The Book of Love: A Novel

The Book of Love: A Novel

Kathleen McGowan

Historical / Historical Fiction / Fiction

Maureen Paschal thought she might rest and work on her book after discovering the gospel written by Mary Magdalene that revealed Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. The truth of their story rocked the world and made Maureen a target of those who did not like her discovery and a heroine to those who did.Then Maureen receives a strange package containing what looks like an ancient letter written in Latin and signed with a symbol. She discovers that its author is an extraordinary woman whom history has overlooked -- or covered up -- Countess Matilda of Tuscany, and in the letter Matilda demands the return of her "most precious books and documents." Maureen soon finds herself in a race across Italy and France, where hidden dangers await her and her lover, Bérenger, as they begin to realize that they are on the trail of another explosive discovery: the Book of Love, the Gospel written in Jesus' own hand.As Maureen learns more about Matilda, an eleventhcentury warrior countess who was secretly married to a pope, she begins to see the eerie connections between herself and Matilda, connections she must trace to their source if she is to stop the wrong people from finding the Book of Love and hiding it forever.Weaving together Matilda's little-known true story and Maureen's thrilling search, The Book of Love follows two amazing heroines as their stories intertwine through time. Maureen is immersed in the mysteries of the labyrinth, the beautiful poetry of the Song of Songs, the world's greatest art and architecture, and Matilda's amazing legacy...until a potentially fatal encounter reveals the Book of Love to Maureen -- and to the reader.From Publishers WeeklyMaureen Paschal, last seen discovering the secrets of Mary Magdalene in The Expected One, returns in this overstuffed sequel. Haunted by dreams of Jesus telling her to search for the Book of Love, Maureen, now a bestselling novelist, takes off for France, where her estranged lover, Bérenger Sinclair, reveals that the mysterious manuscript is supposed to be a gospel written by Christ and whose existence is merely a rumor. Both Maureen and Bérenger receive strange clues pointing them toward the story of Countess Matilda of Tuscany, an 11th-century noblewoman and an early champion of the Book of Love. With the help of Maureen's cousin, a Jesuit scholar at the Vatican, Maureen confronts dangerous forces bent on covering up the truth and follows Matilde's trail though Belgium, Italy and France, culminating in a stunning sequence within the Chartres Cathedral. However, Matilda's hefty story line exists uneasily next to Maureen's contemporary narrative and relies too much on long-winded narration to explain Christian esoterica. Series fans and readers into Da Vinci Code–style church intrigue will enjoy the hell out of this. (Mar.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the AuthorKathleen McGowan is an internationally published writer whose work has appeared on five continents and in at least fifteen languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three sons. You can visit her website at www.theexpectedone.com.
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Calum's Exile

Calum's Exile

Leigh Barker

Historical / Historical Fiction

Clan: Season 2, Episode 1. Calum’s Exile A Bitesize 1 hour Read. Season 2 kicks off at a cracking pace!Cumberland’s army, fresh from their easy victory at Culloden, is running amok right across the Highlands.And against the systematic slaughter ordered by the king, our heroes Calum Maclean and Big John Mackintosh must make a dash for Glasgow to find passage to the New World, or die tryingClan: Season 2, Episode 1. Calum’s Exile A Bitesize 1 hour Read. Season 2 kicks off at a cracking pace!Cumberland’s army, fresh from their easy victory at Culloden, is running amok right across the Highlands.And against the systematic slaughter ordered by the king, our heroes Calum Maclean and Big John Mackintosh must make a dash for Glasgow to find passage to the New World, or die trying.Their 150 miles journey is through a country swarming with English soldiers, murdering men, women and children and plundering anything of value.Every day they remain in their beloved Scotland, they’re in mortal danger, but they can’t just ride by and let the innocent perish. Colonel York is dead, but his hand reaches from the grave for one last act of vengeance. The assassin sent to kill Calum is the best of the worst. Unstoppable, and without mercy.The new journey has begun.
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Mrs. Mike

Mrs. Mike

Benedict Freedman

Historical / Historical Fiction / Fiction

A moving love story set in the Canadian wilderness, Mrs. Mike is a classic tale that has enchanted millions of readers worldwide. It brings the fierce, stunning landscape of the Great North to life—and tenderly evokes the love that blossoms between Sergeant Mike Flannigan and beautiful young Katherine Mary O'Fallon.
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The Judge and His Hangman

The Judge and His Hangman

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Historical / Historical Fiction / Childrens

Inspector Barlach is dying. But not fast enough for his arch-enemyWhen a member of the Bern police force is shot dead on a Swiss country road, the enigmatic Inspector Barlach and his colleague Tschanz are intent on tracking down the killer. But the ailing Inspector doesn't have time to lose. Soon the pair discover that the victim was murdered on his way to a clandestine party at the home of a wealthy power broker - so why was a local policeman socialising with some of Switzerland's most influential men? Who was his shadowy host? And why has Barlach's past returned to haunt him in his final hours?The Judge and His Hangman is a thrilling tale of lifelong rivalry, and of two men chained together by a wager that would destroy them both.Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921-1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist, most famous for his plays The Visit and The Physicists, which earned him a reputation as one of the...
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Love and Marriage at Harpers

