Pocket Shop

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography is one of the most famous works in American literature. He started it as a private collection of anecdotes for his son, but soon it was transformed into a work of history. This is a charming, self-portrait of one of America's greatest forefathers.

Life changed forever when the doctor diagnosed my husband with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease. Extreme tragedy, dread, and grief surrounded us as the disease stalked him unmercifully. It finally defeated him with death after long months of torture. There were many challenges during our journey. We struggled to accept the inevitable, understand the disease and its consequences, and to find appropriate medical care and treatment. The mental, emotional, and heart-wrenching consequences of grief, despair, fear, helplessness, and then hopelessness were the greatest challenges of all. At the time of my husband's diagnosis, I had been a practicing R.N for forty-five years. I had cared for many people with serious or terminal illnesses, and suffering and death were not foreign to me. However, I knew little about ALS. I recalled from nursing school that it is a rather rare disease with no known cure. As I began the search for information, it became clear very quickly that this was no ordinary disease, but an exceedingly ruthless and deadly affliction. The care for someone with an illness such as this would be complicated. There was a great deal to learn, and I realized that I was not at all prepared. During my daily caregiving efforts, especially as the illness progressed, I had my nursing education, experience, and skills to assist me. I wondered how someone with no skills or medical background would ever be able to cope with the enormity of it all. I came to believe that if God showed me the way, lessons learned could equip me to help others who may take a similar journey. This is Bill's story, for the suffering belonged to him, as did the courage. The telling of it has not been easy. Many times since his death, I have sat down with the best intentions of putting it all together. However, feelings or images would take me back to some sorrowful time or event, and painful memories would not allow me to continue. The thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and conclusions found in the story are strictly my own; as witnessed from the vantage point of spouse, caregiver, and friend. The journal where I recorded those nineteen difficilt months provides the chronicle for the pages. Keeping a journal helped me to cope, stay focused on Bill's care, and retain some degree of sanity in the midst of the surrounding turmoil. I could pour out my anguish, my fears, and my frustrations onto its pages. The story details the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual challenges involved in coping with an illness such as ALS. It contains a mixture of useful information about a mysterious, complicated disease; life lessons learned, and the fight to sustain life through medical care, perseverence, hope, courage, and faith. It is my sincere hope that this story will assist to light the way for someone who is caring for a person in a battle against this particular horrendous disease. My prayer is that something written on the pages will provide a measure of comfort and hope to anyone who may be struggling in the midst of a similar terrible trial. The story has been written in Bill's memory. Even though the telling of it has reawakened sadness, heartache, and grief, it has been cleansing for my soul. The reader will find that I sometimes faltered and stumbled along the way. I did not always make the best decisions. I put on my nurse's hat more often than I should have, and I wore it too long. The last months of my husband's life were especially trying, for I was dealing with my second bout of breast cancer when the ALS was having its worst effects on his mind and body. Even though the entire journey was difficult, the hardest were those last weeks and days when it was clear that he was going to die and leave me. I had to hold fast to my faith during those times, and when the darkest hours vanquished all assurance of hope...I held on mightily to God's enduring promises.

If you’re a fan of supernatural fiction then you will be captivated by this true story about a spiritually sensitive girl and the path that led to her possession. Part one of a two-part series, Saving Mary is the story of a modern-day Mary Magdalene—the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons.

Deidre Daily is drawn to anything seemingly spiritual, desperately seeking a spiritual existence. But inside this vibrant girl hides a terrified child who sincerely believes she has married the devil. Through a series of spiritual encounters her fear turns into reality, and she ends up possessed.

Deidre’s fascinating memoir relays her story from childhood to adolescence: invisible eyes leering at her from the corner of her bedroom, horrible nightmares tormenting her, and her desperate attempt to find God—only to end up possessed. It is a candid account of possession from a first-person perspective. This dark memoir brings to light an intricate world of deceitful spirits hell-bent on manipulating and damaging an innocent girl’s life, not only through her dreams, but also through seemingly every-day encounters.

Travel with Deidre into the mysterious world of spirits, ghosts and demons. Awaken yourself to a world that isn’t supposed to exist; a world that’s as intriguing as it is sinister. And then emerge as a new person—invigorated, aware and intent on living in the light. Saving Mary; Not just another story about a girl and her exorcist.

Watch for book two, Saving Mary: The Deliverance
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"Human beings fear the unknown. So, whatever's freaking you out, grab it by the balls and say hello. Then it ain't the unknown anymore and it ain't scary. Or I guess it could be a shitload scarier."

Fans of the #1 bestseller Sh*t My Dad Says will recognize the always-patient voice of Justin Halpern's dad as it crackles through the pages of this hysterical new book. The story begins when Justin takes his dad out to lunch to announce that he's decided to propose to his girlfriend.

"You've been dating her for four years," his dad replies. "It ain't like you found a parallel fucking universe."

But eventually he gives Justin some advice: that he should take a day off and think back over everything he's learned in life about women, relationships, and himself before making his decision. And that's just what Justin does—revisiting everything from his disastrous childhood crushes to the night he finally lost his virginity while working as a dishwasher at Hooters.

I Suck at Girls is full of his dad's patented brand of wisdom. But it's also full of new characters just as funny as his dad—from his brother, who provides insights into wedding night rituals ("You stand in one corner of the room, and she stands in the other. You each take off one piece of clothing at a time") to his first boss, who warns Justin to man up: "That's what a man does. He takes his shots and then he scrubs the shit out of some dishes." The result is a pilgrim's progress through the landscape of sex and love—by one of the funniest writers at work today.