Books with author Marianne Schwartz

Sara wants this baby more than she has ever wanted anything. Sara has worked her entire life to overcome the name Barefield. To be a Barefield in the rural Appalachian county where she grew up means that you are the poorest of the poor, that you are shiftless and untrustworthy, lazy and stupid. Sara has succeeded in proving that she is none of those things. At the age of forty she has a nice apartment and a good job as a school secretary. Tully Rutland, a Vietnam War veteran who is the father of her baby and the only man Sara has ever loved, dies before she tells him that she’s pregnant. The Rutlands have never approved of Sara. She feels that her only choice is to move away so she can make a new life for herself and her baby. Sara has practically no savings and no one to support her. She knows she will have to go on welfare, but she escaped poverty once and believes she can do it again. But the poverty Sara plunges into after she gives birth is beyond anything she had expected. Facing eviction and the possibility of living on the street, she is determined to find a way out.“Sara isn't a quitter. She does what is necessary to survive, and the reader goes on this incredible journey with her...You'll cheer her on as she tells you her compelling story." The Midwest Book Review“First and foremost, get a box of tissues because you are going to cry and get angry and be dumbfounded all at the same time. When you are done you will want to tell everyone about this book! I highly recommend it.” Andrea L. Stoekel

Build amazing Internet of Things projects using the ESP8266 Wi-Fi chipAbout This BookGet to know the powerful and low cost ESP8266 and build interesting projects in the field of Internet of ThingsConfigure your ESP8266 to the cloud and explore the networkable modules that will be utilized in the IoT projectsThis step-by-step guide teaches you the basics of IoT with ESP8266 and makes your life easierWho This Book Is ForThis book is for those who want to build powerful and inexpensive IoT projects using the ESP8266 WiFi chip, including those who are new to IoT, or those who already have experience with other platforms such as Arduino.What You Will LearnControl various devices from the cloudInteract with web services, such as Twitter or FacebookMake two ESP8266 boards communicate with each other via the cloudSend notifications to users of the ESP8266, via email, text message, or push notificationsBuild a physical device that indicates the current price of BitcoinBuild a simple home automation system that can be controlled from the cloudCreate your own cloud platform to control ESP8266 devicesIn DetailThe Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of objects such as physical things embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and connectivity, enabling data exchange. ESP8266 is a low cost WiFi microcontroller chip that has the ability to empower IoT and helps the exchange of information among various connected objects. ESP8266 consists of networkable microcontroller modules, and with this low cost chip, IoT is booming. This book will help deepen your knowledge of the ESP8266 WiFi chip platform and get you building exciting projects.Kick-starting with an introduction to the ESP8266 chip, we will demonstrate how to build a simple LED using the ESP8266. You will then learn how to read, send, and monitor data from the cloud. Next, you’ll see how to control your devices remotely from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, you’ll get to know how to use the ESP8266 to interact with web services such as Twitter and Facebook. In order to make several ESP8266s interact and exchange data without the need for human intervention, you will be introduced to the concept of machine-to-machine communication.The latter part of the book focuses more on projects, including a door lock controlled from the cloud, building a physical Bitcoin ticker, and doing wireless gardening. You’ll learn how to build a cloud-based ESP8266 home automation system and a cloud-controlled ESP8266 robot. Finally, you’ll discover how to build your own cloud platform to control ESP8266 devices.With this book, you will be able to create and program Internet of Things projects using the ESP8266 WiFi chip.Style and approachThis is a step-by-step guide that provides great IOT projects with ESP8266. All the key concepts are explained details with the help of examples and demonstrations of the projects.

