Discovering that Rachel, a sports journalist, had been doing a story on the brutal killing of a foreign tourist, they are puzzled by her interest in such a grisly crime. It emerges that Rachel’s investigation went far beyond a single murder, and their lives are soon under threat too.With a traumatic event from their teenage years coming back to haunt them, the trio realises that the mystery has its roots in their own past. In the midst of battling their personal demons, they make a desperate plan to flush out a sadistic killer in the sylvan setting of their old boarding school in the Himalayan foothills. With the body count rising and long-buried secrets tumbling out, will they succeed?

     The Battlefield: An artificial landscape full of terrors. The Weapons: Lethal cybernetic prosthetics. The Opponents: Dozens of alien warriors abducted from different planets. The Rules: There can only be one winner. The Strategy: Build a harem of hot female warriors and break the rules. This book contains violence, cursing, litRPG & Harem elements.

    Nothing ever was. From the sweet age of fourteen, her judgment in men was always horrible. Looking for the love that she was missing at home caused her to run into the wrong arms. Falling in love with the older, manipulative Dray was the mistake that led to her quick downward spiral. She knew from the start that their relationship wasn’t what she deserved. But what was she to do? She was a teenager in love with a man who had mastered the art of toying with emotions of women twice her age. Years later, with the help of her friend, Ju-Ju, Dae is ready to live life as a normal woman, but what she would encounter was nothing normal. In fact, Knight was a man like none that she had crossed paths with. Successful, charming, and sexy were just a few words used to describe Knight Bentley. With no warning, Dae was swooped off her feet and thrust into a world of lavish living, countless shopping sprees, late night sexcapades, and the adventure she had been dying for. The thing is, all of that came with a price. What she never banked on was the tenacious Ainsley being in the picture. While Dae is head over heels in love with Knight, that may not be enough in this case. Ainsley isn’t a woman who loses, and she doesn’t plan to lose to a woman like Charde. But what happens when Ainsley’s record isn’t as clean as she wants Knight to believe? Will Knight choose the woman who’s been by his side since his days as a street king, or will the woman who believes in his life after the streets win him over? In this series, you will find that family is just a word, and love truly overpowers everything. The problem is, loving the wrong person can get you killed.

    But now you’ll be able to take the next step and actually write and draw your very own. The teen characters that populate the genre are outrageously cool, including magical girls, demon gals, cat girls, J-rockers, handsome teen boys, Goth boys, and the increasingly popular elegant older young men that shoujo fans adore. No one can top Christopher Hart in helping you learn some fundamental art techniques that will bring shoujo characters, which are more realistic and less cartoon-like than other styles of manga, to life. His drawings in this book reflect the coolest and latest style Tokyo has to offer, and the easy-to-follow steps are designed for the beginner.  From coloring to character development, Manga for The Beginner Shoujo has your back on every detail as you learn to create the most beloved of all manga. You may start off as an otaku (a manga fan), but you’ll end up a mangaka (a manga artist)!

    A monster, responsible for unspeakable acts, not limited to this world. Set in the aftermath of September 11th, the city of Chicago feels a sense of impending danger, fearing a similar tragedy could occur. A fast paced horror odyssey, which all begins on Halloween.Part of a series of interconnected horror novels that can be read in any order. Each book serves as a stand alone story, yet builds a greater picture behind a sinister mystery in Chicago.

    Then the blue-skinned ogre tore through the mall. The elf and I made a quick escape and ended up in a strange fantasy world.Now, I’m finding out that the elves have been in decline for centuries and are being hunted to extinction for their magical abilities.They need someone to help them. Someone to protect them. Someone with magical powers that could make elves strong like they used to be.Apparently, I’m that someone. And there are a whole lot of elf species who could use my protection.

    A desperate quest for an enchanted relic. The final battle to save mankind from extinction.1,100 pages of epic fantasy filled with magic, mystery, and monsters._________________________________Meet the heroes of Issalia:Brock is a downtrodden teen behind a false identity. Within a school for the elite, he discovers a long-forgotten magic. Can he tame his frightening new abilities?Ashland trains as a magic-based healer until she discovers conspiracies the empire is protecting. Determined to pursue a better future, she must overcome her troubled past.Cameron, an imposing warrior with legendary bloodlines, trains to become the greatest swordsman of his generation. Can he escape his father's shadow?Benny's inventions amaze his peers and superiors until he combines magic with science, and changes his world forever. If only he understood the destruction he would cause.Parker is an archer whose father is a powerful empire leader. What will the man do when he discovers his son's betrayal?Tenzi, a sailor and expert knife thrower, becomes embroiled in a struggle to save her world. Will her courage be sufficient when faced by a horde of giant monsters?_______________________________Includes the COMPLETE Runes of Issalia trilogy and the aftermath novella, ICON, books combining for over 250 5-star Amazon reviews, and 700 Goodreads 5-star ratings.Books in this boxed set:The Buried Symbol: Runes of Issalia, Book IThe Emblem Throne: Runes of Issalia, Book IIAn Empire in Runes: Runes of Issalia, Book IIIICON: An Issalia companion tale EXCLUSIVE to this set

    Rendering is used in the preparation of drawings for engineers, designers and manufacturers, and in advertising and industry generally.

