War is about to be declared in Europe. Roger Hallowes, an RAF sergeant pilot returns to the hangars with his comrades from B Squadron to see who else had returned from the latest attack. Only one more Blenheim had come in. Of the nine that had taken off, three had been shot down. One crashed on landing. One captain, one second pilot and two wireless operator-air gunners had been killed in the six which had survived the battle. The mental arithmetic Roger did to calculate his chances of surviving another half-dozen operations gave him no comfort. Three young men, Roger and his two cousins, share the last few precious days of peace with their families and friends. Their carefree, comfortable lives are about to be shattered by the hardships and horrors of the Second World War. ‘Trial by Fire’ follows these men through the dramatic first year of war; the fall of France and the triumph of the Battle of Britain. It gives a comprehensive view of the early air operations whose outcome affected the whole future course of the war. ‘Trial by Fire’ is a gripping war story told from first-hand experience and a wide knowledge of the R.A.F in all its facets. Praise for Richard Bickers: 'A thrilling page turner.' - Tom Kasey, best-selling author of 'Trade Off'. Richard Townsend Bickers volunteered for the RAF on the outbreak of the second world war and served, with a Permanent Commission, for eighteen years. He wrote a range of military fiction and non-fiction books, including ‘Torpedo Attack’, ‘My Enemy Came Nigh’, ‘Bombing Run’ and ‘Summer of No Surrender’. Originally published as 'The Gifts of Jove'. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

    When she inherits a funeral home, she is forced to return from the city to the small town of Witch Woods to breathe life into the business. It is a grave responsibility, but Laurel is determined that this will be no dead-end job. There she has to contend with her manipulative and overly religious mother, more than one ghost, and a secretive but handsome accountant. When the murder of a local woman in the funeral home strangles the finances, can Laurel solve the murder? Or will this be the death of her business? Book 2: Nothing to Ghost About Laurel Bay is conducting a funeral when someone is strangled in the bathroom. Now that there have been two deaths in the funeral home, business is as dead as a doornail. As Laurel sifts through the clues, she is faced with too many suspects, a wisecracking ghost, and a woman journalist who appears to be after more than Basil’s files. Laurel thought that inheriting the funeral home was an opportunity to die for, but it seems to be quite an undertaking. Book 3: Make the Ghost of It Laurel Bay has discovered Basil’s secret, but there are soon more important things on her mind. Lewis Lowes, an old friend of Basil’s, is dying to go skydiving with him. Basil agrees, although he is up in the air about it. It soon turns out to be a grave mistake. When Lewis’s parachutes don’t open, he urns his place as the funeral home’s next body. The police suspect murder, and their main suspect is Basil. Laurel buries herself in sifting through the clues. Can she solve the crime before she becomes the next victim? Book 4: Ghost Stories When Laurel’s mother, Thelma, hosts a group of writers in the belief they are writing about the Holy Ghost, she is horrified to find they are, in fact, writing ghost stories. Thelma decides to go on a road trip. Her GPS cannot get her there, so she hires an escort to show her the way. This turns out to be a grave mistake. Things go south when the escort’s naked body is found in Thelma’s bedroom. Will Laurel be able to steer the police in the right direction before they arrest her mother? Or will she come to a dead end?

    She was used to devoting her time to the animals on her family’s ranch. Then widower Ben Caldwell and his two adorable children arrived in Pine Gulch, and suddenly, Caidy wanted more than a life in the shadows….As the town’s new vet, Ben needed a place to stay for the holidays—and for his family to heal from their own loss. He absolutely wasn’t looking for love again! But Caidy Bowman’s sparkling green eyes and sweet smile touched Ben’s broken heart, giving him hope for a new future. Their future—if he could convince the beautiful cowgirl that Christmas was a time for new beginnings….Originally published in 2012 FREE BONUS STORY INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!A Very Crimson Christmas It’s that time of year! For years there’d been only one woman in Liam Donovan’s life—his beloved nanny, who’d raised him as her own. But someone is clearly taking advantage of Ruth, which brings the studly CEO back to Crimson, the place he was all too happy to have left behind. And there Liam finds Ruth has live-in help—in the form of his high school love, Natalie Holt, and her adorable son… He better not fall for Nat a second time—because what if she is the cause of his nanny’s missing money?Originally published in 2015

