No one quit on Blake Jarrod! So when his devoted assistant suddenly turned in her resignation, the hotelier wanted answers. Though, Samantha Thompson wasn't talking. Turning her two-weeks' notice into four, Blake gave himself one month to seduce the truth from her. And despite his rule about business and pleasure never mixing, Blake intended to make the most of his endeavor….

Buddhism-influenced essays, stories, and reviews by National Book Award winner Charles R. Johnson. This wide and varied collection of essays, reviews, and short stories by the renowned author Charles Johnson offers incisive views on poltics, race, and Buddhism. Johnson notes that in his life the two activities that have anchored him and reinforce each other are creative production and spiritual practice. This book is a crystallization of what he has learned during his passage through American literature, the visual arts, and the Buddhadharma. Essays include: • "And if Peace Is Their Goal . . ." on the principles of enlightened politics • "The King We Need" on the deep and sophisticated moral philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and why King's teachings and example are important to all Americans • "Why Buddhists Should Vote"--Johnson posits that voting can be seen as a way to reduce suffering • "The Meaning of Barack Obama"--an appreciation of the man who became one of the most historic US presidents, even before his first 100 days were through • "Why Buddhism for Black America Now?"--what Buddhism can offer the African-American community in the post-MLK era

She’s thirty-two, musically gifted, vivacious, and in love with Patrick Harrold, the voice teacher who hired her to play piano for his collection of off-kilter vocal students. Indeed, Samantha Eliot has long dreamed of devoting her life to music and song. But there’s a problem. She can’t speak, let alone sing. And she hasn’t been able to since a terrible accident took her voice at the age of seven. Truth be told, she has two additional problems. She’s never met—but is presently searching for—her birth mother. And the man she loves may, in fact, give up teaching voice, therefore no longer requiring her services. Can she rectify the second and third of these three problems, even though she must live with the first? Also featuring a collection of hilarious voice students with issues of their own, Samantha’s Silent Song speaks to those who have made an honest attempt, but failed, at fully realizing their dreams.

As She Likes It is the first attempt to tackle head on the enduring question of how to perform those unruly women at the centre of Shakespeare's comedies. Unique amongst both Shakespearian and feminist studies, As She Likes It asks how gender politics affects the production to the comedies, and how gender is represented, both in the text and on the stage. Penny Gay takes a fascinating look at the way Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Measure for Measure have been staged over the last half a century, when perceptions of gender roles have undergone massive changes. She also interrogates, rigorously but thoughtfully, the relationship between a male theatrical establishment and a burgeoning feminist approach to performance. As illuminating for practitioners as it will be enjoyable and useful for students, As She Likes It will be critical reading for anyone interested in women's experience of theatre.

For seven hundred years the Immortal warrior Tain was held captive and tortured by a powerful demon, and retreated into madness to escape his pain. Set free by his brothers, Tain has wandered the world, but he’s drawn to Los Angeles, a city divided by demon lords and vampire masters, the death-magic creatures barely kept in line by strict rules and the paranormal police. Samantha Taylor, detective in the paranormal division, is committed to bringing down drug-selling demons and vampires who turn too many victims. Her stakeout of a demon club is blown by the appearance of a man with amazing power, who kills the attacking demons with one burst of magic. Samantha is shocked to see the man is Tain, the Immortal she helped rescue, whose healing touch burns her. Tain is back, and he needs Samantha’s help. Young demon women are being murdered, and though Tain has no love for demons, he recognizes that they are innocents. He’s also powerfully drawn to Samantha, a half demon, and fears his pull to her means he hasn’t healed from his ordeal. Tain reveals to Samantha more about herself than she’s comfortable knowing, but though she’s falling for Tain, she knows he’ll never allow himself to be tied to demonkind again. When the killer endangers them both, as well as people they love, Tain and Samantha must solve the case together and fight the growing, powerful attraction between them, a battle they are steadily losing. Welcome back to the world of the Immortals, where vamps, shifters, demons, witches, and Immortals warriors exist in the real world, and the forces of life magic and death magic struggle for balance. The Redeeming is a full-length novel of 100,000 words, which can be read as a standalone.

"God is the Treasure," the sequel to "Sagebuster's Domain," explores Abigail Saxson's belief that she has been entrusted with unique treasure. Menacing renegades are determined to retrieve their missing treasure and expel settlers who are encroaching on their coveted Renegade Wilderness Area. Ruthless rival gangs desperately join forces to seize control of McGurski's fortune. The McQuellans, Christian pioneers in the unsettled territory of Saddleback, search the wilderness for Joe's treasure until master plans collide at Screaming Eagle Ridge. Due to the work of the Holy Ghost within God's infant church, Abner Buntley contemplates the treasures of his heart. The preacher exhorts God's church to treasure their inheritance which is reserved for them in heaven. Joe captures the essence of their epic adventure by proclaiming God is the Treasure.

Sex and sexuality are topics that have defined feminism since its inception. What has changed is that there is now a generation of feminists and scholars who are comfortable not only to write in their own disciplines but who incorporate feminist ideas in their research. This book assembles a variety of essays, most of which were written especially for this collection, that negotiate sex and sexuality in historical contexts as well as in contemporary times. There is a common ground of history and (popular) culture among the articles. While different theories of feminism operate in these essays, feminist lenses have allowed the reevaluation of familiar topics from early religious practices to medieval literature to current films and advertising. The authors represented in this collection range from established feminist and gender scholars to those who employ feminist theoretical frameworks in their respective disciplines.