Escaping the rat race and the lure of gold-digging women, wealthy businessman Vance Banning moves to a small, rural retreat, telling the townsfolk that he\'s an out-of-work carpenter. All he wants is peace, quiet and to keep away from women. So the last thing he needs is a charitable neighbor; especially a beautiful, gracious and persistent neighbor of the female persuasion - but there\'s something about Shane Abbott he just can\'t ignore.Vance is certain his cover story will stop his lovely neighbor from getting too friendly, but Shane is determined to break down his resistance. Vance has been burned once, so only a fool would fall for the same innocent act twice. And he\'s no fool. But he has no idea how relentless Shane Abbott can be when it comes to giving a helping hand; or a loving heart.He needed to simplify his life and mend his broken heart. She was searching for a place to finally fit in and a man who could love her for who she was. Together they discover that all they really needed was each other, and that love is the greatest Christmas gift of all.

She is a calm, health conscious yoga instructor. He is a wild, party loving, drunken, billionaire celebrity. Their lives are perfectly mismatched… or not?If you love a clean romance with a warm and inspirational sizzle you will love this novella.Buy this sweet and clean romance novella today!!She is a calm, health conscious yoga instructor. He is a wild, party loving, drunken, billionaire celebrity. Their lives are perfectly mismatched… or not?Tamara Hope, health food specialist and yoga instructor, is all about living a balanced and healthy life and has recently opened her very own health retreat, where she meets Thomas. Thomas Winter is a party-loving billionaire, who lives his life to the extreme – boozing, sex, and socializing. He can think of nothing worse than going on a retreat, but his agent promises him it will do his media image good. Tamara and Thomas are like oil and water. He’s everything that she hates in a person, and he’s constantly teasing her about her lifestyle. She cannot wait for the week to be over. And yet… there’s something about him that makes her want to change him. But can someone like Thomas be changed? Does he even want to change? Should he be changed?If you love a clean romance with a warm and inspirational sizzle you will love this novella.Buy this sweet and clean romance novella today!!

In Zara Raheem's newest novel we meet Nadia Abbasi—whose attempts to save her marriage create unexpected complications—and follow her as she navigates the twists and turns of love. Perfect for fans of Sonali Dev, Christina Lauren, and Sara Desai.Nadia Abbasi's marriage is falling apart. It starts with a gifted Roomba, but when she stumbles upon some questionable photos in her husband Aman's office, everything makes sense—the late-night texting, the sudden interest in fitness, the new clothes. Aman—the kind, thoughtful man she married—is having an affair.Determined to find out what went wrong in her marriage, Nadia enlists the help of Zeba, the estranged sister she hasn't seen or spoken to since their mom's funeral over a year ago. As the two sisters fight to reconcile their past, Nadia realizes her relationship with Aman is not the only one that needs mending.Nevertheless, the plan itself is simple: confront...

The Road To Salvation...Gavin Prescott hadn't had time to blink before he ran into the quaint New Orleans church, clutching a knife wound. There, he saw the answer to his prayers, lost in a world of hurt. Lacey Dorsette York had been minding her own business, asking God for a peace Gavin only dreamed about. Lacey caught Gavin in her arms, took him under her wing–and into her loving heart. He knew this beautiful woman had appeared in his life for a reason, but did God want him to lead her into dangerous territory...or show her the path to true love and their very own happily-ever-after?Three Women Who Find Their Heart's Desire...In The Garden

Joseph Flynn is a middle-aged Catholic priest who finds himself at his bishop’s behest, on an eight-day silent retreat. The fusty, 'stale environment has little to offer but a desk, pen and paper, and ample time to make use of them. Filling page after page, he delves into his past, the loss of his vocation, his uncontrollable craving for sex, and the events which are destroying his life. Celebrated concert pianist and composer Stephen Hough unflinchingly explores these disturbing contradictions in this passionate and sophisticated novel.

