The passionate love story of a young couple struggling to overcome the difficulties in their courtship and keep the faith. Caught in the aftermath of the Civil War and laboring to earn a living from the land, Ralph Wade’s life is in turmoil. After asking for Leann Clark’s hand in marriage only to be refused by her father, Ralph finds solace in the company of a saloon girl.A passionate love story about a young couple struggling to overcome the difficulties in their courtship and keep the faith.Caught in the aftermath of the Civil War and laboring to earn a living from the land, Ralph Wade’s life is in turmoil. Ralph finds solace in the company of a saloon girl after asking for Leann Clark’s hand in marriage only to be refused by her father. Leann doubts Ralph’s love when his involvement with the disreputable lady leads to a failed promise to court Leann and win her affection from a man with a job and regular income. Ralph Wade is caught in the struggle of rebuilding a productive life during reconstruction in rural Missouri. He works hard to farm several acres of land with limited funds and resources. Ralph desires to marry Leann Clark, the girl he has loved since boyhood, but Leann’s father will not consent to the marriage. John Clark says Leann is too young to wed at sixteen years old, and Ralph cannot support her. Ralph’s faith is tested when he ventures inside a saloon for solace in the bottle and meets a woman, Pearl, who finds him attractive. Pearl’s self-proclaimed boyfriend dislikes her attentions to Ralph and starts a brawl. His sheriff friend stops the fight and rescues him from the man’s anger. Conflict arises when Ralph breaks a promise to court Leann because of his relationship with the saloon girl and a problem she causes. Leann Clark is caught between her love for Ralph Wade and her father’s wishes. Leann desires to marry the love of her life, but her father refuses to give his consent. She doesn’t understand her father’s objections since he and her mother married at a young age. John Clark desires Leann to favor the attentions of a man with more means, but she cannot give her heart to anyone but Ralph. Her faith in Ralph’s love is tested when she learns of his involvement with a distributable woman, and he breaks a promise to her. She decides to find out for herself the reason behind Ralph’s broken promise and discovers the goodness of his heart. Leann’s best friend tries to separate her from Ralph, but she clings to her faith and belief in his love. Leann’s determination to discover the truth behind his broken promise leads to a stronger bond in their relationship. The novella introduces the characters and setting of the Wades of Crawford County series.

A read-aloud holiday story for all ages.When Pinky Mouse disobeys his parents and sneaks out of their dusty attic home to learn the meaning of Christmas, he finds himself in danger from Tiger the cat and a mean-looking mousetrap. Oh dear! The cuckoo clock doesn't know and the cat only wants to eat him! How can he find out about Christmas?A read-aloud holiday story for all ages.When Pinky Mouse disobeys his parents and sneaks out of their dusty attic home to learn the meaning of Christmas, he finds himself in danger from Tiger the cat and a mean-looking mousetrap! And when he asks the Cuckoo clock about Christmas, a little bird pops out and chirps, "Cuckoo-Cuckoo!"Oh dear! If the Cuckoo bird doesn't know and the cat only wants to eat him, how will he ever find out about Christmas?(Primary and middle-grade fiction.)

Within their family, The Hunt is a rite of passage. It is a rite of manhood. It is a darkly terrifying and morbid family tradition that has been handed down from father to son for generations.Gerald was a proud man. Proud of his family heritage, of the life he'd built for his own family, and proud of his son who, on the verge of manhood, was turning out to be everything he could have hoped for. He wanted nothing but the best for his son, Scott.But Gerald is finding that letting his only son go off into the world to make his own way and be his own person is harder than he thought it would be. But he knows that it would be far worse to hold him back. On his fifteenth birthday, Gerald and Scott head out into the woods to enjoy one of the last hunts they may have together as father and son.Welcoming Scott into manhood requires him to make his first solo kill on The Hunt. It's a family tradition that Gerald takes very seriously and not wanting to be the one to destroy a time honored tradition, is the only thing he's ever asked of his son. Within their family, The Hunt is a rite of passage. It is a rite of manhood. It is a darkly terrifying and morbid family tradition that has been handed down from father to son for generations.

