From # 1 Essence best-selling Crime Novelist K'Wan comes a tale of forbidden love, high stakes murder and the robbery gone bad that set it all in motion, Diamonds and Pearl. They say that good girls like bad boys, and this was especially true for Pearl Stone. A child born of privilege to a drug baron and reputed killer known in the streets as Big Stone. Although the flashy, fast-paced nature of the streets calls to Pearl, she’s been brought up to look but not touch. But when a young hustler named Diamonds crawls up from the swamps of Louisiana and sets up shop in New York City, everything Pearl was taught flies out the window. Raised in the wild and schooled on the mean streets of New Orleans, Diamonds is no stranger to hard times and is willing to do whatever it takes to stay above the poverty line, including kill. When a robbery turned mass murder goes wrong, Diamonds is forced to flee New Orleans and lands in New York where he meets Pearl, and for the first time finds something he craves more than wealth and power...love. As the stakes get higher, Diamonds has to push away his past if he’s to grab hold of his future—but by doing so, will he show Pearl that all that glitters isn’t gold?

Diamonds and Pearl each try to claw their way to the top of the New York street scene, and back to each other.

Belgian photographer Marc Lagrange has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most original and talented erotic photographers around. Taking a distinctive approach to setting voluptuous scenes, Lagrange meticulously composes timeless settings--with each location and prop carefully chosen to enhance the romantic and revealing mood. Building trust and chemistry with his models, Lagrange is daring but never crosses into mere titillation. The tension is palpable and a sense of mystery pervades each elaborate vignette. Combining the glamour of classic Hollywood with the sensibility of an Old Master painting, all his alluring heroines seem at ease and approachable--yet just tantalizingly out of reach. English/German/French/Dutch ILLUSTRATIONS: 120 colour & duotone photographs

“So explosive, dramatic, and sexual, it should come with an R rating!” —RT Book Reviews With a drug addict mother and a drug lord father, Aphtan learns how to fend for herself at an early age. Being the princess of an empire has its perks—until her father gets arrested. From stealing clothes and food to committing fraud, Aphtan does what she has to do to take care of her mother and herself. But when her schemes prove problematic, she turns to a new hustle: dancing at Pearl Tongue, the most notorious strip club in Texas . . . For Aphtan, the job’s fast money means security. Addicted to the cash, she promises herself she’ll never stop—until her new man, Scooter, makes her. In love, Aphtan trades in the pole for the life of a housewife. But nothing lasts forever and Scooter’s past ultimately catches up with them—bringing secrets to the surface that destroy their relationship. Devastated, Aphtan needs a shoulder to cry on—and it belongs to Scooter’s brother, Cole. Now, between betrayal, lies, murder, and a robbery that may force her to leave town for good, Aphtan’s heart—and her life—are on the line.

The rapid growth of gemological sciences and mineralogy demands a dictionary such as this for gemologists, mineralogists, geologists, jewel dealers, industry and hobbyists. With some 16,000 comprehensive definitions, supplemented by more than 250 diagrams and figures, this is a one-stop reference to any matter dealing with gems and gemology.

Africa–where diamonds are the currency of the weapons trade, and trust is the only option between two strangers... Miranda Parrish is a world-renowned veterinarian specialist with expertise in endangered species. She’s fearless and will go anywhere an animal is in need. But when she journeys to Katanga, an animal sanctuary in the heart of Botswana, she lands in the middle of a blood diamond smuggling operation. And there’s only one man who can help her.... Special agent, Matt Bennett’s parents were murdered by a ruthless arms dealer when he was fourteen. He’s devoted his life to avenging their deaths and ending the cycle of violence threatening southern Africa. Undercover at Katanga, he clashes with Miranda. He’s never met a woman so stubborn, who’ll let nothing stand in the way of what she believes in. And he’ll let no one come between him and his vengeance. Matt and Miranda will have to work together if they want to save Katanga, and both of their lives, before it’s too late.