Books published by St. Martin's Publishing Group

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNew York Times bestselling author Alan Paul's in-depth narrative look at the Allman Brothers' most successful album, and a portrait of an era in rock and roll and American history.The Allman Brothers Band's Brothers and Sisters was not only the band's bestselling album, at over seven million copies sold, but it was also a powerfully influential release, both musically and culturally, one whose influence continues to be profoundly felt.Celebrating the album's fiftieth anniversary, Brothers and Sisters the book delves into the making of the album, while also presenting a broader cultural history of the era, based on first-person interviews, historical documents, and in-depth research.Brothers and Sisters traces the making of the template-shaping record alongside the stories of how the Allman Brothers came to the rescue of a flailing Jimmy Carter presidential campaign and helped get the former governor of Georgia elected president; how Gregg Allman's marriage to Cher was an early harbinger of an emerging celebrity media culture; and how the band's success led to internal fissures. The book also examines the Allman Brothers' relationship with the Grateful Dead-including the most in-depth reporting ever on the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, the largest rock festival ever-and describes how they inspired bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, helping create the southern rock genre.With exclusive access to hundreds of hours of never-before-heard interviews with every major player, including Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman, conducted by Allman Brothers Band archivist, photographer, and "Tour Mystic" Kirk West, Brothers and Sisters is an honest assessment of the band's career, history, and highs and lows.

In one of the best-loved volumes of her work, J. California Cooper tells exuberant tales full of wonder at the mystery of life and the hardness of fate. Awed, bedeviled, bemused, all of Cooper's characters are borne up by the sheer power of life itself.

In The Spanish Diplomat's Secret, award-winning author Nev March explores the vivid nineteenth-century world of the transatlantic voyage, one passenger's secret at a time.Captain Jim Agnihotri and his wife Lady Diana Framji are embarking to England in the summer of 1894. Jim is hopeful the cruise will help Diana open up to him. Something is troubling her, and Jim is concerned.On their first evening, Jim meets an intriguing Spaniard, a fellow soldier with whom he finds an instant kinship. But within twenty-four hours, Don Juan Nepomuceno is murdered, his body discovered shortly after he asks rather urgently to see Jim.When the captain discovers that Jim is an investigator, he pleads with Jim to find the killer before they dock in Liverpool in six days, or there could be international consequences. Aboard the beleaguered luxury liner are a thousand suspects, but no witnesses to the locked-cabin crime. Jim would prefer to keep Diana safely out of his investigation, but he's doubled over, seasick. Plus, Jim knows Diana can navigate the high society world of the ship's first-class passengers in ways he cannot.Together, using the tricks gleaned from their favorite fictional sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, Jim and Diana must learn why one man's life came to a murderous end.

"In the immediate post-war days of London, two unlikely partners have undertaken an even more unlikely, if necessary, business venture: The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. The two partners are Miss Iris Sparks, a woman with a dangerous--and never discussed--past in British intelligence and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, a genteel war widow with a young son entangled in a complicated aristocratic family. Looking to throw a New Year's Eve soirâee for their clients, Sparks and Bainbridge scout an empty building--only to find a body contained in the walls. What they initially assume is a victim of the recent Blitz is uncovered instead to be a murder victim. ... To make matters worse, the owner of the building is Sparks' beau, Archie Spelling, who has ties to a variety of enterprises on the right and wrong sides of the law, and the main investigator for the police is her ex-fiancâee"--

