Hotel Destiny

WHAT IF YOU, AS A GHOST, HAD TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER? From internationally acclaimed and New York Times best-selling author Raymond Benson comes a novel that is a ghost story with a distinctive noir sensibility mixed with David Lynchian surrealism. The year is 1985. Manhattan’s Times Square area is sleazy, and the streets are full of what Coleman Sackler calls “New York Street Skunk.” Cole is the night manager and self-proclaimed hotel detective for the transient Hotel Destiny, which has been plagued with scandals over the century, including several murders, gangster occupation and ownership, and fleabag status during the 1960s and 70s. Five recent slayings in the building have been attributed to—the police believe—one killer. During the gala grand re-opening Halloween party, Cole Sackler himself is murdered by a masked man. But hold on! Cole “awakes” and is still in the hotel—as a ghost. Prior to his death, a mysterious woman had told him that hidden portals located throughout the building can lead one to other time periods, and that the key to Cole’s destiny is in the hotel’s past and embedded in its many secrets. Thus, Cole’s spirit sets out to solve his own murder by dropping in on living characters throughout Hotel Destiny’s history and observing and/or interacting with them. His goal is to discover the identity of his killer, as well as learn the ironic truth about his own family, his heritage, and himself!

From internationally acclaimed and New York Times best-selling author Raymond Benson comes a novel that is a ghost story with a distinctive noir sensibility mixed with David Lynchian surrealism. Follow along as Cole, the night manager and self-appointed hotel detective chases clues through the old building's history - to solve his own murder.

Destiny's Game" started as a will. "I didn't have the life of a typical 15-year old, not only me but a lot of young people," recalls Reza. With no idea what would happen to him next, Reza began documenting the events and circumstances surrounding him. This collection of personal memoirs and travels begins in his native country of Iran and takes readers along on his twenty-five-year journey through Turkey, Eastern Europe and the United States. In "Destiny's Game," Reza uses his unique perspective to talk about his family in Iran and the Iranian social and political situation, including the revolution of 1979 and the start of the Iraq-Iran war in September 1980. "They (the Iranian people) were doing the wrong things for the right reasons. People didn't know what the Islamic republic meant," says Reza. It created dangerous socio-political turbulence that forced thousands of Iranian families to flee the country with their young sons and daughters. "Imagine you're sitting in Jr. High or High School and they (the revolutionary guards, Islamic fundamentalists) come to your class and say, "Who wants to go to heaven?" And, all the kids raise their hands and want the opportunity. It's a quick ticket, a short-cut. All they have to do is walk on an Iraqi mine field," explains Reza. He talks about foreign hypocrisy and, how his views evolved as he witnessed non-Iranian governments' manipulative efforts to exploit socio-political, cultural and economic affairs of Iran. Through this book, Reza hopes to inspire optimism and national unity, and promote fine moral etiquette and improved human rights. According the Reza, these are important fundamental qualities that the Iranian society and mainstream international governing bodies seriously lack.

In this powerful collection, three acclaimed writers put their talents together to tell the unforgettable story of three sisters separated as infants--and how their paths finally cross in adulthood. Leticia, Jamilla, and Clarissa Holmes each know that they're one in a set of triplets--but that's about all they know. Now they're adults, thirty-three-year old women who are as different as can be. But they have one thing in common: they have never given up on the idea of one day finding each other. . . In "More Than This," by Donna Hill, we meet Leticia, whose time in group homes sharpened her street smarts and taught her to use her good looks to her advantage. Now she's on top of the world, ensconced in a lush apartment in the heart of New Orleans. Leticia knows what men want--she runs the most elite call girl operation in the Parrish. But when she learns that the new sheriff in town is planning a raid, she decides to close up shop, have some adventures, and find her family. She soon discovers that one of her sisters is a jazz singer slated to appear at Lincoln Center. Leticia buys a ticket--and gets much more than she bargained for. . . Parry "EbonySatin" Brown's [title tk] follows Jamilla, adopted by an upstanding family who loved her like their own. But despite a life of privilege, Jamilla was always haunted by a sense of foreboding. As a way to escape her demons, she turned to writing. Now she's landed a six-figure book deal. But Jamilla's joy is clouded by a series of disturbing dreams triggered by a woman she saw on television--a jazz singer with her face. . . In Gwynne Forster's "The Journey," Clarissa Holmes Medford has finally decided to kick out her cheating husband--and pick up her guitar. Maybe she can sing her way out of the unhappiness and poverty that have plagued most of her life. When she records a well-received demo, it's just the beginning of a fascinating journey that will take her far from home, and expose her to a captivating new world--and an audience that may include the family her heart has always longed for. . . Reading Group Guide Inside

We are intuitively interested in the history and future of human civilization. Most people sense that the distant future will not be determined by fantastical circumstances sometimes depicted in contemporary Science Fiction, but rather by decisions made by us and our descendants. Destiny's Obligation is a realistic tale of intense drama on Earth and in Space, set in the 29th century, when typical human fallibility and selfish territorial interests have destroyed civilization in most places. The principals are part of a group of space travelers who return to Earth after a 600-year voyage to a nearby star system. What these descendants of the original explorers find is as much a surprise to them as it will be to the reader. They cannot leave and must first deal with the aggressive inhabitants of a large earth-satellite. They visit Earth eventually and play a significant role in defeating the feuds that are threatening the survival of human society everywhere.

This revised edition of the standard history of Guam is intended for general readers and students of the history, politics, and government of the Pacific region. Its narrative spans more than 450 years, beginning with the initial written records of Guam by members of Magellan 1521 expedition and concluding with the impact of the recent global recession on Guam’s fragile economy.

After a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the Delhi University, Kajoli Khanna moved to Switzerland, where she completed a degree in Fashion and Interior Design. Having consummated varied design projects in Delhi, she began to work with the Ashraya creches for underprivileged children in 1997 and also studied to be a counsellor at the Banjara Academy in Bengaluru. She has since continued to work extensively with a number of institutions for underprivileged children in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. She has also published another book: Afterbirth and Other Stories.

I held my daughter's lofeless body in my arms for two agonizing days. I buried her with my own hands and a few days later witnesses the most incredible miracle. God brought her back as He did his son. This is one of the many miracles I have experienced in my life. You will learn why, in 1979, I kidnapped my 24 month old daughter from her uncaring and wanton mother in Greece. We came to this country illegally and became fugitives chased by the FBI in a place where we did not speak the language. We were surrounded by strangers, mostly mean and hypocritical, and only a few genuinely good. We lived in cemeteries, under bridges and ate out of trash cans to survive.