Ingrid Bergman's engaging screen performance as Sister Mary Benedict in The Bells of St. Mary's made the film nun a star and her character a shining standard of comparison. She represented the religious life as the happy and rewarding choice of a modern woman who had a "complete understanding" of both erotic and spiritual desire. How did this vibrant and mature nun figure come to be viewed as girlish and naive? Why have she and her cinematic sisters in postwar popular film so often been stereotyped or selectively analyzed, so seldom been seen as women and religious? In Veiled Desires--a unique full-length, in-depth study of nuns in film--Maureen Sabine explores these questions in a groundbreaking interdisciplinary study covering more than sixty years of cinema. She looks at an impressive breadth of films in which the nun features as an ardent lead character, including The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), Black Narcissus (1947), Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957), Sea Wife (1957), The Nun's Story (1959), The Sound of Music (1965), Change of Habit (1969), In This House of Brede (1975), Agnes of God (1985), Dead Man Walking (1995), and Doubt (2008). Veiled Desires considers how the beautiful and charismatic stars who play chaste nuns, from Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn to Susan Sarandon and Meryl Streep, call attention to desires that the veil concealed and the habit was thought to stifle. In a theologically and psychoanalytically informed argument, Sabine responds to the critics who have pigeonholed the film nun as the obedient daughter and religious handmaiden of a patriarchal church, and the respectful audience who revered her as an icon of spiritual perfection. She provides a framework for a more complex and holistic picture of nuns on screen by showing how the films dramatize these women's Christian call to serve, sacrifice, and dedicate themselves to God, and their erotic desire for intimacy, agency, achievement, and fulfillment.

Tracy MacNish's deeply romantic sequel new novel reveals the untapped power of a woman's heart--and how fiercely she dares to protect it. . . Emeline's entire life is controlled by men. She's just been won in a wager by Jeffrey, the Duke of Eton, who keeps her under lock and key. And her cruel stepfather, Simon, wants nothing more than to dominate her entire future. What she wants is a man who'll set her free . . . and Rogan Mullen, heir to the dukedom, just may be the answer to her dreams . . . Rogan is more than eager to have Emeline in his care, but his urge to protect her grows into a yearning to possess her--body and soul. Surrendering completely to love, they cannot foresee that something very sinister threatens to destroy them, for Simon will stop at nothing to control his stepdaughter's fate . . . and only the most fervent passion can endure against such relentless odds . . . "A lushly written, richly detailed Georgian historical [that] pushes the boundaries of the genre."--Booklist

Some risks are worth taking-

In this evocative, wildly romantic new novel set in Venice and London, Tracy MacNish follows one woman's journey from vengeance to extraordinary passion. . . Three years ago, Kieran Mullen was a carefree, confident beauty. One fateful night, everything changed, and she became solitary and aloof, reluctant to leave her London home even when her brother, Rogan, insists she accompany him on holiday to Venice. There, amid the wild revelries of Carnivale, Kieran is attacked by a masked villain and rescued by a charismatic stranger who offers the one thing that might free her from her haunting past: revenge. . . Matteo de Gama is a study in contradiction--a gambler and a philosopher, a reckless libertine and a most unlikely savior. When he pulls Kieran from a canal's watery depths and learns her secrets, he resolves to help her exact justice. But soon he has another mission in mind--to release the unmistakable fire buried beneath her icy beauty, and teach her the bliss that comes with trusting in her own desires, and in their fierce, abiding love. . . "A lushly written, richly detailed Georgian historical [that] pushes the boundaries of the genre with a story of love, revenge, jealousy, and secrets. . .compelling." --Booklist "This is neo old-school romance done well. . .this book was a treat to read. It was like drinking fine brandy after having had nothing but weak tea. MacNish has a strong and distinctive style." --All About Romance.com "Excellent. . .phenomenal." --The Romance Reader.com "There's nothing veiled about the emotional power and dark sensuality of MacNish's sequel to Veiled Promises. With strong characters playing out a plot that delves into the deepest parts of the human soul, this is a tale to keep you riveted." --Romantic Times "Another delectably intense and edgy tale of passion and peril, revenge and romance." --Booklist "Memorable characters and strong emotions take center stage in a powerful love story that digs deeply into character motivation." --Kathe Robin, Romantic Times

A 'Veiled Gazelle', as the great mystic Ibn Arabi explains in his Interpreter of Desires, is a subtlety, an organ of higher perception. Sufi experientialists refer to the activation of these centres of awareness as the awakening of real knowledge of Truth beyond form. A Veiled Gazelle considers the symbolic and instrumental employment of its literature in Sufi studies. Seldom didactic, and never meant only as entertainment, such works are regarded as some of the world's greatest and most important writing.

For two years, Dr. Maira Khan has waited for handsome police officer Sasha Karimi to see her as more than a friend. When Sasha is injured in the line of duty, Maira decides to make the first move, but is rebuffed by Sasha who believes she's blinded by hero worship. Realizing too late that her feelings for him are real, Sasha sets out to win her back with a proper courtship.

