In the thrilling second book of the Magnificent 12 series, Mack MacAvoy is challenged by his spectral mentor, Grimluk—who only appears in the shiny chrome pipes of bathrooms.Mack must find the ancient ones, the great forgotten forces. Some will help; some not so much. But above all—Learn the ways of Vargran!Assemble the twelve!Go to the nine dragons of Daidu.Go to the Egge rocks.Beware of . . . the trap.Time is short! The wicked Pale Queen’s three-thousand-year banishment ends in thirty-five days, and she will be free to destroy the world. It’s up to Mack to stop her return. But what do all of Grimluk’s clues meanCan Mack achieve everything he must do without getting killed by the evil Risky—and escape the trap?The Magnificent 12: The Trap is another fast-paced episode in bestselling author Michael Grant’s hilarious fantasy-adventure series.

Hailed by Utne Reader as "a visionary" and the San Francisco Chronicle as "the X-rated intellectual," Susie Bright is indisputably the sexpert of our times. Now, in a frank and intimate look at our own erotic experience, she delves into the most personal aspects of sex and shows us how our sexual passion can be a source of creativity and inspiration. By her own example and insight, she helps us to discover our own erotic story and sexual philosophy. How do talking, reading, and writing about sex affect your actual sex life What are the real differences between men's and women's sense of the eroticWhy is it so threatening to consciously address sexual desire in the first placeIs there a line to be drawn in erotic creativity--can you go too farIs the best erotic expression soulfulHow can articulate erotic expression make us better lovers and, more important, better peopleBright concludes with an "erotic manifesto" that is a call for everyone to reclaim sexuality, cast off sexual shame, overcome repression, and become true sexual beings. She offers up "rules to live by," which include debunking your own fantasy life, appreciating the simplest erotic gesture, and taking inspiration from everyone but instruction from no one. Bright's work celebrates the joy of sexual creativity--and the very uniqueness of each individual's sense of the erotic. Susie Bright is the author and editor of more than a dozen books, including The Best American Erotica series, the first three editions of Herotica, Sexwise, and The Sexual State of the Union. She has written for Esquire, Playboy, Village Voice, New York Times Book Review, and is a regular columnist for the on-line magazine Salon. She lectures and performs at theaters and universities nationwide and currently lives in Northern California. How do you really feel about sex"I want to cut through all the labels and politics, and reveal what I've learned about sex - what has been transformational for me as a lover, a parent, a daughter, and an artist. I want to argue that sexuality is the soul of the creative process, and that erotic expression of any kind is a personal revolution." -- from Full Exposure Bestselling author and erotic pioneer Susie Bright boldly crosses our culture's most private boundary--our personal eroticism--and reveals the ways in which individual sexual expression has the power to inspire, challenge, and transform all aspects of our lives. Bright explores some of the most complex questions about sexuality today, including: how our emotional and sexual lives intertwine, how we can come clean about our true desire, and what sexual expression teaches us about our bodies. She offers an erotic manifesto of seventeen straightforward guidelines for gaining erotic freedom.

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

In 1936 the Schwarts, an immigrant family desperate to escape Nazi Germany, settle in a small town in upstate New York, where the father, a former high school teacher, is demeaned by the only job he can get: gravedigger and cemetery caretaker. After local prejudice and the family's own emotional frailty result in unspeakable tragedy, the gravedigger's daughter, Rebecca, begins her astonishing pilgrimage into America, an odyssey of erotic risk and imaginative daring, ingenious self-invention, and, in the end, a bittersweet—but very "American"—triumph. "You are born here, they will not hurt you"—so the gravedigger has predicted for his daughter, which will turn out to be true. In The Gravedigger's Daughter, Oates has created a masterpiece of domestic yet mythic realism, at once emotionally engaging and intellectually provocative: an intimately observed testimony to the resilience of the individual to set beside such predecessors as The Falls, Blonde, and We Were the Mulvaneys.

