Böcker utgivna av Black Rose Writing

"In her latest novel, Nichols takes readers on a wild ride with a charming protagonist who discovers honesty may not always be the best policy when it comes to murder. But when it comes to love, truth matters." -Gaby Anderson, author of South of HappilyLucy Howard is finally getting her life together. She's with a great guy completely worthy of her trust. Her job as head claims investigator is challenging in a positive way. Her narcoleptic-antiques-dealing uncle is staying out of trouble. And she's no longer haunted by her nasty break-up. But a collect call from her ex in prison puts her newly found contentment in jeopardy. Worse, a visit from his lawyer indicates she could be in serious danger.Before she can determine what's real and what isn't, her boss assigns her to the case of a prominent insurance salesman who fell to his death. The police investigation leans toward suicide, but the victim's parents insist it was murder and that their son's killer is his grieving widow.With the help of Uncle Buddy and Elsie Erickson, reformed con-woman, Lucy must get to the bottom of the tragic death.Lucy uses her trusty spreadsheet to make sense of the situation. But logic alone can't explain the intricacies of human nature. Nor will it explain her reluctance to commit to her perfect man. And it most definitely won't keep her out of the sights of deranged killers.

"Buhrman has created a marvelous world that is like The Dresden Files meets American Gods!" -Sable Aradia, author of The Witch's Eight Paths of PowerNicola still isn't a hero. Maybe an anti-hero, but she's certainly too broken to be a white knight. She's still an herbalist, single mom, and heathen witch.She just wanted to go to the conference with her best friend, Joseph. When they stumble across a noble cause, Nicola decides to lend support. Next thing she knows, she's stuck in the astral plane, her body lying comatose in a hospital.Nicola must travel the Nine Worlds to find out why they were all postponed, but everyone she meets has their own agenda. She must figure out what it all means before her physical body gives out... and the poisoner gets away with murder.Breaking Bread is book five of the Runespells series.

"In Liza's Secrets, everyone has a secret, and some are about to explode." -Jacquelyn Mitchard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Good SonWhat happened to Franny Blackman? Franny is now Liza Kasner and is hiding in Chatham on Cape Cod. This newly minted blonde escaped from suburban New Jersey with her cat in the middle of the night. As she settles into the off-season beach resort, people from her hometown keep appearing. Can she lie well enough to keep her abusive husband, Barry, off her trail?The longer Liza stays in Chatham, the more she falls in love with the place. Jeff, a promising romantic interest, is determined to do anything to make Liza happy, even finding the perfect bagel for her.However, Barry owes big money to his business partners. He needs his wife dead to collect her life insurance to pay them back. Just as Liza begins to feel safe, Barry finds her. Can she stop him before time runs out?Liza's Secrets is a fast-paced domestic suspense set in idyllic Chatham. Iris Leigh's page-turner is told with juxtaposing tension and humor. Its a fun read and should be in every beach bag and book club list. What would you do if you had to hide and had no place to go?

"When Banana Stains Fade will draw its readers into the compelling drama of over four generations of a Jamaican family, told through the lifeline of its women." -Rachel Manley, author and winner of 1997 Governor General's Award for Literature in Canada for Drumblair: Memories of a Jamaican ChildhoodWhen twenty-six-year-old Zarah returns home in 2002, desperate to reconcile with the family she abandoned, their first night together revives memories of events that led to her abandonment and their hopes fizzle.Their reflections take the reader back to the inciting event years before... her thirteenth birthday, the onslaught of Hurricane Gilbert, her mother's shocking miscarriage, and her parents' separation.Determined to warn Zarah against life's treacheries, her grandmother Naomi discloses ugly societal and family secrets, but Zarah distances herself, scoffing at hints of a curse hatched on a banana field decades before.As damaged as the ancestors she once disdained, Zarah finds true friendship at a support group, accepts culpability, and finds her way home to battle for the awakening and reconciliation essential to wholeness.When her grandmother dies, Esther and Bradley travel with Zarah to the spot Naomi requested, and she sprinkles her grandmother's ashes over the ocean, standing on the threshold of her second chance to become "the right person."

