Search results for ""Author Carolyn""

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown's second book in her contemporary cowboy series, Lucky Penny Ranch

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This fantastic new book from highly respected quilter and author Carolyn Forster gives you nine beautiful Layer Cake (pre-cut 10-inch square) quilt designs, made using a variety of patchworking and quilting styles. Also included are nine accompanying `gift’ projects, which range from bags and pincushions to needlebooks and coasters… although you may find them just too good to give away! All the techniques you need are clearly explained at the beginning of the book with easy-to-follow step-by-step photography, and the instructions for putting together each quilt are illustrated for clarity. All the necessary templates are included at actual size.

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown sends readers on a wild ride in this enemies to lovers romance between a rugged rodeo cowboy and a fierce competitor who thinks it''s time for a woman to take the crown.Gemma O'Donnell was incensed when she wasn't the first woman to win the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Championship Association) buckle for bronc riding. This year, she heads out on the PRCA ProRodeo Tour burning to be the second.First stop is Cody, Wyoming where her stiffest competition is Trace Coleman, who already has a jump on her. A tall, dark-haired cowboy with a sexy grin and a swagger, he doesn't really give a damn about the trophy belt bucklehe wants the purse to buy a ranch he has his eye on. He damn sure doesn't have time for a sassy bit of Irish baggage who can evidently ride anything with four legs and make anything with two legs want to take her to bed.Gemma wins a few; Trace wins a few. In the end they bot

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Back home is the best place to start over in a heart-stirring Texas romance about friendship, second chances, and small-town scandals by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown. Riverbend, Texas, doesn’t look like the crossroads of anywhere. But for four high school besties reuniting after twenty years, it’s a place to unpack a lot of baggage. Risa’s headed for divorce, Mary Nell’s been kicked to the curb by her leech of a boyfriend, and Haley was just blindsided by a shocking family secret. But restless army veteran Jessica Callaway, looking to plant roots, has an idea: corral her fellow former cheerleaders and renovate an abandoned church smack-dab in the middle of three dry counties into a bar. Throw in a grill and Wade Granger—a onetime nerd turned surprisingly crush-worthy investor—and their lives are on tap for a turnaround. Amen to that. Except for one hitch: the white-clapboard dream is causing a ruckus. With a renewed bond, hard work, and the promise of romance, Jessica and her friends aren’t backing down. For Riverbend, this is going to be a homecoming—and a scandal—to remember.

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A bittersweet inheritance reunites three estranged sisters in a novel of family, trust, and forgiveness from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown. When they were growing up, Dana, Harper, and Tawny thought of themselves as “sometimes sisters.” They connected only during the summer month they’d all spend at their grandmother’s rustic lakeside resort in north Texas. But secrets started building, and ten years have passed since they’ve all been together—in fact, they’ve rarely spoken, and it broke their grandmother’s heart. Now she’s gone, leaving Annie’s Place to her granddaughters—twelve cabins, a small house, a café, a convenience store, and a lot of family memories. It’s where Dana, Harper, and Tawny once shared so many good times. They’ve returned, sharing only hidden regrets, a guarded mistrust, and haunting guilt. But now, in this healing summer place, the secrets that once drove them apart could bring them back together—especially when they discover that their grandmother may have been hiding something, too… To overcome the past and find future happiness, these “sometimes sisters” have one more chance to realize they are always family. An Amazon Charts bestseller.

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A grandmother’s loving bequest changes three lives forever in a heartwarming novel about finding love, hope, and family by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown. An inheritance has reunited three estranged cousins. Their grandmother Lucy left Nessa, Flynn, and April her home nestled in the woods near Blossom, Texas, as well as a hope chest to be unlocked after they complete a special task. Together, they must hand-stitch a cherished quilt Lucy left unfinished. It meant everything to her. And now, to three people struggling with their own patchwork pasts… To Nessa, the house has always been an escape from her strict parents—a home away from home. Flynn has followed a profligate path into adulthood, never guessing it would lead him here. And the town of Blossom only stirs up a lifetime of disappointments for April. Lost and with nowhere to go, her last chance is helping fulfill Nanny Lucy’s final wish. Thread by healing thread, Nessa, Flynn, and April bond over the quilt and all it represents. As they discover the family they’ve been looking for in one another, they share more than memories. They share the hope of new beginnings.

