Anya's future looks bleak to say the least. Abandoned by her family at the age of nine, she is forced to leave her home and all she has known. She is sold to the King's household as a common servant to the Queen. What looked to be a blow by fate turns out to be her salvation. Not only does her name and misfortunes change, but she in turn changes those around her. Anya learns that one little girl can change a kingdom. She also learns that when fate seems decided, just wait for the pendulum to swing.

Katherine was born Queen of Shelby. This was all she had ever known. She was taught at an early age to be composed, unemotional and to always do her duty. When Shelby lost its war, Katherine and her children were suddenly forced out of their home and off of her throne. It was then that Katherine had to discover who the woman was behind the crown.

Worship A down-to-earth guide to planning and implementing meaningful worship experiences for pastors, written especially for those new to the job. This practical book is for new pastors as they move into the role of worship leader and planner. When faced with the weekly rhythm of planning and leading worship, new pastors sometimes find themselves overwhelmed with the tasks.The book centers on the pastor and his/her identity as worship leader, on guidelines for leadership, and on the 'why' and 'how' of worship services. Contents include: The Pastor as Leader; Leading on Your First Sunday; Rituals: "The way we do it here"; Leading in the Worship Service; Leading Prayer; Leading Communion; Leading Baptism; Leading through the Christian Year; Leading with Musicians; Leading the People intoLeadership. To read chapter oneclick here "I heartily commend this book to new pastors. Get it and read it before you show up at your first appointment. Barbara Day Miller will save you from many a heartache and embarrassment. Though tagged as a new pastor's guide, most pastors I know will benefit by reading the New Pastor's Guide, especially the latter chapters about leading with musicians and guiding members of the congregation into worship leadership."

Reverend Daniel T. Benedict, Jr., Director of Worship Resources, General Board of Discipleship, United Methodist Church "In the past couple of years, I have worshipped in about a hundred congregations. After that experience, I can tell you, HERE IS THE BOOK WE NEED Barbara Day Miller packs this little book with a lifetime of the creative worship leadership and the inspired preparation of pastors to lead worship.Combining practical help with a deep theological understanding of, and heartfelt love of Christian worship, she gives pastors everything they need to lead God's people in prayer and praise."

William H. Willimon, Bishop, the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. Barbara Day Miller is the Assistant Dean of Worship at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia. Church & Ministry/Church Life/Worship/Liturgy"

This collection of award-winning plays features works from the cutting edge of Central and Eastern European theatre. With a foreword by Gerald Lidstone, Eastern Promise brings together seven women writers who have all experienced living at a time when their countries were part of a larger political entity. For Gabriela Preissova, it was the Austro-Hungarian Empire, for the others, the soviet bloc. Some of the moral and political dilemmas their characters face range from the killing of a child, to the betrayal of a comrade, to reinventing oneself as a way of living in exile. Includes the plays: Belgrade Trilogy, The Tender Mercies, Tulip Doctor, The Chosen Ones, Jenufa (Her Stepdaughter), Nascendo, and, The Umbilical Cord. The Plays Belgrade Trilogy by Biljana Srbljanovic (Yugoslavia): Set in Sydney, Los Angeles and Prague on New Year's Eve, the everyday life of young exiles from the Balkans, winner of the Slobodan Selenic Prize. The Tender Mercies by Sladjana Vujovic (Montenegro): Edinburgh Fringe First winner. "...dazzling play upon the savagery of war." The Scotsman Tulip Doctor by Vera Filo (Hungary): Set against the background of war, life becomes a cartoon, where anything can happen and will. The Chosen Ones by Elena Popova (Belorussia): Winner of the European play competition, described as "poignant portrayal of post-communist society". Jenufa (Her Stepdaughter) by Gabriela Preissova (Czech): Portrays a secret birth and infanticide, the play aroused controversy when first written in 1890. It was the basis for Janacek's opera Jenufa and is translated into English now for the first time. Nascendo by Alina Nelega (Romania): Set in a Maternity ward on the eve of the revolution patients and staff reflect the divided nature of Romanian society. The Umbilical Cord by Krystyna Kofta (Poland): An intense family relationship, where ritual has replaced real life, interrogates "... A generation suffering moral defeat".

Many churches have active worship committees or planning teams, and an abundance of books and resources guide pastors and laity. Encounters with the Holy offers a conversational model of worship planning that was developed to train practitioners to be more reflective in their planning of worship experiences. The model planning, ordering, worshiping, reflecting is a flexible, fluid pattern. It provides a more circular, spiraling practice of imaginative planning, preparing the leaders and the space, and reflecting theologically to understand more fully the experience of worship. It has been tested in congregations, seminaries, and campus ministries amid a wide range of denominational and cultural styles. An underlying theological assumption of this approach is that we are engaged in holy work when we plan and prepare for worship. Leaders study, preparation, and training are themselves an encounter with the Holy. Therefore, we are called to become more informed and better prepared liturgical leaders. The language and encouraging style of the book is accessible to student pastors, pastors, and lay people interested in learning to think more deeply about worship.