The critically acclaimed, award-winning author of the classic historical novel Segu, Maryse Condé has pieced together the life of her maternal grandmother to create a moving and profound novel.

Maryse Condé's personal journey of discovery and revelation becomes ours as we learn of Victoire, her white-skinned mestiza grandmother who worked as a cook for the Walbergs, a family of white Creoles, in the French Antilles.

Using her formidable skills as a storyteller, Condé describes her grandmother as having "Australian whiteness for the color of her skin...She jarred with my world of women in Italian straw bonnets and men necktied in three-piece linen suits, all of them a very black shade of black. She appeared to me doubly strange."

Victoire was spurred by Condé's desire to learn of her family history, resolving to begin her quest by researching the life of her grandmother. While uncovering the circumstances of Victoire's unique life story, Condé also comes to grips with a haunting question: How could her own mother, a black militant, have been raised in the Walberg's home, a household of whites?

Creating a work that takes readers into a time and place populated with unforgettable characters that inspire and amaze, Condé's blending of memoir and imagination, detective work and storytelling artistry, is a literary gem that readers won't soon forget.

In Piano Notes, he writes for a broader audience about an old friend -- the piano itself. Drawing upon a lifetime of wisdom and the accumulated lore of many great performers of the past, Rosen shows why the instrument demands such a stark combination of mental and physical prowess. Readers will gather many little-known insights -- from how pianists vary their posture, to how splicings and microphone placements can ruin recordings, to how the history of composition was dominated by the piano for two centuries. Stories of many great musicians abound. Rosen reveals Nadia Boulanger's favorite way to avoid commenting on the performances of her friends ("You know what I think," spoken with utmost earnestness), why Glenn Gould's recordings suffer from "double-strike" touches, and how even Vladimir Horowitz became enamored of splicing multiple performances into a single recording. Rosen's explanation of the piano's physical pleasures, demands, and discontents will delight and instruct anyone who has ever sat at a keyboard, as well as everyone who loves to listen to the instrument.

In the end, he strikes a contemplative note. Western music was built around the piano from the classical era until recently, and for a good part of that time the instrument was an essential acquisition for every middle-class household. Music making was part of the fabric of social life. Yet those days have ended. Fewer people learn the instrument today. The rise of recorded music has homogenized performance styles and greatly reduced the frequency of public concerts. Music will undoubtedly survive, but will the supremely physical experience of playing the piano ever be the same?

As in the third edition, Bernard Bass begins with a consideration of the definitions and concepts used, and a brief review of some of the betterknown theories. Professor Bass then focuses on the personal traits, tendencies, attributes, and values of leaders and the knowledge, intellectual competence, and technical skills required for leadership. Next he looks at leaders' socioemotional talents and interpersonal competencies, and the differences in these characteristics in leaders who are imbued with ideologies, especially authoritarianism, Machiavellianism, and self-aggrandizement. A fuller examination of the values, needs, and satisfactions of leaders follows, and singled out for special attention are competitiveness and the preferences for taking risks. In his chapters on personal characteristics, Bass examines the esteem that others generally accord to leaders as a consequence of the leaders' personalities.

The many theoretical and research developments about charisma over the past thirty years are crucial and are explored here in depth. Bass has continued to develop his theory of transformational leadership -- the paradigm of the last twenty years -- and he details how it makes possible the inclusion of a much wider range of phenomena than when theory and modeling are limited to reinforcement strategies. He also details the new incarnations of transformational leadership since the last edition.

Bass has greatly expanded his consideration of women and racial minorities, both of whom are increasingly taking on leadership roles.

A glossary is included to assist specialists in a particular academic discipline who may be unfamiliar with terms used in other fields.

Business professors and students, executives in every industry, and politicians at all levels have relied for years on the time-honored guidance and insight afforded by the Handbook.

She just wants a home, a hootie, and some kickin' boots.
Does she realy have to fight the devil to get them?

After the creep who's married to her friend Kiki tries to assault her, Emme Vaughn finds herself in an all-night Walgreens at 3 a.m. with a quarter in her pocket and a rumble in her stomach. She sure does wish she'd gotten to eat her french fries before she had to kick and run. But God has his plan, and apparently tonight He means for her to whip some serious demon butt.

