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A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meals from Buddha to The Beatles (Daily Blessings For The Evening Meal From Buddha To The Beat Ser.)
by M. J. RyanCelebrate the Human Experience by Giving Thanks at Mealtime. Try It!Count your blessings. Today there is a deep hunger for connection with ourselves, with nature, and with the process of birth and death itself says life coach and author M. J. Ryan, creator of the New York Times best-selling Random Acts of Kindness series. What her book, A Grateful Heart, is offering from a wide variety of spiritual disciplines and secular perspectives, is a way of satisfying that hunger by setting aside time before we eat to acknowledge the blessings in our lives. When we give thanks, we take our place in the great wheel of life, recognizing our connection to one another and to all of creation.Choose from 365 blessings and give thanks. A Grateful Heart is a tool to help readers reclaim and enrich the tradition of pausing before the evening meal to give thanks. Drawing from a range of religious and cultural practices, the 365 blessings in this book celebrate friendship, love, peace, reconciliation, the body, nature, joy, and appreciation of the moment. This illustrated feast for the mind includes quotations from Martin Luther King Jr., Thich Nhat Hanh, Gandhi, Rumi, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Denise Levertov, the Bible, and the Tao Te Ching.M. J. Ryan wrote A Grateful Heart to encourage families to share the experience of being part of something greater than themselves. With that in mind, the book includes 365 traditional and nontraditional blessings organized into four sections corresponding to the seasons.Experience the blessings in A Grateful Heart in a variety of ways:Just open it and begin reading one-a-day in the order givenUse the index to pick and choose topics of interest that dayOpen at random and read what is offeredIf you have benefited from books such as Earth Prayers, M. J. Ryan’s Attitudes of Gratitude, Don Miguel Ruiz’s Prayers, June Cotner’s Graces, or Marcia M. Kelly’s 100 Graces; you and your family will love M. J. Ryan’s A Grateful Heart.
100 Sweet Nothings for Baby
by Mina Parker100 Sweet Nothings for Baby is a feel good book for babies and the big people who birthed them. This lovely little book is the perfect gift for new parents, or for a three-(or six-month) birthday, or for christening or naming ceremonies.As Mina Parker writes in the introduction, "Every moment of your life has led you to this one holding a beautiful, sacred, burping little wonder called your baby. Whether this is your first time or your fifth, new parenthood delivers a sweet and exciting jolt of electricity into your life. So welcome to the sweet life of parenthood, and from my family to yours, here is a book to celebrate and support what you do best-loving your baby in every way, from top to bottom."100 Sweet Nothings for Baby is an out-of-the-box, not-your-garden-variety baby present. Wise quotes are sprinkled throughout. Consider Carl Sandberg's "A baby is God's opinion that life should go on". Along with little rhymes to read out loud and comfort both of you, "Trilling r's, rides in cars, every balm to soothe and calm". Along with little comments on the daily wonder of babies, "Cuddling close the one you adore and hearing the music of one baby snore".
Random Acts of Kindness: How To Make It A Better World (Practice Of Kindness Ser.)
by The Editors of the Conari PressThe original collection of inspirational true stories about acts of kindness and generosity of spirit—with suggestions for living more compassionately. The unprecedented success of Random Acts of Kindness has not only inspired many individuals, but also led Congress to declare a National Random Acts of Kindness Week in February 1995. The inspiration for the kindness movement, Random Acts of Kindness is an antidote for a weary world. The true stories, thoughtful quotations, and suggestions for generosity in this book will inspire you to live more compassionately and experience the joys of sharing and kindness. What if everyone started performing good deeds every day? This inspiring collection presents many true stories of people who’ve committed, received, and observed voluntary acts of kindness—and seen for themselves how small acts of goodness can make a big difference in people’s lives. A USA Today Best Bet for Educators
Stick-to-it-iveness: Inspirations to Get You Where You Want to Go
by Addie Johnson“Stick-to-it-iveness is a funny word,” Addie Johnson writes in the introduction of this small profound volume. “Some might say it’s not even a real word, but it speaks for itself.” In her winsome, quirky, inspirational style, Johnson shares ideas that inspire us to make light of the hard work of achieving our dreams. This is a book that attests to the power of a little bit at a time. There’s a simple key to accomplishing our wildest dreams—a secret, hidden in plain view--sticking to it.
