Bücher veröffentlicht von Outskirts Press

Little Eaglet wants to fly. She knows she must fly-after all, she is a baby eagle, and any eagle knows that she is the queen of birds! But the nest her parents built is high up on a mountain-and Eaglet has looked out over the edge of that nest. She has seen the valley floor far, far below. It is a pretty scary sight! Read this book to see the surprise story of how Mother Eagle teaches Eaglet to fly. It is not what Eaglet expected! But in the end, Eaglet learns to trust her mother, and also to trust the One who gave eagles the gift of flight.

Told against and woven into the backdrop of U.S. history, Broken Bloodline animates the trials and tribulations Italian immigrants as depicted by the fictitious Scallaci Family experienced in pursuit of the elusive American dream. Although the Scallaci journey began in 1893 during the mass European immigration, our plot encompasses: mounting uncertainties of the early 1900s, persecutions suffered amidst the 1910s, decadences embodied during the1920s, deprivations endured throughout the 1930s, brutalities inflicted within the bellicose 1940s, ascensions achieved during the booming 1950s and tumult  born of the 1960s. Broken Bloodline is narrated by anti-hero protagonist, eighteen-year-old Pasquale Patsy Scallaci as he recounts the Scallaci family odyssey as conveyed to him by his paternal grandfather, Pasquale. As the storyline unfolds, we are offered a bird’s eye view of Patsy’s transition from the uncertainties of youth to the confidence of manhood achieved and life-direction realized as vitalized via classic coming-of-age novels “Stand by Me” and “The Outsiders”. Patsy is an “every man”, at a crossroads between immaturity and maturity, caught at the nexus of adolescence and adulthood. His journey will be familiar to readers of classics “Catcher in the Rye” and “A tree grows in Brooklyn”. His final destination will tear at your heart and leave you yearning for more! This book opens during the summer of 1969, but fluidly traverses through the 20th Century and culminates back in ‘69. Patsy’s story begins in the Bronx., but storyline venues seamlessly transition to Italy, New York City, Viet Nam, the Adirondacks in upstate NY, France, Germany etc. Our narrative provides an insider’s perspective into the joys and difficulties of cultural integration. This primary can best be described as a blend of two novels, “The Godfather II “and “Once Upon a Time in America.” There are nine primary characters, Patsy, his father Vincenzo, grandfather, Pasquale, great uncle, Natale, his love interest, Laura, his “uncle” Johnny Muller, Johnny’s older brother, Dr. Carl, and Otto, caretaker of the Muller country Estate, and Jack Nulty, the NYPD detective. Vincenzo, the father-figure, Natale and Pasquale embody and vitalize the saga of U.S. history as seen through the eyes of immigrants. An assorted ensemble of supporting personalities brings intrigue, amusement, and excitement to the storyline. Secondarily, an underlying “whodunnit" subplot unveils a tale of serial murder, intrigue, and resurrection from the abyss of an uncertainty shrouded in mystery to the jubilance of recognizing a self-worth built upon the backbone of ancestry, buttressed by the foundation of family loyalty. It is the trail of the Broken Bloodline.  This substory text presents as an amalgam of two novels,” The Boys from Brazil” and “Then There Were None”.

A suspicious death in a desert town plunges the victim''s sister and the small-town reporter into a conspiracy that spans decades back to testing of the atomic bomb during World War II. As they struggle to uncover the truth, they place themselves in ever-increasing danger at the hands of an invisible enemy with unlimited resources.This book offers a glimpse of 1980s life in America during the Cold War. The world was very different before the internet fundamentally changed it and before 9/11/2001 changed it again.

