Widow Carol MacKenzie always felt an affinity for Christmas. During a casual internet search, she stumbles upon a Santa School website. Carol applies and is accepted into Santa School as a solo Mrs. Claus. Attending Snowflake Visions Santa school is life-changing. Carol learns how to wrangle reindeer, American sign language holiday greetings, and meets a worldwide community of like-minded people, including one beautiful bearded single Santa musician who lives one hour from her west Michigan home. Charlie Johnson has a decade-long resume of performing as Santa. A Mrs. Claus has never been part of his repertoire. Santa friends encourage Charlie to pursue Carol. Meanwhile, Carol’s sister-in-law Penny pushes Carol to try an online dating site. Which maneuver, if any, will succeed? Through a few unexpected twists and holiday surprises, a happy finale prevails.
In the Spring of 1881, indigent seamstress Ginny Dahlke arrives in one of the earliest Polish American settlements—Parisville, Michigan. Deemed charmless and awkward by her mean-spirited sister-in-law, Ginny disparages her chance of securing love. But sought-after widowed farmer Peter Nickles is enamored by Ginny's perseverance, her pioneer spirit and, her inclusive acceptance of the indigenous peoples of Michigan. The seductiveness of a buxom heiress, a twisted story of an old-country betrothal, and the largest natural disaster in Michigan's history—The Great Thumb Fire of September 5, 1881, challenge their fledgling attraction and ultimate committal.
In the Spring of 1881, indigent seamstress Ginny Dahlke arrives in one of the earliest Polish American settlements—Parisville, Michigan. Deemed charmless and awkward by her mean-spirited sister-in-law, Ginny disparages her chance of securing love. But sought-after widowed farmer Peter Nickles is enamored by Ginny's perseverance, her pioneer spirit and, her inclusive acceptance of the indigenous peoples of Michigan. The seductiveness of a buxom heiress, a twisted story of an old-country betrothal, and the largest natural disaster in Michigan's history—The Great Thumb Fire of September 5, 1881, challenge their fledgling attraction and ultimate committal.
Widow Carol MacKenzie always felt an affinity for Christmas. During a casual internet search, she stumbles upon a Santa School website. Carol applies and is accepted into Santa School as a solo Mrs. Claus. Attending Snowflake Visions Santa school is life-changing. Carol learns how to wrangle reindeer, American sign language holiday greetings, and meets a worldwide community of like-minded people, including one beautiful bearded single Santa musician who lives one hour from her west Michigan home. Charlie Johnson has a decade-long resume of performing as Santa. A Mrs. Claus has never been part of his repertoire. Santa friends encourage Charlie to pursue Carol. Meanwhile, Carol’s sister-in-law Penny pushes Carol to try an online dating site. Which maneuver, if any, will succeed? Through a few unexpected twists and holiday surprises, a happy finale prevails.
Regan Reilly and Jack "no relation" Reilly -- head of the NYPD Major Case Squad -- are getting married! Arriving at a bridal salon to pick up her dream gown, Regan discovers the designers bound and gagged. Four dresses (hers included!) are missing; a fifth is in shreds on the floor. With just a week before her wedding, Regan takes the case, meeting an unusual mix of brides and grooms-to-be, or not-to-be. Meanwhile, Jack is determined to crack a perplexing series of rainy-day bank robberies -- before his upcoming nuptials.
This collection of essays by Carol A. Newsom explores the indispensable role that rhetoric and hermeneutics play in the production and reception of biblical and Second Temple literature. Some of the essays are methodological and programmatic, while others provide extended case studies. Because rhetoric is, as Kenneth Burke put it, "a strategy for encompassing a situation," the analysis of rhetoric illumines the ways in which texts engage particular historical moments, shape and reshape communities, and even construct new models of self and agency. The essays in this book not only explore how ancient texts hermeneutically engage existing traditions but also how they themselves have become the objects of hermeneutical transformation in contexts ranging from ancient sectarian Judaism to the politics of post-World War I and II Germany and America to modern film criticism and feminist re-reading.
