• Everyone’s favorite pre-teen British detectives are back for another case! With toddlers disappearing and rumors of a large, beast-like creature roaming the woods, Tackleford is in serious danger. And then there’s Mildred’s new dog Archibald… if you can even call it a dog. After all, what kind of dog drinks tea out of a cup? Everything comes to a head once the boys get a picture of the beast and Archibald goes missing. Is there a connection? And what does it all have to do with the magic pencil Mildred won from a carnie con game?
• Don’t miss the second installment of John Allison’s award-winning webcomic series in print!

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From the author: If you have read any of my other books, please note that this story is neither paranormal nor science fiction. It is a drama about human trafficking. The main characters in the story just happen to live on the spectrum.

Fear is something that can build up slowly. It can begin as a tiny spark that is almost unnoticeable. It may continue to slowly grow until a small flame sends quick slicing cuts somewhere deep inside you. The fear may spread, up from your gut and into your throat until the flame begins to overwhelm you. First there is confusion and then denial and excuses. Finally there is the realization that you are not dreaming and something horrible is happening. You are living in the moment of panic.

The story begins with mildly autistic Gavin Hawkins, attending High School in Madison County, Alabama. After a panic meltdown, Gavin is assigned to a newly formed class. It is there where he meets Amy Harrison. Amy is much further along on the spectrum. Gavin lovingly refers to Amy as “Indigo,” referring to his imaginary positioning of Amy on the color spectrum. Amy doesn’t mind the private pet nickname since Amy loves the color indigo. It doesn’t take Amy and Gavin long to become close friends.

Gavin’s naturally obsessive nature enables him to focus on things that he loves, like science and music. Gavin’s cousin Billy gets Gavin interested in music when he shows Gavin his guitar. Gavin is fascinated by the concept that you can make sounds and music with your fingers. Music is a natural fit for Gavin and it doesn’t take him long before he becomes a musical prodigy. Most musical geniuses become classical musicians but Gavin chooses a different path. Gavin seeks what every High School student seeks; to have friends and be liked and to even be popular. So Gavin chooses the path to rock & roll.

Gavin eventually forms a band with his cousin. As the adventures of their band begin, they make several amazing discoveries. The first one is that Gavin’s friend Amy is a gifted keyboardist and Amy joins the band. The second discovery comes when Gavin and Amy are fooling around with the microphone and PA system and Gavin mimics a few well known vocalists from popular rock and country bands. Gavin can not only sing, he leaves listeners spellbound. He is more than good. He is called the greatest rock vocalist of all time as the band is quickly catapulted into the national spotlight. Things are going great for the band as they record their first album and begin doing short concert tours, first as the opening band and eventually as the main attraction.

And then something terrible happens. When they are preparing for a concert in New York City, Amy disappears. Gavin is first in shock and then sinks into a deep depression. Gavin spends a year sitting in his bedroom thinking about Amy, wondering what happened to her.

Gavin makes one of the most significant discoveries of the twenty first century. The driving force behind Gavin’s discovery and invention has one goal; to find his soul mate Amy.

It may be possible for Gavin to find Amy but it will require him to step into hell. For Gavin to find his beloved Amy, he must enter the depraved world of human trafficking.

Spoiler Alert: In the companion short story, “The Journal of Sharise Sills,” one of the trafficking victims looks back over her years in captivity as she attempts to return to life after the rescue. Sharise Sills is one of the main characters/victims in the story. Even before Sharise arrives at her final destination (a horrible living hell), she becomes the leader and protector of the other victims, especially the fragile and helpless Amy. Sharise becomes the source of hope and courage for the other women.

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High school’s hard enough for most kids, but it’s a real nightmare when you throw unhappy ghosts, unfinished business, and an unsolved murder into the mix.

Well, welcome to my life.

Bridget Young would be perfectly happy with an average, boring existence, but the car accident that killed her sister took away everything normal in her life. As if high school wasn’t hard enough on its own, now she spends her days helping unhappy ghosts move on to the afterlife. Dealing with death on a daily basis is too much for one girl to handle, so when she finds a way to get rid of her supernatural sight, she jumps at the chance. But when a missing student turns up as a freshly murdered ghost with a taste for vengeance, Bridget realizes she’s the only one who can find the killer. With innocent lives hanging in the balance, Bridget must decide if she’s willing to sacrifice her one chance at a normal life.

