NOTE: A portion of the net proceeds of the sale of this title will be donated to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). From Afghans and Akitas to Yakutians and Yorkies, and everything in between, there’s a very special connection between dogs and their owners. Our four-legged friends put smiles on our faces, comfort us when we’re down and make us laugh with their antics. They aren’t just “man’s best friend” but a terrific companion to women, children and anyone in ne...

It doesn’t matter if a cat is an Alley Cat or a Turkish Van or anything in between, all cats have traits in common. They’re in turn, annoying and endearing, maddening and loving, where they shouldn’t be and purring on your lap. A cat will put a smile on your face when it’s most needed, cuddle up when you’re sad, and just when you think you can’t take one more thing, they’ll make you laugh out loud. Who could ask for a better companion? Bestselling author and editor Sandra Murphy (Peace, Lo...

To the moon and back, here are 10 tales with a twist. The unlikely characters have one thing in common - they're ready and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. As the old saying goes, "You have to watch out for the quiet ones."From a quirky inventor, humored by his neighbors, to two old men out to dinner, to a more-than-meets-the-eye beverage maker, the stories will take you into the minds of the overlooked and unseen. Ignore them at your own risk.

An older woman is not limited to church, the grocery or Senior Center if she wants to meet a man, she can also invoke The Obituary Rule. The Rule states that following the publication of an obituary, there is a mandatory thirty-day waiting period before she can approach the widower in question. Be warned! Competition is strong and there are always claim jumpers who make first contact days early. Common opening salvos include (but are not limited to) offers of coffee, a home-cooked meal or ...

About the BookSusie the Rescue Dog tells the story of Susie, a puppy with no family other than her mom. Susie and her mom would love to find their fur-ever home, but for now they live on the beach and have to look for food every day. Their lives are changed forever when they meet a nice lady and go for a ride.About the AuthorSandra Murphy has always loved all animals, and even had a rescue dog named Daisy growing up. When it was time for Sandra and her husband to get ...

In this book, authors Murphy and O’Neill propose a new way forward, moving away from high-stakes, test-based writing assessment and the curriculum it generates and toward an approach to assessment that centers on student learning and success. Reviewing the landscape of writing assessment and existing research-based theories on writing, the authors demonstrate how a test-based approach to accountability and current practices have undermined effective teaching and learning of writing. This b...

Through ideas and practices straight from the classrooms of outstanding teachers, this lively resource illustrates writing that makes an impact on a reader, a writer, or a cause—writing that everyone wants to read. The book is rich with student work that shows how writing can make things happen in the world. The authors provide ready-to-use lessons that include a full range of writing, including poetry, narrative, petitions, proposals, emails, self-reflections, long-term projects, and crit...

Got performance? Seeking assets to manage? Frustrated by the youthful research professionals across the table who “just don’t get it” while seeming to control billions?Managers are often challenged by the process of asset gathering. Why doesn’t the market recognize the firm’s value? Where is the AUM? Here is a big idea—let’s ask these institutions why most managers do not have their assets and never will. These pages convey the responses of institutional investors worldwide to thes...

Tragedy brings them together. Will love tear them apart?New York City, 1832. Clarissa Tanner is carefree and lighthearted until the sudden death of her parents. Forced to pay off family debts or lose her horse farm, she’s given one choice: auction off her beloved horses or reluctantly enter 1830s New York Society social season to face the dreaded marriage market.Nicholas is a man on a mission, searching for his missing brother. Fearing Liam may be the victi...

Welcome to Whispering Pines, Wisconsin. A place for those who don’t belong.Sixteen years after a family feud drove her from the cozy Northwoods village of Whispering Pines, Wisconsin, former detective Jayne O'Shea returns to prepare her grandparents' lake house for sale. Once there, not only does she find that the house has been trashed, her dog discovers a dead body in the backyard. Jayne intends to stay out of it, but when it becomes obvious the sheriff isn't interested in invest...

Tucked next to a pristine lake, the part-Medieval Europe, part-Renaissance Faire hamlet of Whispering Pines is a utopia . . . except for the recent murders.One month after arriving in the Northwoods, former detective Jayne O'Shea has settled comfortably into small-town life and is making good progress with her task of getting her grandparents' house ready for sale.Then the shocking death of one of the carnies rocks the community, and the villagers look to Jayne for help, pl...

With renovations on the house finally complete, Jayne and Tripp are ready to open their B&B. Villagers and tourists gather for their grand opening barbecue. Close friends check in as their first guests. Aside from a minor glitch or two, everything is going to plan … and then someone turns up dead on the side of the road.Unsure if she’s looking for a murderer or a hit-and-run driver, Jayne jumps headlong into figuring out what happened. Her confidence is shaken, though, when some of...