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1590 products
Dragon School: Dragon Piper
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Draven Doogle and the Corona Witch
Draven Doogle is a typical kid starting third grade. That is, typical until a new neighbor and a worldwide pandemic change everything. From his bedroom window Draven witnesses an unsettling event across the street at Mrs. McBecky's house. A girl walks into the house with Mrs. McBecky, but only an Octopus Monster walks out making Draven very suspicious.
Draven's world is turned even further upside down when he learns that Mrs. McBecky is a new teacher at his school He spends the school year trying to avoid Mrs. McBecky while still observing her terrible actions. Then even more horrific, the coronavirus causes a worldwide pandemic, the closing of Draven's school, and even stranger activity at Mrs. McBecky's house. When Draven's dad becomes sick with the coronavirus, Draven must find the courage to sneak onto Mrs. McBecky's porch to steal one of her coronavirus potions. When he fails this mission, Draven must face the terrifying witch head on. He is willing to do anything to save his dad, even if that means facing the dreaded Mrs. McBecky.
Draven Doogle and the Masked Bully
Draven Doogle is going back to school-and he's so excited to see his friends. After a long wait, the restrictions are lifting, and school is finally back in session. Fourth grade is going to be epic. Even if it's the "hybrid version" of real school, Draven will take it.
Unfortunately, Draven soon realizes that he goes to school on opposite days as his best friends, and his spirits start to deflate. But when a new student, Ryan, moves in with Mrs. McBecky, a.k.a. the Corona Witch, Draven is suspicious of this new kid. Suddenly, Ryan is ruining Draven's life. He's taking Draven's friends and, of course, he so happens to be the new star player on the soccer team. How can Draven get rid of Ryan and make everyone see that Ryan's nothing but a MASKED BULLY?
Drawpoint
If you're going to take aim at Blake Brier, you better not miss.
New from Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.T. Ryan, with Gregory Scott!
Returning to Rhode Island, Blake finds a Dear John letter and his house empty. Haeli is gone. Is it history repeating itself? Or is this something different?A search for answers about a past operation has come back to haunt her. Haeli finds she's in for more than she bargained for. Her past is on a collision course with her future. Will Blake be collateral damage?
Caught in the crosshairs, Blake is forced into action. A heart-pounding race-against-all-odds thriller awaits.
"You'll hold your breath until the very last page."
Dreams of the Damned
The third book in the exhilarating treasure-hunting adventure series, the Atlantis Legacy.
An ancient enemy has Earth in its sights, and there's only one hope for humanity...
Cora and Peri have finally merged, making their minds one, but it's not all smooth sailing. Cora is having a difficult time reconciling her current, reclusive gamer identity with the badass warrior she was in lifetimes past. Before she can get a grip on her new reality, an old enemy resurfaces, endangering Earth and everyone residing there--including the last remnants of the Olympians.
With the help of her nearest and dearest, including the two men--one Olympian, one human--now vying for her heart, Cora must lead the team on a quest off-world to save the planet from certain destruction. Until some dire information surfaces, leading Cora to wonder if fighting is futile, and the only way to survive, is to run.
Dreams of the Damned is the third book in the captivating sci-fi adventure series, the Atlantis Legacy. If you like ancient mysteries, Greek mythology, treasure-hunting adventurers, and alien conspiracies, then you'll love this exhilarating adventure!
Drift
THEY KILLED THE WRONG GIRL. RACHEL HATCH WILL MAKE THEM PAY.
USA TODAY & Amazon 2-million copy bestselling author L.T. RYAN has teamed up with police detective Brian Shea for this debut novel in the gripping Rachel Hatch mystery thriller series. Ex-Army criminal investigator Rachel Hatch is a drifter. No home. No commitments. Until her sister's drowning drags her back to the town she left fifteen years ago. Convinced her sister's death was no accident, Hatch partners with the local sheriff, Dalton Savage to uncover the truth. Every answer unlocks another question, and as the investigation begins to unravel, Hatch and Savage find their lives on the line. Hatch is forced to use her special set of skills - forged on the field of combat - to learn the truth about her sister and bring those responsible to justice. The first novel in one of the most highly-anticipated collaborative series this decade, DRIFT is a tightly woven story, with deeply-developed and endearing characters that will have you rooting for them at every turn, set at an exhilarating pace that will keep you turning pages late into the night.Drifted
Drifter: Book Four
Duet for Three Hands
“I stayed up the entire night reading Duet for Three Hands…[it] was the epitome of unputdownable.” —The Bookish Owl
A standalone historical romance from USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson that teaches a valuable lesson about life's most important choice: embracing the power of love or being consumed by the power of hate.
Nathaniel Fye's marriage into the wealthy Bellmont family is one of convenience, and the brilliant concert pianist soon discovers he has no idea who his wife really is. Then tragedy leaves Nathaniel with nothing more than memories of his fame and fortune, and a single protege—the widow Lydia Tyler—to continue teaching.
Jeselle Thorton's heart has always belonged to one man, who, fortunately for Jeselle, has always reciprocated her love. But because of the color of their skin, the couple can never have more than their dreams of a future together.
Four lives brought together by circumstance will be forced to combat prejudice and risk everything in this deep and complex family saga of forbidden love and flawed humanity in America's Depression-era South.
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Author Bio:
Tess Thompson is the USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary and historical Romantic Women’s Fiction with nearly forty published titles. When asked to describe her books, she could never figure out what to say that would perfectly sum them up until she landed on Hometowns and Heartstrings.
Book Excerpt:
Part 1
From Jeselle Thorton’s journal.
June 10, 1928
When I came into the kitchen this morning, Mrs. Bellmont handed me a package wrapped in shiny gold paper, a gift for my thirteenth birthday. A book, I thought, happy. But it wasn’t a book to read. It was a book to write in: a leather-bound journal. Inches of blank pages, waiting for my words.
Mrs. Bellmont beamed at me, seemingly pleased with my delight over the journal. “You write whatever ideas and observations come to you, Jeselle. Don’t censor yourself. Women, especially, can only learn to write by telling the truth about themselves and those around them.”
I put my nose in the middle of all those empty pages and took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the clean smell of new paper. Behind us Mama poured hotcake batter into a frying pan. The room filled with the aroma of those sweet cakes and sizzling oil. Whitmore came in holding a string of fish he’d caught in the lake, the screen door slamming behind him.
“Tell me why it matters that you write?” asked Mrs. Bellmont in her soft teacher voice.
“I cannot say exactly, Mrs. Bellmont.” Too shy to say the words out loud, I shrugged to hide my feelings. But I know exactly. I write to know I exist, to know there is more to me than flesh and muscle being primed for a life of humility, servitude, obedience. I write, seeking clarity. I write because I love. I write, searching for the light.
Mrs. Bellmont understood. This is the way between us. She squeezed my hand, her skin cream over my coffee.
Tonight, for my birthday present, Whit captured lightning bugs in a glass jar, knowing how I love them. We set the jar on the veranda, astonished at the immensity of their combined glow. “Enough light in there to write by,” I said, thinking of my journal now tucked in my apron pocket.
“They spark to attract a mate,” he said, almost mournfully.
“They light up to find love?” I asked, astonished.
He nodded. “Isn’t it something?”
We watched those bugs for a good while until Whit pushed his blond curls back from his forehead like he does when he worries.
“What is it?” I asked him.
“They shouldn’t be trapped in this jar when they’re meant to fly free, to look for love.”
He unscrewed the lid, and those flickers of life drifted out into the sultry air until they intermingled with other fireflies, liberated to attract the love they so desperately sought. I moved closer to him. He took my hand as we watched and watched, not wanting the moment to end but knowing it must, as all moments do, both good and bad, light and dark, leaving only love behind to be savored in our memories.
Chapter 1: Nathaniel
On a hot and humid day in the middle of June, Nathaniel Fye rehearsed for a concert he was to give that night at the Howard Theatre with the Atlanta Orchestra. It was late afternoon when he emerged from the cool darkness of the theatre into the glaring afternoon heat and noise of Peachtree Street. He walked toward the large W that hung over the Hotel Winecoff, where he planned to eat a late afternoon meal and then head up to his room for a rest and a bath before dressing for the evening concert. Thick, humid air and gasoline fumes from passing automobiles made him hot even in his white linen summer suit. Across to Singapore, starring Joan Crawford, was displayed on the Loew’s Theatre marquee. What sort of people went to the moving pictures, he wondered? Ordinary people who had lives filled with fun and love and friendship instead of traveling from town to town for concerts and nothing but practice in between. All the travel had been tolerable, even exciting, when he was younger, but now, as his age crept into the early thirties, he found himself wanting companionship and love, especially from a woman. Lately, he daydreamed frequently of a wife and children, a home. The idea filled him with longing, the kind that even the accolades and enthusiastic audiences could not assuage. But he was hopeless with women. Tongue-tied, stammering, sweating, all described his interactions with any woman but his mother. His manager, Walt, was good with people. He could talk to anyone. But Nathaniel? He could never think of one thing to say to anyone—his preferred way of communication was music. When his hands were on the keys it was as if his soul were set free to love and be loved, everything inside him released to the world. He would never think of taking the astonishing opportunities his talent had afforded him for granted, especially after the sacrifices his parents had made for him to study with the finest teachers in the world. Even so, he was lonely. The disciplined life and his natural reticence afforded little opportunity for connection.
A young woman stood near the entrance of the Winecoff, one foot perched saucily on the wall while balancing on the other, reading a magazine. She wore a cream-colored dress, and her curly, white-blonde hair bobbed under a cloche hat of fine-woven pink straw with a brim just wide enough to cover her face. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the door’s glass window, suddenly conscious of his own appearance. Tall, with a slight slump at his shoulders from years at the piano, dark hair under his hat, high cheekbones and sensitive brown eyes from his father but a delicate nose and stern mouth from his mother. Handsome? He suspected not. Just because you wish something didn’t make it so, he thought. As his hand touched the door to go in, the young woman looked up and stared into his eyes. “Good afternoon. How do you do?”
Porcelain skin, gray eyes, perfect petite features, all combined to make a beautiful, exquisite, but completely foreign creature. A beautiful woman. Right here, in front of him. What to do? His heart flipped inside his chest and started beating hard and fast. Could she tell? Was it visible? He covered his chest with his hand, hot and embarrassed. “Yes.” He lifted his hat. Oh, horrors: his forehead was slick with sweat. Yes? Had he just said yes? What had she asked him? He moved his gaze to a spot on the window. A fly landed on the glass and went still, looking at him with bulging eyes.
