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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The Klingons--never one of the Federation's most cooperative members--become engaged in a deadly conflict with a previously peaceful race. This conflict has already claimed several thousand civilian lives. Now a great cry of revenge goes up on both sides, and unless Picard can defuse the lust for battle, millions more will perish!</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Sent to deliver emergency famine relief to the planet Thiopa -- the Federation's only allies in a critically important sector of space -- the crew finds a brutal dictatorship -- one more concerned with preserving its own powers than protecting its citizens, or the world they all share. Captain Picard is hesitant about turning over the supplies to the corrupt goernment: he fears they may never reach their intended destination. But can he convince the ruling council to change their ways, before it is too late -- for the government, and Thiopa itself?</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The Enterprise journeys to Lorca, a beautiful world where the inhabitants wear masks to show their rank and station. There, Captain Picard and an away team begin a quest for the planet's ruler and the great Wisdom Mask that the leader traditionally wears. Their mission: establish diplomatic relations. But Picard and his party lose contact with the ship, and Commander Riker leads a search party down to the planet to find them. Both men are unaware that their searchs are part of a madman's plan. A madman who is setting a trap that will ensnare both landing parties, and leave him poised to seize control of the awesome Wisdom Mask... And the planet Lorca itself.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>A series of vicious attacks by the enigmatic M'Dok Empire has devastated the planet Tenara -- bringing the U.S.S Enterprise™ and another Federation starship, the Centurion, to the planet's aid. The Centurion's captain is Lucius Sejanus -- a powerful, magnetic man who favors taking a far stronger stance against the M'Dok than Captain Picard. And as the conflict escalates, Sejanus's instincts seem to be correct...for it appears only extreme measures can stop the murderous raids on Tenara.  Now the people of Tenara must decide which pathe they will follow -- the way of peace, or the road to war. But unknown to any one of the Centurion's officers has made that decision for them -- and plans to provoke a full-scale war between the Federation and the M'Dok Empire!</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The "Enterprise" discovers a lifeless Federation research vessel, orbibting a planet hidden behind a mysterious energy shield. Over the strong objections of his senior officers, Captain Picard and an away team beam over in search of the missing crew --  And vanish.  But soon his captain's disappearance is not the only problem facing Commander Riker. For a mysterious disease has begun ravaging the "Enterprise" crew. Now Riker must uravel the secrets of the planet below in order to rescue Picard -- a prevent the starship's destruction.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Under the best circumstances, terraforming is a tough, dangerous task that pits the hardiest of pioneers against an unforgiving environment. When the terraformers on the planet Paradise fall behind schedule, commander Riker is given temporary leave from the U.S.S. "Enterprise"(TM) and sent to assist.  Riker's replacement on the Starship "Enterprise" is a volatile officer named Stone whose behavior soon raises questions about his ability and his judgment. Meanwhile, Commander Riker has become enmeshed in a life and struggle with Paradise's brutal landscape. However, he soon learns that not all of the planet's dangers are natural in origin -- as he comes face to face with Paradise's greatest danger and most hideous secret.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Unexplained gravitational disturbances summon Captain Picard and the "Starship Enterprise"TM to the planet Elysia, and the android Lieutenant Commander Data to a date with destiny. For on this alien world, he is drawn into an impossible quest, leading him to consequences both heartwarming and disastrous, as he finally dares to pursue his fondest desire: to become human.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When a crew from the Enterprise are beamed onto the planet Rampart - a world where works of fiction are considered the ultimate crime - they find themselves in the middle of a civil war. A war which will determine not only the future of the planet, but the life of Captain Picard as well. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>While searching for the <em>U.S.S. Huxley</em>, missing for more than 10 years, the <em>Enterprise</em>TM stumbles across a forgotten colony of humans on a planet called Rampart, where fiction and works of the imagination of any kind are considered a heinous crime. A survey team beams aboard the ship to search for "contraband," and the crew are drawn immediately into a vicious civil war between Rampart's mind police and a band of determined rebels. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The planet Kirlos -- an artificial world built by a mysterious long-dead race called the Ariantu. Kirlos is now home to many races from both the Federation and the K'vin Hegemony, who have enjoyed years of peaceful co-existence and profitable trade. The planet also hold a wealth of undiscovered archaeological treasures, which the "Enterprise(TM)" and its crew are dispatched to help uncover.  Sent to the surface to assist an archaeological team, Geordi, Data, and Worf soon find themselves cut off from the "Enterprise" -- and the prime suspects in a series of terrorist attacks. The three "Enterprise" crewmen are imprisoned, relations between the K'vin and the Federation begin to crumble, and Kirlos' ancient underground machinery awakens from a centuries long dormancy, primed to release the most powerful destructive force ever known.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>After several Federation and Klingon ships disappear while traveling a newly opened trade route, the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM is sent to investigate. Their quest leads Captain Picard and his crew to an eerie space graveyard full of ships of every size and description, all of them, dead in space. </p><p>At the center of the graveyard lies a huge, incredibly powerful artifact, constructed by an ancient alien race. And as the crew struggles to solve the mystery of the artifact, they unwittingly trigger its awesome power, a power that threatens insanity and death to all aboard the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>After several Federation and Klingon ships disappear while traveling a newly opened trade route, the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM is sent to investigate. Their quest leads Captain Picard and his crew to an eerie space graveyard full of ships of every size and description, all of them, dead in space. </p><p>At the center of the graveyard lies a huge, incredibly powerful artifact, constructed by an ancient alien race. And as the crew struggles to solve the mystery of the artifact, they unwittingly trigger its awesome power, a power that threatens insanity and death to all aboard the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>For three centuries the people of Alaj and the people of Etolos have been bitter enemies. However, when crippling disasters strike both worlds, each planet becomes the other's hope for survival.  With time running out, Captain Picard and his crew are called to negotiate a peaceful settlement and begin rescue efforts. But some factions would rather see both planets perish and will stop at nothing to prevent peace.  Soon the U.S.S. "Enterprise(TM)" crew is caught up in a web of intrigue and terrorism that culminates with an act of ultimate revenge against bother peoples -- revenge that will meant he destruction of two worlds and the U.S.S. "Enterprise."</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Dante Maxima Seven -- a world known to its inhabitants as Imprima. A world where "Madragi" -- huge social/economic entities wealthy beyond compare -- control the fate of millions..  Years ago, William Riker was part of the Starfleet delegation that opened Imprima to the Federation. Now the disappearance of an old friend -- Teller Conlon, who also served on that team -- draws Riker and the Enterprise(TM) across the galaxy, back to Imprima.  Because the jewel known as Fortune's Light -- one of " Madraga" Criathis's most priceless possessions -- has been stolen. And Teller Conlon stands accused of its theft. Now Riker must discover the truth behind the disappearance of both his friend and Fortune's Light, no easy task on a world where treachery and intrigue are commonplace...and where even an old friend's embrace may conceal the deadly bite of a dagger's blade.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The U.S.S. Enterprise is stunned when famed scientist Lynn Costa is murdered in one of the ship's science labs. She and her husband Emil were known as science's greatest ongoing collaboration and, together had received the Federation's highest honors for their achievements in scientific research. Determined to see the culprit brought to justice, Captain Picard assigns Lt. Worf and Counselor Deanna Troi to the case. Their routine investigation of the ship's science lab soon reveals a dangerous web of deceit, betrayal, and madness. Now, Worf and Troi find themselves struggling against a ruthless assassin set on revenge, for whom murder is only the beginning.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>Vendetta</strong> The Borg -- half organic being and half machine, they are the most feared race in the known galaxy. In their relentless quest for technological perfection, they have destroyed entire star systems, enslaved countless peoples, and, in a single brutal attack, decimated Starfleet's mightiest vesels. Only a final desperate gambit by Captain Picard and the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> crew stopped the Borg from conquering the entire Federation. And now they have returned. </p><p><strong>VENDETTA</strong></p><p><strong>In the bestselling tradition of <em>Metamorphosis</em> and <em>The Lost Years</em>, here is the newest Star Trek ® Giant Novel, a story of vengeance and obsession.</strong></p><p>Answering a distress call from a planet under attack by the Borg, the U.S.S. Enterprise crew meets Delcara, the lone survivor of an alien race the Borg obliterated. Blinded by hatred, Delcara seeks the ultimate revenge -- the complete destruction of her race's executioners. But the U.S.S. Enterprise crew learns that Delcara's vengeance carries a terrible price, for once unleashed, the destructive force she commands will annihilate not only the Borg, but countess innocents as well... </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>The Borg, half organic being and half machine, are the most feared race in the known galaxy. In their relentless quest for technological perfection, they have destroyed entire star systems, enslaved countless peoples, and, in a single brutal attack, decimated Starfleet's mightiest vessels. </p><p>Answering a distress call from a planet under attack by the Borg, the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM meets Delcara, the lone survivor of an alien race the Borg obliterated. Blinded by hatred, Delcara seeks the ultimate revenge, the complete destruction of her race's executioners. But the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em> crew learns that Delcara's vengeance carries a terrible price, for once unleashed, the destructive force she commands will annihilate not only the Borg, but countless innocents as well.END </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Eric Baldwin is the Federation's premier exologist, a specialist in all manner of alien life forms -- and one of Captain Picard's oldest, most trusted friends. But Baldwin's discoveries have made him enemies across the galaxy, and now he wants Picard to help him by erasing all traces of his existence.  but Picard soon finds himself with little time to worry about Baldwin's problems. For the "U.S.S. Enterprise(TM)." has suddenly become a strange and dangerous place -- a ship where assassins lurk in every corner, and even old trusted friends are not what they seem. Threats all masterminded by the strangest race of aliens Picard and his crew have yet encountered...</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When two powerful rival families of the spacefaring merchant race called the Tizarin are to be joined through marriage, the_U.S.S. Enterprise™_ is chosen as the site for the wedding. Though Captain Picard is pleased by the happy duty, his pleasure is cut short by the arrival of the Federation delegate from Betazed: Lwaxana Troi -- the mother of ship's counsellor, Deanna Troi. </p><p>Despite Lwaxana Troi's romantic overtures toward the captain, the celebration seems to go smoothly until the situation is further complicated by the arrival of the notorious and all powerful being called Q -- who has come to examine and challenge the human concept of love. Suddenly, the festivities are in turmoil, the powerful Tizarin families are on the verge of war, and Lwaxana Troi is determined to teach Q a lesson in love that he will never forget... </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Two powerful rival families of the spacefaring merchant race called the Tizarin are to be joined through marriage, and the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM is chosen as the site for the wedding. Captain Picard is pleased by the happy duty, but his pleasure is cut short by the arrival of the Federation delegate from Betazed, Lwaxana Troi, the mother of ship's counsellor, Deanna Troi. </p><p>Despite Lwaxana Troi's romantic overtures toward the captain, the celebration seems to go smoothly until the situation is further complicated by the arrival of the notorious and all powerful being called Q, who has come to examine and challenge the human concept of love. The festivities are thrown into turmoil, the powerful Tizarin families are on the verge of war, and Lwaxana Troi is determined to teach Q a lesson in love that he will never forget. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>To true Klingon warriors, no occasion is more sacred than the Day of Honor, when they pay homage to all that makes them Klingon. But honor demands its price.... Worf finds his honor tested when he goes undercover to infiltrate a planetary criminal network. How can he root out the corruption on Sindikash without resorting to deceit and treachery himself? Worf's dilemma is shared by his son Alexander, who searches for the true meaning of honor in his own human heritage. Along with his son, Worf must confront deadly danger -- and the inner struggles of his Klingon soul.</p>


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<div><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>It's Captain Picard vs. a rabid Klingon in this latest Trekfest.<br>Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p><em>Ship Of The Line</em> tells the story of the first voyage of the <em>U.S.S Enterprise™</em> NCC-1701-E, under the command of Morgan Bateson. Captain Bateson, a man from the 23rd century now living in the 24th, sees what no one else can see: that the Klingon Empire is building its forces and preparing to strike against the Federation. Seizing his one chance, Bateson takes the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em> on a mission to counter the Klingon threat, only to be thwarted by his enemy, a Klingon who has nursed a grudge against Bateson for decades. Standing in the way of Bateson's scheme and the Klingons' plan is Captain Jean-Luc Picard who, faced with the toughest decision of his career, must choose whether to take back command of the <em>U.S.S Enterprise</em> or let the torch pass to yet another next generation! </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When Lelys, ambassador of the plague-ridden colony planet of Orakisa, approaches the Federation seeking help for her dying world, the U.S.S. Enterprise speeds to the rescue. Captain Picard and his crew escort the Orakisan delegation to its long-lost sister-world, Ne'elat, where the ambassador and the Away Team are initially welcomed, but then endangered. As the Enterprise officers make their way through a web of planet-wide intrigue, time is running out the people of Orakisa and the inhabitants of their sister-worlds as well. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>When Lelys, ambassador of the plague-ridden colony planet of Orakisa, approaches the Federation seeking help for her dying world, the U.S.S. Enterprise speeds to the rescue. Captain Picard and his crew escort the Orakisan delegation to its long-lost sister-world, Ne'elat, where the ambassador and the Away Team are initially welcomed, but then endangered. As the Enterprise officers make their way through a web of planet-wide intrigue, time is running out the people of Orakisa and the inhabitants of their sister-worlds as well. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Every year, Starfleet Academy in San Francisco attracts many of the most talented and ambitious young people in the Federation. They come from all over the Alpha Quadrant, from hundreds of worlds and species, to prepare themselves for the challenges of the final frontier. </p><p>Meet a new generation of cadets: a newly joined Trill just beginning the first of many lives; a Bajoran Vedek who finds himself torn between his vows and an unspoken love; a reckless young man fond of pushing the limits; a feline alien raised among humans; a brilliant but immature young woman with a lot to learn; and a native-born Earth woman with a talent for engineering. </p><p>Together they will learn about courage, life, teamwork, and themselves. Their future is just beginning -- but one of them will not survive! </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Before he commanded the Starship Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard was the captain of the deep space exploration vessel, the "U.S.S. Stargazer," on an incredible twenty-two year voyage. Now Picard is reunited with his old crew for the first time in over a decade, on a mission to see his former first officer installed as ruler of the Daa'Vit Empire. The reunion turns deadly when a ruthless assassin begins eliminating the "U.S.S. Stargazer" crew one by one. Picard's present and former shipmates must join forces to solve the mystery of the Captain's past, before the killer strikes again.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Based on the epic two-part television episode, here now is the story STAR TREK™ fans have awaited for five long years, the story that bring together Spock -- the enigmatic Vulcan who personified the original, classic STAR TREK -- with the crew of the Next Generation. </p><p>Screenwriter Teri Taylor brings all the excitement and wonder that have captivated fans of the smash television series STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION™ to this story of Spock's forbidden journey into the heart of the Romulan Empire -- and the U.S.S. <em>Enterprise's</em> desperate attempts to discover the reasons for his mission there. </p><p>Join now with Captain Picard, Lieutenant Commander Data, and the rest of the Next Generation crew on a voyage of unsurpassed adventure, a voyage that brings them to the edge of history -- and forces them to confront a shattering betrayal! </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Picard and the <em>Enterprise</em>TM crew are sent to investigate what appears to be the defection of Ambassador Spock to Romulus. Captain Picard and Lt. Cmdr. Data disguise themselves as Romulans and are transported to Romulus. There they discover that Spock is actually attempting the reunification of Vulcan and Romulus, and working with a Romulan underground movement. Picard's Romulan nemesis, Command Sela, reappears and captures the Starfleet officers and the ambassador, all as part of a plan to conquer Vulcan. The three must escape from their Romulan prison and foil the Sela's plans for invasion.END </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On a routine mission to survey Domarus IV -- a class M world with no intelligent life -- a U.S.S. "Enterprise"(TM) shuttle crewed by Data, Troi and Wesley Crusher is captured by a race called the Tenirans who claim the world for themselves. As Captain Picard tries to negotiate with the captain of the Teniran ship, the shuttle suddenly disappears in a blaze of color and light.  Picard demands to know what's happened to the shuttle and its crew, but the Tenarins deny any part in their disappearance. Suddenly, Captain Picard vanishes from the bridge and finds himself alone on the planet's surface with the Tenarin captain. As the two captains begin to work together, they realize that they are not alone on Domarus IV as they confront an incredible alien force with the power to transform a world -- or to destroy it.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Answering a distress call, the U.S.S. Enterprise(TM) finds a damaged alien vessel -- the Freedom -- crewed by a race known as the Vemlans. Their captain, Jared asks for assistance in repairing his ship -- assistance Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise are only too happy to provide. But once begun, their relief efforts are interrupted by the arrival of an entire fleet from Vemla, who claim that Jared and his crew are escaped slaves -- and their property!  As Jared and his people plea for protection and the right to be free, Captain Picard is caught between the demands of his conscience and the dictates of the Prime Directive. And when the Vemlan fleet threatens to fight if the U.S.S. "Enterprise" doesn't stand aside, Picard must choose between the safety of his ship...and the annihilation of an entire race.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>While exploring a group of devastated class-M planets in a remote sector of space, the crew of the U.S.S. "Enterprise (TM)" is shocked to discover a group of human slaves on a forbidding, glacial world. When the slaves revolt against their human overseers, Captain Picard and his crew sympathize with the slaves plight but cannot interfere in the conflict.  After the revolt is a success, Captain Picard learns that both the slaves and the overseers were controlled by a mysterious bird-like race called the Tseetsk, who are coming to reclaim their property. With the time running out, the rebels kidnap Captain Picard and Counsellor Troi -- drawing the U.S.S. "Enterprise" into the middle of their deadly plan of vengeance.</p>


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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><p style="line-height: 18px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; text-align: left; ">The Jarada are a mysterious race of insectoid beings with an extreme devotion to protocol. When this usually reclusive race offer to open diplomatic relations with the Federation, Captain Picard and the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em><sup><span>TM</span></sup> are quickly ordered to Jarada to negotiate the exchange of Ambassadors.</p><p style="line-height: 18px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; text-align: left; ">The Jaradan ship arrives and the Jarada seen uncharacteristically friendly. They invite Picard to send down members of his crew and negotiations proceed both quickly and smoothly. Suddenly, however, the Jarada change. They cut off Commander Riker and his away team from the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em> and initiate an unprovoked attack on the ship. Picard must unravel the aliens’ mystery before it’s too late for the away team, and the<em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>.</p></span></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Years before they served together on board the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM, Commander William Riker and ship's counselor Deanna Troi had a tempestuous love affair on her home planet of Betazed. Now, their passions have cooled and they serve together as friends. Yet the memories of that time linger and Riker and Troi remain <em>Imzadi</em> - a powerful Betazoid term that describes the enduring bond they still share. </p><p>During delicate negotiations with an aggressive race called the Sindareen Deanna Troi mysteriously falls ill and dies. But her death is only the beginning of the adventure for Commander Riker, an adventure that will take him across time, pit him against one of his closest friends, and force him to choose between Starfleet's strictest rule and the one he calls <em>Imzadi</em>. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Years before they served together on board the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM, Commander William Riker and ship's counselor Deanna Troi had a tempestuous love affair on her home planet of Betazed. Now, their passions have cooled and they serve together as friends. Yet the memories of that time linger and Riker and Troi remain <em>Imzadi</em> - a powerful Betazoid term that describes the enduring bond they still share. </p><p>During delicate negotiations with an aggressive race called the Sindareen Deanna Troi mysteriously falls ill and dies. But her death is only the beginning of the adventure for Commander Riker, an adventure that will take him across time, pit him against one of his closest friends, and force him to choose between Starfleet's strictest rule and the one he calls <em>Imzadi</em>. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The planet Selva -- a lush colony world settled by a hardy group of humans, who found theplanet already inhabited by a small gang of young Klingons. When violence erupts between the two groupas, Captain Picard and the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> are sent to reder assistance. </p><p>Worf leads a landing party to the planet while the <em>Starship Enterprise™</em> is called away on another urgent mission. On Selva, Worf and his party find that the old hatreds and prejudices between humans and Klingons are revived, and the settlers are out for blood. Now, Worf must prevent a horrible massacre before all of them fall prey to Selva's deadly secret...and raging fury. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>The planet Selva is a lush colony world settled by a hardy group of humans, who found the planet already inhabited by a small gang of young Klingons. When violence erupts between the two groups, Captain Picard and the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM are sent to render assistance. </p><p>Worf leads a landing party to the planet while the <em>Starship Enterprise</em> is called away on another urgent mission. On Selva, Worf and his party find that the old hatreds and prejudices between humans and Klingons are revived, and the settlers are out for blood. Now, Worf must prevent a horrible massacre before all of them fall prey to Selva's deadly secret and raging fury. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>In the tradition of UNIFICATION, here is the story that fans of the original STAR TREK series and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION have been clamoring for -- Montgomery Scott's return to the Star Trek universe and his encounter with the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC 1701-D.</em></p><p>Missing in space for seventy-five years, Scotty manages to survive against incredible odds, only to be found by the crew of the <em>Starship Enterprise™.</em> Though rescued, Scotty soon finds himself lost in a world that he barely recognizes, a world that has passed him by... </p><p>But the adventure is not over for Captain Scott who must do the impossible when the new <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> faces a very old danger in a remote sector of space. This time, Captain Picard and his crew will need more than all of their courage and all of their skills to save the great Starship from destruction. This time, they will need a miracle worker. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>The U.S.S. <em>Enterprise</em>TM discovers the wreckage of a starship upon the monstrous surface of a Dyson sphere, an artificially-constructed habitat built around a star; and preserved in a weak transporter pattern is Starfleet engineering legend Montgomery "Scotty" Scott. Mr. Scott boards the Enterprise to find himself lost in a world that he barely recognizes, a world that has passed him by. </p><p>But soon the <em>Enterprise</em> finds itself trapped within the Dyson sphere and pulled into the star, and Scotty must work with Lt. Geordi La Forge to rescue the Enterprise. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>After two hundred years of civil war the planet Oriana is dying. Most of the surface vegetation is gone, the air is nearlyy unbreathable, and the people themselves are dying. Now, the two warring factions have finally sat down to talk peace, and Captian Picard and the U.S.S. <em>Enterprise™</em> are sent ot help them negotiate a settlement. </p><p>Picard, Lt. Worf, and Counsellor Troi beam down to Oriana, just as the Starship <em>Enterprise</em> is called away on another urgent mission. Alone on the planet, the U.S.S. <em>Enterprise</em> team learns that htere are people that would rather finish the devastating conflict than talk peace. Suddenly, Picard is accused of murder nad the delicate negotiations have fallen into the hands of Lt. Worf. </p><p>Now, Worf and Troi must unravel the truth and prevent planet-wide disaster, before time runs out for the people of Oriana and the crew of the Starship <em>Enterprise.</em></p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>After two hundred years of civil war the planet Oriana is dying. Most of the surface vegetation is gone, the air is nearly unbreathable, and the people themselves are wasting away. With hope nearly gone, the two warring factions have at last settled down to talk peace, and the <em>Enterprise</em>TM is sent to help them negotiate. Just after Picard, Worf, and Troi beam down, however, the ship is called away on another urgent mission, leaving them stranded alone with the Orianans, some of whom would rather not see a peace agreement reached. Picard is framed in a case of murder, and the negotiations fall to Worf. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>While answering a distress call from a scientific station in a remote part of the glaxy, the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> becomes infected with a mysterious alien life form which feeds on and transforms inorganic materials. </p><p>The Starship begins to gradually disintegrate, and Starfleet is forced to order its evacuation and destruction to prevent the dangerous infection form spreading throughout the galaxy. It's the end of an era for Captain Picard and his crew, who are scheduled for transfers that will split them up among different Starfleet vessels. </p><p>But even as the end draws neear for the <em>Starship Enterprise™,</em> Captain Picard begins to formulate a desperate plan to save his ship and preserve his crew -- a plan that will force him to defy Starfleet orders and lead him to a connfrontation with a malevolent alien force -- which has the power to destroy the entire Federation. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>While answering a distress call from a scientific station in a remote part of the galaxy, the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM becomes infected with a mysterious alien life form which feeds on and transforms inorganic materials. </p><p>The Starship begins to gradually disintegrate, and Starfleet is forced to order its evacuation and destruction to prevent the dangerous infection from spreading throughout the galaxy. It's the end of an era for Captain Picard and his crew, who are scheduled for transfers that will split them up among different Starfleet vessels. </p><p>As the end draws near for the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>, Captain Picard begins to formulat a desperate plan to save his ship and preserve his crew, a plan that will force him to defy Starfleet orders and lead him to a confrontation with a malevolent alien force which has the power to destroy the entire Federation. </p>

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<div><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>YA-Responding to an emergency medical call from a Vulcan archeological team digging on the desolate planet Iconia, the Enterprise arrives to find them murdered. Picard comes into possession of a powerful, ancient artifact, the Ko N'Ya. He and the crew of the Enterprise become caught up in the battle to possess this ruby gem, which leaves behind it a trail of blood as red as the devil's heart itself. In this tale of power and greed, aliens and humans alike are tempted by the endless power of the jewel. Carter has woven several individual story lines into a complex, textured, well-written plot and peopled it with three-dimensional characters. While the novel stands on its own, fans of ST:TNG will find it a rich reading experience.<br><em>John Lawson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA</em><br>Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When communications are cut off from a remote archaeological outpost, the crew of the <em>Enterprise</em> is sent to investigate, only to discover a ravaged outpost, a dying scientist, and a mystery involving a legendary object of power. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Hermeticus 2 -- a planet so shrouded in secrecy that few in the Federation even know of its existence. When a Romulan spy learns of the world, it becomes the centerpiece of a far-reaching Romulan plan. </p><p>On routine patrol neat the border of the Neutral Zone, the Starship <em>Enterprise</em>™ discovers an advanced Romulan Warbird prototype drifing lifeless in space. Investigating the vessel, Captain Picard isa dreawn into a plaot that threatens the very foundation of the Federation. Now, with time running out, Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. <em>Enterprise</em> must stop the Romulans before the deadly secret of Hermeticus 2 overwhelms them all. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Hermeticus 2 is a planet so shrouded in secrecy that few in the Federation even know of its existence. When a Romulan spy learns of the world, it becomes the centerpiece of a far-reaching Romulan plan. </p><p>On routine patrol near the border of the Neutral Zone, the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>TM discovers an advanced Romulan Warbird prototype drifting lifeless in space. Investigating the vessel, Captain Picard is drawn into a plot that threatens the very foundation of the Federation. Now, with time running out, Captain Picard and the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em> must stop the Romulans before the deadly secret of Hermeticus 2 overwhelms them all. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the "Starship Enterprise(TM)" has never been told.  UNTIL NOW.  The recurring blood feuds between the Bader and the Dorset ended mysteriously a century ago when both races colonized the planet Delta Sigma IV. But, unknown until now, it was a reaction to a naturally occurring gas that led to their harmonious existence...a reaction that would eventually mean certain death for the planet's inhabitants. What the "Enterprise" crew believed was a cure for the population -- a treatment introduced into Delta Sigma IV's environment by Kyle Riker, a man at odds with his son, Commander William Riker -- has instead triggered worldwide carnage, as long-suppressed aggression and hostility are suddenly and violently unleashed.  Caught in a world on the brink of self-destruction, Captain Picard -- a man still waging his own personal battle for redemption in the eyes of his commanding officers -- must somehow find a way to resolve this catastrophic event and save his crew, even as the implications of his actions may ultimately doom an entire race....</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise has never been told. UNTIL NOW. At the height of the Dominion War and unknown to all save those in the highest levels of command, the Federation secretly armed the neutral planet Tezwa with devastating weapons-part of a contingency plan against the Dominion if the front lines collapsed. But Tezwa also lies near the border of the Klingon Empire-making the Federation's covert strategy in direct violation of their fragile peace treaties, and creating the potential threat of scandal and all-out war. Now Tezwa's power-hungry prime minister is all too eager to flex his newfound military muscle, menacing a nearby Klingon border world. Sent on an urgent diplomatic mission, Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew are caught in the crossfire as the crisis quickly escalates. With time running out and billions of lives at stake, only one man can avert the looming disaster-Ambassador Worf, who must choose between his oath to the Federation and his loyalty to Martok, Chancellor of the Klingon Empire.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the "Starship Enterprise(TM)" has never been told.  UNTIL NOW.  A cataclysmic war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire has been miraculously averted, and a new government is finally in place on the planet Tezwa. But deadly secrets still threaten the fragile peace accord.  Rebels still loyal to the old Tezwa regime have captured Commander Riker and are willing to kill to achieve their goals...the Orion Syndicate is interfering in the rebuilding -- and may also be involved in much more than that. But the most devastating revelation of all threatens the very foundations of the Federation itself -- leaving Captain Picard to possibly face the very conflict that he labored so hard to prevent....</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise has never been told. UNTIL NOW. Following the scandalous Tezwa affair, the Federation president's resignation forces an election, with the future of the United Federation of Planets to be determined by who emerges victorious from a hotly contested vote. But it is the fate of the entire galaxy that may actually be decided on Qo'noS, as the Federation embassy is seized by terrorists whose actions expose intrigue reaching the highest levels of Klingon government-and it will take all of Ambassador Worf's skills to keep the fragile Federation-Klingon alliance from collapsing. And while this potential intergalactic chaos looms, Commander Riker finds his plans for command and marriage soured by a brutal, high-level inspection of the ship from which the crew may not escape unscathed.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>"THE YEAR IS 2360 She was trained to be a killing machine. Abandoned as a child, without home or family, past or future, Zetha survived only by her own cunning in the back alleys of Romulus before being taken by the Tal Shiar and remade into one of its deadliest weapons. But Zetha is about to undertake a mission unlike any in her experience. The mysterious return of a virulent scourge thought to be long extinct threatens devastation on a scale almost too horrific to contemplate. Zetha's only hope of stopping it is across the Neutral Zone -- among the enemies of Romulus. Now Admiral Uhura, centenarian chief of Starfleet Intelligence, must decide what to do with the knowledge Zetha has risked her life to bring to her. In order to stop the spread of the disease that is already ravaging the Romulan Empire, Uhura must assign a hand-picked team of Starfleet officers to covertly trace the contagion to its source -- and do whatever is necessary to contain it. But the world awaiting Lieutenant BenjaminSisko, Lieutenant Tuvok, Dr. Selar, and Zetha herself is a hot zone of secrets, deceptions, and subtle machinations revealing an imminent holoca</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>In the wake of the events of "Star Trek: Titan", in Book One: "Taking Wings", relations between the Federation, The Klingon Empire and the Romulans remain fragile. Refugees are requesting asylum within the Federation, requiring delicate negotiations whose outcome could prove as deadly as any starship combat. As public opinion about the continued tenability of the Federation/Klingon alliance goes south, Federation councillors unhappy with the solution brokered by Captain. Will Riker in Titan begin power plays of their own against the fledgling Bacco administration. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Keith R.A. Decandido is a top genre author whose tie-in novels for Pocket include several Star Trek titles across all series as well as Buffy the Vampire Slayer novelizations. He is also known for his Star Trek: The Next Generation comicbook miniseries Perchance to Dream, and is the editor of several science-fiction and fantasy anthologies. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>On the planet Xhaldia, ordinary men and women are mutating into bizarre creatures with extraordinary powers. But is this a momentous evolutionary leap or an unparalleled catastrophe? The very fabric of Xhaldian society is threatened as fear and prejudice divide the transformed from their own kin. </p><p>Dispatched to cope with the growing crisis, Captain Picard and the crew of the <em>Starship Enterprise™</em> receive some unexpected visitors from another reality -- in the form of the group of mutant heroes known as the uncanny X-Men®. Storm, leader of the X-Men, offers their help in resolving a situation that is agonizingly similar to the human/mutant conflicts of their own time and space. </p><p>But when hostile aliens appear in orbit around Xhaldia to try and abduct the transformed for use as a superpowered force in an attack on the Federation, even the combined forces of the crew of Starfleet and the X-Men may be unable to prevent an inferno of death and destruction. </p><p>Starfleet's finest crew and Earth's greatest mutant heroes will need all their powers and abilities to save the Xhaldian people and stop a deadly threat to the Federation. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Michael Jan Friedman</strong> is the author of nearly sixty books of fiction and nonfiction, more than half of which bear the name <em>Star Trek</em> or some variation thereof. Ten of his titles have appeared on the <em>New York Times</em> bestseller list. He has also written for network and cable television, radio, and comic books, the <em>Star Trek: Voyager®</em> episode "Resistance" prominent among his credits. On those rare occasions when he visits the real world, Friedman lives on Long Island with his wife and two sons. </p><p>He continues to advise readers that no matter how many Friedmans they know, the vast probability is that none of them are related to him. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>There's a bar called "The Captain's Table," where those who have commanded mighty vessels of every shape and era can meet, relax, and share a friendly drink or two with others of their calling. Sometimes a brawl may break out but it's all in the family, more or less. Just remember, the first round of drinks is always paid for with a story...even if you're Jean-Luc Picard. </p><p>For more than two hundred years archaeologists and treasure hunters have dreamed of Dujonian's Hoard, a fabled trove of priceless historical artifacts that may contain technology that will shift the galactic balance of power. A dream was all the hoard seemed -- until a former Starfleet officer goes in search of the treasure and turns up missing. Now everyone from Romulans to Cardassians to an enigmatic female starship captain is looking for Richard Brant, including Worf and Captain Picard, who have gone deep undercover on a secret Starfleet mission to rescue Brant, if he's even still alive.... </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The unpredictable cosmic entity known only as Q has plagued Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>™ since their very first voyage together. But little is known of Q's mysterious past or that of the unearthly realm from which he hails. Now Picard must learn Q's secrets -- or all of reality may perish! </p><p>Ever since its discovery, the great galactic barrier has impeded humanity's exploration of the universe beyond the Milky Way. Now a brilliant Federation scientist may have found a way to breach the barrier, and the <em>Enterprise</em> is going to put it to the test. The last thing Picard needs is a return visit from an omnipotent troublemaker so, naturally, Q appears. </p><p>But Q has more in mind than his usual pranks, and while the <em>Enterprise</em> struggles to defeat a powerful inhuman foe, Captain Picard must embark on a fantastic odyssey into the history of the Q Continuum itself, with the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The puckish super-being called Q has bedeviled Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>™ since their first encounter at Farpoint Station. But little was known of Q's enigmatic past or that of the transcendent plane where he sometimes dwells. Now Picard must discover Q's secrets -- for the sake of all that exists. </p><p>While the <em>Enterprise</em> struggles to survive an alien onslaught, Captain Picard has been kidnapped by Q and taken on an astounding journey back through time to that immeasurably distant moment when the Continuum faced its greatest threat. But far more is at stake than simply the mysteries of the past, for an ancient menace is stirring once more, endangering the future of the galaxy, and neither Q nor Starfleet may be able to stop it! </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The mischievous creature who calls himself Q has subjected Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>™ to many of their strangest experiences. But little had been known of Q's curious existence or that of the advanced dimension from which he comes. But now Picard knows more than he ever dreamed about an ancient conflict whose consequences might spell the doom of the entire galaxy. </p><p>The galactic barrier has fallen and Q's oldest enemy is free once more. Captain Picard and his crew find themselves in the middle of a cosmic war between vastly powerful entities. The future of the Federation may be at stake, but how can mere mortals turn the tide in such a superhuman battle? Picard has to find a way, or neither the Q Continuum nor the galaxy will survive. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>From the Gamma quadrant they came -- hordes of fierce Jem'Hadar warriors commanded by the mysterious Changelings, who will stop at nothing to achieve victory over both the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon(TM) Empire. Now that the Dominion has entered into an unholy alliance with the Cardassian military regime and seized control of "Deep Space Nine"(TM), Starfleet finds itself fighting a losing war against unbeatable odds. As mighty fleets clash in the deadly battleground of space, the fate of the entire Alpha Quadrant hangs in the balance.  The "Enterprise"-E is patrolling the Cardassian border, bracing for the joint Dominion-Cardassian offensive that Starfleet knows will come soon, when Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew are reunited with a former crewmate, friend, and enemy: Ro Laren. The onetime officer, who defected from Starfleet to join the rebel Maquis, brings disturbing news. Deep behind enemy lines, the Dominion is attempting to build an artificial wormhole that will allow them to bypass the mined Bajoran wormhole and bring fresh reinforcements into the Alpha Quadrant, altering the balance of power irrevocably. If Captain Picard cannot stop the project, the new wormhole will guarantee the ultimate victory of the Dominion!</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>From the Gamma Quadrant they came, hordes of merciless Jem'Hadar soldiers commanded by the shape-changing Founders, who seek to conquer both the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. Now that the Dominion has joined forces with the Cardassians, and claimed "Deep Space Nine" as their prize, Starfleet is running out of time. As a secret military project nears completion, the destiny of the entire Alpha Quadrant depends on the courage of a few. In the Federation's time of greatest peril, as the "Starship Enterprise" readies itself for battle, Captain Jean-Luc Picard leads a desperate mission of espionage deep into the heart of the hostile Cardassian Empire. Unless they can prevent the Dominion from creating an artificial wormhole, hordes of fresh Jem'Hadar warriors and Changelings will pour into the Alpha Quadrant, dooming the Federation to unconditional surrender. But there may be a traitor along on the mission and Picard finds he cannot trust even his closest allies.</p>


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Sur la planète natale de Deanna Troi, le mot Imzadi désigne l'âme sueur. Jadis, pour Deanna, il ne s'appliquait qu'à un homme : le commander William Riker. Hélas, le temps a éloigné les amoureux. Aujourd'hui, Troi éprouve pour le commander Worf un très doux sentiment. Mais qu'y a-t-il de commun entre une empathe bétazoïde et un guerrier klingon ? " Rien ! ", répondrait volontiers Riker. Pourtant, une profonde relation semble exister entre son ténébreux ami et son ancienne compagne. L'heure des remises en question et des déchirures aurait-elle sonné ? Ou est-il temps de réveiller la braise qui couve sous les cendres ? Par Peter David, une aventure inédite des héritiers d'une saga où l'homme dépasse l'homme.


