So what made him risk it all for the gruelling, year-long SAS Selection course, with a better than ninety per cent chance of failing to win the toughest badge in the British Army at the end of it? Over the months of combat patrols, press-ups, punishing runs and Gas! Gas! Gas!, the ordeals of Long Drag and hostile interrogation, Ballinger learnt that who you think you are and what the Army wants you to be are very different things, and the end product of Selection bears little relation to either. This vivid, often funny account of the varied characters who commit so much to training for the 'misfits regiment' is remarkable both for its unromantic authenticity, and for its objective attempt to find out why. A question, Ballinger discovered, that few, if any, in the SAS could answer.

    The 1650s to the 1730s marked the golden age of piracy, when fearsome pirates like Blackbeard ruled the waves, seeking not only treasure but also large and fast ships to carry it. The Whydah was just such a ship, built to ply the Triangular Trade route, which it did until one of the greediest pirates of all, Black Sam Bellamy, commandeered it. Filling the ship to capacity with treasure, Bellamy hoped to retire with his bounty but in 1717 the ship sank in a storm off Cape Cod. For more than two hundred years, the wreck of the Whydah (and the riches that went down with it) eluded treasure seekers, until the ship was finally found in 1984 by marine archaeologists. The artifacts brought up from the ocean floor are priceless, both in value and in the picture they reveal of life in that much-mythologized era, changing much of what we know about pirates."

    Rather than retire, the sixty-two-year-old former president, U.S. senator, secretary of state, and Harvard professor was elected by his Massachusetts friends and neighbors to the House of Representatives to throw off the "incubus of Jacksonianism." It was the opening chapter in what was arguably the most remarkable post-presidency in American history. In this engaging biography, historian Joseph Wheelan describes Adams's battles against the House Gag Rule that banished abolition petitions; the removal of Eastern Indian tribes; and the annexation of slave-holding Texas, while recounting his efforts to establish the Smithsonian Institution. As a "man of the whole country," Adams was not bound by political party, yet was reelected to the House eight times before collapsing at his "post of duty" on February 21, 1848, and then dying in the House Speaker's office. His funeral evoked the greatest public outpouring since Benjamin Franklin's death.Mr. Adams's Last Crusade will enlighten and delight anyone interested in American history.

    Some fifteen thousand years ago, the majestic river provided Paleolithic humans with the routes by which early man began to explore the continent's interior. Since then, the river has been the site of historical significance, from the arrival of Spanish and French explorers in the 16th century to the Civil War. George Washington fought his first battle near the river, and Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman both came to President Lincoln's attention after their spectacular victories on the lower Mississippi.In the 19th century, home-grown folk heroes such as Daniel Boone and the half-alligator, half-horse, Mike Fink, were creatures of the river. Mark Twain and Herman Melville led their characters down its stream in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Confidence-Man. A conduit of real-life American prowess, the Mississippi is also a river of stories and myth.Schneider traces the history of the Mississippi from its origins in the deep geologic past to the present. Though the busiest waterway on the planet today, the Mississippi remains a paradox—a devastated product of American ingenuity, and a magnificent natural wonder.

    It is a wonderful place to visit and to live in. Packed with fact, anecdote, and insight, A Traveller’s History of Paris offers a complete history of Paris and the people who have shaped its destiny, from its earliest settlement as the Roman village of Lutetia Parisiorum with a few hundred inhabitants, to 20 centuries later when Paris is a city of well over two million—nearly one-fifth of the population of France. This handy paperback is fully indexed and includes a Chronology of Major Events, as well as sections on Notre-Dame and historic churches, Modernism, parks, bridges, cemeteries, museums and galleries, the Metro, and the environs. Illustrated with line drawings and historical maps, this is an invaluable book for all visitors to read and enjoy.

