Former soldier and diamond dynasty heir Tyr Skavanga has finally returned to the cold north. Haunted by the terrors of war, he's cut himself off and hardened his heart. But now one person has managed to defy his defenses, and she's the last person he expected. The exotically beautiful, innocent Princess Jasmina of Kareshi is strictly off-limits. Like Tyr, she has a reputation to protect, but denying their electrifying connection could prove to be the toughest challenge they have ever faced.

"Emilio Andreoni's goal is perfection. A corporate king and Italy's most eligible bachelor, he craves only one more thing to complete his phenomenally successful life-the perfect woman! Once he thought that woman was shy Gisele Carter, until her scandalous goings-on became headline news and he called off their seemingly perfect engagement. But now Emilio is faced with proof of Gisele's innocence. He's determined to win back the only woman who ever truly satisfied him, but first he must persuade Gisele she's worthy of wearing his diamonds again."--P. [4] of cover.

“Unforgettable. . . . An outstanding adventure in its lyrical, utterly compelling, and heartbreaking investigations of the world of diamond smuggling.” —Aimee Nezhukumatathil For nearly eighty years, a huge portion of coastal South Africa was closed off to the public. With many of its pits now deemed “overmined” and abandoned, American journalist Matthew Gavin Frank sets out across the infamous Diamond Coast to investigate an illicit trade that supplies a global market. Immediately, he became intrigued by the ingenious methods used in facilitating smuggling particularly, the illegal act of sneaking carrier pigeons onto mine property, affixing diamonds to their feet, and sending them into the air. Entering Die Sperrgebiet (“The Forbidden Zone”) is like entering an eerie ghost town, but Frank is surprised by the number of people willing—even eager—to talk with him. Soon he meets Msizi, a young diamond digger, and his pigeon, Bartholomew, who helps him steal diamonds. It’s a deadly game: pigeons are shot on sight by mine security, and Msizi knows of smugglers who have disappeared because of their crimes. For this, Msizi blames “Mr. Lester,” an evil tall-tale figure of mythic proportions. From the mining towns of Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth, through the “halfway” desert, to Kleinzee’s shores littered with shipwrecks, Frank investigates a long overlooked story. Weaving interviews with local diamond miners who raise pigeons in secret with harrowing anecdotes from former heads of security, environmental managers, and vigilante pigeon hunters, Frank reveals how these feathered bandits became outlaws in every mining town. Interwoven throughout this obsessive quest are epic legends in which pigeons and diamonds intersect, such as that of Krishna’s famed diamond Koh-i-Noor, the Mountain of Light, and that of the Cherokee serpent Uktena. In these strange connections, where truth forever tangles with the lore of centuries past, Frank is able to contextualize the personal grief that sent him, with his wife Louisa in the passenger seat, on this enlightening journey across parched lands. Blending elements of reportage, memoir, and incantation, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers is a rare and remarkable portrait of exploitation and greed in one of the most dangerous areas of coastal South Africa. With his sovereign prose and insatiable curiosity, Matthew Gavin Frank “reminds us that the world is a place of wonder if only we look” (Toby Muse).

What happens when enemies discover a passion for each other? Princess Aviera is captivated by someone she should avoid with every fiber of her being. Instead, she’s lured closer and closer, charmed by his humor, intoxicated by his kisses and… astonished to find him walking into her home! Sheik Lugar al Asan of Shadir is stunned to realize that the stunning woman with the laughing eyes is none other than his sister’s enemy! And the one woman who could tame the beast inside of him. Could she look beyond the ravages of his past and see the man? Forbidden Lover is the long awaited story of Avi and Lugar – as well as George the Giraffe and Otis the donkey.

The harrowing account of the pioneering descent of Tibets Tsangpo River one of modern explorations greatest challenges which ended in tragedy with the death of Olympic Paddler Doug Gordon. A COMPELLING AND DRAMATIC EXPEDITION ACCOUNT set in one of the worlds most beautiful and remote regions. The Tsangpo is one of the last great uncharted rivers in the world. It's the Everest of whitewater, except unlike Everest, it's never been done. -- Arlene Burns, the Washington Post ROMANCE OF THE WORLD'S FORBIDDEN AND SECRET PLACES: Mysterious and sacred, Tibet has fascinated explorers for more than a century. The stretch of the Tsangpo attempted by Walker and his team is the source of the legend of Shangri-la, and the model for James Hiltons novel, Lost Horizons. CONTROVERSY OVER THE 'DISCOVERY' OF TSANGPO'S HIDDEN FALLS: In 1924 British explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward observed what he believed to be the highest waterfall on the Tsangpo, a waterfall to rival Niagra. His observations led to a race to document these falls, which has attracted generations of explorers.FILM TIE-IN: The Walker expedition is the subject of a National Geographic Explorer special that will re-air at the time of publication. In 1926 botanist F. Kingdon Ward described one of modern explorationIs greatest challengesUtracking the course of the Tsangpo River of Tibet. In a mysterious region called Pemako, the Land of Flowers, the mighty Tsangpo loops around the eastern anchor of the Himalayan Range, cutting the deepest canyon on earth and emerging more than nine thousand feet lower on the plains of Assam, India, renamed the Brahmaputra. He and others added pieces to the puzzle he called Ithe riddle of the Tsangpo gorges, O but no one has yet followed the river throughout its course. For almost four decades on several continents, a small group of American companionsUWick Walker, Tom and Jamie McEwan, and Doug Gordon were privileged to participate in the emergence of a new and thrilling sport, whitewater racing. Moving from World Cup and Olympic levels to expeditions around the globe, Wick Walker and his companions were drawn to an area of Tibet where the highest and deepest of the EarthIs recesses come together.Perhaps no place in the world is more dramatic (or less known and explored) than the magnificent series of gorges that lie in far southeastern Tibet. In late September 1998, after years of planning, including a month-long reconnaissance into the gorge in 1997, and garnering support from the National Geographic Society, Malden Mills Industries, and a host of other sponsors, the expedition finally launched into the treacherous gorges for a first descent. Four whitewater paddlers, perhaps the best possible team in the world, would descend the Tsangpo, supported and resupplied at intervals by a team of four trekkers accompanied by two sherpas, local guides and porters, and a videographer from National Geographic. The descent, which began with difficultiesUa huge river swollen by a season of Ififty-year floodsO ended in tragedy with the death of renowned chemist and Olympian, Doug Gordon, who perished on October 16th while running a small put powerful waterfall. Although his teammates searched for his body for four days, his remains were never found, vanishing into the treacherous waters. The expedition was immediately abandoned.Courting the Diamond Sow is a compelling expedition account shaped by the first-hand diary accounts of the kayackers as they passed through the gorges; the history of this mysterious corner of the world some refer to as Shangri La and the attempts to explore it; and a cultural profile of this remote Tibetan region.

