practical magic novel by alice hoffman Audiobooks

THE MURDER OF MARION MILEY is the novelization of the 1941 murder of a nationally beloved ladies golf star. This novel has been described as Sea Biscuit meets In Cold Blood and The Lovely Bones . In the early morning of September 28, six shots ring out on the otherwise quiet grounds of the Lexington Country Club. As dawn breaks, news spreads that golf champion Marion Miley – winner of every US women’s amateur tournament save the National Title – has been brutally murdered. A giant manhunt begins, and a flood of support pours in from around the country to bring the killers to justice. Bell’s novelization of the Kentucky murder, which hit headlines across the world, captures the chaos of the first three weeks following Marion’s death, and then oscillates between three voices through the sensational trial: Marion’s father, Fred; her best friend, Fritz; and the first man to confess to the crime, Tom Penney. Marion's determination and success against the odds, as the daughter of a golf pro competing against high society darlings, endeared her to everyone who crossed her path, including jazz crooner Bing Crosby. Young Marion’s high-flying ambition and her killers’ low, scheming tactics explore the impact of class, family, and opportunity.

A clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral medicine presents a dozen practical approaches to transforming loss, pain, and suffering into positive growth and hope. Just as some flowers only bloom in the dark, so too, some people only grow by experiencing tough times. Each chapter explains an empirically based principle for handling adversity, followed by writing prompts designed to help readers experience the axiom personally. Tools such as self-reflection, meaning-making, narrative creation, benefit-finding, and inspired value-based action help readers move through their trauma toward a new exuberance for life.

"The perfect combination of sweet, sexy, and make-you-grin moments." - Lyssa Kay Adams, author of The Bromance Book Club "An ode to everything we love about rom-coms." - Alexis Daria, author of You Had Me at Hola In her trade paperback debut, Melonie Johnson brings her signature humor, sexy romance, and strong female friendships in this hilarious romantic comedy about finding perfectly imperfect love, Too Good to Be Real . She plans to prove there's a dozen reasons why life isn't like a romantic comedy, only to discover the one reason it is… While her friends wish for meet cutes worthy of their favorite rom-coms, Julia is ready to give up on love. Swiping right has replaced getting swept off your feet and good old-fashioned romance has become, well, old-fashioned. A writer for a popular website, love becomes the last thing on her mind when impending layoffs threaten her job. As Julia searches for the ultimate pitch to impress her boss, she stumbles upon a resort offering guests a chance to live out their romantic comedy dreams. Real life dating is so bleak, who wouldn't want to spend a week in a fantasy rom-com world with your best friends? At the resort, Julia literally falls into a not-quite-meet-cute involving an aggressive seagull and an adorably awkward guy named Luke who is also participating in the rom-com experience. Julia hides the fact she is there to do a story, but Luke harbors a few secrets of his own. Among further encounters with thieving seagulls, a gaggle of corgis, kisses in the rain, and even a karaoke serenade, their feelings deepen quickly. But could their love be real when they haven't been honest about their true identities? Once the fantasy is over, can they have a relationship in the real world?

The next Kirk McGarvey novel, Gambit , is an international thriller with non-stop action, perfect for fans of Jason Bourne. “If you like thrillers full of international intrigue, Hagberg is a major find.” —Dean Koontz, New York Times bestselling author An American billionaire and a Russian oligarch want Kirk McGarvey dead. First they send a South African assassin, and when Mac kills him, they commission a Canadian sniper for the kill. When Mac put him down, they hire a team of highly specialized Chinese killers called “Scorpions.” When Mac dispatches them, they send a squad of Russian special ops armed to the teeth with high-tech firepower. Mac's only chance of survival is to turn on the tables on the people behind this assassination conspiracy, that is, if he can find them. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Become a Writing Hero A creative writing mentor in inspirational book form. Imagine having your own personal mentor―someone encouraging yet honest, supportive yet empowering, who could help you set and achieve your goals, turn your moments of doubt and fear into sources of strength, and discover what you’re truly capable of when you’re at your best. Kendra Levin is that mentor. And with The Hero is You , she’s here to help you do the best writing of your life―and live your best life while doing it. A motivational self-care book for writing aficionados. Using a fresh new approach to Joseph Campbell’s archetypal Hero’s Journey, Levin reveals how to be a hero in the narrative of your own process. She weaves together wisdom drawn from her years as a life coach for writers and an editor at the world’s biggest publishing house with behind-the-scenes stories from a panoply of best-selling authors and career entertainers. With over thirty exercises designed to help you reinvent your creative process from the inside out, this book will show you how to: Identify your biggest challenges and render them powerless Start a project that you love―and stick with it Design a structure for writing regularly Great motivational book for anyone dealing with writer's block or other writing obstacles. Whether you’re a first-time writer with a brand-new project or a seasoned pro, you’ll reach the end of this book feeling fulfilled, inspired, and ready to mentor the next writer on their creative journey. Readers of self-help books and personal development books for writers and creatives like The Artist's Way , Bird by Bird , The Artist's Way Workbook , and Big Magic will be inspired and encouraged by The Hero is You .

