He has long since passed away, but his book remains, gathering dust on my shelf when it should have been entertaining good folks like you. So here it is at last: a western with heart written on an old manual typewriter. The story takes place in the badlands of West Texas (where he lived), and is chock-full of all the sprawling drama, heartache, triumph, tragedy, and gun-slinging grit one could desire. The cover of the book is adapted from an oil painting brushed by our father back in 77—one of many. I remember it hanging on the wall when I was a kid. I believe it was his favorite, so thought it only fitting that it be the cover. Now, finally, after all these years, our dad will get the recognition he deserves for both his writing and his painting. I sure hope he can see what's going on down here, 'cause I know it would make him smile. So take a deep breath, and let the troubles of the modern world slip away as you journey back to a simpler time (two simpler times, actually), the old west, and the 1940's....

    More victims follow, each killed under the oddest circumstances, each bearing an identical but unidentified wound, each attack accompanied by the most eerie, musical ticking. When the lead homicide investigator goes missing, Police Sergeant Erin Vanderjagt is forced into the fray and into a personal hell she never imagined.Who or what could be behind the bizarre deaths, and why is Erin's boyfriend suddenly acting crazy? Why has her idyllic world suddenly fallen apart? And – as the murders continue – what can Erin do, where can she go, how can she fight the horror... When the Tik-Tik Sings?

    But that’s not quite how things play out. The sting is sabotaged. Bullets fly. And Maggie has to run.Then an eco-terrorist group headed up by the notorious Comrade Cain kidnaps a corrupt oil minister and the Agency needs to send Maggie back to clean up Washington’s mess. Another milk run? Maybe—if no one has a secret agenda. Events continue to go off-kilter: the suspicious detainment of a field agent at Bogotá International, leaving Maggie on her own; terrorists who seem more interested in the payoff money than the cause; case handlers with shadowy links that can’t be easily explained; and worse. But Agent de la Cruz will deal with it. Any way she can.

    This story is brutal and shockingly unpredictable. In the year 1823, at the height of the British Empire and the colonization of Australia, Pat Roche sits on board a convict ship, sentenced for the term of his natural life to the New Colonies. All hope of ever seeing his wife and child again appeared to be lost. The ship is a fraught with tension under such a strict military guard; with one hundred and fifty criminals confined to a small space, it can only mean trouble. By the time the ship arrives at Van Dieman’s Land, there will be fighting, flogging, rape, murder and mutiny. Pat Roche will find himself involved in it all. Sarah Roche has now been shunned by the local community and is struggling to fend for herself and her little boy. There is a terrible turn of events and she is soon to follow in her husband’s footsteps. So too will a desperate voyage begin for her on board the female convict ship, otherwise known as ‘Floating Brothels’. She arrives in Hobart a broken woman, only regaining her strength after a fleeting moment with her husband. Pat is being taken away to a place of unbearable torment; the notorious Sarah Island settlement, where escape is punishable by death. Many colourful characters weave their way through the pages, creating a plot intertwined with deceit, retribution, murder, tragedy and enduring love, resulting in a heart wrenching climax.For Pat Roche, when there is nothing more worth living for, a chance to escape and find his family is worth dying for.

    A brother obsessed with his looks, a dog that thinks it’s human and a happy though, dull routine. Until that is, her father starts talking nonsense and she makes a shocking discovery about herself. Not to mention the strange events occurring in Frogham – a missing person and a case of dog-napping. And then, on top of everything Louise finds romance in the unlikeliest place....

    As she seeks retribution, a re-invigorated killer strikes again, and Angela discovers that nothing about the night of her parents’ killings is what it seems.

    Even back then, she was a mystery that I wanted to solve. The lead homicide investigator in a rural town, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is deeply unnerved when a high school classmate is found strangled, her body floating in a lake. And not just any classmate, but Rosalind Ryan, whose beauty and inscrutability exerted a magnetic pull on Smithson High School, first during Rosalind's student years and then again when she returned to teach drama. As much as Rosalind's life was a mystery to Gemma when they were students together, her death presents even more of a puzzle. What made Rosalind quit her teaching job in Sydney and return to her hometown? Why did she live in a small, run-down apartment when her father was one of the town's richest men? And despite her many admirers, did anyone in the town truly know her? Rosalind's enigmas frustrate and obsess Gemma, who has her own dangerous secrets--an affair with her colleague and past tragedies that may not stay in the past. Brilliantly rendered, THE DARK LAKE has characters as compelling and mysteries as layered as the best thrillers from Gillian Flynn and Sophie Hannah.

    But the Draconian ship is still a terrible threat: it is the Draconian's final weapon, a device that can trigger the cascading collapse of space/time itself.Mackenzie, in charge of the Million Star fleet, fears what will happen if he attempts to destroy the device. Then, one of the semi-mythical Xin ancients arrives on his ship, suggesting a plan that appears to endanger all of reality. In the final battle with the Draconians, Mackenzie must decide whether to trust the Xin or not. The fate of the universe itself hangs on his actions ...'A beautiful story of trust and hope in dark times ... a masterful, compelling work, with deep themes underlying it that brush against life, eternity, and the meaning of existence.' - Keesa Renee DuPres, Tangent

     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.

