The Goffs, a family devoted to The Regiment—the Nineteenth Lancers—find themselves charting a history of the world from the Sudan to South Africa, Flanders to Palestine. Charging and retreating on the wide plains of a failing British Empire, Coby Goff rises to the rank of Field Marshal and Dabney is honoured as a hero. But they witness the decline of the beloved cavalry, defeated in the face of pounding artillery, the tank and machine gun. Views: 24
Please be advised: This is a novella. Thank you!Miss Audrey Ellis has failed to catch a wealthy, titled husband in her two London Seasons,and merely wishes to return to her quiet country life, leaving high society behind her for good. But when an unexpected encounter brings the Duke of Halford into her life, she will have to decide if she has the courage to change her prudent, unadventurous plans and reach for something more.William Langston, the Duke of Halford, wasn't looking for love. He came to Town to track down his sister's blackmailer, hoping to head off a scandal in the making. But the Viscount Claremont is more elusive than the duke was prepared for, and leads him on a chase through society's drawing rooms and balls. Will soon finds himself distracted from his mission by Audrey's fresh beauty and lack of pretension, something scarce in his rarefied world.The pair are drawn together despite their differences, but as scandal looms and rumors spread, danger is closer than ever before. Views: 24
The fourth and final volume in Jack Lasenby's award-winning Travellers fantasy series for young adult readers.Ish is introduced to Lutha's society; a cruel and primitive society driven by fear and superstition. He quickly distrusts a quality in Lutha and her beautiful, elegant friend and lieutenant, Kalik. Ish wishes to escape but realises he cannot go alone - he cannot leave behind a group of terrorised Children. In Kalik, Ish uses all the skills and knowledge he has gained thus far: from Hagar and their travelling, from Taur and from the Shaman. He challenges superstition, he questions leadership and the use of violence, he sees what ignorance and fear brings. He in turn becomes the teacher to his group of Children.In this novel, Jack Lasenby weaves threads of ancient myths, religions and folk tales from cultures as diverse as Ancient Persia and old Russia. His inventiveness reminds us how vital the power of story-telling is, and how it creates a sense of... Views: 24
In his celebrated bestsellers Agent Zigzag and Operation Mincemeat, Ben Macintyre told the dazzling true stories of a remarkable WWII double agent and of how the Allies employed a corpse to fool the Nazis and assure a decisive victory. In Double Cross, Macintyre returns with the untold story of the grand final deception of the war and of the extraordinary spies who achieved it. On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy at the astonishingly low cost of just 5,000 casualties. D-Day was a stunning military accomplishment, but it was also a masterpiece of trickery. Operation Fortitude, which protected and enabled the invasion, and the Double Cross system, which specialized in turning German spies into double agents, deceived the Nazis into believing that the Allies would attack at Calais and Norway rather than Normandy. It was the most sophisticated and successful deception operation ever carried out, ensuring... Views: 24
BEHIND THE ENEMY'S WALLS Badly disfigured Lady Isobel Dalceann has fought fiercely to defend her Keep, with little thought for her safety. Why, then, has she let a stranger within her walls? Whilst he threatens danger, his battered body marked by war mirrors her own scars and tempts her to put her faith in him. Marc de Courtenay is a mercenary and a loner, although he is drawn to damaged, beautiful Isobel. But in taking him into her highly defended buttressed walls she has unwittingly given him secrets that will enable him to betray her. What would she do if she were ever to find out who he really is...?Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.1346—Fife Ness, ScotlandIsobel Dalceann saw the shapes from the beach, beyond the waves, turning in the current, dark against silver. Eight or more of them, lost in the grey swell of stormtide as mist swallowed outline.'There,' she shouted to the two men beside her. 'Two hundred yards out.'The Heads yielded an odd wreck of a boat sometimes or the carcase of a sea creature long since dead…but this? Dusk spread from the west, burnishing lead with a blushed quiet pink and changing something that was not known into something that was.'People!' Ian voiced the knowledge first. Not wood or fish or the trunk of a tree that had slipped into the brine somewhere near Dundee before travelling south in the cold currents, but people. People who would drown unless she helped them; she had always been a strong swimmer.Stripping off brogans and tunic, she removed the dirk held by straps against her ankle and ran.The water took her breath before she had crossed the first waves, long beaching swells with the chill of the northern climes on their edge; when her hair knotted around her arms, forcing her to tread water, she rebound it tight.Ten yards away Ian shouted and Angus responded, the next breaker lifting them all and aiding direction. She could hear the beat of blood in her ears as the wash took her under. Counting the seconds to surface, she kicked her feet hard and broke through just short of one of the survivors.An open cut from elbow to shoulder bone wept red into the sea, swirling in the foam before being lost to the great vastness of the German Ocean. He barely registered her presence as she paddled across, noticing for the first time that another lay beside him.'I will take him while you swim in,' she shouted above the wind as rain started, each drop forming bowls on the surface, tiny pits in a boiling sea.'No.' He held on with the tenacity of one who would not let go, green eyes steeled into resolve; as Isobel looked closer, she saw the man between them was long dead.'He's gone. The sea has taken him.'Shaking his head, he turned from her, shoulders hunching into grief. The curl of his fingers tightened even as she watched, dimpled white and marred with bruises as he breathed in once and then twice, garnering strength and regrouping will. How often had she done the same herself, the loneliness of everything unbearable?'Let me help,' she called, 'for the