These ten stories, plus one bonus, take place in Everytown, USA; in other words, the stories in this collection could take place in your backyard or on the other side of America. Still, no matter where you go, people are people, and they face the same daily struggles and horrific life tragedies but also joy, laughter, and redemption. Read of one boy who spent his life growing up in a poor household until the thrill of a day at the fancy Dairy Queen. Attend a childs funeral, arranged and organized by the child herself. Find a family less than thankful on Thanksgiving and a Marine who receives a less than welcome homecoming, despite brave service to his country. Meet characters like Steady Stuart and good old Pete the Pennyman. These charactersand the tales themselveswill provoke, amuse, and enthrall. Youll be left guessing how many of these stories are true and which are works of pure fiction, but actually, it doesnt matter, since real life is the strangest story of them all.

What happens when a former Zen Buddhist monk and his feminist wife experience an apparition of the Virgin Mary? “This book could not have come at a more auspicious time, and the message is mystical perfection, not to mention a courageous one. I adore this book.”—Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit Before a vision of a mysterious “Lady” invited Clark Strand and Perdita Finn to pray the rosary, they were not only uninterested in becoming Catholic but finished with institutional religion altogether. Their main spiritual concerns were the fate of the planet and the future of their children and grandchildren in an age of ecological collapse. But this Lady barely even referred to the Church and its proscriptions. Instead, she spoke of the miraculous power of the rosary to transform lives and heal the planet, and revealed the secrets she had hidden within the rosary’s prayers and mysteries—secrets of a past age when forests were the only cathedrals and people wove rose garlands for a Mother whose loving presence was as close as the ground beneath their feet. She told Strand and Finn: The rosary is My body, and My body is the body of the world. Your body is one with that body. What cause could there be for fear? Weaving together their own remarkable story of how they came to the rosary, their discoveries about the eco-feminist wisdom at the heart of this ancient devotion, and the life-changing revelations of the Lady herself, the authors reveal an ancestral path—available to everyone, religious or not—that returns us to the powerful healing rhythms of the natural world.

This spooky twist on the wildly popular "There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly" is perfect for fun Halloween reading!What won't this old lady swallow? This time around, a bat, an owl, a cat, a ghost, a goblin, some bones, and a wizard are all on the menu! This Halloween-themed twist on the classic "little old lady" books will delight and entertain all brave readers who dare to read it!

The short tale A Rose for Emily was first published on April 30, 1930, by American author William Faulkner. This narrative is set in Faulkner's fictional city of Jefferson, Mississippi, in his fictional county of Yoknapatawpha County. It was the first time Faulkner's short tale had been published in a national magazine. Emily Grierson, an eccentric spinster, is the subject of A Rose for Emily. The peculiar circumstances of Emily's existence are described by a nameless narrator, as are her strange interactions with her father and her lover, Yankee road worker Homer Barron.

In 1327, finding his sensitive mission at an Italian abbey further complicated by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William of Baskerville turns detective.

It was the season that brought families together, for trick or treating, and Thanksgiving dinners. But for Octavia Davenport, this season symbolized an era in her life when she lost everything. For years, Octavia was alone living a moderately single life, but then she met the owner of Rose Security Group, and suddenly things began to change. A blossoming friendship evolved and with it came an unrestrained indulgence to connect with him on every level. Desire had never stirred her until him, and Octavia didn't want to deny herself what she so hungrily craved. As the head honcho of the Midwest's preeminent security firm, Jonathon Alexander Rose is known for his commanding persona. Although his reputation precedes him, Jonathon would rather live his days absent from the limelight, with his sexy audacious best friend, Octavia. His fiery passion for her has been Jonathon's secret until he can no longer stand to be on the sidelines. When he decides to go after what he wants, nothing will stand in his way. The Falling for a Rose series follows each member of the Rose family as they explore this thing called love. However, each book is just as enjoyable if read as a standalone as it is if read in the series order.

At the celebration of her best friend's wedding, Claudia Steven's is trying to sort out her tumultuous emotions, regarding the groom's best man and brother, Jaden Alexander Rose. What started as a platonic relationship, has turned into a battle of wills whenever they find themselves together. Their heated exchanges have risen to the surface, and desire spills over on contact. However, Claudia fears she is not enough to be on the arm of a prestigious benefactor like Jaden. And Claudia is sure that's why he's friend-zoned her. Multimillionaire investment banker, Jaden Alexander Rose is here today and gone tomorrow. Business is his priority, which is why he has kept the passion that grows for Claudia at arm's length. But the bachelor cannot seem to fight off the dynamic hold Claudia has on him, ever since meeting her six months ago at a charity event. Now at his brother's wedding, Jaden crosses that platonic line, and he has every intention of showing Claudia she's all he needs and more. The Falling for a Rose series follows each member of the Rose family as they explore this thing called love. However, each book is just as enjoyable if read as a standalone as it is if read in the series order.