What happens when your internet crush, shows up in real life? Lieutenant Thane Carter is professionally successful, but his love life stinks. Why can’t his off-limits co-worker Lieutenant Chloe Michael could be more like his online love? Things only complicate further when they turn out to be the same person!

They promised to meet in four years… He was there. Where was she? Conor Delaney believed he and Shelby Brookes had something special – until the girl he’d loved since fourth grade was a no-show for their romantic reunion. Two years on, Shelby’s back in town! Shelby has her reasons for what she did, and a plan to win Conor back!

A jilted bride, a best man… And a journey that will change their lives! With her dream wedding in tatters, Dawn Featherington resolves to track down her errant groom and demand answers. But not trusting her intentions, billionaire best man Cooper Edwards refuses to let her go alone. But with each passing mile, Cooper begins to realise they could be on the road to happy-ever-after!

An Italian escape, and a chance to love again? Ginger Lawrence’s heart goes wild when she meets Vittorio Della Scalla on a magical trip to Venice. As the billionaire whisks her around his city, widow Ginger finds she is falling for her gorgeous guide, and loving someone again suddenly seems possible…

Can even sham marriages end in happily ever after? Desperate to keep custody of her late sister’s sweet stepdaughter, Alexis Smith needs to find a husband… fast. US Air Force Major Ben Kincaid seems like the perfect candidate. A brief marriage of convenience suits them both – until Ben moves in. Suddenly, playing house seems a little too real…

He found his target and lost his heart… SEAL Dalton “Diesel” Landon knows that Reese Brantley is no damsel in distress – but she does need rescuing! Diesel and Reese are on the run. In the middle of the jungle, it’s clear that Diesel’s real danger is losing his heart to Reese…

A sordid past, a killer secret… When Keira Spencer is targeted by a killer, only handsome Omega agent Roman can save her. From entirely different worlds, Roman needs to get over Keira’s infamous past to win her heart.

Her Holiday Hero Widow Corinne Gallagher’s plans for a peaceful Christmas with her kids go astray when longtime crush Gabe Cutler moves in next door. As if having the hunky state trooper in snowball-throwing distance isn’t distracting enough, Gabe is suddenly in custody of an orphaned infant—and in need of Corinne’s help! She agrees, but her heart draws a line—she can't fall for another lawman. After a devastating loss, Gabe has avoided fatherhood and love. Yet with Corinne and the children, his new house is starting to feel like home. Will Gabe run again, or finally fulfill his secret Christmas wish for a family? Grace Haven: A town full of heart, happiness and home.

The Rancher’s Special Delivery The “package” is addressed to him, but rancher Sterling Blackwell certainly didn’t order a baby! More scandalous still, he and the town’s pretty teacher are named as parents. With gossip running wild, only a marriage of convenience can protect little Gracie and their reputations until her real family is found. Heather O’Connor is content to be Valentine, Montana’s spinster schoolmarm…until Gracie’s arrival stirs her heart. She can’t keep the adorable child without Sterling’s help, though she promises not to interfere with his life. But staying aloof from her handsome husband isn’t easy with a tiny matchmaker in tow. A mistake brought them together, but love might just make them a family by Christmas… Montana Courtships: Romance unfolds under the Big Sky

A temporary tryst with a sexy Texan…no problem, right? All it takes is a daring out-of-character ride on a mechanical bull to send Erin Sinclair straight into the arms of one fine-looking cowboy. With Royal, Texas, on edge over the criminal targeting their secrets, she needs to blow off steam. Dan Hunt is happy to give the ex-nanny the time of her life, but the rich rancher insists he doesn't do relationships. With Erin leaving Royal in a matter of weeks, why not have a no-strings affair? Even if it feels like it could be the commitment of a lifetime…

Ravinder Lily is a food journalist and qualified dietitian. She was Group Editor of Wellbeing and Maternity and Mothercraft and The New Addition, a publication of the Royal College of Midwives.

Richard Webber writes regulary about TV in his job as a journalist and writer. He contributes to a host of newspapers and magazines, including TV Quick, Daily Express, Sunday Express and the Sunday Telegraph and is the author of over a dozen books celebrating classic comedy.