Her voice, like a string attached to his ear, drew his gaze back to her. “It’s unbearably hot. I could sure use a Coca-Cola.” With a flirtatious cock of her head, she smiled. She had the same thick Georgian accent as all the women in Atlanta, but there was a reckless, breathless quality in the way she oozed the words.
“Quite. Yes. Well, goodbye, then.” He somehow managed to open the door and slip inside.
The hotel was quiet. Several women lounged in the lobby, talking quietly over glasses of sweet tea. A man in a suit sat at one of the small desks provided for guests, writing into a ledger. A maid scurried through with an armful of towels. He wanted nothing more than to be swallowed by the wall. What was the matter with him? How was it possible to hold the attention of hundreds during a concert, yet be unable to utter a single intelligible thing to one lone woman?
He stumbled over to the café counter and ordered a sandwich and a glass of Coca-Cola. He allowed himself one glass whenever he performed in Atlanta during the summer. The heat, as the young woman had said, made a person long for a Coca-Cola. But only one, no more or he might never stop, and next thing he knew he’d have one every day and then twice a day and so forth. Sweet drinks were an indulgence, a dangerous way to live for a man who must have complete discipline to remain a virtuoso. If he allowed himself anything or everything he wanted, where might it lead? He could not be like other people, even if he wanted to be.
Waiting for his drink, he heard, rather than saw, the door open, and then the blonde woman sat beside him, swinging her legs ever so slightly as she perched on the round bar stool. “Hello again.” She placed her hands, which were half the size of his and so white as to appear almost translucent, upon the counter. She interlaced her fingers, rather primly and in a way that seemed to belie the general forwardness of sitting next to a man she didn’t know at an otherwise empty counter. He nodded at her, catching a whiff of gardenia he supposed came from her smooth, white neck.
“Would you like to buy me a Coca-Cola?” She peered up at him from under her lashes. Her eyes were the color of storm clouds.
What was this? She wanted him to buy her a drink? Had she hinted at that outside? What a ninny he was. Of course. Any imbecile could have picked up on that. Walt would have had her in here with a soda in her hand before the door closed behind them. He tried to respond, but his voice caught in the back of his throat. Instead he nodded to the man in the white apron behind the fountain, who, in turn, also in silence, pulled the knob of the fountain spray with a beefy arm.
“I’ve just come from the Crawford picture. It was simply too marvelous for words. I do so love the moving pictures. What’s your name?” She pressed a handkerchief to the nape of her neck where soft curls lay, damp with perspiration. What would it feel like to wrap his finger in one of the curls?
“Nathaniel.”
“I’m Frances Bellmont. You from up north?”
“Maine originally. I live in New York City now.”
Her gray eyes flickered, and an eyebrow rose ever so slightly. “I see. A Yankee.” He thought he detected an excitement as she said it, as if to sit by him were an act of rebellion.
“As north as you can get and still be an American,” he said. At last. Words!
“’Round here we’re not sure any of y’all are true Americans.” She took a dainty sip from her soda and peered at him out of the corner of her eyes. “Now wait a minute. Are you Nathaniel Fye, the piano player?”
“Right.”
“Oh my.” She turned her full gaze upon him. “That is interesting.” She had full lips that looked almost swollen. “My mother and I happen to be attending that very concert tonight. I don’t enjoy such serious music, but my mother simply adores it. We’re staying overnight here at the Winecoff. We live all the way across town, and mother thought it would be nice to stay overnight. Together.” She rolled her eyes.
Before he knew what he was saying, a lie stumbled from his mouth. “Party. Later. In my suite. You could come. Your mother, too.”
“A party? I’d love to attend. Do I have to bring my mother?” She sipped her soda while looking up at him through her lashes.
“I, I don’t know.” He stuttered. “Isn’t that how it’s done?”
She slid off her seat, touching the sleeve of his jacket like a caress. “I’m just teasing. We wouldn’t think of missing it. I’ll see you then.” And then she was out the door, leaving only the smell of her perfume behind, as if it had taken up permanent residence in his nostrils.
Later that night, before the concert, he stood at the full-length mirror in the greenroom of the Howard Theatre, brushing lint from his black tuxedo jacket. Walt sat across from him in one of the soft chairs, scouring the arts section of the New York Times and occasionally making notations in a small notebook.
“I’d like to have a small group up to my room. After the concert tonight.”
“What did you say?” Walt, a few years younger than Nathaniel, possessed light blue eyes that were constantly on the move, shifting and scanning, like a predator looking for his next meal. He was once an amateur violinist who had played in his small town of Montevallo, Alabama, at church and town dances before he went to New York City. “Played the fiddle, but I didn’t have the talent to go all the way,” he told Nathaniel years ago, during their first interview. “But the music, it gets in a person’s blood, and I aim to make a life out of it however I can.”
Walt closed the newspaper without making a sound, like he was trying not to spook a wild horse. He stood, folding the newspaper under his arm. He had a slim build and wore wire-rimmed glasses. Receding light brown hair made his forehead appear more prominent than it once was. Despite his ordinary appearance, women flushed and giggled when he spoke to them. “Never, in five years, have you had folks up to your room. Much as I’ve asked you to.”
“I know,” Nathaniel said, shrugging as if it were nothing important. “You know I can never think of anything to say to people.”
Walt’s eyes were already at the door. “You want me to bring the music promoter I was telling you about? He’s keen to get after you with some ideas.”
“Fine.”
Walt rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. “I’ll make sure no one stays too late. We leave for the West tomorrow on the early train.” He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. “Why the sudden interest in sociability?” He raised an eyebrow and punched him on the shoulder. “Could it be the young lady I saw you with earlier?”
Nathaniel straightened his bow tie. “How did you know that?”
“I was checking into the hotel when I happened to see the two of you at the bar. I saw her again at the restaurant tonight. Dining with her mother, if I make my guess. They’re almost identical.”
Nathaniel wanted to ask more but kept quiet. He took his pocket watch out of his trousers and set it on the table. His pockets must be empty when he played. He stretched his fingers.
“You do know who they are, don’t you?” Walt’s forehead glistened. He took off his glasses and waved them in the air. Nathaniel couldn’t decide if he only imagined the movement was in the shape of a dollar sign.
“Last name’s Bellmont.”
“Yeah, that’s Frances Bellmont you bought a soda for, my friend. The Bellmont family’s old money. Used to own half of Georgia. He’s a vice president over at Coca-Cola.”
“I see.”
Walt waggled his fingers, teasing. “I know you don’t care about such things.”
“Just be at my room at ten,” Nathaniel said, chuckling. “Before anyone else arrives. I’ll need you to do the talking.”
“My mama always said I was a good talker,” said Walt.
“One of us has to be.”
“I’ll get hold of some champagne. From what I hear, Frances Bellmont likes her champagne.” He slapped Nathaniel on the back.
“What do you mean?” A dart of something, almost like fear, pierced the bottom of his stomach.
“Just rumors. Nothing to worry over.”
“Tell me.”
“She likes parties. That’s all.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s my job to know these kinds of things.” Walt put up his hand, like a command. “Stop. This is the first time I’ve ever seen you interested in a woman. Don’t ruin it by talking yourself out of it.” He left through the greenroom door, calling out behind him, “Good luck tonight.”
After the concert, Nathaniel went back to his suite and bathed the perspiration from his body, using a scrub brush and soap he imagined smelled like a woman’s inner wrist. He washed his thick, dark hair and flicked it back with pomade so that the waves that sometimes fell over his forehead were tamed. Using a straight blade to shave his face, he scrutinized his looks. Would he ever be appealing to a girl like Frances Bellmont? His eyes were brown and on the small side, if he were truthful. And his lips were thin, now that he really looked at them, although he had straight, white teeth. That was something. People were always telling Walt that Nathaniel came across as intense, and sometimes even the word frightening had been used. I’ll smile, he assured himself. Easy and fun, like Walt.
He hung his tuxedo in the closet and smoothed the bed cover from where he’d rumpled it during his earlier nap. Then he straightened the sitting room, disposing of a newspaper and moving several music sheets marked with his latest composition to the other room. Would people sit, he wondered? Or stand? He looked about the room. He hadn’t noticed much about it upon his arrival. All hotels began to look the same after a while. A crystal chandelier hung in the middle of the room, cascading like fallen tears and casting subdued light across a dark green couch with scalloped legs. A round table stood between two straight-backed chairs with cushions decorated in a complicated red floral design. Would there be enough room for everyone? How many did Walt invite? He should have asked. Despite his recent bath, he began to perspire.
Just then there was a knock on the door. It was Walt, looking newly shaven and dapper in a tan linen suit with a blue tie. With him was a man about Walt’s age, whom he introduced as Ralph Landry. “How do you know Walt?” Nathaniel asked him, feigning interest, trying to keep his gaze from wandering to the door.
“Knew one another growing up in Montevallo, Alabama.” Ralph’s accent sounded like a foreign language to Nathaniel: slow, elongated vowels, twice as many, it seemed, than words usually had, and no “r” sounds. “Moved out to New York together for college, and I went on to med school. Now I’m headed back to Montevallo to start my own practice.” Ralph’s face, pink and fleshy, looked like the underbelly of a sow, and he had a particularly thick neck that seemed about to pop open his bow tie.
“Best of luck to you.” Nathaniel cleared his throat and glanced over at Walt, who was taking bottles of champagne out of an apple crate. He forced himself to look back to his companion.
“How’s your younger brother doing?” Walt asked.
“Half-brother,” Ralph corrected him. “He calls himself Mick now.” Ralph’s face turned serious. “He’s at loose ends since graduating from high school.”
“Send him out to California,” said Walt. “Didn’t you tell me he lives for moving pictures? He could get a job out there.”
“Yeah, maybe,” said Ralph.
“We can thank Ralphie here for the illegal suds,” Walt said, slapping is friend on the back.
Ralph took a big sip. “Well, let’s just say being able to stitch folks up after a gunshot wound in the middle of the night provides some benefits.” He laughed and took another gulp of champagne. “Have to get a little wop blood on my hands sometimes, but it’s worth it.”
Nathaniel felt a blast of revulsion, knowing Ralph meant the New York underworld of organized crime. One of the head crime bosses had asked Nathaniel to play at his daughter’s birthday party several years ago. He booked an overseas tour to get out of it, fearing his hands might be crushed if he refused.
“You want a drink, Nathaniel?” asked Walt.
Nathaniel shook his head, no.
“Don’t drink, Mr. Fye?” asked Ralph.
“I do not,” said Nathaniel, stifling a sigh. This was a mistake. Frances probably wouldn’t even show, and he’d be trapped here all night while these derelicts went through the half-case of champagne.
