When Charity Bellingham visits London for the Season, she has no idea what adventures lie ahead. But a chance meeting with the beautiful Isobelle Greenaway will have long term consequences as Charity discovers things about London society, about slavery, and most of all about herself. But it’s the introduction to The Sisterhood—a secret society of ladies—that will impact and change her life forever. Penelope Friday’s romantic tale of women and life in early 19th century London is one that readers won’t want to miss.
Regency lady Elinor has fallen on hard times. The death of her father and the entail of their house put Elinor and her mother in difficulty; and her mother's illness has brought doctor's bills that they cannot pay. Lucius Crozier was Elinor's childhood friend and adversary; and there has always been a spark of attraction between the pair. Now renowned as a womaniser, he offers a marriage of convenience (for him!) in return for the payment of Elinor's mother's medical bills. Reluctantly, she agrees. But Lucius has made enemies of other gentlemen of the upper echelon by playing fast and loose with their mistresses, and one man is determined to take his revenge through Lucius's new wife ...
Here are New York Times bestseller Penelope Douglas’s two bestselling novellas in the Fall Away Series, together in one volume for the first time. AFLAME All through high school, Jared Trent called the shots. He decided if Tatum Brandt would be happy or sad, fearful or free. He owned her heart, and he played with it like one of his cars. Never again. Two years ago, Jared left town, and Tate’s life is exactly where she wants it to be. Or that’s what she tells herself... Because two years ago, her heart also stopped beating, and no matter the success in school or the support of her friends, there’s only one time every week she can feel that same rush in her blood: Friday nights on the track. That’s hers, not his, and to hell with anyone that gets in her way again. Especially him. NEXT TO NEVER Under the close watch of the men in her family, Quinn Caruthers has found it nearly impossible to spread her wings—or even date—without her three older brothers, Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon, jumping in to hover. And when a family friend—several years older—from her childhood still holds her heart, she knows they’re going to be a problem. Lucas Morrow is a man, and knowing her brothers, he may as well be forbidden. But Lucas left town and shows no signs of returning. Quinn knows she shouldn’t wait for him anymore.... Until a package turns up on her doorstep with no return address and its contents reveal family secrets that threaten to turn her world upside down. She’s never asked about the path of her parents’ romantic history, but she soon learns their happy marriage had a very rocky and passionate start. As she starts to see things around her with new eyes, Quinn will have to make tough choices about whether she’ll keep waiting...or finally go after what she really wants.
An exciting collection of twenty erotic short stories from Xcite Books, winners of ETO's Best Erotic Book Brand and Jade's Best Erotic Fiction Publisher 2010, 2011 and 2012. What could be more satisfying than submitting to delicious ecstasy? How about being the one in control? Read on for a selection of sexy schoolgirl roleplaying, passionate threesomes with ropes and handcuffs, eager toyboys, and mischievous lesbians with a penchant for teasing. Whether you like your domination light and playful or rough and ready this book can not fail to please. Skin Deep by Cathryn Cooper Carew is strictly a ladies’ man, so why does he feel the need to spend so much time in the company of pretty boy Francis? He aims to show the boy the delights of sex with a woman and reinforce his own heterosexual credentials. When Francis doesn’t respond to his erotic display, Carew determines to thrash some sense into him, only for events to take a startling turn. Jane’s Bonds by Shanna Germain Jane has always wanted to experiment with sex toys, but her husband’s tastes are strictly vanilla. When she sees the purple fur-lined wrist cuffs in a mail order catalogue, she imagines how it would feel to be bound and blindfolded, waiting for Derek to do whatever he wants to her. How can she get him to make her fantasy an erotic reality? Tiger, Tiger by Paige Roberts David is searching for the Indian tiger goddess, but to find her he must spend a night tied to the stone table in the jungle clearing – an ordeal he may not survive. As the noise of a tiger’s roar comes closer, he struggles against his bonds. But when the animal’s form appears to change into that of a stunning, naked woman, David realises the goddess’ caress is to be welcomed, not feared, even if it costs him his life... Black And White Photos by Sommer Marsden She’s finding it hard to take the art exhibition seriously, until she comes to the black and white photos. The erotic images reveal to her the true beauty and excitement of BDSM games, and suddenly she wants to try them for herself. Back at home, she lets Charles, her husband, take charge, blindfolding and binding her for an experience she will never forget. My First Time by Eva Hore Rita’s not supposed to enter the room with the black-painted door when her boyfriend’s not around, but she can’t resist showing Doris what’s inside. Doris can’t understand why anyone would want racks and ropes in their home, until