Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland.April 1912Twelve-year-old Harp Delaney is an unusual child, quiet and intelligent far beyond her years. She would rather spend her days in the library of the grand Georgian house that she sees as her home than playing on the streets with other children. Her mother, Rose, is the reserved and ladylike housekeeper at the Cliff House. The local women envy her grace and poise while the men admire her beauty. She behaves not as a servant should, but as someone who belongs at the ancestral home of eccentric loner Henry Devereaux. Nobody ever visits the Cliff House, but Harp, Rose and Henry have a happy life together, each accepting the idiosyncrasies of the others. The day Titanic sails from Queenstown, taking with it the hopes and dreams of so many, Harp’s life too is devastated. The small port town is shaken to its foundations at the loss of the unsinkable ship, but the revelation of a long-held secret means that Harp and Rose have a much more pressing issue to solve, one that could destroy them if they cannot find a solution. Unexpectedly, fate takes a hand, and mother and daughter find themselves thrown a lifeline, one that inextricably links them to the stories of men, women and children for whom Queenstown was the last-ever sight of Ireland as they sailed away to new lands and new lives. Last Port of Call is the first book in The Queenstown Series.

Every book tells a story. Every heart hides a secret.'What's not to love?! Nineteenth century York, bookshops and brilliant characters!' ?????'Spellbinding and romantic’ ?????'A beautifully told historical novel’ ?????In the shadowy aisles of the Lamplighter's Bookshop, secrets lie as thick as the dust…When Evelyn Seaton answers an advertisement for an assistant at a forgotten bookshop in York, she is not the only one with something to hide.There she meets the enigmatic and prickly William Morton, an aspiring writer keeping secrets of his own. But when the walls that Evelyn has built around herself start to crumble, there is only one person she can turn to.As the layers are brushed away, can Evelyn and William find the courage to write the next chapter of their story?The Lost Bookshop meets The Lost Apothecary in a beguiling novel full of secrets…___________________________________*READERS LOVE THE LAMPLIGHTER'S BOOKSHOP*'So beautifully written … I was completely lost in the pages' ?????'I loved this book … [it] transports you to that time and place' ?????'Will captivate fans of historical fiction and romantic tales' ?????'I adored the romance of this tale … an absolute delight' ?????'A beautifully written, heartwarming novel' ?????'Loved the characters and their story … a wonderful plot!' ?????'An excellent read’ ?????

Based on survivor accounts, this gripping novel opens days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and details three years of sea battles that spanned between Hawaii and the shores of Okinawa with the crew of one of the most decorated ships of the Pacific War.Onboard the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City, Lieutenant Commander Justin Collier was 230 miles west of Pearl Harbor accompanying the USS Enterprise on a secret mission when Japan attacked the United States. Upon his return to Honolulu, the gravity of the war begins to change him, as does every subsequent mission, including a rare beach landing with an Army infantry division. He fears his wounds of war, both physical and mental, will be incurable.Meanwhile, on the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, hundreds of wounded men lay scattered in cots and stretchers in and around the naval hospital, and volunteer nurse Heidi Collier feels overwhelmed by the number of casualties. She had watched the bombing by Japanese planes as she huddled with her two children in front of their home, hoping that her husband aboard the USS Salt Lake City was safe wherever he was. In her prayers, she feels he is still alive.Lieutenant Riley Bracken feels the sudden g-force of his catapult-launched observation floatplane with each harrowing mission. Alerting the USS Salt Lake City of enemy ships gives him purpose, which is why no one can know about his recent bouts of vertigo. He can't risk losing what he loves most.Fifteen-year-old Al Jowdy lied about his age in order to join the Navy. Whatever he believed Navy life would be was shot out of the water—twice—when his ships were torpedoed. Now aboard the Salt Lake City, he fears his luck may have run out.An Ocean of Courage and Fear reveals the harrowing, never-before-told events that surrounded the crew of the USS Salt Lake City as they endure all the major action in the Pacific War.

