But when he suddenly dies of a heart attack his wife Annie refuses to have the words ‘beloved husband’ added to his gravestone. Their son, Billy, is exasperated with his mother and worries about how she will cope on her own. Unwilling to take time out of his own busy schedule to take care of her, he enlists the services of the local vicar, Andrew, to keep an eye on her.Before she knows what is happening, Annie finds herself telling the vicar things she has kept hidden for years. Dark secrets that had plagued her sixty-year marriage to Ernest.When Annie’s estranged granddaughter, Ophelia, turns up for a visit, the two bond over their mutual contempt for Billy and his controlling behaviour. But when Ophelia meets Andrew, the unhappily married vicar, things start to get very complicated…What is the truth about Ernest? Why is Annie behaving so strangely now that he is dead? And how can Andrew reconcile his growing feelings for Ophelia with his respect for his marriage and his religion?Spanning from the Second World War to the present day, Dead Ernest is a poignant, moving and, at times, very funny look at what really goes on behind closed doors in the ordinary lives of ordinary people."Beautifully written, deceptively simple, with convincingly drawn and endearing characters...a delightful read" Andrew Davies“Witty, original and engaging. A wonderful read from the classic opening line to the deeply moving conclusion” L C Tyler, author of the John Grey historical series and the Herring Mysteries."shot through with a sense of human sympathy transcending its situations; and that in itself is a considerable achievement" Church Times"Garrood's debut is assured and thought provoking" Kelly Salter, Big Issue Cymru"Remarkably well written and well constructed" Michael Allen, Grumpy Old Bookman

    A gruesome find. A race for the truth.After her husband and son are killed in a tragic car accident, Carolyn goes to stay with her mother in a quiet, rural town. She hopes the break will help her cope with her loss.Soon, Carolyn discovers that the small town holds unforgivable secrets. One she stumbles upon when she discovers the body of a young boy down a well – only to find he has disappeared when she returns with the police.The local residents, including Carolyn’s mother, doubt her discovery and blame it on her current state of mind. Rumours begin to spread.With somebody determined to stop Carolyn uncovering the truth, she knows she needs to prove what she saw. Not just for the boy and his family but also for herself.Will Carolyn be able to find the proof she needs? Or will her life be in danger if she continues her search?

    21 exclusive fantasy and sci-fi novels. One epic collection.Take flight with all new and exclusive stories that are out of this world, including full-length novels from some of today's most popular names in science fiction and fantasy!From magnificent dragons, powerful witches and gods, bloodthirsty aliens, and mad genetic engineers to intergalactic wars, magical curses, and fantastical worlds, you'll find everything you've been waiting for in this limited edition collection. This USA Today Best Selling collection will only be available for up to three months!This box set is concentrated in the following genres (with number of novels in parentheses): fantasy (17), epic fantasy (5), sci-fi (4), young adult fantasy (3), high fantasy (2), and genetic engineering sci-fi (2). The bestselling and award-winning authors included in this set are:FantasyNicole Zoltack (Epic Fantasy)Shereen Vedam (Alternate History Fantasy)Lydia Sherrer (Epic Fantasy)Tara West (Epic Fantasy)Courtney Pearson (YA Fantasy)Ali Winters (High Fantasy)J.B. Michaels (Speculative Fiction)Pamita Rao (Epic Fantasy)G.L. Tomas (YA Fantasy)Craig A. Price (Epic Fantasy)Milly Ly (YA Fantasy)Eliza Tilton (Historical YA Fantasy)A.K. Koonce (Paranormal Fantasy)Damian Boyle (Grimdark Fantasy)Cate Farren (Mythic Fantasy)Rex Jameson (High Fantasy)Karen Tomlinson (Epic Fantasy)Sci-FiKelly Hashway (Biopunk)Jonathan Yanez (Dystopian Sci-Fi)Penny BroJacquie (Genetic Engineering Sci-Fi)Caitlyn Mancini (Genetic Engineering Sci-Fi)