Rita persuades her to try them out. Just as she’s getting in the swing of things, Rita’s boyfriend comes home. Together, they will show Doris exactly what it means to be tied and teased. Party Games by Jim Baker Though Judy and Katie may differ in their taste in music, the one thing they can agree on is their party is going to be memorable. Judy’s beginning to think she’ll end the evening alone, then Katie invites her to take part in a threesome. It’s the start of a wild adventure that quickly sees Katie tied to the bed, learning why Ravel’s Bolero is the perfect accompaniment to a bout of erotic tickling Dangerous Games by Eva Hore Her boyfriend has promised her a night she’ll never forget, and it begins when she follows his instructions to put on lingerie, blindfold herself and wait for his return. When David joins her, his unfamiliar aftershave lets her know he’s playing some kind of game, but as she succumbs to his deliciously rough play, she has no way of knowing the truth of the situation. Fantasy by DMW Carol She loves roleplaying for him, and she knows exactly how their next session will go. She wants to play the part of an innocent, virginal schoolgirl, ripe and ready to learn about sex, and as her imagination runs wild, she lets her lover initiate her into the thrill of bondage, too... Picket Fence by Sommer Marsden De-cluttering the attic, Nick finds a Polaroid camera he can’t bear to throw away. Noel can’t fathom his fascination with the thing, until the night he uses it to take some very raunchy photos of her, naked and bound. Photos that have a very powerful aphrodisiac effect on anyone who sees them. Change Of Life by Cathryn Cooper Men have treated Mariana so badly she now only uses them for her own ends, finding real pleasure with her friend and lover, Sharaz. While she’s sharing a sensuous sauna with Sharaz, discovering all the things two women can do to each other, her husband is restrained at home, patiently waiting for her return... La Cage Aux Folles by Kaycie Wolfe Sex therapist Merril helps other people mend their lives, but her own needs more than a little work. Escaping from the cage of her failing marriage seems like the ideal solution to all her problems, but not before she’s dealt with her self-absorbed, cheating husband in a highly appropriate fashion. Travel Broadens The Mind by Kirsten Schubinski The bus journey took her through rebel country, where kidnappings are rife. She never believed it could happen to her; now here she is, chained in a cell and being looked after by a jailer she has never seen. How will she react when he starts to treat her as a lover, rather than a captive After Hours by Kristina Wright Natalie’s had a rough week at work, and Ryan is sure the way to relieve her stress is with sex on his office desk. Initially afraid they’ll get caught in the act, Natalie soon relaxes into the moment – then Ryan produces a length of rope so he can tie her in place... In The Saddle by Primula Bond Invited to spend a weekend in the country by a man she barely knows, inveterate townie Angela knows it’s going to be a complete disaster, until she finds the estate’s tack room. Aroused by the scent of leather, she can’t resist lewdly riding a saddle like it’s a bucking bronco – only to be caught trespassing by a stable hand intent on punishing her for her naughty behaviour. Under The Oak by Penelope Friday Head girl Ella meets her horny, self-assured classmate Jamie under the oak tree. It’s not long before she discovers he knows exactly how to knot a school tie, leaving her fastened to the tree with her bottom bared for a spanking, in an erotic game that twists and turns to a deliciously unexpected conclusion. Festival by Cyanne She’s looking forward to engineering the sound at the music festival; even more so when she learns she’ll be working alongside Irish hunk Sean. He’s enigmatic, totally in control and maybe just a little bit dangerous. And his way with cable ties and gaffer tape leads her into a sexual encounter like none she’s ever had. Mistress Of All She Surveys by Carmel Lockyer Valerie considers herself an expert in all things BDSM and the queen of mind games. She’s served her apprenticeship in fetish clubs and dungeons, learning how how to give submissives exactly what they need. When her latest client brings her an expensive statue as a tribute, she vows to earn it in a way he will find exquisitely painful Teaching Derek by Primula Bond Jane and Sally are enduring a rainy week in Devon when the team from a TV makeover show arrives and interrupts their latest sex game. With the glamorous female interviewer out of the way, they can get down to tying up cute young cameraman Derek and showing him just how much fun he can have with two horny, experienced women. Political Prey by Jim Baker When David knocks on her door and canvasses Susie for her vote, she soon realises he’s her ideal man – a young virgin who’s willing to be tutored in how to give a woman pleasure. But Susie’s methods of domination go way beyond the norm, and as far as she’s concerned, his most important asset is that he’s unlikely to be missed... Maid To Misbehave by Stephen Albrow Madeleine doesn’t normally visit sex shops, but she can’t resist the French maid’s outfit she sees in the window. The shop’s dominant, rubber-clad salesgirl is only too happy to help Madeleine try it on, and to give her the punishment she deserves for selecting such a slutty costume.
