This episode is an excerpt from The Compound by S.A. Bodeen. Award-winning author, Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen was raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. After graduating from college, she joined the Peace Corps and traveled to Africa where she was inspired to write her first book, Elizabeti's Doll which received high praise for its unpretentiousness and its sensitivity to Tanzanian culture. Bodeen now lives in Washington state with her family.

The Compound is a compelling young adult novel in which Rex Yanakakis tells of his family's escape from nuclear holocaust into a vast and luxurious underground shelter to spend years in safety while nearly everyone else on the planet perishes. There is no contact with the outside world-or so they thought...

T. Jefferson Parker has lived his entire life in Southern California and his novels have appeared on many bestseller lists. Parker's first novel, Laguna Heat, was written on evenings and weekends while he worked as a journalist; it was originally published in 1986. When not working on his books, Parker spends his time with his family, hiking, hunting, fishing, and haunting the public tennis courts. He enjoys diving, snorkeling, and travel and escapes to the desert in the spring and fall to hike the country and avoid telephones.

In Laguna Heat, Tom Shephard, Laguna Beach's new homicide detective, is trying to rebuild a broken career, recover from an unwanted divorce, and rediscover himself back in his old hometown. Laguna Beach, Orange County's wealthy, tennis and sun-loving resort, is chic and nearly crime-free-until a crazed killer turns paradise into a Disneyland of depraved violence...

Ann Maxwell started her career in 1975 writing science-fiction but began publishing romances as Elizabeth Lowell in 1982. Under this name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America. Since July of 1992, she has had 30 novels on the New York Times Best-Seller list.

In Untamed, Dominic has returned from the Crusades in glory and triumph to claim his reward: the beautiful bride granted to him by the conqueror king. But Meg, beloved daughter of a sacred tribe of the Celtic mystics, fears an ancient curse that could bring further turmoil to her battle-scarred land...and sorrow to her marriage bed.

Karen Robards is the best-selling author of more than thirty romance novels. After first gaining recognition for her historical romances, Robards became one of the first historical romance novelists to successfully make the switch to contemporary romantic fiction. She says the most important thing to know about her is that, in addition to being a writer, she is a mother, a wife and an avid reader. Karen, her family, and their three dogs and three cats live in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

In Guilty we hear the story of Kat Kominski. One cold November night when she was fifteen years old, Kat and some friends held up a convenience store. In the heat of the moment, one of the others shot and killed an off-duty cop moonlighting as a security guard. Kat and her pals fled the scene in a panic, and no one was caught. Thirteen years later, Kat - now Kate White - has built a new life for herself as a new assistant DA. But that new life is put in great jeopardy when the courtroom explodes in a bloody shootout.

Harlan Coben was born in Newark, New Jersey. After graduating from Amherst College a political science major, Harlan worked in the travel industry. Now an international bestselling author, Coben has won the Edgar Award, Shamus Award and Anthony Award - and was the first author to win all three. Harlan Coben lives in New Jersey with his wife and their four children.

In Hold Tight, Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they'd become overprotective parents but their sixteen-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately; after the suicide of his classmate Spencer Hill, they can't help but worry. Spencer's mother, Betsy, spends most nights after his death browsing the many photos and comments on the internet memorial site Spencer's classmates had created for him. Then a photo catches her attention that she had never noticed before...