New Releases by Susan CARROLL

Tiden er 1500-tallets Frankrig, hvor en ung og svag kong Charles 9. sidder på tronen, og voldsomme religionskrige raser rundt om i landet. I et forsøg på at skabe forsoning planlægges en alliance mellem kongens søster og huguenot-prinsen Henri af Navarra. På en lille ø ud for Bretagnes disede kyster sidder en ung kvinde, der ufrivilligt bliver hvirvlet ind i stridighederne, da det viser sig, at dronningemoderen Katharina af Medici – også kaldet Mørkets Dronning – sidder og lægger forræderiske planer i hoffets prægtige gemakker i Paris. Ariane Cheney, Fruen af Belle Île og den ældste af tre søstre, er kendt for sine magiske og okkulte evner, men af frygt for heksejagter er det med den største forsigtighed, hun praktiserer sine kundskaber. Hun bliver dog opsøgt af en fremmed, som har brug for hendes hjælp. En såret soldat medbringer et farligt bevis, som kan fælde Mørkets Dronning. Hvis Ariane hjælper til i opklaringen, er det med livet som indsats, og meget imod hendes vilje er den eneste, hun kan søge støtte hos, hendes mystiske bejler grev de Renard. Hun kæmper for ikke at åbne sit hjerte til ham, men da tusindvis af huguenotter bliver slået ihjel under de kongelige bryllupsfestligheder på Bartholomæusnatten, må de stå sammen, hvis det gode skal sejre over det onde. "Mørkets dronning" er første selvstændige del af trilogien om søstrene Cheney. Det er en fortælling med historiske kulisser og en hel del magi og myter, der er mere historie end i fx Marion Zimmer Bradley''s romaner og mere magi end i Philippa Gregory''s bøger, det er spænding og drama og en herlig kærlighedshistorie. Det er en roman til de, der læste Zimmer Bradley''s serier, men også til de utallige, der har slugt en roman som Désirée. - Bibliotekernes lektørudtalelse Susan Carroll (f. 1952) har et langt forfatterskab af historiske romaner bag sig. Hun bor i Rock Island, Illinois, USA.

In 2010, I experienced a divine encounter that would change my life forever. God, in his infinite compassion for me, allowed a channel of love to open. Through this channel, God brought teachers, guides, and a loved one who would lead me to my place of surrender. In this space of unconditional love, I was set free from a life of addictions and learned, for the first time, how to live fully as the person God intended me to be. This is an extraordinary true story about the power of divine love. There is no greater healing power than the power of love. It is my story written in love in honor of love, a love that never fails and never dies.

Will this Cinderella get her happily ever after with her one true love? Find out in the enchanting sequel to Disenchanted. “[Disenchanted is] one of the best fairy-tale retellings of Cinderella I’ve read . . . vivid and rich, lush and three-dimensional . . . I was in love from the first page, and I can’t wait to read more!”—The Romance Reviews “Once the author wrapped me into the characters, I was a goner. You couldn’t pay me to put the book down.”—The Jeep Diva

O investigador particular Mike Parker era demasiado cínico para acreditar no amor. Quando Sara Holyfield apareceu no seu escritório e lhe pediu ajuda para resolver um caso estranho de uma pessoa desaparecida, o seu primeiro impulso foi pô-la na rua. Contudo, Sara tinha qualquer coisa que o afectava. Talvez fosse o seu rosto inocente... ou o seu não tão inocente corpo. Ou, talvez, o facto de o maior inimigo de Mike o ter «aconselhado» a não aceitar o caso. Fosse qual fosse a causa, Mike viu-se a braços com o maior caso da sua carreira: proteger o seu coração.

Life Passed Me By is a wistful, heartbreaking and unintentionally humorous memoir about life postponed.

An alluring love triangle and a daring caper unfold in this imaginative retelling of Cinderella, featuring an indomitable damsel who’s not so easily swept off her glass slippers. At the tender age of seventeen, Ella Upton lost her innocence to a traveling minstrel, a youth with flaxen hair and a golden voice whose deep blue eyes concealed his true intentions—until it was too late. Seven years later, Ella’s stepsisters chatter about winning the affections of the dreamy Prince Florian at the royal ball, but Ella has no such illusions. Instead, her dashing best friend, Malcolm Hawkridge, persuades her with his reckless charm and wicked smile to use the occasion to steal back a magic orb from the corrupt king. But before the clock strikes midnight, Ella finds herself pursued by more than one prince—not to mention Commander Horatio Crushington, who captures her with his piercing gaze from across the crowded ballroom. Dancing through the sudden swirl of suitors, Ella feels her cheeks burning—and not solely because of the orb hidden in her gown. Has the strapping Horatio awakened long-dormant desires or is Ella finally coming to grips with her feelings for Malcolm? Only the girl who thought she’d given up on love can decide. Note: Disenchanted ends on a cliffhanger. Ella’s story continues in Charmless! Praise for Disenchanted “One of the best fairy-tale retellings of Cinderella I’ve read . . . vivid and rich, lush and three-dimensional . . . I was in love from the first page, and I can’t wait to read more!”—The Romance Reviews (top pick) “Once the author wrapped me into the characters, I was a goner. You couldn’t pay me to put the book down.”—The Jeep Diva Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

