Here's a brief time out that EVERYONE in your family will enjoy: disconnect from the Net, put away your digital toys, and get ready for some good old-fashioned fun. Even 20 minutes a day can be rejuvenating for you and a great way to connect with your children. In "101 Offline Activities You Can Do With Your Child," you'll find activities that tap the most advanced microprocessor--the one between your ears. Best of all, you can do most of the activities with little or no preparation! You'll find games and activities: * To do in your house, when you're out and about, or on the road. * That spark imagination and creativity. * That test everyone's powers of observation. * That bring out the kid in you! What are you waiting for? Unplug. Tune In. Enjoy!

Here's a brief time out that EVERYONE in your family will enjoy: disconnect from the Net, put away your digital toys, and get ready for some good old-fashioned fun. Even 20 minutes a day can be rejuvenating for you and a great way to connect with your children. In "101 Offline Activities You Can Do With Your Child," you'll find activities that tap the most advanced microprocessor--the one between your ears. Best of all, you can do most of the activities with little or no preparation! You'll find games and activities:

* To do in your house, when you're out and about, or on the road.
* That spark imagination and creativity.
* That test everyone's powers of observation.
* That bring out the kid in you!

What are you waiting for? Unplug. Tune In. Enjoy!

Here's a brief time out that EVERYONE in your family will enjoy: disconnect from the Net, put away your digital toys, and get ready for some good old-fashioned fun. Even 20 minutes a day can be rejuvenating for you and a great way to connect with your children. In "101 Offline Activities You Can Do With Your Child," you'll find activities that tap the most advanced microprocessor--the one between your ears. Best of all, you can do most of the activities with little or no preparation! You'll find games and activities:

* To do in your house, when you're out and about, or on the road.
* That spark imagination and creativity.
* That test everyone's powers of observation.
* That bring out the kid in you!

What are you waiting for? Unplug. Tune In. Enjoy!

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts.

Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert."

This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.

Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2012: How many introverts do you know? The real answer will probably surprise you. In our culture, which emphasizes group work from elementary school through the business world, everything seems geared toward extroverts. Luckily, introverts everywhere have a new spokesperson: Susan Cain, a self-proclaimed introvert who’s taken it upon herself to better understand the place of introverts in culture and society. With Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Cain explores introversion through psychological research old and new, personal experiences, and even brain chemistry, in an engaging and highly-readable fashion. By delving into introversion, Cain also seeks to find ways for introverts and extroverts to better understand one another--and for introverts to understand their own contradictions, such as the ability to act like extroverts in certain situations. Highly accessible and uplifting for any introvert--and any extrovert who knows an introvert (and over one-third of us are introverts)--Quiet has the potential to revolutionize the “extrovert ideal.” –Malissa Kent

Q: What personal significance does the subject have for you?
A: When I was in my twenties, I started practicing corporate law on Wall Street. At first I thought I was taking on an enormous challenge, because in my mind, the successful lawyer was comfortable in the spotlight, whereas I was introverted and occasionally shy. But I soon realized that my nature had a lot of advantages: I was good at building loyal alliances, one-on-one, behind the scenes; I could close my door, concentrate, and get the work done well; and like many introverts, I tended to ask a lot of questions and listen intently to the answers, which is an invaluable tool in negotiation. I started to realize that there’s a lot more going on here than the cultural stereotype of the introvert-as-unfortunate would have you believe. I had to know more, so I spent the past five years researching the powers of introversion.

Q: Was there ever a time when American society valued introverts more highly?
A: In the nation’s earlier years it was easier for introverts to earn respect. America once embodied what the cultural historian Warren Susman called a “Culture of Character,” which valued inner strength, integrity, and the good deeds you performed when no one was looking. You could cut an impressive figure by being quiet, reserved, and dignified. Abraham Lincoln was revered as a man who did not “offend by superiority,” as Emerson put it.

Q: You discuss how we can better embrace introverts in the workplace. Can you explain?
A: Introverts thrive in environments that are not overstimulating—surroundings in which they can think (deeply) before they speak. This has many implications. Here are two to consider: (1) Introverts perform best in quiet, private workspaces—but unfortunately we’re trending in precisely the opposite direction, toward open-plan offices. (2) If you want to get the best of all your employees’ brains, don’t simply throw them into a meeting and assume you’re hearing everyone’s ideas. You’re not; you’re hearing from the most vocally assertive people. Ask people to put their ideas in writing before the meeting, and make sure you give everyone time to speak.

