It is December of 2007 just outside Antwerp, Belgium, when Richard Van Pelt storms out of the dining room of his father's residence. Time is running out for their family's copper-tubing company. With the Chinese nipping at their heels and the Brazilians not far behind, Optitube is doomed if the family does not take action soon. With a willing Japanese partner waiting in the wings, it seems everything is in line for a successful merger of two companies. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees.

In Japan, the young and beautiful Natsumi Honma anxiously awaits the joint venture between her father's company and Optitube. She has not only a fi nancial interest in the merger, but also a growing love interest in Richard. As the two continue to develop a passionate relationship across the ocean, jealousy, greed, and ambition drive a wedge between family members and instigate the creation of multiple plots that soon threaten both Richard's and Natsumi's lives.

In this intriguing tale fueled by age-old confl icts and cruel ambition, a merger hangs in the balance as Natsumi suddenly goes missing. Now it is up to Richard to save both her and his company-before it is too late.

Troy Mattingly has a new job as the construction manager for a large industrial plant in Dyersburg, Tennessee. Dealing with the demands of the project itself is almost as challenging as navigating the confusing culture of his new employer, a Belgian firm called Perfect Spring. Things are finally beginning to make sense for Troy--when he suddenly disappears.His young wife, Janice, enlists the help of Barbara Cummings of the Chamber of Commerce of Dyer County and police detective Jack Beasley. Together, they soon uncover dark truths behind the Perfect Spring project. Troy may have been involved in some shady deals with local contractors, landowners, Belgian operators, consulting companies, and the powerful and arrogant good-old-boy network of Dyer County. The trio try to interpret how seemingly disparate clues--extortion, bribery, falsification of soil tests, attempts to fix construction contracts, and romantic affairs that may or may not be interwoven with business interests--may fit into the big picture. They find themselves ensnared in a perplexing web of international intrigue, jealousy, greed, and abuse of power--complicated further by a budding romance.The list of suspects is long and heavy, and theories abound. As they unravel the mystery of Troy's involvement and disappearance, a new mystery emerges. Is Troy really dead? If so, who killed him--and if not, where is he, and why is he hiding? What they learn will shake their community to the core.

on the fringe of a jungle infested with drugs and terrorism, young Gloria Romero works tirelessly to protect the fishermen and their families from crime, violence, and poverty. As she continues her humanitarian mission for mining mogul Nate Silverman through the Futuro Fund of the United States, Gloria knows that the secret she protects is safe-for now.

As Gloria continues her life in an unpredictable and often chaotic environment, she soon hears from her boss and love interest, Marcos, that others think her work is less than adequate. But just as Gloria begins to create a creative plan that she hopes will fix everything, she begins to receive phone calls from Louis Durant, an old flame living in Haiti. As her romantic pursuits clash with hidden interests inside and outside her own organization, Gloria's reactions set a violent chain of events into motion.

In this dramatic tale of devious conspiracy, a passionate entrepreneur must risk her life, future, and love in the steamy jungles and fishing villages on the Pacific Coasts of Colombia where terrorists roam free to inflict havoc on innocent victims.

In a room of a posh hotel in Punta Cana, the jewel of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Silvia Herrera takes a stand against ruthless, Mafia-style extortion and violence.

Moments earlier, she'd discovered another victim of the brutal syndicate she works for. It's the third case she's encountered in two weeks, and she knows that she must draw a line in the sand. Just days ago, one of her acquaintances was murdered for not paying the protection money the mob demanded. She knows that her bosses are a cruel gang of criminals in the Caribbean, exploiting AIDS patients. Despite the feeble protection of laws designed to stop just this sort of abuse, the people she works for assume themselves to be above those laws. Silvia decides to take a stand against corruption, against violence, against the hopelessness these men spread like a virus among the island's weakest residents. But first, she needs to know who these crime lords are. She and two friends embark on a wild and dangerous hunt for the criminals. It leads her and her friends through hidden corners of Santo Domingo and through jungles, cities, remote towns, and mysterious churches and convents in Venezuela.

Can Silvia uncover the truth before her dangerous enemies bury her?

Anita Tavares just arrived at the Santo Domingo airport in the Dominican Republic, and she is there on crucial business. Tavares is the powerful and highly visible face of a worldwide HIV/AIDS donor foundation. She's in charge of funding in an effort to fight the disease, and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Somebody has other plans for Tavares, however. Just after landing at the airport, she is shot and killed. Her attacker not only commits murder; he also escapes with two bags belonging to his victim. Officials are left with many questions: Who murdered this powerful woman? Was the crime really about her, or was it about the contents of her luggage?

So begins a whirlwind adventure into the depths of Caribbean politics and crooked pharmaceutical sales. Men of power now battle the powerless for information that only a dead woman knew. Greed and corruption rule the streets as the AIDS epidemic continues to spread, and criminals take control of secrets once held by Tavares. But is there a way to stop those who would do harm in a place where no rule is sacred?

