Showing results by narrator "Jacq Ainsworth" in All Categories

Mysterious necromancers. Wicked summoners. Fierce witches. Occasional familiars. Military experiments. Secret councils. Forbidden alliances. The Academy of Ancients will suck you in. Briar’s free. Or is she? With the necromancers and the undead still loose, the masters that control these heinous creatures might as well be.

There are whispers the Savannah coast is home to the deadly pirate, Alligator George, but Christine Fryer needs a peaceful escape from her father's disapproving stare. Captain Nathaniel Butler knows it's time to put his smuggling operation to rest now that the American Revolution is over. He needs to make one last expedition to pay off his remaining debt, but his plans are threatened by the meddlesome sister of his best friend. As Savannah society throws a privileged young woman and a desperate man together, the marsh will reveal their secrets and their hearts.

Julia Scott flees an arranged marriage and a cruel stepmother to live with her uncle in the West Indies. Attacked by pirates and desired by island natives, the only person she can trust is John Smith, if that's his true name. Reaching her uncle's station in Antigua, Julia must face her feelings about her traitorous family, a dashing new suitor, and the guardian angel John Smith, who has no qualms sporting counterfeit names and less than what is proper attire.

New jobs can be murder - that’s what it seems like to Emma Harmon of Cape Hope. She’s got a new job blogging about food, and she’s thrilled to be traveling to a new resort to sample the fare and meet local celebrities. One of who is first-kiss-Robbie - as in the first boy to kiss her is a famous chef now! She also finds out her photographer is a hot guy with a major chip on his shoulder, so she’s not so thrilled when she discovers a body in the sand dunes. One with a knife sticking out of him. A chef knife. Robbie’s chef knife.

The shadows have always been with me—silent, waiting, and dangerous. After the accident that took my parents, they became my curse, my secret. Now at the Academy, surrounded by other summoners, my control is slipping. The memories I buried are clawing their way back, and a stranger’s touch has stirred something I can’t explain. I should leave before I hurt someone, but how can I when the only thing darker than my magic is the truth hiding in my past?

Yoel's world has been saved, but his own salvation feels far away. As a leader, he's dedicated to his people, yet a part of him longs for the love his friend Zaxx has found. Enter Rella: a hard-edged human, seasoned by the adventures of space. She's tired of the travel, yearning for the comfort of solid ground. A chance landing on Yoel's planet sets their destinies on a collision course. But amidst their growing feelings, an ancient danger reemerges. An exiled faction of Yoel's race, vengeful and power-hungry, threatens to disrupt their newfound joy.

Jamie’s never gotten over the one that got away. And boy did he ever get away. The bastard ran off without so much as a goodbye after a few sweet, sexy, sweaty days and nights. Just like that. Not a word. Walkr knew that Jamie was the one for him, and yet when duty called, he did what a good soldier had to do. Now, he’s haunted by the Mate Dreams. So that’s not a big deal is it? It sure is when his father wants him to marry within his own race and produce heirs for their bloodline.

Seth Paulson had been tormented by visions of Wren Winters ever since she was taken from him. Every day without her was a battle against the dark forces threatening to consume him. Haunted by the possibility of what Sirus, the ancient necromancer, could be doing to her, Seth knew he had to find Wren before it was too late. His every effort to reach out to her through their magical bond pushed him to the brink, but he refused to let go.

Wren Winters had barely survived an attack that decimated her team, leaving her the sole survivor, haunted by guilt and unresolved rage. Her every step at the Academy was shadowed by memories of screams and loss, an echo of darkness that clung desperately to her soul. In this charged atmosphere, she crossed paths with Seth Paulson, a student tormented by prophetic visions of doom and despair.

Let no good deed go unpunished. At least, that’s what it feels like to Darcy Harmon. She’s helping a friend out by delivering flowers to a funeral, when one of the attendees dies on the spot. Right there at the funeral. Right in front of Darcy. She can’t let that go without investigating, can she? Especially not after the attempts on her own life.

