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Excerpt:'There was, and (by the grace of God) there still is, a lovely woman whom it once pleased a young man to call Shelmerdene, because, he said, though it is not her real name, it becomes her better than any real name could. And about Shelmerdene books have been written and for her men have died, which just shows you the sort of woman she was. Now it happened one day that Shelmerdene returned to England after a long absence abroad in Persia, but I can tell you nothing about that because I know nothing of Persia, except that it is rather inadequately governed by a Shah who is a pretty fat young man and wears a diamond in his hat.'

Excerpt:'Captain Mike Brixan had certain mild and innocent superstitions. He believed, for example, that if he saw a green crow in a field he would certainly see another green crow before the day was out. And when, at the bookstand on Aix la Chapelle station, he saw and purchased a dime novel that was comprehensively intituled “Only an Extra, or the Pride of Hollywood,” he was less concerned as to how this thrilling and dog-eared romance came to be on offer at half a million marks (this was in the days when marks were worth money) than as to the circumstances in which he would again hear or read the word “extras” in the sense of a supernumerary and unimportant screen actress. The novel did not interest him at all. He read one page of superlatives and turned for relief to the study of a Belgian time-table. He was bored, but not so bored that he could interest himself in the sensational rise of the fictitious Rosa Love from modest obscurity to a press agent and wealth. But “extra” was a new one on Michael, and he waited for the day to bring its inevitable companion. To say that he was uninterested in crime, that burglars were less thrilling than golf scores, and the record of murders hardly worth the reading, might convey a wrong impression to those who knew him as the cleverest agent in the Foreign Office Intelligence Department. His official life was spent in meeting queer continentals in obscure restaurants and, in divers rôles, to learn of the undercurrents that were drifting the barques of diplomacy to unsuspected ports. He had twice roamed through Europe in the guise of an open-mouthed tourist; had canoed many hundred miles through the gorges of the Danube to discover, in little riverside beer-houses, the inward meanings of secret mobilizations. These were tasks wholly to his liking.'

Móric Jókay de Ásva was born on the 18th February 1825 in Komárom, then in the Kingdom of Hungary but now part of Slovakia.Due to his timid and delicate constitution he was educated at home until the age of 10 and then sent away to complete his studies at the Calvinist college at Pápa.At 12 his father died, and he was pushed to honour him by replicating his career as a lawyer. He studied hard and completed the curriculum at Kecskemét and Pest. He won his first case as a newly graduated lawyer.But he found a career in law to be dull and, encouraged by the positive reaction to his first play, he moved to Pest in 1845. There he published, first in a newspaper, and then as a novel ‘Hétköznapok'(‘Working Days'). It was acclaimed as a masterpiece. To add to his promise he was appointed as the editor of Életképek, the leading Hungarian journal.In 1848 he married the actress, Róza Laborfalvi. That same year Europe was awash with revolutions and Jókai, a moderate Liberal, enthusiastically supported the nationalist cause and its decision to depose the Habsburg dynasty. The attempt failed.He was now classed as a political suspect and threw himself into his literary career, writing dozens of novels, many of them masterpieces, stories, essays and the like. In total he wrote several hundred volumes, many of them in the local Magyar language which helped arrest its declining relevance in society.By 1867 the political temperature had cooled, and he entered parliament as well as becoming the editor a government journal he had founded. His skills were much admired and helped the government navigate through several difficult matters.His wife died in 1886 but although grief-stricken he continued to work and to write.In 1897 the king appointed him a member of the upper house. Two years later he caused a minor scandal by marrying the young 20-year-old actress, Bella Nagy. At the time he was 74.Mór Jókai died in Budapest on the 5th May 1904. He was 79.

