A Family Daughter

      Maile Meloy
     A Family Daughter

Maile Meloy’s debut novel, Liars and Saints, captured the hearts of readers and critics alike. Now Meloy returns with a novel even more dazzling and unexpected than her first. A Family Daughter is a brilliantly entertaining, powerfully moving novel about families, love, and the desire to reimagine one’s own history. It’s 1979, and seven-year-old Abby, the youngest member of the close-knit Santerre family, is trapped indoors with the chicken pox during a heat wave. The events set in motion that summer will span decades and continents, as the Santerres become entangled with an aging French playboy, a young Eastern European prostitute, a spoiled heiress, and her ailing jet-set mother. With elegant precision, Meloy takes us through the world of this changeable family, its values and taboos, its heartbreak and bitterness and fierce devotion. A rich, full novel about passion and desire, fear and betrayal, A Family Daughter illuminates both the joys and complications of contemporary life and the relationship between truth and fiction. For everyone who has yet to meet the Santerres, unmatched pleasure awaits.

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    Triumph: Life After the Cult--A Survivor's Lessons

      Carolyn Jessop
     Triumph: Life After the Cult--A Survivor's Lessons

The author of The New York Times bestseller Escape returns with a moving and inspirational tale of her life after she heroically fled the cult she’d been raised in, her hard-won new identity and happiness, and her determination to win justice for the crimes committed against her family. In 2003, Carolyn Jessop, 35, a lifelong member of the extremist Mormon sect the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), gathered up her eight children, including her profoundly disabled four-year-old son, and escaped in the middle of the night to freedom. Jessop detailed the story of her harrowing flight and the shocking conditions that sparked it in her 2007 memoir, Escape. Reveling in her newfound identity as a bestselling author, a devoted mom, and a loving companion to the wonderful man in her life, Jessop thought she had put her past firmly behind her.              Then, on April 3, 2008, it came roaring back in full view of millions of television viewers across America. On that date, the state of Texas, acting on a tip from a young girl who’d called a hotline alleging abuse, staged a surprise raid on the Yearning for Zion Ranch, a sprawling, 1700-acre compound near Eldorado, Texas, to which the jailed  FLDS  “prophet” Warren Jeffs had relocated his sect’s most “worthy” members three years earlier. The ranch was being run by Merril Jessop, Carolyn’s ex-husband and one of the cult’s most powerful leaders. As a mesmerized nation watched the crisis unfold, Jessop once more was drawn into the fray, this time as an expert called upon to help authorities understand the customs and beliefs of the extremist religious sect with which they were dealing.             In Triumph, Jessop tells the real, and even more harrowing, story behind the raid and sets the public straight on much of the damaging misinformation that flooded the media in its aftermath. She recounts the setbacks (the tragic decision of the Supreme Court of Texas to allow the children in state custody to return to their parents) as well as the successes (the fact that evidence seized in the raid is the basis for the string of criminal trials of FLDS leaders that began in October 2009 and will continue throughout 2010), all while weaving in details of her own life since the publication of her first book. These include her budding role as a social critic and her struggle to make peace with her eldest daughter’s heartbreaking decision to return to the cult.              In the book’s second half, Jessop shares with readers the sources of the strength that allowed her not only to survive and eventually break free of FLDS mind control, but also to flourish in her new life. The tools of her transformation range from powerful female role models (grandmothers on both sides) to Curves fitness clubs (a secret indulgence that put her in touch with her body) to her college education (rare among FLDS women). With her characteristic honesty and steadfast sense of justice, Jessop, a trained educator who taught elementary school for seven years, shares her strong opinions on such controversial topics as homeschooling and the need for the court system to hold “deadbeat dads” accountable. (Among Jessop’s recent victories is a court decision that ordered her ex-husband to pay years of back child support.) An extraordinary woman who has overcome countless challenges and tragedies in her life, Jessop shows us in this book how, in spite of everything, she has triumphed—and how you can, too, no matter what adversity you face.