Join Bridget and her rag-tag team of ghostly companions for a nail-biting mystery that will keep you up all night.

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Casey didn’t believe in monsters until they stole his sister.

Shortly after teenage newcomer Casey Wilde arrives in the haunted town of Whistlebrass, Vermont, his little sister disappears. Finding her won’t be easy–Casey is up against a suave sociopath, a legion of living shadows, and a reptilian humanoid capable of stealing his life force and crushing him into dust.

Who can Casey ask for help when no sane adult will believe his story?

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“Like an arrow in the hand of a warrior, so are the sons of those who have been shaken. Hurl lightning bolts and scatter them. Shoot your arrows and rout them.”

King David, circa 1000 BC

Wyatt Striker hated to admit that he was nervous. A senator he had treated in the ER after a mountain biking accident had invited Wyatt and his wife to a party at his vacation home near Tijuana. Unfortunately he did not mention that a dozen of California’s most influential people would be there, too. He knew he had faced far worse situations during his glory days in special ops, but he hardly thought his training would help with this one.

When he arrived at the house early, however, he was caught off guard by what seemed to be a two-bit burglar. The thief’s behavior, which included nearly putting a peephole in Wyatt’s cranium, suggested something much more dangerous.

Shaken, he returned home to find his sister-in-law tied to a chair in the kitchen, his son gone, and a ransom note on the table. As he attempts to connect the dots, he discovers that the captor is less interested in the money than in Wyatt. Confused and determined, he sets off to unravel the web of leads and players. Will his calm and careful mind and the resources he can muster be enough to outsmart the captor? Will he discover the deadly identity of his adversary before it’s too late?

In this fast-paced action adventure, Brent Russell weaves a tapestry of mystery, suspense, and good-old-fashioned fight scenes described in a uniquely thrilling voice.

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When the worst case scenario befalls the Vagabond Circus, Zuma knows she must ensure it doesn’t fall to doom. Titus’s job is to guarantee the show goes on, while the acrobats seek to avenge and rescue. Jack has no idea that he’s about to levitate himself into a deadly situation, and only Zuma and Finley can save him from a threat unlike what most have ever encountered. In this second whimsical and dark installment of the Vagabond Circus tale, the reader learns just how the ringmaster, Dr. Dave Raydon, rescued everyone in his troupe and also brought love and treasures into their lives. The unveiling of this history only brings more mystery as the true enemy to Vagabond Circus is unveiled. Charles Knight isn’t an evil man with a deadly agenda. He’s the worst kind of human being and he won’t stop until he’s ruined everyone and everything that the ringmaster loves. Paralyzed is an episodic ride that unravels the pieces of this fantasy circus one act at a time.

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12-year-old Emily is upset because her parents plan to homeschool her. However, her summer turns out to be quite eventful as she and her friend set out to investigate puzzling disappearances and noises they notice while at gymnastics school.

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It was Isla Everley’s wedding day, a moment in time that should have been the happiest in her life … until it ended in murder.

When two women with no apparent connection are found dead at the same wedding, medical examiner Reagan Davenport will stop at nothing to discover the identity of the killer … even if it means untangling a deadly web of lies she’ll live to regret.

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The Hill – Carla’s Story (Book Two): A Paranormal Murder Mystery Thriller

‘The Hill reveals the world for what it is; a place where the impossible is real, and the dead speak with the living’

What if you were murdered? And what if by supernatural intervention you are given the chance to help the police find your killer? This is what happened to rookie police officer Ben Walker after he and his new girlfriend, Liz Mason became victims of a callous and brutal attack by Daniel Boyd, a grudge bearing drop out, and his gang.

Ben’s body lay alongside Liz, who was unconscious and barely alive at the bottom of Mill Tut, a Bronze aged burial mound in the beautiful Badock’s Wood in Bristol.

DCI Markland Garraway, who at the last moment is brought in to lead the investigation into Ben’s murder has a reputation of being a maverick detective who thinks outside the box.

The mystical powers of the ancient burial mound begin to influence Garraway’s attitude towards the case and soon he is alienated by his colleagues. Mill Tut, or The Hill as Garraway refers to it, opens up a Pandora’s Box of supernatural happenings which infiltrate his waking and sleeping life, creating a host of mental demons which the Scottish detective must learn to deal with.

