Genres: Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Warm-hearted, closed-door Regency romances with unusual characters. From mental health to physical disability, neurodivergence to class differences, our couples may struggle with the ton's social conventions, but they all know love when they find it. "I loved it. Refreshingly full of substance." Bestselling Regency romance author Mary Balogh "The most unusual Regency romance I've ever read. Five stars." Bestselling Regency romance author Mary Kingswood Lady for a Season: Young duke Edward is declared mad. His nurse Maggie is masquerading as a lady. His family have one social season to marry him off. What could possibly go wrong? The Viscount's Pearl: Laurence is a carefree rake who wants a marriage of convenience. Frances is an awkward spinster who doesn't want to marry at all. Fate (and kindly matchmaker Uncle Barrington) has other plans for them both. To Win Her Hand: They've been engaged since they were children, so Edward sees no...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

They’ve been engaged since they were children, so he sees no need to woo her. She wants a love match and is determined to find an alternative suitor. Perhaps a Christmas trapped together in snowy London will change both their minds. Lord Comerford has returned from the navy to claim his title, but ton life appears shallow after active service and the woman he has been promised to since birth seems a frivolous child, only interested in parties and clothes. Lady Celia is hoping her betrothed will make her heart skip a beat - but dour Lord Comerford hardly fits the bill, so she’s planning to call off the wedding just as soon as she can find a better suitor. Trapped in snow-covered London, the two patch together Christmas celebrations and in so doing find that actions speak louder than words and that an arranged marriage may turn out to...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

He’s a carefree rake who wants a marriage of convenience. She’s an awkward spinster who doesn’t want to marry at all. Fate has other plans in store for them both. Laurence enjoys his dalliances with the married ladies of society, and thinks marriage is only a matter of convenience. He’s on the lookout for a practical woman accustomed to society. Frances is an odd and awkward young woman, more at home gathering shells on the beach than in the ballrooms of London, hoping to stay a spinster forever. When the two meet in Margate, will their initial dislike of one another turn into something important? While Laurence finds his life growing shallow, Frances wonders if love might be worth making a bold move for. Can she find her way into Laurence’s heart, and will he undertake to love her, just the way she is? A warm-hearted Regency romance, full of...

Genres: Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

A young duke declared mad. His nurse masquerading as a lady. One social season in which to marry him off. What could possibly go wrong? When foundling Maggie takes a job caring for Edward, she knows him only as a young man declared mad and kept privately under the care of a physician to avoid any scandal for his family. But Edward is the heir to the Duke of Buckingham and when his father dies his family determine to marry him off to secure the title and the estate. Edward insists that Maggie stay by his side, so she must be passed off as a lady for one social season, during which time a marriage can be arranged. When a midnight carriage comes for Maggie, is she ready for the makeover of a lifetime? Can she remember all the rules, keep the secrets of Atherton Park… and above all, avoid...

Genres: Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

The Gladiatorial Games Didn’t Just Happen. They Had to Be Made. Rome, 80 AD. They called it the Flavian Amphitheatre. We call it the Colosseum. It hosted brutal gladiatorial combats, exotic wild animal hunts, naval battles, and the re-enactment of extraordinary mythological adventures. But behind every spectacle was a team of people making it all possible: sourcing celebrity gladiators and dangerous animals, ordering sand for the arena floor, and even figuring out how to flood the Colosseum. Marcus, manager of the Games, is haunted by the loss of his wife and child in Pompeii’s fiery destruction. Althea, his scribe, seeks her place in the world as a freedwoman, learning to speak her own heart amidst the chaos. Together with an ex-prostitute, a retired Vestal Virgin, a runaway slave boy and others cast aside by Rome, they form a found family whose loyalty, courage, and love are tested at every turn....

Genres: Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

A dangerous emperor brings darkness close to home… Rome, 83 AD. At last, Althea and Marcus are married, dreaming of a peaceful life in the country, far from the blood and chaos of the gladiatorial Games. But Emperor Domitian has other plans. His erratic demands grow darker with each passing day, and the couple – alongside their loyal backstage team – must navigate three final tasks that test courage, loyalty, and survival itself. As lives are lost and danger closes in, Althea and Marcus must decide how far they are willing to go to obey the whims of a dangerous emperor while protecting those they love. In the face of fear, uncertainty, and treachery, their loving bond – and the family they have chosen – may be the only light in a world built on shadows. The Flight of Birds is the gripping conclusion to the Colosseum series: a story...