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Two hundred million kilometers across, with a surface area that exceeds that of a quarter-billion worlds, the Dyson sphere is one of the most astounding discoveries the Federation has ever made. Now the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> has returned to explore the awesome mysteries of the sphere. Intrigued by what is possibly the greatest archaeological treasure of all time, Captain Jean-Luc Picard hopes to discover the origin of humanoid life throughout the galaxy -- or perhaps the ultimate secret of the Borg.</p><p>But when a neutron star approaches on a collision course with the sphere, a mission of discovery becomes a desperate race against time. The many sentient species inhabiting the sphere face extinction -- can even the <em>Starship Enterprise</em> save them all? </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Like the twisted strands of mutant chromosomes, an insidious alien conspiracy winds its way through the entire Alpha Quadrant, just as it stretches across several years of Starfleet history -- beginning near the very start of Captain Picard's command of the <em>Starship Enterprise™!</em></p><p>It is only the first year of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em>-D's ongoing mission when a virulent epidemic strikes the populace of Archaria III, endangering the lives of thousands and provoking acts of mob violence against those believed responsible for the spread of the disease. While Data and Natasha Yar team up to uncover the true origins of the virus, Dr. Crusher finds that the implacable sickness resists all her efforts to find a cure. The desperate quest for a cure becomes even more urgent when Deanna Troi succumbs to the dreaded plague...again and again. </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p>Chapter One </p><p>Stardate: 41211.0 Captain's Log, Supplemental </p><p>The_ Enterprise_ continues on its mission to Archaria III, a planet jointly colonized by humans and Peladians. A new disease has cropped up, terrifying the inhabitants. So far, more than five thousand cases have been confirmed. </p><p>The only drug at all effective in treating this disease is a rare compound called Tricillin PDF, which seems to prolong life, though only for a week at most. The <em>Enterprise</em> will deliver a supply of the drug, quarantine the planet, then stay to oversee research into finding a cure. </p><p>" -- And render whatever aid the Archarians require until the emergency is over," Captain Picard said, leaning forward at the conference table and gazing at each of his senior staff in turn. </p><p>William Riker, Geordi La Forge, and Worf looked uncomfortable at the mention of the plague, and he didn't blame them; he had always felt ill at ease when faced with intangible dangers. Deanna Troi looked deeply concerned, and Dr. Crusher looked...intrigued? <em>She has dealt with plagues before,</em> Picard reminded himself. <em>She knows how to contain them.</em></p><p>The persistent low rumble of a starship at maximum warp filled the room. None of his crew spoke. <em>They feel the tension building already,</em> he thought. </p><p>"Captain," Dr. Crusher finally said, "I may have to bring samples of this virus aboard the <em>Enterprise</em> for study, and perhaps a few patients." </p><p>"Understood, Doctor. So long as all necessary security precautions are maintained, I see no problem. In the meantime" -- he slid a data padd across the conference table to her -- "the doctors of Archo City Hospital have prepared a full report, which you may find useful." </p><p>"Thank you." She pulled the padd in front of herself and began skimming the opening remarks. </p><p>"Something else is troubling you, sir," Deanna Troi said softly. </p><p>Picard hesitated, then gave a curt nod. Best to get it out in the open. "What disturbs me most is the thought that this whole problem may be of our own manufacture...a biological weapon." </p><p>"Impossible -- how could that be?" Riker said, shaking his head dismissively. "Legalities aside, it's against everything the Federation stands for!" </p><p>"We do have treaties with most sentient races which prevent the development and use of biological weapons," Data said. "With all due respect, sir, the deployment of a genetically designed plague on a remote agricultural world such as Archaria III seems highly unlikely." </p><p>"Not necessarily," Picard said. He cleared his throat. "Archaria III is in many ways a throwback to human civilization two or three hundred years ago. It was settled by religious zealots early in the twenty-second century, and although they have largely come into the Federation's fold, old prejudices and resentments still bubble to the surface from time to time." The room was quiet for a moment while Picard allowed his point to sink in. </p><p>Riker finally broke the silence. "Sir, if I may ask, what is it that leads you to conclude this disease is a weapon?" </p><p><em>"Might</em> be a weapon, Number One. A radical political group called the Purity League claims the plague is an act of God against 'blasphemous unnatural unions.'" </p><p>Riker gave him a blank stare. "Sir?" </p><p>Picard cleared his throat. <em>How to phrase this delicately.</em> He said, "The Purity League is opposed to interspecies mating -- 'mixers' as they call such people." </p><p>Again the rumble of the ship's engines filled the room. <em>They can't believe it, either,</em> he thought. <em>Humanity is supposed to be beyond such prejudices.</em></p><p>He noticed that Deanna Troi, half human and half Betazoid herself, hid her inner feelings behind a mask of professional calm. He would have given a lot to know her true reaction. Undoubtedly she was even more shocked and horrified than he had been. </p><p><em>To think that some humans are still capable of such petty resentments...</em></p><p>He forced himself back to the problem at hand. "Mixers -- or anyone else suspected of adulterating the purity of the human race -- are treated as second-class citizens in many places on Archaria III," he continued. "Officially such prejudices are prohibited, of course, but in the backwater towns discrimination apparently still runs rampant. Only in the half-dozen large cities do humans and Peladians work and live together with something approaching harmony. In the country, things have apparently become so bad that most full-blooded Peladians now live in isolated enclaves surrounded by their own kind." </p><p>Riker said, "That sounds like a ghetto system." </p><p>"It is. Those of mixed heritage are even less fortunate, since they belong fully to neither the human nor the Peladian world. They were relocating to the cities in record numbers -- until the plague struck. Now they're fleeing into the countryside once more, living like vagabonds in tent camps." Picard looked down at his clenched, interlaced fingers resting uneasily on the table. He didn't bother to feign relaxation. Sometimes it was good for the crew to see him share their anger. </p><p>Deanna Troi asked, "How many people of mixed blood are on the planet?" </p><p>"Nobody is quite sure. Estimates range from between 150,000 and 200,000 people. Obviously, those mixers who most closely resemble humans hide the truth to avoid conflict with the Purity League." </p><p>Data said, "I am aware of the Purity League, sir. The Federation has monitored their activities for many years, but has deemed them a minor nuisance with little actual influence." </p><p>"Their influence is growing," Picard said firmly. The private reports he had read gave alarming statistics; according to confidential surveys, fully half of the planet's human population harbored feelings of support for the Purity League, though the League's actual membership numbers were open to conjecture. It was certainly in the tens of thousands if not the hundreds of thousands. </p><p>He went on. "The Purity League's leader, Father Veritas, is using the plague as a rallying point for anti-alien sentiment. Apparently Veritas is responsible for inciting dozens of race riots in the last few months. The whole planet is in turmoil. The nonhuman population -- and especially the partly human population -- is running scared. The plague's growth has only served to make the situation worse." <em>"Veritas," indeed,</em> he thought, grimacing. <em>If ever there was a misnomer...</em></p><p>"Sir," said Deanna Troi, "Archaria III has a long history of interspecies problems, including wars, assassinations, and racism. Its history is part of several planetary evolution courses at the Academy. I believe everyone here has studied it to some degree." </p><p>A general murmur of agreement came from the rest of his senior staff. Picard found himself surprised -- it hadn't been part of the curriculum when he had studied at the Academy -- but he was pleased. <em>They're keeping up with the times.</em></p><p>"That is correct, sir," said Data. "It was settled in 2102 by a human sect of religious fundamentalists called the Brotherhood. Seven years later, these human settlers encountered Peladian settlers, who had colonized the planet almost simultaneously." </p><p>Picard had never seen a Peladian and knew little about them, beyond the fact that they were humanoid, militant about privacy, and generally considered pacifists...except when provoked. </p><p>Data went on, "After a series of small wars, as the two sides got to know each other, peaceful relations and coexistence began. According to the information I have accessed, with the increasing agricultural importance of Archaria III their differences were largely put aside, in favor of economic cooperation." </p><p>"That is the public story," Picard said. He folded his arms and frowned a bit. "There have always been tensions. Until Father Veritas and the Purity League burst onto the scene sixteen years </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Like a strand of mutating DNA, a deadly conspiracy winds its way through the entire Alpha Quadrant, just as it stretches across several years of Starfleet history -- even to the Cardassian space station that will someday be known as <em>Deep Space Nine™.</em></p><p>A virulent plague has stricken Terok Nor, striking down both the enslaved Bajorans and Cardassian oppressors, who blame each other for the growing epidemic. Dr. Katherine Pulaski, late of the <em>Starship Enterprise™,</em> must work with the tyrannical Gul Dukat, as well as a rebel spy named Kira Nerys, to discover the true source of an infection that threatens them all! </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p><strong>Chapter One</strong></p><p>Terok Nor. Its name was as dark as its corridors. He actually found himself seeking the light, but carefully. Oh, so carefully. Sometimes his cloak malfunctioned, and he was seen. Partially, like a heat shimmer across desert sand, or an electronic memory buried in an old computer. But he was seen. </p><p>He didn't dare make that mistake here. The General didn't tolerate mistakes from his agents. </p><p>He stood in the shadows just to the left of the main entrance to a place called Quark's Bar. The area the Ferengi bartender had called the Promenade lay before him, turning away to the right, bending with the shape of the station design. The walls were gray, the floors gray, everything was gray. The Cardassians had made no effort to decorate this place. Even the bar seemed dismal. </p><p>He shuddered and drew his cape around his body. He was glad he wouldn't have to stay here too long. This Terok Nor reminded him of his prison cell. He had lost too many years of his life there. He had spent too much time staring at gray metal walls, dreaming of escape. The metal walls, the ringing sound of boots against hard surfaces, the stench of fear -- impossible to hide, even though the Cardassians kept their Bajoran prisoners separate from the rest of the population -- permeated the place. If he shut his eyes, his other senses would find nothing to distinguish Terok Nor from that hideous cell, from that prison he had finally left. The prison had changed him -- made him bitter, made him wiser, made him more careful. </p><p>Oh, so careful. </p><p>Two Cardassian guards walked the wide passage. Their gray skin matched the depressing decor. The only thing that seemed wrong to him was the heat. By rights this station should have been as cold as its walls, but it wasn't. The heat was thick and nearly unbearable. He didn't know how anyone could stand being here for long. The heat also accentuated the smells: the processed air, the unwashed bodies, the Rokassa juice wafting out from the bar. The sensations were almost too much for him. </p><p>He reminded himself that Terok Nor was the perfect testing ground. Two races, living in close proximity, with others coming and going. Their petty differences didn't matter. That one race kept the other prisoner, that one made the other labor in uridium processing were merely details. The important factor was much larger. </p><p>Terok Nor was the perfect testing ground for the General. A closed system, for the most part. But anyone entering the system -- or departing the system -- would leave a record. A trail he could follow, should he so choose. </p><p>He didn't choose at the moment. </p><p>Now he was most interested in Terok Nor itself. </p><p>To his right in the bar, crowds of uridium freighter pilots and crews shouted and laughed, the sounds echoing off the high ceilings. A few moments before, he'd been in there sitting at the bar, watching. </p><p>Waiting. </p><p>Trying to stay cool and block out the uridium smell with the odor of one of the pilots' Gamzian wine. But it hadn't helped, and besides, he couldn't see that well or hear that clearly with his cloak on. </p><p>A clang from the far end of the Promenade caught his attention. One of the Cardassian guards had dropped his phaser pistol, then grabbed the wall as if for support. The other guard bent over him, then glanced from side to side, as if worried that a Bajoran might see and take advantage. </p><p>He was too far away to hear their words. The first guard shrugged the other off. The second guard picked up the pistol and spoke on his communicator. Two guards who had apparently been patrolling just out of his line of sight ran toward the far end of the Promenade. </p><p>The first guard put an arm around the second, who again shrugged him off. The second tried to stand, and nearly collapsed. The first guard supported him, and together they walked along the walls, keeping as far out of sight as possible. </p><p>He felt excitement flash through him, and he tamped it down. He couldn't let his emotions interfere with his observations. This might be nothing. It was a bit early to see results. He hadn't expected anything so soon. </p><p>The guards passed him. He had to press himself against the gray metal so that they wouldn't brush him. They weren't conversing, although he wished they would. He wanted to know exactly what had happened. </p><p>He needed to know. </p><p>He had moved to follow the guards, but the Promenade gave him no cover. So he remained in the shadows. </p><p>He would wait here, in the heat and the stench, just as he had done in his cell. He was good at waiting, especially when he knew it would end. And it would end. </p><p>Soon he would get his answer. </p><p>Copyright © 1999 by Paramount Pictures </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Like the biological weapons they employ, a sinister conspiracy has spread across the Delta Quadrant and across many years of Starfleet History. Now the mysterious menace surfaces again -- to strike at the heart of the Romulan Empire. </p><p>An artificial virus has infected the entire Romulan ruling family. Ambassador Spock must put aside his efforts at unification to summon his old friend, Dr. Leonard McCoy, who discovers that the only hope for a cure lies with a long lost Romulan heir whose blood and tissues have not been contaminated by the virus. But can the heir be found before the collapse of a ruling dynasty throws the entire Empire into chaos? </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p><strong>Chapter One</strong></p><p>"ATTENTION! THIS IS A STARFLEET SPECIAL SECURITY TY FORCES EVACUATION SQUAD! WE ARE ABOUT TO LAND A DIPLOMATIC COACH AND FIVE FIGHTER ESCORTS. ALL CIVILIANS MUST CLEAR THE COURTYARD IMMEDIATELY! ANYONE REMAINING WILL BE STUNNED AND REMOVED TO A SECURITY BRIG! ALL PERSONS...ATTENTION!...THEY'RE NOT CLEARING OUT. CAN THEY EVEN HEAR ME? PERRATON, IS THE TRANSLATOR ON? PECAN, GET YOUR WING BACK INTO FORMATION! WHERE'S THE BROADCAST GREENLIGHT? WHAT KIND OF DUNSELS INSTALLED THIS SYSTEM?" </p><p>"AH, PERRATON HERE...STILES, BE AWARE THE BROADCAST SYSTEM IS GREEN AND TRANSLATING. YOU JUST CALLED THE WHOLE PLANET A BUNCH OF DUNSELS." </p><p>"SHUT IT DOWN!" </p><p>"OAK ONE, THIS IS BRAZIL. FORMATION'S SHIFTING STARBOARD. THE EMBASSY'S GOT A BIG GARGOYLE ON IT AND I'M ABOUT TO CLEAN ITS TEETH." </p><p>"LATERAL THRUST. ABORT LANDING PATTERN -- PERRATON, WOULD YOU RED THE P.A. BEFORE I COUGH UP A LUNG?" </p><p>"Copy that. Public address speakers are shut down. Fighter formation's still too cramped for diamond grid, Stiles. Acorn just bumped a water tower." </p><p>"All wings, pull up! We'll modify formation and try our approach again. Did the whole city hear us arguing?" </p><p>"They heard <em>you</em> arguing." </p><p>"Ahhh, I should've become a medic...Nuts, Oak One. Go to Ruby formation. Pecan, move two degrees port. Brazil, get off his tail. Acorn, keep your wings trim. Why can't you people hold a hover grid?" </p><p><em>"Oak One, Acorn. It's not us. Stiles, it's you. You have to put the coach down and vertical your stabilizers to give us enough room to land in that courtyard."</em></p><p>"Stabilizers...I hate stabilizers...I was supposed to go in for multi-vehicular flight school this week, but nooo, I had to grab a mission. Listen up! I'll land the coach first, then all wings settle around me five seconds later. Keep it sharp!" </p><p><em>"What's the matter with you, Stiles?"</em> Pilot Andrea Hipp's German accent seemed crisp over the comm. <em>"This isn't synchronized swimming, you know."</em></p><p>"I said no chatter! The ambassador's watching!" </p><p>A prattle of aye-ayes settled the issue for the moment, but did nothing for Eric Stiles's stomach, or his icy fingers, or his tingling feet. This command stuff left a lot to be wished for. And his hair was in his eyes...he was looking through a blond curtain. Didn't help. </p><p>On the screens of his fully carpeted cockpit, Stiles saw the platinum glitter of the Federation Embassy at PojjanPiraKot seem to rise up to meet him. Actually, he and the coach he piloted were descending into the brick city courtyard, but the illusion of a floating building disoriented him briefly. On the secondary side monitors, the five fighter escorts regrouped into Ruby formation and found the space to wiggle into the brick court, settling around the main coach vessel like baby ducks crowding a drake. </p><p>"Doesn't look like I expected it to," he commented. "What are those metal bands on all the buildings?" </p><p>"The city's all reinforced." Ensign Travis Perraton's blue eyes peered with fresh curiosity at a smaller monitor as he adjusted the coach's shields to let them land, irritating Stiles with his eternal good mood. "They've got some kind of gravitational problem on this planet. All the buildings have had to be structurally rebuilt over the past few years since it started." </p><p>"What kind of gravitational trouble?" </p><p>"Something like high tides or earthquakes, I guess. That's what I've heard, anyway." </p><p>Stiles wanted to comment, but was busy settling the coach onto its extender pads. The fantasy of brilliant artisanship in moving spaceborne vessels into an atmosphere and landing them in a surefooted, graceful manner had shriveled in his hands. At least that part was over. He trembled with irritation as the system's check barberpoled. Perraton had managed to clear the belly shields. Otherwise, the coach would've sat in the air like a beachball on the water -- and probably rolled over. </p><p>"You're down," Perraton confirmed. "You can unclench now." </p><p>"I'm fine!" </p><p>"Yeah, sure you are. You worried about coming in shielded for the whole twenty hours it took us to get here from the starbase." </p><p>Stiles bristled at the suggestion that he wasn't in control. "Emergency diplomatic evacuations have certain <em>regulations</em> attached. Not getting a second chance is just <em>one</em> of the assumptions. Evac regs <em>assume</em> the situation is hostile and precautions have to be -- " </p><p>"Don't quote the book." </p><p>"Give me a view of the whole courtyard." </p><p>Screens around the cockpit flashed views of all six lander pads with irritated civilians scooping dirt out of huge potted plants and dumping it on the ship's pads. So much for respect. </p><p>"Are they throwing rocks?" Stiles asked. </p><p>"It's garbage." Eying the same screen, Perraton stood up and pulled on his torso armor, buckling the padded vest over his chest. "Some of 'em are throwing balls of mud from those pots." </p><p>Stiles straightened. "Secure the coach and scramble the evac squad. Nuts, Oak One. Remain in your cockpits. Do not get out, understood? Sit tight and let Oak Squad flush the dignitaries. I'll escort Ambassador Spock personally." </p><p><em>"They're pushing on my struts. Our light-stun phasers can -- "</em></p><p>"Negative!" Stiles broiled. "Let 'em crowd you. Keep finger shields activated in case they touch the wings. And all of you shut up! I don't want the ambassador to hear the slightest disrespect." </p><p><em>"Oh, we respect you. Don't you respect him, Cashew?"</em></p><p><em>"I drip respect."</em></p><p>"As you were!" </p><p><em>"As I was? Did I change? I like me this way. Did you change, Acorn?"</em></p><p>"Animals," Stiles grumbled. "I'd like to get you disrespectful slugs on starship duty for five minutes, just five minutes..." He buried himself in padded insulation as he pulled his flak vest over his head, then slipped into his gauntlets, adjusted his sidearm, and led Perraton out into the coach's main seating area. </p><p>Here, six other members of Oak Squad were already suited up and looking at him from inside their red-tinted helmet shields. Travis Perraton, Jeremy White, Bill Foster, Dan Moose, Brad Carter, Matt Girvan -- their names and faces swam before his eyes like a manifest, and for a moment he thought the blood was rushing out of his head. Midshipmen and ensigns, all in training for what would eventually become specialties, for now they were assigned to Starbase 10 in the Security Division, under their senior ensign -- Stiles. At twenty-one, Eric Stiles was the old man of the outfit. Perraton was next, at twenty years old and forty-two days junior to Stiles' ensign stripes. Knowing that they had heard the ribbing he took from the wings, Stiles felt his face flush. He had to lead the mission. He'd gotten himself into this on purpose. He had to address them as a commander. Nobody to hide behind. They'd seen the landing. His dream of a crisp textbook military approach and regulation landing had gone up in an ugly puff. Now the squad members were blushing and snickering, burying grins, trying not to look right at him -- that was hard to take! </p><p>"Heads up." His voice cracked. "There's a riot going on outside. Some kind of local political trouble. The embassy is beam-shielded, so we have to go in the security door. As we approach, the guard will drop the door shields. We'll have to go in and come out in single file. We're going to put the dignitaries between us, at two or three in a row. There are about twenty of these people, so the seven of us'll be just about right. I'll go last, with the ambassador right in front of me. He's the primary person to guard, and if he gets so much as a hangnail, somebody's gonna answer to me in a dark alley. After we go -- shut up, Foster!" </p><p>"I didn't say anything!" Bill Foster protested. </p><p>"Quit snickering! This is...this is -- " </p><p>"Serious," Perraton supplied. </p><p>"I know, Eric," Foster muttered. </p><p>"You call me 'Ensign,' mister!" </p><p>"Aye aye, Ensign Mister." </p><p>"I want this mission to go like clockwork! I don't want a single twitch that isn't in the rule book! Don't snicker, don't slip, don't do anything that isn't regulation!" </p><p>A hand was pressed to his shoulder and drew him backward a step on the plush carpet. </p><p>"Everything'll go fine, Eric," Perraton mildly interrupted. "We're ready when you are." His short dark hair was buried under a white helmet with Starfleet's Delta Shield printed on the forehead, now obscured by the raised red visor. The shield glowed and sang at Stiles. Starfleet's symbol. </p><p>And Stiles had to make it look good. In the wake of Perraton's mental leashing, the symbol now lay heavily upon him. If he couldn't yell at his men, how would he keep them in shape? </p><p>He huffed a couple of steadying breaths, but didn't lower his voice. Now that he'd gotten up to a certain level of volume, it was hard to reel in from that. He took a moment to survey the squad -- bright white helmets, black leggings, white boots, red chest pads against the black Starfleet jumpsuits, and the bright flicker of a combadge on every vest. Elbow pads, chin guards, red visors...looked fair. Good enough. </p><p>Time to go. </p><p>"There are riots going on," he repeated, "but so far nobody's tried to breach the embassy itself. Our job is to clear a path between the coach and the embassy and get all Federation nationals out. These people don't have a space fleet, but their atmospheric capabilities are strong enough to cause a few problems. I won't consider the mission accomplished until we're clear of the stratosphere. When we get out of the coach, completely ignore the people swarming around unless they come within two meters or show a weapon. Clear?" </p><p>"Clear, sir!" Carter, Girvan, Moose, and Foster shouted. Perraton nodded, and White raised his rifle. Had they accented the "sir" just a little too much? </p><p>Stiles stepped between them and the hatch. "Mobilize!" </p><p>Perraton took that as a cue, and punched the autorelease on the big hatch. The coach's loading ramp peeled back and lay neatly across the brick before them. Instantly the stench of burning fuel flooded the controlled atmosphere inside the coach. At Stiles's side, Perraton coughed a couple of times. Other than that, nobody's big mouth cracked open. Stiles led the way down, his heavy boots thunking on the nonskid ramp. </p><p>They broke out onto a courtyard of grand proportions with colonnades flanking it on three sides and the diplomatic buildings on the fourth side -- a battery of fifteen embassies, halls, and consulates. Most of them were empty now. The Federation was the last to evacuate. Two of the colonnades were in ruins; part of one was shrouded in scaffolding while being rebuilt. Most of the buildings showed signs of structural damage, but generally the Diplomatic Court of PojjanPirakot was a stately and bright place, providing a sad backdrop for the ugliness of these protests. </p><p>A quick glance behind showed him the positions of the five fighters landed around the coach. Their glistening bodies, streamlined for both aerodynamics and space travel, shined in the golden sunlight. There was Air Wing Leader Bernt Folmer, their best pilot, code "Brazil," parked like a big car in front of Greg "Pecan" Blake. Behind the coach the tail fin of Andrea Hipp's "Cashew" fighter caught a glint of sun. On the other side, hopefully parked nose to tail, were Acorn and Chestnut, brothers Jason and Zack Bolt -- but Stiles didn't bother to check their position. He only hoped they were in sharp order. </p><p>All around were angry people waving signs, some in a language he didn't understand, others scrawled in English, Vulcan, Spanish, Orion Yrevish, and a few other languages familiar from courtesy placards all over Starfleet Command where multitudes wandered. </p><p>The ones in English jumped out instantly before Stiles's racing mind. OUT ALIENS...LEAVE OUR PLANET...GET OUT STRANGERS...ALIENS UNWELCOME...CURSE ALIENS ALL.... </p><p>Some of the people were calling out in English, too, though clumsily and without really understanding the arrangement of nouns and verbs. The anti-alien message, though, arrowed directly through to the team. </p><p>To the music of enraged shouts from the people rattling gates and creating a din by banging small silver knives on the iron posts, Oak Squad broke into a jog and flooded into a broad shield of sunlight glaring between the embassy and the consulate next door. The doorways and lintels were heavily reinforced with titanium T-girders, and titanium bands swept around every building, two on each story, like shiny ribcages. Stiles glanced around at his squad, making sure nobody pulled ahead of the formation. This had to be crisp. The ambassador was watching from some window inside that embassy. Everybody was watching. </p><p>Fifty meters... </p><p>Oak Squad thundered forward relentlessly, their phaser rifles tight against their chests. As Stiles led his men across the patterned brick, he saw that just the raw heat from the coach's VTOL thrusters had scorched some of the bricks nearly black and pitted them beyond repair, destroying the geometric design in the historic courtyard. </p><p>His boots felt secure and thick as he crunched over the litter of broken glass, smashed fruit, and rocks that had been thrown by the rioters, who were now milling around the fighters and the coach. These Pojjan people were stocky and thick, with strong round cheekbones and bronze complexions tinged with an olive Patina, reminding Stiles of Aztec paintings seen under a green filter. They wore various clothing from the men's ordinary shirts and pants or the women's shiftlike dresses to the brightly beaded tribal tunics and leggings he'd seen on travel posters. </p><p>The travel agencies might as well rip those posters up. Nobody was going to want to come to this dump anymore. </p><p>He cast the rioters a threatening glance or two, but although some were touching the ships' landing struts, they weren't doing anything destructive. Not yet anyway. If anything happened, the escort pilots would zap them. So he kept moving forward at a pace, letting the natives swerve out of his way. He led the squad manfully through a large puddle of fuel, some of which was still gulping out of a discarded and dented container. Their boots splattered it and freshened the stench. </p><p>Thirty meters. </p><p>Cries of anger, protest, and insult at Starfleet's intrusion into their courtyard grew louder, as the squad jogged across the brick plateau. Stiles didn't understand the Pojjan language, but some of these people were shouting in English or Vulcan and waving get-out-of-town banners in English, apparently smart enough to know how to get to the Federation personnel. </p><p><em>It's getting to me. I'm allowing it to shake me. Just do the job, get the people out of the embassy, into the coach and lift off. Ignore the crowd. Just ignore them.</em></p><p>At his right elbow, Travis Perraton was watching a gang of Pojjan teenagers on the other side of the embassy fence. A flash of flame -- the teenagers were lighting up a fuel-soaked towel. </p><p>"They can't throw that this far, can they?" Blake asked from behind Stiles. </p><p>"They don't have to," Perraton said. "We're jogging toward puddles of kerosene." </p><p>"Gasoline," Midshipman Jeremy White corrected from the flank. </p><p>"Stinks," Dan Moose added, then cast to the man on his left, "Make room, Foster." </p><p>"Sorry." </p><p>"Bag the noise," Stiles snapped, turning his head briefly to the right. "Don't splash through the gas. If we get it on our uniforms, we're in big trouble." </p><p>And that was his error -- that one glance over his shoulder. A stunning force struck his left shin just below the kneepad, driving his entire leg out behind him. Blown forward by the force of his own movement, Stiles let out a single strangled yell, leaped forward over a slick of gasoline, and crashed to the bricks just beyond the slick. Though he evaded the gas, he slid sidelong into a pile of garbage dumped on the courtyard. Managing to thrust his arms out, he somehow kept from landing on his phaser rifle, which instead clattered to the brick and butted him in the face shield, then scratched across his bared jaw. If his visor had been up, the rifle would've taken out his teeth. </p><p>A blunt force rammed into his lower back -- a boot -- as Carter tumbled over Stiles, crumpling to the bricks on top of the garbage. Carter rolled and ended up on one knee. </p><p>With his jaw and knee throbbing, Stiles tightened his body, twisted onto his side, and brandished his weapon at the laughing crowd as his face flushed with humiliation. They were laughing at him. His fantasy of a clockwork mission had just cracked and blown up before his eyes. </p><p>Bile rose in his throat, a rashy heat down his legs. His lungs tightened as he felt slimy garbage soak into his uniform and the stench of petroleum knot his innards. The sky wheeled above him, cluttered with white helmets and flashing red visors reflecting the afternoon sun. </p><p>Smiling, Perraton reached to pull him to his feet. "Nice going, lightfoot." </p><p>"Don't help me!" Stiles blurted. </p><p>As if bitten, Perraton retracted his hand. Stiles rolled to his feet, now smudged with the gummy remains of garbage and mudballs. </p><p>When he got to his feet, Stiles staggered a few steps in the wrong direction and was forced to endure the foolish chicken-scratch of turning around and struggling back to the front of his squad, and the further embarrassment of realizing his men were deliberately slowing down so he could get in front. He slammed his way between them, elbowing Perraton and White cruelly out of his path. He didn't need their charity! </p><p>At the gates, two Pojjan guards immediately opened the iron grid and let them in without a word. The embassy's medieval-looking carved wooden door, three guys wide and set between two gargoyles, also opened automatically. </p><p>No, not automatically -- this door was manual. Another guard or servant of some nationality Stiles didn't recognize was now peeking around the door's iron rim like a shy cow peeking out of a barn. He was an elderly man, with bent shoulders and bright green eyes set in a jowly dark face with stripes painted on it. More tribal weirdness. </p><p>Moving further into the heavily tiled foyer, Stiles suddenly felt ridiculously out of place. The foyer was splendid, its mosaics of gold-and-black chipped stone and glossy ceramics portraying some kind of historic battle scene and the coronation of somebody. Must be from way back, because this wasn't a monarchical culture anymore. </p><p>Was it? </p><p>The guard pushed the big door shut and swung a huge titanium bolt into place to lock them safely inside, then turned to the clutch of evac troopers and gasped, "One minute! I'll get the ambassador's assistant!" </p><p>And he disappeared into a wide archway that was two stories tall. </p><p>Oak Squad stood in the middle of the gorgeous tile floor, their uniforms scuffed and stinking, and looked around. </p><p>"I'd hate to be the guy who cleans the grout," Perraton commented. </p><p>White grunted as he scanned the mosaic on the ceiling. "How long you think we'll have to wait?" </p><p>"Not long," Stiles filled in. "They called for us to come get them, so they're probably ready to leave. And they're Vulcans, so you know they're efficient." </p><p>"How do you know they'll be stiffs?" Moose asked. </p><p>"Because Ambassador Spock's a st -- a Vulcan. They like to have their own kind around. They understand each other better than we do." </p><p>"Oh, right," White drawled. "They do everything better than we do." </p><p>Stiles scoured him with a glare. "Don't start on me, Jeremy." </p><p>He turned away, but in his periphery he noted Perraton's quick motion to White, erasing any further annoying comments. </p><p>Though they stood in this wide foyer feeling dirty and small, they were not alone. Sounds of footsteps and voices leaked from the depths of the embassy halls, and twice Stiles saw ethereal forms slip from one office to another. Did they trust him to get them out safely? Had they seen the botched choreography of the landing? Did they wonder whether the ensign in command was competent enough to handle this? </p><p>He gripped his phaser rifle until his hands hurt and shifted from foot to foot, halting only when a young woman -- a human -- skittered through the grand main door and into the foyer. Stiles didn't pay attention....The small-boned woman, with tightly wrapped brown hair, tiny pearl earrings, and a twitch in her left eye, went directly to the tallest of them -- Jeremy White -- and breathily said, "I'm Miss Karen Theonella, Ambassador Spock's deputy attaché. Are you Ensign Stiles?" </p><p>She had a tight foreign accent that sounded Earth-based, but Stiles couldn't pinpoint the country. </p><p>"He's over there, ma'am," White told her, and gestured. </p><p>Stiles stepped through the cluster of Starfleeters and took his helmet off, revealing his sweat-plastered blond hair. "Eric Stiles, ma'am. I'm here to evacuate the entire embassy. Nobody should be left behind." </p><p>"We understand." Miss Theonella rubbed her tiny pink palms as if kneading bread dough between them. "All embassy envoys, functionaries, ministers, delegates, and clerks will be going, as well as four Pojjana defectors who lost their homes in the last Constrictor. They're being given asylum here and we have clearance for them to be evacuated with us. In all there are thirty-five of us." </p><p>"Thirty-five!" Perraton blurted. Then he instantly clammed up, but the number twenty kept flashing in his eyes like beacons. </p><p>How could seven of them safely escort thirty-five dignitaries through fifty meters of rioting? </p><p>"We're prepared, ma'am," Stiles shoved in, more loudly than necessary, before anyone else could speak up. "About the landing...the ambassador is probably wondering why we were so...out of formation...." </p><p>"What?" Miss Theonella's white temples puckered and her brows came together like pencil points. "We can't see the courtyard from here. There are only reception rooms on the court side of the building. Was there some reason you wanted us to be watching you? Was there a signal?" </p><p>He stared at her, caught between relief and disappointment that nobody had been watching. "Uh...no, no signal." </p><p>Preoccupied, the thin young woman simply said, "Continue to wait here, please, Ensign. I'll get the ambassador." </p><p>Again the evac squad stood alone, holding their rifles, standing in the middle of the gleaming tile floor, listening to the drumming chants of angry people outside in the square and trying to imagine how they were going to hustle thirty-five dignitaries through that. The unpleasant possibility of rushing half of them out to the coach, then coming back for the second group -- Stiles winced. Two trips through that courtyard full of alien-haters? Was that safer than one big rush? If he ordered two separate groups, would the angry people see that as their last chance to get them and attack the second group? </p><p>"Wonder why they hate aliens," Dan Moose voiced. </p><p>Stiles noted that his men were looking at the windows and doors, but his own eyes were focused on the long hall of offices into which Miss Theonella had disappeared. The ambassador was in there somewhere. </p><p>All the men turned to face the hall to their left as a crowd of elegant dignitaries bobbed toward them. In the midst of them was the tall, instantly recognizable figure of the famous Ambassador Spock. </p><p>Bow? Kneel? Handshake? </p><p>"Don't faint! Eric, stand at attention!" </p><p>Perraton's anxious whisper boomed in Stiles's ear like a foghorn. </p><p>"Stand at attention!" </p><p>"Attention...." Stiles planted his boots on the tile, but wasn't able to get them together. He squared his shoulders, raised his chin, held his breath, clutched his rifle, and forced an appearance of adept steadiness and control. Cool. Calm. Military. Crisp. In control. In charge. Confident. Smelly. </p><p>The ambassador and his party approached them, but Spock wasn't looking at them. Instead his dark head was bowed as he spoke to Miss Theonella, who was clipping along at his side. The ambassador listened, nodded, then spoke again while a male attendant slipped a glossy blue Federation Diplomatic Corps jacket onto the boss's shoulders. </p><p>The sight was a shock -- Stiles had expected the flowing ceremonial robes that Vulcan seniors were usually seen wearing, but now that he saw Spock in the trim gray slacks and dark blue jacket with the UFP symbol on the left side, that outfit seemed to make more sense for a spaceborne evacuation. Robes might be harder to handle on boarding ramps and in tight quarters. </p><p>Why hadn't he thought of that? </p><p>Though Spock -- tall, narrow, controlled -- possessed all the regal formality common to his race, his famous form was somehow less imperious in person than Stiles had anticipated, his angular Vulcan features more animated, and framed by the fact that he was the only Vulcan in the bunch. Of course, Stiles had only seen still photos or staged lecture tapes. Seeing Spock in real life was very different -- he wasn't stiff at all. </p><p>As they approached, he could hear Miss Theonella's thready voice. </p><p>"...and the provincial vice-warden will be sending his prolocutrix as proxy to speak for the entire hemisphere at Federation central. Also, sir, the consul general's wife and children are waiting in the Blue Room, and Chancellor De Gaeta's wife is in his office." </p><p>Miss Theonella finished her sentence just as she and the ambassador and their party came into the foyer. </p><p>"Thank you, Karen, very good work," Ambassador Spock said gently, countering her quivering report with his silky baritone voice. "Suggest to the Sagittarian military attaché that he post a Pojjana communications, sentry, and that person must speak both Bal Quonnot and Romulan." </p><p>That voice! That famous voice! Stiles had been hearing it all his life! Historical documentaries, training tapes, mission interactives, holoprograms -- now he was here, in person, right in the same room with that voice! </p><p>"This is Ensign Stiles," Miss Theonella added with a gesture. "And the evacuation escort men, sir." </p><p>The ambassador scanned the team, then fixed his gaze at Stiles. Directly <em>at</em> him. Right in the eyes! He was looking right at him! </p><p>Those eyes -- like blades! Black blades! </p><p>Stiles tried to take a breath, but all he got was a gulp of garbage fumes from his soaked trouser leg. As his lungs seized up, he felt the boink-boink of Perraton's finger poking him in the back. </p><p><em>Report, you idiot!</em></p><p>"Ev...Evacuation Squad reporting as you requested, sir! Ensign Eric J. Stiles, Starfleet Special Services reporting, sir! One G-rate transport coach, evacuation team, and five fighter escorts, sir!" </p><p>The ambassador's black-slash brows went up like bird's wings. The chamber fell to silence. Stiles' fervid report echoed absurdly. </p><p>Calmly Spock said, "At ease, Ensign." </p><p>His deep mellow voice took Stiles utterly by surprise. </p><p>"Aye aye, sir!" Stiles choked. </p><p>"We'll be ready within five minutes," the ambassador told him fluidly, then turned to the attendant who'd put the jacket on him. "Edwin, please bring out the consul general's family and Mrs. De Gaeta and turn them over to Ensign Stiles." </p><p>"Right away, Ambassador." </p><p>As the man left, Spock turned again to Miss Theonella. "You have our records and diplomatic pouches? The legal briefs and service files? Personnel manifests?" </p><p>She held up a stern black pilot's case with a magnetic lock, hanging from a strap on her shoulder. "All here, sir." </p><p>"Very well. We should also bring the jurisdictional warrants. They could be confiscated and used to gain passage into restricted areas." </p><p>"I'll get them, sir." </p><p>"No, I'll get them." The ambassador turned to leave, then paused and gazed briefly at the tiled floor, thinking. "Stiles..." </p><p>"Here, sir!" </p><p>Spock looked up at the inflamed response. Coolly he repeated, "At <em>ease,</em> Ensign." </p><p>Stiles shivered, glanced at Travis Perraton, and again met the ambassador's eyes. "Yes, sir...." </p><p>"Are you by chance related to -- " </p><p>"Yes, sir! I am, sir! Starfleet security commander John Stiles, Retired, is my grandfather, sir! He served with you under Captain James T. Kirk, Stardates 1709 to 1788 point 6 as Alpha-Watch navigator aboard the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise,</em> NCC 1701, commissioned stardate -- " </p><p>"I recall the ship, Ensign." </p><p>"0h...oh...aye, sir...." </p><p>"You have a long line of Starfleet service of officers in your family heritage, I also recall." </p><p>"Yes, sir! Several active-duty servicemen lost in the Romulan Wars, sir! A captain, two lieutenants, two -- " </p><p>"Commendable, Mr. Stiles. Carry on." Spock turned to the little gaggle of people behind him and said, "All of you please stand by until everyone else arrives. Then you'll take your instructions from Ensign Stiles as to how you will arrange yourselves during the actual evacuation. As you know, the building is beam-shielded, and therefore we must go out the door and board the transport coach on foot. Unfortunately, our general safety compromises our safety during emergency evacuations. Karen, keep them in order. I will return momentarily." </p><p>With that he disappeared down a different hallway and into an office leaving a confused clutch of embassy persons standing here in the foyer, wide-eyed and obviously frightened. By nature, the two groups divided to opposite sides of the foyer, embassy folks over there, Oak Squad over here. </p><p>Stiles let himself be tugged aside, and barely registered the low mutters of his men around him through the afterglow of his meeting with Spock. </p><p>"Beam-shielding," Matt grumbled. "There's planning. What if they had to get out under more dangerous conditions than mudballs and molotovs?" </p><p>"It's beam-shielded so assassins or terrorists can't beam in." </p><p>"Why couldn't they make it one-way?" </p><p>"Too unstable. Sucks too much energy to maintain over time." </p><p>"Doesn't matter. We'll get 'em out. Eric'll carry them all on his back if he has to." </p><p>"If he doesn't choke up a lung first." </p><p>"We'll be lucky if he doesn't make us bow backward out of the room." </p><p>The team laughed. A cluttered sound, muffled...like a storm coming. </p><p>Beside Stiles, Perraton raised his helmet visor and smiled with genuine sympathy. </p><p>"You okay, Eric?" he asked. </p><p>Stiles felt his lips chapping as he breathed in and out, in and out, like a landed fish. He'd just met his hero and he didn't know if he'd liked it. </p><p>And it wasn't over. In fact, it was just beginning. He'd have to do everything perfectly from now on. No more botched formations. No more stammering. He had to be perfect. Smooth. </p><p>"Ease up, lightfoot," Perraton suggested privately. "He's just a guy." </p><p>"Just a guy," Stiles rasped. "He's a hero, Travis...a Starfleet icon...the first Vulcan in Starfleet...Captain James Kirk's executive officer...I've heard every story a hundred times all my life -- do you know how many times he participated in saving the <em>whole</em> Federation? And even the Klingon Empire?" </p><p>"Doesn't matter now. Anyway, the hard part's over. You met him, you survived, and the experience didn't suck out your brains. He was a Starfleet man for half a century. He knows the drill. So get a perspective. Here he comes." </p><p><em>Do the job. Do the job.</em></p><p>The ambassador flowed back into the foyer, now carrying a slim red folder and followed by more than a dozen people and his attendant Edwin. Suddenly the foyer was swarming with civilians. At least they were mostly adults, a few teenagers -- Stiles didn't relish the prospect of herding toddlers through that mess out there. He stiffened as the ambassador came directly to him. </p><p>"We're ready, Mr. Stiles." </p><p>"Yes, Sir...how would you like to do this?" </p><p>Spock handed the folder to Miss Theonella. "Pardon me?" </p><p>"I...I figured you'd have some preference about...what order you want them in and...how to do it." </p><p>The ambassador thought about that briefly, his dark eyes working, as if he hadn't considered such an option. After a moment he vocally shrugged. "Your mission, Ensign." </p><p>Over Spock's shoulder, Perraton smiled and gave Stiles a thumbs-up. </p><p>Sustained by that, Stiles forced himself to rise to the demand. "Uh...if you people would form a line, two by two, and Oak Squad situate yourselves between them, uh, one every...uh -- " </p><p>He paused, tried to do the math, but couldn't remember how. His brain <em>had</em> been sucked out! </p><p>Maybe he wouldn't have to count and add and divide -- his men were already arranging themselves into position. Perraton was taking the lead, and motioning the others into the queue at intervals. </p><p>"I'll take the rear guard," Stiles said. "Ambassador, would you mind coming back here with me, sir?" </p><p>"Thank you, Ensign, I will." </p><p>"All right, let's -- no, no, you can't do the door." Stiles motioned to the funny-looking butler who was still standing his post at the door, waiting to open it for everybody. "Travis, put that man in line behind Girvan and you do the door. Then fall in." </p><p>"Copy that." </p><p>"Okay, phaser rifles ready." </p><p>"Ready!" his men shouted. </p><p>"Rifles up!" </p><p>"Up!" </p><p>"Very well!" </p><p>Stiles took one more look at Ambassador Spock's steady form in line before him, at the large UFP shield printed on the back of the blue jacket. The stars of the United Federation of Planets swam before his eyes. </p><p>He drew a breath. His voice echoed under the high tiled ceiling </p><p>"Mobilize!" </p><p>Copyright © 1999 by Paramount Pictures </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Like intertwining filaments of human and alien DNA, a ruthless campaign of revenge has threaded its way through the galaxy, touching billions of sentient beings -- and changing forever the life of Lieutenant Thomas Riker.  Tom Riker, an identical duplicate of the "Starship Enterprise's(TM)" first officer, is serving as a Starfleet medical courier when he encounters a group of Maquis renegades, led by a former Starfleet officer named Chakotay. A planet in the Demilitarized Zone, now controlled by the Cardassians, has been stricken with the same deadly disease that has plagued the Alpha Quadrant for years, and only Riker can get the medical supplies the Maquis so desperately need. But the Cardassians would rather destroy all life on the planet than risk letting the epidemic spread!</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The world Capulon IV is finally ready to join the Federation aften years of waiting. All that remains is the ruler's coronation and a routine signing of the final treaty. When the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>™ and their passengers -- a group of women from a religious order dedicated to helping the downtrodden -- arrive for the event they expect to find a world willing and happy to receicve them. Instead, they encounter deceit and treachery. The crown prince, once excited and eager to join the Federation, now refuses even to speak with Captain Picard.</p><p>Beaming to the surface in an attempt to work out the problem, Picard, Troi, and Mother Veronica, the abbess of the nuns, are drugged and captured. Now they must somehow excape and stop the crowning. If they cannot prevent it, the King will be omnipotent, with the power to destroy the <em>Starship Enterprise</em> and all of Capulon IV as well... </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>™ receive news of a human planet hidden in the center of an immense stellar cloud, they immediately investigate.</p><p>Penetrating the cloud, the Starship crew is shocked to discover a world of knights and serfs lifted right out of Earth's Middle Ages. Ruthlessly exploiting the planet is a ring of intersellar trophy hunters preying on the immense, native dragon-lizards twentey-feet tall and armored like tanks.</p><p>Beaming down, an away team soon becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and murder. Taken prisoner, Picard, Riker, Data and Ro must somehow escape and stop the hunters or face destruction from the hunters' weapon, based on an advanced technoloy capable of utterly annihilating the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>™. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>When Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM receive news of a human planet hidden in the center of an immense stellar cloud, they immediately investigate. </p><p>Penetrating the cloud, the Starship crew is shocked to discover a world of knights and serfs lifted right out of Earth's Middle Ages. Ruthlessly exploiting the planet is a ring of interstellar trophy hunters preying on the immense, native dragonlizards, twenty-feet tall and armored like tanks. </p><p>Beaming down, an away team soon becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and murder. Taken prisoner, Picard, Riker, Data, and Ro must somehow escape and stop the hunters or face destruction from the hunters' ancient weapon, based on an advanced technology capable of utterly annihilating the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>. </p>

