At first glance, it appears to be an accident . . .A car carrying an elderly couple goes off the side of a mountain and tumbles into oblivion on a beautiful sunny day in the Coronado National Monument. A note pulled from the twisted wreckage suggests the tragedy may have been a double suicide—but an autopsy later suggests something different. A deadly fire and a fatal home invasion may or may not have some connection to the terrible crash. And miles away in the desert, a savage rain has revealed something grisly and terrifying: two trash bags filled with human remains.It's just another day in the life of Cochise County sheriff Joanna Brady, who must somehow balance the rigors of police work with a newborn, a teenager, a writer-husband, and a difficult mother. But Joanna will not allow murder to go unpunished in her jurisdiction—even if her path to the truth is twisting and dangerous . . . and leads to shocking revelations about those entrusted with caring for the helpless.

In the deft hands of Neil Gaiman, magic is no mere illusion . . . and anything is possible. In Smoke and Mirrors, Gaiman's imagination and supreme artistry transform a mundane world into a place of terrible wonders—where an old woman can purchase the Holy Grail at a thrift store, where assassins advertise their services in the Yellow Pages under "Pest Control," and where a frightened young boy must barter for his life with a mean-spirited troll living beneath a bridge by the railroad tracks. Explore a new reality, obscured by smoke and darkness yet brilliantly tangible, in this extraordinary collection of short works by a master prestidigitator. It will dazzle your senses, touch your heart, and haunt your dreams.

A woman with a talent for numbers, Alexandra Scott wanted to escape the rat race and go someplace where the men outnumber the women. Trading in her Wall Street job and fancy condo for a rundown cabin in the woods. She's now Alaskan Wilderness Woman. It isn't long before she finds exactly what she's looking for: one sexy pilot named Michael Casey. But this confirmed bachelor has no intentions of getting caught in any woman's crosshairs—especially a hunter as appealing as Alex. It'll take skill, determination, and a little romantic persuasion for this big-game hunter to bag her prey.

Alex Ko’s moving autobiography will inspire tweens to dare to dream big.?Alex Ko: From Iowa to Broadway, My Billy Elliot Story follows Alex’s journey from small town Iowa to becoming a famous Broadway performer in New York City. Despite all the odds he had to overcome—facing his father’s tragic death from cancer, financial difficulties, countless auditions, and serious injuries, Alex triumphantly lands the starring role in the musical Billy Elliot at age thirteen.?For theater fans who want an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the world of backstage Broadway to kids determined to achieve dreams of their own, Alex Ko’s story, told in his own words, is powerful and personal.?A collection of black-and-white photos from both Billy Elliot productions and Alex’s childhood brings his world vividly to life.

SamanthaWhen she manages to get herself hired for the cattle drive, all of Samantha's prayers seem to be answered. The hundred dollars she'll earn will pull her family's Texas farm out of ruin and pay off their debts. But keeping the cowhands fooled that she's a boy becomes harder than she'd expected where one cowboy in particular is concerned.The CowboyMatthew Hart wants two things: to forget the tragedies he witnessed on the front lines of the War Between the States, and to reclaim his cowboy life. The last thing he wants is the responsibility of a tagalong youngster on the cattle drive. His closed mind and hardened heart are territory best left unexplored, until a fateful moment turns his world upside down.Matt discovers what and who "Sam" really is, and he is furious. But soon a stronger emotion takes hold, and bound by Samantha's secret, Matt is torn between revealing her identity and his own sudden and frightening love for her.

"Jonah Black broke my heart"-- Cecily Lachoy"Dude's got integrity, and he dives like a king. He's my idol."-- Woodrow "Wailer" Contrad"Jonah Black cracked his skull open over a girl. You gotta admire a kid who does a thing like that." -- Herman "Pops" Berman"I love Jonah Black, and he has no clue who I am."-- NorthgirlVolume II reveals why Johan was expelled from boarding school -- but not why he did what he did, or just what that girl meant to him.

The perfect summer story of a girl, several boys, and a cruise ship full of possibilities.Lindsay has never been on a cruise, but she knows exactly what she wants to do now that she is: climb a waterfall, snorkel, meet lots of cute guys, and look for one perfect guy for a summer fling.But her to-do list isn't going according to plan, especially when she discovers that it's impossible to have a fling-when you're actually falling in love.

