A brilliantly layered novel of crime, character, and place from the two-time Edgar Award winner, Gold Dagger Award winner, and New York Times bestselling author of Sunset Limited.
Few writers in America today combine James Lee Burke's lush prose, crackling story lines, and tremendous sense of history and landscape. In Cimmaron Rose, longtime fans of the Dave Robicheaux series found that the struggles of Texas defense attorney Billy Bob Holland show Burke at his best in exploring classic American themes--the sometimes subtle, often violent strains between the haves and the have-nots; the collision of past and present; the inequities in the criminal justice system.
Heartwood is a kind of tree that grows in layers. And as Billy Bob's grandfather once told him, you do well in life by keeping the roots in a clear stream and not letting anyone taint the water for you. But in Holland's dusty little hometown of Deaf Smith, in the hill country north of Austin, local kingpin Earl Deitrich has made a fortune running roughshod and tainting anyone who stands in his way. Billy Bob has problems with Deitrich and his shamelessly callous demeanor, but can't shake the legacy of his passion for Deitrich's "heartbreak-beautiful" wife, Peggy Jean.
When Holland takes on the defense of Wilbur Pickett--a man accused of stealing an heirloom and three hundred thousand dollars in bonds from Deitrich's office--he finds himself up against not only Earl's power and influence, but also a past Billy Bob can't will away. A wonderfully realized novel, rich in Texas atmosphere and lore, and a dazzling portrait of the deadly consequences of self-delusion, Heartwood could only have been written by James Lee Burke, a writer in expert command of his craft. Views: 509
Mrs. Claudine Grant married when she was eighteen and lost her husband less than six months later to the ravages of war. Her heart is too bruised for anymore foolish whims, and she's determined to never marry again.Hudson Lockley, the Earl of Wyndam has led a decadent life. He doesn't believe in love or marriage, but he does believe in pleasure. He lost both of his parents as a boy and was raised by his grandmother. He refuses to allow anything emotional into his life. One major devastation was enough to turn him cold—except in bed.Claudine befriends Hudson's grandmother. They cross paths often, and over time Claudine wonders what a night of true passion would be like. The earl would make a spectacular rogue for one night... Seduction takes them down an unexpected path and perhaps an all-consuming love neither had planned. Views: 509
Can a house divided against itself hope to stand?Rowland Sinclair doesn't fit with his family. His conservative older brother, Wilfred, thinks he's reckless, a black sheep; his aging mother thinks he's her son who was killed in the war. Only his namesake Uncle Rowly, a kindred spirit, understands him—and now he's been brutally murdered in his own home.The police are literally clueless, and so Rowly takes it upon himself to investigate the crime. In order to root out the guilty party, he uses his wealth and family influence to infiltrate the upper echelons of both the old and the new guard, playing both against the middle in a desperate and risky attempt to find justice for his uncle. With his bohemian housemates—a poet, a painter, and a free-spirited sculptress—watching his back, Rowly unwittingly exposes a conspiracy that just might be his undoing. Views: 509
SUMMARY:When a desperate attack on the Kilrathi homeworld destroyed the entire planet, with the Emperor and his warlords, the demoralized Kilrathi colony worlds surrendered. After 35 years of war, Earth and its own colonies welcomed "peace in our time". But the ominous reality was that plenty of independent Kilrathi warlords survived and commanded a formidable array of warships and weaponry. War weary Earth turned a deaf ear to reports of Kilrathi belligerence, preferring to look forward to a tranquil and prosperous future. But it was only the calm before a new storm. Views: 508
After her mother's suicide in 1870, Marie Lancater is sent to live with her aunt and uncle on their Rhode Island estate. Even in mourning she must always remain calm and well-mannered, as her future and marriage prospects would fall to pieces if society believed she was prone to madness like her mother. And she manages well enough – until the strange man begins appearing beneath her window.The Implant was a piece of technological genius; a tiny microprocessor loaded with information that could be sub-dermally inserted against the skull. Overnigt it became the latest cosmetic fashion accesory. Overnight you can do something new - instant knowledge on demand. The Implant is all that and more, but instant knowledge comes at a cost... Views: 508
