A Different Kind Of Hero

A Different Bible study experience! This guided journey through Scripture is for anyone who: Knows what it’s like to just not fit in; longs to feel known, safe, and understood; and wonders where they truly belong. Join beloved author Sally Clarkson and her son Joel in this 12-session exploration of misfits in the Bible—and the surprising ways they became heroes of the faith. God has always taken ordinary people—like Peter, Ruth, Job, and Elijah—and used them to accomplish great things. You’ll learn how God can take your own weaknesses and turn them into strengths as he draws you outside the safety of yourself and into the glorious whirlwind of His plan for your life. (A companion resource to Different: The Story of an Outside-the-Box Kid and the Mom Who Loved Him, by Sally and Nathan Clarkson.)

Relates how, after years of unhappiness and hospitalizations for alcoholism, Bill Wilson followed his inner vision and co-founded Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935.

For over 50 years, Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions has navigated the ups and downs of the volatile British film industry, enduring both critical wrath and acclaim in equal measure for its now legendary James Bond series. Latterly, this family run business has been crowned with box office gold and recognised by motion picture academies around the world. However, it has not always been plain sailing. Changing financial regimes forced 007 to relocate to France and Mexico; changing fashions and politics led to box office disappointments; and changing studio regimes and business disputes all but killed the franchise. And the rise of competing action heroes has constantly questioned Bond's place in popular culture. But against all odds the filmmakers continue to wring new life from the series, and 2012's Skyfall saw both huge critical and commercial success, crowning 007 as the undisputed king of the action genre. Some Kind of Hero recounts this remarkable story, from its origins in the early '60s right through to the present day, and draws on hundreds of unpublished interviews with the cast and crew of this iconic series.

Chris Burke became one of America’s favorite personalities when he starred as "Corky" on the hit ABC television series "Life Goes On." Not since Helen Keller has one person so thoroughly changed the way the world views people with disabilities. Twenty-five years earlier, when Chris was born with Down syndrome, doctors advised his parents to put him in an institution. Instead, they showered him with love, and encouraged him to reach for his dreams. This is Chris’s story, and the story of his family’s love and determination. Here he tells what it’s really like to grow up with Down syndrome…how he pursued his seemingly impossible show business goals...and how he has dedicated his life to helping people with special needs, especially those with what he calls "Up Syndrome." Profoundly inspirational, "A Special Kind of Hero" is a triumphant story of courage and hope that proves Chris’ motto: "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal." "A poignant, joyful and inspirational story." —Literary Guild "Excellent…fascinating…a realistic portrait of an intriguing individual." —Down Syndrome News

A deeply personal investigation into an African-Nova Scotian soldier who came home from Afghanistan a changed man, and made national news with a murder-suicide that raises nuanced and difficult questions about moral responsibility, domestic violence and the overlooked costs of war. What is the legacy of a fallen soldier who takes his family with him? This is the problem posed by the story of Lionel Desmond. He grew up around Lincolnville, Nova Scotia, one of the province's old, Black communities. Raised in a broken home, he sought stability in the military. Instead, he found PTSD and returned from a combat deployment in Afghanistan deeply troubled. All of this was brought to bear in the reporting that followed the events of January 3, 2017, when Lionel's body was found in the home of his estranged wife, Shanna. Shanna's body was there, too, as were those of their 10-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, and Lionel's mother, Brenda, alongside a rifle Lionel had purchased earlier that day. Lionel's family, friends and the veteran community stood up for him, claiming he was a hero who had succumbed to the tortures of PTSD. But an opposing view emerged: that he was a man possessed by anger towards his wife who was, at that time, in the process of leaving him. The question of whether Lionel was a hero or monster, or whether these terms even begin to capture the moral and factual complexity of the Desmonds' sad fate, requires intimate reporting and knowledge of the family's reality. Having returned from his own deployment to Afghanistan struggling with PTSD, Kirk Johnson, a mixed-race son of Three Mile Plains, a place with much in common with the Desmonds' home, seeks truth and understanding in the wake of tragedy.

Nathan was different and Sally knew it. From his early childhood, Nathan was bursting with creativity and uncontainable energy, struggling not only with learning issues but also with anxiety and OCD. He saw the world through his own unique lens—one that often caused him to be labeled as “bad,” “troubled,” or someone in need of “fixing.” Bravely choosing to listen to her motherly intuition rather than the loud voices of the world, Sally dared to believe that Nathan’s differences could be part of an intentional design from a loving Creator with a plan for his life. She trusted that the things that made him different were the very things that could make him great. Join Sally and Nathan as they share their stories from a personal perspective as mother and son. If you are in need of help and hope in your own journey with an outside-the-box child, or if you’re an adult trying to make sense of your differences, you’ll find deep insight, resonance, and encouragement in the pages of this book. Dare to love and nurture the “different” one in your life.

The Troubleshooters return in the latest thriller from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann! Some Kind of Hero showcases Brockmann’s signature white-knuckle suspense, romantic twists, and sexy Navy SEALs. Navy men don’t come tougher than Lieutenant Peter Greene. Every day he whips hotshot SEAL wannabes into elite fighters. So why can’t he handle one fifteen-year-old girl? His ex’s death left him a single dad overnight, and very unprepared. Though he can’t relate to an angsty teen, he can at least keep Maddie safe—until the day she disappears. Though Pete’s lacking in fatherly intuition, his instinct for detecting danger is razor sharp. Maddie’s in trouble. Now he needs the Troubleshooters team at his back, along with an unconventional ally. Romance writer Shayla Whitman never expected to be drawn into a real-world thriller—or to meet a hero who makes her pulse pound. Action on the page is one thing. Actually living it is another story. Shay’s not as bold as her heroines, but she’s a mother. She sees the panic in her new neighbor’s usually fearless blue eyes—and knows there’s no greater terror for a parent than having a child at risk. It’s an ordeal Shay won’t let Pete face alone. She’s no highly trained operative, but she’s smart, resourceful, and knows what makes teenagers tick. Still, working alongside Pete has its own perils—like letting the heat between them rise out of control. Intimate emotions could mean dangerous, even deadly, consequences for their mission. No matter what, they must be on top of their game, and playing for keeps . . . or else Pete’s daughter may be gone for good. Praise for Some Kind of Hero “With brilliant sexual chemistry, laugh-out-loud humor, riveting action, and flawlessly rendered characters, Brockmann’s latest quickly draws readers back into her high-stakes Troubleshooters world. . . . Beautifully written and as heart-gripping as it is satisfying.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Well worth the wait. Jam-packed with adrenaline-fueled action and sizzling sexual tension, this is grade-A romantic suspense that will delight RITA award–winning Brockmann’s dedicated core of fans as well, and lure new readers.”—Booklist (starred review)