From the Dust Jacket: In 1984 the hideously beaten body of a young woman—a wife and new mother—was discovered in a roadside ditch in a remote mountainous area of eastern Pennsylvania. She had been apparently sexually assaulted as well.

She was Teresa Benigno Taylor, a beautiful Italian-American born in New York City, recently married to Kenneth Z. Taylor, a dentist from Indiana with a seemingly bright future, an engaging, athletic and articulate man whom many women had found irresistible.

No sooner was her identity established than suspicion focused on Dr. Taylor. And in a very short time he was charged with this heinous and brutal crime. But whether he would be convicted of murder hung very much in the balance.

Two rural police officers, under the direction of a dedicated prosecutor, slowly uncovered Kenneth Taylor’s dark past, a secret history of deception and violence. Although few then knew it, it was a past that included two previous marriages marked by terrible psychological torture and near-murder.

Moreover, in the wake of Teresa’s tragic death, a wrenching struggle would also ensue between families and cultures in the bitter custody battle over the couple’s infant son—a struggle as spellbinding, and almost as horrifying, as the murder and trial.

Perhaps, ironically, Teresa and her family should have known that Ken Taylor was too good to be true, certainly when she was beaten to within an inch of her life on her honeymoon, they should have guessed, but Ken had the psychopath’s natural gift for portraying himself as the innocent victim. Thugs had broken into their Las Brisas, Mexico, honeymoon villa, he explained, and he had been left unconscious trying to defend Teresa—a tale that the Mexican police rejected out of hand, but which Ken persuaded everybody back home to accept—even Teresa, who could not remember what happened, who wanted to believe her husband loved her, who needed to believe it....

It was a belief that any woman who loved her husband might have convinced herself to accept. It was a belief that cost Teresa her life.

No one who was involved in the case could imagine the religious, regional and ethnic passions that would be unleashed, passions which revealed not only the fragility of American society, but paradoxically, also its extraordinary resiliency.

Tracing events from Midwestern “Middle America” to the big-city East Coast, with an unrivaled sense of dramatic narrative, Peter Maas—the author of such best-sellers as Serpico, King of the Gypsies and Manhunt—takes us far beyond the conventions of a chilling true crime story to explore what both divides and ultimately unites us as a nation.

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About the Author: A graduate of Duke University, Peter Maas is the author of eight major works of fiction and nonfiction.

From the Dust Jacket: First came the bestselling book, then the Oscar-nominated movie—the story of Michael Oher and the family who adopted him has become one of the most talked-about true stories of our time. But, until now, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy have never told this astonishing tale in their own way and with their own words.

For Leigh Anne and Sean, it all begins with family. Leigh Anne, the daughter of a tough-as-nails U.S. Marshal, decided early on that her mission was to raise children who would become “cheerful givers.” Sean, who grew up poor, believed that one day he could provide a home that would be “a place of miracles.” Together, they raised two high-spirited children—Collins and Sean Jr.—who shared their deep Christian faith and their commitment to making a difference. And then one day Leigh Anne met a homeless African American boy named Michael and decided that her family could be his. She and her husband taught Michael what this book teaches all of us: everyone has a blind side, but a loving heart always sees a path toward true charity.

Michael Oher’s improbable transformation could never have happened if Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy had not opened their hearts to him. In this compelling, funny, and profoundly inspiring book, the Tuohys take us on an extraordinary journey of faith and love—and teach us unforgettable lessons about the power of giving.

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About the Author: Leigh Anne Tuohy grew up in Memphis and graduated from the University of Mississippi, where she met her future husband; she now owns an interior design company. Sean Tuohy grew up in New Orleans and played professional basketball for a summer after college; he now owns more than seventy restaurant franchises. The Tuohys live in Memphis but travel all over the country speaking about their family, their faith, and how each of us can make a difference in the world.

Sally Jenkins, an award-winning columnist for The Washington Post, is the author or coauthor of several books, including Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not About the Bike and The State of Jones (written with John Stauffer). She lives in New York City.