“Nathaniel here is looking for sainthood after his death,” said Walt. “All he does is work. So you and I’ll have to drink his share.”
Before Walt could answer, there was another knock on the door. It was John Wainwright, the music promoter, and his wife. Walt had told Nathaniel the wife’s name, but he couldn’t remember it. The palms of his hands were damp. His throat tightened. The pulse at his neck was rapid, yet his breathing felt shallow, like he couldn’t get enough air. He caught a glimpse of the bed in the other room and felt a sudden, intense longing for the feel of the cool sheets on his skin.
To his relief, John Wainwright came over to him and held out his hand, introducing himself. Mr. Wainwright had the kind of face no one would remember in the morning and a limp, clammy handshake, like a faded, damp cloth on a clothesline. His wife wore a black evening gown that clung to her wide hips and large breasts. Her copper red hair was cut in an unflattering blunt bob above the ears. She stared at Nathaniel with eyes rimmed in charcoal-colored liner, grasping in her gloved hands the program from tonight’s concert. “Autograph for me?” She blushed, the fat of her upper arms straining against the elastic of her long white gloves.
He did so, avoiding her gaze. My God, the room was stifling. He reached inside his jacket for his handkerchief and wiped the palms of his hands and then mopped his brow.
“I’m just absolutely thrilled to meet you.” Mrs. Wainwright’s highpitched voice reminded Nathaniel of one of those yappy lapdogs he saw with wealthy New York socialites. “Oh, the excitement in the theatre tonight when your hands hovered over the keyboard before those last notes. I thought the woman next to me might faint. How do you do it?” Her eyes bulged as she leaned forward, so close to his face that he caught a whiff of onions on her breath.
“It’s just my job.” His voice sounded like a rusty gate. He tried to smile, feeling as if his lips were caught against his teeth. “Same as anyone.”
Another knock on the door. Walt, setting down his glass of champagne, moved to answer it. Nathaniel held his breath. He wanted it to be her. And he didn’t want it to be her.
Walt opened the door, and there stood Frances Bellmont. She wore a pale blue gown with rows of fringe all the way up the skirt, which reminded him of the spikes of sea anemones. Fair hair curled around her face, and her stormy eyes were made up with black mascara. They sparkled even from across the room and were, for an instant, the only things Nathaniel could see. He tore his eyes away from her. Yes, he thought, that’s what it felt like to turn away, like a ripping away from something life-giving. Her mother was equally lovely, and Walt was correct, they looked remarkably alike, except Mrs. Bellmont was several inches shorter and wore her hair in longer curls.
The room had gone silent, like an enchanted breeze had woven its way among everyone, rendering them speechless. Walt recovered first, taking the Bellmont ladies’ hands in turn and introducing himself. Nathaniel could do nothing but stare at his shoes and wish for a piano where he could play and hide. And then, like walking in a strong wind, he came forward and put his hand out to Mrs. Bellmont. She took it, and he brought her gloved hand up to his lips in the way he’d seen Walt do many times to young ladies after concerts.
“Mr. Fye, I’m pleased to meet you.” Mrs. Bellmont’s eyes were identical to Frances’s, except without any makeup. She was virtually unlined, but her face was thinner than her daughter’s, showing evidence of her age. He imagined, for a brief, insane moment, that he saw his future, but then her lovely resonant voice, like a stringed instrument, brought him back to the present. “The concert was simply lovely. What a privilege to meet you in person.”
“Mr. Fye, good to see you again.” Frances tugged at her gloves as her eyes shifted about the room. “Are more guests expected?”
“I’m not sure. Walt arranged this.” Frances’s gloves were off now, dangling in her left hand like discarded snakeskins. “Oh, I do hope so. It’s wonderful to be out. You must have such a glamorous life in New York City.” She held out her left hand.
He took the offered hand, but instead of kissing it properly as he intended, his shaking hand seemed incapable of bringing it to his mouth; instead of making contact with her soft skin, he kissed the air just above her knuckles, resulting in a smacking from his lips that sounded like a baby suckling. He felt his ears turn red.
Frances smiled at him and removed her hand, which was the texture of a rose petal. Dazzling, that’s the only way he could think to describe her smile. It reached him someplace deep inside, stirring feelings he didn’t know he had. Was it possible that a man like him could get a woman like Frances Bellmont to love him? If only he were less awkward, less confused.
She stuffed her gloves into the small, black purse she carried. “Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Do you have a glamorous life in New York City? I imagine you know actresses and singers. Think of that, Mother.” Without waiting for an answer, she continued, her eyes bright, “I suppose there are hundreds of parties?”
“I’m unsure. I travel much of the time. In fact, I leave for the West tomorrow. I’ll be gone eight weeks.”
“The West? Do you mean California?” asked Frances.
“Yes. All the western cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.”
“Hollywood?” Frances clapped her hands together. “How exciting.”
“I suppose.” He wanted to tell her how lonely he was, how comforting it would be to have a wife by his side, but, of course, he could not. Even he knew this was not appropriate cocktail party conversation.
Ralph Landry brought champagne to both the Bellmont ladies and then guided Mrs. Bellmont over to the Wainwrights, leaving Nathaniel alone with Frances. For the second time in less than a minute he wished for a piano, and then he simply wished for music, but there was not a gramophone in the room and no piano at which he might sit and transform into the man featured on posters and programs. Instead, in the glow of the beautiful Frances Bellmont he was merely a large, awkward man in an expensive suit.
He remembered then, as if it were only yesterday, standing at the side of the Grange hall when he was in his late teens, home for a brief visit before he left for New York City to begin another chapter in his tutelage, dressed in a suit made by his mother. For days, while he practiced in the other room, he’d heard the stop and go of the sewing machine, between his scales and notes; his mother unconsciously matched the rhythm of whatever he played—relegated, for her son, to seamstress from her own seat at the piano bench.
That night, at the Grange, a band of the variety Walt had once been part of played as entertainment. There was a fiddler, a banjo player, and a pianist who had no feel for the subtlety of music. The singer was a young woman with a clear, crystal voice; thick, shiny, brown hair arranged in a loose bun at the nape of her neck; and round, blue eyes the color of the sea on a sunny day. She wore a cheap cotton dress, loose like it belonged to an older sister, but Nathaniel could see the roundness of her hips and breasts, could imagine what her thighs might feel like in his hands. And the desire for her rivaled even his ambition, so that for nights afterward he thought of her, staring at the ceiling in his childhood bedroom, which was no bigger than a closet, with walls so thin he imagined he heard the wood rotting in the sea air. He prayed for the thoughts to go away, even while imagining himself as the moderately skilled piano player next to her. He wondered, should this be his small life instead of the large one his mother imagined for him, that he, indeed, had imagined for himself?
But he’d gone away, to live with his mentor, and it would be years before he acted on his base desires with a prostitute in New York. While he thrust into the half-used-up immigrant girl who spoke only the romantic, lyrical Italian of her native country, he closed his eyes and imagined the singer. It was only after he was done that he truly looked at the girl’s face and saw her humanity. She was someone’s daughter, someone’s sister. What had he done? Sickened, his lust was immediately replaced by a terrible feeling of regret and shame that lived in his gut for months afterward, like a flu from which he couldn’t recover. But he was a man, and there were others from time to time, all women who traded pleasure for money. It shamed him, each one, and yet he was a slave to his desires. Without a wife, he must turn to these destitute women and then repent on Sundays and ask for forgiveness. How lonely it was, this life that was his destiny. The feeling of desolation lessened only when he played. And so he did. Day after day. Night after night.
Now, at this makeshift party, Frances drank her champagne as if it were water. Think of something to say, he commanded himself. Cigarettes. Offer a cigarette. Women liked that. Did they like that? He had no idea what women liked. “Would you like a cigarette?”
“No thank you. Not in front of Mother. She has this ridiculous notion it’s bad for a woman’s complexion.”
He put them back in his coat pocket without taking one for himself and then stuffed his hands in his pockets. Under his jacket, he drew his stomach to his backbone, cringing inside. He caught Walt’s eyes and silently begged him for rescue. Walt understood, apparently, because he brought Mrs. Bellmont over to where Nathaniel stood with Frances and offered his arm to the younger woman. “Miss Bellmont, come with me. I’ll introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Wainwright. And my old friend, Ralph Landry.”
After they had gone, Mrs. Bellmont smiled up at Nathaniel. “Frances was awfully happy to be invited to a party. We don’t have nearly as an eventful life as she wishes.” Her accent was slightly different from Frances’s, clipped with more distinct “r” sounds.
This was something, he thought. Something to ask. “Are you from Georgia originally?”
“A small town in Mississippi, but I’ve been in Georgia for more than twenty years now.” She paused, glancing over to where Frances was now talking with the Wainwrights. “Frances tells me you’re from Maine. I’ve read it’s beautiful there.”
“I’ve never been anywhere prettier.” A surge of pleasure exploded inside him. Frances had spoken about him to her mother. Perhaps she liked him a little. “If you can stand the winters.”
“How does your father earn his living?”
“Lobster. Worked the cages almost every day of his life, pulling up those crates with his bare hands, often to find only one or two lobsters at a time.”
“He’s passed, then?”
He nodded, feeling the ache in his chest that had taken a year to subside. “Three years ago.”
“He lived to see your success?”
“Yes.”
“He must have been quite proud.”
“I believe so. He wasn’t one to talk much. My mother told me he used to listen to my recordings every single day before he died.”
His mother had been his first teacher, but after several years she decided he’d surpassed her ability to teach him and found a teacher of considerable reputation in the next town over. He remembered, vividly, his father taking the boat out on Sunday afternoons, even though it was the Sabbath, to catch additional lobsters to pay for Nathaniel’s lessons. “You can’t imagine what they gave up for me to have this life.”
“I’m sure I can.” She played with the collar of her gown, a lovely light green that reminded him of gowns he’d seen in Paris last year. He thought of his mother’s one decent dress, ironed faithfully every Saturday night to wear to church the next morning, until the fabric thinned at the elbows and frayed at the hem. “My grandmother did the same for me. And we must never forget those sacrifices.” Mrs. Bellmont smiled and took a small sip of champagne.
“Is Frances your only child?”
“No, I have a son. Whitmore.” Her face lit up when she said her son’s name.
From across the room Walt laughed and clinked glasses with Mrs. Wainwright and Frances. Nathaniel must have sighed because Mrs. Bellmont’s kind eyes met his as she touched the sleeve of his jacket. “What’s wrong, Mr. Fye?”
He blinked. “Nothing really.”
“You don’t usually host parties, I imagine?”
“Never.” He turned toward her. “I find it difficult.”
