Perhaps William Ramon Daniel Chang was always destined to live a life full of heartache, hardships, and turmoil. His mother, who herself was abandoned by her own mother, treated little Willie and his father, Ramon, badly. She was more in love with alcohol and fornicating with random men than spending time with her family.

A decadent look at one of the most intriguing monarchs in history… “A must read romance!” ~ Serena Chase, Special for USA TODAY Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother's quest to put her on the throne of Russia--at any cost. Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family--and herself--Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans. Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she's willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be. In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme? Don't miss the series dubbed a “must-read romance” by the USA Today and “An entertaining and racy read” by School Library Journal. Fans of the hit TV show REIGN will devour this scandalous glimpse into the life of one of the most vibrant women in history. This series is complete with all three books available to read today. Novels in The Stolen Empire Series by Sherry D. Ficklin: Queen of Someday Queen of Tomorrow Queen of Always Also, check out Sherry D. Ficklin’s new Historical Romance Series— The Canary Club. The Canary Club (Available October 2, 2017) Glitter and Gold: A Canary Club Anthology (Available Now) Fresh out of jail, "Bad Luck" Benny is desperate to care for his struggling family, even if that means once again landing on the wrong side of the law. Masie, the daughter of a wealthy gangster, has the voice of an angel and gun smoke in her veins. A pawn in her family's bid for control of the city, she turns to an unlikely ally who might be the only person able to spring her from her gilded cage. Two worlds collide in this compelling story of star-crossed lovers in gritty prohibition-era New York. Catherine the Great, Historical Romance, Historical Romance Regency, 18th Century Romance, Russian Royalty, Steamy Historical Romance, Love Triangle, Historical Fiction Biographical, Young Adult Fiction, Royalty Romance

A young girl, her parents, and their neighbors try to save an old oak tree that has been poisoned by pollution.

The objective of the 2014 International Conference on Computer, Network Security and Communication Engineering (CNSCE2014) is to provide a platform for all researchers in the field of Computer, Network Security and Communication Engineering to share the most advanced knowledge from both academic and industrial world, to communicate with each other about their experience and most up-to-date research achievements, and to discuss issues and future prospects in these fields. As an international conference mixed with academia and industry, CNSCE2014 provides attendees not only the free exchange of ideas and challenges faced by these two key stakeholders and encourage future collaboration between members of these groups but also a good opportunity to make friends with scholars around the word. As the first session of the international conference on CNSCE, it covers topics related to Computer, Network Security and Communication Engineering. CNSCE2014 has attracted many scholars, researchers and practitioners in these fields from various countries. They take this chance to get together, sharing their latest research achievements with each other. It has also achieved great success by its unique characteristics and strong academic atmosphere as well as its authority.

The Collected Works of Algernon Blackwood is a comprehensive collection of the renowned author's 10 novels and over 80 short stories. Blackwood's literary style is characterized by his mastery of the supernatural and the occult, often creating atmospheres of dread and mystery in his works. His stories delve into the unknown and the unexplained, exploring themes of spirituality, nature, and the paranormal. Set against the backdrop of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Blackwood's writing is both captivating and eerie, drawing readers into a world where reality and the supernatural collide. The collection showcases Blackwood's ability to blend horror with philosophical inquiries, making it a must-read for fans of supernatural fiction. Algernon Blackwood's own experiences with the supernatural and his deep interest in mystical traditions heavily influenced his works, adding depth and authenticity to his storytelling. His exploration of the human psyche and connection to the natural world provides insight into his motivations for writing such captivating tales. The Collected Works of Algernon Blackwood is recommended for readers seeking to immerse themselves in the haunting and enigmatic world of supernatural literature.

This is an autobiography turned into fiction, as the theme of the story is not interesting enough to entrance the audiences awareness and not interesting to become a big-budget motion depiction. It does not attract all the social lessons of all the races and nations and does not convey a message of slaughter to be lived by, success to be dishonored, and achievements to get pleasure from.

If it be the good fortune of this work to possess any interest for the Novel reader, that interest, perhaps, will be but little derived from the customary elements of fiction. The plot is extremely slight, the incidents are few, and with the exception of those which involve the fate of Vivian, such as may be found in the records of ordinary life. Regarded as a Novel, this attempt is an experiment somewhat apart from the previous works of the author. It is the first of his writings in which Humor has been employed, less for the purpose of satire than in illustration of amiable characters; it is the first, too, in which man has been viewed, less in his active relations with the world, than in his repose at his own hearth,—in a word, the greater part of the canvas has been devoted to the completion of a simple Family Picture. And thus, in any appeal to the sympathies of the human heart, the common household affections occupy the place of those livelier or larger passions which usually (and not unjustly) arrogate the foreground in Romantic composition. In the Hero whose autobiography connects the different characters and events of the work, it has been the Author's intention to imply the influences of Home upon the conduct and career of youth; and in the ambition which estranges Pisistratus for a time from the sedentary occupations in which the man of civilized life must usually serve his apprenticeship to Fortune or to Fame, it is not designed to describe the fever of Genius conscious of superior powers and aspiring to high destinies, but the natural tendencies of a fresh and buoyant mind, rather vigorous than contemplative, and in which the desire of action is but the symptom of health...