UNDERCOVER COWBOY RUST CREEK RAMBLINGS Greetings, merry readers! As the holidays approach in Rust Creek Falls, we are marveling at the number of couples who have been brought together by this summer’s infamous wedding punch. And then there is Kristen Dalton, our town’s resident actress/romantic. Since July, she has been pining over the “perfect cowboy,” Ryan, whom she met at the wedding. But he left town soon after—for good, or so we thought. Now, Ryan has returned, and folks are betting he and Kristen will be engaged before we can hang the holly. Not so fast, romantic revelers! Our out-of-town cowboy may not be exactly as advertised. Will they still meet under the mistletoe when Kristen finds out who Ryan really is?

An Unexpected Match Millicent Faircloud feels her dreams are coming true when she's assigned to photograph the construction of New York's tallest building—until she realizes it means working with fellow boarder Matt Sterling. He's handsome and kind, but the stubborn man doesn't understand her ambition. Matt can't help but admire Millicent's spirit. But he's been hurt by a woman who cared only for her career, and he won't make that mistake again. Is Millicent more of the same, or would she put family first? If Matt can open his mind to new ideas, he may find love to be the best Christmas present of all.

Brought together by disaster. Kept together by love In the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, it's chaos for trauma surgeon Jessica Hansen. Among the many victims, one patient stands out—San Diego Police K-9 search and rescue officer Cal Palmer. Cal vows to help Kayla, a child orphaned by the disaster. But he needs Jessica's help. Will their shared concern for Kayla and for his canine partner, Scout, allow them to put aside their personal torments and discover the difference love can make?

One Christmas can change your life… Kyle Houseman believes he’ll never find anyone he could love as much as Olivia Arnold, who’s now married to his stepbrother. Not only did he lose her, he's been through one divorce and has no desire to go through another. He’s determined to be extra careful about the next woman he gets involved with—which is why he fights his attraction to the beautiful stranger who rents his farmhouse for the Christmas holiday. Lourdes Bennett is a country music artist. She’s only planning to stay in Whiskey Creek long enough to write the songs for her next album—the album that’s going to put her back on top. Her dreams don’t include settling in a town even smaller than the one she escaped. But as she comes to know Kyle, she begins to wonder if she’d be making a terrible mistake to leave him behind…

WHO WAS SHE? In Regency London, a woman escapes from a burning warehouse only to realize she doesn't know her own identity. Although the locket around her neck bears the name Miranda, she has no recollection of her past. Nor does she know why two very different men want her—the devilishly handsome Scotsman Ian MacVane, and Lord Lucas Chesney, the nobleman who claims to be her betrothed. In a race against time to discover who she is and which man she can trust, Miranda embarks on a soul-stirring journey that takes her from the dazzling salons of London to the craggy Highlands of Scotland. All of her beliefs—about herself, her world and the nature of love—are tested to their limits as she seeks the truth about her past and finds an unexpected passion that ignites the hidden fires within….

The perfect holiday read all year round, a feel-good festive romance with hot chocolate, tinsel and mistletoe by the bucket-load! For the perfect Christmas… When career-girl Holly Brice learns that her estranged father has died, she decides to take a trip down memory lane and find out about the man she never knew. Arriving in the sleepy little Dartmoor village, she’s shocked to discover that she’s inherited the cosy little cottage she remembers so fondly, a whole load of money – and her father’s adorable dog, too! Head to snow-covered Devon! And as the first snowflakes begin to fall and Holly bumps into her gorgeous neighbour, Jack Nelson, life gets even more complicated! Men have always been off the cards for high-flying Holly, but there’s something about mysterious writer Jack that has her re-thinking her three-date rule… Praise for T. A. Williams ‘T. A. Williams has that gorgeous way of writing a feel good story and something which will easily make you smile…he’s absolutely backed up that men can write chick-lit.’ ─ Reviewed The Book (TOP 1000 Amazon Reviewer) ‘When Alice met Danny is maybe the first book in this genre I have read that is written by a man, and T. A. Williams has done a splendid job!’ ─ Rachale's Reads ‘I have read others of the author’s books and have loved them equally. I wanted to jet off to join them and I bet you will too…Great characters, a fun and enjoyable read that will leave you with a big smile on your face.’ ─ Jilllovestoread ‘I had my doubts as to whether a 'bloke' would get it! To get beneath the skin of a woman and process how she'd feel in various scenario's. Let's just say I don't have any longer – Trevor you nailed it.’ ─ Crooksonbooks

