Two lumberjacks, Thomas and Sarentha, flee everything they know when Thomas murders a co-worker. In the dead of night, a cloaked noble approaches and offers them a sum of coins they cannot refuse. His sole request is for the pair to retrieve an amethyst from a tomb. From there, they are introduced to Eliza, a spirited and head-strong noblewoman who proves her competence with her skills in diplomacy and combat. Together with Thomas' strength and steadfastness, and Sarentha's drive and inquisitiveness, the trio makes an odd but capable group. Their adventures take them across the lands of the Tamorran Empire to witness sights they never imagined. With grand plans in motion, everything hinges on Thomas, Sarentha, and Eliza's success. Artefacts need to be crafted, alliances need to be formed, and above all, secrets need to be kept. Not even their own allies know every facet of the noble's quest, and he plays a dangerous game by creating plots within plots. Can the disparate trio hold together throughout their trials? What secret does the noble know that causes him to go to such extraordinary lengths to succeed? Dark shadows blanket the Tamorran Empire, and illuminating those secrets will bring a terrifying truth.

A Noble Quest: Cultivating Spirituality in Catholic Adolescents addresses adolescent spirituality and explores and explains the various approaches and methods that can be successfully implemented to cultivate holistic Christian spirituality in Catholic teenagers. The book is chalked full of practical examples and suggestions, ministry strategies, and pastoral activities that will engage the reader toward integrating them with their own teenage son or daughter, as well as in their parish. Although the book is written for those who work directly with young people--youth ministers, D.R.E.'s, high school campus ministers, theology teachers, and coaches--the book is an excellent resource for anyone who stands by, for, and with young people: bishops, priests, deacons, lay ministers, parents, catechists, and volunteer youth leaders. The book will engage and encourage the reader on his/her own spiritual journey and can be enjoyed individually and used in small faith sharing church groups, as well. The book does not try to "re-invent the wheel," but instead provides pragmatic ways for youth workers and parents to foster a richer and more meaningful interior life within young people. It utilizes the already fertile tradition of the Christian heritage to empower Catholic adolescents in their quest for becoming more spiritual. The bulk of the book is six chapters not including a brief forward, introduction, and conclusion, which all merit reading. The Forward is written by Dr. Robert J. McCarty, the Executive Director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (Washington, DC). He discusses the importance of adolescent spirituality to American teenage culture today and the impact that spirituality has upon Church as a whole. He ends with a set of ministry challenges for Catholic youth ministry in the United States. The book's Introduction, there are a couple of important questions asked, "Why this book?" "What is Catholic adolescent spirituality?" Both questions give a cursory answers to the question which moves the reader to 'dive deeper' into the book and to discover the world of adolescent spirituality. The Conclusion highlights Catholic adolescent spirituality and offers pragmatic solutions and pastoral strategies for those who work with young people. The book also offers a few challenges to the U.S. Catholic Church, with respect to comprehensive youth ministry and being better at cultivating spirituality in Catholic teenagers. The book's first chapter is entitled "Approaching Adolescents" and is a laconic examination of the period of adolescence from a physiological, psychological, and sociological perspective. The chapter looks at adolescent identity, adolescent culture, and adolescent conversion. It offers insight about the the areas that are important for American adolescents today, such as teenage attitudes and behavior. The second chapter is entitled "Defining, Describing, and Situating Catholic Adolescent Spirituality." It provides vital descriptions from various adolescent specialists concerning adolescent spirituality. This chapter highlights a number of definitions of adolescent spirituality and places adolescent spirituality in the context of the Catholic Church and comprehensive youth ministry. It also offers a few general methods for strengthening adolescent spirituality. The third chapter of the book is entitled "Strengthening Eucharistic Spirituality in Catholic Adolescents" and offers the readers 3 great ways to boaster spirituality in Catholic teenagers through the official liturgies of the Church. This being Sunday Eucharist (Mass), Liturgy of the Hours (structured daily prayer), and the Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharistic adoration). The chapter discusses the importance of engaging teenagers in prayer and the worship life of the Church. It presents pastoral strategies for each style of prayer that challenges pastors and youth ministers alike. In the fourth chapter, "The Usefulness of 12 Pastoral Practices for Cultivating Spirituality in Catholic Adolescents," the 12 virtues, traits, disciplines, and practices that have empowered Christians on their quest for greater spiritual awareness are explored. Each of the 12 practices--Bible time, contemplation, honesty, introspection, journaling, meditation, music, prayer, retreats, Rosary, spiritual direction, and time usage--are tried and true and can help strengthen spirituality in Catholic young people. The fifth chapter, "Three Appropriate Spiritual Practices for Cultivating Catholic Adolescent Spirituality," investigates 3 practices for people who work with youth may want to integrate to help Catholic juveniles become more spiritually attuned. The 3 spiritual practices--meditation, contemplation, and spiritual direction--are studied in-depth and concentrate on strategies and activities that help to foster an ardent sense of Christian spirituality. The sixth chapter, "Strengths and Limitations of the Pastoral Practices of Cultivating Adolescent Spirituality in Catholic Youth Ministry Settings," explains some of the advantages and disadvantages of solely using a model for youth ministry that focuses primarily or exclusively on spiritual attainment or spiritual awareness. It is a introspective chapter about the realities of trying to cultivate and strengthen Christian spirituality in Catholic adolescents. There is also an extensive bibliography for the student of adolescent spirituality and youth ministry, as well as footnotes that entertain further insights and reflection. Finally, there are small group discussion questions at the end of each chapter. The questions are intended to engage the reader personally, but also be be used in a group setting such as in a seminar, workshop, college classroom, or ministry setting. A Noble Quest: Cultivating Spirituality in Catholic Adolescents is an insightful and spiritual read. Being both theological and practical it challenges and exhorts Christian adolescent spirituality today. The book will find a home in academic and pastoral settings and will be in the mainstream of Catholic youth ministry and adolescent spirituality for years to come. A must read for any youth worker!

