Emerald Fire
The tale of a missing yacht, a top-notch marine bounty hunter in search of her, and a determined librarian hell-bent on getting back the family secret buried deep inside the ship's bones. Amidst tropical beaches, ruthless pirates, and cut-throat relatives, they recover the stolen yacht and rescue the key to an old treasure. With danger at every turn, they race against the odds to find a historical legacy and settle a score against a family gone mad.
Interesting Facts
~ Modern day piracy is on the upswing. They are more sophisticated and better armed than their historical brethren, and every bit as bloodthirsty.
~ Attacks by pirates have increased by 168% in the last decade alone.
~ Pirates are equipped with ship tracking systems, satellite phones, speedboats, and rocket-propelled grenades. They also use intelligence - often tips from corrupt officials.
~ Hot zones of pirate activity include Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the South China Seas. Also the African countries of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Tanzania.
~ Southern Caribbean has its share of buccaneers, from drug trafficking to petty thieves, illegal commerce peppers the lush island chains.
~ Thousands of boats are stolen each year and marine insurance rates have escalated by 90%.
~ Piracy and maritime insurance fraud are estimated to cost around $16 billion annually.
~ Marine bounty hunters are real. Also known as Marine Recovery Specialists, this can be a very lucrative field and a dangerous one. Ship and cargo recovery involves unsavory characters and great personal risk.
Diamond Legacy
What happens when a dental zoologist flies to Botswana to give a rare albino hippo a root canal? She lands smack in the middle of a diamond smuggling ring and right in the way of an undercover agent for International Diamond Security, one who knows firsthand the horror of conflict diamonds. Determined to bring down the cartel, he accepts the veterinarian's help. But when the past catches up to him and the stakes skyrocket, he must risk all to save her from an evil that has haunted him for fifteen years.
~ DeBeers is the world's largest diamond mining company.
Interesting Facts
~ The hippopotamus is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa and they kill more humans than the river crocodile.
~ A hippo's mouth can open 4 feet wide and a male's canines can grow to 28 inches long.
~ A hippo is virtually hairless and highly susceptible to sunburn.
~ Exotic animal dentistry is an increasingly popular veterinary field, but only a select few universities offer hands-on training.
~ African International Peace Parks are protected lands spanning multiple countries. They are designed to promote animal conservation, eco-tourism, and preserve the biodiversity of Africa.
~ Botswana gained independence from British rule in 1966. It's capital city is Gabarone.
~ Diamonds are 80% of Botswana's exports and 60% of their government revenue.
~ Botswana's annual output of diamonds is 30 million carats and stands as the world's leading producer, both in gem quality and industrial.
~ Jwaneng, north of Gabarone, is the world's richest diamond mine.
~ Blood diamonds, or conflict diamonds, are used by rebel groups in Africa to fund brutal insurrections against internationally recognized governments.
~ President Bush signed the 'Clean Diamond Trade Act' into law April 2003.
~ The Kimberley Process is a system designed to certify diamond origins and prevent smuggled blood diamonds from reaching the market.
~ IDS - International Diamond Security is fictional, but there are similar organizations that exist to fight diamond crime.
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