What's in a nameIn our "look at me" era, everyone's a brand. Privacy now seems a quaint relic, and self-effacement is a thing of the past. Yet, as Nom de Plume reminds us, this was not always the case. Exploring the fascinating stories of more than a dozen authorial impostors across several centuries and cultures, Carmela Ciuraru plumbs the creative process and the darker, often crippling aspects of fame. Biographies have chronicled the lives of pseudonymous authors such as Mark Twain, Isak Dinesen, and George Eliot, but never before have the stories behind many noms de plume been collected into a single volume. These are narratives of secrecy, obsession, modesty, scandal, defiance, and shame: Only through the protective guise of Lewis Carroll could a shy, half-deaf Victorian mathematician at Oxford feel free to let his imagination run wild. The "three weird sisters" (as they were called by the poet Ted Hughes) from Yorkshire the Brontes produced instant bestsellers that transformed them into literary icons, yet they wrote under the cloak of male authorship. Bored by her aristocratic milieu, a cigar-smoking, cross-dressing baroness rejected the rules of propriety by having sexual liaisons with men and women alike, publishing novels and plays under the name George Sand.Grounded by research yet highly accessible and engaging, these provocative, astonishing stories reveal the complex motives of writers who harbored secret identities sometimes playfully, sometimes with terrible anguish and tragic consequences. A wide-ranging examination of pseudonyms both familiar and obscure, Nom de Plume is part detective story, part exposé, part literary history, and an absorbing psychological meditation on identity and creativity.

This bestselling recovery classic has helped untold thousands of alcoholics onto the road to recovery. Written by the founder of the Johnson Institute in Minneapolis, one of the country's most successful training programs for treatment providers, I'll Quit Tomorrow present the concepts and methods that have brought new hope to alcoholics and their families, friends, and employers. Abstinence is not the only objective of Johnson's breakthrough methods -- his therapy aims at restoring the ego strength of the victim to assure permanent recovery. Johnson outlines a dynamic plan of intervention and treatment that will block the progress of alcoholism and lead to a richer, more productive life.

Dr. Michel Cohen, named by the New York Post as the hip, "must-have" pediatrician, has an important message for parents: Don't worry so much. In an easy-reference alphabetical format, The New Basics clearly lays out the concerns you may face as aparent and explains how to solve them -- without fuss, without stress, and without harming your child by using unnecessary medicines or interventions.With sensitivity and love, Dr. Michel describes proven techniques for keeping your children healthy and happy without driving yourself crazy. He will show you how to set positive habits for sleeping and eating and how to treat ailments early and effectively. You'll learn when antibiotics are helpful and when they can be harmful. If you're having trouble breast feeding, pumping, or bottle weaning, Dr. Michel has the advice to set you back on track. If after several months your baby is still not sleeping through the night, The New Basics will provide you with tried-and-true methods to help ease this difficult transition for babies and parents.Dr. Michel recognizes that you're probably asking the same questions his own patients' parents frequently ask, so he includes a section called "Real Questions from Real Parents" throughout the book. You'll find important answers about treating asthma, head injuries, fevers, stomach bugs, colic, earaches, and other ailments. More than just a book on how to care for your child's physical well-being, The New Basics also covers such parenting challenges as biting, hitting, ADD, separation anxiety, how to prevent the terrible twos (and threes and fours ...), and preparing your child for a new sibling.

Rich in family drama, passion, and human affinity, critically acclaimed author Frederick Buechner's contemporary retelling of this captivating and timeless biblical saga revitalizes the ancient story of Jacob, delighted our senses and modern sensibilities and gracing us with his exceptional eloquence and wit.

In this fascinating history, Jeffrey Rothfeder tells how, from a simple idea the outgrowth of a handful of peppers planted on an isolated island on the Gulf of Mexico a secretive family business emerged that would produce one of the best-known products in the world. A delectable and satisfying read for both Tabasco fans and business buffs, McIlhenny's Gold is the untold story of the continuing success of an eccentric, private company; a lively history of one of the most popular consumer products of all times; and an exploration of our desire to test the limits of human tolerance for fiery foods.