Since the beginning of time people have developed knowledge to make sense of who we are and the world we live in. The ancient forms of psychology (as in the original meaning of the study of the 'psyche' or soul) included the visible and invisible aspects of reality - unlike the current split today between secular and spiritual, between the visible and the invisible which proliferates in Western culture. Most modern psychologies, by attending mainly to the visible world, have focused on that which will fade and die - the visible. The ancient psychologies began in the visible realm and included the invisible beyond external appearance. These approaches are seen by modern psychologists as religions or spiritual practices. Yet ancient psychologies were simply broader and more holistic, discovering the source of the visible world in the invisible world. They discovered the Holy and for many this Holy is God. This is the aim of this book. To tell the story of the loss of the Holy in psychology and regain this experience, as it is happening today. To make whole the visible and invisible realities currently divided. It offers a journey of exploration to discover a golden thread of the wider reality that makes us essentially human. This wider reality helps in understanding and healing the unavoidable sufferings of being human.

“A sprawling story richly textured with original material, quirky details and amusing anecdotes . . .” —Wall Street Journal “It is a cause for celebration that Yergin has returned with his perspective on a very different landscape . . . [I]t is impossible to think of a better introduction to the essentials of energy in the 21st century. The Quest is . . . the definitive guide to how we got here.” —The Financial Times This long-awaited successor to Daniel Yergin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Prize provides an essential, overarching narrative of global energy, the principal engine of geopolitical and economic change A master storyteller as well as a leading energy expert, Daniel Yergin continues the riveting story begun in his Pulitzer Prize–winning book, The Prize. In The Quest, Yergin shows us how energy is an engine of global political and economic change and conflict, in a story that spans the energies on which our civilization has been built and the new energies that are competing to replace them. The Quest tells the inside stories, tackles the tough questions, and reveals surprising insights about coal, electricity, and natural gas. He explains how climate change became a great issue and leads readers through the rebirth of renewable energies, energy independence, and the return of the electric car. Epic in scope and never more timely, The Quest vividly reveals the decisions, technologies, and individuals that are shaping our future.

“A breathtaking new epic fantasy series. Morgan Rice does it again! This magical saga reminds me of the best of J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin, Rick Riordan, Christopher Paolini and J.R.R. Tolkien. I couldn’t put it down!” --Allegra Skye, Bestselling author of SAVED From #1 Bestselling author Morgan Rice comes the debut of a dazzling new fantasy series. A QUEST OF HEROES (BOOK #1 IN THE SORCERER’S RING) revolves around the epic coming of age story of one special boy, a 14 year old from a small village on the outskirts of the Kingdom of the Ring. The youngest of four, the least favorite of his father, hated by his brothers, Thorgrin senses he is different from the others. He dreams of becoming a great warrior, of joining the King’s men and protecting the Ring from the hordes of creatures on the other side of the Canyon. When he comes of age and is forbidden by his father to try out for the King’s Legion, he refuses to take no for an answer: he journeys out on his own, determined to force his way into King’s Court and be taken seriously. But King’s Court is rife with its own family dramas, power struggles, ambitions, jealousy, violence and betrayal. King MacGil must choose an heir from amongst his children, and the ancient Dynasty Sword, the source of all their power, still sits untouched, waiting for the chosen one to arrive. Thorgrin arrives as an outsider and battles to be accepted, and to join the King’s Legion. Thorgrin comes to learn he has mysterious powers he does not understand, that he has a special gift, and a special destiny. Against all odds he falls in love with the king’s daughter, and as their forbidden relationship blossoms, he discovers he has powerful rivals. As he struggles to make sense of his powers, the king’s sorcerer takes him under his wing and tells him of a mother he never knew, in a land far away, beyond the Canyon, beyond even the land of the Dragons. Before Thorgrin can venture out and become the warrior he yearns to be, he must complete his training. But this may be cut short, as he finds himself propelled into the center of royal plots and counterplots, ones that may threaten his love and bring him down—and the entire kingdom with him. With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, A QUEST OF HEROES is an epic tale of friends and lovers, of rivals and suitors, of knights and dragons, of intrigues and political machinations, of coming of age, of broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, of fate and destiny, of sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders. It is 82,000 words. Book #2 in the series, A MARCH OF KINGS, is now available, too. “Grabbed my attention from the beginning and did not let go....This story is an amazing adventure that is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. There is not a dull moment to be found.” --Paranormal Romance Guild {regarding Turned} “Jam packed with action, romance, adventure, and suspense. Get your hands on this one and fall in love all over again.” --vampirebooksite.com (regarding Turned) “A great plot, and this especially was the kind of book you will have trouble putting down at night. The ending was a cliffhanger that was so spectacular that you will immediately want to buy the next book, just to see what happens.” --The Dallas Examiner {regarding Loved}

Twenty discourses from the Pali Canon--including those most essential to the study and teaching of early Buddhism--are provided in fresh translations, accompanied by introductions that highlight the main themes and set the ideas presented in the context of wider philosophical and religious issues. Taken together, these fascinating works give an account of Buddhist teachings directly from the earliest primary sources. In his General Introduction, John J. Holder discusses the structure and language of the Pali Canon--its importance within the Buddhist tradition and the historical context in which it developed--and gives an overview of the basic doctrines of early Buddhism.