Celebrating Tina

Celebrating Tina
Author: Sara Blackard
Publisher: Sara Blackard
Total Pages: 131
Release: 2020-11-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

A K-9 handler determined to prove she belongs. A detective with an unwavering plan. Can they overcome their painful pasts and accept the gift of love? Tina West has spent her life feeling like she stood on the outside, but since taking a job at Stryker Security, life seems to be turning for the better. Tina never imagined when she took a job as a nanny she’d end up training for search and rescue. Yet, when her boss shows up with a retired military dog and the opportunity to train with him, Tina snatches up the chance to help those who are lost. If she saves enough people, maybe she could find meaning in a life that left her with nothing but a bruised heart and a tarnished picture of family. As holiday festivities loom before her, she wonders if she’ll ever shuck the regrets that haunt her dreams and keep her from connecting with others. Milo Bishop’s every move has been to take care of his mom and younger brother. Since his father’s murder, Milo has worked hard to make sure his mom and brother were provided for. He joined the police force straight out of high school, took night classes so he could move up to investigator, and put his life on hold until his brother graduated from college. But when he is rescued on Thanksgiving Day by Tina West, his well-laid plans take a sharp detour. When a series of kidnappings threaten to ruin the holidays, can Tina and Milo put aside their doubts and find the abducted children before it’s too late? Can Tina trust her instincts when they’re put to the test or will children being harmed hit too close to her past for her to deal with? Will Milo put his desires above his family’s needs when a chance at love catches him by surprise? If you like nail-biting adventure, fascinating characters, and engaging stories of triumph, you'll love Sara Blackard's riveting Christmas romantic suspense.

Vamps & Tramps

Vamps & Tramps
Author: Camille Paglia
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 560
Release: 2011-08-31
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0307765563

The bestselling author of Sexual Personae and Sex, Art, and American Culture is back with a fiery new collection of essays on everything from art and celebrity to gay activism, Lorena Bobbitt to Bill and Hillary. These essays have never appeared in book form, and many will be appearing in print for the first time.

Vestige of Power

Vestige of Power
Author: Sara Blackard
Publisher: Sara Blackard
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2020-07-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Finalist in the Faith, Hope, and Love Reader's Choice Award! A man of the wilderness thrust into the wilds of the city. A woman bucking convention to help others. When a murderous plot pushes them together, will he be able to save her? Joseph’s life may be simple, but it’s all he’s ever known. Born and raised in the heart of the Rockies, Joseph can’t imagine a more exciting life. But when one wrong step lands him in the alley of an unknown city, excitement takes a new turn. Will he get his bearings in time to help a stranger whose life is on the line? Victoria wants to use her influence to help those less fortunate. Though Victoria grew up in high society, her father encouraged her to follow her dreams. Now she wants everyone to have the same freedom as her. Freedom to an education, no matter your gender or social rank. Little does she realize, speaking at a rally will change her life completely. Can Joseph and Victoria look past those grasping for power around them and find their true destinies, or will the shadows of doubt keep them from all God has for them? If you like page-turning adventure, fascinating characters, and engaging stories of triumph, you'll love Sara Blackard's unique time travel series. Read all of the Vestige of Time Series. Vestige of Power - Book 1 Vestige of Hope - Book 2 Vestige of Legacy - Book 3 Vestige of Courage - Book 4

Wild About Emmy

Wild About Emmy
Author: Sara Blackard
Publisher: Sara Blackard
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2024-05-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1954301642

Falling for my whirlwind employee? Nope. Not gonna happen. As a man nicknamed Mr. Order, that's the last thing my meticulously organized world needs. But Emmy, with her snow-dyed pranks and infectious laughter, spins through my life like a kaleidoscope. I'm the CEO who alphabetizes his cereal boxes. Emmy? She's the chaos to my order, the spontaneous to my planned-out life. Just when I think I can handle her vibrancy, everything changes. She pulls me onto an adventure that's both maddening and exhilarating. On the treacherous slopes of Moose’s Tooth, Mother Nature pits herself against us. The higher we go, the more I learn that sometimes, letting go is the only way to hold on to what truly matters. In the face of real danger, I realize Emmy isn't just another chapter in my life. She might be the whole story. Problem is, I'm not sure if I'm ready to rewrite my methodically planned life. But one thing's clear–I'm wild about Emmy. Now, I just need to convince her, and maybe myself, that our story is worth taking the leap. Wild about Emmy is a story of laughter, love, and learning to embrace life's messy, beautiful moments. It's about finding joy in the unexpected and discovering that sometimes, the best things in life can't be color-coded. **Wild about Emmy was previously published in the Stay With Me collection under the title Ascending Hope.