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!From the New York Times bestselling author of Jackie, Janet & Lee comes a fresh and often startling look at the life of the legendary former first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.Based on hundreds of interviews with friends, family, and lovers over a thirty-year period-as well as previously unreleased material from the JFK Library-Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli paints an unforgettable new portrait of a woman whose flaws and contradictions only serve to make her even more iconic. "I have three lives," Jackie told a former lover, "public, private and secret." In this revealing biography, readers will become intimately familiar with all three. New insights from the book include:· Jackie's cold feet before her wedding to Jack Kennedy and her secret plan to avoid moving into the White House with him.· Jackie's plan to meet with the woman with whom her husband, Aristotle Onassis, was again having an affair, Maria Callas...and why, in the end, she decided against it.· The truth about the nude photos of Jackie which scandalized her in the 1970s...and which family member had betrayed her by selling them.· Her unusual relationship with Maurice Templesman, which was never what outsiders believed it to be.· The never-before-reported, last-ditch efforts to save Jackie's life with experimental cancer treatments, and the doctor who wouldn't risk jail time in order to treat her.Twenty-nine years after her death and sixty years after the assassination of President Kennedy, Jackie delivers the last word on one of the most famous women in the world.

"Seventeen-year-old Maya struggles with her omniscient abilities, but when she meets a cute guy at her new school, he helps her learn how to cope with knowing too much."--Provided by publisher.

In this powerful debut, an endearing but deeply introverted woman's carefully constructed routine starts to crumble when a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail, bringing the past she's long buried back to life.Lenny Marks is never unprepared.She spends her days teaching at the local elementary school and her nights watching reruns of Friends and playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Geller. She owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit, arranged by height. Her wardrobe is limited to four colors (previously counted as three, but the distinction between charcoal and grey was impossible to ignore).And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother left her when she was still a child, and her stepfather went to prison. Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail--and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel.Worse, she starts to remember...Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne's stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable.

Elevate your basketball trivia game with fresh facts and superfan challenges! Test your sports savvy and emerge a champion with this interactive, brain-busting trivia book written by fans for fans. Above the Rim delivers all the stats, figures, funny stories, and highlights your inner sports nerd craves. Take a shot at Who Said It?, Guess the Player, and True or False quiz questions. Discover little-known facts about the most iconic players of all time, from Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Boost your basketball wisdom and discover:- Who got thrown out of more games than any other player? - What's the punishment for dunking so hard you shatter the backboard (besides needing to pick the glass form your hair)?- Which team has the worst road record in NBA history? Hint: They went 1-40!Get ready to score fascinating new insights and push your existing knowledge to the ultimate limits with Above the Rim.

Doodle your way to a happy, huggable world of art!Brighten every day with a cute-o-rific drawing break and become a master at sketching irresistible kawaii-style creations with Cute-O-Rama: You Can Doodle Anything!, the can-do drawing book for everyone. Celebrate the power of cuteness as you learn to draw a whole bunch of squishy, snuggly, adorable things. From chonky unicorns with boopable noses to smiling sushi and grouchy cacti, there's no end to the lovable things you can doodle in just a few minutes.- Discover more than 125 abso-cute-ly adorable things to draw, including fuzzy friends, household objects, natural wonders, yummy treats, and magical creatures.- Enjoy friendly step-by-step instructions and bask in the rainbow glow of encouraging affirmations!- Learn with helpful drawing advice and fun techniques from a pro illustrator.

"Step-by-step instructions and clear photos help you create platters filled with artistry and amazing food."--Provided by publisher.

"Devour amazing restaurant-style eats whenever you want them with the ease of an air fryer! From appetizers and main events to desserts, The Better, Faster, Crispier-Than-Takeout Air Fryer Cookbook features more than 75 quick and tasty recipes inspired by menu favorites. You'll benefit from less fat and fewer calories without sacrificing a bit of flavor. So fire up your air fryer and treat yourself to fast-casual classics and new fried favorites!"--

Awaken your intuition and discover the secrets of Tarot Your mind holds the key to powerful Tarot readings. Intuition isn't some mystical gift for the lucky few--it's a function of your creative brain, which is hardwired to catch things that your other senses miss. And it speaks in symbols, colors, patterns, and art--the language of Tarot. Using simple exercises that take you beyond traditional card interpretations, The Intuitive Tarot Workbook will help you explore Tarot and harness your psychic senses for deeper and easier readings on life, love, work, money, and more. - Master the art of quieting your mind and tuning into your intuition- Discover the true meanings of Tarot's seventy-eight cards- Enjoy an organic connection with the cards--no memorization required>Whether you're new to Tarot or have been practicing for years, The Intuitive Tarot Workbook can help you understand yourself, your intuition, and the Universe's guidance better than ever before.

