When Lieutenant Baron Dunning is sent to Nigeria to investigate the plundering of natural resources for use in biological warfare, he can't guess that the money trail will lead him to Wisconsin's lavish Woebegone Dunes Resort … and an abandoned research site known as Gravestone Castle. Competition for ownership of the resort and the castle has resulted in a series of freakish deaths, and Dunning's sleuthing brings him into contact with a plethora of odd characters: • Bo-Bo Bigelow, the world's largest exporter of misappropriated oil and rare earth minerals. He wants to convert the Hermitage at Gravestone Castle into a playboy mansion. • Jack Daniels, who sees Gravestone Castle as the ideal headquarters for the Royal Enouement Society, a secret club for objectivists. • Father Feely, a talented but corrupt priest who's indebted to Bo-Bo Bigelow. • Professor Adam Baum, a brilliant biological researcher with the personality of a serial killer. • Deputy Sheriff Bud Light, a brandy-swigging Green Bay Packers fan who finds himself in over his head when confronted with the ghastly murders. • Crystal Glass, the enchanting reporter who sweeps Dunning off his feet. Can Lieutenant Dunning find the answers he seeks -- to the case or to life's deep philosophical questions -- amidst the chaos?

Inspired takes on timeless recipes honoring coastal communities of the South and highlighting the sustainable seafood, spirited libations, warm hospitality, and rich heritage of the region. Chef and mixologist duo Sammy Monsour and Kass Wiggins share more than 75 recipes for their favorite seafood dishes and drinks from the coast and watery byways—along with their passion for Southern cooking, hospitality, and culture. Advocates for sustainable eating, as well as civil rights and environmental activism, their enthusiasm for good food, modern craft cocktails, and community shines through on every page of this beautiful cookbook. Through recipes and stories, Sammy and Kass aim to inspire informed choices that support coastal resiliency and marine ecosystem health. Celebrate the coasts and waterways of the South with outstanding seafood, ocean advocacy, and beach-front feasts to enjoy at home. TECHNIQUES AND EXPERT TIPS that will encourage cooks of all levels to master preparing and serving seafood dishes and cocktails at home, including how to filet fish, handle shellfish, craft drinks around simple fresh ingredients, and use ice for added flavor. FRESH AND SHAREABLE RECIPES—from Cattywampus Punch and Hibiscus Hoodoo to Creole bay scallop ceviche, stone crab hushpuppies, whole fish gumbo pot, a backyard oyster roast, and more. PERSONAL NARRATIVES AND FEATURES throughout spotlight local organizations and tie-in topics such as sea salt, seaweed, sourcing seafood, oysters 101, and more. SUSTAINABLE EATING AND DRINKING is celebrated throughout the book, with a focus on seafood that aligns with sustainable practices, such as supporting local fisheries that follow responsible harvesting methods, highlighting seafood species that are abundant and well-managed, and making zero-landfill cocktails. RAISING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS about responsible seafood consumption, and emphasizing the importance of preserving coastal ecosystems, is a primary objective of this book, which showcases several Southern coastal organizations and farms that are at the forefront of seafood sustainability and conservation efforts such as Marsh Hen Mill (South Carolina), Sunburst Trout Farms (North Carolina), Sapelo Sea Farms (Georgia), Oyster South (Virginia), Sun Shrimp (Florida), and Louisiana Crawfish Co. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT is a core value of the authors, who have been actively engaged with organizations and experts in the field for decades; Sammy currently serves as the chef lead for the Environmental Defense Fund, serves on the board of the James Beard Foundation's Smart Catch Impact program, and is a member of Monterey Bay Aquarium's Blue Ribbon Task Force. HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE The authors provide a broad context and perspective on seafood that encompasses sustainability, local organizations, and social responsibility and acknowledges the interconnectedness of environmental issues, social justice, and food systems.

How do you teach a child to dream big and shoot for the stars? In this inspiring story, a young bunny named Zippy dreams of traveling to space. When the opportunity to attend space camp arrives, she worries she might not be capable enough to compete with other kids. But Zippy’s desire to build her rocket is bigger than her fear of failing, and through hard work and creativity works to make her dreams come true. New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup empowers children everywhere to dream big and live a life they love. How Big Is Your Brave? encourages readers to face their fears and overcome obstacles in order to follow their dreams and reach their goals. How Big Is Your Brave? is: Great for boys and girls, ages 4–8 An excellent choice for STEM storytime and sparking discussions about STEM fields A great resource to teach young children about confidence, self-esteem, and the value of hard work Through whimsical illustrations and encouraging text, children will discover how standing up to fears (both big and small) makes them stronger and unstoppable.

