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Intrigue, espionage, and romance in the midst of the American Civil War.

Maddie Cronin''s game is seduction with plenty of bodies left in her wake - men of wealth, senators, generals, and even the vice president of the United States. Maddie has always been able to sidestep true love in her quest for power, until Arnett.

Arnett McCann is heart sore and heart sick. All he wants is to be left alone to do his job. But that is no way to live. As a U.S. Marshal for the Justice Department under President Lincoln, Arnett has always seen the law in black and white. You are either a criminal or you are not. Yet, with the looming Civil War and the attack on Fort Sumter, no one or nothing has shaken Arnett''s sense of justice and he''s kept his mind focused; that is, until Maddie Cronin walked into his life. Now he is out to get her and her associates, the notorious outlaws, Frank and Jesse James, before they and the secret organization, The Knights of the Golden Circle, bring down the federal government.

Love, War, and the Price of Loyalty

Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, 1440:

Finally home after five years away, warrior-nobleman Sándor Szilágyi is met by a dying father, a resentful younger brother, his child-bride all grown up and the family estate raided by the Ottomans. As he struggles to adjust to life as a landlord, Sándor''s authority is challenged by two strong-minded and fearless women: Margit, his faithful and righteous wife, determined to keep him on the straight and narrow; and Anna, his sister-in-law, a scheming temptress bent on ruining him in order to take his land.

After committing a mortal sin and desperate to win back the woman he loves, Sándor seeks absolution by accepting his overlord''s summons to fight the Ottomans. But his obsession with war will lead him down a perilous path.

Loyalties are tested, danger lurks around every corner, and Sándor''s struggle to balance his duty to protect his land and family from his relatives'' greedy hands, as well as his duty to defend his country on the battlefield, will come at a terrible cost.

*****

"In a world of chivalry and honour, Ms Dunne brings to life the harsh and raw reality of medieval 15th-century Hungary. So often, historical novels are fixed in the settings of England and France, but this one shifts the story to a place and time not familiar to most historical readers, thus giving a fresh look at the time period while connecting readers to the familiar landscape of war, love, lust, betrayal, loss, and pain." - The Historical Fiction Company Review

A BookLife Editor''s Pick!

"Who She Left Behind" is a captivating historical fiction novel that spans multiple generations and delves into the emotional lives of its characters.

Set in various time periods, from the declining days of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey to Armenian communities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts during the 1990s, the book provides a deep immersion into a lesser-known era. The story revolves around themes of survival, motherhood, and love, drawing inspiration from the author''s own family history. The narrative is framed by a mysterious discovery of Armenian dolls at Victoria''s grave many years later, which leads her on a quest for redemption as an immigrant, wife, sister, and aunt.

If you love "The Sandcastle Girls" by Chris Bohjalian, "Orhan''s Inheritance" by Aline Ohanesian, "Rise the Euphrates" by Carol Edgarian, or "All The Light There Was" by Nancy Kricorian, then this book is for you!

A young man named Pencil comes of age in the mid-1800s - a gripping story not to be missed!

An orphaned teen in the notorious Five Points district of lower Manhattan in 1854, Pencil''s cursed to scavenge the unforgiving streets where trust is a stranger. Even as slavery has divided the nation, the good Pencil comes across is as rare as a precious gem buried in the manure-strewn streets of Gotham. The shady adults who surround him believe he''s a "hobbhadehoy," a youth who hasn''t quite reached manhood. Despite years of neglect, he hasn''t lost his empathy for others and a fledgling sense of justice. As the lieutenant of a pack of street rats, he craves greater control of his life. His luck finally runs out when through someone''s treachery, he faces significant prison time.

Pencil''s grasps another opportunity when he''s shipped off to Ohio on one of the first "orphan trains." Life on the farm proves to be a different challenge under the demanding, and occasionally drunken, thumb of his new guardian. Ultimately, he''s forced to flee, a much stronger physical specimen than when he arrived.

Pencil ends up in Cleveland, where a daguerreotypist takes him under her wing. She teaches him about capturing images on glass and copper while trying to impress upon him the importance of trust. Encounters with corpses, kidnappers, and grave robbers test his acceptance of the idea ... and justice.

In 1877, twenty Irish coal miners were hanged for a terrorist conspiracy that never occurred. 

Anywhere But Schuylkill is the story of one who escaped, Mike Doyle, a teenager trying to keep his family alive during the worst depression the nation has ever faced. Banks and railroads are going under. Children are dying of hunger. The Reading Railroad has slashed wages and hired Pinkerton spies to infiltrate the miners'' union. And there is a sectarian war between rival gangs. But none of this compares with the threat at home.

Advance Praise

"In the tradition of Upton Sinclair and Jack London, Michael Dunn gives us a gritty portrait of working-class life and activism during one of the most violent eras in U.S. labor history.  Anywhere but Schuylkill is a social novel built out of passion and the textures of historical research. It is both a tale of 1870s labor unrest and a tale for the inequalities and injustices of the twenty-first century." 

