Showing results for "The Past" in Historical

Louisiana, 1858. Spirited fifteen-year-old Madeline Besson arrives at Arabella Plantation after her father’s sudden death, burdened by grief. She is soon overwhelmed by the grand house, her charismatic cousin, George, and her grandmother’s cold and inexplicable hatred. But as Madeline becomes entangled in the Besson family’s dark history, a shocking affair leads to banishment and disgrace. Trapped in a remote bayou cabin, she faces her fate alone…

Dunwich, 1346. Petra’s world shattered the day the Church took her beloved Avery, forcing him into holy orders and leaving her to face a brutal arranged marriage. Twelve years later, Petra is a widow struggling to care for her three children when Father Avery returns. But religious hysteria is sweeping through their crumbling port town, and when Petra’s son’s violent seizures mark him as cursed, can she turn to the only man she ever loved for help, or will a terrible secret she hid condemn them all?

London, 1664. Seventeen-year-old Elise de Lesseps wakes on the morning of her wedding, knowing her life is over. Sold into marriage to settle her father’s gaming debts, she’s bound to Lord Edward Asher—a man old enough to be her father and who harbors a twisted secret that will shatter her innocence forever. But when Elise meets James, Edward’s illegitimate son, her life is transformed by something neither of them expected: a love so powerful, it will cost them everything…

Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1461. When Lady Catherine Dancy saves the life of a wounded knight, Guy de Rosel, her fate is sealed. Though they share a powerful connection, Guy’s manipulative brother Hugh discovers her identity and forces her into a loveless political marriage. Trapped in the crumbling de Rosel keep on the Scottish borders, Catherine faces an impossible choice between duty and desire. But Hugh’s cruel ambitions run deeper than she knows, and when betrayal strikes, will the chapel where she sought solace become her tomb?

Ireland, 1588. Rafael de Silva washes ashore on an Irish beach after a catastrophic shipwreck, carrying only his secret Jewish faith and a golden hamsa. He is starving and desperate when he meets Aisling O’Rourke, a local chieftain’s niece, and experiences a blinding desire he has never felt before. But their love is impossible, and when Rafael’s precious hamsa is discovered, he faces a terrible choice: admit to a secret that could see him nailed to a cross or watch an innocent man die in his place.

New York, 1777. Jocelyn Sinclair’s life depends on deception. By day, she’s a humble servant in British Major Hector Radcliffe’s household, invisible and overlooked. By night, she risks everything as a spy for the Continental Army, gathering intelligence that could turn the tide of war. When she meets the enigmatic Captain Jared Denning, their forbidden attraction threatens to expose her carefully constructed lies. But Jocelyn discovers too late that the greatest danger doesn’t come from enemy soldiers but from someone she trusted with her life…

London, 1955. Nurse Helen Brent has spent twenty-six years believing she’ll never find love. Then she meets her new patient, David Edevane. Despite a tragic upbringing, David is kind and stable, and their whirlwind romance quickly leads to marriage and pregnancy. But Helen’s world collapses when she uncovers a dreadful secret, and she will carry the consequences of her silence for the rest of her days…

Writer on Demand TM Vol. 5: Tales of an Altered Past Powered by Romance, Horror, and Steam includes four stories: "Dashed Hopes" (approximately 4,250 words) is a tale of invention, romance, and tragedy set in the coal fields of England.

The May Day celebrations are underway and offer some light relief from the daily hardships and a glimmer of hope for a brighter future for the folk of Norton Dene. Conscientious Sister Edith Harrison has her fortune told and a handsome, tall dark stranger is predicted to be on the horizon for her affections. Imagine her surprise when a mysterious stranger arrives in town with a hidden agenda that will upset those at Orchard Manor House. It seems like there are some ghosts from the past that need to be put to rest.