Genres: Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Beneath the Colosseum’s arena lies a labyrinth… and a darkness that threatens everything Althea holds dear. Rome, 82 AD. Under the rule of the new Emperor Domitian, a vast subterranean maze is being built below the arena. Lit by flickering torches and echoing with the roars of wild beasts, it is a place of danger, spectacle, and secrets. But Althea’s heart lies elsewhere: she longs for Marcus and dreams of a life beyond the blood and chaos of the Games. Her quiet hope is tested when a new suitor appears, and a hidden threat draws perilously close to the backstage team. Gladiators are dying before they even reach the arena, and whispers ripple through the labyrinth. As danger rises around her, Althea must summon the courage to protect those she loves. And she must finally risk asking for the love that she deserves. As Marcus comes to understand his own...

Genres: Historical Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

As water rises, so do hidden emotions… and the dangers of staying silent. Rome, 80 AD. The Emperor demands a spectacle unlike any other: the Colosseum must be flooded for a show of battles, elaborate props, and breathtaking scenes. But water brings not only spectacle, but unforeseen dangers: both to the arena and to the lives of those managing it. Marcus, charged with orchestrating the Games, must confront risks that could cost him everything… even his life. For Althea, the challenge is not only the rising waters, but the quiet stirrings of her heart. As she supports Marcus and the backstage team, she finds herself drawn to him in ways she cannot name. Speaking her own desires feels as treacherous as navigating the flooded arena and meanwhile her silence allows a hidden danger to rise close to home. Amid the chaos, the bonds she has formed with her found family...

Genres: Historical Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback, Hardback
Age Groups: 18+

In the shadows of Rome’s greatest spectacle, a young woman discovers friendship, belonging, and the fragile beginnings of love. Rome, 80 AD. Althea has always lived unseen. A slave scribe, she records the words of powerful men while silencing her own. But when she is sent to serve Marcus, the man charged with creating the Colosseum’s inaugural Games, her life begins to change. Haunted by the loss of his family in Pompeii, Marcus teeters on the edge of despair. To save him, Althea must step beyond obedience and into courage. Amid the roar of the arena and the demands of an Emperor, Althea forms unexpected bonds: a sharp-tongued prostitute, a fallen Vestal Virgin, a runaway boy, and others cast aside by Rome. Together, they become more than survivors. They become family. And in Marcus’ sadness, Althea begins to glimpse the tender possibility of love. From the Ashes is a sweeping...

Genres: Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Why did a Muslim emperor pick the son of a Christian slave as his heir? 11th century Morocco and Spain. A vast Muslim empire is rising as the lives of four women weave together to tell a story of war and love, magic and faith. Hela was born with the gift of healing, but is now bound by an impossible vow. Berber woman Kella is searching for adventure, but growing fearful for the safety for her baby son. Zaynab has risen to power as the queen of Morocco but is warped by a dark jealousy. Spanish nun Isabella is struggling to learn the lesson of love while holding onto her faith and vows. Based on the rise of Morocco’s Almoravid dynasty, which created a North African and Spanish empire and defeated El Cid, this is historical fiction at its most enthralling, both intriguing and emotional. Set out on an epic...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

A Spanish nun. A Muslim warlord. The destiny of an empire held between them. 11th century Northern Spain. Isabella has been a nun in the Christian kingdom of Galicia since she was a child, a gifted herbalist leading a quiet and spiritual life, devoted to God. But on a rare journey outside of the convent, she is taken by Viking raiders and sold to Morocco as a slave. Cruelly treated by her first owner, salvation comes from an unlikely source: Yusuf bin Tashfin, leader of a vast Muslim army intent on conquering North Africa and Spain. Isabella must struggle not only to survive her new life but to hold true to her faith, which is tested by great dangers… and by love. Can Isabella keep to her holy vows? Will her actions alter the destiny of a rising empire? And when North Africa goes to war with Spain, where will...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

A gifted healer. An impossible vow. An empire’s destiny. 11th century North Africa. Hela has powers too strong for a child – both to feel the pain of those around her and to heal them. But when she is given a mysterious cup by a slave woman, its powers overtake her life, forcing her into a vow she cannot hope to keep. Trapped by her vow, Hela loses one chance after another to love and be loved. Meanwhile, in her household, a child is born. Zaynab will one day become Morocco’s queen and Hela’s actions are already shaping her destiny. Can a great healer ever heal her own wounds? Will Hela turn her back on her vow or follow it through to the bitter end? And will her choices forever warp the character of Morocco’s greatest queen, and so shape the destiny of a future empire? The Cup is the...

