Ashley finds herself torn between the man she loved and the one she loves now.

Looking back, author Bernhard J. Abrahamsson cannot say exactly why, at age fourteen, he chose a seafaring life. Perhaps, the choice was less the result of deliberate design and pursuit than of circumstances that led him in that direction. In The Beckoning Sea, Abrahamsson, a native of Sweden, shares the short stories and vignettes from a youth spent dreaming of seeing the world. This memoir narrates his experiences when he joined the Swedish Merchant Marine and sailed all over the world on Swedish and Israeli merchant ships through the 1950s. He passed the sea captain's exam in 1953 and was licensed as a captain in 1958, reaching the rank of commander in the Swedish Naval Reserve before becoming a US citizen. Funny and sad events mesh to form a picture of seafaring as it once was--of a lifestyle that no longer exists. The Beckoning Sea offers stories of friendship, loss and madness at sea, the forces of nature, and life in the rough ports of the Baltic coal trade immediately after World War II. A tale of a boy's journey to adulthood, The Beckoning Sea also contains a collection of memories and often comical stories from Abrahamsson's own second chapter--his life after leaving the sea and planting his feet on firm ground.

The fifth in the Wiki Coffin series finds the U.S. Exploring Expedition off Cape Horn, a grim outpost made still more threatening by the report of a corpse on a drifting iceberg, closely followed by a gruesome death on board. Was it suicide, or a particularly brutal murder? Wiki investigates, only to find himself fighting desperately for his own life.

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While there are many books that address burnout in ministry, there are few that speak to compassion fatigue. The book is divided into three parts. Part I, “The Beckoning Sea,” explains the perils of ministry, the church as a family system, the difference between burnout and compassion fatigue, and risk factors for ministry leaders. In Part II, “Finding Your Stroke,” the authors offer prevention advice for burnout, compassion fatigue, and managing church systems. Part III, “The Rescue,” discusses the process of recovery beginning with rest and retreat, and the minister’s renewed calling. The authors explain how intentionality, building resiliency, and finding connection bring healing. A chapter is dedicated to clergy families. Using the analogy of ocean swimming and the story of Jonah, a reluctant preacher, the authors weave a common theme through the narrative offering education, understanding, and hope while sharing the stories of ministry leaders who have survived the turbulent waters of pastoral caregiving.