Books published by publisher Stonehorse Publishing

A psychologist and standup comic explains how laughter can save your life. From an author whose humor therapy seminars are attended by more than ten thousand people each year, The Laughing Cure combines wit with medical research to reveal the benefits of laughter and humor on physical and emotional health. Featuring clinical studies and interviews with some of the nation’s top doctors proving that laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, boosts immune systems, and triggers endorphins, this book shows the scientific research that backs up what we’ve long suspected: laughing can help relieve depression, produce a general sense of wellbeing, and even make us more productive, loving, and kind. Also included are proven techniques and step-by-step guidance to embrace laughter as both medicine for current conditions and preventative medicine. This unique and enjoyable read explains why much-talked about but little understood methods of therapy like those embraced by Patch Adams—played by Robin Williams in a 1998 film—and laughter yoga actually work.

Hilarious true stories of raising twins from the author of the Ironic Mom blog: “Shirtliffe is awesome and so is this book.” —Jenny Lawson When Leanne Shirtliffe and her husband, Chris, discovered she was pregnant with twins while they were living abroad in Bangkok, they cried laughing. Then they just cried. And finally, they got on with the incredible, hilarious adventure of raising two kids in Asia’s city of sin. In Don’t Lick the Minivan, Shirtliffe explores the hazards of everyday life with children, recounting her time as a parent in both Thailand and North American suburbia with humor and touching insight. Even if she can’t teach her kids how to tie their shoelaces, she comes to realize she’s a good enough mom. At least good enough to start saving for their therapy fund. And possibly her own. “Comic gold.” —Publishers Weekly “Witty commentary on the common ups and downs of being a new parent, times two.” —Kirkus Reviews “Shirtliffe writes with hilarity and poignancy as to the trials and pains (literally) of motherhood. She is our new Erma Bombeck!”—Elizabeth Boyle “Laugh-out-loud-funny. I swear, she’s living in my house and taking notes.” —Jill Smokler

A “gripping and suspenseful account” of a baffling killing spree in eighteenth-century France and the fear surrounding the mysterious “Beast of Gévaudan” (Publishers Weekly). Something unimaginable occurred from 1764 to 1767 in the Gévaudan region of south central France. Over the course of three years, in the remote highland, over a hundred people, mostly women and children, were murdered. Appalled reports of the events—considered to be one of the world’s first “media sensations”—suggested that a real-life monster was on the loose. As panic spread, alarmed rural communities were virtually held hostage by the unseen marauder. Louis XV even deployed dragoons and crack wolf hunters from far-off Normandy and the King’s own court to destroy the menace. Despite extensive historical documentation, no one could agree on the origin of the terror. A feral serial killer? A werewolf? An unknown animal species? Or, as was proposed by the local bishop, a scourge of God? To this day, debates on the true nature of La Bête continue. With historical illustrations, composite sketches by the author, on-the-scene modern-day photographs, and autopsy analysis, Beast takes a fascinating look at all the evidence, using a mix of history and modern biology to advance a theory that could solve one of the most bizarre and unexplained killing sprees of all time: France’s infamous Beast of the Gévaudan—a tale that still captures the imagination and has found its way into modern culture through films like The Wolfman, novels like Patricia Brigg’s Hunting Ground, and a History Channel documentary.

Chace knows one thing……Raven is lost and he must save her.When Chace escaped the Magical Realm, Raven didn’t make it back with him. Now he must go back and save her or lose her forever. But, Chace knows he doesn’t have the strength to go back alone.What will Chace do to get enough power?Will his friends agree to help him in his quest?The Magical Realm is full of dangerous creatures and terrible monsters. Chace knows he is running out of time, and Raven’s life hangs in the balanceWill Chace save Raven?Will they get back in time to save the world?You will love this fantasy because Trevor Darby creates a magical world full of strong heroes facing real dangers.Get it now.