Genres: Commercial Fiction, Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Chosen for imperial service, some concubines rise to power. Others fall to madness. 18th century China. All girls aged thirteen to sixteen must attend the Imperial Daughters’ Draft, so that the Emperor can have the first choice of every woman in his empire as a possible concubine. Once chosen, some rise to power. Some even forge friendships. But for some concubines, there are whispers of forbidden loves, dangerous secrets and even madness. Four women’s lives intertwine as their destinies unfold within the high red walls of the Forbidden City. Lady Qing has been forgotten by the Emperor, but dares to make one last bid for love. Lady He finds herself out of her depth as secrets pile up around her. Lady Niuhuru is torn away from everything she loves as she ascends to ever-greater power. And Lady Ula Nara teeters on the brink of madness as she desperately tries to...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Chosen against her will. Elevated to Empress. Accused of madness. 18th century China. Ula Nara is a happy sixteen-year-old, in love and betrothed. But before she can be married, she must attend the Imperial Daughters’ Draft. Chosen as a bride to the heir to the throne, Ula Nara now faces a lifetime of regret inside the walls of the Forbidden City. Determined to make her pain worth something, she aims for the pinnacle of success: to become Empress. But at what cost? As grief for her lost love spirals down towards something darker, Ula Nara finds herself teetering on the brink of madness. Perhaps her only chance of sanity lies in the Cold Palace and what she will find there. The Cold Palace is the poignant finale to the Forbidden City historical fiction series. If you enjoy tales of bittersweet love and dark rivalries, as well as discovering the lives...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

A false prophecy leads to the rise of a great empire… and a dangerous queen. 11th century North Africa. In an attempt to change her destiny, love-struck Zaynab makes a false prophecy: that she is destined to marry a man who will create an empire. Although her plan backfires, Zaynab’s intelligence, beauty and ambition leads to four marriages, each lifting her status higher. When Zaynab becomes the queen of Yusuf bin Tashfin, leader of the Almoravid army creating an empire stretching across North Africa and Spain, her status finally seems secured. But her desperate need to be loved turns her into a vicious rival to the other women in Yusuf’s life. Can Zaynab find the love she craves? What will happen to the empire she has co-created? Is a great queen’s destiny about to be crushed by an insignificant Christian slave woman? None Such as She is the unsettling second...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

China’s most beautiful garden. The man who built it. The woman who had to leave it. 18th century China. Giuseppe Castiglione, a promising and ambitious Italian painter, is recruited by the Jesuits to serve the Emperor of China. Tasked with turning a country estate into an imperial wonderland, Giuseppe enters the Garden of Perfect Brightness and meets Niuhuru, concubine to a minor prince. Drawn together, yet always kept apart, each has no choice but to follow the path fate has laid out for them. But as the Garden changes and Niuhuru is swept upwards to ever-greater importance, is something precious being lost? And will either of them ever find a way to express their feelings? A delicately told story of unspoken love and art forming a bridge between two cultures, The Garden of Perfect Brightness is the irresistible third book in the Forbidden City historical fiction series. If you enjoy...

Genres: Children's fiction, Children's general
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback, Hardback
Age Groups: 5-8

A girl. A quest. A powerful adversary. Long ago, in Old Japan... When her mother falls ill, brave Kameko sets off on a journey to bring back the jewel from the Monkey-King’s crown, known for its healing properties. Along the way she is helped by both people and kindly divinities, but will the Monkey-King give up his jewel so easily? Exquisitely illustrated by Claire Loescher with lino prints that bring a fairytale Japan to life, Kameko and the Monkey-King is a magical story showing that courage and kindness bring unexpected gifts. Set out on a quest to find something precious. Buy Kameko and the Monkey-King today.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Womens Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

A woman seeking adventure. A bitter rivalry. The birth of an empire. 11th century North Africa. Kella is a Berber girl disguised as a boy, travelling the trade routes and beating all comers in the camel races. When her true identity is revealed, she is sent home to the family desert camp to be taught women’s skills. Bored with her restrictive life, Kella yearns for her freedom and the excitement of life on the road. When a mighty army sets out on a holy mission, she risks marriage to its general, Yusuf, hoping to join him on a great adventure. But while Yusuf conquers the whole of North Africa, Kella finds herself an unexpected rival to his infamous queen consort, Zaynab. Can Kella protect herself from a powerful and jealous rival? Can she secure a future for her son in this newborn empire? And will she ever find the freedom...

