So close. Kira Brightwell knows the Procurer lurks almost within her grasp. But the abductor for hire has always remained one step ahead. Can Kira finally outwit him? ...And what will happen if she does? The ongoing game of cat and mouse between Kira and the Procurer reaches its breaking point in this sixth collection of cases from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by award-winning author, Jacquelyn Smith: Cornered: A Kira Brightwell Novel (Kira Brightwell Book 6) Lucky Punch: A Kira Brightwell Short Story Lights Out: A Kira Brightwell Short Story Cornered: A Kira Brightwell Novel (Kira Brightwell Book 6) Kira Brightwell knows where to find the Procurer. Finally, after four long years, a level playing field. But the serial abductor knows how to cover his tracks. And any animal can become even more dangerous when cornered. Kira’s hard-won window of opportunity to capture the Procurer remains narrow in a race against the clock. Kira’s other problem? Someone else wants to find him first. The ongoing battle of wits between Kira and the Procurer comes to a head in this tense sixth novel in the Kira Brightwell mystery series. Lucky Punch: A Kira Brightwell Short Story A nice, relaxing vacation. After all the mystery and mayhem over the past several months, a tropical getaway seems like just what Kira Brightwell needs. With only her best friend for company and no one back home aware of their location (detective friend, persistent sidekick, and nosy reporters included), Kira can finally unwind and try to forget. Maybe enjoy a cool, refreshing cocktail on the beach. But wherever Kira goes, trouble always follows only a step behind. A stand-alone story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series. If you enjoy a fun, tropical escapade, grab this book. Lights Out: A Kira Brightwell Short Story A crowded mall, the week before Christmas. Definitely not Kira Brightwell’s idea of a good time. After a long year of difficult—and often dangerous—cases, the bustle and noise jangle her nerves. She resists the temptation to lash out at shoppers who bump into her with their purchases. Not worth the effort. Especially compared to the criminals she usually deals with. But Kira can find trouble anywhere. ...And a new case waits to be unwrapped. A stand-alone holiday story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series.

Kira Brightwell never backs down from a challenge. But her abduction and the man responsible still haunt her. Even her closest friendships suffer from the strain of her ongoing quest for justice. Kira finds herself isolated and alone. How much more must she sacrifice to take down the Procurer? The stakes get raised in this fifth collection of cases from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by award-winning author, Jacquelyn Smith: In the Clinch: A Kira Brightwell Novel (Kira Brightwell Book 5) Tale of the Tape: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel Ground Work: A Kira Brightwell Short Story In the Clinch: A Kira Brightwell Novel (Kira Brightwell Book 5) Kira Brightwell never thought it would come to this. So close! With the origins of the serial abductor known as the Procurer finally unraveled, her nemesis finally seemed within reach... Until he pulled the rug out from under her. Her ties to family and friends sacrificed in her obsessive quest for vengeance, Kira finds herself isolated and alone. An easy target for someone like the Procurer—if she chooses to continue to pursue him. A single question remains. How much more does she want to lose? Kira’s search for the Procurer takes an unexpected turn in this gripping fifth novel from the Kira Brightwell mystery series. Tale of the Tape: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel A bootleg Nine Inch Nails cassette tape. Weird thing for Kira to find abandoned by a sewer grate on her way to school. The hand-drawn NIN logo in marker catches Kira’s eye. Who tossed the tape? And why? Kira pockets it, of course. Seems a shame to leave it in the gutter. Who knows what kind of extra tracks she might find on it? ...Now she only needs to figure out a way to play the thing. A twisting, short novel of Kira’s high school past from the Kira Brightwell mystery series. Ground Work: A Kira Brightwell Short Story Kira Brightwell thinks she knows her best friend and roommate pretty well—better than anyone else, at least. Rob’s life seems straightforward from the outside. He stays in the apartment and keeps to himself, preferring the company of his laptop to most other people (Trevor Wright in particular). He gathers information from behind the scenes, while Kira takes the lead out in the real world in her ongoing search for the serial abductor known as Procurer. But Rob has a secret. Something he keeps even from Kira. ...And an unexpected case threatens to expose everything. A fun, stand-alone story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series.

