New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice lights up Summer 2007 with her most unforgettable love story-a sweeping novel of enduring devotion destined to forever secure her place as one of our most beloved storytellers. Last summer's Sandcastles appeared on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list for three consecutive weeks. USA Today praised it as "[a] potent brew of love and longing [with] echoes of Colleen McCullough's The Thorn Birds... one of those books you'll be longing to carve out time to read." WHAT MATTERS MOST tells the story of a couple introduced in that novel, Sister Bernadette Ignatius and her one-time true love, handyman Tom Kelly. The electricity between Bernadette Sullivan and Tom Kelly was instant and undeniable from the moment they met. But Bernie's faith and fate drew her to a life within the cloistered walls of a Connecticut convent, where Tom, too, chose to labor on the land, sacrificing all else just to be near her. Yet years later and from thousands of miles away in Ireland, a past they thought they had left behind forever still calls out to them... and as they journey at last to confront all they have lost, the fate of another young couple torn tragically apart will turn on what they discover. Fans embraced the Dillon family in Sandcastles, and will come clamoring for more of this remarkable Irish clan-and those who may have missed meeting Honor, John, Regis, Agnes, and Cecelia will be treated to a pre-WHAT MATTERS MOST mass-market superrelease of Sandcastles on 5/29/07, making Summer 2007 a season truly all about Luanne. Luanne Rice is the author of twenty-three novels, most recently The Edge of Winter, Sandcastles, Summer of Roses, Summer's Child, Silver Bells, Beach Girls, Dance With Me, The Perfect Summer, The Secret Hour, True Blue, Safe Harbor, and Summer Light. She lives in New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut and is at work on her next novel.

"Every bit as darkly intelligent and finely twisted as Elizabeth George's work... I hated to reach the last page, but at least I've got Booth's first four novels to savor" (Entertainment Weekly on One Last Breath). Award-winning suspense author Stephen Booth and his detective team, Cooper and Fry, are back in THE DEAD PLACE, Booth's chilling sixth novel, a Sunday Times bestseller in hardcover in the UK, and a paperback bestseller in Canada. "It's perfectly simple. All you have to do is find the dead place." The anonymous phone calls indicate a disturbed mind with an unnatural passion for death. Cooper and Fry hope the caller is just a harmless crank having some sick fun. But the clues woven through his disturbing messages point to the possibility of an all-too-real crime… especially when a woman vanishes from a garage. But it's the mystery surrounding an unidentified female corpse left exposed in the woods for over a year that really has the detectives worried. Whoever she might have been, the dead woman is linked to the mystery caller, whose description of his twisted death rituals matches the bizarre manner in which the body was found. And the mystery only deepens when Cooper obtains a positive I.D. and learns the dead woman was never reported missing and that she definitely wasn't murdered. As the killer draws them closer into his confidence, Ben and Diane learn everything about his deadly obsessions except what matters most: his identity and the identity of his next victim…. Stephen Booth has "firmly joined the elite of Britain's top mystery writers" (Florida Sun-Sentinel). Booth's novels have been Book Sense Mystery selections. He is the winner of the Barry and CWA Dagger Awards, and has received numerous nominations for the Anthony, Dorothy Parker, Sherlock and Reviewers' Choice awards. Stephen Booth is a former journalist. He lives in rural England with his wife, three cats, and three goats, and he is at work on his next novel, Scared to Live, which will be published by Bantam in Summer 2008.

LITTLE HEATHENS: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression
by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
All rights inquiries to
The Bantam Dell Publishing Group, 212-782-9800 (F)

THE PROBIOTICS REVOLUTION: The Definitive Guide to Safe, Natural Health Solutions Using Probiotic and Prebiotic Foods and Supplements
by Gary B. Huffnagle, Ph.D.., with Sarah Wernick
Translation and Audio:
Ted Weinstein Literary Management, 415-546-7200

