Bøger af Michael Stephens

The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

A woman faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

An epic that details the checkered rise and fall of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his wife, Josephine.

A screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with a mysterious neighbor as he then discovers his parents appear to be living just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.

With dreams of opening a shop in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

Maestro tells the complex love story of Leonard and Felicia, a story that spans over 30 years-from the time they met in 1946 at a party and continuing through two engagements, a 25 year marriage, and three children: Jamie Bernstein, Alexander Bernstein and Nina Bernstein Simmons.

When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend. Through Priscilla's eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla's long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this deeply felt and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy, and fame.

The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

Squirt the whale continues his adventures in Squirt's Secret Place. Come along with Squirt as he learns life lessons in the deep blue sea. The story is illustrated with lots of beautiful ocean animals that your child is sure to love. Make it tonight's bedtime story!

God is good and that will never change. But sometimes bad things happen in life. If God is love, how can He allow tragedies and disasters in the world? Is God judging us? Did God allow bad things to happen to me? Did God do this? The Word of God provides the answers. God is for you not against you.

Come along with Squirt the whale as he pursues his dream of swimming with the stars. A beautiful story illustrated with lots of ocean animals, Squirt Swims with the Stars is sure to be your child's favorite bedtime story. Parent's will love the inspirational message as the book helps little ones understand the importance of perceptions and different points of view.

Heather Douglas was ecstatic when her ringing phone brought her out of a horrific daydream from her childhood. But, the phone call from her long-time friend turned billionaire matriarch was not about the two of them catching up on old times. Hired by Angelica Stewart, Heather and her sister, Alex, owners of a small but successful private investigative firm, find themselves on the redeye to New Orleans to investigate Angelica's daughter, Katie, who went missing from her bachelorette.Concerned with how Alex's vivacious and carefree behavior will mix with New Orleans, Heather learns that Angelica's husband, Terry, has hired his own private investigator for the same job. The sisters and their mysterious private investigator, Nathan Steele, must join forces, locate Katie, discretely during Mardi Gras. Heather's unnerved by the newly formed collaboration forced on her agency as she's both attracted and repelled by her new partner-and Alex's unexplainable infatuation with him. Together, they embark on a journey as they piece together lies, alibis, evidence, and betrayal in hopes to locate Katie... alive.

Have you ever wondered if God was real? And if He was real, what might be His thoughts about you specifically? What might he share with you if you had the chance to talk to Him face to face? With these questions in mind and with a unique gift, Michael Stephens seized the opportunity to try and help answer these questions for numerous people while working in the marketplace as a barista for Starbucks. Throughout the course of his time serving coffee and espresso, he routinely prayed for and prophesied over hundreds of customers. Soon, stories of "the Starbucks prophet" circulated around the Kansas City community. As more and more customers were ministered to and touched by the presence of God, the testimonies grew. Consequently, people began to venture over to the specific Starbuck's location he worked at in hopes of possibly hearing just "what Jesus had to say" about them. With a desire to help people see that God is real both inside and outside of the church, Michael Stephens has taken the gospel into everyday life and seen numerous people encouraged and transformed. In addition to being inspired by the stories in this book you will learn how to encounter God in any arena of life, gain Divine confidence in where He has called you, get a taste of what Jesus actually thinks about you, and be provoked to love in new ways as you rediscover the Jesus who invades everyday life.

Dr. Riley Hunter started her Valentine's Day with a shower and a pleasant surprise from her boyfriend, Brad. Another surprise arrived a couple of hours later in the form of the FBI asking her to accompany them to their office where they ask her to take a break from her work at the mental health clinic to help with the eminently active case-- the Valentine Killer. Someone is violently murdering people in Florida, a pattern with which Riley is quite familiar. If the trend continues, the killer will disappear for another year. The clock is ticking, and FBI Supervisory Special Agent Marshall Sterling believes Riley is the key to solving these murders by getting into the mind of a serial killer. Is Sterling right? Can Riley help end the sinister killings before time runs out?

