She found a way of being a respected sovereign in an age when people were deeply uncomfortable with having a woman on the throne.As well as a queen, Victoria was a daughter, a wife, a mother and a widow, and at each of these steps along life's journey she was expected to conform to what society demanded of a woman. On the face of it, she was deeply conservative. But if you look at her actions rather than her words, she was in fact tearing up the rule book for how to be female. By looking at the detail of twenty-four days of her life, through diaries, letters and more, we can see Victoria up close and personal. Examining her face-to-face, as she lived hour to hour, allows us to see, and to celebrate, the contradictions at the heart of British history's most recognisable woman.

    But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion—or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things. A Last Chance for Love But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.

    Scotland Yard refuses to take him seriously and his friends deride him for attempting a profession at all. But when an anonymous writer sends a letter to the paper claiming to have committed the perfect crime--and promising to kill again--Lenox is convinced that this is his chance to prove himself.The writer's first victim is a young woman whose body is found in a naval trunk, caught up in the rushes of a small islets in the middle of the Thames. With few clues to go on, Lenox endeavors to solve the crime before another innocent life is lost. When the killer's sights are turned toward those whom Lenox holds most dear, the stakes are raised and Lenox is trapped in a desperate game of cat and mouse.In the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, this newest mystery in the Charles Lenox series pits the young detective against a maniacal murderer who would give Professor Moriarty a run for his money.

    But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill--though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome--is anything but a romantic hero. He Needed Redemption... Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household--and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena's past threatens, will Justin's burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?

    Without ruining each other. Wealthy importer Blake Edison will stop at nothing to destroy the Duke of Somerset—the man who should have saved Edison’s mother from starving in the streets and didn’t. But can he fulfill his diabolical mission without losing Willow? That is, without losing Lady Willow Gilchrist, the gifted beauty whose father is forcing her to become the Duke’s daughter-in-law? This story of desire in both mind and heart is set against the backdrop of a dynamic new clothing industry in Victorian England. Lady Willow Gilchrist is prepared to endure the upturned noses of the ton in order to pursue her passion for designing fashions for the explosive new business the handsomely intrepid Blake Edison has launched. She would willingly lose her place in Society if only she could take her place at his side. But will he let her?

    He kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it. It doesn't take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they're really up to. She'll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father's fortune--before someone else finds it first.Award-winning author Joanna Davidson Politano welcomes readers to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England, for a treasure hunt they'll not soon forget.

    He was wrong!How can a man embrace his birthright when he cannot leave his bedroom?Lord Simon Devere returns from the Burmese War, haunted by the vivid memory of his slain cousin and powerless to know reality from dreams. Unable to sleep, lest he awaken in the cell of his nightmares, he sits in the dark, incapable of believing he is truly home—and safe—in England.How can a clever young lady support her family after her father dies in debt?Jenny Blackwood is determined not to let her mother and sisters succumb to an unkind fate. With a head for numbers, she becomes the skilled bookkeeper “Mr. Cavendish.” One unexpected client is the nobleman cruelly named by gossips as Lord Despair.A damaged aristocrat and danger in disguise…With the estate’s coffers mysteriously dwindling, Jenny goes where others fear to tread, into the darkened room of the unstable earl. As friendship quickly sparks into passion, they discover even greater peril lies ahead of them, and the biggest threat to Jenny may be Lord Despair himself.Engaging characters, attention to period detail, and passionate romance with a touch of intrigue—you’ll find it all in the stories by USA Today bestselling writer Sydney Jane Baily.

     Step into Lady Helena Whitcombe’s world with the first novel in a series that will blend family saga and mystery-driven action with a slow-burn romance in seven unputdownable investigations. 1881, Sussex. Lady Helena Scott-De Quincy’s marriage to Sir Justin Whitcombe, three years before, gave new purpose to a life almost destroyed by the death of Lady Helena’s first love. After all, shouldn’t the preoccupations of a wife and hostess be sufficient to fulfill any aristocratic female’s dreams? Such a shame their union wasn’t blessed by children . . . but Lady Helena is content with her quiet country life until Sir Justin is found dead in the river overlooked by their grand baroque mansion. The intrusion of attractive, mysterious French physician Armand Fortier, with his meddling theory of murder, into Lady Helena’s first weeks of mourning is bad enough. But with her initial ineffective efforts at investigation and her attempts to revive her long-abandoned interest in herbalism comes the realization that she may have been mistaken about her own family’s past. Every family has its secrets—but as this absorbing series will reveal, the Scott-De Quincy family has more than most. Can Lady Helena survive bereavement the second time around? Can she stand up to her six siblings’ assumption of the right to control her new life as a widow? And what role will Fortier—who, as a physician, is a most unsuitable companion for an earl’s daughter—play in her investigations? A new series by Jane Steen, author of the House of Closed Doors series that has delighted thousands of fans (over 300 5-star reviews on Amazon and over 700 5-star ratings on Goodreads.) If you’re looking for an unputdownable Victorian mystery saga, here’s where you start!

    Raised with the high-class Victorian values and ideals of a sophisticated upbringing, she is unprepared for the poverty she finds in the gritty factory town of Smeatley, where the locals speak with a hard-to-understand Yorkshire accent and struggle to thrive with few resources or opportunities. Though she has no training as a teacher, she must prove herself successful before her grandfather will release her substantial inheritance to her and allow her to be reunited with her younger sister, the last remaining member of her family after a fever claimed the lives of her parents and brothers. Evangeline's sudden change in circumstances is complicated when her aunt—a woman who values class distinctions more than her family relationships—forbids her from acknowledging any connection to her or to her grandfather, Mr. Farr—the man who owns nearly the entire town. For the first time in her life, Evangeline is truly alone. Heartbroken, she turns to the one person in town who has shown her kindness—an Irish brick mason, Dermot, and his son, Ronan. Despite the difference in their classes and backgrounds, Evangeline and Dermot become friends, due in part to her ability to connect with Ronan, whose behavior requires special attention. The boy is uncomfortable around strangers and rarely even speaks to the other children in town. He often fixates on details other people ignore, and he adheres to specific, self-made rules that give his life order and structure; for example, Dermot's coat must be hung on a specific peg next to the door. Evangeline attempts to prove herself a worthy teacher and earn the respect of her hard-to-understand students. Determined to find a way to introduce them to "proper English" while still honoring their unique language and culture, she enlists the help of a local family to write down familiar stories in the Yorkshire vernacular. Because of her efforts, the students and their families warm to Evangeline and she continues to look for ways to give the children a chance to become more than factory workers in the local cotton mill. When the town learns of her upper-class status, Evangeline must work twice as hard to win back their trust--especially Dermot's. In the end, Evangeline and Dermot discover that, even though they come from different social spheres, together they can overcome social prejudices, make a positive difference in the lives of even the humblest people, and enjoy the strength that comes when two hearts find each other.Ashes on the Moor is the inspiring love story of one Victorian woman's courage to fight against all odds, and the man whose quiet strength gives her the confidence to keep trying.

    But with her father’s passing and her uncle’s decline into dementia, the family business is at risk. In the Victorian era, unmarried Eleanor cannot run Sheffield Brothers alone.The death of a longtime client, Baron Lydney, offers an unexpected complication when Eleanor is appointed the temporary trustee of the baron’s legendary collection. She must choose whether to donate the priceless treasures to a museum or allow them to pass to the baron’s only living son, Harry—the man who broke Eleanor’s heart.Eleanor distrusts the baron’s motives and her own ability to be unbiased regarding Harry’s future. Harry claims to still love her and Eleanor yearns to believe him, but his mysterious comments and actions fuel her doubts. When she learns an Italian beauty accompanied him on his return to England, her lingering hope for a future with Harry dims.With the threat of debtor’s prison closing in, Eleanor knows that donating the baron’s collection would win her favor among potential clients, saving Sheffield Brothers. But the more time she spends with Harry, the more her faith in him grows. Might Harry be worthy of his inheritance, and her heart, after all? As pressures mount and time runs out, Eleanor must decide whom she can trust—who in her life is false or true, brass or gold—and what is meant to be treasured.

    . .He is London's most notorious rogueRichard Grey is renowned for his escapades in the bedchamber. But he's hidden the truth for years: his wicked reputation is a public front to hide his political machinations. So when the prime minister's daughter arrives on his doorstep with a scandalous proposal, he seizes the opportunity to gather information against her father, his corrupt political rival.She is determined to escape her pastAnne Sheffield's life is dictated at the whims of her domineering father. Considered an asset for her remarkable memory, Anne is privy to intelligence passed between the prime minister and his allies — and he's determined to keep her close. Desperate to escape, she presents Richard with a trade: help her find, seduce, and secure a husband of her choosing in exchange for political information.The arrangement is supposed to be simple: his help for her secrets. But sharing secrets can lead to dangerous consequences . . .His Scandalous Lessons is a full length novel in the Private Arrangements series. It can be read as a standalone.

    But when money is tight, and William is going through withdrawals in an attempt to get off of his laudanum completely, the level of holiday cheer is dismally low. James won’t give up so easily. Especially when he finds the perfect Christmas gift for William, and he’ll do whatever he must in order to get it. A Calm Before the Storm is a short Christmas story companion to the Dark is the Night series.