“Meeting new people?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve had to live a disciplined life. It doesn’t leave much time for social engagements.” Her voice was sympathetic, understanding. “So why tonight?”
He took his hands out of his pockets. The bubbles in Mrs. Bellmont’s glass floated one by one to the top of her drink.
“I suggested the party for the sole purpose of seeing your daughter. I also wanted to meet you properly so that I might ask if I could call on her when I return from the West. But when she was in front of me, I couldn’t think of one thing to say.”
Mrs. Bellmont was silent for a moment, twisting the stem of her champagne glass with her fingers. “When I married, my husband paraded me in front of people like I was a prize racehorse. I have a nervous stomach, and I’d be sick for hours beforehand. I had to figure out a way to get through those engagements.”
“What did you do?”
“You’ll laugh.”
He smiled, feeling relaxed for the first time that night. “I promise not to.”
“I found a book called The Lost Art of Conversation, by Horatio Sheafe Krans. I probably should have read Emily Post instead, but I’m one to look to the masters first, so I muddled through each of the essays, and do you know what I learned?”
He put his hand up to his heart. “Tell me, Mrs. Bellmont, and save me from a life of solitude.”
She laughed. “It all comes to this.” She raised one hand in the air like a preacher. “Ask questions.”
“Questions?”
“Precisely. Begin every conversation by asking a question of the other person. It never fails me. People love to talk about themselves.” She looked, once again, over at Frances, who was now talking with Mr. Wainwright, and then back at Nathaniel. “Mr. Fye, you must come visit us. This isn’t the setting to talk with Frances properly.”
“You might think I’m too old for her. I’m thirty-two.”
“Frances is twenty. Quite old enough to marry. My husband’s ten years older than I am. I see nothing wrong with it. Anyway, her father will like it if you call on her at our home. He’ll be delighted that a man of your reputation is interested in Frances.” She took another sip of her champagne.
“Do you think she would consider me?”
Her face softened further as her eyes turned a deeper shade of gray. “I didn’t raise a fool, Mr. Fye.”
“That’s kind. Thank you.” He forgot himself for a moment, forgot his terrible wanting of young Frances Bellmont and his paralyzing shyness. The room was beautiful and so were his party guests, and, in the company of Mrs. Bellmont, he felt like the kind of man who laughed at parties and thought of questions and answers. It was good, this, to have people around him, and he felt hope, too, for a future that might include the beguiling Frances Bellmont and her lovely mother.
Then, he noticed Frances and Walt across the room in a corner by themselves. Frances leaned into Walt, whispering something in his ear. Walt flushed and shook his head. A moment later Walt left Frances and came to stand next to him. “Excuse me, Mrs. Bellmont, but it’s getting late, and our prodigy here needs his beauty rest.”
Mrs. Bellmont set her glass on the table behind them. “Oh, of course. It’s getting late for us, too.” She waved to Frances. “Time to go, darlin’.”
Frances stood next to Ralph Landry now; he poured more champagne in her glass. “But we just arrived,” said Frances.
“Nathaniel has a busy day tomorrow,” said Walt. Nathaniel stared at him. He’d never heard Walt sound so cold. What had happened?
Frances glared at Walt while drinking the rest of her champagne in one swallow.
Everyone else bustled about, getting ready to leave. Goodbyes were made until it was only the Bellmont women left, standing in the doorway, and Walt, gathering the empty champagne bottles.
“Good night, Mr. Fye,” Frances said. “It was awfully nice of you to invite us.” Behind them, Walt flung bottles into the apple crate. Frances leaned forward, pulling at the lapel of Nathaniel’s suit jacket, and whispered in his ear. “Please tell me I’ll see you again soon?”
“I would like that very much.”
“Mr. Fye’s agreed to call on us at the house when he returns from California,” said Mrs. Bellmont to her daughter.
Frances gave Nathaniel her hand. “Something to look forward to then, even though it seems terribly far away.” She paused, looking up at him from under thick lashes. “I can’t remember a better evening.”
Nathaniel kissed both women’s hands and bid them good night. After he closed the door, he turned toward Walt, grinning. “She wants to see me again. I can hardly believe it.”
“I don’t think Frances Bellmont’s a good idea.” Walt went to the table and poured a last bit of champagne into his glass from the open bottle on the table.
“Why? Did something happen between you?”
“Let’s just say I know women, and she’s trouble.” Walt downed the champagne in one gulp and thumped the glass down on the table. “You could have your pick of women, you know, if you could conquer this shyness.”
“I tried tonight, Walt. I thought you’d be pleased.” He deflated, like a cake just taken from the oven into a cold room.
“I want you to be happy. I know you’re lonely, the way we work all the time. Hell, so am I. But you have to be careful of beautiful women. They come at a price.”
“They do?”
“The most important decision of any man’s life is who he chooses as his wife. Remember that.” Walt picked up his jacket from one of the chairs and draped it over his arm. “Miss Bellmont is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That also makes her the most dangerous.”
Walt was out the door before Nathaniel could think of what to say.
Dylan's Birthday Present
Little Polyglot Adventures Series (Vol. 1): Dylan's Birthday Present
This is the English (original) version of this book. It is also available in several other languages, including in bilingual versions.
Dylan is an American boy like many others. One thing makes him special, though: his parents come from other countries and speak to him in different languages. It's his birthday today and he receives a very unusual present, only to lose it shortly after. Together with his best friend Emma, a sweet bilingual girl born to South African parents, Dylan sets out to find his lost birthday present. During their search, the two friends learn about the value of friendship, of speaking different languages, and of appreciating one's own as well as others' cultural and linguistic background.
If you are looking for a children's book that will help your child see the value in speaking other languages and hopefully get more excited about learning one, this book is a great choice.
Lexile Reading Level: 520L
About the Author
Dias de Oliveira Santos, Victor: - A second language learning expert (PhD) with vast experience in the field and a father to two amazingly funny trilingual children, Dr. Victor Santos founded Linguacious(R) with the goal of helping other families and educators worldwide support the learning of other languages in children. He is the developer of the multi-award-winning Linguacious vocabulary flashcard game and Little Polyglot books, as well as author of the series Little Polyglot Adventures.
Each to His Own: A House Divided
The war is over. But some wounds take time to heal...
The 1950's are in full swing, and for some, World War II is just a grim memory. Young Adam Beaumont, the son of a wealthy aristocratic family, is a commissioned officer in the Royal Air Force. With Adam's uncle wielding considerable influence, he is next in line for the Baronetcy. But Adam cares little for family politics, and is still haunted by the murder of his Malayan mother at the hands of the Japanese.
At a debutante ball, Adam overhears whispers of scandal. Beau, his pompous and arrogant cousin, claims Adam is illegitimate... that his father and mother never married, and he is not worthy of the family estate. With no marriage certificate to prove otherwise, Beau's insult strikes a nerve, and Adam's blood boils. He is determined to prove his cousin wrong, by any means necessary...
Traveling to Hong Kong to work in his uncle's branch of the family business, Adam delves into his family's wartime past. Desperate to find a witness to his parent's wedding, the young man makes the acquaintance of his father's old friend, Perry Marshbank. But in the years since the war, Perry has become a wanted drug lord, with deep ties to the underworld. And his motives for helping the young Beaumont are questionable indeed...
From the silken boudoirs of Hong Kong to the glitzy theatre palaces of New York, Each to His Own weaves historical fact and fiction into a memorizing tapestry. Fans of Ken Follett, James Michener, and Wilbur Smith won't want to miss the next epic chapter in the Beaumont saga.
Each to Their Own: A Mags Munroe Story
There are some days when being the Garda Sergeant of a small Irish town really tests me. Having to police my family and friends is a necessary evil, but when I'm faced with arresting half the children in the town, and discovering someone close to me among the offenders, well, those days I really wish I'd chosen a different career.
Irate parents are not my only problem unfortunately, as I'm then called to manage a baying mob of strangers, bearing placards and demanding change. I'm all for peaceful protest, but these people were threatening the vulnerable, and I'm just not having that.
So, after a very long week, I just want to go home and put my feet up, when a dramatic, decades-old secret is revealed. It shocks everyone in the family to the core, and it feels like everywhere I turn, where once there was trust and honesty, now there are nothing but lies.
I usually know what to do for the best, but faced with this, I'm unsure. Should I trust my instincts and bend the rules, or should I apply the law to the letter?
Eat Your Words: 125 Food & Beverage Themed Puzzles for Hungry Minds
The EAT YOUR WORDS puzzle was created to satisfy our voracious appetite for culinary knowledge. This book contains 125 food and beverage-themed puzzles.
Whether you are a novice or an expert, this puzzle book is a feast for the hungry mind.
Echo
And the greatest lesson of all, that our brains are not as rare and unique as humans had assumed. But rather just one of three brains between three extraordinary species. All influenced by a fluke of evolution that should never have existed on Earth in the first place. Something we are now finally on the cusp of understanding.
It will take more than just one brain to do it. More than just one species. And courage from all three.
Courage in the face of those still trying to stop Clay and Alison before their stranglehold on the world is lost.
But Clay and his team already know the truth. That there is no courage without fear, and no victory without sacrifice.
Echoes from the Past: The Brigandshaw Chronicles Book 1
Two best friends divided by war. Can an Englishman and an Afrikaner carve out an existence for their families in the savage bush?
South Africa, 1887. Son of a tyrannical English sea captain, Sebastian Brigandshaw loves his childhood sweetheart and his country. But before he can marry, his cruel father banishes him and his broken heart to the British South African colonies. With the beauty of the backcountry and the goodwill of local Afrikaner Tinus, Seb builds a new life despite the threat of another Boer War on the horizon.
Ignoring the tensions threatening their land, Seb and Tinus grow close, determined to create a life on a farm with their two families. But as hostilities open between the Boers and the British, war places the devoted friends on opposite sides.
Can Seb and Tinus's friendship survive the brutal conflict, or are they destined to fight to the death for their countries?
Echoes from the Past is the first book in the gripping Brigandshaw Chronicles historical fiction series capturing the beautiful untouched wilderness of Southern Africa. If you like friendships battling against all odds, rich settings, and history-come-to-life, then you'll love Peter Rimmer's captivating saga.
Eighteen Winters
From New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes a beautiful novel about a little town you'll want to visit, and a love story you won't soon forget.
Harry Dane lives an ordinary life. From his days working alongside his father at a New England general store, to Harry's endearing and heartbreaking relationships, to sudden snowstorms, to quirky fiascos of found kittens and spilled jam jars, always...always there is a curious constant.
