A young pretender raises an army to take the throne. Learning of his father's death, the adolescent, dashing and charismatic and descended from the old kings of the North, vows to avenge him. He is supported in this war by his mother, who has spirited away her two younger sons to safety. Against them is the queen, passionate, proud, and strong-willed and with more of the masculine virtues of the time than most men. She too is battling for the inheritance of her young son, not yet fully grown but already a sadist who takes delight in watching executions. Sound familiar? It may read like the plot of Game of Thrones. Yet that was also the story of the bloodiest battle in British history, fought at the culmination of the War of the Roses. George RR Martin's bestselling novels are rife with allusions, inspirations, and flat-out copies of real-life people, events, and places of medieval and Tudor England and Europe. The Red Wedding? Based on actual events in Scottish... Views: 617
Sophia Barberry is an American Heiress of the highest order, but she’d much rather spend her time with her nose in a book. When her father seals an alliance with Lord Benedict, the future Duke of Cumberland, Sophia embraces her fate. But the heiress’ new life ends up being far less grand than she ever imagined. Her new husband proves himself to be distant and refuses to embrace his duty. When she becomes closer and closer to the Duke’s brother, will the gap of her non-existent husband be filled?Hugh, the Duke’s military-minded brother, with no riches to call his own, had no choice but to turn into a soldier. Having served a long time overseas he took the decision to have some time off with his brother. As a soldier, he tends to find Americans rebellious and unsophisticated, which creates an undeniable tension between him and his brother’s wife. With time, this friendship will turn into something dangerous for both of them. Is this relationship worth risking everything he has?In a world where secrets cannot be revealed and hidden desires are forbidden, Sophia discovers that there’s much more to her new life in Britain than meets the eye. Caught between the ignorance of her husband and the love of his brother, will she choose to risk it all for passion? Views: 617
He was looking for an A.W.O.L. elf, not a date with the kitten foster-mom who was one of his suspects.Somebody messed up and let a prototype escape from North Pole Unlimited's top secret Toys-and-Research division. Now P.I. Decker Harkness has the contract to track it down. He's not exactly sure what E.L.V.I.S does, but he's hot on the trail.Joy McCall has her hands full of foster animals and pet treats at Kitten Caboodle, but she's not too busy to notice strange goings-on at the pet shelter where she works.When their paths cross during a triple kitten-napping, Decker and Joy will have to work together to close their cases. Will everyone make it home to celebrate a merry Christmas together? Only Santa knows. North Pole Unlimited Romances:Decker and JoyHollis and IvyNick and Eve Views: 617
From America's "secret diplomatic weapon" (The Atlantic)—a man who served five presidents and ten secretaries of state—comes an impassioned argument for the enduring value of diplomacy in an increasingly volatile world. Over the course of more than three decades as an American diplomat, William J. Burns played a central role in the most consequential diplomatic episodes of his time—from the bloodless end of the Cold War to the collapse of post–Cold War relations with Putin's Russia, from post–9/11 tumult in the Middle East to the secret nuclear talks with Iran. Burns is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished and admired American statesmen of the last half century. Upon his retirement in 2014, Secretary John Kerry said Burns belonged on "a very short list of American diplomatic legends," alongside George Kennan. In The Back Channel, Burns recounts, with novelistic detail and incisive analysis, some of... Views: 617
Dear Lady Truelove . . .My twin brother and I need a new mother, though Papa insists he'll never marry again. Must be nice, brainy, and fond of cats . . .Lady Truelove may be London's most famous advice columnist, but James St. Clair, the Earl of Kenyon, knows his wild young sons need a tutor, not a new mother. They need a man tough enough to make his hellions tow the line, and James is determined to find one.Miss Amanda Leighton, former schoolteacher and governess, knows she has all the qualifications to be a tutor. And while female tutors are unheard of, Amanda isn't about to lose the chance at her dream job because of pesky details like that. If Lord Kenyon insists on hiring a man, then she has only one option . . .Jamie isn't sure what to make of his new employee, until he realizes the shocking truth—beneath the ill-fitting suits, his boys' tutor is a woman. An unconventional, outspoken, thoroughly intriguing woman. Despite Amanda's... Views: 617