This brilliant new installment in bestselling author Susan Carroll’s mesmerizing Dark Queen historical fiction series is perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory. Queen Catherine de Medici is dead, and for Meg Wolfe—successor in a line of legendary healers and mystics known as “daughters of the earth”—it is a time of new beginnings. She strives to be ordinary, invisible in the mists of Faire Isle, and is determined to put the terrifying days of a wicked mother and turbulent childhood behind her. But soon a summons from King James will rekindle a menacing power from the past, bringing haunting visions of a nightmare already unfolding—and a shattering mystery steeped in magic that will determine a destiny from which she cannot hide. Meg’s task: Save the king from the most insidious form of treachery, invisible to those who do not possess Meg’s extraordinary gifts. But as Meg discovers, there are more sinister motivations at play in the king’s world. Torn between two very different men whose motives and secrets are tied inexorably to her own fate, Meg learns that she can no longer trust anyone or anything—not even her own heart. Praise for Susan Carroll’s Twilight of a Queen “[Susan] Carroll’s vivid portrayal of Catherine de Medici is mesmerizing, but the evil queen does not overshadow either the romance or the strong characterization and plot that are Carroll’s hallmarks.”—RT Book Reviews “Fascinating . . . full of twists and turns and a lot of intriguing historical detail.”—Night Owl Reviews

Ariana Cheney ha heredado de su madre la antigua sabiduría de otros tiempos, cuando las mujeres eran fuertes, independientes y conocían los secretos de la naturaleza... algo que la gente confunde fácilmente con la brujería. Ahora apenas se ve con fuerzas

&¿Es posible elegir entre el poder y el amor? Gabrielle es joven, hermosa y llena de ambici&ón. Maestra en el arte de la seducci&ón y conocedora de hechizos ancestrales, ha conseguido convertirse en la cortesana m&ás deseada de la corte de Par&ís. Su objetivo final no es otro que el propio rey Henry de Navarra, con el que espera llegar a controlar el trono de Francia. Su principal oponente, por supuesto, ser&á otra mujer: Catherine de Medici, tambi&én conocida como la Reina Oscura, due&ña de enormes riquezas, legiones de sicarios y capaz de recurrir a la magia negra cuando sea necesario. Sin embargo, quiz&ás el principal obst&áculo en el camino de Gabrielle resida en el capit&án Nicholas Remy. Un simple hombre, armado con algo m&ás poderoso que cualquier poci&ón o la espada m&ás afilada: el amor. Ambici&ón, pasi&ón y oscuras conspiraciones en una apasionante trama situada en uno momento fascinante y turbulento de la historia.

Set during the Renaissance in 1588, this sweeping historical novel takes readers back to the home of Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, who must choose a successor to her throne as Carroll''s Dark Queen series comes to a stunning conclusion.

En una cruel jugarreta del destino, la bruja Miri Cheney se enamora de Simon Aristide, un hombre cuyo oficio es, precisamente, la caza de brujas. Por más que Miri intenta poner distancia para reprimir ese sentimiento prohibido, el amor la encuentra allí

In a time of intrigue and betrayal, the huntress is on a quest that could jeopardize two empires and two great queens: Catherine de Medici and Elizabeth I. The year is 1585–and prophecy has foretold the coming of a daughter of the Earth whose powers are so extraordinary they could usurp the very rule of the Dark Queen herself, Catherine de Medici. Dispatched from Brittany to London, Catriona O’Hanlon, known as the Huntress, must find this mysterious young girl and shield her from those who will exploit her mystic abilities, which have the potential to change the course of history. Catriona’s skill with weaponry is all she has to protect herself and her young charge from spies who snake through the courts of Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen–including the girl’s own father, whose loyalties are stretched to the breaking point. But Catriona will soon face menacing forces and sinister plots unlike any she has ever encountered. From Susan Carroll, the celebrated storyteller of historical fiction, The Huntress is an unforgettable portrait of power and passion–and one woman’s courage to risk everything for those she loves. “Susan Carroll writes sparkling dialogue and exquisite prose.” –Teresa Medeiros, author of After Midnight

