Everyone lives on the grid, and the residents of the world’s largest playground are encouraged to pursue every physical and emotional pleasure imaginable.Vee is the lead singer of the Sugar Skulls, an all-girl band that is Corporate’s newest pet project. Micah haunts the city like a ghost after an overdose of a deadly illegal street drug knocks him off the grid. When Micah and Vee forge an immediate, undeniable connection, their troubled worlds collide.Trading concert stages for Cyrene’s rooftops and back alleys, they have to evade vicious thugs and Vee’s possessive manager as they unravel the mysteries connected to their dark pasts. And before the curtain falls, Micah and Vee will bring the city to its knees in their desperate bid for love, home, and a future together.

    Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that's striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous… you'll recognize it immediately.

    Of the discovery of an alien race and of a kink in time that means humanity — whatever form it takes — will never again be threatened by acts of God.

    The southernmost city in the world, with only a glass dome and a faltering infrastructure to protect its citizens from the freezing, ceaseless winds of the Antarctic wilderness. Within this bell jar four people–some human, some not–will shape the future of the city forever:Eliana Gomez, a female PI looking for a way to the mainland.Diego Amitrano, the right-hand man to the gangster who controls the city’s food come winter.Marianella Luna, an aristocrat with a dangerous secret.Sofia, an android who has begun to evolve.But the city is evolving too, and in the heart of the perilous Antarctic winter, factions will clash, dreams will shatter, and that frozen metropolis just might boil over…

    Every day blood is spilled. Every place that rain falls, it washes away some of the red that stains the streets.Eliminating every killer in the Sixth World is as impossible as drying up every raindrop in a storm, but Thomas McAllister doesn’t want to get rid of all of them. Just one. He’s been on this killer’s trail for a while, and he knows he’s getting closer. The only question is if he’ll be able to handle getting as close as he’s about to be, or if his blood will join the stream that regularly flows into the gutters of the sprawls.

    And with this change came an opportunity - that of piloting a mission into Jupiter's atmosphere, and ultimately of making first contact with the life forms he discovers there. Picking up the threads of humanity versus artificial intelligences and machines, and of encounters with the alien, this collaborative novel between two superb writers is a sequel to Howard Falcon's adventures. A proper science fiction adventure, this is perfect for fans of Golden Age SF as well as the modern SF reader.

    Four Best-selling authors of Christian romance bring you heartwarming stories filled with holiday cheer and romance under the mistletoe. A Hope Valley Christmas by Belle Calhoune. Mallory Jefferson has returned to her hometown of Hope Valley to spend Christmas with her family. Having been let go from her teaching position and ending things with her boyfriend, Mallory is a bit adrift. When she runs into her high school crush, Colton James, Mallory is embarrassed about her attempts to win his heart back in the day. When Colton asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend to make his dying grandfather happy, Mallory finds herself impulsively saying yes. Colton James is a rancher who dreams of settling down and living out his dreams. When he runs into Mallory, Colton can’t believe how much she’s changed. When she agrees to be his pretend girlfriend, Colton is shocked to discover that his feelings for her are way deeper than he’d ever imagined possible. Can something pretend turn into something real just in time for a very Merry Christmas? Sugarplums and Second Chances by Jill Kemerer. Former NFL star, Chase McGill, invites his teammate's widow, Courtney Trudesta, to spend Christmas in his guest cottage after her mother dies. Courtney faithfully wrote him letters every week while he was in prison for attempting to avenge the murder of the mother of his son, Wyatt. Chase wants to be there for Courtney the way she was for him. But there's more to Christmas than sugarplums and wishful thinking. If they trust God's plan, they'll have a second chance at happiness...with each other. A Brilliant Christmas by Allie Pleiter. Zoe Walters pours her heart and soul into the community arts center she runs. Her kids could benefit so much from the brilliant talents of animator Nigel Langdon—if he weren’t such a legendary grump. The next six weeks of his artist-in-residency look like they’ll ruin Zoe’s Christmas for sure. And certainly, things get off to a rocky start until Zoe discovers the great big heart—and the deep hurt—Nigel’s been hiding under that crusty exterior. It turns out Nigel can see through to Zoe’s deepest wounds as well. When the arts center is threatened, Nigel and Zoe come together not only to save the organization, but to discover a love and the brilliant Christmas no one ever expected Seashell Santa by Lenora Worth. When high school sweethearts Rick Houston and Willa Kincaid reunite in Key West per a deathbed request, they discover that they didn't really know each other at all. But Christmas in paradise just might bring them together for good this time.

    They are the next step in the evolution of mankind. And when they come after you, nothing in the world will save you... Welcome to the year 2095. Society has overcome everything that made human life miserable. It has become perfect -- so perfect that it needs killer cyborgs to hunt down anyone who disagrees with it.Nephilim isn't just any elite death squad member, she is the best. Genetically and cybernetically enhanced, she and others like her strike terror wherever they go. Knowing nothing besides this lifestyle, Nephilim believes that she's part of a righteous cause. But everything changes for her after a hostile EMP attack. She suffers a severe system glitch. Disconnected from the grid, for the first time in her life, she begins doubting the system.Shortly after the attack, she meets Jake, a 100% biological human, and she falls in love with him. Jake helps her discover that everything she had believed in was a lie. But there is no walking away from the system. And soon, Nephilim finds herself hunted by members of her own death squad.In an era of deception, who can she trust? And in this brave new world, is there a place for love between a human and a cyborg?Behind Blue Eyes is a fast-paced, cinematic action story in a dystopian setting. It's a modern-day version of 1984 - on steroids.

