Virtual Light

NEW YORK TIMES bestseller 2005: Welcome to NoCal and SoCal, the uneasy sister-states of what used to be California. The millennium has come and gone, leaving in its wake only stunned survivors. In Los Angeles, Berry Rydell is a former armed-response rentacop now working for a bounty...

Science Fiction Stories 1 is a gripping science fiction anthology that takes readers on a journey through the unknown, exploring dystopian futures, post-apocalyptic worlds, and thrilling adventures in space. Explore the Unknown Embark on a mission in "Rising" where a lone survivor scours a devastated world, driven by a dream of rebuilding civilization. Witness the eerie events in "In The Grip" as a military officer navigates the cultural complexities of an alien world. Experience the haunting "The Spires Of Sapporo" where remnants of an ancient civilization hold secrets that could alter ...

In this classic work, Alasdair MacIntyre examines the historical and conceptual roots of the idea of virtue, diagnoses the reasons for its absence in personal and public life, and offers a tentative proposal for its recovery. While the individual chapters are wide-ranging, once pieced together, they comprise a penetrating and focused argument about the price of modernity.

Rydell is on his way back to near-future San Francisco. His job has him convinced that his career is going nowhere, but his friend Laney, phoning from Tokyo, says there's more interesting work for him in Northern California. And there is, although it will eventually involve his former girlfriend, a Taoist assassin, the secrets Laney has been hacking out of the depths of DatAmerica, the CEO of the PR firm that secretly runs the world and the apocalyptic technological transformation of, well, everything.

Tierra Thompson has a chip on her shoulder and an ax to grind. She was born in the hood, and at twenty-one she has grown tired of calling it home. After hustling and being hustled by the dealers around the way, the hard truth is setting in and Tierra has to decide if she is willing to sell her soul to escape the grittiness of the streets. Nichelle Martin and Tierra have been best friends since childhood and used to be partners in crime until Nichelle lucked up and became wifey to Renaldo Renny ONeal. Renny is known in the borough of Queens, as being the man who is making all the paper. With...

I moved across the country to go to Dogson University to experience real life, not the sheltered existence I led through high school under the thumbs of my ultra-religious parents. Drinking, partying, the works… but what I never expected was to feel the way I do about my new dorm neighbor, Jack. I’ve never had a girlfriend before. Never even cared. So why is it this intimidating frat-boy rock climber has gotten such a hold of me? He’s the kind of guy who would’ve kicked my ass in high school, but instead, he loves doing something else to it. It’s all just for fun, but how can we ...

The Hendricks family has long known that it’s wise to be careful what you wish for...dark family secrets have a way of finding their way to the light. Unfortunately, enemies usually aren’t too far behind. Grace had never been more terrified...the pain was relentless. Nothing in her life prepared her for this. She desperately needed somewhere safe...someplace she could hide. Someone she could trust with her life. It was dark...and getting darker. Ronan Hendricks didn’t recognize her voice. Not family...not friends. Probably not an enemy. But he didn’t need the years he’d spent as a...

Previously published as Milf - Naughty Neighbors by Nina Sestina. After Mona caught her husband cheating for the third time, she finally ended it. He was immature, irresponsible, and finally out of her life for good. As soon as the divorce was settled, she went on a two month vacation for rest and recovery. She wasn't interested in dating,she just wanted some decompression time to relax. After that was over, she returned home and met her new neighbor Ryan. He was tall, chiseled, handsome, mature, and successful. He was also 15 years younger than her. That didn't stop her head from turning ...

In the year 2038, there’s only one destination that can play host to the world’s wealthiest adventure seekers: the Pengalaman Island Resort and Virtual Reality Theme Park. Located on a private South Pacific island, guests here live out their wildest fantasies in custom-made virtual reality simulations while also enjoying the usual amenities of an exclusive five-star getaway. All is relatively breezy until famed billionaire and avid guest, Mr. Wagner, goes missing within a virtual simulation. His only hope? A daring rescue led by Derek Ambrose and his ragtag search party.

Indigo Taylor-Anderson thought she had it all — until her husband's betrayal shattered her world. With newfound courage, she walks away from a life of mistreatment, leaving everything behind. Indigo finds herself navigating the tough streets of Philadelphia, facing challenges only the truly resilient woman can endure. Amidst the trials, she meets Quesnel "Quest" MacQuoid, a former drug lord freshly out of a decade-long imprisonment. Like Indigo, Quest returns to a life stripped of familiar comforts and support. Drawn together by their shared struggles and a need to rebuild, Indigo and ...

