In Autumnborn, the pumpkins aren't the only things growing. So is the body count.

How could they just let it happen? Why would someone let them in?Owen is constantly drawn to the terrifying, supernatural, and unexplainable mysteries of the world. He can always find a rational explanation, but new stories are always calling to him.Drawn to Birch Island by recent sightings of Black Eyed Kids, Owen hopes to make his journalist debut by cracking the case on this modern urban legend. But the longer he spends searching, the less sense everythi...

Birch Island has few culinary delights. Its palate is mostly composed of fatty, salty fare. But on the fringes of town sits a burger joint worth talking about—usually in hushed tones of admiration.Clown Town Burgers, a dilapidated 1980s-themed restaurant, serves exactly what you've been craving. Better yet, it's open late.When Angela takes a job working the night shift, she discovers there is more to fear than disappointing her parents. The restaurant's founder still walks ...

I feel like a moth trying to figure out what that blinding, beautiful light is. So close it's about to burn me alive. It's exhilarating.Giving in to the pull of the Island, Owen Lamont has taken a writing position at The Birch Island Observer. It's a supernatural tabloid focusing on the weird and unexplainable.For Owen, that means every week is a new story.A new spirit to chase.A new monster hunting him in the dark.Now he's being fol...

Tightening chest and shortness of breath, he felt like a child again. It was the feeling of being prey...Locals are seeing lights in the skies above Birch Island. Shimmering green skies, accompanied by fast moving objects and followed by strange and gory obductions.Little footsteps accompanied by mirror-light eyes...How can Owen hope to solve the case when he's already struggling to find a place on the team? He can't fight and he's ...

Independent thought is a burden. No, it's a lie.The ocean protects a secret. A mystery left to rot in its depths, like a wound unable to heal.It was not a cause, nor a message.Something is approaching the island, cold and inevitable like a winter storm. What does it want, and can Owen and his team hope to stop it?He belonged to something greater.OCEANUS is the third novel in the Birch Island Cases. It's a fast-paced, supern...

How could they just let it happen? Why would someone let them in?Owen is constantly drawn to the terrifying, supernatural, and unexplainable mysteries of the world. He can always find a rational explanation, but new stories are always calling to him.Drawn to Birch Island by recent sightings of Black Eyed Kids, Owen hopes to make his journalist debut by cracking the case on this modern urban legend. But the longer he spends searching, the less sense...

The global population is projected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, and food and feed production will need to increase by 70%. Wheat, maize and sorghum are three key cereals which provide nutrition for the majority of the world's population. Their production is affected by various abiotic stresses which cause significant yield losses. The effects of climate change also increase the frequency and severity of such abiotic stresses. Molecular breeding technologies offer real hope for impro...

Tightening chest and shortness of breath, he felt like a child again. It was the feeling of being preyLocals are seeing lights above Birch Island. Shimmering green skies, accompanied by unknown crafts and gory abductions.Little footsteps followed by mirror-light eyesHow can Owen hope to solve the case when he’s struggling to find a place on the team? He’s no secret agent.They respect strength, but their loyalty is co...

As the oldest and largest human intervention in nature, the science of agriculture is one of the most intensely studied practices. From manipulation of plant gene structure to the use of plants for bioenergy, biotechnology interventions in plant and agricultural science have been rapidly developing over the past ten years with immense forward leaps on an annual basis. This book begins by laying the foundations for plant biotechnology by outlining the biological aspects including gene struc...

Understanding abiotic stress responses in plants is critical for the development of new varieties of crops, which are better adapted to harsh climate conditions. The new book by the well-known editor team Narendra Tuteja and Sarvajeet Gill provides a comprehensive overview on the molecular basis of plant responses to external stress like drought or heavy metals, to aid in the engineering of stress resistant crops.After a general introduction into the topic, the following sections de...

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.By 2050, human population is expected to reach 9.7 billion. The demand for increased food production needs to be met from ever reducing resources of land, water and other environmental constraints. Rice remains the staple food source for a majority of the global populations, but especially in Asia where ninety percent of rice is grown and consumed. Climate change continues to impose abiotic and biotic stresses that curtail rice qua...