I mean staggeringly beautiful, men falling at your feet with hopeless adoration as they gaze upon you dumbfounded. That beautiful. I could become that beautiful if I chose, but only with a steep price. Would you pay the price? Does that call to your heart? It doesn’t call to mine. Yes, when I look at the girl in the mirror, I see a young woman of average height and slight build. I see her lovely emerald green eyes and I see her coarse, orange hair poking out in all directions like some unnatural haystack. I see the forty-seven warts that line her face, which accompany one large lump and two small boils. You’d probably think that I would be more than eager to trade for the great gift of beauty because I know some, if not all of you, would call me hideous. But I don’t think of myself as ugly. I think of myself as powerful, strong and fierce – for I have magical powers – powers that amaze and terrify me at times. And today is the most important day of my life, because today my mother will say the words over me and seal my fate. For I, Olive, am the last of the Winnowwood and this is my story. Based on the award winning screenplay of the same name, The Ugly Princess will take you on an amazing adventure filled with twists, turns and an ending that will take your breath away because it is also a love story of the most unusual, magical kind. “In the tradition of The Princess Bride (with somewhat less whimsy) and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Smith’s debut is a fairy tale in a new world…. The twists along this charming road make for an enchanting journey.” -- Kirkus Reviews --

    But her father was killed and the kingdom was taken over by the evil Chiro. She has no one left but her two little friends, Qwerty and Bingo. Now the task of winning back Zypher and freeing the people is up to her. Marina is an eminent scientist who has no clue about her contributions to the world. Her inventions are placed in the wrong hands, posing a huge threat to everybody. Jella finds Marina stabbed and left to die in her sea. In a magical intervention, together they discover each other’s life experiences - but will they be able to reclaim their destiny?

    Fleeing from everything and nothing all at the same time. She stumbles her way to Silverton, TX in hopes that her past won't find her. By day one she has pissed off a hot broody cowboy, one deceased pant suit and her favourite heels are missing one heel. When the local doctor offers to help her settle in by offering her to stay on the family ranch, she's grateful. Until she finds the pissed off and delicious cowboy is the doctor's brother and her new landlord. Remington doesn't have time for distractions. He closed himself off from all possible happy endings after a devastating heartbreak. He's done taking crap from anyone and letting his heart get hurt. When a prim and proper woman pushes his buttons, he has no problem telling her to haul the stick out of her rear. Thinking he would never have to see her again, he doesn't think much of it. Until his sister volunteers his ranch to the feisty woman who is all attitude packaged in one tempting little firecracker. When Aubrey's past follows her to Silverton, will the McGuire's step up to help her and will Remi find his heart in the process? Will they take the risk or will the option be ripped from their hands?

    So when she arrives at the northern Michigan family estate late one night with a terrible secret and her ten-year-old daughter in tow, she’s not sure if she’ll be welcomed or turned away with a shotgun by the aunt she has never met.Hope’s aunt, Peg, has lived in the Orchard House all her life, though the property has seen better days. She agrees to take Hope in if, in exchange, Hope helps with the cherry harvest—not exactly Hope’s specialty, but she’s out of options. As Hope works the orchard alongside her aunt, daughter and a kind man she finds increasingly difficult to ignore, a new life begins to blossom. But the mistakes of the past are never far behind, and soon the women will find themselves fighting harder than ever for their family roots and for each other.

    AFTER FIVE YEARS OF SILENCE, HE IS BACK AGAIN, SEEKING HIS NEXT VICTIM. ONLY ONE MAN CAN STOP HIM - PROFESSOR BLACK. Maher was found unconscious in the middle of the highway and later, in the hospital, she revealed that she had escaped from a killer's house. All the details and patterns matched the serial killer 'Kansa,' who had disappeared five years ago after murdering forty pregnant women. ACP Saargi Desai was assigned to the case. She appealed to her department to bring back Professor Black to help her catch the killer. The Professor, who had a haunting past that had kept him away from the world of crime and investigation for several years, was not willing to take on this case. But the ACP managed to convince him to get on board just for this one last time. Soon after agreeing to help, the Professor realized that for the first time in his life, he had met his match. As he dug deeper into the case, everything got dirtier, the stakes went higher, and nothing was what it seemed.

