Life with the Akester takes you through the journey of a son when he loses his beloved father (Larry "Akester" Akley) very unexpectedly to a heart attack. Author Steve Akley takes us through the darkest emotions following this family tragedy and how he begins the healing process of grief in an unexpected way. The book is broken in to two distinct parts. The first part walks the reader through the process Steve went through told via first-person narrative. The reader sees the perspective of Steve who begins to establish his "new normal," as he states, via a series of happenstance events in his life. The second part of the book Steve savors the good times with his father by sharing some of the truly funny moments from his life. It was an ongoing family source of non-stop laughs to reiterate the unbelievable capers Steve's father got himself in. Whether it was bathroom humor, public humiliation or a completely head-scratching decision, the Akester always kept his family and friends in stitches with his hijinks. Prepare yourself to laugh out loud as you read the unique moments only the Akester could have gotten himself into The end result is a loving tribute to a father by a son who can't have another moment with his father, but can relish his life by sharing his story.

Changing buying habits in the grocery business is extremely difficult. Consumers tend to be loyal to the brands they have always bought, often simply because they have always bought them. These well known "megabrands" are able to continue their dominance, not only because consumers are loyal, but they have also helped in establishing the manner in which a product is brought to market. These "rules of engagement," while a great expense for the large brands, really help them in shutting out competition before they even begin. Startup companies face such challenges as: the need to spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions, on advertising, product placement in the stores and even "slotting fees" to get into the warehouses supplying the stores. Small Brand America tells the stories of tiny companies, and the individuals behind them, competing in the grocery industry. Despite the odds stacked against them, companies like the ones featured in Small Brand America take on the megabrands and try to go beyond simply carving a niche in the market; they are attempting to break the stranglehold the larger companies have on the stores and buying consumers to become a household name in their own right. The book walks you through the stories of companies and individuals that have figured a way to establish success via hard work, creativity and perhaps a little luck. The end result is the fascinating, and often surprising, stories of these unique companies. The following companies are profiled in Small Brand America: 3 Monkeys Mustard - 3monkeysmustard.com Alaskan Brewing Company - alaskanbeer.com Anderson's Maple Syrup - andersonmaplesyrup.com Atlanta Honey Company - atlantahoneycompany.com Berkshire Cheese - berkshirecheese.com Bove's Pasta Sauce - boves.com Brother Bru-Bru's - brobrubru.com CBS Foods, Inc. - chefbigshake.com Des Moines Bacon Company - desmoinesbaconcompany.com Dogtown Pizza - dogtownpizza.com Great Lakes Distillery - greatlakesdistillery.com Hillcrest Ranch Sunol - hillcrestranch.com Hudson Henry Baking Company - hudsonhenrybakingcompany.com Idaho Candy Company - idahospud.com Jackson Hole Soda Company - jacksonholesoda.com Jimmy's Salad Dressing - jimmysdressing.com Jones Potato Chip Company - joneschips.com Mercer's Dairy - mercersdairy.com Metropolis Coffee - metropoliscoffee.com Mr. G's Hawaii-Style Teriyaki - mrgsteriyaki.com The Nashville Jam Company - thenashvillejamsco.com Portlandia Foods (Portland Ketchup) - portlandiafoods.com Sticky Toffee Pudding Company - sticktoffeepuddingcompany.com Umpqua Oats - umpquaoats.com Verve, Inc. (Glee Gum) - gleegum.com

