The stories in this collection, because they all happen in Upper Nettlefold, have things which happen, that influence the other stories. So the order in which they are presented here aligns with the timeline in which events in the stories happen. Read through this collection in order, and you will find that each story builds on the ones before, weaving the magic of community and interconnection between characters. There is also a map of Upper Nettlefold to help you visualise everything as you read. Although each story can stand alone, we’re sure that you’ll love finding the linkages as you go. This is our first visit to Upper Nettlefold, but it won’t be our last. You may see other collections based here, or you may see individual books from the various authors, but we will keep expanding the stories about the people you’ll first meet in this collection. The Viscount’s Summer Love A new Viscount with old secrets, a baker’s daughter, love thwarted, the threat of murder, a dramatic revelation, a long-held love finally returned. The Duke and the Spinster A Duke who needs to marry, a Lady who expects to never marry, a summer house party, a nefarious plot, gossip designed to harm, a desperate adventure, a love that redeems. Stitched in Love A seamstress who struggles to sew, a blacksmith beset by admirers, an accident with a dress, a runaway horse, a situation saved – barely, an unexpected love. Love Finds the Earl An unmarried Earl, a reserved widow, a clever sister, a social occasion, an accidental meeting, shady business dealings thwarted, a second chance for love. Doubting the Marquess An unrepentant rake, a woman more interested in business than men, a meeting, jealousy, an accident, a revelation that leads to love. The Degenerate Baron A fearless schoolteacher, a Baron lost in grief and despair, a collection of degenerate friends, a near accident that leads to a meeting, a reminder of past pain, a love beyond fear. Escaping the Scurrilous Earl A merchant’s daughter, a lonely physician, a thoroughly unscrupulous Earl, a debt called in, an impossible choice, an escape, a threat, a rescue, and a new love found. Esther, the Earl’s Hellion An orphaned young woman, a gentleman working undercover, a boarding school with a new owner, a despicable scheme, a rescue, a trap set to save, a dramatic conclusion, a fated love found. A Gentle Heart A spinster employed as a companion, a gentleman of means, a social opportunity, an act of kindness, a misunderstanding, a long hoped for love.

    Unenthused about attending a rich kid's party, Yuna sets out nonetheless. On her way, she walks straight into a face full of drama: a town with not one, but two warring feudal lords! Can the Bloody Bear calm these troubled waters? Or must she pick a side to support?

    

    I enjoyed the attention so much, that I became Ed’s real girlfriend for a few weeks that summer. I put all that foolishness behind me until my senior year in high school, when due to an accident, the school became one cheerleader short. My sister Diane was a star cheerleader at the school back in her day. Since I used to help her practice, the cheerleader coach thought I was the best choice for an emergency one night substitute. My fake boyfriend is starting to feel less fake. Being a girl just seems to come naturally to me. What am I? A boy or a girl? I’m not sure anymore…

    The Steel. The Fire. The Pain.The Battlefield holds little else. Destruction. Malice. Death.Outwardly we watch the battle rage, but rarely do we see the unending conflict within ourselves.What fire are we kindling? What destruction are we sowing? What pain are we causing?Even the greatest of all men fight this war. None are free. All are captive.Dragonhammer is no exception.No matter how hard we fight or how fast we run, even the greatest among us will be brought to his knees.

    Flint soon finds himself facing a ruthless opponent, Oleg Malchik, a dynamic FSB agent who’s closing down Western intelligence networks one after another.With Malchik closing in, Flint has his own problems with the local Mafia. But things turn for the worse when Malchik wants Flint dead. With the FSB and the Mafia in hot pursuit, Flint believes there’s a mole helping Malchik.Who can Flint trust? Can he complete his mission? Who will get to him first, the Mafia or Malchik?   Defector is the first stand-alone novella in the ‘Beginning Series’, part of the series of international thrillers based around CIA agent, Andy Flint. If you like action, a page turning roller-coaster of a read and plot which keeps you on the edge of your seat, you’ll love Peter Kozmar’s gripping thriller. Download Defector and start your fast-paced adventure today.

