They didn’t come for oil or minerals, but us. They collected our strongest warriors and shipped them off to a world called Hadran—a one-of-a-kind artificial planet, a cosmic gladiatorial arena where the slave races engage in blood sports for the Great Ones' entertainment. But Earth has lost the last of its real champions and now risks losing its candidate status. If that happens, it will become less than a slave colony, a target to be cleansed. Clint Rogan is a man fighting to survive in this new world. After a series of unfortunate events, he's ripped from his home, shipped off-world, and forcibly merged with a faulty symbiote. Power, speed, endurance, and the drive to kill are all at his fingertips. That is, if Sarien, his symbiote, doesn’t kill him first. Dropped into Terraria One, Clint and the other human contestants discover the human starting zone resembles the middle ages. With humanity’s fate in the balance, Clint and the newcomers first need to rebuild the base, conquer the surrounding territory, and fight off alien enemies. Can they survive long enough to give Earth a fighting chance? Or will the Battle World consume them just like the others before them?

    Picking a druid, he charges forward into an unknown land as he tries to master an odd combat system. Luckily for him, the crafting system is ripe to make money and the game’s currency is tied to the real-world market.But a strange dungeon forces him to reevaluate everything he thought he knew. Is the company behind this game truly what it seems to be, or is there a nefarious purpose hidden below the surface?

    So it's not surprising that we persist in thinking that we're in with a chance, whether we're playing the lottery or working out the likelihood of extra-terrestrial life. In Chance, a (not entirely) random selection of the New Scientist's sharpest minds provide fascinating insights into luck, randomness, risk and probability. From the secrets of coincidence to placing the perfect bet, the science of random number generation to the surprisingly haphazard decisions of criminal juries, it explores these and many other tantalising questions.Following on from the bestselling Nothing and Question Everything, this book will open your eyes to the weird and wonderful world of chance - and help you see when some things, in fact, aren't random at all.

    In the span of one day, Judian goes from the burden of farm chores to a crushing responsibility for the lives of his family. With his father and brother gone to war, he must keep the others safe and evade the enemy. If only he can trust the guides which appear, seemingly unbidden, he may succeed. Yet, he has so much to learn, and so little time. He struggles to keep to the fringes of the conflict, but the magic he discovers draws him deeper, toward the truth of the war. Mages from a distant land are driving the enemy forces. To what end? Follow Judian as he comes of age in a world of portents and spellcasting. Though life as a farm boy left him longing for more adventure, he must be careful with his wishes during the fateful year he becomes a man.

    Do you have any idea what animal can paint a recognizable figure on a canvass using a paintbrush? Do you know of any animal that can teach themselves how to open canned food? How about those that can play computer games, solve math problems and logical puzzles just like humans…or even better than humans? The fun does not stop there.Any idea what animal has razor sharp memory that can recognize the meaning of a word or a face from years ago? And of course there is the animal that communicates by singing lengthy songs. If another animal of the same species hears the song, it will repeat the exact same song as a response! And speaking of songs, let’s not forget the animal who can sing lullabies while nursing her young. This Book Has Amazing Facts & Photos of 15 Incredibly Smart Animals. For centuries, understanding how animals act and think has always been a very intriguing topic for scientists. After all, though humans are branded to be the most intelligent species on the planet, it is undeniable that our fellow occupants in the animal kingdom have their own fascinating brainpower, instincts and unique survival tactics to boast. Just as humans have a unique way to communicate; other creatures have also forged special ways to understand each other and to respond to their environments. Scientists did countless laboratory experiments to capture not just their communicating abilities but also their feelings and emotions, learning processes, memory capacity, and their ability to use tools or even to pick up a foreign language.This book is fully illustrated and has simple blocks of text that will make learning fun for your child.The following animals are featured: Spiders Ants Sea Lions Crows Raccoons Horses Falcons Cats Squirrels Elephants Dogs Whales Dolphins Pigs Chimpanzees Yours kids can have fun while learning!Prepare to learn the most astonishing facts about how these animals stand out from the rest in terms of intelligence.This book is part of a series called, "Weird & Wonderful Animals" all of which are great for bedtime reading. Collect the series!

