Houdini is no ordinary hamster. He is an escapologist with an exceptional talent for getting out of cages and urge to escape leads him to all kinds of adventures… New edition published into the First Modern Classics list, fantastic stories for young readers. He may look like a small, furry pet, but really he is a Wild Creature – a freedom-loving hamster with a life-long passion for escape and a yearning for the Great Outside, leaving chaos and destruction as he goes. He tells his hilarious adventures with great intelligence and no modesty – for the world beyond carpets and floorboards can be a terrifying place…

Based on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world. The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubador Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife of the other and once heir to the country's throne. To the north lies militaristic Gorhaut, whose inhabitants worship the militant god Corannos and are ruled by corrupt, womanizing King Ademar. His chief advisor, the high priest of Corannos, is determined to irradicate the worship of a female deity, whose followers live to the south. Into this cauldron of brewing disaster comes the mysterious Gorhaut mercenary Blaise, who takes service with Bertran and averts an attempt on his life. The revelation of Blaise's lineage and a claim for sanctuary by his sister-in-law sets the stage for a brutal clash between the two cultures. Intertwined is the tale of a young woman troubadour whose role suggests the sweep of the drama to come.

Four lives. Four defining moments which will bring them together. Owen Abingdon is haunted by nightmares of the Merfolk. He believes they have stolen his little sister who vanished while he was meant to be minding her on the beach, but he was only a child himself. Is it fair for his mother to blame him? Catherine Hoyle's perfect Christmas with her cousin from America was blighted when they went skating on thin ice and Rosalyn nearly died. Somehow, instead of being praised for raising the alarm, Catherine gets blamed. Sean Madigan grew up on a farm in Ireland. Learning to swim in the Shannon was his way of escaping the bitter poverty of his childhood, but it also incurred his father's wrath. He flees to England, but his heart belongs to the Shannon and her pulling power is evernear… Unlike the other three, Naomi Seddon didn't fear the sea. She'd been orphaned and placed in a children's home in Sheffield and cruelly abused. The sea offered her a way out and she revelled in its cruel power. The "water children" meet in London in the searing hot summer of 1976 and Naomi uses her siren's charm to lure Owen,Catherine and Sean into her tangled web of sexual charm and dangerous passion. A holiday in the Tuscan mountains with a flooded reservoir and its legend of the beautiful Teodora who drowned there brings this emotional drama to a powerful climax. Will the power of family, love and redemption finally help the water children conquer their fears and triumph over their childhood traumas?

From the multiple award-winning author of Ysabel, Tigana and A Song for Arbonne, this powerful, moving saga evokes the Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse cultures of a thousand years ago. There is nothing soft or silken about the north. The lives of men and women are as challenging as the climate and lands in which they dwell. For generations, the Erlings of Vinmark have taken their dragon-prowed ships across the seas, raiding the lands of the Cyngael and Anglcyn peoples, leaving fire and death behind. But times change, even in the north, and in a tale woven with consummate artistry, people of all three cultures find the threads of their lives unexpectedly brought together… Bern Thorkellson, punished for his father's sins, commits an act of vengeance and desperation that brings him face-to-face, across the sea, with a past he's been trying to leave behind. In the Anglcyn lands of King Aeldred, the shrewd king, battling inner demons all the while, shores up his defenses with alliances and diplomacy-and with swords and arrows-while his exceptional, unpredictable sons and daughters pursue their own desires when battle comes and darkness falls in the woods. And in the valleys and shrouded hills of the Cyngael, whose voices carry music even as they feud and raid amongst each other, violence and love become deeply interwoven when the dragon ships come and Alun ab Owyn, chasing an enemy in the night, glimpses strange lights gleaming above forest pools.

With this rich, masterfully written extravaganza of myth and magic, the internationally acclaimed author of THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY trilogy has created an epic that will forever change the boundaries of fantasy fiction. Set in a beleaguered land caught in a web of tyranny, Tigana is the deeply moving story of a people struggling to be free. A people so cursed by the dark sorceries of the tyrant King Brandin that even the very name of their once beautiful land cannot be spoken or remembered. But not everyone has forgotten. A handful of men and women, driven by love, hope and pride, set in motion the dangerous quest for freedom and bring back to the world the lost brightness of an obliterated name: Tigana.

