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    Hoping to learn more about his ancestry, Duncan is drawn to the village of Taye, Scotland, where his past and future are about to collide, altering the trajectory of his life forever. Was the laird of Castle Taye accidently crushed by a merlon from his own battlement, or are more sinister forces at work? Is the alluring widow and beneficiary of eleven million pounds to blame, or innocent? Is a ghost seeking vengeance against members of Clan MacNab for the slaughter of her loved one hundreds of years ago? Will Duncan be the next victim of the merlon murders? Follow Duncan on a culinary tour of breathtaking Scotland as he navigates through relationships with the villagers of Taye in his quest for answers. The Merlon Murders I is part one of a two part mystery. Books by Victoria Benchley include: The Snail Man at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O97FE9W The Merlon Murders I The Merlon Murders II The Crime at the Bakery (A short story) - Coming Soon Join my exclusive mailing list at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victori... and click on the sign up button, near the top. By doing so, you'll receive the latest news about upcoming novels and free offers available only to my mailing list. Follow Victoria Benchley because I enjoy connecting with fans. On Twitter: http://twitter.com/@vbenchley On Facebook: Victoria J Benchley

    2015**Attorney Kenneth King can't wait to get away on vacation and leave the courtroom behind. He only has one last errand to do for his boss―drop off a flash drive to fellow attorney Emma James. But as soon as the drive is in his hands, his boss is murdered and Kenneth becomes the next target. With nowhere left to turn, he reaches out to Emma for help―but that only puts them both in danger. Emma James just wants to settle into her new job and provide a good life for her little girl. That is all threatened when she gets a flash drive with information on it that points to an imminent terrorist attack on U.S. soil. With her choices dwindling and her vulnerabilities made crystal clear, Emma is pushed to the limit by those who want her dead and the rest of the country to suffer. How far will she be forced to go to save the lives of everyone around her, including those she loves? Kenneth and Emma have to find a way to work together to stop the terrorists, but it's the most difficult trial of their lives―and the verdict will be life or death.

    His childhood friend, Sarai, is betrothed to him. Sarai’s future also stretches securely before her. She will marry the boy she loves and they will live together in their beloved homeland. But outside the city gates waits Judah’s conqueror, Nebuchadnezzar, prince of Babylon, who demands a heavy price for peace. He takes treasures from the great temple of Jerusalem and hostages from among the promising young scholars, who will serve him in the court at Babylon. Daniel’s dreams are filled with strange images of things he has never seen. When Daniel’s father ensures that he is one of the young men selected, the dreams become frighteningly real. The prophet Jeremiah’s dire warnings have come to pass for Daniel, Sarai and for all of Judah--The voice of mirth and gladness are taken; the voice of the bride and bridegroom, and the sound of the millstones and the light of the candle.Sarai in Jerusalem and Daniel in Babylon will face the same challenge: to keep hope bright as darkness closes in.

     Stacy Brighton left her hometown on the coast of Maine ten years ago for bigger and better things and never looked back. But when her father dies unexpectedly, she’s forced to return. She won’t spend a minute longer than she has to, though. That town is full of bad memories and she doesn’t want to see any of the people she left behind, especially not Reid Callahan. Reid Callahan never wanted anything more than to live his life in Rocky Point. He loves the simple, small-town life and has proudly grown his small lobstering business into one of the premier restaurants in the area. He’s made a good life for himself but something seems to be missing. And when Stacy comes back to town, he knows exactly what it is. Too bad Stacy has no intention of staying… or does she? Even their growing attraction might not be enough to soothe old wounds and when their worst fears take root, one of them may have to sacrifice everything they thought they wanted in order to give their hearts another chance.

