Pat Ballard is the Queen of Rubenesque Romances and author of 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are).
<p><strong>KURDISH SCAVENGERS UNCOVER A CACHE OF NERVE GAS IN IRAQ AND OFFER THEM TO KURDISH FIGHTERS IN TURKEY. THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS BEDLAM ALPHA TEAM MUST SECURE THE WEAPONS BEFORE THEY CAN BE USED.</strong></p><p>"<strong>You must swear by Allah never to say a word of what I'm going to tell you. </strong><strong>This is the most important secret. Ever!"</strong></p><p><em>In their daily struggle for survival, Iraqi Kurdish scavengers uncover a cache of chemical weapons. They offer the weapons to fellow Kurdish rebels in Turkey and Syria to assist in their quest to free an imprisoned leader and create a unified homeland. After receiving a tip from an unlikely source, the newly formed Special Operations Bedlam team is called to arms! </em></p><p><em>Travel with Craig Cameron and his international team on their covert operation as they weave their way through war-torn regions seeking to locate and recover the weapons before they can be used to cause irreparable harm and instigate a world crisis. </em></p><p><em>The odds are stacked against them. Can they manage to keep their operation hidden and prevent further clashes before it's too late?</em></p><p>"The Kurdish Connection--a compelling read. A story of friendship, danger and intrigue."--<em>Ann Everett, Amazon Best Selling Author.</em></p><p>..". Randall's authentic voice adds a powerful push to keep a reader turning the pages." --<em>Janet Taylor-Perry, author of The</em><em> Raiford</em><em> Chronicles, The Legend of</em><em> Draconis</em><em> Saga, and April Chastain Intrigues.</em></p><p>"Topical - Engaging - Intriguing - Powerful ... A real page turner."--<em>Rikon Gaites</em><em>, author of Mummy's Little Soldier and Darius</em><em> Odenkirk</em><em>.</em></p><p>..". Randall Krzak brings his wealth of experience living in this troubled part of the world and his military knowledge to bear in this exciting story..."--<em>John L.</em><em> DeBoer</em><em>, author of When the Reaper Comes.</em></p><p>..". a journey full of history, suspense, intrigue, and action...a MUST READ for all!"--<em>Les Stahl, Retired</em> NSA Executive.</p><p>..". Readers need to fasten their seatbelts for a fast-paced tale made believable by a writer who knows what he's writing about."--<em>Preston</em><em> Holtry</em><em>, author of the Morgan</em><em> Westphal</em><em> mystery series and the</em><em> Arrius</em><em> trilogy (forthcoming).</em></p><p>"A behind the scenes story, ripped from today's headlines deepening the reader's understanding of an ancient strife ... filled with the sights and smells of the market place and secret meetings, the reader is admitted to the secret heart, the desperate longings of those that must fight and win, or see continued subjugation by their masters..."<em>--Oliver F. Chase, author of Camelot Games, </em>Levant Mirage, Blind Marsh, and Marsh Island.</p>
<p align="right"> <em><font size="2" color="#111111" face="Verdana">Pat Ballard, the self-described “Queen of Rubenesque Romance,” herein tackles an entrenched stereotype of conventional romantic fiction — the perpetually skinny heroine — and successfully turns it on its bony derriere. </font></em> </p> <p align="right"><em><font size="2" color="#111111" face="Verdana">This collection of ten short stories feature women who are just that: all woman. There’s not one ultra-slim fashion model in the bunch. Their curves are all there and they make no apology for them, whether these ladies work their own cattle ranch, run an antique store or work as an executive secretary in the big city. What this means is that the vast majority of romance aficionados can relate very well to these shapely women who dare to wear larger dress sizes. Better yet, the handsome heroes depicted all appreciate curvaceous heroines, too. </font></em> </p> <p align="right"><em><font size="2" face="Verdana">In fact, some of these short stories could be more appropriately labeled “coming-to-terms” tales since they feature a young woman’s search for self-esteem that isn’t skin deep. In “Freedom” Molly’s boyfriend Mike is shocked when he discovers she comes from a family of large-sized women, because Molly has been starving herself for years in order to remain thin. When Mike issues an ultimatum that after they marry Molly had better not gain any weight, she realizes that he only loves her for her outward appearance and not because of who she is. Armed with this knowledge, she dumps him and eventually finds peace within herself and with her size.</font></em></p> <p align="right"><font size="2" face="Verdana"><em>Ballard doesn’t pull punches. She shows her heroines exhibiting ample will and tenacity to tell off those who would shame them into becoming something they aren’t just to blend in with society's narrow-minded notions of beauty. There’s no guilt in being a big, beautiful heroine in <strong>Dangerous Curves Ahead</strong>, and that is itself a formula for a classic happy ending</em>.</font></p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Verdana">— <strong> C.APPEL </strong> •<strong> FEARLESS BOOKS</strong><br />8-10/04 </font> </p>