Q: Quiet offers some terrific insights for the parents of introverted children. What environment do introverted kids need in order to thrive, whether it’s at home or at school?
A: The best thing parents and teachers can do for introverted kids is to treasure them for who they are, and encourage their passions. This means: (1) Giving them the space they need. If they need to recharge alone in their room after school instead of plunging into extracurricular activities, that’s okay. (2) Letting them master new skills at their own pace. If they’re not learning to swim in group settings, for example, teach them privately. (3) Not calling them “shy”--they’ll believe the label and experience their nervousness as a fixed trait rather than an emotion they can learn to control.

Q: What are the advantages to being an introvert?
A: There are too many to list in this short space, but here are two seemingly contradictory qualities that benefit introverts: introverts like to be alone--and introverts enjoy being cooperative. Studies suggest that many of the most creative people are introverts, and this is partly because of their capacity for quiet. Introverts are careful, reflective thinkers who can tolerate the solitude that idea-generation requires. On the other hand, implementing good ideas requires cooperation, and introverts are more likely to prefer cooperative environments, while extroverts favor competitive ones.

Kit Colfax is a sassy insurance investigator who is out to catch herself a suave Southern jewel thief any way she can. Her very career depends on it. But she's in for the surprise of her life when she mistakenly snares handsome chief of police Simon "Beau" Beaulieux in her sting operation instead.

Lord have mercy, if the man didn't have a voice custom made for smooth satin sheets on hot, sultry afternoons, dripping with the scent of honeysuckle and the taste of icy mint juleps sliding down kiss-parched throats.

Kit does her best to resist the sexy Louisiana aristocrat. But a series of disasters--certainly not his heated kisses--have her chasing Beau from Las Vegas to the bayous of his antebellum plantation, where she finds herself hopelessly caught in the sensual web of his love.

Catch Me If You Can is a sizzling, fast-paced romantic suspense story-with emphasis on the romance. You'll love the twists and turns of the plot, and the picturesque settings from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the sultry atmosphere of Beau's Southern plantation. But most of all you'll fall in love with Beau and Kit, as together they discover that love always catches you just when you least expect it.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN  - Top 20 Kindle Bestseller, #1 Romantic Suspense

New Orleans trilogy, book 1

Two Lovers...Caught Between Duty and Desire...
Simon "Beau" Beaulieux oozes sensuality--from his bedroom eyes to his broad shoulders to his smooth Louisiana drawl. Kit Colfax has a feeling the sexy chief of police always gets what he wants, but to protect her own future she can't let him have his way...or his way with her.

Kit wants to put Beau's thieving cousin behind bars. Beau is determined to stop her. Painful experience has taught Kit how powerful men operate...and manipulate. Well, not this lady. Not this time. Sure, Beau makes her feel things she never has before. Makes her want to trust him--as he so unwaveringly trusts in his cousin's innocence. But is that a lover talking...or a deceiver bent on saving his family...whoever ends up paying the price?



Any fan of Debra Webb, Sophia Knightly, and Linda Howard will love CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!


What people are saying about CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

"...a wild, erotic adventure ...Plenty of action and more than enough sizzling sensuality to keep the pages turning... A must read!"

"...laced with subtle humor, compassionate and distinctive characters and an intricate plot line with uniquely original twists."

"One of the hottest, sexiest books I've ever read. The sparks between Kit and Beau fairly burn holes in this book."


If you were looking for the #1 bestselling book 2 in the New Orleans trilogy, search for "SWEET REVENGE" by Nina Bruhns - A dark, mysterious man is watching her. A stalker...or a lover...?


If you were looking for Nina's highly controversial #1 bestselling erotic thriller, search for "SLAVE TO LOVE" by Nikita Black (Nina's pseudonym)- While hunting down a serial killer, two undercover cops explore the darkest side of sexual desire...  Dexter's got nothing on hero Mick McGraw

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN  - Top 20 Kindle Bestseller, #1 Romantic Suspense

New Orleans trilogy, book 1

Two Lovers...Caught Between Duty and Desire...
Simon "Beau" Beaulieux oozes sensuality--from his bedroom eyes to his broad shoulders to his smooth Louisiana drawl. Kit Colfax has a feeling the sexy chief of police always gets what he wants, but to protect her own future she can't let him have his way...or his way with her.

Kit wants to put Beau's thieving cousin behind bars. Beau is determined to stop her. Painful experience has taught Kit how powerful men operate...and manipulate. Well, not this lady. Not this time. Sure, Beau makes her feel things she never has before. Makes her want to trust him--as he so unwaveringly trusts in his cousin's innocence. But is that a lover talking...or a deceiver bent on saving his family...whoever ends up paying the price?



Any fan of Debra Webb, Sophia Knightly, and Linda Howard will love CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!


