The previously untold story of the violence in Congress that helped spark the Civil WarIn The Field of Blood, Joanne B. Freeman recovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the U.S. Congress. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, she shows that the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War. Legislative sessions were often punctuated by mortal threats, canings, flipped desks, and all-out slugfests. When debate broke down, congressmen drew pistols and waved Bowie knives. One representative even killed another in a duel. Many were beaten and bullied in an attempt to intimidate them into compliance, particularly on the issue of slavery.These fights didn't happen in a vacuum. Freeman's dramatic accounts of brawls and thrashings tell a larger story of how fisticuffs and journalism, and the powerful emotions they elicited, raised tensions between North and South and led toward war. In the process, she... Views: 18
Product Description Book three of the Peachville High Demons series. So far, life in Peachville has been tough for Harper Madison. She's survived attacks on her life, learned how to control her magic, and met the most gorgeous boy - who also happens to be a demon. After her latest stunt at Brighton Hospital, the Order of Shadows is determined to tighten their control on her life. So when a future Prima from a nearby demon gate comes to town, she and Harper decide to use magic to switch places at a party. All Harper wants is to have a little fun. But the night will end in blood. And Harper will find out the attack was meant for her... Excerpt: The room was dead silent. No one moved. I stood and walked over to the coffee table where an array of snacks was laid out. I grabbed a grape and popped it into my mouth. As I chewed, no one dared even breathe. I hoped they couldn't see how badly my hands were shaking. "You guys are all so anxious for me to trust you," I said, meeting each person's eyes as I looked around the room. I certainly had their undivided attention. "But how can I do that when you obviously don't trust me?" "You haven't earned that trust," the elderly woman said. "You haven't either," I said. Someone behind me sucked in a quick breath. "Ever since I got to this town, you've all been lying to me. Why should I obey your orders and follow your rules when you refuse to tell me why you really want me to stay safe? You act like you care about me as a person, but all you really care about is yourself." "Wait a second," Mrs. Ashworth said, standing again. "You're completely out of line here. I won't allow you-" "I know who I am," I said, cutting her off. "I know I'm the Prima. I've known for a while now." I looked over at Mayor Chen. "And don't worry. It wasn't Lark or any of the other girls on the squad who told me." "Jackson," someone whispered. "Traitor." The room broke out in murmurs. "It wasn't Jackson either," I said. "Then who?" Sheriff Hollingsworth asked. "Morgyn Baker." "Impossible," the elderly woman hissed. "Before she died," I said. "She told me about how the Order's been using Shadowford as a way to look for me. You find girls with magical abilities who are in the system because their mothers are dead or they're too much to handle. Then, you bring them here, drug them, and test them to see if they are your beloved, long-lost Prima." The room erupted in protests and questions. "I thought you had this under control," one woman in a pink dress said to Mrs. Ashworth. "We should have told her right from the start." "What are we going to do now?" "This girl is out of control." My ears couldn't latch on to every outburst, but one in comment particular caught my attention. "She's just like her mother." Views: 18
When the bullet-ridden body of a Silicon Valley billionaire washes up on shore, assistant D.A. Dismas Hardy finds himself the prosecutor in San Francisco's murder trial of the century. But when a bizarre series of events blows the case wide open, Hardy finds himself on the other side of the law. Views: 18
Steamy encounters of every flavour are on offer to guests at the Hotel Luxe Royale. I have always been drawn to hotels. I love their anonymity. The hotel does not care what you do, or with whom.The Hotel Luxe Noir is a haven for hedonistic liaisons. From brief encounters in the bar to ménages in the elevator, young Sophie Martin has seen it all since she started on reception. But as she witnesses the dark erotic secrets of the staff and guests can she also master her own desires...?Welcome to the Hotel Luxe Noir -- discretion assured, satisfaction guaranteed. Views: 18