    Offered more money than she could ever imagine by a handsome stranger, she agrees to his unusual request to be her one and only client. But it’s a dangerous time to be a lady of the night. The Ripper murders are splashed on every paper, and whispered about behind the backs of hands. 
In the arms of her client turned lover, Marie feels an adoration and acceptance she’s never experienced before. Unfortunately, contentment can’t root out the dark questions clawing their way into the light. Is it possible the man who’s stolen her heart also prowls the streets of Whitechapel in search of his next victim?  Consumed by doubt, Marie finds herself questioning the man she thought she had come to know so well. Could he? Would he? Did he?
From Best Selling author Amy Cecil comes, Ripper, a sizzling romance laced with spine-tingling suspense!

    This is a must-read for anyone who loves an underdog and celebrates justice; the perfect accompaniment for our present times."  -  Olivia Hawker, international bestselling author of The Ragged Edge of Night Nellie Bly has the story of a lifetime. But will she survive to tell it?Enraged by an article entitled ‘What Girls Are Good For’, Elizabeth Cochrane pens an angry letter to the Pittsburgh Dispatch, never imagining a Victorian newspaper would hire a woman reporter. Taking the name Nellie Bly, she struggles against the male-dominated industry, reporting stories no one else will – the stories of downtrodden women.Chased out of Mexico for revealing government corruption, her romantic advances rejected by a married colleague, Bly earns the chance to break into the New York’s Newspaper Row if she can nab a major scoop – life inside a madhouse. Feigning madness, she dupes the court into committing her to the Insane Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. But matters are far worse than she ever dreamed. Stripped, drugged, beaten, she must endure a week of terror, reliving the darkest days of her childhood, in order to escape and tell the world her story. Only, at the end of the week, no rescue comes, and she fears she may be trapped forever...Based on the real-life events of Nellie Bly’s life and reporting, What Girls Are Good For is a tale of rage, determination, and triumph - all in the frame of a tiny Pennsylvania spitfire who refused to let the world tell her how to live her life, and changed the world instead. Praise for What Girls Are Good For: ★★★★★ - "With rich imagination and meticulous research, David Blixt has brought the hectic, exciting world of nineteenth-century journalism vividly to life. His Nellie Bly is determined, independent, crafty, irresistible -- a heroine any reader would be delighted to get to know." - Matthew Goodman, New York Times bestselling author ★★★★★ - "David Blixt pens a heroine for the ages in "What Girls Are Good For," which follows the extraordinary career of pioneer newspaperwoman Nellie Bly. A pint-sized dynamo who refuses to stay in the kitchen, Nellie fights tooth and nail to make a name for herself as a journalist, battling complacent men, corrupt institutions, and her own demons along the way. This real-life Lois Lane had me cheering aloud as I turned the pages - simply a delight!" - Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network

    But her fortunes change when her father announces that he has promised her hand in marriage to an old friend and colleague in the House of Lords. Lord Peter deVere, Earl of Dunsford, is not at all who Mariah imagined marrying, but she is willing to take a chance on the older man in order to gain the freedom that only married women are allowed. After a tragic marriage that stretched on for two decades, Peter is hesitant to marry again. But he needs an heir, or else his dastardly nephew, Lord William, will inherit everything he’s worked his entire life to build. But when he meets Mariah, sparks fly that neither of them expected. Their unlikely match stands a chance of giving each of them all the things they never realized they needed. But trouble abounds when the mine that has provided Peter with his fortune is exhausted and the search for new veins of copper begins. On top of that, Lord William isn’t about to stand by and watch his inheritance disappear. His efforts to drive a wedge between Peter and Mariah cause havoc and heartbreak at Starcross Castle, which will take an act of heroic devotion to overcome as Peter sets out to prove that true love is ageless. PLEASE BE ADVISED – Steam Level – Very Hot!

    Struggling to support herself after her father's disappearance, Katherine has neither time nor money to solve the mystery alone. She has no choice but to seek help from a woman she has only just met; awkward socialite Connie Swift.As the letters become increasingly frantic, this unlikely team of amateur detectives must learn to work together, while struggling to navigate the rigid rules of Victorian propriety, their families’ expectations, and the complicating interference of men.Confronting danger as they venture into new and frightening territory, Katherine and Connie risk arrest, exposure, and even their reputations to solve the Case of the Black Tulips. Can they solve the mystery before someone gets killed....or they kill each other?The Case of the Black Tulips is the first book in the Caster & Fleet mystery series, set in 1890s London.

    She's all anticipation, waiting for the man chosen to escort her on this journey. According to her aunt, she met him before, many years ago, but Anne cannot remember him and she's positive that he must long-since have forgotten her. She's never been memorable. But J.P. Deverell, Esq. is now a grown man with a dangerous reputation, of which her aunt cannot possibly be aware. And Anne means to make the most of her aunt's mistake and this adventure. She considers herself a modern, independent woman, for whom a little scandal is well overdue. If she doesn't seize this chance now, she might never have another. As Charles Dickens wrote, "No space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused." * * * * He's in no temper for eggnog and mistletoe; no mood to tolerate the painfully polite company of some plain spinster, in a carriage, for three days. It's probably a contrivance to get him home for Christmas. Remember Anne Follyot? He doesn't care to remember himself sixteen years ago, let alone recall the dull vicar's five year-old niece. He'd planned to spend his Yuletide working, alone and in peace. But a letter from his mother has guilted him into this act of begrudging chivalry, aided by the whispers of his best friend's mischievous ghost. "Bah, Humbug!" As Charles Dickens also wrote. * * * * But this journey will not turn out quite the way either traveler expects, for when these two opposites collide, so do ghosts of the past, the present and the future. It will be a holiday season with all the usual fare—peril, pandemonium, family quarrels, mulled wine and bodily injury. Certainly a Christmas adventure never to be forgotten this time. At least, by one of them. Publisher's Note: This story takes place within the Deverells' world, but the others in the series DO NOT need to be read first in order to enjoy this book.

    Emily and Colin Hargreaves are looking forward to nothing more than spending a relaxing Christmas at their country estate, Anglemore Park, eating mince pies and playing with their sons in the falling snow. Their solitude is interrupted by a knock on the door one night, when the villagers of nearby Dunsford Vale come to them with strange tales of a barghest--a mythical black dog with red eyes and enormous teeth and claws--that has been wreaking havoc on the town. Never ones to be taken in by local superstitions, Colin and Emily team up to find an explanation behind the bizarre events. When a grieving young woman in town receives a mysterious and beautiful gift after a visit from the barghest, Emily and Colin begin to suspect that the beast is more man than monster. Racing through the candlelit streets of Dunsford Vale and the windswept heaths of Anglemore, the couple must follow the clues and uncover the truth to restore Christmas cheer.

    Fiercely determined but not knowing how to find her way, she risks the little she has left on the heart she once shattered—hoping somehow to win back his respect, if not his love.Since he was a boy, John Thornton has fought the consequences of his father’s mistakes. Resolved to overcome past failings and the disdain of the world, he has striven for wealth, respect, and personal honour, but he is denied love. Now, all he had previously gained is slipping away, but he cannot resist a second chance with the woman he once lost. Crushed on all sides, all he has left to offer the one who needs him most is a home, and a heart that aches for her. Can a struggling manufacturer ever be enough for a woman who deserves the world? Can a grieving, inexperienced young woman learn to look beyond her Southern past to appreciate her Northern man? When sorrow and fear threaten to conquer them both, they must overcome the odds to find the strength to forge a better life ahead. This dramatic tale delves into the wonderful world of Elizabeth Gaskell’s epic North & South.

    Now, they’re stranded together back in 1850.Reese thinks she’s gotten over Jem Taylor—until he finds a way to tag along on her trip to England with her friends. She’s far from pleased. It only gets worse when they’re ripped nearly two centuries into the past. Reese finds her heart, and her choices, pulled in two very different directions.Victorian England is not the setting Jem Taylor planned on to right his wrongs, but it will have to do. Choosing his job over Reese was the worst mistake he ever made, and he won't lose her again. But to win her heart back, he’ll have to fight the magic that brought her to that time—and an earl with the means to keep her there.Other Series Written in Twickenham World:~Twickenham Full-Moon Ball Time Travel Romance by Donna K. Weaver~Twickenham Manor Time Travel Romance by Jo Noelle~Twickenham Time Travel Regency Romances by Laura Beers~Twickenham Regency Romance by Jen Geigle Johnson~Twickenham Time Travel by Johanna Evelyn

    She refuses to become an Earl's forced bride merely to settle her uncle's gambling debt. Using her only means of escape, a male disguise, she flees to London, where she will board a ship to her freedom. But her plans go askew when a run-in with bandits brings her face-to-face with the very last man she wanted to meet. Young Madelene finds the Earl intriguing, but her guard is up. As a new danger grows imminent, will Madelene be captured and forced into an unwanted marriage, or will the man she once feared be the one to rescue her?Lord Hugh Trentham has returned from the war with an injury on his leg and the title of Earl of Scarbrough waiting for him. This title though does not come free of guilt! Hurt and betrayed from his late wife, he finds himself winning the hand of a young maiden through a bet. Will his tormented past prevent him from carrying on with this union, or will this young Lady save his aching heart?"A Lady for the Forsaken Earl" is a historical romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

    City of Medicine, Money, Murder.Young women are being discovered dead across the Old Town, all having suffered similarly gruesome ends. In the New Town, medical student Will Raven is about to start his apprenticeship with the brilliant and renowned Dr Simpson.Simpson's patients range from the richest to the poorest of this divided city. His house is like no other, full of visiting luminaries and daring experiments in the new medical frontier of anaesthesia. It is here that Raven meets housemaid Sarah Fisher, who recognises trouble when she sees it and takes an immediate dislike to him. She has all of his intelligence but none of his privileges, in particular his medical education.With each having their own motive to look deeper into these deaths, Raven and Sarah find themselves propelled headlong into the darkest shadows of Edinburgh's underworld, where they will have to overcome their differences if they are to make it out alive.