Residents of a rest home are dying of very unnatural causes, in this new novel in a series of “warm, cozy crime capers” (Jill’s Book Cafe).Christmas Eve, 1989. A couple is found slumped in front of their twinkling Christmas tree in an apparent murder-suicide . . .Today. Librarian Pru Pearce is preparing for her wedding to police detective Andy Barnes. But after one of her Women’s Institute friends suffers a suspicious accident at Rookery Grange, a home for the elderly and infirm, Pru and the other ladies are on alert. And when one of the residents is asphyxiated with a pillow, no one can rest easy . . . With her wedding taking a disastrous turn and a killer on the loose, the part-time detective makes another vow: to investigate and solve the mystery. Will she unravel generations of murderous secrets and find the culprit?

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium, a Reese’s Book Club pick, here, Detective Elin Warner uncovers the truth behind the suspicious deaths on a stunning island getawayThey couldn’t wait to stay here.An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the English coast, promising rest and relaxation—but the island itself, known locally as Reaper’s Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it’s rumored to be cursed. But now they can’t leave.A young woman is found dead below the yoga pavilion in what seems to be a tragic fall. But Detective Elin Warner soon learns the victim wasn’t a guest—she wasn’t meant to be on the island at all.And they would do anything to escape. The longer Elin stays, the more secrets she uncovers. And when someone else drowns in a diving incident, Elin begins to suspect...

Detective Elin Warner uncovers the truth behind the suspicious deaths on a stunning island getawayThey couldn’t wait to stay here.An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the English coast, promising rest and relaxation—but the island itself, known locally as Reaper’s Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it’s rumored to be cursed.But now they can’t leave.A young woman is found dead below the yoga pavilion in what seems to be a tragic fall. But Detective Elin Warner soon learns the victim wasn’t a guest—she wasn’t meant to be on the island at all.And they would do anything to escape. The longer Elin stays, the more secrets she uncovers. And when someone else drowns in a diving incident, Elin begins to suspect...

The Valentine Retreat should be the perfect place for Megan to take a mini break from her broken life. She's determined to hide her imperfections and secrets, to allow herself to soak up the opulence and glamour of the hotel for a few days. But she's not the only one at The Valentine Retreat with something to hide.Jim is struggling with his new job. Working at The Valentine Retreat wasn't even close to what he had in mind as his next career move, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. He needs to keep his head down and make this a success. No one can find out the truth about his life. Anthony Valentine believes he has everything under control. The Valentine Retreat is running smoothly and he's sure the authorities think his illicit activities are hidden in plain sight at his hotel. They are dead wrong about that. Megan's arrival at the hotel reveals Valentine's hidden agenda. And the flames of attraction that flicker between Megan and...

His love life has gone to the dogs—in the best of ways in USA TODAY bestselling author Catherine Mann's latest book in the Top Dog Dude Ranch series! After they've opened gifts Maybe he'll unwrap her heart. Instead of his winter wonderland wedding, Riley Stewart has been jilted. This rodeo champ needs an understanding shoulder, so Riley invites his best friend, Lucy Snyder, her son and their scruffy pooch on his "honeymoon." But moonlit doggy walks, romantic fires, the glow of Christmas lights—everything is conspiring against their "just friends" resolve. Will this fake honeymoon ignite the real spark Riley and Lucy have denied for so long?From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.Top Dog Dude RanchBook 1: Last-Chance Marriage RescueBook 2: The Cowboy's Christmas Retreat

Shannon's 35, divorced, and the highlight of her day is getting to the coffee shop before the morning rush. She tells herself that's fine, because she's got two cats and a past filled with emotional abuse. But she might be ready to heal so she can retreat into the arms of a man she's known for years...Shannon Bell has been the owner's assistant at Your Tidal Forever, a wedding planning service, for five years. She's content in her single life and fearful of ever having an intimate relationship with a man due to previous abuse. She sees Jeremiah Yeates in line to get coffee every morning, and sure, he's the drop-dead gorgeous doctor who works next door to her office. But actually starting a relationship with him? Shannon's not so sure about that.For a year now, Jeremiah has timed his coffee runs so he can see Shannon. They've been friendly, but he doesn't know how to take his flirty to the next level—until she gets a flat tire in the parking lot and needs a ride to...