"If you follow your destiny, you cannot fail. From the first sentence to the last, Premonition: The Gift had me hooked. When Sammy's nightmares about a little white dog leave physical marks, he is forced on an adventure that is both scary and dangerous. Quinn crafted Sammy's character so well, you'll feel like he's a kid from down the block." -Amy S. Cutler, author of A Shadow of Love"When your strength is greater than your fear, your courage stronger than your doubt... that is when the magic happens."Plagued by a strange recurring dream that reveals a secret gift, 12-year-old Sammy Greene sets off to save the little white dog from his dream and fulfill his destiny. But when the dog leads Sammy to an animal-testing operation deep in the woods, Sammy unwittingly discovers Max and Bets, two rookie criminals, and their harebrained internet scam to make millions.Kidnapped and tied to a chair-surrounded by suffering animals-Sammy is armed with only a pet mouse, a nearly dead cell phone, a hoodie, and his dead grandmother's cryptic advice. Forced to face his greatest fear, the fear of failure, Sammy has to figure out a way to escape and save dozens of lives, including his own!Sammy's gift has morphed into a dangerous mission, and he knows he's been sent to shut Max and Bets down. Unfortunately, Max and Bets plan to shut Sammy down-permanently.Premonition: The Gift is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure with a hint of magic that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Don't miss the first book in this exciting new middle-grade series! Pick up your copy today.

"If you love a good spy yarn where past chases and liaisons haunt and help a pulse-racing hunt, you won't want to put down this adventure..." -Jeffrey Ulin, author of The Lord's TusksEddie Mason is done with the CIA, and he thought he'd made it clear that he never wants to work with them again.So, when his former boss, Craig Black, shows up out of nowhere with a story about Senator Sam Hawthorne's suspicious meeting with a shadowy underworld figure, he wants no part of it. It's only when he's told that the job involves Loren Malen, another former agent, that he reluctantly agrees to help.After years of wondering where she'd ended up and if the spark between them was real or just the result of dangerous circumstances, he hopes this job just might give him the opportunity to find out. When Hawthorne suddenly plans a secretive sailing trip into the Caribbean, the Agency's suspicions are heightened, and Craig insists he take Eddie along for protection.Meanwhile, Loren follows the senator's shady associate to the Dominican Republic in an attempt to unravel the mystery from that end. Neither mission turns out to be as simple as they anticipated, and Eddie and Loren are pulled into a dangerous conspiracy deeper than they could have ever imagined.

Small-town college. A treacherous blizzard ... a tragic accident. Or was it? The result will alter the town and nearby Native American reservation for years to come.1955 in Eklund, Minnesota, nestled on the shores of Spirit Lake: College student, Barbara Gruen, is found frozen to death in a snowbank. Presumably, she lost her way in a blinding snowstorm while walking home from an off-campus party, resulting in a tragic accident. Or was it?Nancy Borg, a college senior and friend of Barbara's brother, is shaken by the news, particularly since Barbara was her friend's sister. Eager to escape Eklund and her narrow-minded father, Nancy unexpectedly becomes entangled in the tragedy's aftermath.Roland Nightbird works at the college and lives on nearby Thunder Lake Chippewa Reservation. He unwittingly becomes linked to an investigation surrounding Barbara's death and is victimized by the town's underlying biases. Will Roland's caring family and strong tribal lineage be enough for him to persevere?Loreen Sandberg, social-climbing faculty wife, is connected to Barbara through family but too self-absorbed to openly grieve. Her deep-seated bigotry comes to light, threatening to destroy those around her.This enduring, timely story shows how Eklund's unspoken caste system and prejudices will forever alter families and the community alike. The diverse, engaging characters prove how love, kindness, and courage can overcome adversity.

