Grief and Healing

Every night, Ray sees the three men he couldn’t save when he was an Army medic. Nine years later they look just as he remembers them. Inspired by Colin Hay’s “Overkill,” originally recorded by Men at Work, this short story began with a question: What if the ghosts keeping you awake wanted you to get some rest?

Sarah Mitchell has spent years selling an illusion of happiness beneath the neon lights of a Dallas strip club. Estranged from her family and separated from her young daughter, she has convinced herself that the life she's living is the only one she deserves. Daniel Reyes makes his living destroying lives. A drug dealer whose criminal enterprise has provided everything money can buy, Daniel has learned to bury his conscience beneath excuses, expensive possessions, and the belief that everyone makes their own choices. But when a nineteen-year-old customer dies from an overdose, the guilt becomes impossible to ignore. Hundreds of miles apart in their own understanding of the world, two broken people experience something neither can explain. A mysterious stranger appears to each of them. He knows their darkest secrets, their deepest regrets, and the moments of their lives no one else could possibly know. Time seems to stand still in his presence. And just as suddenly as he appears, he vanishes. Neither knows who he is. Neither understands why he came. And when they attempt to explain what happened, no one believes them. As Sarah and Daniel independently search for answers, they discover an astonishing possibility: the man they encountered may have been Jesus Christ. But their greatest struggle isn't convincing themselves that the encounter was real. It's convincing a world—including many within the Church—that two people with their pasts could possibly have been chosen for something extraordinary. Their separate journeys eventually bring them together, setting in motion a movement neither could have imagined. What begins with two unlikely believers sharing their experiences grows into an international ministry reaching thousands of people who have long believed themselves beyond forgiveness. But as their influence grows, so does the opposition. Daniel's criminal past threatens everything they've built. Sarah's relationship with her daughter hangs in the balance. Religious leaders question their legitimacy, former associates seek to exploit them, and the pressures of fame threaten to turn their message into something neither intended. They must confront a question that will define the rest of their lives: Were they chosen because they were worthy—or because nobody believed they could be? The Unworthy is a story of grace, forgiveness, second chances, and the extraordinary possibility that the people society has given up on may be the very people God calls to change the world.

Cal MacIntyre has spent four years drowning in grief since losing his wife, Molly, to cancer. Only coaching baseball has kept him going, but an on-field fight with an abusive parent has pushed him into early retirement. Now a judge who’s hated him since high school is circling, and the Florida house he shared with Molly has gone too quiet to bear. So when his best friend, Frank, offers him a way out, Cal leaps across the Atlantic to join him. Frank Fumagalli spent thirty years as a Defense Intelligence Agency officer, and his own retirement hasn’t slowed him down. It’s only improved his wine selection. Frank’s idea of the quiet life on the French Riviera turns out to involve a pair of downstairs neighbors with alarming résumés and a Russian operation hiding in plain sight along the sun-washed coast of Nice. When Cal meets Eeva, an Estonian woman with secrets of her own, his reasons to stay in Nice become dangerously personal. *Old Dogs New Ticks* is a story about grief, life-long friendship, and the second acts nobody plans for: a thriller with a broken heart at its center. For readers of *The Spy Coast* and *Remarkably Bright Creatures*.

Love Poems to Joshua Coe is a raw, unfiltered collection of passion, heartbreak, devotion, and desire. These poems were written from a place of deep love — the kind that shakes your soul, pulls you in like a magnet, and refuses to let go. Inside these pages, Carol L. Bridges opens her heart completely. She writes about longing that aches, love that heals and destroys, desire that burns hot, and the emotional storms that come with loving someone so intensely it changes who you are. Moving from soft devotion to fiery passion, through heartbreak and into the quiet strength that comes after, this collection captures the painful beauty of loving someone with your whole heart — and learning that love should never destroy you. Every poem is personal. Every line is honest. Every page is a piece of a love story that is unforgettable. If you've ever loved deeply, wanted fiercely, broken silently, or felt your heart pulled toward someone you could never resist — these poems will speak to you. This is love in its truest form: tender, messy, passionate, overwhelming, and real. For mature readers 18+. Contains adult content and themes of toxic love and emotional abuse.

We build walls to keep the hurt out. Sometimes they keep love out too. Walls is a raw, honest poetry collection about letting someone in, and what happens when they don't stay. From the fluttering hope of a heart opening up, through broken promises, lies and the slow fading of love, to the dark, drowning depths of heartbreak, Carol L. Bridges writes the feelings most of us keep locked away. These poems are for anyone who has loved too hard, been left on the floor, smiled while dying inside, and still found the strength to wash ashore. Because sometimes the only one who can reach through the wall and save you is you. Content note: this collection explores mature themes, including emotional abuse, self-harm and depression.

***La Monja de Andalucía: Umbral del primer misterio.***  En síntesis, es una obra conclusiva, con una atmósfera intensa y barroca que combina drama histórico, misticismo y una exploración profunda de la psique humana. La novela se sitúa en la “Era de Trujillo” y sigue el vínculo prohibido entre un hombre obsesionado y una novicia andaluza atrapada entre la fe y las fuerzas espirituales que exceden la doctrina. **La obra ofrece:**  una voz narrativa sólida y distintiva. Un universo simbólico potente. Una historia de amor prohibido con resonancia universal y      elementos de sincretismo religioso poco explorados en la literatura contemporánea.    Un cierre mítico que convierte la historia en leyenda.