'A gripping and smart thriller that kept me guessing .Sensitive but not sensationalist, a page turner with an important message, I was hooked.' MARISA BATEWhen Rob decides the family needs to get away for the summer Jess is not convinced - won't all the things they're escaping be waiting for them on their return? But the kids are thrilled, and before long their idyllic little cottage, the sea air, and the feel of skin sticky from sun-cream, lollies and sand, begins to work its magic. Jess allows herself to sink into the holiday vibes - the family even make holiday friends.The summer heat intensifies Jess - ever vigilant - unearths a secret, a problem she's sure she can help solve. But things are not always as they seem. The water may look inviting but even the gentlest looking waves can hide the deadliest undercurrents.As autumn approaches, Jess - and the reader - will come to realise this is going to end in a way no-one could have...

Join USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts for a seaside escape to the beaches of Moonlight HarborCeleste Jones has plans for a perfect summer with her boyfriend (and hopefully soon-to-be fiancé)—until he dumps her to be with the woman he's had on the side for months. Heartbroken and furious, Celeste resolves to move on. When the going gets tough, the tough...okay, the not-so-tough go to the beach.As soon as school lets out for the summer, she waves goodbye to her first-graders, packs up her bikini and heads for Moonlight Harbor, where she knows her big sister, Jenna, will receive her with open arms. Jenna could probably use some help at the Driftwood Inn, and Celeste is happy to do chores around the place in exchange for a relaxing summer escape. She just needs something—or someone—to distract her from her troubles.Finding The One can be tricky, and Jenna...

One long summer. One perfect setting. Can fiction inspire real life...? Sometimes a book grabs you by the heart and grows to mean everything to you. That's what Hope Falls is to friends Emily, Rachel and Tori. So, when they get the chance to spend a whole summer at the cottage in Lakeside where the film adaptation was located, they know it is going to be the holiday of a lifetime. Spending six weeks away will give them a chance to re-evaluate their life choices. For Emily to decide which way her career will go – the safe route, or the more risky creative option? And for Rachel to decide whether to move in with her partner Jeremy. Then Tori has to drop out at the last moment, and her space is offered to another Hope Falls afficionado, Alex. But when Alex turns out not to be who they expected, the holiday takes an unforeseen turn. And as the summer develops, so does their friendship. Could this be where they uncover their future selves,...

Sherri Smith illuminates the dark side of the self-care and wellness industry in a thrilling ride of revenge perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers. The Retreat is a twisting, bone-chilling suspense that asks: how well do you really know your friends? Four women.Four secrets.A weekend that will change them forever...if they survive.Katie Manning was a beloved child star until her mid-teens when her manager attacked and permanently scarred her face, effectively ending her career and sending her on a path of all-too-familiar post-Hollywood self-destruction.Now twenty-seven, Katie wants a better answer to those clickbait "Where Are They Now?" articles that float around online. An answer she hopes to find when her brother's too-good-to-be-true fiancée invites her to a wellness retreat upstate. Together with Katie's two best friends—one struggling with crippling debt and family obligations, one running away...

While sketching in a wooded grove, Lady Jemima Vale encounters a young actress who witnessed a murder in the grove . . . and her rescuer, the notorious libertine Beecham Bryce. When he insists young Lovelace Wellesley take shelter at his nearby home, Lady Jemima offers to act as chaperon, not realizing her maidenly reserve will soon be shattered by her devilish host. Regency Romance by Nancy Butler, originally published by Signet; winner of the 2000 RITA.

A wealthy family's vacation at their lush winery estate becomes a weekend to kill for in this deliciously twisted novel of suspense"Absolutely captivating! A riveting and immersive puzzle for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware." —Hank Phillippi RyanEvery year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings, heirs to a copper fortune, gather at their secluded winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It's a tradition they've followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight.With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can't keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy...

A gripping psychological thriller by bestselling author J.A. Baker!Chamber Cottage holds many dark secrets...Struggling to overcome their marital problems, Alec and Peggy hoped their new life at Chamber cottage would be the retreat they both needed to recover. Both damaged by issues from their childhoods, they are trying to get on with their lives as best they can, but they can't help feeling that they are being watched....Peggy, already paranoid because of the terrible scars that mark her face, becomes even more agoraphobic and retreat further into the stone walls of the cottage, hoping it will keep her safe.Then Peggy discovers that her estranged mother is stalking her and Alec, claiming she has a dark secret that is putting Peggy's life in danger. And now Peggy doesn't know who to trust...What caused the scars on Peggy's face? Is Alec really the monster Peggy's mother believes him to be? And what secrets does Chamber...

