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Never The Twain: A Dark Blend of Gothic Romance and Murder by Jane Fenwick
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Saving Hyacinth
April Jensen - 2015
They’re brought together through letters and a love of the land. But their pasts—separate and shared—threaten to destroy their newfound love. Son of a law-breaker, homesteader Ben Crenshaw swears he’ll forget all family ties and pursue a respectable way of life. He starts by marrying Hyacinth Payne, a girl from the east he courted by correspondence. On their wedding day, just as he thinks life couldn’t seem more promising, an old foe crosses his path and threatens the future he desires. With the death of her aunt, schoolteacher Hyacinth Payne is alone in the world. After a year of writing Ben, she agrees to marry him, thinking she’s finally found what she longed for—a family and the chance to return to Montana. But upon arriving in Montana, she learns things about Ben that make her wonder if she made a mistake boarding the train headed west. As Ben and Hyacinth struggle to make a face-to-face relationship work, secrets are revealed, and they realize they don’t know each other as well as they thought. Meanwhile, figures reappear and demand attention to a past they both wished forgotten. These adversaries are not easily sent away, and, if compelled to go, they just might take Ben and Hyacinth with them…to the grave. A sweet/inspirational mail-order bride western romance Stand alone. One couple finds their happily ever after. No Cliffhangers!
Riders of the Lone Star: Heck Carson Series Volume 1
John Spiars - 2017
Johnstone, Best-selling western author, John Spiars has created a timeless hero of the old west. The first novel in the Heck Carson Series, Riders of the Lone Star brings the wild and lawless Texas frontier to life. When the Law ain’t enough… He brings Justice. The year is 1852. Settlers on the Texas frontier are at the mercy of hostile Comanche and vicious outlaws, and the only ones holding the line between life and death are a few brave men, known as Texas Rangers. Outnumbered and outgunned, they bring law and order to the untamed land. They face impossible odds with nothing more than grit, determination, and a fast gun. It is this adventure and excitement that lures sixteen-year-old Jesse “Heck” Carson to leave his families ranch to join the fight. Heck quickly learns that this life comes at a price, the cost of which is hardship, danger, and possibly his own life. The bonds of friendship, loyalty, and duty lead him into epic battles that test his courage and resolve, and along the way he learns what it means to wear the star of the Texas Rangers. Excerpts: As fast as he could, he pulled the hammer back and fired, the first Comanche jerked once and hit the ground. The other warrior was no more than two feet away now. Heck wondered if he had another bullet left. Had he fired five or six shots? He couldn’t remember. Saying a silent prayer, Heck pulled the hammer back and looked at his approaching enemy. The point of the warrior’s lance was inches away from his chest when heck pulled the trigger. The barrel of the Walker was almost touching the chest of the charging Indian. Heck heard no sound, but saw the smoke pour out of the barrel and the big warrior dropped to his knees, and fell on top of the young Ranger. Lieutenant Sutter and Corporal Anderson approached the men on horseback, ready to do what had to be done. Looking at the group of riders, however, Sutter immediately recognized he had made a terrible mistake. These men were not military, not even by Southern standards. They were unkempt, filthy, and armed to the teeth. His heart sank as he noticed that most of the detachment were Mexican and their guns were not in their holsters. “What is going on here?” he said, unable to believe what he was seeing. The lead rider smiled and said, “This was even easier than Senor Cortina said it would be. Thank you.” Without saying another word, the man raised his pistol and fired two quick shots, hitting both Lieutenant Sutter and Corporal Anderson between the eyes. The man wheeled around with his rifle as Heck landed on his back, but it was a fruitless gesture. There was a look of pained surprise on the man’s face as Heck covered his mouth and pulled him to the floor. Heck plunged his knife into the man’s chest several times, as he kept his hand over the man’s mouth. After several seconds his muffled cries were silent. John Spiars is the author of the Heck Carson Series. He is a writer and amateur historian with a passion for the history and myths of the "Old West". His hope is to keep alive the western genre for this generation and all of those to come, while both entertaining and educating readers of all ages. He is a native Texan and lives in North Texas with his wife and four children. When not writing western novels, he maintains a blog and Facebook page about Texas history and travel entitled Under the Lone Star.
The Long Shooters
Daniel C. Chamberlain - 2011
Ballou perfected the art of the judicious killer. His ability with his cherished Stephens target rifle is legendary, making a nearly miraculous shot that no one else – North or South – could accomplish. After the war, he disappears… Samuel Roark is a small-time rancher and part-time lawyer. One personal tragedy after another leaves Samuel gripped by periodic bouts of depression. When a hidden marksman of uncommon skill murders his son, the death leaves Samuel on the brink of total madness.Roark’s wife Sarah, a woman of strength, grace and startling beauty is now both emotionally and physically exhausted by the tragic circumstances that have beset her family. After discovering her husband’s quest for revenge, she does everything in her power to prevent what she fears will ultimately destroy him.Matthew Shaw is a known manhunter and soldier of fortune that people call on when they’re willing to pay someone else to deal with obstacles in their lives. When required, Shaw reluctantly uses his considerable marksmanship to achieve those ends. Now Shaw finds himself caught between a job he truly believes in, and a very good reason to walk away when he realizes he’s falling in love with Sarah, the wife of the man who hired him.