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<div><h3>From</h3><p>A gripping <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation</em> tale hearkening back to the original TV series episode, "Mirror, Mirror." That was the one in which Captain Kirk encountered his brutal alter ego in a parallel universe, a place where only the alternative Spock showed any humanity. Here, the alternative <em>Enterprise</em> draws Captain Picard's vessel into its alternative space, bent on capturing it and staffing it with a look-alike crew--all to spearhead an invasion of the Federation. Deanna Troi, Geordi La Forge, and Captain Picard outwit the scheme by transporting aboard the other <em>Enterprise</em> and turning its technology against the would-be conquerors. Here's where Duane's novel turns clever, with Picard assuming his doppelg„nger's role and discovering--among other things--just how malicious and threatening a Betazed can be and how bitter the alternative Dr. Crusher can be in the role of the "captain's woman." There's also a particularly nasty alternative Riker and a noble alternative Worf. The true Picard maneuvers his ship back into Federation space, but the alien follows; there's some manipulation of hyperstrings (with the help of a spacegoing dolphin) to send the bad <em>Enterprise</em> back where it belongs. Another capable entry in this series that always seems to be better than one would expect. <em>John Mort</em></p><h3>From Kirkus Reviews</h3><p>A Star Trek: The Next Generation yarn from the fantasist (The Door into Sunset, p. 28) and veteran of numerous Star Trek hardcovers. Duane's first stab at a Next Generation tale is based on an old Star Trek episode, <code></code>Mirror, Mirror,'' in which Kirk, Scott, and Uhura were propelled into a parallel universe where the Federation was a ruthless empire; their personal counterparts, with whom they had exchanged places, turned out to be brutal barbarian warriors bent on conquest and loot. This time, the Enterprise--with Hwiii, a dolphin scientist, aboard--is switched into the same universe visited by Kirk, and finds itself confronted by a counterpart Enterprise, bristling with weapons, of superior speed and power. Now Captain Jean-Luc Picard must defeat his evil twin and prevent the invasion planned by the other, malign, Federation. Anyone who saw the original episode knows more or less what to expect. Given the large first print run, the publishers obviously expect demand to be brisk--but, workmanlike, unsurprising, and mediocre as it is, will it play in Peoria? (First printing of 200,000) -- <em>Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.</em></p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Long before Captain Jean-Luc Picard took command of the legendary <em>Starship Enterprise,™</em> he fell deeply and hopelessly in love with Doctor Beverly Crusher. Though, for one reason or another, Picard never acted on his feelings, he found a measure of contentment as Beverly's close friend, colleague, and daily breakfast partner. </p><p>But when Doctor Crusher leaves her position on the <em>Enterprise</em> to become the chief medical officer of Starfleet, the brightest light in Picard's life is taken from him. And he has hardly resigned himself to his loss when he learns that Beverly has been declared missing in action on a distant planet -- and presumed dead. </p><p>Kevratas is a bleak, frozen world on the far side of the Romulan Neutral Zone where the Federation has become the plague-ravaged natives' only real hope of survival and freedom. Starfleet has no recourse but to send in another team to try to save the Kevrata -- and Picard is the natural choice. Critical to the success of his mission are two colleagues who served under him when he commanded the <em>Starship Stargazer</em> -- Pug Joseph, a man with a past to live down, and Doctor Carter Greyhorse, who has served time for attempted murder -- as well as a Romulan who left his people years earlier and never expected to return. Together, they follow the trail of Beverly Crusher to Kevratas, determined to succeed where the doctor failed. </p><p>On the Romulan homeworld, meanwhile, the political vacuum created by the demise of Praetor Shinzon has been filled by his staunchest supporter, Senator Tal'aura. But there are those who oppose her, including Commander Donatra and the warbird fleets under her command, because of the way Tal'aura has mishandled rebellions on the Empire's subject worlds. </p><p>And one rebellion in particular; the movement for self-determination on frigid Kevratas. </p><p>So begins a desperate struggle -- not only for the freedom of the long-oppressed Kevrata but also for the soul of the Romulan Empire. Before it's over, destinies will be forged and shattered, the Empire will be shaken to its ancient foundations, and Jean-Luc Picard's life will be changed...forever. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Michael Jan Friedman</strong> is the author of nearly sixty books of fiction and nonfiction, more than half of which bear the name <em>Star Trek</em> or some variation thereof. Ten of his titles have appeared on the <em>New York Times</em> bestseller list. He has also written for network and cable television, radio, and comic books, the <em>Star Trek: Voyager®</em> episode "Resistance" prominent among his credits. On those rare occasions when he visits the real world, Friedman lives on Long Island with his wife and two sons. </p><p>He continues to advise readers that no matter how many Friedmans they know, the vast probability is that none of them are related to him. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Captain Jean-Luc Picard, his ship repaired, must now reassemble his crew. With the departure of both William Riker and ship's counsellor Deannna Troi, the captain must replace his two most trusted advisors. He chooses a Vulcan, a logical choice, and for his new first officer, Worf. But the Klingon refuses the promotion and the new ship's counsellor appears to actively dislike Worf. A simple shake-down mission should settle everything. Except that once again, the captain hears the song of the Borg collective. Admiral Janeway is convinced that the Borg have been crushed and are no longer a threat. Picard believes she is wrong, and that if the Enterprise doesn't act the entire Federation will be under the domination of its most oppressive enemy. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>J.M. Dillard is the author of numerous Star Trek novels, including the movie novelisations GENERATIONS, FIRST CONTACT, INSURRECTION and NEMESIS, and the bestselling non-fiction pictorial history WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Nearly two decades ago, Jean-Luc Picard took command of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> NCC-1701-D. The captain knew it was an honor without equal. His new command bore the name of <em>Enterprise.</em> The people who had commanded other like-named starships had gone down in Starfleet's annals. Some officers would be intimidated, but they would not have been given command of <em>Enterprise.</em></p><p>On her first mission, the <em>Enterprise</em> was sent to Farpoint Station. A simple, straightforward investigation. Perfect for a crew that had never served together. Then there was Q. An omnipotent lifeform that seemed bent on placing obstacle after obstacle in the ship's -- and in particular in Picard's -- way. And it hadn't ended with that first mission. When he was least expected, Q would appear. Pushing, prodding, testing. At times needling captain and crew with seemingly silly, pointless, and maddening trifles. Then it would turn all too serious, and the survival of Picard's crew was in Q's hands. </p><p>Why was it today that Picard was remembering the day he took command of the <em>Enterprise</em>-D? Now he commanded a new ship, the <em>Enterprise</em>-E. His crew was different. There was nothing about Gorsach that in the least resembled Farpoint. But Picard couldn't shake the feeling that something all too familiar was going on. All too awful. All too Q. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Keith R.A. DeCandido</strong> was born and raised in New York City to a family of librarians. He has written over two dozen novels, as well as short stories, nonfiction, eBooks, and comic books, most of them in various media universes, among them <em>Star Trek, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Marvel Comics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, Resident Evil, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, Farscape, Xena,</em> and <em>Doctor Who</em>. His original novel <em>Dragon Precinct</em> was published in 2004, and he's also edited several anthologies, among them the award-nominated <em>Imaginings</em> and two <em>Star Trek</em> anthologies. Keith is also a musician, having played percussion for the bands the Don't Quit Your Day Job Players, the Boogie Knights, and the Randy Bandits, as well as several solo acts. In what he laughingly calls his spare time, Keith follows the New York Yankees and practices <em>kenshikai</em> karate. He still lives in New York City with his girlfriend and two insane cats. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Like a lethal bacillus coursing through the bloodstream of the galaxy, a fiendish master plan has spread death and terror across the 24th century -- until two heroic captains risk everything to stamp out the evil at its source! </p><p>For more than a decade, since the very beginning of the <em>Starship Enterprise's™</em> mission, unknown enemies have unleashed a string of deadly biological weapons throughout the Alpha Quadrant, inflicting ghastly epidemics upon the Romulans, the Cardassians, the Bajorans, and even the Federation. Now, at long last, Captain Jean-Luc Picard joins forces with Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the <em>Starship Excalibur</em> to track down and confront the hidden architects of the plagues -- and avenge the deaths of thousands! </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>An insidious plot for revenge has spanned several years in the life of Jean-Luc Picard, but how did this merciless vendetta get started? Like a double helixcurling back on itself, the final answer lies at the very beginning...</p><p>A series of terrorist attacks have heightened tensions between two alien races, bringing an entire sector to the brink of interplanetary war. While Picard,captain of the <em>U.S.S. Stargazer,</em> struggles to keep the peace, Lieutenant Commander Jack Crusher must team up with a Vulcan officer named Tuvok to uncover the hidden architect of the attacks, but the outcome of their quest would breed dire consequences for the future. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The legendary Starfleet Captain Lucien Murat, a contemporary of Christopher Pike, disappeared during a battle with the alien Tarn. Now, generations later, Captain Picard is conducting delicate diplomatic negotiations with the Tarn when the <em>Starship Enterprise™</em> discovers the descendants of Murat and his crew stranded on a desolate planet, still fighting a war that ended decades ago. </p><p>The human castaways face destruction, but more than these precious lives are at stake. Unless Picard can find a solution, a lost hero's legacy may ignite a new era of interstellar war! </p>

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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>As fans of <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation</em> know, Q is the omnipotent extradimensional entity who so often causes whimsical havoc on the <em>Starship Enterprise</em> and elsewhere--for example, by helpfully introducing Captain Picard and his crew to the menacing Borg collective. Now this petulant demigod's first-person story is told by John de Lancie, the actor who plays Q, and Peter David, author of successful <em>Star Trek</em> novels. It's an irreverent romp through one bizarre scenario after another, as not only <em>Star Trek</em>'s Federation universe but the entire multiverse of alternative timelines looks set to gurgle down a metaphysical plughole. Q's own wife and son vanish into the maelstrom, and his "Q Continuum" colleagues blither about calmly accepting apocalypse as a change from eternal tedium. Only Picard and Data the android accompany the questing Q, whose monstrous egotism and complaints that Picard never genuflects to him are barely affected when he loses his godlike powers and realizes that he may <em>need</em> mere humans. En route to the end of all things, they encounter other Federation characters, including Romulans, Klingons, Ferengi, and our captain's dread cyborg alter-ego, Locutus of Borg. After a fast-moving sequence of fights, wisecracks, insults, old jokes, and ultimate despair, the fate of the multiverse is ... but that would be telling. Frothy entertainment. <em>--David Langford</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>There are very few things that Q, a member of the Q continuum, can't handle, so he isn't going to let a little thing like the end of the multiverse get the better of him. Under normal circumstances, he might have gone along with the rest of the Qs in celebrating the End as the biggest party of all time, but these are not normal circumstances: the fates of Q's wife and child are at stake, and Q, usually omnipotent and omniscient, in not in control. Powerless, he needs the help of his erstwhile tormentee, Jean-Luc PicardAwho is convinced that some being even more powerful than Q is causing this sudden universal decline. There are plenty of such entities to choose from, including the M continuum, a being called god and a mysterious female presence who puts the cosmos on hold as she reads a peculiar message in a bottle. Considering that Q is one of the most beloved characters in the Star Trek universe, De Lancie (who plays him on the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, and who's here aided by veteran Trek mass-market novelist David) is sure to gain a wide readership even though Q's egotistical ramblings, which work so well on screen, can drag on here. The narrative, which presents an almost mythological universal manifestation of the five stages of grief, will take readers on a wild and unique ride, though it leads to a predictable conclusion. As for the quest to make Q a more prominent character in the world of Star Trek books? Fans will say, "Make it so." (Oct.) <br>Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p><em>SINS OF COMMISSION</em></p><p>while on a misssion to save the planet Lessenar from environmental collapse, the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> is crippled by an emotional onslaught as the surviving aliens respond in anger and pain to the death of their comrade. </p><p>Worf must overcome this alien influence and find the true killer with the destruction of the <em>Starship Enterprise,</em> the survival of Lessenar, and his Klingon honor hanging in the balance.... </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>While on a mission to save the planet Lessenar from environmental collapse, the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM becomes entangled in a web of treachery and murder. </p><p>When a member of a strange, emotion-casting race is killed on board the ship, all evidence points to Lieutenant Worf and one of his oldest friends. </p><p>Soon the crew of the <em>Starship Enterprise</em> is crippled by an emotional onslaught as the surviving aliens respond in anger and pain to the death of their comrade. </p><p>Worf must overcome this alien influence and find the true killer with the destruction of the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>, the survival of Lessenar, and his Klingon honor hanging in the balance. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When a Vulcan space probe reports that the Ferengi are advancing the people of the planet Megara from a primitive agricultural state to a sophisticated technological society, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>™ are ordered to transport an unlikely passenger to the system, a ruthless twentieth-century businessman who is now a Federation ambassador. </p><p>The Ferengi have been changing Megaran culture, turning a hard working and horoable people into vicious xenophobic killers. But the Ferengi are only hired hands. They have hidden masters, with plans to use the Magaran people as a powerful weapon against the Federation. </p><p>Now Picard must find a way to use the talents of this new ambassador to free the Megarans. But the ambassador is hididng a deadly secret of his own -- a secret that could unleash an unstoppable destructive force on the Federation. </p>

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<div><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>This audio adaptation is based on the series finale of Star TrekR: The Next GenerationTM, the most successful syndicated show in television history. As the title suggests, "all good things" must come to an end. The crew's final adventure begins abruptly as Captain Picard announces he is inexplicably moving backward and forward through time. He soon realizes that his old nemesis, known simply as "Q," is at least partly responsible. As the plot unfolds, three different time lines emerge: one seven years in the past, where we meet old friends long gone; another 25 years in the future, where we get a glimpse of the crew's fate; and, of course, one in the present. As time collides in a desperate climax, Picard risks everything to save a condemned humanity. The story is deftly read by Jonathan Frakes, who appears as Commander Riker in the TV series. Frakes's riveting narration is accented by an impeccable depiction of Patrick Stewart's Picard. Highly recommended.<br><em>Charles A. Weiss, "Library Journal"</em><br>Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Seven years ago, Captain Jean-Luc Picard first faced the judgment of the Q Continuum -- a race of beings with God-like powers over time and space who presumed to gauge humanity's fitness to exist in the galaxy. Seven years ago they suspended judgment, but now a decision has been reached: The human race will be eliminated, not only in the present, but throughout time. Humanity will never have existed at all. </p><p>The only chance to save mankind lies with Captain Picard. An old enemy has granted him the power to revisit his life as it was seven years before, and to experience his life twenty-five years in the future. With the help of friendships that span time and space, Picard struggles to defeat the plans of the Q Continuum. But even as he fights to save the human race from total extinction, he has been set up to be the unwitting agent of mankind's destruction. </p><p>In an effort to save humanity, Picard must sacrifice himself and all those he commands and if their sacrifice fails all mankind is doomed. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Taking its title from the final words spoken by Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the series finale, The Sky's the Limit is a collection of brand new original stories spanning and celebrating the entire twenty-year history of the most popular and successful Trek series of all. Stories by a variety of authors -- some old favourites, some new -- set during the events of the television series give the authentic feel of a newly discovered 'missing season' of Star Trek: The Next Generation.</p><p>Contributors include Christopher L. Bennett, Greg Cox, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Bob Ingersoll &amp; Thomas F. Zahler, David A. McIntee, Scott Pearson, Michael Schuster &amp; Steve Mollmann, Susan Shwartz, Amy Sisson, James Swallow, Geoff Trowbridge, Dayton Ward &amp; Kevin Dilmore, Richard C. White. </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><hr><p>Meet With Triumph and Disaster   </p><p>by Michael Schuster &amp; Steve Mollmann </p><p>The first time Captain Thomas Halloway saw the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>, the starship was nothing more than a simulation displayed on a designer's terminal. Even back then, he had been impressed by her size, although he had no illusions that a computer model ever would be able to do the real thing justice. </p><p>The third time he saw the <em>Enterprise</em>, she had gone through every preliminary test imaginable, and the first struts of her spaceframe were about to be welded together on the Martian surface, to be lifted into orbit later on. </p><p>The seventh time he saw the <em>Enterprise</em>, construction had progressed far enough to enable people to work inside her without having to depend on space suits. That had been the day the life-support systems had been switched on, only weeks after Thomas had been chosen as the right man to supervise the construction efforts. It was also five years before the ship would leave the orbital dock under its own power, using only maneuvering thrusters. </p><p>And <em>that</em> had been eight years before the commissioning ceremony that was just minutes away. </p><p>It was quite a turnout; Thomas had the feeling that nobody would notice if he suddenly disappeared. This was an event that had drawn hundreds from all over the Federation to this place: the orbital docks of Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, Mars. It was a celebration of Starfleet's desire to explore the unknown, an affirmation of one of the basic ideals of the Federation: the constant and never-ending quest for more knowledge. </p><p>What more fitting embodiment of this ideal was there than the <em>Galaxy</em>-class ship itself? So grand and impressive -- swanlike and almost alive. It dwarfed everything else in orbit, with the exception of the spacedock cradling it. "Traveling cities" they had been called by some of their designers, and Thomas was tempted to agree with this assessment. Their purpose was to trawl the regions beyond known space, always on the lookout for interesting and curious new discoveries, be they alive or not. </p><p>On the other side of a crowd of dignitaries, Thomas caught sight of a familiar figure. "Orfil!" Thomas shouted and waved at his erstwhile colleague. "Try to come over here, will you?" </p><p>A throng of wildly gesticulating Guidons almost prevented Commander Orfil Quinteros from crossing the distance of only a few meters, but eventually he succeeded and shook Thomas's hand. Orfil had worked with Thomas for almost ten years, serving as his right-hand man on the construction team (not to mention best friend), but he had been gone for two months now, undergoing command training in preparation for his transfer to Starbase 74. </p><p>"When did you arrive?" Thomas asked. </p><p>"Late last night. HQ booked me a flight on a civilian shuttle bound for Pluto, and from there I took the ferry to Titan. I hardly got any sleep." Orfil had relatives in Christopher's Landing, and he was likely to pay them a visit whenever he had enough time. "Where's the boss?" </p><p>"Out and about, I suspect. I haven't actually seen him yet, but I don't think he'll pass on the opportunity to celebrate. Do you?" </p><p>"Nah." Having worked for many years under Admiral Theoderich Patterson, they both knew exactly what he liked, and playing host for such a celebration as today's was one of the things right at the top of that list. The admiral had started as a lowly engineer at Utopia Planitia and, having managed to stay there his entire career, now ran the place. "Most likely, he's already mingling." </p><p>"Most likely," Thomas agreed. </p><p>Without warning, Orfil slapped him on the shoulder hard enough that Thomas's knees almost buckled. "So, what news of Solveig and the kids?" </p><p>"They're doing fine. Rupa's enjoying elementary school only slightly less than she did kindergarten, but that was to be expected. Matti...well, let's just say he's in a difficult phase right now." </p><p>"Ah, puberty." The two men exchanged knowing grins. "Say, why isn't Solveig here? Or did I just fail to spot her? The kids wouldn't have had much fun here, but I'm sure that your wife at least would want to celebrate your triumph with you." </p><p>What was being celebrated today was not just <em>his</em> triumph, but also the culmination of two decades' work, if one included in the count the general design and planning efforts for the entire Galaxy class. Twenty years ago, the project had begun, and now the third ship of that class was about to be commissioned. It would not have been such a special occasion if this had been any other ship -- certainly, nobody had made such a fuss about the commissioning of <em>Yamato</em>, for example -- but since this was the first starship in two decades to bear the prestigious name <em>Enterprise</em>, things were different. </p><p><em>Very</em> different. </p><p>The people present at this celebration of the past and the future were mostly important figures connected with the Fleet, while others, though few in number, represented the UFP government. It was too much Starfleet top brass, too much pomp and circumstance for Solveig to enjoy herself, and they had talked about it extensively weeks ago, eventually coming to the agreement that they would celebrate on their own, with their relatives and closest friends. It was something Thomas was looking forward to, even as he stood here waiting for the actual start of festivities. </p><p>"Solveig...well, you know how she feels about the Fleet, don't you?" </p><p>"Oh, <em>yes</em>," said Orfil emphatically. A few times he had been a guest of the Halloways, eating dinner with them and spending an eventful evening at their house in Central Burroughs. Orfil had experienced Solveig in action often enough to know what she thought of Starfleet, Federation politics, and just about everything else that crossed her mind. </p><p>Movement at the other end of the observation center that doubled as the locale for tonight's event caught Thomas's attention -- somebody was mounting the stage. It was Admiral Patterson, about to make the first speech of many that would be delivered tonight. Beyond the transparent wall behind the admiral, the rusty orb of Mars shimmered in the sun...as did the star of today's ceremony. </p><p>She hung scarcely a hundred meters away, keeping close company with the station ostensibly in order to give the attendees the best possible view of her, though all they saw was the underside of the saucer section, the neck, and the front part of the secondary hull with its ringed navigational deflector. </p><p><em>Still</em>, thought Thomas, she's a sight to behold. </p><p>The audience quieted as Patterson took the podium. "Good evening, dear guests. It is a great honor and an even greater pleasure for me to be able to welcome you all here today. Many of you have had to travel long distances to be present on this very special occasion, and for that I thank you. It is not every day that we celebrate the commissioning of a new starship, much less that of a ship with such a prestigious and famous name as that of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>, a name that goes back centuries, used long before there was a Starfleet on Earth, long before even there were any spacegoing craft on that planet at all. Now has come the time to make that name part of the Federation's fleet once again, to lead the way in expanding our knowledge and understanding of the universe and -- most important -- ourselves. </p><p>"We celebrate this event not only because we can, but also because we feel that we have an obligation to do so. The previous starship called Enterprise was destroyed with all hands nineteen years ago, and I ask you all to join me now in a minute's silent remembrance of those who lost their lives that day." </p><p>Thomas still remembered where he had been when he had heard the news. It was such an extraordinary occurrence, the destruction of the <em>Enterprise-C</em>, that one could not help but memorize every little detail about it. Such a thing did not happen, especially not with people aboard. Many had died in that Romulan attack over Narendra III, but if any good could come from such a tragedy, it was that the ship's loss had gone a long way to strengthen deteriorating relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. </p><p>"Thank you," Patterson said and gripped the sides of the podium, leaning slightly forward. "Let us never forget the brave souls who gave their lives for our safety throughout Federation history. It is only because of their sacrifice that we have come so far: from belonging to separate, disparate planets to being part of a vast interstellar whole that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Rather than being satisfied with the status quo, we want to know more, about ourselves, about others, about the place we live in. Who better to talk about this ship's mission" -- he made a sweeping gesture toward the majestic form beyond the windows -- "than our next speaker. My dear friends and supporters of Starfleet's cause, I am proud to introduce the Respectable Lady Svaath Magodin, Secretary of Science and Space Exploration of the United Federation of Planets!" </p><p>Applause followed, and a reptilian Xindi ascended the stage. Magodin was slightly smaller than average for her species, and if you didn't know her, you'd think that she was not very remarkable at all. Months previous, Thomas had made the mistake of assuming her to be just that, and he'd quickly discovered his error: she was distinguished by virtue of the way she interacted with others. She did not beat about the bush; if there was something she wanted, she said so. She reminded him of nothing so much as a Vulcan matriarch. </p><p>"Thank you, Admiral. I am glad to be here today," she said. Her voice was at odds with what you would expect from her appearance, as it always reminded Thomas of a little elf. Somehow it did not seem to belong to a woman from New Xindus. "Admiral Patterson has already mentioned the reason for this gathering," she continued, addressing the throng of guests, "but I feel it bears repeating. It is about the pursuit of knowledge, both ... </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>An enemy so intractable that it cannot be reasoned with. The entire race thinks with one mind and strives toward one purpose: to add our biological distinctiveness to their own and wipe out individuality, to make every living thing Borg. </p><p>In over two centuries, the Federation has never encountered a greater threat. Twice Starfleet assembled and threw countless starships to stand against them. The Borg were stopped, the price paid in blood. Humanity breathed a sigh of relief, assuming it was safe. And with the destruction of the transwarp conduits, the Federation believed that the killing blow had finally been struck against the Borg. </p><p>Driven to the point of extinction, the Borg continue to fight for their very existence, for their culture. They will not be denied. They must not be stopped. The old rules and assumptions regarding how the Collective should act have been dismissed. Now the Borg kill first, assimilate later. </p><p>When the Enterprise manages to thwart them once again, the Borg turn inward. The dark places that even the drones never realized existed are turned outward against the enemy they have never been able to defeat. What is revealed is the thing that <em>no one</em> believed the Borg could do. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Peter David</strong> is the <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of numerous <em>Star Trek</em> novels, including the incredibly popular <em>New Frontier</em> series. In addition, he has also written dozens of other books, including his acclaimed original novel, <em>Sir Apropos of Nothing</em>, and its sequel, <em>The Woad to Wuin.</em></p><p>David is also well known for his comic book work, particularly his award-winning run on <em>The Incredible Hulk</em>. He recently authored the novelizations of both the <em>Spider-Man</em> and <em>Hulk</em> motion pictures.</p><p>He lives in New York. </p>