In book one of the Ash Grove Chronicles, sixteen-year-old Joy, a plain but spunky junior at Ash Grove High School for the Performing Arts in North Carolina, must rescue chameleonic teen model Tanner Lindsey from his seductive, evil, and possibly supernatural mentor, supermodel Melisande."A satisfying supernatural YA tale that effectively mixes high school, magic and mystery." --Kirkus ReviewsBook one of the Ash Grove Chronicles. In the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains, Ash Grove High School for the Performing Arts draws the brightest and most talented teens. But beneath the peaceful surface, supernatural forces are at work...When ordinary high-school junior Joy Sumner visits a graveyard at midnight on a dare, she doesn't expect to end up sharing a kiss with brooding teen model Tanner Lindsey. And she definitely doesn't expect to make an enemy of Tanner's seductive, sinister mentor, the ageless supermodel Melisande--who may not be entirely human--or to find that her sleepy little corner of North Carolina is buzzing with supernatural energy.But most unexpected of all is when Joy finds out that she's pregnant. And when Tanner's love for her puts his life in danger, will she be able to rescue him--and save their future together?Age level: 15 and upA word from the author: As both a writer and a reader, I've always been drawn to stories in which the heroine rescues the hero, instead of the other way around. In The Shadow and the Rose, the main character, Joy, thinks of herself as ordinary and certainly not a heroine. But when she falls in love with teen model Tanner Lindsey, she finds that she has reserves of strength she never suspected. A loner from a toxic home, Tanner has never been loved before--not even by the beautiful (and much older) woman he's entangled with now--so he doesn't believe he's worth fighting for. But we and Joy know otherwise.My inspiration for The Shadow and the Rose was a centuries-old Scottish ballad called "Tam Lin," about a handsome knight who is kidnapped by the queen of the fae and rescued by a brave mortal girl who has fallen in love with him. To me, the Tam Lin story is about having faith in the person you love even when they show you unattractive, even scary sides of themselves... and even when your rival is a supernatural temptress! Views: 508
'Dazzlingly good, utterly engrossing . . . Without doubt one of the best novels of recent years' Elizabeth Day, author of How To FailThe sensational third novel from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse. One winter's afternoon on Hampstead Heath in 1980, Elise Morceau meets Constance Holden and quickly falls under her spell. Connie is bold and alluring, a successful writer whose novel is being turned into a major Hollywood film. Elise follows Connie to LA, a city of strange dreams and swimming pools and late-night gatherings of glamorous people. But whilst Connie thrives on the heat and electricity of this new world where everyone is reaching for the stars and no one is telling the truth, Elise finds herself floundering. When she overhears a conversation at a party that turns everything on its head, Elise makes an impulsive decision that will change her life... Views: 508
Samantha is faced with her greatest fear as she serves divorce papers to a man who has shut himself off from the world in his remote mountain home.NYC Midnight hosts an annual short story writing competition. I competed with over 1,400 writers in the first round of the 2015 writing challenge. Writers are placed random in heats and are given a genre, subject, and character assignment. They then have 8 days to write an original story no longer than 2,500 words. Heat 9, my heat, was assigned Ghost Story for the genre, Agoraphobia for the subject and Divorce Lawyer for the character. I came up with two stories that I liked, Liberty Meadow and Do Us Part. I submitted the former. For your reading pleasure here is that story.Synopsis Samantha is faced with her greatest fear as she serves divorce papers to a man who has shut himself off from the world in his remote mountain home. Views: 508
Full text. A sharply written tale of adventure on the seas, and fabulous gothic novel, The Phantom Ship will grip the reader from the outset, drawing one into the vibrant world of Captain Marryat’s imagination. It is the story of one Phillip Vanderdecken, and his search for a piece of the "one true cross." From the writer who inspired Herman Melville to take to the seas, this is an exciting work which combines the thrill of the narrative chase with an examination of the theme of religious tolerance, which has possibly a greater resonance today. Views: 507
AD 63 Leonidas's former trainer, Aemil, asks him to look into the disappearances of gladiators from his ludus. Leonidas and Cassia investigate, and soon uncover gruesome murders involving some of the wealthiest citizens of Rome. Leonidas pits his skills against an unknown killer who hunts gladiators from the back lanes of the Subura to prestigious villas atop Rome's hills. He and Cassia must succeed in uncovering the murderer's identity before Nero grows impatient and makes Leonidas pay for the chaos the killer has rained down upon his city. Views: 507
When June and her best friends rent a bungalow at a Maui resort, June is charmed by their gorgeous neighbor, Lance. And June has been down enough relationship paths to know that sunsets and beaches are not reality. Okay, so maybe she'll give into one kiss—what can that hurt? But when Lance promises he wants to see her after their vacation, June has to decide if she is ready for the real-deal. Views: 507
