Tried and True Cheryl Stephens and Susan Mason were never destined to be casual acquaintances, nor did God give them time to be. Brought together by a devastating and debilitating accident, the two women bonded through the trial of suffering that would prepare them both to face Cheryl's burial only a few short years later. Th e Smile will carry you away as you reflect and ponder your own journey through life. Here is an unforgettable story of life, love, and victory--from the carefree, stolen hours Cheryl and Susan floated down a sun-soaked river in West Virginia, to Cheryl's return to the all-too-familiar hospital bed where both nearly drowned in the waters of suffering. "Meeting Cheryl and coming to know the God that she loved, launched me into a new life," Susan Mason writes about the true friend that she longed to be like. The message of The Smile is that of hope through unbearable adversity without indulging bitterness or regret. Women who long for peace to carry them through times of trial will gain mightily from her Strong Tower. Any who have ever experienced or longed for the intimacy of a best friend, or those who struggle with their identity, substance abuse, relationships, or the fear of losing a loved one will embrace this true story. Susan Mason is a passionate Christian communicator who ministers her gift of encouragement through speaking, writing, teaching and most importantly through sharing her vibrant prayer life with hurting women. Susan is a certified Pilates instructor and enjoys long walks with her husband, Barry. They have been married for more than twenty years and have two grown daughters, Diana and Beth.
Chloe Martin returns to her hometown a fallen woman. Steeped in guilt over a relationship with a married man, Chloe vows to turn her life around. She never expects to be neighbors with her old crush, Aidan North. Can Chloe let go of guilt over her past and allow herself to love again? Vice principal Aidan North is determined to open a youth center for local teens. Rumblings of gang activity invading the small town makes Aidan’s project even more urgent. As much as he wants to ignore the captivating Chloe Martin, he needs her energy and enthusiasm to make the youth center a success. Aidan is uncomfortable with his attraction to Chloe, since she is clearly a woman of secrets. Lies got Aidan into trouble at his previous position, and he refuses to let history repeat itself. Can Aidan forgive Chloe’s transgressions and trust her with his heart?
A Stirring Story of Love and Faith and America's Great Promise When her mother suffers a stroke, medical student Deirdre O'Leary makes the difficult choice to put her career on hold to care for her. Dr. Matthew Clayborne is renowned for his amazing results with patients, but when Deirdre approaches him about helping her mother, she finds him challenging and surly. Deirdre has had enough of complicated men in her life. After her fiancé left her, she vowed never to give a man that kind of power again. Widower Dr. Matthew Clayborne is devoted to two things: his work with wounded soldiers and his four-year-old daughter, Phoebe. He won't abandon either of these priorities to care for one older woman. However, when Phoebe suffers a health scare, they're offered respite at the Irish Meadows farm, where his daughter's weakened lungs can recover--but only if he cares for Mrs. O'Leary. Matthew intends to hate Irish Meadows, yet he immediately feels at home, and soon both Mrs. O'Leary and Phoebe are showing improvement. But since he has no intention of leaving his life up north forever, and Deirdre has sworn off marriage in favor of her career, how will they deal with the undeniable attraction between them?
In the aftermath of WWI, Grace Abernathy is determined to reunite with her family, crossing an ocean to convince her widowed sister to return home to England. Yet Toronto holds more tragedy and her nephew Christian is now in the custody of his paternal relatives, the formidable Easton family, who rejected Grace's sister because of her low social status. Unconvinced the Eastons can be fitting caretakers, Grace jumps at the chance to be Christian's nanny and observe the family up close under an assumed name. In the course of her new position, she is shocked to discover herself falling for Andrew Easton, the boy's guardian. Unfortunately, Andrew is promised to a spoiled socialite who will make a terrible stepmother for Christian. Will Grace be able to protect her nephew . . . and her heart?
