This book is a long-awaited definitive instruction manual for the most difficult role you never imagined having, and couldn't possibly prepare for--being a Stepmom. Cathryn Bond Doyle became a stepmother in 1996. Cathryn has developed specific techniques and insights to help stepmothers handle the stress and relationship challenges that may arise with their families. In addition to learning from her own journey, she has worked with thousands of stepmothers, through her support group at smoms.org (which she founded in 2000), to build this collection of proven and practical approaches and tools. Cathryn shows you how to recognize, compassionately acknowledge and understand your own reactions to potentially upsetting stepfamily situations, resist the urge to over-give, resolve your resentments, strengthen your relationship skills, build your connections with your partner and stepkids, and deal with any difficulties that may crop up if the bio-mom of your stepkids is neither kind nor civil. The Table of Contents is designed as your guide to getting specific info on a wide spectrum of common stepmothering "dilemmas." The chapters are written to stand alone in support of each topic so you can get right to the answers most important for you and your situation. Additionally, there are thirty-one proactive tips included to help you and your partner improve daily stepfamily life and so much more. Peppered throughout the forty-one chapters of the book are stories from twenty veteran stepmothers. They share their personal challenges and how they've handled them through working with Cathryn and using her strategies. They each describe how they've become more savvy, confident and self-aware women as a result. These women join Cathryn as Stepmoms on a Mission (SMOMS) and all believe-wholeheartedly-that any woman in the role of stepmother can benefit from this book and the hard-earned wisdom it imparts.

An honest and groundbreaking guide to understanding the complicated emotions that develop between stepmothers and children. When faced with often overwhelming challenges, what woman with stepchildren is unfamiliar with that “stepmonster” feeling? Half of all women in the United States will live with or marry a man with children. To guide women new to this role—and empower those who are struggling with it—Wednesday Martin draws upon her own experience as a stepmother. She's frank about the harrowing process of becoming a stepmother, she considers the myths and realities of being married to a man with children, and she counteracts the cultural notion that stepmothers are solely responsible for the problems that often develop. Along the way, she interviews other stepmothers and stepchildren and offers up fascinating insights from literature, anthropology, psychology, and evolutionary biology that explain the little-understood realities of this unique parent-child relationship and—in an unexpected twist—shows why the myth of the Wicked Stepmother is the single best tool for understanding who real stepmothers are and how they feel.

One of the most significant but least understood of character disorders in individuals is narcissistic personality disorder, or NPD. In this book, a licensed marital and family therapist provides a much-needed overview of NPD, its wide-ranging effects, and guidelines for dealing with this disorder.

"Wickedly entertaining! Light, witty, and original, Wickedly Charming is also a wry insider's view of publishing and the heady delights of being a booklover." —Mary Jo Putney, New York Times bestselling author of Never Less Than A Lady He's given up on happily-ever-after... Cinderella's Prince Charming is divorced and at a dead end. The new owner of a bookstore, Charming has given up on women, royalty, and anything that smacks of a future. That is, until he meets up with Mellie... But she may be the key to happily-right-now... Mellie is sick and tired of stepmothers being misunderstood. Vampires have redeemed their reputation, why shouldn't stepmothers do the same? Then she runs into the handsomest, most charming man she's ever met and discovers she's going about her mission all wrong... It's only natural that sparks fly and magic ensues when these two fairy tale refugees put their heads—and vulnerable hearts—together... Praise for Simply Irresistible "A sweet romance...Grayson's clever, humor-tinged writing is absolutely delightful." —Booklist "Danger, humor, and passion are all here and in full force." —RT Bookclub Top Pick

