“Give you good-morrow, neighbour! Whither away with that great fardel (Bundle), prithee?” “Truly, Mistress, home to Staplehurst, and the fardel holdeth broadcloth for my lads’ new jerkins.” The speakers were two women, both on the younger side of middle age, who met on the road between Staplehurst and Cranbrook, the former coming towards Cranbrook and the latter from it. They were in the midst of that rich and beautiful tract of country known as the Weald of Kent, once the eastern part of the great Andredes Weald, a vast forest which in Saxon days stretched from Kent to the border of Hampshire. There was still, in 1556, much of the forest about the Weald, and even yet it is a well-wooded part of the country, the oak being its principal tree, though the beech sometimes grows to an enormous size. Trees of the Weald were sent to Rome for the building of Saint Peter’s. “And how go matters with you, neighbour?” asked the first speaker, whose name was Alice Benden. “Well, none so ill,” was the reply. “My master’s in full work, and we’ve three of our lads at the cloth-works. We’re none so bad off as some.” Views: 390
“A Little Maid of Old Maine” is a true story of the brave effort of two girls to bring help to a little settlement on the Maine coast at the time of the War of the Revolution. Parson Lyon, the father of Melvina, was a friend and correspondent of Washington, and the capture of the English gunboat by the Machias men is often referred to in history as “The Lexington of the Seas,” being the first naval battle after the Lexington encounter. The story is based on facts, and its readers cannot fail to be interested and touched by the courage and patriotism of Rebecca and Anna Weston as they journeyed through the forest after the powder that was to make possible the conquest of America’s foe. “A brave effort made by a little girl and her sister to bring help to a small settlement on the Maine coast at the time of the War of the Revolution. The plot is interspersed with events of historical interest, but not in the cut-and-dried textbook manner.” -Publishers Weekly “In a very pretty story for younger girls Alice Turner Curtis goes back to the days of the War of the Revolution and tells of the bravery of a small girl and her sister in those troubled times. ‘A Little Maid of Old Maine’ is the book’s title and its children bring help to a little settlement on the Maine coast. Throughout the unfolding of the plot there are bits of interesting history so that while the story is one of pure recreation it also contains things worth remembering.” -The Bookseller “A well-written story of the Revolutionary war in which the main incident is the first naval engagement of the war.” -Book Bulletin of the Chicago Public Library Views: 390
What is Past and what is Present? Edward came to light in 1990 and changed my life; the events around Edward happened in the 1480s and 1490s. Can the Past change the Present, or the other way around? This book's truth, with pains-taking detail, of both then and now, may provoke. Edward could have ended Tudor tyranny with the cup, the sword and druid glass. Let's end that tyranny over the present.If you’re very clever, and very lucky, you will learn from the practice of Law, sometimes even in the court itself, that the Truth is subjective. The truth of a novel is also subjective and, exactly as with a just and winning case, the truth of a great novel will stay with you and change your life. In Edward I have played with the Truth; taking exact and accurate facts to tell a particular story, which for 500 years was obscured from History. Here you will not find internal inconsistency or lapses of plot. Reviewers like it; but, if all I wanted was popularity I would not have told a story from the Life. The power of Edward bends Reality such that further doors have been opened, through 2 websites and numerous hyperlinks they have been opened for you.In the latest edition of Edward I have played with this access to Reality, through more than 60 hyperlinks, including 2 dedicated video links, you can explore issues surrounding Edward; from the recorded history of characters around him to the legend of the Holy Grail, from present day places to the sound of medieval music, even spirit guides.The interactive edition of Edward is revolutionary; it should change the nature of eBooks, and for that reason I’m now giving it away free. Beyond Edward itself, I wish to demonstrate what can be done with eBooks, simple principles which could be used by any writer or publisher. Download it soon, for there will come a time when the point of my humble innovation will have been made, and I shall impose a charge.Edward was the heir to the duke of Buckingham, the rightful heir to the throne, on the run for his life from Richard III at the age of 5, and hardly safer under the new king; but what of that dangerous woman the King’s mother, Eadie whom he loved and Alainore whom he would be forced to marry? For more of his story, or for that of the author, a senior partner in a Law firm, locked in unravelling what happened 500 years ago, you can see the description of the original edition (still available at Smashwords) or Google Mike Voyce. Views: 390
Cathedral of the Sea follows the fortunes of the Estanyol family, from their peasant roots to a son, Arnau, who flees the land only to realize spectacular wealth and devastating problems.
During Arnau's lifetime Barcelona becomes a city of light and darkness, dominated by the construction of the city's great pride -- the cathedral of Santa Maria del Mar -- and by its shame, the deadly Inquisition.
As a young man, Arnau joins the powerful guild of stone-workers and helps to build the church with his own hands, while his best friend and adopted brother Joan studies to become a priest.
