Tuesday 29th October 1929 - better known as Black Tuesday, was the day $14 billion was lost on Wall Street and saw the start of the great depression of the 1930s which rocked the world. In mid-Norfolk, England, the Lloyd family have lived on their estate for generations and the events in New York seem distant. However their lives are about to change drastically as the disaster across the Atlantic begins to unfold. Will Rupert Lloyd have the strength of character to carry his family out of the crisis they are thrown into or is the Lloyd name about to be forgotten, another casualty of a world catastrophe?

Lily seemed to have it all: a beautiful house, good job and loving boyfriend, Daniel. However, her life is turned upside down when she discovers Daniel in bed with another woman. Hurt and humiliated, Lily struggles to find a purpose to her life without Daniel by her side and when he tries to show her how remorseful he feels, she finds her former resolve to remain strong crumbling away. With her feelings for Daniel still in turmoil, Lily receives a visit from the police informing her of the death of her parents. Needing Daniel's support now more than ever, Lily attempts to come to terms with her sudden loss and hopes that the imminent return of her estranged brother, Simon, will go some way towards helping her to rebuild her life. Unfortunately for Lily, Simon is not quite what she was expecting and she soon becomes suspicious of his strange behaviour. Undeterred by his denials and even the proof of a DNA test, Lily fights to discover the truth about Simon's existence in Mexico and soon finds herself embroiled in a world filled with blackmail and drugs. When Simon returns to Mexico, he quickly learns that his life is in danger and with the help of the American authorities escapes his persecutors only to discover that he is expected to testify in a court of law against one of Mexico's most notorious drug barons. Supposedly dead, and under FBI protection, Simon questions his resolve and has to discover a braver side to his nature than he ever knew existed if he is to survive and be reunited with his sister.

Ever since I began writing short stories, people have been telling me they never know which of my characters are real and which are purely fictional. The simple answer of course, is that they are all fictional, just some, more than others, are based more on either past experiences or are from tales I've heard other people tell. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter and I'm pleased readers are gaining so much enjoyment from the results of my vivid imagination. Some are real, some are not. I love writing about people and what makes them tick. Play along and make your own mind up; you can never be wrong

This is Sonya's second anthology of short stories, and like her first: 2000 Words, this is an exploration of human nature and how people react to the events which play a part of their everyday existence.

This is the first collection of short stories published by Sonya C. Dodd. Each tale is an exploration of the human character and looks at how the main character in each story reacts to what is happening around them. This collection contains a number of different genres.

A siren in exile. A man alone. Each suffering their own torture at the way they were torn apart; and so begins the third instalment of the siren trilogy. But it doesn't end with the punishment, it's only the beginning; the beginning of a change for sirens which will alter their paths forever. Can Rachel and Greg endure the obstacles which block their future happiness? With the Mediterranean rocked by storms and tsunamis, how can two people possibly hope to come through the turmoil together and live to tell the tale? With the law of the sirens about to be rewritten after centuries of equilibrium is Rachel strong enough to withstand the affirmation of the sirens?

Beginning in 1930s England, Dear Mother follows the life of Sarah Dobson. Daughter of a gamekeeper and motherless, Sarah has grown up on the estate of her father's employer, naive and protected from the outside world. When Sarah finds herself pregnant at sixteen she is unprepared for her father's reaction and the turn of events which follow. Sent away to live with an aunt in Norfolk, Sarah longs for the happy ever after ending of which she has always dreamed. Facing life alone as a single mother, Sarah reluctantly accepts a proposal of marriage from Sam Fisher, a man much older than herself. This time when Sarah finds out she is pregnant, her future does look brighter until a terrible accident causes her to lose the baby and Sam dies shortly afterwards. Hearing the news of the death of her son's father, Sarah faces the wrath of her only child when he discovers the kind of life which his mother has kept hidden from him. Determined not to waste any more time, he leaves his mother for a 'better' life. Once more alone Sarah prepares herself to live a life of solitude and loneliness only for love to come knocking at her door when she least expects it.

