Parakeet Races and Other Stories is a memoir that recounts the challenges and escapades of a family of six children in the 1950's which faces the premature death of its mother. Always authentic, each self-contained story can be read in just a few richly rewarding minutes that may leave the reader laughing out loud, crying, or both. Together the stories recount the collective memories of a remarkable set of siblings, three boys and three girls, the father who gives it his very best, and the mother whom the children can barely remember. The stories explore the "mystery" of the mother's death and reflect how the death of a parent in that era was often a topic not to be discussed or processed. The author, Cindy Hall Ranii, is the oldest daughter in the Hall Family, and beyond sharing the memories of her childhood and that of her siblings, she also shares her experiences as a world traveler, first as a teenager in Finland, then as a college student in India and finally as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Iran. With her keen powers of observation and respectfulness of different cultures she gives the reader the opportunity to eavesdrop on other peoples and other places. In the final segment of Parakeet Races Dr. Ranii takes the reader into the world of disability. Stricken with Transverse Myelitis, a rare neuro-immunologic disorder, she went from playing golf one day to being paralyzed from the chest down four days later. Her accounts of this chapter of her life are told with the same delicious, rhythmic writing style as the other two segments of the book. The author skillfully weaves her stories from decade to decade, taking the reader on a journey that captivates, entertains and challenges.

The book was born out of the death of our precious daughter Kaye. Kaye lived a remarkable life and was an inspiration to many (none more so than I) what greater tribute then, than to continue that inspiration through her autobiography.

The word motivation has its origin in Latin moveres that means moving the act to motivate is to activate an internal impulse that leads to a specific action. A message of motivation has great power in the subconscious of anyone, she has the ability to direct the behavior of an individual awakening the desire, the hope, the desire, the longing to accomplish something, to achieve a goal, to move.

Ask yourself:
Do you believe that the other person is responsible for how you feel? Do their actions seem like a complete mystery? Are you ready to stop feeling angry or upset? Do you still feel hurt or sad? Are you ready to re-build the trust within this relationship? Have you made the decision to forgive? Are you haunted by something you said or did to another?
If you answered YES to more than one of these questions, then this book is for you "How To Forgive" will assist you in unraveling the past and help you to let go of the feelings which are holding you back. Forgiveness is a choice, but to forgive is not always easy. In fact, many people who would like to let go of anger and forgive are stumped with the question of how to forgive. This step-by-step guide will help you acknowledge your emotions and deal with the issues those emotions identify.
"Lynda Bevan offers an important contribution to the clarification of this emotionallyloaded term: 'forgiveness'. She offers a taxonomy of misdeeds and issues that require forgiveness and then proceeds with guidance on how to tackle and defuse these situations and even turn them around in one's favor. Bevan thus transforms forgiveness from a mere ethical or moral requirement to a pragmatic approach to the management of anger, pain, and abuse. I have rarely encountered so much useful content packed into so little a space: this book is a veritable energy drink "
--Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited"
By the author of the #1 Bestseller: "Life Without Jealousy"
Book #5 in the 10-Step Empowerment Series -- Learn more at www.LyndaBevan.com
Self-Help: Abuse - General

From the Waterstones Prize-shortlisted author of Our Castle by the Sea comes a gorgeously gothic story, perfect for fans of Emma Carroll and Frances Hardinge ... 'My book of the year. This is storytelling so secure and shining that you can almost feel the glow.' HILARY MCKAY, COSTA BOOK AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE SKYLARK'S WAR 'I absolutely love this book ... Lucy Strange is a wonderful, accomplished writer whose books stay with you long after you have finished reading.' NATASHA FARRANT, COSTA BOOK AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF VOYAGE OF THE SPARROWHAWK Life is hard for Willa, Grace and Freya, and their three younger sisters. Six motherless girls working a farm, living in fear of their cruel father and the superstition that obsesses him - The Curse of Six Daughters. With the arrival of the mysterious Full Moon Fayre, there's a chance for the eldest girls to steal a moment's fun, but the day the fayre moves on, Grace vanishes. Willa goes after her, following a trail that leads into the dangerous Lost Marsh, where it is said a will-o'-the-wisp lures lost souls into the dark waters of the mire. If Willa is to survive and reunite her family, she will need to unravel the secrets her father has kept hidden, and face her own deepest fears ... The spellbinding new novel from Lucy Strange, author of The Secret of Nightingale Wood, The Ghost of Gosswater and the Waterstones Prize-shortlisted Our Castle by the Sea Perfect for fans of Emma Carroll, Frances Hardinge and Sophie Anderson Combines dreamy magical realism with a thrilling mystery

It's Fun, Thought Provoking and Entertaining

Finally a book full of quips, quotes, sayings and funny one-liners that you can share with your friends and loved ones every day of the year. Start today creating fun and fond memories for your family and friends.

Since the world fell sick with fantastical illnesses, sisters Payton and Ani have grown up in the hospital of King Jude's. Payton wants to be a methic like her father, working on a cure for her mother's sleeping fever. Ani, however, thinks the remedy for all illness might be found in the green wilderness beyond the hospital walls. When Ani stumbles upon an imprisoned boy who turns everything he touches to gold, her world is turned upside-down. The girls find themselves outside the hospital for the first time, a dark mystery unravelling ... The first teen novel from Angharad Walker, author of critically-acclaimed The Ash House Angharad's writing evokes the clever, unique world-building and philosophical themes of Pullman's His Dark Materials while remaining startlingly original The story follows two sisters in a London-inspired city full of fantastical illness and sprawling, gothic hospitals where dark secrets linger beneath the surface Praise for THE ASH HOUSE: 'An unexpected - and pleasing - combination of propitious and disquieting.' KIRKUS REVIEWS 'Walker's immersive story slowly reveals its secrets, using tension as a lever to tip the reader deep into the Ash House's mysteries.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 'The book has allegorical chill that settles slowly, like damp seeping in . . . leaving readers with a feeling of ambiguous unease that may stir for a long time in the back of their minds like the after-effects of a nightmare.' THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Misty Blue takes her childhood trauma and grabs you with its intensity. She skillfully and effortlessly invites you to travel with her as she explores her toxic environment and brings to light the horrors that so many innocent children could be experiencing this very moment She unravels the unsolved mystery of the HOFFA-KENNEDY killings and most of all, she sets the story straight without reservation She uses her southern writing style leaving you no doubt that her story is the truth. Misty Blue was born into an alcoholic emotionally unavailable family and is brutally honest about the life threatening situations she experienced on a daily basis. She has survived situations the rest of us only hear and read about . From a father that was a criminal and psychological abuser who parented with fear to a mother who is chronically depressed and trapped; she is proof you can survive a sad hopeless childhood without love. She has seen Hell and lived to tell about it She is proof that God's is our unconditional loving parent and that it is humans and evil that create suffering.

In No Bells Will Ring, Ruth Couch draws on her experiences as an elementary teacher to present the story of a young educator torn between the demands of her career and the needs of her dependent mother. Elizabeth is caught in a web of conflict as her mother continues to engage in behavior that is increasingly troubling. Elizabeth cannot turn to anyone for help without betraying her mother; only faith can sustain and guide her. The author hopes that this story will encourage those who may be struggling with career issues or the challenge of helping a parent deal with the sorrows and frustrations of the later years. The story is a work of fiction. All the human characters are fictitious; the only individual drawn from real life is Oscar the dog.