Lotus Land - The Secrets of Padma Kshetra
Bhuban Patra - 2020
The kingdom of Kalinga though a maritime superpower remained secluded and reclusive to the other nations of Bharat. This was not by chance, but by choice, as this holy land was fulfilling a prophecy that could become the basis of existence for the entire humankind after the Kali Yuga ends. The first book of the Konark Secret Duology is the tale of Bishnu Maharana, the chief architect of the Konark Temple. This is his journey about how he became a master architect and the secrets he unravels while constructing this shrine. Was this temple just a grand monument or were there secrets behind its construction? Why was an unusual technique being used for its creation, when there were tried and tested methods? Did this monument hold some secret within itself? Was Bishnu Maharana an architect or a man of secrets?
The 1929 Series Boxed Set: Books 1-6
M.L. Gardner - 2014
L. Gardner, includes five novels and one novella: 1929 Elizabeth’s Heart 1930 Drifter Purgatory Cove 1931 1929 When Black Tuesday triggers financial despondency, three young couples in New York City trade their lives of luxury for poverty. From back-breaking jobs to a shabby, rundown apartment, the couples’ rocky path leads to more turmoil when a business rival creates one disaster after another. A story set in the past, Gardner’s first novel is more than memorable—1929 is unforgettable. Elizabeth’s Heart Institutionalized in 1929 for having prophetic visions, Simon Sinclair narrates from inside the Massachusetts Asylum. There he meets Elizabeth, a young woman with a shadow personality and a traumatic past. As their lives become entwined, their attachment for each other grows. Their actions set off a chain reaction that directly touches the lives of the characters from 1929. 1930 A memorial service for Aryl Sullivan isn’t enough closure for the 1929 characters. Claire, now a pregnant widow, is too devastated to cope, Caleb drowns his sorrow in a bottle of whiskey, and Jonathan awaits the birth of his child. Maura is put to work to see them past the worst of it, facing setbacks of her own. As the gears of life slowly start to move again, new friends are made and old enemies return. Claire finds refuge through a common bond with widower Gordon, finally allowing her to move on and accept her new life. Until she’s met with a shocking surprise. Drifter Richard Sloan, a Massachusetts missing person’s detective, is losing his touch. After six months, he hasn’t found anyone alive and becomes desperate to redeem his reputation. Aryl Sullivan, who suffered amnesia in a boating accident, finds himself caught up in a series of events that land him in London. While in the hands of Gina, a secretive and controlling woman, Aryl is forever changed as he does what he has to in order to survive. Purgatory Cove Elizabeth William’s mind is full of fissures and hairline fractures held together by the love of fellow patient, Simon Sinclair. But when the staff at the Massachusetts Asylum informs her that her soul mate, Simon, has died, she instantly shatters. Retreating within the depths of her mind, she must confront the fractured personality that’s tried to control her for years. But Elizabeth discovers that she’s outnumbered and must live in the shadows of her own personal purgatory until she finds the strength to change her fate. 1931 The saga of the 1929 Series continues as Aryl’s battle with opiates forces Jonathan and Caleb to take drastic measures in an effort to save him. Claire clings desperately to the hope that the man she fell in love with—and lost—will reemerge from the depths of his addiction. Ava confronts a dark secret from her past that sends her spiraling deeper into her postpartum depression. Instead of reaching out to Jonathan, she withdraws. While Arianna is expecting their third child, Caleb finds himself ensnared in Marvin’s tangled web of deceit and blackmail. He struggles to keep his family safe as he maneuvers his way out of the nightmare. Will they have the tenacity to overcome their obstacles? Or will this forever destroy their friendships as they know it? Get all six novels in one digital boxed set.
Gentle Courage
Connie Johnson - 2019
Though, one month out of the Kansas Territory, Hank disappears leaving Rebecca and Jace, their older son, responsible for finding the wagon train in his absence. Without Hank, Rebecca is forced to kill an outlaw who threatens her and her children. The courageous act thrusts her on a course of unforeseen danger. Rebecca finds it necessary to make one critical decision after another for the survival of her family. Joining the wagon train, Rebecca begins the long journey west. Two thousand miles of untamed wilderness and overwhelming adversities draw her closer to the group of travelers whom she soon considers family. Their strength overshadows her fears of retaliation by the outlaw’s brothers determined to make good on their promise. Music by the campfires, starlit nights, and God’s constant presence make the unrelenting wind and long, hot days bearable. Along with the unexpected romance which catches Rebecca by surprise. Gentle Courage tells the story of a woman with extraordinary faith and courage to give her children a future. With powerful insight, author of the Tales of Hackett County series, Connie Johnson captures the essences of the historical epic of the Oregon Trail seen through the eyes of Rebecca Quaid.
