Night Bloomers


Book Description

What if there are people, just like some flowers, who require the dark to bloom? When we are plunged into the dark and difficult times in life, one of three things can happen next: the darkness can destroy us; it can leave us relatively unchanged; or it can help to transform us. In this hope-inspiring guide, clinical psychologist, Michelle Pearce, PhD, provides practical tools and wisdom for transforming and thriving in adversity and loss. Just as some flowers require the dark to bloom, there are some people who do their best growing and becoming during dark and challenging times. With a compassionate voice, Pearce shares her clinical expertise, her own journey through the dark, and inspiring stories of other Night Bloomers to help individuals learn how to heal and transform their lives not in spite of their difficult times, but because of them. “Reading Night Bloomers is like having a dear friend right alongside you for support when most needed. Through stories, strategies, and writing prompts, Pearce provides powerful tools for building resilience, confidence, and joy. She reminds us that like plants, we don’t bloom just once, as she gently, masterfully paves a path for us to enjoy a lifetime of growing and blossoming. A ‘must-read’ for anyone seeking some light in the darkness.” --Caroline Welch, CEO and cofounder of the Mindsight Institute and author of The Gift of Presence “A gem of a book! Michelle Pearce has written an enlightening guide for anyone trying to find the path through a dark time in life. Through the wisdom gleaned from psychological research and practice and the lessons learned from her own personal encounter with pain and loss, Pearce points the way to growth and transformation when hope is in short supply. Down-to-earth, compassionate, and inspirational, Night Bloomers should be on everyone's bookshelf.” --Kenneth I. Pargament, Ph. D. author of Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy




Dark Humor


Book Description

Provides an examination of the use of dark humor in classic literary works.




Bloom & Dark


Book Description

Rorke Burningsoul, Paladin of Weltyr, has been betrayed. With the object of his most recent quest stolen out from under him, Rorke has been left for dead in the treacherous Nightlands: a place hateful to all surface-dwellers, full of things the human--even the elfin--eye has never seen. Gray-faced berich dwarves, frightful half-spider misshapens--and, of course, the sensual and dark-complexioned durrow elves, a race of power-hungry women who live in service to the goddess Roserpine. Praise Weltyr, Rorke is rescued by two such splendid durrow--and told that, in exchange for his life, he must now submit to slavery as, among other things, breeding stud to the female race. He willingly agrees, hopeful that his obedience will help him find a way out of the Nightlands and back to the business of retrieving the lost artifact: but when the Materna of the durrow city decides during his appraisal that she needs a new guard, he is soon surprised to find himself taken, heart and soul, by the exquisite durrow high priestess known as Valeria. But Valeria's need of a personal guard is not just some ruse to keep her new slave in her bedroom without controversy--would that it were. The high priestess's life is at stake, and as her assassins' attacks grow more frequent all the time, she needs the assistance of a man capable of keeping himself alive along with her. Who better than a paladin she's seen in dreams for decades? Mature readers only! This fantasy harem adventure in the style of Dungeons & Dragons contains explicit encounters between the lucky hero and many gorgeous women he encounters on his quest. Use discretion when purchasing.




Flowers in the Dark


Book Description

“Profound and hopeful . . . Sister Dang Nghiem integrates the neuroscience of trauma, effective treatments, and mindfulness training. Highly recommended.” —Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain Learn the accessible and deeply compassionate practices for healing trauma, known as the Five Strengths of applied Zen Buddhism. More than a philosophy, these body-based practices are backed by modern neuroscience research, and they can be applied by anyone suffering from trauma to begin experiencing relief. Mindfulness teacher Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, is an inspiration for anyone who has ever suffered from abuse, life-changing loss, severe illness, or the aftermath of war. In Flowers in the Dark, she brings together her lived experience as a survivor, certified MD, and ordained Buddhist teacher to offer a body-based, practical approach to healing from life's most difficult and painful experiences. Offering insights from Buddhist psychology and simple somatic practices for tapping into our Five Strengths—our inner faculties of self-trust, diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight—Sister Dang Nghiem’s approach to trauma is radically accessible; it begins with awareness of our breathing. With each chapter containing a progression of guided reflections and exercises, this book can be read as an adjunct to therapy and a helpful guide for moving through trauma in the body. With the practice of mindfulness, we can access our strength as survivors and our joy in being alive.




