Most Popular Books by Scott Smith

A nuanced portrait of a great historical figure considered everything from a “God-haunted man” to a “stalwart nonbeliever” What did faith mean to Winston Churchill? Churchill was far from transparent about his religious beliefs and never regularly attended church services as an adult, even considering himself “not a pillar of the church but a buttress,” in the sense that he supported it “from the outside.” But Gary Scott Smith assembles pieces of Churchill’s life and words to convey the profound sense of duty and destiny, partly inspired by his religious convictions, that undergirded his outlook. Reflecting on becoming prime minister in 1940, he wrote, “It felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.” In a similarly grand fashion, he described opposing the Nazis—and later the Soviets—as a struggle between light and darkness, driven by the duty to preserve “humane, enlightened, Christian society.” Though Churchill harbored intellectual doubts about Christianity throughout his life, he nevertheless valued it greatly and drew on its resources, especially in the crucible of war. In Duty and Destiny, Smith unpacks Churchill’s paradoxical religious views and carefully analyzes the complexities of his legacy. This thorough examination of Churchill’s religious life provides a new narrative structure to make sense of one of the most important figures of the twentieth century.

Mechanical Vibrations: Modeling and Measurement describes essential concepts in vibration analysis of mechanical systems. It incorporates the required mathematics, experimental techniques, fundamentals of model analysis, and beam theory into a unified framework that is written to be accessible to undergraduate students, researchers, and practicing engineers. To unify the various concepts, a single experimental platform is used throughout the text. Engineering drawings for the platform are included in an appendix. Additionally, MATLAB programming solutions are integrated into the content throughout the text.

Comet Press is extremely proud to present its third annual anthology featuring this year''s hardcore corps of authors with the best extreme horror fiction of 2017 that breaks boundaries and trashes taboos. It was a killer year for horror fiction of the harder kind. Authors, editors and publishers presented readers with some startling works of horrific imagination, stories graphic in the extreme yet with subtleties suggesting larger meanings, tales that explore humanity by plumbing depths of soulless inhumanity and, in some cases, outright depravity. The stories here represent the best of them, disturbing tales that dig deep and take you into the dark heart of horror itself, unrelenting and unapologetic. “So Sings The Siren” by Annie Neugebauer takes us onto a Dark Fantasy stage for a one-night-only performance of mythological torture. Then Ryan Harding’s “Junk” gets right to the hardcore stuff with the ultimate dick-pic horror tale. Robert Levy’s “The Cenacle” is a literary cemetery feast you may have a hard time stomaching (Tums won’t save you). Nathan Ballingrud’s “The Maw” treads surefootedly on Sci-Fi ground, right up to the edge of the Maw itself in a tale of stunning originality. Luciano Marano made his first pro sell when he sold “Burnt” to DOA III, certainly one of the year’s best anthologies, and the tale has it own fiery fetishistic twist. “The Better Part of Drowning” by Octavia Cade treads waters of both science fiction and fantasy but it’s pure horror at its biting depths. Tim Waggoner’s “Til Death” is Lovecraftian Post-Apocalypse horror at its absolute best. “Letter From Hell” comes with that special delivery you only get from Matt Shaw. Dani Brown gets down and very dirty in her “Theatrum Mortuum,” which may be the most extreme thing you read all year. Glenn Gray’s “Break” is a hard-to-take anatomy lesson given to a man weary of doing hard time. In “Bernadette” Ramiro Perez de Pereda gets medieval in his tale of a djinn summoned by a desperate priest. Brian Hodge takes you on a trip to Mexico you will never forget in “West of Matamoros, North of Hell.” This story is a masterpiece of suspense, a grueling experience that may well leave you exhausted by the end. You might even feel like a vacation afterward, but we’re betting it won’t be to Matamoros. Bracken MacLeod’s “Reprising Her Role” takes us behind the scenes of a porno snuff film for a gut-wrenching reprisal and unexpected bonus footage. A real-life death threat inspired Doug Ford’s “The Watcher” and we think it shows. “Scratching From The Outer Darkness” showcases Tim Curran’s descriptive prowess and gives you a tale of hardcore Cthulhu Mythos. Brace yourself when Adam Howe’s “Foreign Bodies” takes you deep into the bowels of a nasty abyss—which might make a good echo chamber for the laughter Adam’s patented black humor is likely to elicit. Sean Patrick Hazlett introduces us to “Adramelech,” an ancient demon with a taste for broiled children. Daniel Marc Chant’s “ULTRA” jacks into a popular VR game called Slut Slayer. But what if it’s more than a game? Nathan Robinson takes us into the trees with a group of militant environmentalists who will discover a tree hugger of the deadly sort, entirely alien to their experience. Scott Smith (A Simple Plan and The Ruins) wraps up this year’s fat package of the hard stuff in a big bloody bow with “The Dogs.” The canines in this tale are not Man’s Best Friend variety, nor are they Woman’s Besties, as you will see. Thanks for coming along into this year’s heart of hardcore darkness. We hope to see you on the other side.

