The passionate and turbulent story of Robert Louis Stevenson and his tempestuous American wife, Fanny.
At the age of thirty-five, Fanny van de Grift Osbourne leaves her philandering husband in San Francisco and sets sail for Belgium to study art, with her three children and a nanny in tow. Not long after her arrival, however, tragedy strikes, and Fanny and her brood repair to a quiet artists' colony in France where she can recuperate. There she meets Robert Louis Stevenson, ten years her junior, who is instantly smitten with the earthy, independent and opinionated belle Americaine.
A woman ahead of her time, Fanny does not immediately take to the young lawyer who longs to devote his life to literature, and who would eventually write such classics as Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In time, though, she succumbs to Stevenson's charms. The two begin a fierce love affair, marked by intense joy and harrowing darkness, which spans decades as they travel the world for the sake of his health. Eventually they settled in Samoa, where Robert Louis Stevenson is buried underneath the epitaph:
Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.
(Requiem, Robert Louis Stevenson) Views: 842
The Rescue, book two in the series, is set in 1811 England. When Anne Gardiner slips from a ladder into the arms of a stranger, her father, Colonel Gardiner, deems the innocent embrace cause for immediate marriage.
Weston eventually sees that the “marriage” was performed for the Colonel’s sake and that Anne had no choice. When he learns that she’s sacrificed her own reputation to protect his name, Weston finds himself drawn to Anne.
But will these two guarded people give love a chance? And can they trust God enough to step into a new, real relationship? Views: 841
From the author of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool comes a stunning portrait of the first perilous years of Elizabeth I's reign.
As a new queen, Elizabeth faces two great dangers: the French invasion of Scotland, which threatens to put Mary Queen of Scots on her throne, and her passion for the convicted traitor Robert Dudley.
But Dudley is already married, and his devoted wife Amy will never give him up, least of all to an upstart Protestant Princess. She refuses to set her beloved husband free to marry the queen; but she cannot prevent him from becoming the favorite and the focus of the feverishly plotting, pleasure seeking court.
Others too oppose the marriage, but for very different reasons. William Cecil, the queen's wisest counselor, knows she must marry for policy; her uncle hates Dudley and swears he will be murder him first. Behind the triangle of lovers, the factions take up their places: the Protestants, the priests, the assassins, the diplomats and the moneymakers. The very coin of England is shaved and clipped to nothing as Elizabeth uncertainly leads her bankrupt country into a war that no-one thinks can be won.
Then someone acts in secret, and for Elizabeth, Dudley and the emerging kingdom, nothing will be as planned.
Blending historical fact with contemporary rumor, Philippa Gregory has created a dark and tense novel of Tudor times, which casts Elizabeth I in a light no one has suggested before. Passionate, fearful, emotionally needy, this is a queen who will stop at nothing. Views: 841
Best-selling author Michael Morpurgo turns his storytelling skills to the drama and tragedy of the Spanish Civil War, illustrated by Michael Foreman.
TORO,TORO is the story of a young boy growing up in Andalucia, Spain, on a farm rearing bulls for the bull ring. Antonito hand rears a little black calf and they become firm friends, but the boy doesn't yet understand the fate of the black bulls – the corrida and death. Later, when he learns of the horrors of the bull fight, he frees Paco, the black bull, and rides with him into the hills.There they witness the bombing of their village (it's the year 1936, and the Spanish Civil War has started) and Antonito cannot go back – his family and the farm are destroyed, and Paco has run off, wild with fright. He decides to stay in the hills, where he meets up with the Resistance fighters. During the War, Antonito hears stories round the campfire of the wonderful black bull, who becomes a symbol of freedom for them all. Could this really be Paco? But no-one has ever seen him. After the war, when Antonito is working as a muleteer in the mountains, he falls asleep and dreams of Paco. In the morning, he wakes to see hoof prints on the ground beside him…
A delightful story, full of nostalgia and drama in the author's own inimitable style. Illustrated by Michael Foreman. Views: 839
