From the acclaimed author of “Ice Palace, Crystal Dreams” comes a new exciting thriller. Everyone’s favorite couple is back to solve another baffling mystery- their best one yet! A wealthy heiress is discovered in a pristine park in sunny Los Angeles. Their brand new detective agency is hired to solve this peculiar crime. While investigating the rich socialite, they’re thrust into a whirlwind of strange happenings and demonic secret societies that will stop at nothing to preserve a lucrative empire. The more they uncover, the more they’re sucked into a swirling vortex of deception, high tech conspiracy theories, and lies. Appearing at the center of this complex controversy is a promising teen whose social media platform goes viral, plus the narcissistic front-runner in a contentious presidential election; his true agenda remaining undisclosed. As the nation is ravished by a fast-spreading and highly contagious mutating virus, key evidence is stumbled upon to unlock the case. Now Detective Don Dellevega and Dr. Crystal Knight-Davenport must even up the odds by battling against Russian covert operatives. It’s a race against time to reveal the apocalyptic plan to the masses. Before it’s too late! The stakes are high- as the fate of an entire country hangs in the balance, including the lavish lifestyle of one young rising rock star...

In a world where the old rules no longer apply, nonprofit leadership is more important than ever Now in its second edition, Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership is a must-have resource for organizations of all shapes and sizes wanting to make a bigger difference in the world. Filled with real-life stories and concrete strategies, this practical guide helps develop the specialized skills and mindset needed to successfully lead and manage a stable and impactful world-class organization. A lot has happened since Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership was first published in 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 election cycle, and seismic economic and cultural shifts have transformed the nonprofit world. This second edition provides a wealth of new content and fresh perspectives on changes in the nonprofit landscape. Brand-new chapters bring the core responsibilities of board service to life, offer practical advice on how small nonprofits can have an outsized impact, discuss effective crisis management approaches, and deliver even more stories and lessons drawn from the Joan Garry’s work with thousands of nonprofit leaders. Throughout the book, the author shares new insights on topics such as managing crises, graceful exits, organizational transitions, and more. Honest, authentic, and sometimes hilarious, this book will help you: Gain a rich understanding of what it takes to lead a nonprofit Raise awareness and make the greatest possible impact Create successful and sustainable fundraising programs Reinvigorate your organization’s passion for its mission Work in true partnership with staff and board members Respond effectively to crises and avoid common pitfalls Written by the former Executive Director of GLAAD and founder of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership, Second Edition, is required reading for nonprofit board members, leaders, managers, and staff looking to make the greatest possible impact. div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 572px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;" div class="SCXW48910803 BCX0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" div class="ListContainerWrapper SCXW48910803 BCX0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; position: relative;" Gain a rich understanding of what it takes to lead a nonprofit Raise awareness and make the greatest possible impact

Jake Sable: The man! The myth! The rockstar! The unrelenting flirt! The one that got away! When Sawyer Bakker’s boss sends him to interview the latest rock sensation, and lead singer, Jake Sable, he knows he can't say no. He tried, and his boss was having none of it. Apparently, his history with Sawyer Bakker was serving him up a cold dish of karma. So, as he sits in the quiet of the small boardroom waiting, he repeats the mantra: it’s just another job. Jake Sable is just another rockstar, with an ego to fit. Unfortunately, he didn't really consider how his body, and heart might react to actually seeing the man in the flesh. His heart skips a few beats, and then it almost stops when he recognises the man walking beside him. ~~~~~ Jake’s steps falter as he recognises the last journalist for the day, Sawyer Bakker. The guy who spilled all of his secrets in high school, to save his own ass. His feet aren't the only things to falter either. He's pretty sure his heart stops for a few seconds, only to stutter back to life in a weird rhythm. He wanted Sawyer back then, and he still wants him now. In his bed, and in his life, forever. Jake has two months to make Sawyer see that they belong together. Always have, and always will. Can the rockstar and the journalist make it work, or will their past be too much to let go? ***NOTE**** The Seductive Rockstar was previously published as Seducing Sawyer in the Rock My World Anthology. This version has been added to, and that short story was slightly rewritten!

