Download or read book Shifter CEO written by C.D. Gorri and published by C.D. Gorri. This book was released on 2024-04-09 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shifters with hearts of stone. Curvy women with spines of steel. Can fated mates shatter the protective shields these ex-soldiers have built around their hearts? One thing is certain, they won't give up without trying. He’s a hardhearted CEO, but he needs her help… Andres Steele, CEO of Steele Industries, knows what his Pack is saying about him. The Alpha doesn’t care that they call him the hardhearted head of the wood processing company he inherited from his father. He’s proved himself repeatedly as both Alpha and CEO. His innovations increased overall revenue by eighteen percent, and since he took the reins of the Steele Pack, there have been no major incidents. Still, his people don’t trust him, and Andres needs them to. His Wolf demands it. Good thing his buddy, and former special ops team member, has a solution. On his advice, the Alpha hires an image consultant to help improve his overall appeal. Daria Graves is an independent woman just starting out with her own consulting firm, and she needs every recommendation she can get. Andres doesn’t know what to make of the curvy she-Wolf when he first sees her, but his Wolf has a few ideas. Sometimes it takes an expert to keep everyone safe and steady. For Shifters, it was doubly important to keep their world a secret from the human one. Daria is that expert. Got a Grizzly who can’t stop growling? She’s your girl. Known a Lion who won’t stop leaping? She’s on it. How about a Wolf with a snapping problem? Her methods include relaxation techniques, exploring the real issues, and positive reinforcement to help her kind remain stable and excel. When a friend of her father’s asks for help, she doesn’t hesitate. Will Daria get through to Andres before it’s too late? Keywords: fated mates, shifter romance, paranormal romance, curvy heroine, possessive book boyfriend, loner alpha male, alphahole, sassy heroine, independent heroine, angsty romance, hea

Download or read book Onyx Dragons Malachite A Dragon Shifter Office Romance written by Starla Night and published by Wendy Lynn Clark Publishing. This book was released on 2018-02-20 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enjoy this HOT dragon shifter romance series starter by USA Today Bestselling paranormal romance author Starla Night! A Gruff Dragon Boss Dragon shifter CEO Malachite "Mal" Onyx doesn't have time for relationships. But the domineering billionaire dragon has no choice. He must marry a human female and produce dragonlets or return to his home planet Draconis and take the claw of Empress Horribus. Where can he find a willing bride? Preferably one who is lush and curvy, with soft brown hair and sparkling green eyes, and who makes his soul light on fire...and who is exactly like his quiet intern, Cheryl... A Curvy Human Intern Drooling over smoking hot dragon shifters under the pretense of drawing them is a definite perk of Cheryl's graphic design internship. Especially the hard-bodied CEO dragon, who's as ripped as Superman and flies, too. But when her next "duties as assigned" turn out to be marrying him, the virgin intern has to think hard before turning her boss down. There's something sweetly endearing about his impossible demands. His toe-curling kisses offer their own irresistible enticement... This is a complete romance novel with steamy love scenes, dragon alien abductions, wild boss-intern banter, and a guaranteed happy ending. A dragon male has never dared to turn down the Empress. The entire universe is about to be rocked by a shy, curvy female from a backwater little planet named Earth! Onyx Dragons: Malachite is the first book in the 7 Virgin Brides for 7 Weredragon Billionaires series, although all books in the series can be read as standalone romances. For fans of Elizabeth Briggs, Shannon Meyer, Roxie Ray, and Zoe Chant this is a sexy romantic story with a guaranteed happily ever after. Fall in love with these wild dragon heroes!