    She likes to keep the quiet sleepy mountain town drama free. Which means, shifter free. So when a large squad of ex-con bear shifters show up out of the blue and move onto the Vega Ranch, she has a big problem with it. Especially with the huge sexy one, Stetson Evans, who keeps haunting her dreams with those vexing green eyes.Stetson is not mate material. He's destined to be the grumpy bear of The Clawed Squad. Broken. Tormented. Alone. That's how it has always been and that's how it will always be. Until he meets Kylee, the tough talking Sheriff of his new town. She brings out a new side of him that is both exciting and terrifying. Will the meanest shifter in The Clawed Squad be able to convince the beautiful curvy Sheriff that all shifters aren't bad?But Stetson is not just up against Kylee's long held prejudices. They're both up against a dangerous secret that could destroy the two of them and will have them both asking a very important question: Can you change fate?Book 2: The Clawed Squad: RoyalGrizzly bear shifter, Royal, needs a princess. Unfortunately the tiny mountain town of Colwood, Montana is fresh out of them. Every bear shifter in the Clawed Squad must find a mate, and soon, and the pressure on Royal to drop his dream of marrying a princess is starting to get intense. It's too bad there's no way in hell that he's ever going to drop it.Camilla Hill is a master con artist. She gets in way over her head during a con when she pretends to be a princess in need and catches the eye of a sexy bear shifter. He's hot, dangerous, and has a thing for princesses. Can she tell him the truth before things quickly spin out of control?Love is in the air, but so is deception, lies, and betrayal. Will the prince get his princess or just get royally screwed?Book 3: The Clawed Squad: The TwinsLayla Winters is out of shape, out of breath, and out of luck. After a series of strange circumstances, she finds herself hanging from Montana's highest cliff without a hope to survive. That is until two identical twin bear shifters come racing up the mountain to save her.Slate and Karl Ember are two bear shifter twins looking for a mate. Karl wants to complete the triad which is any twin bear shifter's destiny but his brother Slate has a problem with sharing, and there's no way that Slate is going to share a mate. But when the curvy and quick witted, Layla, literally falls into their muscular arms, all bets are off.Layla is perfect for Slate, but she's also perfect for his brother, Karl. Can the two brothers learn to share a mate or will they both go down fighting?Book 4: The Clawed Squad: TylerSkin shifter, Tyler Jones, hasn't been home in almost a decade. Why would he? His community of skin shifters excommunicated him, Jacob, the ruler who happens to be his older brother, is a psychopath, and the girl who he spent his whole youth loving broke his heart when she turned him away. So yeah, he's just fine staying on Clawed Ranch.Skin shifter, Isabelle Lexington, is desperate. Years ago, out of fear, she chose Jacob to be her husband over the true love of her life, Tyler. It was the biggest mistake of her life and now she’s paying the terrible consequences. If only she could turn back time, but she just may be able to; If she can only make Tyler see… After taking one look at Isabelle, Tyler is doing something that he vowed never to do: return home. But things have changed since he left. His brother Jacob is more powerful than ever; a rare master skin shifter. Tyler is hopelessly outmatched but hopelessly in love. A dangerous combination that will launch both Isabelle and Tyler into the true face of evil.Book 5: The Clawed Squad: ThornThe Clawed Squad's alpha, Thorn Conway, is the last of the squad left to get married. Only problem is, his mate died a decade ago.The hurt is still real, the pain is still raw. Will he be able to move past her looming memory to find the happiness that he doesn't feel like he deserves? Or will he give into the darkness and let down his whole squad?Fate can be cruel, but fate can also hold a few tricks up her sleeve...Join the Clawed Squad for one last adventure with a lot of action, steam, and of course, a lot of laughs.

    Ready to take him on, she never imagined a drunken rant would lead to a steamy relationship with the very man she despises. With his recent reelection, everything is going according to plan for Jack, until he meets Blythe. She is unlike any woman he has met before and sparks quickly fly. After announcing their relationship to the public, things go sour when a crazy ex from his past threatens to destroy his political career, unless he ends things with Blythe. Don’t miss His Rise to Power, an enemies to lovers romance by bestselling romance author, Tasha Fawkes.

    But despite his intent to return Ryia to her world to avoid the risk of war, her wanton disregard for propriety soon forces Barrick's hand, and he takes her over his knee and spanks her soundly.The shameful chastisement merely leaves her need for him burning even hotter, however, and before long Barrick has cast aside diplomatic protocol and claimed Ryia savagely. But taming his mate will require more than just ravaging her thoroughly, and by the time he is done she will be begging for mercy as climax after painfully intense climax is ripped from her helpless body.Publisher's Note: His Caged Mate is a stand-alone sequel to The Hunter's Mate. It includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

    and her name is etched in my mind. How many girls are there named Aspen, after all? Surely it’s my little sister’s best friend, back in town and causing trouble as always. And now that I know she’s out there, I have to find her and make her mine... even though my sister would kill me if she knew…AspenI didn’t know there was a freak storm coming until it was too late, and now I’m trapped in the wilderness. But I knew a forest ranger here a long time ago... Reed was always so strong, so handsome, so brave... he saved me once. And now, something in my heart tells me he’s going to do it again…*Possessive Forest Ranger is a SHORT insta-everything standalone instalove romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger.

    The second stunted by her sister's shadow. The youngest propelled by desperation. Gwen is the oldest of four children in the Aaldenberg family, and the one who seems to have it all. She's also most desperate to escape. Betta, having nursed their dying grandpa for the past three years, is anxious for Gwen to go, so she can finally have reins to the family business. And Esmerelda, viciously determined to follow in Gwen's footsteps, vies for popularity as a freshman in high school, only to learn she must sell her soul, reputation, and most prized possession for acceptance. When Gwen's fiancé moves to town, Gwen does her best to resign herself to a local life, while Betta struggles for meaning without the store. In order to carve out a place for herself, Betta must decide to what lengths she'll go in order to become her own person, and Gwen must decide what's more important: her sister or her future. Can this family pull through their disappointment, jealousy, and regret? Or will they cling so tightly to their desires that it ruins them?

