'When reading historical fiction, I want to be able to see the colours, the sounds and smells rush into place in my mind's eye. MJ Trow achieves this with interest. Believable characters, a suitably intricate plot and immediate immersion into the treacherous world of Rome at the end of the first imperial dynasty.' - Mark Knowles, author of The Consul's Daughter

Sometimes, a snake is just a snake. And sometimes…

First-century Rome.

Senator Gaius Lucius Nerva is taken ill at a dinner party and dies a few days later. His heartbroken wife, Flavia, is told it was a natural death. Calidus, Nerva’s recently freed slave, suspects otherwise.

As he embarks upon the funeral ceremonies, Calidus becomes more and more convinced that his master was murdered and begins an investigation, seeking out everyone who had attended the dinner party.

His enquiries lead him to rub shoulders with the ‘great and good’ of Rome; senators, soldiers, even the ruthless and mercurial Emperor Nero. And his former lover, Julia Eusabia, who seems intent on rekindling their romance and luring him away from his wife and daughter.

Calidus’ quest is by no means easy or safe as he encounters the darkest and most dangerous people in Rome. But he knows he must keep searching for the person responsible, to bring justice to the master he had loved.
This racy historical whodunnit brings to life the sights, smells and sounds of ancient Rome, with sharp humour and a Christie-style finale to boot.

‘Trow makes the political intrigue of the time palpable.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Trow’s style is subtle and often humorous’ – mysteryfile.com

We were only supposed to be friends with benefits.

We even made rules.

So things wouldn't get complicated.

So no one would get hurt.

But somewhere along the way, feelings got involved...

I should've known better, but he got me. Had me.

Besides, I always was lousy at relationships.

I just never cared before.

Not until him, anyway.

Not until Carter.


**This is a full-length, standalone romance novel with no cliffhanger, no cheating, and a satisfying HEA.

In a city where everyone is trying to murder you, would you survive?

Suniya is a young Muslim woman living in modern Britain, struggling to come to terms with the prejudice she faces each and every day. Fortunately, she knows that things are improving, and she is not in any real danger.

Unfortunately, she is wrong.

When the city of Stoke-on-Trent is taken over by a well-known racist movement, she finds herself trapped, in a desperate fight for survival.

And when she turns to the building next to hers, and sees them dragging minorities out of their homes and executing them on the street, she knows it could be minutes until they find her…

When Liberty Dies is the tense, gripping thriller by horror-master Rick Wood. Download now and discover the real dangers of what happens when racism goes unchallenged...

‘Fascinating tale of murder and deception set against the political tensions between Mosley’s Blackshirts and working-class Communists in 1930s Leeds. Perfectly captures the atmosphere of a city struggling to shake off the effects of the Great Depression.’ – A.J. Wright, bestselling author of Sitting Murder

Leeds, Autumn 1936.

During a British Union of Fascists rally, a body is found.

War veteran Detective Sergeant Urban Raven is tasked with finding the killer.

But with virtually no clues, no witnesses and no obvious motive, he has few leads to start the investigation.

Leeds has become a shadow of its former self. Once a bright, vibrant and progressive metropolis, it has all but ground to a halt since the Crash of ’29, the Depression and the ensuing descent into unemployment and poverty.

And there are political stirrings as the BUF vie with the Communist Party for public support.

Was the murder an act of vengeance?

Was the victim killed for his political beliefs?

Or was the killing part of a more sinister plan, a grisly smear campaign? And if so, which side, if either, is responsible?

Raven and his colleagues find themselves constantly hindered by red tape, politics and the press. But sometimes, if you want a result, you just have to do it your way…

This puzzler of a crime story comprises convincing characters, a clever plot and a window into the dark days of 1930s northern England, where so many had lost hope…

…the dead. On leave.

Chris Nickson, author of the Richard Nottingham series, was born and raised in Leeds, England. A well-known music journalist and author, he’s written many celebrity biographies as well as being a frequent contributor to numerous music magazines.

