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

Crucibles: History's Most Formidable Rites of Passage explores fourteen elite organizations, with a special emphasis on the onerous trials designed to cull initiates from aspirants. It analyzes the underlying commonalities of such trials, describing how they work, why people are willing to subject themselves to such rigors, and how such tests benefit or harm the organizations that require them.

Boxed set of four #1 bestselling Watson Files mystery novels, starring the legendary sleuth of Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes, including: Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Shakespeare (#1) Sherlock Holmes, legendary sleuth of Victorian London, is asked to authenticate the work of what appears to be a long lost Shakespearean play. Alas, just as the famed detective is about to announce his conclusion, the manuscript is stolen―and the chase is on to locate and recover it. As Sherlock Holmes and his trusted sidekick, Dr. John Watson, begin to unravel the mystery of the missing play, their ...

Our emotions are complex. Some of us seem able to ignore our feelings, while others feel controlled by them. But most of us would admit that we don’t always know what to do with how we feel. The Bible teaches us that our emotions are an indispensable part of what makes us human―and play a crucial role in our relationships with God and others. Exploring how God designed emotions for our good, this book shows us how to properly engage with our emotions.

The last thing on Esther Dunja's mind is falling in love. Her goal is to keep her head down and slide through the next twelve years until her son graduates. After being run out of the last school she taught at by her ex, Esther needs to make this new teaching job work. It's her last chance to retain custody. The problem is she never anticipated falling for her son's kindergarten teacher.

After a lifetime of hunting down criminals, Ryan just wants to live out his days in peace and in the shadows of Tokyo to grieve the loss of his wife and son. But his old team - the Nameless, experts in extraction and recon - comes with an urgent request for help. The young daughter of one of his closest friends, a girl he once treated as his own, has been kidnapped.

Set during the Civil War, against a backdrop of grand estates, unimaginable riches, and deadly secrets, three teenagers in Mystic Falls, Virginia, enter a torrid love triangle that will span eternity. Brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore are inseparable, until they meet Katherine, a stunning, mysterious woman who turns their world upside down. Siblings turned rivals, the Salvatores compete for Katherine's affection....

Seduced by the Secret Circle, a coven of young witches whose power has controlled New Salem for 300 years, Cassie falls hopelessly in love with the leader's boyfriend and falls prey to dark powers.

This book is a manual for becoming the kind of man God intends for you to be, and leading other men to do the same. Taking ten qualities from the Apostle Paul's short letter to his mentee Titus, The Titus Ten will help you grow in your understanding of the gospel, your identity, your character, your doctrine, and more. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion, to both process the way the Lord is growing you, and read in a group with other men. As you grow in these areas of your life, you'll become the kind of man God desires to use in the world.

Richard M. Weaver argues that the decline of Western civilization resulted from the rising acceptance of relativism over absolute reality. In spite of increased knowledge, this retreat from the realist intellectual tradition has weakened the Western capacity to reason, with catastrophic consequences for social order and individual rights. But Weaver also offers a realistic remedy. These difficulties are the product not of necessity, but of intelligent choice.

An inspirational tale of triumph over extraordinary setbacks, A Colonel & A Cowboy tells the remarkable story of rodeo great Stran Smith and retired U.S. Army Colonel J. Craig Flowers. Stran Smith’s journey to becoming a World Champion rodeo cowboy is woven together with Colonel Flowers’ experiences supporting some of the most elite teams in the world. Through dramatic, real-life storytelling and humor, these two native Texans offer a profound analysis of what it takes to move from great to elite: Mission, Mindset, and Process.

Eight years ago, an engineered virus ravaged the globe, infecting and transforming humans into apex predators called Variants. Now, almost a decade after the end of the war, civilization has slowly clawed toward recovery. But evil and intelligent forces dwell in the shadows with the starving beasts, scheming to restart the extinction cycle and end humanity forever. And once again, Beckham, Fitz, and Kate will rise to fight them, joining forces with new heroes to try and save what’s left of the world.

I hadn't touched her yet. Part of that control thing. Keeping control of myself, letting her choose what she wanted to do, that was my plan. I wanted her to touch me, hell, I wanted her to jump in my arms. I wanted to kiss her and make it better. That was my dream at least. I didn't do anything though. I just sat there with my head down, waiting for her to respond. "What do you mean exactly, by you'll do anything to earn my forgiveness?" "Whatever you want it to mean." I meant that too, if she wanted me to walk buck naked over hot coals and then roll around in them I would. This whole thing...

Elena: transformed, the golden girl has become what she once feared and desired. Stefan: tormented by losing Elena, he's determined to end his feud with Damon once and for all - whatever the cost. But slowly he begins to realize that his brother is not his only enemy. Damon: at last, he possesses Elena. But will his thirst for revenge against Stefan poison his triumph? Or can they come together to face one final battle?

Daily Strength, a year-long devotional, walks Christian men through Scripture passages that speak to their most pressing issues. Featuring content from the ESV Men's Devotional Bible, each daily devotion features a short summary of a Bible passage with a thought-provoking message from from one of more than forty contributors. Arranged canonically from Genesis to Revelation with short introductions to each Bible book, Daily Strength encourages and enlightens men throughout the year while equipping them for moral and spiritual transformation.

Five Views on the Gospel presents five different perspectives on the question "What is the gospel?" Presenting a variety of contemporary and tradition-based perspectives, each contributor answers key questions about the nature of the gospel.

A relatively recent addition to more traditional law school topics like torts and contracts, legislation and regulation have become more and more of a mainstay in some of the country’s top law schools. Over the course of 12 nuanced and balanced lectures, examine a host of topics including the nature of regulation, the merits of lawmaking by legislation, the challenge of interpreting statutes, and the role of federal agencies in our legal system.

"Why are you following me?" She eyes me suspiciously, like she doesn't trust someone wanting to say hello. "I want to know your name. Mate." There, I said it, maybe that'll ease her mind. "What? No, not possible." What. The. Hell. With her father dead, her mother gone, and her back having seemingly abandoned her, all Aurelia wanted was to work her way into a better life. Earn her place in the world by her own hand. Not being one for the spotlight or a seeker of attention, Aurelia keeps to herself. Being invisible has its perks. One of those being that she was left to her own devices, to ...

Since the late 1800s, Robert's Rules of Order has been used in corporate governance and executive boardrooms. Robert's Rules of Order were designed to properly assemble a group of people, of any size. It's a form of organizing assemblies intelligently. Any group, society, or assembly who adopts Robert's rules has the liberty to adopt their own rules - eventually creating their own book of rules.

Death is only the beginning. . .Elena Gilbert’s entire world has shattered in a single moment. Her true love, Stefan is dead, staked through the heart by their so-called friend Jack. Now the only thing Elena cares about is destroying Jack and his race of scientifically created vampires.

To rescue her boyfriend Tom and her cousin Zach from the evil Julian, Jenny Thornton and her friends--Audrey, Michael, and Dee--venture into the Shadow World, armed only with a set of runes that hold the key to the doors of hell.