Randy and Yuleisy are orthodox con artists who would go all lengths to get everything that they want. In the purview of deception, strangers, loved ones, and even the government are all the same - potential victims. Acquainting themselves with other crooks as a married couple they meet Bobby; a fine carpenter, a business man, and a career criminal. Despite his legal success, he continues to steal and carjack at gun point which soon landed him in prison for ten years. Bobby is later deported back to his country where he continues to break the law as a hit man.Ramon's Birds of a Feather Flock Together is a mysterious and thrilling triumph, a story of crime and obsession, survival and betrayal, and the daunting terror of getting caught.

"This true story will twist your heart like a sponge and renew your faith in the world." —Lee Woodruff, co-author with Bob Woodruff of the New York Times bestseller In an Instant "A heartwarming book." —Vicki Myron, author of New York Times #1 Bestseller Dewey "Reminds us of the extraordinary ways caring people are helping the men and women who have served our country...and animals along with them." —Maxine Waters "I defy anyone to read it without shedding tears." —Rosemary Low, author of The Complete Book of Parrots "It left me smiling, full of hope, and wishing there were more Lorin Linders out there." —Mary Gauthier Animal lover though she was, Lorin Lindner was definitely not looking for a pet. Then came Sammy – a mischievous and extremely loud bright pink Moluccan cockatoo who had been abandoned. It was love at first sight. But Sammy needed a companion. Enter Mango, lover of humans ("Hewwo"), inveterate thief of precious objects. Realizing that there were many parrots in need of new homes, Dr. Lindner eventually founded a sanctuary for them. Meanwhile, she began to meet homeless veterans on the streets of Los Angeles. Before long she was a full time advocate for these former service members, who were often suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Ultimately, Dr. Lindner created a program for them, too. Eventually the two parts of her life came together when she founded Serenity Park, a unique sanctuary on the grounds of the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Healthcare Center. She had noticed that the veterans she treated as a clinical psychologist and the parrots she had taken in as a rescuer quickly formed bonds. Men and women who had been silent in therapy would share their stories and their feelings more easily with animals. Birds of a Feather is ultimately a love story between veterans and the birds they nurse back to health and between Dr. Lindner and her husband, a veteran with PTSD, who healed at Serenity Park. Full of remarkable people and colorful birds, this book reminds us that we all have the power to make a difference.

After stumbling upon a book of photographs depicting extinct animals, B.J. Hollars became fascinated by the creatures that are no longer with us; specifically, extinct North American birds. How, he wondered, could we preserve so beautifully on film what we’ve failed to preserve in life? And so begins his yearlong journey to find out, one that leads him from bogs to art museums, from archives to Christmas Counts, until he at last comes as close to extinct birds as he ever will during a behind-the-scenes visit at the Chicago Field Museum. Heartbroken by the birds we’ve lost, Hollars takes refuge in those that remain. Armed with binoculars, a field guide, and knowledgeable friends, he begins his transition from budding birder to environmentally conscious citizen, a first step on a longer journey toward understanding the true tragedy of a bird’s song silenced forever. Told with charm and wit, Flock Together is a remarkable memoir that shows how “knowing” the natural world—even just a small part—illuminates what it means to be a global citizen and how only by embracing our ecological responsibilities do we ever become fully human. A moving elegy to birds we’ve lost, Hollars’s exploration of what we can learn from extinct species will resonate in the minds of readers long beyond the final page. Purchase the audio edition. Watch a book trailer for Hollars’s newest book, Midwestern Strange.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE AWARD FOR FICTION 2017 LONGLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARD 2017 A beautiful new novel about the innocence of childhood and the scars that stay with you for life, from the award winning author of Mr Wigg and Nest. 'All in?' Kieran pulled me up, and the others followed. We gathered around the bigger tree. No one asked Matty - he just reached up and put his right hand on the trunk with ours. Kieran cleared his throat. 'We swear, on these trees, to always be friends. To protect each other - and this place.' Finding those carved trees forged a bond between Jay and her four childhood friends and opened their eyes to a wider world. But their attempt to protect the grove ends in disaster, and that one day on the river changes their lives forever. Seventeen years later, Jay finally has her chance to make amends. But at what cost? Not every wrong can be put right, but sometimes looking the other way is no longer an option. Praise for Where The Trees Were: 'an entrancing novel from a powerful new voice in Australian literature' - Australian Women's Weekly - APRIL 2016 AWW GREAT READ Praise for Nest: '(a) truly rich novel' - Sydney Morning Herald 'a thoroughly enjoyable, uplifting read from one of the most creative nature writers of our time' - MiNDFOOD Praise for Mr Wigg: 'beautiful and absorbing' - Sydney Morning Herald 'Simpson is a beautiful writer' - The Big Issue **Includes an extract from Simpson's next transporting novel, The Last Woman in the World**

Metaphors are ways of thinking and speaking about God which are based on images. The Bible is full of animal characteristics to describe God. Jesus also describes others by using metaphors. In the Bible God is seen as a Shepherd, Lion, Father, Eagle, Light, Rock, a fortress, the Vinedresser, Our Refuge, the Potter, a Wheel, Fire, etc. These sermons will give Spiritual growth and encouragement. Jeffrey Hunter lives in Columbia, South Carolina where he pastored for serveral years. He has taught in the Religion department of Allen University in Columbia, SC, Limestone College the Columbia SC Campus, and Newberry College in Newberry, SC. He matriculated at Benedict College in Columbia, SC, Lutheran Thelogical Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC, Erskine Theological Seminary in Due West, SC, United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and Bethany Theological Seminary in Houston, Alabama.

This book addresses various aspects of acoustic–phonetic analysis, including voice quality and fundamental frequency, and the effects of speech fluency and non-native accents, by examining read speech, public speech, and conversations. Voice is a sexually dimorphic trait that can convey important biological and social information about the speaker, and empirical findings suggest that voice characteristics and preferences play an important role in both intra- and intersexual selection, such as competition and mating, and social evaluation. Discussing evaluation criteria like physical attractiveness, pleasantness, likability, and even persuasiveness and charisma, the book bridges the gap between social and biological views on voice attractiveness. It presents conceptual, methodological and empirical work applying methods such as passive listening tests, psychoacoustic rating experiments, and crowd-sourced and interactive scenarios and highlights the diversity not only of the methods used when studying voice attractiveness, but also of the domains investigated, such as politicians’ speech, experimental speed dating, speech synthesis, vocal pathology, and voice preferences in human interactions as well as in human–computer and human–robot interactions. By doing so, it identifies widespread and complementary approaches and establishes common ground for further research.

This student-friendly introduction to the field focuses on understanding social and practical problems and developing intervention strategies to address them. Offering a balance of theory, research, and application, the updated Third Edition includes the latest research, as well as new, detailed examples of qualitative research throughout. The book begins with separate chapters that define the field, examine social psychological theory, review research methods, and consider the design and evaluation of interventions. Subsequent content chapters focus on the application of social psychological theory and knowledge to such areas as counseling, sports, media, health, education, organizations, criminal justice, community, environment, and diversity.