"Pharmakeia (far-mak-i-ah) Greek: the power of witchcraft/sorcery manifested in drug addiction.
Throughout history drugs were used with the specific intent of accessing the spirit realm. Today, unknown to most, dark spirits continue to patrol the perimeter seeking an entrance to the souls of all who partake of Pharmakeia.
College Freshman Joshua Mitchell's discovery of a shocking family secret creates a tremendous burden. Its weight proves too much for him to bear and the results are absolutely tragic. Meanwhile, his childhood friend, Ashley Wells has begun to feel she is losing a battle of her own, unable to let go of the pain of that fateful night. Both choose to fight past and present demons of addiction by dedicating their seemingly broken lives to helping others.
Behind it all, in the realm of the unseen, the Ruler of Darkness meets with demonic lords to discuss a threat to one of their greatest weapons. "Even as Pharmakeia reigns on many nations, there is an attempt to expose our campaign. We must offer our temptations with the greatest cunning. And remember the best lie is one told softly."

A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life.

In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.

Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.

'A powerful and honest account of love, grief and starting again, it's moving and sad, but also surprisingly funny. You'll love it.' Closer 'Devastatingly honest and deeply moving.' Daily Mail 'As inspiring as it is heartbreaking.' News of the World 'Gritty, honest and surprising . . . this moving, warts-and-all real-life story of a young woman's experience of crippling bereavement and her desperate attempts to move on is heartbreaking - but manages to be hopeful and optimistic at the same time.' Heat 'Molloy works through the seven stages of grief - with added Sambuca shots - before emerging as a more reflective person . . . While she probably shouldn't consider a career in the self-help industry, you can't help but feel glad that the end is also a new beginning.' London Lite My story begins where most women hope theirs will end - with a big, white wedding. After all, isn't that how every good fairy tale finishes? I thought so. And at 23, in love and engaged, it seemed my 'happy ever after' was secure... That is until the man of my dreams died three weeks into our marriage. Look at me now: a 23 year old widow. You'd never guess. I've learnt to hide it well. Because the way I saw it, there were only two options... A) Dress in black, become a recluse and watch my wedding video on a loop? OR B) Decide falling in love again is out of the question and choose an easy, uncomplicated alternative - sex... Funny, powerful, and painfully honest, WIFE, INTERRUPTED examines the complicated process of grieving - and proves that sometimes the most unthinkable things can be the most comforting.

The thrilling new book from Sheila Riley in her Liverpool Saga series 1916 LIVERPOOL Following the death of her father, Ruby Swift, and husband Archie finally move back into Ashland Hall. As the Great War rages, fathers and sons take the King's Shilling and head off to fight the unknown enemy, not knowing what horrors lie ahead. With Ned Kincaid in the Navy, Archie signs up to the volunteer constabulary and nurses Anna Cassidy and Ellie Harrington enlist to do their bit for King and Country. Soon the true casualties of war are being brought home in droves, Ruby converts Ashland Hall into an auxiliary hospital for wounded servicemen. It's not long before the true cost of war is brought closer to home and Anna and Ellie enlist in the British Military Nursing Corp and soon find themselves in the battlefields of France in search of the truth. But they soon discover more than they bargained for... Praise for Sheila Riley: 'A powerful and totally absorbing family saga that is not to be missed. I turned the pages almost faster than I could read.' Carol Rivers 'A fabulous story of twists and turns - a totally unputdownable, page turner that had me cheering on the characters. I loved it!' Rosie Hendry 'A thoroughly enjoyable, powerful novel' Lyn Andrews 'An enchanting, warm and deeply touching story' Cathy Sharp 'Vivid, compelling and full of heart. Sheila is a natural-born storyteller.' Kate Thompson 'This author knows the Liverpool she writes about; masterly storytelling from a true Mersey Mistress.' Lizzie Lane

In Losing Alicia, readers not only witness a father's struggle over the murder of his young, vibrant and beautiful daughter, but they walk with him through his agonizing grief after one of the most horrific tragedies in history, September 11, 2001.- Olga Bonfiglio is a freelance writer and author of Heroes of a Different StripeUnflinchingly honest, John Titus takes us on a journey from an unimaginable night of the soul to the realization that as long as we have faith and love, we are never alone.- David Potorti, Cofounder, September 11th Families for Peaceful TomorrowsThis book isn't the government or the media's take on 9/11, it's a father talking...with all the pain, eloquence and wisdom of a broken heart. For the real story of 9/11 - the human story - delve into Losing Alicia. If you read one book about 9/11, make it this one.- Marianne Williamson, New York Times best-selling author, international speaker

'Brown Baby is a beautifully intimate and soul-searching memoir. It speaks to the heart and the mind and bears witness to our turbulent times.' - Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other How do you find hope and even joy in a world that is prejudiced, sexist and facing climate crisis? How do you prepare your children for it, but also fill them with all the boundlessness and eccentricity that they deserve and that life has to offer? In Brown Baby, Nikesh Shukla, author of the bestselling The Good Immigrant, explores themes of sexism, feminism, parenting and our shifting ideas of home. This memoir, by turns heartwrenching, hilariously funny and intensely relatable, is dedicated to the author's two young daughters, and serves as an act of remembrance to the grandmother they never had a chance to meet. Through love, grief, food and fatherhood, Shukla shows how it's possible to believe in hope.