2023 American Writing Awards Best Graphic Novel, Children's Book InternationalIt wasn't her eyes that first noticed it when their ship drew near to the Island of South Georgia... It was her nose... That was the first sign to Leah Carlberg that this would not go well for her...And it didn't... She saw the brutal slaughter of whales taking place on this remote island and made up her mind to escape; to leave her parents and never come back. But an unexpected turn of events had shipwrecked that plan...Nineteen-year-old Jack Robinson had his own dilemma...Does he stay on the island with the girl he has fallen for, deserting the crew of the Endurance who are counting on him for their survival; or resign himself to continue an expedition which may seal his fate in an icy tomb. To compound his angst, his brother had left him and the ship, joining the war against Germany, and is somewhere on a battlefield in France. Now he must face this decision alone...In the beginning days of World War I, the sailing ship Endurance had left England to sail to the distant Southern Ocean. Their task: A team of explorers were to cross the great unknown continent of Antarctica, 1,800 miles on foot, with sleds and dogs. It was called the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.But at home, Great Britain, filled with excitement and anxiety over the coming conflict, had turned its attention away from this epic adventure. As a result, the expedition was nearly forgotten...Endurance, The Frozen Keep is the first book of a two volume series weaving together Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition's dangerous voyage on the high seas and in the frozen wilderness of Antarctica: a passionate teenage girl's fight for environmental justice; the story of a valiant crew's adventure on the high seas, and danger in the vast, frozen wilderness of Antarctica. All this set against the world-shattering conflict of World War I waging in Europe.

"The murder of Joseph Gatto captivated Los Angeles. Many veteran journalists still wonder how and why it happened. The details of this horrible crime and those affected by it continue to fascinate." -Robert Kovacik, Anchor and Reporter, NBC Los AngelesMike Gatto was an up-and-coming young lawmaker when his father was brutally murdered.The act sucked him into the world of noir: wild theories, intransigent detectives, and unimaginable violence.This true crime story reads like a thriller, offering insight into the world of politics and the seedy underbelly of crime investigation in modern Los Angeles.Gatto shares his experiences with incredible candor and raw emotion, detailing every clue, and how he came to learn every tragic detail of his father's murder. With the case still unsolved, see if you can piece together the clues to solve the mystery.

"A rich journey through 17th century France in all its aspects-its bucolic countryside, the still-unmatched splendor of the court of Louis XIV, and the struggling French colony in Canada." -Margaret George, New York Times bestselling author of Elizabeth I, The Autobiography of Henry VIII & The Memoirs of CleopatraFrance, 1670. On her sixteenth birthday, Sylvienne d'Aubert thinks her dream has come true. She holds in her hands an invitation from King Louis XIV to attend his royal court. However, her mother harbors a longtime secret she's kept from both her daughter and the monarch, a secret that could upend Sylvienne's life.In Paris, Sylvienne is quickly swept up in the romance, opulence, and excitement of royal life. Assigned to serve King Louis's favorite mistress, she is absorbed into the monarch's most intimate circle. But the naïve country girl soon finds herself ill-prepared for the world of intrigue, illicit affairs, and power-mongering that takes place behind the shiny façade of Versailles.This debut historical novel from Peggy Joque Williams captures the vibrancy and quandaries of 17th century life for a village girl seeking love and excitement during the dangerous reign of the Sun King.

Some sacrifice everything for art, but it's not clear what we get in return. What is art, and why can't we live without it? These are the questions gnawing at the back of Keegan Kjeldsen's mind while moving at a breakneck pace through Europe.Before he was host of the Nietzsche Podcast, Kjeldsen spent a decade touring the United States in doom metal band Destroyer of Light. In 2019, Destroyer of Light ventured to Europe for the first time. Hindered by a punishing tour route, show cancellations, jetlag, injuries, and an irresponsible record label, the band struggled for every successful show. On the heights of exhilaration and disappointment, Kjeldsen wrestles with the philosophical arguments for art's meaning, from Socrates to Nietzsche, from Tolstoy to Barthes.The Ritual Madness of Rock & Roll is both an honest look at the life of the touring musician and an extended discussion on the origins and functions of art in human life. The lessons here are indispensable for any young musician who wants to prepare themselves for the reality of living in a van for three weeks, or for the inquiring mind seeking to understand what role that art could play in philosophy.

Stumbling Stones tells the story of Alice Heppenheimer, an upper middle-class German Jewish woman who came of age during a period of enhanced opportunities for women.

