When Taro, a young orphaned mage, attempts to heal a stranger in the middle of a storm, his life is changed forever when he begins to tamper with foreign magic known only to most fierce and dangerous creatures of all: dragons.

    They were the men who came to your father in his hour of need. They were the men who fought with him. They were men, and that is the highest that can be written of them…”Ittai of Gath, a Philistine, has been the enemy of the Hebrews for many years and among their most capable opponents. But now he has been defeated by the fearsome warriors of the Hebrew king David’s army. While a storm rolls in to settle over the central hill country, Ittai escapes his capture and wrestles with his fate until he finds himself at the city of the Jebusites…which David intends to capture.A companion piece to the Lion of War series about the battles of King David, “Ittai” is a short story in the collection known as The Hall of the Mighty Men, set between the events of “Covenant of War” and the upcoming “Song of War.”Narrated by Jehoshaphat, the historian of King Solomon, this collection of origin tales expands the Lion of War literary universe and contains character origins, epic battles, and feats of bravery unable to be included in the novels and upcoming movies.Thrilling and passionate, The Hall of the Mighty Men is another chapter in the epic Lion of War series that fans will enjoy for years to come.

    

    [A Beowulf Shaeffer Story] A human spaceship pilot accepts an offer to guide a cramped (but very fast) experimental alien ship to the center of the galaxy on a promotional stunt--but what he finds at the core is much more important than just publicity.

    Passion, steamy nights, excitement, and suspense. Something to suit every reader's taste. Grab a cool drink (you'll need it!), find a hammock, and curl up for an unforgettable escape.1: Caridad Pineiro, Under the Boardwalk - A passionate night under the boardwalk brought them together, but can Chase and Natalie rekindle that lost love in just one night?2: Nina Bruhns, Fast and Flirty - The top-secret package STORM Corps transporter Kade Maddox is hired to deliver turns out to be way more trouble—and a whole lot sexier—than he ever anticipated.3: Rebecca York, Outlaw Justice - Will a surprise reunion with her old lover save her life when she flees from a homicidal husband?4: Jennifer Lowery, The Fall (Book #2 ATCOM series) - The last thing ATCOM agent Brendan Devayne wants is to settle down, but Mia Lawrence makes him think twice…5: Taylor Lee, Jared: (Book 1, The Justice Brothers Series) - The rookie cop learned the hard way that when tangling with the Justice Brothers, Justice—like Love-- isn’t always fair or easy.6: Traci Hall, Festival by the Sea - Al Cooper’s too bad to be a cop and too good to be a crook; Darcy Smith can’t get enough.7: Stephanie Queen, Beachcomber Heat - This summer’s heat wave on Martha’s Vineyard is breaking records, but so is the crime wave. The combination is causing a wave of red-hot dangerous desire between Dane and Shana.8: Kathy Ivan, Sex, Lies and Apple Pies - A televised baking competition brings them together. But deceit, intrigue and revenge are on this menu. Can their love survive? 9: Jackie Ivie, The Hunted - LeeAnn’s got business in Miami. Bring on the sun. Sand. Sexy men to look at. The last thing she expects is to be someone’s target.10: Michele Hauf, The Geek Gets The Girl - Mistaken for the IT geek? This sexy CEO is about to learn the intimate operations of his company—up close, and personal.11: Rachelle Ayala, Bad Boys for Hire: Ken (Bad Boys for Hire Series, #2) - After Jolie Becker is left at the altar, her friends secretly hire a hunky beach bum to cheer her up.12: Katy Walters, Sands of Seduction - Clary escaped to a place of sea and sand, a place of passion and seduction. 13: Melissa Keir, Protecting Her Pigg - Arson and fire bring them together, but what will cause the most damage…the arsonist bent on revenge or their own stubborn ways?14: Dani Haviland, Pool Boy Wanted (No Experience Preferred) - He’d never known a woman before, and that’s just how she wanted him.15: Jacquie Biggar, Summer Lovin’ - Can two mismatched lovers find a way past their mistakes, or will they keep their lonely hearts forever guarded?16: Angelique Armae, Dark Wolf - When Highland wolf Callen MacHendrie catches intern Miranda Kendrick stealing his prized sword, the term wild romp takes on a whole new meaning.