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<div><meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(84, 48, 25); font-size: 11px; "><h2 class="about-the-product" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 1.5em; font-family: arial; ">About the The Badlands Book One</h2><p class="about-product-ctw" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(84, 48, 25); width: 540px; ">Located dangerously near the Cardassian border, the unstable region of space known as the Badlands has long been a hazard to interstellar navigation, characterized by violent plasma storms and other even stranger phenomena. Many starships have faced destruction there, including at least two incarnations of the Starship Enterprise™....</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 1em; color: rgb(84, 48, 25); ">James T. Kirk braves the perils of the Badlands to confront a Romulan Bird of Prey that has entered Federation space in pursuit of a fleeing smuggler. But trespassing Romulans may be the least of Kirk's problems when the mysterious forces at work in the Badlands threaten both his ship and his crew!</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; font-size: 1em; color: rgb(84, 48, 25); ">A generation later, Jean-Luc Picard faces the same phantom menace when he commands his Enterprise into the Badlands on a mission vital to Federation-Cardassian relations. With Will Riker's life on the line, and the entire ship in jeopardy, it's up to Lieutenant Commander Data to determine the true nature of the Badlands' hidden danger!</p></span></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Dazzling to behold, Gemworld is one of the wonders of the Federation: an artificial world composed entirely of crystal, its atmosphere held in place by a sophisticated network of force fields. Home to a half dozen different sentient races, this singular world is a low-gravity playpen of mammoth spires, endless fractal staircases, gemstone arcs, and dazzling prisms, oil carefully nurtured by the planet's many inhabitants -- until now. </p><p>Lieutenant Melora Pozlor, who previously served on <em>Deep Space Nine™,</em> is currently stationed aboard the <em>Starship Enterprise™</em> where an urgent telepathic summons alerts her to the danger threatening her homeworld. </p><p>The crystals that once sheltered her people, and several other alien species, are now growing at a vastly accelerated and uncontrollable rate, wreaking havoc throughout the planet. Captain Picard orders the <em>Enterprise</em> on a rescue mission to Gemworld, but they arrive to find a world in chaos -- and an unexpected menace that traps the crew of the <em>Enterprise</em> along with the fragile civilization they hoped to save! </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p><strong>Chapter One</strong></p><p>Mammoth prisms and spindly spires stretched across the pale blue sky, catching the sun in a ripple of rainbow shimmers. Stairlike forms seemed to stretch forever, crossing and weaving in an endless dance of structure and light. From a distance, the crystalline fingers and branches looked fragile, like coral growing in a fish tank. But at close range, the giant prisms were as solid as marble columns, and as smooth and dazzling as diamonds. </p><p>Dwarfed by the towering crystals were five young humanoids; they soared among the spires like birds flying through a forest. Sails billowed from their arms and legs to catch the convection currents, but the fliers mostly depended upon graceful acrobatics to propel themselves. Tandra, the team leader of the five youths, glided to a thick green monolith, tagged up like a swimmer making a lap turn, then bounded off in an altered direction. </p><p>Two young Elaysians followed her lead, bouncing off the same crystal and racing after her. The other two members of the science team took different angles at the big monolith and soared off in parallel trajectories. One of the boys rolled into a midair somersault, just having fun. This close to the core of the planet, crystals grew in profusion, so there were plenty of smooth surfaces for pushing off. </p><p>Tandra frowned, deepening the crease around her V-shaped forehead ridges. Once they reached the hollow core, she knew they would have to be more careful with their flight patterns. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the robotic hover-platform was following them. At a discreet distance, the meter-long disc floated along, its small thrusters making minute course changes. Once they reached the core, Tandra knew they might need the platform, for a push-off or a roost. </p><p>Laughing and chatting, the five students soared from one spidery, crystalline structure to another, plunging deeper into the center of the unique planet. To the few visitors who came here, Gemworld looked more like the intricate skeleton of a planet, or a giant snowflake made of prisms. For the Elaysians, it was a crystalline aviary. For the other sentient races, Gemworld was what they made of it. All of the inhabitants knew it was a special place, even if very few of them had ever seen a conventional planet for comparison. </p><p>As Tandra flew through a stand of rainbow-hued prisms -- old growth before the natural geometry had been improved by fractal models -- she gaped at the exquisite beauty. She thought angrily about the outsiders who claimed that Gemworld wasn't a real planet. They pointed to its forcefields and lack of mass, thinking that such a place had to be artificial, despite its immense size. They simply didn't understand. </p><p>Although the crystals looked cold and foreboding, even with their uncanny beauty, they sheltered a surprising variety of life. What could an outsider know about that? Outsiders couldn't stay long enough to really appreciate Gemworld because the low gravity was harmful to most gravity-dependent species. Although humans' muscles were a dozen times more developed, they could never soar between the sparkling archways like Elaysians born and raised in this gossamer cage. </p><p>A clearing loomed on the far side of a thicket of crystals, and Tandra realized they were getting close to the core of Gemworld. At one time, it had been a molten, metallic mass like a conventional planetary core, but the Ancients had sacrificed it to fuel the crystal. Now the inhabitants were slowly rebuilding the core with new crystal growth, which was the reason for the students' outing today. </p><p>Despite the fact it was empty -- or because of it -- Tandra found the core of Gemworld an eerie place to travel. Since it was hollow and equidistant from the massive crystal constructs surrounding it, the core was the most weightless part of the planet. Only trace gravity was measurable here. </p><p>As they flew farther into the ancient heart of the planet and the old-growth crystal, the light became more refracted and eerie, as if the ancient ocean were still there. Tandra felt the weight of ages, how many ages nobody knew, except perhaps the Lipuls. And even they had gaps in their history. The sparkling hues of the upper levels had given way to rust, olive, and sage colors, and the weathered facets were striated from elements that hadn't assaulted them for millions of years. </p><p>Tandra could well imagine the great oceans that pummeled these prisms eons ago, when even the Lipuls and the Gendlii were single-celled animals. Gemworld had been young then. Now it was old. But it was still a planet, thought Tandra, despite its low gravity. </p><p>Glancing around, she noted that her friends gave little regard to their solemn surroundings as they soared and tumbled through a swooping archway. They were just a flock of young people on a field trip, thought Tandra, and she shouldn't judge them too harshly. Hovering so close to the birthplace of the planet always gave her a sense of history -- and a chill -- but today it seemed more eerie than usual. </p><p>"We'll hold up at the purple prism!" Tandra shouted to her comrades. </p><p>"Oh, we can make it across!" scoffed one of the boys, soaring past her. </p><p>"We'll hold up!" she shouted back. "I'm the team leader." </p><p>Tandra knew she couldn't do much if the others disobeyed, but none of them wanted to get stuck out here in the wilderness. They wanted to measure the new stand, see if the fractal modeling program was working as expected, and get out of here. It was too lovely a day to be plodding through kilometer after kilometer of empty air. Although the outing had been fun so far, it had also been long, and the young Elaysians were impatient to return to their research base about four hundred prisms above them. </p><p>One by one, the students alighted softly on the ancient purple spire at the edge of the clearing. Tandra gazed into the hollow marrow of the crystal and could see its pulsing gel center. It was a sight she always found reassuring, because it meant that Lipuls probably lived within the marrow. Before the students lay a wide expanse of nothingness, broken up by little islands of discarded equipment, dust, and debris, all of it floating uselessly. In the distance, the edge of the crystal growth shimmered like a mirage. </p><p>"How much farther?" asked Lucio, the cutest of the boys, with his slight frame and rare dark hair. </p><p>"I'll find out." From her backpack, Tandra took a small handheld device and turned it on. She waited a few seconds until the positioning device communicated with the shell that circled the planet and fixed their current position. As the students hovered around her, Tandra punched in the coordinates of their destination. </p><p>"About two hundred prisms." Tandra took a bit of ground crystal from her pocket and tossed it into the air to check the air currents. Now she knew what kind of arc to take to stay on course. "We can cover it in an hour if we get good jumps. Everyone, take a drink, because there won't be time to stop." </p><p>Taking her advice, the young Elaysians pulled out sip tubes and sipped from water bladders built into their backpacks. One by one, they used the hovercraft to crouch on the rough-hewn monolith then bound off into the wide-open wilderness. Strung out like a line of migrant birds, the Elaysians soared gracefully across the hollow core of Gemworld. </p><p>Tandra realized she would have to rely heavily on the positioning device, so she took it out of her backpack and slipped the strap around her neck, letting it float behind her. A quick glance assured her that the rest of the team and the hover-platform were following dutifully behind, then she double-checked to make sure they were on course. Finally satisfied that they would reach their destination in due time, the team leader spread her sails to catch the prevailing air currents. </p><p>It didn't take long for her to realize that somethi </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Sparkling like a three-dimensional snowflake in the depths of space, Gernworld once was one of the Federation's greatest marvels. Six different alien races coexisted peacefully on an artificial world composed entirely of crystal -- until the very substance of Gemworld began to multiply out of control, tearing the world apart. Now the entire planet -- and the <em>Starship Enterprise™</em> as well-faces total destruction. </p><p>The only way to stop the disaster is to turn off the vast network of force fields holding Gemworld's atmosphere in place, but to do so will require the cooperation of each of the planet's half dozen alien civilizations, one of which sabotaged Gemworld in the first place. With time running out, Captain Picard and his crew, including a lovestruck Lieutenant Barclay, must embark on a hazardous trek across the dying planet to find and unite the chief engineers from many strange and exotic races -- while watching out for a mass murderer determined to destroy a world! </p><h3>Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.</h3><p><strong>Chapter One</strong></p><p>Lieutenant Melora Pazlar hovered above a row of terminals in a weightless, cylindrical chamber inside the protective shell that encircled Gemworld. This chamber was a monitoring station which was usually populated by Elaysian and Alpusta engineers. The Elaysians were in residence, but now so was an away team from the Federation starship <em>Enterprise.</em> Melora hardly considered herself to be a member of <em>that</em> crew, having been on board only a few hours before her dreams had been invaded by the Lipuls' call for help. </p><p>Melora glanced at one of the screens. Far beneath the shell and its labyrinth of collectors, generators, pumps, and forcefields floated Gemworld itself -- a dazzling, multihued cluster of spires, prisms, and archways. Seen from afar, her crystalline world was an awesome bauble glimmering in the vastness of space. From within, it was a forest of massive monoliths, dancing light beams, and perpetual shadow. </p><p>Not only was Melora's body suspended in midair, which was normal, but her mind felt as if it were suspended, too. She was reminded of the out-of-body experiences humans often claimed to have had, even though few of them ever took the time to understand such phenomena. </p><p>It wasn't surprising that the Lipuls' dreamships had first contacted humans, out of all the Federation species. Unlike Elaysians, humans were open-minded, even generous and outgoing. But like Elaysians, they could also be obstinate and blunt. That bluntness was now being amply demonstrated by the harsh words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as he lectured Tangre Bertoran and a handful of Elaysian engineers. </p><p>In standard Federation language, the captain had already told them they had the equivalent of eight days to live. Did her fellow Elaysians even know how short a time period that was? They didn't have <em>days</em> on Gemworld, in the accepted sense, only refracted sunlight and a strange sort of twilight in the shadows. Gemworld had been inhabited ever since the universe was young, and they thought they had surmounted every obstacle. How could her people possibly comprehend that their life expectancy had come down to eight rotations of a faraway alien planet? </p><p>She could tell by the concern on Reg Barclay's face that he understood their predicament -- and the truth of Picard's dire prediction. Counselor Deanna Troi listened with her usual detachment as the captain finished his summation. </p><p>"That is quite impossible, Captain," said Tangre Bertoran, in a tone of voice usually reserved for small children who have told grandiose lies. The silver-haired Peer of the Jeptah shook his head in pity. "Thoron radiation is naturally occurring in our atmosphere. And in Earth's too, I understand. It couldn't harm all life on Gemworld, only those who spend too much time near the mutant crystal." </p><p>"Which continues to grow every day," insisted the captain. "Commander Data is not given to making errant predictions. Trust me when I say that we have to shut down the darkmatter collectors and the dimensional rift in eight days -- by whatever means -- or we'll all die. If we have to shut down the shell to accomplish that goal, then so be it." </p><p>Bertoran wrinkled his nose and forehead ridges as if sniffing a foul odor. "Captain, we don't talk about 'shutting down the shell,' even in jest....That is like saying we need to destroy the Earth in order to stop a weed from growing. Yes, it will work -- but at what cost?" </p><p>The captain gestured broadly, making it clear how frustrated he felt. "I don't want <em>anyone</em> to die, especially not two billion inhabitants. My first officer and chief engineer think that we can power your forcefields from the <em>Enterprise</em> for a brief period, taking over while the shell is turned off. You know how all those systems are intertwined -- there's no other choice. If we're successful, Gemworld won't lose any of her atmosphere." </p><p>"And if you're wrong, we'll all be dead," replied Bertoran snidely. </p><p>"We have eight days to put something together," answered Picard, sounding as if that were plenty of time. "We have considerable experience with forcefields, and my people have already gotten a head start on this. Your people can help by making sealed shelters, bottling air -- whatever is necessary. Believe me, I wouldn't suggest this course if I didn't think we could do it." </p><p>Tangre Bertoran grimaced his displeasure. "What you're asking goes against all my upbringing and common sense. It's akin to <em>murder.</em> I don't know, Captain...I need to see Commander Data's sensor readings before I agree to this." </p><p>"We've got them." Picard gestured, and Reg Barclay fumbled in a pouch on his belt, finally producing an isolinear chip. Melora smiled at the contrast between this gleaming storage device and the aged violet prism that hung from Reg's neck. </p><p>"Can you read isolinear chips?" asked the captain. </p><p>Bertoran sneered. "After we joined the Federation, it took us about two weeks to master your language and technology. Now you wish to destroy <em>ours</em> in a heartbeat." </p><p>"Your technology has turned against you," said Deanna Troi, speaking up for the first time since the meeting began. Hesitantly, the counselor floated down from the circular doorway, looking uneasy in her weightless state. "We wouldn't go to this much trouble to destroy you. The only thing that can destroy you is doing nothing." </p><p>Tangre Bertoran scowled and snatched the isolinear chip from Reg's hand. "Give me a moment." </p><p>He and his entourage retreated to a monitoring console, where they plugged in the chip and studied the data, muttering in low tones. Melora hovered overhead, uncertain whether she should join her fellow Elaysians or stay with her unfamiliar crew. Since coming back to Gemworld, she had felt increasingly torn between her duty to Starfleet and a natural inclination to protect her people and her homeworld. The two shouldn't be mutually exclusive, but Starfleet represented the whole Federation, not just one peculiar planet. </p><p>Her split allegiance had never been an issue before, because Gemworld had always seemed like a memory from a past life, something that would never intrude on her Starfleet commitments. But being here, visiting her old enclave, seeing the frightened faces and the crumbling, mutant crystal -- it had become clear that Gemworld needed her more than Starfleet did. </p><p>For now, the dimensional rift not only threatened their solar system, but it could endanger the entire quadrant if left unchecked. Captain Picard had made it clear that he would sacrifice his ship and every soul on her planet to keep that from happening. And he probably wouldn't hesitate to use the <em>Enterprise's</em> weapon systems. </p><p>Reg Barclay looked at Melora and smiled sweetly, jarring her out of her depressing reverie. His boyish, earnest face brought out a smile in her, and she realized how glad she was to see him again. Here she was -- perhaps in the last days of her life -- and she had met a perfectly charming man who doted on her and strove to protect her. In fact, he strove to protect <em>all</em> of her people, as proven by the shard around his neck. </p><p>He was an unlikely hero -- and an even more unlikely acting senior engineer for the Elaysians -- yet he performed both duties valiantly. Looking at Reg brought out a respect and affection in Melora that she had thought she could never feel for anyone. And her feelings were amplified by the guilt she felt over not being totally honest with him....The last thing she wanted to do was to hurt Reg, or any member of the <em>Enterprise</em> crew. They were trying to help, but they didn't fully understand. </p><p>Did Reg know how she felt about him? Did it even matter -- with all the obstacles they faced? </p><p><em>Yes, it matters,</em> decided Melora. This should be a time to feel for one another -- to seek love, and give it. What did it mean to fight for life if </p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>It's deja vu all over again in this predictable entry. Star Trek fans will delight in identifying "obscure" references to episodes and characters from the TV series: they will cheer not only the rapacious Q from The Next Generation but also Trelane (the eponymous "Squire of Gothos" from The Original Series). The story involves the Enterprise crew through three alternative timelines with, of course, The Fate of the Universe hanging in the balance. David ( Imzadi ) limns a Trek-enamored multiverse in which Tasha Yar's "bad haircut" is as important as the massacre of Klingons at Narendra Three. The novel is fast-paced and the prose sloppy. Characters from the first two TV series appear exactly as they were: David scrupulously adds nothing to extant characterizations as he juggles several subplots and intrigues. Certain to delight the converted are appearances by Jack Crusher and all the myriad Wesleys, among others, as well as relationships between Beverly and Picard, Troi and Riker. While the pulpy action makes this is a Trek-lovers paradise, anyone else will wonder what all the fuss is about. <br>Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From Library Journal</h3><p>David's previous Star Trek novels include the best-selling Imzadi (Pocket Bks., 1992). In his latest, the crew of the Starship Enterprise have another go-round with the redoubtable being known as Q.<br>Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The Hidran race and the Klingon Empire have been at each other's throats for seventy years, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard has been asked to do the near-impossible: take the "U.S.S. Enterprise"(TM) to the planet Velex to mediate a treaty that will end the conflict between these two aggressive species. Things get off to a rocky start -- then turn deadly as the Hidran ambassador mysteriously dies, and kills a Klingon delegate as a last act of vengence.  When Lt.Worf is charged with the ambassador's assassinaton, and Commander Riker and Counselor Troi are trapped far below the surface of the planet, Captain Picard must not only act to save the Hidranas and Klingons from each other, but to save his Klingon officer from a hideous death sentence...</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Twenty-five years ago, Captain Jean-Luc Picard conducted breakthrough negotiations with an aggressive race called the Gorn. Now, on the anniversary of that achievement, Captain Picard and the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> are headed for the Gorn Homeworld to continue that important work. </p><p>But when the ship stops to investigate a mysterious alien artifact, Captain Picard is suddenly hurled through time and space. Just as Commander Riker and the <em>Starship Enterprise™</em> crew begin an impossible search for their captain, the Gorn summit goes terribly wrong. </p><p>As war looms over the galaxy and Picard is desperately needed on the Gorn Homeworld, the captain finds himself stranded in the past on a planet called Cestus III at a crucial turning point in Federation history. Now, caught in a deadly situation that challenges Picard's most cherished beliefs, he must weigh the fate of a world against the future of the entire Federation... </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Twenty-five years ago, Captain Jean-Luc Picard conducted breakthrough negotiations with an aggressive race called the Gorn. On the anniversary of that achievement, Captain Picard and the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM are headed for the Gorn Homeworld to continue that important work. </p><p>When the ship stops to investigate a mysterious alien artifact, Captain Picard is suddenly hurled through time and space. Just as Commander Riker and the <em>Starship Enterprise</em> crew begin an impossible search for their captain, the Gorn summit goes terribly wrong. </p><p>As war looms over the galaxy and Picard is desperately needed on the Gorn Homeworld, the captain finds himself stranded in the past on a planet called Cestus III at a crucial turning point in Federation history. Caught in a deadly situation that challenges Picard's most cherished beliefs, he must weigh the fate of a world against the future of the entire Federation. </p>

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<div><meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.23em; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; clear: both; ">Product Description</h3><div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">Captain Picard and his crew struggle to prevent a catastrophe that could cost millions of lives. As Picard races against time, he receives help from a mysterious figure from the past. Now both generations must fight side by side in a battle against an evil genius who holds the key to the future.</div></span></div>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>A new six-part epic covering the first year of service of the U.S.S. Enterprise-E, leading up to the events of the hit movie Star Trek: First Contact. The U.S.S. Enterprise-E has launched, with Captain Jean-Luc Picard in command. In addition to many familiar faces, the new ship also has some new crew members-among them, conn officer Sean Hawk and security chief Linda Addison. But soon Picard is devastated to learn that there's a saboteur on board-in the form of a changeling infiltrator from the Dominion! Picard and his crew must learn who the changeling replaced and stop it before it destroys the fleet's finest ship... A new eBook from the authors of Enigma Ship and Spin!.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The "Enterprise" is assigned to ferry demolition experts from "Deep Space 9" to "Starbase 375," but just as they arrive. Admiral Leyton declares martial law on Earth and the "Federation" is put in a state of emergency. On the starbase, Admiral Hahn has gone missing, and there are several unexplained events -- and one of the demolition experts, Lieutenant Daniels, isn't convinced that it's necessarily Dominion treachery. Picard and the "Enterprise" crew must learn the truth -- about the martial law declaration and what happened to Admiral Hahn -- before the "Enterprise" itself becomes the next casualty...</p>


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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-size: 12px; "><p align="left" style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">A new six-part epic covering the first year of service of the <i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-style: italic !important; ">U.S.S. Enterprise-E</i>, leading up to the events of the hit movie <i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-style: italic !important; ">Star Trek: First Contact</i>.</p><p align="left" style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">A major turning point in the lives of two of the <i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-style: italic !important; ">Enterprise</i> crew! Newly promoted Admiral Hayes gives La Forge a shocking ultimatum: his VISOR is a security risk, and he must either have it replaced with ocular implants or be transferred to a less-sensitive post.</p><p align="left" style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Meanwhile, Troi has some issues of her own. Though she knows that her mother, Lwaxana, recently remarried to the Tavnian named Jeyal, she was unaware of the subsequent pregnancy -- and now Lwaxana's about to give birth. To make matters worse, the Tevnian government has decided that, even though Lwaxana and Jeyal have since divorced, the child still belongs to them.</p></span></div>


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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-size: 12px; "><p style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">THAT SLEEP OF DEATH <br style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">BOOK IV</p><p style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">In the wake of increased concern over the Dominion threat, Dr. Beverly Crusher has attempted to improve morale on the <i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-style: italic !important; ">Enterprise</i> by starting up her theater company -- beginning with a production of <i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-style: italic !important; ">A Christmas Carol.</i> But before opening night, a devastating malady starts striking down the crew.</p><p style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Forced to rely on a piece of technology she despises -- the Emergency Medical Hologram -- Dr. Crusher must find a cure before it's too late!</p></span></div>


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<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-size: 12px; "><p style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">A WEARY LIFE <br style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">BOOK V</p><p style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">A team from the <i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-style: italic !important; ">Enterprise</i> -- Riker, La Forge, and Daniels -- is sent to deal with the latest threat from the Maquis. For La Forge and Daniels, it's just another mission, but Riker must face the specter of his transporter twin, Tom Riker, who left Starfleet to join the Maquis.</p><p style="margin-top: 1.33em !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1.33em !important; margin-left: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; ">When the <i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-style: italic !important; ">Enterprise</i> team is caught between the Maquis and the Cardassians, Riker finds himself with an important decision to make -- one that may affect his future in Starfleet....</p></span></div>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The <em>Starship Rhea</em> has discovered a cluster of carbon planets that seems to be the source of the quantum energies rippling through a section of space. A landing party finds unusual life-forms inhabiting one of the planets. One officer, Lieutenant T'Ryssa Chen -- a half-Vulcan -- makes a tenuous connection with them. But before any progress can be made, the <em>Rhea</em> comes under attack from the <em>Einstein</em> -- a Starfleet vessel now controlled by the Borg. The landing party can only listen in horror as their comrades are assimilated. The Borg descend to the planet, and just as Chen accepts that she will be assimilated, the lieutenant is whisked two thousand light-years away. </p><p>A quantum slipstream -- instantaneous transportation -- is controlled by these beings in the cluster, and in the heart of the cluster there is now a Borg ship. Cut off from the rest of the Borg collective, the <em>Einstein</em> cannot be allowed to rejoin it. For the sake of humanity, the Borg cannot gain access to quantum slipstream technology. </p><p>Starfleet Command gives Captain Picard carte blanche: do whatever he must to help the beings in the cluster, and stop the <em>Einstein</em> no matter the cost. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Christopher L. Bennett</strong> is the author of two previous works of <em>Titan</em> fiction, the novel <em>Star Trek: Titan: Orion’s Hounds</em> and the short story "Empathy" in the <em>Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Shards and Shadows</em> anthology. He has also authored such critically acclaimed novels as <em>Star Trek: Ex Machina, Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Buried Age</em>, and <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation: Greater Than the Sum</em>, as well as the alternate <em>Voyager</em> tale <em>Places of Exile</em> in <em>Myriad Universes: Infinity’s Prism</em>. Shorter works include <em>Star Trek: SCE</em> #29: <em>Aftermath</em> and <em>Star Trek: Mere Anarchy: The Darkness Drops Again</em>, as well as short stories in the anniversary anthologies <em>Constellations</em> (original series), <em>The Sky’s The Limit</em> (TNG), <em>Prophecy and Change</em> (DS9), and <em>Distant Shores</em> (VGR). Beyond <em>Star Trek</em>, he has penned the novels <em>X-Men: Watchers on the Walls</em> and <em>Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder</em>, and is also developing original science fiction novel concepts </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Three hundred years ago, the <em>S.S. Valiant</em> was destroyed during an ill-fated attempt to cross the legendary Galactic Barrier. Starfleet had always assumed that the <em>Valiant</em> had perished with all hands aboard, until a pair of unusual humanoids arrive at Starbase 209, claiming to be the descendants of a handful of <em>Valiant</em> survivors who found refuge on an M-Class planet beyond the Barrier. </p><p>Even more shocking, the visitors warn that a hostile alien species, the Nuyyad, are preparing to invade our galaxy. Uncertain of how much of the strangers' story to believe, Starfleet orders the <em>U.S.S. Stargazer</em> to investigate at once. </p><p>Lieutenant Commander Jean-Luc Picard is second officer on the <em>Stargazer.</em> A young man who has yet to command a vessel of his own, he soon develops a special bond with one of the visitors, a strikingly beautiful woman who has inherited mysterious psychic abilities from her alleged Starfleet ancestors. But can Picard truly trust her? </p><p>His doubts deepen when the <em>Stargazer</em> is ambushed by Nuyyad warships, leaving the captain dead and the first officer incapacitated. Picard suddenly finds himself in command -- and facing immediate danger. Trapped on the wrong side of the Barrier, cut off from Starfleet, he must now rely on questionable allies and a crew uncertain of his abilities. And not only the <em>Stargazer,</em> but perhaps the entire Federation, may depend on the decisions he must make. </p><p><em>The Valiant</em> is a gripping saga that explores an untold chapter in the life of Jean-Luc Picard -- and reveals the making of a captain! </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Michael Jan Friedman</strong> is the author of numerous bestselling <em>Star Trek®</em> novels, including <em>Reunion, Kahless, Planet X,</em> and the <em>Brother's Keeper</em> trilogy. He also recently co-developed the Double Helix miniseries for Pocket Books, and was formerly the writer of DC Comics' monthly <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation®</em> series. </p><p>He lives in Port Washington, New York, with his wife and two sons. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Intended to create life from nothingness, the Genesis Device had the potential to become a weapon of awe-inspiring destructiveness, capable of rearranging matter and life energy on a planetary scale. After the cataclysmic explosion of the Genesis Planet, and the Klingon Empire's attempt to steal the top-secret technology, Starfleet wisely decided to destroy all data and records on Project Genesis, hoping to bury its deadly secrets forever. </p><p>But now a mysterious wave of energy is sweeping across the Alpha Quadrant, transforming matter on a molecular level to create bizarre new landscapes and life-forms. Billions of living beings and hundreds of inhabited worlds lie in the path of the mutagenic wave, which is expanding outward toward Earth. </p><p>To discover the origin of the wave, Captain Picard and his crew must probe the long-buried mysteries. But even if he can uncover the shocking history of the Genesis Wave, is there any way to save the future from its unleashed fury? </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>John Vornholt is the author of several Star Trek novels including two of the bestselling four-volume Next Generation/Deep Space Nine Dominion War sequence. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Klingons and Cardassians rule the Alpha Quadrant in an uneasy alliance that hides a viper's nest of backstabbing plots and counterplots. Annika Hansen has become a trained operative for the Obsidian Order. Her latest target: Kira Nerys, the duplicitous Intendant of Bajor, whose ruthless ambition has brought her to a position of power second only to the Regent himself, the fierce Klingon warrior known as Worf. To get close to her prey, Annika must worm her way into the Intendant's notoriously fickle affections. Easy enough to accomplish, perhaps, but it remains to be seen who is truly manipulating whom....</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Intendant Kira, now Overseer for the entire Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, has entered into a dangerous liaison with Annika Hansen, unaware that Hansen is actually an agent of the Obsidian Order who has orders to kill Kira when the time is right. But her treacherous alliance is not the only danger the Intendant faces. Both Deanna Troi, the power-hungry consort of Regent Worf, and B'Elanna Torres, the half-human Intendant of the Sol System, are threatened by Kira's unquenchable ambition, and would be glad to see her deposed -- or worse. As four powerful women scheme for control of the Alliance, who will survive? And who will claim the ultimate prize?</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When a famous Federation scientist dies, his son puts his inventions up for sale to the highest bidder, be they Federation, Klingon, Romulan, or Cardassian. Among the items at auction is a photon pulse canon capable of punching through a starship's shields with a single shot. Meanwhile, Wesley Crusher is kidnapped from the Academy by renegade Ferengi who have set their sights on the photon canon as well, and Captain Picard must outmaneuver enemies on every side to save Wesley and protect the <em>Enterprise</em>TM from the deadly fire of the new canon. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>When a famous Federation scientist dies, his son puts his inventions up for sale to the highest bidder, be they Federation, Klingon, Romulan, or Cardassian. Among the items at auction is a photon pulse canon capable of punching through a starship's shields with a single shot. Meanwhile, Wesley Crusher is kidnapped from the Academy by renegade Ferengi who have set their sights on the photon canon as well, and Captain Picard must outmaneuver enemies on every side to save Wesley and protect the <em>Enterprise</em>TM from the deadly fire of the new canon. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The "U.S.S. Enterprise"(TM) is assigned to the planet K'Trall -- a planet just coming out rom under the heel of barbarous suppression. When the planet's newly emerging freedom is threatened by a rouge ship attacking Federation shipping, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew put their lives on the line to protect K'Trall from the raids. &gt; But the planet itself holds a deadly secret, one that could lead to a ressurgence of the despotic cruelty they have suffered for centuries. With time running out, Captain Picard must see his way past a maze of deadly deception, with billions of lives hanging in the balance.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On a mission to an unexplored planet near the Klingon/Romulan border, the "U.S.S. Enterprise"(TM) travels to the planet Eloh to negotiate Federation memebership. But upon arrival, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his diplomatic team find themselves face to face with Commander Sela, an old Romulan enemy -- who's there to convince the Elohsians to join the Romulan Empire.  When a series of fatal indidents casts suspicion on both delegations, Data must form an uneasy alliance with Sela to prove the innocence of the "Starship Enterprise"(TM) crew -- or lose a sprategic stronghold to the Federation's greatest enemy.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Half a decade after the Dominion War and more than a year after the rise and fall of Praetor Shinzon, the galaxy's greatest scourge returns to wreak havoc upon the Federation -- and this time its goal is nothing less than total annihilation. </p><p>Elsewhere, deep in the Gamma Quadrant, an ancient mystery is solved. One of Earth's first generation of starships, lost for centuries, has been found dead and empty on a desolate planet. But its discovery so far from home has raised disturbing questions, and the answers harken back to a struggle for survival that once tested a captain and her crew to the limits of their humanity. </p><p>From that terrifying flashpoint begins an apocalyptic odyssey that will reach across time and space to reveal the past, define the future, and show three captains -- Jean-Luc Picard of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>, TM William Riker of the <em>U.S.S. Titan</em>, and Ezri Dax of the <em>U.S.S Aventine</em> -- that some destinies are inescapable. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>David Mack</strong> is the national bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including <em>Wildfire</em>, <em>Harbinger</em>, <em>Reap the Whirlwind</em>, <em>Road of Bones</em>, and the Star Trek Destiny trilogy — <em>Gods of Night</em>, <em>Mere Mortals</em>, and <em>Lost Souls</em>. His first original novel, the supernatural thriller <em>The Calling</em>, debuted in July 2009 to critical acclaim. In addition to novels, Mack's diverse writing credits span several media, including television (for episodes of <em>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</em>), film, short fiction, magazines, newspapers, comic books, computer games, radio, and the Internet. Recent novels include <em>The 4400: Promises Broken</em>, <em>Star Trek Vanguard: Precipice</em>, and an expanded edition of his Mirror Universe tale <em>The Sorrows of Empire</em>. Mack has been to shows in every Rush concert tour since 1982, and he finally met two-thirds of the band in 2007. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, Kara. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>On Earth, Federation President Nanietta Bacco gathers allies and adversaries to form a desperate last line of defense against an impending Borg invasion. In deep space, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain Ezri Dax join together to cut off the Collective's route to the Alpha Quadrant. </p><p>Half a galaxy away, Captain William Riker and the crew of the <em>Starship Titan</em> have made contact with the reclusive Caeliar -- survivors of a stellar cataclysm that, two hundred years ago, drove fissures through the structure of space and time, creating a loop of inevitability and consigning another captain and crew to a purgatory from which they could never escape. </p><p>Now the supremely advanced Caeliar will brook no further intrusion upon their isolation, or against the sanctity of their Great Work....For the small, finite lives of mere mortals carry little weight in the calculations of gods. </p><p>But even gods may come to understand that they underestimate humans at their peril. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>David Mack</strong> is the national bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including <em>Wildfire</em>, <em>Harbinger</em>, <em>Reap the Whirlwind</em>, <em>Road of Bones</em>, and the Star Trek Destiny trilogy — <em>Gods of Night</em>, <em>Mere Mortals</em>, and <em>Lost Souls</em>. His first original novel, the supernatural thriller <em>The Calling</em>, debuted in July 2009 to critical acclaim. In addition to novels, Mack's diverse writing credits span several media, including television (for episodes of <em>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</em>), film, short fiction, magazines, newspapers, comic books, computer games, radio, and the Internet. Recent novels include <em>The 4400: Promises Broken</em>, <em>Star Trek Vanguard: Precipice</em>, and an expanded edition of his Mirror Universe tale <em>The Sorrows of Empire</em>. Mack has been to shows in every Rush concert tour since 1982, and he finally met two-thirds of the band in 2007. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, Kara. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Ntignano was a populated world with a perfect sun -- until the right technology fell into the wrong hands. Now the sun is failing quickly, and the "Starship Enterprise(TM)" has just one chance to evacuate the eeing refugees. Captain Jean-Luc Picard must succeed in delicate negotiations with the only people who can help them: a prickly neighboring species known as the Tsorans.  To assist in that effort, Commander Will Riker was assigned a very different diplomatic task. As a polite formality and show of good faith, he accompanied a young Tsoran prince to an exclusive hunting preserve. There, technology-damping elds and some of the galaxy's deadliest predators were supposed to test the untried noble's ability in the "kaphoora" -- the hunt. But the shuttlecraft didn't land on Fandre; it crashed.  Now, cut off from Tsora and the "Enterprise, " the survivors of the disaster face the ultimate struggle for survival. Without the aid of tricorders or phasers, Riker, his royal charge, and their would-be rescuers must ght for their lives with the only weapons they can muster -- spears and "bat'leth, " tooth and claw.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>200 YEARS AGO: The expanding Klingon(TM) Empire found a frozen world rich in deposits of the mineral topaline. They named the planet taD -- Klingon for "frozen" -- and they called the people "jeghpu'wI'" -- conquered.  FOUR YEARS AGO: The Klingon Empire invaded Cardassia, breaching the Khitomer Accords and causing a break with the Federation. On taD, depleted Klingon forces were overthrown in a small coup d'etat, and the victorious rebels took advantage of the disruption to appeal for recognition from the Federation.  NOW: The Klingons have returned to taD and re-established their control. But the stubborn rebels insist on Federation recognition. A solution to the diplomatic impasse must be found, a task that falls to the Federation's new ambassador to the Klingon Empire -- Worf.  Worf thinks of himself as a fighter, not a negotiator, but the Federation disagrees. Now, for the sake of the Federation and the Empire, a Klingon warrior must weave a fragile peace out of a situation ripe for war!</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Interstellar civilization depends on the twin blessings of warp travel and subspace communications. But now an unknown force is disrupting subspace throughout the galaxy, creating "dead zones" in which advanced technology will not function. Ships are stranded in space, unable to communicate. Colonies are losing life support. Governments can no longer negotiate with their allies -- or their enemies. Worse yet, the dead zones are proliferating at a geometric rate. Unless a solution is found, the entire Alpha Quadrant may be doomed to a new dark age! </p><p>in the wake of the Dominion War, a tenuous peace exists between the Federation and the Romulan Empire. The uneasy alliance is strained to the breaking point, however, by the enigma that is destroying subspace. Now Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Ambassador Spock must join forces with an infamous Romulan war criminal in a desperate attempt to find the source of the disruption -- even if it means sacrificing the very peace they hope to save! </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur are a writing team whose successful collaborations include Star Trek novels set both in the Voyager and the Next Generation universes. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>A mysterious cosmic force is destroying the very fabric of subspace, rendering warp travel and interstellar communication impossible throughout scattered regions of the galaxy. Even worse, these "dead zones" are spreading rapidly, bringing the entire Alpha Quadrant to the brink of a new dark age. Only Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>™ stand a chance of reversing the decay by tracking the disruption to its ultimate origin. </p><p>Beyond the boundaries of the Federation, deep in uncharted space, Picard and his treacherous Romulan allies have discovered the source of the crisis: a vast alien mechanism suspended between a black hole and a nearby inhabited planet. The ancient device is all that prevents the imperiled planet from disappearing into the voracious black hole, but its cataclysmic effects are eroding subspace at speeds faster than light. Now Picard faces a wrenching dilemma: must he sacriÞce an entire world to save the galaxy? </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur are a writing team whose successful collaborations include Star Trek novels set both in the Voyager and the Next Generation universes. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>INTO THE NEBULA  While exploring an unknown region of space, the "U.S.S. Enterprise(TM)" encounters a strange nebular dust. Upon further investigation, they discover a planet called Krantin on which the plant and animal life, as well as the civilization are dying.  A series of explosions and a ship that simply disappears into thin air lead the crew to believe another group is causing the devastation of the planet. The leader of the planet's society, however, is wary of trusting the "Starship Enterprise(TM)" crewmembers, and has the away team arrested. With time running out, Data must find a way to save his crewmates or watch as two worlds are destroyed.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p><em>THE LAST STAND</em></p><p>In the middle of a routine mapping mission, Captain Picard and the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise ™</em> encounter a culture just on the edge of developing warp drive technology. When they survey the planet, they are startled by the sudden approach of thousands of spacecraft from an aggressive alien race bent on destroying this emerging culture. Now Picard has only days to resolve a conflict that has been going on for millennia. If he fails, billions will die, yet if he succeeds, he will unleash a powerful new threat to the Federation. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>In the middle of a routine mapping mission, Captain Picard and the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM encounter a culture just on the edge of developing warp drive technology. When they survey the planet, they are startled by the sudden approach of thousands of spacecraft from an aggressive alien race bent on destroying this emerging culture. Picard has only days to resolve a conflict that has been going on for millennia. If he fails, billions will die, yet if he succeeds, he will unleash a powerful new threat to the Federation. </p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Veteran Trek scribe Friedman (All Good Things...) delivers the goods again with the most interesting and ambitious novel to come from this complacent franchise in a while. Friedman assimilates characters from the original TV series into a rollicking adventure/rescue story. Ambassador Spock, still working toward reunification of the Vulcan and Romulan cultures, is captured with several of his proteges by a regional Romulan dictator with delusions of grandeur. Viewing Spock's capture as a security risk, the Federation sends Captain Jean-Luc Picard's Enterprise to negotiate Spock's release, assigning 140-year-old Admiral McCoy to the ship because of his familiarity with Spock. Meanwhile, Scotty steals a starship and engages in his own one-man rescue attempt. The interplay is fast and furious, as is the action, while the political intrigues are sufficiently interesting, if not very complex. Readers will have a fine time second-guessing some of Friedman's claims (Scotty went to the Academy?), while nodding in agreement with most of them. The prose, like several of the rescue attempts, lacks subtlety and grace but is suited to its task of telling a story that stars characters of whom most readers have already formed full and sympathetic portraits. <br>Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From</h3><p>The latest Star Trek novel, by one of the most seasoned producers of ST fiction, is aptly titled. Not only do members of both the original and the <em>Next Generation</em> casts appear in it, but it deals with a situation in which both the Romulans and the Vulcans are striving to cross over from their long-standing mutual isolation from and hostility toward each other to some form, at least, of reunification (they were once members of the same race). The story takes place during Jean-Luc Picard's command of the <em>Enterprise</em> but involves Mr. Spock, now a diplomat who is caught up in Romulan factional fighting that leads to his vividly described and nasty incarceration, among other things. Dr. McCoy and engineer Scotty, each of whom may be slowing down but has lost none of his ingenuity, must join forces, unofficially, with Picard and his crew, too, in order to bail out Spock and prevent the reunification effort from coming to a bloody end that would be disastrous for the United Federation of Planets as well as the two cultures directly involved. It's a classic helping of ST adventure (you can almost hear the ST theme, sawed out on schmaltzy violins, welling up between the lines) that ought to please the seemingly endless saga's legions of fans. <em>Roland Green</em></p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The soldiers of Armageddon are on the march, laying waste to worlds in their passage. An audacious plan could stop them forever, but it carries risks that one starship captain is unwilling to take. For Captain Jean-Luc Picard, defending the future has never been so important, or so personal -- and the wrong choice will cost him everything for which he has struggled and suffered. </p><p>For Captain William Riker, that choice has already been made. Haunted by the memories of those he was forced to leave behind, he must jeopardize all that he has left in a desperate bid to save the Federation. </p><p>For Captain Ezri Dax, whose impetuous youth is balanced by the wisdom of many lifetimes, the choice is a simple one: there is no going back -- only forward to whatever future awaits them. </p><p>But for those who, millennia ago, had no choice...this is the hour of their final, inescapable destiny. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>David Mack</strong> is the national bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including <em>Wildfire</em>, <em>Harbinger</em>, <em>Reap the Whirlwind</em>, <em>Road of Bones</em>, and the Star Trek Destiny trilogy — <em>Gods of Night</em>, <em>Mere Mortals</em>, and <em>Lost Souls</em>. His first original novel, the supernatural thriller <em>The Calling</em>, debuted in July 2009 to critical acclaim. In addition to novels, Mack's diverse writing credits span several media, including television (for episodes of <em>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</em>), film, short fiction, magazines, newspapers, comic books, computer games, radio, and the Internet. Recent novels include <em>The 4400: Promises Broken</em>, <em>Star Trek Vanguard: Precipice</em>, and an expanded edition of his Mirror Universe tale <em>The Sorrows of Empire</em>. Mack has been to shows in every Rush concert tour since 1982, and he finally met two-thirds of the band in 2007. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, Kara. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Fortune has smiled on Lieutenant Jasminder Choudhury, chief of security on the <em>U.S.S Enterprise.</em>™ She has survived. But her homeworld, Deneva, one of the planets targeted in the massive Borg invasion, has not. The entire surface has been wiped clean of <em>every</em>thing, killing anyone who did not evacuate and rendering the planet uninhabitable. Choudhury is left to wonder whether her family was one of the displaced. Or are they all gone forever? </p><p>The <em>Enterprise </em>is just one ship, and Jasminder Choudhury is just one officer, yet her story is being repeated over and over across the galaxy. Hundreds of thousands of displaced persons haunt the space ways, seeking comfort, looking for someplace safe, somewhere, anywhere to find solace. Captain Jean-Luc Picard is ordered to do everything he can to rescue and if need be to recover the lost souls from the Borg invasion. </p><p>For the first time in generations, citizens of the Federation know want, uncertainty, and fear. Bloodied yet unbowed, the Federation now stands on the edge of a precipice. The captain of the <em>Enterprise</em> finds himself in the unenviable position of wondering whether it is true that those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>WILLIAM LEISNER i</strong>s the author of the acclaimed novels <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation: Losing the Peace</em>, and <em>A Less Perfect Union</em> (from the <em>Myriad Universes</em> collection <em>Infinity's Prism</em>).  He is a three-time winner of the late, lamented <em>Star Trek: Strange New Worlds</em> competition, as contributed tales to the official celebration of <em>Star Trek</em>'s 40th anniversary in 2006, and <em>TNG</em>'s 20th Anniversary in 2007.  A native of Rochester, New York, he currently lives in Minneapolis. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The spectacular conclusion to the thrilling double-sized adventure!  Like an unstoppable cosmic storm, the dreaded Genesis Wave continues to sweep across the Alpha Quadrant, transforming entire planets on a molecular level and threatening entire civilizations with extinction. Based on the long-hidden scientific secrets of Dr. Carol Marcus, who has mysteriously disappeared, the wave of mutagenic protomatter seems to have come from nowhere, posing a cataclysmic menace to life as we know it.  To combat the rushing terror of the wave, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the "Starship Enterprise"(TM) have been forced into an uneasy alliance with both the Klingons and the Romulan Empire, both of whom may crave the forbidden secrets of the Genesis technology for themselves. The finest engineers of three civilizations, including Geordi La Forge and his long-lost love, Dr. Leah Brahms, must race against time to devise some way of halting the deadly wave before yet another world is transformed into something entirely alien and unrecognizable.  But even if, against all odds, the Genesis Wave can be defeated, Picard and his potentially treacherous allies must still confront the greater mystery of what unknown intelligence dared to launch the wave against an unsuspecting galaxy -- and for what malevolent purpose....</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The fearsome progeny of forbidden technology, the Genesis Wave swept across the Alpha Quadrant, creating new life at the expense of everything that lay in its path. Only through the valiant efforts of Captain Picard and his crew was the Wave halted, and the cataclysmic threat to the Federation averted. Or so it seemed. </p><p>In the harrowing aftermath of the crisis, the Genesis Device falls into the hands of a dangerous religious zealot. But that disaster may pale beside an even more dire emergency, as Data develops a disturbing theory regarding the full cosmic consequences of the Genesis Effect: Can life truly be created from nothing, or must the entire Galaxy pay a terrible price for what Genesis has wrought? </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>John Vornholt is the author of several Star Trek novels including two of the bestselling four-volume Next Generation/Deep Space Nine DOMINION WAR sequence. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>DRAGON'S HONOR  Isolated for centuries, the exotic Dragon Empires finally ready to join the United Federation of Planets. But first the emperor's eldest son must marry the only daughter of his oldest enemy, bringing to an end decades of civil war. Without the wedding, there can be no peace -- and no treaty with the Federation.  As honored guests of the Dragon Empire, Captain Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise(TM) must ensure that the royal wedding occurs on schedule, despite the Empire's complicated and difficult codes of honor. And Dr. Beverly Crusher finds her loyalties torn when she wins the confidence of the unusually reluctant bride-to-be.  More than just a treaty is at stake, for a vicious race of alien conquerors will stop at nothing, from assassination to invasion, to keep the Empire out of the Federation. Picard must now use all his skills to save the Empire...and preserve the Dragon's Honor.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>"ROUGE SAUCER"  While its own saucer section receives needed repairs, the "U.S.S. Enterprise(TM)" tests a new experimental saucer. In theory, the new saucer can survive a planetary crash landing, but will it come through intact under genuine test conditions? Riker, Data, Worf, and La Forge risk their lives to find out, and so does Admiral nechayev of Starfleet.  But a dangerous test turns even more deadly when hostile forces seize control of the saucer --and turn it against the "Enterprise."</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Eighty years ago, bodiless entities brought a plague of violence and bloodshed to the planet Vulcan. The nightmare ended only when the entities were trapped inside special containers.  Now, on the eve of a galaxy-scale scientific exposition, the containers have been opened, freeing the malevolent entities to possess the minds and bodies of all they encounter, including the crew of the "Starship Enterprise"(TM). Friends turn into foes, and no one can be trusted as Captain Picard faces a deadly and insidious threat. Unless the entities can be stopped once more, they will spread their madness throughout the entire federation.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Decades after the original <em>Starship Enterprise </em>wards off the conquering Furies, who once owned the entire Alpha Quadrant, Captain Picard and his crew face a second confrontation and become subject to the alien's mind-altering powers. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Long ago, before the dawn of civilization, they were banished to the realm of nightmares. Now the terrors are real . . .</p><p>A generation ago, another <em>Starship Enterprise</em>TM fought off a ship of exiled aliens intent on conquering all of the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet thought the foe had been repelled forever -- until now. The Furies have returned in might warships even more powerful than before. But their weapons are more than merely physical, for these aliens are the origins of all the demons and monsters of ancient myth, and they have found a way to project fear directly into the minds of their enemies. To defeat the Furies, and save the Federation, Picard and the crew of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM must first conquer the darkest terrors of their unconscious minds. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>It's been said that for any event, there are an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcome will follow, and therefore all possibilities that could happen do happen across countless alternate realities. In these divergent realms, known history is bent, like white light through a prism -- broken into a boundless spectrum of what-might-have-beens. But in those myriad universes, what might have been...is what actually happened. </p><p><strong>A Less Perfect Union</strong>: More than a hundred years after the Terra Prime movement achieved its dream of an isolationist Earth, humanity is once again at a fork in the river of history...and the path it follows may ultimately be determined by the voice of a single individual: the sole surviving crewmember of the first <em>Starship Enterprise</em>.™ </p><p><strong>Places of Exile</strong>: Midway through <em>Voyager</em>'s journey across the galaxy, Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay must choose whether to brave a deadly war zone or abandon their quest for home. But an attack by Species 8472 cripples the ship, and the stranded crew must make new choices that will reshape their destinies...and that of the Delta Quadrant itself. </p><p><strong>Seeds of Dissent</strong>: Khan victorious! Almost four centuries after conquering their world, genetically enhanced humans dominate a ruthless interstellar empire. But the warship <em>Defiance</em>, under its augmented commander, Princeps Julian Bashir, makes a discovery that could shake the pillars of his proud civilization: an ancient sleeper ship from Earth named the <em>Botany Bay</em>. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Christopher L. Bennett</strong> is the author of two previous works of <em>Titan</em> fiction, the novel <em>Star Trek: Titan: Orion’s Hounds</em> and the short story "Empathy" in the <em>Star Trek: Mirror Universe: Shards and Shadows</em> anthology. He has also authored such critically acclaimed novels as <em>Star Trek: Ex Machina, Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Buried Age</em>, and <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation: Greater Than the Sum</em>, as well as the alternate <em>Voyager</em> tale <em>Places of Exile</em> in <em>Myriad Universes: Infinity’s Prism</em>. Shorter works include <em>Star Trek: SCE</em> #29: <em>Aftermath</em> and <em>Star Trek: Mere Anarchy: The Darkness Drops Again</em>, as well as short stories in the anniversary anthologies <em>Constellations</em> (original series), <em>The Sky’s The Limit</em> (TNG), <em>Prophecy and Change</em> (DS9), and <em>Distant Shores</em> (VGR). Beyond <em>Star Trek</em>, he has penned the novels <em>X-Men: Watchers on the Walls</em> and <em>Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder</em>, and is also developing original science fiction novel concepts  </p><p><strong>WILLIAM LEISNER i</strong>s the author of the acclaimed novels <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation: Losing the Peace</em>, and <em>A Less Perfect Union</em> (from the <em>Myriad Universes</em> collection <em>Infinity's Prism</em>).  He is a three-time winner of the late, lamented <em>Star Trek: Strange New Worlds</em> competition, as contributed tales to the official celebration of <em>Star Trek</em>'s 40th anniversary in 2006, and <em>TNG</em>'s 20th Anniversary in 2007.  A native of Rochester, New York, he currently lives in Minneapolis.  </p><p>James Swallow has written several books, including <em>Star Trek: Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers</em> and <em>Seeds of Dissent</em> (from <em>Star Trek: Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism</em>); the <em>Sundowners</em> quartet of ‘steampunk’ science fiction Westerns (_Ghost Town, Underworld_, <em>Iron Dragon</em> and <em>Showdown</em>); the best-selling novelization of_ The Butterfly Effect_; <em>The Flight of the Eisenstein</em>, <em>Faith and Fire</em> and <em>Jade Dragon</em>; the <em>2000AD</em> tie-ins Eclipse, <em>Blood Relative</em> and <em>Whiteout</em>; Stargate Atlantis: Halcyon; and the <em>Blood Angels</em> duology <em>Deus Encarmine</em> and <em>Deus Sanguinius.</em></p><p>In addition, Swallow’s short fiction has appeared in_ Inferno!_ and <em>Stargate</em> magazine, the anthologies <em>Star Trek Voyager: Distant Shores</em>, the <em>Doctor Who Short Trips</em> collections <em>Dalek Empire</em> and <em>Destination Prague</em>, <em>Something Changed, Collected Works, What Price Victory</em> and <em>Silent Night</em>. </p><p>His non-fiction includes <em>Dark Eye: The Films of David Finche</em>r and books on writing, genre television and animation; he has also written for <em>Star Trek: Voyager</em>, <em>Doctor Who</em> and <em>Space 1889</em>, along with several scripts for audio and videogames. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>They are the self-appointed protectors of the Federation. Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, answerable to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group committed to safeguarding the Federation at any cost.  Six months before their ultimate battle against the Borg for the fate of Earth, Captain Jean-Luc Piccard and the crew of the "USS Enterprise" face a very different kind of crisis. A world in turmoil becomes the focal point of conspiracies and betrayal as an unexpected reunion brings with it startling revelations. Old friends become bitter enemies and one young officer reaches a crossroad when he's forced to choose between the greater good of the Federation and the ideals for which it stands.  NO LAW. NO CONSCIENCE. NO STOPPING THEM.</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>More than 200,000 years ago, the ancient Iconians created a network of interdimensional Gateways providing instantaneous transportation across unimaginable distances. Once known as the "Demons of Air and Darkness," the Iconians mysteriously vanished many millennia ago, never to return -- or so it was believed.   </p><p><strong>GATEWAYS</strong><br>DOORS INTO CHAOS  </p><p>Summoned to an emergency briefing at Starfleet Headquarters, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is stunned to discover that the legendary Iconians have returned at last, and are offering to sell the secrets of their advanced technology to the Federation. To prove their sincerity, they have reactivated their long-abandoned Gateways, but the results have been strife and chaos throughout the entire Alpha Quadrant. Now Picard and his crew must contend with feuding Klingons and Romulans as the captain seeks to discover the sinister truth behind the Iconians' unexpected rebirth! </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Together with Pocket Books Star Trek editor John J. Ordover, Robert Greenberger created the overall Gateways concept which forms the basis of the seven-part crossover series. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Created by the ancient Iconians, the Gateways offer instantaneous transport across unimaginable distances. Throughout the known galaxy, the sudden reactivation of the Gateways has destabilized interstellar relations -- and forced several of Starfleet's finest commanders to leap through separate Gateways into the unknown.   </p><p>Captain James T. Kirk of <em>Star Trek, The Original Series.</em> Captain Jean-Luc Picard of <em>Star Trek: The Next Generation (R).</em> Colonel Kira Nerys of <em>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (R).</em> Captain Kathryn Janeway of <em>Star Trek: Voyager (R).</em> Captains Calhoun and Shelby of <em>Star Trek: New Frontier .</em> Captain Nick Keller of <em>Star Trek: New Earth.</em>   </p><p>All of these heroes have taken the ultimate gamble: hurling themselves through a Gateway without any forewarning of what lay beyond. Now each must face his or her own unique challenge, while struggling to find a way back to the ships and homes left behind.... </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><em>What Lay Beyond</em> brings the Gateways saga to a spectacular finish, in all-star collaboration by six popular, bestselling Star Trek® authors. Among them, <strong>Diane Carey, Peter David, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Cristie Golden, Robert Greenberger,</strong> and <strong>Susan Wright</strong> have written dozens of Star Trek® novels. This is their first mega-collaboration. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>For 1500 years, the Klingons have revered him as their first emperor, the legendary warrior who united their people and taught them the meaning of honor, but the truth of his incredible life has been shrouded in myth and fables... until now.</p><p>A clone of the original Kahless now reigns as emperor, but the discovery of an ancient scroll throws the legends into doubt and threatens to tear the Klingon empire apart. Surrounded by treachery and rumors of revolt, this new Kahless can trust no one - except Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lieutenant Worf of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>.</p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>For 1500 years, the Klingons have revered him as their first emperor, the legendary warrior who united their people and taught them the meaning of honor, but the truth of his incredible life has been shrouded in myth and fables... until now.</p><p>A clone of the original Kahless now reigns as emperor, but the discovery of an ancient scroll throws the legends into doubt and threatens to tear the Klingon empire apart. Surrounded by treachery and rumors of revolt, this new Kahless can trust no one - except Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lieutenant Worf of the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>.</p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Centuries ago, followers of the tyrant Khan Noonien Singh left Earth for the planet Hera to continue his experiment in selective breeding. Now, they are finally ready to launch their plan of universal domination -- with the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM as their weapon. Captain Picard must enlist the help of Heran expatriate Astrid Kemal to defeat her fellow superbeings. Unless the captain and crew of the <em>Enterprise</em> can stop them, the Heran infiltrators could alter the genetic landscape of the galaxy for generations to come. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Centuries ago, followers of the tyrant Khan Noonien Singh left Earth for the planet Hera to continue his experiment in selective breeding. Now, they are finally ready to launch their plan of universal domination -- with the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM as their weapon. Captain Picard must enlist the help of Heran expatriate Astrid Kemal to defeat her fellow superbeings. Unless the captain and crew of the <em>Enterprise</em> can stop them, the Heran infiltrators could alter the genetic landscape of the galaxy for generations to come. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>With their sun about to go nova, the people of Epictetus III face annihilation. Although the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise™</em> has come to lead the rescue operation, there is no way to evacuate a population of over twenty million, leaving Captain Picard to make an agonizing decision. Should he try to salvage the planet's children, its greatest leaders and thinkers, or its irreplaceable archeological treasures? No matter what he decides, millions must be sacrificed -- unless another solution can be found. </p><p>With time running out, Data proposes a revolutionary scientific experiment that could save all of Epictetus III, or doom both the planet and the <em>Enterprise</em> as well. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>With their sun about to go nova, the people of Epictetus III face utter annihilation. Although the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em>TM has come to lead the rescue operation, there is no way to evacuate a population of over one hundred million, leaving Captain Picard to make an agonizing decision. Should he try to salvage the planet's children, its greatest leaders and thinkers, or its irreplaceable archeological treasures? No matter what he decides, millions must be sacrificed -- unless another solution can be found. </p><p>With time running out, Data proposes a revolutionary scientific experiment that could save all of Epictetus III, or doom both the planet and the <em>Enterprise</em> as well.END </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>It's been said that for any event, there are an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcome will follow, and therefore all possibilities that could happen <em>do</em> happen across countless alternate realities. In these divergent realms, known history is bent, like white light through a prism -- broken into a boundless spectrum of what-might-have-beens. But in those myriad universes, what might have been...is what actually happened. </p><p><strong>THE CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT:</strong> In a continuum where Spock died during childhood, an Andorian named Thelin became Captain Kirk's stalwart friend and first officer. But at the moment of Khan's final defeat, history takes an even stranger turn, and the emerging potential of Project Genesis is revealed as the galaxy's greatest hope...and its most ominous threat. </p><p><strong>A GUTTED WORLD:</strong> Terrorist Kira Nerys -- from a Bajor that was never liberated -- may hold the key to winning a war that has engulfed half the galaxy. But with the Romulans and the Klingons at each other's throats, and the Federation pulled into the conflict, even victory may not bring salvation. </p><p><strong>BRAVE NEW WORLD:</strong> Dr. Noonien Soong's dream has been realized: androids are now woven inextricably into the fabric of the Federation, revolutionizing Starfleet and transforming the quality of humanoid life. But when Soong's long-missing breakthrough creation, Data, mysteriously resurfaces, civilization reaches a crossroads that could lead to a bright new future, or to ruin. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Keith R.A. DeCandido</strong> was born and raised in New York City to a family of librarians. He has written over two dozen novels, as well as short stories, nonfiction, eBooks, and comic books, most of them in various media universes, among them <em>Star Trek, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Marvel Comics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, Resident Evil, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, Farscape, Xena,</em> and <em>Doctor Who</em>. His original novel <em>Dragon Precinct</em> was published in 2004, and he's also edited several anthologies, among them the award-nominated <em>Imaginings</em> and two <em>Star Trek</em> anthologies. Keith is also a musician, having played percussion for the bands the Don't Quit Your Day Job Players, the Boogie Knights, and the Randy Bandits, as well as several solo acts. In what he laughingly calls his spare time, Keith follows the New York Yankees and practices <em>kenshikai</em> karate. He still lives in New York City with his girlfriend and two insane cats. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>He is perhaps the ultimate human achievement: a sentient artificial life-form -- self-aware, self-determining, possessing a mind and body far surpassing that of his makers, and imbued with the potential to evolve beyond the scope of his programming. Created by one of the most brilliant and eccentric intellects the Federation has ever known, the android Data has always believed he was unique, the one true fulfillment of a dream to create children of the mind. But is he? Investigating the mysterious destruction of a new android created by Starfleet, Data and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise?</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Captain Jean-Luc Picard has long enjoyed playing the part of Dixon Hill, a hard-boiled private eye straight out of American pulpfiction. His holographic excursions into 1940s San Francisco, a colorful world of gunplay and gangsters, provide a welcome diversion from his hefty responsibilities as a Starfleet captain. But not this time. The Starship Enterprise? has lost power and control, its own momentum carrying it ever deeper into a dangerous zone of warped space and time. And the only way out is hidden somewhere in the mean streets and back alleys of old Frisco. But so is a cold-blooded murderer.... Now Dixon Hill, alias Jean-Luc Picard, must get to the bottom of a tangled mystery that threatens the lives of everyone aboard the Enterprise !</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>In the darkest hours of the Dominion War, as the Federation's downfall seemed ever more certain, Jem'Hadar and Cardassian forces conquered Betazed, the homeworld of Deanna Troi. Their victory sent shock waves through the Alpha Quadrant, and put the Dominion within striking distance of Vulcan, Andor, Tellar -- and possibly Earth itself. To secure their position in the very heart of the Federation, the Cardassians begin constructing space station Sentok Nor in orbit of Betazed. The station is to serve as both the seat of the Dominion occupation and the site of horrific experiments by Cardassia's foremost exobiologist, the infamous Dr. Crell Moset. With Starfleet's forces spread too thinky in the ongoing struggle to retake Betazed outright, the U.S.S. Enterprise? along with some old and new friends, is deployed to carry out a dangerous and desperate plan. But no matter what the outcome, the consequences could alter Betazed irrevocably, forcing Deanna Troi to choose between her world's survival and its very soul.</p>