    She discovers that Victorian England isn't the pleasant social whirl Jane Austen led her to believe, but when in Rome—or in this case Twickenham . . . She’s determined to have the vacation of a lifetime, especially in the company of a certain duke. Simon Tuttle never expected to become the duke of Hertfordshire, never wanted it, but now he is, and eligible women seeking a title consider him the next trophy to be taken in the marriage mart. A union of convenience is the most he hopes for due to the shame-filled secret he bears—until he meets Cora. Now, he imagines that a love match could be possible after all. Hiding his secret from society has been easy—hiding it from Cora proves impossible. Can Cora love a man like him despite learning the truth? This delightful romance is a little Regency, a little contemporary, and a lot Victorian.

    Can anyone stop the serial killer before more women are murdered? London, 1888 Whitechapel is full of the noise of August Bank Holiday celebrations. Everyone is in high spirits until a woman – Martha Turner – is discovered brutally murdered. Her friend, Esther, a lowly seamstress turned female sleuth, is determined to find the killer. A young police officer, Jack Enright, takes the lead on the case, and he and Esther soon embark on a professional – and personal – relationship. When another murder is committed and whispers of a slasher calling himself Jack the Ripper start flowing through the London streets, the search becomes even more desperate. The police are on the wrong track and the young couple take matters into their own hands, and soon find themselves navigating through London’s dark underbelly. Can they find the murderer before he kills again? Will anyone listen to their suspicions? Or will this dark presence continue to haunt Whitechapel…? THE GASLIGHT STALKER is the first crime thriller in an exciting new historical series, the Esther and Jack Enright Mysteries, a traditional British detective series set in Victorian London and packed full of suspense. ESTHER & JACK ENRIGHT MYSTERY SERIES BOOK ONE: The Gaslight Stalker Books 2-4 Coming Soon

    But every night, instead of fantasizing about her own life, she dreams the memories of dead people, reliving their happiest moments… and their most painful experiences.But when Emily begins to have consecutive dreams of Victorian era Lucy, she finally finds an escape from her own friendless waking life. And the dreams get even better when Lucy meets her fiancé’s cousin—a handsome bachelor Emily doesn’t mind seeing every night.But when Emily accidently changes the outcome of one of her dreams, thereby shifting reality, she has to make important decisions about choices and control. And what she believes is right.

    He's the solemn, sensible blacksmith of Slowly Fell and he keeps his distance from females entirely for his own tranquility of mind, not out of any fear of mischievous magic. In his opinion, the great number of souls lost forever to the village pond can be blamed on carelessness and unlucky accident; nothing to do with a witch's curse.The Dowager Lady Bramley, widow of the local squire, also denies a belief in witchcraft. Or ghosts. Although she's lately enjoyed long discussions with her dear departed husband, who is intent on luring her to Slowly Fell, a place that haunts her dreams-a village with a macabre history, and a connection to her family that she would rather not remember.Admiral Wetherby did not believe in witches either, until madness caused him to burn down his house and all his possessions, sending himself up in smoke with it. And now his daughter, practical, level-headed survivor, Sarah Wetherby, arriving in Slowly Fell to look after the vicar's sick wife, doesn't know what to think about witches. She is not a young woman prone to fanciful ideas, but she loves a good mystery, and there is certainly something going on in Slowly Fell. Sarah has begun to suspect that she's lived here before. Certain sights around the village are familiar- the house where a reclusive old woman resides in grand, but lonely splendor; the pond where a family of accused witches once met their deaths in the ducking-stool, and even the gruff manners of that handsome bachelor blacksmith seem to her familiar as old friends. Or something more.But in Slowly Fell, nothing and nobody is quite what they seem.

    And if that means a temporary engagement to give Maggy a cover story, he’ll play along with the feisty detective.Maggy always gets her man—at least when it comes to solving crimes. The young widow refuses to marry again and land under another husband’s thumb. Unmasking Edward’s enemies will earn her a longed-for promotion…but the heart has its own mysteries. Could working together with the handsome English aristocrat spark a real and loving partnership?

    Politics and power. Demons and spirits. When ex-Pinkerton detective Samuel Hunter married Elizabeth Weldsmore, the heir to one of Boston's Great Houses, he knew his life would change forever, but he never expected the return of Elizabeth's psychic abilities.Not only do they have to keep it a secret, but Elizabeth must learn quickly how to master them. For a psychic in a Great House is a political liability which her father, Jonathan Weldsmore, knows only too well. As the Great Houses jockey for power, the three of them must contend with treachery, subterfuge, and potentially a new demonic threat, in this political and supernatural thriller set in an alternate-history Boston of 1890.This novel is the prequel to the popular graphic novel, Boston Metaphysical Society: The Complete Series.Silver Medalist in the Authorsdb Cover Contest 2018.

    But as grand as her new position is, the one thing she wants the most feels out of her grasp. Her heart belongs to head stableman Harry Pond, but she’s convinced that she’s already ruined her chances with Harry by being too bold too soon. So when mine surveyor Stephen Adler takes a shine to her and offers her the adventure of a lifetime, her heart is torn. Harry has loved Ginny from the moment he met her, but he believes that her ambition and hunger for adventure mean she will never look on him as more than a bit of fun. He’d do anything to convince her to marry him…and when Adler swoops in, anything is what he just might have to do. This heartfelt tale of love below-stairs continues the story that started with DECEMBER HEART, the first book in The Silver Foxes of Westminster series. PLEASE BE ADVISE – Steam Level: Very Hot!

    He makes his living by rushing headlong into it.   Outwardly, Adele Linley’s trip to visit her American cousins is nothing more than a summer vacation. In reality, she’s the daughter of an English aristocrat with barely a penny to her name seeking a rich American husband.  Having grown up in an overcrowded orphanage, Drew Dawson is determined to make a name for himself. He’ll take any honest job to provide for his sister—even crossing Niagara Falls by tightrope.   On a sightseeing trip to the Falls, Adele meets several eligible suitors. Incredibly wealthy and pompous, Franklin Conway takes an immediate fancy to her. But Adele would truly like to marry for love.  When she encounters the mysterious Drew in the garden, Adele is confused by her feelings for someone who is everything she is NOT looking for. Will they both stay the course they have chosen for themselves? More from My Heart Belongs in Series...My Heart Belongs in Fort Bliss: Priscilla's Reveille by Erica Vetsch (January 2017)My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains: Carmella's Quandary by Susan Page Davis (March 2017)My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho: Rebecca's Plight by Susanne Dietze (May 2017)My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude's Mooring by Carrie Fancett Pagels (July 2017)My Heart Belongs in the Shenandoah Valley: Lily's Dilemma by Andrea Boeshaar (September 2017)My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah: Leanna's Choice by Angie Dicken (November 2017)

     In this guide, you’ll find character sketches of the main couple in each book, a brief synopsis of each story, an excerpt for that book, and Jennifer’s notes and thoughts about the story and the characters—challenges she faced as well as what she enjoyed most. The Chronicles includes a family tree, a series timeline and reading order, plus publication order and a guide on how to find the books. It all begins with The Madness of Lord Ian!

    Every night, Jake promises his little sister ‘tomorrow will be better’ and when the chance to escape poverty comes their way, he seizes it despite the terrible price.And so Jacob Marley is set on a path that leads to his infamous partnership with Ebenezer Scrooge. As Jacob builds a fortress of wealth to keep the world out, only Clara can warn him of the hideous fate that awaits him if he refuses to let love and kindness into his heart…In Miss Marley, Vanessa Lafaye weaves a spellbinding Dickensian tale of ghosts, goodwill and hope – a perfect prequel to A Christmas Carol.

    From bizarre trivia about courtly love, to techniques and prostitution, you ll encounter memorable nuggets of provocative information that you'll want to share. It's all here: ménage a trois, chastity belts, Tudor fallacies, royal love and infidelity, marriage contracts (which were more like business arrangements), brothels, kept women, and whorehouses. Take a peek at what really happened between the sheets. Each story provides you with shocking detail about what was at the heart of romance throughout British history. Sexuality and Its Impact on History: The British Stripped Bare chronicles the pleasures and perils of the flesh, sharing secrets from the days of the Anglo-Saxons, medieval courtly love traditions, diabolical Tudor escapades including those of Anne Boleyn and Mary Queen of Scots the Regency, and down to the prudish Victorian Era. This scholarly yet accessible study brings to light the myriad varieties of British sexual mores.

    It was never heard from again. Five years later, Captain David Maxwell of the Serapis sets sail to attempt to recover the Vanguard and determine the fate of his former commander. Naturalist Embleton Hall is running from demons of his own. He doesn’t expect to find himself drawn to Captain Maxwell--but the two men form a bond that will become essential to their survival.Together, they'll brave the elements on a long and harrowing voyage to discover the fate of the lost ship Vanguard. But they'll also learn that some secrets are best left frozen in ice. Winner, Best Historical Detail, 2018 Best of LGBTQIA+ Historical Romances.

