After all, why should not some humans be like angels? If our spirit has the same origin and the same destination, we’re but pilgrims on the Earth.

Documented throughout various times, cultures, religions, and geographical locations are stories of spiritual events that transcend the human experience beyond the limits of the physical body.  Many have sought answers for how it may be possible that a human is comprised of both immaterial consciousness and physical matter. After all, physical evidence suggests a distinct connection between life and the functionality of the body. However, first-hand experiences passed down through global oral traditions and among present humans suggest the existence of the spiritual realm.

The God Connection is a philosophical treatment of both the savory and unsavory aspects of religion and the belief in a higher power. Written in simple and direct English, it embodies scientific insights as well as inspirational passages while also considering the negative implications of corrupt religious practices in tandem with the benefits of sound mystical explorations.

Join Dr. Basil Gala in this personal adventure into spiritual thought and meditation, complemented with scholarly research of the histories and achievements of great religious movements worldwide.

Eliza Fox must be smarter than the police and a step ahead of the killer.

When an exchange student is found dead in the music practice rooms of Wexford College, there are few suspects and no clear answers. Martina Noto's parents will fly into California from Rome as soon as they can, but until then the nearest relatives are Martina's cousins: Private Investigator Eliza Fox and her mother, Francesca Noto-Fox.

As detectives Byron Comstock and Jessica Fonseca get familiar with the case, Eliza is determined to help catch Martina's killer. She quickly begins her own investigation and is soon caught up in the twists and turns of finding the murderer, a far cry from her usual work as a paralegal. Often out of her depth, Eliza must overcome her own inexperience and learn to trust her instincts as she fumbles through her first high-stakes case.

Filled with both humor and suspense, this is one traditional mystery novel you don't want to miss.

"Music is life. Music is a reflection of who we are as humans. Music tells us things that words can’t, it ignites feelings in us that we didn’t know we had, and it can reach a depth that nothing else can.” —Susan Graham, renowned American mezzo-soprano

Music has existed as long as there have been people to listen. It takes on many forms and is many things, providing entertainment, emotion, storytelling, and most of all, magic for all who hear.

In revealing and genuine interviews, Larry Ruttman converses with world-renowned musicians of the 21st century and engages them in an approachable manner. Dive into the recesses of their minds to discover the influences and inspiration behind classical music and other popular genres such as pop, jazz, folk, Americana, and many other genres impacting today’s musical culture.

Perfect for dedicated fans, determined students, and the casually interested listener to music of all genres, Intimate Conversations: Face to Face with Matchless Musicians is sure to inspire, fascinate, and entertain.

Jacob Hart has always been convinced there is an answer to any problem. That belief propelled him to a successful engineering career at corporate giant, GoldOrb Diversified. But following an abrupt retirement and his wife's untimely death, Jacob suffers an existential crisis. The man who once believed that anything could be solved becomes all consumed with uncovering the role of a higher power in his seemingly crumbling world. Plagued with prophetic visions, he travels to Lake Paradise in pursuit of his coveted answer to life's mysteries.

Joined in his quest by a kind Rabbi who has lost his faith, an unruly Ivy League professor, and the powerful CEO of GoldOrb, Jacob enters into a philosophical pursuit for the ages. But the troubles of the real world follow the friends to paradise, and soon they are ensnared in a high stakes political scandal that threatens to destroy everything.

The Overexamined Life of Jacob Hart tests the bonds of friendship, family, and country and infuses existential questions from time immemorial with modernity, intrigue, and sheer excitement.

In a kill or be killed world, The Reaper does whatever it takes to survive.

Following the murder of his half-brother, legendary Army Ranger Luke Foster returns to the United States from fighting terrorists. His brother’s history with a prominent New York Mafia family was no secret, so it’s no surprise his life was cut short. But the Mafia enforcers don’t know about Foster, his reputation as The Reaper, or that he’s coming for them.

FBI Special Agent Calico Hayes is determined to stop Luke Foster from leaving a trail of bodies across the U.S. in his unsanctioned quest for vengeance. But stopping Foster’s revenge proves more difficult than she expected, and sparks fly in more ways than one when the two cross paths.

While investigating his brother’s murder, they uncover a sinister plan to assassinate a populist presidential candidate. Hayes and Foster must put purpose before passion in order to stop the diabolical plot that could trigger a World War.