    It seems like she’s always been attracted to the kind of man who’s bad for her. In fact, it’s been one textbook bad-boy after the next, and it’d left her feeling so defeated that she decided quit dating altogether…for a whole year!Until she met Eric. Good, stable, boring and dependable Eric. He loves her way more than she loves him and it feels good to be on the other side of the equation for once, even though the sex is not the best…but that’s not all relationships are about are they?She’s finally getting her life together and things are going great…but then the universe decides to throw her a curve ball when her teaching assistant quits and is replaced by James Sumner. He’s tall, dark and handsome…covered in tattoos, listens to punk rock and wears a leather jacket. He’s everything Hayley’s been avoiding…so why can’t she stop thinking about him? She wants to put him out of her mind because she knows that Eric is the right man for her…...or is he?The feeling is definitely mutual because James can’t seem to stop thinking about Hayley either. Their attraction is undeniable. When a friendship starts to blossom between them, Hayley begins to doubt everything she knows. Is James really the kind of bad-boy who’ll break Hayley’s heart? Is she meant to be with Eric? Is she meant to be alone?

     Rachel is a rising tennis star. But does she want success more than she wants a 'real' life, and a steady boyfriend like everyone else? Susie is Rachel's mother. All she wants is her partner Billy - but he's left her, and it's a huge shock. Is she brave enough to start again? Gordana is Rachel's grandmother. She has everything she ever wanted: health, wealth and a loving family - or at least she thinks she does. Ivan is the link between them all: Rachel's dad (and coach), Susie's ex-husband and Gordana's son. It's no secret that he can be difficult. But nobody is prepared for what happens when he gets arrested, or the changes that it forces on all their lives.

    They realize this was not another earthquake, but a Nuclear Attack. David knew they would have to work together to escape from the rubble, then shelter for 14 days to survive the fallout. If, as he feared, their parents were dead, then they should trek east,hopefully staying together.They would have to adapt, improvise, and overcome. They rescued a 4 year old orphan and realized how much they had learned from their parents. They became the Nuclear War Club. David had been the starting quarterback on his football team in Alabama.He had just transferred to this California High School as a Senior, when his Dad was reassigned to an Air Force Base. David organized the human chain to escape from the rubble. The clock was ticking, they would have to find, or make, a shelter from the fallout within 30 minutes or die from the radiation. David looked over the other 6 detention survivors and was disappointed at this soft, pampered, self centered, dysfunctional group. But you go to nuclear war with the survivors you have, he thought, as he explained what had happened and his plan. He invited them to follow as he began to hike to where his truck and camping equipment had been. Zeke's stomach churned, and he struggled to control his panic as he viewed the nuclear debris as far as the eye could see. What had happened to LeShawn and Monique? Were they trapped in rubble, crying for their big brother to come? His Mom was a drug addict, he was all his preschool brother and sister had. He would rescue them,or die trying. But he was miles away from home-the football boosters arranged for special transportation to get the heavily recruited, All State football running back, to this wealthy school everyday. He would stay with this group, they were his ticket, until he found a way to rescue LeShawn and Monique. Karen had grown up on a ranch where her father was hired to care for the horses. She was tough from working with the horses, self sufficient,and was instinctively wary of how David had just naturally assumed command. Karen had just transferred to this school under redistricting, and she didn't know any of them well.But the school, and the entire City were totally destroyed, there was no other option. Karen grabbed her backpack, stuck a knife from what was left of the underground school kitchen in her hiking boots, concealed it with her sock, then followed. Liu was a first generation Vietnamese immigrant who excelled at school. She had been utterly humiliated and shamed that she had even been sent to detention. Liu had carefully noticed how David had organized their evacuation and got everyone out. David was a natural leader, and he seemed to know a lot about Nuclear War. She would stay with this group until her Dad found her. Jorge was going to be an architect and was dual enrolled in engineering classes at the Community College. His leg had been broken when the ceiling collapsed, David and Karen had helped set his splint. He was all in, hobbling behind. Karen loathed Ashley Kensington, and wondered if the cheerleaders required DNA test confirmation that you had blond hair, blue eyes, long legs, and no brain to be the cheerleader captain. Ashley considered staying at what was left of the school. Surely her wealthy parents would send the maid or someone to get her. But David sounded like he knew all about Nuclear attacks when he told her that was stupid, and she was terrified of being left behind, alone. Doron was a genius who was also popular as the creator of the encrypted "geek.peek" homework school website.

