Bøker av Robert Collins

This book explores the tensions which have arisen in the disapora as a result of large numbers of Russian migrants entering established overseas parishes following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Robbin, a thief and cheater, is approached by another thief, Cedric. The older outlaw proposes to rob the Duke of Fallwood. Though Fallwood isn't rich, the Duke is old and has been hoarding the taxes he's collected over his long reign. Robbin proposes a safer scheme. Instead of robbing the manor they could cheat the Duke out of part of his fortune.The two go to Fallwood and undertake their scheme, pretending to be merchants. But as Robbin tries for a safe steal, Cedric keeps trying for a quick steal. Then the Duke makes a proposal of his own over his own grand-daughter. What will Robbin do to save himself from those schemes?

Casyn is a young Prince of Duvonna and heir to the kingship. He lives in a time of peace and magic, but conflicts and troubles are still present in his domain and in those of Duvonna's neighbors.His rise to power will see him win duels and display his wits. What Casyn will struggle with at times is the morality of the choices he makes as Prince and then King. Can a strong and wise King also be a moral man?

An old wizard of Brittigord has a notion to use magic to create a monster to defend his kingdom. The King supports the idea but his son does not.Meanwhile, the witch lover of a Princess in a rival kingdom has made a dark discovery about magic.Are these two notions doomed to clash tragically? What suffering will result from "the Behemoth of Brittigord?"

Once again Du and Gray the dragon are given a mission by the ruler of the Kingdom of the Coast. This time they're to go north to the Snow Kingdom to learn about that land. There are rumors of men being able to use magic and trouble between the young King and his uncle.Gray has some new spells to demonstrate while away, and Du is pondering her future. Could this journey north be more than just an adventure for them? Could it be the start of a very different adventure for the former bandit and the one dragon in the world?

Owen Brown has followed his father, John Brown, and his brothers to Kansas Territory to fight the wicked institution of slavery. He's met one of the native medicine men of the Territory, who teaches him something the white men call "magic."Owen encourages his father to learn native magic. It could be a tool in their struggle against the nation's great sin, slavery. John Brown is persuaded, and the two learn from the native.Over the next decade, Owen will use magic in the service of his cause. It will take him across the Territory during "Bleeding Kansas," and across the nation when the Civil War comes. His powers will increase, but so will his duty to himself, his beliefs, and to those around him.

This book is a guide on how to use VirtualBox. It begins by guiding you on how to get started with VirtualBox by installing and configuring it in Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and Solaris platforms. You are then guided on how to create your first virtual machine in the VirtualBox. The process of creating a Hadoop cluster in VirtualBox is also discussed. This has been explained in a step-by-step manner to help you grasp every concept. With VM groups, one can group together virtual machines. With this, a single action can be applied to all the virtual machines which are contained in the group. This book guides you on how to create a VM group in VirtualBox. You are also shown how to emulate a network by use of common networking devices such as routers and PCs in a VirtualBox. The VirtualBox extension pack is very essential, as it helps us accomplish much in a VirtualBox. This book teaches you how to install and set it up in VirtualBox. The book also guides you on how you can share folders between the guest and the host in a VirtualBox. The process of adding new drives to the virtual machines is explored. The following topics are discussed in this book: - Getting Started with VirtualBox- Creating the First Virtual Machine- Creating a Hadoop Cluster- Creating and Managing VM Groups- Emulating a Network in VirtualBox- Installing VirtualBox Extension Pack- Sharing Folders between Host and Guest in VirtualBox - Adding a New Drive to Virtual Machine

Venda's brothers die at sea due to the foolishness of the master of a pirate ship. She leaves the Snowlands and joins the master's ship. This starts her on a grand adventure at sea, trusting in her wits and her friend's magic as a pirate.

Zi is the daughter of a silk merchant who is unsure about where her life should go. Suddenly she's whisked away to another land by magic by a witch named Ysina. Zi finds herself on an adventure to return home. She meets strange beings and experiences all sorts of spells. But has more than adventure found her?

Jilla used to be known as a woman who bested men in duels. Now she travels the world, searching for wealth to steal, women (and men) to love, and the odd danger (magical or not) to overcome. This tale finds Jilla the Rogue dealing with young nobles, the mistress of one of them, and the choice of being a rogue or an actor.

This book is an exploration of Shell programming, also referred to as Bash Scripting. It begins by guiding you on how to automate the various tasks in UNIX by using the Shell scripts. The book also guides you on the effective steps on how to write the Shell scripts. In UNIX, we should come up with an effective mechanism for management of file systems and software packages. This book guides you on the effective way to do this in Shell. You are also guided on how to use the various UNIX editors such as the Vim editor, nano, and GNOME. You will learn how to use the various shortcuts provided by these text editors, as well as how to navigate within your file opened in the text editor. Structured commands, which are very common in Shell, are discussed in detail. You will learn how to use such statements for decision-making as well as for looping through your program. You are also guided on how to manipulate your text, as well as how to use regular expressions. In some programs, it is good for you to implement a mechanism for accepting user input and then making a decision based on that input. This book clearly guides you on how to do this in Bash scripting. Command line arguments have also been explored in detail. The following topics are discussed in this book: - Automate Tasks with Simple Script Utilities- Creating Shell Scripts- Manage Filesystems and Software Packages- Work with nano, KDE, and GNOME editors- Structured Commands, Text Manipulation, and Regular Expressions- Keyboard Input- Command Line Argument

Edith of Barnfield is the daughter of a merchant. He doesn't think she should follow in his trade. That decision will drive her to witness a mighty battle, engage with a Princess, and resist those who would mistreat the subjects of her kingdom.

