James Murray is a young man with a dream -- he wants to be a writer just like his idol, Dashiell Hammett. While working as a clerk at a swank downtown department store, James pens a novel that turns out to be a surprise success. Now, he's the junior screenwriter at a major Hollywood studio. During his time there, productions at the studio have been plagued by a series of mysterious accidents including fires, damage to costumes, theft of miniatures used for trick shots -- and the worst: theft of an important scene from the studio's big picture, "King Kong." Not wanting to attract too much attention by calling the police, head of production Merian C. Cooper enlists James's help in trying to find out what's behind the sabotage. "Sabotage at RKO Studio," and its predecessor "Murder at Eastern Columbia," are unlike any other books you've read: Not a single novel, it's two parallel novels, featuring two heroes, working two mysteries in two different versions of 1930s Hollywood. Join James and his alter ego as they each try to find the saboteurs behind the "accidents." His hard-boiled alter ego -- neither a private detective nor a police officer: just someone "who wants to help" -- needs to find out who's trying to pin the "accidents" on him. Two men in two stories work their way through 1930s Hollywood following clews, interviewing people who might know something, going from location to location, with one goal in mind: find out who might want to damage the studio. Along the way, they meet a rich cast of characters including a glamorous movie star; a poor Mexican girl working as a secretary in a bank; a mysterious blonde secretary who harbors a deadly secret; the intriguing Mexican girl from a very wealthy family who still mourns the death of her brother; the silent-screen star who left movies to marry into oil; a handsome young police officer just trying to do his job; and the pretty, young girl who gives tours at the Richfield Oil Building. "Sabotage at RKO Studio" is filled with twists, turns and a final scene at a glamorous Hollywood movie premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Come along for the ride in this, the second James Murray mystery: the story of a young man who dreams of something better.

In the years after the great war, life was golden and happy for those who had survived it. An entire generation of young men died so others could sit on a beach and splash in the water and have sandwiches on the sand. It was a golden time for American expatriates -- like Sarah and Gerald -- to be in Paris. Everything had worked out so well for them: they had money, they had friends, they had three golden children and they had each other. And everyone was so young. Gerald was a painter and his bold new painting would shock the French art world; but the consequences of his artistic success would soon bring tragedy to Sarah and their family. Despite doing everything right, things would soon start going very wrong.

James Murray is a young man with a dream -- he wants to be a writer just like his idol, Dashiell Hammett -- but there's a Depression on, and he's the only one in his family with a job. Even though it's a good job -- clerking in the Junior Boy's department at the swankest new department store in downtown Los Angeles: Eastern Columbia, Broadway at Ninth -- it's not writing. At the end of one typical day at work, there's a scream. James rushes toward the sound and finds his best friend -- co-worker Elizabeth "Bess" Flowers -- apparently shot and lying dead in the Better Furniture department. He finds a note in her purse telling her to be in front of the Orpheum Theater at 5:30 "or else." He looks at his watch: it's nearly that time now. Was she shot by a person she refused to meet? Or by someone who wanted to make sure she didn't make the meeting? James decides to keep the date in front of the theater where, with the help of his good friend, screen-star Charles "Buddy" Rogers, he begins a whirlwind ride through the crepuscular depths of downtown Los Angeles, trying to solve Elizabeth's murder. "Murder at Eastern Columbia" is not like any book you've ever read: Not a single novel, it's two parallel novels, featuring two heroes, working two murders in two different versions of 1930s Los Angeles. Join James and his alter ego as they each try to solve the murder of the girl with sorrel-colored hair. His hard-boiled alter ego -- neither a private detective nor a police officer: just someone "who wants to help" -- needs to find out who's trying to pin the murder on him, but finds himself in a jam: "Yeh. Strawberry preserves. All the way up to my neck." Two men in two stories work their way through downtown Los Angeles following clews, interviewing people who might know something, going from location to location, with one goal in mind: find out who might have wanted the girl dead. Along the way they meet a rich cast of characters including the notorious gangster, a gorgeous raven-haired dame, the beautiful young boy whose love is his undoing, a young doctor whose specialty is cancer research, the cleaning lady with a secret addiction, the struggling piano player who just wants to keep his nose clean, the gum-popping pawn-shop clerk and the sultry Chinese apartment manager who tries to hide behind the mysteries of the Orient. "Murder at Eastern Columbia" is filled with twists, turns and a climactic scene along the dizzying heights of the observation deck atop the brand new Los Angeles City Hall. Come along for the ride in this James Murray mystery: the story of a young guy, a kid really, who dreams of something better.

Set against a worldwide canvas that includes New York, Paris and Germany "News on the Home Front" tells the story of two women who have been friends since their childhood in West Lake, Maryland. The world war has torn apart their lives leaving each trying to find a way to put it back together. It's been a difficult few years with rationing and shortages starting to take their toll. Carole's boyfriend, Philip, is off to fly for the Army; and Irene has taken a job at the near-by aircraft factory. Carole promised Philip that she would wait for his return from the war -- but circumstances begin to conspire against her. She's waited her whole life for him, but can she make it until the end of the war?

A collection of stories about life -- and death -- and life forever. Includes: "The Little Books That Ran Away" -- a story for children about what happens to books that are not appreciated "A Walk in the Evening Fog" -- about a man blinded in an automobile accident many years before "An Untitled Life" -- about the secret family history a grandmother reveals to her grandson "Reflections in a Broken Mirror" -- which takes place in the last second of the life of a man who has just cut open a vein in his arm ..". for her Convenience" -- about a woman's birthday party and the surprise guest brought by her boyfriend "The Thickness of Blood" -- about a young man who has to make a painful decision "Forever" -- a story of two souls that continue meeting in one life after another. (Some stories include adult content.)

Take three men and two women, add one concrete underwater tunnel, shake vigorously with a major earthquake and you have the makings of "The Life Line" -- a novel of survival. Here is the story of mass-transit-system president Tom Mortinsen and his girlfriend Karen Miller -- set to marry each other but for reasons other than love; construction supervisor Christian Stevens and his girlfriend Karen Miller -- who say they love each other but stay together for a very different reason; and TV news reporter Steven Cavanaugh and his girlfriend Karen Miller -- is this really love? Starting to sense a pattern here? So is brilliant journalist Barbara Harris, determined to ride a big story all the way to the top. Set in San Francisco sometime in the near future "The Life Line" has everything: life and death, love and hate, blood and devastation -- yet remains an uplifting story of hope in the face of adversity. Really. Just ask Barbara: "He's right. Come with me and let me tell you a story...."

You've probably heard that cats have nine lives; but do you know what happens after? Where cats go after they die, and what they do there, is told in Mama Cat, the first children's book by writer Christopher Geoffrey McPherson and illustrator Matt Hinrichs. The main character in Mama Cat is Eames -- a real-life cat wise beyond his years, talented and precocious -- who tells the story. "Eames never ceased to amaze us," Christopher says. "One day he'd be installing a new mouse on the computer, the next he'd be re-writing Tennessee Williams to create an all-feline version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. So, what were we to think when he told us this?" "Eames wanted this story to help people understand what happened to cats when they went beyond their nine lives," Matt says. "Sometimes people are sad when they lose a pet; but this story shows there is no need to be." "We are very happy living among the human care givers," Eames adds. "But this story, known by cats old and wise, tells of a happier place."