(An Ebook original short novel of 40,000 words - approximately 180 pages)

Introducing the Wish Series From #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Barbara Freethy. A SECRET WISH is the first book in a series of stories revolving around wishes that will be released in 2012.

Three women, three birthdays and one unforgettable night that will change their lives forever.

One night in San Francisco, three women make a birthday wish believing it can't possibly come true. Liz is turning thirty. A successful nurse, she has a good career, but no man to share her life. All her friends are married, and she's alone, still trying to outrun a tragedy from her past. Then she meets a handsome stranger.

Angela, a member of a large, loving Italian family, is facing thirty-five with no baby in the nursery. Eight years of infertility treatments have put a strain on her marriage. Will she have to choose between her husband and having a child? When she is mugged by an unexpected assailant, her life takes a new turn.

Carole, a corporate wife, is staring down forty candles. Having grown up poor, she worked hard to get ahead, but when her kids bail on her birthday, and she discovers her husband with another woman, she realizes that she may have nothing at all. She goes back to where it all began, the mother she left behind, and the man whose heart she once broke.

Three women, three birthdays and a night of events that connects them in unexpected ways ...

(An Ebook original short novel of 40,000 words - approximately 180 pages)

Introducing the Wish Series From #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Barbara Freethy. A SECRET WISH is the first book in a series of stories revolving around wishes that will be released in 2012.

Three women, three birthdays and one unforgettable night that will change their lives forever.

One night in San Francisco, three women make a birthday wish believing it can't possibly come true. Liz is turning thirty. A successful nurse, she has a good career, but no man to share her life. All her friends are married, and she's alone, still trying to outrun a tragedy from her past. Then she meets a handsome stranger.

Angela, a member of a large, loving Italian family, is facing thirty-five with no baby in the nursery. Eight years of infertility treatments have put a strain on her marriage. Will she have to choose between her husband and having a child? When she is mugged by an unexpected assailant, her life takes a new turn.

Carole, a corporate wife, is staring down forty candles. Having grown up poor, she worked hard to get ahead, but when her kids bail on her birthday, and she discovers her husband with another woman, she realizes that she may have nothing at all. She goes back to where it all began, the mother she left behind, and the man whose heart she once broke.

Three women, three birthdays and a night of events that connects them in unexpected ways ...

A National Reviewer’s Choice Award finalist and Best Regency Nominee!

Delightfully Different Historical Romance. Orion Chase, the logical, studious, yet ultra-fashionable Earl of Lindenshire, meets his own true love--a stubborn, exasperating, and irresistible Gypsy who insists it's their destiny to wed. Regency Romance at its best!



REVIEWS:

“Lord Logic and the Wedding WIsh, by the very talented Melynda Beth Andrews, is delightfully amusing, as these two headstrong and independent young people seem destined to be wed—if they don't kill each other first! Four and a half stars. Fantastic--A Keeper!" -- RT Book Club

“From the magical beginning all the way to its perfect and masterfully thought-out conclusion, this story sparkles with laugh-out-loud humor and touching emotion that combines magically with warm and tender characters who are so real you feel like you know them.” -- Diana Tidlund, Writers Unlimited

"Ms. Andrews deftly blends a cast of interesting characters and a spritely plot into a warm, winsome confection." --Mellanie Crowther, Romance Reviews

“A wonderful, sweet love story. You have got to read this. Every page is packed full of romance and fun. I can’t wait to read another!”
—ARomanceReview.com



SYNOPSIS:

Oil and Water...

Born on the same day, best friends and fiercest rivals Orion Chase and Artemis Rose are separated when they're eight. When they come together once more as adults, nothing has changed. Still best friends, still oil and water.

When Artemis arrives on foot at his country estate, the ultra-logical, ultra-fashionable Orion Chase, the Earl of Lindenshire, is happy to welcome her--at first. Rejected by her mother's family, Artemis, the granddaughter of an Earl, has been living as a Gypsy for the past 16 years and lives her life guided by signs and portents. But Artemis's outlandish Gypsy ways can't bother Orion, who hides his scientific bent with a facade of fashionability. After all, Artemis won't be around long--or will she?

Orion's not happy when his mother hires Artemis as her companion. And he's even less happy when the ton mistakes Artemis for his mistress. A sham betrothal to save both of their reputations is in order--but it turns out that Orion is the only one who believes the wedding won't happen!



MORE:

Originally published by Kensington Publishing under the author’s former name, Melynda Beth Skinner.

Third book in the acclaimed Regency Matchmaker Series by Melynda Beth Andrews

A National Reviewer’s Choice Award finalist and Best Regency Nominee!



THE AUTHOR:

Melynda Beth Andrews lives in Florida with her young family. Her work has been Nominated for both a Golden Heart award from the Romance Writers of America and for a National Critics Choice Award, and hailed by critics as “delightful,” “a rare treat,” and “wickedly entertaining,"

A National Reviewer’s Choice Award finalist and Best Regency Nominee!

Delightfully Different Historical Romance. Orion Chase, the logical, studious, yet ultra-fashionable Earl of Lindenshire, meets his own true love--a stubborn, exasperating, and irresistible Gypsy who insists it's their destiny to wed. Regency Romance at its best!