Ever since her mom went crazy, Emme's been wary of the gift they share for seeing demons, but she's not about to let one get to her. So when an ugly beast lurks into Walgreens behind a dude who's clearly up to no good, Emme tells it exactly where it can go. Problem is, the beautiful guy beside her at the magazine rack just helped her conquer the nasty duo, and now he wants her to join a group of demon-fighters led by his father, an aging exorcist bombarded by requests to deliver people from evil. Shoot, and all she really hoped for was some breakfast....

Chas Addams™ Half-Baked Cookbook is a collection of his work on the world of food and eating, featuring many Addams drawings that have never been seen before, as well as some of his all-time classics.

With a hot new figure, her dream job as an archaeologist, and two gorgeous boyfriends to scratch her seductive Itch -- an angel and a vampire -- Jackie Brighton is totally getting the hang of life as a succubus. Then she accidentally knocks the pizza guy unconscious with her touch. Great -- she's cursed. After striking a deal to get the curse lifted by a crafty demon, Jackie and her best friend Remy take a road trip to deliver a cryptic message to the nation's oldest succubus. Unfortunately, neither of her jealous lovers is talking to Jackie right now, and due to the curse, she's desperate to get her Itch scratched very soon. Their journey gets weirder with every mile -- demonic possession, a charming stalker, a cryptic warning -- and when they get to New Orleans, Jackie discovers a dangerous catch to her supernatural bargain. Someone wants her dead -- again. Can a brainy vixen in a miniskirt outsmart the forces of evil?

Here it is, straight and simple. Even the most well-intentioned, doting cat owner can (and often does) create an environment in which the beloved feline feels less than comfortable. Think about it: we humans create homes that feel, smell, sound, and look good to us -- not our cat. But fear not. Here in 250 Things You Can Do To Make Your Cat Adore You, a top animal expert, cat lover, and listener gives you insight from the cat's point of view, as well as practical and simple things you can do, to accommodate the cat's wishes so that nothing feels, smells, sounds, looks, or tastes at best unappealing, at worst harmful. With tips on how to:

• read your pet's body language
• use holistic remedies for common cat maladies
• discover human traits that cats love -- and loathe

and much, much more. With this book you can end kitty boredom forever and improve most behavior or health problems if they exist. And if they don't, here's an opportunity to make your happy cat happier!

In their bestselling business classic Lean Thinking, James Womack and Daniel Jones introduced the world to the principles of lean production -- principles for eliminating waste during production. Now, in Lean Solutions, the authors establish the groundbreaking principles of lean consumption, showing companies how to eliminate inefficiency during consumption.

The problem is neither that companies don't care nor that the people trying to fix our broken products are inept. Rather, it's that few companies today see consumption as a process -- a series of linked goods and services, all of which must occur seamlessly for the consumer to be satisfied. Buying a home computer, for example, involves researching, purchasing, integrating, maintaining, upgrading, and, ultimately, replacing it.

In this landmark new book, James Womack and Daniel Jones deconstruct this broken producer-consumer model and show businesses how to repair it. Across all industries, companies that apply the principles of lean consumption will learn how to provide the full value consumers desire from products without wasting time or effort -- theirs or the consumers' -- and as a result these companies will be more profitable and competitive.

Lean Solutions is full of surprising success stories: Fujitsu, a leading service company for technology, has transformed the way call centers solve problems -- learning how to eliminate the underlying cause of current problems rather than fixing them again and again. An extremely successful car dealership has adopted lean principles to streamline its business, making for dramatically reduced wait time, fewer return trips, and greater satisfaction for customers -- and a far more lucrative enterprise.

Lean Solutions will inspire managers to take the first steps toward perfecting their company's process of giving consumers what they really want.

At Large chronicles the massive manhunt that united hard-nosed FBI agents, computer nerds, and uptight security bureaucrats against an elusive computer outlaw who broke into highly secured computer systems at banks, universities, federal agencies, and top-secret military weapons-research sites. Here is "a real-life tale of cops vs. hackers, by two technology writers with a flair for turning a complicated crime and investigation into a fast-moving edge-of-your-seat story" (Kirkus Reviews, starred). At Large blows the lid off the frightening vulnerability of the global online network, which leaves not only systems, but also individuals, exposed.

With this unique tried-and-proven prayer system, even the busiest moms can have a rich prayer life that impacts the people she loves the most. Author Lisa Whelchel offers seven categories of prayer that can be used as they are or modified to fit each mom's special needs. By investing just ten minutes a day, in one month, a mom can bring nearly one hundred and fifty matters before her heavenly Father. From requests for her childrens' protection to wisdom in her personal life to praise for God's constant faithfulness, this simple plan brings order and purpose to prayer.

