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Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of BTK, the Serial Killer Next Door
by Roy Wenzl Tim Potter L. Kelly Hurst LavianaFor thirty-one years, a monster terrorized the residents of Wichita, Kansas. A bloodthirsty serial killer, self-named "BTK"—for "bind them, torture them, kill them"—he slaughtered men, women, and children alike, eluding the police for decades while bragging of his grisly exploits to the media. The nation was shocked when the fiend who was finally apprehended turned out to be Dennis Rader—a friendly neighbor . . . a devoted husband . . . a helpful Boy Scout dad . . . the respected president of his church.Written by four award-winning crime reporters who covered the story for more than twenty years, Bind, Torture, Kill is the most intimate and complete account of the BTK nightmare told by the people who were there from the beginning. With newly released documents, evidence, and information—and with the full cooperation, for the very first time, of the Wichita Police Department’s BTK Task Force—the authors have put all the pieces of the grisly puzzle into place, thanks to their unparalleled access to the families of the killer and his victims.
Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty
by Anne BirdWhat happens if, after being given up for adoption in childhood, you reestablish contact with your biological family -- only to discover that your newfound brother is a killer?Anne Bird, the sister of Scott Peterson, knows firsthand.Soon after her birth in 1965, Anne was given up for adoption by her mother, Jackie Latham. Welcomed into the well-adjusted Grady family, she lived a happy life. Then, in the late 1990s, she came back into contact with her mother, now Jackie Peterson, and her family -- including Jackie's son Scott Peterson and his wife, Laci. Anne was welcomed into the family, and over the next several years she grew close to Scott and especially Laci. Together they shared holidays, family reunions, and even a trip to Disneyland. Anne and Laci became pregnant at roughly the same time, and the two became confidantes.Then, on Christmas Eve 2002, Laci Peterson went missing -- and the happy façade of the Peterson family slowly began to crumble. Anne rushed to the family's aid, helping in the search for Laci, even allowing Scott to stay in her home while police tried to find his wife. Yet Scott's behavior grew increasingly bizarre during the search, and Anne grew suspicious that her brother knew more than he was telling. Finally she began keeping a list of his disturbing behavior. And by the time Laci's body -- and that of her unborn son, Conner -- were found, Anne was becoming convinced: Her brother Scott Peterson had murdered his wife and unborn child in cold blood.Filled with news-making revelations and intimate glimpses of Scott and Laci, the Peterson family, and the investigation that followed the murder, Blood Brother is a provocative account of how long-dormant family ties dragged one woman into one of the most notorious crimes of our time.
Blue Christmas: A Novel (Weezie And Bebe Ser. #Bk. 3)
by Mary Kay Andrews“Wonderful. . . . A must read come holiday time.”—Roanoke Times“Nobody does Christmas like Mary Kay Andrews.” — Debbie MacomberNew York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews's rollicking Christmas tale featuring the beloved characters from Savannah Blues and Savannah Breeze'Tis the week before Christmas, and antiques dealer Weezie Foley is in a frenzy to do up her shop right for the Savannah historical district decorating contest, which she fully intends to win. Her motif is Graceland Blue Christmas, with lots of tinsel, an aluminum tree, and enough tacky retro doodads to fill the Grand Ole Opry. But no sooner is she certain she's one-upped the trendy shop around the corner when Weezie notices things going strangely missing from her display.Despite the petty burglaries of her mysterious midnight visitor, Weezie still has high hopes for the holiday. Perhaps even an engagement ring is in the offing from her chef boyfriend, though Daniel, usually moody around the yuletide, seems even more distant than ever. Throw in some seasonal eccentricities from Weezie's decidedly odd family, a miraculous 1950s Christmas-tree pin, and a little help from the King (Elvis!) himself, and even Scrooge would have to agree there's real magic in the Savannah air this Christmas.
