ABOUT THE SHORT STORY’S PRICE: Hello, you lovely people. Odd to talk about money straight up, but I know that some of you might be thinking, £1.99/US$2.99/CDN$3.99/A$3.99 is a lot for a short story. Let me explain how it works in the UK. A rate of 20% VAT (Value Added Tax) applies to eBooks. This doesn’t apply to ‘real’ paper books. That means 33p of the £1.99 goes straight to the British government. Amazon takes around 2p to deliver the story to your Kindle, then takes another 48p as its cut. The remainder, £1.16, goes to me. That's not a great deal, I hope you agree. A roughly similar story applies in foreign territories. In these times of falling sales, and authors losing their contracts, and only one in seven traditionally published authors being able to write fulltime, stories like this are a vital way of YOU supporting the authors whose books you enjoy. So THANK YOU for your support! Think of it in terms of a pint of beer or a cup of coffee: they cost £2-4, depending on where you live in the UK. This story will give you more enjoyment (I think!) than either of those things, and last for a longer time, and cost you less money. This is the third time I have self-published a short story. (Massive thanks here to Pete Simpson, who designed the cover for me!) It’s been an exciting project since the day I did the poll on Facebook, asking you lovely people which of my characters you wanted me to write about. Centurion Tullus won out, narrowly, and this is the result. The one hundred and something people who backed the Kickstarter campaign got to read this story almost 7 months ago, but now you can too. Oh, what's it about? The war of the Batos, or the Pannonian War, which took place between AD 6 and 9, a general emergency that had almost 100.000 legionaries sent to modern-day Croatia to sort out the rebels. Enjoy the story, and please email me if you have any questions about it or anything else – ben@benkane.net Ben

    What could go wrong? Lord Edwin Clarke is aimless. A fault his father insists upon correcting by way of a wife of substance, financial that is. Though Edwin stands to inherit an earldom, the title has power in name only. The family coffers have been secretly depleted by his mother’s outrageous spending habits. A rich heiress can solve all their problems, but how does a gentleman go about finding one? Julia Bennett's life is perfect, enjoying the spoils of being a darling of London society. She’s an heiress with a handsome fiancé, set to marry within weeks. When tragedy strikes, however, her future crumbles around her, forcing Julia to make new plans. With her father’s imminent death looming, Julia must find a new man to marry in order to inherit. She is forced to turn to her aunt, the premier London matchmaker. Can Edwin find his way to be the man Julia needs? Can Julia find her way to open her heart after her loss? And will the two of them agree to marry before the clock runs out for both of them?

    

    They are the Unforgettable Charmers who will captivate your hearts. New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors have composed beautiful love stories that range from sweet to spicy, with romance and suspense, to keep you entertained by their charming heroes and the heroines who fall under their spells. You will, too, while reading Unforgettable Charmers. Resisting You: Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author: Kendall accepted a life without love, until an unexpected visitor changed her mind. Not Ready Yet: Mona Risk, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: High school sweethearts separated by life... They meet years later, successful but different, each with a heavy baggage. Billionaire’s Marriage Bargain: Leanne Banks, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: Can their forced marriage become a forever love? The Last Flight: Jen Talty, USA Today bestselling author: Either someone is trying to destroy Ramey’s career. Or kill him. Masquerade By The Sea: Traci Hall, USA Today bestselling author: Ski pro Heath Hamilton is broken, but charter captain Jolie Gordon comes from a long line of fixers. He’s Her: Mimi Barbour, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: A casino owner’s spirit enters a naïve teacher and teaches her lessons. Ticket to Nowhere: Patricia Rosemoor, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author: What is a classy woman who looks like she’s been mud-wrestling hiding from in a carnival? Speeding into Love: Susan Jean Ricci, USA Today bestselling author: Eva’s naughty passion for punching pedal to the metal would soon become her downfall and salvation. Red Rock’s Redemption: Taylor Lee, USA Today bestselling author: No one messes with Red Rock, the fiery former undercover agent, until the handsome Police Chief comes into her life.

    Everyone thought the man was crazy.Shane Alexander was determined to prove to the world that his family wasn't crazy... That HE wasn't crazy.It was working...Until he made one mistake...that would change his life forever...and force him to question his own sanity.Something was missing from Lila Fitzpatrick's life...So doing a friend a favor...and pretending to be someone else for a day seemed like a good idea at the time.Then she finds a warning note...from hundreds of years BEFORE she was born.And then if that wasn't bad enough...She met HIM...TWICE!For centuries a force has kept them apart...But, will Love be enough to finally keep them together...Or will history repeat itself? A Time Travel- A Love Story filled with Suspense-A Mystery that will keep you guessing til the end... Former Georgia Author of the Year Nominee, Tammie Clarke Gibbs has crafted a sweeping new time travel with the old-fashioned appeal of your favorite Gothic Novel. It will keep you guessing. This is one roller-coaster ride you won’t want to miss.

    He infiltrates the most hostile countries in the world, defeats our enemies' advanced security measures, and eliminates threats before they ever reach our shores. But now, his skills have left him. Sent overseas on a critical assignment, he fails, unable to pull the trigger. Absent his talents, Robie is a man without a mission, and without a purpose.To recover what he has lost, Robie must confront what he has tried to forget for over twenty years: his own past.THE GUILTYWill Robie escaped his small Gulf Coast hometown of Cantrell, Mississippi after high school, severing all personal ties, and never looked back. Not once. Not until the unimaginable occurs. His father, Dan Robie, has been arrested and charged with murder.Father and son haven't spoken or seen each other since the day Robie left town. In that time, Dan Robie-a local attorney and pillar of the community-has been elected town judge. Despite this, most of Cantrell is aligned against Dan. His guilt is assumed.To make matters worse, Dan has refused to do anything to defend himself. When Robie tries to help, his father responds only with anger and defiance. Could Dan really be guilty? With the equally formidable Jessica Reel at his side, Robie ignores his father's wishes and begins his own desperate investigation into the case. But Robie is now a stranger to his hometown, an outsider, a man who has forsaken his past and his family. His attempts to save his father are met with distrust and skepticism . . . and violence.Unlike the missions Robie undertook in the service of his country, where his target was clearly defined, digging into his father's case only reveals more questions. Robie is drawn into the hidden underside of Cantrell, where he must face the unexpected and possibly deadly consequences of the long-ago choices made by father and son. And this time, there may be no escape for either of them.