Renzo, a twelve-year-old laborer in a glassworks, has just a few months to prepare for a test of his abilities, and no one to teach him. If he passes, he will qualify as a skilled glassblower. If he fails, he will be expelled from the glassworks. Becoming a glassblower is his murdered father’s dying wish for him, and the means of supporting his mother and sister. But Renzo desperately needs another pair of hands to help him turn the glass as he practices at night.One night he is disturbed by a bird—a small falcon—that seems to belong to a girl hiding in the glassworks. Soon Renzo learns about her and others like her—the bird people, who can communicate with birds and are condemned as witches. He tries to get her to help him and discovers that she comes with baggage: ten hungry bird-kenning children who desperately need his aid. Caught between devotion to his family and his art and protecting a group of outcast children, Renzo struggles for a solution that will keep everyone safe in this atmospheric adventure.

    The treacherous streets of Medieval London. Only one woman is brave enough to try and bring her home.If you like a compelling read that keeps you turning the pages then you'll love this first instalment in Emily Organ's historic thriller series.After the death of her family, grieving Alice has chosen a quiet life of seclusion in a monastery. But she is hit by a personal tragedy which forces her to confront the dangers of medieval London.When her 14 year old friend, Constance, vanishes, Alice's life is turned upside down. Is Constance's disappearance linked to a dead girl pulled from the Thames? Another girl is on the run - but who is she running from?Alice's desperate search stirs up something sinister and soon her own life is in danger. Powerful forces want to ensure the truth will never be uncovered, can Alice find Constance before her time runs out?Discover this thrilling new series today!Alternative cover edition.

    Of his many ministers and advisors, his favourite is a foreigner - the Venetian Marco Polo, whose understanding of the language and etiquette of the court is exemplary, and whose advice is widely sought. So when a flood of portents, strange visions and ghastly murders occur throughout the kingdom and even across the oceans, Marco's wisdom is called upon. The leaders of a demonic sect have disappeared from the desert to which they were banished, and Kublai Khan believes that they will attempt to release the Plague Lord himself, and open the gates of Hell...

    But when peace becomes tenuous, his commitment to duty leads him to deadly danger...14th century. Lord Alfred is content with his mundane destiny. Too far removed from the throne to ever ascend and more interested in scholarship, he still willingly accepts his kingly grandfather's charge to execute a secret mission. But when his bid to protect the heir leaves him captive to a dangerous man, the young lordling fears he'll see death before his family will pay any ransom.Tormented by visions of never meeting his unborn child, a weary Alfred is forced to march farther and farther from home as his hope of escape grows desperate. So when he senses time running out, the modest noble girds himself to seize one last chance at freedom.Can Alfred slip his bonds and survive a harrowing struggle towards all he holds dear?Second Son is the historically inspired first book in the Second Son Chronicles of Renaissance fiction. If you like bracing adventures, heroes with a love of learning, and intricately detailed settings, then you'll adore Pamela Taylor's complex tale.Buy Second Son to journey toward a mysterious fate today!

    For most, Communism brings new hope; but for Dr. Ni-Fu Cheng, Communism is no better nor worse than any other system, and only modern science will truly enable the Chinese people to compete with the outside world. On the verge of a stupendous scientific discovery, Dr. Cheng never fears for his safety, and he cannot leave China—not yet. But he will not take a chance with his only daughter, Su-Wei: she has to live. As Dr. Cheng sends Su-Wei to live in America, his heart aches. Don’t worry about me, he thinks. I am the rabbit in the moon. No one will hurt me. Not as long as I can find the secret…San Francisco, 1989—Forty years after Mao and his People’s Liberation Army set out to change China forever, Dr. Lili Quan begins a journey that will change her life forever. In her 27 years, Lili had rarely thought of herself as anything other than an American. But to honor her mother’s dying wish that Lili “return home,” Lili reluctantly sets out for China.On this extraordinary trip filled with remarkable discoveries, Lili finds her grandfather, Dr. Ni-Fu Cheng, a man she believed had died years ago. But Dr. Cheng had made the most remarkable discovery of all—he discovered the secret to long life.Dr. Cheng shares his knowledge with Lili, unknowingly putting her in danger. As greedy and unscrupulous men vie for control of the most earth-shattering discovery of the century, Lili will become a pawn in a deadly international game.From California, to Hong Kong, to Macao, to Seoul, to mainland China, the race is on for the ultimate prize—the rabbit in the moon.

