Full of larger-than-life characters, stunning acts of bravery, and heart-rending sacrifice, Tried by Fire narrates the rise and expansion of Christianity from an obscure regional sect to the established faith of the world’s greatest empire with influence extending from India to Ireland, Scandinavia to Ethiopia, and all points in between. William J. Bennett explores the riveting lives of saints and sinners, paupers and kings, merchants and monks who together—and against all odds—changed the world forever. To tell their story, Bennett follows them through the controversies and trials of their time. Challenged by official persecution, heresy, and schism, they held steadfast to the truth of Christ. Strengthened by poets, preachers, and theologians, they advanced in devotion and love. In this moving and accessible narrative, Tried by Fire speaks across centuries to offer insight into the people and events that shaped the faith that continues to shape our lives today.

In only 90 seconds, a fire in the Station nightclub killed 100 people and injured hundreds more. It would take nearly 20 years to find out why—and who was really at fault. All it took for a hundred people to die during a show by the hair metal band Great White was a sudden burst from two giant sparklers that ignited the acoustical foam lining the Station nightclub. But who was at fault? And who would pay? This being Rhode Island, the two questions wouldn't necessarily have the same answer. Within 24 hours the governor of Rhode Island and the local police commissioner were calling for criminal charges, although the investigation had barely begun, no real evidence had been gathered, and many of the victims hadn't been identified. Though many parties could be held responsible, fingers pointed quickly at the two brothers who owned the club. But were they really to blame? Bestselling author and three-time Emmy Award-winning reporter Scott James investigates all the central figures, including the band's manager and lead singer, the fire inspector, the maker of the acoustical foam, as well as the brothers. Drawing on firsthand accounts, interviews with many involved, and court documents, James explores the rush to judgment about what happened that left the victims and their families, whose stories he also tells, desperate for justice. Trial By Fire is the heart-wrenching story of the fire's aftermath because while the fire, one of America's deadliest, lasted fewer than two minutes, the search for the truth would take twenty years.

First Fire is an ageless Cherokee myth about the revered water spider in their culture. The story happens in a time when animals could do many of the things that people do. The Creator gave the animals the world to live on, but they were without a source for heat at night. Great Thunder and his sons saw the plight of the animals so he sent lightning down to strike a tree. The tree burst into flames but the tree was on an island. Many animals tried to bring the fire over the water to the shore, but they were all unsuccessful. One small creature, the Water Spider, then volunteered. Curious, the animals said to her “We know you could get there safely, but how would you bring the fire back without getting burned?” Water Spider was successful and to this day, the water spider is revered in Cherokee culture.

At 4:55 p.m. a swirling mass of thick, smoke engulfed the balcony section a well-known cinema hall in posh south Delhi. In the absence of fire exits and ushers to help the patrons, the people seated on the balcony found themselves trapped. By 7 p.m., fifty-nine people had died. This included Unnati and Ujjwal. Their parents, Neelam and Shekhar, decided to fight the prolonged battle to ensure their kids get justice, for they saw no other reason to live. It’s been nineteen years now, since the fire. But their fight with justice, for justice continues. This is their story.

Can a disease, more importantly, cancer, be a potent tool of self-evolution for both, the person who suffers from it, and his/her caregivers, especially parents? The value of good health is realized when it no more remains with us. The journey to salvage the lost friend can still offer myriad opportunities of redemption and self-discovery. It is up to us how we decide to tread this formidable path leading to self-actualization. Time has made us realize that it is not fair to stereotype a person suffering from cancer from the point of view of cure or recovery. Many a time, such stereotyping comes from our own society, and sometimes, ironically, from the medical fraternity, for its inability to go beyond a point, after which you feel you are condemned and vegetative. All these negativities passively entrap the patients and their parents in the viciousness of the disease where they die many times before the actual death. This is the worst form of cancer which has plagued our mindset. In the case of Divyansh Atman, the authors' son, it was not so. Divyansh was the embodiment of courage and self-determination in the face of adversities. His life journey shows us how the path of opportunities can still be paved in the middle of adversities. He lived a big and a meaningful life that made a huge impact on the lives of people around him. Cancer can bring in self-evolution, both for the sufferer and his caregivers. An inspirational memoir. A soul stirring account of a young boy who suffered from cancer but lived a life which inspired many. A true story of grit and human strength. To be read by every parent who grieves the

Sequel to national bestseller, Nebula Award finalist, and Compton Crook Award winner Fire with Fire. Science fiction adventure on a grand scale. When reluctant interstellar diplomat and intelligence operative Caine Riordan returns from humanitys first encounter with alien races, sudden war clouds burst. With Earths fleet shattered by a sneak attack and its survivors fighting for their lives, Caine must rely upon both his first contact and weaponry skills to contend with the non-humanoid enemy. And when the technologically-superior attackers sweep aside the solar systems last defenses, and traitorous corporations invite the invaders to land ‰security forces, humanity fights back with its best weapons: cunning, inventiveness, and guts. But as Earth hurtles towards a final trial by fire that is certain to scar its collective memory, Caine discovers that there may also be large and disturbing gaps in that memory. Clues point to a much earlier inter-species apocalypse, buried in humanitys own prehistory. Which raises a terrifying possibility: what if the aliens' invasion of Earth is not one of conquest, but preemption? And what if their harrowing memories of a long-past cataclysmic war makes them willing to do anything to keep it from reigniting? Even if that means exterminating the human race. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Compton Crook award winner for best first novel, Fire with Fire: _Chuck Gannon is one of those marvelous finds¾someone as comfortable with characters as he is with technology, and equally adept at providing those characters with problems to solve. Imaginative, fun, and not afraid to step on the occasional toe or gore the occasional sacred cow, his stories do not disappoint.Ó¾David Weber "If we meet strong aliens out there, will we suffer the fate of the Aztecs and Incas, or find the agility to survive? Gannon fizzes with ideas about the dangerous politics of first contact.Ó¾David Brin "The plot is intriguing and then some. Well-developed and self-consistent; intelligent readers are going to like it."¾Jerry Pournelle "[T]he intersecting plot threads, action and well-conceived science kept those pages turning."¾SF Crowsnest About Starfire series hit, Extremis, coauthored by Charles E. Gannon: _Vivid. . . Battle sequences mingle with thought-provoking exegesis . . .Ó_Publishers Weekly "Its a grand, fun series of battles and campaigns, worthy of anything Dale Brown or Larry Bond ever wrote." _Analog About Charles E. Gannon: "[A] strong [writer of] . . . military SF. . .[much] action going on in his work, with a lot of physics behind it. There is a real sense of the urgency of war and the sacrifices it demands." _Locus