One alpha man.
One bossy woman.
A fire that won't die.

I messed up.
Once upon a time, Amelia was my everything.
Until she wasn't.
I'm home now, and I want her back.
She's never forgiven me for something I didn't even do.
I've never forgiven her for believing the worst.
One look and the years apart go up in smoke.
The minute I lay eyes on Amelia, I'm hard for her.
Again.
That smart mouth and curvy body is all I ever wanted.
This time, I'll have her and she'll have me.
Every inch of me.
This is my second chance. I won't back down.
She'll be mine. For good this time.

*This is a steamy, full-length standalone romance with a guaranteed happily-ever-after. No cliffhangers. Nothing but steamy romance & HEA!

When two young boys discover human bones buried beneath a tree in a trailer park, Detective Josie Quinn races to join her team at the scene. She used to play in those woods as a child, happier outside and away from her abusive mother, Belinda Rose.

Josie’s past crashes into her present when a rare dental condition confirms the bones belong to a teenage foster-child who was murdered thirty years ago. A girl named Belinda Rose…

Josie hasn’t seen her mother in years but, with an undeniable connection between her mother and the dead girl, does she dare track her down?

Just as Josie gets closer to uncovering a secret that will shatter her world forever, another body is uncovered. It’s suddenly clear that someone very close to Josie will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried forever.

As she battles the demons from her past, can Josie stop this killer before another precious life is taken?

Do you love unputdownable crime thrillers that keep you up all night? Then this gripping rollercoaster ride, perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine, will have you totally hooked! 

New York Times Bestseller

A Summer Reading Pick for President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg

From a renowned historian comes a groundbreaking narrative of humanity’s creation and evolution—a #1 international bestseller—that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be “human.”

One hundred thousand years ago, at least six different species of humans inhabited Earth. Yet today there is only one—homo sapiens. What happened to the others? And what may happen to us?

Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book that begins about 70,000 years ago with the appearance of modern cognition. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.

Dr. Harari also compels us to look ahead, because over the last few decades humans have begun to bend laws of natural selection that have governed life for the past four billion years. We are acquiring the ability to design not only the world around us, but also ourselves. Where is this leading us, and what do we want to become?

Featuring 27 photographs, 6 maps, and 25 illustrations/diagrams, this provocative and insightful work is sure to spark debate and is essential reading for aficionados of Jared Diamond, James Gleick, Matt Ridley, Robert Wright, and Sharon Moalem.

Life was f*cking boring till I met her.
The raven-haired beauty on the train.
I spilled my coffee on her, and she b*tched me out.

Two weeks later she was back. But she was different.
Instead of tearing into me, her sparkling green eyes begged me to make her laugh.
Her delicious, plump lips ignited my desire and made me forget the girl who got away.

But something's wrong.

She doesn't remember me. Acts like we just met.
I don't know if she's f*cking with me, or if it's something deeper.
But I'm going to find out.

I was hurt once. Never again.

I'll prove my love to Tamara and the twins growing inside her.
Life used to be boring, now it's a f*cking roller coaster.
This time, the girl's not getting away. This time, I'm chasing after her.

I’d moved on. Until Ben Taylor walked into my camp.

I swore off men. Forever. Period. The end.

Ben Taylor was the cause - the perfect muscled military hero.

The green-eyed angel who stole my soul.

He claimed I cheated on him. 

I told him I wouldn’t cheat on the man who owned my heart.

I’ve moved on. I help other women now.

Women like me whose hearts have been smashed into pieces.

I offer them the space and support to heal. One day I might even heal myself.

Six years since I last saw him – still the perfect muscled military hero, now with a cute kid in tow.

Still my first and only love.

Still the man who didn’t trust me enough to listen. The man who broke my heart.

I’ve sworn off men. For good.

And I’ve sworn off Ben Taylor.