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<div><p class="description"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; ">Product Description</span></p><p>CONTINUING THE ALL-NEW ADVENTURE SPANNING ALL OF <em>STAR TREK</em>® HISTORY! </p><p>Two of the Malkus Artifacts -- used as deadly weapons millennia ago -- have been uncovered since their discovery in the 22nd century. Now in the 24th century, two more artifacts lie in wait, ready to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting galaxy... </p><p>While on their shakedown cruise, Captain Kathryn Janeway and the <em>Starship Voyager</em>™ discover the third artifact in the Demilitarized Zone -- in the hands of the Maquis! With the aid of Captain Robert DeSoto of the <em>U.S.S. Hood, Voyager</em> security chief Lieutenant Tuvok infiltrates the Maquis, and must gain the trust of cell leaders Chakotay and Cal Hudson before the terrorists use the artifact to throw the DMZ into chaos! </p><p>When the final artifact is unearthed on Narendra III, it leads to several mysterious disappearances throughout Federation and Klingon™ space -- including Federation Ambassadors Spock and Worf. Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the <em>Starship Enterprise</em>™ joins forces with Captain Klag of the I.K.S. Gorkon -- but even the greatest vessels of two nations may not be enough when the deadly secret of the final artifact is revealed! </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Keith R.A. Decandido is the author of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer novelization, The Xander Years Volume One, and is known to Star Trek fans as the author of Perchance to Dream, a Star Trek: The Next Generation comicbook miniseries published by Wildstorm. He is the editor of Marvel Comics' tie-in novels and of several science-fiction and fantasy anthologies. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Dangerous assignments come in pairs when Captain Picard and his crew are confronted with two desperate missions on two different worlds. </p><p>On the planet Buran, newly linked to the Fedration, a mysterious disease devastates the population-and turns them against the visitors from the U.S.S. Enterprise. Meanwhile, on nearby lomides, a renegade Federation observer has disappeared, intent on violating the Prime Directive by preventing a tragic political assassination. </p><p>While Dr. Crusher struggles to find a cure for the plague ravaging Buran, Commander Will RIker leads an Away Team to lomides. Their forces divided, Picard and his crew find themselves the only hope of two worlds. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>Dangerous assignments come in pairs when Captain Picard and his crew are confronted with two desperate missions on two different worlds. </p><p>On the planet Buran, newly linked to the Fedration, a mysterious disease devastates the population-and turns them against the visitors from the U.S.S. Enterprise. Meanwhile, on nearby lomides, a renegade Federation observer has disappeared, intent on violating the Prime Directive by preventing a tragic political assassination. </p><p>While Dr. Crusher struggles to find a cure for the plague ravaging Buran, Commander Will RIker leads an Away Team to lomides. Their forces divided, Picard and his crew find themselves the only hope of two worlds.END </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>When several ships and colonies disappear into a legend-filled, virtually starless void in space known as the Rift, the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise </em>investigates and discovers a bizarre menace of unusual power. </p><h3>From the Publisher</h3><p>The Great Rift lies between the Sagitarius and Orion arms of the galaxy. Stars are scarce there, beyond the authority of the Federation, and legends abound of lost civilizations and of ancient monsters that prey on those who dare to venture into the vast darkness between the stars. </p><p>When several ships and colonies mysteriously disappear into the Rift, the <em>U.S.S. Enterprise</em> leads an expedition to investigate various disturbing reports. Accompanied by two other Federation starships, Picard and his fellow captains discover a bizarre menace of unimaginable power. And the only way to trap this destructive entity is to use the <em>Enterprise</em> as bait. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Following on the success and popularity of "Genesis Wave: " Books One, Two, and Three, John Vornholt pulls together a group of "Star Trek(TM)" heroes with a mission unlike any other!  The passing of the Genesis Wave has damaged hundreds of worlds in the newly named "Genesis Sector," and chaos reigns throughout that area of space. Each world has been changed in different ways, and a group of extraordinary men and women -- some old friends, some new faces -- have been assigned the job of getting the devastated planets back on their feet.  Their first job: To resettle an entire displaced alien race on its altered home planet, where the dead come back to life, microbes have reached gigantic size, and the new ecology taking over the world is one not fit for man nor genetically altered beast....</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>THE MACHINE AGE  After the apparent death of James T. Kirk on the "U.S.S. Enterpris" NCC-1701-B, Montgomery Scott decides to leave Starfleet. A chance encounter with a mysterious woman named Guinan leads him to hitch a ride on the "U.S.S. Jenolen" -- which crashes into a Dyson Sphere, leaving only Scotty to survive suspended as a transporter pattern....  Seventy-five years later, he is revived aboard the "Enterprise-"D -- on which Guinan serves as bartender. But fate has not finished with either Scotty or Guinan. The engineer hatches an audacious plan to travel back in time and rescue Jim Kirk the moment before he would vanish into the nexus and bring him back to the twenty-fourth century without damaging the timeline.  Scotty's plan, however, does not go as expected. Though Kirk is rescued, the famed captain and the engineer, as well as Captain Picard, Guinan, and the crew of the "Enterprise-"D, are trapped in an altered past where there is no Federation, and no human race. Sarek of Vulcan leads a ragtag collection of species fighting a losing battle against the Borg, who have swarmed into the Alpha Quadrant and assimilated Earth.  Starfleet's finest miracle worker must find a way to restore the timeline before the galaxy is overrun....</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Every five thousand years, so the people of the planet Thanet believe, the world ends in fire and a new cycle of creation begins. Now the Last Days are once again upon them, and a fiery star draws near. This is the Death-Bringer, the Eater of the World, whose coming heralds the end of all things....  But to Captain Picard and the crew of the "Starship Enterprise(TM)"; the Death-Bringer appears to be nothing but a rogue comet, easily destroyed. Picard faces a difficult dilemma: how can he save the Thanetians' rich and intricate civilization without destroying the very beliefs upon which their culture is based?  This quandary is challenge enough, yet the captain's position becomes even more complicated when Deanna Troi discovers that, incredibly, the comet is alive!</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>"The Years Are 2355-2357Two men. Both defined by the personal tragedy that drove them apart. Both driven by their desire to serve, and their devotion to duty. Both haunted by the past, and uncertain of the future....And both unable to reach across the chasm that separates father and son. In the wake of the Tholian attack that nearly cost him his life, civilian strategic consultant Kyle Riker becomes the target of an apparent conspiracy within Starfleet Command, forcing him off Earth and beyond Federation territory to evade the attempts on his life. But danger is never far off, even on a backwater world where Kyle's very name brings the promise of death. At the same time, the Starfleet career of Kyle's estranged son William Riker is under way in earnest, from his turbulent formative years at the Academy to his first perilous missions as an ensign aboard the Starship Pegasus. And even as Kyle searches for the truth behind the events that have made him a fugitive, Will is pursued as well -- by a family legacy he fears he will never escape."</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise has never been told. Until now. The site of one of the Dominion War's fiercest battles, the Rashanar Sector now contains a vast interstellar graveyard littered with the lifeless hulks of hundreds of devastated starships. The explosive destruction of so many varied warp drives has severely distorted the space-time continuum in this region, resulting in dangerous unleashed energies and bizarre gravitational anomalies. The Enterprise has been assigned to patrol the perimeter of the danger zone, while other vessels carry out the difficult and highly hazardous task of retrieving the bodies of the dead from the wrecked warships. To some alien races, the former battleground is hallowed space. To others, including the rapacious Androssi, it is a scavenger's paradise, ripe for salvage. None expect this ship's graveyard to hold a deadly secret that will force the android Data to make a heart-wrenching decision about the path his life will take -- and that will endanger not only the Enterprise, but Picard's future in Starfleet.</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise has never been told.  UNTIL NOW.  It was supposed to be a mission of mercy, until the unthinkable occurred: the destruction of the U.S.S. Juno, killing all hands on board. Starfleet Command has unjustly assessed the actions of Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew during that fateful assignment to the Rashanar Battle Site -- the sector that saw one of the fiercest conflicts of the Dominion War, and which is now a hazardous interstellar graveyard filled with hundreds of devastated starships. While the court-ordered medical evaluation that relieved Picard of command is ongoing, there is growing speculation that his illustrious career may be coming to an end.  To clear his former commander, acting captain William Riker and a demoralized skeleton crew agree to conduct a covert operation, and must venture the Starship Enterprise back into Rashanar to track down a mythical menace -- one that may already be responsible for the annihilation of countless fully armed starships. Unbridled hostility and the promise of death lurk at every turn, but they could never imagine that their only chance of survival may lie in the unexpected return of a long-absent friend....  On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise has never been told.  UNTIL NOW.  It was supposed to be a mission of mercy, until the unthinkable occurred: the destruction of the U.S.S. Juno, killing all hands on board. Starfleet Command has unjustly assessed the actions of Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew during that fateful assignment to the Rashanar Battle Site -- the sector that saw one of the fiercest conflicts of the Dominion War, and which is now a hazardous interstellar graveyard filled with hundreds of devastated starships. While the court-ordered medical evaluation that relieved Picard of command is ongoing, there is growing speculation that his illustrious career may be coming to an end.  To clear his former commander, acting captain William Riker and a demoralized skeleton crew agree to conduct a covert operation, and must venture the Starship Enterprise back into Rashanar to track down a mythical menace -- one that may already be responsible for the annihilation of countless fully armed starships. Unbridled hostility and the promise of death lurk at every turn, but they could never imagine that their only chance of survival may lie in the unexpected return of a long-absent friend....</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picardżs long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Rikerżs promotion to captain and his new command, Rikerżs marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusherżs new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise has never been told. Until now. More than two centuries ago, the Dokaalan sent an unmanned probe into the void, bearing a distress call for anyone who could save their doomed world. But the message reached Federation space too late to save the planet or its people. Or so it was believed.... Generations later, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E are stunned to discover the last of the Dokaala-żnow only a colony fighting to stay alive in a decrepit asteroid mining complex. Although their home planet was destroyed long ago, the survivors hope to someday transform a nearby planet into a new home for their people. But bitter divisions exist among the Dokaalan, sowing the seeds of sabotage and terrorismżand placing Picard and the Enterprise in the middle of an escalating crisis that can only lead to total destruction!</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise™ has never been told.  UNTIL NOW.  Still reeling from the disastrous events that have rocked all of Starfleet and tarnished the career of one of the Federation's most decorated captains, Picard and his crew must now endure the unthinkable: scandal, ostracism, and an uncertain future. But despite all that has occurred, none aboard the Enterprise have forgotten their duty as Starfleet officers....  Assigned to assist the imperiled Dokaalan -- a small colony of refugees who maintain a precarious existence in a rapidly disintegrating asteroid mining complex -- the Enterprise crew must somehow aid this alien race in terraforming a nearby planet so that it might someday provide a new home for their kind. But violent acts of sabotage soon turn a humanitarian crisis into a deadly confrontation. To save the Dokaalan from extinction, Picard must uncover the presence of an old adversary -- and prevent a disaster of catastrophic proportions!  On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise™ has never been told.  UNTIL NOW.  Still reeling from the disastrous events that have rocked all of Starfleet and tarnished the career of one of the Federation's most decorated captains, Picard and his crew must now endure the unthinkable: scandal, ostracism, and an uncertain future. But despite all that has occurred, none aboard the Enterprise have forgotten their duty as Starfleet officers....  Assigned to assist the imperiled Dokaalan -- a small colony of refugees who maintain a precarious existence in a rapidly disintegrating asteroid mining complex -- the Enterprise crew must somehow aid this alien race in terraforming a nearby planet so that it might someday provide a new home for their kind. But violent acts of sabotage soon turn a humanitarian crisis into a deadly confrontation. To save the Dokaalan from extinction, Picard must uncover the presence of an old adversary -- and prevent a disaster of catastrophic proportions!</p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise has never been told. Until now. One hundred years ago, the recurring conflicts between the Bader and the Dorset ended mysteriously when both races colonized the distant planet Delta Sigma IV-a world located far from the destructive wars of their people-and quickly became the Federation's perfect example of interspecies cooperation. But there are now rumblings of trouble in paradise, as an investigation led by Kyle Riker-Commander William Riker's estranged father-into this harmonious society has discovered a shocking, immutable truth: over the next few generations, the reaction to a native gas will spell the extinction of Delta Sigma IV's inhabitants. Captain Picard and his crew, still recovering from the tragic events that have tarnished the career of one of the Federation's most decorated captains, must come to the aid of a world that once knew only peace, but now faces emerging violence and chaos... and Commander Riker must confront the reality that his own father may be held responsible for Delta Sigma IV's almost certain downfall!</p>


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As the vampires of the world prepare to do battle with humanity, and each other, the possibility of a new life for those that remain is what spurs them on in their bloody quest.


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For the Shadows, nothing can ever be the same again. Their existence revealed to the world in Of Saints and Shadows, the truth of their divided heritage revealed to themselves in Angel Souls and Devil Hearts, they must now fight the hardest battle of all -- against others of their own kind. The fragile alliance of human and vampire was shattered forever by Hannibal, among the most ancient of Shadows, who turned on them both in their hour of greatest need. Driven by blood, he thirsts for dominion, and humankind to him will always be prey. For those Shadows who walk a different path there is only one choice to be made. Hannibal must be destroyed before he destroys them all. But his followers are many, and those who oppose him are few...


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SUMMARY:
Christopher Golden's long-awaited return to his critically-acclaimed Shadow Saga features Peter Octavian-once a vampire, now a powerful mage-as the only man powerful enough to stop a supernatural armageddon...


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<div><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Grade 7 Up—Cate, 14, is a maid for Queen Elizabeth until her emotions get the best of her. When a romance develops between Cate and Sir Walter Ralegh, the jealous queen declares, "He. Is. Mine" and sends her to the Tower.However, the smooth-talking Ralegh is able to convince the queen that the young woman should be sent to America, thinking that he will eventually join her. Clearly this forbidden relationship doesn't evolve, and Cate's life becomes consumed with surviving in Roanoke with hostile Natives threatening to attack. She enlists the help of Manteo to learn their language and, predictably, a romance grows from that. Chapters containing Ralegh's writings and memorandums alternate with those about Cate and Manteo, who is educated in English and charged with negotiations with the Natives. While the writing is smooth and easy to follow, only true American-history enthusiasts will find this novel interesting enough to read in its entirety. The author's note is helpful in clarifying fact from fiction. Celia Rees's <em>Witch Child</em> (Candlewick, 2001) is a more interesting story about this period in history.—_Jessica Lorentz Smith, Bend Senior High School, OR_ <br>(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Lady Catherine incurs the queen’s jealousy when the young noblewoman catches the wandering eye of Sir Walter Ralegh. Banished to the Virginia Roanoke colony as a result, Cate first looks forward to adventure and a new start. Nothing can prepare her or her shipmates for the hardship of the ordeal. Expected supplies do not arrive, and the settlement is tossed into survival mode complete with political wrangling, disease, and clashes with the native people. As Cate comes of age, she compares her feelings for the handsome, clever Manteo of Roanoke with the dashing, opportunistic Ralegh. Klein deftly balances the romantic appeal with the grueling reality of survival, the lives of original inhabitants, and factual background of English colonization. In a departure from historic detail, Ralegh, who never visited the colony, sails to Roanoke near the end of the story to try to reclaim his lady. Readers will eagerly await her decision. Grades 7-10. --Anne O'Malley </p>

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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>When Michelle Gibson reports her father, Mick Prentice, missing at the start of McDermid's intricate but underwhelming stand-alone psychological thriller, Det. Insp. Karen Pirie, head of the Fife police Cold Case Review Team, isn't interested until Michelle reveals that Mick disappeared during the 1984 miners' strike. At the time, everyone believed Mick went scabbing in Nottingham. Later, Karen is summoned to the home of wealthy Sir Broderick Maclennan Grant, whose daughter, Catriona, and baby grandson, Adam, were abducted in 1985. A botched ransom hand-off left Catriona dead and Adam nowhere to be found. New evidence linked to the kidnapping has surfaced, and now Karen has two missing people to locate. McDermid tries to pack too much story into one book, and the connection she draws between the cases feels forced. Fans of the Scottish author may be better off waiting for the next outing of McDermid's series to feature psychologist Tony Hill (_The Mermaid Singing_, etc.). <em>Author tour. (Feb.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>McDermid’s latest is a stand-alone set in Fife, Scotland. Detective Inspector Karen Pirie, newly appointed head of the Cold Case squad, has a hard time with desk work, so when a woman reports her father missing and last seen in 1984, Pirie can’t resist. But her boss, a paper pusher known as the Macaroon, wants Karen in the office, at least until Bel, an investigative journalist, turns up new evidence in a 20-year-old heiress kidnap case. As Karen and Bel investigate, friends’ and family members’ memories of the missing people are delivered as flashbacks, resulting in short chapters, multiple viewpoints, and a moderately quick pace. As Karen’s two cases seem to converge, the complex and layered plotlines come together, and McDermid does an excellent job creating tension around a cold case. Sure to be a hit with McDermid’s large fan base, it should also appeal to those who read other Scottish police mysteries, such as Stuart MacBride’s (Flesh House, 2008). Those who enjoyed the cold-case aspect may also enjoy Johan Theorin’s Echoes from the Dead (2008). --Jessica Moyer </p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Great Britain. July 1951.   </p><p>Three years ago, Russia went dark. Nothing got in. Nothing got out. The world assumed it was political strife. But it was the Chimera: voracious extraterrestrial invaders. And in December 1949, they burst across the Russian border and poured into Europe. The luckiest humans died. The less fortunate succumbed to an alien virus–and changed.<br />Within a year, most of Europe had fallen. Only Great Britain, after struggling desperately, had kept the conquerors at bay. But as the Chimera were repelled, they were evolving. Building. Planning.  </p><p>America. November 1952.  </p><p>The Chimera have crossed the Atlantic. Their lightning strikes on American borders are devastating. Cities are lost. Small towns overrun. Citizens transformed into monstrosities. Enter Lieutenant Nathan Hale, U.S. Ranger. A veteran of the Chimeran conflict, he is uniquely immune to the alien virus. And when regular troops can’t stem the Chimeran onslaught, Hale and his special-operations team meet the menace head-on.  </p><p>But while they battle the relentless Chimera, deadly power games rage in the White House. And when Hale discovers a far-reaching conspiracy, one with deadly consequences for the human race, his allegiance to country and mankind is stretched to the breaking point. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>William C. Dietz is the bestselling author of <em>HALO: The Flood and Hitman: Enemy Within</em>, plus thirty other science fiction novels, some of which have been translated into German, Russian, and Japanese. He grew up in the Seattle area, served as a medic with the navy and the Marine Corps, and graduated from the University of Washington. Dietz worked as a surgical technician, news writer, college instructor, television producer, and director of public relations for an international telephone company prior to embarking on a full-time writing career. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Card returns to his Hugo and Nebula award-winning Enderverse saga (after 2005's <em>Shadow of the Giant</em>) with a heartwarming novella for the holidays. When Zeck Morgan, the young son of a puritanical minister, qualifies for admission into the International Fleet's Battle School, he is brought to the school against his will. Citing his pacifist religious beliefs, Zeck refuses to participate in any simulated war games, but when he sees a Dutch student give a friend a small present in celebration of Sinterklaas Day, he reports the violation of the school's rules against open religious observation and sparks an uproar over religious freedom and the significance of cultural traditions. Meanwhile, Zeck becomes a pariah until series hero Ender Wiggin finds a way to show him the real meaning of the holidays. Exploring themes of tolerance and compassion, this story about stuffing stockings is, fittingly, a perfect stocking stuffer for science fiction fans of all ages. <em>(Nov.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"An undeniable heavyweight. . . . This book combines Card's quirky style with his hard ethical dilemmas and sharply drawn portraits."--_New York Daily News_ on_ Ender's Game_  </p><p>"Card has taken the venerable SF concepts of a superman and an interstellar war against aliens, and, with superb characterization, pacing, and language, combined them into a seamless story of compelling power."--_Booklist_ on <em>Ender's Game</em></p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"The Queen of country music." --_The New York Times_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Loretta Lynn’s classic memoir tells the story of her early life in Butcher Holler, Kentucky, and her amazing rise to the top of the music industry.  </p><p>Born into deep poverty, married at thirteen, mother of six, and a grandmother by the time she was twenty-nine, Loretta Lynn went on to become one of the most prolific and influential songwriters and singers in modern country music. Here we see the determination and talent that led to her trailblazing career and made her the first woman to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association and the first woman to receive a gold record in country music. </p>