Cooper, Annie, and Kate celebrate the winter solstice in true Wiccan spirit. The threesome joins practitioners of the Craft in a remote, haunted house in the wintry mountains. An unexpected blizzard strikes, and the girls cannot resist the lure of the dark house's shrouded mystery.

Special feature: This PerfectBound e-book contains: An interview with Isobel Bird, part twoJoined together hand in hand our circle gathers round, to work our magic, weave the web, and dance on sacred ground. By the goddess we are called, witch to witch and friend to friend, to merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again. A book of spells brought Kate, Cooper, and Annie together. The three are compelled to learn more, and the door is opened with the stirring ritual of the Vernal Equinox.

Show me places cloaked in secrets,pierce the gloom of darkest night.Reveal that which has been hidden,Let Me see with second sight.Kate, Annie, and Cooper are Wiccans -- joined by magic bound to nature. Their dreams have turned to visions of a missing girl, calling to them for help....

On the eve of fair midsummer,Longest day and shortest night,Faerie magic, fill these woods,With joyous song and laughter bright.Midsummer's eve finds Kate, Annie, and Cooper celebrating the most joyous sabbat with nature -- and a few not unwelcome strangers. On a night when identities and emotions become tangled and confused under the strange solstice sky, one will be led astray.

Here within the healing circle,Bathe in the light and pain dispel,All that sickens, all that troubles,Wash away and be made well.Disillusioned, Cooper abandons the Wiccan circle and Kate and Annie are left without her. But when an illness threatens someone close to one of them, Cooper returns. Can the circle, once broken, ever be restored?

The five-pointed star is the Wiccan symbol of the Spirit, and that's how Cooper wears it. Those not versed in the ways of the Craft find it unsettling, however. Will Cooper, Annie, and Kate be able to withstand the tide of controversy bearing down upon them?

Acclaimed author Francesca Lia Block weaves pure magic into this deftly constructed tale殮e girl′s path to womanhood told in linked short stories. Written in her uniquely poetic, carefully crafted style, Echo is a tour-de-force from one of our most exciting contemporary writers. Ages 11+

But this is what I could not give up:I could not give up myselfPsyche has known Love—scented with jasmine and tasting of fresh oranges. Yet he is fleeting and fragile, lost to her too quickly. Punished by self-doubt, Psyche yearns to be transformed, like the beautiful and brutal figures in the myths her lover once spoke of. Attempting to uncover beauty in the darkness, she is challenged, tested, and changed by the gods and demons who tempt her. Her faith must be found again, for if she is to love, she must never look back.

True love. False friends. Scandalous gossip. Welcome back to Manhattan, 1899.As rumors fly about the untimely demise of New York's brightest star, Elizabeth Holland, all eyes are on those closest to the dearly departed: her sister, Diana, the family's only hope for redemption; Henry Schoonmaker, the flame Elizabeth never extinguished; Penelope Hayes, poised to claim all that her best friend left behind; even Elizabeth's former maid, Lina Broud, who discovers that while money matters and breeding counts, gossip is the new currency. In this delicious sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Luxe, nothing is more dangerous than a scandal . . . or more precious than a secret.

When Silas Heap unSeals a forgotten room in the Palace, he releases the ghost of a Queen who lived five hundred years earlier. Queen Etheldredda is as awful in death as she was in life, and she's still up to no good. Her diabolical plan to give herself everlasting life requires Jenna's compliance, Septimus's disappearance, and the talents of her son, Marcellus Pye, a famous Alchemist and Physician. And if Queen Etheldredda's plot involves Jenna and Septimus, then it will surely involve Nicko, Alther Mella, Marcia Overstrand, Beetle, Stanley, Sarah, Silas, Spit Fyre, Aunt Zelda, and all of the other wacky, wonderful characters that made magyk and flyte so memorable.With heart-stopping action and a dash of humor, Angie Sage continues the fantastical journey of Septimus Heap.

An esteemed doctor who has helped countless women achieve their dream of having a child offers his program for enhancing fertility through traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Dr. Daoshing Ni, descended from more than 70 generations of Taoist masters, has achieved renown among high-tech infertility specialists, TCM practitioners, and his many devoted patients. The Tao of Fertility is the first book combining a practical plan for conceiving using TCM with empowering Taoist principles that can carry you through pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond. Structured according to a woman’s journey to conception, The Tao of Fertility includes: A questionnaire assessing fertility potential A 28-day fertility enhancement programSimple meditations and acupressure points to improve reproductive circulation and relaxationGuidelines for mapping your fertility using Chinese methods of diagnosisInformation on how herbs and acupuncture can increase fertilityEating plans for pregnancy, postpartum, and while breast-feeding. and much moreEnriched by moving stories of women who became pregnant using TCM, this is a compassionate, comprehensive handbook.

