"A master storyteller."—Affaire de CoeurNearing thirty, the Duke of Rathburne is finally ready to make amends for the wager that caused him and his best friends such scandal—but taking on a ward who needs a husbandis a feat he's not sure he can manage. The last he saw of Miss Marlena Fast,she was a spirited little ruffian, not the sort of bride most bachelors on the marriage mart sought. But one glance at the lovely lady she has become is enough to convince him otherwise... Orphaned young and shuffled from family to family, Marlena counts on her fierce independence and quick wits to keep herself content. Being the responsibility of a notoriously wicked duke who upended so many lives is an unexpected challenge when she realizes he arouses her decidedly feminine desires. Marlena must be careful. She has herown scandalous secret to protect. If he finds out, will it shatter her chancesof a happily-ever-after with the notorious rake? Views: 4
Heather Graham's Haunted TreasuresThree Haunting Tales of Paranormal RomancePresented together for the first time, New York Times Bestselling Author, Heather Graham brings back three tales of paranormal love and adventure.Lovers and DemonsFleeing the unholy attentions of a creature of the night, Lenore Tyler, a ravishing Confederate smuggler, joins forces with a brave Yankee officer—and discovers ecstasy in the arms of her handsome, virile enemy.And I Will Love You ForeverA beauty, overcome by war, triumphs in love when her strange dreams of a virile and ghostly Viking protector come true.Vanquish The NightAnne Pemberton, a beautiful Texas innocent falls under the haunting spell of a dashing exotic immortal, and is rescued from eternal damnation by the rapturous power of love. Views: 4
One of the supreme masterpieces of Romantic fiction and Scottish literature, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner is a terrifying tale of murder and amorality, and of one man's descent into madness and despair. James Hogg's sardonic novel follows a young man who, falling under the spell of a mysterious stranger who bears an uncanny likeness to himself, embarks on a career as a serial murderer. The memoirs are presented by a narrator whose attempts to explain the story only succeed in intensifying its more baffling and bizarre aspects. Is the young man the victim of a psychotic delusion, or has he been tempted by the devil to wage war against God's enemies? The authoritative and lively introduction by Ian Duncan covers the full range of historical and religious themes and contexts, offers a richer and more accurate consideration of the novel's relation to Romantic fiction than found elsewhere, and sheds new light on the novel's treatment of fanaticism. Copious notes identify the novel's historical, biblical, theological, and literary allusions. _______________________
It is Scotland in the early 18th century. Fear and superstition grip the land. Robert Wringhim, a boy of strict Calvinist upbringing, is corrupted by a shadowy figure who calls himself Gil-Martin. Under his influence he commits a series of murders which he regards as "justified" by God under the tenets of his faith. Hogg's book is a brilliant portrayal of the power of evil, and a scathing critique of the organized religion. Superbly crafted and deftly executed, it resists any easy explanation of events; is this stranger a figment of Robert's imagination or the devil himself?
Review "One of the great works on that sinister border between the supernatural and the psychological." —Philip Pullman "A work so moving, so funny, so impassioned, so exact and so mysterious, that its long history of neglect came as a surprise which has yet to lose its resonance." — Times Literary Supplement
About the Author James Hogg (1770-1835) was born near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. From a young age he was determined to be a poet like Burns. He became friends with Walter Scott and in 1810 he went to Edinburgh to seek a literary career. His most well-known work, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner made little impact when it first appeared (anonymously) in 1824. He continued to publish poetry and prose until his death. Views: 4
After the first flowering of the Terran Empire, which has grown increasingly decadent and corrupt, other civilizations in the galaxy threaten to take over the Terran's worlds. In this scenario steps the debonair, tough and pessimistic Dominic Flandry, half-Hans Solo, half-James Bond and a hero for the ages! Views: 4
“Troy meant one thing only to the men gathered here, as it did to their commanders. Troy was a dream of wealth; and if the wind continued the dream would crumble.”As the harsh wind holds the Greek fleet trapped in the straits at Aulis, frustration and political impotence turn into a desire for the blood of a young and innocent woman – blood that will appease the gods and allow the troops to set sail. And when Iphigeneia, Agamemnon’s beloved daughter, is brought to the coast under false pretences, and when a knife is fashioned out of the finest and most precious of materials, it looks as if the ships will soon be on their way. But can a father really go to these lengths to secure political victory, and can a daughter willingly give up her life for the worldly ambitions of her father?Throwing off the heroic values we expect of them, Barry Unsworth’s mythic characters embrace the political ethos of the twenty-first century and speak in words we recognize as our own. The blowhard Odysseus warns the men to not “marginalize” Agamemnon and to “strike while the bronze is hot.” High-sounding principles clash with private motives, and dark comedy ensues. Here is a novel that stands the world on its head.From the Hardcover edition. Views: 4
In Search of Spice is an epic historical fantasy romance, set in a world very similar to our own 12th century Europe.
Captain Larroche is the veteran master of the good ship Queen Rose, named after the beloved late Queen, the first carrack to be built in Harrhein. For Harrhein is trapped, unable to trade due to pirates cutting off the only trade route. In every other direction is endless ocean. Captain Larroche is charged with finding a new trade route, to the fabled land of Hind, and he proposes to sail over the edge of the world to find it. No wonder he has trouble finding crew.
The young people he assembles, strengthened by a squad of frontier veteran Royal Pathfinders, are more than a match for known enemies. How will they handle people of another colour, with strange habits, peculiar food, treacherous officials, different languages and customs that defy belief?
Climb aboard for a swashbuckling cruise into new lands and people, with strange animals and different ways of looking at the world. The pages ring with cultures clashing. Views: 4