Killer Shadows invade Des Moines!May in springtime. The lilacs are blooming, the grass is green... and death lurks in the shadows. After Homicide detective Harry Reznik is called to the scene of a strange pair of deaths, he meets FBI Agent Lori Campisi, who has a history of investigating supernatural occurrences. She believes the murders have been committed by creatures released in our world by a madman. Soon, the unlikely team faced more attacks. When the case turns personal for each of them, they realize they must work together to find the answer before the capital city is devastated.

An island sheltered from modern progress. Strict lines between servants and masters. Will crossing them leave her fatally exposed?Bar Harbor, Maine. 1913. Mabel Rae is smart, reckless, and naïve. So when the ambitious seventeen-year-old joins the staff at a rocky cliffside cottage, she willingly lets the boisterous estate owner's improper advances sweep her off her feet. And the slender young woman dismisses the vulnerability of her position when she discovers she's pregnant with his unacknowledged child.Brought harshly down to earth after she's caught up in the machinations of a family feud, Mabel decides it's time to take matters into her own hands. But with no money and few rights, she fears a forced marriage to the brutish gardener is her only socially acceptable option.Is her future forever stunted, or can she become a beacon of change?In a classic upstairs-downstairs tale, award-winning author Tavi Taylor Black spins an intricate web of idealism's battle against harsh reality. Set at a time when suffrage was at its height, temperance was gaining momentum, and war loomed in Europe, this spellbinding novel shines a light on inequities we still face today.Serabelle is a darkly humorous work of historical fiction. If you like intricate relationships, lyrical prose, and stories that tackle serious issues, then you'll love Tavi Taylor Black's vivid portrait of the Gilded Age. Buy Serabelle to test the limits of freedom today!

Tough Trail Home has garnered reviews such as "inspiring," "fantastic read," "beautiful scenery, heart, and hope," and "a wonderful story about resilience and resourcefulness.""Tough Trail Home is a delightful read about a family coming to terms with each other and their new lives." -Pamela Stockwell, author of A Boundless PlaceThe Dunwhitty family is flying high until their carefully choreographed life falls apart during the 2008 Great Recession. Lisa's firm goes belly-up while Michael's shuts down after selling faulty heart valves. Desperate, Lisa insists they regroup by seeking refuge in rural Central Texas on land she inherits from a distant relative she barely knows.It's not the ranch Lisa remembers, but a ramshackle money pit. Michael and their teenage son, Andrew, despise the place. Only their young daughter, Jessica, is happy. After a bitter argument, Michael moves to the city. As his job search drags on, Lisa begins to plant roots; friendships develop for her and the children. With the help of Michael's parents, her neighbor, and the remains of her savings, she begins to return the ranch to its former glory. The couple continues to drift further apart, Michael turning his attention to another woman.A call from the sheriff's department that their son is in custody jolts the couple to the core. Can they repair their relationship for the sake of their son? Or is it too late?WINNER OF FIVE LITERARY AWARDS1ST PLACE WINNER OF THE 2024 PENCRAFT AWARDS FOR FICTION - WOMEN'S GENREWINNER OF THE 2024 PENCRAFT SEASONAL BOOK AWARD SUMMER COMPETITION FOR FICTION - WOMEN'S GENREWINNER IN THE 2024 STORYTRADE BOOK AWARDS "REGIONAL FICTION ¿ USA SOUTHWEST"SPEAK UP TALK RADIO INTERNATIONAL FIREBIRD BOOK AWARD WINNER-2024OUTSTANDING CREATOR AWARD FOR BEST FICTION BOOK OF SUMMER 2024 (2nd PLACE)Tough Trail Home has garnered reviews such as "inspiring," "fantastic read," "beautiful scenery, heart, and hope," and "a wonderful story about resilience and resourcefulness."

"I did like this thriller, and I loved the way you worked supernatural with a murder mystery, I haven't quite seen it handled like this and I think you have all the right instincts for what goes where." -Maddy D., Beta Reading and Editing, Star Reviewer on FiverrAt the age of eight, Arista Kelly was frantically swept up by her parents and whisked off to an isolated town in the California redwoods. Two days later, her parents were gone.Now at the age of twenty-three, she has settled quite nicely into an eclectic lifestyle, much like her great aunt, and guardian since childhood, Bethie. She enjoys the use of herbs and crystals to help her commune with the energy and nature around her and finds pleasure in the company of her beloved pet, Royal. Usually quite satisfied with her mundane life high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, life becomes unsettling when a new recurring vision of an ominous tattoo as well as increased activity from the ghostly presence within her own cottage invade her once-harmonious existence.But life in this mountain sanctuary takes an even darker turn when the body of Arista's former classmate is found in the nearby river. As other young women fall prey to a suspected serial killer, Arista realizes that the terror is coming to her.