Through it all, each and every winter, a Christmas card arrives at Harry's Craftsman bungalow from a mysterious woman named Sadie Welles. And when the two of them unexpectedly meet, Harry Dane soon finds himself in an intricate love story spanning Eighteen Winters.
Author Bio:
Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. The novels of her ongoing and groundbreaking Seaside Saga journey with a group of beach friends, much the way a TV series does, continuing with the same cast of characters from book-to-book. In addition, she writes Winter Novels set in a quaint New England town. Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut.
Elephant Walk: The Brigandshaw Chronicles Book 2
War is inevitable, with two enemies finding themselves fighting on the same side. But one wants peace, the other intent on murder
With his Oxford days over, Harry Brigandshaw spends an idyllic summer at Purbeck Manor in the heart of the Dorset countryside and home to his friend Robert St Clair. Harry meets the young and impressionable Lucinda who falls madly in love with him but the love is not returned. Lucinda is to never forget.
The utopia of summer comes crashing down when Harry receives a devastating telegram from Africa. He must return home. Immediately Together, Harry and Robert set sail for Rhodesia and to Harry's beloved Elephant Walk. What was a mapped out future has now been crushed.
The years pass and 1914 approaches with England declaring war on Germany. With the conflict now in full swing and those closest to Harry enlisting in the army, Harry's brother is killed in action. Devastated, Harry enlists for vengeance. As he moves up the ranks, a past acquaintance from Oxford is also making a name for himself - the invincible killing machine, Fishy Braithwaite.
Fishy becomes jealous and a burning hatred begins to simmer. The motive turns personal. Winning is not so important. But who is Fishy after? Who will he kill?
Elephant Walk is the second book in the gripping Brigandshaw Chronicles historical fiction series with Peter Rimmer bringing to life the savagery and futility of war in Europe and the sheer beauty of Africa. If you like real-life people and their situations facing crises beyond their control, then you won't want to miss this next instalment of Peter Rimmer's saga.
Eli's Redemption: A Story of Broken Dreams and Second Chances
Eli's Redemption, the second book in the Atkins Family Low Country Saga series, is the thrilling sequel to Blood in the Low Country. As the story begins, it's been five years since Eli Atkins, betrayed and abandoned, fled Charleston to avoid punishment for a crime he did not commit. Landing in the Bahamas, he sought refuge in a new identity. But angry, lonely, and adrift, he remained aloof, a stranger to all, never allowing anyone close enough to hurt him.
But when fate introduces Eli to an old Scottish golfer, Lach McGregor, he finds reason to hope. Lach too is burdened by an incalculable loss, and together, teacher and student, they are each a lifeline for the other. When Eli falls for Lach's lovely niece, Rachel, the pieces of a future fall into place.
Standing between Eli though and a life lived fully, is the secret that forced him out of Charleston and the clutches of fugitive financier and professional criminal, Bernard Lasko, a malignant cancer who corrupts everyone he touches. Trapped in debt to Lasko, Eli returns to Charleston in dramatic fashion when given the chance to free himself from both the weight of his past and Lasko's reach. But before he can embrace the freedom he craves, he must forgive, and trust, and be willing to risk his life to save another's.
Elizabeth's Heart: Book Two
Ellis River
The Civil War scattered her family and now, along with her beloved horse, a young woman must travel across a war-torn country to collect what's left of her life.
For fifteen-year-old Ellis Cady, life has gone quiet on her western Tennessee homestead. Her father and older brother left to sell horses to the army two years earlier and never returned. She watched her mother's health decline, finally succumbing to a broken heart. Her twin brother left in search of their father, and while he was gone neighbors moved out of their Quaker community, searching for peace ahead of the final sweep of war.
Ellis is left with nothing but the company of the remaining horses and the letters and journals she continues to write, trying to make sense of a desolate world. A small band of soldiers rides through to claim the last of the herd, and hope for the return of life as she knew it, evaporates like the mist on the river.
When the head-strong mare, Billie, returns, having escaped from the soldiers, Ellis takes it as a sign to leave. Disguised as a boy, for safety and comfort, she rides off to find her twin. Though war refuses to fade, Ellis stumbles upon an unlikely group of rescuers who teach her family is more than blood, and love has no limits.
Elusive Promise
When tragedy strikes an engagement party, Special Agent Parisa Maxwell becomes the sole survivor and the only witness to a kidnapping and the theft of a legendary diamond. With her friend now missing, Parisa makes a promise to save the other woman, no matter the cost.
Jared MacIntyre's entire life is a carefully cultivated set of lies. He wasn't looking for the beautiful brunette when he ventured into the private rooms at the consulate, but he couldn't ignore the woman fighting for her life. Now their lives are inexplicably intertwined. The kidnapping and theft may be part of a bigger, deadlier plot--one that he's on a mission to stop before someone else he loves ends up dead.
Two strangers, each with their own secrets. Two strangers who never expected to find love amidst the danger. Two strangers who will have to take the ultimate risk: trust each other--or lose everything.
Don't miss this thrilling, chilling, new romantic suspense by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy.
Also Available in the OFF THE GRID: FBI SERIES
Perilous Trust #1
Reckless Whisper #2
Desperate Play #3
Elusive Promise #4
Dangerous Choice #5
PRAISE FOR THE FBI SERIES
"Perilous Trust is a non-stop thriller that seamlessly melds jaw-dropping suspense with sizzling romance, and I was riveted from the first page to the last...Readers will be breathless in anticipation as this fast-paced and enthralling love story evolves and goes in unforeseeable directions." USA Today HEA Blog
"Barbara Freethy's first book in her OFF THE GRID series is an emotional, action packed, crime drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat...I'm exhausted after reading this but in a good way. 5 Stars " Booklovers Anonymous on Perilous Trust
"Reckless Whisper is intriguing, complicated and chilling. Bree finds herself drawn into a web of deceit that has close personal ties. What makes this tale so scary is that the pieces to the puzzle are lying in plain sight but putting them together is a confusing mind game. The twists are endless, the danger is far reaching, and the thrills are nonstop." Isha C. Goodreads
"Desperate Play is flat out wonderful and will have you gasping, twitching, frantically turning pages, and hoping our favorite author writes the next story quickly Undercover FBI agent, astrophysicist whose best friend has been murdered, a boatload of potential suspects, complicated family dynamics and lots of danger and yes, some heat all add up to a very satisfying read." Jane - Goodreads
"What I love best about Freethy's books are the characters and the depth she puts in them, the story can be as good as ever, but if you don't care about the characters you can't help but be unbothered by the events unfolding. This story has so many twists and turns that I read it in one sitting...a must read for everyone, I don't want to ruin anything, so I will just say...WOW" Booklovers Anonymous Blog on Perilous Trust
Embargo on Hope
Even gods have secrets...
On planet Vastire, worth is set by the sins of one's ancestors. Good families rise to the elite and the wicked fall into poverty. Unfortunately for sixteen-year-old Darynn Mark, his father incited a revolution. Now, Darynn scrounges his way through life in the slums. When Vastire is surrounded by an embargo, it gets even harder to survive.
That all changes when an alien ship slips through the embargo, seeking Darynn with an offer: finish the revolution and the embargo ends. He might have a chance thanks to mysterious magic powers, and his two companions: clairvoyant crush Fyra and soldierly alien Kaylaa.
Cutthroat killers, mystical beasts, Vampires, power-hungry priests and lords, and self-serving spies stand in their way. If the three of them can crack his father's secret, maybe they can end the embargo and save the poor. If not, another poor orphan will be added to the growing piles of dead.
More Reviews:
"...Doyle's ability to juxtapose political and social inspection with personal growth and revelations creates a gifted story that is exceptionally compelling. Young adult sci-fi readers who enjoy more than a light social inspection are in for a treat." —Midwest Book Review
"...the ending was pretty amazing ...I enjoyed this story and was fascinated by the diversity of characters. The story is pretty intense in the beginning and end with a stretch of many varied trials and challenges to overcome... I recommend this story as something both sci-fi and fantasy fans will enjoy." —Jim's Sci-Fi Blog
Author Bio:
Justin was born in Galveston, TX and raised in the Houston area. In middle school, he fell in love with two life-long pursuits: space and writing. He knew he wanted to work at NASA and write science fiction/fantasy on the side, and lo and behold, that's exactly what he ended up doing.
He now works for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, who manages the International Space Station National Laboratory. He lives in the Houston area with his wife, daughter, and various small mammals.
Embrace Your Wobbles
2021 American Book Fest Best Book Awards Finalist for Health
UGLY... It's a word we recoil from, the thing we don't want to be. But what if liberation, peace, and forgiveness could be found when you Embrace Your UGLY?
In a world of picture-perfect lives that are just a scroll away, perfection has taken on importance like never before. As women, we’re told success is found in a flawless body, career, family, and home. But we all know the truth. None of us are perfect. Most of us survive while carrying around past pain and trauma.
L.L. Anderson knows this struggle. She’s wrestled with a negative body image, a learning disability and the pain of abuse within her family. Damage that could have easily put a roadblock between her and success. But Anderson, now a successful certified life coach, found ways to break through that baggage. Here she shares her strategies for living your best life long-term. If you’ve suffered trauma, are trying to push through the pain, but feel stuck in a loop without progress, Anderson’s approach is designed for you. You can’t live the life you were meant to live if you don’t face your trauma and embrace the ugly.
Sounds scary? Have no fear! Anderson, an experienced workshop leader deliberately designed the process to be fun, empowering, and approachable. Motivation can lag and habits can fail, which is why these tangible solutions are always here, when you need them, keeping you on the right track.
Ready to Embrace Your UGLY: Unique, Genuine, Love, and simply You? YES! Let’s do this.
Author Bio:
Latisha Anderson is a wife, mother, and business owner. However, she's also a survivor and a former victim of childhood trauma. Her expertise comes from sitting where you sat, seeing what you saw, and surviving despite how her life started out! Her truth has allowed her to evolve into what you see today! Latisha is simply an example that you can make it. She does not tell you to embrace your ugly, she has talked the same walk and knows YOU can.
Empire of Shadows: The House of Crimson & Clover Volume VII
This is the recommended reading order for the series.
Volume I: The Storm and the Darkness
Volume II: Shattered
Volume III: The Illusions of Eventide
Volume IV: Bound
Volume V: Midnight Dynasty
Volume VI: Asunder
Volume VII: Empire of Shadows
Volume VIII: Myths of Midwinter
Volume IX: The Hinterland Veil
Volume X: The Secrets Amongst the Cypress
Volume XI: Within the Garden of Twilight
Volume XII: House of Dusk, House of Dawn The Saga of Crimson & Clover
A sprawling dynasty. An ancient bloodline. A world of magic and mayhem. Welcome to the Saga of Crimson & Clover, where all series within are linked but can be equally enjoyed on their own. For content warnings, please visit sarahmcradit.com.