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A brand-new heartwarming story of love and friendship from bestselling author Carolyn Brown, featuring: A bride who might be getting cold feet... Her groom-to-be who only wants to show her how much he loves her A sassy grandmother who loves to give advice The perfect family reunion that proves love can save us again and again Bonus content-two novellas to help you celebrate the seasons!A week before your wedding is one heckuva time for your ex to ride back into town, stirring up trouble. But that's exactly the predicament Darla McAdams finds herself in. Darla's on the verge of breaking up with her fiancé, Will Jackson-only a week before the wedding. Her parents would disown her, but Darla's sure that her Granny Roxie will understand when Darla tells her that her first love, Andy, has come back to town. Thank goodness for a wise granny's reminiscences of her own sassy wedding at just the right moment...Praise for Carolyn Brown:"The most difficult thing about reading a Brown book is putting it down."-Fresh Fiction"Fans of beloved Southern films, like Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes, will flip for this charming small-town tale."-Woman's World for The Sisters Café

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From New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown comes a funny heartache of a novel about overcoming the past, confronting the future, and defying all expectations. Everyone is talking about Jennie Sue Baker and the mess she made of her life in New York. The former high school queen bee—and wealthy darling of Bloom, Texas—has returned home after all these years, riding on a common bus and bearing two bounced alimony checks. In a town that thrives on gossip, Jennie’s fall from grace has shamed her mother, set the town buzzing, and caused old, jealous enemies to whisper in delight. They say she’s taken a job as a housekeeper, gotten a garage apartment, and might be crushing on Rick Lawson, a simple farmer with modest dreams. As romance starts to bud, Jennie relishes what it means to follow her heart, find real new friends, and finally be herself—regardless of all the lying town chatter. But fate has another twist in store. Rumor has it that Jennie now stands to lose what matters most…unless she can convince Rick of one true thing—and that’s love.

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Teacher inquiry helps improve educational outcomes Practitioner Teacher Inquiry and Research explores the concept and importance of the teacher practitioner, and prepares students in teacher education courses and programs to conduct research in the classroom. Author Carolyn Babione has extensive experience in undergraduate- and graduate-level teacher training and teacher inquiry coursework. In the book, Babione guides students through the background, theory, and strategy required to successfully conduct classroom research. The first part of the book tackles the "how-to" and "why" of teacher inquiry, while the second part provides students with real-life practitioner inquiry research projects across a range of school settings, content areas, and teaching strategies. The book's discussion includes topics such as: Underlying cultural and historical perspectives surrounding the teaching profession Hidden stereotypes that limit teacher beliefs about power and voice Current curriculum innovation and reflections on modern developments Practitioner Teacher Inquiry and Research successfully guides and encourages budding teachers to fully understand the importance of their involvement in studying and researching their classroom settings, giving a better understanding of how their beliefs and teaching practices impact classroom learning.

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Scale Development: Theory and Applications, by Robert F. DeVellis and new co-author Carolyn T. Thorpe, demystifies measurement by emphasizing a logical rather than strictly mathematical understanding of concepts. The Fifth Edition includes a new chapter that lays out the key concepts that distinguish indices from scales, contrasts various types of indices, suggests approaches for developing them, reviews validity and reliability issues, and discusses in broad terms some analytic approaches. All chapters have been updated, and the book strikes a balance between including relevant topics and highlighting recent developments in measurement while retaining an accessible, user-friendly approach to the material covered.

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In the years before the Revolutionary War, intrepid frontiersmen with roots in northern Ireland claimed vast tracts of land in Kentucky on which they developed plantations. They settled the land and with their families built enduring stone houses that became the centerpieces of their properties. In Early Stone Houses of Kentucky, author Carolyn Murray-Wooley examines these early frontier homes as well as the people who built and lived in them. What traditions did these settlers call on to provide construction techniques and plans? How do the frontier dwellings of settlers with differing origins compare with these stone houses? Murray-Wooley looks at these and many other questions, exploring the transfer of cultural traditions from northern Ireland to the state of Kentucky. Drawing on extensive field work and genealogical research, Murray-Wooley examines the history of these resourceful settlers and their architectural practices, uses scale drawings and floor plans to illustrate how the houses would have appeared at the time of construction, and compares them to modern photographs. The book includes color plates of more than thirty stone houses, as well as many black and white construction illustrations. Early Stone Houses of Kentucky is a fascinating look at the impact of a little-known community on the architecture and culture of the Bluegrass State.