At the beginning of the financial crisis, in September 2008, Gordon Brown called an emergency press conference in which he declared, 'we will do whatever it takes to restore stability in the financial markets'. He was to repeated the phrase ‘whatever it takes’ constantly in the following weeks. As Shadow Chancellor Brown would do whatever it took to restore Labour's economic credibility. As leader-in-waiting he would do whatever it took to acquire the crown. As Prime Minister he would do whatever it took to buttress his enfeebled regime, going as far instigating a rapprochement with Peter Mandelson, a figure he had come to despise. Determined, wilful, multi-layered in his complexity, Brown would always do whatever it took to survive. New Labour, as a political force, rootless and defensive in its origins, would similarly do whatever it took to retain support in what its founders regarded as a conservative country. Written by one of the most influential political commentators in the UK, the Independent's chief political commentator, Steve Richards, this political expose examines Gordon Brown's wildly oscillating career and the ruthless and sometimes shallow pragmatism displayed by New Labour as a whole.

From that first look to this first kiss… All Alex could see was her long, thick, gorgeous hair. Pale smooth skin. Lips that were naturally tinted pink. Eyes that were green like sea grass. He stopped himself. His best friend Reese might be dead. But in Alex’s mind, Cassandra was still very much the man’s wife. She was out of bounds. Cassandra. The forbidden woman Alex had yearned for from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. But she’d been married to his best friend. Now she was rebuilding his family’s bed-and-breakfast…and just might, in the process, be rebuilding his anguished heart.

“Have you met Madeline Maguire?” Sure have, Spike thought. I saw her last night in my dreams. As far as sexy bad boy Spike Moriarty was concerned, Madeline Maguire defined female perfection. When they’d met, she’d walked up and asked to see his tattoos as if she wasn’t the most gorgeous thing on the planet. He – a tough guy who’d make grown men run – had just about passed out. Their connection was definitely two-way…it had to be. But could he ever be the man in a million she was looking for? Surely not with the things he’d done and seen. Still, for as long as she’d let him, he’d give her whatever she wanted, whatever she needed…

Stony Man Fighting battles few even know exist, the covert officers of Stony Man Farm are the most elite soldiers and cyber techs in the world. The team knows that if they don't succeed, innocent victims will die. Rebel Deception A civil war in the Middle East is the perfect breeding ground for Al-Qaeda's brand of terror. Taking advantage of the chaos to fuel violence between rebel fighters and government forces, Al-Qaeda's ultimate goal is to dominate the war-torn country–no matter how many civilians they kill in the process. On the President's orders, Phoenix Force drops in to stop the attacks before more blood is shed. Able Team remains stateside to ferret out a rebel mole who has stolen nuclear weapons from an American facility and plans to smuggle them into the Middle East. With the lines between right and wrong beginning to blur, Stony Man is sure of one thing: their only cause is the millions of lives at stake.

May the Best Man Win…the Maid of Honor? Lassiter Media millionaire Matt Hollis never let a woman stand between him and his career. But now Matt's best friend is marrying the Lassiter heiress–and her insufferable maid of honor has stolen Matt's heart. Kayla Prince is way more than this skilled negotiator bargained for. But Kayla's conflicted. The man left her in the lurch for his L.A. gig; now he wants her back? Fool her once, shame on Matt, fool her twice…well, actually, this second chance feels like the real thing. But a fateful night is about to put that feeling to the ultimate test…. Beauty and the Best Man is a DYNASTIES: THE LASSITERS prequel novella. The story continues in The Black Sheep's Inheritance by USA TODAY bestselling author Maureen Child, only from Harlequin Desire!