Do you wake up dreading the dayDo you feel ciscouraged with what you've accomplished in lifeDo you want greater self-esteem, productivity, and joy in daily livingIf so, you will benefit from this revolutionary way of brightening your moods without drugs or lengthy therapy. All you need is your own common sense and the easy-to-follow methods revealed in this book by one of the country's foremost authorities on mood and personal relationship problems. In Ten Days to Self-esteem, Dr. David Burns presents innovative, clear, and compassionate methods that will help you identify the causes of your mood slumps and develop a more positive outlook on life. You will learn thatYou feel the way you think: Negative feelings like guilt, anger, and depression do not result from the bad things that happen to you, but from the way you think about these events. This simple but revolutionary idea can change your life!You can change the way you feel: You will discover why you get depressed and learn how to brighten your outlook when you're in a slump.You can enjoy greater happiness, productivity, and intimacy without drugs or lengthy therapy.Can a self-help book do all thisStudies show that two thirds of depressed readers of Dr. Burns's classic bestseller, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, experienced dramatic felief in just four weeks without psychotherapy or antidepressant medications. Three-year follow-up studies revealed that readers did not relapse but continued to enjoy their positive outlook. Ten Days to Self-esteem offers a powerful new tool that provides hope and healing in ten easy steps. The methods are based on common sense and are not difficult to apply. Research shows that they really work!Feeling good feels wonderful. You owe it to yourself to feel good!

On November 5, 1688, William of Orange, Protestant ruler of the Dutch Republic, landed at Torbay in Devon with a force of twenty thousand men. Five months later, William and his wife, Mary, were jointly crowned king and queen after forcing James II to abdicate. Yet why has history recorded this bloodless coup as an internal Glorious Revolution rather than what it truly was: a full-scale invasion and conquest by a foreign nationThe remarkable story of the relationship between two of Europe's most important colonial powers at the dawn of the modern age, Lisa Jardine's Going Dutch demonstrates through compelling new research in political and social history how Dutch tolerance, resourcefulness, and commercial acumen had effectively conquered Britain long before William and his English wife arrived in London.

For more than twenty years Renovaré has pioneered the use of spiritual classics for deepening our lives of discipleship. Their highly praised compendiums Devotional Classics and Spiritual Classics have sold 500,000 copies. Now they have put together a prestigious editorial board and polled respected Christian leaders and thinkers from a variety of Christian traditions, including Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant, to present the twenty-five most spiritually influential and important books for Christians to read. There are books that should be shaping the church, our faith, and our engagement in the world. From timeless classics like The Imitation of Christ to unexpected selections like Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov and the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins, 25 Books Every Christian Should Read provides historical background for each work and explains its importance for modern Christians, while including selected readings from every book to get you started. In addition, each chapter ends with discussion questions to the work for use in small groups or for personal reflection. 25 Books Every Christian Should Read is a pivotal resource for the future of Christianity, an invitation into the fullness and richness of the Christian tradition.

Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me.That was the most defining moment of my life. That was the beginning of my story.From the outside looking in, Kelle Hampton had the perfect life: a beautiful two-year-old daughter, a loving husband, a thriving photography career, and great friends. When she learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic. Her pregnancy went smoothly and the ultrasounds showed a beautiful, healthy, high-kicking baby girl. But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister, Lainey, had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle's fear and pain were vanquished by joy, as she embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift.With lyrical prose and gorgeous full-color photography, Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella's first year of life a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes. It is a story about embracing life and really living it, of being fearless and accepting difference, of going beyond constricting definitions of beauty, and of the awesome power of perspective. As Kelle writes, "There is us. Our Family. We will embrace this beauty and make something of it. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky."

Living with her family in India, young Bess Crawford's curiosity about this exotic country sometimes leads her into trouble.One day she slips away from the cantonment to visit the famous seer in a nearby village. Before this woman can finish telling her fortune, Bess is summoned back for an afternoon tea with the Maharani, a close friend of her parents'. The seer's last words are a warning about forthcoming danger that Bess takes as the usual patter. But this visit by the Maharani has ominous overtones that mark it as more than a social call. Her husband has political enemies, and she has come to ask Bess's father, Major Crawford, for help.As the Maharani is leaving, Bess notices that there is something amiss with the royal entourage. Major Crawford must set out after them—but will he be in time?And what will happen to Bess, and the household left behind, when a vicious assassin circles back to take hostages?Here is an extraordinary glimpse into the childhood of the Bess Crawford we know from her service in the Great War.