Two brothers, as different as night and day: one, charming and ruthless, buys his way into Harvard, Wall Street, and high society; the other brother remains by his mother's side and makes his way to the top without the influence of money or prestige.Raised in separate worlds, these brothers are bound by a bitter rivalry for riches and power, but mostly, for the exciting, wildly captivating woman they fight all their lives to possess, a woman whose passion for one destroys her love for the other.Their story consumes an American century, spanning decades of splendor, struggle, upheaval, and war. It's an absorbing saga of innocent dreams and green desire corrupted by gilded temptation.

Nora and Blanche are conjoined twins. Nora is strong, funny, and deeply independent, thirsting for love and adventure. Blanche, by contrast, has been asleep for twenty years. Sick of carrying her sister's dead weight, Nora wants her other half gone for good—a desire that takes her from San Francisco to London in search of the Unity Foundation, a mysterious organization that promises to make two one. But once in England, Nora's past begins to surface in surprising and disturbing ways, pushing her to the brink of insanity and forcing her to question her own—and Blanche's—grip on the truth.

Return now to a kingdom in constant peril; a land magical, scarred, and wondrous, where great heroes rise up from adversity to battle fearsome enemies who covet the riches within its borders. New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist -- one of the world 's preeminent fantasists -- continues his extraordinary Riftwar Legacy with a sweeping tale of conflict, trial, and grim necessity, as the forces of good join together to staunch the golden lifeblood flowing from the pierced heart of Midkemia. The vile sorcerer Sidi plans to strike the kingdom a fatal blow, setting his creature, the murderous pirate Bear, upon the high seas in pursuit of the vessel that is transporting Midkemia's most holy object: the Tear of the Gods. It is from this miraculous stone that all magic power is believed to flow. And if the Tear becomes the mage's trinket, the future will hold naught but terror, death, and unending night. For Squire James, Lieutenant William, and the able magician Jazhara, the race is on to rescue the remarkable artifact from the bloodthirsty, unpredictable Bear and his despicable master who would use it to bring catastrophe down upon the world. But it will take greater-than-human swiftness. cunning, courage, and skill for the three to prevail. And the flight of her most peerless defenders will leave Krondor more vulnerable than ever to the terrible ambitions of the depraved. For the mysterious criminal known as the Crawler is preparing to wreak bloody havoc to fulfill his dastardly secret agenda. Once again the sewers of Krondor teem with assassins and monsters as the hour of destiny nears. The fate of an imperiled world is in flux, as all manner of dark creatures are gathered for one unspeakable purpose: to breed the chaos that will hasten the destruction of Squire James and his brave companions...and bring about the total corruption of the Tear of the Gods.

Jim Glass' long-sought peace is shattered when the ex-soldier and ex-Ranger discovers six of his corralled horses dead, their throats slit. Though he dreads doing so, he'll strap on his weapons and go hunting for the culprit—because someone capable of such a foul, thoughtless killing is capable of anything. The dusty town of Domingo has been targeted by a pair of blood-crazed brothers and their Texas cohorts with robbery, murder and mayhem on their minds, and that's where Glass will make his stand—even though his only support is an old Indian named Hairy Legs and an over-the-hill lawman named Trout. Because a home's the one thing a man's got that's worth fighting—and dying—for.

An undertaker with a past he'd rather forget, Nick Graves has finally found some measure of peace and happiness in the small town of Ocean on the edge of the desert. Others, however, are nowhere near as lucky—particularly rancher Joseph Van Meter, a good man whose whole family is mercilessly slaughtered by marauding outlaws. Now, more than anything, Van Meter wants blood vengeance . . . and he wants Nick Graves to be his killer angel. Nick's seen a lot of death—and has dispensed a fair share himself—and he recognizes the pain that's eating Joseph alive. But just as important as seeing justice done, Nick wants to save the broken soul who rides beside him. Because when a man's got nothing to lose, he tends to get crazy—and the innocent as well as the deserving often wind up dead.

In thirty years, the invincible Eqbas will arrive at Earth to forcibly return the planet to what it once was—as retribution, in part, for the gethes' thoughtless near-extermination of an alien ocean-dwelling species. First, however, another world requires their attention: the crowded, ecologically ravaged planet of the swarming, insect-like isenj. Efforts to drastically reduce the isenj population have sparked a devastating civil war—which may well do the savior/destroyers' work for them. And the human visitors can only watch. Rendered immortal and ever changeable by a parasite in her blood, ex-cop Shan Frankland isn't content merely to play Matriarch to her two similarly infected mates—one earthborn, one alien wess'har. Her fears for the future of Umeh and the ultimate fate of humankind must be set aside while she tackles an unfulfilled duty that haunts her every waking moment—a mission that must be undertaken for the sake of the future—and pursues a righteous vengeance.