With the trademark Southern charm that has made her beloved by fans everywhere, Paula's new book features delicious, down-home entertaining menus, with recipes that are guaranteed to be instant crowd-pleasers. Whether you're planning an intimate family dinner, hosting an elegant cocktail party, or feeding a hungry crowd for lunch, these mouthwatering meals are the perfect way to share any occasion with good friends -- and have fun doing it! From a tailgate picnic to a bridge supper, a christening to a camping trip, and a family dinner to an ice cream social, there are recipes to delight any gathering.

Throw a down-home Birthday Bash with Beer-in-the-Rear Chicken, Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Corn on the Cob, and Buttermilk Pound Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream. Or host a casual Cookie Swap with friends and watch those Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes and Rolled Oatmeal Cookies disappear! An outdoor lunch wouldn't be complete without real Southern Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Corn Bread. And comfort foods like Quick Crab Stew, Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole, and Black Bottom Pie are soul-satisfying dishes that warm the heart and soothe the spirit. There are also recipes for refreshing cocktails and beverages, from the Southern traditional favorites, like Plantation Iced Tea and Mint Juleps, to Lemonade and Hot Cranberry Cider.

Entertaining Southern style is about much more than the food; it's about spending time with the people you care about. Paula and her friends are the experts when it comes to creating delightful meals that are easy to prepare, so you, too, can relax and enjoy the fun with your guests. Each chapter is filled with helpful tips and time-saving techniques, as well as the memorable cooking stories that inspired Paula and her friends to create these recipes. You'll be inspired to share memorable meals and occasions with family and friends, as Paula Deen & Friends invites you to live it up, Southern style.

Here are traditional American favorites for every occasion, from no-cook appetizers and simple side dishes to manageable main courses, and of course, plenty of grilling and outdoor food. And Al has the classics covered -- Thanksgiving turkey with gravy, stuffing, and all the trimmings; splendid Christmas fare, including Crown Pork Roast with Fruit Stuffing and scrumptious and quick gift breads and cookies; satisfying Super Bowl Sunday chili and snacks; a romantic Valentine's Day menu for two; and Halloween treats for adults and kids. Enjoy a Fourth of July picnic of Oven-Fried Chicken with Pecan-Cornmeal Crust accompanied by appetizing salads; honor the patron saint of barbecue on St. Lawrence Day with Texas Brisket and Al's fabulous Grilled Glazed Doughnuts with Vanilla Ice Cream; or try a St. Patrick's Day menu of Irish Stew, Soda Bread, and Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce.

Al provides his own holiday memories and tells how his family holiday celebrations have evolved over time. There are also a wealth of tips and hints on topics such as how to stock a holiday pantry, carve a turkey, handle leftovers creatively, and cook with kids. Think of Al Roker's Hassle-Free Holiday Cookbook as the one thing you'll need to make each holiday flavorful, easy, and fun -- even for the cook!

Until now. Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life is, first and foremost, about getting the biggest, boldest flavor possible from food and fire while making healthy choices all the way. Imagine a lifetime of Espresso Rubbed BBQ Ribs with Mustard-Vinegar Basting Sauce; Bricked Rosemary Chicken with Lemon; Chinese Chicken Salad with Red Chile-Peanut Dressing; Grilled Beef Filet with Arugula and Parmesan; Grilled Salmon with Lemon, Dill, and Caper Vinaigrette; and Garlic-Red Chile-Thyme-Marinated Shrimp.

For food that is good for you and full of his signature big style and big flavor, Bobby Flay will teach you how to use herbs, spices, heart-healthy oils, citrus zests and juices, honey, and vinegars in place of sugary commercial sauces and marinades. He'll show you how to enhance flavor by toasting nuts, seeds, and spices on the grill; roasting garlic in a covered grill to add to vinaigrettes and marinades; and grilling slices of lemon, lime, and grapefruit to serve on the side.

Bobby believes that we all need a full and balanced diet to be happy and healthy, so the book has everything you need to keep grilling for life: veggies chock-full of fiber; delicious complex carbohydrates (the right carbs) that not only fight heart disease but break down slowly, leaving you feeling fuller longer; fish rich in omega-3 oils; and, of course, the full range of proteins.