James Still (1906–2001) first achieved national recognition in the 1930s as a poet, and he remains one of the most beloved and important writers in Appalachian literature. Though he is best known for the seminal novel River of Earth—which Time magazine called a "work of art" and which is often compared to John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath as a poignant literary exploration of the Great Depression—Still is also recognized as a significant writer of short fiction. His stories were frequently published in outlets such as the Atlantic and the Saturday Evening Post and won numerous awards, including the O. Henry Memorial Prize. In the definitive biography of the man known as the "dean of Appalachian literature," Carol Boggess offers a detailed portrait of Still. Despite his notable output and importance as a mentor to generations of young writers, Still was extremely private, preferring a quiet existence in a century-old log house between the waters of Wolfpen Creek and Dead Mare Branch in Knott County, Kentucky. Boggess, who befriended the author in the last decade of his life, draws on correspondence, journal entries, numerous interviews with Still and his family, and extensive archival research to illuminate his somewhat mysterious personal life. James Still: A Life explores every period of Still's life, from his childhood in Alabama, through the years he spent supporting himself in various odd jobs while trying to build his literary career, to the decades he spent fostering other talents. This long-overdue biography not only offers an important perspective on the author's work and art but also celebrates the legacy of a man who succeeded in becoming a legend in his own lifetime.
Harlequin® Heartwarming celebrates wholesome, heartfelt relationships that focus on home, family, community and love. Experience all that and more with four new novels in one collection! This Harlequin Heartwarming box set includes: A COWGIRL FINDS HOME The Blackwell Belles by USA TODAY bestselling author Carol Ross They’re enemies for life… Or for as long as it takes to fall in love Executive assistant and ex-cowgirl Violet Blackwell knows her boss’s nephew, Garrett McCoy, is the life of the party—and the charming thorn in her side! But when they’re forced to share a ranch house together, she proves she’s not the “buzzkill” he thought she was. In fact, they’re starting to become more than friends. Only, McCoy’s hiding a secret agenda. Will it throw Violet off cowboys…for good? WINNING THE SHERIFF’S HEART The Teacher Project by Anna Grace Breaking the rules? Or winning her heart! Jaywalking, disturbing the peace, riding an ATV on the sidewalk—ever since PE teacher Tate Ryman moved to Pronghorn, Oregon, he’s been accidentally breaking the law. And sheriff Aida Weston has a ticket book with his name on it! But Tate is determined to win her over—he needs Aida’s help starting a soccer team for the new exchange students. Finally, Aida agrees to a trial run and, one game at a time, they go from enemies to…friends? Now Tate has a new goal: building a life in Pronghorn—with Aida at his side! A PROPOSAL FOR HER COWBOY Three Springs, Texas by USA TODAY bestselling author Cari Lynn Webb Family brought her home… Can love make her stay? Now that she’s finally back in Three Springs, Texas, Deputy Sheriff Lacey Nash wants nothing more than to reconnect with her nine-year-old daughter, Aspen. Carefree Caleb Sloan is just a distraction—even if he is surprisingly helpful. He not only pitches in to train Aspen for the junior rodeo contest, he also makes Lily feel both welcome in town and truly special. Though will that be enough for by-the-book Lacey…to let this fun-loving cowboy prove he’s ready for an instant family? FALLING FOR HER FAKE FIANCÉ Meet Me at Niagara Falls by Amie Denman Fake Relationship? Or the start of something real… Jilted on her wedding day, tour guide Abigail Warren is saved from an accidental plummet over Niagara Falls by her former boyfriend. When the photo of captain Lyman Roberts rescuing a beautiful bride goes viral, Abigail and Lyman agree to pose as a “real life” couple for a local tourism campaign. But Abigail isn’t ready to trust her heart to anyone—especially the guy who never saw Niagara Falls as home. When their summer of fake dating starts feeling surprisingly genuine, will Abigail and Lyman give their relationship a real second chance? Look for 4 compelling new stories every month from Harlequin® Heartwarming!