What people are saying about CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

"...a wild, erotic adventure ...Plenty of action and more than enough sizzling sensuality to keep the pages turning... A must read!"

"...laced with subtle humor, compassionate and distinctive characters and an intricate plot line with uniquely original twists."

"One of the hottest, sexiest books I've ever read. The sparks between Kit and Beau fairly burn holes in this book."


If you were looking for the #1 bestselling book 2 in the New Orleans trilogy, search for "SWEET REVENGE" by Nina Bruhns - A dark, mysterious man is watching her. A stalker...or a lover...?


If you were looking for Nina's highly controversial #1 bestselling erotic thriller, search for "SLAVE TO LOVE" by Nikita Black (Nina's pseudonym)- While hunting down a serial killer, two undercover cops explore the darkest side of sexual desire...  Dexter's got nothing on hero Mick McGraw

• Hardcover
• Juvenile beginning reading
• Stories with verses
• Rhymed verses.
• English

Poor Dick and Sally. It's cold and wet and they're stuck in the house with nothing to do . . . until a giant cat in a hat shows up, transforming the dull day into a madcap adventure and almost wrecking the place in the process! Written by Dr. Seuss in 1957 in response to the concern that "pallid primers [with] abnormally courteous, unnaturally clean boys and girls' were leading to growing illiteracy among children, The Cat in the Hat (the first Random House Beginner Book) changed the way our children learn how to read.

He may be an old standby, but he never lets us down. When in doubt, turn to the story of the cat that transformed a dull, rainy afternoon into a magical and just-messy-enough adventure. There's another, hidden adventure, too: this book really will help children learn to read. With his simple and often single-vowel vocabulary, the good Doctor knew what he was doing: hear it, learn it, read it--laughing all the way. The Cat in the Hat is a must for any child's library.

This book explains how to recognize and apply the principles that can help you achieve your goals in life. It teaches that happiness is being in alignment with the principles of nature. The book states that the only way to wealth is to cultivate the right ideas about the right things and then hold on to them. Various techniques for developing the mental faculties and ideas about wealth creation are fully explained for easy understanding. You, who read this book, will get most out of it by putting into practice the powerful Master Mind principle described in the book.

This celebrated New York Times bestseller -- now poised to reach an even wider audience in paperback -- is a book that is changing the way Americans think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.

For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.

Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan

It's Christmas and Charlie and Drake are finally able to go on their honeymoon. It's a mixed blessing--they get to spend three months at the famed Taos Ski Valley, but Drake will be working as he shuttles skiers to the top of the mountain with his helicopter. When Drake's assistant, Eloy Romero, is accused of killing his own brother, a Catholic priest, Charlie offers to help sort out the clues. Drawn into the art world for which Taos is known, Charlie begins to uncover connections between the murdered priest and the theft of millions of dollars in religious artifacts. As the pieces click into place, she finds that she and Drake are placing their lives on the line. "Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life in her colorful, vivid descriptions....Readers can only hope the likable characters, fast-paced plots and local color will continue in another installment." -Albuquerque Journal "...a delightfully complex mystery." -Romantic Times (4 out 5 five stars) "... a good bet..." -Booklist

Charlie and Drake begin the winter with hopes for a Christmas honeymoon in a secluded mountain cabin. They will stay all winter and operate a helicopter skiing service at the famed Taos Ski Valley, while Charlie works long-distance with her brother's RJP Investigations for the duration of the ski season.

No sooner have they settled into their cozy cabin than the mysteries begin to pile up. Drake's assistant, Eloy Romero, is accused of a murder and the evidence looks damning. Charlie agrees to look into the case and finds herself drawn into the world of the Taos art community, with ties to the Catholic church and stolen religious artifacts.

Here is what others have said:

"Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life in her colorful, vivid description... Readers can only hope the likable characters, fast-paced plots and local color will continue." -- Albuquerque Journal

Charlie and Drake begin the winter with hopes for a Christmas honeymoon in a secluded mountain cabin. They will stay all winter and operate a helicopter skiing service at the famed Taos Ski Valley, while Charlie works long-distance with her brother's RJP Investigations for the duration of the ski season.

No sooner have they settled into their cozy cabin than the mysteries begin to pile up. Drake's assistant, Eloy Romero, is accused of a murder and the evidence looks damning. Charlie agrees to look into the case and finds herself drawn into the world of the Taos art community, with ties to the Catholic church and stolen religious artifacts.

Here is what others have said:

"Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life in her colorful, vivid description... Readers can only hope the likable characters, fast-paced plots and local color will continue." -- Albuquerque Journal