This work is sensual but clean. Miguel Torres left his family behind years ago and cut ties. At the time, he couldn't forgive the lies and worse that tore them all apart. Then he gets a call from his dad pleading for him to come home. His oldest brother is dead, and his two youngest brothers aren't quite grown. Against his better judgement, Miguel returns to the small town where he grew up in Stump Valley, Texas. Jasmeka Small loves family and loves people. She never thought anyone could get under skin until Miguel Torres shows up at the ranch where she works. Miguel is angry. He's mean. He's judgemental, and he's--broken. From the first moment they meet, sparks fly, and Jasmeka wonders if she should give in to the attraction she feels for Miguel. She's in no position to fall in love with him, and he can't stand the thought of staying in Texas. There can only be one solution... ** interracial romance, multicultural romance, contemporary romance, latin hero, cowboy romance

The second edition of American Sexual Histories features an updated collection of sixteen articles and their corresponding primary sources that investigate issues related to human sexuality in America from the colonial era to the present day. Fully updated with ten new chapters, featuring recently published essays by prominent scholars in the field Provides readers with the source documents that historians have analyzed in their articles Allows readers to see how historians craft arguments based on available sources Encourages readers to evaluate historical documents, test the interpretations of historians, and draw their own conclusions

Political and civil discourse in the United States is characterized by “Truth Decay,” defined as increasing disagreement about facts, a blurring of the line between opinion and fact, an increase in the relative volume of opinion compared with fact, and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information. This report explores the causes and wide-ranging consequences of Truth Decay and proposes strategies for further action.

“I didn’t read this book, I devoured it. Arranged marriage is one of my favorite tropes and RK Lilley completely blew it out of the water. Arranged is angsty, sexy, and heartbreaking. Immediately adding it to my future re-read list. Banks is my new favorite alpha bully.” Claire Contreras, New York Times Bestselling Author "Fatally beautiful. Gut-tightening intensity. Off the charts sexual chemistry and a love story unlike any other. You will devour this tale by RK Lilley and only want more." Audrey Carlan, #1 NYT Bestselling Author "Classic RK Lilley with all the angst, steam, and edginess she does so damn well. I loved it!" Kylie Scott, NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author “Some books are simply better than others. This is one of those books. Calder Banks Castelo is a jerk of epic proportions. Jerk-a-licious perfection. Banks and Noura together light the pages on fire. Sensual, angsty, exquisite. Don’t miss it.” Jana Aston, New York Times Bestselling Author There were rules in the cash-for-beauty game. The money held the power. The beauty followed the rules and jumped through the hoops. THE BRIDE I knew what everyone would think if they knew the truth about my marriage. They'd be shocked and appalled. And rightly so. I was a young, modern, independent woman, and I'd done the unthinkable. I'd sold my virginity to a spoiled, rich boy. To a stranger who didn’t love me. And yes, I'd done it all for money. THE GROOM My bride was as gorgeous as she was unwelcome. As desirable as she was unwanted. I wanted nothing to do with her, but that didn’t seem to matter exactly the second she got close enough to touch. I wanted her to hate me more than she loved the millions she’d sold herself for. I wanted to spurn her, but unfortunately, I wanted to f*ck her more. ARRANGED is a standalone erotic romance.

In this pathbreaking work, Jasbir K. Puar argues that configurations of sexuality, race, gender, nation, class, and ethnicity are realigning in relation to contemporary forces of securitization, counterterrorism, and nationalism. She examines how liberal politics incorporate certain queer subjects into the fold of the nation-state, through developments including the legal recognition inherent in the overturning of anti-sodomy laws and the proliferation of more mainstream representation. These incorporations have shifted many queers from their construction as figures of death (via the AIDS epidemic) to subjects tied to ideas of life and productivity (gay marriage and reproductive kinship). Puar contends, however, that this tenuous inclusion of some queer subjects depends on the production of populations of Orientalized terrorist bodies. Heteronormative ideologies that the U.S. nation-state has long relied on are now accompanied by homonormative ideologies that replicate narrow racial, class, gender, and national ideals. These “homonationalisms” are deployed to distinguish upright “properly hetero,” and now “properly homo,” U.S. patriots from perversely sexualized and racialized terrorist look-a-likes—especially Sikhs, Muslims, and Arabs—who are cordoned off for detention and deportation. Puar combines transnational feminist and queer theory, Foucauldian biopolitics, Deleuzian philosophy, and technoscience criticism, and draws from an extraordinary range of sources, including governmental texts, legal decisions, films, television, ethnographic data, queer media, and activist organizing materials and manifestos. Looking at various cultural events and phenomena, she highlights troublesome links between terrorism and sexuality: in feminist and queer responses to the Abu Ghraib photographs, in the triumphal responses to the Supreme Court’s Lawrence decision repealing anti-sodomy laws, in the measures Sikh Americans and South Asian diasporic queers take to avoid being profiled as terrorists, and in what Puar argues is a growing Islamophobia within global queer organizing.

Bryson Scott and Charon Cooper are best friends who have never met—in person. Every morning, Charon starts her day with a video chat with Bryson. They cook breakfast together, talk about everything, and then go about their separate lives. Two people couldn’t be more different. Bryson dreams of power, position, and money. He will stop at nothing to get it, including marrying the right woman. Charon just wants a quiet and stress-free life. She’s happy working in a pizza restaurant while improving her art. When Bryson tells Charon he’s drawing up a contract to get married, Charon knows it’s time to let go of the man she’s come to love. She won’t keep being his friend if he’s unavailable. Bryson doesn’t like it, but neither of them is willing to give up on their dreams. So Bryson makes a proposal. One night at Christmas, they spend it together in person, making love. Then they say good-bye forever. The night is everything Charon could imagine. Big, sexy Bryson burns Charon up in the bedroom. But the fallout, beginning the next morning, is not according to plan.

Did you ever wonder whether education has a role to play in preparing our societies for an age of artificial intelligence? Or what the impact of climate change might be on our schools, families and communities? Trends Shaping Education examines major economic, political, social and ...