Steven Barnes personal statement from his blog: "For the last twenty-five years or so I've been a novelist and television writer. For the last thirty years I've been involved variously in the martial arts, and for all my life I've studied and enjoyed yoga. Not that I worked at it as hard and honestly as I should have I'd be a combination of BKS Iyengar and Bruce Lee if I had.

From Cape Town with Love: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel

Hardcover: 365 pages
Publisher: Atria; 1 edition (May 18, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439159122
ISBN-13: 978-1439159125
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches

The award-winning authors of Casanegra and In the Heat of the Night team up for a third time to present From Cape Town with Love, A Tennyson Hardwick novel.

Actor-turned-detective Tennyson Hardwick has solved two high-profile deaths in Hollywood, but nothing has prepared him for a race to save a child' life. Tennyson' past in the sex game cost him his new girlfriend, and he brings her to Cape Town, South Africa a scenic film destination and playground for the rich to try to win her back. There Tennyson is hired as a bodyguard by superstar Sofia Maitlin when she visits an orphanage to adopt an African child.Months later, Maitlin offers Tennyson one of Hollywood' hottest tickets a job as a bodyguard at adopted daughter Nandi' A-list celebrity birthday party. But the party is over before it begins. When Nandi' birthday goes dreadfully wrong, it' up to a guilt-ridden Tennyson to save a child' life and reunite a Hollywood family.But how? He can't go to the police, the FBI has threatened to arrest him, and Big Brother is monitoring his telephone calls. To find Nandi, Tennyson will have to rely on tips from his father a retired LAPD captain and a mysterious woman from his past, Marsha, who has already proven she can't be trusted. His strongest lead is a deadly knife fighter known only as Spider.

When his search for the missing child crosses Marsha's covert investigation into a criminal gang with ties to South Africa, Tennyson knows that finding Nandi might cost him his freedom'or his life.

Shadow Valley
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Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Del Rey (May 5, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345459032
ISBN-13: 978-0345459039

In the great tradition of Jean Auel, this novel the sequel to Great Sky Woman imagines life in prehistoric Africa

Thirty thousand years ago, in the shadow of Kilimanjaro . . .

Since the beginning of time, the peaceful Ibandi people had been sheltered by their god-mountains, Great Earth and Great Sky. When the savage Mk*tk threatened their way of life, their gods told Sky Woman'last of the true Dream Dancers'and her mate Frog Hopping to take the people north in search of new lands. As the Ibandi meet strange new peoples and discover a land of promise and plenty, the deeds of a man thought long dead will rouse the Mk*tk to a bloody frenzy and send them on a quest for vengeance that could shatter the Ibandi's dreams. All is lost . . . unless Sky Woman can regain her power, unless Frog Hopping can become the first true warrior, and unless a dead man can find the heart to forgive. All their fates, and more, will be decided in the place called ShadowValley.

Great Sky Woman
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Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Del Rey; Reprint edition (March 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345459024
ISBN-13: 978-0345459022

Thirty thousand years ago, in the heart of the African continent and in the shadow of the largest freestanding mountain in the world, lived the Ibandi. For countless generations they nurtured their ancient tradition, and met survival's daily struggle with quiet faith in their gods. But when brutal intruders arrived from the south, a few brave souls dared the ultimate quest'to climb the Great Mountain, seeking answers and a way into the future.

In this breathtaking blend of imagination, anthropology, and sheer storytelling magic, Steven Barnes takes us to the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro and into the realm of our own ancestors, who lived, hunted, celebrated, and died side by side with roaming herds of wild animals and great golden clouds of migrating butterflies. A people whose skin was the color and smell of the earth itself, the Ibandi formed a hierarchy based on strength of limb and spirit. In this extraordinary novel, we follow the adventures of two of the Ibandi's chosen ones: T'Cori, an abandoned girl raised by the powerful and mysterious medicine woman Stillshadow, and Frog Hopping, a boy possessing a gift that is also a curse.

