Sarah yearns for so much more, secretly lusting for an enthralling adventure... When she attends a masquerade ball, she is allured by the raven-haired seductive stranger, who whispers shockingly tempting things into her ear, without revealing his identity. She knows all this is far from how a lady should behave, but she finds this game of seduction simply irresistible. After all, what hope can a respectable young lady have in finding any kind of tantalizing excitement? While trying to unveil this captivating masquerader's identity, will she indulge in an adventure of inappropriate promises and lustful desire?Arthur Colton, the Viscount Nordarken, is a bored gentleman, ready to risk it all for the sake of pleasure. While visiting his father in the district, he is on the hunt for a rousing distraction. Sadly, not even one of the eligible young ladies sparks his interest after the whirlwind of excitement that London was. Little did he know that everything was about to change with the announcement of a masquerade ball and the appearance of an enticing dark-eyed beauty into his dangerous path. Being used to always getting what he wants, he comes up with a wicked plan, to make her succumb to his sinful passion. How far is he willing to go in order to conquer her fiery heart?Against all odds, their lives and their feelings get tangled and challenge everything they have ever known. That is when a game of false identities and flaming desire begins... A game that must end soon, or it could otherwise lead to their destruction. For Sarah it is being in the midst of a scandal and losing her gracious place in society. For Arthur it is being targeted and risking turning into a social pariah. Will an arising old scandal threaten their affair to its very core? Will their untamed passion for one another be enough to thrive, in spite of all the hardships or will they drift apart after all?

    

    Her parents were murdered on Christmas day, and she’s been running from the killers ever since. Now they’ve found her living next door to a sexy man in love with Christmas who has her thinking about naughty and nice. Zane Cutler never loses. That includes winning the prize for the best decorated street in the Christmas Light Competition. His new, pretty neighbor refuses to participate and jeopardizes the win, which he can’t allow. But when he learns her life is in jeopardy with no one else to help her, he does what he’s trained to do. Protect her. Amidst the backdrop of the holidays, Faith and Zane must learn to trust each other in order to stop the killers or this will be their last days of Christmas.

    No cliff-hangers. Although each book can be read as a stand-alone, the reader’s experience is enhanced by reading the books in order. The Chocolate Magic Café – The beginning. - Successful chocolatier Magda Caraganic decides to convert an old stable into a chocolate shop and café. The work sparks off spirit activity marked by the appearance of a mysterious ghost cat. At the same time Magda’s beautiful Birman cat, Crystal, starts to act strangely. This is a story of friendship, friendly ghosts, cats, chocolate and true love. Spirit Magic - Spirit Magic is a light-hearted, entertaining tale with a happily-ever-after ending! - When Magda decides to make some extra-special truffles using imported whisky, strange events start to occur. Her cat, Crystal, always seems to sense when things aren’t quite right. As Magda and her fiancée Sam plan their wedding, they are plagued by a strongminded Scottish spirit. Celtic Spirits - A honeymoon in Ireland! What more Magda and her husband ask for? - When Sam’s aunt Alison contacts them about the possibility of Sam buying her cottage, it’s an easy decision to spend their honeymoon in romantic Ireland. Once there, they find themselves immersed in family history and mystery. The discovery of an old well stirs up trouble, murder and witchcraft. Add in a magical pendant, hidden places, new friends … and of course, a mysterious cat … for another delightful story from the pen of Olivia Swift!Lonesome Spirits - Join Sam and Magda on their latest adventure! A must-read about chocolates, a psychic cat, séances, a ghost town … and murder! - While helping their friends Merle and Branston plan a feature for their dude ranch, they are visited by the spirit of a young woman. Never ones to let things be, they rally their psychic friends for a séance to try and determine who she is and why she’s so sad. Meanwhile, Magda’s cat, begins to act strangely … well, not so strange for this cat! Christmas Spirits - It’s Christmas at the Chocolate Magic Café! - Part of Magda’s Christmas plan are to install a model train in the café. Trains seem to be a theme as Crystal keeps giving clues which include trains. When one of the customers says she hears noises in her house, naturally Magda and her friends need to investigate. They encounter the spirit of a sad little girl and her dog. Will Magda, Sam and their friends be able to enjoy the holiday spirit of the café and the glitter of the Christmas dance at the ranch, especially when there’s a robbery, murder and some very naughty elves!Kindred Spirits - Nothing stays buried forever. - Magda, Sam, and their friends pool their resources to purchase an old bank building. Problems arise with an angry spirit during the renovations. Meanwhile, Magda’s cat keeps pushing a magazine to the floor – opening to a page about family ancestry. To their surprise, the spirit appears again when Magda and Sam take a trip to Ireland and the spirit’s mood hasn’t improved. Painted Spirits - Cowboy dreams, séances, painted horses, a rodeo and a mystery . . . they all happen in a new adventure for Magda Barnes and friends of The Chocolate Magic Café. - Magda’s best friend Rula seems to have a cowboy spirit in her stable. Imagine the surprise when an artist paints the same cowboy, which he has seen in his dreams. Will the friends be able to determine the connection between the two when they come together for a séance? Meanwhile, in her usual manner, Crystal is knocking books to the floor opening to pages providing hints about family . . . and danger.

