The star is Nicola Smith. She is a strong, driven reporter in the state of California. She is investigating the story on a notorious killer who calls himself the Riddler. He is now on a killing spree. A terrible and horrific thing happens to her. She is beaten, raped and has lost any warmth that she once had left inside of her! To add to her own misery... her only living family, which is her dad, whom she is very close with...dies. She feels everything is slipping away from her. To add to her traumas in life, she is faced with an unwanted pregnancy. She struggles with the option to keep or to abort her unborn child. Another surprise occurs...Her nephew, whom she never knew about, is left motherless and finds his way to his Aunt Nicola. Nicola's heart starts to open up, as she develops a bond with her nephew. Now she has a reason for living, until heartbreak occurs once again...the Riddler killer changes his routine and captures the only person she let into her heart and trusted completely...her little 10-yearold nephew, Austin. She faces continuous obstacles that she never even imagined before...and must save her only living relative...before he is...murdered by the Riddler killer!

Humorist and sportswriter Ring Lardner perfectly recaptures the early-20th-century vernacular of the baseball world in this enduring comic gem, a satirical series of fictional letters by a struggling pitcher.

In this sequel to Can You See Me?, Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott return with another heartwarming and eye-opening story of friendship and middle school, inspired by Libby's own experiences of autism. Everyone else in Tally's grade seems excited for their class trip... And she knows she is supposed to be too. Ever since her classmates found out she is autistic, Tally has felt more comfortable being herself. But the end-of-year trip will be an entire week -- her longest overnight trip ever. How will she sleep? What about all the bugs? What will her dog, Rupert, do without her at home?Though she decides she doesn't want to miss out, bad news strikes as soon as she arrives: She isn't bunking with her friend Aleksandra. Instead, she is rooming with her former friends and two girls from a neighboring school -- who both reject Tally on day one.Tally isn't sure she'll ever make new friends. And how will she survive for so long away from home?Told through a mix of prose and diary entries, this authentic and relatable novel is about finding your people, and learning what it takes to be a true friend.

A Busher's Letters Home The Busher Comes Back The Busher's Honeymoon A New Busher Breaks In The Busher's Kid The Busher Beats It Hence Ringgold Wilmer "Ring" Lardner was an American sports columnist and short story writer best known for his satirical writings about sports, marriage, and the theatre.

Experience the humorous and satirical world of baseball with "You Know Me Al: A Busher's Letters" by Ring Lardner. Through a series of letters, Lardner offers a unique perspective on the life of a baseball player in the 1910s. The novel brilliantly captures the essence of the era, blending humor, sports, and culture, making it a delightful read for both sports fans and literary enthusiasts.

I have been writing for most of my life. Writing has been an integral part of my professional career as a psychologist, therapist, and research scientist. In the last twenty years I have written both short stories and novellas, many of which appeared in a recently published book: Broken Glass and Other Stories.Off and on, throughout most of my life, I have also written poetry. In my poems, however, I speak in a voice quite different from the voice which is heard in my prose. Poetry opens the gate to the expression of feeling states, perceptions, moods, of the unconscious and, paradoxically enough, of the inexpressible.The poems in this book are organized in terms of ten themes each of which reflects the content that its set of poems has in common. For example, the theme "Love, Loss, and Longing" comprises poems that celebrate the vicissitudes of romantic love. In the book each set of poems belonging to a given theme is preceded by a sentence or two defining that theme.Finally, I am neither a professional nor an academic poet whose output is aimed at promoting a career. My poems give form and meaning to a content of life experience that is less well rendered in prose.

All eyes were on Suzy. She was wavering between making a dash to their safe room (a cement bunker located behind a hidden door in their downstairs guest bathroom that she had insisted on constructing when they fi rst moved in, after all, everyone knows that the suburbs are rife with crime) with Guido clutched to her breast or trying to beat Guido to the front door so that she could be the fi rst to see what I had in store for my next trick. She leaned over and softly whispered in my ear Just so you know; if you hurt him I personally will hunt you down! There will be no police, no FBI, no lawyers, no jury, no arrest, no appeal, just me! The Bible says that vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord. I say that if it is good enough for God then it is good enough for me.