Brothers in Arms (Scott St. Andrew Series #1)
by Ben WeaverScott St. Andrew is a first year cadet at South Point Academy on Exeter, a rocky moon circling a distant colony planet. All he has to do is survive the toughest, most gruelling training program in the military. Then he'll be qualified to become an officer in the Guard Corps and be on his way off his filthy, poisonous planet and into the Terran Alliance elite.But Scott's chance of being the one in a thousand to escape the colonist destiny is rapidly disappearing. His genetic flaws (scars, no memory boosting or physical enhancement) make him one of the weakest in his squad and an inevitable target for ritual hazing. And events are about to spiral completely out of his control as the long simmering resentment between the colonial worlds and the rich Terran Alliance flares into open violence and rebellion. Now every soldier has to chose his side--and survive a hellishly accelerated training to join the deep space fighting before there is nothing left to fight for.
The Call: Discovering Why You Are Here
by Oriah Mountain DreamerThe final book in Oriah Mountain Dreamer’s bestselling trilogy opens us to finding and consciously living the meaning and purpose—the unique calling—at the center of our livesIn The Invitation, visionary writer and teacher Oriah Mountain Dreamer wrote about what we long for. In The Dance, her second book, she explored how to live this longing. Now, in The Call, she shares with us her struggle with and discovery of “why”—why we are here and why we must each undertake the journey from longing to living fully and deeply in the world. Like her previous bestsellers, The Call is filled with moving stories and wisdom born of experience, an intimate and insightful exploration of Oriah’s journey to heed her own call, which comes in often unexpected forms. Readers journey with Oriah into the recognition that to be fully human is to consciously live what we are—an echo of the sacred Presence that is beyond all thought—through the messy reality of who we are. Gently challenging and persistently practical, Oriah guides the reader in living every day awake to the essence of who we are, showing us how to find and embody the meaning in our lives in the unique way we are each called to do so. The Call takes us on a journey into living a deeply spiritual and wholly human life.
The Center of Winter: A Novel
by Marya HornbacherAt the center of winter, in Motley, Minnesota, Arnold Schiller gives in to the oppressive season that reigns outside and also to his own inner demons -- he commits suicide, leaving a devastated family in his wake.Claire Schiller, wife and mother, takes shelter from the emotional storm with her husband's parents but must ultimately emerge from her grief and help her two young children to recover. Esau, her oldest, is haunted by the same darkness that plagued his father. At twelve years old, he has already been in and out of state psychiatric hospitals, and now, with the help of his mother and sister, he must overcome the forces that drive him deep into himself. But as the youngest, perhaps it is Katie who carries the heaviest burden. A precocious six-year-old who desperately wants to help her mother hold the family together, she will have to come to terms with the memory of her father, who was at once loving and cruel.Narrated alternately by Claire, Katie, and Esau, this powerful and passionate novel explores the ways in which both children and adults experience tragic events, discover solace and hope in one another, and survive. The Center of Winter finds humor in unlikely places and evokes the north -- its people and landscape -- with warmth, sensitivity, and insight. The story of three people who, against all odds, find their way out of the center of winter, Marya Hornbacher's debut novel will leave you breathless, tearful, and ultimately inspired.
Cover Up: What the Government Is Still Hiding About the War on Terror
by Peter LanceEver since 9/11, investigative reporter Peter Lance has been leading the fight to expose the intelligence gaps that led to 9/11. Now, in the follow-up to his bestselling 1000 Years for Revenge, he returns with devastating new evidence that the government has been covering up its own counterterror failures since the mid-1990s -- and continues today.In Cover Up, Lance shows how the government chose again and again to sacrifice America's national security for personal motives and political convenience. In its first half, he unveils shattering new evidence that terror mastermind Ramzi Yousef ordered the bombing of TWA 800 from his prison cell in order to effect a mistrial in his own terror bombing case. Astonishingly, the FBI was alerted to Yousef's plans in advance by a prison informant who even passed along his detailed sketch of a bomb-trigger device -- a document seen here for the first time. And Lance reveals the shocking reason the Justice Department suddenly ruled the crash anaccident despite overwhelming evidence of the bombing -- throwing away its best chance to penetrate the cell that was already planning 9/11.And the outrage doesn't stop there. In Part II, Lance offers an unofficial "minority report" on the 9/11 Commission, critiquing it as the incomplete, highly politicized "Warren Commission of our time." He explores potential conflicts of interest among its members, from the staff director who wrote a book with Condoleezza Rice, to the former Clinton deputy attorney general who participated in a critical meeting that upended the TWA probe. He exposes the report's false contention that the 9/11 plan was conceived in 1996, when the FBI had knowledge that the plot was in motion as early as 1994. And, in a heart-stopping, minute-by-minute chronicle of the attacks, he asks dozens of unanswered questions about the defense failures of that day -- from why fighter jets weren't scrambled for almost an hour after the hijackings, to why the president and several of his top military advisers remained virtually incommunicado for more than half an hour after it was clear that America was under attack.At a time when America feels no safer than ever, Cover Up will lend new eyes to readers who want the full story behind the 9/11 attacks -- and inspire us all to keep demanding the truth.
