Dieter Webber, a former Jump Armor pilot, lost his war. Years later as a broken expat, half a galaxy away, the former combat pilot is haunted by the ghosts of the war, and looming debts to organized crime. An encounter with an Android, Reis, serves as invitation from his former commander to a reluctant escape: Mercenary work in her company, Valkyrie LLC. Their first contract: a high profile Letter of Marque, a combat drop on a breakaway world of The Reach. Piloting walking Mechanical Armored Vehicles, 'Mobile Armors', capable of rapid deployment from the air, Webber will once again be plummeting feet first into harm's way in the same model of Jump Armor that carried him through the last war: the venerable, aging Hammerhead MK. II. This time, with an android as his Weapon Systems Officer. With old mentors evaluating his commitment to his return, and new comrades rightfully fearing his years of rust getting them killed, his android 'Wizzo' may be the least of his worries. If he can learn to overcome a past that doesn't want to let go, he might earn a chance to risk life and limb in the gritty, high stakes world of blood-for-money military contracts. So, sit back, light up a SynthStick, and pour your choice of poison as you get set for a combat drop with Webber, Reis, and the rest of Valkyrie LLC. Practice the life or death business of war-for-profit in this Mecha-Noir, where skill and grit will be tested by earning a living, turning the ledger red with blood. Just remember- it's going to take more than a sardonic wit and a few simulated combat jumps to shake those Starside Blues.

Two sisters are suddenly sent from their home in Brooklyn to Barbados to live with their grandmother, in Naomi Jackson’s stunning debut novel This lyrical novel of community, betrayal, and love centers on an unforgettable matriarchal family in Barbados. Two sisters, ages ten and sixteen, are exiled from Brooklyn to Bird Hill in Barbados after their mother can no longer care for them. The young Phaedra and her older sister, Dionne, live for the summer of 1989 with their grandmother Hyacinth, a midwife and practitioner of the local spiritual practice of obeah. Dionne spends the summer in search of love, testing her grandmother’s limits, and wanting to go home. Phaedra explores Bird Hill, where her family has lived for generations, accompanies her grandmother in her role as a midwife, and investigates their mother’s mysterious life. This tautly paced coming-of-age story builds to a crisis when the father they barely know comes to Bird Hill to reclaim his daughters, and both Phaedra and Dionne must choose between the Brooklyn they once knew and loved or the Barbados of their family. Naomi Jackson’s Barbados and her characters are singular, especially the wise Hyacinth and the heartbreaking young Phaedra, who is coming into her own as a young woman amid the tumult of her family. Praise for The Star Side of Bird Hill: “Once in a while, you’ll stumble onto a book like this, one so poetic in its descriptions and so alive with lovable, frustrating, painfully real characters, that your emotional response to it becomes almost physical. . . . The dual coming-of-age story alone could melt the sternest of hearts, but Jackson’s exquisite prose is a marvel too. . . . A gem of a book.” —Entertainment Weekly (A)

Publisher's note: This edition from 2020 is outdated and does not make use of the most recent iOS and swift features. A new sixth edition, updated for iOS 15 and including new advanced topics, such as Mac Catalyst, SwiftUI, Swift Concurrency, and SharePlay, has now been published Key FeaturesExplore the latest features of Xcode 12 and the Swift 5.3 programming language in this updated fifth editionKick-start your iOS programming career and have fun building your own iOS appsDiscover the new features of iOS 14 such as Mac Catalyst, SwiftUI, widgets and App ClipsBook Description If you're looking to work and experiment with powerful iOS 14 features such as widgets and App Clips to create your own apps, this iOS programming guide is for you. The book offers a comprehensive introduction for experienced programmers who are new to iOS, taking you through the entire process of learning the Swift language, writing your own apps, and publishing them on the App Store. Fully updated to cover the new iOS 14 features, along with Xcode 12 and Swift 5.3, this fifth edition of iOS 14 Programming for Beginners starts with an introduction to the Swift programming language and shows you how to accomplish common programming tasks with it. You'll then start building the user interface (UI) of a complete real-world app using the storyboards feature in the latest version of Xcode and implement the code for views, view controllers, data managers, and other aspects of mobile apps. The book will also help you apply iOS 14 features to existing apps and introduce you to SwiftUI, a new way to build apps for all Apple devices. Finally, you’ll set up testers for your app and understand what you need to do to publish your app on the App Store. By the end of this book, you'll not only be well versed in writing and publishing applications, but you’ll also be able to apply your iOS development skills to enhance existing apps. What you will learnGet to grips with the fundamentals of Xcode 12 and Swift 5.3, the building blocks of iOS developmentUnderstand how to prototype an app using storyboardsDiscover the Model-View-Controller design pattern and how to implement the desired functionality within an appImplement the latest iOS features, such as widgets and App ClipsConvert an existing iPad app into an Apple Silicon Mac appDesign, deploy, and test your iOS applications with design patterns and best practicesWho this book is for This book is for anyone who has programming experience but is new to Swift and iOS app development. Experienced programmers looking to explore the latest iOS 14 features will also find this book useful.

A cursed heir with a privileged past . . . A runaway prankster wanted dead or alive . . . A daredevil warrior called Black Skull . . . Join a diverse cast of characters, led by Madeline, Jason, and Darius, as they are thrust into a thrilling adventure in the Sunlit Lands, an epic fantasy world brimming with magical cures and granted wishes. Soon they’ll discover that even in this safe haven, power has its price. Unravel the dark secrets and soul-searing revelations in this war-torn land wrestling with social justice, racial justice, and elitism. How far will they go for power? The Sunlit Lands books engage timely themes of racism, injustice, prejudice, power, and the importance of knowing our history. The writing is witty, which makes the challenging themes feel accessible and not too heavy. The characters are diverse in personality, ethnicity, and areas for personal growth and provide lots of different connection points for readers. It asks the questions: How far would you be willing to go for power? Who decides what justice is and how it is carried out? And don’t miss these short stories from the Sunlit Lands series: Our Last Christmas Together and Jason Wu and the Kidnapped Stories—each available separately (e-book only).

When vampires venture out into the world, wreaking havoc on innocent citizens, it is up to Harry Keogh's twin sons, both possessing their father's powers, to stop them.

A part of the Necroscope saga that tells the story of what occurred during the eight years in which Harry Keogh, a man who can converse with the dead and has discovered the existence of vampires, searched for his lost wife and son.

Three great vampires--two Lords and a Lady--arrive on an unsuspecting Earth that teems with defenseless humans, easy prey for the marauding vampires. But humanity has defenders. Though the necroscope is gone, the psychically gifted men and women of E-Branch move swiftly against the vampire infestation. Jake Cutter is running for his life through the streets of Turin when he vanishes, appearing moments later inside the triply locked "Harry's room" in E-Branch's London HQ. Jake's dreams are very strange, filled with the voices of the dead--the Great majority, the Necroscope, Harry Keogh, even a dead vampire. He hears them all, but he doesn't truly understand. If Jake is the new Necroscope, he has to learn--fast!--how to control his powers and speak to the dead. E-Branch, with the reluctant Jake along for the ride, is about to go head-to-head with Malinari the Mind, a vampire Lord who psychic abilities are second to none. But the dead don't trust Jake, not like they trusted Harry. Jake's got personal revenge on his mind, and he's spending too much time talking that dead vampire. He's got to start thinking about the future--or he won't have one! At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.