. . Eight-year-old, Vern Harpole, wakes up on the front porch of a bakery he's never seen before. The frightened boy is discovered by the kind baker who returns him to the hotel where he'd been staying with his mother and young sister, only to learn they've left and have no intention of returning. With no trace of where they’ve gone or by what means they’re traveling, a search is impossible. Even the authorities have little help to offer. Being childless, the baker and his wife decide to give Vern a home. Initially, they see him as a means of cheap labor. But over time, a bond of love grows between them, and they find joy as a family. Yet Vern can't dismiss the hurtful feelings of abandonment, as well as many unanswered questions about his mother. Margaret Jordan has recently immigrated from Ireland to America. Like Vern, she's troubled by painful reminders of traumatic experiences that have irrevocably altered her life. She settles in Kansas City, where she finds employment at a local restaurant. When she and Vern cross paths, he immediately recognizes her pain and wants to help her, but it will take more than kindness to break through the protective walls she's built around herself. Determination pushes him to be persistent, needing to believe that love can be something more than forsaken.

    Friends and neighbours have died, been evicted or given up what little land they have in search of alms. Michael Flynn is one of the lucky ones. His landlord has offered support. Michael and his family have done all they can to help their immediate household, but as the famine and its aftermath continue, have their efforts been enough? With the weakening brought about by hunger, there are some things he is powerless to protect his family from. Is it time for the great Michael Flynn to take his family in search of a better life? Download now to find out

    Millie tries to help, but Jeremy grows more distant and befriends a homeless, wounded ex-soldier, Monty, who has secrets...As Millie’s distrust of Monty grows, a rift is created between her and Jeremy and when he leaves to receive hospital treatment, she is left feeling abandoned. When her family is dealt a terrible loss, it is Millie who must be the strongest. However, just when she feels things couldn’t become worse, she suffers her own heartbreaking tragedy.Grieving and alone, Millie wonders if her marriage can ever be mended, but she can’t give up without a fight.Will a new home for her and Jeremy in a foreign country be the answer, or will the events of the past destroy everything she wished for?

    

     Carianne Barlow never expected to leave her Philadelphia townhouse and travel to the wild-west, but when she inherits a fortune, conditions are attached. She must carry out her grandmother’s vision of a western culture center anchored by a library to rival those of the east. Such an undertaking requires political support, and no one is more influential than Rhyan Cason, a handsome rancher with the reputation of hardened businessman and rabble rousing lobbyist with a preference for the ladies. Carianne gets on the westbound train with no thought of the treacherous world awaiting her in the little prairie town near Rhyan’s sprawling ranch. When Rhyan asks her to catalog his library, Carianne jumps at the chance without considering the ramifications. She rejects any romantic notions. Rhyan is known to be a heart-breaker, and he is an atheist, which doesn’t set well with her Christian beliefs. But they are thrown together when events take a dangerous turn, and menacing undercurrents run through the town. Then Carianne learns too late Rhyan is pursued by a sinister enemy determined to destroy everything he cares for, including her. As they get closer to exposing the adversary, they realize he—or she—wants them both dead.

    When war is declared Carrie knows all their lives will change. She and her best friend, Pearl who is also a maid at the same house promise each other they will always be best friends no matter what happens. Pearl is promised to her sweetheart, William when he returns from fighting at the front, and asks Carrie to be her bridesmaid. Carrie agrees, but wishes with all her heart she could tell Pearl about the baby she carries. When Carrie's parents discover she is pregnant, Florrie, Carrie's mother, takes matters into her own hands and arranges a marriage for Carrie that will see her leave her beloved father, Arthur and brother, Tom, and "sold" to a man she has never met whose regiment is bound for India. Carrie is terrified she will never see her family again and has never felt more alone. Will she ever find someone to give her the love she looks for? And will she and her baby ever return to the place she calls home? From the author of THE GIRL WITH THE RED SCARF and the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller Shortlisted Novel, THE OTHER BOY