How do we live ethically? What role do sex and race play in living or being ethically? Can ethics lead to ontology? Can literature play a role in ethical being? Drawing extensively on the work of Luce Irigaray, Frantz Fanon, and Martin Heidegger, Penelope Ingram argues that ethical questions must be understood in light of ontological ones. It is only when sexual and racial difference are viewed at an ontological level that ethics is truly possible. Central to the connection between ontology and ethics is the role of language. Ingram revisits the relationship between representation and matter in order to advance a theory of material signification. She examines a number of twentieth-century film and literary texts, including Neil Jordan's The Crying Game, J. M. Coetzee's Foe, Toni Morrison's Paradise, and Don DeLillo's The Body Artist, to demonstrate that material signification, rather than representation, is crucial to our experience of living authentically and achieving an ethical relation with the Other. By attending closely to Heidegger's, Irigaray's, and Fanon's positions on language, this original work argues that the literary text is indispensable to a "revealing" of the relationship between ontology and ethics, and through it, the reader can experience a state of "authentic Being ethically.
A Man Booker Prize–shortlisted first novel and a “searing study of the peculiar state of being in love” (The Sunday Telegraph). In The Road to Lichfield, Penelope Lively explores the nature of history and memory as it is embodied in the life of forty-year-old Anne Linton, who comes to her father’s aid when he is moved into a nursing home in a distant town. As she shares his last weeks, she unexpectedly learns that her father had a mistress. With this new knowledge, Linton must examine the realities of her own life—of her childhood, her marriage—and ask, what secrets has she also kept? Deeply felt and beautifully controlled, The Road to Lichfield is a subtle exploration of chance and consequence, of the intricate weave of generations across a past never fully known, and a future never fully anticipated. “Like all of Lively’s best novels, The Road to Lichfield contains beneath its modest veneer great depths of intelligence, perception and feeling.” —The Washington Post Book World
Set in Pittsburgh in the 1980s, Christina's Gift begins with the death of Christina Martin Andrews, a minister serving an established congregation in the city. As her friends and family try to make sense of how her life ended, they realize that her friendship was an invitation to become friends with Jesus and, in doing so, to discover their true selves, their true purpose.
Recently ordained and more recently divorced, Reverend Esme Browne finds herself at an uncomfortable crossroads when stationed at the Portland Road Chapel. In addition to the seaside town, she also now bears the spiritual responsibility for two country chapels, which should be exciting, invigorating, and even hopeful. Esme, however, has forgotten how to pray and, she fears, how to feel. A chance encounter with an eccentric pair of country gnostics may change all that, but she'll have to be willing to juggle the demands of the church, her parishes, and a bevy of well-intended but nosy neighbors.
A time-travel story that is both a poignant exploration of human identity and an absorbing tale of suspense. It’s natural to feel a little out of place when you’re the new girl, but when Charlotte Makepeace wakes up after her first night at boarding school, she’s baffled: everyone thinks she’s a girl called Clare Mobley, and even more shockingly, it seems she has traveled forty years back in time to 1918. In the months to follow, Charlotte wakes alternately in her own time and in Clare’s. And instead of having only one new set of rules to learn, she also has to contend with the unprecedented strangeness of being an entirely new person in an era she knows nothing about. Her teachers think she’s slow, the other girls find her odd, and, as she spends more and more time in 1918, Charlotte starts to wonder if she remembers how to be Charlotte at all. If she doesn’t figure out some way to get back to the world she knows before the end of the term, she might never have another chance.
