When Kingdom Comes (Special Hardcover Edition)
Four kingdoms are locked in a horrible war—a war that, if lost, will surrender innocent lives to the power and control of King Kayne, the barbaric and bloodthirsty king of the South. The kings and queen of the North, East, and West have no choice but to join forces against the South if they’re going to hold onto everything they hold dear.
But the northern Queen’s brother has a different ambition in mind, and sees the South as a route to power. While Kayne spends his time traveling across the Great Sea, seeking out herbs and potions to enhance his abilities, Kristofer rises amongst the ranks to become his right hand and leads the people in the king’s absence.
Bewildered and devastated by Kristofer’s betrayal, Queen Elora of the North and lifelong ally King Rian of the West join their armies to fight against him. As they seek to save their kingdoms, Elora and Rian face an excruciating struggle between the love they once had for Kristofer and their duty to deal the fatal blow.
Excerpt from When Kingdom Comes:
Elora stood frozen, staring at her brother. It was Rian’s voice beside her that brought her back. “Call off your men, Kristofer. This is a slaughter.” His voice was low, angry, and filled with hatred.
Kristofer’s deep laugh surrounded them. “This is war. Slaughter is inevitable.”
Fans of Christopher Paolini, Laura Sebastian, and Chloe Gong are sure to devour this action-packed debut from DS Churchill.
More info →Sleep: A User’s Guide
Discover the secrets behind your restless nights and uncover the hidden marvels of your slumbering mind.
Are you tossing and turning at night? Drifting off during the day? You might have a sleep problem. Geared toward everyone from sleep-deprived students to active athletes to young-at-heart grandparents, this book will help you understand your sleep like never before, covering common sleep problems such as:
- sleepwalking
- sleep apnea
- not enough sleep
- overly drowsy during the day
And discussing the various impacts of disordered sleep on life including:
- the effects of aging on sleep and memory
- sleep and heart health
- sleep's impact on weight and blood pressure
- sleep and athletic performance
Written by a seasoned physician, Sleep: A User's Guide will help you understand what causes the problems you face and how you can get better, more reliable sleep.
More info →The Gift
A turbulent telling of one woman’s immersion in her faith, and one man’s journey to acceptance.
Seeking comfort in the isolation of the western landscape, young single mother Pansy Blackwell brings her son Butch to the Siskiyou Mountains. Fully engulfed in the Jehovah’s Witnesses assurances for a soon-to-arrive end of the world, Pansy raises her son to conform to the constrictive requirements of their religion. But as Butch discovers the wonders of the world around him with an endlessly patient and kindhearted rancher, he embraces the cowboy culture and struggles to live as his authentic self.
In the late 20th Century, rural communities in America were often hostile to the rising-awareness of LGBT people, and Butch is soon cast aside by his church for homosexuality. In The Gift, Scott Terry crafts a memorable and historically-accurate tale of religious extremism and the struggle for acceptance, before the truth of those times are swept under the forgotten rug of history.
More info →The Conductor
Beatrix Patterson has faced monsters before, but in a world teetering on the edge of social change, she comes up against her most complicated case yet. In one chaotic morning, her friend has been arrested following a fight during a strike at the railroad, the railroad owner was found murdered, and another close friend admits to being blackmailed.
Amid growing tensions between the Union Pacific Railroad and workers' strikes, Beatrix must go undercover before more people are killed or injured. But as she dives into this investigation, she finds one consistent group at the center.
In order to bring down the racial supremacist group digging its claws into Santa Barbara, California, she must put her intense loathing aside to stop the threat before it can reach Thomas, their baby girl Birdy, and the life they're building. With deadly secrets everywhere she turns, Beatrix has to keep her cards close to her chest if she hopes to escape this case unscathed.
More info →Hot Tango in Argentina
Part-time sleuth Blanche Murninghan and her love, Emilio Del Sierra, are enjoying a reunion on Santa Maria Island when Emilio gets news that his long-lost aunt and cousin need his help—in Argentina. Posing as tourists, Emilio and Blanche head out to the luxurious pink estancia, La Palma, on the pampa to unravel the plot endangering Emilio's family.
Escapees from World War II are managing La Palma, and they have a lot to hide. Blanche is intent on exposing them. She has help: from Emilio and Tomás with his divina tango partner, Anna de Gamoure, the mysterious and handsome Guillermo de Losada Iglesias, and Lusita, the elusive kitchen maid who knows more than she’s letting on.
