Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man\'s seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever. Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems -- and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail\'s reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something -- and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.With a quirky, unforgettable heroine and a pulse-pounding plotline, Nora Roberts presents a riveting new read that cements her place as today\'s most reliably entertaining thriller -- and will leave people hungering for more. 

Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don\'t know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art. As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love--and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.

Dani’s survived a lot of sh*t storms.Her mother died. Her two sisters loathed her. One aunt hated her. The other was strangely distant, but the worst storm—being dumped by her childhood best friend/high school boyfriend/first love for her younger sister.There went the one person who was hers and with that, the main reason she stuck around. So, she left for ten years. But now she’s back, and nothing’s the same.With help from Jonah Bannon, a reformed—kind of—bad boy she remembers from high school, Dani uncovers family secrets that have spanned generations. And along with those, she’s about to face the biggest sh*t storm of her life.Only this time, she may not survive.

A baby bird goes in search of his mother in this hilarious Beginner Book edited by Dr. Seuss. When a mother bird’s egg starts to jump, she hurries off to make sure she has something for her little one to eat. But as soon as she’s gone, out pops the baby bird. He immediately sets off to find his mother, but not knowing what she looks like makes it a challenge. The little hatchling is determined to find his mother, even after meeting a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a Snort. The timeless message of the bond between mother and child make P. D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother? a must for baby showers, beginning readers, and Mother’s Day. Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.

When Jack Mercy died, he left behind a ranch worth nearly twenty million dollars. Now his three daughters—each born of a different mother, and each unknown by the others—are gathered to hear the reading of the will. But the women are shocked to learn that before any of them can inherit, they must live together on the ranch for one year. For Tess, a screenwriter who just wants to collect her cash and get back to Hollywood, it’s a nightmare. For Lily, on the run from her abusive ex-husband, it’s a refuge. And for Willa—who grew up on the ranch—it’s an intrusion into her rightful home.They are sisters…and strangers. Now they face a challenge: to put their bitterness aside and live like a family. To protect each other from danger—and unite against a brutal enemy who threatens to destroy them all…

Nine-year-old Trisha McFarland strays from the path while she and her recently divorced mother and brother take a hike along a branch of the Appalachian Trail. Lost for days, wandering farther and farther astray, Trisha has only her portable radio for comfort. A huge fan of Tom Gordon, a Boston Red Sox relief pitcher, she listens to baseball games and fantasizes that her hero will save her. Nature isn't her only adversary, though - something dangerous may be tracking Trisha through the dark woods.

Aurora Fields protected her clients like a mother tigress—especially when one was her own mother! So it was going to take a lot more than charm to get her on side with David Brady\'s plans. Aurora could see he was a smooth operator, used to getting what he wanted, and she was usually immune. What was it about him that left her uncomfortably vulnerable? As for David, he\'d always considered himself a good judge of people. So why did each moment with Aurora leave his head and heart reeling? She was an enigma, and he was determined to find the key.

Mona Lisa St. James made a deathbed promise that she would do anything to save her mother\'s art gallery. Unfortunately, not only is The Red painted red, but it\'s in the red. Just as she realizes she has no choice but to sell it, a mysterious man comes in after closing time and makes her an offer: He will save The Red if she agrees to submit to him for the period of one year.The man is handsome, English, and terribly tempting...but surely her mother didn\'t mean for Mona to sell herself to a stranger. Then again, she did promise to do anything to save The Red...The Red is a standalone novel of erotic fantasy from Tiffany Reisz, international bestselling author of The Bourbon Thief and the Original Sinners series.

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either. ) Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain. . . magnetism. And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all. ) Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson—the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent—brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.

She\'d left town a starry-eyed innocent headed for the big city. Now Gwen Lacrosse returned home a savvy, sophisticated woman. But her mother\'s maddening new boarder enticed her as no one had before. Luke Powers was reputed to be an expert in both words and women - and soon he was turning Gwen\'s cool reason into something else entirely . . .

Olivia\'s parents were among Hollywood\'s golden couples…until the night a monster came and took her mother away forever. A monster with the face of her father...Sheltered from the truth, an older Olivia only dimly recalls her night of terror—but her recurring nightmares make her realize she must piece together the real story. Assisted by Noah Brady, the son of the police detective who found her cowering in her closet so many years before, she may have her chance. Noah wants to reconstruct the night that has become an infamous part of Hollywood history. He also wants to help Olivia and heal the longing in her lonely heart. But once the door to her past is opened, there\'s no telling what\'s waiting on the other side. For somewhere, not too far away, the monster walks again... 

An ordinary snapshot causes a mother’s world to unravel in an instant. After picking up her two young children from school, Grace Lawson looks through a newly developed set of photographs. She finds an odd one in the pack: a mysterious picture from perhaps twenty years ago, showing four strangers she can’t identify. But there is one face she recognizes—that of her husband, from before she knew him. When her husband sees the photo that night, he leaves their home and drives off without explanation. She doesn’t know where he’s going, or why he’s leaving. Or if he’s ever coming back. Nor does she realize how dangerous the search for him will be. Because there are others interested in both her husband’s past and that photo, including Eric Wu: a fierce, silent killer who will not be stopped from finding his quarry, no matter who or what stands in his way. Her world turned upside down, filled with doubts about her herself and marriage, Grace must confront the dark corners of her own tragic past she struggles to learn the truth, find her husband, and save her family.

The Time Warp Trio find themselves in the middle of an adventure in prehistoric times, where cave art is a form of graffiti and "rock" music takes on a whole new meaning.