From the Publisher: This is the autobiography of John Graham ... a nuclear scientist, a world traveler, a multi-marathon runner, a writer with over twenty books, and an art lover, and, more than all of these, a family man who has been blessed with two families, forty years apart. This part of John’s life takes place during a period (1933-2009) when the world was changing: the status of women took a step forward; the electronic world took over our lives; publication and communication changed; war moved from set battlefield enemies to terrorists; global warming became a rallying cry by activists for all manner of purposes; and more. five days after John was born, Adolf Hitler came to power as Chancellor of the Third Reich, while, as the book is published, Barrack Obama completes his first 100 days as American President. The world has changed. It is no wonder that John’s autobiography encompasses strong opinions and makes no apology for strong likes and dislikes.

As one of the first women sports editors at a daily newspaper, author Linda Goodspeed gained a national reputation for ski writing. She won awards, covered the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in the former Yugoslavia and wrote a book about skiing. But in her late 20s and early 30s, Goodspeed lost her eyesight to a childhood eye disease, and her life changed forever—not in a good way either. At least not at first. In this compelling and inspiring story, the author details the fear and loneliness of going blind, and her determination to re-start her career and life. She moves away from home, learns blind skills like Braille and walking with a white cane, meets other blind professionals, learns how to use adaptive equipment, takes up old pursuits like downhill skiing, gets new jobs and travels to Russia to adopt a baby. In and Out of Darkness is a story of love and faith, people and perseverance, and all the uncertainties, challenges and blessings life throws at us. Sometimes difficult, sometimes funny, seldom a straight line. But never dull either. A beautifully written memoir of people and places, and the indomitable human spirit.

From the Back Cover: “We are going to be adopted and stay with Mummy and Daddy forever.” Danny looked up at me. Rita’s words had disturbed him. “I know why I had to leave my mum,” he said, “but why do I have to live with you?”

This is the true story of the adoption of Danny and Rita. Spanning some three decades, the story tells how Tom and Nathalie, a white couple, adopted the two children of a young black woman with a serious mental illness. Rita settles in with her new family, while Danny isn’t sure. It follows the children as they get to know their birth father’s family and in time make their dramatic decision, one by one, to leave their adoptive home. But that is not the end of the story...

The story begins at a time when the political landscape was different—transracial adoptions were commonplace and did not provoke the debate or stir up the strong feelings that they do today. But as events unfold, the landscape has begun to change and has implications for all those involved.

This honest account of one couple’s attempt to create a family is set against a background of adoption issues that are as relevant today as they were thirty years ago.

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About the Author: Nathalie Seymour is the pseudonym of a retired civil servant with a background in social work. She has collaborated in a number of published research papers, articles and textbooks.

From the Back Cover: Congratulations. Somebody you care about is adopting or has adopted. This makes you a member of their adoption circle. And as a member of that circle, you deserve information and insights into adoption—from a perspective that addresses your particular interests and concerns.

This is the adoption book for the grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and colleagues, caregivers and teachers of adoptive families.

Whether you’re excited or worried, committed or a bit reluctant, experienced or unfamiliar with adoption, In On It is an informative, friendly and very useful adoption guide for anyone touched by adoption. Welcome.

In On It explains:

What is it really like to adopt these days?

What’s it like to be an adoptive family?

How can I help and support my loved ones during their adoption process (even if I’m still questioning and learning myself)?

How can I help after they’ve become an adoptive family?

I have questions about the adoption and about the child. What’s private and what’s public? What’s tactful and what’s touchy?

How can I respond to other people’s questions and comments about adoption?

What role can I have in the adoption? What can I look forward to?

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About the Author: Elisabeth O’Toole is a writer and mother of three children through adoption. She holds degrees from Northwestern University and Colorado State University and her professional experience includes roles in business, education, and with non-profit organizations. She resides with her family at various points on the continuum of calm and chaos in St. Paul, Minnesota.

From the Back Cover: This is the heartbreaking life story of Jodi Marie Clark.