"Probiotics: If they're not in your diet, they should be," proclaimed Consumer Reports in July 2005. But how does this naturally occurring bacteria work? In this groundbreaking book, two leading researchers in the field give us the definitive guide to utilizing probiotics, for both adults and children... In the second half of the 20th century, the use of antibiotics exploded, saving millions of lives around the world. But while modern medicine won the war on infectious disease, victory has come at an alarming cost. Our increasing exposure to antibiotics, which wipe out both healthful and harmful bacteria, is linked to an epidemic of allergies, asthma, autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases. Meanwhile, another important disease-fighting tool has gone virtually ignored… until now. New studies link probiotics, the bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract, to a range of healthful benefits, including the prevention of heart disease. We now know that a vast array of microscopic bacteria-even the potentially dangerous E. coli-are crucial to the immune system. But how can we guard against the medicines, foods, and chemicals that destroy these organisms? And how do we replenish our body's supply? Written in clear, layperson's language, this book offers an easy-to-follow diet along with a wealth of information to help boost your probiotic immune system. Discover:

•How allergic reactions to substances such as cat dander or mould may be caused by the foods you are eating-and how probiotics can relieve them
•Why foods such as yogurt, red wine, garlic, spices, and even chocolate can boost your immunity
•The healing link between probiotics and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease
•Step-by-step instructions for choosing the right probiotic supplements
•New evidence that probiotics may help fight obesity, autism, and chronic fatigue

An essential book for anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle, THE PROBIOTICS REVOLUTION will help you understand and fully benefit from this natural source of wellness. Gary B. Huffnagle, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical Center. He is an expert on the role of probiotics in human and animal health and is the recipient of a $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the link between allergies and digestive-tract microbes. Mairi C. Noverr, Ph.D., is Research Investigator in Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center. Sarah Wernick is the co-author of several bestselling health books, including Strong Women Stay Young, Strong Women Stay Slim, and Strong Women, Strong Bones. She has written for Women's Day, Working Mother, Parents, Smithsonian Magazine, and The New York Times, among many other publications.

A harsh and deadly land... Rye Tyler was twelve when he saw his father cut down in an Indian raid. Taken in by a mysterious stranger with a taste for Shakespeare and an instinct for survival, Rye is schooled in the lessons of a hard country. Then tragedy forces him to live a loner's life in a wild land of canyons and buttes, and on dust-choked cattle trails. But his skill with a gun has earned Rye a bloody reputation he can't escape. Though he's become the law in a lawless town, he had hoped for a better life with the beautiful Liza Hetrick. When Liza is taken away and held in a mountain-girded outlaw fortress, Rye must face his deadliest enemy—the very man who taught Rye about manhood, friendship... and the ways of a gunman. For over half a century, readers have devoured the stories of Louis L'Amour. From his novels to his short stories, running the gamut from adventure tales to noir crime stories to his unforgettable Westerns, L'Amour has captivated generations of readers. Louis L'Amour is the only novelist in history to receive both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He published ninety novels, twenty-three short-story collections, two works of nonfiction, a memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, and a volume of poetry, Smoke From This Altar. There are more than 270 million copies of his books in print worldwide.

THE WEDDING OFFICER: A Novel of Culinary Seduction by Anthony Capella
British, Translation, Audio, and Performance:
A.P. Watt Ltd.,
+44 20 7405 6774 (P); +44 20 7831 2154 (F)

In the sumptuous tradition of "Chocolat" and "Captain Corelli's Mandolin," here is a tantalizing tale of culinary delight, romantic passion, and Italy, that is an unforgettable feast for the senses… It is 1944, and after suffering through four years of war and German occupation, Naples is under the control of the Allies. But fiery young widow Livia Pertini wants nothing to do with the British and American servicemen. It was an Allied bomb that killed her husband, but the British Field Security Service needs a chef, Livia needs a job, and these are desperate times… After too many lean years of cobbling meals together from odds and ends, Livia, a master in the kitchen, is once again cooking with real ingredients: San Marzano tomatoes, anchovies, new potatoes encrusted with the black volcanic earth of Campania… And one officer in particular is especially appreciative of her culinary skills. As the new "Wedding Officer," it's Captain James Gould's job to discourage marriages between Allied soldiers and their gorgeous Italian would-be brides. He may succeed-if he doesn't become distracted by the intoxicating Livia. And James is just realizing that his heart may rank higher than his orders-when an eruption of Vesuvius triggers a cataclysmic series of events that will change their lives forever. The Times of London says THE WEDDING OFFICER is "one of those delicious, unashamedly feel-good stories that begs to be read in the sun." And New Line Cinema, in cooperation with Material Films, has optioned THE WEDDING OFFICER. Anthony Capella is an author, self-proclaimed Italophile, and lover of all things culinary. He lives in Oxfordshire with his wife and three children. His first novel, The Food of Love, was a "Richard and Judy" pick, and is being made into a film to be directed by Peter Chelsom for DiNovi Pictures.

