"Remarkable....Ekirch has emptied night's pockets, and laid the contents out before us."—Arthur Krystal, The New YorkerBringing light to the shadows of history through a "rich weave of citation and archival evidence" (Publishers Weekly), scholar A. Roger Ekirch illuminates the aspects of life most often overlooked by other historians—those that unfold at night. In this "triumph of social history" (Mail on Sunday), Ekirch's "enthralling anthropology" (Harper's) exposes the nightlife that spawned a distinct culture and a refuge from daily life.Fear of crime, of fire, and of the supernatural; the importance of moonlight; the increased incidence of sickness and death at night; evening gatherings to spin wool and stories; masqued balls; inns, taverns, and brothels; the strategies of thieves, assassins, and conspirators; the protective uses of incantations, meditations, and prayers; the nature of our predecessors' sleep and... Views: 7
When Daisy Budd and her slightly dysfunctional sisters decide to turn a mortuary into a fashionable wedding boutique, they expect some opposition. After all, towns like Mayville don't care much for change. But when a body shows up in the mortuary's fountain, Daisy knows it's time to leave the bridezillas behind and solve the mystery. Nick Bowman, disinherited son of the town's leading family, is back after a seven-year estrangement. He's determined to protect his late grandfather's reputation by locating some loot supposedly hidden in the mortuary's cellar. But Nick's quest is complicated by the new owner. Daisy doesn't trust his motives and she's uncomfortable with the sparks the two of them generate, especially since Nick used to date her sister. When a second body shows up at the mortuary, Nick and Daisy need to work together to find the truth--but what happens when their inconvenient sparks become flames? Views: 7
When a spoiled kid disappears, the Casebusters go spelunking with a pirate's ghostSean and Brian Quinn have never liked Lester Hopper. The seven-year-old is spoiled rotten, and looks down on every kid he knows—even the ones who are taller than him! But one night, Lester disappears and a ransom note warns the Hoppers not to contact the police. The Casebusters are going to need to solve their most serious mystery yet—a possible kidnapping.Before he disappeared, Lester was diagnosed with a lung infection, and he needs to take his medicine again soon or he'll get very sick indeed. But was Lester kidnapped, or did he run away? Whatever the answer, all the clues point to one destination: the town's oldest cave, which is said to be haunted by the ghost of a dead pirate. To save Lester, Brian and Sean will have to match wits with a swashbuckler who's been dead for centuries. Views: 7
When the body of a young girl is found dumped on the banks of the Thames, even the police are shocked by the brutality of her murder: horifically mutilated, severed in half and drained of blood, her death is a mirror image of an infamous 1940s case in Los Angeles known as 'The Black Dahlia'.
That case was never solved, but now Detective Inspector Anna Travis must race against time to catch this 'copycat killer', dubbed 'The Red Dahlia' from the flower his victim wore in her hair. But there are no suspects and a media frenzy is spiralling out of control. Anna turns to her mentor, the brilliant and volatile Detective Chief Inspector James Langton, but the frictions of their romantic relationship are complicating the case.
And then a second girl is found, her death again mirroring the 'Black Dahlia', and as Anna and Langton close in on the prime suspect they uncover a shocking web of sadistic sexual evil and a family's murderous secrets. Views: 7
Lisa, Carole, and Stevie can't believe their luck: Skye Ransom, the teen idol they met on their trip to New York, is starring in a new movie, and he wantsthe girls to help him with his riding. But when the director casts Lisa in asmall part, the girls realize how important their friendship truly is. Views: 7
All Annie Beiler ever wanted was to belong to someone, but, when her dream comes true, she realizes wishes aren't always what they seem.About the AuthorLaura Hilton graduated with a business degree from Ozarka Technical College in Melbourne, Arkansas. A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, she is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with more than a thousand reviews published on the Web. Prior to Patchwork Dreams and A Harvest of Hearts, books one and two in her Amish of Seymour series with Whitaker House, she published two novels with Treble Heart Books, Hot Chocolate and Shadows of the Past, as well as several devotionals. Laura and her husband, Steve, have five children, whom Laura homeschools. The family makes their home in Arkansas. To learn more about Laura, read her reviews, and find out about her upcoming releases, readers may visit her blog at http://lighthouse–academy.blogspot.com/. Views: 7
Goodreads M/M Romance Member's Choice Award Nominee 2014 Favorite All-Time M/M Series
The first book in the Measure of Devotion trilogy.
Jason Wadsworth is finally headed to university. Leaving behind his father's cattle ranch in favor of the posh, gaslit streets of Perdana, Jason is determined to climb the social ladder and forget his country roots. If only his father had gifted him with a more upscale slave.
Kale's been a country slave his whole life. All he wants is to keep his head down and live as comfortable an existence as possible. Unfortunately, his dramatic master despises him and makes life difficult at every turn.
