A true story of innovation that “reads like a movie” (Seth Godin), centered on a scrappy team of engineers—far from the Silicon Valley limelight—and their quest to revolutionize the traditional trade of masonry by building a robot that can lay bricks. Humans have landed men on the moon, programmed cars to drive themselves, and put the knowledge of our entire civilization in your back pocket. But no one—from MIT nerds to Army Corps engineers—has ever built a robot that can lay bricks as well as a mason. Unlike the controlled conditions of a factory line, where robots are now ubiquitous, no two construction sites are alike, and a day’s work involves countless variables—bricks that range in size and quality, temperamental mortar mixes, uneven terrain, fickle weather, and moody foremen. Twenty-five years ago, on a challenging construction job in Syracuse, architect Nate Podkaminer had a vision of a future full of efficient, automated machines that freed bricklayers from the repetitive, toilsome burden of lifting, in bricks, the equivalent of a Ford truck every few days. Offhandedly, he mentioned the idea to his daughter’s boyfriend, and after some inspired scheming, the architect and engineer—soon to be in-laws—cofounded a humble start-up called Construction Robotics. Working out of a small trailer, they recruited a boldly unconventional team of engineers to build the Semi-Automated Mason: SAM. In classic American tradition, a small, unlikely, and eccentric family-run start-up sought to reimagine the behemoth $1 trillion construction industry—the second biggest industry in America—in bootstrap fashion. In the tradition of Tracy Kidder’s The Soul of a New Machine, SAM unfolds as an engineering drama, full of trials and setbacks, heated showdowns between meticulous scientists and brash bricklayers (and their even more opinionated union), and hard-earned milestone achievements. Jonathan Waldman, acclaimed author of Rust, masterfully “reveals a world that surrounds us but mostly eludes our notice” (The Boston Globe).

Like other fictional characters, female sleuths may live in the past or the future. They may represent current times with some level of reality or shape their settings to suit an agenda. There are audiences for both realism and escapism in the mystery novel. It is interesting, however, to compare the fictional world of the mystery sleuth with the world in which readers live. Of course, mystery readers do not share one simplistic world. They live in urban, suburban, and rural areas, as do the female heroines in the books they read. They may choose a book because it has a familiar background or because it takes them to places they long to visit. Readers may be rich or poor; young or old; conservative or liberal. So are the heroines. What incredible choices there are today in mystery series! This three-volume encyclopedia of women characters in the mystery novel is like a gigantic menu. Like a menu, the descriptions of the items that are provided are subjective. Volume 3 of Mystery Women as currently updated adds an additional 42 sleuths to the 500 plus who were covered in the initial Volume 3. These are more recently discovered sleuths who were introduced during the period from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1999. This more than doubles the number of sleuths introduced in the 1980s (298 of whom were covered in Volume 2) and easily exceeded the 347 series (and some outstanding individuals) described in Volume 1, which covered a 130-year period from 1860-1979. It also includes updates on those individuals covered in the first edition; changes in status, short reviews of books published since the first edition through December 31, 2008.

Somewhere in the Embers Lies the Truth A fire blazes out of control in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, leaving an elderly Amish bachelor dead. Bishop Henry Lapp rushes to the scene, and he learns the fire was no accident. Someone intended to kill Vernon Frey. But who would want to kill Vernon? Well, practically everyone—Amish and Englisch alike. When the police point the finger at a suspect Henry knows is innocent, the bishop must decide whether or not to use his mysterious, God-given gift—one he's tried desperately to ignore all these years—to try and set the record straight. His close friend and neighbor, Emma, encourages Henry to follow God's leading. Could the clue to solving the case be locked somewhere deep in his memory? Will Henry find the courage to move forward in faith and put the right person behind bars? Is his friendship with Emma becoming something more? What the Bishop Saw is a story of extraordinary talents, the bonds of love and friendship, and the unfailing grace of God.

Vannetta Chapman’s Amish Bishop Mysteries series is now available in this special 3-in-1 ebook-only bundle! The three novels in this collection overflow with mystery, suspense, and small-town warmth. Bishop Henry Lapp has a unique gift of memory recall, but he’s not sure how this fits in with his calling to love his Amish community and encourage them in the faith. Perhaps God has given him this talent so he can help others…by uncovering murderers: What the Bishop Saw: A suspicious fire leaves an Amish bachelor dead, an innocent suspect in police custody, and Henry holding the possible key to unlocking the mystery. Will he trust God enough to use his extraordinary talent to help solve the case? When the Bishop Needs an Alibi: When a young woman's body turns up at a local wildlife refuge, Henry finds himself embroiled in a mystery that his gift could help unravel. But his involvement may come at a dangerous price to him and those he loves. Who the Bishop Knows: A fun day at the rodeo turns deadly, and Henry must rush to solve a crime he didn't witness, rendering his uncanny ability to remember everything he sees useless. Can Henry stop the killer before he strikes again? The Amish Bishop Mysteries 3-in-1 ebook-only bundle offers stories of extraordinary talents, the bonds of love and friendship, and the unfailing grace of God.

The special forces trained him to face any challenge. She’ll test him in ways he never imagined. Corporal Chris Gunn plays hard, fights harder, and hasn’t met a woman he couldn’t charm. Until her. His life as a Marine Raider would be close to perfect if it wasn’t for the woman who seems tailor-made to provoke him at every turn. Samantha doesn’t have time for BS. Between her job, her checked-out mother, and the little sister whose antics will turn her prematurely gray, she has zero time for an adult pretender whose ego is only surpassed by his bossiness. And his hotness. Pretending to ignore the Raider while he pushes all her buttons has become her own personal Olympic sport, and she’s determined to take gold. But when a stalker sets his sights on Samantha, Chris will do everything in his power to protect the only woman who’s ever gotten under his skin. If these two can stop fighting each other, they just might be able to stop a threat bent on revenge. And they might discover that, sometimes, the person you can’t stand ends up being the one you can’t live without. Meet the men of Alpha Squad. Protective, strong-willed, and tough, they go hard after what they want. And when they set their sights on a woman, they’ll use every weapon in their arsenal to make her theirs. Each book in this series is a fast, steamy read, full of pulse-pounding action and sexy times.