Showing results by narrator "Deborah Balm" in All Categories

Jadren El-Adrel knows he’s a mess. He’s a cobbled-together monster pretending to be a wizard, still unable to master the magic that makes him pretty much immortal and is useless for anything else. Though he’s tried to learn to work with his familiar, Seliah, he’s still terrified to discover what might happen if he gives himself full access to the depths of her powerful magic. Some questions should never be answered.

Devastated by the disappearance of his sister, the Earl of Stranraer has gone to extraordinary lengths to find the notorious rake responsible, and enters his household incognito to wreak his vengeance. But his enemy has an unexpected protector—the innocent but headstrong Miss Cassandra Blythe. Cassie is determined to learn the art of seduction. But she is blindsided by her body's thrilling response to the wrong man—a mysterious servant who shows up at the most inauspicious moments to spoil her lessons in love with warnings of her imminent ruin.

Betrayed by her fiancé and her best friend, Lady Diana Haversham's reputation is left in ruins, and she is unjustly cast out by her family. Left with little choice, she agrees to pretend to be a courtesan to protect her benefactor's secret. What she didn't count on was meeting temptation in the form of one Lord Lucas Blackthorn. Lucas is fascinated by the shameless Diana, whom his friends claim is his perfect counterpart. He can't stop thinking about her sultry smile and captivating eyes, but what draws him most is the sharp mind she reveals—and the certainty she's hiding something.

Sarah Jardin has been quite dreadfully in love with David Rochester her whole life. As the youngest of five daughters, her family and society neglect her. She's outspoken, brash, and terribly ungraceful. In short, not at all a lady . . . until she's taken under the benevolent wing of Lady Lancaster and invited to join the Young Ladies Garden Society. But Sarah's new life—filled with the mysteries and intrigues of high society—is interrupted by an unexpected scandal. Her scandal. I

At Eleanor of Aquitaine's palace in Poitiers, fourteen-year-old Lady Joanna of Agen is coming of age. Her aunt and guardian, Alice, rescued Joanna from her brutal father by bringing her to court. But now Alice fears Joanna could once again be at risk from the men around her. When Queen Eleanor's son, Henry, arrives at court, Joanna quickly catches his eye. But Alice overhears the lewd conversations of the male courtiers and worries that Joanna's honor is at stake.

Isobel: High-flying business woman in her mid-40s. Driven. Confident. Always puts her shining career before a nonexistent sex life. She knows exactly what she wants, but has never found a man capable of playing out her most secret erotic desires.

Lady Bryce has a gift. She can enter dreams and persuade her will onto others. It has served her well, especially in eliminating unsatisfactory suitors of her father's choosing. But when she encounters Lord Rowland, she wants him more than anything and decides to visit him in his sleep and make him desire her above all others. When she has driven Rowland to the edge of longing, she extracts a promise that he will marry her. As time passes, Bryce and Rowland fall in love. But will their love be able to conquer all once Bryce’s secret is revealed?

Emma Hibbert will never again trust a good-looking man. They offer nothing but heartbreak and humiliation. But her conscience won't let her abandon a sinfully handsome stranger needing help—even if he ignites an unwelcome passion in her. She soon realizes she should have left him in the mud where she found him, for he has the power to ruin everything . . .

On the Greek island of Spetses, author Kenneth Graham is trying to finish his novel. Not impressed by the place, he wants to finish his work quickly and return to civilization. But after the local history, customs, and mysteries draw him in, Kenneth meets the enigmatic Kyria, who is unlike any woman he has ever met. His internal conflicts soon become stronger. Kyria and the island have a hold on him he does not understand, and fact and fiction begin to blend. What malign presence does the island hold, and can Kenneth get to the bottom of it?

Computers have become an indispensable part of our lives. Considering the possibilities you can unlock and accomplish with a computer, there’s no wonder almost every home today owns at least one computer. But getting started with a computer might seem like quantum physics to some. Computers today are something of a mystery to some. Many users look at a computer and only know the basic functions, or rather how to operate it.

