Henry Goody Johns was the eldest son of a beautiful young slave girl from East Central Africa and her Louisiana Master. Given the choice by his father to pass for white or to remain a slave, Johns chose to forever identify with his black mother and siblings, later becoming a pastor to his community after the Emancipation Proclamation. This volume of stories about Henry Goody Johns, who taught his people "What Love Can Do" is oral history at its best. It has been passed down from a generation of an enslaved people who came to learn that prejudice and hatred is a greater form of slavery than bondage itself. This memoir as written by Arthur Mitchell, a descendent of slaves on the Jons Plantation, has been preserved as closely as possible to its original form.

Because the heart remembers what the mind chooses to forget... Jennifer Bantam had a lot to be grateful for and certainly wasn’t one to complain. She had a successful editing business and good friends and family. But her love life was far from perfect. By now, she thought she’d be happily married with a family, but fate just wasn’t cooperating. But everything changes when, while visiting her hometown of Shelby Falls, she receives a message from someone in her past--the sweet, handsome, and sexy Matt Conroy. While Matt is intent on apologizing for something that happened between them twenty years earlier, Jennifer has no idea what he's talking about and has successfully blocked out these memories. Matt has never forgotten his first love, Jennifer, and is determined to win her back, but will Jennifer be able to trust Matt again and let down her defenses to be with the man she fell in love with twenty years ago? Will they be able to overcome their past and explore a future together? And will a frightening turn of events threaten to ruin their chance at a happily ever after? Told through dual timelines, this is the story of second chances, never giving up, and the power of true love to make anything and everything possible, if only we have the courage to take that leap. This is What Love Can Do…

When a sweet and sassy baker meets the new Irishman in town, things start to sizzle... Quinn O'Neill gave up being a professional rugby player to help his mam after his dad died, and now she's gone too. All that's left for him in Dublin? Four younger brothers, and elusive dreams to explore. Then he finds a journal revealing family secrets, and heads to Northern California wine country, where his mam grew up. That's when Quinn meets her... Lilly Parker. She's the baker at the B&B, an amazing gazelle of a woman. Blonde. Curvy. With high cheekbones that give her the look of an old-fashioned pin-up with a naughty side. She's wearing a pink and black apron that reads Life is Short--Lick the Bowl, and all Quinn can imagine is them: her, wearing nothing but that apron, and him, licking and savoring. The more time they spend together, the more Quinn believes Lilly's the one. Only she's headed to Miami in a week's time to pursue her own dream, and he has a decision to make. Does he go back to Dublin and his rugby career? Or does he make a home in the enchanted valley town, start his life fresh, and see if love's enough to make Lilly his forever?

Now a New York Times Bestseller As a college student he spent 16 days in the Pacific Ocean with five guys and a crate of canned meat. As a father he took his kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. He made friends in Uganda, and they liked him so much he became the Ugandan consul. He pursued his wife for three years before she agreed to date him. His grades weren't good enough to get into law school, so he sat on a bench outside the Dean's office for seven days until they finally let him enroll. Bob Goff has become something of a legend, and his friends consider him the world's best-kept secret. Those same friends have long insisted he write a book. What follows are paradigm shifts, musings, and stories from one of the world's most delightfully engaging and winsome people. What fuels his impact? Love. But it's not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings. Bob's love takes action. Bob believes Love Does. When Love Does, life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance that makes faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. And this is one life you don't want to miss. Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob's life and attitude just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too. Endorsements: "If this book does not make your heart beat faster, book the next flight to Mayo Clinic " --Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church, Chairman, Willow Creek Association "Bob Goff is a one-man tsunami of grace, a hurricane of love. He doesn't just talk about change, he really is change, as Love Does chronicles in such a vivid way. Yet, Love Does doesn't leave you feeling like you want to celebrate its author, it awakens a sense deep within that you, too, have an outrageous role to play in God's unfolding story or rescue and repair." --Louie Giglio, Passion Conferences/Passion City Church "An interesting and compelling story (with Young Life roots) that ends with a practical challenge and punch: 'love does' and God can use you to do it " --Denny Rydberg, President, Young Life "Every once in a while someone like Bob Goff shows up to remind us that some things matter a lot more than others. Love Does has a kind of 'north star' effect that will push you to refocus your life and energy on what is most significant. It doesn't just invite you to respond with your God-given potential, it invites you to become a part of what God can do beyond your potential." --Reggie Joiner, Founder and CEO of Orange "We liked the book a lot. Mostly, the balloons on the cover. The rest was pretty good too. Lots of stories about how God helps us." --Aedan, Asher and Skye Peterson ages 13, 12 and 9 "This may look like a book. It's not. It is an invitation to enter into the greatest adventure you have ever known--your life as it was meant to be lived. Hang on " --Michael Hyatt, Author, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, MichaelHyatt.com "Bob's ability to love people brings contagious hope and inspiration wherever he goes. The power of love showcased in this book will surely touch the hearts and souls of many people. Read Love Does and find a friend in one the world's best hidden secrets, a person who shows how love can create connection and make a difference--even across oceans." --George Tsereteli, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia (former Russian Republic)

