In A Beautiful Ferocity, the second instalment of the Cullen's Celtic Cabaret Series, we're taken on a thrilling ride through the Roaring Twenties as Ireland fights for her freedom. Peter Cullen leads his troupe of eclectic performers through the troubled country, in a daring new direction, entertaining audiences who've had enough of the old ways. When their cabaret is threatened, the performers must fight to keep their dream alive, treading the dangerous line between propriety and entertainment.

When outside forces intervene, and put not just their livelihoods in danger, but their lives, loyalty, friendship and even the bonds of love are tested to the edge of endurance.

Shortlisted for the 2020 US Selfies Book Award

Shelf Unbound's Shelf Unbound's #2 Top 100 Notable Indie Award - 2019

"Irish twins navigate late-1940s Minnesota and their turbulent relationship in debut author Welch’s genuine story of family loyalty, misfortune, and potential. Welch steadily traces the two young women’s desire to forge their own lives, often hindered by shame, silence, guilt, and the stifling confines of societal expectations. Readers will be inspired by Shannon and Eliza’s persistence and heart." —Publishers Weekly

"In A Thread So Fine, Susan Welch has written a beautiful story of sisters, history and love." —Tara Conklin, NYT Bestselling author of The Last Romantics

St. Paul, Minnesota, 1946: Introspective Shannon Malone and her more popular sister Eliza are Irish twins and best friends. As little girls, they relied on each other for companionship and affection as their mother remained distant, beating back the demons of her own mysterious childhood. As womanhood approaches, both look forward to promising--though different--futures. But when tragedy rocks the Malone family, secrets bloom and one sister leaves, possibly forever. The other, physically and emotionally scarred, vows to hold the invisible thread that runs deeply between them. In the course of her journey, she discovers a child with a hidden past, the love of a good man, and the true meaning of family. But is it enough to bring her sister home?

“Charming, heartwarming...whimsical and pleasingly old-fashioned throughout.” —Kirkus 

Christmastime 1939 introduces the reader to the Christmastime series. Set in Brooklyn, we meet the young widow Lillian Hapsey and her two sons, Tommy and Gabriel. Even though the Christmas season is just around the corner, Lillian has no Christmas spirit. Alone, unhappy with her job, and plagued by financial concerns, Christmas has become a burden to her.

Overshadowing everything is the war in Europe. Despite the setbacks, Lillian is determined to give her sons a happy Christmas. Can she rekindle her girlhood love for the holiday season? Rediscovering her touchstone just might be the key to unlocking the excitement and magic of Christmas.  

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Author Bio: 

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

Book Excerpt:

Home. Almost a week since Lillian Hapsey returned from her sister’s house upstate, and things were exactly the same. The inspiration or revelation or solution she had hoped for hadn’t happened. She hadn’t thought her plans through. Instead, she had trusted that everything would fall into place, and now here it was—Christmas was almost upon her, and she had no Christmas spirit at all.

She let Tommy and Gabriel splash in the bathtub a little longer than usual. It gave her a chance to sort her thoughts, and to enjoy the hot water bottle on her lower back without the boys asking too many questions. She rested her feet on the small embroidered footstool and rubbed her legs.

A pile of clothing to be mended sat next to her, but she had no desire to get started on it. She frowned at her fatigue—it can’t have anything to do with age, surely, she told herself. Thirty-four isn’t exactly old. It must be the extra hours I’ve been putting in at work.

The small sketchbook she carried with her everywhere lay open on her lap. She paged through the drawings she had made from the visit to her sister’s—rows of trees in the orchard with a few old apples and leaves clinging to the branches, her sister Annette knitting by the fireplace, a swing that hung from an old oak tree, another of Annette kissing her sleeping baby. Lillian’s face softened at the memories. It had been a good trip.

She moved the hot water bottle to her lap and savored the stillness of the moment—a contrast to the busy week. It had begun with the train ride home from upstate, then back to her routine of scheduling babysitters for Tommy and Gabriel, and keeping up with her work at the department store. Now that Thanksgiving was behind them, the Christmas season had begun in earnest.

She leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes, wondering how she would muster up the energy and enthusiasm to get her through the season. The radiator rattled and whistled with coming steam. A soothing warmth began to fill the living room, chasing the cold away. She sank deeper into the couch, giving in to her weariness. The hissing and shshing of the radiator grew louder and louder, accompanied by the gurgling in the pipes. A peaceful oblivion overtook her.

After several minutes, the radiator sounds lowered to a sputter. Then a whisper. Then a soft, warm silence filled the small room. Broken by sounds of laughter and splashing from the boys.

Lillian opened her eyes and realized that she had dozed off. That won’t do, she thought.

