Laura Schroff

Alex Tresniowski

The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny

An Invisible Thread

From New York Times bestselling author Alex Tresniowski comes a page-turning, remarkable true-crime thriller recounting the 1910 murder of ten-year-old Marie Smith, the dawn of modern criminal detection and the launch of the NAACP. In the tranquil seaside town of Asbury Park, New Jersey, ten-year-old schoolgirl Marie Smith is brutally murdered. Small town officials, unable to find the culprit, call upon the young manager of a New York detective agency for help. It is the detective’s first murder case, and now, the specifics of the investigation and daring sting operation that caught the killer is captured in all its rich detail for the first time. Occurring exactly halfway between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the formal beginning of the Civil Rights Movement in 1954, the brutal murder and its highly-covered investigation sits at the historic intersection of sweeping national forces—religious extremism, class struggle, the infancy of criminal forensics, and America’s Jim Crow racial violence. History and true crime collide in this sensational murder mystery featuring characters as complex and colorful as those found in the best psychological thrillers—the unconventional truth-seeking detective Ray Schindler; the sinister pedophile Frank Heidemann; the ambitious Asbury Park Sheriff Clarence Hetrick; the mysterious “sting artist,” Carl Neumeister; the indomitable crusader Ida Wells; and the victim, Marie Smith, who represented all the innocent and vulnerable children living in turn-of-the-century America. Gripping and powerful, The Rope is an important piece of history that gives a voice to the voiceless and resurrects a long-forgotten true crime story that speaks to the very divisions tearing at the nation’s fabric today.

A True Story of Murder, Heroism, and the Dawn of the NAACP

The Rope

Lisa Reburn

A Fateful Tornado and a Journey of Faith

The Girl Who Saw Heaven

Eine Frau, die alles hat. Ein Junge, dem alles fehlt. Eine untrennbare Freundschaft. Laura ist eine erfolgreiche Verkaufsleiterin, die an einem normalen Montag durch die Straßen von New York hetzt. Sie hat keine Zeit, achtet kaum auf ihre Mitmenschen – auch nicht auf den kleinen Jungen, der sie um Kleingeld anbettelt. Sie ist schon an der nächsten Straßenecke, als sie plötzlich stehen bleibt – und umkehrt. Sie kauft dem hungrigen Maurice etwas zu essen und erfährt von seinem Leben. Von dem Tag an treffen sich Maurice und Laura jede Woche über Jahre hinweg, immer montags. Dies ist die Geschichte ihrer einzigartigen Freundschaft – die bis heute anhält.

Der Junge, der mein Leben veränderte

Immer montags beste Freunde

Alston Purvis

Looks at the life and career of FBI agent Melvin Purvis, who was responsible for capturing such criminals as John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson, and argues that his reputation was destroyed by an envious J. Edgar Hoover.

FBI Hero Melvin Purvis's War Against Crime, and J. Edgar Hoover's War Against Him

The Vendetta

Crystal McVea

Recounts the story of a young mother who underwent an intense near-death experience after she became unresponsive during a medical emergency, as she discusses the hardships of her past and the impact of the experience on her life.

A True Story of Brokenness, Heaven, and Life Again

Waking Up in Heaven

Steven J. Carino

The remarkable, life-changing true story of a lonely man, his lost dog, and the astonishing array of strangers who brought them back together. On February 14, 2019, someone stole Steven Carino's dog Oliver, a twelve-pound Yorkie Shi-Tzu mix, from his car. Having lost his mother at thirteen and grown up with an alcoholic, abusive father, Steven's primary friendships were with dogs. Now, in the wake of a romance disintegrating, Steve was left utterly alone. Then, the miracle: in a series of near-impossible coincidences, people from different walks of life crossed paths with Oliver and with Steven. There were sightings, near misses, fresh leads, and false hopes. Striving immigrants, wealthy suburbanites, heroic reporters, car mechanics, deli workers, old friends and relatives, street cops, gang members, and one very gifted hairdresser all entered the story. And in the middle of it all, Steven realized that no one is ever truly alone. Losing Oliver was not the end of a story but just the beginning, a story of unexpected faith and compassion. Oliver is a dog story, but it is also a love story, a timeless, resonant tribute to the power of love, kindness, community, and faith.

The True Story of a Stolen Dog and the Humans He Brought Together

Oliver

Autobiografinis romanas Nematoma gija – įkvepianti, tikrais faktais paremta istorija apie Maurice ir mane. Mes susitikome 1986-aisiais, Manhatene. Buvau 35-erių sėkminga reklamos pardavimų vadovė, o jis – vienuolikmetis benamis berniukas. Tą kartą jis mane sustabdė gatvėje ir paprašė smulkių. Atsakiau, kad neturiu, nusigręžiau ir nuėjau. Bet staiga kažkas privertė mane sustoti, apsisukti ir grįžti pas jį – pakviečiau jį pietų. Nuo tos dienos užsimezgė mūsų draugystė – ištisus keturis metus susitikdavome kiekvieną pirmadienį, o vėliau dar šimtus kartų.Dabar, prabėgus 30 metų, tebesame puikūs draugai.Nematoma gija – tai mūsų pažintis ir draugystė, pakeitusi mūsų gyvenimus amžiams.Laura Schroff – žinoma ir įtakinga reklamos pardavimų vadovė, prisidėjusi prie nacionalinio Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų laikraščio USA Today populiarumo sėkmės. Padėjusi įsikurti tuomet pradedančioms įmonėms, o šiandien puikiai žinomiems verslo pasaulio vardams – InStyle, Teen PEOPLE, PEOPLE StyleWatch.

