Becoming Bella


Book Description

This Christmas, a good reputation can really get in a girl’s way . . . As long as she can remember, Bella Erikson’s been the unofficial sweetheart of Ghost Falls, Utah. And ever since Nate Evans dipped her braids in purple paint in the first grade, he’s been her dream guy. Not that she minds the attention, but sometimes she wishes people saw more in her than just the girl who still has a crush on Sheriff Evans. She has a life after all, a new dress shop to run, and more mature relationships to pursue . . . Nate knows he’s not good enough for sweet Bella. But he’s pretty sure the new guy sending her heart emojis and giant bouquets isn’t either. And when Bella’s suitor turns stalker, protecting Bella isn’t just Nate’s instinct—it’s his duty. Crammed together for safety and really talking for the first time in years, Bella and Nate can’t fight the moment their chemistry turns into pyrotechnics. Whether it will burn them out or light up the sky, only time will tell . . . Praise for Positively Pippa “A world that readers will want to visit time and again.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW “This is the type of romance that makes readers fall in love not just with characters, but with authors as well.” —Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW “Truly wonderful.” —RT Book Reviews




Being Bella


Book Description

Bella tries to be perfect in everything she does, but she realizes that doing her best and being proud of what she can accomplish are more important.




Becoming Super Woman


Book Description

Do you feel daily pressure to keep pushing yourself even when you're stressed and exhausted? It's time to leave Superwoman in the movies, where she belongs, and say hello to being a Super Woman—the best, most productive and balanced version of the hero you already are. For years—maybe your entire life—you've been told that success means having it all and doing it all. But working more and harder is holding you back, not moving you forward. In Becoming Super Woman, New York Times bestselling author Nicole Lapin redefines what it means to be a woman who "has it all"—and shows you how to find lasting success by your own definition, on your own terms. Nicole candidly shares her own story of career burnout and an emergency hospitalization that prompted her to take her mental health seriously for the first time ever. Along the way, she discovered that not only was this priority shift not a defeat, it was the key to unlocking even greater achievements. In her third and most personal book yet, Nicole lays out an actionable, 12-step plan to guide you in taking control and becoming the hero of your own story, with the skills it takes to be a real Super Woman—skills we should (but often don't) learn growing up, from productivity hacks to boundary setting. She makes the case that the real secret to success doesn't hinge on the hustle or degrees you have but in "putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others." In fact, self-care is the biggest asset or liability in our careers—when it's on-point it can help us soar, and when it's neglected it can bring us down faster than anything else. Entertaining, honest, and life-changing, Becoming Super Woman shows you how to banish burnout, ward off a breakdown, and achieve true balance … finally.




Becoming Belle


Book Description

A witty and inherently feminist novel about passion and marriage, based on a true story of an unstoppable woman ahead of her time in Victorian London. In 1887, Isabel Bilton is the eldest of three daughters of a middle-class military family, growing up in a small garrison town. By 1891 she is the Countess of Clancarty, dubbed "the peasant countess" by the press, and a member of the Irish aristocracy. Becoming Belle is the story of the four years in between, of Belle's rapid ascent and the people that tried to tear her down. With only her talent, charm, and determination, Isabel moves to London alone at age nineteen, changes her name to Belle, and takes the city by storm, facing unthinkable hardships as she rises to fame. A true bohemian and the star of a dancing double act she performs with her sister, she reigns over The Empire Theatre and The Corinthian Club, where only select society entertains. It is there she falls passionately in love with William, Viscount Dunlo, a young aristocrat. For Belle, her marriage to William is a dream come true, but his ruthless father makes clear he'll stop at nothing to keep her in her place. Reimagined by a novelist at the height of her powers, Belle is an unforgettable woman. Set against an absorbing portrait of Victorian London, hers is a timeless rags-to-riches story a la Becky Sharpe.




Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer


Book Description

In the words of novelist Harlan Ellison, "The trick is not becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer. New York Times bestselling author and British Academy Award nominee J. Michael Straczynski knew he wanted to be a writer ever since he was a child. What he didn't know was how to actually become, or stay, a writer. Now, he's giving fellow writers the comprehensive guide he wishes he had all along, personalized tips and techniques that can't be found in any other book on writing. Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer culls from Straczynski's more than thirty years of experience writing for film, television, books, and comics. Designed for writers in any stage of their career, this quirky, insightful and often humorous book provides an inside look at these industries with advice and wisdom covering such topics such as: • What fledgling writers need to know to improve and sell their work—and avoid wasting valuable time • Tips for experienced writers who want to get to the next level • Staying disciplined when writing is your day job • Why writers should never wait for inspiration • Story-planning strategies that don't kill your spontaneity • Expert techniques for effective, memorable world-building • How to get an agent and survive the writer's journey in more personal relationships • Revising and editing with precision • When and how to reinvent yourself as an artist Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer includes Straczynski's unique, tried-and-true methodologies that will help storytellers sharpen their work so that it's polished and ready for publication. Part toolbox and part survival guide, this book will be an indispensable guide throughout your entire writing career, offering fresh and practical insights every step of the way.