The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism
by Paul KengorBased on extraordinary research: a major reassessment of Ronald Reagan's lifelong crusade to dismantle the Soviet Empire–including shocking revelations about the liberal American politician who tried to collude with USSR to counter Reagan's efforts Paul Kengor's God and Ronald Reagan made presidential historian Paul Kengor's name as one of the premier chroniclers of the life and career of the 40th president. Now, with The Crusader, Kengor returns with the one book about Reagan that has not been written: The story of his lifelong crusade against communism, and of his dogged–and ultimately triumphant–effort to overthrow the Soviet Union. Drawing upon reams of newly declassified presidential papers, as well as untapped Soviet media archives and new interviews with key players, Kengor traces Reagan's efforts to target the Soviet Union from his days as governor of California to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of what he famously dubbed the "Evil Empire." The result is a major revision and enhancement of what historians are only beginning to realize: That Reagan not only wished for the collapse of communism, but had a deep and specific understanding of what it would take––and effected dozens of policy shifts that brought the USSR to its heels within a decade of his presidency. The Crusader makes use of key sources from behind the Iron Curtain, including one key memo that implicates a major American liberal politician–still in office today–in a scheme to enlist Soviet premier Yuri Andropov to help defeat Reagan's 1984 reelection bid. Such new finds make The Crusader not just a work of extraordinary history, but a work of explosive revelation that will be debated as hotly in 2006 as Reagan's policies were in the 1980s.
The Dance: Moving to the Deep Rhythms of Your Life
by OriahWelcome to The Dance, the wise and practical book that expands on Oriah Mountain Dreamer's new moving prose poem. In this compelling book the acclaimed author of The Invitation challenges readers to live with passion, energy, and honesty. The key, says Oriah, is to savor the everyday world of family, friends, love, and work with clear minds and open hearts. When we are physically and emotionally stressed and our spirits are depleted, we must realize that happiness has not vanished but is buried beneath the clutter of our harried lives. With rare courage and honesty, Oriah unveils the challenge of her inspiring poem through compelling stories from her own experience, offering us tools to become fully the person we already are -- not ways to change."To dance -- to live in a way that is consistent with our longing" -- is to discover a gift that we can give ourselves again and again over a lifetime. To dance, alone or with others, is to be who we truly are as we fulfill our soul's desires. To do this, we must learn how to let go and slow down, returning to the sacred emptiness where we encounter our true self. Practical, inspiring, and profoundly illuminating, The Dance is an invitation to discover a place of connection, serenity, and joy that is uniquely our own.
The Chocolate Cake Sutra: Ingredients for a Sweet Life
by Geri LarkinChock full of moving and enlightening stories, The Chocolate Cake Sutra will help you let go of perfectionism and celebrate the sacred nature of the life you already have.
A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan
by Michael K. DeaverThe New York Times bestselling memoir of Ronald Reagan by his longtime aide and friend"These are memories of a friend and they span over the 35 years that I have known and loved Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Primarily anecdotal, there will be no footnotes, simply my best efforts to reconstruct these years and what they have meant to me."--Michael DeaverRONALD REAGAN AND ME will be comprised of six parts:The Early Years: Deaver and his first meeting with Reagan during his campaign for governor of California in 1966. His first impressions of Reagan's his management style, media savvy and incredible ability to communicate.Reagan: The Man: A look at the traits that make the man: perfectionist, competitor, unwavering discipline, and a deep sense of purpose and destiny.Sincerely, Ronald Reagan: Never-before-published excerpts from letters Reagan wrote to people of various backgrounds.The Campaigner: On the stump during the presidential campaigns.Mr. President: Reagan in action in the Oval Office. How he changed after he was shot, and his battles with Congress and Communism.The Long Goodbye: With Nancy's cooperation, a look at the Reagans' struggle with Alzheimers and the impact it has had on their marriage and the family.
