Collection: Adult

Trapped in an abusive marriage, Annie realizes that she is powerless, with no way out. While her closest friend faces breast cancer, she is strengthened by the humorous stories and endearing wisdom of Aunt Pearl, who refers to breasts as dinners. Both she and her friend find that self-esteem comes from more than appearance and that some of the best sermons come from places other than church. As she writes and speaks her writing, Annie learns that letting go of the past is key to changing the future as she strives, for herself and her daughters, to break a cycle of abuse.

Set in 1990 Western North Carolina, this is a story of womanhood, sisterhood, and reclaiming one's voice.

One secret. Two lives forever changed.

Stephanie grew up cherished yet haunted by questions no one would answer. Carmine's life, in contrast, was marked by tumult, loss, and an unrelenting search for belonging. They lived as strangers, unaware of each other's existence-until fate, and a single phone call brought the truth crashing in. Their discovery binds them in an instant-and alters everything. What the Heart Carries traces their breathtaking discovery and the devastating tragedy that followed.

At once a story of grief and of redemption, it asks: How do we begin to heal when everything we know is torn apart? Spanning from Brooklyn's tight-knit neighborhoods to the sun-soaked streets of Florida, this is a powerful novel of family secrets, faith, and the unbreakable ties of blood. Inspired by true events, it is a story that will linger in your heart long after the final page.

Turn your inner critic into your startup's unfair advantage.

Every founder wrestles with the same hidden battle: comparison, contradiction, and the fear that this might be the time they blow it.

Adam Crawshaw has lived that loop--the anxiety, the constant recalibration, the quiet dread between milestones. The Doubt Loop is the manual he wishes he had then: a brutally clear field guide for founders who can't afford to self-destruct.

Equal parts memoir and operator playbook, The Doubt Loop reframes hesitation as data--something to decode, not drown in. With raw stories, sharp frameworks, and zero fluff, Crawshaw breaks down how to spot when doubt is warning versus when it's waste.

It's not a pep talk. It's a system for turning your second thoughts into first principles--and for leading with steadier judgment when everything feels uncertain.

In a world often driven by metrics and performance, The Lighthouse Keeper presents a compelling parable that highlights the significance of light, legacy, and leadership. Through the experiences of Charlie, readers are encouraged to contemplate the essence of purposeful leadership, the importance of steadfastness, and the value of serving with humility. This narrative resonates with a diverse audience, extending beyond educators and managers to anyone aspiring to be a guiding light in their community, workplace, or family.

As Charlie faces various challenges, the story unfolds with profound insights into what it truly means to lead. Each chapter reinforces the idea that authentic leadership is not defined by titles or recognition but by the positive influence one has on others. The Lighthouse Keeper underscores the necessity of resilience, empathy, and the commitment to support those who look up to you.

This book serves as a source of inspiration, urging readers to maintain their inner light not just for personal gain but for the benefit of those who follow. It calls upon individuals to recognize their potential as leaders, encouraging them to take action and make a meaningful impact. The Lighthouse Keeper is more than a mere tale; it is a roadmap for anyone eager to brighten the world around them, nurturing a legacy filled with hope and inspiration. Join Charlie on this transformative journey and uncover the leader that resides within you.

One in six American women will be the victim of sexual assault in her lifetime.

This is one woman's story-and a roadmap for healing.

When Julie Weil was violently abducted and raped in front of her young children in 2002, her world imploded in a single afternoon. For four years, she endured not only a legal gauntlet that would have broken most families but the emotional aftershocks of trauma that rippled through every part of her home. When her attacker received seven life sentences for the crimes against her family, Julie believed her battle was finally over.

It was only beginning.

The verdict did not end the story.

As she fought to heal, Julie uncovered a troubling reality. Evidence sat untested. Survivors were retraumatized by broken procedures. Systems meant to protect were often failing the very people they were designed to serve.

What began as one woman's pursuit of justice grew into a mission far beyond her own case. Over the next two decades, she worked alongside law enforcement, sexual assault nurse examiners, forensic professionals, and legislators to improve evidence testing, strengthen survivor-centered response, and bring meaningful reform to communities in the United States and abroad.

But this story is about more than reform.

It is about loss and rebuilding. It is about the devastating aftermath of trauma, the nightmares, the PTSD, the way violence reshapes entire families. It is about faith tested and strengthened. It is about the courage to speak truth and walk the long road toward accountability so that others may not have to walk it alone.

