Book picks similar to
Touching Shadows by Gracie O'Neil


romantic-suspense
paranormal-romance
thriller-mystery
bild-group

Tales from a Financial Hot Mess


Frances Cook - 2019
    and how to have more of it.Are you stymied by debt? Clueless about where your paychecks go?Journalist, podcaster and reformed money mess Frances Cook is here for you. Tales from a Financial Hot Mess is the story of Frances getting her money sh*t sorted. With no idea where she was going wrong and what to do about it, she took it upon herself to learn from the best – and soon found out that the fixes were right in front of her the whole time. (She just needed to wise up a bit.)Frances learned the hard way so you don’t have to.Dishing up a brilliant, often hilarious personal narrative, proven financial advice, handy how-tos (and please-don’ts) and many expert insights (from 22 actual experts), this book will guide you along the rocky path to financial freedom – however that might look for you.Tales from a Financial Hot Mess is the real deal – not another bulleted, tabled, graphed lecture from a financial advisor who’s never had issues with money. Read it and enjoy – who knows, you might learn a thing or two.What have you got to lose?

Gangland: New Zealand's Underworld of Organised Crime


Jared Savage - 2021
    Organised crime is about making money. It's a business. But over the past 20 years, the dealers have graduated from motorcycle gangs to Asian crime syndicates and now the most dangerous drug lords in the world - the Mexican cartels.In Gangland, award-winning investigative reporter Jared Savage shines a light into New Zealand's rising underworld of organised crime and violent gangs.The brutal execution of a husband-and-wife; the undercover cop who infiltrated a casino VIP lounge; the midnight fishing trip which led to the country's biggest cocaine bust; the gangster who shot his best friend in a motorcycle shop: these stories go behind the headlines and open the door to an invisible world - a world where millions of dollars are made, life is cheap, and allegiances change like the flick of a switch.

The Paid Companion / Wait Until Midnight / Lie by Moonlight: CD Collection


Amanda Quick - 2007
    Merryn needs a woman. His intentions are purely practical - he simply wants someone sensible and suitably lovely to pose as his betrothed. The easiest solution is to hire a paid companion. However, finding the right candidate proves more of a challenge than he expected - until he encounters Miss Elenora Lodge. But Elenora is unsure what this masquerade might entail. For St. Merryn is clearly hiding a secret or two.Wait Until Midnight:The sins of Adam Hardesty's past have been discovered. And if he does not hunt down his blackmailer quickly, his secrets will be revealed to all... But there is an obstacle in his way: sensation novelist Caroline Fordyce. She knows that Adam's quest for justice could shatter her own reputation - and mire her family in lethal scandal. Together, they will navigate the shadow side of London, guarding not only their secrets but their lives...Lie by Moonlight:Hired to tutor four orphaned girls at remote, ramshackle Aldwick Castle, Miss Concordia Glade is pleased to find her pupils both eager and bright. Provided for by an unseen benefactor, they are surrounded at all times by hard-eyed guards in the guise of gardeners. Concordia sees at once what must be done. During an investigation into a woman’s death, private inquiry agent Ambrose Wells finds himself on the castle grounds - and in the middle of chaos.

The Party Line


Sue Orr - 2015
    They're inching towards that ultimate dream - buying their own land. Fenward's always been lucky with its sharemilkers: grateful, grafting folk who understand what's expected of them. Until now, when grief-stricken Ian Baxter and his precocious daughter, Gabrielle, arrive.Nickie Walker is enchanted by the glamour and worldliness of Gabrielle. Nickie's mother finds herself in the crossfire of a moral battle she dreads to confront. Each has a story to share.This is a coming-of-age story for two young girls who hold a mirror up to the place and people they love. It's a coming-of-age story, too, for a community forced to stare back at the image of a damaged soul.The question is: who will blink first?

Frog Whistle Mine


Des Hunt - 2006
    When they arrive in Charleston, a gold-mining ghost town, he is almost afraid to hope this might finally be the place. But things aren't as they seem, and he finds himself caught up in mysterious events. Suggested level: intermediate, junior secondary.

Alpha Brute (Wolf Kings)


Sara Fields - 2022
    I was never meant to be his mate, but fate had other plans for me.I fought him as he carried me off, but there was no stopping him when he tore off my dress, spanked me and then punished me until I screamed his name into the sheets with his belt still tight around my throat.No amount of begging is going to save me from him. He’s going to mount and rut me like a savage beast and then he will mark me so that the world knows that I belong to him.Soon enough, I’ll know that too.Publisher's Note: Alpha Brute is a stand-alone novel in the Wolf Kings series. It includes spankings, rough, intense sexual scenes, and strong D/s themes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

The Daughter-In-Law


Diana Diamond - 2003
    Or so his formidable family chose to believe...From the wrong side of the tracks, Nicole had come a long way. All she wanted was to forget the disgrace of poverty; to bask in her newfound wealth. But her in-laws had other ideas for the newlywed bride. Too soon, the shameful truth about her past was back to haunt her...Somebody was determined to rid the blue-blooded family of their newest member. Somebody was prying into her secrets, shadowing her every step. Somebody was determined to rob Nicole of the fortune that wasn't her birthright, of the man who claimed to love her-and of her very life itself...

