maritime industry hit rock bottom starting in the early 1980's, right around the time the author was graduating from the California Maritime Academy. Even in his yearbook it warned about how bad things were—it was a time of cost cutting, reduced wages, desperate shipping companies and a lack of jobs. Eventually he made his way out to sea as both an able-bodied seaman and as a third mate. He saw first-hand what it was like out there; from the crazy captains to the weary sailors, and from the bad food to the dangerous working conditions. This book covers it all, and while the ships he sailed on were all scrapped long ago, the stories of the industry and what it took to make it on them, are remembered. This is his story.

    

     If you are a fan of fast-paced, action-packed thrillers that combine corruption and murder with courtroom drama, then The Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series is for you Book 1 of the Brent Marks Legal Thriller Series, "Predatory Kill," has been called a "wild ride" by critics. In it, Kenneth Eade delivers another solid and intricately plotted financial thriller.A maniacal killer is on the loose. April’s mother is brutally murdered and her father beaten within an inch of his life. Attorney Brent Marks has already paid his dues as a lawyer, having taken his share of divorces and drunk driving cases over his 20 year career, but has finally reached a place in his life where he can take on cases of social importance. What he least expected was for April Marsh's predatory lending case against the big banks for wrongful foreclosure on her parent's home to turn into a murder investigation. As the courtroom drama heats up, the action outside the courtroom spirals out of control. ˃˃˃ Critically acclaimed series "Fans of John Grisham will find equal talent here in Eade's ability to captivate and hold readers with the unexpected, both in character development in nonstop action which lays the foundation for a story that's anything but predictable. The realistic dialogue is - well - simply killer; while action points in one direction, then often takes a 360-degree turn. In a world where plot and outcome are often predictable from the start, this will prove more than satisfying to readers already well versed in the legal thriller format." D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review Book two of the series is "A Patriot's Act," the prequel to "Predatory Kill." This fast-paced, action packed #1 best selling legal and political thriller will challenge everything you believe about justice and freedom. It's all about the delicate balance of power and experience - something gone awry in A Patriot's Act. Death, Law and in that Order at Guantanamo Bay When a naturalized American citizen turns up missing in Iraq, Brent Marks fights the Goliath U.S. Government's Patriot Act. Santa Barbara accountant Ahmed Khury responds to the plea of his brother, Sabeen, a suspected money launderer in Iraq. Before Ahmed realizes what has happened to him, he is sent to Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp as a suspected terrorist, and is subjected to torture to extract information that he doesn't have. "Eade, a lawyer by profession, weaves legal dialogue, corruption and international action to create a pacey read with echoes of Grisham, Baldacci and Clancy nipping at his writing heels. Law issues as well as forensics and police procedures are clearly explained with such authority as to add gritty realism in and out of the courthouse, but it's within the court drama that Eade really packs some punch. With some success with the first book of the series, Predatory Kill, this second saga looks sure to satisfy his growing base of readers." - SPR Review"A Patriot's Act is one hell of a legal thriller that challenges everything we know about justice and freedom."- Markus Book Reviews "An edge-of-your-seat thriller that could easily be transformed into a dramatic film. Simply riveting, start to finish!" InD' Tale Magazine. Book 3: HOA Wire:The president of the Orange Grove Homeowners Association is murdered and there are plenty of suspects - in fact everyone who lives in Orange Grove.

    At the time, he would have done anything to escape; only upon reflection years later did he realize that the self-confidence instilled in him by his drill instructors had probably saved his life in Vietnam. A few months after boot camp, Private Ball was shipped out to Vietnam, joining F Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, near Khe Sanh. As a grunt, in the vernacular of the Corps, Ball, like the other youths of F Company, did a difficult and deadly job in such places as the A Shau Valley, Leatherneck Square, the DMZ and other obscure but critical I Corps locales. His--their--fear of death mingled with homesickness. Little did they realize that the horrors of the Vietnam War--horrors that while in-country they often claimed did not even exist--would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

