Yet Nell is determined to elude the duties and restrictions of matrimony. So when she finds herself pregnant at the age of 17, she refuses to divulge the name of the father and even her childhood friend Martin is kept in the dark.Nell's stepfather Hiram sends Nell to live at the Poor Farm of which he is a governor, to await the day when her baby can be discreetly adopted. Nell is ready to go along with Hiram's plans until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced that the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and the incident prompts her to rethink her decision to abandon her own child to her fate. But the revelations to which her questions lead make her realize that even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby, she may have no safe place to run to.

    An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile. An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands.Melanie Karsak's Chasing the Star Garden takes readers on a thrilling adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-coloured waters of the ancient world. Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and shattered past, reluctantly plunges into a centuries-old mystery in a romantic adventure best described as Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley.It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily’s life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium. Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.

    Are they connected by their past lives? This enthralling tale of love and fate has over 100 five-star reviews on Amazon!Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from 1815, England ... but she doesn't realize it until she meets her soul mate from the past and he triggers her memories to gradually return.When Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's high school, she feels a connection to him, like she knows him. But he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching Drew is more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she get him out of her mind?Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, but fighting fate isn't easy, and she's determined to unravel the mysteries of the past.

    Provocative. Bloody. Blond.Ever since blond detective Ivy Stern got herself kicked off the police force, she’s been slumming it as a private detective, mostly chasing cheating husbands. In some ways, it’s better this way. She’s free to do as she pleases, and there’s no one throwing around phrases like “sex addiction” or “conduct unbecoming an officer.” Ivy never figured her sex life was anyone’s business anyway.When a distraught brother shows up in her office, claiming his sister has been murdered, Ivy’s all over the case. The only thing Ivy’s better at than sex is solving murder cases. And this one is intriguing.There’s no evidence that the victim has been killed, but she’s gone, leaving everything behind from her cell phone to her credit cards. Everything except her bed sheets.And that’s not even mentioning the victim’s cheating ex-boyfriend, her drug habit, and her ties to the Irish mob.

    Together they’re doing a pretty good job of shrugging off the slings and arrows cast their way by the popular crowd when a new boy, Lucas, moves into the house next door. Suddenly Braedyn finds herself falling in love for the first time.But as her sixteenth birthday approaches, Braedyn discovers humankind is at war with the Lilitu, an ancient race of enticing demons that prey on human souls. Her father is a member of the Guard fighting against the Lilitu - and so are the new neighbors, including her crush, Lucas. As her world starts to unravel at the seams, Braedyn learns the right answers aren’t always clear or easy. And as for “good” and “evil” – it all depends on how we choose to act.Inspired by the ancient Mesopotamian myths of Lilith and her offspring, Thrall explores first love, strong friendships, and taking on adult responsibilities against the backdrop of powerful supernatural forces and life-and-death stakes.

    Utterly wonderful!" -- RT Book Reviews "A love story that transcends all boundaries." -- The Medieval Chronicle Legendary warrior Conor of Ulster defies his people to make the exiled Brigid of Morna his queen—until a shattering act of treachery destroys their world. Driven to the ends of the earth, Conor lives a thousand lifetimes in the fading hope that—one day, somehow—he’ll find Brigid once again. Finalist "Best Time Travel" -- RT Book Reviews "One of the Year's Best Reads" -- The Readers’ Voice Finalist, three categories, Affaire de Coeur Reviewers’ Choice Awards

    When he and the crew of the Sea Maggot are cornered by Brynth’s navy, outnumbered and outgunned, O’Connor is forced to prove his bones and carve his place into the annals of outlaw history next to his comrades, the ship’s mythic mage, and their fabled captain. When the cannons have been fired, when the blades have sung their song, when the smoke clears, will a legend rise or will only death linger? A fantasy adventure for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Patrick Rothfuss and Andrzej Sapkowski!

    When the Witch Avenue Coven turns their back on Triss, she realizes she’s caught in a world that is ruled by Lonely Souls. But who is controlling them? Recognizing the herbal lore she grew up learning will do little to fight against the underworld, she is relieved when her best friend from childhood, Logan, returns to help her find answers. When they begin uncovering secrets from her family’s past, she learns her mother might not have been the only target. But as Triss falls deeply for Logan, she discovers her family isn’t the only one with secrets and his may be deadly.

    She casts webs of power, reading the feelings of living beings and telling them what to do. Nobody knows what causes it, least of all her. Her name is Jessica, but most people call her ‘freak’.One fateful day, her ‘web’ connects with a stranger, and stray power causes the plane in which she’s travelling to crash in an alien world. An accident? The more she discovers about the world in which she has landed, the more she doubts it.She is a survivor from an ancient race that once travelled the stars. Her ancestors were powerful and dangerous, and it seems at least two people want her: the man who invades her mind, and the man who’s desperate to help her get back home. But Jessica grew up an Earth girl, and isn’t having any of this. She’ll pander to no one, thank you very much, even if her stubbornness enrages the tyrant race who hold the world in their grip.