She sat up straight and looked about her. She couldn’t help but compare her tiny Brooklyn apartment to her sister’s rambling old house on the orchard with a lovely view out of every window—the flower beds and vegetable garden in the back that still showed a bit of color, the charming old cider house, the country road leading into town. From the upstairs bedroom window, the view was like stepping into a painting—softly undulating farmland dotted with red barns and white farmhouses, the orchard stretching out to the west, and in the distance, patches of woods and a small stream that sparkled in the sunlight.

And the sunsets! The golden light over the orchard swelled her heart each time she saw it. She often ran upstairs as the day was fading in order to catch it, making excuses as she suddenly left the room. “Just getting something from upstairs,” or “I think I’ll fetch my sweater.” Not that she had to hide anything, she simply wanted those few minutes all to herself, to better take in the powerful stirring of beauty and longing. It was a reminder of girlhood dreams and all the things she was going to do with her life. She and Annette were raised in a town not far from the orchard and being upstate always plunged her into the past when she was young and full of dreams, before she and Annette had married and moved away.

Lillian shook away her thoughts and lifted a few items from the pile of clothes—three pairs of trousers, a few dresses, and a skirt.

“Tommy, Gabriel! Time to finish up!” 

She threaded a needle and draped the first pair of trousers over her lap. Mrs. Harrison from the dry cleaner down the street was kind enough to throw a little business her way. It wasn’t much, but it helped to supplement her earnings from the department store.

She pushed the needle through the woolen hem, trying to recapture the glimmer of Christmas excitement she had felt up at her sister’s. A few days after Thanksgiving, Annette had begun to unpack some of her decorations. The children had caught her enthusiasm as they pulled out garlands and the crèche set and red ribbons.

Lillian smiled in memory of the afternoon they sat at the kitchen table with the children and prepared sliced oranges to dry for ornaments, and made clove and orange pomander balls. The scent of fresh citrus and cloves filled the kitchen while the kids sang Christmas songs and laughed when they made up the words they couldn’t remember. And the evening when they sat in front of the fire, the kids sprawled on the floor, cutting pictures out of the catalogs—until Annette’s husband, Bernie, sent them all running and squealing when he crawled into the room growling and pawing like a bear.

Her smile deepened at the memory of rocking Annette’s youngest, five-month-old Abigail. Was there any greater sweetness than holding a baby as it smiled up at you and kicked its legs and shook its tiny fists in joy?

She set her sewing down. Is that what was making her sad? Knowing that she would never have another child? Or was it the nostalgia of being at Annette’s? Or was she just tired?

Spending Thanksgiving this year with Annette and Bernie, rather than Christmas as she usually did, had seemed like a good idea at the time. But now Lillian felt a stab of dread at the mere thought of facing the Christmas holiday alone.

No need to fear Christmas, she thought, picking up her sewing again. She would simply follow Annette’s advice, and start with their mother’s Christmas recipes. That would put her in the holiday spirit. And then hang the stockings, and get a tree, and…

She glanced over at the time.

“Hurry up boys! Your show will be on soon.”

The bathtub was soon gurgling as the plug was pulled and the water drained. She heard Tommy and Gabriel opening and shutting drawers as they pulled out their pajamas.

“Don’t forget to brush your teeth!”

Lillian cast another glance at the living room. There wasn’t a single sign of Christmas. She would have to get started.

Oddly enough, it would be their first Christmas together in Brooklyn. They had always celebrated the holiday upstate. Especially after Tom died, Annette had insisted that Lillian and the boys spend Christmas with her and Bernie and their growing family. With Tommy eight years old now, and Gabriel five, all their Christmas memories were from the orchard.

Lillian set her sewing down and brought the hot water bottle to the kitchen. This would be an important Christmas, and instead of preparing for it, she had spent these past few days filled with worry—missing Annette, hoping the landlord wouldn’t raise the rent, and fretting about the new manager at work, Mr. Hinkley. He had never liked her, and when Mrs. Klein finally retired and he was promoted, he made his feelings abundantly clear. He still resented the older manager’s preference for Lillian.

No need to ruin her evening thinking about him, she thought, sitting back down. The trip to Annette’s was supposed to be a prelude to Christmas. But Lillian felt no surge of excitement. She wasn’t in the mood for Christmas and would be glad when it was over. Everything felt wrong.

And of course, underlying everything, was the dark shadow cast by the war in Europe. The news reports grew more frightening with each passing day. She had believed that war would be averted. That Hitler would be appeased. But when he invaded Poland in the fall, England and France had declared war. Where would it all end?

