Böcker av Laurel Richards

Poems and Essays is a collection of poems written about a family during their first ten years in the United States of America. The book reflects their experiences in their new country, their hopes and their dreams. Most of the poems record what they felt, as they struggled through adjustments in their new environment. This family arrived in the USA in 1990 and settled in Fairfax County, Virginia. The author's eldest son, Carlos Rodrigo, had just graduated from high school and Victor Ronald needed to complete two years in high school. The author arranged for their school transfers after her second marriage to an American who made their immigration and building another home possible. Their happiness is reflected in "What is a Home". The book is a testimony of faith, hope and love - written through poems and essays. "Ode to a Princess" was written as a gift for the author on her birthday. "Two" reflects the anguish felt by the author after her divorce. "Summer Love" is a testimony to what love should be. Thus, we see a journal of family life in the USA skillfully woven into poems and essays for everyone to remember.

Nobody knows better than Jeorek that a Stormrider without a sorcerer is nothing but unfulfilled potential. When he finally finds a young man with a resonant aura, however, he discovers that the sorcerer fate has bequeathed him isn't anything like what he expected. At first glance, Dare is a mute, crippled slave with no discernible power, but he soon proves to be far more than he appears. He's not only a nobleman's son, but he's also one of the most powerful Illusionists in the empire. So how did he wind up as a slave? As Jeorek learns about his sorcerer's shadowed past, he must gain Dare's trust to unravel the mystery that surrounds him before the young man's enemies become his own. In a world where magical illusions can obscure reality, however, will he be able to see the danger coming? What's more, will he be able to weather the storm?

Not everyone will make it out alive. Responding to a distress call, Officer Alexander Valerian and the rest of his security team arrive at the human colony on the planet of Jangala to find blood and gore all over the walls. All the colonists are dead or missing except for Dr. Elisa Everett, a pretty paleontologist he finds injured and nearly suffocated in a ventilation shaft. Now Alex has to figure out how sixty-nine colonists were wiped out in a single night, but Elisa's account of killer monsters just raises more questions. Has the colony really been attacked by bloodthirsty beasts, or did everyone succumb to a powerful hallucinogen that made them turn on one another? He had better find out fast, because Elisa's life is in his hands. Content: m/f romance, love scene, attacks on humans, no cliffhangers, can be read as a standalone book

When Queen Adhira's city is attacked and she's captured by the winged sorcerer, Surtur Takkar, she calls to her twin brother for aid. As Arnon sets out on the Great Road to reach his sister, he is accompanied by a Seer prince, a stable boy with more bravery than brawn, and a reluctant hero who is the only one who can defeat the sorcerer. From warrior women to obnoxious tree-dwellers, they meet all sorts of friends and foes on their journey. Anything can happen on the open road, and loyalty and friendship are put to the test as they leave their homes behind to save the ones they love.

Murder in a crowded room. When private investigators Cassie and Mitch attend a party to kick off their town's first Shrimp-a-thon, they don't expect the hostess to wind up dead on the floor. Now Cassie and Mitch must account for all the guests and figure out who had a motive to kill Dr. Tanya Prasher. The doctor made a lot of enemies when she built her monstrous pink house and struck deals that hurt local companies. Is the killer a wronged businessman? An angry ex-employee? A vengeful neighbor? Or is he or she someone much closer to the victim? If they can figure out the motive for the attack, then maybe they can identify the killer.

The planet of Silveira has been colonized by humans for over twenty years. When wildlife biologist Lilah Reiss is sent to hunt down a man-eater that is attacking her fellow colonists, she assumes she's after one sick animal. Instead she discovers that something is very wrong with Silveira's top predators. The animals are moving oddly, and they've begun to target humans. Her budding relationship with Darren Jayr, her outpost's medical doctor, is put to the test when civilization and nature collide. As the number of attacks increases, she and Darren must find out what is causing the change in behavior...and how to stop it from spreading to the colonists. Content: m/f romance, love scenes, animal attacks, medical drama, hunting alien animals, euthanasia of alien predators that have attacked humans, no cliffhangers, can be read as a standalone novel (set in the same universe as The Colony)

Three strangers brought together by war.The Ulanesh-vicious soldiers from the underrealm-are invading the forest and destroying everything in their path. Standing against the enemy, Evrenor is a captain in the Quennin army and has been tasked by his king to find allies. He enlists the aid of the ancient sea sorceress Valkaria, whom he wakes from a curse that has entombed her at the bottom of a lake for a thousand years. She must regain her powers after a millennium of disuse or else watch everyone around her die.Evrenor finds another ally in Damir, a woodsman whose people are so reclusive that outsiders consider them myths. The tree-talking woodsmen can blend perfectly with the forest, and they are deadly with their daggers. Damir is ready to take down the enemy, but he has to strike before the vision he's had of his own death comes to pass.An awakened sorceress, a mysterious woodsman, and a cunning army captain-will their combined forces be enough to vanquish the enemy?