    He had torn the Treaty of Versailles to shreds. He had rearmed Germany to the teeth— or as close to the teeth as he was able. He had stolen Austria before the eyes of a horrified and apparently impotent world. All these events were shocking to nations which had defeated Germany on the battlefield only 20 years before, but nothing so terrified the world as the ruthless, methodical, Nazi-directed events which during late summer and early autumn threatened a world war over Czechoslovakia. When without loss of blood he reduced Czechoslovakia to a German puppet state, forced a drastic revision of Europe's defensive alliances, and won a free hand for himself in Eastern Europe by getting a "hands-off" promise from powerful Britain (and later France), Adolf Hitler without doubt became 1938's Man of the Year. This story is part of the TIME Person of the Year Collection from Time Inc. This is a reproduction of a story that appeared in the January 2, 1939 issue of TIME magazine. Time Inc. is one of the world’s most influential media companies – home to 90 iconic brands like People, Sports Illustrated, Time, InStyle, Real Simple, Food & Wine, and Fortune. The Spotlight Stories in this collection aim to provide you with a quick read on a single subject, highlighting our readers’ most popular stories and featuring great reporting from our Time Inc. journalists.

    Her builder husband, Hayden, juggles his work around their children so she can fully commit to her job as a high-profile defence lawyer. For ten years, this has worked wonderfully well for them all.But now Hayden wants them to go on a mission trip to Africa.This wouldn’t be a problem, if she didn’t sense a shift in his heart.That he wants more than their comfortable life.That perhaps he wants her to become a preacher’s wife after all.She loves God and knows she must trust Him, but surely He wouldn’t want her to give up her career to become a preacher’s wife.Would He?Or can she have both?Although The Preacher’s Son, a Christian romance, is the follow on book from Never Kiss a Preacher’s Son, it can be read and enjoyed on its own.

    Rescued, she is taken to a secret valley, safe. The bearded mountain man and his Indian companions grow in her affections until she opens her heart to her big blue-eyed rescuer. Danger and adventure surround them but the most frightening threat is from her one-time fiance and his obsession with Maryan.

    His band, Intrigue, has the number one record in the country. Screaming fans, crowds of paparazzi, television performances, photo shoots—not to mention more than his fair share of female attention. Being a rock star definitely has its perks and Lance is determined to enjoy all of them. Willa Nathans has never fit in. Sent to a special school for the “exceedingly gifted” as a child, she spends most of her time buried in books and equations—which doesn’t exactly leave much room for a social life. But all of that ends now. Lance Foster has been her crush for years and Willa is determined, finally, to show him just how much she’s changed. There’s just one problem—Lance is her brother’s best friend and band mate. And if there’s one thing Lance knows, it’s that Willa is strictly off limits. No matter how difficult he might find it to stop thinking about her. When Lance’s ex shows up, kid in tow, he realizes that hiding his feelings for Willa from her brother is the least of his worries. Lance is good at one thing—rock and roll. How on earth is he supposed to take care of a kid? When Willa agrees to step in and help out, he knows she’s saving his ass. What he doesn’t count on is how much more complicated things can get when those pesky hidden feelings refuse to disappear…