    That’s the delicious underpinning of this sprawling, exuberant, generous-spirited cozy mystery with a yummy side of international adventure.It might be sadder except that once Harry dies, his widow, Merle Bennett realizes almost immediately it was no wonder she didn't know anything about him. They’d pretty much been leading separate lives. Still, the will’s a shock. And so is an intriguing surprise—Harry left her a family home in a tiny French village. But who was Harry’s family? Finding out is half the fun.Merle sets out to claim her inheritance, adolescent son in tow, and thus begins a sojourn reminiscent of A Year in Provence, or perhaps Under The Tuscan Sun all mixed up with something by Carolyn Hart, maybe, or M.C. Beaton. Because Malcouziac, Merle’s tiny Dordogne town, is the quintessential village—just perfect for a murder. And a rollicking good time.Once Merle gets there, she finds…well, France! An unexpected romance! Mystery galore! Murder! And not just murder, but the unnerving experience of being a suspect. Once her passport is confiscated, what can she do but stay and restore her ancient battered house? While enjoying the tender attention of the unusually well-educated, handsome and…yes, quite mysterious roofer she’s hired.

    He's sharp, thoughtful, and his particular sorcery gives him a flawless memory. A transfer to the First Precinct seems like the perfect opportunity to showcase his abilities and advance his career. But things work differently in the First Precinct. The murder of a businessman's mistress quickly pulls Adamat into an unexpected world of conspiracy and politics where he's forced to use all his wits to stay one step ahead of unseen enemies and keep his friends—and himself—from the guillotine. Occurs twenty-two years before the events in Promise of Blood.

    Croix, a steamy new paranormal shifter romance series! Dane Ashworth, a sexy, solitary mountain lion shifter, comes from one of the founding shifter families of Catamount, a town deep in the woods of Maine where mountain lion shifters have existed in secret for centuries. The community is in turmoil after the startling death of one of their shifters. In the midst of upheaval in the shifter world, Dane encounters the unassuming, curvy and deliciously sexy Chloe Silver who injures herself hiking along the Appalachian Trail. Chloe set out to hike the famed trail in the aftermath of heartbreak. She’s lived a well-planned life, only to learn that the best laid plans could blow up in her face. She’s looking for a fresh start, but trust doesn’t come easily for her. The mere idea of shifters has never crossed her mind, but Dane calls to her in a way that no man ever has. She finds herself tossed and turned by the depth of her attraction to him. The mountain lion in Dane knows Chloe is meant for him, but he has to find a way to earn her trust and make her believe in him and in what lies between them. Passion burns like wildfire between them while events in Catamount put them both in danger. In a love story filled with passion, steamy romance, adventure, betrayal and secrets, Chloe will have to decide if she can accept Dane for who he is, and if she’s willing to believe in the power of love. *All books in this series end with HEA!

    Destiny becomes reality when paths cross during a failed robbery attempt. Lauren and the stranger experience chemistry like no other and now her doubt over her long time relationship with her high school sweetheart is not her only secret…someone else knows about her keen intuition and sixth sense.A mysterious clairvoyant seeks Lauren out and tells her not only of her life now but what the future may hold. Soon Lauren is in the middle of a murder investigation and a questionable friendship with the key suspect. Law enforcement, friends and family are concerned for Lauren but unfortunately they are unaware of the true danger…Sinister forces are at work and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren’s abilities.

    Working as a student midwife in an Australian country hospital is never easy, but Belinda finds more trouble than most.There's the intern doctor who follows her around like an overgrown puppy, the dangerous local wildlife and her own secrets she must keep. When she finds herself without a place to live, what else can possibly go wrong? Or is it time for something to go right? A tiny taste of what's in store:I touched my fingers to his shoulder to steady myself before reaching for my drink. His face split in a wide grin beneath his ocean-deep eyes. "I think you've had enough. What'll you give me for it?"I shrugged. "What do you want?" His smile shrank, becoming more thoughtful. "You could start with a kiss."I looked into those yearning, deep-water eyes of a man who seemed all fire. It's been a long time, but I think I still remember how. I cautiously placed my hands on the sides of his face and touched my lips to his. His mouth was open, so the draught of his breath cooled my lips for the briefest moment before I pulled away. "F*** that!" He strode to the coffee table and clunked the glasses down. His hands were empty for barely a moment before they were splayed warmly on my back. "Belinda. That's not a kiss."I moved with him as he pulled me closer, one of his hands travelling up to the back of my neck as the other drifted down to the small of my back. I leaned in closer still. He bowed his head as I tilted mine up. I wet my lips and parted them, feeling fear for the first time. Perhaps I have forgotten how to do this. This is a stupid idea. He pressed his mouth to mine, layering our lips as we shared a breath. His smiling blue eyes drooped to show blue-veined lids as his tongue stroked mine. I haven't forgotten. This is new and I'm going to...I'm going to...His shoulders were smooth beneath my questing fingers, his lips warm and responsive as I deepened my kiss. I felt his chuckle rumble through both of us, though I couldn't see him with my eyes closed. He tasted of whiskey with a hint of chocolate and I wanted more..."Now that's a kiss." Ocean's Gift series This book is a stand-alone prequel to the Ocean's Gift series, which currently includes: Ocean's Gift (Book 1) Ocean's Infiltrator (Book 2) Water and Fire

    Criminals run the streets of Bombay. Jam-packed with the worst degenerates. The city is a shell of the pride and joy it used to be. Ruby knows something must be done, but it isn’t until her best friend is kidnapped by the despotic Dr. Braganza that she knows that she and she alone must save city, save her best friend, save the world from total destruction. Armed only with with Vikram, a cop-turned-rogue they are about to embark on a road they may never return from.