I Wish We Could Stay Here Forever

I Wish We Could Stay Here Forever begins with five-year-old Billy squirming in the church pew at his beloved Nana's funeral. The minister tells the story of Jesus attending the funeral of a good friend, where Jesus says something about not really dying when you die. Billy doesn't understand what this means. Instead, he is remembering the fond times spent with Nana, as they walked the dog, made cookies, and played hide and seek. That evening, Billy opens a conversation with his mother about Nana dying and what the minister said. To help him understand, Billy's mom tells him a story about twins being made in the same womb, and how they loved the womb so much that they both wished they could stay forever. But they know that they must be born, and wonder if there is life after birth! The twins soon find themselves in the loving warmth of their mother's arms. Billy and his mother talk about how they wish Nana could have stayed with them forever, but they find consolation in believing that it's not the end of life, but a new beginning. Dr. Randy Paige is a full-time pastor and part-time marriage and family counselor in Port Jefferson, New York.This children's story is born from personal experience as a Christian pastor who takes funerals seriously. When young children are present my heart goes out to them. The 'Parable' in the story has helped hundreds of children understand God's promise of life after death. He and his wife, Leslie, have four sons and four grandchildren. He is writing his next book. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/RandyPaig

In the late 1850's, thousand of poverty-stricken Scandinavians were lured to America by missionaries of the Latter-day Saints with promises of great prosperity. Ingrid Thirkelsen was assigned to the Martin Party of immigrants, and for the first time she encounters the horrors of polygamy, blood atonement and blind obedience to cult leaders. As she makes the handcart trek across the Plains and Rocky Mountains, a locket she has promised to deliver in Zion and her Ma's Bible giver her comfort and the strength to endure the unendurable.

From a New York Times–bestselling author and a “terrific storyteller,” a paranormal suspense in which a woman abducted by an alien falls for her captor (Booklist). In one fleeting moment, anything—and anyone—can change . . . Real estate agent Julie Ferris is enjoying a day at the beach with her sister Laura when a strange, almost undetectable charge fills the air. Then, under the hot Malibu sun, time stops altogether. Neither sister can explain their “lost day” —nor the blinding headaches and horrific nightmares that follow—but Julie chalks it up to the stress she’s been under since her boss’s son took over Donovan Real Estate. Patrick Donovan would be a real catch if not for his notorious playboy lifestyle and matching attitude. But when a cocaine-fueled heart attack nearly kills him, Patrick makes an astonishingly fast—and peculiar—recovery. Julie barely recognizes the newly sober Patrick as the same man she once struggled to resist. Maybe it’s the strange beach experience fueling her paranoia, but she can’t help sensing something just isn’t . . . right. As Julie’s feelings for Patrick intensify, she’s about to discover how that day at the beach links her newfound happiness with her wildest suspicions. . . .

One woman is about to discover everything she believes—knows—to be true about her life…isn’t. After hitting her head, Lucy Sparks awakens in the hospital to a shocking revelation: the man she’s known and loved for years—the man she recently married—is not actually her husband. In fact, they haven’t even spoken since their breakup four years earlier. The happily-ever-after she remembers in vivid detail—right down to the dress she wore to their wedding—is only one example of what her doctors call a false memory: recollections Lucy’s mind made up to fill in the blanks from the coma. Her psychologist explains the condition as honest lying, because while Lucy’s memories are false, they still feel incredibly real. Now she has no idea which memories she can trust—a devastating experience not only for Lucy, but also for her family, friends and especially her devoted boyfriend, Matt, whom Lucy remembers merely as a work colleague. When the life Lucy believes she had slams against the reality she’s been living for the past four years, she must make a difficult choice about which life she wants to lead, and who she really is.

