A legendary name from the Golden Age of Paperbacks, VICTOR J. BANIS spins a witty and exuberant tale of A Thousand and One Knights, flitting blithely from tale to tail, in one era and out the other. Part autobiography, part a history of the Gay Revolution, part writing manual, part juicy gossip, with a few tasty recipes thrown in for good measure, Spine Intact, Some Creases is a summing up -- alternately hilarious and touching, instructive and impassioned, and always entertaining -- of the remarkable life and work of a writer hailed by top gay pulp historian Michael Bronski as ?one of my heroes.? ?Banis' memoir provides a poignant history of West Coast paperback publishing in the Sixties, and one author's journey from small beginnings to critical and financial success as a writer -- but it's far more than that: witty, elegantly written, funny, sad, smart, and even wise. Every penman-apprentice should read this book -- twice!? -- Robert Reginald

In this collection of shorter pieces, Victor J. Banis demonstrates once again the astonishing breadth of his talent, covering virtually every facet of the human experience with astonishing brevity and clarity. Here are pathos and heartache, love and horror, irony -- and humor, especially humor, dry and wry and roll-on-the-floor-clutching-your-sides funny. It would be a hard man indeed who could read the adventures of his Underground Diner -- which take up much of the last half of the book and aptly skewer the ubiquitous and often pretentious food writing column -- without guffawing aloud.

With contributions from a "Who's Who" of writers -- including Ken Beemer, Anthony Bidulka, Nowell Briscoe, Joseph De Marco, Ralph Higgins, Steven Hoffman, Fanny Kisling, Lori Lake, Emily Medearis, Ruth Nancy, Rick Reed, Rob Reginald, Dustin P. Roebere, Robert G. Schill, Ruth Sims, Caro Soles, and Peter Dombrello -- editor Banis packs this cookbook with writer-friendly favorite foods. Recipes are arranged according to topic, from Appetizers and Sauces through Eggs and Brunch Dishes to Deserts and Diabetic-Friendly Deserts -- with many more in between. A delightly literary snack-fest!

Jennifer's dream vacation in sunny Portugal has suddenly turned into an unending nightmare! The two brothers she encounters are bound by the same strange family heritage: a fascination with fire. Jennifer is attracted to both Neil and Philip Alenquer, but one of them is lying about the tragedy that has taken place in their castle overlooking the Atlantic. Philip claims that Neil had set the blaze that killed Neil's young wife after he'd discovered her in Philip's arms. Neil maintains that Philip had started the blaze, and he fears that Philip's insane pyromania is putting all their lives in danger. Jennifer doesn't know which of the brothers to believe, but when the villa she's staying burns to the ground, she knows that she's become the next target of an obsessed killer! A thrilling gothic suspense tale.

Resourceful as James Bond, flamboyant as Austin Powers, and gay as a Christmas goose, there's never been a secret agent quite like Jackie Holmes, the Man from C.A.M.P. These fast-paced stories, written and set in the swinging sixties introduce a new generation of readers to the fabulous adventures of gay superspy Jackie Holmes, the Man from C.A.M.P. Armed with a cache of secret weapons, a body that just won't quit, and a white poodle called Sophie who's trained to kill with her razor-sharp teeth, the blond bombshell with a license to thrill known as Jackie Holmes will blow you away! This collection includes The Man from C.A.M.P., Holiday Gay, and The Son Goes Down plus an interview with the author by Fabio Cleto.

Young Christmas Channing returns to Jeff because he tells her that his life's in danger, that he's being poisoned with arsenic by his wife. But when she arrives at Morgan House, she doesn’t find what she expects--only David, the strange, secretive brother-in-law; Mary, Jeff's cunning, crafty spouse; and Jeff himself, the handsome but vastly changed young man whom she’d once loved, but does not now understand. Chris is lost, confused, and swept into a powerful undertow of danger, panic, and past love. Is Jeff really dying? And just what exactly is going on at Morgan House? It almost seems that the only stop for her now is...death. A wonderfully thrilling and very readable romantic suspense novel!

“My home is nowhere, as is yours,” the old Cajun woman said. “Bloodstone is a place to forget.” “Forget? Never,” Vanessa said. “We came from Bloodstone. We will return to it. Why prevent me from going where happiness waits for me?” “You do not belong at Bloodstone. It is dead, and if you return you too will be dead....” A crumbling castle, a haunted village--and a love that would fulfill her destiny. But first, she must overcome...The Curse of Bloodstone! A riveting tale of gothic romantic suspense and the supernatural.

In the mysterious bayou country of Louisiana, Jennifer Hale, orphaned and destitute in the wake of the Civil War, arrives at Darkwater full of hope, but the cold reception she receives alarms her. So do the screams of Alicia, the dying mistress of the plantation, who appears to be suffering from a psychosomatic illness that causes her to choke uncontrollably. Perhaps even more frightening is Jennifer's dangerous attraction to Walter Dere, her handsome employer. But her fear is forgotten when Alicia's death frees Walter to propose to Jennifer. Then Jennifer begins developing the same symptoms as Alicia. In desperation, she remembers Alicia's ravings about voodoo magic. Can she learn to protect herself from this violent curse? Or will the evil presence at Darkwater lead her to a fate worse than death itself? A first-rate romantic suspense novel.

Steve thought to cut in on the source of blackmail money that Dingo Stark was paying the boys who wanted to COLOR HIM GAY but his hatred took him too far. As his screams drift through the still air, it's up to the debonair secret agent, Jackie Holmes, that Man from C.A.M.P., to arrive in time to save the day!

Forced to leave the genteel and pampered world of her South Carolina plantation to migrate to the raw new state of Texas, Joanna Harte surmounts countless obstacles to create a powerful dynasty in the land she loves more than anything else. There Joanna dares to gain the power and prestige so long denied her in a man's world by building an unrivaled cattle empire near San Antonio. But her own family proves to be her biggest challenge, as their bitter jealousies and deadly passions explode in a fight for her ranch, threatening to tear apart her legacy. Publishers Weekly says: "...An exuberant cast makes this diverting chronicle sparkle. The author uses the master's touch in storytelling." The Nashville Banner says: "Real and human in every situation, [and] big in scope." A magnificent nineteenth-century historical saga of how the West was won!