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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>That monstrous villain Gary Soneji is back in <em>Cat &amp; Mouse</em>, the fourth book in James Patterson's series about Alex Cross, a police forensic psychologist, but he's not alone. In seeming support of the premise that you can never have too much of a bad thing, Patterson has thrown a second serial killer into the mix: Mr. Smith, a mysterious killer terrorizing Europe while Soneji practices his own brand of evil along the Eastern Seaboard. With <em>two</em> killers to track, Cross has his hands full--and Patterson has another hit. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Fans of Patterson's Alex Cross series will be delighted with this latest installment. Reappearing is Christine Johnson, seen in an earlier Cross novel, Jack &amp; Jill (LJ 8/96) and the principal at his children's school, and Cross has fallen in love with her. Gary Soneji, the creepy kidnapper and murderer from another Cross book, has broken out of jail and embarked on a new killing spree, again taunting Cross that he can't stop him. And one of his intended targets is Cross and his family. If that isn't enough, there's a new serial killer whose murders are so inhuman that the news media are suggesting that he's an alien from another planet. All story lines connect in this thriller, whose driving plot will distract you from thinking about its implausibilities and keep you turning pages to the last, when you'll find yourself impatiently awaiting the arrival of the next Cross novel. Recommended for public libraries.?Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.<br />Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>James Patterson's <em>Cradle and All</em> pits the intensity of faith against the certainties of science within an arena of Millennial tensions. A reworking of his 1980 apocalyptic thriller <em>Virgin</em>, this remodeled version boasts a genuinely unnerving premise, amplified with Patterson's fast-paced, uncluttered prose.</p><p>In the midst of a series of unexplained plagues and famines, two teenage girls are heavily pregnant, despite being virgins. According to the sacred prophecies of Fatima, one will bear the child of Christ and the other, the spawn of Satan. Both Anne Fitzgerald, a former nun turned private detective, and the Vatican's Father Rosetti are sent to investigate. But which girl carries which child? The possibility of a miracle will be tainted with great suffering before the awful, unexpected truth is revealed. As the action moves speedily from the hallowed halls of the Vatican to the media frenzy of America to the small-town hysteria of Ireland, Patterson divines considerable suspense from the novel's central premise, tackling issues of faith with admirable aplomb: </p><p>"All over the world, after all the years of difficulty, decades of diminishing spirituality, so many people still believed.... Everywhere, people talked of the Apocalypse, perhaps the end of the world. Which explained why so many people were suddenly going to church." </p><p>A relentless pace culminating in a superbly twisted ending won't disappoint Patterson's faithful followers, and may even convert some new members. <em>--Danny Graydon</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>His Alex Cross series (Pop Goes the Weasel, etc.) has made Patterson a top-selling author, but his most interesting work lies elsewhere: in his debut mystery, The Thomas Berryman Number; in last year's SF thriller, When the Wind Blows--and in this exciting and moving religious thriller about two pregnant virgins, one of whom may carry the Son of God and the other the Son of the Devil. If that plot line sounds familiar, it should. The novel is a reworking of Virgin, Patterson's second novel, published in 1980 by McGraw-Hill and long out of print. The narrative features the first-person/third-person narrative mix that's Patterson's trademark. The "I" belongs to ex-nun Anne Fitzgerald, now a PI. Her latest case for the Church involves investigating--and guarding--Newport, R.I. (i.e., rich), teenager Kathleen Beavier, who's eight months pregnant but, by expert medical testimony, a virgin. The Church is particularly anxious about Kathleen's condition because the Third Secret of Fatima (a real-life secret guarded by the Church since the Virgin Mary allegedly revealed it in 1917) prophesied two pregnant virgins: one bearing the Savior, the other the Devil's child. Anne eventually learns that indeed there's a poor girl in Ireland who's also pregnant, yet a virgin. Which girl carries which child? For texture, Patterson throws in some romance between Anne and a priest, but the novel's considerable suspense arises from his treatment of the central question as he speeds the action from America to Ireland to the Vatican, complicates it with a media frenzy over Kathleen, sharpens it as supernatural forces come into play and spins it with a wicked twist. While not subtle, this novel tackles issues of faith with admirable gusto. It could be a massive bestseller, appealing not only to Patterson's fans but also to those of the apocalyptic thrillers of LaHaye and Jenkins. 1 million first printing; $1 million ad/promo; Literary Guild main selection; author tour. (May) <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<p>NYC's #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem—the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified!</p><p><strong>Tick—a killer's countdown begins<br /></strong>A rash of horrifying crimes tears through the city, throwing it into complete chaos and terrorizing everyone living there. Immediately, it becomes clear that they are not the work of an amateur, but of a calculating, efficient, and deadly mastermind.</p><p><strong>Tick—Michael Bennett is on the chase</strong><br />The city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside retreat with his ten adopted children, his grandfather, and their beloved nanny, Mary Catherine. Not only does it tear apart their vacation, it leaves the entire family open to attack.</p><p><strong>Tock—your time is up</strong><br />Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Emily Parker. As his affection for Emily grows into something stronger, his relationship with Mary Catherine takes an unexpected turn. All too soon, another appalling crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer's pattern and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan. From the creator of the #1 New York detective series comes the most volatile and most explosive Michael Bennett novel ever.</p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p><strong>CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR JAMES PATTERSON</strong><br /></p><p>"The Man Who Can't Miss." (<strong><em>Time</em></strong> <strong><em>Lev Grossman</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"When it comes to constructing a harrowing plot, author James Patterson can turn a screw all right." (<strong><em>New York Daily News</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson's novels are sleek entertainment machines, the Porsches of commercial fiction, expertly engineered and lightning fast." (<strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong> ) </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>James Patterson has had more <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to <em>Guinness World Records</em>. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1976, James Patterson's books have sold more than 170 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels<strong>,</strong> the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including <em>Kiss the Girls </em>and <em>Along Came a Spider</em>. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.<br /></p><p>Neil McMahon is the author of several thrillers, including <em>Dead Silver.</em> He lives in Montana with his wife. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Fans of James Patterson's resourceful cop Alex Cross will be relieved to find that he's back on familiar territory with <em>Violets Are Blue</em>--and, more importantly, that this is one of the best Alex Cross thrillers yet.</p><p>The malign criminal genius of <em>Roses Are Red</em> is fixing to give Alex a hard time once again. The FBI joins Patterson's dogged cop in a particularly unsettling investigation: two San Francisco joggers have been viciously murdered and are found suspended by their feet, with all the blood drained from their corpses. And when further brutal deaths follow in California and on the East Coast, Alex is forced to contemplate the bizarre possibility of modern-day vampires, although his instincts point him to one of the many sinister religious cults that flourish on the West Coast. Aided by Jamilla Hughes, a streetwise young woman detective from San Francisco, Alex finds that he has to crack not one but two impenetrable mysteries to stop further bloodletting.</p><p>Patterson fans expect the extremely concise, page-turning chapters (116 of them here!), along with a reluctance to dawdle over details of his hero's personal life, and both characteristics are firmly back in place. If you can resist reading this one in just a few sittings, you deserve some kind of a thriller reader's medal. <em>--Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Washington, D.C., police detective Alex Cross returns for another visit (after Roses Are Red) to the top of the lists and for two new cases of disparate quality. The first, which dominates the narrative, takes place within America's vampire underground and is as exciting as anything Patterson has written; the second, in which Cross at last defeats the nemesis known as "the Mastermind," feels tacked on only to knot loose ends. In San Francisco, two joggers are slain, seemingly by both tiger and human teeth, and their blood drained; then an upscale couple is killed similarly in Marin County deaths suggestive of an earlier Cross case, prompting the detective's old pal Kyle Craig of the FBI to ask for his help. Craig's plea plunges Cross not only into a fetishistic netherworld in which thousands play at being vampires and a handful actually do kill for blood, but into personal turbulence as he alienates his family by his dedication to work, and as his always troubled love life takes further dips and flights, the latter in the company of SFPD Insp. Jamilla Hughes, who joins him on the cases. We know the good guys' immediate quarry, but they don't: two golden young men, brothers and self-styled vampires, with a pet tiger at their side. But who is the Sire, their ultimate leader? Meanwhile, the Mastermind, a brilliant homicidal maniac, plagues Cross with threatening phone calls. Most readers probably won't finger the Sire, but anyone who can't name the Mastermind long before Patterson reveals his identity must be reading this book backwards. The action reels around the country, from D.C. to California to Las Vegas to North Carolina, and readers will be swept away by it and by Patterson's expert mixing of Cross's professional and personal challenges. The narrative split between the two cases, vampiric and Mastermind, jars but not enough to seriously mar fans' pleasure, and the two cases will probably mesh more elegantly in the inevitable movie to come. (Nov. 19)Forecast: Is there a writer hotter than Patterson? A 10-city author tour, the forthcoming TV miniseries of his First to Die, and the simultaneous AudioBooks (unabridged and abridged, tape and CD) of Violets Are Blue will only increase the heat.</p><p>Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.</p>


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<h3>About the Author</h3><p>James Patterson is the #1 <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of many books, including the blockbuster series <em>Maximum Ride</em>. More than 100 million of his books are in print around the world, making him one of the top-selling writers of all time.<br /></p><p>Ned Rust lives in Croton, NY, with his family. His writing has appeared in <em>Rolling Stone</em> and <em>McSweeney's Internet Tendency</em>. </p><h3>From AudioFile</h3><p>James Patterson's latest release for young adults chronicles the adventures of 14-year-old Daniel X, who is chasing down intergalactic aliens who are trying to destroy the human population. Milo Ventimiglia is convincing as a teenage boy with superpowers except for the times when he slows down his reading to a maddening pace. Music, blasts from ray guns, and other sound effects will appeal to younger listeners, but the pervasive references to popular culture will date this story quickly and will drive off some listeners. Ventimiglia creates a believable character in Daniel as he argues with his little sister, adopts a stray dog, develops a crush, and tries to make the world a better place. R.A. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Patterson jumps on the superheroes bandwagon with contributor Ledwidge and delivers the adventures of Daniel X, a superpowered alien whose mission is to defend Earth from more malignant, threatening aliens. In his first adventure, listeners hear the typical origin story (parents killed by the most vile alien on Earth), his early adventures (growing up on his own with amazing powers) and his first real step into manhood (facing off against another alien). The story throws in a few interesting twists, but isn't particularly dynamic as superhero narratives go. The production is sparsely sprinkled with sound effects, which work quite well and add to the story, but there is a lack of consistency to their execution. However, Milo Ventimiglia makes it worth the listen. His timing and inflection match perfectly with Daniel, the first-person protagonist. He sounds youthful enough to be believable as Daniel and easily transitions to other character voices within the story. <em>A Little, Brown hardcover. (July)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Grade 5 Up—This splashy, somewhat nonsensical graphic novel is sure to find an audience despite its flaws. Daniel X is an orphan, his parents murdered by an evil alien. But Daniel, like his father before him, is also an alien, and not a regular one at that—he's a superhuman hunter of evil aliens. With a wealth of fantastical abilities and a list of baddies to catch (including his parents' killer), the teen is on a quest to rid the Earth of unwanted visitors. Along the way he meets Kildare, another alien and the son of one of the evildoers on the list, and the two team up to take down Kildare's gangster-alien father. The book is filled with clichés and ridiculous plot twists, and kids unable to suspend their disbelief will find the book lacking. However, the action-packed story line, kinetic computer-generated art, and Patterson's name are sure to attract readers.—<em>Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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<p>Daniel X's hunt to eliminate each and every intergalactic criminal on Earth is always relentless, but this time, it's getting personal. Number Three on the List of Alien Outlaws takes the form of raging, soul-possessing fire. And fire transports Daniel back to the most traumatic event of his life-the death of his parents. In the face of his "kryptonite", Daniel struggles with his extraordinary powers like never before, and more than ever is at stake: his best friends are in grave peril. The only way to save them is to travel back-through a hole in time-to the demon's arrival during the Dark Ages. Rip-roaring action and humor sets the pages afire in this gripping time-travel adventure with an Arthurian cast-and countless other surprises!</p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Taking a break from his phenomenally successful Alex Cross series, James Patterson's <em>When the Wind Blows</em> is as much child's fantasy as it is an adult nightmare. The novel moves away from the gritty Washington, D.C., setting of the Cross books and follows the daily life of Frannie O'Neill, a Colorado veterinarian. After the mysterious death of her husband several years before, Frannie retreated to an isolated life in her Colorado practice. But a series of bizarre events suddenly disrupts her lonely routine. On a personal level, she is shaken by her new tenant--Kit Harrison. Kit's too handsome and too friendly and he's a hunter (or so Frannie thinks). He's also recovering from a devastating personal tragedy, and, as Frannie eventually learns, he's really an FBI agent using his vacation to follow a crucial lead. But Kit isn't the one that's got Frannie concerned. As she says after stopping her Suburban one night to check out something on the side of the road: "What I saw was way beyond my abilities to imagine, beyond my comprehension, my system of belief, and maybe beyond my ability to communicate right now. The little girl's arms were folded back in a peculiar way, but when she lifted them--feathers fanned out." The girl is Max, and the mystery of her wings leads Frannie and Kit into a massive conspiracy involving secret genetic research and the scientific manipulation of the human species.</p><p>Patterson, a former advertising executive who coined such catchy phrases as "Nupe it!," knows how to entertain. His chapters are always short (some only two pages), and his writing is clear and unobtrusive; the reading experience is brisk--akin to watching a summer blockbuster. The book is not as dark or as weighty as the tales of detective-psychologist Alex Cross, but while some fans may be disappointed by Patterson's migration from pure suspense fiction, his first-person narrator Frannie, has a quirky realism that keeps this flight of fancy mostly on stable ground. <em>--Patrick O'Kelley</em></p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Still mourning her dead husband, veterinarian Frannie O'Neill makes an awful discovery near her hospital. What's more, an FBI agent is tapping at her door.<br />Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<p>New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons - the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces.</p>


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<p>The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents—and maybe the world?</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>New York detective Michael Bennett is an ace profiler who enjoys working alone, and when a beautiful young FBI abduction specialist named Emily Parker is assigned to his high-profile kidnapping case, he struggles to cede authority. Bobby Cannavale returns as Detective Bennett, slipping into his best Brooklyn accent and giving a hard edge to the character. As the kidnapper, John Glover employs a nasal whining tone perfectly suited to the character, and the phone conversations between cop and criminal are rich with tension. Orlagh Cassidy gives Emily an appealing gentleness, but her other female characters sound slightly clichéd. <em>A Little, Brown hardcover. (Feb.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Thrilling . . . white-knuckle suspense . . . a standout crime thriller that no Patterson or adrenaline junkie should miss." (<strong>NightsandWeekends.com on *Run For Your Life</strong>* )<br /></p><p>"At a furious pace, this novel runs with the wolves. Action, intelligence, social and political issues galore, with a fantastic plot and great writing-what's not to like?" (<strong>TheReviewBroads.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson and Ledwidge more than deliver . . . each book just gets better . . . The tension and suspense leap off the pages . . . definitely must-read material for Patterson fans . . . This Michael Bennett guy? I think he's the real deal." (<strong>FictionAddict.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"Packed with action . . . The Bennett series has hit its stride with this entry, as it is even more fast-paced and even more exciting than<em> Run for Your Life </em>. . . Score another win for Patterson and Ledwidge. I eagerly await the next installment of the saga." (<strong>MrControversy.blogspot.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"Tension, suspense, and thrills on virtually every page. WORST CASE delivers." (<strong>Squidoo.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"A one-sit read with a villain who is as current as today's headlines . . . Bennett is very likable." (<strong>BookReporter.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"This top-notch mystery with a first-class cast will rivet readers and whet their appetites for the next in the Bennett series." (<strong><em>RT Book Reviews</em></strong> ) </p>


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<h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Gr 6-9–Patterson has created another thrilling adventure that is sure to capture readers' imaginations. Max is the leader of a group known as the Flock, and the story revolves around her struggles and emotional dilemmas. These winged mutants are set upon by an evil scientist who wants to use their special talents to suit his own ends. However, that is just one of Max's problems. After a dire prediction by Angel, she is terrified that Fang will die. He is the love of Max's life, and she can not bear the thought of losing him. The author's strong writing style will draw readers into the situations that arise as Max tries to protect the Flock from peril while attempting to avoid Fang's impending doom. The love triangle between Max, Fang, and another winged mutant is also well developed and creates tension throughout. The story line moves readers from the dry, sweltering heat of Africa to the bright lights of Hollywood as Max tries to maintain unity in the Flock and shelter them from danger. The action builds throughout, and there are enough plot twists and surprises to keep readers guessing about what will happen next as the young Flock is eventually snared in the villain's web. Patterson's quick-paced tale of adventure, betrayal, and redemption is full of vibrant and memorable characters. It truly has bite.–Greg Stone, Oak Mountain Middle School, Birmingham, ALα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>The Maximum Ride series' flock of winged children is off to Africa for a photo op while providing humanitarian aid. Then Max's rival, Angel, prophesies that best-friend Fang will be the first to die and it will happen soon. When Dr. Gunther-Hagen introduces Max to Dylan, a gorgeous new bird kid who has been designed to be Max's perfect mate, Max's voices tell her Dylan is perfect for her. But how does this affect her commitment to Fang? This will excite the legions of fans waiting for this installment in the flock's story. Grades 7-9. --Diana Tixier Herald </p>


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<p>FIRST SHE WAS WATCHED.<br /></p><p>In this breathtaking new story from the astonishing imagination of James Patterson, a girl has to save herself from an army assembled just to capture her - and maybe save the planet while she's at it.</p><p>THEN SHE WAS THREATENED.<br /></p><p><strong>Maximum Ride</strong> is a perfectly normal teenager who just happens to be able to fly, the result of an out-of-control genetic experiment. Max and the other members of the flock - five kids who share her remarkable ability - have been asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the effects of global warming. The expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure, activism - and escaping government forces who are watching the flock all the time.</p><p>THIS IS HER FINAL WARNING.<br /></p><p>But even in Antarctica, enduring in the harshest weather on our planet, Maximum Ride is an irresistible target in constant danger. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world. . . .</p><p>Maximum Ride is James Patterson's greatest character, a heroine who manages to be human and fearless at once. <strong>The Final Warning</strong> is an unrelenting new adventure from the writer <strong>Time</strong> magazine has called "The Man Who Can't Miss."</p>


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<p>In this latest thriller from perennial bestselling author James Patterson, Washington cop Alex Cross gets involved in his partner's effort to save the life of an old Army buddy who's facing execution for a horrendous and inexplicable murder spree in North Carolina. The Army's evidence against Sergeant Ellis Cooper, a decorated Vietnam vet, is overwhelming, which isn't surprising since it's all been planted by a quartet of killers whose reason for framing the erstwhile hero isn't revealed until long after they are. The big secret is who set the murderers loose, and in true cliffhanger fashion, Patterson keeps it under wraps until the very end. Meanwhile, his usual blend of action, violence, fast pacing and uninspired-though-serviceable prose prevail, and will probably do so all the way to the top of the bestseller lists. --Jane Adams</p>


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<h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Gr 7-10-In Witch &amp; Wizard (Little, Brown, 2009), Whit and Wisty Allgood were taken from their family in the middle of the night, accused of witchcraft, and imprisoned by the corrupt government. This sequel picks up as Whit manages to save his captured sister from public execution. On the run from "The One Who Is The One" (the evil ruler of this apocalyptic world), the siblings' recently discovered magical powers are their only hope of finding their rebel cohorts and escaping capture and certain death. Once safe for the moment, Whit becomes preoccupied with finding his murdered girlfriend in the Shadowlands and jotting poetry/spells in his magic journal. Wisty practices her power of controlling fire while dabbling in an occasional musical performance and exploring a budding romance with the drummer of a popular rebel rock band. There is no real safe haven for these siblings, though, and they find themselves imprisoned once again by "The One" with only a would-be traitor holding their key to escape. The action is relentless and there are too many close calls to count in this supernatural suspense thriller. The narration alternates between brother and sister, which, particularly in these very short chapters, can be confusing. Patterson's trademark mastery of gruesome and terrifying imagery makes this otherwise dull tale come alive a bit as readers are whisked at breakneck speed toward a culmination with no resolution. This sequel can stand alone, but is unlikely to draw new readers into the series.-Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"Dialogue-heavy and action-packed, the writing throughout is inventive and colorfully detailed. Written in a conversational tone by Patterson and co-author Ned Rust, it's as if the reader's craziest best friend was recounting a wildly apocryphal tale, and doing so for about four hours, which is about how long it takes to read the book. It's easy to visualize the story, which may explain why movie rights to this series have already been snatched up." (<strong><em>LA Times</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Chapter endings are suspenseful cliffhangers and urge even the most tentative reader to keep reading! We can expect more from this dynamic sibling team in the future." (<strong><em>San Francisco Book Review</em></strong> ) </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>If Thomas Harris's psycho-thrillers are the creme de la creme of the genre, then Patterson's (Kiss the Girls; Along Came a Spider) are the skimmed milk?fluid, but low in substance. In his new novel, the author again lays down a narrative line so gripping?an effect achieved partly through a plethora of one-sentence paragraphs, a la Sidney Sheldon?that the reader may not notice, or care, that characterization and originality have fallen by the wayside. Patterson tells his story through two points of view: there's the the first-person voice of Maggie Bradford, who kills her abusive husband in the novel's flashback prologue and has now become a world-famous singer-songwriter ("I love your music, Maggie," Barbra Streisand tells her); and there's a third-person narration that is often filtered through the eyes of Will Shepherd, the celebrated soccer star who romances Maggie after her interim lover, an older tycoon, dies of a heart attack. The devastatingly handsome Will likes to hurt women ("there was a distinctly good part in him, but also a bad part"), however, and sometimes even to kill them. Will seems to want Maggie to save him from himself. Using his beauty and charm on her and her children, he wins her hand in marriage. That union sets up a major-league deja vu, two murder trials that aren't quite riveting and a final Big Twist that will only surprise those fresh to the thriller genre. Still, Will's descent into cartoonishness, and various loose threads, will probably not bother readers swept along by this lightweight pop fiction. <br />Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Beautiful Maggie Bradford seems to have it all: a successful career as a singer/songwriter, fame, money, and two precious children. However, she killed her first husband in self-defense and now she's in jail awaiting trial for the murder of her second husband, Will Shepherd, a charming, psychotic professional soccer player. At first, Maggie's marriage seems fine, but soon Will begins to act irrationally. The increasing tension comes to a head when Maggie comes to believe that Will has been sexually abusing her daughter; the resulting confrontation ends in Will's death and Maggie's arrest. Climaxing in Maggie's celebrity trial, this page-turner delivers a solid punch, complete with a surprise ending. Patterson (Kiss the Girls, Little, Brown, 1995) offers a vivid, emotionally revealing tale. Recommended for public libraries.<br /><em>-?Stacie Browne Chandler, Whitman P.L., Mass.</em><br />Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>To be published on Valentine's Day, this solid and enjoyable but not exceptional thriller about a Black Widow killer has been selected by Bookspan as the "2005 International Thriller of the Year." That's obviously jumping the gun, and probably has more to do with the unusual sales gambit by which Bookspan was allowed to sell the book prior to bookstore distribution than with the novel's quality. Still, megaseller Patterson, here writing for the first time with Roughan (<em>The Up and Comer</em>), again shows his usual flair for brisk narrative, strong suspense and genuine twists in tracing the story of how FBI agent John O'Hara tracks down serial killer Nora Sinclair. As the novel opens, beautiful Nora, an interior designer for the very rich, and already wealthy after having killed her first husband for his inheritance, is juggling an engagement to a hedge-fund manager in tony Briarcliff Manor in upstate New York and a marriage to a bestselling author in Boston. She intends to kill both, but chooses the hedge-fund manager first; after she poisons him, enter O'Hara, posing as a sympathetic insurance investigator but secretly working to nab Nora. In time, Nora seduces O'Hara, so his attempt to catch her is compromised by lust; there's also a major subplot involving a suitcase containing documents pointing to more than a billion dollars transferred to Cayman Islands banks, a subplot fully tied into the main plot only near book's end. O'Hara and particularly Nora stand as two of Patterson's most complex characters yet, but the narrative, while nearly impossible to stop reading, doesn't have the emotional pull of the author's Alex Cross novels or some of his Women's Murder Club titles. This is one canny thriller, though, and Patterson's millions of fans will be most pleased. Expect sky-high sales. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>The year 2004 saw three books from Patterson, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. In a departure from both the Alex Cross and Women's Murder Club series, Patterson takes on a romance that is a far cry from the sweet love stories he has tried his hand at in the last few years. Nora Sinclair has a gorgeous Connecticut fiance, Connor. She had an equally sexy Boston husband, Jeffrey. But bad things happen to the men Nora gets involved with--her first husband died of a heart attack, and before long Connor meets a similar fate. The FBI is suspicious and sends agent John O'Hara to pose as an insurance investigator who dangles a tantalizing prize in front of Nora: a $1.9 million life-insurance policy on Connor's life, payable to Nora. She is suspicious, but she goes along with John's investigation into Connor's death. John isn't able to dig up much on Nora, but he does find himself in an awkward predicament when he realizes he's attracted to her. Patterson and cowriter Roughan's novel has all the trademarks of a Patterson-only thriller--short, suspenseful chapters; quick, punchy sentences; and a breakneck pace--and it delivers enough adrenaline that fans will likely forgive the novel's occasional implausibility. <em>Kristine Huntley</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Just who is writing the coauthored Patterson novels makes for interesting water-cooler chat, but whether the majority of words are contributed by Patterson or Gross, this terrific new novel is prime Patterson all the way, another step in the author's application of his patented storytelling style to a multitude of genres-in this case, historicals. The title character is, when introduced in 1096, an unassuming innkeeper in a French village oppressed by the local nobleman. To earn his freedom, Hugh de Luc joins the Crusades for a torturous, bloody march toward Jerusalem that occupies the book's first third and ends with him escaping the madness around him by deserting back to France, in possession of some minor treasures-or so he thinks. Back home, he finds that his beloved wife has been taken captive by the odious nobleman, and his infant son slain. Seeking his wife and revenge, Hugh adopts the guise of a jester in order to enter to the nobleman's castle, where he begins to fall in love with a young noblewoman, and she with him. In time, Hugh finds his wife, only to experience tragedy, and learns that the nobleman is searching for him, as he is believed to have carried back from the Crusades the greatest holy relic of all. Returning to his village, which has been destroyed during the nobleman's hunt for him, Hugh persuades his townspeople, then surrounding towns, to rise up in revolt against the corrupt nobleman and his henchmen. From start to finish, this is supersmart popular fiction, slick yet stirring, packed with colorful details of medieval life, bursting with unforgettable characters and clever tropes and themes. Patterson's fans will adore this one.<br />Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Another departure for Patterson after Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas: home from the Crusades, Hugh must play the jester to find his wife, abducted by knights. <br />Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<p>Andie DeGrasse, an aspiring actress and single mom, is not your typical juror. Hoping to get dismissed from the pool, she tells the judge that most of her legal knowledge comes from a bit part curling around the stripper's pole in The Sopranos. But she still ends up as juror number 11 in a landmark trial against a notorious mob boss. THE JUDGE IS TERRIFIED OF THE DEFENDANT. The case quickly becomes the new Trial of the Century. Mafia don Dominic Cavello, known as the Electrician, is linked to hundreds of gruesome, unspeakable crimes. Senior FBI agent Nick Pellisante has been tracking him for years. He knows Cavello's power reaches far beyond the courtroom but the FBI's evidence against the ruthless killer is ironclad. Conviction is sure thing. SO IS THE JURY. As the jury is about to reach a verdict, the Electrician makes one devastating move that no one could have predicted. The entire nation is reeling, and Andie's world is shattered. For her, the hunt for the Electrician becomes personal, and she and Pellisante come together in an unbreakable bond: they exact justice --- at any cost. THE VERDICT: RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. James Patterson spins an all-out heart-pounding legal thriller that pits two people against the most vicious and powerful mobster since John Gotti. Judge and Jury is a stunning feat by "one of America's most influential authors".</p>