Boss Bitch


Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Nicole Lapin is back with a sassy and actionable guide empowering women to be the boss of their own lives and careers. You don’t need dozens or hundreds of employees to be a boss, says financial expert and serial entrepreneur Nicole Lapin. Hell, you don’t even need one. You just need to be confident, savvy, and ready to get out there and make your success happen. You need to find your inner Boss Bitch — your most confident, savvy, ambitious self—and own it. A Boss Bitch is the she-ro of her own story. She is someone who takes charge of herself and her future and embraces being a “boss” in all senses of the word: whether as the boss of her own life, a boss at work, or the literal boss of her own company (or all three). Whichever she chooses, being a Boss Bitch isn’t something to apologize for—it’s something to be proud of! We all have what it takes to be a boss bitch, says Lapin. The problem is: we don’t learn how to do it in school. Even if we study business, we’re not getting enough real-deal business education. Until now. Here, Lapin draws on raw and often hilariously real stories from her own career and experiences starting businesses—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to show what it means to be a "boss" in twelve easy steps. In her refreshingly honest and relatable style, she first shows how to embrace the boss-of-you mentality by seizing the power that comes from believing in yourself and expanding your personal skillset. Then she offers candid no-nonsense advice on how to kill it as the boss at work whether you have a high-up role or not. And finally, for those who want to take the plunge as an entrepreneur, she lays out the nuts and bolts of how to be the boss of your own business—from raising money and getting it off the ground to hiring a kickass staff and dealing office drama to turning a profit. Being a rock star in your career is something that should be worn as a badge of honor. Here Lapin shows how to crush it in our careers like like a Boss Bitch!




Battling Bella


Book Description

Bella Abzug’s promotion of women’s and gay rights, universal childcare, green energy, and more provoked not only fierce opposition from Republicans but a split within her own party. The story of this notorious, galvanizing force in the Democrats’ “New Politics” insurgency is a biography for our times. Before Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, or Hillary Clinton, there was New York’s Bella Abzug. With a fiery rhetorical style forged in the 1960s antiwar movement, Abzug vigorously promoted gender parity, economic justice, and the need to “bring Congress back to the people.” The 1970 congressional election season saw Abzug, in her trademark broad-brimmed hats, campaigning on the slogan “This Woman’s Place Is in the House—the House of Representatives.” Having won her seat, she advanced the feminist agenda in ways big and small, from gaining full access for congresswomen to the House swimming pool to cofounding the National Women’s Political Caucus to putting the title “Ms.” into the political lexicon. Beyond women’s rights, “Sister Bella” promoted gay rights, privacy rights, and human rights, and pushed legislation relating to urban, environmental, and foreign affairs. Her stint in Congress lasted just six years—it ended when she decided to seek the Democrats’ 1976 New York Senate nomination, a race she lost to Daniel Patrick Moynihan by less than 1 percent. Their primary contest, while gendered, was also an ideological struggle for the heart of the Democratic Party. Abzug’s protest politics had helped for a time to shift the center of politics to the left, but her progressive positions also fueled a backlash from conservatives who thought change was going too far. This deeply researched political biography highlights how, as 1960s radicalism moved protest into electoral politics, Abzug drew fire from establishment politicians across the political spectrum—but also inspired a generation of women.




Fic


Book Description

What is fanfiction, and what is it not? Why does fanfiction matter? And what makes it so important to the future of literature? Fic is a groundbreaking exploration of the history and culture of fan writing and what it means for the way we think about reading, writing, and authorship. It's a story about literature, community, and technology—about what stories are being told, who's telling them, how, and why. With provocative discussions from both professional and fan writers, on subjects from Star Trek to The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Harry Potter, Twilight, and beyond, Fic sheds light on the widely misunderstood world(s) of fanfiction—not only how fanfiction is transforming the literary landscape, but how it already has. Fic features a foreword by Lev Grossman (author of The Magicians) and interviews with Jonathan Lethem, Doug Wright, Eurydice (Vivean Dean), and Katie Forsythe/wordstrings. Cyndy Aleo (algonquinrt; d0tpark3r) V. Arrow (aimmyarrowshigh) Tish Beaty (his_tweet) Brad Bell Amber Benson Peter Berg (Homfrog) Kristina Busse Rachel Caine Francesca Coppa Randi Flanagan (BellaFlan) Jolie Fontenot Wendy C. Fries (Atlin Merrick) Ron Hogan Bethan Jones Christina Lauren (Christina Hobbs/tby789 and Lauren Billings/LolaShoes) Jacqueline Lichtenberg Rukmini Pande and Samira Nadkarni Chris Rankin Tiffany Reisz Andrew Shaffer Andy Sawyer Heidi Tandy (Heidi8) Darren Wershler Jules Wilkinson (missyjack) Jen Zern (NautiBitz)




Becoming Beauty


Book Description

In this imaginative retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Bella is a spoiled brat who's sent to the Beast's castle as punishment for her selfishness. More than just their personalities clash! As Bella improves the Beast's manners, she also finds herself changing for the better. Bella must choose whether to follow the path she's always dreamed of--or risk it all for something even greater.




Becoming a Teacher of Writing in Elementary Classrooms


Book Description

Becoming a Teacher of Writing in Elementary Classrooms nurtures teachers’ identities as writers, connects to the realities of writing instruction in real and diverse classrooms, and encourages critical and creative thinking. This text is about writing instruction as a journey teachers and students embark on together. The focus is on learning how to teach writing through specific teaching and learning structures found in the Writing Studio: mini-lessons; teacher and peer conferencing; guided writing; and sharing, celebrating, and broadcasting writing. Pedagogical features include teaching structures and strategies, "Problematizing Practice" classroom scenarios, assessment resources, and a Companion Website. Because a teacher who views him or herself as a writer is best positioned to implement the Writing Studio, a parallel text, Becoming-writer, give readers space to consider who they are as a writer, their personal process as a writer, and who they might become as a writer.