Often ignored, misunderstood, or compared with Christian belief in a haphazard or inconsistent manner, the Mysteries of the Graeco-Roman world, when handled carefully and consistently, can aid in elucidating the context of New Testament texts. By closely examining the Eleusinian Mysteries and the Mysteries of Isis, and particularly their promises of a pleasant afterlife in Hades for those initiated into the cults, this work offers insight into difficult interpretational issues in First Cor...

This is an exquisite perspective on living with and life with a mentally challenged individual. She posts details of the mind of John Clarence Moore, who was born with mental challenges. His mind-set is light and slanted yet correct in his own way. Clarence brings humility, love, character balance to a family. The writer explains in various perspectives many viewpoints while telling one story. There are graphics of his death and coroners report. Clarences life hereafter is compelling and e...

This book provides a guide to research and teaching in an Australian Indigenous Studies that is oriented toward the diverse, contemporary world. Central to this perspective is a sensibility to the intercultural complexity of that world – particularly its Indigenous component – and an awareness of the interactional capabilities that the Indigenous (and others) need to successfully negotiate it. These capabilities are important for facilitating Indigenous peoples’ goal of equality as citizen...

Our world was turned upside down. Two months ago, my brother, Bob, was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, a type of B-cell lymphoma, and bone cancer. Needless to say, it turned our world upside down. When we received his diagnosis, it literally knocked the wind out of me. Prior to that day, I did not even imagine that it could be cancer causing the lumps in his neck. I optimistically thought it could be benign, fatty tumors, but sadly, I was way off base on this one. To watch my brother c...

Apart from his drug addiction, his homophobic father, and his denial of his sexuality, Ben O'Connor lives a charmed life. He has a wonderful son, a lucrative job as a Realtor, and a supportive mother and siblings. Then his boss promotes someone else over him and his life disintegrates. In his anger, he breaks the eleventh commandment—thou shalt not get caught.Kicking his ice habit while incarcerated, Ben realizes he has lost his ability to enjoy life. But he gets another chance at ...

In this riveting thriller from a new master of suspense, a young dancer’s homecoming is marred by a grisly discovery—and the realization that nothing in her past may be quite what she believed.When Esmé Foster left the Boston suburbs to become a professional ballerina, the future shimmered with promise. Eleven years later, her career has been derailed by an injury, and Esmé knows it’s time to come back to Graybridge to help her brother care for their ailing father. But her return c...

A savage murder rocks a quiet Boston suburb, revealing the dark secrets at the center of a group of friends in this clever, propulsive debut from new master of suspense, Terri Parlato …Snow falls softly outside Molly Bradley’s home on a frigid January night. Inside, half a dozen close friends are gathered to celebrate the fortieth birthday of Molly’s psychologist husband, Jay. Candlelight gleams against dark wood, wineflows, and the house rings with laughter. Everybody loves...

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union's most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union's citizenry.Being a Peacemaker isn't easy. They're charged with setting the terms and doing anything which needs to be done - even if it personally costs them everything. They must learn to honor the threat to all life, and, in the end, they must stand or fall, based on their own convictions.Welcome back to the Four Horsem...

Whispering Through Water navigates family dynamics, young love, and female autonomy with a little 1990s nostalgia.The coming-of-age story follows Gwyn Madison, the summer after her high school graduation, as she grapples with her fast-approaching future. She'll have to face more than she bargained for with her Aunt Delia, the family matriarch, who holds the purse strings and the final word. In the meantime, Gwyn stumbles upon a tightly held family secret. ...

As a young gay man growing up in southwest Victoria, Nick Williams leads a charmed life. Life on the family farm gives him a sense of purpose. His supportive parents are loving and affectionate. And his best friend Aaron is always around to help him get out of trouble. But when his father dies a few days before Nick's eighteenth birthday, it changes the course of Nick's life.From rural Australia to India, Nick builds a life as a successful businessman only to watch it crumble in a w...

With increasing population and its associated demand on our limited resources, we need to rethink our current strategies for construction of multifamily buildings in urban areas. Reinventing an Urban Vernacular addresses these new demands for smaller and more efficient housing units adapted to local climate.In order to find solutions and to promote better urban communities with an overall environmentally responsible lifestyle, this book examines a wide variety of vernacula...

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees. When we weren’t sheltering in place, we were advised to wear masks, wash our hands, and practice social distancing. We watched in horror as medical personnel worked around the clock to care for the sick and dying. Businesses were shuttered, travel stopped, workers were furloughed, and markets dropped. And people continued to die.Amid all this uncertainty, writers and artists from around the world continued to create com...