Sometimes you just need to get away...'Warm and life-enhancing, I wanted to move to Spain with these wonderful characters' Katie Fforde'A fabulous read celebrating the good things in life - fun, friends, family and food' Jill MansellFrom the bestselling author of Escape to the French Farmhouse comes a deliciously feel-good new story...Eliza has a full house! When her three children grew up and moved out, she downsized to a smaller property... but now they're all back. Every room in the house is taken and Eliza finds herself sharing her bed with her eldest daughter and her daughter's pug. Combined with the online course she's trying to finish, plus her job to fit in, there just isn't the peace and quiet that Eliza needs.So when an ad pops up on her laptop saying 'house-sitters wanted', Eliza can't resist the chance to escape. She ends up moving to a rural finca in southern Spain, looking after the owner's...

The witty new story from the bestselling author of The Secret Book & Scone Society series is perfect for bibliophiles who love a A Bookish Cook-Off with a little murder on the side... "Love Chopped and mysteries? This delightful character-driven cozy is just the treat for you." —Kirkus Reviews Six chefs are preparing to compete in an outdoor tent at Storyton Hall in Virginia for prizes that will boost their careers—but is there someone who can't stand the heat? It looks that way when one of the contestants is found dead in a pantry packed with two centuries' worth of cookbooks, among other treasures and rarities. Could there be a connection to other recent events in town, like tampering with the costume of a local mascot? Jane isn't sure, but after someone serves a second course of murder, the kitchen must be closed and the killer must be found . . . "Readers will...

A week at a retreat becomes a transformational journey of faith renewal for a young Christian suffering a crisis of the soul in this poignant, illuminating, and spiritually wise teaching novel for fans of Jen Hatmaker, Shauna Niequist, and Brene Brown.For her entire life, Amy considered her evangelical Christian upbringing the foundation of her life and beliefs. But when she stands up for her gay best friend, Amy is ostracized and banished from the church she loves—resulting in a crisis of the spirit that causes her to doubt her conservative upbringing as she enters her thirties. Seeing Amy's pain, a caring friend raises the money to send her on a week-long retreat for contemplative activism, hoping that a few days of quiet reflection will help her rekindle her faith.At the retreat, Amy meets two women her age-teachers who introduce her to new types of prayer—as well as Celeste, a seasoned church mentor who takes Amy under her wing and...