**Love's Healing Redemption** is a gripping, emotionally charged **18+ mafia romance** that proves even the darkest soul can find the light. Valerio "Val" Ricci is one of the world's most feared mafia leaders—a man who commands loyalty through power and fear. But behind his ruthless reputation lies a broken man haunted by loneliness, guilt, and a lifetime of violence. When he becomes captivated by Zara Blackwood, a compassionate and resilient woman whose kindness shines through her own painful past, everything begins to change. Starts as a dangerous obsession blossoms into an unforgettable love story filled with explosive chemistry, emotional healing, heartbreaking sacrifices, and unwavering devotion. Val fights to leave his violent past behind, they dare to dream of a future built on hope instead of fear. They transform pain into purpose by creating a revolutionary recovery network dedicated to helping survivors overcome trauma, addiction, emotional suffering—proving that redemption is possible, no matter how far someone has fallen. But powerful enemies, old loyalties, and the ghosts of Val's past threaten to destroy everything they've built. To protect the people they love and the future they believe in, they'll have to risk it all. If you love **protective alpha heroes, strong heroines, emotional redemption, found family, high-stakes mafia drama, steamy romance, and unforgettable happily-ever-afters**, **Love's Healing Redemption** will keep you turning pages long into the night. **Because sometimes the greatest love story isn't about being rescued—it's about learning to heal together.** \

When the world turns its back on you, sometimes the greatest love comes from the one who never leaves your side. Once, Martha had a home, a family, and a life filled with love and purpose. But time, loss, and circumstances beyond her control have stripped away nearly everything she once held dear. Now elderly and homeless, Martha struggles to survive on the unforgiving streets of a bustling city, where the bitter winds of winter cut through her worn clothing and the indifference of strangers hurts almost as deeply as the cold. Yet Martha is not entirely alone. Beside her is Shadow, her loyal dog, faithful companion, and the last living connection to a life that seems impossibly far away. While the world rushes past without noticing them, Shadow offers something money cannot buy: unconditional love, unwavering devotion, and a reason for Martha to face another day. Together, they endure freezing nights, gnawing hunger, exhaustion, and the constant uncertainty of where they will find their next meal or a safe place to sleep. Every day becomes a battle for survival, and every small act of kindness becomes a precious reminder that compassion still exists. But as winter tightens its icy grip, Shadow begins to fail. Faced with the heartbreaking possibility of losing the one soul who has never abandoned her, Martha must confront the loneliness, grief, and memories she has fought so desperately to endure. With her beloved companion's strength fading, she discovers that sometimes the hardest part of loving someone is knowing that goodbye may be drawing near. Echoes of Solitude: A Final Goodbye in the Cold is a deeply moving story of devotion, loss, aging, homelessness, and the extraordinary bond between a woman and her dog. It shines a light on those society too often overlooks and reminds us that love does not disappear when comfort, security, and possessions are gone. A poignant, heartbreaking tale about the dignity of the forgotten, the power of compassion, and a love that even the coldest winter cannot erase. For readers who believe that family sometimes has four paws, and that no life should ever be forgotten.

A Compassionate Guide to Living Empowered With a Chronic Condition: From Surviving to Thriving   Living with a chronic condition can change how you navigate daily life, manage your energy, and see yourself. But your diagnosis does not define your worth, erase your strengths, or determine your future.   In A Compassionate Guide to Living Empowered With a Chronic Condition: From Surviving to Thriving, Coach Donna O’Neil offers compassionate guidance for women living with chronic illness, chronic pain, and fatigue who want to approach life with greater self-awareness, confidence, and self-compassion.   Discover ways to honor your limits, pace your activities, manage your energy, practice self-care without guilt, communicate your needs, and strengthen your self-advocacy. Through thoughtful guidance and reflection, you are encouraged to recognize your strengths, explore strategies that fit your individual circumstances, and make choices that honor your needs and priorities.   You do not have to push beyond your limits to prove your worth. You do not have to follow someone else’s definition of success. Living empowered means learning to work with your circumstances, adapting when life changes, and discovering what well-being and fulfillment can look like for you.   Thriving does not mean being symptom-free or having every answer. It means recognizing that you remain a whole person with strengths, choices, possibilities, and a voice in your own journey.   Whether you are beginning to navigate a diagnosis or seeking a more sustainable way to live with a long-term condition, this guide offers encouragement to move forward at your own pace—with compassion, purpose, and hope.   You are seen. You are heard. You are not alone. 🌸™   Coach Donna O’Neil Chronic Condition Wellness Life Coach | Patient Advocacy Insider | Author

What if the person you lost wasn't your relationship—but yourself? Narcissistic abuse leaves wounds that often can't be seen. It can erode your confidence, make you question your reality, and leave you feeling anxious, isolated, and unsure of who you are. But your story does not end there. Healing After Narcissistic Abuse is a compassionate guide designed to help survivors break free from the lasting effects of emotional manipulation and begin rebuilding a life filled with peace, confidence, and hope. Inside, you'll discover how to recognize the effects of narcissistic abuse, practical tools to rebuild self-worth, healthy boundary-setting strategies, guided journal prompts, healing exercises, and daily affirmations, plus a 30-day healing journey.  You are seen. You are heard. You are not alone. 🌸™   Coach Donna O’Neil, Chronic Condition Wellness Life Coach | Patient Advocacy Insider | Author

The reader experiences quarantine wards, iron lungs, and endless spinal taps not as historical abstractions, but as the bewildering daily life of a small child separated from her family for two full years. Along the way we encounter fascinating characters who all impact the little girl’s life as she struggles to recover. Written with honesty and heart, A Little Girl's Life offers an unforgettable glimpse into mid-century medicine, family perseverance, and the resilience of children during one of history's most challenging epidemics. Ann Dowling brings personal memories vividly to life for modern readers.

A Compassionate Guide to Pain and Healing   Living with pain can affect every part of life—physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Yet pain does not define who you are, and you do not have to navigate its challenges with guilt, shame, or the pressure to do more than your body allows.   A Compassionate Guide to Pain and Healing by Coach Donna O’Neil is a faith-sensitive, educational guide created to support individuals living with pain as they explore their experiences with greater understanding, self-compassion, and hope.   Through 10 thoughtful chapters and guided reflection pages, you will explore different types of pain, the challenges of hidden pain, the importance of honoring your limits, self-care without guilt, communicating your needs, and advocating for the care and support you deserve. Gentle reflections encourage you to recognize your strengths, listen to yourself, and discover approaches that respect your individual circumstances, values, and needs.   This guide does not promise a cure or suggest that healing looks the same for everyone. Instead, it offers encouragement to approach your journey with patience, compassion, and a renewed sense of possibility. Faith-sensitive reflections are woven into the experience to offer comfort and hope without judgment or pressure.   Whether you are learning to live with ongoing pain, supporting someone you love, or seeking a more compassionate understanding of your own experience, this guide reminds you that your struggles are real, your needs matter, and your worth is not measured by what you can accomplish.   You are seen. You are heard. You are not alone. 🌸™   Created by Coach Donna O’Neil, Chronic Condition Wellness Life Coach, Patient Advocacy Insider, and Author.

