From the author of "The Master of the Blacktower", this is the story of a young orphan girl who possesses the gift of second sight. Fate brings her to the home of a wealthy duchess, where the ghostly presence of her own father calls to her from beyond.

Ki and Vandien should've known the money was too good just to transport a human boy to Villena! It smelled like trouble. And it was. Not to mention a few other problems they never imagined - like a lovesick stowaway, an army of rebels and road bandits and a magical detour with death itself.

"'Til Death or Dementia is a love story above all else, a wonderful account of the relationship that Marilyn Reynolds celebrated with her husband, Mike. It is beautiful to read and an example of what I hope for all my patients' families—a deep reflection on memories representing all that was wonderful before the diagnosis of dementia. These memories can bring joy amid the struggle with the realities of the disease. In a most courageous way, Marilyn shares her feelings, doubts, fears and regrets as she recalls Mike's personality and cognitive changes, both before and after his dementia diagnosis. Her words convey the emotional roller coaster in a way that the reader can feel every turn, loop, climb and free fall. Her remarkable ability to share serves as a road map for all those who care for someone with dementia, as I have witnessed among hundreds of families. I would hope that everyone would read this story, not just those who find themselves caring for...

From Publishers Weekly In his brief career, Charles Beaumont (1929-1967) turned out several score of stories in a variety of moods, styles and genres. Most of the 30 selections collected herefive never before publishedare introduced by one or another of Beaumont's friends and colleagues, including Ray Bradbury (Beaumont's writing teacher, whose influence is easily detected), Richard Matheson (who, like Beaumont, scripted many Twilight Zone episodes), Ray Russell, Harlan Ellison, Robert Bloch and filmmaker Roger Corman. The stories are varied and wonderful; "Miss Gentilbelle," a woman who thinks men are beasts, is raising her son as a girl; "The Vanishing American" features a man who is saved from his meaningless life by an act of whimsy; "Free Dirt" is a cautionary little chiller about uncontrolled greed; and "Black Country" is an evocative, weird tale of life in the jazz world. Editor Anker has contributed an excellent biographical introduction. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review Tragically short-lived, unjustly forgotten, yet remarkably talented, the literary voice of Charles Beaumont resonates from beyond the grave in this collection. In the 1950s and early 1960s, Beaumont's bewitching work appeared in Playboy, Esquire, Collier's, and The Saturday Evening Post, among others, and he earned a reputation as a raconteur par excellence. He died prematurely in 1967 at the age of thirty-eight, a victim of Alzheimer's Disease, and his name faded into relative obscurity. in this long overdue tribute, editor Anker has gathered thirty Beaumont tales, including five previously unpublished. When Beaumont is at his best, as he is here, it's hard to imagine the stories being written any better. Take, for example "Miss Gentilbelle," an unsettling tale of a small boy whose mother's intense hatred of men drives her to dress and treat her son as a girl; "The Devil, You Say," a tongue-in-cheek relating of Satan getting his hooves wet in the newspaper business; "Free Dirt," in which the penny-pinching protagonist's greed leads him eagerly to cart off the soil of the title, but eventually gets him in over his head; "Me Howling Man," another tale involving the devil, this time detailing his release from a monastic prison by an unwitting accomplice and the havoc that eventually ensues; 'The Crooked Man," a thought-provoking futuristic tale of test-tube breeding gone awry and the resultant conversion to "heterophobia"; "Night Ride," a musing on the capacity of sadness to infuse musicians' work, and of the fine line between happiness and total despair that the player must walk in order to maintain that inspired level of performance. As Harlan Ellison states in his introduction to "The Howling Man," "No one-not critics or savants of semiotics or even readers of the most sensitive sort-can know how good Chuck Beaumont was at putting words on paper.... Chuck Beaumont was truly one in a million." That's not just hype, that's the truth. Charles Beaumont: Selected Stories comes very highly recommended. -- From Independent Publisher