WHITE CORRIDOR: A Bryant and May Mystery
by Christopher Fowler
First Serial, British, Translation, Audio, and Performance: Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, Inc.,
212-529-4433 (P); 212-995-1112 (F)

"They're old, they're cranky, and their chaotic work habits inevitably lead to disaster. But life always seems livelier whenever Arthur Bryant and John May are on a case!" -New York Times Book

Review Arthur Bryant and John May are famous for their maddeningly unorthodox approach to solving crimes that the ordinary police cannot. Now Christopher Fowler, "a new master of the classical detective story" (Denver Post) brings back crime detection's oddest-and oldest-couple to solve the ultimate locked room mystery. But this time the venerable leaders of the Peculiar Crimes Unit may have finally met their match when a long-time colleague is murdered-and all clues indicate that the killer is one of the Unit's very own… It's an "impossible" crime-a member of the Peculiar Crimes Unit killed inside a locked autopsy room populated only by the dead and to which only four PCU members had a key. And to make matters worse, the Unit has been shut down for a forced "vacation" and Bryant and May are stuck in a van miles away in the Dartmoor countryside during a freak snowstorm on their way to a convention of psychics. Now with Sergeant Janice Longbright in charge at headquarters, Bryant and May must crack the case by cell phone while trying to stop a second murder without freezing to death. For among the line of snowed-in vehicles, a killer is on the prowl, a beautiful woman is on the run from a man who seeks either redemption or another victim, and an innocent child is at risk. Weaving together two electrifying cases, WHITE CORRIDOR is an unforgettable triumph-by turns hilarious and harrowing-as two of detective fiction's most marvelous characters confront one of human nature's darkest mysteries: the ability to deceive, deny, and destroy. Christopher Fowler is the acclaimed author of twelve novels, including Full Dark House, The Water Room, Seventy-Seven Clocks, and Ten Second Staircase. He lives in London, where he is at work on his next mystery, Vanishing Victorious, which Delacorte will publish in 2008.

Set in the steamy and intriguing underground S&M scene in Los Angeles, THE DARK GARDEN is compelling and scintillating debut erotic fiction. For years Rowan Cassidy has found a second home at Club Privé, the most exclusive bondage club on the West Coast. As a mistress there, she is able to live out her dominant fantasies, always safe and in control. But lately, dominating even the most obedient and beautiful boys at the club leaves her edgy and unsatisfied until she meets Christian Thorne. Dominant to the core and determined to be her master and show Rowan her true nature as a submissive, he dares her to give him a month-in his hands and under his power. Rowan finds his offer terrifying and irresistible. Her attraction to this mysterious man is consuming and undeniable, but giving over and surrendering her will, her body, her very essence might be more than she can handle. And it might be the realization of her most authentic self and the dark garden within her. Eden Bradley lives in Southern California where she is at work on her next novel for Bantam.

THE HINDI-BINDI CLUB by Monica Pradhan
British, Translation, and Performance:
Spencerhill Associates, Ltd., 518-392-9293

LOGORRHEA: Good Words Make Good Stories
Edited by John Klima
All rights inquiries to
The Bantam Dell Publishing Group, 212-782-9800 (F)

"Autochthonous," vivisepulture," "pococurante"-do you know what these words mean? Can you spell them? Such words are the inspiration for this fantastical anthology of original short stories based on obscure and fascinating winning spelling bee words from 1925 to the present. Over twenty authors, including Tim Pratt, Elizabeth Hand, Jeff VanderMeer, Kelly Link, Michael Moorcock, among others, have each contributed a unique tale to this work, using the meaning of his chosen word as the central theme of his story, creating a work both captivating and educational. The result is LOGORRHEA-a veritable dictionary of the weird, the fantastic, the haunting, and the indefinable that will have you spellbound from the very first page. For logophiles, cruciverbalists, spelling bee fans, and lovers of great fiction everywhere, this clever collection is a marvel of storytelling both captivating and sneakily educational! There's only word for such an irresistible anthology: L-O-G-O-R-R-H-E-A. John Klima is the editor of the fiction 'zine Electric Velocipede, which has received several recommendations in the annual Year's Best Fantasy and Horror over its short four-year history.