In his first book, Life on Planet Rock, author Lonn Friend shared his ringside view of rocks decade of decadence. Now, in Sweet Demotion, the veteran rock scribe takes off the gloves and battles himself. Lonn was enjoying a six-figure multi-media career in 1998 when, at the end of a four-year run as a record company VP, he was bitch slapped by the Universe; his professional ride came to a crashing pause. But instead of hiring headhunters or putting a resume together to find another gig, Lonn hit the rock-and-roll road less traveled. The result is a brutally transparent, shamelessly self-deprecating mid-life memoir of a writer who stopped making money and started seeking truth. Sweet Demotion chronicles a thirteen-year period of personal deconstruction, spiritual madness, and bizarre anecdotal wordplay where faith was lost in everything but the moment and the music. Lonns intimate adventure invites the reader to a porn burial in the desert, a Janis Joplin ghost sighting, a Dallas meditation on the anniversary of JFKs assassination following the interview of a heavy metal legend, and the sharing of sacred space on a northeast lake with the lead singer of Aerosmith. Sweet Demotion is a sojourn to near-enlightenment that no one but Lonn Friend could have possibly experienced.

The shocking conclusion to the Deadly Diamonds trilogy! Or is it? In this tantalizing tale of self-discovery and redemption, Dr. Crystal Knight-Davenport continues her crusade to capture a sinister slayer; all while trying to stay one step ahead of a hired assassin who wants her secret stash of priceless gemstones. Meanwhile, her beloved Detective Don Dellevega has finally gotten up the courage to propose marriage. In the midst of planning her own wedding, Crystal suspects that someone she trusts is betraying her every move. Slapped with the truth about her personal relationships, she realizes that its one of her closest friends! Now she must root out the two-timing, traitorous spy and contain the damage thats been done. Come along for the ride as crime-fighting couple, Davenport and Dellevega, team up to solve a deadly riddle. Trying to dispense with a pouch of sparkling diamonds, they join forces to catch a billionaire madman bent on destruction. From Harlem to Hawaii, Malibu to Morocco, Paris to Puerto Rico- the exotic locales featured in this series will thrill you with the opulent splendor of distant lands. Combined with Ice Palace, Crystal Dreams and Crystal Ice, Cold-Blooded: its your passport to action, romance and exciting adventure!

Today's library is still at the heart of all university activities, helping students and faculty become better learners, teachers, and researchers. In recent years there has emerged the formalizing of one or more of these activities into an Academic Commons. These centers of information have been labeled variously but they all share a commonality: the empowerment of students and teachers. In Creating the Academic Commons: Guidelines for Learning, Teaching, and Research, Thomas Gould gives a detailed outline of the various roles and activities that take place in commons located within the administrative umbrella of the library. Gould provides a roadmap for libraries seeking to establish their own Academic Commons, complete with suggestions regarding physical structure and software/hardware options. And to ensure new ideas are examined, evaluated, and adopted broadly, Gould shows how the Millennial Librarian can be at the center of this evolutionary library. Including information regarding the latest technological advances, this book will be an invaluable guide for librarians.

Twitter is the most rapidly adopted communication tool in history, going from zero to ten million users in just over two years. On Twitter, word can spread faster than wildfire. Companies no longer have the option of ignoring the conversation. Unlike other hot social media spaces, Twitterville is dominated by professionals, not students. And despite its size, it still feels like a small town. Twitter allows people to interact much the way they do face-to-face, honestly and authentically. One minute, you’re com- plaining about the weather with local friends, the next, you’re talking shop with a colleague based halfway across the globe. No matter where you’re from or what you do for a living, you will find conversations on Twitter that are valuable. Despite the millions of people joining the site, you’ll quickly find the ones who can make a difference to you. Social media writer Shel Israel shares revealing stories of Twitterville residents, from CEOs to the student who became the first to report the devastation of the Szechuan earthquake; from visionaries trying to raise money for a cause to citizen journalists who outshine traditional media companies. Israel introduces you to trailblazers such as: · Frank Eliason, who used Twitter to reverse Comcast’s blemished customer service reputation · Bill Fergus, who was on the team at Henry Ford Medical Center during the first “live tweeted” surgery · Scott Monty, social media officer for Ford, who held off a mob of misinformed Ranger fans and averted a PR crisis · Connie Reece, who used Twitter to raise tens of thousands of dollars for cancer patients in need · The Coffee Groundz, a Houston-area coffee shop that uses Twitter to pack the tables (and fight off Starbucks) Twitterville features many true stories as dramatic as these. But it also recounts those of ordinary businesspeople who use Twitter to get closer to their customers. And it explains how global neighborhoods will make geography increasingly irrelevant. It even explains why people sometimes really do care what you had for lunch.