Though the live in different encampments, Frog and T'Cori are linked through the revered and powerful Stillshadow, who has sensed in them a destiny apart from others'.

Through the years, and on their separate life paths, T'Cori's and Frog's fates entwine as an inevitable disaster approaches from the south'from the very god they worship. For as long as there have been mountain, sky, and savannah, there has been a home for the Ibandi. Now, in the face of an enemy beyond anything spoken of even in legend, they must ask their god face-to-face: Do we remain or do we depart?

Great Sky Woman not only brings to life the world of prehistoric man but also shines a brilliant light on humanity itself. For here is a story of rivalries and alliances, of human fear and desire, of faith and betrayal . . . and, above all, a story of how primitive man, without words or machines, set in motion civilization's long, winding journey to the present.

The Cestus Deception: A Clone Wars Novel (Star Wars: a Clone Wars Novel)
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Library Binding: 457 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439565732
ISBN-13: 978-1439565735

Ord Cestus, a planet mostly barren and inhospitable to life, was first colonized as a prison world'until a handful of hardy pioneers discovered its rich ore deposits and managed to build up a successful droid-manufacturing industry. But when the Clone Wars erupted, bringing severe rationing of imported resources and a Republic ban on the production of battle droids, Ord Cestus was threatened with imminent economic collapse.

Enter the Confederacy of Independent Systems'the Separatists'with a life-saving offer to purchase a generous quantity of the planet's most lucrative export: bio-droids. Possessed of tactical capabilities that rival the fighting abilities of even the most advanced Jedi, these sophisticated, techno-organic hybrid units would prove a most formidable weapon if ever deployed for military use. And now the Confederacy's intention to invest in what amounts to an army of bio-droids has sent ripples of alarm through the highest echelons of the Republic government.

Determined to halt the bio-droid sale'but fearing a show of force will result in a political backlash'Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatches a team of envoys, led by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Their mission: persuade Ord Cestus's government to abandon its dealings with the Confederacy . . . while secretly stirring up revolution among the planet's struggling underclass. Diplomacy is paramount. But if all else fails, the Republic will not hesitate to launch a full-scale attack'and wipe out not only the means of bio-droid production, but countless lives as well, to demonstrate the consequences of disloyalty.

For Obi-Wan, the prospect of such wholesale slaughter only serves to fuel his growing suspicions about the sinister path the Republic seems to be taking. But the brash Jedi Master Kit Fisto and the detachment of clone soldiers assigned to the mission are ready and willing to do the Supreme Chancellor's bidding. As the leaders of Ord Cestus refuse to capitulate and Palpatine rapidly loses patience, Obi-Wan's hopes of a peaceful resolution are dwindling. Now, facing a crisis of conscience, Obi-Wan must find the wisdom and strength to prevent a bloodbath and safeguard the Republic' while abiding by the ancient code to which he has pledged his life.
 

Lion's Blood: A Novel of Slavery And Freedom In An Alternate America
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In the year 1863, a primitive village is raided, the men killed, and the women and children captured. The survivors find themselves chained in the dark, filthy hold of a ship crossing the ocean to the New World, where they are sold into slavery. The powerful master of a vast Southern plantation purchases the 11-year-old Irish lad Aidan O'Dere. Yes, you read that right--in this alternate America, the South was colonized by black Africans, and the North by Vikings, who sell abducted Celts and Franks to the Southerners. Through his brilliant inversion of our history, author Steven Barnes examines the complex evils of slavery in a new light with Lion's Blood, an intelligent and exciting novel of freedom and bondage, battle and intrigue, sex and love, set in an America threatened by total war as Aztecs, Zulus, Moors, and whites clash. 'An Amazon.com review by Cynthia Ward

The Invisible Imam (Assassin's Creed) Click to order via Amazon Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Simon & Schuster Export (November 2007) ISBN-10: 1416544372 ISBN-13: 978-1416544371

In the Night of the Heat: A Tennyson Hardwick Story
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by Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Atria (September 16, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416569979
ISBN-13: 978-1416569978

The Second Installation in the Stunning and Provocative Tennyson Hardwick Novel

Threatened with death after acquittal for murder, football superstar T. D. Jackson asks struggling actor and former gigolo Tennyson Hardwick for protection. Tennyson has a reputation in Hollywood after solving the murder of rapper Afrodite, but politely turns Jackson down: His acting career is taking off with a new series, and he's trying to work out his personal life after a series of wrong turns.

