Benjie can stop using heroin anytime he wants to. He just doesn't want to yet. Why would he want to give up something that makes him feel so good, so relaxed, so tuned-out? As Benjie sees it, there's nothing much to tune in for. School is a waste of time, and home life isn't much better. All Benjie wants is for someone to believe in him, for someone to believe that he's more than a thirteen-year-old junkie. Told from the perspectives of the people in his life-including his mother, stepfather, teachers, drug dealer, and best friend-this powerful story will draw you into Benjie's troubled world and force you to confront the uncertainty of his future.

Do you like thrilling short stories that will keep you in suspense? From the horrifying supernatural to the murderously domestic to the chilling dystopian, the Aftertaste collection has you covered! “Smart, original, and brilliantly creepy.” ~Bestselling Author Kristen Mae IN MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH, THERE ARE NO SECOND CHANCES. Along the fault, a spa day becomes a claustrophobic nightmare for five sisters. The perfect afternoon turns bloody for one suburban neighborhood. A husband’s journey through a frozen hellscape tests every inch of his resolve. One man’s life changes course after discovering an animal in the swamp—one different from all others. And each diabolical tale is as twisted and hypnotic as you’ve come to expect from Meghan O’Flynn. This “gripping and thought-provoking collection” (Bestselling Author Wendy Heard) includes: “Salt in an Open Wound” “Perfect” “Banjo” “Crimson Snow” *** KEYWORDS: suspense short stories, mystery short stories, horror short stories, dystopian thriller short story, female protagonist, amateur sleuths, whodunnit mystery, whodunit thriller, psychological suspense, suspense fiction, suspense short, nail biting fiction short, nail biter mystery, vigilante justice, edge of your seat suspense, dark, revenge, vengeance, murder, noir, noir thriller, crime, gritty, psychological thrillers, gritty mysteries, mystery books, psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, psychological thriller books, whodunit, whodunnit, nail-biter, suspense fiction, family drama short story, thrilling short stories, edge of your seat, scary short, dystopian, post apocalyptic short, end of the world shorts, dark short story

"A collection of hundreds of endearing, truthful, and amusing homespun adages and turns of phrases, and dozens of countrified jokes that will appeal to anyone who wants a change of pace in our pop culture--infused life. These down-home truths and insights lighten the mood, dispense some great advice, and make more than a few clever observations about the world"--Cover p. 4.

Harlequin American Romance brings you four new all-American romances for one great price, available now! This Harlequin American Romance bundle includes The Texas Wildcatter’s Baby by Cathy Gillen Thacker, Most Eligible Sheriff by Cathy McDavid, Aiming for the Cowboy by Mary Leo and Roping the Rancher by Julie Benson. If you love small towns and cowboys, watch out for 4 new Harlequin American Romance titles every month! Romance the all-American way!

My Three Dogs is a charming and heartfelt new novel from the #1 bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose, about humankind's best, most loyal friends, and a wonderful adventure of love and finding home. When a tragic accident separates three dogs from their human, they find themselves up for adoption -- separately. But Riggs, a dedicated, loyal Australian Shepherd, refuses to see his family torn apart. After the exuberant and fun-loving doodle Archie and quick-witted Jack Russell Luna are taken to new homes, Riggs' powerful herding instincts send him on a journey to bring his pack back together again. Cameron's signature style shines in this whirlwind of a novel that showcases how determination, instinct, and love can make a family whole once more. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press's Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. Recovering Identity examines a critical tension in criminalized women's identity work. Through in-depth qualitative and photo-elicitation interviews, Cesraéa Rumpf shows how formerly incarcerated women engaged recovery and faith-based discourses to craft rehabilitated identities, defined in opposition to past identities as "criminal-addicts." While these discourses made it possible for women to carve out spaces of personal protection, growth, and joy, they also promoted individualistic understandings of criminalization and the violence and dehumanization that followed. Honoring criminalized women's stories of personal transformation, Rumpf nevertheless strongly critiques institutions' promotion of narratives that impose lifelong moral judgment while detracting attention from the structural forces of racism, sexism, and poverty that contribute to women's vulnerability to violence.

As her family abandoned the excitement of the city for the uneventful lifestyle of a small, western town, Brynn Clarkston's worst fears were realized. Stripped of her heart's hopes and dreams, Brynn knew true loneliness. Until an ordinary day revealed a heavenly oasis in the desert...Michael McCall. Handsome and irresistibly charming, Michael McCall (the son of legendary horse breeder Jackson McCall) seemed to offer wild distraction and sincere friendship to Brynn. But could Brynn be content with mere friendship when her dreams of Michael involved so much more?

All cultures have proverbs that capsulize subjects simply and effectively. Many of these are cross-cultural. For example, according to a Danish proverb, "The greater the fear, the nearer the danger," while a Latin proverb says, "The less there is of fear, the less there is danger." This work includes over 20,000 proverbs from more than 120 languages, nationalities and ethnic groups. The proverbs are arranged under 1,300 headings (e.g., accidents, divided loyalty, marriage, prosperity, shame), and each includes the nationality, group or language in which it originated. Comprehensive keyword and subject indexes allow access to the material in multiple ways.