An incredible high fantasy adventure set in a world based on familiar fairy tales, folklore, and mythology, "The Seven Spires" is an epic story of dragons, magic, conquering evil, and discovering magnificent new places. When a fearsome creature known as Wyvern begins terrorizing Emrallt, one of the seven realms of the continent of Septer, a group of heroes are brought together seemingly by fate to rally against him. A prince, warrior, wizard, and mysterious, sorceress-like sybil try to discover why a common maiden could be the best chance their kingdoms have against Wyvern’s growing forces that threaten to dominate each and every one of the ancient, arcane spires that bind their kingdoms, and world, together.

Dive into a world of madness and cosmic horror. J. M. Nelson's anthology of short stories is filled with dread and sheer terror, all revolving around a lost city known only as "The Necropolis." This collection features sixteen tales of pure dismay, including the nightmare inducing stories of: "Among the Court of the Stag-King"; "In the Shadow of the Necropolis"; "The Fourth Pyramid of Giza"; and many others. The gothic horror of J. M. Nelson will be sure to keep you up at night.

When Chilla comes of age she learns that her quiet, peaceful life on Vondulla Island where the great Vondi live is coming to an end. The realization that her family are involved in magic, mystic and murder is a lot for her to take in as she prepares to leave the Island with a Vondi protector. Her trip is to take her to the mainland of Choogan where the evil and depraved live. This story takes you on young Chillas journey to recover the lost mysterious Farroway crystal and to find a family she never knew. Follow her through magic, see the dragons as they hatch their young, meet the old mystic who is her mentor. Such experiences as romance and mystery involved on this journey is new to Chilla's requiring her to look at her life and time on the Island in a different way. The discovery of her own magical senses are new and puzzling. Eventually her whole family come together both on and off the Island to help put and end to the tyranny brought about by the Farroway crystal and its reputation.

Peter James Ford, The Unlikely Messenger, is a unique individual with a broad understanding of life from having lived life from many lifestyles. Peter experienced the good, the bad, the ugly, and then an awakening and redemption. His younger years found him struggling with alcoholism and the drugs of the sixties, with having learning disabilities, including attention deficit disorder, and growing up in a violent environment. Peter turned to physical training and motorcycles and found much satisfaction in both. At an early age Peter crawled into the 12-step recovery program a broken man. This was the beginning of Peter’s spiritual journey. Over the years, Peter attained the promises of the program and began living a great life. Many years later, Peter was initiated into a yogic path that had begun thousands of years ago by an ancient lineage of Masters. Peter did not realize that his profound spiritual experience at that time was actually a powerful “Kundalini Awakening” within him. Shortly after his awakening, these mystic tales of past lives and powerful wisdom truths began flowing. Peter has just completed his seventh book about his life adventures and spiritual journey. Peter hopes people find something useful in his writings, or at least that they will bring a smile to your face when thinking about Peter, this “Unlikely Messenger.”

European private equity investment reached €47 billion in 2005, up 27% from 2004. Funds raised for private equity were €72 billion, up 250% on the previous year, both figures being all time highs. Raising Venture Capital Finance in Europe provides business owners, entrepreneurs and investors alike with a step-by-step approach to exploiting this market and funding new projects effectively. Written by Keith Arundale, an advisor and commentator on the European and US VC and private equity industry for over 20 years, the guide blends business experience with practical approaches to enable the reader to maximize the opportunities available. The book includes a series of real-life case studies from venture capitalists and entrepreneurs from around Europe, each with practical tips for successful venture capital finance raising. With forewords from Sir Paul Judge (Chairman, Enterprise Education Trust) and Patrick Sheehan (Chairman, Venture Capital Committee, European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association) the book begins with a brief introduction to the field, including an analysis of current trends and issues in the industry, and goes on to provide a detailed framework for an objective assessment of each business opportunity. The book looks at sources of finance and private equity, shows how to write a successful business plan, details the entire investment process, and considers the tax and legal issues involved. A particular feature of the book is that it looks at the topic from both sides - showing what the venture capitalist is looking for as well as detailing how an entrepreneur or business owner can make proposals attractive to those investors This means that the reader will be able to minimize time wasted on unnecessary activities and therefore develop investment approaches which are succinct, relevant, and give every chance of success.

An international bestseller! From the New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns and An Enchantment of Ravens comes a thrilling, “dark coming-of-age adventure” (Culturess) about a teen girl with mythic abilities who must defend her world against restless spirits of the dead. The spirits of the dead do not rest. Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on; otherwise, they will rise as ravenous, hungry spirits. She would rather deal with the dead than the living, who whisper about her scarred hands and troubled past. When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends it by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being whose extraordinary power almost consumes her—but death has come, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has any chance of stopping it. With all knowledge of vespertines lost to time, Artemisia turns to the last remaining expert for help: the revenant itself. As she unravels a sinister mystery of saints, secrets, and dark magic, Artemisia discovers that facing this hidden evil might require her to betray everything she believes—if the revenant doesn’t betray her first.

The name Washakie Formation is revived for Eocene fluvial rocks that overlie the Green River Formation in the Washakie Basis. The formation is then divided into the Kinney Rim and Adobe Town Members.

The saga continues… Banished from heaven, Lucifer, King of Perdition, presides over hell. Fired by hatred, he has a single goal: to lure unwitting mankind into damnation. And little by little, he is succeeding. But the omens point to a shift in the balance of power. A star burns brightly over planet Earth, heralding the arrival of a child king. The Nazarene. Humiliated, Lucifer is returned to Perdition, mutinous and defiant. Summoning the councils of hell, Lucifer conspires again against the race of men. The fallen will visit the Earth. A new Messiah will be cloned – an earthly emissary to carry out his twisted plans… “There could be no bigger canvas for film-making.” – Mark Ordesky (Executive Producer – Lord of the Rings) “Alec not only re-frames pre-history; she also imaginatively illustrates how the realm of spirit impacts the contemporary material world.” Ileen Maisel (Executive Producer for the Golden Compass) “This is the best work of fiction I have read since the last installment of Dean Koontz’ Frankenstein series” Jim McDonald – 1340Mag – Online Entertainment Magazine.

Becoming the Buddha is the first book-length study of a key ritual of Buddhist practice in Asia: the consecration of a Buddha image or "new Buddha," a ceremony by which the Buddha becomes present or alive. Through a richly detailed, accessible exploration of this ritual in northern Thailand, an exploration that stands apart from standard text-based or anthropological approaches, Donald Swearer makes a major contribution to our understanding of the Buddha image, its role in Buddhist devotional life, and its relationship to the veneration of Buddha relics. Blending ethnography, analysis, and Buddhist texts related to this mimetic reenactment of the night of the Buddha's enlightenment, he demonstrates that the image becomes the Buddha's surrogate by being invested with the Buddha's story and charged with the extraordinary power of Buddhahood. The process by which this transformation occurs through chant, sermon, meditation, and the presence of charismatic monks is at the heart of this book. Known as "opening the eyes of the Buddha," image consecration traditions throughout Buddhist Asia share much in common. Within the cultural context of northern Thailand, Becoming the Buddha illuminates scriptural accounts of the making of the first Buddha image; looks at debates over the ritual's historical origin, at Buddhological insights achieved, and at the hermeneutics of absence and presence; and provides a thematic comparison of several Buddhist traditions.