A fantasy novel in an alternate world. Lizbeth, Bennu, Len, and Angie are misfits, and they know it. They are often overlooked and ostracized for being overweight, short, airheaded, or wearing coke-bottle glasses. When bullies inflict a wound to Len's head, the four friends find themselves suddenly thrust into an alternative dimension—the realm of Welken, an idyllic kingdom under attack by Morphane the Soul Swallower. The noble defender Piers urges the four to aid his beleaguered land. But their insecurities hold them back until several mysterious adventures reveal that the weaknesses so disdained in their own world are weapons of great power in Welken. Victory is far from certain, however, as the enemy resorts to shape-shifting and deception, finally storming the Welkeners with an army of slaves. Unless the misfits find the courage to wield their weapons and turn the battle, Welken will fall into the death grip of Morphane.

What if the fabric of our world were stretching or tearing...or getting thinner...and we could step through that veil into another world? It's been a month since the Misfits -- four friends who like to commiserate -- were catapulted out of their adventures in the land of Welken and back into an ordinary summer in the small town of Skinner, Oregon. Mysterious reminders of those exciting days begin popping up everywhere. A mountain lion. A sailboat. A children's story. Could Lizbeth, Bennu, Len, and Angie be needed, once again, in Welken? If so, for what purpose? And things seem different this time. Are little signs of Welken rippling through Skinner? Do the multiplying wonders mean that two worlds are about to collide? Or has Welken been within the Misfits' reach all along, but they just hadn't seen it?

Young Dr. Riley McKay's promising future in pathology is threatened when suspicious activities incriminate her supervising pathologist, Dr. Nathan Lassiter. In desperation she turns to Dr. Nick Polchak, the Bug Man, to help her uncover the truth.

Experience the liturgical seasons of Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide in the company of poets and novelists from across the centuries. This third literary guide compiled by Sarah Arthur completes the church calendar with daily and weekly readings for Lent and Easter from classic and contemporary literature. New voices such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Benjamín Alire Sáenz join well-loved classics by Dostoevsky, Rossetti, and Eliot. Light in the darkness, illuminating the soul. This rich anthology will draw you deeper into God's presence through the medium of the imagination. Praise for Sarah Arthur's literary guides: "A rich feast." — Lauren F. Winner, author of Still "I may just be a bit smitten with this book." — Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts "What a delight, to find so extraordinary a collection." — Kathleen Norris, author of Dakota and Cloister Walk "A thing of beauty!" — the late Phyllis Tickle, author of The Divine Hours "A creative re-envisioning of the traditional devotional." — IMAGE Journal "Once again, Sarah Arthur has provided rich and enriching resources for the recovery of a life of prayer. More difficult, perhaps, than any other truth we may glimpse in the midst of what we know as ‘the time being,' is the efficacy of penitential prayer; most elusive is the 'bright sorrow' that couples our repentance with joy. With this book, many will find their way to this inestimable blessing." — Scott Cairns, Author of Slow Pilgrim: The Collected Poems Other Literary Guides by Sarah Arthur: At the Still Point: A Literary Guide to Prayer in Ordinary Time, and Light Upon Light: A Literary Guide to Prayer for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany

When you frame your life, what’s in the picture? We don’t just remember the past. We remember it as we have framed it. Jesus calls us to reframe life grace instead of law, love instead of retaliation demonstrating that our faith-work is framework. In this book, readers will be awakened to the power of the words they choose. As we begin to change our word choices, we become empowered to reframe our story according to the truth of our lives and the wisdom of the gospel. New circumstances a divorce, a new job, an illness, or a revelation about the past often drive us to reframe. In these times of crisis or change, we realize that the words and labels we have previously accepted are unsatisfying. Reframing the Soul guides readers through remembering the past with gratitude, anticipating the future with hope, dwelling within themselves with peace, and relating to others in love.