A Laird To Hold

A journey through time to save one life jeopardizes the lives of everyone Scarlett holds dear in this finale of the Laird for all Time series. Scarlett would do anything to save her unborn baby, even return to a time she never thought she’d see again. Not for a moment had she missed the constant scrutiny of a celebrity life. To reappear now, inexplicably pregnant in the eyes of the modern world would create a media circus, but Scarlett knows she can overcome any obstacles with Laird at her side and the help of new friends drawn together across time itself by the enigmatic Scotsman known as Auld Donell. The crafty old Scot had been busy over the years, not just meddling in Scarlett’s life but browsing through time, tweaking history and changing the fates of his other ‘projects’. They’d all received a second chance at love, but are unaware of how closely they’re connected despite the years separating them. Unaware of how their Fates are entangled. And unaware of how Auld Donell’s ‘master plan’ to right a few wrongs of his own will put all their lives in peril against an unforeseen enemy. Laird Hepburn spent years enjoying his wife’s fantastic tales of the future world, but he’d never expected—or wanted to see it for himself. Now to ensure the survival of his unborn bairn and protect his family, he must face that alien world head on. Alas, the future holds more surprises and danger than any of them had anticipated. Soon, Laird realizes that in order to avert disaster and save the lives of his loved ones, he may be forced to sacrifice his own.

Surely, she’d gone completely mad. Claire Manning can’t imagine what she was thinking when she decided to help the escapee from her company’s lab but after seeing him caged like an animal, her humanitarian compulsion cannot be overridden – even by the arrogant, scowling eighteenth-century Highlander Hugh Urquhart turns out to be. His entire life has been taken away from him and Claire understands the pain and torment of loss. She understands the desperation she sees in his eyes and is prepared to do whatever it takes to secure Hugh’s freedom and future. What she isn’t prepared for is the ruggedly handsome Scot she finds under the layers of grime and blood caked on him. Nor is she prepared to feel so much more than mere compassion for his suffering. Not once in Hugh’s entire life has he been taken for a savage or been argued with and commanded about like a lackey as often as he had by his savior from imprisonment. It was he who commanded. He who men yielded to. However, for this woman who had saved his life, Hugh is willing to concede that he doesn’t know everything, that he might need some small amount of help in navigating his way through the alien world he has been unwillingly dragged into. With inexplicable trust, Hugh hands over the reins of his future to Claire – or Sorcha as they would have called her in his world. A woman unlike any he has ever met. A woman of intelligence, wit, courage and startling passion buried deep beneath her bonny exterior. On the run, Claire and Hugh hide away from the agents pursuing them but cannot hide from the undeniable desire that ensnares them and both must face their pasts, the loss and heartache that plagues them if they hope to discover that there is a true time and place for every Highland laird.

Four modern day heroines find themselves facing an unpredictable future when time connects them to Highlanders of old. Once they discover that a mysterious Scotsman called Auld Donell has been manipulating the past, they must fight to keep the love they've found for all time. A LAIRD FOR ALL TIME After ten long years of education and residency, Dr. Emmy MacKenzie feels the time is long overdue for a vacation. A little “me” time. A little alone time. But when travelling the British Isles, a twist of fate at the gates of the ancient castle of Duart hurls Emmy more a hundred years into the past and into the arms of a magnificent highlander who thinks she is his long-lost wife, Heather MacLean! A TIME & PLACE FOR EVERY LAIRD On the run, Claire and Hugh hide away from the agents pursuing them but cannot hide from the undeniable desire that ensnares them and both must face their pasts, the loss and heartache that plagues them if they hope to discover that there is a true time and place for every Highland laird. TAKEN Actress Scarlett Thomas never wanted fame. Now she’s ready to make big changes, but she could never have imagined how big those changes might turn out to be. When an old Scotsman named Donell directs her to an ancient claymore, Scarlett slips back 500 years to a time when her modern struggles are dwarfed by a far more dangerous conflict brewing between Scotland and England and into the arms of a Laird beyond her imagination. As they try to fight against their growing attraction, they are confronted by choices that they never imagined they'd have to make. Will they seize their second chance before the Battle of Flodden separates them forever? LOVE IN THE TIME OF A HIGHLAND LAIRD When she was accidently pushed into a wormhole, Allorah ‘Al’ Maines never imagined she’d be thrown back in time, land at the feet of a gorgeous Highlander… and taken as his prisoner. Al is awestruck by the savage Scot who chained her up in his dungeon. But once she emerges from her cell, she finds herself even more captivated by the roguish Highlander he’s transformed into. An undeniably enticing manifestation of all her secret fantasies. Ones she’s tempted to explore. No matter what the fairytales say, Al knows passion fades and lust dies. Keeping her heart intact and planning for a future on her own is the only way their story can end. Can Keir convince Al to share a life with him before she walks away forever? A LAIRD TO HOLD Not for a moment had Scarlett missed the constant scrutiny of a celebrity life. Now, to save her unborn child, she has no choice but to reappear, inexplicably pregnant in the eyes of the modern world. But Scarlett knows she can fight the media circus with Laird at her side and the help of new friends drawn together across time itself by the enigmatic Scotsman known as Auld Donell. The crafty old Scot had been busy over the years, not just meddling in Scarlett’s life but browsing through time, tweaking history and changing the fates of his other ‘projects’. Connor and Emmy. Hugh and Claire. They’d all received a second chance at love, but are unaware of how closely they’re connected despite the years separating them. Unaware of how their Fates are entangled. Now Auld Donell’s ‘master plan’ will put all their lives in peril against an unforeseen enemy.