    HUNTER SERIES COMES CODY’S WAR!BIG TROUBLE IN CHINA!Cody’s mission: locate and extract a defecting physicist, Dr. Kwan, creator of the ghastly mega-weapon, Dragonfire. But the mission goes south almost immediately when a US Navy reconnaissance plane disappears over the South China Sea after observing Chinese nuclear submarine activity. Also missing: the dive team sent to investigate. Then there’s the coup d’état being staged in Beijing by renegade Chinese military officers intent on launching a nuclear holocaust and establishing a new World Order.With no one to trust in this deadly maze, Jack Cody races the clock against an imminent world threat spawned far beneath the sea . . .“One of the best adventure writers of our time!” - James M. Reasoner, NYT Bestselling author

    Meet Magdalena as she prepares for the birth of her first child, knowing her family are in another country - but will her fiancé surprise her for Christmas? Share memories of treasured tree decorations and the stories they hold. Delight as Irene remembers her husband on Valentine's Day and fate finds a way to remind her of the love they shared. Cheer along with Sophie as she finally finds the courage to deal with a fairweather friend, and laugh as a grandmother receives a visit from her granddaughter - only to turn the tables on her and show her who is boss! Lose yourself in sublime storytelling - the perfect gift for readers everywhere.

    She’s on a charitable mission, by damn, and that rowdy cantina next door is drowning out her gospel singing. The clash with the sexy-as-hell man who runs the cantina hits with enough force to burn down the small Mexican town. What happens in Mexico… Is supposed to stay in Mexico but Hunter can’t get that blonde with the ice blue eyes out of his mind when he goes home to Texas. Finding her isn’t the problem. Convincing her that he’s interested—well, that’s another story. Mercy tried to get over Hunter, especially when she found out about his past. She had two choices: move on or give him one more chance because no other man should have to live in an old love’s shadow. If you liked Carolyn Brown’s books, Love Is, Trouble in Paradise, The Wager or The Yard Rose, you will love An Old Love’s Shadow.

    As sea levels rise and livable landmasses shrink, the Reorganized United States of America has instituted population control measures to ensure there are sufficient resources and food to sustain the growing population. Birth authorization must be paid for and obtained prior to having a child. Someone must die before another can be born, keeping the country in a population neutral position at what experts consider to be the optimal population. The new laws are enforced by a ruthless government organization known as Pop Con, responsible for terminating any children resulting from unauthorized births, and any illegals who manage to survive past their second birthday, at which point they are designated a national security threat and given the name Slip. But what if one child slipped through the cracks? What if someone knew all the loopholes and how to exploit them? Would it change anything? Would the delicate resource balance be thrown into a tailspin, threatening the lives of everyone? And how far would the government go to find and terminate the Slip? In a gripping story of a family torn apart by a single choice, Slip is a reminder of the sanctity of a single life and the value of the lives we so often take for granted.

    “I’m sorry” the figure whispers, as it places the bundle on the cold stone of the work-house steps, “There is no other way.”For Frances Noel, a nobody’s child-work house waif, named simply for the day she was found, Christmases somehow seemed alive with promise and the possibility of miracles. So, when Frances is chosen to work in a grand house, more beautiful than she has ever seen, Frances believes that her miracle has arrived. But the beautiful house holds no comfort for a nobody such as Frances, as she suffers the tyrannical rule of the housekeeper and the unwanted attentions of Master Felix Ainsworth, the son of the house.But Ainsworth house holds a deep and dark secret that sheds its gloom over all who dwell within. The only joy in Frances’ life is Peter Gibson, the gentle-eyed stable lad who has become her friend. Christmas after Christmas, their friendship deepens, until a terrible event occurs that tears them apart.What is the secret that brings doom to all those who dwell in Ainsworth house? Why are the house keeper and the young Master so cruel? Will Frances ever be able to make amends to Peter, or are Christmas miracles simply a foolish child’s dream?Nell Harte writes clean and sweet historical fiction.

    But is it a mistake, where does the money come from, and can Kitkat get through New Year's Day without its owner asking for the money back?This is a 7,000-word short story.