As he proved in his debut novel The Patron Saint of Plagues , Barth Anderson is a master at combining mainstream storytelling with subtle fantasy. The San Diego Union-Tribune calls the novel, "a cinematic, futuristic techno-thriller with smarts and heart... this cleverly managed skein of cliffhangers and revelations begs to be filmed." Salon.com claims, "Anderson has some serious writing chops, and he delivers a page turner that is at once a medical thriller, cyberpunk romp and provocative tease... a novel about race and class, science and faith." Now, he is back with a novel that follows the intertwined paths of a down-and-out former professor turned nomad and a homeless man known as "The Boy King," as they explore the connection between a shadowy conspiracy and the secrets of tarot cards. Two fallen scholars vie for control over the earliest known tarot deck… and find themselves in a battle with a force beyond their reckoning. One homeless man with an unspeakable gift hides in the shadows from an unknown enemy and wrestles with the riches and horrors that true power bestows. One ancient and mysterious document holds secrets that should never be spoken. All converge in one explosive event that exposes what real magic actually means… and shows what true sacrifice entails. Barth Anderson lives in Minnesota with his wife and child. He is the author of several short stories which have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including On Spec, Asimov's, Mojo Conjure Stories, and Polyphony 3. He was winner of the Spectrum Award for Best Short Fiction in 2004.

Just when you thought you knew it all… here is a new guide to erotic pleasure by the woman who literally wrote the book on Hot Sex. Because you really can't get enough of a good thing, Tracey Cox, a.k.a. The Sex Doctor, has turned up the heat to deliver the feel-good book for men and women of every taste and persuasion. Cox delivers the low-down on going down, straight talk on toys, and surefire ways to turn up the heat on even the most lukewarm love-life. Filled with hands-on advice, this brand-new how-to guide to making it hotter is both amusing and arousing, and almost as much fun to read as doing it yourself! Including these sizzling topics:

•Beyond the G-Spot: Take advantage of the latest sex research to touch all of your lover's hot buttons: the A-spot, the C-spot, and the U-spot
•The top five things your new lover is hoping for
•Foolproof ways to tell how you rate as a lover
•How to get some: Sex advice for those who aren't getting enough or aren't getting any-whether you already have a partner or need a date
•Does cheating count if no one catches you?
•The best sex toys and how to use them
•Are your parents getting into bed with you?
•Crucial keys to having fabulous long-term sex
•Position yourself for maximum pleasure: Easy-to-follow instructions for out-of-this-world orgasms …and much more!

Tracey Cox is a bestselling author, journalist, and TV presenter (HBO's "The Sex Inspectors," BBC's "Would Like to Meet," and Discovery Channel's "Date Patrol"). Her first book, Hot Sex, was a worldwide success. Tracey is UK Glamour magazine's relationships coach and contributes to a variety of other publications around the world. Check out her website at www.traceycox.com.

"The most bizarre, profound and beautiful novel I've read in a long, long time." - Michael Marshall, author of Blood Of Angels

"OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE is captivating, absorbing, infuriating and disturbingly funny; it takes you hostage on the very first page and refuses to let you go until all its demands have been met." - Tom Holt, author of In Your Dreams

In this outrageously funny, outrageously inventive debut, one of the most outrageously talented new writers to break onto the sci-fi scene in decades asks the most loaded question of all: "Don't you hate it when this happens?"… that's what the business card asks Jonny X67, dream architect to the rich and jaded. It's all the thieves who stole his house left behind. And, if that weren't bad enough, a parachuting saleswoman named Caroline E61 drops from the sky to sell him a set of encyclopedias and won't take "no" for an answer. Can his luck get any worse? In this rip-roaring rollercoaster ride through a brilliantly imagined future of paranoid absurdity, Jonny X will learn the answer soon enough when he falls afoul of a lunatic motorcycle gang nicknamed the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, a relentless Belgian Assassin, and his own irate girlfriend. Traversing a cityscape whose neighborhoods are organized by musical genres, running afoul of joke-telling elevators, and holographic computer viruses, Jonny is about to learn what a nightmare it's going to be to get his old life back in a reality warping faster than the speed of his imagination. OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE heralds a marvelous new talent sure to be delightfully altering the minds of readers for years to come. Tim Scott graduated from Cambridge University, England, and went on to write and appear on BBC Radio 4 in around fifty comedy half-hours. He has written a large number of children's books, and also for children's television, and more recently became a television director. He is at work on his next novel for Bantam.