UNDER THE RANCHER’S PROTECTION Someone is dead set on stopping Shelby Arroyo from doing her job: assessing mineral rights in a mine in gold country. But after rancher Barrett Thorn rescues her from an attack, the handsome widowed cowboy seems to feel responsible for her. That is, until he discovers she’s from the family that he’ll never forgive for his wife’s death. As the threats against Shelby escalate, cowboy honor and an unexpected attraction keep Barrett by her side, even at his own risk. And since Shelby won’t back down, Barrett must protect the brave, loyal woman he has no business falling for…a woman someone wants to kill by Christmas. Gold Country Cowboys: The code of the west rules the land for these men.

Design accessible and creative games across genres, platforms, and development realities About This Book ? Implement the skills and techniques required to work in a professional studio ? Ace the core principles and processes of level design, world building, and storytelling ? Design interactive characters that animate the gaming world Who This Book Is For Whether you are a student eager to design a game or a junior game designer looking for your first role as a professional, this book will help you with the fundamentals of game design. By focusing on best practices and a pragmatic approach, Practical Game Design provides insights into the arts and crafts from two senior game designers that will interest more seasoned professionals in the game industry. What You Will Learn ? Define the scope and structure of a game project ? Conceptualize a game idea and present it to others ? Design gameplay systems and communicate them clearly and thoroughly ? Build and validate engaging game mechanics ? Design successful business models and prepare your games for live operations ? Master the principles behind level design, worldbuilding and storytelling ? Improve the quality of a game by playtesting and polishing it In Detail If you are looking for an up-to-date and highly applicable guide to game design, then you have come to the right place! Immerse yourself in the fundamentals of game design with this book, written by two highly experienced industry professionals to share their profound insights as well as give valuable advice on creating games across genres and development platforms. Practical Game Design covers the basics of game design one piece at a time. Starting with learning how to conceptualize a game idea and present it to the development team, you will gradually move on to devising a design plan for the whole project and adapting solutions from other games. You will also discover how to produce original game mechanics without relying on existing reference material, and test and eliminate anticipated design risks. You will then design elements that compose the playtime of a game, followed by making game mechanics, content, and interface accessible to all players. You will also find out how to simultaneously ensure that the gameplay mechanics and content are working as intended. As the book reaches its final chapters, you will learn to wrap up a game ahead of its release date, work through the different challenges of designing free-to-play games, and understand how to significantly improve their quality through iteration, polishing and playtesting. Style and approach A practical step by step guide to get you up and running with Game Design from scratch

Unleash the power of the Raspberry Pi 3 board to create interesting IoT projects About This Book ? Learn how to interface various sensors and actuators with the Raspberry Pi 3 and send this data to the cloud. ? Explore the possibilities offered by the IoT by using the Raspberry Pi to upload measurements to Google Docs. ? A practical guide that will help you create a Raspberry Pi robot using IoT modules. Who This Book Is For If you're a developer or electronics engineer and are curious about the Internet of Things, then this is the book for you. With only a rudimentary understanding of electronics, the Raspberry Pi, or similar credit-card sized computers, and some programming experience, you will be taught to develop state-of-the-art solutions for the Internet of Things in an instant. What You Will Learn ? Understand the concept of IoT and get familiar with the features of Raspberry Pi ? Learn to integrate sensors and actuators with the Raspberry Pi ? Communicate with cloud and Raspberry using communication protocols such as HTTP and MQTT ? Build DIY projects using Raspberry Pi, JavaScript/node.js and cloud (AWS) ? Explore the best practices to ensure the security of your connected devices In Detail This book is designed to introduce you to IoT and Raspberry Pi 3. It will help you create interesting projects, such as setting up a weather station and measuring temperature and humidity using sensors; it will also show you how to send sensor data to cloud for visualization in real-time. Then we shift our focus to leveraging IoT for accomplishing complex tasks, such as facial recognition using the Raspberry Pi camera module, AWS Rekognition, and the AWS S3 service. Furthermore, you will master security aspects by building a security surveillance system to protect your premises from intruders using Raspberry Pi, a camera, motion sensors, and AWS Cloud. We'll also create a real-world project by building a Wi-Fi – controlled robot car with Raspberry Pi using a motor driver circuit, DC motor, and a web application. This book is a must-have as it provides a practical overview of IoT’s existing architectures, communication protocols, and security threats at the software and hardware levels—security being the most important aspect of IoT. Style and approach Internet of Things with the Raspberry Pi 3 contains the tools needed to design, sense the environment, communicate over the Internet, and visualize the results.

