Sex with multiple females, the abuse of drugs from marijuana to mushrooms, and ecstasy to tobacco, and cocaine to alcohol, and prescription pills to paradise was probably the reason why our relationship was facing pure pandemonium. We rode the surf; this getaway took its toll. I knew, in retrospect, this would happen the moment we planned the trip (except we didn't remember planning it), but I didn't think drugs and alcohol would spoil a good buzz this quickly. Grabbing the phone from my hands with a smile, Mr. Edwards-the blame for half of my mistakes-said, "Its over," and fell on the floor after he unplugged the phone from its outlet. Paradise Island, Bahamas, January 2005: Joseph James and Jeffrey Edwards are two men who push life to the edge. But they're on the verge of going overboard. Traveling to Paradise Island from Detroit, Michigan, the two cousins disrespect and destroy the tourist haven in an attempt to break the paradox between total control and reckless abandon. From mixing with happy families, high-stakes gambling, and nightlife with upper society to sharing a pint of rum with a homeless local and sleeping with random women, the pair's contribution to the Bahamas is nothing more than an abuse of free will and destiny.

In 1967 the Peace Corps sent P. F. Kluge to paradise - or so the American possessions in Micronesia seemed. His assignment was as noble as it was adventurous: to help the people of those half-forgotten Pacific islands move from old to new, so that paradise would have prosperity and freedom as well as physical beauty. He immersed himself in the lives of the diverse peoples of the islands. He composed speeches for their leaders. He wrote a stirring manifesto that became the Preamble to the Constitution of Micronesia. He began a friendship with a man who would one day be president of Palau. And then, a generation later, P. F. Kluge went back. . . . The result is a book the New Yorker called "remarkably effective," the Economist deemed "terrific"; a book Smithsonian Magazine found to be "written from the heart." The Edge of Paradise shows the impact and ironies of America's presence in an undeveloped part of the world, how perhaps there's no way "a big place can touch a little one without harming it."

If the world is flat, as Thomas Friedman says, then aren't some people going to be falling off the edge? Award-winning Time Magazine correspondent Alex Perry (China, India, and Africa) takes us on an unforgettable journey to some of the planet's most remote and dangerous places to explore the sharp end of globalization. Combining sharp analysis with breathtaking frontline reporting, Perry's quest takes readers from Maoist rebels in Nepal to Indian suicide bombers and Indonesian pirates. We meet Chinese organ harvesters, Bombay billionaires, killer cops and pygmy Africans living on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. And in a riveting introduction, Perry presents us with some of the finest war reporting ever to come out of the war on terror. The result of this extraordinary journey is as unexpected as it is dramatic. In his quest to uncover the edges of globalization, Perry ends up discovering its dark heart.

What would tempt a young woman to run off to a country she knew almost nothing about? I was that young woman. Fleeing a bitter divorce and my safe, but mundane, life I accepted a job in Saudi Arabia, a country that by all reports was the most austere on earth. I ran headlong into an unexpected adventure that would change my life forever. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - mysterious, beautiful and dangerous. A land of stunning desert landscapes where modern ways co-exist uneasily with ancient traditions. An enigma of a place where the state executioner is revered, where beautiful women shroud themselves in black, and ferocious desert sandstorms turn high noon into darkest night. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with the Middle East and its people, their proud history, and their gracious hospitality. This is my story.

Pioneer or Heretic? The world's future hangs in the balance. An incredible pulp steampunk adventure. Captain Reinvo is ordered to test a prototype iron-side steamship on its first voyage. The simple cargo run turns deadly when a storm drives the ship so far off-course the crew is sure they're going to fall off the edge of the world. Reinvo fights to save his crew, only to discover a place that shouldn't exist and which may yet get them killed as heretics. If you like steampunk with elements of fantasy, speculative science-fiction, and thrilling tales, then you’ll love the fantastic serial adventures of the Endless Horizons Sagas, written in true homage to the pulp science-fiction classics.

Jeanette and Maria Vandermeer were born fraternal twins. Even though they have the same birthday, they dont have anything else in common. They are night and day different, inside and outmost notably in that Jeanette is always happy, while Maria never seems to be. Growing up together, they learned many of the same lessons; even so, the way they look at the world is very different. As an adult, Maria is kicked out of the family home for unruly behavior, and Jeanette moves away to marry her boyfriend. Despite their differences, they both find themselves settling for less than theyre worthin life and in love. Cheerful Jeanette finds that her sunny disposition is not enough to keep her marriage together, while Maria wanders in her own self-doubt and despair. But where theres life, theres hope. Jeanette is given a second chance to find true love, while Maria makes the acquaintance of Leon Lanix, who offered her hope for her future. Despite challenges, the sisters do find ways to make life work. Different by birth, they do have something in common: Jeanette and Maria both know that no matter what happens, its how we react that makes us who we really are. Sisters, one happy, one sad, each seeks her own place in paradise; they may be surprised where they find it.

Amateur sleuth Harriet Monroe’s new job as PR director for the exclusive Island Resort is a dream come true. Except for the dead bodies that keep turning up. Working in public relations means Harriet needs to experience everything the resort has to offer. She takes her closest friend with her to check out the resort’s amazing spa–only to have a woman collapse and die at their feet before they even make it past the reception area. According to the granddaughter, the dead woman had no known enemies. So who wanted her dead? Harriet needs to help the island’s security director find the answer before word of the murder gets picked up by the ever-hungry news media. News of another murder would destroy the newly opened resort’s reputation. When a wealthy woman dies unexpectedly the cops always look at who will benefit. The dependent granddaughter? The granddaughter’s struggling boyfriend? Another guest? The more answers they find, the more questions they have–until nothing makes any sense. Who killed Alice Haggedorn and why? A cozy mystery series set on a tropical isle with female amateur sleuth Harriet Monroe.

Escape from Paradise is a blend of action and suspense ignited by a clash of values that erupts in a battle between two psychologists in Hawaii. Dr. Carter, a psychologist, so strives to transform Oahu into a community of love and equality that, to conceal illegal methods, he resorts to terror and murder. Patients seeking protection from Carter rouse psychologist Dr. Steadman to oppose him. While Steadman seeks to expose Carter and protect his patients, Carter tries to kill Steadman. After skirmishes on streets, beaches, under water, and in jungles, action culminates at a meeting to honor Carter. "Walter Wild's new novel takes us into a world we seldom see, and he delivers a fast paced thriller with perilous escapes, daring rescues, and a dramatic foot race across the mountains of Oahu. It's a thriller driven by ideas, and those are the best kind, because when you turn the last page, you still have something to think about. I strongly suggest you read it. William Martin New York Times best selling author of the Back Bay and The Lost Constitution.

California Gothic explores the California dream and its dark inversion as a nightmare, as illustrated in fiction, poetry, and film. California began as a literary invention, a magic island, in a Spanish romance before conquistadors first visited the land. From early days to the present, the California dream of happiness in a land of new beginnings has been maintained by suppression of disturbing realities: above all, the destruction of native peoples; and by events and facts such as the tragedy of the Donner Party, the persistence of poverty and crime in the golden land, disturbing crimes such as the Black Dahlia; and pandemics and ecological disaster. This book explores a rich Gothic tradition that exposes the repressed past and imagines the fates awaiting a failed California.

Now that Cheyenne's murderer has been revealed and Reed knows the truth about who's been stalking her, she's ready for a break. What better way to relax than on a five-star Caribbean vacation with the Billings Girls? At first the trip is heaven on Earth: beach parties, forty-foot yachts, shopping trips to exclusive boutiques . . . But even in sunny paradise, the Girls are never far from trouble - and they're about to get burned.