For thirty-five years, Bruno Frye has lived in the shadow of the mother who made his heart beat with constant fear. And even though she died five years ago, the whispers still haunt him in the dark…enough to make him kill—and kill again… Hilary Thomas is one of his intended victims. And she’s about to learn that even death can’t keep a bad man down…

Lucas had it all – popularity, a devoted girlfriend, a brotherly best friend, and a loving mother who would do anything for him. His life was right on course to be a successful and fulfilling one, until the crash changed everything. It happened late one night during a sudden downpour. That evening, three young lives were lost and one life was left irrevocably altered. As the lone survivor, Lucas finds himself surrounded by swirling gossip of reckless drunkenness from the small town he used to warmly call home. Amid his own guilt and self-hatred, Lucas struggles to find hope, find peace, and maybe, even find love again.

“An atmospheric and harrowing tale, richly literary in complexity but ripe with all the crazed undertones, confusions, and forebodings inherent in the gothic genre. Recommend this riveting, du Maurier–like novel to fans of Jennifer McMahon.” — Booklist (starred review)**** From the author of the internationally bestselling The Lake of Dead Languages comes a gripping novel about madness, motherhood, love, and trust. When Daphne Marist and her infant daughter, Chloe, pull up the gravel drive to the home of Daphne’s new employer, it feels like they’ve entered a whole new world. Tucked in the Catskills, the stone mansion looks like something out of a fairy tale, its lush landscaping hiding the view of the mental asylum just beyond its border. Daphne secured the live-in position using an assumed name and fake credentials, telling no one that she’s on the run from a controlling husband who has threatened to take her daughter away. Daphne’s new life is a far cry from the one she had in Westchester where, just months before, she and her husband welcomed little Chloe. From the start, Daphne tries to be a good mother, but she’s plagued by dark moods and intrusive thoughts that convince her she’s capable of harming her own daughter. When Daphne is diagnosed with Post Partum Mood Disorder, her downward spiral feels unstoppable—until she meets Laurel Hobbes. Laurel, who also has a daughter named Chloe, is everything Daphne isn’t: charismatic, sophisticated, fearless. They immediately form an intense friendship, revealing secrets to one another they thought they’d never share. Soon, they start to look alike, dress alike, and talk alike, their lives mirroring one another in strange and disturbing ways. But Daphne realizes only too late that being friends with Laurel will come at a very shocking price—one that will ultimately lead her to that towering mansion in the Catskills where terrifying, long-hidden truths will finally be revealed....

Evelyn Axon is a medium by trade; her daughter, Muriel, is a half-wit by nature. Barricaded in their crumbling house, surrounded by the festering rubbish of years, they defy the curiosity of their neighbors and their social worker, Isabel Field. Isabel is young and inexperienced and has troubles of her own: an elderly father who wanders the streets, and a lover, Colin, who wants her to run away with him. But Colin has three horrible children and a shrill wife who is pregnant again; how is he going to run anywhere? As Isabel wrestles with her own problems, a horrible secret grows in the darkness of the Axon household. When at last it comes to light, the result is by turns hilarious and terrifying.

Clare Dunkle seemed to have an ideal life—two beautiful, high-achieving teenage daughters, a loving husband, and a satisfying and successful career as a children's book novelist. But it's when you let down your guard that the ax falls. Just after one daughter successfully conquered her depression, another daughter developed a life-threatening eating disorder. Co-published with Elena Vanishing, the memoir of her daughter, this is the story—told in brave, beautifully written, and unflinchingly honest prose—of one family's fight against a deadly disease, from an often ignored but important perspective: the mother of the anorexic.

The book club * is about to get a makeover.... Even if Megan would rather be at the mall, Cassidy is late for hockey practice, Emma's already read every book in existence, and Jess is missing her mother too much to care, the new book club is scheduled to meet every month. But what begins as a mom-imposed ritual of reading Little Women soon helps four unlikely friends navigate the drama of middle school. From stolen journals, to secret crushes, to a fashion-fiasco first dance, the girls are up to their Wellie boots in drama. They can't help but wonder: What would Jo March do? Acclaimed author Heather Vogel Frederick will delight daughters of all ages in a novel about the fabulousness of fiction, family, and friendship.

An outcast with a perversion (she liked males); a great battle mother with an impossible task; a paleobiologist with a terrible sense of humor -- they were all revolutionaries, but had never expected this. . .

At the time when Robinson wrote this book, the largest known source of radioactive contamination of the world's environment was a government-owned nuclear plant called Sellafield, not far from Wordsworth's cottage in the Lakes District; one child in sixty was dying from leukemia in the village closest to the plant. The central question of this eloquently impassioned book is: How can a country that we persist in calling a welfare state consciously risk the lives of its people for profit.

When Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother, falls into a coma, it is up to her husband, Liam, to hold the family together and care for their grieving, frightened children. Doctors tell him not to expect a recovery, but he believes that love can accomplish what medical science cannot. Daily he sits at her bedside, telling her stories of the precious life they have built together, hoping against hope that she will wake up. But then he discovers evidence of his wife’s secret past: a hidden first marriage to movie star Julian True. Desperate to bring Mikaela back at any cost, Liam knows he must turn to Julian for help. But will that choice cost Liam his wife, his family, and everything he holds dear? One of Kristin Hannah’s most moving novels, Angel Falls is a poignant and unforgettable portrait of marriage and commitment, of an ordinary man who dares to risk everything in the name of love.

