Bellamy and the Brute by Alicia MichaelsA fresh twist on a classic story, Bellamy and the Brute proves true love really is blind.When Bellamy McGuire is offered a summer job babysitting for the wealthy Baldwin family, she's reluctant to accept. After all, everyone in town knows about the mysterious happenings at the mansion on the hillincluding the sudden disappearance of the Baldwin's eldest son, Tate. The former football star and golden boy of Wellhollow Springs became a hermit at the age of sixteen, and no one has seen or heard from him since. Rumors abound as to why, with whisperings about a strange illnessone that causes deformity and turned him into a real-life monster. Bellamy wants to dismiss these rumors as gossip, but when she's told that if she takes the job, she must promise to never, ever visit the third floor of the mansion, she begins to wonder if there really is some dark truth hidden there.Tate's condition may not be the only secret being kept at Baldwin House. There are gaps in the family's financial history that don't add up, and surprising connections with unscrupulous characters. At night there are strange noises, unexplained cold drafts, and the electricity cuts out. And then there are the rose petals on the staircase. The rose petals that no one but Bellamy seems to be able to see. The rose petals that form a trail leading right up to the 3 rd floor, past the portrait of a handsome young man, and down a dark hallway where she promised she would never, ever go…
As Bellamy works to unravel the mysteries of Baldwin House and uncover the truth about Tate, she realizes that she is in way over her head… in more ways than one. Can her bravery and determination help to right the wrongs of the past and free the young man whose story has captured her heart? Views: 59
Fated lovers have a rare chance to reclaim the love cruelly denied them in the past, but can they grasp this brief window in time before it’s too late?Two hundred years ago Captain Cole Wentworth, the master of an elegant Virginian home, was murdered in his chamber where his portrait still hangs. Presently the estate is a family owned museum run by Will Wentworth, a man so uncannily identical to his ancestor that spirit-sensitive tour guide Julia Morrow has trouble recognizing Cole and Will as separate. As Julia begins to remember the events of Cole’s death, she must convince Will that history is repeating, and this time he has the starring role in the tragedy. The blade is about to fall.“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca long ago. Using the same deliciously eerie elements similar to that gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.” ~joysann for Publisher’s WeeklyExcerpt: Lord, give him air. Julia had engulfed him in an irresistible tide. Her mouth...he must stop eyeing her enticing mouth. “Let’s see the gardens now.” Like a soldier on drill, Will turned and walked swiftly out of the hall and into the passage that led to the front of the house. Julia practically had to sprint to keep pace with his ground-covering stride. The gentleman in him took over on autopilot and he stopped in the worn flagstone foyer before the paneled entrance. He pushed open the white door embellished by the carving of colonial craftsmen and beckoned to her. “After you.” “Thank you.” She walked across the threshold and onto the circular brick porch ringed with an iron railing. The breeze had picked up with the approach of evening and lifted lengths of her long hair. Her already short skirt danced in the wind. The green-gold light spilled through the trees overhead and down across her blowing mane. His artist’s eye took in the glossy sheen of red, copper, and ginger reflecting the rays. As if this weren’t torment enough, Will glimpsed even more of her shapely legs, almost to her thighs with one gust. Julia pushed the fabric back down, seemingly too absorbed in her surroundings even to notice. “Just smell that,” she sighed, inhaling deeply.The warm scent from an avenue of ancient hedges filled the mild air. “Yes. I love the scent of Old English boxwood,” he said. She flung her arms wide at the green expanse, knotted with herb gardens, and stretching down to the gently lapping river. “Magnificent!”Will felt weak and emboldened in one, as if he wanted to lunge with a sword and stagger from a punishing blow. An inner voice whispered, Julia’s back. What did that have to do with him, he argued.Everything.~ReviewAs I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca. Using deliciously eerie elements...Beth Trissel captured the haunting dangers... --Publisher's Weekly Beyond Her Book by joysannI liked the premise of this story and it was very well written with very detailed characters. --Bitten By BooksA very sweet romance in the classic Romeo & Juliet Style. In this tale, our present day hero and heroine begin to question whether or not true love can cross the barriers of time... --Happily Ever After by reviewer Barbara2008 Winner Preditor's & Editor's Readers PollFrom the AuthorVirginia has more ghost stories than any other state in the Union, not necessarily because we have a more fertile imagination, but sadly because the Old Dominion has seen more bloody battles over the centuries than any other. And yet, this multitude of hauntings doesn't only feature soldiers caught in an endless fray who haven't gotten word the war's over. Many tales feature the myriad of people, great and small, who dwelt in our richly historic state. The old Virginia homes and plantations have accumulated a wealth of such stories. While touring some of these English styled manor homes with my dear mother I conceived the idea for Somewhere My Love. Added to this meld of vintage Virginia is my own heritage, a vast source of