Thirty-three Victories and Counting (The Life and time of Oblt Kurt (Robert Wilhelm) Wolff) Part One by Thomas CreanHere is the life of Kurt Wolff, a World War One German fighter pilot, with 33 enemy aircraft victories to his credit, wearier of Germany's highest award for bravery - the Order 'Pour le Mérite' along with the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. The book beings from his birth on 06 Feb 1895, his earlier upbringing, the loss of his Father and mother while at a young age and having to live (along with his two sisters) with this Aunt in Memel, Germany until his enlistment in the German Army Active service in Berlin to become an officer candidate attached to the Eisenbahn-Regiment IV on 07 Mar 1914 at the age of 19.The First World War (Great War) began as of 28 June 1914 and young Kurt Wolff marched off to the Western Front with his railway construction company as a Gefreiter (Corporal) into the war and was later promoted to Officer Cadet on 04 Aug 1914.After requesting and being selected, he began his flight training in Germany and was assigned to F.E.A. 1 located at Nieder-Neuendorf Military Aviation School until he completed/passed his flying tests and then was transferred on 1 Oct 1915 to an Army Flug (Aviation) Park (AFP) to await reassignment to a flying unit.All pilots in the German Air Force, before they got to wear the 'official' flying badge, were required to be a pilot in a bomber squadron to accumulate 40 operational combat missions. He and his observer believed that they had scored two victories over the enemy but as they could not be confirmed they were dis-allowed. He completed this on 5 Mar 1916 and then moved on to more advanced pilot training to become a fighter pilot.On 12 Oct 1916 Ltn. Wolff was assigned to Jagdstaffel (JASTA) 11 ('No. 11 Fighter Squadron') as a fighter pilot which was formed earlier that month at the La Brayelle/Douai airfield and flew a Halberstädter D.II single-seater with a big "W" on the side panels indicating who the pilot was.This book contains lots and lots of photo's, maps from the time as well as a documented gemological information about Kurt Wolff, his family and the pilots he met and flew with all the way up to 1 May 1917, where Book 2 will continue until he his shot down on 15 Sept 1917 and beyond.

Old Mrs. Lonely Knows is the story of Kathleen Longley, a college professor who quits her job at a small college in Bridgetown, Pennsylvania, to escape the pressure created by a difficult department head, and to spend more time with her husband. Unfortunately, after a short peaceful time together, her husband dies suddenly in his sleep of a heart attack. What follows for Mrs. Longley is a dark period of depression and anxiety in which she turns to alcohol to help her through the pain and desperation. The deepening dependence on alcohol eventually leads to the brink of suicide. Awakening in the dark during a severe winter blizzard, Mrs. Longley cries out to the universe for help, knowing she has reached the end of her rope. During the long fight that follows, she seeks medical and emotional help, settles old scores with hateful and difficult neighbors, and deals with the anger and grief at losing her husband. As she heals, she opens herself to the idea of finding love again, adopts an abused dog, and attempts to rescue a young boy from a dark and mysterious situation that puts her own life in danger. What does Old Mrs. Lonely Know? When the answer comes unexpectedly, it is quite surprising, yet life enhancing.

Love has no age limits. Here is the story of love found, long held silent, and bursting forth in an unexpected gift two very special people experienced when they least expected that life held anything so spectacular for them. Age is forgotten and youth is remembered in a life story filled with surprise, celebration and unbridled joy.

The turmoil that we see in the Catholic Church today begins to unravel in an idyllic Polish Catholic Church in Detroit, Michigan in the 1950’s. A priest’s body found hanging in a church belfry appears to be an apparent suicide but evolves into an investigation of suicide, accident, or possibly murder.Father John Paziek, a battle-hardened World War II former chaplain is the assistant pastor at Saint Francis Church.  As he assists the police into what happened, he seeks help from an unlikely source – Calvin Teasley, the operator of a blind pig in the black ghetto of Detroit.Father John is also solicited by the Detroit Archdiocesan Bishop to seek out other priestly problems in the Church. Conflict with the Bishop’s goals to protect the Church clashes with Father John’s goals of protecting any possible victims. A baroque painting in the Bishop’s study takes on a symbol representing the story and the conflict in the Catholic Church.  

Kay Bryant was an educator for 32 years with both a B.S. and a M.S.  Degree in Education, and an additional degree in ESL (English As A Second Language).  She has taught elementary school, at the university level, and traveled throughout the United States as an ESL Teacher Trainer for EF International. She was Director of a Berlitz Language School in the Los Angeles area for 6 years.  Kay and her husband are retired and live in Tehachapi, CA. where Kay is a Women's Bible study teacher – something for which she has a passion.  Previously published books are “Let's Talk,” an ESL Curriculum guide written for and used by EF International for some years, and “Kathryn, A Missouri Girl,” a book based on true stories for girls ages 7-12.My Promised Life was inspired by trying to make memorizing scripture easier.  With an alphabetized list of God's Promises, the inspiration led to a devotional book.  Each week you memorize one promise and have 5 devotionals, including many scripture verses per day, centered around that promise.  By the end of 26 weeks, you will have memorized at least 24 promises. The intent is to create a desire for delving into God's word and studying it and memorizing scripture to be able to draw upon at any time, so that God's word would be in your heart and mind.