Right?

Gage Rutherford is the perfect embodiment of a Dom, his raw sensuality and naked masculinity giving him an appeal that Emma Burke can’t ignore. Unable to resist his allure, she allows him to pull her into his world of hard-core BDSM. At first, at Gage’s insistence, it’s just sex. Sadistic, kinky sex. Hot, passionate sex. Whenever and wherever he demands it—in her office, on the dining room table, at the Renaissance Fair, in his dungeon. Just sex. Because he has no use for love or romance. Devastated by his ex-wife’s betrayal, he swears he’ll never allow himself to be vulnerable to any other woman. Ever.
But what happens when exquisite physical passion becomes entangled with long-suppressed emotions? What happens when “all that sex” exposes all those hidden hungers and needs? What happens when Emma’s growing love for Gage smashes right up against his desperate need to deny his own growing love for her?
Will either of them survive the destruction?
 

Isla Lennox is the best interpreter aboard the Alliance ship Argo -- if the captain would ever give her a chance to do her job. When he finally does, Isla's big break turns into chaos and panic as she and all the female crew members are traded to an alien ship in exchange for the Argo's safe passage. The giant Xaravian warriors are intimidating, covered in scales, and... way too attractive. Isla and her friends won't surrender quietly, but it seems like the Xaravians are looking forward to that kind of fight.

The moment Vaant sees the beautiful, sassy interpreter, he knows he can't leave her in danger. She thinks he's a pirate and a dangerous rebel -- and that he bought her and her friends. Vaant must prove his honorable intentions, even as her flashing eyes and curvy figure drives him mad with desire. He'll even endanger his ship and go to the edge of the universe to keep her safe.

When her former captain frames Vaant for destroying an innocent ship and murdering another crew, Isla must face that the Alliance she served so proudly is not what it seems. Starting a new life as a rebel with Vaant sounds more and more appealing, but first they'll have to fight through half the Alliance fleet, escape a crumbling space station, and find love among the stars.

Meet the Kings. They’ll warm your heart… then get it racing.
Fall in love with the wild, passionate, scandalous men, and the strong, confident women of this big family as they find lasting love in the quaint small town of Crown Creek. Each book is connected or can be read as a standalone.

Crown Creek is a small town. Too small for Jonah King's huge ego.

He's everything I'm not. He's everything I hate. And now, he's everything I hate... to love.

My best friend's older brother is a huge rockstar now. If he believes that lets him get away with screwing over his family the way he did, he's wrong.

I always hated what he did to them. I always hated him.

But then he shows up again. A different man from the one I remember. He's humbled. Grieving.

Lost.

And suddenly I’m singing a different tune.

Instead of shouting, I’m saying, “touch me.” I’m saying, “kiss me again.” I’m saying, “please… please.”

I’m saying, “I had you all wrong. And I’m sorry."

But I want a future and there’s no future with Jonah King. I’m a small-town kindergarten teacher and he’s a big time celebrity. We come from different worlds.

But the music we make together is too beautiful to ignore.

***

CROWN CREEK is one big series about one special small town, following the lives and loves of interconnected families and friends. The same characters show up in multiple books and each book can be read as a standalone. Or they can be read in the following order for one long series.

THE KINGS:
Sweet Crazy Song - Jonah’s story (FREE)
Lost Perfect Kiss - Gabe’s story
Soft Wild Ache - Beau’s story
His Secret Heart - Finn’s story (Coming September 2018)


CROWN CREEK STANDALONES:
Last Good Man - Willa and Cooper’s story

Introduction

Welcome to my book, There and Back There Again by Andy Alsup ~ Village Savant.

My story has a few themes:
- technology

- music

- culture

- Seattle

- religion

- Aspergers

- schizophrenia

- psychic musings

I write a lot about my daily experience. It primarily revolves around my ongoing conversation with a variety of voices I hear in my head. I call this experience a couple of things. It is psychic. It is a network of identities. It is public. It is hilarious.