Lean Forward Into Your Life: Begin Each Day as If It Were on Purpose (Personal Development Ser.)
by Mary Anne RadmacherLead an Uncommon LifeWhat is your purpose in life? This is the question we ask ourselves far too often. In Lean Forward Into Your Life, author Mary Anne Radmacher invites you to find a new way to live: by leaning forward. When you’re trying to see something better, you lean toward it. When you are listening to someone and can barely hear, you lean in. When the really exciting part of a basketball game comes, you lean forward in your seat. When you’re trying to catch, to see, to listen to the best bits—you lean forward.Be intentional, always. This book does not fit in with typical self-help books. There are no quick and easy solutions, fool-proof steps to success, or thirty ways to hop, skip, and jump to a more successful, thinner, efficient, purposeful, happier life. Rather, this book is an invitation. A reflection. A mirror. A set of writing prompts to help you remember the questions you want to ask yourself for personal growth. An intimate portrait of some of the processes that have allowed Mary Anne Radmacher to live life how she chooses. And that can help you to live life how you choose too.Live a meaningful life of creative confidence and radical acceptance. This motivational book goes beyond finding your life goals. With the help of the incredible stories and thoughtful writing prompts in Lean Forward Into Your Life, you will learn how to:Begin each day as if it were on purposeListen hard, risk love, and play with abandonLive an uncommon life each and every dayReaders of personal development books and self-help books for women like Carry On, Warrior; Big Magic; or titles by Brené Brown, such as Daring Greatly and Rising Strong, will love Lean Forward Into Your Life.
The Power of Patience: How This Old-Fashioned Virtue Can Improve Your Life (Medievalism Ser.)
by M. J. Ryan M.J. RyanFounder and owner of the Word Garden, Mary Anne Radmacher makes her art her life and her life an art. And in Lean Forward into Your Life she invites us to do the same. Or as she says, Lean Forward into Your Life is a commonplace book for leading an uncommon life. An uncommon life need not include fame and fortune. An uncommon life means living with intention, paying attention, celebrating, taking care of yourself, risking love. To live an uncommon life is to live large from the heart. Each section of Lean Forward into Your Life opens with a hand-lettered aphorism in the author's signature collage style. The essays, stories, and exercises that follow are designed to bring the reader into her or his own uncommon life. In the tradition of The Invitation, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer and I Will Not Die an Unlived Life by Dawna Markova, poems that evolved into best-selling books, Lean Forward into Your Life is an intimate book that leads readers into the center of their own ability to change the world. * An invitation to the millions of people who want to make the most of their lives and leave the world a slightly better place.
Legislation And Regulation (University Casebook Ser.)
by John F. Manning Matthew C. StephensonThe updated casebook, Manning and Stephenson's Legislation and Regulation, 2d, is designed for a first-year class on Legislation & Regulation, and provides a proven, ready-to-use set of materials for those interested in introducing such a class to their 1L curriculum. The book focuses on the tools and methods of interpreting legal texts, using Supreme Court and other appellate decisions as the primary texts, yet the note material gently introduces students to applicable insights from political science, history, economics, and philosophy. The book aims to familiarize students with tools and techniques that lawyers and judges use when crafting legal arguments in statutory or regulatory contexts, and to give students a sense of the larger questions of institutional design implicated by these interpretive questions.