    Ever!" COURAGE NEVER GROWS OLD. Danann adds a tale of trial and triumph that proves two things once again. Black Swan heart can be expressed in four legged form. And there's no place like home. The Hawking family is at home at the Northern Ireland farm and wolf-dog kennel for Yuletide when Blackie goes missing. Instead of a joyous celebration of family and friends, Ram’s mate and elflings are beside themselves with fear and worry. As Song and Litha join the search, the story takes a turn into the dark world of dog fighting and the kidnapping of adult male dogs that match promoter criteria. Black Swan rarely gets involved in the mundane affairs of the world because that’s simply not their purpose, mission, or directive. But when Simon’s office is drowned in messages from retired knights insisting that Blackie is unofficially one of them and that an exception must be made, he relents and orders available personnel to assist B Team with a rundown. BOOK 14 TRESPASS Winner BEST SCI-FI FANTASY ROMANCE novel of the year!- The Paranormal Romance Guild Formerly published as Simon Says. New York Times bestselling author, Victoria Danann, introduces a new Black Swan series with this enchanting novella that will make you want to pack your bags and move to the world of Black Swan. "Adore this book." - Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK Rosie Storm is about to get the chance to head up a new Black Swan unit, D.I.T. The Department of Interdimensional Trespass. "Heart-warming, witty, quirky, a little racy and completely engaging!" - Amazon Reader Twenty years ago Sir Simon was a vampire hunter. He took three month's bereavement leave to go wild camping in the far north of Scotland following the death of his team leader. He expected solitude and fresh air to clear his mind and heart. He did not expect to fall in love. While wild camping on the stark landscape of the Orkney Islands, she disappeared into the standing stones. She faded into nothingness, a look of panic frozen on her face. As she reached out and silently called his name, he lunged to grab her an instant too late. Her memory has haunted him every hour since. Simon channeled his sorrow and loneliness into work until he eventually rose to the most powerful position ever held by an ex Black Swan knight. With tireless dedication, he built a congregation of talented misfits, watching and waiting for the one who could find Sorcha. BOOK 15 IRISH WAR CRY Torn Finngarick has finally met his match. CRAP IN A CAULDRON >b>What if you woke up to find you're no longer human? New York Times bestseller, Victoria Danann, author of Best Paranormal Romance Series the past four years in a row, continues the fast paced and breathlessly sexy adventures of D.I.T. Rosie hired Irish elf twins, Sheridan and Shivaun O'Malley for the newly formed Department of Interdimensional Trespass. They were wild and nearly feral, raised in the New Forest Preserve with no contact with the modern world until Black Swan made them the only female hunters other than Lady Elora Laiken. When Sher was assigned as Finngarick's partner, they were both stunned to find they weren't only partners, but fated mates.

    But a few brave souls struck out into that desolate wilderness, desperate to free themselves from the restrictions of the civilized world…KING OF THE MOUNTAIN: Nathaniel King doesn’t need much incentive to escape the confining, bustling city of New York. When his uncle starts spinning tales of a great treasure hidden in the wilderness, Nathaniel finds the lure of the West impossible to resist. Nathaniel’s trail leads from danger to danger, and into the uninhabited Rocky Mountains. If he can survive, Nathaniel will unearth a treasure far more valuable than he ever imagined.LURE OF THE WILD: Nineteen-year-old Nathaniel King and a rugged mountain man named Shakespeare McNair are headed to a rendezvous of trappers and fur traders in the Rocky Mountains. But hostile Utes and Blackfeet Indians pursue them relentlessly, determined to have their scalps. Despite the protection of a friendly band of Shoshone, Nathaniel and his companion risk the loss of their freedom…and their lives.

    

    His mission was to retrieve an important package and get it to a secret military base in northern California. He was hundreds of miles inside alien held territory with no heavy weapons, no support, no Intel on the aliens, and no way to report the mission was a bust. Between him and the secret base stood the Sierra Nevada Mountain, four hundred miles of treacherous road and an unknown number of world destroying aliens. Any transport was immidiately attacked and destroyed, so the only way to get there was to walk. To even think about taking these women on a four hundred mile yomp was crazy at best, and completely insane knowing winter would catch them before they reached their goal. But ever the perennial sheepdog he didn't have a choice. It was either leave them to their fate, or take them with him. The only way to do that was to teach them. Not only survive, but to turn these inexperienced civilians into a snarling, battle hardened 'Wolf Pack', willing and able to take down the assorted bad guys and aliens that stood in their path. In the SAS, he'd done some crazy thing, and if there was a kindly God who looked after little children, fools and village idiots, John ‘Wolfman’ Decker hoped he was paying special attention right about now, because he was the biggest village idiot of them all.Cover Artist: Jesus Condi

    So when a strange woman turns up with promises of a new life in Liverpool, she is thrilled.Warm-hearted and kind, Phyl is everything she wants in a stepmother. But then Lizzie falls in love with the one man who should have been out of bounds. Should she follow her heart and risk losing it all? From the author of A Sister’s Duty and Lily’s War (Note: previously published as Going Home to Liverpool)

    A Woman of Substance: From the servants' quarters of a manor house on the brooding Yorkshire moors to the helm of a profitable international business, Emma Harte's life is a sweeping saga of unbreakable spirit and resolve. There is only one man the indomitable Emma cannot have--and only one she yearns for. Hold the Dream: As the founder and head of the indomitable business empire Harte Enterprises, Emma Harte is a woman of purpose. She has sacrificed everything to make sure her granddaughter, Paula McGill Farley, inherits her wealth and her corporation. But Paula has already inherited Emma's unbreakable will, and she has dreams of her own. To Be the Best: The heiress to Emma Harte's international retail empire, Paula McGill O'Neill has grown to fill her legendary grandmother's shoes. But unbeknownst to her, new threats and old are converging to threaten everything Paula has fought for, and shake the very foundations of her grandmother's legacy.