    Despite her focus, time isn't on her side as she struggles to hold down three jobs so she can afford her first apartment while juggling course work. In the chaos of it all, Beau Grady moves in and shakes up her world. A college dropout and tattooed bad boy, the rumors about Beau mean one thing for Matisse—trouble. Paralyzed by the fear that she's missing out on life, Matisse discovers plans may unravel, but what rises in their wake can be worth the uncertainty.After spending the summer couch surfing, Beau Grady moves into an empty room at his ex-girlfriend’s Portland bungalow, skipping his senior year of college to spend his days working at a Vietnamese food cart instead. Once a star hockey player and gifted student, he’s put his life on hold after receiving a life-altering diagnosis, complacent to live in the moment. Hiding behind false rumors and bad habits, Beau falls for Matisse, letting her believe the worst until their relationship blooms into something they both can’t ignore. Falling for her means having to face a future he’d rather forget, but loving her just might be worth it.

    Each piece was written for this anthology to benefit firefighters and wildlife in Australia. AUSTRALIA is only available for a limited time, so one-click your copy before it's gone.AUTHORS INCLUDE: Penny Reid, Meredith Wild, Carly Phillips, Sierra Simone, Emma Scott, Susan Stoker, Kennedy Ryan, Willow Aster, Skye Warren, Kylie Scott, Aleatha Romig, Willow Winters, AL Jackson, Julia Kent, Rebecca Yarros, Tijan, Giana Darling, Emma Hart, Chelle Bliss, Noelle Adams, A. Zavarelli, Jenika Snow, Dylan Allen, Audrey Carlan, Robin Covington, Mary Catherine Gebhard, Melanie Moreland, Parker S. Huntington, Nana Malone, Jewel E. Ann, Annabel Joseph, Celia Aaron, Michelle Heard, Brighton Walsh, Tamsen Parker, Pam Godwin, Kayti McGeeAll royalties from this project will be donated to relief funds in Australia, with 50% going to a firefighter charity and 50% going to a wildlife charity. We aren't affiliated or endorsed by these charities. We are simply authors who want to support an important cause.

    Her new husband, Thorn Wulfe, holds the key to all the secrets of her long-buried past. Thorn, considered the Wicked Wulfe by many of the ton, operates one of London’s most notorious gaming hells, the Lady Luck. When his brother is killed, he finds his life turned upside down with a wife he does not want, and two children to care for. When old secrets come to light and enemies make themselves known, Rebekah and Wulfe are going to have to decide what is more important…the past, the present, or the future? Will they be able to learn to trust and love one another along the way? Or will their secrets keep them apart forever? A Regency romance that will draw you in and tug at your heartstrings.

    

    Impassioned. Impossibly sexy. These vampires are masters of seduction, delightfully dark creatures with insatiable appetites who are hungry for more than just hot blood. Let them lure you with their magnetic gaze, their fascinating charm, their intoxicating bite, into a dark, delicious world that has everything you CRAVE. Sink your teeth into this quintessential boxed set collection of eight vampire romance novels filled with exquisite obsession and dark desire from some of your favorite USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors.If you enjoyed THIRST and HUNGER, this boxed set will be everything you CRAVE!Beholden by Marian Tee - 18-year-old Zari, pet to Alexandru, a powerful, gorgeous vampire, is torn. Everyone tells her she has to be a perfect pet, but why bother when her Master seems bent on replacing her?Her Vampire Mate by Tabitha Conall - Werewolf Jennalynn discovers the perfect way to ruin a job...find out her competition is her mate. And worse, a vampire. Thrown together, they team up, not knowing that hidden danger lurks.Her Bark His Bite by A.E. Grace - Lillian doesn't believe in monsters... but vampires exist. One of them turned a child. She vows to hunt him down! Allied with a gorgeous vampire, she never expects to start falling in love with him...Devil's Descent II: Impure by Claudia D. Christian - Lily Walker is contemplating murder. Pureblood vampire Julian Douglas is contemplating the same. Both will realize love and hate aren't so simple when obsession itself can't be killed so easily...The Blood of Angels by Selena Kitt - Everything you've ever heard about fairies, angels and vampires is wrong. Zeph knows what he is, but Sam doesn't have a clue. She's about to find out the brightest lights cast the darkest shadows.Blood Struck by Michelle Fox - In a world where vampires are real, blood is a financial asset and sex mixed with blood commands the highest price. As for love...it can kill you.Thrall by Abigail Graham - Christine is a vampiric thrall without a master. By night she hunts, by day she hides, and with every setting of the sun hope slips further away until a mysterious stranger claims her as his ownKnight Fall by Alexis Dare - Sometimes things that go bump in the night aren't supernatural. Vampire Detectives Knight & Fall are chasing a killer. As they discover clues, they find that sometimes love and murder go hand in hand.