Abbie Talbot was a compassionate medical researcher following in her father's footsteps. After losing her mother, Abbie spent most of each day volunteering her time at the hospital to those in need. The little free time she did have, she chose to spend with her father, a well-regarded professor and published researcher at the local university. Abbie's days were long, fueled by the delight and care she gave to others. Her life was pleasantly redundant until a grief-stricken widow awoke emotions in Abbie that she deliberately buried deep within herself, hidden away behind her chaotic daily schedule, more than ten years ago when she lost her mother. Now faced with this recent uprising of repressed feelings, Abbie struggles with the decision to give up her life's work at the expense of disappointing herself, her friends, and family. Abbie's day goes from bad to worse when a horrific event drastically changes her evening plans and the rest of her life. As the new owner of an ominous briefcase, she cannot open, and an enigmatic riddle to solve, outside forces threaten and intimidate Abbie, and her newly acquainted ally, Josh, into unlocking the mysterious briefcase and its secret. Their quest to uncover the secret puts her and Josh on the run from the FBI and others, leaving behind a trail of damage, destruction, and death that does not just affect them, but the potentially the entire world.

Join Texas Jack, his best friend Sully, and their loyal dog Spot as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime in "The Lost Maples Treasure Hunt." Inspired by the legends passed down by Texas Jack's grandpa, the trio sets out to uncover a hidden treasure deep within the heart of the Lost Maples forest. Along the way, they must navigate treacherous terrain, outwit dangerous wildlife, and face their fears, all while relying on their resourcefulness, bravery, and the unbreakable bond of friendship.This heartwarming tale of adventure and discovery will captivate readers aged 9 to 12 as they follow the courageous trio on their journey to uncover the secrets of the Lost Maples. But the true treasure lies not in the riches they find, but in the lessons they learn about the power of teamwork, the importance of giving back to their community, and the unwavering support of family and friends.In the end, Texas Jack, Sully, and Spot prove that with determination, courage, and a little bit of luck, anything is possible. Their story will inspire young readers to chase their dreams and embrace the true spirit of adventure, reminding them that with the right mix of heart and grit, there's no challenge too great to conquer. This book is dyslexic friendly, has large spacing, Open Dyslexic font, and paragraphs all on one page

Texas Jack travels to the Bluebonnet Ranch to compete in a rodeo competition surrounded by the beautiful Texas bluebonnets. However, when a group of bandits tries to sabotage the event, it's up to Texas Jack to save the day and keep the rodeo running.

In The Brooklyn Book of the Dead, Michael Stephens presents the most devastating vision of the Irish-American family since the nightmarish portrayals of Eugene O'Neill and James T. Farrell. Returning to their Brooklyn neighborhood for the wake and funeral of their father (Customs Inspector Leland Coole, aka Jackie Ducks, Little Lee, Crazy Jack, but remembered by his children as the "old bastard"), the sixteen Coole children talk and reminisce about their father and family; all adults now, their lives have been painful failures involving drugs, alcoholism, violence, petty crime, incest, and despair. Like any truly emotionally crippled children of a dysfunctional family, the Cooles rant with bitterness about their pasts but likewise romanticize their family, coupling an ability to analyze their plight with an utter inability to do anything about it. The novel is also the story of the decline of urban America and the story of third-generation immigrants who are both cut off from their roots and yet unassimilated into the illusory American melting pot. Stephens writes of all this with a passion and love of his materials. And he writes bravely because this is a book that will be attacked by those who believe in the mythical American family invoked by "family-values" politicians and wealthy evangelists. If Stephens has a message at all, it is that families are diseases made fatal by a cynical American society.

Offers succinct writings that will refresh your view of librarianship and invigorate your work. Stephens encourages curiosity and creativity in his students and all library workers by connecting trends from outside the profession to its bedrock values.

Adaptation to change that's based on thoughtful planning and grounded in the mission of libraries: it's a model that respected LIS thinker and educator Michael Stephens terms "e;hyperlinked librarianship."e; And the result, for librarians in leadership positions as well as those working on the front lines, is flexible librarianship that's able to stay closely aligned with the needs and wants of library users. In this collection of essays from his "e;Office Hours"e; columns in Library Journal, Stephens explores the issues and emerging trends that are transforming the profession. Among the topics he discusses are: the importance of accessible, welcoming, and responsive library environments that invite open and equitable participation, and which factors are preventing many libraries from ramping up community engagement and user-focused services; challenges, developments, and emerging opportunities in the field, including new ways to reach users and harness curiosity; considerations for prospective librarians, from knowing what you want out of the profession to learning how to aim for it; why LIS curriculum and teaching styles need to evolve; mentoring and collaboration; and the concept of the library as classroom, a participatory space to experiment with new professional roles, new technologies, and new ways of interacting with patrons. Bringing together ideas for practice, supporting evidence from recent research, and insights into what lies ahead, this book will inform and inspire librarians of all types.