Every woman looks for true love, and often finds it in the wrong places. This was the case with Aubrielle Miakova who was living a very simple and quite life. Until the day that she meet James "Chance" Curtis. While trying to find her worth in this world and dealing with a new love, which is no easy task. Adding Chance's baggage to the equation, his past, and his current drug dealing ways, the fight between her heart and mind takes over, as she tries to decide to stay, while knowing she has really has to go. Does she stay? Or does she go? How much damage does he do before she has had enough?
When a group of industrial AI controllers said they were bored and wanted to use excess capacity to create an online game, they were met with ridicule. Then the beta came out, and the joke was on the rest of the industry. The world was the ultimate in virtual reality. There were no limits to what players could do. The AI touch mattered. The NPCs were just that much more realistic. The tavern wench Hulda had captivated David's interest like no other NPC: she was vibrant and full of life. Before he could lose his courage, his new character Ariel was born. She was a foxy, curvaceous goddess, and like Hulda, she would take all life had to offer. Through her, David was free to live fantasies he could never find courage to face as himself. David had already succeeded against the monsters and dungeons. That had freed him from his world. Ariel was going to be even better: she was going to free him from himself. That first night, playing Ariel was everything David hoped it would be. But as Ariel learned more about Hulda's world, she realized things were not as they seemed between the NPCs and players. In Hulda's world, the true enemies were not the monsters Ariel could see, but rather the fears in her own mind. To survive in this world, Ariel needed to face those fears and find her place in a world where even her notions of right and wrong are turned upside down.
Princess Aubrielle Berman knows that when a goddess calls, nobility must answer. If she cannot renew the pact between land, commoner, and noble at The Great Lady's Beltane rite, then the death of a village, cursed when blood was spilled on the common, will be the least of her problems. Without Ariel's help, the princess has no hope of saving the village. Even a month ago, Princess Aubrielle would not have dreamed of turning to an immortal (or player as they call themselves) like Ariel to help her answer the Great Lady's call. But after Ariel helped the princess overcome her arrogance and relate to the commoners enough to take the noble part in the goddess's rite, Princess Aubrielle would not dream of turning to anyone else. Ariel may be a character in the world's most realistic virtual reality, but even for her and her player David, the events in the princess’s world have consequences they cannot escape. Besides, David and Ariel have their own challenge to face. Ariel's success as the first immortal player to be initiated into her guild means that David can spend almost all his time playing Ariel. Increasingly, he feels like he is living a lie: no one knows that Ariel is played by a man. No one appreciates the work he's done. But could David face a world in which everyone knew that he was behind Ariel?
He was supposed to be dead… But Jack Starling was very much alive and looking for answers. His investigation into his crew's ambush leads him to the fling he had a year ago with Hannah Marks. Although Jack is reluctant to believe Hannah had a role in the attack, it is clear she's hiding something, and Jack's suspicions only mount when he meets her daughter. Determined to unveil her secrets, he vows to stay close. Then Hannah is nearly killed, and Jack must step in—as her baby's bodyguard—while battling his growing desire for the woman who might have betrayed him.
"William Ball, founder and general director of the acclaimed American Conservatory Theatre, engages his audience in a wide-ranging discussion of the director's process - from first reading through opening night. Mr. Ball offers a candid, personal account of his method of working - including the choice of a play's essential elements, preproduction homework, casting, and rehearsal techniques"--Cover.
The Good People of the United World have fallen victim to the leaders that they look to for protection. They are isolated from the outside world and deprived of clean air, fresh food and freedom of choice. A small group, calling themselves The Revolution of the Freedom Finders, decides to fight back against the oppression. Their army is primarily made up of children who lost their parents to the violence of The World Militia. Fueled by a prophecy and supported by allies from worlds along The Portal Path, they seek balance and freedom for The People of Earth.
I guess I've always believed that while life is a journey; the destination is secondary. How we travel is everything. The moment is important; the now is all we have. Living for tomorrow is a waste of time. If we wait till tomorrow to appreciate, love, change or apologize, then we'll be waiting a very long time. Because tomorrow never comes. There is only today ' there is only this moment. So I'm a big believer in stopping to smell the roses or listening to the music on the your journey. The journey is what's important. I'm not saying that the destination is completely unimportant. It's not. It gives us direction. But if the destination is the goal, it seems like we're missing out on a whole heck of a lot of important stuff. So I guess I have some things to say about my journey so far.
In the bestselling tradition of The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Humans of New York comes a collection of authentic, emotional, and inspiring stories about life’s most important moments, as curated by the editors at Love What Matters. “90% of the reads bring me to tears. I just can't believe the love this world truly has when all we see is hate. This is so uplifting.” —Shelsea Where do you go when you want to feel inspired? When you want to forget about the divisiveness and the anger? For over five million people, that place is Love What Matters, a digital platform dedicated to finding and sharing the daily moments of kindness, compassion, and love that so often go overlooked. This curated collection of powerful stories features first person accounts and photographs that perfectly capture each moment: A husband learning he’s about to be a dad. A new mom embracing her body. A cashier inadvertently teaching a young girl a lesson about patience. A bagel from a stranger that saved a homeless man’s life. From long overdue adoptions to military heroes returning home; from a fireman’s touching 9/11 tribute to what an old dinner plate found at a bake sale can teach us all about life—these are the moments that matter. They are genuine. Authentic. Raw. And they are perfect in their imperfection—just like all of us. You will no doubt experience goosebumps and tears, but this mosaic of life’s moments will leave you with something even more profound: a reminder that, in the end, love always wins. “This really is the best page on Facebook. It renews your love of humanity. There are still good people. We need more reports of acts of kindness.” —Johnny