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<p>Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station. Plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts—until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won't stop until they have reclaimed the diamonds and exacted their revenge.</p><p>Trailing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who has just pulled off his most high-profile hit: killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international Diamond Syndicate. There's only one small problem: the diamonds he was supposed to retrieve from Zelvas are missing. Now, the Ghost is on Bannon's trail—but so is a rival assassin who would like nothing more than to make the Ghost disappear forever. From "America's #1 storyteller" (<em>Forbes</em>) comes a high-speed, high-stakes, winner-take-all thrill ride of adrenaline-fueled suspense.</p>


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<h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>"Casanova" works the East Coast, "The Gentleman Caller" works the West Coast, and these two serial killers might just be working together. Washed-up Washington, D.C., police detective Alex Cross gets involved when his niece is abducted. Since this is a new work by the author of the best-selling Along Came a Spider (LJ 12/92), don't be surprised that Paramount has bought the film rights and that BOMC has made it a main selection.<br />Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Kirkus Reviews</h3><p>Advertising executive Patterson doubles neither our pleasure nor our fun by giving us two intense, Hannibal Lecter-type murderers for the price of one in an improbable and hopelessly derivative mess of a thriller. Feds and local authorities on both coasts are baffled by a pair of serial killers targeting beautiful young women: The Gentleman Caller works the scene in sunny L.A., where he brutally murders and dismembers his prey; his counterpart back East, who calls himself Casanova, trolls the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area for sexy coeds to victimize. Their MOs provide plenty of fodder for an author trying to cook up a work of psychological terror: Both are powerful, handsome, brilliant (natch), commit perfect crimes, and, despite their busy schedules, manage to keep in touch with each other. To catch them, you obviously need a perfect crime fighter. Enter Alex Cross, the Washington, D.C., detective/psychologist hero of bestselling Along Came A Spider (1993), who gets dragged into all this after his niece Naomi, a student at Duke University, vanishes. Working with the authorities and a medical student named Kate McTiernan, who was lucky enough to escape Casanova's clutches, Cross begins to understand how the two dueling psychos operate. Just in the nick of time, too, because the Gentleman Caller, on the run from the law out West, decides that nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina with his old buddy Casanova. So, what does Cross, whose favorite niece is now in the clutches of two sickos, do? Fall in love with Kate McTiernan, of course, in an ill-placed romantic subplot intended to raise the stakes in the deadly cat-and-mouse game. Does Cross save Naomi? Are the two killers brought to justice or, at the very least, consigned to gory demises? Who cares? As a storyteller, Patterson is a great ad copywriter. (First priting of 275,000; film rights to Paramount; Book-of-the-Month Club main selection) -- <em>Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.</em></p>


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<p>The memorable story begun in When the Wind Blows continues in this thrilling novel, and it's one that really soars! Frannie O'Neil, a Colorado veterinarian, knows a terrible secret that will change the history of the world. Kit Harrison, an FBI agent under suspension has seen things that no one in his right mind would believe. A twelve-year-old girl named Max and five other incredible children have powers we can only dream of. These children can fly. And the only place they will be save is the Lake House. Or so they believe...</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Beach bum Ned Kelly, a part-time lifeguard, pool guy and errand runner in Palm Beach, Fla., has just scored with beautiful, rich Tess McAuliffe. Life sure is looking up, especially from his days back in chilly South Boston. He's looking forward to another round with Tess, but first he has to help some smalltime hoodlum pals commit a $60-million art heist. It's supposed to be an easy job, but everything goes to hell—the paintings they were after weren't even there—and soon enough his pals are all dead, as is Tess. Ned goes on the run, accused of the murders and the heist as well. He flees back to Boston, but gets caught by cute-as-a-button FBI agent Ellie Shurtleff, assigned to investigate the case for the agency's Art Theft and Fraud department. After some rough stuff, he takes her hostage and in short order they've bonded. Ellie can see that Ned's a good guy who could never have committed the crimes he's charged with, so the two of them join forces to bring down the actual thieves and killers. It's a twisty story that will engage the interest of beach-goers everywhere, whose sun-addled brains will put up with pedestrian writing and an improbable plot just to find out exactly whodunit and why. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p><em>Starred Review</em> Don't be fooled by the title of Patterson's latest thrilling yarn--the action goes far beyond the beach. Ned Kelly grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Brockton, but he got out, and now his life seems to be falling into place. He's interested in a beautiful woman named Tess and has decided to chance one last heist with four of his childhood friends. Ned's job is simple--all he has to do is set off several house alarms while his friends hit the real target, the mansion of Dennis Stratton, to steal three valuable paintings. But when Ned's friends enter the house and discover the paintings already gone, they realize they've been double-crossed, and before Ned can reach them, all four are murdered. Then Tess is found dead in her hotel room, and, fearing how bad things are looking for him, Ned goes on the lam, hoping to clear his name. He goes back to Brockton to find his father, a small-time criminal he suspects may have been involved in setting up his friends. He's being pursued by Federal Agent Ellie Shurtleff, an art expert, who becomes an unlikely ally. Packing all the punches readers have come to expect from Patterson's books, this one delivers at every turn. <em>Kristine Huntley</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Any thriller writer, wannabe or actual, would do well to study Patterson's 10th Alex Cross novel. A sequel to last year's <em>The Big Bad Wolf</em>, the book is a model of economy, delivering a full package of suspense, emotion and characterization in a minimum number of words. The story brings back not only <em>Big Bad Wolf</em>'s arch-villain, the Russian mobster known as the Wolf, but also an earlier Patterson bad guy, the Weasel, recruited by the Wolf to further his plans. These involve extorting Western powers for billions of dollars to avoid major terrorist attacks on New York, London, Washington and Frankfurt—attacks the Wolf offers a preview of by wiping out a town in Nevada by aerial bombardment after hustling its citizens to safety, then by doing the same to a village in England without evacuating the populace. The novel features numerous exciting scenes, most notably one in which Cross is kidnapped, then shackled to a suitcase atomic bomb. It's not the steady tension, the numerous colorful locales, the reliable action climaxes nor the novel's effective doomsday gloss that makes this thriller work so well, though. It is, of course, the characters, and in Cross, Patterson continues to elaborate his finest hero, cerebral yet emotional, dedicated yet flawed, caught between duty and family. Regrettably, the novel is marred in its final chapters by a series of surprises that skirt playing unfair with the reader, but most Patterson fans probably won't mind and they are legion enough to send this to the top of the charts, for good reason. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>'If you feel like a roller coaster, breathless ride, London Bridges is the hottest ride in town' -- Ballarat Courier, Australia 20041126 'Any thriller writer, wannabe or actual, would do well to study Patterson's 10th Alex Cross novel!Patterson continues to elaborate his finest hero, cerebral yet emotional, dedicated yet flawed, caught between duty and family' -- Publisher's Weekly 20041108 'Un-put-down-able' -- Daily Express 20051001 </p>


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<p><strong>Somebody is murdering Hollywood's A-list.</strong>FBI agent Alex Cross is on vacation when he gets a call from the Director. An actress has been shot outside her home in Beverly Hills. Afterward, an editor for the <em>Los Angeles Times</em> receives an e-mail recounting the murder in shocking detail, signed Mary Smith. Her calling card:<strong>"You've got mail."</strong>The authorities fear this is only the beginning. Mary Smith is targeting Hollywood stars and power brokers, and she is getting better every time. This case is like nothing Alex has ever confronted before. Could this be the plan of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something much more terrifying? And how could a woman be capable of these vicious crimes? To track a merciless killer, Alex navigates a world where the stars sip San Pellegrino at the Ivy as hopefuls hover around studio gates armed with 8 X 10 glossies. Members of the A-list fear they're next on Mary's list, and Cross and the LAPD scramble to find a pattern before Mary can send one more chilling update.Filled with the ruthless twists that make his fans hunger for more, <em>Mary, Mary</em> is James Patterson's most sophisticated thriller yet.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The fifth entry in Patterson's all-ages Maximum Ride fantasy/thriller series finds the teenaged title character facing her greatest challenge yet. Max, leading her flock of virtually indestructible part-human/part-bird hybrids, must rescue her human mom, kidnapped by a criminal mastermind with an elaborate plan to wreak worldwide ecological catastrophe. But in order to rescue her, 14-year-old Max and the five younger members of her flock (genetically developed by an environmental group) must team up with the U.S. Navy to determine why millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii. All this, and Max is falling in love, too. Patterson doesn't spend much time on character development, opting to propel his wild story with quick action scenes, plenty of dialogue and chapters seldom longer than three or four pages; unfortunately, though, life-and-death situations are often solved by implausible plot turns. Max narrates with a precocious, snarky voice, but makes it relatively easy to jump into her complicated tale midstream. Not surprisingly, the open-ended conclusion begs for a follow-up; it's also little wonder that a movie franchise is in the works. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Grade 7–9—In this installment in the series, Max, the super-spunky, flying, mutant bird-girl and "kick butt warrior," and her flock battle evil, ecologically thoughtless foes. Fast-paced thrills spill from the pages and pull readers in, starting on page one when a suicide sniper cyborg/human aims his automatic pistol at Max as she flies in an air show over Los Angeles. To help publicize her mother's environmental group, Coalition to Stop the Madness, Max has agreed to lead the flying flock in these touring shows. Performing soon endangers her life, however, by bringing her identity and relationship with the CSM to the immediate attention of Mr. Chu, whose business has dumped radioactive material into the ocean around Hawaii. These toxins are killing millions of fish and causing grisly mutations to other sea creatures. Mr. Chu almost kills Max and then kidnaps her mother, holding her for ransom in a submarine. With the flock members' extraordinary abilities—Gazzy's inventiveness, Max's strength and intuitive "voice" in her head, and Angel's telepathy and her ability to speak to some helpful mutant sea creatures, Max rescues her mother. Patterson weaves humor into the dramatic action. In addition, Max's romantic relationship with Fang ripens to a more serious level than in the previous books. Hints of an approaching apocalypse, repeated references to Max's "mission in saving the world," and a few lingering questions such as her precarious relationship with her father all leave open the possibility of a sequel.—<em>James K. Irwin, Sandy Library, UT</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"A keen appreciation of kids' insecurities and an even more astute understanding of what might propel boy readers through a book.... a perfectly pitched novel." (<strong><em>Los Angeles Times</em></strong> )<br /></p><ul><li>"Patterson artfully weaves a deeper and... thought-provoking tale of childhood coping mechanisms and everyday school and family realities.... Hand this book to misbehaving, socially awkward, or disengaged boys and girls.... It might help them believe that there is a place for them in the world, no matter how dire times may seem in the present." (<strong><em>School Library Journal</em>, starred review</strong> )<br /></li></ul><p>"The book's... dynamic artwork, and message that 'normal is boring' should go a long way toward assuring kids who don't fit the mold that there's a place for them, too." (<strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Incredibly detailed and imaginative illustrations... add depth and humor.... an enjoyable story that even the most reluctant readers should enjoy." (<strong><em>Library Media Connection</em></strong> ) </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>JAMES PATTERSON was selected by kids across America as Children's Choice Book Awards Author of the Year in 2010. He is the internationally bestselling author of the highly praised Maximum Ride novels, the Witch &amp; Wizard series, the Daniel X series, <em>Med Head</em>,<em> </em>and the detective series featuring Alex Cross. His books have sold more than 230 million copies worldwide, making him one of the bestselling authors of all time. He lives in Florida.<br /></p><p>Chris Tebbetts is the author of The Viking, a fantasy adventure series for young readers, and co-author of the young adult novel, <em>M or F?</em>, with Lisa Papademetriou. He lives in Vermont.<br /></p><p>Laura Park is a cartoonist and illustrator. She is the author of the minicomics series<em> Do Not Disturb My Waking Dream</em>, and her work has appeared in the <em>Best American Comics</em>. She lives in Chicago with her pet pigeon, Nixon. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The Patterson bestseller factory has turned out another high-drama thriller, this time in collaboration with <em>Honeymoon </em>coauthor Roughan. Kristin Burns, a New York City nanny and aspiring photographer, is devoted to the two children under her care, but her desire for their father, Michael Turnbull, leads her to a risky, torrid affair with him. Kristin's anxiety about her guilty secret is heightened by a series of frightening nightmares centering on a vision of four body bags being loaded onto gurneys in front of a prominent Manhattan hotel. Her nightmares also feature recurring encounters with dead people, including her father and the pediatrician who abused her as a child. Kristin's breathless, superficial narration doesn't generate a lot of reader sympathy or interest in figuring out the source of her macabre experiences. <em>(Sept.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"You've Been Warned will keep yoy spellbound. Kadushin's haunting voice is spot on, and the echoing numbers set in the skin-crawiling tone for each chapter."... MyShelf.com </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>The Women's Murder Club pits four San Francisco women professionals against a serial killer who's stalking and murdering newlyweds in bestselling author James Patterson's newest thriller. Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector who's just gotten some very bad news. She deals with it by immersing herself in her newest case and soliciting the personal as well as professional support of her closest friend, who happens to be the city's medical examiner. The two women, along with an ambitious and sympathetic reporter and an assistant DA, form an unlikely alliance, pooling their information and bypassing the chain of command in an engaging, suspenseful story whose gruesome setup is vintage Patterson. </p><p>"What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?" the killer muses to himself early in the narrative. "Am I capable of doing it? Do I have what it takes?" Answering his own question, he embarks on a murderous spree that takes him from the bridal suite in a Nob Hill hotel to a honeymoon destination in the Napa Valley and thence to a wedding reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Dispatching his victims on the happiest day of their lives, he purposefully leaves enough clues for his distaff trackers to discover his identity and put him behind bars. But just when the women think they've got the case all wrapped up, the killer turns the tables on them in a bloody denouement that even the most discerning reader won't see coming. Patterson, author of the popular Alex Cross mysteries, promises future adventures for the Women's Murder Club, which may give him an opportunity to develop his heroines' characters more completely and win new fans among those who prefer their detectives in high heels and lipstick. <em>--Jane Adams</em></p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Fans of Patterson (Along Came a Spider) will not be disappointed with his latest effort. A killer is murdering recently married couples, and police detective Lindsay is stumped. Off duty, she forms a murder club comprising three of her friends: an assistant district attorney, a newspaper reporter, and a coroner. The four women use everything at their disposal to figure out who the killer is before he can strike again. Their lead suspect is a world-famous writer whose plots resemble the murders. Deploying Patterson's usual short chapters, the book is exciting to the last page. One hopes that it is the first installment in what deserves to be a new series; Patterson should give Alex Cross a rest and concentrate on these four women instead. 1st to Die will air as a miniseries on NBC in May, so expect demand. For all public libraries.<br /><em>- Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L. </em><br />Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>PRAISE FOR JAMES PATTERSON:<br /></p><p>"The prolific Patterson seems unstoppable."<br />(<strong><em>USA Today</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"James Patterson knows how to sell thrills and suspense in clean, unwavering prose." (<strong><em>People</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson's novels are sleek entertainment machines, the Porsches of commercial fiction, expertly engineered and lightning fast." (<strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong> ) </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>James Patterson has had more <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to <em>Guinness World Records</em>. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977, James Patterson's books have sold more than 205 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels<strong>,</strong> the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including <em>Kiss the Girls </em>and <em>Along Came a Spider</em>. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.<br /></p><p>Michael Ledwidge is the author of <em>The Narrowback, Bad Connection, </em>and most recently,<em> </em>the coauthor, with James Patterson,<em> </em>of <em>The Quickie, Step on a Crack, Run For Your Life</em>, and <em>Worst Case.</em><br /></p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Likened to a "young Muhammad Ali," Alex Cross, the Porsche-driving profiler, doctor, detective, and father of two has seen his fair share of vicious killers. From a bloodthirsty butcher who came after his family (<em>Cat and Mouse</em>) to a devilish duo working cross-country (<em>Kiss the Girls</em>), Cross has managed to outmaneuver all of his enemies. Until he meets the Weasel.</p><p>A series of killings in the forgotten, crime-infested ghettos of southeast D.C. has sent Cross and his 6'9" 250-pound partner, John Sampson, in search of the "Jane Doe" killer. However, their racist, tyrannical boss George Pitman orders them to stay out of the southeast and investigate the high-profile murder of a wealthy white man. Cross already has suspicions that the murders are linked, but when Sampson's ex turns up in an abandoned southeast warehouse kicked to death, the two detectives carry on with their original investigation. Meanwhile, Cross's longtime love, Christine (<em>Cat and Mouse</em>), has taken prominence in his life, and it looks as if the two will finally get hitched--with one glitch: Cross puts everything he loves in jeopardy as he obsessively goes after the Weasel. </p><p>Akin to a slick Hollywood action flick, <em>Pop Goes the Weasel</em> doesn't have time for meaningful character development or thoughtful moral analysis. And it doesn't need to. Its winning formula is based on short scenes (chapters average about 3 pages), addictive plot progression, and mean dialogue: "Sampson sighed and said, 'I think her tongue is stapled inside the other girl. I'm pretty sure that's it, Alex. The Weasel stapled them together.' I looked at the two girls and shook my head. 'I don't think so. A staple, even a surgical one, would come apart on the tongue's surface.... Crazy glue would work." <em>--Rebekah Warren</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Patterson dedicates his latest (after 1998's When the Wind Blows) to "the millions of Alex Cross readers who so frequently ask 'Can't you write faster?'" Those readers won't be disappointed: the successful formula is in high gear, with the Washington, D.C., psychologist/homicide detective up to his ears in unsolved murders. This tale features a duplicitous villain, a glut of dirty office politics and the inevitable threat to someone Cross just can't live without. A highly moral character, Cross is now firmly rooted in many imaginations as Morgan Freeman, who played him in the film version of Kiss the Girls. When he's not caring for Damon and Jannie, his two young children, Cross takes boys to visit their fathers in prison and works in a soup kitchen. After his boss, Chief Pittman, refuses to believe that a serial killer is striking in the neglected Southeast section, Cross and four other officers work extra hours on their own, the only ones who really care. Readers learn early on that the killer is a British diplomat, Geoffrey Shafer, a chilling madman ostensibly holding his sanity together with drugs. Shafer is obsessed with a real-life version of a computer game called the Four Horsemen, during which he masquerades as a taxi driver who kills his unsuspecting passengers. If Shafer is almost too good to be trueAanother fictional psychopath with infinite resourcesAPatterson is shrewd enough to show him making mistakes (like forgetting to wash) as he comes apart at the seams. The killer is caught in the middle of the narrative, setting the scene for a bold courtroom drama. Even the disappearance of Cross's new lady love (his wife was killed in a previous book) is less of a clich?d device than a ritual sacrifice as Patterson's well-oiled suspense machine grinds away with solid precision. 1 million first printing; $1 million ad/promo; 14-city author tour; Time Warner audio. (Oct.) <br />Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Mega-bestseller Patterson teams up with journalist/novelist Paetro for a rousing fourth installment of the Women's Murder Club series. This time, bright, tough SFPD Lt. Lindsay Boxer is battling police brutality charges while chasing down a clan of murderers. When a botched police arrest of two gun-toting minors expands from a shaky preliminary hearing to what promises to be a nerve-rattling jury trial of Lindsay, she flees the pre-trial media frenzy for the serene haven of sister Cat's house in Half Moon Bay. But instead of finding relaxation and romance with her Homeland Security beau, Lindsay becomes embroiled in the ruthless crimes of a troika of killers who've been slashing and flogging victims all over town. With surprisingly little aid from the Murder Club, Lindsay performs her detective handiwork (and steps on the toes of Half Moon's police chief). As more bodies surface, sketchy suspects like a smitten grease monkey and a slimy porn star emerge, then the murderous threesome set their sights on Lindsay. Back in San Francisco, Lindsay is acquitted; she then rushes back to Half Moon Bay to apprehend the elusive villains and put to rest her unresolved first homicide case as well. Heroic super-sleuthing, a steadily gripping plot line and 146 snappy chapters add up to suspense fiction euphoria for Patterson's legion of fans. <em>(One-day laydown May 2)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>After the explosive events of the third entry in the Women's Murder Club series, <em>3rd Degree </em>(2004), which claimed the life of one of the members, it's understandable that the follow-up might be a bit of a letdown. But only a little. Patterson's characteristic brutal murders and elusive killers are present, keeping the stakes high. Lindsay Boxer, the police lieutenant who brought the club together, is taking some serious heat in this installment. After a car chase goes wrong, Lindsay is forced to shoot two killers after they wound her and her partner. The firefight leaves a 15-year-old girl dead and her 13-year-old brother paralyzed, making way for a police brutality lawsuit. Lindsay hides out in her sister's suburban house, where she hopes to escape the media circus surrounding her trial. But someone has been killing married couples in the upscale community, and the method greatly resembles a case from early in Lindsay's career, one that she was never able to close the book on. Even though the Women's Murder Club itself is consigned to the background, Lindsay's trial and the murders keep the pages turning. <em>Kristine Huntley</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p><strong>APPLAUSE FOR JAMES PATTERSON</strong><br /></p><p>"The Man Who Can't Miss" (<strong>Time</strong> <strong><em>Lev Grossman</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson boils a scene down to the single, telling detail, the element that defines a character or moves the plot along. It's what fires off the movie projector in the reader's mind." (<strong><em>Michael Connelly</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson's novels are sleek entertainment machines, the Porsches of commercial fiction, expertly engineered and lightning fast." (<strong>Publishers Weekly</strong> ) </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>James Patterson has had more <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to <em>Guinness World Records</em>. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1976, James Patterson's books have sold more than 170 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels<strong>,</strong> the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including <em>Kiss the Girls </em>and <em>Along Came a Spider</em>. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. <br /></p><p>James Patterson also writes books for young readers, including the award-winning Maximum Ride, Daniel X, and Witch and Wizard series. In total, these books have spent more than 200 weeks on national bestseller lists, and all three series are in Hollywood development.<br /></p><p>His lifelong passion for books and reading led James Patterson to launch a new website, ReadKiddoRead.com, to give adults an easy way to locate the very best books for kids. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.<br /></p><p>Liza Marklund is a Swedish journalist and author of the Annika Bengtzon series, which has sold 9 million copies in 30 languages. She lives in Sweden and Spain. </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"America's #1 storyteller." (<strong><em>Forbes</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"The prolific Patterson seems unstoppable." (<strong><em>USA Today</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"James Patterson knows how to sell thrills and suspense in clean, unwavering prose." (<strong><em>People</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson's novels are sleek entertainment machines, the Porsches of commercial fiction, expertly engineered and lightning fast." (<strong><em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong> ) </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>James Patterson has had more <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to <em>Guinness World Records</em>. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1976, James Patterson's books have sold more than 170 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels<strong>,</strong> the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including <em>Kiss the Girls </em>and <em>Along Came a Spider</em>. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.<br /></p><p>Maxine Paetro is the author of three novels, two works of nonfiction, and the coauthor of seven books with James Patterson. She lives in New York with her husband. </p>