To sharpen your skills by the fire, Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life includes the sections "Equipment" (a very short list); "Fahrenheit 101," a temperature chart that helps you navigate rare, medium, and well-done; "Meals in Minutes," offering suggestions for the time-challenged; and "Party Foods," great party menus for everything from a cocktail party to an Italian feast.

Renowned restaurateur Robert Arbor puts a refreshing emphasis on simplicity and accessibility, explaining the rituals and traditions that comprise a typical French day. Featuring dozens of simple, everyday recipes, Joie de Vivre captures the family meals, market trips, and charming domestic settings that make the French way of life so plea- surable. In eight chapters, illustrated with 85 full-color and black-and-white photographs, Arbor details how you, too, can achieve the simplicity and relaxing life the French treasure.

Le Matin (The Morning) lays out the elements of a relaxing breakfast (as well as the secret to great coffee), and Le Potager (The Garden) describes the pleasures and rewards of growing your own own vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Le Marché (The Market) and Le Déjeuner (Lunchtime) follow Arbor to the market, the butcher, and the baker before serving up a trove of delicious ideas for light lunches and snacks. Le Dîner (Supper) outlines strategies for crafting cozy family dinners; creating enchanting dinner parties of all sizes; and preparing fun, simple meals for children.

Arbor's memories and experiences of growing up in France and his flair for casual elegance can't help but inspire the chef and decorator in everyone.

Sidebars sprinkled throughout the book offer tips and insights on how to make the perfect cup of hot chocolate, a French perspective on truffles and foie gras, the French and their love of chocolate, and why French butter tastes so good.

Joie de Vivre is a lavishly illustrated guide to the French style of living that will show you how to bring a little joie to your life.

In Dark Angel, Gillian is saved from drowning by her guardian angel. Only visible to Gillian, Angel will fulfill her heart's every desire. But when Angel starts making strange and sinister requests, Gillian must question who he truly is and where he came from.

Armed with a wooden stake, martial arts, and the will to resist a vampire's mind control, Rashel struggles to avenge her mother's death in The Chosen. Then she meets Quinn, her soulmate, who is part of the world she has vowed to destroy.

Hannah receives notes warning her of incredible danger in Soulmate. But if death is her destiny, is the Lord of the Night World's love strong enough to save her?

Sixteen-year-old Travis is looking for a good time. A vacation in Mexico with his mother, sister, and little brother might cramp his style, but he's willing to take that risk for a chance to cruise the beaches.

Travis soon discovers that even with his headphones and shades, he can't completely cut himself off from his family's problems. He begins to understand why his father didn't come with them: His mother is contemplating a divorce. Meanwhile his younger brother, Teddy, becomes increasingly obsessed with protecting some endangered sea turtles near the resort.

In spite of himself, Travis is drawn into Teddy's efforts to save the turtles. But it takes a devastating tragedy beyond his imagining to shake Travis out of his cynicism -- a tragedy that will change his family forever.

This authoritative book represents the data, findings, and implications of a long-term F.B.I.-sponsored study of serial sex killers. Specially trained F.B.I. agents examined thirty-six convicted, incarcerated sexual murderers to build a valuable new bank of information which reveals the world of the serial sexual killer in both quantitative and qualitative detail. Data was obtained from official psychiatric and criminal records, court transcripts, and prison reports, as well as from extensive interviews with the offenders themselves.

Featured in this book is detailed information on the F.B.I.'s recently developed Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) and a sample of an actual VICAP Crime Analysis Report Form.

Isolina Ricci's Mom's House, Dad's House has been the gold standard for inspiring and supporting divorcing and remarrying parents for more than twenty-five years. With her new book, Dr. Isa adapts her time-tested advice on maneuvering the emotional, logistical, and legal realities of separation, divorce, and stepfamilies to speak directly to children. Alongside practical ways to cope with big changes she offers older children and their families key resiliency tools that kids can use now and the rest of their lives. Kids and families are encouraged to believe in themselves, to take heart, and to plan for their lives ahead.

Mom's House, Dad's House for Kids is packed with practical tips, frank answers, easy-to-use lists, "train your brain" ideas, reproducible worksheets, and things to try when words just won't come out right. Kids will learn how to:

• Deal with parents living apart, schedules, and dueling house rules
• Settle comfortably in one home or two
• Stay out of the "miserable middle" when parents fight
• Manage stress, guilt, change, fear, and other feelings
• Stay connected with parents, relatives, and the "right" friends
• Appreciate the gifts (and deal with the gripes) of their new version of family
• Feel better FAST!