A memoir of resilience, reform, and the ripple effect of one voice refusing to be silent.

Julie Weil is a survivor advocate, international speaker, and founder of the Not Just Me Foundation. Following her assault in 2002, she helped advance rape kit reform legislation at the state and federal levels, contributed to the passage of the SAFER Act, and worked alongside forensic professionals and lawmakers to strengthen survivor-centered response in the United States and abroad. She has been featured on national media outlets, including CNN and C-SPAN, and was honored with the Carrie Morgan Whitcomb Award for her leadership in forensic reform.

For decades, the global economy relied on a quiet set of assumptions: stable climate conditions, cheap capital, predictable demographics, and incremental change.

Those assumptions no longer hold.

Today, climate risk, rising interest rates, aging infrastructure, and shifting demographics are colliding inside commercial real estate and the banking system. Insurance markets are retreating. Commercial loans are resetting at valuations that no longer work. Financial institutions are managing systemic risk with frameworks built for a calmer era.

These pressures are not isolated. They are compounding.

The Storm examines how climate change, commercial real estate exposure, distressed debt, and financial market cycles are converging into a single structural event - one hiding in plain sight.

Drawing on decades in mortgage portfolios, asset management, and loss mitigation, Bill Bymel analyzes how banks, insurers, and investors can adapt before instability becomes crisis.

This book is not meant for panic, but rather for preparation.

Inside, you'll explore:

• The dismantling of post-2008 banking safeguards
• The impact of climate volatility on insurance and real estate markets
• The risks embedded in commercial loan portfolios
• Why traditional financial models no longer reflect today's systemic risk
• Practical strategies for resilient asset management and proactive loss mitigation

Storms expose weak structures and reward discipline.

The Storm is already here.

Whether it becomes a financial catastrophe or a catalyst for resilience depends on what leaders choose to acknowledge and how they respond.

Is your organization truly worthy?

Every Christian nonprofit leader dreams of receiving transformational gifts. But as Jim, Koen, and the Chrysalis team discover, these gifts don't come simply because of mission statements or good intentions. They are entrusted only to organizations and leaders who embody true worthiness-those who build deep relationships, inspire donor confidence, and honor every gift with faithful stewardship.

Through story and lived experience, Bryan guides us along the worthiness continuum. We see that it isn't enough for donors to believe in a vision; they must be convinced of the worthiness of the people who carry it forward. As Chrysalis pursues this journey, Jim learns to cultivate donor trust, create a culture of stewardship, and prepare the organization to handle gifts with integrity.

But the greatest revelation comes when Jim and Koen realize that organizational worthiness alone is not enough. The true key to unlocking lasting donor partnerships is personal transformation-the kind that shapes leaders into trusted guides who treat the donor as the hero of the story.

Will the team at Chrysalis rise to the challenge? Can they embrace the deeper call to personal and organizational worthiness that turns financial partners into lifelong champions? Their journey just might inspire your own.

Are you looking to reach your greatest potential at work?
Do you want to fast-track your career, make more money, or get promoted?
Do you wish you could take more pride in your accomplishments?

If so, it's time to KICK ASS AT WORK!


KICK ASS AT WORK is a collection of critical on-the-job lessons designed to help you master the seven aspects of work and accelerate your career success. It will teach you how to take pride in your work, earn the income you desire, achieve the advancement you seek, reach your full potential, and create the career of your dreams.

Packed with insight and humor-on everything from "Making a big win early on" to "Keeping the bitch switch off"-these forty business lessons provide you with clear strategies and actionable steps to take control of your career, perform better at your job, and enjoy your work more.

Whether you're entering the workforce, starting in a new role, or working towards a promotion, KICK ASS AT WORK will help you unlock your full potential and build a successful career!

Are you ready to kick ass at work?

Let's go!

You Are Not Alone

If you've ever felt unseen, exhausted, or overwhelmed as a caregiver, this book is for you.

Voices of Care: Real Stories to Inspire, Uplift, and Unite Caregivers is a moving collection of personal stories written by those who've lived the caregiving journey, especially those supporting loved ones with Alzheimer's, dementia, or chronic illness. From long nights filled with worry to quiet moments of connection and unexpected strength, these pages reveal the real, raw, and resilient voices of caregiving.