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<p>The police can't help youFormer Marine helicopter pilot Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily--and his staff of investigators uses the world's most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.The press will destroy youJack is already deep into the investigation of a multi-million dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of 18 schoolgirls when he learns of a horrific murder close to home: his best friend's wife, Jack's former lover, has been killed. It nearly pushes him over the edge. Instead, Jack pushes back and devotes all of Private's resources to tracking down her killer.Only one place to turn: Private But Jack doesn't have to play by the rules. As he closes in on the killer and chooses between revenge and justice, Morgan has to navigate a workplace love affair that threatens to blow the roof off his plans. With a plot that moves at death-defying speeds, Private is James Patterson sleekest, most exciting thriller ever.</p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"Another masterpiece." (<strong>1340magbooks.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"It doesn't get much better than this--so sprint to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy." (<strong>nightsandweekends.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"With THE 6TH TARGET, James Patterson once again proves that he is a great writer who can deliver a fast-paced story that can grab the readers and hold on to them until the very last page." (<strong>ReviewingtheEvidence.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"A maddeningly compelling read - the kind that only Patterson can assemble." (<strong>EdgeMiami.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"Another outstanding addition to an already impressive body of work." (<strong>ArmchairInterviews.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson and Paetro deliver an engaging, accessible, fast-moving read, with several intriguing plot threads and regular surprises up to the very last page. I always enjoy spending time with the Women's Murder Club and look forward to the inevitable shockers ahead in their seventh outing together." (<strong>Bookloons.com</strong> ) </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>James Patterson is one of the world's most popular and successful authors and lives in Florida. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>At the start of the gripping seventh Women's Murder Club thriller from bestseller Patterson and Paetro (after 2007's <em>The 6th Target</em>), San Francisco is still haunted by the disappearance of Michael Campion, the much-adored teenage son of a former California governor, three months earlier. Following up on a tip that Michael was last seen entering a prostitute's house, homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer and her new partner, Rich Conklin, are shocked when the hooker immediately confesses that Michael, who had a heart defect, died during sex and she disposed of his body. Lindsay's ADA pal, Yuki Castellano, is sure she has a slam-dunk case, but the trial soon takes a bizarre turn. Lindsay and Rich also scramble to track down a serial arsonist responsible for murdering a string of wealthy couples. Lindsay races to put the pieces together before the fires hit too close to home. In true Patterson style, the reader is privy to Lindsay's thoughts as well as the killers', ratcheting up the suspense an extra notch. Fans won't be disappointed with the twist at the end that not even Lindsay sees coming. <em>(Feb.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"The opening two chapters of 7TH HEAVEN should be set to the Mission Impossible theme song. Tension and violence races through those first few pages as surely as that burning fuse tracked across the screen. And you won't be able to stop there." (<strong>Blogcritics.org</strong> )<br /></p><p>"A fast-paced thriller . . . a swift and pleasurable read." (<strong>ArmchairInterviews.com</strong> ) </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em>Roses Are Red</em>, James Patterson's sixth Alex Cross thriller, opens with the District of Columbia detective attempting to mend his nearly unraveled family. The year-long kidnapping of one's intended (1999's <em>Pop Goes the Weasel</em>) will do that to a relationship. Christine, the kidnappee, is amenable with one reasonable condition: that her family's horizon remain uncluttered by homicidal maniacs. How unfortunate, then, that the joyous christening of their newborn son is rudely interrupted by the FBI bearing news of several heinous murders requiring the attention of detective (and doctor of psychology) Cross. </p><blockquote><p>"Three-year-old boy, the father, a nanny," Kyle said one more time before he left the party. He was about to go through the door in the sun porch when he turned to me and said, "You're the right person for this. They murdered a family, Alex."</p><p>As soon as Kyle was gone, I went looking for Christine. My heart sank. She had taken Alex and left without saying good-bye, without a single word.</p></blockquote><p>Which leaves Cross free to hunt the Mastermind, the barbarous brains behind a widening series of bank robberies in which employees or their family members are held hostage and, when instructions aren't followed to the finest iota, slaughtered. Given the cases' glaring and unfathomable inhumanity, Cross's long- time DCPD partner (the wonderful giant, John Sampson) gives way to the warm, attractive, and fiercely intelligent FBI Agent Betsey Cavalierre.</p><p>The longer and harder Cross and Cavalierre remain on his trail, the bolder and more brutal--and shiveringly close to home--the Mastermind's strikes become. And, thanks mostly to lightning-short paragraphs and a point of view that rappels from the first-person Cross to the third-person Mastermind, the tale progresses at hot-trot speed to a bona fide doozy of a denouement. It'll be over before you know it, so sit back, hold your breath, and enjoy the show. And stay tuned for the next one. <em>--Michael Hudson</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Alex Cross is backAand that alone will have this novel crowning bestseller lists, a feat Patterson's books have achieved often of late, both his Cross (Pop Goes the Weasel) and non-Cross (Cradle and All) thrillers. Patterson won an Edgar for his first novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, but he hasn't won one since. One reason is that his prose, though sturdy as a trusted rowboat, is just as wooden; another is that his plottingAhere detailing Washington, D.C., homicide detective Cross's pursuit of a crazed but crafty homicidal criminal known as the MastermindAis about as sophisticated as that of a Frank and Joe Hardy tale. So why are the Cross novels so popular? In part because Patterson constructs them out of short, simple sentences, paragraphs and chapters that practically define the brisk, fun, E-Z read, and in part because, here and elsewhere, he engages in the smart and unusual tactic of alternating third- and first-person (from Cross's POV) narrative. Mostly, though, readers adore them because Cross is such a lovable hero, a family-oriented African-American whose compassion warmly balances the icy cruelty of Patterson's villains and their sometimes graphically depicted crimes (as is the case here). In the new novel, Cross suffers lady problems as his old love, who's in terror of Cross's job, leaves him, and he fumbles toward a new romance with an FBI agent; he also suffers personal trauma as his beloved daughter develops a brain tumor. That's back-burner action, though. The main focus here is, first, on a series of shocking Mastermind-engineered bank robbery/kidnappings involving wanton killings and, second, on the hunt to ID the MastermindAa hunt both absorbing and annoying for its several (rather smelly) red herrings, and concluding with a revelation that screams sequel. While there's nothing subtle in this novel, every blatant element is packaged for maximum effect: roses may be red, but Patterson's newest is green all the way. U.K. and translation rights, Arthur Pine Associates. 1.25 million first printing; Literary Guild and Doubleday Direct main selections; simultaneous Random House large-print edition and Time Warner Audio. (Nov.) <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Fans of Sex and the City ripoffs may best appreciate Patterson's eighth Women's Murder Club novel, his fifth coauthored with Patero (after 7th Heaven). Det. Lindsay Boxer, of the San Francisco police department, is searching for a killer who's knocking off the well-to-do without leaving any signs of violence on the bodies. The investigation is going nowhere until the department's repository of institutional memory recalls a series of unsolved killings from 1982, in which the unidentified perpetrator used a krait, a rare Indian snake, to poison the victims. Meanwhile, Boxer's gal pal, journalist Cindy Thomas, is pressing the police to devote resources to a low priority murder-that of a homeless man known as Bagman Jesus, whose real name is a mystery. The romance that develops between Thomas and Boxer's hunky partner, Det. Rich Conklin, includes a striking moment when Conklin, magician-like, slips "his hands into the flimsy fabric of her panties, making them disappear." <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"A high-octane thriller that won't disappoint." (<strong><em>AudioFile</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Add some very well-written erotica that steams up the pages without hijacking the book, a narrative that flows right off the page and into your mind at breakneck speed, and what's not to love?...It doesn't get much better than this." (<strong>BookReporter.com</strong> )<br /></p><p><em>"The 8th Confession</em> is Patterson (with Maxine Paetro) at his best, telling two equaling compelling stories and providing two equally satisfying resolutions." (<strong>CurledUp.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"The ending was so mind blowing and sublime I immediately wished I had another Patterson novel to pick up..." (<strong>bookalicio.us</strong> ) </p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"Those who haven't read any of the novels in the Women's Murder Club series are cheating themselves." (<strong>BookReporter.com</strong> )<br /></p><p>"I can't believe how good Patterson is, whether he's doing a Washington police yarn or traveling a different road with a female narrator. He is always on the mark. I have never begun a Patterson book and been able to put it down." (<strong><em>USA Today</em></strong> <strong><em>Larry King</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson and Paetro are at their best here, weaving a number of plots together to create a novel that dips and flows across genre lines.... A series that shows no signs of fatigue or flagging." (<strong>BookReporter.com on *The 5th Horseman</strong>* ) </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>James Patterson is one of the bestselling writers of all time, with more than 170 million books sold worldwide. He is the author of the top-selling detective series of the past twenty years--the Alex Cross novels, including <em>Kiss the Girls</em> and <em>Along Came a Spider,</em> both of which were made into hit movies. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the new series of #1 <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers featuring Detective Michael Bennett of the NYPD. He won an Edgar Award, the mystery world's highest honor, for his first novel. He lives in Florida.<br /></p><p>James Patterson's lifelong passion for books and reading led him to launch a new Web site, ReadKiddoRead.com, which helps parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians find the very best children's books for their kids.<br /></p><p>Maxine Paetro is a novelist and journalist. She lives with her husband in New York. </p>


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<p>A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful and the arrogant. His message is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror. Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. The pressure is enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-all of whom have come down with virulent flu at once! Discovering a secret pattern in The Teacher's lessons, Detective Bennett realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. From the #1 bestselling author comes RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, the continuation of his newest, electrifying series.</p>


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<p><strong>For every secret<br /></strong>Detective Lindsay Boxer's long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a badly injured teenage girl is left for dead, and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Lindsay discovers that not only is there no trace of the criminals—but that the victim may be keeping secrets as well.</p><p><strong>For every lie</strong><br />At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life—a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of her two young children. Yuki's career rests on a guilty verdict, so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct?</p><p><strong>There's a different way to die</strong><br />Lindsay's every move is watched by her new boss, Lieutenant Jackson Brady, and when the pressure to find the baby begins interfering with her new marriage to Joe, she wonders if she'll ever be able to start a family. With James Patterson's white-hot speed and unquenchable action, <em>10th Anniversary</em> is the most deliciously chilling Women's Murder Club book ever.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Patterson's epic tale of the Dunne family, who find themselves trapped in paradise, fighting for their lives, is a strong commercial novel that demands even stronger performances. Luckily, Dylan Baker and Jennifer Van Dyck are up to the challenge and put forth simply infectious performances that will set listeners' pulses racing. Playing distinct adolescent roles as well as a number of others, the two narrators display their wide ranging abilities and captivate to no end. Listeners will be enthralled from the very beginning; this duo knows exactly when to crank up the tension. <em>A Little, Brown hardcover. (June)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"SAIL runs before the wind as a perfect beach read." (<strong>BlogCritics.org</strong> )<br /></p><p>"I absolutely, fantabulously loved and enjoyed SAIL . . . suspense at its Pattersonish best." (<strong>RebeccaReads.com on Sail</strong> )<br /></p><p>"This headlong thriller will keep readers eyes' glued to its pages . . . the perfect beach read." (<strong>BookLoons.com on Sail</strong> )<br /></p><p>"The man is a master of his genre. We fans all have one wish for him: Write even faster." (<strong>USA Today</strong> <strong><em>Larry King</em></strong> )<br /></p><p>"Patterson knows how to sell thrills and suspense in clear, unwavering prose." (<strong>People</strong> ) </p>


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<p>Now available in trade paperback, this is the heart-rending drama of one family's courage, heartbreak, sacrifice, and triumph in confronting an agonizing medical condition, written by two master storytellers.<br /></p><p>Cory Friedman woke up one morning when he was five years old with the uncontrollable urge to twitch his neck and his life was never the same again. From that day forward his life became a hell of uncontrollable tics, urges, and involuntary utterances. Eventually he is diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive disorder, and Cory embarks on an excruciating journey from specialist to specialist, enduring countless combinations of medications in wildly varying doses. Soon it becomes unclear what tics are symptoms of his disease and what are side effects of the drugs. The only certainty is that it kept getting worse. Despite his lack of control, Cory is aware of every embarrassing movement, and sensitive to every person's reaction to his often aggravating presence. Simply put: Cory Friedman's life is a living hell.</p><p>AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE is the true story of one family's decades-long battle for survival in the face of extraordinary difficulties and a rigid medical establishment.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Unlike Patterson's Alex Cross thrillers, this sentimental tale does not translate well to audio. The plot twists seem all the more absurd when read aloud, and the audiobook's maudlin music, inserted during the story's poignant moments, is as distracting and disturbing as a TV laugh track. Jennifer, a newspaper columnist who's grieving the death of her husband, has more reason to mourn when her beloved grandmother, Sam, falls into a coma. Jennifer rushes to Sam's home in Lake Geneva, Wis., where she finds a packet of letters addressed to her. The letters detail her grandmother's life story, including an affair she had with a mysterious man. Jennifer takes comfort in the letters, and at the same time, embarks on her own romance with Brendan, an old friend. Heche's thin, mousy voice is perfect for the perpetually worried Jennifer, but she rarely varies her intonation, not even for Brendan's dialogue. Alexander does a better job as Sam, conveying the elderly woman's concern for Jennifer, but her performance isn't sufficient to elevate this flawed audiobook. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>After the success of <em>Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas</em> (2001), it should surprise no one that Patterson is trying his hand at another romantic tale, and this one is every bit as enjoyable as its predecessor. Jennifer, a <em>Chicago Tribune</em> columnist who's still mourning the death of her beloved husband, Danny, is jolted out of her lonely life when she receives news that her grandmother, Sam, has taken a fall and is now in a coma. Racing up to Lake Geneva to be by her grandmother's bedside, Jennifer discovers a packet of letters at Sam's house, which are addressed to her. They are from Sam; in them, Sam tells Jennifer that her husband was not the great love of her life. Instead, Sam was swept off her feet by a man she calls "Doc," whom she still loves to this day. As Jennifer learns some shocking secrets about her grandmother, she finds herself falling under the spell of a handsome neighbor, Brendan. Jennifer is surprised to find she is able to love again after Danny, but just when you think Jennifer's life can't be touched by any more tragedy, she learns a sad secret about Brendan. Patterson is infamous for surprising his readers, though, and the ending to this novel is unexpected, touching, and satisfying. Another winner from Patterson, sure to draw the same audience as <em>Suzanne's Diary</em>. <em>Kristine Huntley</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>This second big winter thriller by a writer named Patterson (see Fiction Forecasts, Oct. 19) features a villain (a multiple-personality serial killer/kidnapper) whom the publisher hopes will remind readers of Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter, and a hero who is compared to those of Jonathan Kellerman. Unfortunately, the novel has few merits of its own to set against those authors' works. Hero Alex Cross is in fact a black senior detective in Washington, D.C., who is also a psychiatrist and has a facile but not entirely convincing line of sentimental-cynical patter. The villain is Gary Soneji/Murphy (read Hyde/Jekyll), who kills for recognition, and finally kidnaps the kids of prominent parents. Alex is soon on the case, more enraged by Gary's killing of poor ghetto blacks than by the Lindbergh-inspired kidnapping, and becomes involved with a gorgeous, motorcycle-riding Secret Service supervisor who is not what she seems. Soneji/Murphy is eventually captured--but can the bad part of him be proven guilty? There is even a hint at the end that he may survive for a sequel, though the reader has virtually forgotten him by then. Spider reads fluently enough, but its action and characters seem to have come out of some movie-inspired never-never land. If a contemporary would-be nail-biter is to thrill as it should, it urgently needs stronger connections to reality than this book has. Come back, Thomas Harris! 150,000 first printing; Literary Guild main selection. <br />Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>Alex Cross, a black Washington, D.C., police detective with a Ph.D. in psychology, and Jezzie Flanagan, a white motorcycling Secret Service agent, become lovers as they work together to apprehend a chilling psychopath who has kidnapped two children from a posh private school. The psychotic villain, who aspires to become more notorious than Lindbergh baby kidnapper Bruno Hauptmann, is effectively nightmarish. Atypical characters, sex, sometimes shocking violence, and several surprising plot twists are all attention-grabbing, while short chapters with a shifting viewpoint add brisk pacing and genuine suspense. Patterson's storytelling talent is in top form in this grisly escapist yarn. Highly recommended for public libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/92.<br /><em>- Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.</em><br />Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Booklist</h3><p>The end is near . . . or is it? So reads the tagline of Book 3 of the Maximum Ride series, suggesting that Patterson's best-selling series for YAs may expand beyond the trilogy originally planned—news that will be greeted enthusiastically by fans of its 14-year-old heroine. Slated for extermination by their scientist creators, rebel-mutant Max and other members of her flock, all of whom possess bird DNA and functioning wings, are on the lam again, their mission to save the world from a eugenics plot. Affection for the dauntless characters and misadventures that build on universal yearnings about sprouting wings and taking flight will hold readers. Mattson, Jennifer </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>James Patterson is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including BEACH ROAD, HONEYMOON, SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS, and the Alex Cross series of thrillers. More than 100 million of his books are in print around the world, making him one of the top-selling writers of all time. </p>


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<h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Grade 6-10–This book picks up exactly where <em>The Angel Experiment * (Little, Brown, 2005) left off. The six genetically engineered bird children have escaped from the wolf-hybrid Erasers again, Max is still hearing The Voice in her head, and she is still reeling from the revelation that Ari, the most persistent of all the Erasers, is dead by her hand and that he might be her brother. From this point forward, there is action, but no distinctive plot. The closest the story line comes to compelling is when the kids are taken in and enrolled in school by a seemingly kind woman who just happens to be a high-ranking FBI agent. It will not shock readers when it is eventually revealed that she has betrayed them. This book is full of as many twists, turns, and conspiracies as an episode of daytime drama. And just like a soap opera, it relies heavily on melodrama until the very end, whereupon readers discover that very little has actually happened. The story is disappointingly anticlimactic and violent. Still, it does have some appeal–the children continually outmaneuver their attackers without permanent damage. Plus, the talking dog they pick up during their adventures is sure to entertain.</em>–Heather M. Campbell, Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO* <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Booklist</h3><p>Gr. 7-10. Max and her flock are back in this new volume in the Maximum Ride series, a follow-up to <em>The</em> <em>Angel Experiment</em> (2004). In a flying fight with Erasers, Fang is injured so seriously that the flock takes him to a hospital. It's obvious he's not a normal human (having wings and avian DNA), so it isn't long before the FBI shows up. Anne Walker, the lead agent, takes the flock home to her Virginia farm, where she tries to mother the kids and enrolls them in a nearby private school. Living a somewhat normal life for the first time, Max, 14, manages a date and a first kiss, and others in the flock begin the quest to find their birth parents. Then everything falls apart, and the six kids face betrayal and extreme danger. Patterson, an accomplished storyteller, once again demonstrates his ability to write page-turning action scenes, this time leavening the suspense with some surprising humor; at one point, Max declares that she's "Avian American." Fans of the first book will be delighted with this continuation of the story, even though the book leaves the fate of the flock wide open^B. For more about Patterson's jump into YA, see the adjacent Story behind the Story. <em>Diana Herald</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>About the Author</h3><p>James B. Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an award-winning American author. Formerly an advertising executive for J. W. Thompson in the early 1990s, Patterson came up with the slogan "Toys R Us Kid". Shortly after his success with Along Came A Spider he retired from the firm and devoted his time to writing. The novels featuring his character, Alex Cross, a black forensic psychologist formerly of the Washington, D.C. Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, now working as a private psychologist and government consultant, are the most popular books among Patterson readers. James Patterson has been criticized by Stephen King, who called Patterson's books "dopey thrillers".[citation needed] Patterson shrugged off the comments, stating that he wants to be the "thrillingest thriller writer of all time".[citation needed] James Patterson has also been put as one of Forbes magazine's top 100 celebrities. </p><h3>From AudioFile</h3><p>Gory deaths come thick and fast in this thriller about a married couple of killers for hire who successfully ply their trade on a tropical isle. Opposing them is American Peter Macdonald. The American government is mixed up in it all somehow. The audio presentation is well matched to the pace of the action with sound effects, eerie music, and Lou Diamond Phillips's excellent performance. The versatile actor can voice characters and suggest with a low-pitched, ominous tone that murder and mayhem are about to occur. If you like action at the expense of subtlety, enhanced by a good production, you'll like this. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- <em>Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine</em></p>


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<div><p><b>Harlequin Holiday Collection: Four Classic Seasonal Novellas</b></p><p>A struggling B&amp;B owner scrambles to hide the dead body wrapped in her Christmas tree from a visiting camera crew—and from her still-irresistible reporter ex. A waitress and a sexy FBI agent mix business with pleasure while investigating a crime over the holidays. A crime lab worker finds herself in danger six days before Christmas...and only her off-limits but oh-so-attractive coworker can help. And two childhood friends rediscover their sense of wonder—and love—when reunited for the holidays.</p><p>Discover these four classic seasonal novellas:</p><p><i>And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree</i> by Leslie Kelly</p><p></p><p>Holly Cavanaugh has one chance to prove to the travel show Weekend Getaway that her struggling B&amp;B is a perfect destination. So she decks the halls, winds the garland, hangs the mistletoe, unwraps the Christmas tree and - finds a body.</p><p><br></p><p>At that moment, a reporter arrives. And it's none other than her ex, Zach Weldon, looking sexier than ever. Thinking he's with the travel show, she's forced to distract Zach by any means necessary while her maid and grandparents hide the body. Only Zach is actually a newspaper reporter on the trail of two diamond thieves. And one of them is unusually interested in Holly's tree.</p><div><i>Seduced by the Season</i> by Merline Lovelace</div><div><p>It’s been a long time since Sophie Hawthorne has been seduced by 
anything—or anyone. Winters in Dublin, Ireland, are cold and dreary, and
 without family, the holidays are bleak and lonely. This year’s looking 
to be no different—it’s five days before Christmas and Sophie is still 
slinging drinks at the local pub and dreading going home to an empty 
flat, and an even emptier bed.</p>
<p>For FBI agent Clint Walker, things are heating up. He’s hot on the 
trail of a prehistoric-art thief who will be the key to bringing down a 
notorious drug czar. And he just caught a glimpse of the sexy blond 
waitress at the bar. Who just happens to be an art student at Trinity 
College and an expert in Mesolithic structures.</p>
<p>It’s the perfect excuse to mix business with pleasure. And Clint is determined to nail both his quarries…. </p></div><p><i>Evidence of Desire</i> by Debra Webb</p><p></p><p>This is all wrong. Six days before Christmas and there's no snow in 
Kenner City, Olivia Perez has no tree and no one to snuggle up with by 
the fire sipping hot cocoa. But she knows exactly who she'd want to 
snuggle up with—Jacob Webster.</p>
<p>Aka Mr. Unavailable. The lab has an unwritten rule against coworkers 
dating. Not to mention the fact that he seems to avoid her at work. 
Maybe it's a sign that he's fighting their attraction just as hard as 
Olivia….</p>
<p>All of that would be enough problems for one person until odd 
discrepancies start cropping up in her work, making it look like Olivia 
is making mistakes. Big ones.</p>
<p>Then she notices a dark sedan stalking her, and realizes the next mistake she makes could be deadly….</p><p><i>Season of Wonder</i> by Marta Perry</p><p></p><p class="float"><img class="book" src="http://www.fictiondb.com/coversth/th_0373153139.jpg" alt="Season of Wonder by Marta Perry"></p><p>David
 is content with his laid-back life, and sees no reason to want anything
 more--until he finds his old friend Allison on the beach one winter 
afternoon and realizes what he's been missing. But the girl who once 
reminded him of a Christmas tree angel has changed. Can he help her find
 her sense of wonder again?</p></div>