    • An Army Ranger makes a snap decision that sets in motion events beyond his imagination.• In New Mexico, caver Tom Littleton discovers a 10,000-year-old coded tablet far too advanced for ancient people to have created it.• In Boston, Rachael Friedman, a leading physics professor, unlocks a key to the mysterious code.• And in Italy, a violin maker and his autistic daughter show the way to a secret chamber where a medieval scholar has locked away more clues.Wealthy adventurer Nicholas Foxe leads this unlikely team to solve the mystery of the code. But dark forces threaten to destroy The Tablet and the people who know about it…• The Televangelist who intends to profit from his “religious” interpretation of The Tablet.• A Washington Senator who secretly serves a powerful constituent.• The mysterious Texan who foresees extraordinary wealth by owning The Tablet.• A Bombmaker in Queens who serves the latest in destructive products.The Code Hunters is a Thriller for the reader who:• Wants the Adventure of Indiana Jones,• Likes the pace and puzzles of The Da Vinci Code,• Or just enjoys a Mystery Page-Turner.

    Reeling from her family’s betrayal, she’s faked her nursing credentials, invented a new name, and run away to the frontlines of the French battlefield. Four years into the Great War and she knows who she is and what she’s meant for—to save the living and sit vigil by the dying. When the cagey-yet-earnest Dr. Nicholas Wallace arrives, so do mysterious explosions destroying hospitals. Even as Nick raises her suspicions, he lowers her defenses. He wants the war to end. Are his acts of sabotage politically motivated or a desperate attempt at peace?​In peace, she fell apart.A year later, Vera is back with her oppressive family, living under her real name, and Nick is on trial for murder. Trapped in grief and guilt, she cannot speak about the past and does not believe in the future. With Nick refusing to defend himself, she ventures to London to understand why he is so willing to embrace the hangman’s noose. Who is he trying to protect? What secrets does he plan to carry to his grave? And why does Nick insist upon hiding her true identity? To save the man she loves, Vera must tear open the past and confront the tragic price for peace.

    After nearly a decade with her college sweetheart, Zo� feels like a teenager about to be eaten alive by the New York dating scene. And her problems don't end there. Zo� works a less-than-ideal job, managing other people's careers while her own ambitions wither. To add insult to injury, she does so in the employ of a larger than life woman whose staff measures the boss's emotional state by the zealousness of her make up application. Quitting is out of the question; Zo�'s rent doubled when her fianc� bailed. Enter Oscar Thornton. He's handsome, charming, attentive and rich - the perfect boyfriend. But does he harbor a dark secret? Or will Zo� torpedo her newfound happiness by indulging a far fetched suspicion? The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken tells the story of a young woman who sets out to find a man to solve her problems. Instead she finds herself facing her own shortcomings, testing her oldest friendships and realizing that she has the power to make herself happy. Packed with snappy dialogue and playful wit, The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken will strike a chord with any woman who's ever allowed herself to think, My life would be perfect, if I could just meet the right guy.

    And, possibly, her old life back. Because everyone at home has moved on, her parents have reignited their sex life, she’s sleeping in a converted shed and she’s got a bad case of nostalgia for the way things were.Then her new phone begins to ping with messages from people she thought were deleted for good. Including one number she knows off by heart: her ex’s.Sometimes we’d all like the chance to see what we’ve been missing…

    She struggles to fit in—she’s young and unexotic, a naive new girl—but soon she forges friendships and finds a place for herself in the big city.Then she meets an attractive older man. He’s an established actor, 20 years older, and the inevitable clamorous relationship that ensues is one that will change her forever.A redemptive, captivating story of passion and innocence set across the bedsits of mid-1990s London, McBride holds new love under her fierce gaze, giving us all a chance to remember what it’s like to fall hard for another.