From Brittany’s fog-shrouded forests to the elegant dark heart of Paris’s royal court, one woman must challenge a country’s destiny–and her own dangerous fate. France, 1585. She is the youngest and most powerful of the “Sisters of Faire Isle,” women known far and wide for their extraordinary mystical abilities. Skilled in healing and able to forecast the future of those around her, Miri Cheney has returned to her ancestral home to take refuge from a land devastated by civil war–and to grieve for her family, driven to exile. But she cannot hide from the formidable new power threatening to seize control of France from the dread “Dark Queen,” Catherine de Medici–a diabolical woman known only as the Silver Rose. Miri has no choice but to turn to the one man she distrusts as much as she desires: Simon Aristide, the charismatic witch-finder who is now himself the hunted, and who has reluctantly made an unholy pact with Catherine. Miri must defy throne and family to save all that she loves most–and command a future greater than she could ever imagine. Vibrant with stunning historical detail, alive with characters as richly passionate as they are compelling, The Silver Rose is a sweeping, exquisitely wrought tale from a mesmerizing storyteller.

Valentine St. Leger was born with an amazing gift: He can purge the suffering of others by taking their pain into his own body. Yet Val''s healing hands cannot change destiny. Should Val wed, his unfortunate bride would be doomed to an early death.

Skilled in passion, artful in deception, and driven by betrayal, she is the glittering center of the royal court–but the most desired woman of Renaissance France will draw the wrath of a dangerous adversary. Paris, 1575. The consort of some of Europe’s most influential men, Gabrielle Cheney is determined to secure her future by winning the heart of Henry, the Huguenot king of Navarre. As his mistress, Gabrielle hopes she might one day become the power behind the French throne. But her plans are jeopardized by Captain Nicolas Rémy, a devoted warrior whose love Gabrielle desires–and fears–above all. She will also incur the malevolence of the Dark Queen, Catherine de’ Medici, whose spies and witch-hunters are legion, and who will summon the black arts to maintain her authority. With the lives of those she loves in peril, Gabrielle must rebel against her queen to fulfill a glorious destiny she has sacrificed everything to gain. Alive with vivid period detail and characters as vibrant as they are memorable, The Courtesan is a sweeping historical tale of dangerous intrigues, deep treachery, and one woman’s unshakable resolve to honor her heart.

From Brittany’s misty shores to the decadent splendor of Paris’s royal court, one woman must fulfill her destiny–while facing the treacherous designs of Catherine de Medici, the dark queen. She is Ariane, the Lady of Faire Isle, one of the Cheney sisters, renowned for their mystical skills and for keeping the isle secure and prosperous. But this is a time when women of ability are deemed sorceresses, when Renaissance France is torn by ruthless political intrigues, and all are held in thrall to the sinister ambitions of Queen Catherine de Medici. Then a wounded stranger arrives on Faire Isle, bearing a secret the Dark Queen will do everything in her power to possess. The only person Ariane can turn to is the comte de Renard, a nobleman with fiery determination and a past as mysterious as his own unusual gifts. Riveting, vibrant, and breathtaking, The Dark Queen follows Ariane and Renard as they risk everything to prevent the fulfillment of a dreadful prophecy–even if they must tempt fate and their own passions.

Val St. Leger never imagined that he would be the first man to break young and beautiful Kate''s heart. He had watched her grow since she was a child and there was nothing he wouldn''t do to protect her from the slightest harm.

Een jonge vrouw probeert door het oproepen van geesten, toverkunsten en bezweringen haar geliefde aan zich te binden.

These simple but elegant designs are made with inexpensive, easy-to-find specialty papers. Projects include a journal, clock, and luminary, plus gift wraps, ornaments, and note cards.

Chosen by the Bride Finder, a man blessed with amazing insight, Madeline Breton has come to Cornwall to meet her new husband, the enigmatic Anatole St. Leger. But her dream of happiness soon diffuses in his overpowering shadow. Anatole knows only too well the legacies that to him have been more curses than gifts. But as Madeline embarks on an odyssey both otherworldly and undeniably real, she and her husband fall hopelessly in love--until she sees a haunting vision of murder and a terrifying enemy emerges to threaten both their lives. . . .