A lyrical picture book biography of Edward White, the first American to walk in space--and an ode to the beauty and wonder of the stars that brought him there. Edward White loved the night, lived where stars were big and bright. The evening sky-- so wide, so high. Made him wonder. Made him sigh. Edward White was the first American astronaut to walk in space. But before his spacewalk, he was just a boy who loved the stars. As he grew up, he would look up at the night sky in wonder--he knew that, one day, he would visit the stars themselves. In this touching and poignant picture book biography, we see how Edward's passion for the stars shaped the course of his life, and how he came to realize, even in the depths of space, what was ultimately most important to him--his family. With backmatter containing photos and more information on Edward's life, Candy Wellins and Courtney Dawson deliver a book that is as much a feast for readers' eyes as the stars were for Edward's. Praise for The Stars Beckoned: "The right stuff for children with the stars in their eyes." --Kirkus Reviews "An introduction to a space pioneer that’s ideal for the youngest nonfiction readers." --Publishers Weekly

A rich and diverse tapestry weaving together the many voices, narratives, skills, and talents of women up and down the coastal Pacific Northwest who devote their lives and careers to the sea. Beckoned by the Sea celebrates coastal women from northern BC to northern California who work on or with the sea. The twenty-four women featured in this inspiring and fascinating book represent a variety of industries—from conservation, commercial fishing, and marine biology to safety and rescue, tourism, and the arts. Weaving together elements of social history, culture, geography, and environmentalism, author Sylvia Taylor draws on in-depth interviews, meticulous research, and her own experience as a deckhand on a commercial fishing boat. Beckoned by the Sea investigates the myriad ways in which women have contributed to the marine industries that sustain the people and shape the culture of North America’s west coast—and reveals how the sea itself has touched the lives of these women by giving them not just a livelihood but an infinite source of inspiration and personal fulfillment.

Some things weren’t meant to be discovered. Three people are each drawn to the small town of Beckon, Wyoming. A young anthropologist researches a Native American legend and makes a terrifying discovery. An ex-cop investigating her cousin’s disappearance finds herself in grave peril. And an aging businessman is lured by the promise of a miracle. One by one they discover the town’s ghastly secret. The only question is . . . will any of them make it out alive?

How do you heal a broken heart? Money is no comfort to real estate heir Soren Lund when he loses the woman he loves, so he flees his privileged life in London for a sleepy Costa Rican fishing village. There he finds peace, purpose, and the passion to follow his dreams, until a surfing accident threatens to end it all. Rescued from Death's door by the beautiful and mysterious Elena Sol, Soren lets her into his heart while trying to break down the walls around hers. And when a ghost from Elena's past threatens their new happiness, he knows he must fight, or risk finding himself alone and adrift once more. BECKONED: slow burn, second chance romance inspired by food, travel, and Jane Austen. Over 300 reviews with 4.4+star average! Part 5 in a complete 6-part series. "Good heavens, Ms. Aviva Vaughn has done it again! I believe this has to be my favorite out of the whole series. I was distraught at the end of Book 4. Overall, Irate this book 5 out of 5 stars! As always, Aviva Vaughn's story is filled with colorful characters, a little Jane Austen inspiration, good food and wonderful music!" ~Amanda H., California, USA, 5-star review "These quotes are just some of the reasons why I've utterly come to love Aviva, her unpredictability,descriptions and words are utterly brilliantly used and described to the best they can be. Personally, I do love an Author who plants the seeds of the images they want you as a reader to imagine and continue to feed it and watch it grow.Not many authors can continue to pull it off with each book either, and she is definitely one of them. ·"Her hair was just as lustrous as always, rendered more raven bythe darkness of the room" ·"As if a perfect, Windsor knot assured one of some measure ofsuccess" ·"He laughed as he skimmed the surface of the water, exhilaratedby the swift weightlessness of the movement." ~Kiera, 5-star review "In no time I was completely engrossed in the tale of Soren's next chapter in life. Although most of the characters are different, this story was much like the others, taking you on a geographical, cultural and gastronomic adventure, with a side of steamy sex, this time in a surf town in Costa Rica." ~Kim, 5-star review "I have loved this series so much, devouring every word and I was so conflicted seeing Angela and Kieran together and loving how great they were together, but feeling so bad for Soren at the same time. I wasn't really sure how Ms. Vaughn was going to approach this story, what direction she'd take- so my mind was reeling with the possibilities. I did have high expectations,because Soren really needed something good to happen to him to make up for so much heartache. I loved what Ms. Vaughn did with this story and it was every bit as good as I had hoped it would be. Even though I knew Ms. Vaughn wouldn't make it easy for Soren and would make him 'work for his happiness. I also love how much more of Soren we get to see. Even after 4 other books, there was still quite substantial character growth and development."~Angela, 5-star review "Aviva Vaughn writes a lot like the classics, Jane Austen especially. She loves her slow burn and realistic writing. I personally do as well. It is believable and gripping. I often feel as if I am sitting right there in the same room as the characters, or on the beaches of Costa Rica. I can taste the foods, and smell the saltwater on the air. Her story lines are just as realistic and this is ever present in the story of Soren." ~Liz, USA, 5-star review "It hooked me in from the very beginning and I didn't want to put it down until I had read the final page. I love how no matter what the scene is the author is so descriptive that you feel like you are right there with the characters. This is a wonderfully written story that I would highly recommend reading." ~Laura, USA, 5-star review "I have been so looking forward to reading the next instalment in this series. I have truly fallen in love with the characters in the story and the author. Her writing completely absorbs me into the amazing world that she had created. Her beautiful descriptions of the settings for the stories are a huge plus for these books - her attention to detail is amazing. I've tried not to have a favourite book in this series because I have loved them all so far but I think this one may just take the top spot. I absolutely loved it and I really cannot recommend the book and the series enough!" ~Katie, 5-star review FROM THE AUTHOR Dearest Reader, I wrote BECKONED for many reasons, but first and foremost, I wrote it to feature the kind of people I know: diverse, smart, complicated men and women. My heroines are strong and educated, and my heroes are polite and respectful. As an avid reader, I wanted to see characters that looked like me and my friends and reflect the world I want to see. I also wanted to write a beautiful book. I consider BECKONED to be a modern story told in an old-fashion way with lots of metaphors and beautiful phrases, and where the sex is explicit but also elegant. So if you are a Word Nerd like me, then you will love BECKONED! If you choose to embark on this journey with me, you--and your taste buds--will get to visit London, Barcelona, Bath, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Copenhagen. It will be a fun--and delicious--ride! There are even recipes in some of the books as well as soundtracks to give you a multi-sensory experience. BECKONED is a single story in six parts and should be read in order. The intimacy is steamy, but it is slooooooow burn and is distributed throughout the books because of how the couples' relationships change and deepen. Birthing BECKONED has truly been a labor of love, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! BUCKLE UP and enjoy the journey. Wishing you love and romance, ~Aviva