She stared out and worried about a world controlled by Nazis and Fascists. Worried that the U.S. would be pulled into the war—or worse, that they would be attacked by Nazis. First bombed, then invaded, then…

"A charming, heartwarming tale of two people looking for a second chance at love and family. [Mahkovec] remarkably conveys Droom's transformation, [and] readers will enjoy the novel's detailed imagery, which has a whimsical and pleasingly old-fashioned quality throughout." —Kirkus Reviews

Set in New York City against the backdrop of impending war, Christmastime 1940 tells the story of an unlikely romance between a struggling young mother trying to make a fresh start and a man who has lost his connection to humanity.

The curmudgeonly Charles Drooms is perfectly content with his life as the owner of a successful accounting firm. However, when the beautiful widow, Lillian Hapsey, and her two young sons move down the hall from him, his narrow world is shaken. Three forces—Lillian, the Christmas season, and a mysterious little boy—converge to stir up powerful memories, pushing Drooms to make some life-altering decisions.

Author Bio: 

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

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Christmastime 1941 opens two days after Pearl Harbor has been attacked. War has just been declared, and New York City is in a state of chaos and panic as it tries to prepare for possible attacks. Following the same characters established in Christmastime 1941, and introducing a few new ones, it tells the power of old loves, new loves, and friendship.

It continues the love story of Lillian and Charles, the adventures of Tommy and Gabriel, and depicts two bittersweet romances: that of Izzy and her fiancé Red, and that of the office manager at Drooms Accounting, sixty-year old Mrs. Murphy, and her Brendan.
 
Author Bio:
Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

Shop the Christmastime series

Shop all Linda Mahkovec books

In Christmastime 1942 the Axis forces are winning, and America struggles to find its footing in the war. Men leave to fight and women join the workforce. New York City vibrates with energy, romance, tension, and urgency. Yet love burns brighter than ever, bringing people together and giving them hope for the future. The famous Stage Door Canteen in Times Square provides the background for one of these romances—between the proud, but wounded, Edith Mason and the Shakespearean actor, Desmond Burke.

Author Bio:

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

Shop the Christmastime series

Shop all Linda Mahkovec books

In Christmastime 1943 the war intensifies, the Christmas season arrives, and love is kept alive on the home front. In New York City, Lillian Drooms struggles on her own while her husband, Charles, is away at sea. She volunteers with “Artists for Victory” at a hospital for wounded soldiers, but soon begins to doubt her ability.

Meanwhile, on a farm in Illinois, the beautiful seventeen-year-old Ursula is torn between her sense of duty and the power of love. The source of her deepest yearning and her deepest hatred lies in Friedrich, one of the German POWs recently hired to work on the family farm. The Christmas season brings its charm and warmth—but can love survive in these turbulent, fragmented times?

Author Bio:

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

Years of relentless fighting have strained the country, and the December news of the Battle of the Bulge crushes the hope that war in Europe will soon be over. Lillian Drooms pushes ahead with her career as an artist while she anxiously awaits the arrival of her husband, Charles, for Christmas, and her friend Izzy finally gives Mr. Rockwell the old heave-ho—or does she?

And on the farm in Illinois, Ursula’s troubling situation reaches a climax and is intensified by the arrival of her brother Jimmy, home on furlough from the Pacific. Among pervasive loss and disappointment, is there room for Christmas hope and happiness?

Author Bio:

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

Shop the Christmastime series

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Dublin, Ireland 1915

Eighteen-year-old May Gallagher is beautiful but restless, and longs for the freedom to live her own life, to decide her own destiny. Mollycoddled as the only remaining child of middle-class parents in the suburbs, she sneaks out to the theatre when she can. She is mesmerised by the captivating actor Peter Cullen, and wishes she could enjoy a more bohemian life.

The Great War is taking all the boys away, and the promise that it will all be over by Christmas is ringing more hollow with each passing month.

Her parents would be appalled if they knew she'd befriended the enigmatic Peter, who was from the wrong side of the city, but there is something about him that intrigues May.

When catastrophe strikes Peter, it's to May that he turns, and in that moment she knows her life will never be the same again.

“With lyrical prose and unforgettable characters, Hepburn's Necklace proves that Jan Moran is a writer at the top of her game and a storyteller to remember.” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, USA Today bestselling author of Feels Like Falling

A vintage necklace. A long-hidden secret. A second chance for love.

When costume designer Ariana Ricci leaves her groom at the altar, she seeks solace at the Palm Springs home of her great-aunt, a Texas-born Hollywood legend who began her career as an extra on the film Roman Holiday. While opening yellowed, 1950s letters postmarked Italy, Ariana discovers relics from her great-aunt's hidden past, including an intriguing necklace that Audrey Hepburn gave her during the filming of the movie.

Aching for a fresh start and the chance to resolve an unfinished story, the two embark on a journey to the sun-dappled shores of Lake Como, Italy that will illuminate secrets of a bygone era and offer second chances to each of them—if they are bold enough to seize them. Escape on a heartwarming journey to Lake Como and the set of Roman Holiday in Hepburn's Necklace today.

