The Amethyst Code


Book Description

There’s more than his reputation at stake. Security Analyst, Simon Hawke, suspects a highly classified program he developed has been used to breach world banks and military databases. If so, the hacker holds the power to wreak havoc on a global scale. Simon and his Special Ops colleagues attend a top-secret cyber fraud summit in an attempt to unmask their cunning adversary. What he finds is an enchantress with an armory of weapons he hadn’t bargained on. She’s willing to risk everything. Robotics engineer, Darius Cortez, is searching for the truth behind her father’s death. When an ally points her to Simon Hawke, she’s plunged into the unfamiliar world of intrigue, espionage and danger. He is the brilliant student her father mentored and invited into their home, the computer nerd who crushed her heart. In an attempt to outwit the enemy, Darius employs the unique skills she’s spent six years honing. But deciphering who is friend and who is foe becomes a precarious gamble, entangled in a web of conspiracy and desire.




Open Source Systems


Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 17th IFIP WG 2.13 International Conference on Open Source Systems, OSS 2021, held virtually in May 2021. The 4 full papers and 3 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 23 submissions. The papers cover a wide range of topics in the field of free/libre open source software (FLOSS) and discuss theories, practices, experiences, and tools on development and applications of OSS systems, with a specific focus on two aspects:(a) the development of open source systems and the underlying technical, social, and economic issue, (b) the adoption of OSS solutions and the implications of such adoption both in the public and in the private sector.




The Knight of Castle Kildare


Book Description

Immortalized in time, Sir Caleb abruptly awakens to discover it’s the 21st century. Nothing is as it should be. His beloved castle is now titled to a desirable maiden, who wears pants. To vanquish his curse, he must adhere to certain protocols, which will draw forth a killer. Caleb would rather die than face eternity trapped in a painting, yet to end the curse, he will lose the love of his life. Kate Manning has always been fascinated by Sir Caleb; a 16th century knight, whose portrait hangs in Castle Kildare. As the new owner of the supposedly haunted castle, Kate finds herself irresistibly drawn to a life-size portrait of the Knight, until the unbelievable happens. Now she will do whatever it takes to protect the man of her heart.




Jewel of the Kimberley


Book Description

Nick Flanagan had two passions—his fiancée, Ava, and flying Black Hawks. So when he made it into the SAS, it was a dream come true. That dream cost him Ava. In the four years since, he’s lived hard and fast, unable to settle. Now, having discovered a treacherous lie, Nick wants Ava back. First though, he must contend with a rival, who has an agenda of his own. Ava Mitchell’s parents disowned her when she fell for fun loving Nick Flanagan, but he was her world. Then he joined the SAS and postponed their wedding. Devastated, Ava walked out, hoping he’d resign and come after her. Several weeks later her biggest fear became a reality when she received word he’d been killed. Now a successful designer, Ava has achieved her own dream and is about to risk her heart again when the unimaginable happens—Nick walks back into her life. Can she trust the man she once adored, or will he and a gang of deadly smugglers destroy her life? To survive she will need a miracle, or a heroic commando.




Bindarra Creek Romances The Morgans & Sullivans Box Set


Book Description

Bindarra Creek is a rural romance series set in northern New South Wales, Australia. This small community is a treasure-trove of intrigue, adventure, buried secrets, drama, and challenges. Fate, destiny, and a twist or two conspire to ignite the long-standing rivalry between the Morgan and Sullivan men. Yet when faced with bushfires, armed robbers, outlaws, and the happiness and safety of the women they love, they will put aside their animosity to defend and protect.




Beat of the Jungle


Book Description

In the depths of the Amazon rainforest, a plane crash brings botanist, Kitarna Ashford and ex-sniper, Jack Callaghan together under chilling circumstances. Although profoundly attracted, both guard secrets that could well destroy their tenuous bond. Running from an unknown entity, Kitarna and her sister, Bernadette board the first plane out of Sào Paulo de Olivença. As a security measure they pretend to be traveling alone. During a torrential thunderstorm, the pilot attempts to land and the plane crashes off a runway controlled by mercenaries. When shots are fired, the sisters become separated during the pandemonium. Kitarna finds herself shadowing a rugged Australian, who makes her heart race, but makes it clear he’s not interested. His eyes tell a different story. Using her botanical knowledge, she must trust Jack, as together they lead eleven adults and one endearing child through inhospitable jungle. Evading deadly predators and poisonous plants is the least of their worries. Mercenaries set on extortion, revenge and murder, are hunting them. Animosity becomes rife among the survivors as truths are exposed, along with treachery and betrayal. Kitarna and Jack must combine their unique skills to survive both the jungle and those who seek to hurt them.