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The healing powers of art and friendship work together in this inspiring and heartwarming novel by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown. Ever since childhood, Emma Merrill and Sophia Mason were bound by a passion for painting. Like all young best friends, they promised to never lose touch. But the girls came from different worlds, and their paths diverged when Emma went to an elite college and Sophie worked her way through state school. After a decade they’ve reconnected, both in a time of need. Emma has been struggling with depression since her college years, and she’s lost herself under the suffocating influence of her controlling and manipulative mother. Sophie, under pressure to prepare for an upcoming gallery show, whisks the fragile Emma away to a small artists’ colony in south Texas. It’s a raw and beautiful landscape where wildflowers bloom—and perhaps Emma can bloom there, too. In the company of such nurturing and creative strangers—especially Josh Corlen, the openhearted manager of the commune—Emma allows herself to breathe again. For Sophie and Emma, it’s the perfect place for reflection and to finally share the secret burdens each has carried. Most of all it’s a chance to rediscover their true selves and to make good on the old promise that their friendship would last forever.

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A heartwarming—and heart-tugging—middle grade novel about love, loyalty, and what it means to be part of a family—from author Carolyn Crimi, with adorable illustrations by Melissa Manwill. Perfect for fans of A Dog’s Life and Because of Winn-Dixie. Miss Lottie’s home was for second chances. When she adopted Gus, Roo, Tank, and Moon Pie, Miss Lottie rescued each member of the pack—including herself, her helper, Quinn, and her reclusive cat, Ghost—and turned them into a family. But when a new dog, Decker, arrives and tries to hoard Miss Lottie’s heart and home for himself, the pack’s future is threatened. At first, Gus, the insecure pack leader, only notices little things, like tiny Moon Pie being kicked out of the bed and Ghost acting spooked (then again…Ghost is a cat). But things soon go from bad to worse as Decker’s presence causes disharmony in the group. When Decker convinces Moon Pie to embark on an impossible journey, it’s up to Gus to gather his courage, rally his splintered pack, and bring the little dog home. And with coyotes and cars on the loose, the pack must push through obstacles and dangers to reunite with Moon Pie before he can get hurt—or, nearly as bad, get his heart broken.

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From New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown comes a sweet romance about finding a place to truly call home. Being broke, unemployed, and stranded back in the tiny town of Pick, Texas, was not part of Jancy Wilson's plan. Yet here she is, watching her car literally go up in smoke—along with her last-ditch hope of staying with her cousin in Louisiana. When Jancy spies a Help Wanted sign hanging in the window of the quaint Strawberry Hearts Diner, the memories of the two years she spent there as a teenager—and the lure of the diner's beloved strawberry tarts—are enough to draw her in and plant her feet—but only temporarily. Raised by parents who refused to settle anywhere for long, Jancy has never known what it is to have roots. Now that Jancy's swept up by the warmth and character of this quirky little community—and by the pull of an old crush—it's beginning to feel like home. She's making friends and even discovering the sweetness of falling in love. But when the town is threatened, Jancy knows it will take more than its legendary tarts to save it. Can she fight for this little Texas town—knowing she might not stay forever?

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Are you struggling with what to do with difficult aging parents? Are they stubborn and refusing help? You are not alone. Millions of adult children face issues when parents’ health starts to decline and they can’t do things safely anymore. There is endless information on the internet, much of it confusing and even contradictory with common sense. Skip the confusion! Now you can get clear, professional, action-oriented answers to your most vexing legal, health care, and financial questions about your aging loved ones. Author Carolyn Rosenblatt is an RN and attorney with over 45 years of combined experience. She is a consultant for families at AgingParents.com, and her work there informs her writing. Find real case illustrations and real-life solutions to problems like yours. You’ll find a chapter on how to have the often uncomfortable money conversation with your aging parents, how to safely hire a home care worker, what you need to know about assisted living, how to get your parent to give up driving, how to prevent your loved ones from being abused and much more. The Family Guide to Aging Parents gives you the legal and healthcare expertise you need to guide you through the many difficult decisions you have to make as your parents age.

