L. Ron Hubbard

In a land of legends and mighty warriors, one fatal gunshot changes the course of a nation. Torn between two races, a white man raised by Blackfeet Indians is propelled across the vast, unexplored Northwest wilderness of the early 1800s in this historically accurate adventure of a desperate mission to defend his adopted people from invasion by ruthless white fur traders. ''... Mr. Hubbard has reversed a time - honored formula and has given a thriller to which, at the end of every chapter or so, another paleface bites the dust... (has) an enthusiasm, even a freshness and sparkle, decidedly rare in this type of romance.'' - New York Times

Welcome to the wild, wild west. Old Laramie, cook for the cowpunchers at the Lazy G Ranch, happens to be in the right place at the right time to stop bandits from attacking a Spanish - speaking family with Aztec roots. The family offers Laramie a silver - mounted quirt as thanks, telling him the small horsewhip will make him a big man. Though he'd never really thought of himself as anything other than old, Laramie accepts the idea that the mysterious quirt holds special Aztec magic; in fact, he thinks, with the quirt in his hands, he's now invincible. To prove this claim, Laramie sets out on a series of adventures showing that the quirt has given him extraordinary newfound bravery and skill - or has it? ALSO INCLUDES THE WESTERN STORIES ''VENGEANCE IS MINE '' AND ''STACKED BULLETS'' ''...is pure entertainment from first page to last with that L. Ron Hubbard touch giving this tale an enduring reading engagement from beginning to end.'' - Midwest Book Review

Sheriff Kyle of Deadeye, Nevada, is headed east to the nation's capital. Like Dennis Weaver in the television series McCloud, Kyle's about to discover that the law can be even wilder in the big city than in the Wild West. It's a fact that hits home when he's the one accused . . . of murder. Kyle's come to the city to give a report to his senator on the misdeeds of Nevada's filthy rich copper kings. But before he has a chance, he's knocked unconscious, later coming to alongside his senator-now dead, with Kyle's knife imbedded in the corpse. Welcome to Washington D. C., where corruption, intrigue and murder are all in a day's work. Kyle's got no alibi, no memory, and apparently doesn't have a prayer ... unless he can find a way to outwit, outfox and outmaneuver the masters of deception and double-crosses in this police procedural thriller. Much like Kyle, L. Ron Hubbard was born and bred on the western frontier and made his way east to explore and experience life in Washington, D. C. But unlike the sheriff, Hubbard enjoyed his time in the capital, where he went to college at Georgetown. He came to know the ins and outs of the city as well as he knew the arroyos and canyons of the west, giving him the kind of insights he needed to write stories like Killers Law. "...some of the most carefully and beautifully crafted trade paperbacks of our time." -Mystery Scene

He's a handsome American Lieutenant in the French Foreign Legion. She's a beautiful woman who's as fiery as the North African sun . . . and as mysterious as the far side of the moon. And she's all his-bought and paid for in the village square. Put them together-Cary Grant and Hedy Lamarr-and you're sure to get fireworks. The only reason the Lieutenant bought her was to free her from the slave trade. But now that he's got her, he's got trouble. Two violent native tribes are determined to get their hands on the woman . . . even if it means unleashing an all-out war. The warriors lay siege to the outpost-3000 of them versus 60 Legionnaires within. Can the Lieutenant hold the fort against the onslaught? And how long can he fend off the powerful feelings he has for the woman in his care? And, finally, does he have any idea of the secret in her past that could change everything? On the subject of North Africa, Hubbard said that writers too often "forget a great deal of the languorous quality which made the Arabian Nights so pleasing. Jewels, beautiful women, towering cities filled with mysterious shadows, sultans equally handy with robes of honor and the beheading sword." Hubbard brings this unique insight to his stories of North Africa and the Legionnaires, investing them with an authenticity of time, place and character that will keep you asking for more.

