For Lyn Traill, childhood was scarred by violence and abuse ranging from the emotional to the physical. But through it all, a shimmering flicker of hope stubbornly refused to be extinguished. Now she shares her story, told with honesty, pathos, and humor. Lyn’s resilience in the face of abuse illustrates how life can change dramatically when we are open to becoming better observers. Her journey travels down some dark pathways before revealing a remarkable transformation. Here, she shares the strategies that have taken her from victim to victorious. A major turning point in her life appeared when she discovered ontology, the study of being—what it means to be human. Ontology focuses on the dynamic interrelationship among three areas of human existence: the language we use, which creates our reality; the emotions we live in, as our moods and emotions have a direct bearing on our actions; and the effects of both on our bodies. The role of the body in sustainable change has been greatly underrated. Are you seeking a way to untangle and improve your life? By clearing away the dead embers of old flames, you can ignite the sizzle you may have thought had disappeared. Lyn’s victory is proof that it is never too late to start sizzling!

Grief is no stranger to most people. To some degree we each experience its dark tentacles reaching into our soul, and each of us handles it differently. Lyn has felt moved to write a powerful book, dotted with amazing stories, that encourages people to know that even in the depths of despair we can rise again. ‘The measure of our greatness is in how we stand up after we fall.’ ­— (Unknown)

Private investigator Kate Shugak is 5 foot 1 inch tall, carries a scar that runs from ear to ear across her throat and owns a half-wolf, half-husky named Mutt. Orphaned at eight years old, Kate grew up to be resourceful, strong willed and defiant. She is tougher than your average heroine – and she needs to be to survive the worst the Alaskan wilds can throw at her. Kate investigates murders. She's worked under cover in the Arctic Circle, gone to sea, signed up as a bodyguard, tracked missing tribal relics and she continues to fight for the Aleut way of life. In this epic box set, Kate will track an unknown mass murderer, go undercover to apprehend a drug dealer and face extreme peril herself. Just as well that she'll have Mutt at her side throughout it all. And with this Box Set, you'll save over 50% compared to buying the books individually.

An entertaining and informative book about the fashion and fads of language Today's 18-year-olds may not know who Mrs. Robinson is, where the term "stuck in a groove" comes from, why 1984 was a year unlike any other, how big a bread box is, how to get to Peyton Place, or what the term Watergate refers to. I Love It When You Talk Retro discusses these verbal fossils that remain embedded in our national conversation long after the topic they refer to has galloped off into the sunset. That could be a person (Mrs. Robinson), product (Edsel), past bestseller (Catch-22), radio or TV show (Gangbusters), comic strip (Alphonse and Gaston), or advertisement (Where's the beef?) long forgotten. Such retroterms are words or phrases in current use whose origins lie in our past. Ralph Keyes takes us on an illuminating and engaging tour through the phenomenon that is Retrotalk—a journey, oftentimes along the timelines of American history and the faultlines of culture, that will add to the word-lover's store of trivia and obscure references. "The phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" is a mystery to young people today, as is "45rpm." Even older folks don't know the origins of "raked over the coals" and "cut to the chase." Keyes (The QuoteVerifier) uses his skill as a sleuth of sources to track what he calls "retrotalk": "a slippery slope of puzzling allusions to past phenomena." He surveys the origins of "verbal fossils" from commercials (Kodak moment), jurisprudence (Twinkie defense), movies (pod people), cartoons (Caspar Milquetoast) and literature (brave new world). Some pop permutations percolated over decades: Radio's Take It or Leave It spawned a catch phrase so popular the program was retitled The $64 Question and later returned as TV's The $64,000 Question. Keyes's own book Is There Life After High School? became both a Broadway musical and a catch phrase. Some entries are self-evident or have speculative origins, but Keyes's nonacademic style and probing research make this both an entertaining read and a valuable reference work." --Publishers Weekly

The Edgar Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling series by Dana Stabenow set in Alaska. Kate Shugak investigates into a mysterious death in a dysfunctional family in Play With Fire. Alaska's worst fire in decades left behind 125,000 acres of razed forest, three feet of ash... and one unburnt corpse. A ten-year-old boy has hired Kate Shugak to find his father. Daniel Seabolt has been missing since the summer, but his disappearance has never been reported. The boy's grandfather, the Right Reverend Pastor Simon Seabolt, has forbidden the tight-knit community even to speak Daniel's name. Unfortunately for the boy, Kate is already investigating the body of a man found buried under the ash of last year's forest fire. At first she thinks this man was caught out in the blaze, but the coroner returns cause of death as anaphylactic shock. And although the body is missing clothes and shoes, it is untouched by the fire... Reviewers on Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak series: 'An antidote to sugary female sleuths: Kate Shugak, the Aleut private investigator.' New York Times 'Crime fiction doesn't get much better than this.' Booklist 'If you are looking for something unique in the field of crime fiction, Kate Shugak is the answer.' Michael Connelly 'An outstanding series.' Washington Post 'One of the strongest voices in crime fiction.' Seattle Times