    He needs to banish his distrust of women. War widow Salina Meier Moffett Dunham doesn’t trust men. Shamefully treated by her father and husband, she is on the run with her children to escape a forced marriage or worse—death. In Ainsley, Kansas, she shortens her name to Lena Meier to hide from the man pursuing her. She finds a position as a clerk in the mercantile with the grouchy storekeeper. But there is something within that grumpy man that her heart hears and draws her. She isn’t sure what that thing is until she discovers a book in the storeroom of the mercantile. Returning from the war, Angus MacPherson takes back the running of his mercantile and keeps his distance from the young women in Ainsley. After a run-in with Lena Meier—literally, his buggy ran into her cart, leaving him injured, he agrees to let her work in his store. After all, his MacPherson family creed is to help and protect all widows and orphans. But this woman, this stranger in town, irritates and interests him as no woman has since Amelia, the woman who betrayed him to marry his rich cousin. Matters get worse when his former fiancé, who is now a wealthy widow, returns to Ainsley and wants Angus as her new husband. Can love weave its way through the heart by things unspoken?

    Untold treasure. Can she uncover the secret of her inheritance before dark forces claim another victim? Graysie Castellanos is ready to take her final bow. When the traveling singer inherits a rundown mine, she thinks it’s her golden opportunity to provide her adopted daughter with a happy childhood and a prosperous future. But their bright new beginning crumbles underfoot when the townsfolk of the Sierra Nevada mining town start dropping dead of mysterious causes. If Nathan Russell had listened to his gut, he’d have cleared out of Grass Valley before the first corpse turned cold. But the Aussie-born adventurer refuses to abandon the gorgeous singer and her young child to their doom. And when his old rival arrives in town looking to stir up trouble, he only gets pulled deeper into the mystery of the dark forces taking control. With no choice but to press forward, Graysie and Nathan must solve the riddle of the deaths before the shadowy culprit adds their names to the tombstone. Poisoned Legacy is the first book in the absorbing Of Gold & Blood historical mystery series set on the California frontier. If you like accurate details, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and a glimmer of romance, then you’ll love Jenny Wheeler’s sparkling saga.

    One broken hero. With danger looming, will they uncover more than they bargained for?A determined Duchess...Lady Anna Trevallyn, Duchess Wrexford, does not possess the typical qualities of the Boston elite. Confident and strong, she refuses to accept her place as a second-class citizen in a man's world--especially when her best friend, Libby, unexpectedly disappears without a trace. Unwilling to leave it to the men to uncover, she's determined to get answers.A damaged Prince...His Royal Highness, Prince Penforth Armstrong-Leeds, will do anything to locate his sister, Libby. Sharing resources, knowledge, and time with the beautiful and intelligent Lady Anna is an added advantage. Pen has secretly admired Anna from afar for years, but his war wound forces him to remain at bay.An unlikely pair...As Pen and Anna delve for answers beneath high society's gilded exterior, their feelings for one another intensify. Now, they must navigate their strong feelings while locating Libby before her reputation is permanently destroyed. With time running out, will they uncover the truth before lives are lost and hearts broken?This is the first in a Victorian Romance series featuring strong and feisty heroines at the forefront of the new age in 1890s America.Read each story as a stand-alone, or read the series in order.If you enjoy Gothic Victorian historical romantic suspense stories, such as those made popular by Victoria Holt, Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, Christi Caldwell or Dorothy Eden, you'll love this series by historical romance author, Ava Rose.The Boston Heiresses series:1 - Not Quite a Duchess2 - Not Quite a Baroness3 - Not Quite a Lady4 - Not Quite a Princess

     Compared to an arranged marriage to the odious Bernard Regent, a prairie schooner on the Oregon Trail doesn't seem like such a bad trade to Amethyst Kent. When desperate Martha Davis reveals her need for a mother's helper on the trail, Ami decides to up and leave the pampered life she's always known for a land of freedom. But trail life is hardly a tea party, and Ami must draw from the deepest wells of her faith to survive. With the sunset always before her, and Shiloh Talon, a handsome trail scout, guiding the way, she might just make it through.

