Best Selling Books by Adam Christopher

Ted Hall is worried. He’s been sleepwalking, and his somnambulant travels appear to coincide with murders by the notorious Hang Wire Killer. Meanwhile, the circus has come to town, but the Celtic dancers are taking their pagan act a little too seriously, the manager of the Olde Worlde Funfair has started talking to his vintage machines, and the new acrobat’s frequent absences are causing tension among the performers. Out in the city there are other new arrivals – immortals searching for an ancient power – a primal evil which, if unopposed, could destroy the world! File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Tensile Strength | Dual Identities | The Greatest Show | Bandits ]

Under the Wild Blue captures the author''s expressive and descriptive words regarding human relationships and the natural world.

After the Gushing Rain is creative writing in poetry form, expressing and reflecting journeys taken through life''s "storms" and the aftermaths. The entries are distinct enough to carry unique interpretation depending on the person reading.

Skylights is creative writing in poetry form, expressing and reflecting on friendships and love. The book also brings an outdoor adventurer''s experiences of life in America. The entries are unique enough to carry individual interpretation and responses will vary depending on the person reading. There is not a preset intended age for the reader. Skylights is the author''s first published book.

Written by a micro-preemie dad and a real-life neonatologist, A NICU Christmas Adventure is a book that shows the true spirit of Christmas with a message of hope to families worldwide. Follow three special children on their unbelievable journey with Santa Claus to help bring their siblings home from the NICU in time for Christmas. The book uses humor, beautiful illustrations and heartwarming stories inspired by real families to show life in the NICU. The book will serve as a keepsake for years to come and a reminder of the importance of family, especially in the hospitals and around the holidays.

Both married and leading very separate lives. His emotional battle through his divorce and her turmoil with work and the accident. Would their relationship survive these challenges? Would their emotions be strong enough to take their relationship to the next level? It was a warm summer night when their eyes met across a crowded bar. As Demi struggled to recall his name, he disappeared. How little did they know how that brief encounter would influence their lives. How they would support each other through the roller coaster of challenges. Joshua Barnes was a tall, dark, handsome Chief Executive of a successful Finance Institute. He and Demi had first met some years before when they both worked at the same insurance company.

This textbook features 30 grammar-based exercises for the elementary learner of the English language. Detailed grammar explanations, illustrations, and the answers to the 30 exercises are included.

Over the centuries, in our nation''s times of need, a supernatural force appears to battle back the enemies of the United States: The Shield. Today, the country -- the whole world -- is on the edge of chaos. The middle class is dying as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Global warming''s effects on the environment are drastic and dramatic, with superstorms and deadly droughts a common occurrence. The government increases its grip on the lives of ordinary people, controlling information and curtailing freedoms and privacy. For some, the government itself has become an enemy of the people, and revolution is on the minds of Americans all across the country. The Shield returns--but what happens when she''s not sure who the enemy is? A modern action and conspiracy thriller by bestselling novelists Adam Christopher and Chuck Wendig featuring the dynamic artwork of David Williams, The Shield: Daughter Of The Revolution gives readers a topical, relevant and jarring new take on the classic hero. The Shield, Vol. 1: Daughter Of The Revolution collects the first story arc of the ongoing The Shield comic book series. The stories, characters, and incidents in the publication are entirely fictional. Many of these stories are also products of another time, and may be found to be dated or objectionable in some cases by today''s standards. The stories are represented in the publication without alteration for the purposes of historical reference and research only, and were added to your library at the discretion of your local or institution administrator. Any questions or concerns about the content contained herein should be addressed to them.

Abstract: Presently, security threats from computer viruses to malicious intrusion imperil computer users. To mitigate and counter these threats, a consortium of hardware and software vendors and consumer-electronics manufacturers are implementing "trusted computing" (TC) standards on present and future computer systems. These standards define security policies that can defend computer systems against attacks. However, in their zeal to protect intellectual property, the content and computer industries plan to use TC technologies in ways that will likely infringe upon users'' civil liberties and hamper innovation. Here, details of these technologies and their uses and misuses are explained. An overview of technologies on which TC depends is presented, followed by an explanation of exactly what TC is. Interactions between TC-supported computer hardware, operating systems, and software are explored, as are the potential impacts on civil liberties and the economy. Finally, present and future TC computer systems are analyzed and reasonable policy suggestions are offered.

Another Hollywood night, another job for electric-detective-turned-robotic-hitman Raymond Electromatic. The target is a man in a black hat, and while Ray completes his mission successfully, he makes a startling discovery―one he soon forgets when his 24-hour memory tape is replaced with a fresh reel... Time is running out, and if Ray and Ada want to survive, they need to do exactly what the man in the black hat says. A man that Ray has already killed.

