Synopsis

Celebrated as a ragtag force that defeated and broke the Soviet Union, no one predicted the Mujahideen would bring with them a plague that would spread like wildfire through Pakistan in the years to follow. When the battle-worn fighters returned with no enemy or war to fight, they turned their sights on the country that had been their creator and benefactor.

From the same battlegrounds that birthed the Mujahideen, a young Kamal Khan emerges as a different breed of warrior. Discarding his wealthy family comforts, Kamal becomes a precision sniper, an invincible commando and a clandestine operative bringing intimidation, dominance and death with him to the battlefield. Ending the plague is his prime directive.

Shrouded in political expediency, hampered by internal power struggles, international espionage and doublespeak that makes Washington's spin doctors proud, Kamal's mission is a nightmare of rampant militant fundamentalism that threatens to choke and take Pakistan hostage. For him, the fight is not just for freedom, but the survival of a nation.

Excerpt

Standing in the hall of the abandoned warehouse, blood dripped from his body, leaving a trail on the grimy floor. A body was slumped in the chair in the middle of the hall with a singular light hanging above, illuminating a small radius around it. Another lay in the doorway propping the door open. The fight inside had been more than expected from the three days he spent surveying the warehouse. By his count, there should not have been more than five men both inside and out. Instead, he had found almost seven men around the facility.

They had prepared well for his arrival.

On his approach, he saw one man guarding the entrance. There were usually two… where’s the other one? Kamal shook off the thought and sized up his enemy, noting that he was a scrawny soldier that didn’t fill his uniform. He ducked into the shadows where he could use the darkness against the soldier, catching him by surprise. He rushed the guard, knocking him to the ground before he could set himself or draw his weapon. With a quick strike to the head, the first guard was neutralized. Before he could get up, he heard the door to the warehouse open. Jumping to his feet, Kamal saw the second guard emerge, finding Kamal hovering over his partner’s incapacitated body. The guard, surprisingly, dropped his AK-47 and rushed at Kamal, driving him into the concrete wall of the warehouse with a shoulder block. As he pulled back from Kamal, he landed two solid right crosses to his jaw stunning Kamal and giving himself time to set for the fight. Kamal pulled himself up from one knee, gasping for air and taking the time to assess his opponent. The guard didn’t wait for Kamal to position himself and struck again with a swift kick to his midriff, bring the taste of blood to Kamal’s mouth. Oh, that is just unacceptable.

Kamal spat the blood onto the ground and spun around, taking the guard’s legs out with a vicious kick to his knees. As the guard hit the ground, Kamal launched himself onto him, grabbing his neck in a chokehold. The guard threw elbows behind him, and kicked helplessly in the air as Kamal increased the pressure on his throat. Within minutes, his body stopped fighting and he was down.

Kamal stood, spitting a few times to clear the blood that had filled his mouth, finally using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the remaining away. He smirked, admiring his work. Not as tough as he looked.

Standing over both bodies, his plan rapidly changed. Grabbing the second guard by the legs, he drag

Synopsis

The Guardian of Secrets, an epic historical family saga, of love, war, and revenge, spanning four generations, from 1912, Kent, England to, Spain and its 1936–39 civil war.  

In present day Spain, María Martinéz Merrill is dying, but welcomes the end of her long life. She is one of the last of her generation. A survivor of the Spanish Civil War; a hellish war, long ended but still lingering in her mind like the familiar caress of an old friend.

When her granddaughter, Lucia, arrives for a visit, María finds the perfect opportunity to share her dark world filled with shocking family secrets, guarded in old journals and written decades before by María and her mother, Celia Merrill.  

María forces herself to relive her tormented past in order to convince Lucia to veto the   sale of the family estate whilst her children plot behind closed doors to dismantle and destroy everything she has built...

Excerpt

It soon seemed that the whole of Madrid had upped sticks and moved camp to the Jarama valley. Fifty battalions had been mustered, converging on the Jarama area in hundreds of trucks, tanks, artillery units, and ambulances. They drove slowly and carefully through the muddied dirt tracks and the cornfields destroyed by the heavy traffic. Everyone in the convoy had been told repeatedly that the stakes were high and that should they fail, they would leave the back door open, allowing the nationalists to enter Madrid. For the first few weeks, María could think of nothing but the job she’d been sent to do. There were enormous losses, estimated at between twenty and twenty-five thousand, on the republican side, and the International Brigades also lost thousands in the first few days of fighting.