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An Amazon Charts bestseller. A plus-size Texas gal has designs on an old crush in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s exuberant, bighearted romance. In the small town of Celeste, Texas, Mitzi Taylor has never quite fit inside the lines. Nearly six feet tall, flame-haired, and with a plus-size spirit to match every curve, she’s found her niche: a custom wedding-dress boutique catering to big brides-to-be with big dreams. Taking the plunge alongside her two best friends, she’s proud they’ve turned The Perfect Dress into a perfect success. Just when Mitzi has it all pulled together, Graham Harrison walks back into her life, looking for bridesmaid dresses for his twin daughters. A still-strapping jock whose every gorgeous, towering inch smells like aftershave, the star of all Mitzi’s high school dreams is causing quite a flush. For Mitzi, all it takes is a touch to feel sparks flitting around her like fireflies. She can just imagine what a kiss could do. Graham’s feeling it, too. And he’s about to make that imagination of Mitzi’s run wild. Is it just a hot summer fling, or are Mitzi’s next designs for herself and seeing her own dreams come true?

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A coming-of-age memoir of a young swimmer's triumphs and heartbreaks on the path to winning Olympic gold at age 14. Some 50 years later, author Carolyn Wood embarks on a solo pilgrimage to walk the 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago in an attempt to reclaim her "inner tough girl" as she reflects on coming out as gay in the 1970s after a brief marriage and motherhood, and the disillusionment and loss she experiences when her 30-year relationship suddenly ends. After several failed attempts at learning to swim, young Carolyn Wood finally conquers her fears and dives into unknown waters. By 1958 she sets a goal to make the 1960 Olympic team and, along with teammates and competitors, begins the arduous road to Rome. Losses, pain, fear, and fatigue accompany the rambunctious athlete as she finds her way through athletic training, school, and dealing with social gender expectations as she realizes she's gay. Tough Girl artfully weaves Wood's life story around the tale of her long walk on the Camino de Santiago, an effort to tap into her tough girl resilience so she can begin to accept the end of her long marriage. The ups and downs of Carolyn's childhood road to the Olympics as well as her journey on the Camino, will thrill and inspire readers.

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No one writes sassy Southern charm like New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown:Join lively characters in quirky small town TexasFeisty women trade in their heels for cowboy bootsPlus a fiery fling to make you meltPearl Richland left home as soon as she could and never thought she'd look back. And she didn't, until she lost her job at the bank and had to fall back on the only thing left to her name: the motel her great-aunt Pearlita left to her. But with a winter storm coming and some suspicious activity around town, Pearl hunkers down in the motel with the only guest passing through town, a man named Will Marshall. Luckily, he's a welcome distraction as the long cold days quickly turn to hot nights…Previously published as Red's Hot Cowboy.Praise for Carolyn Brown:"Fans of beloved Southern films like Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes will flip for this charming small-town tale."—Woman's World for The Sister's Café"Peopled with quirky characters and full of sassy fun."—BookPage for Love Drunk Cowboy

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A bittersweet reunion becomes a time for looking back and starting over in a heartwarming new novel from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown. Miss Janie is at the end of a long and full life, but she has no intention of crossing that finish line until she’s found her girls… It’s been ten years since Teresa and Kayla shook off the dust of Birthright, Texas, went their separate ways, and never looked back. Apart from their foster mom, Miss Janie, they don’t have many fond memories of their hometown. Or of each other. Still, neither can forget the kind woman who opened her home and heart to two teenagers in need. When a private investigator—who just happens to be Miss Janie’s handsome nephew—tracks them both down and tells them Miss Janie is dying, Teresa and Kayla know deep down that they’ve got to be there for her as she had been there for them. With Teresa and Kayla together again under the same roof, old tensions may flare, but with Miss Janie’s help, they might rediscover that home is the perfect place for new beginnings.

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A headstrong woman discovers it’s never too late for change in New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s spirited novel about lost hope and second chances. Substitute counselor for wayward teens isn’t how public-school teacher Jayden Bennett planned to spend her summer vacation. However reluctant, she’s hiking up her jeans and heading for remote Piney Wood Academy in north Texas. Two months. Seven days a week. Few amenities. And three troubled girls daring Jayden to make a difference. She understands what she’s up against. She has her own burdens to bear. Jayden’s not in it alone. The devoted elderly couple who run Piney Wood trusts in Jayden’s tough-love approach to get the job done. So does drill instructor Elijah Thomas, whose hardened boot-camp hide conceals a heart broken one too many times. Jayden is making it beat again. For both of them, falling in love is a risk. Because all summers must come to an end. But with each new sunrise on these rustic acres, Jayden discovers that Piney Wood is a last chance for her, too. And with so many lives in turnaround, a new beginning for everyone could be a dream come true.