    His heroic legacy of being shot down while preparing to rescue a fallen teammate began long before this tragic day.An Apache aviator said of Mark's final battle: ..."I have never witnessed such an act of heroism in my three years of fighting in combat. I have over 2,700 hours total time with 1,500 hours of combat time in both Iraq and Afghanistan...JAG 28 continued to advance on the enemy while taking intense enemy fire, and continuously fired his weapon in an attempt to get to his fallen teammate and destroy the enemy."Mark chose to enlist in the Air Force as a Special Operations Combat Controller after he received his Bachelor's degree from The University of Alabama. Because of his above average grades and near-photographic memory, his Business Finance degree would have done him well. But, he felt a higher calling; one that put him between us and the enemies bent on our destruction.Even though he had pledged that freedom must be preserved, his greatest desire was to marry the right girl and have a family-Mark never got that chance. Instead he selflessly gave his life for the country he loved.Since Mark's death, his family's eyes and hearts have been opened to multiple examples of selflessness and patriotism by meeting his teammates and leaders in the military. The family has witnessed first-hand the ability for them to turn off their stern, professional personae and turn on compassion, love, support and acceptance. The author feels a strong desire to Honor our Heroes. This book highlights one hero, SrA Mark A. Forester, and also helps recognize many other men and women who volunteer to fight for our freedom.My Brother in Arms is not a memorial in print, but a biography for continuing Mark's legacy of perseverance, determination and accomplishing our missions on earth. We each have different missions, but what's important is for us to recognize ours and work to accomplish it. In the end, don't we all want to go out while moving forward?

    You will not read a funnier mystery this year! ‘Eyes Peeled’ is the Isle of Man’s first and only Detective Agency. Not much happens on the idyllic Island that needs detecting, so, on the whole, the team is not the most adept. In fact, generally speaking, they’re pretty useless. One of the agency’s more eager employees is Sam Levy. Nearing forty, he’s finally found a job he actually loves – even if he isn’t particularly good at it. Okay, let’s be honest. He’s rubbish. Still, Sam’s services are secured by persons unknown to track down a glamorous, yet mysterious, art dealer recently arrived on the sleepy Island. Her arrival itself isn’t overly suspicious... but the international crime boss hot on her tail most certainly is! Sam is desperate to prove himself and impress his pretty colleague, Abby, but this investigation could end up putting him in rather a spot of bother, with our hero risking life, limb, and hairpiece! With this case, he could have bitten off more than he can chew.

    

    Bad Boys Finish First: How to Stop Being the Nice Guy and Become the Man Women Can’t Resist will explain the evolutionary basis for why women love jerks--and how you can turn that to your advantage. Bad Boys Finish First offers easy, proven dating tips any guy can follow. Whether your goal is seduction or a lasting relationship, you’ll discover how to awaken the deepest desires in any woman. Inside the Book: How to be comfortable with your own masculinity The importance of not investing in any one woman Why you should tell her she looks fat in that dress The power of making statements, not asking questions The tests all women will give you--and how to pass them, every time And much more!You CAN escape the friendzone. Grab Bad Boys Finish First today, and watch as women flock to your side!

    Whether you are a native speaker who wants to sharpen their verbal toolkit, or a non-native speaker who wants to learn how to navigate the English language maze, this book will provide you with information and techniques for instant improvement and lifelong learning. Maybe you want to improve your presentation skills. Perhaps you want to tel more interesting and engaging stories. Or maybe you simply want to become more articulate in your day-to-day use of English. Whatever your needs, your goal is to improve your English, and Launch Your English can guide you to do just that. In this book you'll learn how to: • become more creative and descriptive in your English usage • capture people's attention with your vivid and enhanced expressions • break English down into building blocks for easy improvement • select the right word and expression to articulate your thoughts exactly Free resources for students of English -> SirEnglish.com

    With its rambling, wild garden and quaint little summerhouse, the cottage is the perfect retreat for writer, Natasha.When she is exploring, Natasha finds a poem that leads her to find an ornate looking key, tucked away inside a little dovecote. The key fits into the lock of a door, hidden in the wall, behind the overgrown garden. Natasha has been warned not to breach the boundaries between Keeper’s Lodge and the Crabwood Estate, but curiosity gets the better of her and she opens the door to find out what is behind it.Amidst the haven of a woodland glade, she meets Will, son of Mr Randall, the owner of Crabwood Estate.Will and Mr Randall have a secret though and as Will and Natasha grow close, she learns that all may not be what it seems.

    Chaos rules the final days of the Forerunner empire. The Flood—a horrifying, shape-changing, and unstoppable parasite—has arrived in force, aided by unexpected allies, and internal strife has desperately weakened Forerunner defenses. Facing the imminent collapse of their civilization, the Forerunners known as the Ur-Didact and the Librarian reveal what they know about the relationship between the long-vanished race of the Precursors and the Flood. While the Precursors created many technological species, including those of the Forerunners and humanity itself, the roots of the Flood may be found in an act of enormous barbarity, carried out beyond our galaxy ten million years before. Because of that savagery, a greater evil looms. Only the Ur-Didact and the Librarian—husband and wife pushed into desperate conflict—hold the keys to a solution. As they face the consequences of a mythic tragedy, one of them must now commit the greatest atrocity of all time—a shocking act designed to prevent an insane abomination from dominating the entire galaxy…