Meeting at university, it seemed as though they had the world at their feet when Daniel and Annabel fell in love. Both ambitious and ready to take on the world neither was prepared for the way they were torn apart by forces greater than themselves. Years later, they bump into each other and realise the flame of love has not been totally extinguished. Now a successful, rising politician, Daniel breaks away from a loveless marriage and pursues Annabel once more, desperate to prove himself to her. Finally, permitting herself to allow him back into her heart, Annabel embraces Daniel's love and looks forward to finding her true love at last. However, the rocky path of their lives once more threatens to destroy them both as someone else's plans backfire and they struggle to remain strong together.

Greg's world was turned upside down the night of the storm. Unexpectedly plucked from the sea's watery grave by a mysterious woman, he knows he should feel grateful for his life when so many were not as fortunate. Rachel is a siren, her role is to lure men to their deaths. But she cannot bring herself to destroy Greg. As unfamiliar human emotions begin to take over her, she has to fight against the siren within her, as well as the Siren Counsel in order to find some peace of mind. However, for Greg, whenever Rachel is around, someone always seems to die. When he tries to begin a new life for himself, she is still there and it is not until she tells Greg her story that they each become ready to move forward in their lives. But will fate permit them to live as a normal couple with so much death in their wake?

The sequel to A Whisper in the Wind, Harbour of Dreams follows the paths of two people who were once very much in love but are now unaware of the existence of the other. Robert, haunted by the death of Sophia, has moved away from the Longley estate where he had always worked in order to try and find some peace in his life away from the memories of his past. Sarah is aware that she has been very ill; looked after by Doctor Jacob Eaton and his wife, Mary, she has been nursed back from the brink of death only to discover that she is with child. Moving away to protect her reputation, the sea air of Whitby helps Sarah's recovery but she is haunted by a recurring nightmare which refuses to let her past lie dormant. Sarah builds a new life for herself and is soon offered a proposal of marriage which she accepts. However, as plans for the marriage are laid, Sarah begins to remember her past life and quickly realises that Jacob and Mary have been withholding the truth from her. Will she remember her past before it's too late?

Following the life of the Gampton family, set on a country estate in Georgian England, the novel opens with the death of a servant who begs Henry Gampton, her master, to take care of her baby daughter, Angelina. Against his wife's wishes, Henry agrees and the child is raised alongside his own daughter, Sophia. Unaware of Angelina's background, the girls become like sisters as they grow up. However, Sophia's life is turned upside down by the death of first her mother and then her father. Inexperienced in matters of the heart, Sophia turns to her father's stable manager for comfort as her world is threatened by the evil intent of her uncle who wishes to ensure that the Gampton estate does not fall into his niece's hands, nor those of the daughter of a mere servant. Unable to trust those around her, Sophia decides to run away with Robert and face a life of poverty, yet full of love, rather than be forced into an arranged marriage. However, her plan is thwarted when her fiance: Charles Longford, finds Sophia about to depart with Robert in the cold early morning air. Unwilling to see his future disappear, Charles decides to take drastic action in order to stop them.

Eleanor is mystified by the woman she sees on the beach; her husband seems unable to see her, initially. As she begins to put the pieces of the jigsaw together, Eleanor is caught up in a race against time if she is to try and divert the tragic chain of events which follow. Bill is just an ordinary man but when he sees Rachel, his world is turned upside down and he loses all sense of reality as he becomes obsessed by such a beautiful apparition. To Rachel it is a game, she has one desire and purpose: to lure men to their deaths. Following a life full of torment and cruelty the task is simple and amusing as long as no one dares to stand in her path.

Lucy dreams of finding love which seems impossible whilst living under the influence of her strict father. Then, one day, she meets John Francis who sweeps her off her feet and wins her heart. Against the wishes of her father, Lucy marries John and she looks forward to a long and happy marriage. However, her idyllic world is turned upside down when Lucy discovers the true nature of her husband. When John's mother dies, his younger brother, George, comes to live with them and Lucy slowly begins to learn that the kind of love she had dreamt of can exist. Then, following the outbreak of World War One, recruiters visit the town and the brothers sign up for service as they are swept along by the tide of patriotism. The night before they are due to leave for France, George returns from training and spends a night of passion with Lucy. As she watches him leave the following morning, she is unaware of just how much her life will change over the coming months. Lucy discovers she is carrying George's child, whilst waiting week after week for their letters to arrive from the frontline. Will both brothers return? Who will take up the role of father to her child? These are just some of the questions which torment Lucy's mind as she waits for them. Finally one brother returns home; but is it the brother who Lucy longed for?