Former State Department advisor for Afghanistan and Pakistan and bestselling author Vali Nasr delivers a sharp indictment of America's flawed foreign policy and outlines a new relationship with the Muslim world and with new players in the changing Middle East.In this essential new book, Vali Nasr argues that the Obama administration had a chance to improve its relations with the Middle East, but instead chose to pursue its predecessor's questionable strategies there. Nasr takes readers behind the scenes at the State Department and reveals how the new government's fear of political backlash and the specter of terrorism crippled the efforts of diplomatic giants, like Richard Holbrooke and Hillary Clinton, to boost America's foundering credibility with world leaders. Meanwhile, the true economic threats, China and Russia, were quietly expanding their influence in the region. And a second Arab Spring is brewing-not a hopeful clamor for democracy but rage at the United States for its foreign policy of drones and assassinations. Drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the Middle East and firsthand experience in diplomacy, Nasr offers a powerful reassessment of American foreign policy that directs the country away from its failing relationships in the Middle East (such as with Saudi Arabia) toward more productive, and less costly, partnerships with other foreign allies (such as Turkey). Forcefully persuasive, Vali Nasr's book is a game changer for America as it charts a course in the Muslim world, Asia, and beyond.ReviewPraise for The Dispensable Nation:“In The Dispensable Nation, Nasr delivers a devastating portrait of a first-term foreign policy that shunned the tough choices of real diplomacy, often descended into pettiness, and was controlled ‘by a small cabal of relatively inexperienced White House advisers.’… The Dispensable Nation constitutes important reading as John Kerry moves into his new job as secretary of state. It nails the drift away from the art of diplomacy — with its painful give-and-take — toward a U.S. foreign policy driven by the Pentagon, intelligence agencies and short-term political calculus. It holds the president to account for his zigzags from Kabul to Jerusalem….The Dispensable Nation is a brave book. Its core message is: Diplomacy is tough and carries a price, but the price is higher when it is abandoned.”—Roger Cohen, New York Times“The Dispensable Nation is an indispensable book. Taking us into the secretive world of high-level American foreign policy, Vali Nasr shares astounding, previously unrevealed details about the Obama administration's dealings with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. But Nasr doesn't just spill secrets—he also charts a path forward, advancing an insightful prescription for how the United States can regain its lost influence. This provocative story is a must-read for anyone who cares about America's role in the world.”—Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Little America and Imperial Life in the Emerald City.“An original, powerful, and provocative critique of American foreign policy under President Obama.”—George Packer, author of The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq"Vali Nasr was in the room during key moments of the Obama administration's first two years as it faced some of its most important foreign policy challenges. His portrayal of strategic confusion inside Obama's White House is devastating and persuasive. Nasr writes with the dispassion of one of the United States' leading experts on the Middle East and South Asia and with the insider knowledge he gained as a senior adviser to Richard Holbrooke, the legendary diplomat. Nasr asserts that the Obama White House didn't really believe in diplomacy in its dealings with the Afghans and Pakistanis and he makes his case with great cogency and clarity in this indispensable book."—Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden, from 9/11 to Abbottabad"Vali Nasr is the George Kennan of U.S. policy in the Middle East. A renowned scholar but also a practitioner and insider who served two years in the Obama administration, Nasr delivers a sharp, sober, fast-paced and absolutely riveting critique of President Obama’s policies in the Middle East and Afghanistan."—Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and author of The World America Made“The Dispensable Nation is an important wake-up call by a thoughtful, astute and deeply knowledgeable scholar and policymaker. Anyone interested in the Middle East, China, or the future of American power should read it immediately and think hard about its message.”—Anne-Marie Slaughter, Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University and former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State, 2009-2011“An impressive tour d’horizon which includes a personally frank eulogy to Richard Holbrooke’s failed efforts to shape U.S. policy in Afghanistan, revealing insights into White House vs. State Department collisions over U.S. strategy, and a sweeping review of the escalating geopolitical challenges the U.S. needs to address more intelligently in the Middle East, the Far East, and especially Iran. Gutsy, intriguing, and challenging.”  —Zbigniew Brzezinski“Vali Nasr is without peer in explaining how and why political order is crumbling across the Middle East, and how and why China may reap the spoils. Along the way, he lays out in never-before-told, granular detail why President Obama's first term was such a disappointment regarding foreign policy.”—Robert D. Kaplan, chief geopolitical analyst, Stratfor, and author of *The Revenge of Geography"[A] vivid firsthand account of White House policymaking...Nasr's shrewd, very readable analyses of byzantine Middle Eastern geo-politics are superb."—Publishers Weekly"An informed, smoothly argued brief that will surely rattle windows at the White House."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review*About the AuthorVALI NASR is Dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the bestselling author of The Shia Revival and Forces of Fortune. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Senior Advisor to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. He is a columnist for Bloomberg View and lives in Washington, D.C.

Everyone has a secret to keep . . . Maeve Martin arrives at the High Water Center for the Arts determined to do one thing: launch her own dance company. Time is running out for the former principal dancer and mother of two to find her feet again after the collapse of a disastrous and violent marriage. At first, there's a thrill to being on her own for the first time in years, isolated in the beauty of a snowy mountain lodge. But when an avalanche traps the guests inside, tensions run high. Help is coming, so they just have to hold on, don't they? But as days pass, the other guests are struck down by mysterious deaths, one by one. Now, as she waits in fear, Maeve must admit how little she knows about anyone else . . . and how useless a locked door is if the darkness is already inside.

The spectacular sequel to The Battle, winner of the Prix Goncourt and the Grand Prix Roman de l'Académie Française, this stunning second volume of Patrick Rambaud's Napoleonic trilogy opens in September 1812 with the French army at the gates of Moscow. Exhausted and demoralized, they are only a quarter of the 400,000-strong force that crossed the river Niemen three months before. But the sight of this famous city feels like a triumph and a chance, at last, to enjoy a conqueror's spoils.Napoleon rides to the Dorogomilóv Gate expecting to be met by city elders bearing tokens of surrender, but no one appears; Moscow has been evacuated. Oblivious to their predicament, Napoleon sends to Paris for comic novels and imagines that it is only a matter of time before Tsar Alexander sues for peace. Finally, a month later, Napoleon gives up and the Grand Armée begins its tragic retreat. The French will endure their most brutal test as they lose over twenty...