Entrepreneurs often suffer from "superhero syndrome" - the misconception that to be successful, they must do everything themselves. They are not only the boss but also the salesperson, HR manager, copywriter, operations manager, online marketing guru, and so much more. It's no wonder so many people give up the dream of starting a business - it's just too much for one person to handle. But outsourcing expert and "Virtual CEO" Chris Ducker knows how you can get the help you need with resources you can afford.

Lio Aetos is the Young Aristocrat and heir apparent to a legendary Greek sect, a prodigious talent born and bred for glory. Solus is a slave, a disgraced patrician from the fallen city of Rome with nothing to his name. They're as different as the East is from the West. Yet both of them hunger—to cast off the threads of Fate they’ve been given. To reach for a higher purpose. In this world of ruined empires and long-forgotten gods, the Young Aristocrat and the Son of Rome share an unyielding conviction.

Victory Over Vice & The Seven Virtues Two of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's best-selling books have been brought together in one special collection. The first part of this book is a collection of engaging sermons from this Emmy award-winning and New York Times best-selling author that will encourage the reader to better understand that the seven deadly sins can be overcome. Using the seven last statements or words spoken by Jesus Christ from the Cross on Calvary as a backdrop, Archbishop Sheen will address matters concerning various addictions and patterns of habitual sin. He will use his ...

Lightning should’ve ended Marcus Shaw. It didn’t. It made him the rarest thing on campus—a storm-caster who can fuse powers with others. Beneath Fenwick lies Spellbound Academy, a covert program where gifted freshmen train while rival agencies close in. Marcus joins an unlikely crew—Elena the strategist, Sage the theory prodigy, Kira the half-fae shield, and Derek, the rock-steady “reality anchor.” Together they unlock collaborative casting—magic that multiplies when they connect—and it terrifies the establishment. A ruthless handler, Victor Ashford, is recruiting in public ...

The Complete Guide to Peptides: Unlocking the Secrets to Health, Healing, and Longevity Are you curious about the transformative potential of peptides and bioregulators? Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate learner, or an expert, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools to explore these cutting-edge compounds for enhancing health, promoting healing, and optimizing performance. Peptides and bioregulators have become game-changers in the fields of regenerative medicine, anti-aging, muscle recovery, immune support, and hormonal balance. This book simplifies ...

Three years ago, while studying abroad I met a man who would change my life forever. In just one single night together, Ashby had satisfied me in ways I’d never experienced before, not with a single one of my ex-girlfriends. I wasn’t gay, though. I could never look at another man the way I looked at Ashby—and believe me, I tried. Now, going into my junior year at Dogson University I’m fresh out of another failed relationship, and that encounter with Ashby still burns in my mind like it happened yesterday. I believed I would never meet my unicorn again—until the first day of class....

I was asleep when the world burned. Zain Stone is a rising star at tech giant Thanatos Industries, developing the technology to stop death. But when the building comes under attack, he risks life and limb to protect his research. When he wakes in a cryo chamber, twenty years into the future, everything has changed. The world, which once valued technology so much, has come to despise it. And the girl who woke him up–the beautiful Amy, with strawberry blonde hair and a sweet disposition–might be a cyborg he designed himself. Soon, Zain finds that it’s not just that he needs to survive ...

A single dad, a wandering librarian and Christmas lights bright enough to heal lonely hearts! Lonely lighthouse keeper Declan Hayes keeps Ballycove’s beam cutting through November gales, yet grief still clouds his days. Enter Bríd Callahan, the new librarian whose mobile book van and radiant hope make even the wild cliffs feel like home. Her story-times enchant Declan's six-year-old Molly and coax rare smiles from Declan. Then a fierce storm maroons Bríd overnight in the lighthouse, where candlelit cocoa and whispered dreams kindle the first glow of a Christmas miracle—for a father, a...

I sweep hallways no one cares about and snarl at fate from behind mop buckets. I hide my name—Hope to some, Kari to the world—because legends should know their place. Then his shadow caught mine. Diego, all restless hunger and wounded pride, smelling of wild forests and secrets I’m not meant to love. Every glance from him is warning and promise—a dare to believe I belong to more than loss. He guards me with snarls and silence. But I burn with magic, marked by a prophecy that demands everything. My parents’ ghosts walk with me, calling me Chosen. Demons hunt in darkness, weaving ...

Kelly is abducted from Earth for breeding purposes by Tau, an alien man from a cat like race. When Kelly Scott rescues a stranger from the gang that has chosen him as prey, she discovers Tau is unlike any man she has ever known. The meeting was purely accidental, but Kelly saw someone who needed help and she couldn’t simply ignore it. She just didn’t realize then exactly how dangerous Tau was or that helping him could be the death of her. That part only dawned on her after she was taken captive by the aliens raiding for mates and the discovery that Tau didn’t want a human mate. This ...