“A first rate thriller packed with marvelous insider knowledge and richly drawn characters. I couldn’t put down this electrifying, authentic, and well-crafted novel.” —Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author “Verisimilitude means the appearance of being true or real’ and Karna Small Bodman’s new novel has it in abundance. You will endure a good deal of nail-biting before you get to the end of this, not to mention the heart-stopping action surrounding the countdown. With this book and its predecessors, author Bodman has successfully created a new subgenre: The Washington high-tech thriller.” —The Washington Times “Karna Small Bodman gives us an insider’s view of a frightening situation that seems all too real. Fast-paced and suspenseful, romantic and ultimately hopeful, Final Finesse is up-all-night reading at its best.” —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of Just Breathe “Final Finesse is a political thrill ride with unpredictable, hair-raising roller-coaster turns, made even more spellbinding by the authentic White House details provided by Karna Small Bodman. A White House insider’s look at terrorism that will keep you up all night!” —Joan Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of A Stranger’s Game Samantha Reid, the White House Deputy Director for Homeland Security, deals with national security threats on a daily basis. When a natural-gas pipeline explodes in America’s heartland, she senses pending disaster and tries to convince reluctant officials to take action. After several more explosions, Samantha teams up with Tripp Adams, Vice President of GeoGlobal Oil & Gas, owner of the pipelines, to investigate. As they race to solve the mystery of the explosions and determine the motives of the shadowy group behind the havoc, Samantha and Tripp spend days . . . and nights . . . together, growing ever closer. Then Tripp is sent on a business trip to South America---and disappears. Now Samantha must deal with political intrigue at the highest levels, finesse international plots, and break all the White House rules as she races to find Tripp and stop the team of foreign agents before they carry out their final deadly scheme.

In the wake of a series of attacks on natural gas pipelines throughout America, white house deputy director of homeland security Samantha Reid teams up with pipeline owner Tripp Adams in an investigation that reveals a plot by a shadowy group with ties to the highest level of government.

To become more then an average chess player a person must master the art of the end-game. This tactical necessity is explained here in step by step sections to slowly expand your game and teaches you to spot favourable endings and how to defend and turn possible defeat to a hard won victory. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

“A truly frightening story with the crystal ring of truth and authenticity; well written, well plotted and as topical as a novel can get.” —Nelson DeMille, New York Times bestselling author “Not only does Bodman know the White House inside and out, she also knows how to tell a gripping, fast-paced tale of political intrigue filled with the kind of delicious insider detail most other novelists have to make up.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author “A nail-biter…You will not turn out the lights until you have read through to the last page.” —The Washington Times “Bodman’s insider knowledge of government operations and the scary plausibility of the story line make this worth reading.” —Library Journal In this second book of the White House national security thriller series, Dr. Cameron Talbot, a famous expert on missile defense systems, returns to investigate how American airplanes could plummet from the sky—though nothing shows up on radar and none of the usual terrorist suspects have claimed responsibility. With the country in a panic and the economy taking a nose-dive, the beautiful scientist finds herself once again enmeshed in international plots as well as a romantic triangle in the highest levels of government.

This must-have guide to special event production looks deep behind the scenes of an event and dissects what it is that creates success. It analyses the process - the planning and business aspects - to provide a unique guide to producing a variety of events from weddings to festivals. It explains thoroughly budgeting and resource concerns, planning and cost projections and the role of the well-crafted proposal. This new edition has been significantly updated to include: Three new chapters: Event Design, Information Technology and Sustainability and Event Production. Updated and new case studies from USA, Canada , India, Russia and Malaysia. New Industry Voice feature, including an interview with industry experts from around the world commenting on their experiences of event planning and production. New content on: technology, volunteers, venues and PR and marketing. Enhanced online resources including: PowerPoint lecture slides, checklists, glossaries, additional questions and challenges, web links, sample contract templates, production schedule templates, and evaluation forms. Incorporating pedagogical features, this easy-to-read book is packed with photographs, diagrams, flow charts, checklists, sample forms, and real-life examples. It steps through the whole process from the creativity and proposal at the outset, to budgeting, the contract and risk management with event follow up to conclude. A must have resource for event planners, managers, caterers and students. This text is part two of a two book set - also available is Special Events Production: The Resources (978-1-138-78567-0). This book offers an in - depth guide to the technical aspects of a big event such as lighting and audio systems, visual presentation technology, special effects and temporary outdoor venues.