Erethizon Dorsatum—better known as Ereth, the self-centered, foul-tempered old porcupine—is having a birthday. And he fully expects his best friend Poppy, a deer mouse, to help him celebrate in a grand manner. But Poppy has gone off somewhere with her husband, Rye, and it appears she has forgotten all about it. "Belching Beavers," says Ereth, "I am not angry!" (Though, perhaps he is—and more than just a little.) Ereth knows his special occasion deserves a special treat—even if he has to get it for himself. And what treat could be more special than tasty salt? But the nearest salt is located deep in the forest, in a cabin occupied by fur hunters, who have set out traps to capture the Dimwood Forest animals. In one of the traps, Ereth finds Leaper the Fox—who, with her dying breath, begs the prickly porcupine to take care of her three boisterous young kits, Tumble, Nimble, and Flip. "Jellied walrus warts!" Ereth exclaims, but reluctantly agrees. Certainly this day is not going as he planned—and it's only just the beginning! Not only does Ereth suddenly have a rambunctious new family to take care of, but he's being stalked by Marty the Fisher, the one creature in Dimwood Forest who can do him harm. And Bounder, the father of the three little foxes, remembers all too well the nose full of quills he got a while back from the grumpy old animal who now fancies himself the leader of the den. He too sets out to show Ereth who's boss. Throw in an unexpected snowstorm, and all in all, it adds up to one brithday Ereth the porcupine is never going to forget, not even if he lives to be a hundred and twenty-two!

Many malevolent menaces have imperiled the magical land of Xanth in its long and storied history. But none has been as despicably dangerous as the Dastard-a craven miscreant who sold his soul to a detestable demon for the power to erase events. Now the entire future of Xanth is at the mercy of his every whim. Only a young dragon-girl named Becka has the power to stop his devious deeds! Becka is a crossbreed-the daughter of Draco Dragon and a lovely human woman who met, by chance, at a Love Spring. Now fourteen, Becka is beginning to wonder where in Xanth she belongs-on the ground with her mother's people, or flying the skies with her father's kind. So she journeys to the Good Magician Humfrey to discover her True Purpose in life. Much to her astonishment and surprise, the Magician tells her that that a great Destiny awaits her-one that will affect the future of all of Xanth.

Gwen is known as someone who listens well and solves problems. Clients pay for her counsel as they sit in the purple chair and untangle their emotions and stories. Word of mouth keeps people coming to her door. But who listens to Gwen? Who helps solve her own problems? As she supports clients to heal, her own life swirls in pain. She is sliding further down. Will she ever learn to take her own advice and who will catch her if she doesn't?

Setting: New York City, present day Sensuality rating: 8 High-powered attorney Victoria Kensington knows how to protect herself. In fact, she's spent her whole life protecting her vulnerable sister, Audrey, from their stern father's disapproval. But when Audrey, who's supposed to be painting in Venice, collapses at Victoria's feet in Central Park dressed only in a hospital gown, Victoria doesn't know what to think. And when Audrey disappears without a trace, Victoria will do anything to find out what has happened to her sister, even if it means allowing FBI associate Zachary Hamilton, the only man she's ever loved, back into her life--and her heart. Even if it means finding out her father knows a whole lot more than he's letting on, Victoria will let nothing stop her from saving Audrey. But when Victoria has several close calls, Zach insists on sticking close to her, really close. Will Victoria find a second chance at having the kind of family she always wanted and maybe even a second chance at love? Andrea Kane creates a knockout of a suspenseful romance, one that will keep readers guessing until the very end.--Alison Trinkle

All-new adventures by some of Star Trek's most talented fans!Our first Strange New Worlds competition drew thousands of submissions and Strange New Worlds II drew even more. From this mountain of astounding stories, these few, written exclusively by brand-new authors, were selected for their originality and style. These tales rocket across the length and breadth of Federation time and space, from when Captain Kirk explored the galaxy on the first Starship Enterprise™ through Captain Picard's U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC-1701-D and Captain Sisko's Deep Space Nine™ to Captain Janeway's Starship Voyager™, with many fascinating stops along the way. Find out what happens in the Star Trek universe when fans—like you—take the helm!