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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Geoff and his friends live in Phocaea, a distant asteroid colony on the Solar System's frontier. They're your basic high-spirited young adults, enjoying such pastimes as hacking matter compilers to produce dancing skeletons that prance through the low-gee communal areas, using their rocket-bikes to salvage methane ice shrapnel that flies away when the colony brings in a big (and vital) rock of the stuff, and figuring out how to avoid the ubiquitous surveillance motes that are the million eyes of 'Stroiders, a reality-TV show whose Earthside producers have paid handsomely for the privilege of spying on every detail of the Phocaeans' lives. Life isn’t as good as it seems, though. A mysterious act of sabotage kills Geoff's brother Carl and puts the entire colony at risk. And in short order, we discover that the whole thing may have been cooked up by the Martian mafia, as a means of executing a coup and turning Phocaea into a client-state. As if that wasn't bad enough, there's a rogue AI that was spawned during the industrial emergency and slipped through the distracted safeguards, and a giant x-factor in the form of the Viridians, a transhumanist cult that lives in Phocaea's bowels.In addition to Geoff, our story revolves around Jane, the colony's resource manager -- a bureaucrat engineer in charge of keeping the plumbing running on an artificial island of humanity poised on the knife-edge of hard vacuum and unforgiving space. She's more than a century old, and good at her job, but she is torn between the technical demands of the colony and the political realities of her situation, in which the fishbowl effect of 'Stroiders is compounded by a reputation economy that turns every person into a beauty contest competitor.  Her manoeuverings to keep politics and engineering in harmony are the heart of the book.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Violence aficionado Murakami (Audition) drops a motley cast into a late 20th-century Japan that's all decadence and social ineptitude. Though six young men have nothing in common except for having "given up on committing positively to anything in life," and are incapable of sustaining meaningful conversations, they get together often to drink, peep on an unsuspecting neighbor, and put on extravagant karaoke shows at a deserted spot on the coast. But when one of them impulsively slits a woman's throat, he places his gang in opposition to the friends of his victim, a bevy of divorcées known as the Midori Society. The women exact revenge, the men respond with another blow, and the cycle of vengeance continues with ever-increasing gore and giddy nihilism. As it turns out, murderous revenge is just the thing to bring meaning back into life, and nothing nourishes friendship like a common cause. Murakami's crackling prose makes the sickest human instincts seem fun. (Jan.) (c) <br />Copyright © PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Murakami’s deviously captivating novel about class and gender roles in twentieth-century Tokyo recounts the tale of six disaffected teenage boys and their attempt to satisfy an incomprehensible inner longing. Seemingly innocent, charmingly aloof, the boys spend evenings laughing uncontrollably for indeterminate reasons, belting karaoke tunes, and settling important matters with paper-rock-scissors tournaments. But their detachment turns disturbingly real when one of the boys dispassionately murders a member of the Midori Society, a group of six middle-aged women, all divorced mothers who can’t seem to find love or happiness without one another. Once the Midoris seek their revenge, one of the funniest and strangest gang wars in recent literature ensues. As the battle becomes increasingly violent and the body count rises, the surprisingly optimistic opponents seem incapable of distinguishing the difference between defending a friend’s honor and satisfying a lust for vengeance. Murakami’s characters can seem unfeeling, nihilistic, and self-indulgent, but the moral weight of this darkly comic tale is rooted in a crucial era in Japan’s history, characterized by alternating periods of peace and extreme violence. --Jonathan Fullmer </p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Seventeen-year-old Melissa is having her best year ever.She's traveling the world on the tall ship "Inspiration," and, along with more than thirty other students, getting credit for a full year of high school in the bargain.And, after her boyless years at a private school, it doesn't hurt that one of the students on the ship is tall, dark, and handsome Pierre. (She's most impressed with his height, being close to six feet tall herself.)Melissa is excited to be learning the ropes of crewing the ship as the "Inspiration" completes the first part of its voyage, from San Diego to Mexico and then on to the Galapagos.But then things turn decidedly sour.Before the ship can reach Easter Island, it is taken over by the "Coincidence," a large yacht manned by a ruthless band of smugglers. The band needs the services of the "Inspiration's" doctor for one of their members, who was shot during a heist in Colombia that netted them more than $100 million worth of cocaine.The future of the "Inspiration" and its passengers — and of Melissa and Pierre's romance — hangs in the balance. Will the RCMP, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and the teachers and crew be able to save Melissa's perfect year?ALAN MAY is an entrepreneur and sailor. He was inspired to write "Coincidence" after his own daughter sailed the high seas as part of the Class Afloat high school program.</p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p><strong>FOUR COMPLETE NOVELS—ONE CAPTIVATING WORLD</strong><br /><em>In the Forests of the Night</em><br />Three hundred years ago Risika had a family—a brother and a father who loved her. Three hundred years ago she was human. Now she is a vampire, a powerful one. And her past has come back to torment her.<br /><em>Demon in My View</em><br />Jessica isn’t your average high school student—she’s an acclaimed published author of vampire fiction. Now two new students at her high school strongly remind her of her favorite characters. But those characters only live in her imagination—right?<br /><em>Shattered Mirror</em><br />Christopher Raneva and Sarah Vida may look like a normal high school couple, but he’s actually a vampire who’s sworn off human blood and she’s an incredibly powerful, vampire-hunting witch. As if that weren’t enough to prevent their love, his past and her future collide when they get tangled up with Nikolas, one of the most reviled vampires ever.<br /><em>Midnight Predator</em><br />Once a happy teenager, Turquoise Draka is now a vampire hunter. Her current assigment is to assassinate Jeshikah, one of the cruelest vampires in history. But to do that, she’ll have to enter Midnight, a fabled vampire realm, as a human slave. . . . </p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>It has been said that the Irish transformed English-speaking literature. This anthology may not reshape literature, but it is a sheer delight of grand storytelling. In 15 tales, 13 of which are original to the volume, a variety of modern seanachies (or storytellers), whether Irish by blood or only intention, are inspired by both modern culture and mythic legend to play upon the ancient Celtic theme of how closely the mundane exists with the magical. This parallel nature allows the Irish to serve the Christian God as well as the pagan sidhe, as they do in Judith Tarr's "The Hermit and the Sidhe," or a young man, in Elizabeth Haydon's "The Merrow," to discover himself heir to both the powerful magic of the sea and the magical land of Ireland. Editor Greeley, a Catholic priest, in "Peace in Heaven?" tells an earthy story of sidhe and seraphim that might make his bishop blush. Love can be a sorrowful thing, as it is in Jacqueline Carey's "The Isle of Women," or it can triumph over a vengeful spirit and the Grey Man himself, as in Charles de Lint's "The Butter Spirit's Tithe." Some stories are tinged with darkness, but have a favorable ending, like Tanith Lee's "Speir-Bahn," an eerie tale of shape-changing. Peter Tremayne, Diane Duane, Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple also contribute worthy stories. Whether a true child of the Ould Sod or Irish only on St. Patrick's Day, the reader will find plenty to celebrate here. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"A sheer delight of grand storytelling."---Publishers Weekly on <em>Emerald Magic</em>  </p>

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In a strange future, the few remaining humans are regularly consumed by savage greenery, and their only allies are the giant Termights. Spiders over a mile in length travel to the Moon on interplanetary cobwebs, and the stationary world is now split between perpetual day and unending night. But the elders are facing the end of their time, so leadership is given to a youn girl, Toy. The groups manchild Gren wants to be his own leader, however, and with his maring partner will tear apart the group in his search of a new eden. Summoning up a world of carnivorous trees and giant insects, Hothouse is a landmark novel of the environment in crisis.


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Seventy-five years after the death of Charles O'Brien, an Anglo-Irish itinerant healer and occasional journalist born in 1860, his memoir is discovered in a trunk. The result is this touching novel from <em>Ireland</em> author Delaney, in which the manuscript's putative discoverer adds his own unreliable commentary to the fictive Charles's probably embellished perceptions—making for a glowing composite of a volatile Ireland. Charles claims to treat Oscar Wilde on his deathbed; advise a young James Joyce (When you write... be sure to make it complicated. It will retain people's attention); tell an appreciative Yeats the story of Finn MacCool; and inadvertently bring down Charles Stewart Parnell. He also meets the founders and leaders of Sinn Fein and the IRA, and will, as will Ireland itself, entwine his fate with theirs. And at 40, never-married Charles meets the love of his life, 18-year-old April Burke, an Englishwoman who repeatedly spurns him and exploits him, but who has a large role to play in his life. The narrator claims that his interest in Charles and April is academic, but he eventually confesses that he suspects their stories have some personal relationship to his own. Delaney's confident storytelling and quirky characterizations enrich a fascinating and complex period of Irish history. <em>(Nov.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>“My wooing began in passion, was defined by violence and circumscribed by land; all these elements molded my soul.” So writes Charles O’Brien, the unforgettable hero of bestselling author Frank Delaney’s extraordinary new novel–a sweeping epic of obsession, profound devotion, and compelling history involving a turbulent era that would shape modern Ireland.   </p><p>Born into a respected Irish-Anglo family in 1860, Charles loves his native land and its long-suffering but irrepressible people. As a healer, he travels the countryside dispensing traditional cures while soaking up stories and legends of bygone times–and witnessing the painful, often violent birth of land-reform measures destined to lead to Irish independence.  </p><p>At the age of forty, summoned to Paris to treat his dying countryman–the infamous Oscar Wilde–Charles experiences the fateful moment of his life. In a chance encounter with a beautiful and determined young Englishwoman, eighteen-year-old April Burke, he is instantly and passionately smitten–but callously rejected. Vowing to improve himself, Charles returns to Ireland, where he undertakes the preservation of the great and abandoned estate of Tipperary, in whose shadow he has lived his whole life–and which, he discovers, may belong to April and her father.   </p><p>As Charles pursues his obsession, he writes the “History” of his own life and country. While doing so, he meets the great figures of the day, including Charles Parnell, William Butler Yeats, and George Bernard Shaw. And he also falls victim to less well-known characters–who prove far more dangerous. <em>Tipperary</em> also features a second “historian:” a present-day commentator, a retired and obscure history teacher who suddenly discovers that he has much at stake in the telling of Charles’s story.  </p><p>In this gloriously absorbing and utterly satisfying novel, a man’s passion for the woman he loves is twinned with his country’s emergence as a nation. With storytelling as sweeping and dramatic as the land itself, myth, fact, and fiction are all woven together with the power of the great nineteenth-century novelists. <em>Tipperary </em>once again proves Frank Delaney’s unrivaled mastery at bringing Irish history to life.   </p><p><strong><em>Praise for Frank Delaney’s TIPPERARY:</em></strong><br />“[T]he narrative moves swiftly and surely…A sort of Irish <em>Gone With the Wind</em>, marked by sly humor, historical awareness and plenty of staying power.” <strong>— <em>Kirkus Reviews</em></strong><br />“[A]nother meticulously researched journey…Delaney’s careful scholarship and compelling storytelling bring it uniquely alive. Highly recommended.” <strong>— <em>Library Journal</em> (starred)</strong><br />“Sophisticated and creative.” — <strong><em>Booklist</em></strong><br />“Delaney’s confident storytelling and quirky characterizations enrich a fascinating and complex period of Irish history.” <strong>— <em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong><br />“Read just a few sentences of Frank Delaney’s writing and you’ll see why National Public Radio called him ‘the world’s most eloquent man.’” <strong><em>— Kirkus Reviews</em>, “Big Book Guide 2007”</strong></p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>This companion volume to Frank Herbert's 1965 science fiction classic collects manuscript material, correspondence and cut chapters related to Dune as well as previously published Dune-related short stories coauthored by his son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson. Particularly interesting are texts related to Dune's publication, including letters, reviews and press releases that acknowledge the dizzying scope of the ambitious novel. Its length meant that Herbert had a hard time placing it, and he ended up selling it to automotive-guide publisher Chilton, but its publication-and the awards it won-ushered in a new era for science fiction publishing. The sheer novelty of Dune stands in contrast to B. Herbert and Anderson's Spice Planet, an alternate Dune novelette constructed from Herbert's original notes and a by-the-numbers action-adventure of interest only in contrast to the book Herbert ultimately wrote. Three of B. Herbert and Anderson's short stories bridge some of the events in their coauthored novel prequels; the fourth takes place during one of the battles in Dune and provides an interesting point-of-view switch. Although this miscellany of material fails to cohere, the glimpse it provides into Herbert's thoughts and the difficulty of writing and publishing illuminate one of the most important SF novels ever published.<br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>This collection of essays, stories, and selections from Herbert's papers will certainly be high-priority reading for <em>Dune</em> fans. It includes two versions of <em>Spice Planet,</em> an unpublished novel containing many elements that later appeared in <em>Dune,</em> but that is a separate story. Of particular interest are the communications between Herbert, John Campbell, and others during and after the release of <em>Dune</em> and unpublished sequences from <em>Dune</em> and <em>Dune Messiah.</em> The collection also includes four short stories laid in the Butlerian Jihad era. <em>Dune</em> was a social and publishing phenomenon; it moved sf into general publishing (and marketing) awareness and spurred a wide public awareness of ecological balance. This account of its genesis should interest fans and students of popular culture. <em>Frieda Murray</em><br><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Nobel laureate and two-time Booker-winner Coetzee has been shortlisted for the third time for this powerful novel, a semisequel to the fictionalized memoirs <em>Boyhood</em> and <em>Youth</em> that takes the form of a young biographer's interviews with colleagues of the late author John Coetzee. To Dr. Julia Frankl, who briefly sought in Coetzee deliverance from her husband, he was not fully human; to his cousin, Margot Jonker, he is boring, ridiculous and misguided; and to Sophie Denoël, an expert in African literature, Coetzee is an underwhelming writer with no original insight into the human condition. The harshest characterization—and also the best of the interviews—comes from Adriana Nascimento, a Brazilian emigrant who met Coetzee when both were teachers in Cape Town; she was repulsed by the intellectual's attempts at courtship. He is nothing, she says, was nothing... an embarrassment. The biographer's efforts to describe his subject ultimately result in an examination that reaches through fiction and memoir to grasp what the traditional record leaves out. <em>(Jan.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>"This is the third instalment of a life so reserved, so repressed, so seething with polite rage and restrained despair that it could only be approached through a third-person voice... it is wonderful stuff. But then, Coetzee is wonderful: edgy, black, remorselessly human, witty, and often outright funny... Summertime is offbeat and deliberate, elusive and truthful." <br>--_Irish Times <br>_<br>"The cumulative effect of Coetzee's unblinking honesty and his never-wavering seriousness, is an understanding of the creation of a great writer." <br>--_Sunday Telegraph_   </p><p>"Beautifully reflective... reveal a strangely sincere, self-critical and romantic man... an intense outstanding and very enjoyable talent." --Scotland on Sunday "Both an elegant request that the sum of Coetzee's existence as a public figure be looked for only in his writing, and ample evidence, once again, why that request should be honoured." <br>--_Observer_  </p><p><em>From the Trade Paperback edition.</em></p>

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When family reunion day arrives, Jackson, a lonely ten-and-a-half-year-old boy, is loathe to share his room with Great Aunt Harriet. She's a hundred and twelve years old, talks unintelligibly out of her toothless mouth, and has very, very, very big hair. But when he falls into her piles of hair during the night, Jackson encounters a world he'd never dreamed existed. In this magical fantasy complemented by zany illustrations, Jackson meets a host of extraordinary characters and finds that his life, far from being average and uneventful, is being written by the great Author, in whom all stories find their meaning.


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>First published in 1985, this picaresque tale from Australian novelist Carey presents the life story of a highly unreliable 139-year-old con man. <br />Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>Review</h3><p>Carey can spin a yarn with the best of them.... Illywhacker is a big, garrulous, funny novel.... If you haven't been to Australia, read Illywhacker. It will give you the feel of it like nothing else I know." -- The New York Times Book ReviewIn Australian slang, an illywhacker is a country fair con man, an unprincipled seller of fake diamonds and dubious tonics. And Herbert Badgery, the 139-year-old narrator of Peter Carey's uproarious novel, may be the king of them all. Vagabond and charlatan, aviator and car salesman, seducer and patriarch, Badgery is a walking embodiment of the Australian national character -- especially of its proclivity for tall stories and barefaced lies.As Carey follows this charming scoundrel across a continent and a century, he creates a crazy quilt of outlandish encounters, with characters that include a genteel dowager who fends off madness with an electric belt and a ravishing young girl with a dangerous fondness for rooftop trysts. Boldly inventive, irresistibly odd, Illywhacker is further proof that Peter Carey is one of the most enchanting writers at work in any hemisphere."A book of awesome breadth, ambition, and downright narrative joy.... Illywhacker is a triumph." -- Washington Post Book World -- <em>Review</em></p>


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"<strong>My Life as a Fake</strong>_ _is so confidently brilliant, so economical yet lively in its writing, so tightly fitted and continuously startling." –John Updike, <em>The New Yorker</em>  </p><p>“Ingenious . . . Carey is as diabolical as the hoaxes that his book includes.” <em>— The New York Times</em>   </p><p>"Brisk, relentlessly prankish. . . . A virtuoso amalgam of styles, simultaneously a literary conundrum of the Borges variety, an exotic adventure tale evocative of both the settings and the narrative methods of Conrad, and a horror story derived from Mary Shelley's <strong>Frankenstein</strong>." –_The New York Times Book Review  </p><p><em>"A wholly absorbing, bizarrely madcap comedy and a telling commentary on the sometimes baffling sources of art. . . . Though fiction, the book is anything but fake. It's truth, beauty and comedy wrapped in one sprightly package." –</em>Chicago Tribune<br />_<br />“We have a great novelist living on the planet with us, and his name is Peter Carey." <br />_–Los Angeles Times Book Review   </p><p><em>"Circling from the real to the imaginary and back is as happily perplexing as a drawing by M.C. Escher. . . . Carey can bring a character to life, give him a voice and a history and a psychological topography, in a single paragraph." –</em>The New York Review of Books  </p><p><em>"No other Australian writer in our time has succeeded as well as Peter Carey in writing novels that compel the attention of a world-wide audience. His work . . . occupies a high plane of literary brilliance." –</em>The Boston Globe  </p><p><em>“Peter Carey’s new novel comes like a monsoon after drought. It is a magnificent, poetic contemplation of the lying, fakery and insincerity inherent in the act of artistic creation. . . . It’s a charismatically furious piece of work, brilliantly meshing its ethical and artistic debate with a rich human drama.” –</em>The Times _(UK)<br /><em></em><br /><em></em>“Reads like the impossible offspring of a fictional ménage-à-trois involving <strong>Pale Fire</strong><em>, </em><strong>Lord Jim</strong><em>, </em>and <strong>Our Man in Havana</strong>. . . . A fabulous book in the original sense of the term--and in the other one, too." –_The Atlantic Monthly<br />_ <br />“In book after book, Peter Carey has proven that he's incapable of writing a dull page. . . . He’s one of the greatest storytellers alive. . . . A dazzling narrative.” <em>–The Christian Science Monitor</em>   </p><p>“Fast, furious and fantastical. . . . Carey is Australia's finest living novelist.” <em>–The Guardian</em>   </p><p>"Carey is that rare artist brave enough to flee success, a tactic that underlies his dazzling track record. Each of his novels sets him a different challenge; in each, he excels. A triumph in its own right, <strong>My Life as a Fake</strong>_ <em>leaves us wondering how he's going to delight and disconcert us in his next book." –</em>St. Louis Post-Dispatch  </p><p>_"<strong>My Life as a Fake</strong>_ <em>is the real thing." –</em>Time  </p><p><em>"Complex and masterful. . . . A haunting story whose surreal events are as captivating and memorable as the misguided aspirations of its characters." –</em>Minneapolis Star-Tribune_ <br />_<br />_"In<strong>_ _My Life as a Fake</strong>_, <em>Peter Carey has created a novel that is captivating and haunting, and, in the end, sinfully delightful. For both longtime readers and those coming to his work for the first time, it's a book not to miss." –</em>Richmond Times-Dispatch  </p><p><em>"Great rollicking fun. . . . A dazzling, beautifully detailed, intellectually energetic book." –</em>The News &amp; Observer _(Raleigh)<br />_<br />_"<strong>My Life as a Fake</strong>_ _dazzles the reader with heady ideas and literary reference points (à la <strong>Frankenstein</strong>_ _and <strong>Pale Fire</strong>), then catapults us into madcap action. . . . [Carey] exudes a hallucinatory realism that makes imaginary universes feel concrete and believable." –_The Village Voice<br />_<br />"A devilishly engrossing meditation on illusion. . . . <strong>My Life as a Fake</strong>_ <em>[is] an ingenious homage to the power of the imagination and to Carey's ability to create–and connect–worlds within worlds." –</em>The Atlanta Journal-Constitution_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Fiendishly devious and addictively readable, Peter Carey’s <strong>My Life as a Fake</strong> is a moral labyrinth constructed around the uneasy relationship between literature and lying. In steamy, fetid Kuala Lumpur in 1972, Sarah Wode-Douglass, the editor of a London poetry journal, meets a mysterious Australian named Christopher Chubb. Chubb is a despised literary hoaxer, carting around a manuscript likely filled with deceit. But in this dubious manuscript Sarah recognizes a work of real genius. But whose genius? As Sarah tries to secure the manuscript, Chubb draws her into a fantastic story of imposture, murder, kidnapping, and exile–a story that couldn’t be true unless its teller were mad. <strong>My Life as a Fake</strong> is Carey at his most audacious and entertaining. </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>"What is it about we Australians, eh?" demands a schoolteacher near the end of Peter Carey's <em>True History of the Kelly Gang</em>. "Do we not have a Jefferson? A Disraeli? Might not we find someone better to admire than a horse-thief and a murderer?" It's the author's sole nod to the contradictory feelings Ned Kelly continues to evoke today, more than a century after his death. A psychopathic killer to some, a crusading folk hero to others, Kelly was a sharpshooting outlaw who eluded a brutal police manhunt for nearly two years. For better or worse, he's now a part of the Australian national myth. Indeed, the opening ceremonies for the Sydney Olympics featured an army of Ned Kellys dancing about to Irish music, which puts him in the symbolic company of both kangaroos and Olivia Newton-John.</p><p>What's to be gained from telling this illiterate bushranger's story yet again? Quite a lot, as it turns out. For starters, there is the remarkable vernacular poetry of Carey's narrative voice. Fierce, funny, ungrammatical, steeped in Irish legends and the frontier's moral code, this voice is the novel's great achievement--and perhaps the greatest in Carey's distinguished career. It paints a vivid picture of an Australia where English landowners skim off the country's best territory while government land grants allow the settlers just enough acreage to starve. Cheated, lied to, and persecuted by the authorities at every opportunity, young Kelly retains no faith in his colonial masters. What he does trust, oddly, is the power of words: </p><blockquote><p>And here is the thing about them men they was Australians they knew full well the terror of the unyielding law the historic memory of UNFAIRNESS were in their blood and a man might be a bank clerk or an overseer he might never have been lagged for nothing but still he knew in his heart what it were to be forced to wear the white hood in prison he knew what it were to be lashed for looking a warder in the eye ... so the knowledge of unfairness were deep in his bone and in his marrow. </p></blockquote><p>Ned Kelly as literary hero? Strangely enough, that's what he becomes, at least in Carey's rendering. Pouring his heart out in a series of letters to the country at large, Kelly wants nothing more than to be <em>heard</em>--and for the dirt-poor son of an Irish convict, that's an audacious ambition indeed. It's not so surprising, then, that his story continues to speak to Australians. Like all colonial countries, Australia was built at a steep human price, and the memory of all those silenced voices lives on. <em>True History of the Kelly Gang</em> takes its epigraph from Faulkner: "The past is not dead. It is not even past." And like Faulkner's own vast chronicle of dispossession, it's haunted by tragedies as large as history itself. <em>--Mary Park</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Every Australian grows up hearing the legend of outlaw Ned Kelly, whose exploits are memorialized in the old Melbourne Gaol, where he and his comrades were imprisoned before their execution in 1880. Carey's inspired "history" of Kelly from his destitute youth until his death at age 26 is as genuine as a diamond in the rough. No reader will be left unmoved by this dramatic tale of an instinctively good-hearted young man whose destiny, in Carey's revisionist point of view, was determined by heredity on one side and official bigotry and corruption on the other; whose criminal deeds were motivated by gallantry and desperation; and whose exploits in eluding the police for almost two years transfixed a nation and made him a popular hero. The unschooled Kelly narrates through a series of letters he writes to the baby daughter he will never see. Conveyed in run-on sentences, with sparse punctuation and quirky grammar enriched by pungent vernacular and the polite use of euphemisms for what Kelly calls "rough expressions" ("It were eff this and ess that"; "It were too adjectival hot"), Kelly's voice is mesmerizing as he relates the events that earned him a reputation as a horse thief and murderer. Through Ned's laconic observations, Carey creates a textured picture of Australian society when the British ruling class despised the Irish, and both the police and the justice system were thoroughly corrupt. Harassed, slandered, provoked and jailed with impunity, the Kellys, led by indomitable, amoral matriarch Ellen, believe they have no recourse but to break the law. Ned is initially reluctant; throughout his life, his criminal activities are an attempt to win his mother's love and approval. Ellen is a monster of selfishness and treachery. She betrays her son time and again, yet he adores her with Irish sentimentality and forfeits his chance to escape the country by pledging to surrender if the authorities will release her from jail. This is in essence an adventure saga, with numerous descriptions of the wild and forbidding Australian landscape, shocking surprises, coldhearted villains who hail from the top and the bottom of the social ladder and a tender love story. Carey (Booker Prize-winner Oscar and Lucinda) deserves to be lionized in his native land for this triumphant historical recreation, and he will undoubtedly win a worldwide readership for a novel that teems with energy, suspense and the true story of a memorable protagonist. 75,000 first printing. (Jan. 16) <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Magazine writer Wayne's strong and heartfelt debut novel, set in New York City in the months leading up to the millennium, follows Karim Issar as he leaves his home and family in Qatar for a programming job at a Wall Street firm preparing for the Y2K bug. On the side, the very socially maladapted programming genius creates Kapitoil, a morally troubling computer program that allows his company to make a killing by modeling oil futures based on political instability. Meanwhile, a romance simmers with Rebecca, Karim's colleague and his guide to American culture. Ultimately, Karim must make a choice about his and his family's financial security and Kapitoil's potential for (perhaps) doing good in the world. Wayne zips through a minefield of potential clichés and comes out unscathed, striking a balance of humor and keen insight that propels the story through Karim's education about the West's ethics and its capitalism, while in the background the World Trade Center looms. It's a slick first novel that beautifully captures a time that, in retrospect, seems tragically naïve. <em>(Apr.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p><em>Starred Review</em> It’s October 1, 1999, and young, brilliant, self-taught programmer Karim Issar is transferred from the Doha, Qatar, office of Schrub Equities to Manhattan for three months to help the high-flying firm get past Y2K without calamity. He finds the work worthwhile but routine, and his always-active mind studies cultural differences and the idiomatic English of his podmates. Within three weeks of his arrival, he has developed a program that predicts oil futures. Schrub’s profits rise dramatically, and Karim gets a plush new office, a 300 percent salary increase, and the personal attention of CEO Derek Schrub. As his stock soars, he embarks on a relationship with Rebecca, his former podmate; with her help, Karim begins to see that making money for the sake of making money isn’t a fully rewarding way of life. Told through Karim’s journal entries, this wonderfully assured debut novel, at once poignant, insightful, and funny, details Karim’s passage through a new world of corporate sharks, Manhattan clubs, museums, Bob Dylan lyrics, and personal growth. Karim’s English, always grammatically correct but stilted with terms from science, mathematics, computing, and business, is a delight. Best of all, however, is simply being inside Karim’s head as he ponders Jackson Pollock’s paintings, baseball, programming, and the mysteries of love and life in the U.S. --Thomas Gaughan </p>

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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots, galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past.   Over the years, both Roots and Alex Haley have attracted controversy, which comes with the territory for trailblazing, iconic books, particularly on the topic of race. Some of the criticism results from whether Roots is fact or fiction and whether Alex Haley confused these two issues, a subject he addresses directly in the book. There is also the fact that Haley was sued for plagiarism when it was discovered that several dozen paragraphs in Roots were taken directly from a novel, The African, by Harold Courlander, who ultimately received a substantial financial settlement at the end of the case.   But none of the controversy affects the basic issue. Roots fostered a remarkable dialogue about not just the past, but the then present day 1970s and how America had fared since the days portrayed in Roots. Vanguard Press feels that it is important to publish Roots: The 30th Anniversary Edition to remind the generation that originally read it that there are issues that still need to be discussed and debated, and to introduce to a new and younger generation, a book that will help them understand, perhaps for the first time, the reality of what took place during the time of Roots.  </p>
<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p><em>Starred Review.</em> It's hard to believe that it has been 30 years since Alex Haley's groundbreaking historical novel (based on his own family's history) was first published and became a worldwide phenomenon. Millions have read the story of the young African boy named Kunte Kinte, who in the late 1700s was kidnapped from his homeland and brought to the United States as a slave. Haley follows Kunte Kinte's family line over the next seven generations, creating a moving historical novel spanning 200 years. Avery Brooks proves to be the perfect choice to bring Haley's devastatingly powerful piece of American literature to audio. Brooks's rich, deep baritone brings a deliberate, dignified, at times almost reverential interpretation to his reading, but never so reserved as to forget that at its heart this is a story about people and family. His multiple characterizations manage, with a smooth and accomplished ease, to capture the true essence of each individual in the book. Michael Eric Dyson offers an informative introduction to Haley's book, but it is Brooks's performance that brings the author's words and history to life. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, _Roots_, galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of _Uncle Tom’s Cabin_. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. _Roots_ opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past.   </p><p>Over the years, both _Roots_ and Alex Haley have attracted controversy, which comes with the territory for trailblazing, iconic books, particularly on the topic of race. Some of the criticism results from whether _Roots_ is fact or fiction and whether Alex Haley confused these two issues, a subject he addresses directly in the book. There is also the fact that Haley was sued for plagiarism when it was discovered that several dozen paragraphs in _Roots_ were taken directly from a novel, The African, by Harold Courlander, who ultimately received a substantial financial settlement at the end of the case.   </p><p>But none of the controversy affects the basic issue. _Roots_ fostered a remarkable dialogue about not just the past, but the then present day 1970s and how America had fared since the days portrayed in _Roots_. Vanguard Press feels that it is important to publish _Roots: The 30th Anniversary Edition_ to remind the generation that originally read it that there are issues that still need to be discussed and debated, and to introduce to a new and younger generation, a book that will help them understand, perhaps for the first time, the reality of what took place during the time of _Roots_.  </p>

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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p><em>Sex in the City</em> goes middle-aged, mordant and slapstick in Bushnell's chronicle of writers, actors and Wall Street whizzes clashing at One Fifth Avenue, a Greenwich Village art deco jewel crammed with regal rich, tarty upstarts and misguided lovers. When a Queen of Society dies, a vicious scramble for her penthouse apartment ensues, and it's attorney Annalisa and her hedge-funder husband, Paul Rice, who land the palatial pad, roiling the building's rivalries. There's Billy Litchfield, an art dealer who slobbers over the wealthy; strivers Mindy and James Gooch, and their tech-savvy 13-year-old Sam, the most hilariously bitter (and strangely successful) family in the building; gossip columnist Enid Merle and her screenwriter nephew, Philip Oakland, who struggle to uphold traditions and their souls; actress Schiffer Diamond, who lands a hit TV series, and her old love; and Lola Fabrikant, a cunning Atlanta gold digger whose greatest ambition is to become Carrie Bradshaw. Here are bloggers and bullies, misfits and misanthropes, dear hearts and black-hearts, dogfights and catty squalls spun into a darkly humorous chick-lit saga. <em>(Sept.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>“It was part of the pain of living in Manhattan, this overwhelming ache for prime real estate,” writes Bushnell in her first novel since Lipstick Jungle (2005). Two events throw the inhabitants of One Fifth Avenue, Manhattan’s ritziest address, into a tizzy: the return of beautiful actress Schiffer Diamond, and the death of Louise Houghton, who owned the building’s swankiest apartment. Gossip columnist Enid Merle and her dashing nephew Philip Oakland think Louise’s now-available three-story apartment should be divided up, while ambitious Mindy Gooch, whose husband is on the cusp of literary stardom, wants it sold to a high bidder. Mindy gets her way, and nouveau riche couple Paul and Annalisa snap it up for $15 million. But when Mindy refuses to let Paul install a wall-unit air conditioner, he declares war, inciting a conflict that draws in all the residents of the building. Other characters include a scheming Lolita type who tries to sleep her way into One Fifth and a penniless male socialite who has aspired to One Fifth for decades. Devotees of Bushnell’s megahit Sex in the City and fans of New York–aimed satire will enjoy this scathing all’s-fair-in-real-estate novel. --Kristine Huntley </p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Once they pushed big ships through the cobalt glory of the Nada-Continuum, but faster than light isn't fast enough anymore. The interfaces of the Keilor-Vincicoff Organisation bring planets light years distant a simple step away. Then a man with half a face offers ex-engineman Ralph Mirren the chance to escape his ruined life and push a ship to an undiclosed destination. The Nada-Continuum holds the key to Ralph's future. What he cannot anticipate is its univerala importance-nor the mystery awaiting him on the distant colony world  </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Eric Brown is the award-winnig author of a huge number of SF novels, such as Helix, Necropath,</p><p><em>The New York Trilogy</em> and <em>The Fall of Tartarus,</em> as well as many children's books, radio plays, articles and reviews. </p>

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<p>'I, a demon, bear witness that there are no more demons left.Why demons, when man himself is a demon?Why persuade to evil someone who is already convinced?I am the last of the persuaders.'Isaac Bashevis Singer, who won the Nobel Prize in 1978, is best-remembered for his humane and moving short stories, which drew comparison with those of Maupassant and Chekhov. The three collected here, about a girl who pretends to be a man in order to study the Torah, a frustrated demon, and a writer trying to understand the confusion of a holocaust survivor, illuminate the great themes of human suffering with supernal grace.This book includes The Last Demon, Yentl the Yeshiva Boy and The Cafeteria.