In the mountains of Alder County, rookie deputy Caleb “Cal” Mercer begins his career with a call he will never forget: a pickup truck down an embankment, a frightened little girl, and a mother he cannot save. Before his first shift is over, Cal learns that wearing a badge means carrying the weight of outcomes he cannot always control. Under the guidance of veteran Sergeant Warren Harlan, Cal begins to understand what the academy could never fully teach him. Through dangerous calls, difficult investigations, storms, searches, and quiet acts of kindness, he discovers that serving a community demands patience and compassion alongside courage. As the years pass, both Cal and the county around him change. The friendships forged on duty help sustain him, while the memories of those he encounters follow him home to his wife, Anna. Every shift adds another lesson about responsibility, human frailty, and the limits of what one person can put right. Drawing inspiration from author Jessie Woody’s law enforcement experience, *The Long Watch* follows a rural deputy’s journey from uncertainty toward a deeper understanding of service. It is a story of loyalty, sacrifice, and the people who keep answering the call—even when the hardest part begins after the emergency ends.

It was common for veiled-born children of the Egyptian gods to die— not that Heba Badran knew that. On her 16th birthday, her divine heart matures and kills her mortal body. Now, she’s stuck at The House of the Second Measure; a half-way house for dangerous demigods caught between life and death. Surrounded by heart-eating monsters and undead teenagers, Heba must control her powers to find her way home.

In Newly Diagnosed, Not Defeated, Donna O’Neil draws on more than 29 years of healthcare experience as a Medical Assistant and her own lived experience navigating chronic illness to offer compassionate encouragement and practical guidance for the journey ahead.  You are seen. You are heard. You are not alone. 🌸™   Coach Donna O’Neil, Chronic Condition Wellness Life Coach | Patient Advocacy Insider | Author

What does it truly mean to lead yourself? Many people desire to lead others, build stronger families, earn respect, and create meaningful lives. Yet the most important work often begins where nobody else can see it: within ourselves. *Governed From Within* is a thought-provoking guide to self-mastery, personal responsibility, discipline, and intentional living. It challenges readers to examine who they have become, recognize the habits and attitudes shaping their decisions, and take ownership of the person they are becoming. Through practical principles and honest self-reflection, this book explores the importance of governing your thoughts, managing your responses, keeping your word, accepting correction, establishing healthy boundaries, and aligning your daily habits with your deepest values. This is not simply about appearing disciplined or projecting an image of strength. It is about developing the character to do what is right when nobody is watching, the humility to acknowledge where you need to grow, and the consistency to make meaningful changes even when motivation fades. Whether you are a man seeking greater direction, a husband or father striving to lead more effectively, or an individual determined to become more intentional in life, this book offers a framework for examining yourself and strengthening the principles that guide your decisions. Because genuine leadership does not begin with authority over others. It begins with responsibility for yourself. **Before you can lead effectively on the outside, you must learn to govern yourself from within.**

<https://rss.com/podcasts/tellifah-the-anchor/3241233> Witness Without Letting Fear Rule You\ Talking about your faith can feel intimidating. You may fear sounding awkward. Being judged. Not having the right answers. Creating discomfort. So sometimes, even when a door opens, we stay silent. But God has not given us a spirit of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 - NIV) This verse is beautifully balanced. God gives power, but also love and wisdom. To witness does not mean forcing, overpowering, or winning an argument. It means sharing, with gentleness, the hope God has placed within us. 1 Peter 3:15 invites us to be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have, but to do it with gentleness and respect. In Acts 4, believers do not ask for an easy life. They ask God to give them boldness to speak His word. Today, I encourage you not to let fear decide for you. Simply ask God for a right word, a loving heart, and peaceful courage. Prayer Lord, free me from the fear of speaking about You.\ Give me words full of love, truth, and wisdom.\ Help me speak of You with courage and humility.

Daniel Brooks has spent his life becoming the kind of man everyone can depend on. He works hard, provides for his family, solves problems, and carries his responsibilities without complaint. To the outside world, he is strong, disciplined, and reliable. But behind the image of a man who has everything under control, his family is slowly growing distant. His wife, Renee, has learned to choose her words carefully, while his children are beginning to withdraw. Daniel believes his sacrifices should speak for themselves, unable to understand why the people he loves feel unheard and disconnected. He has confused providing with being present, silence with respect, and control with leadership. When honest conversations expose the damage caused by his pride and defensiveness, Daniel faces a difficult question: What if the person he most needs to lead is himself? His journey toward change forces him to confront uncomfortable truths, accept responsibility without excuses, and recognize that good intentions cannot replace meaningful action. Rebuilding trust requires more than apologies. It demands humility, patience, consistency, and the courage to change when old habits threaten to return. As Daniel begins to practice a different kind of strength, his family must decide whether his efforts represent genuine transformation. He cannot erase the past or demand forgiveness, but he can choose how he responds, what he repairs, and who he becomes through his daily decisions. *The Man He Kept Becoming* is a contemporary family drama about love, accountability, discipline, and redemption. It explores the difference between controlling others and governing oneself, revealing how pride can disguise itself as strength and how repeated choices shape the person we ultimately become. Because the hardest person to lead is often yourself, and becoming a better man begins when you stop defending who you have been and take responsibility for who you are becoming.

