In this exciting sequel, twelve-year-old Jason Carter travels with his friend Charlotte and her little brother Squid to seventeenth-century Luxembourg, where they meet an innocent man about to be hanged. They embark on a fantastic journey to the tiny kingdom of Luxembourg in the late 1600s. Ruled by French conquerors, its people have never forgotten their ancient language or their hopes of regaining independence. Outside the city of Luxembourg, the kids befriend a group of craftsmen - people who help keep alive the ideal of independence. When the city's rich people visit on market day, Jason and his friends are asked to play their musical instruments. Assisted by the bugle's magic, they make marvellous music, and are invited to stay with the great engineer, General Vauban, who is building a vast series of tunnels under the city. But Fabian, one of Vauban's officers, is secretly involved with an international ring of diamond thieves. He organizes a daring robbery and the people in the camp are blamed. Jason, Charlotte, and Squid have to prove their friends' innocence to save their lives. With the help of the bugle and a mysterious mermaid, Melusina, who holds in her memory the long and tragic history of Luxembourg, they uncover secrets hidden deep in the tunnels.But the odds are against them. Will they be enough of an advantage to save the day?

Peter Le Vasseur's art depicts the beauty of the world and the pressure that humankind exerts upon it. Not content with merely creating highly researched nature art, his work carries an ecological message often ahead of its time. Unusually for an artist he builds in the detail of contemporary life during the decades through which he has lived, painting in a meticulous and distinct style. He escaped the Channel Island of Guernsey with his parents just before the German Occupation in 1940 and grew up in London as a refugee. Winning a scholarship to art college he went on to create pop art for one-man shows in major London galleries and sold to the Beatles, film stars and aristocracy. In A Brush With Life, Jason Monaghan presents the definitive work on Le Vasseur's life and work, charting his progression from pop art and fantasy to political pieces, book illustration and environmental paintings. Never depressing, the messages of both artist and author are thoughtful, and sometimes ironically amusing. Throughout, Le Vasseur's central philosophy is evident: where nature survives, hope remains.

Get ready to dive into a thrilling cozy mystery with The Blue Diamond. When thieves target her grandfather's small-town jewelry store, gemologist Kimberley West finds herself caught up in a deadly spree of kidnapping and murder. With a flawless blue diamond in hand and armed only with her standard poodle, Kim races to uncover the diamond's secrets and protect her loved ones. Along the way, she must navigate family drama and unexpected twists and turns. This fast-paced whodunit weaves diamond legend and lore, a feisty heroine and a dash of humor into a captivating mystery that will keep you guessing. Fans of David Rosenfelt, Kate Carlisle, and Kathi Daley will love this award-winning series, which can be read in any order. Kimberley West Gemstone Mystery Series: The Blue Diamond (book #1) The Pirate's Ruby (book #2) The Carolina Emerald (book #3) The Turquoise Treasure (book #4) What readers are saying about the series: “Took me back to that oh-so-delicious time when I couldn’t put a book down." "Wonderful series! Warm, funny and just delightful!" “A perfect whodunit with characters you will love and a plot that keeps you guessing until the end. Could not put it down.” “These are characters so real you want to call them up and visit. And get invited for dinner.” "Perfect reading for these very imperfect times."

Diamonds ruined his life and he’s on a path of revenge. Until the day a protective zoologist stood in his way, forcing a choice he never intended to make. “Between stakeouts and molotov cocktails, there’s non-stop action that had me on the edge of my seat.” Driven: Miranda Parrish is a world-renowned veterinarian specialist with expertise in endangered species. She’s fearless and will go anywhere an animal is in need. But when she journeys to Katanga, an animal sanctuary in the heart of Botswana, she falls into a diamond smuggling operation and interferes with an undercover investigation. Merciless: Special agent Matt Bennett’s parents were murdered by a ruthless arms dealer when he was fourteen. He’s fiercely committed to avenging their deaths and curbing the cycle of violence threatening southern Africa. Diamonds always lead to weapons and he’d followed the trail straight to Katanga. Posing as an employee, he had every intention of busting the source wide open. Collision: He never expected to battle a stubborn vet, one who let nothing stand in the way of protecting her clientele. When she comes between him and the vengeance he craves, sparks begin to fly. Surrounded by veiled threats, Matt and Miranda must find common ground in order to save Katanga, and both of their lives, before justice slips away. Diamond Legacy is the first stand-alone book in the Jewel Intrigue series and an unlikely romance between two opposites. It keeps you turning pages with high risk and daring action, a klepto monkey named Roz, and a charismatic secondary character that threatens to steal the show. Race into adventure with all three Jewel books today! Jewel Intrigue Series Diamond Legacy Emerald Fire Phantom Pearl

This book covers both the theory and practice of game engine software development, bringing together complete coverage of a wide range of topics. The concepts and techniques described are the actual ones used by real game studios like Electronic Arts and Naughty Dog. The examples are often grounded in specific technologies, but the discussion extends way beyond any particular engine or API. The references and citations make it a great jumping off point for those who wish to dig deeper into any particular aspect of the game development process. Intended as the text for a college level series in game programming, this book can also be used by amateur software engineers, hobbyists, self-taught game programmers, and existing members of the game industry. Junior game engineers can use it to solidify their understanding of game technology and engine architecture. Even senior engineers who specialize in one particular field of game development can benefit from the bigger picture presented in these pages.