-Russ Castronovo, author of Beautiful Democracy and Propaganda 1776.

"Michael Dunn has created the characters that bring the 19th Century''s Mine Wars to life for today''s readers. Anywhere but Schuylkill will remind readers of John Sayles and Tillie Olsen and the best in the long tradition of labor literature." 

-James Tracy, co-author of Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels, and Black Power: Interracial Solidarity in 1960s-70s New Left Organizing 

"The Banshees of Inisherin and 1917 are two of the best historical films I''ve seen in recent years, particularly the cinematography. Yet the visuals Michael Dunn creates in Anywhere But Schuylkill, are richer, more vivid, more imaginative, and more haunting and indelible than what I recall in those brilliant films. It''s like the author transports himself to each scene and brings to life each physical detail, each expression, each emotion, and each word of dialogue with the care of a Renaissance painter."  

-David Aretha, award-winning author of Malala Yousafzai and the Girls of Pakistan, and Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1963 March on Washington. 

An epic historical novel enmeshed in thrilling Welsh history! For lovers of Cornwell''s The Last Kingdom series, you must read Arianwen Nunn''s books!!

It is 1109 and the Welsh warrior and firebrand, Owain ap Cadwgan abducts Princess Nest and her children from the castle she shares with her husband, Gerald of Windsor. Henry, Norman king of England, furious since Nest is also his lover and mother of his son, begins a manhunt to find Owain and Nest. While Owain''s actions make him a figurehead for resistance to the Norman presence in Wales, not all Welsh nobles want to see him triumph: many have their own ambitions. In Gwynedd, Gruffydd ap Cynan and his wife Angharad, risk everything to hide Owain and Nest despite the vindictive efforts of Gronwy ap Owain, Angharad''s brother, who would like to see Gruffydd and Owain dead. Owain''s actions start a spark that leads to hostilities which could end in Gruffydd''s downfall at the hands of the Normans or his Welsh enemies. Can Gruffydd and his family survive the greatest army ever led against Wales?

This sequel to ''''The Welsh Traitor''s Daughter'''' is based on true events and characters. The story of ''''The Welsh Warrior''s Inheritance'''' is one of forbidden love, jealousy, greed, ambition, betrayal, and courage against the odds. The Welsh are at their finest and their worst as life is lived on a knife edge. It is truly one of the most exciting times in Welsh history.

"The Welsh Warrior''s Inheritance is a thoroughly enjoyable and captivating read. It is a page turner with a plot that makes it difficult to put the book down! Owain ap Cadwgan continues to fascinate; creating anguish on the one hand and humour on the other. Angharad creates such joy and steadfastness, with her daughter Gwenllian in particular, showing an indomitable strength of spirit.

Having unreservedly enjoyed this engrossing second novel by Arianwen Nunn I am greatly looking forward to her third in this series." - Delyth Robinson, Goodreads Review

From the author of "At the Corner of Hitler and Goering"

The dramatic accounting of the experiences of two Cuban refugees sponsored by the CIA and the Catholic Church as part of "Operation Pedro Pan" and sent to live at the Camp Hero Air Force Base in Montauk, NY during the Cuban Missile Crisis was the inspiration for Kovler''s script, "Camp Hero," and the novella, "Dangerous Crossings."  

"Meek never fails to stun and impress with his evocation of scenes and events, of sights and dialogue, and of peoples'' reactions to them." - HFC Reviews

The Dream Collector immerses the reader into the exciting milieu of late 19th Century Paris when art and medicine were in the throes of revolution, art turning to Impressionism, medicine turning to psychology. In 1885, Julie Forette, a self-educated woman from Marseilles, finds employment at the infamous Salpêtrière, hospital and asylum to over five thousand disabled, demented and abandoned women, a walled city ruled by the famed neurologist and arrogant director, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot.  

Julie Forette forms a friendship with the young, visiting intern Sigmund Freud who introduces her to the altering-conscious power of cocaine. Together they pursue the hidden potential of hypnotism and dream interpretation. After Freud receives the baffling case of the star hysteric, Sabrine Weiss, he is encouraged by Julie to experiment with different modes of treatment, including "talking sessions." Their urgent quest is to find a cure for Sabrine, Princess of the Hysterics, before Dr. Charcot resorts to the radical removal of her ovaries.  

In Paris, Julie finds a passion for the new art emerging, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and forms friendships with the major artists of the period, including Pissarro, Monet, and Degas. Julie becomes intimately involved with the reclusive Cezanne only to be seduced by the "Peruvian Savage" Paul Gauguin. Julie is the eponymous ''Dream Collector'' collecting the one unforgettable, soul-defining dream of the major historical figures of the period. 

"When R.w. Meek submitted his manuscript THE DREAM COLLECTOR for our contest I thought it was some sort of a joke. Not because it was badly written but because it was so well written - along the lines of George Saunders and Tolstoy!! I was certain it was a literary friend posing as a contestant. Our judges too said this was hands down the best submission we ever received in ten years of the Palm Beach Book Festival. A masterpiece in every sense of the word." - Lois Cahall,  Founder Palm Beach Book Festival.

