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Property Index Page
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Herda, D. J. Chi-Town Blues When author/editor D. J. Herda left Chicago, he took a big part of the city with him. Now he has unleashed it in all its wild-and-wooly, sexually charged, hit-and-hit-harder glory. These tales are hauntingly vivid, running the gamut from Crime and Punishment to Coming-of-Age in the Windy City.
Places Where I've Done Time, Too Author D. J. Herda has traveled the world several times over, first as a professional syndicated travel writer and then as a working photojournalist. Here he assembles the most poignant, touching, uproarious, and human of all of the stories he has amassed from the different places where he’s done time.
For Cat's Sake and Other Bizarre Tales from Beyond the Grave Touching, humorous, ethereal, and uplifting tales about all kinds and manner of animals the author has known intimately through his life by the author whom some people call “the best short-story teller working today.”
Babel From the master teller of short stories, here are the best mystery and suspense tales with just a touch of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.
So Hang Me! Tawdry Tales of a Life of No Remorse D. J. Herda may not know pornography, but he knows what he likes! And what he likes better than anything else is lambasting those who deserve it most. From George Dub-ya and Newt Gingrich to Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi, from the Pope to the Supreme Court, from Britney Spears to pickle spears, no subject is too taboo, no one is too powerful, too glib, too popular to escape the rapier wit of America’s most cutting humorist. Cindy Sheehan, watch your butt!
Herda, D. J. Baby Makes Three Recent widower Richard Bass and his teenage daughter discover that living in a rambling home has its drawbacks. But when they take in boarder Alicia Desiree, they soon learn that nothing is as it first appears--absolutely nothing!
Herda, D. J. Dark Seeds: Hemingway Out of Havana As Ernest Hemingway falls under J. Edgar Hoover scrutiny for defending Fidel Castro while the revolutionary leader stands poised on the outskirts of Havana, the author decides to take matters into his own hands. Working out of the seedy Hotel Ambos Mundos, Hemingway maneuvers behind the scenes to help bring an end to the corrupt Batista regime. On his third wife and fourth mistress--and well into a life of failing health and alcohol addiction--the author decides there might be one more story unfolding before him, one more novel to help seal his reputation in greatness. But, as Hemingway welcomes the Cuban liberator into Havana, rumors from the Soviet Union and rumblings from the United States--pro-Batista to the bitter end--threaten the author's very reasons for living ... and very nearly threaten life, itself.
Sweet Nothings from No One
Kinnard, Jeremy
Herda, D. J.
The Devil Within
But “mother” soon turns to “muthah” as Markinson fails to anticipate his still human weaknesses and eventually falls in lust bordering on love. The only problem: the woman is a Central European Command (CEC) operative who has been assigned to paranormal investigations into terrorist links. When she learns from her lover who he really is and where he gets his power—and, worse, that he knows who she really is--she sets out to do the only thing her conscience will allow her to do. She must destroy him, even if it means making her own pact with the devil to do so!
Eden, Hunter
Herda, D. J.
Two Mules for McCandless
A breathtaking tale made all the more exciting by the fact that it's based on a true story. The action is non-stop, and the characters will live in your memory for a lifetime.
"This is Dennis Hopper in Doublecrossed times ten, the scenes of Block being tortured in a Mexican jail are absolutely haunting. It's a sure winner at the book stores, as well as at the box office." - Don Bacue, Editor-in-Chief, International Features Syndicate
Herda, D. J. "Hymie Stiehl" Series Bk.
1 -
Crazy as
a Loon - The Death and Life of Hymie Stiehl
Bk. 2 - Murder in the Court As Hymie Stiehl and sidekick D. J. Shanahan arrive in Trinidad, Colorado, to ensnare whoever sent Stiehl's close contractor friend to prison, Stiehl has a revelation. He sets the kid up as a contractor to work underground. But when the "kid" gets charged with passing bad checks, contractor fraud, and finally murder, things get ugly. Stiehl goes underground while the kid bails out, and the two of them meet to uncover the worst in human society--from a dirty District Court Judge right on down to drug-pushing, drug-crazed local vice cops gone wild.
Things look bleak for D.J.'s upcoming trial when suddenly Stiehl has a revelation. Halfway through the preliminary hearing to bind the kid over for murder one, Stiehl shows up with three Federal officers--and the kid gets a change of venue ... much to the chagrin of the judge. When the judge goes to step down and the FBI clasps him in cuffs, he pulls a gun from beneath his robes and shoots his own bailiff in the head. As the judge is hauled away, Stiehl reveals the real savior behind the scenes in an ending as touching as it is creative.