Deborah Birch is a seasoned hospice nurse who never gives up—not with her patients, not in her life. But her skills and experience are fully tested by the condition her husband, Michael, is in when he returns from his third deployment to Iraq. Tormented by nightmares, anxiety, and rage, Michael has become cold and withdrawn. Still grateful that he is home at last, Deborah is determined to heal him and restore their loving, passionate marriage.But Michael is not her only challenge. Deborah's primary patient is Barclay Reed, a retired history professor and fierce curmudgeon. An expert on the Pacific Theater of World War II, Barclay is suffering from terminal kidney cancer and haunted by ghosts from his past, including the academic scandal that ended his career.Barclay's last wish is for Deborah to read to him from his final and unfinished book—a little-known story from World War II that may hold the key to helping Michael conquer his demons. Together, nurse, patient, and soldier embark on an unforgettable emotional journey that transforms them all, offering astonishing insights into life and death, suffering and finding peace.Told with piercing empathy and heartbreaking realism, The Hummingbird is a masterful story of marital commitment, service to country, the battles we fight for those we love, learning to let go, and finding absolution through wisdom and acceptance.

By turns astonishing, frightening, and triumphant, When the Moon Is Low chronicles one brave Afghan woman's odyssey to save her familyIn Kabul, we meet Fereiba, a schoolteacher who puts her troubled childhood behind her when she finds love in an arranged marriage. But Fereiba's comfortable life implodes when the Taliban rises to power and her family becomes a target of the new fundamentalist regime. Forced to flee with her three children, Fereiba has one hope for survival: to seek refuge with her sister's family in London.Traveling with forged papers and depending on the kindness of strangers, Fereiba and the children make a dangerous crossing into Iran under cover of darkness, the start of a harrowing journey that reduces her from a respected wife and mother to a desperate refugee.Eventually they fall into the shadowy underground network of the undocumented who haunt the streets of Europe's cities. And then, in a busy market square in Athens, their fate takes a frightening turn when Fereiba's teenage son, Saleem, becomes separated from the rest of the family. Without his mother, Saleem is forced, abruptly and unforgivingly, to come of age in a world of human trafficking and squalid refugee camps.Heartbroken, Fereiba has no choice but to continue on with only her daughter and baby. Mother and son cross border after perilous border, risking their lives in the hope of finding a place where they can be reunited.

In the bestselling tradition of Jojo Moyes and Jennifer Weiner, Jenny Colgan's moving, funny, and unforgettable novel tells the story of a heartbroken young woman who turns a new page in her life . . . by becoming a baker in the town of CornwallA quiet seaside resort. An abandoned shop. A small flat. This is what awaits Polly Waterford when she arrives at the Cornish coast, fleeing a ruined relationship.To keep her mind off her troubles, Polly throws herself into her favorite hobby: making bread. But her relaxing weekend diversion quickly develops into a passion. As she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, each loaf becomes better than the last. Soon, Polly is working her magic with nuts and seeds, chocolate and sugar, and the local honey—courtesy of a handsome beekeeper. Packed with laughter and emotion, Little Beach Street Bakery is the story of how one woman discovered bright new life where she least expected—a heartwarming, mouthwatering modern-day Chocolat that has already become a massive international bestseller.Includes 7 Recipes!

The first three volumes of the internationally bestselling Last Apprentice series! Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son. He is destined to battle the creatures of the dark: witches, boggarts, ghosts, and more. And he will, as the apprentice to the local Spook. But can he survive when so many apprentices have failedThis ebook collection of the acclaimed series that inspired the major motion picture Seventh Son includes Book One: Revenge of the Witch; Book Two: Curse of the Bane; and Book Three: Night of the Soul Stealer.

The time has come for dogs to rule the wild. The collection includes the first three books in this thrilling New York Times bestselling series:Survivors #1: The Empty City: Lucky has always been a Lone Dog, but now he needs a Pack in order to stay alive. Relying on other dogs brings new dangers that Lucky isn't prepared for. Can Lucky ever be a true Pack Dog?Survivors #2: A Hidden Enemy: Bella and the Leashed Dogs have finally settled in the forest. But a fierce Pack of Wild Dogs has laid claim to the land, and their menacing Alpha will stop at nothing to ensure that it is his alone.Survivors #3: Darkness Falls: After an attack threatened both the Wild and Leashed Packs, Lucky knows that the dogs' only hope is to unite. For the first time since the Big Growl, Lucky is desperate to have other dogs by his side. But it might be too late. . . .