Darcy’s got an interview with a local paper. Cool, right? Well, maybe not. Why’s she got reservations about doing the interview when anyone she tells about it encourages her to jump at the chance? So, Darcy jumps. Only she finds her remote interview over Zoom comes to an untimely end when her interviewer is attacked.

In an abandoned warehouse. Behind the arcade. In the woods. In a motel. All these locations have one thing in common—murder—and these murders are reminiscent of a killer that is long dead. While Detective Derick Wyatt is trying to navigate his new love life with Kimberly, a copycat Butcher is driving him to drink. But what do the killings have to do with the sweet family that lives next door to him? As the Butcher eludes him and his relationship with the family strains, he has to thank God he has Kimberly beside him to see him through this mess.

Who’d think an innocent early morning walk on the beach would yield a sealed bottle with a mysterious set of letters from decades ago? Certainly not Darcy Harmon, but that’s exactly what she’s come across. And leave it to her sister Emma, the family’s resident amateur sleuth, to try to take the mystery away from Darcy. Well, Darcy’s having none of it. It’s her mystery to solve, and she’s not sharing it. At least, not until someone tries to take her life.

It’s the special day Emma and Joe have been waiting for. It’s a day that Darcy’s been stressing out over for months. She’s no wedding planner, but that hasn’t stopped her from doing all she can to make this day perfect. Despite their mother’s frustration that the new caterer has decided to open near her café. Despite the fact that their parents are divorced. Despite the fact that someone tried to strangle Darcy at the reception, and the new caterer—who’s not exactly ugly—saved her from the assault. Why can’t there be a wedding without chaos and mayhem in Cape Hope?

Emma’s heading out for an assignment. One she’s been looking forward to until a phone call derails her plans and gives her a different agenda. And with it comes a dilemma. Deke’s back. Detective McHottie’s been absent. And now there’s a dead body in a portapotty.

Looking for a temporary place to stay before their final move, Robbie and Diana are tired of moving their little family of five around, so when Robbie finally secures a job, they aren’t fussed about the temporary living arrangements in the old "Metz" house. Aware of the gruesome murders that took place in the home, Diana starts to regret their decision when strange things begin to happen. When a copycat killer starts to hunt people around the neighborhood, Sylvana is called upon to save her tenants before it is too late. The only question is whether she will make it in time.

Sylvia Harmon’s daughters, Emma and Darcy, have finally convinced her to join the online dating scene. Except that the women in Sylvia’s new beau’s life seem to have been dropping like flies. Can Emma keep out of this new mystery? Join Emma on her next adventure with the adorable Lola, Detective McHottie. Will a certain photographer decide to make an appearance?

An antique book. A mysterious old photo. Emma’s curiosity and perseverance and an old mystery about Cape Hope’s royalty. Join Emma on her next adventure with the adorable Lola, Detective McHottie, and a certain photographer who’s decided to make an appearance.

Emma’s boss has sent her to a conference. All expenses paid. How great is that? It was great until her mother’s best friends show up as attendees to make sure she doesn’t get herself into any trouble. What? It’s not like that’s their only mission. The conference is at a casino, and they love their slots. Not to mention they love the keynote speaker. It was great until a mysterious, shady man shows up, harassing the keynote speaker and another author. That shouldn’t really involve Emma. And it doesn’t. Until a trip to the swimming pool turns up a dead body.

Vacations can be murder...Emma’s got a few days off and what better way to spend them than joining her best friend Raina on trip to a bed and breakfast Raina’s former - maybe not so former? - crush is opening. Who knows, maybe she’ll get a scoop for the blog. Wouldn’t hurt to turn this into a working assignment. Too bad everything falls to pieces when a body’s discovered in a chest in the attic. Even worse, that Detective McHottie shows up in the middle of the investigation. Can Emma figure out who is in the attic before the killer finds out she’s looking into the matter?