     But Clementine is different. She wants more from life than to just walk in her husband’s shadow. Like the formidable Florence Nightingale, she has a dream to become a nurse of the Empire. Her path crosses with the handsome and dashing hussar, Major Stirling Whitt Whittaker. A whirlwind love affair ensues, leading to young Stirling asking for Clementine’s hand in marriage. However, as fate would have it, the Crimean War drags them apart, twisting and weaving the threads of destiny. Will her Stirling survive the horrors of war unscathed or will she have to treat him like the many other hundreds of men coming from the front? *A Charming Cavalryman for Clementine is a historical regency romance of 80,000 words (around 450 pages). No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a sweet happily ever after. Get this book for free with Kindle Unlimited!

     Appearances don’t always reveal the truth. Grace Latimer knows that better than most. A troubled past has trapped her in illusions of commitment and comfort – until Nick Heysham charms his way into her world. Commissioned to recover a prestigious architect’s missing designs for the Great Exhibition, he persuades her to assist in his research. The mystery of the Crystal Palace seduces Grace, and once she discovers clues about a forbidden Victorian love affair, she is lured into the deep secrets of the past… secrets that resemble her own. As Grace digs into the elusive architect's untold story, the ghosts of guilt and forbidden passion slip free. And history is bound to repeat itself, unless Grace finds the courage to break the glass ...

     Vivi Schuster has it all, at least she thought she did—until she traveled back in time to a frontier town and met a man who turned her world upside down. She had mapped out the perfect future with the nearly-perfect man and someday love would come along for them, but now she’s not so sure. She’s experiencing feelings she’s never had before. Did she fall for the wrong man, or is she doing that now, nearly one hundred thirty years in the past? Horace Jacob Daniels IV, or Jake as he prefers, is certain love is not worth the risk of heartache. At least that’s been his experience—but never again! But when Jake meets and falls for Vivi, he’s sure she’s set to marry the wrong man—and he’s growing short on time to convince her that he’s the right man. Can love find its way from the past into the present to make this Christmas the right time for love? TIMELESS LOVE Series Book 1 A STITCH IN TIME By Susette Williams Book 2 THE PORTAL By Cynthia Hickey Book 3 THE RIGHT TIME FOR LOVE By Tina Dee Book 4 FOR THE LOVE OF LIBERTY By Heather Blanton Book 5 MELODY’S NEXT CHRISTMAS By George McVey

    But a tragic accident - of which Evelyn was the sole survivor - ensured she was sent back to the safety of London and polite socity. Ten years later, while volunteering at the British Museum, a strange missive arrives, requesting Evelyn's assistance with translating an ancient book owned by the elderly Lord Craven. Evelyn's supervisor at the museum warns her not to take the job, but she can't refuse. She packs what she can and climbs into Lord Craven's carriage, bound for Carnavon Castle. Much to her surprise, however, upon her arrival she learns that it was not the elderly Lord Craven who requested her for the job, but his son, the handsome and dashing Alister Shaw. The elderly Lord Craven is dead, and Alister would like her to translate the book in his honor. Even though she knows she should refuse - for the sake of her reputation - she cannot resist the chance to finally earn respect for her translation skills. Even if the only character she can read in the book initially is a single word - Evil. Will Evelyn decipher the book and learn its terrible secret before a past she longed to forget catches up with her? Or will she fall into disrepute when she can no longer resist her attraction to Alister Shaw?The Sumerian Curse is a stand-alone Gothic romance.

    At what age is the hope of love lost? Can a love that has slipped into friendship be re-kindled?These thoughts lay heavy in Gabriel’s soul, for while he finds the spark of love still burns inside his middle-aged heart, he cannot tell Henry. When they were young at Oxford University, their love burned hot and bright, and they thought to change the world together until a devastating tragedy ripped them apart.Youth. It slips away in the blink of an eye, and Henry can no longer stand to see his own reflection in the mirror, for all he sees is a sad, tired old man whose body has betrayed him. He craves the touch of another, to feel attractive and vital once more, but his obsession with his work has stolen his life from him, and now it has taken on a sinister dimension.Determined to continue with his work regardless of the consequences, Henry invites his friends over for a dinner party, but one of his guests is missing, and the evening is shattered by the revelation of a brutal murder.To what lengths would you go to find love? How far would you go to see your youth renewed? These are the dilemmas facing Gabriel and Henry as their friendship is tested to its very limits, for their lives are shattered by a vicious killer. Is there still the chance for love, or has age stolen that from them too? Can they move beyond the friendship that has spanned over thirty years and find the love that once made their hearts beat as one?You may never be too old to find love, but will you be able to survive it?

    Only when he meets Robert Adamson, an early master of the new and fickle art of photography, does this daunting task begin to look feasible.Hill is soon bewitched by the art of light and shade. He and Adamson become the darlings of Edinburgh society, immortalising people and places with their subtle and artistic images. In the Blink of an Eye is a re-imagining of Hill's life in the words of those who were beguiled by his artistry and charismatic charm. Tender, tragic and sometimes humorous, these voices come together in a story of art and science, love and loss, friendship and photography.

    The horrific scars covering her body tell a tale of terror she is sure she would rather forget forever. But to the doctors and benefactors overseeing her care, the possibly sordid details of her past are too enticing to ignore. She is forced to undergo a hypnosis session to unlock the secrets of her past. But once that door is open, it is impossible to close. The memories Ann recall are scant except for one—her name is Eve. And the man who inflicted the damage upon her body gave her that name. One at a time, the doors of Eve’s mind open, and she cannot help but walk through them, revealing horror after horror until she is no longer sure who the real monster is. Fans of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and Margret Atwood’s Alias Grace are sure to love this blend of Gothic and horror from the pen of Leigh Anderson.

    Her father, swimming professor Jeffery Belle, is introducing his Family of Frogs - and Daisy is the star attraction. By the end of that day, she has only one ambition in life: she will be the greatest female swimmer in the world.   She will race down the Thames, float in a whale tank, and challenge a man to a 70-foot high dive. And then she will set sail for America to swim across New York Harbour.   But Victorian women weren’t supposed to swim, and Daisy Belle will have to fight every stroke of the way if she wants her dreams to come true.   Inspired by the careers of Victorian champions Agnes Beckwith and Annie Luker, Daisy Belle is a story of courage and survival and a tribute to the swimmers of yesteryear.

    Ada envisions a whole new world where art and information converge – a world she might not live to see. A music-laced story of love, friendship, and the edgiest dreams of the future. Jane Austen meets Steve Jobs in this poignant pre-tech romance heralding the computer age. Original music by The Kilbanes on request. More at: adaplay.tumblr.com

    Colorado 1880 Once upon a time, Rose was a barefoot dreamer, carving whimsical creatures from the driftwood she found on the beach. However, after the death of her father, Rose finds herself cut adrift. So she answers an advertisement to become the bride of a blacksmith in Sweet Briar, Colorado, bravely leaving behind the coast of Maine and her beloved sandy beaches. Living in the shadow of the Rockies, Emmett Southerland is a bit of a hopeless romantic. He’s been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the dark-haired beauty in the photograph he keeps over his heart. However, soon he and Rose find themselves snowed-in during the worst storm Colorado has seen in twenty-five years. This sweet mail-order bride romance very loosely reimagines the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty, complete with a satisfying happily-ever-after. Sweet Briar Rose is a short novel of approximately 42,000 words. Note for fans of The Brides Series: Sweet Briar Rose is not Christian Fiction, but falls into the Clean and Wholesome category, with no graphic content or swearing.

     In one hellish night, Morrigan Holmes ruined everything: her home, her family, her confidence, and her name. Fleeing scandal, loss, and grief, her only choice is to run, but London’s gaslit streets are not kind to young women alone. Within hours, she discovers the horrors of homelessness and the terrible invisibility of the marginalised poor. A child is kidnapped before her eyes, and she barely escapes the same fate. Adrift and alone, Morrigan seeks help in strange quarters: a radical suffragist with a haunted past, a half-blind journalist, a sinister physician, and a gang of street boys led by the striking and enigmatic Magpie. As the number of kidnappings grows, something dark begins to take shape in the London mists. Time is short, still Morrigan cannot escape the family she devastated. Could Sherlock be her salvation… or her destruction?

    When your soul finds the one it needs, true love is...inevitable. As a young girl, Lady Machelle Winston thought Lord Adrian Ravenspur was the man of her dreams, a knight in shining armor there to rescue her from life's unfortunate scrapes and mishaps. Coddled by her family, Machelle lives an idealistic childhood dreaming about her dark knight and fairytale endings. But her idealistic dreams didn't prepare her for the man he really was. Fighting a growing attraction to his best friend's youngest sister, Lord Ravenspur knows he has to walk away from Machelle before he can no longer control the passion she ignites in him. One decisive event later and Adrian's fateful decision keeps him away from her for three long years. Upon seeing her again at a family event, all of Adrian's desires resurface. She’s not a child anymore, and he has no intention of walking away from her again. Controlling his passion while protecting her from an unknown danger from her family's past tests all of Adrian's resolve. Does he let go of his reservations and love the woman he has always wanted but didn't have the courage to face? Will their love bring them together as he finally becomes the knight she needs? Afterall, when your soul finds the one you need, true love is Inevitable.

    But when the ancient fae magic causes a disruption in reality, she’s unexpectedly pulled back in time to 1850. Kaitlyn is thrilled to spend time in the past and eager to try it all, including the harmless flirting with the wealthy men who visit Twickenham Manor. Though her mind belongs in the twenty-first century, as she spends time with a handsome Baronet she wonders if finding love in the past is really a possibility. Cyrus told himself the real reason he came to England was to help keep Kaitlyn safe as a promise to her mother, but he soon discovers that there’s more to his best friend’s younger sister than he remembers. When he finally gets a chance to explore where a relationship might lead, he finds himself in the past where there are others willing to sweep Kaitlyn off her feet. Will Kaitlyn give him a chance to prove his love, or will he lose out to a genuine Victorian gentleman?