This book teaches you everything you need to know to create stunning Vaadin applications for all your web development needs. Deep dive into advanced Vaadin concepts while creating your very own sample Vaadin application. About This Book ? A one-stop book to enhance your working knowledge with Vaadin. ? Explore and implement the architecture of Vaadin applications. ? Delve into advanced topics such as data binding, authentication and authorization to improvise your application’s performance. Who This Book Is For If you area Software developer with previous experience with Vaadin and would like to gain more comprehensive and advanced skills in Vaadin web development, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn ? Modularize your Vaadin applications with Maven ? Create high quality custom components ? Implement robust and secure authentication and authorization mechanisms ? Connect to SQL databases efficiently ? Design robust CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) views ? Generate stunning reports ? Improve resource consumption by using lazy loading In Detail Vaadin is an open-source Java framework used to build modern user interfaces. Vaadin 8 simplifies application development and improves user experience. The book begins with an overview of the architecture of Vaadin applications and the way you can organize your code in modules.Then it moves to the more advanced topics about advanced topics such as internationalization, authentication, authorization, and database connectivity. The book also teaches you how to implement CRUD views, how to generate printable reports, and how to manage data with lazy loading. By the end of this book you will be able to architect, implement, and deploy stunning Vaadin applications, and have the knowledge to master web development with Vaadin. Style and approach This book follows a hands-on approach and takes the readers through practical examples of how to create and deploy Vaadin applications. This book teaches the readers about the Vaadin architecture. It then moves on to the more advanced topics about advanced topics such as internationalization, authentication, authorization, and database connectivity. This step by step guide equips the readers with all they need to know to use Vaadin for web development.

Leverage the power of PostgreSQL 10 to design, administer and maintain a high-performance database solution About This Book ? Obtain optimal PostgreSQL 10 database performance, ranging from initial design to routine maintenance ? Fine tune the performance of your queries and avoid the common pitfalls that can slow your system down ? Contains tips and tricks on scaling successful database installations, and ensuring a highly available PostgreSQL solution Who This Book Is For This book is designed for database administrators and PostgreSQL architects who already use or plan to exploit the features of PostgreSQL 10 to design and maintain a high-performance PostgreSQL database. A working knowledge of SQL, and some experience with PostgreSQL will be helpful in getting the most out of this book. What You Will Learn ? Learn best practices for scaling PostgreSQL 10 installations ? Discover the best hardware for developing high-performance PostgreSQL applications ? Benchmark your whole system – from hardware to application ? Learn by real examples how server parameters impact performance ? Discover PostgreSQL 10 features for partitioning and parallel query ? Monitor your server, both inside and outside the database ? Design and implement a good replication system on PostgreSQL 10 In Detail PostgreSQL database servers have a common set of problems that they encounter as their usage gets heavier and requirements get more demanding. Peek into the future of your PostgreSQL 10 database's problems today. Know the warning signs to look for and how to avoid the most common issues before they even happen. Surprisingly, most PostgreSQL database applications evolve in the same way—choose the right hardware, tune the operating system and server memory use, optimize queries against the database and CPUs with the right indexes, and monitor every layer, from hardware to queries, using tools from inside and outside PostgreSQL. Also, using monitoring insight, PostgreSQL database applications continuously rework the design and configuration. On reaching the limits of a single server, they break things up; connection pooling, caching, partitioning, replication, and parallel queries can all help handle increasing database workloads. By the end of this book, you will have all the knowledge you need to design, run, and manage your PostgreSQL solution while ensuring high performance and high availability Style and approach This book has been organized in such a manner that will help you understand basic PostgreSQL 10 performance tuning to an advanced-level configuration.

