"Bella: Woman of Courage 1863-1953, is a family tale. It is a tale of the author's ancestral family set against the restrictions of the social conventions of the late 19th century and early 20th century-conventions which begin to change around Bella and, at least in part, because of her. She just doesn't give up, no matter what! This story is an adventure tale, well told." Bob Stallworthy, author of Things That Matter Now, Frontenac House 2009. Second Printing, 2012. "A fascinating, compellin...

What happens when the study of French is no longer coterminous with the study of France? French Civilization and Its Discontents explores the ways in which considerations of difference, especially colonialism, postcolonialism, and race, have shaped French culture and French studies in the modern era. Rejecting traditional assimilationist notions of French national identity, contributors to this groundbreaking volume demonstrate how literature, history, and other aspects of what is consider...

Beyond the familiar tropes of knights and castles, elves and dragons, there is a whole world of possibilities for fantasy literature. This anthology collects fantasy stories whose inspiration lies beyond the traditional medieval European basis. It brings exciting new stories and overlooked voices into the fantasy genre.This volume contains stories based on real cultures (or their magical analogues) from all over our world.A Chinese ex-soldier is confronted by the ghos...

They say when it rains it pours, but these four brothers seem to be going through a storm.Blaze is back and ready to set fire to anything moving. With the family questioning his motives and where he has been, it seems he is now the enemy and can't be trusted. In the midst of him trying to clear his name, will he be able to handle the secrets that lies between Drea and Babyface??With Quick in jail for murdering a cop, his life hangs in the balance. Unbeknownst to him, that i...

In this collection of 29 stories, you can visit a smoke-filled bar in a fantasy world, or experience a love affair with artificial intelligence. Maybe you'd prefer to go back in time and relive the experience of going to a baseball game with your dad, or go back even farther to live in a perilous world when medicine was in its infancy. What's it like to experience the soul-crushing loss of a loved one, or to sit in Heaven's waiting room? Would you rather be a clairvoyant in the world of hi...

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed fresh light on the ways that social media and digital technologies can be effectively harnessed to support relationship-based social work practice. However, it has also highlighted the complex risks, ethics and practical challenges that such technologies pose.This book helps practitioners and students navigate this complex terrain and explore and build upon its multiple opportunities. It uses real-life examples to examine how practitioners can assess ...

Ever since Draylah Omari was sixteen years old, it seemed like life had only dealt her a bad hand. Tragedies and betrayal have taken the people she loved most, including her best friend of over a decade, Glory. After finding out her boyfriend Lue, who was once her savior, is nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing, Draylah decides to lock her heart up and focus only on her half-finished brow bar. She's no longer in the mood to weather any storms, especially ones that are brought on by a man...

Welcome to Detroit, Michigan, home of the grittiest, illest, most hardcore, crime-infested, and poverty-stricken neighborhoods in the country. It’s sometimes referred to as the Murder Capital because of the huge murder rate that never ceases to surprise us, the Murder Mitten, or the Dirty Glove because of the state’s shape on the U.S. map.Detroit is home to many scholars, rappers, athletes, and concerned citizens, but the streets belong to those in the underworld—addicts, dealers, ...

What should be the happiest day of one's life, turned into the worst. Literally a wedding to die for, the Hoover brothers Quick, Shadow, and Babyface wait in the wind on news of Blaze's fate.While Quick blames himself, he still has to deal with the dirty cops trying to infiltrate their circle. Will he be able to hold it together as everything around him falls apart?Shadow and his brothers tear the city of Chicago up looking for the ones responsible, what he doesn't know is ...

Ricky AK has never been one to shout threats and not pull through. The heartless gangsta has also never been one to take being threatened lightly. When faced with a problem that could ruin the relationship he has built with Draylah, Ricky AK takes extreme measures to make it all go away. But as the old saying goes, what's done in the dark will always come to light, and even though Ricky AK took precautions to prevent that, the light shined ever so brightly on his horrific doings.Wi...

In the final installment, Ricky must deal with the mind-blowing news his grandmother has just revealed to him. Feeling like he's all alone in being betrayed by people who were expected to be loyal to him, Ricky soon realizes that the person who can understand his situation completely has been right by his side all along. Draylah too has her own troubles to face, the main one dealing with someone she thought she'd lost but has been able to reunite with. However, there is a big block in her ...

Things are finally coming together for Perri as she continues on her journey to womanhood. While she ultimatelydecides to let Derrick sweep her off her feet, Plus’ feelings for her never seem to waver. However, when Derrick getsdrafted into the NBA and has to relocate hundreds of miles away, Perri is faced with the decision to either stay inMaryland or leave with her fiancé for good. Now that Plus has completely stepped up as a father, the mere mentionof Perri t...