PROLOGUE TO THE CONTINUUM (The beginning of the Hykonian wars) The year is 6700 A.D. and a disarmed and disillusioned human race is lost in stagnation. Yet, there are a few humans in whom the primitive flame still burns. The ISMU miners sail the uncharted waters of their time. They are a rough crude lot governed only by the dictates of their union. The Diva is an ISMU superminer and her captain is Raef Maclear. Somewhere near the M31 galaxy, Raef Maclear will meet the Hykonians and find himself the last hope of the human race.

There is a ruby mine hidden in the heart of the mountains near a remote little city of Central Asia, unknown to European travelers; and the secret of the treasure belongs to the two chief families of the place, and has been carefully guarded for many generations, handed down through the men from father to son; and often the children of these two families have married, yet none of the women ever learned the way to the mine from their fathers, or their brothers, or their husbands, none excepting one only, and her name was Baraka, which may perhaps mean 'Blessed'; but no blessing came to her when she was born. She was much whiter and much more beautiful than the other girls of the little Tartar city; her face was oval like an ostrich egg, her skin was as the cream that rises on sheep's milk at evening, and her eyes were like the Pools of Peace in the Valley of Dark Moons; her waist also was a slender pillar of ivory, and round her ankle she could make her thumb meet her second finger; as for her feet, they were small and quick and silent as young mice. But she was not blessed.

“A startlingly frank look at the life of one of our generation’s most prominent operatic stars.”—Associated Press In Call Me Debbie, internationally renowned opera singer Deborah Voigt describes her journey to become one of the world’s most celebrated artists and also discusses her private battles with addictions to food and alcohol, and a myriad of other self-destructive tendencies that nearly destroyed her. Voigt reveals here the troubling sequence of addictive behavior that led to her being fired from a London opera production for being too large to fit into the “little black dress” demanded by the role, and her subsequent gastric bypass surgery and its dramatic aftermath. She speaks openly of the “cross-addiction” that led to severe alcoholism, frightening all-night blackouts, and suicide attempts. Here, too, is the story of how she achieved complete sobriety, thanks to a twelve-step program and a recommitment to her Christian faith. Highlighting hilarious anecdotes and juicy gossip about what really goes on backstage, Voigt talks candidly about the impresarios, singers, and conductors with whom she’s worked and offers fascinating insight into the roles she has played and the characters she loves. Complete with eight pages of color photographs, Call Me Debbie is an inspirational story that offers a unique look into the life of an incredible artist.

Original publication and copyright date: 2011.

Sub-inspector Max Romero is asked to help investigate the death of Leila, a beautiful Muslim postgraduate student, researching the impacts of the Spanish Civil War on Max's home village in the Sierra Nevada. The prime suspect, Hassan, has links to a supposed terrorist group but the police's insensitive handling of the case leads to his tragic suicide. As a result, Max gets co-opted into the anti-terrorist operation based in Granada, which is destined to go terribly wrong. Meanwhile, Max's fascinating family, headed by his charismatic grandmother Paula, loom large in the gathering events, while shadows from the Spanish Civil War crowd in to influence the present. The story moves from the ancient cobbled streets of Granada to the sultry mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Over it all hovers the mesmerising but tragic beauty of the city of Granada.

There is a ruby mine hidden in the heart of the mountains near a remote little city of Central Asia, unknown to European travellers; and the secret of the treasure belongs to the two chief families of the place, and has been carefully guarded for many generations, handed down through the men from father to son; and often the children of these two families have married, yet none of the women ever learned the way to the mine from their fathers, or their brothers, or their husbands, none excepting one only, and her name was Baraka, which may perhaps mean 'Blessed'; but no blessing came to her when she was born. She was much whiter and much more beautiful than the other girls of the little Tartar city; her face was oval like an ostrich egg, her skin was as the cream that rises on sheep's milk at evening, and her eyes were like the Pools of Peace in the Valley of Dark Moons; her waist also was a slender pillar of ivory, and round her ankle she could make her thumb meet her second finger; as for her feet, they were small and quick and silent as young mice. But she was not blessed. When she was in her seventeenth year a traveller came to the little city, who was not like her own people; he was goodly to see, and her eyes were troubled by the sight of him, as the Pools of Peace are darkened when the clouds lie on the mountain-tops and sleep all day; for the stranger was tall and very fair, and his beard was like spun gold, and he feared neither man nor evil spirit, going about alone by day and night. Furthermore, he was a great physician, and possessed a small book, about the size of a man's hand, in which was contained all the knowledge of the world. By means of this book, and three small buttons that tasted of mingled salt and sugar, he cured Baraka's father of a mighty pain in the midriff which had tormented him a whole week. He brought with him also a written letter from a holy man to the chiefs of the town; therefore they did not kill him, though he had a good Mauser revolver with ammunition, worth much money, and other things useful to believers.