I Hurt Like Hell

“This is a fresh take on the American road story, filled with people and ideas we rarely get to see onstage…It offers two seriously rich roles for women, each with important things worth singing about…Miss You Like Hell is a powerful example of what musicals do best: explore the unprotected border where individual needs and social issues intermix.” —Jesse Green, New York Times A troubled teenager and her estranged mother—an undocumented Mexican immigrant on the verge of deportation—embark on a road trip and strive to mend their frayed relationship along the way. Combined with the musical talent of Erin McKeown, Hudes artfully crafts a story of the barriers and the bonds of family, while also addressing the complexities of immigration in today’s America.

"A Shiny Christmas Star"-U.S. Marshal Cole Stockton and his best friend Laura Sumner both have fitful dreams about blankets of snow and starving "little" people. When they lead a quest to find the origin of the nightmare, four people come together in this heartwarming story about the true meaning of Christmas. "Star of Peace"-Cole has a dilemma: he can't find a suitable Christmas gift for Laura. In the meantime, a traveling medicine show advertises "the fastest and most accurate gunman in the world"-and Cole is glad to show him up. Laura has a hard time keeping track of her baked holiday goodies, and Cole discovers the peace of Christmas. "The Greatest Gift"-Just days before Christmas, Cole is en route to Laura's ranch. Laura has visions of frozen wastelands and senses that Cole is in extreme danger. When Cole is attacked by a large cougar, both man and beast fall into an icy river, hurtling toward the falls. Cole is hurt, lost, and alone in the frozen wilds of Colorado with seemingly no means of survival Author Steven Douglas Glover delivers three classic stories about the faith, peace, and love that are Christmas.

My world came crashing down around me the day Dad died. Instead of being excited to start senior year, I’m devastated and uprooted. Mom and I move back to my hometown. Back to where our lives were happy, when Dad was still with us. I’m excited as I can be, until I realize my former best friend, Noah, has moved on without me, and wants nothing to do with me anymore. My world was destroyed the day Frankie left. I became a cold, distant, angry version of the boy she knew. Someone able to handle a life without the person I wanted most. Now she’s back, but I don’t know how to be the old me. It seems all I’m good at is pushing her away when I’m dying to hold her close. Tropes: grumpy sunshine, shared past, childhood friends to lovers, love triangle, sports, secrets, small town romance, second chance,

What would you do if true love showed up in the wrong package− and knocked your socks off? American actor John Kaiser lives in London where he’s found fame as a television celebrity and theatrical star. He unwittingly falls in love with Brian Mallory, a reclusive Scottish millionaire who takes refuge in his London penthouse once a year to conduct business. Brian sees John as a shy, nervous, and clumsy new friend, but John hopes they’ll be much more than just friends—until he learns of a love rival: curvaceous, blonde, and sexy Carol Lexington. He’s devastated when he realizes he can’t compete with this beautiful woman. Or can he? And even if he could win Brian’s love, what other forces would lie in wait to tear them apart? From the ritzy charity galas of London’s elite to an English countryside manor and a stunning, riverfront luxury penthouse, this love story takes you on a journey of humor, happiness, pain, jealousy, and shocking betrayal. Filled with quirky best friends, catastrophic events, and undying love and devotion, it’s the story of a straight man who falls in love with a gay man who did everything wrong and still got everything right. Straight Man Gay does what Giovanni’s Room and Brokeback Mountain couldn’t: It takes the shame out of being gay and in love.

Hope through running... Written by bestselling author Phil Hewitt, Outrunning the Demons is an exploration of the transformative power of running – and how it can be the key to unlocking resilience we never knew we had. 'an inspiring collection of stories about runners who have run through unimaginable adversity to find perspective, resolution and ultimately peace, within themselves and with the universe.' - Dean Karnazes 'a really good book ... with fascinating stories' – BBC Radio Four, Today Programme Exhilarating, compelling and beautifully written; this extraordinary book, both humbling and uplifting.' - Peter James, international bestselling writer 'a remarkable collection of intensely personal stories connects the reader to the restorative power of running.' – Hugh Bonneville Running can take us to fantastic places. Just as importantly, it can also bring us back from terrible ones. For people in times of crisis, trauma and physical or mental illness – when normality collapses – running can put things back together again. After bestselling author Phil Hewitt was viciously mugged, stabbed and left for dead in 2016, he found himself suffering the acute symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Unable to make sense of the horrific experience that had happened to him, Phil found that dedicating himself to running was slowly but surely helping him heal. Outrunning the Demons is an enriching and celebratory exploration of the transformative power of running – and how it can be the key to unlocking resilience we never knew we had. Told through 34 deeply affecting real-life stories and covering such diverse themes as trauma, bereavement, addiction, depression and anxiety, this compelling book is an exposition of just why running can so often be the answer to everything when we find ourselves in extremis. THE RUNNING AWARDS – BEST CHRISTMAS BOOK

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Dean Koontz's The City. A man and a woman meet by chance in a bar. Suddenly they are fleeing the long arm of a clandestine and increasingly powerful renegade government agency -- the woman hunted for the information she possesses, the man mistaken as her comrade in a burgeoning resistance movement. The architect of the chase is a man of uncommon madness and cruelty -- ruthless, possibly psychotic, and equipped with a vast technological arsenal. He is the brazen face of an insidiously fascistic future. And he is virtually unstoppable. But he has never before come up against the likes of his current quarry. Both of them are survivors of singularly horrific pasts. Both have long been emboldened by their experiences to fight with reckless courage for their own freedom. Now they are plunged into a struggle for the freedom of their country, and for the sanctity of their own lives. Dark Rivers of the Heart is an electrifying thriller that steers us along the razor edge of a familiar, terrifying reality.

The cover of this autobiography shows I.R. Dujon at the time of publication mothering her younger, 6-year-old self. I Will Protect Her details the adolescent years in which Ingrid was subject to tragic child abuse, while the people in charge of her welfare and safety neglected their most basic responsibilities at every point possible. This led to a prolonged period of suffering for her and for so many others. After years of fighting, a full criminal investigation into the crimes was relaunched. Victims were able finally to expose the police and local authorities for their systematic failure to recognise, report, and act upon avoidable and life-altering abuse. The collation of notes, factual evidence, dates and times as recorded by herself and supported by many others affected, led to the prosecution of one of London’s most notorious paedophiles, who was convicted and sentenced to 24 years in prison. Only now, after years of counselling, therapy, and personal development, Ingrid has managed to finally close this chapter of her life for good. Today Dujon is a proud mother of five children, all now adults. Dujon’s goal is to share her story and inspire any and everyone who has ever been subject to any form of abuse. Ingrid hopes to educate a wider audience who may not be familiar with the patterns and signs of child abuse, and to paint a detailed picture of how people who are external to an abusive situation can still do so much to prevent or change things for the better.

'There were soldiers on the verandah??? They were pointing bayonets at my mother and father??? I was glued to the spot.. My heart was beating furiously???'Run, Andy, run!' I heard Dad's desperate yell???' The year is 1942. War has spread across the world, and the Japanese have invaded Singapore, where Andy has been living an idyllic life with his botanist parents, on the edge of the jungle. But now the military police have taken his parents away for questioning and Andy has fled deep into that jungle - alone for the first time iin his life. But not quite alone. With him is Pix, his best friend, a monkey. As Andy battles to overcome his terror and begins the quest for food and shelter, another fugitive arrives - Emmiline, the most demanding brat he has ever met.