Jodi was a sweet baby girl born to an unwed mother who would have loved to keep her. That was impossible and Jodi was given up for adoption. That was the first of many good-byes as little Jodi was passed from house to house like an unwanted gift until, in desperation, her father drove seven hundred miles to his sister Judy’s farm. He dropped Jodi off, turned around, and drove out of her life for eight years.

Those eight years were a blessing to Jodi and to the Keller family who loved her dearly. Their lives were forever after intertwined.

At fourteen Jodi rejoined her father and her life spiraled downward and out of control. Through God’s grace and some remarkable people, Jodi was able to pull her life from the ashes. She lived a “normal” young adult life until she received devastating news. From that point on, tragedy was always just a step behind her until God, in His infinite wisdom, brought this angel home to Heaven.

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About the Author: J.C. Keller, a.k.a. Judy Clark Keller, is a native Wisconsinite. She married her high school sweetheart, Chuck Keller, forty-eight years ago. They are the proud parents of five terrific daughters and their husbands, nine delightful grandchildren, and one sweet little black dog named Molly.

Judy loves her church, family, and Molly. Along with writing; music, and cheering for the Packers, Badgers and Brewers are some of her favorite activities.

From the Back Cover: In Search of a Family: A Story of an International Adoption takes the reader inside a personal journey through the unknowns of an international adoption. This true story takes place in the ex-Soviet bloc country of Ukraine. As they travel through this young, independent republic, Kevin and Ginger Carlisle encounter numerous obstacles that could derail their hopes of achieving their dream of creating a new family. Braving Ukrainian election tensions and protestors, heartbreaking events, financial concerns, and changing adoption policies, they navigate the emotional and psychological maze of the bureaucracy and physical logistics of an international adoption. An eleventh-hour attempt by the children’s family member jeopardizes their attempt in searching for a family. The Carlisles endure the hardships of the language barrier and infrastructure but are able to uncover the little-known beauty of Ukraine and its people, all while placing their life in the United States on hold. As their destiny patiently waits, they keep reciting the mantra of all those who had come before them: Keep your focus on the goal of bringing home your children.

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About the Author: Kevin Carlisle is a board-certified physician assistant, specializing in surgery. He has practiced medicine for more than 29 years. He graduated from Michigan State University, received his medical degree from Long Island University/Brooklyn-Cumberland Medical Center in New York and his M.B.A. from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition, his is a licensed representative with Primerica Financial Services. His hobbies include reading, gardening, cooking, and scuba diving. His is a certified dive master. He earned the highly coveted Eagle Scout designation.

Ginger Carlisle is a Regional Vice President with Primerica Financial Services. She attended Adelphi University in New York, the University of Florida in Gainesville and received an M.B.A. and M.H.A. from the University of Miami. She graduated from the Montreal General Hospital nursing program at McGill University Health Centre and was a practicing registered nurse for 20 years. She enjoys traveling, scuba diving, cooking, and entertaining friends and family.

Considering Adoption? When Dorothy has a chance to meet her birth mother, she is overwhelmed by the possible outcomes: Will she love her? Will her adoptive father be hurt? Will she ruin her birth mother’s life now? This tender story of the selfless act of adoption addresses critical issues for those considering adoption, including:
Birth mothers wondering if they are doing the right thing
Adoptive parents wondering if introducing their child to the birth parents might change the way their child feels about them
Adopted adults thinking about trying to find their birth parents.

In the Year of the Ox details a personal quest that began with Hannah Amgott’s diagnosis of early menopause at age 35 and ends with the adoption of her daughter in China twelve years later. Also a tale of survival and strength, In the Year of the Ox reveals the day-to-day realities of coping with life-threatening illnesses and overcoming the many challenges inherent in the international adoption process.

