This collection of short stories explores connections between extremes of heat and cold. Sometimes this is spatial or geographical; sometimes it is metaphorical. Sometimes it involves juxtapositions of time; sometimes heat appears where only ice is expected. In the stories, a woman is caught between traditional Fijian ways and the brutality of the military dictatorship; a glaciology researcher falls into a crevasse and confronts the unexpected; two women lose children in freak shooting accidents; a young child in a Barbie Doll sweatshop dreams of a different life; secondary school girls struggle with secrets about an addicted janitor; and two women take a deathly trip through a glacier melt stream. These are some of the unpredictable stories in this collection that follow themes of ice and glaciers in the heat of the South Pacific and take us into unusual lives and explorations.

RITA Award-winner Anne Stuart kicks off The Ice Series with the story of a young woman swept up into a world of deadly criminals and reckless attraction. ­ Living paycheck to paycheck in Paris, American book translator Chloe Underwood would give anything for some excitement and passion–even a little danger. But when she’s offered a lucrative weekend gig translating at a business conference in a remote chateau, she jumps at the chance to shake things up. When Chloe stumbles onto the discovery that her employers are anything but the entrepreneurs they appeared to be, suddenly she knows far too much. Her clients are illegal arms dealers, and one of them is ordered to kill her. But instead, Bastien Toussaint drags Chloe away, and the next thing she knows she’s on the run with the most terrifying and seductive man she’s ever met. Previously published.

Return to Fog Point in Black Ice, a gripping novel that asks, is any faith strong enough to survive the coldest seasons of life? They said she came in with the ice… Lenore Featherjohn found the girl, frozen against a snow bank behind her bed-and-breakfast. Some said she was a ghost, others said an angel, but Lenore knows better. Fearing that the police might look to her sons as suspects, she hires Jake Rikker and his crusty business partner, May, to investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding her distrubing discovery. Rikker and May's search leads them not to the strange girl–or to Earth’s final days, as many in the town suspect–but to Amy McLaren, the wife of a local minister. As Jake and May get closer to the truth, the tension between Lenore and Amy rises, forcing each woman to face the secrets they’ve hidden for far too long.

An Emily Bestler Book. Emily Bestler Books has a great book for every reader.

New York Times bestselling author Susan Krinard continues the thrilling urban fantasy series that began with Mist in Black Ice. Centuries ago, all was lost in the Last Battle when the Norse gods and goddesses went to war. The elves, the giants, and the gods and goddesses themselves were all destroyed, leaving the Valkyrie known as Mist one of the only survivors. Or so she thought. The trickster god Loki has reappeared in San Francisco, and he has big plans for modern-day Earth. With few allies and fewer resources—but the eyes of the gods and goddesses of an old world upon her—it's up to Mist to stop him before history repeats itself. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

[BookStrand Contemporary Romance] At night on an icy road, Sophie Steven's dead body is found inside her fiance’s car. On the outside it appears to be a simple accident, but as Detective Blake Warren starts to investigate, she discovers there's more to the story. Detective Ryder James is determined to find Sophie's killer and put him behind bars. No one will stand in his way, not even his new partner, Blake. He's worked for years without a partner and he doesn't need one now, even if she is sexy and intelligent. Blake is a complete mystery, and she's the last thing Ryder thinks he needs, until a killer threatens to take her away. Can they work together to stop the killer before Blake becomes the next victim and Ryder loses the woman he loves? ** A BookStrand Mainstream Romance

In the final book of the whimsical Polar Bear Explorers’ Club series, Stella and the gang go on their most perilous adventure yet to find a cure for their cursed friend. Stella Starflake Pearl has been expelled from the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club. But that’s not going to stop her and the rest of the junior explorers from embarking on another exceptionally perilous expedition. It hasn’t been long since Shay was bitten by a witch wolf, but he’s in danger of turning into one himself. Only an ice queen’s long-lost spell book and Stella’s ice princess magic has the power to break the curse. The one thing standing in their way is a treacherous monolith no explorer has ever returned from…the Black Ice Bridge. Can Stella and the rest of the gang overcome their most fearsome quest yet? Or will distrustful mermaids, screeching red devil squids, irksome trolls, and a centuries-old curse stop them in their tracks?

thriller romance

When youre fourteen, its hard to be patient, especially when its your birthday. Yet for Anthony Brooks, any optimism for his future is shattered when his unemployed dad is shot dead in a robbery attempt at a local convenience store. Understandably, Anthony reacts as any kid might, with anger and withdrawal. Given an opportunity to lash out, he is drawn by some older boys into a plan to rob a neighborhood pizza parlor. Anthony is caught and threatened with juvie until, surprisingly, the pizza parlor owner, a washed up NHL hockey player, offers a compromise. Great book for all sports enthusiasts. The courage that Anthony portrays in order to overcome his obstacles and setbacks clearly shows hes a winner on and off the ice. Exciting, thrilling, feel good story. Jeff Mitchell OHLs Detroit Junior Red Wings Los Angeles Kings Dallas Stars General Manager of Suburban Ice, East Lansing Black Ice is a story set in the city and centered on urban issues. Its characters face adversities familiar to young people in urban settings. It captures the attention and imagination of young readers. A valuable story for educators. Michael Krystyniak YVS President/Superintendent Covenant House Academy As a former coach of an inner city hockey team in Detroit, I appreciate first-hand the adversity a young African-American player can face in a traditionally White sport. Brian Webster and Teresa Lee have depicted these struggles authentically in a very serious and entertaining way. I highly recommend Black Ice. Great hockey story! Maurice Dewey Retired Lieutenant, Detroit Fire Department Former Youth Hockey Coach

A gripping, suspense-filled thriller from the author of the internationally best-selling Hammarby series. A deadly secret haunts a group of strangers who cross paths in the snow of a Swedish midwinter... 'Plotted with the complexity of a labyrinth' New York Times January in Gotland. The days are short, the air is cold, and all the roads are covered in snow. On a deserted, icy backroad, these wintry conditions bring together a group of strangers with a force devastating enough to change their lives forever. A deadly accident and two separate crimes leave victims in their wake. Four years later, a single phone call is all it takes to bring back the terror of that day and to set in motion a plot for revenge. For Sandra it started as an unremarkable winter's day of shopping followed by a kind gesture from a stranger. For Jeanette it began with the thrill of an illicit rendezvous with her lover. Both women had driven past the same icy ravine. Only one was in the car that caused a deadly crash. Only one left a man to die alone in the snow... Each carried a secret from that day, a secret that, if revealed, could connect them to a larger, more terrible transgression. And there is someone out there who knows the whole picture, and who would rather kill than allow it all to come to light... Reviewers on Carin Gerhardsen: 'The author's mastery of tone imbues a largely tragic tale with touches of humor. By turns touching and terrifying, this nail-biter deserves a wide audience.' Booklist 'Carin Gerhardsen writes so vividly, like she is painting with words, gripping your heart and soul in an ever-tightening tourniquet.' Peter James 'Complex, slow-burning thriller with a final twist that leaves no one unscathed.' Booklist 'The book's greatest strength lies in its messy humanity.' Air Mail 'Readers are kept on their toes due to the never ending twists and turns that dominate the plot.' Tap the Line Magazine