    When their existence is no longer a secret, enemies will arise and new allies will be made all to protect their future.As their pride grows, the females will prove their worth, rising to stand alongside the Guardians who’ve vowed to protect them. Ancient traditions will be broken as they band together to fight off those who wish them harm.Book 1- TalonBook 2- WinterBook 3- SavageBook 4- The Birth of an Alpha

    From USA Today bestselling author Serenity Woods.My Christmas Fiancé If you write an email to your best friend stating how you dream about covering your gorgeous boss in melted chocolate and then licking it all off, don’t send it to All Staff. Poor Meg. A hot and sexy marriage-of-convenience romance.My New Year FlingA steamy holiday fling is all that Jess and Rich are looking for when they meet on the beach. They’re both hiding secrets they’re convinced will end their brief relationship. But sometimes love is powerful enough to overcome the past…My Valentine SeductionTeddi’s overcome a mountain of challenges in her life, not the least of them being blind, but she discovers that nothing is as hard as trying to win over Ethan’s two daughters. Love like this doesn’t come around every day, though, and when Teddi puts her mind to something, she tends to get what she wants…

    None of them are looking for a mate, but fate has other ideas, in the shape of the three feisty women who capture their hearts. Are you ready for the Broken Hill Bears to fight for your heart? Bear In The Rough (Broken Hill Bears Book 1) Xander Silvester is hellbent on proving himself as the new Alpha of the Broken Hill Bears - an infamous wrestling clan. Freya Wright is hiking across the USA with her two best friends, hoping that the challenge will help her find herself. When Xander’s clan accidentally kidnaps her, he’s left with a terrible dilemma - not least because the smart, feisty human is everything he could want in a mate. Bare Knuckle Bear (Broken Hill Bears Book 2) To Braxton Quentin, the world would be a better place if humans didn’t exist. They destroyed his family, leaving him with terrible emotional scars that have made him unable to contemplate finding a mate. And then he meets smart, sexy, auburn-haired Neve. His bear wants her, his clan needs her, but accepting her help means betraying his most deeply held convictions. Bear Cuffs (Broken Hill Bears Book 3) Sexy tearaway Rocco Silvester has been pushed to the brink by troubles within his clan. He can’t fight. He can hardly deal with being around the other bears. Then his Alpha forces him to take a mate to save the Broken Hill Bears from ruin. Smart, strong, big-hearted Harper Waverly is everything that a bear could wish for. The only problem? She hates his guts.  This is a 135,000-word boxed set. All books in the boxed set are standalone and can be read completely independently.

    Losing it, winning it back. Now, he’ll have to learn what it will take to keep it.

    He’s different to what you might imagine a little mouse to be, because Woody is the most respected of all the forest animals. Even the lion and the elephant come to Woody’s cave to bear him gifts.But Woody has a secret that none of the animals know about. He has secretly been fooling them into believing he eats the most powerful animals, the ones of which he leaves bones scattered at the entrance to his cave.A chance encounter with a fox, who takes shelter in his cave one evening, reveals Woody’s deceit to the other animals and he is soon presented at the animal court to decide a fitting punishment for his lies.But there is danger looming for all the animals and Woody is given one last chance to redeem himself. Can he save the forest dwellers and win back their trust? Or will he face a punishment that he could see him lose it forever?