Small Brand America II follows up the first book by examining 25 more companies taking on much larger competitors on the playing field of grocer's shelves. Despite all of the odds being stacked against them, and competing in an arena designed to offer an advantage to the megabrands, there are small companies which still manage to not only survive, but thrive. The Small Brand America series not only looks at the brands from the perspective of the product, but the people behind them as well. With a read of Small Brand America II, you walk away with not only a greater appreciation of these small brands, but the people behind them as well. The following companies are profiled in Small Brand America II: Aiko Pops (aikopops.com) * Anarchy in a Jar (anarchyinajar.com) * Brooklyn Salsa (bksalsa.com) * Bobby Sue's Nuts (bobbysuesnuts.com) * Casa Visco (casavisco.com) * Catskill Provisions (catskillprovisions.com) * Daisy Flour (daisyflour.com) * Dave's Gourmet, Inc. (davesgourmet.com) * Denver Bacon Company (denverbacon.com) * Fatman's Beef Jerky (fatmansbeefjerky.com) * Great Divide Brewing Co. (greatdivide.com) * Gus' Pretzels (guspretzels.com) * Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co. (hancockgourmetlobster.com) * Hilary's Eat Well (hilaryseatwell.com) * James Gang BBQ Company (jamesgangbbq.com) * Jonboy Caramels (jonboycaramels.com) * Mystic Pizza (mysticpizza.com) * Rockerbox Garlic (rockerboxgarlic.com) * Sarkisian Coffee (sarkisiancoffee.com) * Sun Valley Mustard (sunvalleymustard.com) * Symple Foods (symplefoods.com) * Tennessee Gourmet (tngourmetsauce.com) * Theodent (theodent.com) * Three Twins Ice Cream (threetwinsicecream.com) * Unpfront Foods (upfrontfoods.com)

Small Brand America III follows up the first two books in the series by examining 25 more companies taking on much larger competitors on the playing field of grocer's shelves. Each of the companies featured in this edition is based out of Hawaii. In our 50th state, they face the additional obstacles of higher costs and the challenges of being separated from the U.S. Mainland by the Pacific Ocean. Despite all of the adversity and challenges they face, there are still companies thriving in the Aloha State and Small Brand America III - Special Hawaii Edition takes a look at them. The Small Brand America series not only looks at the brands from the perspective of the product, but the people behind them as well. With a read of Small Brand America III, you walk away with not only a greater appreciation of these small brands, but the people behind them as well. The following companies are profiled in Small Brand America III - Special Hawaii Edition: Adoboloco (adoboloco.com) * Akamai Juice Company (akamaijuice.com) * Aloha Spice (alohaspice.com) * Anahola Granola (anaholagranola.com) * Aunty Liliko'i (auntylilikoi.com) * Da Secret Sauce (dasecretsauce.com) * Govinda's Fresh Juice (govindasjuice.com) * Haliimaile Distilling Company (haliimailedistilling.com) * Hamakua Mushrooms (hamakuamushrooms.com) * Hawaii's Special (hawaiisspecial.com) * Hula Daddy Kona Coffee (huladaddy.com) * Island Distillers (islanddistillers.com) * Koloa Rum (koloarum.com) * Kona Natural Soap Company (konanaturalsoapcompany.com) * Maui Brewing Co. (mauibrewingco.com) * Maui Dog Treats (dogtreatsmaui.com) * Maui's Winery (mauiwine.com) * Minato's Hawaii (minatohawaiiangift.com) * Molokai Meli (realhawaiianhoney.com) * North Shore Goodies (northshoregoodies.net) * Original Hawaiian Chocolate (ohcf.us) * Sea Salts of Hawaii (seasaltsofhawaii.com) * Shaka Pops (shakapopsmaui.com) * Surfing Goat Dairy (surfinggoatdairy.com) * Tropical Dreams Ice Cream (tropicaldreamsicecream.com)

The perfect holiday song can really go a long way to amping up your Christmas spirit. Selecting the right songs for a playlist can be a daunting task though. The timeless aspect of the genre means that you have options that span 1,000s of titles from artists going back to the 1950s, or earlier, to choose from. This book, The 101 Best Christmas Songs, helps you conquer this task by filtering out the best loved Christmas classics and then takes it a step further by identifying the artist/band that best represents the selection (and up to three runners-up). With this guide you have a comprehensive resource to create the ultimate playlist, ensuring your jingles are jangled, your yule is cool and your snowman is frosty this Christmas season