A young Khmer woman turns to black magic that promised to give the caster wealth, power, and beauty unlike that of any other human. When the spell turns on its caster, she must learn to deal with the consequences of magic, and what it means to be an Ahp.

Presents a collection of short stories set in Texas and New Mexico, including "The Scorpion Eater," "Spaceship," "The Apparition," and "The Garden of Padre Anselmo."

Some men can never outrun their ghosts. Enchei thought he'd found a home at last - a life of quiet obscurity far removed from the horror of his military days. After a decade in the Imperial City his mistakes have been few, but one has now returned to haunt him. As Narin's pregnant lover comes to term, life has never been so perilous. There couldn't be a worse time for a nightmare to be unleashed on the Imperial City, but luck's rarely been on Narin's side. Once, Enchei swore he'd take his own life rather than let his past catch up with him, but now it's not just his own in the balance. Demons, rogue mages and vengeful noblemen haunt the city - and a man's ghosts are always watching and waiting...

Many of the details in this book you may have read elsewhere. On the other hand, many more are untold stories. If it were not for Francis Stacey, Eric Stacey's widow, this book would not have been written. For it was Fran who wanted, encouraged, and supported the story about a special man in a magical time. Eric Stacey from Ramsgate (Kent) England, an assistant director, who was often relegated to the sidelines as a traffic cop, and his ultimate work seen in Gone With The Wind. As its producer, David O. Selznick wrote (December 5, 1942) in part, "...[Stacey's] activities were those connected with Gone With The Wind, a picture making extraordinary demands on [his] position." In retrospect, there seems to be a certain element of fantasy, paranoia, artifice and illusion in these recollections. Except for the apparitions that haunted the cast and crew of the film to the end of their lives. Native New Yorker Gene Arceri began his career with various theatre enterprises at the Lincoln Center and elsewhere. He now resides in San Francisco, where he is a multi-media personality. Arceri's books on Elizabeth Taylor, Susan Hayward, Betty Hutton and "Charlie of Nob Hill" have been well-received worldwide, as has his column for the past ten years for Jo Lee Magazine on the internet.