Stephen Osborne

From the heart of the city to the edges of the Arctic: a brilliant and observant essay collection by a modern flaneurIn 1990, writer Stephen Osborne and his partner, Mary Schendlinger, began publishing Geist, a literary quarterly based in Vancouver, BC. From the beginning, the magazine established a reputation for observant photography, thoughtful essays, and off-the-wall humour, not least because of Osborne's regular contributions. The Coincidence Problem brings together Osborne's dispatches covering a wide range of subjects, from civic monuments to family history to global terrorism, the lynching of Indigenous youth Louie Sam, end times in the Arctic, and yes, even cats. A modern flaneur, he investigates the city, translates the ordinary, and deflates the pretentious. The Coincidence Problem confirms Osborne's reputation as an incisive writer of narrative non-fiction that is at once personal and expansive.

This Cambridge Element aims to advance theory by investigating the nature of participation in public service delivery. It situates itself under the theory of Public Service Logic to advocate for a strategic orientation to participation as an element of value creation in public services. It introduces the concept of participation and discusses the motives, incentives, and tools to engage citizens in public service delivery processes. Then, it frames citizens' participation under the approach public service ecosystem to capture the dynamic relationships among citizens, other actors, processes, and structures that may contribute to determining value in public service delivery. It presents the dynamics of value creation and destruction in public service. The Element concludes with implications for research and practice. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

This Cambridge Element aims to advance theory by investigating the nature of participation in public service delivery. It situates itself under the theory of Public Service Logic to advocate for a strategic orientation to participation as an element of value creation in public services. It introduces the concept of participation and discusses the motives, incentives, and tools to engage citizens in public service delivery processes. Then, it frames citizens' participation under the approach public service ecosystem to capture the dynamic relationships among citizens, other actors, processes, and structures that may contribute to determining value in public service delivery. It presents the dynamics of value creation and destruction in public service. The Element concludes with implications for research and practice. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

This book is based upon and extends the theoretical and empirical work of the author over the last decade. It integrates material deriving from his previous conceptual and empirical work in this field, together with new empirical evidence from emerging research. Public Service Logic challenges the product-dominant assumptions of the New Public Management (NPM) about the nature and management of public service delivery. Whilst the NPM has led to some important developments in public management, it has also had significant limitations and weaknesses. The book presents an alternative to this, as a framework for the future delivery and reform of public services globally. It draws upon the extant literature in the field of service management to argue for a Public Service Logic (PSL) for the delivery of public services. This situates public service delivery within the vibrant and influential field of service-dominant research and theory. It argues that effective public service management requires both that these services are understood as services not as products and that, consequently, public service management requires a focus on value creation as its over-arching rationale. The book presents a major new framework of value creation for public service delivery as a basis for public service reform, explores the role of service managers and staff and of citizens and service users in this value creation process, and evaluates the implications of this new framework for both the strategic and operational management of public service delivery, their performance management and the development and innovation of new forms of public services. It will be of interest to researchers and students in the fields of public management and public administration, as well as to policy makers and public service managers.

This book is based upon and extends the theoretical and empirical work of the author over the last decade. It integrates material deriving from his previous conceptual and empirical work in this field, together with new empirical evidence from emerging research. Public Service Logic challenges the product-dominant assumptions of the New Public Management (NPM) about the nature and management of public service delivery. Whilst the NPM has led to some important developments in public management, it has also had significant limitations and weaknesses. The book presents an alternative to this, as a framework for the future delivery and reform of public services globally. It draws upon the extant literature in the field of service management to argue for a Public Service Logic (PSL) for the delivery of public services. This situates public service delivery within the vibrant and influential field of service-dominant research and theory. It argues that effective public service management requires both that these services are understood as services not as products and that, consequently, public service management requires a focus on value creation as its over-arching rationale. The book presents a major new framework of value creation for public service delivery as a basis for public service reform, explores the role of service managers and staff and of citizens and service users in this value creation process, and evaluates the implications of this new framework for both the strategic and operational management of public service delivery, their performance management and the development and innovation of new forms of public services. It will be of interest to researchers and students in the fields of public management and public administration, as well as to policy makers and public service managers.

In rural Scioto County, Ohio, Mike Harrison was the 'Pied Piper' of Central High School. On the surface, he was leading the idyllic life for a high school senior. He was the most popular kid in school. The boys all wanted to be his best friend, while the girls all wanted to be his girlfriend. He was the star of the football team and in line for a scholarship to The Ohio State University. He drove a nice car. His lifelong best friend, honor student, Mary Bryant, was also his girlfriend. His father was a successful businessman. Underneath, his life was much more complicated. His mother was dead. His war-scarred father was distant. He was an only child, spending much of his time home alone, a mile from his closest neighbor, listening to rock 'n' roll and baseball games, and worrying that Mary and her parents had his life planned for him. Yet, he coped until a transfer student, Tony Duvardo, threatened his status on the football field, and competed with him for Mary's affection. Raging hormones and another transfer student, Norma West, sent his life into a downward spiral, leading to betrayal, murder, and family tragedy. His hope for redemption lay with his grandfather, the mysterious Sophie Reese, and a road trip to the wast coast with Norma in search of his real father.

