Cocky. No word better described Solomon. He projected the playboy image, but only he knew the truth. Deep inside, he wanted what his brother and friends had—a mate. Fifteen hundred years was a long time to be alone. Solomon’s pure vampire bloodline and family name made him desirable, but that didn’t take away the loneliness. Lilah was fiercely independent and distrusting of paranormals out of necessity. Some treated her with contempt because of her half cheetah shifter/half fae heritage. They thought she was beneath them when she was actually superior. Someone was determined to take Lilah’s life, but who was behind the attacks remained a mystery. Solomon fought off the first assault then became Lilah’s sole protector until he uncovered who wanted to harm her. One wanted a mate, and the other didn’t. But fate didn’t ask for their opinion. They could only fight what was meant to be for so long before the inevitable happened. If they managed to stay alive, maybe they would learn what it meant to be fated.

Unearth the fascinating history of how the Freemasons and Founding Fathers sowed the seeds of a new nation amid the collapse of the British colonies. Step back in time to the birth of a revolutionary new republic and discover how the utopian ideals of a visionary secret society laid the foundation for the most powerful nation on earth. Follow George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and other Founding Fathers as they transform the democratic principles of their Masonic lodges into a radical new nation. Solomon’s Builders unravels history from myth as it takes you on a Freemason’s tour of Washington, D.C. It reveals the evidence of Masonic influence during the construction of America and its new capital, including clues hidden in plain sight: •Masonic connections to national monuments •Puzzling pentagrams and symbolism in city streets •The mysterious temples of the “Widow’s Sons” Solomon’s Builders relates the true stories of these visionary founders, and the fascinating meaning behind the cryptic codes, enigmatic symbols and intriguing architecture that is reputedly the basis for the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown’s novel The Lost Symbol. “Well written account of the philosophical thinking that led to the formation of a common man’s democracy. . . . The reference book that teachers need to use in their American History classes.” —Karl Grube, Ph.D., Bonisteel Masonic Library, Ann Arbor, MI “One of the better books that I have seen that credits Freemasonry where credit is due.” —Thomas W. Jackson, The Northern Light Magazine “What distinguishes Solomon’s Builders from the good and bad, malicious and benevolent, is its honesty, humor and clarity.” —Mark A. Tabbert, author of American Freemasons “An academically written book on the early days of American Freemasonry without the pretentious trappings of most scholarly treatments on the subject.” —Stephen Dafoe, author of Nobly Born

The most extensive royal accounts in the Hebrew Bible are those of kings David (the "Succession Narrative," usually identified as 2 Sam 9-20 and 1 Kgs 1-2) and Solomon (the "Solomon Story," 1 Kgs 3-11). Yet, even though Solomon immediately follows David in the Deuteronomistic History, little has been done to correlate these accounts. But what if these passages were meant to be read together? Utilizing the "Double Redaction" theory, Herbst proposes that an exilic "Deuteronomist" inserted the Succession Narrative into the Deuteronomistic History, then revised the Solomon Story in light of this addition. His key contribution was 1 Kings 1-2, a passage designed to connect the two larger sections, highlighting the similarities and differences of the two kings. Interpreting the composition history of 2 Samuel and 1 Kings in this way gives new insight into the Deuteronomist's views regarding kings and kingship. This approach also solves many of the problems of the Solomon story, in which the narrator appears to simultaneously praise and criticize Solomon. And along the way, Herbst offers new insights into individual passages, further enhancing our understanding of the message of the Deuteronomistic History.

A former refugee rises through the ranks of Jupiter’s navy in the second novel of this sci-fi series from the New York Times–bestselling author. He was driven by violent injustice from his home moon of Callisto—and set forth to claim the epic destiny that would blaze across worlds and time. He saw his family destroyed, his sister carried off into sexual slavery, his beautiful lover killed—and he swore revenge against the murderous pirates who held the Jupiter planetoids in a stranglehold of terror. Fired by raw courage, steeled by young might, he rose in the navy of Jupiter to command a personal squadron loyal to the death. And it was death they faced—against piratical warlords of the Jupiter Elliptic who laughed at the young commander’s challenge . . . until they met the merciless fury of the warrior who would annihilate all obstacles in his path to immortal renown as the tyrant of Jupiter.

From a New York Times–bestselling author: The revealing final book in this sci-fi epic tracks the rise and fall of Jupiter’s tyrant—from the perspective of his sister. The final installment of the Bio of a Space Tyrant series covers the same period as the first five books, but with a twist. The Iron Maiden is told from the point of view of Hope’s sister, Spirit. This book fills in the gaps when the two siblings were apart and perfectly wraps up this scintillating series!

I Want You Back is an epic story of a woman who was seduced out of her husbands loving arms by modernization as materialism and acquisitiveness became her bedfellows. She was raised up in a mans world and unwittingly built walls of independence and self-sufficiency about her. She discovers through different bouts of emotional storms, when the scales fall out, that she had been wrong all along. It co-opts classic oratories of passion to crystallize the moral of the story. The husband has paid the price and given her the liberty to come to her senses. Will she realize, in due season, that his love is all that she wants and needs? Will she realize and believe that in spite of all her errors, he wants her back?

Solomon and the Ant, using the Bible as a dialogue partner, examines stories from the Qur'an, their drama, characters, and meaning. Although some qur'anic stories have close biblical parallels, here Penchansky examines stories without biblical precursors. Qur'anic narratives in dialogue with biblical texts enhance understanding. Penchansky chooses biblical stories that address similar questions about the nature of God and God's interaction with people. Solomon matches wits with an ant, a bird, and the queen of Sheba. Magical creatures, the jinn, are driven out of heaven by fiery meteors. Moses, on a quest, meets a mysterious stranger. The Bible offers parallels and connections. Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, Matthew, and other biblical books, contrast with the qur'anic text, comment on the qur'anic story, and supplement it. - Separated by space and time, the Bible and the Qur'an faced similar issues. - Both the Bible and the Qur'an adapted material from their surrounding culture while at the same time distinguishing themselves from that culture. - Rather than addressing this cultural confrontation with rigid certainty, the Bible and the Qur'an are ambiguous and multivocal. - The Bible and the Qur'an are layered, containing stories within stories, fragments, and structural abnormalities. These features contribute to meaning. Penchansky's analysis of these stories makes the Qur'an accessible and compelling to nonspecialists and students.