A dark comedy about the escalating conflict between two brothers who inherit their family funeral business. Michael Merriweather's carefully planned life is blown off course when he receives a call to tell him that his father has cremated himself. Michael then learns from a small-town lawyer that he stands to inherit a small fortune he previously knew nothing about, but only if he sacrifices his accountancy career to take over the family funeral business with his brother, Jack, whom he despises. Sucked back into the small provincial world and the family funeral firm he has rejected, Michael can no longer avoid his loathsome sibling. Jack Merriweather has no idea what he's done to deserve his brother's hostility, but he's about to suffer the consequences. Then, when his patience finally breaks, he will exact delicious revenge.The Better Brother is a darkly comic tale of sibling rivalry laced with the power, passion, revenge and everyday friction of family business. It explores what happens when two warring brothers are forced to work together. Will Michael and Jack learn to love and respect each other? Or will their acrimony escalate? If so, who will come out on top? Who is the better brother?

Anna is dismayed by the indifference she sees in the news to people who die in distant wars. In order to redress this, she writes portraits of unknown victims. Grief, caused by the death of her daughter Caitlin, and brought into sharp relief by the release of Caitlin's killer from prison, has in turn, imprisoned Anna. it is only through this writing that Anna allows herself an emotional connection to the world. Meanwhile Caitlin tells her own story from the perplexing realms of death, finally reclaiming herself from the brutality of a coercive and violent relationship. Anna s unresolved rage build to a pitch, until an unexpected intercession changes everything, offering hope from the most unexpected quarter.

Sisters Ella and Roberta O'Callaghan live in separate wings of their crumbling Irish mansion. They haven't spoken for decades, torn apart by a dark family secret from their past, and only communicate through the terse and bitter notes they leave for each other in the hallway.Debbie, an American woman, is searching for her birth mother. She has little time left but as she sets out to discover who she really is and what happened to her mother, she is met by silence and lies at the local convent.With the bank threatening, Ella tries to save the family home by opening a café in the ballroom much to Roberta's disgust. And when Debbie offers to help out in the café, the war between the sisters intensifies. But as Debbie finally begins to unravel the truth, she uncovers an adoption scandal that will rock both the community and the warring sisters.Powerful and poignant, The Ballroom Café is a moving story of love lost and found.PRAISE FOR THE BALLROOM CAFÉ'Secrets emerge, there's a whopper of a twist and this unabashed tear-jerker ends with a well-earthed, well-calculated emotional finale.'THE IRISH TIMES'A moving tale of loss, love and redemption.'BELLA MAGAZINE'Deftly written, moving and courageous.'THE SUNDAY TIMES'Slow-marching, romantic prose draws us into an old world that is rustic, genteel, quaint...[but] scandals lie in wait.'IRISH INDEPENDENT'Highly engaging debut you will want to dive into.'SUNDAY INDEPENDENT, Ireland'A lovely first novel.'CATHY KELLY, bestselling author.'A warm and engaging story in a unique and original setting. I loved journeying through the lives of these fascinating characters. A beautifully drawn, skilfully written, well-researched novel.'KATE KERRIGAN, New York Times bestselling author of The Ellis Island Trilogy'A lovely story of two women with the courage to confront the injustices of the past, bringing light to a dark corner of Ireland's recent history.'KATHLEEN MACMAHON, bestselling author of This Is How It Ends

In the idyllic early summer of 1914, life is good for the de Witt family. Rudolf and Verena are planning the wedding of their daughter Emmeline, while their eldest son, Arthur, is studying in Paris, and Michael is just back from his first term at Cambridge. Celia, the youngest of the de Witt children, is on the brink of adulthood and secretly dreams of escaping her carefully mapped-out future and exploring the world.But the onslaught of war changes everything and soon the de Witts find themselves sidelined and in danger of losing everything they hold dear. As Celia struggles to make sense of the changing world around her, she lies about her age to join the war effort and finds herself embroiled in a complex plot that puts not only herself but those she loves in danger.With gripping detail and brilliant empathy, Kate Williams tells the story of Celia and her family as they are shunned by a society that previously embraced them, torn apart by sorrow, and buffeted and changed by the storms of war.

