Blown Away

This is a read-along edition with audio synced to the text. Meet a fearless blue penguin on an unexpected journey, from the bestselling Rob Biddulph, creator of the internet sensation #DrawWithRob!

Sympathize with Hilde Higgins as she squelches an unexplainable dislike of clowns in order to help clear her boyfriend of suspicion of murder. When two members ofClowns for Christend up dead, fellow ministry clown Adam Sawyer becomes focus of the investigation. Could Hilde have misjudged this man she has come to love?

“Anyone crazy enough to buy a boat deserves all the headaches he gets,” said Chuck. “What kind of boat are you looking for?” “Oh, something about 35 feet. We’re going to sail around the world.” “You poor kids,” he said sympathetically. At Middle age, Herb and Nancy Payson decided they needed a change. Why not give up life on shore, quit their in jobs in the smoky nightclubs of Los Angeles and take up the cruising life? In Sea Foam, their 36-foot ketch, the Payson’s and their large brood of teenage children cruised the Pacific for six and a half years. They experienced a certain amount of stark terror, but their delights far outbalanced the draw backs. Anyone seriously dreaming of setting off to sea should read Blown Away. Families who are already out there should make it bedtime reading as Herb shows the way families interact in the close quarters of a sailing boat at sea. But even those who find their ordered onshore existences good and fulfilling can hardly escape a twinge of envy while reading this amusing, instructive and wholly delightful adventure. This special 35th anniversary edition is enhanced with a foreword by Lin Pardey and Herb’s reflections on how cruising affected his children and his relationship with his determined, lifelong partner/wife Nancy.

Drew I never planned to chase tornadoes across their paths of destruction. But in an instant, my world shattered. In my grief, I hoped that joining my late fiance’s storm-chasing team would help me feel closer to him. But instead, I grew closer to his brooding best friend, who wants nothing to do with me. Loss made me wiser, though—now I know that some things are worth risking heartbreak. Aiden I knew it would be a perfect storm. Me and Drew in close quarters? It would threaten to blow my self-control to shreds. No one ever knew I burned for my best friend’s girl, and I wanted to keep it that way. I tried to keep my focus on storm chasing, but my feelings for her are like the tornadoes we pursue—powerful, all-consuming and impossible to outrun. Perfect for readers who love Brenda's Chicago Blaze and Fire on Ice series. What readers are saying: "Okay! I am totally BLOWN AWAY by this story. I haven’t read anything from author Brenda Rothert before… Ugh, where the hell have I been??? When I read the blurb I was excited to dive in because of a very unique plot. Well, I am delighted to report that this story is not only unique, it is full of excitement, drama (storm-chasing), sexual tension, fun, and swoony sweet moments. I am not even going to comment on the love scenes …. Just HOT!" - AC Book Blog "I am blown away but this book. It has everything I was looking for in my next read and Brenda Rothert did not disappoint. A beautifully written and very touching love story that uses the backdrop of storm chasing and from the start I was immediately pulled into this tale of loss, of healing and most of all, hope. And I never looked back." - MJ, Goodreads "Brenda Rothert has done it again, BLOWN AWAY is a MUST READ! It gave me “the feels” from the get go. I cried, I laughed, I sighed, got angry and had to *ahem* fan myself. ;)" - Hilary, Goodreads Topics: stormchasing, stormchasers, adventure romance, love after loss, best friend's girlfriend, Midwest, tornado, tornadoes, storms, action romance, hot romance, sexy romance, military romance, medical romance, strong heroine, Brenda Rothert, Chicago Blaze, Fire on Ice, forbidden love, forbidden romance

This powerful memoir follows a father’s journey to make sense of his world after losing his son to addiction and suicide. Fifteen years ago, Richard Boothby received a fateful call from his ex-wife that their twenty-three-year-old son, Oliver, was dead. Although Richard had been dreading this news, given Oliver’s prolonged struggle with drug dependency, nothing could have prepared him for the devastating shock. He became obsessed with uncovering the truth of why Oliver shot himself—had he been self-medicating an undiagnosed mental illness?—and what they could have done to prevent it. In an attempt to stem the pain, Boothby turned to psychoanalysis. He was no stranger to the concept—as a professor of philosophy, he had focused his career on the intersection between psychoanalytic theory and contemporary philosophy—but this was far from an academic exercise. Through his time in talk therapy, as well as psychedelic experiences in a research study on psilocybin, he would gradually find a sense of acceptance of the unknown, and a renewed appreciation for life. Exploring the epidemics of substance abuse and gun violence from an intimate perspective, Boothby’s poignant account of grief shows how the death of a loved one can in some ways bring us closer to them and ourselves.

On April 27, 2011, at 5:53 p.m., their lives were forever changed. An EF-4 tornado destroyed everything they owned and tossed them one hundred twenty feet from where they sought shelter. They lost all of their material possessions, but they still had each other. They were hurt—seriously hurt, but they would start over. God would provide. They had witnessed His provision before, as He sustained them through several miscarriages, the adoption of their son, and the custody suit that followed when their son’s biological father tried to take him from them. The purpose of this book is to emphasize the importance of faith during the tough trials in the lives of believers.

A rogue wind blows hang glider Kara Abbott off course and snags her on a branch jutting from a canyon wall. The wind buffets her. She fears the branch won't hold. Then, from the cliff above, comes help.... Being rescued by gorgeous K-9 Officer Cole Winslow is a fantasy come true for single mom Kara Abbott--especially when Cole continues to be there for her and her eight-year-old son. Yet Kara senses she wants more from Cole than he's willing to give. And Cole is holding back--but not for the reasons she thinks. Now it's Kara's turn to be there for Cole, and rescue him...from the grip of his past.

‘It’s impossible to visit Church on the Street and not be deeply moved by the work the organisation does for those in need. It is an extraordinary place . . .’ HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES, from the Foreword ‘The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wanted to visit Pastor Mick to offer support and understand more about the work that takes place in Church on the Street.’ ED THOMAS, BBC NEWS An autobiography that is fast-paced, stirring and a powerful testament to the love of God, Blown Away tells the story of Pastor Mick Fleming. No conventional clergyman, Pastor Mick led a life of crime and addiction before being called by God to become a Christian minister. Brutally raped as a child, he was about to confide in his parents when the dreadful news came that his sister had died of a sudden heart-attack. Mick didn’t cry again for 30 years, masking his pain with drink and drugs and working as notorious underworld fixer - until the day a revelation of faith unravelled his world, and he found himself utterly ‘blown away’. Here he relates his incredible journey from hardened criminal to discovering who he truly is in Christ; from helping to destroy lives through drug dealing, to helping others and saving lives through selflessly serving those in poverty. Laying bare his struggles in full for the first time, including a failed attempt at suicide, Pastor Mick tells how sharing his pain has helped others who are suffering. Since that first call that set him on the road to becoming a Christian minister he has seen miracles happen – including being able not only to forgive, but to help, the man who ruined his life. Blown Away is a thought-provoking and inspiring Christian autobiography that offers insight into the violent underworld of crime, addiction and substance abuse in the UK and reveals the extraordinary power of faith, forgiveness and redemption. Pastor Mick’s story will move and inspire you on your own faith journey, and offer hope to those struggling with addiction, grief and suffering. Told with raw honesty and full of warmth and humanity, Blown Away is an amazing example of how God can help those even in the darkest places.