    The others are immersed in a digital world he cannot access. He's left to explore miles of wilderness bounded by the Nolichucky River and encircling Appalachian mountain ridges of Bumpas Cove, Tennessee. Beyond the last broken and tilted pieces of a crumbling asphalt road, he discovers the abandoned village where Iron Mountain's mine workers lived. He walks inside empty houses and mine-works searching for toys and relics of the families that lived there decades before. In this place, being alone feels natural. He returns daily, looking for forgotten things. Crawling through a streambed under a tunnel of long blackberry briars, he finds something that isn't covered with rust. It shines white in the scattered shadows. Freed of muck and mire, the glass-metal sleeve is as light as plastic. He slides his arm inside, but before his fingers can reach down into the two long flat fingers, a sharp hook locks into his arm. Leo is forced to find other scattered pieces, assembling a full flightsuit. Once restored, it prepares for a thousand light-year return trip with Leo trapped inside, as it waits for its alien pilot to be restored into Leo's mind. But the suit has drawn others, like Leo, set apart and isolated. Their fate and Leo's intertwine as they face an alien entity that has no regard for their lives.

    Until it arrives. From the desk of Honor Raconteur comes the tale of one guild, who believes in the impossible, and fight with everything they have to prevent the war they see coming. ~ Contains all three books in the trilogy "Deepwoods," "Blackstone," and "Fallen Ward," as well as "Origins," the collection of short stories.

    If the fire inside hadn't scared off everyone he knew and loved, maybe he'd find it easier to get out of the rut he's found himself in. When he meets beautiful Angelica, an earnest and sweet Canadian antique-hunter, he jumps at the opportunity to learn a new trade and just maybe, change his life for the better.What Chad didn't count on was meeting another fire mage, a stronger, smarter, faster, more experienced supernatural with all the debonair clothes and manner of a true aristocrat. At a snobby antiques auction...in a huge old mansion...full of wood and other burnables.Meeting Basil Chaplin, founder of Arcturus, a secret school for fire magi, means Chad had better bring his A-game.

    What would you do, if you could do it all again? The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright - Rebecca thinks she has it all, but in reality, she has nothing, because she is empty inside. How many lives will it take for Rebecca to learn to be truly human? The Successful Life of Jack Rybicki - Jack is successful in so many ways - he is rich, a famous actor, and has beautiful women at his beck and call - but he still feels unfulfilled. It will take more than one lifetime for him to realize what makes a successful life. The Many Short Lives of Charles Waters - Charles learns he only has 30 days to live, but at the end of that short period of time, he dies and opens his eyes, only to hear once again that he only has 30 days to live. How many lives will it take Charles to learn how to live?

    This file contains Part One of the book only, which is 20,000 words.In RESURRECTED (Book #1 of the Vampire Legacy), 16 year old Scarlet Paine finds herself changing in mysterious ways. She is becoming sensitive to light, able to read peoples’ thoughts, and is faster and stronger than she’s ever been. She doesn’t understand what’s happening to her, and tries to ignore it. But she can only dismiss it for so long.Caitlin Paine, her mom, knows too well what’s happening to her daughter. She underwent the same transformation to vampire once, centuries ago. But now, in the present day, as a mere human, she has no memory of it. All she has is the journal she found in the attic—her mysterious vampire journal—telling of her exploits in another time and place, and of the vampire race being eradicated. But was there one exception to the rule? Could it be that Scarlet, her daughter, is the last remaining vampire on earth?As Scarlet tries to fight who she’s becoming, she also tries to fight her intense feelings for Blake, a boy in her grade who she has a crush on. She can’t tell, though, if he’s into her, and with the big Halloween dance just days away, the pressure is on. She would do anything for Blake to ask her. But Vivian, the meanest of the popular girls, is also on Blake’s radar, and she’ll do anything to make Blake hers—and to make Scarlet’s life a living hell.Luckily Scarlet has her own clique of friends to back her up, including her best friends Maria and Jasmin. They, too, have guy troubles—but it isn’t until Sage appears, the mysterious new boy, that her friends become obsessed. Scarlet finds herself attracted to him, too—and is surprised when it is her, of all the girls in the school, that he pays attention to. But her mind is set on Blake, at least for now, and she continues to hope he’ll ask her to the dance.Just when it seems that Scarlet has what she wants, her body changes. Soon it may be impossible for her to be near her fellow humans. Soon, she may have to choose between her desire to live and her desire for love.Book #2 in the series, CRAVED (Book #2 of the Vampire Legacy), is now also available.“Grabbed my attention from the beginning and did not let go….This story is an amazing adventure that is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. There is not a dull moment to be found.”--Paranormal Romance Guild {regarding Turned}“A great plot, and this especially was the kind of book you will have trouble putting down at night. The ending was a cliffhanger that was so spectacular that you will immediately want to buy the next book, just to see what happens.”--The Dallas Examiner {regarding Loved}“Morgan Rice proves herself again to be an extremely talented storyteller….This would appeal to a wide range of audiences, including younger fans of the vampire/fantasy genre. It ended with an unexpected cliffhanger that leaves you shocked.”--The Romance Reviews {regarding Loved}Morgan Rice is the #1 Bestselling author of THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, an eight-book series which has sold over 100,000 copies and has been translated into six languages. Morgan is also author of ARENA ONE, the first book in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic action-thriller trilogy.