In the midst of WWII, Jane Linder pours all her energy and dreams for a family into her career at the Toronto Children's Aid Society. As acting directress, Jane hopes for a permanent appointment so she can continue making a difference in the lives of troubled children. But if anyone were to find out she is divorced, everything would change. Garrett Wilder has been hired to overhaul operations at the Children's Aid Society. He hopes to impress the board members with his findings and earn the vacant director's position. A war injury ended his dream of taking over his parents' farm, but with the security of the director's job, he'd be able to contribute financially and help save the family business. Despite their competing interests, feelings begin to blossom between them. But then Jane's ex-husband returns from overseas with an unexpected proposition that could fulfill her deepest desires. Suddenly at a crossroads, can Jane discern the path to true happiness?
I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason is the debut novel in a hip, sexy, smart and, yes, cozy mystery series with a great hook. Think Sex and the City collides with Murder, She Wrote. All that writer Cece Caruso really wants to do is complete her biography of mystery legend Erle Stanley Gardner, find a vintage 1970s Ossie Clark gown to add to her collection, and fix the doorknob on her picturesque West Hollywood bungalow. Then a chance visit with a prison inmate who knew Gardner lands her right in the middle of a 40–year–old murder and another case where the blood is still warm. In fact, Cece finds the body. This brings her into irresistible contact with her inner personal sleuth and shows how crime and greed can reverberate through several generations of a single family.
The evidence-based strategies in this volume close the achievement gap among students from all sociological backgrounds. Designed according to local needs assessments, they provide the services, programs, initiatives, and relationships that are crucial for children's success in school and life. These practices and programs include afterschool and summer sessions, early-childhood education, school-linked health and mental health services, family engagement, and youth leadership opportunities. This book addresses the policy and funding requirements that help these partnerships thrive and offers effective counterarguments against those who would question their value. The text describes strategies that work in both rural and urban contexts and includes a chapter evaluating school-community partnerships across the world. Because it involves collaborations across professions and organizations, the book's interdisciplinary approach will appeal to those in social work, education, psychology, public health, counseling, nursing, and public policy.
Can an Irish Lass with a Dream for America Find True Love? Maggie Montgomery's long-held wish to see America is finally coming true. She'll visit her beloved brother Rylan and his wife, Colleen, and at the same time, escape Neill Fitzgerald's unwanted attention. In addition, Maggie has a secret! She plans to remain in America to seek her fortune and to hopefully find love. While visiting Irish Meadows, she meets an intriguing man whom she thinks is a stable hand. Only when Rylan demands she stay away from Adam O'Leary does she realize he's Colleen's brother, recently released from prison. Nonetheless, Maggie can't seem to make her heart conform to her brother's request. Adam O'Leary has never felt worthy of his place in the family. Spending time in jail only reinforces his belief. Now that he's free, Adam hopes to make amends and earn back his family's trust. Falling in love with Maggie Montgomery, however, was never in his plans. Despite everyone's effort to keep them apart, the two develop a bond nothing can break--but has Adam truly changed, or will the sins of his past prove too much for Maggie to overcome?
Can she set aside the pain from the past to embrace a new love? Isabelle Wardrop's well-to-do life has completely unraveled. Within months, she's lost both her parents, her fortune, and her home. With nowhere else to turn, she and her younger sister move in with a trusted former servant in an impoverished area of the city. Desperate for work but having no qualifications, Isabelle is forced to accept help from Dr. Mark Henshaw, the very man she blames for her mother's death. Mark Henshaw has admired Isabelle for several months, but after the tragic death of her mother, he vows to make amends for the past and help her find her way. But when Mark learns his younger brother has formed an undesirable friendship with Isabelle's sister--one that brings a whole new set of problems into their lives--he doesn't know if Isabelle will ever forgive him. When startling developments begin to take place, both within Isabelle's heart and their siblings' relationship, her future looks very different than anything she could have imagined. "Mason delivers a soothing WWII romance . . . and paints a rich picture of the social challenges of the era."--Publishers Weekly on To Find Her Place
Hairstylist Maxi North is living her dream in Manhattan, poised to become junior partner in one of the city's classiest salons. Her father's death puts her plans on hold while she travels home to face her past. There, she is forced to confront unrequited feelings for her former best friend, Jason Hanley, as well as her deeply buried guilt over her younger brother's death. Fireman-in-training, Jason Hanley knows how badly Rainbow Falls needs its own fire station. As a new Christian, he pledges to serve the people of his community and to open a fire station as soon as possible. When his friend, Maxi North, and her mother almost perish in a fire, Jason becomes involved in helping them re-build their farmhouse. Soon he finds himself wondering if he and Maxi can ever put aside their differences to find a future together.