It's up, up, and away with sleuth Regan Reilly -- in a lively new caper from beloved New York Times bestselling author Carol Higgins Clark. L.A.-based private detective Regan Reilly flies to Las Vegas -- the mythic city of cash and flash, glamour and kitsch -- to help an old school chum, Danny Madley. Danny is producing the pilot of a reality TV show, Love Above Sea Level. The show features three couples who all have experienced the proverbial Seven Year Itch and are now vying for the chance to renew their wedding vows and win one million dollars. But someone is trying to sabotage the show before Danny can shoot the final scene at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Danny's show is in competition with the sitcom Take Me Higher for a coveted permanent slot on Hot Air Cable, also known as the Balloon Channel. Both shows involve hot air ballooning, and both have casts of characters who are more than capable of disrupting production of Love Above Sea Level. Regan's job is to find out who is making trouble and why. Is the culprit one of the contestants on Love Above Sea Level? Could it be the advice columnists Danny has hired -- Aunt Agony and Uncle Heartburn -- who are there to help rekindle the sparks between the husbands and wives? Is it Danny's right-hand man, Victor, a local Vegas boy Danny met while gambling? Or his cameraman Sam, who would much rather be surfing than working? Is it Bubbles Ferndale, producer of the sitcom, who is desperate to make her show the one that wins the competition? Is it Danny's ex-girlfriend, the Vegas showgirl Honey? Or her friend Lucille, a dealer in one of the casinos? Could local entrepreneur Roscoe Parker, the owner of the Balloon Channel and mastermind behind the TV competitions, be the source of all Danny's problems? There is no shortage of suspects and no shortage of mishaps. From their base in the Fuzzy Dice Hotel, a decidedly third-rate establishment, Regan tries to help Danny keep his production on an even keel. Danny's well-meaning, meddlesome parents complicate matters. Jealousy among the Love Above Sea Level contestants escalates. Mysterious, inexplicable events keep occurring. Regan is determined to keep Danny's show on schedule, and she'll do whatever it takes -- on land and in the air! Popped is a funny, fast-paced jaunt that takes readers from the fancy Vegas casinos to the run-down hotels off the Strip, from the grounds of the hot air balloon fields up into the heavens as the balloons fly over the arid Southwest. Popped is written with Clark's expert light touch and filled with the richly drawn, quirky characters so relished by her fans. As Nelson DeMille says, "Clark keeps her readers entranced and entertained from cover to cover.
Same book, new title! Consider the Butterfly is now Embracing Coincidence. At some point in our lives, we have all experienced synchronicities, those amazing coincidences that offer short glimpses into the backstage of lie, the hidden order of things. Carol Lynn Pearson has for years kept track of the coincidences in her days, looking at them with a poet's eye for metaphor and meaning: a pan of "mama's cinnamon rolls" appears in the first shot of a movie just minutes after she and her sister reminisce on that favorite childhood food; a smiley face pops up on the computer screen during the writing of her daughter's funeral service; eight butterflies appear with an hour, not on the wing but in the word bringing a message of transformation and hope. Learning the language of synchronicity can help each of us to more frequently access and recognize the wisdom of the divine. After reading Consider the Butterfly, you will never again see the events in your daily life as just events. You will start to see your name on messages sent special delivery, giving helpful clues on your own personal journey.
The mountain region of North Carolina possesses an uncommon grace and beauty, a landscape full of breathtaking peaks, lush forests, and winding rivers and creeks. Within this picturesque scenery, pioneering spirits settled in Ashe County and established communities in an environment both enchanting and perilous. Officially formed in 1799, Ashe County stands as one of the High Country's oldest and most intriguing areas. In this volume, containing over 200 black-and-white images, readers will journey into the Ashe County of yesteryear, a time dominated by horse and buggies, dirt roads, and early farms. Starting in the 1870s and stretching into the twentieth century, this stunning visual history allows today's reader to meet the resilient and rugged families that carved towns and communities into this mountainscape, to ride the Virginia Creeper railroad as it carries lumber and other goods to waiting markets, and to stroll along the banks of the historic New River, now recognized as a national Heritage River.