Emily Moss cannot stand the roguish Alexander Bredon. As this season's most desired debut, she could have any man she wants. Unfortunately, Lady Lancaster pairs her up with none other than the incorrigible man himself. With mutual dislike and contempt, Alex would rather be doing anything other than escorting the high and mighty Emily, until a secret about her falls into his lap. Suddenly, he realizes there may be more to the lady than he originally thought. Perhaps the only thing that can keep them from killing each other is falling for each other instead.

Moli has never seen a dragon, but she'd imagined one many times. Following the death of her father, a museum curator and historian, her need to escape from the real world has never felt so acute. Travelling from China to London to attend the funeral, Moli takes the opportunity to visit her father's last exhibition, "The Lost Dynasty of Rouran". The trip reveals Moli's connection to an ancient khanate and, unexpectedly, opens the door to another realm.

New recruit Agent Carrie Harris is deployed on assignment at last. As the weeks go by, still not knowing her purpose and with nothing other than the mundane to report, will Carrie keep focused when the tedious veneer cracks to reveal the deplorable reason for her dispatch? Can she be ready to act, ditching the temptation to make her cover story real, or revert to be the honed, ruthless operator again? Will she make the right choices or be sucked into a different life, distracted by a passion which threatens to overwhelm her?

The Galaxy Unit was relatively new to the force; it had been set up two years previously, specifically to work with cases of child abduction and murder. All of the team worked well together, handling over 30 cases at any one time. The hardest to deal with by far were those children who were taken completely randomly, by strangers for sexual exploitation, trafficking, or sometimes, to replace a lost child. These cases were rare and up until now, Rocco could count the cases she’d personally headed up, on one hand. All that was about to change for all of them, forever.

Love. Loss. Revenge. What secrets lie buried in the desert sands? What hidden secrets are revealed when blood is spilled? Torn between love and betrothal, and death and survival, Muni is a young woman of privilege and comfort thrown into a world of betrayal, revenge, and otherworldly, supernatural forces. Her journey leads to grim discoveries, heartbreaks, and the fantastic as she learns to unlock not only the power within, but also that from a time long forgotten. Will the sins of the past seal her fate, or secure her destiny?

Headstrong Emma of Ashford is marrying Lord Alan, the man of her dreams, when her wedding is interrupted. A woman claims to be his long-lost betrothed. But is she truly the woman thought dead since she was a child? Emma is visited by a ghost. Is this spirit the long-dead Carlyn who has come to help Emma declare the other woman an impostor? Or just another deception? Can Alan and Emma defy the king and family to find the truth of the woman's identity? Can their love be saved?

With the help of her niece, Moli, and two strangers, James and Kiza, the group must travel through time to collect nine wonders from history in just nine days. Only then can they hope to save the world from Pandorai, a murderous AI bent on destruction, along with its two maniacal henchmen-resurrected Adolf Hitler and Dr. Shiro Ishii.

How do I change my dog’s behaviour without taking away their freedom to be a dog? How do I know if I’m meeting my dog’s needs? Or even what those needs are? The answer is Good Guardianship. Join best-selling writer and dog obsessive Sally Gutteridge to consider what your dog needs in their life with you in her latest book. Get right to the heart of your dog and learn how to recognise and meet their individual preferences. Provide safe opportunities to practice natural dog behaviour, while also creating enriching experiences that build confidence and reduce stress.

1173, France. Eleanor of Aquitaine has been arrested for rebelling against her husband, King Henry II of England. Her loyal ladies-in-waiting, Alice and Joanna of Agen, have fled to the nunnery at Fontrevault, where they are anxiously awaiting news of their queen. Alice and Joanna struggle to adapt to their cramped new home at the Abbey. Each is secretly nursing a broken heart—and harboring unholy desires. Joanna left behind a lover, Jean, at Eleanor's court in Poitiers, and Alice has long been in love with the queen's daughter, Marie.

Lewis Milken is a dying man who has one last wish: to find out what happened to his sister nearly 40 years ago. Emma Milken supposedly died of tuberculosis while working as a governess in Spain. But Lewis believes there is more to the story. Part-time fixer Chance Yang has troubles of his own. His relationship with girlfriend Catherine Roxborough is on the rocks. But when his flamboyant former boss, Felipe Kazama, sends Lewis his way, Chance heads straight from London to Spain to search for the answers Lewis seeks.