Search results for ""Author Michael Thomas""

This much-anticipated sequel to the acclaimed fan-favorite novel Suicide Notes is a funny, touching look at what happens when you give up trying to be someone people want you to be and become exactly who you are.Jeff spent forty-five days in the psych ward of a hospital after a suicide attempt. Now that he’s home and has accepted that he’s gay, he’s ready to reenter his life feeling stronger and more comfortable being his true self than ever before.But it’s hard to come back to an old life when you have a new perspective on it. Returning to school is complicated, and his mother’s anxiety isn’t helping. Jeff will also have to figure out how to reconnect with his best friend, Allie, whose boyfriend he kissed before he went to the hospital. To make things even more complicated, a fellow patient from the ward suddenly appears at school, which brings up all kinds of mixed emotions for Jeff.Luckily, he’s got new friends from a local community center for queer youths to help him through it all. And some may turn out to be more than just friends…***"Generous, wry, and big-hearted. A touching and riotous journey through the legacies of pain and the wonders of connection." —Eliot Schrefer, two-time National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author"Michael Thomas Ford put me through it with this stunning sequel. A touching, funny, and thoughtful exploration of how we move on from our toughest choices and embrace what makes us unique, even if we're imperfect."—Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue“In Every Star That Falls, Ford examines with heart and compassion not just what it is to be queer, but the ways in which queerness changes relationships and frees us.” —LC Rosen, author of Jack of Hearts and Camp“Every Star That Falls is an extraordinarily fun and wild ride that will make you laugh and cry on numerous occasions. There is no way to tell what happens next but each chapter comes with a wonderful surprise that keeps you hooked into the moment. The book brings you a lot of things—complex characters, intricate relationships and a beautiful message for the new generation. It’s the kind of story that genuinely reflects the growing complexity of life for young people.” —Vincent Tirado, author of the Pura Belpre Award–winning Burn Down, Rise Up

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This much-anticipated sequel to the acclaimed fan-favorite novel Suicide Notes is a funny, touching look at what happens when you give up trying to be someone people want you to be and become exactly who you are.Jeff spent forty-five days in the psych ward of a hospital after a suicide attempt. Now that he’s home and has accepted that he’s gay, he’s ready to reenter his life feeling stronger and more comfortable being his true self than ever before.But it’s hard to come back to an old life when you have a new perspective on it. Returning to school is complicated, and his mother’s anxiety isn’t helping. Jeff will also have to figure out how to reconnect with his best friend, Allie, whose boyfriend he kissed before he went to the hospital. To make things even more complicated, a fellow patient from the ward suddenly appears at school, which brings up all kinds of mixed emotions for Jeff.Luckily, he̵

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Tour 24 graveyards in Orange County, California. Photos help identify burial locations and 200 life stories include President Richard Nixon, murder victim Nicole Brown Simpson, famed aviator Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan, Olympic hero Florence Griffith-Joyner, and John Wayne. Also featured are numerous founders of Orange County, victims of true crime, sports stars, politicians, and legends of entertainment. Read their informative stories, and follow step-by-step directions to their graves.

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Relive some of the most notorious and long-forgotten historical crime stories of early California, from the Gold Rush to the mid-twentieth century. Told through shocking newspaper headlines of the time, these 52 stories include the exploits and dastardly deeds of infamous bandits, Joaquin Murrieta, Juan Flores, and Tiburcio Vasquez. Experience the poetic adventures of the most famous stagecoach robber, Black Bart, the murderous rampages of fiends, such as John Anschlag, Mose Gibson, Leon Soeder, Theodore Durrant, and the infamous Black Widow, Louise Peete. Also discussed are a treasure trove of unsolved murders including the notorious Black Dahlia slaying, the killing of mobster Bugsy Siegel, and the San Diego Slayer case. These true tales come to life with dozens of rare photographs. Sit back and relax as the darker side of the Golden State is explored.

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An essential and concise reference guide to the final resting places of the monarchs of England. Through 234 illustrations and photos, learn the true-life stories of the monarchs of England from the warrior kings of the Dark Ages to modern day and where they are buried today. Visit some of the famous cathedrals and lesser-known burial sites throughout Great Britain. Learn about some of the most dramatic episodes in the history of Great Britain. Whether it's William the Conqueror's slaying of Harold Godwinson, Henry VIII's readiness to behead his unfortunate wives, or Elizabeth I's chastity, these monarchs hold both legendary and symbolic positions in the public imagination. In a spectacular celebration of the British monarchy, discover momentous content detailing the lives and final resting places of each ruler. Also presented are their achievements and failings, as well as their impact on the wider world. A magnificent visual feast, this book guarantees to bring history alive for readers of all ages, through exciting narrative, illustrations, paintings, and rare photographs.

