Ivan the terrible remains one of the most feared and fascinating rulers in history—a man who forged an empire while drowning it in blood. Crowned as the first tsar of russia in 1547, ivan iv rose from a childhood marked by neglect, betrayal, and violence. Those early scars didn’t fade. They hardened into something colder. He ruled with sharp intelligence and brutal force. At first, he reformed laws, strengthened central authority, and expanded russian territory. Victories against the kazan...

This poignant, powerful, practical, and sometimes-funny book is written from the unique perspective of a veteran police officer and crisis intervention counselor, whose son, Adam, was shot and killed by another police officer, during an emergency mental health crisis. Adam Joshua Johnson was a gifted & talented musician and grass-roots humanitarian who suffered from mental illness. Yet, in spite of his own psychological and emotional pain, Adam never forgot to care for others. He believed ...

Retirement planning is tricky. From understanding the numerous products on the market to making practical decisions about highly emotional issues, the journey to financial security is filled with pitfalls. Instead of focusing on facts and figures, you need to consider your individual needs, taking the fear out of the future and finding confidence in what is ahead. In The People's Retirement Handbook, Joel Johnson draws on decades of experience in financial planning and real-life stories to...

The author kept records of performances with rock bands from mid-sixties to present day. Later writings will focus on "day jobs" but the crux of this writing is to show the overall decisions a musician makes in early life, whether original or cover performance (or both) can bring overall satisfaction for you. We are only limited by our energy, vices and willingness to be a team player.

Problems of individual moral choice have always been closely bound up with the larger normative concerns of political theory. There are several reasons for this continuing connection. First, the value conflicts involved in private moral choice often find themselves reproduced on the public stage: for example, states may find it difficult to do right by both justice and mercy in much the same way individuals do. Second, we frequently find conflicts among the values at stake in individual li...

If you enjoyed Mongol Moon and A Dance of Devils but were left with questions, such as "What is happening in the rest of the United States?" or "heck, what's happening in the rest of the world?" Apocalypse in Pieces, Volume 1 has the answers.In the United States, members of a Louisiana VFW fight back, and an Illinois gun shop employee overcomes personal loss to find a purpose.In the hollers of West Virginia, a cagey man holds a se...

A Celebration of Everyone Who Fulfills Their Purpose Through Unexpected ChallengesUntil two years of age, Craig and Samantha's son Connor was just like other kids—playful, verbal, and affectionate. Then everything changed. He stopped talking, displayed behavioral problems, and withdrew into his own world. The official diagnosis—autism. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, Craig and Samantha refused to believe a meaningful life for Connor was impossible. God co...

For almost thirty years, Shirley Jackson Award–winning horror author Gemma Files has consistently served up tale after tale celebrating monstrosity in all its forms: the imperfect, the broken, the beautifully alien, and the sadly familiar. Her characters make their own choices and take their own chances, slipping from darkness into deeper darkness yet never losing their humanity—not even when they’re anything but.An embittered blood-servant plots revenge against the vampires who ow...

In this anthology, everybody is Black.Filled with epic battles, complicated families, soft kisses, and sharpened blades, Magic in the Melanin is an adult fantasy anthology that showcases Black authors who write magical stories of all kinds. Featuring full-page artwork to accompany your adventure through the pages, this anthology is what fantasy looks like when Blackness is centered and the imaginations of Black creators are unhindered. Dive into these stories and discover ...

A short, humorous guide of what not to do in your first year of college.

Weird Tales magazine is known for launching a number of sub-genres of fiction—cosmic horror, swords & sorcery, dark fantasy, and others. It has also greatly added to existing genres like science fiction, horror, and—a personal favorite of editor Jonathan Maberry—weird mystery stories. Or, as they became known—occult detective tales. Here are all-original tales about people who peer into the shadows in order to solve a mystery. Sometimes successfully … and sometimes the darkness wi...

Rethink, rebuild, and re-energize your relationship with every customer for ultimate success in today’s Metail economyArmed with computers, tablets, smartphones, and social media, today’s consumers have revolted against the marketplace status quo. Demanding a voice, and sometimes a hand, in the products they buy, these digitally empowered consumers?"Me's"?have inverted the traditional power dynamics of retail into Metail. To put it simply, your customers are now in charge, and you ...