"Tribute must be paid to the obvious and clear literary skills of the author R.w. Meek and to his ability to invoke historic personages and the Belle Époque he so evidently adores." - Julian de la Motte, award winning author of Senlac

"It is difficult to describe The Dream Collector by R.w. Meek without resorting to clichés: "A masterpiece!" "A stunning achievement!" Those phrases, while true, can in no way convey the immersive power of Meek''s'' writing as his characters journey through 19th century Paris with its experimentations in both art and medicine, its debauchery and decadence, and the sheer, unbridled passion of its denizens. A brilliant storyteller, Meek has created a world you simply won''t want to leave and will never forget." - Trish MacEnulty, Historical Fiction Author

Achilles - warrior, hero, son of a demi-god sea nymph whose presence, oracles claim, is the only thing that will deliver Troy into the hands of the Achaians.

And what does he do when he''s dead?

Why, he tells the tale of his life to any shades who will gather to listen.

Conversations with Achilles follows the Greek legend as he retells, in seven sets and with harsh honesty the story of his life and the war with Troy. The greatness and brutality of himself and his fellow warriors, the bickering of the gods, come through with a blend of sharp humor and dark tragedy: we relive his love for his slave-turned-bride Briseis, of his mother''s desperate battle to defeat the Fates who declared he would die young in battle.

It is a comic but brutal tale in which we meet the heroes, the villains, the very gods clashed and crashed over Troy''s fate-and shaped the life of that war''s greatest - or was he? - hero.

What if Taylor Swift found herself penning songs about love in Elizabethan England when women were required to be chaste, obedient, and silent?

Isabella Whitney, an ambitious and daring eighteen-year-old maidservant turned poet, sets out to do just that. Having risked reputation and virtue by allowing her passions for her employer''s aristocratic nephew to get the better of her, Isabella Whitney enters the fray of the pamphlet wars, a scurrilous debate on the merits of women. She''s determined to make her mark by becoming the first woman to write a poem defending women in love, highlighting the deceptive practices of the men who woo them. Her journey to publication is fraught with challenges as she navigates through the male-dominated literary world and the harsh realities of life in sixteenth-century London for a single woman. Loosely based on the life of Elizabethan poet Isabella Whitney, this is a compelling tale of a young woman''s resilience and determination to challenge the status quo and leave her mark in a world that was not ready for her.

Reviewers are saying:

"A fascinating look at a female poet in 16th century England..."

"A beautifully-rendered piece of historical fiction filling in the biographical gaps of Isabella Whitney, one of England''s earliest female poets..."

"A nice blend of historical romance, feminist rebellion, and forbidden desire..."

"A brave, unconventional, beautiful read. I really enjoyed it..."

"Overall, this book is a wonderful, perfectly written book. Great for lovers of literary history..."

In 1849, mercurial Rollin Ridge leaves his family behind to avoid hanging after avenging his father and grandfather''s assassinations.

After his crime, Rollin runs west with his brothers to mine California gold, packing sin and grief in his saddlebags. Through letters home, he finds his justice only after unearthing how the father''s sins have followed the son. Within the frame, from 1827-1835, Rollin''s parents, Cherokee John Ridge, and his white wife, Sarah, uncover illicit slave running, horse theft, and whiskey dealings across Cherokee territory. To end these inhumane crimes and fight Cherokee removal with President Andrew Jackson, John runs for Principal Chief, opposing the incumbent, Chief John Ross. John and Sarah must decide: fight discrimination and land greed, defy Georgia''s violent pressures and remain on his people''s ancestral land, or sign a treaty and uproot a nation and their family west.

The last thing LAPD Detectives McManus and Tyson expect to find behind Pantages Theatre is a body rolled up in a blanket.

The last thing Margaret Morehouse, one of the city''s first policewoman with arrest powers, expects to do is join the investigation. When a deadly explosion at the L. A. Times derails their efforts, Margaret finds herself at a crossroads and strikes out on her own, a path leading to delusion and self-discovery on a vaudeville stage. Her husband''s nephew Leland further complicates the situation by sharing a ransom note and confiding his failure to report his wife''s disappearance the Dominguez Air Meet.

A brief stint as a magician''s assistant takes Margaret to Chicago, where she almost signs on as a zig zag girl, the term used for ladies performing in the "cutting-a-woman-in-two" illusion. Instead, Margaret returns to the tumultuous world of early twentieth century Los Angeles. Reunited with McManus and Tyson, she confronts prejudices and societal norms in efforts to identify a body, clear Leland''s name, and topple the stranglehold one powerful, amoral person has over many lives. Their efforts lead to dead ends and misconceptions before truth comes to light. Love is rekindled and danger uncovered in unlikely places. Margaret goes from Zig Zag Girl to Zig Zag Woman, no longer cut in two but headed on a clearer path.