"Sharp eyed and sharp mouthed police detective"* Henri Lefort, is determined to solve homicides and uncover any German conspiracies threatening France-in Mark Pryor's newest World War II mystery, The Dark Edge of Night.Winter 1940: With soldiers parading down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Nazi flags dangling from the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower defaced with German propaganda, Parisians have little to celebrate as Christmas approaches. Police Inspector Henri Lefort's wishes for a quiet holiday season are dashed when the Gestapo orders him to investigate the disappearance of Dr. Viktor Brandt, a neurologist involved in a secret project at one of Paris's hospitals.Being forced onto a missing persons case for the enemy doesn't deter Henri from conducting his real job. A Frenchman has been beaten to death in what appears to be a botched burglary, and catching a killer is more important than locating a wayward scientist. But when Henri learns that the victim's brother is a doctor who worked at the same hospital as the missing German, his investigation takes a disturbing turn.Uncovering a relationship between the two men-one that would not be tolerated by the Third Reich-Henri must tread carefully. And when he discovers that Dr. Brandt's experimental work is connected to groups of children being taken from orphanages, Henri risks bringing the wrath of both the SS and the Gestapo upon himself and everyone he loves.*New York Times bestselling author Cara Black

In 1942, Hazel Francis left Wichita, Kansas for California, determined to do her part for the war effort. At Douglas Aircraft, she became one of many "Rosie the Riveters," helping construct bombers for the U. S. military. But now the war is over, men have returned to their factory jobs, and women like Hazel have been dismissed, expected to return home to become wives and mothers.Unwilling to be forced into a traditional woman's role in the Midwest, Hazel remains on the west coast, and finds herself in the bohemian town of Laguna Beach. Desperate for work, she accepts a job as an assistant to famous artist Hanson Radcliff. Beloved by the locals for his contributions to the art scene and respected by the critics, Radcliff lives under the shadow of a decades old scandal that haunts him.Working hard to stay on her cantankerous employer's good side, Hazel becomes a valued member of the community. She never expected to fall in love with the rhythms of life in Laguna, nor did she expect to find a kindred spirit in Jimmy, the hotel bartender whose friendship promises something more. But Hazel still wants to work with airplanes-maybe even learn to fly one someday. Torn between pursuing her dream and the dream life she has been granted, she is unsure if giving herself over to Laguna is what her heart truly wants.

A breathtaking coloring exploration of botanical wonderlandsBask in the spectacular beauty of nature! Imaginaria: In the Garden features more than 45 intricately hand-drawn illustrations bursting with vibrant blooms, verdant foliage, and enchanting creatures to color. Immerse yourself in pages filled with delicate blossoms and majestic garden-dwelling wildlife, all illustrated inside the silhouettes of graceful hummingbirds, buzzing honeybees, radiant sunflowers, bountiful gourds, and more. With Imaginaria: In the Garden, you can let your imagination bloom in kaleidoscopic hues.- Awaken your inner naturalist with more than 45 enthralling illustrations- Rejuvenate your spirit and indulge in a moment of mindful creation- Bring hundreds of charming garden inhabitants to life in vivid color

Color a magical land of enchanted fairy dwellings!Tiny Worlds: Fairy Homes offers a peek at the charming cottages and pint-size villages of pixies, elves, and fairies. With more than 45 illustrations of mystical settings that inspire the imagination, prepare to renew your sense of wonder and possibility. Add a brilliant rainbow of color to an adorable hidden universe where a teacup is a cozy townhome, a mushroom is a garden-view mansion, and a book is a welcoming fairy library. Let your inner artist soar as you add your unique touch to each miraculous home and its tiny winged inhabitants.- Visit whimsical worlds in more than 45 fantastic illustrations- Express your creativity and indulge your love of all things mini- Take a relaxing, mindful coloring break anytime you need it