Author Bio:

Jan Moran is a USA Today bestselling author of women's fiction. She writes stylish, uplifting, and emotionally rich contemporary and 20th-century historical fiction. Midwest Book Review and Kirkus have recommended her books, calling her heroines strong, complex, and resourceful. Her books are also translated into German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, and other languages. Jan studied writing at the UCLA Writers Program, sailed on Semester at Sea, and graduated from the University of Texas and Harvard Business School. She lives near the beach in southern California.

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The war is finally over and for the young and na ve Will Langton, his future is full of exciting adventure and happy dreams. Captivated by a brief, but innocent love affair on the rocks of Dancing Ledge, the romance is shattered in one single moment and she is lost to him. For Will, it's an unbearable pain that he cannot hope to escape from and the only means to assuage his sorrow is to run away... To Africa.

Meantime, Will's older, astute and devious brother Byron, has his own ideas on making his way through life. He wants money and power and he doesn't care whom he treads on, including his own family. After four years of absence, Will returns to England with a small fortune. Seeking his brother's financial advice, Will is deceitfully manipulated in more ways than one.

Bemused with life but accepting, Will drifts from place to place, Africa becoming another distant memory. Yet Will never forgets, always wondering where she is and what became of her.

But what too of his scheming brother? Will Byron ever reveal his deception?

Peter Rimmer's Just the Memory of Love is a deep, evocative, poignant saga of lost love, intrigue, and dishonesty set not only in the political landscape of Zambia but England too.

“Calia Read did it again…I can’t recommend this book, and all her other work, enough!” —Becca Baldwin, author of The Girl Gone Crazy series

I was just eight-years-old, looking up at the clouds, when Asa Calhoun became my one true love. He was my brother’s best friend. He was stoic and solemn, and always believed everything in life had to be perfect. But I saw past his eccentric mannerisms. I found him fascinating.

I was seventeen when I had my debutante ball. Throughout the years, there was a gradual shift between us. I stopped being the little sister he’s always known me as and transformed into a lady. By the end of that night, he found me fascinating.

I was twenty-one when he first kissed me. My one true love became my soulmate. I was certain nothing would ever come between us.

I married at twenty-three. But I wasn’t Mrs. Asa Calhoun. At the time I believed it was for the best, leaving Belgrave and my memories of Asa behind.

I was twenty-eight when my husband died. The pain was swift and sharp. I saw what could have been and all that I let go of. Including Asa.

Nearly seven months later I’m back in Charleston, because six years of a broken heart is too much for anyone to endure.

Asa once told me he would always be my home, but will he still mean those words when I walk through the church doors and object to his marriage?

Author Bio:
Calia Read is the author of the Sloan Brothers series, Fairfax series, Figure Eight, The Surviving Time series, and Belgrave Dynasty. She lives in the midwest with her husband and their five kids.

"From debut author, Jim Condelles, comes a tale of 'what ifs.' Last Bridge to Memphis explores something we've all wondered ... what if Elvis never really died, and he walks among us, an ordinary man? Set in 1980s Memphis, this deeply satisfying thriller sends us careening into a discovery sprinkled with stardust. You won't be able to put this one down!" —USA Today bestselling author Beth Albright

Elvis may be chewed up, spit out, and stepped on, but he sure ain't dead. Ten years after illness and scandal dragged his life into the dirt, he's searching for meaning in a world that's all but forgotten him. Enter TV reporter Tom Cirone, a young man on the run from a tragic past and navigating a dangerous love affair. When he stumbles onto a deadly police cover-up, his relentless reporting puts a target on his back. But as the threats close in, a reluctant ally steps out of the shadows: Elvis Presley-alive, middle-aged, and on a mission of his own. The pair find themselves shaking, rattling, and rolling down a path of blackmail and betrayal. Soon, they're caught in a trap-a deadly game of cat and mouse-and they may not walk out alive.

Why you'll love this book

✔ Elvis Lives: A bold, evocative take on the King-more complex, more vulnerable, more human

✔ High-Stakes Thriller: A journalist and a fallen legend risk everything in the name of justice

✔ Explosive Action: Chases, shootouts, and a desperate final showdown

✔ Twists You Won't See Coming: Scandals, triumphs, and heart-stopping revelations that will leave you breathless

✔ Emotional Depth: Love, loss, and second chances intersect in a quest for redemption on the lonely street of life

Fans of Michael Connelly, Don Winslow, and Greg Iles will devour this compelling novel packed with suspense, intrigue, and a healthy dose of sex, love, and rock 'n' roll.

Elvis ain't done yet. Are you ready to take care of business?