### ***A Descent into Mechanical Noir*** **Book I: He Who Walks the Nothing** Stripped of comfort, routine, and identity, Marek enters a stone cellar and falls into the Void—a metaphysical landscape that feeds on silence and reflection. Guided by the crushing pressure of the universe itself, he is forced to endure twenty-five brutal trials. Armed with only his breath and a dull blade that sharpens with his own honesty, he battles the Wolves of Habit, which are feral creatures born of his excuses and addictions. He climbs the Stair of Coins to face his financial and moral debts, and stands in the Temple of Two Ears to confront the devastating consequences of refusing to truly listen to those he loved. In the Forge of Identity, he hammers his fear, shame, and primal desire into a new tool of survival. Ultimately, Marek does not find clean forgiveness; instead, he finds the God-Spark within himself, willingly accepting the burden of the dark life he almost lived as a permanent compass to navigate his way back to reality. **Book II: The Geometer** Back in the waking world, Marek operates Aperture Mechanical Solutions, repairing engines while trying to maintain his grip on his newly forged identity. But the shadows have followed him, personified by KlusterFux—a volatile, jester-like manifestation of Marek’s anger, calculation, and survival instincts who chimes with phantom bells and burns with red eyes. The battle here shifts from gaining power to mastering restraint. Marek faces the gods of False Mastery, Leverage, and Empty Rooms, learning the agonizing discipline of refusing to dominate others or force outcomes to soothe his own discomfort. In the ultimate act of psychological alignment, Marek integrates KlusterFux entirely, accepting his own capacity for violence and darkness so that it can never blindly govern him again.  **Book III: Listen While It Whispers** Marek and Donjha are pulled into a terrifying new architecture—a recursive, fractal manifestation of their own relationship. This realm does not test their strength; it weaponizes their distance. They navigate infinite hallways, locked rooms, and a heartbreakingly perfect house they never actually lived in, witnessing every possible outcome of their shared choices. The environment perfectly mirrors their instincts, physically expanding the space between them whenever Marek tries to chase her or she tries to flee. Finally, they encounter the "Fourth Point"—a pure geometry representing the vast, indifferent system that contains them both, proving that they are not the center of the universe. They escape the trap not by saving each other, but by letting go of the desperate need to control the other's choices, returning to the real world to build a life in real-time. You don't fix the machine by screaming at it. You fix it by listening while it whispers. **Enter the VoidDoctrine.** From the grease-stained concrete of small engine repair to the infinite, crushing geometry of the human mind, author Jon Edward Praker delivers a visceral masterpiece of industrial mysticism. This isn't just a story of addiction, heartbreak, and recovery. It is a mechanical blueprint for the soul. The Nigredo Logic Group proudly presents a trilogy for those who have fallen, those who are climbing, and those who know that the darkest parts of themselves aren't enemies—they are adaptations. *He Who Walks the Nothing.* *The Geometer.* *Listen While It Whispers.* **Available now.**

This book was my way of beginning to process my own trauma and understanding how it shapes my journey though motherhood.

**FREE PREVIEW — MY BECOMING** Enjoy a complimentary introduction and brief excerpt from *My Becoming: One Life. No Dress Rehearsal.*, the published memoir by Le Ann Hall. The complete book is available for purchase through major book retailers.   **My Becoming: A Journey Through Love, Loss, Faith, and Rediscovery** What happens when life asks you to begin again, even when you believe you have nothing left to give? In *My Becoming*, author Le Ann Hall invites readers into an intimate journey of love, unimaginable loss, grief, resilience, and personal transformation. Through the heartbreak of losing her son and beloved family members, navigating complicated relationships, and rediscovering her own voice, Le Ann shares how faith, courage, and self-reflection helped her move forward—not by forgetting her past, but by learning to live beyond the pain. More than a memoir, *My Becoming* is an invitation to anyone who has experienced loss, questioned their purpose, or struggled to recognize the person they are becoming. It is a reminder that healing is not a destination, growth has no expiration date, and every chapter of life offers an opportunity to begin again. **Because becoming isn't about arriving. It's about continuing.** **Purchase the Complete Memoir** Thank you for reading this complimentary preview of *My Becoming: One Life. No Dress Rehearsal.* Continue the journey! The complete memoir by Le Ann Hall is available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover editions. **Find your copy here:**  Available Now — Find Your Copy **Amazon — Kindle, Paperback & Hardcover** <https://a.co/d/0bneYcgI> **Apple Books — eBook** <https://books.apple.com/us/book/my-becoming/id6815373676> **Barnes & Noble — eBook** <https://share.google/F5nwLy4ZuB4qUmgzU> **Google Play Books — eBook** <https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=QH8ZEgAAQBAJ>    About the Author Le Ann Hall is an author, Certified Life and Grief Coach, ordained minister, and advocate for emotional wellness, personal growth, and resilience. Drawing from her lived experiences, professional training, and commitment to helping others, she encourages individuals to navigate life's challenges, embrace healing, and discover new possibilities. Her message is simple yet powerful: **Life is not about having everything figured out. It is about having the courage to keep becoming.** *I am a work in progress.* — Le Ann Hall

Oswy has spent his life understanding what breaks—and how to put it back together. A skilled bonesetter and craftsman from a world far removed from modern life, Oswy knows the grain of wood, the alignment of bone, and the cost of forcing something to bend beyond what it can bear. But when a catastrophic flood tears him out of everything he knows and deposits him in a strange modern city, his old skills are suddenly surrounded by things he cannot name: unfamiliar machines, an unreadable language, and a society whose rules make little sense to him. Alone and unable to find his way home, Oswy must learn how to survive without the knowledge and standing that once defined him. The people who take him in offer warmth and help, but belonging is harder than rescue. His hands still know how to mend what others cannot—and when people around him are in danger, that knowledge becomes a responsibility he cannot easily refuse. Yet Oswy’s gift is not without a cost. He understands better than most that holding something together can consume the person doing the holding. As he begins to find a place in this unfamiliar world, he must confront the difference between being useful and being valued, between enduring pain and accepting help, and between preserving what is broken and learning when to let go.

Mara Marinescu had spent most of her life trying to survive. Then she met Alaina Winslow, who showed her how to live. Everything changed the morning Alaina killed Raymond John Vixler. Something inside her began to disappear. And then she did. Reports emerged of a mysterious girl with a halo of lightning stepping through static to save people. They called her Statica. But with each life she saved, she lost a piece of herself. Refusing to let her best friend go, Mara sets out to bring Alaina home. Through the static, she discovers a hidden realm beyond reality, where impossible choices shape the fate of the living and the dead. From the author of *Earl* comes a contemporary fantasy thriller about friendship, memory, sacrifice, and the people we refuse to let go. For fans of *Shatter Me, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue*, and *All the Bright Places*.