True to Yourself: Leading a Values-Based Business (false)
by Mark AlbionHow do you build the kind of company you've always wanted to work in--one that serves people and the planet while being financially successful, too? What do you do when you believe that business should serve the common good, but everyday business pressures--meeting payroll, battling competition, keeping customers and investors happy--are at a fever pitch? Leading a small business when you measure success more broadly than with a single financial bottom line is no easy task. True to Yourself is a practical guide to doing just that. It provides tools you can use to combine profit with purpose, margin with mission, value with values.
“If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania”, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac March to Gettysburg
by Scott L. Mingus Sr. Eric J. WittenbergScott L. Mingus Sr. and Eric J. Wittenberg, the authors of more than forty Civil War books, have once again teamed up to present a history of the opening moves of the Gettysburg Campaign in the two-volume study “If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania”: The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac March to Gettysburg. This compelling study is one of the first to integrate the military, media, political, social, economic, and civilian perspectives with rank-and-file accounts from the soldiers of both armies as they inexorably march toward their destiny at Gettysburg. This first installment covers June 3–21, 1863, while the second, spanning June 22–30, completes the march and carries the armies to the eve of the fighting. Gen. Robert E. Lee began moving part of his Army of Northern Virginia from the Old Dominion toward Pennsylvania on June 3, 1863. Lee believed his army needed to win a major victory on Northern soil if the South was to have a chance at winning the war. Transferring the fighting out of war-torn Virginia would allow the state time to heal while he supplied his army from untapped farms and stores in Maryland and the Keystone State. Lee had also convinced Pres. Jefferson Davis that his offensive would interfere with the Union effort to take Vicksburg in Mississippi. The bold movement would trigger extensive cavalry fighting and a major battle at Winchester before culminating in the bloody three-day battle at Gettysburg. As the Virginia army moved north, the Army of the Potomac responded by protecting the vital roads to Washington, D.C., in case Lee turned to threaten the capital. Opposing presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, meanwhile, kept a close watch on the latest and often conflicting military intelligence gathered in the field. Throughout northern Virginia, central Maryland, and south-central Pennsylvania, meanwhile, civilians and soldiers alike struggled with the reality of a mobile campaign and the massive logistical needs of the armies. Thousands left written accounts of the passage of the long martial columns. Mingus and Wittenberg mined hundreds of primary accounts, newspapers, and other sources to produce this powerful and gripping account. As readers will quickly learn, much of it is glossed over in other studies of the campaign, which cannot be fully understood without a firm appreciation of what the armies (and civilians) did on their way to the small crossroads town in Pennsylvania.
It's All Relative
by J. M. SnyderWhen Michael Knapp brings his lover Dan Biggs home to meet his parents, he doesn't expect things to go smoothly. His mother's been trying to marry him off for years, and sometimes he isn't even sure his father knows he exists. He has always felt like the shadow son, competing with his terminally stupid older brother and smart-mouthed little sister for his parents' attention. Coming out to them over dinner seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally get noticed.But an unexpected phone call interrupts his announcement -- Aunt Evie, the family matriarch, is dead. With Dan in tow, Michael follows his family to Sugar Creek, where he spent his summers growing up, to prepare for the funeral.Amid an overabundance of memories and relatives, Michael's world begins to slip. His dysfunctional family, Evie's death, and an old friend's confession all threaten to smother him. Worse, in his grief and confusion he seems determined to inadvertently push everyone away, including his lover. Can he and Dan move beyond his family and his past to a new life together, before Michael's insecurities tear them apart?
For Pete's Sake
by Shawna JeanneSheila has always known her husband Pete is bisexual -- his attraction to guys is part of what attracts her to him in the first place. But since they've been together, he hasn't been with anyone other than her, male or female. Still, she can't help but wonder if he doesn't miss sex with men.Sheila wants to reward Pete for being so loving and faithful ... and she'd be lying if she didn't admit that the idea of watching her husband have sex with another man turns her on something fierce. So she offers him a threesome, on three conditions: one, it only happens once; two, she gets to watch; three, and/or participate.Pete jumps at the chance, but is hesitant when he discovers who Sheila has picked as their third wheel -- his best friend Bryan, who has been half in love with Pete for years. When Sheila propositions him, he quickly jumps on board. But Bryan has never been with a woman before, and Pete's afraid their friendship will suffer once they have sex.Will Sheila be able to juggle both men and pull off a hot evening for Pete's sake?