"PINTO deserves a spot on the reading list of not only young, horse-crazy readers, but adults who like horse tales, ala Black Beauty." -- Diane Donovan for Midwest Book Reviews

"PINTO is a story of joy, tragedy, heartache, and dedication by a group of men and their horses and the people they meet along the way." -- Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

"PINTO revives an amazing part of history that has lain forgotten for ages. It is written with a unique twist and is both informative and entertaining." --Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

In 1912, four men, calling themselves the "Overland Westerners," decided fame and fortune awaited if they embarked on the longest horseback ride in history. Their goal was to visit all forty-eight state capitals over the course of three years and complete their journey at the San Francisco World's Fair on June 1, 1915. Facing rugged roads, raging rivers, thieves and near starvation, the men went through seventeen horses. Only one horse completed the entire journey... Pinto, a little horse with a heart as big as the whole country This is Pinto's account of his arduous adventure.

About the Author
Evans, M. J.: - Award-winning author, M.J. Evans grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon and graduated from Oregon State University. She spent five years teaching junior high and high school students before retiring to raise her five children. The author is a life-long equestrian and enjoys competing in dressage and riding in the beautiful Colorado mountains where she and her husband now live.

When Cullen's Celtic Cabaret rolls into a sleepy Irish seaside town, their eccentric and theatrical presence stirs up a flurry of excitement-the public clamouring to buy tickets for the greatest show in Ireland.

Set against the backdrop of a relentless war for Ireland's freedom, the stakes are higher than ever for Peter Cullen and his troupe as they try to stay out of the conflict. But as they soon discover, that's a luxury nobody can afford. As well as fighting the forces of occupation, some people are using this time of chaos to settle old scores, and it seems the cabaret has gathered some sinister enemies. With danger lurking around every corner, Peter must fight to protect all he's worked so hard to build.

Rivers of Wrath is the third book in the Cullen's Celtic Cabaret Series.

“Jan Moran is the new queen of the epic romance.” —USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Forster

A young widow. A husband she thought she knew. On the picturesque Italian coast of Amalfi lies a chocolatier's destiny...

San Francisco, 1953: Heartbroken over the mysterious death of her husband, Celina Savoia, a second-generation chocolatière, resolves to take their young son to Italy's shimmering Amalfi coast to introduce him to his father's family. Just as she embarks on a magical, romantic life of making chocolate by the sea surrounded by a loving family, she begins to suspect that her husband had a dark secret—forged in the final days of WWII—that could destroy the relationships she's come to cherish.

While a second chance at love is tempting, the mystery of her husband's true identity thwarts her efforts. Challenged to pursue the truth or lose the life she's come to love, Celina and her late husband's brother, Lauro, must trace the past to a remote, Peruvian cocoa region to face the deceit that threatens to shatter their lives—or lose the life and those she has come to love.

More Reviews:

“A solid pick for fans of historical romances combined with a heartbreaking mystery.” —Library Journal

“A novel that gives fans of romantic sagas a compelling voice to follow.” —Booklist

Author Bio:

Jan Moran is a USA Today bestselling author of women's fiction. She writes stylish, uplifting, and emotionally rich contemporary and 20th-century historical fiction. Midwest Book Review and Kirkus have recommended her books, calling her heroines strong, complex, and resourceful. Her books are also translated into German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, and other languages. Jan studied writing at the UCLA Writers Program, sailed on Semester at Sea, and graduated from the University of Texas and Harvard Business School. She lives near the beach in southern California.

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After years of trying to break into New York City's literary scene, Madeline Slaughter is emotionally and physically exhausted. When a friend offers her a safe haven as the live-in companion to reclusive, bestselling novelist Victor Hallowell she jumps at the chance to escape the city. Madeline expects to find rest and quiet in the forests of Upstate New York. Instead, she finds Victor, handsome and intensely passionate, and Audrey Coffin, Victor's mysterious and beautiful neighbor. When Victor offers her a kiss and the promise of more Madeline allows herself to become entangled even as Audrey is also claiming her heart. The only problem is that Audrey and Victor are ex-lovers with plenty of baggage between them. As Madeline finds herself opening up and falling in love with both she starts to wonder, can there be a future for all three?

The discovery of long-lost mail delivers a marriage proposal, a missing person, and a magical mystery.

A road trip with Gabe and her friends leads Sylvia to discover more about her mother's veiled past yet throws up several questions, too. The stack of unopened letters addressed to her family will hopefully provide answers. As she delves into the contents, a startling revelation emerges: the letters allude to a clandestine union between two magician families, hinting at the elusive identity of Sylvia’s father.