Kids can't get their parents back together, but they can help themselves get stronger and go on to succeed in life. This book shows them how.

A channel for the dead--a warning to the living

A chill falls over Christina Hardy's housewarming party when talk turns to a recent murder that has all the hallmarks of the so-called "Interstate-Killer" murders from fifteen years before. To lighten the mood, the guests drag out an old Ouija board for a little spooky fun...and that's when things become truly terrifying.

Summoned by the Ouija board, the restless spirit of Beau Kidd, the lead detective--and chief suspect--on the original case, seeks Christina's help: the latest killings aren't copycat crimes, and he wants his name cleared. Back in the real world, cop-turned-writer Jett Braden is skeptical of Christina's ghostly encounters, but his police sources confirm all the intimate details of the case--her otherworldly source is reliable, and the body count is growing.

The spirits are right. The Interstate Killer is still out there, and Christina's life is hanging in the balance between this world and the next.

Now, eight hundred years later, light from the first explosion is about to reach the Masaq' Orbital, home to the Culture's most adventurous and decadent souls. There it will fall upon Masaq's 50 billion inhabitants, gathered to commemorate the deaths of the innocent and to reflect, if only for a moment, on what some call the Culture's own complicity in the terrible event.

Also journeying to Masaq' is Major Quilan, an emissary from the war-ravaged world of Chel. In the aftermath of the conflict that split his world apart, most believe he has come to Masaq' to bring home Chel's most brilliant star and self-exiled dissident, the honored Composer Ziller.

Ziller claims he will do anything to avoid a meeting with Major Quilan, who he suspects has come to murder him. But the Major's true assignment will have far greater consequences than the death of a mere political dissident, as part of a conspiracy more ambitious than even he can know -- a mission his superiors have buried so deeply in his mind that even he cannot remember it.

Hailed by SFX magazine as "an excellent hopping-on point if you've never read a Banks SF novel before," Look to Windward is an awe-inspiring immersion into the wildly original, vividly realized civilization that Banks calls the Culture.

With penetrating insight, Kotter and Heskett trace the roots of both healthy and unhealthy cultures, demonstrating how easily the latter emerge, especially in firms which have experienced much past success. Challenging the widely held belief that "strong" corporate cultures create excellent business performance, Kotter and Heskett show that while many shared values and institutionalized practices can promote good performances in some instances, those cultures can also be characterized by arrogance, inward focus, and bureaucracy -- features that undermine an organization's ability to adapt to change. They also show that even "contextually or strategically appropriate" cultures -- ones that fit a firm's strategy and business context -- will not promote excellent performance over long periods of time unless they facilitate the adoption of strategies and practices that continuously respond to changing markets and new competitive environments.

Fundamental to the process of reversing unhealthy cultures and making them more adaptive, the authors assert, is effective leadership. At the heart of this groundbreaking book, Kotter and Heskett describe how executives in ten corporations established new visions, aligned and motivated their managers to provide leadership to serve their customers, employees, and stockholders, and thus created more externally focused and responsive cultures.

And everyone knows the master of the indoor grill is George Foreman. This two-time heavyweight champion of the world knows what tastes really good because George Foreman loves to eat. When George gives advice on how to grill the best burger on the planet, well, believe him. He knows.

As a world-class athlete and father of ten, George Foreman is focused on fresh, healthy foods that keep him and his family strong. Between kids, careers, and a heavyweight training schedule, the Foremans are a big, constantly-in-motion family. Getting dinner on the table could be an endurance event, but instead of going ten rounds in the kitchen, George Foreman has perfected fast and easy, and he passes on his strategy in George Foreman's Indoor Grilling Made Easy.

Here are more than 100 recipes that speak to the reason everyone buys the indoor grill in the first place: easy dishes filled with big, bold flavor for healthy food fast. From breakfast foods to snacks, entrées, side dishes, and even desserts made on the grill, this is food to satisfy the young, the not-so-young, and everyone in between. Most recipes are naturally lower in carbohydrates (after all, George is a carnivore of some note), but some have choice carbs to fuel heavy training days.

In addition to the recipes, there are plenty of flavor-enhancing ideas -- marinades, spice rubs, and sauces -- for simple cuts of fish, beef, pork, and chicken. You'll also find insider info on how to make perfect grilled veggies every time. George Foreman's Indoor Grilling Made Easy even includes finger foods for a party and a Thanksgiving dinner made on the grill. Portions feed a family of four but can easily be ownsized for those living on their own (or doubled for Foreman-sized families).