The year is 1937. On a remote hilltop some distance from Vienna stands a hotel called The Retreat. Founded by a man who is determined to cleanse himself and his guests of all "Jewish traits," it is a resort of assimilation, with daily activities that include lessons in how to look, talk, act—in short, how to pass—as a gentile. But with Hitler on the march, the possibilities of both assimilation and retreat are quickly fading for the hotel's patrons, men and women who are necessarily—and horrifically—blind to their fate. Mordant, shrewd, and elegantly written, The Retreat is a moving story of people forbidden to retreat from themselves, by the writer whom Irving Howe called "one of the best novelists alive."

Bestselling novelist David Bergen follows his Scotiabank Giller Prize—winning The Time in Between with a haunting novel about the clash of generations — and cultures.In 1973, outside of Kenora, Ontario, Raymond Seymour, an eighteen-year-old Ojibway boy, is taken by a local policeman to a remote island and left for dead. A year later, the Byrd family arrives in Kenora. They have come to stay at “the Retreat,” a commune run by the self-styled guru Doctor Amos. The Doctor is an enigmatic man who spouts bewildering truisms, and who bathes naked every morning in the pond at the edge of the Retreat while young Everett Byrd watches from the bushes. Lizzy, the eldest of the Byrd children, cares for her younger brothers Fish and William, and longs for what she cannot find at the Retreat. When Lizzy meets Raymond, everything changes, and Lizzy comes to understand the real difference between Raymond’s world and her own. A tragedy and a love story, the novel moves towards a conclusion that is both astonishing and heartbreaking.Set during the summer of the Ojibway occupation of Anicinabe Park in Kenora, The Retreat is a finely nuanced, deeply felt novel that tells the story of the complicated love between a white girl and a native boy, and of a family on the verge of splintering forever. It is also a story of the bond between two brothers who were separated in childhood, and whose lives and fates intertwine ten years later. A brilliant portrait of a time and a place, The Retreat confirms Bergen’s reputation as one of the country’s most gifted and compelling writers.From the Hardcover edition.Review“Bergen’s characters move and breathe, demonstrating the delicate balance between hope and despair, salvation and damnation.” — Toronto Star“David Bergen is a master of taut, spare prose that’s both erotic and hypnotic. . . .” — Miriam Toews“Bergen’s novels are marvels of spare prose and weighty emotion.” — Saturday Night“The writing of Winnipeg's David Bergen, who won a host of prizes including the Giller for his last novel, The Time in Between, sometimes gets compared to that of Cormac McCarthy; taut, psychological fiction that floats just above a kind of menacing nihilism. His new novel, The Retreat, keeps to the pattern.” — Winnipeg Free Press “Paired with chirping crickets and a porch-side perch, the finely wrought prose and bucolic setting make for a perfect early-fall-evening companion.” —Toronto Life “The Giller Prize–winner’s latest book is a gripping tale that leaves the reader heavy-hearted yet driven to turn the page.” — Canadian Living“Throughout the story, the spare writing lends an atmosphere of foreboding, even dread, that makes for compelling reading.” — Edmonton Journal.“The Retreat is a powerful and engrossing novel, further proof that the late-blooming Bergen is now one of Canada's very best writers.” — Montreal Gazette“…the novel speeds along in [Bergen’s] characteristically exquisite prose.” —* The Walrus“Bergen excels at creating dramatic scenes of survival. . . . A meaningful and significant work.” — Globe and Mail*“Bergen makes every word count.” — Ottawa CitizenFr... *About the AuthorDavid Bergen’s award-winning fiction includes The Case of Lena S., winner of the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award and a finalist for the Governor General’s Award, and The Time in Between, winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award, and the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction. It was also named a Kiriyama Prize Notable Book and longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. A member of the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize jury, Bergen lives in Winnipeg. *