    In the West particularly, sizable tomes have been composed speculating upon the nature and historical background of one of the main characters of Western religions, Jesus Christ. Many have tried to dig into the precious few clues as to Jesus's identity and come up with a biographical sketch that either bolsters faith or reveals a more human side of this godman to which we can all relate. Obviously, considering the time and energy spent on them, the subjects of Christianity and its legendary founder are very important to the Western mind and culture, and increasingly to the rest of the world as well.Despite all of this literature continuously being cranked out and the significance of the issue, in the public at large there remains a serious lack of formal and broad education regarding religion and mythology, and most individuals are highly uninformed in this area. Concerning the issue of Christianity, for example, the majority of people are taught in most schools and churches that Jesus Christ was an actual historical figure and that the only controversy regarding him is that some people accept him as the Son of God and the Messiah, while others do not. However, whereas this is the raging debate most evident in this field today, it is not the most important. Shocking as it may seem to the general populace, the most enduring and profound controversy in this subject is whether or not a person named Jesus Christ ever really existed.ContentsIntroductionThe ControversyHistory and Positions of the Debate"Pious Fraud"The ProofThe GnosticsBiblical SourcesNon-Biblical SourcesThe CharactersThe Major PlayersBuddhaBuddha's BirthBuddhist CrucifixionHorus of EgyptMithra, Sun God of PersiaMithra's "Virgin" Birth?Mithra and the TwelveKrishna of IndiaKrishna's "Virgin" Birth?The Names of Krishna and ChristKrishna's Solar NaturePrometheus of GreeceThe Creation of a MythThe "Son" of God is the "Sun" of GodEtymology Tells the StoryThe Book of Revelation is Egyptian and ZoroastrianThe "Patriarchs" and "Saints" are the Gods of Other CulturesThe "Disciples" are the Signs of the ZodiacWas Jesus an Essene Master?Qumran is Not an Essene CommunityWas the New Testament Composed by Therapeuts?ConclusionBibliographyEndnotes

    Fall in love with the lakeside small town of Lawford, retired Marine Corps General Harold Hart, his artistic wife Fiona, matchmaking housekeeper Lucy, and his nine single granddaughters. Did we say single? Well not for long!This collection includes books 1-3 of the Hart Land series.Heather – Boston cardiac surgeon Heather Preston has invested everything to achieve her dream of working at a world renowned hospital. When an unsettling call from her grandfather the retired general brings her back to her childhood lakeside home, she rediscovers the appeal of life in a small town, the joys of free-spirited youth—and Jake Harper.Lily - Another matchmaking fiasco behind her, Lily Nelson has sworn off men. Which is just fine since her lifelong dream of owning her own bakery is almost within reach…maybe. Now more than ever, she needs all her wits about her to balance her noisy, no-boundaries friends and family, and look after a handsome firefighter. Not that Cole McIntyre isn’t easy on the eyes, he just might be too easy on her heart.Violet – Unable to work in her flooded Boston studio, yoga instructor Violet Preston retreats to her family’s peaceful lakeside home. While the looming sale of her affordable apartment building might be threatening her Zen, her real battle comes in the form of Grant Whitaker, a well-dressed, smooth-talking, Lamborghini-driving charmer with unexpected plans of his own.Look for more books in the Hart Land series:IrisHyacinthRoseand more!MORE PRAISE FOR HART LAND:"Small town, big family, and mismatches that will steal your heart! Delightful!" Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author of the Dogfather Series.

    They may be telling you that you are being watched by a loss prevention officer. THE LOSS PREVENTION OFFICER is a thriller that tells the story of Crane Jefferson, a third-year law student at the University of Miami, who takes a job in the loss prevention department at Taylor’s department store. Through the eyes of Crane, the underground loss prevention world involved in catching shoplifters is explored, a shadow world of violence and perversion that the retail establishment does not want you to know about. Crane enjoys working in his position, until things go horribly wrong when an innocent man is nearly beaten to death. His position then comes back to haunt him as a storm of vengeance develops, threatening to destroy him and everyone else in its deadly path.

    Hephaestus Books represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge. This particular book is a collaboration focused on Novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

    

    A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting the Balance between vampires and humans, he is part cop, part spy, and part commando -- James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home.

    This is a reissue of the superb collection, to coincide with NBC’s primetime release of 20-part drama Merlin (first released in UK on BBC with record viewing figures, and a second series on the way).

    Linked, equal but opposite, these blades are destined to be wielded by two of the greatest heroes of the Age of Darkness. And as the spears themselves, Appolonian and Dionysian, are equal and opposite, so too are those to whom they were gifted. This is their story too. The warrior-scholar, a savant and a servant. The warrior-king, a savage and a soldier. Their fates entwined in ways they do not understand, they carry the blades as both gift and curse, fulfilment of destiny unseen by any save the Master of Mankind. Read It Because This is truly a Horus Heresy story unlike any other. Chris Wraight crafts an elegiac look at two heroes of the Heresy, through the blades that bond them and forge a destiny that may well extend far beyond the stories that have yet been told…

    Excalibur? A shady deal with a watery arms dealer. Britain? A clogged sewer that Rome abandoned just as soon as it could.A savage and cutting epic fantasy, equally poetic and profane, By Force Alone is at once a timely political satire, a magical adventure, and a subversive masterwork.

    TNT struck ratings gold with Rizzoli & Isles, a series based on Gerritsen’s New York Times bestsellers. And now the first nine Rizzoli & Isles novels are together in one convenient eBook bundle.  “Suspense doesn’t get smarter than this. Not just recommended but mandatory.”—Lee Child, on The Silent Girl  This bundle includes the following titles:THE SURGEONTHE APPRENTICETHE SINNERBODY DOUBLEVANISHTHE MEPHISTO CLUBTHE KEEPSAKEICE COLDTHE SILENT GIRL   And don’t miss the thrilling excerpt of Tess Gerritsen’s new Rizzoli & Isles novel, Last to Die. “[Gerritsen] has an imagination that allows her to conjure up depths of human behavior so dark and frightening that she makes Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft seem like goody-two-shoes.”—Chicago Tribune