When Medusa and Tiresias rise from the Underworld as twenty-first-century teens and meet through Persephone and Hades' new dating app, it seems like a second chance. Dating is hard when you turn everyone to stone, but dating a blind prophet may be a loophole … even if he does occasionally spout dire prophecies.

But not everyone is pleased with an app designed to kindle romance between mortal enemies. As distrust grows between the heroes, monsters, and gods making up the app's user base, it’s easier to fall into old habits than fall in love. With pressure building on both sides, Medusa and Tiresias accept their task: kill their date, no matter how much they bond over their love of dogs or the way the gods have wronged them in the past.

Caught amongst meddling gods, murderous heroes, and a classic Greek bet, Medusa and Tiresias may have signed up for more than a dating profile. With war brewing at the hands of the gods, working together may be the only way to save mortals and monsters alike.

Told entirely through instant messages and transcripts, this is one mythically funny romantic comedy you don’t want to miss.

When Scott Terry was ten, he embraced the Jehovah's Witness faith and their prediction that the world would soon end. As an adolescent, he prepared for Armageddon and prayed for God to strip away his growing attraction to other young men. By adulthood, Terry found himself no longer believing in the promised apocalypse. Over time, he left the Witness religion and became a cowboy, riding bulls in the rodeo. He overcame the hurdles of parental abuse, religious extremism, and homophobia and learned that Truth is a concept of honesty rather than false righteousness.

Cowboys, Armageddon, and The Truth: How a Gay Child was Saved from Religion offers an illuminating glimpse into a child’s sequestered world of abuse, homophobia, and religious extremism. Scott Terry’s memoir is a compelling, poignant and occasionally humorous look into the Jehovah’s Witness faith-a religion that refers to itself as The Truth—and a brave account of Terry’s successful escape from a troubled past.

Celine Arceneau was admitted to the hospital for food poisoning and declared medically stable before her physician, Ellen Smythe, left for the evening. When she died the next morning from an unknown cause, Chief Detective Stefan Jablonsky suspects foul play and eyes Dr. Smythe, Dr. Kate Chambers’ friend and mentor, as his prime suspect. Pittsburgh’s amateur sleuth quickly joins the fight to prove her friend’s innocence.

Chief Detective Jablonsky and Kate Chambers have worked together in the past; he finds her and her university friends to be elitist and annoying, but grudgingly effective, and she finds him to be a stodgy, old-school detective, but one who always gets the killer. Jablonsky and Kate must put aside their differences to catch the culprit before the body count rises.

This psychological mystery will hold you captive until the very end. Locked Box is the third book in the Pittsburgh Murder Mystery series: however, each book can be read as a stand-alone or in order of publication.

Recent college graduate Joel Howard, former bench warmer for his small town college team, is optimistic about his future with his out-of-his-league girlfriend and a job prospect with a local insurance agency. But things don’t work out the way he plans when his girlfriend dumps him and he remains stuck at his unfulfilling position at the local shoe store in the mall.

Desperately seeking a change of pace from his father’s unrelenting nagging, Joel hatches a plan to rob the mall’s bank on the night of Black Friday, 1987.

Joel has always been lucky, despite the current string of bad luck. Has his luck run out? Or will it return in time to get him out of trouble?

Lucky Duck is a comedic crime novel perfect if you’re looking for something with the flavor of a John Hughes film from those 80s and 90s tomes like Risky Business or Breakfast Club.

There’s an app for everything, even meeting a new nemesis.

Up-and-coming teen superhero Cortex is on top of the world—at least, until his villain dumps him. If he’s going to save his reputation, he needs a new villain to fight, and fast. Meanwhile, the villainous Vortex has once again gotten a little overeager and taken out a hero prematurely. Will any young hero be able to keep up with her? Maybe she should work on finding a steady relationship with an enemy she won’t kill in the first round.

Enter Meta-Match, a nemesis pairing site for heroes and villains. The two match right away, and after throwing punches at each other behind coffee shops, practicing their fight choreography, and hiring henchmen to do their bidding (mostly just getting them coffee), they realize they have a lot more in common than names that annoyingly rhyme. After all, they're still rising through the ranks in their respective circles, and their reputations need good press.

