WHEN HIS BOYHOOD FRIEND VANISHES, A MAN WHO HAS COASTED THROUGH LIFE ON THE FADING MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL HEROICS, RISKS EVERYTHING TO SAVE HIM. The FBI? What had Billy done now? And why did they think I was involved? I had to take a breath and replay in my head what she had just said. The FBI wanted to talk to Billy. That was really bad. But if they couldn't have Billy, then The Federal Bureau of Investigation wanted me. Darwin Burr was wanted by the FBI. That was a hundred times worse than bad. When I got stopped by a small town cop for speeding a couple years ago I was so nervous it took me five minutes to find my car registration. There was no way I could talk to a real FBI agent. They had a parade for Darwin Burr years ago when his team won the state title. He's coasted through life on that memory. Still lives in Claxton, Illinois -- but the bucolic farm town now simmers with racial tension. He has a cushy job working for his wheeler-dealer, boyhood friend, Billy Rourke. He has a country house, a healthy 401K, and still drinks for free at Clarkie's Bar. His wife Daina, who escaped from Latvia and never looked back, disdains Darwin's lack of ambition. She's consumed by her job helping Claxton's underclass and has little time for Darwin or their daughter, Astra. When Billy arranges for Darwin to assist Astra's high school basketball coach --the mysterious and flirtatious Fariba Pahlavi -- Darwin stops coasting. He discovers a passion for coaching. And Fariba. Just as Darwin is getting back in the game, Billy vanishes, the FBI wants Darwin's help to find him, and Darwin learns his wife's secret past has put her life in jeopardy. Darwin knows Billy's guilty, but he can't betray his friend, and he's falling in love with Fariba, but can't abandon his wife. He has no good choices, no winning shot, and in this world heroes don't get parades. ..".The moral and ethical questions raised by his own actions, and by the actions of those closest to him, are part of what keep these pages turning: the reader is keenly interested in finding out what choices Darwin will make. A great read by a writer who just keeps getting better and better."--Sands Hall. Author of the memoir, FLUNK. START. Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology, and of the novel, Catching Heaven ..". Len Joy knows men, and as a woman reader, I like getting inside men's heads. Strange as they are, they have troubles and desires and they make mistakes, oh boy, and when they figure that out, they have feelings, too. No fancy stuff. No mumble jumble interiority. This is Do Something, Find Out What Happens, Deal With It...Len Joy is ... solid Americana."--Sandra Scofield - National Book Award Nominee "Len Joy combines lyrical language, unflinching insight, and a kind of rough-edged masculinity to unique effect. His work is a nuanced study of small town life and the deceptive allure of the American dream."--Abby Geni, Author of the novels, THE WILDLANDS and THE LIGHTKEEPERS

If you could know how your life would turn out ten years before it happened, would you still do everything the same? Would it change the way you lived your life? Would you make the same choices? Would you have the same friends, date the same people, live the same life? Would the life you lead be a reflection of your desires? Of who you want to be? Would the person you are now be the same person you are then? What would you change? What would be important to you? What would people say your life was, productive or incomplete? Brady McEwing is the dependable one. The shoulder his friends lean on, the one they go to when things are bad. However, over the course of 10 years, Brady comes to find that he is no longer the source for their comfort, for their joy. His search for his own happiness in his life leads him down paths of disappointment and unhappiness. What will it take to bring him the joy that he is missing? Where will Brady find the ultimate source for his joy and see... Better Days?

THE STORY: BETTER DAYS takes place in 1974, the day of Roma Avery's funeral. Neal and Taw have moved to Roma's house to care for her in her final illness. Porter has come home on leave from the Navy. Neal and Taw's son, Cody, now a captain in the M

--Boost happiness with the 52 simple yet effective ideas presented --Experience relaxation as you fill out each chapter's journal pages --Feel connection as you share the 16 beautifully-illustrated "Tear & Share" pull-out cards In this charmingly illustrated gift book, popular artist Olivia Gibbs shares 52 simple ideas for having happier days. From taking an aroma-filled flower bath to spending more time in nature, readers will find simple yet effective ideas that celebrate kindness, self-care, and life's simple pleasures. The book is organized into six chapters: "Outdoors," "At Home," "With Others," "The Little Things," "Life Is Hard," and "The Big Picture." Also included are illustrated journaling pages and 16 Tear & Share Happiness Cards. A beautiful and timeless gift for anyone looking for inspiration in a chaotic world.

Serenity: Better Days follows everyone's favorite space cowboys in a thrilling, action-packed adventure, where Mal and his crew take on a heist that promises a big payoff. But when one of Serenity's crew is taken captive and tortured, the gang must put their enduring differences aside and work together to save one of their own, even if it means losing the cash prize of a lifetime! Joss Whedon returns to the world of his blockbuster film Serenity, reuniting with Brett Matthews and Will Conrad, his collaborators on the bestselling 2005 series Those Left Behind.