She was lonely and unsettled - her parents had been killed in a car accident, her boyfriend had decided to go back to his wife, and as a painter she led a solitary life in her North Yorkshire home town. But she felt immediately at home in the gracious stone house that had been bequeathed to her, and was made welcome by the local residents - in particular, by the members of the Mindon Amateur Dramatic Society (somewhat appropriately known as MADS) presided over by the formidable Ursula. Ursula liked to run things her way, and brooked no opposition when the ambitious decision was made (largely by herself) to put on A Midsummer Night's Dream as their next production. Petra , to her surprise and pleasure, was put in charge of the wardrobe. Rivalries, squabbles, love affairs and seething resentments threatened to scupper the production, and all Ursula's managerial skills were needed to prevent disaster. But Petra had more pressing things on her mind than the costumes for the cast. A mystery from her past began to haunt her - and the answer to that mystery might solve the puzzle of why she had been left such a beautiful house by a total stranger.

    Though the rest of her adoptive family scorned her as an outsider, Gram and her grandson Ian always loved Laina like she was one of their own. Now Laina is all grown up and a foster parent in her own right, to a little girl named Jada whose upcoming adoption by strangers is sure to break Laina’s heart. But Laina faces the prospect of another devastating loss when Gram’s health begins to fail. As she has so many times before, Laina turns to Ian for advice, only to find that her feelings for her handsome, warm-hearted friend have changed, deepening into a love that could transform her life...or ruin her dearest friendship.When Laina and Ian come together at the family summer home on the windswept shores of Hatteras Island, the sparks igniting between them cannot be ignored. But with stakes as high as these, can they overcome their fear of heartbreak to claim the promise of love?

    So when her sister begs her to take her place as a Rihanna impersonator at a club in Amsterdam, no alarm bells go off … until she finds herself onstage in the city’s famous red-light district with only a pole for support and her knickers in a knot.Thrown into strip-club life, and forced to share an apartment with an exotic troupe of impersonating divas with Lady Gaga-sized egos, Grace has to learn some hard lessons fast. One: living with Marilyn Monroe and Madonna isn’t easy. And two: transformations don’t happen overnight – especially when your bra is determined to sabotage your dance routine.Hilarious and smart with heart, Dutch Courage is Paige Nick’s new comedy about what’s left once your clothes come off.

    She’s never been shy about her feelings for him, and she’s always felt like he was the man she would spend the rest of her life with. But when things got rough, Jordan did the one thing she never expected. The man she thought had her back through anything, simply walked away from her like she meant nothing. Jordan knows his decision to break things off with Imauni hurt her deeply, but he had his reasons—reasons that she struggles to understand. Still, it’s a decision that he’s determined to stand by. But, even after choosing to walk away, Jordan refuses to let go of her completely. Knowing all of Imauni’s weaknesses, he uses them to his advantage. But when the tables turn, he finds himself regretting his past decisions. What happens when Jordan is forced to face the consequences of his actions? Will he come to his senses and fight for the woman he truly loves? Or will he fold, and convince himself that it’s not even worth the risk?

    Three children. One senile grandad. Six weeks. How bad could it possibly be? For teacher, Ben Robinson, the school summer holidays mean one thing - spending six weeks with his kids. This year, however, he also has his father and one very angry wife to contend with. The name of the game is simple: survive. Ben embarks on a summer of self-discovery that includes, amongst other things, becoming besotted by a beautiful Australian backpacker, an accidental Brexit march and a road rage attack. There's also the matter of saving his marriage, which is proving harder than he imagined, mainly due to an unfortunate pyramid scheme and one quite large bottom. But when Ben learns his father has a secret, it takes the whole family on a trip to Scotland that will make or break their summer - and perhaps Ben's life. From Jon Rance, bestselling author of Dan And Nat Got Married and About Us, comes a comedy about one man, one family, trying to survive the hardest six weeks of the year together. **Featuring an exclusive extract from the Christmas special, The Family Christmas Survival Guide, out later this year!**

    After three engagement rings and no wedding on the horizon Amina has packed her bags. While relocating to a new state to start over Amina forges an unlikely friendship with two women who end up being just the friends she so desperately needs. Amina will soon find ending her long term relationship isn't going to be as easy as she'd once thought when deception is involved and women she thought were friends have been waiting in the wings to be her mans ten year girlfriend.

