In this sweeping epic of friendship, toil, hope and failed promise, multi-award-winning author Roger McDonald follows the story of Kingsley Colts as he chases the ghost of himself through the decades, and in and out of the lives and affections of the citizens of 'The Isabel', a slice of Australia scattered with prospectors, artists, no-hopers and visionaries. Against this spacious backdrop of sheep stations, timeless landscapes and the Five Alls pub, men play out their fates, conduct their rivalries and hope for the best. Major Dunc Buckler, 'misplaced genius and authentic ratbag', scours the country for machinery in a World War that will never find him. Wayne Hovell, slave to 'moral duty', carries the physical and emotional scars of Colts's early rebellion, but also finds himself the keeper of his redemption. Normie Powell, son of a rugby-playing minister, finds his own mysticism as a naturalist, while warm-hearted stock dealer Alan Hooke longs for understanding in a house... Views: 9
RITE OF PASSIONElizabeth Boleyn has been ordered to yield to a lecherous king what she most prizes---her innocence. His physicians have instructed him to sleep with a virgin to cure his pox, though it will mean her death. Now, at the tournament held on the glittering Field of Cloth of Gold, her beauty has attracted not only the eyes of the king but those of the handsome Scottish warrior Ambrose Macpherson, whose bold offer to bed her might be her only salvation.... QUEST OF LOVEAmbrose Macpherson feels desire for the exquisite daughter of the English diplomat. That the hated English king is pursuing her makes Elizabeth an even greater prize, engulfing Ambrose's very soul with fire and fury. But suddenly, after witnessing an act of treachery that could topple the crown, Elizabeth has vanished. Ambrose knows that fate will allow him no rest until he finds the only woman he has ever loved. And once she is found, he and Elizabeth can share a passion strong enough to nurture a lifetime of love . . Views: 9
It was not a marriage made in heaven. It was a union decreed in her will by Aunt Sophie. She planned to end the feud between two branches of her family by naming joint heirs. Valentin Vicount Ardsmore, and Nicole Harcourt, daughter of his disgraced uncle and a French ballet dancer, would inherit Aunt Sophie's fortune only if they married each other. Views: 8
Any red-blooded American male would be all over Cressa Curtis. She's gorgeous, she's wild and clearly she's open for a no-strings-attached adventure. But Adam Walker's been there, done that. And now he wants more for himself. Even with his history, Adam still believes in love and family and marriage and the whole white picket fence--hardly what Cressa is offering.Besides, everything about the crazy Kiwi spells danger and distraction--two things Adam can't afford to risk with his sights set on medical school. He's only in New Zealand for a month. Surely he can resist Cressa's advances that long.... Views: 8
The night before his final exams, a semi-alcoholic teenager packs up his gear and disappears into the woods. Totally unprepared for bush life, he nearly dies until he meets someone else who has her own reasons to hide. Views: 8
Wanted: Husband and Father Stunned that his sister ordered him a mail-order bride, John Wallin insists he's not the husband Dottie Tyrrell needs. The scholarly logger knows Dottie will make the perfect wife—for some other man. Yet he's compelled to invite the lovely widow and her infant son to stay with his family...but only until she can find her own way. Dreams of true love are for other women. Betrayed by her baby's father, Dottie just wants a safe home for her precious child. But who could resist a man with John's quiet strength? When her secret past brings danger to their door, they may yet find this mail-order mix-up to be the perfect mistake... Views: 8
America struggles to rebuild in the aftermath of Lincoln’s assassination. Promises will be broken, and everyone you have grown to love will be asked to pay a high price to make freedom for the slaves more than just a mockery. Robert fights to emerge from the darkness as Carrie risks everything to bring him back to her. Moses is offered the opportunity of a lifetime, while Rose returns to her roots with a dream that will change everything. Matthew is caught up in the worst maritime disaster in American history, while Jeremy discovers the cost of embracing his true heritage. Thomas and Abby are surprised by a future they never dreamed was possible. Views: 8
The award-winning author of Clash of Eagles and Eagle in Exile brings his masterly alternate-history saga of the Roman invasion of North America to a stunning conclusion. Roman Praetor Gaius Marcellinus came to North America as a conqueror, but after meeting with defeat at the hands of the city-state of Cahokia, he has had to forge a new destiny in this strange land. In the decade since his arrival, he has managed to broker an unstable peace between the invading Romans and a loose affiliation of Native American tribes known as the League. But invaders from the west will shatter that peace and plunge the continent into war: The Mongol Horde has arrived and they are taking no prisoners. As the Mongol cavalry advances across the Great Plains leaving destruction in its path, Marcellinus and his Cahokian friends must summon allies both great and small in preparation for a final showdown. Alliances will shift, foes will rise, and... Views: 8
A volley rings out - a nervous volley it is true, yet a volley. Before the fatal shots are fired I had called the battalion to attention. There is a pause, I wait. I see the medical officer examining the victim. He makes a sign, the subaltern strides forward, a single shot rings out. Life is now extinct... We march back to breakfast... This is war.' Brigadier-General Crozier describes an execution he has ordered of a man who fell asleep on sentry duty. Much has been written about the 346 men who were executed in WW1 but there is usually only a passing reference to those who took part - the members of the firing squad, the officer in charge, the medical officer and the padre. What are their stories? Through extensive research, David Johnson explores how they were selected and how they were treated before, during, and after the executions, and why there were so many procedural variation in the way that the executions were conducted. Views: 8