Bk. 3 - Stiehl Stalkings A Caribbean cruise goes sour when a wealthy German industrialist turns up dead during an attempted robbery--murdered with his own gun. The plot thickens when Yiddish Bulldog Hymie Stiehl learns that the man's stepson had lost more than $20 thousand at the tables the night before. The man's wife, too, stands to gain financially from her husband's death, although she voluntarily takes a polygraph test and passes with ease. When links to a Belizean woman emerge, Hymie grows restless. The deceased industrialist had been having an affair, and his wife found out. What better peg to the murder than a spurned wife? But when the wife's own son is killed, all eyes fall elsewhere, and it's up to Hymie to unravel the most bizarre and twisted tale of murder and chicanery ever.
Bk. 4 - Murder by Default Ronald Deus has an ax to grind. In fact, he has several. The sharpest is reserved for his beloved mother—the only person standing between Deus and a fortune in family stocks and bonds. But when he takes aim at committing the perfect crime, little does he realize that it’s he, himself, who is standing in his own crosshairs.
Herda, D. J. Bk. 1 -
Backside Blues Nick and Nora Cavender
set out to invest in a racehorse destined for the Kentucky Derby. But
when the horse’s jockey turns up dead—and his jockey friend, and the track
steward, and the trainer—they know they're onto one helluva story. Who
will be next? Nora very nearly finds out ... the hard way. It
isn't long before the society couple realize they're in for the crime of their
lives. Pre-Publication Review: This is the best racing mystery I’ve ever read. It’s pure dynamite, a page-turner from the first to the last. The relationship between the characters is supercharged. And why wouldn't it be, with Nora Cavender, herself, the great granddaughter of Dashiell Hammett's even greater Thin Man, Nick Charles. Highly recommended! – Don Bacue, Editor-in-Chief, International Features Syndicate
Bk. 3 - Chameleon When Nora's Chicago Daily Tribune editor sends her to the U.K. to cover the Irish Darby, she soon learns that derby day is not without its inherent risks. Within hours of landing, she finds herself the target of a mysterious stalker. Nick lays plans and apprehends the stalker, who turns out to be anything but! When Nora disappears, Nicky faces a blank slate for the first time in his life--why was she kidnapped? Is she unharmed? Where is she being held? What clues can their new Welsh Corgi puppy provide? And are the locals right when they claim that only the Irish moors hold the answer ... and the answer is death!
Schoenewolf, Gerald Lila's Bathroom What happens when an irresistible force (a midget with a kissing reflex) meets an immovable object (a stubborn beauty with a dark secret)? Both meet their match in this modern, somewhat twisted take on Beauty and the Beast.
Barone, Jessica Blood Legacy When an ancient threat emerges to destroy a family of vampires, Alexander, The Dragon Slayer--a medieval Russian vampire--sends word to Jonathan, his grandson-by-blood. His letters come at a drastic time. Jason, the link between Alexander and his grandson, has recently been granted power beyond his years. Alexander, no stranger to power himself, sends advice that might save them, but to no avail, as the ancients known as The Nine destroy the ageless leader and abduct Jason and Jonathan. With their very eternal existence in peril, Jonathan is forced to step up to grab the reigns of leadership. But he'll have to use all the lessons and legacies of those who have come before him to succeed.
The question is, can he? And will he be in time?
***
Beck, Michielle
DJ
***
Herda, D. J. The Changling In the mountains of northern Colorado, a young couple live life to the fullest, sharing their good fortune, drugs, and mates with their New Age friends. Shortly after they erect a tee-pee several hundred yards from their log cabin home, they take in a tenant who has just suffered a painful divorce. When Donnelly’s golden retriever trots down to an all-night Bachanalian feast, he follows along to bring the dog home. But his hosts insist that he join in the fun.
When the next morning a Wiccan witch disappears, the dog locates her face-down in a mountain stream just behind the tee-pee with her throat ripped open. Before long, other guests suffer similar fates, and Greg and DeeAnn begin to wonder if their decision to take in a renter was such a good idea after all. When they approach Donnelly to suggest that he move out, he disappears suddenly, leaving only his dog behind. Or, they wonder, did he?
***
McKeown, Edward
Was Once a Hero
Fearful Symmetry Having survived the nightmare world of Enshar, Robert Fenaday abandons privateering and his quest for his lost wife to begin life anew with the genetically engineered assassin, Shasti Rainhell. But spymaster Mandela has other plans for the pair, intrigue and murder on Shasti’s home planet of Olympia. Fenaday must fight his way to Shasti, facing her deadly creator and an alien mystery that could destroy the Confederacy.
Points of Departure Robert Fenaday must drive the starship Sidhe across uncharted space to rescue his wife before war breaks out. But can he keep his command from mutiny and his former lover Shasti Rainhell from murder as well?
Blackwell, Deanna Bk. 3 - The Winds of Kabul Paula is young, intelligent, and hauntingly beautiful--a woman of strong will and unbreakable spirit. Restless and eager for adventure, she and her husband strike out for Afghanistan, where they have been enlisted to help rebuild the new democratic regime. Paula wants a different life for the two of them: a renewed love for her husband and a renewed sense of well-being for herself. But what she finds are turmoil and upheaval.