If I want to get good writing from students, any students, I need to give them an object-something they can touch or hold or see. There is something almost magical about writing when a physical object is involved. Some of the best writing I have received from students has come from peanuts, acorns, shoes, stones, sticks, keys, boxes, or pictures. As writers, we need to engage our senses to make our writing real. Something happens when multiple parts of the brain engage in the writing process. Depth occurs. True creativity emerges. Writing, its joy and fun and wonder, simply happens.I hope to equip you with a few things that have provided fun and joy in writing in my classroom, prompts that have consistently resulted in writing-worth-reading. In most cases, these prompts require a number of objects, so planning ahead is encouraged. I hope that I can help you and your students find joy in this complex process, because writing is work. Then, once the joy is found, you and your students can put this newfound love of words into different forms for different purposes.

These poems might help your troubled soul by revealing life''s many different paths, from life, beauty, and death. The author has drawn from his life''s many different issues and his renewed faith in God; to help steer your soul and to show you the greatness of God''s world, and how all too often we fail to see them until it''s too late.

The Educating All Students (EAS) exam is taken by all teachers who are becoming certified in New York State. Our materials will help teachers from all disciplines prepare for this challenging test with its many diverse topics. Practice questions, detailed answer explanations, samples of well-executed writing and a complete practice test are included.

Poignant, sobering, and informative, picture books are short enough to illustrate a point and entertaining enough to drive a message home; they can be used at any academic level, most surprisingly, they are very effective in grades 5-12!In Picture Books for Middle and High School? Are You Kidding?, Liz Knowles, EdD, uses her 45 years as a teacher, professor, and school administrator, with graduate degrees in reading and curriculum development, to review over 525 titles categorized by subject: science, history, language arts, math, the arts, and character.Picture Books for Middle and High School? Are You Kidding? is a reference book perfect for teachers of students in grades 5–12, college professors who teach teachers, librarians (school, public, and university), parents and parents who homeschool, reading specialists, and child psychologists.

A family story about Mya, a 4 year old preschooler, that reflects with her parents on what are the qualities that make her unique. She discovers that what made her unique is not only her interesting characteristics but is also in how she was born into this world through in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.

Paradise Lost Through Domestic Abuse and Violence: Professional Insight Into a Dark World is a book that provides clinical insight into the destructive dynamics of domestic violence and intimate partner violence from years working with abusers and victims. Real life cases that involved intimate partner homicide, chocking, assault, threats, stalking, intimidation, suicide, property destruction, control, and aggression are presented to help with understanding how this hidden social problem destroys lives and ends relationships. The effects on victims such as injuries, depression, anxiety, fear, post-traumatic stress, self-esteem, insomnia, hypervigalence, and isolation are identified with emphasis on the healing process. Resources for victims are presented to increase their safety. Effects on children witnessing or being victimized by domestic violence is depicted in chapter 5. Strengths and challenges of agencies that work with intimate partner violence like law enforcement, courts, or probation departments will be explored. High risk factors for continued abuse and violence are identified in detail. The potential for change in abusers to increase safety with their partners and families is very controversial and information is presented to gain insight into whether or not this is possible. The majority of cases presented in this book involved abuse and violence that resulted in arrest. In addition to anecdotal information gained from close to thirty years of clinical practice, many statistics are provided to help readers understand why abuse occurs and how to stop it. The details of intimate partner violence presented are destructive, chilling, and real.