Nematoma gija

A "true-crime thriller recounting the 1910 murder of ten-year-old Marie Smith, the dawn of modern criminal detection, and the launch of the NAACP"--

From New York Times bestselling author Alex Tresniowski comes a “compelling” (The Guardian) and “riveting” (The New York Times Book Review) true-crime thriller recounting the 1910 murder of ten-year-old Marie Smith, the dawn of modern criminal detection, and the launch of the NAACP. In the tranquil seaside town of Asbury Park, New Jersey, ten-year-old schoolgirl Marie Smith is brutally murdered. Small town officials, unable to find the culprit, call upon the young manager of a New York detective agency for help. It is the detective’s first murder case, and now, the specifics of the investigation and daring sting operation that caught the killer is captured in all its rich detail for the first time. Occurring exactly halfway between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the formal beginning of the Civil Rights Movement in 1954, the brutal murder and its highly-covered investigation sits at the historic intersection of sweeping national forces—religious extremism, class struggle, the infancy of criminal forensics, and America’s Jim Crow racial violence. History and true crime collide in this “compelling and timely” (Vanity Fair) murder mystery featuring characters as complex and colorful as those found in the best psychological thrillers—the unconventional truth-seeking detective Ray Schindler; the sinister pedophile Frank Heidemann; the ambitious Asbury Park Sheriff Clarence Hetrick; the mysterious “sting artist,” Carl Neumeister; the indomitable crusader Ida Wells; and the victim, Marie Smith, who represented all the innocent and vulnerable children living in turn-of-the-century America. “Brisk and cinematic” (The Wall Street Journal), The Rope is an important piece of history that gives a voice to the voiceless and resurrects a long-forgotten true crime story that speaks to the very divisions tearing at the nation’s fabric today.

December 10, 2009. McVea was being treated in a hospital for pancreatitis when her heart stopped pumping for nine minutes. She went to heaven, stood with God, and was forever changed. By dying, she learned how to live. McVea believes we have to chase heaven while we are still alive-- and allow God to turn our lukewarm love into a firestorm of faith.

What Dying Taught Me About Living

Chasing Heaven

Paul Joseph Fronczak

A man desperate to know his true identity struggles to solve the infamous kidnapping that nearly destroyed his family—and find his twin sister, who has been missing for more than fifty years. When he was ten years old, Paul Fronczak was snooping around for Christmas presents in a crawl space in his family’s Chicago home. There, he found hundreds of old newspaper clippings about the kidnapping of a one-day-old infant in a hospital in 1964. He also learned that, two years later, the boy was found and returned to his family—and that the boy was him. Nearly fifty years later, Paul, acting on long-held suspicions, took a DNA test that proved he was not the kidnapped boy. In an instant, he found himself at the center of two half-century-old mysteries—who was he, and where was the real Paul? True Identity is about three separate major investigations—the hunt for the real Paul Fronczak; the search for the author’s missing twin sister Jill; and finally, the investigation into his true identity, his heart and soul and the demons inside him—inherited and created—that still need to be confronted.

Cracking the Oldest Kidnapping Cold Case and Finding My Missing Twin

True Identity

Der Himmel ist Zukunft und Hoffnung für alle, die an Gott glauben. Doch bedeutet das, sich deswegen nur auf ein besseres Morgen zu vertrösten? Nein, sagt Crystal McVea. Ganz im Gegenteil. Aus eigener Erfahrung weiß sie, dass der Gott des Himmels auch der auf Erden ist. Nach unserer irdischen Zeitrechnung verbrachte sie neun Minuten in himmlischen Gefilden, ehe Ärzte das Leben der jungen Mutter retteten und sie damit zurückholten. Doch ihre Eindrücke und Erfahrungen mit Gottes Liebe und Fürsorge ließen sie nicht mehr los. So handelt ihr Buch davon, Hier und Heute leidenschaftlich zu glauben, Wunder zu erwarten und ein Stück Himmel bereits jetzt auf Erden zu erleben. Mitten im Alltag.

Die wahre Geschichte einer Begegnung mit Gott und Wundern mitten im Alltag.