shore is far away.' Her touch against his shoulder roused him from his own private hell as he gazed at her with all the arrogance of one unused to direction.Isobel pushed down a stir of unease. Even the few paltry moments that she had been in the ocean had chilled her and she wondered how these people could have survived for so long.'H-help the others behind me f-first.' When he shifted his hand to cradle the head of the man he supported, a thick band of wrought-plaited gold lay at his wrist.No simple sailor, then, plying the straits between England and Scotland to gain a living. His accent held the softer beat of another more foreign land.A shout behind made her turn. Isobel saw that Angus panted with cold, his legs treading water with exaggerated hurry as he tried to keep warm. Fear struck deep. Two hundred yards from safety, with the rolling edge of a sea storm coming in from the east. Behind him two men were trying to rise on his bulk in their fight to gain breath.Lord. The sea claimed its victims without recourse to any fair play or just reserve. Swimming over, she clouted the oldest man hard across the head, breaking his grip and pressing against his throat, pleased as his eyes rolled into white. Then she did the same to the youngest.'Que Dieu nous en garde!' Marc muttered. The woman with the scar from one side of her face to the other was killing those with him one by one and the chill that held him stiff with cold meant he could do nothing about it.Guy was dead. He had known it all of an hour ago and still his fingers could not open to simply let go.The water beneath him called, an easy rest and an ending, and the strength that had held him to the task of rescue was suddenly gone. He could not care. It was finished. As his fingers opened and his eyelids rested he felt the warmth that had long since been leached from his body return in a quick and bright light.Scotland. His father's land. He had not quite made it.'Hold him from behind,' Isobel instructed Angus. 'Do not let him turn for he will pull you down in his panic.''I cannae handle the both of them, mind.' Angus's words were thrown through the gathering wind. 'Then choose the youngest.' Such a choice out here in a sea that was rising held no guilt for Isobel. The fittest would survive and be done with it.But the green-eyed stranger was gone, too, pulled beneath the sea by lethargy, his red sleeveless surcoat with the bright gold braiding disappeared. She should leave him, of course, should take the advice she had just offered Angus, but a stronger force willed her to action. Diving down through the murky water, she saw him turn towards her, as if he had known she might be there, glances catching through the brine, the white of his skin the colour of death.One last kick and she reached out to snag cloth before hauling him up into the dusk and air. They surfaced like a log might in a swollen mountain stream, a curtain of foam and salt lashed around them, rain stinging skin.Thumping his back hard with the heel of her hand, she felt him take a breath, the rise and fall of his chest strong as he coughed, a hacking endless bark that dislodged the water he had swallowed. His hair lay around his face in tousled dark-blond tails, wiped back as he found breath in a hard movement, his lips blue.Around her the cries of the survivors told another story. One stranger perished here and another there. They floated away with their faces down in the water, swirling as leaves in the current.She could not save everyone with a changing stormtide on the turn for out. All the will in the world could not alter what happened to those too long in the hands of the sea as the heat of skin cooled and relaxed into death.But the green-eyed stranger hung on through the breakers, his mouth tilted towards the air, the cold chattering of his teeth like a drum beat as they came closer to landfall. He was using his strength to help her, too; she could feel his legs move against her own until his feet found purchase on the ocean floor.He was tall, then. Much taller than her husband had been before…But she did not think of that as she brushed away anger and watched him stand, the sea to his waist now, every second showing more of a man who looked nothing like anyone from around Fife. Menace and danger lingered in the long bones of his body, the fancy surcoat with its plaited braiding belying the man beneath.'I can m-manage,' he said abruptly and turned to watch her two men find the shore, each bringing with them a survivor from the stricken boat.Three people out of eight, was her anguished thought. Lord God, that it could have been more.The fierce desolation in his eyes told her that he also counted, though he was swaying with cold, tiredness and injury, the open gash on his arm pulled apart by the sea into a lengthy, grim, dark line on his upper arm. It no longer bled. Isobel wondered whether that was a good sign or a bad one.'We are camped in the trees and there is warmth there.' She did not like the anxiety she could hear in her words, as though it might be important to her that he did live, but he was barely listening as he walked across to his friend and spoke softly in a language she recognised as French. Both turned to the line of bush behind them as if weighing their chances of safety.'How is it you are called?' His voice was stronger now as he switched back to English.'Isobel Dalceann. My home lies two days' walk west along the coast from here.'She saw how his glance took in her sodden hose, tight about her legs, her ankles full on show. It had been so long since she had worn the garb of a woman that she'd forgotten that those who did not know her might find it odd. Without meaning to she smiled and saw the sting of it in his eyes. Her scar, probably. It always puckered badly over one cheek when she showed emotion.With the night coming on, however, she had had enough. She had risked her own life and any criticism of what she looked like or dressed like would have to wait till later. There were rabbits skinned and trussed near the fire and a half-a-dozen fish wrapped in leaves beside them. Once they had eaten their fill and found blankets to shelter beneath she could determine just what it was these newcomers sought and how quickly she could be rid of them. Views: 24
Shane Dawson, a medic captured and tortured in Iraq, is back on US soil, but now he must face his painful memories and personal demons.