Keleios the Half-Elf was but five years old when she saw her mother murdered by the evil witch Harque. For years she has asked the gods for the strength she'll need to avenge this foul death, and it seems the gods have answered her. She's been granted an array of powers never before seen in one person, but she has also acquired a most terrifying burden, a demonmark. This mark can open the door to undreamed abilities, but it can also open her soul to the forbidden dark side of magic. Keleios must choose between the demonmark's tainted power and the lives of those she holds most dear. In an epic battle of good versus evil, of enchanted swords and shapeshifting dragons, of unquenchable hatred and unlikely love, Keleios must face her own demons—before she can acquire the most important power of all: the power to forgive.

A young professor of Eastern Europe studies and mother of two is appointed U. S. Ambassador to an Iron Curtain country. Mary Ashley soon discovers that someone is out to kill her. She must learn who the assassin is and the motive behind the contract.

Katie and Sissy lost their mother to cancer 20 years ago. Since her death, Katie has been endowed with a special gift to help earth bound ghosts pass on to the next life. Katie hear's strange screams when the ghosts pass on - is it the sounds of the dead or is she hearing her mother's voice?A riveting tale of fate and faith as a whirlwind of events lands 73 year old Louisiana native Daniel freeman in a hospital bed; and then, in a confessional, telling his life story to a young local priest who is well respected in the Community. As the priest and Daniel delve into his old trespasses of the past, it becomes more apparent that the priest and Daniel’s life have been mysteriously connected by these exact events.Lucifer Travels is Book #1 in the staunchly Christian, young adult, mystery series

Sarah McGreggor has leukemia and needs a bone  marrow transplant. It is at this critical moment that  Sarah learns she was adopted. When the "One  Last Wish" check arrives, Sarah decides to  search for her birth mother--and a chance for life. From the Paperback edition.

2011 Retailers Choice Award winner!The first in an epic two-book saga by beloved author Francine Rivers, this sweeping story explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters over several generations. Near the turn of the 20th century, fiery Marta leaves Switzerland determined to find life on her own terms. Her journey takes her through Europe and finally lands her with children and husband in tow in the central valley of California. Marta's experiences convince her that only the strong survive. Hildie, Marta's oldest daughter, has a heart to serve others, and her calling as a nurse gives her independence, if not the respect of her mother. Amid the drama of WWII, Hildie marries and begins a family of her own. She wants her daughter never to doubt her love--but the challenges of life conspire against her vow. Each woman is forced to confront her faulty but well-meaning desire to help her daughter find her God-given place in the world.

While enjoying their vacation in Wyoming, Nancy, Bess, and George are plunged into a mystery when Rainbow, their lodge's pet tame wolf, suddenly disappears amidst controversy over the creation of a local wolf sanctuary.

Stories can be powerful. In 1719, Elizabeth Goose of Boston Massachusetts published a collection of rhyming spells as a children's book, creating a spellbook of terrifying power. The Librarian of that age managed to dispose of all copies of the book except one, which remained in the possession of Elizabeth Goose and her family, temporarily averting any potential disaster. However, strange things are happening, A window washer in San Diego who was blown off his elevated perch by a freak gust of wind, but miraculously survived by landing on a canopy over the building entrance. A woman in rural Pennsylvania who was attacked by mutant rodents without any eyes. And, a college professor in England who somehow found herself trapped inside a prize pumpkin at a local farmer’s market. Baird and her team of Librarians suspect that the magic of Mother Goose is again loose in the world, and with Flynn Carson AWOL once again, it is up to Cassandra, Ezekiel, and Stone to track down the missing spellbook before the true power of the rhymes can be unleashed.

Maddie, the main character of the story, is an only child. She lives on the farm with her two parents and feels alone as a result. She struggles to find peace and love, until Dad surprises her. Easter comes around and this is where a new beginning starts, but ends quickly too. Little does she know where her desperate need to be loved lies...The Pied Piper is known for his supernatural ability to catch rats. Of course. He’s a vampire. Rats, bats, wolves, and humans fall prey to his command. It’s a lucrative living until a payment dispute with a small-town German client in 1284 and his revenge--kidnapping the town’s children and turning them into vampires--escalated into a territorial battle with Count Dracula, forcing the Piper to flee Europe with a few of his children.Seven hundred years later in Manhattan, Jack follows in his father’s footsteps. It’s a good living: the number of rats in New York City is no joke. When the Piper’s girlfriend, an animal rights activist, threatens Jack’s business in a scheme to get the Piper out of pest control, the Piper and Jack fight for control. And Jack must decide what he’ll sacrifice for love.

For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices. To hold on… To let go. . To forget… To forgive… Which road will you take? For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows--her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. Jude does everything to keep her kids safe and on track for college. It has always been easy--until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them. . . . .

A late-night phone call on a Sunday evening rarely brings good news. So when Sylvie, a recently-widowed mother of two, receives a call from the head teacher of the school she's on the board of, she knows it won't be something she wants to hear.

Rosetta can do nothing as her son grows into a terrible, yet politically powerful person. Living in the faithless world her son creates, Rosetta struggles to love her son as only a mother could, with the principles of love, patience, and above all else, faith.A mother can only do so much to survive in a world without faith and hope, but what is a mother to do when the very person who created this horrible world, is her very own son? A Mother's Love follows the woman, Rosetta, as she watches her son grow into a cruel and powerful man. Blaming herself for her child’s horrid transformation, she continues to try and mother the monstrous man in her hope to change him. She strives to uphold her ideals of motherhood, knowing that if she is to ever see the light within her son’s eyes again, she must be a good mother. And of course she knows that a good mother must love, she must be patient, and above all else, she must have faith.

