Karla was a misguided youth who witnessed everything that she was supposed to be protected from. Growing up without a father in her life and a mother who didn't know how to show her love forced her to go out into the world unprepared for the realities of it. She became a mother at the age of eighteen by a man who was six years older with children. Although she never felt love at home, she still opened herself up to the possibilities of being loved and loving someone in return. That search led her to a young man whom she eventually spent eight years of her life with and shared two more children together. During their time together she suffered from mental, physical, and emotional abuse, causing her to finally get up enough courage to leave him. Single again, Karla started doing things that she never had the opportunity to do while with such a controlling man. She started to drink and go out more, which eventually caused her to make decisions that affected and disrupted her household. She met a few men and settled down with one that caught her eye. While trying to pick up the pieces of her life, she started doing a little better and was looking forward to her future without the hurt and pain that she suffered through for years. Trying to better her relationship with her siblings, she invited them to her apartment so that they could spend time together, but nothing would prepare herself for what lay ahead. One night with her family had turned her whole world upside down and left her fighting for her freedom. With everything that she had already gone through, nobody would have ever expected for her to end up in jail, not even her. Leaving behind her children, Karla had to adjust to her new life behind bars. There was no turning back now, she had to fight harder than she had ever fought before. During that fight, she was sexually assaulted by a male deputy that worked at the courthouse. Leaving her with distrust for the same people put in place to protect her, she started to give up and accept things as they were, but God didn't want that for her, so He gave her the vision and sign that she had been waiting for. After being away for almost two years, Karla was released back out into the same cold, cruel world that she was abruptly taken from and had to start rebuilding what was torn down. She also needed to repair the broken relationship with her children, but none of that would come easy for her. Battling depression, being homeless, and running into people that had taken advantage of her instead of helping only made her stronger, and after two years of parole Karla packed the few things she had along with her children and headed for a new life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, leaving behind everything that was meant to break her and starting a new life for herself and children.

Smiles mean we are happy right? Have you ever smiled when you were sad, when you felt like your life was falling apart, or even when you were angry? If so, you are living your life hiding behind your smile. When I lost my son to suicide, I was not living a good life, in fact, I was living life hiding behind my smile. One day, I woke up tired living this way, and went on a journey to find out if there was more in life and I discovered there are many people living this way. If you are one of them, I invite you to learn about the journey I took to make my life something that I never thought it could be.

Rediscovered in the early 1940s, The 36 Strategies have gained increasing popularity in modern China * For any reader of Sun Tzu * The author has used the tactics of The 36 Strategies in his consultancy to help clients such as Microsoft, Ryder, Pfizer, and DHL outthink their competition. In today's global marketplace there isn't fairness--there are winners and losers. Today's competitive terrain calls for new tactics as well as an understanding of how one's opponents approach business. Using ancient Eastern philosophy and military tactics from The 36 Strategies, Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile reveals the strategies that will keep competitors guessing--and the profits soaring. Weaving the story of each strategy with contemporary case studies from top business and strategic management schools, each chapter analyzes a company's situation, options, decisions, and results and shows how businesses can incorporate those tactics into their strategies. Hide a Dagger Behind a Smile--by Kaihan Krippendorff, President of the Strategy Learning Center--is a timely and timeless resource for executives and corporate strategists looking to win their most contentious battles. AUTHOR: Kaihan Krippendorff (Miami, FL) is a former consultant with McKinsey & Company and the President of The Strategy Learning Center, a business education firm that helps large companies worldwide including Microsoft, Ryder, Pfizer, and DHL outthink their competition. He holds a B.S. from the Wharton School of Business, a B.S. in Engineering from The University of Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. He also studied at the London Business School. He has been mentioned in or written for publications such as Inc. Magazine, Harvard Business Review, Harvard Management Update, and appeared on radio programs such as NPR's Marketplace.

In Peacock's new book, she strips away poetry's scary mystique, introducing readers to its pleasures and inspiring them to form their own poetry circles with friends.

Debby Montgomery Johnson is a woman on a mission. In her book she shares her personal experience with a love that turned into betrayal and financial disaster and she removes the mask of shame and shows others how do to the same. Many of us have something, something we're hiding, something we're ashamed of, something that through no fault of our own or through our own making, something that we keep hidden and that, in turn, keeps us hidden, from each other and the world.

The year that I thought would be the best year of middle school ended up being a horrific experience that has left me scarred forever. It should have been a year for making long lasting memories and sad farewells because we each had to go our separate ways into the challenging world that would be high school. My classmates who I had known for over eleven years and felt like siblings to me all turned against me hurting me more deeply than any stranger ever could have. This is the year that shaped me into never allowing someone close into my heart again.

Celebrate feelings in all their shapes and sizes in this New York Times bestselling picture book from the Growing Hearts series! Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . our hearts can feel so many feelings! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside, with language that is lyrical but also direct to empower readers to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions. With whimsical illustrations and an irresistible die-cut heart that extends through each spread, this gorgeously packaged and unique feelings book is sure to become a storytime favorite.