Forgotten But Not Gone is an interwoven story about a married housewife and part-time librarian living in coastal Massachusetts in 1965 She is happy and very active in her life there. However, she has a background that no one knows about except her husband, George, and even he doesn’t know anywhere near the whole story. He knows that she has amnesia about her early childhood, but very little else. All Liz really remembers is that, at the age of about fourteen or fifteen, she found herself running, panicked, down an Appalachian mountainside. She had no idea then, nor did she now have any memory of what had happened before that, what she was running from, or what had frightened her so much. Now she seldom thought about it. She had managed to get on with her life and what was past was past. That is, until, one day a strange letter arrives in her mailbox. It appears that someone know things about her that she doesn’t even know, and it frightens her. Not long after, other occurrences begin, and they escalate more and more in intensity and danger. She is sure all this has to do with the past she can’t remember, and she begins to fear for her life. She has had, ever since she can remember, some silver teaspoons with initials engraved on them, and a diamond ring, but she has no idea whose they were or what the initials mean. Did she steal them? Is someone finally going to find her? Then a teaspoon exactly like hers turns up in the collection of a friend. Where did she get it? How are they connected?Still, try as she might, all she can remember is that she ran until she came across a hardscrabble farm, where an elderly couple took her in. They treated her like the daughter they had lost. She stayed and worked the farm with them until, after a few years, they died, one shortly after the other, and she was forced to leave the only home she remembered to go out on her own with few resources and little education. The years following were years of hard work and night school. The story weaves back and forth between the present, Liz revealing more of her past, a mysterious man who has come to town with a vengeance, and a young woman who has in her possession another of the silver spoons. All comes together at the end with a terrible fire, and the truth comes out.

IS GENEALOGY DESTINY?Many of us come to adulthood with little or no thought, or understanding, as to who our parents and grandparents really were and how they became that way. Yet we’re often ready to give them blame or praise them for the effects they had on our lives.How Long A Shadow explores these questions and the effects of character and behaviors as they manifest themselves over time.With one hundred and fifty years of Chicago history as the background, How Long A Shadow entwines the stories of three generation of Cullerton men as each chooses how they will deal with family, marriage, and fatherhood, and each other. Moving from the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918, through the Covid 19 coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the shadow of “that man,” Edward Patrick Cullerton seems to always be just ahead of Jimmy and then his son Kevin.

Hitchcockian suspense with an unexpected twist!    “Harvest Moon Wish and Other Short Stories” delivers plot twist endings, tales of mystery, suspense, love, and magic that will transport readers to worlds of intrigue they will never want to leave. "Fall" stirs readers’ emotions like no other short story, and leaves them wanting to read more. “Returning a Favor” sends chills up and down the spines of readers in the mood for a mystery. Romance and mystery abound in this book of fictional short stories that positively haunts readers for years to come. This collection takes the reader into characters' life experiences, spanning time and continents from birth to death and beyond those boundaries.   “Mallory” manifests a small town’s resident paranormal expert who goes missing. Perhaps the expert’s delving into other worldly realms unveils a macabre truth. The result is a terrifying conclusion for the reader to decide.“Lilah’s Handheld Pies” portrays a God-fearing, churchgoing woman of means whose business ambitions leave her fiancé choking.  “The Swimmer” splashes through life’s hurdles in a way that most readers can relate. She takes on the negativity implanted in her consciousness by others, and slashes through one belief after another. The resolution to her quest for positive life affirmation transpires in a suspenseful twist.  “Harvest Moon Wish” offers romantic suspense for two lonely people who make the same wish upon a brilliant harvest moon. They live far apart, unknown to each other. Readers who yearn for love will enjoy the journey of two people who also seek it.     “Maurice Hooker,” a forty-eight-year-old mechanic has a nervous habit of throwing lit matches on the ground. When his truck stop begins to boom, Maurice becomes edgier than ever, and cannot stop his old habit. “Out of Hock” features the owner of a roadside diner. She lives in dreaded hock to a surly pawn broker. The whiskey on his breath with a side of what she owes him has become too much for her to endure.        “Fall” depicts a mysterious mandolin player whose melancholy music circles the watchtower in a fishing village. The music serves as a counterpoint to a dark curtain of cloud over the entire enclave, and the malaise of the day. Emotions run high when the music stops.  “Returning a Favor” by a svelte redhead wearing a black dress and spiked high heels begs further investigation. As her heels click down the hallway, she cracks the door open. Take a look inside with her.   “Room 42” where secrets await discovery. Sipping wine while cruising the Rhine, savoring Belgium chocolates, and dancing to an Austrian waltz are some of the delicacies for enjoyment. The door is unlocked. Enter.          “The Dance” showcases a lithe female draped in a flowing, translucent gown. She glides across the slick marble entry in one motion. Suddenly, she takes a surprising turn in a tango.  Sixty stories of suspense, laughter, love, heartbreak, curiosity, mystery, and magic unfold in "Harvest Moon Wish and Other Short Stories." In the flavor of O. Henry with Alfred Hitchcock’s flair for suspense, readers who relish twists, turns, and the unexpected should find these tales engaging, challenging, and enjoyable. Readers will relate to these stories, love the plot twists, and reread "Harvest Moon Wish and Other Short Stories" again and again.