Digging Up Trouble (The Nina Quinn Mysteries #3)
by Heather WebberDigging Her Own GraveLandscaper Nina Quinn makes her living from surprise garden makeovers. It's not her fault that someone duped her into digging up the wrong yard. And she certainly can't be blamed when her handiwork turns the unsuspecting real owner apoplectic and he drops dead from a heart attack . . . can she? Nina's got enough trouble already, with her divorce from faithless hubby Kevin nearing completion and her unruly stepson up to his teenage neck in possibly illegal mischief. Now she's in danger of losing her business! But there's something screwy about this rather convenient "accidental" death of a man whom apparently no one could stand -- not even the "grieving" widow who's threatening to sue Nina's overalls off. To save her livelihood -- and her skin -- Nina's going to have to dig deeper into the dirt than she ever has before . . . and see what sort of slimy secret things crawl out.
Do Dead People Watch You Shower?: And Other Questions You've Been All but Dying to Ask a Medium
by Concetta BertoldiMedium Concetta Bertoldi answers all your questions about life after life. . . from the irreverent: (If the dead are always with us, do they have a XXX view of my bedroom?). . . to the poignant: (Will my deceased father be with me when I walk down the aisle on my wedding day?) . . . to the heartfelt: (When loved ones leave this life too early or under tragic circumstances, are they eternally heartbroken or can they find peace in heaven?)Concetta Bertoldi has been communicating with the "Other Side" since childhood. In Do Dead People Watch You Shower?, the first-ever book of its kind, she exposes the naked truth about the fate and happiness of our late loved ones with no-holds-barred honesty and delightfully wry humor, answering questions that range from the practical to the outrageous. In addition she shares with us her own intimate secrets, revealing with refreshing candor how her miraculous gift has affected her life, her marriage, her friendships, and her career, as well as the myriad ways she has used it to help others.
Don't Ever Wonder: A Novel
by Darren ColemanNate, a "reformed" womanizer, is still recovering from a tragedy and swears that his days of being a player are over. Has his new faith and new woman really tamed him, or is he just biding his time until he re-enters the game? Brendan is the type of man every woman wants -- until she gets one. But, since his heart was broken, Brendan has vowed never to commit again. Cory, a successful businessman, has it all on track. Or does he? Will his affair with his sister-in-law come back to haunt him?Each man must confront his own ideal of manhood and intimacy as he embarks on an emotional roller-coaster -- one that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as well as give women an inside look at what brothers really want.
Defiant Heart (Westward Hearts)
by Tracey BatemanIn Book One of the Westward Hearts series, orphans Fannie Caldwell and her two young siblings have spent the last three years as indentured servants under a cruel master. Desperately wanting a better life for her brother and sister, Fannie devises a plan to secretly join a wagon train heading west. Her plan immediately runs into trouble when the handsome yet bullheaded wagon master Blake Tanner refuses to allow an unmarried woman on the train. But Fannie's determined—she'll escape and go west with or without help. As life on the trail tests everyone's endurance and faith, Fannie soon realizes the perils of being a single woman on the frontier. Witnessing Fannie fending off one scare after another, Blake slowly recognizes how much he cares for this alluring young woman. Will Blake sacrifice his own dreams and guide Fannie to safety? Or will Fannie's stubborn independence keep her from finding true love?