Sisters of Lazarus: Beauty Unveiled is about Mary and Martha and their struggles with issues of self-worth. The author often wondered why the sisters were at odds and the book opens with Mary tiptoeing into the house as she returns from market with a hand-mirror for herself instead of saffron for Martha. Beyond re-telling the Bible story, the book also shows that a woman's value to God does not lie in appearance or the value which we place on skills, accomplishments, possessions, or intellect.

In The Red Pole of Macau, Ava's half-brother Michael is desperate to pull out of a multi-million-dollar real estate deal in the territory of Macau. The developers are threatening to halt construction unless Michael and his business partner put up another $80 million; the bank is looking for repayment on their loan; and her father is prepared to sell everything to protect his first-born son. When Ava enlists Uncle for help, she discovers his health is failing and is forced to turn to a former client, the cunning and seductive May Ling Wong. As Ava follows the money trail, she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into Hong Kong's dark and deadly world of organized crime. Will Ava protect her family's future? Or will this job lead to a violent end...

In The Wild Beasts of Wuhan, Uncle and Ava are summoned by Wong Changxing,'The Emperor of Hubei'and one of the most powerful men in China, when he discovers that the Fauvist paintings he recently acquired are in fact forgeries. Ava uncovers a ring of fraudulent art dealers and follows their twisted trail to Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Dublin, London, and New York. But the job is further complicated by Wong's second wife, the cunning and seductive May Ling, who threatens to interfere in Ava's investigation. Will Ava find the perpetrators and get the Wongs'money back? Or will May Ling get to them first...

The memoirs of a court Eunuch at the byzantine court in the 7th century. Memoirs of a Byzantine Eunuch is an archetypal Dedalus novel and bears comparison with David Madsen's masterpiece: Memoirs of a Gnostic Dwarf. Memoirs of a Byzantine Eunuch is very good on unusual Christian sects, Byzantine intrigue and the clash with Islam. It will appeal to readers who like battles, court politics, depravity, ideas and colour in their historical fiction.

What if you had a chance to ask a loved one for forgiveness – after they died? What would you say?Would you give up your own lifetime of happiness for someone else?Michael Stewart confronts these questions as he travels back in time through a mysterious tunnel in an old church when the Romans ruled with brutal violence and Jesus preached his peaceful message. His teenage daughter Elizabeth soon follows Michael, but is surprised to discover that her father is nowhere to be found. Little does she know that Michael has returned safely to the present, leaving her to battle a vicious Roman soldier. Separated by centuries, Michael is trapped to fight his own battles in the present day. Elizabeth's disappearance, and the discovery of her blood in his car ignites a rush of judgment as the FBI focuses on him as a person of interest. Michael's only hope for saving his daughter rests in the hands of his best friend – a local pastor with secrets of his own – and a mysterious old journal containing tales of miracles within the walls of the old church itself.Thrilling and suspenseful, Everybody's Daughter takes readers on a miraculous journey of their own, where salvation can be found in acts of sacrifice and hope remains forever eternal through the passage of a tunnel.

A novel of the Monuments Men in World War II. Glenn Carnehan was a driver for the American art experts who tracked down the masterpieces looted by the Nazis. Glenn spends a weekend with his grandson, Michael, and shares the experiences which changed his life so that Michael will change his attitude towards his own family. Glenn helped save a civilization and hopes that his story will rescue Michael's life.

A slave owners wife harbors a secret that threatens to unravel her marriage and the lives of those around her. Caroline Whitfield lives in the world she dreamt of as a child. Married to Jackson, a plantation owner, in the quiet hills of 1835 Montgomery County, Maryland, she enjoys a simple life, until new slaves, seven-year-old Sadie and her father, arrive. When Sadies daddy is taken from her, the young girl is forced to serve the master and mistress she holds responsible for her loss. With her grandmother, fellow slaves in the Loom Room, and a young man bent on obtaining his freedom, Sadie struggles to make sense of Gods will in the midst of pain. But Caroline harbors a secret that could bring her world crashing down, and her love for Sadie, the daughter no one knows she had, threatens to tear it all apart. Meanwhile, Caroline draws closer to an old friend, an empathetic and dependable married man. Now she must douse the raging flames of a jealous husband and fight to keep her perfect world intact. The Loom is a colorful tale of three families linked by a lie and their discovery that the truth is not always black and white.

