Better the devil you know than the devil you don't... A deadly new enemy rules Alesia with an iron fist--and an unnatural interest in the magic of the Confectioner's Guild. Betrayed by one of their own, Wren and her few remaining allies flee Maradis to secure whatever aid they can find. But new dangers and old ghosts lurk around every corner, forcing Wren to confront truths she thought she'd buried deep long ago. Will Wren be able to piece together an alliance, and enough of her own shattered heart, to take back her home from those who hold it hostage? Or will her magic prove too tempting a morsel for her enemies to refuse... Don't miss this thrilling conclusion to the Confectioner Chronicles!
Out of the frying pan, into the fire... Wren thought things were bad when her boyfriend's father tried to frame her for murder. But that was before a hostile army showed up at the city gates, ready to swallow Maradis whole. And before guild members began disappearing one by one--including the Confectioner's Guild's newest Gifted recruit. Wren, suspecting the king is to blame for the disappearances, undertakes a dangerous investigation that sets her on a collision course with old and new enemies alike. Will she be able to find the missing guild members before tensions boil over into outright rebellion? Or are the guilds willing to go further than she ever realized to rid themselves of the king's tyranny... Don't miss this thrilling Book 2 in the Confectioner Chronicles!
An impossible journey. A spoiled rich kid. It's a recipe for disaster. Hale Firena has everything--looks, money, power, more girls than he knows what to do with. But in one night everything changes, as a bloody coup turns Hale into a penniless refugee on the run for his life. Hale's not cut out for real life--the thought of holding down a real job is almost more horrible than the pirates and bandits chasing him. Is Hale's swagger enough to see him to safety, or has his luck truly run out? Read the story of Hale Firena before he joined the Confectioner's Guild in this Confectioner Chronicles prequel novella.
Enter the world of the Confectioner's Guild, an addictive fantasy mystery series brimming with royal intrigue, pulse-pounding romance, and delectable food magic. Read the series readers are calling: "A delight for the palate and mind. A book that is nearly unquantifiable, it is a murder mystery, an urban fantasy, pure fantasy, a coming of age tale, and something near steampunk in feel." "Phenomenal and captivating..." "A multi-layered delight, with spellbinding scene setting, vivid descriptions and exquisite world-building..." "Masterfully written, this beautiful dangerous world isn't like anything I have read before." "I can honestly say that this series is one of my favourite discoveries of the year!" This boxed set includes the complete Confectioner Chronicle series, over 1,000 pages of reading pleasure!
Take chocolate candy, add a family business at war with itself, and stir with an outsider’s perspective. This is the recipe for True Confections, the irresistible new novel by Katharine Weber, a writer whose work has won accolades from Iris Murdoch, Madeleine L’Engle, Wally Lamb, and Kate Atkinson, to name a few. Alice Tatnall Ziplinsky’s marriage into the Ziplinsky family has not been unanimously celebrated. Her greatest ambition is to belong, to feel truly entitled to the heritage she has tried so hard to earn. Which is why Zip’s Candies is much more to her than just a candy factory, where she has worked for most of her life. In True Confections, Alice has her reasons for telling the multigenerational saga of the family-owned-and-operated candy company, now in crisis. Nobody is more devoted than Alice to delving into the truth of Zip’s history, starting with the rags-to-riches story of how Hungarian immigrant Eli Czaplinsky developed his famous candy lines, and how each of his candies, from Little Sammies to Mumbo Jumbos, was inspired by an element in a stolen library copy of Little Black Sambo, from which he taught himself English. Within Alice’s vivid and persuasive account (is her unreliability a tactic or a condition?) are the stories of a runaway slave from the cacao plantations of Côte d’Ivoire and the Third Reich’s failed plan to establish a colony on Madagascar for European Jews. Richly informed, deeply moving, and spiked with Weber’s trademark wit, True Confections is, at its heart, a timeless and universal story of love, betrayal, and chocolate.
The first book in this USA Today Bestselling series. When her husband of thirty years runs off with a college student named Cherri, Jane Delight returns to Pennsylvania to work in her Amish sister's cupcake store. Having lost everything in the divorce, Jane now finds herself sharing an apartment with two feisty octogenarians and their quirky cat. Mr. Crumbles. But there is no time to despair. A man is murdered in the cupcake store, and now Jane is the prime suspect. Enter brooding detective Damon McCloud, a Scot with a tragic past and a desire for justice. Can Jane solve the murder, wrangle her new roommates, and stop herself from falling for the detective? Or will she never get her new life on track? Book 1 in a delightful cozy mystery series from USA Today Bestselling author, Ruth Hartzler.
A magic cupcake. A culinary killer. The perfect recipe for murder. Wren knew her sweet treats could work wonders, but she never knew they could work magic. She barely has time to wrap her head around the stunning revelation when the head of the prestigious Confectioner’s Guild falls down dead before her. Poisoned by her cupcake. Now facing murder charges in a magical world she doesn’t understand, Wren must discover the true killer or face the headsman’s axe. With the help of a handsome inspector and several new friends, Wren just might manage to learn the ropes, master her new powers, and find out who framed her. But when their search for clues leads to a deep-rooted conspiracy that goes all the way to the top, she realizes that the guild master isn’t the only one at risk of death by chocolate. If Wren can’t bring the powerful culprit to justice, she and her friends will meet a bittersweet end. The Confectioner’s Guild is a delicious YA fantasy mystery. If you like spunky chefs and twisty mysteries with a drizzle of romance, then Claire Luana’s scrumptious tale is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Read the complete Confectioner Chronicles: The Confectioner's Guild (Book One) The Confectioner's Coup (Book Two) The Confectioner's Truth (Book Three) The Confectioner's Exile (Prequel) Or grab the entire series for one low price: The Confectioner Chronicles: The Complete Fantasy Mystery Series
Inflation is a simple topic, in that the basic concepts are something that everyone can understand. However, inflation is not a simplistic topic. The composition of inflation and what the different inflation measures try to represent cannot be summarised with a single line on a chart or a casual reference to a solitary data point. Investors very often fail to understand the detail behind inflation, and end up making bad investment decisions as a result. The Truth About Inflation does not set out to forecast inflation, but to help improve its understanding, so that investors can make better decisions to achieve the real returns that they need. Starting with a summary of long history of inflation, the drivers of price change are considered. Many of the "urban myths" that have built up about inflation are shown to be a consequence of irrational judgement or political scaremongering. Some behaviour, like the unhealthy veneration of gold as a means of inflation protection, is shown to be the result of historical accident. In the modern era of lower nominal investment returns, inflation inequality (whereby some groups experience persistently higher inflation than others) is a very important consideration. This book sets out the realities of price changes in the modern investing environment, without using economic equations or jargon. It gives investors the framework they need to think about inflation and how to protect themselves against it, whether the aggregate inflation of the future rises or falls from current levels.