As the countryside around her erupts into guerrilla warfare, her devotion to her husband is challenged by his need for drugs until finally she meets a passionate Afghan rebel willing to help. But his help proves futile, driving Paula further into desperation until her rebel companion steps in to save her from the forces of pending doom.
Bk. 3 - The Mistress and the Rogue This gripping account of a young American woman and her Afghan-born lover takes on new and ominous overtones when Paula suddenly finds herself attacked in her home by two foreign nationals. When she learns that Shadar has disappeared on his way back to her from Hong Kong, she sets out to find him. Along the way, she uncovers a sordid trail of human bondage, gun smuggling, and Al Qaeda terrorists. All hope nearly melts away in a deadly fire-fight with outlaw Islamicists.
When Sunni anarchist Ali Syndar Bhutto captures Paula as she attempts to escape into the night, his first thought is to kill her to get even with Shadar. But his second thought is far more sinister…and perverted. Will Paula manage to escape, and will she ever reunite with her lost lover?
Bk. 3 - Lady of Two Nights A cozy night at the opera turns deadly as Paula and her lover Dali stand by helplessly. Their investigation into the death of Dali’s closest friend soon leads them to Kabul, where Dali is charged with the task of helping set up the underground Iraqi Resistance Movement to ferret out and destroy opponents of Coalition Forces and the newly elected Iraqi Free Parliament. From there, they wend their way to the Tigris, when Dali suddenly disappears.
Fearing the worst, Paula tries desperately to contact the underground and finally manages to reach the head of the movement ... on the wrong side! As rogue Iranian Republican Guard troops and the dreaded Turkish secret police close in on her, she faces the dilemma of her life: should she flee ... or stay and fight against all odds in the hopes of finding her lover?
***
Herda, D. J When an investigative reporter falls head-over-heels in love, it’s a good thing. When the target of his affections is a classy/sassy blonde charged with protecting the world’s most valuable book, it’s a bad thing. Or, at least, it is if the reporter is determined to steal the book from under her nose.
By the time she falls under the growing scrutiny of the police for being an accomplice to the Covenant’s mysterious “theft,” Dartanian is laying plans for a future of unbridled debauchery in yet another new estate by the sea. This time, he plans on bringing a friend.
She just doesn't know it yet.
"Carlotta" Series Bk. 1 - Bound for Carlotta When Dean Janus stumbles across an Internet promotion for a professional Domme, his curiosity is piqued. By the time he decides to check it out, he is already ensnared in an ever-widening web of drugs, money laundering, BDSM, and murder. Only the tenacious love of a woman nearly ten years younger can save him. But is that love strong enough to go head-to-head with Mistress Carlotta? And can Dean overcome the prejudices he has against his young, headstrong lover? His very life may depend upon it!
Bk. 2 - Carlotta’s Revenge When Domme Mistress Carlotta escapes from prison, Dean Janus bears the brunt of her wrath. Taken into bondage to a small adobe outside Ensenada, he is broken of his will and forced to do her bidding. He returns to the states, where under orders from Carlotta he drugs and kidnaps his own fiancé, and returns with her to Carlotta's adobe, where she too is eventually turned into a devoted slave. But when M.C. introduces a young peasant girl to become Lynn's charge, Dean turns the tables on the Domme and sets the stage for a supercharged ending.
Bk. 3 - The Unbroken Mistress Carlotta is released from prison and rehabilitated from a life of depravity and sado-masochism. In atonement for her sins, she agrees to help set up a home for abused submissives—men and women. But the temptations prove too strong, and before long, Carlotta has fallen back into her evil ways with a hauntingly frightening twist. She breaks, then sells her slaves to the underground, where they are forced into the alternative-sex trade or made to perform in alternative snuff flicks. When Lynne turns up dead, Dean turns up the heat and presses authorities to take up the chase. As the trail turns cold, he springs into action, enlisting the aid of Lynne’s younger sister—who turns out to be more than Carlotta can resist!
***
Schoenewolf, Gerald Therapy When Bill is assigned his first patient by the institute he is attending, he finds that she is both suicidal and a multiple personality. She is more than he can handle and he ends up trying to heal her and love her at the same time.
A Way You'll Never Be A black serial murderer picks up a teen-aged runaway and heads for the Florida Keys; on the way he makes plans to kill her while she makes plans to marry him.
Herda, D. J. The Secret Arroyo As an Army scout, Wade Hawkins learned his job well—he is the best tracker west of the Missouri. It is a skill that comes in handy, for he’ll need all of his wiles to overtake the murderous flesh-traders who abducted his Choctaw wife from their home several days before. As he closes in on her captors, he finds more than he bargained for: a troop of ruthless, bloodthirsty ex-rangers with plenty of fire power and 16 Indian women—captive squaws—on their hands. But was Tantien one of them? |
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