On town streets or in green fields, at fairs, race meetings and saints' patron days, rival gangs of Irishmen used to meet to battle and beat each other with cudgels and sticks. The practice was particularly prevalent in the 1800s, and involved tens, hundreds and even thousands of men and women at a time. Days of the Blackthorn uses eyewitness descriptions, as well as the oral history of local communities, to provide a visceral sense of this exciting and brutal activity in County Kerry. From the Battle of Ballyeagh between the Cooleens and the Lawlors that left eighteen dead, to the savage combats of various strongmen, such as Seón Burns or 'Big Mick' Foley, this is a fascinating account of a wild and violent time in Ireland's history.
In 1665 London, fourteen-year-old Christopher Rowe, apprentice to an apothecary, and his best friend, Tom, try to uncover the truth behind a mysterious cult, following a trail of puzzles, codes, pranks, and danger toward an unearthly secret with the power to tear the world apart.
"Treasure, financial hardship, and pirate mistique [sic] all add to a cleverly woven tale of uncommon honor in the face of insideous treachery that stretches from the days of cutlasses and muskets to our own."--Page 4 of cover.
The number of evictions in Balinmore, Ireland is on the rise. Eamonn McDonagh feels that he must resist the English landlord who is responsible for the misery inflicted on the Irish people in his town, so he forms a secret society known as "The Black Thorn." He warns his oppressor that violence will erupt if he continues with the evictions, which he does, starting with the eviction of Eamonn's sister. Watching all the violence that ensues is McDonagh's ten year old son, Joseph, who is caught between the gentle example of his local priest and the violent actions of his father. So begins the story of "The Black Thorn." It is a tale that starts in Ireland in 1846 at the start of the potato blight. It takes Joseph McDonagh through the An Gorta Mor (The Great Hunger) and eventually, by way of one of the many "Coffin Ships," to America and into its vicious Civil War. It ends in the Schuylkill coal region of Pennsylvania in 1867 where Joseph is arrested and put on trial for the murder of a brutal mine boss, --- a murder that he didn't commit.
Wherever Christopher Rowe goes, adventure--and murder--follows. Even a chance to meet King Charles ends in a brush with an assassin. In this third heart-pounding installment of the award-winning series, Christopher, Tom, and Sally face new codes, puzzles, and traps as they race to find a hidden treasure before someone else is murdered. 5 1/2 x 8 5/16.
In April, when blackthorn blossom clothes the hedgerows like a wedding veil, there sometimes comes a spell of frost or snow so severe that it seems as if spring and summer will never return. This is what country people call a blackthorn winter. For Claudia Barron, the blackthorn winter of that particular April is like a metaphor for her whole life: for the end of glamour, financial security and marriage. Her rich and powerful husband has been sent to prison, leaving her homeless and virtually penniless. Hopeless to cling to the remnants of her old life, pointless to stand by a man who has betrayed her in almost every way a man can betray a woman. Instead she goes into hiding, buys the only house she can afford in the Dorset village of Court Barton - a hideous bungalow built in an old kitchen garden - and changes her name. Under a cloak of anonymity she sets out to get herself a job in the local school. But villages don't much like anonymity and before very long Claudia finds herself drawn into the gossip and the grumbling, the lives and loves and quarrels of Court Barton in a way that she had never expected. In the end, Sarah Challis deftly shows that Blackthorn winters always give way to hopeful springs.
