Showing results by narrator "James Anderson." in All Categories

The Darwinian struggle of business keeps getting more brutal as competitive advantage gaps get narrower and narrower. Anything you invent today will soon be copied by someone else - probably better and cheaper. Many companies thrive during the early stages of their life cycle, only to fall slack during periods of inertia and die out while others surge ahead. Geoffrey Moore shows, some notable companies have figured out how to deal with Darwin in their mature years - making changes on the fly while fending off challenges from every quarter.

During the Alpha Contracts, 100 of Earth’s finest mercenary organizations went to the far reaches of the galaxy to fight for credits. Only four returned. The rest, tens of thousands of humanity’s best warriors, were gone. Unbeknownst to most, a small, unconventional group chose a different path. Their foresight and unique talents set the stage not only for the long-haul shipping company of the present day, but of something else.

I have a child with a man whose real name I don’t even know… No, I’m not crazy. I’m just careless. Or rather, I was careless. At 18, I met an older man on vacation. Never asked his name, but we sure as hell made a baby together. Today, when I finally meet him, I find out he’s going to be my boss. Life has to be joking around with me. Well, his real name is Archer. At least I know that much about my baby daddy.

As the Omega War unfurls, the Peacemaker Guild has fallen into disarray. The mysterious Counselor has manipulated Guild Master Rsach’s Crusaders into a cut-throat, authoritarian construct determined to make the peace galaxy-wide. To deal the final blow and transform the Guild forever, Counselor gathers Rsach and his closest allies at a remote location, intent on assassination. Jessica Francis, Earth’s first Peacemaker, has her own reasons to gather her friends and allies. When the dust settles, nothing will ever be the same for anyone who manages to walk away.

Following their successful mission on Parmick, young Peacemakers Jyrall and Larth remain teamed up with the newly formed Blue Ridge Kin and its unique cast of characters. As the events of the Guild Wars spiral out of control, the Peacemakers prepare for a mission they believe will provide early intelligence to Guild Master Rsach, only to be called off their mission and sent on one with a much high priority.

During a classified mission to the ISS, astronaut Jack Kildare picks up an eerie signal. An alien spaceship is orbiting distant, icy Europa. It looks derelict...but is it? As fear sweeps across Earth, NASA spearheads a frenzied effort to build a ship capable of traveling to Jupiter to confront the alien menace. Technology intertwines with espionage and sabotage in a race against the clock. Fighting for his rightful place in the mission, Jack finds himself submerged in a world of secrets, international power games, and cold-blooded murder.

After the fight for Snowmass, Jackson Rains questions everything he thought he knew. As Force 25 regroups and prepares to rescue Snowman, Jackson steps away and returns to the trail of the elusive Kr’et’Socae. The disgraced Enforcer is not so easily found. Needing assistance, and to heal his wounded heart, Jackson turns to family.

Jack Kildare and the survivors of the Spirit of Destiny are stranded on Europa, while an alien planet-killer sets its deadly sights on Earth. But Jack's not done fighting. Not yet. Abandoned by mission control, the astronauts embark on a life-or-death pursuit of the alien behemoth that now has Earth in its crosshairs. The 400-million-mile running battle will test Jack and his ship to their limits. Yet the greatest danger lurks closer to hand, on board the Spirit of Destiny itself. Which ship will win the race?

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union’s most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union’s citizenry. It is a time of upheaval throughout the Galactic Union. As the effects of the Omega War ripple outward, a Peacemaker falls silent at the outpost mining colony of Parmick. Sensing danger, the Peacemaker Guild dispatches two new graduates of the Academy to investigate and report. They are a new breed of Peacemaker, perfect for the clandestine infiltration mission.

The Aaruans may have magic, but they have seen nothing like the Earthlings' guns. Hunted by the Remulan Empire for their knowledge, Ben, Louisa, Abu, and the soldiers of the 13th Bengal Lancers must find a way home or become pawns in the struggle for ultimate power. All they need to do is survive being guests of a race of immortal pseudo-humans known as the welves, outwit a Remulan Emperor who descends from Julius Caesar, and decipher the cryptic language of a long-vanished alien race, all before the threat of the world-ending Lamentations becomes a reality.

Hades owns a diamond mine, but he wants something money can’t buy—Persephone. The innocent young woman challenges his claim on her. He’ll stop at nothing to have her. The contract is binding. Persephone wants freedom more than anything. Instead, she falls into the hands of a ruthless businessman. He demands complete possession of her. Body. Mind. Soul. He wants her submission. She demands his secrets. Their sensual battle may break them both.

Matthew, Claire, Ian, and Mason haven’t set foot on the Merle family property since the summer they were sixteen. They tried for years to put their history behind them, to forget the mystery of the girl who vanished so long ago. But a powerful force from their past is still at play. This time, there’s no hiding from it.

About Time offers a delightful return to the world of time travel and light comedy that distinguished Jack Finney’s all-time classic Time and Again. The protagonists of these 12 stories are well-meaning but at odds with their surroundings and their lives. The time to which they escape - through time travel - doesn’t always fulfill their expectations in the way they had hoped, but sometimes, they can still find their dreams.

In the aftermath of the Guild War, the trail of Kr’et’Socae has gone cold. Young Peacemakers Jyrall and Larth continue their search with the intent to bring the disgraced Enforcer to justice. With new intelligence in hand, they make a move on a known associate and the game’s afoot once more.

When Lynn’s life of obscure gifts of insight intensifies, venturing out alone feels like the only option for solving the mystery. Lynn’s open mind concerning the paranormal is a result of her sometimes-creepy insight, but when faced with things greater than her little premonitions, she struggles with her own denial, lacking the ability to get out of her own way.

The X-Men are mutants—born with extraordinary powers that set them apart from the very humanity they are sworn to protect. Now, groundbreaking research has revealed a method for reversing the genetic mutation responsible for mutant powers—whether the mutant wants it reversed or not. The US government wants to use this procedure to eliminate the so-called mutant menace once and for all—but the X-Men soon learn that the true source of the procedure is their old enemy, Sinister! And his agenda is far more complex and dangerous than even the X-Men can imagine.

Bearing Earth's hopes for deliverance from the alien threat, Jack Kildare and his fellow astronauts successfully complete the long journey to Jupiter. But someone on board is trying to sabotage the mission. As they approach the mysterious alien spaceship orbiting Europa, the crew fractures into rival factions. Without warning, a long-range attack cripples the human ship. Now the broken crew is the least of Jack's worries. The alien spaceship isn't a wreck, after all. And whoever is on board wants the humans dead.

Is it a hoax, or is it something unspeakably real? In this short story about evil games and spiraling secrets, whatever bargain you strike, there’s a price to be paid. Mason Brandt dropped out of seminary and found a job at a spiritual center offering guidance to troubled teens. Mason was one himself years ago - a suspect in a young girl’s disappearance. When a female student is found murdered, Mason is dogged by suspicion and flees. He hopes Merle House will offer him sanctuary once again.

In Killing a Messiah, New Testament scholar Adam Winn weaves together stories of historical and fictional characters in a fresh reimagining of the events leading up to Jesus's execution. Based on what we know of the first-century context, Winn's narrative offers compelling explanations for gaps in the Gospel accounts. The social, political, and religious realities of Jesus's world come to life and shed new light on our reading of the biblical texts. In a city full of political entanglements, espionage, and competing interests, the blame for the crucifixion is complex.

Peace is the one thing for which the Eaglemasters never trained. Centuries of harsh conditioning made them doubt the dawn of this new era that now keeps the hordes of foes surrounding them at bay without a single drop of blood spilled.