God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life
by Paul KengorRonald Reagan is hailed today for a presidency that restored optimism to America, engendered years of economic prosperity, and helped bring about the fall of the Soviet Union. Yet until now little attention has been paid to the role Reagan's personal spirituality played in his political career, shaping his ideas, bolstering his resolve, and ultimately compelling him to confront the brutal -- and, not coincidentally, atheistic -- Soviet empire.In this groundbreaking book, political historian Paul Kengor draws upon Reagan's legacy of speeches and correspondence, and the memories of those who knew him well, to reveal a man whose Christian faith remained deep and consistent throughout his more than six decades in public life. Raised in the Disciples of Christ Church by a devout mother with a passionate missionary streak, Reagan embraced the church after reading a Christian novel at the age of eleven. A devoted Sunday-school teacher, he absorbed the church's model of "practical Christianity" and strived to achieve it in every stage of his life.But it was in his lifelong battle against communism -- first in Hollywood, then on the political stage -- that Reagan's Christian beliefs had their most profound effect. Appalled by the religious repression and state-mandated atheism of Bolshevik Marxism, Reagan felt called by a sense of personal mission to confront the USSR. Inspired by influences as diverse as C.S. Lewis, Whittaker Chambers, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, he waged an openly spiritual campaign against communism, insisting that religious freedom was the bedrock of personal liberty. "The source of our strength in the quest for human freedom is not material, but spiritual," he said in his Evil Empire address. "And because it knows no limitation, it must terrify and ultimately triumph over those who would enslave their fellow man."From a church classroom in 1920s Dixon, Illinois, to his triumphant mission to Moscow in 1988, Ronald Reagan was both political leader and spiritual crusader. God and Ronald Reagan deepens immeasurably our understanding of how these twin missions shaped his presidency -- and changed the world.
A God in Ruins
by Leon UrisA God in RuinsSpanning the decades from World War II to the 2008 presidential campaign, A God in Ruins is the riveting story of Quinn Patrick O'Connell, an honest, principled, and courageous man on the brink of becoming the second Irish Catholic President of the United States. But Quinn is a man with an explosive secret that can shatter his political amibitions, threaten his life, and tear the country apart--a secret buried for over a half century--that even he does not know...
The Good Fight: Declare Your Independence and Close the Democracy Gap
by Ralph NaderStraight talk about George W. Bush,corporate government, and the whole charade of presidential campaigning -- from the last honest man in American politicsRalph Nader -- brilliant visionary, relentless activist -- may be the most honest man left in politics. And yet his presidential campaigns have faced consistent opposition -- mainly from Democrats afraid that competition from an inspiring independent could dent their voting block.Now, in The Good Fight, Nader swings back harder than ever at those who "want to block the American people from having more voices and choices" and have lost touch with the concept that votes must be earned, not inherited or entitled. While taking on corporate-occupied Washington and the government's daily abuse of ordinary citizens, he urges a speedy return to stronger civic motivation. If fed-up citizens don't actively join the fight for better leadership, then ultimately we have no one to blame but ourselves for the inadequate checks on the erosion of our civil liberties.In an era when politicians sell us rhetoric and then sell out our principles, Nader stands as a crucial voice of candor. The Good Fight is a stirring response to politics as usual, one that will captivate readers of all political stripes and help us define what we must do to shape the brightest future for our nation.
Got What It Takes?: Successful People Reveal How They Made It to the Top
by Bill BoggsBeyond talent, what factors have determined and defined the careers of well-known individuals? Training? Risk-taking? Luck? Emmy Award®-winning interviewer Bill Boggs shares success secrets he uncovered in candid conversations with 44 leaders in entertainment and the arts, sports, fashion, the business world, and more, including: Mark Burnett, Craig Newmark (Craigslist.com), Matt Lauer, Anna Quindlen, Renée Zellweger, Sir Richard Branson, Bobby Flay, Brooke Shields, Diane von Furstenberg, Norman Lear, Donald Trump, and Joe Torre, among others. They reveal crucial influences, how they deal with adversity and stress, and the choices they made that helped them to prevail in their careers and in their lives. This is an inside view of what makes the most successful people tick and a lessons-in-life career guide from accomplished stars at the top of their game.
Distant Heart
by Tracey BatemanToni Rodden has escaped a life of prostitution and vows she'll never let a man control her again. After months on the wagon train, she's finally earned her place, albeit grudgingly from some, and has found a surrogate family in Fannie Caldwell and her two siblings. For the first time she can taste freedom and the possibilities of a new life. But as Fannie prepares to marry wagon master Blake Tanner, Toni realizes how alone she is and questions whether she'll ever find acceptance, or true love.Despite Toni's conviction that no man will be able to see beyond her marred past, Sam Two-Feathers, the half-Indian wagon scout and acting preacher for the train, seems to know of a love that forgives sins and values much more than outward appearances. Will Sam have the confidence to declare his love? Will Toni be able to trust in a love that can forgive even the darkest past?
