Once upon a time (all good stories begin with once upon a time) there was a beautiful Christmas tree. It was likely the most beautiful Christmas tree that little Tommy had ever seen. Of course, he was only 7, so he hadnt actually seen that many. This was the fi rst time that little Tommy was old enough to help select the familys Christmas tree. The weekend before Christmas, the family had piled into Grandpas old pickup truck and driven to the tree farm outside of town.

The authors of Culture, Conflict and Counterinsurgency contend that an enduring victory can still be achieved in Afghanistan. However, to secure it we must better understand the cultural foundations of the continuing conflicts that rage across Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, and shift our strategy from an attritional engagement to a smarter war plan that embraces these cultural dimensions.They examine the nexus of culture, conflict, and strategic intervention, and at...

In the quaint town of Willow Creek, where secrets whisper through the wind, a young woman named Mary finds herself at a crossroads. Haunted by a tragic past and burdened by societal expectations, she yearns for a life beyond the confines of her small world. As she navigates the complexities of love, loss, and the search for her true self, Mary's path intertwines with a cast of unforgettable characters. From the enigmatic Dr. Hawthorne to the charming but troubled artist, Edward, each encou...

Can you outwit a demon and escape the labyrinth alive?When best friends Eevie and Tommy hear a rumor of pure evil rising beneath their town, they know they should stay away. They don’t.One wrong step plunges them into a deadly labyrinth—a shifting maze of riddles, traps, and secrets never meant to be uncovered. Now, escape is their only hope. But the labyrinth is watching... and it doesn’t let its challengers leave unchanged.To survive, Eevie and ...

THIRTY-NINE SIXTY - A ROMANTICCHRISTMAS THRILLEROn a frigid December day, sixty-six hours before Christmas, Aedan O'Beirne's wife, Ciara, and their five-year-old son, Colin, disappear. Aedan discovers that he has until the first second of Christmas Day to find them, or he will lose his family forever.Set in Chicagoland, this absorbing and suspenseful tale launches readers into Aedan's surprise-filled world, ...

Space and time are not just terms and functions of the bigger/larger objects in our lives, but intricately woven into the cells that make up our spleen and the neurotransmitters that carry our sense of truth and integrity (or some other thing that carries that--which we have not yet figured out how to find or name just yet). The mercurial and hermetic principle that everything above operates on similar principles as the things below (inside as well as outside) holds true in this conversati...

Some political observers dubbed the 2008 presidential campaign as 'the Facebook Election'. Barack Obama, in particular, employed social media such as blogs, Twitter, Flickr, Digg, YouTube, MySpace and Facebook to run a 'grassroots-style' campaign. The Obama campaign was keenly aware that voters, particularly the young, are not simply consumers of information, but conduits of information as well. They often replaced the professional filter of traditional media with a social one. Social medi...

Discover the power of essential oils to enhance holistic health and wellbeing.Aroma has a potent, positive influence on the brain, promoting physical and mental healing. Neal's Yard Remedies: Essential Oils is a unique, stunningly illustrated guide to the properties and uses of 86 essential oils from basil to ylang-ylang. Try 30 home remedies and essential oil recipes, learn how to apply them safely, and create essential oil combinations to treat common ailments. Plus, mak...

New to Providence, RI, Naima Adewunmi had every intention of fulfilling everything she left her New York borough for, finishing up her Bachelor's degree and finding a job while doing it.She wasn't supposed to fall for Timothy Ferreiro, a smooth, slick talking, sexy specimen of a man, messy bedhead hair included, who also happens to be her new boss. From first wink she was under his spell, which wouldn't be a problem if there weren't one underlying issue: Tim's got a long distance g...

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first human-made object to orbit the Earth. Six decades later, space-faring nations face a much different space environment, one that’s more diverse, disruptive, disordered, and dangerous. Today’s space domain presents a number of asymmetries that differ from other domains, creating a deterrence environment with unique policy implications. Escalation and Deterrence in the Second Space Age, a report from the CSIS Aerospace Securit...

A kidnapping. A legendary ring. A secret powerful enough to change history.When Ava and Carol witness a shocking abduction during what should have been a quiet trip abroad, they are pulled into their most dangerous mystery yet.A dying man’s final message sends the young detectives on a trail of clues across Europe, where they uncover a religious relic rumored to possess extraordinary power: King Solomon’s Ring.But they aren’t the only ones searchi...

Now a fugitive on the run, Noah Balvan seeks freedom and the power to forge his own path. His solitary journey toward the prestigious Royal Academy is fraught with danger, but it also yields great rewards, including forbidden arts and a new, powerful magical beast companion. The academy's brutal entrance test reveals Noah’s overwhelming strength, earning him a place among the elite but also the unwanted attention of arrogant and powerful nobles. Inside the hallowed grounds, he must navigat...