Enjoy a little break with this pocket-size coloring paradise! Prepare to be enchanted! Mangatopia: Tiny Kawaii opens the door to a miniature world of wonder, inviting you to color your way through adorably small kawaii and chibi characters. Peer into a happy realm of petite treats, squee-worthy animals, smiling houseplants, and silly sushi rolls drawn in whimsical Japanese styles.- Discover more than 45 pages of art teeming with tiny delights and pint-size cuteness- Use crayons, gel pens, or even watercolors to bring this joyful little world to life- Easily tear out and share each cheerful piece with friends thanks to perforated pagesFrom teensy tea parties to candy shops in minuscule towns, Mangatopia: Tiny Kawaii is a celebration of all things small and sweet!

LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan returns in P. J. Tracy's City of Secrets, the next book in the series praised by the New York Times Book Review: "Tracy seems to have found her literary sweet spot."

Discover a secret language that unfolds blossom by blossomEnter a world of enchanting blooms and hidden meanings, where every petal tells a tale and each hue holds a secret. Floriographic: Secret Garden is a coloring journey into the romantic realm of floral symbolism. Within the pages, you'll find more than just gorgeous art-you'll discover a universe of emotions expressed through flowers, leaves, and stems. Embrace the legend of the asters, known as stars on earth, encouraging trust in the universe's timing. Celebrate with camellia petals that promise an everlasting caress. More than 45 hand drawn floral scenes reveal tales of love, friendship, forgiveness, healing, resilience, and dreams. Let your creativity flourish as you color your way through this botanical inspiration.- Explore the floral whispers of more than 80 soul-stirring varieties- Escape into the vibrant grounds and passionate language of the garden- Deepen your connection to nature and draw strength from every bloom

"In this unputdownable WWII series, Paris detective Henri Lefort, must solve a complex case when a man is murdered on the policeman's own doorstep. January 1941: It's cold and still dark when Paris Detective Henri Lefort wakes up to an empty apartment, irritated with his roommate for not even starting the coffee. Irritation turns to suspicion when he starts his walk to work and spots a large blood stain in front of the building. At the office his boss, chief of homicide, is incredulous that Henri didn't hear the gunshot that killed a man right outside his apartment. On the plus side, this means that Henri isn't a witness and can investigate the case. It first appears that the dead man is a nobody - but Henri soon finds out he's a nobody with a classified police file. Henri confronts his bosses and then the Germans, but is stonewalled. So he turns his investigation to the other tenants in his building. Coincidentally, each resident claims ignorance. When Henri learns that the dead man was a German agent, he must face the real possibility that one of his friends and neighbors is a killer. It's his job to find the truth no matter what, but when he does he faces the biggest dilemma of his career - whether in times like these the rules of justice should be, just sometimes, trumped by the rules of war"--

In the tradition of Craig Johnson and C. J. Box, Bruce Borgos's The Bitter Past begins a compelling series set in the high desert of Nevada featuring Sheriff Porter Beck...Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, north of Las Vegas. Born and raised there, he left to join the Army, where he worked in Intelligence, deep in the shadows in far off places. Now he's back home, doing the same lawman's job his father once did, before his father started to develop dementia. All is relatively quiet in this corner of the world, until an old, retired FBI agent is found killed. He was brutally tortured before he was killed and clues at the scene point to a mystery dating back to the early days of the nuclear age. If that wasn't strange enough, a current FBI agent shows up to help Beck's investigation.In a case that unfolds in the past (the 1950s) and the present, it seems that a Russian spy infiltrated the nuclear testing site and now someone is looking for that long-ago, all-but forgotten person, who holds the key to what happened then and to the deadly goings on now.