    Enjoy either as a short read on its own, or as an introduction to the Mystery Trials Series. A gripping Historical Adventure set in 16th Century Tudor England. Elizabeth Tudor needs a hero. Murder, Mystery & Intrigue with a Splash of Romance. Based on actual historical events, an epic tale of a young Tudor nobleman’s courage as he tries to keep his future Queen safe in one of England’s most turbulent eras. If you enjoy Tudor Fiction by Phillipa Gregory and Alison Weir then 'A Queens Spy' is perfect for you. A fascinating insight into Tudor England and the life of Elizabeth I before she sets foot on the steps to the throne. The story unfolds in 16th Century Tudor England Richard Fitzwarren is a Tudor nobleman with a dubious past who takes risks for a living. His close friendship with Princess Elizabeth leads to his banishment to France, but when he returns he remains loyal to her. At his side is Jack, his bastard sibling, and their relationship is a troubled one due to a family secret and their opposite personalities. Will he keep the future Queen safe?

     *Named a 2015 Best ReadsA Song for Bellafortuna is an inspirational Italian Historical Fiction novel concerning a young man’s desire to free his Sicilian village from the domination of one family’s long reign. For years, the beautiful, yet secluded, hilltop village of Bellafortuna, Sicily, was a great producer of wine and olive oil. The entire village prospered. However, after the arrival of the Vasaio family, production dwindles and the villagers soon find themselves in crushing debt to the Vasaios. Only one family in the village remains outside the control of the Vasaios, but the reason haunts Antonio Sanguinetti every day of his life. Antonio is determined to erase this legacy by offering financial and emotional support to his fellow villagers. He introduces them to the choral song from Verdi’s opera, Nabucco, which becomes the rallying cry for the villagers and offers them hope for a better life. When Antonio’s only son, Giuseppe, discovers his family’s past, he becomes determined to take on the Vasaios and remove them from power. Led by the young Giuseppe, a plan is hatched that could result in either complete freedom for the villagers, or if it fails, forever solidifying the Vasaios’ control. Find out what happens in A Song for Bellafortuna, a sweeping epic historical fiction tale of love, drama, sacrifice, and redemption, set among the beautiful landscape of Sicily. The novel has been called lyrical, intelligent, majestic, magical, powerful and compelling. Here are some advance reviews. "Vincent B. LoCoco writes a heartwarming piece of historical fiction . . . He captured the essence of the Sicilian culture, especially regarding the value of ancestry and music . . . A Song For Bellafortuna is a beautiful tale of antiquity." – Readers Favorite 5 Star Review "The book was a joy to read. It is a wonderful story, told in a magical way.” -Cavaliere Ufficiale Aldo Mancusi, President of the Enrico Caruso Museum of America in New York "An inspiring story of an Italian village threatened by commerce and saved by opera." -John Biguenet, author of The Torturer’s Apprentice and Oyster Categories: Historical Fiction Italian Historical Fiction Historical Romance European Historical Fiction Christian Historical Fiction Christian Historical Fiction Romance Opera Music Historical Fiction Biographical

    The novel opens on a train en route to Verona. A young American woman is on an Italian tour with her famous musician husband. In a moment of fury and despair at their lifeless marriage, she drags down a piece of her luggage and gets off the train in the countryside. Marooned and on her own for the first time in eight years, she returns to Venice, gets a room at the Hotel Gritti Palace, sets out to explore the city, and chances on a group of boys tormenting a small dog, which she rescues and smuggles into the hotel.The following day she is accosted by a man who claims that the dog belongs to his employer. Reluctantly she follows him to a Gothic palazzo and to the dog’s owner, an elderly contessa. The young woman becomes faint. The contessa insists that she stay the night . . .What started off as an impulsive act of defiance opens out into an adventure—and a mystery—that summons up centuries of the Venetian past, the discovery of a lost masterpiece, and the heroine’s reclamation of herself.

    Once there, she is confused when she experiences sensations of déjà vu as she and her younger brother explore the medieval village and abbey. She is even more disturbed when she is confronted by two unusual young men, one who insists she has a sacred mission, and the other who will stop at nothing, even murder, to prevent her from fulfilling her destiny. When the oddly-dressed but alluring Nicolas slips Katelyn a strange medallion, she is whisked back through time where her Watchmen hosts tell her she is the only hope to save Mont Saint Michel. Even worse, she learns that those trying to destroy the mount are led by a fallen angel intent on learning the mount's closely-guarded secret. Katelyn is torn by feelings of anger at being taken back in time, inadequacy at finding a modern solution for a medieval problem, and responsibility for the mount’s starving inhabitants. She is also perturbed by her surprising attraction to the ill-tempered Nicolas. Will she stay to learn why she was chosen by the Archangel Michael and find a way to save his mount?

