The first three books in the Cowboys of the Flint Hills Series. PRAIRIE HEAT Sparks fly when childhood neighbors Blake Sinclaire and Maddie Hansen reunite as adults. Will family feuds, fake engagements, and explosive secrets drive them apart forever? Or will true love prevail? PRAIRIE PASSION When feisty chef Jamey O’Neill takes a job at Brodie Sinclaire’s hunting lodge, their chemistry explodes like mentos and coke. Can they handle the heat while Brodie faces his past and Jamey struggles with her future? PRAIRIE DESIRE Ben Sinclaire blew his chances with Hope Hansen years ago, but now that she’s back in town, he wants a second chance with the woman of his dreams. Will ice-storms, weddings and babies interfere with his daring plan to win Hope for good?

    Publilius Syrus, Moral Sayings We've been very fortunate to receive fantastic feedback from our readers during the last four years, since the first edition of How to Solve It: Modern Heuristics was published in 1999. It's heartening to know that so many people appreciated the book and, even more importantly, were using the book to help them solve their problems. One professor, who published a review of the book, said that his students had given the best course reviews he'd seen in 15 years when using our text. There can be hardly any better praise, except to add that one of the book reviews published in a SIAM journal received the best review award as well. We greatly appreciate your kind words and personal comments that you sent, including the few cases where you found some typographical or other errors. Thank you all for this wonderful support.

    Loosely based on neuron behavior inside of human brains, these systems are rapidly catching up with the intelligence of their human creators, defeating the world champion Go player, achieving superhuman performance on video games, driving cars, translating languages, and sometimes even helping law enforcement fight crime. Deep Learning is a revolution that is changing every industry across the globe.Grokking Deep Learning is the perfect place to begin your deep learning journey. Rather than just learn the “black box” API of some library or framework, you will actually understand how to build these algorithms completely from scratch. You will understand how Deep Learning is able to learn at levels greater than humans. You will be able to understand the “brain” behind state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence. Furthermore, unlike other courses that assume advanced knowledge of Calculus and leverage complex mathematical notation, if you’re a Python hacker who passed high-school algebra, you’re ready to go. And at the end, you’ll even build an A.I. that will learn to defeat you in a classic Atari game.

    In cultivating a deep understanding and appreciation of Objective-C, its frameworks and ecosystem, one is able to create apps that delight and inspire users. Combining articles from NSHipster.com with new essays, this book is the essential guide for modern iOS and Mac OS X developers.

    As the creators of the Java programming language, the authors help programmers understand why Java is such a powerful language. As a result, the programmers learn how Java is suitable for building a variety of applications. The authors also provide unique "behind-the-scenes" insights into how the language was designed and intended to be used. Thoroughly revised from start to finish, this fourth edition covers all of the features of J2SE 5.0 release. Updates to the fourth edition of this best-seller include concise coverage on generics, metadata, autoboxing, enumerations, enhanced loops, and more.

    Why do this? The goal, in his words, was “to become something I am not.”The “something” Damato chose to become was an ocean sailing skipper. Overweight and without boating experience of any kind, he decided to achieve his lifelong dream of sailing around the world on his own vessel.Reckless? Dangerous? Idiotic? Call it what you will, Damato was determined to make the voyage a reality despite the obstacles.Suddenly without the comforts and security of his previous life, Damato was forced to conquer his anxieties while at the same time surviving the hazards and challenges of offshore sailing. As his experience and confidence mounts, he discovers he has indeed undergone a personal transformation – one quite different than he originally hoped, and in some ways worthier than he imagined.Breaking Seas is a tale of ocean voyaging, but it’s not just about sailing: the all-encompassing themes are rejection and disappointment – and our common human quest to get the most out of life despite being born into an imperfect universe.Part sailing adventure, part philosophical pilgrimage, Breaking Seas is for everyone who’s ever wanted to embark on an enterprise of some kind despite not meeting society’s expected “qualifications.”“This is a story about our desire to be elsewhere, reborn and enhanced, because here and now are not enough. But don’t expect a sugar-coated fairy tale with just what you want to hear,” warns Damato. “I promise an honest story truthfully told.”

