Firefly is the new novel from New York Times bestselling author, Molly McAdams, a dark, twisting story of redemption and true love against the odds, perfect for fans of J. B. Salsbury, Jamie McGuire, Sophie Jackson and Lisa Renee Jones. As the Princess of the Irish-American Mob, there's no shortage of men ready to help guard and protect me. Kieran Hayes has been saving me for as long as I can remember. It's in his blood, and one of the many reasons I fell in love with him. Until my favourite trait became his biggest flaw, making me resent the man I love. What I wasn't prepared for was Dare - the man who set my world on fire with just one touch. He saw straight through to my soul and silently demanded my heart from the beginning. And I didn't expect Dare to be Demitri Borello - the reason for so many deaths in my family. A man who will take my life the moment he finds out who I am. Despite it all, I'll love him until that moment comes. Don't miss Blackbird, another powerful romance of love in the darkness from Molly McAdams.

Chloe Steele appears to be a normal eighteen-year-old, but she harbors a secret that brings her to rural Alabama, where she works as a live-in housekeeper for an elderly couple while attending the local college. When she meets a handsome, mysterious neighbor, Chloe's path takes a turn that leads her into a strange new world where the line between fantasy and reality sometimes blurs.

The untold story of the Unification War continues! Stranded on an outer moon and with a price on their heads from Alliance bounty hunters, the crew race against time—and the planet's population—to fix Serenity and hightail it outta there!

Nature-inspired algorithms such as cuckoo search and firefly algorithm have become popular and widely used in recent years in many applications. These algorithms are flexible, efficient and easy to implement. New progress has been made in the last few years, and it is timely to summarize the latest developments of cuckoo search and firefly algorithm and their diverse applications. This book will review both theoretical studies and applications with detailed algorithm analysis, implementation and case studies so that readers can benefit most from this book. Application topics are contributed by many leading experts in the field. Topics include cuckoo search, firefly algorithm, algorithm analysis, feature selection, image processing, travelling salesman problem, neural network, GPU optimization, scheduling, queuing, multi-objective manufacturing optimization, semantic web service, shape optimization, and others. This book can serve as an ideal reference for both graduates and researchers in computer science, evolutionary computing, machine learning, computational intelligence, and optimization, as well as engineers in business intelligence, knowledge management and information technology.

Summary: In the middle of a dark and magical forest lived a group of goblins who were much nicer than the ones in scary stories. These goblins were friendly, liked to cause trouble, and felt deeply connected to the beauty of nature. The Firefly celebration was their favorite holiday. It happened once a year and was a beautiful show of unity and wonder between goblins, woodland animals, and fireflies. The Firefly Festival took place in a clearing in the middle of a forest. The huge oak trees there made it look like a natural amphitheater. Goblins and other creatures of the woods gathered here, where the smell of wildflowers and the soft feel of the grass drew them in. In order to get ready for the holiday, the goblins spent weeks making flower crowns and lanterns out of branches, leaves, and other natural materials. They asked every animal that lives in the forest to join the party, from cute chipmunks and bunnies to owls and foxes. When the sun went down, it cast a warm orange glow over the area where the party start. The goblins' favorite friend, the firefly, showing up was without a doubt the best part of the party. The shimmering, microscopic bugs that showed up added a wonderful touch to the evening's events. They were in a secret valley deep in the forest, where a field sparkled like a thousand lights. That's where the goblins knew how to look for them. There were thousands and thousands of fireflies at the party, making a beautiful show of moving lights. While the goblins played beautiful music on their flutes, the fireflies seemed to dance to the beat, making a beautiful orchestra of light and sound. Some bad goblins, like Grumble, thought it would be a great idea to blow on a firefly to wake it up and make its light shine better. The goblins quickly agreed with this idea, and soon the whole clearing was lit up with a bright light, as if the sky had opened up to join the party. As the night went on, the firefly led the goblins and other animals of the forest to continue to dance and celebrate. The lights gave off a soft, comforting light, and the air was filled with happiness and joy. It was time to say goodbye to the fireflies when the first rays of dawn broke through the trees in the morning. The goblins let the fireflies fly, feeling both sorry for what they did and thankful for their help. As the early morning light came up, they stood there and watched the fireflies fly away into the sky. The goblins were thrilled and amazed when they got back to their homes in the woods. They did this because they were sure that their connection with the firefly and the forest's natural beauty would keep charming them. They looked forward to new adventures every day in their magical forest, and every night they celebrated the wonderful things that nature had given them. Beginning with Hear: Once upon a time, in a magical forest hidden behind tall, old trees, there lived a group of helpful goblins. The goblins in this story were not at all like the ones in scary books or movies. They were nice, but at heart they were pranksters, and they loved the chance to enjoy the beauty of nature. They thought the Firefly Festival was one of their favorite events. The forest was a beautiful and enchanted place where time seemed to move more slowly and every sound of birds singing, and leaves rustling held a secret. There were goblins watching over this strange place. The fact that they lived in such an unusual way showed how much they cared about nature. In a world where goblins were usually thought of as dangerous monsters that lived in the dark, this group was a bright example of how good people could be found in the strangest places. People in this world often thought of goblins as scary monsters that lived in the dark. Their gentle nature came from the beautiful woods, which was where they wanted to be. The goblins' days were full of fun things they did that honored the forest's many and varied plants and animals. They were the first to rise with the sun and would sing happy songs that could be heard all over the forest. For fun, they would do things like put nuts in each other's shoes or send each other on treasure hunts to find the most beautiful wildflowers. They would do these things while grinning meanly. But things weren't always so happy and bright for these goblins. Their strong belief was that it was their duty to keep the forest and its animals safe. These people knew all the secret tracks that went through the thick plants and were always ready to help any animal that needed it. This could mean saving a bird that is stuck in a thorny bush or showing a baby rabbit how to get back to its hole. The animals in the forest understood that the goblins in this story were not at all like the ones they had read about in scary stories because they did nice things for them. The goblins would have lively talks with squirrels and chipmunks and teach them what they knew about the forest. Old, wise owls would visit them and talk to the goblins about the moon and stars. As the seasons changed, the goblins would change what they did for a living so they could fully enjoy each day. During the cool fall days, they would get together to pick the ripest apples from the orchards. They would fill baskets to the brim with the fruit they had gathered. Under the harvest moon, they would make big leaf piles to jump into and then tell each other stories about the crazy things they had done. During the winter, when the forest was covered in snow, the goblins would make giant snow forts and tunnels and ask their animal friends to go on snowy adventures with them. It was also very cold in the winter, so they left food out for the animals to make sure everyone had a good meal. The goblins loved all four seasons, but summer was their favorite. As soon as the sun came up, everyone got excited about their much-loved Firefly

