Gib might have finally found the family he's always wanted. Will he be adopted for good?No child wants an extended stay in the Lovell House Home for Orphaned and Abandoned Boys. And in the sequel to Gib Rides Home, Gib, a smart, resourceful eleven-year-old orphan, returns to the Thornton family's ranch, hoping for a much happier experience this time. Instead of the farm labor that most orphans his age are forced to do, he gets the benefits of being part of the family: reduced chores and the freedom to go to school.Luckily, Gib also has a way with horses—and life with Livy, the irrepressible Thornton daughter, proves that horses can be much easier to deal with than people. When a whipped and starved horse comes to the Thornton Ranch during a blizzard, Gib finds a way to save this incredible creature. And while helping the horse recuperate and acclimate to his new home, Gib realizes that he may have finally found a permanent home of his own.This ebook features an... Views: 67
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Nashville is an aspiring country music star. Campbell Hall, for one, just wants to get her travel agency off the ground and move on from a break-up. But when she gets the opportunity to visit the mansion of mysterious country icon Jake Miller, she jumps at the chance. After all, who knows what clues are lurking around the long-dead star's last home? But as Campbell pokes around, she discovers more than a few sequined suits and priceless memorabilia. She finds Hazel Miller, Jake's widow, quietly resting in a bedroom on the main floor. But Hazel might just be dead quiet. And Campbell might just be the last person to have seen her alive. Juggling the twisty plots of high-profile country stars with her blossoming business—not to mention the tattered remains of her love life—Campbell thinks she's got everything figured out. But when the danger becomes personal, she must uncover a killer who will stop at... Views: 67
Gilbert Averell avoids some of the rigours of taxation by living for part of each year in France—but he is unhappy about the number of weeks he spends away from his native country. So when his look-alike friend, Georges, suggests that they swap passports for a short spell, Gilbert seizes the opportunity. However, a number of incidents, involving Gilbert's sister and nephew, begin to suggest that Georges's offer was not made out of simple friendship. Views: 67
YOU CAN RUN FROM THE PAST . . . When private investigator Valerie Parker tails a cheating wife late one night, it's business as usual--until the woman is murdered and the man she's with becomes the prime suspect. Val gets an even bigger shock when she discovers the suspect's identity: He's Alex DeMarco, an old flame she swore she'd never speak to again. But then Val's own life is threatened, and before she can blink she's on the run, side by side with the unbelievably gorgeous man who once shattered her dreams and broke her heart . . . all in the same day. . . . BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM LOVEAs a cop, Alex knows better than to ignore his instincts, but for some reason he offersthe woman on the prowl a ride home anyway. When she turns up dead and he comes face-to-face with Val Parker, his problems are only beginning. As they work together to clear his name and to protect Val's life, Alex finds himself drawn once again to the wild, impetuous... Views: 67
Anyone who wants to shape family dinner into a time of greater enjoyment and engagement will find Dinner: A Love Story a terrific guide. Warm, funny, packed with recipes and photos, and reassuringly nonjudgmental, it will help inspire the most faint-hearted of cooks to pre-heat the oven.—Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness ProjectA wonderful read.—Amanda Hesser, coauthor of The Food52 Cookbook and co-founder of Food52.comInspired by her beloved blog, dinneralovestory.com, Jenny Rosenstrach's Dinner: A Love Story is many wonderful things: a memoir, a love story, a practical how-to guide for strengthening family bonds by making the most of dinnertime, and a compendium of magnificent, palate-pleasing recipes. Fans of Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond, Jessica Seinfeld, Amanda Hesser, Real Simple, and former readers of Cookie magazine will revel in... Views: 67
Sheriff Jake McCall is about to break the law. To find a bone marrow donor for his ailing baby girl, he'll hack into WITSEC to track down Maggie Gallagher—the only person who could be a genetic match. Yet by doing so, he is jeopardizing not only his badge, but Maggie's life, as well. Expecting to have to force Maggie against her will, Jake is unprepared for her willingness to help—and for the desire and hunger she arouses in him. Still, those forbidden feelings could make Jake reckless, and losing focus now isn't an option. With time running out and a killer on their heels, Jake has to keep Maggie alive—and give his daughter a Christmas miracle.About the AuthorUSA Today bestselling author, Delores Fossen, has sold over 50 novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She's received the Booksellers' Best Award for romantic suspense, the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita ®. In addition, she's had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. You can contact the author through her webpage at www.dfossen.com. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Sheriff Jake McCall knew what he was about to do could put a woman in grave danger. Maybe even get her killed. He wasn't certain he could live with that, but he sure as hell couldn't live with the alternative, either.Risking Maggie Gallagher's life, and his, was the only choice he had.He pushed the stallion hard, its hooves chopping into the frozen ground. The icy wind whipped at him and burned his eyes and hands. But he rode harder. Away from the ranch house and away from what was waiting for him there.It didn't help.Jake had known that when he saddled up, but he couldn't face what was inside. Not yet. Though delaying it didn't change the fact that he'd have to do things he had sworn he'd never do.Like see Maggie again.He hated her more than he wanted her. Far more. And he hated himself for still wanting her after what had happened. That settled like a deadweight in Jake's gut, and he figured that particular feeling wasn't going to get better anytime soon.Cursing, Jake pushed that thought aside and rode the half mile to the creek, not stopping, not slowing until he got to the ice-scabbed water's edge. He reined in the stallion, put his thumb to the brim of his Stetson to ease it back a bit, and he sat there, his forearm on the saddle horn.He stared out at the glassy black surface of the creek and at the cottonwood trees, all veiny and bare. In the thin white moonlight he glanced down at the silver star badge pinned to his denim shirt pocket and felt a pain of a different kind. The badge meant something to him. Always had. It was his anchor. His cause.Him.Yeah, that was a sappy cliche that he'd never admit aloud. Not here in rural Texas where the only acceptable feelings for a real man to show were anger, appreciation for good-looking women and love for animals and small children.But it was true.People didn't call him Boy Scout for nothing.The stallion snorted, its breath mixing with the air and creating a milky haze around them. He looked back at Jake with a judgmental dark eye and snorted again.It was too butt-freezing cold to be out on this December night trying to ride off his troubles. But he'd wanted one last look at the place, just in case he never saw it again.Jake gathered the reins, maneuvered the stallion around and headed back. No gallop this time. He kept the stallion's gait easy and slow, but each step still took him home.There were twinkling lights around the windows. A holly wreath on the door. A plastic Santa and his sleigh perched on the roof. It still didn't feel like Christmastime even though it was only three days away.Jake spotted his brother, Royce, on the porch that ran across the entire front of the ranch house. Royce was on the top step, his lanky jeans-clad legs stretched out in front of him while he took a long drag on a cigarette.Since Royce had quit smoking some four years ago, it was a reminder to Jake that he wasn't the only one in for a bad night. Royce flicked the cigarette into what was left of their sister's petunia bed. She'd complain about that come spring when she found it.By then, all of their lives here would have changed.One way or another."Dad's waiting on you." Royce got up from the step, the Christmas lights flickering off the silver deputy's badge he had clipped to his rawhide belt. "You okay?" Royce asked."No." Jake figured a lie would just stick in his throat so he didn't even try it.His brother stopped a moment as if considering that, and then he made a sound that could have meant anything before he strolled inside.Jake dismounted and led the stallion to the barn. He mumbled an apology for the hard ride while he took off the saddle and gave the horse a quick brush down. He hurried now, dreading the delay more than he dreaded the conversation that was about to take place, and Jake made his way back to the house.The moment he opened the door, he spotted them in the great room that sprawled out in front of him.Family.His brother, Royce. His sister, Nell. His father, Chet.Royce had already taken the chair near the fireplace where a stack of mesquite logs were crackling and spitting. Chet was in his leather recliner that was positioned like a throne, the toes of his black snakeskin boots aimed at the ceiling. Jake spared him a glance before he went to the room across the hall. It'd once been a guest room, but these days it was more of a home-hospital for his daughter.Sunny Lynn McCall.She owned every bit of Jake's heart.Jake didn't go in. He watched from the doorway as the visiting nurse, Betsy Becker, gave his daughter another injection. His little girl barely moved, didn't even open her eyes, despite the needle being jammed into her hip.That nearly brought Jake to his knees.Three years old was way too young to be immune to pain. Too young to die. It was up to him now to make sure that didn't happen.Betsy took off her surgical mask, came out of the room and dodged Jake's gaze. "I'm sorry. I'll be back in the morning." She gave him a pat on the arm.Betsy didn't linger, didn't speak to the others. She was a fixture now, appearing at the ranch every morning and leaving every night. She grabbed her things and let herself out. Jake had no doubts that come seven in the morning Betsy would be back to shove more needles into his baby.Sometimes life just plain sucked, but it was easier to take a kick in the teeth when he was on the receiving end of the pain. Watching Sunny suffer like this was a special form of hell that he wouldn't wish on anyone.Well, maybe there was someone.He pulled in a long breath, went into the adjoining bathroom so he could scrub up and put on a surgical mask. He wasn't sick, but they couldn't take any chances with Sunny.When Jake walked to her bed, Sunny didn't wake up and probably wouldn't, because lately she was more tired than not. He leaned down, kissed both cheeks, ran his fingers through her dark hair. He lingered a bit despite hearing Chet impatiently clear his throat.The room was as cheerful as Jake had been able to make it. The floor-to-ceiling Christmas tree in the corner was decorated with lights and angel ornaments that Sunny had picked out from an online catalog. Her stuffed animals and dolls were nearby. Coloring books, too."You gonna make us wait all night?" Chet snarled.Chet always sounded as if he was picking a fight. Except when he talked to Sunny. Jake's baby girl had wrapped her grandpa around her pinkie and vice versa. And that was the reason that Jake could still love his dad.Of course, Jake didn't like him much, but that wasn't likely to change.Jake gave Sunny another kiss, gently squeezed