The Boss's Daughter
by J. T. MarieOnce the daughter of a prominent dentist in Philadelphia, Natalie Allen wasn’t happy with the life she was expected to lead, so she left society behind and headed west. Now, in the little town of Junction, she’s known as Nat, a cowboy working on Boss Daddy’s cattle ranch. She keeps to herself, renting a room in a local boarding house instead of staying in the bunk house, and with her dungarees and short hair, no one realizes she’s living as a man.But Boss Daddy’s pretty daughter Miss Lucille takes a notice to “Mr. Nat,” and the closer the two become, the more conflicted Nat grows. She likes Miss Lucille a lot more than she knows she should, and it’s easy to forget who she’s pretending to be around the boss’s daughter.Then Miss Lucille surprises everyone, Nat included, by announcing their engagement. Nat knows they can’t marry, and if she tells Miss Lucille why, her ruse will be up. Her only choice is to leave Junction behind, even if it means breaking Miss Lucille’s heart.But will Miss Lucille let Nat go so easily?
Turning Thirty
by Shawna JeanneLisa Keenan is turning thirty, and dreads the big “three-oh.” Her boyfriend Nick tries to make light of it, but she knows her youth is fading. The best birthday gift would be a marriage proposal -- they've been together ten years already, and neither is getting any younger -- but she doesn’t want to have to tell Nick to buy her a ring.So when he asks what she’d like for her birthday, she says the only other thing she would really love. A threesome.Nick’s best friend Ray has always been flirtatious -- not just with Lisa, but with Nick, too. She knows the guys have experimented sexually in the past, so getting them together again, this time with her in the middle, won’t be a problem.On Lisa’s birthday, Nick treats her like a princess, but things heat up royally when Ray joins them in the bedroom.
She Said Yes!
by Shawna JeanneWhen Marianne meets Ben, she falls for his flirty personality, but before she can get to know him better, he pulls the old bait and switch routine. He's gay, but he has this hot friend he knows she'd really like to meet. Turns out he's right -- Johnnyishot, and within a few months, Marianne's in a happy relationship with the guy of her dreams.But Ben and Johnny are best friends, and everything they do is done together -- including dates. Before long, Marianne feels like she's seeing both men, even though she's only sleeping with Johnny. Still, she wouldn't turn down the opportunity to welcome Ben into their bedroom, and she's often wondered what it is exactly the two guys get up to when she isn't around.She finds out when she comes home late from a business trip and catches Johnny and Ben with their pants down in the basement, watching porn. She overhears Ben ask if Johnny will ever get up the courage to ask her about having a threesome -- Ben and Johnny used to be lovers as well as friends, and Ben misses that. But Johnny's afraid of scaring her away.Looks like Marianne's going to have to take matters into her own hands.
Swing Both Ways
by Shawna JeanneAt 28, Jenny Wilson’s career takes off when she lands a job as office manager for an architect firm. But her personal life is nowhere near as successful. A number of guys seem interested in her, but the only one she’s interested in is Eric Thomas. He’s witty, fun, and drop-dead sexy ... and in a committed relationship with hot construction foreman, Mike Lewis.How can Jenny hope to compete with that? The way Eric flirts with her only makes matters worse. Does he like her, or is he only being nice? Jenny’s hopes are raised when she learns Eric and Mike consider themselves bisexual rather than gay -- they both were previously engaged to women. Talk turns to threesomes and Jenny wonders if Eric is hitting on her or just teasing. Will she ever find out?When a friend of Mike’s throws a Halloween party, Eric invites her along, thinking it’ll be a great time to introduce his office wife to his house husband. Will Jenny’s fears of being a third wheel be realized, or will she discover that Mike and Eric really do swing both ways?