The Stanford Lasses
Glenice Crossland - 2006
They lost. They lived.
In the small Yorkshire town of Cottenly - dominated by the steel works and surrounded by beautiful countryside - Isaac Stanford lives with his wife Emily and their three lovely daughters, known locally as the Stanford lasses. Alice, the eldest, lives only for her work as a secretary and chapel on Sunday. Fair and loving Lizzie is content with her job making umbrellas - until she falls in love with George Crossman and all she desires is to be a wife and mother. And headstrong Ruth, the merry one, is intent upon marrying handsome charmer, Walter Wray, despite warnings from friends and family.
Already emotionally damaged by a traumatic childhood, Alice struggles to lead a normal life. Poor but happy with her ever increasing family, with the onset of war, Lizzie faces the threat of losing all she holds dear. And Ruth soon realises she has made a terrible mistake in her marriage as she becomes trapped in a life of poverty and violence. As the years pass each sister is forced to confront her greatest challenge ...
Highlander's Burned Heart
Alisa Adams - 2020
But she is the only one who can salvage his soul.
Fiona Malloch feels completely lost. Only weeks after her forced marriage, the husband she hated dies of old age, and before she can feel relief, another man tries to prey on her! Fiona decides to risk everything and run away, seeking refuge in the nearby Ormond Castle, home of the infamous Laird Bhaltair Douglas.The young Laird has never been the same after the tragic loss of his brother in a fire. The scars on his body remind him daily of the tragedy and his failure to save his own blood. A failure that has alienated him from his family and spread rumors that the once-powerful clan is now weak.When the young lass arrives and asks for shelter, Bhaltair knows that helping her will mean war with the enemy clan she escaped from. They have been waiting for an opportunity, and Fiona has given them the perfect one.Her untamed character brings them into collision, but in an unexpected turn of events, Bhaltair decides to protect her. While staying in Douglas lands, Fiona seems to be the only one who is not afraid to defy the Laird and finds a way to penetrate his soul’s defenses. Bhaltair’s heart begins to heal, and he rediscovers emotions he thought he would never feel again.But by keeping Fiona, Bhaltair is losing the trust of his clan, and with his enemies at the doorstep, it seems that the girl who can save him is about to destroy his clan…
The House of Closed Doors Boxed Set: Nell's Story
Jane Steen - 2017
See why readers rave about the writing, the plot twists, and the characters. NELL LILLINGTON is a spoiled, headstrong 16-year-old when she finds herself pregnant after letting a flirtation with handsome Cousin Jack get out of hand. More willing to bear the consequences of an illegitimate pregnancy than marry, she refuses to name the father and agrees to give birth in a Poor Farm and give the baby up for adoption. At the Poor Farm she meets Tess O’Dugan, a woman the world calls an imbecile but who soon becomes the sister Nell never had. MARTIN RUTHERFORD, Nell’s childhood friend, only learns of baby Sarah when Nell seeks to escape from the Poor Farm—with the child. His own aversion to marriage stems from his dark, unhappy childhood, and despite his attachment to Nell he makes no objection to her plan to move to Kansas, away from prying eyes, with Tess and Sarah. Martin, now free of family ties, has his own plans—he wishes to build a grand department store in Chicago and become one of that growing city’s merchant princes. But Nell and Martin’s plans are steered off course by the secrets and lies of other people, and their paths to happiness are strewn with murder. Nell’s story will take you from the Illinois prairie, to frontier Kansas, and back to a Chicago teeming with opportunistic new Americans and ruthless hardmen.
Riverbreeze: Part 2 (Riverbreeze Trilogy)
Ellen E. Johnson - 2012
Part 2 continues the saga of the Bassett brothers and their twin wives as they return to Riverbreeze and begin their married lives. All is not well at the Bassett home though. A pair of misfortunes set the stage for this action-packed sequel. Robert must also face the consequences of his reckless behavior in Part 1; and Elizabeth and Evelyn discover a strange phenomenon about themselves that threatens to destroy their young relationships with their husbands; and finally Robert makes the one dreaded mistake that almost drives a wedge between the two brothers. Full of drama, excitement, humor, romance and details of early American life, Riverbreeze, the series will appeal to a wide range of readers.
