Searching his backpack for a surprise for his mom, a boy discovers a variety of gross, nasty stuff.

Inspiring true story of a single mum and daughter who traded a conventional life for one lived fully, travelling the world together. What if you followed your heart to a life that made you truly happy? When her daughter Emmie was 6 years old, Evie Farrell left her corporate career, sold or donated almost everything she owned, rented out her house and, hand-in-hand with Emmie, began an epic two-and-a-half-year backpacking adventure that would change their lives forever. Evie farewelled a nasty break-up, long hours in a demanding job, a hefty mortgage and snatched hours with her daughter for a new life lived outside the lines, spending every day with Emmie exploring the world beyond the suburbs. They camped on the Great Wall of China, hung in train doorways in Sri Lanka, swam with mantas in Indonesia, donated much-needed blood in Cambodia, spotted wild orangutans and pygmy elephants in Malaysian Borneo, prayed in Buddhist temples in Taiwan and were chased by monkeys everywhere. In their journey toward happiness and self-acceptance, they learnt more about each other and the beautiful world around them than Evie ever expected. Backyard to Backpack is the inspirational true story that will have you asking yourself, what might be if you took a chance, stepped off the path of expectation and created your own adventure?

Take the bag. Give it to the nasty man. Bring back the kid. Leathan Wilkey has been hired to make a ransom exchange. He has the cash, a car, and a phone so the kidnappers can direct him to the location of the exchange for the seven-year-old boy. But it soon becomes clear that there are two groups demanding the ransom, and they can’t both have the kid. And when Leathan finds the cash that he's been given might not be what the kidnappers are expecting, he questions whether he's the bag man or if he's been sent to draw fire. Bullets fly and Leathan ducks. When he looks up, he's the only one who's concerned that a stray piece of lead might hit the kid.

Questions of Peace is a one-of-a-kind book of the endless struggles of two strangers on their way to being a family. This is one man's journey from his childhood void of love to his lifelong search to find out if true happiness really exists. Life takes him from a juvenile life of crime to the war-torn jungles of Vietnam and on to the cold harsh streets of New York City--homeless, helpless, locked in a day-to-day battle against the world and all its evils. His search ends with a most unlikely responsibility--a vivid testimony of God's true love, through the eyes of a child. This is a story of how the honest love of a child can bridge all gaps of society, no matter the color of our skin or our origin. On this planet, we all have the capacity to give love and be loved, if we would just dare to try. This is a different kind of love story, full of triumphs and defeats, which encourages us to stand up one more time after we stumble and fall. Question your life's peace. Do you have a godly peace? Do you honestly know where peace can be found? I have found it as I lived each of the pages of this book. I pray you find it here also. --Jeff Carson

Lilly loves everything about school, especially her cool teacher, Mr. Slinger. But when Lilly brings her purple plastic purse and its treasures to school and can't wait until sharing time, Mr. Slinger confiscates her prized possessions. Lilly's fury leads to revenge and then to remorse and she sets out to make amends. Lilly, the star of Chester's Way and Julius, the Baby of the World, is back. And this time she has her name in the title - something she's wanted all along. If you thought Lilly was funny before, you are in for a treat. So hurry up and start reading. Lilly can't wait for you to find out more about her.

This final, essential chapter in Rex Ogle’s memoir trilogy recounts being forced from his home and living on the streets after his father discovered he was gay. When Rex was outed the summer after he graduated high school, his father gave him a choice: he could stay at home, find a girlfriend, and attend church twice a week, or he could be gay—and leave. Rex left, driving toward the only other gay man he knew and a toxic relationship that would ultimately leave him homeless and desperate on the streets of New Orleans. Here, Rex tells the story of his coming out and his father’s rejection of his identity, navigating abuse and survival on the streets. Road Home is a devastating and incandescent reflection on Rex’s hunger—for food, for love, and for a place to call home—completing the trilogy of memoirs that began with the award-winning Free Lunch.

(Paranormal cozy mystery featuring vampires, werewolves and witches) Magic? Okay… Murder? Yikes! A bossy familiar with an attitude problem? She should never have come home… “Abigail Wilde,” I said, deciding my task would go faster and easier if I just buckled down and let things go. “Nice to meet you, Sheriff Marigold.” I thought that artful little add on was a nice touch. Marigold didn’t seem to agree. “You don’t say,” he grumbled. “Wildes don’t have the best reputation around here, young lady.” Wow. Thanks for the warning, Mom. “No trouble here, sheriff.” “You Ninomae’s kid?” I twitched at my mother’s name, nodded immediately, though it only seemed to make Sheriff Marigold even more unhappy. “Your mother wasn’t well liked, let me tell you.” “Well, she’s dead now,” I shot back, my patience finally gone, thanks for that, “so I guess you won’t have to worry about her anymore.” Abigail thought her trip to Hallow, California would be a quick handoff of her mother’s beloved journal to the family she left behind. Instead, she finds herself the center of controversy, discovering that not only did her mother once have magic, her entire family were the former Keepers of something called the Covenant of All Hallow. When Abigail accidentally wakes the town’s missing magic, she’s front and center as the prime suspect in a conspiracy to steal the book, and in the murder of the community’s leader. With help from the ancient priest turned feline, Chargoyle, and the ever-present voice of the Covenant’s creator in her head, Abigail must uncover who killed Florian Redbane and clear her name before the powers that be decide she’s of more use to them dead than alive…