Achieving and sustaining success is difficult. Why do some people struggle to get started or stay the course? Why do others seem to sabotage their hard-earned victories? What makes some people stumble and fall, when they seem to possess the requisite skills to soar? Most importantly, what can be done to change these patterns and their outcomes? Based on years of research, Mastering Fear answers these questions and many more with its surprising perspective on stress, fear, and the single most important skill necessary to achieve maximum results. Studies worldwide have tracked the lives of hundreds of individuals over decades in search of the foundations of excellence. Dr. Maurer has culled and refined this data, dispelling current myths and revealing practical strategies to maximize passion and performance in any individual, team, or organization.

Dexter Scott is in love. The only problem is, Katie is falling for another man. As his heart breaks, he turns to sex as his drug of choice to numb the pain. Can Dex learn to let go of his feelings for Katie, or will his obsession cause him to miss out on his chance to find true love? Note: This novella contains scenes from the Impossible Series in Dex's point of view. It is a prequel to his full-length novel, Hero.

Winner of the 2015 COVR Award for Best Self-Help Book! Blamestorming outlines the reasons why our daily conversations go wrong, explains how to respond when they do and provides tips on how to stop them going wrong in the first place. Based on his experience as a highly respected communications coach for international companies and business professionals, Rob Kendall provides a practical guide to achieving more rewarding and effective interactions with everyone in your life - from your boss to your partner. Rob's techniques have been proven to be effective for thousands of people from all walks of life and are presented in an illustrated step-by-step format that makes them easy to put into practice from Day One. Underpinning the book's approach to consistently having better interactions is an explanation of the warning signals that indicate when a conversation is going off track.

It’s hard enough being barely above average, when your brothers include the deadliest swordsman of the realm, a saint, prodigies – and the greatest hero of the Middle Ages. But what if you haven’t seen your Queen of Love in years, and she's imprisoned by a one-armed religious zealot and lethal librarians? Even worse, your only allies are vicious killers, with rather bad manners and outsized appetites. Who all want to murder your heroic brother. The result – in a world of pedantic misrule, feckless magic, and courage both dauntless and daunted – is either High Adventure or an Identity Crisis. Or both.

What can parents and other concerned adults do to prevent the next Sandy Hook? Are there red flags that warn us if our children might become victims or perpetrators of bullying, or of sexual assault? How do we know when a child or young adult is at risk for suicide, or just moody? These are certainly questions most parents have wondered about, especially at a time when childhood dangers seem increasingly hard to predict or control. Warning Signs is the first comprehensive book of its kind, explaining the underlying factors and signs of youth violence and aggression—and how to identify and guard against them. Topics include: violent media influences, bullying, hazardous friendships, sexual aggression and abuse, risky thinking and entitled attitudes, school safety, gun violence, mental health, and more. Doctors Brian Johnson and Laurie Berdahl provide specific, practical ideas, strategies, and tips based on current research and years of clinical experience. They even suggest language parents can use during tough conversations with their kids—or with another child’s parents. This timely guide will appeal to any adult who is worried about the levels of violence and aggression committed against and by today’s youth, and who wants to raise emotionally healthy, kind, safe children amidst today’s dangers.