A young man who went by the name of Jay Cee lived in a small town in Pennsylvania. He worked as a carpenters helper at a job that paid less than a dollar an hour above minimum wage. Teaching Sunday school was a passion of his. He arrived in Detroit one day to attend a four-day religious retreat along with twenty thousand other Christian believers from several midwestern states. Due to an incredible set of circumstances, he found himself at the Detroit Lions training facility in Allen Park, Michigan, a nearby suburb of Detroit. In an even more bizarre twist of fate, he found himself practicing with the Detroit Lions football team at the position of quarterback. He dazzled everyone on the field, especially the head coach. His pinpoint passing, his ball handling, and his elusiveness in the pocket were nothing short of amazing! However, he had absolutely no desire to play professional football. He was very satisfied living and working in that small town and teaching Sunday school there. No amount of money offered to him could make him change his mind. One evening, Jay Cee attended a class at the retreat during which the instructor told them, God wants us to live up to our potential by using the talents He has given us. Sometimes, we have to step outside of our comfort zones before we can recognize what those talents are. That made him realize that perhaps living in a small town and working for minimum wage was not his destiny; maybe it was time for him to broaden his horizons.

Sara is a bossy cat who likes to get her way. Sam is a cuddly older bunny with spotted fur and wise advice. Sam and Sara love to go on adventures, but when Sara keeps seeing a red butterfly, Sam is sure she is just imagining things. Red butterflies don't live in this part of the country, she tells Sara. But is the red butterfly really just something in Sara's overactive imagination? Or is there more to these strange sightings? Everything becomes even more mysterious when Sam and Sara's human, Meg, has visitors who bring with them a new mystery about the red butterfly. Will this be their next big adventure?

Robert and Sharon are retired teachers who make a yearly pilgrimage to the idyllic Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende. They are committed to their annual trip, almost as much as they are committed to each other. Their journey to San Miguel often corresponds with the migration of the monarch butterflies to the Michoacán state. But this year is different. Robert has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and the couple must now question their continued travels, as well as their remaining time together. Cancer can be a quick killer, and no one can guarantee Robert's health or how much time he has left. Even so, the magic of Mexico calls, and the couple finds it difficult to resist, despite Robert's declining strength. Mexico provides a temporary remedy for their bitterness and anger aimed at the unpredictability of life a bitterness that must pass in order for their love to endure. Just like the monarchs, they too must migrate, sooner or later.

Tanya Bledso couldn't wait to leave Crested Butte to chase dreams of Hollywood stardom. Now the single mom has returned to run the local theater and raise her daughter. But the peaceful, charming town she took for granted has exploded into a bustling tourist attraction, thanks to one man. Jack Crenshaw. Property developer extraordinaire…and her former high school sweetheart. Ten years hasn't cooled the heat between them. Worse, Jack is bonding with her daughter and giving her the crazy idea he'd make the perfect family man. But is he ready to forgive and forget the heartbreak of the past for the role he seems born to play?

RUDY AND BABETTE, or, Capture of The Eagle's Nest, by Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Helen Stratton. This book also contains 3 complimentary stories by Andersen. Towards the end of “The Ice Maiden” Andersen tells the tale of Rudy, a boy who lost both his parents and goes to live with his uncle. Rudy grows up to become a skilled mountain climber and huntsman. He falls in love with the miller's daughter, Babette, however the miller disapproves of the relationship. He gives Rudy the impossible task of climbing to the top of a dangerous mountain and bringing back a live baby eaglet. While Babette was off visiting her godmother, she catches the attention of her cousin and flirts with him, which makes Rudy jealous. They have a disagreement and she tells him to leave. On his way home, Rudy comes across a beautiful maiden who really is the Ice Maiden in disguise. He soon finds himself kissing the Ice Maiden. In his shame, he returns to Babette and begs her forgiveness. Their wedding day nears and they travel to the godmother's house to be wed. The night after their arrival Babette has an awful dream that she cheats on Rudy with her cousin. One night before the wedding, Babette decides she wants to go to a small island with just enough room for the two of them to dance. As they sit and talk, Babette notices the boat is slipping away. Rudy swims after it, but the Ice Maiden kisses him one last time and he drowns. Babette is left alone on the island crying over the death of her loved one, but nobody can hear her over the wind. ======================== Hans Christian Andersen (often referred to in Scandinavia as H. C. Andersen) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories — called eventyr, or "fairy-tales" — express themes that transcend age and nationality. ======================== KEYWORDS/TAGS: Rudy and Babette, Switzerland, Alps, Alpine, Annette, avalanche, beautiful, bells, blue cloak, canton, cat, chamois, climb, crevasse, death, deep, eagle, eaglet, Englishman, eyes, fortune, French, Giddy, glacier, good, grandfather, great, Grindelwald, high, Ice-Maiden, Interlaken, island, journey, kiss, lake, mill, miller, mountain, mountains, nest, parlor, Rhone river, snow, spirits, Vallais, valleys, Aare river, Lake Thun, Lake Brienz, France, Italy,

When Paul re-enters his life, Rudy steels himself for the wild ride that is sure to follow. He takes comfort from the play strapped to his chest, knowing it is the insurance policy that keeps his family safe from a formidable enemy. Now, his adversary has broken their part of the bargain and has come after him again, determined to ensure that no one ever performs the play. From the plains of the midwest to the frozen north, John and Paul take Rudy on a bizarre journey, chasing a would-be demon, a devout assassin, and the most powerful institution on Earth. Rudy will stop at nothing to keep his family safe, but he is not sure Paul can complete his mission to kill God. Book II of the Godmaker Trilogy, following Alpha & Omega.

Barbara Smucker relates the dramatic and courageous story of refugees from Russia following World War II. This is a story of suspense—American soldiers, Russian officers, and a midnight train ride in darkened boxcars. Here is danger, escape, and deliverance. An actual event that happened in Berlin in 1946. Easily read by ages 11 and up—but can be read to children of all ages!