    The nuns called her Louise. Never adopted, at the age of 13, she was sent out west on an Orphan Train where she was placed out as a housekeeper and farm laborer. Unwanted and unloved she fought to survive in a lonely, abusive environment and an uncertain future. Only the hope of escaping from her prison-like existence kept her alive. Follow her adventures as she escaped from the farm and struggled to find her way in a world she knew nothing about. A short marriage left her alone with her little girl, Jennie. In Desperation she moved from life in a small farm community to the glittering life of Las Vegas. This move opened the door to their future. Thrown together by chance, Jennie met a troubled young girl name Carla who became part of their family. Their life long friendship led them into a world of intrigue, murder, heartache and survival. Through tears, laughter and love, Louise gave them all the hope and motivation they needed to become strong, powerful women. This is their story.

    For Tansy, however, the choice was never hers. On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Tansy is caught in a sizzling kiss with Christophe Desmarais. The next night, Tansy’s mother introduces her to the life she has been raised for: as a beautiful quadroon in Old New Orleans, Tansy is meant to be a rich white man’s mistress. She is as she should be, biddable, loyal and submissive. But is this all there is? As Tansy matures, she wearies of telling herself that her narrow life is enough, yet she is terrified to leave behind security and plenty to become a self-reliant, independent woman.Christophe Desmarais was, like Tansy, born to a mixed-race mother and a rich white father, but as a shrewd card-player, a talented violinist, and a respected teacher, he creates his own life. The attraction between him and Tansy has never abated, only been pushed down and unacknowledged. When he sees Tansy discovering there is more to her than being pretty and pleasing, he allows himself to hope that she will become her own woman. Maybe then the two of them will have a chance at a life together.Multiple award-winning author Gretchen Craig returns with an unconventional novel about loyalty, independence, and love.

    Her horse is about played out, leaving her afoot in the frozen wilderness.And she’s soon to have a baby.To get the woman and her unborn child to safety, Nick must sacrifice any thought of saving his own neck.*** Outdoors it might be snowy but inside this novella is a warm-hearted Christmas tale of justice, the gift of a new life, and the miracle of Christmas on the Western Frontier. No profanity or swearing. This novella is short enough to be read in a break between buying Christmas gifts and wrapping them.

    However, deep inside, she is suppressing a yearning for adventure and excitement. Unbeknownst to her, her life is about to change, when a long-lost uncle, left her with a dubious fortune in the West. There is only one condition; in order to inherit the ranch, she must move and live there for six months. Alone... When Caroline accepts the challenge, she could never imagine what life in the ranch will compel her to deal with...Jack Charley is a man's man. Trying to get over a painful past, he has been working on a ranch in Bonita Canyon for the past few years. When he finds his way to Caroline's door, he is enchanted by her and he sets a new life mission; to keep her safe. Being a lone-wolf himself, he avoids giving much explanation to her and makes a proposal that could help them both. Will he find a way to conquer his own demons and give himself a second chance to love? Will he eventually give in to the chemistry that has been built between them all this time? Tangled up in a situation she would never expect, Caroline must make life-critical decisions. Will she find love in the eyes of her unsolicited guard? Or will the hurdles that came along with her inheritance tear them apart before they had even begun to live?"The Courageous Guardian of Her Heart" is a historical western romance novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after. If you are in for plot twists and unexpected love being revealed, grab your copy now!

    For 800 years the Zadokite priesthood has led the Jewish People. But the ancient world is changing. Without, Rome is rising, becoming the super power of the world. Within, a power struggle inside the House of Zadok is a golden opportunity for interlopers, who seek to unseat them from the throne. The delicate balance which has allowed the Jewish Nation to survive in this age of Empires is threatened.On the background of these tumultuous times, Judah, scion of a minor priestly lineage, comes of age in Judea. While experiencing love, friendship, and conflict he slowly transforms into the warrior and leader his people are waiting for.Fascinating Historical Novel about Judah the Maccabee, who led the ancient Israelis to a brave rebellion against the Seleucid Empire. A gripping glimpse into the heart of the dramatic events that took place in the Land of Israel before and during the Maccabee Rebellion.