Amazon.com ReviewNobody writes better than Jan Burke about the real world of print journalism, and that aspect of her latest Irene Kelly mystery is as strong as ever. The tensions of being the wife of a cop and continuing to work as a crime reporter in the Southern California desert city of Las Piernas have increased with each big story Irene covers: it's almost as though her associates are waiting for her to make some mistake, to fumble a story. When an edgy, rebellious teenage girl asks her to look for her missing mother, Irene crosses the path of a very dangerous serial killer--Nicholas Parrish. He is one of those totally anonymous but enormously gifted and resourceful villains found only in fiction. Parrish kills women who happen to look like Irene (and his abusive mother), and attracts devoted disciples to his grisly cause. Because of Irene's involvement, several more lives are damaged or endangered, and the strain takes its toll on the reporter's mental stability.Burke is such a fine, realistic writer that she can tread her way carefully across territory already well covered by Patricia Cornwell, Jeffery Deaver, Thomas Harris, et al. and still find something new to say about ritual murder and forensic science. But her real talent is bringing to full, instant life a remarkable woman--and the city she lives and works in. --Dick AdlerFrom Publishers WeeklyIn her seventh outing (after Liar, 1998), journalist Irene Kelly is part of the investigative team on the hunt for serial killer Nicholas Parrish's many victims. Their graves are in California's Sierra Nevada mountains, and Parrish, having entered a plea bargain, is there too, leading the team to the women's corpses in exchange for a life sentence instead of the death penalty. But Parrish has planned a surprise or two. When a grave explodes, most of the team are killed, Irene flees, and the killer escapes. Back home, Irene continues to work at the behest of Gillian Sayre, the daughter of one victim. Her hunt for Parrish is made considerably easier by his growing obsession with her. A cunning psychopath with a calm demeanor, Parrish heavily resembles Hannibal Lecter. Rather than eat his victims, however, he tortures and dismembers them. Burke spends the first third of the novel overbuilding Parrish's reputation, so by the time she actually depicts his depravity the horrors are a bit anticlimatic. Later, the killer's mysterious accomplice, "The Moth," will be too easily identified by readers, especially after Burke unsuccessfully labors to mask his/her gender. And Parrish is only generically, not memorably twisted. Though Irene and other characters are well wrought and realistic, too many red herrings are introduced, all meant to distract the reader from the true evil, which, once fully revealed, just isn't quite evil enough. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Winterson enfolds her seventh novel within the world of computers, and transforms the signal development of our time into a wholly human medium. The story is simple: an e-mail writer called Ali will compose anything you like, on order, provided you're prepared to enter the story as yourself and risk leaving it as someone else. You can be the hero of your own life. You can have freedom just for one night. But there is a price, and Ali discovers that she, too, will have to pay it. The PowerBook reinvents itself as it travels from London to Paris, Capri, and Cyberspace, using fairy tales, contemporary myths, and popular culture to weave a story of failed but requited love.

With Trans-Sister Radio, Chris Bohjalian, author of the bestseller Midwives, again confronts his very human characters with issues larger than themselves, here tackling the explosive issue of gender. When Allison Banks develops a crush on Dana Stevens, she knows that he will give her what she needs most: attention, gentleness, kindness, passion. Her daughter, Carly, enthusiastically witnesses the change in her mother. But then a few months into their relationship, Dana tells Allison his secret: he has always been certain that he is a woman born into the wrong skin, and soon he will have a sex-change operation. Allison, is overwhelmed by the depth of her passion, and finds herself unable to leave Dana. By deciding to stay, she finds she must confront questions most people never even consider. Not only will her own life and Carly’s be irrevocably changed, she will have to contend with the outrage of a small Vermont community and come to terms with her lover’s new body–hoping against hope that her love will transcend the physical.

In this touching, wryly humorous sequel to Revenge of the Snob Squad, readers are reunited with sixth-grade misfits Jenny, Max, Prairie, and Lydia as they cook up an outrageous plan to ignite a romance between Prairie and the object of her affection, Hugh Torkerson (otherwise known as 'Tork the Dork'). A science lab rat, a set of embarrassing glamour photos, and a mysteriously disappearing notebook all play a part in this scheme, but the results may attract more attention than Snob Squad planned.

