Showing results by author "A.L. Smith" in All Categories

Elena Gilbert is a high school golden girl, used to getting what she wants. And who she wants. But when the boy she's set her sights on - the handsome and haunted Stefan - isn't interested, she's confused. She could never know the real reason Stefan is struggling to resist her: Stefan is a vampire, and Elena's in danger just by being around him. What's more, Stefan's dark, dangerous vampire brother Damon has just arrived in town. And wherever Damon goes, trouble always follows.

It's the 22nd century. Humanity has taken its first steps into the galaxy, and we've found ourselves in a vast playground of alien races, environments, and cultures. As the newest players on the universal stage, though, our position is readily apparent - we're at the bottom of the food chain.

In the new world, where the old world is long forgotten, an evil queen sits on the throne, and anyone who challenges her reign is a mortal enemy—I am that enemy just by breathing. The queen always gets what she wants, and she wants me dead. Then one day, my life is turned upside down by a prophecy naming me the one true queen. I was oblivious to the true roles of the two men in my life—the Angel of Light and the Angel of Death—as my existence hung in the balance. One man there to save me, the other to claim me should the queen succeed in her quest for my blood.

I lie to one of the city's most ruthless men—and it feels so good. Deception is a drug, and I'm quickly becoming an addict. Each time we speak, Zuko has no idea it's me. The lie tastes sweet leaving my mouth. I couldn't stop now, even if I wanted to—which I don't. He thinks our conversations are more than just sex. He's wrong. The intimacy he feels is all a facade. Until the day an embodiment of my darkest fantasies walks into my bar, and his unmistakable voice sends a shiver down my spine. It turns out I'm not the one in control.

After his brother, Damon Salvatore, betrays him in New Orleans, Stefan starts over in Manhattan. Vowing never to harm another human, he roams the streets, trying to disappear into the city’s chaos. But just when he thinks he’s left his past behind, Stefan discovers that he can never escape his brother. Damon has grand plans for the vampire Salvatore brothers - whether Stefan likes it or not. Together, they take New York by storm. When their exploits end up on the society pages, an old enemy resurfaces - one hell-bent on revenge.

Love had cut me in so many ways I wondered if my heart could take any more. But then I saw him. He was my boss. A single father. And to top it off he was insolent. I didn’t intend to want him, that wasn’t my objective. But somehow I couldn’t say no. We shouldn’t have worked, but like witchcraft, I was under his spell. My heart’s been destroyed before. I’m not sure it can handle heartbreak again.

We met at his ex's wedding, where she uttered their safe word in her vows. Immediately, his jaw clenched, and his hands balled into tight fists. Moments later, he told her I was with him. When in reality, I had snuck into the wedding. Knowing full well he was trouble, I tried to leave when he gripped my arm and whispered in a low, intimidating voice, "Do you sneak into weddings often?" His words had me stuck to the spot.

For what seems like the first time, Elena and her friends are happy. Elena and Stefan have built a home for themselves in Dalcrest, and all of Elena’s friends are as in love as she and Stefan are. Even Damon is enjoying visiting his favorite old haunts in Europe, and is more surprised than anyone that he’s traveling with Katherine. But lately, Elena’s Guardian senses are on edge, and she can’t ignore the feeling that danger is coming....

Narcissism For Dummies pulls back the curtain on a growing and misunderstood personality. This book digs into dimensions of narcissism, grandiosity, malignancy, and vulnerability, giving you the knowledge and perspective you need to identify narcissists in your life and set limits on unacceptable behavior. It also takes a look at how society plays a part in fostering narcissism, for example through social media. You'll walk away from Narcissism For Dummies with a clearer sense of the personality trait, as well as necessary coping mechanisms and tools to deal with the narcissists in your life.

Stefan and Damon thought they knew evil. But nothing compares to Samuel, the ruthless vampire hell-bent on avenging Katherine's death by destroying the Salvatore brothers. Reeling from Samuel's latest attack, Stefan and Damon find help in the most unlikely of places - a secret coven of witches. Together they discover Samuel's plan is more sinister than they ever could have imagined. Their only hope is to stop him before he secures the power to control humans and vampires alike. If they fail, not only Stefan and Damon but all of London will fall victim to Samuel's spell.