"A superbly written work of thriller fiction!" -Christopher Amato, author of Shadow Investigation¿¿It's February 2003. An alluring and determined CIA Case Officer, June Cohen, must flawlessly execute an unsanctioned plan of action or the U.S. will invade Iraq to search for weapons of mass destruction.She coerces Robaire Assaly, a Los Angeles based DEA Confidential Informant, to take part in her elaborate scheme. Robaire agrees, however, in doing so, he must betray his long-time DEA Agent handler, Gary Lowery, to get what she needs. Robaire soon realizes June has tricked him into taking the blame for stealing a Stinger missile, which she pulled off right under the nose of the hapless FBI.The duped FBI and Gary desperately want Robaire. He's now frantically on the run as an international fugitive with the FBI and Gary relentlessly pursuing him and the stolen Stinger before it is used against an unknown target. However, June finds Robaire first before he can reveal the CIA's involvement to the Feds.

Ten year-old Colin Clarke boards a train bound for the British countryside, where strangers have agreed to safeguard him from the bombs soon to darken London skies. His mother, Beryl, remains in London, her work as a nurse exacting a mounting toll as she tends the wounds of those caught in the ferocious bombing. Beryl desperately misses her son, as well as her husband, Gordon, a soldier captured in the early days of the war. Her friendship with an American pilot, Jack, eases her loneliness and sense of overwhelm, their attachment deepening until it crosses a line. Gordon, meanwhile, a POW in Poland, has formed an improbable liaison of his own. He has caught the eye of Annalise, wife of the camp commandant. She believes Gordon can help her escape Poland and a marriage that stifles her. Together, they can forge an utterly new life--if Gordon is willing to forsake all he's known. Will he follow Annalise--and save himself? If he makes it back to England, will Beryl still be waiting?--

"It's a fantastic thriller series that has terrific characters, lots of humor, drama, mystery, suspense, and unexpected twists and turns that will hook you from beginning to end." (Amazon Reviews)Bill McGee, former CIA Director and U.S. Navy SEAL Commander, is America's most decorated military man and is the presidential candidate to beat. But an unlikely saboteur promises to stop Republicans from ever attaining the White House again.When an Air Force pilot en route to Japan defects with an F-22 Raptor, it is a national crisis. The intelligence community confirms the jet sits in a North Korean bunker waiting for Russian or Chinese engineers to take it apart.The President is confident CIA pilot Duncan "Maverick" Hunter is the only chance to prevent the enemy from unlocking the secrets of the greatest stealth fighter ever built and bring the jet home.Will Hunter be able to rescue the stolen jet and prevent the domestic terrorists in America from destroying McGee's path to the White House?

"Dwyer's experiences as a West Point graduate, Army spouse, and mother of two combat Veterans shines through in her authentic and empathetic portrayal of military life. Highly recommended." -Bob Mayer, NYT bestselling author, West Point graduate and former Green Beret2003. The War on Terror rocks the world, but Kelly McGowan dreams only of the exciting adventures ahead with her fiancé Matt, a new Army lieutenant from West Point.When Matt deploys to Iraq, reality hits. Kelly, coping with her loneliness, questions if their love will endure. Matt returns from war aloof and sullen, forcing Kelly to deal with her emotions - and a secret from his past that could destroy their future. She seeks solace at her aunt's beach house, only to be walloped by a catastrophic hurricane.The Roof Above is the story of a young woman's journey through war, storms, and secrets to find her tribe and the love she deserves.

