“Incredibull Stella reminds us that we are here to love, be loved, and be rescued.” —Jackson Galaxy While recovering from a serious illness, Marika Meeks adopted an abandoned pit bull puppy and named her Stella. Together, they healed each other . . . Marika Meeks fell in love with Stella the moment she saw her. The adorable pit bull puppy had been abandoned in a cold field in winter—but her warm, friendly eyes and boundless affection could melt anyone’s heart. Even so, Marika wasn’t sure she was ready to adopt a dog. As a busy entrepreneur, wife, and mother of two daughters, Marika’s life was crazy already. She was recovering from Stage 3 breast cancer, and her family was still reeling from her brush with mortality. But Marika couldn’t deny the way Stella made her feel—the pure joy of this sweet-natured dog’s unconditional love—and she knew in her heart what her family needed . . . In a leap of faith, the Meekses welcomed Stella into their home, and thanks to this incredible dog, the daily pressures of work, stress, and Marika’s health problems seemed to slip away. As Marika’s cancer receded and her family found renewed vitality, she began sharing Stella’s story with the world. Now an international social media star, Stella helps Marika to spread their heartfelt message of advocating for pit bull breed awareness, explaining the benefits of pet ownership, and supporting shelters and other organizations that save animals’ lives. If you’ve ever experienced the joy that only an animal can bring—or felt the healing power of a pet’s unconditional love—you’re going to adore Incredibull Stella.

A girl struggling to fit in. A homeless kitten. An unexpected job offer in an unfamiliar country that changes everything. CJ had a long history of escaping places and people she wasn't fond of. But for the sake of a silver tabby, she decided to stay in Japan for a while. This decision helped her open up her heart and mind, revisit her way of thinking, and reconnect with her estranged family. Let this heartwarming memoir take you to the land of cats and cherry trees as you read about CJ's adventures - from the craziness of the naked men festival, the experience of forest bathing and the significance of finding a life purpose or ikigai, to the temples of Takayama, and wonders of Cat Island - you'll see what a homeless kitten found outside a temple in Japan taught her about an old culture and new beginnings

The eldest daughter of the Times Square “King of Porn,” Romola Hodas recounts her chaotic childhood amid the turmoil of publically growing up as the daughter of the man who almost single-handedly built New York City’s pornography and adult entertainment empire from the 1960s to the 1980s before his spectacular and public fall from grace. Behind the salacious headlines, Marty’s family paid a terrible price. In her shockingly honest, no-holds-barred memoir, Romola describes hanging out as a child in her father’s porn shops on 42nd Street and meeting the eclectic clientele who frequented the stores, making friends with the girls who performed live sex acts on stage, and spying on her parents’ sex orgies and crazy all-night swinger parties. Romola relates, in moving detail, how she cared for her three younger siblings when her brilliant, bipolar mother broke with reality, and how she survived verbal, physical, and emotional abuse; a year in reform school; her father’s three stints in prison; two kidnapping attempts by the mob (one while at summer fat camp); and how her baby brother, Jarrett, actually was briefly kidnapped by mobsters wanting to send Marty Hodas a clear, unambiguous message. For all its darkness, The Princess of 42nd Street is, at its heart, an uplifting and inspirational story of how one young woman overcame incredible odds to become a successful businesswoman who now devotes her life to helping others. Raw, unflinching, and devoid of self-pity, The Princess of 42nd Street is a one-of-a-kind story.

The Anger of Unfulfillment: Three Plays Out of Nigeria presents a collection of three plays intended to capture a great deal of what Nigeria has come to represent today. Each play in this compilation has its own distinctive flavour, seasoned by the circumstantial socio-political variables holding sway in the country at the time it was written. The Anger of Unfulfillment examines the complex and multi-faceted phenomenon of human trafficking, especially in women and girls. The plays principal characters take us through a serious but often irreverent roller-coaster discourse on the Nigerian state. The thematic preoccupation of Hells Invitation is the social death in Nigeria that is associated with HIV. This stigma, driven by ignorance, scares Nigerians away from learning their HIV status and consequently strips them of the opportunity to seek early treatment. Through the musings and antics of characters such as Aliyu, Emeka, Stella, and Bimbo, you can experience the social stigma through the eyes and souls of the average Nigerian. This Time Tomorrow presents a comic portrait of Nigerians and their approach to politics and nation-building. Through the voices of the principal characters, it serves as a call to the Nigerian people to take control of their destiny through active engagement and participation.

Gathered from the popular website www.StellaAwards.com, The True Stella Awards is an outrageous collection of America’s most frivolous lawsuits Named for Stella Liebeck, the woman who won a multimillion-dollar lawsuit after spilling hot McDonald’s coffee on herself, humorist Randy Cassingham’s popular website chronicles the hard-to-believe and amusing claims brought before the U.S.courts. The most ridiculous of these lawsuits are given the “honorable” Stella Award. In The True Stella Awards, Cassingham documents the most outlandish of these real-life cases, including: * The man who legally changed his name to Jack Ass, and then sued MTV because their TV show and movie Jackass infringed on his trademark and demeaned his “good name” * The songwriter who left a minute’s silence on his record only to be sued by the estate of another songwriter who copyrighted his own “silent” song * The man who sued an amusement park after being the victim of the ultimate “act of God”: He was hit by lightning while standing next to his own car in the parking lot Stunning and hilarious, The True Stella Awards reveals the extremes people will go to in the pursuit of “justice.”

A young jewelry designer, two jewelers, a police officer, an architect. They all live in a tranquil small town. They have all experienced darkness. They all hope for a quieter life. But their lives will not remain so tranquil. Evil figures lurk in the shadows and soon they have to realize that they have to be prepared for anything. Will they survive even the most difficult trials together? Can they trust each other with the secrets of their past? And in the end, will they still be able to create the life they long for? An emotional journey accompanies the inhabitants of a small town through the abysses of terrible experiences, but also through all the moments of humanity they can give to each other.

Alan loves his work. He doesn't love his wife, his mother or his only child, so he aims to break free and live for himself. Alan’s going to sort this mess out – this huge, horrific mess that is his life. He’s got a plan. He’s going to stop playing the husband, the father, the son and find himself. He’s going to sort it out once and for all. Bodies Unfinished opened at The Brockley Jack Theatre on 12th July 2011.