Westerns

The Gray Houseby Mariam Petrosyan

“The Gray House is enigmatic and fantastical, comic and postmodern…Rowling meets Rushdie via Tartt…Nothing short of life-changing.” —The Guardian

The Gray House is an astounding tale of how what others understand as liabilities can be leveraged into strengths.

Bound to wheelchairs and dependent on prosthetic limbs, the physically disabled students living in the House are overlooked by the Outsides. Not that it matters to anyone living in the House, a hulking old structure that its residents know is alive. From the corridors and crawl spaces to the classrooms and dorms, the House is full of tribes, tinctures, scared teachers, and laws–all seen and understood through a prismatic array of teenagers’ eyes.

But student deaths and mounting pressure from the Outsides put the time-defying order of the House in danger. As the tribe leaders struggle to maintain power, they defer to the awesome power of the House, attempting to make it through days and nights that pass in ways that clocks and watches cannot record.

A Read Russia Prize Finalist.

The Gambler and The Orphansby R. O. Lane

The book tells the tale of a gambler, two orphans and a sweet mother who build a life for themselves filled with joy. A Mississippi riverboat gambler, Benjamin Tate, is thrust into a different life as he is forced to adopt two little boys, who have been horribly abused in an orphanage in St. Louis. He takes the boys out West, buys some land and builds a ranch where he raises horses. He meets the boys’ school teacher and falls in love with her. He learns that she’s a widow who has suffered terrible physical abuse from her late husband. One of the boys is kidnapped and Tate goes after the kidnappers and recovers his adopted son, who tells him, “I knew you were coming, Pa. I never had a single doubt. And I told that kidnapper you’d beat the ‘dickens’ out of him.” The gambler finds out that love makes a difference in both children and horses. The orphans adopt a young horse named Sunny, which is a pet for the boys, but he’s no race horse … until one of the orphans gives him a little talking to, hugs him and gets in the saddle. Suddenly Sunny is transformed by the love of the orphans into a winning race horse. The family finally learns that Benjamin Tate was the best poker player ever on the Mississippi riverboats. Does he regret giving up that life and being a father to the orphans. Not for a single minute. It’s another classic tale from R. O. Lane, author of classic westerns.

Plot Gardening: Write Faster, Write Smarterby Chris Fox

Learn to Plot without sacrificing Creativity

What separates great novels from mediocre ones? Story. Authors that master this vital skill keep their readers up at night, and suffer the deluge of ‘when is the next book coming out’ emails.

Whether you are a first time novelist, or a seasoned author, Plot Gardening will teach you the fundamentals of storytelling, delivered in a practical way. Through exercises at the end of each chapter you will build your own outline, and you’ll do it without sacrificing the creativity that is so vital to telling great stories.

In this book you’ll learn:

-The basics of story structure, and how they are used
-How and why worldbuilding is important, and how to do your own worldbuilding
-The components of great characters, and how you can bring yours to life
-How to create a living outline that will change and adapt as your characters come to life

The Mystery of Julia Episcopa (The Vatican Chronicles Book 1)by John I. Rigoli

In ancient Rome, a woman flees for her life. Her enemies are those she once called ‘brother’. Hidden beneath her blue cloak are secrets men will kill for – forgeries that prove the newly self-appointed bishops are not followers of the way, but pretenders who have seized power and will stop at nothing to shape this new religion to their own ends. Now, Julia – a woman who had once walked with Mary Magdalene and taught alongside Paul must preserve the legacy of the apostles in the face of terrifying danger.

Two thousand years later, classical archaeologists Valentina Vella and Erika Simone are tasked with advising the newly-elected Pope on the historical legacy of women in the early Christian period. The women stumble across an ancient parchment buried deep in the Vatican archives, a document that has clearly been altered. They find themselves on the trail of a woman who may have been the first woman Bishop in the Catholic faith. To reveal Julia’s legacy will put them in the cross-hairs of a venomous Vatican battle for power and supremacy; to stay silent would make them complicit in an ancient heresy and would betray the teachings that Julia sacrificed her life to defend.

‘The Mystery of Julia Episcopa’ weaves seamlessly between modern day Rome and the politics of the Catholic church, and the times and life of a 1^st century Roman noblewoman who rose to be a dominant force in the early Christian movement.