Daniel Boyd has fled Bristol to evade capture for the crime he has committed. To those who know him, he’s vanished off the face of the earth. But can he escape the mystical powers of The Hill?

The power of The Hill does not only affect Garraway. It reaches out to many, including Christopher Jameson, who was born at the precise moment Ben’s life ended.

The Hill reveals to Garraway and the others who are affected by its influence, the world for what it is; a place where the impossible is real, and the dead speak with the living.

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What people are saying about The Hill

Reviews of The Hill – Carla’s Story (Book Two): from Amazon USA.

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great read!!! August 28, 2015

I’m an avid reader, and every once in a while will allow myself to read a book centering around the paranormal. The reviews were excellent regarding “The Hill” so I purchased it, wondering if all of the positives surrounding this piece would match what I might think about it, especially this being the author’s first published novel. Then I started reading…and was mesmerized!
This book will grab you and hold you, from start to finish! As an American I had to work my way around some of the British speech patterns, but toward the end I can’t help but think even that helped the story line. A great book! Even those that don’t usually imbibe in paranormal stories will enjoy this one. Once you start reading, it would take someone hitting you in the head with a rock to force you to put it down! (You’ll see!)

5.0 out of 5 stars Carla’s Story, A DELIGHT to read! August 27, 2015

Carla’s Story, The Hill book #2 was a delight to read! I read Ben’s Story, The Hill Book1 and it was so GOOD I couldn’t wait to follow with Carla’s Story! I was NOT disappointed!! Anyone who is thinking about reading this book, Book 2- I do have some advice. You really MUST read the first Book The Hill Ben’s story first! Carla’s Story flows right on from book 1. In my opinion The Hill, both 1 and 2, are some of the BEST I have read! I am so looking forward to Mr Stafford’s next book! What a wonderful writer!

Reviews of the Omnibus edition of The Hill (Containing both Book One and Book Two) from Amazon UK.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I’ve read on kindle, 21 April 2015

I loved this book, I felt as though I was there with the characters. Full of suspense and would love to see it made into a film. Can’t wait for more

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The Intercessors Exordium is the first book a the new compelling series of Christian fiction that is packed with mystery, action, adventure, romance, history and most importantly; excellent lessons of the love and power of Jesus Christ, prayer and in learning and speaking God’s written Word; the Bible. From the very first chapter this book will pull at your heart and keep you on the edge of your seat, driving you to keep reading and leave you wanting more.

Set in the quaint and historic town of Fairfield, Connecticut you will meet Obadiah O’Sullivan, a retired engineer and grandfather of Brielle St. Claire. Brielle, along with three of her friends, twins Gideon and Keoni Toussaint and Jace Roberts, decide they want to do something to help solve a mystery that is seriously affecting the citizens of their home town.

The Intercessors come together to dedicate their lives to the service of their Savior Jesus Christ and build His Kingdom here on earth in the hearts of those who need Him the most. Obadiah trains the Intercessors, taking them on an incredible journey to an extraordinary Bible school. Once they begin their service for the Lord, they find themselves in a battle against the forces of evil that are greatly attacking their friends, town and others who desperately need God’s help.

The Intercessors learn how to truly minister the love of Jesus Christ to those who are hurting and not to be judgmental or self righteous– as their sins are just as much in need of forgiveness as those of anyone else. Through their training, they not only are equipped heavily in prayer and with the mighty power of God and His Holy Scriptures, they also learn self defense techniques to protect themselves against those who would come against them.

Through their journey, the Intercessors learn there are no greater weapons than the power of prayer and in speaking God’s written Word, the Bible to defeat their enemies. Because of their great faith and obedience, God delivers them from the hands of their enemies and blesses them most abundantly with a grand victory.

This book is unlike anything else out there available on the Christian market today. It promises to keep you turning pages until the end and hopefully….to be reaching for your Bible when you are finished.

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It has been written that at the end of the age dreams and visions will be poured out on the young and that the demonic forces of the Dark Prince will come against them in ways we have never seen before. It has already begun.

