The wagon carrying Odessa Clay and her father overturns, killing him. Alone and scared in the middle of the desert, she faces finding her way to Phoenix and her Aunt Susan. Food and water run out, and Odessa is near death when Zach Johnson finds her. Squinting up into his tanned and handsome face, Dessie believes she’s died and gone to heaven. Would-be-outlaw, Zach Johnson finds an unconscious woman alone in the middle of nowhere. Where did she come from? First glance: she appears young, but the curves beneath the dusty gingham say otherwise. He didn’t plan to become someone’s hero, but how can he leave her stranded? He’s on his way to join a gang of bank robbers and he has no time to spare. Will the promise of Odessa’s sweet lips lure Zach from the secret mission that has his gut twisted into a knot? His father’s ranch isn’t the only thing at stake—now it’s his heart.

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Ginger Simpson's latest novel, Odessa,is the story of a brave, young woman who loses her father in a tragic accident while searching for her aunt, but finds true love in the process. Simpson brilliantly uses humor, lovable characters, and detailed description to transport the reader back to the Old West. When Zach, a would be outlaw under duress, meets Odessa in the desert and saves her life, little does he know that he would be in for the adventure of his life. After a short time together, there is nothing he wouldn't do to keep the pretty little spitfire safe. And, keeping Odessa safe, could be quite trying especially when the little spitfire is determined to risk her life to return the favor! With much determination and a spirit only found in the courageous pioneer women of the time, Odessa fulfils her dreams. This story is a delightful read. So, hold on tight to your horse, for you will experience the ride of your life!

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Lady Serena Buxton follows her husband from England to Cold Creek, a gold mining town in northern Californian. But, when she arrives, Randolph is missing. The sheriff seems to be keeping a watchful eye on her. She cannot trust Douglas King, the mine manager, who treats her as if she is already a widow. The bank manager refuses her request for access to Randolph’s account. With no husband and no money, what is a girl to do? Serena has an unsuspected and quite shocking talent. Two enterprising local ladies help Serena prepare for a public performance, but the only suitable venue in town belongs to Douglas King, a man she mistrusts but with whom she strikes a deal. The whole town turns out to see the show. The venue is packed. But who is in the crowd, watching? Will King insist on exacting his fees? And will Serena be reunited with the husband she loves?

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funny and hilarious but full of suspense and mystery too! Plus, it's a love story, what else can you ask for?

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Disappointed in love, weary of war, Goran von Hagen retreats to his idyllic alpine estate. He does not know the dark and ancient secret of the looming mountain--or that it will change his life forever. From Artemis and Apollo to Frey and Freya, on through all known pantheons, there are magical twins, so this sparked the tale of Mina and Goran, the von Hagen's first born. "Black Magic" is Goran's tale, dealing with the ancient secrets of his home place. Threads which were part of the original Red Magic story are elaborated, especially when some very old "chickens" come home to roost, turning the lives of the brother and sister upside down. I wanted very much to link the shape-shifter experience to the prehistoric -- a.k.a. sublime -- images discovered on the walls of caves all over the world. In "Black Magic," both the horned god and the wolf man enter our reality.

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So much more than the garden-variety shapeshifter v. vampire story, as the hero engages with the day-to-day realities of his post-transformation self..."

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Angelica is a Patriot heiress, stalked by a brutal, fortune-hunting British officer. She is forced to trust Jack, the mystery man who pledges to take her on a dangerous war-time journey up river to her Albany home, she expects to encounter brigands, Tories and Indians. What she doesn’t expect is to lose her heart along the way.

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"...It's rather like biting into a cake covered with sweetened whipped cream and instead of having it turn out to be something light and crisp, discovering that there is a historical novel underneath, like a dense and solid slice of fruitcake.

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Once upon a time in the beleaguered land of Lothria… A princess under a magical aura, her absent-minded sorcerer grandfather; a conflicted warrior prince; a young ne’er-do-well who finds an unlikely friend while on an impossible quest; an imprisoned queen, her betrayed king, their enchanted son and his beautiful enchantress; half-human man-eating rebel slaves; a band of blood-thirsty assassins…and Tachlanad, the legendary Sword of Names, missing for generations. When the queen receives an omen, it can mean only one thing: the fate of all she loves hangs in the balance. The land and its people will topple into chaos if a tenuous alliance cannot be preserved. Her husband misled by sinister forces, her son gone missing, she sends her daughter and father on a journey far to the west to reach the impregnable stronghold of “the True King in Hiding.” There they will seal the truce with her marriage to the old king’s unwilling son and unite against the evil power that seeks to subjugate them. Unless the Imperon has his way. An epic fantasy adventure for young adult and adult readers, The Return of Tachlanad is the first book in the “Sword of Names” series.