It is one of the greatest conflicts-and a pivotal turning point-in history...the Chinese civil war. On one side stands Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists. On the other, Mao Zedong and the Communists. And their forces are about to meet in a decisive battle...the outcome of which is in the hands of one American pilot, John Hampton, a man who, like Bogart in Casablanca, couldn't care less... He's a mercenary, flying for the highest bidder, his only loyalty to himself and to cold hard cash. He has nothing to believe in, and nothing to lose. But just as this is a critical moment in history, so, too, is it about to become a defining moment in Hampton's life. What is the extraordinary experience that has the power to penetrate Hampton's armor of cynicism and touch his heart? What is it that makes him see that there are things, other than money, that are worth fighting-and maybe even dying-for? The surprising answers spur him to undertake the ultimate mission in Red Death Over China. Hubbard experienced China in the 1930s in a way few Westerners did. Traveling from the ports of the China Sea to Beijing to the Great Wall and onto the hills of Southern Manchuria, he came to know the land and its people-soldiers, spies, outlaws, and monks-as well as any American could. It is that background that shines through in stories like Red Death Over China. Also includes the flying adventures The Crate Killer, in which a test pilot uses up his nine lives parachuting nine times from crumbling planes, only to discover that his tenth flight presents the biggest challenge of all; and Wings Over Ethiopia, the story of a pilot captured and accused of being a spy by both sides in a war-and his only means of escape is through the lens of a camera. "Highly recommended for aviation action/adventure pulp fiction." -Midwest Book Review

When it comes to boiling up a pot of coffee or stirring up a pot of stew, Old Laramie's about as good a man as you're going to find. But other than cooking three squares a day for the cowpunchers over at the Lazy G ranch, Laramie's not good for much. He's about as heroic as Walter Brennan on a bender. But Laramie's luck-and life-are about to take an amazing turn. Quite by accident, he somehow manages to save a family of Mexicans from bandits, and as a token of their gratitude they give him The Magic Quirt-a horsewhip that he's told will turn him into a new man. The transformation is indeed magical. Suddenly Laramie is performing feats of ingenuity and courage that would make even the Lone Ranger proud. But magic is a funny thing-and as Laramie's about to discover, sometimes it's all an illusion. L. Ron Hubbard wrote of his childhood: "The weather of Montana is, of course, brutal. The country is immense and swallows up men rather easily, hence they have to live bigger than life to survive. There were still Indians around living in forlorn and isolated tepees. Notable among them was Old Tom, a full-fledged Blackfoot medicine man." Hubbard and Old Tom became blood brothers, and the medicine man shared with him the kind of lore that make stories like The Magic Quirt as compelling as they are. Also includes the Western adventures, "Vengeance Is Mine!", the story of a young man who sets out to avenge his father's death only to commit an act beyond redemption, and "Stacked Bullets," in which a game of chance is fixed, a whole town is cheated, and nothing but a stack of bullets can make things right. "Pure entertainment from first page to last with that L. Ron Hubbard touch giving this tale an enduring reading engagement from beginning to end." -Midwest Book Review

Han Solo of Star Wars could learn a thing or two from Firsten Guide, the tough, wise-cracking rebel leader who's light years ahead of his time-and about to lead his crew into a battle that's Beyond All Weapons. Because the force is most assuredly with Firsten. He and his fellow colonizers of Mars have faced a brutal crackdown engineered by Earth's tyrannical government. But the resourceful Firsten has developed an extraordinary new fuel that enables him and his hardy band to escape into space-and time. Escape, however, is not enough. Firsten wants revenge. But the universe is full of unexpected twists and turns. Just as Prometheus flew too close to the sun, Firsten will soon discover that when you break the laws of physics, you can get burned. Hubbard was a pioneer in his use and development of Einstein's theories of space and time as a plot point in his fiction. In Beyond All Weapons, he explains: "As mass approaches the speed of light ... it approaches infinity. And, as mass approaches infinity, time approaches zero. It was only nine days back from Alpha. But in those nine days, six thousand years have passed by Earth." It stands as one of the earliest-and most succinct-descriptions of the theory. Also includes the science fiction adventures Strain, the story of a space war's brutality and one man's struggle to keep a secret under the pain of torture, and The Invaders, in which the distant crystal mines are under attack until a technician crystallizes a unique strategy to undermine the attackers. "A thrilling space adventure ... the terror and excitement builds through to the end." -Publishers Weekly

