Brittle Never Broken

After LaViza Lockwood is born her mother notices something is wrong, but doctors cannot detect a problem. It is not until LaViza becomes a walking toddler that she is diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bones. This debilitating bone disease causes LaViza countless fractures, numerous surgeries, and several months of hospital stays. But she still manages to do what others in her environment are doing-gambling, drinking, drugs, and sex, all prior to being of legal age. LaVizas mother is single, with three children. She has several nervous break downs, which causes her to attempt murder and suicide. Unable to maintain employment, government assistance becomes her only source of income. As a result, her best option for residency is to live in the Wellrock Gardens housing projects. Many of LaVizas family members and friends succumb to substance addictions in order to cope with living in poverty and fear. However, LaVizas biggest fear of becoming entangled in the vicious cycle of generational poverty, crime, and addiction is what makes her take drastic chances to not become a statistic. Brittle Never Broken is definitely not your typical rags-to-riches memoir because riches refers to LaVizas ability to remain self-motivated, despite relentless afflictions and heartaches. LaVizas bones are brittle, but nothing, or no one can break her awesome spirit!

“Jewel is a truth-teller…this is a book that lingers in your heart.” – Brené Brown *The New York Times bestseller* New York Times bestselling poet and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel explores her unconventional upbringing and extraordinary life in an inspirational memoir that covers her childhood to fame, marriage, and motherhood. When Jewel’s first album, Pieces of You, topped the charts in 1995, her emotional voice and vulnerable performance were groundbreaking. Drawing comparisons to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, a singer-songwriter of her kind had not emerged in decades. Now, with more than thirty million albums sold worldwide, Jewel tells the story of her life, and the lessons learned from her experience and her music. Living on a homestead in Alaska, Jewel learned to yodel at age five, and joined her parents’ entertainment act, working in hotels, honky-tonks, and biker bars. Behind a strong-willed family life with an emphasis on music and artistic talent, however, there was also instability, abuse, and trauma. At age fifteen, she moved out and tasked herself with a mission: to see if she could avoid being the kind of statistic that her past indicated for her future. Soon after, she was accepted to the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and there she began writing her own songs as a means of expressing herself and documenting her journey to find happiness. Jewel was eighteen and homeless in San Diego when a radio DJ aired a bootleg version of one of her songs and it was requested into the top-ten countdown, something unheard-of for an unsigned artist. By the time she was twenty-one, her debut had gone multiplatinum. There is much more to Jewel’s story, though, one complicated by family legacies, by crippling fear and insecurity, and by the extraordinary circumstances in which she managed to flourish and find happiness despite these obstacles. Along her road of self-discovery, learning to redirect her fate, Jewel has become an iconic singer and songwriter. In Never Broken she reflects on how she survived, and how writing songs, poetry, and prose has saved her life many times over. She writes lyrically about the natural wonders of Alaska, about pain and loss, about the healing power of motherhood, and about discovering her own identity years after the entire world had discovered the beauty of her songs.

The deluxe eBook edition of Never Broken includes more than an hour of audio tracks and video footage, including live performances, exclusive a cappella recordings of each song featured in the book, and a rare recording of the audition that Jewel made at age fifteen for Interlochen Arts Academy. These additions, along with photographs of handwritten lyrics, personal artwork from Jewel’s archives, behind-the-scenes tour footage, and more, enrich the heartfelt emotion and sense of adventure already so present in Jewel’s words. New York Times bestselling poet and multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel explores her unconventional upbringing and extraordinary life in an inspirational memoir that covers her childhood to fame, marriage, and motherhood. When Jewel’s first album, Pieces of You, topped the charts in 1995, her emotional voice and vulnerable performance were groundbreaking. Drawing comparisons to Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, a singer-songwriter of her kind had not emerged in decades. Now, with more than thirty million albums sold worldwide, Jewel tells the story of her life, and the lessons learned from her experience and her music. Living on a homestead in Alaska, Jewel learned to yodel at age five, and joined her parents’ entertainment act, working in hotels, honky-tonks, and biker bars. Behind a strong-willed family life with an emphasis on music and artistic talent, however, there was also instability, abuse, and trauma. At age fifteen, she moved out and tasked herself with a mission: to see if she could avoid being the kind of statistic that her past indicated for her future. Soon after, she was accepted to the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and there she began writing her own songs as a means of expressing herself and documenting her journey to find happiness. Jewel was eighteen and homeless in San Diego when a radio DJ aired a bootleg version of one of her songs and it was requested into the top-ten countdown, something unheard-of for an unsigned artist. By the time she was twenty-one, her debut had gone multiplatinum. There is much more to Jewel’s story, though, one complicated by family legacies, by crippling fear and insecurity, and by the extraordinary circumstances in which she managed to flourish and find happiness despite these obstacles. Along her road of self-discovery, learning to redirect her fate, Jewel has become an iconic singer and songwriter. In Never Broken she reflects on how she survived, and how writing songs, poetry, and prose has saved her life many times over. She writes lyrically about the natural wonders of Alaska, about pain and loss, about the healing power of motherhood, and about discovering her own identity years after the entire world had discovered the beauty of her songs.