    She cannot return home until she sells her matches, but nobody wants them. Knowing she has not got long to live, she does the unforgivable: She strikes a match. The light draws the attention of a certain Mr. Ignis. He offers her warmth and food, but only if she agrees to do anything he wants. And his tastes are dark and terrifying. As she tumbles further into his strange world of dominance and pain, she cannot help wondering, will he ever see her as anything more than his submissive plaything, or will he simply tire of her one day and cast her aside? Publisher’s Note: This dark Victorian romance features sensual scenes, extensive fire play and dangerous situations, but the HEA is guaranteed.

    Sure, spending his days chained to a VR rig testing full immersion games sounds like a dream job, but it gets old. So when Jacob sees the odd, goggle-wearing man swinging an invisible sword through the streets of downtown Seattle, he follows him. Now, Jacob finds himself playing in the real world, turned breathtakingly steampunk by the wonders of augmented reality. Accompanied by his biosyntetic monkey Banjo and a colorful team of characters, Jacob must push the limits of the technology and his body in an effort to recover the items that will award him a prize beyond imagination - the deed to Steam Whistle Alley. Will he succeed? Or will he succumb to the forces who aren’t playing games, and want to pull the game down around him? Read Joshua Mason’s Steam Whistle Alley today and find out. ”Great imagination and world building can't wait for the next one!” “There are only a handful of gamelit stories that make me wish I could play too, but this is one of the best I’ve read in a while.” "I picked this story up on a recommendation from a friend and oh am I glad that I did. This has been a very fun and extremely engaging read. I wasn't able to put the story down until I finished."

    

    Since then, she’s remade herself as the formidable Lady Grantham, a fixture on London’s social scene. Years of arranging advantageous matches between Europe’s cash-strapped nobility and the New Money heiresses she trains in her finishing school have left her jaded and disillusioned. Love has become the enemy. When the mysterious and handsome Lord Wrexham, unknown in London Society, arrives in town, the carefully ordered life Genevieve has built for herself begins to crumble. It seems the time has come to confront everything she left behind in Paris—and everyone.

     Sir Arthur Conan Doyle references many everyday Victorian activities and aspects that are lost on the twenty-first century reader. These short essays provide modern readers a better understanding of Victorian England and greater insight into the world of Sherlock Holmes. His cases take on richer meaning when the reader grasps the subtilties of such details as the blue ribbon mentioned in “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box,” the doss houses Shinwell Johnson knew about, or how one contracted brain fever. Originally published in Sherlockian newsletters across the world, these short essays carry the reader back to London, 1895 and the world of the most famous consulting detective. Topics covered include: Horse racing The Victorian Wedding Boxing The Temperance Movement Fencing London Smog Brain Fever Circuses The Port of Dundee Doss Houses Vampires Bradshaw’s Companion Bicycles and the New Woman Clergymen Public Houses Microscopes and Magnifying Glasses Governesses Ciphers and Codes Eton Cambridge and Oxford The Art of Disguise Typewriters Brief History of Tea Return, once again, to Victorian England and the residents of 221B Baker Street. “We have…always found [Dr. Sherwood-Fabre’s] essays to be both entertaining and informative as well as very well researched.” --Joel Senter, editor The Sherlockian E-Times

    As the fourth MacLeod son, Donnan MacLeod does not have to take on the responsibilities his older siblings do. He is free to keep his business private. As a privateer he sails the channel looking for smugglers. Very elite smugglers. It's not until he returns to Skye for his mother's birthday when Donnan begins to lose control of his life. And it's all because of a woman, the one woman he's loved since childhood. The woman he desires above all others - that is should he ever think of taking a wife. Rosalind, strong willed and opinionated far more than most, she is determined to find out what it is Donnan is hiding. Never before had they kept things from each other, but Rosalind is convinced he's keeping something huge from her. Everything changes in the blink of an eye. Stowing away in the back of Donnan's coach, Rosalind changes their lives forever. The adventure begins...

    It brings Charlotte such joy to see her mother happy again. Charlotte hopes to develop a close bond with her new stepsister, Lady Emma, but her hopes are quickly shattered. Lady Emma is upset that she must now share her home with Charlotte, whom she feels is beneath her. When the Marquess of Withington develops affections for Charlotte, Lady Emma is furious because she wants him for his wealth and title. Lady Emma will stop at nothing and devises a plan that will ruin all possibilities of Charlotte finding happiness. Will Charlotte find true love even though Lady Emma is determined to destroy her reputation? Can Lord Withington see through Lady Emma’s deceitful nature? If you love clean and wholesome, Regency-era romances with a strong woman heroine and an inspirational romantic story, you will love Heart of a Marquess. Authors Note: This is a clean, stand-alone romance, so there are no cliffhangers. This sweet romance is a 130-page book with bonus stories included.

    When the late baronet’s will tasks him with finding the lost heir and making a gentleman of him, he is determined to succeed.Thirteen years ago, Evelyn Winthrop ran away to sea. Now that his hated patriarch is dead, the ancestral home he returns to is more shadowed than what he left behind. Ungrateful relations and old friends alike tie a knot of scandal and depravity only a sailor could hope to unravel. And all the while, the siren song of the sea calls him to return at the first opportunity.Neither anticipated forming more tender attachments.To Evelyn, his unexpectedly handsome agent is the only thing anchoring him to shore. He sees a captain’s soul within Morgan, and his heart is caught upon the hook of command—if only Morgan would return his affections.To Morgan, his new employer’s charms threaten to tear down the thorns that have grown around his heart—thorns he cultivated to restrain his unnatural instincts.When the estate and all who live there are threatened by a maelstrom of bitter secrets and sinister plots, it is down to Morgan to take command, down to Evelyn to hold fast, and down to them both to navigate their own treacherous sea.

    But when an alchemist succeeds in creating raw Aether, an energy coveted for its eternal gift, it’s a fight to safeguard their secret and earn the recognition they deserve.Who will harness its power? And at what cost?Full of discovery, desperation, and disaster, Aether Spark is a compelling first installment that shows just how far-reaching and destructive man’s ambitions can be.

     Reader Advisory: Reading Parts I-VI is recommended. This serial is a historical hotwife erotic short story with bondage, submissive training, and other BDSM elements.

    But which agony will prove greater? Reader advisory: This erotic serial contains BDSM, dubious consent and themes of infidelity.

     It's been a year since Hazel's older sister was murdered by the killer the newspapers dubbed Jack the Ripper. And she's tired. Tired of watching her brilliant father lose his inspiration for tinkering. Tired of her family withdrawing from hunting, even as she takes on the family legacy. And she's tired of being the Harker, a legendary vampire hunter. Worse, not only is she battling vampires nightly, she's also fighting against societal norms that label her an old maid and improper, and very nearly led her to be hospitalized for mania. At best, she skirts around polite society to focus on her mission and protecting her family. And that is what leads her to make a decision that could impact her life and her family's lives forever. Even as she learns about an unstoppable force that could forever change the course of history. Years before Edie Harker took on the vampire apocalypse, Victorian hunter Hazel Harker faced down a bloodthirsty killer that threatened not only London and all of Great Britain, but humans and vampires everywhere. New York Times Bestselling Author Erin Hayes returns to hunting vampires, only this time with a steampunk twist in gaslamp London.

    But her tendency to separate science from the people who’s lives it change has left her with few allies.Captain Nathaniel Hopkins, owner of the fastest steam-powered submarine in England, has just returned from a two-year stint at sea and is in no hurry to leave home again. But when he meets Doctor Sterling, he has to choose between his duty to his daughter and his growing attraction for Elise.Too focused on her science to be distracted by romance, Elise is betting it all—her career as well as personal safety—on an experiment where she will dive with nearly a dozen werewolves to the deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean. Dive deep into this thrilling stand-alone novel, where sweet romance and paranormal adventure meet in a Victorian steampunk world.

    When a gentleman who introduces himself as the Duke of Savoy takes an interest in Eloise, he decides to put a stop to her thieving with the aid of his riding crop.The duke knows how to deal with a young lady in need of stern correction, and when Eloise is caught with yet another item that doesn't belong to her, she is chastised even more shamefully. As she is forced to confess the full extent of her misdeeds with her well-punished bottom still on display, Eloise cannot help longing to be claimed hard and thoroughly, but the man who has set out to tame her has a secret of his own. Will the truth bring their newfound romance to an end?Publisher's Note: The Duke and the Thief includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

    Detective Rudyard Bloodstone’s career is moving along well as Holborn Station’s lead investigator. And, his year had gotten even better when he met London’s celebrated music hall star, Honeysuckle Flowers. As he and his lady embark on celebrating the holidays, Rudyard grows homesick for Wales and his family there. He makes plans to see his parents and thinks it is the perfect time to introduce Honeysuckle to them. To his unhappy surprise, his mother paints her with a trollop’s brush. His mother is firm: he is loved and missed and most welcome in the family home but not his lady. He must choose between them and to choose means the risk of losing the other.