DAISY IN A GUN BARREL PEACE AND FREEDOM, LOVE AND WAR, ROCK AND ROLL THE 1960s ~ Penelope Fox If you happen to be an “American Idol” fan, recognize Eric Clapton or Bob Dylan in television commercials, listen to classic rock, or follow the clash of conservatives and liberals in Congress, you know that the 1960s remain with us, even fifty years after the impact of the era. The dilemmas of that decade continue to confound us as we grapple with the ideologies that entered the consciousness of the nation during those years. A cascade of front page news marks the period: the election of youthful, progressive, President John F. Kennedy and the fear-mongering, strangle-hold of the CIA and FBI; peace movements versus military efforts; marijuana-smoking, long haired Hippies in loose fashions clashing with strait-laced, buttoned up, conservative law enforcement; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights, followed by women’s rights, workers’ rights and everyone wondering what was right. More incongruities arose from international oil production and giant factory output clashing with breakthrough biological science and environmental concerns. Satellite communication battled with censorship in broadcasting. Youthful interest in the Third World, especially Asia, was shattered by a horrific, undeclared war that lasted for fifteen years and created a generational divide that has never been breached. A background of iconic music continues to remind us of the colorful history of the 60s. But what about the everyday lives of young people thrust into that psychedelic and political maelstrom? What was it like for the individuals trying to be heard over the roar of questionable politics? One answer lies in the collective voice of music that framed a lyrical diary of their experiences. “Daisy in a Gun Barrel” is the story of Dianna, a teacher, and Randall, a musician, who find romance in college, and shortly thereafter are torn apart by war and circumstances. It is a story of people coming to terms with personal and political beliefs, only to find that society clashes with their viewpoints at every turn. Theirs is a generation determined to change the world into a better, kinder, more democratic place. Little did they know the impact of their ideals, or the real and metaphorical ammunition that would be leveled against the beliefs they viewed as right, moral, and constitutional. Rock and roll with Dianna and Randall through the tumultuous and exciting years of 1962 through 1970, and consider the impact of their generation. Smile at their optimism, weep with their losses, and celebrate the memorable songs that grace the years. Join the characters as they encounter turning points and question authority. This is history, alive and kicking, with a strong appeal to the curious young, who were not there, and to the post flower children who would like to remember. Light the incense, slip into something tie-dyed, and revel in the events that illuminate this carefully researched and truly American story, before time and historians erase the vibrant, human essence of this powerful decade. You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Struggling with the emotional aftermath of her husband’s death, Yvonne takes a sabbatical in an old French Villa. During the return journey to a demanding job, she enters the peace of the well-ordered Letour household only to find her presence creates chaos by arousing hidden emotions in Ricard and others as old, deeply buried wounds are opened. What are the secrets Ricard is hiding that keeps him estranged from his parents and impedes a potentially fulfilling relationship with Yvonne? What is the cause of the recurring dream, Suzanne, his daughter is experiencing? Happiness, joy and laughter are experienced alongside tears, anger and frustrations over the period of a few months as the story travels many times between France with Ricard’s family and England with Yvonne’s as promises, histories, and regrets are unravelled. Two families, each with their own secrets, desires, ambitions, loves and hates try to come to terms with their own issues and hope for a happy outcome. But are all the outcomes beneficial for everyone, or is this a case of sometimes somethings are best left undisturbed?
Father Jon Mark, as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Peace, often discovers his weakness in the problems that confront him as a priest. Life, death, marriage, unforgiveness are a part of his daily life. Father Jon continues to grow spiritually as well as emotionally through these events never forgetting the compassionate love of his Lord. Although he is content with his status, he longs for that something 'more' in service of the Lord.
The classic text suitable for Reiki beginners and masters alike—now revised and updated with the latest findings and techniques into this arcane energy healing practice An exciting and comprehensive handbook, Reiki for Life contains everything readers need to know about the healing art of Reiki, including basic routines, details about the power and potential of each level, special techniques for enhancing Reiki practice, and helpful direction on the use of Reiki toward spiritual growth. Comparing the origins and development of Reiki in the West and the East, revealing methods specific to the original Japanese Reiki tradition, and suitable for beginners, experienced practitioners, and teachers alike, this book: * Explains what Reiki is and how it works. * Gives detailed instruction in First and Second Degree techniques. * Illustrates how to perform Reiki on yourself, as well as on others. * Advises on how to become a Reiki master/teacher. * Includes special advanced methods for working with Reiki. Complete with illustrations and a useful section of resources, Reiki for Life is a must-have for seekers anxious to learn about this fast-growing healing practice.
From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Rival Jaxon is the guy she's supposed to avoid. K.C. is the girl he won't let get away.... K. C. Carter has always followed the rules--until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she's stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door. Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn't give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life--except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As they grow closer, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother's shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible....
The hilarious New York Times–bestselling cult classic “of such perfectly realized awfulness that it will suck your soul right out of your brainpan” (The Village Voice). For talk show host Gillian Blake, the suburbs have long been a paradise. On the radio, she and her husband are Gilly and Billy, local media stars and “New York’s Sweethearts of the Air.” At home they’re the envy of their neighbors. Only in the bedroom is their life less than perfect. When Gillian learns that her husband has a mistress, she takes revenge the only way she can. With each lover she takes, her lust multiplies, until this demure housewife becomes a creature of pure passion. No man on Long Island—be he hippie, mobster, or rabbi—is safe when Gillian goes on the prowl. Written by Newsday columnist Mike McGrady and a couple dozen of his reporter colleagues under the pseudonym Penelope Ashe, Naked Came the Stranger was one of the great literary hoaxes—an attempt to produce the steamiest and most over-the-top novel of all time, good writing be damned. A sensation upon its first release, this tale of Long Island lust remains a wildly amusing parody potboiler.