     From NY Times Bestselling author, Win Blevins, the story of legendary mountain man, Sam Morgan, comes to a roaring climax, filled with narrow escapes, a search for peace, and a home for his mixed-race family. “Blevins has painted an epic saga of life in the early West on a huge canvas of vivid colors. –Tony Hillerman.” “Through clever storytelling, and the seamless insertion of important background information, Blevins has made sure that readers unfamiliar with the series can follow each book on its own.” – Booklist ….... HEAVEN IS A LONG WAY OFF Sam Morgan faces the most daunting task of his adventuresome life. It is 1827 and he, with the trapping brigade commanded by Jedediah Smith, has been expelled from Mexican California. Sam must make a trek to the Wind Rivers for the sake of his Crow wife and their infant daughter, Eperanza.Nursing a broken heart, and in need of income, Sam rides to Santa Fe—and there he meets a beautiful widow. Soon after leaving, the herd of horses belonging to Sam and his companions are sold for a healthy profit. He returns to California to reunite with his daughter only to learn she has been taken captive in an Indian raid.Sam's desperate mission to rescue his daughter, their escape in a frail craft down a rampaging river, and their long trek home, is a harrowing tale told by a master of the historical novel. "Win Blevins's novel about venturesome Sam Morgan, and the fur trade and mountain men, is both authentic and entertaining!" —Dallas Morning News. A LONG AND WINDING ROAD A decade has passed since Sam Morgan took up the rough-and-tumble life of a mountain man in the Far West. In those ten years, Sam has made his mark as a trapper, fighter, and survivor.Sam has also endured tragedy.Distraught, Sam finds a mission for himself when he determines to find and rescue two Mexican girls, Lupe and Rosalita. They have been kidnapped from their village by Navajo raiders and spirited off into the New Mexico wilderness.The search for the captive girls takes him deep into Navajo, Ute, and Blackfeet Indian territory, to Bent's Fort in Colorado, near death at the hands of a companion, and finally to a surprise at the end of the trail, involving the missing girls and a trapper called Pegleg Smith. “The glory years of frontier life, fresh and rich.” — Kirkus Reviews DREAMS BENEATH YOUR FEET Eighteen years have passed since Sam Morgan came West from Pennsylvania and learned the perilous business of trapping in the Rocky Mountain wilderness.Now, in 1840, the world has changed. The fur trade has played out, and he must find other means to make a living.Sam decides to return to California with his daughter Esperanza and start a new life. The great golden land holds a harsh memory, but friends convince him that his destiny, and that of his mixed-race family, lies on the Pacific shore.Meadowlark's uncle, Flat Dog, his family, and Hannibal MacKye, the half-Delaware Indian mountain man, join Sam and Esperanza for the journey west, where they hope to trade for a herd of Appaloosa horses to sell at a profit in California.

    Didn't want it to end. Great and different story line. - Christine This is a fantastic book that had me examining my own personal spiritual journey. Kudos to the author for writing such a heartfelt, inspiring work. - Verified Amazon Reader I absolutely loved the characters and the story. Their faith in God helped them through the trials they faced. The story is engrossing and very believable. Hope this book is a winner for the author. - Verified Purchaser "The story is emotionally gripping and pulls the reader along to see what will happen next. The best stories grab our emotions and don’t let go." -Judge's Commentary from 24th Annual Writer’s Digest Book Awards The Whispering of the Willows is an inspiring story full of twists and turns, freedom and redemption, the expected and unexpected. This book brings to light the struggles of young woman past and present. God’s goodness and provision flow from each page. --Linda Bottoms, Rocky Mountain Ministry Network Women’s Ministries Director A 1920s' saga of Emerald Ashby coming of age. Set against the superstitions and old time religion in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, author Tonya Jewel Blessing tells a difficult, yet redemptive story of a blossoming young woman who is accompanied by her friends and her foes on a journey towards hope and healing. Love weaves through gut-wrenching circumstances and dismal poverty where Emerald Ashby grows strong despite grievous wrongs committed against her. In this desperate historical setting, mysterious disappearances lead to traps set for the innocent. Now, when key individuals begin carving out a rescue plan, Emerald Ashby sets a few of her own traps. It's a page turner. In this ailing town. What will be their measure of success? Cleverly suspenseful and sweetly spoken, the storyteller's unassuming voice transforms an Appalachian trail of tears into holy terror against an evil that stalks the innocent. In The Whispering of the Willows, an Appalachian marriage practice might be compared to the modern sex trade which exploits young females. Not since Catherine Marshall's strong heroine named Christy, has an Appalachian drama come to life like The Whispering of the Willows. Includes: Bibliography and Book Club Questions. A novel for women examining the Old Time Religion. Coming of age in the Southern Appalachians. Necessary lies by Diane Chamberlain, though historical of the 1960s, is similar, as is the romance and drama of one summer by David Baldacci.