    He'll Leave You Breathless... By: The best-selling and award-winning authors…. Kathleen Ball, Krista Ames, Cheryl Gorman, Melissa Keir, Lyssa Layne, and D’Ann Lindun Texas Haven Kathleen Ball Can love shine through the clouds of treachery and misunderstanding? Advertising for a wife seems like the answer to all of Burke Dawson's problems. He wants a wife and kids without emotional attachments, but he has no idea how much havoc one woman can cause. Annie Douglas has her heart set on her hunky cowboy's love and she isn't about to stop until she gets it. Take Me Home, Cowboy by Krista Ames When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy a growing attraction or show them the way home? Ally Kincaid returns to Rock Creek, Wyoming, to see her father after a two year absence. Anticipating a quiet family reunion, she finds herself butting heads with Matt Gentry—her father’s foreman—instead. The man’s arrogance and sexy drawl push all her buttons, making her wonder what he’s hiding beneath his cowboy swagger. When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy their growing attraction or show them the way home? Honeymoon Ranch by Cheryl Gorman Can two reluctant partners ride off into their own blissful sunset on Honeymoon Ranch? When wedding planner, Summer Conroy, discovers she has inherited half of Silver Creek Ranch, she is stunned to learn the other half is owned by sexy cowboy, Bryce Jericho. Her idea of turning the ranch into an exclusive wedding and honeymoon destination is met with a wall of resistance from Bryce who doesn’t want his ranch ruined with a bunch of wedding nonsense. He is determined to conceal his vulnerable heart that beats in fear of being betrayed again. Will this woman with dreams of happily-ever-after in her eyes transform his fear into love everlasting? Chalkboard Romance by Melissa Keir Will a One Night Stand prove to be their disaster or their salvation? Lauren Walsh, a divorcee and elementary teacher, wants to feel sexy again after her ex tosses her aside for a younger woman. Her best friend encourages her to sign up for The Playhouse--a renowned dating agency. Forced to stay away from his young son, Mac Thomas lost the ability to trust. After the death of his wife, he returned to care for his son but his sister wants more for him. She sets him up with The Playhouse. Passion ignites but Mac’s a parent of one of Lauren’s students. A teacher and a parent dating could cost Lauren her job and her chance at happiness. Will Mac be able to convince the school and Lauren, that love is the most important thing? Until You Fall in Love by Lyssa Layne Can a longtime friendship suddenly blossom into love? Single mom Jordan Glastetter doesn't know how she'd survive without her best friend, Abram Tomko. He's the father her son never knew and he's the rock she's always leaned on. When Abram's father suffers a heart attack, it's Abram's turn to depend on Jordan, finally seeing her as the woman she's become and not the little girl he grew up with. Will they risk their friendship for a chance at love? The Cowboy’s Baby by D’Ann Lindun Cat wanted to keep her baby: Tanner insisted she give it up...can they find common ground seventeen years later? Cat O’Brien left her heart in Granite, Colorado, seventeen years ago—her first love, Tanner Burke, and the baby girl she gave birth to at sixteen. Suddenly, both Tanner’s high school sweetheart and the teenage daughter they gave up for adoption are back in his life.