Humbled by his first breakup, Jason grows to appreciate his ever-faithful slave and soon discovers that Kale is everything he's ever wanted. Now he needs to prove to Kale that his love is genuine.
Kale, meanwhile, tries to convince himself that he simply feels the devotion of a slave to his master, but his actions prove what his mind is unwilling to accept: he's falling in love. When Jason's future happiness is in jeopardy, Kale sets himself on a course to make Jason's dreams come true, even if it means facing up to the fact that, for the first time in his life, he loves someone else more than he loves himself.
Measure of Devotion is a bittersweet love story set in an alternate world and contains sexual content and adult language.
Other books in the Measure of Devotion trilogy:
Measure of Strength
Measure of Peace
**From the Author
The following is an abridged version of the April 23, 2013 post from the author's blog relating to the writing of Measure of Devotion:
The Story Behind the Story: Measure of Devotion
It all started with Kale.
Inspiration comes in many forms. Sometimes a story develops slowly over time, inspiration trickling in. Other times, it comes in a flash. With Measure of Devotion, it came as an image.
I was standing outside my bedroom closet when, as clear as day, I saw Kale in the last scene of Measure of Devotion. I instantly forgot what I was doing. There was something about him that drew me in. The anguish on his face was so compelling. I had to know how he got there. What had happened to him?
Over the next few days, Kale told me his story. I was instantly in love with him, and getting to know him and Jason was like connecting with old friends. I even found myself feeling for Renee and the difficult situation in which society had placed her. All the characters came together to form the story of Measure of Devotion.
The first person who ever read Measure of Devotion was my best friend. I actually read the end to her while she was driving and I was positively giddy to see that she cried. I was elated that she felt so close to the characters that she was brought to tears by their pain. The very first thing she wanted to know was what happened next.
"That's the end," I told her.
"You can't do that," she said.
From the beginning, I had intended Measure of Devotion to be the story of this particular slice of Kale's life. Nothing more. I was happy with the ending. Kale got what he wanted, and that was that.
"Well then, write a sequel just for me." As if novels are the product of a long weekend.
This argument went back and forth and ended with me conceding that I would remain open to inspiration for a sequel, but I wasn't going to force anything.
Life continued.
Work progressed on getting Measure of Devotion published, but there was that nagging voice of my best friend demanding a sequel. I spoke to Karen, my editor, about it and she liked the story as a standalone. She understood that I liked it as it was: a beautiful, bittersweet story of a man who experienced true love instead of the selfish love that is so rampant. However, she did think that a sequel would certainly be welcome if one came to me.
Meanwhile, I moved on to other stories while Measure of Devotion was being prepared for publication.
And that's when it happened.
As soon as I turned my attention to another story, inspiration struck again. Only this time, it was Jason who called to me. I saw him sitting in the bar at the beginning of Measure of Strength. I needed to know where he was going from there.
It didn't take long for Measure of Strength to take form after that. Additionally, I knew what would happen in a third book, although I didn't think at the time anyone would ever be interested.
Why do I tell you this now?
Mainly because several people have stated that I only wrote Measure of Devotion as a cliffhanger and setup for Measure of Strength. The truth is, the sequel wasn't even a thought until right before Measure of Devotion was released. I'm sure after reading this, those of you who thought I was mean before will think me doubly so now that you know I was willing to let Measure of Devotion stand.
Also, my best friend wanted credit for the sequel.
So there you have it, the story of how Measure of Devotion came to be. Views: 7
Check out Nikki Maxwell’s ninth diary in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries series!Nikki’s diary is up to the month of April, and springtime is sure to bring more wacky adventures with Nikki and her friends Chloe, Zoey, and Brandon!The Dork Diaries series has more than 13 million copies in print worldwide! Views: 7
Jane wants a big adventure before she settles down. Jane Buckley is engaged to Texas oil baron Austin Price. But before settling down, she jumps at the chance of a voyage to Hawaii with her exuberant aunt Matilda. The adventure in paradise becomes more than a series of spectacular views and beautiful beaches. Jane begins to question her own faith and character. Is her desire to help a man and child creating an experience that will jeopardize her relationship with Austin? Rancher Mak MacCauley is mad at God and the world. He cannot escape the haunting memories of his young wife's death until he takes revenge upon the horse that killed her. There's no room in his life for another woman, and he allows Jane Buckley near him only because of his daughter's needs and the engagement ring on Jane's finger that means she won't pursue him. The Hawaiian word for love, aloha, is used in both greeting and farewell. But given the opportunity to experience true love, will Jane and Mak welcome it, or will they allow fear to drive it away?Related Titles: Picture Bride, Love from Ashes Views: 7