Day after day, María watched the orderlies leave the tents, carrying out amputated limbs and corpses, mopping up blood from the floors that filled buckets to the brim, and dumping mountains of bodies for a later burial. When the fighting eased off for a short

while, her life became a monotonous existence of muddy fields of olive groves, rain-drenched trenches, and food that consisted of watery soup or congealed stew. María acknowledged that the doctors and medical staff tried their best to save the dying men,

crying for their mothers and asking with hope in their eyes if they were going to live, but the reality was that they just couldn’t cope with the seriousness of injuries inflicted on the battlefield.

The normal passage of time didn’t exist anymore. The wounded came in day and night—they were everywhere—and the shortage of doctors and nurses was becoming increasingly apparent. María was only a trainee nurse at best, but she found herself giving

injections and administering anaesthetics for doctors who no longer cared who did it. Soldiers with stomach wounds were the worst, for she had been warned not to give water to those patients. She did disobey that command on occasion, though only when she thought that a drink of water was the only comfort she could give to a man who was going to die anyway.

After a while, the medical station found itself right at the front, stuck there without the possibility of moving back again because of the risks to the stretcher-bearers. To make things worse, the dressing stations were carried into sheltered ditches and trenches that made them increasingly vulnerable to enemy fire, not to mention a dirty and muddy place to work.

María handed the wounded who

Synopsis

When Jesse McDermitt retires from the Marine Corps, he has no idea what he will do for the rest of his life. At 37, his greatest skill is killing people from up to a mile away. He knows there aren’t many job opportunities in the civilian world for that. However, he knows the south Florida waters, is an experienced diver, loves to fish, and knows his way around a boat. 

A waitress in a waterfront restaurant in north Key Largo gives him an idea and he runs with it. An old friend helps get him set up as a charter fishing and dive boat Captain and a new friend helps him buy just the right boat.

Danger lurks in the sleepy little town of Marathon, in the middle of the Florida Keys, as well as in the swamps of the Everglades. But danger doesn’t expect to run into a man like Jesse, who will not only respond swiftly, but with a vengeance unexpected.

Excerpt

The smell of fresh coffee woke me the next morning. The coffee maker had a timer and I’d taken to setting it up before going to bed. It was better than an alarm clock. Sitting on the bridge, I watched the night sky slowly turn purple, then the first finger rays of the rising sun lit up the clouds hanging over the eastern horizon. I’d always reveled in watching the sun rise and set in different places around the world. No matter where I was, it looked the same and different at the same time. I heard a splash and looked toward the sound. Savannah was tying up their dinghy. Just what I needed. She climbed out and walked along the dock toward the Revenge. Stopping at my pier she looked up and said, “I think I owe you an apology.” She lifted a thermos. “Can I buy you a cup of Australian coffee?” Never one to turn down someone else’s brew, I said, “Sure, come aboard.” She sat on the transom and swung two tanned and shapely legs over, stepping down to the deck in bare feet. I climbed down and met her in the cockpit. “Come on in,” I said as I held the hatch open. She stepped up into the galley. “Wow! This is a really cool yacht. I thought it was a fishing boat.” “It is,” I said. “Kind of a reverse mullet. Party up front and all business in the rear.” “You’re dating yourself. Nobody wears a mullet anymore.” “Have a seat, I’ll get another mug.” She slid into the settee booth and twisted the top off the thermos, unconcerned about where I’d sit. I didn’t bother with a saucer, sugar, or cream and my guess was right, as she poured both our mugs with the strong smelling coffee and took a sip. “I asked around about what you said. About the sex slave thing. I’m sorry I accused you of lying. Also, thanks for bailing us out the other night. Sharlee is a little gullible sometimes and I was way toasted.” I noticed that she didn’t have a hint of southern drawl like her sister and asked her about it. “Sharlee went to ‘finishing school’,” she said, rolling her eyes at the words. “I was sort of a tomboy and preferred to go out on my dad’s fishing boats.” “Boats? Plural?” “Yeah, he owns a fleet of commercial boats. I skippered one until he retired and sold the fleet.” “Really?” She used both hands holding her mug, as she took another sip. “You like the coffee?” I’d finished half the cup and hardly noticed it. “Yeah, it’s great,” I said looking into her blue eyes. “Where’d you learn to fight like that? You went through the three biggest guys like a hot knife through butter.” “Fight? Oh, the other night. I studied a little martial arts. You and your sister are as different as night and day.” “Thanks, I love her, but she can be a handful sometimes.” I nearly spit out my coffee. “What?” she asked. As I tried to control my laughter I said, “She said almost exactly the same thing about you.” Refilling both our cups she said, “We’ve decided to stay here a while.” “What br

Synopsis

Olivia wants the 80 acres in far off Michigan that her father's will left to whichever of his offspring claims the land. As Olivia says, "I'm sprung off him just as much as Avis or Tobey."
The problem: she's seventeen, female, and it's 1841.

