The Taking of the M.V. Acamar

In 1964, Andrew Morrison joined a crew sent to Greece to retrieve the latest addition to his father’s shipping company, the motor vessel Acamar.

While transiting the Gulf of Aden, the ship was hijacked by attackers seeking to recover weapons hidden in one of the cargo holds. The entire crew was murdered, except for Morrison, who managed to escape on a liferaft, hoping to drift towards his island home thousands of miles away in the Indian Ocean.

Will a miracle save his life once again, or will fate decide otherwise?

52 Seconds

For a kid who’s afraid of heights, the idea of going up Niagara Falls’ tallest tower feels impossible. But with his dad’s guidance and a few brave steps, Champion learns that sometimes, courage starts with a single goal.

When his family plans dinner at the top of the Skylon Tower, Champion feels the familiar knot of fear. With knees wobbling and heart racing, he’s ready to give up. Then Dad suggests a simple plan: make a list of tiny goals to tackle one by one. Champion eventually confronts his biggest fear, a 52-second ride up the 800-foot elevator to reach the top of the tower.

52 Seconds is a tale about overcoming the fear of heights, showing young readers that courage isn’t about never being scared—it’s about taking each step one brave second at a time and finding joy in what’s waiting at the top.

Hannah Backwards

Seven-year-old Hannah Daniels has a puzzling problem. Will she figure it out in time to make it to school, or is she in for the worst day ever?Join Hannah on this exciting and amusing adventure as she navigates an unexpected challenge and discovers a valuable lesson along the way.

Un Crimen que solo el Cielo Puede Perdonar

Una rica empresaria de la industria farmacéutica aparece envenenada en el dormitorio
de su casa de Madrid, donde vive con sus cuatro hijos y su yerno. Todos ellos han
podido cometer el crimen. La investigación se cierra en torno a estos personajes con
un profundo retrato psicológico de la naturaleza de cada uno de ellos. La imagen
despiadada que transmiten de su madre los tres hijos pequeños, que va aflorando en
los sucesivos interrogatorios a los que son sometidos, contrasta con la estampa
afectuosa que presenta de ella la hija mayor, en un diario que escribe paralelamente al
desarrollo de la investigación. A la vez que se van desenterrando emociones familiares
ocultas, el policía encargado del caso va descubriendo hechos insólitos sobre cada
uno de los hijos, que hace pasar las sospechas de uno a otro. Una novela psicológica,
al más puro estilo de Agatha Christie, con una trama adictiva y un giro final
inesperado.

Never Been Kissed

What do you do when all you have is your work to keep you going?

Christina Bell is a professional therapist with no social life to speak of. Her only vice is drinking. Her bartender is her closest friend. Her mother is the only one who ever calls. Christina has never thought of herself as lonely – maybe a workaholic, but never lonely. Still, something feels missing, and she can’t quite figure out what it is.

When two men suddenly enter her life and express interest in her, she’s caught off guard. She doesn’t want to be alone, but she’s also afraid of losing the routine and identity she has built around her work.

This is a story of self-discovery, of learning to listen to the heart and finding strength where she least expects it. Christina must face her fears, test her limits, and decide what kind of love – if any – she is willing to fight for.

Is it true that love comes and goes? Or is it something that stays with us, even when the person doesn’t? Because no matter how deeply you love someone, it doesn’t always make them stay.

Life moves on, with or without a happily ever after. So, in the meantime, let’s just enjoy the ride. Who knows, maybe something good will come of it.

From Lady Ralston's Kitchen

Lady Carolyne Lederer-Ralston is a creative cook by nature. She rarely uses cookbooks, preferring to develop her own original, no-waste recipes inspired by diverse sources and cultures, particularly European foodstuffs. Documenting her process with meticulous handwritten notes, some dating back decades, she recreates dishes later in her ‘spirit-filled kitchen’. She keeps copious handwritten notes while she cooks so she can return to the notes promptly to recreate the recipe in proper printed form. Some of her original recipes go back to the 1970s, long before “Gourmet” became the buzzword it is today.

A natural multi-tasker, she balanced a demanding full-time career with preparing full homemade meals daily. Planning and organization (mise en place) are vital to her approach, as is a well-stocked pantry. She includes practical hints within her recipes, and readers often say they feel she’s right there with them in the kitchen – a compliment Lady Ralston cherishes.