Unexpected Love After losing her high-powered job, Olivia Scott finds herself back home in Colorado. She never imagined she'd be taking care of kids, let alone being the nanny to longtime crush Dr. Connor Mitchell's adorable twin girls. But what began as a favor to the handsome widower is growing into something more. Connor's confused by his growing feelings for his best friend's little sister. She's become a beautiful woman with a caring soul, but he can't risk his–or his girls'–heart. Olivia's planning to head back to her city life. Unless this small-town doctor can convince her to stay…forever. Village Green: Offering love, faith and a place to call home in Colorado

It is written that three Sisters of Fate have the power to change the world’s destiny. But only if they survive…. The Lockwood triplets have had the prophecy drummed into their heads since birth. Still, Raven, the eldest of the sisters, can’t believe it’s really happening. She’s the reincarnation of a Norse goddess? One of the sisters is destined to die? When it starts snowing in summer in Florida, the sisters fear the worst has come to pass. Ragnarok, the Norse end of the world, has begun. Raven finds herself the secret protector of Vanir, a boy with two wolves, a knowledge of Norse magic, and a sense of destiny he can’t quite explain. He’s intense, sexy, and equally determined to save her when it becomes clear someone is endangering them. Raven doesn’t know if getting closer to him will make a difference in the coming battle, but her heart isn't giving her a choice. Ahead of the sisters is the possibility of death at the hand of a warrior, death by snow, death by water, or death by fire… Or even from something else… Sisters of Fate: The prophecy doesn't lie: One is doomed to die.

Return to Silver Creek with the scorching story of a Texas lawman who'll risk everything to save his ex-love–and his unborn child… FBI agent turned Texas deputy Josh Ryland is stunned to find pregnant hostages on a routine check for suspicious activity at a remote ranch. Even more shocking is the identity of one of the captives. Five months ago, Josh and FBI special agent Jaycee Finney shared a weekend of passion that ended badly. Now she's in danger–and claims he's her baby's father. Jaycee owes Josh the truth. After her unwitting reckless behavior almost got him killed, the cowboy cop has good reason not to trust her. But with the ruthless mastermind of a black market baby ring gunning for her, it's Jaycee who has to trust Josh with her life…and the life of their child.

TEXAS BLAST 'EM After the murder of a Texas Ranger, Mack Bolan is called in to investigate. Working under the radar with the dead Ranger's sister, he quickly learns rumors of missing fissile material falling into the wrong hands are true–and the terrorists plotting to use the dirty bomb are die-hard Americans determined to remove Texas from the Union, no matter what the cost. Following a trail of cold bodies, Bolan finds himself always one step behind the oil tycoon funding the deadly plot and his New Texas Republic army. But as the countdown to D-day begins and millions of Texans are oblivious to the target on their backs, time is running out. The only option is to take the bait of the superpatriots and shut them down from the inside. You don't mess with Texas. Unless you're the Executioner.

UNDER SUSPICION For FBI agent Sam Steele, there's no room for error or emotions on his latest undercover assignment. Getting close to gallery owner Jennifer Robbins while on an Alaskan cruise is the only way to catch her dealing stolen art. Out on the icy seas, Jen suddenly goes from suspect to victim when she's targeted by a deadly enemy. And Sam's mission goes from investigating an art crime to protecting the woman who's begun to melt his heart. As danger looms closer, he'll do anything to save her life–even if it costs him his own.

A killer stalks the city streets, and one FBI agent is determined to bring him down in Janie Crouch's Primal Instinct. On the crowded streets of San Francisco, a serial killer watches and waits. Known only as "Simon Says," he lures his next victim while the FBI grasps for answers. Desperate, they turn to Adrienne Jeffries. Adrienne has an uncanny talent for getting inside the city's most dangerous minds. But first she'll have to get past FBI agent Conner Perigo. Skeptical of Adrienne's abilities, Conner begrudgingly enlists her help…unprepared for the powerful attraction that could jeopardize their focus. With little time, and everything to lose, they must work to find Simon's next victim—before he does.