The Devil made me… I’m Lilith Straight, the Devil’s servant. You’d think that it would be straightforward, wouldn’t you? Carry out the Devil’s work, that’s all: wreak havoc and cause carnage on Earth… The problem is, I still have a conscience. Which makes life just a little bit tricky in Hell, as you might imagine. And when your sister actually belongs in Heaven, the hot man in your life has his own devilish agenda and the rest of your family won’t stop meddling in your unfinished business…well, let’s just say it’s complicated! No one ever plays by the rules in Hell, so maybe it’s time to make up my own! Book 3 in the Lilith Straight series! Straight to Hell – Book 1 Straight to Heaven – Book 2 Straight by the Rules – Book 3

Celebrate four very festive weddings with Jenny Oliver in Four Weddings and a White Christmas. Four very good reasons to fall in love under the mistletoe! Hannah’s holidays are normally spent nibbling chocolate coins with her daughter and praying she’s not too old for a stocking on Christmas morning. But this year, she’s been offered the dressmaker’s job of a lifetime: creating a one-of-a-kind a gown for her friend Annie’s Christmas wedding on the picture-perfect Cherry Pie Island. Many mince pies and one hot-pink organza dress later, Hannah is set to snuggle back into her old routine…until she discovers that there are three more weddings to come – and not a dress in sight! Four themes, four brides and four parties spent avoiding chef Harry Fontaine, whose cynicism is as much a wedding day guarantee as confetti and cake. Hannah has her work cut out for her! Yet, with a sprinkling of snowflakes and Christmas magic, it could be that this is the year when miracles really do happen…if Hannah will let them. Praise for Jenny Oliver ‘a very uplifting story full of happy endings and guaranteed to make you smile…absolutely perfect for Christmas.’ – Goodreads ‘a fitting and fabulous finale to the series’ – Goodreads ‘Best enjoyed with a mug of mulled wine whilst listening to Bing Crosby’ – Goodreads ‘another slice of warm Cherry Pie Island charm’ – Goodreads ‘The dresses, the food, the weddings, the travel, the winter walks in Manhattan… I loved it all! ‘ – Random Book Muses Welcome back to Cherry Pie Island…The most delicious place to spend Christmas! Perfect for fans of Holly Martin, Jenny Hale and Cathy Bramley. The Cherry Pie Island series The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Café – Book 1 The Vintage Ice Cream Van Road Trip – Book 2 The Great Allotment Challenge – Book 3 One Summer Night at the Ritz – Book 4 Four Weddings and a White Christmas – Book 5 Each part of Cherry Pie Island can be read and enjoyed as a standalone story – or as part of the utterly delightful series.

Christmas is the time for family…and love! One snowy day Vaughn Kyle meets Carrie Hendrickson and his life goes into turmoil. Vaughn is looking to settle down with his fiancée, but as he grows closer to Carrie he starts to question his feelings for the woman he thought he loved. With Christmas around the corner Vaughn needs to figure out what matters to him most – not just at Christmas, but every day of the year… Ellen Cunningham's new life is all about studying. She finally managed to get to college and she isn’t going to let anything stand in her way – that is until Reed Morgan turns up. Suddenly Ellen is finding herself very distracted and as the snow begins to fall could Ellen have found her very own perfect Christmas present? Make Time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber.

New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers celebrates the joy and romance of Christmas in New England Clare Morgan is ready for a fresh start when she moves to the small Massachusetts town of Knights Bridge with her young son, Owen. Widowed for six years, Clare settles into her job as the town's new librarian. She appreciates the warm welcome she and Owen receive and truly enjoys getting the library ready for its role in the annual holiday open house. Clare expects to take it slow with her new life. Then she meets Logan Farrell, a Boston ER doctor in town to help his elderly grandmother settle into assisted living. Slow isn't a word Logan seems to understand. Accustomed to his fast-paced city life, he doesn't plan to stay in Knights Bridge for long. But Daisy Farrell has other ideas and enlists her grandson to decorate her house on the village green one last time. Logan looks to Clare for help. She can go through Daisy's book collection and help him decorate while she's at it. As Clare and Logan get his grandmother's house ready for the holidays, what neither of them expects to find is an attraction to each other. Better than most, they know all the crazy things that can happen in life, but everything about Knights Bridge and this magical season invites them to open themselves to new possibilities…and new love.

He loves them too much to stay Lane Beaumont has always loved Amanda Hawkins. If his life weren't such a mess he'd want much more than their current on-again, off-again relationship. But Amanda deserves a better life than he can offer. So when she gives birth to their son, Lane does the right thing and walks away. Amanda should be devastated. Except his reaction doesn't make sense. The Lane she knows would never turn his back on her or his responsibilities. Plus, she saw that cowboy's heart melt when he held their son. Something else is standing in the way of their happiness and she won't stop until she finds out what.