To the Anishinaabe-Ojibwa people it was a gathering place, a sacred burial ground, and the home of the Great Spirit Gitchie Manitou. Throughout the 1600s French voyageurs, explorers, missionaries, and fur traders arrived at Mackinac Island. Its strategic location in the straits between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas made it a military outpost the British and Americans found worth fighting for through the War of 1812. By the late 1800s Mackinac was a destination for city dwellers seeking fresh air, scenic beauty, recreation, and amusements. Today, passenger ferries transport visitors to the car-free island, where getting around is by foot, horse-drawn carriage, or bicycle, the air is still clean, and the scenery spectacular. Most of Mackinac is a state park, fringed with grand Victorian cottages and the whitewashed fort overlooking the compact village of pastel-colored hotels and shops (including the famous fudge makers). 100 Things to Do on Mackinac Island Before You Die helps you make the best of a day trip and reveals dozens of reasons to spend a night—or longer—at this captivating spot.

Christianity Today Book Award Winner; ECPA Award Finalist Boldly honest, powerfully told, deeply moving - this is a story about finding yourself. Seth Haines' memoir holds up a mirror to all of our stories to show the peace that is possible when we release our addictions and receive the healing presence of God. Seth Haines was in the hospital with his wife, planning funeral songs for their not-yet two-year-old, when he made a very conscious decision: this was the last day he wanted to feel. That evening, he asked his sister to smuggle in a bottle of gin and gave in to addiction. But whether or not you've ever had a drop to drink in your life, this book is for all who have sought ways to stop their pain. Like Seth, we're all seeking balms for the anxiety of what sometimes seems to be an absent, unresponsive God - whether it's through people-pleasing, social media likes, shopping, the internet, food, career highs, or even good works and elite theology. Too often we attempt to escape our anxiety through addiction - any old addiction. But it often leaves us feeling even more empty than before. In Coming Clean, Seth Haines writes a raw account of his first 90 days of sobriety, illuminating how to face the pain we'd rather avoid, and even more importantly, how an abiding God meets us in that pain. Seth shows us that true wholeness is found in facing our pain and anxieties with the tenacity and tenderness of Jesus, and only through Christ’s passion can we truly come clean.

I ask you, why do weird things always happen to me? Thirteen-year-old Dana Shannon is no stranger to intrigue. Not long ago she discovered a skeleton behind a wall in her family's house -- a house in Lawrence, Kansas, that was once owned by a Quaker family, the Weavers. The diary Dana found in the sealed-off room revealed that the skeleton belonged to a runaway slave named Lizbeth Charles. Now Dana's house is a newly refurbished bed-and-breakfast, and the first guests are two shady characters who believed the house is hiding another secret. When Dana gets in their way, she becomes embroiled in a second mystery, this one involving slaves and the Weavers again, and -- somehow - Delaware Indians. As Dana tried to fit the puzzle pieces together, alternate chapters tell the story of James Baylor Weaver, a thirteen-year-old boy, in 1857. It is up to James to fulfill a promise Lizbeth made before her death. He must travel hundreds of miles to retrieve four slaves and bring them to freedom. The journey will test his strength, endurance, and courage; it will also test his character, when he has to make a terrible choice... Readers of Soon Be Free will quickly be caught up in this fast-paced mystery-adventure that links teenagers from two different centuries.

Christianity is messy. Unanswered prayers. Painful choices. Unresolved regrets. We’re called to have faith, and yet we doubt. We try to be perfect, but we fall short. This is the chaos. It’s all around us. There’s no limit to it. And there’s no quick fix for it.Both annoyingly honest and refreshingly humorous, Messy reassures Christians that God can reveal Himself in their clutter. Author and pastor A.J. Swoboda offers biblical insight and vivid, personal stories to redefine faith from something that must be perfect to something that is imperfect, but can still give beauty, meaning, and purpose to a messy life. As entertaining as it is challenging, this book teaches Christians what it means to trust in each other, in grace, in hope, and in a Savior who defied the rules of death. Here’s to finding joy in your chaos!

BARBED WIRE HOOKERS AND OTHER STORIES is a collection of thirteen stories that explore the struggles of those on the ragged edge of existence, whether the protagonist is a prostitute in the deserts of Nevada, a young American about to be sacrificed by the military industrial complex, or a corbina in the pounding surf of Todos Santos, Baja del Sur.

Childhood friends, college chums, the Viet Nam war, the draft, the millennium, and the present times are all tossed around by the vagaries of fate. A tale where an F-14 fighter jet is purloined, and a Patek Philippe discarded in the snow, and we learn that ultimately Life IS the Treasure.