Books

After a devastating stroke, Debbie Hunt worries that she will never be independent again. Jake Dover wonders if he will ever find a career that doesn’t bore him. Could Debbie’s stroke be a stroke of luck for both of them?

It might seem that this book is about Ron Dodds, but it is not. It was never about Ron or about Ron and Magda’s life together. It has always been about what God did for them and how He created miracles time after time. There is a song by Big Daddy Weave that says, “If I tell you my story, it would tell about Him.” That is exactly what you will see as you read the pages. After Ron and Magda dedicated their lives to God and went into ministry, it became all about Jesus. Life with the Lord is not always easy. However, he always makes a way, even in the midst of the most difficult times. The author’s prayer is that as you read what God did in their lives, you will be encouraged and realize that he will do the same for you.

Special circumstances force Socorro Camero Haro to accept a middle school teaching position in Doctor Arroyo, Nuevo León, México. At the time of her departure, her mother warns her: “Don’t forget that you will live in a crystal box where everyone will see and judge what you do.” Little did the recent graduate imagine how valuable this advice will be for her in the future.

Socorro had grown up in an environment of love and protection. Now she faces a world different from her own. In the 1950s, the young teacher faces the taboos of the small towns of that time: single, alone, living and working only with men. She lived in a remote town, with only dirt roads, no running water, and electricity limited to two hours a day. Socorro confronts the superstitions of the people and encounters the local villain, who is almost a legend. Several times, fate places her and her students in dangerous situations in which she must make instant and drastic decisions. The only communication with her family and her fiancé is by mail. Unforeseen problems affect her wedding plans. Within her loneliness, Socorro finds joy in her new friends and coworkers, the love of her students, and the satisfaction of seeing them excel.

The Director General has promised to bring her back to Monterrey soon. But will he keep his promise? Will she win the trust and affection of the townspeople? Will her love story survive? Will she get over the loneliness and the remoteness from her close-knit family?

In this book, we will find the young teacher facing the challenges, intrigues, and defects of a real world. This is a true story that will captivate the reader.

Circunstancias especiales obligan a María del Socorro Camero Haro a aceptar un puesto de maestra de secundaria en Doctor Arroyo, Nuevo León, México. Antes de partir, su madre le dice que recuerde que vivirá en una caja de cristal en la que todos verán y juzgarán lo que hace. La recién graduada maestra no imagina cuán valioso será este consejo en el futuro.

Socorro había crecido en un ambiente protegido. Ahora se encuentra en un mundo diferente al suyo. Es la década de 1950, y la joven maestra se enfrenta a los tabúes de quienes viven en pueblos pequeños en ese momento. Es soltera y vive y trabaja sólo con varones. Ella se encuentra en un pueblo remoto al que sólo se puede acceder por caminos de tierra, que no tiene agua corriente y la electricidad está limitada a dos horas al día. Socorro se enfrenta a las supersticiones de la gente y conoce al villano local, que es casi una leyenda. Varias veces, el destino la coloca en situaciones peligrosas en las que debe tomar decisiones instantáneas y drásticas. La única comunicación con su familia y su novio es por correo. Problemas imprevistos afectan sus planes de boda. A pesar de su soledad, encuentra alegría en enseñar a sus alumnos y verlos sobresalir. Sus nuevos compañeros de trabajo y amigos la ayudan a adaptarse a su actual entorno.

El Director General de Educación ha prometido traer pronto a Socorro a Monterrey. ¿Cumplirá su promesa? ¿Se ganará ella la confianza y el respeto de la gente del pueblo? ¿Sobrevivirá su historia de amor? ¿Superará su soledad debido a la distancia del pueblo a su unida familia?

En este libro, encontraremos a Socorro lidiando con los desafíos y las intrigas del mundo real. Ésta es una historia verdadera que cautivará a los lectores.

Teaching in any form, anywhere, under any circumstances, has its ups and downs -- as does life. One of the greatest teacher ups is the ah-ha moment. The moment when you see the light come on. When a student gets it. It's that special moment when you know you've made a difference, when you have forever opened windows of knowledge and doors of opportunity.

Any teacher can give out information. Educators connect. They take the steps necessary to communicate effectively, regardless of the circumstances. Connection has the power to create a love for learning and to change lives.

Terry Sumerlin speaks and writes about the frustration and fulfillment, discouragement and courage, exhaustion and elation of an educator. It's about how to communicate, including to ourselves, during the ups and downs. It's about how educators bridge communication gaps to create more ah-ha moments.

Terry says: “Christian Leadership is the book that I always wanted to write! It is who I am as a person of faith, as related through amazing life experiences and people stories that have become the fabric of my everyday life. It’s a book that at times will make you laugh, often will touch your emotions, but always will make you think, yeah me too. It will rekindle your faith and motivate you to be a better leader and to let your light shine even brighter.”

Each anecdote from barber-osopher and motivational speaker Terry L. Sumerlin illustrates an important leadership principle. The entertaining and easy-to-read stories are filled with humor, common sense, inspiration, and practical wisdom. Readers will chuckle and nod their heads in agreement as they improve their leadership skills.

Motivational speaker and author Terry Sumerlin blends fact and fiction in this novella about a cruise ship lecturer who teaches the principles of success, yet somehow has lost his own inspiration. How does Terry regain his enthusiasm? This is the experience of one "human becoming."

Imagine how you would feel if you woke up one day and learned that your best friend was the most prolific serial killer in America and most of his victims looked like you. That was the start of a forty-year quest to understand the mind of a killer and friend. The search led to others like him and their dark compulsions. How can they murder multiple human beings without remorse?

The Ripper’s Children: Inside the World of Modern Serial Killers examines how their murderous drives may originate. Can serial murderers control their killing sprees? Are the causes social, genetic, or biochemical? The book sheds light on the blackest corner of the human mind. This book may cause you to take a closer look at your relatives, friends, and neighbors.

Truth and Fiction: Essays & Short Stories on Life shows the extraordinary impact of seemingly ordinary past experiences. Through them, we learn how they challenged and enriched us. True stories can seem as imaginative as fiction, and fiction can feel realistic.

Essays written in the style of Cherry Tree Dares: Essays on Childhood, my first book, range from humorous to thought-provoking. One treasured memory is having Saturday night snacks and television time at my uncle and aunt’s house. Another examines my amazement at the lack of people’s common sense. A third reveals how my first ship cruise to the Bahamas became a chaotic and frustrating travel adventure.

In the fiction section, short stories range from the inspirational to the suspenseful to the comedic. In one, a lonely woman encounters an astute young lad who needs a friend. Another features a man who finds death to be the permanent solution. A third show how laughter sometimes is all one has left after life’s bruises.

Truth and Fiction can help readers develop insights into life. They may then gain more understanding of their own journey.