     Impoverished, the Potter sisters have few prospects, yet each is about to find love in the most unlikely of ways… When Louise sets out to accompany her new employer’s uncle to the Northern part of England, she expects to share her journey with an older gentleman. Instead, she finds seduction itself in the form of Alistair Clay Hedgewick, heir to the Duke of Langley. Confined to each other’s company for a week, friendship starts to bloom, and the closer they become, the more temptation beckons… As the youngest sister, Eve is tasked with making a respectable match. So when she takes a wrong turn on her way to meet her friend and finds herself snowed in at Blackhall Castle with the handsome yet reclusive Earl of Ravenworth, she must decide if following her heart is worth the risk of scandal… Life has been a constant struggle for Louise in recent years. So when an arrogant duke arrives on her doorstep and starts making demands, she is livid. But when he enlists her help in saving his business, she starts to realize that this man is so much more than she ever imagined – the sort of man who can lead her straight into temptation… A heartwarming series filled with laughter and love, these three little treats are the perfect stories for you to enjoy this holiday season.

     After the end of a six-year relationship with an emotionally abusive boyfriend, Olivia Ward wants nothing more than to forget her deceitful ex and rebuild her demolished self-confidence. But when Alex Matlock, a devilishly handsome man with piercing hazel eyes and a beautiful smile, enters her cupcake shop just weeks after her break-up, Olivia knows he's the only one that can break down the walls surrounding her heart.

    but alone, lost in the jungle, with only each other to depend on, will it lead to love? Mason and Kinsey are about to find out. Will they survive? DAMON Harper's life is in a shambles and CEO, Damon North, might just be her way out. When the storm hits, will a love born at sea ride the waves of danger to last a lifetime? LIAM One rising superstar, one damaged military sharpshooter, a dash of mystery and intrigue- Will Liam be able to keep her safe? WILDER A quirky artist stranded with a mysterious recluse. This Christmas, is this a recipe for love or disaster? Also available on Amazon: Noah Ryder Jace- a novella

     If you’re looking for quick, one-handed (ahem) reads with insta-love, over-the-top alpha, blue-collar men, then the trope-alicious Working Men series is for you! The Mechanic Lily I grew up with everything I ever wanted. Wealth and privilege, and an attitude that practically screamed “I’m better than you”. Only, things went wrong and now I have nothing. The people in this town don’t give a damn that I live in a broken-down trailer and am one sandwich away from starving. They figure I got what I deserve. They’re not wrong. Now, I’m standing in front of the town’s sexy-as-sin mechanic, Jack Williams, and offering to let him… do things to me with those big, dirty hands of his, in exchange for car repairs. Things that the old me would be horrified by. I should be ashamed. Instead, all I can think about is how good it would feel to have Jack touch me. Jack I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Raised by a man who liked to talk to me with his fists and didn’t give a damn if I lived or died. Taking care of myself is my number one priority, and I’m not interested in other people’s troubles. Especially trouble in the form of a stuck-up, former rich girl like Lily Carson. It’s not my problem her money, family and friends are gone. Only, she’s standing in my repair shop offering me something I’ve wanted for a very long time. One touch of her soft skin and I’m lost. Lily belongs to me now, and I’ll make damn sure she and everyone else in this town knows it. The Carpenter Madison He says it’s wrong. He says we can’t be together. But I’ve been in love with carpenter, Jacob Marken, for years and I’m tired of waiting. I don’t care about the age difference. I’m doing everything in my power to make Jacob see that we belong together. I want to be with him. And what I want, I get. Jacob She’s a temptation I need to resist. Before my best friend died, I promised I would take care of Madison, not try to take her to my bed. When Madison asks me to build her some bookshelves, I can’t resist. Being alone with her is a very bad idea. I can’t be with her. I shouldn’t be with her. But what Madison wants, Madison gets. And now that she’s mine, I’m never letting her go. The Bartender Rachel Being a twenty-three-year-old virgin isn’t the worse thing in the world. Being a twenty-three-year-old virgin in love with a man who doesn’t know I exist? Tragic, right? Local bartender, Ren Parker, might not be into librarians with questionable fashion taste, but it doesn’t stop me from fantasizing about getting him alone in the library and breaking all the rules about quiet time. But, a girl’s gotta be realistic, and I can’t stay a virgin forever. Picking up a nice guy at the bar to take my v-card is surprisingly easy. That is, until Ren discovers what I’m doing. Suddenly, the man I thought wouldn’t give me the time of day, has his hands all over me until my insides are shaken and stirred. He says my virginity belongs to him and I’m more than happy to prove him right. Ren I’ve wanted Rachel Banks from the moment I saw her.

