Messages to Jakeby Laura Ann Neuleo

Life in the Panamanian jungle doesn’t let Peace Corps Volunteer, Emma, forget she’s single.

The villagers in Almagro worry about Emma living by herself. But between teaching English, the arrival of HIV testing, and monitoring a mysterious path by her house, loneliness isn’t on her mind. Nonetheless, she experiences moments that trigger thoughts of home–in particular, text messages she used to receive intended for a stranger named Jake.

When Emma discovers that Almagro has cell phone reception, she tracks down Jake’s friend via unexpected help from a villager. Meanwhile, Jake, a third-generation American with Panamanian roots, confronts his past and learns about Emma. After failing to get in contact with her, he heads to Panama.

Emma and Jake develop feelings for each other, but Maya, a villager who resents Emma, gets in the way. To complicate things, Jake has a history of leaving, and Maya holds a secret that affects all three of them.

Will Jake leave Almagro because of village conflict? Can Emma and Maya overcome their differences?

Messages to Jake is a novel about love and loss, secrets and trust, and the danger of assumptions. It showcases the beauty and struggles of living in a rural village, and the challenges of health care in a developing country.

All the Namesby José Saramago

From a Nobel Prize winner: “A psychological, even metaphysical thriller that will keep you turning the pages . . . with growing alarm and alacrity.” —The Seattle Times

A Washington Post Book World Favorite Book of the Year

Senhor José is a low-grade clerk in the city’s Central Registry, where the living and the dead share the same shelf space. A middle-aged bachelor, he has no interest in anything beyond the certificates of birth, marriage, divorce, and death that are his daily routine. But one day, when he comes across the records of an anonymous young woman, something happens to him. Obsessed, Senhor José sets off to follow the thread that may lead him to the woman–but as he gets closer, he discovers more about her, and about himself, than he would ever have wished. The loneliness of people’s lives, the effects of chance, the discovery of love–all coalesce in this extraordinary novel that displays the power and art of José Saramago in brilliant form.

No Place I'd Rather Beby Cathy Lamb

The discovery of a family cookbook changes the life of a beleaguered woman in this novel by the author of The Language of Sisters.

Two years ago, Olivia Martindale left behind her Montana hometown and her husband, Jace, certain it was the best decision for both of them. Back temporarily to protect her almost-adopted daughters from their biological mother, she discovers an old, handwritten cookbook in the attic. Its pages are stained and torn, their edges scorched by flame. Some have been smeared by water . . . or tears. The recipes are written in different hands and in different languages. In between the pages are intriguing mementos, including a feather, a pressed rose, a charm, and unfamiliar photographs.

Hoping the recipes will offer a window into her grandmother’s closely guarded past, Olivia decides to make each dish, along with their favorite family cake recipes, and records her attempts. The result, like much of her life to date, involves a parade of near-disasters and chaotic appearances by her doctor mother, her blunt grandma, her short-tempered sister, and Olivia’s two hilarious daughters. The project is messy, real–and an unintended hit with viewers.

Even more surprising is the family history Olivia is uncovering, and her own reemerging ties to Montana, and to Jace. Generations of women have shared these recipes, offering strength and nourishment to each other and their loved ones. Now it’s Olivia’s turn to find healing–and determine where her home and her heart truly belong.

Praise for Cathy Lamb

“This finely pitched family melodrama is balanced with enough gallows humor and idiosyncratic characters to make it positively irresistible.” —Publishers Weekly on Henry’s Sisters

Gaslighting & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery: How You Can Recover from Emotional Abuse, Recognize Narcissists & Manipulators and Break Free Once and for Allby Don Barlow

Break free from the lies and manipulation that are keeping you captive

You’re positive you saw a flirty text from another woman on your husband’s phone. Yet, when you confront him, he tells you you’re imagining things and being paranoid.

A co-worker sarcastically mentions that you’re not contributing enough to the big project. When you get offended, they say they were just joking and that you’re too sensitive.

Your mother constantly criticizes your weight. When you bring up her comments around other people, she denies ever saying them and says you are making up stories.

Have you repeatedly found yourself in these types of situations where you end up doubting yourself?

They might have occurred with different people, in different circumstances, but the way they make you feel is the same.

Your feelings are trivialized, your thoughts are manipulated, and your reality is denied.

When this is done to you repeatedly, you begin to feel confused or even crazy. You are left questioning your own reality and sanity.

These are classic signs that you’re being gaslighted, and it’s something to take very seriously.

Gaslighting is a covert form of abuse that affects your confidence and trust in yourself, which the abuser then takes advantage of to keep you under their control.

Whether it’s a spouse, parent, or co-worker, it’s hard to break loose from the grip of a gaslighting manipulator.

You will need to know how gaslighters operate, how their behavior is affecting you, and how you can reclaim your truth.

In Gaslighting & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery, you will discover:

• The sneaky tactics gaslighters employ that catch you off-guard and make you more vulnerable to their exploitation
• How to hold on to your grip on reality, despite the gaslighter’s efforts to undermine it
• Powerful ways to respond to gaslighters, block their attacks, and take back control of the conversation
• Why self-care is a critical component in coping with abuse, especially if you need to regularly interact with a gaslighter
• The shift in mindset to help you finally gain the courage to escape an abusive relationship
• What you need to do after leaving a gaslighting relationship to make sure you don’t fall into the same cycle again
• Why you shouldn’t expect any closure from your abuser, and why you can still move on without it
• How to rebuild your sense of self after years of being torn down by others

And much more.

Acknowledging that you’re being abused is the first step towards recovery.

After years of gaslighting, you may be so used to it that you no longer recognize this is not a normal way to live.

You might believe that there’s no way out, or you can’t imagine life without the one who’s manipulating you.

But if you truly want to be able to live life on your own terms, cutting yourself off from the source of your pain is essential.

It won’t happen overnight, and it will take committed effort, but you can feel like yourself again – the person you used to be… the person you’re meant to be.