For Ducky, Princess Victoria Melita, hers was a Romanov cousin, a member of the doomed Russian royal family. Her father is Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria's second son. Her mother is Grand Duchess Marie, the daughter of Tsar Alexander II. Ducky seems doomed to be a pawn on her grandmother's dynastic chessboard. But Ducky is not so easily controlled. In an era when death is considered preferable to divorce she fights for the freedom to be with the true love of her life. From disgraced exile in Paris to the glitter of St Petersburg and the mud and carnage of the Eastern Front, she forges her own path. As Russia descends into the chaos of 1917 and the Romanov dynasty falters, Ducky is right at the heart of events. Exiled once more, she tells us her story.

    Their relationship, told in lush, erotic, and occasionally melancholic prose, comes to represent not only the invasion and decline of this insular family, but the decline of Ireland and Western Europe as a whole in the years preceding World War II. In the tradition of great Irish writing, Higgins's prose is a direct descendent from that of James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, and nowhere else in his mastery of the language as evident as in Langrishe, Go Down, which the Irish Times applauded as "the best Irish novel since At Swim-Two-Birds and the novels of Beckett."

    Ireland is a world stage, hosting a prestigious Muslim Leaders' Conference. The delegates are hand-picked - but they are not to know that. Security is tight - but alas, not tight enough.

    But at the same time he was too organically a radical ever to be confused with a conservative. Result: Agent of Chaos! Boris Johnson thinks he wants democracy. But in the course of his adventures he discovers that democracy to him means freedom. It's a banned concept from the Millennium of Religion. Like God. He finds himself dealing with a byzantine political situation worthy of anything from the banned past. The dictatorship is the Hegemony. Opposition is provided by the aptly named agents of C.H.A.O.S. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood of Assassins plays a game that no one can fathom. Whose side are they on? Whose fool are you? Spinrad explores his philosophical theme in a manner all too rare in contemporary science fiction. The problem is that Order will always try to eliminate any random factors. By its very nature, it encourages opposition and that feeds the forces of chaos. But chaos has built in problems as well. Its victories cannot help but feed the forces of reaction, of order. The heroes in this novel ultimately opt for personal freedom. The villains try to establish a dictatorship over the very nature of reality itself. And then Spinrad throws in the discovery of aliens. A starship sets forth to meet them, the Prometheus. The Hegemony doesn't like that.

    In the last 30 years, neuroscientists have made major headway in the understanding of the sources of anger, depression, and fear. Today, whole industries profit from this knowledge -- producing pills for every sort of pathological mood disturbance. But until recently, few neuroscientists focused on the subject of happiness. Now, in The Science of Happiness, leading German science journalist Stefan Klein ranges widely across the latest frontiers of neuroscience and neuropsychology to explain how happiness is fostered in our brains and what biological purpose it serves (and, importantly, how we can control our negative feelings and emotions). In addition, he explains the neurophysiology of our passions (the elementary rules of which are hardwired into our brains), the power of consciousness, and how we can use it. In a final section, Klein explores the conditions required to foster the "pursuit of happiness." A remarkable synthesis of a growing body of research that has not heretofore been brought together in one accessible book, The Science of Happiness will ultimately help each of us understand our own quest for happiness -- and our fostering of it, as well.

    But the marriage had broken up in the first place because of the suffocating influence of the Sanchez family. Now there was a danger that Rachel would be swallowed up in it yet again. Andre's eyes darkened, "You're still a member of this family. You're a Sanchez." Rachel shook her head. "I'm not. I'm Rachel Jardin!" "You're Rachel Sanchez!" announced Andre harshly. "I have plans for you, and you will do as your father wanted and follow them!" "And if I disagree?" "You'll be destitute. You've no money, on your own admission, you've no money, and I won't pay another cent into your London bank!" Rachel felt defeated. "You're a brute!" she said unevenly. "I hate you, Andre Sanchez!" "You'll say that once too often, Rachel." Without another word he brushed past her and went out the door, slamming it behind him.

    When a beautiful young woman named Lisandra is found dead at the foot of a six-story building, her husband, a psychoanalyst, is immediately arrested for her murder. Convinced of Vittorio’s innocence, one of his patients, Eva Maria, is drawn into the investigation seemingly by chance. As she combs through secret recordings of Vittorio’s therapy sessions in search of the killer—could it be the powerful government figure? the jealous woman? the musician who’s lost his reason to live?—Eva Maria must confront her most painful memories, and some of the darkest moments in Argentinian history.In breathless prose that captures the desperate spinning of a frantic mind, Hélène Grémillon blurs the lines of past and present, personal and political, reality and paranoia in this daring and compulsively readable novel.

    But arriving unexpectedly to join her brother on a scientific expedition was Rory's way of putting her rich-girl past behind her. She had come prepared for the challenge of the rugged land. What she wasn't ready for was the raw power of nature she discovered in the arms of a man who perplexed her as much as he intrigued her . . .

    Their mission: to secure and safeguard artifacts deemed highly dangerous and classified…and protect the women who capture their hearts.Get the first three action-packed military romances in the Team 52 series.Mission: Her ProtectionWhen Rowan’s Arctic research team pulls a strange object out of the ice in Northern Canada, things start to go wrong…very, very wrong. Rescued by a covert, black ops team, she finds herself in the powerful arms of a former special forces Marine with scary gold eyes. A man who vows to do everything and anything to protect her.Mission: Her RescueWhen archeologist January’s plane is shot down over the Guatemalan jungle, she knows she’s being hunted for the invaluable Mayan artifacts she’s carrying. Only one man and his team can save her, the covert, black ops Team 52, and the distrusting former CIA operative who drives her crazy.Mission: Her SecurityKinsey loves her job as logistics manager for the covert, black ops Team 52. She loves all the team…especially big, gruff mountain man Smith, even if he isn’t interested in her the way she’d like. But when she’s kidnapped by dangerous criminals after a deadly artifact, her survival depends on the big former SEAL who’ll risk anything to get her back.**Each book in this action-packed military romance series can be read as a standalone.