A masterpiece of Arabic love poetry in a new and complete English translation The Translator of Desires, a collection of sixty-one love poems, is the lyric masterwork of Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi (1165–1240 CE), one of the most influential writers of classical Arabic and Islamic civilization. In this authoritative volume, Michael Sells presents the first complete English translation of this work in more than a century, complete with an introduction, commentary, and a new facing-page critical text of the original Arabic. While grounded in an expert command of the Arabic, this verse translation renders the poems into a natural, contemporary English that captures the stunning beauty and power of Ibn ‘Arabi’s poems in such lines as “A veiled gazelle’s / an amazing sight, / her henna hinting, / eyelids signalling // A pasture between / breastbone and spine / Marvel, a garden / among the flames!” The introduction puts the poems in the context of the Arabic love poetry tradition, Ibn ‘Arabi’s life and times, his mystical thought, and his “romance” with Niẓām, the young woman whom he presents as the inspiration for the volume—a relationship that has long fascinated readers. Other features, following the main text, include detailed notes and commentaries on each poem, translations of Ibn ‘Arabi’s important prefaces to the poems, a discussion of the sources used for the Arabic text, and a glossary. Bringing The Translator of Desires to life for contemporary English readers as never before, this promises to be the definitive volume of these fascinating and compelling poems for years to come.

What if, instead of discovering our sexuality only once, during puberty, we discover it again later—and then again, after that? What if our sexuality reinvents itself every time our desire shifts, every time the object of our desire changes? What if the nature of our desire is constantly changing—growing deeper, lighter, wilder, more reckless, more tender, more selfish, more devoted, more radical? How We Desire is an enthralling essay about gender, sexuality and love by one of Germany’s most admired writers. It’s about growing up, and discovering the contours of desire and difference, about understanding that we sometimes ‘slip into norms the way we slip into clothes, putting them on because they’re laid out ready for us’. In telling her own story, Emcke draws back the veil on how we experience desire, no matter what our sexual orientation. And she examines how prejudice against homosexuality has survived its decriminalisation in the west. This marvellous book pays homage to the radical magic and liberating tenderness of desire itself. Carolin Emcke was born in 1967. She studied philosophy, politics and history in London, Frankfurt and at Harvard. From 1998 to 2013 she reported from war and crisis zones including Kosovo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Gaza and Haiti. She has written a number of books, and in 2016 she received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, which has also been won by Svetlana Alexievich, Orhan Pamuk and Susan Sontag. How We Desire is the first book by Carolin Emcke to be translated into English. ‘Hypnotic.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘A beautiful acount of discovering and rediscovering one’s identity.’ Otago Daily Times ‘Delicate and vulnerable, angry, passionate, clever and thoughtful. An amazing work.’ Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung 'Her words tremble with fury...A compelling conversation, urging readers to rethink the borderlands of the erotic.’ Australian ‘Huge intellect and tremendous energy.’ Radio NZ

★When the Light and the Dark Collide...Who will Maintain the Balance within the Veil★ For hundreds of years, magic users have grown up with the misconception that their magic has no true origin; that they were simply gifted more than mere-mortals. This control of the narrative has suited the Fae, for their existence has been hidden; their kingdoms beyond the Veil secure. There has been a tenuous balance within the realms and for thousands of years the Fae have been secure in their traditions...their rule. That is, until the uprising of a dark queen; because as with all things bound by nature, with unbalance comes destruction. Until the prophecy of change was whispered throughout the realms there was an ever present sense of desolation. Now? There is hope. -------------------- Hudson Jacobs has no idea of the changes that are about to take her life by storm. No idea of the plans put into motion by those who know of her existence and wish to not only protect her, but solidify the prophecy by any means necessary. The only question is, will her destiny ultimately protect her or destroy her and those she holds dear to her heart. When the stakes are darkness or light, life or death, will Hudson embrace her new life or will the tenuous Veil between the mortal and Fae Realm, destroy her before she gets that chance? ---------------------- ★Would you be willing to bleed for a Realm you never knew existed?★ For a place, full of a otherworldly creatures, you are now the Queen of?How far are you willing to go to fulfill a prophecy, a future, thrust upon you at just 21 years old?In the midst of brutal attacks, Hudson is about to find out just how far she willing to go to protect the ones she loves. Her enemies? Will soon learn just how much power she truly has... Welcome to the Realm of Smoke and Shadows; this is only the beginning. This is a Reverse Harem, Epic Fantasy Romance Novel.

Many in the Church are waiting with expectation for the second coming of Christ. The parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22 tells us that the Church, the Bride, was invited to the wedding but didn’t come. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul warns that the second coming would be preceded by a “great falling away” and Matthew 24 says that if these days were not cut short then even the elect could be deceived. With thousands of Christian denominations preaching a different gospel, let us examine Scripture from the earliest perspective, which is that of the Early Church. The Early Church Fathers were the spiritual sons of the apostles, who learned directly from Jesus. They tell us what the end would be like and unlock the deeper meanings of Scripture. While many today are waiting to be “raptured,” these apostolic men believed that the glory of God would first manifest in His Church. The apocalypse, often misunderstood to mean the end of the world, is simply two Greek words put together: apo (to destroy) and kalypto (the veil). The Book of Revelation is about destroying the veil to enter back into the glory of God. These revelatory teachings were passed down and preserved for hundreds of years, yet for the most part the opposite is being taught in the body of Christ today. Jesus tells us in Matthew 17 that “Elijah is coming and will restore all things.” This Elijah spirit is upon us now to make the way straight through revelatory teaching of Scripture and to bring the fear of the Lord back to wake up the sleeping Church while there’s still time. The Early Church taught that without Elijah preparing and sealing the Church not one would be saved. At the same time, under the leadership of the Catholic Church, a second sealing is taking place, with all major Christian denominations coming into covenant with Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, saying there are many ways to God. The great apostasy is here, but nothing will stop this final move of God. The world will see a full restoration of His glory on Earth as it is in heaven. Through revelation, or an apocalypse, let us step behind the veil to have full access to the glory of God and His redemptive plan for us as His children. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14).