Kira Brightwell would give anything for a nice, straightforward case. Since her fall from grace with the local media, nothing in her life seems simple anymore. (Lowball requests to track down missing dogs and cheating boyfriends hardly count.) But whenever Kira gets involved, even the simple things get complicated—and dangerous. Kira fights back in this third collection of cases from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by award-winning author, Jacquelyn Smith: Low Blow: A Kira Brightwell Novel (Kira Brightwell Book 3) Puncher’s Chance: A Kira Brightwell Short Story Seeing Stars: A Kira Brightwell Short Story Low Blow: A Kira Brightwell Novel (Kira Brightwell Book 3) Kira Brightwell knows how to take a punch. (Actually, she prefers throwing them.) Abduction, theft, murder… She faces all these crimes and more on her own terms as a private detective for hire. She also searches for any clues that might fulfill her quest for vengeance against the man known only as the Procurer. ...But a recent twist in circumstances leaves her rocked. The growing legend of abduction survivor and local hero Kira Brightwell takes an unexpected turn in this third novel in the Kira Brightwell mystery series. (Originally published under the pen name Kat Irwin.) Puncher’s Chance: A Kira Brightwell Short Story Local hero and problem solver for hire, Kira Brightwell finds herself on the run. Again. Her running shoes pound the crowded sidewalk. A trickle of sweat slithers down her back in the California heat. And the damp remains of scrambled egg spatter the front of her favorite Nine Inch Nails T-shirt. The egg stain earns her a few looks from passers-by. That and her breakneck pace. Kira’s quarry remains two blocks ahead of her. She needs to haul ass if she wants to catch him. ...Because when a bad guy messes with her favorite shirt, the case gets personal. A stand-alone misadventure story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series. Seeing Stars: A Kira Brightwell Short Story Kira Brightwell might not wear a badge. But she still enjoys the challenge when she unravels a difficult case. The case of Taylor Christie proves no exception. The social media starlet prepares to shoot a video, when things go wrong. Horribly wrong. With an entire crowd in attendance. And more than Kira knows stands between her and the truth about what happened. A twisting, stand-alone story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series. If you love a clever detective, who plays by her own rules, grab this book.

Who doesn't love the mall at Christmas? Kira Brightwell. And yet, here she finds herself-looking for a last-minute gift among a bustling crowd that would make someone who hasn't had one of the toughest years ever want to punch someone in the face-when a child tasks her with finding some missing donation presents. Of course whenever Kira gets involved, nothing is as it seems. Especially when Trevor Wright comes along for the ride... Looks like someone's halls are about to get decked. A quirky, short crime story for both new and regular readers of the Kira Brightwell series by Writers' Journal winning author, Jacquelyn Smith. This adventure takes place after Cornered.

Kira Brightwell knows how to take a punch. (Actually, she prefers throwing them.) Abduction, theft, murder… She faces all these crimes and more on her own terms as a private detective for hire. She also searches for any clues that might fulfill her quest for vengeance against the man known only as the Procurer. ...But a recent twist in circumstances leaves her rocked. The ongoing game of cat-and-mouse between Kira and the Procurer picks up the pace in this suspenseful fourth novel in the Kira Brightwell mystery series by the author of the Mackenzie Quinn mysteries, Jacquelyn Smith.

The aim of the work is give an overview of the activity in the field of Photonic Crystal developed in the frame of COST P11 action . The main objective of the COST P11 action was to unify and coordinate national efforts aimed at studying linear and nonlinear optical interactions with Photonic Crystals (PCs), without neglecting an important aspect related to the material research as idea and methods of realizations of 3D PC, together with the development and implementation of measurement techniques for the experimental evaluation of their potential applications in different area, as for example telecommunication with novel optical fibers, lasers, nonlinear multi-functionality, display devices, opto-electronics, sensors. The book contains contributions from authors who gave their lecture at the Cost P11 Training School.

NATIONAL BEST SELLER • From the best-selling, award-winning author of The Buddha in the Attic and When the Emperor Was Divine comes a novel about what happens to a group of obsessed recreational swimmers when a crack appears at the bottom of their local pool. This searing, intimate story of mothers and daughters—and the sorrows of implacable loss—is the most commanding and unforgettable work yet from a modern master. The swimmers are unknown to one another except through their private routines (slow lane, medium lane, fast lane) and the solace each takes in their morning or afternoon laps. But when a crack appears at the bottom of the pool, they are cast out into an unforgiving world without comfort or relief. One of these swimmers is Alice, who is slowly losing her memory. For Alice, the pool was a final stand against the darkness of her encroaching dementia. Without the fellowship of other swimmers and the routine of her daily laps she is plunged into dislocation and chaos, swept into memories of her childhood and the Japanese American incarceration camp in which she spent the war. Alice's estranged daughter, reentering her mother's life too late, witnesses her stark and devastating decline.