But not everything in the superhero world is as it seems. Can a hero really trust a villain to do the right thing? And can a villain trust a hero not to screw them over? As darkness from the past threatens them both, they may need each other for the fight to come—one with much higher stakes than their choreographed meet-ups on weekends.

Told entirely through texts, transcriptions, and direct messages, this darkly humorous chat fiction rom-com goes behind the scenes of the superworld.

Kevin and Himari didn't plan to be heroes.

Henchmen and sidekicks aren't supposed to fall in love. Or save the world. They're supposed to brew coffee, take pics of their hero or villain for social media, and stay in the background.

That was the plan for sidekick slash frat boy Kevin and henchwoman slash tech genius Himari, until a taxidermy-collecting villain robs Kevin's hero of his powers and leaves Himari's villain wounded. Now it's up to the sidekicks and henchmen to save the world.

Without powers, they'll go up against the Shadow Assassins (a deadly organization that can't work a PowerPoint to save their lives), road trips slash kidnappings, and weird initiation rituals that may or may not involve singing campfire songs. Himari and Kevin will battle the odds, their insecurities, and a strangely polite Midwestern villain as they discover if they have what it takes to profess their love through Mexican food metaphors—and save the world from a nuclear disaster.

The sequel to Dear Hero, this darkly humorous chat fiction novel told entirely through texts, transcriptions, and direct messages goes behind the scenes of the superworld.

The boy has a lot of questions—hard ones about love, honesty, grief and loss, prejudice, forgiveness, why we are here, and more.

Bear's wise answers are always offered with compassion and enthusiasm. The friendship between these two is deep, tender, and sometimes fun. Bear's clear, common-sense philosophy of life is a welcome contrast to the complex world our children face today.

On the beautifully illustrated pages, you will also meet Jay, Raccoon, Badger, Elder Moose, and others who add to the fun and adventure.

Walk with Boy and Bear for a while in the woods and see what you might learn about life, love and other stuff.

This uplifting book will surely become a treasured collection of simple wisdom, inspiring rich, meaningful conversations between adults and children alike.

Reeling from the sudden death of a close friend, James Butler and Erica Walsh are pulled back into the shadow world of Mexican cartels and the CIA. Seeking to avenge the murder of their friend with only his haphazard notes to guide them, they puzzle through the possible connections searching for anything concrete. As they investigate his murder, and his notes, they find unsettling links between drug trafficking, American gangs, the CIA, and the opioid epidemic.

Determined to find the truth hidden among cases they thought were long closed, Butler and Walsh call on friends and colleagues to help them survive the crosshairs that got their friend killed. With the threat spreading across more of their contacts, they must uncover the truth before they are buried in lies.

Discover the secrets behind your restless nights and uncover the hidden marvels of your slumbering mind.

Are you tossing and turning at night? Drifting off during the day? You might have a sleep problem. Geared toward everyone from sleep-deprived students to active athletes to young-at-heart grandparents, this book will help you understand your sleep like never before, covering common sleep problems such as:

• sleepwalking
• sleep apnea
• not enough sleep
• overly drowsy during the day

And discussing the various impacts of disordered sleep on life including:

• the effects of aging on sleep and memory
• sleep and heart health
• sleep's impact on weight and blood pressure
• sleep and athletic performance

Written by a seasoned physician, Sleep: A User's Guide will help you understand what causes the problems you face and how you can get better, more reliable sleep.

A turbulent telling of one woman’s immersion in her faith, and one man’s journey to acceptance.

Seeking comfort in the isolation of the western landscape, young single mother Pansy Blackwell brings her son Butch to the Siskiyou Mountains. Fully engulfed in the Jehovah’s Witnesses assurances for a soon-to-arrive end of the world, Pansy raises her son to conform to the constrictive requirements of their religion. But as Butch discovers the wonders of the world around him with an endlessly patient and kindhearted rancher, he embraces the cowboy culture and struggles to live as his authentic self.

In the late 20th Century, rural communities in America were often hostile to the rising-awareness of LGBT people, and Butch is soon cast aside by his church for homosexuality. In The Gift, Scott Terry crafts a memorable and historically-accurate tale of religious extremism and the struggle for acceptance, before the truth of those times are swept under the forgotten rug of history.