Sixteen-year-old Asher Haynes has dreams. Very real dreams. Like the dream that foretold his mother’s death. Or the dream foretelling an invasion of his family’s home. And then there was “that dream”. The one that got him expelled in his freshman year. Now in his junior year, Asher has sworn off dreams. That is, until he has a shocking dream containing valuable information. His dream quickly becomes a nightmare as he finds himself running for his life from a man who has been searching the globe for this information for decades. Can Asher, with the help of Maclaine and her angel protectors, find a way to stop him before it’s too late?

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Deep in the wasteland that is south-west Afghanistan, something is stirring. A small team of dark-clad figures have located an industrial plant that is definitely not what it should be. They have no time to establish exactly what they have discovered, for there is a ferocious and immediate reaction by those guarding the plant. One team member is killed, while the leader is wounded. He orders the others to withdraw, whilst giving them time and space to do so. Unwilling to leave him, they are forced to obey his orders. Because of his sacrifice, they all survive. The man is listed and missing, believed killed in action.
Several months later, in a sleepy town in the Midlands of England, a police officer’s dreary and damp night shift is enlivened by the sudden appearance of a beautiful young woman dressed in male clothes as she staggers onto the road in front of him, and collapses into unconsciousness.
The girl awakes a short time later in hospital, with no memory of anything before waking up.
As the girl starts each day with an entirely blank memory, she has no idea that she could be connected to that incident that took place half a world away and several months previously.
One memory slips through – that of a popular female singer that seems to have been a friend. However, just as she remembers that, she sees on the TV news the murder of that same woman, in suspicious circumstances. Can she be involved? Is she the killer?
Will she ever get her memory back?
The policeman who found her joked that she was like the ship that was found adrift with no crew –The Marie Celeste – all appears normal, but completely empty. Taking the name of Marie, she begins the task of building a new life.
Just as she does, her old life starts to interfere – in the shape of mysterious men who appear to be following her.
Will she ever fill in the blanks; or will they get to her first?
Marie reacts instinctively, only to discover that her instincts display skills that are definitely not the normal skills that nice girls possess.
Just who and what was she?

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In the genteel heart of Charleston, SC, a secret buried for forty-four years, is resurrected with dire implications for former nightclub owner, Josie Chapman, his wife and his three closest friends.The Merch is a taut, viscerally acute mystery set in 1970, when the Holy City known to modern day tourists and romantics was the best kept secret in America and The Merchant Seaman’s Club was the hottest nightclub on the east coast. Human society, nature and the supernatural intersect with characters who have little in common with old South aristocracy modern day visitors love to believe makes up the life blood of the city. This is the Charleston of vibrant ethnic and cultural and economic classes far more real. Fantastic groups and individuals clash, blend and wallow in the mire of striving and surviving in secret during a time of nationwide social upheaval. This is the real story of the city. This is a story of a city that pants as well as breathes. In the real Charleston, real people sweat, not just from the heat and humidity, but from fear and the anxiety of desire. This is the Charleston that remembers its history, not simply her heroes, but past slights, past crimes and, in remembering, settles debts decades old. This is the Charleston which gave birth to the one now on display to the world.

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The veil of mystery cast over the Aurora Society’s “absolute salvation” is torn away, and the true mastermind behind the scheme steps forward at long last. In the ensuing battle, Earl Ciel Phantomhive looks on in horror as Sebastian, his infallible manservant, is struck down by the death scythe of an unforeseen combatant. Devil though he may be, even Sebastian is not immune to the blade of a reaper’s scythe. As Sebastian’s cinematic record spills forth, the tale of how a devil became a butler to a little lost lord flickers to life in shades of sepia, blood, and ash…

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Unbeknownst to the aged Queen, her priceless Diamond Jubilee Crown has been secretly shipped to New York City, where it is stolen.

The theft occurs in view of video cameras and a trusted guard, who is now missing and presumed dead. If the crown isn’t found and returned to London, where it is soon scheduled for public display, the crime will become fodder for a scandal-hungry media, and Her Majesty will be humiliated.

The prime suspect is rich, beautiful Piper Sutton, a young jewelry
executive in charge of special clients. Despite her vast wealth, she is haunted by a compulsion to steal.
Enter Jedidiah Alcatraz: an autistic private eye with an uncanny ability
to see what most people ignore and a compulsion of his own.

His investigation involves a childhood friend whose skills may be just this side of legal, a Russian cabby with a taste for adventure, and a self-proclaimed Egyptian prince with unsavory motives.