Allan flees Elderwood City because he killed the rich man who murdered his sister. He hides in the ruins of a castle of one of the Great Mages of yore.Allan learns that the magic never went away, and that he has the gift of using magic. But what should he do with his new-found skill?Allan decides that he will fight the injustices that threw him and his sister onto the streets, and ultimately led to her death. He will disguise himself as The Defender, and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.This volume contains the first five Defender stories. In them you'll see the Defender take on Lords and criminals. The Defender uses both magic and his wits to bring out the best in those around him, and to combat the outrages committed by black-hearted men.

David Chalmers is attending Mo-Kan 2, a science fiction convention in Kansas City. He's there because a national Doctor Who group has big plans for the future. During the con he meets fellow fan Lila Woodson and the members of another fan group, the Space Rats.Will this convention alter David's future? Will Lila win the costume contest? Should we be afraid of Doctor Who: The Wrath of Kroll?

This book is an excellent introduction to programming for beginners. The book guides the reader on how to program in C, which is a structured programming language, as well as Java and Python, which are object oriented programming languages. The user is taken from the simple steps of preparing the environment to creation of their own applications. Most features associated with these programming languages are discussed. The book will help you learn how to use variables and data types in these programming languages. You are also guided on how to make decisions in these programming languages. The Java object oriented features supported in Java are explored in detail. These include inheritance, abstraction, classes, objects, and others. You will also learn the different ways you can achieve method overloading. If you would like to understand the concept of socket programming in Java, this is the best book for you. You will learn how to create both server and client applications, whereby the server will be responding to requests from the client. The various object oriented features supported in Python are also examined. You will learn how to perform inheritance in Python, including multilevel inheritance. You will also be shown how to create GUI applications in Python by use of the Tkinter Python library. The various types of events which can be handled in Python such as mouse clicks and mouse movement are also covered in this book, thus, you will know how to handle them. The following topics are discussed in this book: -Programming in C-Java Programming-Python Programmin

This book is a guide for you on how to use PowerShell 6.0. The book begins by explaining to you what PowerShell is and what it is used for. You are then guided on how to setup the PowerShell environment in your system. PowerShell 6.0 can run on Linux systems, hence, this book guides you on how to set it up on the various Linux systems. The various cmdlets (command-lets) supported in PowerShell are explored. You will learn how to use such cmdlets so as to accomplish a number of different tasks on your system. You will also learn how to play around with dates and times, dealing with files, including creating various types of files, moving them around directories, renaming the files, and even deleting them. The book also guides you on how to use PowerShell to play around with data contained in files of various types in the system. You will learn how to read data contained in files of various types, as well as how to write data to such files from PowerShell. The book also teaches you how to write PowerShell scripts. Such scripts are very important; as they help you perform a lot from just a single script. The book also guides you on how to perform some common administrative tasks with PowerShell. A good example of this is the addition and removal of users from the system from PowerShell. You will also learn how to create your own modules in PowerShell, and then load them in the active memory. The following topics are discussed in this book: -Getting Started with PowerShell-The PowerShell Cmdlets-Saving and Importing Data-Scripting-Performing Administrative Tasks

Allan began life poor, and knowing that magic was the stuff of ancient legends. One day he discovers that the magic never went away, and that he has the gift of using magic.He decides to fight injustice as The Defender, and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. His wife Nancy joins him as The Moon Spirit. Although she can't cast spells, she can fight and use the enchanted equipment Allan crafts.This volume contains the Defender stories 26 to 30. The Defenders have power and influence, which brings more adventure. They've also made friends, one of whom comes from a distant land with an ancient book full of dark knowledge...

Cari is a thief tempted to break into a wizard's house. But instead of treasure she hears the wizard tell a tale of magical airships and an evil emperor. His tale turns out to be true, launching Cari into a tale of her own with battles, witches, daring escapes, and a pretty Princess.

Violetta is the cousin of the Lord of Crossroads. She has no interest in the usual pursuits of the nobility. She wants to be one of the Defenders and fight injustice.However, Violetta has no ability to cast spells. What she does have is the ability to think, to reason, to lie, and to follow where the truth takes her. Twice before with Defenders she proved her skill and courage. She's therefore sent to the Royal Academy of Magery to learn what the Defenders learn.In these five novellas, Violetta travels the kingdom in search of cheaters, liars, and murderers. It's not work for a Lady, but it is work for Violetta, the Sun Spirit.