    Accompanying a major exhibition of Burne-Jones's work at Tate Britain, this beautifully-designed book looks at what was distinctive about Burne-Jones's art, and charts the course through which he emerged from being an outsider, to being revered as one of the great artists of the European fin de siecle. It shows how he maintained his vision through meticulous attention to craftsmanship and the repetition of key motifs. It examines the extraordinary combination of flattening and illusionistic effects in Burne-Jones's work, the artist's preoccupation with romance and horror, and the emphasis he placed on the potential of physical and symbolic objects within an image to simultaneously unlock and obfuscate meaning. Illustrated works show how Burne-Jones's highly subjective approach to storytelling resulted in a paradoxical combination of seriality and stasis, making the image unsettling in narrative and emotional terms. The essentially hermetic aspect of Burne-Jones' art will be used to foreground the challenge it presented to contemporary social and cultural values both within Britain and beyond. Large scale works made famous through public exhibition will foreground the impact Burne- Jones made on the continent, influencing the direction of pan-European Symbolism. Three essays examine Burne-Jones as an intellectual (his influences), as an artist (his techniques), and his legacy. Six section introductions, following the structure of the exbition, look at in turn The Making of an Artist, Draughtmanship and Design, Burne-Jones' Public Exhibitions, Portraiture, Series Paintings, Art for the People. With contributions by Elizabeth Prettejohn, Jason Rosenfeld, Colin Cruise, Charlotte Gere and Suzanne Fagence Cooper.

    From a very young age, she knew her vocation was to be an artist.Lucinda Hawksley charts the life of a celebrated portrait painter, who redefines our preconceptions about Victorian women. Living to be almost ninety, Katey survived an unconventional marriage, love affairs, heartbreak, depression, and the challenges of being a female artist in a male-dominated era.Compelling and illuminating, Katey tells the story of a spirited woman who found fame at the centre of the first celebrity phenomenon; it also uncovers the reality of what it was like to be a child of Charles and Catherine Dickens. This biography of Katey, celebrating her artistic prestige - which saw her compared to Millais - is long overdue. The details of her fascinating life await rediscovery.

     FORTUNE’S FLOWER - To claim his family estate, James Huntington embarks on an expedition to find his grandfather’s missing journals. He’s at odds with his fellow traveler, the wellborn Miss Lily Strathmore - but even as they succumb to temptation, danger awaits. THE VISCOUNT’S SECRET - Anthony Blake, Lord Percival, is renowned throughout the ton for his handsome face and foppish ways. Only a select few know that beneath his foolish exterior is a keen intelligence in service to the Queen. Nobody suspects his secret until he meets a quiet young woman who sees far more than she should. THE PIANO TUTOR - Widowed Lady Diana Waverly finds love and passion in the most unlikely of places when a new piano tutor arrives at her door. MISTRESS OF MELODY - With her future in jeopardy, a young woman must turn to Morgan Trevethwick, the Earl of Silverton, for help. He cannot refuse a lady in distress, though she threatens to overturn his entire carefully-planned future. A DUKE FOR MIDWINTER - After a gentleman rescues her from a winter storm, Miss Selene Banning finds herself snowbound with Sir Jared Kendrick, a baronet who is not precisely who he claims to be.

    Read his secret plans and private musings, beginning with boyish plots, wishes and tantrums; and maturing into adult fears, resolves, obsessions and loves. None of which he would ever divulge to anyone, save his deceased younger brother, David.

    

    Wimbourne Books presents the ninth in a series of rare or out-of-print ghost stories from Victorian authors. With an introduction by author Alastair Gunn, Volume 9 in the series contains stories published between 1841 and 1899, by British and American authors, including many not before anthologized. Readers new to this genre will discover its pleasures; the Victorian quaintness, the sometimes shocking difference in social norms, the almost comical politeness and structured etiquette, the archaic and precise language, but mostly the Victorians’ skill at stoking our fears and trepidations, our insecurities and doubts. Even if you are already an aficionado of the ghostly tale there is much within these pages to interest you. Wait until the dark of the snowy night, lock the doors, shutter the windows, light the fire, sit with your back to the wall and bury yourself in the Victorian macabre. Try not to let the creaking floorboards, the distant howl of a dog, the chill breeze that caresses the candle, the shadows in the far recesses of your room, disturb your concentration. Includes the stories; Ghost Gossips at Blakesley House (1841) – William Mudford; George Child’s Second Love (1843) – John Yonge Akerman; The Old House in Chancery (1851) – Mary Ann Bird; The Poor Clare (1856) – Elizabeth Gaskell; The Dutch Officer’s Story (1859) – Catherine Crowe; The Haunted House (1859) – Emerson Bennett; The Four-fifteen Express (1867) – Amelia B. Edwards; The Romance of Certain Old Clothes (1868) – Henry James; The Drummer Ghost (1869) – John William De Forest; The Haunted Enghenio (1872) – John Gladwyn Jebb; Her Last Appearance (1876) – Mary Elizabeth Braddon; The Hand on the Latch (1881) – William Wilthew Fenn; The White Woman of Slaith (1881) – Isabella Banks; On Board the “Eagle” (1882) – G. L. Worrall; Mrs. Zant and the Ghost (1885) – Wilkie Collins; The Upper Berth (1886) – F. Marion Crawford; “The Case of Lady Lukestan.” (1893) – Lettice Galbraith; Lost Hearts (1895) – M. R. James; The Crimson Portrait (1896) – Wilhelmina FitzClarence; The Spectre of Ruislip Abbey (1899) – J. E. P. Muddock.

    A lack of compelling cases has left him bored and close once again to the dull embrace of the needle. Less than a month earlier, however, he had astonished Inspector Lestrade and everyone around him by solving no less than six crimes in consecutive days. At the eleventh hour, Inspector Gregson arrives, with the promise of an impossible crime to solve. A murder has shattered the bucolic peace of the sleepy arable farmlands of Bedfordshire. The owner of a small stately home has been brutally killed while hosting a dinner party. But what and where is the murder weapon? What follows is an epic, sweeping tale. From England to Africa, from poverty to wealth, the story spans decades. Hardship and friendship are followed by betrayal, deception and murder.

    

    It was a full moon, and the tides were at their peak; the great rivers of eastern Bengal were full of monsoon rain. In the early hours the inhabitants of the coast and islands were overtaken by an immense wave from the Bay of Bengal -- a wall of water that reached a height of 40 feet in some places. The wave swept away everything in its path, drowning around 215,000 people. At least another 100,000 died in the cholera epidemic and famine that followed. It was the worst calamity of its kind in recorded history. Such events are often described as natural disasters. Kingsbury turns that interpretation on its head, showing that the cyclone of 1876 was not simply a natural event, but one shaped by all-too-human patterns of exploitation and inequality -- by divisions within Bengali society, and the enormous disparities of political and economic power that characterized British rule on the subcontinent. With Bangladesh facing rising sea levels and stronger, more frequent storms, there is every reason to revisit this terrible calamity. An Imperial Disaster is troubling but essential reading: history for an age of climate change.

    A sovereign war is looming, and the fate of Winterhaven rests solely with Sondrine, an Elementalist brought to the realm to destroy Queen Belisama Agni. And she thought she had. But the queen used dark, powerful magic to keep herself alive. To kill her once and for all, flesh and blood must commit the bloodletting. When Sondrine learns the queen is her mother, she demands proof and sets out on a quest to find the truth. Along the way she stumbles across the lore of an ancient elemental relic, and discovers secrets about her past, some that involve Shan, the man who has captured her heart. But time is running thin. The queen is winning and people are dying. In war there are no victors, but Sondrine must make the ultimate sacrifice or Winterhaven will burn.

    In them, a man she doesn't know is calling to her. She's inexplicably, inexorably drawn to him, until he's more real to her than her own fiancé. When she calls off her engagement, her enraged father sends her to live with her ninety-year-old grand-aunt, the Dowager Countess Bellamira Granville. If she won't do her duty at home, he reasons, perhaps she can at least convince Lady Granville to leave her fortune to Isoline.But life at Thornrush Manor is not what Isoline expected. Her aunt is as spry and elegant as a woman half her age. Her nearest neighbor, a distant cousin, begins courting her. And a dark and handsome artist proves a pleasant companion.All the while, her dreams grow more intense. More urgent. More passionate.More dangerous.In order to save everyone at Thornrush Manor, Isoline will have to confront the darkest parts of herself-and discover the secret of the man who hides in her dreams.Fans of Daphne Du Maurier, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Eve Silver are sure to love this Gothic romance from Leigh Anderson.

    Wimbourne Books presents the twelfth in a series of rare or out-of-print ghost stories from Victorian authors. With an introduction by author Alastair Gunn, Volume 12 in the series spans the years 1837 to 1901, contains ghost stories set at or around Christmas, and includes stories from a wide range of authors including Robert Louis Stevenson, Charlotte Riddell and Eliza Lynn Linton. Readers new to this genre will discover its pleasures; the Victorian quaintness, the sometimes shocking difference in social norms, the almost comical politeness and structured etiquette, the archaic and precise language, but mostly the Victorians’ skill at stoking our fears and trepidations, our insecurities and doubts. Even if you are already an aficionado of the ghostly tale there is much within these pages to interest you. Wait until the dark of the snowy night (preferably on Christmas Eve), lock the doors, shutter the windows, light the fire, sit with your back to the wall and bury yourself in the Victorian macabre. Try not to let the creaking floorboards, the distant howl of a dog, the chill breeze that caresses the candle, the shadows in the far recesses of your room, disturb your concentration. Includes the stories; The Spectre of Tappington (1837) – Richard Harris Barham; The Dead Man’s Story (1858) – James Hain Friswell; The Old Bell-Ringer’s Story (1860) – Mark Lemon; Horror: A True Tale (1861) – John Berwick Harwood; The Steel Mirror: A Christmas Dream (1867) – William Wilthew Fenn; Haunted by Spirits (1867) – George Manville Fenn; A Strange Christmas Game (1868) – Charlotte Riddell; How We Parted (1869) – Annie Hall Thomas; Christmas Eve at Beach House (1870) – Eliza Lynn Linton; A Three-Cornered Ghost (1870) – Charles Henry Ross; Number Two, Melrose Square (1879) – Theo Gift; Old Vanderhaven’s Will (1880) – Mary E. Penn; The Old House in Vauxhall Walk (1882) – Charlotte Riddell; Markheim (1885) – Robert Louis Stevenson; The Ghost of Christmas Eve (1890) – James Matthew Barrie; The Ghost of the Blue Chamber (1891) – Jerome K. Jerome; Thurlow’s Christmas Story (1894) – John Kendrick Bangs; The Baron’s Room (1896) – Ivy Hooper; Their Dear Little Ghost (1898) – Elia Wilkinson Peattie; The Ghost in the Sedan Chair (1901) – Marie Corelli.