When Arnau, who secretly loves a forbidden Jewish woman named Mar, is betrayed and hauled before the Inquisitor, he finds himself face-to-face with his own brother. Will he lose his life just as his beloved Cathedral of the Sea is finally completed? Views: 389
A couple suffering from infertility call upon supernatural forces for help.When Sluggo cruises online chat rooms, he isn’t looking for a hook-up; he’s looking for love. But love has a way of being elusive, especially when you’re not being honest. Presenting himself as “Sir Raven,” Sluggo promises his chat room cohorts he’s the “master of the night.”And then he meets someone who challenges him -- someone who claims the title “master of the night” as his own. TepesAllure’s enigmatic and flirtatious messages to Sluggo start out as fun banter, but quickly turn to eerie disquiet.As the night unfolds, so do the advances of TepesAllure ... and even when Sluggo tries to escape, he finds that getting out is not nearly as easy as getting in.NOTE: This story appears in the author’s collection, Unhinged. Views: 389
Six years have passed since England’s King Charles II returned from exile to reclaim the throne, ushering in a new era of stability for his subjects.
Except for Elizabeth Milton. The daughter of notorious poet John Milton, Elizabeth has never known her place in this shifting world—except by her father’s side. By day she helps transcribe his latest masterpiece, the epic poem Paradise Lost, and by night she learns languages and sword fighting. Although she does not dare object, she suspects that he’s training her for a mission whose purpose she cannot fathom.
Until one night the reason becomes clear: the king’s men arrive at her family’s country home to arrest her father. Determined to save him, Elizabeth follows his one cryptic clue and journeys to Oxford, accompanied by her father’s mysterious young houseguest, Antonio Vivani, a darkly handsome Italian scientist who surprises her at every turn. Funny, brilliant, and passionate, Antonio seems just as determined to protect her father as she is—but can she trust him with her heart?
When the two discover that Milton has planted an explosive secret in the half-finished Paradise Lost—a secret the king and his aristocratic supporters are desperate to conceal—Elizabeth is faced with a devastating choice: cling to the shelter of her old life or risk cracking the code, unleashing a secret that could save her father…and tear apart the very fabric of society. Views: 389
Of all the Fallen, Raze's hungers are some of the darkest and most insatiable. His brazen seductions cost him his wings, leaving him soulless and immortal, the most dangerous of seducers. He has roamed the earth for eons, hunting the rogues of his kind and protecting the humans who provide him with blood and sex. He is content with his life and the transient pleasures that flow through it... until one night and one woman change everything.
Kimberly McAdams is smart, beautiful, and wealthy. She can have any man she wants, but the moment she sets eyes on the lethally stunning Raze she knows he's the man she needs. As one searingly erotic night burns into something deeper and far more vital than either of them expected, an adversary from Raze's past sees a chance for revenge. Twisted by hatred, she will take from Raze what was taken from her—the precious gift of love.
19,500 word count Views: 389
(A sweet and clean holiday novella. Experience a medieval Christmas in authentic detail in this first book of the Holiday Knights Series.)
Sir Adam de Ware is on a mission as a spy for King Edward III. He is sent to Cavendish Castle to investigate some odd behavior from the earl. If he succeeds to get answers for the king, he will be rewarded when the mission is completed. Wanting to get close to the earl's daughter, the cold-hearted Lady Eva to find out more, Adam decides to seduce her. But the only way to seduce a woman like this is to appeal to what she most desires, and that is sumptuous food! Adam uses his unique skill of being able to cook delectable holiday dishes to lure the woman closer.
Lady Eva Cavendish will do anything to protect her father's secret, even forging missives to the king in her father's name. But when Sir Adam shows up at her doorstep on Christmas Eve with a roasted goose and all the fixings to offer, she finds that she can't turn him away. Since the death of her mother, the kitchen servants haven't been able to serve an edible dish and she longs for properly prepared food for the Christmastide season.
When the Lord of Misrule proclaims that Sir Adam will be cooking in the castle's kitchen during the twelve days of Christmas, Lady Eva cannot go against the custom of the twisted holiday tradition. And when Sir Adam starts to seduce her with everything from Partridge with Pears, to French Hens, to Collie Bird Pie, she finds his talents alluring and starts to fall for him.
Amidst the deceit, how long will the romance keep cooking? And will someone get burned in the end? Views: 389
Can the joy and hope of Christmas restore their love before it's too late? Leah Whitsett's life was ideal until the disastrous day she nearly died because of her husband's deceit. When he returns home weeks before Christmas, she knows the best gift she can give him is forgiveness, but how can she relinquish her hard-won independence knowing he plans to turn their family's life upside down again? Bryant has always known his wife was a gift he'd never deserved, but how can he provide for her in a town that no longer wants anything to do with him? He longs to atone for the misery he's put his loved ones through, but when he brings a family member home for the holidays, he and Leah may end up even further apart. With emotions high and their marriage at stake, will the season bring the hope they need...or are their rifts too large to mend? Views: 389