It is the fall of 1950. The Marines have made a pivotal breakthrough at Inchon, but a roller coaster awaits them. While Douglas MacArthur chomps at the bit, intent on surging across the 38th parallel, Brigadier General Fleming Pickering works desperately to mediate the escalating battle between MacArthur and President Harry Truman. And somewhere out there, his own daredevil pilot son, Pick, is lost behind enemy lines--and may be lost forever. From Publishers Weekly Megaseller Griffin (Honor Bound; Brotherhood of War; Men at War) musters another solid entry in his series chronicling the history of the U.S. Marines, now engaged in the Korean War. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, nicknamed El Supremo by his subordinates, is taken by surprise when the North Korean Army surges south across the 38th parallel. After early losses, he rallies his troops and stems the tide, but not for long. Intertwining stories of literally an army of characters reveal how MacArthur and his sycophantic staff overlook the entire Red Chinese Army, which is massed behind the Yalu River and about to enter the war. Brig. Gen. Fleming Pickering attempts to mediate the ongoing battles between feisty, give-'em-hell Harry Truman and the haughty MacArthur, while worrying about his pilot son, Malcolm "Pick" Pickering, who has been shot down behind enemy lines. The introduction of the Sikorsky H-19A helicopter into the war by Maj. Kenneth "Killer" McCoy and sidekick Master Gunner Ernie Zimmerman details the invention of tactics that will become commonplace in Vietnam. Readers looking for guts and glory military action will be disappointed, as barely a shot is fired in anger, but fans of Griffin's work understand that the pleasures are in the construction of a complex, big-picture history of war down to its smallest details: "There were two men in the rear seat, both of them wearing fur-collared zippered leather jackets officially known as Jacket, Flyers, Intermediate Type G-1." Veterans of the series will enjoy finding old comrades caught up in fresh adventures, while new-guy readers can easily enter here and pick up the ongoing story.

The Retreat: Episode Two: Slaughterhouse

Forrest Reid (1875-1947), the Ulster novelist, spent his life in Belfast, in the north of Ireland, save for a period as an undergraduate at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he received a B.A. in 1908. He numbered among his many friends and acquaintances George William Russell (A. E.), E. M. Forster, Edmund Gosse, C. S. Lewis, and Walter de le Mare, as well as various Uranians such as Theo Bartholomew, Osbert Burdett, and Mark André Raffalovich. Despite his sixteen novels, his two autobiographies, and a range of other works, despite being a founding member of the Irish Academy of Letters and an honorary Doctor of Letters of Queen's University in Belfast, despite his novel Young Tom being awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, Forrest Reid closely borders both oblivion and canonicity. However, this author, who has been aptly dubbed the "Arch-Priest of a Minor Cult," deserves reconsideration and perhaps a place in the pantheon of English letters. The Tom Barber Trilogy - composed of the very distinct novels Uncle Stephen (1931), The Retreat; or, The Machinations of Henry (1936), and Young Tom; or, Very Mixed Company (1944) - is Forrest Reid's magnum opus. The present scholarly edition presents those three novels as clean texts (in Volume I), followed by a study of Forrest Reid and explanatory notes for the trilogy (in Volume II). **

Turning the American Civil War literally upside-down, this winning fantasy brings to life a war to free the blond serfs of the North and raise them to equality beside their swarthy masters. Turtledove not only swaps South for North but replaces rifles with crossbows, horses with unicorns and railways with magic carpets. The book opens in the fourth year of the war, when it's clear that the gray-clad armies of King Avram of Detina have the advantage over the followers of the traitorous Grand Duke Geoffrey, who has proclaimed himself king of the seceded North. Many Northern infantrymen have been reduced to robbing Southern bodies for shoes and warm clothing; and while the North has the best wizards, the Southern engineers have invented a rapid-firing crossbow that gives their soldiers a tremendous advantage in battle. The course of this war closely parallels the real one, which makes for a somewhat predictable story but clears the way for a focus on the various entertaining and well-drawn characters, including numerous homages to-or parodies of-various historical figures. Charm and humor balance out the grimly realistic depictions of battlefields and occupied towns, flavor the beautifully subtle treatment of racism and help to mask the occasional lack of descriptive detail. While perhaps best suited to Civil War buffs, this tale proves quite enjoyable for the less tactically inclined, and it's a must-have for any fan of alternate histories.