Key FeaturesGet to know the powerful and low cost ESP8266 and build interesting projects in the field of Internet of ThingsConfigure your ESP8266 to the cloud and explore the networkable modules that will be utilized in the IoT projectsThis step-by-step guide teaches you the basics of IoT with ESP8266 and makes your life easierBook DescriptionThe Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of objects such as physical things embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and connectivity, enabling data exchange. ESP8266 is a low cost WiFi microcontroller chip that has the ability to empower IoT and helps the exchange of information among various connected objects. ESP8266 consists of networkable microcontroller modules, and with this low cost chip, IoT is booming. This book will help deepen your knowledge of the ESP8266 WiFi chip platform and get you building exciting projects.Kick-starting with an introduction to the ESP8266 chip, we will demonstrate how to build a simple LED using the ESP8266. You will then learn how to read, send, and monitor data from the cloud. Next, you’ll see how to control your devices remotely from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, you’ll get to know how to use the ESP8266 to interact with web services such as Twitter and Facebook. In order to make several ESP8266s interact and exchange data without the need for human intervention, you will be introduced to the concept of machine-to-machine communication.The latter part of the book focuses more on projects, including a door lock controlled from the cloud, building a physical Bitcoin ticker, and doing wireless gardening. You’ll learn how to build a cloud-based ESP8266 home automation system and a cloud-controlled ESP8266 robot. Finally, you’ll discover how to build your own cloud platform to control ESP8266 devices.With this book, you will be able to create and program Internet of Things projects using the ESP8266 WiFi chip.What you will learnControl various devices from the cloudInteract with web services, such as Twitter or FacebookMake two ESP8266 boards communicate with each other via the cloudSend notifications to users of the ESP8266, via email, text message, or push notificationsBuild a physical device that indicates the current price of BitcoinBuild a simple home automation system that can be controlled from the cloudCreate your own cloud platform to control ESP8266 devicesAbout the AuthorMarco Schwartz is an electrical engineer, an entrepreneur, and a blogger. He has a master's degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Supélec, France, and a master's degree in micro engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland.He has more than five years of experience working in the domain of electrical engineering. Marco's interests gravitate around electronics, home automation, the Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms, open source hardware projects, and 3D printing.He has several websites about Arduino, including an open home automation website that is dedicated to building home automation systems using open source hardware.Marco has written another book on home automation and Arduino, called Home Automation With Arduino: Automate Your Home Using Open-source Hardware. He has also written a book on how to build Internet of Things projects with Arduino, called Internet of Things with the Arduino Yun, Packt Publishing.

Lanie Strickland is sixteen in 1956 and for a while the year seems magical.Shy and unsure of herself, Lanie Strickland is dazzled when Alex Thurlow, one of the most popular boys in her high school, asks her to dance at a New Year’s Eve party. She never thought a boy like Alex would even notice her.A star athlete, Alex is as fast with girls as he is on the football field. She is in love for the first time, never dreaming she could be so happy. Soon they are going steady.Lanie believes Alex when he tells her that he loves her, but his actions say something else, just as the Stricklands’ presence on Giffort Street suggests that they have money when they can barely afford to live there.Lanie is able to handle being pushed by her socially ambitious mother, but can she resist pushing from Alex after he tells her that he loves her?

Sara wants this baby more than she has ever wanted anything.Sara has worked her entire life to overcome the name Barefield. To be a Barefield in the Appalachian county where she grew up means that you are the poorest of the poor, that you are shiftless and untrustworthy, lazy and stupid. Sara has succeeded in proving that she is none of those things. At the age of forty she has a nice apartment, a decent car, and a good job as a school secretary.Tully Rutland, a Vietnam War veteran who is the father of her baby and the only man Sara has ever loved, dies before she tells him that she’s pregnant. The Rutlands have never approved of Sara. She feels that her only choice is to move away so she can make a new life for herself and her baby. Sara has practically no savings and no one to support her. She knows she will have to go on welfare, but she escaped poverty once and believes she can do it again. But the poverty Sara plunges into after she gives birth is beyond anything she had expected. Facing eviction and the possibility of living on the street, she is determined to find a way out. “Ms. Schwartz is a powerhouse writer. She has painstakingly crafted a beautiful, thoughtful tale with unimaginable depth… This book is a jewel, one that will stay with the reader long after the final page.” InD’tale Magazine“First and foremost, get a box of tissues because you are going to cry and get angry and be dumbfounded all at the same time. When you are done you will want to tell everyone about this book! I highly recommend it.” Andrea L. Stoekel

Sara wants this baby more than she has ever wanted anything.Sara has worked her entire life to overcome the name Barefield. To be a Barefield in the Appalachian town where she grew up means that you are the poorest of the poor, that you are shiftless and untrustworthy, lazy and stupid. Sara has succeeded in proving that she is none of those things. At the age of forty she has a nice apartment, a decent car, and a good job as a school secretary.Tully Rutland, a Vietnam War veteran who is the father of her baby and the only man Sara has ever loved, dies before she tells him that she's pregnant. The Rutlands have never approved of Sara. She feels that her only choice is to move away so she can make a new life for herself and her baby.Sara has practically no savings and no one to support her. She knows she will have to go on welfare, but she escaped poverty once and believes she can do it again. But the poverty Sara plunges into after she gives birth is beyond anything she had expected. She never imagined she'd be facing eviction and the possibility of living on the street. Nearly overwhelmed by her situation, she must find a way out.

The Venturas are off on their family vacation to Wally's Wonder World! Timmy can't wait to go on all the big roller coasters, and his younger sister, Susie, wants nothing more than to ride a shiny white horse on the carousel. But Timmy soon discovers that he's not tall enough to get on the park's fastest coaster, and Susie finds herself all alone when she becomes separated from her mom. Thankfully, the Venturas always have a family plan to ensure that everyone stays safe and has fun!