Mystery. Intrigue. Strange encounters in the Far East. Three ingredients Mark and Gus, both martial-arts and visual artists, surprisingly get mixed up in, as they strive to obtain "The Three Perfections" of Chinese art. While Mark explores oriental paintings, practices kung-fu forms, finds culinary treats and visits popular Beijing sights, his stuffed companion, Gus Greenbear, drops into a time warp full of historical figures in the guise of teddy bears. Without warning Gus is deep into an adventure that challenges his wit and proves for all time just what he is really made of.

Written by acclaimed Miami playwright Sandra Riley, a trilogy of plays based on the lives of three real individuals who lived through the rich history of the Bahamas from the Age of Piracy to the turn of the 20th century: Miss Ruby relives her love story set in the late 1800s Green Turtle Cay and Key West; Matt Lowe and his family face the dangers of life in the Bahamas during the Great Age of Piracy; Mariah Brown, African Bahamian pioneer to South Florida, builds a better life for her children and creates a community in Coconut Grove to enrich the lives of her neighbors.

From author Sandra Riley, two volumes of healing and meditation inspired from the Earth itself. "Stone Poems" is a collection of poetry, written over years of work with individual minerals and gemstones, dedicated to the healing energies within each and set into poetic forms. "Wotai: Help on the Way" draws upon Native American wisdom and spirituality to teach the reader how to access these healing energies expounded in "Stone Poems" and harness them as guides and helpers for personal transformation. Riley Hall Publishing, 200 pages.

From the author of "Sisters of the Sea: Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Pirates of the Caribbean" comes a new tale of trouble in paradise during the Great Age of Piracy, "Sometimes Towards Eden." Set against the idyllic backdrop of plantation-era Jamaica and the Bahamas, "Eden" transports us to a time of Caribbean pioneers and civil revolt through the eyes of powerful women. Set ten years after "Sisters," "Eden" continues the story of Anne Bonny, former infamous pirate of the Caribbean, into her new life of peace and anonymity. Her newfound tranquility now disrupted by the raids and battles of the Maroon Wars, Anne must choose between losing everything and returning to the sword. Opposing her, the Ashanti warrior-preistess Nanny, determined to eliminate the English presence in Jamaica and return her people to an authentic way of life. Though struggling for peace amid tropical splendor, blood spills as their families bind both womens' fate to a path of war and redemption deep in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica's past. Riley Hall Publishing, 280 pages. $16.95.

Sandra Riley's "The Greenbear Chronicles" is a tale for children of all ages. A story of epic proportions about the unlikeliest of wayfarers, the "Chronicles" follow the story of Gus the Greenbear from China to New York City to the Wild West and beyond. Searching for the meaning of life, Gus learns to how to write poetry, perform Shakespeare, swashbuckle with pirates, and play baseball. And with the help of his new friends Will and Broken Arrow, he learns the value of dreams, friendship, and love. His hero's journey is ours! Riley Hall, 2000. 184 pages, illustrated