Download or read book Rejecting My Shifter Boss written by Luna Wilder and published by Luna Wilder. This book was released on with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She’s about to get the surprise of a lifetime. Kiera just landed in Forest Park, Colorado with her younger sister, Peyton. They needed a fresh start and were both lucky enough to be hired at neighboring companies. They get to walk to and from work every day and eat lunch together. There’s just one thing keeping it from being Kiera’s dream job. Roman Matthews. He’s met his match. Literally. Roman is the CEO of Alpha Cybersecurity. He gave up finding his fated mate long ago, so imagine his surprise when he catches scent of the new analyst. He’s even more surprised when his advances are meant with a cold shoulder. Doesn’t she feel this between them? Roman didn’t get to where he is by giving up, though, so he hatches a new plan and makes Kiera his assistant. He figures spending all day together will help him figure out how she can reject him and that he’ll make her his in no time. He’s about to realize that he underestimated her stubbornness. This shifter CEO just met his match. But will he be able to make her his mate? Fated mates, office workplace romance, and steamy scenes. Oh My! One click today to find out if this billionaire shifter alpha claims his fated mate.

Download or read book Called By The Shifter written by Emma Taylor and published by RED LIPS PUBLISHING. This book was released on 2020-04-15 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 4 Paranormal Romance Stories In One Box Set Unbearable SEAL - Bear Shifter Navy SEAL Romance When Crag Boulder is sent to Vancouver Island on a special mission the Navy SEAL has no idea that the trip will change his life forever, as well as extending it by several hundred years. In a bar in the northern town of Port Hardy Crag meets Honoria, a girl he was once at school with, who never gave him the time of day. Now she’s in the Navy too, and all of a sudden she wants him and can’t get enough of him. In his room she bites his neck. What seems unusual, perhaps playful foreplay, turns out to be something else completely and Crag finds that he has been shapeshifted into a Werebear, with abilities he could only have dreamed of. But that’s not all he has to contend with. From mating with Honoria, to saving the President of the United States from assassination, Crag is in for the wildest ride of his life. And if he survives it, what else will lie in store for the newest bear in SEAL team 13? Duty of a Lion - Military Shapeshifter Romance Michael was a Navy SEAL; he was on duty to prepare for a simple intelligence extraction. Then he met Lina, a coy medical office who worked in one of the Navy base clinics as a trauma surgeon. Lina knew Michael had a secret; she had witnessed it long ago in plain view. She knew he was a lion shifter; she wanted finally to confront him and get to the bottom of what she had seen. But an instant attraction was felt between the two that neither could ignore. Once Lina finally told Michael what she knew, he instantly had to make her his mate; she accepted him and kept his secret for so long. He was sure she was the one, and after spending time together Lina found she felt the same way. After they finally connected Michael had to go carry out his mission and the impossible happened. Did Michael make it from his mission alive? Would Lina get to see the man she loved again? Mated by Two Tigers - Tiger Shifter Menage Romance Forced into hiding their true identity after being blamed for a series of violent murders, tiger-shifters Mason and Gabe are living under the radar, trying to avoid detection. They meet Stacy, a vibrant woman with a heart of gold. She doesn’t know what they are, and they’re afraid that if they tell her, she’ll run away. Or turn them in. Gabe and Mason settle in the town of Stephenville, Oregon—a tiny town of only 500 people, surrounded by a dense forest. Others in town are suspicious of two bachelors suddenly appearing in their midst, but for all the wrong reasons. Never one to be put off by rumors and baseless fear, Stacy befriends the two. But when Turk, a ruthless bounty hunter who has a reputation for taking “dead or alive” literally, comes into Stacy’s café looking for the two, she’ll be forced to run with them, or risk the wrath of Turk. Heart of the Dragons - Pregnancy / Dragons Shifter Threesome Romance Chloe was under a lot of pressure. Work seemed to press in on all sides and she had a lot on her mind. Not to mention she could never get enough sleep thanks to those dreams. Two pairs of blue and amber eyes waited for her every night, she definitely needed a vacation. Her boss couldn’t have offered her the two weeks at a more perfect time, and she couldn’t get to her dad’s cabin in the woods fast enough. It would be a much needed reprise from her life in Seattle. Only when she arrives at the cabin she soon meets an unforgettable pair of men. Though from their familiar blue and amber colored gazes she can’t help but think that she’s being reacquainted. Luca and Alex connect with Chloe in ways she did not see coming and couldn’t help. Could she come to terms with the strange dynamic she found herself in, did her heart really give her a choice?