One man wants her heart. The other wants her dead… Holding Out for a Hero, Book 1 Eleanor Owen needs to get out of Chicago and quick. It’s not that she doesn’t want to obey the subpoena to testify against her drug-trafficking ex-boyfriend. It’s making it to the witness stand alive, should a dirty cop make good on his threats. Tiny, remote Wyattville, Oregon, looks like the perfect place to disappear, but it’s hard to blend into the woodwork when one of the town’s infamous namesakes sends her heart racing. Worse, Mr. Tall, Hot and Packing is the town sheriff, which means she should stay as far away from him as possible. Tyson Wyatt is positive the sexy new girl in town is hiding something. Question is, what? He vows to feel out her secrets—including what she feels like beneath him. Preferably naked. Until then, he’s not buying the story she’s selling. Their chemistry is sheet-melting hot, and Ellie realizes much too late that the man with the badge is as dangerous to her heart as her ex is to her life… Warning: A city girl on the run, and a small-town sheriff set to seduce. Explicit sex. Dirty talk. A hint of danger. Oral sex with a cupcake. Views: 18
The mind forgets, but the body remembers. Everything. Grimm’s Circle, Book 4 One look at Jack Wallace and Perci knows he’s going to be trouble. Even surrounded by soul stealers, he’s a one-man wrecking crew. What does he need Grimm training for? He’s already hell on earth, a warrior bent on destruction. And something…more. He’s too strong and fast to be a mere mortal. Even covered in blood, he makes her forget she’s only here to do a job and get out. It’s twisted. Sick. She hasn’t felt this alive in three centuries. Born with a natural talent for killing unnatural things, Jack has always known things he shouldn’t. The fact that Perci is one of them glows all over her. Giving him an unholy urge to see just how far he can push her before don’t touch me melts into touch me there. When they come together, it isn’t careful or cautious. It’s heaven and hell, exposing all their raw and wounded places to healing heat, resurrecting memories of a destined love from the distant past. But the evil that destroyed them once before has tracked them here, threatening their second and last chance at forever. Demanding a sacrifice no one—Grimm or human—should ever be asked to make… Warning: Dark, sexy, a little bit scary—this fairy tale is only for grownups and is best saved for bedtime. Views: 18
The Right Honourable Leslie Titmuss has clawed his way up the Tory government ranks and is now Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Ecological Affairs and Planning (H.E.A.P.), and in pursuit of beautiful widow Jenny Sidonia. But seismic changes are afoot in the beautiful countryside where a new town threatens to engulf his own back garden. Will Leslie bow to market forces? Or will he join the fight against the multi-storey car parks, shopping precincts and office blocks that could sweep away Rapstone Valley?The sequel to John Mortimer's stunning novel Paradise Postponed, Titmuss Regained is a panoramic satire on the machinations of politics and an affectionate elegy to a disappearing world. Views: 18
Sleuth Astrid is a hi-tech chook, who rides a Harley, plays e-games and finds lost things.The Magician has lost his sense of humour. Astrid must find that before the 3pm show. Luckily, Astrid is also a mind-reading chook. Views: 18
Issue #18 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies online magazine, featuring stories by Renee Stern and Kamila Zeman Miller. Views: 18
Just Press Play M.A. Ellis Erin learned a great deal during one of the workshops at RomantiCon. But she never dreamed, when she asked her friends to help act out one of her sex scenes, that her tape player would fall into the hands of a ridiculously hot, younger man. Daniel loves older women and has lusted after Erin for years. He’s been waiting for the perfect time to approach her. He can’t wait to find out if she’s channeling her own desires into the characters in her book. Daniel thinks Erin is a secret exhibitionist and it’s finally time to step up and let her know he’s ready for anything she’s up for. Erin isn’t the only one adept at sexual choreography. Before she can say “watch me”, Daniel—riding crop in hand—has her bent over a table at a sex club, determined to fulfill every dark fantasy Erin has ever had. Reader Advisory: A group of strangers watch as Erin—bound to a table and exposed—lives her exhibitionistic fantasy at the hands of her very sexy, very kinky, very proficient younger lover. Just a little something for the voyeur in all of us. Views: 18