Make your skin tingle and your heart race with this short sampler of sweet, steamy, and tantalizing kiss scenes by ten bestselling authors. Excerpts by Sabrina York; Julie Johnstone; Bronwen Evans; Tammy Andresen; Monica Burns; Gina Conkle; Shana Galen; Vanessa Kelly; Amanda Mariel; and Meara PlattSusana and the Scot, Sabrina YorkMake your skin tingle and your heart race with this short sampler of sweet, steamy, and tantalizing kiss scenes by ten bestselling authors. Excerpts by Sabrina York; Julie Johnstone; Bronwen Evans; Tammy Andresen; Monica Burns; Gina Conkle; Shana Galen; Vanessa Kelly; Amanda Mariel; and Meara PlattSusana and the Scot, Sabrina YorkAndrew Lochlannach is famous for his conquests. Banished to the highlands after a kissing contest, he has no regrets—especially his embrace with the beguiling Susana. Susana is not some innocent farm girl, and she refuses to be just another conquest of the wicked Scot who won a kiss from her.My Fair Duchess, Julie JohnstoneYears of playing a rogue to hide a dark secret, leaves the Duke of Aversley feeling tainted beyond redemption until hope arrives in the form of a quick-witted lady. Facing financial ruin, Lady Amelia De Vere finds herself participating in a bet between her brother and the handsome Duke Of Aversley. A Whisper of Desire, Bronwen EvansLady Marisa Hawkestone’s nightmare begins when she wakes up naked next to Maitland Spencer, the “Cold Duke” of Lyttleton. As a Libertine Scholar, Maitland must be vigilant, despite his bride’s attractions. But now he must save Marisa, who sets his heart aflame or die trying.Midnight Magic, Tammy AndresenJessie Walsh is running for her life. Disguising her identity, she flees to Texas hoping she’s run far enough. Jake Tate has his hands full and doesn’t need another problem. But when passion ignites between them, will Jessie’s past destroy their future?Kismet, Monica BurnsA dark, seductive sheikh with a tortured past fights to control his obsession for a woman who offers him a wager he refuses to lose. What happens between them is...KISMET To Find a Viking Treasure, Gina ConkleSestra’s lived by her wits, but she wants security. Uppsala’s in turmoil and she holds the key to a buried treasure that means life or death for many. Brand’s plans don’t include saving anyone, especially not a lushly curved, sharp-tongued thrall. But he vows to protect Sestra, and they must now share trust.Earls Just Want to Have Fun, by Shana GalenMarlowe runs with the Covent Garden Cubs, a gang of thieves living in the slums. But she once went by a different name. Maxwell, Lord Dane, is intrigued by the beautiful hellion thought to be the lost daughter of a Marquess. Teaching her to navigate society’s eddies, he’s drawn into her dangerous world, where love is the greatest risk of all.How to Marry a Royal Highlander, by Vanessa KellyTen years after Alasdair Gilbride fled the Highlands and an arranged betrothal, tending to his responsibilities that would be much easier without the distraction of beautiful Eden Whitney. Snubbed by the ton, Eden is rusticating in the Scottish wilderness with only Alasdair for temptation. Now his life and her reputation are at stake—and their hearts already irreparably lost.Scandalous Intentions, by Amanda MarielFaced with losing his father’s support, notorious rake Lord Julian Luvington sets his sights on the respectable Lady Sarah. But the lady is not easily won. Lady Sarah Roseington is determined to marry for love. A blackguard like Luvington could destroy her reputation, but marriage has its advantages. What’s a lady to do? My Fair Lily, by Meara PlattEwan Cameron, proud of his Scottish heritage, visits London because of a deathbed promise. No one can tempt him to remain past his three-month obligation, except a beautiful bluestocking. When the Duke of Lotheil approaches Lily Farthingale with the chance to earn her place in the Royal Society, she accepts a challenge to reconcile Lotheil and his grandson. Views: 839
The third instalment in Bernard Cornwell's King Alfred series, following on from the outstanding previous novels The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman, both of which were top ten bestsellers. The year is 878 and Wessex is free from the Vikings. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, helped Alfred win that victory, but now he is disgusted by Alfred's lack of generosity and repelled by the king's insistent piety. He flees Wessex, going back north to seek revenge for the killing of his foster father and to rescue his stepsister, captured in the same raid. He needs to find his old enemy, Kjartan, a renegade Danish lord who lurks in the formidable stronghold of Dunholm. Uhtred arrives in the north to discover rebellion, chaos and fear. His only ally is Hild, a West Saxon nun fleeing her calling, and his best hope is his sword, with which he has made a formidable reputation as a warrior. He will need the assistance of other warriors if he is to attack Dunholm and he finds Guthred, a slave who believes he is a king. He takes him across the Pennines to where a desperate alliance of fanatical Christians and beleaguered Danes form a new army to confront the terrible Viking lords who rule Northumbria. 'The Lords of the North' is a powerful story of betrayal, romance and struggle, set in an England of turmoil, upheaval and glory. Uhtred, a Northumbrian raised as a Viking, a man without lands, a warrior without a country, has become a splendid heroic figure. Views: 839
Victoria “Smokey” Simmons stands silently on deck as her father’s body is lowered into the Atlantic, asking God for the strength she will need to command the Aramis alone. Not wanting to remain at sea forever, Smokey dreams of the time when she can trade her life aboard ship for a home and family. When she meets another captain, Dallas Knight, Smokey believes her dream will finally come true. But circumstances beyond their control and the schemes of a cunning pirate threaten to destroy this young couple’s hope for the future.