    Yet Gavin often dreams of what could have been—if only a consuming disease didn’t restrict his aspirations. Instead, fear caused him to pursue what others deemed appropriate, and he committed an unforgivable mistake. But after receiving a letter from his deceased father, Gavin needs to escape.Young Horemheb from ancient Egypt also desires to alter fate. He inspires Gavin through a lost tale that spans eons and cultures, weaving their lives together. Frightening enemies, magic, unexpected friendship, betrayal, love, and death emerge at every turn.But if either of them are to survive, they must choose between life, love, and the revealing of secrets from the ages.

    She finds, in her deceased grandmother's desk, a secret compartment with a red diamond, the world's rarest gem, along with a batch of her great grandfather, Andrew Irvine's, 1924 Mount Everest expedition letters, which tell of a homicidal Sherpa, a murdered Buddhist monk, and the existence of a missing twin to her red diamond. Intrigued, she travels to Nepal and, guided by ex-Gurkha soldier Dorje, attempts to solve the mystery. But, when multiple attempts are made on her life, she realizes that some secrets should remain forever buried...REVIEW"The quality of the prose is strong throughout, with the depiction of the frozen wasteland of the Mimalayas being particularly effective."-- Kirkus ReviewsAWARD2nd Place in Romance Writers of America Kiss of Death's Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense

    With no preparation, she goes from poverty and isolation to great wealth and a prestigious position in society. Only by identifying her brother's killer can she feel safe, yet her efforts take her in quite the opposite direction. After her own actions and the scheming of others lead to catastrophe, Theodosia struggles to survive and recover what matters most in her life.

    A trove of letters belonging to the Medici family is discovered underground. Archaeologist Kat Cullen comes across a map that leads her to the Swiss Alps where she is later found unconscious and her partner murdered. Kat’s husband, professor and classicist—Jack Cullen, rushes to investigate. He joins with Chester Allen, a brilliant scientist from surveillance enterprise TerraTEK Industries, and together they begin to unravel the mystery of the Medici letters in hopes of determining what happened in the Alps. As they dig deeper, Jack stumbles across a secret—the infamous Medici treasure is real. However, word gets out and Jack soon realizes he’s not the only one interested in finding it…a deadly and elusive assassin attempts to seize control, throwing Jack into a series of harrowing escapades—riding horseback through the streets of Siena, discovering clues inside ancient cathedrals, deciphering 500 year-old cryptosystems and navigating an underground labyrinth in order to solve a secret so powerful it could change the world forever.This fast-paced adventure blends together a modern-day treasure hunt with historic accounts of Lorenzo de’Medici in Renaissance Florence in an international thriller with plenty of dark twists and exciting turns.

    They were secretly created during the final hours of the reign of Richard III. Their sole purpose to hunt down and eliminate the descendents of his murderer.By any means necessary.Over five hundred years later the long reign of King James III of England comes to an unexpected end. Less than a week later, the bodies of two Cabinet ministers are discovered in a burning car. Though the deaths of all three are initially assumed to be unconnected, a chance arrest in London yields a bizarre confession. And a sinister warning...Thomas Winchester has been waging war on the enemies of his family ever since graduating from Sandhurst. Youngest nephew of the king, he is celebrated as one of MI5's finest agents - the only man capable of taking on the Royal Family's biggest crisis in recent memory.Meanwhile, a quiet village in the North York Moors mourns a tragic loss. A young girl has vanished, allegedly the victim of a deranged boy who later committed suicide. A year on, television researcher Jennifer Farrelly is sent to follow up the story. The body was never found, and the girl's parents have not given up hope of finding her alive.A locked door in the medieval vaults of a remote Yorkshire church hides something strange: something with the potential to expose a previously untold chapter of England's darkest history. As Farrelly's search for the truth causes her to unwittingly cross paths with that of the royals, she and Winchester have no choice but to form a unique alliance to uncover a secret many have died to protect - a secret that still threatens the very foundation of the monarchy...

     1497, Renaissance Rome: As the teenage daughter of Pope Alexander VI, Lucrezia Borgia is a young noblewoman immersed in all the glamor of the Vatican Palace. Yet after a brutal killing shocks the city, Lucrezia learns that a dark truth lies beneath the surface of the Papal Court: in their ruthless quest for power, her father and brother are willing to poison their enemies. Her family are murderers. After discovering that her new husband is next to die, Lucrezia struggles to help him escape from Rome before the assassins strike. Against a barrage of political intrigues, papal spies, and diabolical tricks, Lucrezia uses all her wits to defy her family and save her husband from assassination. But as tragedy looms ever closer, and her plans gradually fail, she finds herself confronting an enemy far more sinister than she ever imagined… INCLUDED INSIDE: - An exclusive excerpt of M. G. Scarsbrook's novel THE MARLOWE CONSPIRACY, an historical thriller set in Elizabethan England, featuring Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare teaming-up to expose a high-level government conspiracy!