We return once more to the world where fairy tales are born just in time to watch it burn. This story is the climatic final showdown for Goldilocks as she meets the great creator, Mother Goose.In the months following her successful assassination of Papa Bear and his family, Goldilocks has been on an unstoppable rampage of destruction. Cutting a swath of carnage through the land, she gathers allies along the way in order to survive the final confrontation with the head of world as they know it - Mother Goose. Goldilocks isn't the only one who's had a makeover for this series. In the final half of this installment you'll also meet Cinderella, Alice, Snow White, and several other cameo appearances from your childhood and possibly your nightmares.

Orb plays magic in her harp, but seeks Llano, the song that controls Life. Natasha is handsome, charming, teaches her more spell tunes, but is he Satan? Her mother Niobe, Fate, warns of a prophecy she will marry Satan, and offers her the job of Nature. ~Author's Note 12-pg, bio 1-pg.

Four women – each desperately want something, but how far will they go before they realize that life is never exactly the way that one imagines?How does it feel to be treated like dirt beneath someone’s shoes? Or no matter how hard you push to get into someone’s good graces, you are continuously batted away as if you are an irritant pest? Ask Tara Lamont, hairstylist and fiancée to Wynton Lakatos – who struggles hard against the burgeoning attacks of Wynton’s mother, Doreen Lakatos. Doreen is no pushover. She might be the First Lady of Brandon View Baptist Church, but like most mothers she wants the best for her children. To Doreen, that means Tara is not good enough for Wynton, and that she will stop at nothing until she kicks Tara as far as she can -- out of Wynton’s life.Jasmine Benton – daughter of real estate tycoon, Karl Benton – knows what it’s like to be ‘listed’ in “Mother’s Black Book”. Her past connection with Wynton created bad blood between Doreen and Jasmine’s mother, which ultimately led to Jasmine being ‘deployed’ to a different city for twelve years. But something tragic occurs that brings Jasmine back to face her past. How will she fare under the ‘new’ rules of the game?Then finally, Marcia Gippings – the blind beauty, who met Doreen’s other son, Brian, on a dating website. Marcia is determined to make her heart’s desires a reality. Brian Lakatos – the man of her dreams – is a dashing gentleman, but when it comes to choosing a wife, Brian is extremely selective. Marcia is blind. Will he choose her, or not?Four women – each desperately want something, but how far will they go before they realize that life is never exactly the way that one imagines?

The last big budget exploration mission for NASA has gone wrong. The first of eight Seeker spacecraft sent to our nearest stars has come to life. What has happened? What if the newly sentient probe reaches its Mission Objective and finds life? Can humanity afford to make its first contact with an alien race though an ambassador they have created, but do not know?The last big budget exploration mission for NASA has gone wrong. Eight remote spacecraft were sent to our nearest stars. Seeker One was sent to Alpha Centauri and it has come to life. NASA engineers are desperate to find out what has happened, but with a 6 month communications gap, how can they react in time before Seeker One reaches its Mission Objective and finds life? Can humanity afford to make its first contact with an alien race though an ambassador they have created, but do not know?

As a child of the temple, Alandra's goal is simple: to please the Mothers who raised her. When sent on a mission, she knows she must obey without question, no matter who is to be punished or how. Until the face of a victim brings back memories she didn't know she'd lost, and changes everything.In a world where only those of noble birth are invited to join the elite Griffin Riders, orphan Neb is destined for a life of drudgery. His path changes when he steals the disobedient young griffin Balkind in an attempt to prove that you don't need noble blood to become a hero. Join "The Griffin's Boy" on the adventure of a lifetime as he encounters girls for the very first time, learns the meaning of friendship and battles evil forces for his very soul.

Susan's mother tells her that she was once a spy for MI6 during the cold war and that she believes her life is now in danger, as she has recognized a man lurking around in the village. Susan finds this hard to believe, but after she realizes just how scared her mother really is, she decides to do whatever it takes to keep her mother safe.When Susan's mother's secret life as a spy for MI6 during the cold war, spills over into Susan's life, she is unprepared for the devastating effect this has on their lives for many years to come. To begin with, her mother tells her that she suspects that her life is in danger. then she says she has seen an old enemy from the cold war lurking around in the village. she also says she thinks other men might be involved as well, due to the number of enemies she made during that time. Susan questions why they'd come after her mother so many years later, but her mother assures her that they are men who have huge grudges against her, for what she did during the cold war.her mother then places five encrypted emails on her laptop, and tells Susan that if she receives a certain sms from her, she must send off the emails immediately. But as Susan doubts if anything will come of this,she is surprised one morning to receive an sms giving her the 'send' instruction.after she has sent off the emails, she gets into her car and drives to her mothers house, but on the way there, she finds her mother sitting at a bus stop down the road from her house. when she asks her what she is doing there, she realizes her mother is in a terrible state and unable to talk about what has happened to her.Susan then drives up to the house and finds that the police are already there, while at the house, there are signs that a terrible battle took place.The police tell Susan they have discovered three bodies and that there is plenty of blood all over the place. they also say that MI6 will be taking over the case and that they will possibly have some answers for her. the police then try to persuade Susan to get her mother to talk to them, as they are convinced that she must have seen what happened, but they soon realize that her mother is not in a fit state of mind to give them a statement.When MI6 arrives, they tell Susan her mother was definitely involved, due to the manner in which she cleaned up after herself and by the measures she took to ensure that the local police did not suspect her involvement. They then go on to explain what her mother once did for her country and Susan is amazed that her kind, gentle mother, could ever have been such an incredibly brave spy.MI6 later takes them to a safe house, but after a time, Susan and her mother decide that they will be better off if they leave England and hide out elsewhere. they decide to make their way to a small Greek island, where they become absorbed into the local community.Susan later marries a local man called Jorge and they have two children that her mother dotes on. for the most part they are happy and they live pleasant carefree lives, but once in a while,Susan begins to feel edgy and starts to imagine seeing suspicious looking men lurking around in the village. At these times, she remains at home in hiding, until the feeling has passed. then one day when she has a conversation with her mother about her suspicions, she realizes that her mother still feels afraid that someone will come after her, even now..So on days when things do not seem quite right with their world, Susan stations herself on a rock far out in the ocean, where she fervently prays, as she watches the waves while they wash onto the pristine white shore. then only when all her fears for their safety have been washed away, does she return home to her family.