Mein Tod war mein Glück

One day in 1986, Laura Schroff, a busy ad sales executive, passed an eleven-year-old boy panhandling on the street. She stopped and offered to take him to McDonald's for lunch. Twenty years later, at Laura's fiftieth birthday party, Maurice Mazyck gave a toast, thanking Laura for her act of kindness, which ended up changing the course of his life. In that toast, Maurice said that when Laura stopped on that busy street corner all those years ago, God had sent him an angel. Laura's invisible thread journey has deepened her belief that angels -- divine and otherwise -- are all around us. After her previous book was published in 2011, readers from around the country and world began sharing with Laura their own stories about how chance encounters with strangers have changed their lives. From a woman who saved a life simply by buying someone a book, to a financier who gave a stranger the greatest gift of all, to a teacher who chose a hug over discipline and changed a lost boy's future -- Angels on Earth will introduce a series of remarkable people whose invisible thread stories will move, surprise, and inspire readers.

Inspiring Stories of Fate, Friendship, and the Power of Connections

Angels on Earth

Valerie Salembier

This inspirational true story of a friendship that has spanned three decades recounts how the author, a harried sales executive, befriended an 11-year-old panhandler, changing both of their lives forever.

When he was ten years old, Paul Fronczak was snooping around for Christmas presents in a crawl space in his family’s Chicago home. There, he found hundreds of old newspaper clippings about the kidnapping of a one-day-old infant in a hospital in 1964. He also learned that, two years later, the boy was found and returned to his family—and that the boy was him. Nearly fifty years later, Paul, acting on long-held suspicions, took a DNA test that proved he was not the kidnapped boy. In an instant, he found himself at the center of two half-century-old mysteries—who was he, and where was the real Paul? True Identity is about three separate major investigations—the hunt for the real Paul Fronczak; the search for the author’s missing twin sister Jill; and finally, the investigation into his true identity, his heart and soul and the demons inside him—inherited and created—that still need to be confronted.

From the #1 New York Times and international bestselling authors of An Invisible Thread comes a heartwarming and inspiring book about the incredible impact that acts of kindness from strangers can have on the world around us. One day in 1986, Laura Schroff, a busy ad sales executive, passed an eleven-year-old boy panhandling on the street. She stopped and offered to take him to McDonald’s. Twenty years later, at Laura’s fiftieth birthday party, Maurice Mazyck gave a toast, thanking Laura for her act of kindness, which ended up changing the course of his life. In that toast, Maurice said that when Laura stopped on that busy street corner all those years ago, God had sent him an angel. Laura’s invisible thread journey has deepened her belief that angels—divine and otherwise—are all around us. After An Invisible Thread was published in 2011, readers from all over began sharing with Laura their own stories about how chance encounters with strangers have changed their lives. From a woman who saved a life simply by buying someone a book, to a financier who gave a stranger the greatest gift of all, to a teacher who chose a hug over discipline and changed a lost boy’s future—Angels on Earth introduces remarkable people whose invisible thread stories will move, surprise, and inspire readers. Angels on Earth sheds light on how everyone can live happier, more purposeful lives through sharing random acts of kindness.

Inspiring Real-Life Stories of Fate, Friendship, and the Power of Kindness

Everyone loves coming-home stories, especially when they include dogs and happy endings! From Steven Carino and Alex Tresniowski comes Oliver for Young Readers, a heartwarming and true story of a man searching for a beloved lost dog and finding more than he’d ever hoped for. When Steven Carino discovered his dog, Oliver, had been stolen from his car, he knew he would do anything to get Oliver back. The friendly Yorkie–Shih Tzu mix—with his bundle of black and brown hair, long floppy ears, and big round eyes—had been Steven's companion during even the loneliest days. But it took more than one man to bring Oliver home. It took a community of friends and strangers who believed that love is worth fighting for. Oliver for Young Readers offers a story of good triumphing over despair, a beautiful reminder that a little kindness can truly change the world. This middle grade book: Is for ages 8 to 12 Has a kid-friendly design and a four-page photo insert that features Oliver and Steven Includes Oliver’s “thoughts” during the journey and extra stories of Oliver and Steven’s adventures Is a great gift for dog lovers Has a companion book for adults: Oliver: The True Story of a Stolen Dog and the Humans He Brought Together Oliver for Young Readers is a story of good people—including hardworking immigrants, wealthy suburbanites, car mechanics, deli workers, old friends, close relatives, street cops, a dedicated TV news reporter, and one very gifted hairdresser—offering help without asking for anything in return. It's a story of near misses, false hopes, and fresh leads ending in a joy-filled reunion on the streets of a rundown New York neighborhood. It's a story of faith renewed and hope restored.

Oliver for Young Readers

From the #1 New York Times bestselling authors of An Invisible Thread comes the true, heartfelt, and extraordinary story of how one woman’s decision to help a boy on the street changed both of their lives forever. New York Times bestselling author Laura Schroff tells the remarkable story of her lifelong friendship with a boy named Maurice who she met on the street while he was asking for change in her book, An Invisible Thread. Now, in this sweet picture book, Laura retells the first Christmas that she and Maurice spent together. She shares how Maurice gave her a small white bear and, as she later learns, the only thing he had that he could truly call his own—to show her how grateful he was for their friendship. This heartwarming tale captures the true meaning of the holidays and will be one you’ll want to share with your family year after year as a reminder that a gift from the heart is always the best present under the tree.

Alex Tresniowski

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