The World's Finest Mystery & Crime StoriesIt’s not easy to collect, in a single volume, the finest mystery and suspense fiction the world has to offer, but The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories: Second Annual Collection rises to that challenge, inviting you to discover what Kirkus Reviews dubs “ . . . the year’s anthology of choice.”In his Second Annual collection, Ed Gorman once again brings together the year’s most powerful fiction by such outstanding authors as Lawrence Block, Stuart M. Kaminsky, Ed McBain, Joyce Carol Oates, Ian Rankin, and Donald E. Westlake. The volume also abounds with fresh new stories by newer authors, from U. S. publications, and also from sources on other shores, including England, Germany, and the Netherlands.Ed Gorman set benchmark for great mystery and suspense fiction with the First Annual Collection. Overflowing with award-winning authors and terrific stories, The World’s Finest Mystery and Crime Stories: Second Annual Collection also promises to be a treasure for anyone who loves a mystery.More than 200,000 words of superlative mystery and suspense fiction from around the world.Contents:THE YEAR IN MYSTERY AND CRIME FICTION: 2000 Jon L. BreenA 2000 YEARBOOK OF CRIME AND MYSTERY Edward D. HochWORLD MYSTERY REPORT: GREAT BRITAIN Maxim JakubowskiWORLD MYSTERY REPORT: AUSTRALIA David Honeybone and Lucy SussexWORLD MYSTERY REPORT: CANADA Edo van BelkomWORLD MYSTERY REPORT: GERMANY Thomas WoertcheTHE 2000 SHORT STORY EDGAR AWARDS Camille MinichinoTHE YEAR 2000 IN MYSTERY FANDOM George A. EasterSPINNING Kristine Kathryn RuschTHE SUMMER PEOPLE Brendan DuBoisAFRAID OF THE DARK Nancy PickardFOR ALL THE SAINTS Gillian LinscottLET'S GET LOST Lawrence BlockUNDER SUSPICION Clark HowardCHILDHOOD S. J. RozanART & CRAFT Donald E. WestlakeTHE ALLOTMENT Peter CrowtherTWELVE OF THE LITTLE BUGGERS Mat CowardMISSING IN ACTION Peter RobinsonTHE HAGGARD SOCIETY Edward D. HochSCORPION'S KISS Stuart M. KaminskyNOBLE CAUSES Bob MendesTHE SLEEPING DETECTIVE Gary PhillipsA NIGHT IN THE MANCHESTER STORE Stanley CohenWHAT MR. MCGREGOR SAW Dorothy CannellDELTA DOUBLE-DEAL Noreen AyresTHREE NIL Mat CowardTHE MAN IN THE CIVIL SUIT Jan BurkeBLACK AND WHITE MEMORIES Robert J. RandisiNOTHING TO LOSE Robert BarnardWIDOWER'S WALK Joseph HansenCHARACTER FLAW Christine MatthewsGOLDEN GATE BRIDGE— A VIEW FROM BELOW Jürgen EhlersBOO Richard LaymonVETERANS John LutzTHE ABBEY GHOSTS Jan BurkeTHE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND Doug AllynHAPPINESS Joyce Carol OatesTHE CONFESSION Ian RankinTHE PERFECTIONIST Peter LoveseyA WALL TOO HIGH Edward D. HochTHE SILENCE Kristine Kathryn RuschTHE BIG BITE Bill PronziniTHE GATHERING OF THE KLAN Les RobertsWHEN THE BLACK SHADOWS DIE Clark HowardREBIRTH (CAIN AND ABEL) Miguel AgustíHELENA AND THE BABIES Denise MinaOLD SOLDIERS Brendan DuBoisTHE VICTIM Ed McBainTHE POET OF PULP Pete Hamill

His mission is to guide intelligent life to the stars. In his long career, Uric has never failed but he soon realizes that this species called man defies all logic and protocol. Was his career in jeopardy? Spanning from the receding glaciers of Europe to the dying throes of New York, The Great Organizer uses his knowledge to influence history and guide humanity to the stars...will he succeed?

Haunted by a decades-old mistake, Deirdre finds herself taking on the ultimate challenge as she confronts her vengeful daughter, Lily, in a bloodthirsty competition of retribution and revenge that ranges from wilderness Maine to the streets of New Orleans and Manhattan's vampire underworld. Original Genre: Urban Fantasy

The second volume of the science fiction trilogy The Book of the Short Sun. It is narrated by Horn, who has embarked on a quest away from his home on the planet Blue in search of heroic leader Paters Silk, to whom he bears a remarkable resemblance.

In a New Jersey suburb, two women die of brain aneurysms within twenty-four hours--events that cause the government to suspect that a terrorist cell has unleashed a deadly biochemical agent. With each glass of water they drink, the people of Trinity Falls are poisoning themselves. A world away in Pakistan, a sixteen-year-old computer genius working as a virtual spy for the United States sees an influx of chatter from extremists about a substance they call Red Vinegar that will lead to many deaths in Colony One. Can he warn the victims before it's too late? A Printz Honor Award winner and two-time Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist, Carol Plum-Ucci explores disturbing new terrain in this riveting novel that examines the heroes and victims involved in a terrifying act of bioterrorism.