The Isle of Mull Series Collection
Lily Baldwin - 2015
Who will protect her from herself?Shoney's lightning speed with a bow captures Ronan by surprise, and their chance meeting ends with him lying unconscious at the bottom of a ravine.When he awakens, he cannot rid his mind of her startling beauty, her valor, or the secret fear he glimpsed in her steel eyes. He vows to find her, but as the mysteries of her identity unfold, his courage and heart are tested as never before.Highland Thunder, Book 2A STORM IS COMING...Although she faces tragic loss, Brenna will never succumb to grief or fear, nor will she surrender to the one man she despises--the very man who now has the power to control her destiny. Like the storms that rage unchecked over the moors, her fury is about to be unleashed.A HIDDEN LOVE...He does not look at her or speak to her, and most importantly, he does not touch her. These are the rules Duncan set for himself long ago to ensure his affection for his best friend's wife remained undetected. But under the weight of a land besieged by war, the walls he erected to shield his heart crumble.If he can earn her trust, the one woman he has always loved may at last be his. But first he must save what he cherishes most from a nightmare of dark secrets.To Love a Warrior, Book 3Destinies unfold. Secrets are revealed. The Isle of Mull will be forever changed.Half Highlander, half Viking, Garik MacKinnon was not born on the Scottish Isle of Mull, but fostered there in his youth. Now, he leaves behind his home, once more bound for Mull, to join the MacKinnon warriors as they answer Robert the Bruce's call to arms. He is ready for battle, eager to fight for Scotland's freedom. What he is not prepared for is his encounter with Nellore, a shield maiden from Mull, whose allure defies all reason.Nellore has the strength and skill of a warrior but the heart of a woman. When the men are called away to war Nellore must aid those left behind to safeguard their village against attacks from the MacLeans--a feuding clan to the south. She understands her duty to her clan. She is ready to take up arms against the enemy if need be. What she is not ready for is the ache that fills her heart when war pulls Garik from her side.Desire ignites and battles are waged as both Nellore and Garik learn what it means to love a warrior.
A Carriage For The Midwife
Maggie Bennett - 2003
The youngest son of a landowner offers her marriage but his brother seduces her little sister and then betrays her in the most brutal of ways. Susan faces losing everything.
The Berlin Escape (An Aubrey Endeavours Spy Thriller Book 1)
Warren Court - 2021
America's newest spy is trying to stop it!Young, beautiful and fearless, Aubrey Endeavours fought for recognition in the male dominated world of aviation.And Won!Then her country called.Recruited into America’s fledgling spy agency. Her first mission; to steal vital information about Hitler's next move.Now she is alone and undercover in Berlin. Hunted by the Gestapo. Torn between her loyalty to her country……and the enemy she’s fallen in love with.This time, Aubrey is fighting for her life.If you like historical spy thrillers mixed with romantic suspense then you’ll love The Berlin Escape.Get your copy today!
Oaklayne, A Civil War Saga
Maurine R. McCullah - 2010
Conflict threatens to dissolve the country in bitter strife if North and South cannot peacefully settle their differences. The calm serenity of life at Oaklayne Plantation near Richmond, VA is suddenly replaced with passionate friction between family members, as each person struggles through perilous situations encountered by each of them during a very difficult time in our nation’s history. Colonel Adam Layne is devastated but remains strong in his loyalty to the Union, despite being banished from the plantation by his father and deserted by his fiancée. The balance of his family stands strong with their father's Southern allegiance. "Oaklayne, a Civil War Saga" is a historically accurate portrayal of a man struggling to serve both his family and his nation in a time when those things are in conflict. The sequel to this book entitled "Oaklayne, The Reconstruction", is now available for purchase in print or e-book version!
Worth Their Colours
Martin McDowell - 2010
The year is 1805 and Nelson has robbed the French of their way across The Channel, but Napoleon’s Grande Armee’ remains a potent threat. Faced with this, the Secretary of State for War gathered all possible forces to resist invasion. This included sweeping up into Detachment Battalions the surviving soldiers of various minor disasters and combining them together with a very much less than re-assuring mixture of recruits. This is the story of one such Battalion, a collection of veterans, social outcasts, untried Militia, volunteers, criminals and poachers who march and train together until the desperate British military deem them fit to be part of General Stuart’s army that invades Calabria to support one the few allies Britain has, the King of Naples. There they confront a veteran French army on the plains of Maida for the first set piece confrontation between the armies of Great Britain and Napoleon’s all-conquering forces. At the campaign’s end, as a Detachment Battalion, usually considered as inherently inferior, they could be broken up and sent to reinforce under strength, well established, Regiments. Or, perhaps, by their own deeds and prowess, they deserve to be recognised as a numbered Regiment, and be““Worth Their Colours.”