Full of hope, she embarks on a quest to find the author of the letters, only to discover an artless youth who vanished decades ago, a dead man with the wrong name, and a hospital for former soldiers that connects them. The further Sylvia and Gabe delve into these mysteries, the more lies they expose, including long-buried secrets that certain individuals will stop at nothing to protect.

When danger strikes, Sylvia wonders if finding answers is worth the risk.

**Winner - Canada Book Awards**

**Independent Press Award 2020 Distinguished Favorite - Historical Fiction Series**

**Next Generation Indie Book Award 2020 Finalist - Fiction Series**

**Readers' Favorite 2020 Bronze Medal Winner - Fiction-General and 5-Star Review**

A story of war, prejudice, migration, crime, love, and heartbreak. The Prophecy saga is a fast-moving, intriguing historical tale, spanning more than 70 years.

On a blustery January day in 1952, Mina Kota gives birth to her daughter, Miriam. Mina and her mother, Punita, endeavour to protect Miriam from their business associates and raise her in a loving home in post-war Amsterdam. As she grows to adulthood, Miriam struggles with her identity. She demands that Punita teach her how to read tarot cards and seeks to fulfill their predictions, while pursuing the one thing from which her elders sought to shield her innocence: sexual desire.

Hart Lange is born at the end of 1949 into a family of soldiers whose wartime experiences drove their need to survive, sometimes against treacherous odds. They are a family bound together by a web of enduring love.

When Miriam meets Hart, she sees an opportunity to change her life and achieve her dreams. When Hart shares his longing for a child, she sets out to oblige him, thereby securing her future-or so she thinks.

Hart loves his wife and son, and believes his family is a happy one. However, his love blinds him to Miriam's willfulness. Too late, he realizes that he's failed to heed his mother-in-law's warning. When Miriam disappears, taking their son Matthew with her, Hart is devastated. Although Hart's search for his son is relentless, he fears that he will never see Matthew again.

Together, The Crest, The Emerald and The Destiny tell of the challenges and changes that external forces place on everyday people, who must rise above their own expectations to meet family obligations and responsibilities-no matter how reluctant they may be to do so. They provide the reader with an opportunity to consider life from an alternate perspective.

About the Author
Tobiasen, Jerena: - "Award winning author, Jerena Tobiasen retired from a legal career in 2015. Since then, she has published three historical novels - The Crest, The Emerald and The Destiny - collectively The Prophecy saga. Jerena enhances her writing by travelling to foreign lands, visiting museums and libraries, conducting interviews, and travelling in the footsteps of her characters. Her experiences and discoveries enrich the authenticity of her stories. In 2019, Jerena travelled extensively through southern Europe, northern Africa, the Arctic and the Middle East collecting data for new stories. Many of Jerena's short stories and poems have been published in the Royal City Literary Arts Society e-magazine 'Wordplay at Work', as well as on her website jtobiasen.ca. Jerena is a member of The Writers' Union of Canada, the Canadian Authors Association, the Federation of BC Writers and the Royal City Literary Arts Society."

When eight-year-old Nora arrives at the Park Ridge School for Girls in 1932, she is sure there's been some mistake. She can't imagine why she and her little sister, Patsy, were torn from their mother only to be subjected to the cruel whims of the house matron, Mrs. Morris. When their mother fails to rescue them week after week-and Mrs. Morris drops hints that their mother may be a "fallen woman"-Nora begins to doubt they will ever see her again.

Nine years prior, at seventeen, Gertie Gufftason runs off with Lorenzo, the barker for the traveling carnival passing through her small coal-mining town in Southern Iowa. Thinking she is embarking on a fantastic adventure, Gertie is bitterly disappointed by the life that follows and is thrown into despair when the State removes their two daughters.

Gertie eventually tracks down her girls at the Park Ridge, but, expecting a warm welcome, she is shocked by Nora's cool reception. Nora reluctantly returns home with Gertie and Patsy, determined to live a more perfect life than her mother. It is only when she discovers a secret Gertie has kept hidden all these years that Nora begins to fully understand-and forgive-her mother's tragic choices . . .

From a USA Today bestselling author, comes a story about three women, one small-town rumor, and a gardening project that's not for the faint of heart.

Lillian Gulch's husband died, and she's ready to be something more than a small-town widow. So, she turns to the only friends she knows: a gardening club she joined years before. The only problem? They think she had something to do with her husband's death.

Betsy Borden is a forty-something who happens to be Gull's Landing's most prolific, single socialite. But if she can't find a way to make friendships (much less relationships) that last, then she's destined to be nothing more than a gossipy spinster forever.

Emily Addams is twenty years old and twice divorced. Now, she is truly ready to start fresh, and the idyllic boardwalk town of Gull's Landing seems perfect. Until she learns that the grass is never greener. Even if the only job available is secretary at Second Street Mortuary.