    Down-on-his-luck Clay Chandler takes the marshal’s job out of desperation. Clay has barely settled into the job when Vance Hopkins drunkenly guns down a black man. Clay arrests Vance for murder, but Wes Hopkins and his gang run Topaz, and they demand that Vance be released -- or else. Clay has given his word to uphold the law, though, and he’ll do that even if it means losing his life. No one else in Topaz thinks a dead black man is worth taking on the Hopkins gang -- no one but a former slave named Essex Johnson, who was the murdered man’s friend. Ex-Confederate Clay and Essex can’t stand each other, but Clay reluctantly swears Essex in as his deputy. The two of them are aided by a prostitute named Julie, who had her face carved up by the Hopkins gang. Wes Hopkins gives Clay a deadline to release Vance, or the gang is going to come and take him. The question is, will the Hopkins gang kill Clay and Essex, or will they kill each other first?

    While the hunt has twists and turns, the girls never lose sight of their goal...to outwit the local Police Department and form their own sleuthing group...The We're Not Dead Yet Club. Join the fun as this mismatched group of friends and their men cohorts search for clues and almost end up in the hoosegow and the local cemetery.

    Ryan's bestselling Rex Dalton series.SideswipedWhen Rex nearly bumps into someone from his former life, it's time for Rex and Digger to get out of India. Rex goes to Thailand, where he plans to undergo cosmetic surgery to change his looks and hide from people in his past. But then he meets Sunstra. Her name means 'girl with beautiful eyes'. Right from the beginning they become fast friends, and before long there is a romance in the making. But then Sunstra disappears. Her family receives a ransom ultimatum: Sunstra is alive, but if her father doesn't sell his land, she won't stay that way for long. It's a race against the clock for Rex and Digger to save Sunstra's life, and time is running out. The Inca ConRex Dalton and Digger are exploring the remarkable history of Peru when they befriend a retired American couple. The couple invites them to join their expedition to a remote village high up in the Andes Mountains to inspect an archaeological site in which they want to invest. But on arrival in the village, it doesn't take long for Rex to discover that his new friends are victims of a cleverly designed con. This con is run by people who will do anything to make sure Rex and Digger don't interfere.The French GirlRex Dalton and Digger are looking forward to a trouble-free holiday on the idyllic islands of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. Swimming, playing on the beach, fishing, and hikes. Nothing but the laid-back lifestyle for the two of them. Then Digger introduces Rex to a beautiful French girl, not once, but twice. Soon, Rex and the girl become good friends. Then she disappears, and Rex is accused of having something to do with it. Thus, begins a series of dramatic and life-threatening events with international repercussions with Rex, Digger and the French girl in the center of it.

    SECRETS AND LIES Eighteen months after being wrongly accused of her murder, Dan Searle returns to rebuild his life and forget. A MYSTERIOUS PAST But others won't let him forget. He is quickly drawn back into the case and a dark and violent mystery; one that involved another girl years before. OPEN YOUR EYES As the lies begin to unravel, Dan uncovers startling truths about the farm and its past. With dangerous people trying to keep their secrets safe, he must save those he loves - before time runs out…

    On top of that, fans glory in her sweet yet sensual stories that are praised for their "cleaner than usual" language--and old-fashioned values galore.     ...So if you've loved the past writings of 'The 3Ms'--Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Ava Miles--but find that you're clamoring for something fresh, fun and exciting, turn to the books penned by award-winning author Barbara Catlin. Fall in love with the captivating heroes and heroines, with all the endearing characters, of tiny Bitterpill, Texas 78020! THE COWGIRL TAKES HER MAN:  Could she live with Cam . . . but without his love?Struggling to operate her ranch, Terra Lee Bradford realizes the full extent of the Glory B's dire financial straits. Cameron Stoner's neighboring ranch, on the other hand, is thriving. Yet he's overwhelmed with problems trying to tame his three motherless children--not to mention his libido.. . . Concocted as an instant solution to everyone's woes, their marriage of convenience soon turns into a lusty battle of wills. He'll be damned if he'll give her his heart, and she refuses to settle for less!

    Heartbroken and humiliated, she leaps at a chance to make a fresh start away from her native Tullamore. Within a week she has crossed the Irish Sea, and is lodging with other young women in a house off Newcastle city centre, just a short walk from Harrison’s – the rundown knitting and sewing shop where she will work for reserved and troubled spinster, Lucy Harrison. Sarah now finds herself amongst people of different classes, religion and race, and when her Irish nationality is attacked she must discover the skills to survive. Putting the past behind her, she channels her energies into rebuilding the old-fashioned, neglected Harrison’s into a thriving business and her wonderful sewing and design skills soon lead her down a new and exciting path in life. A path without love though, as she is too raw to consider romance again. Or so she thinks …