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The Return of Tachlanad is the engaging first part of a classic fantasy. There is a lost princess, an enchanted prince, a wandering King-to-Be, Wizards,  Warlords, half-human slaves, bloodthirsty barbarians, and loveable clowns in a fully-realized landscape where Magic – both Good and Evil – has been reawakened. Touching, authentic characters pursue their quests through this fairy-tale world, and, cross my heart as a bona fide Tolkien fan, you’ll care about them.  

In London,  Helena has what she always wanted, respectability and security, although her brothers remain a worry - Aaron schemes in Holland with the Prince of Orange to depose the reigning king James II, and Henry carries his own sorrow, pining for another man's wife. Prince William arrives in England to re-establish the Anglican Church, and when anti-Papist riots break out in London, Helena is forced to flee from her home – again. While Helena strives to keep what she holds dear, can she and her brothers attain what they desire and above all, will they ever learn the fate of their missing Father, who disappeared after the Battle of Sedgemoor?

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In this tale of divided loyalties, family fealty and great loss, Davison creates a brave heroine. A ripping tale! Davison is especially talented at putting us right there in the middle of it.

Helena Woulfe, the daughter of a wealthy Exeter nobleman leads a privileged life, however, when rebellion sweeps the West Country, her family is caught in its grip. After Monmouth’s bloody defeat in battle at Sedgemoor, Helena sets off for Somerset to find the three missing members of her family. With the Woulfe estate confiscated by the crown, Helena and her younger brother Henry hope the anonymity of the capital city will be more forgiving to the children of a convicted rebel. However, Helena finds her search for security and respectability in London are threatened by someone who wishes harm to a traitor's daughter.

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Anita Davison knows her 17th century stuff, and brings to vivid life her characters in that time frame. By the time I'd finished reading this novel, I felt I'd been there, in the countryside as Helena looks for members of her family through the broken bodies and stench of blood that are the realities of war, and as she tries to keep safe along the narrow, crowded lanes of London.

It is 1896 and nineteen-year-old Pearl Owens wants adventure just like her idols Anna Leonowens and Annie “Londonderry” Choen Kopchovsky. In the 1860s, Anna Leonowens taught the wives, concubines, and children of the King of Siam, while during the years 1894-1895, Annie “Londonderry” Choen Kopchovsky became the first woman to travel around the world on a bicycle. She was testing a woman’s ability to look after herself. To fulfill her dream Pearl is on her to the Yukon River area with her cousin, Emma, to write articles and do illustrations about the woman and men who are looking for gold in the far north. Sam Owens, Pearl’s cousin and Emma’s brother, has been searching for gold with two friends, Gordon and Donald, for five years without success. Gordon and Donald have decided their quest is futile and it is time to return home. But Sam wants to stay a while longer. Then they hear word of a new gold find on Rabbit Creek. Over the next ten months, the lives of all five are changed due to love, gold, and tragedy.

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Lovely written story about the rough and ready days of the Klondike Gold Rush. A tribute to the courageous young women who made the dangerous journey and persevered in the harsh climate.

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French-Canadian soldier, Napoleon, proposes to Lea during WWI, promising golden fields of wheat as far as the eye can see. After the armistice, he sends money for her passage, and she journeys far from her family and the conveniences of a modern country to join him on a homestead in Saskatchewan. There, she works hard to build their dream of a prospering farm, clearing fields alongside her husband through several pregnancies and even after suffering a terrible loss. When the stock market crashes in ’29, the prairies are stricken by a long and abysmal drought. Thrown into poverty, she struggles to survive in a world where work is scarce, death is abundant, and hope dwindles. Will she and her family survive the Great Depression?

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Ms de Montigny's contribution to the Canadian Historical Brides series is well written and true to the time period. A wonderful addition to the series.

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In celebration of Canada’s 150th Birthday, Books We Love, with the support of the Government of Canada, is publishing a series of novels set in each of the Canadian Provinces and Territories. Each book features a historical event or location as well as the story of a bride and groom, representative of the men and women who came to Canada in search of a new life and new freedoms. These books combine fact and fiction to show how these brides and grooms, all from diverse backgrounds, joined in marriage to create new lives and build a great country.

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Wonderful and colourful look into the early days of the Mennonite community in Manitoba. Authentic, with great attention to detail. The writing rings true to the Mennonite way of life.

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