Bøger af Virginia Smith

Wacky Mayla Strong has finally given her life to God. But does He really want a purple-haired girl with piercings? When purple-haired Mayla Strong slumps into the back pew of her mother's church she has only one goal-to get Mama off her back. But Pastor Paul's message pierces her soul, she's strutting down the aisle in front of the bug-eyed congregation, lip stud and all. Baptized on the spot, Mayla comes out of the water knowing one thing for certain: life will never be the same. "Smith writes with wit and honesty in this chick lit parable for walking in faith in a lost and dying world." - RT Book Reviews (4-stars)

The daughter of a pagan priestess believes Noah's prophecy...especially when she discovers the horrifying secret behind her city's primary export. Belief in the One God is dangerous in Cainlan, a city founded on the worship of the god Cain. But when Eliana meets the son of a religious fanatic she is drawn to Shem's caring manner and deep faith. She believes his assertion that the One God will wipe the earth clean of the corruption that fills it, especially when she discovers a terrifying secret known only to those high in the government's ruling council. Though desperate to escape her destiny, Eliana's life has been preordained. Not even Shem's God can rescue her from the fate for which she was born - becoming the next high priestess to Cain.

When Mama awakes in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve with a hankering for a chocolate chip cookie, she tiptoes down the stairs to help herself to one of the treats left for Santa. But she discovers that Santa has already arrived, and there's only one cookie left! Fiction veteran Virginia Smith tells a charming Christmas story that's sure to become a holiday favorite in The Last Christmas Cookie.

Though every aspect of writing is critical in producing a good story, one of the most important skills a writer can employ to craft a gripping novel is Point of View. In this booklet, fiction veteran Virginia Smith guides writers through the shallows - the basics of viewpoint, tense, and scope - and into the depths of Deep POV. Learn and practice the techniques of creating a strong affinity to your characters that will keep your readers up late at night, turning pages to find out what happens next

The world is packed with people who don't have your best interests at heart and who never will. The skeezy ex who leeches your time, energy, and bank account... The coworker who will do anything to bring you down... The charismatic devil who will kiss your face and rob you blind behind your back... The self-absorbed acquaintance who mopes at your good fortune and is delighted by your misery...This book about these stories and many more. People are complicated, selfish creatures, and while a few people in your life might genuinely have your best interests in mind and heart, most of the world couldn't care less about you.Everyone has hidden agendas. Everyone is selfish. No matter where you are or what you do, there's always someone ready to take advantage of your generosity, kind nature, or vulnerabilities. People always want something, and what they do is a direct result of that want. A want creates some kind of motive that propels a person to act.This book is a wakeup call. It is also a tool to help you understand the ins and outs of motives, intentions, and hidden agendas and to give you some pointers that will help you guard against them and shut them out of your life.There's an old African proverb that says, "Beware of a naked man who offers you a shirt." Consider this book to be the metaphorical shirt delivered safely into your hands.

"Society and Growth" evaluates post-World War II economic development efforts in the United States, in Canada, and, in Brazil, and in Mexico. It argues that the proposal that the more fortunate countries should bring prosperity to the less developed ones failed: it did not stop the growth of poverty, did not protect the environment sufficiently, and did not promote human rights energetically.Smith begins with a presentation of the two chief development theories pursued after World War II, that is, the growth oriented, market driven model, and the communist ideology. She then chronicles the rise of dependency theory, a newer, 1960s based development perspective that was focused on the needs of less developed third world countries. Based on personal accounts of daily life in the megacities Sao Paulo and Mexico City, and on a review of other development analysts' conclusions, Smith evaluates the failures in Brazil and Mexico--the transportation fiascos spawned, the housing situation--and wonders how it could be that the most advanced industrial powers just didn't see that the poverty suffered by most people in Latin American countries was worsening even during the 1960s and 1970s, an era of relative prosperity."Written in accessible language, often times casual and humorous, without detriment to the topic's importancegoes beyond the customary litany of critiques to offer, and analyze, potential avenues for improvement."--Arturo Escobar, Anthropology, University of MassachusettsVirginia R. Smith's articles have appeared in "Maclean's," and in the "Toronto Star." She is the co-author of "Perpetuating Poverty: The Political Economy of Canadian Foreign Aid," and a social activist with over 30 years of experience in community based organizations: chiefly Latin America and with groups that resist cutbacks imposed by globalizing governments.

The Robert Frost Review is a peer-reviewed annual publication of the Robert Frost Society, which was founded in 1978 to promote scholarlydiscussion of the poet's life and work. The Review is committed to publishing high quality scholarship in all areas of study related to Frost,including pedagogical approaches for all educational settings. It is also interested in international perspectives on Frost and articles related totranslations of his work. In addition to scholarly articles, the Review also features short notes, book reviews, descriptions of encounterswith the poet, historical and biographical features, and commissioned work on special topics. Each issue includes a bibliography of recentFrost-related publications and dissertations.

Who murdered a small-town beauty-pageant judge-in a very strange way?Jasmine Delaney and her musician friends were hired to play classical music for a wedding. They've played for some picky bridezillas before, but who ever heard of getting married during a Bar-B-Q festival? Still, the money's good and the food promises to be fabulous. Until they find a body in the bathtub of their hotel room.The man's murder leaves the Little Princess Pageant one judge short, and before she realizes what's happening, Jazzy is roped into the role. Suddenly she's surrounded by pint-size contestants whose competitive parents will do anything to ensure their child gets the crown. Even kill a judge?The bride's handsome brother fears Jazzy might be the killer's next target. Derrick promises to stay close and keep an eye out for trouble. But someone is already watching Jazzy's every move. Someone who's had a taste of murder. And is hungry for more.Virginia Smith is the bestselling author of almost forty novels and many shorter works. A native Kentuckian, she enjoys introducing readers to the charms of the bluegrass state by setting many of her books there. The recipient of numerous awards, Ginny has twice received the prestigious Holt Medallion Award of Merit. Known as Ginny to her friends, she loves Jesus, her family, writing, and geeking around on the computer, in that order. She also enjoys riding her motorcycle (a Triumph Bonneville T100 named Vickie) and scuba diving. Murder (writing about it) is merely a pastime.

"A Scientific Companion to Robert Frost represents the first systematic attempt to document all of the references to science and natural history in Frost's poetry. The book, which is organized chronologically, uses accessible language and includes illustrations and appendices that should make it a valuable resource for teachers and scholars"--

When an unscrupulous cattle baron tries to steal Amish land, a brave cowboy intervenes and is wounded. Lovely Katie Miller, the young healer in the district, attends to him while trying to guard her heart. Could there possibly be a future with Jesse Montgomery only God can bring about?