This is an introduction to give you an idea what I’m talking about with the conflict oriented stuff I write, and what I call chipmunk.

I hear voices. They are best described as auditory hallucinations. Sometimes they’re identifiable. Sometimes they’re words in my thoughts that don’t have sound, they don’t belong there, and they’re clearly someone else’s words.

I have called them a psychic phenomenon. I believe these are real people. They sometimes identify themselves. Sometimes I can hear who they are. Almost always they lie about their identity. They are always consistently wrong about people I know. They attempt to be identified as these people for a variety of reasons, but mostly to try to establish credibility because they have none and to attempt to manipulate.

I always tell the voices I will not accept them trying to do that.

I call the voices chipmunk because they sound squeaky, clown car because it’s one after another, and douchebag because they’re intrusive and self satisfied losers.

The reality is that the attempts to manipulate are trying to control me or lure me into doing something for reasons they are never honest about.

The voices are abusive, hostile, immature, and nonstop nonsense. They are factually wrong about everything. They lie about their motives, their information, their coordination with each other, and people that I know are not how the voices describe them.

The voices constantly attempt to indicate they are interfering in my life or are people I would want to have input from. They do this for a variety of reasons but it comes down to stupidity and probably people just wasting their time who have nothing better to do.

Sometimes they describe this as entertainment. They say they watch me either through their computer, or that they experience the same phenomenon I do in their head, and they see me remotely. I don’t know what that is like. I do sometimes see people doing things, and I can sometimes hear their thoughts.

I have the ability to give them words I make them say. I can also give them thoughts, or make them do things.

I sometimes smell or feel things that are also psychic.