Ripples from Heaven is a playful but potentially deadly tale of a race against the clock to rendezvous a stranded human alien with his mother ship. Disillusioned with life, teenage Hanna Kimbrow stumbles upon John Tobias, who brings a message of prophecy fulfillment-the Great Tribulation is soon coming to the world. With the Army closing in, Hanna's instincts kick into high gear. The only way to freedom is for them to run. She risks her life, imprisonment, or being kidnapped by religious fanatics, foreign governments, and the FBI. For the sake of love, adventure, and a quest for her place in this world, it's her chance to find happiness and God. From Corsicana to Dallas, they shake world's foundation of faith. Fresh out of high school, Hanna Kimbrow stumbles upon John Tobias-a visitor from another world. His mission is to prove that his people are Biblical cousins of the human race, but he becomes stranded. NASA has discovered and seized his pod (laboratory), effectively ending his chances of returning to the mother ship. With few options available to him, John faces the daunting task of convincing Hanna that he really does come from another planet. Living under the foster care of the Gabler family in Corsicana, Texas, Hanna has spent the past year trying to find her place in this world. She can see no light at the end of the tunnel, and feels utterly abandoned by her mother and God. With her good looks, musical talent, and genius IQ, her future should be bright; but she doesn't see it that way. Being loved is all she has ever truly desired, and yet she has shut down, letting no one in. In her estimation, men are the lowest members of the food chain. Even so, this stranger from outer space has pricked her subconscious. She is immediately infatuated with John. Trapped in the woods behind the Gabler farm, John has little chance of eluding a U.S. Army and NASA recovery team. Unbeknownst to Hanna, he carries with him the means to stop any aggressors; but his orders and Christian beliefs prohibit him from harming anyone for the sake of the mission. Even if he could escape, where would he go? Hanna knows all too well what it is to be alone. Her survival instincts kick in, and with her rebellious spirit, she throws caution to the wind and takes it upon herself to rescue John. Commandeering her foster father's SUV, she and John flee to her old stomping grounds in Dallas. Whether John figures out a way to return home, or becomes a resident of this planet, his best chance for fair treatment is to tell his story to the media. Under Hanna's leadership and street savvy, John utilizes his technology to release a remarkable video. The strategy pays off in preventing the FBI or Secret Service from hiding him away (if they could catch him); but the world-wide firestorm that results is more than he or Hanna bargained for. They become instant celebrities, and every political group and religious entity on the planet wants a piece of the action. Hanna and John spend every waking-and sleeping-moment together. Their opposite personalities are a match made in heaven. He begins to wonder what his life will be without her; and she doesn't want life without him. Still, the mission must take priority over personal feelings. They spend a week in a tender, fun-filled, and hazardous romp that will seal their destinies to an unimagined conclusion.

Riana: From the first moment I'd laid eyes on Shawn Walker, I never thought he would be the love of my life. In the three years we have been together, we have been through so much, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else I would have wanted by my side. Now, we’re about to experience another event that has us both in shock. Will we be able to get through this one together, or will it end up destroying our relationship? Shawn: I never thought I would experience love again until Riana Robertson entered my life. The two of us have been through hell and back, but we’re still standing. Now that I've graduated Shaw and heading into the real world, I have a lot of responsibility, not just for myself, but for my growing family. With all of the issues surrounding Riana and me, will we slowly lose sight of the love we have for each other, or will it strengthen us as a couple?

In The Rise and Fall of Dr. Mom, Angela Lowe Heider describes in raw detail her short career as an obstetrician and gynecologist. She highlights the many challenges female physicians and their families face and draws attention to the delicate balance all working women must achieve to ensure peace on the home front while allowing for professional pursuits outside the home. Through vivid personal accounts, Dr. Heider invites the reader into the mind and emotions of one physician struggling to maintain that balance. The reasons for her decision to retire from the practice of medicine at the young age of thirty-two are frankly defined with compelling honesty. The Rise and Fall goes on to more briefly describe the lives and careers of six other female physicians, all of whom have faced similar obstacles. Some, like Dr. Heider, have decided to retire from the practice of medicine. Others have found ways to make medical careers work for their families. Each story provides further insight. All women, working or otherwise, will identify with the emotionally charged decisions every woman must make about the type of mother she will be. Dr. Heider then delineates the many problems our American health care system currently faces. Specifically, she cites antiquated training programs, unaffordable medical care, a health care delivery system mired in bureaucracy, and the ongoing medical malpractice crisis. The Rise and Fall of Dr. Mom offers thoughtful solutions, professional insights, and an optimistic plan for the future.