Genres: Advice & How To, Business, Guidebooks
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Storytelling in business works. It enhances memory, enthusiasm and commitment in listeners. But where do you get the stories from and when should you use them? The Storytelling Entrepreneur was developed during workshops and one-to-ones held by business consultant and author Melissa Addey with real-life entrepreneurs at the British Library’s Business & IP Centre. It includes how to find the right stories and when to use them; creating a Sacred Bundle of your organisation’s history, values and magical moments; the six stories you should learn by heart and how to use stories at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey. The Storytelling Entrepreneur offers you a new path to business success, through deeper and better communication with the people who matter most: your investors, customers and employees.

Genres: Advice & How To, Business, Writing & Publishing
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Create your own Book Swag! Creating your own merchandise can bring in income and engage your readers as well as giving you the creative edge at literary events and festivals. In this book you’ll find: 5 things merchandise should do for you; 6 steps of new product development (NPD); how to think beyond bookmarks and coffee mugs; case studies and interviews with real authors and details of good suppliers to get you started. Packed with ideas, step-by-step how-tos and case studies, this book will introduce you to a great new way to market your books. A must read for entrepreneurially-minded authors.

Genres: Advice & How To, Health & Fitness, Self-Help/Personal Development
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Commuting is bad for you. Really bad for you. If you commute for more than 45 minutes a day in each direction, you are more likely to be overweight, suffer from anxiety, stress, depression and social isolation. You are more likely to sleep badly and be exhausted, have high blood sugar (which could lead to diabetes), high blood pressure and cholesterol (which could lead to heart attacks) and experience neck and back pain. You may have lower life satisfaction and happiness than people who do not commute. Oh, and you are 40% more likely to get divorced. There are 500 million commuters in the world. Something has to change. The Happy Commuter contains over a hundred ways to improve your commute. In it you’ll find out how to get comfortable, identify your needs, stretch your mind, look after your body, nurture your soul, indulge your passions, advance your career, free...

Genres: Historical Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Kidnapped. Blackmailed. Now, she must choose the future of the empire. 18th century Kashgar. Hidligh has only ever wanted safety and a full belly. On the street and living hand-to-mouth, the beautiful young woman is rapidly running out of any option but prostitution. So when she’s abducted by a Muslim noblewoman, she has little choice but to agree to the deal she’s offered: pose as a concubine to the Emperor of China and act as a spy. Reaching the Forbidden City and working hard to win over her eunuchs and the other concubines, she succeeds in gaining the monarch’s affections. But as her shadowy “benefactor” loses patience, Hidligh finds herself entangled in a deadly web of vengeance and assassination. With the fate of the Qing Dynasty hanging in the balance, is the Emperor right to fall in love with Hidligh? Or is his life in danger? And with secrets piling...

Genres: Advice & How To, Self-Help/Personal Development
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Did you know that the average mother could spend over 700 hours per child breastfeeding? This little book contains one hundred ideas for things to do while breastfeeding – from bonding with your baby to following your dreams. The ideas help you to: • Bond with your baby • Feel good: mind, body and soul • Lose the ‘baby brain’ • Make time for your older children • Stay in touch with your friends • Stay in love with your partner • Multitask to free up more time in your life • Rethink and revamp your life

Genres: Historical Fiction
Formats: E-Book, Audio, Paperback
Age Groups: 18+

Lonely. Used as a pawn. One last bid for love. 18th century China. Imperial concubine Qing yearns for love and friendship. Neglected by the Emperor, passed over for more ambitious women, Qing lives a lonely existence. But when a new concubine comes to court, friendship blooms, bringing with it a taste of happiness. For the first time in her life, Qing has a friend and perhaps even a chance at loving and being loved. But when the Empress’ throne suddenly becomes available, Qing finds herself being used as a pawn by the highest ranked women of the court. Caught up in their power games, on one devastating night everything she holds dear is put at risk. As the power players of the Forbidden City make their moves, can Qing find the courage to make one last bid for love? Can an insignificant pawn snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?...