If God created the perfect man he would closely resemble Creed - on the outside, that is. He’s as cavalier as they come. Unconcerned. Cold. Dismissive. I wonder if he has any feelings at all. And when his lips touch mine, everything goes black. He takes me into his world, and it’s the most magical thing I’ve ever experienced. And I’m sucked in time and time again. Like a moth to the flame, I am ready to be set alight.

Thirty years ago, the world ended. Giant electrovoric ants and pterodons came through a rift in space-time, millions of humans died, and that was that. Thirty years later, humanity has rebuilt … to an extent. Human ingenuity has provided some creative solutions to life without electricity, but most folks survive at the subsistence level, farming to keep themselves and their families fed.

I couldn't do broken. Broken is what he was. Broken is what I will always be. To his eyes, that held so much despair, I couldn't look for long. To his fist, that clenched so tightly, like he was locking away the sorrow. To his lips, that never uttered a word, from the years of heartbreak. And despite it all, I couldn't stay away from him. It was like he was drowning in an ocean, and I wanted to grab his face, and whisper to his lips, "Don't forget to breathe."

Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson led the design of such crucial aircraft as the P-38 and Constellation, but he will be more remembered for the U-2 and SR-71 spy planes. His extraordinary leadership of the Lockheed "Skunk Works" cemented his reputation as a legendary figure in American aerospace management.

In America, we teach that strength means holding back tears and shaming your own feelings. In the Black community, these pressures are especially poignant. Poor mental health outcomes-- including diagnoses of depression and anxiety, reliance on prescription drugs, and suicide–have skyrocketed in the past decade. In this book, actor Courtney B. Vance seeks to change this trajectory. Along with professional expertise from famed psychologist Dr. Robin L. Smith, Courtney B. Vance explores issues of grief, relationships, identity, and race through the telling of his own most formative experiences

Thirteen-year-old T'Challa can't wait to go back to America to visit his friends Sheila and Zeke, who are staying with Sheila's grandmother in Beaumont, a small Alabama town, over their summer break. He's thrilled to be on vacation away from his duties as the Prince of Wakanda for a few weeks, and he's taking full advantage of his access to the amazing food and the South's rich history. But as T'Challa continues to explore the town, he finds that a man who goes by the ordinary name of Bob happens to be everywhere he is—and T'Challa begins to think it's no coincidence.

Driven from their hometown of Mystic Falls, both Stefan Salvatore and his brother, Damon, arrived in Europe looking for a fresh start. But Samuel, a wealthy and cunning vampire, has other plans for them. First he ruined Stefan’s peaceful existence and now he’s framing Damon for the most gruesome murders London has ever seen. United against their common enemy, Stefan and Damon are stunned when they realize that the source of Samuel’s rage lies in their past - tied up with the woman who changed their lives.

Lipedema - The Disease They Call Fat - An Overview for Clinicians for Clinicians is a monograph that provides a clinical synopsis of lipedema, a fat disorder that is often mistaken for simple obesity that affects an estimated 11 percent of post-pubertal women (17 million women in the USA alone). Written with the clinician in mind, it is a practical overview of the condition and provides important information for healthcare providers who treat women.

Elena Gilbert is alive - again. When Elena sacrificed herself to save the two vampire brothers who love her - the handsome, brooding Stefan and the sleek and dangerous Damon - she was consigned to a fate beyond death. Until a powerful supernatural force pulled her back. Now Elena is not just human. She has powers and gifts that were bestowed on her in the afterlife. What's more, her blood pulses with an overwhelming and unique force that makes her irresistible to any vampire.

Cunning, lethal, and resilient were just a few words men have used to describe Anya Ivanov. Others would use words that are far worse. The head of questionable auctions just so happens to have the eye of a very ruthless businessman, River Bently. River knew the moment he saw her, Anya was his. And he was more than patient to give her time to realize he was not going anywhere. Even if he was imposing on her territory, he was there to stay. The only way to spend time with Anya is if you have the money to pay for her company. He very much could.