GET FOUR PAGE-TURNING HISTORICAL FAMILY SAGAS IN ONE GREAT-VALUE BOX SET.Set in the enchanting Scottish countryside against the looming shadow of the Second World War, this unforgettable series follows the Maxwell family — and all their trials and tribulations — through the decades.Perfect for fans of Kate Hewitt, Colleen McCullough, Tamara Alexander, Judy Gardiner and Tania Crosse.READERS LOVE THE MAXWELL FAMILY:????? ‘Without a doubt, one of my favourite sagas! I loved the characters like family, felt their joy and their pain! Wow!’ Linda G.????? ‘Couldn’t put this book down. Brilliant! So emotional and well described.’ Margaret T.????? ‘Great book very good story, couldn’t put it down. Best read for a long time.’ Wendy????? ‘Exciting from beginning to end. The Maxwell’s are a great family and I love how they all care for each other.’ Kindle customer????? ‘Gwen Kirkwood is a brilliant writer. The Maxwell family quartet is a wonderful read.’ Barbara E.????? ‘Loved the whole series about the Maxwell family . . . All so realistic and lovingly written.’ Amazon customerIN THIS FOUR-BOOK BOX SET:BOOK 1: AN ORPHAN OF SCOTLANDScotland, 1940s. After the unexpected death of her beloved father, sixteen-year-old Rachel O’Brian is sent to live with the Maxwell family. Life is hard for Rachel, toiling on the Maxwell farm under the hateful eye of Gertrude, the family’s matriarch. But the younger Maxwells welcome Rachel with open arms, especially Ross. Slowly, the two fall in love and Rachel once again tentatively allows herself to dream of a future. But tragedy strikes once more when Ross suddenly disappears during a business trip away and Rachel finds herself destitute and heartbroken once more.BOOK 2: THE SECRETS THAT BIND USScotland, 1948. Young Bridie Maxwell has spent all her life on her family farm — the work is hard but love is plenty. When she meets her big brother Conan’s best friend, the dashing Nick, love blooms. But it’s not long before life tests them. Meanwhile, Bridie’s school friend Fiona Sinclair returns from the city to look after her dying mother. She’s comforted by a sea of familiar faces who welcome her home, but there’s one person in particular who catches her eye — Fiona’s childhood rival, Conan Maxwell . . .BOOK 3: DREAMS OF THE VALLEYScotland, 1950. Rachel Maxwell’s two older children are happily married with prospering businesses and lives. But her youngest child Ewan is more naïve and sheltered. Ewan wanders through life carefree and without any direction. When a young woman named Gerda arrives at the Maxwell family party, she immediately catches Ewan’s eye. But Rachel can’t shake a feeling of unease . . . Ewan, blinded by love, marries Gerda, and their union soon sparks a terrible chain of events that threaten the entire family and community. Can Rachel save her family from Gerda’s malice before she changes their lives forever?BOOK 4: SOMEWHERE TO CALL HOMEScotland, 1980s. Following the death of her father, Tina Donnelly arrives on the Maxwell farm to nurse the family matriarch Rachel. She soon meets the devilishly handsome Paul Maxwell, Rachel’s grandson, and sparks fly between the two. But Tina is determined to keep things professional, which suits Paul just fine. Abandoned by his mother as a young boy, the last thing he wants is to fall in love and open his heart once more. Yet try as she might, Tina can’t help feeling drawn to the Maxwells and the peaceful Scottish lowlands. Can Tina and Paul heal from the scars of their past and find their way to each other?Don’t miss out on this collection of spellbinding historical fiction novels! YOU GET ALL FOUR OF THE ABOVE BOOKS IN THIS EDITION.

Cattle rustlers and parties, bandits and bargains.Life on the Texan frontier is hard for anyone, but Patty Weston has got extra odds stacked against her.Suddenly widowed with no ranching experience, Patty should sell or remarry. Everyone says. Instead, sick of people telling her what to do even as she grieves, she's determined to keep Weston Ranch going.Even if she can get past the skepticism of the ranch hands, the cattlemen, and the polite society of San Antonio, she's still got to tangle with Jack Turner, who wants Weston Ranch for his own.How far is Jack willing to go to get rid of her?How far is Patty willing to go to stay?Click the "buy" button now and grab your best horse. It's a rough ride coming.