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award "Eva not breathing. Pray." That text message was Mel Lawrenz's entry into the harsh reality of losing his thirty-year-old daughter. Things would never be the same. How could he and his family cope with this devastating loss? In this narrative of grief, Pastor Mel Lawrenz chronicles how his family struggled to survive the sudden death of their beloved daughter. In raw, vivid episodes, he describes the immediacy of the pain and the uncertainty of what comes next. In the agony of traumatic loss, Lawrenz apprehends the realities of love and life and offers insights on how to navigate our life priorities before or after tragedy hits. You are not alone. You too can find a way forward.

Grief touches everyone of us during our lives and we all struggle to find ways to deal with it. "Grappling with Grief" looks at different ways of going through a loss of any kind -- the death of a partner, parent, friend, the loss of a job, the loss of an unborn baby. The author draws examples from her experience as a psychotherapist and counsellor and offers the readers the chance to learn about different ways of grieving, as well as make them see that they are not alone in their grief. The language is free of jargon and the book manages to tackle this difficult subject with the dignity it deserves. The author also offers practical information on the "symptoms" of people faced with loss, her view on the different cycles of grief as well as advice to people close to a grieving person."The areas I intend to cover are not an exhaustive look at grieving and mourning but more a number of reflections drawn from some thirty years of working as a therapist in a number of different settings. I intend to share with you some of the lessons that I have learned from being alongside others in their grief and indeed being with myself in my own. In so doing I hope that it may shed a little understanding on what may be happening to you as you grapple with grief. I do not claim that my observations have the rigor of academic research, they are but musings informed by years of practice, much training and reflection." -- From the Introduction

An inspiring, accessible, and empowering grief book for widows on how to navigate the unique challenges of widow grief and create a hopeful future. When Kristin Meekhof lost her husband to cancer, she discovered what all widows learn: the moment you experience the death of a spouse, you must make crucial decisions that will impact the rest of your life. But where do you begin when your world is suddenly turned upside down? This inspiring book on widowhood shows grieving widows what to expect in those difficult first five years, and how to deal with the challenges of expectantly losing a life partner, including: Finances, estates, and medical billsSingle parenthoodBeing a widow in the workplaceNavigating social situations by yourselfWith Meekhof's firsthand experience and gentle understanding, this healing after loss book goes beyond shining a comforting candle in the darkness of loss. It encourages those left behind to tackle the tumultuous and painful first five years and move to a more hopeful future. Praise for A Widow's Guide to Healing: "A very valuable and practical guide for any woman who has lost her husband due to an untimely death. Kristin Meekhof's journey is both inspiring and courageous and something we can all learn from." -Dr. Deepak Chopra "I'm proud of Kristin Meekhof, who has written this inspiring and insightful book to help guide widows through their grief. This book is by an Architect of Change, for all of us who must deal with grief." - Maria Shriver

This is a book that will be a great comfort to those who need it' Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent and Melmoth 'Unforgettable, necessary. This beautiful book is a map, compass and ration of courage for anyone arrived in the landscape of sudden loss. Full of love and learning' Tanya Shadrick In 2017, Sophie Pierce's life changed forever when her twenty-year-old son Felix died suddenly and unexpectedly. Thrown into an unimaginable new reality, she had to find a way to survive. By writing letters to Felix - composed during walks and swims taken close to his burial place by the River Dart - Sophie gradually learned how to live in the landscape of sudden loss, navigating the weather and tides of grief. The Green Hill collects these letters alongside Sophie's account of the years following Felix's death, into which she weaves poignant memories of his life. What results is a deeply moving, beautifully captured record of how - amid the rivers and rocks of Dartmoor, and in the sea off the South Devon coast - Sophie was able to hold on to and nurture her bond with Felix, both in her mind and through a physical engagement with the landscape: actively mourning, rather than grieving. This book is a celebration of the natural world and the role it plays in our lives and relationships, as well as an examination of how beauty, a sense of place and the passing seasons can help us contend with our own mortality. Above all, The Green Hill is one woman's story of navigating through trauma and loss, and towards a fragile, complicated kind of joy.

This book reviews the spectrum of death, from when the living person turns to corpse until the person lives in the memory of mourners, and its impact on the ecology of the socio-cultural community and physical environment. This book demonstrates that American society today is in a pivotal period for re-imaging end-of-life care, funerary services, human disposition methods, memorializing, and mourning. The editors and contributors outline the past, present, and future of death care rituals, pointing to promising new practices and innovative projects that show how we can better integrate the dying and dead with the living and create positive change that supports sustainable stewardship of our environment. Individual chapters describe prevailing practices and issues in different settings where people die and in postmortem rituals; disposition and current ecologically and, in urban areas, spatially unsustainable methods; law of human remains; customs and trends among key stakeholders, such as cemeteries and funeral directors; and relevant technological advances. The book culminates in a presentation of emerging sustainable disposition technologies and innovative designs for proposed public memorial projects that respond to shifting values, beliefs, and priorities among an increasingly diverse population. Demonstrates the centrality of death care-from the deathbed to rituals of commemoration and mourning-in our individual and communal life and cultures Reveals promising trends in human disposition, burial places, funerary officiant profession, technologies of memorialization, and grief therapy Addresses how COVID-19 has accelerated and highlighted the need to address our changing death-care landscape on every level Points to paradigm shifts in the U.S. population's value system and beliefs that will impact how we manage death care individually and communally Presents innovative design proposals showing how spaces of remembrance and ritual can be integrated with urban life

The Girlfriends Guide to Grief Overview"My loved one just died. What do I do now?" "My friend just lost her husband. What should I say to her?" "My husband just left me. How should I feel?"The Girlfriends Guide to Grief answers these questions and more. This book helps guide you through this time in your life. It also shows such things as: Feelings even your best friend can't understandWhat not to say to a grieving womanFeelings you don't even know you haveHow to help your loved ones help you