In its review of Triptych, USA Today praised: "Slaughter's gift for building multi-layered tension while deconstructing damaged personalities gives this thriller a nerve-wracking finish." The novel was Karin's first hardcover New York Times bestseller and a coast-to-coast sensation appearing on the bestseller lists for The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning Post, Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post, and The Los Angeles Times. Now, Karin returns to Grant County in BEYOND REACH. In a stifling jail cell in a hardscrabble Georgia town, Detective Lena Adams sits in self-imposed silence: bruised, angry, and the only suspect in a horrific murder that left a woman incinerated beyond recognition. A hundred miles away, Police Chief Jeffrey Tolliver has gotten the call that his young detective has been arrested. Jeffrey's wife, pediatrician and medical examiner Sara Linton, has little patience for Lena or her dramas. Fighting a heartbreaking malpractice suit, struggling to pick up the pieces of a shattered career, the last thing Sara wants is to see Jeffrey playing Lena's knight in shining armor. Sara cannot guess that within days she herself will be at the center of this bizarre and murderous case. While Jeffrey thought that Lena was on vacation, she had instead returned to the place where she grew up hard, careening back through the shadows of her past and into a shocking underground world of bigotry and rage-and murder. Now, the man who raised Lena is slowly killing himself with drugs. The man who beguiled-and beat-her is reaching out from prison to snare her. Finally, only Jeffrey and Sara can free Lena from the web of lies, betrayal and brutality that has trapped her-as this powerhouse of a novel races toward its shattering climax… and a final, unforgettable twist. Karin Slaughter is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Faithless, A Faint Cold Fear, Indelible, Kisscut, Blindsighted and Triptych; she contributed to and edited Like A Charm. She is a native of Georgia, where she currently lives and is working on her next novel.

"Iggulden is a grand storyteller," crowed USA Today… "Brilliant…Exhilarating… Stunning," raved The Los Angeles Times about Conn Iggulden's dazzling, vibrant novels about Julius Caesar.

Now Iggulden brings his immense storytelling gifts to a bold new series of novels: an epic work of historical fiction that seethes with raw adventure and human drama. For here is an unforgettable portrait of the early years of Genghis Khan, a man who transformed the world map from China to Europe-and became one of the most ruthless conquerors in history. He was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Temujin's young life was shaped by a series of brutal acts: the betrayal of his father by a neighboring tribe and the abandonment of his entire family, cruelly left to die on the harsh plain. But Temujin endured-and from that moment on, he was driven by a singular fury: to survive in the face of death, to kill before being killed, and to conquer enemies who could come without warning from beyond the horizon. Through a series of courageous raids against the Tartars, Temujin's legend grew. And so did the challenges he faced-from the machinations of a Chinese ambassador to the brutal abduction of his young wife, Borte. Blessed with ferocious courage, it was the young warrior's ability to learn, to imagine, and to judge the hearts of others that propelled him to greater and greater power and to achieve his vision to unite many tribes into one, to make the earth tremble under the hoofbeats of a thousand warhorses, to subject unknown nations and even empires to his will. Conn Iggulden is the author of four novels about Julius Ceasar: Emperor: The Gates of Rome, Emperor: The Death of Kings, Emperor: The Field of Swords, and Emperor: The Gods of War, all of which are available in paperback from Dell. He lives with his wife and two children in Hertfordshire, England where he is at work on his next novel on the life of Genghis Khan.