“Three women connected by two intertwined stories of treacherous political intrigues, ancient cover-ups, and savage vengeance.”

Ten Womenby Marcela Serrano

Award-winning Chilean author Marcela Serrano weaves a beautiful story about the universal connections between women.

For nine Chilean women, life couldn’t be more different. There is the teenage computer whiz confronting her sexual identity. A middle-aged recluse who prefers the company of her dog over that of most humans. A housekeeper. A celebrity television personality. A woman confronting the loneliness of old age.

Of disparate ages and races, these women represent the variety of cultural and social groups that Chile comprises. On the surface, they seem to have nothing in common…except for their beloved therapist, who brings them together. Yet as different as they all are, each woman has a story to share.

As the women tell their stories, unlikely common threads are discovered, bonds are formed, and lives are transformed. Their stories form an intricate tale of triumph, heartache, and healing that will resonate with women from all walks of life.

An International DUBLIN Literary Award Nominee.

My Canadian Adventure: Life as a Pilot in the RCMPby Colin MacLeod

Told from the perspective of the cockpit, with humour and compassion, this story details mountain rescues, mass murders, tragic accidents, body hunts, native uprisings, drug busts, family trauma, and much, much more.

This is a true account of one man’s career in Canadian Aviation. Serving as a pilot with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for a twenty year period, from 1981 to 2001, operating both helicopters and fixed wing, the author flew into every corner of Canada and was personally involved with many of the significant events of that time.

A very personal story, this book is an intriguing, interesting read, providing a unique point of view on this period in Canada’s history.

Throw Downby Grace James

A gritty and emotional MMA Fighter Romance, featuring a tortured anti-hero and a straight-talking heroine…

Evan Crowe –
I fell in love with her when I was just a kid. That age where you just live your life and never think about the consequences. I gave her everything – all of me.
When she disappeared, part of me died.
Then, one day, there she is… looking at me from across the street with those big brown eyes of hers…
But I ain’t a dumb kid anymore. The girl is poison, I know that now. No matter how much I still want her, I can fight it.
Fighting is what I do.
In the cage, they call me ‘The Pitbull’. They say I’m rabid.
And they’re right… because I can’t decide if I want to choke her out, or fuck her.

Scarlett Adams –
I fell in love with him when I was just a kid. But even then, I knew that good things never last.
Still, I couldn’t resist him.
Strong, intoxicating and violent, he was everything I knew I should be afraid of – but I never felt safer than when I was with him.
He gave me everything, and I took it. I let him love me, even though I didn’t deserve it. I was weak…
But that was a long time ago. I’m stronger now, and I’m back.
The thing is, the boy I left behind is gone. The man that’s here in his place is damaged. Twisted. Broken.
And it’s all my fault.

Forbidden: Claudeby Elizabeth Rose

The heartbroken knight. The runaway bride. A love between them that is Forbidden!

The Heartbroken Knight:
Frenchman Sir Claude Montague returns to England still in love with Lady Rose after she has broken his heart eight years ago. She is now married and wants him by her side in her husband’s absence, as she is about to give birth to her first baby. He would do anything for Rose, but can he let go of the thoughts that bind him to his past, making him wish he were her husband?

The Runaway Bride:
Lady Evelina Du Pont escapes France and travels to England in disguise, running from an unwanted betrothal to an evil lord. She wants time to find a husband on her own and is looking for a man who will be loyal, protect her, and treat her kindly. Evelina is looking for love! First posing as a nursemaid, she is accepted at Briarbeck Castle where she hunts for the perfect husband. But with the suspicious Sir Claude getting in her way, she cannot restrain herself from pointing out his flaws.

With Claude’s attention taken by the boisterous but beautiful Evelina, he finds a new home for his misplaced love. However, Claude is a knight and she is naught but a servant. Falling in love with a woman of a different status is highly forbidden.

Will a woman searching for a man to love, have her secret identity exposed by a knight who is living with a broken heart from the past? Or will the past and the future collide, causing both Claude and Evelina to change their ways before they realize the present isn’t always as it seems?

Forbidden: Claude, is the story of the son of the hero and heroine from The Baron’s Destiny – Book 3 of the Barons of the Cinque Ports Series. While it is recommended to read that book first so that no surprises will be ruined, it is a standalone book that can be read by itself without prior knowledge of any other series.