Dr. Michael Cayle wants the best for his wife and young daughter. That's why he moves the family from Manhattan to accept a private practice in the small New England town of Ashborough. Everything there seems so quaint and peaceful at first. But Ashborough is a town with secrets. Unimaginable secrets.

An irresistible treasure, two master thieves, and a secret as old as mankind... Michael St. Pierre, a reformed master thief, thinks he has left his criminal days far behind him, when he receives word that his best friend, Simon, has been locked up and sentenced to die in a brutal desert prison. Breaking into jail for the first time in his checkered career, Michael is stunned to discover that his new girlfriend, KC, is connected to Simon's case. With a madman on their heels, the three adventurers make their way to Istanbul in search of the mysterious artifact that landed Simon behind bars in the first place: a map containing the location of a holy place lost to the mists of time, a repository of knowledge and treasure predating Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Testing their courage and wits, Michael and his team are forced to plot a series of daring thefts that take them inside some of the city's most celebrated (and heavily guarded) sanctums, from the imperial harem of Topkapi Palace to the tombs of the Hagia Sophia itself. More than priceless artifacts are at stake—the lives of loved ones and perhaps the fate of humanity itself hang in the balance. A globe-trotting adventure that wings from the glittering banks of the Bosporus to the highest peaks of the Himalayas, The Thieves of Darkness confirms Richard Doetsch's place as the modern-day master of pulse-pounding suspense.

The Nature of a Man is a reflective perspective of Alicia Forrester, a woman who is desperately seeking the love she lost as a child.Despite her magnificent beauty, despite her success, Alicia Forrester's view of the woman in the mirror is one of disappointment, darkness, and despair. Her lack of self-love and her efforts to find it through the heart of a man leads her down the dark path of promiscuity, betrayal, and murder. She spends a lifetime battling the temptation of suicide. One day, the temptation becomes too great and she decides it is better to die in shame than to live in pain. She is found by her friends, characters from The Office Girls and The Nature of a Woman, and they rescue her from herself. Still unable to battle her demons, she makes several other suicidal attempts until she unwillingly confronts the source of pain that has haunted her throughout her life: her father. On his deathbed, he gives her the love she has sought and at that moment, the nature of a man is revealed. It is not from the reception from her father's love, nor her husband's love—it is through the acceptance of love for herself.

Christy Hayes is a case study in successful living. She's won two Olympic gold medals, built a multimillion-dollar business, and landed a gorgeous and powerful CEO husband. But Christy's dream life begins to unravel when she inherits custody of an eleven-year-old girl named Renata. Suddenly she finds herself battling three formidable opponents: a treacherous business partner bent on ousting her from the company she founded, a ruthless stay-at-home mom who'll stop at nothing to maintain her PTA power base, and a stunning single woman scheming to steal her husband. Throw in the demands of one high-maintenance spouse and it's clear: something's got to give. But what? Her marriage? Her career? Her sanity?

The New York Times bestselling author of Legend and The Blessing weaves a moving and unforgettable love story between a small-town woman at the end of her rope and the mysterious angel sent to help her.Emily Jane Todd has just found her guardian angel. Actually, the small-town librarian had just been stood up by her fiancé when she ran into the errant angel with her car. And while he appears to be unscathed, Michael continues to insist that his heavenly pedigree is quite legitimate. Emily just hopes his brain hasn't been scrambled in the accident; besides, she's not inclined to believe that an angel could be so dangerously sexy. Yet Michael quickly reveals the most astounding things about her, and makes her laugh in a way she never has before. What's more, he declares that he's been sent to save her. At this point, the only rescue Emily has in mind is her upcoming marriage but when he lets slip that he also looks at souls—and hers is a rare beauty—Emily's ready to risk heaven in his arms. Their journey will break every angelic and earthly rule before it yields her one wish: a love divine.