The Rebels

With security comes a price.

Humanity is in danger of annihilation as a centuries old war with the Andromedans heats up again. The Empire, an increasingly totalitarian society, is the only force that stands in the gap.

Thrust into this chaos of alien invasion, rebellion, and political intrigue, Lieutenant Adrian Stannis is caught between the ends and the means. No one knows why this brilliant scientist chooses to hide in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, doing research on an insignificant science vessel. His days of anonymity may soon be coming to an end, whether he wants it to or not.

Adrian's freedom, and his very survival, may depend on friends he's afraid of having. Kali, a psi-enabled humanoid who is the only person he gets along with, just barely, and Bryce, his personal assistant and one-time conman and thief, may be his only hope, if he doesn't push them away, not to mention a mystery surrounding him that may explode in their faces.

Everyone wants to know the truth, but will it set them free?

Book 1 of the Empire Series, Book 2, The Rebels, is now available in Kobobooks.com.

Kings of Under-Castle is an anthology of short stories featuring two rogues, Pickel and Weasle, who live in the drains beneath the King's castle.

Pickel and Weasle encounter the officious Courtier Bland, the macabre Surgeon Strichnin, the Keeper of the Royal Bloodhounds, and the deadly Hanging Judge. They meet up with the King and Queen, the lovely Helena von Gosporin, the cheery jailer, Drossum, all the while being supported/hindered by two cheeky urchins, Joe and Ferd.

Pickel and Weasle are quick to purloin valuables to make their life in the dark tunnels more comfortable, nor are they fussy about what they eat, as long as it's meat.

Their hilarious adventures get them into many sticky situations which test their ingenuity and they usually, but not always, end up on top.

When it comes to Photoshop(r), time is money, and this hot new book (from Scott Kelby and Felix Nelson, the team behind Photoshop User magazine) is all about speed, speed, and more speed! This book is all tips--there are no special effects: no flaming type, no glows, etc.--it's just packed cover-to-cover with nothing little-known tricks and tips that the pros use every day to get twice the work done in half the time.

The idea behind this book comes from something that every great Photoshop book already has--those valuable little sidebar tips. We found that we often read those tips first, before we'd even actually read the chapter. The only problem is, there's just not enough of 'em. So we thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if there was a Photoshop book, and the whole book, cover-to-cover, was nothing but those great sidebar tips." That's what we've created in this book, which is all about the fun (and bragging rights) that come with knowing "all the inside tips."

The reason why the book's slogan is "speed kills!," is because this is the book that will make you faster and more productive than ever so you can "smoke the competition."

Down & Dirty Tricks is packed cover to cover with step-by-step tutorials on the coolest Photoshop 6.0 effects. The book is not another rehash of masking, pixels, and file formats or resolution--it's nothing but the cool stuff that will make your client's (or boss's) jaw drop.

Plus, it's an awesome Photoshop tips book too! That's because next to every tutorial, on every single page, there's a sidebar with a timesaving Photoshop 6.0 tip, trick, shortcut, or real-world technique to save you time, money, and make you more efficient. Written in plain English, you can jump in anywhere; simply open the book to the effect you want to create and follow along. It's that easy (and that much fun!).

Among many other tricks, the reader will learn:

• Amazing chrome and metallic effects
• How to create those dazzling high-tech Web interfaces
• Cool 3D effects using Photoshop's own filters
• Shadow techniques that the pros really use
• Instant texture and background effects
• The most requested advertising effects

Numen Yeye is about two worlds, inextricably interconnected. Numen Yeye is a princess in the Kingdom of Light, and her spirit is channeled through a young girl called Ife, who lives in a Nigerian village. Ife's awareness of her Light connection grows, but not as quickly as her dismay with the abuse of Nigeria's religious heritage in dark practices. And yet she recognizes what relevance her heritage has to her peoples', and her own, personal lives.

Numen Yeye is a story about Ife's discovery of her meaning in life, and despite her growing, special abilities, it resonates with each and every reader. It is universal in theme. Numen Yeye is also about the spiritual lives of the Nigerian peoples, including their village customs and rites. It is a revelation.

Numen Yeye is not a typical contemporary fantasy novel. It was written in Nigerian English and the publisher has taken pains in retaining as much of the idiom and style as possible through its translation, while still enabling Western readers to fully appreciate what is a very different, fascinating world.