Download or read book The Polar Bear s Fake Mate written by Sophie Stern and published by Sophie Stern. This book was released on 2021-04-30 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One bear. One human. One big, fat lie. Justin You'd think that with a backstory like mine, the idea of taking a mate is unbelievable. You'd be right. The only reason I'm agreeing to this entire "mates" thing is so that my mother gets off my back, my shareholders are happy, and I continue moving forward in my career. I'm the face of a multi-billion dollar company. I don't need any scandals in my midst. Rebecca The offer is for one year. One year of pretending to be this guy's mate, and then we can have a quiet divorce. He just needs his shareholders off of his back, and me? Well, I'd like to not starve to death. Only, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Justin. He might have money and brains and incredibly good looks, but there's a secret that lurks behind those beautiful eyes. And I intend to find out what it is. THE POLAR BEAR'S FAKE MATE is the first book in SHIFTERS OF RAWR COUNTY: a new shifter series from Sophie Stern. There is no cheating and a guaranteed HEA for our happy couple. You may also want to check out THE DRAGON'S CHRISTMAS TREASURE for a sneak peek at life in Rawr County!

Download or read book Create Marketplace Disruption written by Adam Hartung and published by Pearson Education. This book was released on 2010-02-05 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Master the #1 Principle for Long-Term Market Dominance! The Phoenix Principle “Create Marketplace Disruption is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. Adam Hartung offers business managers and leaders new insights to long-term success that apply across markets and industries.” –Steve Burke, President, Comcast Cable Communications, Philadelphia, PA "Talking innovation is easier than practicing innovation. Adam offers an excellent approach for corporations to identify how to innovate to gain competitive advantage. A must read.” –Praveen Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Innovation Science and Chairman, Accelper Consulting, Schaumburg, IL Some companies can’t change in response to market disruptions. Those companies die. Other companies do respond...eventually. They survive, but they see their profits squeezed, their growth flattened. Then,there are the long-term winners: companies that create their own disruptions and thrive on change. In Create Marketplace Disruption, Adam Hartung shows how to become one of those rare companies, creating lasting growth and profits. This book reveals why so many companies behave in ways that are utterly incompatible with long-term success...and why even “good to great” companies are struggling for air. You’ll discover how to reposition your organization away from the Flats and Swamps of traditional Defend and Extend Management and back into the Rapids of accelerated growth. Hartung demonstrates how to attack competitors’ Lock-ins, make their Success Formulas obsolete, and create the White Space needed to invent your own new formulas for success. Create Marketplace Disruption shows how disrupting yourself is critical to reaping the benefits of market changes, and part of a process that executives and strategists can reproduce over and over again for improved results. How we got into this mess—and how to get out of it The myth of perpetuity and the dark side of success Reinventing success: no more Defend and Extend Creating your new Success Formulas and keeping them competitively advantaged Why “thinking outside the box” doesn’t work First, get outside the box. Then, think! Maintaining ”The Phoenix Principle” for long-term success Practicing Disruption until it comes naturally

Download or read book Advances in Ultrafast Optics written by Fei He and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-09-10 with total page 446 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No detailed description available for "Advances in Ultrafast Optics".

Download or read book Shifter City written by C.D. Gorri and published by C.D. Gorri. This book was released on 2023-10-01 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shifters with hearts of stone. Curvy women with spines of steel. Can fated mates shatter the protective shields these ex-soldiers have built around their hearts? One thing is certain, they won't give up without trying. Will her love break through his heart of stone? Silas McKennon is a corporate shark, er, Lion. All business, this hard-hearted male hates women. He simply refuses to have anything to do with them. Well, except for one. Blonde and brainy, Larissa Clark works for Silas as his right hand man, er, woman. She’s a sharp shooting administrative assistant and one of the few females he will tolerate. Having the hots for her hunky boss is just one of the secrets she has to keep in order to stay in the city she loves. When the prince of the local Pride starts pursuing Larissa, she has no choice but to skip town. But Silas is not ready to let his prized employee go. He’ll do anything to stop it, including mate her. Will she risk it all on a man whose heart is made of stone? Keywords: alpha hero, loner, tortured hero, curvy heroine, plus size heroine, fated mates instalove, fated mates paranormal romance, fated mates quick reads, fated mates rejection. fated mates virgin, shifter romance Enjoy the next book in the bestselling Hearts of Stone Series with Shifter Village.