Using clear, simple, jargon-free language, "Making iMovies for the Web" offers step-by-step instructions and guides readers through the unique features of Apple''s easy-to-use iMovie software (integrated with the new iMac DV models). On top of that, the disk provides all the necessary elements--lesson files, video clips, sound effects, music scores, illustrations, still photographs--for completing sophisticated tutorial projects, inspiring readers by giving them a sense of confidence and competence.

In shadowy back alleys, crumbling brownstones, and gleaming skyscrapers, cities harbor unique forms of terror. Here lie malicious ghosts, cursed buildings, malignant deities, and personal demons of every kind. Twenty of today''s most talented writers bend their skills toward the darkness, creating brand-new tales guaranteed to keep you awake at night-- especially if you live in the dark cities. Far worse than mythical creatures such as vampires and werewolves, these are horrors that lurk in the places you go every day--where you would never expect to find them. But they are there, and now that you know, you''ll never again walk the streets alone.

The popular Citadel Press "100" Series takes an exciting new twist with "The Film 100", a listing of cinematic luminaries, ranked in order by the sheer magnitude of their impact on the motion picture industry. Filled with information about alluring screen idols, flamboyant producers, and eccentric inventors, "The Film 100" offers readers new and engaging biographical entries, photos, diagrams, and exclusive interviews with the living legends of the craft.

I started using KDP (as well as other publishing distribution channels) way back when it first opened its doors, and I haven''t looked back. I''ve launched several imprints and have sold over 2,000,000 books. In this book, I''ll show you how I, and other authors, have done it.

Comptable dans un coin reculé de l’Ohio où il a grandi, Hank Mitchell a l’impression d’être passé à côté de sa vie. Son frère, Jacob, erre de bar en bar, en ressassant la perte de la ferme familiale pour cause de dettes. Or, eux à qui la chance, depuis des générations, n’avait jamais souri découvrent, au milieu d’une forêt enneigée, l’épave d’un avion contenant un sac de quatre millions de dollars. Leur plan : attendre un an avant de profiter de l’argent. Ce trépidant polar est le récit d’une spirale infernale où les personnages, comme possédés par ce qu’ils ne possèdent pas encore, se laissent glisser sur la pente du mal. Peut-être que la quête du bonheur mérite bien quelques contorsions avec la morale, mais à quel prix ? Originaire de l’Ohio, Scott Smith connaît ces paysages désolés et fascinants qu’il décrit si bien dans son premier roman paru en 1993. Succès critique et public aux États-Unis, Un plan simple a été traduit dans de nombreux pays et adapté au cinéma par Sam Raimi. Le film Fargo des frères Coen et la série qui en découle lui doivent ses décors et son humour froid.

Las vacaciones mexicanas de unos jóvenes estadounidenses dejarán de ser unos días de diversión para convertirse en una auténtica pesadilla. Stephen King dice de ella: « Suspense al más puro estilo Ruth Rendell. Smith pretende aterrorizar al lector y lo consigue, y lo hace de una manera directa, sin atajos: Las ruinas es un prolongado grito de horror.» Unos jóvenes norteamericanos de vacaciones en México ven como estas se convierten en una pesadilla. Lo que iba a ser un trekking emocionante por la jungla, pasa a ser una caza y captura en la que ellos serán las víctimas. «La enredadera era la razón de su cautividad allí: esa era la esencia de lo que les estaba diciendo Jeff. Los mayas habían conseguido formar un claro al pie de la colina sembrando el suelo con sal, todo con la intención de aislar a la planta. La teoría de Jeff era que la enredadera se reproducía por contacto. Cuando la tocaban recogían las semillas, las esporas, o lo que fuese que les sirviese de medio de reproducción, y si cruzaban el claro, se las llevarían consigo. Por eso los mayas no los dejaban salir de la colina. - ¿Y los pájaros? -preguntó Mathias - No hay pájaros -interrumpió Jeff-. ¿No lo has notado? Ni los pájaros ni insectos; ningún ser vivo aparte de nosotros y la planta.»