In the South, a conversation among home cooks can be just about as illuminating as any culinary education. Luckily for Stacey Little, home cooks run in the family. Whether it’s fried chicken or pimento cheese, fruit salad or meatloaf, everybody’s family does it a little differently. The Southern Bite Cookbook is a celebration of those traditions and recipes every Southern family is proud to own. It’s the salads and sandwiches that’s mandatory for every family reunion and the hearty soups that are comforting after a long day. It’s the Sunday Dinner that graces the Easter table every year. If you’re lucky enough to hail from the South, you’ll no doubt find some familiar favorites from your own family recipe archives, along with a whole slew of surprises from southern families a lot like yours. In The Southern Bite Cookbook, Little shares some of his favorite, delicious dishes including: Pecan Chicken Salad Glazed Ham Turnip Green Dip Chicken Corn Chowder Cornbread Salad No matter what’s cooking, Little’s goal is the same: to revel in the culinary tradition all Southerners share. The Southern Bite Cookbook has all of the best recipes that brings people together and the meals our families will cherish for generations to come.

Marvina Sims is passionate about reading, writing and researching. As a result, her college majors were English and Library, and a minor in creative writing. During her service at the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board as an Equal Opportunity Specialist her position as editor and publisher of the quarterly newsletter, OEO Times, is what catapulted her into pursuing a career in writing. Her personal experiences as a victim of abuse, along with her desire to help other victims, and perpetrators in abusive situations is what inspired her to become a certified Domestic Violence Advocate and an intervention specialist in the Partner Abuse Intervention Program (PAIP). Marvina has also acted in various live stage performances, movies, and web series. In her youth, she was shy yet empathetic. Finding it challenging to verbally express her deeply felt emotions she journaled. Today, though no longer shy, her empathy is amplified. As a result, impactful events and emotionally touching moments are expressed via poetry, prose, short stories, and creative non-fiction. In 2013, Marvina began an organization called WEWIN--Women Empower Women in Need (www.wewinqueendom.org, http: //wewin4all.weebly.com, https: //www.facebook.com/2LOVEWEWIN/). Her goal is to help empower women and many others who are less fortunate and in need. Prior to Marvina's birth, her mom, Annie Mae Jones (Ann), attempted homicide and suicide on several occasions. A struggling single mom with three kids, and living within one of Chicago's poorest and dangerous neighborhoods added more stress to Ann's already inundated life. After Marvina is born her mom notices something is physically wrong, but doctors do not detect any problems. Years later Marvina is diagnosed with a debilitating bone disease, which causes her to endure countless fractures, numerous surgeries, and months of hospital stays. But Marvina still manages to get caught up in what many others are doing--drugs, drinking, gambling and indulging in sexual activities prior to legal age. Despite Marvina's tumultuous life, her biggest fear was remaining entangled in the vicious cycle of generational poverty, crime, and substance addiction. For this reason, Marvina was determined to do what was necessary to avoid becoming a statistic. Brittle Never Broken is definitely not your typical rags to riches memoir. In this case "riches" refers to Marvina's ability to remain self-motivated despite relentless afflictions, turmoil, and heartaches. Marvin's bones may be brittle but nothing or no one can break her awesome spirit!

Examining the link between feelings and behaviour, this text argues that feelings are not the cause of behaviour but rather its consequences. It presents research into feelings across the spectrum, from anger to joy to fear to romantic love, that support this against-the-grain view.