This collection is perfect for anyone looking to try out three bestselling series that are fun, easy-to-read, loaded with humor and art, and just right for young independent readers. In includes:Roscoe Riley Rules #1: Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs: If the kids can't sit still for the class performance, Roscoe's teacher could be in big trouble. Fortunately Roscoe has a plan to save her—a super, mega, gonzo plan! What could go wrong?My Weird School #1: Miss Daisy Is Crazy!: In this first book in the outrageously funny series that has reached millions of readers around the world, second-grade teacher Miss Daisy is in over her head. She doesn't even know how to add or subtract! But the kids have other things on their minds. Principal Klutz has promised that if they read a million pages in books, they can turn the school into a video-game arcade for one whole night!Alien in My Pocket #1: Blast Off!: When a four-inch-tall alien crash-lands through Zack McGee's bedroom window, Zack is sure he's about to become the first victim in a new War of the Worlds. But when the alien turns out to have weapons that are more ticklish than terrifying, Zack realizes that rather than protect the world from the alien it's up to him to protect the alien in his pocket from the world.

From master storyteller William Dietrich come books 4-6 in his bestselling Ethan Gage adventure series: The Barbary Pirates, The Emerald Storm, and The Barbed Crown.

Get four novels in Kim Harrison's #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows series as one e-book! This bundle includes For a Few Demons More, The Outlaw Demon Wails, White Witch, Black Curse, and Black Magic Sanction. Discover this great series at a special price!For a Few Demons MoreDespite dating one vampire and living with another, Rachel Morgan has always managed to stay just ahead of trouble . . . until now.?A fiendish serial killer stalks the Hollows, and no one living in or around Cincinnati—human, inhuman, or undead—is safe.?An ancient artifact may be the key to stopping the murderer—a mysterious relic that is now in the hands of Rachel Morgan, fearless independent bounty hunter and reckless witch. But revealing it could ignite a battle to the death among the vast and varied local supernatural races.?Rachel's been lucky so far. But even she can't hide from catastrophe forever.The Outlaw Demon WailsWhen you dance with demons, you lay your soul on the line …?In the Hollows, where the natural and the supernatural co-exist—not always peacefully—desperate times often call for unorthodox measures. But bounty hunter-witch Rachel Morgan did the absolutely unthinkable to save the lives of her friends: she willingly trafficked in forbidden demon magic. And now her sins have come home to haunt her.?As Rachel hunts for the truth behind a terrifying murder, the discovery of a shocking family secret is about to throw her entire life into question. And the long-lost ancient knowledge she seeks resides in the demonic ever-after.?But there are some lines that should never be crossed—like the one Rachel Morgan's stepping over . . .?Again!White Witch, Black CurseKick-ass bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan has crossed forbidden lines, taken demonic hits, and still stands. But the death of her lover struck her harder than she ever thought possible. She won't rest until his murder is solved . . . and avenged.?But a new predator is moving to the apex of the?Inderlander?food chain—and now Rachel's past is coming back to haunt her.?Literally.Black Magic SanctionRachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind . . . until now.?Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—her worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom. But trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and a lowlife ex-boyfriend-turned-thief.

Teens—and tweens and adults—who obsessively read the His Dark Materials and Harry Potter series will be riveted by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves's InterWorld and its sequel, The Silver Dream.InterWorld tells the story of Joey Harker, a very average kid who discovers that his world is only one of a trillion alternate earths. Some of these earths are ruled by magic. Some are ruled by science. All are at war. Joey teams up with alternate versions of himself from an array of these worlds. Together, the army of Joeys must battle evil magicians Lord Dogknife and Lady Indigo to keep the balance of power between all the earths stable.The Silver Dream: After mastering the ability to walk between dimensions, Joey Harker and his fellow InterWorld freedom fighters are now on a mission to maintain peace between the rival powers of magic and science who seek to control all worlds. When a stranger named Acacia somehow follows Joey back to InterWorld's base, things get complicated. No one knows who she is or where she's from—or how she knows so much about InterWorld.

For the first time, the collected prose of national treasure Nikki GiovanniGemini: An Extended Autobiographical Statement on My First Twenty-Five Years of Being a Black PoetNominated for the National Book Award, this is a journey -- both private and public -- through the trials and triumphs of 1960s America.Sacred Cows ... And Other EdiblesWinner of the Ohioana Library Award, these fresh and wryly humorous essays explore some of America's lofty institutions and the poet's pivotal life experiences.Racism 101This collection of essays contributes a vital and critical chapter to the debate on American national values.

This is an essential book for everyone who wants to write clearly about any subject and use writing as a means of learning.