The Purser: A Novel of Life at Seaby Walter Aschiero

"A cruise ship is a miniature world, a microcosm of every art and science known to humankind. We might easily assume she epitomizes our conquest over the laws of nature. Surely such an impressive being must be capable of imposing herself upon the whims of creation. We are awed by her vastness. We consider ourselves her privileged companions. We rejoice in her intimacy. Then, one day, we go out on deck and see our noble lady humbly plowing her way across a rolling sea, fluttering like a toy boat in a pond. It is then we realize that we are but an insignificant speck at the mercy of a vast ocean." (p. 84)

"Passenger ships rarely get caught in heavy weather. Thanks to radar we can maneuver around local storms, and thanks to weather services we can keep away from the major ones–something cities cannot do. The only bad experience I’ve had was during a transatlantic crossing on a voyage from dry dock in Bremerhaven, Germany. We were headed for the Caribbean with an empty ship–an eerie experience in itself. Steaming out of the English Channel into the North Atlantic, we were met by a gale of sixty-mile-per-hour winds. Twenty to thirty foot seas washed over the decks and sprayed onto the bridge. They battered the Olympia as if buffeting her for pleasure. She rolled, pitched, yawed, heaved, surged and swayed for three days and three nights until we reached the Azores. Captain Strom logged more than eighty hours on the bridge without sleep. I don’t think anyone slept much. I spent those three nights listening to the wind howling outside my porthole, the salt spray hitting with such force it sounded like metal pellets. I promised myself never again to set foot aboard ship. On the third morning we sighted the Azores silhouetted against the gray horizon. I recalled the words of the Roman writer Titus Plautus, ‘There is no greater joy than that of a sailor sighting from the deep the distant land.’ I agreed." (p. 106)

"The promenade deck is my favorite part of the ship. It is the only public area that doesn’t resemble a luxury hotel. I enjoy looking at the lifeboats, the varnished wood railing, the freshly greased davits, the orange life rings with the ship’s name painted in bold white letters…" (p. 108)
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Walter Aschiero began writing The Purser while serving as assistant purser aboard a small Finnish cruise ship in the Caribbean. A longtime resident in Spain, he later studied marine environmental protection at the Jovellanos Maritime Safety Center and earned a master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Barcelona. He completed environmental officer training at CSMART Academy in Almere, Netherlands, and joined a luxury cruise line in the Mediterranean. When not at sea he divides his time between Santiago de Compostela and Póvoa de Varzim, dedicating himself to scientific research, writing, beach walks with his dogs Cookie and Tango, and his passion for the fine art of tea.

Reservation Blues: A Novelby Sherman Alexie

Winner of the American Book Award and the Murray Morgan Prize, Sherman Alexie’s brilliant first novel tells a powerful tale of Indians, rock ‘n’ roll, and redemption
Coyote Springs is the only all-Indian rock band in Washington State–and the entire rest of the world. Thomas Builds-the-Fire takes vocals and bass guitar, Victor Joseph hits lead guitar, and Junior Polatkin rounds off the sound on drums. Backup vocals come from sisters Chess and Checkers Warm Water. The band sings its own brand of the blues, full of poverty, pain, and loss–but also joy and laughter.
It all started one day when legendary bluesman Robert Johnson showed up on the Spokane Indian Reservation with a magical guitar, leaving it on the floor of Thomas Builds-the-Fire’s van after setting off to climb Wellpinit Mountain in search of Big Mom.
In Reservation Blues, National Book Award winner Alexie vaults with ease from comedy to tragedy and back in a tour-de-force outing powered by a collision of cultures: Delta blues and Indian rock.

This ebook features an illustrated biography including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

The Neighbor by Lorhainne Eckhart

Park ranger Ryan is shocked when Jenny, a one-night stand from years ago, moves to his Montana town with her troublesome daughter, Alison. But he can’t resist the pull he feels toward her — especially once Alison goes missing and the truth about her daughter’s real identity comes out…

After the devastating loss of her husband, Jenny Sweetgrass packs up her teenage daughter, Alison, and moves to Livingston, Montana, hoping for a fresh start–that is, until Ryan O’Connell knocks on her door.


Park ranger Ryan is one of the six O’Connell siblings in Livingston, raised by an independent mom who has been a rock to him. He has a career he loves, and up until six weeks ago, he lived a comfortable life. When a new neighbor moves in and disturbs the quiet peace of the area, bringing with her a daughter who’s walking trouble, Ryan is shocked to discover that the woman is a one-night stand he picked up at a bar years ago.


Right now, the gorgeous Jenny isn’t too interested in making friends, but despite her cool façade, as Ryan gets to know her, he can’t fight an idiotic need to try to ease the pain he sees her trying to hide. At the same time, he knows deep down that both mother and daughter have a secret, and if he were smart, he would listen to his brother’s warning and walk away.


When Alison goes missing, everyone in town believes she simply ran off or found her way into trouble, but nothing about her disappearance adds up. She simply set out on an afternoon hike into the park and never came back.


Jenny soon learns she’s not alone when Ryan takes matters into his own hands and sets off with her into the park to find her daughter. What he doesn’t know is that Alison is actually his daughter, too, and when he learns the truth and the real reason she left, the secret could end up dividing the O’Connell family and the community.


The Seeker of Well-Being: Retrieve balance in accordance with selfby Indrajit GARAI

A practical guide, with a unique perspective on personal growth. Numerous case studies on people who have changed their lives simply by overcoming their inner resistance.

We all want to attain excellence in what we do, but the first resistance comes from within us. We prevent ourselves from doing our best, from approaching our inner richness, and from feeling sincerely well within.

The key to our durable well-being is by aligning accordance with our self, by overcoming our internal resistance, and by acting in synergy with our deepest values. But, how?

Only our original solution, which originates from within us, can provide that.

This book, based on twelve years of client work, reveals why ‘accordance with self’ is the prerequisite for a deep and durable well-being. Why only our original solution can do this, and how we can easily construct this solution from inside out. And attain our inherent potential, by aligning with ourselves.

Others have done this with grace; their results endure. You can do it too.