Cassie and Mitch are newly engaged, and it's time to meet the in-laws. When environmentalist Herb Flores turns up dead beneath a sand castle, though, they have to balance investigative work with family obligations. With suspects like a board president, a female bodybuilder, and the Chief of Police, identifying Herb's killer is a risky business. Throw in their families, a high-maintenance cat, and sand sculptures, and the town of Fatmire, Florida, just got more interesting.

The race is on! Maxton and his family are entered to compete in the big land rush on planet Caerus. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. The problem? Everything seems to go wrong. Their secondhand ship keeps breaking down, their cousin goes missing, and someone steals half their funds. They have to turn to a staffing agency to get somebody to take a look at their shipboard computers.When Clara accepts a temp job aboard the Merit, she figures she'll only be on the ship for about an hour. That's all the time she needs to run a diagnostic on the computers, but then Max shocks her with an invitation to join his team. The man is handsome and single, and participating in the competition could change her whole life. But can they win?Although this ragtag group may not look impressive from the outside, they have strength, determination, and smarts. They'll need all those qualities if they want to win this amazing space race.Content: This book contains a sweet romance, a dilapidated space ship, and a great deal of running.

Nothing ever happens in a small clamming town like Fatmire, FL. At least, that's what Mitch Chase thinks until he teams up with eccentric mystery writer Cassie Wynn to solve a murder. Vicki Cash is found facedown in her seafood dinner after someone at the Clam Festival slipped her a deadly ingredient. Now Mitch and Cassie have to eliminate suspects, but that's easier said than done. Vicki wasn't exactly well liked. She took her ex-husband for everything he was worth, evicted the town's most successful clam farmer, feuded with her sister, and bad-mouthed the mayor's wife. As they investigate, Mitch discovers this small town isn't what it seems, and he's attracted to more than Cassie's powers of observation. With his quirky and intriguing partner by his side, he's sure to lose his heart while he catches a killer.

After their honeymoon, private investigators Mitch and Cassie take on a new case on Florida's Gulf Coast. Rudy Cannelli was run over by a boat while diving for a giant lobster, and now he's convinced someone is trying to kill him. He hires Chase Investigations to track down his would-be killer, but unfortunately, everyone from his ex-wife to his lawn man has a reason to want him dead. Can Cassie and Mitch identify the culprit in time to save their client? Will they get a nice dinner out of the bargain, or is the promise of lobster a trap to get them to take this case? Join Cassie and Mitch as they expand their PI business into new territory and try to find justice for a victim who isn't dead...yet.

Cassie and Mitch are back, and their new PI firm, Chase Investigations, has its first big case. Roman Ricardo, owner of Roman Tackle and the sponsor of one of the biggest fishing tournaments in town, has been murdered. Someone slipped a lethal amoeba into Roman's nasal spray. Now Mitch and Cassie have to figure out who did it, and their list of suspects grows as they investigate the people who last came into contact with the victim. With Mitch's dad in town, they have some extra help, but father and son don't exactly see eye to eye. Will Chase Investigations be able to catch the killer?

Get all three books of The Sentinel Agency trilogy in one volume: DESTINY: Undercover operatives have discovered Delfina has the power of foresight, and they want to capture and use her. Accompanied by her emotional support animal, Delfina uses her ability to stay ahead of her pursuers. The one thing she doesn't foresee is Rave. The Imperian male claims she's his genetic match, but he has so many aliases that she's not sure if he's the good guy or the bad. Attraction ignites as they are thrown together by mysterious government agents, a wildlife trafficking syndicate, and a covert agency that recruits people with unique talents. Secrets, passion, and intrigue collide in this sci-fi romance. TALENT: Andromeda is still trying to get used to her prosthetic arm and leg after a terrorist bombing left her injured. Through her work with the Sentinel Agency, she's determined to stop the bad guys and keep innocent people from getting hurt. Luka Stiles used to be the top supermodel in town. When the advertisers drop him and his film career fizzles, he's left drowning his sorrows at the bar. He coasts along on his former fame, which happens to score him an invitation to an exclusive charity auction. Andromeda must team up with Luka to get into that auction and hack the computers. She believes the foundation hosting it may be funneling money to terrorists, as well as trafficking in protected wildlife.Together, Andromeda and Luka will face the rich and famous, high-tech security, evil science experiments, and government agents who aren't at all what they appear. STRATEGY: For years, Ryland Ward has known Dr. Casey Haven is his soulmate, but he hasn't been able to claim her. His own cousin abandoned her and their son, leaving her with a broken heart. Ryland has waited for her to heal so he can prove he's much more than a friend. Casey has always been able to depend on Ryland. As a trans woman with a psychic ability to heal, she isn't accepted by everyone. When her medical knowledge is needed for an undercover mission with Ryland, she doesn't hesitate. She'll do whatever it takes to stop the bad guys from deploying a biogenetic weapon that could kill everyone she loves. With a dangerous operative plotting an attack and a black ops organization stalking the members of the Sentinel Agency, the stakes have never been higher. These star-crossed lovers will have to come together to save the universe. Content: m/f romance, love scenes, fight scenes, trans woman, reference to terrorist bombing