    With no job or social support, she flees to a small town in hopes of finding a good family for her unborn baby, but instead finds a man who is as broken as she is. Eric Gaylord returns to his home town for a respite after a tragic loss, but when his spitfire mother takes on an unknown woman as a business partner, he is forced to face the nightmare he’d left behind or risk losing the one woman who could heal his heart. SPRING IN SWEETWATER COUNTY: Forty years after the death of her true love, Judy Gaylord discovers he’s alive. With the guilt of her falling into the arms of his cousin to console her grief, she now must face the man she betrayed. Dr. James Benjamin has dedicated his life to helping people deal with their post-traumatic stress disorder in hopes of forgetting about his own trauma. Not wanting to risk the safety of others, he’s spent decades alone, but when he sees the woman he never forgot from before the war, his heart awakens. SUMMER IN SWEETWATER COUNTY: Rose Burton yearns to cut a strangling parental leash. After being diagnosed with diabetes, she hashes out a plan to graduate early so she can attend the University of Tennessee with the love of her life, Marcus Vega. Marcus is a young man from the wrong side of the creek. After beating his addiction, he devotes himself to becoming a physician and earning the right to love Rose Burton. But devotion can't erase the past. When he's accused of being involved in a gang shooting, he risks everything to prove his innocence and protect the ones he loves. FALL IN SWEETWATER COUNTY: Sheriff Jimmy Mason, a confirmed bachelor who has spent his life enforcing rules, arrests Trianna Shaw, a free spirited young woman, for breaking and entering. After a night watching over Trianna in the precinct, he quickly discovers she is more than just a criminal, but a woman of passion and intrigue. Trianna will do anything to clear her murdered brother's name. She travels to Creekside to investigate a company involved in her brother's death. But when a hit man threatens the lives of her new friends, she must choose between her promise to her brother and the safety of not only the entire town, but the Sheriff she’s grown to love.

    She knows the mountains and rivers like the back of her hand, and every day she can spend exploring with her horse, Beatrice, is a great one.But, tragedy strikes and the whole family is forced to move to the sprawling, manicured estate of grandparents they’ve never met. And their Grandfather makes it no secret that he doesn’t want any of them there.The only bright spot is that there are horses everywhere and Fina soon finds herself caught up with the wild, charismatic girls who own the fancy stable next door. But will following her new dreams mean giving up on Beatrice and the family she loves?

    She never dreamed that relief would come in the form of a seven-foot tall, sexy alien. One who claimed she belonged to him. Delusional. Except, there was something pulling her to him… a deep, hot attraction she couldn’t deny. Dexanon Xa’a always thought his mate would be a sweet, obedient female. Instead, he was given a maddening, outspoken, outrageous female who didn’t comprehend the honor that had been bestowed on her. Dex might have a rockin’ body, but his ideas about women needed a total overhaul. And she was just the woman to do it. Alien Lover Being newly mated to an arrogant, bossy alien can certainly be trying at times. Luckily for Zoey, Dex also happens to the sexiest thing on two legs she’s ever met. He’s loyal, protective and boy, the things that alien can do with his hands, his mouth, his tongue… well, you get the idea. They should have been on their way to Zerconia in blissful happiness, to celebrate their mating. But somehow, things never seem to go to plan. Some of Dex’s warriors have gone missing. While he attempts to track them down, Zoey is busy just trying to keep herself out of trouble. Easier than it sounds. And really, she isn’t trying that hard. Alien Mate With all the drama and trouble behind her, Zoey is looking forward to arriving on Zerconia and settling down into a normal life as Dex’s mate. Normal? What was she thinking? There is nothing normal about being mated to a sinfully sexy, often times arrogant and overprotective Zerconian warrior. But then normal is overrated, right? Trouble follows Zoey to Zerconia, threatening her very life. But that pales in comparison to her biggest challenge yet… Her mother-in-law.