From the Publisher: Rita J. Simon and Rhonda M. Roorda’s In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories (2000) shared the experiences of 24 black and biracial children who had been adopted into white families in the late 1960s and 70s. The book has since become a standard resource for families and practitioners. Now, in this companion volume, we hear from the parents of these remarkable families and learn what it was like for them to raise children across racial and cultural lines. These candid interviews shed light on the issues these parents encountered, what part race played during thirty plus years of parenting, what they learned about themselves, and whether they would recommend transracial adoption to others. Combining trenchant historical and political data with absorbing firsthand accounts, Simon and Roorda once more bring an academic and human dimension to the literature on transracial adoption.

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About the Author: Rita J. Simon is a University Professor in the School of Public Affairs and the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C. She has published 37 books and edited 19 and is currently the editor of Gender Issues.

Rhonda M. Roorda works at an educational advocacy organization in Lansing, MI, and writes for Fostering Families TODAY and Adoption TODAY magazines.

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By the Same Author: In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories (2000) and In Their Siblings’ Voices: White Non-Adopted Siblings Talk About Their Experiences Being Raised with Black and Biracial Brothers and Sisters (2009).

From the Back Cover: THE BOOK THAT DISPELS THE MYTHS:

1. independent adoption is illegal or at least disreputable.

Independent adoption is legal in 46 states. It is often a birth mother’s and adoptive parents’ first choice. Those involved agree that it is the most dignified way to make arrangements.

2. Most infants are placed through adoption agencies.

At least two-thirds of all adopted infants in the U.S. are placed independently.

3. independent adoption is beyond the means of most couples.

The expenses are usually well under $10,000.

4. There are too few infants to adopt in the U.S.

Birth mothers want to find you, just as you want to find them. Nearly everyone who diligently pursues independent adoption has a baby in less than 18 months.

5. Birth mothers don’t care about their “unwanted” babies.

This is the most damaging myth of all. They care very much about their babies—that’s why they choose independent adoption. Birth mothers want to select the adoptive parents. Without this control, adoption often is not an option.

A SUPERIOR REFERENCE FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS

• An extensive list of 700 newspapers that accept adoption ads; plus 3,000 newspapers that are part of state-wide networks that will run adoption ads

• Sample home studies

• A list of 200 adoption attorneys

• State-by-state adoption laws: answers to the most-asked questions

• Plus an invaluable resource for adoption professionals. Includes the names, addresses and telephone number for each state’s: Adoption Specialist, Bar Association and interstate Compact Personnel.

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About the Author: Ray has an adoption practice in New Jersey and South Carolina, and Laura is the Director of Advocates for Independent Adoption. They are the proud adoptive parents of two little girts, Erika and Elizabeth.

Adoption is certainly a common occurrence in India today. Although there is no official and complete count of adoptions, the best available estimates are that about 4% of Indians are adopted, nearly half of whom have been adopted by persons who are not biologically related to them. However, adoption touches many more lives than these data suggest.

Roy Sokol offers men a chance to be heard and women a rare opportunity to view the struggle with infertility from a male perspective. Infertility and Adoption: A Husband and Father’s Perspective brings to life the frustration, anger, humor, heartbreak, and sense of helplessness and a mental philosophy learned in Marine Corps training that helps in overcoming the psychological barriers. While miracles in technology have brought joy to new families, those very advances have placed many couples into a spiraling cycle of hope and heartbreak. One failed attempt may lead to another, but how do you give up when there is always another doctor, another procedure holding the possibility of your dream for a family? Roy Sokol has captured the emotional turmoil he and his wife, Elizabeth, endured as they tried to conceive, the years their lives were put on hold, and the excruciating sense of loss and finally great happiness. He writes too of the couple’s journey through the bewildering world of adoption-a path to parenthood fraught with financial, legal, and emotional risks of its own.

A baby awaits those who persevere. That’s the theme of Rocky De Lorenzo’s candid, intimate memoir about infertility and adoption. Infertility to Family: One Man’s Story chronicles the frustrations and broken dreams of an infertile couple. Rocky’s story is of an “ordinary” man whose simple ambition is to be a father. It’s the first book written from a man’s perspective about dealing with the emotional, physical, and financial strain that infertility and adoption place on a marriage. Though it tells the personal story of his quest to become a father, the underlying message is that of perseverance, sacrifice, and hope. This book will give couples facing infertility and/or adoption a deeper insight into what to expect and how to prepare for their journey to parenthood. About the Author: Rocky De Lorenzo is a speaker, an author, and an active member of Toastmasters International. He has degrees in business administration and management. He currently lives in Las Vegas, NV, with his wife, Susan, and their daughter Shelby-Li. Infertility to Family is his first book.