Elizabeth is not a Bennet. The circumstances that brought her to Longbourn are shocking. Darcy might be the only person who can help her. Her past is shrouded in mystery. Having been discovered wounded and wandering a lonely road in Derbyshire twelve years ago, Elizabeth remembers nothing of her life before the Bennets took her in. Whatever shreds of memory she has are hazy and unclear. Content with the love of her adopted family, she never could have imagined the turn her life would take when Netherfield Park is let at last.

Years ago, Sabrina was found alone, staring at the white satin gowns. Unable to find her mother, the beautiful dresses were all that slowed the tears streaming down her cheeks. Now, the enchanting shop holds the key to discovering what happened that fateful day. But is she ready to give up her future for a chance to find out the truth?

After a seemingly endless labour, Horatia Strong is delighted to announce that she’s given her husband, Tom, a much-needed son and heir to the entire Strong fortune. But the birth of the child is soon shrouded in secrets and Horatia will do anything to keep the truth from her husband – it could destroy the Strong family completely. Tom’s enduring love for Blanche is still as deep as ever, but his marriage to Horatia is the only thing keeping the Strong family – and his new baby son - from destitution. Can he really risk their safety for passion?

Viscount Easton came to the United States at the behest of His Majesty’s Army for his last assignment. He was sent home early due to an injury and must face his new destiny as the heir to an earldom. An unexpected encounter with the unrefined beauty links Easton and Elinor together in society, and he must decide whether to save Elinor’s reputation or hold on to bachelorhood. Can Elinor navigate the perils of coming out in aristocratic England and still retain her sense of identity? Can Easton help her overcome her aversion to men? Or will her past keep her from facing her future?

It is no secret that infamous gold miner Cass Hite hates the Mormons. When he nearly dies while passing through a remote Mormon settlement, the kind-hearted widow, Sarah Hansen takes him in and nurses him back to health. She has the room and the time to take care of this man that everyone else in town shuns. She’s known loneliness since a young age, when her parents died and she became the third wife of a polygamist. And again when her husband died and her two children moved away.

After years of abuse at the hands of her mother, Cordelia Avery knows the only way out is marriage to the perfect man. A man who will allow her all the freedom she has ever craved. And she has the perfect man picked out. The scandalous Marquess of Haversham might not be perfect to anyone else, but taking the man's black reputation under consideration, Cordie believes she'll enjoy all the freedom she's always wished for in his disreputable arms.

Investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier, the newest resident of Burning Cove, is unsettled when her boss suddenly goes on a health retreat at an exclusive spa and disappears without another word. Lyra knows something has happened to Raina Kirk, and she is the only one who can track her down. The health spa is known for its luxurious offerings and prestigious clientele, and the wealthy, socialite background Lyra desperately wanted to leave behind is perfect for this undercover job.  

Miss Juliet Lambert has waited her entire life for her debut into society, for she knows her worth as the daughter of a baron. Although other women speak of love, Juliet only desires a man who realizes her beauty and can provide her with the lavish things she deserves. Daniel Haskins has been employed at Scarlett Hall since he was a boy of 12, and he has come to love Miss Juliet from afar. Although he understands he must keep his love for her hidden, he wants nothing more than to please the beautiful woman who always wears a mischievous smile.

When seventeen-year-old Mary O'Connor collapses one Sunday in church she is taken to live with Dr Roberts and his wife in a beautiful Yorkshire village for her health. Though initially employed as a maid, Mary soon becomes the daughter the couple were never able to have. With Britain at war...

Elizabeth Bennet's father, Admiral Thomas Bennet, assures his daughters his retirement from His Majesty's Navy will be the start of a new life for them all. Little does he know his family's battles have only just begun.

Recently widowed, Katherine Chambers is taking her young son to visit her husband's family when disaster strikes. The ship they are sailing on runs into a severe storm off Robin Hood's Bay on the Yorkshire Coast. The Whitby lifeboat goes to their rescue but the freak weather conditions mean that not only is the ship lost but the lifeboat crew as well. However, among the bodies on the beach, a survivor is found.