The trail leads from Chinatown to the elite environs of Newport;
from Fifth Avenue penthouses to a down-at-the-heels Coney Island strip club. And as evidence against Piper mounts, Jedidiah wonders whether she’s the key to his obsession.

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When students fail to return home from an English boarding school that numbers several elite bloodlines among its student body, Earl Ciel Phantomhive and his indomitable butler, Sebastian, infiltrate the lush grounds and stately halls of this distinguished house of learning at Her Majesty’s behest. But this cannot be accomplished without some masterful artifice. The butler takes on the role of tutor, his master that of student – parts to which both are more than just a little accustomed. As their dorm lives of deceit begin, they turn their eyes upon the conspicuous and colourful waistcoats of the four school prefects, from whose attention nothing at the school escapes…

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A vampire, a werewolf and the Detroit Police Department’s most incompetent Inhuman Crimes Unit officer walk into a bar.

Oh, and so does the CEO of a pharmaceutical company which is hiding a terrible secret.

And also the charismatic pastor of a Detroit mega-church/casino who is enraged that the corpse of one of his flock may have been reanimated as part of a mafia-run zombie fight club.

And let’s not even get into the young pharmacology researcher conducting a controlled experiment to figure out why men never call her for a second date.

In The Bone Eaters, newly minted private eye, Nick Slipwick, joins forces with Lieutenant Amato to unravel these mysteries. They discover more than they expect: vampires weren’t driven from North America 200 years ago after all, the werewolf fences that surround every town and city may not be as effective as everyone thinks, and a creature is stalking the night who is completely unlike all of the regular monsters you learn about in social studies.

And not just because he is somewhat obsessed with Dirty Dancing.

The Bone Eaters is a fast-moving, genre-skewering comedy, lovingly satirizing horror, mystery, and ‘chick lit.’ The novel brings together multiple interwoven story lines into a fun and satisfying conclusion. Just like we’re praying George R. R. Martin does.

The Bone Eaters: 50% humor, 50% horror, 50% mystery, and 50% romance. It’s twice the entertainment of a regular book.

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“ENGAGING AND QUIRKY MYSTERY, HISTORY, AND ADVENTURE!”

Underwater, everybody can hear you scream, but they can’t tell where you are…

Ketch is at it again in the magical Outer Banks of North Carolina, in this new adventure from the author of PORT STARBIRD and PORT OF REFUGE.

It’s a picture-perfect summer afternoon on a pristine beach near a ghost seaport on an uninhabited island. What could go wrong? But things do, when two bodies wash ashore and Ketch stumbles upon clues that lead to the sunken treasure of an old-time buccaneer off Portsmouth Island. Ketch isn’t the only one who has an interest in the treasure, and it exposes both him and his adversaries to unexpected obligations and consequences. It seems everyone has to pay the port fee…

Good guys and bad guys, boating and diving, a dash of romance, and a mysterious otherworldly presence all come together in THE PORT FEE, Ketch’s most challenging adventure to date.

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[The Specialists, book 4. An award winning spy series.]

Lovable GiGi is pairing up with expert linguist Darren, aka Parrot, on a mission to South America. When a centuries-old vase is found in a cave full of hieroglyphics, it is discovered that this vase was important to at least fifteen different North American and South American Indian tribes. And now all fifteen nations want it back. They are meeting in Rutina, South America, to “decide” who gets the vase.

Enter the Specialists, and Parrot who will go as the official translator. And when no one can decode the ancient cave writings, not even the elders of each nation, GiGi comes to the rescue. Of course there’s a hitch. One of the tribal chiefs attending the meeting in Rutina is connected to Parrot’s past–in a very bad way.

The question is, will Parrot be able to face his past and complete the mission, or will the vase–and the fate of the Native American nation–fall into the wrong hands?

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“4 OUT OF 4 STARS!”–Online Book Club

To the world’s peace-loving Muslims, “Jihad” signifies the holy inner struggle to seek the 5 pillars of Islam. A misguided few, however, have corrupted it into a call for war . . .

