Inspired by the events of his 2022 award-winning book, Captured by COVID: Deceit, Conspiracy, and Death—A True Story. Michael E. Bowers’s Olivia is a story of adoration, hatred, desolation, exhilaration, and heartbreak. Caught between two forces far beyond her control, Olivia’s quiet life is shattered when she becomes collateral damage in a deadly clash between the DEA and a ruthless Mexican cartel. As her world unravels, those around her spiral into darkness—none more than Allen, whose descent into unthinkable acts reveals a side no one ever imagined he possessed.
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Sometimes corporate leaders forget that businesses are human systems. Revenue, innovation, and growth are all generated by human beings. Employees left Corporate America in droves during The Great Resignation of 2021 and 2022—an important wakeup call. But even when companies try to “fix” or improve their culture, a whopping 85% of these efforts fail. Why is this statistic so dismal? Because you can’t put a bandage on a broken culture. As human systems, companies must heal or align from the inside out—one human at a time and starting at the top. The CEO and leadership team must do foundational work to understand what’s driving and shaping behaviors. Only when a culture is intentionally designed can it inspire people to fully engage in strategies and tactics that move the human system forward. What author Margaret Graziano proposes in Ignite Culture is a fundamental shift in leadership’s approach to creating an intentional, healthy, high-performance organization. Offering a unique combination of experiential coaching, evidence-based leadership tools, and actionable strategies, Ignite Culture empowers business leaders with the wisdom and insights they need to reshape their company’s culture, increase employee engagement, and grow revenue in a supportive, high-performance environment. -
Navigating the stormy seas of the 1960s wasn't easy, especially if Vietnam was on your horizon. Ignoring his 2-S selective service deferment, Conor Patrick McKall volunteers for the draft, and Uncle Sam promptly deposits him in the Big Green Machine. Six months later McKall is walking point in jungles, rice paddies, and rubber plantations. In nine short months, he's made an infantry squad leader responsible for a dozen other grunts. In the "boonies," life is lived one day at a time. Joining McKall's squad is Jack "Red" Sheridan whose near-death encounter with a black panther presents challenges to his credibility from other members of Lima Platoon. When McKall stands with Sheridan, an unbreakable bond develops. They meet Red Cross Donut Dollies and together experience the infamous Black Virgin Mountain where the good guys control the top and the bad guys the rest. Escaping Vietnam for a handful of days on R&R in Sydney, Conor experiences Aussie hospitality and the attention of a green-eyed beauty who offers him a chance to escape the war. Loyal to his oath and to his men, Sergeant McKall barely has time to supplant the fading scent of Chanel before he and his squad must face their determined and deadly adversaries. The arbitrary gauntlet of Vietnam offers no guarantees. -
David Benjamin pays homage to the exuberance of countless untamed boys who grew up in Middle America at mid-century. Whether he’s stalking snakes in the bogs of Wisconsin, playing four-kid baseball with his bothersome little brother and two favorite cousins, leaping garbage cans for a beautiful little redheaded girl, or joining Chucky Dutcher for a movie marathon at the Erwin Theater, Benjamin is the kind of precocious ironist who would have found a sidekick in Huck Finn. His tales and insights lyrically capture a precious moment in bygone American life, as Benjamin recalls the myriad scrapes, reckless escapades and wanderlust that once made childhood an exhilarating — or terrifying — adventure. -
The fastest growing segment of the horse world is women mid-life and beyond. This thorough but light-hearted guide welcomes you to the equine life. Whether a newcomer to the world of hay and hoofs more someone who’s been in the saddle since childhood, you’ll find information about every aspect of the horse world. Riders of a Certain Age is full of wisdom and sound advice for people coming into horses as adults. It encourages us to keep riding forward at a point in life when others might expect us to whoa. From leasing to leakage, money to manure, this engagingly candid, comprehensive resource is an owner’s manual for reclaiming the right to indulge your horse-loving inner child. With carefully curated guidance collected over years of horsing around, Fran Severn presents you with tips, lessons, and advice as you begin enjoying a life with horses in it. You’ll find information about: -Getting into the saddle (or not, but still enjoying horses) -Finding an instructor and being a good student -Understanding and overcoming fear -Riding with ‘replacement parts’ -Dealing with the physical changes and challenges of our older bodies -Learning the world of buying, leasing, and boarding horses -Managing your ‘stable finances’ to pay for it all and still stay solvent -
Have you ever had anger or resentment toward someone or yourself that just won’t go away? Does it keep you up at night as you toss and turn? If you answered yes to either of these questions, The Art of Forgiveness is a valuable book for you to read. It guides you on a journey that resolves your feelings of anger/resentment. It brings you peace and freedom from resentment, such that you gain a calm and serene attitude. The Art of Forgiveness: A Promise of Peace helps you heal from the wounds that started the anger/resentment to begin with. You may have struggled with these wounds for years, so when you begin to get relief, your wounds gradually resolve.