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<div><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>There was nothing like a short, glittery skirt, long legs encased in smoky stockings and spiked do-me heels to make a man sit up and take notice.</p><p>And Simon Barton considered it his duty to watch this particular woman currently shimmying her hips rhythmically on the dance floor. The investment firm's holiday party was in full swing, complete with barely dressed women, many soon-to-be-regretted-when-sober PDAs, an open bar and a lush buffet.</p><p>For a people watcher, this party was better than the circus, juggling clowns and—Simon noted one guy slipping his hand down the dress of the sloshed woman draped over his lap—a porno flick, all rolled into a single package.</p><p>But he only had eyes for one woman.</p><p>Not because she was gorgeous. Although she was.</p><p>Long black hair fell in curls almost to the tiny waist of a vivid green dress that had as much sparkle as her hips had personality. The fabric hugged a body made to bring grown men to their knees, long sleeves and a high neck giving the illusion of modesty at odds with the sexy placemat that passed for a skirt. Legs way too long for such a petite body were encased in smoke black stockings leading all the way down to a pair of strappy sandals so high, Simon could only wince. The woman was fascinating.</p><p>Not because she seemed to have this knack for making herself invisible, despite her striking looks. Although she did. Every time one of, from what Simon could tell were the high muckety-mucks wandered past, she shifted. Unobtrusively placing another dancer, diner or chit-chatter between her and the higher-ups.</p><p>And not because she was a puzzle. Although, oh yeah, she was. One he was sure he'd solve. Sooner or later.</p><p>Because she was the key to his future.</p><p>He felt, rather than heard, his cell phone ring in the pocket of his slacks.</p><p>His gaze still locked on the overblown beauty on the dance floor, Simon pulled out his phone. He glanced at the readout, grimaced, then stepped into a quiet corner where his view was unimpeded, but the sound was muted.</p><p>"Barton."</p><p>"I thought you were on assignment."</p><p>"I wrapped it up. Now I'm on personal time."</p><p>"Watching Maya Black is a personal thing for you?"</p><p><em>Christ.</em> Did Hunter have eyes everywhere? Simon gave an infinitesimal wince, his eyes still on those lush hips encased in holiday green. "A man would have to be three-times dead not to have a personal reaction to watching a woman like her."</p><p>"How'd you find her?"</p><p>"I'm a trained FBI agent," Simon said sardonically. "An assumed name is a piece of cake."</p><p>"You hacked her file?" Hunter's words were matter-of-fact.</p><p>Simon shifted his eyes off the sweetly swaying hips to inspect his fingernails. "would I do that?"</p><p>"In a heartbeat."</p><p>Simon grinned.</p><p>Whether he knew it or not, Hunter was Simon's mentor. The man whose career he'd used as a template for his own. Simon wanted nothing more than to climb the same ladders and spark the same attention. The Deputy Director was considered the elite of the elite. A man with a reputation for making the rules work for him, even as he worked around them. Assignment to Hunter's department was Simon's Holy Grail. There he'd rise through the ranks at least twice as fast as anywhere else. But Hunter's team was so exclusive, he only brought in major players. Agents who'd made huge busts.</p><p>Busts like the Black case. Simon's gaze wandered back to the tempting sway of Maya Black's hips. Since it was totally inappropriate to lust after a suspect, he tried to convince his body that the surge of energy he felt at the sight of her was because she was his ticket to a major promotion.</p><p>"Why are <em>you</em> watching her?" he challenged, tossing the ball back in Hunter's court.</p><p>"Who says I am? I might be watching you."</p><p>Simon's laugh garnered more than one appreciative female glance. Not unusual. He got a lot of looks from ladies. Sometimes he used the advantages his tall, well-built golden-boy looks offered. other times he ignored them.</p><p>This time, he nodded at a couple of them, but shifted his weight, making it clear he wasn't looking for more. He might not be on the job, per se, but this was all business.</p><p>"Maya Black isn't a person of interest. You're out of bounds."</p><p>Simon shrugged that off. He figured boundaries were a fluid thing. He only paid attention to the ones that served him.</p><p>"She's got a record," he pointed out. "Arrest, no conviction."</p><p>"She was guilty."</p><p>"We don't know that. No," Hunter interrupted before Simon could haul out his well-worn argument, "we don't. We have conjecture, speculation and a whole lot of circumstantial supposition."</p><p>What they had were sloppy agents who had obviously been incompetent. Maya Black had been busted for computer invasion, breaking into the files of a well-placed businessman with a bad reputation. The case should have been open and shut, but the arresting officers had neglected to confiscate all of the computers on site when they'd brought her in. Within hours, the evidence had disappeared, the arrest compromised. Maya Black released.</p><p>Simon shook his head in disgust.</p><p>"She was running a Ponzi con with her old man and bungled it. If the agent in charge had been patient, he'd have had a solid case."</p><p>"That's your opinion," Hunter said, his tone one degree colder than before. It took Simon a heartbeat to remember that the agent in charge of the Black case was Hunter's father.</p><p>"It doesn't matter. I'm not here on official business. I'm just here, checking out the view," he hedged, returning to the reason for Hunter's call.</p><p>"You're stepping on dangerous ground," Hunter warned.</p><p>"I live for danger." That wasn't the official FBI motto, but Simon had seen enough of it in his nine years with the agency that he figured he had the right to use it as an excuse.</p><p>"Don't die for it," Hunter responded in typical fashion before hanging up.</p><p>Simon grinned. You had to like the guy. He was crazy smart, scary intuitive and could kick some serious ass, too. And he didn't hold the reins too tight on his agents. Which was why Simon wasn't too worried about stepping outside the lines in this matter. Hunter was more about results than he was about micromanaging. Yet another reason Simon wanted that transfer. Working with the elite would let him hone his skills, and fast track him toward his own shot at Deputy Director.</p><p>Something he'd dreamed of since he was a kid. That dream had been the impetus to haul himself out of the dregs that was his childhood. Not just to survive, but to thrive. Making that dream come true would prove, not just to him, but to everyone who'd ever doubted him, that he was more than the loser with no future.</p><p>Which brought him back to the voluptuous delight laughing and doing the twist by the twinkling lights of the ten-foot Christmas tree. She was hot. She was sexy. And she was his ticket. Not to the next rung on the ladder, but to jumping up three or four rungs at once.</p><p>Tobias Black was a legend. Reputed con artist who'd done more jobs than a hooker in the financial district at lunchtime. He was slick, quick and according to most, untouchable. Intel had him retiring to go straight about five years back, but the statute of limitations wasn't up on all of his crimes yet. Simon knew that busting the old man, where so many had failed over the years, would be a guarantee of fame, accolades and a corner office in FBI headquarters, D.C.</p><p>He hadn't figured out how, yet. But he was pretty sure the guy's only daughter would be his key. He just had to wait for the right break. That he'd already been waiting for two years, checking in on Maya from time to time, didn't bother him. Patience was a weapon he'd honed to a razor-sharp edge.</p><p>Every few months he laid over in San Francisco to do a little recon and see what she was up to. Sooner or later, she'd get edgy and tire of this straight game she was playing.</p><p>Sooner or later, she'd give him the opening he needed.</p><p>Then he'd have her.</p><p>And his future would be set.</p><p>"Whew, I need a break." Maya DeLongue slid the fingers of both hands into her hair and lifted it, trying to get some cool air on the back of her neck. "It's crazy hot in here. Can we get a drink?"</p><p>"Sure, sugar." Her date wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her close. Always wary of public displays of affection that might call attention to her, Maya shifted, taking Dave's hand off her waist and making a show of holding it instead as he led her from the dance floor.</p><p>Braverment Investments knew how to show their employees a good time. Plenty of alcohol flowing, just enough food to blunt the worst of the booze overload and music loud enough to prevent the employees from actually having to socialize. It was a hit.</p><p>A tension headache brewing, Maya already regretted coming.</p><p>She'd spent the last three years trying to be average in her version of the witness protection program, or in her case, the criminal protection program. Her position in IT at Braverment was perfect for her. It paid enough to keep her in the style her tastes required, in a company large enough to let her hide in plain sight. But the powers-that-be probably wouldn't be too big on hiring a gal who'd spent her formative years specializing in computer hacking.</p><p>But average was lonely.</p><p>So she'd promised herself that this season she was going to quit hiding away. She had to be able to hide her true identity and have a fun, average life at the same time. So she'd forced herself to shimmy into a little green holiday dress and play the part of a social butterfly.</p><p>Sighing, she shifted in her Jimmy Choos and stepped through the wide glass doors onto the rooftop balcony. The cold December night wrapped around her body, making her shiver. The view of the fog-shrouded Golden Gate Bri... </p></div>


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<div><div>Graphic designer Rachel Calloway is devastated when her father's restaurant is destroyed by an arsonist. Just when she thinks the situation can't possibly get worse, her father is charged with the unspeakable crime. Rachel knows he's innocent and she'll do anything to prove it. Little does she know how soon her loyalty will be tested when she crosses paths with Nicholas Hunter, the notoriously ruthless attorney prosecuting her father's case &lt;/p&gt;</div><div>&lt;p&gt;Nick Hunter is thirsty for justice, a man made cynical by the horrors he experienced early in life. He believes in the absolute guilt of each criminal he prosecutes, and shows mercy to none until he encounters Rachel Calloway, the first woman ever to make him question his convictions. From the moment they meet, a forbidden attraction sizzles between them that neither can ignore.&lt;/p&gt;</div><div>&lt;p&gt;But danger lurks in the shadows and clings to the fog that drifts in from the Eastern Shore. A stranger lies in the darkness, watching and waiting. Suddenly nothing in Rachel's world is as it seems, and it isn't long before she finds herself in the biggest fight for her heart and her life.&lt;/p&gt;</div></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Set in New Orleans, the Holmes Brothers series follows the lives of Elijah, Tobias, and Alexander Holmes as they find love in one of the world’s most romantic cities. Special bundle edition contains Deliver Me (Book #1), Release Me (Book #2) and Rescue Me(Book #3).<br></p><p>DELIVER ME<br></p><p>After being dumped by her boyfriend and passed over for yet another promotion, Monica Gardner moves to New Orleans, determined to make a name for herself as the new attending ER physician at Methodist Memorial Hospital. As for men--she's through with them. But when given the chance to chair the hospital's annual charity banquet, Monica must elicit the help of gorgeous Ob-gyn Elijah Holmes.<br></p><p>Eli will do anything to thwart his matchmaking Mama's plan to reunite him with his high school girlfriend. So, when the sexy new ER doc asks for his help in planning this year's charity banquet, Eli devises the perfect scheme: He'll help put on the best banquet the hospital has ever seen, if Monica poses as his new girlfriend. But when Eli finds himself falling in love, he realizes convincing Monica of his true feelings may be his greatest delivery yet.<br></p><p>RELEASE ME<br></p><p>Tobias "Toby" Holmes was destined for NBA stardom. But when an SUV crashed into his car during his rookie year, his dreams of playing pro-basketball, along with his spine, were shattered. After floundering from one job to another, Toby has finally found his niche in the music business. And when the singing sensation he discovered is pegged to star in a new reality TV show, Toby finally sees light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel.<br></p><p>Sienna Culpepper has loved her childhood best friend forever, though he has never seen anything other than the girl with skinny legs, cornrows, and mad skills on the basketball court. When Toby returns to their hometown of New Orleans to start his career as a record producer/manager, Sienna is resigned to loving him from afar. However, when Sienna and Toby find themselves working together, feelings arise that has them both rethinking their friendship. <br></p><p>RESCUE ME<br></p><p>In a few months, Alexander Holmes saw both of his younger brothers find love, but the hardworking owner of Holmes Construction has no desire to follow in their footsteps. Alex had his chance at wedded bliss, and all he ended up with was a whole lot of heartache...and a precious baby girl. Unfortunately, his sweet little pumpkin has turned into a little monster at school. Suddenly, Alex finds himself in a brand new role: parent volunteer.<br></p><p>Renee Moore moved to New Orleans to help her aunt rebuild after her home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. When she accepts a job as the new Special Projects Coordinator at St. Katherine's School, Renee looks forward to molding all those young minds. What she doesn't expect is to fall for the sexy single father of one of her students. When Alex Holmes offers to help in rebuilding her aunt's home, Renee knows she's found a man worth his weight in gold. All she has to do is convince him to open his heart to love again.<br></p></div>


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<p>Dev Santos finds a woman with amnesia-and all she can remember is that she's dangerous. Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor and programmed to kill, Katya's only hope is Dev. But he could very well be her next target. </p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Rachelle Covington has it all. A fabulous home, a handsome and prestigious husband, two beautiful children, and a place in the upper crust that's quite comfortable. But her life is not all it's cracked up to be. When her husband goes away on business trip and the kids are sent off to the grandparents for a month, Rachelle takes up the challenge of a dying friend to start a list of things to do before she dies. She heads back to Jubilant, Texas, to reconnect with her past, her purpose, and herself. But when her ex shows up in town looking very fine and very single, Rachelle must confront feelings she thought she'd long buried. Will she give up everything to recover the past? Or will she find a reason to plan for the future?The Someday List is an honest look at what makes us who we are and what can throw us off track. Author Stacy Hawkins Adams writes with a voice that is fresh, sincere, and completely real. Her characters jump off the page and into her readers' hearts.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When Kacey Parker leaves her hectic, big-city life for small-town Texas, the ambitious swimwear designer doesn't expect to go overboard for her new boss. Sensual and sensitive, Leon Archer is a man few women can resist. Ignoring the rumors swirling around the plant, Kacey enters the uncharted waters of passion….</p><p>Kacey may know what women want. But Leon knows exactly what the sexy designer <em>needs.</em> The tidal wave of desire engulfing them is just the beginning. Even when a backstabbing colleague threatens to submerge their relationship—and the future of his company—Leon knows that, together, he and Kacey are an unbeatable team. If he can convince her that she's his one true desire…. </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>"And finally, here's my showstopper. I call this one Sheer Double Dip," Kacey Parker announced with pride, moving to stand beside the final photo in her PowerPoint presentation. She clicked the remote control and sent the image of a leggy model in a hot pink monokini and a dazzling bronze tan onto the screen. When the sultry image emerged, gasps of approval erupted from the two people seated at the conference table at Leeman's Retailers, Inc.</p><p>"This is the only swimsuit in my SunKissed line that looks totally natural when dry, but becomes sexily opaque when wet," Kacey went on, sliding her gaze toward Steve Hadley, eager to catch her boss's reaction.</p><p><em>At least he isn't frowning, and that's good, </em>Kacey decided, hopeful that she had impressed him enough</p><p>to green-light her swimsuit designs for his chain of department stores.</p><p>"Hmm, see-through fabric?" Ariana Mendio, the vice president of merchandising for the upscale department store, murmured. "That'll make for some stunning surprises when the ladies get out of the water," she noted in her well-modulated Italian accent.</p><p>Kacey smiled in agreement, happy to have Ariana, who'd been with Leeman's for eighteen years, on her side. The woman was an absolute fixture at the company and her opinion carried weight.</p><p>"Surprises? Absolutely," Kacey agreed with a nod in Ariana's direction. "The fabric is a new synthetic that designers are calling Naughty Net. It's soft, durable and becomes extremely sheer when water hits it."</p><p>Kacey took a deep breath, pleased, so far, with her presentation. She'd joined Leeman's as a sales clerk eight years ago, and her warm personality and flair for design had helped her move into the position of director of special promotions. In that job, she'd gained valuable knowledge about what buyers wanted, expected and would pay dearly for. A competitive swimmer in college, Kacey especially loved working on promotional events in women's sportswear and swimwear, where she enjoyed pulling together dramatic displays of the functional yet attractive apparel that drew customers' attention.</p><p>However, as fulfilling and demanding as her current job was, once she left the store, she dedicated herself to her dream job—becoming a swimsuit designer. Over the past year she created her portfolio and when she showed it to Ariana, her coworker immediately took it directly to Steve Hadley, who was so impressed, he invited Kacey to show him more of what she could do.</p><p>"Is this fabric readily available?" Steve asked, jotting notes in the margins of Kacey's portfolio.</p><p>"Right now, only from China," she answered, wishing she had better news. "But it makes this one-piece the sexiest swimsuit any woman could ever want. Just look at the detail. The plunging neckline, low scooped back and high-cut legs."</p><p>"Specialty fabrics could add thousands to production costs," he mused as he flipped through Kacey's proposal, a slight frown bridging his thick black eyebrows.</p><p>Kacey paused, inhaled and swallowed her apprehension, aware that her specs related to costs and materials would require a significant financial commitment at a time when upscale stores like Leeman's were nervously watching the bottom line.</p><p>"I know," she agreed. "However, I'm hoping to find better rates per unit in Thailand," she acknowledged, setting aside her remote control. "I'm sourcing that now."</p><p>Finished with her presentation, Kacey walked to the far side of the room and turned up the lights, allowing the Manhattan skyline to loom dark and gray in the expanse of glass windows that made up one wall. Kacey squinted at the heavy April rain pounding the buildings and slicking the skyline, weary of the thunderstorm that had started during the night and continued to rage. She was definitely not looking forward to a crowded train ride home to Harlem later in the day.</p><p>After taking a seat at the conference table across from her boss, Kacey looked directly at Steve Hadley, prepared to expand her pitch. "I know the specialty fabric could run up production costs, but the expense would</p><p>pay off in the end. Using Naughty Net on the Sheer Double Dip would make it an instant bestseller."</p><p>"I love it," Ariana cut in, cooing her words in her sexy Italian voice as she slipped her fingers through a mass of white-blond, shoulder-length hair. Even though she'd lived in America for thirty years and was a naturalized citizen, Ariana took care to maintain her accent, which she laid on thick to dramatic effect when she wanted to make a point. "I adore all eight styles. Great line, Kacey. Wonderful photos. Linette pulled off some very attractive shots."</p><p>"Right. Linette is the best," Kacey agreed, referring to Linette Grier, Kacey's best friend and an up-and-coming photographer specializing in sportswear photos. "She's been so busy lately, I was lucky to get her."</p><p>"Ah, well, I'm glad you did," Ariana said. "Very nice. Well, Kacey, all I can say is that your designs are spot-on," she continued. "I especially like Twisted Bliss, the black one-piece that shows off just the right amount of skin but still offers full bottom coverage. Excellent choice for, uh…mature women who still keep in shape, shall we say?" She chuckled, winking at Kacey before turning her attention to Steve Hadley. "Older women with disposable cash are our most important demographic, right?"</p><p>Hadley inclined his head in brief acknowledgment of Ariana's point. "Kacey, I think your designs show promise and the line is worth exploring," he stated, choosing his words very carefully, without conveying his decision. "However, because you're an employee at Leeman's, it makes for a bit of a sticky situation."</p><p>"Conflict of interest, and all that?" Kacey injected.</p><p>Steve nodded at Kacey before going on. "Right. You'd</p><p>have to leave Leeman's and become a contractor if we decide to proceed with this. But first, let's get some samples made and assess the project, okay?"</p><p>"Whatever will work, " Kacey rushed to say, willing to do anything necessary to move her career as a swimsuit designer forward. After all, her goal was much larger than to simply do custom work for one retail outlet. She wanted to have her own design firm, have control of her future, and launch a creative explosion that would make hers a household name.</p><p>"However," Steve was saying, "We must source that specialty fabric at a much better price to make the investment pay off." He licked his lower lip in thought, his eyes riveted on the scantily clad model whose image still filled the screen. "I'm thinking that a totally domestic production would be the best option. Save shipping costs and time."</p><p>"I agree," Kacey replied, encouraged by the fact that he was leaning toward carrying SunKissed by Kacey in his fourteen Leeman's stores. All he needed was reassurance that the product would turn a profit.</p><p>"What about manufacturing in Mexico?" Ariana offered.</p><p>With a shift, Kacey smoothed the skirt of her burgundy power suit, crossed her arms and placed them on the table. Leaning toward her coworker, she made a slight grimace of concern. "I checked out a few south-of-the-border plants, but didn't have much luck. However, there are two manufacturers I'm still looking into."</p><p>"Kacey," Steve started, clearing his throat. "I want to be clear. I agreed to take a look at your collection because I think you have a good eye for what women</p><p>want. You also have a great sense of style and I like your swimsuits very much."</p><p>Kacey beamed her thanks, but said nothing, holding her breath as Hadley continued.</p><p>"But," he went on, "I have concerns about the timing. It's very late into the spring shopping season to introduce a new line of swimwear."</p><p>"But women buy swimsuits year-round," Kacey countered, pushing tendrils of highlighted bangs away from her face, now wishing she'd had her spiral curls trimmed during yesterday's visit to the salon. However, she'd been in a rush to get out of the beauty shop and home to put the finishing touches on today's presentation, which it seemed, so far, was going pretty well.</p><p>"Exactly," Ariana, stated, agreeing with Kacey about year-round swimsuit purchases. "Winter cruises to the tropics, heated pools in homes and hotels, hot tubs in private residences. That's what keeps women buying swimwear through all the seasons. I know we're getting a late start, Steve, but if we can source the Naughty Net and include the Sheer Double Dip style, I think SunKissed by Kacey could be flying out of our stores in six weeks."</p><p>"Hmm," Steve murmured, fingers laced and tented in thought. "Only if we could get fast turnaround on production." He shifted his body to focus on Ariana. "What about Archer Industries? We've worked with them before and always had good results," he remarked. "What do you think?"</p><p>"Good possibility," Ariana agreed. "The Archer factory has a reputation for fast turnarounds, high-quality production and cost-effective shipping. They handle quite a few private labels."</p><p>"Old man Archer came through with that rare Hawaiian print we needed for the menswear line last year," Steve added.</p><p>"Yeah, and saved us a ton of money, too," Ariana agreed.</p><p>With a lift of her finger, Kacey joined in. "You're referring to Archer Industries in Texas, right?"</p><p>"Yes," Hadley replied. "Rockport. On the Gulf Coast. Not much else is there but the Archer factory. That family has been in business for years. The founder, Leon Archer, is getting on in years, but he runs that shop like a well-oiled machine. He's a dying breed…a good old-fashioned businessman who takes pride in doing a first class job, no matter how large or small."</p><p>"I phoned and sent an email to Archer," Kacey said, eager to let her boss know that she'd already considered the family-owned firm that had done quite a bit of b... </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>After divorcing her faithless husband, Shani Matthieu isn't looking for Mr. Right, or even Mr. Not So Right. But when Elliot Bookman rescues her from an unwanted amorous advance, the hunky technology entrepreneur is starting to look more and more like Mr. Absolutely Perfect. Especially after they share their first intimate caress…</p><p>Elliot never thought he'd find a woman to share his life. Shani is a dream come true, awakening his protective instincts while arousing a hot, hungry desire neither has ever known. But there's a scandalous secret in her past that could derail their newfound happiness. Until Elliot vows to fight for their future with all the love and passion at his command… </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Simona Taylor dreams up scorching romance in her native Caribbean island of Trinidad. She's found a sensual setting is half the pleasure to be found in reading—and writing—a book. While Simona loves to show off the charms of Trinidad and its sister island, Tobago, she has also set her romances in the south of France, Barcelona, Martinique, and the fictional city of Santa Amata in the eastern United States. She has three literary novels under her real name, Roslyn Carrington. </p></div>