    After her husband was killed in an accident, she’d do anything to shield herself from more heartache. Her success in the courtroom has not come without costs though. The disgruntled ex-husband of a client is seeking revenge—and his sights are set on Rebecca. Navy SEAL Patrick “Ice” Foster vowed never to be in a relationship again. The gorgeous brunette he meets on the beach isn’t going to change his mind—no matter how tempting her feminine curves and fierce independence may be. Despite their determination never to fall in love, Rebecca and Patrick can’t deny the connection between them. When danger lurks around every corner, she knows there’s only one man she can trust to protect both her and her daughter. But who will protect her from a broken heart? SEALED WITH A KISS He won’t let anything stand in their way…not even her. Alison Garrett doesn’t do relationships. Especially with a younger man. After her heart’s been trampled on in the past, she’s reluctant to give the handsome Navy SEAL she met a shot at anything other than friendship. A barbeque with friends, couple of beers, and rock-hard abs aren’t enough to change her mind. Even if he does ooze sex from his pores. Navy SEAL Evan “Flip” Jenkins is used to getting any woman he wants. Except her. The strawberry blonde beauty he meets at a party catches his interest, yet eludes him. Their innocent flirting can’t conceal the way he wants her—big time. He’s down for the thrill of a chase, but what if she doesn’t want to be caught? When Evan’s SEAL team is dispatched on a hostage rescue mission in enemy territory, Evan is critically injured, never letting Alison know his feelings. Will he get a chance to return to the woman he’s fallen for? And more importantly—will she have him? A SEAL’S SURRENDER He’s the one man she can never forgive…or forget. Lexi Mattingly, a hotshot Pentagon security specialist, can’t escape her past. Sent down to Little Creek to track down hackers attempting to infiltrate Top Secret naval databases, the last man she expects to run into is the ruggedly handsome Navy SEAL she left in Coronado a lifetime ago. Navy SEAL Christopher “Blade” Walters has carried a torch for a decade. The sparks ignited years ago on the beaches of California never burned out, and the man destined to be alone feels them slowly combust when the woman he’d lost forever walks back into his life. Lexi and Christopher must learn to work together to stop the hackers. But when she’s kidnapped from her hotel, Christopher may be the only man who can save her. Can she trust the man who broke her heart to protect her life? And more importantly, can he convince her to give their love a second chance?

     I was a bit of a rogue, picking pockets and seducing women, without a care for the future. Now, with the aid of a beautiful enchantress and a pet rat dragon, I'm out for revenge. Trouble is, my target is one of the most powerful, ruthless men in the city. But what he doesn't know is that I'm no longer playing by his rules. I'm playing by my own. No matter what dark, hidden secrets I uncover in the process. The Bastard is the story of Mordie, a hero with a more flexible sense of morality than most. It is set in a Camelot that never existed, and is a tale of swords, secrets, magic, revenge, betrayal, and even a dragon or two. It contains harem elements, nudity, and sex between the hero (if hero is the right word) and multiple partners, all of whom are willing and comfortable with the idea of non-traditional relationships.

    This collection includes the complete novels of Borrowed Dreams, Captured Dreams, and Dreams of Destiny. Borrowed Dreams: Driven to undo the evil wrought by her dead husband, Millicent Wentworth must find a way to save her estate and free the innocent people her husband enslaved. Her only hope is a marriage of convenience with the notorious widower, Lyon Pennington, fourth Earl of Aytoun, who just may be the most handsome-and caring-man she's ever encountered. Captured Dreams: May McGoldrick returns with the latest in a trilogy about love-and the birth of a nation... Portia Edwards will go to any length to find the family she's never known. And when she meets merchant Pierce Pennington, a staunch but secretive Son of Liberty, Portia has the perfect chance to ask for his help. But her stubborn pride keeps her silent. That is, until she recognizes her strong attraction to the brave man who, by night, is known as the infamous Captain MacHeath, smuggling arms by sea under the pall of darkness-all in the name of liberty... Dreams of Destiny Wounded by scandal and the unsolved murder of his sister-in-law, David Pennington is outwardly insolent and arrogant. But nothing will stop him from escorting his childhood friend, Gwyneth Douglas, to Scotland-and saving the Scottish heiress from fortune hunters. But with their arrival in Scotland comes terrible danger. Now, if they ever hope to satisfy their desire, they will need to thwart the evil that threatens to destroy both their lives...