Design and implement scalable and maintainable RESTful solutions with Node.js 10 About This Book ? Create rich and scalable RESTful API solutions from scratch ? Explore the new features of Node.js 10, Express 4.0, and MongoDB ? Integrate MongoDB in your Node.js application to store and secure your data Who This Book Is For If you are a web developer keen to enrich your development skills to create server-side RESTful applications based on the Node.js platform, this book is for you. Some knowledge of REST would be an added advantage, but is definitely not a necessity. What You Will Learn ? Install, develop, and test your own Node.js user modules ? Understand the differences between HTTP and RESTful applications ? Use self-descriptive URLs and set accurate HTTP status codes ? Eliminate third-party dependencies in your tests with mocking ? Implement automation tests for a REST-enabled endpoint with Mocha ? Secure your services with NoSQL database integration within Node.js applications ? Integrate a simple frontend using JavaScript libraries available on a CDN server In Detail When building RESTful services, it is really important to choose the right framework. Node.js, with its asynchronous, event-driven architecture, is exactly the right choice for building RESTful APIs. This third edition of RESTful Web API Design with Node.js 10 will teach you to create scalable and rich RESTful applications based on the Node.js platform. You will be introduced to the latest NPM package handler and understand how to use it to customize your RESTful development process. You will begin by understanding the key principle that makes an HTTP application a RESTful-enabled application. After writing a simple HTTP request handler, you will create and test Node.js modules using automated tests and mock objects; explore using the NoSQL database, MongoDB, to store data; and get to grips with using self-descriptive URLs. You’ll learn to set accurate HTTP status codes along with understanding how to keep your applications backward-compatible. Also, while implementing a full-fledged RESTful service, you will use Swagger to document the API and implement automation tests for a REST-enabled endpoint with Mocha. Lastly, you will explore some authentication techniques to secure your application. Style and approach Step-by-step practical guide to building RESTful applications

Build and program smart robots with the EV3. About This Book ? Efficiently build smart robots with the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 ? Discover building techniques and programming concepts that are used by engineers to prototype robots in the real world ? This project-based guide will teach you how to build exciting projects such as the objecta-tracking tank, ultimate all-terrain vehicle, remote control race car, or even a GPS-navigating autonomous vehicle Who This Book Is For This book is for hobbyists, robotic engineers, and programmers who understand the basics of the EV3 programming language and are familiar with building with LEGO Technic and want to try some advanced projects. If you want to learn some new engineering techniques and take your experience with the EV3 to the next level, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn ? Understand the characteristics that make a robot smart ? Grasp proportional beacon following and use proximity sensors to track an object ? Discover how mechanisms such as rack-and-pinion and the worm gear work ? Program a custom GUI to make a robot more user friendly ? Make a fun and quirky interactive robot that has its own personality ? Get to know the principles of remote control and programming car-style steering ? Understand some of the mechanisms that enable a car to drive ? Navigate to a destination with a GPS receiver In Detail Smart robots are an ever-increasing part of our daily lives. With LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, you can now prototype your very own small-scale smart robot that uses specialized programming and hardware to complete a mission. EV3 is a robotics platform for enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels that makes prototyping robots accessible to all. This book will walk you through six different projects that range from intermediate to advanced level. The projects will show you building and programming techniques that are used by engineers in the real world, which will help you build your own smart robot. You'll see how to make the most of the EV3 robotics platform and build some awesome smart robots. The book starts by introducing some real-world examples of smart robots. Then, we'll walk you through six different projects and explain the features that allow these robots to make intelligent decisions. The book will guide you as you build your own object-tracking tank, a box-climbing robot, an interactive robotic shark, a quirky bipedal robot, a speedy remote control race car, and a GPS-navigating robot. By the end of this book, you'll have the skills necessary to build and program your own smart robots with EV3. Style and approach This book will introduce you to the world of smart robots, then guide you through six different projects that can be completed with the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3. The projects range from intermediate to advanced difficulty. The book will enable you to learn by example, walking you through the building and programming for each project and teaching you about the engineering concepts that allow each smart robot to complete its mission.