The Good Coach will lead you into the playbook that can make a difference in all aspects of life. Find encouragement and clarity as you dive into the playbook of Jesus and learn how his idea of winning did not begin on the field of play, but in the hearts of men and women. The questions at the end of each chapter will help you, fellow coaches, and parents have a powerful and unique perspective on making an eternal difference. Read it for yourself, give it away, or start a small group with other coaches or athletes.

When a Japanese submarine surfaces on a summer night in 1942 to shell a gun battery on the Oregon coast, two young men embark on separate journeys. One will savor early victory, ecstatic love and the fiery destruction of his Japanese homeland. The other will lose his innocence in the ferocity of the Pacific War. At home and in the Pacific, the families and loved ones of these two warriors also pass through the storm of war.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED...what enables a person to overcome obstacles and achieve the extraordinary? Many have wondered what causes a person to rise above mediocrity and step into the remarkable. Throughout history and all walks of life, people who have achieved extraordinary success have had something in common. It is the power I call breakthrough. Breakthrough Is in You will help you conquer five common fears by giving you two essential tools: insight on how these fears work against you and strategies that will help you overcome them so you can unleash your hidden potential.

"This introduction provides an overview of the contents of the present volume but also attempts to situate the information and arguments of the individual chapters in the context of Greek and Roman mythographical studies today, which have changed dramatically in the last three decades. Additionally, a brief survey of the shifting modes of mythography in antiquity is presented. While a simple exposition is impossible and a complete overarching theory and definition cannot be provided, we note how many of the contributions point toward mythography as a mental orientation or intellectual impulse rather than a clear-cut genre"--

When Hank, Jacob and Lou find $4.4 million inside a crashed plane in a nature preserve, they quickly come up with the plan to keep the money safe until the plane has been found by others and the dust has settled. But Jacob, Hank''s brother, and Lou, a friend, do not behave the way hey decided to. Lou, constantly in financial debt, wants his share soon and Jacob wishes to renovate their parents'' farm. The trusty atmosphere between the unequal partners dissolves slowly, and intrigues are spun. Also, accidents start happening and when an FBI agent comes into town, looking for a crashed plane, Hank and his partners get into very deep water.

Deux couples d''étudiants s''aventurent au cœur du Yucatàn à la recherche d''un touriste mystérieusement disparu sur un site archéologique maya. Munis d''une carte griffonnée sur un bout de papier et de quelques bouteilles de tequila, ces jeunes gens en quête d''émotions fortes délaissent les plages de Cancun et débarquent dans une jungle hostile. "N''y allez pas ", les supplie un chauffeur de taxi ; "N''y allez pas ", leur répète un jeune villageois; "N''y allez pas ", leur martèle un inquiétant cavalier. Bravant les avertissements de tous, ils progressent dans ces territoires inconnus. Au péril de leur vie...

Ein Vier-Millionen-Dollar-Fund macht drei völlig unterschiedliche Männer zu einer verschworenen, aber explosiven Zweckgemeinschaft, die zunehmend in den Teufelskreis von Schuld und Verbrechen gerät.

How to Meet a Supermodel is a romantic comedy screenplay for what is destined to become a Hollywood blockbuster. Tom Finn just graduated from college and has a ridiculous plan: He''s going on a road trip from Columbus, Ohio to Los Angeles to try to meet a famous supermodel by giving her a 6-foot-tall portrait he painted of her. Words like "stalker" and "lunatic" come to mind, but Tom is actually just a perfectionist dreamer who has spent too much of his first twenty-two years fantasizing about "the ideal woman" and keeping life neat and orderly. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) for Tom, he brings his two best friends along on the road trip--Pete the extremely handsome uber-hunk and Dennis the hippie pothead with a 140 I.Q. On Day 1, Pete picks up a young woman at a truck stop and convinces Tom to let them bring her along, and Dennis reveals a secret that threatens to derail their whole summer and possibly land them in prison or get them shot. And just like that, Tom''s plan to meet the supermodel goes from unlikely to lightning-strike impossible. Will the travelers even make it to L.A.'' Will Tom get to meet the supermodel? And if he does, will she still be the woman of his dreams?