Purgatory


Rosetta Allan - 2014
    No one can hear her, just us boys. We're the dead Finnegans – Ma, Thomas, Ben and me.Ten-year-old John Finnegan can't leave his garden. Ever since they were murdered he, his brothers and his ma have been stuck there, caught between the worlds of the living and the dead. Unseen and unnoticed, he watches the events after his life unfold – including the actions of his murderer.James Stack is born dirt-poor on an Irish tenant farm and the great famine shadows his childhood. But his clever sister's lace making may save the family – until Aileen is sent to the other side of the world on a convict ship. To save her, James joins the redcoats and follows her across dangerous waters to a hopeful new land. But can he ever leave the death and hunger of his homeland behind?Based on the 1865 Otahuhu murders, Purgatory is a startling, gripping novel from an immensely talented new author.

Things That Matter: Stories of Life & Death


David Galler - 2016
    This book will equally deepen the awareness of clinicians and enlighten the lay reader. It is a gift to both.' Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPPIn this highly articulate, down-to-earth, generous book, Dr David Galler tells stories of life and death from his position as Intensive Care specialist at Middlemore Hospital. Written lyrically and warmly, these stories are based on real life events describing the everyday dilemmas and challenges that doctors and patients commonly face.It aims to explain and demystify much of the work doctors do, cast light on the workings of the medical establishment and how medicine operates, in the hope that it will encourage patients to seek to be better informed and play a greater role in the decisions that will affect them and their loved ones.It speaks to the resilience of individuals and families and their extraordinary generosity and dignity under the most extreme pressure. This book is about realistic optimism and is a celebration of life.It is also a very personal story about David Galler's life, his family and about his own slow coming of age as a doctor, from the sadness and helplessness he felt about his father's death to at last feeling that he was of some use to his most important patient, his mother.

Darkling, I Listen


Kathryn Le Veque - 2012
    Their new home, a run-down old rectory, is vandalized the first night in their new country. When Scarlett calls the police to report the crime, a handsome deputy constable appears.Archer Phipps is a well-known figure in North Yorkshire. Tall and handsome, he is immediately taken with the gorgeous American with the dark hair and red lips. A routine police report turns into something warm and curious, and Archer finds himself drawn to the luscious woman. He can also see that she is very guarded. Curiosity turns to concern, and concern to genuine interest. Archer and Scarlett began to fall for each other quickly with a fiery passion borne of lust and magnetic attraction.But something evil is lurking in the mist of the North Yorkshire moors. Ten years ago, when Archer was a new inspector, a series of murders were committed by an individual given the horrific nickname of the Yorkshire Cutter. His crimes were particularly brutal, leaving notes behind at the crime scenes that incorporated poems of great English poets into his twisted taunts. Now, as Archer and Scarlett draw closer, the Yorkshire Cutter rears his ugly head again.Archer finds himself once again embroiled in tracking down a killer that now has his sights set on Scarlett. Through life and death, love and loss, Archer and Scarlett face off against a killer in a tense climax with an unexpected twist. Part thriller, part mystery, and all love story, ‘Darkling, I Listen’ is a true adventure in every sense of the word.

Blue Moon Saloon: Three-Book Collection Volume Two


Anna Lowe - 2017
    Witness a fierce, loving bear/wolf pack emerge as a force to be reckoned with in the desert Southwest. Follow the characters you love and meet new heroes & heroines straight through to the series finale. And save $$$ over the price of three individual titles! Salvation, Book 4, is a deeply emotional tale of loss, love, and discovery. Get your tissues ready! In Deception, Book 5, a tenacious she-wolf thrusts herself into danger, risking it all for her destined mate and the shifter families she loves. Finally, in Celebration, join the whole clan for holiday festivities and tear-jerking happy ends in a series finale guaranteed to satisfy! Behind the doors of the Blue Moon Saloon, alpha shifters confront their darkest fears and deepest desires. These highly acclaimed, emotional tales feature wounded heroes, powerful alphas, kickass heroines, and the spellbinding scenery of the desert Southwest. Everything you need for an unforgettable bear/wolf shifter romance! Are you ready? Take a deep breath, step through the swinging saloon doors, and immerse yourself in the mesmerizing shifter world of the Blue Moon Saloon! *Each story is a stand-alone happily-ever-after romance, but following the series in order will allow you to pick up nuances you might have otherwise missed. NOTE: this is Volume 2. The first three books in this series are available in Blue Moon Saloon, Volume 1 or as individual titles starting with Damnation, Book 1 in the series (ASIN B01C65N3HS). Every story is also available as an individual title.