Here's a collection of stories you won't find anywhere else. Inside are tales of a spooky mansion eager to be bought; disappointed model railroad denizens; and a doorknob that greets your hand, literally.Also part of this collection are the sagas of Surgard the Northerner. Journey with the heroic and witty Surgard as he faces down foolish giants, singing dwarves, duplicitous wizards, suspicious savages, and worst of all, a monster with an attorney!And last but not least is the tale of the Valley Springs Resort. It's a place on a distant world where visitors can relax and have a good time. You might not think such a place has much of a story. You'd be wrong, which is why you need to go there.

Zi and Ysina are in the kingdom Zi grew up in. Ysina is teaching a few witches while both tell the King about magic. Before they're about to leave for home, a report comes of a dragon raiding farms and stealing livestock.Zi and Ysina have to go in search of this dragon. Along the way they find bandits. They also find that while they can help solve some problems, others must be solved by those concerned about those problems.

This book is a guide on how one can program in Haskell. Haskell is a pure functional programming language. The book begins by giving you a brief overview of the Haskell programming language so that you may know what it is. You are then guided on how to get started with Haskell programming. This involves setting up the Glasgow Haskell compiler which forms the heart of programming in Haskell. You are also guided on how to compile your Haskell scripts. Haskell marks the first programming language to introduce typeclasses into programming. This book explores this in detail. In Haskell, expressions are a common feature when writing scripts. This book guides you on how to use Haskell compiler so as to determine the kind of expression that you have written. Type variables are explored in detail. There are several typeclasses in Haskell. Most of these have been discussed in this book, and you are shown how to use each of those classes. Higher order functions are also examined. In Haskell, functions should only take one parameter. However, it is possible for one to override this mechanism and create a function with more than one parameter. This is usually done using curried functions. This book guides you on how to implement such functions in your code. This book guides you on how to implement the Lambda functions in Haskell. Input and output forms a significant part in any programming language. You are guided on how to obtain user data in Haskell and then provide them with output based on that input. The following topics are discussed in this book: - What is Haskell?- Getting Started- Types and Types and Typeclasses in Haskell- Higher Order Functions- Modules- Input and Output- Zipper

Tulla breaks the rule his town leader set down, and visits the men in strange boats from the east. They come with a message: magic has returned to the world.Tulla learns magic from the strangers, Allan and Prince George. He also learns that Allan has used magic, as "The Defender" to fight for justice. Tulla decides to do the same, starting with the arrogant and corrupt leader of his town. From then on, Tulla will travel the Mountain Kingdom as "The Black Fox," trying to better his homeland.This collection contains five novellas, telling the tales of "The Black Fox." If you're already a fan of "The Defender" series, you shouldn't miss this collection of related tales!

Ruzi helped Adahilara throw off its wicked King. Two years later the new King asks her to go abroad. The infamous "City of Pirates" may have struck at ships sailing around Adahilara. The pirates threaten efforts to extend trade east. She's to investigate the matter and return with a solution.Yet there's only so much one witch can learn by asking questions. Ruzi decides to pay a visit to the City of Pirates. She does find out more about the pirates, but she also discovers that the daughter of the Pirate King is dismissed by those around her. Is there more that Ruzi can do than just observe? Can she come up with a plot to stop the pirates?

Terezia is the daughter of a merchant. She and her her father are visiting the city of Alhira, the seat of the kingdom across the sea from her home. Her father is trying to expand his trade. Terezia is trying to decide what to do with her life. She wants to help her father but isn't sure how. Will her decision be affected by a handsome stranger, or one of the local witches? What future will Terezia choose?

Andrew Manson is an inventor with a passion for mechanics and a knack for getting embroiled in mysteries.From Florida to New York City, to Washington, and back again, Andrew finds himself dealing with shady characters in an America where airships won the Civil War.Will Andrew be able to get his combustion engine working? Will he ever escape trouble? And what about the fashionable young woman in the Airship Dress?This volume contains all five Andrew Manson mystery stories, including the previously published short novels WILLOW HILL and EIGHTY HOUSE.

A young man comes to Inga the witch to ask for a love potion. She tells him that using such a potion would be wrong. Instead she encourages him to get over his shyness with a young woman by writing to her. It's not her usual work, so will this sort of magic be helpful to anyone?

A young woman named Cassia, journeyman in the Slavers' Guild of the Settled Domains, is tasked to capture a mysterious outlaw named The Blue Pistol.Her encounter with him will shatter her life and subject her to physical and emotional agony.But in understanding his battle and her own past, Cassia will seek to overcome her pain and prove that she can be of value to those who are willing accept her.

Balia is born with a mighty talent for magic and a destiny not in the land of her birth. Naturally that leads to travel and adventure. Is she going to spend her whole life looking for her place? Or will she find her destiny sooner rather than later?

It's the fall of 1983. David Chalmers is a high school senior who hangs around with a group of fellow science-fiction fans, but feels few attachments to them. Alison Hughes runs with the popular crowd, but she's as smart as she is pretty, and wonders if they're becoming predictable.Over the course of a few weeks events will cause David and Alison to think about what it means to be friends. Are friends just people you spend time with? What does it mean when you're someone's friend? Why should any of that be important?