    On a rare, sober day he begins a casual search through college yearbooks and yellowed courthouse records in hopes of finding the one who got away. Instead, an unrecorded codicil suggests their one union was fruitful and reveals a possible heir to an old-moneyed family used to scams and scammers making claims against the estate. After run-ins with a cabal of bankers, lawyers, in-laws, outlaws, and even the F.A.A. Cape begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together...

     She soon discovers that both her sister and her new husband have tragically perished in a fire which destroyed their home. Alone in the bleak Norfolk brecklands, Deborah is at first forced to accept hospitality from the handsome yet forbidding widower, Sir Randall Gaunt. Yet even when Deborah later stumbles upon the warm companionship of Lord Stannard, the charming young aristocrat wooing her with such passionate urgency, the strange events that follow cause her feelings of uneasiness to grow. And then, before long Deborah becomes inextricably involved in a nightmare of unimaginable evil…

    But while Thomas Wallingham was off fighting Napoleon, she grew up. Now her life is moving along in all the expected directions of a well-bred lady of the ton, but a chance encounter with her first love throws everything into turmoil. From a young age, Thomas Wallingham escapes the crushing apathy of his own parents by spending as much time as possible with his best friend’s family. In order to avoid a messy scandal, he enlists in service of the Crown, disappointing his adopted family by going off to war. When he unexpectedly inherits a title, the new Earl of Harrington returns to London desperately hoping five years of estrangement can be forgiven. All his plans are cast asunder when he rediscovers Francesca. Thomas finds that he can think of little else than the willowy flame haired beauty. After a heated encounter and giddy with romantic feelings, Thomas plans to ask for her hand in marriage but is devastated when a nearly hysterical Francesca tells him she is already engaged to be wed to the Marquess of Dalton in less than two weeks. Loving him more than she ever thought possible, Francesca is terrified of repeating a scandal that nearly destroyed her family. But if she thinks that Thomas is going to go away quietly, she is sadly mistaken. Endeavoring to be in her presence as much as possible, Thomas chips away at her resolve to honor her family and her commitments, and they find it nearly impossible to keep their hands off each other even as her wedding date draws devastatingly nearer.The problem of a fiancé who won’t disappear is compounded by the discouraging fact that Thomas comes to discover the man is not the evil, lecherous brute he’d imagined, rather a great fellow he comes to genuinely like and respect. But just as soon as Thomas can finally see a clear path to all he desires, the wrath of his best friend, Francesca’s brother, crashes down on them. As the date of the wedding draws menacingly closer, it’s only by the machinations of unexpected parties that clear the way for Thomas and Francesca to be together. But even then, it will only work if Thomas can overcome the diminished self-worth beaten into him by his father, and Francesca can accept the actions of a man who loves her - even if he can’t say the words.

    Now Rhona faces a new trial: her mother has agreed to marry her off to Adair Campbell, son of the new Chief--and her sworn enemy.Rhona MacDonald lost everything when she was eight years old. Her father, a laird living at Glencoe who had offered hospitality to members of Clan Campbell. But in the night, Campbell rose up and betrayed their hosts, slaughtering the men in their beds, burning the homes and sending the women and children hills to freeze and starve. Rhona and her mother Una were two of the only survivors, and Rhona has hated the Campbells ever since.But when the company of Campbell men comes to retrieve her and her mother, Rhona is in for a surprise when she meets their mysterious leader, a man who calls himself Declan but when he comes for her, she is in for a tremendous surprise, as his secret, and that of his branch of the Campbell clan, is finally revealed.

    When a kidnapper calling himself "Jack" kidnaps seven-year-old Samantha Ryan, Jessica and her husband join forces with the FBI to get her back safely.While Jack is a ruthless killer who has successfully kidnapped children before, he has never abducted anyone like Samantha, who herself is responsible for several murders.Complications arise from the start, and when an overzealous FBI agent forces Jack's hand, the cold-hearted criminal commits a horrific act that enrages Jessica's husband and sends him on a quest to exact a unique style of vengeance.

    5 books and NO cliffies! Book 1: Pipe Down
 There’s nothing like meeting a really terrific woman on board a luxurious yacht travelling through the Aleutian Islands. Brooke is beautiful, talented, and fun to be around. She’s everything a guy like me could want. At least that would be true if I wasn’t lying to her because I’m currently on an undercover mission for the US Coast Guard. As if that wasn’t bad enough, I’m supposed to just stand by and let those modern day pirates try to raid the yacht. That’s why I’m here. This chartered cruise ship is a potential target, and the passengers are just bait. Too bad I can’t see Brooke as just another passenger. Not anymore.

