''Rum spells trouble. Cuba had taught me that much. Months on the island had also taught me how to handle the steady flow of people who, upon spotting a lone foreigner, sought anything from casual conversation to intricate favors.'' From Waiting for Fidel (Mariner, $13), CHRISTOPHER HUNT's account of his Cuban odyssey
''Darlene would remember that year when Earl dug his first graves and made love to her every day.'' From Mercy Road (Delacorte, $21.95), a novel by DALIA PAGANI
