Does this sound like a medieval romance? A powerful noble regains a mysterious relic and intends to use it to establish his own kingdom. To do this, he must ally himself with an enemy who has his own deadly purposes for the talisman. The only ones who can stop them are a lone warrior and his lady. The warrior is not Richard the Lionhearted but Rick Olsen, a 21st Century Minnesota farmer. The lady is Caterina, a beautiful and resourceful Maltese cab driver. Their quest is to rescue Rick's brother Stef from kidnappers. To do so, they must navigate a labyrinth of lies, puzzles, and centuries-old intrigues that are as dangerous today as the hour when they were concocted. They must also defeat a living noble and his terrorist ally, as well as overcome the ghosts of a 16th Century rogue alchemist in league with Benvenuto Cellini and Suleiman the Magnificent. With seconds remaining to prevent a worldwide environmental disaster, Rick and Caterina must reach back in time to find a weapon to defeat their enemies. Will they be able to use it before the terrorist can use his?

"Raymond John's excellent mind is evident from the very first page of this standout mystery/adventure. His research is extensive, his knowledge of weaponry and military strategies is expert, and his ability to tell a story (complete with a sweet love story that slowly evolves over the narrative) is superb. Rick Olsen is a big guy with an even bigger heart. Not only is he a hero, but he is willing to risk life and limb for his younger brother. The Cellini Masterpiece is a carefully crafted page turner that is compelling and is bound to pull the reader in from the very first page. This one should be made into a movie." - Shelley Glodowski, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Ten years after the tragic theft of Benvenuto Cellini’s masterpiece, a gold and enamel saltcellar, Vienna’s Kunstkammer (Art Room) at the Kunsthistorisches Museum has reopened. Completely renovated, the gallery is once again showcasing the Habsburg dynasty’s exceptional collection of art and wonders. Here is a trove of sculptures and bronzes by such giants as Donatello and Giambologna, the world’s greatest collection of Baroque carved-ivory figures, and glorious Baroque silver goblets and vessels, as well as magically endowed natural wonders, such as ostrich eggs mounted in jewels, gold, and silver gilt. Pride of place is held by the Cellini saltcellar, which was found nearly 3 years after its disappearance in the woods 55 miles north of Vienna, as were the thieves. It had been buried underground and survived in perfect condition. With text by the museum’s director, Sabine Haag, and the curator of the Kunstkammer, Franz Kirchweger, alongside specially commissioned photography, this book celebrates a marvelous collection, at last reunited.

Today we associate the Renaissance with painting, sculpture, and architecture—the “major” arts. Yet contemporaries often held the “minor” arts—gem-studded goldwork, richly embellished armor, splendid tapestries and embroideries, music, and ephemeral multi-media spectacles—in much higher esteem. Isabella d’Este, Marchesa of Mantua, was typical of the Italian nobility: she bequeathed to her children precious stone vases mounted in gold, engraved gems, ivories, and antique bronzes and marbles; her favorite ladies-in-waiting, by contrast, received mere paintings. Renaissance patrons and observers extolled finely wrought luxury artifacts for their exquisite craftsmanship and the symbolic capital of their components; paintings and sculptures in modest materials, although discussed by some literati, were of lesser consequence. This book endeavors to return to the mainstream material long marginalized as a result of historical and ideological biases of the intervening centuries. The author analyzes how luxury arts went from being lofty markers of ascendancy and discernment in the Renaissance to being dismissed as “decorative” or “minor” arts—extravagant trinkets of the rich unworthy of the status of Art. Then, by re-examining the objects themselves and their uses in their day, she shows how sumptuous creations constructed the world and taste of Renaissance women and men.

THE STORY: A quartet of black women spanning four generations makes up this heartwarming dramatic comedy. The four, plus the white woman friend of the youngest, come together to celebrate the matriarch's ninetieth birthday. It's a wild party, one t