Governing Health examines health care policy making from a long-term, political perspective, describing how Congress, the president, special interest groups, bureaucracy, and state governments help define health policy problems and find politically feasible solutions. The third edition of this pathbreaking book is updated to cover recent legislative efforts, including the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Praise for previous editions of Governing Health
For all its costs, flaws, and inequities, American health care is fundamentally rooted in a belief that treatment should be based on solid scientific research. To this end, between 2003 and 2010, three different federal laws were enacted, the most recent being the Affordable Care Act of 2010, that mandated new federal investments in a type of clinical research called comparative effectiveness research (CER) -- research into what works best in medical care. Comparative Effectiveness Research: Evidence, Medicine, and Policy provides the first complete account of how -- and why -- the federal government decided to make CER an important feature of health reform. Despite earlier legislative uptake of policy proposals on CER, support for federal mandates took dramatic twists and turns, with eventual compromises forged amid failing bipartisan alliances, special interests, and mobilized public opinion. Based on exhaustive research and first-hand interviews, the authors examine where CER fits in the production of scientific evidence about the benefits and harms of treatments for human diseases and conditions. Their work offers sobering confirmation that contemporary American medical care falls, not surprisingly, well short of the evidence-based ideal. Comparative Effectiveness Research demonstrates that dealing constructively with the vast uncertainties inherent to medical care requires policies to make the generation of high-quality evidence an inseparable part of routine health care.
ÔThe question Chris Gibson and his colleagues answer in this book is simple: ÒWhy is it not easy being green?Ó In 20 concise, focused and accessible chapters Ð from birthing to dying, from toilets to Christmas Ð they unveil the ambiguities, instabilities and paradoxes of affluent household living in the 21st century. In so doing, they temper the easy rhetoric of sustainable lifestyles with some authentic realities drawn from the affluent world. Earth system science is showing us the deep complexity of our material planet. This book brilliantly reflects back to us the complex materiality of our cultural lives.Õ Ð Mike Hulme, University of East Anglia, UK Contrary to the common rhetoric that being green is ÔeasyÕ, household sustainability is rife with contradiction and uncertainty. Households attempting to respond to the challenge to become more sustainable in everyday life face dilemmas on a daily basis when trying to make sustainable decisions. Various aspects of life such as cars, computers, food, phones and even birth and death, may all provoke uncertainty regarding the most sustainable course of action. Drawing on international scientific and cultural research, as well as innovative ethnographies, this timely book probes these wide-ranging sustainability dilemmas, assessing the avenues open to households trying to improve their sustainability. The authors engage critically, and constructively, with the proposition that households are a key scale of action on climate change. They confront dilemmas of practice and circumstance, and cultural norms of lifestyle and consumerism that are linked to troublesome environmental problems Ð and question whether they can be easily unsettled. The work also illuminates the informal and often unheralded work by households Ð frequently the poorest Ð in reducing their environmental burden. This important book is critical to understanding both the barriers to household sustainability and the ÔunsungÕ sustainability work carried out by householders. Containing a unique combination of science and cultural research, this fascinating book will appeal to researchers and students of environmental science, environmental studies, sustainability studies, climate change adaptation, geography, sociology, cultural studies, science and technology studies, as well as energy studies and housing research. Policy-makers in various levels of government working through sustainability problems, environmental educators, social planners and sustainability officers working for governments, will also find much to interest them in this unique book.
Trusted for its holistic, case-based approach, Fundamentals of Nursing: The Art and Science of Person-Centered Nursing Care, 10th Edition, helps you confidently prepare the next generation of nursing professionals for practice. This bestselling text presents nursing as an evolving art and science, blending essential competencies—cognitive, technical, interpersonal, and ethical/legal—and instilling the clinical reasoning, clinical judgment, and decision-making capabilities crucial to effective patient-centered care in any setting. The extensively updated 10th Edition is part of a fully integrated learning and teaching solution that combines traditional text, video, and interactive resources to tailor content to diverse learning styles and deliver a seamless learning experience to every student.
Consider the Butterfly's" poignant message shows that learning the language of synchronicity can help anyone see the events of daily life as meaningful occurrences that offer helpful clues for life's journey.
An author's life is turned upside-down when her beloved oldest daughter drops out of school to sit on a corner wearing a sign that only says "goodness.
Cara Knowles is running for class president--again. Alicia Antona decides it's time for her to have some competition, with the help of her best friends she just might get elected. But Cara's not used to losing.
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