About the Author
Sarah is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Paranormal Southern Gothic series, The House of Crimson & Clover, born of her combined passion for New Orleans, and the mysterious complexity of human nature. Her work has been described as rich, emotive, and highly dimensional. An unabashed geek, Sarah enjoys studying obscure subjects like the Plantagenet and Ptolemaic dynasties, and settling debates on provocative Tolkien topics such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf's personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, Sarah has visited over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration (though New Orleans is where her heart rests). She's a self-professed expert at crafting original songs to sing to her very patient pets, and a seasoned professional at finding ways to humiliate herself (bonus points if it happens in public). When at home in Oregon, her husband and best friend, James, is very kind about indulging her love of fast German cars and expensive lattes. Connect with Sarah: Official Website: http: //www.sarahmcradit.com Facebook: http: //www.facebook.com/houseofcrimsonandclover Google +: google.com/+SarahMCradit Twitter: @thewritersarah
End Game
Marcus Hamilton Thanos is marked for death.
And Jack Noble is the man for the job.
But when the high-profile target vanishes the day of the assassination attempt,
Jack is forced to team up with a female FBI agent who was poised to learn Thanos's secret that morning.
Together they are plunged into a frantic race across state lines and international borders in order to solve the mystery, all the while unsure of who they can trust.
And what they discover is that the truth is more chilling and deceptive than either of them could have imagined.
Fans of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, and Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne will enjoy this Jack Noble suspense thriller.
End Game (Jack Noble #12)
Marcus Hamilton Thanos is marked for death.
And Jack Noble is the man for the job.
But when the high-profile target vanishes the day of the assassination attempt,
Jack is forced to team up with a female FBI agent who was poised to learn Thanos's secret that morning.
Fans of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, and Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne will enjoy this Jack Noble suspense thriller.
______________________________________ Readers are saying... ★★★★★ "JASON BOURNE, JACK RYAN, JACK REACHER. AND NOW JACK NOBLE..." ★★★★★ "I totally agree with the reviewer who said if you like Jack Reacher, you'll love Jack Noble."★★★★★ "I enjoy the Jack Noble character as much as Mitch Rapp, Scott Horvath, or Jack Ryan."
______________________________________ Jack Noble Mystery and Suspense Thrillers Series End Game is the twelth of thirteen Jack Noble espionage thriller books. In addition, a recently released prequel, and five series spin-offs are available. The series has earned thousands of five-star reviews, and has been downloaded over two-million times to Kindles around the world. If you enjoy gripping thrillers loaded with suspense, action, twists & turns, Jack Noble is for you Noble beginnings was a top 100 book on Amazon from June 2018 through August 2018 L.T. Ryan spent 15 consecutive months in Amazon's top 100 authors list from June 2018 through September 2019 USA Today Bestseller L.T. Ryan: 3/27/2014, 3/5/2015, 7/7/2016, 12/15/2016, 5/25/2017
Erasing the Past
Etched in Shadow: A Cassie Quinn Mystery
The fourth installment in the bestselling Cassie Quinn mystery series from Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.T. Ryan & K.M. Rought. A gripping thriller with a touch of the paranormal that will keep you guessing until the last page.
When a friend's relative passes away, the family suspects foul play, but the evidence doesn't match the accusation. But in the Big Easy, nothing is as it seems, and Cassie soon discovers there's more to the story. Deciphering clues no one else can see becomes Cassie's sole focus.
Cassie fights the tugging at her heartstrings and the raw emotions the case brings up to seek justice for the voice only she can hear.
A must-read for fans of Ghost Whisperer and Medium, Gregg Olsen, Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni, Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Mary Burton.
Eternal Deception
A NEW BEGINNING THREATENS TO END IN DISASTER
The Kansas plains offer Nell a chance to support her small family and bring Sarah up away from the prying eyes that might discover her illegitimate birth. But when her only ally among the seminary's leaders dies, Nell finds herself at the mercy of people she doesn't entirely trust-and she's not in a position to escape.
As her talent as a dressmaker improves her fortunes, Nell attracts the attention of two suitors and struggles with the problem of reconciling love, independence, and respectability for her daughter's sake. Shocking news from back home and another death at the seminary force a decision.
A disastrous winter journey, a treacherous game, and an impossible love could wrest control of Nell's life out of her hands for good.
About the Author
Steen, Jane: - Jane Steen grew up in England but lived in Belgium and the United States as an adult, before returning to the UK in 2016. Her corporate writing career included translation, editorial guidance for lawyers, contract drafting, writing fundraising appeals, marketing for realtors, and freelancing as a communications consultant. Jane is an independent writer of historical fiction, concentrating on the Victorian mystery sub-genre. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Historical Novel Society, Novelists, Inc., and the Society of Authors.
Eventually, They All Fall
“[F]antasy fans will relish this enticing, attention-grabbing read.” —BookLife
Domino Garrison knows that he is the king of all that is weird, but he would rather abdicate that throne. He would rather be a normal teenager who just goes to school and works at a bookstore—and for all intents and purposes—that's exactly how he appears to his peers; however, aside from his best friend, Griswold, no one knows Domino's secret, or his secrets. His father abandoned him and his only family—his mom—when he was 5 years old, and his mom is a drug addict who has a parade of men coming in and out of their home. Oh, and Domino has the ability to see into other people's fantasies. He thinks this ability is pretty useless; however, little does he know that his ability is more powerful and expansive than he thinks.
When extraordinary circumstances begin to occur, like massive earthquakes hitting the East coast, exotic animals wandering around zoos that they had not escaped from, and black sludge eviscerating everything in its path, Domino soon discovers that not only can he see fantasies, but he can also pull these fantasies into reality; however, doing so causes horrendous pain and mental anguish as Domino is concerned that the power he has could corrupt his mind.
However, he knows that it is up to him—with the support of his friends Griswold and Lucy, and his boss Miles—to put a stop to the unnatural occurrences plaguing the earth before it is too late.
More Reviews:
“…an excellent work of fantasy that uses the trappings of superpowers and fantastical threats to our world to tell a quintessential coming-of-age story about a troubled young man.” —Readers' Favorite
"Marcus offers a YA novel about a superpowered high schooler and his pals who go on a mission to save the world from an earth-shaking threat." —Kirkus
“Readers of all ages will love this story…. This book reminded me of a cross between Harry Potter and Stranger Things because the main characters were all kids who go on danger-filled adventures.” —San Francisco Book Review
Author Bio:
Jenna Marcus is an academic leader and published author of the YA novel, My Unusual Talent. She has a fervent passion for leveraging her decade of expertise to robustly enhance and redefine the quality of teaching and learning. As an avid reader, she believes that every child should find a book to love. In addition to her profession experience, she holds a MS. ED in Educational Leadership, a MS. ED in Middle Childhood & Adolescent English Education and a BA in Literature; she is also certified in School Building Leadership and ELA. Currently, she lives in New Rochelle, NY.
Ever After Always
Buckle up for an emotional journey of hijinks, heartache, and a hot slow-burn in this marriage-in-crisis romance about going the distance to make love last.
Aiden
I’ve spent twelve years loving Freya Bergman and twelve lifetimes won’t be enough to give her everything she deserves. She’s my passionate, tender-hearted wife, my best friend, and all I want is to make her happy. But the one thing that will make her happiest is the one thing I’m not sure I can give her: a baby.
With the pressure of providing and planning for a family, my anxiety’s at an all-time high, and I find myself pulling away, terrified to tell my wife how I’m struggling. But when Freya kicks me out, I realize that pulling back has turned into pushing too far. Now it’s the fight of a lifetime to save our marriage.
Freya
I love my cautious, hard-working husband. He’s my partner and best friend, the person I know I can count on most. Until one day I realize the man I married is nowhere to be found. Now Aiden is quiet and withdrawn, and as the months wear on, the pain of our growing distance becomes too much.
As if weathering marriage counseling wasn’t enough, we’re thrown together for an island getaway to celebrate my parents’ many years of perfect marriage while ours is on the brink of collapse. Despite my meddling siblings and a week in each other’s constant company, this trip somehow gets us working through the trouble in paradise. I just can’t help worrying, when we leave paradise and return to the real world, will trouble find us again?
Ever After Always is a marriage-in-crisis, opposites-attract romance about a sensitive, fierce-loving woman and her resilient husband who has anxiety disorder. Complete with island vacation antics, a sibling prank gone wrong, and a steamy slow burn, this standalone is the third in a series of novels about a Swedish-American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their wild adventures as they each find happily ever after.
Author Bio:
Chloe writes romances reflecting her belief that everyone deserves a love story. Her stories pack a punch of heat, heart, and humor, and often feature characters who are neurodivergent like herself. When not dreaming up her next book, Chloe spends her time wandering in nature, playing soccer, and most happily at home with her family and mischievous cats.
Ever Rest
Twenty years ago, Hugo and Ash were on top of the world. As the acclaimed rock band Ashbirds they were poised for superstardom. Then Ash went missing, lost in a mountaineering accident, and the lives of Hugo and everyone around him were changed forever. Irrepressible, infuriating, mesmerizing Ash left a hole they could never hope to fill.
Two decades on, Ash's fianc e Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy. Hugo is now a recluse in Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels himself both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right.
While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice. How far must they go to come back to life?
A lyrical, page-turning novel in the tradition of Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, Ever Rest asks how we carry on after catastrophic loss. It will also strike a chord with fans of Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings and Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones for its people bonded by an unforgettable time; fans of Ann Patchett's Bel Canto, for music as a primal and romantic force; and Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air for the deadly and irresistible wildernesses that surround our comfortable world.
About the Author
Morris, Roz: - Roz Morris's novels have been finalists in the People's Book Prize and the World Fantasy Award. She has sold 4 million books as a ghostwriter, mentored award-winning authors, teaches masterclasses for The Guardian and for Jane Friedman, and is the author of Nail Your Novel. Her novels are My Memories of a Future Life and Lifeform Three. Ever Rest is her third novel. She also has a memoir, Not Quite Lost: Travels Without a Sense of Direction ('Delightful, amusing, entertaining and very moving' Rain Taxi). https: //rozmorris.org/
Every Summer
Evil in My Town
Evil in My Town is the dark and tension-filled new installment to the Serenity's Plain Secrets' mystery/crime thriller series. After a tragic mass shooting in Blood Rock, Sheriff Serenity Adams is shocked to discover ties to the local Amish settlement, and her teenage niece, who barely survived the carnage. The investigation takes her from the terror of a massacre to an equally horrific crime relating to a missing woman in the community.
