'If Trash Could Talk' represents Jacquie Ottman's personal experiences and insights woven into thought-provoking poetry, stories and musings. Designed to amuse, entertain, and inspire conversations and change, the sixty entries in the book were created over the course of Ottman's lifelong journey, beginning at age four when she rescued board games from the neighbor's trash. Reflecting conversations with conversed with fellow waste-haters, consumers, and visitors to Ottman's WeHateToWaste.com global platform, combined with a laser-like focus on New York City's trash culture, the book is packed with insights into why we waste and what we can do to avoid it. Readers will discover new ways to use things up, use stuff longer, pass stuff along, and pass things up altogether in the name of reducing waste. They will smile at their own 'trashy' eccentricities, reflected in Ottman's experiences, shared with humor and self-deprecation. They will see waste through a new set of eyes and be inspired to share with others what it is that they do to cut down on waste. Influencers and teachers looking to catalyze meaningful conversations in their own schools, churches and communities can use these poems, stories and musings as a springboard for discussion, as well as inspiration when creating their own. As Ottman hopes, 'by starting to talk about what we all can do to save a little this, spare a little that, readers will take the first meaningful steps towards making real changes in consumption culture that can eventually help everyone live a whole lot better.' What Readers Say about "If Trash Can Talk" "Jacquie makes poetry fun. It was great hearing the stories of a like-minded person, and I learned so many things too!" "I'm energized and full of new ideas to create community and cut down on waste through sharing." "In these times when backward-looking people now hold power, to make policy around what Jacquelyn has to say takes on great importance. Shes tells us that we can do something. That we can make a difference. That we can be the powers that be. Few understandings are more important."

If Nights Could Talk is a rich gothic story of a Southern family, a tale of wealth and emotional need that spans generations. Marsha Recknagel's memoir begins with the surprise appearance of her 16-year-old nephew, Jamie, who arrives on her doorstep and into her ordered, childless life. Fleeing a chaotic home run by Marsha's unstable younger brother and his wife, Jamie is an ominous creature-and the center of an ongoing family tug-of-war. For Marsha, to open the door is to risk opening herself up to the pain of the past. Reluctantly she takes him in. Thus begins the painful, terrifying, and extraordinary process of unraveling the damage inflicted by her family on one of its own.

If Walls Could Talk: Some Need To Be Silenced But Some Speak Out Loud By: Bernard Mavritte Ever since human beings have known how to build structures with walls, a ceiling and some kind of roof, the walls within those structures have witnessed so much. If they were animate objects, with eyes, a mouth and ears, they could say so much that could not be constrained within all the books upon the earth. Those walls have witnessed the good, the bad, the joys, and the sorrows. They have seen things that those who live within the parameter of the walls would love to share with others, and yet many occurrences that should never be revealed, the deep secrets of our lives we are ashamed to reveal to others. From our entrance on this earth, until we depart, the walls have seen it all. In this autobiography memoir, Bernard Mavritte reveals the good and the bad, the joys and the sorrows in his own life, a story that is full of life itself. He shares how God has opened so many doors for him, bringing him through his many trials. If the walls in his life could talk, some of them would need to be silenced, but some would need to speak loudly.

If My Shoes Could Talk is a compilation of both intimate and humorous stories as told by the collective persona of girls everywhere.

What if Your Dog Could Talk? A story about man's best friend. by Mike Smith Everyone who has ever owned a dog has had the unique experience of feeling like your dog was communicating with you beyond words. "What if Your Dog Could Talk?" examines what happens when struggling abstract painter Dave Taylor has an experience that transcends simple non-verbal communication. It forever changes who he is and the meaning of his life. "What If Your Dog Could Talk?" is a romance, a mystery, and an examination of the powerful bond between man and dog. Though parts of this story may be considered controversial I hope that you enjoy it for the insight it offers and in the spirit for which it was written.

A Delightful Summer Read. --The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers Reuben and Camille have always been afraid to let their children play outside in their rough Bronx neighborhood. So when they see an ad for homes in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, they jump at the chance. Spirits are high--until Reuben loses his job. No one in Milo or Dawn's Brooklyn-based family has ever owned a house, and the Poconos seem perfect. But after they move in, it starts to look like their house was slapped together like a ham sandwich and isn't much stronger. Norman and Veronica are happy to leave Washington Heights for the country. . .and so are their relatives. Each weekend brings a parade of empty-handed guests expecting to be fed but not expecting to pitch in and help. Amid trials and triumphs, these families are about to discover that not all is perfect when your dreams come true. . . "[Griffin Is] A Budding Name In Mainstream African American Fiction." --Chicago magazine "A compelling drama about three families striving for the American dream." --Booklist