American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling–as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control. When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life–blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help–Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend. American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling–as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control. When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life–blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help–Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend. American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling–as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control. When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life–blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help–Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend.

At the heart of every crime, there's a family… My son is a murderer…. So begins this chilling and emotionally charged mystery from highly acclaimed author Barbara Taylor Sissel. Emily Lebay had always thought of her family as ordinary. Sure, they've endured their share of problems, even a time of great trouble–what family hasn't? But when a woman's body turns up in the dense woods near their home, and Emily's grown son, Tucker, is accused of murder, Emily is forced to confront the unfathomable, and everything she believed about her life is called into question. This isn't the first time Tucker has been targeted by the police; a year ago he was a person of interest when another woman was found dead in the same stretch of woods. Still, neither Emily nor her daughter, Lissa, can reconcile their Tucker with these brutal crimes. Terrified, convinced there's been a tragic mistake, Emily and Lissa set out to learn the truth about Tucker, once and for all. And while his life hangs in the balance, what they discover proves far more shocking than their darkest fears…. "A gut-wrenching mystery…enjoyable and insightful." –RT Book Reviews on Evidence of Life

"Skinny-Size It is full of nutritious, delicious recipes that my whole family enjoys! Molly adds in great skimps, swaps and skips to keep the calories down and the flavor up. I am a big fan of Molly's recipes—eating healthy does taste good!" —Chris Freytag, national fitness expert and contributing editor for Prevention magazine Tired of giving up the meals you love because you’re trying to lose weight? Stop depriving yourself and start skinny-sizing! Dietician and nutritionist Molly Morgan shares 101 recipes that give your high-calorie faves—think pancakes, muffins and lasagna—a skinny makeover. The only things you’ll be missing are those extra pounds. Traditional breakfast burritos have 600 calories and 35 grams of fat. Skinny-Sized burritos have 300 calories and only 9 grams of fat! Traditional blueberry muffins have 380 calories and 19 grams of fat Skinny-Sized blueberry muffins have 130 calories and 2 grams of fat! Traditional lasagna has 870 calories and 47 grams of fat. Skinny-Sized lasagna has 260 calories and 7 grams of fat! Molly Morgan, RD, CDN, CSSD counsels individual and corporate clients on good nutrition through her company, Creative Nutrition Solutions. She has been featured on CNN and in national magazines like Fitness, Shape, Women’s Health and many more. She is the author of The Skinny Rules and created the nutrition plan for The Cosmo Bikini Diet (Hearst Editions). Visit her at www.mollymorganrd.com.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods brings readers two classic tales of the Devaneys…brothers torn apart in childhood, reunited by love Ryan's Place Abandoned by his parents and separated from his brothers, Ryan Devaney doesn't believe in love. Until Maggie O'Brien storms into his Irish pub and her bright smile and tender touch have him reconsidering. The beautiful redhead warms his frozen spirit and awakens forgotten dreams–like the desire to search for his long-lost brothers. Will he dare to believe there's a place for them in happily-ever-after? Sean's Reckoning Son of a shattered family, fireman Sean Devaney knows love never lasts, so he refuses to chance it. Then he meets single mom Deanna Blackwell, who has just lost everything in a devastating fire. Despite the warning in Sean's head, he's drawn to protect the stunning woman and her son. Sean may be tough enough to storm burning buildings…but is he brave enough to risk building a family of his own? www.SherrylWoods.com

A Marriage of Necessity The moment John, Lord Hascot, encounters a young woman sheltering in his abandoned stable, his future is sealed. To prevent scandal–and protect Lady Amelia Jacoby from her parents' ire–he must propose. John's ability to trust vanished when his former love married his twin brother. Yet he offers Amelia everything she could want–except affection. Amelia sees John's true nature shine through when he cares for his horses. But the brooding aristocrat seems determined to keep her at arm's length. Little by little Amelia will turn Hollyoak Farm into a home, but can she turn a marriage of convenience into a joyful union? The Master Matchmakers: Wedding bells will ring when downstairs servants play Cupid for upstairs aristocracy