Scientists have discovered that traditional Mediterranean cuisine is one of the most healthful, nutritious diets in the world one that can help everyone lose weight and enjoy lower rates of coronary heart disease and other chronic conditions, including diabetes and cancer. From tasty Moroccan vegetable stew to rosemary focaccia, from eggplant parmesan to lemon almond cake, The Mediterranean Diet offers a program that will make dieters everywhere and food lovers in general rejoice. Includes a 7-day eating plan chock full of savory meals Essential in-depth nutritional information about each food category A 3-day exercise plan Luscious soup-to-nuts recipes designed to satisfy your individual tastes Lose weight and worry with every delicious meal!

In Salthill-on-Hudson, a half-hour train ride from Manhattan, everyone is rich, beautiful, and -- though they look much younger -- middle-aged. But when Adam Berendt, a charismatic, mysterious sculptor, dies suddenly in a brash act of heroism, shock waves rock the town. But who was Adam BerendtWas he in fact a hero, or someone more flawed and human?

In the year 1202, tens of thousands of crusaders gather in Venice, preparing to embark for Jerusalem to free the Holy City from Muslim rule. Among them is a lowly vagabond Briton, rescued from damnation by a pious knight who burns with zealous fire for their sacred undertaking. And so they set sail, along with dedicated companions—and with a beautiful, mysterious Arab "princess" whom the vagabond liberates from a brutish merchant. But the divine light guiding their "righteous" campaign soon darkens as the mission sinks ever deeper into catastrophe, disgrace, and moral turpitude—as Christians murder Christians in the Adriatic port city of Zara, tragic events are set in motion that will ultimately lead to the shocking and shameful fall of Constantinople. Impeccably researched and beautifully told, Nicole Galland's Crossed is a stunning tale of the disastrous Fourth Crusade—and of the hopeful, brave, and driven who were caught up in and irrevocably changed by a corrupted cause and a furious battle beyond their comprehension or control.

The Last Days of Krypton is the epic story of the destruction of the planet Krypton, an explosive event that sent Superman and his legacy to earth. Written by award-winning science fiction writer Kevin J. Anderson, author of the international bestselling Dune prequels, The Last Days of Krypton tells of the marriage of Superman's parents, their struggle to save their planet, and the menace of General Zod, future arch-enemy of Superman. It's the story science fiction and Superman fans have been waiting for!

The long–awaited sequel to The Mask of Zorro––the blockbuster film that grossed more than $230 million worldwide––is coming in September 2005. . .and we've got the adult novelisation! In the early 19th century Don Diego de la Vega championed the people of Mexico against the tyranny of Spanish rule as the masked swordsman and hero Zorro. Twenty years later an orphan named Alejandro, whom Don Diego trained as a boy, becomes Don Diego's successor, serving up a similar brand of freedom and justice in California, reuniting Don Diego with his long lost daughter Elena and marrying the beautiful young woman . At last, in this riveting novelisation of the latest Zorro film from Sony Pictures and Zorro Productions Inc., the mantel is about to be passed again! Alejandro and Elena's marriage is suffering from the strain of Alejandro's work. They're on the very brink of divorce when Elena finds herself central to a Pinkerton sting operation that threatens to expose Zorro's true identity and risk Alejandro's life as well as place Elena's former beau, a French Count and suspected arms dealer, behind bars. It isn't long before seeking justice becomes a family affair, involving Elena, Alejandro and their beloved son Joaquin. Could this adventure possibly lead to a reconciliation between the two lovers and to the succession, yet again , of the swordThis adaptation of the forthcoming film The Legend of Zorro completes the circle of history established by Isabel Allende's new book exploring the birth, life and times of bon vivant Don Diego, the first generation Zorro, and by the 1998 blockbuster film Mask of Zorro which recounted the assumption of the mask by the equally dashing and principled second generation Zorro, Alejandro with the introduction of a possible third generation Zorro.