Wings of the Morning carries readers on a tender journey of love in which painful events become lasting blessings in the Father’s care. Views: 839
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory comes the stunning first novel of a thrilling trilogy about the Lacey family, and the captivating woman at the heart of a power-hungry estate willing to go to any means to protect her family name.
Beatrice Lacey, as strong-minded as she is beautiful, refuses to conform to the social customs of her time. Destined to lose her heritage and beloved Wideacre estate once she is wed, Beatrice will use any means necessary to protect her ancestral name. Seduction, betrayal, even murder--Beatrice's passion is without apology or conscience. "She is a Lacey of Wideacre," her father warns, "and whatever she does, however she behaves, will always be fitting." Yet even as Beatrice's scheming seems about to yield her dream, she is haunted by the one living person who knows the extent of her plans...and her capacity for evil.
Sumptuously set in Georgian England from the "queen of royal fiction" (USA TODAY), Wideacre is intensely gripping, rich in texture, and full of color and authenticity. It is a saga as irresistible in its singular magic as its heroine. Views: 838
Bestselling romance writer Hayden Lane has found her soul mate - or rather, created him: he's her latest fictional hero. And she's totally obsessed with him. Barely noticing when her real-life fiance breaks their engagement, she visits a psychic to learn more about him - and is told that in a past life Hayden was Lady de Grey, a promiscuous woman of Edwardian England. Hayden can't resist submitting to a hypnotist's magic. But the trick goes wrong, and instead of merely remembering her past as Lady de Grey, Hayden is living it. Now she will discover quite a different story about a woman history considered a trollop, a spectacular, brooding man, and the rapturous love that would be hers if she dared open her heart to the most mysterious adventure of all. Views: 837
We return to Chorleywood, home of the Tollins, tiny creatures with wings who aren't fairies and are about as fragile as a brick wall. In three thrilling stories, they will face the trials of theater, radio technology, and . . . armed invasion. Luckily, there's only medium exposure to danger . . . such as when Sparkler catches his hand in a pair of pliers.
In "Romeo and Beryl," Sparkler discovers an old human book and decides to put on a play of a story that is filled with great love and even more shouting. At the same time, a new craze sweeps Chorleywood as dragonfly racing literally takes off.
In "Radio," the Dark Tollins of Dorset invade in force, with a housecat leading the charge. Sparkler, Wing, and Grunion must find a way to save themselves, and possibly the cat as well.
Finally, in "Bones," the Tollins leave Chorleywood on a mission of mercy. The homes of the Dark Tollins are about to be blown up by humans! We will discover the importance of hot tea and toast in such desperate times. As well as jam, obviously. Once again, it's Sparkler and his band of Tollins to the rescue! Views: 837
The last thing Clarissa LaRoux can remember happened in 1965, but when she woke up in the hospital, it was 2013 and her best friend was suddenly 48 years older than her. Opaline Mooreland and her son Raymond take it upon themselves to help solve her mysterious lapse and determine whether or not it has anything to do with the goblin that appeared in her window that fateful night.Second Officer John Blake can't believe his eyes when Dave Calloden meets him as he exits sleep mode aboard the star ship. Dave seems the same but for one thing, John was told by the computer that Dave had died earlier. Views: 837
This is the story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms.
The story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed nobleman, who is captured as a child by the Danes and then raised by them so that, by the time the Northmen begin their assault on Wessex (Alfred’s kingdom and the last territory in English hands) Uhtred almost thinks of himself as a Dane. He certainly has no love for Alfred, whom he considers a pious weakling and no match for Viking savagery, yet when Alfred unexpectedly defeats the Danes and the Danes themselves turn on Uhtred, he is finally forced to choose sides. By now he is a young man, in love, trained to fight and ready to take his place in the dreaded shield wall. Above all, though, he wishes to recover his father’s land, the enchanting fort of Bebbanburg by the wild northern sea.
This thrilling adventure—based on existing records of Bernard Cornwell’s ancestors—depicts a time when law and order were ripped violently apart by a pagan assault on Christian England, an assault that came very close to destroying England. Views: 837
After the end of World War One Margaret is finding Christmas hard - she has to do the work of two men on the family farm. Can the arrival of a stranger lend some Christmas cheer?This is the original which I have not edited. It is work in progress and one day I will find time to turn it into something.I have plans for more of the storyline to follow but that will have to wait until I have more time to write it.This was what I wrote in the 30 days of November 2011. Views: 836
Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. A kingdom built on gold. A legend shattered by greed. Now the Valley of Kings lies ravaged by war, drained of its lifeblood, as weak men inherit the cherished crown. On the eve of the festival of Osiris, the loyal subjects of the Pharaoh gather in Thebes to pay tribute to their leader. Exploding with all the passion and rage of a bygone time, River God is a masterpiece of historical writing. Views: 835