Blanche maintains her touristy cover to snare the schemers, but around every corner a new twist threatens to put a stranglehold on her efforts. Blanche must right the wrongs before time can tango away.
Hot Tango in Argentina is the fifth installment in the Blanche Murninghan Mysteries. Known for a lively cast of characters and atmospheric settings, each mystery can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story or read in publication order, starting with Saving Tuna Street.
More info →Whispers on the Mountain
When Celia Patrick arrives at the Bingham Reserve in the North Carolina mountains, something is very wrong. Celia is supposed to be on a much-needed family vacation, but when she hears whispers about a missing woman in the beautiful but treacherous landscape, she can't ignore the pull of the mystery.
Did Pamela Stevens get lost? Was she lying injured on the trail? Or did something more sinister happen? Soon, Celia is mired in the middle of a potential murder investigation, and everyone has something to hide:
The Type-A Resort Manager
The Devastated Husband
The Rest-on-his-Laurels Deputy
The Grizzled Local Water-Sports Guide
With each passing day, the road to unraveling the mysery grows colder and the odds of finding the lost hiker alive diminish. Despite the risk to her family, her sanity, and her safety, Celia refuses to give up the search. She's been down this dark path of obsession in a case before, and this time she is determined to find the missing woman alive.
More info →Koda and the Whales: a true story
This educational book teaches children facts about gray whales and their ocean home from the perspective of Carrie Newell, the author's dog, Koda, as the narrator. It is based on true stories and experiences she has had with whales and all three of her dogs for decades. Many of the drawings are from photographs or a compilation of photographs with an artistic flair to describe Koda’s story. The book is illustrated by Jack Wiens, who accurately represents marine life and the dogs’ personalities.
The book is fully illustrated in color and includes a glossary and classroom questions and activities at the back of the book. Topics of discussion are:
- Different types of whales
- Whale behaviors
- How whales feed and what they eat
- Identifying the individual whales who live in Depoe Bay, Oregon
- How Carrie trained her dogs to spot and interact with the whales
- Whale encounters
Out of Fire
Being Heard is Just the Beginning
Korvo, Merin, Bryce, and Tiernan have permission to open a school for Magics in Kaybrum, but the work is only beginning. The right to learn didn’t come with books or teachers or funding, and putting a school where a correctional facility used to be brings its own challenges and trauma.
The more they learn about the Refuge, the more atrocities they discover. When Bryce finds a grave on the property, Korvo is pushed to his limits. Aer is gone, and the man behind it all, the General, is still out there. Craving justice and revenge, Korvo leaves to hunt down the General. Without Korvo to lead the school, Bryce and Merin must step up and care for all the students still grappling with their newly tolerated magic.
As their found family spreads across the continent, they’ll have to learn to be as strong individually as they are together before the progress they’ve made slips away. But the continent has been fighting for years, and all-out-war is one misstep away.
More info →5 Simple Truths of Leadership
Leadership is a skill, a mindset, and a way of life. It's time to elevate your own leadership and inspire those around you to be their best.
In Five Simple Truths of Leadership, veteran law enforcement leader and national leadership trainer Dean Crisp shares the five essential lessons that define great leaders:
- Direction – Know where you’re headed before leading others.
- Intentionality – Make deliberate choices that align with your vision.
- Teams – Success is never a solo journey. Build strong teams.
- Standards – Raise the bar for yourself and your organization.
- Getting Ahead of Your Day – Take control of your time and leadership.
Filled with real-world insights, historical case studies, and actionable strategies, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to lead with clarity, purpose, and impact.
Are you ready to become a leader of significance?
More info →Lucky Duck
Recent college graduate Joel Howard, former bench warmer for his small town college team, is optimistic about his future with his out-of-his-league girlfriend and a job prospect with a local insurance agency. But things don’t work out the way he plans when his girlfriend dumps him and he remains stuck at his unfulfilling position at the local shoe store in the mall.
Desperately seeking a change of pace from his father’s unrelenting nagging, Joel hatches a plan to rob the mall’s bank on the night of Black Friday, 1987.
Joel has always been lucky, despite the current string of bad luck. Has his luck run out? Or will it return in time to get him out of trouble?
Lucky Duck is a comedic crime novel perfect if you’re looking for something with the flavor of a John Hughes film from those 80s and 90s tomes like Risky Business or Breakfast Club.