Lauren Reynolds is a widowed ER doctor with a son, Josh, who has ADHD. When the two meet, Lauren thinks Shane is the most wonderful, thrilling man she has met in a long time. But her child’s welfare is priority number one, and there are very compelling reasons to stay apart. Will they be able to overcome their issues to find that once-in-a-lifetime love?
Handle with Care is a deeply emotional story about two damaged people and the power of love, healing, and unconditional trust.
This book was initially released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. All episodes are now available for immediate download as a complete book. Learn more about Kindle Serials
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From 1887 through the early 1950s, hundreds of elite athletes played in the Negro Leagues, banned from the majors because of the color of their skin. The foremost historian of the "blackball" era spent nearly ten years researching this acclaimed oral history, interviewing 17 outstanding players including Cool Papa Bell, Buck Leonard, and Willie Wells. Over 80 vintage photographs. Views: 24
Later in the series of Oz novels, author L. Frank Baum revisited some of the characters he originally introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and filled in the back story and narrative arc for each of them in their own book-length feature stories. This tale follows Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman of Oz, as he woos and pursues his Munchkin beloved and meets up with friends new and old. Views: 24
On a night of riding stars, a tiny squirrel is found abandoned and close to death on a distant beach. Adopted and raised by a kindly squirrel, Urchin has no idea of his powerful destiny or of the way he will influence the island of Mistmantle. The rule of the good King Brushen and Queen Spindle is threatened by an evil plot from within the court. When their young son is found murdered, the isle is thrown into turmoil. Behind the scenes, the wicked Lord Husk and Lady Aspen are determined to take control. But to underestimate the power of the islanders and the ancient prophecies is a big mistake….Triumphant heroes and brilliantly wicked villains do battle in this heart-stopping adventure in the great tradition of Watership Down and The Wind in the Willows.Amazon.com ReviewA young squirrel determines his true destiny in this Redwall read-alike by British author M.I. McAllister. A foundling discovered on the rocky shore of Mistmantle Island, Urchin has been raised by the peaceful order of rodents and otters that live and work on the magical isle. Now almost grown, the young squirrel wants nothing more than to serve as page to one of the dashing Captains that make up King Brushen's personal guard. He gets his chance when Captain Crispin appoints Urchin his "right-paw squirrel." But on Urchin's very first morning in the Tower, the King's only son is found murdered and Crispin is accused of the crime! Urchin can only look on helplessly while his mentor is banished from court. Meanwhile, power hungry Captain Husk and Lady Aspen continue to fill the devastated royal couple's ears with treachery, and their cups with sleeping draughts. Urchin is desperate to prove Crispin's innocence, but who will believe an orphan of questionable origins? Born under a sky of shooting stars, Urchin is destined to do great deeds, perhaps even save all of Mistmantle. But first, he must believe... Entertaining but predictable, this simply told medieval fable brings nothing new to the growing body of children's animal fantasies. However, it will serve as a steppingstone for those young readers not quite ready for the detailed descriptions and hearty brogues of Brian Jacques's ever popular and endlessly replicating Redwall series.--Jennifer HubertFrom School Library JournalGrade 4-7–Urchin the squirrel believes he is destined for greatness. Dropped from the sky by a gull onto the island of Mistmantle, he is rescued by Crispin, captain to hedgehog King Brushen. He becomes Crispin's page and is quickly embroiled in the murder of the King's young son. When Crispin is framed for the crime and banished, Urchin remains on Mistmantle, working for another captain, Padra the otter. Eyewitness to a power struggle for the throne, he helps fight against cruel new laws and reveals the true murderer. This story will appeal to fans of Brian Jacques's Redwall series (Philomel) as well as to readers who enjoy court intrigue and battle scenes with tons of tails and fur. While the action contains too many coincidences to be believed (someone is always perfectly placed to overhear just the thing needed for the next chapter), the characters are memorable and likable, and the writing is smooth and evenly paced. Urchin rises above other animal stories with flashes of humor as well as weighty issues like murder and cruelty to the weak. Although the plot devices and characterization are fairly stereotypical, the book is worth purchasing, especially given the popularity of this genre. Young readers will be pleased to see this new series hit the shelves.–Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Views: 24
Now a New York Times Bestselling E-Book Short Story!Blind for the first twenty years of her life, Kendra Michaels learned at an early age to become hyper-aware of her surroundings, perfecting the art of picking up the most subtle audio, olfactory, and tactile cues in the world around her. Kendra's astonishing powers of observation and analysis have made her a favorite of law enforcement agencies all across the country. She cares little for investigative work but can’t deny her unique skill, or the results she’s been able to facilitate. Like a secret weapon, she is in high demand, but her talents are put to the test when her mentor calls on her to help solve a mysterious disappearance and she uncovers one explosive secret that not even the police want her to find. Views: 24