"A wildly original wolf-noir. This is Raymond Chandler...with fangs!" -David Buzan, award-winning author of In the Lair of LegendsA mysterious figure stalks Chicago's Paranormal community, and the only person who can stop it is Johnny Lupul, the Werewolf PI.First, he must cope with a 400-year-old witchfinder, rampaging demons, and a journalist threatening to reveal Johnnys dark, hairy secret.As if that's not enough, his boss has been kidnapped and the clock is ticking.Packed with non-stop action, humor and twists, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Don't miss the heart-stopping conclusion to the Werewolf PI series.

"A small coterie of retired cops jumps at the chance to solve the mystery of the neighbor's missing granddaughter. A thoroughly engaging and clever read where the senior sleuths encounter a network of dastardly characters involved in drugs and human trafficking. Two thumbs up!" -Sherry Hobbs, author of Bird of Passage and Mac-The Wind Beneath My WingsFour retired detectives are living out their golden years on the same cul-de-sac in an idyllic planned community called Peace River Village in Sunland, Florida.¿¿When the neighbor's seventeen-year-old granddaughter goes missing, the local police conclude she's a runaway and dead file the case. Dissatisfied with the official police response, the girl's grandmother is desperate to find her and seeks counsel from her detective friends.Upon hearing of her plight, the cadre of retirees reach a different conclusion and decide to launch their own investigation. But they could never imagine the evil they would encounter or the danger they would confront.Will the retirees' combined experience be enough to solve the mystery before the teen is sold into the lurid underground sex trafficking world?Christopher Amato, who spent a career as a federal agent, is back with his latest thriller in Peace River Village. It's time to buckle up your seat belt and get ready for a wild ride that careens from tension to hilarity to horror!

"It will throw curves at you that are never seen coming. When Rosalee reunites with a lover from her youth, her life changes, finding joy in the person she once was, years earlier." -Stephen W Briggs, author of Beside Us¿¿¿The summer before her senior year of high school, Rosalee fell in love with George. By the next summer, George had broken her heart, and Rosalee was sure she'd never see him again.Forty years and a lifetime later, Rosalee's quiet, predictable life is turned upside down when she runs into George at a restaurant and discovers he's moved to town. George wants to reconnect, and while Rosalee's head isn't so sure that's a good idea, her heart is saying something different.It's a story about first love and second chances, family, friendship, and living life to the fullest.

Modern Meets Ancient. Tropical Paradise Meets Paranormal Terror.In the year 620, a young Polynesian man named Kaimi arrives on the virgin shores of Hawaii. He is among the first people there, though quickly realizes they aren't alone. Strange company watches on from the trees and shorelines: elemental beings only Kaimi can perceive. Like the dark presence in one particular bay, in the verdant island that will become Kauai.Fifteen-hundred years later, a Mormon mother named Marilyn Toomey-secretly harboring her own sensitivity to such beings-finds herself whisked away with her husband to the remote Huna'ia Resort on Kauai. Though hesitant, Marilyn feels compelled to go-if only because something seems to be calling her there.As their lives drift closer across the centuries, and as they come to fully embrace their talents, Kaimi and Marilyn must pull away from their communities and former beliefs in the face of an empowered and malevolent entity-and the looming threat of utter catastrophe.A thoughtful and beautiful eco-fantasy, Ancient Tides Ashore explores human kinship across time, culture and belief, as well as our relationship to the unknown within-and among-us.

"A beautifully engaging fantasy teeming with dragons, fae, magic, and the importance of family and friendship. A joy to read from beginning to end!" -Julie Boglisch, author of the Elifer Chronicles, the Requiem of Stones series¿¿Jemma Avalon is the daughter of a gentle part elf-fae mother and a father with fiery dragon blood, an unusual combination even in the magical world.Ten years after her mother's sudden death, Jemma is working at a major museum in DC, where magic is all but outlawed. Her father wants her to assimilate and live without magic, but Jemma is determined to fully embrace her heritage. She longs to return to Everland Bay, the enchanting world where her Grandmother Annalyn lives, and find a way to join the renowned magical research institute there, like the women in her family before her.An ordinary day at the museum takes an extraordinary turn, rocketing Jemma to an Everland Bay Institute under violent siege, where dark-arts mages threaten everything important to her. She and her companions work feverishly to overturn their foes, knowing that it may already be too late.