1 Orphan. 1 Spy. 6 Hijackers…BRACE FOR IMPACT!

Teen orphan Justin Reed has settled into the quiet suburban life as CIA secret agent Bob Cheney’s newly-adopted son. He’s getting good grades, shining on the Panther’s JV wrestling and baseball teams, and loving his crazy new girlfriend, Joya. In his spare time, he plays Flight Sim 3000. Finally, he’s put the nightmare of the spy world behind him for good. Or has he? When their airliner is hijacked by armed terrorists–including Najla, a mysterious teen girl with striking green eyes–it’s up to Justin and Bob to take it back. But that is only half the problem: even if they can overcome the terrorists, who’s left to fly the plane? Worse, in their effort to save the day, the two uncover a plot that could trigger World War 3. Once again, Justin must rely on his old orphan street smarts–and his new CIA spy training–to take on armed terrorists and prevent apocalypse.
Every passenger’s nightmare–and every simulator pilot’s fantasy!

MISSION 3 OF THE CODE NAME: DODGER “SPY/FLY” ACTION ADVENTURE SERIES!

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Dame Esmeralda, the Purrsident’s littermate, has been catnapped. Xander de Hunter, Catamondo’s Sea Purrtector hurries to Jamaica to help rescue her, even though Jamaica is one of Dogdom’s strongholds.
Could this be a trap?

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“Hello, Kimmie.”

Ex-cop Kim Kovak is stunned. Peter is back, the former fiancé who abandoned her years ago during her painful recovery from a career-ending injury. Why is he here? What is he after?

Garrett Quaid, Kim’s part-time investigative partner and now close friend, is wondering the same thing.

And then the cases start cropping up.

On a photo shoot at a horse show featuring the Black Horsemen of Ohio, Kim observes what might be a racially motivated attack against a young protégé of the group’s sponsor, legendary African American horse trainer Bill Scott. When odd things begin to happen at Scott’s own stables, Kim is asked to investigate, but immediately finds herself surrounded by stonewalls. Mouths are closed, everyone is hiding things, and nothing is what it seems.

Meanwhile, Quaid is being wooed by a new insurance company, and agrees to take on an assignment to test the waters. His mission is to look into a suspiciously high number of claims generated by a series of very sudden horse deaths at an Indiana racetrack. As he begins seining for information, clues are scarce and suspects ellusive. Could this number of deaths be accidental? Coincidental? Or are they deliberate?

Weave in a tangle of deceptions, obsessions and schemes, and the mystery business gets extra risky, especially when Kovak and Quaid start pulling the threads in Toni Leland’s fourth book in the series.

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Hardy is beginning to expect the unexpected. He can see dead people, after all. But when the spinning wall of light opens up on the whiteboard on his first day of class at Ellery University, his worst nightmare becomes a reality—someone in his class is dying, and he’s the only one who can do something about it.

Then there’s the girl with the red hair and striking green eyes. Emma. She’s way out of Hardy’s league, yet she’s planted herself next to him in class. Was it just him, or did she feel the same strange connection between them?

When students at EU start getting sick, fate quickly throws Hardy and Emma together, and they embark on a journey into Greene Island’s past. Has Viola returned, bringing her curse with her, or are there other dark forces at work?

When long buried secrets are resurrected, Hardy and Emma will find themselves face-to-face with The Curse of Viola, and the consequences are more serious than either of them ever expected.

Book 2 of the Greene Island Mystery Series – A supernatural thriller

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Winner of the 2012 Mom’s Choice Award, the 2012 Halloween Book Festival Award, and 6 others. The FreeKs are back so, naturally, trouble’s not far behind. Several of the kids have returned—a year older and more adept with their paranormal skills. There’s also a hot new guy, Damon. When he sees Atlanta, with her streaked hair and body piercings, you don’t have to be psychic to feel the electricity. Just as the group gathers, a body is discovered under bizarre circumstances. It looks like suicide, but when the ghosts from last year show up with a strange ethereal companion, the FreeKs and their adult mentors have to conclude it’s a murder. And they’re being drawn into it. It’s out of the frying pan into the fire when the murderer targets two at FreeK Camp for abduction and murder. But why these two? As the victims are taken, new talents and an assist from an unexpected ally all come into play. But the sun is coming up and time is running out. Available in print, ebook, and audio book read by actress Melissa Epp.

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Something more troubling than an unhappy marriage calls Rebecca out into a rainy night with no shoes, no plans, and four young children in tow. She arrives unexpectedly at her childhood home, a haunted nineteenth-century mansion. She knocks on the door of her past and sets a year of extraordinary events into motion.