    The next morning, he awoke in an entirely different body, inside of a polar opposite world. Kings and Queens? Magic? Dragons? Gryphons? Even vampires? Follow Caesar on his journey as he once again attempts to reach the top of the world, but this time, he will do it as no man, but a vampire instead!

    Each title in this series follows a different curvy heroine as she dares to believe in love and passion once more in the arms of an alpha shifter, discovering mystery, love, and most of all, their heart's desire. Reader note: these books contains searing sex (ice cream time-outs are recommended) and adult language (the alphas know what they like and aren't shy about demanding). If this is not the kind of stuff you like to read, skip these books. However, if you like dirty, raunchy sex with ridiculous hot shifters on funny curvy girls, then this is right up your alley. Enjoy! Over 600 pages of stories - together, these books have over 75 five-star reviews on Amazon. Best for ages 13 and up~ DEN AND BREAKFAST When Rachel inherits her grandmother's home in the idyllic village of Honeycomb Falls, she decides to turn it into a gorgeous bed & breakfast. Yet will her plans survive her encounter with the sinfully hot werewolf masquerading as the gardener, or the darker heritage that her grandmother has left her, whom rumor has was a powerful witch? LOOK BEFORE YOU BAKE When Anita wins the Frankly County Bake Off with the help of a mysterious vial of honey, she's determined to take her winnings and open her own sweet little bakery. With a potential investor on the line and her dark past returning to ruin her dreams, she sets off into the wilderness, determined to persuade the honey's guardian to give her more and guarantee her success. Luckily for Anita he's a gorgeous mountain man of a werebear who likes the look of her wicked curves... CATCHING THE CAT BURGLAR When local librarian Joanna learns that a spot is opening in the Honeycomb Falls police force, she leaps at the chance to join. She'll have to ignore the arrival of Chase Xavier, the searingly attractive new head librarian, and focus on catching the cat burglar who has been stealing the town's most prized possessions. With the help of a little talking dog called Groofy, she'll have to track down this thief, and catch him before he has a chance to steal her heart... BETWEEN TWO WOLVES AND A HARD PLACE Kiera's life has come crashing down around her ears. When her boyfriend steals her business and home, she returns to Honeycomb Falls to plan her revenge and start a new glassblowing shop. Yet she hadn't counted on running into Dean and Drake, her childhood shifter best friends - who are now all grown up, totally growly and sinfully hot! Will these two werewolves give this curvy girl the time of day after the way she broke their hearts one golden summer so many years ago? A LION AFTER MY OWN HEART When Boston reporter Myra is assigned to write a profile of the smokin’ hot Alexander Adams, the golden haired mayoral candidate, she promises nothing will stop her from writing the story of her career. Yet she soon starts to suspect that Alexander is a shifter - and the deeper she digs, the more convinced she becomes that he hails from a small, out of the way town called Honeycomb Falls. Soon Myra’s going to discover just how far Alexander is willing to go to keep his secrets - and for the first time, she just might have to choose between her story and her heart. DON'T JUDGE A BEAR BY HIS COVER Saira has convinced dozens of indie bookstores to merge with her father's mega-chain, Universal Books. Yet when she arrives in Honeycomb Falls to do the same with The Bear's Book Cave, this curvy and very professional business woman finds her plans turned head over heels by the sinfully hot bookstore owner...

    After living the double life for over five years she decides to quit the business. Unfortunately, her epiphany may have come too late when she finds herself in a compromising situation. Suddenly the lavish lifestyle didn’t look as glamourous as it once did. She reflects on her life while death may only be a few feet away.

    One phone call from his past turns his life inside out, setting him on a path of death and destruction. Assets are being eliminated by an assassin with a special skill, a skill John thought only he possessed-the ability to blur. The life he thought he left behind threatens to destroy him and everything he holds dear. He is given one last mission-find the assassin, eliminate him, or be eliminated.

    The book presents a lot of valuable phrases and sentences you will never think of unless you come across them. It contains plenty of common sentences used by native English speakers in everyday life. The book covers topics such as meeting new people and making small talk, dating and visiting friends, emergency situations and doctor’s appointments, car and flat rental, staying in hotels and traveling by air, shopping and bargaining.