FINAL PAYBACK The United States consulate in Jordan is firebombed, its staff mercilessly killed. With the group responsible scattered to hideouts in war-torn hot spots around the globe, Mack Bolan has to hit these terrorists hard before they can warn one another. Soon Bolan is turning safe houses and desert refuges into killing fields as he battles to take down the terrorists three by three. But the last of the group vanishes just as Bolan discovers their ultimate target: an international conference in Switzerland headed by the American President. The world’s leaders are caught in the crosshairs, and the Executioner has to stop the splinter group before they strike a global deathblow.

Celebrate the magic of Christmas in Haven Point with New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne, where hope, home and happily-ever-after are as close as your holiday stocking… Christmas is the last thing on Cole Barrett's mind this year. He's barely hanging on trying to care for his two grieving children since his ex-wife died in a tragic accident. For the reclusive Cole, this is no time for gift-giving and celebration—and certainly not for a sunny-natured optimist to blow into his screwed-up life. Physician Devin Shaw has long researched the curative powers of Lake Haven's mineral waters. Unfortunately, the hot springs are on Barrett property, forcing Devin to strike a bargain with the ranch's attractively gruff owner: she'll give Cole's children a magical Christmas, and Cole will allow her patients access to the springs. But can she work her holiday magic to heal the Barrett family's battered hearts—and her own?

Mother and baby make three… When famed cardiologist Cole Montgomery returns home for his brother’s wedding, a medical emergency means he must stay and care for his father. He hires Dr Lizzie Silva to help, but he doesn’t expect her to be so beautiful…or to show up with a tiny daughter! Single mum Lizzie has had a hard life, but working alongside scrumptious Cole reminds her that romance does exist! She can see him falling for her little daughter…does she dare hope that this notorious bachelor might fall for her too? Cowboys, Doctors… Daddies! The Montgomery brothers—from bachelors to dads!

A recipe for disaster…or redemption? A few weeks ago, Harper Worth wouldn't even have eaten at the Rusty Anchor, let alone worked there. But now she's in no position to be choosy. Fired from her lofty post as Washington, DC's, toughest restaurant critic, she's…desperate. Desperate to build a new life for herself in Findlay Roads. And desperate to prove to brooding Connor Callahan, owner, chef and overwhelmed single dad, that she can be a real asset to the Rusty Anchor. Maybe even to him. If he'll just give her a chance. But he may never forgive her for the scathing review that cost him his DC dream. Or the plans she's hatching for his current restaurant…

TOUGH LOVE Colton Reynolds can tame the wildest of stallions, so how can working with Natalie Goodman be this hard? Colt tries to keep his distance while helping the former equestrian champion overcome a serious injury, but her feisty spirit and tender heart prove to be an irresistible combination. Natalie knows that beneath his surly demeanor, Colt is haunted by his past and his time serving as an Army Ranger. He believes he's too scarred to love…or be loved. But she won't give up easily. Just as Colt is determined to help her find her way back into the ring, Natalie is doing everything she can to find a way into his heart.

Unleash the power of Python and its robust data science capabilities About This Book Unleash the power of Python 3 objects Learn to use powerful Python libraries for effective data processing and analysis Harness the power of Python to analyze data and create insightful predictive models Unlock deeper insights into machine learning with this vital guide to cutting-edge predictive analytics Who This Book Is For Entry-level analysts who want to enter in the data science world will find this course very useful to get themselves acquainted with Python’s data science capabilities for doing real-world data analysis. What You Will Learn Install and setup Python Implement objects in Python by creating classes and defining methods Get acquainted with NumPy to use it with arrays and array-oriented computing in data analysis Create effective visualizations for presenting your data using Matplotlib Process and analyze data using the time series capabilities of pandas Interact with different kind of database systems, such as file, disk format, Mongo, and Redis Apply data mining concepts to real-world problems Compute on big data, including real-time data from the Internet Explore how to use different machine learning models to ask different questions of your data In Detail The Python: Real-World Data Science course will take you on a journey to become an efficient data science practitioner by thoroughly understanding the key concepts of Python. This learning path is divided into four modules and each module are a mini course in their own right, and as you complete each one, you’ll have gained key skills and be ready for the material in the next module. The course begins with getting your Python fundamentals nailed down. After getting familiar with Python core concepts, it’s time that you dive into the field of data science. In the second module, you'll learn how to perform data analysis using Python in a practical and example-driven way. The third module will teach you how to design and develop data mining applications using a variety of datasets, starting with basic classification and affinity analysis to more complex data types including text, images, and graphs. Machine learning and predictive analytics have become the most important approaches to uncover data gold mines. In the final module, we'll discuss the necessary details regarding machine learning concepts, offering intuitive yet informative explanations on how machine learning algorithms work, how to use them, and most importantly, how to avoid the common pitfalls. Style and approach This course includes all the resources that will help you jump into the data science field with Python and learn how to make sense of data. The aim is to create a smooth learning path that will teach you how to get started with powerful Python libraries and perform various data science techniques in depth.