    When her father unexpectedly passes away, the vipers come out in the family. As they try to divide everything up and leave her with nothing, her only chance to keep the farm—and her father's fortune—is to get married.Duke Chappell has always annoyed her, because the man doesn't understand the meaning of the words, "Our schedule is full." He's in charge of all the breeding at the prestigious Chappell Horse Farm, and Lisa doesn't mind the high fees she can charge him. She does mind the relentless way he calls and calls...and calls.But right when she needs him, he's there. And he's willing to say the words she needs to save her farm... "I do."Can Lisa and Duke navigate their new relationship, especially when the sparks start to fly?

    

    Grace wasn't sure who needed more fixing, the house or the man inside.Colton came back to his cowboy roots to heal from tragedy. The small town was the last place the billionaire ever wanted to return to, but the only place he could think of with the solitude to not be bothered. He had lost everything in a single moment and had no intention of finding something new.After Grace's fiancé was found cheating, she threw herself into becoming a successful contractor, if only she could get past the chauvinistic men in the building department. In order to meet their requirements, she would need a large sum of money.Grace was shocked when Colton proposed a fake marriage to help. She was just trying to show the moody man kindness.She's fiercely independent. He's heart broken.Will a transaction between two mere strangers become more?

    One click and read now to join witch Esme on her charming and funny murder mystery adventures.★★★★★ "R.K Dreaming weaves a wonderful tale of friendship, family, romance and mystery. Well written, fun read - looking forward to future releases." - Amazon ReviewerBOOK ONE:Solving crime one ghost at a time.Disaster strikes and witch Esme Westbrim flees in the dead of night to her magical hometown of Brimstone Bay with a terrible secret. The ramshackle old castle left to her by a great-aunt is the perfect hide-out for a desperate witch seeking a charm to get her out of harm's way, right up until a dead body turns up on her doorstep.Things get worse when the ridiculously handsome investigating Special Agent Chris Constantine puts Esme on his suspect’s list. Esme must put her amateur sleuthing skills to the test and prove her innocence before Agent Constantine takes too close a look at her — because Esme has a secret worse than murder.Juggling life and death turns into magical mayhem when a moody psychic cat, a busybody ghost aunt, and Esme’s three wild witch cousins burst in on her life. Will they help her catch the killer, or will they run for cover when they find out what Esme is hiding?BOOK TWO:Solving crime one fairy tale at a time.Witch Esme Westbrim is settling into a new life in Bewitching Brimstone Bay when the murder of a tourist hits too close to home. The second body in a few months has turned up on her doorstep!To make things worse Esme has seen someone she knows all too well lurking around the scene of the crime. Afraid her family will come under suspicion, Esme must attend a magical fairy-tale reunion ball and uncover deadly secrets from the past. Even help from a psychic cat, magically marvellous cupcakes, and a wild witch cousin might not be enough when a certain ridiculously handsome Special Agent keeps getting in Esme's way!Can Esme find happily ever after for everyone or will her belief that fairy tales always end badly come true?BOOK THREE:Solving crime one beast at a time.Life in Bewitching Brimstone Bay has not turned out the way that witch Esme Westbrim hoped, but when girls start going missing across town, including a customer at her café, Esme puts aside her own troubles in order to help. To her dismay, she stumbles across a wicked murder.It turns out the victim is tied to the ridiculously handsome Chris Constantine’s troubled past, and the race is on to solve not just one beastly crime, but three. Worse, Esme’s faith in Chris is shaken when she discovers an alarming secret. With the help of her psychic cat, ghost aunt and wild witch cousin, can Esme untangle the complicated mysteries of Chris’s past and her own heart before time runs out and the vengefully wicked past catches up with all of them?

    Yet, the man she has loved all her life will not warm up to her.Rajeev, a hotshot movie director, has feelings for Ishaani. But, she is his sister's best friend and has been like another sibling to him. Yet, what can he do if he feels compelled to make her his own?Then, Ishaani's life changes overnight. She is no longer a lowly commoner but a princess.She has to make some tough decisions to protect the man she loves.Her choices lead them both down a path filled with shocking revelations and devastating consequences.Will true love prevail?Or will the many twists of fate tear them apart?

