Dr. Victor Mark Silverstein is a Jewish African-American whose background is as unusual as his personality. He lives a privileged life as the Naval Research Laboratory's preeminent meteorologist and scientist. But beneath the facade of a self-centered, arrogant personality lies a seething, vulnerable man whose secrets have plagued his sleep since 1982. That's when he discovered the truth about what happened to his girlfriend, Sylvia.

In the year 2007, his nightmares become a reality when weather satellites detect an environmental aberration. Memories from college at Penn State--and their accompanying heartbreak--push their way back into Silverstein's life. Only he knows the root cause of the phenomenon and its scientific basis--and the mastermind behind it all.

This fast-paced thriller spans the globe: from the Suez Canal and Christmas Island to Istanbul, Turkey; to Monterey, California and Washington, DC; and finally to Bermuda. Silverstein and his feisty female assistant, Dr. Linda Kipling, begin a desperate and harrowing pursuit for the truth and for those responsible. With time running out and the environmental catastrophe unfolding, they must survive a terrifying ride through the eyewall of a hurricane. The final showdown pits good against evil and intellect against loyalty. Along the way, Silverstein finds peace and becomes reacquainted with a faith he abandoned long ago.

Paul Mark Tag has showcased his knack for storytelling in his two thrillers, "Category 5" and "Prophecy." Before these novels, he honed his skills by writing short stories. Here are fourteen of his favorites.

This collection starts with the humorous "The Curious Miss Crabtree," in which two boys receive orders from their mother to deliver Christmas cookies to a scary neighbor. In "Mary's Secret," six-year-old Mary has two girlfriends who visit at night. Are they real or imaginary? In "A Matter of Honor," an immigrant finally accepts the heritage that he has been hiding from. "Double Exposure," a mystery, spotlights the curiosity and resolve of a spunky teenage girl: "As a child-and especially as a teenage girl-I was told I was too smart for my own good. During the summer of 1963, I proved them all wrong." And published in the online magazine "storybytes.com," "The Long Walk Home" is a "short-short," only 128 words long.

Most of these stories will warm your heart; two or three will keep you on the edge of your seat; a few will make you cry. And the last of these, "The Errant Ricochet: Max Raeburn's Legacy," will make you do all three.

In 1889, one of the worst environmental disasters to befall the United States occurred in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. More than 2,200 people died when a poorly maintained sporting dam gave way and destroyed the town.

Only minutes before the catastrophe, a nineteen-year-old girl enters a church in Johnstown, puts a letter into a bottle, and places it inside a safe. In the year 2009, that safe is unearthed. The letter reveals that the author knew of the impending flood. At the same time, laboratory experiments in Russia have far-reaching implications. In what could prove to be the scientific discovery of the ages, researchers uncover a rare genetic mutation that could scientifically explain the clairvoyant powers exhibited by prophets of old.

At the epicenter of the ensuing maelstrom, Dr. Victor Mark Silverstein, the Naval Research Laboratory's preeminent scientist, and his loyal assistant tangle with greedy U.S. senators, the CIA, and a Middle Eastern organization for verification and control of the "prophecy gene." The hunt begins for a present-day carrier who could confirm the gene's potential and prompt development of a synthetic replacement. At stake is theological chaos for the world's religions-and the power to control the planet.

Dr. Linda Kipling has had her share of excitement working as a meteorologist with the Naval Research Laboratory. Twice in four years, she and her boss, the arrogant Dr. Victor Silverstein, have faced international crises requiring heroic action. Now, in 2011, Kipling faces her most formidable foe yet: her only remaining relatives, the Muller family.

Debates about climate change continue as two researchers in Greenland mysteriously disappear. Kipling soon comes to a horrific realization: not all observed climatic aberrations are coming from natural variation or an increase in greenhouse gases. Instead, someone is tampering with nature, risking a cataclysmic event that could destroy the world. Her dying father is suspicious; he believes distant relatives in South America are involved.

The Muller family was once part of Hitler's inner circle. They escaped from Germany in 1945 with a fortune in gold, and now they hope to alter the world's climate for their own purposes. Kipling must head to Greenland under the guise of familial reunion in order to dismantle the Muller plan and save the planet from a climatic apocalypse.

"Paul Mark Tag 's] books never disappoint. He is a gifted writer and knows how to craft a great story. ... White Thaw takes us on a great adventure involving] global warming and] poses the question of just how far would a group go to win."

