorial days when East Coast robber barons ruled Alaska and plundered its mineral wealth. Today the abandoned mine sits in the middle of the largest, wildest, most majestic national park in the United States. But Poppy isn't impressed by mere earthly beauty, and he doesn't mind bulldozing federal land when it suits his purposes. Backcountry Ranger Jace Kuliak does mind, and he and fellow rangers confront the fundamentalist family in an armed standoff over the construction of an illegal airstrip. It doesn't help matters when Ranger Kuliak falls hopelessly in love with Poppy's second daughter, the lovely, innocent, and totally clueless Deuteronomy. An uneasy truce between the Prophecys and the park service is shattered when the falling star lands in their backyard and is claimed by both sides. What is it? Who is it? Better yet, of all the pit stops on all the planets in all the galaxies, why did the Visitor choose this particular rock to screw with?

A practical guide to letting go of the character defects that get in the way of true and joyful recovery. Resentment. Fear. Self-Pity. Intolerance. Anger. As Bill P. explains, these are the "rocks" that can sink recovery- or at the least, block further progress. Based on the principles behind Steps Six and Seven, Drop the Rock combines personal stories, practical advice, and powerful insights to help readers move forward in recovery. The second edition features additional stories and a reference section.

Vivian feels left behind when her older sister, Audra, runs away from home. She believes that Audra will return and pays careful attention to the clues around her. Then, inexplicably, writing begins to appear in a blank notebook. When Audra does come back for Vivian, she’s in the company of a strange man. The three of them run away together and practice wilderness survival. While Audra plans for the future, Vivian continues to gather evidence: Who is this mysterious man, and does he have any connection to the words appearing in her notebook? Klickitat is a haunting story, full of atmosphere and awakening, crafted by one of today's most startling literary talents. "The dreamy narration is evocative of The Virgin Suicides…it might be a readalike for E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars…"--VOYA