    An overly protective man. When their clashing wills put her quest in danger, will she sacrifice her love or her life?Millie Marsh is obsessed with finding the truth. Still mourning her beloved father’s passing, the fierce CIA agent has poured all her energy into solving the mystery of her real mother’s identity. So when she’s saddled with a designated protector on a dangerous mission that could finally give her the answers she’s sought, the driven woman barely spares the handsome man a second glance.Mason Davis doesn’t do relationships. But the jaded Navy SEAL’s latest assignment watching the back of a sweet, smart, and strong-willed operative has him ready to break his own rules. And undeterred by her apparent lack of interest, the relentless alpha male channels his strategic training into breaking down her defenses.Focused on the payoff of her years-long quest, Millie desperately tries to ignore her attraction to her companion’s well-muscled frame and hidden tender heart. And Mason fears that as they zero in on a terrorist cell, the first woman to touch his soul will fall to enemy fire.Will the duo’s red-hot chemistry scar them for life, or will they surrender to a happy ending?Eight Years is the thrilling first book in The Trident Trilogy of romantic suspense novels. If you like free-spirited heroines, smoldering tension, and edge-of-your-seat action, then you’ll adore this passionate page-turner“High heat and nail-biting suspense!!!!! I was sucked into Millie and Mason’s world within minutes! Brilliant storyline and such likable characters that you can’t help but fall in love with! Mason is just the right amount of tough alpha hero and a soft squishy heart that just might have met his match in Millie! Outstanding read!” Amazon Review“It’s been a while since I found a book that I couldn’t put down. Loved the storyline, the characters and the writing are very well done. I can’t wait to finish the series. Definitely recommend!” Amazon Review“This book deserves so much more then 5 stars. I literally couldn’t stop turning the pages. I had to know all about Millie’s life, how everything was going to turn out. I went right on to the second book. Such a nice escape.” Goodreads Review

    Jack McPhail is a man on the run from his past, a drifter who lands by accident in a sleepy outback Australian town called Banjo Crossing. Jack - almost despite himself - becomes slowly drawn into the town, its community, its characters and its concerns.He's on the brink of falling in love with Mardi, a young widow and owner of the local coffee shop, when the community is confronted and divided by an unexpected development. A coal mining company has come to town, intent on buying up the local properties to build an open cut mine. The town of Banjo Crossing rallies together to fight off the threat. Jack wants to help out his new friends, but if he does, he's at risk of his past being exposed. Having his secret out there could change everything for him. Will he help them out, even if it costs him his second chance at happiness?'Highly topical and engaging ... incubating a mystery which must not be revealed until the exact psychological moment ... entertaining and charismatic' Adelaide Advertiser

    Vowing to restart as far from home as possible, she accepts a two-year teaching position with the Peace Corps in Africa. It’s a role she’s sure she can perform. But in no time, Fiona realizes she’s traded her problems in Omaha for bigger ones in Gabon, a country as beautiful as it is filled with contradictions. Emotionally derailed by Christophe, a charismatic and privileged Gabonese man who can teach her to let go of her inhibitions but can’t commit to anything more, threatened by an overly familiar student with a menacing fixation on her, and drawn into the compelling but potentially dangerous local dance ceremonies, Fiona finds herself at increasing risk. And when matters come to a shocking head, she must reach inside herself, find her dancer’s power, and fight back. Blending humor and pathos, A DANCER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA takes the reader along on a suspense-laden, sensual journey through Africa’s complex beauty, mystery and mysticism.

    Twice divorced, with a bit of a drinking problem, he’s now dating Rory Roughton, a fiery sixth-generation Texan who’s as rich as she is beautiful—and hell-bent on keeping Steel on the straight and narrow. But then his best friend, Wes Stoddard, is nearly shot down flying in a load of pot, Rory is kidnapped by a Russian mercenary working for the most dangerous cartel in Mexico, and the Cuban Mafia decides they’d like the former DEA agent—dead. Steel is forced to take unsanctioned, unconventional—and mostly illegal—action in order to save himself and those closest to him . . .

    She has a wonderful son and a business she loves. Though challenged to make ends meet, she’s come a long way from the tough times she endured as a teenage mom. With the busy Christmas season ahead, things are looking up, until Scrooge himself arrives intent on putting a huge resort next to her inn—a resort destined to put her out of business. Wealthy business developer Rob McKenna is coming back home to the tiny town of Pinetop, Colorado to tie up loose ends. After the death of his mother, he’s inherited her Victorian home, her dog, and hundreds of acres of land he plans to develop into a resort and sell. It all seems so simple until he runs into Celia Roberts. In high school, she was the “it” girl, and he was nobody. She dated the bully, and he was the target. Now he’s back, and she’s single, and as beautiful as ever. However, she’s the only thing standing between him and his plan to get in, get rich, and get out of town. He wants to move the small town into the future. She wants to preserve the past. Can the magic of Christmas leave them both with full hearts and bright futures or will one of them end up with nothing under the tree?