You can't hide from love...or revenge.Dodge Loving wants revenge...and he's about to get it. On the cusp of closing a multi-billion-dollar luxury resort deal, Dodge can't afford for anything go wrong. But then a fiery redhead shows up, the paparazzi hot on her trail, and throws his world into chaos. He has to get rid of her. Immediately. Harper Conner just wants to be left alone, but after slapping her cheating senator ex-husband during a televised press conference, she's a hot commodity. The ultra exclusive resort in Wyoming seems like the ideal place to hide--and work--so there's no way she's letting the Type-A jerk who runs the place fire her. Despite the animosity sparking between them, Dodge and Harper can't keep their hands to themselves. This thing between them can't happen. It won't. But his mother has other ideas...and she's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure Harper and Dodge fall in love.(Dirty Talking Hero, Interracial Romance, Corporate Cowboy, Multicultural, Sizzling Hot Romance)**

Avalon: The Retreat is a compelling account of how one group of survivalists endures the worst event the world has ever known - a Nuclear World War. * * * * * Mike heard the sirens go off and knew it was time to leave; he hoped the others had already gotten the secret message and were on their way as well. He felt the adrenalin rush through his body as he hurried to meet them and set in motion what they had planned for the last six years. They all hoped this day would never come, but he was glad now that they were prepared to meet it head-on. As he rode through the streets on his motorcycle, he knew that he could never return to this place. Chaos would reign quickly and, little known to him, what was left of civilization was already crumbling to its lowest form of humanity. Mike?s people were warrior residents who had the foresight to prepare for the inevitable and make step-by-step preparations to protect themselves and each other. Radio announcements warned everyone to stay inside their homes, but that wasn?t going to happen for Mike and the others. They knew they would have to meet at the first rendezvous spot, gather what they needed and head on to the next. They had planned routes to each cache to protect themselves from the "unfriendlies" that were already out in full force. As he rode quickly toward the first cache, the words from the radio played over and over in his head? It's my sad duty to inform you that a nuclear device was detonated in Atlanta, Georgia a few moments ago. Casualties are running high and details are sketchy. Stay tuned for further developments. Mike knew that this was only the beginning of events in a ?WORLD GONE MAD!? * * * * * Avalon: The Retreat incorporates real survivalist skills to help prepare you for that fateful day when catastrophe strikes. It could very well be sooner than you think! Are you prepared? * * * * * Further description: Mike Reynolds has the foresight to prepare for the unthinkable and finds a group of like-minded people who join together and buy a mountain retreat called Avalon. Their preparations over the years save their lives and eventually the lives of others. They methodically put into order a plan that helps them not only survive, but thrive! With his friend, Dr. Daniel Crowley, the two discover an old 19th Century abandoned cattle ranch, purchase it, and set out to find just the right people who help them plan for what others refuse to see - that the end of the United States of America and the world, as we know it, is imminent. Much of the U.S. and the world is eradicated by atomic bombs, radiation poisoning, starvation, plague, and all the atrocities that would prevail in a World Gone Mad! Gangs of thieves and thugs ban together to enslave the weaker men and women and even resort to the most unthinkable atrocity known to the human race - cannibalism. The folks at Avalon have food and all the amenities because they built a real sanctuary that offers protection to those who had the foresight to prepare ahead for a just-in-case disaster. Eventually they join up with a neighboring town once terrorized by the feudal Slavers and help free them from their subjugators. If you have ever wondered how to put together a retreat, stock it, and prepare it for any eventuality of cataclysmic proportions, Avalon is a must read. You will see how they did it and realize that you can do it too!

For those who have ever wondered what goes on at a men's retreat, author Dijorn Moss gives readers an in-depth look into the lives of four men who have looked for answers in all the wrong places . . . until now. Quincy is in the beginning stages of his divorce, but he still wants to know which church member had an affair with his wife. Jamal is on the verge of the promotion of a lifetime, but unresolved issues with his son, Jamir, threaten everything. Chauncey is a man who will go to great lengths for his church, but not for his terminally ill brother. Will is a young hustler who has been given a rare opportunity to make a choice that will change his life forever. These four men are all at a crossroads in their lives. Will they lay their burdens down at the cross, or will they choose paths that will cause more harm than good? It will all be revealed at the men's retreat, where they learn that they need God and his wisdom more than ever.