Love and Marriage at Harpers

Rosie Clarke

Historical / Historical Fiction / Fiction

From the bestselling author of The Shop Girls of Harpers and The Mulberry Lane Series.London, 1913. The shop girls of Harpers Emporium on Oxford Street arehappy in their work and their lives are moving on at quite a pace. United by the suffragette cause and now living under oneroof, some will find love and marriage whilst others experience heartache andtears. Harpers is the bond that holds them together, bringingstrength through hardship and pain and friendship and love.
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The Treasure of Namakagon

The Treasure of Namakagon

James A. Brakken

Historical / Historical Fiction

A twisting, turning, thrilling "lumberjack" adventure that takes place during the northern Wisconsin timber boom of the 1880s.Young lumberjack, Tor Loken, and old Chief Namakagon, work to foil a ruthless timber tycoon and protect the secret silver mine—a mine that truly existed and has yet to be rediscovered. 2nd place in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards out of 10,000 worldwide entries.NOTE: This is the originally published version. Some minor details have been changed in later revisions. The story, though, remains the same. SEE REVIEWS FAR BELOW.It is 1883 and you are about to plunge into the peak of nineteenth century lumberjack life in northern Wisconsin. Meet sixteen-year-old Tor Loken, whose father owns a remote lumber camp, the Namakagon Timber Company. Join the fight when a sinister lumber baron takes control of the river, threatening the future of the camp. Learn the way of the woodsman from your mentor, Chief Namakagon. This old hermit just may show you the way to his secret silver mine.Be at the cook shanty table before dawn for breakfast with the men. Then it’s out into the cuttings where, knee deep in snow, you will help your camp harvest a hundred thousand giant pine logs this season. Hook up the Clydesdales to the water tanker and ice down the trails for the big timber sleighs. Take the train to the city for camp supplies but keep an eye out for cunning charlatans intent on an easy swindle. Spin a yarn or sing along with the other jacks in the bunkhouse. Go to town for a Saturday night of lumberjack merriment but dress warmly; it’s a six hour sleigh ride back to camp at twenty below zero. Come spring, you’ll help drive your camp’s timber down a thundering river, jumping from log to log as they rush downstream. Then it’s time to celebrate. But keep your pocketbook buttoned up when in town; there are bandits and thugs who want to separate you from your generous dollar-a-day wages! Put on your red wool mackinaw and your calked boots. Grab your peavey or a pike pole. You’re in for a good look at life in the pinery in the 1880s . . . and a twisting, turning, fact-based adventure story that will often leave you breathless.The legendary lost silver cache of Chief Namakagon will, most likely, be re-discovered one day. It's out there, waiting to be found. This book offers some clues about where to begin your search.The Treasure of Namakagon is based on history. References to the Namekagon River log drives, life in the logging camps, and fraudulent timber sales are based on true events, as is the gun play that resulted from a ploy to charge for timber floated past the dam. Many historical references help make this tale as close to real life as can be found in a fictional adventure. Although many still search for Chief Namakagon’s secret silver mine, it has yet to be rediscovered. Publisher’s Weekly Magazine“… A fascinating tale.” “… Rip-roaring action …” “… So well-written.” “Difficult to put down; a great read.” Amazon Books“The writing style of this piece is its greatest strength.” “The flow of the words is like an old fashioned song.”“Wonderfully written …. Compelling …. Captures the reader’s attention and keeps us reading.” A good piece of writing with suspense and action …” Jerry Apps, award-winning Wisconsin author"Vivifies the tumultuous nature of 19th-century life in the legendary north woods." Michael Perry, NYT bestselling Wisconsin author"Open with caution. You won't want to put this one down." LaMoine MacLaughlin, President, WI Writers Assn. Writer’s Digest“It’s the dialog and characters that drive The Treasure of Namakagon. It appears as if author James A. Brakken is determined to make a go of this series, and … he’s made at least one fan of this reader.” Judge, Writer’s Digest Book Awards
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The Women of Mulberry Lane

The Women of Mulberry Lane

Rosie Clarke

Historical / Historical Fiction / Fiction

Love and heartbreak, birth and death, joy amid hardship, are all here in the gripping fifth novel about the people of Mulberry Lane during World War Two. The war is nearly over – or is it? The women of Mulberry Lane anxiously wait for news. Peggy doesn't know if she'll ever again see Able, the American father of her twins, while a very odd letter from estranged husband, Laurie, threatens to set the cat among the pigeons. Rose can't stop loving Jimmy, while Tom can't stop loving her. Will Gordon ever again be the man he once was? Can he be a proper husband to Maureen, and if he can't, what will become of their marriage? The men, women and children of Mulberry Lane fight on with indomitable spirit, as the endgame of the Second World War enters its most deadly phase.
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Crashing? Can we still make Atlantic City?

Crashing? Can we still make Atlantic City?

Christopher David Petersen

Historical / Historical Fiction

This is a true accounting of one of my flying adventures over New England(US). All seemed right until all seems wrong... Flying at night, over water, in clouds with heavy rain is the not a good time to lose engine power.Thankfully, I had Bob along.3k word, short storyThis is a true accounting of one of my flying adventures over New England(US). All seemed right until all seemed wrong... Flying at night, over water, in clouds with heavy rain, is not a good time to lose engine power.Thankfully, I had Bob along.3k word, short story
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