Mourning Free, Olivia's trusted childhood friend, knows how to run a farm and is also sorely in need of a new start in life.
The problem: though born in a free state, he's the orphaned son of runaway slaves and the slave catchers who patrol the north hunting fugitives are not particular about who they take back south with them.

Not without qualms, they set off together. All goes well, despite the drudgery of survival in an isolated log cabin. Incapable of acknowledging her feelings for Mourning, Olivia thinks her biggest problem is her unrequited romantic interest in their young neighbor.
Until her world falls apart.

Strong-willed, vulnerable, and compassionate, Olivia is a compelling protagonist on a journey to find a way to do the right thing in a world in which so much is wrong.

Excerpt

A few days later Olivia walked down to the bank of the Saugauta River. It was a warm day in May, the sky a startling blue, the fields dotted with yellow and purple wildflowers. She spread a red and white checkered tablecloth over a patch of clover and knelt on one corner of it. A gentle breeze played with the cloth, so she anchored two other corners with her rag doll and picnic basket. She was humming “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” to her doll when she heard someone slosh out of the river. She looked up, amazed to see Mourning Free climbing up the bank, his scrawny chest bare and his trousers dripping. He was carrying his shoes in one hand and a brown shirt and blue cloth bag in the other.

“Hullo, Mourning,” Olivia said, eyes wide.

“Hullo to you, Livia.” He walked over and tossed his belongings to the ground.

“Did you fall into the river?”

“Nah. Been gettin’ cleaned up. Heard someone come and thought I’m a have to hide 

down there. Then I hear it just be you, talkin’ to your stupid doll.”

“Do you want to have a tea party with us?” She reached for her doll and pulled it back 

to her lap, making room for him to join her on the tablecloth.

“You got any food ain’t make-believe?”

She opened the picnic basket and arranged chunks of cheese, a few slices of bread, 

and two apples on a white linen napkin. Mourning sank to his knees, making large wet 

circles on the cloth, grabbed some cheese and bread, and filled his mouth.

“Ain’t et nothing for two days,” he mumbled, cheeks bulging.

“Who were you hiding from?”

“Everybody.” He swallowed and reached for more bread and cheese, but hesitated, 

glancing at his hostess.

“It’s okay,” Olivia said and leaned away from the food. “You can have it all. I thought they took you away.”

He bit into a chunk of cheese and sat back on his heels. “That right. But I run away from ’em. Been walkin’ for three days.”

This announcement left Olivia frowning. She watched him eat for a few moments before asking, “But who’s going to take care of you?”

“Me.” He jerked his thumb at his bare chest. “I can take as good care a myself as them Carters ever done.”

“Why, were they mean to you?”

He tilted his head back and grinned. “That what Goody think folks gonna say.” Then he looked straight at Olivia, his expression serious. “No, Goody always give me a good tanning when I got it comin’, but they ain’t never treated me bad. But they got four kids without me. That

My first workshop was suggested by my hairdresser friend, Ilse, at the perfect time. One day when I had an appointment, she came to the rescue. The kind lady knew I was in the middle of ending a five-year relationship, which was going nowhere, and that I was having difficulty making the final decision. Up to that time, age 45, I believed that a good love life was the answer to all my problems. But during my PTSD recovery, I recognized that I’d been “looking for love” in all the wrong places. It took me many years to discover that real love already resided inside of me.

Back to that morning, Ilse was more bubbly than usual. I complimented her for being extra cheerful and my friend thanked me, “It’s interesting, Bettina, I feel totally better after last weekend. I went to a fantastic workshop, and in only three days I became more confident, learned to trust myself and make faster decisions. Bettina, you might consider the weekend retreat for yourself.”

“So, it really helped you, Ilse?”

“It did. I feel more empowered by taking responsibility for my own actions.”

“Wow, that’s quite a change, isn’t it? Well, you’re probably right. The retreat might just be what I need at this point in my life. What have I got to lose, anyway?”

Just in case I was interested, my friend handed me a brochure as I left the beauty salon. I thanked her for caring so much.

At home I settled down and read what was offered at the three-day seminar. I liked the information and registered for my first workshop ever. The next month went by slowly with nervous anticipation,

Synopsis

Mesmerized by the sensuous moves of the stranger who danced with her at the Lucian Club, Caitlynn Pilgrim has been trying for almost two years to get him out of her mind, with no success. Until that night, she was perfectly happy with her single life and was not looking for a man to complicate it, but this stranger with his seductive moves has her rethinking that decision. So, for over a year, she has been returning to the club, hoping to run into him and have one more dance with him. Alas, Caitlynn does not know the stranger's name or even what he looks like. She was so taken with dancing with him, she’d neglected to look into his face, and when she was suddenly called away by her friend, Esther, she’d returned to pick up where she left off only to find him gone.

