Showing results by author "A.D. Ellis" in All Categories

For small-town tattoo artist Levi Wells, his few forays into love have only brought him trouble. When trouble with a capital T came sashaying into town two years ago in the form of flamboyant young dancer Jay Owens, Levi becomes more determined than ever to stay away from anything remotely resembling a relationship. Especially one with someone so young and different than him. Two years. That’s how long Jay has been trying to wear Levi down. But, Levi only sees Jay as a thorn in his side and balks at their differences every chance he gets.

Bar and grille owner Cody Parker is the no-nonsense leader of a weekly gathering of the leather community - a powerful, respected man guaranteed to make all the bottom boys beg. He sees red at even the mere mention of Kennedy Marks. Having escaped a terrifying childhood, Kennedy Marks is now a beloved Blueridge Junction police officer. Until recently, Kennedy has never questioned his role in intimate relationships. He knows Cody hates him, and the feeling is very much mutual.

Having devoted a career that spans 50 years to consulting with and studying professional firms in the Americas, Asia, and Europe, author Charles Ellis learned firsthand how difficult it is for an organization to go beyond very good and attain, as well as sustain, excellence. Now, he shares his hard-won insights with you and reveals "what it takes" to be best-in-class in any industry.

This book will help you to recognize the signs of toxic culture, address it and defeat it so that your people and organization can flourish. It might just save your mental health, physical health, career, company, reputation or all of these things.

Can best friends find true love? What if your best friend is your adopted brother? Griffin can’t fathom his life without Quincy, but he also can’t ignore the crazy sexual attraction buzzing between them. When Quincy offers up a contract to determine if the sexual tension brewing between them is worth jeopardizing their nearly decade-long friendship, Griffin finds himself helpless to say no. Will they lose everything they’ve found in each other, or will they seize the opportunity to turn their friendship into something even better?

Gabe Sterling and Danny “Murder” Murdoch carry heavy baggage from the past and have no real reason to be drawn to each other. When they find themselves in an odd sort of friendship, both men are interested in more, but neither thought love was going to be part of the deal. With a younger nurse who has an affinity for lace and an older mechanic with a tough reputation, Hearts Aflame is a steamy, friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, gay romance.

Beside the Troubled Waters is a memoir by an African-American physician in Alabama whose story in many ways typifies the lives and careers of Black doctors in the south during the segregationist era while also illustrating the diversity of the Black experience in the medical profession.

Breaking away from the historically dominant narrative that White females make the best teachers, this book contends that effective teachers can be both "windows" and "mirrors" for students. Teachers should reflect the student population in racial and cultural terms while also serving as windows for students to see opportunities that lie outside of their immediate circumstances.

Ivyrson is the quintessential Scrooge when it comes to anything having to do with the holidays. However, the chance to win a hefty chunk of money and free repairs on his old home is enough to entice the man to take part in a holiday-themed reality game. Emory has had a crush on his older brother’s best friend for years. When the chance to help Ivy possibly win a reality game comes along, Emory doesn’t hesitate. After all, that’s what friends are for.

Chase Steele and Xander Copperfield are down on their luck, as similar as they are different, and ready for a love they didn’t even realize they’d been waiting on their whole lives. With two gorgeous “tough guys” discovering and exploring their true selves, Hearts Ablaze is a steamy, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, bisexual awakening romance.

Keegan Greer is in desperate need of a safe place to stay so he can finish school. Living with his father’s best friend will allow Keegan to keep himself and his secrets safe. Jake Oakley is happy to provide his best friend’s son a secure and comfortable home for the time being. But having Keegan in his house awakens a long-buried secret in Jake that he’s not sure he’s ready to face.

Skyler Byrd lost three years with his family and got an abusive relationship as his consolation prize. When Skyler finally reaches his breaking point, he finds himself homeless and in desperate need of his brother’s help. Donovan Badger is living his dream with his best friend, Charlie, by his side. When Charlie’s younger brother shows up after three years, Van is immediately drawn to Skyler in a way that goes well beyond their past friendship, and is definitely against Charlie’s wishes.

Culture is the key to success for every organisation, but what do great cultures do, and what makes them successful? In Culture Fix, author and narrator Colin D Ellis shows you how to change the way you do things and create a winning culture that will keep your organisation relevant today and into the future. No matter your business, industry, or country, your culture's success depends on the emotional intelligence and engagement of the people within it.

When Spice asks Kyson Silver to fake a relationship with him, Silver agrees. He knows pretending to be involved with the older man will likely come back to bite him in the ass, but if the farce will help Spice and his young son, Silver is totally on board. All too soon, the consequences of the fake relationship weigh on both Silver and Spice. Will a meddling grandmother, an adorable little boy, and a team of friends be enough to convince Silver and Spice to give a real relationship a shot?

Kellan considers himself lucky to have an adequate existence on Earth where, in the year 2044, common citizens toil under the oppressive thumb of a corrupt and unscrupulous government. Kellan dreams of becoming part of the Department of Paranormal, Supernatural, and Fantasy Sciences, but his application is continually denied because he has no extra-sapien blood. Kellan’s simple reality shifts when Rhône unexpectedly enters his life.

Detective Drake Lewis is tough, focused, and unbending. He has no problem keeping his workaholic professional life completely separate from his lonely personal life. Drake has never met a man who could pull him from his job. Until he does. Liam Walters is a construction foreman with a painful past. He’s happy with himself and what his life has become. When his path once again crosses with Drake’s, Liam is willing to take whatever Drake can offer him.

Just as Benji Silver begins to wonder if his casual relationship with Gold might turn into more, the two men are thrown into a position that has the lovers quickly turning into enemies. With no way to escape each other, Silver and Gold begrudgingly agree to make the best of an impossible situation. Will Gold’s search for perfection drive them apart or can Silver show Gold that imperfection can be beautiful?

For the last 15 years you've been fed a diet of methods and processes as the answer to failing projects. Yet, the best projects are the result of the person that leads them and the environment they create. In order to delight stakeholders and transform organizations you need the skills to inspire project teams and create a culture of success.

The United States faces a serious retirement challenge. Many of today's workers will lack the resources to retire at traditional ages and maintain their standard of living in retirement. Solving the problem is a major challenge in today's environment in which risk and responsibility have shifted from government and employers to individuals. For this reason, Charles D. Ellis, Alicia H. Munnell, and Andrew D. Eschtruth have written this concise guide for anyone concerned about their own—and the nation's—retirement security.

Lucas would follow his best friend anywhere. Which is how he ended up bartending on Cravenwood Block. He's got a great place to live, an amazing found family, and his best friend by his side. Everything is perfect...until he realizes he's fallen for Dean. Dean worked hard and landed the exact job he's always wanted. He's blessed with chosen family and his life-long best friend. Finding the right girl to settle down with seems impossible, but Dean isn't letting the task (or his overbearing parents) dampen his happiness.