Lately Katie feels her whole life is one long series of disasters. Her dopey cousin Mel's carelessness caused a scary kitchen fire. Uncle Jeff's not sure he paid the fire insurance, and worrying about how to pay for the repairs is literally making him sick.

In April 2005, Ashley Smith made headlines around the globe when she miraculously talked her way out of the hands of alleged courthouse killer Brian Nichols after he took her hostage for seven hours in her suburban Atlanta apartment. In this moving, inspirational memoir, the 26-year-old widowed mother of a six-year-old girl shares for the first time the little-known details of her traumatic ordeal, and expands on how her faith and the bestselling book The Purpose-Driven« Life helped her survive and bring the killer's murderous rampage to a peaceful end. Just as she told her 6'1", 210-pound captor that his ultimate "purpose" in life was to end up spending the rest of his life in prison, preaching the teachings of Jesus Christ to his fellow inmates, Smith believes her own purpose is to spread that message of love to the rest of us. Juxtaposing the minute-by-minute tale of her experience with the never-before-told tragedies and triumphs of her own life, Unlikely Angel is a gripping tale of downfall and redemption, involving addiction, violence, death, loss, faith, and love. It is a story that will leave no reader untouched.

We fall in love every day, with others, with ideas, with ourselves. Stories of love excite us and baffle us. This volume is about love and the networked self. It focuses on how love forms, grows, or dissolves. Chapters address how relationships of love develop, are sustained or broken up through technologies of expression and connection. Authors explore how technologies reproduce, reorganize, or reimagine our dominant rituals of love. Contributors also address what our experiences with love teach us about ourselves, others, and the art of living. Every love story has a beginning and an end. Technology does not give love the kiss of eternity; but it can afford love new meaning.

Many new mothers are overwhelmed with the love they feel for their children--an experience they cannot quite put into words. Where does such all-encompassing emotion come from? Directly from the heart of God! With lyrical rhyme and Scripture throughout, When I Hold You is a gentle, joyful, celebratory poem that draws the comparison between a mother's bond with her child and the nurturing love God has for us. A perfect gift for any new or existing mother, When I Hold You captures the universal experience of a mother's love for her children. As children listen to the words, they will relish the reminder of both God's and their mother's abiding love for them. Both mother and child will be invited to worship their heavenly Father, whose everlasting love sustains us.

"Mother. Some get the warm curve of the 'mo, some get the pointy end of the er'. I got the whole word..." Learning Burney is a series of stories in essay form that focus on the relationship of a daughter and her mother. The book examines the similarities and contrasts, the generational differences, the wounds and the gifts that emerge in a narrative that is hilarious, hair-raising and deeply moving. Some of the explored themes are: Christian Faith Identity Alcoholism Recovery Body Image Culture Family In reference to climbing the family tree in its fullness the author writes: "I began to close the emotional distance, feeling grateful for each branch that shaped me-and shapes me still."

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Ashley brings a new novel in her River Rain series… From a very young age, Chloe Pierce was trained to look after the ones she loved. And she was trained by the best. But when the man who looked after her was no longer there, Chloe is cast adrift—just as the very foundation of her life crumbled to pieces. Then she runs into tall, lanky, unpretentious Judge Oakley, her exact opposite. She shops. He hikes. She drinks pink ladies. He drinks beer. She’s a city girl. He’s a mountain guy. Obviously, this means they have a blowout fight upon meeting. Their second encounter doesn’t go a lot better. Judge is loving the challenge. Chloe is everything he doesn’t want in a woman, but he can’t stop finding ways to spend time with her. He knows she’s dealing with loss and change. He just doesn’t know how deep that goes. Or how ingrained it is for Chloe to care for those who have a place in her heart, how hard it will be to trust anyone to look after her… And how much harder it is when it’s his turn.

She was the queen of his heart, the reason for his smile, the strength of his soul. But their love story took an unexpected turn that would leave you amazed and heartbroken. Steven had lost hope in love after painful one- sided relationships left him depressed for years. But when the beautiful and kind Ashley entered his life, everything changed. Their instant connection blossomed into an intense romance filled with lovable moments and genuine care for each other. Steven fell deeply in love with his angel Ashley and believed he had found his forever. However, destiny had other plans. Family, religion and societal expectations threatened to tear the young lovers apart. Misunderstandings and outside influences put their relationship to the ultimate test. How far would Steven go to fight for the girl who lit up his world? Could their love survive the impossible odds stacked against them? This emotional rollercoaster of a story will take you on a journey filled with love, pain, sacrifice and the harsh realities that sometimes come between soulmates. Told through a gripping narrative that spans days and nights of passion, fun, tears and torment, it is a modern tale of star- crossed lovers and the power of unconditional love. Will Steven and Ashley get their happy ending or will they become tragic figures in an epic love story that was never meant to be? Find out in this unputdownable book that will make you laugh, cry, fall in love and have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Mirror mirror on the wall, F*ck you.They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I wish it wasn't.The first time my step-dad raped me, I prayed for God to save me... he never came.Instead, my savior came in the form of a Priest. For years we've done God's bidding.Blood coats our hands and souls, Devilish deeds done in the Lord's name.But changes are coming and our time is running out.I'm not sure I'm ready, Not sure I can face the man in the mirror when the mask comes off. I'm drowning in the uncertainty of the future. I need someone to save me. I need them. **This is a MMF love story*

“Some Dreams are for Real” is the extraordinary story of Emma Rodriguez, a fourteen year old Mexican/American girl living in Santa Barbara, California who experiences an incredible and unbelievable journey of transformation and personal growth. Along her mystical voyage she is exposed to numerous people and situations that teach her the true meaning of love, kindness, gratitude and respect. But can she forgive the most grievous of acts? Does she have the courage to be steadfast in the face of real fear? Will she demonstrate compassion for others in the midst of danger? As Emma encounters challenging situations no young child should be exposed to, she gains the wisdom, awareness and insight of a lifetime. Life’s lessons and society’s complexities meet her head on as she attempts to discover who she is and who she will be at the end of her mysterious odyssey. From the gripping opening scene to the surprising ending, “Some Dreams are for Real” grabs the reader and holds him in suspense. Along the way contemporary teen topics such as family separation and loss, texting and sexting, gay bashing, school shooters, immigration, homelessness, and tragedy are addressed and serve as a catalyst for conversation. Young readers of this story will imagine themselves in Emma’s role - strong, courageous and authentic – and find it informative, empowering, purposeful, entertaining, inspiring, adventurous, and humorous. This story is filled with valuable life-lessons that make it a must-read for every teen and teen parent.

Ashley's perfect life is suddenly falling apart....is anyone listening?