Andre Cunningham burns with memories of the beautiful, passionate woman he danced with two years ago at the club. He had spotted her as soon as she walked in, waving her hand in the air. He’d danced up to her and, without uttering a word, fitted his body against hers. They moved together as one. She was as fluid as honey, weaving her magic over him, until he was intoxicated. Just as he was about to ask her name, she separated herself from him and went to talk to her friend… she did not return… he was devastated. From that day to now, he has haunted the club every chance he gets, searching for his mysterious dancer, but so far, it has been an effort in futility. This Labor Day will be two years since that unforgettable dance. He hopes this will be the night he reconnects with his mysterious dancer, even if he has to search every corner of the Club. He will not give up until he finds her. She has branded him with her magic, and ruined him for all others.

Excerpt

Chapter Two Caitlynn went to work that day still feeling the after-effect of the dancing dream orgasm she had experienced with her mystery man. She had woken in a state of arousal, and even the cold shower she had taken had not helped. If anything, it had further aggravated matters by causing her nipples to harden under her own touch, demanding attention. In the end, she had to take care of the itch in order to get dressed.

She was just settling down when her phone rang. Glancing at the phone, she saw that it was Esther. She was tempted to ignore her because had it not been for her selfish attitude Caitlynn would have been better satisfied on her birthday with her mystery dancer—she hoped. She had not spoken to Esther since she saw her off in the cab. She was tempted to ignore her now, but she didn’t.

“Hi, Esther, how did you make it home last night?”

“Fine! Did you bring your lover boy home with you and screw yourself insensible?”

“No, I didn’t and stop being vulgar. It does not become you, Esther.”

“Me, vulgar? You should have seen how you were behaving with a man you didn’t even know. I could have sworn he was screwing you on the dance floor.”

“What would make you say that?”

“For the simple reason that what you guys were doing was not dancing. It was what a man and a woman do in bed.”

“Says who? How the hell would you know what a man and a woman do in bed? You don’t even have a man.”

“Cool it, Caitlynn. You don’t have to get offensive.”

“Well, what did you expect when you stopped me from having the only fun I’ve had in a long while?”

“I left you to your

This is a book of magic.

It is full of practical, real world advice and is brimming with insight and erudition. 

If you want to know how to bring money, love, good health and luck into your life, it explains how. 

If you’ve ever experienced anything out of the ordinary that you can’t readily explain, you may well find answers here.

Many personal development books recount how some enlightenment can be gained by encountering and overcoming some adversity or setbacks. By going to the edge and coming back, we can often help others in similar predicaments by sharing our experiences.

This book takes a different approach by exploring the notion that life doesn’t have to be intrinsically tough, unless we want it to be. 

Just imagine all that your heart desires just turning up. 

Just imagine having as much time as you ever need. 

Just imagine a life without dis-ease and one full of joy and ease.

The idea that we can only reap rewards through hard work and graft is one we can now leave behind. Each and every one of us can live a charmed life.

The New Magic referred to in the title is only Old Magic that we can now understand, comprehend and invoke with the advantage of 20:20 hindsight. 

The New Era is what turns up when we tap into the New Magic and bring more of heaven down to Earth.

What the first two readers of this book said about it:

"New Magic for a New Era is written in plain English, with easy-to-understand examples and narrative. What I love most about this book, is the humility and wonderful sense of humour that run throughout. The core message is one that we can all understand, and respond to and that is that personal transformation does not have to be difficult.”

“As I read this book, something strange is happening. My hands are tingling and extremely hot then I am distracted by the heat and tingling in my feet. There is something truly special about this book. The last time I got this feeling was whilst reading The Ringing Cedars Series, but it was not this intense. Those books changed my life. I know this one will too in a way that I cannot possibly imagine."

Synopsis

Little Miss Sure Shot is a fictionalized account of the life of Annie Oakley, drawing heavily on the real timelines and events of her life. The book invents situations, people she meets, and a myriad of conversations. Moreover, while the book is presented chronologically, apart from the prologue, it skips certain periods and attempts to focus on those that are especially vital, such as the early years Annie spent with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, including the tours through Europe. A special feature of the novel is the framing of Annie's loving marriage to fellow sharpshooter Frank Butler, whom she married at sixteen and remained married to for 50 years until her death. Frank was far more than just her husband - he was her manager (he gave up his own shooting for that role) and her constant companion. The novel closes with an epilogue in Frank's voice, presenting an overview of their lives together and the circumstances of her death in 1926.