Teresa Knight, the sexually daring heroine last seen in Strip Poker, is back! And this time she's on top, in control, and going beyond every boundary she's ever known. It's the ultimate erotic experience: a handpicked group where every participant's craving can be satisfied. But for Teresa Knight, it's also a place where sensual adventures can spiral dangerously out of control. Hired to probe a suspicious death, the part-time investigator enters the sizzling New York fetish scene-a seductive, uncertain world that will test the limits of her own sexuality with every potential lover she meets. For gaining entry into this elite BDSM cult means that Teresa must let down her defenses-in more ways than one. Her search for answers brings her into contact with an enigmatic businessman who takes her to the brink of her own untapped desires even as he enlists her help in solving a crime that dates back forty years and crosses continents. From exotic Bangkok to gleaming Manhattan, Teresa finds herself locked in a sensual power struggle with a shadowy man who has a deadly agenda. What she uncovers is a shocking conspiracy of murder that will imperil her life while giving a whole new meaning to "going all the way." Lisa Lawrence lives and works in London as a freelance writer. Strip Poker, her first novel, will be published by Dell in February 2007.

When critically acclaimed author Robert Goddard tackles the horrors of WWI, the result is this dazzling historical novel that The New York Times calls "a superbly plotted romantic thriller." And Publisher's Weekly praises its "marvelously intricate plot, deftly and subtly unveiling, through different narrative voices, the mystery at the core of this intense, shocking tale." This Goddard classic, finally back in print, will delight the many fans of his work. Six months after her husband's sudden death, Leonora Galloway takes her daughter, Penelope, on a trip to Paris. The time has come for devastating secrets to be shared and explanations to begin... Their journey starts with an unscheduled stop at the imposing war memorial near Amiens. Among those commemorated is Leonora's father. The date of his death is recorded as April 1916. But Leonora wasn't born until March 1917. Penelope assumes this discrepancy is the result of a wartime affair, a clue to her mother's unhappy childhood and the family's severed ties with their aristocratic heritage... about which she has always known so little. But nothing could prepare her, or will prepare the reader, for the extraordinary tale that is about to unfold... Robert Goddard is the author of eighteen novels, including Into the Blue, Play to the End, Hand in Glove, Borrowed Time, and Sight Unseen, on sale Spring 2007. He lives in England. Delacorte will publish his new novel, Never Go Back, in 2008.

Why doesn't "cough" rhyme with "dough"?
Why don't' we spell words the way they sound?
Is there a rhyme and reason to the English language?

Welcome to the illogical, idiosyncratic, outrageous (and often frustrating) linguistic phenomena known as the English language. The story of how this fascinating, ragtag collection of words evolved is a winding tale replete with intriguing accidents and bizarre twists of fate. In this eye-opening, fabulously entertaining book, James Essinger reveals the surprising origins and astonishing secrets of the English language-and unlocks the mysteries that have confounded linguists and scholars for millennia. From the sophisticated writing systems of the ancient Sumerians through the tongue twisters of Middle English, the popular National Spelling Bee and the mobile phone text-messaging of today, SPELLBOUND chronicles the fascinating history of English spelling. Featuring a lively cast of characters, ranging from the fictional to the historically noteworthy (Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, Shakespeare, Bill Gates), this affectionate tribute to English spelling shows why our whimsical, capricious common language continues to hold us spellbound. James Essinger is an Oxford graduate who has published more than thirty books. He is particularly interested in the history of ideas that have had a practical impact on the modern world. His previous writings and his time spent teaching English abroad leave him exceptionally well qualified in the linguistic field. He lives in England.

From the author of Secret Society Girl: An Ivy League Novel-"The action is undeniably juicy-from steamy make-out sessions with campus hotties to cloak-and-dagger initiations." (Washington Post); "Secret Society Girl succeeds… Peterfreund's descriptions of the ambitious Amy Haskel's collegial life are both vivid and amusing..." (New York Observer)-comes the second book in the "Secret Society Girl" series, a fresh, lively look at what goes on behind padlocked doors when the initiation is over and life as a full-fledged member begins. Now a senior at elite Eli University, Amy Haskell is entering her second year as a Rose & Grave "Digger." With unrest brewing within the ranks of Rose & Grave, Amy has the crazy idea that saving her antiquated, wildly influential secret society is all up to her. On her side Amy has a few loyal Diggirls-her fellow female R & G Knights. Against her? It might be the one Diggirl who's mysteriously vanished from campus. Or the uber-powerful R & G Patriarchs, who can't seem to get over having women in the club. With the case of the runaway Diggirl causing more than a little anxiety, Amy struggles to stay focused and come up with a plan. It'll just mean pulling all the right strings, choosing the right guy to trust, not flunking out of college, and then taking on the most powerful Patriarch of all-the one whose new club is called the White House… Diana Peterfreund graduated from Yale University in 2001 with degrees in Geology and Literature. A former food critic, she now resides in Washington D.C.; this is her second novel.