After "Hobby Trumps Heartache" launched last year the Broken Giant series, Pat Clisham brings another stunning first-person narrative portrait of the heart and soul of the life story of an aging man whose end is near. And it isn''t pretty. Kenny Duggan, a Maryland kid athlete from nothing, becomes something of a success in the business big leagues . Kenny traces for us his humble roots laced with his secret search for sanity as a youngster. Does family trauma wound us forever? Or does family trauma drive us to succeed? Or is history destined to repeat itself in our quest for fame, fortune, pride, recognition, status or cash? In what dimension of living does a child of the 50''s learn to reach contentment in old age? Whether it is his struggles with alcohol or his continuous climbing the mountain of surviving in the rough and tumble of car sales, Duggan allows us to see, up close and personal, every twist and turn of turmoil with the odds stacked against him from 1st grade on. This touching memoir of Kenny''s life is the unvarnished truth about how you maybe get in life what you put into it. And if you build effective resources, life has a way of rewarding you. And if you don''t, "Tomorrrow''s Sorrows" may hold sharp edged outcomes. Clisham once again offers us a comprehensive take on an Everyman, the good, the bad, the ugly, and then some. The depth of pain and honesty or even grit from this true story rarely are revealed among today''s barrage of instant information about politics, sports, or entertainment figures which blur the high hurdles of the millions who live away from Main St. or the glare of lights.

“You simply cannot forget Regret!”In our lives, we will all face Remorse and Regret for something we did or didn’t do, something we said or didn’t say and now, years later, this cancerous emotion creates a heartburn of guilt that no pill can remove from our souls. Most people futilely attempt to try to forget their actions of the past and brush their regretful deeds under the carpet. Yet some the particles of guilt show from underneath and, like Martin Hicks, a successful published New York Times Best Selling Author, he finds himself suddenly thrust into a new world order of Regret beyond what he ever imagined when he awoke that November morning. The emotional reality dictates what we really feel and what could have been avoided had we decided to act or speak differently, yet sadly, it usually is too little and too late. The misty Manhattan cold November rain, in the back of a small postage stamp size cemetery directly behind the aging 170-year old Catholic church, is center stage for Martin Hick’s newly found guilt bubbling inside him. The teardrops of rain drip from the silver casket, as he stands at the grave of a past mentor, a teacher whose guidance changed his life. He would not be who he is without that influence. Yet, almost 20 years after graduating from her classroom, he never thanked her or told her how much her guidance altered his course in life. Standing at her grave, what continues to run through his mind, is his mentor’s famous “Young Minds’ speech, given in daily-doses to encourage the future life path of her students. And, yet, he never once returned to his school and expressed his appreciation. Martin’s increasing remorse gets the better of him as he thinks of his teacher. He realizes he must find a way to remove this stain of guilt now branded on his soul and so a journey begins that not even he could have imagined had he written it in one of his best-selling mystery fictions. Martin’s intended journey of turning remorse into redemption, is anything but a smooth and easy pathway. In fact, it quickly becomes the defining journey of his 34-year old life. He stands at the door of an empty home, the owner, nowhere to be found, having moved away to be with her father in heaven. All that remains is the house she once lived in. And, with his knock never answered, the only thing greeting him at the front door is Remorse and Regret.