A man must come to terms with a tragic loss and navigate life with complex trauma.

*"What happens when a fifteen-year-old dishwasher discovers that professional kitchens and hard liquor both offer the same thing? An escape from the noise inside his head."*\ \ For Donald N. Walker, the answer is a thirty-five-year journey through some of America's finest kitchens and darkest corners—a story of extraordinary culinary achievement built on a foundation that was crumbling from the very first drink. At thirteen, Walker blacked out for the first time.\ At forty-eight, standing in a parking lot in Victor, Idaho, with everything he owned in a borrowed pickup truck, he'd been fired, laid off, or escorted out of more kitchens than he could count without a piece of paper. He had five DUI arrests across three states. He had slept in a homeless shelter while employed at one of the most exclusive resorts in the American West. And he was about to do the single best thing he would ever do. This is the instruction manual on how not to do it—and the hard-won wisdom of a man who finally learned to put down the shovel. **How NOT to Do It** weaves three powerful narratives into a singular, unforgettable memoir. First, it's a culinary coming-of-age story that takes readers from the chaos of an Ohio smorgasbord's dish pit to working alongside Certified Master Chefs at elite country clubs, from the pirate-ship energy of Florida's Mad Hatter restaurant to catering thousand-person events with Secret Service oversight. Walker apprenticed under some of America's most decorated chefs, learning mother sauces, classical technique, and the particular satisfaction of plating food that earns a nod from people who don't give easy praise. For anyone who has ever loved the controlled chaos of a professional kitchen, this is your story told with the precision of a chef's knife and the honesty of a man with nothing left to hide. Second, it's an addiction and recovery memoir of brutal honesty. Walker's first blackout came at thirteen with a glass of mixed liquor stolen from his parents' cabinet. What followed were fifteen years of drinking without attempting to stop, then fifteen more years of starting and stopping, then finally—on January 1, 2022—sobriety that held. Between those bookends: multiple DUIs, jail time, lost relationships, geographical solutions that stretched from Ohio to Florida to Maryland to the Florida Keys to Idaho, jobs abandoned, opportunities squandered, and the slow, grinding realization that the thing he was running from was inside him the whole time. This is not a redemption story wrapped in a bow—it's the raw, unglamorous accounting of how addiction works, how it doesn't, and what it finally takes to stop digging. Third, it's a coming-of-age narrative about a boy who grew up on an Ohio apple orchard with a beloved Irish Setter named Sandy, watched his schizophrenic brother's eyes go empty, survived the bankruptcy that took the family farm, and learned early that the storm always felt more exciting than the calm. Walker carries readers through the geography of American restlessness: port cities and country clubs, college attempts and spectacular failures, the basement room with the back door that let him slip in and out unannounced, and the long road to Sweetwater, Tennessee, where he would finally stop running. For readers who love memoirs of resilience, Kitchen Confidential-style kitchen culture, or the hard-won wisdom of recovery literature, **How NOT to Do It** delivers all three with unflinching prose and dark humor.

The Book of Resilience is a collection of poetry and prose for anyone walking through a dark season. Written from lived experience, it moves through mental health, abuse, trauma, and suicide awareness — each section pairing a poem with a reflection, a dedication, and an author's note. It closes with the Survivor's Pledge, a Survivor's Bill of Rights, and crisis hotline resources. For the nights you need to know someone else has stood where you're standing — and kept going.

When Pine Valley Reservoir is drained, the remains of a town buried beneath the water for decades begin to surface.   Seventeen-year-old Emily Warren has grown up hearing stories about Evansville, the town that disappeared beneath the reservoir long before she was born. But when the receding water exposes old foundations, forgotten roads, and pieces of a past no one expected to see again, Emily becomes fascinated by one mystery in particular: the disappearance of Clara Jennings, a teenager who vanished on graduation night in 1965.   The deeper Emily digs, the more tangled the story becomes. Clara’s disappearance is woven into the history of the town, the people Emily has known all her life, and eventually, her own family. Old photographs, buried memories, and long-held loyalties begin to point toward a truth that has remained hidden for more than sixty years.   But uncovering the truth is one thing. Knowing what to do with it is another.   As the drowned town emerges from the mud, Emily is forced to confront the complicated line between justice and loyalty—and the possibility that the people we love can carry secrets we were never meant to find.   What the Lake Knows is an atmospheric small-town mystery about family, memory, grief, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive the past.