Download or read book Shifter Legacies Series written by Mark E. Cooper and published by Impulse Books UK. This book was released on 2015-08-08 with total page 1145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This special edition of Shifter Legacies combines books 1 and 2 and contains over 980 pages of dark paranormal urban fantasy His old life shattered, his new life is consumed with revenge… and love. Dr. David Lephmann lived a normal existence until he was attacked by a shifter. Thrust into a world of violence and mistrust, he must battle for a place among his new people. The Shifter Legacies Series is a dark fantasy paranormal series. A story set in the near future of an alternate United States where creatures of myth are real and have always lived, not always peacefully, with humans who are the dominate force on earth. Werewolves and shifters, vampires and elves all play their part. Buy this gripping paranormal series today!

Download or read book Wolf s Revenge Shifter Legacies 2 written by Mark E. Cooper and published by Impulse Books UK. This book was released on 2013-11-15 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: LA gets a little hotter when there's blood on the streets… Los Angeles, a city of vampires and shifters where violence simmers just below the surface. LAPD Lieutenant Christine Humber has worked for years in the city's most violent district, nicknamed Monster Central. When Chris examines the murder scene of a werewolf, a particularly hard-to-kill shifter, she doesn't find a shred of evidence. A serial killer was just what the city needed to make tensions start to bubble over. Threatened by the chance of a new urban revolt, the FBI steps in and tries to take the case. Chris reluctantly teams with the overly slim and beautiful Agent Flint to maintain the fragile peace. As the shifter body count grows, Chris and Flint must find answers before war and death spill out onto the streets. Wolf's Revenge is the second book in the Shifter Legacies, a horror and sci-fi/fantasy series that features page-turning adventure, gripping suspense, sweet romance, and realistic characters. If you liked Way of the Wolf, you'll love diving back into Mark E. Cooper's well-fleshed out world. Buy Wolf's Revenge to continue the series today! Reading order: 1. Way of the Wolf 2. Wolf’s Revenge 3. Wolf’s Justice (TBA) 4. Wolf’s War (TBA) A story set in the near future of an alternate United States where creatures of myth are real and have always lived, not always peacefully, with humans who are the dominate force on earth. Werewolves and shifters, vampires and elves all play their part.

Download or read book The Billionaire Shifter s Curvy Match Billionaire Shifters Club 1 Shifter Romance written by Diana Seere and published by Diana Seere. This book was released on with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Lilah Murphy started serving drinks at the exclusive Platinum Club, she never expected she would be on the menu. Biotech billionaire Gavin Stanton had one taste of the new, curvy server and his craving could never be satisfied until he had her fully. Completely. Eternally. Fate brought them together, but a centuries-old secret could tear them apart, for the Stanton family holds a shifter legacy that no human has ever threatened. Until now. Gavin Stanton is the billionaire CEO of a Boston biotech firm. He’s also a werewolf, the son of a large, ancient family with roots in the British aristocracy. His work is his life. But then he feels the Beat—an irresistible urge to mate with Lilah, a beautiful human who inflames his passions like no other—and he abandons everything he thought he knew in his need to claim her. Lilah Murphy is broke and desperate. All she wants is a job to support herself, her sister, and her ailing mother. The last thing she needs is to get involved with a rich, powerful guy who would discard her after a few hot nights together and get her fired at her new, high-paying job. But she, too, feels the Beat. She hears him in her mind, feels him in her soul, and the urge to answer the ancient call is undeniable. Is she strong enough to embrace his secrets—and her own? The Billionaire Shifter’s Curvy Match is the first in an all-new series of hot (did we mention *hot*?) romances about the billionaire shifters and the women they’re fated to love. Topics: paranormal romance, shifter romance, shapeshifter romance, billionaire romance, billionaire shifter, billionaire wolf, billionaire shapeshifter romance, paranormal, otherworldly, fantasy, wolf, bear, mountain lion, contemporary romance, hot romance, hot shifter romance, firefighter romance, montana romance, boston romance, otherworldly romance, PNR romance, shifter myth, instalove, biotech billionaire, bbw romance, bbw shifter