    But dreaming is as close as she has ever come to the happiness she longs for. Devastated by childlessness and divorce, she is isolated and deeply depressed. Then a package arrives on that fateful birthday. Inside is a picture straight out of her dream, a package of... tea? And a letter signed with her name: Emma Rae Wright. Add to that a phone call from a lawyer in California, and Emma is catapulted into a journey across country and across decades. How does a confirmed recluse juggle attractive men, priceless Russian jewels, ageless relatives, angry fathers, and tea that has rather... curious properties? From her grungy Michigan apartment to sun-dappled redwood forests, from a dead-end job to a partnership in an exotic and unusual company, Emma's life gets tangled beyond recognition. Desperate to make sense of ever more baffling circumstances, Emma is forced to face her own inner demons as well as the extraordinary legacy left behind by a woman who disappeared without a trace over ninety years ago.

    Revenge, justice, loyalty, lies, love, anger and an identity crisis. Turns out, the new chauffeur is not her only driver...so buckle up and enjoy the ride.

    A high-flying criminal defense attorney, she's smart, independent, and living in the fastest lane of all - New York City. The more she drives herself in her career, the more she can forget her tragic past... until a manila envelope arrives one day with strange and unexpected news.Alyssa is forced to leave the city behind for a small seaside town called Clearwater Bay, where she'll find a deepening well of mystery. And a handyman whose gentle eyes seem to be calling her home...In the first instalment of “The Beach House” series, Alyssa has to keep reminding herself that she doesn't need anyone. Not a mysterious late relative, not her peppy assistant, and definitely not alluring Liam Carter...

    For appearances, his white son-in-law, Josh, plays the part of Master of the plantation when strangers are about. Together they make a success of the plantation. Their main goal is to use the money they make to buy slaves, but not just any slaves – they’re buying family members. The plan is, when they gather the entire family, they’ll exodus north to freedom. Problem is, just as they leave, other landowners catch on and hunt them, so they could take possession of the Plantation and its slaves.

     In stories deeply rooted in 1940s Appalachia, June chronicles the years between meeting the irrepressible PeeDee and losing her. She struggles to understand her mother's indifference, her father's divided love, her grandmother's sudden death, her grandfather's being institutionalized. Three years later, PeeDee, riding the rails west, brings a final gift and the truth about Cade's murder. In this world forever gone, June survives and triumphs through the grace of family and friendship. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Celia H. Miles, a native of Jackson County in western North Carolina, now lives in Asheville. She attended Brevard College and Berea College and has graduate degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). She taught at Brevard College and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. A long-time instructor of English, she now spends her time writing, photographing old mills and stone circles, and traveling. She has co-authored a college textbook, has published romance novels, historical and contemporary novels, along with stories and poems in various markets, and co-edited three women’s writing anthologies. Some of this material has been published in modified form in the following: “The Big Sycamore” in Cricket (October 2000) “Selling the Grit” in Yesterday’s Magazette (July-October 1998) “Backsliding” in Victoria Press (2000) “Going to the Dentist” in Victoria Press (1999)

    His two older brothers never left and are at the top of their respective games—politics and the Irish Mafia. At the wedding, family fireworks go off in spectacular fashion and end with an incident that sends the whole city of Boston into turmoil. An intense seven-day drama creates the ultimate test for the three brothers: how to be loyal to family, to friends and to a place called home.

     When artist Violet Brooke leaves her engagement ring on top of a Chinese wedding cabinet and runs away from the trendy apartment in London’s Brick Lane, there’s only one place to go – Sunrise Cottage. All she wants is to cosy up in her rural retreat, concentrate on her painting, and forget about Jayden Fox, bad boy of the East End art scene – he’s certainly forgotten about her. The last thing she needs is romance. Then handsome antique dealer Max Finch shows up in the middle of a field and the problem is, he’s impossible to resist. For Max, meeting Violet – and falling in love with her at first sight – is a turning point. His ex-wife, Sarah, has bipolar, and Max still feels partly responsible for her well-being. But Sarah has others to care for her now, and Max knows that if he is to win Violet’s trust, he must put her first. Max is not the only complication in Violet’s rural idyll. Before long, she’s shocked to discover that somebody wants her gone from the village, and they’re making sure she knows about it. But who? And why? Is this Violet’s cue to head back to London and pick up her real life? Or is Sunrise Cottage – and Max Finch – as real as it gets?

    . . and how long would you live? When a disgraced former top Wall Street strategist starts to suspect the U.S. employment data is being manipulated to influence the Presidential election, he knows no one is going to listen. But when several people show up dead, a provocative reporter, who happens to be his ex-fiancée, takes notice. As they uncover a web of secrets, lies, and corruption, they are forced to choose between ambition, loyalty and love to save their lives . . . and the global economy. Set in the aftermath of the financial crisis, The Strategist is a fast paced, plot twisting thriller straight from today's headlines by a former Wall Street insider. But could it be real? Read it, then look at the recent employment data and decide for yourself!

    Now that secret is about to be revealed--with potentially catastrophic geopolitical consequences.