Malcolm Monster feels afraid when he loses his beloved security blanket, but after a couple of days, he forgets that it's missing.

Layers is a debut collection of imaginative short stories celebrating life and the human spirit despite the ever-present spectre of melancholy in our lives today. With vivid descriptions, we are drawn into enchanting worlds with characters that leap off the page, leaving the reader lingering long after the pages have been read. The stories in this collection span the world - from the Americas to India, from Africa to Europe. Through a range of genres, voices and styles, layers are unraveled, revealing the textures and contrasts of old and new in the environments and cultures of today's fast-paced world. With their distinctive blend of wit, humour and tragedy, they help light up any underlying darkness we may face.

A thrilling bedtime mystery begins with a young child getting ready to go to sleep, and concludes after a thrilling adventure with an unexpected ending.

The United States is the world's leader in fatherless families. Marginalized by society into a distant and unemotional role as the family's bread winner, we are only now beginning to understand the devestating effect of emotionally distant fathers on their daughters' health and well-being-- and for some, even on their spirituality. Millions of women have suffered physical and emotional scars due to absent fathers, and have experienced the painful void not having this vital connection has created. Both authors write from personal experience overcoming emotionally distant fathers, offering practical solutions and hope for healing this emotional and spiritual rift. From how to forgive an abusive father, coping with loneliness, to nuturing healthy relationships, and much more-- this book is a tremendously empowering and enriching journey for women out of sadness and pain, breaking a legacy of loneliness and regret, to a renewed hope for their lives. Included are chapter questions, pages for journaling, and a list of counseling resources.

Repairing Her Heart Businesswoman Celeste Thompson has one goal: to make her restaurant and hotel a success. She doesn't need any distractions, even from handsome contractor Gage Purcell and his two adorable little girls. Besides, single dad Gage is just biding his time before a big job at the mines comes through. But as Celeste's project springs to life, their arguments transform into attraction. Gage isn't looking for romance, especially not with another career-driven woman like his ex-wife. But openhearted Celeste is more than just another work-consumed client. She might just be his happily-ever-after.

Not a Perfect Fit is a collection of stories that are laugh-out-loud funny one minute and thought-provoking the next. Stories range from Schmidt’s experience living off-grid as the only English woman in an Amish neighborhood to family trips that are remarkably similar to National Lampoon’s Vacation. Through it all, she manages to rise above the many challenges she faces—inspiring and entertaining her audience along the way. Filled with animal antics, gratitude, mishaps, and madcap adventures, Not a Perfect Fit’s tell-all, single-girl-gone-country, down-home stories give readers permission to laugh and cry—and, most important, to carry on.