An elderly collector of second-hand books wrestles with his unusual ability to "read" the lives of his books' previous owners... and with one unique book he can't seem to read.The three stories have something in common: a sometimes grim, unhappy atmosphere; so Berserkly is the name. For the Dutch translation: Iezegrimmig1.The Two Wishes of the DevilSubmission for Thor publishing Wereldbibliotheek * Fantasy. A literary fantasy story with a touch of supernatural activity. 3rd place in the contest!...Look behind you before you make a wish...2.The Greedy KingSubmission for Fantastyval, up to 1,000 words. A fabulous fantasy in the atmosphere of Grimm's fairy tales with some light horror content....Be satisfied with what you have otherwise it will be on the expense of others, your loved ones and yourself...3.The Monster under the BedSubmission for the Fantasy Fight of Brugge, max 1,500 words. A mysterious thriller with a touch of supernatural activity and fantasy. Inspiration for this story comes from: In psychology 'monster under the bed’ is synonymous with the embodiment of all kinds of vague fears and unpleasant feelings that young children have....Don't look under you bed...Quotes from various jury reports:"A start like this is simply sublime! You know how to get the reader's attention immediately and how to create the sense of tension.”“The author has a pleasant, expressive writing style without fuss.""The descriptions of the environment and the characters are very expressive.""Nice story, well written, it's a real fairy tale." Views: 190
When her chaise is damaged in an accident far from her home, the beautiful young Lady Athina Ling has no choice but to stay at a nearby Posting inn while awaiting its repair. There she is appalled to hear the pitiful screams of a young boy who is being savagely beaten by the 'gentleman' who appears to be his Guardian. After bravely going to the child's rescue, Athina discovers that he is Peter, the nephew of the handsome Marquis of Rockingdale whose estate neighbours her own and that he, Peter, is the heir to a very considerable fortune.Seeing the child's horrific wounds, the Marquis agrees to help Athina protect and look after him – but he also needs her help with a great problem of his own. Namely that he must become engaged to be married before Queen Victoria will allow him to take up the important position of State he craves of the Master of the Horse. Which the Marquis is superbly qualified to excel at as he has been closely involved... Views: 190
Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined. Views: 190
Her father's an outlaw. He's a preacher with a teenaged daughter.When Lily agrees to her father's deathbed request, she takes the place of a mail-order bride and marries a preacher in Kansas. She doesn't expect to lose her heart to him and his daughter, and stealing his heart is the last thing on her mind, because she doesn't believe in taking anything that doesn't belong to her. A few months after their wedding, when she picks up the mail and finds a letter from the real mail-order bride, she does the only honorable thing.Elliott lost his wife six years ago. The last few years he's watched others in his church find happiness through a matrimonial service in New York City, and he longs for what they have. When Lily arrives, she's everything he's ever wanted. She's beautiful and charming and seems to love his daughter. He gladly hands his heart to her.But can a woman raised by an outlaw and a preacher who lost his mother to an outlaw's bullet find happiness... Views: 189
Young and beautiful Violetta may be of royal blood, but her kingdom is in shambles when she arrives in London on a mysterious mission. Her journey has been long and her adventures many, but it is not until she meets the playwright William Shakespeare that she gets to tell the entire story from beginning to end.
Violetta and her comic companion, Feste, have come in search of an ancient holy relic that the evil Malvolio has stolen from their kingdom. But where will their remarkable quest--and their most unusual story--lead? In classic Celia Rees style, it is an engrossing journey, full of political intrigue, danger, and romance.
This wholly original story is spun from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and includes both folly and suspense that would make the Bard proud. Views: 189
There's a murderer on the loose—but that doesn't stop the girls of St. Etheldreda's from attempting to hide the death of their headmistress in this rollicking farce.
The students of St. Etheldreda's School for Girls face a bothersome dilemma. Their irascible headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her surly brother, Mr. Godding, have been most inconveniently poisoned at Sunday dinner. Now the school will almost certainly be closed and the girls sent home—unless these seven very proper young ladies can hide the murders and convince their neighbors that nothing is wrong.
Julie Berry's The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is a smart, hilarious Victorian romp, full of outrageous plot twists, mistaken identities, and mysterious happenings. Views: 189
The Prairie: A Tale (1827) is a historical novel by James Fenimore Cooper, the third novel written by him featuring Natty Bumppo, his fictitious frontier hero, who is simply known as "the trapper" in it. Chronologically The Prairie is the fifth and final installment of the Leatherstocking Tales. It depicts Natty in the final year of his life still proving helpful to people in distress on the American frontier. Continuity with The Last of the Mohicans is indicated by the appearance of the grandson of Duncan and Alice Heyward of The Last of the Mohicans and the noble Pawnee chief Hard Heart, whose name is English for the French nickname for the Delaware, le Coeur-dur. Natty is drawn to Hard Heart as a noble warrior in the likeness of his dear friend Uncas, "the last of the Mohicans." Views: 189
The Black Mountain is a Quick Read short story from bestselling author Kate Mosse.It is May, 1706. Ana, a young Spanish woman, lives in a small town on the north-west coast of Tenerife with her mother and twin younger brothers. The town is in the shadow of a mighty volcano, which legend says has the devil living inside it. However, there has been no eruption for thousands of years and no one believes it is a threat.One day, Ana notices that the air feels strange and heavy, that the birds have stopped singing. Tending the family vineyard, a sudden strange tremor in the earth frightens her. Very soon it will be a race against time for Ana to help persuade the town that they are in danger and should flee before the volcano erupts and destroys their world. Will they listen? And Ana herself faces another danger . . . Views: 188
A band of renegades led by Sharpe's vicious enemy, Obadiah Hakeswill, holds a group of British and French women hostage on a strategic mountain pass. Outnumbered and attacked from two sides, Sharpe must hold his ground or die in the attempt. Views: 188
