The NexLord series is a traditional fantasy in the sense that it deals with strong good and evil. The focus of this epic fantasy story are four young people caught up in a deadly struggle started long ago. It explores the good and evil power of all emotions.The magic system is based on emotion and deals with the power of group beliefs and self fulfilling prophecy. The setting of the story is a unique planet where all normal human emotional tendencies are magnified. Humans are not alone there, and four other intelligent races inhabit the lands as well. Prejudice runs rampant and wars based on racial hatred have plagued the lands for hundreds of years.The emotions of hate and fear have coalesced into one place and continuously inhabit the body of a human, known as the Dreadmaster. This being continuously gathers and wields these evil powers. The ever growing power exists independently of the human vessel it inhabits, and when the body is destroyed it is only a matter of time until the power inhabits a new vessel.To combat the Dreadmaster's power all free humans gathered at one time and created a power fueled by their common belief and emotional need, a power that can be given to a NexLord. Using a check an balance system to keep this power from being abused a test was created. Those who pass this test become Knights of the Realm, known as NexLords. The NexLords and their Bondsmen are the one counter to the Dreadmaster's power.But with the ending of the Final War the last of the NexLords disappeared into the east, warning that the Dreadmaster's power was still out there, but no one listened or believed. For three hundred years now there has not been a new Dreadmaster and no one in the Human Realm has followed the difficult path to become a NexLord. However, there is a Prophecy spreading across the land, a prophecy that tells of the coming of a new NexLord who will bring a golden age. But what it predicts is about to go terribly wrong... for there is another prophecy, a Dark Prophecy, and the world is about to change to that path.Dark Prophecies is the first novel of a three book Fantasy Epic series. A mysterious old woman named Mara comes to teach four children who have been foretold in two dire prophecies. The kids have wild adventures while forming strong bonds. Mara teaches them to fight, and much more, for the mysterious old woman knows what the future holds for these children, and their coming will shake the world.

Confronting Reality will change the way you think about and run your business. It is the first book that shows how to connect the big picture of the new era of business with the nitty-gritty of what to do about it. Through a completely new way to understand and use the business model as the primary tool for confronting reality—a breakthrough that will become the management innovation of this decade—you’ll know sooner rather than later whether your fundamental business premise is under assault, where your best opportunities lie, what you should change and what you should leave alone, and how to realistically plan the future of your business. The fundamentals of how a business makes money are being rapidly and permanently altered by sweeping structural changes. With their extraordinary depth and breadth of experience, Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan are the ideal guides for everyone—entrepreneur, mid-level manager, or CEO—about what is to be done so you can get things right in this challenging, radically changed world. They start by showing you how to understand the most fundamental element of any business: whether you can realistically make the money you hope to in the game you’re playing. Bossidy and Charan show how to use the business model to develop a robust, reality-based process for thinking about the speci?cs of your business in a holistic way. They show how to tie together the financial targets you must meet, the external realities you face, and internal activities such as strategy development, operating tactics, and selection and development of people. Through the lens of the business model, as well as the skillful use of initiatives and development of people with the right leadership characteristics, you’ll see how Robert Nardelli at Home Depot, Jim McNerney at 3M, Dick Harrington at the Thomson Corporation, Michael Wisbrun at KLM, Joseph Tucci at EMC, and John Chambers at Cisco confronted reality. Whether they faced crisis or opportunity, all made the right kinds of changes through a combination of business savvy (the art of understanding the fundamentals driving a business) and business model thinking.

Mention a diplomatic career and most people imagine high-level meetings, formal dress and cocktail parties. Few stop to think that behind the occasional glitter of official functions are thousands of families facing all the routines and crises of life-births, deaths, childrearing, divorce-far from home, relatives, and friends, in an unfamiliar and sometimes unfriendly country and culture. This book provides reflections and perspectives on the realities of Foreign Service life as experienced by members of the Foreign Service community around the world. The writers share their unvarnished views on a wide variety of topics they care about: maintaining long-distance relationships, raising teens abroad, dealing with depression, coping with evacuations, readjusting to life in the United States, and many others. These are stories from the diplomatic trenches-true experiences from those who have lived the lifestyle and want to share their hard-learned lessons with others. ?If you are new to the Foreign Service, this book will offer insights and practical information useful in your overseas tours and when you return home. Even if you are a seasoned veteran of the Foreign Service, the reports and reflections of others may encourage you to compare and evaluate your own experiences. ? If you (or your partner) are contemplating joining the Foreign Service, this book can serve as a reality check, giving you honest, personal perspectives on both the positive and negative aspects of Foreign Service life. ? If you are a student wondering what the Foreign Service is all about, this book will broaden your knowledge and provide you with an insider's view not found in any textbook.