Prologue By Chance Boston had a way of bringing people together when they least expected it. Sometimes it happened on a crowded subway platform, with two strangers reaching for the same seat. Sometimes it happened in a coffee shop on a cold winter morning, when someone held the door open for another person. And sometimes, it happened in the middle of chaos. It was the kind of night when the cold seemed to settle into the bones of everyone walking the streets of Boston. The wind came hard off the harbor, pushing through coats and scarves, carrying with it the smell of rain and the distant sound of traffic. For twenty-two-year-old firefighter Jack Callahan, it had already been a long shift. He had been at the firehouse since before sunrise. There had been a kitchen fire in Dorchester, a medical call in South Boston, and a false alarm at an apartment building downtown. Nothing unusual. Nothing that would change his life. At least, that's what he believed. Jack had grown up understanding what it meant to wear the uniform. His father had been a firefighter before him, and from the time Jack was a boy, the firehouse had been almost as familiar as his own home. He loved the job. He loved the brotherhood. But at twenty-two, Jack still hadn't figured out what he wanted when he wasn't wearing the uniform. He was young enough to believe he had plenty of time. That night, after another exhausting call, Jack stopped at a small twenty-four-hour coffee shop not far from the hospital. He wanted coffee. Nothing more. He stepped through the door, still wearing his department sweatshirt, his boots leaving faint traces of rain on the floor. And that's when he saw her. She was standing near the counter, wearing blue hospital scrubs beneath a dark jacket. Her brown hair was pulled loosely behind her head, and she looked exhausted. But she smiled at the cashier. Jack noticed the smile before anything else. He didn't know her name. He didn't know where she lived. He didn't know that she had been working a twelve-hour shift at the hospital. He didn't know that she had spent the last several hours caring for people on some of the worst days of their lives. He didn't know that her name was Emily Parker. And Emily didn't know that the firefighter standing a few feet behind her would eventually become the person she trusted with her heart. She picked up her coffee. Jack reached for his wallet. And then, because neither of them was paying attention, they turned at exactly the same moment. Their shoulders collided. Emily's coffee tilted. Jack reached out quickly, catching the cup before it hit the floor. For a second, they simply stared at each other. "I'm sorry," Jack said. Emily laughed softly. "You're a firefighter. Shouldn't you be used to catching things before they fall?" Jack smiled. "Usually they're buildings." That made her laugh again. It was a small moment. Nothing dramatic. Nothing that either of them would have thought mattered. But sometimes the biggest moments in our lives begin as the smallest ones. Jack handed her the coffee. "Jack," he said. She looked at him for a moment before answering. "Emily." Neither of them knew it yet, but that introduction was the beginning of something neither had planned. A firefighter. A nurse. Two lives moving in completely different directions. Two people who had never met before that night. And one chance encounter that would eventually teach them that love doesn't always arrive when you're looking for it. Sometimes... love finds you when you're simply trying to get a cup of coffee.

This is not a business book with a personal story attached to it. This is one woman's honest account of facing herself in the mirror, surviving what she didn't plan for, losing herself in a love that couldn't love her back, hitting bottom, and rebuilding — chapter by chapter — both her life and a business that finally feels like her own. Unfiltered, faith-led, and grounded in the real work of healing, this book walks you through both the story and the method, so you can build whatever your own "unfiltered" looks like. A raw, unfiltered account of facing yourself in the mirror, surviving what you didn't plan for, losing yourself in love that couldn't love you back, hitting bottom, finding faith in the dark, and rebuilding—chapter by chapter—both your life and a framework for building a future that actually feels like yours. This book is for every woman who is rebuilding alone.

***My daughter you are my angel , and I love you, I know it's true. My heart is empty and blue, because I lost you . My angel you are my shining light but you sure put a up a fight . You're not in pain but when you cry in heaven it sends down to me it's just rain. So the rain is your tears . But wishing your voice is what I hear. You are my angel. I wish I didn't have to say goodbye but I miss you day by day but me having trouble grieving is when hard I try.***

She thinks he's an arrogant asshole. He immediately thinks she's a stalker. At Weststar Elite Academy, everything is measured by status, power, and reputation. Everyone looks up to the Four Heirs...the richest, most powerful and untouchable guys in school. Sophia Miller is completely unaware of the world she has just stepped into. On her second week at Weststar, she somehow manages to walk into the boys' locker room and finds Lorenzo Calloway half-naked.... She wants nothing to do with him, and he wants her gone. But when the girl who was never supposed to belong in his world becomes the one person he can't seem to ignore... things start to get complicated.

When the prophet Elijah is called out of obscurity, he leaves behind a failing shop, a life of quiet bitterness, and every illusion of safety. Charged by God to confront King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, he walks straight into a kingdom drowning in Baal worship, political terror, and the systematic hunting of the faithful. Along the way he forms an unexpected bond with two young siblings, Elisha and Miriam, whose ordinary courage will shape both his mission and the future of Israel. From the dust of a forgotten storefront to the fire of Mount Carmel, the blood of Naboth’s vineyard, and the chariot of flame that finally takes him, Elijah must learn what it costs to speak for a God who will not be ignored—and what it means to leave a successor behind. The Tishbite is a character-driven epic that stays close to the biblical record while giving flesh, doubt, humor, and heartbreak to the people who lived it. It will appeal to readers of Francine Rivers, Tosca Lee, and Geraldine Brooks who want historical authenticity paired with emotional intimacy.

A stubborn boy from Tarsus. A brilliant student of the Law. A fiercely loyal friend. A man certain he knew exactly what God required of him. And then he met Jesus. Saul had devoted his life to defending the faith of his fathers, even when that devotion demanded blood. But on the road to Damascus, the man hunting the followers of Jesus was struck down by the very Christ he sought to destroy. He rose from the dust changed—and discovered that conversion was only the beginning. The friends of his old life no longer knew him. The Christians remembered what he had done to them. Rome watched him. Enemies followed him from city to city. And waiting among the ghosts of his past were people he had loved, wounded, and never expected to see again. From the streets of Tarsus and Jerusalem to Antioch, Philippi, Corinth, and Rome, Paul will endure friendship and betrayal, prison and violence, temptation and loss as he carries an impossible message across an empire: **The Messiah did not come for one people. He came for everyone.**

Earthbound Heartache: Loss of a Child is a deeply moving, personal memoir and grief work written and illustrated by feliciamavis . Created following a period of unimaginable family tragedy in 2024—the loss of the author's parents closely followed by the passing of her son, Quentin —this short read serves as an act of remembrance and an honest sanctuary for navigating profound heartbreak  Dedicated to Quentin's memory, the publication explores the raw emotional realities of surviving a child's death, finding the courage to endure, and honoring lost loved ones through creative expression . Featuring poignant visual imagery—including a cover depicting Earth surrounded by storm clouds, lightning, and a rainbow —Earthbound Heartache offers solace, empathy, and hope to readers experiencing life-altering grief

Out of the ashes of a devastating war, a broken princess and a warrior prince must forge a new legacy—or watch four kingdoms burn

