Christopher L. Smith Books

IN THE SMOKING RUINS OF OUR WORLD, WILL THE STRUGGLE FOR YESTERDAY'S TECHNOLOGY SPARK TOMORROW'S GLOBAL WAR? WAR IN THE SMOKING RUINS OF TOMORROW! Thirty years ago, the world ended. Giant electrovoric ants and pterodons came through a rift in space-time, millions of humans died, and that was that.Human ingenuity has provided some creative workarounds to life without electricity and with giant homicidal ants, but most people merely get by at subsistence level. For Chuck Gibson, the simple life of a rancher was enough. But then he met a mysterious dying stranger, and now he’s on the road of destiny across America accompanied by a warrior monk, a beautiful dragon tamer, a runaway cultist, and a mystic drunken lecher—all searching for the key to reclaiming humanity's past—and future. About Gunpowder and Embers: “. . . a post-dystopian romp across an America both degenerating and crushed. . . . There are dragons both wild and tame, betrayals of great magnitude, heart-stopping action. Great fun.”—The Seattle Book Review About The Valley of Shadows by John Ringo: ". . . fast-paced . . . building to an exciting climax . . . Ringo and Massa have written an end-of-the-world novel that is unconventional and entertaining."—Daily News of Galveston County About Black Tide Rising, coedited by John Ringo (featuring stories by Kacey Ezell and Christopher L. Smith): “. . . an entertaining batch of . . . action-packed tales. Certainly, fans of Ringo’s particular brand of action-adventure will be pleased.”—Booklist "This anthology broadens Ringo’s Black Tide world, serving up doses of humanity amid the ravenous afflicted. Comedy has a place in this harsh reality, and these stories stir adventure and emotion at a frantic clip throughout. Zombie fiction fans will be thrilled."—Library Journal About the Black Tide Rising Series: “Not only has Ringo found a mostly unexplored corner of the zombie landscape, he's using the zombie frame to tackle a broader theme: the collapse and rebirth of civilization. The zombie scenes are exciting, sure, but its the human story that keeps us involved. A fine series.”—Booklist About John Ringo: “[Ringo’s work is] peopled with three-dimensional characters and spiced with personal drama as well as tactical finesse.”—Library Journal “. . . Explosive. . . . Fans . . . will appreciate Ringo’s lively narrative and flavorful characters.”—Publishers Weekly “. . . practically impossible not to read in one sitting . . . exceedingly impressive . . . executed with skill, verve, and wit.”—Booklist “Crackerjack storytelling.”—Starlog About the work of Kacey Ezell: "Gritty, dark and damp. Much like the war itself."—Michael Z. Williamson, best-selling author of A Long Time Until Now "I loved Minds of Men."—D.J. Butler, best-selling author of Witchy Eye

Sergeant John Manning was a simple Marine who liked spicy foods, big guns, and even bigger explosions- so long as those guns and explosions weren't pointed in his direction. When offered a well-paying job after being unceremoniously drummed out of his beloved Corps on a medical discharge, he jumped at the opportunity for good money and the prospects of a bright future. For the first time in recent memory, John had a chance at life. Then his life turned into a horror movie. The secret research station hidden on the moon of Titan was not just any government facility. It harbored dark secrets and frightening realities. The scientists here have not only studied more than just the local fauna, but have discovered something far more important. A discovery which would shock the very foundations of the universe. Something out of a nightmare. The depths of Kraken Mare hid a horrifying truth, and the unwitting Marine stumbled right into it.

This book is different from other books that you might have used. At the same time elements of it will be familiar if you have enjoyed using adult coloring books, journals or other spiritual resources. What this book does is combine together elements from each of these. This hybrid approach will allow you to interact with the sacred in a variety of ways. Inside this book, you will be taken to eight different sacred spaces to explore a window that is in that place. You will be invited to color that window, learn a little about that sacred location and the type of sacred window that it is, to re-explore coloring the window with some new questions and knowledge in your mind, and then final to capture some of your reflection. As you go on these journeys, the hope is that it will deepen your faith, even a little. In fact, you can gain some of this benefit even if you only do part of the activities. How will this be helpful on your journey? What questions will be generated from thinking about sacred windows and their messages to you and others.

"I wish I could just die," I said to myself as my teeth chattered and my body shook with cold. Knowing I would probably still wake in the morning with my hair frozen to the door, I curled up in a ball, trying to find some warmth in the car that was my bedroom. Sadness consumed me like an infection; it had become the norm for me to wake up every day feeling broken. Most nights like this, all I could hope for was to die in my sleep to be rid of the pain. Despite the terrible nights, I still woke up, dressed, and went to my only refuge, my high school. This was my life, often alone, cold, sad, and hungry. My youth was different than most, but this was my reality. However, despite the hardship that was my life and being homeless, something led me on, something saw me through. I survived, I found hope, and eventually, a life even better than I had imagined. Even though I so often faced darkness, I discovered light, laughter, and happiness. I journeyed from that broken, homeless teenager sleeping in the car to eventually being a Medical Doctor at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins. But most important of all, I found me, I found joy. This is my story. Homeless to Hopkins.