PARTITION by R.O. Palmer

PARTITION chronicles a microcosm of India in 1947, a British archeological dig in rural Punjab. There, while uncovering artifacts of India’s past, Professor Robert Joyce is enveloped by the political turmoil of India’s present. Like Lord Mountbatten, Britain’s last Viceroy of India, Robert must deal with competing pressures from Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. Complicating Robert’s exit strategy, his daughter Serena falls for two graduate students, one Hindu and one Muslim.

"MAXING OUT" by R.O. Palmer

Max was stored in a box for years before being chosen as a gift bear. How will he make the most of his chance to live life outside the box?

Some bears have magic that can help people live better lives. Max is just such a gift bear.

Spread the magic by sharing "Maxing Out" with the children in your life.

When asked by children whether Max is a real bear, author R.O. Palmer says, "Max is as real as you want him to be."

"Quartet" by R.O. Palmer

QUARTET is the story of four talented string players who meet at a music conservatory in Cooperstown, New York, where their lives are forever changed. More than a mere coming-of-age story, QUARTET examines, in four distinct voices, the relationships between talent, ambition, and friendship.

Kat Dobro, a fiery Romanian-American, drives herself toward greatness—or destruction; Suyin Zhang, borderline anorexic, struggles to break free of the Asian-American stereotype—and from her mother; Ana Kozerski, a Russian exchange student, has big dreams—and bigger secrets; Jaz Phillips, class-clown, has the gift to make everyone play better—except herself. As a team, they strive to win America’s premier string quartet competition, encountering ups and downs on their four-year journey from being girls to becoming women.

Like a classical string quartet, this novel weaves multiple themes with multiple voices, exchanging melodies, building harmonies, moving back and forth from dissonance to consonance. QUARTET is an adult novel that the 15-25 generation will relate to. The twists and turns will make you laugh and cry. Perhaps, you will hear Mozart.

SPIDER WEB by R.O. Palmer

Spider Web is the dark story of a drug epidemic told from diverse perspectives—one is that of Hal Jenkins, 51, a Parsippany, New Jersey, police detective. The second is that of Samantha Tate, 23, a fashion model adrift on the fringes of the underworld.

Hal’s job is in jeopardy unless he can break the drug ring. Samantha’s life is in danger unless she can shake her addictions. They meet during Hal’s investigation of a tragic accident. Afterward, Hal keeps finding Samantha where she doesn’t belong.

Their lives converge because Hal needs Samantha’s help to shut down the drug dealers while Samantha needs Hal’s help to escape them.

Picasso Prince

A newly discovered Picasso canvas, the Winter Prince, is up for auction on a Caribbean connoisseur art cruise, and collector Malcolm Golden has to have it. He also has a death threat, so he hires Cynthia James to be his covert bodyguard on Persian Prince, a cruise ship like no other.

Cynthia sees the job as easy money… until somebody on board turns up dead. The wealthy bidders, including Malcolm, are suspects, as is Cynthia, when her murky past comes to light. The Winter Prince may be in jeopardy, but the painting is safe from theft as long as the ship is at sea, isn’t it?

Picasso Prince is a mystery that isn’t a typical mystery, and a romance that isn’t a conventional romance. The novel mixes a pinch of travelogue into a tale of deception that confirms Ovid’s maxim: “Art lies in concealing art.”

Darress Theatre

Multiple tales converge at the Darress Theatre in Boonton, New Jersey, with the quirky building an integral character in each story. A murder rocks the quiet town; an everyday man blossoms; an ex-con adjusts to life after prison; an improbable romance ignites; and a poignant play, Cable’s Out, weaves its way through the novel, from first rehearsal to closing night’s curtain call.

Meet the dramatic players of Darress Theatre. The narrator, Ryan, a part-time actor in a dead-end job, weighs the responsibility of caring for a fading parent against the lure of an exotic newcomer. Dolly is the lovable Texan who keeps the Darress going by force of personality. George, a past-his-prime star, reaches for one last brass ring. And meet the Darress Theatre itself, old, odd, and worth saving because it is like no other.

Queen of Diamonds

Queen of Diamonds is the story of Ngoc Soàn, a flamboyant Vietnamese gambler and businesswoman who has overcome gender barriers, racial discrimination, and war wounds to build a thriving Philadelphia diamond company. When she discovers that wealth alone doesn’t bring happiness, she pursues her dream—lowering diamond prices for the masses.

With the De Beers diamond cartel in control of the world supply, Ngoc defies the cartel in her quest for a revolutionary mining discovery—a discovery that De Beers will do anything to suppress.

A sinister Russian, a brilliant geologist, a rival tycoon, and Ngoc’s ambitious niece complicate Ngoc’s risky bid to bypass the cartel. Enter Paul Weeks, master of surveillance and disguise, who sells Ngoc the secret mining specifications. In the process, he uncovers Ngoc’s own painful secret, opening new possibilities for the Queen of Diamonds.