On a radiant summer day in 2018, an orca named Tahlequah gave birth to a female calf off the coast of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. The calf was emaciated, lacking enough blubber to stay afloat, and she only lived for 30 minutes. Tahlequah placed the baby on her head, and with the members of her pod, she swam for 17 days, covering 1,000 miles before releasing her into the sea.   Whale of Wonder is the dramatized story of this true-life odyssey, told through a dialogue between the mother orca and her curious son, who keeps asking, “Why, Mama?” Young readers will discover how Tahlequah expresses her maternal love, her grief, and slowly overcomes her loss to celebrate life again. This unique story opens a window to the majestic orcas and their complex emotional lives.   The Afterword presents information about orcas in general and the specific culture of the Southern Residents. It unveils Tahlequah’s life with the members of her pod in the Salish Sea, emphasizing the plight these orcas—close to extinction—are facing.

The Personal Financial Survival Guide is an informative guide to managing your personal financial affairs.  It serves as a lifelong reference to your personal financial activities and helps to improve your lifestyle by offering suggestions to ease financial concerns throughout your life.  This book is segregated into three important parts.Part One introduces a financial overview with specific ways to manage your spending.  Specific suggestions offered will help you save money.  Detail discussions cover purchasing many types of insurance, buying/selling an auto and a home, mortgages, college savings and retirement considerations.  A money saving checklist is included.Part Two provides an overview to investments, asset allocations, types of investments: cash, money market accounts, annuities, savings bonds, treasury bonds, mutual funds and ETF's, corporate and tax free bonds, common and preferred stocks, rental properties, limited partnerships and private investments, jewelry, starting/buying a business.Part Three provides advice on other financial aspects of your life discussing exposure to liability, contingent liabilities, documenting your financial affairs, income taxes, choosing others to assist you in financial decisions, health care, estate considerations, aging and end of life decisions.Appendixes provide worksheets for budgeting, asset overview and multiyear income projections and asset allocations including by maturity and geographic location.The author wrote this book to provide financial guidance to his children and grandchildren.  It contains many lessons learned the "hard way" and was written in an effort to help his family learn from his experiences.

In 1959, George Triffon, a young man with 20/20 vision and a promising future, was driving home from church when a car hit him from behind. It was just an ordinary car accident, and he was even able to drive himself home. A few weeks later, he noticed some small, dark spots in his vision, and that was the beginning of a long, devastating journey as he began to slowly lose his eyesight. He would spend the next several years traveling to different eye specialists and hospitals around the US, where he was subjected to a handful of painful ineffective procedures. George was just beginning his career and had just started a family when his world was turned upside down by a string of events that left him completely blind at the age of 31. He was faced with the challenge of learning how to do everything again, but this time without the gift of sight, which so many of us take for granted. He wrote Threshold to Darkness in an effort to remember every detail of this pivotal time in his life, which not only changed his life, but also the lives of everyone around him.

It hung from a leafless flowering stem. I clipped it loose still dangling from the reed. Arching in a Mason jar against the rim, The cocoon hangs from a butterfly weed.  Clearly a Monarch through the aqua clear. Developing wings folded in orange and black. Day after day as it grew to me dear. A week and three days it began to unpack.  Unfolding wings as it walked from palm to palm. Calmly it climbs back onto the glossy jar. Through my reflection I can see its charm. The ride we take in the car is not far.  In this butterfly the reflection is me. Over forested Lakes, I tossed it free.Wesley Dale Willis was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. After high school, he worked in his home state as a corrections officer, in the railroad industry in Wyoming and Utah, and then returned to Missouri, where he has driven a tanker truck for a transport company for the last ten years. In 2003, he received an International Library of Poetry Laureate Certificate. When he’s not writing, Wesley enjoys hunting and was surprised to learn that Daniel Boone, his childhood hero, was his ninth great-grandfather. Supererogatory of Poetry is his debut poetry collection—powerful poems inspired by lost love, first love, war, nature, beauty, humor, and death, and so much more.

When in Russia, Speak Like a Russian contains over 1600 Russian proverbs with set Russian phrases that are most commonly used by native speakers in everyday conversation, public speaking, and mass media. All Russian phrases are placed in Russian alphabetical order by their first word, appear in boldface type and have stresses. Each Russian phrase presents a full sentence which can be used exactly as it is in a particular situation and has: • Literal translation.   • American equivalent(s).   • Explanation of the meaning and usage.   • Identification whether it is a proverb, a saying, a quotation, a colloquialism or a slang expression.   • A helpful index of the American phrases.   • An appendix with methodological recommendations for Russian instructors with in-class activities and activities for homework. Many phrases come with synonyms and additional cultural information.