1911, Long Island, New York Faced With an Uncertain Future, Sometimes All You Have Left Is the Courage to Dream Brianna and Colleen O'Leary know their Irish immigrant father expects them to marry well. Recently he's put even more pressure on them, insinuating that the very future of their Long Island horse farm, Irish Meadows, rests in their ability to land prosperous husbands. Both girls, however, have different visions for their futures. Brianna, a quiet girl with a quick mind, dreams of attending college. Vivacious Colleen, meanwhile, is happy to marry--as long as her father's choice meets her exacting standards of the ideal groom. When former stable hand Gilbert Whelan returns from business school and distant relative Rylan Montgomery visits Long Island during his seminary training, the two men quickly complicate everyone's plans. As the farm slips ever closer to ruin, James O'Leary grows more desperate. It will take every ounce of courage for both sisters to avoid being pawns in their father's machinations and instead follow their hearts. And even if they do, will they inevitably find their dreams too distant to reach?
In the midst of WWII, Jane Linder pours all her energy and dreams for a family into her career at the Toronto Children's Aid Society. As acting directress, Jane hopes for a permanent appointment so she can continue making a difference in the lives of troubled children. But if anyone were to find out she is divorced, everything would change. Garrett Wilder has been hired to overhaul operations at the Children's Aid Society. He hopes to impress the board members with his findings and earn the vacant director's position. A war injury ended his dream of taking over his parents' farm, but with the security of the director's job, he'd be able to contribute financially and help save the family business. Despite their competing interests, feelings begin to blossom between them. But then Jane's ex-husband returns from overseas with an unexpected proposition that could fulfill her deepest desires. Suddenly at a crossroads, can Jane discern the path to true happiness?
Homeless after being released from a women's reformatory in 1939 Toronto, Olivia Rosetti is taken in by an angel of mercy, Ruth Bennington. The two discover they share a painful past and together decide to open a maternity home for troubled women. Despite the success of the home, Olivia is haunted by her inhumane treatment at the reformatory and the way her newborn son was taken from her. She feels undeserving of love--until she meets businessman Darius Reed. Although his attention makes her heart soar, he can never learn of her past. Greek widower Darius Reed is determined to protect his daughter from the prejudice that killed her mother. He'll ensure her future by marrying a woman from a respected Toronto family. But when Darius meets Olivia, he's immediately drawn to her beauty and compassion. Can love prove stronger than prejudice and past mistakes? Or will Olivia's secrets destroy any chance at a future together?
Readers relive all the joy, warmth, and hospitality of Christmas in the Old South. This collection features stories by Leigh Greenwood, Connie Mason, Nelle McFather, and Susan Tanner. Reissue.
Lily Draper comes to Rainbow Falls in search of her biological sister, the only blood relative she has left. Emotionally scarred by her preacher father, Lily avoids religion at all cost. Her new landlord, an aspiring minister, soon has her questioning her views. Can she learn to trust Nick's heart or will her sordid past destroy their love?Nick Logan hopes to take over for the retiring minister who has groomed Nick for the job. But Reverend Ted seems to feel the position requires Nick to marry an upstanding woman, namely Ted's niece. When Nick finds himself falling in love with Lily Draper, the woman least likely to become a minister's wife, his problems escalate. And when Reverend Ted gives him an ultimatum, Nick faces an impossible choice. Can he accept God's will and still find a place for Lily in his life?