A guide to the adoption process for prospective adoptive parents, based upon the author’s own personal experience. The profiles of various private placement agencies in Massachusetts included are based upon a questionnaire the author sent out in February and March 1997. The text, however, suffers from the author’s legal background, being at times if not unreadable, then unnecessarily dense or syntactically convoluted.

Table of Contents: 1. Adapting to Adoption • 2. The Adoption Tower of Babylon — The Birth of a Discipline • 3. The Adoption Alphabet — Definitions with a Difference • 4. The Humpty Dumpty Syndrome — A Special Extended Note for Individuals Coming to Adoption through Infertility • 5. A Bill of Rights for Preadoptive Parents • 6. Introduction to Agency Profiles — Adoption Agency Profiles — Other Licensed Adoption Agencies • 7. Epilogue: Adoption Interactivity — (Pre) Adoptive Parent 1997 Questionnaire

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About the Author: Marc Weinreich is a principal at Weinreich & Associates, a law firm located in Brookline, Massachusetts.

From the Dust Jacket: Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nia Vardalos firmly believed she was supposed to be a mom, but Mother Nature and modern medicine had put her in a headlock. So she made a choice that shocked friends, family, and even herself: with only fourteen hours’ notice, she adopted a preschooler.

Instant Mom is Vardalos’s hilarious and poignant true chronicle of trying to become a mother while fielding nosy “frenemies” and Hollywood reporters asking, “Any baby news?” With her signature wit and candor, she describes her and husband Ian Gomez’s bumpy road to parenting, how they found their daughter, and what happened next. Vardalos includes a comprehensive how-to-adopt section and explores innovative ways to conquer the challenges all new moms face, from sleep to personal grooming. She learns that whether via biology, relationship, or adoption—motherhood comes in many forms.

In Instant Mom, Vardalos shares the terrifying joys of parenthood and for the first time reveals her stubborn optimism and perseverance on her trek to finally becoming a mom, instantly.

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About the Author: Nia Vardalos is the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated actress and writer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. An alumnus of The Second City comedy theater, she also starred in and wrote Connie and Carla and I Hate Valentine’s Day, starred in My Life In Ruins, and co-wrote Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks. Born and raised in Canada, Vardalos now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, their daughter, and many pets and is currently working on balancing her acting and writing career with motherhood and adoption advocacy.

Rick Maurer and his wife Ilene both had successful careers with Fortune 500 companies and loving extended families—but there was something missing from their lives: they desperately wanted children. After the trauma of multiple failures with fertility doctors, Rick and Ilene were forced to accept the knowledge that they would not be able to have children naturally and decided to look into adoption. Their desire to start their family without delay, to have a young baby, and the safeguards not available domestically—led them to consider an adoption from abroad. As a publisher traveling throughout South America Rick knew the sad situations of the many children left abandoned and without loving families. In this touching story Rick describes their first meeting with Sam and later Maria, whose families had been unable to care for them. Unlike many of the thousands of less fortunate babies in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, Sam and Maria each had been placed with a foster family before being approved for adoption and ultimately placed with a family. It was love at first sight for Rick and Ilene, but many obstacles remained including language, culture, as well as uncooperative judges. This saga tells in touching detail the highs and lows of Rick and Ilene’s journey to parenthood while also weaving in the fascinating early history of this remote and little-known country.