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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>After being celibate for five long years, Passion Perkins, still determined to hold out for Mr. Right, sets her sights on Lavon Chapman, who has come to the community to film an inspirational DVD about her minister, while the other members of the church become entangled in their own scandals. Original.</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><br><p></p><div class="user_annotations"><br><span style="font-weight:bold"><br>  1/24/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 5144 (99%)<br></span><br><br><br></div></div>


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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Twins? The startling revelation that his affair with Jenna Baker had produced two little boys was almost impossible to grasp. Tycoon Nick Falco had never considered himself the settling-down type, yet now that fatherhood had been thrust upon him, he was determined to give his sons his name. But their mother wasn't about to let him back into her life…at least not without those three little words Nick had never, ever said.</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><br><p></p><div class="user_annotations"><br><span style="font-weight:bold"><br>  1/25/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 2086 (99%)<br></span><br><br><br></div></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Candace, a newcomer to writing erotica, is thrilled when Charlie, a veteran of the industry, agrees to be her mentor. But neither of them ever expected that Charlie's lessons on new positions, using toys, varying locations and role playing would spiral from verbal instruction into hot, hands on education. Unfortunately, Candace's deception about the new erotic romance she's writing--where Charlie plays the starring role--is about to threaten their one chance at true love. [Previously published as Authors in Ecstasy in 2004. Completely edited, revised and rewritten in October 2010.] Reviews... <strong>4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times Magazine!!!</strong> Andre writes a wonderful story filled with lovable characters and steamy sex. When Charlie agrees to mentor Candace, their lessons quickly become the hands-on variety, and they find that more than just a physical chemistry exists between them. Anyone looking for a funny and intelligently written read should definitely give this book a try! ~ Reviewed By: Derenda Hilbert, RT "4 1/2 HEARTS! This book is wonderful and so hot it will melt your screen." ~ Reviewed by Lisa Wine for The Romance Studio "The sparks fly when two erotica authors come together. The tension between Candy and Charlie is electrifying. I really enjoyed getting to read snippets of Candy's novel as she wrote it. ECSTASY is truly that -- two authors discovering what real love is for the first time. It is a real winner. Don't miss it!" ~ Reviewed by Denise Powers, Sensual Romances </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Bella Andre has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then non-fiction books, but as soon as she started her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Since selling her first book in 2003, she's written thirteen "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publisher's Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and the strong women they'll love forever for Simon &amp; Schuster, Random House, and Grand Central Publishing. Her books have been COSMOPOLITAN Red Hot Reads twice (Game For Anything and Wild Heat). Her books have been translated into German, Thai, Japanese and Ukrainian. If not behind her computer, you can find her reading, hiking, knitting, or lunching with her favorite romance writing ladies. Bella lives with her family in both Northern California and a ninety-year-old lakefront log cabin in New York's Adirondacks. Please visit her at http://www.BellaAndre.com, http://www.twitter.com/bellaandre, and http://www.facebook.com/bellaandrebooks. </p></div>


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<div><div>Ever since the death of her husband almost two years ago, the church that Yvonne Milner pastored with him has been losing members and moneyfast. When the board decides to find a new senior pastor, Yvonne determines to hang on to her position and do a better job of shepherding her flock. She's neither ready nor willing to hang up her minister's robe just yet.</div><div><br></div><div>Just before a pivotal meeting of the church board, Thomas Reed steps back into her life. The handsome, worldrenowned motivational speaker was her husband's best friend, and, as a widower, he knows the pain she's going through. With his help, Yvonne fights to stay in the ministry, trusting that God has great plans yet for the church.</div><div><br></div><div>When a threat of a different kind targets the church, as well as her daughter, Yvonne is grateful to have Thomas standing by her side. But when longburied emotions arise in their friendship for the first time, Yvonne hesitates, not wanting to betray her husband or break her promise to love him forever. Will her passion lie forever buried in the past, or can she let it live again?</div></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Forced to flee for her life, Senetra Blain has moved to Alaska armed with a new identity. The last thing she wants is another relationship—until sensitive, sensual Alex Wilson tempts her to open up. But how can she ever trust another man? The seductive engineer seems to know who she is and what she wants. And that makes him dangerous to know…_and_ dangerous to love.</p><p>The sultry new high school teacher is definitely hiding something. And Alex has a pretty good idea what it is. So Alex will take it slow. And, kiss by scorching kiss, he'll show this alluring woman of mystery how right they are together—and that he'll always be there to protect her. Because the closer he gets, the more Senetra's letting down her guard. Now if only she'd let him into her heart…. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>     Candice Poarch, a nationally best-selling author, fell in love with writing stories centered around romance and families many years ago. She feels the quest for love is universal and portrays a sense of community and mutual support in her novels.  Married thirty years, Candice is a mother of three children. She is a graduate of Virginia State University and holds a degree in physics. Please visit her website at www.CandicePoarch.net. </p></div>


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<div><div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Kimberly and Jack have it all. Loving marriage? Check. Gorgeous home? Yep. Well-paying careers? No doubt. Children? Two, and they're college-bound. The happy couple should be celebrating. Instead…Kim has just asked for a divorce.</p><p class="description">Kim remembers a caring, attentive husband who catered to her every delicious need. Jack longs for their searing, unpredictable nights of passion (the house was christened in more than one room).But letting go will be harder than Kim and Jack ever imagined. Especially when someone keeps setting them up on surprise "dates" with each other. And their biggest bombshell is yet to come. Will it bring them back together…or tear them apart for good?</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><br><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations">
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  10/29/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 2396 (90%)
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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Alexandria, Renee and Danielle are three very different women with one thing in common: their late husband!Even a woman blessed with a genius IQ can make a dumb mistake, and for Renee Foster, marrying Marc was exactly that. Although she's eager to forget her past, first Renee needs Marc's brother, FBI agent Chris Foster, to help her locate a missing necklace. It seems like a simple plan, yet Renee soon realizes that nothing about Chris is simple. Unlike other men, he's not intimidated by her intelligence, and he sees past her aloof manner to the home-loving, passionate person she truly is. But Chris refuses to settle down—and Renee won't settle for less than she needs, even if that means walking away from the perfect man.…</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>After a food critic hails Dante Moore as one of the best new chefs in New York, he is surprised to discover that the critic is his ex-girlfriend, Adrianna Wright. Dante can't believe Adrianna is back in his life, and neither can he deny the flame of their passion still burns. Original.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>When Justine Crandall walks in on her husband of six years with another 
woman, she flees their home, declaring he'll never see her again.  
And her wish almost comes true when his car careens off a cliff in his 
pursuit of her.  Hours later she finds herself in a hospital, faced with
 a terrible choice.  Will she disconnect his life support because he was
 a liar and a cheat or because it's the humane thing to do? Or…should 
she keep faith that he'll revive from his coma?  In the meantime, an old
 love reappears making the decision even more difficult, pitting her 
heart against her conscience.  Justine finds that soon she must choose: 
 be with a man who truly loves her and puts her first, or honor her 
marriage vows.</p>


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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>He's handsome, intelligent, romantic and every woman's perfect husband. Too bad he's also three women's perfect husband. Under assumed names, Todd (aka Terry and Michael James) Darling has used his charm to seduce and betray women like Nikki, Jacqueline and Dawn, who all learned too late that their dream marriage was an illusion. Nikki, pregnant and broke, has taken refuge with a lesbian friend and the woman's partner, who are convinced that Nikki's unborn child is the answer to their prayers. Jacqueline turns to some of her eccentric Southern relatives for help, but their immoral lifestyle is a dangerous temptation. Dawn has fought to keep her independence, but now she's forced to move in with her judgmental older sister and brother-in-law, bringing their fragile marriage to the breaking point.</p><p class="description">Struggling to rebuild their lives, Nikki, Jacqueline and Dawn are each invited by a mysterious woman to learn more about the husband they thought they knew. But on a journey filled with surprises, the greatest revelations will be the truths they learn about themselves.…</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><br><div class="user_annotations"><br><span style="font-weight:bold"><br>  1/26/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 3291 (99%)<br></span><br><br><br></div><p></p></div>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Book 1 in the Refiner's Fire series. The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, Caroline Fletcher is raised in a culture that believes slavery is God-ordained and biblically acceptable. But upon awakening to the cruelty and injustice it encompasses, Caroline's eyes are opened for the first time to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. Her journey of maturity and faith will draw her into the abolitionist movement, where she is confronted with the risks and sacrifices her beliefs entail.</p>


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<p>In Los Angeles, a reporter investigating a series of murders is killed. In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a beautiful medical intern suddenly disappears. Washington D.C.Us Alex Cross is back to solve the most baffling and terrifying murder case ever. Two clever pattern killers are collaborating, cooperating, competing--and they are working coast to coast.</p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Bestseller Patterson's 13th Alex Cross thriller (after 2006's Cross) pits the legendary profiler, now retired from law enforcement and working as a psychiatrist in private practice, against two serial killers. Kyle Craig, Cross's former colleague in the FBI (who was revealed to be the Mastermind, a particularly vicious and resourceful murderer, in 2001's Violets Are Blue), has managed to escape from a Colorado maximum-security prison and is steadily working his way through his list ofÂ those he holds responsible for his capture and incarceration. Cross, who heads the list, is drawn back into police work by his love interest, Maryland homicide detective Brianna Stone, who's been assigned to the task force focusing on the D.C. Audience Killer (or DCAK), who stages high-profile and sadistic murders to get the most public attention possible. Even newcomers will find themselves turning the pages to see how everything turns out, but significant plot holes and implausibilities make this a far cry from the similar, but far more suspenseful, two-front war waged by Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"DOUBLE CROSS is one of Patterson's best works to date, full of action and excitement. One cannot read DOUBLE CROSS without feeling as if there are even bigger things yet to come from Cross and his creator." (<strong>Bookreporter.com</strong> )<br></p><p>"If, like me, you are an Alex Cross fan, run, don't walk, to your favorite book store and get up to date on the life of Alex Cross. If you enjoy fast paced, well written intrigue, you'll devour Double Cross, just as I did." (<strong>AllThingsGirl.net</strong> )<br></p><p>"Double Cross is vintage Patterson. It is fast moving and suspenseful and takes the occasional surprise twist. Life for a Patterson fans doesn't get much better than this." (<strong>1340MagBooks.com</strong> )<br></p><p>"Double Cross is a strong, addictive page turner. It is definitely worth the trip to the book store." (<strong>TheMysterySite.com</strong> )<br></p><p>"This novel gives the reader double excitement with not one but two maniacs after Alex Cross...Even if you are not an Alex Cross fan, you will enjoy this thriller by James Patterson. Be sure to add <em>Double Cross</em> to your reading list." (<strong>BestsellersWorld.com</strong> ) </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Bestseller Patterson's 14th Alex Cross thriller doesn't follow up on the plot threads left dangling in 2007's <em>Double Cross</em> concerning still-on-the-loose serial killer Kyle Craig. Instead, Cross, a Washington, D.C., police detective, takes on a very different quarry—a human monster known as the Tiger with ties to the African underworld. When the Tiger and his teenage thugs butcher writer Ellie Cox, her husband and children in their Georgetown home, Cross is devastated because Ellie had been his girlfriend in college. The Cox family massacre proves to be just the first in a series. Cross pursues the Tiger to Nigeria, where the profiler finds himself at the mercy of corrupt government officials who may be working with the Tiger. Spending less time than usual exploring his villains psychological backstory, Patterson delivers an atypical tale of James Bond–style revenge. Craig's brief cameo toward the end suggests the series will resume its usual path in the next book. <em>(Nov. 17)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>[Cross Country] opens with one of the most chilling murder scenes I've read in a long time ... High-octane stuff Daily Express It was absolutely fantastic ... Cross Country has an amazing sense of speed, there's a really brilliant tension in the plot ... You're just completely engrossed in it from start to finish ... The story is unrelentingly exciting. The Simon Mayo show, BBC Radio 5 Live </p></div>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Fans of Patterson's serial-killer hunting detective, Alex Cross, expecting another cat-and-mouse thriller based on this book's title, will find Cross's appearance limited to a two-page preface in which the fictional character explains why he's written a book called Trial. Abraham Cross, a relative who lived in Eudora, Miss., at the beginning of the 20th century, helps liberal lawyer Ben Corbett to expose the truth about a wave of lynchings near that town, an assignment undertaken at the request of Corbett's friend, President Theodore Roosevelt. When Corbett arrives in Eudora, where he was born and raised, he receives a frosty reception from many unhappy with his record of representing African-Americans accused of murder, including a cold shoulder from his father, a judge. Soon, Corbett finds evidence that racism is alive and well, and that brutal murders of blacks, often for the most trivial of reasons, are endemic. Some may be disappointed that Abraham plays a relatively minor role, given the jacket line that "the Cross family had more than one hero." <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"A compelling and unforgettable novel . . . A powerful drama and a gripping thriller - and the story that it tells is an important one." (<strong>Nights and Weekends.com</strong> )<br></p><p>"A little bit of Atticus from <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em> and a lot of James Patterson heading in a new direction."<br>(<strong>TheReviewBroads.com</strong> )<br></p><p>"Fans of the Cross novels will find this book equally as enjoyable as any Cross book. IT CONTAINS THE SAME FAST PACE, TRUE-TO-LIFE CHARACTERS, AND GREAT STORYTELLING THAT ARE HALLMARKS OF VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING THAT PATTERSON WRITES." (<strong>TMRZoo.com</strong> )<br></p><p>"A HAUNTING ACCOUNT OF A BLEAK TIME IN AMERICA'S HISTORY . . . A REVELATION." (<strong>BookReporter.com</strong> ) </p></div>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><strong>James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell: Author One-on-One</strong><br>In this Amazon exclusive, we brought together blockbuster authors James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell and asked them to interview each other. Find out what two of the top authors of their genres have to say about their characters, writing process, and more.</p><p>Patricia Cornwell is the former Director of Applied Forensic Science at the National Forensic Academy, and a member of the Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital's National Council, where she is an advocate for psychiatric research. She is the author of sixteen previous Kay Scarpetta mysteries, five non-Scarpetta novels (including <em>At Risk</em>), and <em>Portrait of a Killer</em>. Read on to see Patricia Cornwell's questions for James Patterson, or turn the tables to see what Patterson asked Cornwell.</p><p><strong>Cornwell</strong>: James, your questions were so good, I'm going to ask you similar ones. Let's start with why you write? Do you love it or love having done it? What motivates you?<br></p><p><strong>Patterson</strong>: I truly love writing. I sometimes think about my grandfather when I reflect on this. When I was a boy, I lived in a town on the Hudson River. During the summers, my grandfather would take me once a week on his frozen food and ice cream delivery route. We'd be up at four in the morning packing up the truck, and by five we'd be on our way. Driving a delivery truck isn't the most glamorous job in the world, but every morning, my grandfather would drive over the Storm King Mountain toward West Point, and he'd be singing at the top of his voice. And he told me this: "Jim," he said, "when you grow up, I don't care if you're a truck driver or a famous surgeon—just remember that when you go over the mountain to work in the morning, you've got to be singing." Writing stories keeps me singing. Writing to me isn't work, and I like that a ton.</p><p><strong>Cornwell</strong>: What is your routine when you're facing your next novel? What is the process like for you, and what is your favorite part of it? Least favorite?<br></p><p><strong>Patterson</strong>: I like to have a lot of ideas in the air at one time. I've got around 20 manuscripts sitting in my office right now, in some degree of completion. It's a lot of material, a lot of stories. My least favorite part? Hmm. Maybe sharpening pencils? Actually, I’ve always kind of liked sharpening pencils. I don’t mean to seem too over the top about this, but I really wouldn’t change any of it.<br></p><p><strong>Cornwell</strong>: What do you and Alex Cross have in common? How are you different? <br></p><p><strong>Patterson</strong>: We're both family-oriented guys. I think it's a real treat to be able to get along with your wife every day, which I do; my wife and I really have trouble being apart for very long. And I think readers will agree Alex is generally doing better in the romance department. One difference between us would be that I'm much more content to sit around and write. I think Alex would get a little bored on a "ride-along" with me. <br></p><p><strong>Cornwell</strong>: What inspired you to create Alex Cross?<br></p><p><strong>Patterson</strong>: Hardly anyone knows it but when I started the first Alex Cross novel, Alex was a woman named Alexis. After 100 pages or so, I changed the character to Alex. When I was a kid growing up, my grandparents had a small restaurant and the cook was an African-American woman who eventually moved into our house. All through my growing up period I spent a lot of time with this woman's family. They were funny, wise, the food was great, so was the music, and the family is at least part of the inspiration for the Crosses. <br></p><p><strong>Cornwell</strong>: What's the one thing a reader has said that you've never forgotten and perhaps found startling? <br></p><p><strong>Patterson</strong>: I'm sure you've had this, too, Patricia, but the one comment that gets me every time is hearing people say my books have them reading again. I know sometimes you and I get some heat for being as popular as we are, and are saddled with that old equation that says if you're a bestseller, you must be lowbrow. But I frankly don't think there’s anything more meaningful than hearing that I've turned a person back into a reader (or in the case of younger readers, got them started). <br></p><p><strong>Cornwell</strong>: How about you? You're the one with all the movies! Good experience or not? <br></p><p><strong>Patterson</strong>: Sounds like we're on the same page there, Patricia. I definitely feel like some past projects didn't quite live up to their potential. And I likewise have hopes for a couple of movies in the works: the third Alex Cross movie, and the very first <em>Maximum Ride</em> movie, which has Avi Arad (producer of <em>Spider Man</em>), Catherine Hardwicke (director of <em>Twilight</em>), and Don Payne (writer for <em>The Simpsons</em>) on board. There's also a very promising TV series based on a new book I've written that's being developed with CBS and Imagine. <br></p><hr><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Bestseller Patterson offers nothing new on a theme he himself has already done to death in his 16th novel featuring detective Alex Cross (after Cross Country), in which Cross takes on yet another barbaric serial killer, this one known as Zeus. Word that an estranged 24-year-old niece, Caroline Cross, has been murdered disturbs Cross's birthday party. To make that horror even worse, the killer fed Caroline's body through a wood chipper. Cross soon discovers that Caroline supported herself as a high-price escort for Washington, D.C.'s elite, and that other women who served similar clients have turned up missing. Cross's investigation soon attracts the attention of the feds, and he concludes that Zeus is better connected than most of the psychopaths he's brought to justice. A subplot centering on a health threat to another member of Cross's family adds padding. Readers expecting the killer to be identified through insightful profiling will be disappointed. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p></div>


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<p>When the home of Alex Cross's longtime friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, he is devastated. The destruction leads him to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his girlfriend Brianna Stone begin the hunt for the villain responsible for the killings, they quickly find themselves entangeled in the deadly Nigerian underworld of Washington D.C.. What they discover is shocking: a strongly organized gang of teenage thugs headed by a powerful, diabolical man-The Tiger. As the killing spree escalates, Alex and Brianna realize they are not dealing with any ordinary killer, but one who has brought his personal war of vengeance to America's capital. But just when the detectives think they're closing in on the elusive murderer, the Tiger disappears into thin air. Unable to let the killer get away with this narrow escape, Alex makes it his duty to bring the brutal butcher to justice. He knows that he must follow The Tiger. Alone. When Alex arrives in Nigeria, he discovers a world where justice is as foreign as he is. Unprotected and alone in a strange country, bombarded on all sides by the murderous threats of The Tiger, Alex must draw on his fiercest instincts just to survive in a lawless world. From the author Time magazine has called "the man who can't miss," Cross Country is the most breathtaking, heart-stopping, electrifing Alex Cross thriller yet.</p>


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<div>The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross 
is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the 
FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark.<br><br>A
 deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and 
Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating
 attack the United States has ever experienced. <br><br>As his window 
for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that 
goes against everything he believes--one that may alter the fate of the 
entire country. <em>KILL</em> ALEX <em>CROSS </em>is faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller James Patterson has ever written!<br></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>From the acclaimed author of <em>Trouble Loves Company</em> comes a smart, sexy, heartfelt new novel about friendship, love, lust--and a whole lot of trouble in between. </p><p>After finding her husband in a compromising position, romance author Renee Moore goes back to her hometown, hoping to start over. But once again, she finds herself looking for love in all the wrong places. To make matters worse, just as she decides a healthy relationship may not be her destiny, her ex delivers shocking news that could change her life forever. </p><p>Practical nurse Danielle Brooks' professional life is picture perfect, but her personal life is a mess. Her daughter is about to give birth to a baby believed to have been fathered by Danielle's ex. In an attempt to mend her shattered heart, Danielle has been dating Calvin Cambridge, a truly nice guy. But when Calvin proposes, Danielle wants to be sure she is ready to commit. She enlists Renee to test his fidelity, but when the seduction goes too far, all their relationships may be in jeopardy. </p><p>Meanwhile, their best friend is getting married, and she is counting on Renee and Danielle to help her plan the wedding--whether they are speaking to each other or not. But with Renee now being threatened by a mystery woman, and Danielle facing her most serious crisis yet, they can not help wondering if it is all going to get worse before it gets better. </p><p>As things come to a head in each woman's life, there is a whole lot of praying going on--and Renee and Danielle soon realize they are blessed in spite of it all--with faith, second chances--and each other. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Whether you’re single and want to get more out of your sexual encounters or you’ve been married for donkey’s and need to put the zing back into your love making, you’re holding the solution to all your sexual dilemmas. Of course there’s a never-ending avalanche of sex manuals, articles in glossy magazines, websites and TV programmes to allegedly ‘help’. But who’s got the time to wade through all of it to sift what really works from the rubbish? Incredible sex, the newest book in the 52 Brilliant Little Ideas series, cuts straight to the heart of the matter. With the surest shortcuts and insider secrets, Elisabeth Wilson and Marcelle Perks reveal 52 passionate ideas that you can build into your everyday life. So it’s time to gently nudge your natural libido and ignite your imagination with these simple and sensational tips. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Your new Kindle Fire tablet offers a wonderful portable media experience. Amazon's tight store integration helps you fill your device with movies, books, games, and more. Just browse to the store, make your selections, and soon you're enjoying that content on your device.<br></p><p>So what do you do when you want to go beyond the store? What if you have a PDF that your business partner sent you to review or you want to listen to music from your iTunes library or download a podcast? What happens if you buy your books from third party vendors, and not from the Amazon store? Can you install apps from the Google Marketplace that haven't been released yet in the Amazon app store for Android? What happens if you want to view pictures from your personal camera, or AVI recordings from your computer's TV tuner?<br></p><p>In each of these cases, you can still access and enjoy that content on your Kindle. This book shows you how. That's because the Kindle Fire's content doesn't end with the Amazon store. You can easily add, view, and remove media outside of purchasing them directly. This book shows you how.<br></p><p>You'll read about:<br></p><ul><li>Connecting your Kindle Fire to a computer to manage content<br></li><li>How to load supported media file formats and how to play unsupported formats<br></li><li>Moving files to and from Amazon's Cloud Drive<br></li><li>Secret mail tricks to load media and applications<br></li><li>Sideloading applications from the Google Android Market<br></li><li>Managing your media library and cloud storage from the web<br></li></ul><p>and more!<br></p><p>Best of all, you can do everything in this book with no advanced hacking necessary. If you thought you'd have to root your device and void your warranty, think again. You'll learn how to bring content to your Kindle Fire using approved transfer techniques, without any low-level system hacking. </p></div>


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<div><h3></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A Game of Thrones:  </span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Eddard Stark, leader of a royal family that presides over a mysterious ancient kingdom, must confront a cruel legacy that leaves his land blessed with summers that can last for years and a harsh winter that can last a generation. 75,000 first printing. </span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A Clash of Kings:</span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Time is out of joint. The summer of peace and plenty, ten years long, is drawing to a close, and the harsh, chill winter approaches like an angry beast. Two great leaders--Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon--who held sway over an age of enforced peace are dead...victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.</span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky--a comet the color of blood and flame--six factions struggle for control of a divided land. Eddard's son Robb has declared himself King in the North. In the south, Joffrey, the heir apparent, rules in name only, victim of the scheming courtiers who teem over King's Landing. Robert's two brothers each seek their own dominion, while a disfavored house turns once more to conquest. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers.</span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A Storm of Swords:</span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">At last, the sequel to the New York Times bestseller, A Clash of Kings! Rarely has there been an epic as gripping as Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" saga. Now the growing turmoil in the Seven Kingdoms is about to come to a violent head, giving rise to a threat that will soon become "A Storm of Swords". </span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A Feast for Crows:</span></span></font></h3><h3><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">"A Game of Thrones is a contemporary masterpiece of fantasy. The cold is returning to Winterfell, where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime. A time of conflict has arisen in the Stark family, as they are pulled from the safety of their home into a whirlpool of tragedy, betrayal, assassination, plots and counterplots. Each decision and action carries with it the potential for conflict as several prominent families, comprised of lords, ladies, soldiers, sorcerers, assassins and bastards, are pulled together in the most deadly game of all—the game of thrones.</span></span></font></h3></div>