This powerfully intimate, plain-spoken memoir about fathers and sons, fortitude, and football from the face and voice of college football—Kirk Herbstreit—is not just “a window into the game, but also a peek into what makes him special: his heart” (David Shaw, head coach, Stanford University). Kirk Herbstreit is a reflection of the sport he loves, a reflection of his football-crazed home state of Ohio, where he was a high school star and Ohio State captain, and a reflection of another Ohio State football captain thirty-two years earlier: his dad Jim, who battled Alzheimer’s disease until his death in 2016. In Out of the Pocket, Herbstreit does what his father did for him: takes you inside the locker rooms, to the practice fields, to the meeting rooms, to the stadiums. Herbstreit describes how a combination of hard work, perseverance, and a little luck landed him on the set of ESPN’s iconic College GameDay show, surrounded by tens of thousands of fans who treat their Saturdays like a football Mardi Gras. He takes you into the television production meetings, on to the GameDay set, and into the broadcast booth. You’ll live his life during a football season, see the things he sees, experience every chaotic twist and turn as the year unfolds. Not to mention the relationships he’s established and the insights he’s learned from the likes of coaches and players such as Nick Saban, Tim Tebow, Dabo Swinney, and Peyton Manning, as well as his colleagues, including Chris Fowler, Rece Davis, and his “second dad,” the beloved Coach Lee Corso. Yes, Kirk Herbstreit is the undeniable face and voice of college football—but he’s also a survivor. He’s the quiet kid who withstood the collapse of his parents’ marriage. The boy who endured too many overbearing stepdads and stepmoms. The painfully shy student who always chose the last desk in the last row of the classroom. The young man who persevered through a frustrating Ohio State playing career. The new college graduate who turned down a lucrative sales job after college to pursue a “no way you’ll make it” dream career in broadcasting. Inspiring and powerful, Out of the Pocket “proves the importance of perseverance and family” (Peyton Manning).

From New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes the first book in a “crisp, intriguing, and thought-provoking” (Booklist, starred review) new series about twins who are on a quest to discover the secrets being kept by their new family. Nick and Eryn’s mom is getting remarried, and the twelve-year-old twins are skeptical when she tells them their lives won’t change much. Well, yes, they will have to move. And they will have a new stepfather, stepbrother, and stepsister. But Mom tells them not to worry. They won’t ever have to meet their stepsiblings. This news puzzles Nick and Eryn, so the twins set out on a mission to find out who these kids are—and why they’re being kept hidden.

Reflecting and Doodling Your Way to a New Destination Are you looking for some insight into your role as a stepmom? Take control of your life and emotions by working your way through this uplifting 30-day reflective book for stepmothers. Written with the childless or childfree stepmother in mind, this book will help you reflect on your new role and experiment with ideas to improve your relationship with your stepchildren. Through readings, reflections, and action items, you will embark on a journey to gain a better understanding of yourself as a stepmother and how you fit in with your new family.

In Stepparenting the Grieving Child, Diane Ingram Fromme shares the assumptions and presumptions, steps and missteps that occurred within her own stepfamily. Diane faced the key challenges any new stepparent to grieving children experiences, including helplessness to know how and when to offer comfort, awkwardness to identify the times and ways to memorialize the lost parent, and outsider blues--not only feeling uncomfortable in her own home but also in her own skin. With personal examples, insights from other stepfamilies, and knowledge gained through experience and research, Diane provides information relevant to anyone who supports grieving children. Diane's straightforward approach will help you: Gain a more relaxed mindset toward stepparenting through grief Learn meaningful ways to include and memorialize the lost parent Help the natural parent claim his or her role in the grieving family In Stepparenting the Grieving Child you'll find hope, strength, and inspiration for the journey ahead, no matter where you are now.

Don’t miss the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick that’s sold 3 million copies strong—now an Apple TV+ limited series starring Jennifer Garner! The “page-turning, exhilarating” (PopSugar) and “heartfelt thriller” (Real Simple) about a woman who thinks she’s found the love of her life—until he disappears. Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother. As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared. Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated. With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a “page-turning, exhilarating, and unforgettable” (PopSugar) suspense novel.

Book Features: • 24 pages, 8 inches x 8 inches • Ages 5-8, Grades K-2 leveled readers • Simple, easy-to-read pages with illustrations • Features a simple vocabulary list • Includes reading and teaching tips The Importance of Reading: Introduce hard and important topics to your child with Ethan's Stepmom: A Story About Stepparents. The 24-page book features pictures, simple language, and reading tips to practice early reading comprehension skills. Hands-On Reading: Ethan misses his mom, but he now has a new stepmother. Follow along as Ethan discovers how having a stepmom can be special, too! Features: More than an insightful story about grief, divorce, and parents remarrying, this kids book also includes a vocabulary list as well as reading and teaching tips for additional interaction and engagement on the topics discussed in the story. Leveled Books: Vibrant illustrations and leveled text work together to engage your child and promote reading comprehension skills. The leveled book engages k-grade 2 readers with new vocabulary and relevant topics like loss, divorce, and stepparents. Why Rourke Educational Media: Since 1980, Rourke Publishing Company has specialized in publishing engaging and diverse non-fiction and fiction books for children in a wide range of subjects that support reading success on a level that has no limits.