But Tennyson's life is upturned when his seedy past catches up to him on the set of his TV series. Then T. D. Jackson is found dead in his home, the victim of an apparent suicide.

T.D.'s gorgeous cousin, Melanie, is sure the superstar was murdered, and Jackson's family offers Tennyson an irresistible fee to discover the truth. But prying into T. D. Jackson's death means answering the question that divided a nation and destroyed a film star and a football icon's life and career: Did T. D. Jackson kill his wife?

When the investigation takes an unexpected turn toward the governor's mansion and a long-forgotten football game in the segregated South of the 1960s, Tennyson uncovers secrets tearing at the heart of two dynasties and must rely on all of his assets -- his actor's heart, deadly hands, profiler's mind, and every other part of his body -- to keep from dying next.

by Blair Underwood, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Atria (June 19, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743287312

Read an AALBC.com book Review

Casanegra follows the adventures of Tennyson Hardwick, a gorgeous, sexy actor and former gigolo, living on the fringes of the good life in Hollywood. This story, which chronicles the redemption of a prodigal son, combines the glamour of Hollywood with the seedy hopelessness of the inner city.

In this hot and steamy mystery, Tennyson struggles to hang on to his acting career and redeem his sex-for-pay history, which estranged him from his family -- especially his father, a decorated LAPD captain who raised Tennyson to call him "sir." Now, in the wake of his father's sudden stroke, Tennyson has to save himself from taking the fall for the first murder of a female rapper. In the process he discovers his hidden talents -- the hard way.

Dream Park
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by Steven Barnes & Larry Niven

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; Reprint edition (May 11, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765326671
ISBN-13: 978-0765326676
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches

A group of pretend adventurers suit up for a campaign called "The South Seas Treasure Game." As in the early Role Playing Games, there are Dungeon Masters, warriors, magicians, and thieves. The difference? At Dream Park, a futuristic fantasy theme park full of holographic attractions and the latest in VR technology, they play in an artificial enclosure that has been enhanced with special effects, holograms, actors, and a clever storyline. The players get as close as possible to truly living their adventure.

All's fun and games until a Park security guard is murdered, a valuable research property is stolen, and all evidence points to someone inside the game. The park's head of security, Alex Griffin, joins the game to find the killer, but finds new meaning in the games he helps keep alive.


Beowulf's Children
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by Steven Barnes, Jerry Pournelle & Larry Niven

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; Original edition (August 4, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765320886
ISBN-13: 978-0765320889
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

This powerhouse trio of science fiction greats united to further explore the island paradise of Camelot from their classic novel, Legacy of Herorot. A new generation is growing up on the island paradise of Camelot, ignorant of the Great Grendel Wars fought when their parents and grandparents first arrived on Earth. Setting out for the mainland, this group of young rebels feels ready to fight any grendels that get in their way. On Avalon, however, there are monsters which dwarf the ones their parents fought, and as the group will soon learn, monsters also dwell in the human heart.



The Barsoom Project (Dream Park series, Book 2)
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by Steven Barnes & Larry Niven

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Ace; First Thus edition (April 29, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441167128
ISBN-13: 978-0441167128
Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1 inches

Welcome to Dream Park-an amusement park where nothing is what it seems-except murder.

Related Links

Steven Barnes Official Website
http://www.lifewrite.com/

Steven Barnes
http://darkush.blogspot.com/

Tananarive Due, Steven's Wife, also an accomplished author)
http://aalbc.com/authors/tananari.htm