When Darksome Falls by M.C. Ryder is the story of Melia Weber, a woman who tries to adjust to being human again while grieving her late husband. Melia had been a vampire, but she and her vampire family chose to turn mortal when a cure for vampirism was found. While the other former vampires are able to find purpose and joy in their lives, Melia feels lost without her husband. She tries to work through her grief on her own and gets involved with a dangerous man in the process.
Vicky and her father live in the Switzerland mountains among the beauty that surrounds them. One day, an older woman and her entourage pass through Vicky’s very small village. They decide to stop and find lodging. Vicky is drawn to this older woman because she notices she appears very sad. If anyone knows sadness, it’s Vicky because she lost her beloved mother, who she was very close to. Vicky gets the opportunity to meet the woman and learns that she is the Countess of Kent. Vicky wants to cheer the countess up, so she decides to make her a floral bouquet.
It’s the first day of kindergarten and both Mateo and Penny are really nervous. Mateo tells his mom that he feels like he has butterflies in his stomach. He further explains he feels excited, scared, and sad. Another child, Penny, tells her dad that she’s excited and worried because she thinks no one will like her. She further explains to him that she’s curious and nervous. Both parents reassure their child that it’s okay to be feeling all these mixed emotions on the first day of kindergarten.
Under Brambles by Margaretta James is a collection of short stories that all seem to end in an overall realization of inner trauma that is healed through amazing imagery built within the vocabulary of each story. Whether you are reliving memories from a very young age, religious turmoil within oneself, or trying to see through the eyes of the characters, you come to a very real and almost emotional epiphany that has a sense of calm and validation that everything will be okay.
When Orbit decides to go visit some of his young friends in the park, they are so excited to see him again. They love the stories Orbit tells them and the lessons he helps them learn. This visit he wants to talk to the children about empathy. He explains that empathy is a superpower that you have and you should use with all the people you meet. You should be empathetic to others as you hope they would be to you.
Under Brambles is a collection of very short stories and a few poems that explore little snippets of a character's life. A wide range of situations are covered, and each story is unique and examines situations from the point of view of very different characters.
It is summer vacation and Maddy, Grace, and Mia are together trying to figure out what short trips they can take to have fun over break. Mia suggests they visit the Parkland Zoo for a day trip. The following Saturday, Maddy’s parents take the three girls for a day of fun at the zoo. When they arrive there, something doesn’t look right. The parking lot is empty, and there aren’t any animals to be found. They see a zookeeper and head over to speak with him.
Financial Dignity by Andreas Jones offers a roadmap to success when it comes to one’s finances. This book endeavors to teach you how to remove the moment of panic when you login to your bank account and are waiting for the balance to load. It offers practical one step at a time methods regarding saving, budgeting, creating an emergency/rainy day fund, and even investing. The book focuses on getting rid of debt and expanding one’s own wealth. Are you ready to stop worrying about what your bank balance will be when you log into your bank?
Polly Parker Meets Her Shadow by Victoria Lowery is the first book in the Secrets of the Shadow series. It is a YA science fiction novel that follows the fourteen-year-old Polly as she goes through separation and reintegration. Separation removes negative emotions and thoughts, transforming them into a shadow. Then, the process of reintegration is when Polly learns how to handle those emotions and incorporates that part of her shadow back within herself. Each time Polly masters an emotion she learns a secret. Her goal is to learn all six secrets and become fully reintegrated.
Casco Bay by Aja Holland is a mystery novel set off the coast of Maine. The book follows Shiloh Vail’s return to the harbor town of Casco Bay where she spent her childhood. Shiloh spent many years away from her hometown, yet the death of her father beckons her home to settle his affairs. As Shiloh goes through what her father left behind, she begins to find more questions than answers, especially regarding his lack of records from prior to his marriage to her mother.