    An overbearing father, abusive brother, and she's ready to toss the idea of marriage completely. But when her brother tries to have her kidnapped, she is saved by the Dark Duke, Clarence Leo Hardwick III, Duke of Cantebury, and all of a sudden, marriage doesn't seem such an awful prospect. He could keep her safe from her brother and provide the title Father expected. She enjoyed their kisses and the way he made her feel. However, despite saving her from an ugly fate, he kept secrets that she wasn't sure she could forgive.The Dark Duke enjoyed his reputation. The darker the better. It kept most mothers from throwing their daughters at his feet. While out at his secret warehouse by the London docks, he witnessed a female in distress and went to help. Something about her caught his interest, especially when he learned who she was. He determined he would marry her, gain himself a wife capable of courage and loyalty, and extract revenge all in one swoop. He wants her, but can she love him after he reveals his secrets?Fighting her father for her hand against a Marquess while protecting her from her brother's nefarious schemes proved a difficult task, especially when the spirited Lilliana kept his mind occupied on making her his. Continued attempts to kidnap Lilliana, as well as an attempt on her life convinces him he needs to marry her sooner rather than later and has to get her cooperation before it was too late. But how could he convince her to take a chance on him when his past held such darkness?

    Born into the lower-class of society and spit upon by all those above her, it didn’t seem as if life held much in store for a woman of her status. But, all of that was soon to change… As a day arrives when the youthful lass discovers a discarded letter, adorned with ornate markings, right on the side of the street. Upon opening the fancy missive, she learns that it is indeed a marriage proposal – only not addressed to her! It just happens to be for another woman, one who has never met the husband-to-be referenced in the letter. With nothing to lose, Clarissa decides to reinvent herself in the likeness of an upper-class lady and travel to meet the mysterious man… surprisingly, it turns out that he is not only very wealthy, but also a terribly handsome, young, and seductive fellow! A Duke, at that… However, when the original woman receives news of this treachery – it sets off a chain of events that threatens to ruin Clarissa’s wonderful fantasy and unravel a host of family secrets! Will she flee or fight for the fortuitous love that sprang about through her passionate deception?

    From lavish Venetian balls to luxurious Mayfair townhouses, she gets a glimpse into the most glamorous lives of the age. When she meets a mysterious Harlequin she has the chance to rise to the very top, but to do so she must betray someone close ...

    Wimbourne Books presents the eighth in a series of rare or out-of-print ghost stories from Victorian authors. With an introduction by author Alastair Gunn, Volume 8 in the series contains stories published anonymously in America and Britain between 1838 and 1895. Most of these tales are here anthologised for the very first time. Readers new to this genre will discover its pleasures; the Victorian quaintness, the sometimes shocking difference in social norms, the almost comical politeness and structured etiquette, the archaic and precise language, but mostly the Victorians’ skill at stoking our fears and trepidations, our insecurities and doubts. Even if you are already an aficionado of the ghostly tale there is much within these pages to interest you. Wait until the dark of the snowy night, lock the doors, shutter the windows, light the fire, sit with your back to the wall and bury yourself in the Victorian macabre. Try not to let the creaking floorboards, the distant howl of a dog, the chill breeze that caresses the candle, the shadows in the far recesses of your room, disturb your concentration. Includes the stories; The Silver Lady (1838) – The Haunted Brig (1841) – A Night in a Haunted House (1848) – The Story of an Organ (1851) – The Sword of Mauley (1854) – The Miser’s Curse (1857) – The Alibi (1861) – Bolden Tower (1865) – Falconest (1868) – The Spirit’s Whisper (1868) – Doctor Feversham’s Story (1868) – The Ghost of Stanton Hall (1868) – A Spirit’s Tale; or Aunt Ella’s Story (1868) – Le Vert Galant (1870) – The Bridal of La Guillotiere (1875) – The Ghost of Aldrum Hall (1880) – Not Yet Solved (1886) – The Château de Keronel (1887) – The Weird Violin (1893) – The Last Saturday in August (1895).

    Her rule had seen her kingdom spread to become the world's biggest empire, had seen massive change in society and leaps forward in technology. It is little surprise that the death of one who had ruled for all of many people's lives created chaos, shock and mass outpourings of grief across the country.Here author and researcher Stewart Richards has delved through the archives to put together the definitive view of Victoria in her final days, through the immediate reaction and aftermath of her death, to the state funeral of 2 February 1901. Based entirely on fascinating first-hand accounts, The Death of Queen Victoria offers a truly unique insight into the events of that tumultuous few days and is a volume that no enthusiast should be without.

    In the nineteenth century, authors made the genre even scarier by bringing the uncanny within the sanctity of the middle-class home. Women writers especially saw the ghost story as an empowering form, using it to make subversive arguments about gender, class, sexuality, race, and money. In this electrifying collection, Melissa Edmundson showcases ten authors who led lives that challenged Victorian notions of how women should behave and brought those transgressive ideas into their fiction. THE FOUR-FIFTEEN EXPRESS Amelia B. Edwards SINCE I DIED Elizabeth Stuart Phelps THE SHADOW IN THE CORNER Mary Elizabeth Braddon THE GHOST AT THE RATH Rosa Mulholland FROM THE DEAD Edith Nesbit IN THE SÉANCE ROOM Lettice Galbraith THE HOUSE WHICH WAS RENT FREE G. M. Robins THE LOST GHOST Mary E. Wilkins THE STRIDING PLACE Gertrude Atherton THE PRAYER Violet Hunt

    Love and desire: Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces from the Tate presents an exceptional opportunity to see many of the Tate's most famous and best-loved paintings alongside Australia's major Pre-Raphaelite holdings and many of the finest works in British public collections.

    Nobody is safe from his experiments, whether peer or prostitute, preacher or policeman in this in this shocking tale of murder. Will Inspector Albert Sutton, aided by his wife Nell and her cat, be able to unmask and apprehend the heartless serial killer, or will they become the next novelty specimens of the Death Collector?In this riveting melodrama, Toni Mount explores the darker side of Victorian London, creating a gripping thriller packed with shocking murders, unexpected twists and chilling suspense.Read it if you dare... Author Interview This book takes a much darker turn than your previous novels. What led you to writing this murder mystery? The Death Collector actually pre-dates my Sebastian Foxley Medieval Murder Mystery novels and began as an on-going story for the Creative Writing Group that I belong to which meets twice a month. I would write a chapter to be read out at each session – that’s why the chapters are quite short. Being an avid reader of crime novels, I’ve wondered at how many serial killers are tracked down because they use the same means of murder, choose similar victims or prowl a limited location, at least in novels. So I set myself the remit of a killer without a consistent modus operandi – how could the police solve these seemingly unconnected, random murders? I made each death as horrific but different as I could imagine, so much so, other members of the writing group began to worry if my family was safe. None has met a grisl end nor suffered torture – so far. The cat was added just for fun because there are some cat-lovers in the group. And the story just grew... What drew you to the Victorian era for this serial killer story? That’s an easy question to answer. Modern forensic techniques are too scientific and detract from the human ingenuity elements of old-fashioned detective work, sorting the valuable clues from a heap of dross. The Victorian policeman only had photography, fingerprints and, latterly, ballistics to help him track down the murderer. I like to keep things simple, so no computerised information, bank account details, ANPR or SatNav equipment, etc. just notebooks and leg-work and, most wonderful of all: hardly any paperwork. How did you research your detective? Albert Sutton’s character and appearance are based on my Dad – also named Albert. He wasn’t a policeman but he was always brilliant at problem solving and working stuff out. As part of an Open University short course, I studied Forensic Science and the set text book came in very useful, as did The Scotland Yard Files by Alan Moss and Keith Skinner [2006] to understand how Victorian policing was carried out. Otherwise, Albert is a mixture of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson with a dash of Hercule Poirot. How much of this book is based on true crime? Many of the Death Collector’s crimes really happened, beginning with the first ever murder on a railway train that was pretty much how I described it, though our perpetrator’s part in the deadly act is my invention. The Ripper killings follow the facts to a certain extent with a bit of artistic licence to make them fit my story. Unsolved Murders in Victorian and Edwardian London by Jonathan Oates supplied other ideas about murderers of the era which I put to deadly use. Many of the high-ranking policemen were real – poor Frederick Adolphus ‘Dolly’ Williamson did die ‘unexpectedly’, believing his nephew was the serial killer, Jack the Ripper.