Michael Cook has left his abusive lover and settled in the small town of Banning, Illinois. Having nowhere else to go, he checks into the Raven's Rest Inn and soon learns that the haunted reputation of the hotel is well deserved. Michael gets a job at a local café, where he meets Trey Ramsey. Though Michael has misgivings about starting up a new relationship, Trey seems to be the complete opposite of Michael's controlling ex, so he decides to give Trey a chance. Life at the Raven's Rest becomes increasingly frightening when the ghost of Coleman Hollis appears in Michael's room. Coleman seems to want something from Michael, and the mystery deepens when Michael discovers he's the spitting image of Coleman's lover from years ago. Together, Michael and Trey must discover why Coleman's spirit is drawn to the Raven's Rest—and to Michael.

Sequel to Dead EndA Duncan Andrews Thriller Private Detective Duncan Andrews is back, along with the usual gang: Robbie, Gina, Nick, and Daisy, the zombie bulldog! Duncan is trying to figure out how his boyfriend, Robbie, will fit in with the team now that he is no longer a ghost. That worry is soon set aside when Duncan accepts a new case to locate a missing young man named Graig Betz. Duncan soon learns Graig is part of a werewolf pack that is terrorizing Indianapolis. The pack is led by a witch, Ashley Campbell, an old rival of Gina's. Duncan and his team must try to rescue and cure Graig and stop the wolf pack from destroying an entire city.

When it's meant to be, it's useless to fight it. Four years ago a drowning accident brutally ripped Jason out of artist Frank Hunter's life. As he celebrates his forty-fifth birthday with his friends, Frank knows his dating life is over. A chance meeting with Donny Rodriquez, however, shakes Frank's world to its core. Donny is twenty years Frank's junior, but so full of life and vitality that Frank knows he has to paint the young man. Donny agrees, although he makes his romantic interest in Frank plain. Frank does his best to put Jason and the past behind him, but the memory of his late lover won't let him go. Yet Donny sparks something in Frank, and after several disastrous dates with men his own age, Frank ends up back with Donny. Donny soon learns that to win Frank's heart, he must not only bridge the age gap but find a way to enable Frank to let go of the past.

Sequel to The Scarlet TideA Duncan Andrews Thriller Duncan Andrews's best friend Gina is a witch, his bulldog Daisy is a zombie, and his boyfriend Robbie is a ghost. Duncan himself is just your average private detective, who happens to specialize in paranormal cases. Robbie's cousin, Jason, has a problem. The house he's living in is haunted by the ghost of serial killer Dr. Stanley Moore. Duncan thinks banishing the spirit will be an easy task, but when confronted, the ghost nearly kills Duncan. If that's not bad enough, a witch-hunting group called the Order of Cotton Mather have tracked Gina down and are bent on destroying her. And Robbie and Duncan's relationship may be nearing an end, as Robbie feels he's holding Duncan back from having a lover he can actually touch. Duncan must rid Jason's house of the evil Dr. Moore, save Gina, and somehow manage to hold onto Robbie in the process.

Sequel to Pop Goes the Weasel Patrick "Weasel" Weasley is worried he's not spending enough time with his new boyfriend Tony, now that they are living and working in different towns. He decides the best way to cement the relationship is to buy Tony a ring for Christmas. Unfortunately, Weasel's evil stepfather--a rat bastard if ever there was one--has cut him off without a cent, and he is left with no other choice. He must (gasp!) get a job! Weasel wouldn't mind working at the Phantom Lady Inn if it wasn't for Tony's ex-boyfriend Gates Stumpenhorst, who wants to beat the stuffing out of him, or Cicely Talbot, a writer who believes she can prove to Weasel that he's not really gay. As if that wasn't enough, the deputy sheriff thinks Weasel is the local arsonist. Adding to their troubles is a rumored Phantom Lady haunting the inn and pilfering trinkets. With all this going on, Weasel might not live to survive Christmas, much less find time to go on a date with Tony!

Sequel to Animal InstinctA Duncan Andrews Thriller Duncan Andrews, a private detective who specializes in paranormal cases, is back, along with his usual gang. Robbie Church, his boyfriend, is a ghost. Gina, a centuries old witch, is his best friend. And Daisy, Duncan's bulldog, just happens to be a zombie. Odd man out seems to be Nick, a history teacher. He's a normal, living human. Duncan's latest case leads him to a rock band in Indianapolis called The Scarlet Tide. It doesn't take Duncan long to realize all of the band members are vampires. He sets out to destroy them, but runs into trouble with the charismatic leader of the band, Dominic Hunt. Duncan ends up under Hunt's psychic control, and is forced to examine his relationships with Robbie and Nick, as well as his attraction for Hunt. Can Robbie and Gina help Duncan break Hunt's psychic grip? Is there any hope the vampire can be destroyed once and for all?