Serenity must risk her own life to bring law, order, and safety to the town she loves. And this time, she is joined by a US Marshal, who might have his own agenda when it comes to helping Serenity on the case. As the story unfolds, long buried secrets will be revealed, and the climax will keep you flipping the pages until the riveting end.
Author Bio:
Karen Ann Hopkins writes Amish fiction, mysteries, YA literature, paranormal, dystopian and romance for readers of all ages. She resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, sheep, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and cats. Karen rescues and fosters a variety of pets and farm animals, but she also finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lives in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.
Expedition to Mystery Mountain: Adventures of a Bushwhacking, Knickerbocker-wearing Woman: (A true tale of a 1926-sytyle wilderness adventure)
F*ck the Bucket List for the Adventurer: Trekking into the Unknown
“In today's world where we seem to have the answers to everything at our fingertips, trekking into the unknown reminds us to question everything. Because we are the only ones who hold our answers. Ayelet Baron guides you as you learn to say yes to life and experience it as never before.” —Tim McDonald, speaker, guide, and former Community Director at The Huffington Post
At a certain point in your journey, you may not know where you’re headed but you become more curious and courageous to experience life and all it has to offer. Your heart knows when you’re ready to take the first few steps. And once you do, nothing will ever be the same. No one can do this work for you; it’s your job to become fully aware that you are standing at a juncture of possibilities. Are you entertaining thoughts about a healthier direction in your life? Are you ready to experiment and try things on to see what actually fits you?
Through all of the knowing and unknowing, the visible and invisible, facts and mystery, loss and gain, sanity, and insanity of it all—you are here. Trekking into the unknown takes courage because it forces you to realize how much you don’t really know. F*ck the Bucket List inspires you to ask questions, dig deep, and create your own meaning. The story starts and ends at your own pace.
This isn’t just another self-help book, spiritual book, or memoir—it’s an experience, beyond categories and labels, that asks each of us to tap into the universal wisdom that says we can live our lives our own way. This book is for anyone who is ready to question everything, and simply say f*ck it—or whatever words you choose to use—when something in life no longer serves you. Are you ready to discover the wonder of you (Book 1, for the Soul), trek into the unknown (Book 2, for the Adventurer), and trust your heart (Book 3, for the Health Conscious)?
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More Reviews:
“F*ck the Bucket List for the Adventurer is a monumental read, that rare book which speaks to your deepest self. For anyone beginning to challenge the path they've been on, this book is a blueprint for changing your life, an excursion into wisdom and awareness that gets richer with each step.” —Lynnda Pollio, multi-award winning author, author of Trusting the Currents
“This book dispels common myths of what holds us back in our growth and dispenses practical wisdom for anyone on a personal development journey and who is asking the deeper questions. Ayelet cuts through the noise and helps the reader find the necessary focus to make peace with the past in order to truly stand in the present.” —Rick Snyder, CEO, Invisible Edge and author, Decisive Intuition
“F*ck the Bucket List for the Adventurer: Trekking into the Unknown is a primer for the courageous heart on the journey to true self-discovery. Ayelet does not do the work for you in this process of divine discovery but she points the way across the threshold. As she says, the way forward involves action and commitment to a goal which might seem hazy but she is there as a companion to accompany you on perhaps the greatest adventure of your lifetime. The journey to YOU!” —Flicka Rahn, musician, author, sound healer and educator
“Ayelet Baron speaks directly to that still, small voice in your head whispering that your life could be healthier and more meaningful. Read this book and step into the adventure that is your life.” —Anne Janzer, author of The Writer's Process
Author Bio:
Ayelet Baron is a visionary author, healer, and global futurist. She was recently recognized on Forbes as one of the world's top female futurists. In the midst of a very successful career as a global strategy executive at Cisco Systems, she went through her own transformation. She wrote this book trilogy because she wished she had this universal guidance when she started on her own journey. Her dream is to help unleash millions and millions of people, who are ready to do our inner work, and become the architects of humanity.
Book Excerpt:
Introduction: There is Another Path
The wind is a powerful force of nature that we cannot actually see—but we can experience it in other ways. We only become aware of the wind when we hear the trees swaying against it, or see waves rippling in the ocean, or feel a breeze caress our faces. The wind reminds us not to deny or ignore the natural human impulse to explore the unknown with curiosity. The wind, like our breath, reminds us that we’re alive.
Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a magnificent apple tree. You have deep roots that are constantly seeking minerals and water to keep you alive. You’re deeply connected to the Earth and trust in its guidance as you connect and communicate with other trees, fungi, and plants underground. Some of your roots break away and follow an unknown path as you continue to nourish yourself—and in that one act of expanding, you find yourself choosing a different direction. Your roots battle through some extremely hard soil and break through to survive.
The people who walk by on the sidewalk notice that your roots have created cracks in the concrete. They talk about cutting you down, ridding the sidewalk of the messy tree that doesn’t understand its place. A debate begins on what to do with you, and your life depends on their decision. Some see you as a hazard and want to take you down for disturbing their pathway. But there’s Ruth, a wise woman who sees you and reminds everyone that you provide delicious fruit
and much needed shade. “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations,” she says. “Maybe it is we who need to become aware of the cracks in the sidewalk and adapt accordingly?”
When we live in a concrete jungle, nature feels separate and becomes a place where we schedule walks or time to breathe. But when we realize that we’re always living as part of nature, there is no separation. We have the opportunity to go within ourselves through healthy practices that help us reflect deeply on who we are. In nature, time stands still, as there is only the light of the day and the darkness of the night to become familiar with.
It is easy to meditate in a quiet room or on a mountaintop, but can you meditate in a crowded space? Jiddu Krishnamurti, a twentieth century philosopher, helps us see that, “One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end. The more you know yourself, the more clarity there is. Self-knowledge has no end—you don’t come to an achievement; you don’t come to a conclusion. It is an endless river. You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance and write poems and suffer and understand, for all that is life.”
Living Out Loud
This isn’t just another self-help book, spiritual book, or memoir—it’s an experience, beyond categories and labels, that asks each of us to tap into the universal wisdom that says we can live our lives our own way. I’d like to share upfront that this book is not for everyone. It’s for those of us ready to start questioning everything, and to simply say fuck it—or whatever words you choose to use—when something in life no longer serves you. This book will help you become more aware of the choices you make. It will help you come to truly know yourself and understand your purpose as a living, breathing, healthy creator of your life. We were born to color with vivid imaginations and live like never before in unity—not conformity or uniformity. Are you ready to discover the wonder of you (Book 1, for the Soul), trek into the unknown (Book 2, for the Adventurer), and trust your heart (Book 3, for the Health Conscious)?
The F*ck the Bucket List book trilogy has been created not to dictate meaning, but to inspire you to ask questions, dig deep, and create your own meaning. The story starts and ends at your own pace. Once you connect with your own rhythm, you can go on an adventure of a lifetime. These books, like a journey, are a collaboration with the expansiveness of the universe. There are many expeditions we will explore together when we step into the unknown. These expeditions will encourage you to acknowledge the invisible bars that may be holding you captive, allowing you to free yourself from some of the most constricting barriers you’ve built. These barriers aren’t made from material like steel, but rather are infections of the mind, such as believing fear-based stories that jail you in an invisible prison of misbelief.
This book will guide you toward accepting that there is always a way to live a life of meaning. It’s up to each of us to become aware of this, accept it, and weave our lessons into an integrated web of life. No one can do this work for you; it’s your job to become fully aware that everything’s here to be discovered when you let your kindness, beauty, truth, and power shine through with your abundant natural light.
You stand at a juncture of possibilities. Are you entertaining thoughts about a healthier direction in your life? Are you ready to experiment and try things on to see what actually fits you? By doing so, you’re opening yourself up to opportunities that were not available until you acted on them. Every action you take, and every thought that precedes it, ushers you into a connection of probabilities and experiences that were not available before. It’s up to you to take the action necessary to better understand what’s healthy and toxic for your wellbeing. By just taking a few small steps, you can (and will!) get closer to understanding who you are and why you’re here. You have within you every capacity to create. Imagine a life where you have nothing to prove to anyone but yourself. Imagine what might happen if you decided to adopt the bold mindset of an adventurer and trek into the unknown. The possibilities are endless.
Are you prepared to take some brave and adventurous steps toward changing restrictions in your life and opening up to a broader range of imagination and transformation? If so, you might discover the universe encouraging you to address your own darkness and guiding you to step into your own light. In doing so, you will find yourself clearing away parts of your life that have caused you pain and hardship. You very well may experience some mind-boggling breakthroughs or mystical moments as you reach deeper into the wisdom and abundance of your soul.
Isn’t it interesting that we have constructed our current healthcare system to mainly focus on our physical bodies and assess whether they’re ill or healthy? Much of the medical community addresses depression, burnout, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other mental health issues, as well as a host of physical issues, with chemicals or psychiatric solutions. This is, of course, because there’s more money to be made by dispensing medication to people suffering from a host of diseases. But what if there was a natural alternative to holistically healing ourselves?
Physicists like Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein and Max Planck introduced the quantum world, which we cannot physically see, filled with vibrations and frequencies. Planck invited us to become aware of the connectedness of our universe when he said, “Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.”
We accept, in faith, a whole world that is invisible through smart devices, microwaves, radio and television waves, and now, the Internet. What if we started accepting what is in our hearts and let our intuition and deep knowing serve as our internal compass? Our bodies need a balance of the physical and the spiritual to live in harmony. Without this, life falls out of whack with our soul, and we lose our connection to both the visible and invisible worlds around us.
Trekking into the unknown is not just a physical journey—it’s about getting in touch with your courage and humility and discovering what has been hidden or suppressed within you. This means exploring both your light and dark sides. It means addressing some of your biggest fears, wounds, and subconscious programming—as well as your unrealized potential. Trekking into the unknown means embarking upon a journey of seeing the weaknesses and the gifts that you’ve been hiding deep within yourself, out of fear of criticism or rejection.
One of the reasons I’ve dedicated my life to sharing these universal messages is that I wish I’d had books to tap into when I got lost on my path of trekking into the unknown—simply to let me know that I wasn’t alone and I wasn’t going crazy. I read, talked to a lot of people, and forged unlikely partnerships, but what I found still left me mostly depleted. This trek often took me down rabbit holes searching for answers, or somebody to guide my journey, only to find people trying to convince me they knew everything when they didn’t. I had a hard time when they told me they knew how I felt or that they had been in my shoes. They may have believed they knew what I needed, but in the end, they didn’t have a clue. They were not me, and I was not them. And we were all doing our best.
