Crossroads – serie

"Sharon Sala is a consummate storyteller." —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling authorCrossroads, Texas, just might be the place to settle down and find the love of your dreams in this new small town romance series from Sharon Sala, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Blessings, Georgia series.World-champion bull rider Sonny Bluejacket was bucked off a bull and critically injured. He died twice on the operating table and then survived. Now retired from the rodeo circuit, Sonny is living with his brother and family in Oklahoma when he inherits a horse ranch outside of a little town in West Texas called Crossroads. The first person he meets upon arrival is an intriguing waitress named Magnolia "Maggie" Brennen, who works in a café called The Yellow Rose. Their attraction is instant. But it isn't until much later that Sonny discovers Maggie's secret talent for painting, and a whole new opportunity for Maggie opens up as a result of Sonny's supportive urging.Their relationship grows as Sonny wades through taking over the inherited ranch, horses, truck and property. He's finally finding his place within the surrounding community, only to be accosted by his no-good father who comes looking for a handout, or to destroy everything, including Maggie. But Sonny isn't about to let that happen.

"Sharon Sala is a consummate storyteller." —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling authorCrossroads, Texas, is a town of second chances in this new small town romance series from Sharon Sala, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Blessings, Georgia series.Asher Kingston is a special investigator for the Texas Attorney General's office in Austin, TX. When he gets a call that his dad has been injured in an attempted robbery of his bar, he rounds up his two brothers and heads back to Crossroads. During visiting hours at the hospital, Nora Borden, Asher's girlfriend from high school, runs into him and they rekindle their friendship. Nora is a high-profile computer tech with a high security clearance; Asher claims his job too unpredictable for relationships. But before long, their romance rekindles as well. Together they unravel a case long gone cold to find out what happened in the bar late that night and to clear the Kingston family name.

Marit was pretty sure she had been murdered. She vividly recalled the assassin's dagger, and her dying vision had shown her the next world - but her spirit had not made the journey. She woke alone, sprawled on a Guardian's altar, with more questions than answers. The Guardians once ruled the Hundred, but disappeared in ages past, leaving reeves to manage the peace in their stead. But Marit finds this peace has been shattered as a desperate army ravages the land, and its leaders walk in shadow, wearing the cloaks of lost Guardians. As she searches for meanings in a changed world, Marit finds her old love Joss and the Outlander Anji struggling to maintain order amidst chaos. But her own enemies are drawing close. Marit tries to untangle the web of betrayals that connect her murder with the razing of the countryside, but she can't run forever. She will be found and there will be choices: complicity or death.

Reeve Joss is struggling to defend a country ravaged by the assaults of twin armies. His men now patrol a land of burning villages and homeless refugees as Joss tries to separate traitor from friend. The Reeve's thoughts are also plagued by the intriguing Zubaidit, pleasure-giver, spy and temple-trained assassin. But Zubaidit is focused on a dangerous mission, her target being warped Guardian Lord Radas. His death would leave the invading militia in chaos, but the old tales tell truly of the Guardians' immortality - and of the powers they now wield to twist the hearts of men. Joss's nights are also troubled, disturbed by dreams of Marit. His lost love has returned from death to become a feared Guardian herself, but Marit rejected the corrupt temptations they offered. She now seeks others of her kind, praying some are yet uncontaminated by the blight on the land - and have the will to fight it.

Movement and mobility represent intertwined concepts that have persisted throughout human history. The act of moving from one place to another is, however, intricately tied to the challenges that hinder it. These obstacles can either be natural in origin or the product of human design aimed at constraining the movement of individuals or groups. Furthermore, movement and mobility can also manifest themselves within society, encompassing the fluid shifts of people within the social hierarchy and the transitions between various social groups. The transfer of words, technologies, and religious ideologies often accompanies these human movements. The region of ancient Western Asia and northeast Africa serves as a rich repository of evidence for these forms of movement and mobility, extensively documented through written sources and material culture. The essays collected in this volume variously examine the political dimensions of movement and mobility; how ideas, concepts, and languages move across boundaries; and the material evidence for cultural interactions.