Each story is a reminder that you are not walking this path alone.

Through laughter, tears, and truth, these honest accounts offer comfort, courage, and community to anyone who has faced the emotional toll of caring for another.

Whether you're in the midst of caregiving or reflecting on your experience, this book offers validation, support, and hope. Because while caregiving may test your limits, it can also reveal your deepest

Contributing Authors:

Albert Bowers, Irie Clarke, Marilu Findley, Karen Emi Fujii, Habaka KFJ, Ann Hamer, Denise Nussbaum, Claudia Micco, Linda Becker Packman, Belia Paul, Carl Powell, Jill Roth, Phyllis Taylor, Mara Hoskin Wright.

At Penn State University, Molly Countermine's HDFS 129 course, Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies, has been beloved by thousands of students for over two decades. Being Human is essentially a compilation of the information she teaches in that class. Molly's charm is evident in the pages of this book, with personal anecdotes and tips for real-world application. Whether you're interested in learning more about human development, looking for a primer to navigate parenting and relationships, or just want to learn a little bit about what makes you the way you are, Being Human is an excellent place to start.

He's trying to outrun his past...

Penn Matthews is living beyond his wildest dreams. He's made it to the NHL, shares a swanky loft with his teammates, and best of all, he's able to support his little sister. Life is good, and his rocky past is finally behind him.

Until Hazel Palmer shows up at his door.

His downstairs neighbor is as feisty as she is gorgeous, and the type of woman he'd be very interested in-if he hadn't sworn off falling in love years ago. But when Penn finds out Hazel just got her heart broken by his longtime rival, he steps in to help.

...She wants revenge on her cheating ex

Hazel should be writing her dissertation, but it's hard to focus while dealing with betrayal, a breakup, and the constant distractions from her rowdy upstairs neighbor.

At first, she's convinced the tattooed hockey player in 3B is just another idiot playboy, but when Penn comes to her defense one night, the feuding neighbors realize they share a common enemy-and decide to get payback.

The plan is simple: Fake date to make her ex jealous, and get the jerk out of both their lives for good.

But when fake kisses turn into real connection and Penn's past threatens to catch up to him, what started out as sweet revenge soon escalates into risking everything...

Local governments across the country are facing a quiet but mounting challenge. Expectations continue to grow while revenues fluctuate, infrastructure ages, and deferred obligations accumulate. Leaders are asked to deliver more for their communities even as the fiscal realities beneath the surface become harder to ignore.

The Bison Principle is a call to lead with clarity, discipline, and courage.

Drawing on more than 20 years of field leadership and nearly two decades consulting with cities, counties, and special districts nationwide, Jamie Sabbach offers a candid and practical framework for confronting hard truths and making disciplined choices about public resources.

Written through the lens of parks and recreation-one of the most visible and widely valued services local governments provide-the book explores how quality-of-life services reveal deeper truths about leadership, priorities, and long-term responsibility.

Guided by the metaphor of bison running into the storm, fiscal responsibility is framed as an act of care and one that protects today's communities while strengthening tomorrow's.

Blending narrative, research, field experience, and strategic insight, The Bison Principle helps readers:

- Build shared clarity around purpose and priorities

- Apply the math that reveals what is sustainable and what is not

- Make transparent trade-offs rather than avoid them

- Strengthen trust through consistency and discipline

- Act decisively when the right decision is also the hardest one

This is not a book about doing more with less.

It is about doing what matters honestly, intentionally, and intelligently.

Whether you serve as a parks and recreation professional, city manager, elected official, consultant, board member, or engaged resident, The Bison Principle offers a path toward stronger decisions and communities that endure.

In the hands of author Elizabeth H. Cottrell, the handwritten note is set free from old-fashioned irrelevance to become a superpower tool for connecting and nourishing your personal and professional relationships. Heartspoken: How to Write Notes that Connect, Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire will guide you to uncovering your own unique note-writing "voice" and style...and give you the confidence to use it. Consider the flipping of a light switch. You can't see the electricity. You may not even understand how it works. But when power starts flowing through the open wire, it is nothing short of miraculous. She will show you how to find and flip that switch in your own note-writing. Grasp this beautiful process, and your writing will become alive, meaningful, and impactful in ways you never thought possible.