No one is born talented or successful. Its the hard work that makes us successful. This book is a collection of ten short stories. Each story revolves around a different face of time in life. Each character of each story faces problems but overcomes them with time. Life is just like a roller coaster. We should peacefully sit and enjoy the ride. If we panic, we may fall down. It has some ups and downs, but these ups and downs help our fear go away.

As the offspring resume life normally, it's as if they predicted the future. The Dark Realm erupts and slips into reality, plunging the world into permanent darkness. Dark portals open up all around the world, letting loose monsters from within to run rampant and create chaos. With the world turned into another apocalyptic-like state, the offspring and friends embark on another task of figuring out how to save mortal reality. New allies will join their side, and new foes will stand in their way as the offspring journey deeper into dimensions where no mortal has ventured. Reuniting with the Astrals, they learn about the past, and what made it into the present; as well as what the future holds. Gaining new friendships, strengthening the connections between relationships, and obtaining newfound abilities lie in the offsprings' path. Are they willing to make the biggest sacrifice in their life in order to save the people and their home, or is the overwhelming darkness going to consume those who matter most?

* Instant New York Times Bestseller * Indie Bestseller * In this stunning new fantasy novel from international bestselling author C. S. Pacat, heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war are reborn and begin to draw new battle lines. This epic fantasy with high-stakes romance will sit perfectly on shelves next to beloved fantasy novels like the Infernal Devices series, the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and the Red Queen series. Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. Then an old servant tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, who have sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns. Will is thrust into a world of magic, where he starts training for a vital role in the oncoming battle against the Dark. As London is threatened and old enmities are awakened, Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own. Like V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic and Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove, Dark Rise is more than just high intrigue fantasy—it’s fast-paced, action-packed, and completely surprising. Readers will love exploring the rich setting of nineteenth-century London. This thrilling story of friendship, deception, loyalty, and betrayal is sure to find a passionate audience of readers.

When a remote Peruvian village is reduced to ash in seconds, the Shepherds face a horrific question: Is this the work of a man-made weapon of unthinkable power, or is God raining down judgment from above, as some believe? As the recently installed leader of the Joshua Bravo team, Jedidiah Johnson shifts into covert operation mode to follow rumors of a new energy-based weapon able to incinerate a target--even a human target--with no warning. With the assistance of the CIA, Jed's team deploys to Hong Kong to extract the Chinese scientist who helped develop the weapon. What the Shepherds learn from Dr. Zhao confirms their worst fears: The weapon is real and has disappeared from the testing facility where it was held. With help from the Watchers, Jed discovers that Victor, the leader of the Dark Ones, has the weapon and intends to use it to wreak untold damage and destabilize the faith of millions. But as Jed and his team race the clock to find and disable the weapon, Victor begins to unfold secret plans for another attack . . . And this target is much closer to home.

A blizzard brings a city to a standstill and ushers in an evil that defies imagination in this gripping tale from #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz. Winter gripped the city. Terror gripped it, too. They found four corpses in four days, each more hideous than the last. At first the cops thought they were dealing with a psychopath. But soon they heard eerie sounds in the ventilation system—and saw unearthly silver eyes in the snow-slashed night. In a city paralyzed by a blizzard, something watches, something stalks…

This historical epic, set in the world of 300, tells of the upsurge and decline of the Persian King's empire, and the ascent of the Grecian realm through Alexander. Written and illustrated by comics luminary and legend, Frank Miller (Sin City, The Dark Knight, 300), and colored by Alex Sinclair (Batman: The Dark Knight III: The Master Race), this companion to Miller's epic masterpiece, 300, brings the historical story of Xerxes to the graphic novel audience with grit and visual style! The ongoing Greek rebellion against Persian tyranny reaches a turning point after the destruction of the city of Sardis and the later battle of Marathon: on a military campaign to vanquish the city of Athens and silence the Greeks once and for all, Xerxes, Persian Prince, watches as his father, King Darius, falls in battle . . . The mantle of king is passed and while his newly-inherited fleet retreats toward home, Xerxes' hatred is cemented toward Athens--and his incentive to build the Persian empire is fueled. Xerxes becomes the king of all countries--the king of Persia, ruler of Zion, and Pharoah of Egypt--and his empire is unlike any the world has ever seen, until . . . The mantle is again passed, the god king dies and Darius III continues as the king of all. But then, from the west, a tiger force strikes in Asia Minor and is on a course for collision with Persian forces. This will be the beginning of the end for Persia and the launch of Alexander the Great's rise to power!

This collection features the first three thrillers in The Shepherds series by Andrews & Wilson. Dark Intercept On the eve of his medical retirement, Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson receives a frantic call from his estranged childhood best friend David Yarnell, whose daughter has been kidnapped. Police have no suspects and no leads. Jed reluctantly agrees to help, but soon dark memories and strange abilities he thought he’d put behind him resurface. To save the missing girl, he must take a leap of faith and embrace gifts he’s denied for years. Dark Angel When former Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson begins training with the Shepherds, he hears whispers of a name raising fear and anger among them. After years in prison, Nicholas Woland, who betrayed the Shepherds and joined their enemies, has been freed to execute a sinister plot causing hundreds of deaths and inciting worldwide religious warfare. As Woland and the Shepherds race toward a collision, Jed must rely on his untested team, never realizing a secret servant of the enemy is growing closer to him. Dark Fall As a new Shepherds team leader, Jedidiah Johnson’s tracking rumors of an energy-based weapon able to incinerate a human target without warning. With help from the Watchers, Jed discovers the Dark Ones’ leader plans to use the weapon to wreak untold damage and destabilize the faith of millions. While Jed and his team race to find and disable the weapon, secret plans for another attack unfold . . . and this target is much closer to home.