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California's picturesque shores have always been a magnet for outcasts and criminals. Read about 64 of the most horrifying crimes ever committed in The Golden State, from the early 1950s into the 1980s. These accounts tell of man’s inhumanity toward his fellow man and provide an inside look at infamous serial killers, assassins, sadistic rapists, bank robbers, kidnappers, Satan worshippers, and a plethora of other notorious criminals. Revisit “The Sex Club Slaying,” “The Chowchilla School Bus Kidnapping,” and the “Real House on Haunted Hill.” Be glad you're not on the helpful list of "The Lonely Hearts Killer" or "Souls for Satan." Written in an accessible, chronological sequence and enhanced by over 60 photographs, each entry provides an overview of the crime, the parties involved, evidence gathered, and leading theories about solutions. This reference is indispensable for the study of the history of modern crime in California.

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America’s Literary Legends is a concise, yet truly distinctive and comprehensive review of 50 authors and poets who shaped American literature from the 1600s through the mid-twentieth century. Fully grounded in sound literary and historical scholarship, this anthology takes a fresh approach to the lives and burial places of the greatest authors of American literature. It includes such masters as Irving, Poe, Whitman, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald, and features introductions to each time period with an overview of the historical, cultural, and literary background of the era. Through succinct and engaging biographies, extensive descriptive observations, and 200 photographs, these great writers come to life. Innovative and authoritative, America’s Literary Legends embodies a fresh approach to the study of American literature and the authors whose works have become classics.

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Journey into the best of British Isles literati in this comprehensive and concise review of 50 of the greatest writers and poets. Learn how these distinctive individuals shaped prose from the late medieval period through the mid-twentieth century. Fully grounded in sound literary and historical scholarship, this anthology takes a fresh approach to the lives and burial places of these literary greats. It includes such masters as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Austen, Dickens, Wordsworth, Keats, Tennyson, Wilde, Kipling, Woolf, Joyce, and many more. Featuring complete introductions to each period, there is an overview of the historical, cultural, and literary backgrounds of the era. Through engaging biographies, extensive descriptive observations, and 158 illustrations, these great writers come alive. Innovative, authoritative, and comprehensive, Literary Legends of the British Isles embodies a new perspective to the study of English literature and the authors whose works have become classics.

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Tour the final resting places of Hollywood's Oscar-winning legends of the Golden Age (1927 to 1950). Visit burial locations and read shocking life stories and film career biographies of extraordinary actors, actresses, and directors. Stories include famous names such as Mary Pickford, Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Jimmy Stewart, James Cagney, Ingrid Bergman, and many more. Helpful travel directions allow you to sit back, relax, and hold on, as you get up close and personal with some of Hollywood's greatest bygone icons.

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An unforgettable coming of age novel for fans of 13 Reasons Why, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year’s Day to find himself in the hospital—specifically, in the psychiatric ward.Despite the bandages on his wrists, he’s positive this is all some huge mistake. Jeff is perfectly fine, perfectly normal; not like the other kids in the hospital with him.But over the course of the next forty-five days, Jeff begins to understand why he ended up here—and realizes he has more in common with the other kids than he thought.“With a sprinkling of dark humor and a full measure of humanness, Suicide Notes is quirky, surprising, and a riveting read.” —Ellen Hopkins, author of The You I’ve Never Known and Love Lies Beneath“Like the very best teen novels, Suicide Notes is both classic and edgy, timeless and provocative.” —Brent Hartinger, author of Geography Club“Makes a powerful emotional impact.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Jeff’s wit and self-discovery are refreshing, poignant, and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny.” —School Library Journal

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This book is the first substantive scholarly book on project-based and cross-curricular language learning using digital technologies. The book includes new empirical research on project-based language learning utilizing CALL technologies and conceptual and theoretical chapters that address new methodological approaches for researching project-based and cross-curricular language learning in digitally-mediated learning environments. This dual focus distinguishes the volume from previous books on project-based learning in which digital technologies have not been the main focus. CALL research involving a variety of languages is also offered. The book is timely in that, inspired by OECD reports and curriculum reforms in several countries, a repositioning and re-evaluation of foreign language education in school-based education has been taking place in which foreign language learning is taught in a multi-disciplinary approach involving an emphasis on collaborative literacies, including problem-solving, civic engagement, social justice and telecollaboration. In this mix, language learning, particularly driven by developments in CLIL (content and integrated language learning), is being taught as one of several disciplines in a way that firmly emphasizes communication and creativity rather than a traditional functional approach.

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While most of the fighting took place in the South, the Civil War profoundly affected the North. As farm boys became soldiers and marched off to battle, social, economic, and political changes transformed northern society. In the generations following the conflict, historians tried to understand and explain the North’s Civil War experience. Many historical explanations became taken for granted, such as that the Union Army was ideologically Republican, northern Democrats were disloyal, and German Americans were lousy soldiers. Now in this eye-opening collection of eleven stimulating essays, new and important information is unearthed that solidly challenges the old historical arguments. The essays in This Distracted and Anarchical People range widely throughout the history of the Civil War North, using new methods and sources to reexamine old theories and discover new aspects of the nation’s greatest conflict. Many of these issues are just as important today as they were a century and a half ago. What were the extent and limits of wartime dissent in the North? How could a president most effectively present himself to the public? Can the savagery of war ever be tamed? How did African Americans create and maintain their families? This Distracted and Anarchical People highlights the newest scholarship on a diverse array of topics, bringing fresh insight to bear on some of the most important topics in history today—such as the democratic press in the antebellum North, peace movements, the Union Army and the elections of 1864, Liberia and the U.S. Civil War, and African American veterans and marriage practices after Emancipation.