Beatrix Patterson has faced monsters before, but in a world teetering on the edge of social change, she comes up against her most complicated case yet. In one chaotic morning, her friend has been arrested following a fight during a strike at the railroad, the railroad owner was found murdered, and another close friend admits to being blackmailed.

Amid growing tensions between the Union Pacific Railroad and workers' strikes, Beatrix must go undercover before more people are killed or injured. But as she dives into this investigation, she finds one consistent group at the center.

In order to bring down the racial supremacist group digging its claws into Santa Barbara, California, she must put her intense loathing aside to stop the threat before it can reach Thomas, their baby girl Birdy, and the life they're building. With deadly secrets everywhere she turns, Beatrix has to keep her cards close to her chest if she hopes to escape this case unscathed.

Part-time sleuth Blanche Murninghan and her love, Emilio Del Sierra, are enjoying a reunion on Santa Maria Island when Emilio gets news that his long-lost aunt and cousin need his help—in Argentina. Posing as tourists, Emilio and Blanche head out to the luxurious pink estancia, La Palma, on the pampa to unravel the plot endangering Emilio's family.

Escapees from World War II are managing La Palma, and they have a lot to hide. Blanche is intent on exposing them. She has help: from Emilio and Tomás with his divina tango partner, Anna de Gamoure, the mysterious and handsome Guillermo de Losada Iglesias, and Lusita, the elusive kitchen maid who knows more than she’s letting on.

Blanche maintains her touristy cover to snare the schemers, but around every corner a new twist threatens to put a stranglehold on her efforts. Blanche must right the wrongs before time can tango away.

Hot Tango in Argentina is the fifth installment in the Blanche Murninghan Mysteries. Known for a lively cast of characters and atmospheric settings, each mystery can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story or read in publication order, starting with Saving Tuna Street.

When Celia Finch arrives at the Bingham Reserve in the North Carolina mountains, something is very wrong. Celia is supposed to be on a much-needed family vacation, but when she hears whispers about a missing woman in the beautiful but treacherous landscape, she can't ignore the pull of the mystery.

Did Pamela Stevens get lost? Was she lying injured on the trail? Or did something more sinister happen? Soon, Celia is mired in the middle of a potential murder investigation, and everyone has something to hide:

The Type-A Resort Manager
The Devastated Husband
The Rest-on-his-Laurels Deputy
The Grizzled Local Water-Sports Guide

With each passing day, the road to unraveling the mystery grows colder and the odds of finding the lost hiker alive diminish. Despite the risk to her family, her sanity, and her safety, Celia refuses to give up the search. She's been down this dark path of obsession in a case before, and this time she is determined to find the missing woman alive.

This educational book teaches children facts about gray whales and their ocean home from the perspective of Carrie Newell, the author's dog, Koda, as the narrator. It is based on true stories and experiences she has had with whales and all three of her dogs for decades. Many of the drawings are from photographs or a compilation of photographs with an artistic flair to describe Koda’s story. The book is illustrated by Jack Wiens, who accurately represents marine life and the dogs’ personalities.

The book is fully illustrated in color and includes a glossary and classroom questions and activities at the back of the book. Topics of discussion are:

• Different types of whales
• Whale behaviors
• How whales feed and what they eat
• Identifying the individual whales who live in Depoe Bay, Oregon
• How Carrie trained her dogs to spot and interact with the whales
• Whale encounters

Korvo, Merin, Bryce, and Tiernan have permission to open a school for Magics in Kaybrum, but the work is only beginning. The right to learn didn’t come with books or teachers or funding, and putting a school where a correctional facility used to be brings its own challenges and trauma.

The more they learn about the Refuge, the more atrocities they discover. When Bryce finds a grave on the property, Korvo is pushed to his limits. Aer is gone, and the man behind it all, the General, is still out there. Craving justice and revenge, Korvo leaves to hunt down the General. Without Korvo to lead the school, Bryce and Merin must step up and care for all the students still grappling with their newly tolerated magic.

As their found family spreads across the continent, they’ll have to learn to be as strong individually as they are together before the progress they’ve made slips away. But the continent has been fighting for years, and all-out-war is one misstep away.

Leadership is a skill, a mindset, and a way of life. It's time to elevate your own leadership and inspire those around you to be their best.