    Of course, Chicago and its people are still healing after the catastrophic blaze that all but destroyed the city and claimed thousands of lives. And still, there is a killer at large who’s not at all twice-shy about playing with fire.For what kind of monster would burn a man alive?Regardless of the horrors the Aubrey Milner case renews, River, a coroner disguised as a man, and her brother Archer, the district’s police inspector, are duty-bound to seek justice. It’s what they do. They will find the burned man’s murderer and maybe lay to rest a ghost or two of their own.

    Since that time, hundreds of academics, fans, authors, and playwrights have stepped forward to present their own ideas of how this unfinished book should end.Step into a century and half of Dickensian speculation, detection and bickering to see how our attitudes both to Dickens and his last work have developed. From early responses by his contemporaries that tried to cash in on an opportunity to finish Dickens' book, through to the dogged attempts of the detectives in the early twentieth century to prove _Drood_ to be the greatest mystery of all time, on to the earnest academics of the mid-century who aimed to reinvent Dickens as a modernist writer, and ending in the glorious irreverence of modern continuations, the history of Drood is a tale of just how far people will go in their quest to find an ending worthy of Dickens.Whether you are a life-time _Drood_ fan, or new to the whole controversy, this book will guide you through the tangled web of theories and counter-theories surrounding this enduring literary enigma. From novels to websites, musicals to public trials, academic tomes to erotic fiction, the one thing that can be said with certainty is that there is no end to the endless inventiveness with which we redefine Dickens' final story in our quest to solve a 150-year old mystery.

    Their mission was to be fundamentally modern by emulating the past. Now readers can appreciate their achievements in this volume that offers side-by-side comparisons of 19th-century masterpieces with the 15th- and 16th-century Early Italian and Early Netherlandish paintings that inspired them. Exquisite reproductions of works by Giotto, Fra Angelico, van Eyck, Botticelli, Titian, Veronese, and Raphael are presented alongside examples by William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and others. The book traces the evolution of the Pre-Raphaelites, and details how these painters were exposed to the early masters as they traveled and encountered the finest European collections. The volume also features decorative arts, including stained glass and tapestries in emulation of Flemish and French textiles as well as 'medievalized' ecclesiastic decorations. The result is an illuminating examination that delves into the aesthetic vocabulary of the Pre-Raphaelites and broadens our understanding of their motives and inspiration.

    Against this background of pomp and power, she was a passionate women who led an often turbulent private life. Victoria was just eight months old when her father died and his paternal role was taken by her uncle Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Sir John Conroy, an ally of her mother. The two of them sought to control Victoria and isolate her from others. This is the story of the Queen of England who had to fight to forge her own way in the world, and who found true romance with Prince Albert only to have happiness snatched from her when he died of typhoid at the age of 42.

    With an introduction by author Alastair Gunn, Volume 11 in the series spans the years 1846 to 1901 and includes stories from solely American female authors. Includes tales by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Rose Terry Cooke and Willa Sibert Cather. Readers new to this genre will discover its pleasures; the Victorian quaintness, the sometimes shocking difference in social norms, the almost comical politeness and structured etiquette, the archaic and precise language, but mostly the Victorians’ skill at stoking our fears and trepidations, our insecurities and doubts. Even if you are already an aficionado of the ghostly tale there is much within these pages to interest you. Wait until the dark of the stormy night arrives, lock the doors, shutter the windows, light the fire, sit with your back to the wall and bury yourself in the Victorian macabre. Try not to let the creaking floorboards, the distant howl of a dog, the chill breeze that caresses the candle, the shadows in the far recesses of your room, disturb your concentration. Includes the stories; The Haunted House in Georgia (1846) – Elizabeth Fries Lummis Ellet; The Haunted House (1854) – Nancy Thorning Munroe; My Visitation (1858) – Rose Terry Cooke; The Deserted Hut (1865) – Jane Goodwin Austin; Kentucky’s Ghost (1868) – Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward; The Strange Passengers (1868) – Harriet Prescott Spofford; Tom Toothacre’s Ghost Story (1870) – Harriet Beecher Stowe; The Story of a Shadow (1872) – Rebecca Harding Davis; The Walking Boy (1873) – Clara Florida Guernsey; The Haunted House by the Mill (1875) – Clara LeClerc; The American Ghost (1883) – Lucretia Peabody Hale; The Gray Man (1886) – Sarah Orne Jewett; On the Stroke of the Clock (1889) – Ellen Louise Chandler Moulton; The Giant Wistaria (1891) – Charlotte Perkins Gilman; The Soul of Rose Dédé (1892) – Mollie Evelyn Moore Davis; The Fear that Walks by Noonday (1895) – Willa Sibert Cather; A Transient (1898) – Annie Trumbull Slosson; The Shape of Fear (1898) – Elia Wilkinson Peattie; The Path of the Storm (1899) – Marie Van Vorst; The Ordeal of Sister Cuthbert (1901) – Elizabeth Garver Jordan.

    Everything would be perfect if not for her stunning sister, whose bright star has left her in the shadows. In 1895, Emma Sweetwine is trapped in a Victorian mansion, dreaming of wings to fly her far from her mother, who gives her love to her sons, leaving nothing for her daughter. Fate puts them in the same house at the same moment, 120 years apart, and the identical fifteen-year-olds are switched in time. In their new worlds, Sonnet falls in love with a boy, Emma falls in love with a life, and astonishing family secrets are revealed. Torn, both girls want to still go home— but can either one give up what they now have?But Not Forever is an enchanting story of love and longing, and the heart’s ultimate quest to find where it belongs.

    With an introduction by author Alastair Gunn, Volume 10 in the series spans the years 1838 to 1898 and includes stories from a wide range of authors; English, Irish, Scottish and American. Includes tales by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Edith Nesbit and Margaret Oliphant. Readers new to this genre will discover its pleasures; the Victorian quaintness, the sometimes shocking difference in social norms, the almost comical politeness and structured etiquette, the archaic and precise language, but mostly the Victorians’ skill at stoking our fears and trepidations, our insecurities and doubts. Even if you are already an aficionado of the ghostly tale there is much within these pages to interest you. Wait until the dark of the stormy night arrives, lock the doors, shutter the windows, light the fire, sit with your back to the wall and bury yourself in the Victorian macabre. Try not to let the creaking floorboards, the distant howl of a dog, the chill breeze that caresses the candle, the shadows in the far recesses of your room, disturb your concentration. Includes the stories; The Ghost and the Bone-setter (1838) – J. Sheridan Le Fanu; The Banquet-Hall of Death (1842) – William Mudford; A Tale Told by the Fireside (1849) – Mary Ann Bird; A Mysterious Visitor (1857) – Ellen Wood; The Haunted House (1859) – Margaret Verne; Eveline’s Visitant (1867) – Mary Elizabeth Braddon; Hu Hirwan’s Ghost (1869) – Samuel Williams; The Ghost in the Mill (1870) – Harriet Beecher Stowe; Sister Johanna’s Story (1872) – Amelia B. Edwards; The Veiled Portrait (1874) – James Grant; The Beresford Apparition (1875) – Frederick George Lee; The Rival Ghosts (1884) – Brander Matthews; The Ebony Frame (1891) – Edith Nesbit; Her Great-Grandmother’s Ghost (1893) – Thomas Nelson Page; The Invisible Playmate (1894) – William Canton; The Phantom Model (1894) – Hume Nisbet; The Ghosts of Austerlitz (1895) – William Waldorf Astor; The Library Window (1896) – Margaret Oliphant; A Sworn Statement (1897) – Emma Frances Dawson; The Lady Tantivy (1898) – Rosa Mulholland

     The Fielding House Christmas Ball is for everyone, including servants. This Christmas Eve a lady’s maid, Claire Walden, plans to attend for the first time, but when Mrs. Fielding’s grandson shows up unexpectedly the dance may take a different turn. Edmund is a gentleman of the upper class, but with a questionable background. When he shows an interest in Claire, she doesn’t want to risk her heart, but over time, Claire comes to know Edmund. As the Christmas Eve ball approaches, Claire wonders if love might be able to cross the lines of servants and high society. If she saves a dance for Edmund, will he steal her heart forever?

    This edition has been professionally formatted and contains several tables of contents. The first table of contents (at the very beginning of the ebook) lists the titles of all novels included in this volume. By clicking on one of those titles you will be redirected to the beginning of that work, where you'll find a new TOC that lists all the chapters and sub-chapters of that specific work.

     Through the advancement of nineteenth century science, Emma has been brought back to life, but not as she was. She has become a new person, created from the sown remains of the dead. Emma awakens in a strange new world that she doesn't understand. The life she left behind still echoes within her, though no matter how she reaches for it, the memories slip away. Yet another force hides in the shadows, and threatens to throw Germany into war. Emma's newly found world begins to crumble, and she must soon decide whether she wishes to begin her life anew or continue with the life she left behind--and whether she belongs in the world of the living or the dead.

    Jonah McRae, and his band of Dreadfuls have been called forth to dispatch the undead, and send them back to the depths of hell. What he hadn’t counted on was a raven-head beauty, Annabelle Craig. Monsters are Annabelle’s life. Trained by the best monster hunter of them all, she is ready to take on the scourge plaguing London at night. However, the lines between monster and hero are skewed when Jonah, an immortal and his men are bound and determined to fight beside her. The chemistry between them builds. Each night the zombie horde grows stronger and shows no sight of easing. Without finding the source of their reanimation, The Dreadfuls along with Annabelle’s Misfits, are doomed to fight until the whole city is razed or the culprit is found. What’s worse; the compulsion to take what is not his, pushes Jonah to the extreme: Take what he desires and let the city burn. Or, forgo his cravings and sacrifice himself to save London.