Challenge Alzheimer

Therese Truninger (1948) worked as an Activating Therapist in an old people’s home when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in December 2004, at the age of 56. Her husband Kaspar (1945) worked as a sales director for an international company. They got married in 1970 and have two adult daughters and six grandchildren.

In August 2005 Kaspar had to quit his job and started to take care of his love as a caring-husband at their long-time home apartment in Augst, Switzerland. He became a house man and took this new challenge as his own responsibility. In December 2010, the Memory Clinic in Basel, Switzerland concluded that home care for Mrs. Truninger was ‘just about tolerable/possible’.

In view of possible alternatives, the couple had already travelled several times to Thailand for longer periods of time and they had consistently had good experiences with the friendly people (the Land of Smiles) and the moderate cost of living. In January 2011, they emigrated from their home country Switzerland to Thailand.

With the help of a competent housekeeper and a most caring caregiver for Therese, they can still live on their own in their private environment.

Mackenzie's Deer Trouble!

Where are displaced animals supposed to live? Because their natural habitats are disappearing, they are sharing our yards and parks more every day.

For the last several years, we have encountered wild animals in our yard on almost a daily basis. That made it necessary to learn how to interact with these animals. We have had individual deer, does with fawns, and little groups of five or six deer in our yard looking for food and water. They come all year long, no matter the season.

The deer are adorable, look harmless, and do not seem to fear humans. You can take photographs of them and enjoy watching their little ones at play. They seem to tolerate our presence if we do not get too close to them or try to touch them.

But, for the safety of our children, they need to understand the difference between a wild animal and a pet.

Mama—My Favorite Person in the Whole World—Has Something Called Dementia

Sometimes the people we love most in life, change in ways we don’t understand.

Are they feeling anxious or worried? Or really sleepy? Maybe they are forgetting things that they used to remember. Are they feeling confused? Are they unable to do the things that they used to do? This can be very upsetting. You may be feeling sad and don’t know how to help. But you can. Your loved one needs and loves you. Spend time with them. No one likes to be alone. Eat snacks with them. Be kind and loving. Sing their favorite songs with them. Hold their hand. Listen and be patient. Tell them you love them. Learn to comfort them. Tell them a funny story, and make them laugh! That really helps. Laughter makes everyone feel better. Don’t forget to give them a big hug! Give yourself a hug too. Ask for help and support when you need it. Be kind to yourself. Be grateful for the magic moments with your loved one. They do happen.

Meet Leon and Maggie Cobb

Most of us, as children, perceive our parents as perfect. Ah, the confusing age of innocence! Do you remember, as a child, thinking of your parents as though they were born as adults – parents, fully formed – and never considering that they, too, were once children? Now, as the shoe is on the other foot, how often do we reflect on our lives from childhood to adulthood? Can you recall the mistakes you made as you grew up, collecting them as “life’s lessons,” shaped by experiences that molded and defined who you are today? Some of those experiences may have been painful, even traumatic.

But such is life’s grand design. In hindsight, our parents – just as we – never were, aren’t, and never will be perfect, nor should we set such unrealistic expectations for ourselves. It is more than enough to be kind and loving. After all, no one escapes life’s moral challenges, whether they lead to good or bad outcomes. ‘Perfect’ – a word so overrated!

Now, as you reflect on your own life, you may find yourself wondering what unspeakable deeds your parents may have hidden, and who they truly are. For many, it may be too late to ask; for others, it may be fear or respect that keeps those questions unasked.

Meet Leon and Maggie Cobb in this tell-all story!

More than All the Magic in Manhattan

Continuing the imaginative series with More Than All the Magic in Manhattan, Stacey Dixon Phelan wants to again provide families an opportunity to create their own expressions of love to cherish and share for years to come. With the same playful and colorful illustrations, this book will capture any child’s curiosity.

‘I love you more than all the seagulls in Santa Monica’ and ‘I love you more than all the colors in Key West’ will provide families with a chance to explore the United States and teach children about the characteristics of American geography and culture.

Keep playing the game!

Do You Know, I Love You So?

Do You Know, I Love You So? is a quick book about all the little things we do as a parent that let our children know that we love them. It’s in the small seemingly unimportant tasks we accomplish that show this love: doing the laundry, brushing the teeth and just being silly that let our children know we love them every day. Enjoy this simple story and share the love you have for your child with them each and every day.