A fascination with a compelling swath of history has propelled former Columbian reporter and columnist Bill Dietrich to release his 11th novel. "The Emerald Storm" ($25.99; Harper/HarperCollins Publishers) is the fourth in Dietrich's adventure tales featuring Ethan Gage. In his own words, Dietrich says, "Ethan Gage adventures are enjoyed at two levels. Readers have delighted in the swashbuckling romps that follow an American scamp through history of the Napoleonic period: thriller mysteries that have sold into over 28 languages."