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<h3>Review</h3><p>"A spy novel of the highest order." -- _-- <em>_ Baltimore Sun</em>  </p><p>"Follett is a master." -- <em>_</em>Time_  </p><p>"Heart-stopping, nerve-freezing...Truly suspenseful...Extraordinarily satisfying." -- _-- <em>_ Los Angeles Times</em>  </p><p>"Thrilling." -- _-- <em>_ The New York Times Book Review</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>One enemy spy knows the secret of the Allies' greatest deception, a brilliant aristocrat and ruthless assassin—code name: "The Needle"—who holds the key to the ultimate Nazi victory. Only one person stands in his way: a lonely Englishwoman on an isolated island, who is coming to love the killer who has mysteriously entered her life. </p><p>Ken Follett's unsurpassed and unforgettable masterwork of suspense, intrigue, and the dangerous machinations of the human heart—_Eye of the Needle_</p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>"One of the coolest and most sheerly enjoyable books of its kind . . . This is a beguiling and elegant debut from a gifted young writer: Brava!"  —Kevin Jackson, author, <em>Bite: A Vampire Handbook</em></p><p>"For any fan of <em>True Blood</em> or just vampire fans who are curious, this is a wonderful guide to add to your collection."  —_Sacramento Book Review_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>This companion to the wildly popular HBO series <em>True Blood</em> is at once an introductory guide to the first two seasons of the vampire saga and a treasure trove for the legions of true believers who follow the show. Created by Alan Ball, the Oscar-winning writer of <em>American Beauty</em> and creator of HBO's cult ensemble sensation <em>Six Feet Under</em>, <em>True Blood</em> surpassed <em>The Sopranos</em> as the largest-ever audience for a cable show at more than 12.4 million viewers a week. It has revitalized the career of Oscar-winner Anna Paquin and has introduced international audiences to Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård, and Ryan Kwanten and an extensive, award-winning cast. Exclusive interviews, in-depth biographies of cast members, an episode guide, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes flesh out the fictional characters as well as the actors who inhabit the roles. Some of the underlying themes of the series—such as the politics of race, sexuality, and gender—are explored, and chapters on paranormal phenomena and the literary and cinematic histories of vampires are also included. In addition, this analysis offers an introduction to author Charlaine Harris, whose popular Sookie Stackhouse novels were the inspiration for the television series, as well as a discussion of the role of the fan base and social media in the phenomenal rise of this television sensation.  </p>

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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Featuring soap made from human fat, waiters at high-class restaurants who do unmentionable things to soup and an underground organization dedicated to inflicting a violent anarchy upon the land, Palahniuk's apocalyptic first novel is clearly not for the faint of heart. The unnamed (and extremely unreliable) narrator, who makes his living investigating accidents for a car company in order to assess their liability, is combating insomnia and a general sense of anomie by attending a steady series of support-group meetings for the grievously ill, at one of which (testicular cancer) he meets a young woman named Marla. She and the narrator get into a love triangle of sorts with Tyler Durden, a mysterious and gleefully destructive young man with whom the narrator starts a fight club, a secret society that offers young professionals the chance to beat one another to a bloody pulp. Mayhem ensues, beginning with the narrator's condo exploding and culminating with a terrorist attack on the world's tallest building. Writing in an ironic deadpan and including something to offend everyone, Palahniuk is a risky writer who takes chances galore, especially with a particularly bizarre plot twist he throws in late in the book. Caustic, outrageous, bleakly funny, violent and always unsettling, Palahniuk's utterly original creation will make even the most jaded reader sit up and take notice. Movie rights to Fox 2000. <br>Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p><h3>From</h3><p>In the world of Fight Club, healthy young people go to meetings of cancer support groups because only there can they find human warmth and compassion. It's a world where young men gather in the basements of bars to fight strangers "just as long as they have to." And it's a world where "nobody cared if he lived or died, and the feeling was fucking mutual." Messianic nihilist Tyler Durden is the inventor of Fight Club. Soon thousands of young men across the country are reporting to their work cubes with flattened noses, blackened eyes, and shattered teeth, looking forward to their next bare-knuckle maiming. The oracular, increasingly mysterious Durden then begins to harness the despair, alienation, and violence he sees so clearly into complete anarchy. Every generation frightens and unnerves its parents, and Palahniuk's first novel is gen X's most articulate assault yet on baby-boomer sensibilities. This is a dark and disturbing book that dials directly into youthful angst and will likely horrify the parents of teens and twentysomethings. It's also a powerful, and possibly brilliant, first novel. <em>Thomas Gaughan</em></p>

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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Journalist Talty (_Mulatto America_) entertainingly chronicles the life of legendary privateer Capt. Henry Morgan and his crucial role in challenging Spain's hegemony in the New World in this informative popular history. Seeking his fortune, Welshman Morgan arrived in the Caribbean just as British King Charles II decided to challenge Spain by using pirates "as a stick with which to beat [them]." Morgan accepted a privateer's commission from the British—in effect, a license to steal—and set out in 1661 to make his fortune. Smart and charismatic, Morgan quickly rose to the rank of captain and became "fabulously rich." His attack on the Spanish stronghold at Portobelo "showed the world that the empire was vulnerable," and his raid on the city of Panama—the "greatest raid in the history of buccaneering"—forced "the Spanish to renounce their exclusive rights to the New World." Charles II knighted Morgan and appointed him deputy governor of Jamaica, a position that tasked him—"the greatest of the buccaneers"—with exterminating piracy. Morgan died of the effects of alcohol abuse in 1688 at 53. Talty strips away the legend to recreate a pivotal era in this accessible portrait of the pirates of the Caribbean. <em>(Apr.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Before he became rum, Cap'n Morgan humbled the Spanish Empire. Part swashbuckling pirate, part aristocratic wannabe Henry Morgan blended his desire for adventure and wealth into an innovative military approach. English greed and rugged individualism could defeat Spanish monarchical bureaucracy. Talty illustrates the lures that drew free spirits from the Old World and into the new. Port Royal, Jamaica, serving as the seventeenth-century's sin city, offered all the vices a young rogue craved, plus the pirate excursions to fund his debaucheries. Talty's well-researched account weaves together myriad political and financial interests in the New World. From the young rogue in search of wealth and a good time to the British monarchy looking for a cheap way to defeat the Spanish (and finding that champion in the young pirate), the pirate's ferocity and depravity became known and feared. Morgan succeeded, where most could not, in straddling dual roles. He stood as the vital force in British military cunning and success, and did so as a feared yet respected pirate. <em>Blair Parsons</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p><em>Blood, Bones &amp; Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef</em>, is just what a chef's story should be--delectable, dripping with flavor, tinged with adrenaline and years of too-little sleep. What sets Hamilton apart, though, is her ability to write with as much grace as vitriol, a distinct tenderness marbling her meaty story. Hamilton spent her idyllic childhood on a wild farm in rural Pennsylvania with an exhilarant father--an artist and set builder--and French mother, both "incredibly special and outrageously handsome." As she entered her teens, however, her family unexpectedly dissolved. She moved to New York City at 16, living off loose change and eating ketchup packets from McDonald’s; worked 20-hour days at a soulless catering company; traveled, often half-starved, through Europe; and cooked cooked for allergy-riddled children at a summer camp. The constant thread running through this patchwork tale, which culminates with the opening of her New York City restaurant, Prune, is Hamilton's slow simmering passion for cooking and the comfort it can bring. "To be picked up and fed, often by strangers, when you are in that state of fear and hunger, became the single most important food experience I came back to over and over," Hamilton writes, and it's this poignant understanding of the link between food and kindness that makes <em>Blood, Bones &amp; Butter</em> so satisfying to read. <em>--Lynette Mong</em>  </p><p><strong>Guest Reviewer: Anthony Bourdain on <em>Blood, Bones, and Butter</em></strong>  </p><p>_<strong>Anthony Bourdain</strong> is the author of the novels <strong> and </strong>, in addition to the bestseller <strong> and </strong> His work has appeared in the <em>New York Times</em> and <em>The New Yorker</em>, and he is a contributing authority for <em>Food Arts</em> magazine. He is also the host of the Emmy Award-winning television show _No Reservations.</p><p>Very quickly after meeting Gabrielle Hamilton, I understood why she was a terrific and much-admired chef. I knew that her restaurant, Prune, was ground-breaking, that she seemed to have come out of nowhere, instead of being a product of the "system" (she'd emerged from the invisible subculture of catering), to open one of the most quirky, totally uncompromising, and quickly-embraced restaurants in New York City. Her purportedly (but not really) Franco-phobic menus were intensely, notoriously personal, her early embrace of the nose-to-tail attitude was way, way ahead the times, and chefs--all chefs--seemed to like and respect her. Almost as quickly, it became apparent that this chef could write.</p><p>Short pieces appeared here and there over the years and they were sharp, funny, incisive, unsparing of both author and subjects--straight to the point and pretense-free, like Hamilton herself. She could write really well. And she had, from all accounts, a story to tell. So when it was announced that <em>Blood, Bones, and Butter</em> was in the works, I was very excited.</p><p>It was a long wait.</p><p>Five years later, I finally got my hands on an advance copy and eagerly devoured it. It was of course brilliant. I expected it to be. But I wasn't prepared for exactly how goddamn brilliant the thing was, or how enchanted, difficult, strange, rich, inspiring and just plain hard her life and career--her long road to Prune--had been. I was unprepared for page after page of such sharp, carefully-crafted, ballistically-precise sentences. I was, frankly, devastated. I put this amazing memoir down and wanted to crawl under the bed, retroactively withdraw every book, every page I'd ever written. And burn them.</p><p><em>Blood, Bones, and Butter</em> is, quite simply, the far-and-away best chef or food-genre memoir...ever. EVER. It certainly kicked the hell out of my <em>Kitchen Confidential</em>, which suddenly, in a second, felt shallow, sophomoric and ultimately lightweight next to this...this monster of a book, this--at times--truly hardscrabble life…_Blood, Bones, and Butter_ is deeper, better written, more hardcore, more fully fleshed-out; a more well-rounded story than every sunflower-and-saffron account of soft-core food porn in France. It's as bullshit and pretense-free as AJ Leibling--and at least as well written, but more poignant, romantic--even thrilling.</p><p>It makes any "as told to" account of famous chef's lives look instantly ludicrous and bloodless. I've struggled to think of somebody/anybody who's written a better account of the journey to chefdom and can't think of anyone who's come even close.</p><p>Writing a memoir of one's life as a chef--or even writing about one's relationship with food--has, with the publication of this book, become much more difficult. Hamilton has raised the bar higher than most of us could ever hope to reach. This book will sell a gazillion copies. It will be a bestseller. It will be an enduring classic. It will inspire generation after generation of young cooks, and anyone who really loves food and understands the context in which it is best enjoyed, NOT as some isolated, over-valued object of desire, but as only one important aspect of a larger, richer spectrum of experiences. Each plate of food--like the menu at Prune--is the end result of a long and sometimes very difficult struggle.</p><p>Read this book and prepare to clean your system of all that's come before. It's a game-changer and a truly great work by a great writer and great chef.</p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. Owner and chef of New York's Prune restaurant, Hamilton also happens to be a trained writer (M.F.A., University of Michigan) and fashions an addictive memoir of her unorthodox trajectory to becoming a chef. The youngest of five siblings born to a French mother who cooked "tails, claws, and marrow-filled bones" in a good skirt, high heels, and apron, and an artist father who made the sets for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Hamilton spent her early years in a vast old house on the rural Pennsylvania–New Jersey border. With the divorce of her parents when she was an adolescent, the author was largely left to her own devices, working at odd jobs in restaurants. Peeling potatoes and scraping plates-"And that, just like that, is how a whole life can start." At age 16, in 1981, she got a job waiting tables at New York's Lone Star Cafe, and when caught stealing another waitress's check, she was nearly charged with grand larceny. After years of working as a "grunt" freelance caterer and going back to school to learn to write (inspired by a National Book Foundation conference she was catering), Hamilton unexpectedly started up her no-nonsense, comfort-food Prune in a charming space in the East Village in 1999. Hamilton can be refreshingly thorny (especially when it comes to her reluctance to embrace the "foodie" world), yet she is also as frank and unpretentious as her menu-and speaks openly about marrying an Italian man (despite being a lesbian), mostly to cook with his priceless Old World mother in Italy. (Mar.) <br>(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p>

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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>For the last two decades, <em>The New York Observer</em> has documented the Platinum Age of New York, when the city's new elite rose and dominated society, media, business, and culture with an amusing arrogance that redefined the power capital of the world. <em>The Kingdom of New York</em> jauntily chronicles the Rise and Fall and Rise of New York City, as personified by the protagonists and antagonists of the past twenty years, told in archival pastiche—a breathtaking sprint of headlines, great reporting, witty writing, and stories in fashion, ideas, real estate, style, media, movies, politics, sex, and finance.</p><p>All of New York's major players are here—including Bill and Hillary, Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, Graydon Carter, Katie Couric, Tom Wolfe, Norman Mailer, Tina Fey, J. Lo, Seinfeld, Tina Brown, Anderson Cooper—as well as essays by Cynthia Ozick, Gay Talese, Woody Allen, and Martin Scorsese. Here, too, are many of the country's finest journalists reporting on the high opulence of the 1990s; the wry irony of the <em>Seinfeld</em> years; the poignant loss of John Kennedy Jr.; and the inconceivable assault of September 11, 2001, and New York's rallying return. Among it all are signature features—from Candace Bushnell's "Sex and the City" columns as they initially appeared to the couples counseling of "George and Hilly"—as the <em>Observer</em> grew into one of the city's most influential papers.</p><p>Handsomely designed and filled with the paper's trademark attention to politics, status, and wealth, this is a rollicking insider's account of contemporary New York. At once wickedly funny and astute, <em>The Kingdom of New York</em> is a striking tribute to an unforgettable era in the city's history.</p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>The New York Observer was founded in 1987. It covers politics, media, society, real estate, fashion, business, culture, and entertainment in the power capital of the world. It is published weekly as a newspaper and ceaselessly at www.observer.com.</p>

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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She's never known any others of her kind. Until now.   </p><p>An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River-one that her father's people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help... </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p><strong>Patricia Briggs</strong> lives in Washington state with her husband, children, and a small herd of horses. </p>


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<div><p class="description"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; ">Amazon.com Review</span></p><p>Short and snappy as it is, Stephen King's <em>On Writing</em> really contains two books: a fondly sardonic autobiography and a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists. The memoir is terrific stuff, a vivid description of how a writer grew out of a misbehaving kid. You're right there with the young author as he's tormented by poison ivy, gas-passing babysitters, uptight schoolmarms, and a laundry job nastier than Jack London's. It's a ripping yarn that casts a sharp light on his fiction. This was a child who dug Yvette Vickers from <em>Attack of the Giant Leeches</em>, not Sandra Dee. "I wanted monsters that ate whole cities, radioactive corpses that came out of the ocean and ate surfers, and girls in black bras who looked like trailer trash." But massive reading on all literary levels was a craving just as crucial, and soon King was the published author of "I Was a Teen-Age Graverobber." As a young adult raising a family in a trailer, King started a story inspired by his stint as a janitor cleaning a high-school girls locker room. He crumpled it up, but his writer wife retrieved it from the trash, and using her advice about the girl milieu and his own memories of two reviled teenage classmates who died young, he came up with __. King gives us lots of revelations about his life and work. The kidnapper character in <em>Misery</em>, the mind-possessing monsters in <em>The Tommyknockers</em>, and the haunting of the blocked writer in <em>The Shining</em> symbolized his cocaine and booze addiction (overcome thanks to his wife's intervention, which he describes). "There's one novel, <em>Cujo</em>, that I barely remember writing." </p><p>King also evokes his college days and his recovery from the van crash that nearly killed him, but the focus is always on what it all means to the craft. He gives you a whole writer's "tool kit": a reading list, writing assignments, a corrected story, and nuts-and-bolts advice on dollars and cents, plot and character, the basic building block of the paragraph, and literary models. He shows what you can learn from H.P. Lovecraft's arcane vocabulary, Hemingway's leanness, Grisham's authenticity, Richard Dooling's artful obscenity, Jonathan Kellerman's sentence fragments. He explains why <strong> is a great story marred by a tin ear for dialogue, and how Elmore Leonard's </strong> could be the antidote. </p><p>King isn't just a writer, he's a true teacher. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>As his diehard fans know, King is a member of a writers-only rock 'n' roll band (Amy Tan is also a member), and this recording starts off with a sampling of their music. It may sound unsettling to some, but King quickly puts listeners at ease with his confident, candid and breezy tone. Here, King tells the story of his childhood and early influences, describes his development as a writer, offers extensive advice on technique (read: write tight and no bullshit) and finally recounts his well-known experience of being hit by a drunk driver while walking on a country road in 1999 and the role that his work has played in his rehabilitation. While some of his guidance is not exactly revolutionary (he recommends The Elements of Style as a must-have reference), other revelations that vindicate authors of popular fiction, like himself, as writers, such as his preference for stressing character and situation over plot, are engrossing. He also offers plenty of commonsense advice on how to organize a workspace and structure one's day. While King's comical childhood anecdotes and sober reflections on his accident may be appreciated while driving to work or burning calories on a treadmill, the book's main exercise does not work as well in the audio format. King's strongest recommendation, after all, is that writers must be readers, and despite his adept performance, aspiring authors might find that they would absorb more by picking up the book. Based on the Scribner hardcover (Forecasts, July 31, 2000). </p><p>Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.</p>

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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. The sometimes crushing power of myth, story, and memory is explored in the brilliant debut of Obreht, the youngest of the New Yorker's 20-under-40. Natalia Stefanovi, a doctor living (and, in between suspensions, practicing) in an unnamed country that's a ringer for Obreht's native Croatia, crosses the border in search of answers about the death of her beloved grandfather, who raised her on tales from the village he grew up in, and where, following German bombardment in 1941, a tiger escaped from the zoo in a nearby city and befriended a mysterious deaf-mute woman. The evolving story of the tiger's wife, as the deaf-mute becomes known, forms one of three strands that sustain the novel, the other two being Natalia's efforts to care for orphans and a wayward family who, to lift a curse, are searching for the bones of a long-dead relative; and several of her grandfather's stories about Gavran Gailé, the deathless man, whose appearances coincide with catastrophe and who may hold the key to all the stories that ensnare Natalia. Obreht is an expert at depicting history through aftermath, people through the love they inspire, and place through the stories that endure; the reflected world she creates is both immediately recognizable and a legend in its own right. Obreht is talented far beyond her years, and her unsentimental faith in language, dream, and memory is a pleasure. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p><em>Starred Review</em> Not even Obreht�s place on the New Yorker�s current �20 under 40� list of exceptional writers will prepare readers for the transporting richness and surprise of this gripping novel of legends and loss in a broken land. Drawing on the former Yugoslavia�s fabled past and recent bloodshed, Belgrade-born Obreht portrays two besieged doctors. Natalia is on an ill-advised �good will� medical mission at an orphanage on what is suddenly the �other side,� now that war has broken out, when she learns that her grandfather, a distinguished doctor forced out of his practice by ethnic divides, has died far from home. She is beset by memories, particularly of her grandfather taking her to the zoo to see the tigers. We learn the source of his fascination in mesmerizing flashbacks, meeting the village butcher, the deaf-mute Muslim woman he married, and a tiger who escaped the city zoo after it was bombed by the Germans. Of equal mythic mystery is the story of the �deathless man.� Moments of breathtaking magic, wildness, and beauty are paired with chilling episodes in which superstition overrides reason; fear and hatred smother compassion; and inexplicable horror rules. Every word, every scene, every thought is blazingly alive in this many-faceted, spellbinding, and rending novel of death, succor, and remembrance. --Donna Seaman </p>


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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>In <em>Sometimes the Magic Works</em>, author Terry Brooks mixes advice on writing with stories from his personal experience in publishing. A seasoned fantasy writer with 19 books under his belt, including the <em>New York Times</em> bestseller __, Brooks began his second career in middle age when he gave up his law practice to pursue writing full time. His move was fueled by an obsession with writing, ("If I don't write, I become restless and ill-tempered"), inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien, and constant encouragement from publisher Lester del Rey. Some of Brooks's advice is specific and useful, such as the chapter he dedicates to the importance of outlining. However, the lessons he tries to tell through his own adventures tend to be self-serving. Still, Brooks's experiences could be particularly interesting and valuable to fans of his fantasy novels--and aspiring authors of their own. <em>--Lacey Fain</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>"If you don't think there is magic in writing, you probably won't write anything magical," Brooks asserts in this succinct and warmhearted autobiographical meditation on the writing life. He views his success as a miracle and credits editor Lester del Rey ("What he had given me was the kind of education young writers can only dream about") for his discovery and Tolkien for the inspiration that drove him to choose fantasy adventure as his medium. Brooks, who practiced law before becoming a full-time author, stills finds himself amazed that his The Sword of Shannara "sold in record numbers and changed the face of publishing," becoming the first fiction title to land on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list. He still marvels that del Rey chose his first novel to prove that post-Tolkien epic fantasy could sell in vast numbers and that it launched a new generation of fantasy authors. Brooks often refers to his old mentor's sage advice ("Thinking about a book before you wrote it was as important as the writing itself") and promotes outlines ("You can either do the hard work up front or do it at the end"). He also discusses the disappointments encountered in a 30-plus-year career that has seen struggles with a novelization (Hook) and less than stellar sales for some works not connected to the Shannara empire; yet he keeps a positive attitude about the writer's never-ending quest, which requires "determination, instinct, and passion." <br />Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<div><h3>From</h3><p>For this narrative of the seventeenth century’s scientific revolution, Dolnick embeds the mathematical discoveries of Kepler, Galileo, Newton, and Leibniz in the prevailing outlook of their time. God was presumed integral to the universe, so discerning how it worked was a quest as theological as it was intellectual. By directing readers to the deistic drive in their famous achievements, Dolnick accents what otherwise strikes moderns as strange, such as Newton’s obsession with alchemy and biblical hermeneutics. Those pursuits held codes to God’s mind, as did motion and, especially, planetary motion, and Dolnick’s substance follows the greats’ progress in code-breaking, depicting Kepler’s mathematical thought process in devising his laws, Galileo’s in breaking out the vectors of falling objects, Newton’s and Leibniz’s in inventing calculus, and Newton’s in formulating his laws of gravitation. Including apt biographical detail, Dolnick humanizes the group, socializes them by means of their connections to such coevals as the members of the nascent Royal Society, and captures their mental coexistence in mysticism and rationality. A concise explainer, Dolnick furnishes a fine survey introduction to a fertile field of scientific biography and history. --Gilbert Taylor </p><h3>Review</h3><p>“An engrossing read.” (_Library Journal_ )  </p><p>“A lively account of early science. . . . Colorful, entertainingly written and nicely paced.” (_Kirkus Reviews_ )  </p><p>“A character-rich, historical narrative.” (_Wall Street Journal_ )  </p><p>“[Dolnick] offers penetrating portraits of the geniuses of the day . . . who offer fertile ground for entertaining writing. [He] has an eye for vivid details in aid of historical recreation, and an affection for his subjects . . . [An] informative read.” (_Publishers Weekly_ ) </p>

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Career women looking to get ahead will find straight answers and nine proven strategies in this guide from one of the most savvy, successful, powerful women in American business. Top magazine executive Kate White shares the systematic plan that took her from being a "good girl" to a "gutsy girl".


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>When Machiavelli's brief treatise on Renaissance statecraft and princely power was posthumously published in 1532, it generated a debate that has raged unabated until the present day. Based upon Machiavelli's first-hand experience as an emissary of the Florentine Republic to the courts of Europe, The Prince analyses the usually violent means by which men seize, retain, and lose political power. Machiavelli added a dimension of incisive realism to one of the major philosophical and political issues of his time, especially the relationship between public deeds and private morality. His book provides a remarkably uncompromising picture of the true nature of power, no matter in what era or by whom it is exercised. This fluent new translation is accompanied by an introduction that considers the true purpose of The Prince and dispels some of the myths associated with it. It has the most comprehensive explanatory and critical notes found in any currently available English translation and the most comprehensive bibliography in any edition of the work. It also contains a helpful Glossary of Proper Names, an Index and a map.</p>


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<p>A book about 'real witches' - the ones that absolutely loathe children and are always plotting to get rid of them. Great new Quentin Blake cover as well as a whole new exciting end section about Roald Dahl and his world.</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p><em>Starred Review.</em> British author Hewson's wonderfully complex and finely paced fourth crime novel (after 2005's <em>The Sacred Cut</em>) to feature Roman detective Nic Costa and his unconventional partner, Gianni Peroni, finds the pair exiled to Venice, where they look into the case of glassmaker Uriel Arcangelo, who apparently killed his wife, Bella, then committed suicide. Instead of coming to the foreordained conclusion higher authority demands, Costa and Peroni determine, "We're no longer trying to understand the means Uriel Arcangelo used to kill his wife. But why, how and with whom the late Bella appears to have conspired to kill him." An urbane and wealthy Englishman who wants to buy the Isolo di Archangeli glassworks becomes an important suspect. Hewson is particularly strong on characterization, revealing each personality subtly and naturally as he or she reacts to the intricate plot developments. Newcomers as well as series fans will be enthralled. <em>(Nov.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>At the end of Hewson's superb <em>Sacred Cut</em> (2005), Roman cops Nic Costa and Gianni Peroni, along with their maverick boss, Leo Falcone, were all in jeopardy, having both outfoxed and offended the Eternal City's leading powerbrokers. Now exiled to Venice, Costa and Peroni find themselves with another hot-potato case on their hands. After being reunited with Falcone, the pair is offered a chance to return to Rome if they will rubber stamp a murder investigation on the island of Murano, where a glassmaker apparently has killed his wife and then died himself when the furnace he was tending exploded. Naturally, Costa and Peroni smell a fix and can't resist following the scent. The setup here stretches credulity a bit--Why ask three notorious rule breakers to go through the motions?--but Hewson takes the story well beyond its genre-bound premise, mixing Venetian ambience ("the lethargic melancholy of the lagoon") and the lore of glassmaking with a multifaceted examination of his characters' (especially Falcone's) dark sides. A richly ambiguous finale only adds to the pleasure. <em>Bill Ott</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The intricate fifth thriller from British author Hewson to feature Roman detective Nic Costa (after 2006's <em>The Lizard's Bite</em>) artfully weaves several points-of-view as it shifts between past and present. Fourteen years after seven-year-old Alessio Bramante, the son of an eminent archeology professor, disappeared underneath Rome's ancient Circus Maximus, someone seeking revenge attacks Costa's colleague, Insp. Leo Falcone, who worked on the unsolved case of the missing boy. Falcone and Costa start asking questions that should have been asked during the original bungled investigation. High on their list of people to talk to is Alessio's father, Giorgio, an expert on the tunnels beneath Rome who served time in prison for beating to death one of his students, the chief suspect in his son's disappearance. The subterranean labyrinths just may hold the answers to a mystery whose poignant resolution few readers will anticipate. <em>(July 31)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p><em>Starred Review</em> Hewson's uncompromising trio of antiestablishment Roman cops—Nic Costa, Gianni Peroni, and their boss, Leo Falcone—are back in the Eternal City and up to their necks in another vat of hot water. As with the previous four entries in this always-captivating series, the crime on the front burner—a dead body discovered in a Roman church—is merely the entrée point to a case with tentacles extending deep into ancient history and, in this instance, reaching below the city into the labyrinthian catacombs where a seven-year-old boy, the son of a distinguished archaeologist, disappeared 14 years earlier. Falcone was on that case and still broods over both his failure to find the missing boy and his role in putting the archaeologist behind bars for the murder of one of the young men assumed (but never convicted) of being responsible for the boy's disappearance. The archaeolgist is out of jail now and intent on settling scores. As the story weaves across multiple time lines—the present, the weeks surrounding the boy's disappearance, and the fourth century CE, when Constantine won control of the Roman Empire—Hewson keeps his readers securely tethered to a narrative lifeline; like Theseus on the trail of the minotaur, we follow the plot around countless blind corners but never lose our way out of the maze. Also helping to ground us is the flesh-and-blood humanity of the present-day characters. The interplay between Hewson's three cops—and between them and the especially rich supporting cast—lift this novel far above the plot-driven Da Vinci Code and its many imitators. A superb mix of history, mystery, and humanity. Ott, Bill </p>


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<div><meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 11px; "><h3 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(176, 163, 119); ">Synopsis</h3><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">In an ancient burial ground on an island off Venice, a young woman’s casket is pried open, an object is wrenched from her hands, and an extraordinary adventure begins.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">From the moment he arrives in Venice, Daniel Forster is seduced by the city’s mystery and eroticism. An earnest young academic, Daniel has come for a summer job cataloguing a private collector’s library. But when Daniel’s employer sends him to buy a stolen violin from a petty thief, a chain reaction of violence and deception ignites. Suddenly Daniel is drawn into a police investigation—and a tempest swirling around a beautiful woman, a mysterious palazzo, and a lost musical masterpiece dating back centuries. With each step he takes, Daniel unwittingly retraces a journey that began in 1733, when another young man came to Venice. And when, in this realm of intrigue and beauty, two lovers came face-to-face with a killer—and a mystery was born. Separated by centuries, two tales of passion, betrayal, and danger collide in David Hewson’s dazzling novel. Sweeping us from the intrigue of Vivaldi’s Venice to the gritty world of a modern cop, from the genius of a prodigy to the greed of a killer, <b style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Lucifer’s Shadow</b>builds to a shattering crescendo—and one last, breathtaking surprise.</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><i style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">From the Hardcover edition.</i></p></span></div>


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<p>In these top-secret files, Rick Riordan, Camp Half-Blood's senior scribe, gives you an inside look at the world of demigods that NO regular human child is allowed to see.<p>These highly classified archives include three of Percy Jackson's most perilous adventures, a Spotter's Guide to Monsters, a Who's Who in Greek mythology, Percy's Summer Camp report and much more.<p>So, if you're armed with this book, you'll have everything you need to know to keep you alive in your training. Your own adventures have just begun . . .


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<p>Mr and Mrs Twit are extremely nasty, so the Muggle-Wump monkeys and the Roly-Poly bird hatch an ingenious plan to give them just the ghastly surprise they deserve! This edition has a great new Quentin Blake cover as well as a whole new exciting end section about Roald Dahl and his world.</p>


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<p>Honestly, blowing up another school was the last thing I wanted to do. As the son of a Greek god, I've had my share of near-death disaster. This summer, I didn't choose to battle the cheerleading squad, but when two hissing she-devils with fangs are heading straight for you, what's a half-blood meant to do?<p>That was just the beginning. This is the one where my arch-enemy, Luke, is looking for a way to invade our camp via an ancient labyrinth. If he succeeds, thousands of bloodthirsty monsters will attack. So it's goodbye sunshine, hello darkness as four of us descend into the terrifying underground and beyond . . .<p>Gripping, funny and hugely original &#8211; readers aged 9+ will be desperate for more in this award-winning series.


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<div><p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Although much has been written about how to make better decisions, a decision by itself changes nothing. The big problem facing managers and their organizations today is one of implementation--how to get things done in a timely and effective way. Stanford Business School Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer argues that problems of implementation are really issues of how to influence behavior, change the course of events, overcome resistance, and get people to do things they would not otherwise do. In a word, power. Managing with Power provides an in-depth look at the role of power and influence in organizations. Power is often disparaged, yet Pfeffer shows convincingly that its effective use is an essential component of strong leadership. With vivid examples from Lyndon Johnson and Henry Kissinger to John Sculley and Henry Ford, he makes a compelling case for the necessity of power in mobilizing the political support and resources to get things done in any organization. And he provides a fascinating look at the personal attributes--such as flexibility, stamina, and a high tolerance for conflict--and the structural factors--such as control of resources, access to information, and formal authority--that can help managers advance organizational goals and achieve individual success. Pfeffer begins his comprehensive evaluation of power by helping managers recognize situations that involve the use of power, and shows how to identify the principal actors and their likely points of view. He then looks at the different sources of power, and explains why some organizations and people use power more effectively than others. Next, he explores the specific strategies and tactics through which power and influence are used--how they help managers achieve tangible results. And finally, he considers issues of power dynamics: how power is lost, the role of power in the process of organizational change, and the positive and negative consequences of power for organizations. Politics and influence, the mechanisms by which power is realized, are unavoidable components of any business--indeed, any organization. Pfeffer shows that by understanding where power comes from and how it can be used effectively, managers can help their organizations, and themselves, "achieve great things."</p>
<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Pfeffer (The External Control of Organizations), professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University, posits that intelligence, performance, and likeability alone are not the key to moving up in an organization; instead, he asserts, self promotion, building relationships, cultivating a reputation for control and authority, and perfecting a powerful demeanor are vital drivers of advancement and success. The book has a realpolitik analysis of human behavior that isn't for everyone but its candor, crisp prose, and forthrightness are fresh and appealing. Case studies feature the careers of such leaders as G.E. CEO Jack Welch, General George Patton, Time CEO and Chairman Ann Moore, Lt. Colonel Oliver North, and President Bill Clinton; and Pfeffer dispenses advice on how to overcome obstacles like "the self-promotion" dilemma, how to sharpen one's "acting" skills on the job, and use tactics like interruption to appear more powerful. Brimming with frank, realistic insights on paths to the top, this book offers unexpected--and aggressive--directions on how to advance and flourish in an ever-more competitive workplace.  <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Is the need for power an evil motivation driven by greed and lust, or is it a worthy goal that produces wealth, longevity, and leadership? Pfeffer asks us to consider the more positive reasons that we reach for power in our professional lives in order to feel in control, get wealthy, and achieve our goals. The desire for power is a topic that is often overlooked or disparaged in most inspirational leadership books because leaders presenting their own careers as models tend to portray themselves as noble and good, and omit discussing the power plays that they used to get to the top. According to Pfeffer, we need to stop seeing the world as a just and fair place, and actively develop those qualities needed to achieve power. He offers advice on how to obtain the initial position on the first rung of the ladder to power, how to take advantage of social networks, build a reputation, and overcome setbacks. Pfeffer never answers the question as to whether power leads to happiness, but he insists that having it will ultimately put you in a better place. --David Siegfried </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>People of all ages can benefit from this book! -- <em>Robyn Lee, e-zine VegetarianTeen.com</em>  </p><p>Raw Family book has such amount of depth, sincerity ,and heart... This is the stuff that films are made of! -- <em>Karen Knowler, Get Fresh! Magazine, U.K.</em></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>There is no knowledge more important than the knowledge of listening to our body for the sake of our own health. We have an illusion that someone from the outside can heal us. If anybody can heal us, it is only ourselves. It will take centuries for science to learn the hopelessness of the attempt to push the everchanging human body into frames of scientific theories. But it is possible to know what we need to do here and now for our health. It is possible to learn to listen to our body's voice. </p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>The Live Food Factor is destined to become a classic. This bookrepresents the most comprehensive study of the raw food diet and theraw food movement ever put on paper. When I received the manuscript, I simply couldn't put it down and read the book in two days. In my classes, people have asked me over the years, Where is the scientific research backing up the raw food diet? I'm thrilled that now we have The Live Food Factor, which contains data that is thoroughly backed upwith a list of over 60 scientific studies. I am a raw food teacher, writer, and researcher myself. I have taught hundreds of workshopsabout this subject for many years, and I have learned a great deal from Susan Schenck's book. I highly recommend this book to all readers interested in improving their health. --<strong>Victoria Boutenko, raw food author and educator</strong>  </p><p>The Live Food Factor is the very best book on alternative health care ever done. It contains more research on the benefits of raw foods as well as the dangers of cooked foods ever amassed in one place. --<strong>Dr. Vivian V. Vetrano, DC, hMD, PhD, DSci</strong>  </p><p>This is one of the most thoroughly researched books on nutrition. This book is easy to read. --<strong>Dr.Jeannette Vos, co-author of The Learning Revolution 2.0</strong></p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>The Live Food Factor is the first comprehensive guide to not only the raw food diet, but also the raw food movement itself. This diet is sweeping America as people discover its power to not only make a body lean, but also keep disease at bay and bolster the immune system to heal from what are typically considered "incurable" diseases. Everyone who eats should read this book! The first edition won the IPPY award as "most progressive health book of the year." The second edition of the Live Food Factor is an updated, expanded and revised comprehensive guide to the raw food diet, with a section on inspiration, a section on science, a section on the history of raw foodism, a complete how-to section, including frequently asked questions &amp; answers, and recipes. It contains 66 scientific studies to support the superiority of eating raw. This second edition brings a summary of all the benefits of Natural Hygiene as well. It includes several chapters written mainly by Victoria BidWell, including the true cause of illness, how to detox and an entire chapter on fasting. It also includes a new chapter written mainly by Dr. Vetrano and Dr. Tosca Haag on how to get children to eat raw. There are new testimonials, many new recipes, updated science studies, and even 3 new appendices. It is packed with new and updated information. In fact, this edition has about 37% more information! (The font had to be slightly smaller to squeeze everything in!) It also contains forewords by Dr. V.Vetrano, DC, hMD, PhD, DSci (who worked extensively with Dr. Shelton of the Natural Hygiene movement) and Victoria Boutenko (one of the most noted leaders of the raw food movement). It was carefully edited for accuracy by Bob Avery, expert on the raw food diet and former editor of the M2M magazine, as well as Victoria Bidwell and Dr. Vetrano for accuracy in the Natural Hygiene components. </p>

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SUMMARY:
When Zaki finds a bracelet and an ancient skeleton, little does he know that he is also stumbling across a mystery that goes back generations - a mystery that involves ruthless shipwreckers, an innocent young woman and a quest for life.Dealing with the break-up of his parents' marriage, as well as trying to help his older brother, Zaki has to use all his ingenuity, thoughtfulness and skill to unravel the mysteries of the past and perhaps even to set long-trapped spirits free.


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<div><h3>From School Library Journal</h3><p>Gr 5-8–History and fiction marry beautifully in this lively debut novel. It's as if readers jump off the train in Manifest, KS, in 1936 with Abilene Tucker, 12, the feisty, likable, and perceptive narrator. She is there to live with Pastor Shady Howard, her father's friend, while her father works on the railroad back in Iowa. An equally important story set during World War I is artfully intertwined. Since her mother went off on her own 10 years earlier, Abilene and Gideon have been alone. Though their life together is unsettled, their bond is strong. Shady's place is shabby, but he is welcoming. The mystery about Manifest and Gideon unfolds after Abilene finds a box filled with intriguing keepsakes. It includes a letter dated 1917 to someone named Jinx from Ned Gillen that has a warning, “THE RATTLER is watching.” This starts Abilene, with the help of new friends Ruthanne and Lettie, on a search to learn the identity of the pair. The story cleverly shifts back and forth between the two eras. Abilene becomes connected to Miss Sadie, a “diviner” who slowly leads her through the story of Ned and Jinx. Though the girl is lonely, she adjusts to her new life, feeling sure that her father will come for her at summer's end. The Ku Klux Klan and its campaign against the many immigrants working in the coal mines and the deplorable conditions and exploitation of these men provide important background. This thoroughly enjoyable, unique page-turner is a definite winner.–Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. </p><h3>From</h3><p><em>Starred Review</em> After a life of riding the rails with her father, 12-year-old Abilene can’t understand why he has sent her away to stay with Pastor Shady Howard in Manifest, Missouri, a town he left years earlier; but over the summer she pieces together his story. In 1936, Manifest is a town worn down by sadness, drought, and the Depression, but it is more welcoming to newcomers than it was in 1918, when it was a conglomeration of coal-mining immigrants who were kept apart by habit, company practice, and prejudice. Abilene quickly finds friends and uncovers a local mystery. Their summerlong “spy hunt” reveals deep-seated secrets and helps restore residents’ faith in the bright future once promised on the town’s sign. Abilene’s first-person narrative is intertwined with newspaper columns from 1917 to 1918 and stories told by a diviner, Miss Sadie, while letters home from a soldier fighting in WWI add yet another narrative layer. Vanderpool weaves humor and sorrow into a complex tale involving murders, orphans, bootlegging, and a mother in hiding. With believable dialogue, vocabulary and imagery appropriate to time and place, and well-developed characters, this rich and rewarding first novel is “like sucking on a butterscotch. Smooth and sweet.” Grades 5-8. --Kathleen Isaacs </p>

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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>The conceit of this impossible-to-put-down thriller—the story of the hunt for a serial killer-rapist who has concealed himself among a psychiatric asylum's insane—is that it was written in pencil by a madman on the walls of his apartment. More than 20 years ago, Francis Xavier Petrel, nicknamed C-Bird for the seabird his name evokes, was confined against his will in the Western State Hospital, a run-down residential mental health facility that rivals Kesey's Cuckoo's Nest for evil administrators and whacked-out inmates. A shy, frightened 21-year-old who endures a cacophony of disembodied voices, C-Bird is befriended by Peter the Fireman, nicknamed for the church he burned down with a pedophile priest still inside. (C-Bird and Peter appear almost normal amid the hospital's other catatonics, manic-depressives, psychopaths and psychotics.) Then they discover the raped and mutilated body of nurse Short Blond (nicknamed for her hair) stuffed into a storage closet. All evidence points to paranoid-schizophrenic inmate Lanky, who earlier in the day had identified Short Blond as an agent of evil, but Lanky claims the killing was the work of an invisible Angel of Death who committed the crime to save them from some unspecified devilish fate. C-Bird and Peter, knowing that Lanky has been unjustly accused, set out to find the real killer. They are joined by state prosecutor Lucy Kyoto Jones, who believes the killer is the same man who has committed other savage crimes beyond the walls of the hospital. Katzenbach (author of the bestsellers <em>Just Cause</em> and <em>The Analyst</em>) delivers an uplifting story of justice, friendship, mystery and, above all, the courage of certain men and women who rise up, no matter the circumstances, to defeat evil, no matter the consequences. <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>The narrator isn't exactly a madman but, rather, someone whose madness is quieted by meds. "It is a very hard thing, in this time of ours, to be mad and middle-aged," hero Francis Petrel writes early on. Perhaps the best feature of veteran crime writer Katzenbach's latest is the way he fleshes out the everyday desperation of someone living on the fringes of society. Petrel receives an invitation to a reunion of former "guests" of the insane asylum his parents consigned him to as a teenager. This not very credible plot starter leads Petrel to investigate what horrors led to the hospital's closing, his thoughts especially revolving around the unsolved murder of a nurse. Intriguing, but far too long and too encumbered with Petrel's Byzantine thoughts to generate suspense. Still, the Edgar-nominated Katzenbach has a following, and this introspective tale will interest those who don't read thrillers for the thrills. <em>Connie Fletcher</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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When Fifi moves to London with her bricklayer boyfriend Dan, her mother is outraged. Despite initial feelings of horror at her new surroundings, Fifi finds the freedom from her middle-class family background exhilarating. Insatiably inquisitive, Fifi is fascinated by her new neighbours and wants to know what goes on behind all those shabby front doors. Why is Yvette, the French dressmaker, such a hermit? Why doesnt widower Frank join his daughter and grandchildren in Australia? And why doesnt the formidable and well-bred Miss Diamond move somewhere smarter? But most of all she is ghoulishly fascinated by the Muckles who live opposite in terrible squalor. She listens to their violent quarrels, watches their ill-treated and wretchedly unhappy children, and is appalled by all she sees. When Fifi tries to help the Muckles youngest child, who has been physically abused by her father, Fifi unwittingly unleashes a chain of events which will not only bring heart ache to her and Dan, but terrible danger to all the inhabitants of Dale Street


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>London 1910. Fifteen year-old Belle has lived in a brothel in Seven Dials all her life, with no understanding of what happens in the rooms upstairs. But her innocence is shattered when she witnesses the murder of one of the girls and, subsequently snatched from the streets by the killer, she is sold into prostitution in Paris. No longer mistress of her own fate, Belle is blown across the globe to sensuous New Orleans where she comes of age and learns to enjoy life as a courtesan. Yet thoughts of home - and the knowledge her status as golden girl cannot last - compel her to break out of her gilded cage. But Belle finds escaping tougher than she imagined, for her life is threatened by desperate men who crave her beauty and attention. Armed only with resourcefulness and spirit, she has a long and dangerous journey ahead of her. Will courage be enough to sustain her? Can she make it back to her family and friends and find her chance at true happiness? Number One bestseller Lesley Pearse has created in Belle a heroine for our times: a strong woman who stands up for right in a world turned bad. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Lesley Pearse's novels have sold close to 4 million copies in the UK alone. Her thirteen most recent books, including Stolen, Gypsy, Faith and Hope - each of which occupied a Top Three slot in both hardback and paperback - are huge bestsellers and are all available as Penguin paperbacks. Lesley lives near Bristol and has three daughters and two grandchildren. </p>


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Somerset, 1836, and baby Hope is cast out from a world of privilege as living proof of her mother s adultery? Smuggled away from the Harveys and Briargate House to a nearby village, Hope grows up in the arms of the warm and loving Renton family, unaware of her true identity. But fate has harsh plans for Hope and a chain of events sees her forced to lead a vagabond s existence until she finds the courage to fight back and prove herself a fearless and able nurse, a vocation that takes her to the horrific battlefields of the Crimea. But the secrets of the past are not yet done with Hope Renton and she must return to England to face the legacy of her birth . . .