"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever known...and I will be Queen of England." Thus, bestselling author Philippa Gregory introduces one of her most unforgettable heroines: Katherine of Aragon. Known to history as the Queen who was pushed off her throne by Anne Boleyn, here is a Katherine the world has forgotten: the enchanting princess that all England loved. First married to Henry VIII's older brother, Arthur, Katherine's passion turns their arranged marriage into a love match; but when Arthur dies, the merciless English court and her ambitious parents -- the crusading King and Queen of Spain -- have to find a new role for the widow. Ultimately, it is Katherine herself who takes control of her own life by telling the most audacious lie in English history, leading her to the very pinnacle of power in England. Set in the rich beauty of Moorish Spain and the glamour of the Tudor court, The Constant Princess presents a woman whose constancy helps her endure betrayal, poverty, and despair, until the inevitable moment when she steps into the role she has prepared for all her life: Henry VIII's Queen, Regent, and commander of the English army in their greatest victory against Scotland. From Publishers Weekly As youngest daughter to the Spanish monarchs and crusaders King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Catalina, princess of Wales and of Spain, was promised to the English Prince Arthur when she was three. She leaves Spain at 15 to fulfill her destiny as queen of England, where she finds true love with Arthur (after some initial sourness) as they plot the future of their kingdom together. Arthur dies young, however, leaving Catalina a widow and ineligible for the throne. Before his death, he extracts a promise from his wife to marry his younger brother Henry in order to become queen anyway, have children and rule as they had planned, a situation that can only be if Catalina denies that Arthur was ever her lover. Gregory's latest (after Earthly Joys) compellingly dramatizes how Catalina uses her faith, her cunning and her utter belief in destiny to reclaim her rightful title. By alternating tight third-person narration with Catalina's unguarded thoughts and gripping dialogue, the author presents a thorough, sympathetic portrait of her heroine and her transformation into Queen Katherine. Gregory's skill for creating suspense pulls the reader along despite the historical novel's foregone conclusion.

Bound By ContractOscar-winning film director Gideon Byrne has found the perfect unknown actress to star in his next film: beautiful, talented Madison McGuire...Madison is bound by contract to work and live! with the director for the next eight months! How will she keep her true identity a secret? She knows Gideon will sack her if he finds out, but she's also irresistibly attracted to him ever since their first steamy kiss...To Mend A MarriageGemini's marriage of convenience to Nick Drummond had gone terribly wrong the moment she'd fallen in love with her husband. She desired Nick so much but as theirs was a marriage in name only, she could only look, not touch. However, when Gemini found herself looking after her tiny baby niece dumped on her by her irresponsible twin sister a way to mend her marriage became clear

In the last winter of WWII a failed German actor, Max Kaspar, is forced to join an absurdly desperate secret mission in which he must impersonate an enemy American officer. So Max cooks up his own fanatical plan — he'll use his false identity to escape tyranny and war and flee to the America he'd once abandoned.The Losing Role is based on an actual false flag operation during 1944's Battle of the Bulge that's been made infamous in legend but in reality was a doomed farce. In all the tragic details and with some dark humor, this is the story of an aspiring talent who got in over his head and tried to break free."The book's pacing and dialogue are sharply turned ... Anderson skillfully portrays transformation in all of his characters." —Historical Novel Society"A touching yet painful story ... [Max] is human in the face of hardship and choses to continue living, but on his own terms." —Awesome Indies"A terrific book that deserves a wide audience. It is exciting and funny and keeps...

When Joe Boyle delivered the message to Renzo, one of the toughest crime lords in the city, he didn't expect to be beaten to within an inch of his life. But the message was from Vetter, one the most dangerous underworld figures. No one had ever seen Vetter, but all the crime lords knew his reputation―whatever city he came to, he took over to his advantage leaving a pile of corpses in his wake. Joe is going to be lucky to stay alive when they realize that he maybe the only chance the city's underground has of striking Vetter first. Joe's only chance may lie in the arms of the beautiful lounge singer Helen Troy.