Text Me

“Text Me has the thrills and laughs of a romantic comedy, but with an inverted message: ‘There just isn't only one love story in our lives,’ Schaefer writes. If you’re lucky, friends will be the protagonists in these multiple love stories. It’s high time that we start seeing it that way.”—NPR.org A personal and sociological examination—and ultimately a celebration—of the evolution of female friendship in pop culture and modern society For too long, women have been told that we are terrible at being friends, that we can’t help being cruel or competitive, or that we inevitably abandon each other for romantic partners. But we are rejecting those stereotypes and reclaiming the power of female friendship. In Text Me When You Get Home, journalist Kayleen Schaefer interviews more than one hundred women about their BFFs, soulmates, girl gangs, and queens while tracing this cultural shift through the lens of pop culture. Our love for each other is reflected in Abbi and Ilana, Issa and Molly, #squadgoals, the acclaim of Girls Trip and Big Little Lies, and Galentine’s Day. Schaefer also includes her own history of grappling with a world that told her to rely on men before she realized that her true source of support came from a strong tribe of women. Her personal narrative and celebration of her own relationships weaves throughout the evolution of female friendship on-screen, a serious look at how women have come to value one another and our relationships. Text Me When You Get Home is a validation that has never existed before. A thoughtful, heart-soaring, deeply reported look at how women are taking a stand for their friendships and not letting go.

Common sense tells us that technology can either be a blessing or curse in our lives. The assertion flows easily but deceptively from us. Beneath the flowing assertion, lay many cross currents and much complexity. These complexities are named and laid out for individual and group exploration throughout the book. They provide mirrors for the reader and groups of readers to discover their own affirmations and arguments with their own digital profiles based on Jewish/humanistic religious values. The iterative analysis points back to the double-entendre in the book’s title, "text me" can be a command to engage in the famously quick communication as in receiving a text on our smart phones and "text me" can also serve as an imperative to explore the wisdom contained in Jewish texts. The synergies, gaps, creative tensions, and paradoxes living within this double use of “text me” permeate the volume. Though rooted in Jewish sources the tools of analysis can be used by Christians, Muslims, and people who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Indeed, the book is an invitation to all who live in the digital age which is to say all of us. Commentaries provided by scholars of all three of the western, monotheistic faiths highlight this universal dimension.

Carter Coben is having some serious communication problems lately. First he mouthed off to a project manager at work and got fired, now his girlfriend's dumped him and trashed his cell phone. About the only place he hasn't got his wires crossed these days is at the anonymous texting app, Justchat.com. Carter thinks he might have found a real connection with “She Hearts Dogs,” but little does he know he's already quite acquainted with this cunning canine-lover . . . When Abigail Jeffries gets a random text message from a stranger saying he's been dumped, she can't help but answer it—and recommend he send his ex some flowers from her new shop. When she delivers the bouquet though, she finds out his ex was cheating on him with his best friend—the same best friend she's impersonating via text! Abby feels guilty, but she can't help responding. But what will happen when Carter finds out that Abby is not only the face behind the texts, but the reason he got fired at work and his mysterious mutt-loving pal on Justchat.com? Will they ever manage to sort out their mixed signals, mistaken identities, and misunderstandings to find real love? This madcap, modern-day You've Got Mail for the texting generation will delight romantic comedy fans. Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

Nate Due to unfortunate happenstance, my precious phone is currently on its way to Ireland in the not-so-safe hands of Callum Foley—my sister’s boyfriend’s cousin. I’ve only met the guy once and my impression was unsettling at best, so the thought of him accessing my phone with all its private contents fills me with nothing but dread. But I have Callum’s phone with me, so when he starts teasing me about some of my apps I figure it’s fair game to dive into its contents. What one guy needs with twelve different hook-up apps, I’ll never know. We agree to overnight the phones as soon as Callum arrives home, but it turns out a lot can happen on a six hour flight to Ireland, and I find that when the time comes, I’m not so eager to give up this connection to him… Warning: This book is not appropriate for anyone who doesn’t like laughing, anyone who doesn’t like ginger tabbies, or anyone who doesn’t like seeing two gorgeous guys falling in love over text. *Happily Ever After included Text Me Up was previously published as part of the Your Book Boyfriend's Boyfriend giveaway. It has now been edited and extended and includes an additional 10k words (now 35k words long).

There is always a lot of Press about life in New York City and what it’s like to live and work in the Big Apple. People cannot seem to get enough about the hustle and bustle and the “rat race” that as city-dwellers engulf us almost daily. It is a life that is not always full of glamour and excitement. I believe there is another side that begs to be told. That side is the story that is deeper and more meaningful than the front page tales of glamour and occasional mayhem. It can be the story of a kind next door neighbor, a friend or a co-worker. It can also be the sad tale of someone on a public conveyance who needs help and is always there asking for a hand-out. Someone you always give a helping hand to no matter how many times you vow to ignore. I have lived and worked here for many years and I still enjoy what the city has to offer its residents and its visitors. I believe that the true attraction of this city is not so much its streets, its avenues or its monuments but the stories of its people. Maurice P. Fortune

In an age where our kids are helicopter parented and bubble wrapped, this mother of four isn't looking forward to her four talented, artistic children leaving the family home. Bubble after protective bubble bursts as her troupe queues up and flies off to distant places. Candace Allan attempts to iparent from afar through sometimes turbulent, sometimes funny, and always curious new times. Text Me, Love Mom: Two Girls, Two Boys, One Empty Nest is a heartfelt ode to learning how to let go when all you want is to hang on tight. "Witty and candid, wise with an optimistic lean - Candace Allan's memoir is back-up for anyone whose fledglings are finding inventive ways to leave the nest. A pleasure to read." - Fred Stenson, humorist for Alberta Views Magazine and author of Who By Fire