For the first time, author Lisa April Smith merges her proven skill at delivering unforgettable characters, page-turner suspense and a scientist's insistence on accuracy. "Forgotten Tales of China" is an epic saga of survival, sacrifice, lust and love, indomitable perseverance, bravery and betrayal. The location is the fertile Yellow River basin near modern-day Beijing - the Chinese Cradle of Civilization. For tens of thousands of years this unique river alternately rewarded its inhabitants hard work, then unpredictably swept away everything in its path with deadly unbridled fury. Each of six tales has its own characters, conflicts and story. The first tale, "The People," is set 40,000 years ago, with a small band who communicate almost solely through sign language. Their lives are shattered by the loss of precious fire - which they have not as yet learned to create. In response to this crisis, Storm, their inexperienced eighteen year old leader, takes four men to steal it from feared Strangers. The result of this chilling lethal exchange will forever alter the People's lives. And then there's low-ranking Berry, the first to be beaten and the last to eat, a nine year old girl who imagines herself to be the successor to Wise Old Mother, the troupe's revered shaman. The following five tales - "Giants," "Squint," Shing's Daughters," "The Temple of the Goddess" and "The Bronze Worker and the Discarded Conqubine" - each address a quantum leap in social and technical development, from the beginnings of spoken language, to the invention of new weapons and tools, to the advent of dynastic government and its inevitable consequence, the fight for vast wealth and power. But the stories are always about human beings: their singular genius, frailties and strengths, passion, love and loss, desires and dreams. If you're interested in China, or if good historic fiction is among the genres you enjoy, this one is for you. If you're a fan of Clan of the Cave Bear, the first two stories of Forgotten Tales are sure to delight. And if you are the rare individual who insists on accuracy in historic fiction, this one was written for you. "L. A. Smith's characters radiate the fear and wonder of discovering for the first time so much of what we today accept as ordinary - and the essence of what it is to be human." " . . . heartbreak and triumph, victimization and courage, power and compassion, reading these stories is like feeling a spark between your own fingertips and those of your most distant ancestors." Author and reviewer Valley Brown

All the twists and suspense, danger and crime, romance and sizzle, that kept readers of Exceeding Expectations turning the pages long into the night, are back in Paradise Misplaced, along with Charlie, Jack and Naomi - three unforgettable characters. In Manhattan, being recently dumped by her soulmate becomes the least of Charlotte (Charlie) Morgan's problems after she is viciously pushed off a subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Her modeling career seems over and she may not walk again. Throughout her lengthy hospital stay the police have no success finding her assailant or determining a motive. A handsome detective recovering from similar injuries is assigned to be her physical therapy partner. Concerned that her attacker will try again, he urges her to draw up list of anyone she might have angered or rejected. Eliminating those who don't fit a compiled description of her attacker leaves just one suspect - a millionaire power broker with a famous art collection. In his quest for his next wealthy wife, loveable lothario/conman Jack is in Buenos Aires romancing women he meets at a fashionable hotel where he even isn't a registered guest. To finance this precarious existence, Jack ever-so-gently exploits foreign tourists and local land barons. But whether he succeeds, falls short or fails miserably, rely on sexy Jack to be entertaining. Understandably bitter Naomi is in Israel works on an archeological dig and seeks temporary relief from her demons in one-night-stands and meaningless affairs. Unwilling to be yet another in a series of her lovers, a rough-hewn widowed farmer relentlessly pursues her. On three continents, with thousands of miles separating them, will Charlie, Jack and Naomi meet? Will their individual stories end in triumph or disaster? Prepare to stay glued until the very last page

It's 1961 and Palm Beach socialite, irresistible rascal and devoted father Jack Morgan encounters genuine danger while staging his suicide to shield his beloved daughters from scandal and disgrace. Next, meet his daughter Charlotte (Charlie), an over-indulged 23 year-old struggling to cope with the loss of her beloved father, her sister's resulting mental breakdown and the discovery that she's now penniless. Fortunately Raul, an admiring young attorney, offers assistance to the traumatized young woman, who can joke about her inadequacies. As terrified as she is about paying for her sister's costly treatment and her own daily survival, Charlie soon realizes that she must learn what drove her father to kill himself. With Raul's much needed ego-bolstering, she pursues a career that makes practical use of her lanky 5' 11" frame. Despite roadblocks and emotional upheavals, she embarks on an ocean-spanning journey that leads to a family she doesn't know, distressing truths about her father, crimes great and small, a diabolical villain and a fireworks of surprise endings. Excerpts from reviews of "Exceeding Expectations: " "Lisa April Smith . . . has woven an intriguingly rich tapestry of delightful well-developed characters into a perfectly balanced plot bursting with riveting mystery, crimes of the petty and the horrible sort, suspenseful twists, and romantic tension complete with love scenes that sizzle and pop." "Set in the varied and stunning backdrops of early 1960s Palm Beach and Manhattan high society, as well as mid-1930s to early 1940s Paris . . ." Cari L. Pedstelak: http: //audacityshewrote.com ." . . it's the authentic details of the time-periods that make it fun to read . . ." "historical and fictitious characters work in sync as they are perfectly set in these time frames, and midst the transitory madness of WWs I and II Paris." " Smith's writing isn't over-blown with emotion and sappy romance; rather, it is sophisticated and subtle." "It's witty, fun and sassy." Deborah Previte: http: //abookishlibrarian.blogspot.com