Showing results by narrator "Deborah Balm" in All Categories

Haunted by sorrow and regret, Margaret Hale stands at the precipice of an uncertain destiny. Fiercely determined but not knowing how to find her way, she risks the little she has left on the heart she once shattered - hoping somehow to win back his respect, if not his love...Since he was a boy, John Thornton has fought the consequences of his father’s mistakes. Crushed on all sides, all he has left to offer the one who needs him most is a home, and a heart that aches for her.

Spring is on the horizon, and the Weary Dragon Inn is getting its annual deep clean. But before Bev can even finish scrubbing the windows, Carpenter Earl's workshop goes up in flames. Earl's convinced the local kids are behind the mischief, but when more buildings come crashing down under mysterious circumstances, Bev's on the case once more.

Based on a true story, this is the tale of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard’s fight to take her rightful place in the competitive art world of 18th-century Paris. With a beautiful rival who’s better connected and better trained than she is, Adélaïde faces an uphill battle. Her love affair with her young instructor in oil painting gives rise to suspicions that he touches up her work, and her decision to make much-needed money by executing erotic pastels threatens to create as many problems as it solves.

The Harvest Festival is the most-anticipated event in the quaint village of Pigsend, and Bev and the Weary Dragon Inn are ready to welcome visitors from near and far. But when strange occurrences begin happening, including the destruction of Bev's beloved herb garden, Bev's got to put her sleuthing hat back on to uncover the truth.

A month after solving the murder of the Duke of Everton, Miss Victoria Parker is ready to indulge in a week of leisure. And, what better setting than the quiet solitude of the farm belonging to the brother of her assistant, James Kensington? Although the getaway sounds promising, it does come with two caveats: Victoria and James must quieten their budding romance, and they must play guardian to James’ 18-year-old niece, Dinah, a task to which Vicky readily agrees, and a decision she will soon regret.

In the aftermath of World War I, Clarissa Dalloway is an upper-class politician’s wife, who longs for the carefree, impassioned days of her youth. Her marriage to a sensible man gives her many opportunities to socialize and progress in society, but this practicality also prevented her from following other romantic and personal passions. These old regrets come to new light as Clarissa is reintroduced to Peter Walsh, a man she loved—and who had proposed to her—in her younger days.

Betrayed by her fiancé and her best friend, Lady Diana Haversham's reputation is left in ruins, and she is unjustly cast out by her family. Left with little choice, she agrees to pretend to be a courtesan to protect her benefactor's secret. What she didn't count on was meeting temptation in the form of one Lord Lucas Blackthorn. Lucas is fascinated by the shameless Diana, whom his friends claim is his perfect counterpart. He can't stop thinking about her sultry smile and captivating eyes, but what draws him most is the sharp mind she reveals—and the certainty she's hiding something.

Emily Moss cannot stand the roguish Alexander Bredon. As this season's most desired debut, she could have any man she wants. Unfortunately, Lady Lancaster pairs her up with none other than the incorrigible man himself. With mutual dislike and contempt, Alex would rather be doing anything other than escorting the high and mighty Emily, until a secret about her falls into his lap. Suddenly, he realizes there may be more to the lady than he originally thought. Perhaps the only thing that can keep them from killing each other is falling for each other instead.

It's election time in Pigsend, and Pigsend's mayor Jo Hendry is up for re-election, but she's not the only candidate in the race. Pip Norris, the farrier, Wilda Murtagh, the cousin of the perfidious mayor from Middleburg, Gore Dewey, the blacksmith, and Hans Silver, a local farmer, have thrown their hats into the ring, too. And if Earl Dollman's polling is to be believed, it's going to be a tight race. But when every candidate except Hendry receives a letter threatening to expose their "secret," Bev's once again called to investigate.

