"The Vineyard on Mulberry Street" is a saga of the Ghirardis, an Italian American family, who leave their roots in Armento, Potenza, in Italy to relocate to Mulberry Street in New York's Lower East Side. It begins with Francesco Paolo Ghirardi who comes to America in 1890 to live with his uncle who marries Angela when he was a young man and has four children. The eldest of the second generation, Catherine, develops into the beauty of the family, an Italian-American Scarlett O'Hara; strong, independent and enigmatic.
When Catherine is nineteen, she meets and falls in love with a charismatic, powerful, political figure, Jack Paterno, at a ball she attends, but is warned by her father to stay away from him as he is married and has children. She continues to see Paterno despite the strong objections of her family, meeting in secret two days a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Jack cannot seek a divorce because of his close ties to the Catholic Church and his political aspirations, so eventually Catherine marries Dr. Martin Cabotte, a surgeon, and gives birth to a baby girl, Alessandra. Martin joins the Army, is transferred to Australia, and Catherine and her daughter move in with her mother and father in their new home in a small town in New Jersey.
Catherine defies the mores of the time and continues the forbidden love affair while living in the highly traditional Catholic household. Meanwhile, the family refuses to sanction the arrangement, and Alessandra must bear the burden of living with her mother's secret, as well as trying to shield her from her grandmother's wrath. The two of them lead a double life, walking a tight rope between Jack's orbit of Washington D.C., meetings on Capitol Hill, courtrooms, dockets and banquets and the simple, warm comfort of the Ghirardi house in Oak Grove with the grape arbor in the back, where the three generations live under one roof.
The story begins during World War II when patriotism is at an all time high and there are sharp distinctions between good and evil: as evidenced in the strict moral code of the Catholic church. We see America's home front; rations and food stamps, Black Market goods and swing shifts. Almost every family has someone in the Armed Services, never knowing if they will return. The Ghirardis are no different. Their youngest, Sonny, the family's "golden boy," is a naval officer on a battleship in enemy waters. We see the Sunday feasts, with O Sole Mio and guinea stinkers, tarantellas and Irish jigs, the wine cellar where the potent homemade brew is served to male guests who emerge glassy eyed and giddy and finally the grape arbor, the "soul" of the house with its lush grapes and hearty vines. There are the Saturday afternoons with Aley in the kitchen with her grandmother, when her mother is out with Jack, as she listens to the matriarch's stories. And the other Saturday afternoons with Jack, Catherine and Aley at "The French Place, " a restaurant, their home away from home, where the three of them almost feel like a family. There are the threesome vacations at fancy resorts, Wednesday dinners at New York City's restaurants, Broadway shows (usually with a "beard") and Jack's generous gifts. We become familiar with the eclectic cast of characters; Tot, another daughter, a cross between Snow White and Marilyn Monroe with her bosom jiggling Charlestons and Hick, her husband with his outrageous antics and whiskey "ho-ho-ho's," delivering Christmas presents in the late afternoon because of his Christmas Eve hangover.
The story progresses to include the Post-War years, the healing period of the fifties, then the colorful sixties beginning with Camelot and hope, the Civil Rights, Women's Liberation and Antiwar Movements and ending with assassinations, rage and despair while the lives of the family parallel the climate of the country. The tapestry, as seen through Aley's eyes, reveals

Turn a Blind Eye is the third instalment in the gripping story of Detective Inspector William Warwick, by the master storyteller and Sunday Times number one bestselling author of the Clifton Chronicles. William Warwick, now a Detective Inspector, is tasked with a dangerous new line of work, to go undercover and expose crime of another kind: corruption at the heart of the Metropolitan Police Force. His team is focused on following Detective Jerry Summers, a young officer whose lifestyle appears to exceed his income. But as a personal relationship develops with a member of William's team, it threatens to compromise the whole investigation. Meanwhile, a notorious drug baron goes on trial, with the prosecution case led by William's father and sister. And William's wife Beth, now a mother to twins, renews an old acquaintance who appears to have turned over a new leaf, or has she? As the undercover officers start to draw the threads together, William realizes that the corruption may go deeper still, and more of his colleagues than he first thought might be willing to turn a blind eye. 'Peerless master of the page-turner' - Daily Mail

The Patchwork Girls by Elaine Everest is a moving story about the ties of friends and family, set during the turbulence of the Second World War. 1939. After the sudden and tragic loss of her husband, Helen is returning home to her mother's house in Biggin Hill, Kent - the one place she vowed she'd never go back to again. Alone and not knowing where to turn, Helen finds herself joining the local women's sewing circle despite being hopeless with a needle and thread. These resourceful women can not only make do and mend clothes, quilts and woolly hats, but their friendship mends something deeper in Helen too. Lizzie is a natural leader, always ready to lend a helping hand or a listening ear. Effie has uprooted her life from London to keep her two little girls away from the bombing raids, and the sewing circle is a welcome distraction from worries about how to keep a roof over their heads and about her husband too, now serving in active duty overseas. When the reason for Helen's husband's death comes to light, her world is turned upside down yet again. The investigating officer on the case, Richard, will leave no stone unturned, but it's not long before his interest in Helen goes beyond the professional. As she pieces together old fabrics into a beautiful quilt, will Helen patch up the rifts in her own life?

In early spring of 1872, Donya Heidsheim stood on the banks of the Weser River looking out at the raging waters. Her father had been brutally murdered, her mother was dead from a broken heart, all she had left was unanswered questions. She would no longer pray to the God her parents taught her to love. In anger she screamed out for revenge.

Someone heard her. It appeared. Something gave her peace and a chance for revenge. Something gave her a chance to see her child again. But it all came with a high price tag.