 Book 2:  Over a Barrel
 There is nothing about the phrase being captured by pirates that sounds normal in this day and age. Unfortunately for me, that’s exactly what’s going on here. Add in a fierce storm, a sinking cruise ship, and we pretty much have the makings of a dramatic made for TV film. It’s true. We even have a drop dead gorgeous lady pirate named Jade who is the sexiest antihero I’ve ever seen. I know she’s not like the rest. She’s already saved my skin too many times for that. But Jade isn’t just an unusual pirate, she’s an unusual woman. And no matter how this whole adventure turns out, hers is the story I want to follow. 

Book 3: Toe the Line 
I thought I had everything under control when I went aboard the Inuit Cruiser to take charge after the storm put the ship on the rocks. But about the time I start handing out the orders and trying to put things to rights, out walks Grace Morgan and all of a sudden I am a bumbling eighteen year old once again. The woman is even more beautiful now than she was on the day we divorced. The sexual tension is so thick it’s practically suffocating, and even my men are starting to notice. But Grace has changed. And the more we try to unravel this whole pirate plot to hold her and her son for ransom, the more I realize I’m going do to anything I can to keep her safe.

 Book 4: Loose Cannon
 I’ve always done my duty for the Coast Guard. That’s why I’m a Chief Petty Officer. But right now I feel like our whole unit is off course and headed nowhere fast. My task? I’m supposed to watch the former head of security for the cruise ship because my commanding officer has put her in jail. The thing is, I just don’t think this is where Liane belongs. And it has nothing to do with how gorgeous she is. Well mostly nothing. People don’t see Liane the way they should. She’s tough as nails and she’s hiding some things that I think will shock us all. But without trust I’ll never learn those secrets until it’s too late.

 Book 5: Hand Over Fist
 Miranda Cray has never done anything to deserve the bad reputation that seems to follow her like lint. The girl lost her father while at sea during a storm. I think everyone is entitled to a little bit of crazy after that happens. But the thing with Miranda is, she’s not the kind of woman to get knocked down without getting right back up again. That’s what I respect about her. When these pirate jerks find some new way to bend the law, Miranda is the first person to come up with a way to get in their faces and make the charges stick. She’s brave. She’s pretty as hell. And I’m almost certain that I’m in love with her. The problem is, I’m not the kind of guy that does long term relationships that that’s what Miranda deserves.

    This is the reality for Sheneya “Shene” Rivers whose life has always been filled with drama and pain. At 14, her life goes from bad to worse when she gets pregnant and sold into marriage. For the next few years she struggles to survive her initiation into womanhood until she escapes. Thinking she has found a moment of peace, she begins to rebuild her life but lurking in the shadows is a force from her past that will stop at nothing to return to a life she had worked so hard to escape or leave her in a grave. Will Shene find the strength to survive for her future or will she succumb to horrors of her past?

    Or End It. Dexter Parker just got out of prison and has $3.3 billion a few weeks later. He most certainly is guilty of something. A double-homicide and theft, for starters. Dexter Parker,35, is a former investment banker and a killer. He gets 106 investors to believe in a new computer invention. After stealing more than 3.3 billion dollars, he exercises his right to an attorney. In fact, he believes he has a right to a lawyer named Janet and another named Dana. Sex with either of them would leave no room for error in the client-attorney relationship. The FBI wants to bring in the mastermind of the investment scam, but their investigation is complicated when the IRS informs them that the main suspect is a victim of identity theft. A stakeout and video recording reveal that Dexter flirts and sleeps with his brother's wife. The Feds see no reason to keep this a secret. When one of the lawyers gets kidnapped by an angry investor, Dexter has to decide whether he should give up all the stolen money—and even his life—for her safe return. She is, after all, pregnant with his only child. First, though, he will have to go to trial for his crimes, and this means facing his brother on the witness stand. Not even a judge can predict what happens next in the courtroom. ˃˃˃ If you like legal thrillers or psychological thrillers that defy your predictions, Right to an Attorney could make you look at other thrillers differently.