Throughout The Art of Forgiveness are tidbits of wisdom that CJ learned on her journey. Those bits of wisdom are life savers for you to use in your own journey to wholeness as you travel toward peace.
Currently available exclusively on AMPlify Audiobooks!
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Detached: How to Let Go, Heal, & Become Irresistible is a transformative guide for anyone who feels stuck in patterns of self-sabotage, overthinking, or settling for less—especially in relationships. -
UNBURY YOUR GAYS For centuries our stories of romance and love were hidden, coded within for future readers to decipher. There is none of that here. Here's a shovel. Twenty-five stories and poems explore the spectrum of queerness through love and lust, and a little blood. Twisted fairytales, possessed jewelry, a house that offers your desires but you can never leave, a god's bathroom glory hole, an asexual cult, and more show you THE PLEASURE IN PAIN. -
After coming across an unexpected discovery in their storage unit, a couple enlists the help of the SFPD's Homicide Bureau to decipher their findings. The case becomes part of the workload for a two-officer team, Inspectors John O'Neill and Liam Donnelly, who follow a broken trail to find the criminal. With the help of Inspector Kathy Sullivan from Vice, the inspectors uncover the recent disappearances of girls in the escort and mail order bride services. The question remains – who is the man behind all this? This novel is an unraveling of twisted events that shakes up the SFPD and the city's justice system, with everyone involved giving it their all to solve this intriguing case. -
Experience the rhythm of life within an elephant family. Journey with Lua as she leads her family along the interwoven paths that she shares with humans and other animals as they confront a land on the brink of collapse. Both fiction and nonfiction, Knowing Wonder: An Elephant Story invites you to explore the world of elephants within the context of real behavior and events connected with scientific insight into their inner lives. Know the family’s intimacy in birth and death, joy and sorrow. As Lua navigates the seasons of her life, she will challenge you to change the way you see her and the world. You will never look at elephants the same. -
Sins, Tragedies, and Other Things That Make Us Human is a collection of five thought-provoking short stories that blend historical fiction, dark humor, and contemporary drama. Each tale holds a mirror to society, exposing the shadows we often choose to ignore. Unflinching and unsettling, this book is not for the faint of heart—but for those willing to confront the darker side of humankind. -
Industrial civilization has contributed significant pollution in the land, air, and water, all of which impact human survival. As a scientist in this field, Dr. Christina Rahm dedicated her career to researching and implementing strategies to protect our planet’s precious resources while promoting human health and wellbeing. She hopes to raise awareness about the disastrous impact of harmful pollution on the environment and minimizing its impact on our lives. Dr. Rahm discusses: pollution prevention and remediation, regulatory compliance requirements, novel approaches for reducing water contamination, and decreasing soil corruption. This book shines a light on challenges facing our environment caused by advancements in technology or industrialization. A passionate advocate of heavy metal detoxification, Dr. Rahm targets those seeking a better understanding of the impact of heavy metals in our environment, how to make a difference in the environment, and what the government can do to help. Whether an avid environmentalist or simply concerned about preserving a healthy body for yourself and future generations, this book is sure to inspire with new ideas and a better understanding for building a greener and healthier future.
