The more powerful the NDE, the more profound the after effects. The ambitious reset their priorities. Atheists change their values. Doctors rethink their beliefs. But what if the after effects of an NDE were undeniable? What if someone suddenly developed the ability to produce high quality paintings of their NDE, a new-found skill that went far beyond the artistic ability they had before? And what if that same person then suddenly acquired the ability to compose classical symphonies after their NDE? And their symphonies were then premiered at sell out orchestral concerts, even though, to this day, they are unable to read or write a single note of musical notation. Wouldn't this be proof that even a cynic would have a hard time explaining? After his NDE, this is exactly what happened to David. And this is his story.

    Slight of build, shy by nature, prone to fits of depression, the 28-year-old Beijing photographer was nonetheless at the forefront of Chinese artists' battle for creative freedom. Like his champion Ai Weiwei, Ren was controversial in his homeland and wildly popular in the rest of the world. He said, -I don't really view my work as taboo, because I don't think so much in cultural context, or political context. I don't intentionally push boundaries, I just do what I do.- Why? Because his models, friends, and increasingly, fans, are naked, often outdoors, high in the trees or on the terrifyingly vertiginous rooftops of Beijing, stacked like building blocks, heads wrapped in octopi, body cavities sprouting phone cords and flowers, whatever enters his mind at the moment. He denies his intentions are sexual, and there is a clean detachment about even his most extreme images: the urine, the insertions, the many, many erections. In a 2013 interview VICE magazine asked, -there are a lot of dicks ... do you just like dicks?- Ren responded, -It's not just dicks I'm interested in, I like to portray every organ in a fresh, vivid and emotional way.- True though that may be, the penises Ren photographed are not just fresh and vivid, but unusually large, making one wonder just where he met his friends. In the same piece, Hang also stated, -Gender isn't important when I'm taking pictures, it only matters to me when I'm having sex, - making him a pioneer of gender inclusiveness. Young fans still eagerly flock to his website, Facebook, Instagram, and Flickr accounts. His photographs, all produced on film, have been the subject of over 20 solo and 70 group shows in his brief six-year career, in cities as disparate as Tokyo, Athens, Paris, New York, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Vienna, and yes, even Beijing. He self-published 16 monographs, in tiny print runs, that now sell for up to $600. TASCHEN's Ren Hang is his only international collection, covering his entire career, with well-loved favorites and many never-before-seen photos of men, women, Beijing, and those many, many erections. We take solace remembering Ren's joy when he first held the book, shared by his long-time partner Jiaqi, featured on the cover.Text in English, French, and German

    Internationally famous Czech photographer Jan Saudek is no exception, and equally as uncompromising in pursuit of his own unique vision. For over four decades Saudek has created a parallel photographic universe, a two-dimensional home full of longing, peopled with the most extraordinary characters and colored by desire. The timeless strength of his hand-tinted photographs lies in their poetic compositions and their forceful?at times ribald?pictorial language, with its overtones of medieval genre pictures and Baroque mythology. Rejecting the traditional beauty in his famous nude photographs, Saudek shows the distinctively different: old women, fat women, children; real people in tableaux vivants that remind us of everything from surreal early movies to fin-de-siecle carnival nights. They exist outside time, a uniquely colored and almost mythical theater of dreams. Covering his debut in the 1950s through his lesser-known work to recent images, this dazzling collection offers us the true "velvet revolution," fertile and unsettling images from the dreams we might still have. The author: Daniela Mr?zkov?, critic and editor of the Czech magazines Revue fotografie and Fotografie-Magaz?n, is the author of sixteen books on photography published in the Czech Republic and abroad, and the curator of around fifty photography exhibitions. She has been a member of international juries, and has authored film and television documentaries on photography and photographers. She hasfollowed Jan Saudek's work since his early years and is the author of Saudek's first Czech monograph, The Theatre of Life.

    My ultimate downfall,And demise.I'm shackled to a life I can't escape.A life I never asked for.Now, I'm trapped--soulless,Burdened by a Watcher lurking within.He wants out, he wants her.But I can't let that happen,Won't let that happen.She's mine.Somehow that doesn't matter.I can’t have what I crave.What I want.What I need.As the Watcher fights me,Battles for control,I refuse to succumb.It's a power I'll never relinquish.I can't unleash what lies beneath,Without paying the ultimate price,And losing her in the end.

