The strangers came first for the timber. Next they came for the coal. Now, they've returned-for Widows Hollow. Pick McKinley is cursed with a fear of strangers. The strangers taunt mountain people and call them Hillbillys. Now, newly orphaned, illiterate, and impoverished, Pick must leave her mountain home and go among the strangers in town to find work if she and her younger siblings are to survive. Maybe it won't be so bad. Her mama had worked among them, cleaning and mending. Pick could not have been more mistaken. Her first encounter with Dr. Stephen Stalworth, Ashford's favorite son and one of its wealthiest, most powerful citizens, almost cost Pick her life and would have but for intervening fate and her rescuer, Jan Vandeventer, the handsome Bluegrass Son of wealthy, world famous horse breeders. Pick is no hillbilly. She's a survivor who has survived against all odds. She must save herself, her siblings, and her community from Stalworth who has vowed to destroy them and she must do it with the only weapons she possesses; faith, and a fairy tale-- called Rosemillion. In her debut novel, J.Helen Elza has crafted a tale of struggle and survival that transcends reading. Rosemillion is a tale to experience and Widows Hollow, despite its poverty, is a place you will want to return to time and again; To fish with the feisty and unapologetic mountain man, Samuel Llewellyn Simpson, "Stump"; "Pay 'em no mind, Miss, they's hollower 'n a cane pole and not nearly so useful." Or to laugh at the fiery- tempered Early Mae, "Mama- John Johnson"; "What is you up to, Old Man? You a'grinnin like a possum in a hen house!" Or to commiserate with Jan who is caught between his world of ivy-league universities and world champion thoroughbreds and her world of illiteracy and poverty; "Jacques, if you want to end our friendship here and now, you call her a hillbilly one more time! I'm sick of it! You and any one of the rest of our so-called peers pick a label, any label, and it's official! Margaret and Victoria call Pick a hillbilly, so she's a hillbilly, right?" Or to grab your hanky and sob or to stand up and shout for sixteen-year old Pick McKinley; "You may call me white trash and hillbilly. You may hate me and my kind, BUT YOU AIN'T GONNA CAUSE THAT LITTLE BABY TO BE A DYIN!" Written as a woman's novel, Rosemillion also appeals to men: "I really did enjoy reading the book and thought Ms. Miller did a wonderful job of placing the reader in the moment. Also, her character development is superb. I've told friends that I never found myself bored reading Rosemillion as I often do when reading other books. Jerry Snow USN Retired Rosemillion will leave you cheering and wanting more. Fortunately, there is more. Rosemillion is book one in J. Helen Elza's Appalachian Trilogy. Look for book two "Return to Widows Hollow," and book three "The Red Amaryllis," coming soon to book stores and kindles near you.

    When Taro, a young orphaned mage, attempts to heal a stranger in the middle of a storm, his life is changed forever when he begins to tamper with foreign magic known only to most fierce and dangerous creatures of all: dragons.

    He’s an Amish college student, breaking the rules. They're so right, it's wrong.***Marigold, a recent high school graduate with a shady past, is looking to redefine herself. She doesn’t know what she wants exactly, but college isn’t it. When she meets Abel, an Amish guy on Rumspringa, his ‘running around’ time, she doesn’t plan on falling for someone wearing a straw hat and suspenders. But she can't help it, Abel is the breath of fresh air she's been waiting for.Abel, who’s moved to the city for a summer program at Jamestown, never imagined Marigold would be drawn to the life he was trying so hard to avoid. His family expects him to take over the family farm; college parties and dorm life don’t quite fit in with their plans for him. Opposites attract, but nothing is easy with love. When they trade places for the summer they learn a life together isn’t as for sure and certain as they thought.

    Like a fish out of water, she feels out of place and longs for an adventure away from the place she has long called home. When circumstances change for the worse, Christy decides it is her time to go on the adventure she has dreamed of. Through chance she meets a handsome cowboy who seems to sweep her off her feet. That is until his past comes back to haunt them, and Christy must decide if this love is worth fighting for. *This book is part of a 3 book continuing series.

    The poem started out as a simple observation of the snow in moonlight, and turned into a poem with more to offer. I'm offering it free to my readers. I've had it on my blog, where it's gotten much response, and wanted to give everyone another way to access it.

    When she loses the apartment that she needs to run her home-based muffin business, she's faced with a choice: couch surfing at her very loud best friends' separated by thin walls or house sitting an otherwise empty Upper East Side luxury apartment overlooking Central Park. Obviously it’s a no-brainer for this smart cookie. Declan Hayes is used to people asking things of him and saying no. However, for Maggie, his parents’ cook and housekeeper, he would do just about anything, including going over to his parent’s apartment to check on her pseudo niece who is staying there. His plan was to get in and get out, but the second he saw her, something changed. Something about her sparked the normally cold and dismal place to life; she made it warm and inviting. He finally understood the phrase “there’s no place like home.” Can Emily and Declan trust the timing of their lives or adjust the lens from which they see them? Hope, faith, trust and... love? Will these things be enough for Emily and Declan to get the one thing they both never thought they needed in life? It’s a good thing they are “Floured” because life is about to get sticky.

