The Ultimatum

Bianca Saint-Yves is one of the best in the world at her profession. She's a high-end thief, a master manipulator, a card shark, a genius of disguise-conning thieves out of the money they stole and giving it back to those who should rightfully have it. But a girl has to make a living. And one thing's for sure - nobody's going to take care of Bianca but Bianca. Only a handful of people know about her sideline - one of whom is her private secretary cum personal assistant Hayworth Long. He's a former thief who worked with her father, a trusted friend - and a man Bianca finds increasingly hard to resist.

Certain verses in the Qur'an and traditions of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, are abused by extremists to legitimize their acts of terrorism and violence. On April 21, 2018, the French daily Le Parisien published a manifesto demanding that “the verses of the Qur'an calling for murder and punishment of Jews, Christians, and nonbelievers be struck to obsolescence by religious authorities,” so that “no believer can refer to a sacred text to commit a crime.” The manifesto was signed by some prominent figures, including former President Nicolas Sarkozy. The manifesto is an indication of how much the Qur'an is misunderstood and the grave need for the clarification in the meaning of the scripture, especially in matters that relate to violence. In the light of the context of revelation and the universal purposes of Islamic message, this book aims to explain certain verses (Al-Baqarah 2:190-195, At-Tawbah 9:1-24, An-Nisa 4:88-89) and a particular hadith of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, which are intensely debated and abused.

Annie and Cal McFay live a normal life with their eight-year-old daughter Avi in Steadfast, Kansas. Until another man comes into Annie's life - Jesus Christ. She tries to explain to Cal and Avi the difference Jesus has made in everything, but Cal isn't willing to "give in" to God and change his way of life. He gives Annie the ultimatum: Choose Jesus or me. Then the family is taken hostage by thieves. Negotiations get desperate. Annie can't let Cal risk his life for them, not when his salvation is uncertain. The situation comes to a climax, and the whole town of Steadfast is left to make sense of the ultimate sacrifice... Steadfast, Kansas, Population: 3,386 Annie McFay is a waitress with a calling far beyond burgers and fries. jered Manson is a runaway whose dad doesn't support his musical ambition. New Ways clash with the old. Annie's newfound faith should make her happy, but her husband sees it as a threat to their marriage. Jered is trying out a new friendship - a dangerous one. And his actions may jeopardize lives besides his own. When Annie and Jered come face-to-face in one desperate moment, their spiritual choices become harsh reality. Threatened with disaster, the entire town of Steadfast must band together to save them. Will the power of prayer be enough? From the Trade Paperback edition.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

His captive has issued a most unusual ultimatum . . . He must make love to her . . . Little does he know that giving her what she needs may bind him to her forever . . . Rystani star pilot Xander is willing to use unusual methods, no matter how unorthodox, to save the galaxy from a deadly virus. He's already resorted to kidnapping bio-geneticist Alara Calladar in the hopes that her psi-talent of identifying DNA will help find a cure to save both their worlds. But now his sworn enemy has revealed that her biology requires her to periodically regenerate her cells by making love or she'll die. Really die. Xander is stunned, yet fascinated, by her admission and wonders what other secrets she's keeping. While he has little choice but to agree to trade his life-saving love making for her psi powers, he's determined to keep an emotional distance. No way is he falling for her, a woman from a race who invaded and occupies his home world. Soon their desperate bargain becomes a turbulent but all-consuming passion. Her body isn't just rejuvenating each time they make love, it's adapting to his on a genetic level. Before long she will be unable to make love to any man but Xander. Xander resists becoming her conquest, but not even the dangerous mission can distract him from Alara's appeal. She's just the kind of woman he admires. Intelligent, resourceful, and passionate. If only he trusted her. If only she wasn't the enemy. If only his heart didn't have a mind of its own. When together they must merge their talents to fight the most powerful forces in the galaxy, will trust win out, or will they lose each other forever? The much-awaited sequel to The Challenge and The Dare.

Detective Jeremy Fisk tracks a serial sniper who has mastered state-of-the-art airborne technology to hunt his prey in this chilling thriller from the New York Times bestselling author and creator of the Law & Order franchise. When a leaker named Verlyn Merritt releases sensitive documents from the NYPD Intelligence Division to WikiLeaks, some of the deadliest criminals have access to Detective Jeremy Fisk’s unlisted home address. Within hours, three mysterious assailants arrive at his Sutton Place apartment. Who are they and why do they want Fisk dead? Authorities quickly identify and arrest Merritt. But the case takes a sinister twist when an anonymous third party makes threats if authorities don’t release Merritt immediately. Forced from his home and his bank accounts drained, Fisk confronts Chay Maryland, a reporter who has been covering Merritt’s case. Fisk wants the journalist’s help to get close to the leaker—to find out what Merritt really wants and who else is involved. The investigation is nearly derailed when a serial sniper begins shooting people on the street who seem to have no connection to Merritt’s case. The killer’s aim is eerily accurate—and Fisk believes the shooter might be using a drone rigged with unusual sighting capabilities. Then the sniper contacts the New York Times and promises to kill one person every day, “for the greater good of the citizens of America. With the clock ticking and millions of lives at stake, Fisk and Chay must find the mastermind before he can wreak havoc on a city paralyzed by fear.

From the author of Cracked and Empty comes a gripping, emotional story of two brothers who must make the ultimate decision about what's more important: family or their differences. It's not Oscar's fault he's misunderstood. Ever since his mother died, he's been disrespected by his father and bullied by his self-absorbed older brother, so he withdraws from his fractured family, seeking refuge in his art. Vance wishes his younger brother would just loosen up and be cool. It was hard enough to deal with their mother's death without Oscar getting all emotional. At least when Vance pushes himself in lacrosse and parties, he feels alive. But when their father's alcoholism sends him into liver failure, the two brothers must come face-to-face with their demons—and each other—if they are going to survive a very uncertain future.