Showing results by narrator "Lucy Rayner" in All Categories

The tale of the legendary golden flower is widely known. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the flower is coveted by an old witch to keep herself young and beautiful. And always the flower is used to save a dying queen, who then gives birth to a princess with magical hair. Not willing to lose the flower, the old witch steals the princess and locks her away in a high tower, raising her as her own. But the princess always finds out who she truly is and manages to defeat the old witch. And yet this is only half the story. What of the old witch, Mother Gothel?

Tavish was the best boyfriend Kelsey ever had, but seven years ago he disappeared. She coped with her heartbreak by finishing her doctorate in Celtic Artwork, and now her career is taking off. Except Tavish keeps showing up at her job sites and butting into her business - all the while wearing that stupid sexy kilt. But she's here to see the ruins, not Tavish. So she'll just have to show him who's boss at this site. Because under these cliffs at Dunskey Castle, it is rumored, lies the ancient palace of the kings of Alba.

A courageous young woman is just managing to keep up with her family’s vast, wartime farm when a handsome Lt. Colonel and his staff of officers take command of her home. A private war ensues between them, and the couple soon learns that resistance is futile when it comes to love in the heat of battle.

Since they were children, cousins Kate and Cecelia have been inseparable. But in 1817, as they approach adulthood, their families force them to spend a summer apart. As Cecelia fights boredom in her small country town, Kate visits London to mingle with the brightest lights of English society. At the initiation of a powerful magician into the Royal College of Wizards, Kate finds herself alone with a mysterious witch who offers her a sip from a chocolate pot.

A woman in the British Horticultural Society! The very idea horrifies everyone, including ardent horticulturalist Lavinia Harlow, whose own name has been put forth for membership by the provoking Marquess of Huntly. He does it as a joke, of course, to get back at her for an imagined slight - well, to be fair, she had insulted his writing -and Vinnie, older sister to the infamous Harlow Hoyden, is far too sensible to rise to his ridiculous challenge. Determined to head off further scandal, Vinnie dashes off a polite note refusing the honor - which she has every intention of sending.

Maleficent was a different sort of faerie. For one thing, she was raised by all the Fair Folk after her parents were killed. For another, she believed there had to be some good in everyone, even humans. Happy and spirited, Maleficent was beloved by all who knew her. That is, until she experienced the ultimate betrayal by a trusted friend. Enraged and embarking on a quest for vengeance, Maleficent must forge her own path in the world to make sense of it all. And while she learns to harness her great powers, the forces against her only grow stronger.

England 1801: Lady Louisa, daughter to the Earl of Whickerton, never thought she would ever have reason enough to hate anyone; especially not Phineas Hawke, Viscount Barrington, the man with the most wickedly dark eyes she has ever seen. Louisa is suddenly forced to realize that the man she could easily have lost her heart to has discovered her most shameful secret. Anger settles in her heart, burying all tender emotions, as she tries her utmost to ignore him. That is easier said than done.

Miss Emma Harlow hasn't earned the reputation as a hoyden for nothing, so when the duke of Trent discovers her in his conservatory stealing one of his orchids, he isn't surprised - charmed, delighted and puzzled, yes, but not surprised. It is Emma who is amazed. But her vexation doesn't last long. For Emma is a practical young lady with a mission: to end her dear sister Lavinia's engagement to the villainous (and dreadfully dull!) Sir Waldo Windbourne, and she thinks that the famous libertine is just the man for the job.

Cinderella's powers will destroy the Kingdom of Fantasia, and the only one who can save the kingdom is her "wicked" stepmother. Lady Angelique puts her second husband to rest, then tries to do right by her step-daughter Eleonore, but when Eleonore's mystical abilities put Angelique's own daughters' lives at risk, she makes the difficult decision to lock the girl in the tower to keep the family safe.

Joanna MacConnaway's future looks dark when her great-uncle passes, leaving Lochlann Castle in the hands of a new leader. This handsome stranger, who has haunted Joanna's dreams, soon finds himself in mortal danger. Joanna chooses to help him, against her misgivings and sense of impending doom. Can she trust him? And is he worthy of the feelings she soon develops for him?

Harmony is tired. Tired of working so hard, tired of the way she looks, tired of being average. But all that changes when she decides to splash out and upgrade her nanos. And why not? Everyone's doing it now. With a simple in-app purchase, you can update the tech in your bloodstream to transform yourself - get enhanced brain power, the perfect body or a dazzling smile.

A deluxe novelization of the Walt Disney Pictures film Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, this sequel explores the complex relationship between the horned fairy and Princess Aurora, as they face new threats to the magical land of the Fair Folk.

When a young nurse dies on her watch, Florence Nightingale must uncover the deep-hidden secrets someone will kill to keep buried. It is 1853. Lady of the Lamp Florence Nightingale has just accepted the position of superintendent of the Establishment for Gentlewomen during Temporary Illness in London. She has hardly had time to learn the names of the nurses in her charge when she suddenly finds one of them hanging in the establishment's library. Her name was Nurse Bellamy.

A house fire at Crows-an-Wra Manor in a remote part of West Cornwall supposedly takes the life of its mistress, Rosen Trevelyan. Sometime later, she awakes to find herself locked in an unfamiliar room, questioning why her husband, Richard, has done this to her. And what of their daughter? Did Sophia really die in the fire, as Rosen has been led to believe?

1326 was one of the most dramatic years in English history. The queen of England, Isabella of France, invaded the country with an army of mercenaries to destroy her husband's powerful and detested lover, Hugh Despenser the Younger, and brought down her husband, King Edward II, in the process.

Julius Strathclyde has been dragged through to an alternative earth. Now, training as a quantum curator, every ancient book, every stolen gem, and every lost masterpiece lies at his fingertips. It's incredible. But he has some problems: he can't get home, priceless artifacts are being stolen, and someone is trying to kill him. Oh, and he can't get a decent cup of tea anywhere. Following the disastrous Faberge assignment, Neith Salah is blinded by grief and rage. She's hardly a stable companion, but she's the only one he trusts.

Aurora has always enjoyed her simple life. She loves to explore the beautiful woods surrounding her quaint cottage. She even likes living with her bumbling yet well-meaning aunts. But when Aurora discovers a dark secret about her past, her whole world turns upside down. Will she be able to save herself from an imminent curse?

Ruling a kingdom is challenging under any circumstances. But Aurora - queen of Perceforest and queen of the Moors - is reigning under the weight of two crowns. Caught between the prejudices that divide her kingdom and eager to establish lasting peace, Aurora is determined to sign a treaty to unify the humans and the Fair Folk. But as spiky dark flowers grow fiercely around Perceforest’s borders and a stable boy mysteriously disappears, tensions between humans and faeries are at a dangerous high.

The essential self-help guide to living in Ancient Rome, covering all areas of everyday life in this ancient civilization, from religious beliefs and travel through to what to wear.

England 1802: Lady Leonora, daughter to the Earl of Whickerton, longs to understand...the world in its entirety, particularly, human nature. Always observing those around her, Leonora finds herself utterly fascinated by what people say and do, by how their eyes reflect what is in their hearts and how each and every emotion can be read upon another's face.