Dorothy Shea Chapman was the last person in the world to take herself seriously. When she first came to our Autobiography Workshop, held in the Community/Senior Citizen Center in Dana Point, CA, she entered the room with a bouncing flair and a spirited walk, while folding up her red-tipped white cane. One knew immediately that this woman was full of wit, intelligent without the egotism that often goes with it, possessing a self-deprecating manner that worked as a magnet. She drew others to her without any visible effort. Dorothy's essays and poetry hit their target every time. Nothing-no subject-was off-limits for her pen. She exhibits a sensitivity not often seen when she tackles life's most laborious challenges-even grief. She tackled everything from kitchen pots to kibitzing pols, from gravy to graft, so to speak. This book promises you one laughing-out-loud page after another! Let this mother, grandmother and great-grandmother regale you, teach you, and bless you.

Adversity can teach as well as torment. It forces us to become introspective. It tests the length and breadth of our will, our inventive spirit, and our drive to thrive. It is the clay that shapes character. With the hope of illuminating a thoughtful way forward, Bill Heitland shares nine short stories that offer a glimpse into the lives of diverse characters navigating their way through loss, health issues, heartache, separation, and much more. A father reunites with his estranged daughter with help from a running club whose members hail from India and the US. A handicapped boy wishing for a silver tongue finds a more golden gift on Christmas day. An individual learns that his brother’s life, though fraught with complex issues, held redeemable value. A young man fearing his maturation process is being stunted pushes toward the threshold of adulthood amid a key rite of passage. A married couple coping with the loss of their daughter find a way to rekindle the ardent love that marked their courtship. In this volume of short tales, individuals and families who must deal with tests of their strength of character find something rich—a light that translates into hope.

A step-by-step plan offers examples and exercises on how to determine and live by a set of values, experiment with failure as a formula for success, and take life beyond set limits.

'Characters that jump from the page with an entertaining and engaging plot ... Domhnall's novel ties Ireland to Istanbul in a surprising and hilarious way. The perfect antidote to a chilly winter.' ' – Áine Toner, Editor, Woman's Way ' Full of Irish nostalgia. Hilarious, charming and a little bit bonkers – I loved it!' – Jennifer Zamparelli, 2FM Colin Saint James hates his older brother, Freddie - and for good reason. A true psychopath, Freddie has been hell-bent on destroying Colin's happiness since before he was born! Never one to admit defeat, Colin searches for opportunities to get one up on his sibling, even just once. When the heats for the final ever Housewife of the Year competition are announced, Colin sees his chance. The only problem is he needs a wife. Luckily, he lives next door to Navan's best-looking woman, Azra, who happens to be single and anxious to get a ring on her finger. But Azra is also a Turkish concubine and she and Colin don't exactly see eye-to-eye over her nocturnal activities. Will Colin be able to park his reservations about his X-rated neighbour if it gives him the chance to emerge triumphant over Freddie for once in his life?

A GRIPPING, FEARLESS EXPLORATION OF MASCULINITY The effects of traditionally defined masculinity have become one of the most prevalent social issues of our time. In this engaging and provocative new book, beloved actor, director, and social activist Justin Baldoni reflects on his own struggles with masculinity. With insight and honesty, he explores a range of difficult, sometimes uncomfortable topics including strength and vulnerability, relationships and marriage, body image, sex and sexuality, racial justice, gender equality, and fatherhood. Writing from experience, Justin invites us to move beyond the scripts we’ve learned since childhood and the roles we are expected to play. He challenges men to be brave enough to be vulnerable, to be strong enough to be sensitive, to be confident enough to listen. Encouraging men to dig deep within themselves, Justin helps us reimagine what it means to be man enough and in the process what it means to be human.

Lorna has everything she's ever wanted. And then one day, her beloved husband Ed dies - leaving her widowed and pregnant at 29. Eighteen months later, Lorna misses Ed as much as ever, but knows she must get out and make a new life for herself and her kids. When her mum and dad suddenly find themselves desperate for somewhere to live, what could be more natural than for them to come and live with Lorna? It'll be a great opportunity for her to go back to her job as a midwife, while they get to know their grandchildren. But that's before the mishaps, the arguments over childcare, or the rows that break out when Lorna announces that she's met a hunky doctor and is ready to start dating again.

Fear the Reaper' is a unique and exciting crime thriller combining many elements of other genres, including romance, tragedy, revenge, madness, dark humor and horror... As told with the startling intensity that readers of Fritz O'Skennick have come to enjoy...Richard is schizophrenic, upon the brutal demise of the love of his life, events soon spiral out of control as the voices in his head reign a supreme dominance over him, causing him to embark upon a quest to avenge her and bring violent offenders to justice using LSD upon his tied victims and coming to them dressed as the Reaper, shattering their sense of reality as he stages theatrics to enhance the experience and makes them see the error of their ways.He soon gains an anonymous celebrity status in the media, continuing his work as public reaction to his activities are evenly divided until fatefully he catches the offenders who in essence created his alter ego… Then things take a turn for the worse… How far would you go?

Soon after the loss of his singing ability, Choir Korneli Leviyey (Tendon Levey) turned his attention to organizing and documenting his past experiences in an attempt at making sense of his circumstances. The goal of completing the work was laid to rest around 2014, at which point the book took on a more lax and diaral direction that continued until 2018. The Traumaturgy drafts are now being released in their raw and unfinished state to the public in their entirety aong with a text version of Leviyey’s former online blog which he maintained from 2017-2020.

Full of practical ideas and inspiring stories from people who have already transformed their lives through the Complaint Free program, you'll learn not only how to stop complaining but also how to become more positive and live the life you’ve always dreamed about. More than ten million people in 106 countries have used the simple principles found in this book to eradicate the toxicity of complaining from their lives. And, as a result, they have experienced better health, happier relationships, greater career success and a significant increase in happiness. A Complaint Free World will explain what constitutes a complaint, why we complain, what benefits we think we receive from complaining, how complaining is destructive to our lives, and how we can get others around us to stop complaining. Find out how forming the simple habit of not complaining can transform your health, relationships, career and life. Consciously striving to reformat your mental hard drive is not easy, but you can start now by using the steps Bowen presents here. If you stay with it, you'll find that not only will you stop complaining, but others around you will cease to do so as well and in a short period of time, you'll have a more positive life. “A Complaint Free World is an engaging, enjoyable, easy-to-read reminder that the only permanent, constructive changes you can make in the world are the changes that you make in yourself.” –Gary Zukav, author of The Seat of the Soul and Soul to Soul