A prominent physician debuts as a gifted storyteller in Lie Still, a dazzlingly suspenseful and compulsively readable trip through the dark underbelly of the OR -- where reputations, careers, and lives are on the line. In a sleepy, small-town Arizona hospital, a thirteen-year-old boy lies in a coma after inexplicably suffering a cardiac arrest. His doctors are perplexed. Although emotionally disturbed Henry Rojelio was a frequent visitor to the emergency room -- often for bouts of asthma, but usually just for attention -- no one ever anticipated a battle with death. Surgical resident Malcolm Ishmail began his medical career months before at a busy Phoenix hospital -- a far cry from the small ER deep in the silent heart of the desert, where Henry Rojelio lies. There, Malcolm fell into a secret, exhausting affair with one of his professors, Dr. Mimi Lyle, a beautiful, charismatic brain surgeon who had subtle difficulties in the operating room. In a moment of weakness "Dreamy Mimi" confessed to him her failings as a neurosurgeon; Malcolm reported her to his superiors . . . and promptly lost his job. Now, miles away from Phoenix, Dr. Ishmail struggles to save his young asthmatic patient's life and his future as a surgeon. And with little time and few clues to the cause of Henry Rojelio's sudden collapse, the impressionable doctor wonders whether his former lover may have exacted a disturbing revenge.Rich in medical detail and written with stylish, razor-sharp action and dialogue, Lie Still is a gripping, emotional drama of human failings and devastating consequences that marks the debut of a remarkable new voice.

Do you want to live until you're ninety but always feel like you're twentyDo you want to find out about the most recent breakthroughs in nutrition, weight loss, disease prevention, cognitive enhancement, and anti-agingDo you want the very best body you've ever had -- one that will last you a lifetime?Oz Garcia's The Healthy High-Tech Body is the first comprehensive guide to the finest health supplements, procedures, products, techniques, and technology in the world today. Whether you're looking for remedies to boost your energy level, reliable sources for nutraceuticals, information on the latest European cell treatments, secrets to youthful aging, or the latest in cosmeceuticals for skin, nails, and teeth, it's all here. Renowned nutritional consultant Oz Garcia shares an unmatched array of health information and resources, along with information from some of the most famous and sought-after doctors, scientists, and health authorities in the world, including Dr. Barry Sears, Dr. Nicholas Perricone, Clinique La Prairie of Switzerland, Dr. Peter Proctor, Ann Louise Gittleman, and Dr. Pamela Peeke. Together they present the essential building blocks of health and fitness for our time. Only Oz Garcia's The Healthy High-Tech Body offers: ?A global resource guide of health products, services, and technology ?Secrets to youthful aging, from European cell shots to the use of human growth hormones ?The Paleotech Diet, a revolutionary nutritional program, including dozens of deliciously healthy recipes ?The seven steps to successful fat burning and permanent weight loss ?The secrets of maintaining sexual pleasure and potency throughout your life ?Updated information on injectables, stem cell implants, cosmeceuticals, and body scans ?Interviews with the top experts and pioneers in the fields of nutrition, fitness, life extension, cosmetic surgery, integrative medicine, and bioengineering ?CD-ROM including an interactive version of Life Extension's 945-page reference book Disease Prevention and Treatment, archives of articles from Life Extension magazine, and useful Web links You can start today, at any age, to develop a Healthy High-Tech Body by taking advantage of the newest inventions, innovations, approaches, and techniques to enhance your living experience. Armed with the information in this book, you will be able not only to prolong your life, but also to maintain and extend your youthfulness in ways you never thought possible.