     HIGHLANDER IN HER BED: American tour guide Mara McDougall visits a London antique shop and spots perhaps the handsomest bed ever. Then she bumps into the most gorgeous man ever - an irresistible Highlander she can't forget. Not even when she learns that she's inherited a Scottish castle. Sir Alexander Douglas has hated Clan MacDougall since he was a medieval knight and they tricked him into a curse-the curse of forever haunting the bed (the very one that Mara now owns) that was once intended for his would-be bride. But Mara makes him feel what no other MacDougall has-a passion that he never knew he'd missed. Red-hot chemistry ignites from the moment Sir Alex and Mara meet.” ~ A Romance Review HIGHLANDER IN HER DREAMS: After stepping through a magical gateway, Kira Bedwell finds herself in fourteenth century Scotland, face-to-face with Aidan MacDonald, the irresistible Highlander who has visited her in dreams. Now that their romance transcends dreams to reality, they find themselves under attack by Aidan’s enemies. It will take all of their courage and will for their love to survive beyond time itself… Aidan is a Romantic Times K.I.S.S of the Month Hero! “Highlander in Her Dreams is a fun, sexy story. HOT.” ~ Romantic Times Magazine TALL, DARK, and KILTED: Cilla Swanner has been jilted by her lover, and she is struggling with a jewelry business that’s far from sparkling. She needs a getaway someplace quiet and remote. Someplace like Dunroamin Castle in Scotland. But what she finds there may be more than she can handle. Centuries ago, the roguish Scots knight known as Hardwick was renowned for his swordmanship, both on and off the battlefield. But a traveling bard cursed him to wander the world forever, pleasing a different woman each night with no hope of fulfillment or true love. Then Hardwick meets Cilla, who may be his only chance for salvation. “Tall, Dark, and Kilted is outlandishly funny one minute and seductively sensual the next.” ~ Wild on Books SOME LIKE IT KILTED: Mindy Menlove lives in a castle that was transported stone by stone from Scotland to Pennsylvania. When she must sell the estate, her plans soon unravel. She's bound for the Hebrides, a place she'd hoped to avoid. Once there, she's confronted by the castle's original builder, who happens to be maddeningly irresistible and seven hundred years young. Bran of Barra was a legendary Highland chieftain. Since his demise he's enjoyed his ghostly pleasures - until a feisty female from across the Atlantic claims that she's come to Scotland to restore his ancestral home. It's a task she hasn't accepted willingly, and if the roguish Bran doesn't change Mindy's mind about his bonnie homeland - and him - neither of them will ever find any peace. But unexpected passion can be the most powerful... "Bran of Barra is one of the most compelling heroes I've read. I wouldn't mind having him show up in my bedroom to carry me back in time to his castle." ~ Love Romances & More Enjoy these tales filled with Highland magic and the beauty of Scotland!