Being born and raised in San Antonio, TX, football wasn''t just a weekend game. My friends and I played football every day of the week and watched it twice on Sunday. Two Texas teams occupied our TV. One team wearing a "Star" on their helmet, with the other team sporting a "rig". We spent Saturdays watching burnt orange "steer" or maroon and white "farmers," hoping one day to sign a letter of intent to step onto those storied fields. And Friday, the main event of the entire weekend, was a night filled with the greatest sights and sounds of my childhood. The smell of freshly cut grass, the exuberance of the marching band, the rattling of the bleachers and the roaring of the home crowd. In my thirty-six years on earth, that home crowd has been in Converse, TX, home to one of the state''s most celebrated and imitated football programs ever, the Judson Rockets. I grew up idolizing those guys, never wanting anything else but to play and win a championship like the teams I watched as a kid. While many of my peers were playing catch under the bleachers, I was focused on the game and what was happening on the field. And I guess it started there, as a young kid watching the best high school team in the state of Texas, fully obsessed with every aspect of the game. This trip down memory lane is for the avid football fanatic, and anyone who grew up in Texas during the 80s and 90s.

Nepal. The roof of the world. Filled with sparkling rivers that flow through an undulating and breathtaking landscape of pure grandeur and marked by a string of enigmatic mountains dominated by the majestic Everest. This is the setting for Karki’s story. She guides us through this fascinating country of her childhood, early education, and her evolution from teenage into adulthood.Born and raised in Nepal, educated in Australia, and now living in the United States, author Karki, like you, is on a quest for meaning. One of the fundamental truths she confirms in these pages is that we’re all members of the same human family.She explains her metamorphosis as she takes us on her odyssey to some of the world’s remotest villages as an International Red Cross staff member. There she learns that to survive and thrive we must battle our common enemies of poverty, disaster, and disease instead of each other.The titles of some of her chapters denote the romanticism of her tale. As you join her incredible literary journey, you experience the Color of Emotions and traverse the Steppes of Dolpo. You will also meet people with Lost Limbs, but for whom Hope Remains. With The Fragrance of Mugu you’ll encounter Uninvited Guests who are welcome nonetheless. And yet, When Nature Goes Mad, you’re still adorned with the Garland of Rainbows, which the centrifugal forces Inside Singha Durbar (the seat of government) could not affect. When you think you’ve finally come to the end of Karki’s colorful account, you will have reached The Beginning of a Different Dream!As Karki illustrates in this book, we must demonstrate empathy, honor, and courage to live a meaningful life. If we do, we can experience our own metamorphosis and join her in saying, “I had the honor of doing God’s work.”

Martha''s Vineyard Burning: A Tragicomedy Memoir of Drugs, Sex & Arson is the coming-of-age story of David Duarte, a second-generation son of Martha''s Vineyard who also descends from Portuguese whalers first arriving in the area in the 1800s. Along with coauthor Ginger Martin, Duarte chronicles the pitfalls and obstacles he overcame without the help of a male mentor. Humans have the ability to do horrible things to fellow humans, but Martha''s Vineyard Burning reminds readers that we''re never alone, no matter how much we may feel we are, in times of deep pain. Eventually, it will all turn out for the best, a lesson Duarte can see clearly now, after seventy-nine years on one of the most unique islands in the world.

This book is about the life of an African American boy growing up on farms mostly in eastern North Carolina, in the nineteen forties and fifties. He began working at age four, taking on tasks that should have been reserved for adults. With only internal personal resistance, he managed to emerge maybe not unscathed, but more resilient and determined. Through his various experiences, he managed to develop a sound philosophy for interpreting his environment. The author set out to write a book geared to black youth, with the intent of providing them with a history of their ancestors. The thinking was that they would be able to understand in more detail their history, and thus connect to an ongoing struggle for equality. The author’s goal was achieved. However, it was accompanied by a pleasant and unexpected bonus. The bonus was the fact that it reaches well-beyond black youth. It reaches all youth, plus all adults. This book provides lessons in humility, respect, commitment, temperance, patience, and careful thought.