Rookie Cop Valorie Dawes must stop an imminent violent attack by an extremist group. Little does she know, the ruthless, cunning organizer of the attack is her own estranged mother. As part of a prostitution sting operation, rookie cop Val Dawes uncovers a national sex trafficking ring operating out of Clayton, one with ties to a violent shadowy right-wing splinter group. Her investigation reveals the group may be planning a violent attack in a matter of days. Just when the investigation heats up, her estranged mother, who left without a trace a decade before, suddenly reappears on the scene, with a nine-year-old brother Val never knew she had. Manipulative and cunning, her mother divides Val's attention and loyalties, seemingly intent on disrupting both Val's promising career and her rekindled relationship with her father. As Val the group's violent plans near, Val tries to safeguard her family, leading to shocking...

How do you evacuate a planet of Seventy Five Million beings, those who are of flesh and blood, as well as those that are cybernetic? That is the question “Every Last Mother’s Child” poses, when an asteroid field is disturbed, and threatens to destroy the planet of Trena.Every Last Mother’s Child is a far ranging novel, telling the story of a planetary disaster that is going to befall the planet of Trena. The cause of the disaster is the accidental detonation of an abandon planet buster bomb. The bomb was abandoned during a naval engagement between pirates and a Thonian battleship years before Trena was founded. The detonation created a small black hole that changed the orbits of many of the asteroids of the major asteroid field of the Trena Solar System so they would intersect with the planet of Trena in less than a year. The Trena Militia, the Thonian Realm’s Space Force, and the Imperial Armed Forces of Earth believing that detonating another graviton bomb could solve the problem, set a second one off. It didn’t. It made things worse. Because of this the Queen of Trena, a young woman, comes to a decision. She has to evacuate her world.Having made this decision, to evacuate, when she goes to consult with her Ministry of Emergency Management she finds the minister has resigned, and there is no plan to evacuate the planet of Trena. Still very much angry at the people she had trusted to help her people, she hears about a retired Imperial Marine who might have emigrated to Trena with his wife from Earth. The retired chief master gunnery sergeant is an expert in emergency management operations. He is suspected to be on Trena but no one is certain. When they find him, they find he has been on Trena and has been a member of the Trena Mounted Patrol as instructor at the patrol’s academy. He has been teaching emergency management, police tactics, and moral leadership to her police officers and others at the Trena Royal Mounted Patrol Academy. She reaches down past more senior officers and promotes him to Marshal of the Trena Royal Constabulary. She tasks him with getting every last mother’s child off Trena.

The Mother Hunt is the 18th novel by the Grandmaster of Mystery to be reissued in the Rex Stout Library. It's a matter of maternity that brings Lucy Valdon to the brownstone on West 35th, after a baby is left on her doorstep.

To summon an Angel of Hell… Ruxandra Dracula, a 250-year-old vampire, wants nothing to do with the fallen angel that created her. But when fellow vampire Kade tells her a group of magicians in Moscow is going to summon that angel, Ruxandra knows she must try to stop them. In Moscow, Ruxandra finds herself caught in a web of political and supernatural intrigue. Empress Anna of Russia wants the vampires to be her spies. Her secret police have magic that is nearly impossible to defeat. A cadre of Russian nobles wants them to kill the empress. And the Alchemist, the beautiful, whip-smart leader of the magicians, wants Ruxandra as more than just an experimental subject. As the magicians prepare to summon the fallen angel, Ruxandra must choose: will she kill them to keep the angel from coming, or face the angel and find out her purpose on the earth?

Lisa Blower celebrates her characters with stories that they wouldn't want told. She makes the bleak funny, in a voice reminiscent of Alan Bennett, and strikes a new chord in regional and working-class fiction.With a sharp eye and tough warmth, Lisa Blower brings to life the silent histories and harsh realities of those living on the margins. The matriarch dominates these award-winning stories in Lisa Blower's debut collection. From the wise, witty and outspoken Nan of 'Broken Crockery', who has lived and worked in Stoke-on-Trent for all of her 92 years, never owning a passport, to happy hooker Ruthie in 'The Land of Make Believe' or young mum Roxanne in 'The Cherry Tree', she appears in many shapes and forms, and always with a stoicism that is hard to break down.The title is a Potteries saying that means it's looking a bit bleak, a little like rain.

