Silvia Black is pitted in a high-stakes game against the Brothel, and checkmate equals death. As one of the last survivors of a race of shape-shifting spiders, her will to survive and her lust for revenge both point to the same strategy-exterminate her enemies before they find her. For the Spider Queen, friends are hard to come by, and her one-time victim Count Darith may be her only hope.Darith Cortanis lost almost everything when he became entangled in Silvia's scheming. Now, his former enemy could help him win back what he prizes most: his wife, Marim. Held captive by the Brothel and her own mind, Marim is worth any sacrifice.Although Silvia's and Darith's paths may run together, loyalty among adversaries can be fleeting. Their final gambit pulls friends and enemies alike onto the board. The pieces are moving, but will the Queen be left standing?In a game of strategy, it pays to think about the long run.

The rise of the Sprague Electric Company from a kitchen-table high-tech startup with a niche electronic product is representative of much of the U.S. electronics industry. Sprague Electric began in 1926 in the Quincy, Massachusetts kitchen of a young naval officer, Ensign Robert C. Sprague, and became a thriving manufacturer employing thousands of workers. It built a broad product line of electronic components, achieving international sales and a reputation for the highest quality. It then declined, went through a series of acquisitions, and eventually dissolved. Sprague Electric provides a valuable business and technological history, which serves as a lens for the stories of thousands of companies all over the world. It is the story of corporate success, and a cautionary tale of what to avoid. The Sprague Electric story portrays the value of investment in research and development, and also the effects of raw material supply chains on product lines. It is a story of a company's relations with the town where its factories were located, the small New England mill town of North Adams, Massachusetts, and how labor relations - initially cordial- later soured. It is a story of how a vulnerable company weathered the stresses of the Great Depression and triumphed, only to be brought down by the recessions of the 1970s and 1980s. It is a history of acquisitions, mergers, and spin-offs- some of them botched- and of the strategic and tactical mistakes that eventually caused the company to vanish. Its principal manufacturing plant is now an acclaimed art museum. Yet, Sprague Electric's successor companies continue its legacy in the electronic components industry. Corporations formed from its different business units and operations are now spread around the world.

Like many churchgoers, C. Joseph Sprague finds himself in a quandary: he loves the church but often finds himself at odds with its principles and/or practices. What makes his situation unique is that in addition to his role as worshiper, he is a bishop who is charged with the responsibility of leadership. In Affirmations of a Dissenter, Sprague gives readers a composite of affirmation and dissent, of faith and protest. He writes about his trust in and commitment to God's hospitable, unconditional love for all humankind as well as about his discomfort with discernible public trends in religious institutions, particularly United Methodism. The brief chapters of this book cover a variety of topics: biblical literalism; the power of biblical witness; biblical authority as related to homosexuality, divorce, violence, and women; the nature and person of Jesus; hope in the church; leadership; and racism. "When Joe Sprague ponders the Scripture looking at them through the ministry of our Lord, he grabs your attention. Your mind will race; your heart will beat faster as he walks with Jesus into areas of poverty, injustice, war, and human sexuality. You may not always agree, but you will be brought up short by his openness, his integrity, and his sacrificial commitments. He'll make you a braver, more radical Christian."--Richard B. Wilke Bishop in Residence Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas "A candid and clarion call for United Methodism to embrace its theological, biblical, and ethical roots without being ensnared by fearful right-wing 'neoliteralists' or cynical left-wing 'progressives.' Bishop Sprague challenges the church to a future vision of hope, emphasizing the Gospel's mandate of inclusiveness, justice, and nonviolence. A refreshing and stimulating presentation of basically orthodox Christian beliefs, this book is 'must reading' for every Christian yearning for a renewed and relevant church in the 21st century." --Donald E. Messer Warren Professor of Practical Theology and President Emeritus The Iliff School of Theology "United Methodist Bishop Joseph Sprague's book Affirmations of a Dissenter is the bravest statement I've ever read by a UMC bishop on the topics he's writing about. It says some things that urgently need saying in the church." Barbara Wendland in Connections April 2003

When you're the target of snubbing or teasing at school, it's easy to feel like everyone else has a group of friends and you're the only odd one out. The reality is that gossip and rumors hurt everyone, and often, even the most popular girls feel alone. Making your way through junior high and high school isn't easy, and it definitely requires more than the right shoes and lip gloss. You'll need a cool head and the confidence to be yourself in the face of serious social challenges. This workbook will help you deal with cliques, teasing, and gossip, and show you how to avoid getting caught up in this hurtful pattern of behavior. Coping with Cliques also includes key strategies for sticking up for yourself, maintaining your self-esteem even when others tease you, and finding friends who like you for who you are. The exercises in this workbook will help you to: •Handle Internet gossip and teasing •Stop feeling like you have to be sexy •Be assertive when necessary to gain respect and confidence •Find true friends and stop being hurt by friends who leave you out