In a world where learning and reading are forbidden, the fairy princess Ariel is taking huge risks to explore the knowledge avaliable among the elves she’s befriended on the other side of the valley. As she becomes more entwined in their world, Keeper the patriarch of her new band of friends, warns Ariel of the dangerous path she's on and reveals a shocking truth about her own family. Ariel is left with a difficult choice. Should she return to the barbarian, illiterate security of her colony, or continue risking everything in her attempts to quench her awakened thirst for knowledge? In this captivating tale of alliances and self-discovery, Ariel and Keeper form an unlikely pact that will change their lives forever.

This volume contains books 13-15 of London Lovett's Firefly Junction Cozy Mystery series. Join Sunni Taylor, Brady 'Jax' Jackson and the Cider Ridge ghost for three cozy mysteries with fun paranormal twists. Founders’ Day Fiasco (Book 13) Firefly Junction is in the middle of a huge Founders’ Day celebration and Sunni Taylor has been assigned to cover the colorful music and float-filled parade. But when the organizer of the parade winds up dead, Sunni’s mundane assignment takes a new twist. Now, she finds herself in the middle of a murder that is complicated by the fact that the victim had more than a few enemies. Heat Wave Homicide (Book 14) A terrible heat wave has fallen over Firefly Junction and tempers are flaring. With triple digit temperatures and humidity thick enough you can cut it with a knife, a chili cook-off is the last place journalist Sunni Taylor wants to be but Prudence Mortimer, the owner of the Junction Times wants her to cover the event. When one of the competitors is stabbed to death in the parking lot the cook-off really heats up. Sunni is no longer covering recipes and pepper eating contests. She has a murder to solve, and the triple digit temperatures aren’t going to stop her. Terror at Thornbridge Hotel (Book 15) Normally, Sunni would balk at a mundane news story like the 250th anniversary of a hotel, but she’s excited to cover the event. Firefly Junction’s Thornbridge Hotel is not just any historical old relic. It is home to Thomas McRooney, a ghost who knew Edward Beckett when he was a tall, handsome Englishman riding around town on his steed. Sunni hopes to contact the otherwise elusive ghost and hear stories about Edward and the woman he loved. When the hotel’s ornery chef dies under suspicious circumstances, the celebration is cut short. Sunni once again finds herself wrapped up in a murder case. Or was it just a tragic accident? The hotel’s oldest inhabitant believes there was foul play. But how does one use the eyewitness account of a man who’s been dead for nearly two hundred years? More in the series: Chocolate Festival Felony (Book 16)

SHERIFF MAL REYNOLDS VS SERENITY?! When the notorious outlaw Mal Reynolds agreed to wear a sheriff's badge, he figured he could change a thing or two about how "justice" is dispensed in the 'Verse. And maybe he did. But his former crew members on Serenity are about to find out if the badge has changed him -- when he finally throws them in jail! With the whole 'Verse turned upside down, a new outlaw appears on the scene., calling himself the Bandit King, and he’s bound and determined to take Mal's old position as the most incorrigibly independent law-bender around. Has Mal finally met his match? They say you can't trick a trickster, but in this brand new 'Verse, Mal may be in for the surprise of his life. New York Times best-selling writer Greg Pak (Darth Vader) and rising star artist Lalit Kumar Sharma (Daredevil) present the next exciting chapter continuing Joss Whedon’s acclaimed series. Collects Firefly #16-20.

The third original novel tying into the critically acclaimed and much-missed Firefly series from creator Joss Whedon. Some hot property Mal's crew desperately need another payday, but not desperately enough to transport a Blue Sun flightcase to Badger, no questions asked, when the area is swarming with Alliance spacecraft equally keen to regain the stolen property. Yet Jayne refuses to miss out, and sneaks the case aboard Serenity. Lucid Dreams Within hours of secreting the case Jayne suddenly finds himself back on the Cobb homestead with his brother Matty miraculously cured of the damplung. Wash is at the controls of the highest-spec cruiser money can buy, the billionaire head of a 'verse-spanning business empire. All of the crew but River are soon immersed in vivid hallucinations of their deepest desires, while their bodies lie insensible on the ship. Fantasties gone sour Wash's empire begins to crumble; the Cobb ranch is under attack by merciless bandits. As everyone's daydreams turn nightmare, Serenity floats on a crash course towards a barren moon, with only River standing between the crew and certain oblivion.