More info →Locked Box
Celine Arceneau was admitted to the hospital for food poisoning and declared medically stable before her physician, Ellen Smythe, left for the evening. When she died the next morning from an unknown cause, Chief Detective Stefan Jablonsky suspects foul play and eyes Dr. Smythe, Dr. Kate Chambers’ friend and mentor, as his prime suspect. Pittsburgh’s amateur sleuth quickly joins the fight to prove her friend’s innocence.
Chief Detective Jablonsky and Kate Chambers have worked together in the past; he finds her and her university friends to be elitist and annoying, but grudgingly effective, and she finds him to be a stodgy, old-school detective, but one who always gets the killer. Jablonsky and Kate must put aside their differences to catch the culprit before the body count rises.
This psychological mystery will hold you captive until the very end. Locked Box is the third book in the Pittsburgh Murder Mystery series: however, each book can be read as a stand-alone or in order of publication.
More info →Cowboys, Armageddon, and the Truth
When Scott Terry was ten, he embraced the Jehovah's Witness faith and their prediction that the world would soon end. As an adolescent, he prepared for Armageddon and prayed for God to strip away his growing attraction to other young men. By adulthood, Terry found himself no longer believing in the promised apocalypse. Over time, he left the Witness religion and became a cowboy, riding bulls in the rodeo. He overcame the hurdles of parental abuse, religious extremism, and homophobia and learned that Truth is a concept of honesty rather than false righteousness.
Cowboys, Armageddon, and The Truth: How a Gay Child was Saved from Religion offers an illuminating glimpse into a child’s sequestered world of abuse, homophobia, and religious extremism. Scott Terry’s memoir is a compelling, poignant and occasionally humorous look into the Jehovah’s Witness faith-a religion that refers to itself as The Truth—and a brave account of Terry’s successful escape from a troubled past.
More info →¡Codificar es divertido!
Para el niño que es curioso por naturaleza, este libro para colorear es una introducción divertida y educativa a las múltiples formas en que la codificación afecta nuestra vida cotidiana. Desde los coches a control remoto hasta las videollamadas, pasando por las lavadoras y el riego por goteo, la codificación hace que el mundo moderno funcione. Presente a los más pequeños las maravillas de la codificación con 30 ilustraciones originales en un libro de colorear que alimentará su curiosidad.
More info →Anung’s Journey
This ancient Ojibway legend predates contact with European settlers, but the drummer boy and the people he meets at the end of his journey couldn’t be more familiar to modern culture.
When the orphaned Anung sets out on his vision quest, he sees clearly that his purpose in life is to find the greatest chief of all and tell him of the many acts of kindness the mothers and fathers of the village have given to Anung.
When the people of his village learn of the vision, they are proud of him. For every man of the village loves Anung as his son. Every woman is his mother. They believe Gitche Manitou, the great creator, has chosen their son for a special journey.
In his quest to find the greatest chief, Anung travels through the 13 tribes of the First Nations, across forests, plains, water, and desert. Along the way, he is accompanied by Turtle, the interpreter of all languages. He finds friends in the most unlikely of places––a squirrel’s nest, a mother bear’s den, and a city filled with people from every tribe. At each stop, Anung and his drum sing of his mothers and fathers and his quest to meet the greatest chief.
What Anung finds at the end of his journey will both surprise and thrill readers of all ages. This ancient legend, told in the beautifully poetic style of Carl Nordgren, begs to be read aloud and savored.
More info →In the Stillness Dancing: The Journey of John Main
Long after ordination in 1963, John Main discovered that the form of prayer advocated by the swami already existed within the mainstream of Western Christianity but had fallen into disuse. From then on, he was to devote his life to restoring this form of Christian meditation to its rightful place within the Church. His work began with the foundation of a meditation centre at Ealing Abbey in London and led, some years later, to the foundation of the Benedictine Priory of Montreal and the establishment of a worldwide spiritual family linked through the daily practice of meditation. Neil McKenty paints an attractive portrait of this compelling Irish monk whose teaching and writing on meditation were to transform the lives of thousands of men and women.
More info →The 53rd Parallel
In his evocative debut novel Carl Nordgren weaves an ambitious tale about the power of dreams, the hope of new beginnings, and the dangers of ghosts who haunt our past.
Brian Burke emigrates from 1950s West Ireland to the wilderness of Northwest Ontario with his partner Maureen O Toole. He's been exiled from his village, and she is running from her IRA past. The dreams of an Ojibway clan elder bring the Irish to the sacred place on the River, where they build The Great Lodge of Innish Cove.