Troy Mattingly has a new job as the construction manager for a large industrial plant in Dyersburg, Tennessee. Dealing with the demands of the project itself is almost as challenging as navigating the confusing culture of his new employer, a Belgian firm called Perfect Spring. Things are finally beginning to make sense for Troy--when he suddenly disappears.His young wife, Janice, enlists the help of Barbara Cummings of the Chamber of Commerce of Dyer County and police detective Jack Beasley. Together, they soon uncover dark truths behind the Perfect Spring project. Troy may have been involved in some shady deals with local contractors, landowners, Belgian operators, consulting companies, and the powerful and arrogant good-old-boy network of Dyer County. The trio try to interpret how seemingly disparate clues--extortion, bribery, falsification of soil tests, attempts to fix construction contracts, and romantic affairs that may or may not be interwoven with business interests--may fit into the big picture. They find themselves ensnared in a perplexing web of international intrigue, jealousy, greed, and abuse of power--complicated further by a budding romance.The list of suspects is long and heavy, and theories abound. As they unravel the mystery of Troy's involvement and disappearance, a new mystery emerges. Is Troy really dead? If so, who killed him--and if not, where is he, and why is he hiding? What they learn will shake their community to the core.

It is December of 2007 just outside Antwerp, Belgium, when Richard Van Pelt storms out of the dining room of his father's residence. Time is running out for their family's copper-tubing company. With the Chinese nipping at their heels and the Brazilians not far behind, Optitube is doomed if the family does not take action soon. With a willing Japanese partner waiting in the wings, it seems everything is in line for a successful merger of two companies. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees.

In Japan, the young and beautiful Natsumi Honma anxiously awaits the joint venture between her father's company and Optitube. She has not only a fi nancial interest in the merger, but also a growing love interest in Richard. As the two continue to develop a passionate relationship across the ocean, jealousy, greed, and ambition drive a wedge between family members and instigate the creation of multiple plots that soon threaten both Richard's and Natsumi's lives.

In this intriguing tale fueled by age-old confl icts and cruel ambition, a merger hangs in the balance as Natsumi suddenly goes missing. Now it is up to Richard to save both her and his company-before it is too late.

In a room of a posh hotel in Punta Cana, the jewel of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Silvia Herrera takes a stand against ruthless, Mafia-style extortion and violence.

Moments earlier, she'd discovered another victim of the brutal syndicate she works for. It's the third case she's encountered in two weeks, and she knows that she must draw a line in the sand. Just days ago, one of her acquaintances was murdered for not paying the protection money the mob demanded. She knows that her bosses are a cruel gang of criminals in the Caribbean, exploiting AIDS patients. Despite the feeble protection of laws designed to stop just this sort of abuse, the people she works for assume themselves to be above those laws. Silvia decides to take a stand against corruption, against violence, against the hopelessness these men spread like a virus among the island's weakest residents. But first, she needs to know who these crime lords are. She and two friends embark on a wild and dangerous hunt for the criminals. It leads her and her friends through hidden corners of Santo Domingo and through jungles, cities, remote towns, and mysterious churches and convents in Venezuela.

Can Silvia uncover the truth before her dangerous enemies bury her?

In the El Choco region on the Colombian Pacific Coast, there are no roads; the mud is treacherous, and humidity hangs thick in the air. In a tiny village on the fringe of a jungle infested with drugs and terrorism, young Gloria Romero works tirelessly to protect the fishermen and their families from crime, violence, and poverty. As she continues her humanitarian mission for mining mogul Nate Silverman through the Futuro Fund of the United States, Gloria knows that the secret she protects is safe-for now.

As Gloria continues her life in an unpredictable and often chaotic environment, she soon hears from her boss and love interest, Marcos, that others think her work is less than adequate. But just as Gloria begins to create a creative plan that she hopes will fix everything, she begins to receive phone calls from Louis Durant, an old flame living in Haiti. As her romantic pursuits clash with hidden interests inside and outside her own organization, Gloria's reactions set a violent chain of events into motion.

In this dramatic tale of devious conspiracy, a passionate entrepreneur must risk her life, future, and love in the steamy jungles and fishing villages on the Pacific Coasts of Colombia where terrorists roam free to inflict havoc on innocent victims.

Anita Tavares just arrived at the Santo Domingo airport in the Dominican Republic, and she is there on crucial business. Tavares is the powerful and highly visible face of a worldwide HIV/AIDS donor foundation. She's in charge of funding in an effort to fight the disease, and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Somebody has other plans for Tavares, however. Just after landing at the airport, she is shot and killed. Her attacker not only commits murder; he also escapes with two bags belonging to his victim. Officials are left with many questions: Who murdered this powerful woman? Was the crime really about her, or was it about the contents of her luggage?

So begins a whirlwind adventure into the depths of Caribbean politics and crooked pharmaceutical sales. Men of power now battle the powerless for information that only a dead woman knew. Greed and corruption rule the streets as the AIDS epidemic continues to spread, and criminals take control of secrets once held by Tavares. But is there a way to stop those who would do harm in a place where no rule is sacred?