Have you ever lost someone who meant more to you than your own soul? Ford Newcombe has. For years he loved his wife, Pat, more than anyone -- and anything -- in the world. She came into his life when he was just an inexperienced college student with big dreams of becoming a published author. With love and humour, she guided him down the path that would eventually lead him to more success than he ever dreamed possible. Since Pat's death six years ago, Ford has lived a life of solitude, barely able to put pen to paper, and rumours are flying that it was Pat who actually created the books the world so loved. If there's one thing that Ford needs it's inspiration, and it finally comes in the guise of Jackie Maxwell -- a smart, sassy university researcher with just enough attitude to match Ford's sharp intellect. But it's her intimate knowledge of the story of a young woman's friendship with the devil -- and what the townspeople did to her -- that persuades Ford to hire Jackie as his assistant and to move to Cole Creek, North Carolina, where the story is said to have taken place. They soon learn that even though the inhabitants of Cole Creek try to deny it, they are still plagued by the consequences of the otherworldly tale of passion and death. As Ford and Jackie work to unravel the truth, they discover a connection between their lives and the past, a connection that not only helps them solve a long-ago crime but offers the promise of new love.

The author has driven more than 100,000 miles and walked several hundred more in pursuit of orchids in their native habits. This is an account of his trips in Canada and throughout the U.S.

First published in 2002, Wild Orchids of Florida was the very first field guide for this orchid-rich state, and it inspired many to try their hand at orchid hunting. Because of its overwhelming popularity and in an attempt to provide the latest developments in orchid research, native orchid expert Paul Martin Brown follows up with this newly revised and expanded edition. The guide contains 200 new points of fact, including: · more than 100 new county records established since 2002 · three recently rediscovered species that have not been seen in 100 years · two previously undocumented species, six new hybrids, and several new color forms described and illustrated for the first time · the resurrection and revalidation of the little-used genus of Gymnadeniopsis · 34 revised county distribution maps, 37 new color photos, and three new watercolors by Stan Folsom With its comprehensive yet easy-to-follow treatment, Wild Orchids of Florida remains the essential field companion for professional botanists, native plant enthusiasts, nature lovers, or anyone who wants to learn more about what's growing out in the wilds of Florida.

pubescens) and of locating the rare monkey-face orchid (Platanthera integrilabia).

A blistering romantic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Pursuit. Far from her sensible life as an English teacher in Kansas, Lora looks forward to a relaxing vacation in Cancun. But fate thwarts her careful plans when a darkly handsome American named Max jumps into her car with a loaded gun.

Coleman (U. of Arizona) discusses all 35 species of wild orchids currently found in or historically occurring in Arizona and New Mexico. Each species is discussed in terms of flowering season, habitat, elevation range, companion plants, current and historical distribution, and conservation issues. Genus and species keys are included. Each species is illustrated with a line drawing and multiple color photographs all located in the front of the volume. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.

Confucius called them the “king of fragrant plants,” and John Ruskin condemned them as “prurient apparitions.” Across the centuries, orchids have captivated us with their elaborate exoticism, their powerful perfumes, and their sublime seductiveness. But the disquieting beauty of orchids is an unplanned marvel of evolution, and the story of orchids is as captivating as any novel. As acclaimed writer Michael Pollan and National Geographic photographer Christian Ziegler spin tales of orchid conquest in Deceptive Beauties: The World of Wild Orchids, we learn how these flowers can survive and thrive in the harshest of environments, from tropical cloud forests to the Arctic, from semi-deserts to rocky mountainsides; how their shapes, colors, and scents are, as Darwin put it, “beautiful contrivances” meant to dupe pollinating male insects in the strangest ways. What other flowers, after all, can mimic the pheromones and even appearance of female insects, so much so that some male bees prefer sex with the orchids over sex with their own kind? And insects aren’t the only ones to fall for the orchids’ charms. Since the “orchidelirium” of the Victorian era, humans have braved the wilds to search them out and devoted copious amounts of time and money propagating and hybridizing, nurturing and simply gazing at them. This astonishing book features over 150 unprecedented color photographs taken by Christian Ziegler himself as he trekked through wilderness on five continents to capture the diversity and magnificence of orchids in their natural habitats. His intimate and astonishing images allow us to appreciate up close nature’s most intoxicating and deceptive beauties.