This is the story of two girls, racing through space like shadow and light. A photo negative, together they make the perfect image of a girl. Violet is the dark one, dressed in forever black, dreaming Technicolor dreams of spinning the world into her very own silver screen creation. Claire is like a real-life Tinker Bell, radiating love and light, dressing herself in wings of gauze and glitter, writing poems to keep away the darkness. The setting is L.A., a city as beautiful as it is dangerous, and within this landscape of beauty and pain Violet and Claire vow to make their own movie. Together they will show the world the way they want it to be, and maybe then the world will become that place--a place where people no longer hate or fight or want to hurt. But when desire and ambition threaten to rip a seamless friendship apart, only one thing can make two halves whole again--the power of love.Francesca Lia Block's latest novel is a beautifully told story that boldly combines the world of film with the lyrical graceful language of poetry. The voices of two friends--one dark, one light--combine to tell a larger tale of love and loss, and the strength that comes from believing in dreams.

Allison Holloway may be one of the last holdouts: a true reality TV junkie. (Hey, there's no shame in admitting you enjoy watching the Donald say "You're fired!" for the millionth time.) But when her boss signs up their interior design firm for Kamikaze Makeover, Allison knows things are never going to be the same again. Dozens of cameras are set to tape every embarrassing moment as two teams compete for $3 million by executing a bold design concept using unorthodox materials (sex toys, anyone?). As if that wasn't bad enough, a hunky producer tries to seduce Allison with fine champagne and limo rides, while an equally hunky Dave wants to introduce her to the finer things in his life like beer and basketball games, and a piranhalike press hounds her day and night -- and let's not forget the vibrator wall art. Will Allison ever get her life backWill she finally find her prince after kissing so many frogsJoin Allison as she fights back against the lies, the double-dealing, and the backstabbing to prove that she's a survivor even a gooey round of pudding wrestling can't defeat.

Make applications cross-communicate using Apache Thrift! About This Book Leverage Apache Thrift to enable applications written in different programming languages (Java, C++, Python, PHP, Ruby, and so on) to cross-communicate. Learn to make your services ready for real-world applications by using stepwise examples and modifying code from Industry giants. Be a crackerjack at solving Apache Thrift-related issues. Who This Book Is For If you have some experience of developing applications in one or more languages supported by Apache Thrift (C++, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, and others) and want to broaden your knowledge and skills in building cross-platform, scalable applications, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn Understand the need for cross-language services and the basics of Apache Thrift. Learn how Apache Thrift works and what problems it solves. Determine when to use Apache Thrift instead of other methods (REST API), and when not to use it. Create and run an example application using Apache Thrift. Use Apache Thrift in your applications written in different languages supported by Apache Thrift (PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, and C++). Handle exceptions and deal with errors. Modify code in different languages.< Use Apache Thrift in the production environments of big applications. In Detail With modern software systems being increasingly complex, providing a scalable communication architecture for applications in different languages is tedious. The Apache Thrift framework is the solution to this problem! It helps build efficient and easy-to-maintain services and offers a plethora of options matching your application type by supporting several popular programming languages, including C++, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, Erlang, Perl, Haskell, C#, Cocoa, JavaScript, Node.js, Smalltalk, OCaml, and Delphi. This book will help you set aside the basics of service-oriented systems through your first Apache Thrift-powered app. Then, progressing to more complex examples, it will provide you with tips for running large-scale applications in production environments. You will learn how to assess when Apache Thrift is the best tool to be used. To start with, you will run a simple example application, learning the framework's structure along the way; you will quickly advance to more complex systems that will help you solve various real-life problems. Moreover, you will be able to add a communication layer to every application written in one of the popular programming languages, with support for various data types and error handling. Further, you will learn how pre-eminent companies use Apache Thrift in their popular applications. This book is a great starting point if you want to use one of the best tools available to develop cross-language applications in service-oriented architectures. Style and approach A stepwise guide to learning Apache Thrift, with ready-to-run examples explained comprehensively. Advanced topics supply the inspiration for further work.