· Includes a nutritional analysis of every dish

· Line drawings throughout

Learn how to make finger-lickin' Dixieland favorites like Low Country Boil, Lip-Smackin'-Good Chicken Casserole, Salmon and Grits, and Oyster Stew. Right off the restaurants menu are dishes like BBQ Shrimp, Gumbo, and Shrimp and Grits. And because good cooking seems to run in Bubba's family, recipes like Raised Biscuits, Kathy's Dig Deep salad, and Cheesy Squash Casserole come straight from the recipe boxes in the authentic Southern kitchens of Bubba's grannies, aunts, and friends.

Desserts are Bubba's favorite, and there's no shortage. Try Aunt Glennis's version of the classic Dixie staple, Red Velvet Cake, or the Lemon Cheese Cake, which true Southerners know is not a cheesecake at all. There's also Chocolate Almond Pie, Butterscotch Pound Cake, Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie, and three recipes for truly scrumptious desserts that are Paula's gift to her baby brother. Plus, along with the recipes, you'll get family stories and photographs that bring Bubba and Paula's Georgia childhood to life.

Like his restaurant, Bubba's recipes are casual -- perfect for summer cookouts and picnics where paper napkins and plastic forks are just fine, and the card playing and story swapping begins when the Chargrilled Oysters are put on the table, and doesn't end until long after the last bite of Georgia Peach Cake is cleaned from the plate. Soon, just like Bubba, you'll be spending long afternoons around the grill, bragging on your barbecue and waiting for the Beer Rolls to come out of the oven.

In his unprecedented run at the top of the game, Jack Nicklaus has seen the importance of constant learning and constant refinement. Your game at age sixty cannot be the same as your game at age twenty; where you were once able to overpower the golf course, with time and wisdom you discover new ways to approach the challenges of the game that depend less on physical ability and more on mental agility. Along the way, you learn which fundamentals will always put you in good stead, and you see what advice has stood the test of time.

In My Golden Lessons, the greatest golfer of them all takes the best from his many years of playing, practicing, and studying the game, and distills it into over 120 pieces of priceless instruction. Drawn from his immensely popular columns in Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, the topics cover the full spectrum of the game, from choosing the right equipment, on through the fundamentals of stance, grip, and setup, to the pursuit of power and the subtleties of the short game and putting. These techniques helped Nicklaus set the marks that future generations will strive to match, but it was his mastery of the mental side of golf that truly set him apart from his peers and his predecessors -- and he shares his advice on the mind game as well. In addition, the book presents a beautifully drawn sequence of the Nicklaus swing at its peak, alongside advice tailored to the needs of the better players who want to be better still.

My Golden Lessons is a book that took a lifetime to prepare, but one that will improve your game from the first few minutes it spends in your hands. These are the techniques that made Jack Nicklaus the golfer he is, and his clear, bite-sized pointers will show you the path to hitting better shots, shooting lower scores, and enjoying the game more every time you play.

Pestilence... breathe if you dare!

The year is 1958, the place, an idyllic village in the heart of the English countryside. Olney St. Mary has stood in its peaceful rural location for over 900 years. Suddenly however, the peace of the community is shattered when two teenage boys are stricken with a mystery illness. The newly arrived village doctor suspects 'flu to be the cause of their malady. Her initial diagnosis is terribly and tragically wrong!

Before long, Doctor Hilary Newton and the residents of Olney are plunged into a nightmare of Biblical proportions as the death toll rises and no cure can be found for the disease that ravages the local population, despite the doctors employing the latest antibiotics available to them. Somehow, this plague is different! Help arrives in the form of a medical team from the outside, but the bodies continue to pile up. Someone, somewhere, perhaps within the community itself, knows the reason behind the pestilence that has struck at the heart of the village, but will the medics learn the truth before it's too late, or will they too join the growing list of names that appear on the roll of death roll in Olney St. Mary?

When a mysterious explosion wreaks havoc in the children's playground, followed by a second lethal blast in Olney's makeshift field hospital the sinister and unbelievable truth behind the pestilence begins to slowly reveal itself.

Award-winning author Brian L Porter takes terror to a new dimension as an age old horror returns to nineteen fifties rural England. This time however, the pestilence itself appears to have evolved!

