Some wounds run deeper than others. Some tragedies never heal. Some enemies just won’t give up… Julien Lacusta is a troubled soul, born into tragic circumstances, and raised in a violent time. Despite being a Master Warrior in the house of Jadon, and one of the most elite trackers the Vampyr have ever seen, he is damaged to the core: tormented by endless shadows, haunted by unseen ghosts. And he knows—by all the celestial gods; he knows—that if he ever releases those demons, the beasts that lurk within, there will be hell, fire, and brimstone to pay. The very earth will suffer. Rebecca Johnston is fighting hellhounds of her own: a stalker who won’t let her go, an enemy she cannot defeat, a life that is no longer safe…or free. When she ventures into Dark Moon Vale to raise funds for a worthy cause, she has no idea that she is knocking on the door of fate. She has no idea that an ancient Blood Moon and an inescapable dark Curse are about to change her life. Caught in a web of ever-increasing danger, the machinations of an ancient foe, and a burgeoning house of lies, Julien and Rebecca must summon their courage, face their fears head-on, and fight their way through the chemical allure of BLOOD ECSTASY.

I am much more than meets the eye. I am stronger, smarter, and I won’t stop until I’m on top. He thinks he’s safe around me. He’s a fool to believe so. What would I do if the most wanted man in the world wanted me? The answer is simple. Get rid of him before he dares get rid of me.

Can drugs be used intelligently and responsibly to expand human consciousness and heighten spirituality? This two-volume work presents objective scientific information and personal stories aiming to answer the question. The first of its kind, this intriguing two-volume set objectively reports on and assesses this modern psycho-social movement in world culture: the constructive medical use of entheogens and related mind-altering substances. Covering the use of substances such as ayahuasca, cannabis, LSD, peyote, and psilocybin, the work seeks to illuminate the topic in a scholarly and scientific fashion so as to lift the typical division between those who are supporters of research and exploration of entheogens and those who are strongly opposed to any such experimentation altogether. The volumes address the history and use of mind-altering drugs in medical research and religious practice in the endeavor to expand and heighten spirituality and the sense of the divine, providing unbiased coverage of the relevant arguments and controversies regarding the subject matter. Chapters include examinations of how psychoactive agents are used to achieve altered states in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism as well as in the rituals of shamanism and other less widely known faiths. This highly readable work will appeal to everyone from high school students to seasoned professors, in both the secular world and in devoted church groups and religious colleges.

This engaging and thoroughly updated text provides a cross-national perspective on the use and regulation of both legal and illegal drugs. It examines and critiques drug policies in the United States and abroad in terms of their scope, goals, and effectiveness. Authors Clayton J. Mosher and Scott Akins also discuss the physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of legal and illicit drugs; the patterns and correlates of use; theories of the causes of drug use; and the policies that govern that usage. Features and Benefits Thoroughly reviews use of and regulation policies of both illegal and legal drugs, including the use of energy drinks and muscle enhancers like steroids and human growth hormones. Very up to date statistics and discussions of emerging trends and policies. Provides more coverage of drug policy issues than comparable books with particular attention to contrasting policies in countries around the world. Coverage of drug "epidemics" for new legal and illegal drugs not found in other books on drugs.

Written in the same accessible manner as previous editions, the fifth edition of Karch‘s Pathology of Drug Abuse is an essential guide to the pathology, toxicology, and pharmacology of commonly abused drugs. The book focuses on the investigation of drug-related deaths, practical approaches to the detection of drug abuse, and discussions of medical

New York Times–bestselling author: When an evil cult forms an alliance with Sybil’s Chosen, the humans of Hlondeth face horrors unlike any other Enter the mysterious world of Hlondeth, a city populated by the humanoid serpents known as the yuan-ti, and ruled by House Extaminos. This powerful House of Serpents is the ultimate target of The Pox, a human cult whose members worship the goddess of plague and disease. Not only that, but they have begun to work the deadly will of Sybil’s Chosen, a dangerous cabal of yuan-ti who will turn Hlondeth citizens into freakish ‘tainted ones’. Amid this chaos is a human psionic named Arvin, who suddenly finds himself embroiled in schemes far beyond his understanding. His recruitment to the local thieves guild sends him down a twisted path of danger and corruption, bringing him face to face with the dreaded Pox and the true nature of his psionic powers. Elsewhere, hope emerges in the form of a yuan-ti half-blood, Dediana—the only one who can stop Sibyl and her puppet organization from turning all humans into the slaves of heartless, serpentine masters.

Who knoweth the spirit of men that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? –Ecclesiastes 3:21 Okay, they did resemble elephants, it can't be denied. That led many people to underestimate the Nildoror and their obviously more fearsome commensals, the Sulidoror. But aliens should never be judged by human standards, as the Company learned to its cost when Holman's World, now once again known as Belzagor, was given back to the natives and the Company sent packing. Now Edmund Gunderson, once head of the Company's operation on this world, has come back across the galaxy to settle old scores with the Nildoror. If he can even get them to acknowledge his existence. Downward to the Earth is a classic from the golden age of Robert Silverberg's career in the 1970s. His homage to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, it remains as fresh and powerful today as the day it was written. Our Orb edition will have a map of Gunderson's journey across Belzagor and a new introduction by the author.

Through the perspective of having grown up among "HinJews" in the Ram Dass community and cannabis legalization movement, journalist Madison Margolin takes the reader on a journey inside New York's Jewish counterculture and the Hasidic underground, reconciling her roots, tackling ancestral Jewish trauma, and finding intersectionality between the Jewish and psychedelic experience. Exile and Ecstasy sets out to explore the psychedelic path that occupies the crossroads between the Ram Dass movement and Hasidism. It's a path of seeking and escape, rebellion and return, medicine and magic. Bridging the polar ends of the Jewish and psychedelic worlds, while buttressing the experience with expert reportage, Madison Margolin prods at Be Here Now to find its relevance and utility in a new generation, facing different issues than those Ram Dass faced as a generally well-to-do boomer. In doing so, she looks at solutions to our lack of presence and offers practices that help us integrate our psychedelic experiences in mundane life, as well as in the context of our roots and religious identities. This book is for anyone looking to feel spiritually kindled, to make peace with where they come from, and to reconcile seemingly disparate experiences of spirituality and psychedelics, with traditional religion.

124 articles provide ready reference to details about the most popular and most dangerous substances, both legal and illegal, that affect students and the general public today.

Imagine this: Your husband is murdered on your wedding day. Your gown is soiled in his blood. You are taken hostage… Treated like a caged animal. The man behind your husband’s murder is revealed. His name is Draco Molina. Draco has power. Respect. Wealth. He is a savage beast of a man - dominant in every way. Soon after, he makes you an offer that you can’t refuse. All you have do is submit to him, and in return you won’t be punished. He will reward you handsomely. But if you disobey, you must be prepared to face the consequences. What do you do when the most wanted man in the world . . . wants you?