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A homeless young woman finds an unexpected family in beloved New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s novel of healing hearts and new beginnings in a small Texas town. In the fading town of Rooster, Texas, all that’s really left is a service station, a church…and the Banty House, a long-ago Depression-era brothel. For more than seventy-five years, Betsy, Connie, and Kate Carson have called their mama’s house a home. The three eccentric sisters get by just fine with their homemade jams and jellies, a little moonshine on the side, and big hearts always open to strangers. Like Ginger Andrews. An abandoned teen with a baby on the way and nowhere to go, she’s given a room to call her own for as long as she wants. The kind invitation is made all the sweeter when Ginger meets the sisters’ young handyman, Sloan Baker. But with a past as broken as Ginger’s, he’s vowed never to get close to anyone again. As a season of change unfolds, Ginger and Sloan might discover a warm haven to heal in the Banty House, a place to finally belong, where hope and dreams never fade.

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This is the second edition of a highly successful book - the only one available on this topic. The first edition was written by a well-known massage therapist and author, Gayle MacDonald. For the second edition Gayle has brought in a co-author, Carolyn Tague. Both are well-known and highly respected in the field of hospital massage therapy.The second edition focuses solely on the adult patient and has new chapters on aromatherapy massage, end-of-life care, cultural sensitivity and understanding the therapeutic relationship between patient and practitioner. It also incorporates new sections on addiction and neurological disorders, as well as the most recent research from around the world. The new edition is highly illustrated with full color photographs and drawings, including many new illustrations.

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Join the millions who have fallen in love with New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown in her landmark hundredth novel. At the end of her rope, single mom Lily Anderson is determined to move her rebellious children in the right direction. That means taking away their cell phones, tablets, and computers—at least temporarily—and moving to the house where Lily grew up in the rural town of Comfort, Texas. But Lily has a bigger challenge than two sulking kids. The house comes with Mack Cooper, high school teacher and handsome longtime renter. The arrangement: just housemates. But Mack’s devoted attention to the kids starts to warm Lily’s resistant heart. Then Lily finds an old leather-bound book in which five generations of her female ancestors shared their struggles and dreams. To Lily, it’s a bracing reminder about the importance of family…and love. Now it’s time for Lily to add an adventurous new chapter to the cherished family journal—by embracing a fresh start and taking a chance on a man who could make her house a home.

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New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown’s heartwarming novel about old rivalries, young love, and a lemon meringue pie to die for. In Bonnet, Texas, Liddy Latham, the queen of funeral dinners, keeps a southern comfort-food tradition alive—until fancy-schmancy Matilda Monroe moves back to town. She wants room at the table for her own style of consolation and closure: healthy, modern, and vegan. But this is about more than fried chicken versus tofu turkey. Matilda’s return is also stirring up their volatile, unresolved history. And just when they thought it couldn’t get more personal… Matilda’s son, Nick, and Liddy’s niece, Amelia, have met and the sparks are flying. For Matilda and Liddy, their precious kin’s romance is their worst nightmare. Now, it’s all Nick and Amelia can do to survive a family feud that has the whole town talking. The battle for the funeral dinner crown is on. As two strong-willed women wrestle for control, making peace with the past may be the only way to serve the star-crossed lovers a happy ending.

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It's a battle of the sexes like never before in this delightfully funny, escapist cowboy romance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown!She's a self-made city girl...The last thing I expected out of my life was to be saddled with a watermelon farm deep in the Oklahoma countryside. I'm a city girl, through and through, and my stilettos are not meant for farming. The only solution is to sell the place before I'm stuck with a truckload of overripe watermelons, and I'm forced to set up a farm stand on the side of a dirt road. *Shudder.*But the minute I think I've got a way out, my drop-dead sexy new neighbor Rye O'Donnell shows up. Maybe there's time for a little cowboy love after all...He's a down-home rancher…Knowing my former neighbor Granny Lanier's property was going up for sale, I thought I might have a chance at my dream property. But then I met her granddaughter, Austin, and found myself knocked sideways by the sexy-as-hell, savvy businesswoman.Perhaps it's time to set aside my real estate ambitions and convince this gorgeous city slicker just how much fun a little fling on the farm can be.Includes a brand-new bonus novella!"A crazy fun read. Carolyn Brown's books give me that happy feeling…you know, that happy feeling that makes you want to sing."—Love Romance Passion"Fun, witty and easy to enjoy... you can't help but wish for your own piece of country life."—My Overstuffed Bookshelf"What an absolutely adorable story... This book will have you laughing so hard."—The Romance Studio"Peopled with quirky characters and full of sassy fun."—BookPage