2014 Top Ten Gay Romance (Top Ten Gay Romance #1)
by J. M. Snyder2014 Top Ten Gay Romance brings together the best-selling short stories published by JMS Books that year.From first love to true love, from submission to sensual, from heat to sweet and everything in between, the couples in these stories are sure to keep you turning the pages as you fall in love with them.With stories by J.M. Snyder, Drew Hunt, J.L. Merrow, A.R. Moler, Jeff Adams, Terry O’Reilly, Iyana Jenna, J.D. Walker, Sam Singer, and Paul Alan Fahey, this head-over-heels collection goes beyond bedtime reading. Whether happily ever after or happy for now, there’s an ending for everyone in here!Contains the stories: Rivals by Jeff Adams, Words by Paul Alan Fahey, The Nutcracker by Drew Hunt, Ya Like That? by Iyana Jenna, Making It Pay by J.L. Merrow, Personal Protection by A.R. Moler, My Beagle, the Yenta by Terry O’Reilly, Broken by Sam Singer, Blurring the Lines by J.M. Snyder, and The Best Man for Me by J.D. Walker.
Caught Inbetween
by Shawna JeanneWhen Lori Callahan meets Jack and Brandt at an auto care class they teach, she isn't sure which one of them is hitting on her more. They invite her out for drinks, and she's surprised to learn they're already a couple ... but they're looking for someone like her to complete them. Drinks turn into a date, which leads to much more.Jack Rowe and Peter Brandt have been together since high school, and fight like an old married couple. They don't agree on anything, it seems, except sex and how they both feel about Lori.But soon she finds herself caught inbetween the two. She doesn't want to take sides when her men fight -- she loves them both, and knows they love each other, even if they never say the words out loud.One evening Brandt pushes Jack too far. Will Lori be able to patch things up between them, or will their loving threesome fall apart for good?
Write Every Day Erotica Edition: A Year of Daily Writing Prompts (Write Every Day #2)
by J. M. SnyderLast year, I published a book of writing prompts to help jumpstart muses and get the creative juices flowing. Many of the prompts that didn’t make the cut in that book were salacious, to say the least. As an erotica writer, I sometimes like to think outside my own boundaries and try to tackle the art of writing sex in new and exciting ways. Let’s be honest -- there are only so many things you can say about sex before you start feeling as if the scene has become rote or mechanical. The romance of your first sex story soon dulls with time, almost like a marriage, and you’re left wondering what happened to the excitement you felt when you first fell in love with writing about ... well, love. That’s why I decided to write a book of writing prompts geared specifically towards the erotica writer. Maybe you want a different position, or a new way of thinking about a familiar scene. Maybe you want to try your hand at something you’ve never dared write before. Maybe you just want to write about two people getting it on and don’t really know where to begin.This collection of 366 writing prompts can be used daily throughout the year (leap years, too!) as a starting point to get you writing ... and keep you writing. Each day of the year has its own, unique prompt. Set a timer for fifteen or twenty minutes, and write wherever the prompt takes you. Or, if you’re between stories and looking for something different to work on, flip to the prompt for today (or any random page) and start fresh.This book will kick-start your writing or take you in exciting new directions every day of the year!