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<p>Max Shannon is a good cop, one of the best in New York Enforcement. Born with a natural shield that protects him against Psy mental invasions, he knows he has little chance of advancement within the Psy- dominated power structure. The last case he expects to be assigned to is that of a murderer targeting a Psy Councilor's closest advisors. And the last woman he expects to compel him in the most sensual of ways is a Psy on the verge of catastrophic mental fracture. </p>


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<p><b>Angela Knight</b> pairs a vampire warrior and his seductive captor in a battle against demonic predators. <br><br><b>Nalini Singh</b> returns to the world of her Psy-Changeling series as a woman in lethal danger finds an unlikely protector-and lover. <br><br><b>Virginia Kantra</b> continues the haunting tales of the Children of the Sea in her story of a wounded soldier rescued by an enigmatic young woman. <br><br><b>Meljean Brook</b> launches a bold new steampunk series about a woman who strikes a provocative-and terrifying-bargain for freedom.</p>


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<div><div><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong> Put a little <em>meow</em> in their stocking this year with these tales of Christmas and felines-from beloved bestselling authors!</strong><br></p><p><em>New York Times</em> bestselling author Lora Leigh and top-selling authors Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones have a special gift for readers this year: heartwarming holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. With four new stories-including one featuring Lora Leigh's genetically altered Feline Breeds-this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night... <br></p><h3><br></h3></div><div><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations"><span style="font-weight: bold; ">12/17/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 1205 (99%)</span></div></div></div>


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<div><div><h3></h3><h3 class="productDescriptionSource">Product Description</h3>
  <div class="productDescriptionWrapper"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">
  In his position as Tracker for the SnowDancer pack, Drew Kincaid must 
rein in rogue changelings who've lost control of their animal halves- 
even if it means killing those who've gone too far. But nothing in his 
life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage-to win the heart 
of a woman who makes his body ignite...and who threatens to enslave his 
wolf.  </span>    </div></div><div class="productDescriptionWrapper"><br></div><div class="productDescriptionWrapper"><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations"><span style="font-weight: bold; ">12/31/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 5025 (99%)</span></div></div></div>


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<p>Trading Card: Charlie Winslow Nickname: "King of Manhattan" Occupation: Celebrity Blogger Marry/Date/One-night stand: One night…but it'll be fabulous!Secret passion: Shh! He's old-fashioned.Warning: Complete workaholic.Bottom line: Be genuine. Be yourself…Charlie Winslow isn't your average New York date—he's wealthy, successful and usually mingling with the A-list crowd. So how exactly did he get set up with Bree Kingston on Valentine's Day?Still, there's something about Bree. Her quirky style, her authenticity, or an unanticipated attraction that just keeps Charlie wanting more. And if Bree plays her trading card just right, this might be the luckiest—and nakedest—Valentine's Day ever!</p>


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<div><p><i>She had long, gorgeous hair</i></p><p>Summer Tomlinson always had a thing for Andrew Macmillan. Now that they're business partners—as well as bed partners!—Summer wonders if letting her hair down will catch him for good....</p><p><i>He sought a sleeping beauty</i></p><p>Historian Ashlynn Scott is seeking the fabled castle of Sleeping Beauty. But with just one kiss, she finds herself tangled up—and tangled in the sheets!—with a rogue adventurer. She might never want to wake up!</p><p><i>She was being chased by every man</i></p><p>Ginger Redman wanted to be irresistible, so she made a wish on a magic cookie. And the baked treat delivers—sending her sexy best friend, Stephen Fox, right into her bed!</p></div>


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<div><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>Gabriel Black leaned back against the rich teak of the bar and smiled with satisfaction. At his elbow was a glass of the finest aged Scotch. His suit was Armani, his shoes were Fer-ragamo and his shirt was silk. In his pocket was the key to millions in internet stocks. Not bad for a Thursday night.</p><p>A natural born gambler, he had a talent for winning. And he had a feeling that tonight's win was gonna be a big one. "Buy me a drink?"</p><p>He glanced over and offered the pouty redhead with a set of dangerous curves a long look. With a flick of his finger, he motioned to the bartender to bring her whatever she wanted. As Moe placed a flute of champagne next to her, Gabriel offered a charming smile and tilted his head toward the men who'd just walked in the door.</p><p>"I've got a few things to take care of," he told the redhead. With one eye still on the mark, he leaned over and ran the back of his index finger along the shoulder left bare by her strapless glittery dress. "Enjoy your champagne, keep my seat warm and when I'm finished we'll take the rest of that bottle back to my room."</p><p>"I'll look forward to that," she purred, touching the tip of her tongue to the crystal flute before sliding onto the velvet covered barstool.</p><p>For just one second, Gabriel was distracted. He leaned over and took the glass from her, twisted it to drink from the same place her lips had been, marked by a crimson smear of lipstick. The champagne exploded on his tongue. Just like he figured the sex would later.</p><p>"Tasty," he murmured, handing back the glass.</p><p>With a quick wink, he turned away and scanned the room. Instantly, his gaze found his mark and his partner settling into a booth in the corner.</p><p>Just like that, the redhead was as good as gone in his mind. One of Gabriel's strengths was his ability to ignore anything that stood between him and his goal. And as much as he adored women, they had their place. In his bed, against the wall, rising over his nude body. Those were all good places. But no woman had ever entered his mind when he was on a job.</p><p>After all, the job was everything.</p><p>A little something he'd learned from his old man. But as amazing as Tobias Black was, he had never quite managed to master that one particular rule. Gabriel's father was king of the con, but he'd never let go of emotional ties. That'd been his downfall, and the reason he was now out of the game.</p><p>Gabriel admired his old man's skills. But he was better.</p><p>But he'd wait to gloat until later. After he'd relieved these gentleman of a cool mil.</p><p>He knew the affable smile on his face didn't detract from the air of danger he wore like a second skin. But, whether it was in a professional poker game or while pulling a con, the elegant suit and five-hundred-dollar haircut fooled people long enough for him to get the job done.</p><p>"Gentlemen," he greeted when he reached their booth. With a nod to each man, he pulled up a chair.</p><p>"Mr. Lane," the first man greeted, using Gabriel's false identity. Hair slicked back from an unfortunate face, he was the kind of guy you just knew had been picked on all through high school. The dateless kind who'd focused all that teenage sexual frustration on studying so he could make the kind of money that bought plenty of admiration.</p><p>"We're glad you agreed to meet us," the second guy said. This one was more wary. The accountant, he was here to make sure his friend didn't get hosed.</p><p>Good. Anything that came too easily was boring. Gabriel believed in working for his money. And he hated to be bored.</p><p>"I appreciate you agreeing to meet here," Gabriel said, nodding his head to the hotel's private bar. "I've been called away on a sudden trip to Europe. If we couldn't do this tonight, it would have to wait until I get back in two weeks. I don't mind waiting, of course. This deal is only getting sweeter. But you're good guys and I hate to delay your buy in."</p><p>"I've looked over your prospectus and the terms of the sale," the accountant started to say. Then his eyes widened and he seemed to lose track. Gabriel followed his gaze and damn near swallowed his tongue.</p><p><em>Hello, baby.</em></p><p>The room faded. The deal was a distant memory.</p><p>Like a laser, his focus honed in on the blonde.</p><p>She was straight out of every man's fantasy. Big curls spi-raled around a face that screamed hot sex. Eyes so blue they were almost purple flashed, the long lush lashes and smudged makeup giving her the look of a very satisfied woman who'd just slipped out of a rumpled bed. One where she'd left a very satisfied man smiling with exhaustion.</p><p>The curls teased shoulders, bare except for glitter and a tiny set of black straps. Gabriel eyed those straps and his mouth went dry. Her breasts were perfect. Black fabric, as glittery as her skin, cupped the rounded globes like a lover's hands. His gaze followed the glitter to a waist small enough for him to span with both hands. Black leather wrapped around her hips, giving way to long—oh, baby, they were so gloriously long—legs. His gaze finished the tour at her feet and Gabriel hoped like hell he wasn't drooling.</p><p>Her shoes were mostly ribbon, tied in a sassy bow at her ankle. High, spiked and black, they were the kind of shoes meant to be worn with a light gloss of body lotion and nothing else.</p><p>He dragged his eyes back up to her face.</p><p>Her mouth was wet and glossy, the lower lip full and tempting. A tiny dimple played out as she shot Gabriel an inviting look.</p><p>As her date, a guy who was just a blur to Gabriel, pulled out her chair, she seemed to melt into it in a single, sinuous move. Her eyes still locked on his, she offered Gabriel a tiny wink and blew him a kiss.</p><p>Gabriel's body went on high alert. High passion alert, that was. Muscles tense, his stomach clenched in anticipation. His fingers itched to touch that skin. To slide his fingers over the silky expanse of bare flesh. Would she shiver? If he took her against the wall, would she wrap those long legs around his waist and hold on tight?</p><p>Everything else in the room faded.</p><p>Unlike the redhead, this wasn't a woman you put out of your mind.</p><p>Pure sex, with a dangerously sweet edge, she had a body meant to make men beg.</p><p>And she was with someone else. Not that he cared. Gabriel always got what he wanted. And he wanted her.</p><p>The only question was, how long until he had her?</p><p>Someone cleared his throat. "Mr. Lane?"</p><p>He watched the blonde thank the waiter for her glass of iced water. Lifting it to her lips, her gaze met Gabriel's again. He watched her throat move as she swallowed. His body hardened.</p><p>She lowered the glass. Her eyes still locked on his, she licked one glistening drop of water off her lower lip. Soft and pink, he imagined her tongue licking other things.</p><p>And damn near groaned.</p><p>"Mr. Lane?"</p><p><em>Shit.</em> He was here to do a job.</p><p>Playtime would have to come later.</p><p>Gabriel dragged his eyes off the gorgeous blonde and focused on the men in front of him. He could still see the sexy distraction out of the corner of his eye as he listened to the accountant outline his concerns about the deal. Jerry, the unfortunate-faced mark, split his attention between staring over Gabriel's shoulder and absently nodding along with his buddy.</p><p>Trying to stay focused on the game, Gabriel ignored the flash of color and light in the corner of the eye. Then Jerry winced, a shocked look crossing his homely face.</p><p>Gabriel turned his head just in time to see Blondie's date grab her by the hair.</p><p>"What the…"</p><p>Gabriel was half out of his seat when the guy pulled her mouth to his. She leaned in, like she was liking it. No struggle, no sign that she was in trouble. When he pulled away, she said something, patting the guy's chest. The smile she offered him was big and sweet.</p><p>His nerve endings raw from zigzagging between lust and the rescue-the-distressed-damsel adrenaline rush, Gabriel clenched his fist and sucked in a deep breath.</p><p>Settling in his chair, he shifted so he couldn't watch the show any longer.</p><p>He had to focus, dammit.</p><p>The priority was the game. The money.</p><p>Never a woman.</p><p>"I understand your concerns," he told the men, focusing on Jerry. He went on to outline why their thinking was wrong, and why his deal was the greatest thing invented since internet porn. It only took a few seconds before both men were nodding along, big smiles on their faces.</p><p>Not because he was so damned good, either. Nope, the guys' attention was still split, half of it on the Gabriel's pitch, the rest on the blonde over his shoulder.</p><p>Hell, he thought as he pushed the contract toward Jerry to read and sign. She was making this way too easy for him. He was starting to feel like he should offer her up a pretty sparkle or two as a thank-you for doing half his work for him.</p><p>Offering Jerry his pen and a charming smile, Gabriel could almost feel the million dollars sliding into his pocket.</p><p>Then there was a loud crash of glass hitting the floor, a muffled cry of pain and a growl and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. The room went silent for a heartbeat before the air was filled with gasps and protests.</p><p>Fury propelled Gabriel to his feet. Before he could take a step, though, the blonde gave a quick, worried shake of her head. Her face, one cheek glowing red from that asshole's hand, looked terrified.</p><p>Stay out of it, her big blue eyes begged.</p><p>A man who strongly believed in people's right to screw themselves up, Gabriel forced himself to sit back down.</p><p>He watched a busboy rush over to clean up the broken glass. Two waiters scurried, one for the table, the other probably for the manager.</p><p><em>Let it go, Black.</em></p><p>It was being taken care of. No reason for him to interfere. Or worse, to blow this deal.</p><p>He watched the blonde assure the concerned waiter that she was okay. Her date, the prick, just glared at the guy, his hand fisted around her slender arm.</p><p>Nope. He wasn't going to be able to ... </p></div>


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<div><h3>About the Author</h3><p><em>USA Today</em> bestselling author, Day Leclaire is described by Harlequin as “one of our most popular writers ever!” Day’s passionate stories warm the heart, which may explain the impressive 10 nominations she's received for the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA  Award. “There's no better way to spend each day than writing romances.”  Visit www.dayleclaire.com. </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>A knot began to form in Lily Kincaid's stomach as she looked around the conference table at her family and the three strangers who had attended her father's funeral the day before. They were gathered for the reading of Reginald Kincaid's will and as difficult as it was to believe her beloved father was gone, the fact that he had led a secret double life for the past three decades was almost impossible for her to grasp. It was just beyond comprehension to think that he'd had a second family up in Greenville all these years.</p><p>When Harold Parsons, her father's attorney, walked into the room with a thick file and sat down at the head of the table, then removed several envelopes and papers from the folder, her apprehension grew. She hated that her father had been taken from her, hated that his life's work was about to be divided up into shares. More than that, she hated that the perception she had of him had been nothing more than an illusion—an illusion that had been shattered with seemingly no way for it to ever be repaired.</p><p>"Before we begin, I would like to express my sincere condolences for your loss," Mr. Parsons said, his normally gruff voice softened with sincerity. "I knew Reginald for many years and will sorely miss his sense of humor and quick wit. I can remember the time—"</p><p>Lily bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling when the man claiming to be her half brother, Jack Sinclair, rudely cleared his throat and glanced at his watch as if he wanted to hurry things along. How could a man as warm and loving as her father had been have spawned such a cold, unfeeling son?</p><p>Her oldest brother RJ's scowl was formidable. "In a hurry to be somewhere, Sinclair?"</p><p>"As a matter of fact, I am," Jack stated flatly. "How long is this going to take, Parsons?"</p><p>Mr. Parsons's bushy white eyebrows met in a disapproving frown above his reading glasses. "It will take as long as it takes, young man."</p><p>"Please don't, Jack," Angela Sinclair begged, her voice trembling as she placed her hand on her son's arm. Her chin-length blond hair swayed slightly as she shook her head. "Please don't make this any more difficult than it already is."</p><p>If circumstances had been different, Lily would have probably felt sorry for the woman. It had been apparent yesterday at the funeral and today as they sat awaiting the reading of the will that she was taking the death of Reginald Kincaid extremely hard. But considering the nurse had been her father's mistress for the past thirty years and had shown up to mourn his death as if she and her sons were a legitimate part of the family, it was almost more than Lily could bear. Angela Sinclair either didn't realize or didn't care about what a shock and devastation it would be for the Kincaid family.</p><p>"You'll have to excuse my brother's impatience," Alan Sinclair spoke up, giving Lily and her family a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid Jack is still trying to come to grips with Reginald's death."</p><p>Angela's youngest son, Alan, seemed to be the exact opposite of his older half-brother in every way. While Jack was tall, with dark hair, blue eyes and a cold, ruthless demeanor, Alan was shorter, had dark blond hair and hazel eyes like his mother, and appeared to be sympathetic to the shock and disbelief the Kincaids were going through. Not only were they having to cope with the death of their father, possibly by his own hand, they had been blindsided by the ugly truth of his clandestine life.</p><p>"Don't apologize for me," Jack growled, turning his hard stare on the younger man. There was such animosity in his expression, it was obvious there was no love lost between the two. "I have nothing to be sorry about."</p><p>"Enough!" RJ said, his voice deadly. Turning to the lawyer, he nodded. "Please continue, Mr. Parsons."</p><p>"If Sinclair doesn't want to stick around for the details, I'm sure you can send him a letter outlining what our father wished to leave him," Matt said, backing up RJ.</p><p>Only a few years older than herself, her brother Matt had already seen his share of heartache. It had been only a year since he had buried his wife, Grace, and been left to raise their young son, Flynn, on his own. Losing their father so soon after her passing had to bring up some very painful memories for him.</p><p>Lily glanced at her mother to see how she was holding up through this latest upheaval. The epitome of a true Southern lady, Elizabeth Kincaid had maintained an elegant calm about her throughout this whole ordeal that Lily couldn't help but envy. It appeared her mother was faring much better than Lily and her two sisters. Laurel, Lily's oldest sister, kept dabbing at her tears with a lace-edged hankie, while Kara looked as if she was in a state of total shock.</p><p>"Please continue, Harold," her mother said, smoothing a strand of short, dark auburn hair into place.</p><p>"Very well, Miss Elizabeth," Mr. Parsons said, using "miss" the way most older Southern gentlemen did with any lady, single or married. He read aloud the preliminary legalese, then clearing his throat, began to go through the list of her father's assets. "'Regarding my personal properties, I would like for them to be divided as such. To my son RJ, I leave the Great Oak Lodge in the Smoky Mountains. To my daughter Laurel, I leave my beach house on the Outer Banks. To my daughter Kara, I leave my vacation home on Hilton Head Island. To my son Matthew, I leave the Kincaid family farmhouse where we used to spend holidays. And to my daughter Lily, I leave the Colonel Samuel Beauchamp House in the Battery.'"</p><p>Tears filled Lily's eyes. Her father had known how much she loved the historic homes in the Battery. It was one of the prettiest sections in Charleston and quite possibly the entire state of South Carolina. But she had been completely unaware that he owned one of the stately mansions in that area.</p><p>After outlining the money and properties her father wished to bequeath to Elizabeth and Angela, Mr. Parsons added, "When Reginald updated his will, he wrote these letters and asked me to give them to you at this time." He passed each person in the room, except Elizabeth, a sealed envelope with their name on the front before he continued, "As for Reginald's business holdings, they are to be divided up as follows. 'RJ, Laurel, Kara, Matthew and Lily are each to receive nine percent interest in The Kincaid Group. My oldest son, Jack Sinclair, will receive forty-five percent interest.'"</p><p>Silence reigned for several long, uncomfortable moments as the gravity of her father's last wishes sank in.</p><p>"What the hell!" RJ's expression was a mixture of barely suppressed fury and total disbelief.</p><p>Lily gasped and the knot in her stomach turned to a sickening ache. How could their father do that to his children and especially to RJ, his oldest legitimate son? RJ had worked tirelessly for years as the executive vice president of The Kincaid Group and had been led to believe he would one day take over as president of the vast enterprise when their father decided it was time for him to retire. The news that their father had given the majority of the shares in the family business to Jack Sinclair was hard for all the Kincaid children to take, but it had to be completely devastating for RJ.</p><p>"That's only ninety percent," RJ said, his frown formidable. "Where's the other ten?"</p><p>Mr. Parsons shook his head. "Due to attorney/client confidentiality, I'm not at liberty to say."</p><p>The room erupted with heated allegations and threats of legal retaliation from both sides of the table and Lily felt as if the walls were closing in on her. She knew if she didn't leave, she was going to be physically ill.</p><p>"I need…some air," she said to no one in particular.</p><p>Rising to her feet, she stuffed the unopened letter from her father into her purse and blindly ran from the room. She wasn't certain whether it was the news of her father's complete betrayal of his legitimate family or the new life growing inside her that caused her to feel sick, but she had to escape the law office.</p><p>As she hurried down the hall to the reception area, she wasn't paying attention and suddenly ran into someone standing as if rooted to the spot. Strong hands immediately came down on her shoulders to keep her from falling and when she looked up, her heart skipped several beats.</p><p>Of all the people she could have met up with in the law office, why did she have to run headlong into the owner and CEO of Addison Industries?</p><p>Daniel Addison was not only The Kincaid Group's fiercest business competitor, he was the father of her unborn child. A baby he knew absolutely nothing about.</p><p>"Where's the fire, sweetheart?" Daniel asked as he steadied the woman who, in the past couple of weeks, had treated him as if he had the plague.</p><p>"I need…air," Lily said, her voice barely more than a whisper.</p><p>Her unnatural pallor and the desperate look haunting her vibrant blue eyes caused his heart to stall. Yesterday afternoon when he attended Reginald Kincaid's funeral, he had seen her upset. But this went beyond the grief of losing a loved one. Lily looked as if her whole world was crashing down around her.</p><p>"Come on," he said, placing his arm around her shoulders and leading her toward the office exit.</p><p>"My family… I can't leave," she gasped.</p><p>Stopping at the receptionist's desk, he quickly told the woman he would call and reschedule his appointment, then instructed her to get word to the Kincaid family that he was taking Lily home. As he led her out the double glass doors and onto the sidewalk, he watched her gulp in the cool January air and knew that she was seconds away from losing her breakfast. Guiding her over to a trash can, he held her long, red hair back while she was sick.</p><p>"Please, go away and let me die in peace,&amp;#... </p></div>