    But in the midst of it all can lie trouble, gossip and the blackening of a reputation! Follow the stories of the Lords of London as they delve their way into the heart of society and lose their hearts along the way!' Featured Books in this Collection: The Viscount in Hiding The Reluctant Viscount The Viscount Forgotten A Viscount in Love Other Books in this Collection: A Heat’s Return, Lady of His Dreams, The Heart of a Lady, A Lady’s Melody, The Memories of Duke Authors Note: These are a clean, stand-alone romances with an HEA. If you love clean Regency-era romances you will love The Lords of London Regency Romance Collection

    Sam and Mason were best friends, and it was on a ski trip together in the Sierra Nevada Mountains that the unthinkable happened. A chance encounter with a creep in a bar set events into motion, and when it was over, Sam was gone. In the aftermath, Mason could never shake the feeling that he was responsible. The guilt nearly killed him. Years later Mason has turned his life around, the heartbreak and destructive living rooted in that long-ago night finally behind him. But the past remains, and when Mason’s girlfriend resurrects Sam’s case, it sets them both on a terrifying course of no return. The investigation leads to Bridgeport, California, in the Eastern Sierra. From there, an epic showdown awaits at the infamous ghost town in Bodie. The old mining camp holds many secrets, and as Mason draws closer to a horrible truth, he will need all his cunning and courage to face down Sam’s killer.

    Damaged. Forbidden.Take a wild, toe-curling ride with these eight, full-length novels…Books in this Collection:Fake it for the BillionaireI broke the rules, and now I need to make her an offer she can’t refuse.Billionaire Boss TemptationErik ghosted me after an amazing night, and now he happens to be my new boss.Second Chance BillionaireI screwed up the perfect relationship. I won’t screw it up again. Emery doesn’t know it yet, but she’s mine. She will always be mine.Rebellious SecretsMy life was a mess. Then Brendan arrives and makes it worse.Protector SecretsShe’s a single mom with a past who I need to leave alone. But, fate has other plans.Second Chance SecretsHe was a bad boy then…and he hasn’t changed. This second-chance fling will never last.Forbidden SecretsLiving in the same house as my big brother’s best friend was supposed to be temporary. Now, I’m in big trouble.Revenge SecretsIt was supposed to be a fake relationship to get revenge. Now, it looks like I’m the one getting hurt.***If you love bad boy billionaires who know how to protect and satisfy their women, then you’ll want to get lost in the Love, Lies and Billionaires romance collection.Each book is a full-length novel and promises a happily-ever-after!18+

     But despite the adulation of his peers and the love of his betrothed, Harry ‘Hotspur’ is not content; his heart yearns for Elizabeth Plantagenet, the sister of his childhood friend and the king’s rival, Henry Bolingbroke. As his infatuation threatens to destroy his marriage, he finds himself a pawn in an increasingly bloody struggle for power – and ultimately, the throne. Set against the evocative backdrop of Chaucer’s England and an English coup, A Border Knight is stirring historical tale of love, loyalty and obsession. For fans of Sharon Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick.

    The rental is getting the repairs it needs and the end of the school year is in sight. Time to unwind, go for a jog, encounter a dying woman in the park, get held up in a bar, and become embroiled in a mystery stretching back decades. The usual…After discovering that the dying woman was murdered, Samantha finds herself mixed up in a quest to uncover the truth behind the woman’s best friend, an orphan who disappeared fifty years ago. Maxie and Olivia, Samantha’s best friends, are dealing with problems of their own, and Ben Parker, her FBI agent boyfriend, is back in town and not overly excited that she’s treading into danger again.As Samantha investigates the mystery of the missing orphan, she uncovers long-held secrets that someone in Oak Valley has worked hard to keep hidden. The situation escalates quickly when there is another murder, and now Samantha is in a race to find a killer before someone else gets hurt.