The dreams tell of a white man who will destroy the River and another who will protect it. While the Ojibway believe Brian and Maureen are the River s guardians, Maureen s IRA connections and the construction of a pulp mill upstream threaten to destroy the newly created Eden before it even begins.
Under the watchful eye of a warrior spirit, the clan and their Irish companions risk all they love to protect the River and the promises it holds for their future. The fates of the two groups will intertwine as both seek to ward off the encroachment of the modern world.
In The 53rd Parallel readers will find a rich tapestry that weaves together the literary influences of such giants as Peter Matthiessen, Ken Kesey, Jack London, and Ernest Hemingway (whose son appears in Book 2 of the River of Lakes series).
More info →Worlds Between
Book 2 in the River of Lakes Series
In this evocative series spanning oceans and decades, award-winning author Carl Nordgren weaves a tale about the power of dreams and the dangers of ghosts who haunt our past.
In Worlds Between, book two of the River of Lakes series, readers are immersed in the idyllic setting of the fishing camp Maureen and Brian have built with Joe Loon's clan along the English River. The visit of IRA sympathizers, the building of a hydro-electric dam, and a dangerous accident provide a chilling reminder that old threats still lurk even as new dangers emerge.
Even as she celebrates the extraordinary birth of her child, Maureen continues to battle the ghosts of her IRA past. Brian grasps at the fraying promises of Eden as his world is torn apart. The Ojibway find their land and traditions further curtailed by the encroachment of the modern world. And This Man watches out over all.
"At its heart, Worlds Between is an accessible, engaging and sympathetic tale of families, cultures, and the choices that shape them. It will please fans of historical fiction, family sagas and stories from around the world."
–Foreword Reviews, 5 stars
“[Carl's] writing is remarkably lovely from the first page.”
–Foreword Reviews, 5 stars
The Bob Verga Shift: How One Man’s Illness Changed History and Saved Duke Basketball
In 1966, an all-black basketball team from the University of Texas El Paso (then Texas Western University) defeated an all-white team from the University of Kentucky to win the NCAA championship in a game that has become famous as a civil rights milestone. A closer inspection of the events leading to that momentous game reveals the unlikely circumstances that made a way for those two teams to walk onto that court.
Travel back in time to 1960s North Carolina, Kentucky, and Texas to unravel the remarkable truth behind the teams involved in the famous 1966 final four, and see how one man's absence changed history and paved the way for desegregation and civil rights progress.
This new look at basketball's impact on American history shows how supposedly minor events can have significant historical consequences.
More info →Bare Naked in Public: An earnest and humorous account of one modern American woman trying to have it all
Christine Amoroso did everything right to achieve the perfect life. Falling for a sandy-haired surfer and landing pregnant at seventeen, she knew the “right” thing to do. She could have it all, even if in the “wrong” order: beautiful children, a good marriage, and approval from those around her. Until it all fell apart.
Ever the overachiever, she continued to take on too much, finishing college with two kids in tow. But as her responsibility grew, so did her resentment. A stressed-out young mom, an inattentive husband, and the attention of another man made the perfect recipe for disaster. Hard work and responsible decisions had not guaranteed a happy life or lasting love. She had failed, and now she floundered as she tried to find a fresh start. She turned inward for answers rather than seeking external validation.
After a few missteps, she slowly learned her worth couldn’t come from a list of accolades, achievements, or some guy. Her story is an earnest and humorous account of what it’s like to be a modern American woman trying to have it all and the dangers of losing oneself in the process.
Bare Naked in Public is a must-read memoir for burnt-out overachievers seeking answers about their worth while finally forgiving their past.
More info →The God Connection
After all, why should not some humans be like angels? If our spirit has the same origin and the same destination, we’re but pilgrims on the Earth.
Documented throughout various times, cultures, religions, and geographical locations are stories of spiritual events that transcend the human experience beyond the limits of the physical body. Many have sought answers for how it may be possible that a human is comprised of both immaterial consciousness and physical matter. After all, physical evidence suggests a distinct connection between life and the functionality of the body. However, first-hand experiences passed down through global oral traditions and among present humans suggest the existence of the spiritual realm.
The God Connection is a philosophical treatment of both the savory and unsavory aspects of religion and the belief in a higher power. Written in simple and direct English, it embodies scientific insights as well as inspirational passages while also considering the negative implications of corrupt religious practices in tandem with the benefits of sound mystical explorations.
Join Dr. Basil Gala in this personal adventure into spiritual thought and meditation, complemented with scholarly research of the histories and achievements of great religious movements worldwide.
