Identical twins Gerda and Idun Asmund lost their human parents early in life and were raised as warriors on the Klingon homeworld. They were taught to face every danger shoulder to shoulder -- regarding each other as the only certainty in a dangerous and uncertain universe. The Asmunds continued to depend on each other as helm officer and navigator on the Starship Stargazer,peril and adversity forging a bond between them as strong as tritanium. But that bond is tested when a transporter mishap deposits a mysterious visitor on the Stargazer -- a beautiful woman from another universe who resembles Gerda and Idun as closely as they resemble each other. As Captain Jean-Luc Picard pits the Stargazeragainst a savage alien species in a gallant attempt to send their visitor home, Gerda comes to suspect the woman of treachery. But she has to wonder -- is she following her Klingon instincts or succumbing to simple jealousy? Gerda needs to find out -- before Picard and his crew pay for their generosity with their lives.

A rift in the Mirror Universe threats the crew of the Stargazer in this Star Trek: The Next Generation novel. Identical twins Gerda and Idun Asmund lost their human parents early in life and were raised as warriors on the Klingon homeworld. They were taught to face every danger shoulder to shoulder—regarding each other as the only certainty in a dangerous and uncertain universe. The Asmunds continued to depend on each other as helm officer and navigator on the Starship Stargazer, peril and adversity forging a bond between them as strong as tritanium. But that bond is tested when a transporter mishap deposits a mysterious visitor on the Stargazer—a beautiful woman from another universe who resembles Gerda and Idun as closely as they resemble each other. As Captain Jean-Luc Picard pits the Stargazer against a savage alien species in a gallant attempt to send their visitor home, Gerda comes to suspect the woman of treachery. But she has to wonder—is she following her Klingon instincts or succumbing to simple jealousy? Gerda needs to find out—before Picard and his crew pay for their generosity with their lives.

Set against the dazzling landscape of the Renaissance, The Stargazer captures the ageless desires of the human heart in an "exquisitely dramatic" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) love story laced with danger, adventure, and sensuous pleasure.... Bianca Salva is the brilliant and beautiful daughter of a renowned physician. Ian Foscari is a handsome aristocrat notorious for his romantic conquests. Worlds apart in the circles of society, they have been brought together by an extraordinary intrigue: each has been mysteriously summoned to the home of a murdered courtesan. And each has reason to suspect the other of the deadly crime. For each, proving their innocence will depend on the other -- and Ian concocts a seamless ruse to ensure that Bianca can't leave his sight. Together, they step carefully around secrets of murder and betrayal. But out of their masquerade grows a heated battle of wits. A tenuous trust. And an undeniable passion....

Young Marie inherits a mysterious item she knows only as the Artifact, a treasured keepsake of her late grandmother. While on a backyard camping trip, the Artifact transports Marie and her best friends Sophie and Elora to a strange and distant world and disappears. Gathering their courage, the three friends set out to find a way home. In the concluding volume, Marni and her friends experience new adventures, disappointments and encounter an odd assortment of little creatures along the way. With the return of a monster that threatened them at the start of their adventure, the girls must unite to face their fears and fight for their lives.

Like other fictional characters, female sleuths may live in the past or the future. They may represent current times with some level of reality or shape their settings to suit an agenda. There are audiences for both realism and escapism in the mystery novel. It is interesting, however, to compare the fictional world of the mystery sleuth with the world in which readers live. Of course, mystery readers do not share one simplistic world. They live in urban, suburban, and rural areas, as do the female heroines in the books they read. They may choose a book because it has a familiar background or because it takes them to places they long to visit. Readers may be rich or poor; young or old; conservative or liberal. So are the heroines. What incredible choices there are today in mystery series! This three-volume encyclopedia of women characters in the mystery novel is like a gigantic menu. Like a menu, the descriptions of the items that are provided are subjective. Volume 3 of Mystery Women as currently updated adds an additional 42 sleuths to the 500 plus who were covered in the initial Volume 3. These are more recently discovered sleuths who were introduced during the period from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1999. This more than doubles the number of sleuths introduced in the 1980s (298 of whom were covered in Volume 2) and easily exceeded the 347 series (and some outstanding individuals) described in Volume 1, which covered a 130-year period from 1860-1979. It also includes updates on those individuals covered in the first edition; changes in status, short reviews of books published since the first edition through December 31, 2008.

Explore the night sky, identify stars, constellations, and even planets. Stargaze with a telescope, binoculars, or even your naked eye. Allow Dr. Jason Lisle, a research scientist with a masters and PhD in astrophysics, to guide you in examining the beauty of God’s Creation. Lisle designed Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky for everyone from young students to amateur astronomers. In it you will: Learn the best ways and optimal times to observe planets and stars Discover how to choose the best telescope for you Find 150 stunning, full-color star-charts and other easy to use illustrations for success “How do phases of the moon work? When will the next solar eclipse take place? What is that bright star setting in the west? How do I find Saturn? What sorts of objects can be seen with binoculars?” These questions and many more are easily answered with the helpful tips and basic understanding of astronomy presented in this book. Create or expand the hobby of stargazing; an outdoor, educational hobby to enjoy with friends or family. Regardless of your circumstances and the economy, you will always be able to marvel at the beauty of our night sky.

Amid a ruse gone wrong, Worf and his away team of B’Elanna Torres and Ro Laren find themselves imprisoned by Orion pirates wary of the supposed Maquis separatists. Meanwhile, in the captain’s chair of the Defiant, Spock struggles to defend the ship with Lore’s musings of chaos in his ear.