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“I’m pretty sure I’m the only guy in my school who can replace a faulty kick-down switch and also create the perfect smoky eye.”The Weyward family has been haunted by a curse for generations—if a Weyward falls in love before their seventeenth birthday, the person they love dies.Sam doesn’t plan to fall for anyone in the weeks before his birthday. He’ll spend his time working at the Eezy-Freeze with his dad; cooking up some midsummer magic with his grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother (the Grands); and experimenting with drag with the help of the queens at the Shangri-La, the local gay club.But when a new guy comes to town, Sam finds himself in trouble when they strike up a friendship that might be way more than that.As Sam’s birthday approaches and he still hasn’t quite fallen in love, the curse seems to get more powerful and less specific about who it targets.A mysterious girl Sam talks to on the phone late at night and a woman he’s only seen in a dream might have the answers he’s been looking for—but time is running out to save the people he cares about.

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There's an old saying in the news business: if it bleeds, it leads. The nightly California news and other media outlets are filled with stories of crime, killing, and sorrow. Within these pages rediscover 46 of the most notorious murders and shocking crimes committed by women in the state of California between 1850 and 1950. Examine the accounts of such notorious murderesses as the “Black Widow,” Louise Peete; “Tiger Woman,” Clara Phillips; the “Duchess,” Juanita Spinelli; and many more. Written in chronological sequence and enhanced by 50 photographs, each entry provides a concise overview of the crime, background information, and final dispositions. At one point these California crimes horrified the collective imaginations of the state—and nation—but many have faded away from our historical consciousness. They’re back. This book is an indispensable reference tool for anyone interested in California history and crime.

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What makes a male nude romantic, as opposed to merely erotic? The more obvious attributes might be soft focus, soft lighting, silk bedding, sylvan settings, roses, lace curtains, moonlight. Perhaps it is the look of a model, or the expression on his face; maybe it is the warmth of the embrace between two lovers, or the longing in a young man’s eyes.Each of the images in this book, the first anthology to bring together a group of celebrated photographers to thematically celebrate romance in the male nude, stirs the imagination to create a story around it—a story of youthful yearning or an idyllic day, a story about the blossoming love between two men, or even about the rapport between a photographer and his model.The photographers represented here—among them Reed Massengill, Kobi Israel, Tom Bianchi, Ed Freeman, David Vance, and Michael Childers—live and work in places as disparate as Israel, Guatemala, England, Cuba, Brazil, France, Hong Kong, Greece, Sweden, and Germany, in addition to the United States. Their diversity proves that romanticism flourishes everywhere in the world.

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'You can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking that created them.' Albert EinsteinPicture This is a 21st-century concept that draws on the ancient practices of bibliomancy, Tarot and the I Ching.The book includes 41 images, each accompanied by seven simple questions. As you look at each picture, you use the questions as prompts to help you identify what you want - or don't want; to solve a problem, or find a new perspective on something. Perhaps you are feeling stuck in some way. You may have a particular dilemma or decision to make. Picture This is like learning a new language, but a language that you can become fluent in almost immediately. Use Picture This on your own or have fun sharing it with friends and discover an inspirational and engaging way to start changing your life.

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An indispensable volume detailing the current and potential applications of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment by experts practicing in fields around the world Polymers are used in a wide variety of industries to fabricate legions of products because of their many desirable traits. However, polymers in general (and polyolefins, in particular) are innately not very adhesionable because of the absence of polar or reactive groups on their surfaces and concomitant low surface energy. Surface treatment of polymers, however, is essential to impart reactive chemical groups on their surfaces to enhance their adhesion characteristic. Proper surface treatment can endow polymers with improved adhesion without affecting the bulk properties. A plethora of techniques (ranging from wet to dry, simple to sophisticated, vacuum to non-vacuum) for polymer surface modification have been documented in the literature but the Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (APP) treatment has attracted much attention because it offers many advantages vis-a-vis other techniques, namely uniform treatment, continuous operation, no need for vacuum, simplicity, low cost, no environmental or disposal concern, and applicability to large area samples. Although the emphasis in this book is on the utility of APP treatment for enhancement of polymer adhesion, APP is also applicable and effective to modulate many other surface properties of polymers: superhydrophilicity, superhydrophobicity, anti-fouling, anti-fogging, anti-icing, cell adhesion, biocompatibility, tribological behavior, etc. The key features of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment of Polymers: Address design and functions of various types of reactors Bring out current and potential applications of APP treatment Represent the cumulative wisdom of many key academic and industry researchers actively engaged in this key and enabling technology

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