More info →Deadly Quiet (The Eliza Fox Files, #1)
Eliza Fox must be smarter than the police and a step ahead of the killer.
When an exchange student is found dead in the music practice rooms of Wexford College, there are few suspects and no clear answers. Martina Noto's parents will fly into California from Rome as soon as they can, but until then the nearest relatives are Martina's cousins: Private Investigator Eliza Fox and her mother, Francesca Noto-Fox.
As detectives Byron Comstock and Jessica Fonseca get familiar with the case, Eliza is determined to help catch Martina's killer. She quickly begins her own investigation and is soon caught up in the twists and turns of finding the murderer, a far cry from her usual work as a paralegal. Often out of her depth, Eliza must overcome her own inexperience and learn to trust her instincts as she fumbles through her first high-stakes case.
Filled with both humor and suspense, this is one traditional mystery novel you don't want to miss.
More info →Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians
"Music is life. Music is a reflection of who we are as humans. Music tells us things that words can’t, it ignites feelings in us that we didn’t know we had, and it can reach a depth that nothing else can.” —Susan Graham, renowned American mezzo-soprano
Music has existed as long as there have been people to listen. It takes on many forms and is many things, providing entertainment, emotion, storytelling, and most of all, magic for all who hear.
In revealing and genuine interviews, Larry Ruttman converses with world-renowned musicians of the 21st century and engages them in an approachable manner. Dive into the recesses of their minds to discover the influences and inspiration behind classical music and other popular genres such as pop, jazz, folk, Americana, and many other genres impacting today’s musical culture.
Perfect for dedicated fans, determined students, and the casually interested listener to music of all genres, Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians is sure to inspire, fascinate, and entertain.
More info →The Overexamined Life of Jacob Hart: a novel
Jacob Hart has always been convinced there is an answer to any problem. That belief propelled him to a successful engineering career at corporate giant, GoldOrb Diversified. But following an abrupt retirement and his wife's untimely death, Jacob suffers an existential crisis. The man who once believed that anything could be solved becomes all consumed with uncovering the role of a higher power in his seemingly crumbling world. Plagued with prophetic visions, he travels to Lake Paradise in pursuit of his coveted answer to life's mysteries.
Joined in his quest by a kind Rabbi who has lost his faith, an unruly Ivy League professor, and the powerful CEO of GoldOrb, Jacob enters into a philosophical pursuit for the ages. But the troubles of the real world follow the friends to paradise, and soon they are ensnared in a high stakes political scandal that threatens to destroy everything.
The Overexamined Life of Jacob Hart tests the bonds of friendship, family, and country and infuses existential questions from time immemorial with modernity, intrigue, and sheer excitement.
More info →Foster’s Revenge
In a kill or be killed world, The Reaper does whatever it takes to survive.
Following the murder of his half-brother, legendary Army Ranger Luke Foster returns to the United States from fighting terrorists. His brother’s history with a prominent New York Mafia family was no secret, so it’s no surprise his life was cut short. But the Mafia enforcers don’t know about Foster, his reputation as The Reaper, or that he’s coming for them.
FBI Special Agent Calico Hayes is determined to stop Luke Foster from leaving a trail of bodies across the U.S. in his unsanctioned quest for vengeance. But stopping Foster’s revenge proves more difficult than she expected, and sparks fly in more ways than one when the two cross paths.
While investigating his brother’s murder, they uncover a sinister plan to assassinate a populist presidential candidate. Hayes and Foster must put purpose before passion in order to stop the diabolical plot that could trigger a World War.
More info →Dear Hades
When Medusa and Tiresias rise from the Underworld as twenty-first-century teens and meet through Persephone and Hades' new dating app, it seems like a second chance. Dating is hard when you turn everyone to stone, but dating a blind prophet may be a loophole … even if he does occasionally spout dire prophecies.
But not everyone is pleased with an app designed to kindle romance between mortal enemies. As distrust grows between the heroes, monsters, and gods making up the app's user base, it’s easier to fall into old habits than fall in love. With pressure building on both sides, Medusa and Tiresias accept their task: kill their date, no matter how much they bond over their love of dogs or the way the gods have wronged them in the past.
Caught amongst meddling gods, murderous heroes, and a classic Greek bet, Medusa and Tiresias may have signed up for more than a dating profile. With war brewing at the hands of the gods, working together may be the only way to save mortals and monsters alike.
Told entirely through instant messages and transcripts, this is one mythically funny romantic comedy you don’t want to miss.
More info →