Lorena Billodeaux has spent the last two years in Australia to train for the Olympics. This is her dream, but when Jock Brown, a professional Aussie Rules Football player, makes a play for her heart, he distracts her big-time. Jock wants to give American Football a go, and Lorena's dad can help him. But when he puts himself up close and personal with Ms. Billodeaux to get an introduction, he finds himself falling in love. Life is not always a smooth path, and when Lorena returns to the states, Jock follows her. His teammates see him leaving as a betrayal. But nothing compares to when the woman of his heart finds out why he approached her in the first place. Lorena's belief in him is shattered, and Jock fears he's lost her for good.

It is 1934, and Mary Elizabeth Barrett is the youngest of four growing up in Benkleman, Kansas. In a town where there are few secrets, it is quite a surprise when her father, George, uses his wifes jelly-making money to buy a secondhand touring car and announces they are moving to California. Despite his wife Ruths protests, the touring car is packed in a weeks time. Whether they like it or not, the family is on their way to a new beginning. Five days later, after the family stops in Minton, Colorado, for lunch, Mary Elizabeths father hops in the old touring car and tells them he will be right back. While the sun lowers in the sky, Ruth finds a note from George in her pocketbook, telling her that although he has decided to head to California alone, he will be back to get them all eventually. With just over one hundred dollars to their name, Ruth and her four children make a decision: they will stay in Minton. As Mary Elizabeth and her family begin anew, they soon realize that happiness comes in the simplest of moments as they learn to look at challenges as stepping stones and face the harsh reality that George may never return. The Last Apple on the Tree is a story of trials, perseverance, and family togetherness as a mother and her four children find beauty in their own little garden of life.

Bitter/Sweet: Surviving the Struggle Within describes my efforts to face the fears and pain of love and self-love, sickness and health, death and spirituality, and forgiveness. It also expresses my hope to find the answers to life’s questions. First I had to acknowledge self, because without self-acknowledgement, every obstacle will magnify. In understanding what makes me tick and how my past could hold me back, I learned to love myself, which allowed me to find true love. Bitter poisons that once flowed through my veins, are now replaced with the sweet taste of honey. My agonies, frustrations, and pain took me on one excursion after another. The only true journey toward growth and fulfillment is tunneling through the many avenues of self. I had to go within before I could move forward. I had to master this expedition. No matter what I seek, everything I need is already inside me. Am I important enough to myself to go within and search for what I want and need? It is what I choose to accept about my life that will make it “Bitter” or “Sweet.” And I realize that I am not alone. Everyone experiences pain and discord. I hope my words reach others so they too can rejoice. I have learned to celebrate the child within to overcome past hurts and all the old “Bitter/Sweet” experiences. This chronicles where I have been, where I am today, and what I have accomplished.

A lighthearted guide to long-haul travel with children...from a mom who knows best.

The first in an epic two-book saga, this sweeping story explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters as each woman is forced to confront her faulty but well-meaning desire to help her daughter find her God-given place in the world. "Ambitious, strong-willed Marta Schneider leaves her home in rural Switzerland at the beginning of the 20th century. She's determined to flee her abusive father, loving but weak mother, and the constraints placed on women. Meeting interesting characters all along her journey, she works her way to Canada. There she buys a boardinghouse and meets her match in Niclas Waltert, a German engineer with a farmer's heart. Through Marta's sharp elbows and the sweat of Niclas's brow, the family eventually arrives at an increasingly comfortable life in California's Central Valley. The second half of the story is told from the point of view of constitutionally timid daughter Hildemara Rose."--Publishers Weekly.

Mohawk hair-cuts in Bali, yuppies in Hong Kong and Rambo rip-offs in the movie houses of Bombay are just a few of the jarring images that Iyer brings back from the Far East.