The only woman he can’t have... is the only woman he wants! Former soldier and diamond dynasty heir Tyr Skavanga has finally returned to the cold north. Haunted by the terrors of war, he’s cut himself off and hardened his heart. But now one person has managed to defy his defences, and she’s the last person he expects...

Inspired by true events, this best-selling Israeli novel traces a complex web of love triangles, homoerotic tensions, and family secrets across generations and borders, illuminating diverse facets of life in the Middle East. The uneventful life of a jeweler from Tel Aviv changes abruptly in 2011 after Fareed, a handsome young man from Damascus, crosses illegally into Israel and makes his way to the ancient port city of Jaffa in search of his roots. In his pocket is a piece of a famous blue diamond known as "Sabakh." Intending to return the diamond to its rightful owner, Fareed is soon swept up in Tel Aviv's vibrant gay scene, and a turbulent protest movement. He falls in love with both an Israeli soldier and his boyfriend--the narrator of this book--and reveals the story of his family's past: a tale of forbidden love beginning in the 1930s that connects Fareed and the jeweler. Following Sabakh's winding path, The Diamond Setter ties present-day events to a forgotten time before the establishment of the State of Israel divided the region. Moshe Sakal's poignant mosaic of characters, locales, and cultures encourages us to see the Middle East beyond its violent conflicts.

HIS FORBIDDEN DIAMOND The only woman he can't have... is the only woman he wants! Ex-soldier and diamond dynasty heir Tyr Skavanga returns to the north haunted by the terrors of war. But has one person finally managed to defy his impenetrable defences? Innocent Princess Jasmina of Kareshi is strictly off-limits. Like Tyr, she has a reputation to protect - but denying their electrifying connection could be the toughest challenge they've ever faced... THE ARGENTINIAN'S DEMAND What the most powerful man in business wants... He gets! When billionaire Leandro Perez's indispensable assistant Emily Edison resigns, telling him exactly what she thinks of him, he won't let her off easily. Trapped in paradise at Leandro's beck and call, Emily's plan to marry for her family's security is threatened. And as attraction gives way to an undeniable craving she'll have to make the ultimate choice - duty... or desire?

Breathless in a Bedouin tent With the future of the Skavanga diamond mine in jeopardy, heiress Britt Skavanga needs an injection of cash—fast. She finds it in the mysterious Arabian investor known only as Emir…. Britt travels to the desert kingdom of Kareshi to confront her arrogant benefactor. If diamonds are in Britt's blood, then the scorching desert sand runs through Sheikh Sharif al Kareshi's. He's determined to show arctic beauty Britt how things are really done in Kareshi, including how hot nights in the desert can be….

Harlequin® Presents brings you a collection of four new titles! This Presents box set includes: SICILIAN'S BABY OF SHAME Billionaires & One-Night Heirs by Carol Marinelli When chambermaid Sophie encounters Bastiano Conti, his raw sexuality tempts her untouched body! Bastiano's conscience flickers when he discovers that after that unforgettable indiscretion, Sophie was left destitute and pregnant. He must claim his child…by seducing Sophie into wearing his ring! SALAZAR'S ONE-NIGHT HEIR The Secret Billionaires by Jennifer Hayward Alejandro Salazar takes the opportunity to expose the Hargrove family—by working in their stables! Alejandro mustn't be distracted by Hargrove heiress Cecily's innocent passion. But when their bliss results in pregnancy Alejandro will restore his family's honor…with a diamond ring! THE SECRET KEPT FROM THE GREEK Secret Heirs of Billionaires by Susan Stephens Damon Gavros and Lizzie Montgomery's searing desire sweeps her back to their exquisite night eleven years ago! But Lizzie's hiding something, and Damon's determination to discover it is relentless. Until he finds out Lizzie's secret is his daughter! CLAIMING HIS CONVENIENT FIANCÉE by Natalie Anderson When Catriona breaks into her old family mansion to retrieve an heirloom, she doesn't expect to get caught by Alejandro Martinez! Kitty's recklessness ignites Alejandro's animal urges. So when Kitty is mistaken for his fiancée he'll take full advantage—and unleash their hunger! Be sure to collect Harlequin® Presents' July 2017 Box Set 1 of 2!