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<div><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>Perhaps because he was now partially deaf in his right ear, former-Ranger Jack Martin was certain he had to have heard his new employers incorrectly. He chuckled uneasily. "The Butter Bandit?"</p><p>Brian Payne—one of the three founding members of the infamous Ranger Security Company—nodded and shot a look at fellow partner Guy McCann. "That's what Guy has dubbed him and, I'm sad to say, it's stuck."</p><p>Jamie Flanagan, who rounded out the triumvirate, flashed a what-the-hell sort of grin. "You've got to admit that it has a certain ring to it." He pulled a face. "Besides, other than a few eclairs, cookies and bear claws, butter is the <em>only</em> thing this thief is stealing."</p><p>How…bizarre, Jack thought. He was most definitely a fan of butter—who didn't like it melting on a pile of pancakes or slathering it over a hot roll? He had fond memories of making it himself with nothing more than a little heavy whipping cream in an old mason jar and shaking it up until his arms were tired, the unmistakable "plop" against the side of the jar, signaling it was done. He'd learned the trick from his grandmother, who'd been more butter obsessed than Paula Deen.</p><p>But he couldn't imagine even her <em>stealing</em> the stuff. It boggled the mind.</p><p>"Have there been any other butter thefts in the area?" Jack asked, trying to get his mind around the idea. Not a question he would have ever anticipated coming out of his mouth, but then again nothing about his recent life was anything he'd anticipated.</p><p>Leaving the military before retirement had never been in any plans he'd made—unless it had been in a pine box, which he'd been fully prepared to do—much less moving to anywhere other than Pennyroyal, North Carolina, upon retirement. He'd actually purchased property next to his parents there in his little hometown and had been toying with various house plans for years. Just something else he'd need to rethink at a later date.</p><p>At present he was just glad to have a job, to have had an alternative to sitting behind a desk for the rest of his career. The mere idea made him feel claustrophobic, hemmed in. While Jack knew there were many powerful men who did their best work from an office, he was not one of those men. He liked to <em>move,</em> needed some sort of physical action to coincide with his strategy.</p><p>Of course, sitting still had never been easy for him. Even in kindergarten his poor teacher had had to mark a square—with duct tape, the wonder material—on the floor around his desk to keep him there. If he came out of the "box" without permission, then he lost time on the playground.</p><p>While other people might think she was being cruel or unreasonable, Jack knew she'd had good reason. He'd given the poor woman sheer hell, had been virtually incapable of sitting still for any length of time. He could hear her, understand and learn without looking at her—while looking at something else or doing something else, like playing with a toy truck, for instance, he thought with a mental smile—but he hadn't realized until much later that other people didn't learn that way. With maturity had come discipline, but the underlying need to move was always itching just beneath the surface.</p><p>Even now.</p><p>That's what had made the military so perfect for him. Action, reaction, strategy, purpose. It had been the ideal fit. And while Ranger Security wasn't the military, it was run by former Rangers—men like himself—and, though he fully anticipated an adjustment, he knew he was up to the task. He almost smiled.</p><p>Even catching a butter thief, of all things, which was evidently going to be his first assignment for the company.</p><p>"No," Guy replied to his question. "No other butter thefts in the area. Mariette's store is the only one that's been targeted. We've canvassed the area just to be sure."</p><p>"Under normal circumstances we wouldn't be taking this on at all, but after last night we just can't sit back and do nothing," Payne said, his tone grim. "Mariette's more than a local business owner—she's a good friend, as well." He gestured to the other two men. "She's provided many a cup of coffee, breakfasts and snacks for us over the past three years. She's hosted our kids' birthday parties—"</p><p>"For which we are eternally thankful," Jamie added with a significant grimace.</p><p>"—and her shop is right here on our block."</p><p>In other words, <em>their</em> turf, <em>their</em> friend.</p><p>Jack had actually noticed the little bakery when he first arrived here in Atlanta a week ago. It was a pretty redbrick with whimsical window boxes stuffed with yellow and lavender mums. "Raw Sugar" was written in fancy script from a sign shaped like a three-tiered cake. There'd been a teenage girl with Down syndrome sweeping the walk out in front and she'd looked so happy it had brought a smile to his lips.</p><p>"What happened last night?" Jack asked, a bad feeling settling in his gut.</p><p>The three men shared a dark look. "Mariette heard a noise and went downstairs to investigate—"</p><p>"She lives above the shop," Jamie interjected, pausing to take a pull from his drink.</p><p>"—and interrupted the guy. Instead of running like a normal criminal who'd been caught, he picked up a dough roller and hurled it at her." Payne's voice lowered ominously. "It caught her behind the ear and knocked her out cold."</p><p>Damn, Jack thought, anger immediately bolting through him. He'd like to take a dough roller to the jackass for throwing it at a woman. No wonder they'd decided to intervene. Even though she'd been assaulted this still wasn't a case that was going to get high priority to an overworked local P.D. His grandfather, father and sister had all worn the uniform, so he should know. He'd thwarted tradition when he'd traded the badge for a pair of dog tags, a fact his father never failed to remind him of when he went home. Good-naturedly, of course, but Jack knew his decision to not follow in the "family business" had stuck in his father's craw.</p><p>"Do you have any idea what he's looking for?" Jack asked. "Aside from butter, that is?" There was no way in hell this was just about butter. If that were the case, their thief would be hitting multiple businesses, not just Raw Sugar.</p><p>Jamie shook his head and released a mighty sigh. "Not a damned clue."</p><p>"That's where you're going to come in," Payne told him. "She needs protection, obviously, but more than that we need to know what this guy's after. You find the motive and you'll resolve the threat."</p><p>He certainly couldn't fault that logic. He had no idea where in the hell he was going to start looking for motive—with Mariette, he supposed—but otherwise this didn't seem as though it was going to be too involved and shouldn't interfere with his other…project.</p><p>"Because the thief hasn't struck during the day while the shop is open, we're assuming that she's in less danger at that point. We're putting Charlie in under the guise of 'helping out' until Mariette closes, which will free you up to investigate during those hours and then cover protection at night, when he's most likely to strike again."</p><p>The mention of his sister, Charlie—who was the first female nonmilitary, non-Ranger employee hired on by the company—brought a smile to his lips. He and his sister had always been tight and, if there were a silver lining at all to his impromptu career change, it was that he'd get to see her on a regular basis. He'd actually moved into his new brother-in-law's former apartment here in the building.</p><p>When the idea of coming on board with Ranger Security after the accident had first been mentioned, it was ultimately Jay who had convinced him that it would be the right move. The first look at the "boardroom" with its highend electronics and toys, pool table and kitchenette—complete with its own candy counter—had been proof enough before anything else had been discussed. Between the unbelievable benefits package—the salary, the hardware, the furnished apartment—and the familiar camaraderie of former battle-worn soldiers, he knew that he'd been lucky to find a place where he felt sure he would eventually feel at home. He grimaced.</p><p>At the moment, even home didn't feel like home.</p><p>But how could it, really? After what had happened in Baghdad? An image of Johnson's frantic, desperate face loomed large in his mind's eye—the dirt and the blood—and with effort, he forced the vision to recede.</p><p>For the moment, anyway. Until he could properly analyze it again. Sheer torture, but it had to be done. He would keep analyzing it for the rest of his life if he had to. He owed the kid no less.</p><p>Typically when Jack returned stateside it was to a big party and lots of fanfare. He was the only son and frankly, as the former all-star quarterback for the high-school football team, Pennyroyal's golden boy. He was generally met with a cry of delight, a hearty slap on the back, a little nudge-nudge wink-wink and a free drink.</p><p>The tone had been decidedly different this time.</p><p>The smiles had been pitying and bittersweet, the slaps on the back held a tinge of regret and finality and, because he'd been wounded, there hadn't been a party.</p><p>It was just as well. He hadn't felt like celebrating.</p><p>Payne handed him a thin file. He'd already given him a laptop, a Glock, the permit to carry concealed and the keys to his furnished and fully stocked apartment. Brian Payne had thought of everything, but then, that's what one expected out of a man dubbed "the Specialist" by his comrades, Jack thought, surveying the seemingly unflappable former Ranger. His gaze briefly shifted to the other two men.</p><p>With a purpo... </p></div>


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                <p itemprop="author"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; ">four enjoyable holiday paranormal romances</span></p></div><div id="yui_3_3_0_1_13239543821455078" class="review_content c15-11col c17-13col">
                <p id="yui_3_3_0_1_13239543821455082" class="review_summary" itemprop="reviewBody">'Melting
 Frosty' by Maggie Shayne.  As preadolescents in 1992, he in Flint and 
she in Oswego suffered a jarring tragedy during the holidays that has 
stuck with them as adults.  Now Matthew and Holly meet for the first 
time when they are snowbound over Christmas.  --- </p><p id="yui_3_3_0_1_13239543821455082" class="review_summary" itemprop="reviewBody"> 'Charlotte's Web' by 
Erin McCarthy.  Charlotte the witch casts a spell of lust on her pal 
Will  not fully appreciating that he needs no incantation to love her.  
 --- </p><p id="yui_3_3_0_1_13239543821455082" class="review_summary" itemprop="reviewBody"> 'Beat of Temptation' by Nalini Singh.  In 2019 as the Psy Council 
tries to outlaw Christmas, Psy Pack operatives Nate and Tamsyn meet, 
each is immediately attracted and enchanted by the other.  --- </p><p id="yui_3_3_0_1_13239543821455082" class="review_summary" itemprop="reviewBody"> 'Gifts 
of the Magi¿ by Jean Johnson.   B&amp;B owners Steven and Rachel are in 
financial trouble as the weather has forced cancellations.  However they
 greet three unexpected guests for the holidays.  ---  These are four 
enjoyable holiday paranormal romances that will bring AN ENCHANTED 
SEASON to sub-genre readers.  ---  Harriet Klausner</p><p id="yui_3_3_0_1_13239543821455082" class="review_summary" itemprop="reviewBody"><br></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><p><br></p><p></p><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations"><span style="font-weight: bold; ">12/15/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 1232 (99%)</span></div></span></div></div></span></h3></div>


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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Just one look…When he saw her onstage, Russell Knight was mesmerized by aspiring songstress Tori Matthews. Everything about her, from her soulful voice to her fiery personality, stirred a passion within him that he could barely contain. Would she be the one to change his playboy ways?…that's all it tookTori was drawn to Russell the moment she looked into the audience. How could anyone miss those devastating good looks and smoldering eyes? But just when things began to heat up between the two, her career came calling. Would she forgo the growing passion between them for a shot at stardom?</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><br><p></p><div class="user_annotations"><br><span style="font-weight:bold"><br>  1/25/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 2762 (99%)<br></span><br><br><br></div></div>


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<div><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Starred Review. Gr 7 Up--Every year in Panem, the dystopic nation that exists where the U.S. used to be, the Capitol holds a televised tournament in which two teen "tributes" from each of the surrounding districts fight a gruesome battle to the death. In <em>The Hunger Games</em>, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing them to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her with a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets with her alone is both palpable and justified. <em>Catching Fire</em> is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of a secret district, and a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as a character. Though initially bewildered by the attention paid to her, she comes almost to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader. Though more of the story takes place outside the arena than within, this sequel has enough action to please <em>Hunger Games</em> fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment.<br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From Bookmarks Magazine</h3><p>Reviewers were happy to report that the <em>Hunger Games</em> trilogy is alive and well, and all looked forward to the third book in the series after this one's stunning conclusion. But they disagreed over whether <em>Catching Fire</em> was as good as the original book <em>Hunger Games </em>or should be viewed as somewhat of a "sophomore slump." Several critics who remained unconvinced by Katniss's romantic dilemma made unfavorable comparisons to the human-vampire-werewolf love triangle in Stephenie Meyer's <em>Twilight </em>series. But most reviewers felt that <em>Catching Fire</em> was still a thrill because Collins replicated her initial success at balancing action, violence, and heroism in a way that will enthrall young readers without giving them (too many) nightmares. </p></div>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The job title was housekeeper, not fiancee! But billionaire cattleman Kirk Deverill couldn't throw the lovely single mom off his ranch. Especially when he knew the job would help her keep her son. Of course, the eligible bachelor hadn't expected her to tell everyone she was also Kirk's bride-to-be!He agreed to Vanessa's ruse for her adorable son's sake. And for the opportunity to claim some "husbandly" pleasures. Of course, making their fake engagement a real union was never going to happen. The Outback loner had his reasonshellip;and even the most desirable of women wouldn't get him to change his mind.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Subject: Airborne Captain Eli Murdoch.Current status: Ready and raring to go!Mission: Serve his country. Obstacle: Sexy Tara Swenson. Impossible to resist. Weddings are a minefield for Eli Murdoch. Each time he goes to one, he falls into bed with the same woman--Tara Swenson! But a relationship between a footloose soldier and a homebody can never work. Can it? Tara can't seem to keep her panties on and her legs together around her former high school crush. But she wants more than wham bam, thank you ma'am. Although Captain Hard Body is very good at that! When he returns for a third wedding, Tara's faced with a man trained to outmaneuver her! So she makes the first offensive move. Directly into Eli's very willing arms...</p>


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<div><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Best-selling author Tori Carrington is the pen name of husband-and-wife team Lori and Tony Karayianni. Lori and Tony have published over thirty-five titles for Harlequin Temptation, Blaze and Signature and Silhouette Special Edition. The third book in their Forge hardcover series SOFIE METROPOLIS is out June 2007. Visit them at www.toricarrington.net and www.sofiemetro.com. </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>His brother was a dumbass. It was as simple and as complicated as that.</p><p>Jackson Savage tugged on the suspenders holding up the too-big red velvet pants he had on over his jeans. He'd stripped out of the red jacket some time ago, leaving him frustrated at being the one who got stuck wearing the Santa suit for the bar's Christmas party. The hat and shiny black boots remained intact even though he'd prefer to ditch them, as well. But he was scheduled to play Santa later so he thought he'd better keep them on.</p><p>Thank God this was his last night working at the bar. Even if his brother wouldn't be happy about it.</p><p>Oh, he knew there were valid reasons his older sibling felt protective of him. Losing their parents at a young age was the biggest of them. Thinking he needed to be a father figure as a result was another. But as far as Jackson was concerned, he'd grown beyond the nose-blowing stage long ago. It was past time Jason took a good look at him and realized he wasn't a kid anymore.</p><p>If his brother didn't. .well, he was afraid he was going to have to kick his ass just to prove his point. And that would be one fight neither of them would walk away from unscathed, he was sure.</p><p>Well, that was adult of him, wasn't it? Jackson grimaced at the asinine thought and swiped the white puff of the Santa hat back from his brow.</p><p>Still, nearly four months had passed since he'd proven himself up for the job, not only as a responsible adult and decorated Marine, but solid Lazarus Security material. If taking a bullet for the cause wasn't enough, what was?</p><p>Jackson shoved the glass of draught beer he'd just filled from a tap a little too forcefully, spilling a good inch of it as he served his countless drink at The Barracks that night. He muttered an apology and then wiped the spot, topping off the glass before presenting it to one of the regulars again.</p><p>"Hey, Jax, that's the third time tonight. What's the matter?" Winston asked. "Trouble with Mrs. Claus?"</p><p>Pete, the guy standing next to him, laughed. "There'd have to be a Mrs. Claus in order for there to be trouble with her. No, Jax here's trouble is that he needs a little…something from a Mrs. Claus candidate."</p><p>Jackson gave a perfunctory laugh. "What I need is a nice, long vacation. Preferably somewhere warm. Where someone else serves me."</p><p>Genie, one of the three waitresses, stepped up to the bar in her Santa hat, too-tight white tank and red velvet shorts trimmed in white fur, The Barracks' holiday uniform even if it was December and ten below outside. "I'll wait on you," she offered with her trademark purr.</p><p>Pete gave a low whistle. "Son, if I were you, I'd be all over that."</p><p>"Against bar policy," Jackson said absently.</p><p>Even if it wasn't, it was against <em>his</em> personal policy. He made it a point not to sleep with coworkers. He'd seen his fair share of bad episodes when things went south—as they inevitably did. South? On one unforgettable occasion, he'd ended up with a psycho bitch from hell stalking him because he'd given in to temptation and slept with her one night. It was all he'd been in the market for at the time. Apparently, she'd had other ideas. And when sweet persuasion hadn't worked, she'd resorted to other more disturbing measures to prove her love for him.</p><p>No way was he going that route again.</p><p>No matter how difficult his hot coworkers sometimes made it for him. He looked over Genie's generous curves and then up at her suggestive smile. She made his four-month-old wound itch.</p><p>But that's not why he was there. His tending bar was really only a way to keep himself occupied until his brother came around. Yeah, it helped pay the bills, but considering the large, structured settlement and trust fund he and Jason had received upon their parents' deaths, he didn't need the money.</p><p>Still, he'd barely touched his bank account, gaining a certain satisfaction in supporting himself and his day-to-day expenses with his income. Right now, his life resembled some sort of airplane holding pattern. He only hoped he'd be cleared for landing soon, because he didn't know how much fuel he had left before he crashed.</p><p>He checked his cell phone, knowing as he did who he was hoping he'd find a call or text from. And, strangely enough, it wasn't his brother. He'd smiled when Max McGuire's missed call had popped up in this display. She hadn't left a message, but that was no surprise; she never did.</p><p>Max…</p><p>His movements slowed as he realized he missed her.</p><p>It had been a while since they'd spoken. The last time he'd talked to her, she'd been somewhere out in the Pacific Northwest working for some sort of highend security firm. Their longtime friendship had always gone through ebbs and flows, with stretches where an occasional phone call was the name of the game.</p><p>Then there were the times when they'd been</p><p>"thick as thieves," as Gram liked to say, nearly inseparable.</p><p>Of course, the physical distance between them currently prevented that.</p><p>Still, over the years they made sure to carve out some together time, meeting for at least a few days to catch up, usually on some sort of physical adventure, like mountain climbing or wild water kayaking.</p><p>He thought he should call her back, maybe see about scheduling just such a trip soon. Or perhaps he'd go visit her, see what she was up to and how life was treating her.</p><p>Jackson told his boss, Chuck, that he was taking his break. He grabbed his leather jacket and let himself out from behind the bar. He returned a few greetings as he walked to the back and then through the door leading to the alley behind the row of buildings. He leaned against the cold brick and shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. It was at times like these he wished he still smoked.</p><p>"Hey," a female said next to him.</p><p>He hadn't realized anyone else was out here. "Hey," he said without opening his eyes.</p><p>"Cold out, huh?"</p><p>If he hadn't been able to tell by her deep inhale, the acrid scent of cigarette smoke would have revealed what she was doing.</p><p>"That it is," he said.</p><p>"You work here?" "Yeah."</p><p>"This is my first time at this bar." He heard her shoes shuffle in the salt they put down as a deicer. "My friends suggested it. I haven't been inside yet."</p><p>Her voice sounded familiar. He cracked his eyelids open and openly regarded the pretty redhead. Holy shit.</p><p>"Max? Is that you?"</p><p>For a moment Maxine McGuire was afraid Jackson wouldn't recognize her. And that was beyond stupid, really. He was her best friend. They'd pretty well grown up together on the farm as kids, and had been together again for a brief stint when they'd been stationed overseas in the Marines. But it had been a good two years since their physical paths last crossed, despite their sometimes lengthy telephone conversations. And while she wasn't about to tell him, a big part of the reason she'd chosen The Barracks as the place to meet her old high school friends, instead of the countless other bars in the military hub of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was because Jackson tended there.</p><p>For reasons she couldn't fathom, she always experienced a spark of fear he wouldn't recognize her. That too much time had passed, or maybe he was otherwise occupied.</p><p><em>Liar.</em></p><p>She knew why she felt that way. Or she had an idea anyway.</p><p>While they'd always been close friends, she realized she'd always been more than a little bit in love with him. And the worst thing that could ever happen would be that he wouldn't recognize her. Or that she'd look at him and see indifference in his eyes.</p><p>Not that she ever had.</p><p>Still, she was pathetic. And it was that very self-esteem issue she hoped to finally nip totally in the bud.</p><p>Her relationship with Jax was the only area in her life she experienced such vulnerable emotions. Otherwise she was confident, strong and knew exactly where she was at any given moment and where she was going.</p><p>"Hey, Jax," she said, hoping the smile that warmed her to her toes wasn't too obvious.</p><p>He stared at her for a full minute and then pushed from the building. She stiffened as he gave her a hug. It was silly, really, because he'd always given her the same, brotherly greeting.</p><p>The problem was that her reaction had never been quite the sisterly one he was going for.</p><p>Not that he ever appeared to have a clue.</p><p>Of course, she knew she was the primary reason for that. She'd never let him in on her true feelings.</p><p>"I was just thinking about you," he said. "You called the other day but didn't leave a message."</p><p>"I never leave a message."</p><p>His chuckle tickled her ear. "Yeah, I know."</p><p>He stepped back and looked her over, as if seeing her for the first time. It was all she could do to maintain his gaze, and not to pat down her too curly hair.</p><p>"You look good," he said.</p><p>"Thanks. So do you."</p><p>She took another hit off the cigarette—her first in almost two years—and then flicked it to the ground farther down the alley.</p><p>How old had she been when they first met? Five? Six? She and her mom had just moved in with her aunt after her parents' breakup and she'd run away. It was the first of many doomed attempts, complete with a stick to ward off unwanted critters, the end tied with a handkerchief that held a sandwich, her favorite paperback novel and a pack of matches.</p><p>It had probably taken her a whole half hour to reach the Savage barn on the neighboring property, but everything was relative and she could have sworn it had been five hours and that she'd reached the border of New Mexico, at least.</p><p>She'd just spread out her handkerchief on the fresh straw, sat on it and opened her sandwich when a shadow fell across the open doorway. There stood Jackson Savage, no older than h... </p><p></p><hr class="annotations_divider"><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations"><span style="font-weight: bold; ">11/29/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 4701 (99%) </span></div></div>


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<div><p><i>The Pledge: Scott Farrell, recovering Boring Guy.</i></p><i></i><p>The Goal: Membership in an ultrasecret consortium of urban adventurers.</p><p>The Conditions: Select three insane challenges. Tell no one. Survive.</p><p><i>The Complication: Amanda Wheeler, sexy girl next door.</i></p><p>Scott never mentioned The Player's Club, but Amanda's onto him. She'll keep quiet <i>and</i> help him get in...<i>if</i> he'll nominate <i>her</i> for membership. It's a dirty little deal that launches the normally nice neighbors into a world of skydiving, burlesque—and adrenaline-soaked sex that gets better every single time.</p><p>Not everyone's happy about the new recruits, however. And initiation may be a lot tougher than either of them expected....</p></div>


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<div><p>Exonerated for a crime he didn't commit, Dawson Reynolds has worked hard to make a new life. Now a fabulously successful real-estate mogul, he will never forgive the powerful Warner clan for turning their backs on him when he needed them most...and he's determined to demand what's his.</p><p>But when he returns to Heather Hill, his plans immediately spin out of control, starting with his fierce and undeniable attraction to a Warner niece, gorgeous Yale Law graduate Arianna Smith. Still reeling from their passionate interlude, he is stunned by a family crisis that forces him to reevaluate everything he is and everything he thought he wanted....</p><p>Arianna falls for the charismatic real-estate tycoon the moment she meets him, but she has fears about starting a relationship with a man as tormented as Dawson, even after their erotic idyll in the Hamptons. Can she help him heal the bitter pain of the past with the promise of a passionate future together?</p></div>


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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Strictly Confidential Attraction"I need you, Alli." Did Mark mean what Alison Lind hoped? Was her boss declaring his passion for her? Did he really feel the same way she secretly felt for him? Apparently not. Instead of asking her to be his lover, he was asking her to be temporary nanny to his baby niece. Not an ounce of desire in sight. Or was there? Living together, spending time in intimate surroundings, created a sensual tension too powerful to ignore. How long before this strictly business relationship turned into a strictly passionate predicament?Taking Care of BusinessFrom the moment she met Tag Elliott, Renee Williams thought of nothing but how his lips would feel on hers. That and darkened bedrooms and whispered promises. But as a member of Manhattan's wealthiest family, Tag was way out of the social worker's league. Besides, no matter how much she craved him, there was another small matter: she was black and Tag was white. Renee had agreed to one night to live their fantasies, but in the light of day Tag decided once was not enough. He could ignore the scandal they would stir; why couldn't she? After all, Tag wanted her. And he always got what he wanted....</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations">
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<div><p>New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh's exhilarating world of shapeshifters and psychics is "paranormal romance at its best" (Publishers Weekly). </p><p>Now comes the story of an alpha wolf named Hawke used to getting exactly what he wants--and of the only woman who dares tangle with him. Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness. Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf. Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight… A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…</p><p><br></p><p></p><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations"><span style="font-weight: bold; ">1/1/2012<br>Last Page Read: Location 6844 (99%)</span></div></div>


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<div><div>The Grace in Africa series is a sweeping three-part historical saga of slavery and freedom that takes the reader from an island off the west coast of Africa to Southern plantations and finally on to Canada. All her life, Grace Winslow, the daughter of a mixed marriage between an English sea captain and an African princess, has been sheltered from the truth about the family business--the capture and trade of slaves.</div><div> </div><div><br></div><div>Set in 1787 in West Africa, The Call of Zulina opens as the scorching harmattan winds blow. Desperate to avoid marriage to an odious suitor, Grace escapes the family compound only to be caught up in a slave revolt at the fortress of Zulina. Soon, she begins to grasp the brutality and ferocity of the family business. Held for ransom, viciously maimed by a runaway slave, and threatened with death, Grace is finally jerked into reality and comes to sympathize with the plight of the captives. She admires their strength and courage and is genuinely moved by the African Cabetos passion, determination, and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his peoples freedom.</div></div>


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<div><p>Nalini Singh explores new heights of sensuality, returning to the world of the Psy - where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts... As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now he is a defector, and his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins - cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna... Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted - and had her mind violated - by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives...</p><p><br></p><p></p><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations"><span style="font-weight: bold; ">12/12/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 5459 (99%) </span></div></div>