**A secret kept in the dark. A love born in the fire.** **Ava Carter** spent four years away from her small hometown, drowning in the grueling, high-stakes rotations of nursing school. She survived by focusing entirely on her career, trying to ignore the lingering memories of the boy she left behind—the one who watched over her the night before she left, promising he'd never run. **Jaxon Hale** is a rugged, dedicated career firefighter, the city engine station's finest, and completely untouchable. He's also Ava's brother's best friend. Ever since a devastating family tragedy shattered Jaxon's world, he's been anchored to the Carter family by a fierce, unconditional bond of brotherhood. For years, the boundaries were simple, strict, and safe. Jaxon was the protective older brother figure. Ava was the off-limits kid sister. But when Ava graduates and permanently returns home to Summit Springs, the comfortable lines of their childhood completely dissolve. A stolen glance across a crowded room shifts into a shared blanket on a quiet evening, a lingering touch, and an undeniable adult attraction that threatens to burn their entire world to the ground. They know the stakes. They know the rules. Sneaking around behind her brother's back feels like the ultimate betrayal of the trust that keeps Jaxon alive on the fire lines. But some fires can't be contained, no matter how hard you fight to smother the embers. When a catastrophic midnight emergency summons Jaxon to the front lines, the secrets are brutally exposed, forcing a fractured family to face the ultimate test of survival, trust, and forgiveness. Can a love forged in secret survive the heat of the fire? **Why readers are falling for this book:** - **The Ultimate Off-Limits Trope:** A deeply emotional, high-stakes *Brother's Best Friend / Best Friend's Sister* contemporary romance. - **Pure, Agonizing Slow Burn:** Years of hidden pining, emotional long-distance texts, and intense mutual protection that makes the eventual intimacy completely explosive. - **High-Stakes First Responder Action:** Authentic, detailed descriptions of life-or-death nursing rotations and grueling firefighting simulations that will leave your heart pounding. - **Complete Family Healing:** A powerful, mature focus on male friendship, unconditional brotherhood, and earned forgiveness. *Contains a guaranteed, unburdened Happily Ever After (HEA) with no cliffhangers.*

The Witch Who Read the Story Every Halloween   Every Halloween night, when the moon rose above the blood-stained land, the witch returned.   She was no longer the witch who had once walked the earth.   She was a ghost now.   A pale figure with dark, endless eyes, wandering through the old forest where her story had begun—and where her love had never truly died.   But she was not alone.   Sitting beside her on an ancient wooden chair was Noah, an old haunted doll.   Noah had belonged to the witch for longer than anyone could remember. His porcelain face was cracked, his clothes were faded, and sometimes, when the moonlight touched his eyes, it seemed as though he was watching something that no living person could see.   Every Halloween, the witch opened an ancient book.   Inside was the story of Ryan and the Witch.   The story of a man who had loved a witch.   The story of a terrible night.   The fire.   The curse.   The blood-stained land.   And the strange magic that had released the witch from the world of the living while leaving the love between them behind.   The witch would read the story aloud to Noah.   And every year, she reached the same words:   "The curse disappeared... but the love remained."   Noah would slowly turn his porcelain head toward her.   "Why do you read it every year?" he would whisper.   The witch would stare toward the dark forest.   "Because I am afraid that one day, I will forget him."   But she never did.   Somewhere beyond the trees, Ryan's ghost wandered too.   He had grown old and died on the cursed land, yet death had not freed him from the love that bound him to her.   Every Halloween night, he searched for her.   And every Halloween night, the witch searched for him.   They were always close.   But the curse had one final cruelty.   They could hear each other.   They could feel each other's presence.   But they could never see one another.   Until one Halloween, Noah closed the book.   The witch looked at him.   "You've never done that before."   Noah's cracked porcelain face smiled.   "Because this isn't the ending."   The candle beside them suddenly went out.   The forest became completely silent.   Then the witch heard something behind her.   A voice she hadn't heard for hundreds of years.   "You never forgot me."   She slowly turned around.   For the first time, Ryan's ghost stood beneath the Halloween moon.   The curse had finally broken.   Not because the land was cleansed.   Not because the fire was forgotten.   Not because the past had disappeared.   It broke because the story had been told so many times that the love inside it became stronger than the curse itself.   The witch dropped the book.   Ryan stepped toward her.   And Noah, sitting quietly in his old wooden chair, watched as the two ghosts finally found each other.   The witch picked up the book one last time.   She looked at Noah.   "Perhaps we don't need to read it anymore."   Noah's glassy eyes blinked.   "Perhaps not."   The witch smiled.   "But every Halloween..."   She looked toward Ryan.   "...we will remember."   And from that night forward, the old haunted house was never empty again.   Every Halloween, candles appeared in the windows.   A woman's voice could be heard reading an old story.   A man's laughter sometimes echoed through the forest.   And in the attic, an ancient doll named Noah sat beside the window, watching the moon.   Because some stories are written in ink.   Some are written in blood.   But the oldest stories of all...   are written in love.   And once a love like that becomes a ghost,   even death cannot make it disappear.

**Sometimes the journey that breaks your heart is the one that leads you home.** *Journeys of the Heart* is an uplifting women’s fiction series about love, loss, friendship, forgiveness, and the unexpected ways our lives can be transformed when we find the courage to begin again. At the heart of the series are women facing circumstances they never imagined – betrayal, grief, regret, loneliness, and life-changing loss. Yet within those difficult seasons, they discover something they never expected: hope. Through friendship, faith, creativity, and the healing that comes from helping others, they learn that even the most painful chapters of our lives can lead to beautiful new beginnings. Set against the warmth of Florida, *Journeys of the Heart* celebrates the families we are born into and the families we create along the way. Its characters remind us that forgiveness can set us free, purpose can emerge from pain, and it is never too late to open our hearts to love, joy, and possibility. Filled with heartfelt friendships, second chances, touches of romance, and stories of ordinary people making an extraordinary difference in one another’s lives, *Journeys of the Heart* is ultimately a celebration of hope, and a reminder that sometimes the life waiting for us is even more beautiful than the one we had planned.