In one of his most accomplished, compelling novels yet, acclaimed New York Times bestseller Jeff Shaara accomplishes what only the finest historical fiction can do - he brings to life one of the most consequential figures in U.S. history - Theodore Roosevelt - peeling back the many-layered history of the man, and the country he personified. From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, from the waning days of the rugged frontier of a young country to the emergence of a modern, industrial nation exerting its power on the world stage, Theodore Roosevelt embodied both the myth and reality of the country he loved and led. From his upbringing in the rarefied air of New York society of the late 19th century to his time in rough-and-tumble world of the Badlands in the Dakotas, from his rise from political obscurity to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from national hero as the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War to his accidental rise to the Presidency itself, Roosevelt embodied the complex, often contradictory, image of America itself.In gripping prose, Shaara tells the story of the man who both defined and created the modern United States. "Shaara deftly weaves a growing intensity that explodes on the pages." - Bookreporter.com on To Wake the Giant."

"More than a century ago, MSNBC host Ali Velshi's great-grandfather sent his seven-year-old son to live at Tolstoy Farm, Gandhi's ashram in South Africa. This difficult decision would change the trajectory of his family history forever. From childhood, Velshi's grandfather was imbued with an ethos of public service and social justice, and a belief in absolute equality among all people--ideals that his children carried forward as they escaped apartheid, emigrating to Kenya and ultimately Canada and the United States. In [this book], Velshi taps into 125 years of family history to advocate for social justice as a living, breathing experience--a way of life more than an ideology. ... He relates the stories of regular people who made a lasting commitment to fight for change, even when success seemed impossible. This ... exploration of how we can breathe new life into the principles of pluralistic democracy is an urgent call to action; for progress to be possible, we must all do whatever we can to make a difference"--

"England, 1881. Hereford cathedral stands sentinel over the city, keeping its secrets, holding long forgotten souls in its stony embrace. Hecate Cavendish speeds through the cobbled streets on her bicycle, skirts hitched daringly high, heading for her new life as Assistant Librarian. But this is no ordinary collection of books. The cathedral houses an ancient chained library, wisdom guarded for centuries, mysteries and stories locked onto its worn, humble shelves. The most prized artifact, however, is the medieval world map which hangs next to Hecate's desk. Little does she know how much the curious people and mythical creatures depicted on it will come to mean to her. Nor does she suspect that there are lost souls waiting for her in the haunted cathedral"--

The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working, exploring, and traveling long before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age of Exploration Kathleen Sheppard brings these women back into the narrative and tells their stories that were often deliberately left out and forgotten by time. Sheppard begins this never-before-told narrative with the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travelers: Lucie Duff Gordon, Amelia Edwards, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.As each woman scored a success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews' great success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to be able to teach women to go into the field. Murray's work in the university led to the artists Annie Quibell and Nina de Garis's ability to work on site, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury and Caroline Ransom being able to have leadership positions in central institutions. In Women in the Valley of the Kings, Kathleen Sheppard upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.

From New York Times bestselling author Dan Hampton comes the gripping, untold story of a secret mission set during the darkest days of the Second World War.After the devastating Pearl Harbor attacks in the spring of 1942, the United States was determined to show the world that the Axis was not invincible. Their bold plan? Bomb Tokyo. On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25s, known as the Doolittle Raiders, hit targets across Japan before escaping to China.The eighth plane, however, did not return with the rest of the raiders.Instead, Plane 8's pilots, Captain Edward "Ski" York and Lieutenant Bob Emmens, did not attack Tokyo, but headed across Japan to the Soviet Union, supposedly due to low fuel. Yet, this bomber was the only plane on the mission with maps of the Soviet Union aboard. And why did Plane 8's flight plans, recently discovered in the Japanese Imperial Archives, show them nowhere near their target? The facts have long indicated that bombing Tokyo was merely a cover for Plane 8's real mission, but what was their secret objective? No one, aside from the two pilots and whomever sent them on this mission, truly knew why they were there, nor has the reason ever been revealed.Until now.In Vanishing Act, for the first time, retired fighter pilot Dan Hampton definitively solves the final mystery of the Doolittle Raid, including never-before-published documents and photographs in exclusive collaboration with Japanese researchers and the Raiders' descendants.