From the Publisher: Designed as a manual to complement the Clinician’s Guide, this book is written for birth, foster, or adoptive parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, or anyone who may be raising a child who has experienced attachment loss and trauma. Their severe behaviors can often leave caregivers feeling confused, frightened, hurt, and overwhelmed, as they struggle to make sense of a massive amount of information—and misinformation—that exists on attachment issues. This book provides understanding, validation, and solutions for these caregivers. In it, the authors explain their innovative model of “team” treatment that includes an EMDR therapist and a family therapist. Best used in conjunction with therapeutic help, it walks readers through an array of parenting strategies that will lead them to a deeper understanding of their traumatized child, and better enable them to calm their behavior and improve their attachment security so they can heal.

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By the Same Author: The Whole Parent (1998, Da Capo Press) and Integrative Team Treatment for Attachment Trauma in Children: Family Therapy and EMDR (with Cathy Schweitzer & Stefanie Armstrong; 2014).

From the Back Cover: If you are a woman considering adoption, you and your spouse will receive hope and encouragement from the gentle wisdom of Kimberley Raunikar Taylor’s experience of adopting a child.

Her story will encourage you to

• Examine the condition of your own heart and discover what motivates your desire for a child

• Respond to God’s desire to place the lonely and homeless in families

• Plan for the changes and challenges of adoption

• Prepare to assimilate a new child into an existing family

Taylor guides you through the thoughts and emotions you may experience before embracing the possibility of adopting and then explores the challenges, joys, and rewards of bringing an adopted child home.

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About the Author: Kimberley Raunikar Taylor is the mother of an internationally adopted child. She has served as a guest speaker for orientation meetings at a Dallas adoption agency speaks often to women’s groups concerning adoption issues. She and her husband live in Fort Worth with their son, Jonathan Valentin.

From the Back Cover: The difficult times, promising moments, and eventual joy of international adoption are all accounted for in this honest and encouraging guide. Excerpts from an inspiring journal show a real mother-to-be filling out forms, confronting racism and red tape, packing baby gear, visiting a foreign place, and returning home with a beautiful baby girl. Complementary chapters discuss the initial decision, finding an agency or private coordinator, home-studies, the warning signs of fraud, regard for the child’s birth culture, political issues, and other common aspects of intercountry adoption.

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The adoption of foreign children has been an issue frequently grabbing the media headlines. Child service specialists state that, although the process is a complicated and often long one, people—both couples and singles—want to open the doors of their home for those whose only shelter has been an orphanage. Several worldwide recognized and famous people like Angelina Jolie have set the example for international adoption, and thousands have followed it. United States residents are leading among adoptive parents, giving home to thousands of kids from all around the world each year. After Russia and China have made their adoption rules more strict, the focus of parents-to-be has switched to African countries, especially Ethiopia.

From the Back Cover: For anyone involved in, or thinking about, adopting a child from abroad, this is an essential guide. The process of international adoption can sometimes seem complex, frustrating, and endless. This step-by-step guide, which provides the necessary hard facts and information—as well as support through the experiences of the author and others—will help smooth the way.

After a general discussion of who may adopt and what restrictions may apply, the book goes into the nitty-gritty of what the process entails: choosing where to adopt and how to go about it; using an agency or a facilitator; initiating the home study; assembling a dossier; working with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service; knowing the types of expenses that can be anticipated; and many other issues. In addition, the book provides up-to-date information on resources, including what is available today on the Internet, information that was previously difficult for adoptive parents to find out on their own.

Equally informative are the author’s interviews of a number of adoptive families whose stories are interspersed throughout the book. By sharing their experiences, they help to make the process work for others.

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About the Author: Myra Alperson, a journalist, is a senior research associate at The Conference Board in New York City. She is thrilled to be the mother of a baby daughter, Sadie Zhenzhen, who was born in Suzhou, China. They became a family on October 14, 1996.

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By the Same Author: Dim Sum, Bagels, & Grits: A Sourcebook for Multicultural Families (2001, FS&G).