The Writing Class


Stephanie Johnson - 2013
    'Writers take what we learn of human nature and, fuelled by our longings for other existences and other times, forge new identities that can be as real as she is, sitting with her dog on the weathered step of the old house, stories that move us to tears or laughter.' Merle Carbury, an author in her own right, also teaches Creative Writing. Amid the tension of the final semester of the year, her many and varied students prepare to submit their manuscripts. As Merle mentors their assorted ambitions, observes the romantic entanglements of her colleague, worries about her husband and is intrigued by their mysterious German lodger, she both imparts and embodies how to write a novel. Written by a prize-winning author, who is also an experienced teacher, the overarching intelligence, compassion and wicked humour in this inventive book make it a joy to read.

Protection, Inc., Collection Two


Zoe Chant - 2018
    . . A lion . . . A snow leopard . . . These bodyguard shifters are waiting to protect you.Brave, passionate, and loving, the shifter heroes of Protection, Inc. will do anything to protect their mates. There's no danger they won't face. But can they take the biggest risk of their lives, and open their wounded hearts to love? Combining sizzling romance with laugh-out-loud humour and fascinating mythology, the Protection, Inc. series is a must-read for fans of T. S. Joyce, Terry Bolryder, and Lisa Ladew. With 400+ five star reviews, 35,000+ copies sold, and over 10 million Kindle Unlimited page reads, these spellbinding books have captivated paranormal romance readers worldwide.This collection contains books four, five, and six of the bestselling series, Protection, Inc.Book #4: Warrior WolfA runaway dragon princess who wants to experience life outside of castle walls + an ex-gangster werewolf bodyguard with a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas + uptown parties, downtown nightclubs, and deadly assassins = one action-packed good girl/bad boy romance!She’s a runaway dragon princess. He’s her ex-gangster werewolf bodyguard. That couldn’t possibly go wrong. ---Book #5: Leader LionA tough lion shifter bodyguard hiding a lonely heart + the determined stage manager he'll protect with his life + deadly danger behind the scenes = one sizzling thrill ride of a romance!A tough lion shifter bodyguard hiding a lonely heart and the determined stage manager he'll protect with his life face the biggest challenge of their lives: love. ---Book #6: Soldier Snow LeopardTwo broken shifters. Two hearts in need of healing . . .True mates on the run. Both with secrets they've never revealed. Both sworn never to love. ---Discover the brave and passionate shifters of Protection, Inc. in this collection of thrilling romance novels! If you love paranormal romance with strong women and tough men, you'll want to read this series!This convenient collection of three complete, sizzling hot, standalone, shifter novels, are all romance, with no cheating, absolutely no cliff-hangers, and guaranteed, heartwarming HEA's!

Unspeakable Secrets of the Aro Valley


Danyl McLauchlan - 2013
    A sleepy bohemian neighbourhood.An ancient legend from the ancient past.A brilliant but troubled young writer.A voluptuous healer.A shadowy cult and its sinister leader.A trail of riddles; a hidden artefact.An explicit sex scene, then a struggle for ultimate power.And a final, unspeakable secret.Unspeakable Secrets of the Aro Valley is a dark and hilarious odyssey through Wellington’s underbelly.

Billy Bird


Emma Neale - 2016
    . .] leaving surrealist art installations all over the house— a tiny cow in a teapot in a hat on the doorstep, of course! A stuffed crocodile in a silk camisole perched beside a woollen chick in a beanie on the bread-bin, why not!'Just as they are despairing about being able to conceive another child, Jason comes into their family. He arrives under fraught circumstances, but might just make a perfect sibling for Billy. Jason is a ‘ lovely, poor, sad, unfortunate, ordinary, annoying, delightful nuisance of a ratbag of a hoot of a kid ' and the boys grow close over the ensuing years. But after a terrible accident, Billy turns into a bird. He utterly believes it: and as his behaviour becomes increasingly worrying, Liam and Iris must find a way to stop their family flying apart.When extracts of Billy Bird won the NZSA/Philip and Dianne Beatson Fellowship, the judges said the project was ‘inventive, joyful and beautifully written'. Ripe with playfulness, yet also unforgettably poignant, this novel will unstitch — and then mend — your heart several times over.