Showing results by narrator "Christine Williams" in All Categories

In this Very Short Introduction, Robert Eaglestone provides a clear and engaging exploration of the major themes, patterns, and debates of contemporary fiction. From genre, form, and experimentalism to the legacies of modernism and postmodernism, the relationship between globalization and terrorism, and the impact of technology, Eaglestone examines how works both reflect the world in which we live and the artistic concerns of writers and readers alike.

Still stalked by an unseen force and plagued by unspeakable visions, Lucy feels she cannot carry on for much longer - especially now that Byron, the one person who understood what she was going through, is dead. No one else believes her. She is still alone. And still in grave danger. In the first two books in The Unseen series, horror maven Richie Tankersley Cusick will take you on a journey into a nightmare so frightening, you will have to sleep with a light on.

Out walking alone one rainy night, Lucy becomes convinced that someone - or something - is following her. Spooked, she ducks into a cemetery to try and lose her stalker. Panicking in the darkness, she slips and stumbles into an open grave - only to discover she is not alone in there…. Lucy manages to escape, but she doesn't get away unscathed. She begins having terrifying visions and dreams - and she still can't shake the feeling of an unseen presence, always watching, waiting…. Who was the girl in the grave? And what has she done to Lucy?

There are more crows now than ever. Their abundance is both an indicator of ecological imbalance and a generous opportunity to connect with the animal world. Crow Planet reminds us that we do not need to head to faraway places to encounter "nature". Rather, even in the suburbs and cities where we live we are surrounded by wild life such as crows, and through observing them we can enhance our appreciation of the world's natural order.

When sculptor and author Barb Davis is given an NEA grant to pair original feminist sculptures with searing first-person essays on transitions in women's lives, she organizes a two-week writing retreat with 12 of the best, brightest, and most notorious lesbian authors in the business. But in between regularly scheduled happy hours and writing sessions, the women enter a tournament bass fishing competition, receive life coaching from a wise-cracking fish named Phoebe, and uncover a subterranean world of secrets.

In the sixth decade of the 21st century, Earth has been transformed. Nanotechnology has been perfected, giving humans the ability to change their environment and themselves down to the cellular level. And the study of the mind has brought a revolution in human psychotherapy and artificial intelligence. It's a sane and perfect world. Almost.

Today's coaches are challenged with the recurring task of weaving threads from several disciplines into a tapestry that is fit for purpose in helping their clients learn and succeed. In this sense, the coach has to become a discriminating eclectic, developing a keen sense of judgment to select which threads are best woven into the fabric and those that it would be better to simply throw away.

When Sadie Harlan visits her daughter, Lauren, at her summer internship in Yosemite National Park, it seems like the perfect way to forget about her empty nest and failing marriage back home. But when the two women get lost on what’s meant to be a short hike, they suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives. As they search for food, water, and civilization, they battle injury, exhaustion, and natural predators. Sadie, however, is assaulted by more than just the unforgiving elements.

Mark Rivers was a firefighter until he got trapped in a wildfire and suffered third-degree burns on his face and body. After a year of recovering, Mark is trying to piece his life back together but struggles both emotionally and psychologically. He's been a recluse until he forces himself to attend his niece's school play and sees Riley, the school's art teacher. Immediately, Mark feels a connection to her. Maybe it's the kind way she greets his niece or the way the art she created for the school play is reminiscent of his late mom's artwork.

More and more, people are identifying as introverts. Studies show that at least one-third of the people we encounter in our lives are introverts. The Quiet Rise of Introverts: 8 Practices for Loving and Living in a Noisy World is a guide to help tenderhearted and introverted individuals grow and nurture their peace, purpose, and relationships. Author, speaker, and life coach Brenda Knowles presents eight unique practices to help readers learn that they are not alone or flawed in their sensitivity and introversion.

It’s Christmas Eve in Baltimore, and you know what that means: snow. Lots of it. Join our dynamic duo as they battle the elements, quirky friends and family, and two marauding dogs in their annual ill-fated attempts to enjoy a quiet Christmas alone.

When Carly Rosen is jilted on the eve of her wedding, she embarks on a startling journey of self-discovery. This gender-bending, risque retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in sizzling West Hollywood, echoes the ancient story of the lovers in the Underworld.

Simone is trying her best not to think of what she’s lost. Diagnosed with MS, she awaits the results of another anxiety-inducing MRI. She’s just walked away from Connor, “a fixer” but possibly the love of her life. And nearing the holidays, the sights and sounds of winter in South Dakota only prick memories of better years gone by. Then, on a December morning at the university where she works, jarring gunshots pierce the halls. In a temporary safe place and terrified, Simone listens and pretends this will all be over soon.

The sky has always held significance for humanity, in both cultural and scientific terms. And yet we persistently pollute it with sometimes unnecessary light in our obsessive desire to chase away the darkness. This effectively switches off the stars, hampering our ability to enjoy one of the most inspiring sights nature has to offer to humankind. In addition, too much light is hazardous to both our health and that of the fauna and flora of this planet.

The debate between science and religion is never out of the news: Emotions run high, fueled by polemical best sellers like The God Delusion and, at the other end of the spectrum, high-profile campaigns to teach "Intelligent Design" in schools. Yet there is much more to the debate than the clash of these extremes. As Thomas Dixon shows in this balanced and thought-provoking introduction, many have seen harmony rather than conflict between faith and science.

Did you know that "nontoxic" usually means "never tested"? Or that many green cleaners are good for the environment but terrible for you? Chemist and activist Monona Rossol goes from under your sink to the halls of the powerful, tracing Americas love affair with chemicals that kill, explaining how much worse the problem has gotten in the last decade. Shocking and appalling and completely reckless - thats how she describes the current prevalence of harmful chemicals in our everyday lives. Read Pick Your Poison to learn the facts and find out what you can do about the daily onslaught of toxins that are making lab rats of us all.

Best-selling author and life coach Katie Brazelton takes you on a deeply personal 40-day journey of developing your character. Discover how to close the gap between understanding God's purpose for your life and carrying it out as you put an end to well-worn patterns of defeat, woundedness, insecurity, unworthiness, and self-centeredness.

Deep in a forest of Regency England dwells The Forest Lord - and there he dwells alone. A living legend, the powerful Green Man of yore has but one chance to escape his forest prison and one hope for love - the very woman he has vowed to destroy.

An incomparable master storyteller in all forms, in The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares Joyce Carol Oates spins six imaginative tales of suspense. The Corn Maiden is the gut-wrenching story of Marissa, a beautiful and sweet, but somewhat slow, eleven-year-old girl with hair the color of corn silk. Her single mother comes home one night to find her missing and panics, frantically knocking on the doors of her neighbors.

Tucked into the majesty of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains is a garden Sarah King has been nurturing for years. She never feels more alive than when she is alone with her thoughts and her Creator among the delicate rows of plants. But then duty calls her away from her beloved garden and into a world she knows little about. Grant Williams, a handsome young veterinarian, has left the city to open a rural practice among the Amish. Within minutes of meeting shy but feisty Sarah King, he is captivated by her.