Jack Cleary, once indifferent to corruption, is thrust into its heart upon joining the Sydney police and being assigned to the infamous Park Lane Police Station. Lurking in the shadows are the Black Knights, a covert group seeking to ensnare Jack in their web of deceit. When he’s caught between a Chinese gang war and the enigmatic brothel owner, Madam Liu, who desires to wield him for her empire’s gain, the stakes are sky-high. As Sydney is rocked by gunfights and power plays for control of its underworld, can Jack resist the allure of corruption and treachery? Adding another layer of complexity is the ambitious rookie TV reporter, Jodi Myers. She’s not above using her allure to get close to Jack, hoping for exclusive stories to propel her career. But when she takes on the formidable Black Knights, her life hangs in the balance. Torn between loyalty to the force and saving Jodi, Jack faces an agonizing choice. Where does true loyalty lie, and at what cost? From the very first page, this riveting crime thriller plunges you into the dark underbelly of corruption, making you question everything you thought you knew.

A powerful dissection of one of the fundamental problems in American governance today: the clash between presidents determined to redirect the nation through ever-tighter control of administration and an executive branch still organized to promote shared interests in steady hands, due deliberation, and expertise. President Trump pitted himself repeatedly against the institutions and personnel of the executive branch. In the process, two once-obscure concepts came center stage in an eerie faceoff. On one side was the specter of a "Deep State" conspiracyadministrators threatening to thwart the will of the people and undercut the constitutional authority of the president they elected to lead them. On the other side was a raw personalization of presidential power, one that a theory of "the unitary executive" gussied up and allowed to run roughshod over reason and the rule of law. The Deep State and the unitary executive framed every major contest of the Trump presidency. Like phantom twins, they drew each other out. These conflicts are not new. Stephen Skowronek, John A. Dearborn, and Desmond King trace the tensions between presidential power and the depth of the American state back through the decades and forward through the various settlements arrived at in previous eras. Phantoms of a Beleaguered Republic is about the breakdown of settlements and the abiding vulnerabilities of a Constitution that gave scant attention to administrative power. Rather than simply dump on Trump, the authors provide a richly historical perspective on the conflicts that rocked his presidency, and they explain why, if left untamed, the phantom twins will continue to pull the American government apart.

Jack Cleary, once indifferent to corruption, is thrust into its heart upon joining the Sydney police and being assigned to the infamous Park Lane Police Station. Lurking in the shadows are the Black Knights, a covert group seeking to ensnare Jack in their web of deceit. When he's caught between a Chinese gang war and the enigmatic brothel owner, Madam Liu, who desires to wield him for her empire's gain, the stakes are sky-high. As Sydney is rocked by gunfights and power plays for control of its underworld, can Jack resist the allure of corruption and treachery? Adding another layer of complexity is the ambitious rookie TV reporter, Jodi Myers. She's not above using her allure to get close to Jack, hoping for exclusive stories to propel her career. But when she takes on the formidable Black Knights, her life hangs in the balance. Torn between loyalty to the force and saving Jodi, Jack faces an agonizing choice. Where does true loyalty lie, and at what cost? From the very first page, this riveting crime thriller plunges you into the dark underbelly of corruption, making you question everything you thought you knew.

On November 8, 2016, the seemingly impossible became real: Donald Trump—billionaire tycoon with fundamentally xenophobic, savage, and populist speech—won the presidency and began endangering values like democracy and world peace. Author Daniel Estulin argues that nothing about this situation was accidental and that behind this terrifying event many interests are hidden. This volume asks: How did America get here? Was it a truly democratic event? And, above all, what are the interests behind the election of Trump? From his privileged status as a Russian ex-spy, Daniel Estulin dives into the long process that has led Donald Trump to the presidency. In The Shadows of a Presidency offers a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the actors, governments, companies, and institutions involved in his election and the payout it will yield for insiders.

The musical voice of Texas presents itself as vast and diverse as the Lone Star State’s landscape. According to Casey Monahan, “To travel Texas with music as your guide is a year-round opportunity to experience first-hand this amazing cultural force….Texas music offers a vibrant and enjoyable experience through which to understand and enjoy Texas culture.” Building on the work of The Handbook of Texas Music that was published in 2003 and in partnership with the Texas Music Office and the Center for Texas Music History (Texas State University-San Marcos), The Handbook of Texas Music, Second Edition, offers completely updated entries and features new and expanded coverage of the musicians, ensembles, dance halls, festivals, businesses, orchestras, organizations, and genres that have helped define the state’s musical legacy. · More than 850 articles, including almost 400 new entries· 255 images, including more than 170 new photos, sheet music art, and posters that lavishly illustrate the text· Appendix with a stage name listing for musicians Supported by an outstanding team of music advisors from across the state, The Handbook of Texas Music, Second Edition, furnishes new articles on the music festivals, museums, and halls of fame in Texas, as well as the many honky-tonks, concert halls, and clubs big and small, that invite readers to explore their own musical journeys. Scholarship on many of the state’s pioneering groups and the recording industry and professionals who helped produce and promote their music provides fresh insight into the history of Texas music and its influence far beyond the state’s borders. Celebrate the musical tapestry of Texas from A to Z!

Dev and his friends are back with more mind-bending tech in this third instalment of the Inventory series. This time they are tasked with training new recruits to defend the Inventory's incredible inventions. But will they be ready for action before Shadow Helix's next strike?

Former Royal Marine and special forces operative Zachariah "Zulu" Gerant has the skills and abilities the global media giant Kroetze Group are looking for. As Zulu retires from "The Corp" in the early 1990s, at the very start of the information age, he finds himself in another deadly game. As the most powerful drug cartel on the planet tries to seize control of the Kroetze Group he must again use the skills he honed as a Swimmer Canoeist in the elite, secretive Special Boat Service. He faces betrayal and deceit in his fight to keep himself and his loved ones alive. Undeterred he shuttles back and forth between the US and the UK as he uncovers the truth and pulls away his blindfold.

Such desperately cheery responses from your students don't fool you---you've been in youth ministry long enough to sense when they're up to their ears in life's tough stuff. You know it better than most adults: There's just a lot of brokenness out there---families splitting up and recombining, abuse of all kinds (physical, psychological, sexual, substance), rampant sexual pressures, violence, isolation . . . the list seems endless. So let Tough Stuff be your guide through these deep and painful issues. It's a 12-session curriculum that not only familiarizes you with the complex roots and symptoms of these major hurts, but also informs and inspires your high schoolers on dealing with them from the inside out. Tough Stuff can start the healing process in the areas of--- Denial (escaping denial and admitting our pain) Parents (God is the perfect parent---not Mom or Dad) Masks (removing the facades and living confidently as the real you) Abuse (healing the hurts of abuse from the inside out) Forgiveness (how forgiveness sets us free) Temptation (resisting temptation and breaking addictions) Boundaries (how boundaries affect . . . everything!) Orientation (making sense of gender identity) . . . and more. And don't think you'll be doing all the talking---Tough Stuff is full of engaging and provocative teaching tools: improv and drama, thematic worship, video and music clips, inductive discussions, as well as creative exercises. Tough Stuff is everything you need to navigate your kids through the heartrending realities that they (and their friends) are facing daily. Get into this curriculum, and let the healing begin.