Ghost tales and legends of Northern Illinois, including over a dozen haunted locations to visit. There are a host of ghostly tales and legends surrounding Chicago, Rockford, Dekalb, Dixon, Byron, and other cities in towns in the Prairie State. In Ghosts of Northern Illinois, meet the spirit of a woman who was brutally murdered in the 1940s. Shiver as you learn about a blue figure that runs down the alley adjacent to the Biograph Theater, then falls to the ground and disappears. Encounter a phantom jogger, the Madonna of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, and the mysterious scent of perfume at the Coronado Theater. Come and visit Willow Creek Farm, one of the top-ten haunted houses in Illinois, where over 30 spirits have been detected. Think Illinois looks calm and peaceful? Think again!

Patrick Weasley, aka Weasel, is a fun-loving college student with a wealthy homophobic jerk stepfather and a best friend, Jake Winston, who's just as gay as Weasel. When Jake's aunt dies, many from the publishing world—including Jasper, Weasel's weasel of a stepfather—gather at Winston Manor for the reading of the will, and Weasel is obligated to tag along. Turns out all he has to do is three things: 1) swap the wills so Jake's uncle inherits the house instead of the gardener, who's also an old enemy of Weasel's; 2) secure a publishing contract from author Cecily Talbot; and 3) hook Jake up with his deceased aunt's male nurse. But what he ends up doing is 1) falling for Tony, one of the food servers; 2) accidentally affiancing himself to Cecily; and 3) fighting with Jake, who thinks he was making a play for the nurse. To make matters worse, every time Weasel and Tony start to get intimate, Jasper is right around the corner. So when burglars come to steal a valuable piece of art, Weasel must 1) use all his ingenuity to keep the painting safe; 2) dis-engage himself from Cecily; 3) unite Jake with the nurse; and most importantly, 4) pursue Tony to an elusive happy ending.

Sequel to Pale as a GhostA Duncan Andrews Thriller Private detective Duncan Andrews has the home-team advantage when it comes to solving paranormal crimes: His best friend, Gina, is a centuries-old witch. His dog is a zombie. And his boyfriend, Robbie, is a ghost. Duncan certainly has his work cut out for him with this case. Someone's been using the skull of a powerful wizard to control animals, and whoever it is, they're not out to set up a petting zoo. For Gina, the case hits close to home—she knows just how dangerous it is, since the wizard was her father. Just when he thinks they&rssquo;re close to breaking the case, tragedy strikes, leaving Gina in a coma. Then, after years as a ghost, Robbie finally decides to move on, leaving Duncan to protect young Ashton Marsh, the victim of several strange animal attacks. Suddenly Duncan is working without his supernatural safety net. Without his friends, can Duncan defeat the power of Eleazar's skull and keep Ashton alive? Or will the struggle for his life end in broken bodies as well as broken hearts?

Bookstore owner Randy Stone is smitten. His new boyfriend, Kyle Temple, is sweet, hot, attentive, and great in bed. But introducing Kyle to his family takes courage, because Randy's parents can be a little judgmental, and Kyle is ten years younger than Randy, a small-time pro wrestler, and dumber than the proverbial sack of hammers. Needless to say, Randy's parents aren't exactly thrilled, and even his best friend is skeptical. Despite the challenges, Randy is determined to tough it out for Kyle. After all, enduring a few scornful comments from his mother is nothing compared to what Kyle's going through trying to quit smoking for Randy. When a hypnotherapy session designed to help with Kyle's cravings leaves him quoting Jesus Christ—in Aramaic—Randy's parents are suddenly the least of their problems. Once word gets out, their privacy is destroyed. News crews follow them everywhere, and everyone who knows Kyle seems determined to make a buck. It's a mess that could make Kyle's dreams of wrestling in the UWE come true—but what about his dream of being with Randy?

A Duncan Andrews Thriller Private detective Duncan Andrews's best friend Gina is a witch. His dog is a zombie. And his dead boyfriend, Robbie, is a ghost. So it's hardly any wonder that he uses his connection to the supernatural to help him solve cases. Good thing, too, because Duncan has his hands full. Janice Sanderson, the richest woman in Indianapolis, wants him to find her stripper daughter, Brenda, and another client is having some trouble with a specter haunting her family home. On top of that, Duncan has decided to add dating into the mix, though after Robbie's death, he's not sure he's ready. When Duncan meets Nick while tracking down a lead on Brenda's boyfriend, he shelves his doubts and agrees to a date. Robbie doesn't make it easy on him, showing up to spoil his chances, but that is the least of Duncan's worries—because one of his clients' husbands is missing and there's a serial killer on the loose—one Duncan fears isn't human.

Take a haunted journey to discover the ghosts and legends of South Bend and northern Indiana. Meet the ghosts of football great George Gipp, that still haunts his old stomping grounds at Notre Dame University and the infamous Belle Gunness, who murdered over 40 people at her LaPorte farmhouse. Feel goose bumps rise as you learn of a ghostly girl, that hangs from the bell tower at St. Mary's College. Enjoy a meal at Tippecanoe Place Restaurant, where a ghost may pass right through you, and stay at the Inn at Aberdeen, where you may come face-to-face with the spirit of a playful little girl ghost! Haunted roads, unexplained lights on the horizon, a house that possesses those who dare reside there, and even phantom felines await you in South Bend and the surrounding area.