Master the art of getting the maximum out of your machine data using Splunk About This Book A practical and comprehensive guide to the advanced functions of Splunk,, including the new features of Splunk 6.3 Develop and manage your own Splunk apps for greater insight from your machine data Full coverage of high-level Splunk techniques including advanced searches, manipulations, and visualization Who This Book Is For This book is for Splunk developers looking to learn advanced strategies to deal with big data from an enterprise architectural perspective. It is expected that readers have a basic understanding and knowledge of using Splunk Enterprise. What You Will Learn Find out how to develop and manage apps in Splunk Work with important search commands to perform data analytics on uploaded data Create visualizations in Splunk Explore tweaking Splunk Integrate Splunk with any pre-existing application to perform data crunching efficiently and in real time Make your big data speak with analytics and visualizations using Splunk Use SDK and Enterprise integration with tools such as R and Tableau In Detail Master the power of Splunk and learn the advanced strategies to get the most out of your machine data with this practical advanced guide. Make sense of the hidden data of your organization – the insight of your servers, devices, logs, traffic and clouds. Advanced Splunk shows you how. Dive deep into Splunk to find the most efficient solution to your data problems. Create the robust Splunk solutions you need to make informed decisions in big data machine analytics. From visualizations to enterprise integration, this well-organized high level guide has everything you need for Splunk mastery. Start with a complete overview of all the new features and advantages of the latest version of Splunk and the Splunk Environment. Go hands on with uploading data, search commands for basic and advanced analytics, advanced visualization techniques, and dashboard customizing. Discover how to tweak Splunk to your needs, and get a complete on Enterprise Integration of Splunk with various analytics and visualization tools. Finally, discover how to set up and use all the new features of the latest version of Splunk. Style and approach This book follows a step by step approach. Every new concept is built on top of its previous chapter, and it is full of examples and practical scenarios to help the reader experiment as they read.

Master the art of building dynamic, modern web applications with React About This Book Learn the hot new frontend web framework from Facebook – ReactJS, an easy way of developing the V in MVC and a better approach to software engineering in JavaScript A fast-paced guide to designing and building scalable and maintainable web apps with React.js Learn all the new ES6 features and be among the most prominent JavaScript developers who can write efficient JS programs as per the latest standards Master the art of building modern web applications using React Learn to build modern native iOS and Android applications using JavaScript and the incredible power of React Who This Book Is For This course is for web developers that want to unlock high performance dynamism in the applications that they create. If you want a comprehensive journey into one of the most important JavaScript frameworks around today, dive into this course. What You Will Learn Take control of the front end with reactive JavaScript programming Discover what ReactJS offers your development - before mastering it Create React elements with properties and children Use JSX to speed up your React development process Test your React components with the Jest test framework Learn the latest syntax of ES6 Execute ES6 in a non-supported ES6 environment Learn the principles of object-oriented programming Create a complete single-page application Use an application design plan to write smarter, more meaningful code Learn how to use animations to give extra style to your application Get to grips with the React Native environment Write your own custom native UI components Integrate native modules in Objective-C and Java that interact with JavaScript In Detail ReactJS has helped to transform the web as we know it. Designed by Facebook to help developers build rapid, responsive UI that can deal with data-intensive usage, it’s an essential component in any web developer’s skillset. This ReactJS course, in five connected modules, provides you with a fast, engaging and practical route into ReactJS—so you can build powerful, elegant, and modern web applications. Beginning with the Reactive Programming with JavaScript module, you will learn how to take advantage of a reactive and functional programming paradigm to rethink how you approach your JavaScript code. It’s built to help you understand the concepts, relevant and applicable for any frontend developer. You’ll then dive a little deeper into ReactJS. The second module gives you a rapid look through the fundamentals of ReactJS, showing you how to build a basic application and demonstrating how to implement the Flux architecture. In the third module you will get to grips with ES6—this will make you a more fluent JavaScript developer, giving you control over ReactJS. You can put your old JavaScript hacks aside and instead explore how to create ES6 custom iterators. In the final two modules you’ll learn how to fully master ReactJS, exploring its wider ecosystem of tools that have helped to make it one of the most important tools in web development today. Ending with insights and guidance on React Native, the tool built for today’s demand for native, intuitive user experiences and interfaces, with this course you can be confident in building dynamic and modern apps with React. Style and approach Consisting of five separate modules, journey from the fundamentals of reactive programming to the exciting possibilities of React Native. Each module builds on each other, helping you to incrementally develop your skills and knowledge.