Our world is changing. Our lives are changing. It's time for new ways of seeing and being. It's okay. We're in this together. You are not alone in these stressful times of anxiety and confusion. The stories in Awakenings are here to support and inspire you on your journey. There is an Awakening happening and, although it may not always feel comfortable, it is exactly what we need to go through to ensure we become who we are truly capable of being!About Susan Mason-Apps, M.Sc., Main Author and Compiler of Awakenings: Susan's unique expertise synthesizes her diverse backgrounds in science (Master of Science in Biology and Gene Expression, University of Toronto), energy (Reiki, Crystals, and Quantum Biofeedback), and spirituality (Spiritual Health Coach and Certified Divine Navigation Coach(TM)). Having worked as a Forensic Biologist for 10 years (think CSI), she found herself burned out, with numerous health issues, and feeling without direction or purpose for her life. Susan knows firsthand what it takes to face the layers of confusion, denial, and fear in order to heal and become whole. With her nurturing heart, creatively analytical mind, and desire to serve others, Susan now offers services to guide men, women, and children on their journeys. In Awakenings: Stories of Growth, Healing and Magical Transformations, she takes you inside her multi-dimensional world and shares how she came to terms with her life and reevaluated for herself what is truth, what is fiction, and what is possible.Contributing Co-authors: Anthony McCanny, Alicia McGill, Annie Hardock, Brittany Bird, Christine Miura, Denise Exler, JoAnne Fleming, Kathy Normandeau, LeeAnne McGill, Lida DalBello-Dighton, Pernilla Lillarose, Sarah Kern & Susan Ward.
The Backyard Adventures of Mason and Mazey (A Teaching Book) is a lighthearted adventure of learning to understand our surroundings and our impact on all things that may not be so apparent to us in our busy day-to-day lives. It captures the escapades of five-year-old Mason and his basset hound, best friend, Mazey, as her hound nose takes them a bit too far into the woods. They meet up with the animals found in backyards across Orange County, New York, who teach Mason about their habitats and behaviors and the dangers of wandering too far into the woods without an adult. Mason learns valuable lessons about his perceptions and adventurous spirit when he is a bit out of his familiar surroundings. Learning to share God’s green earth with the animals that were here long before our houses and our urban sprawl are valuable lessons not only for Mason and Mazey, but for generations to come.
A Pride and Prejudice "What If?" Story... This retelling of Pride and Prejudice asks "what if" events prevented Fitzwilliam Darcy from proposing to Elizabeth Bennet that day at Hunsford parsonage? Darcy arrives with marriage on his mind, only to find Elizabeth has just received news her father is critically ill and not expected to live. In the process of offering his help to her in traveling home, Darcy discovers what she really thinks of him-and it's not good. Should Darcy deliver Elizabeth home to be with her family and then disappear from her life, or should he propose another kind of help? Will Elizabeth be willing to sacrifice her future happiness to save her family from financial ruin? Or, do she and Darcy, two very stubborn people, have a chance of finding happiness together?
Quinten Aspinall is determined to fulfill a promise he made to his deceased father to keep his family together. To do so, he must travel to Canada to find his younger siblings, who were sent there as indentured workers while Quinn was away at war. He is also solicited by his employer to look for the man's niece who ran off with a Canadian soldier. If Quinn can bring Julia back, he will receive his own tenant farm, enabling him to provide a home for his ailing mother and siblings. Julia Holloway's decision to come to Toronto has been met with disaster. When her uncle's employee rescues her from a bad situation, she fears she can never repay Quinn's kindness. So when he asks her to help find his sister, she agrees. Soon after, however, Julia receives some devastating news that changes everything. Torn between reuniting his family and protecting Julia, will Quinn have to sacrifice his chance at happiness to finally keep his promise?
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