Insurance investigator Brent Calloway may be too hard-boiled to crack a smile, but he'll go to any length to crack a case. As tough, terse and tireless as insurance man Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity, Calloway's about to go to extremes to see to it that one ship makes it safely from Hawaii to the mainland. Going undercover and posing as ruthless killer Spike O'Brien, Calloway quickly discovers that on this ship nothing is what it seems, and no one can be trusted. With so much insurance money at stake, and the whole crew apparently in on the scam, this could end up being a voyage to the bottom of the sea.... And when the real Spike O'Brien shows up, it's Calloway who'll need a good insurance policy. Because life is cheap when the stakes are so high-on a ship of lies bearing a False Cargo. A veteran sailor who had voyaged long and far, L. Ron Hubbard knew well the life at sea. He once wrote in his journal: "There is something magnificently terrible about a savage sea in the unwholesome green of half-dawn.... The ship is an unreal, fragile thing, full of strange groans, and engine and sails are dwarfed in their puny power when matched to all the countless horsepower in wave and wind and current. The whole world is an awesome threat. Alone, wet, hungry, hand cramped upon a tiller, a sailor knows more truth in those hours than all mankind in his millions of years." Also includes the sea adventure "Grounded", in which a Royal Air Force lieutenant loses a friend and tarnishes his reputation, and sets out in search of redemption ... no matter the price.

A perfect role for a young Robert Redford, saddle tramp Petey McGuire doesn't have much to live for. The trail in front of him stretches out long and hot, and there's no end in sight. He's been beaten down, beaten up, and kicked around so long, he'd run away from his own shadow if he could. But there's one fight he can't run from-the fight against hunger. Petey needs a job quick, before he drops dead in the dust. But the only way to get one is to act cool and talk tough-in other words, become the exact opposite of Petey McGuire. Putting on a performance worthy of a Shakespearean actor, he succeeds all too well-landing in the saddle with the Arizona Rangers. Talking tough is one thing, but backing it up is another. Because Petey's about to discover exactly what it takes-and how much he has to risk-to face the meanest outlaw, win the prettiest girl, and become The Toughest Ranger. Born and raised in the twilight of the Old West-from Nebraska plain to the mountains of Montana-L. Ron Hubbard grew up in the company of real cowboys and rugged frontiersmen, even becoming a blood brother to a Blackfoot medicine man. His firsthand knowledge allowed him to instill a grit and authenticity into his stories that made him one of the leading writers of Westerns, publishing a total of 34 of them by the 1950s. Also includes the Western adventures, Silent Pards, in which an old prospector takes on a couple of wicked enemies with the help of some surprising friends, and The Ranch That No One Would Buy, the story of a young stranger who's about to pull off a killer of a deception. "The story is loaded with the sounds of galloping horses, jangling spurs, and nifty 1960s-style spaghetti-Western guitar licks." -AudioFile

Insurance investigator Brent Calloway may be too hard-boiled to crack a smile, but he'll go to any length to crack a case. As tough, terse and tireless as insurance man Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity, Calloway's about to go to extremes to see to it that one ship makes it safely from Hawaii to the mainland. Going undercover and posing as ruthless killer Spike O'Brien, Calloway quickly discovers that on this ship nothing is what it seems, and no one can be trusted. With so much insurance money at stake, and the whole crew apparently in on the scam, this could end up being a voyage to the bottom of the sea.... And when the real Spike O'Brien shows up, it's Calloway who'll need a good insurance policy. Because life is cheap when the stakes are so high-on a ship of lies bearing a False Cargo. A veteran sailor who had voyaged long and far, L. Ron Hubbard knew well the life at sea. He once wrote in his journal: "There is something magnificently terrible about a savage sea in the unwholesome green of half-dawn.... The ship is an unreal, fragile thing, full of strange groans, and engine and sails are dwarfed in their puny power when matched to all the countless horsepower in wave and wind and current. The whole world is an awesome threat. Alone, wet, hungry, hand cramped upon a tiller, a sailor knows more truth in those hours than all mankind in his millions of years." Also includes the sea adventure "Grounded", in which a Royal Air Force lieutenant loses a friend and tarnishes his reputation, and sets out in search of redemption ... no matter the price.

