Rayn's heartbeat may literally kill him. When an ethereal energy sprite kidnaps Rayn, drags him through space, and dumps him in a nuclear wasteland, Rayn's not exactly happy about leaving the warm, living city-organism he calls home. The wasteland's crawling with armed brutes enforcing order for 'the Prince'--and waifs who talk in riddles about an Invader they hope dethrones him. Quite frankly, Rayn thinks they're all creeps. Then there's Nina: a bad-ass in black leather with a head for philosophy, and best of all, she's politically neutral. Rayn's infatuated. But when he discovers the Prince is using their heartbeats to fuel a war machine, Rayn chooses sides. Nina refuses to join him--but if he follows his heart for her, he may lose his heart altogether. At least this means Rayn doesn't have to go in for work on Monday. Buy now for a 2-hour audiobook mini bonus linked inside! OR: Buy 4 or more PAPERBACKS in bulk for an exclusive launch deal! Forward your receipt to heartbeatinthehallways@gmail.com to get $70 MORE bonuses: - 5 hours of heart-themed relaxation audio and ASMR - A bonus video experience and mp3 set in the same universe - The audiobook-mini narrated by the author - The entire BECOMING HERO digital library (cookbook, dating guide, BECOMING HERO with and without comics, THE GUARDIAN ANTHOLOGY, Valentine's illustrations, and more) Pick up 4 or more paperbacks as gifts to claim your bonuses now--before these digital collections disappear.

When demons rise, the captives of Castle Vaduva will fall amongst the rubble… For months, Mihail Vaduva has been battling the ghosts of his ancestral home to uncover the truth behind his family history. Every answer he’s encountered has left him reeling with deep wounds on his soul. But that pain has propelled him forward and he’s determined to know the truth, even if it destroys him. With the help of Abe, Mihail peels back the layers of mystery and madness surrounding these sinister secrets. Each discovery makes him question his identity, his family, and everything he’s ever known. When he uncovers the final piece of the puzzle, Mihail’s life will never be the same. As the war between his grandmother and the demonic forces rages on, Mihail finds himself trapped on the battlefield as his life rips apart at the seams. He’s about to discover that there are things worse than death. As darkness closes in, he must make one last desperate attempt for freedom, or remain a captive of Castle Vaduva…forever.

David Hartlet is a troubled man. His demons are many and his option few. His only hope appears to lie in the care of the skeptical Dr. Schraeder. Schraeder, a scientist and psychologist with a lengthy history of caring for the mentally ill, believed David to be making more of his troubles than are actually there. What Dr. Schraeder, and even David himself, cannot know is that David’s troubles are far beyond his own scope. Many years before David’s visit to St. Marguerite’s Hospital, tragedy struck and left a mark upon the hospital that no amount of time could heal. That mark, deep and scarred over, was ripped open again by David’s own tormented heart. David and the rest of the denizens of St. Marguerite’s have found themselves face to face with the ugly spirit of the hospital, alive and aching for a revenge it believes it is owed. Can David and Dr. Schraeder find a way to stop the spirit? Or will they be forced to relive the dark secret of St. Marguerite’s firsthand?

The Earth lies in ruins in the aftermath of an invasion, the land devastated by an intergalactic war where neither side won. The seas are drying up while the atmosphere corrodes and slowly cooks all remaining life on the now desolate rock. Few survivors remain, but one of them is Lucas, an ordinary man hardened by the last few years after the world's end. He's fought off bandits, murderers, and stranded creatures on his long trek across the country in search of his family. What he finds instead is hope, something thought lost in the world. There's a ship buried in a crater wall. One of theirs. One that works. To fly it, Lucas must join forces with a traitorous alien scientist and a captured, merciless raider named Asha. Their perilous journey fighting savage men and creatures alike takes them across the remains of the planet and far out into the stars to...where exactly? Lucas has to live long enough to find out.

Dr. Albert Snowden and his niece, Emily, are back on Earth after six months of traveling through space, time, and beyond with Evaran, the mysterious stranger who rescued them from an alien abduction. They were expecting to get some peace and quiet after the hectic nature of some of their previous adventures. However, things get complicated when Evaran’s ship, the Torvatta, is stolen. To make matters worse, Dr. Snowden has to deal with the near-death experience from a recent event. He and Emily must also adjust to the new side effects of their nanobots, which were enhanced prior to going back to Earth. As they look for the Torvatta, they must also deal with a rogue faction of the Helians, the group that represents Earth from a galactic perspective. Evaran will call upon old and new friends within the nonhuman world to deal with the defected Helian sect. What they find drags Evaran and his new allies deeper into a global event that has timeline implications.

The body of a young man is found in a graveyard the night after a wild, drug-fuelled party. At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be anything sinister about his death, despite the shock of Detective Inspector Mark Olbeck realising that he once knew him. Detective Sergeant Kate Redman has other things to worry about, not least her ongoing affair with her superior officer Chief Inspector Anderton. But when a second body is found in suspiciously similar circumstances, Kate, Olbeck and the rest of the Abbeyford police team realise they are up against a devious killer who will stop at nothing to indulge a literal thirst for blood…

A reference for pre-service and inservice classroom teachers who want to develop and maintain literacy skills and abilities of their students as well as establish and maintain classroom climates that promote and nurture literacy.

Labor and delivery nurse Penelope is an expert at her job but a complete mess when it comes to her personal life. After her boyfriend dumps her in favor of saving his marriage, Penelope discovers she’s pregnant. Now Penelope must face motherhood, her greatest fear, as a single parent or consider the alternative. Jesenia, a first-generation American, made her mark as a model then quit the business in favor of a nine-to-five and wedded bliss. After three years of fertility treatments and pressure from her family, she feels that trying to become a mother is a full-time job. But when her past mistakes threaten her chances, Nia will have to confront her youthful choices and over-involved family’s opinions on bloodlines if she wants to become a mother. If choosing a homebirth and nursing a toddler don’t make Lotus unconventional, growing up in a commune and choosing a polyamorous marriage certainly do. After her grandfather’s unexpected death and the inheritance of his Victorian home, Lotus just wants to run her business, take care of her family, and live in her version of normal. That peace is threatened by her husband’s former lover, the end of his sobriety, and a new love interest, all of which will turn her world upside down. Words We Cannot Say is told through three diverse voices as the women navigate friendship, motherhood, pregnancy, and loss. What happens when women tell the truth about themselves, their desires, and the sacrifices they’re willing—or unwilling—to make?

This true-to-life journal encompasses two years in the authors early nursing career spent working side-by-side with physicians-in-training as part of their residency program in Womens Health. The setting is a high-risk obstetrics unit at a large metropolitan hospital serving the citys poor and immigrant women and their infants. Doctors and nurses are described responding to an array of emergencies and a crushing workload in this labor-intensive setting. The medical situations are eye openersthe interpersonal dynamics even more so. There are plenty of ethical dilemmas to traverse for the staff, and a measure of humor to leaven the stark circumstances. The work also describes the personal journey of the author as she morphs from a shy and insecure new nurse to a strong and assertive person able to act on behalf of patients who are in a highly vulnerable position.