From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel. The one that got away. Every girl has one, right? Mine was a charming, British aristocrat who turned my world upside down one summer. From the moment I first spotted Leo in the distance through my binoculars, I’d been captivated. I certainly never expected to find a man showering outside of the property across the bay in his birthday suit. Then I noticed his housemate staring back at me with binoculars of his own—watching me watching Leo. That made for an interesting conversation starter when I inevitably ran into them. Turned out, the handsome Brits were only renting that house for the summer in my seaside town. Leo and I formed an instant connection, even though we were technically opposites by all appearances. I taught him how to dig for clams, and he taught me that not all wealthy and powerful guys are pretentious. Despite knowing he was totally wrong for me, I couldn’t seem to stay away. It was a wild and crazy few months. And before I knew it, we’d fallen in love. We both had one wish: more time together. But Leo had obligations back home. He lived a life I’d never fit into. And I was going to law school. So, we decided to end it and never look back. A part of me always felt like I’d let my soulmate walk away. I believed our story was over. Until five years later when he sent me a letter that shook me to my core. I’d thought my world was turned upside down that first summer? Well, I knew nothing yet.
Lynn wishes she had followed her instincts and never moved to London. But she loves art and her older sister Petra has found her a temporary position at the gallery owned by her father in Piccadilly. Lynn thinks it will be difficult to live and work with her materialist and status-conscious sister and doesn’t think much of the art on show at the gallery...that is until she meets an extraordinary artist who could be the one to help her realise her dreams.
Does money have to change everything? Charlotte Johnson is twelve but short for her age. She has a lovely brother, Spencer and a not so lovely sister, Chelsea. When their mum wins £3.7 million on the lottery they all assume that life will change for the better. But they haven't counted on how everyone around them will react. Charlotte's best friend is acting strangely, and someone's spreading cruel rumours at school. Can Charlotte use the money to change things for the better?
This darkly humorous novel of a woman’s inner musings on motherhood, betrayal, dreams—and the unpredictable emotions that surround them—is “so moving, so funny, so desperate, so alive . . . one to be greatly enjoyed” (The New York Times). The “strange, fresh” feminist classic that inspired the 1964 film starring Anne Bancroft (Nick Hornby, author of Funny Girl). The Pumpkin Eater is a surreal black comedy about the wages of adulthood and the pitfalls of parenthood. A nameless woman speaks, at first from the precarious perch of a therapist’s couch, and her smart, wry, confiding, immensely sympathetic voice immediately captures and holds our attention. She is the mother of a vast, swelling brood of children, also nameless, and the wife of a successful screenwriter, Jake Armitage. The Armitages live in the city, but they are building a great glass tower in the country in which to settle down and live happily ever after. But could that dream be nothing more than a sentimental delusion? At the edges of vision the spectral children come and go, while our heroine, alert to the countless gradations of depression and the innumerable forms of betrayal, tries to make sense of it all: doctors, husbands, movie stars, bodies, grocery lists, nursery rhymes, messes, aging parents, memories, dreams, and breakdowns. How to pull it all together? Perhaps you start by falling apart.
Isn't she gorgeous? Hardly been ridden. She's been in the garage just gathering dust. Becky's pregnant and frustrated. But her husband is more interested in the baby manual than her new underwear, so she turns to the porn stash under the bed. As the summer heats up, a brief encounter sends her speeding downhill towards reckless abandon. A provocative and darkly comic look at fantasy and romance, The Village Bike by Penelope Skinner premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in June 2011. Penelope Skinner won the George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright 2011.
The people in each chapter have gone through many problems, physical and mental abuse, death, suicide, murder, alcoholism, drugs, marriage, divorce, children and adoption. Sometime we as Christians forget that being a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in us. Let the truth be told, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the people that did you wrong or harmed you in anyway, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that – that situation is over, you cannot move forward and God cannot bless you and we all want to be blessed. *Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive man and or woman when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, if you do not forgive man and or woman their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” The sense of the reality of spiritual things, and the power to rest the thought upon them, is as various as the power of flight in different birds. See a great eagle soaring without effort high in the air, or circling with undazzled eyes towards the sun! A noble bird with such powers of flight and of sight pictures an affection for spiritual thought of the strongest, most searching kind, which rises highest above superficial appearances and takes the most comprehensive views of like, the most in accord with the Divine wisdom. *Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
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