New Releases by Michael J. Sullivan

The New Empire intends to mark its victory over the Nationalists with a bloody celebration. On the high holiday of Wintertide, the Witch of Melengar will be burned and the Heir of Novron executed. On that same day the Empress faces a forced marriage, with a fatal accident soon follow. The New Empire is confident in the totality of its triumph but there''s just one problem-Royce and Hadrian have finally found the true Heir of Novron -- -and they have their own holiday plans. When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations series online, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere. Heir of Novron is the final volume of The Riyria Revelations and includes Wintertide and -- available for the first time -- the final volume, Percepliquis.

IMPORTANT NOTE! This edition of Percepliquis is being released for readers of the original Ridan editions of The Crown Conspiracy. It does not include book 5, Wintertide. If you''re reading the omnibus editions from Orbit, you should purchase Heir of Novron (which includes both Wintertide and Percepliquis). Percepliquis is the final installment of the epic fantasy, The Riyria Revelations. In this saga that began with The Crown Conspiracy, two thieves caught in the right place at the wrong time were launched on a series of ever escalating adventures that have all lead to this moment. Three thousand years have passed and the time for Novron''s heir to act has arrived.

The adventure continues as Royce and Hadrian aid the struggling kingdom of Melengar as it alone stands in defiance against the newly formed empire. War approaches and a desperate gamble behind enemy lines is their only chance at forming an alliance with the Nationalists to the south. But Royce has plans of his own as he uses this opportunity to discover if an ancient wizard is using Riyria as pawns in his own bid for power. To find the truth, Royce must unravel Hadrian''s hidden past. What he discovers will lead them to the end of the known world, on a journey rife with treachery and intrigue. When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.

Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles-until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom. Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires? And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend. When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.

As of July 2008, about 75% of casualties in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were attributed to improvised explosive devices. To mitigate the threat from these weapons, DoD initiated the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program in Feb. 2007, which used a tailored acquisition approach to rapidly acquire and field the vehicles. To date, about $23 billion has been appropriated for the procurement of 16,000 MRAP vehicles. This testimony describes the MRAP acquisition process, the results to date, lessons learned from that acquisition, and potential implications for improving the standard acquisition process. The auditor reviewed DoD''s plans to buy, test, and field the vehicles and discussed the plans with department and contractor officials.

In 2006, the cumulative cost growth in DoD¿s portfolio of 96 major defense acquisition programs was $296 billion and the average delay in delivering promised capabilities to the warfighter was 22 months. These are very poor outcomes. The auditor has used metrics to review the mgmt. and health of these programs from within the framework of best practices. This testimony discusses: (1) ¿knowledge metrics,¿ used to determine how well programs manage tech., design, and manufacturing risks; (2) outcome metrics -- concerning cost, schedule, and capability -- that serve as ¿health indicators¿ of how well programs are being executed in terms of predicted outcomes; and (3) the prerequisites that must be met in order for a program¿s plans and goals to be realistic.

A FORCED WEDDING. A DOUBLE EXECUTION. TWO THIEVES HAVE OTHER PLANS. The New Empire intends to celebrate its victory over the Nationalists with a day that will never be forgotten. On the high holiday of Wintertide the empress will be married. Degan Gaunt and the Witch of Melengar will be publically executed. Then the empress will suffer a fatal accident leaving the empire in the hands of the new emperor. It will be a perfect day. There is only one problem-Royce and Hadrian have finally found the lost heir.ABOUT THE SERIESInstead of a string of sequels The Riyria Revelations is a fantasy series conceived as a single epic tale divided into individual self-contained episodes. All were written before the first was released so that plot elements are intertwined, yet each book has its only story and conclusion. AWARDS AND ACCOLADES2010 Fantasy Book Critic Top 12 Novels as of First Quarter (The Emerald Storm)2010 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (Avempartha)2010 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (Nyphron Rising)2009 Winner of Book Spot Central''s Fantasy Tournament of Books (Avempartha)2009 Top 10 Books by Dark Wolf Fantasy Reviews (The Riyria Revelations)2009 National Indie Book Award Finalist (The Crown Conspiracy)2008 ReaderViews Annual Literary Award Finalist (The Crown Conspiracy)2007 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist (The Crown Conspiracy)BOOKS IN THE RIYRIA REVELATIONSThe Crown Conspiracy (October 2008)Avempartha (April 2009)Nyphron Rising (October 2009)The Emerald Storm (April 2010)Wintertide* (October 2010)Percepliquis* (April 2011)AUTHOR WEBSITESWeb: http://www.michaelsullivan-author.comBlog: http://riyria.blogspot.com/

Since 2003, the Future Combat System (FCS) program has been the centerpiece of the Army''s efforts to transition to a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force. In 2009, however, concerns over the program''s performance led to the Secretary of Defense''s decision to significantly restructure and ultimately cancel the acquisition program. As a result, the Army is outlining a new approach to ground force modernization. This statement outlines the Army''s preliminary post-FCS actions and identifies the challenges DoD and the Army must address as they proceed. The report on which it is based emphasizes the December 2009 decision to begin low-rate initial production for Increment 1 of the Brigade Combat Team Modernization. Illustrations.