Pilot Pete England used to think there was nothing more exciting in the world than flying off into the wild blue yonder. But lately the blue yonder hasn't been wild at all . . . it's been downright dull. Pete's like a jaded Clark Gable who's hungry for adventure-and he's about to get his fill. Pete has fallen into a rut, flying the same route-New York to D. C.-with the same passengers, day after day after day. He might as well be driving a bus... until "her highness" climbs aboard. Apparently a princess, she's the Carole Lombard to Pete's Clark Gable, and for one flight, she's bought up every ticket on the plane. Once Pete gets her into the air, the action heats up fast. He learns that the lady is at the center of some international intrigue that could turn the tide of war ... and now a mysterious plane is on their tail, bent on shooting them out of the sky. But that's the least of Pete's concerns. There's more to this princess than meets the eye, and falling in love with her could turn out to be the greatest flight risk of all. As a barnstorming pilot in the early days of aviation, Hubbard was dubbed "Flash" Hubbard by the aviation magazines of the day. Expanding his knowledge even more, he visited Boeing in Seattle where the president and chief engineer gave him an inside look at their test pilot program. His unique and pioneering insight of flight streaks across the page in novels like The Battling Pilot.

Lynn Taylor and his kid brother Frank may not be angels, but they're not devils, either. They're just a couple of men-two-fisted Texans who have landed on the wrong side of a corrupt lawman. And like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, they're up to their necks in trouble. Young Frank's been framed for robbery, rustling and murder, and if Lynn doesn't think fast, his brother's going to end up the guest of dishonor at a hanging party. Lynn cooks up a daring plan to clear his brother's name and rope in the real outlaw. But it means Lynn will have to turn outlaw himself, and if he's caught, it'll be his neck on the line-and in the noose. Hailing from the western states of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Montana, Hubbard grew up surrounded by grizzled frontiersmen and leather-tough cowboys. When he chose to write stories of the Old West, Hubbard didn't have to go far to do his research, drawing on his own memories of a youth steeped in the life and legends of the American frontier. Also includes the Western adventures, Ride 'Em Cowboy, the story of a man and woman's rodeo rivalry that leads to romance, and Boss of the Lazy B, in which a lady gets swindled-and the swindler ultimately gets justice. "Rough and tumble action with a twist, and all are a great read." -True West magazine * International Book Awards Finalist for best Western fiction 2012

Lynn Taylor and his kid brother Frank may not be angels, but they're not devils, either. They're just a couple of men-two-fisted Texans who have landed on the wrong side of a corrupt lawman. And like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, they're up to their necks in trouble. Young Frank's been framed for robbery, rustling and murder, and if Lynn doesn't think fast, his brother's going to end up the guest of dishonor at a hanging party. Lynn cooks up a daring plan to clear his brother's name and rope in the real outlaw. But it means Lynn will have to turn outlaw himself, and if he's caught, it'll be his neck on the line-and in the noose. Hailing from the western states of Nebraska, Oklahoma and Montana, Hubbard grew up surrounded by grizzled frontiersmen and leather-tough cowboys. When he chose to write stories of the Old West, Hubbard didn't have to go far to do his research, drawing on his own memories of a youth steeped in the life and legends of the American frontier. Also includes the Western adventures, Ride 'Em Cowboy, the story of a man and woman's rodeo rivalry that leads to romance, and Boss of the Lazy B, in which a lady gets swindled-and the swindler ultimately gets justice. "Rough and tumble action with a twist, and all are a great read." -True West magazine * International Book Awards Finalist for best Western fiction 2012