Master the art of making Docker more extensible, composable, and modular by leveraging plugins and other supporting tools About This Book Get the first book on the market that shows you how to extend the capabilities of Docker using plugins and third-party tools Master the skills of creating various plugins and integrating great tools in order to enhance the functionalities of Docker A practical and learning guide that ensures your investment in Docker becomes more valuable Who This Book Is For This book is for developers and sys admins who are well versed Docker and have knowledge on basic programming languages. If you can’t wait to extend Docker and customize it to meet your requirements, this is the book for you! What You Will Learn Find out about Docker plugins and the problems they solve Gain insights into creating your own plugin Use Docker tools to extend the basic functionality of the core Docker engine Get to grips with the installation and configuration of third-party tools available to use with Docker plugins Install, configure, and use a scheduling service to manage the containers in your environment Enhance your day-to-day Docker usage through security, troubleshooting, and best practices In Detail With Docker, it is possible to get a lot of apps running on the same old servers, making it very easy to package and ship programs. The ability to extend Docker using plugins and load third-party plugins is incredible, and organizations can massively benefit from it. In this book, you will read about what first and third party tools are available to extend the functionality of your existing Docker installation and how to approach your next Docker infrastructure deployment. We will show you how to work with Docker plugins, install it, and cover its lifecycle. We also cover network and volume plugins, and you will find out how to build your own plugin. You’ll discover how to integrate it with Puppet, Ansible, Jenkins, Flocker, Rancher, Packer, and more with third-party plugins. Then, you’ll see how to use Schedulers such as Kubernetes and Amazon ECS. Finally, we’ll delve into security, troubleshooting, and best practices when extending Docker. By the end of this book, you will learn how to extend Docker and customize it based on your business requirements with the help of various tools and plugins. Style and approach An easy to follow guide with plenty of hands-on practical examples which can be executed both on your local machine or externally hosted services.

Create fast, scalable, and high performance applications with C#, ASP.NET Core 1.0, and MVC 6 About This Book Learn the importance of measuring, profiling, and locating the most impactful problems Discover the common areas you might encounter performance problems and areas you don’t need to worry about Understand the differences between development workstations and production infrastructure and how these can amplify problems Design workflows that run asynchronously and are resilient to transient performance issues Who This Book Is For This book is for ASP.NET and C# developers who have experience with the MVC framework for web application development and are looking to deploy applications that will perform well in live production environments. These could be virtual machines or hosted by a cloud service provider such as AWS or Azure. What You Will Learn Why performance matters and when it should be considered Use different tools to measure performance Spot common performance issues, their root causes, and how to easily mitigate them Improve performance at the network level and I/O level, and how to optimize the application as a whole Work with caching and message queuing tools, including patterns and strategies Discover the dark side of performance improvement and find out how to manage complexity Monitor performance as part of continuous integration and regression testing Assess and solve performance issues with other advanced technologies In Detail ASP.NET Core is the new, open source, and cross-platform, web-application framework from Microsoft. It's a stripped down version of ASP.NET that's lightweight and fast. This book will show you how to make your web apps deliver high performance when using it. We'll address many performance improvement techniques from both a general web standpoint and from a C#, ASP.NET Core, and .NET Core perspective. This includes delving into the latest frameworks and demonstrating software design patterns that improve performance. We will highlight common performance pitfalls, which can often occur unnoticed on developer workstations, along with strategies to detect and resolve these issues early. By understanding and addressing challenges upfront, you can avoid nasty surprises when it comes to deployment time. We will introduce performance improvements along with the trade-offs that they entail. We will strike a balance between premature optimization and inefficient code by taking a scientific- and evidence-based approach. We'll remain pragmatic by focusing on the big problems. By reading this book, you'll learn what problems can occur when web applications are deployed at scale and know how to avoid or mitigate these issues. You'll gain experience of how to write high-performance applications without having to learn about issues the hard way. You'll see what's new in ASP.NET Core, why it's been rebuilt from the ground up, and what this means for performance. You will understand how you can now develop on and deploy to Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux using cross-platform tools, such as Visual Studio Code. Style and approach Starting with a drill down into the nuts and bolts of various performance parameters, you will get an understanding of the ASP.NET MVC 6 framework with the help of rich code-based examples that will equip you to build highly scalable and optimized applications.