    And that problem is his future niece-in-law. When the clever and capable Lady Eleanor Vane—understandably—runs off into the night rather than marry his horrible nephew, the Duke has a choice. Should he catch Eleanor and return her to her fate—or make Eleanor his own instead?My Dirty Duke - Joanna ShupeViolet knows that her father's best friend, the Duke of Ravensthorpe, is the most powerful man in all of London with a reputation for sin. But nothing can stop Violet from wanting to shed her wallflower ways and fulfill her darkest, most forbidden desires...even if it means seducing a man twice her age.An Education In Pleasure - Eva LeighAs a governess to the Duke of Tarrington, Cecilia Holme resigns herself to a passionless life. Except now the old duke is dead and Owen, the new duke, is very tempting—and much younger. Is the chance to give Owen an education in pleasure too enticing to refuse?Duke For Hire - Nicola DavidsonAs her fiery clergyman father chases away all suitors, Miss Ada Blair is resigned to spinsterhood. Yet while she can’t wed, bedding might be another matter. One man meets all her requirements for a discreet and expert pleasure tutor—Jasper Muir, Duke of Gilroy—but he insists on a very wicked contract…The Duke Makes Me Feel... - Adriana HerreraDukes and their demands are nothing new for Marena Baine-Torres. Her newfound success has her little apothecary teeming with ill-mannered aristocrats. But as tiresome as they are, she needs the business. When the unflappable Duke of Linley storms into her shop and makes her an offer she’d be a fool to refuse, Marena soon finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime with a man who is as infuriating as he is intriguing.

    The Hellbound Lovers are tough, ride hard, and love fiercely. And when they set their heart on something, There’s nothing stopping them from getting what they want. Especially when that something involves top of the line curves That make their engines rumble and purr like a smooth dream. When these men fall, they fall hard, And when impending danger threatens what they love most They’ll do whatever it takes to protect it. Duty and honor collide with wild passion in this sexy and dirty MC Romance.

    Her fiancé taken from her. Esther Weiss sees only one way to fight back.Life is good for Esther and her Jewish family until Hitler annexes their home country Austria. Her wedding to fiancé Carl Bernstein is postponed, and her family's entire life is uprooted.Thinking they’ll be safe in Oslo, the Weiss’s hope is short-lived when Norway is invaded in 1940 and the fascist Quisling Regime is put into place. Esther returns home one day to discover her entire family has been deported. Gone. Without a trace.Something snaps inside Esther. The soft-hearted, gentle girl is no longer. Her desire to fight the enemy becomes her only drive. She joins the Norwegian resistance movement and with her blond hair and light eyes, all it takes is a false passport to give Esther the freedom she needs. The freedom to kill. No German or Norwegian fascist is safe when she’s nearby.Destruction of those who took her family gives Esther a license to live, but it has also hardened her heart. Not even Tore Ringdal, her rock and protector in the Resistance movement, is able to break through the walls she’s placed around her heart.When all she loves is gone, and only hate remains, can the Norwegian Assassin reopen her heart and find love again?

    He’s trying to overcome his scandalous history. Together, forgiveness might give them a second chance. Nurse’s aide Naomi Deacon desperately wants to heal her devastated soul. After caring for her fiancé in his final months, she’s returned to her small hometown alone and looking for direction. So when a pregnant teenager needs in-home care, Naomi takes the job… even though the young woman’s step-brother is the bad boy who broke her heart.Jess Schroder is lucky to have survived his wild teenage years. With time, he’s grown into a man compassionate enough to take in his expecting step-sister. But when the only woman he ever loved is part of the package, he’s painfully reminded of their lost passion.As they prepare for the baby’s arrival, the two high-school sweethearts rekindle old feelings. But Jess doesn’t know how to prove he’s really changed. And Naomi carries a dark secret from their past that could destroy any hope for their future.Can Naomi and Jess forgive their younger selves to build a new, better life?Finding Home is the second book in the sweet Family Bonds Christian romance series. If you like characters with depth, trust built through faith, and stories filled with compassion, then you’ll adore Carolyne Aarsen’s touching novel. Buy Finding Home to see destiny find its way today!

    

    Hephaestus Books represents a new publishing paradigm, allowing disparate content sources to be curated into cohesive, relevant, and informative books. To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge. This particular book contains chapters focused on Vorkosigan Saga, and Vorkosigan saga planets. More info: The Vorkosigan Saga is a series of science fiction novels and short stories by American author Lois McMaster Bujold. Most of them concern Miles Vorkosigan, a physically disabled aristocrat from the planet Barrayar whose life (from before birth), military career, and post-military career is a challenge to his native planet's prejudices against "mutants."