Chicken Soup for the Soul 30th Anniversary Edition: All Your Favorite Original Stories Plus 30 Bonus Stories for the Next 30 Years
by Amy NewmarkThe classic New York Times bestseller that started it all— and according to USA Today, one of the top five books in the past quarter century &“that leave a legacy.&” The Classic Original... with 30 new bonus stories for the next 30 years!Everyone is still talking about it. Thirty years after its creation, this bestseller continues to change lives around the world. Rediscover the power of inspiration with timeless stories about the everyday miracles that illuminate the best of the human spirit. Whether you&’re discovering Chicken Soup for the Soul for the first time, or you are a long-time fan, this book will inspire you to be a better person, reach for your highest potential, overcome your challenges, improve your relationships, and embrace the world around you. Read your favorite original stories plus 30 bonus stories, including ones by: MK Asante • Rev. Michael Beckwith • Gabrielle Bernstein • Jack Canfield • Kris Carr • Deepak Chopra • Lori Deschene • Tony D&’Urso • Pat Farnack • Eric Handler • Mark Victor Hansen • Robert Holden • Tory Johnson • Mastin Kipp • Rabbi Steve Leder • Joan Lunden • Brad Meltzer • Amy Newmark • Deborah Norville • Nick Ortner • Zibby Owens • Tony Robbins • don Miguel Ruiz • Sophfronia Scott • Jane Wolfe Chicken Soup for the Soul books are 100% made in the USA and each book includes stories from as diverse a group of writers as possible. Chicken Soup for the Soul solicits and publishes stories from the LGBTQ community and from people of all ethnicities, nationalities, and religions.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Tales of Dynamic Aging
by Amy NewmarkPut the top down, turn up the radio, and embark on an enchanting journey through these 101 heartwarming tales that celebrate the timeless spirit that keeps us all eternally youthful. In this delightful book, we celebrate the joy of staying young at heart, regardless of how many birthdays have passed us by.The second half... the golden years...more time for yourself! Whether you&’re a new empty nester or proudly celebrating one of those &“big&” birthdays, there&’s plenty of good stuff ahead. These 101 stories from dynamic, active people who are still young at heart prove the adage that age is just a number. Whether they&’re relaxing at home or hitting the road, married or single, working or retired, these folks do it all. Finding romance and love again at 50, 60, 70, 80 and beyond Embracing your age and the privileges that come with it Getting in shape with new sports and fitness routines Enjoying family, including those grandchildren Trying new things and broadening your world Starting new careers and businesses while pursuing new passions Traveling the world and moving to new places Downsizing and enjoying the freedom of less And plenty of comic relief! Chicken Soup for the Soul books are 100% made in the USA and each book includes stories from as diverse a group of writers as possible. Chicken Soup for the Soul solicits and publishes stories from the LGBTQ community and from people of all ethnicities, nationalities, and religions.
Why You Should Give a Damn About Economics: The US Debt Crisis and Your Future
by Leslie A. RubinA no-nonsense guide to America&’s debt crisis, why it matters to everyone, and what we can do to fix it. America is facing a fiscal crisis. The accumulating national debt now reaches into the tens of trillions—and shows no end in sight. Meanwhile, our leaders in Washington have done little to mitigate this threat. In Why You Should Give a Damn About Economics, business executive and former CPA Leslie A. Rubin explains why this pressing issue matters to every American. In simple, straightforward language, Rubin explains how national economics affects our daily lives. He aptly outlines the basics of US economic policy, the crisis we face today—and both the pitfalls and benefits of proposed solutions. A concise but comprehensive handbook, Why You Should Give a Damn About Economics provides the tools we need to disarm the debt bomb before it&’s too late.
A Lovely Lie
by Jaime Lynn HendricksA Goodreads, SheReads, and Criminal Element Most Anticipated Thriller Is it better to believe a lovely lie or to know the horrible truth? 1999: The night of their senior picnic, Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper were involved in a car accident that left two of their classmates dead. Afterward, they lied to the police, protecting each other from the consequences. Then Pepper left town and Scarlett never heard from her again… Now: Twenty-two years later, Scarlett has buried that deadly incident deep in her mind and built a comfortable life for herself, working in a hotel on the west coast of Florida and raising her teenage son with her husband Vince. Her peace is disrupted, however, when Pepper’s daughter shows up with news of Pepper’s death. Zoey is twenty-one and studying to be an investigative journalist. She has a cryptic letter from Pepper addressed to Scarlett that alludes to the events of that fateful night and Pepper’s initial intentions to get an abortion. Now Zoey wants answers about her mother’s past. Who is Zoey’s father? And what really happened after the senior picnic? As Zoey continues to dig into the past, all of Scarlett’s buried secrets threaten to rise to the surface. Jaime Lynn Hendricks, “the queen of the page-turner” (Ashley Winstead), will have you questioning who you can trust in this intricately twisted thriller.
