Playing By Heart

"Mateer's turn-of-the-century story is full of characters who will touch your heart."--RT Book Reviews Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything. With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn't even consider those real subjects! Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys' coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She's returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet. However, the more time she spends around Jewel's family, the girls' basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she's given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she'd expected.

"When a young boy Begins to play on the family's piano, reveling in the fun of plunking the keys, his father signs him up for lessons so he can learn to play properly. Raj learns notes, then scales, then songs, and finally classical pieces his father can recognize and be proud of. However, the more skilled he becomes, the less he enjoys playing--until he grows up and stops playing altogether. But when his father becomes ill and requests that Raj play for him, will Raj remember how to play from the heart?"--Provided by publisher

Jesse Lee is the worst!He's a multi-millionaire, triple-platinum-selling, Grammy-Award-winning man-slut--a worldly, self-indulgent heathen. I wouldn't sleep with him if he were our last chance to ensure survival of the human race. The only reason I put up with him is because he's my boss's brother. Whatsherface is one of those holier-than-thou types.She's bossy, has a horrific singing voice, and she's so ordinary, she practically blends in with the eggshell-colored walls--the complete opposite of anyone I'd bang. The only reason I put up with her is because my career is on the line.Playing by Heart is an enemies-to-lovers romance where opposites not only attract, they ignite.

As with those in recovery from addiction, relapse is also a risk for those recovering from unhealthy relationships. The coronavirus pandemic adds anxiety to our lives; this book can help us resist and reframe our understandable but unhelpful urges to return to patterns and people that once offered a kind of comfort. Readers will learn what drives them into controlling behavior and victimhood--and what it takes to pull themselves out, to return to the healing, faith, and maturity that come with recovery. Since the publication of Melody Beattie's groundbreaking book Codependent No More, millions of people have confronted the demons of codependency. And yet, many in recovery find themselves slipping back into the old ways that brought them such grief.In her book Playing It by Heart, Beattie helps readers understand what drives them back into the grasp of controlling behavior and victimhood--and what it takes to pull themselves out, to return to the healing, faith, and maturity that come with a commitment to recovery.Personal essays, inspiring anecdotes, and prescriptive reminders show readers how to stop acting out their painful obsessions. Marked by compassion and keen insight, Playing It by Heart explores the author's most intense personal lessons and shows readers that, despite setbacks, recovery is a lifelong opportunity for spiritual growth.In her many best-selling books, including Stop Being Mean to Yourself, Codependent No More, and The Language of Letting Go, Melody Beattie draws on the wisdom of Twelve Step healing, Christianity, and Eastern religions.

Can a woman love a man she's never seen face-to-face? Can a sweet little-old-lady neighbor have matchmaker tendencies? After a fall that necessitates Maddie Houser finding another place to write, neighbor Ginny Ross arranges for Maddie to write in the B & B of a friend, Arthur Tyler. Now, through many handwritten notes, Maddie Houser has formed a dear friendship with this mysterious man. But she panics as the friendship grows deeper. She doesn't know him by sight ... can she really know him by heart? A delightful story of mistaken identity, love notes and a fat cat all add up to one of the best novellas you'll ever read. Award winning author Deborah Raney spins her tale with panache, entwining your heart and setting your imagination into high gear.

Presents a collection interviews with such rock musicians as Chuck Berry, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Joel, Eddie Van Halen, Ray Manzarek, and Tori Amos.