Twenty years into the future, a united collection of Mexican drug cartels are about to invade Arizona, led by a charismatic but psychotic leader. After years of intense and meticulous preparation, which included paying off or killing all the right people on either side of the border, the cartel is ready to make its move. Before the U.S. government can seal the border, hundreds of thousands of cartel men infiltrate the country as far north as Phoenix. Enter Mac, a ten-year-old boy with unlimited potential and incredible gifts to offer the world. But these gifts stem from an unthinkable childhood; he was molded by cruel and neglectful parents in an effort to enhance his unparalleled capabilities. The harsh tests inflicted by his parents consist of a series of elaborate punishments, seemingly inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's quotation: "That, which does not kill us, makes us stronger." It is during one of these tests, stranded in the Mexican desert, that Mac stumbles upon an ancient codex by a pre-colonial Spanish philosopher, whose parched pages contain the secret to achieving a perfect utopian society out of a self-destructive mankind. Representing the inverse morality, the cartel will stop at nothing to destroy the codex and the child that holds it. The hunt is on. About the Author: Michael "Mac" Centuori is about to graduate from the University of Arizona with a degree in Latin American studies and a minor in Spanish. Raised in Phoenix, he now lives in Tucson. He is working on the sequel, The Throw Away Kids. Publisher's website: http: //www.sbpra.com/MichaelMacCentuori

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR Thrown Away Child is a memoir covering Louise Allen’s abusive childhood in a foster home, how she survived - using her love of art as a sanctuary - and how she hopes to right old wrongs now by fostering children herself and campaigning for the improvement of foster care services. It is a compelling and inspirational story. This book gives a voice to the many children who grew up unhappily in care.

New Yorkers are different. They're special people, raised in the concrete jungle with thick skin. In Thrown Away Kids, Carol is a tough girl who's lived a tough life. Following her across the boroughs from childhood into her adult years, readers get up close and personal in Carol's exciting, sometimes dark, adventurous life. She experiments, learns new things, makes mistakes and throughout it all, has good jobs. She figures it out and wonders how, maybe, her family life made her into the person she becomes. In a tantalizing, sexual account of life for an urban woman, Thrown Away Kids never lets up as it follows a young woman navigate the most intimate parts and secret details of life.

When Sky and her older sister Avril were taken into care, the social workers knew this was a case like no other. Raised by unhinged parents who hoarded compulsively, creating horrific conditions no child should live in, the two girls arrived at foster carer Louise's home, neglected, malnourished, and indoctrinated. Louise had to draw on all of her experience as one of Britain's leading foster carers to rehabilitate and change the course of their lives. But with constant attempts to thwart her work, Louise ends up under siege in her own home. Will she succeed or is their fate sealed forever?

The story of a mother’s quest to end her family’s food waste—and all the blunders that came with it. Teralyn Pilgrim had no idea the environmental and economic impact of food waste, or that she could save $100 a month by being waste free. But when a story of hungry children fills her with unbearable guilt, she decided to make a change to the way her family approached mealtime. Despite finicky kids and a skeptical husband, Pilgrim turned her feelings of guilt into action and created a zero-food waste kitchen. Pilgrim began her journey by defining food waste with Rule #1: the Hungry Kid Test—would you throw something edible away with a hungry child watching? If the answer is yes, it can go in the compost. If the answer is no, then it’s time to get creative. Narrating her trials and errors—emphasis on errors—Pilgrim invites readers to her table where leftover food is a personal challenge to reduce waste, save money, and guard against squandering natural resources. Things get tricky when she discovers a five-year-old fish in her freezer, accidentally buys the grossest fat-free cookies in the world, and finds her dog is as picky as the kids. Addressing myths about how being waste-free is too hard (it’s not) and whether expiration dates mean anything (they don’t), Pilgrim teaches readers clever ways to be resourceful while also offering a broader look at why food waste matters and the global effects of this massive problem. Both a resource for families and a call for worldwide change, No Scrap Left Behind offers nine-step program and hundreds of food-related tips to help readers find their own way to sustainable living, trim the grocery bill, and effect change...starting in their own kitchens.

The courageous story of Van Meers, born in a home for unwed mothers in Ghent, Belgium, 1930. It is told in her own words in a frank, humorous and down-to-earth manner. She grew up as a "bastard" during the Great Depression, and sees her family and country told apart by prejudice and politics in World War II, and recounts how she struggles to redefine herself in turbulent postwar Europe. Based on hundreds of hours of taped interviews, Rachel's view of a family "not-quite-normal," her amazing strength in the face of abusive and degrading treatment, and her strong faith and upbeat attitude make her story a joy and inspiration to read.