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<div><p><strong>The Psy/Changeling series is "PARANORMAL ROMANCE AT ITS BEST"</strong></p><p>When a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped, DarkRiver sentinel Mercy, a cat, and SnowDancer lieutenant Riley, a wolf, must work together to track the young man-before his shadowy captors decide he's no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it'll leave them both branded by fire. (<em>PUBLISHERS WEEKLY</em>). </p><p></p><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations"><span style="font-weight: bold; ">12/20/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 5309 (99%)</span></div></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The most complete and up-to-date resource yet for getting free content for your Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle, Kindle DX, and Kindle Apps. Revised November 2011. By Stephen Windwalker, editor of the #1 blog and newsletter for Kindle owners, Kindle Nation Daily. Includes information on Kindle Nation Daily's magical free book search tool and weekly Kindle giveaway sweepstakes. <br></p><p>Prices apply to U.S. Kindle Store customers, but this book also contains resources that will help customers around find millions of free books and other free content for their Kindles and Kindle apps.<br></p><p>TABLE OF CONTENTS<br>Ch 1: How Can This Be? Amazon May Be Making Billions, But Kindle is the Key to "Free"<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Best Resources for Kindle Owners<br>Ch 2: Use Kindle Nation Daily's Free Book Alerts<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: No Kindle Required! How to Download and Use Free Kindle Apps for the PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Android and, Soon, the Windows Phone 7 and Other Devices<br>Ch 3: Find and Download Thousands of Free Books Directly From the Kindle Store<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Using Wi-Fi, 3G, or a USB Cable to Connect Your Kindle<br>Ch 4: Find and Download Free Books From Kindle-Compatible Free Book Collections<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Easily Find Free Kindle Store Classics Arranged by Author and Title<br>Ch 5: Find and Download Free Book Samples and Free 14-Day Periodical Trials From the Kindle Store<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Free for You: How to Ask for and Use a Kindle Gift Certificate<br>Ch 6: Use Calibre to Manage Your Kindle's Free Books and Other Kindle Content<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Email eBooks, Memoranda, Scripts, Manuscripts, Directions, Recipes, Legal Briefs and Other Personal Documents to Your Kindle<br>Ch 7: Read Blogs, Periodicals, and Other Web Content for Free on the Kindle<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Use eReadUps to Collect Research on Your Kindle or Build Your Own eBooks from Web Sources<br>Ch 8: Why Your Kindle's Free Wireless Web Browser is a Revolutionary Feature, and May Be the Key to What's Next from Amazon<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Use Your Kindle to Check Your eMail<br>Ch 9: Unlock the World Of Free Audio on the Kindle<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: How to Contact Kindle Nation<br>Ch 10: Ten Reasons the New Kindle 3 or Kindle Wi-Fi Is a Must if You Love to Read ... And a Few Minor Drawbacks<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Kindle Periodicals and Your Battery<br>Ch 11: The Politics of "Free" Books In the Age of the Kindle<br>Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: The Future of Free in the Kindle Store<br>Ch 12: The Myth of the Kindle's "Standard" $9.99 Price, the Agency Model, and the ABCs of Kindle Store Pricing<br>About the Author<br>Stephen Windwalker publishes the popular Kindle Nation Daily blog and is the author of several books of fiction and nonfiction. He has been writing about Amazon's book-business innovations since 2002 and about the Kindle since the week it was launched. His Kindle guide was the #1 bestselling book in the Kindle Store for 2008 and has sold well over 100,000 copies in various editions around the world. He studied with Kurt Vonnegut and Robert Lowell and was the fiction editor of the Harvard Advocate literary magazine in the 1970s, founded a popular Boston bookstore in the 1980s, and ran marketing for Inc. Magazine's ancillary book, video, and software business in the 1990s. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Stephen Windwalker publishes the popular Kindle Nation Daily blog and is the author of several books of fiction and nonfiction. He has been writing about Amazon's book-business innovations since 2002 and about the Kindle since the week it was launched. His Kindle guide was the #1 bestselling book in the Kindle Store for 2008 and has sold well over 100,000 copies in various editions around the world. He studied with Kurt Vonnegut and Robert Lowell and was the fiction editor of the Harvard Advocate literary magazine in the 1970s, founded a popular Boston bookstore in the 1980s, and ran marketing for Inc. Magazine's ancillary book, video, and software business in the 1990s. </p></div>


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<div><div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>THE HOT NEW NAME IN PARANORMAL ROMANCE. <br></p><p>Nalini Singh dives into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind-and none of the heart. <br></p><p>Born a Psy, Sascha Duncan must hide the emotions which mark her as flawed. But a passionate Changeling will tempt her to reveal everything-and risk her very soul. </p></div><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations">
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<div><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong> Ilona Andrews</strong> is the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>Bayou Moon</em> (10/10). Ilona Andrews lives in Oregon. <br><strong>Nalini Singh</strong> is the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of the Guild Hunter novels, most recently <em>Kiss of Snow</em> (6/11). She lives in New Zealand. <br><strong>Meljean Brook</strong> is the author of <em>The Iron Duke</em> (10/10) and <em>Demon Marked</em> (8/11). She lives in Oregon. <br><strong>Sharon Shinn</strong> is the author of the Samaria novels, most recently <em>Angel-Seeker</em> (3/05). She lives in St. Louis, Missouri. </p></div>


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<div><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Nalini Singh was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. She spent three years living and working in Japan, and travelling around Asia before returning to New Zealand where she now lives. She has worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher, not necessarily in that order. Some people might call that inconsistency, but she calls it grist for the writer's mill. </p></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"In the intensely dark, violent, and romantic fourth Guild Hunter novel...Singh focuses on the 1,000-year-old vampire Dmitri, lieutenant to the archangel Raphael, and Guild Hunter Honor, still recovering after a rogue vampire kidnapped and tortured her for two months...a heart-pounding and strongly emotional read." - <em>Publishers Weekly</em></p><h3>From the Back Cover</h3><p><strong>New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh is back in the shadows of a deadly, beautiful world where angels rule, vampires serve, and one female hunter must crawl out of the darkness to survive...</strong><br></p><p>The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.<br></p><p>Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.<br></p><p>As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more... </p></div>


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<div><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Nalini Singh is the New York Times bestselling author of dozens of novels, including the Psy/Changeling series and the Guild Hunter series. Born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand, she spent three years living and working in Japan.In addition to writing, she has worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp, and an English teacher. Justine Eyre is a classically trained actress who has narrated nearly one hundred audiobooks. With a prestigious Audie Award and three AudioFile Earphones Awards under her belt, Justine is multilingual and is known for her great facility with accents. She has appeared on stage in leading roles in King Lear and The Crucible, and has starring roles in four films on the indie circuit. Her recent television credits include Two and a Half Men and Mad Men.</p></div>


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<div><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Nalini Singh is the New York Times bestselling author of dozens of novels, including the Psy/Changeling series and the Guild Hunter series. Born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand, she spent three years living and working in Japan.In addition to writing, she has worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp, and an English teacher. Justine Eyre is a classically trained actress who has narrated nearly one hundred audiobooks. With a prestigious Audie Award and three AudioFile Earphones Awards under her belt, Justine is multilingual and is known for her great facility with accents. She has appeared on stage in leading roles in King Lear and The Crucible, and has starring roles in four films on the indie circuit. Her recent television credits include Two and a Half Men and Mad Men.</p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>Elena’s instincts were screaming at her to grab the knife in her boot, do some damage and get the hell out, but she forced herself to stay in place. The truth was, she wouldn’t make it more than two feet before Raphael broke every single bone in her body.         </p><p>It was exactly what he’d done to a vampire who’d thought to betray him.</p><p>That  vampire had been found in the centre of Times Square. He’d still been alive. And he’d still been trying to scream—“No! Raphael, no!” But his voice had been a rasp by then, his jaw hanging on by stringlike tendons, his flesh missing in places.</p><p>Elena—out of the country on a hunt—had seen the news footage after the event. She knew the vamp had lain there in agony for three hours before being picked up by a pair of angels. Everyone in New York, hell, everyone in the country, had known he was there, but no one had dared help him, not with Raphael’s mark blazing on his forehead. The archangel had wanted the punishment witnessed, wanted to remind people of who and what he was. It had worked. Now the mere mention of his name evoked visceral fear.</p><p>But Elena wouldn’t crawl, not for anyone. It was a choice she’d made the night her father had told her to get on her knees and beg, and maybe, maybe, he’d accept her back into the family.<br>Elena hadn’t spoken to her father in a decade.</p><p>“You should have a care,” Raphael said into the unnatural silence.</p><p>She didn’t collapse in relief—the air continued to hang heavy with the promise of menace. “I don’t like to play games.”</p><p>“Learn.” He settled back in his chair. “You will live a very short life if you expect only honesty.”</p><p>Sensing the danger had passed—for now—she unclenched her fingers with an effort of will. The force of the blood rushing back into them was painful in its extremity. “I didn’t say I expected honesty. People lie. Vampires lie. Even—” She caught herself.</p><p>“Surely you’re not going to practice discretion now?” The amusement was back but it was tempered with an edge that stroked like a razor across her skin.</p><p>She looked into that perfect face and knew she’d never met a more deadly being in her life. If she displeased him, Raphael would kill her as easily as she might swat a fly. She’d be smart to remember that, no matter how the knowledge infuriated her. “You said I had to do a test?”</p><p>His wings moved slightly at that instant, drawing her attention. They truly were beautiful and she couldn’t help but covet them. To be able to fly…what an amazing gift.</p><p>Raphael’s eyes shifted to look at something over her left shoulder. “Less a test than an experiment.”</p><p>She didn’t twist around, had no need to. “There’s a vampire behind me.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” His expression remained unchanged.</p><p>She fought the urge to turn. “Yes.”</p><p>He nodded. “Look.”</p><p>Wondering which was worse—having her back to an enigmatic and highly unpredictable archangel, or to an unknown vampire—she hesitated. In the end, her curiosity won out. There was a distinctly satisfied expression on Raphael’s face and she wanted to know what had put it there.</p><p>Shifting, she turned sideways with her whole body, the position allowing her to keep Raphael in her peripheral vision. Then she looked at the <em>two</em>…creatures who stood behind her. “Jesus.”</p><p>“You may go.” Raphael’s voice was a command that awakened absolute terror in the eyes of the one who looked vaguely human. The other scuttled away like the animal it was.</p><p>She watched them leave through the glass door and swallowed. “How old was…” She couldn’t call that thing a vampire. Neither had it been human.</p><p>“Erik was Made yesterday.”</p><p>“I didn’t know they could walk at that age.” It was an attempt to sound professional though she was creeped out to her toes.</p><p>“He had a little help.” Raphael’s tone made it clear that that was all the answer she was going to get. “Bernal is…a fraction older.”</p><p>She reached for the juice she’d rejected earlier and took a drink, trying to wash away the stink that had seeped into her pores. The older vamps didn’t have that ick factor. They—except for the unusual ones like the doorvamp—simply smelled of vampire, like she smelled human. But the very young ones, they had a certain rotten-cabbage/putrid flesh smell that she always had to scrub three times over to get rid of. It was why she’d begun collecting the body washes and perfumes. After her initial contact with one of the newly Made, she’d thought she’d never get the smell out of her head.</p><p>“I didn’t think a hunter would be so disturbed at the sight of the just Made.” Raphael’s face appeared oddly shadowed, until she realized he’d raised his wings slightly.</p><p>Wondering if that implied focus or anger, she put down the glass. “I’m not, not really.” True enough now that that first, instinctive flash of disgust had passed. “It’s the smell…like a coating of fur on your tongue. No matter how hard you scrape, you can’t get it off.”<br>Open interest showed on his face. “The feeling is that intense?”</p><p>She shivered and looked around the table for something else to take the edge off. When he pushed a cut grapefruit in her direction, she dug into it with relish. “Uh-huh.” The citrus fruit’s acidic juices dampened the reek a little. At least enough that she could think.</p><p>“If I asked you to track Erik, could you?”</p><p>She shivered at the memory of those almost-dead/not-quite-alive eyes. No wonder people believed those stories about vampires being the walking dead. “No. I think he’s too young.”</p><p>“What about Bernal?”</p><p>“He’s on the bottom floor of the building right now.” The barely-Made vampire’s odor was so noxious, it permeated the building. “In the lobby.”</p><p>Golden tipped wings spread to shadow the table as Raphael put his hands together in a slow clap. “Well done, Elena. Well, done.”</p><p>She looked up from the grapefruit, belatedly aware she’d just proven how good she was when she should’ve flubbed it and gotten out of this, whatever “this” was. Shit. But at least he’d given her some idea of the job. “Do you want me to track a rogue?”</p><p>He rose from his chair in a sudden, liquid movement. “Wait a moment.”</p><p>She watched, transfixed, as he walked to the edge of the roof. He was a being of such incredible splendor that simply seeing him move made her heart squeeze. It didn’t matter that she knew it was a mirage, that he was as deadly as the filleting knife she carried strapped to her thigh. No one, not even she, could deny that Raphael the Archangel was a man made to be admired. To be worshipped.</p><p>That utterly <em>wrong</em> thought snapped her out of her dazed state. Pushing back her chair, she stared hard at his back. Had he been messing with her head? Right then, he turned and she met the agonizing blue of his eyes. For a second, she thought he was answering her question. Then he looked away…and walked off the roof.</p><p>She jumped up. Only to sit back down, blush reddening her cheeks, when he winged upward to meet an angel she hadn’t seen until that moment. <em>Michaela.</em> The female eq</p></div>


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<p>Angels’ Pawn introduces readers to a world of beauty and danger where angels and vampires coexist. The novella is the prequel to Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series. In Atlanta, a vampire hunter is caught between two rival factions and the angel who is manipulating them both. Her only assistance comes from a vampire who may have his own reasons for helping her...</p>


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<div><div>Sterling and Celeste Wolf have been married for sixteen years. Although 
Sterling is the ideal husband and father, he can’t give Celeste the 
material trappings she secretly craves. And then she meets Grant 
Rutherford—a sexy, brilliant surgeon at the hospital where she works. 
Grant is everything Celeste has ever wanted in a man, and the sizzling 
chemistry between them takes her breath away. But she loves her husband 
and children, and the last thing she wants to do is hurt them. But when 
she and Grant succumb to their mutual attraction one night, Celeste is 
forced to make a heartbreaking choice between the life she and Sterling 
have built—and the life she has always yearned for.... <br></div><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations">
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<div><div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>A two-month sabbatical from her high-powered career is just what the doctor ordered…especially when Reese St. James eyes the hunk of her secret fantasies on the menu. From the moment she walks into Michael Wolf's world-famous restaurant, she's given the VIP treatment. And the sexy celebrity chef's mouth-watering kisses have her eating right out of his hand…and hungry for more.Furious at discovering Reese isn't the food critic he expected, Michael vows to teach the delectable deceiver a lesson. Seduction is the first course as he turns the tables on the sensual doctor. But once he tastes her passion, he goes straight from the frying pan into the fire. He wants to trust her, but what if he gets burned? As their sizzling affair flames into a culinary feast for all the senses, will love be the final course?</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><hr class="annotations_divider"><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations">
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  7/30/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 3247 (98%)
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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Samara Layton needs a pot of gold. Her community outreach organization in Washington, D.C. is in dire financial straits. As executive director, it's up to Samara to rescue the non-profit organization from bankruptcy, and time is running out. As a last-ditch resort, she seeks help from her estranged mother, world-renowned fashion designer Asha Dubois. In exchange for her mother's financial assistance, Samara agrees to model in Asha's spring fashion show in New York City. She gets more than she bargained for when she steps onto the runway and into the smoldering gaze of the sexiest man she's ever seen. Life has taught Samara to be skeptical of all men, so she's convinced Marcus Wolf is up to no good when he asks her out after the fashion show. When she rudely turns down his dinner invitation, she has no idea that she will soon need his help to rescue her business. And little does she know that Marcus is the man who will take her body to heights of ecstasy, and ultimately claim her heart and soul... Prominent civil rights attorney Marcus Wolf is in New York City on an important business trip. Attending a fashion show is not on his itinerary, until a friend talks him into it. From the moment Samara Layton steps onto the runway in a breathtakingly sheer gown, Marcus is captivated. When their eyes meet, the electricity between them is enough to light up all of Manhattan. But while Marcus would like nothing more than to seduce the exotic beauty, he has no interest in pursuing a serious relationship with her. All his life, women have brought him nothing but heartache-starting with his very own mother, who betrayed him in the worst imaginable way. This confirmed bachelor definitely isn't looking for love. But when Samara comes to him for help, she makes him an offer he can't possibly refuse....</p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Maureen Smith</strong> is the author of the romantic suspense novels <em>Ghosts of Fire, With Every Breath,</em> and <em>A Heartbeat Away.</em> Her 2002 debut novel, <em>Ghosts of Fire,</em> was nominated for a <em>Romantic Times Reviewers'</em> Choice Award and an Emma Award for favorite new author, and won the <em>Romance in Color</em> Reviewers' Choice Awards for New Author of the Year and Romantic Suspense of the Year. Her second novel, <em>With Every Breath,</em> was also nominated for a <em>Romantic Times</em> Reviewers' Choice Award, and garnered four Emma Award nominations in the categories of Favorite Hero, Favorite Romantic Suspense, Author of the Year, and Book of the Year. Maureen received a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. As a former freelance writer, her feature articles appeared in various newspapers, magazines, and online publications. She now lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband, two children, a cat, and a miniature schnauzer.</p></div>


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<div><div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Lexi Austin is living a fantasy. At the stroke of midnight, in the most romantic country in the world, a masked stranger sweeps her into his arms. But when the man turns out to be Quentin Reddick, Lexi's best friend since college, the celebrity chef knows she's in trouble. He may be the most irresistible man on the planet, but the powerhouse attorney is also the world's hardest partying bachelor.The sensual woman he kissed on New Year's Eve is a world away from the fast-talking tomboy Quentin always thought of as a kid sister. Back home in Atlanta, he plans to show Lexi that he's a one-woman man. As desire reignites—even hotter than before—he'll tempt her with his passion. Seduce her with his love. And together, they'll ring in the new year—and every year—in each other's arms….</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations">
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  7/31/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 3140 (99%)
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<div><p>Will their love withstand the inferno…?<br></p><p>High school sweethearts Stan and Prissy Wolf have been happily married for fifteen years. They have everything they could ever want—a beautiful home, five children that they absolutely adore, rewarding careers and a sizzling chemistry that hasn’t diminished over the years. But, lately, Prissy has noticed a change in her sexy firefighter husband. She doesn’t want to believe the worst—that he’s having an affair. But his recent behavior is too suspicious to ignore.<br></p><p>As a silent chasm grows between them, Prissy fears that Stan’s secret will soon destroy the life they have built together.... <br></p><p>Praise for the novels of Maureen Smith<br></p><p>"A highly entertaining story with elements of comedy, cooking, intense sexual chemistry and hot romance" — Romantic Times on Recipe for Temptation<br></p><p>“…a spicy Chicago entrée with erotic seasoning” — Library Journal on Whatever You Like<br></p><p>"Smith gives equal credence to spicy romance and nail-biting suspense" — Publishers Weekly on Whisper My Name</p></div>


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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The Great War of the Gods means nothing to the  proud people on the mortal planet--until Akhran the  Wandering God decrees the union of two mighty  feuding clans. Though the families are fierce  Warriors, they are few in number. Even the marriage of  Khardan and Zohra is not enough to over power the  strength of the invading army or prevent the  imprisonment of their peoples. Now, with Khardan and  Zohra mysteriously missing--seemingly cowards who  hid from certain defeat--the two clans have lost all  hope of ever again seeing their beloved open  skies. But Prince Khardan and Princess Zohra, aided by  the wizard Matthew, have been given another  mission...a mission that at first seems less useful  than counting the many grains of the desert sands,  but soon proves to be of far more lasting  importance.</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations">
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  1/26/2011<br>Last Page Read: Location 8401 (99%)
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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>In war-ravaged Valdemar, Queen Selenay is attempting an alliance with an ancient enemy, the neighboring kingdom of Karse. This is no easy task, but it is a venture that must not fail if either realm hopes to survive the coming confrontation with the massive armies of the ancient and enigmatic Eastern Empire.</p><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations">
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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>A good man can be hard to find, and curvaceous Jalila Goodwyn has had enough bad dates to know. But while Jalila is describing the hilarious details of her latest encounter over brunch with her girlfriend, another diner overhears her story and makes her an offer she can't refuse. Television producer Keenan Armstrong believes Jalila's search for love would make a hit reality show. Suddenly Jalila's the star of Queen of Hearts, with a string of fine bachelors vying to win her attention—though it's Keenan who's really turning up the heat. But before the big finale, Jalila will have to figure out what's real, what's fantasy and what's truly worth fighting for….</p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In this first book of a new cowboy trilogy, prolific author Brown (_To Trust_) makes plenty of amateur mistakes. Milli Torres returns to her grandfather's Texas ranch only to find that the next door neighbor is the man who fathered her child during a one-night stand two years ago. Beau Lucky Luckadeau is too dense to connect the scrappy cowgirl to a woman he's convinced was only a drunken hallucination. When Beau finds out he's the father of Milli's daughter, the requisite romancing begins. Stock obstacles hinder the relationship, from Beau's gold-digging fiancée to Milli's overly dramatic five-hour flounce off before a country song convinces her to turn around, but the conventional outcome is never in doubt. Shifting points of view and flat characters make this a decidedly subpar addition to the genre. <em>(Sept.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>This is one of those rare books where every person in it comes alive. (Dee Dailey <em>The Romance Studio</em> 20090915)  </p><p>I enjoyed this book so much that I plan to rope myself some more of Carolyn Brown and her books. <em>Lucky in Love</em> is a must read! (Cheryl Koch <em>Cheryl's Book Nook</em> 20090828)  </p><p>"A spit-and-vinegar heroine who won't put up with any nonsense from a man ... and a hero who dances faster than she can shoot make a funny, fiery pair in this appealing novel." (_Booklist_ 20090831)  </p><p><em>Lucky in Love</em> is a wonderful western romance. I just love a man in cowboy boots and Beau is one heck of a good ole boy... Carolyn Brown spins a charming tale of love, loss, and joy with an expert hand. (Wendy Hines <em>Wendy's Minding Spot</em> 20090901)  </p><p>Carolyn Brown had me going from page 1 to 293 with hardly a break in between. (Audrey Salick <em>Drey's Library</em> 20090901)  </p><p>[F]ans of Linda Lael Miller and Diana Palmer will also cherish this book too. (J.Kaye Oldner <em>J.Kaye's Book Blog</em> 20090903)  </p><p>The book was exciting and kept me hooked. (Cindy Smith <em>Cindy's Love of Books</em> 20090910)  </p><p>I enjoyed [_Lucky in Love_] and am mighty curious to see what else Carolyn Brown has up her sleeve. (Rowena <em>The Book Binge</em> 20090930)  </p><p>The delightful humor, the uniquely regional sayings, and the appealing setting along with sassy dialogue bring a true-to-life aliveness to the events, and make this love story enchanting. (Camellia <em>The Long and Short of It Reviews</em> 20100129)  </p><p>Wickedly funny... a lively romance destined to capture your heart. (Allegra Alston <em>Romance Reviews Today</em> )  </p><p>If you love a romance that has the couple sparring at the beginning and then gradually finding one another, then this is the book for you. (Danielle <em>Once Upon A Romance</em> ) </p></div>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>A reluctant member of the first wives' club—her husband left her for a woman half her age—Elizabeth Lewis had sworn off men. Then sexy contractor Ron Powers charmed his way into her life—and into her bed. With Ron, Elizabeth finally learned what it felt like to be really loved. But just when she embarked on her journey of sensual self-discovery with Ron, misfortune rocked their relationship. Her ex wanted her back. And Ron's radical past as a former Black Panther threatened their future. Elizabeth was torn between her past and present. She had to choose between two men who loved and needed her. But what about her needs?  As always, Elizabeth will depend on her girlz—Stephanie, Barbara, Ann Marie and newbie Terri—to help her make the right choice!</p>


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<p>The Pledge: Scott Farrell, recovering Boring Guy.The Goal: Membership in an ultrasecret consortium of urban adventurers.The Conditions: Select three insane challenges. Tell no one. Survive.The Complication: Amanda Wheeler, sexy girl next door.Scott never mentioned The Player's Club, but Amanda's onto him. She'll keep quiet and help him get in…if he'll nominate her for membership. It's a dirty little deal that launches the normally nice neighbors into a world of skydiving, burlesque—and adrenaline-soaked sex that gets better every single time.Not everyone's happy about the new recruits, however. And initiation may be a lot tougher than either of them expected….</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>This a novella length fiction (22,000 words) shared in the anthology, A Woman's Revenge.<br></p><p>Short Description:<br>A newlywed discovers she's married the wrong man when the funds for her non-profit organization are missing and so is he. She employs a private detective to help. Will he save all including her heart? <br></p><p>Long Description:<br>Where do broken hearts go? If you’re Tamera Watson…to the pawn shop to buy a gun. Tamera Watson’s husband is gone and so is her life savings and all the corporate grant funds for a non-profit program for underprivileged kids. With the last of her pennies she pays a private detective to hunt him down, so she can gun him down. When she finds him will she be able to pull the trigger? Or will the God of her heart stop her before she lets her desire for revenge take her too far. </p><p></p><hr class="annotations_divider"><div class="user_annotations"><span style="font-weight: bold; ">1/3/2012<br>Last Page Read: Location 977 (99%)</span></div></div>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>Novel by Alice Walker, published in 1982. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983. A feminist novel about an abused and uneducated black woman's struggle for empowerment, the novel was praised for the depth of its female characters and for its eloquent use of black English vernacular. -- <em>The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to "Mister," a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister's letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self.  </p></div>