C.1 ST. AID. AMAZON. 03-11-2009. $27.95.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her first cookbook, Bon Appétit and YouTube star of the show Gourmet Makes offers wisdom, problem-solving strategies, and more than 100 meticulously tested, creative, and inspiring recipes. IACP AWARD WINNER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Bon Appétit • NPR • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution • Salon • Epicurious “There are no ‘just cooks’ out there, only bakers who haven't yet been converted. I am a dessert person, and we are all dessert people.”—Claire Saffitz Claire Saffitz is a baking hero for a new generation. In Dessert Person, fans will find Claire’s signature spin on sweet and savory recipes like Babkallah (a babka-Challah mashup), Apple and Concord Grape Crumble Pie, Strawberry-Cornmeal Layer Cake, Crispy Mushroom Galette, and Malted Forever Brownies. She outlines the problems and solutions for each recipe—like what to do if your pie dough for Sour Cherry Pie cracks (patch it with dough or a quiche flour paste!)—as well as practical do’s and don’ts, skill level, prep and bake time, step-by-step photography, and foundational know-how. With her trademark warmth and superpower ability to explain anything baking related, Claire is ready to make everyone a dessert person.

2016 Winner of the Gospel Coalition Book Awards At the time of his death, Christopher Hitchens was the most notorious atheist in the world. And yet, all was not as it seemed. “Nobody is not a divided self, of course,” he once told an interviewer, “but I think it’s rather strong in my case.” Hitchens was a man of many contradictions: a Marxist in youth who longed for acceptance among the social elites; a peacenik who revered the military; a champion of the Left who was nonetheless pro-life, pro-war-on-terror, and after 9/11 something of a neocon; and while he railed against God on stage, he maintained meaningful—though largely hidden from public view—friendships with evangelical Christians like Francis Collins, Douglas Wilson, and the author Larry Alex Taunton. In The Faith of Christopher Hitchens, Taunton offers a very personal perspective of one of our most interesting and most misunderstood public figures. Writing with genuine compassion and without compromise, Taunton traces Hitchens’s spiritual and intellectual development from his decision as a teenager to reject belief in God to his rise to prominence as one of the so-called “Four Horsemen” of the New Atheism. While Hitchens was, in the minds of many Christians, Public Enemy Number One, away from the lights and the cameras a warm friendship flourished between Hitchens and the author; a friendship that culminated in not one, but two lengthy road trips where, after Hitchens’s diagnosis of esophageal cancer, they studied the Bible together. The Faith of Christopher Hitchens gives us a candid glimpse into the inner life of this intriguing, sometimes maddening, and unexpectedly vulnerable man. “If everyone in the United States had the same qualities of loyalty and care and concern for others that Larry Taunton had, we'd be living in a much better society than we do.” ~ Christopher Hitchens

“Spectacular cake creations [that] are positively bursting with beauty, color, flavor, and fun . . . this book will ignite the baking passion within you!” —Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Grandbaby Cakes is the debut cookbook from sensational food writer, Jocelyn Delk Adams. Since founding her popular recipe blog, Grandbaby Cakes, in 2012, Adams has been putting fresh twists on old favorites. She has earned praise from critics and the adoration of bakers both young and old for her easygoing advice, rich photography, and the heartwarming memories she shares of her grandmother, affectionately nicknamed Big Mama, who baked and developed delicious, melt-in-your-mouth desserts. Grandbaby Cakes pairs charming stories of Big Mama’s kitchen with recipes ranging from classic standbys to exciting adventures—helpfully marked by degree of difficulty—that will inspire your own family for years to come. Adams creates sophisticated flavor combinations based on Big Mama’s gorgeous centerpiece cakes, giving each recipe something familiar mixed with something new. Not only will home bakers be able to make staples like yellow cake and icebox cake exactly how their grandmothers did, but they’ll also be preparing impressive innovations, like the Pineapple Upside-Down Hummingbird Pound Cake and the Fig-Brown Sugar Cake. From pound cakes and layer cakes to sheet cakes and “baby” cakes (cupcakes and cakelettes), Grandbaby Cakes delivers fun, hip recipes perfect for any celebration. “[Adams] offers up her greatest hits alongside sweet stories of her family’s generations-old baking traditions.” —People.com “There is a heritage of love and tradition steeped in her recipes . . . A trip down memory lane that ends with delicious treats on your table.” —Carla Hall, TV chef and author of Carla Hall’s Soul Food