It's time to face her secret pastShe spends her days creating familiesBut is it time for her to make her own?Since giving her son up for adoption, Christine Elliott has devoted herself to helping others have families of their own at her fertility clinic. But when Jamison Howe, a widowed former patient at the clinic, reenters her life, she finds herself wondering if she is truly happy with the choices she made and the life she has...or if she should take a chance and reach out for more. USA TODAY Bestselling Author

Mother Water Ash, a wrenching new collection of poems by Nicole Cooley, explores the personal grief of a mother's sudden death alongside the environmental crises of the storms, fires, and floods that now dominate our world. Examining the landscapes of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, these poems ponder what it means to mourn in the face of ecological catastrophe, and traipse the terrains left by loss.

Sandrena has been chosen for an impossible task: to kill an ancient god bent on consuming the world. Armed only with a magical spear whose power she can't unlock and plagued by memories of a life she never lived, Sandrena must bind her companions together if any of them hope to survive. She must become Spear Mother.Sandrena of the Mist Clan has been chosen for an impossible task: to kill an ancient god bent on consuming the Fourth World. Failure leads to the destruction of mankind. Yet even success could end in true death for Sandrena and her five companions.Armed only with a magical spear whose power she can't unlock and plagued by memories of a life she never lived, Sandrena must bind her group together if any of them hope to survive.She must become Spear Mother.

The best-selling author of ANIMORPHS and EVERWORLD presents a fresh, exciting, and gritty new science-fiction series that combines a little 2001, a little Armageddon, and a whole lot of action!Job has found the Remnants' unbelievable virtual reality in the sky---could it be the Earth? With the defeat of the Babyr, Billy has secured his role as master-programmer and absorbed Mother in the process. If Jobs has really found the Earth, can Billy be convinced to alter the ship's course? Meanwhile, Yago puts his plan in motion to rule the Meanies as their god--what does this mean for the future safety of the Remnants? How will Yago's ambitions clash with Jobs' search for a new home for the Remnants? Courses will change for the ship, for the Remnants, and the future of humankind.While Jobs tries to convince the Remnants to investigate what might be part of Earth, Yago has a plan that could put everyone at risk.

"A phenomenal, human story. . . . I could not put this book down." —CLARA HUGHESA raw and affecting memoir about a mother and daughter who beat the odds together. Decades before Perdita Felicien became a World Champion hurdler running the biggest race of her life at the 2004 Olympics, she carried more than a nations hopes—she carried her mother Catherine's dreams. In 1974, Catherine is determined and tenacious, but she's also pregnant with her second child and just scraping by in St. Lucia. When she meets a wealthy white Canadian family vacationing on the island, she knows it's her chance. They ask her to come to Canada to be their nanny—and she accepts. This was the beginning of Catherine's new life: a life of opportunity, but also suffering. Within a few years, she would find herself pregnant a third time—this time in her new country with no family to support her, and this time, with Perdita. Together,...

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This Book which has 50 differently titled Poems , is actually volume 1 of the Book titled - The Womb ( 250 pages ) .A flurry of poetic concoctions dedicated to the ever-pervading woman and mother. Profoundly saluting her love, compassion and resolute grit as she evolves a diminutive infant into a powerhouse of talent, into a complete individual. The poems in the collection are humble salutations to the essence of Parenthood, to the unbelievable depths of sacrifice that a mother resorts whilst bringing up her child right since its inception in the womb. Each poem reveres the 'godly womb' as the source of all creation that has ever been. This book in itself is the most befitting tribute to the agonizing odysseys of parents as they nourish their children-and children as they grow up as the most powerful angels of God to stupefy all humanity with their inherent charm. A quintessential read for every parent or parent to be, it brings out the charm of creation since the very first breath. The verses within bountifully poeticize every unbridled mischief of a child with its beloved parents .

Gooney Bird Greene likes to be right smack in the middle of everything. That's why she wants to have the lead role of Squanto in her class Thanksgiving pageant. But that role will go to whoever finds someone to be the room mother. All the parents are so busy, no one can bring cupcakes to the play. Gooney Bird Greene to the rescue! She finds a room mother alright, but promises not to tell who it is until the day of the play. Now the kids are really busy getting ready for the show. But will the mystery room mother really show up?

A surprise wedding in France sets the table in the latest book in the ever-popular Lucy Stone mystery series set in Tinker's Cove, Maine. When Lucy Stone arrives at a sprawling French chateau with the whole family, it should be the trip of a lifetime—especially because she's about to watch her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, marry the handsome, successful man of her dreams. But while navigating the vast countryside estate owned by her impenetrably wealthy in-laws-to-be, the jet-lagged mother of the bride has a creeping feeling that Elizabeth's fairytale nuptials to Jean-Luc Schoen-Rene are destined to become a nightmare . . . Maternal instincts are validated the moment a body is pulled from a centuries-old moat on the property. A young woman has dropped dead under mysterious circumstances—possibly at the hands of someone at the chateau—and unflattering rumors about the Schoen-Rene line and their inner circle flow like champagne. Then...

A cat and mouse game of surveillance and psychological torment develops between a middleaged artist and her aging mother, as Vigdis Hjorth returns to the themes of her controverdsial modern classic, Will and Testament'To mother is to murder, or close enough', thinks Johanna, as she looks at the spelling of the two words in Norwegian. She's recently widowed and back in Oslo after a long absence as she prepares for a retrospective of her art.The subject of her work is motherhood and some of her more controversial paintings have brought aboiut a dramatic rift between parent and child. This new proximity, after decades of acrimonius absence, set both women on edge, and before too long Johanna finds her mother stalking her thoughts, and Johanna starts stalking her mother's house.