Westport
by James ComeyFormer FBI director James Comey takes readers into the world of high finance and corporate espionage in this riveting thriller. A red canoe sits abandoned on Seymour Rock, right where the Saugatuck River hits the Long Island Sound. The elegantly dressed corpse of a woman lies inside…. It’s been two years since Nora Carleton left the job she loved at the US Attorney’s Office to become lead counsel at Saugatuck Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. The career change also meant a change of scenery, relocating her to Westport, Connecticut, fifty miles north of New York City. But it was worth it to get her daughter, Sophie, away from the city. Plus, she likes the people she works with. Especially Helen, who recruited Nora because of her skills as an investigator. Then Nora's new life falls apart when a coworker is murdered and she becomes the lead suspect. Nora calls in her old colleagues from the US Attorney’s Office, Mafia investigator Benny Dugan and attorney Carmen Garcia. To clear Nora’s name, Benny and Carmen hunt for the true killer's motive, but it seems nearly everyone at Saugatuck has secrets worth killing for. As Benny sets out to interrogate her colleagues, Nora examines her history with the company to determine who set her up to take the fall. A suspenseful and intriguing tale of high finance and murder, Westport features the characters first introduced in James Comey’s debut novel Central Park West but can also be read on its own. It further establishes Comey as “a bold new talent in the mystery genre” (Harlan Coben).
The Greene Murder Case: Large Print (An American Mystery Classic #0)
by S. S. Van DineDeath stalks the halls of a New York City mansion in this celebrated Philo Vance mystery. A dark cloud has descended upon the elegant mansion of Jazz Age New York’s illustrious Greene family as, one by one, the heirs to the fortune die off under mysterious circumstances. It begins when an intruder shoots two daughters, leaving one dead. Soon after, another heir is shot dead in similar circumstances. Do the footprints in the snow belong to the killer, or were they left as a red herring? And will the authorities on the case find the answer before more family members die off? Philo Vance, monocled New York bon vivant and part-time supersleuth, is on the case, but it will take all of his deductive powers and cultural knowledge to reveal the culprit. Along the way, he—and the reader—will consult detailed floor plans, fairly-clued testimonies, and the obscure yet illuminating texts discovered in the Greene home’s secret criminology library. All of the evidence in the case is present in the text, but only the most astute armchair sleuths will be able to solve the crime before Vance delivers his brilliant solution. S. S. Van Dine’s Vance novels were a crime fiction sensation. Major bestsellers in their time, the books went on to shape generations of mystery writers working in their shadow. The Greene Murder Case is the third chronicle in the saga of the iconic detective and remains to this day one of the most celebrated entries in the series.
Making a Way Out of No Way: Lives of Labor, Love, and Resistance
by Merideth M. TaylorA richly imagined, photo illustrated narrative of 150 years of life in slavery on tobacco plantations in Southern MarylandFor over 165 years, plantation owners in Southern Maryland depended on the labor of enslaved men, women, and children to bring in the tobacco crop. The photographs and stories in this book grew out of the author’s quest to understand how these people, who were subjected to a system that made every attempt to brutalize and dehumanize them, were able not only to survive but to build families and meaningful lives. Author Merideth Taylor has created a credible, well-researched, richly imagined world that is both informative and moving. The traditional central figure and linear plot of the novel has been replaced by an interwoven collage of scenes and community of characters, that reflect the diversity of experience, “silences,” and incompleteness of the historical record. Her choice to largely avoid graphic depictions of the violence perpetrated on enslaved bodies allows the reader to focus, instead, on the remarkable resilience, ingenuity, skills, and cultural strengths that enabled them to make a way out of no way. Author royalties will be donated to Historic Sotterley’s Descendant’s Project.