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<h3>Review</h3><p>“My favorite . . . [Macdonald] is first among those novelists who raised the genre from its roots in pulp fiction to serious literature.” —P.D. James, from <em>Talking About Detective Fiction</em>  </p><p>“[The] American private eye, immortalized by Hammett, refined by Chandler, brought to its zenith by Macdonald.” —_New York Times Book Review_  </p><p>“Macdonald should not be limited in audience to connoisseurs of mystery fiction.  He is one of a handful of writers in the genre whose worth and quality surpass the limitations of the form.” —_Los Angeles Times_  </p><p>“Most mystery writers merely write about crime.  Ross Macdonald writes about sin.” —_The Atlantic_  </p><p>“Without in the least abating my admiration for Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, I should like to venture the heretical suggestion that Ross Macdonald is a better novelist than either of them.” —Anthony Boucher  </p><p>“[Macdonald] carried form and style about as far as they would go, writing classic family tragedies in the guise of private detective mysteries.” —_The Guardian_ (London)  </p><p>“[Ross Macdonald] gives to the detective story that accent of class that the late Raymond Chandler did.” —_Chicago Tribune_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>It was a long way from the million-dollar Foothill Club to Pelly Street, where grudges were settled in blood and Spanish and a stolen diamond ring landed a girl in jail.  Defense lawyer Bill Gunnarson was making the trip—fast.  He already knew a kidnapping at the club was tied to the girl's hot rock, and he suspected that a missing Hollywood starlet was the key to a busy crime ring.  But while Gunnarson made his way through a storm of deception, money, drugs, and passions, he couldn't guess how some big shots and small-timers would all end up with murder in common...    </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Despite a rocky start, Ash's new series, set in the world of her Tears of Artamon trilogy (_Lord of Snow and Shadows_, etc.), promises to grow into a compelling saga. When Alois Visant, Francia's head Inquisitor, accuses the entire College of Thaumaturgy of practicing magic, only two survive the purge: Linnaius, King Gobain's trusted alchymist, and his apprentice, Rieuk Mordiern. Rieuk joins a secret band of mages, only to find their leader, Arkhan, intends to turn him into a weapon to drive the Francians out of neighboring Ondhessar by stealing or discharging the four superpowerful aethyr crystals known as the Angelstones. Meanwhile, Linnaius takes the Vox Aethyria, a radiolike invention that uses magical crystals to transmit voices, to rival nation Tielen. With the multitude of characters now in place, Ash may be able to pull things together for the next installment, but the complex plot and political setting will leave some readers struggling. <em>(Feb.)</em> <br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Homeless denizens of Seattle’s Pioneer Square are turning up dead and sometimes mutilated, but the police have no sense of urgency, given the victims’ status. Which leaves PI Harper Blaine to investigate. Having returned from the dead, she isn’t quite as human as she once was. She’s a Greywalker, with a foot on both sides of an invisible line separating the normal and paranormal worlds. She sees energy auras as easily as she does the zombies now appearing in the Underground, the city beneath the raised roads and sidewalks of modern Seattle. Even the area vampires want no part of Harper’s inquiries into an ancient Native American monster that might be reawakening during such disasters as earthquakes, fires, and the city’s subsequent reconstructions. Part Indian folklore, part detailed urban history, part PI procedural, part monster-from-the-depths horror story, the third Greywalker caper (after Greywalker, 2006, and Poltergeist, 2007) proceeds gorily and occasionally slowly through various plot twists to an inevitable showdown when forces of the past invade the present. --Whitney Scott </p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Singer and spy Celestine de Joyeuse must finally come to terms with her father's legacy in this complex sequel to 2008's <em>Tracing the Shadow</em>. While serving Francia's King Enguerrand, Celestine longs to destroy the Magus Linnaius, whom she believes betrayed her father to the Inquisition. Celestine is aided by Faie, a spirit bound by her father to protect her, but Faie was responsible for keeping the balance between the mortal world and the realm of the dead, and now lost souls haunt the living. The story ties up minor plot threads from Ash's Tears of Atramon trilogy, but its dependence on backstory will challenge new readers, while fans of <em>Tracing the Shadow</em> will wonder why previously major characters have been relegated to token roles. <em>(Feb.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>Those who enjoyed the intricate Tracing the Shadow (2008) will want to read the conclusion of its story, set in the world of the Tears of Artamon trilogy. It continues the exploits of dozens of characters in several different countries, dealing with politics, mythology, espionage, ghosts, religion, music, and romance. A prophecy predicts the end of the world if the Drakhaouls, who change the people they inhabit and can fly as dragons, are freed and brought into the world of the living. Rieuk Mordiern finally begins to love again but faces betrayal before venturing into the Rift and getting lost for years. Musicians Celestine (formerly Klervie) and Jagu go spying in Muscobar, and when they are targeted by the inquisition, Celestine gets her appearance altered to become an opera-company’s cleaning lady (though she is soon performing in it). An exorcism gone wrong slays a monarch’s best friend, seven daemons escape the Rift and possess highly placed men, and characters and story lines eventually converge. A challenging journey for characters and readers alike. --Diana Tixier Herald </p>

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<h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>Sara Ash's <em>Lord of Snow and Shadows</em> is the promising opener to the Tears of Artamon series. The novel sets the stage in grand fashion as Ash deftly introduces the principal players in her well-realized fantasy realm. She begins with Gavril, a carefree portrait painter basking in the sunny climes of an irrelevant island republic. He soon discovers he is heir to a great and terrible legacy in the snowy wasteland of Azhkendir. Kidnapped by his murdered father’s personal guard, he is both captive and the Drakhoan--ruler of Azhkendir. His inheritance turns out to be more than just a crown, however. A dark force of immeasurable power is growing inside him while he finds his realm under siege from within and without. </p><p>Ash masterfully avoids most of the usual fantasy memes--except, of course, the reluctant hero, Gavril--and imports a vast menagerie of technologies and culturally resonant magics into her world. Her conflicting armies wield magic, muskets, and heavy cannon alongside darker forces that are too delicious to mention here. Apart from a few niggling inconsistencies (Gavril's transformation from foppish artist to deft statesman, for one), Ash's novel is a frosty infusion of new air into a genre overrun with the usual maidens-with-broadswords clichés. <em>–-Jeremy Pugh</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In this excellent start to a new fantasy series from British author Ash (Moths to a Flame), Gavril Andar, an idealistic young artist, falls for the nobly born Astasia Orlova, whose portrait he's been hired to paint. Luckily, he's attractive enough for Astasia to return the favor. He doesn't know he's also Gavril Nagarian, son of the recently assassinated ruler of the wintry kingdom of Azhkendir, and that fate is about to deal him a dreadful blow. Like his father before him, Gavril becomes soul-bound to the Drakhaoul, a creature that grants awesome power at a terrible price. Kidnapped, Gavril finds himself trapped in Kastel Drakhaon, reluctant to draw on his new magical abilities, as their use only makes him more beast-like and less human. But with Prince Eugene of Tielin threatening to reconquer all of the Rossiyan Empire, he may have no choice. Fascinating and unpredictable, Gavril's tale gains richness from the grand scope of Ash's narrative, with its echoes of Russian history under the czars. Enhanced by supporting characters who are living, breathing individuals, this book will leave readers drooling to get their hands on the sequel from the moment they turn its final page.<br />Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. </p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In the second installment of British author Ash’s Tears of Artamon trilogy, a skillful mix of horror and romantic fantasy, vampiric dragons soar against a wonderfully gothic backdrop straight out of Tolstoy by way of Stoker, Dumas and Tolkien. At the conclusion of Lord of Snow and Shadows (2003), Gavril Nagarian, Lord Drakhaon of Azhkendir (a princedom in the Rossiyan Empire), succeeded in casting off the Drakhaoul, the dragon-daemon that possessed him. Now Gavril; his mother, Elysia; and his new love, Kiukiu, a gifted "spirit singer," face the wrath of Prince Eugene of Tielen, whose forces Gavril prevented from taking Ashkendir in book one. Eugene returns to defeat Gavril and send the former portrait painter to a mental institution where his brain becomes the subject of mad experimentation (shades of Shelley!). Ash’s playful, tongue-in-cheek brew of Russian history, folklore and myth explores age-old moral dilemmas in a plot as tricky and unpredictable as a Gypsy tarot reading. Fans will look forward to the ultimate confrontation between blood-sucking firebirds and humans in book three.<br />Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>From</h3><p>After nearly killing the woman he loves, Gavril Nagarian succeeds in extricating himself from the bond that has tied him, body and soul, to a dragon-daemon. But in so doing, he betrays his countrymen, for without the daemon, Gavril is just an ordinary man, lacking magical powers and unable to defend his small holding against Eugene, would-be emperor of the five princedoms. Eugene wants more than a crown, however; he wants power and revenge, and when he unlocks the fabled Serpent's Gate, he gets all that he desires and, perhaps, a bit more than he can handle. He quickly learns that the power of the Drakhaoul can destroy not only his enemies but also his new empress and unborn child, his adored and badly crippled daughter--in short, everything he cares for. Even his own life is imperiled. But as the daemon gains strength and power, becoming one with its host, Eugene begins to lose sight of his most precious gift, his own human heart. Solid, wonderful fantasy, sparkling and imaginative! <em>Paula Luedtke</em><br /><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></p>


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Who can you trust when everything is secrets and lies?   It's a new semester at the Chadwick School, and even with the ankh tattoos that brand them, Phoebe, Nick, Lauren, and Patch are hoping for a fresh start. Each day, however, they are reminded of their membership as new Conscripts in the Society. The secret group that promised to help them achieve their every dream has instead turned their lives into a nightmare.   Exclusive membership lost its luster as the Society revealed its agenda to them and two of their classmates were found dead. Now they can't help but wonder: Who's next? While they search for the elusive truth about the Society, the Conscripts are forced to face their darkest fear—that they truly can't get out.   Will Nick and Phoebe's new relationship endure this strain? Can Patch and Nick's longtime friendship survive the truth that will come to light? The deceptions of the group's leaders, once trusted friends, and family will test these four as they fight to leave the Society behind.   The Trust, Tom Dolby's sequel to secret society, is an alluring glimpse behind the facade of a life of entitlement, where secrets aren't merely fun—they're deadly.


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1995, Scotland. The prison of Cornton Vale.Laura Brannigan is in jail for murder. For two years she's been battling for justic - insisting that she didn't kill her best friend, Jackie. Yet with her spirits at their lowest ebb, she receives a letter that takes her back to a different time and memory of an old love ... Twenty years ago was a heady time for Laura: she'd escaped an abusive home and together with new best friend Jackie she'd made a fresh start. The pair had sworn to be sisters for ever. And Stuart had come into their lives - giving Laura a brilliant summer of love. So what went wrong in the intervening years? And why is Stuart writing to Laura now? Does he have faith in her innocence? And can he help free Laura from prison - and her past?


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>'The classic English village mystery is alive and well and living in Gloucestershire' Sherlock Magazine </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Undertaker Drew Slocombe is not having a good day. His business is failing, the car needs an MOT (safety inspection) and he’s driving 120 miles to the Cotswolds to carry out the late Greta Simmonds’ final wishes. Unfortunately, when he gets there, a string of bureaucratic mistakes means that he’s now the chief suspect of a murder inquiry. He’s beginning to wish he had never heard of Greta Simmonds.   </p><p>Thea Osborne and her loyal spaniel Hepzie are still pursuing their occupation as house-sitters, despite the disastrous incidents of the past. At the moment they are staying in Greta Simmonds’ house, which is currently between ownership. Thea is torn between moving back home or waiting for the execution of the will. After all, she does have outstanding payments due. Then the discovery of a body in a nearby field takes the decision out of Thea’s hands, and she finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation once again. Having befriended the police’s only suspect, Drew Slocombe, Thea believes him to be innocent. As Thea and Drew work together to clear his name, it slowly dawns on them that in a village simmering with secrets, a means and a motive could be laid at anybody’s door. </p>

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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>"My dad used to say to me, 'Try to keep a cool head and a warm heart'. At least I think it was my dad. I don't really remember him." Gravy worked in the graveyard - hence the name. He was having a normal day until his friend Benjy turned up in a car Gravy didn't recognise. Benjy had a bullet hole in his chest, but lived just long enough to ask Gravy to hide him and look after his gun. Gravy had looked after things for Benjy before, but never a gun. When Gravy looked in the car he found blood, a balaclava and a bag stuffed with money. Gravy's not too bright but he wants to help his friend. So Gravy finds himself caught up in the middle of a robbery gone wrong, a woman who witnessed a murder, and some very unpleasant men who will do anything to get back the money Benjy stole... </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Ian Rankin is a regular No.1 bestseller, and has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Diamond Dagger. He lives with his family in Edinburgh, and in 2003 received an OBE for his services to literature. </p>


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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>With beautiful descriptions of the countryside, this excellent thriller marks a compulsive new series of rural adventures. --Good Book Guide </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>After three catastrophic house-sitting commissions, filled with murder and intrigue, the Montgomery house in Blockley seems like a welcome break for fearless Thea and her trusty spaniel Hephzibah. The opportunity to explore the lost Cotswold villages, with only the minor hindrance of checking up on the client's mother, in the adjoining house, promises to be the perfect get away. But Granny Gladys Gardener, with her conveniently erratic memory and series of ailments that disappear as quickly as they arrive, is a force to be reckoned and is soon arousing Thea's suspicion. After all, why do the Montgomery's lock her connecting door to the house? And why do they set an alarm that goes off every time Granny goes out? </p><p>Thea's concerns, however, soon turn to something more sinister when the arrival of her daughter, trainee policewoman Jessica, prompts the discovery of a body. Slowly the secrets of Blockley begin to unravel themselves to the Osborne women, but nothing in the village is quite what it seems. Up against the clock to try and solve another murder, with the added complications of her elderly charge, her daughter's career troubles and her deepening relationship with DI Phil Hollis, Thea is beginning to feel well and truly lost in the Cotswolds. </p>

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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Dave Weinstein is angry. He is frustrated, confused, baffled, and quite frequently, very funny. He is also a general practitioner. These are his confessions. A woman troubled by pornographic dreams about Tom Jones. An 80 year-old man who can't remember why he's come to see the doctor. A woman with a common cold demanding (but not receiving) antibiotics. A man with a sore knee. A young woman who has been trying to conceive for a while but now finds herself pregnant and isn't sure she wants to go through with it. A 7-year-old boy with "tummy aches" that don't really exist. These are his patients. A witty insight into the life of a family doctor, this funny and moving account will change the way you look at your doctor next time you pop in with the sniffles.</p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Dr Benjamin Daniels is a GP. That is about as much as we can reveal about him. </p>


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After discovering a photograph in a book of a little girl killed by her own mother, a woman becomes preoccupied wondering how anyone could kill their own child. One hot summer day the answer becomes all too violently clear. A short pysychological thriller from our Fingerprints line.


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Are you worried about Debts?  Does the idea of a knock on the door keep you awake at night?  Do you really know your rights?  This excellent quick-read guide gives you answers to the most commonly asked questions, and firmly puts YOU back in control.  Don't be left in the dark - read this guide and protect yourself from unlawful and unethical action.


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<h3>From</h3><p>A 30-year-old British woman, bored with her National Health Service job, applies on a whim for a position as a trainee at a hospital mortuary. This entertaining memoir chronicles the author’s first year on the job, which sees her learning how to perform a postmortem, determine cause of death, and deal with grieving relatives and shady undertakers (among a lot of other things). She tells her story in a straightforward manner, not pulling any punches when it comes to describing her working environment (“He tugged at the guts and began to unwind them . . . .”), although this means there are occasional gruesome and shivery moments (“it was infested with maggots that were having a huge feast on human flesh”). Her colleagues are portrayed as ordinary men and women, not as a collection of comic stereotypes: one of the book’s key themes is that it’s an unusual job, but the people who do it are just regular folk. Not your run-of-the-mill occupational memoir, but definitely an interesting one. --David Pitt </p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Michelle Williams is young and attractive, with close family ties, a busy social life . . . and an unusual occupation. When she impulsively applies to be a mortuary technician and is offered the position, she has no idea that her decision to accept will be one of the most momentous of her life. “What I didn’t realize then,” she writes, “was that I was about to start one of the most amazing jobs you can do.”  </p><p>To Williams, life in the mortuary is neither grim nor frightening. She introduces readers to a host of unique characters: pathologists (many eccentric, some utterly crazy), undertakers, and the man from the coroner’s office who sings to her every morning. No two days are alike, and while Williams’s sensitivity to the dead never wavers, her tales from the crypt range from mischievous to downright shocking. Readers won’t forget the fitness fanatic run over while doing nighttime push-ups on the road, the man so large he had to be carted in via refrigerated truck, or the guide dog who led his owner onto railway tracks—and left him there. The indomitable Williams never bats an eye, even as she is confronted—daily—with situations that would leave the rest of us speechless.</p>


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<div><meta charset="utf-8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; "><h3 class="productDescriptionSource" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 1.23em; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0.75em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.375em; margin-left: -15px; clear: both; ">Product Description</h3><div class="productDescriptionWrapper" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; ">In 2010 thousands of people submitted ghost stories to The Daily Telegraph's first ghost story competition. Standards were chillingly high and only the spookiest went through to the shortlist of six. Presented here are short stories from Gill Baconnier, Justin Crozier, Ceri Hughes, Pat Black, Craig Drew and the winner, Richard Crompton, whose story ‘Friends’ is an uncanny take on social networking. Currently available only in ebook form they are the perfect company for a long winter's night.</div></span></div>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>_Being aware of people, who for whatever reason find it difficult to read, I was only too pleased to write The Girl On The Platform. Reading is an exciting and demanding pleasure, which I believe should be enjoyed by everyone. I hope that all those who read this story find the same joy and belonging that I found in the writing of it_ Josephine CoxBest mates Mark and Pete board a train to London for their lads' night out.As Pete finds a seat he notices a girl sitting on a bench. She looks sad and lonely. When the train leaves, he can't get her out of his mind because in her, he has seen a glimpse of himself.Over the coming months Pete sees the girl often, but when tempted to speak to her, his courage fails.Then one day she simply disappears. Hopelessly besotted by this girl he believes to be his kindred spirit, Pete will not rest until he finds her_</p>


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Dr. Nick Edwards is an Accident and Emergency (A&E) doctor working in the UK and a passionate believer in the National Health System (NHS). However, the reforms, political correctness, and the Anglo-Saxon culture of binge drinking and fighting, and the resulting A&E visits, are a strain on his sanity. So, to keep up his morale, he began writing down his feelingsa form of literary cathartic therapythe results of which make up this book. From dealing with cardiac arrests and car accidents, to people with Arrest Avoidance Syndrome, and others who havent quite read the big red sign above their heads as they walk into A&E, In Stitches paints a vivid picture of what its really like working at the sharp end of the NHS today. Its funny, its heartbreaking, and its infuriating. Its also more informative than any government press release.


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>Is it just me or is everything shit? was the question posed by Steve Lowe and Alan MacArthur in their two bestselling books. However, no one seemed to have the courtesy to answer them. Until now. It Is Just You, Everythings Not Shit is a life-affirming (although slightly piss-taking) guide to all the things that make life great. It is warm, funny, and its heart is in the right place.</p>


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<h3>Product Description</h3><p>Victor Smiley and his wife Joan have been married for nearly twenty years, but each barely recognises the person they wake up with every morning. Victor is so fed up with his job at the local egg-box factory -as well as distracted by his visits to his favourite prostitute, Kamila- that he hardly notices his wife's constant ridicule. Joan has resigned herself to the fact that Victor will never see beyond her double-chin to a new hair cut or outfit. She even puts up with his constant snoring which keeps her up night after night. Just. For unbeknownst to Victor, Joan is taking her sweet revenge: spending large amounts of money on his credit card, kitting herself out in a sexy new wardrobe, to impress her secret lover, Don. But then, as the bills mount, Victor loses his job. Soon he realises that the only way he can achieve his dream of setting up home with Kamila is to get Joan out of the picture. But Victor is about to get a nasty surprise. For he's not the only one with murder on his mind. </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Peter James was educated at Charterhouse then at film school. He lived in North America for a number of years, working as a screenwriter and film producer before returning to England. His novels, including the number one bestseller Possession, have been translated into thirty languages and three have been filmed. All his novels reflect his deep interest in the world of the police, with whom he does in-depth research, as well as science, medicine and the paranormal. He has produced numerous films, including the The Merchant Of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes. He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill in London and near Brighton in Sussex. </p>


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<p class="description">SUMMARY:<br>The history of the R.M.S. Titanic, of the White Star Line, is one of the most tragically short it is possible to conceive. The world had waited expectantly for its launching and again for its sailing; had read accounts of its tremendous size and its unexampled completeness and luxury; had felt it a matter of the greatest satisfaction that such a comfortable, and above all such a safe boat had been designed and built - the unsinkable lifeboat; - and then in a moment to hear that it had gone to the bottom as if it had been the veriest tramp steamer of a few hundred tons; and with it fifteen hundred passengers, some of them known the world over! The improbability of such a thing ever happening was what staggered humanity.</p>


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<div><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Starred Review. While most vegan cookbooks are anemic, underfed volumes-some no-brainer pasta recipes, a few things to do with tofu, maybe some oddball desserts-this slam-bang effort from vegan chefs Moskowitz and Romero (Vegan with a Vengeance) is thorough and robust, making admirable use of every fruit and vegetable under the sun, without once asking readers to make do with fake meat products and egg replacements. Instead, the eccentric authors offer dozens of novel, delicious ways to get excited about eating meat-, dairy- and egg-free. Take Southwestern Corn Pudding, a winning casserole rich with coconut milk and an unexpected dash of maple syrup-a likely MVP at your next Thanksgiving (whether it's centered around turkey or tofu). Almost as addictive are Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms, which get their bite from fresh herbs, and Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions and Spiced Pita Crisps, a transcendent Middle Eastern comfort food. Vegan breakfasts get overdue attention: sitting in front of a hot stack of velvety Blueberry Corn Pancakes and hearty Blue Flannel Hash, who's going to miss the bacon? Best of all is the wide selection of terrific desserts: everything from Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies to decadent Caramel-Apple-Spice Cupcakes boldy fill the space where most eggless, milkless and butterless cookbooks fear to tread. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p><strong><em>VegNews</em>, December 2010</strong></p><p>Isa Moskowitz names “Favorite Cookbook Author” </p><p><strong><em>San Francisco Chronicle</em>, 12/12/07</strong><br>"[This] unassuming book is full of recipes for which even a carnivore would give up a night of meat."<em></em>  </p><p>Curve<em></em>“Ever the clever wits, Moskowitz and Romero make gourmet vegan cooking accessible in _Veganomicon_. You’ll love the menu suggestions at the back of the book and the massive index rivaling that of the _Joy of Cooking_.”<strong><em></em></strong>_<br>_<em></em>_<br>_<strong><em>Louisville Courier-Journal</em>, 12/3/08</strong><br>“The tone throughout is upbeat and amusing, especially in the frequent sidebars, which are practical, chatty and engaging without being cutesy.”<br>_<br>_<strong><em>The Washington Times</em>, 9/23</strong><br>“[A] must have.”  </p><p><strong>Gwyneth Paltrow on Goop.com, 2/4/10</strong><br>“This cookbook takes the scariness out of vegan…The recipes are easy for new cooks to use and the book is user-friendly.”   </p><p><strong><em>Portland Oregonian’s</em>FOODday blog, 2/3/10</strong><br>“Highly regarded.”  </p><p><strong><em>Indianapolis Star</em>, 3/10/10</strong><br>“Chickpea cutlets, from_Veganomicon_, are unusually satisfying.”  </p><p><strong>DKMommySpot.com, 4/28/10</strong><br>“Very likely the mother of all vegan cookbooks…A vegetarian chef’s idea of perfect reading material. The book’s nearly 300 pages are filled with hundreds of recipes, cooking advice, ingredient info, and heaps of humor making it a joy to read, as well as to cook with…Definitely a must-have for the vegan who really loves their food.”</p><p><strong><em>Portland</em></strong><strong><em>Oregonian</em>, 7/13/10</strong></p><p>“If you're considering transitioning to a vegan diet, or even just want to try it a day or two a week…[this is a] great introductory title.”</p><p><strong>GoDairyFree.org</strong></p><p>“[A] creative recipe collection of tamales, bocadillos, empanadas, ensaladas, and much, much more.”</p><p><em></em><em>VegNews</em>, Sept/Oct 2010<br><em></em>“chock-full of not only recipes, but pantry help and cooking advice galore.”</p><p><strong>Cornell McClellan, fitness trainer for the President of the United States</strong></p><p>“[A] useful and delicious cookbook.”</p><p><strong>Kuali.com, 10/12/10</strong></p><p>“Funny, straight-into-your-face and full of hilarious punches…A pleasure to read despite its big size…A good old-fashioned all-purpose cookbook with recipes written for everyday meals. It is suitable for any level of cooking skill.”</p><p><strong><em>Natural Health,</em>November 2010</strong></p><p>“A great resource to learn more about smart substitutions for vegan dishes.”</p><p><em></em><em>Portsmouth</em><strong></strong><em>Herald,</em>11/24/10<br><em></em>“No meat, no dairy, no eggs, but still full of flavor.”</p><p><em></em><em>The Auburn Citizen</em>, 12/29/10<br><em></em>“It is big, and has many good ideas and recipes developed at a popular New York City restaurant, all without animal products. Lots of innovation here!”</p><p><strong><em>Salt Lake Tribune</em>, 2/24/11</strong></p><p>“The only vegan cookbook you’ll ever need.”</p>

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<div><h3>Review</h3><p>“The first edition of this book (published in 2000) was excellent. The second edition is <em>masterfully outstanding.</em>”<br>—From the foreword by Gabriel Cousens, MD  </p><p>“Sensational! The why and how of a raw-foods lifestyle in a nutshell. A must-read for those who want more vitality, happiness, and success in their lives.”<br>—Victor M. Vieira, DC, fellow of the International Academy of Clinical Acupuncture  </p><p>“A marvelous book full of useful information for people seeking a better understanding of the relationship between nutritional factors and optimal health. Victoria Boutenko asks probing questions and searches every avenue that can lead to new answers. Her conclusions are remarkable, often surprising, and always illuminating.”<br>—Melvyn L. Iscove, MD  </p><p>“Imagine what would happen in a society wherein people would take responsibility for their own health and wellness. Victoria Boutenko’s book provides the basis for this healthier shift in our thinking and daily lifestyle.”<br>—Jeannette Vos, EdD, co-author of<strong> </strong><em>The Learning Revolution</em> and <em>The New Learning Revolution </em>   </p><p>“For those new to Boutenko, this is a great introduction to her ideas, methods and life experiences, the latter of which includes the inspiring account of how she healed her families illnesses through healthful eating and exercise.”<br>—Spiritualitea.com  </p><p>“Victoria Boutenko’s revised and expanded <em>12 Steps to Raw Foods</em> is magnificent! If you have ever attempted to incorporate raw/living foods into your diet to any degree, and hit the wall of resistance, you absolutely must read this book… Victoria’s 12-Step outline, which is very loosely derived from her personal research into AA and OA, has helped countless people rise above the struggle of changing behavior, and into an empowered state of raw consciousness.”<br>—_Reader Views_</p><h3>Product Description</h3><p>Why do we overeat time and time again? Why do we make poor diet choices while we want to be healthy? What makes losing weight so difficult? These and many other vital questions are addressed in <em>12 Steps to Raw Foods</em> in an open and sincere dialogue. Based on the latest scientific research, Victoria Boutenko explains the numerous benefits of choosing a diet of fresh rather than cooked foods. This book contains self-tests and questionnaires that help the reader to determine if they have hidden eating patterns that undermine their health. Using examples from life, the author explores the most common reasons for people to make unhealthy eating choices.  </p><p>Rather than simply praising the benefits of raw foods, this book offers helpful tips and coping techniques to form and maintain new, healthy patterns. Learn how to make a raw food restaurant card that makes dining with co-workers easy and enjoyable. Discover three magic sentences that enable you to refuse your mother-in-law’s apple pie without offending her. Find out how to sustain your chosen diet while traveling. These are only a few of the many scenarios that Boutenko outlines.  </p><p>Written in a convenient 12-step format, this book guides the reader through the most significant physical, psychological, and spiritual phases of the transition from cooked to raw foods. Embracing the raw food lifestyle is more than simply turning off the stove. Such a radical change in the way we eat affects all aspects of life. Boutenko touches on the human relationship with nature, the value of supporting others, and the importance of living in harmony with people who don’t share the same point of view on eating. Already a classic, this enhanced second edition is aimed at anyone interested in improving their health through diet. </p>

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<p>Winner of the 2007 National Jewish Book Award in the category of Biography, Autobiography &amp; Memoir<br><br>A powerful memoir of war, politics, literature, and family life by one of Europe's leading intellectuals.<br><br>When George Konrad was a child of eleven, he, his sister, and two cousins managed to flee to Budapest from the Hungarian countryside the day before deportations swept through his home town. Ultimately, they were the only Jewish children of the town to survive the Holocaust.<br><br>A Guest in My Own Country recalls the life of one of Eastern Europe's most accomplished modern writers, beginning with his survival during the final months of the war. Konrad captures the dangers, the hopes, the betrayals and courageous acts of the period through a series of carefully chosen episodes that occasionally border on the surreal (as when a dead German soldier begins to speak, attempting to justify his actions).<br><br>The end of the war launches the young man on a remarkable...</p>


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<h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>Sawyer, a leading scholar of Chinese warfare and fellow at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, is best known for his comprehensively edited translations of classical military writings. His latest analytical work is no less significant. It begins in the prehistoric period and continues through the fifth century B.C.E., an era traditionally described as one of stability, almost idyllic compared to the two-century warring states period that followed. Sawyer instead demonstrates through archeological evidence, traditional accounts, and convincing interpretations of inscriptions that conflict in China became increasingly complex, lethal, and decisive during the Hsia and Shang dynasties. Armies became structured forces with bureaucratized logistics. Warrior values were integrated into mainstream cultures. Sawyer's analysis ranges from the evolution of fortification, through the metallurgical innovations behind improved weapons, to the technologies and animal husbandry that enabled the chariots that became ancient China's signature. Warfare, says Sawyer, stimulated innovation, social change, and material progress. It also destroyed the peace and security of communities, then peoples, absorbed into ever-larger political systems sustained by force. Ancient China, shaped by its wars, was firmly set on "a trajectory of state building and aggressive activity." Illus. (Mar.) <br />(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. </p><h3>Review</h3><p><em></em>P. H. Liotta, author of _The Real Population Bomb: Megacities and Global Security<br />_<em></em>“After decades of intense and dedicated scholarship, Ralph Sawyer has produced an astonishing volume. His linguistic and strategic skills—his fierce genius—are everywhere in evidence. Sawyer is a master, and <em>Ancient Chinese Warfare</em> is his masterpiece.”<br /><em></em><br />Ralph Peters, retired Military Intelligence officer and author of _The War After Armageddon_<em></em></p><p>“_Ancient Chinese Warfare_ is, paradoxically, a crucial book for the 21st century. As the ‘new’ China aspires to global power, understanding the foundations of this civilization’s way of war helps us grasp Beijing’s present psychology and behavior. The Chinese take a very long view of history, and we need to learn to do so. To that end, the brilliant work of Ralph D. Sawyer has long proven unrivalled...and this book is his masterpiece. No work better illustrates the deep (and gnarled) roots of China’s contemporary ambitions.”</p><p><em></em>Nicola Di Cosmo, Henry Luce Foundation Professor of East Asian History at the Institute for Advanced Study<br /><em></em>“_Ancient Chinese Warfare_ is an important, informative, and exciting book. Written with panache, brimming with new ideas, and based on a level of knowledge that would challenge any expert, Sawyer’s work has transformed single-handedly our understanding of ancient Chinese military history. Readers will find in this book a solidly informed and vivid account of China’s ways of warfare from the Shang dynasty to the mid-first millennium BC. Only few of them will appreciate the massive effort of synthesis and analysis that this book represents, and it is to Sawyer’s credit that he has succeeded in bringing an extremely difficult topic to a level that everyone can understand, learn from, and enjoy.”</p><p><em></em>Edward N. Luttwak, author of _The Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire<br />_<em></em>“Not unexpectedly, this book enhances Ralph D. Sawyer’s reputation as the premier interpreter of Chinese strategy and warfare. The surprise is that with the aid of a flowing style he has written a highly readable, indeed very enjoyable book on a seemingly abstruse subject. In a manner fascinating in itself, Sawyer brilliantly reconstructs the fragmentary archaeological evidence.”</p>


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<div><h3>Product Description</h3><p>While “bread” once implied a simple, sliced white loaf from the supermarket, consumers have begun to consider the product in a more sophisticated light. Bread enthusiasts are more aware of the diverse array of high-quality breads than ever before and are seeking out handmade artisan products at local farmers’ markets, organic grocery stores, specialty shops…even the Internet. <em>Baking Artisan Bread</em> will show that finding these specialty breads is as easy as looking in your own kitchen!</p><p><em>Baking Artisan Bread</em> provides a simplified, formula-based approach to baking bread at home, making the mixing, the rising, and the baking itself more approachable and less intimidating. With step-by-step full-color process shots and clear directions, chef Ciril Hitz will show you how with just 10 formulas you can create more than 40 different products—how’s that for streamlined? </p><h3>About the Author</h3><p>Ciril Hitz is the Department Chair for the International Baking and Pastry Institute at Johnson &amp; Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, after which he returned to his native Switzerland and completed a three-year apprenticeship as a Pastry Chef/Chocolatier. He was first introduced to bread baking while in Europe, which laid the foundation for the skills that led him to where he is today. Hitz has been recognized nationally and internationally with numerous awards and accomplishments. He was selected as a Top Ten Pastry Chef in America in both 2007 and 2008 by Pastry Art &amp; Design magazine. In 2004 he competed in the National Bread and Pastry Team Championship, winning the overall team Gold Medal as well as all individual bread awards. He was a member of the Bread Bakers Guild Team USA that competed at the 2002 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris, France, where the team captured the silver medal. He has been a guest instructor and expert at many national and international culinary events and schools and serves on the Advisory Board of the Bread Bakers Guild of America. Ciril Hitz is frequently seen on The Food Network and has been featured on the NBC's The Today Show. His work has graced the pages of numerous magazines and the interiors of exhibition halls and museums, including COPIA in Napa, California. He is the producer of his own line of educational DVDs. For more information on his work, visit www.breadhitz.com.</p>

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<div><h3>Amazon.com Review</h3><p>There's a lot more going on in <em>Bones</em> than the glorification of beef marrow. True, you will want to serve roasted marrow bones after even a casual reading. Jennifer McLagan, chef, food stylist, food writer, and now cookbook author says this is where it all began for her, this journey that has become a singular determination to rehabilitate bones in the family kitchen: "Scooping out the soft, warm marrow and spreading it on crisp toast is a sensual delight. A touch of salt, and all is right with the world." </p><p><em>Bones</em> is about meat on the bone, plain and simple. Beef or veal, lamb, game, poultry, fish--it matters not. If the meat is on the bone as it enters the cooking process, be that roasting, braising, steaming, baking, or grilling, it has every chance of being far superior to meat divorced of the skeleton. Think how boring skinless, boneless chicken breasts can be. But McLagan's underlying theme is about taking time to treat a product like meat with the respect it deserves. If you demand that it morphs into some sort of time-and-labor-saving protein package you end up with chicken fingers, not food. If it is about anything, <em>Bones</em> is about good food, and good food takes time. And time is the most precious ingredient any cook can add to the broth. The time it takes isn't a burden, it's where the cook truly learns and grows and matures. </p><p>McLagan divides <em>Bones</em> into sections devoted to Beef and Veal, Pork, Lamb, Poultry, Fish, and Game. Each section begins with a precise description of the basic animal from the skeleton on out before moving on to stocks, concentrated stocks, and consommés. As for recipe enticements you'll find Beer-Glazed Beef Ribs, Osso Buco with Fennel and Blood Orange Sauce, Spicy Korean Pork Soup, Roast Leg of Pork with Crackling, Olive-Crusted Lamb Racks, Lamb Shanks in Pomegranate Sauce, Poached Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables, Grilled Quail with Sage Butter, Coconut Curry Chicken, Sardines on Toast, Cantonese-style Steamed Fish, and Herb-Roasted Rabbit (one of four rabbit recipes!). </p><p>While the novice cook should not shy away from <em>Bones</em>, a firm foundation in basic western cooking technique is a plus. There's a lot of learning available between these two covers. Some of it is about meat and bones, some about cooking and serving, and some is about an attitude to bring to the kitchen: If you take a little time the rewards will be far superior to any shortcuts along the way. All of which makes Jennifer McLagan something of a revolutionary in our midst. <em>--Schuyler Ingle</em></p><h3>From Publishers Weekly</h3><p>In this expansive tome, food stylist and writer McLagan offers an alternative to the rubbery chicken breasts and fish filets now standard in Western cookery. By eliminating bones (and fat) from our diet, McLagan passionately argues, we've traded flavor for health and efficiency. Indeed, her book operates on the premise that the pleasure of gnawing on a lamb chop cannot be underestimated. More than a cookbook, this is a compendium of folklore, literary quotes and historical facts that refer to bones' significance across cultures from ancient times to today. There are chapters on beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish and game, each with an introductory section explaining anatomy and recommended cooking temperatures. Sidebars offer suggestions for carving, using unlikely parts, and recovering endangered bone-cooking arts like "spatchcocking," or removing the wishbone from a bird. McLagan's recipes range from arcane (Lancashire Hot Pot, which traditionally consists of a deep dish of stew covered with a potato crust, and long lamb bones piercing through the topping) to contemporary continental (Osso Bucco with Fennel and Blood Orange Sauce). While some recipes are time-consuming, McLagan's instructions are generally clear and precise. With its emphasis on tradition and technique, this work won't appeal to the 20-minute chef, but it will be a welcome addition to the slow-food aficionado's library. Photos. <em>(Nov.)</em> <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>

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