inspiration from my childhood. On my father's side, I descend from old Southern gentry, now impoverished after the Civil War, Great Depression, and various other misfortunes, but the gracious Georgian home his ancestor built (circa 1816) still stands outside the historic town of Staunton, VA. The magnificent ancestral portraits in my family and on display in other Virginia homes held me transfixed, wondering. And it was just such a portrait of a striking dark-haired gentleman who embedded himself in my thoughts. Who was he? Why did he die so young? That other painting of the fair young lady...did she love him? Often, the guides at these old homes are brimming with tales. But other times we are left to wonder...and ask ourselves are these folk who've gone before us truly gone, or do some still have unfinished business in this realm? And what of the young lovers whose time was tragically cut short, do they somehow find a way? Love conquers all, and so I answer 'yes.' Views: 59
She’s a spoiled shopaholic with daddy issues. He’s a socially conscious vegetarian who doesn’t hide his disdain for people who come from the trappings of wealth. Of course, none of that would have mattered if Chloe could have just left her summer fling with Chase behind her without a glance back—something that will prove impossible when the consequences of that fling rear their head. Particularly one consequence; one with ten fingers, ten toes, and the potential to turn Chloe’s privileged life upside down. But deciding what to do about her unexpected pregnancy is only one of Chloe’s problems. When Chase moves in across the hall, pretending that their one night together didn’t mean anything will be the hardest thing she’s ever had to do. Especially when that night meant more to her than she’d ever want to admit out loud. Chase is determined to make her see that they could be so much more than a mindless fling; and a girl who’s used to getting her way will find Chase’s determination hard to resist when love is at stake. Views: 59
The City of San Francisco is locked in a grip of fear. A series of occult murders has lead, Inspector Thomas James to a crime scene similar to a murder committed 90 years ago in the once grand Aleris Hotel. A place where power barons of the early 20th Century engaged in witchcraft. And silent film stars indulged in the most wicked of sins.A place where no one questions the black smoke that rises from the hotel's incinerators in the middle of the night. Views: 59
When an 1850s financial crisis leaves orphan Elise Neumann and her sisters destitute, Elise seizes their only hope: to find work out west through the Children's Aid Society and send money home. On the rails, she meets privileged Thornton Quincy, who suddenly must work for his inheritance. From different worlds, can these two help each other find their way? Views: 59
Libby is set
on taming the outback as she takes over Quincy Station, but can she
tame her rough neighbor, Nathan's, hardened heart as well?
***
Nathan Miller rattles Libby's nerves more than she cares to admit. He
is the one person that stands between her and the family home that has
been left to her. So why then does the man stir her up to such an
extent, her body pulses with the need to have him? They do nothing but
clash and snap at one another, and he makes no bones about the fact she
shouldn't be Quincy's Station's new owner, but back in the city where he
thinks she belongs.
Having had an unpleasant clash with a "city girl" once before, Nathan
does not think Libby has it in her to stick it out. He refuses to give
in to his urges. But when Mother Nature brings chaos to Quincy Station
and threatens Libby's children, he'll either be proved right in his
assumptions or find his barriers taken down by a stubborn woman and her
kids. Views: 59
A lady disguises herself as a maid to avoid a marriage that would snatch away her inheritance, only to be aided in her escape by a seeming servant who is in fact the legendary Regency Robin Hood, the Saint of Seven Dials. Love is the last thing either of them needs just now, but when was love ever wise? Views: 59
Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.Anson: I was just a mercenary back from fighting the good fight overseas. I was on a quest for my father, my roots, looking for answers. Turk Blackburn, Bent Zealots MC Prez, ordered me on a fresh operation to prove myself, my guts, my valor. Infiltrate the Navajo Rez and find out who is claiming the Zealots’ turf, using kids to cook drugs.My partner is the famous badge slut, Ormond Tangier, known far and wide for his mad oral skills, his subservience to anyone in uniform. Mercenaries don’t wear badges, but my dominant side soon has me all over that seductive Spanish servant. A man may as well have a few laughs while on a fatal mission. Because these things never end pleasantly.Ormond: I was flung into a life-or-death battle against the slimy Iceman, leader of a rival MC. Iceman is running all sorts of questionable ops on Bent Zealots land, and now Anson and I have to prove our street creds just to stake a claim in our own backyard.I’m a friend of cops, firemen, and soldiers alike, but suddenly I only want one man ordering me around. Anson Dineyazzie, macho half-breed hired gun, has stolen more than just my heart. This was never supposed to happen.Anson: I swear I’m never falling for that service bottom Ormond. I’m accomplishing this op and going back to Afghanistan. But I have to wrest control of this Rez land from Iceman and the lethal hit man who has been trailing us. I’d bury anyone who got between me and Ormond. Does that mean I’m in love? God, I hope not. Don’t think I can take that again. Just need to get back onto the open road and blow the dust from my soul. Views: 59