Hostage on the Yangtze


Book Description

In 1949, as the Chinese Civil War was about to enter its final, explosive stage, the small British frigate HMS Amethyst was sent on a dangerous mission up the Yangtze River to protect British citizens in Nanking. En route it was attacked by the Chinese Communists and held hostage on the river for several months before the crew managed to make a daring escape. The Amethyst captured news headlines around the world and became an unlikely symbol of the cold war in Asia. This dramatic episode, hailed in the West as a triumph of the human spirit but bitterly condemned by the Chinese Communists, was to prejudice Anglo-Chinese relations for years to come. Using sources not previously available, Malcolm Murfett has written a book that is much more than an account of a single incident. It provides a sweeping survey of British naval power in China, from its faltering and inept beginnings in the late 1630s right up to the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949. In explaining the importance of the Amethyst episode in the history of Anglo-Chinese naval relations, Murfett suggests that it was the final poignant break with the past. Readers will find Hostage on the Yangtze to be a fascinating tale of high adventure, imperialistic oppression, diplomatic shortcomings, and political repercussions¬—a mixture that culminates in one of the most dramatic and memorable crises of the post-war world.




Mastering Rust


Book Description

Are you ready to conquer the world of modern programming with confidence and precision? "Mastering Rust" is your gateway to unlocking the true potential of the Rust programming language. Whether you're a seasoned developer aiming to expand your toolkit or a programming novice ready to embark on an exciting journey, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the skills to develop robust, efficient, and secure software. Key Features: 1. Deep Dive into Rust Fundamentals: Immerse yourself in the core concepts of Rust programming, starting from its origins and design philosophy. Explore variables, data types, ownership, and borrowing—the pillars of Rust's safety and performance. 2. Memory Safety and Concurrency: Discover Rust's groundbreaking ownership model, designed to eliminate memory-related bugs and ensure your code runs smoothly. Dive into Rust's concurrency features, including threads and async programming, to build responsive and efficient applications. 3. Advanced Data Structures and Algorithms: Elevate your coding prowess by mastering Rust's data structures and algorithms. From vectors and hash maps to trees and graphs, learn how to leverage these structures to solve complex problems with elegance and efficiency. 4. Building Reliable Applications: Explore best practices for structuring and organizing your Rust projects. Gain insights into error handling, testing, and writing clean, maintainable code that thrives in real-world scenarios. 5. Harnessing Rust's Standard Library: Maximize your productivity by harnessing the capabilities of Rust's rich standard library. From working with files and networking to parsing and formatting data, leverage these powerful tools to streamline your development process. 6. Web Development and Beyond: Create dynamic web applications using Rust's modern web frameworks. Dive into concepts like routing, templating, and database integration to build web solutions that are as performant as they are secure. 7. Advanced Language Features: Push the boundaries of your Rust knowledge by exploring advanced topics such as macros, traits, and pattern matching. Craft expressive, idiomatic code that showcases the elegance and power of the Rust language. 8. Performance Optimization: Master the art of optimizing Rust applications for top-notch performance. Learn profiling techniques, memory management, and benchmarking to ensure your software runs efficiently. 9. Deployment and DevOps: Navigate the landscape of deploying Rust applications to various platforms. Discover containerization and adopt DevOps practices that streamline your development-to-production pipeline. Who This Book Is For: "Mastering Rust" is an indispensable companion for developers of all levels of expertise who are eager to harness the capabilities of the Rust programming language. Whether you're a novice programmer or a seasoned coder looking to embrace Rust's unique features, this book will guide you through the language's nuances and empower you to create resilient, high-performance software.