Summer has arrived in Pigsend, and it’s not just the sweltering temperatures putting everyone on edge. It’s the sixth anniversary of the war ending, and a cadre of soldiers is camping north of town to keep the peace and monitor for strange activity. Rumor has it a rebellion is brewing, one that threatens to plunge the country back into war—not that anyone in Pigsend is keen on that. At the Weary Dragon, Bev’s playing host to the usual set of travelers, including butcher Vellora’s old commander Andres.

Based on a true story, this is the tale of three strong women: Barbara, who was given a blue plastic cow that would later change her life forever; Florrie, who adopted a baby to replace the child she had lost; Carole, forced to give up her daughter by an unforgiving society. Growing up in a loving northern working-class family based on the banks of the River Mersey, Barbara felt that she was different. After accidently discovering that she had been adopted, she was only given a part of the story.

Annie Besant’s magnetic eloquence is brilliantly apparent in this volume of her writings and lectures on the spiritual life. The welfare of humanity and the world around us is our utmost concern, says Besant, and the primary tool of transformation is our own consciousness. Our inner life must change if outer conditions are to be improved. Besant illuminates the way with topics such as calmness of mind, devotion, knowledge, karma, reincarnation, and Divine Law. Quotes from poetry and the world’s scriptures provide additional inspiration.

After escaping to the garden for a reprieve from the stuffy ballroom, Miss Evelyn Trainor bumps into a handsome stranger through a hedge. When he boldly requests an introduction, she lies and tells him a fake name, Lady Eve, positive she’ll never see him again. But when she returns to the country for Christmas and finds her handsome stranger — the Duke of Alverton — has moved in next door for the holidays, she does what she must to guard her secret.

When Lanzarote anti-corruption activist Celestino is T-boned on a lonely road, he knows the collision was no accident. Wounded and fearing for his life, he hides in an abandoned fishing village, waiting for a chance to make it home. Meanwhile, his wife Paula is distraught and sets out to look for him. Paula’s search for her husband quickly descends into mayhem, danger, and intrigue.

It's the wedding of the year in Pigsend, at least if you talk to Vicky Hamblin. The bride-to-be is dead set on making her wedding to baker Allen Mackey the most perfect spectacle in the history of weddings, if only to impress her two snooty aunts. Bev's in charge of hosting them at the Weary Dragon Inn, along with a carefully-curated list of other family members, all designed to impress. But when things start going awry, and Vicky suspects someone might be out to sabotage her wedding, Bev's on the case once more. Can she find out who's out to get the bride before the big day?

Bev's on the hunt to understand her mysterious past, and that means a visit to her dear friend Merv. The six-foot moleman doesn't have the answers, but takes her to the secret, underground town of Lower Pigsend, thriving with all the magical creatures seeking refuge after the war. Upon returning to the Weary Dragon, Bev is confronted by sentries from the underground town. They accuse her of stealing a magical talisman that protects the town and - even worse - have threatened to arrest Merv for building a tunnel to the surface.

The official celebration of All Creatures Great & Small and its incredible setting: the Yorkshire Dales. Featuring an in-depth look at the characters and real-life inspiration for the show, this book tells the fascinating story of the program’s main character: the Yorkshire Dales.

Murder and mayhem abound in this thrilling return to the 1930s as a young woman uncovers her own connection to the power and magic of her ancient Egyptian ancestors.

Only in an insane world would a young wizard find herself battling monsters and automatons one day and returning to Convocation Academy to cram for finals the next. But this is the world Alise Phel lives in. Like it or not, Alise must face the consequences of ditching out a second time and dealing with the crushing workload assigned to her as a punishment. Worse yet, succeeding at the Academy means Alise must learn to master her powerful and unusual magic—the same magic that caused her to accidentally murder her own mother.

Held hostage by a desperate man, housekeeper Sarnai Ganbold is thrust into a deadly conspiracy linked to a murder thousands of miles away. After a harrowing honeymoon marked by three deaths, part-fixer Chance Yang and his wife Catherine return to London to seek solace among friends. But the couple discovers that even amidst the celebration, darkness lurks as they are caught in a web of mystery and danger—it seems they can trust no one when danger is next door.