Folded skillfully into this riveting tale the reader will find naval action, history, espionage, government corruption, personal challenge, romance and so much more.It's July 1950, a mere month since the North Korean People’s Army stormed overwhelmingly across the 38th parallel. Captain "Hal" Kirby, U.S. Navy, is a pilot's pilot and happy to be on the leading edge of a war held in balance by Naval air power. North Korea wants South Korea at all costs. Kirby's Air Group on the USS Valley Forge is playing a major role in holding the NKPA at bay until significant military forces can be mobilized. A disgruntled officer's six-year-old promise to get even with Kirby and the Navy for ending his career as a pilot also occupies Kirby's attention.The multifaceted plot also includes Kirby becoming an unknowing victim of government corruption that thrusts him into a political incident with the Soviet Union.Kirby is faced with many life-changing experiences throughout the story that impact his professional and personal life.You will not want to put this novel down.

     From Chapter 1: “Pearl,” Momma tried to make her voice strong. “I aim to whip you for what you done.” Those words struck me hard. Why was she saying a thing like that to me? “I saved you from those dogs,” I said triumphantly as I looked down at Momma’s bleeding legs. Surely she knew what would have happened to her if it hadn’t been for me. “You disobeyed me. You know better than to disobey me.” Her words troubled me something awful, and I shivered with dread as tried to think of a way to make her appreciate what I’d done. I didn’t deserve a whipping for saving her life. From Chapter 23: I had what few things I owned in a feed sack when Frank came in the door. “Them’s my hogs,” I told him. “I’ll cross the hill twice a day to feed ‘em. Don’t you dare do anything with ‘em.” “What are you talkin’ about.” “Your precious ma said she’d get Ralph’s shotgun and kill me if I didn’t get out of her house.” “No way,” Frank said. “Ask her yourself,” I told him. I heard the sound of Effie moving her wheelchair over the floor. “Frank, honey. I said no sech a thing. You know what a liar she is.” I lifted my chin and glared at Frank. I needed to see whose side he was going to take.” “Calm down,” he told me. “I’ll put Ma in bed so we can talk.” Those weren’t the words I needed to hear. “Oh, Frankie,” Effie moaned. “What are we gonna do with her?” Frank didn’t answer as he took hold of the chair. I slung the sack over my shoulder and left the house. The least I could do was see if Lizzie would welcome me for a few days or not. From the Epilogue: I saw the tiredness come to Aunt Pearl’s face and didn’t ask her any more questions. I’d been told hundreds of stories by dozens of family members as well as non-family members. Aunt Pearl was right. My favorite words when I was growing up were, “Tell me a story.” Most everyone willingly obliged. Some people would be slow getting started, but once they got their story telling ability warmed up, they would hold me captive for hours. Pearl’s story has taken me many years to write. Pearl died less than a year after I’d gone to see her with my trusty tape recorder in hand. Much to my regret, she told me what was true. I’d waited a little too long to tape her stories, but I could still replay those stories in my head. Most of the stories I remember came from Lizzie. Once she started talking she continued talking even when there was no one left in the room to listen. I’ve done my best to connect some of the stories I’ve been told together in order to make this book possible. These stories hold a lot of truth, but I want the readers to realize that I’ve taken an author’s liberty in order to fit each story together into what I hope to be both entertaining and insightful. Therefore, I’ve written this book as fiction. There’s no way I could possibly know what people were thinking long before I was born. No way I can second-guess exactly what happened and why it happened, no way I can claim this book to be non-fiction although it is based on real happenings.

    On the frontier of the Roman Empire, a Dacian man named Verus is captured and enslaved during an imperial raid north of the Danube. He is sent to a rock quarry known as The Pit, as one among thousands of fresh slaves needed to mine marble for Emperor Vespasian’s new amphitheatre. Funded by spoils taken during the Siege of Jerusalem, the Emperor promises it will be the largest gladiatorial arena ever; his personal gift to the people of Rome. Requiring years of herculean labour and millions of cubic feet in stone, Vespasian’s son, Titus, worries whether his father will live to see its completion. After months of back-breaking suffering and toil, Verus is taken from The Pit to become a gladiator. Whether by chance or fate, he knows that only by making a pact with death will he have a chance at life. In a savage world of blood, sweat, sand, and steel, his very soul is forged, until he no longer remembers the man he once was. As the Flavian Amphitheatre nears completion, with the possibility of fighting before the Emperor himself, Verus swears to either win his cherished freedom, or ignominiously die by the blade.

    As a milkman and a nanny, making ends meet is a constant juggling act – not helped by their mothers who are sworn enemies - but they are happy together and that’s all that matters. But when their flashy new neighbours convince Danny he is not giving Maxie the sort of life she deserves, he fears he’ll lose her if he doesn’t do something about it. Embarking on a series of disastrous money-making schemes, Danny finds himself getting into deeper and deeper trouble. But then Maxie begins to face a few troubles of her own...

     Daphne Villiers, student nurse, is still suffering from the heartbreak of losing her fiancé two years earlier. A new arrival to the East End has the potential to brighten her spirits and turn her life around, but will she be able to let herself love again? With the help of her friends, Daphne might find that Easter really is the time for new beginnings.

    Both of them were assigned to the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam. Both of them humped with the grunts, ate the same chow, suffered the same hardships, and shared the same risks. Marowski led marines into harm’s way and King kept them alive when there was more harm than way. They were also friends and family. Terry King was married to Marowski’s kid sister. In July of 1967, Marowski was made commander of First Platoon, Delta Company, 1/9 at Con Thien, and Terry King became senior squid for Charlie Company, 1/9 at Dong Ha. Both King and Marowski were experienced combat veterans, confident in their own abilities, but confidence and skill weren’t always enough on the DMZ. The 1/9 was about to be tested in ways few Marine Battalions have ever been tested, in ways few marines or corpsmen were ever tested.

    Kate must go to Aunt Mildred, a hard woman who runs a Liverpool boarding house, who puts the young girl to work at once. But Rose gets the wealthy widow Aunt Beattie, who lavishes her with gifts and attention. As one sister experiences hardship alongside friendship, and the other is spoilt and isolated, which will find happiness? For, at the end of the day, it is not what Kate and Rose have in life that counts, it is what they choose to make of it… When Day is Done is a heartwarming saga of the struggle to find happiness, perfect for fans of Helen Forrester, Katie Flynn and Pam Howe.‘As heartwarming as it is sincere, this is storytelling at its best’ Best