    Now, he only wants to spend some time at his grandfather's mountain cabin so he can unwind, away from the drudgery of daily life and with a cold beer in his hands. Standing in his way is an ancient spaceship with an emotional AI, nanites that have invaded his body, an international crime syndicate, a suicidal FBI agent on a vigilante mission, terrorists... and that’s just the beginning. What can one man do when faced with insurmountable odds? Call it quits? Or… call some of his old army buddies and blow those obstacles to smithereens?Can he become more than he had ever dreamed, reaching further than any man before? Staying under the radar of the powers that be while righting a few wrongs of the modern world. He is sure of three things:1. He really doesn’t want to follow the rules anymore... aside from his own.2. Space is the ultimate frontier, and he had been given a turnkey technology to reach it—if they let him.3. Those that want to hurt him and the people he cares about will rue the day they were born. You do not always get what you wish for… sometimes, you get a hell of a lot more.

    Seek this superbly researched and deftly written novel out"Review By Peter Desmond'City Weekend' Magazine, Shanghai 10 December 2013The severed head in the bamboo birdcage swayed above the teeming marketplace. It told Constable Mike Gallagher everything he needed to know about Shanghai.It’s 1927. The son of a rural Irish cop, Gallagher joins the Shanghai Municipal Police. to escape an Ireland crippled by its recent bitter independence fight, and to trace the aristocratic woman whose memory still haunts him. They would venture together to China, Fiona once promised. Then the IRA torched her family estate. Everybody believes she died there. Everybody but Mike Gallagher.Shanghai. Pearl of the East or Whore of the Orient? Depends on who you ask. It’s a cesspool of poverty, thronged with refugees, gripped by civil war. But for some it’s still a fever dream: jazz clubs and opium dens, celebrities and spies, easy money and easier women. Gallagher encounters the city’s biggest philanthropist, a man called Big Ears Lu – who is also its creepiest racketeer. He falls for the beautiful courtesan Miriam Tsai. But does his collusion with Lu keep her trapped in the House of Multiple Joys? Shanghai in 1927 is a city where after dark anything seems possible. A city where anyone can be crushed, and anyone corrupted. Even an innocent Irish cop.From the wreckage of guerrilla war in Ireland to the dawn of world war in Asia, the international mystery thriller Gangsters of Shanghai seethes with 20th Century turbulence and temptation. Can Mike Gallagher escape the imploding city with his life, his self-respect – and the answer to Fiona’s fate? About The Author Of Gangsters Of Shanghai, The International Mystery Thriller.Gerry O'Sullivan was born in Limerick, Ireland in 1961, where he indulged his taste for historical fiction, intelligent action thrillers and men’s adventure books. A graduate of the University of Limerick, he moved to Australia in 1986 and worked in the international education sector. Gerry was inspired to write this action mystery by his granduncle, a Detective Inspector in the Shanghai Municipal Police during the 1920’s. Spellbound by old photographs and family lore, Gerry resolved to write an action adventure thriller with the accuracy of historical fiction. Gerry travelled to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Brandeis University, Boston where the top-secret files of the Shanghai Municipal Police Special Branch are kept on microfilm (they were smuggled out of Shanghai by the CIA in 1949).Gerry then moved to Singapore to immerse himself in the atmosphere of a fast paced English-speaking Asian city, as Shanghai was in the 1920’s and 1930’s. To achieve the pulse-quickening features of an action mystery with the demandingly accurate details of historical fiction, Gerry blended his granduncle’s stories about his Shanghai police work, years of scholarly research, and his own experiences of the city.

    People of all ages frequently ask, “How did you find that so quickly?” Well, this book will explain just that! The planets in our solar system, the International Space Station, sunspots, birds, nebula, airplanes, and comets are just some of the items that his book will help you find!If you have been having difficulties enjoying your small telescope, this book is for you. There is something interesting about pretty much everything in outer space and it is exciting how many pop-culture references are derived from things in the night sky! Viewing the stars referenced in Star Trek, or talking about a character in Harry Potter named after a constellation, is just another way to make stargazing that much more fun! I am very excited to share my knowledge of astronomy and I am sure you will enjoy this book for years to come. By working through the 50 items in this book you will achieve a well-rounded understanding of amateur astronomy.

    At twenty-two she thought she would be graduating from college and starting a career. But the loss of her parents changed everything, and instead she spends her days working as a waitress and spends her nights, weekends, and everything in between taking care of her five younger siblings. Now her life is completely focused on her family, and despite the urging of those close to her, she doesn’t find time for a life of her own. When Russell Pierce returns to his childhood hometown he is eager to focus on success in his new career. Meeting Paige wasn’t part of his plan either, but once he does he can’t stop thinking about her and how he wants to help her. But she can’t let go of her fears, and refuses to allow him to get close. Will she ever be able to open up and consider a life with anyone? Is she ready to give life a second chance?

    In this fun and informative guide, her first for puppies, she teaches you how to navigate each stage of a puppy's growth, from the first weeks through adolescence. You'll learn:- puppy-proofing your home- toilet training- building leash-walking and play skills- preventing nipping and excessive barking- caring for your puppy's health- and more!