Father Al Bernardi, S.J., has a problem. He gave sanctuary to the one man all the world wants to see—an alien from Numos. The aliens wanted him back because he alone can reveal the location of their homeworld and the secret of faster-than-light travel. The UN is all for giving him back to prevent a retaliatory alien attack. The world at large wants peace, at any cost. Father Bernardi merely wants to save a life… so he calls his friend at the Vatican. And all hell breaks loose! REVIEWS: "Highly involving… combines a good mystery with the agonies of a well-meaning people." ~Library Journal "The pace and style of a top notch suspense thriller." ~Science Fiction Review "Thought-provoking…" ~Dragon Magazine "Spellbinding… The strengths of this book are many." ~Kliatt OTHER SCIENCE FICTION TITLES by Richard Bowker Replica Dover Beach (The Last P.I. Series, Book 1) The Distance Beacons (The Last P.I. Series, Book 2) OTHER TITLES by Richard Bowker Senator Summit Pontiff Marlborough Street ABOUT RICHARD BOWKER: Critically-acclaimed author Richard Bowker has published a variety of novels including science fiction, mysteries and thrillers. When he isn't writing, Richard enjoys offering thoughts on writing, reading and learning at www.richardbowker.com

The Heart of the World is a land in strife. For fifty years the Holy Empire of Mann, an empire and religion born from a nihilistic urban cult, has been conquering nation after nation. Their leader, Holy Matriarch Sasheen, ruthlessly maintains control through her Diplomats, priests trained as subtle predators. Ash is a member of an elite group of assassins, the Roshun, who offer protection through the threat of vendetta. Forced by his ailing health to take on an apprentice, he chooses Nico, a young man living in the besieged city of Bar-Khos. At the time, Nico is hungry, desperate, and alone in a city that finds itself teetering on the brink. When the Holy Matriarch's son deliberately murders a woman under the protection of the Roshun; he forces the sect to seek his life in retribution. As Ash and his young apprentice set out to fulfill the Roshun orders, their journey takes them into the heart of the conflict between the Empire and the Free Ports...into bloodshed and death. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Sanctuary law has not received very much scholarly attention. According to the prevailing explanation among earlier generations of legal historians, sanctuary was an impediment to effective criminal law and social control but was made necessary by rampant violence and weak political order in the medieval world. Contrary to the conclusions of the relatively scant literature on the topic, Sanctuary and Crime in the Middle Ages, 400-1500 argues that the practice of sanctuary was not simply an instrumental device intended as a response to weak and splintered medieval political authority. Nor can sanctuary laws be explained as simple ameliorative responses to harsh medieval punishments and the specter of uncontrolled blood-feuds. --

"Lush, romantic, and exquisitely written . . . a rare, glittering jewel of a novel."—Sarah J. Maas, author of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series "This is Aladdin like you've never imagined."—Renée Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world. . . . When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years—a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart? As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of the Aladdin story from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

The challenge of creating a fresh, incisive sermon every Sunday can sometimes seem overwhelming -- but if you have the all-new edition of CSS' acclaimed Lectionary Preaching Workbook at your fingertips, you'll never feel that way again! With penetrating reflections on Cycle B lectionary passages and a thorough discussion of preaching themes plus a treasure trove of supporting illustrations, this comprehensive volume is the perfect starting point for your weekly homiletic research. Carlos Wilton combines a scholar's deep insight into the biblical texts with a pastor's practical understanding of how to make them come alive for the people in your pews, and his astute commentary is sure to stimulate your thought process and provide plenty of seeds for developing messages with maximum impact. A handy, easy-to-use sermon planning template is also included to facilitate the process of building your sermon. The Lectionary Preaching Workbook is an indispensable tool that helps you to powerfully proclaim God's Word while getting the most out of your limited preparation time. Each Sunday's material includes: * a listing of applicable Revised Common, Roman Catholic, and Episcopal lectionary texts * a theme for the day * commentary on the Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel lessons * possible preaching approaches * a pastoral prayer * numerous illustrations to flesh out the message Carlos E. Wilton has been the pastor since 1990 of Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church, in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. He previously served as assistant dean and director of admissions at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. Wilton is a graduate of Washington College (B.A.), Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and the University of St. Andrews, Scotland (M.Phil. and Ph.D.). In addition to his parish responsibilities, Wilton is also an adjunct professor at New Brunswick Theological Seminary and a member of the writing team for the online preaching resource The Immediate Word (www.csspub.com).

BOOK SUMMARY Plans of the Deathless Gods. The time: the seven years (1785-1792) before the breakup of European order instigated by the French Revolution. The scene: Prussia, South Africa, New Zealand. The characters: Curt Christoph von Allmen, who proposes the plan of a New Zealand sealing station as medium of commerce with China; his twin sister Maria, who composes an epic poem to commemorate its founding; their friend, philosopher Adam Sixtus lEstrange, whose ruminations on the times issue in a surprising discovery. The plot: Curt Christoph, a philhellene, envisions New Zealand as the scene of a restored Apollonianismwhich his sisters epic playfully portrays, and Adam Sixtus philosophical discovery ironically supports.

Who can ever get enough of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice? Who doesnt dream of strolling through stately shrubberies? Of reveling in Regency lorewhere luxury is silken, manners are refined, and the language reflects exquisite sensitivities and a decorum whose bonds we have managed to escape, yet we still find charmingly quaint? Dreaming Pemberley is a mini-saga composed of four dreams that carry the Bennets, Darcys, Collins, and their friends forward in their lives through two generations. Their journeys are fraught with painful detours and misunderstandings, and they are forced to grapple with character flaws as well as dastardly acquaintances. At one point, a member of the Collins household is deemed a witch! In the fourth dream, the famed equanimity of Pemberley is threatened by a disruptive cat. However, felicity and redemption are persistent threads, and we rejoice when Anne de Bourghs personhood is allowed to blossom, even though Lady Catherine de Bourgh feels strongly abused. Mystery and surprise are found at various twists and turns. Georgianas fate is beyond belief. And the late Mrs. Darcys long-locked tea room engenders a renown that spreads as far as Londonmuch to Mr. Darcys chagrin. Over all, the gracious gentility that pervades Pemberley is a force for good and does much to soothe hearts and hurts.

This collection of writings and images by the legendary Big Bend photographer offers adventure, history, personal musings, and natural beauty. Photographer-naturalist Peter Koch first visited Big Bend National Park in February, 1945, on assignment to take promotional pictures for the National Park Service. He planned to spend a couple of weeks, and ended up staying for the rest of his life. Koch’s magnificent photographs and documentary films introduced the park to people across the United States and remain an invaluable visual record of the first four decades of Big Bend National Park. In this book, Koch’s daughter June Cooper Price draws on her father’s photographs, newspaper columns, and journal entries, as well as short pieces by other family members, to present his vision and many experiences of the Big Bend. The adventure begins with a six-day photographic trip through Santa Elena Canyon on a raft made from agave flower stalks. Koch also describes hiking on mountain trails and driving the scenic loop around Fort Davis; “wax smuggling” and other ways of making a living on the Mexican border; ranching in the Big Bend; collaborating with botanist Barton Warnock; and the history and beauty of Presidio County, the Rio Grande, and the Chihuahuan Desert.