“For assassination and conspiracy-theory buffs” the decades of research and newly declassified information in this volume are “a windfall” (Kirkus Reviews). Investigative journalist Dick Russell has been uncovering the inconvenient truth behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy for decades. Now he offers one of the most comprehensive examinations of what is known, unknown, and only recently come to light. Included here are new revelations, such as evidence suggesting that Lee Harvey Oswald was subjected to “mind control,” Russell’s own experiences inside the KGB headquarters, and interviews with Oswald’s widow. The painstaking accounts gathered in this volume push ever closer to answering one of the most pressing questions in American history: who killed President Kennedy and why? The acclaimed author of Horsemen of the Apocalypse and The Man Who Knew Too Much, Dick Russell’s journalism has appeared in numerous publications, ranging from The Village Voice to Family Health, and he has written thirteen books spanning topics from natural history to the state of American politics.

“Dolphins, drones, terrorism, special ops, and the latest military gadgets all wrapped inside layers of impending massacre and international intrigue” (Ron Lealos, author of The Sixth Man). James Grundvig’s Dolphin Drone takes us into the complex underworld of global terrorism with razor-sharp plot twists, remarkable characters, and fascinating insight into the technological advancements of the US Navy. Using dolphin sonar-tracking technology, ex-Navy SEAL Merk Toten stumbles upon freshly laid Iranian sea mines, while conducting surveillance on two U.S. ships that were hijacked by Somali pirates on the Strait of Hormuz. This discovery occurs on the same day that a fake intelligence report draws three US drones away from the Persian Gulf. Toten investigates the parallel events to uncover a new super-terrorist group made up of a network of Somali warlords, Islamic assailants, Yemen-based terrorists, and ISIS sympathizers. When Toten and the beautiful CIA Operative Jenny Myung King discover a plot by this new terrorist organization to bomb New York Harbor, the duo must race against the clock to stop the devastating attack. Dolphin Drone is a tense thriller that combines cutting-edge marine technology, high-stakes undercover operations, and complex and frightening political underpinnings. “Journalist Grundvig’s promising first novel introduces ‘dolphin whisperer’ Merk Toten and his two military-trained bottlenose dolphins, Tasi and Inapo.” —Publishers Weekly

Do you struggle out of bed each morning and sway lifelessly across the room, mouth agape, arms hanging slack, murmuring unintelligibly? Well, take heart: you’re not alone! But these other staggering, limp, perpetually drowsy folks just happen to be zombies—and it turns out they can teach us a lot about enjoying life. And only here, between the covers of this book, will you learn their secrets to happiness. Learn how to slow down and move at your own pace, become your own boss, and just devour those irritating people who get in your way. And there’s more, because zombies can offer no-nonsense advice on love, playing to your strengths, and on becoming more adaptable.

Imagine it’s the end of the nineteenth century, and, with one catalog, you can buy everything from beds and tools to clothing and opium. (Yes, opium.) Not to mention ear trumpets, horse buggies, and Bibles. The 1897 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogue is both a wonderfully fascinating collector’s item and a valuable piece of American history. For every recognizable item included, there are plenty of others guaranteed to confuse or interest 21st century readers—like Bust Cream or Food and Sweet Spirits of Nitre. What was once standard household fare is today a sometimes strange, often funny look at what life was once like for the average American family. It’s amazing to see that a Princely Shirt for Princely Men cost $0.95 or three for $2.75 or that a Complete Violin Outfit (with bow and case) cost only $2.00.

A real-life ghost hunter shares true stories and up-close explorations of haunted sites. Muffled voices in an empty attic, heavy footsteps on a vacant stairwell, silent shadows across a darkened room . . . The spirit world has intrigued Jeff Cole for decades, leading him from a career in archaeology to his passionate work as a paranormal researcher. Going beyond superstition and fantasy, Cole arms himself with cutting-edge technology, in a quest to discover actual scientific evidence of the realm where the souls of the departed continue to dwell—and make contact with the living. In Ghostly Encounters, Cole explains his techniques and chronicles his journey as he searches sites both famous and little known for signs of the world between life and death. Taking us to wide-ranging places, from Gettysburg to the Ohio State Reformatory, the Villisca Axe Murder house, St. Albans Sanatorium, and more, he shares first-person eyewitness accounts, as well as testimonies by the various paranormal investigative teams he has worked with, in chilling accounts of fascinating discoveries and encounters with the “other side.” As a bonus, Ghostly Encounters also includes links to video and audio clips, so readers can enjoy a multimedia ghost-hunting experience.