Miles Xavier is a master at acquisitions, and Vanity Owens is an attorney more than fond of a good and healthy battle of wits. Business and pleasure are about to collide. The contracts turning over control of the Eidolon Arms Hotel to Xavier Industries are signed in the boardroom, but it's not in the boardroom that the sparks really fly. For Vanity, that's merely foreplay before cinching the real deal.

When negotiations are adjourned to the penthouse apartment at the newly acquired exclusive hotel, things really explode. After months of intense bargaining, Vanity is more than primed to finally have Miles in her bed for one night of phenomenal sex. Miles is a hands-on sort of man, and Vanity may be in for a surprise because this lover is about to turn the tables on her. This is one sinful obsession that may have Vanity in an unexpected, yet satisfying position...

Genres: Contemporary / BDSM (Light)

Troy grew up in poverty and has clawed his way to success. Until he builds a foolproof security, he hasn't got time for relationships, or so he tells himself. Then an amazing little dog and her equally amazing master charge into his life and Troy's captured in a net of lust, danger and obligations he never expected to find...

Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Action / Adventure / Suspense / Thriller / Interracial / Multicultural / Series

Genre: LGBT Shape-shifter Paranormal

T.J.'s a man--okay, a shape-shifting tomcat--with a plan. He intends to ask his wizard lover MacGowan to officially move in with him and make this the best Festivus ever. Unfortunately--or not unfortunately, really--he keeps getting distracted by MacGowan's hot bod. You know how tomcats are. Purrrr.

That aside, T.J.'s got a minefield's worth of hurdles to jump before he can give MacGowan the keys to his apartment. That list includes meddling Nereids, pointedly absent friends, and a Psychokitty with a decided inclination to meddle in the affairs of cats and men. As the cherry on top, MacGowan's almost too busy stressing out over learning to be a "real" wizard to pay attention to T.J.

Still, this tomcat has learned that home is where the heart is, and he's going to hang onto his magical relationship with MacGowan with all four sets of claws, come what may. (And a lot may come, including them if they're lucky).

Happy Holidays?

Publisher's Note: Contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices.

Lines are being drawn and sides taken as two powerful men gather armies of gunfighters. The townspeople are helpless and the law worthless. One man has already died in the opening salvo of this land war and an air of fearful anticipation hangs over the town.

Eagle, the half-breed who works at the livery stable, manages to survive by not taking sides, until one day a stranger rides into town. Eagle's life changes, and he realizes that he can no longer hide with his horses if he wishes to be the man he claims to be...

Genres: Gay / Historical / The Old West / Action / Adventure / Interracial / Multicultural

The sudden appearance of superpowers might transform most mild-mannered men into egomaniacs with visions of grandeur. Fortunately, Vic Braunson isn't most men. His powers come from his lover, Matt diLorenzo, and Vic refuses to let the abilities control or change him.

But even he can't stop the powers from enhancing who he is.

Picking up where The V in Valor left off, The V in Vengeance finds Vic and Matt slowly adjusting to life with a new addition to their little family--Sadie, the mutt Vic rescued from bullying kids. As they settle into a routine, Matt also finds himself dwelling on a more outward way to show the world how he feels for Vic. Though living with a superhero isn't always easy, Matt wouldn't have it any other way.

Especially when his car is vandalized late one night...

Genres: Gay / Fantasy / Superheroes / Series

When Steven makes an uncharacteristic slip of the tongue and admits he writes reviews for adult toys and novelties, however, Sydney uses the information to get her foot in the door...

With an eye toward Steven's bed.

But things aren't exactly easy for the trio. Especially since Jesse is still learning how to deal with the fact that the world continues to move on...while he never ages...

PLEASE NOTE: Although only partially heterosexual in its content, To Taste The Dawn is the Epilogue to the best-selling gay and bisexual (M/M) vampire series The Master Chronicles. To learn more about this series, visit the Amber Allure section of our website.

Genres: Gay / Menage (M/M/F) / Bisexuality (M/M) / Dark Fantasy / Vampire / BDSM / Exhibitionism / Public Places / Series

Advisory: This book contains graphic violence, hardcore bondage and punishment, and blood play. May not be suitable for the more sensitive reader.

Until the next morning when Jeremy discovers her dead body.

Brendan wants to find the killer. Jeremy wants Brendan to survive. And someone wants both of them to pay...

Genres: Gay / Contemporary / Suspense / Thriller / Interracial