Claudette In The Shadows

Claudette Duchamp was born running. Running from a man she has never met, named Victor Bonnaire. And the men who serve him, the Devil's Bane. She does not know why she runs. Only that she must. Her family has a secret. One her parents refuse to tell Claudette or her twin brother, Blake. It has something to do with why Victor pursues them. And something to do with her dreams ... For Claudette has begun to feel a strange stirring in her heart. A wildness that is both thrilling and frightening. Soon, she will uncover the truth of her family's haunted legacy. She will discover the world that lies on the other side of midnight. She will take her place in the shadows and embrace the darkness within. Claudette in the Shadows is a prequel to the critically acclaimed paranormal novels Winter's Shadow and Winter's Light. Praise for MJ Hearle "spooky, romantic and utterly compelling" – Rebecca James, author of Beautiful Malice "Dark and haunting. A stunning tale of love, loss and hope that kept me reading well into the night." – Jessica Shirvington, author of Embrace

Blake Duchamp... He's all that Winter Adams can think of. Ever since their fateful meeting at Pilgrim's Lament. Ever since he looked at her with those emerald eyes. Ever since he saved her life. But Blake isn't all that he seems. There is a strangeness about him, something dark and otherworldly. Something dangerous. In his attic is a secret he would kill to defend, but Winter seems to have a special ability to make him forget his duty. And he is her only protection against the gathering darkness. The only problem is, to protect Winter, Blake must risk exposing her to an even greater danger. Himself.

Victory isn’t always the end of the story. Paris, 1944. OSS Agent Kathryn Hammond sacrificed her heart and her career to save the woman she loved. Now, facing an uncertain future and an unrelenting enemy, she must fight for the only thing left that matters—victory. Unearthed secrets changed Jenny Ryan’s life forever. She longed for relevance but now finds herself the center of a high-stakes international tug of war for a hidden weapon that could change the world. As the two women navigate the dangerous world of espionage, they are faced with the ultimate test of love and loyalty. Can their love overcome the obstacles in their path, or have time and the shadows of the past cost them a second chance at happiness? Buy In the Shadow of Victory and join Kathryn and Jenny on their journey of forgiveness, healing, and devotion, as they discover the strength of their love in the thrilling conclusion to the sapphic noir Shadow series. Note: This is the fourth and final book in the Shadow series. Reading the books in order is highly recommended.

The first of the Grantchester Mysteries, and inspiration for the PBS/Masterpiece television series, finds Vicar Sidney Chambers beginning his career, as both a spiritual leader and a detective. It is 1953, the coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II . Sidney Chambers, vicar of Grantchester and honorary canon of Ely Cathedral, is a thirty-two-year-old bachelor. Tall, with dark brown hair, eyes the color of hazelnuts, and a reassuringly gentle manner, Sidney is an unconventional clerical detective. He can go where the police cannot. Together with his roguish friend, inspector Geordie Keating, Sidney inquires into the suspect suicide of a Cambridge solicitor, a scandalous jewelry theft at a New Year's Eve dinner party, the unexplained death of a jazz promoter's daughter, and a shocking art forgery that puts a close friend in danger. Sidney discovers that being a detective, like being a clergyman, means that you are never off duty, but he nonetheless manages to find time for a keen interest in cricket, warm beer, and hot jazz-as well as a curious fondness for a German widow three years his junior. With a whiff of Agatha Christie and a touch of G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown, The Grantchester Mysteries introduces a wonderful new hero into the world of detective fiction.

Contemporary Scenes for Actors: Women collects scenes from the most acclaimed and award-winning playwrights of the 1990s. It contains over 40 two-character scenes (for women/women and women/men), with the selection of scenes encompassing the widest range of styles from serious to comic and shades in between. A fuller appreciation of the dramatic context of the scenes is enhanced by the editors' introductions and commentaries. Each of the scenes offers the actor the opportunity to develop and explore the vital, dynamic and unique challenge of working with a partner on stage.

From the author of the beloved Josephine B. Trilogy, comes a spellbinding novel inspired by the true story of a young woman who rises from poverty to become confidante to the most powerful, provocative and dangerous woman in the 17th century French court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King. 1660, Paris Claudette’s life is like an ever-revolving stage set. From an impoverished childhood wandering the French countryside with her family’s acting troupe, Claudette finally witnesses her mother's astonishing rise to stardom in Parisian theaters. Working with playwrights Corneille, Molière and Racine, Claudette’s life is culturally rich, but like all in the theatrical world at the time, she's socially scorned. A series of chance encounters gradually pull Claudette into the alluring orbit of Athénaïs de Montespan, mistress to Louis XIV and reigning "Shadow Queen." Needing someone to safeguard her secrets, Athénaïs offers to hire Claudette as her personal attendant. Enticed by the promise of riches and respectability, Claudette leaves the world of the theater only to find that court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athénaïs, who fears political enemies are plotting her ruin as young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king's bed. Indeed, Claudette's "reputable" new position is marked by spying, illicit trysts and titanic power struggles. As Athénaïs, becomes ever more desperate to hold onto the King's favor, innocent love charms move into the realm of deadly Black Magic, and Claudette is forced to consider a move that will put her own life—and the family she loves so dearly—at risk. Set against the gilded opulence of a newly-constructed Versailles and the War of Theaters, THE SHADOW QUEEN is a seductive, gripping novel about the lure of wealth, the illusion of power, and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions could shape the future of France.

From the author of the beloved Josephine B. Trilogy comes a spellbinding novel inspired by the true story of a young woman who rose from poverty to become confidante to the most powerful, provocative and dangerous woman in the 17th-century French court: the mistress of the charismatic Sun King. 1660, Paris: Claudette’s life is like an ever-revolving stage set. Following an impoverished childhood spent wandering the French countryside with her family acting troupe, she witnesses her mother’s astonishing rise to stardom in Parisian theatres. Working with playwrights Corneille, Moliere and Racine, Claudette leads a culturally rich life, but like all in the theatrical world at the time, she’s socially scorned. A series of chance encounters pulls Claudette into the alluring orbit of Athenaïs de Montespan, mistress of Louis XIV and reigning “shadow queen.” Needing someone to safeguard her secrets, Athenais offers to hire Claudette as her personal attendant. Enticed by the promise of riches and respectability, Claudette leaves the world of the theatre only to find that court is very much like a stage, with outward shows of loyalty masking more devious intentions. This parallel is not lost on Athenaïs, who fears that political enemies are plotting her ruin as young courtesans angle to take the coveted spot in the king’s bed. Indeed, Claudette’s “reputable” new position is marked by spying, illicit trysts and titanic power struggles. As Athenaïs becomes ever more desperate to hold on to the king’s favour, her innocent love charms begin to delve into the realm of deadly black magic, and Claudette is forced to consider a move that will put her life--and the family she loves so dearly--at risk. Set against the gilded opulence of a newly constructed Versailles and the cut-throat Parisian “war of the theatres,” The Shadow Queen is a seductive, gripping novel about the lure of wealth, the illusion of power and the increasingly uneasy relationship between two strong-willed women whose actions could shape the future of France.