Based on the shocking Beslan school siege in 2004, this is a brave and necessary story about grief, resilience, and finding your voice in the aftermath of tragedy. On the day she brings her sweet little sister, Nika, to school for the first time, eighteen-year-old Darya has already been taking care of her family for years. But a joyous September morning shifts in an instant when Darya's rural Russian town is attacked by terrorists. While Darya manages to escape, Nika is one of hundreds of children taken hostage in the school in what stretches to a three-day siege and ends in violence. In the confusion and horror that follow, Darya and her family frantically scour hospitals and survivor lists in hopes that Nika has somehow survived. And as journalists and foreign aid workers descend on her small town, Darya is caught in the grip of grief and trauma, trying to recover her life and wondering if there is any hope for her future. From acclaimed author Julie Mayhew...

Shortlisted for the Whitbread prize, MOTHER LONDON is a dazzling journey through the heart of a city that the author loved. Spanning generations of characters across a variety of boroughs from the Blitz to the mid-eighties, this is a book about the real London that tourists will never find, a London which is being erased by the spread of high-rise flats and shining skyscrapers. Following a group of released mental patients across the years and streets of London, Moorcock creates a vivid impressionistic portrait of the city, from its downtrodden pubs to its green parks. All of the lead characters hear voices – but are they the murmurings of their damaged minds, or the true voice of the city?

An ancient race and a prophecy foretells of four dark princes, the sons of the dark mother, who will rise up with a nation of old vamps to stop the rogue factions from ruling over mankind. Justice is the first in that prophecy, from the ancient Jaguar People. He is the Prince of Fire. Jess is one of the three sisters of the Jaguar witches who must help him to stop these factions of rogue vamps.An ancient race and a prophecy foretells of four dark princes, the sons of the dark mother, who will rise up with a nation of old vamps to stop the rogue factions from ruling over mankind. Justice is the first in that prophecy, from the ancient Jaguar People. He is the Prince of Fire. Jess is one of the three sisters of the Jaguar witches who must help him to stop these factions of rogue vamps--or none of their lives will ever be the same.

From Matthew Dicks, the beloved author of Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, comes The Other Mother, a novel about a teenage boy coping with the rupture of his family by viewing his mother in an unusual light. The one he loves most, is the one he knows least.Thirteen-year-old Michael Parsons is dealing with a lot. His father's sudden death; his mother's new husband, Glen, who he loathes; his two younger siblings, who he looks after more and more now that his mother works extra shifts.And then one day, Michael wakes up and his mother is gone. In her place is an exact, duplicate mother. The 'other mother'. No one else seems to notice the real version is missing. His brother, his sister, and even Glen act as if everything's normal. But Michael knows in his heart that this mother is not his. And he begins to panic.What follows is a big-hearted coming-of-age story of a boy struggling with an unusual disorder that...

An orphan boy has terrible nightmares, dreams that only his screams wake him from. So when his orphanage go on a field trip, why is his destination so familiar?There is a dark chamber in the mind of every person where their deepest secrets are hidden away from friends, neighbors, and even themselves.For some individuals the door to this secluded room is slammed shut and locked tight by the conscious mind – never to be revisited.For others the gateway never fully closes and the horrors revisit them with increasing frequency until they take a rope, a knife, a gun, or perhaps too many pills in a fatal attempt to seal the portal.The tale that follows is of a man whose dark compartment of unforgiveable sins is firmly locked – even to himself.

I'm greeted by the strangest sight. A small dark-haired boy is standing there. It's like he's a human parcel, delivered to my front door.'My name is Luke,' he says.When Johnny meets Lauren in a bar in Santa Cruz, there's an instant connection. On an American road trip with best friend Will, Johnny promises to return to the girl who has stolen his heart.Until tragedy strikes, forcing Johnny to fly back home without ever seeing Lauren again.Six years later, Johnny is living his life in London, even if he's never forgotten the girl with the grey eyes and dark hair.Until one September morning, he opens his door to find a little boy standing there – a child, Johnny quickly comes to learn, who was created that one magical night. Lauren is dying, and her last wish is to reunite five-year-old Luke with the father he doesn't yet know.Thrown into unexpected parenthood, Johnny finds himself navigating...

A thirty-five-year-old writer decides she wants to have children. Rounds of IVF treatments and several years later, she has two daughters and sits down to write this book. World's Best Mother is a sublime journey—through pregnancy, the mothering of small children, marriage, an affair—which unfolds in a heady mix of anecdote, imagination, and social commentary. Clever and insightful, the narrator examines the myth, but also the scam, of motherhood, openly dialoguing with voices of the past that in one way or another have fueled her condition as a woman: from the legendary hominid Lucy—"the mother of humanity"—to Cinderella, passing through Plato, Mother Teresa, Darwin, Maupassant, and Simone de Beauvoir along the way. Humor, love, and horror converge in this lively auto-fictional battle between the intensity of child rearing and the writer trying to fight her way out.

It's tough enough for L.A. landscape designer Nate Cronin when his professor father, Jim, who raised him alone since birth, dies, leaving Nate an orphan at thirty years old. But when the provocative and mysterious Amy enters Nate's life soon after, it sends him on a devastating journey to unravel the truth about his past, the veracity of Amy's claims, and the history of the father he adored. At the same time, Nate must come to terms with his commitment to his longtime girlfriend, Jennifer, a dance instructor whose patience with the resistant Nate frays as she attempts to help him navigate the psychological minefield set off by Amy's arrival.The Mother I Never Had asks readers to consider what they would do if they found themselves faced with a parent they never knew existed-and if they could accept the secrets and lies that kept her away for a lifetime.