In Moscow 1939, on the eve of Stalin's 60th birthday, Pavel Vassilievich is a young archivist laboring in the basement of the notorious Lubyanka prison. His job is to sort through the imagination of a nation: stacks of poetry and stories, novels and sketches-the work of writers who have fallen under suspicion of the Party. Some of these papers, whose authors have already come and gone, will be burned. Others will be used as evidence in macabre, one-sided trials. In this silent place, amidst walls of words, memories and musings, Pavel comes face-to-face with a writer whom he has long admired: the bruised and battered figure of Isaac Babel. Pavel, a former teacher of literature, decides in one fateful moment that he will rescue one of Babel's short stories, if not the doomed writer himself. So begins Pavel Vassilievich's rebellion. Soon, his every step and every choice become part of a dangerous drama that touches on his family, his friends, his past and his future. Gripped by what he has already lost-and how much he has to lose-Pavel is waging a last struggle for redemption and freedom in a world where everyone is either a secret keeper or a betrayer, and sometimes both. THE ARCHIVIST'S STORY is a deeply affecting, beautifully rendered depiction of human goodness facing destruction-and the stunning debut of a writer of assured, luminous and utterly original literary talent. Travis Holland's stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, Five Points, and Ploughshares. He lives in Michigan. This is his first novel.

be-sti-ar-y, n. A medieval book of stories providing descriptions of real or, more often, imaginary animals

From the author of Veronica and Franklin Flyer, comes an erudite mystery, a haunting story of love sundered and rejoined, and a mystical glimpse into the uncanny. A young man turns his early fascination with animals into a personal obsession: the search for the Caravan Bestiary, a medieval text detailing the animals not granted passage on Noah's Ark-gryphons, sphinxes, hippogryphs, vanished remnants of a lost world-that has been missing for eight hundred years. Xeno Atlas's quest takes him from the tenements of New York to the jungles of Vietnam to the ancient libraries of Europe-but it is only in riddling out his own family secrets that Xeno can hope to glean what he is looking for. A story of panoramic scope and intellectual suspense, THE BESTIARY is ultimately a novel of heartbreak and redemption. Praised by The New York Times as "a superbly lyrical writer" and called "a writer of remarkable gifts" by The Washington Post Book World, Nicholas Christopher is the author of four novels-The Soloist, Veronica, A Trip to the Stars, and Franklin Flyer-seven books of poetry, and a book about film noir, Somewhere in the Night. He lives in New York City.

manny (mán-ee) n: A nanny of the male persuasion

"The Grid": One deliriously wealthy acre in America's wealthiest neighborhood-Manhattan's Upper East Side-where dressing your children for parties is a full contact sport, dinner forks cost $600 a piece and families go "wheels up" on vacation-in their private planes. In Holly Peterson's smart, sexy New York comedy of manners "Desperate Housewives" meets The Devil Wears Prada and Bergdorf Blondes when a beleaguered Park Avenue mom decides she needs another man in her life... one who would spend quality time with Jamie Whitfield's nine-year-old son, Dylan-and maybe make up for the absence of his workaholic Dad. For Jamie, whose husband rakes in millions, the perfect candidate is comely, calm 28-year-old Jason Connelly. With his devil-may-care charm and genuine love for her kids, he's the answer to Jamie's dreams-as well as the subject of more than a few forbidden fantasies. But when Jamie's high-stress, part-time job-a job she doesn't even need-suddenly erupts spectacularly in her face... when Park Avenue hanky-panky strikes a little too close to home… and when her husband starts madly deleting his law firm's e-mails... life in the Grid turns dangerously grim and her loyal manny is a life-saver in more ways than one... THE MANNY, with a seven-figure movie sale to Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher ("Jarhead" and "Memoirs of a Geisha"), and foreign rights sold in 10 countries, is destined to take its place among the fastest selling works of fiction this season. Holly Peterson has been a producer at ABC News and currently is a Contributing Editor at Newsweek. She lives in New York City with her husband and three children, and is working on her next novel, to be published by The Dial Press.