Excerpt

There was nothing like Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, and there never would be again. It was the best thing Annie and Frank were ever involved with, and it took them to places Annie had never dreamed about, like London and Paris. And it made her famous: Some wrote during her time with the show that she was one of the most famous women in the world.

It wasn’t a circus; it was an event, an extravaganza. Cody had devised a series of tableaus, each involving dozens or more performers, that played up key themes and events from the West. The most specific one was the defeat of Custer at Little Big Horn, with the make-believe battle and the slaughtering of the cavalry. He also had pioneers crossing the prairie and being attacked by Indians, and scenes from Indian villages and firefights with Mexicans. More than anything, it was about the taming of the West. It was loud and rousing. The Indians didn’t come off all that well, but it treated much of their culture with real feeling, and emphasized their bravery as much as their savagery. And it used real Indians as performers, a fact that was highly unusual for the day.

It was hard to describe the show without talking about its scale. It was what Annie learned to call a menagerie, a new word for her. There were Indians galore, decked in war paint and feathers, with bows and lances. There were Mexicans, with huge sombreros and serapes draped over their shoulders. There were cowboys in chaps and Stetsons, with big mustaches. There were even long-horne

Synopsis

The world is a far different place in 2259. Thirty years of world war, rampant bombing, and the melting of the polar ice sheets have changed the very face of the planet. 

The former countries of Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America have banded together as the North American Alliance, led by distinguished military hero President Walker. His daughter Poppy has served as the First Lady of the North American Alliance since she was only twelve years old, helping her father restore order to the chaotic new world they live in. 

Now nineteen, Poppy finds herself caught in the middle of a government takeover and dodging assassins. After fleeing to the war-torn ruins of Denver, she must face unknown dangers and new experiences. She will have to use every skill learned from her military upbringing to survive the terrifying beasts, deadly plant life, and fierce rebels who live in the shadows of the abandoned city.

Excerpt

All this went through my mind in seconds as the gunmen continued to force their way into the library. And then they began to fire. The sound was like a hammer blow, forcing me to my knees. I cried out, but luckily no one could hear me over the incredible volume of the gunshots. I crawled closer to the wall and found a peephole. It allowed me to see only glimpses of the events, but it was enough to let me see my father and the three governors fall to the ground under the hail of bullets.

I shoved my hands against my mouth to hold back my screams. If the gunmen heard me they would only need to begin firing into the shelves. The small safe-room was reinforced to block the stream of a stunner, but I had no idea how well it would stand up to the deadly bits of metal flying through the air. Shaking, I stayed as still and as silent as I could, praying that the attackers would leave so I could go to my father.

When Uncle Cruz walked into the room I wanted to scream out a warning. I couldn’t let these people take the only family I had left. But I was so frightened I could only gasp for breath. And then I lost my breath for another reason because, in spite of my fears, the gunmen didn’t fire at him. Instead, a man at the front of the group stepped forward and saluted.

Synopsis

Presidential Trail is a fast moving, action packed thriller following the exploits of two MI6 agents, Kane Rhodes and Brian Jones as they trail a deadly assassin and revenge-bent chemist from the U.K. to Pakistan and Dallas to Washington. Linking up with the CIA their original mission was to prevent the assassination of a Presidential candidate but soon developed into a race against time to stop, or at least minimise, the catastrophic effects of a major terrorist attack

Excerpt

Kane Rhodes quickly removed the telescopic sights before sheathing the AS50 back into the soft, brown leather case. The dull ache in his neck and back was the result of six hours surveillance, the last sixty minutes of which were spent scanning through the sights of the scope. He paused briefly to reflect on how relatively easy the mission had been and not what he would have expected from someone with Leidmeister's background.

 “You wanna go take a look while I keep up the surveillance,” Zach drawled. “Give me a call on the radio when it’s a done deal.”

“Okay, then next stop a coffee shop."

“And I thought you Brits only drank tea?”

Kane gave Zach a brief, sarcastic smile as he opened the door and made his way to the staircase, but he could not shake off this feeling of doubt, something was missing, but what? He jogged down the remaining two flights of time worn, wooden stairs and out into the brilliant, warm June sunshine. As he walked towards the car, the covered AS50 butt tucked under his shoulder and the barrel cradled in the nook of his right arm, he scanned the old, paint flaked windows of the tenement building and pondered over the events of the last few days. There was something wrong, considering what he had learned about Leidmeister over this short period, he could not help feeling that this was too easy - and he was soon to be proved right.