Is It a Choice?: Answers to Three Hundred of the Most Fre
by Eric MarcusThe answers to all the questions you've ever had about sexual orientation but were afraid to ask. Eric Marcus provides insightful, no-nonsense answers to hundreds of the most commonly asked questions about same-sex orientation. Offering frank and accepting insight on everything you've always wanted-and needed-to know about same-gender relationships, coming out, family roles, politics, and much more, including: How do you know if you're gay or lesbian?What should you do if your child is gay or lesbian?Do gay parents raise gay children?What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
Hunger Point: A Novel
by Jillian Medoff“[An] unusually honest, painfully funny novel about a tight-knit family’s struggle.” —Entertainment Weekly"My parents may love me, but I also know they view me as a houseguest who is turning a weekend stay into an all-expense-paid, lifelong residency, and who (to their horror) constantly forgets to flush the toilet and shut off the lights."Twenty-six-year-old Frannie Hunter has just moved back home. Bright, wry, blunt, and irreverent, she invites you to witness her family's unraveling. Her Harvard-bound sister is anorexic, her mother is having an affair, her father is obsessed with the Food Network, and her grandfather wants to plan her wedding (even though she has no fiancé, let alone a steady boyfriend). By turns wickedly funny and heartbreakingly bittersweet, Hunger Point chronicles Frannie's triumph over her own self-destructive tendencies, and offers a powerful exploration of the complex relationships that bind together a contemporary American family. You will never forget Frannie, a "sultry, suburban Holden Caulfield," whom critics have called "the most fully realized character to come along in years," (Paper) nor will you forget Hunger Point, an utterly original novel that stuns with its amazing insights and dazzles with its fresh, distinctive voice.
The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India
by Rodger KamenetzWhile accompanying eight high–spirited Jewish delegates to Dharamsala, India, for a historic Buddhist–Jewish dialogue with the Dalai Lama, poet Rodger Kamenetz comes to understand the convergence of Buddhist and Jewish thought. Along the way he encounters Ram Dass and Richard Gere, and dialogues with leading rabbis and Jewish thinkers, including Zalman Schacter, Yitz and Blue Greenberg, and a host of religious and disaffected Jews and Jewish Buddhists. This amazing journey through Tibetan Buddhism and Judaism leads Kamenetz to a renewed appreciation of his living Jewish roots.
Ladies Listen Up: A Novel
by Darren ColemanYou'll never hear the truth from your man, so . . . Ladies Listen Up Diego Christian's trail of deceit follows him all the way to the altar. After ruining the life of the woman he was to marry, he continues to find himself in one casual relationship after another with other men's wives and girlfriends. Through his sex-a-thon he meets a magazine editor who helps him develop his own column—"Ladies Listen Up"—dishing out relationship advice to women. When his behavior finally begins to cost him, Diego has to decide if he can—or wants to—change.Jacob Marsh, a teacher at Lyndon B. Johnson High School, is Diego's best friend. Jacob has always been cool under pressure and is a master manipulator. When he makes a critical mistake with a student who has a crush on him, he soon learns that covering it up may cost him everything he's worked so hard to keep. Through their drama-filled trysts, Diego, Jacob, and others give women the lowdown on the way men work.
The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives: For the Extraordinarily Literate (Highly Selective Reference)
by Eugene EhrlichAdjectives have long suffered from bad press. For many years, English teachers have been fond of telling students that "adjectives are the enemy of nouns, and adverbs are the enemy of everything else."While it's still advisable to heed your English teacher's advice on most other matters, The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives for the Extraordinarily Literate proves that breaking certain rules can make written and spoken language that much livelier, adding much-needed color, style, and adornment. With this addition to the popular Highly Selective series, the "golden" adjective, at last, gets the star treatment it deserves. From adventitious to zaftig, renowned lexicographer Eugene Ehrlich has collected more than 850 of the most interesting and engaging adjectives in the English language and has provided concise definitions and instructive usage examples. Whether you're a writer, a speaker, or a word buff, this compendious, trenchant, laudable, and all-around fantabulous volume will help you put panache back into your prose.