Download or read book Rejected By The Billionaire Shifter written by Luna Wilder and published by Luna Wilder. This book was released on with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We’re fated to be together. So how is he resisting me? Peyton just watched her sister fall head over heels in love with her fated mate and while she’s thrilled her sister is so happy, she wants her own happily ever after. Then she learns that she does have a fated mate. There’s just one problem. It’s her new shifter boss. He’s not looking for a mate. Stryker isn’t like most Shifters. He never went out looking for his fated mate. He never wants to find her. All he wants is to be left alone. Then Peyton starts working at Leader of the Pack Marketing and he knows that he’s screwed. The pull between them is so much stronger than he ever anticipated, but he didn’t get to be Alpha of his own company by giving into his urges. When the full moon comes, will this Billionaire Shifter Alpha be able to resist his true mate? Fated Mates, Office Workplace Romance, and Steamy Scenes. Oh My! One click today to find out if this Billionaire Shifter Alpha claims his fated mate.

Download or read book Silicon Photonics Bloom written by Ozdal Boyraz and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2021-01-21 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The open access journal Micromachines invites manuscript submissions for the Special Issue “Silicon Photonics Bloom”. The past two decades have witnessed a tremendous growth of silicon photonics. Lab-scale research on simple passive component designs is now being expanded by on-chip hybrid systems architectures. With the recent injection of government and private funding, we are living the 1980s of the electronic industry, when the first merchant foundries were established. Soon, we will see more and more merchant foundries proposing well-established electronic design tools, product development kits, and mature component libraries. The open access journal Micromachines invites the submission of manuscripts in the developing area of silicon photonics. The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight the recent developments in this cutting-edge technology.]

Download or read book Taken by the Tiger King written by Kenzie Skye and published by Kenzie Skye. This book was released on with total page 55 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Raoul is the king of the tigers. He's looking for his mate. Unfortunately, she's not one of the tigresses in his streak, so he takes to the city streets on a hunt for her. And when he finds her, nothing is going to stop him from taking her…

Download or read book Carnelian Dragons Syenite A Dragon Shifter Bodyguard Romance written by Starla Night and published by Wendy Lynn Clark Publishing. This book was released on 2018-05-11 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enjoy this HOT dragon shifter bodyguard romance by USA Today Bestselling paranormal romance author Starla Night! A Dragon Shifter Bodyguard Who Doesn't Know Love Ultra-professional dragon shifter Syen would of course take a bullet for his boss, Sard Carnelian. The boss gave him a second chance and new purpose on Earth, and he's never once shown disgust for Syen's plain colored scales, a fault that caused him a lot of issues before he was disowned by his aristocratic family on Draconis. So it's really surprising when, on a night out protecting his boss, he's approached by a human goddess. Even more shocking, the gorgeous woman almost seems...interested...in him? A Plus-Size Heroine Who Likes To Dance Curvy Eva is searching for her prince charming, but she knows that she's a lot. The virgin art teacher just loves applying the color wheel to her own body, even though it scares guys off, and when her blind date takes one look and ghosts her, she resigns herself to spending her birthday single. Her caring friends insist her prince is out there. He could be anyone, even the broad, dangerous-looking guy wearing sunglasses in the nightclub and staring at her like he's just seen a new star... Carnelian Dragons: Syenite is a heartfelt standalone novella in the 7 Virgin Brides for 7 Virgin Weredragon Billionaires series although all stories in this series can be read as standalone romance novels with happy endings. For fans of Hattie Jacks, Ella Blake, Krista Luna, and Alana Khan, this is a sexy romantic story with a guaranteed happily ever after. It features steamy dragon shifter love scenes and a tender romance between two lost souls who thought they'd never find someone to appreciate them. No cliffhangers, no cheating, and total dragon shifter satisfaction!