"The fully-illustrated, anecdote-rich story of the celebrated rapper and the iconic Wu-Tang Clan, told by one of its founding members With his fellow New Yorker RZA, Dennis Coles-aka Ghostface Killah-established the Wu-Tang Clan, the legendary hip-hop group whose flexible format (originally seven members, growing to ten, it performs in various combinations and also allows its members solo careers), danceable singles and intimate melodic lyrics have kept it at the pinnacle of rap and hip-hop from its founding in the early 1990s to today. Rise of a Killah, Ghost's autobiography, is intense rather than comprehensive, looking back at his childhood in Staten Island, his commitment to his family (including a brother with muscular dystrophy) and lifelong sidekicks, how crime and violence have affected his life, his fellow Wu-Tang members, a formative touring trip to Japan in 1997, and his art. Some of the many evocative and exciting elements in the book are Ghost's lyrics-some printed, some included as pages from drugstore black composition notebooks with his hand-written raps-from the '90s, as well as roughly-designed Xeroxed posters for the Clan's earliest performances and throwdowns, great in-concert photographs, a range of shots of limited-edition shoes and clothing, and a newly-commissioned cartoon of an attack on Ghost by an intruder slinging not bullets but bleach. Rich with both story and imagery, some of it exclusive to this book, Rise Of A Killah is both visual record and a real-feel narrative of a performer's life"--

An inspiring and moving memoir of the author's turbulent life with 600 rescue animals.Laurie Zaleski never aspired to run an animal rescue; that was her mother Annie's dream. But from girlhood, Laurie was determined to make the dream come true. Thirty years later as a successful businesswoman, she did it, buying a 15-acre farm deep in the Pinelands of South Jersey. She was planning to relocate Annie and her caravan of ragtag rescues-horses and goats, dogs and cats, chickens and pigs-when Annie died, just two weeks before moving day. In her heartbreak, Laurie resolved to make her mother's dream her own. In 2001, she established the Funny Farm Animal Rescue outside Mays Landing, New Jersey. Today, she carries on Annie's mission to save abused and neglected animals.Funny Farm is Laurie's story: of promises kept, dreams fulfilled, and animals lost and found. It's the story of Annie McNulty, who fled a nightmarish marriage with few skills, no money and no resources, dragging three kids behind her, and accumulating hundreds of cast-off animals on the way. And lastly, it's the story of the brave, incredible, and adorable animals that were rescued. Although there are some sad parts (as life always is), there are lots of laughs.

She lost her words but found her voice.All My Rage meets The Poet X in this electric debut that explores a Muslim teen finding her voice in a post-9/11 America.Nida has always been known as Mamou Abdul-Hafeedh's niece - the poet that will fill her uncle's shoes after he was wrongfully incarcerated during the war on terror. But for Nida, her poetry letters are her heart and sharing so much of herself with a world that stereotypes her faith and her hijab is not an option.When Nida is illegally frisked at a Democratic Senatorial candidate's political rally, she writes a scathing poem about the politician, never expecting the letter to go viral weeks before Election Day. Nida discovers her poem has won first place in a national contest, a contest she never entered, and her quiet life is toppled. But worst of all, Nida loses her ability to write poetry. In the aftermath of her win, Nida struggles to balance the expectations of her mother, her uncle, and her vibrant Muslim community with the person she truly wants to be. With a touch of magic and poetry sprinkled throughout, Sarah Mughal Rana's Hope Ablaze is heartbreaking, often funny, and ultimately uplifting, not only celebrating the Islamic faith and Pakistani culture, but simultaneously confronting racism and Islamophobia with unflinching bravery.