The peaceful village of Brunstoke, Germany, surrounded by the beautiful Harz Mountains, was invaded by an ancient sect. A presence as old as the Garden uses the manipulation of lust and avarice to wrap its talons around Brunstoke's nobility.

Sent from the throne of God, two unlikely companions join forces to work together to combat the curse placed on the Brunstoke family-Shomer, a warring angel for the righteous, and Leb, a mystery character fight the forces of the fallen ones who try to destroy God's seed born of faith through the Lord Jesus Christ.

The heartwrenching new novel from bestselling author Kitty Neale Can she put right the secrets of the past? London, 1939. Winnie Berry has been the landlady of the Battersea Tavern for nearly twenty-five years, and the pub is like home to her - a place of tears and laughter, full of customers that feel like family. A place where she's learned to avoid the quick fists of her husband, and where she's raised her beloved son, David. He's inherited his father's lazy streak and can't seem to hold down a job, but when war is declared Winnie is determined to keep her son safe. She's still haunted by the choice she made years ago as a desperate young woman, and she won't make the same mistake of letting her family be taken from her... But when a young woman crosses her path, the secrets of Winnie's past threaten to turn her world upside down. There's nothing stronger than a mother's love - but can it ever have a second chance? The first book in The Battersea Tavern series

Discover the bestselling Mulberry Lane historical series by Rosie Clarke.London 1958 Life has moved on since the war and the youngsters of Mulberry Lane are growing up fast. Peggy's Ronaski's family is struggling with growing pains but she is always there, strong, reliable and ready to help whenever a crisis hits. Meanwhile, Maureen Hart has family problems of her own to contend with. Together they will work hard to conquer all of what life has to throw at them... Join Peggy and Maureen as their siblings embark on life's new adventures and try to forge a partnerships for success. What does the future hold for the families and friends of Mulberry Lane? Praise for the Mulberry Lane series: 'When it comes to writing sagas, Rosie Clarke is up there with some of the best in the business' Bookish Jottings. 'Full of drama, romance and secrets ... A perfect example of its genre' That Thing She Reads. 'This is wonderful historical fiction that is so character-driven you'll wish these women lived on your street' 'Absolutely loved this latest instalment and revisiting the ladies of the Lane. Another great story of love and heartache'

1950s Liverpool. In the tight-knit Irish Catholic community of the Four Streets, two girls are growing up. One is motherless - and hated by the cold woman who is determined to take her dead mother's place. The other is hiding a dreadful secret which she dare not let slip to anyone, lest it rips the heart out of the community. What can the people of the Four Streets do when a betrayal at the very heart of their world comes to light?

From the sweeping blue waters of the Caribbean to the majestic shores of America, Out of the Depths shares one woman's amazing journey from orphaned child to enlightened woman.

Born on a Caribbean island to humble parents, Beth Gaston tragically loses her mother in childbirth. Her father, Andre, showers her and her older brother with love and affection, making Beth's early years a source of delight. But when her father dies in a boating accident, five-year-old Beth is adopted by her Aunt May.

For a time, Beth continues to enjoy a happy childhood until May marries Boze, a freeloading drug addict who inflicts physical and mental abuse on Beth. At Sunday School, she learns more about God and the Bible, leading her to begin a lifelong quest to understand her faith. But as Beth grows older, other questions on racism and discrimination start to beg for answers.

In her late teens, Beth seizes the opportunity to immigrate to the United States, and becomes a nanny in the home of a world-famous doctor. But even in this great land of new beginnings, she still struggles with issues of morality, religion, and prejudice. Beth soon learns, however, that some questions have no answers, and the biggest journey of all takes place within our own hearts.

Latitude 18 is a novel about Greg Star and Mark Barrett, two childhood friends in their mid-twenties who were fed up with their routine lives in Baltimore. What began as a desperately needed vacation in the islands of the Caribbean soon set the stage for a totally life-changing experience for the two young adventurers.

The Caribbean has always been dominated by patriarchal figures, those men who unofficially run their small communities in their own style. Greg and Mark unwittingly find themselves entangled with one such individual, Arsene Louis Fleming; who was always loyal to his friends, but merciless to his foes. The young men quickly realize that they are no match for the old-timer that everyone in the region refers to as "Sun;" that is, until they all discover there is a much stronger force to reckon with in the islands of the Caribbean-Mother Nature.

As you follow the adventures of Mark and Greg, prepare yourself for the twists and turns that thrilling, emotional journeys often bring. Love affairs, betrayal, jealousy, and the mighty bond of friendship, which is truly tested to the breaking point, are all features of this exciting adventure.

An emotionally compelling saga of guarded passions and family intrigue, spanning thirty years from the onset of World War II 1943. Wartime England. Married to a Guardsman at the age of eighteen after a whirlwind courtship, Helen Woodley believed her future was assured - only to be widowed before she was forty. Though she put on a brave face, Helen could no more reconcile herself to Adam's death than she could accept the hemmed-in, incestuous life of the Army and all its intrigues and affairs. And now Helen is faced with an unwelcome sense of deja vu. For her impulsive, free-spirited daughter Ruth, eighteen years old herself, has fallen madly in love with a soldier about to be posted to Northern Ireland, a man whom she's desperately anxious to marry. Can Helen prevent history from repeating itself?

A beautiful, heartrending story is set to unfold as a small family, broken apart by circumstance and consequence, struggles to reunite across time. Mina, already a mother at a young age, leaves her children to escape her husband's relentless beating. Tanika and Kai grow up under their grandmother's care and adherence to the old ways of the Estelusti, hating their father and longing for their mother. As time sweeps change over all, South and West collide, new ways try old customs, and the metropolitan encroaches imposingly on the rural. Everyone must dance to destiny's dance and listen to the love-song their hearts. All the while, Grandpa Willow Tree stands over them, his weathered face inscrutably all-knowing.