A Rebel's Trust

A Rebel's Trust
Author: Sara Blackard
Publisher: Sara Blackard
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2022-09-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1954301456

A solo adventurer determined to do things on her own. An ex-special force member evading his nightmares. When they collide while escaping dangerous forces in the Alaska wilderness, will they trust each other to find safety? After Sunny Rebel’s business partner left her with a damaged faith in others and an empty bank account, she hopes tackling adventures alone will protect her from repeat heartache. When she started her social media video channel, it was a desperate means to end the embarrassment of being duped by her boyfriend and business partner. She couldn’t bring herself to go back to the mountaineering community she loved on Mount Denali, not when she’d be greeted with whispered rumors and truths behind her back. Sure, she may be a people person, but showing viewers the wilds of Alaska is just as satisfying as guiding climbers up America's tallest peak. A trek through the remote gold mining district where her parents grew up will give her at least two weeks to get her head on straight and figure out her life’s next step. Something broke in Davis Fields that last month he was enlisted, and even his job at Stryker Security Force can’t fix it. He could always be relied on, was always quick to help, which was probably why he’d been targeted. Used. Now, he’s only left with anger. It boils in him, always at the surface. That’s why he’s spending the summer sleeping in a tent, helping a military buddy mine flecks of gold from the Alaskan earth. Hopefully, the isolation will help him get a handle on himself. When Sunny witnesses a heinous crime, her jaunt through the wilderness becomes deadly and her only help is a gruff man she hardly knows. Will Sunny and Davis escape the Alaskan wilderness alive, or will the lurking dangers claim them both? If you like heart-pounding action, toe-curling romance that keeps it clean, and a family of captivating characters, you’ll love Sara Blackard’s riveting romantic Alaskan adventure series.

A Rebel's Heart

A Rebel's Heart
Author: Sara Blackard
Publisher: Sara Blackard
Total Pages: 51
Release: 2021-12-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1954301405

He’s loved his best friend since he met her. She’s ignored him since his accident shattered her world. Will a second chance sweep them away toward love? Arne Rebel’s life exploded the day his bullet ricocheted, killing his best friend Katie’s fiancé. He’s spent the last four years making up for that mistake as a medic in the military. After being discharged because of an injury, he’s now back in the small Alaskan gold mining community, determined to reconcile his friendship with Katie. Or at least gain her forgiveness. Katie Titus struggles between the anger over losing her fiancé and the hole left by her best friend’s betrayal. But after years of Arne’s letters asking for forgiveness, she’s doubting her motives for staying away. When a pregnant mother needs her help for the summer, Katie jumps at the opportunity to escape her memories and confusing emotions. When an accident forces Arne and Katie together, will they reconcile their past or will the space between them grow? If you like heart-pounding adventures, toe-curling romance that keeps it clean, and a family of captivating characters, you’ll love Sara Blackard’s riveting romantic Alaskan adventure series.

Tales from the Teachers' Lounge

Tales from the Teachers' Lounge
Author: Robert Wilder
Publisher: Delta
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2008-08-26
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0385339283

From the critically acclaimed author of Daddy Needs a Drink—hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “consistently hilarious”—comes a series of irreverent, wickedly observant essays about what it really means to be a teacher today. With his trademark wit and wisdom, Robert Wilder dissects the world’s noblest profession—whether he’s taming a classroom full of hormonal teenagers or going one-on-one with the school bully. Wilder was twenty-six when he found his true calling. Leaving a lucrative advertising career in New York, he got a job as an assistant first-grade teacher at a Santa Fe alternative school—and never looked back. Now he brings his unique perspective—as a teacher, parent, and former student—to a series of laugh-out-loud essays that show teaching at its most absurd…and most rewarding. With brutal candor he chronicles his own lively adventures in modern education, from navigating cutthroat kindergarten sign-ups to subbing for a class experiment gone wrong–and dares to tell about it. He shares the surprising lessons he’s learned in the trenches of his profession, including how to bribe a four-year-old (his own) to stop swearing in a Lutheran preschool and the best way to teach moody teenagers…manage “helicopter” parents…and cope with bullies—whether of the school-yard, Internet, or parental kind. And he offers tough love for cheaters who log on to www.SchoolSucks.com, then puts to rest forever the question of why new teachers gain weight (hint: the free donuts don’t help). In Tales from the Teachers’ Lounge, Robert Wilder charts life’s learning curve with a warmth and humor you don’t find in textbooks. By turns heartwarming, eye-opening, and uproariously funny, these pitch-perfect essays offer priceless lessons in life, family, learning, and teaching from a true lover of education.