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Two books for the price of one! Get USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Brown's new Western, cowboy romance PLUS the full-length novel Hometown Cowboy by Sara Richardson.Fate has brought Carla Williams home to Happy, Texas-and to Jace Dawson-but her secret will either bring them together or tear them apart.When Jace Dawson sees Carla Williams back in Happy, Texas, he can hardly believe his eyes. The memory of their high school graduation night ten years ago is forever branded in his memory. That was the night he and Carla wound up in a hay loft together. At the end of that summer, she moved away, but Jace could never forget the way Carla felt in his arms. Carla Williams hoped that coming back to Happy, Texas to take care of her grandmother would be a great opportunity to get over Jace Dawson once and for all. The wild cowboy was always way above her social standing. But closure isn't easy to come by with the small-town of Happy abuzz with talk of who fathered Carla's red-haired sassy daughter.

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An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller. The worst of times calls for the best of friends in this sassy novel about starting over, from New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown. Dear friends and army wives Diana, Carmen, and Joanie have been through war, rumors of war, marital problems, motherhood, fears, joy, and heartache. But none of the women are prepared when their daughters decide to enlist in the army together. Facing an empty nest won’t be easy. Especially for Carmen. With emotions already high, she suffers an even greater blow: divorce papers. Diana understands the fury and tears. She’s been there. With nothing to lose and no one at home, the girlfriends impulsively accept an unexpected offer from their elderly neighbor. The recently widowed Tootsie has an RV, a handsome nephew at the wheel, and an aim for tiny Scrap, Texas, to embrace memories of her late husband. Still grieving, she can use the company as a balm for her broken heart. So can the empty nesters. Embarking on a journey of hope, romance, and healing, Diana, Carmen, and Joanie are at a turning point in their lives. And with the open road ahead of them, it’s just the beginning.

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This heartwarming romantic Christmas story from bestselling author Carolyn Brown shows that even the most unexpected situation can prove to be a true gift.Snowed in with an attractive stranger? Not what either of them expected for Christmas.Sage Presley's Western paintings are in big demand. She should be at her gallery's holiday show, but instead she races back to Palo Duro Canyon in a desperate effort to prevent her grandmother from selling her ranch. Even though she doesn't spend much time there these days, Sage can't imagine the rest of her life without those roots, not to mention the feeling of not having a place to come home for Christmas.Sage arrives at the ranch to find that Grand has gone off to visit her sister and Creed Riley in residence. Creed's a seasoned rancher, and he's ready to take over. The fact that he's so attractive only irritates Sage more. She's devastated, and to make things worse, she's now stuck at the ranch with a blizzard closing in, no electricity, and a stranger taking up space.Soon Sage finds the house filling up with stray animals fleeing the blizzard, and the handsome stranger turning out to be just the company she needed. It may not be how she pictured, but Christmas at home has never felt so right.(Originally published as Mistletoe Cowboy.)

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A #1 Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller. New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown brings together two wounded hearts in a Texas romance of second chances and twice-in-a-lifetime true love. Inheriting the Magnolia Inn, a Victorian home nestled in the East Texas pines, is a fantasy come true for Jolene Broussard. After living with the guilt of failing to rescue her self-destructive mother, Jolene knows her aunt and uncle’s B&B is the perfect jump start for a new life and a comforting place to call home. There’s just one hitch: stubborn and moody carpenter Tucker Malone. He’s got a half interest in the Magnolia Inn, and he’s planting his dusty cowboy boots squarely in the middle of her dream. Ever since his wife’s death, Tucker’s own guilt and demons have left him as guarded as Jolene. The last thing he expects is for his new partner to stir something inside him he thought was gone forever. And as wary as Jolene is, she may have found a kindred spirit—someone she can help, and someone she can hold on to. Restoring the Magnolia Inn is the first step toward restoring their hearts. Will they be able to let go of the past and trust each other to do it together?