The voices are real people behaving badly.

~~~

sa·vant
saˈvän(t),säˈvän(t)
noun
a learned person, especially a distinguished scientist.
synonyms: intellectual, scholar, sage, philosopher, thinker, wise/learned person
~~
People have asked me about the choice of the word savant for my Facebook page.

I'll put it this way. Genius doesn't cover it. I'm beyond that.

Savant indicates epic level wisdom in an area that also accompanies a deficit.
My savant is people.

I can see your soul at a glance. I can write and speak words on every day topics that make you stand with applause. I can talk you under the table with logic. I can explain the universe in a few words. I can make science deliciously funny, 12 hours in the brisket lab with a pbr. I have done it all with technology, and I can take you into the future. I am fluent in music and film that people resonate with, but can't remember why. I think things that happen because I think them. I can change your words in your mouth. I know what to tell you to freak you out or calm you. I can describe you to yourself in ways you know but never knew.

I'll need your help to meet a girl.

~ Andy ~ Village Savant ~ The Smartest Guy On the Planet
https://www.facebook.com/villagesavant/

A "feel-good tale ... rich in nostalgia" - Publishers Weekly

A faded farmhouse, a devoted dog. One special summer.

Melinda Foster is already at a crossroads when the “for rent” sign beckons her down a dusty gravel lane. Facing forty and downsized from her successful career at a Twin Cities ad agency, she's struggling to find her way when a phone call brings her home to rural Iowa.

It’s not long before she is caring for a barn full of animals and working at her family’s hardware store in the community of Prosper, whose motto is “The Great Little Town That Didn’t.” And just like the vast garden she tends under the summer sun, Melinda soon begins to thrive. But when tragedy strikes the tiny community, can she piece back together the fragile new life she's worked so hard to create?

Filled with memorable characters, from a big-hearted farm dog to the weather-obsessed owner of the local co-op, “Growing Season” celebrates the challenges and joys of rural life. First in a series! Don't miss the heartwarming sequel, "Harvest Season," and two more titles arriving in late 2018!

“I’m not certain any man could ever tame those appalling Chadwick girls. Even if that one daughter does marry, it would take a brave man to suffer the rest of the family.” – Lady Worthington, Marchioness of Langbury

Miss Lavinia Chadwick--the only non-bluestocking in her family--is destined to marry well.

At least according to her mother.

She will definitely not marry a Scotsman.

According to her mother.

With the season around the corner, Mama is determined that Lavinia shall finally find her duke. Or her earl. Even a marquess would do.

But, first, Lavinia must do her duty and help entertain a famous author visiting their sleepy village. With the help of her sisters, she’s been tasked with ensuring his stay goes perfectly. Unfortunately, her sisters are more of a hindrance than a help. So is her attraction to the braw laird who has come specially to see his favorite author.

However, her sisters are certain that this rough Scot is good for her and set about ensuring their clandestine budding relationship thrives. Of course, with sisters like her, she could just as easily end up ruined and disappointing her whole family. Can Lavinia find the courage to fight for what she really wants and survive her sisters’ meddling?

“No eligible bachelor wants to marry a bluestocking…especially not those frightful Chadwick girls.” – Lady Jersey, Almacks Patroness.

Amelia’s writing was often prone to getting her into trouble. Hence why she eventually took on a penname. But it seems, once again, her unthinking need to spill out everything onto paper will land her in hot water.

After her sisters persuade her the only way to get over her love for Lord Nicholas Wentworth is to write about him, Amelia devotes hours and hours of ink to the subject. However, she never expects for Nicholas to end up in possession of this information. How could she admit her affection for him when she knows full well he is still in love with her now married sister?

To save herself embarrassment—and more importantly to keep her penname hidden—Amelia must find a way to intercept these letters, and if she cannot, she must persuade Nicholas it was all some awful jest and that she is certainly not A. Hardwick—purveyor of stories so scandalous that it would mean utter ruination for all the Chadwick girls should the truth come out.
 

Watching her two nephews and a puppy named Thor for the weekend was supposed to be fun for Greenly Kendrick. Sweating to death at a never-ending baseball game while getting gum in her hair, soda down her shirt, and an ice cream pedicure wasn’t part of the deal. Neither is finding out the best blind date she’s ever stood up is there to witness it all.

Longest. Weekend. Ever.

Except it doesn’t stop at one crazy weekend. Embarrassment turns into mortification, a head wound, and being patch up by her amused knight in shining armor.

Roman Carpenter can’t help laughing at Greenly’s mishaps, but for some reason, he sticks with her through it all. At least, until his ex-wife shows up and starts causing trouble. What started off as a strange, yet promising relationship, might be able to survive spiteful exes, but adding in a stalker that puts everyone on edge and pulls the police into the mix, might push everyone past their breaking point.

We were a scandal waiting to happen. But I didn’t care.

For years my life had already been an unending downward spiral. Then my grandfather, Jack, gave me an apartment no one knew about. A secret bequest after his death, and the brief note that accompanied the gift sent me running to Italy.