Convincing Derrick

Convincing Derrick
Author: Sara Blackard
Publisher: Sara Blackard
Total Pages: 170
Release: 2021-04-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1954301200

An ex-Army operator defining a new life by rescuing abused horses. A socialite striving to escape her devious family. Will the evil that threatens them rip them apart? Derrick Nicholson’s last fifteen years have been spent living the life his older brother never got to have. After a tragic accident took his brother, Derrick has become obsessed with perfection. Everything has to be triple checked. He’ll never allow his lack of attention to cause disaster again. Too bad Kiki Payne, his friend and housemate, is a distraction he can’t seem to ignore. Kiki Payne’s life has always been one of status and leisure. But the veneer shatters when she uncovers her parents’ plot to steal a child from her mother. Now, every move Kiki makes is to separate herself from her dishonorable parents. While her friends and housemates at Stryker Security bleed honor and truth, she wonders if the corruption of her family will always taint her. Yet, the acceptance of the team gives her hope for a better future. When a case of mistaken identity has Derrick, Kiki, and her niece abducted, will they be able to overcome insurmountable obstacles to find freedom? If you like page-turning adventure, fascinating characters, and engaging stories of triumph, you'll love Sara Blackard's riveting inspirational security romance series.

Honoring Lena

Honoring Lena
Author: Sara Blackard
Publisher: Sara Blackard
Total Pages: 174
Release: 2021-07-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1954301219

She wants her fiancé’s betrayers found. He yearns to fix a horrible mistake. When tensions explode, will they find an ally in each other or an enemy? Lena Rebel’s heart bled out when her military mission went south and her fiancé never made it home alive. Two years later, she still struggles between her drive to gain justice for his death and the potential for healing she’s found in the Stryker Security Force. When her next protection assignment has her acting as nanny, her patience and resolve is tested. Marshall Rand’s entire existence revolves around redeeming the one decision that cost him everything. After finding out his wife was used and murdered to manipulate his vote in Congress, Marshall spends his energy doing everything he can to support the military that he failed. When his son’s life is threatened and he needs covert help, he calls the best security team he knows. With threats escalating to attacks, will Lena and Marshall’s escape into the Alaskan wilderness provide the safety they need or more danger than they can handle? If you like page-turning adventure, fascinating characters, and engaging stories of triumph, you'll love Sara Blackard's riveting inspirational security romance series.

Legacies from the Living Room: A Love-Grief Equation

Legacies from the Living Room: A Love-Grief Equation
Author: Debra Parker Oliver
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2018-10-30
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1977205917

This is an emotionally powerful love story about family, commitment, and living in the midst of dying. It is a unique memoir written not by an individual who is dying, but by a spouse faced with caregiving and loss. It is targeted for family members facing the terminal illness of their loved one as well as the professionals who are responsible to care for them. Debbie Oliver’s husband David is diagnosed with stage IV metastatic cancer and she realizes that the life as they know it is over. Debbie experiences fear about how he will die, how she will cope, and how she will go on without him. David focuses on living rather than dying, choosing to teach others about his experience and leading the family to focus on making memories. David and Debbie create 26 YouTube videos related to their experience that become a teaching tool to educate medical students, health care professionals, friends and family. An Associated Press story on David and the videos leads to an appearance on CBS This Morning. The videos encourage the family to talk about things, and not to hide from the cancer, they provide social support from friends and strangers, and they facilitate conversations within classrooms and between people all over the world. After David finishes chemo, it’s time to attack his bucket list. The family travels extensively from Europe to the Artic Circle. Debbie finds these trips bittersweet, knowing she will someday be traveling alone. David coins the acronym, HOPE—to die at Home, surrounded by Others, Pain-free, and Excited until the end to describe his goals for the end of his days. The cancer reappears but David decides against more chemo, and he and Debbie realize that this is the real moment he’s looking death in the face. The caregiving burden grows and the kids start coming over to help. David starts saying his goodbyes. While the last days are terribly sad, they also leave Debbie with sweet moments she’ll never forget. Debbie does everything she can to let him die at home, surrounded by others, pain free and excited until the end. She gathers his loved ones, does her best to keep him comfortable, and in the end says goodbye and thanks him for loving her. Before David dies, he writes 26 letters to friends and family to be mailed after he passes. They are each personal, and emotional. David chooses to have his ashes scattered at Loch Vale Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. He has Debbie plan the trip before he passes so he can picture it happening, and knows it will officially take place. Life goes on despite David’s loss leaving a big hole in Debbie’s life. She thrives on her family time, accepts that it’s okay to be sad, and moves on in a way that doesn’t let David go, but doesn’t keep her mired only in the grief. Debbie learns to do things alone that she and David had always done together. She joins a support group as she tries to figure out her new identity, and the whole family leans on each other as they continue to process their loss. Debbie has things she needs to say to David and writes him an emotional letter outlining the things she misses and the ways she has handled and mishandled her grief. Her letter is a moving description of how she is trying to rebuild her life, following David’s advice to focus on the love to manage the grief. The story ends as Debbie builds a new house behind her old one and reflects on how she has learned to look back at the past but live in her new world today.