Since FY 2000, the DoD has significantly increased the number of major defense acquisition programs and its overall investment in them. However, acquisition outcomes have not improved. In most cases, the programs failed to deliver capabilities when promised -- often forcing warfighters to spend additional funds on maintaining legacy systems. This testimony describes the systemic problems that have contributed to poor cost and schedule outcomes in DoD¿s acquisition of major weapon systems; recent actions DoD has taken to address these problems; and steps that Congress and DoD need to take to improve the future performance of DoD¿s major weapon programs. Illustrations.

A broad consensus exists that weapon system problems are serious, but efforts at reform have had limited impact. Last year, it was reported that DoD''s portfolio of weapon programs experienced cost growth of $295 billion from first estimates, were delayed by an average of 21 months, and delivered fewer quantities and capabilities to the war-fighter than originally planned. This testimony describes the systemic problems that contribute to the cost, schedule, and performance problems in weapon system programs, recent actions that DoD has taken to address these problems, proposed reform legislation that has recently been introduced, and additional steps needed to improve future performance of acquisition programs. Charts and tables.

They killed the king. They pinned it on two men. They chose poorly.#13;#13;There''s no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time...Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out--and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.#13;#13;AWARDS#13;2009 National Indie Excellence Award Finalist#13;2008 ReaderViews Literary Award Finalist#13;2007 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist#13;Named One of the 2008 Notable Indie Books by Fantasy Book Critic #13;Named Top Five Fantasy of Books of 2009 by Dark Wolf''s Fantasy Reviews#13;#13;ABOUT THE SERIES#13;The Crown Conspiracy is book one of the multi-book saga: The Riyria Revelations. Instead of a string of sequels, this six-book fantasy series was conceived as a single epic tale divided into individual novels. While one book may hint at building mysteries and thickening plots, these threads are not essential to reach a satisfying conclusion to the current episode--which has its own beginning, middle, and end. It should be noted that all six were written before the first was released to ensure continuity across a complex plot filled with twists, turns, and page-turning mysteries. Characterization occur across the whole series allowing readers to build friendships with likeable characters that are shaped as events unfold. The Riyria Revelations is written for adults but has no sex and limited violence centered on swordplay and is therefore, appropriate for younger audiences and a movie version based on the novels would garnish a PG-13 rating.

About 75% of casualties in current combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are attributed to improved explosive devices. To mitigate the threat from these weapons, the DoD initiated the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program, which uses a tailored acquisition approach to rapidly acquire and field the vehicles. MRAP is DoD¿s single most important acquisition program. To date, more than $22 billion has been appropriated to acquire more than 15,000 MRAP vehicles, and about 6,600 of the vehicles have been fielded. This report: (1) describes DoD¿s approach for and progress in implementing its strategy for rapidly acquiring and fielding MRAP vehicles; and (2) identifies the challenges remaining for the program. Illustrations.

Measuring Global Values is a major book that represents an enormous research effort. The book enables careful and systematic comparisons over time and across space as to whether a society is improving or losing ground. . . . It provides world order scholars with a fully elaborated framework for future research. . . . [Sullivan''s] book is certain to be the foundational work for future developments relating to normative assessment. Richard Falk Princeton University This volume profiles 162 countries using as a basis for comparison more than a hundred indicators measuring how each country reflects 5 global values: peace, economic well-being, ecological balance, social justice, and political participation. The use of data-based management software systems for the collection of information results in a broad-based analysis which yields thoroughly documented conclusions and affirms the five values as appropriate evaluative tools. Introductory material outlines the methods used in the study, defines the measurement criteria, and identifies the study''s objectives. Each of the five subject areas is then addressed separately, its findings supported by numerous tables and excerpts, and its data supplemented by a bibliography at the end of each chapter. Students of political science as well as global policy scholars will consider this unique application of current technology to the examination of global values a significant contribution to literature on the subject.

Ellis Rogers is an ordinary man who is about to embark on an extraordinary journey. All his life he has played it safe and done the right thing, but faced with a terminal illness he''s willing to take an insane gamble. He''s built a time machine in his garage, and if it works, he''ll face a world that challenges his understanding of what it means to be human, what it takes to love, and the cost of paradise. Ellis could find more than a cure for his illness; he might find what everyone has been searching for since time began - but only if he can survive Hollow World.

Continues the epic story of the war between humankind and the elves--and of ordinary people becoming legendary heroes. It introduces a set of new characters: the dwarves, whose magical weaponcraft could decide the war. It''s up to our heroes to win over the dwarves to the side of humankind--or else lose the war forever.