Average suburban mom Sarah is suddenly rocketed into the glitzy world of film when her daughter Emma becomes an actress. The strangest part is seeing gorgeous, glamorous Katie Days pretend to be Emma's mother. Sarah is a normal person and Katie is a celebrity, yet they find common ground in the little girl. Could Emma's fake mom become her other mother?

When you're pregnant you think: 'I'm having a baby', not a person who will eventually catch trains by themselves, share a fridge with ten strangers, go to a festival in Croatia without succumbing to a drug overdose, and one day, bring you a gin and tonic when your mother is dying. We imagine the teenage years as a sort of domestic meteor strike, when our dear, sweet child, hitherto so trusting and mild, is suddenly replaced by a sarcastic know-all who isn't interested in the wisdom we have to pass on. But with great honesty and refreshingly bracing wit, Stephanie Calman shows that adolescence in fact begins much earlier, around the age of seven. And having nurtured them through every stage of development, from walking to school by themselves to their first all-night party, you find yourself alone – bereaved even – as they skip off to university without a second glance. Candid, touching and very, very funny, Confessions of a Bad Mother: The...

The Mother-Daughter Book Club goes to summer camp in this seventh and final installment of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series! After so many summers together, Emma, Jess, Megan, Becca, and Cassidy are reunited for one final hurrah before they go their separate ways. The plan is to spend their summer as counselors at Camp Lovejoy in a scenic, remote corner of New Hampshire, but things get off to a rocky start when their young charges are stricken with a severe case of homesickness. Luckily, the girls have the perfect cure in mind…

Francesca is eight months pregnant when her husband's death in Vietnam makes her a widow at age 21. With no one else to turn to, she remembers her husband's often-repeated promise, "You'll like my mother." Although her mother-in-law, Mrs. Kinsolving, has not answered her telegram or letters, a desperate Francesca sets off to her home in Ohio, hoping the woman will take her in.When she arrives at the huge, dark, ivy-covered mansion, she feels a twinge of fear, a foreboding that is only increased by the ominous presence of the tall, ivory-haired woman who answers the door. Her eyes are pale gray, almost colorless, her greeting is cold and unfriendly. And when Francesca steps inside, little does she know the terror that awaits her within . . .Naomi A. Hintze's first novel You'll Like My Mother (1969) was a critical success and a finalist for the Edgar Award and was also filmed for a cult classic 1972 movie version starring Patty Duke. This reprint, the first in...

A story of the lives of three women, tightly woven together and surviving the harsh societal environment of an Appalachian mining town in the early to mid-1900s. Two religions contrast with each other—the Cherokee spirits of the native people and the Old Testament God of the white settlers—as each woman struggles to find her place. Love and hate, marriage and adultery, childbirth and abortion, all have their parts to play. Beloved Mother accurately portrays the evilness in humanity, in which the wicked corrupt the innocent to create a vicious cycle of abuse, until one person—with a heart of understanding and forgiveness—has the courage to end it."Laura Hunter has poured her heart and soul into the pages of Beloved Mother. Her talent and her passion are present in every scene, every chapter, every image, every line. There's magic in this book!"— Michael Knight, author of Eveningland (2017 Okra Pick)"Beloved Mother is an adventure...

A sensuous, textured novel of life in a refugee camp, long-listed for the Orwell Prize for Political FictionOn a hill overlooking a refugee camp in Sudan, a young man strings up bedsheets that, in an act of imaginative resilience, will serve as a screen in his silent cinema. From the cinema he can see all the comings and goings in the camp, especially those of two new arrivals: a girl named Saba, and her mute brother, Hagos.For these siblings, adapting to life in the camp is not easy. Saba mourns the future she lost when she was forced to abandon school, while Hagos, scorned for his inability to speak, must live vicariously through his sister. Both resist societal expectations by seeking to redefine love, sex, and gender roles in their lives, and when a businessman opens a shop and befriends Hagos, they cast off those pressures and make an unconventional choice.With this cast of complex, beautifully drawn characters, Sulaiman Addonia details the textures and...

A gorgeous, critically acclaimed debut novel about a young woman coming of age with a dazzling yet damaged mother who lived and loved in extremes. A prizewinning tour de force when it was published in France, Violaine Huisman's remarkable debut novel is about a daughter's inextinguishable love for her magnetic, mercurial mother. Beautiful and charismatic, Catherine, a.k.a. "Maman," smokes too much, drives too fast, laughs too hard, and loves too extravagantly. During a joyful and chaotic childhood in Paris, her daughter Violaine wouldn't have it any other way. But when Maman is hospitalized after a third divorce and a breakdown, everything changes. Even as Violaine and her sister long for their mother's return, once she's back Maman's violent mood swings and flagrant disregard for personal boundaries soon turn their home into an emotional landmine. As the story of Catherine's own traumatic childhood and adolescence unfolds, the pieces come together to form an...

When star of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Potomac Dr. Wendy Osefo was growing up, her mother was her everything. But when she became a mother herself, everything changed. In this powerful memoir, Wendy explores how her Nigerian upbringing has affected her life, her success, and her role as a parent.Wendy Osefo's mother, Iyom Susan Okuzu, arrived in the United States from Nigeria with two things: a single suitcase and the fierce determination to make a better life for herself and her future family. And she succeeded: starting out working in a fast-food restaurant and ultimately becoming the director of nursing at a major metropolitan hospital. While Susan may have taken pride in triumphing over every financial and emotional challenge, in Nigerian culture, a parent is only as successful as his or her children. And so her daughter, with gratitude and appreciation for her mother's sacrifices, worked hard to meet every demand Susan made...