Anyone

Soon to be adapted for television by Carnival, creators of Downton Abbey An Indie Next Pick • A Science Fiction Book Club Pick Bestselling author of The Oracle Year, Charles Soule brings his signature knowledge—and wariness—of technology to his new novel set in a realistic future about a brilliant female scientist who creates a technology that allows for the transfer of human consciousness between bodies, and the transformations this process wreaks upon the world. Inside a barn in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a scientist searching for an Alzheimer’s cure throws a switch—and finds herself mysteriously transported into her husband’s body. What begins as a botched experiment will change her life—and the world—forever… Over two decades later, all across the planet, “flash” technology allows individuals the ability to transfer their consciousness into other bodies for specified periods, paid, registered and legal. Society has been utterly transformed by the process, from travel to warfare to entertainment; “Be anyone with Anyone” the tagline of the company offering this ultimate out-of-body experience. But beyond the reach of the law and government regulators is a sordid black market called the darkshare, where desperate “vessels” anonymously rent out their bodies, no questions asked for any purpose - sex, drugs, crime... or worse. Anyone masterfully interweaves the present-day story of the discovery and development of the flash with the gritty tale of one woman’s crusade to put an end to the darkness it has brought to the world twenty-five years after its creation. Like Blade Runner crossed with Get Out, Charles Soule’s thought-provoking work of speculative fiction takes us to a world where identity, morality, and technology collide.

Evolved Publishing presents a young adult apocalyptic adventure from the multiple award-winning author of "The Zombie West" series and "The Desert" series. The end of the world? That's the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters and deep philosophical exercises in school. No need to sweat it. So when sixteen-year-old Tess's doomsday-dad builds a bomb shelter in their suburban backyard, everyone thinks he's gone crazy.... ...Until fire rains down from the sky, sinking whole cities into colossal craters and setting much of the world ablaze. Tess's dad gives her a few short minutes to gather her emergency bag and her freaked-out kitten, then leads her outside and into the underground shelter. Terrified, the last thing she expects is for him to leave her there all alone, but he has no choice-he must find her missing brother. Before leaving, he makes Tess promise to keep the hatch door shut, not to open it for anyone but him, and to stay put until he returns. But he forgot to tell her one thing: What is she supposed to do if he never comes back?

The mysterious true story of Connie Converse—a mid-century New York City songwriter, singer, and composer whose haunting music never found broad recognition—and one writer’s quest to understand her life This is the mesmerizing story of an enigmatic life. When musician and New Yorker contributor Howard Fishman first heard Connie Converse’s voice on a recording, he was convinced she could not be real. Her recordings were too good not to know, and too out of place for the 1950s to make sense—a singer who seemed to bridge the gap between traditional Americana (country, blues, folk, jazz, and gospel), the Great American Songbook, and the singer-songwriter movement that exploded a decade later with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. And then there was the bizarre legend about Connie Converse that had become the prevailing narrative of her life: that in 1974, at the age of fifty, she simply drove off one day and was never heard from again. Could this have been true? Who was Connie Converse, really? Supported by a dozen years of research, travel to everywhere she lived, and hundreds of extensive interviews, Fishman approaches Converse’s story as both a fan and a journalist, and expertly weaves a narrative of her life and music, and of how it has come to speak to him as both an artist and a person. Ultimately, he places her in the canon as a significant outsider artist, a missing link between a now old-fashioned kind of American music and the reflective, complex, arresting music that transformed the 1960s and music forever. But this is also a story of deeply secretive New England traditions, of a woman who fiercely strove for independence and success when the odds were against her; a story that includes suicide, mental illness, statistics, siblings, oil paintings, acoustic guitars, cross-country road trips, 1950s Greenwich Village, an America marching into the Cold War, questions about sexuality, and visionary, forward thinking about race, class, and conflict. It’s a story and subject that is by turn hopeful, inspiring, melancholy, and chilling.

Some find talking to others uncomfortable, difficult, or intimidating. Here is a way to overcome these communication challenges. HOW TO TALK TO ANYONE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE is the key to building confidence and improving communication skills. Written by Larry King, this guide provides simple and practical advice to help make communication easier, more successful, and even more enjoyable. Anecdotes from a life spent talking--on television, radio, and in person,--add to the fun and value of the book. Learn what famous talkers say and how the way they say it makes them so successful. Lessons include: • How to overcome shyness and put other people at ease • How to choose an appropriate conversation topic for any situation • How to ace a job interview, run a meeting, and mingle at a cocktail party • What the most successful conversationalists have in common • The one great question you can ask to enhance your conversation with anyone, anytime, anywhere

It's true - anyone can paint! Even if you have seldom done so before, it's never too late to pick up a brush and have a go. In this book, professional artist and inspirational teacher Barrington Barber demonstrates step-by-step methods of painting in watercolours, acrylics and oils. He explores the use of colour and shows how the different techniques and effects of each medium can be applied to a range of subjects, including still lifes, landscapes, portraits and buildings. Finished artworks in each medium give an idea of the results that can be achieved, and examples of composition, technique and style show how famous artists have evolved their own painting methods. Through practice, and by following the guidance in this book, you will hopefully discover the enjoyment and fulfilment that can be found in learning how to paint. • step-by-step tuition • beautiful examples • suitable for beginners and improving artists

This revised edition of the Tough Questions series of small group curriculum faces head-on the difficult and challenging questions seekers ask about the Christian faith.

A renowned business and communication expert demonstrates 8 key ways to create enduring connections with friends, customers, co-workers . . . and even kids! Whether you work in marketing and sales or in customer service . . . are a CEO or a stay-at-home mom, the ability to effectively connect with the needs of others dramatically affects your productivity, effectiveness, and motivation. This is your one-stop guidebook for all the information you need to communicate effectively and build lasting personal and professional relationships today, next week, and next year. Relationships are critical to success and happiness. This book, written by one of only 525 Certified Speaking Professionals in the world, will give you skills you need to turn your encounters with contacts, acquaintances, and even family members, into enduring connections. "A useful reminder of what we all need to make our lives and our businesses work better: communication, openness and sincerity. It's so easy to lose touch with these concepts in a busy, stressful day, but Sanow and Strauss make a compelling argument that it's worth it to make the effort.” —The Washington Post

According to the Bible, the God of Christianity has a reputation for answering prayer. However, many Christians have been sometimes severely tempted to think they have been sold short as they have found themselves in some crisis and have cried out to God in all sincerity, and found that he has been "out." From years of pastoral experience in addressing crises, and after having to face crises in his own experience, Roger Abbott attempts to help Christians who are struggling with what seem to be very real instances of God not answering their heartfelt prayers. There are many books about prayer, but there are not many that attempt to face the huge struggles with prayer that pray-ers can face. This book, while refusing to shirk those struggles and the debilitating emotional impact they can have, also attempts to navigate those emotional struggles with the use of a practical theology. Some Christians think, other Christians pray. Hello? Is Anyone There? combines a passion for thoughtful theology and a passion for prayer, out of a passion for a relationship with God in Christ.