her hand and took off his mask so he could face his family."I'll stay with Sunny while you talk," Nell whispered. His sister didn't know what was up, but Jake knew she would always step in to take care of her niece.He was counting heavily on that."Well?" Chet, again. Another snarl. "Did you find her?'"Jake waited until Nell had closed the door to Sunny's room before he answered Chet's questions. "I found her. More or less."Royce knew where this was going, and that was no doubt why he cursed and probably wished he had another smoke or two. "She's in the Witness Security Program.""She's where?" Chet snapped."WITSEC, witness security," Jake supplied, though Chet had no doubt heard him the first time. The man was sixty-four, but there was nothing wrong with his hearing. Or his mind. "She was placed in the program after, well, just after," Jake settled for saying.Chet cursed. "The marshals won't tell you where she is." It wasn't a question, and it was followed by more cursing.Royce took up the explanation since he'd been at the sheriff's office when Jake had gotten the news. "We sent a request all the way up to the head of WITSEC, but our request was denied."Chet got to his feet and started to pace. "If I could get my hands around her neck—""She probably doesn't know Sunny's sick," Jake interrupted. "And we don't know if it'll be worth it to even find her."That was the hardest part of all. This could all be for nothing."I don't know how much the Justice Department is telling her because—" Jake had to pause and breathe "—it could be dangerous if anyone found out her new identity and her location.""Damn right it's dangerous," Chet snapped. "It's dangerous for Sunny, too. And if she can help, then I don't care about compromising her identity. Hell, I don't care if somebody guns her down like—"Thankfully, Chet had the good sense to stop. Jake already had enough bad things to deal with tonight without the memories of his late wife's murder. Of course, the memories of Anna were there.Always.Even though she'd been dead and buried for over two and a half years now, since Sunny was just a baby."Are we just going to keep calling her she and her?" Royce asked. He huffed, but Jake didn't know if he was just riled about the situation or the pronoun use. "Because she's got a name, you know?""Yeah, and it's a name not welcome here," Chet insisted.His father wasn't the forgive-and-forget sort.Neither was Jake in this situation.But Sunny needed her. And that meant Jake needed her, too."Maggie Gallagher," Jake said aloud. It was the first time that name had crossed his lips in two years, eight months and five days.Maggie, his former sister-in-law. Or would that be his late wife's sister? Or how about the woman who'd gotten Anna killed? Yeah, that was the label that fit her best.Maybe Chet had the right idea about not saying her name.... Views: 67
Troubled waters ahead! Lucas and Clara search for a scary sea monster in this third chapter book in the fantastical Kingdom of Wrenly series. Something has been making waves around Wrenly, and it's not the tides. Prince Lucas is sure that it's the mysterious sea monster that has only been heard of in tall tales. Now the legendary monster is frightening everyone—from fishermen, to the king's men, to even the hardiest of sea captains. With the aid of his best friend, Clara, and a cast of unlikely helpers, it's up to Prince Lucas to discover what is bothering the beast—and make the trouble stop! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The Kingdom of Wrenly chapter books are perfect for beginning readers. Views: 67
This classic bestselling novel about a man who encounters a woman whose power to destroy is as strong as her power to love evokes Hemingway in its naturalistic portrayal of elemental forces in both nature and humanity. Ellen's beauty was radiant, and Harland had been so struck with her personality and the strength of her character that he knew he could never leave her. When he found that she returned his adoration, he could marry her with joy, bothered just momentarily by a strange premonition. It was only later, when the premonition became a horrifying reality, that he realized the glowing loveliness of the woman he had married was the true face of evil. Views: 67
SCARECROW IS BACK
AND READY FOR ACTION #_1.jpg DEEP IN THE ARCTIC, a long-forgotten Soviet military base enshrouds a weapon of unimaginably destructive force—a Cold War doomsday device with the power to obliterate the planet. When a mysterious and brutal terrorist group known as the Army of Thieves seizes control of the remote base and unleashes the weapon upon an unsuspecting world, there is only one team close enough to sabotage them: a ragtag band of Marines and civilians led by Captain Shane Schofield, call sign “Scarecrow.” Outnumbered, outgunned, and with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Scarecrow has only a few short hours to bring down the Army of Thieves—or see the Earth go up in flames. Filled with nonstop action and told in Matthew Reilly’s characteristically white-knuckle prose, Scarecrow Returns is a work of gripping suspense and complete exhilaration. Views: 67
Regency romantic adventure67 000 wordsNot a 'sweet' romance but not 'steamy' either.Hester Frobisher arrives at Neddingfield Hall to find the gates locked. Why would Aunt Agatha invite her to stay and then bar her way? She is determined to solve this mystery on her own but her cousin, the Duke of Waverley, Ralph Sinclair, has other ideas and she is obliged to accept his help. Hester is drawn to this attractive veteran of the Peninsular Wars and Ralph finds it increasingly difficult to behave like a gentleman when she’s within arms’ reach. However, sinister forces are working to lure the two, and those who work for them, to their deaths. No one at Neddingfield is safe. Is it ghosts, or something far more dangerous that seeks to destroy them?Will Hester’s quick wits and Ralph’s courage be enough to save them all? Views: 67
