intelligence agencies wracked by internal power struggles and paralyzed by bureaucracy, the president has been forced to establish his own clandestine group--Covert-One. It's activated only as a last resort, when the threat is on a global scale and time is running out.THE UTOPIA EXPERIMENTWhen Dresner Industries unveils the Merge, a device that is destined to revolutionize the world and make the personal computer and smartphone obsolete, Covert-One operative Colonel Jon Smith is assigned to assess its military potential. He discovers that enhanced vision, real-time battlefield displays, unbreakable security, and near-perfect marksmanship are only the beginning of a technology that will change the face of warfare forever--and one that must be kept out of the hands of America's enemies at all costs.Meanwhile, in the mountains of Afghanistan, CIA operative Randi Russell encounters an entire village of murdered Afghans--all equipped with enhanced Merge technology that even the Agency didn't know existed. As Smith and Russell delve into the circumstances surrounding the Afghans' deaths, they're quickly blocked by someone who seems to have access to the highest levels of the military--a person that even the president knows nothing about.Is the Merge really as secure as its creator claims? And what secrets about its development is the Pentagon so desperate to hide? Smith and Russell are determined to learn the truth. But they may pay for it with their lives . . .

    For Russell, the only thing worse than failing to reach sanctuary is the failure to protect his family in this dangerous post-EMP world.The Final StandPrepare and survive.When an EMP cripples the nation's power grid, lawlessness erupts across the country. Fighting against the chaos, Detective Mike Thorton must rescue his family from the city and bring them to his sister's cabin in the mountains.

    

    But, try as she might, she can't run from true love forever.

    But he soon learns that rats in suits are even worse. What do you do when rats invade your barn? Kill them or negotiate? Mason finds out the hard way that force does not always work! An allegory of war and violence? A statement on the arms race? Neal Asher’s work takes Orwell’s Animal Farm into a grimly humorous future where evolution is outrunning humanity. You may never trust a rat again! “I’ve never read anything like MASON’S RATS before … it’s sharp, funny and highly inventive. There’s more fun in this one slim volume than in many a full-length novel!” – Stephen Gallagher

    

    

    This is the poetry of a beautiful life.

    Being a teenager can be tough – and that’s even before you add all the werewolves, vampires, and paranormal goings-on that complicate Nick Gautier’s life. But when the world is in jeopardy, Nick has to take charge if he wants to keep his friends, and himself, safe from harm…and somehow find the time to do his homework too…InfinityAt fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him.. . .until he is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal demon slayers who risk everything to save humanity. InvincibleNick wakes up to find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul. But more than that, he's being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn't learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them...InfamousNick is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known, or he'll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he'll lose everyone he cares about.

    This outstanding five-volume set brings Rawlins to life and takes the listener into the intricate soul of a singular man. The earthy voice of actor Paul Winfield is the perfect match for the street smart, world weary Rawlins. The set includes:A Red Death—Rawlins is forced to cut a deal with the FBI to get a corrupt, racist IRS agent off his back. However, Easy finds himself a prime suspect.Devil in a Blue Dress—It seems simple enough...there’s good money if Easy can find Daphne Monet, a blond beauty known to frequent jazz clubs, but the case is much more than it appears to be. A White Butterfly—The serial killing of three black bar girls doesn’t cause a stir until a white coed is similarly killed. The L.A.P.D. calls on Rawlins to go to places they can’t. Black Betty—Easy hunts for a sensuous woman who leaves a trail of murder and mayhem in her wake, and is plunged into the depths of America’s racial dilemmas and the mysteries of human character.A Little Yellow Dog—Easy takes a nice quiet job. Unfortunately, a teacher, two corpses, suspicious police, and a little yellow dog ring the bell on his peaceful existence.

    After creating her latest masterpiece, Ellie's entire world is flipped upside down. What caused her to paint the bloodied stranger? Ellie didn’t know, but days later a woman of the painting’s exact likeness is found dead. Obsessed with finding answers, Ellie quickly becomes the next target of a mysterious killer hunting artists throughout the city of Northampton, Massachusetts. The Secret Letter A mysterious chain letter is only the beginning to an inescapable nightmare. Homicide Detective Michael Dobson has seen many things in his long years on the force, but nothing can prepare him for a series of murders linked through the same mysterious chain letter mailed to the victims before their untimely demise. The answers lie in the victims’ pasts, leading Dobson and his rookie partner on a serpentine quest through the dark recesses of vengeance and betrayal. Can he stop the killer in time, or will a brutal fate await all who have made the killer’s list?

    When the cyborg arrives, she senses a worthy and dangerous opponent--one that's been dead for 800 years...

    Joining together with a wizard, a druid, a necromancer, and a crusader, Morbed has arrived at a remote island to track down an elusive vagabond andreclaim valuable items pilfered from the city of Westmarch.But there is something loose on the island, something that has killed and is very close to killing again. In order to leave the island alive, Morbed will be forced to confront not only the terrifying creature that stalks the forests, but the darkest corners of his own spirit as well.

    This work is the result of those requests. It is full of controversial claims, so be warned. I truly believe that if people follow the handful of principles in this short read, they will improve their health and change their lives.

    Marriage was never in the picture. But when her grandfather is tricked into signing a binding marriage contract to a man she finds repugnant, she has one choice: Run away. Her flight ends with a fortuitous meeting with Zayid Hasan, Crown Prince of Raihan, who offers the perfect solution to Laila’s predicament: marry him and solve both their problems. Zayid’s younger brother must marry his pregnant fiancé, and ancient laws dictate the oldest brother is required to marry first. Desperate for a way to protect both her grandfather and herself, Laila agrees. After all, their marriage will last only until Zayid’s brother can marry—and her marriage to the brooding, handsome prince isn’t much of a sacrifice. It’s not like she’s going to be foolish enough to fall in love…Zayid doesn’t know what to think about his new half-American wife. He doesn’t really want to think about her at all, but for some reason, he can’t stop himself. Strangely enough, all the royal functions that used to bore him silly are now entertaining with Laila by his side—even though he knows she’d much rather be alone creating her art. Though the marriage of convenience was his idea, he can’t help but start to wish it was the real deal. No way can he ignore the simmering chemistry that’s driving them both a bit crazy. He’s much better at ignoring what’s in his heart—until he realizes it just might break if he can’t convince Laila to stay with him forever…