    The DSF mission of protecting and recovering art and artifacts means combating Centaur, a shadowy international crime syndicate. ON DEADLY GROUND Desperate to save her brother, museum director Kate Fontaine must work with Max Rivera, the ex-military guide she doesn’t trust to return a precious Mayan artifact to its temple, but when desire flares between them, outrunning international black-market smugglers and an earthquake seems simple compared to risking their hearts. RING OF TRUTH Recovering crown jewels could get the FBI off Cortez Jones’s back, but he needs the help of Mara Marton who blames his jewel-thief father for destroying her family. Mara wants this chance to prove her father's innocence, but how can she trust Cort? Sparks fly as they race black-market smugglers to the jewels. There's no turning back, once their lives—and their heart are on the line. CLEOPATRA'S NECKLACE Thomas Devlin must recover Cleopatra’s necklace, but when the smugglers pursue his old flame, he jets to her aid. Cleo's involvement with the necklace’s forger sends her on the run. She knows Thomas will protect her but will he crush her love again? As they race against time, they learn more is at stake than recovering the antiquity. The peril escalates, and so does the risk to their hearts. AT LAST (A DEVLIN WEDDING NOVELLA) Owing her brother and his bride, maid of honor Andie Devlin is determined to make their wedding perfect. She’s falling for Mike Pagano but fears he’ll judge her wild-child past. He wants to keep her safe from an attack threatening the wedding, but more than that, he wants her in his arms. When she learns her brother assigned him as her bodyguard, she pushes him away … leaving her vulnerable.

     TEASING THE BOSS Simon West, the best business consultant in NYC, and Grace Bell, the best party planner in NYC (she prefers event coordinator), have their goals within reach. All they have to do is pretend to love each other. TEMPTING THE BOSS CEO Victoria Green isn't used to asking for help, but handyman Dean might be the only one in the city who can keep her alive. If only they could manage to keep their hands off each other in the process....

    Work at your own pace through a system of lessons, hands-on exercises, troubleshooting labs, and review questions.The Readiness Review Suite on CD, featuring advanced technology from MeasureUp, provides 425 challenging questions for in-depth self-assessment and practice. You can choose timed or untimed testing mode, generate random tests, or focus on specific objectives. You get detailed explanations for right and wrong answers--including a customized learning path that describes how and where to focus your studies.Maximize your performance on the exam by learning how to: Perform an installation or upgrade, including remote deploymentConfigure and customize the desktop environmentAdminister disks, device drivers, printers, file systems, and other resourcesManage TCP/IP networking and support remote and mobile usersMonitor, troubleshoot, and tune system performanceNEW!--Administer security settings and services, including the advances in Windows XP Service Pack 2Readiness Review Suite on CD Powered by MeasureUpYour kit includes: NEW--Fully reengineered self-paced study guide with expert exam tips. NEW--Readiness Review Suite featuring 425 questions and multiple testing options. NEW--Case scenarios and troubleshooting labs for real-world expertise. NEW--120-day evaluation version of Windows XP Professional software with Windows XP Service Pack 2.NEW--eBook in PDF format. NEW--Microsoft Encyclopedia of Security eBook. NEW--Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking, Second Edition eBook.For customers who purchase an ebook version of this title, instructions for downloading the CD files can be found in the ebook.

    Includes a comprehensive chapter on stochastic models for digital image processing. Covers aspects of image representation including luminance, color, spatial and temporal properties of vision, and digitization. Explores various image processing techniques. Discusses algorithm development (software/firmware) for image transforms, enhancement, reconstruction, and image coding.

    Two of Hardy's best works are included in this volume.

    Behind the toddler-proof gate of Santa Monica’s exclusive Garden of Happiness, it’s the grown-ups who are getting schooled.When new preschool parent Justine discovers that the man who broke her heart back in grad school is a dad in her daughter’s class, she tells herself she’s immune to the superficial charms of the ex she calls “the crapwizard.” But when his presence opens a time tunnel of potent memories from her life before motherhood, she must find a way to defuse her old attraction to him before it undermines her marriage.Then there’s Ruben, rookie stay-at-home dad and standup comic who quits his day job to pursue his TV-writing dream on his wife’s condition that he take her place among the “power mommies” on the school committees.And ruling the sand box with an iron fist is Margaret, whose ongoing divorce from her dentist-turned-New Age-surfer husband forces her to rely on her dubious people skills in order to keep the school that has become the cornerstone of her identity.When the new school year kicks off with a flight-risk rabbit named Ozone, a school secretary in desperate need of a social filter, and some double-barreled committee recruiting tactics, it’s not all juice and cookies for Justine, Ruben, and Margaret as they struggle to play nice.