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Axiom Business Book Award 2023 Bronze Co-Medalist, Leadership CategoryBronze award recipient for the 2022 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year – Career (Adult Nonfiction) The Emotionally Strong Leader offers those leading our workplaces, organizations, and institutions an opportunity to transform their leadership and their lives by learning to harness the power contained in recognizing and understanding their feelings. For leaders, managing their emotions and leading with a strong mind and a kind heart while using a set of clear, simple, and tested skills and strategies will enable them to connect more authentically and communicate more effectively with their colleagues and teams. This kind of connection and communication creates an environment of trust and belonging that will spur engagement, spike curiosity, and engender fraternity in the workplace. How does one get there? By leading with emotional intelligence.Unfortunately, too many leaders choose another path; one that eschews their emotions and those of their employees as bothersome and unimportant to the task at hand. This limited and damaging viewpoint tends to make people feel as though they are simply task-managing machines and not the terrific and complex individuals full of energy, passion, and unlimited potential that they are.What we need are leaders who understand themselves from the inside out, who know why they do what they do, and who use the information their feelings provide to help them make informed, rational decisions—especially when the stakes are high. We need leaders who express humility, engage in genuine and caring conversations with the people they lead, and who aren’t afraid to admit when they make a mistake.We need executives who are both emotional and strong.Author Carolyn Stern’s six-step self-coaching model—adapted from emotional intelligence courses she’s developed for major universities and corporations across North America—is backed by decades of field experience and top science on emotions and behavior. Stern’s model is the tool leaders need to uncover their barriers to growth and change, set personal goals, and tap into their motivation. It will give them the means and drive to manage the hurdles life throws at them, dramatically impacting their performance, results, and happiness.Simply put, The Emotionally Strong Leader will turn the way readers think about leading on its head.

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They can be found along the side streets of many American cities: herb or candle shops catering to practitioners of Voodoo, hoodoo, SanterÍa, and similar beliefs. Here one can purchase ritual items and raw materials for the fabrication of traditional charms, plus a variety of soaps, powders, and aromatic goods known in the trade as “spiritual products.” For those seeking health or success, love or protection, these potions offer the power of the saints and the authority of the African gods.In Spiritual Merchants, Carolyn Morrow Long provides an inside look at the followers of African-based belief systems and the retailers and manufacturers who supply them. Traveling from New Orleans to New York, from Charleston to Los Angeles, she takes readers on a tour of these shops, examines the origins of the products, and profiles the merchants who sell them.Long describes the principles by which charms are thought to operate, how ingredients are chosen, and the uses to which they are put. She then explores the commodification of traditional charms and the evolution of the spiritual products industry—from small-scale mail order "doctors" and hoodoo drugstores to major manufacturers who market their products worldwide. She also offers an eye-opening look at how merchants who are not members of the culture entered the business through the manufacture of other goods such as toiletries, incense, and pharmaceuticals. Her narrative includes previously unpublished information on legendary Voodoo queens and hoodoo workers, as well as a case study of John the Conqueror root and its metamorphosis from spirit-embodying charm to commercial spiritual product.No other book deals in such detail with both the history and current practices of African-based belief systems in the United States and the evolution of the spiritual products industry. For students of folklore or anyone intrigued by the world of charms and candle shops, Spiritual Merchants examines the confluence of African and European religion in the Americas and provides a colorful introduction to a vibrant aspect of contemporary culture.The Author: Carolyn Morrow Long is a preservation specialist and conservator at the the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

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Policymakers and public managers around the world have become preoccupied with the question of how their goals can be achieved in a way that rebuilds public confidence in government. Yet because public policies and programs increasingly are being administered through a complicated web of jurisdictions, agencies, and public-private partnerships, evaluating their effectiveness is more difficult than in the past. Though social scientists possess insightful theories and powerful methods for conducting empirical research on governance and public management, their work is too often fragmented and irrelevant to the specific tasks faced by legislators, administrators, and managers. Proposing a framework for research based on the premise that any particular governance arrangement is embedded in a wider social, fiscal, and political context, Laurence E. Lynn, Jr., Carolyn J. Heinrich, and Carolyn J. Hill argue that theory-based empirical research, when well conceived and executed, can be a primary source of fundamental, durable knowledge about governance and policy management. Focusing on complex human services such as public assistance, child protection, and public education, they construct an integrative, multilevel "logic of governance," that can help researchers increase the sophistication, power, and relevance of their work.

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