Wayward Angel

We all know about the Hells Angels: toughs on Harleys terrorizing the law-abiding; wild brawls and wild sex; drugs and cruelty, beatings, and even murder. But nobody really knows what it's like to be an Angel except an Angel. In this classic of Hells Angels literature, to be read alongside the works of Hunter S. Thompson and Sonny Barger, George Wethern—for many years the vice president of the Oakland Chapter—tells it like it is. Until he found himself in reluctant service to the courts, Wethern was the quintessential Angel. One of the West Coast's top drug dealers, he was a man who loved bikes, fights, women, and drugs; a man who knew the deepest secrets of Angel life. Arrested, strung out, in despair, he bought a precarious freedom by testifying in major trials against Angels members—and then disappeared into the witness protection program. A Wayward Angel is a powerful book, a not-for-the-squeamish portrait of the drug scene and the alienation from modern life in late-twentieth-century California. We witness killings, million-dollar drug deals, and orgy-laced “picnics.” This is a story uniquely American. And it is a terrifying tale—because it's real.

Her real name is Lady Alexandra Theodora Beaumont, the daughter of an abusive British lord. Rescued by Quakers from near drowning, little "Dora" grows up as a typical Quaker child. No one knows of her past, not even the boy Dora adores, Pace Nicholls, hellion son of a local slaveholder. As Pace and Dora reach adulthood in war-torn Kentucky, Pace defiantly frees the family slaves, leaves his law practice, and joins the Union army. Dora is always there to nurse his wounds and aid his rebellions. Pace has no excuse except war's insanity for taking her in wanton self-indulgence and not giving his heart, never guessing that the tables would one day turn. The noble and beautiful Lady Alexandra who once came so willingly into his arms could be swept forever out of his reach… unless this time he offers the love he’s never known. ~~~ "A gifted story teller"—Romantic Times "Ms. Rice does a great job of creating a fast-paced story with appealing characters and interesting subplots."—Paperback Forum

A woman embarks on a perilous journey of deception and desire that takes her from eighteenth-century Charleston to England in this sweeping historical romance. Bragen Alexander has spent years searching for the one whose lies about a crime could send Bragen to the gallows. But not until he encounters the fierce beauty Nichole Heatherton does finding that man become a possibility. If Nichole leads Bragen to Bodine, her ex-fiancé, he promises to bring her along on a tempestuous ocean crossing. In a masquerade that leads the two on a stormy journey, they find themselves forced to wed and to acknowledge their undeniable passion for each other.

What do you get with a former wild man who's committed his path to the Lord and a woman who has absolutely nothing to lose? It's either a match made in heaven...or a sure-fire heartache. Gregg Stevens has spent a lifetime making bad decisions, never knowing true love. Stormie Knight, a new Christian, beguiles him with her eccentricities and with her well-kept secrets. But extracting them could shatter both of their hearts, along with the newborn faith of a wayward angel not yet ready to spread her wings.

Women who have faced pain, loss and heartache. They know the score and never back down. Women who aren't afraid to love with all their passion and all their strength, who risk everything for their own little piece of heaven... Men who live their lives on the blade's edge. Knights in black armor. The only thing more dangerous than crossing these men is loving them... What do you get with a former wild man who's committed his path to the Lord and a woman who has absolutely nothing to lose? It's either a match made in heaven...or a sure-fire heartache. Gregg Stevens has spent a lifetime making bad decisions, never knowing true love. Stormie Knight, a new Christian, beguiles him with her eccentricities and with her well-kept secrets. But extracting them could shatter both of their hearts, along with the newborn faith of a wayward angel not yet ready to spread her wings.

Theodora, the young daughter of a wealthy but abusive British lord, flees to America, where she is taken in by a family of Kentucky Quakers. Years later, her true identity remains hidden, as does her love for the "bad boy" son of a local slaveholder. And now, with the Civil War about to tear the country apart, the only chance for the love she's dreamed of may be ripped away as well!

Hell's Angels: Taking Care of Business is the ground-breaking book that launched Yves Lavigne's investigative series into the Hell's Angels. This book traces the growth of the Hell's Angels organization from the early, rowdy "club" to the insidious, far-reaching superstructure that now exists. Today's Angels still value the grinning death's head, but they keep it for funerals, runs, initiations, and laying heavies. Angels, like the undercover policemen who tail them, prefer street clothes to blend with their surroudings. In a world of drugs, prostitution and pornography, the shadow the Angels' wings falls on all of us. Hell's Angels: Taking care of Business is a fascinating and startling read.

Wayward Angel by Vivian Keith released on May 25, 1992 is available now for purchase.