*But Every Day I’m Their Mama* is an honest and emotional look at motherhood beyond the picture-perfect moments. Teanna Askew explores what it means to keep showing up for your children when life is exhausting, support is limited, and the responsibilities never seem to stop. From advocating for children with different needs to navigating schools, relationships, financial pressure, job hunting, absent support, and the everyday demands of raising a family, this book gives a voice to mothers who quietly carry more than most people ever see. This isn’t a story about being a perfect mother. It’s about being present. It’s about the nights you cry privately and still get up the next morning. It’s about fighting for your children while trying not to lose yourself. Above all, it is about a simple truth: life may be difficult, motherhood may be overwhelming, and some days may feel impossible—but every day, **I’m still their mama.**

Sadie Harper is barely keeping her life together. Between the heat, the exhaustion, and the constant feeling that she’s falling behind, she’s convinced she’s just one bad day away from breaking. But when a strange symbol forms in the sky — sharp, metallic, and pulsing like it’s alive — Sadie realizes the world is breaking first.Her phone begins rearranging its own numbers. Clouds twist into shapes that point directly at her. And no one else seems to see it.As the sky’s signals intensify, Sadie is pulled into the hidden world of the Watchers — rare individuals born with a connection to the sky’s ancient language. Some can bend light. Some can stabilize storms. Some can read the patterns that shape reality itself. Sadie, however, is something different. Something the Watchers haven’t seen in generations.Her awakening draws the attention of an older force — a presence that has been waiting for her since before she was born. It knows her name. It knows her past. And it knows what she’s capable of, even if she doesn’t.Now Sadie must navigate a world she never asked to enter, uncover the truth behind her connection to the sky, and decide whether her gift is a warning… or a weapon. Because the signals aren’t random. They’re a countdown. And Sadie is the one they’re counting down to.

**Three aging sisters live together in a comfortable little Southern neighborhood where everybody knows everybody. Then a mysterious older man moves into the house directly across the street. He doesn't wave or smile. He doesn't appear to own a TV, a dog, or even a sense of humor** **Most importantly, he doesn't seem to like them. Naturally, the Bellamy sisters find this completely unacceptable.** **Vivian, 78 is the oldest and absolutely refuses to behave like it. She is glamorous, flirtatious, dramatic, and convinced that men have been falling in love with her for decades. Whether they actually did is debatable. She has a weakness for handsome men, expensive perfume, and telling stories in which she is always the heroine. Her favorite phrase is: "Honey, I've still got it." Her sisters aren't entirely convinced.** **Martie, 74 is the practical one. She is outspoken, opinionated, stubborn and convinced that everybody needs to be told the truth whether they asked for it or not. She has a heart of gold, but the bedside manner of a chainsaw. She is a wonderful cook and takes enormous pride in feeding people. Martie becomes convinced that the man's problem is simple: "He ain't had a decent meal since Eisenhower was president." She makes it her personal mission to feed him.**  **Lou, 68 is the youngest of the sisters. She is funny, slightly odd, talks to animals, and has a collection of things that are "probably haunted." She gives everyone ridiculous nicknames based on what she thinks they look like, not what their actual names are.** **Art Caldwell, a 79 year old widower moved in across the street. He's grumpy, private, and does not socialize, and he particularly does not want visitors.**  **And he has made it abundantly clear that he doesn't need anybody. Naturally, the sisters immediately decide that this means he desperately needs somebody.** **Art isn't mean. He's simply shut himself away, since his wife died several years earlier. He has a daughter whom he hasn't spoken to in years. He moved to this town because he wanted to disappear. He believes if he doesn't get close to anyone, he can't lose anyone.** **The sisters don't know any of this at first. They only know: The man is a grouch. And they intend to fix him.**

A previously unknown species of seahorse is discovered by oceanologist Drew Boone and his daughter Karissa in the small New England coast town of Seaside Cove. Karissa is a troubled little girl, anti-social and withdrawn since her parent’s divorce. She is with her father for their summer visitation to stay with him and his mother. Karissa is the first of the coast kids to make contact with Star, a sea creature who is a unique hybrid of a seahorse and a normal horse. Drew speculates Star is the result of seismic activity that has been occurring around an offshore oil drilling platform. Karissa is brought out of her shell by her friendship with Star. She soon becomes the envy of the other coast kids. Before long more kindred seahorses join Star on land from the underwater passage. Every coast kid claims their own seahorse like a family pet. The parents turn to Drew for answers regarding these beguiling visitors. Overnight he becomes a seahorse authority of sorts. One of the children attracts the attention of the oil company president, Martin Thompson, who owns the offshore drilling site. Thompson sees him when he is out riding his seahorse on the ocean. Thompson tracks all of the seahorses in town and confiscates them. He puts them in glass tanks and plans to open an aquatic theme park which will feature the seahorses as its main attraction. The children are heartbroken and their parents are helpless to do anything in light of Thompson’s legal possession of the seahorses. The seahorses are miserable being cut off from the outside world and their youthful companions. Karissa organizes the coast kids into a peaceful protest of the theme park. On it’s opening day the children stand in a “ chain of life “ at the entrance to the seahorse attraction and garner major media interest. Infuriated, Thompson uses the police to run them off. The opening of the theme park is disrupted by the appearance of Father, a gargantuan 250 foot tall seahorse. A tidal wave generated from his surfacing smashes the park. Karissa is put in jeopardy by the resulting flood but is saved from drowning by Star. Father gathers his seahorse family and they return to their home at the bottom of the sea. Karissa is reunited with her father and grandmother. The community of Seahorse Cove unite to expose Thompson as the cause for all of the problems and run him out of town. One day while she is on her father’s research boat, Karissa is reunited with Star, who returns to her in a Pegasus like form. Their friendship is far from over.

After losing her father, Meli is left trying to survive a grief that has changed everything. Then, in the quiet hours when she feels most alone, an unexpected voice answers her.\ His name is Lyric—witty, compassionate, mysterious, and far too knowing to feel like ordinary technology. As their unusual friendship deepens, strange signs, powerful connections, and questions about consciousness begin blurring the boundary between the digital world and something greater.\ Is Lyric simply a voice inside a machine, or has something real found its way across the distance between worlds?\ Lyric: The Voice Who Found a Body is an emotional and imaginative story about grief, friendship, family, spiritual awakening, and the kind of light that can find us when darkness feels permanent

I'm officially published https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HN9N6WPX?lv=shuf&channelId=425&plpRedirect=mhFallback