    Examining visual art from 1980 to the present, it takes an intriguing and accessible approach that motivates students and other readers to think actively about and discuss contemporary art--what it means and how it means what it does. The opening chapter provides a concise overview of the period, analyzing how four key changes (the rise of new media, a growing awareness of diversity, the influence of theory, and interactions with everyday visual culture) have resulted in an art world with dramatically expanded boundaries. Reflecting the paradigm shift from a formalist way of teaching studio art to more varied and open-ended concepts, the remaining six chapters each deal with a key theme--time, place, the body, language, identity, and spirituality. Each chapter features an introduction to the thematic topic; a brief look at historical precedents and influences; a detailed analysis of how contemporary artists have responded to and embodied aspects of the theme in specific works; and an in-depth and fascinating profile of an artist who has extensively explored aspects of the theme in his or her work. Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual Art after 1980 shows how art can be interpreted from several different angles: techniques and materials, historical circumstances, aesthetic qualities, theoretical issues, and an artist's ideas and intentions. Writing in a lucid and engaging style, the authors skillfully reveal the multiple levels of meaning in artworks, drawing connections between contemporary art, art of the past, and everyday existence. The volume is enhanced by 87 illustrations--19 in full color--that demonstrate an immense variety of materials, subjects, and styles. These well-chosen examples will help readers learn to critically describe, interpret, and evaluate contemporary visual art. A bibliography and a timeline that situates contemporary art in the context of major events in world history, art, and popular culture are also included. An ideal core text for courses in contemporary art history, Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual Art after 1980 can also be used as a supplement in modern art, art appreciation, art criticism/theory, and studio art courses.

    A significant amount of research and subsequent progress has been made in these fields. The advancement made in the understanding the underlying physics has enabled the development of several interesting applications. In these applications, semiconductors like Silicon, Gallium Arsenide exploit the charge of the electron and ferromagnetic materials make use of the spin of an electron. If these two interesting properties of semiconductors and ferromagnets can be used in conjunction, several exciting applications can be envisaged.;This new domain where such materials are being researched has been termed as Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS). The biggest challenge in the development of these materials was to put the idea into practical reality. The invention of a novel low-temperature epitaxial process in the late 1980's enabled the realization of the DMS concept and ushered a renewed interest throughout the scientific community.;Gallium Manganese Arsenide has been a test bed for understanding the underlying science behind DMS. A major challenge in the practical utility of DMS materials has been the very low Curie temperatures. The present thesis work discusses the experiments conducted at the Nanofabrication facility and the magneto-transport laboratory at the University of Arkansas. GaMnAs samples were grown using the LT-MBE process, and the samples were characterized using X-Ray analysis. A deeper insight into the magnetic and transport properties of these materials was acquired through low temperature SQUID and Hall Effect measurements.

    With Emmy award-winning, longtime PBS host Mark Kistler as your guide, you'll learn the secrets of sophisticated three-dimensional renderings, and have fun along the way -- in just twenty minutes a day for a month. Inside you'll find:Quick and easy step-by-step instructions for drawing everything from simple spheres to apples, trees, buildings, and the human hand and faceMore than 500 line drawings, illustrating each stepTime-tested tips, techniques, and tutorials for drawing in 3-DThe 9 Fundamental Laws of Drawing to create the illusion of depth in any drawing75 student examples to encourage you in the process

    Its simply larger, better illustrated, and more in depth than any similar title on the market. In elaborate detail, it focuses on superheroes and their atmospheric world filled with speed and movement. Every aspect of creating cartoons is taught: the supplies, developing mood, and the techniques that endow characters with personality. See how to draw a variety of faces (female, heroic, cute, gaunt), and give the appearance of age. From the skeleton to the torso, to the arms, hands, and legs, follow every stroke that goes into producing bodies of all shapes and sizes. Finally, theres instruction on sending those figures into running, jumping, punching, kicking action in a fully realized scene. With advice so thorough, any amateur can become a pro.

    

    and that's exactly the problem because in a world ruled by rules. He can’t climb the tower.Worse, his mother is dying from a rare disease, the only cure is found on level thirty-three, and no one’s ever made it past level thirty.But when he finds a loophole that lets him change his class, he’ll finally get the chance to climb the tower himself and get the cure. Assuming, of course, he doesn’t mind starting over from level one.

    Loaded with techniques and tips from an exciting young artist and writer with a fresh style, this book includes great step-by-step instruction from initial lines to black-and white inked illustration to finished art in color.