Bücher veröffentlicht von Story Merchant Books

"A unique combination of carefully researched material and breathless adventure story," Book, Bones & Buffy. LIMITED TIME SPECIAL OFFER PRICETo what lengths would the Vatican go to suppress the secret origins of its power? A renowned priest is killed in Rome. A Roman coin is recovered from a wreck off the coast of ancient Judea. It's up to a young American Jesuit priest and a vivacious, brilliant, female archaeologist to connect these seemingly disparate events and unravel the greatest mystery of all. Together they pursue their passion for truth, while fighting to control their passion for each other. What they uncover is an ancient Roman imperial stratagem so controversial the Vatican fears it could undermine the foundations of the Catholic faith. From the ancient port of Caesarea to Rome's legendary catacombs and the sacred caves of Cumae, this straight from the headlines thriller follows their quest to uncover the truth about the historical existence of the real "Christ Savior."Essential Reading for fans of Dan Brown or James Rollins.

Rat Pack Party Girl: From Prostitute to Women's Advocate is the gutsy and wrenching story of former Rat Pack high-roller and sex-trade survivor Jane McCormick. Not only does she reveal her 1960s sexcapades with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Vic Damone, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jerry Lewis, Bill Frawley and other celebrities, she also details her molestation by an abusive stepfather and the too-young marriage that led to her addiction to the "big money" of high-roller prostitution in Las Vegas. She survived a dangerous abortion, seedy silicone injections, years of pill popping, and the harassment of her abusive "old man," all on a long and hard journey down a road of self-discovery. At the end of that road, she was finally able to realize her self-worth and obtain what she wanted all along: happiness fueled by the discovery of her true sexual identity as a gay woman, which has resulted in the comfort of experiencing real love in her now twenty-two year relationship.McCormick tells her story not to titillate but to educate both women and men about the life of selling sex, and to help younger women decide not to enter prostitution, to show them that getting out is way harder than getting in, and to give hope for escape to those who've already fallen victim. She envisions changes in federal and local laws regarding the sex-trade industry as well as a place where prostituting women can find the refuge and the help they need to put their lives in order.

SONS OF MY FATHERS intertwines two dramatic stories--the heroic saga of 19-year-old Ulysses Simpson, who joins wit his father Baylis to protect their family as the American Civil War rages around them; and the true story of another young Simpson man six generations later who follows the family tradition of service to the country and enlists in the military at the height of the Vietnam War. In 1864, Baylis Simpson is a sharecropper whose North Georgia farm stands on a line between General Sherman's Army and Kennesaw Mountain, the "Gibraltar of the South" that is the Confederacy's last hope of stopping the destruction of Atlanta. When "hell comes to Georgia," Baylis's youngest daughter suffers a horrifying tragedy that sets Baylis and Ulysses on a course of revenge, a decision that will forever change the destiny of their clan. One hundred years later, when Baylis's descendant Ron Simpson is assigned to fly a Huey gunship as a U.S. Army pilot, he fights a personal war within himself over whether to keep a century-old family oath. Ron's fateful decision forces him to confront his family's past and risk sacrificing his own future. Deeply personal and compellingly written, SONS OF MY FATHERS is an evocative journey into the author's family history and the universal themes central to is--the bonds of family and star-crossed love, duty versus faith, the true nature of patriotism and conscience in war, and the turbulent end of innocence. Rich in emotional textures, this multi-generational saga is a transformative and timeless coming-of-age narrative.

What seems like one lucky day quickly trigger a series of unimaginable horrors for Strider, an unassuming hiker fresh off the Appalachian trail. In his panicked search for his missing fiancée, he finds himself trapped at Winter's Farm, a popular hiker destination with a kooky owner and mysterious disappearances. But a foreboding electric fence stymies his desperate escape.

Lishan has just infuriated her editor's circle of unscrupulous friends. The idealistic journalist's Truth Be Known series publicly airs and consequently threatens the lifestyles of several dangerous and powerful men in Washington--a list that includes an extravagant senator who enjoys perks from those in power, the food and drug CEO Jack Conner, and the FDA Commissioner. But all are invested in concealing their corruption, no matter the cost. Lishan's daring activism puts her life on the line, forcing her to enlist the aid of a trusted few: a flamboyant scientist at the FDA; a former professor who has a passion for her and who cannot control his jealousy; an author unjustly incarcerated for previously publishing the misdeeds of Conner and the FDA; and her aunt, who has guarded over and mentored Lishan following the murder of her parents when she was a child. She finds herself threatened not only by her editor and the recipients of pointed remarks on the exposé, but also by the U.S. Attorney, the senator's legal council, and the CEO's henchmen--all determined to maintain the public's ignorance. Mix in the chaos from the men in her personal life who expose her weaknesses and strengths, and the complications in Lishan's life exceed what she thought was possible. Still, justice for the people is her driving force, no matter the risks to her life.

Shashtah thinks he has everything figured out. To prevent his new Dragon, the Prophetess of Tphah, from dying the way his first Dragon, the Phrophetess of Tkai had, he simply has to go through the secret ritual at the Anvil that the Dragonriders of Dumnonia call "The Training." But the new Dragonlord, KAshon, has no experience in training a normal Pair let alone such an unusual one as Shashtah and Tphah. Plus Kashon's magic is not that of the Dumnonians; he wields the power of the Wizards of Corin.Designed by his god to be a conduit for magic, Shashtah quickly finds wizards and deities channeling a confusing array of power through him that his young Prophetess is unable to help him control. That suits the Dark One just fine. He lurks inside the shadows of Mount Cinnamar, waiting for the perfect time to add that one last bit of magic to the mix that will forge Shashtah into the most destructive weapon Centuria has ever known: The Dragon Sun.

In April of 1798, Napoleon appoints Lieutenant Charles MacDonald, a nineteen-year-old graduate geographical engineer, to be the pathfinder for his personal Brigade of Guides during the invasion of Egypt. Charles was born in Virginia during the American Revolution and was educated in France, a graduate of L''Ecole Polytechnique and a postgraduate of L''Ecole des Ponts.But agents of the British Secret Service who are trying to undermine the invasion of Egypt interfere in Charles''s journey on a number of occasions by attempting to rob the mail coaches he is accompanying.In response, General Bonaparte assigns Charles''s father, the blind General James MacDonald, his confidant and instructor in engineering and mapmaking at L''Ecole Militaire more than a decade earlier, to head a secret section investigating the British and these crimes. What they uncover is an abandoned convent in Paris being used as a headquarters--with 3.5 million francs in gold hidden in its walls.