“How can we prepare for being immediate parents of our new son? How will we communicate with him when we speak two different languages? What will we do if he has a tantrum?” These are just a few of the issues new adoptive couples face when their new child is from another country. International Adoption of a Preschool Child: 100 Parenting Tips for Your Child’s First Year provides practical ideas, from preparing for the child’s homecoming, to celebrations of holidays and birthdays in his new country. The child’s responses to grief and loss are explored, as well as ways to provide love and comfort. The author includes suggestions on learning about and preserving the child’s culture, and a section on self-care for new parents. She also emphasizes the importance of support for the parents because of the challenges of immediate parenthood.

As an adoptive mother of children from Russia and Colombia, Conroy has compiled the resource book she wished she had when she first investigated the possibility of international adoption. This guide lists addresses and resources, provides information on costs, medical conditions, immigration regulations, and more.

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By the Same Author: A World of Love: The Inspiring True Story of One Couple’s Odyssey Into the World of International Adoption (1997, Kensington Books).

International adoption travel is a time of excitement, wonder and unpredictable experiences. In addition to adding a new child to your family, your trip is probably the first you will make to your child’s birth country. Everything is new. Everything is interesting. You want to savor it all. You know that your record of this trip will one day become a cherished link to your child’s heritage. But as many parents who have been there know, in all of the excitement and stress of international adoption travel, chronicling your trip in a blank notebook becomes next to impossible—particularly once your child arrives. The International Adoption Travel Journal was designed with your special trip in mind. With seven separate sections organized in meaningful categories, and a fill-in-the-blank format, parents find this unique journal an invaluable keepsake to record their trip of a lifetime. The newly revised edition now includes these great features: Special place on the inside front cover for your child’s photo and footprints; Map of the world for tracking your journey; Additional blank “Daily Journal” pages for free writing; New “Souvenirs” section; Handy envelope bound in for receipts/small keepsakes Sturdy travel-ready spine (Covered wire-O, so it lays flat while you’re writing).

From the Publisher: This book of true, positive, and very exciting adoption stories will:

• Interest anyone who has ever been touched by adoption

• Magnify God and show His answers to specific prayers

• Give birth mothers and birth fathers assurance and help in moving forward with their lives

• Give hope to infertile couples

• Dispel myths about birth mothers

• Give many examples that adoption, not abortion, is a loving option

• Help in understanding that God’s timing is perfect

• Show positive aspects and happy endings of adoption.

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About the Author: Jean A. Veckruise, Ph.D., cofounder and director of Christian Family Services, Inc.; formerly director of Tender Loving Care adoption agency, SC; assistant dean in schools of medicine: Medical College of Virginia and Louisiana State University, with a joint appointment in the pediatric department; assistant professor, Houghton College, New York, Trinity College, Illinois, and SUNY, Buffalo, New York; cofounder and counselor, Niagara Frontier Christian Counseling Center, New York; and teacher of special education in New York, Illinois, and Minnesota.

The decision to adopt can be one of the most rewarding that a couple or individual can make. As with any important decision, it can also be quite complex. Persons who are interested in adopting a child must not only be willing to welcome a new person into their hearts, but they must also be willing to cope with the bureaucratic and legal issues that can often be involved and can frequently take months, if not years. The primary key to a successful adoption is doing some background research which can include locating reputable agencies and attorneys, understanding the pros and cons associated with different types of adoptions and understanding the importance of being actively involved in each step; all without allowing frustration or impatience to take over. Adoption takes place for many different reasons. Many people are not able to have children on their own. Other people wish to provide a loving environment for children who need a home. In fact, many people who ultimately adopt have already given birth to other children. Some individuals choose to adopt children who have “special needs”; such as children who have disabilities or who would be difficult to place for adoption because of their age or ethnicity. Regardless of the reasons for adoption, the most important requirement to adopt is for future adoptive parents to realize that it is a lifelong commitment.

Adopting a child is one of the noble deeds someone can do. Someone decides to adopt a child because of inability to have children of their own or out of desire to provide a better future for a child, whatever is the reason behind it, it is always a noble action. The bureaucratic process of adoption becomes more and more difficult that affect many people to give up adoption. In this eBook I want you to know how you can adopt a child despite long and difficult processes.