Female friendships, romance, and mystery-The Garden Guild is a standalone women's fiction that has it all. This heartwarming, quirky story follows three very different women with one common goal: to survive the rumor mill. The only way they can do it? If they stick together.

Each book in Gull's Landing is a standalone women's fiction. These novels are not written sequentially and can be read and enjoyed in any order.

The Summer Society

The Garden Guild

The Country Club

The opportunity of a lifetime lands in Peter Cullen's lap and nothing is going to stop him taking full advantage, not even the misgivings of his wife. Cullen's Celtic Cabaret has been flying high, but the real goal, the secret desire of Peter's heart, America, is finally, incredibly, looking like a reality.

The troupe are not at all prepared for what awaits them in prohibition era Atlantic City and they are dazzled by the bright lights. Keeping discipline and ensuring everyone remains focused drives Peter to the edge of his patience, but he soon realises that this is the least of his problems, as the gloss and sheen of the New Jersey shore reveals a dark side, and somehow his cabaret has fallen foul of it.

What begins as a summer of fun, looks to be taking a sinister turn, and Peter is in way over his head. He can possibly survive, all he needs now is the luck of the Irish.

If you enjoyed The Great Gatsby or Boardwalk Empire, you'll love The Gem of Ireland's Crown, the latest instalment of Cullen's Celtic Cabaret.

A country fighting to stay free.
A woman with an impossible decision.

In November of 1939, Sini Toivola is sure of two things: she loves Marko Linna, and she has a comfortable life in Helsinki. But when the massive Soviet army invades her beloved homeland and Marko spurns her affections, her life is turned upside down. Needing a fresh start, Sini decides to join the female volunteer corps-the Lotta Sv rd-and is sent to serve near the front lines. Service at a field hospital proves a good distraction-until Sini discovers a Russian soldier lost behind their camp.

Duty requires her to turn him in, but her heart begs to keep him safe and help him escape. Torn between love for her country and love for her enemy, Sini must choose-but no matter what choice she makes, heart-wrenching consequences await them all.

About the Author
Lyon, Annette: - Annette Lyon is a USA Today bestselling author, an 8-time Best of State medalist for fiction in Utah, and a Whitney Award winner. She's had success as a professional editor and in newspaper, magazine, and technical writing, but her first love has always been fiction. She's a cum laude graduate from BYU with a degree in English and is the author of over a dozen books, including the Whitney Award-winning Band of Sisters, a chocolate cookbook, and a grammar guide. She co-founded and was served as the original editor of the Timeless Romance Anthology series and continues to be a regular contributor to the collections. She has received six publication awards from the League of Utah Writers, including the Silver Quill, and she's one of the four coauthors of the Newport Ladies Book Club series.

“…a women’s fiction novel of epic proportions…undoubtedly one of the best novels I have read this year.” —Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite

As a girl on the brink of womanhood in 1960s India, Shanti Bamzai has big dreams. Rather than enter into an arranged marriage like her sister, Shanti embarks on a journey into the unknown, leaving her family home behind for an education and a chance to chart her own destiny. While India experiences an upheaval of cultural and societal changes as old-world traditions collide with the modern global era, Shanti navigates college, a marriage of her own choosing, and motherhood, fighting a constant battle between the pressures of traditional expectations and her own burning desire to be an artist and an independent woman. A move to America presents exciting new opportunities, but Shanti is disappointed to find herself still hemmed in by the restrictions of her Indian upbringing. As her children become adults and her marriage becomes a shell of what it once was, Shanti must find the courage to step out of her husband's shadow and into the life she's always dreamed of.

More Reviews & Awards:

2017 Indie Excellence Books Award Multicultural Finalist

2017 Winner Next Generation Indie Book Award Multicultural Finalist

2017 Readers’ Favorite Award, 5 Stars

"The novel is rich in content and the writing is exceptional…An excellent book, providing a rich and authentic look into Indian society and culture., and I highly recommend it." —Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite

“In her debut novel, The Immigrant Wife, Madhu B. Wangu brings to life a mysterious time and place. Wangu creates rich, dynamic images of India, comparable to her watercolors, evoking every sense. The indigenous sights, sounds, and smells are so vivid that I swear I could find my way to Shanti’s home. Wangu’s style is gentle and quiet like the protagonist, and deeply powerful. This tale of love and nurturing, loss and growth, and transformation will stay with readers long after they finish the novel.” —Kathleen Shoop, award-winning author of The Last Letter and After the Fog

 “This book is an experience worth treasuring. Readers who are fascinated by Indian culture, or who wish to challenge the biased traditions of a society, would enjoy Madhu’s work.” —Ankita Shukla for Readers’ Favorite

Author Bio:
Founder of the Mindful Writes Groups and Retreats, Madhu Bazaz Wangu is an author and meditation instructor. Her CDs, Meditations for Mindful Writers I & II guide and inspire writers of all levels to tap  into their creative flow and delve deeper into their writing. Her essays on Hindu and Buddhist art have appeared in anthologies in India and the United States.