Download or read book The Billionaire Shifter s Second Chance Billionaire Shifters Club 3 Shifter Romance written by Diana Seere and published by Diana Seere. This book was released on with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A wildland firefighter--and mountain lion shifter--Edward is the youngest of the Stanton siblings, and hasn't touched a woman in a decade, not since his late fiancee was killed in a violent tragedy. But when he meets the sweet, adorable Molly Sloan, a friend of his new sister-in-law, Lilah... his determination to remain celibate begins to unravel. Something about Molly is irresistible. Something about her makes him forget the past... and hear the Beat. But Edward will have to fight for her -- forces are gathering to use her in ways that might separate them forever. * * * The Billionaire Shifter's Second Chance is the third book in the Billionaire Shifters Club series by Diana Seere, the paranormal pen name for two New York Times and USA Today bestselling romantic comedy authors. This book is a standalone *within* a series. Learn more about us on our Diana Seere Facebook page. ;) Topics: paranormal romance, shifter romance, shapeshifter romance, billionaire romance, billionaire shifter, billionaire wolf, billionaire shapeshifter romance, paranormal, otherworldly, fantasy, wolf, bear, mountain lion, contemporary romance, hot romance, hot shifter romance, firefighter romance, montana romance, boston romance, otherworldly romance, PNR romance, shifter myth, shifter series, series, instalove, biotech billionaire, bbw romance, bbw shifter

Download or read book Unexpectedly Royal The Complete Anthology written by Stephanie Morris and published by Carnal Imprint Publishing . This book was released on with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Royally Seduced Ghislaine Lavolier is just an accountant living a simple life, which is why she is surprised to find an unexpected package on her desk one day – a package with a mask, dress and an invitation to a distinguished soiree. At first, she is hesitant to accept the invitation, but figuring she has nothing to lose, she goes, only to find herself swept off her feet by a flamboyant prince into a world of extravagance and bliss beyond her wildest dreams. Until she finds out who he is… With one glimpse, everything Philippe Arnaud has ever known in his long life is irrevocably changed. Humans and shifters don’t mix. Yet, his bear isn’t listening. Ghislaine is his mate. He feels it in his blood, in his soul—but convincing her is another matter. She finds him obnoxious and annoying, but he knows a woman’s interest when he smells it. And Ghislaine smells like one word: mine. Royally Tempted Mahalia Boisseau was a happily married and highly successful artist—then everything fell apart. Once her divorce is final, she swears off men and all the trouble that comes along with them. The only problem is her libido doesn’t get the memo. When she receives an invitation to a prestigious charity ball, she knows it must be a mistake—one she plans to take advantage of. The temptation is too great to pass up. Yet, when she crosses paths with a man so virile that everything in her screams for her to run, that’s what she does. The last thing Dempsey Toutant expects is to run into his human mate in the middle of a nasty fight with her husband. While everything in him urges him to toss Mahalia over his shoulder, carry her off and claim her as his, he knows the timing isn’t right. A year later, he gets his chance. But when she decides to run away from him, he does the only thing a wolf shifter knows how to do when it comes to his mate—give chase. Royally Wicked Ameline Roche desperately needs to start over. In order to do that, she needs a better job. When she applies to become the personal assistant for CEO and royal heir, Julius Despre. However, she is shocked when she is granted an interview. Even more disturbing is the attraction she feels toward him the moment she’s in his presence. She doesn’t believe in mixing play and work. Yet, her developing feelings for Julius threaten to jeopardize everything. Julius Despre is the next in line to take over his pack and the stress of it all is threatening to take him under. Between juggling his daily job as CEO and his duties as an alpha’s, he worries he might never find the perfect mate. But once Ameline applies for the job to be his assistant that worry begins to fade. He’s found his mate in the most unexpected way. Then Ameline makes it clear that she doesn’t plan to mix business with pleasure. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know she’d destined to be his, but he plans to convince her—one wicked act at a time.