    An old enemy enraged. Will his love for her be enough to save her?Shapeshifters, demons, vampires, and sorcerers are all just part of the show at the Myths and Legends Casino Resort.Or are they?Serafina Leroux has always dreamed of becoming a professional dancer. When she responds to a mysterious invitation to the dance auditions at Myths and Legends she not only gets a shot at her dream job, she also meets a tall, dark, devastatingly handsome stranger whose every touch consumes her with desire.Donovan Drake is the charismatic owner of Myths and Legends known around the world as Dragon. His roguish good looks make him one of the most sought after bachelors alive, but only one woman can satisfy his carnal needs and the beast that shares his soul.When Dragon and Serafina come together their passion ignites and she is drawn into his world where myths and legends are very real and danger lurks around every corner.Words: 98,424

    'They' can track her magic tho, so she has to use it sparingly. In Vegas, for a cash in hand job, and things turn nasty! She knows the amount of magic she would have to use to escape unscathed would bring 'them' right to her. Before she can use the vast magic required two males appear and aid her. One a wolf, one an ancient vampire. Josef, the vampire, and Gabe, the wolf, are more than a little interested in this skinny girl. What ensues shocks both of the strong males – this girl is more than a stray, more than a witch – it looks like she is a mate – for both of them!? Will Peri stay? Will they keep her safe? Who, if any, of the two will she choose? Just how much power does this stripling of a girl have locked inside her? Adult content in this book! Book 2 Blurb:- Peri has finally stopped running and found safety with Gabe and Josef ... her Wolf and her Vampire. Now she is getting strong, physically and magically, and she is ecstatic with her two mates. She is not about to let anyone take that away and she surprises even herself with her power. However, a psycho sect has been hunting her for over six years, and they are closing in. Her own father is the leader of this sect, but she is more than willing to do whatever she can to take him down. Destroy him for everything he is, everything he does, before he does to others what he did to her. With an ancient Vampire and a powerful Wolf by her side she just can't fail ... can she? Book 3 Blurb:- Peri has finally defeated her own father, the psycho leader of a sect that has plagued her since childhood. Now she looks forward to a life she never thought she’d have, in love with both Josef and Gabe. As the three of them prepare for their future, they become involved in helping their friends Kyle and Sabrina go on the run, tracking down a kidnapped child and advising the supernatural cop Ronan. It’s an exciting life for Peri, being the mate of both a Vampire and a Wolf! Unknown to them, the magical sect has gained a new leader. Even more vicious than her father, it’s only a matter of time before this maniac rips apart Peri, Josef and Gabe’s world…

    Brave enough to confront the most vicious of demons, and strong enough to destroy them every time, he unfortunately could not conquer his own pride. Foolishly, he turned his adoring brother, Sugreeva, into a mortal enemy and drove him to take the help of that supreme warrior, the mighty Lord Rama.

    Alex Knight is on the run from the Vampire that wants more than her blood.When she walks into a bar for something to eat, she finds herself in the midst of a Lycan pack.Carter's ready to send her on her way, he can scent the vampire mark on her and wants her gone, until he discovers that she is his mate.Not only does he need to get Alex to agree to stay, he needs to keep her safe from the vampire that is attacking his pack for vengeance.When the vampire attacks, Alex makes a decision that hands her over to him.Can Carter and the pack get to her in time to save her life?This book contains adult content.

    Now, he’s the victim of an experiment gone wrong, struggling with strange new powers and the temptation surrounding them. Conjured flames, magical flight, reading minds and even influencing the emotions of others are all within his grasp, given enough practice and time. Unfortunately, there are others aware of his abilities, each with agendas of their own. Some, like his old mentor, Lucy Wilson, want to help him in well-intentioned, albeit misguided ways. Others, like the mysterious female terrorist known only as the Night Angel, want something else entirely. It’s up to Victor to decide for himself whether Undercliff City is to be a playground, or a battleground.

    The book includes rarely-seen concept art and detailed pencil sketches, an immense collection of character art, airship and vehicle designs, monsters and unique weapon images, and full-page scenes from the most beautiful cinemas in video game history. Entertaining and informative commentary is provided as well as anecdotal captions relevant to story and events of FINAL FANTASY IX.