    He’s tall and muscular, with silver hair and an intense look in his eyes, making my mouth water straight away.But this forty-three year old alpha would never want me.I’m just a twenty year old inexperienced virgin, struggling to make ends meet after my dad died and my mom succumbed to her depression.Now my car is busted and I’ve got no way to pay Conrad back.“Give me your address.”His possessive voice leaves no room for argument.I try to tell him I have no way to pay. But he claims me in the most primal and jealous way a man can, telling me I belong to him now. He knew it the moment I stepped from the car.I can’t believe it when he takes it a step further, dominating me and owning me in a way I never could’ve dreamed of.But then strange things begin to happen, making me question if I’ll get my happily-ever-after at all.Can I trust Conrad?My heart says yes. My body says hell yes.But my mind says be careful.* Crashing into Love is an insta-everything standalone instalove romance with a HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.

    For her, there is only the present...and the chilling knowledge that the world's most lethal assassin has set his sights on her.When your only link to your identity is a stranger who claim to be lover? Gordon is so gentle, so loving--and so secretive. If Liz dares to put her life into his powerful hands, will he guard it with his own--or snuff it out?When violence explodes around you, when nothing makes sense, when nobody--including you--is whom he or she appears to be? As Liz unravels a series of lies, she begins to suspect that the truth she encounters might be far more sinister--and deadly--than the original deception...

    After the computer is built it begins to relay information from Andromeda. Scientists find themselves possessing knowledge previously unknown to mankind, knowledge that could threaten the security of human life itself.

    But is this claim true? As historian Bart D. Ehrman shows in this informative and witty book, The Da Vinci Code is filled with numerous historical mistakes.Did the ancient church engage in a cover-up to make the man Jesus into a divine figure? Did Emperor Constantine select for the New Testament--from some 80 contending Gospels--the only four Gospels that stressed that Jesus was divine? Was Jesus Christ married to Mary Magdalene? Did the Church suppress Gospels that told the secret of their marriage? Bart Ehrman thoroughly debunks all of these claims. But the book is not merely a laundry list of Brown's misreading of history. Throughout, Ehrman offers a wealth of fascinating background information--all historically accurate--on early Christianity. He describes, for instance, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls; outlines in simple terms how scholars of early Christianity determine which sources are most reliable; and explores the many other Gospels that have been found in the last half century. In his engaging book, Ehrman separates fact from fiction, the historical realities from the flights of literary fancy. Anyone who would like to know the truth about the beginnings of Christianity and the real truth behind The Da Vinci Code will find this book riveting.

    I got a billionaire boyfriend instead.My name’s Ali Greenwald, and I’m taking a break from men. I had my vow of celibacy all planned out. Then I met Marc Wylan, my billionaire kryptonite.He’s not sporting a ring. And he’s got a metal credit card with a high spending limit. Oo-la-la.Seattle’s favorite billionaire is tall, dark, and handsome. An absolute catch. But we’ve got opposite goals. And he’s a total jerk. He’s ahead of me in line to buy the puppy of my dreams. My puppy. He thinks he’s going to get my number.He’s wrong.After stealing my dog, he makes me an offer. One date, in exchange for a sincere apology. Needing an escape, I make a counter-offer. If we run into each other again, I’ll give him my number. There’s no way that will happen in Seattle.Well, it happens. I’m his daughter’s teacher. And now I’m really screwed.Instead of handing him my number, I get defensive. I make a new offer. Whoever holds out the longest wins the dog. I’m not giving up.Problem is, I’m finding out his only defect is that he’s perfect. Too perfect. I keep an eye out for his fatal flaws. There are none. He’s a great dad.Who am I kidding? I’m falling for the man who pushed ahead of me in line. Pretty soon, I won’t need a dog. I’ll be on all fours, but he’ll be the one wearing a leash.We’ll see how long he’ll last.

    He's also seen the worst life has to offer and is lucky to have survived it. But being left alone with his demons is no longer an option. The CIA needs him badly, because the enemy they're facing is former U.S. soldier Jason March. Ryan knows all about March--he trained him. He knows they're dealing with one of the most ruthless assassins in the world, a master of many languages, an explosives expert, a superb sharpshooter who can disappear like a shadow and who is capable of crimes they cannot begin to imagine. And now, March has resurfaced on the global stage, aligning himself with a powerful Middle East terror network whose goal is nothing less than the total destruction of the United States.Teaming up with beautiful and tenacious British-born agent Naomi Kharmai, Ryan intends to break every rule in order to hunt down his former pupil, whatever the cost to himself. As Ryan puts together the pieces of a terrifying puzzle, and as the elusive March taunts him, always staying one step ahead, he discovers the mad man's crusade is personal as well as political and Ryan himself is an unwitting pawn. With the clock ticking down and the fate of the country resting uneasily on his shoulders, Ryan is caught in a desperate game of cat-and-mouse with the most cunning opponent he's ever faced, one who will never stop until he's committed the ultimate act of evil a man who is all the more deadly for being one of our own.