In 5 Simple Truths of Leadership, veteran law enforcement leader and national leadership trainer Dean Crisp shares the five essential lessons that define great leaders:

• Direction – Know where you’re headed before leading others.
• Intentionality – Make deliberate choices that align with your vision.
• Teams – Success is never a solo journey. Build strong teams.
• Standards – Raise the bar for yourself and your organization.
• Getting Ahead of Your Day – Take control of your time and leadership.

Filled with real-world insights, historical case studies, and actionable strategies, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to lead with clarity, purpose, and impact.

Are you ready to become a leader of significance?

After the Allied D-Day landings in June 1944, Paris was liberated in late August, and the rest of France was freed in the following weeks. However, two pockets of German occupation in Royan and La Rochelle, both cities along the Atlantic coast, remained occupied for several months more.

Blocking access to Bordeaux, the city of Royan would end in martyrdom under a carpet of Allied bombs on January 5, 1945. But the fortress of La Rochelle, with its port, submarine base, and German garrison of 14,000 soldiers guarding the historic city and its 30,000 civilians, would later be delivered intact to Allied forces by its occupier.

By what perilous negotiations were two enemy officers able to avoid disaster in the besieged city? Two men of honor, French Commander Hubert Meyer and German Admiral Ernst Schirlitz, strove to see beyond the war toward reconciliation and the reconstruction of Europe.

It's 1978, and Jennifer Morgan, a sharp-tongued New Yorker on the run from graduate school, has traded a dissertation on Emily Brontë for lava lamps, craft shops, and boysenberry muffins in Flanders, Massachusetts, a countercultural haven that smells faintly of patchouli and revolution. Then a body turns up, and Jennifer's hard-won idyll cracks wide open.

Egged on by her Tarot-reading housemate and stonewalled by the hippie-hating police chief, Jennifer takes it upon herself to solve the murder, trading theories (and sparks) with Ford McDermot, the young cop whose quiet intelligence might make him the unlikeliest ally, or something more. The suspects are all here: a gentle woodworker, a Yeats-wannabe poet, an anti-war hero, a peace-loving minister, and an organic farmer who knows how to hold a grudge.

With Dylan on the stereo and a joint making the rounds, Part of the Solution is a sharp, funny, unexpectedly moving trip back to the 1970s. It’s a mystery for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and Only Murders in the Building who wish they knew those characters back in the day and like their mysteries flavored with snappy dialogue, classic oldies, and boho cultural panache.

More than a mystery, Part of the Solution brings us back to a living, breathing world whose offbeat charm and literary soulfulness can’t stop the past from intruding on the present or stop time from moving on.

Beth Delaney, a nurse struggling with grief and heartbreak, joins a Bible study group in search of healing and connection. ​There, she meets John Beaumont, a successful CEO with a passion for ministry but a longing for deeper fulfillment. ​Together, they embark on a whirlwind romance, navigating family tensions, career challenges, and personal trials. ​

As their love grows, so do the obstacles they face—health crises, false accusations, and heartbreaking losses. Yet, through every storm, Beth and John lean on their faith, discovering the power of forgiveness, prayer, and trust in God’s plan.

Perfect for fans of inspirational romance, Steadfast Love is a moving testament to the strength of love and the hope that shines even in life’s darkest moments. A story of redemption, healing, and unwavering faith. ​

El espíritu de la juventud y la tecnología pueden cambiar el mundo.

Con una tragedia tras otra golpeando su aldea -accidentes, enfermedades- los gemelos Dakuntu y Sakuntu están desesperados por encontrar una forma de ayudar a sus seres queridos. Su pasión por la lectura los conduce a un descubrimiento transformador: internet.

Recién iniciados en el mundo de la tecnología, devoran cada libro que encuentran sobre internet y, más tarde, sobre programación. Entonces tienen una idea brillante. Si logran ponerla en práctica, podrían salvar a toda su aldea y abrir una nueva era para sus amigos y familiares.

"Los guerreros del Código" no es solo una historia sobre ciencia y tecnología llegando a zonas remotas. Es también una historia de amor, compasión y del poder de hacer todo lo posible por quienes amamos.

Daniel Amadi disfruta identificar problemas y usar la programación para resolverlos. A través de sus publicaciones y talleres, busca fomentar la curiosidad por el código e inspirar la creatividad en muchas mentes.