I’d gone to Venice to find peace, knowing I was weak, and instead I found him.

He was magnificent, brilliant, jaded, and white-hot danger. I was consumed by him as I’ve never been by anything or anyone. Vibrant and unrelenting wakefulness burned inside me when he was near.

And he became everything I craved and all I lived for.

She wasn’t the right kind of girl for me. In fact, Khloe was the type that could cost me everything. The bonds on me weren’t shackles a man could break free from. Having her as my lover was allowed. Wanting her was foolish. Loving her—agony. And we would become each other’s most private big little lie, filled with us and desire.

Letting go of us was inevitable, even as it tormented me to tear us apart.

THE SAND & FOG SERIES is about the Manzone family, filled with passionate loyalty, enduring hope, and forever love.

Each book in this series is carefully written so that you can understand and not feel lost even if you haven’t read the other books in the series. You can start the Sand & Fog Series with The Last Girl. But be warned: the characters cross-over from book to book and it’s easy for readers to fall in love and become addicted to my other spunky heroines & swoon-worthy heroes and binge read for days!

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LAST GIRL:

“Loved this story!!!”-Amazon Review

“[Damon]'s outrageously fun, inescapably likeable and wonderfully alluring.”-RosyLovesBooks, Amazon Review

“I read a lot…This is my favorite series.”-GoodReads Review.

“Absolutely loved this book…She brings you into the Manzone family and you want more after every book. You are drawn to Khloe and Damon and want happy.” -BookBub Review

“AWESOME!! A MUST READ. READ THE WHOLE SERIES!!!! You will NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!! You will fall in Love with her work.”—Amazon Review

“Wow!!! Not only do I have book hangover but I feel sorry for the next few books I read because they just won’t live up to this in quality or feels…Read read read! Then go send yourself on the most amazing journey and catch up with all the other books.”-Amazon Review

“Damon officially added to my book boyfriend dungeon. Can’t have a girl swoon so hard without any consequences.”-GoodReads Review

“I love every book about this family.”-GoodReads Review

“The books keep getting better and better.”-GoodReads Review

This is a collection of the first three titles in The Descent Series, which are gritty urban fantasy books about a demon hunter's battles against the forces of Heaven and Hell.

Books included:
1. Death's Hand
2. The Darkest Gate
3. Dark Union

DEATH'S HAND
Elise Kavanagh doesn't want to hunt demons anymore. It's been five years since she killed her last enemy, and life has been pretty good since then. She went to college. Got a job, and then lost it. Made a friend or two. Lived a normal life.

Now her former partner, a powerful witch named James Faulkner, wants Elise to fight one more time. The daughter of a coven member has been possessed, and Elise is the only exorcist nearby.

Doing the hero thing again would mean risking discovery by old enemies. But digging into the case reveals that it might already be too late--bodies are disappearing, demons slither through the night, and the cogs of apocalypse are beginning to turn. Some enemies aren't willing to let the secrets of the past stay dead...

THE DARKEST GATE
When Elise Kavanagh retired from demon hunting, she swore it would be permanent. But an attack from a powerful necromancer forced her back into the business, and now she's trying to balance her normal boyfriend and normal job with everything supernatural.

Mr. Black is a demon hunter gone rogue. He's enslaving angels and stealing ethereal artifacts in pursuit of forbidden immortality, and an old grudge drives him to make his final stand in Elise's territory. Destroying her life and killing her friends isn't the goal, but it's a definite perk.

A demonic overlord offers to join against Mr. Black and protect Elise's loved ones. All she needs to do is ally with the demons she's sworn to kill, at the cost of her morals--and maybe her immortal soul. But once she crosses that line, there's no turning back.

Nothing is sacred when Heaven and Hell collide on Earth...

DARK UNION
Every fifty years, the most powerful ethereal and infernal beings convene on Earth to resolve conflicts with mediation by kopides--humans born to police relations between Heaven and Hell. They're meeting in Elise Kavanagh's territory this year, and she used to be the greatest kopis in the world. But she's not invited.

An old friend, Lucas McIntyre, asks her to attend the summit in his place. But when she arrives, she discovers that a human faction called The Union has taken charge of the summit, and they're not playing nice. Worse yet, someone has killed a prominent Union member... and now they're demanding blood.

In a dark and desolated After Earth, love still does exist, but the cost of bearing such a flaw is death. World War III has left Earth in utter turmoil. People’s beliefs are said to be the cause of the worldwide destruction. After The Clearing new laws are set about - to show certitude in anything besides the law is weak and chargeable as mutiny.

To be illogical and have faith in religion is illegal, to be limitless is dangerous. And Illness is seen as a defect – all flaws that are inexcusable. But to love is the greatest betrayal of all man kind. It is a fault the world has long forgotten and punishable by death, a fatal risk Aecker and Opel are fully prepared to take - because in love there is freedom. But how far can they push back before it claims their lives and those they care about.