-Simon Barrett, Blogger News Network

Dr. Linda Kipling has had her share of excitement working as a meteorologist with the Naval Research Laboratory. Twice in four years, she and her boss, the arrogant Dr. Victor Silverstein, have faced international crises requiring heroic action. Now, in 2011, Kipling faces her most formidable foe yet: her only remaining relatives, the Muller family.

Debates about climate change continue as two researchers in Greenland mysteriously disappear. Kipling soon comes to a horrific realization: not all observed climatic aberrations are coming from natural variation or an increase in greenhouse gases. Instead, someone is tampering with nature, risking a cataclysmic event that could destroy the world. Her dying father is suspicious; he believes distant relatives in South America are involved.

The Muller family was once part of Hitler's inner circle. They escaped from Germany in 1945 with a fortune in gold, and now they hope to alter the world's climate for their own purposes. Kipling must head to Greenland under the guise of familial reunion in order to dismantle the Muller plan and save the planet from a climatic apocalypse.

"Paul Mark Tag 's] books never disappoint. He is a gifted writer and knows how to craft a great story. ... White Thaw takes us on a great adventure involving] global warming and] poses the question of just how far would a group go to win."

-Simon Barrett, Blogger News Network

In 1889, one of the worst environmental disasters to befall the United States occurred in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. More than 2,200 people died when a poorly maintained sporting dam gave way and destroyed the town.

Only minutes before the catastrophe, a nineteen-year-old girl enters a church in Johnstown, puts a letter into a bottle, and places it inside a safe. In the year 2009, that safe is unearthed. The letter reveals that the author knew of the impending flood. At the same time, laboratory experiments in Russia have far-reaching implications. In what could prove to be the scientific discovery of the ages, researchers uncover a rare genetic mutation that could scientifically explain the clairvoyant powers exhibited by prophets of old.

At the epicenter of the ensuing maelstrom, Dr. Victor Mark Silverstein, the Naval Research Laboratory's preeminent scientist, and his loyal assistant tangle with greedy U.S. senators, the CIA, and a Middle Eastern organization for verification and control of the "prophecy gene." The hunt begins for a present-day carrier who could confirm the gene's potential and prompt development of a synthetic replacement. At stake is theological chaos for the world's religions-and the power to control the planet.

Paul Mark Tag has showcased his knack for storytelling in his two thrillers, "Category 5" and "Prophecy." Before these novels, he honed his skills by writing short stories. Here are fourteen of his favorites.

This collection starts with the humorous "The Curious Miss Crabtree," in which two boys receive orders from their mother to deliver Christmas cookies to a scary neighbor. In "Mary's Secret," six-year-old Mary has two girlfriends who visit at night. Are they real or imaginary? In "A Matter of Honor," an immigrant finally accepts the heritage that he has been hiding from. "Double Exposure," a mystery, spotlights the curiosity and resolve of a spunky teenage girl: "As a child-and especially as a teenage girl-I was told I was too smart for my own good. During the summer of 1963, I proved them all wrong." And published in the online magazine "storybytes.com," "The Long Walk Home" is a "short-short," only 128 words long.

Most of these stories will warm your heart; two or three will keep you on the edge of your seat; a few will make you cry. And the last of these, "The Errant Ricochet: Max Raeburn's Legacy," will make you do all three.

Dr. Victor Mark Silverstein is a Jewish African-American whose background is as unusual as his personality. He lives a privileged life as the Naval Research Laboratory's preeminent meteorologist and scientist. But beneath the facade of a self-centered, arrogant personality lies a seething, vulnerable man whose secrets have plagued his sleep since 1982. That's when he discovered the truth about what happened to his girlfriend, Sylvia. In the year 2007, his nightmares become a reality when weather satellites detect an environmental aberration. Memories from college at Penn State-and their accompanying heartbreak-push their way back into Silverstein's life. Only he knows the root cause of the phenomenon and its scientific basis-and the mastermind behind it all. This fast-paced thriller spans the globe: from the Suez Canal and Christmas Island to Istanbul, Turkey; to Monterey, California and Washington, DC; and finally to Bermuda. Silverstein and his feisty female assistant, Dr. Linda Kipling, begin a desperate and harrowing pursuit for the truth and for those responsible. survive a terrifying ride through the eyewall of a hurricane. The final showdown pits good against evil and intellect against loyalty. Along the way, Silverstein finds peace and becomes reacquainted with a faith he abandoned long ago.