Whether you have a slight addiction to caffeine, an irrational hatred of supermodels, or enough training in domestic peacekeeping to secure federal employment, Shana McLean Moore has the antidote to your pain. She knows you'll find it at the bottom of a hot cup of coffee, savored while taking a few minutes out of your selfless day to indulge in some of her caffeinated ponderings. Shana's look at life, laughter and lattes is sure to leave you feeling tickled, validated and ready for a second cup especially since the first one might just have escaped through your nose! Find out how you and your friends can take a coffee break with Shana Moore at your favorite bookstore or coffee shop by visiting her Web site: http://www.caffeinatedponderings.com Once you're at the site, be sure to sign up for her Fresh Brew by becoming a subscriber to her popular online newsletter.

This delectable collection of stories is full of interesting facts and anecdotes about coffee's history and culture, how a bean goes from field to cup, and the many varieties available.

“You’ll never think the same way about your morning cup of coffee.”—Mark McClusky, editor in chief of Wired.com and author of Faster, Higher, Stronger Journalist Murray Carpenter has been under the influence of a drug for nearly three decades. And he’s in good company, because chances are you’re hooked, too. Humans have used caffeine for thousands of years. A bitter white powder in its most essential form, a tablespoon of it would kill even the most habituated user. This addictive, largely unregulated substance is everywhere—in places you’d expect (like coffee and chocolate) and places you wouldn’t (like chewing gum and fruit juice), and Carpenter reveals its impact on soldiers, athletes, and even children. It can make you stronger, faster, and more alert, but it’s not perfect, and its role in health concerns like obesity and anxiety will surprise you. Making stops at the coffee farms of central Guatemala, a synthetic caffeine factory in China, and an energy shot bottler in New Jersey, among numerous other locales around the globe, Caffeinated exposes the high-stakes but murky world of caffeine, drawing on cutting-edge science and larger-than-life characters to offer an unprecedented understanding of America’s favorite drug.

"I dare you to find even one page of this wonderful book that doesn't make you laugh. Linda and Shana are hysterical squared! And I mean that in a good way their musings made me smile, snort, and shout, 'Exactly right!'"-Debra Garfinkle, author of Storky: How I Lost My Nickname and Won the Girl (Putnam, 2005) Sex may take place in The City, but there's plenty of sass in the suburbs. While Linda Sharp and Shana Moore might cop to being housewives, these gals are far from desperate. Rather than finding their thrills with a pool boy, Sharp and Moore delight in taking the head-splitting struggles all women experience, and making you laugh until your sides have busted their seams. Linda and Shana tell it like you've experienced it only this time around it's funny. Their flat out honest portrayals of PMS and unearned sweat; puppies and grown women who piddle; sagging breasts and husbands who often act like boobs, will leave you smiling, and feeling less alone in your leaky rowboat. "Femail got me laughing out loud! It's a celebration of friendship that's at once irreverent, feisty and heartfelt."-Alison van Diggelen, founder & editor of Silicon Mom "Moore and Sharp unite tongue and cheek for a hilarious, witty, sometimes frumpy, sometimes sexy romp through the daily challenges and international nuances of motherhood in the twenty-first century."-Kymberli Brady, author of The Sleepy Little Star and Give Them Wings and Let Them Fly

You know it when you find it: the perfect black dress, the welcome mat for your first home, the yellow bunny sheets for your best friend's baby shower, the laundry basket your nephew will never use in college. Whatever the mission, shopping for yourself and others marks life's milestones, celebrates your passions and expresses your individuality. And most important, shopping is just plain fun!

A collection of ponderings full of wit and wisdom to inspire you, make you smile, and even laugh out loud. Sit down, relax, and take a moment to stroll down a sun-dappled roadway, climb the steps to an old country church, wade in a clear mountain stream, listen to the rushing water as it pours over river rocks, smell the fresh air after a rain, and soak in the beauty and grandeur of Gods masterpiece found in the ever-changing panorama of the Great Smoky Mountains. You will enjoy a bit of history as well as introductions to some interesting folks who call this mountain paradise home. You wont want to miss the story of burning the palm fronds for Ash Wednesdaythey sure smelled sweet, a bit like marijuanaand the noises in the night among many others, too funny for words. Each one, a feel-good story, intertwined with Gods own Word.

Dive into this rich and varied collection of poetry and flash fiction, where every page holds a new surprise. From the deeply personal to the universally relatable, these works explore a wide range of emotions and experiences. With evocative language and poignant imagery, these works will transport you to different worlds and invite you to see life through a new lens. Whether you’re a seasoned reader or new to the world of poetry and fiction, this collection has something for everyone.