The New York Times bestselling author of Bared to You, Sylvia Day, draws us into the shadows of a seductive underworld where lycans, vampires and angels vie for supremacy… Elijah Reynolds is the most dominant of lycans, a rare Alpha whose skill on the hunt is surpassed only by his primal sexuality. When the lycans revolt due to the iron fist of angelic rule, he steps into command, becoming both enemy and coveted ally in the conflict between vampires and angels. Vashti is the second most powerful vampire in the world, a lethal beauty with a path of devastation in her wake. Tasked with proposing an alliance between vampires and the lycans who killed her mate, Vash approaches Elijah, whose need to avenge a friend demands Vash’s death even as his passion demands her surrender. Soon, their enmity erodes beneath an all-consuming desire. Elijah has never encountered a woman whose warrior spirit and fierce sexual appetite rivals his own, while Vash is faced with the one man strong enough to be her equal. But as war looms, each must decide where their loyalty lies—with their own kind or with the enemy lover they can no longer live without.  

When a Former Madame Bilks Bounty Hunter, Lou Prophet, Out of Money to Start a New Life, Daisy and Sam Intervene to Save Her Life in SCARLET SPIRITS, a Cozy Historical Mystery by Alice Duncan—1925, Pasadena, California—Angie Mainwaring moves to Pasadena to start a new life and atone for her past by rescuing former "sporting" girls and housing them in a mansion in her orange grove just down the street from Daisy and her folks.Unfortunately, one of the people Angie bilked to fund her new life is notorious bounty hunter, Lou Prophet. Daisy tries to make peace between Angie and Lou but Lou's not happy.Even worse, it seems that everyone from Angie's past is coming to Pasadena to avenge their grievances against her and things get out of hand when Lou shoots one of the aggrieved out of an orange tree.Now Daisy and Sam are doing a merry dance to keep Angie alive and themselves out of trouble.Get ready for the next installment in the Daisy Gumm Majesty...

When Sylvie Townsend's Polish charge, Rose, goes missing at the World's Fair, her world unravels. Brushed off by the authorities, Sylvie turns to her boarder and Rose's violin instructor, Kristof Bartok, for help in navigating the immigrant communities. When the unexpected happens, will Sylvie be able to accept the change that comes her way?

The Back Door of History is a collection of short fiction by R. A. Lafferty, published in 1988 by United Mythologies Press. It was published in an unsigned edition and in a signed limited edition (150 copies as per the ISFDB - no limitation is noted in the book itself).these are the contents:Phoenic • (1980) • short story by R. A. Lafferty (variant of Phoenic')Six Leagues from Lop • short story by R. A. LaffertyRainy Day in Halicarnasses • (1979) • short story by R. A. LaffertyAssault on Fat Mountain • (1976) • short story by R. A. LaffertyCalamities of Last Pauper • (1982) • short story by R. A. Lafferty (variant of Calamities of the Last Pauper)Rogue Raft • (1973) • short story by R. A. LaffertyThere was a loose errata sheet in the book, explaining that they had forgotten to include the last page of "Phoenic" when the book was printed, and that instead of being page 6 as it should have been, it was included at the end of the book. What they did was to glue the missing page in on what was an otherwise blank page. The errata sheet I included as images 3 and 4 in the cbr.

Step beyond the ordinary...Beneath the surface of our reality lies a world of magic and danger—a world where buildings have guardian spirits, shapeshifting coyotes prey on the hopeful and the desperate, and ancient traditions prepare for an apocalyptic future. These seven urban fantasy tales from award-winning author Marie Brennan paint the everyday with a layer of wonder, inviting you to imagine what could lie just around the corner.

Lily has lost everything, her home, her family and her reputation.Matt is desperately in need of a young woman to help him care for his recently orphaned niece, and a marriage of convenience would be the solution to all their problems. When the secrets Matt and Lily  harbor are finally exposed, will their union end in happiness or despair?

Beautiful young Charisa Templeton always loved her father's old friend the Marquis of Mawdelyn – and as a child she roamed Mawdelyn Priory with his nephew Vincent, whom she adored. Saddened to hear that the Marquis has died – she's glad his heir, Vincent, will be coming home from his army posting in India to claim his title. But then Fate strikes another blow with the news that Vincent has been killed! Reluctantly, Charisa and her father prepare to welcome the next in line – half-French Gervais Mawde.But as soon as he arrives they sense something is wrong. Penniless, he immediately sets about selling off the family treasures and dismissing loyal servants, even the Vicar! Worse still he forces his attentions on a shy and unworldly Charisa. But just as she begins to despair, her prayers are answered and Vincent appears – alive, but in terrible danger. Someone is trying to kill him and now they realise who! None other than Gervais who is not only a murderer but also a Devil...