A group of figures, cloaked in long black robes, were standing in a circle softly chanting a name. She could hear them repeating, "Selina, Selina, Selina," over and over again. Her mind reeled with disbelief as she leaned against the barn door to steady herself. She murmured to herself, "This can't be real, it's only a dream. I must be dreaming." As she stood leaning slightly against the barn door, she was unaware of a cloaked figure who had watched, in the dim moonlight, as she had approached the barn. As she stared dumbstruck with terror at the figures in the barn, the shadow moved from its position in the darkness, silently creeping up from behind her, raising a large club. The specter swung the club downward with tremendous force, crushing her skull. Lois Aldridge didn't hear the sound as the bludgeon crunched against the back of her head. She had joined her husband in death.
“A stunning and satisfying volume” of short stories about women and their relationships, from a winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize (Booklist). This collection of short fiction deals with the struggles between mothers and their wayward daughters, the often preposterous bonds that tie men and women together, and the complex games masters and servants play with one another. Whether describing a mother mired in senile dementia in “Ma,” a young girl’s loss of innocence with an itinerant knife-sharpener in “Under the House,” or a young woman incapable of conventional love in “An Error of Desire,” Lynn Freed portrays the absurdity, the delusions, the dramas, and the dignity of her characters’ lives. “Women’s relationships—with their mothers, their lovers, their culture and their own sexuality—are the subject of the 14 stories in this fine collection. Freed . . . creates achingly real women and lovingly rendered misfits, and she reports straightforwardly and without judgment on their unconventional urges and questionable decisions.” —Publishers Weekly
A small group of elves have ended up in a strange, foreign world. Their biggest wish is to get home. But they have a long and dangerous journey ahead of them. The elves have come to the kingdom of sorrow. The king of the land has been cursed and is sleeping a deathlike sleep. Anemone tries to free him and break the curse of the bloody sword. But she cannot do it without the help of her friends. This is the fourth book in a series of eight books about the elf queen‘s children. This is the story about a small group of elves, who suddenly end up far, far away from their home. They have come to a distant and foreign place, where no one has ever heard of the land of elves. Tall mountains and mighty waters block their way home. And they make enemies, who hunt them without mercy. But nothing makes the elves give up. They will defy all dangers and obstacles to get home to the land of elves, where the woods are green and the springs flow with refreshing water. Peter Gotthardt was born in Denmark close to Copenhagen in 1946. As a child he loved to read, and spent much of his time reading his was through his local library's collections of history and adventure books. Gotthardt has written more than 60 books for children of which many are set within the realm of the Elves.
While Garth, the victim of an ancient spell, searches desperately for the key that will free him from his family's ancient secrets, Miranda eludes the secret admirer who is dogging her path.
After her well-intentioned sister meddled in magic, Jaelle has become the most coveted object in Terrefantome. And, to her great dismay, her only hope seems to lie in the hands of a foreign prince. Can she risk trusting this stranger if it means breaking the curse? And what will she do when that reluctant trust begins to change into something more? Jaelle knows better than to trust men. Every girl in Terrefantome knows that. But when her plan to escape her oppressive kingdom with her sister goes awry, she finds herself with an unwanted magical gift and her sister in peril. To make matters worse, Jaelle has been thrust into the company of a foreign prince on a mysterious mission. With no one else to turn to, Jaelle must choose between trusting and aiding him in his quest and receiving his help in return...or saving her sister and breaking the magic on her own. Prince Lucas of Maricanta is on the most important mission of his life. If he fails, his kingdom will be overrun by criminals of the most violent kind. When his meddling mother follows him into enemy territory, however, dragging along some poor girl that she insists is his future wife, he must alter plans to finish his mission and protect them all. Jaelle and Lucas know his mother's plan to betroth them is far-fetched. They also know, however, that in Terrefantome, playing along with the sham engagement is safer by far than the truth. But with enemies closing in on every side and their own affections getting muddled along the way, Lucas and Jaelle must choose between the futures they've sacrificed for and the love of which they've always dreamed. If you want the magic of Narnia and the romance of fairy tales, read this clean fantasy retelling of Toads and Diamonds today to escape into the Classical Kingdoms Collection, a series of clean fantasy fairy tale retellings with magical mystery, clean, passionate romance, and heroic happily-ever-afters. Author’s Note: A Curse of Gems is the seventh book in The Classical Kingdoms Collection, but it can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone.
A Gypsy curse that must be broken. A dangerous secret that cannot be revealed… Clara’s a shape-shifter who’s cursed. The curse is making life impossible and she wants rid of it - even though she’s been told it can’t be done. Luke’s a Gypsy whose clan is camped at Clara’s town. He spends his days exploring the area while carefully avoiding the ‘townies’ that live there. Then Clara and Luke’s worlds collide and an opportunity arises that Clara simply can’t resist - the Gypsies may know how to break the curse. Can Clara infiltrate the mysterious and distrustful Gypsy clan? Will she be able to uncover their secrets – at the risk of revealing her own? A Litpick Top Choice Award winner, ‘A Gypsy Curse’ is the second book in the Full Moon series. If you enjoy a rollercoaster ride of action and suspense, then this book is a must read.
View our feature on Michelle Rowen’s The Demon in Me.Hell hath no fury like a woman possessed... After her hunky police detective partner guns down a serial killer in front of her, "psychic consultant" Eden Riley realizes that she's no longer alone. A voice in her head introduces himself as Darrak. He's a demon. But not in a bad way. He was cursed 300 years ago and he wants to find a way to break free. Eden's psychic energy helps him take form during daylight, and she's going to have to learn to live with this sexy demon...like it or not.
SELENAS DOWRY. SELENAS HERITAGE. THE CURSE OF SELENAS DOWRY COMES FULL CIRCLE. MURDER. HER HERITAGE LIES IN THE HANDS OF HER CHILDREN. ALL WILL COME DOWN TO A BATTLE OF WITS AND LOYALTIES TO THE FAMILY. ONE IS SELENAS JUDAS. THE OTHER.A NEW AND TRUE ETHERINGTON.