"You must come at once if you want to stop the suttee from happening again..." This phone message summons Kumud Kuthiyala back to Neela Nagar, the blue town of her youth, and the shackled life she thought she had left behind forever... As a nine-year-old, Kumud witnessed the brutal and horrifying suttee ritual when her beloved aunt immolated herself on the burning pyre of her dead husband. Years later, Kumud summoned the courage to escape the isolated and primitive town of her youth to start a new life in Ambayu, a metropolitan city. She began as office help at Save Girls Soul Orphanage Center and progressed to become its director. At SGSO Center, she becomes a warrior for women's education and equal rights. She teaches young women to protect themselves from outmoded practices and rituals that victimize women. Then a phone call informs Kumud that the suttee of a sixteen-year-old is inevitable. She has vowed that she will never let it happen again. Still haunted by her aunt's suttee, she leaves everything behind, including her love, Shekhar Roy, to end the barbaric custom that scarred her for life, and to save the young bride from committing suttee. As Kumud travels back to the town of her youth, long-buried memories resurface and force her to remember the life from which she fled. The town that greets her is full of contradictions. It has electricity and clean water, and a new school is open to low castes, yet superstition and prejudice abound. How can she convince the town that their centuries-old tradition is cruel and barbaric, that a widowed young woman deserves the right to live? Can she change the minds of the townspeople and the Five Elders before it's too late?

Evie Fraser, paid companion to a crotchety spinster, seems destined for a lonely life. Then out of the blue, a marriage proposal arrives by post. She met the handsome Douglas Barrington just once - at his wedding - but never forgot him. Now widowed, plantation-owner Douglas offers her a new life on the lush, exotic island of Penang. How can Evie resist?

But what are Barrington's motives in marrying Evie when he barely knows her, and why is he so hostile and moody?

Evie soon finds herself pitched against Douglas on the one hand and the shallow, often spiteful world of the expatriate British on the other. Has she made the biggest mistake of her life?

Flynn's tenth novel explores love, marriage, the impact of war and the challenges of displacement - this time in a tropical paradise as the threat of the Japanese empire looms closer.

About the Author
Flynn, Clare: - Clare Flynn is the British author of ten historical novels and a short story collection.

“Readers will devour this page-turner as the passions spin out.”  —Library Journal

A young French perfumer. A world at war. A personal vengeance that could destroy a family.

Europe, 1939: At the dawn of World War II, French perfumer Danielle Bretancourt and her German husband strive to ensure their family's safety, yet neither can foresee the ultimate cost. From London to Paris, Danielle struggles to find her missing child and aid the French Resistance, even as she grieves her losses.

As the war intensifies, Danielle is forced to seek refuge in America to save the lives of her remaining family. She draws on her skills as a talented perfumer to lift her family out of crushing poverty. Yet even as she forges a new life among the Hollywood elite, she cannot forget her child nor the man who risked everything for her. Even an ocean away, she discovers that safety remains an illusion. Set between privileged lifestyles and gritty realities, The Perfumer: Scent of Triumph is one woman's story of courage, spirit, and resilience.

More Reviews:

“A sweeping tale that transports readers from the lavender-scented fields of Provence to the pulsing boulevards of Paris…. Heartbreaking, evocative, and inspiring...a powerful journey.” —Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Empress

”A novel that gives fans of romantic sagas a compelling voice to follow.” —Booklist

“A stylish, compelling story of a family. What sets this apart is the backdrop of perfumery that suffuses the story with the delicious aroma—a remarkable feat!” —Liz Trenow, New York Times bestselling author of The Forgotten

”A gripping World War II story of poignant love and devastating, heart-wrenching loss.” —Gill Paul, USA Today and Toronto Globe & Mail bestselling author of The Secret Wife

“A sweeping saga of one woman's journey through World War II and her unwillingness to give up even when faced with the toughest challenges.” —Anita Abriel, Author of The Light After the War

”Hard to put down...captivating. A must-read.” —Marvel Fields, Chairman, American Society of Perfumers

Author Bio:

Jan Moran is a USA Today bestselling author of women's fiction. She writes stylish, uplifting, and emotionally rich contemporary and 20th-century historical fiction. Midwest Book Review and Kirkus have recommended her books, calling her heroines strong, complex, and resourceful. Her books are also translated into German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, and other languages. Jan studied writing at the UCLA Writers Program, sailed on Semester at Sea, and graduated from the University of Texas and Harvard Business School. She lives near the beach in southern California.

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