“A beautifully written and well-researched cultural criticism as well as an honest memoir” (Los Angeles Review of Books) from the author of the popular New York Times essay, “To Fall in Love with Anyone, Do This,” explores the romantic myths we create and explains how they limit our ability to achieve and sustain intimacy. What really makes love last? Does love ever work the way we say it does in movies and books and Facebook posts? Or does obsessing over those love stories hurt our real-life relationships? When her parents divorced after a twenty-eight year marriage and her own ten-year relationship ended, those were the questions that Mandy Len Catron wanted to answer. In a series of candid, vulnerable, and wise essays that takes a closer look at what it means to love someone, be loved, and how we present our love to the world, “Catron melds science and emotion beautifully into a thoughtful and thought-provoking meditation” (Bookpage). She delves back to 1944, when her grandparents met in a coal mining town in Appalachia, to her own dating life as a professor in Vancouver. She uses biologists’ research into dopamine triggers to ask whether the need to love is an innate human drive. She uses literary theory to show why we prefer certain kinds of love stories. She urges us to question the unwritten scripts we follow in relationships and looks into where those scripts come from. And she tells the story of how she decided to test an experiment that she’d read about—where the goal was to create intimacy between strangers using a list of thirty-six questions—and ended up in the surreal situation of having millions of people following her brand-new relationship. “Perfect fodder for the romantic and the cynic in all of us” (Booklist), How to Fall in Love with Anyone flips the script on love. “Clear-eyed and full of heart, it is mandatory reading for anyone coping with—or curious about—the challenges of contemporary courtship” (The Toronto Star).

A poignant, hopeful story of a girl and her puppy from Newbery Honor-winning author Joan Bauer, now in paperback! Olive Hudson desperately wants a dog. But that doesn't seem to be a possibility right now. Newly orphaned, she's moving in with the half sister she hardly knows and their life is too chaotic to include a dog. But then something wonderful happens: Olive gets a chance to raise Lumie, a guide dog puppy. Discipline. Rules. Lots of hugs. Only the best of the best puppies continue on to become guide dogs, and of course Olive wants Lumie to be chosen. But if she is, that means that Olive will lose her. Once again, the incomparable Joan Bauer tells a touching story that is full of heart and warmth and unabashed idealism.

Who says small town can’t be sexy? Take a journey through California wine country as five Irish brothers explore family secrets and end up falling in love. This boxed set collection includes three full novels—What Love Can Do, The Way Love Goes, and I’m Gonna Love You—each with a sexy and deeply moving romance inside. In What Love Can Do, sweet and sassy baker Lilly is preparing to finally pursue her dreams just as ex-rugby player Quinn O’Neill arrives in her small hometown. The Way Love Goes: The last thing surf instructor Conor O’Neill expects to see is a gorgeous woman walking gracefully through the sand in high heels. Older than him, a high-strung wedding planner, Madlyn couldn’t be more different than Conor. But the two have one thing in common—they’re both looking to start over. I’m Gonna Love You: A big, broad, and bold Irishman, Brady O’Neill never thought he’d leave Dublin, but he can no longer live in the city where he experienced his greatest joys and deepest heartaches. Moving to America, he joins his brothers to open a family restaurant and meets Anna Kincaid, the owner of a local eco-adventure tour company with enough sass to sink a ship. This collection of stories, equal parts sweet and sizzling, will immerse you in romance, and themes of family and community. Indulge in these swoon-worthy Irish heroes who prove a little charm, some strength, and a whole lot of determination can heal hearts, ignite passion, and accomplish miracles. "Oh, how I love this author! [A] swoony and charming Irish hero!" ★★★★★ from Jen Doyle "Great story! I love watching them grow, overcome and find their happily ever after! This book was just as good as the first one." ★★★★★ from christyann74 "Spectacular love story! The best one of the series. The characters were so easy to love and I couldn't wait to see the happiness at the end!" ★★★★★ from christyann74 Book 1: What Love Can Do Book 2: The Way Love Goes Book 3: I’m Gonna Love You Book 4: Best Of My Love Book 5: Because You Love Me (New edition coming soon)