To Bleed a Crystal Bloom


Book Description

"What a pretty flower to keep locked in a big, rocky tower." Nineteen years ago, I was plucked from the heart of a bloody massacre that spared nobody else. Small. Fragile. An enigma. Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I've drawn around the castle grounds. Stay within. Never leave. Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I'm safe...though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily. Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who's utterly unavailable. My savior. My protector. My almost executioner. I can't help but be enamored with the arcane man who holds the power to pull my roots from the ground. When voracious beasts spill across the land and threaten to fray the fabric of my tailored existence, the petals of reality will peel back to reveal an ugly truth. But in a castle puddled with secrets, none are greater than the one I've kept from myself. No tower is tall enough to protect me from the horror that tore my life to shreds. To Bleed a Crystal Bloom is a dark Rapunzel reimagining full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst.




Shadowscent: the Darkest Bloom


Book Description

A sensationaldebut fantasy adventure! In the empire of Aramtesh, scent has power. When disaster strikes and the crown prince lies poisoned, long-suppressed rivalries threaten to blow the empire apart.It's up to Rakel, a poor village girl with a talent for fragrances, and Ash, the prince's loyal bodyguard, to find an antidote. To succeed, the unlikely pair must uncover cryptic, ancient secrets as well as buried truths from their own pasts in an adventure that will ignite your senses.




Hearts & Other Body Parts


Book Description

A novel of love and monsters. Sisters Esme, Katy, and Ronnie are smart, talented, and gorgeous, and better yet . . . all three are witches. They have high school wired until the arrival of two new students. The first is Norman, who is almost eight feet tall and appears to be constructed of bolts and mismatched body parts. Despite his intimidating looks, Esme finds herself strangely -- almost romantically -- drawn to both his oversized brain and oversized heart.The second new arrival is Zack, an impossibly handsome late transfer from the UK who has the girls at school instantly mesmerized. Soon even sensible Esme has forgotten Norman, and all three sisters are in a flat-out hex war to win Zack. But while the magic is flying, only Norman seems to notice that students who wander off alone with Zack end up with crushed bones and memory loss. Or worse, missing entirely. HEARTS & OTHER BODY PARTS is a wickedly addictive novel about love, monsters, and loyalty. And oh yeah, a Japanese corpse-eating demon cat.




Bloom


Book Description

“In her tender and genuinely beautiful memoir, Kelle Hampton encourages us to not simply accept the unexpected circumstances of our lives, but to embrace them like the things we wished for all along.” —Matthew Logelin, New York Times bestselling author of Two Kisses for Maddy Bloom is an inspiring and heartfelt memoir that celebrates the beauty found in the unexpected, the strength of a mother’s love, and, ultimately, the amazing power of perspective. The author of the popular blog Enjoying the Small Things—named The Bump’s Best Special Needs Blog and The Blog You’ve Learned the Most From in the 2010 BlogLuxe Awards—Kelle Hampton interweaves lyrical prose and stunning four-color photography as she recounts the unforgettable story of the first year in the life of her daughter Nella, who has Down syndrome. Poignant, eye-opening, and heart-soaring, Hampton’s Bloom is ultimately about embracing life and really living it.




The Flower of the Witch


Book Description

Tami has traveled long and far from his home in the south, forbidden to return until he has become a man, in this coming-of-age story. Defeating monsters and saving princesses has not been enough, and now he must find the fabled flower of the witch, but in his quest Tami inadvertently sparks a feud between the villagers who shelter him and the demon Yabra! And when the conflict comes to a head, Tami will have to choose between proving himself as a man, and protecting the villagers he's come to love. Available for the first time in English, Enrico Orlandi's exciting tale of adventure and compassion is a timely reflection on identity, responsibility, and the true meaning of maturity. "My intention when I created Tami and the world of Il fiore della strega, was to tell a fantastic story that would capture the reader's imagination and inspire them to lose themselves in the cold forests of the far north, to feel the icy gaze of the spirits and the warmth of the hearths in each tent. Tami's journey, his difficulties and mistakes, are in essence what every child must face as they grow into adulthood. To those who read this book, I would like to say that a girl can go on adventures, that a boy can cry if he needs to, that there is no right way to grow up. You just have to take the time to understand who you want to be." -- Enrico Orlandi




Ursula K. Le Guin's the Left Hand of Darkness


Book Description

A collection of nine critical essays on the modern social science fiction novel, arranged in chronological order of their original publication.