Melanie muses that self-reflection is not for the faint of heart. To find grace one must explore all facets of human nature, however dark. She brings temperance, humor and compassion to her relationships and to her work as a psychotherapist. When her place of employment, the Southeast Counseling Center, is destabilized by malevolent leadership, Melanie’s psyche is strained by shadows almost too deep to fathom.  

After the birth of her second child, Pamela gives up all hope of regaining her lost youth. A numbing mist fills her emptiness as days bleed into years, and she takes on motherhood with impeccable care. But a sleeping ghost is roused when her adolescent son is treated for depression. With a mother’s empathy, Pamela faces her own demons, and in the process her passion is rekindled. With wind in her sails and fifty pounds lighter, she is on a mission to serve children, but her prospects for a new career are complicated by torn loyalties. 

Set in the mental health system against the vibrant backdrop of Vermont, Out of Her Shadow celebrates the feminine connection and its triumph over dark spells. Layers of despair and betrayal are eased by the love and laughter shared between sisters and their outrageous capacity to trump the law without breaking it.

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Five cloned teenagers try to escape their DNA-and a deadly destiny…

Chase was cloned from a serial killer. Now, he’s accused of murder.

Coincidence?

• Fifth in the cutting-edge series

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With the Dark Avenger no longer a threat, life has returned to normal for everyone but Mitch Hamilton. He just can’t seem to shake the young, unknown blonde who’s made herself an annoying presence in his life. With the Halloween Carnival right around the corner, Mitch is already under enough strain, and he turns to Brenna for help. Along with Van’s assistance, the couple fabricates a romantic relationship designed to draw out the stalker. But as the lines between fake and real romance become blurry, it is Brenna who becomes the focus of Mitch’s Mystery Girl. As strange occurrences pile up, Van is convinced that they might not be dealing with a flesh and blood girl after all and that the real danger may be much closer than they think.

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Why is private eye Harry Shalan standing on the Fifth Street Bridge contemplating how much he would mind if he fell in the river and didn’t come back up? You see, Harry lives by a strict code of honor and is struggling not to hate himself because he broke his code–badly. He lost control and brutally attacked his foster daughter Jenn’s biological father, Antonio Bezaleel. Bezaleel is more monster than human and everyone agrees that he deserves a punishment much worse than the one Harry dealt out to him. Nonetheless, Harry’s act has sent him into a spiral of despair that has cut him off from the very people he needs the most. His wife and detective partner Dee, his foster daughter Jenn, and his best friend Otis are fighting to bring their hero back from the brink.

In the midst of this dark episode, Harry and Dee answer a cry for help from an old friend who is accused of savagely murdering and mutilating her ex-husband. She swears that she didn’t kill him, but things don’t look good. She was, after all, found by the police kneeling over the man covered in his blood and gripping the knife that had been used to kill and dismember him.

Their investigation brings them in contact with a precocious six-year-old who swears the murder was committed by a ninja, and he just may be the key to the case. They also encounter an old classmate of Harry’s who is a little more appreciative of Dee’s anatomy than anyone’s comfortable with, a guy who likes to snort coke and cut women’s hair, and even a hooker with a heart of gold. They also meet a quiet young woman named Anita Rathbone who seems quite sweet on Otis, a man married to his job since the only woman he’s ever wanted is married to his best friend. Does Otis finally find a woman to love? Does Harry learn to forgive himself and accept the forgiveness of those who care for him? Do the Shalans solve the crime and save their friend from a life behind bars? The answers are revealed in…

DAWN OF GRACE: A SHALAN ADVENTURE

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In the tenth installment of the series, Kate Ryan is about to pop the question to Maggie. Yes, yes, it’s about time. The question now is where, when, and how? The “why” is evident.

So with great trepidation, Kate accepts the help of Maggie’s adorable Aunt Hannah. Together, they will try to answer those questions before Kate has an anxiety attack—not from asking Maggie to marry her, but from Hannah’s help.

A nice romantic weekend cruise on Lake Superior should do the trick. Kate figures the worst possible scenario is Maggie jumping overboard. This might be the best idea Hannah has ever had. And Kate wonders how she ever doubted her.

Until a passenger dies on the first day of their cruise, and all hell breaks loose. With her plans of a romantic marriage proposal seemingly dead in the water, Kate is now ready to jump overboard—and take Hannah with her.

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