The dead woman was an artist recently arrived from Washington State, cruelly cut down in the early stages of a promising career. Now all that remains of Rochelle Baxter lies on a cold slab in the Cochise County morgue, and Sheriff Joanna Brady knows that murder has once again infected her small desert community. But there is more to this homicide than initially meets the eye -- and more to the victim, who died while supposedly under the conscientious protection of the government. A big-city legal establishment has no faith in the abilities of a small-town Sheriff, let alone a female sheriff. Instructed to swallow her indignation, Joanna awaits the arrival of the "help" Washington's attorney general is sending her: the newest member of the state's Special Homicide Investigation team -- a man named Beaumont. Bisbee, Arizona, is the last place J.P. Beaumont wants to be. The ghosts of a painful past are too numerous there, and his reluctant "partner," Sheriff Brady, resents his intrusion and cannot help but make her feelings known. But the road they are forced to travel together is taking some unexpected turns, running two dedicated servants of the law headfirst into the impenetrable stone walls of a shocking conspiracy of silence. For Brady and Beaumont's hunt is disturbing a very deadly nest of rattlers, and suddenly trust is the only option they have. On their own in the Arizona desert, they know death can be cold and quick. And nobody is watching their backs here...they'll have to watch each other's.

After the death of her adoptive mother, thirty-six-year-old Chelsea Kane is consumed by the need to uncover her biological heritage. Taking a break from her successful architecture career, she arrives in the New Hampshire town where she was born, determined to learn the truth, her only clue a tarnished silver key.One of her first discoveries, however, is something quite unexpected: the irresistibly attractive Judd Street. Buoyed by love and resolution, the determined Chelsea slowly begins to uncover the dark mystery of her past. But as she inches closer to the truth, she realizes that someone is trying to stop her, first by scaring her, then by trying to harm her. The danger escalates until one terrifying night when all secrets are laid bare.With memorable characters and writing that will stir the hearts and minds of all readers, The Passions of Chelsea Kane is the kind of compelling narrative that has earned Barbara Delinsky an ever-widening readership.

To his legions of fans, Charles Bukowski was and remains the quintessential counterculture icon. A hard-drinking wild man of literature and a stubborn outsider to the poetry world, he wrote unflinchingly about booze, work, and women, in raw, street-tough poems whose truth has struck a chord with generations of readers.Edited by John Martin, the legendary publisher of Black Sparrow Press and a close friend of Bukowski's, The Pleasures of the Damned is a selection of the best works from Bukowski's long poetic career, including the last of his never-before-collected poems. Celebrating the full range of the poet's extraordinary and surprising sensibility, and his uncompromising linguistic brilliance, these poems cover a rich lifetime of experiences and speak to Bukowski's immense intelligence, the caring heart that saw through the sham of our pretenses and had pity on our human condition (New York Quarterly ). The Pleasures of the Damned is an astonishing poetic treasure trove, essential reading for both longtime fans and those just discovering this unique and legendary American voice.

The year is 1527. The great portraitist Hans Holbein, who has fled the reformation in Europe, is making his first trip to England under commission to Sir Thomas More. In the course of six years, Holbein will become a close friend to the More family and paint two nearly identical family portraits. But closer examination of the paintings reveals that the second holds several mysteries...Set against the turmoil, intrigue and, tragedy of Henry VIII's court, Portrait of an Unknown Woman vividly evokes sixteenth-century England on the verge of enormous change. As the Protestant Reformation sweeps across Europe to lap at England's shores, relations between her king and the Catholic Church begin to plummet-driven by Henry VIII's insatiable need for a male heir and the urgings of his cunning mistress Anne Boleyn-and heresy begins to take hold. As tensions rise, Henry VIII turns to his most trusted servant and defender of Catholic orthodoxy, Sir Thomas More to keep peace in England, but soon the entire More family find their own lives at risk.At the center of Portrait of an Unknown Woman is Meg Gigg's, Sir Thomas More's twenty-three year old adopted daughter. Intelligent, headstrong, and tender-hearted, Meg has been schooled in the healing arts. And though she is devoted to her family, events conspire that will cause Meg to question everything she thought she knew-including the desires of her own heart. As the danger to More and his family increases, two men will vie for Meg's affections: John Clement, her former tutor and More's protg who shares Meg's passion for medicine, but whose true identity will become unclear, and the great Holbein, who's artistic vision will forever alter her understanding of the world. With a striking sense of period detail Portrait of an Unknown Woman is an unforgettable story of sin and religion, desire and deception. It is the story of a young woman on the brink of sensual awakening and of a country on the edge of mayhem.