THE DOUGLAS LEGACY The Douglas sisters, beauties all, are valuable pawns in their family's bitter struggle to control the Scottish Crown. But when powerful enemies threaten, each Douglas lass will find she must face them alone. CAPTURED BY A LAIRD Haunted by his father's violent death, David Hume, the new laird of Wedderburn, sets out to make his name so feared that no one will dare harm his family again. The treacherous ally who played on his father's weakness is dead and beyond David's vengeance, but his castle and young widow are ripe for the taking. The moment David lays eyes on the dark-haired beauty defending her wee daughters, however, he knows this frail-looking lass is the one person who could bring him to his knees. Wed at thirteen to a man who tried daily to break her spirit, Lady Alison Douglas is looking forward to a long widowhood. But when the fearsome warrior known as the Beast of Wedderburn storms her gates, she finds herself, once again, forced to wed a stranger. Alison is only a pawn to serve his vengeance, so why does this dark warrior arouse such fiery passion and an unwelcome longing in her heart? With death and danger looming, these two wounded souls must learn to trust each other...for only love can save them.

"There is always a surprise in the voice and in the heart of Laird Hunt's stories, with its echoes of habit caught in a timeless dialect, so we see the world he gives us as if new. 'You hear something like that and it walks out the door with you.'"--Michael Ondaatje "Laird Hunt's Kind One, about two slave girls who take their white mistress into captivity, is a profound meditation on the sexual and racial subconscious of America. . . . [A] gorgeous and terrifying novel."--Danzy Senna As a teenage girl, Ginny marries Linus Lancaster, her mother's second cousin, and moves to his Kentucky pig farm "ninety miles from nowhere." In the shadows of the lush Kentucky landscape, Ginny discovers the empty promises of Linus' "paradise"--a place where the charms of her husband fall away to reveal a troubled man and cruel slave owner. Ginny befriends the young slaves Cleome and Zinnia who work at the farm--until Linus' attentions turn to them, and she finds herself torn between her husband and only companions. The events that follow Linus' death change all three women for life. Haunting, chilling, and suspenseful, Kind One is a powerful tale of redemption and human endurance in antebellum America. Laird Hunt is the author of several works of fiction and a finalist for the 2010 PEN Center USA Award in Fiction. Currently on the faculty of the University of Denver's creative writing program, he and his wife, the poet Eleni Sikelianos, live in Boulder, Colorado, with their daughter, Eva Grace.

LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD Lachlan Sinclair cannot escape his accursed heritage in his Highlands homeland. Somewhat resigned to the fate that destroyed his ancestors, he is prepared to live his life without an heir, without a wife—without love. But when he meets the woman of his dreams in the flesh, the bewitching lass makes him want to throw away his cursed, restrained existence...and unleash the highlander within... Lana Dounreay has only seen the Duke of Caithness in her dreams as a wild, rugged man, while in reality, his life has been cramped by curses and cravats. He may have forgone his kilt and lost his brogue, but Lana knows that the heart of a true Scotsman beats within his broad, muscular chest. But what plans does the mysterious, passionate Lachlan have in mind for her—and can she convince him that love is stronger than all else? “You can’t go wrong with a Sabrina York story.”—Desiree Holt

Welcome to Nowhere is a powerful and beautifully written story about the life of one family caught up in civil war by the award-winning author Elizabeth Laird, shortlisted for the Scottish Teen Book Award and winner of the UKLA Book Award. Twelve-year-old Omar and his brothers and sisters were born and raised in the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar doesn't care about politics - all he wants is to grow up to become a successful businessman who will take the world by storm. But when his clever older brother, Musa, gets mixed up with some young political activists, everything changes . . . Before long, bombs are falling, people are dying, and Omar and his family have no choice but to flee their home with only what they can carry. Yet no matter how far they run, the shadow of war follows them - until they have no other choice than to attempt the dangerous journey to escape their homeland altogether. But where do you go when you can't go home? '[Sings] with truth' - The Times 'A muscular, moving, thought-provoking book' - Guardian 'Humane and empathetic . . . an effective call to action' - The Sunday Times 'Powerful, heart-breaking and compelling' - Scotsman

"...considerably more wit and pizazz than the legendary Georgette [Heyer] herself.” —Kirkus Reviews The eligible but aloof Lord Marchmont seems as determined to remain single as his sister, Lady Emilia, is to see him wed. They are surrounded by a glimmering cast of characters, from the unreliable but dashing rake Jeffery de Guere to the lovely and shy Miss Amy Lewis. And, of course, the Stanbroke girls: Lady Isabella, romantic and dreamy, yet surprisingly practical, and Lady Elizabeth, her older sister, a heroine of great sense and wit as well as beauty. As these characters dance, court, conspire, love, and chase their way through some of the most fashionable spots of England and the continent, we join their elegant circle for the sparkling, sophisticated romp. As always, Fiona Hill brings a fresh and engaging liveliness to the world of Regency manners, making The Stanbroke Girls a triumphant delight to read.