There is elements of language that allow us to better understand the world. Abstractions in language help us classify ideas into groups so that we may generalize or specify parts within a label. For instance a car is made up of many parts, such as the engine, the wheels, the body,etc. We call it a car instead of of "an engine driving the wheels with a body attached to carry passengers", to make it easier for us not only to transfer the though within our mind, but also to others. Also, by calling it a car, we have differentiated the object from a train or a bike, both being other modes of transportation. Abstractions are part of our mental girds that help us by chopping reality into fragments so that we may organize it and put it into our grasp of understanding. Something such as the temperature cannot be measured because it is infinitely variable. It is just our enviroment reduced to numbers so that we can conceive it in our minds. Again, our world is divided into pieces so the human mind can understand it bit buy bit. From seeing a car to measuring the temperature, language offers an explanation to our experience and it is a powerful tool to help us think.

Would that center point where all supernatural worlds collide be their salvation? He was the Immortal, who had chased down time for his one last chance to reunite with his kindred spirit, with his forever love, Eve Campbell. Max Macgregor, a child of the mist, fought hard and battled his way to the twenty-first century to reconnect with Eve. But he would have to complete what would be his last mission. Tasked this time to finally rid the world of one created only to do evil, Max had made this deal to fight a very long time ago—one more fight, for one more year with his true love. Devastated by the loss of her husband three years prior, Eve desperately wanted to love and believe again. But their time together came with a heavy price. With Max having made the only deal he could, time and an old world obligation became their enemy. Beckoned by the Mist is a journey through love, filled with rekindled romance, sensual connection, and a supernatural tension, as our two heroes work to complete and meet their ultimate destiny.

Infinity Beckoned illuminates a critical period of space history when humans dared an expansive leap into the inner solar system. With an irreverent and engaging style, Jay Gallentine conveys the trials and triumphs of the people on the ground who conceived and engineered the missions that put robotic spacecraft on the heavenly bodies nearest our own. These dedicated space pioneers include such individuals as Soviet Russia's director of planetary missions, who hated his job but kept at it for fifteen years, enduring a paranoid bureaucracy where even the copy machines were strictly regulated. Based on numerous interviews, Gallentine delivers a rich variety of stories involving the men and women, American and Russian, responsible for such groundbreaking endeavors as the Mars Viking missions of the 1970s and the Soviet Venera flights to Venus in the 1980s. From the dreamers responsible for the Venus landing who discovered that dropping down through heavy clouds of sulfuric acid and 900-degree heat was best accomplished by surfing to the five-man teams puppeteering the Soviet moon rovers from a top-secret, off-the-map town without a name, the people who come to life in these pages persevered in often trying, thankless circumstances. Their legacy is our better understanding of our own planet and our place in the cosmos.