CAMILLE TATE HAS FINALLY FOUND HER STRIDE... ...but is it all an illusion? Just when life should finally be settling down for Cam, new challenges arrive to knock her off balance again. Lisa Cannon has returned after being off island all winter, and Cam is both excited to be her new personal assistant, and nervous about showing her the play she's written. But Lisa's return is accompanied by much more trouble than that. JoJo Brixton, that charming rascal, is back, and determined to win Cam's forgiveness with his usual blend of humor, insouciance, and charm. Then there's Colin, who has had just about enough of the friend zone. Kevin and his Intruder, Paige Berry and her air of mystery, pets, raccoons and play revisions add plenty of chaos too. But then a stranger comes prowling, a friend falls deathly ill, and Cam finds herself embroiled in Orcas intrigue again. When Cam and her friend Jen in deep to resolve all these mysteries, both the law and other more shadowy figures go to surprising lengths to keep these "amateurs" out of their business, and away from the truth.

The untamed Solomon Islands are the setting for the bachelor party trip of a lifetime for three best friends. Their sea-kayaking journey produces wild discovery at every turn. Not only does the natural world reveal formerly unknown treasures, but life-defining discoveries are made on personal and spiritual levels as well. An underlying faith journey along with ensuing conflicts over spiritual beliefs lays the foundation for a multi-faceted adventure throughout. A difference in faith among the friends ignites spirited conversation and debate regarding Christian beliefs and how Christians are often perceived around the world. The sometimes tense and always personal interactions are immediately and unavoidably arrested at the hands of a shocking incident that threatens their trip and personal safety. They know they can’t turn their backs on the heinous event. With determined resolve and the need for justice to be served, they embark on a course of action to bring hope and emancipation for the victims and punishment to the corporate perpetrators.

A journalist “convincingly spells out the threats to their survival, their misery in captivity, and what scientists can learn by studying them” (Kirkus). The orca—otherwise known as the killer whale—is one of earth’s most intelligent animals. Remarkably sophisticated, orcas have languages and cultures and even long-term memories, and their capacity for echolocation is nothing short of a sixth sense. They are also benign and gentle, which makes the story of the captive-orca industry—and the endangerment of their population in Puget Sound—that much more damning. In Of Orcas and Men, a marvelously compelling mix of cultural history, environmental reporting, and scientific research, David Neiwert explores an extraordinary species and its occasionally fraught relationship with human beings. Beginning with their role in myth and contemporary culture, Neiwert shows how killer whales came to capture our imaginations, and brings to life the often catastrophic environmental consequences of that appeal. In the tradition of Barry Lopez’s classic Of Wolves and Men, David Neiwert’s book is a triumph of reporting, observation, and research, and a powerful tribute to one of the animal kingdom’s most remarkable members. Praise for Of Orcas and Men “Human beings need to learn from and understand the cooperative nature of orca society. Everyone who is interested in both animal and human behavior should read this remarkable book.” —Temple Grandin, New York Times–bestselling author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human “Powerful and beautifully written.” —Jane Goodall “Humans and killer whales have a long and complicated history, one that David Neiwert describes forcefully and eloquently in this fascinating and highly readable book.” —David Kirby, New York Times–bestselling author of Death at SeaWorld “[A] breathtaking survey of orca science, folklore, and mystery.” —The Stranger

This is the story of Sea World, a theme park where the wonders of nature are performed, marketed, and sold. With its trademark star, Shamu the killer whale—as well as performing dolphins, pettable sting rays, and reproductions of pristine natural worlds—the park represents a careful coordination of shows, dioramas, rides, and concessions built around the theme of ocean life. Susan Davis analyzes the Sea World experience and the forces that produce it: the theme park industry; Southern California tourism; the privatization of urban space; and the increasing integration of advertising, entertainment, and education. The result is an engaging exploration of the role played by images of nature and animals in contemporary commercial culture, and a precise account of how Sea World and its parent corporation, Anheuser-Busch, succeed. Davis argues that Sea World builds its vision of nature around customers' worries and concerns about the environment, family relations, and education. While Davis shows the many ways that Sea World monitors its audience and manipulates animals and landscapes to manufacture pleasure, she also explains the contradictions facing the enterprise in its campaign for a positive public identity. Shifting popular attitudes, animal rights activists, and environmental laws all pose practical and public relations challenges to the theme park. Davis confronts the park's vast operations with impressive insight and originality, revealing Sea World as both an industrial product and a phenomenon typical of contemporary American culture. Spectacular Nature opens an intriguing field of inquiry: the role of commercial entertainment in shaping public understandings of the environment and environmental problems.

The final two books in “the most important series in science fiction” from the New York Times–bestselling author of Dreamsnake (Ursula K. Le Guin, author of the Earthsea series). Metaphase Cast out from interstellar civilization, the crew of the Starfarer encounters an extraterrestrial whose reputation is equally bad: the squidmoth. Contact specialist J.D. Sauvage risks her life to befriend the creature, trusting her instincts instead of the warnings of the alien human. The welcome Sauvage receives and the connection she makes will help her overcome her innate fears and prejudices, and she will be given a gift that will save her from being left behind in an empty star system—as well as redeem the Starfarer and its mission . . . Nautilus After their encounter with the squidmoth, and with their ecosystem immunized by the alien human, the crew of the Starfarer makes contact with representatives from the Four Worlds. J.D. Sauvage is sent to meet the furry creatures—as large as lions and as lithe as otters. They have been waiting for humans for a long time. But there is something they want from the Starfarer team: Earth’s one advantage over space civilization—a new, faster algorithm for interstellar navigation. Praise for the Starfarers Series “McIntyre is a master SF stylist, creating well-rounded, believable and distinctive characters, and she excels at lush descriptions that allow the reader to visualize the action.” —Publishers Weekly “The series features a diverse cast, especially for its 1989 debut date, and a series of interstellar hijinks, the likes of which only McIntyre could conjure.” —Tor.com

In Listening to Whales, Alexandra Morton shares spellbinding stories about her career in whale and dolphin research and what she has learned from and about these magnificent mammals. In the late 1970s, while working at Marineland in California, Alexandra pioneered the recording of orca sounds by dropping a hydrophone into the tank of two killer whales. She recorded the varied language of mating, childbirth, and even grief after the birth of a stillborn calf. At the same time she made the startling observation that the whales were inventing wonderful synchronized movements, a behavior that was soon recognized as a defining characteristic of orca society. In 1984, Alexandra moved to a remote bay in British Columbia to continue her research with wild orcas. Her recordings of the whales have led her to a deeper understanding of the mystery of whale echolocation, the vocal communication that enables the mammals to find their way in the dark sea. A fascinating study of the profound communion between humans and whales, this book will open your eyes anew to the wonders of the natural world.