    What could be so important as to bring two socialites out in the cold? Why, Mr. Darcy is coming for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately for Miss Bingley, a winter storm and her own arrogance combine to ruin her Christmas plans, but maybe the Christmas she ends up having will actually turn into the Christmas of her dreams. This Pride and Prejudice Variation Christmas short story is approximately 8,000 words. Renata McMann and Summer Hanford began writing Pride and Prejudice Variations together in 2014 and have since become immersed in the amazing world Jane Austen created. Whether you’re a fan of Darcy and Elizabeth specifically or of clean Regency Romance in general, you will enjoy both McMann’s ability to imagine variations of this classic love story and Hanford’s skill in turning these variations of Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet and their enduring love into entertaining stories.

    Katie Chupp spends her days at The Sweet Shop, taking care of customers and baking delicious treats . . . not exactly a profession where one expects to be thrown into the midst of mysteries and mayhem.But when the bakery is broken into, someone has to find the thief . . . besides finding another place to do the baking and get the orders to the customers.Is this a random theft, or is the thief trying to ruin the town's Independence Day celebration?Book 1 of the Sweet Shop Mysteries seriesAnd watch for book 2 - Christmas Cookie Mystery - COMING SOON!

    Most of the ladies attending the Harvard Annex hope to attain a quality education and advance the status of women--except Adela Mason. All she wants is marriage and a home of her own. After corresponding with Byron Calhoun, a Kansas farmer, for several months, she's convinced he's the man God has chosen for her. She accepts his invitation to visit the farm so he can "court her properly." Byron finds Adela as sweet and charming as her letters have indicated, but will she marry him when she finds out he's in danger of losing the farm? Worse, how can he even convince sweet Adela to stay when his ex-fiance and mother are doing everything they can to run her off? Prequels to the long historical novel series, Under Cerulean Skies, the Annex Mail-Order Brides novella series follows three courageous young women who find love through the mail.

    When New Years Eve doesn’t go quite to plan for Jaime, she contemplates turning right around and heading straight home, until a striking Australian relief manager attempts to twist her arm.Will Jaime decide to do the sensible thing and say goodbye, imagining what might have been that night, forever? Or will she stay to experience a rare night of lascivious indulgence with a red-hot, sweet-talking stud-muffin?The decision is easier than she thought.

    Eddie is a reckless and dissolute operator, under investigation by the force and in debt to local mob chief, Vincent Mullis. When a killer starts targeting prostitutes in north London, Mullis is unusually keen for Eddie to solve the crime, but why? A serial killer is targeting prostitutes in Islington, the victims having a number of unusual links. The killings begin the same week that convicted killer and local man, Paddy Graham, is released from prison following a life sentence for murder. DS Eddie Kane has inadvertently found himself under the thumb of Vincent Mullis, who has taken ownership of a debt Eddie has built up with terminally-ill bookmaker, Arnie Duggan. Eddie’s troubles begin to spiral out of control when he is placed under investigation following a drugs-bust gone wrong. While suspended, he is forced to investigate the murders for Mullis, who wants to get to the murderer before the police. He then reluctantly hears a murder confession from his former bookmaker... In this heart-stopping, gripping crime drama, Eddie’s investigations lead him into a murky world of pornography, murder and revenge, all of which seems to centre around a local church and the charismatic vicar, Jonathan Carter. Eddie is feeling the pressure from all sides, but will there be any chance of salvation?

    Enter Ryan Archer. As a former Marine and former FBI agent, Archer has a combination of skills and training few others can offer. When he is given the task of locating the missing girl and returning her safetly to her family, Archer finds himself investigating a mysterious, powerful, and ultimately deadly organization that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets.

    Grouping up with his online friends, he had an enjoyable night of gaming and even completed the Tomb of Immortality. However, at the end of the dungeon they meet a strange wizard with a compelling offer to ‘Beta Test’ a new expansion. Since every gamer dreams of being the first to explore new areas, they agree. Nonetheless, they were not ready for what came next. Mac and his friends find themselves pulled into the game and that they have become their avatars. At first, it is exciting until they realize that they are trapped inside the game. When they find themselves attacked, the Outlanders quickly realize how dangerous their new reality can be. Vowing to return home, the survivors set off to find the legendary city of Atlantis in hopes that the Dragon Kings may know of a way back to the real world. The Outlanders soon discover that they aren’t the first gamers to be pulled into game, just the latest. But more than that, they have become pawns between two rival wizards in a long standing feud. Can the Outlanders survive the game world long enough to return home?

    The investigation into his murder unearths a more than questionable lifestyle where it seems that everyone who knew him had a reason to see him dead. Detectives Steve Rickets and his partner Detective Sarah Branson follow a trail of dead ends that lead them scratching their heads. Is it the disgruntled business partner, the angry and upset daughter, the woman who secretly loves him, of the crime figure he owes thousands to? This classic who done it murder mystery will keep you guessing to the end. An unexpected twist will lead you right to the killer if you spot it. This short story of 12,000 words (appx) is ideal for lovers of hard boiled detective crime thrillers and murder mystery short stories.

    Fortunately Greg's best mate Stu has come to the rescue. Now it's Stu's job to lead Greg down the path of enlightenment, where woman swarm by their hundreds and will pay for Greg's company. Welcome to the Meat Market, where everything has a price, even love.