Susan Alexander Yates is an author who has truly "been there." When her twin daughters were born, they joined siblings ages two, four, and seven. Through the challenges of raising those five young children, Susan realized the need for an honest, practical book that helps parents through that time of life. This new edition of the best-selling And Then I Had Kids contains guidance for dealing with common struggles such as discipline, priorities, and fatigue. Susan is honest about the frustrations of parenting, yet encourages parents through her own experiences. She offers a biblical perspective on family life, inspiring mothers (and fathers!) to create a loving atmosphere, find good role models, and shape a Christian home.

The bestselling author of And Then I Had Kids offers encouragement and guidance to parents of teens and preteens. Drawing from her experiences raising five teenagers, she offers parents a unique blend of insight, compassion, and advice. Yates empathizes with parents and, at the same time, helps them consider their teenagers' perspectives and needs.

queer [adj]: 1 differing from what is usual or ordinary; odd; singular; strange 2 slightly ill; 3 mentally unbalanced 4 counterfeit; not genuine 5 homosexual: in general usage, still chiefly a slang term of contempt or derision, but lately used by some as a descriptive term without negative connotations --Webster's Dictionary queer [adj]: used to describe a 1 body of theory 2 field of critical inquiry 3 way of proudly identifying a group of people 4 way of seeing the world 5 sense of difference from the norm -- David Shneer and Caryn Aviv, Queer in America, Now and Then Contrasting queer life today and in years past, this landmark book brings together autobiographies, poetry, film studies, maps, documents, laws, and other texts to explore the meaning and practice of the word queer. By this Shneer and Aviv mean: queer as both a form of social violence and a call to political activism; queer as played by Robin Williams and Sharon Stone and as lived by Matthew Shepard and Brandon Teena; queer in the courthouses of Washington D.C. and on the streets of hometown America. Contextualizing these contemporary stories with ones from the past, and understanding them through the analytic tools of feminist social criticism and history, the authors show what it means to be queer in America.

I was the youngest manager in the companies history. The company I worked for was the number one convenience store in the state. I was on the fast track to working a job that I liked for the rest of my life. I was extremely good at what I did and was respected not only by my peers but by my customers. Did you ever have something taken away from you that you really liked? Well I did. Along with the success I was enjoying came the status symbols I used to impress other people, like the new sports car I bought and all the accessories I had put on it, or the second sports car I had that was a classic, to drive when I wished. Did you ever have something taken away from you that you really liked? Well I did. Did you ever have all this bitterness built up inside of you, not wanting to let go of it and move on with your life? Did you ever want to give up and act like you are alone? Well I did. I went beyond these obstacles and many others to get to where I am today and I’m going to tell you how I did it and maybe you will be able to overcome the obstacles that you are confronted with, whatever they may be, if you read this book.

Through the stories of kids and parents in the middle school trenches, a New York Times bestselling author reveals why these years are so painful, how parents unwittingly make them worse, and what we all need to do to grow up. “As the parent of a middle schooler, I felt as if Judith Warner had peered into my life—and the lives of many of my patients. This is a gift to our kids and their future selves.”—Lori Gottlieb, author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone The French have a name for the uniquely hellish years between elementary school and high school: l’âge ingrat, or “the ugly age.” Characterized by a perfect storm of developmental changes—physical, psychological, and social—the middle school years are a time of great distress for children and parents alike, marked by hurt, isolation, exclusion, competition, anxiety, and often outright cruelty. Some of this is inevitable; there are intrinsic challenges to early adolescence. But these years are harder than they need to be, and Judith Warner believes that adults are complicit. With deep insight and compassion, Warner walks us through a new understanding of the role that middle school plays in all our lives. She argues that today’s helicopter parents are overly concerned with status and achievement—in some ways a residual effect of their own middle school experiences—and that this worsens the self-consciousness, self-absorption, and social “sorting” so typical of early adolescence. Tracing a century of research on middle childhood and bringing together the voices of social scientists, psychologists, educators, and parents, Warner’s book shows how adults can be moral role models for children, making them more empathetic, caring, and resilient. She encourages us to start treating middle schoolers as the complex people they are, holding them to high standards of kindness, and helping them see one another as more than “jocks and mean girls, nerds and sluts.” Part cultural critique and part call to action, this essential book unpacks one of life’s most formative periods and shows how we can help our children not only survive it but thrive.

Parenting Is Hard and Then You Die provides a biblical and comprehensive strategy for raising healthy kids in a world that is morally bankrupt, spiritually desolate, and increasingly dangerous. That strategy is clear and specific, rooted in the Bible, proved successful, and communicated in a fun, entertaining way. Dr. David Clarke has written many books on family. This book stands out for all of the following: Extremely practical Clarke’s trademark humor Gives good attention to the teen years Strategies tested in his own home and by counseling clients

At the age of thirty-three, Bill Mason is a popular fishing guide in Key West. Though successful, his journey had not been easy. He was orphaned at the age of eight; at fourteen he was a runaway, making his own way in the world. In Key West he found his calling on the fishing boats. He also found a lovehis wife, Beth. Edgar Stanky has just retired. Reflecting on his forty-year career in business, he wonders if he has always lived the right life for him. Intent on making the most of retirement, Edgar and his wife Ariel, move to Key West where they find an exciting new lifeand, where they form a friendship with Bill and Beth Mason. Suddenly, Bill is stricken with lymphoma. Confronted by his mortality he searches for something to believe in as he battles the disease. His struggle takes a bizarre turn when he experiences otherworldly visionsperhaps indicators of a higher level of consciousness. He becomes almost manic in his compulsion to share the mystical nature of his passing with Edgar.

Welcome to Fortune’s Island, where the only rule is to follow your heart. Love is an extravagance Darcy Williams can’t afford. She prefers the simple life, which includes waitressing at The Love Shack and avoiding temptation. But when a forbidden part of her past steps off the ferry, her safe, guarded existence is turned upside down. Kincaid Foster has never gotten over his first love. When he sees the wild, beautiful blonde again, dancing her way around The Love Shack, the memories of Darcy’s soft skin, gentle touch, and heated kisses come rushing back. As the privileged son of a wealthy family, Kincaid was too young to stand up to his overbearing father when he and Darcy were together. Now, he’s back on the island—free of the family shackles—and the chiseled, big-time lawyer wants a second chance. But, Darcy made a promise to keep a secret from Kincaid—a secret that is now a six-year-old girl who looks just like her daddy. If Kincaid finds out about their daughter, Darcy could lose everything. But, she can’t resist the man who stole her heart all those years ago. And it doesn’t take long before both of them realize that anything can happen on a hot summer night.