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    I'll Walk Alone

      Mary Higgins Clark
     I'll Walk Alone

The Queen Of Suspense Is Back! Mary Higgins Clark’s new novel—the thirtieth and most spine-chilling of her long career as America’s most beloved author of suspense fiction— is about the newest and most up-to-date of crimes: identity theft. Who has not read about—or experienced—with a sinking feeling the fear that someone else out there may be using your credit cards, accessing your bank account, even stealing your identity. In I'll Walk Alone, Alexandra “Zan” Moreland, a gifted, beautiful interior designer on the threshold of a successful Manhattan career, is terrified to discover that somebody is not only using her credit cards and manipulating her financial accounts to bankrupt her and destroy her reputation, but may also be impersonating her in a scheme that may involve the much more brutal crimes of kidnapping and murder. Zan is already haunted by the disappearance of her own son, Matthew, kidnapped in broad daylight two years ago in Central Park—a tragedy that has left her torn between hope and despair. Now, on what would be Matthew’s fifth birthday, photos surface that seem to show Zan kidnapping her own child, followed by a chain of events that suggests somebody—but who? Zan asks herself desperately, and why?—has stolen her identity. Hounded by the press, under investigation by the police, attacked by both her angry ex-husband and a vindictive business rival, Zan, wracked by fear and pain and sustained only by her belief, which nobody else shares, that Matthew is still alive, sets out to discover who is behind this cruel hoax. What she does not realize is that with every step she takes toward the truth, she is putting herself— and those she loves most—in mortal danger from the person who has ingeniously plotted out her destruction. Even Zan’s supporters, who include Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner and amateur detective, and Father Aiden O’Brien, who thinks that Zan may have confessed to him a secret he cannot reveal, believe she may have kidnapped little Matthew. Zan herself begins to doubt her own sanity, until, in the kind of fast-paced explosive ending that is Mary Higgins Clark’s trademark, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place with an unexpected and shocking revelation. Deeply satisfying, I'll Walk Alone is Mary Higgins Clark at the top of her form.

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    The Pillowman

      Martin McDonagh
     The Pillowman

A writer in a totalitarian state is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a number of child-murders that are happening in his town. 'Sometimes you don't even know what you've been craving until the real thing comes along.' New York Times 'McDonagh is more than just a very clever theatrical stylist. His tricks and turns have a purpose. They are bridges over a deep pit of sympathy and sorrow, illuminated by a tragic vision of stunted and frustrated lives.' Fintan O'Toole, Irish Times Martin McDonagh's searingly brilliant new play premi�res at the National Theatre, London in November 2003.

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    Blush for Me

      Kristen Proby
     Blush for Me

New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby continues to delight the senses with the latest novel in her delectable Fusion series. As the take-charge wine bar manager of Seduction, Portland's hottest new restaurant, Katrina Meyers is the definition of no-nonsense, and she isn't afraid of anything. Well, almost anything: she hates to fly. When she's forced to travel on a death trap with wings, the turbulence from hell has her reaching for any safe haven—including the incredibly handsome guy sitting next to her. Ryan "Mac" MacKenzie hasn't been able to get his sexy seatmate out of his head. The way she clung to him stirred something inside him he didn't think existed: tenderness. As the owner of a successful wine touring company, Mac thinks he's got a handle on what life can throw at him and he's not prepared for any surprises, especially in the feelings department. And when he brings a tour into Seduction, he sees the petite spitfire he just can't forget. Mac is determined to discover what else they have in common besides fine wine and the inability to keep their hands off each other. But what will it take for two stubborn people to realize that what they have is so much more than a hot chemistry between the sheets and to admit to falling in love…?

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    When

      Victoria Laurie
     When

Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one. Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie. Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?

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    Paul Prescott's Charge

      Jr. Horatio Alger
     Paul Prescott's Charge

If you’ve ever used the phrase “rags to riches,” you owe that to Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832-1899), who popularized the idea through his fictional writings that also served as a theme for the way America viewed itself as a country. Alger’s works about poor boys rising to better living conditions through hard work, determination, courage, honesty, and morals was popular with both adults and younger readers. Alger’s writings happened to correspond with America’s Gilded Age, a time of increasing prosperity in a nation rebuilding from the Civil War. His lifelong theme of rags to riches continued to gain popularity but has gradually lessened since the 1920s. Still, readers today often come across Ragged Dick and stories like it in school.

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    Collection of Short Stories

      Carol Taylor
     Collection of Short Stories

Stories of human interest--clean, fun, surprisingThe Chauffer,Every Man’s Dream,War!,Love is Blind,If Looks Could Kill,The Experiment,The Reluctant Millionaire,Prang at the Roundabout, For Children: Leanne is Jealous,Terri Hates Dishes,When Shari Didn’t Come HomeThe story has been adapted more than once: the mysterious, somewhat murderous, Phantom of the Opera – the "Angel of Music," a disembodied voice who tutors Christine, a poor chorus girl, until she can take the stage and sing solo. But when she does, and is recognized by an old friend who is now a suitor, the Phantom reveals himself as a hideously deformed man, kidnapping Christine in a fit of jealousy - and the suitor must seek and rescue the girl in the hidden tunnels beneath the opera house. There are stories, books, movies (silent and otherwise), and a musical for the stage.But what if the Opera-house Ghost really was . . . dead?