Christopher Rowe is back and there are more puzzles, riddles, and secrets to uncover in this follow-up to the Indie Next pick The Blackthorn Key, which was called a “spectacular debut” by Kirkus Reviews in a starred review. The Black Death has returned to London, spreading disease and fear through town. A mysterious prophet predicts the city’s ultimate doom—until an unknown apothecary arrives with a cure that actually works. Christopher’s Blackthorn shop is chosen to prepare the remedy. But when an assassin threatens the apothecary’s life, Christopher and his faithful friend Tom are back to hunting down the truth, risking their lives to untangle the heart of a dark conspiracy. And as the sickness strikes close to home, the stakes are higher than ever before…
Renowned herbalist Amy Blackthorn shows readers how to bring plant spirits into their daily spiritual practice with therapeutic access, subconscious learning, and divining skills that help them understand plant spirits on a deeper level. Blackthorn's Botanical Magic showed a new generation of witches how scent affects people, whether they understand it or not. In Blackthorn's Book of Sacred Plant Magic, we travel even deeper into the magical garden of scent. We know that a walk down a summer street can bring back the smell of childhood summers with friends, riding bikes and swimming. Spring breezes carry with them the clean soapy smell of your second-grade teacher. We experience scents not only in the here and now but also filtered through the lens of our past. Using the power of scent, we can create a sense of the sacred in our daily lives. Part reference guide, part recipe book, and part ritual journey, Blackthorn's Book of Sacred Plant Magic offers readers an in-depth exploration of the vital connection between scents and magical practice. Topics covered include: Connecting with Spirits of Plants, Place, and People Expanding your Scent Vocabulary: Beyond "Floral" Scent, Memory, and Personal History: How History Effects Scent Creating Scent Activations
'There are guardian angels, and there are monsters with wings' Caitlin Parish should have been the last person to fall for a vampire. A member of the Vampire Control Unit, her relationship with master vampire Kane Malloy had explosive consequences. Caitlin's colleagues count her as the enemy. And now she's going back. Kane has made powerful enemies of his own - and is being targeted by the head of the Global Council, Sirius Throme. With the stakes higher than ever before, Kane knows caring for Caitlin makes him vulnerable. Worse, her decision to return to VCU feels like betrayal. With Throme threatening to tear Blackthorn apart, and the prophesied vampire leader finally revealed, Kane and Caitlin must both fight with everything they have to stop an all out war. But they're fighting on opposite sides... Right when she needs him most, Caitlin makes a shocking discovery about Kane. Has he been playing her all along? And can she trust him with her life when he won't even trust her with the truth? The choice Caitlin makes will change the game in Blackthorn forever. BLOOD DARK is book 5 of 8 in the Blackthorn Paranormal Romance series. What readers are saying about Lindsay J. Pryor... 'I don't think I have read such a finely executed dark PNR world before...This series truly surprised me. I didn't think I would love it that much or be intrigued by it. I couldn't stop thinking about these books once I was done with them... The world-building is spectacular. The characters are enthralling and addicting... Plain fabulousness.' Gaga Over Books 'I am completely enthralled with this paranormal series. You get so wrapped up in the story and characters that you lose track of time... This is one of my favorite series so far this year!' Paranormal Book Club 'This is a paranormal universe like none you have encountered before... There are stories that are so powerful, so intense that I do not believe anyone should warn you about what is to come... I truly do feel that if you love the Paranormal genre and have not yet discovered Lindsay J. Pryor or these novels then you need to read them, experience them firsthand.' Keeper Bookshelf 'I am officially addicted to this series. Why, you ask? Because Lindsay Pryor is my kind of fearless author. She isn't afraid to "go there," to create characters and situations that challenge me as a reader.' The Demon Librarian
"Bad can feel good, Jessie. Bad can feel as good as it can get." The tattoos covering Eden Reece's arm tell the tale of a con with an appetite for danger. Even so, arriving at The Circus - the criminal heart of Blackthorn - and demanding an audience with the notorious Pummel, is the sign of a death wish. Jessie knows that Eden is trouble. Serious trouble. Held captive by Pummel, despite her powers, she also knows how dangerous a game Eden is playing. Yet she can't ignore a connection far deeper than the physical spark between them - because Jessie has seen Eden before... Jessie is the only one who can help Eden save those he loves. But as he uncovers her secrets one by one, he can't ignore the emotions she stirs in him - feelings neither of them dare face. He risks death. If she trusts him, she risks a fate far worse. As Pummel's twisted plans become clear, there's no doubt all hell risks breaking out in Blackthorn. With time running out, together Jessie and Eden might be the only ones who can stop it. In a thrillingly sensual novel, the stakes in the dark world of Blackthorn just got higher. What readers are saying about Blackthorn... 'I am officially addicted to this series. Why, you ask? Because Lindsay Pryor is my kind of fearless author. She isn't afraid to "go there," to create characters and situations that challenge me as a reader.' The Demon Librarian 'Not only are Pryor's characters and fathomlessly dark love stories fabulous, but her continual world building of Blackthorn blows me away.' Gravetells.com 'A shining, brilliant new talent in the Paranormal genre!' CC MacKenzie 'She writes paranormal romance mixed with urban fantasy the way I like it - clever world-building, intense characters and no easy options for them to take.' Nocturnal Book Reviews The Blackthorn Series 1.Blood Shadows 2.Blood Roses 3.Blood Torn 4.Blood Deep