I am a voracious learner and when I recognized that they were making shit up or were too focused on “saving” the world, I simply took the action to walk away. They would talk about the vast importance of love, yet they struggled to express it, and clearly had their own traumas to deal with, like everyone else walking the earth. With some, I experienced firsthand the challenging relationships they had with their own children, and the pain that surrounded their own inability to access the love they talked and preached about. I listened intently, but too often, their actions didn’t match what they were saying. This helped me learn to identify who was toxic and who was healthy for my wellbeing. This helped me move away from the hero, victim, and villain stories of our time so I could experiment with what was possible for me.
I didn’t want to fight for my life anymore in a world designed for division, suffering, and just survival. I wanted peace and a renewed sense of sanity in a world where I felt I was simply going crazy. There was no one to talk to openly about what I was going through, and I lost many friendships and relationships along the journey in pursuit of living life my way. I realized that some people had never been healthy for me, though I had once thought they were. But the people who matter deeply to me are still here. Every day is another opportunity to learn as I step into my own uncharted waters without a manual, referring only to my internal compass and the currents to guide me to live out loud in my own way.
My own journey has raised many questions, and I’ve gained wisdom from questioning the different expeditions I’ve experienced. This is what inspires me to encourage you to venture beyond your perceived safety or comfort zone and understand the invisible bars that may be holding you back—and the doors and windows that are waiting to swing open when you’re ready to acknowledge them and live out loud in your own way. No longer needing to mask who you truly are.
Every single one of us experiences challenge, trauma, and heartbreak. No one is spared the opportunity to fully experience life. But how we choose to respond is personal. As we wonder, imagine, and expand our hearts and minds beyond what we can physically see and perceive, we’ll be able to access more information from within ourselves and our natural surroundings. There is a flow to life, and one of our biggest opportunities is to be curious enough to explore the unknown.
We were born into a natural world where the earth, air, space, water, and fire harmoniously play with each other. Beyond our physical environment, humankind created man made systems like the military, the government, education, business, and many more that we’ve been taught to adapt and conform to. Is it really so insane to believe that we could live in a world without war and conflict? Or in a world with an alternative means of education or healthcare?
This is one of the biggest challenges we each face today: resisting the societal conditioning that tells you that you must accept and save these existing systems that no longer serve the vast majority of humanity. Are you going to continue to believe in the programming our ancestors created when it was based solely off self-preservation and survival? What about thriving? Isn’t that more appropriate, now that we have evolved as far as we have? Isn’t it time to question everything about your current reality? Isn’t it time to find your roots and discover with healthy eyes what programs, beliefs, and systems are hurting you at the core? Isn’t it time, most of all, to begin imagining and creating healthy systems that truly support you and lift your spirits with pure joy?
By aligning with nature, you may choose to explore whether the Earth has started a major reset without us. We are each at a point in time of healing and letting go of what no longer serves us. Many of us are already striving to become more aware of the unhealthy aspects of our lives. Identifying those unhealthy aspects can empower you to step into the role you play in creating a healthy, fulfilling life for yourself—where you’re thriving instead of merely surviving according
to an obsolete playbook. If you’ve begun this journey or are looking to start, a great way to begin is by making conscious choices about what you consume.
Trekking into the unknown means facing yourself and what’s possible for you as a creator of a healthy life. When you start following the compass of intention, curiosity, and courage, nothing will lead you astray. Are you constantly living in the past and playing the same character or role in someone else’s comedy, musical, drama, thriller, mystery, tragedy, or horror show? Like the Earth, are you entering a time of reset? Being curious about the unknown and focusing on your opportunity to create—without the external divisions of old systems and societal programming—allows you to experiment with healthy scenarios for yourself with other adventurers who are willing to question, experiment, and co-create.
Some Walks We Take Alone
Wherever you go, there you are. This saying reflects our tendency to constantly want to be going places, as though escaping to a different location will change our reality. But no matter where we go or what we do, we take ourselves and all our baggage with us. When you feel restless or stressed, it might be helpful to channel your feelings into going inside yourself rather than filling your time with external distractions. Sometimes, you may just need a change of perspective, and that’s what many of us are being called to do now. We are relearning how to embrace joy and balance in our lives. This is an opportunity to question whether you’re being true to yourself or
compromising in some way. This journey asks you not to be afraid to be your true self and express yourself in whatever way feels healthy to you.
True freedom is experienced when you unleash your full potential by going deep into the corners of your mind and freeing it from the known. I hope that these words that were entrusted to me can help you apply practical ways of developing your personal power. The universe is here to give whatever level of push you may need, so you can move in whatever direction you feel called to take.
Life is different for each of us. You are at your own stage of understanding why you’re here, and how to use the gifts you’ve been given. It is the trek of a lifetime, and there is no overnight formula for success. It’s personal and fluctuates as you grow and learn how to nurture your body, mind, and soul. Nothing remains stagnant. There’s a physical and spiritual evolution that is unfolding when you become fully aware of reality and step into the unknown.
The true human journey is one of love, forgiveness, compassion, imagination, courage, and a deep connection to the intelligence of nature. The Greek philosopher, Plotinus, reminds us, “The stars are like letters that inscribe themselves at every moment in the sky. Everything in the world is full of signs. All events are coordinated. All things depend on each other. Everything breathes together.”
Through all of the knowing and unknowing, the visible and invisible, facts and mystery, loss and gain, sanity, and insanity of it all—you are here. While you may go to bed dreaming of paradise or wake up from a nightmare where you visited hell, you must always remember that every experience is an opportunity to understand your state of mind. For many of us who are busy living our lives or making a living, trekking into the unknown may mean being still—a place we’ve been unconsciously avoiding because we fear what we might discover.
Being yourself is a gift. When you choose to invest in yourself, you can also begin to transform your mental models by accepting that what seemed to work in the past may not be the healthiest way to engage in the future. You may have been taught not to burn bridges, but life teaches us that some bridges take us nowhere and that it might be more beneficial to abandon them altogether.
All you need to pack on your journey is curiosity and courage. A young person may decide that she wants to leave the big city she grew up in to create a community around a healthy way of living—which is also very ancient. Her dream may be to focus on regenerating the land by tapping into what’s truly essential in her life and those she cares for. It may be an extremely foreign choice for her family and friends to understand, and some may call her crazy, but it takes the crazy ones who marvel at the wonder of possibility to trek into the unknown. Our world is calling us to create individual and collective visions, aspirations, and realities that we have within us. We are being guided into the unknown to forge healthy paths, accept each other, respect varying perspectives and, above all else, to care deeply about ourselves, each other, and the planet.
When you accept that no one really knows what is best for you, things will break open and fall apart. Our culture has claimed that success can only be achieved when referring to decaying principles and obsolete ideologies, such as relying on authorities for answers instead of looking inward and asking yourself what feels healthy for me.
When you don’t comply with the status quo and societal norms, you’re often shamed, blamed, and ridiculed. Isn’t it interesting that you were most likely taught loyalty to others before yourself? Why have so many of us placed our faith, trust, and loyalty in the hands of politicians, business leaders, brands, influencers, philanthropists, musicians, movie stars, and celebrities? How could anyone, outside of you, possibly know what’s best for you? And why do you believe they have your answers? It’s healthy to shed limiting beliefs and the toxic people in your life who are holding you back. It’s healthy to abandon bridges that go nowhere and clear a path to trek into the unknown. There’s no manual where you’re headed, because you don’t need one to get to where you’re going. Curiosity, courage, and the mindset of an adventurer is all you’ll need to venture into a journey of a lifetime.
Trusting Ourselves Creates Alchemy and Synchronicity
We choose whether or not to consume healthy or unhealthy beliefs, foods, and products, and to excuse hurtful behaviors and allow people to treat us in healthy or unhealthy ways. Our beliefs, and the way we have been conditioned, help us justify these choices, while turning our backs on healthy behaviors, beliefs, and people that can enrich and support us. There are millions of reasons why we can’t align our minds with our hearts and continue to do what’s deemed “right” and “good” at our own expense. But once we become aware that there is another way, we must take responsibility for how our lives are orchestrated. Being responsible means that we’re fully accountable for whatever we create—be it healthy or unhealthy. There will be more revealed about this throughout the book as we explore the power behind being the architects of our own lives.
We have the power to choose to not be what others want us to be, regardless of how angry or disappointed they may become. Society, government, friends, and family seem to have a clear idea of how we should live our lives, but that doesn’t mean we must yield to that idea. When we choose a path, we learn whether it’s healthy or unhealthy for us, and continuously make course corrections and upgrades. When we continuously reach into the past and take the same paths we’ve always taken, we stay stuck in our rut and can only see the shadows reflecting in our caves. Life is for the living, and while there’s sadness, grief, and heartache, loneliness is a choice, as we explored in F*ck the Bucket List for the Soul. Life can also flow with abundance when we allow ourselves to experience health, joy, and play.
When you believe that you will never be or have enough— whether it’s money, food, emotions or something else entirely—you will experience thoughts and actions that stem from a place of lack. Unlike society, which teaches a scarcity-mindset, nature teaches us there’s enough for all of us as we experience the warmth of the sun, the radiance of colors, and the intelligence of trees and fungi beneath our very feet. In his book, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures, Biologist Merlin Sheldrake states that he was drawn to fungi because they consist of a variety of humble yet astonishingly versatile organisms. By simply doing what they do regularly, such as, “eating rock, making soil, digesting pollutants, nourishing and killing plants, surviving in space, inducing visions, producing food, making medicines, manipulating animal behavior, and influencing the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere, fungi are a truly fascinating thing. Fungi’s work is transformational—for instance, they turn biomass into soil and recycle dead organic matter back into organic life. They also
have a dark side, with poisonous varieties. And yet, they are mostly invisible to us.”
What mindset are you bringing with you every day? What baggage are you carrying around? Can you see what’s scarce or abundant in your life and the universe? You can look for the demons in the shadows, call out the evil ones, and judge yourself for not being good enough. Or you can become aware of what you’re creating and allow yourself to take a step into the unknown. As the architect of your life, you have the power to shift your thought process to better assess what and who is healthy or unhealthy for you. What type of life do you want to create? What world do you want to co-create? Here you now are—aware and curious enough to dare. What do you choose to bring with you on this journey and what will you leave behind?
Albert Einstein reminds us that, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.”
Are you ready to embrace your adventurous side and take a walk into the unknown?
Enjoy your adventure!
With deep gratitude,
The Universe with Ayelet