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    2012-2013 Pickford Young Writers Anthology of Short Stories and Poetry

      Pickford Community Library Young Writers Workshop
     2012-2013 Pickford Young Writers Anthology of Short Stories and Poetry

Anthology of original short stories and poetry by six high school students (grades 9-12) in Pickford, Michigan.This anthology of original fictional short stories and poetry is authored by six greatly talented students (grades 9-12) at Pickford High School in Michigan's upper peninsula. The genres include sci-fi, fantasy, romance, personal-based fiction, poetry, and action/adventure. All of the writers attended a series of workshops at Pickford Community Library to learn about writing from creation to publishing. Author Janet Beasley (Maycly the Trilogy Volume I from the "Hidden Earth Series") and her sister, Dar Bagby, editor and fantasy illustrator, taught the bi-weekly workshops, along with interactive sessions by author Jean E. Lane ("Lill and Mewe and the Secrets of Mars"). Included in the anthology is a special section of letters and poetry dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT in December 2012. The young writers include Amy Lehigh ("Sage" with illustrations by the author), Bailey West ("One Word"), Chelsea Ross (letter), Dar Bagby (poetry), Janet Beasley (poetry), Jessica Arman ("Terror Bond" and letter), Katie Arman ("Project Alpha" and poetry), and Taylor Green ("Damaged Goods" and letter).

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    Something Strange in the Cellar

      George Chedzoy
     Something Strange in the Cellar

Four youngsters on holiday at the Welsh seaside resort of Abersoch come across a strange, ramshackle old farmhouse while out walking across the moors. It’s the home of a lonely old lady in her 90s. She’s at her wits’ end, certain it’s haunted. But is it, or is there a more rational explanation? Headstrong Louise (usually known as Lou) is determined to find out.It’s autumn half-term and 12-year-old Lou Elliott and her friends Jack, also 12, and his younger siblings David and Emily are reunited at the Welsh holiday resort of Abersoch. After an eventful summer the children are not expecting anything untoward to happen this time, but that’s before they come across a strange, ramshackle old farmhouse while out walking across the moors not far from Abersoch. It’s the home of a lonely old lady in her 90s – and she’s at her wits’ end, certain it’s haunted. But is it, or is there a more rational explanation? Something Strange in the Cellar, first published on Smashwords in April 2013, is a wholesome, traditional-style short novel (just over 29,000 words), suitable for all ages from nine upwards, and is book 3 in the Lou Elliott Mystery Adventure Series by George Chedzoy. It comes after the full-length novels Smugglers at Whistling Sands and The Missing Treasure but it's ok to read it first.

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    I, A Book Of Poems

      Osman Welela
     I, A Book Of Poems

A collection of poems on different topics like life, love and betrayal.This book is a collection of poems on different topics. It touches on subjects like organised religion, childhood, knowledge, hope, broken relationships, lies, death, commitments, and those words we can't unsay. [Titles - " " / A Divine Passage / A Smile That Hurts / Curtains / Dreamless Sleep / Falling Into the Sky / Heaven / I / Left Alone / Lesson / Necromancer / Painting in the Dark / Shackles / She Comes in the Dark / Stranger in My Bones / Sunshine / The Thousand Words of an Accidental Painting / Voices of Gods / Where the Sky Ends / Wise Fool]

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    Almost a Turkish Soap Opera

      Anne-Rae Vasquez
     Almost a Turkish Soap Opera

Adel and Kamil, two young good looking Turkish men use arranged marriages as the ticket to immigrate to Canada. Betrayals, affairs, turn their lives into a Turkish soap opera. Finalist Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2013 - adapted into feature film. Visit www.almostaturkishsoapopera.com to watch online.Adel and Kamil, two young good looking Turkish men try to immigrate to North America. Adel’s ruthless grand uncle arranges him to marry Yonka (his spoiled obnoxious cousin) in exchange for his immigration status in Canada. The problem is Yonka and Adel hate each other. The drama heats up even more when Adel has an affair with Nora, his beautiful English teacher which ruins Yonka’s plans. And to add to this, his best friend Kamil has a big secret of his own. How did his life turn into a Turkish soap opera?Adapted into an award winning feature film, visit www.almostaturkishsoapopera.com to watch online.Almost a Turkish Soap Opera is a directorial debut, an original screenplay and novel by Anne-Rae Vasquez. Her love of watching Turkish soap opera series (dubbed in Arabic) inspired her to write a story in the style of a modern day Turkish soap opera.The feature film screenplay was produced by Joseph Khalil, Sababa Emporium Film Productions (sababaemporium.com) with AR Films into an award winning feature film, short film and series.Season 1 of the Web series, which is a prequel to the feature film, was launched in December 2011 as a weekly one 5 minute episode released on their YouTube channel and has since been syndicated on BlipTV, iTunes Video podcast, Web Series Channel, Mingle Media TV, Open Film channel, Viki Channel, Daily Motion, Web Series Network and more.

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    A Feminist's Response to the Antifeminist Movement

      Alyssa Napora
     A Feminist's Response to the Antifeminist Movement

This accessible, opinionated essay is an attempt to respond to some common antifeminist arguments.Journey Through the Planets is a hilariously funny one act play suitable for children to perform. The plot follows a crew aboard a star cruiser shuttling a vacationing collection of comical passengers on a trek through the solar system. You'll laugh as each performer brings their interpretation and energy to the script in their own interpretive way. The story is imaginative and funny and is definitely okay for children of all ages. There is no fee for downloading or performing. You'll love this one.

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