Learn how to write efficient, clean, and reusable code with Scala About This Book ? Unleash the power of Scala and apply it in the real world to build scalable and robust applications. ? Learn about using and implementing Creational, Structural, Behavioral, and Functional design patterns in Scala ? Learn how to build scalable and extendable applications efficiently Who This Book Is For If you want to increase your understanding of Scala and apply design patterns to real-life application development, then this book is for you.Prior knowledge of Scala language is assumed/ expected. What You Will Learn ? Immerse yourself in industry-standard design patterns—structural, creational, and behavioral—to create extraordinary applications ? See the power of traits and their application in Scala ? Implement abstract and self types and build clean design patterns ? Build complex entity relationships using structural design patterns ? Create applications faster by applying functional design patterns In Detail Design patterns make developers’ lives easier by helping them write great software that is easy to maintain, runs efficiently, and is valuable to the company or people concerned. You’ll learn about the various features of Scala and will be able to apply well-known, industry-proven design patterns in your work. The book starts off by focusing on some of the most interesting and latest features of Scala while using practical real-world examples. We will be learning about IDE’s and Aspect Oriented Programming. We will be looking into different components in Scala. We will also cover the popular "Gang of Four" design patterns and show you how to incorporate functional patterns effectively. The book ends with a practical example that demonstrates how the presented material can be combined in real-life applications. You’ll learn the necessary concepts to build enterprise-grade applications. By the end of this book, you’ll have enough knowledge and understanding to quickly assess problems and come up with elegant solutions. Style and approach The design patterns in the book are explained using real-world, step-by-step examples. For each design pattern, there are tips on when to use it and when to look for something more suitable. This book can also be used as a practical guide, showing you how to leverage design patterns effectively. We've designed the book to be used as a quick reference guide while creating applications.

Build rich and collaborative applications using client-side code with React, Redux, and Firebase About This Book ? A practical guide covering the full stack for web development with React 16 and Firebase ? Leverage the power of Firebase Cloud Storage, messaging, functions, OAuth, and database security to develop serverless web applications. ? Develop high-performance applications without the hassle of setting up complex web infrastructure. Who This Book Is For This book is for JavaScript developers who have some previous knowledge of React and want to develop serverless, full-stack applications but without the hassle of setting up a complex infrastructure. What You Will Learn ? Install powerful React.js and Firebase tools to make development much more efficient ? Create React components with Firebase to save and retrieve the data in real-time ? Use Firebase Authentication to make your React user interface secure ? Develop React and Firebase applications with Redux integration ? Firebase database security rules ? Firebase Cloud Storage Integration to upload and store data on the cloud ? Create a complete real-time application with React and firebase ? Using Firebase Cloud messaging and Cloud functions with React ? Firebase Cloud Storage integration with React In Detail ReactJS is a wonderful framework for UI development. Firebase as a backend with React is a great choice as it is easy, powerful, and provides great developer experience. It removes a lot of boilerplate code from your app and allows you to focus on your app to get it out quickly to users. Firebase with React is also a good choice for Most Viable Product (MVP) development. This book provides more practical insights rather than just theoretical concepts and includes basic to advanced examples – from hello world to a real-time seat booking app and Helpdesk application This book will cover the essentials of Firebase and React.js and will take you on a fast-paced journey through building real-time applications with Firebase features such as Cloud Storage, Cloud Function, Hosting and the Realtime Database. We will learn how to secure our application by using Firebase authentication and database security rules. We will leverage the power of Redux to organize data in the front-end, since Redux attempts to make state mutations predictable by imposing certain restrictions on how and when updates can happen. Towards the end of the book you will have improved your React skills by realizing the potential of Firebase to create real-time serverless web applications. Style and approach Practical insights rather than just theoretical concepts while including basic to advanced examples – from hello world to a real-time seat booking app and Helpdesk application.