Strategies animals use to find and consume food in the face of conflicting forces such as competition and predation are central questions in the fields of ecological theory and management. Whereas theoretical models abound, proper empirical tests of these theories are less abundant. In studying the relationship between food abundance, predation risk, and competition there exists an array of confounding factors, which need to be accounted for by manipulating some aspect of the system. I used a guild of spring migratory ducks as a model system and manipulated food abundance in areas differing in presumed risk to assess the relative effects of food abundance, predation risk, competition, and life history characteristics on foraging strategies used by ducks. Using a randomized block design, I established a pair of 0.4 ha plots (block) in emergent, open water, and forested wetlands in the Wabash River Floodplain in eastern Illinois. I randomly selected one plot within each block to supplement with 2000 kg/ha of corn ( Zea mays ), creating an area of very high duck food abundance next to a control area with no added food. I conducted instantaneous focal animal samples and used video recorders to estimate the proportion of time mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ), blue-winged teal (Anas discors ), wood duck (Aix sponsa ), ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris ), and lesser scaup (Aythya affinis ) devoted to feeding, identify the specific behaviors used, and estimate feeding stint lengths and frequencies. I used these metrics as an index of risk that ducks were willing to engage in for a known food reward. I predicted that species with a faster life history strategy, factors that increase perceived predation risk (cover, water depth, group size), and increase energetic demand (due to nesting or temperature), would elicit more risk-taking behaviors in ducks. This would be realized by an increase in the proportion of time spent feeding, longer feeding durations, and deeper feeding behaviors in treatment plots compared with control plots. Consistent with my life history prediction, species with a faster life history strategy were willing to engage in more risky behavior (feeding more) for a greater food reward (food treatment). Mallards, lesser scaup, and wood ducks exhibited risk-taking behavior consistent with perceived predation risk. Mallards devoted more time to feeding and used longer feeding stints when in areas with less cover. Alternatively, lesser scaup devoted more time to feeding when in areas of more cover. Wood ducks devoted more time to feeding in treatment plots, when in shallow areas, and larger flocks. When blue-winged teal fed on the surface (eyes above water), they devoted more overall time to feeding indicating that surface feeding is less risky than deeper feeding. Wood ducks and lesser scaup exhibited behavior consistent with an increase in energetic demand as observed by an increase in the proportion of time devoted to feeding later in the spring. I also examined how food abundance influenced aspects of ducks'' foraging niches. I found that dabbling ducks used a greater variety of behaviors (behavior niche breadth) when in treatment plots compared to control plots and also shifted to slightly deeper feeding behaviors in treatment plots. This greater breadth when food was more abundant was due to individuals of the same species diverging from one another, rather than each individual using a broader array of behaviors. Overall, I found substantial variability among and within species in how they manage risk while foraging, although this was partially explained by life history theory, and what types of conditions they perceive as risky. I document the importance of taking the state of the forager (life history, perceived risk, energetic demand) into account when examining patterns of risk-taking.

The evolution of antibiotic resistance is shaped by interactions between genes, the chemical environment, and an antibiotic''s mechanism of action. This thesis explores these interactions with experiments, theory, and analysis, seeking a mechanistic understanding of how different interactions between genes and drugs can enhance or constrain the evolution of antibiotic resistance.

50+ images Inspired by Tim Burton Greatest works The Nightmare Before Christmas Colouring Book! This colouring book provide hours of fun, calm, relaxation and stress relief through creative expression. Enjoy colouring! About the book: * Seria of Tim Burton''s Inspired Colouring Books * High quality premium images * Printed single sided resist bleed-through * A great way to relax, unwind, and let your creativity flow! * Single-sided pages, 8.5x11 size * Perfect as gift for kids and adults

The Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), ruling at a time when the rest of Eurasia seemed to be having tremendous political and social difficulties, stands out as a period of prosperity, expansion, cultural growth, cosmopolitanism and political unity. This dissertation focuses on the port-city of Guangzhou, located on the southeastern coast of China, which was the acknowledged prime destination for maritime trade for most of the Tang dynasty. The specific historical question of this work investigates the influence of international maritime trade on the growth and expansion of Guangzhou during the Tang dynasty. The main assertion of this study is that, during the period of the Tang dynasty, Guangzhou not only grew in urban form due to the flourishing economy, but also became a multivalent symbol---representing both the culture of the imperial center and also the local characteristics of its frontier location. Ultimately, this period in Guangzhou''s history would create a space for the creation of a separate Cantonese identity within the larger narrative of a Han Chinese identity. This dissertation contributes to the historical discourse on the importance of cities in pre-modern Chinese history, frontiers in Chinese history, identity formation, cross-cultural trade in pre-modern times, and the maritime connections between East and Southeast Asia.

Since the dawn of electronic communication, controversy and debate has constantly surrounded the question: what is the appropriate role of electronic media in society? This dissertation takes a rhetorical approach in exploring the context and controversy surrounding our newest form of electronic communication, the internet. I argue that the internet represents a medium that is facilitating a cultural re-articulation of well-worn myths commonly associated with new technologies. I establish this claim through the exploration of two case studies. In my first case study I address the debate surrounding the 2011 Stop Online Piracy Act and its connection to the myth of the romantic genius. The second case study examines the Federal Trade Commission''s 2015 Net Neutrality Order and its relationship with the myth of democratic access. Within each of these case studies I utilize elements of historical criticism, mythic criticism, and the narrative paradigm to explore the divide between our cultural understanding regarding the myths of commodification and participation. Finally, I place both case studies in conversation with one another and discuss the implications of our evolving articulations of media and American society. I conclude that the internet represents a still evolving technology which comes closer than any medium before it to achieving the lofty goals of democratic participation ascribed to it.