REVIEWS:

“Lord Logic and the Wedding WIsh, by the very talented Melynda Beth Andrews, is delightfully amusing, as these two headstrong and independent young people seem destined to be wed—if they don't kill each other first! Four and a half stars. Fantastic--A Keeper!" -- RT Book Club

“From the magical beginning all the way to its perfect and masterfully thought-out conclusion, this story sparkles with laugh-out-loud humor and touching emotion that combines magically with warm and tender characters who are so real you feel like you know them.” -- Diana Tidlund, Writers Unlimited

"Ms. Andrews deftly blends a cast of interesting characters and a spritely plot into a warm, winsome confection." --Mellanie Crowther, Romance Reviews

“A wonderful, sweet love story. You have got to read this. Every page is packed full of romance and fun. I can’t wait to read another!”
—ARomanceReview.com



SYNOPSIS:

Oil and Water...

Born on the same day, best friends and fiercest rivals Orion Chase and Artemis Rose are separated when they're eight. When they come together once more as adults, nothing has changed. Still best friends, still oil and water.

When Artemis arrives on foot at his country estate, the ultra-logical, ultra-fashionable Orion Chase, the Earl of Lindenshire, is happy to welcome her--at first. Rejected by her mother's family, Artemis, the granddaughter of an Earl, has been living as a Gypsy for the past 16 years and lives her life guided by signs and portents. But Artemis's outlandish Gypsy ways can't bother Orion, who hides his scientific bent with a facade of fashionability. After all, Artemis won't be around long--or will she?

Orion's not happy when his mother hires Artemis as her companion. And he's even less happy when the ton mistakes Artemis for his mistress. A sham betrothal to save both of their reputations is in order--but it turns out that Orion is the only one who believes the wedding won't happen!



MORE:

Originally published by Kensington Publishing under the author’s former name, Melynda Beth Skinner.

Third book in the acclaimed Regency Matchmaker Series by Melynda Beth Andrews

A National Reviewer’s Choice Award finalist and Best Regency Nominee!



THE AUTHOR:

Melynda Beth Andrews lives in Florida with her young family. Her work has been Nominated for both a Golden Heart award from the Romance Writers of America and for a National Critics Choice Award, and hailed by critics as “delightful,” “a rare treat,” and “wickedly entertaining,"

All she ever wanted was a chance to settle down in one place.

Thistle Nettlebottom knows her life isn't exactly normal. She travels the country with her secretive mother and bestselling author grandmother in a pink RV going from book signings to crazy research trips. She's never been to public school or had a boyfriend, but she can pick a lock and hotwire a car. One day the phone rings and they set a course to a tiny town that's not on any maps. Suddenly, Thistle finds her whole life changing.

She's finally found the home she's been searching for.

Thistle soon realizes that Desire isn't like other towns and she's not like other girls. The family she trusted has lied to her about everything her entire life and the things she doesn't know about herself could cost her everything. Her legacy as one of the most powerful witches the town has ever seen has made her enemies that have been waiting patiently for a chance to destroy her. Thistle needs to learn to use her powers to protect herself before they succeed.

Be careful what you wish for.

Thistle has a power unique even among the magic wielding witches of Desire. She can wish things into existence. At first she enjoys the freedom of having everything her heart desires, but she soon realizes that her power comes at a terrible price. She's losing her grip on her sanity at a time when she can't afford any weakness. Her enemies are closing in quickly, but she might not have the strength to save herself.

All she ever wanted was a chance to settle down in one place.

Thistle Nettlebottom knows her life isn't exactly normal. She travels the country with her secretive mother and bestselling author grandmother in a pink RV going from book signings to crazy research trips. She's never been to public school or had a boyfriend, but she can pick a lock and hotwire a car. One day the phone rings and they set a course to a tiny town that's not on any maps. Suddenly, Thistle finds her whole life changing.

She's finally found the home she's been searching for.

Thistle soon realizes that Desire isn't like other towns and she's not like other girls. The family she trusted has lied to her about everything her entire life and the things she doesn't know about herself could cost her everything. Her legacy as one of the most powerful witches the town has ever seen has made her enemies that have been waiting patiently for a chance to destroy her. Thistle needs to learn to use her powers to protect herself before they succeed.

Be careful what you wish for.

Thistle has a power unique even among the magic wielding witches of Desire. She can wish things into existence. At first she enjoys the freedom of having everything her heart desires, but she soon realizes that her power comes at a terrible price. She's losing her grip on her sanity at a time when she can't afford any weakness. Her enemies are closing in quickly, but she might not have the strength to save herself.

Follow a daughter on her quest for the truth and a mother who wants to keep her safe by any means necessary. Who is right? Who is wrong? Who will say, I wish I would've? She only has loving memories of her beloved G-Pa and can't understand why her mom calls him ""devil"". On her eighteenth birthday she goes on a quest for the truth, without her mom's knowledge. While visiting her G-Pa she discovers her dark family secrets.

Warning: This novella contains explicit scenes of human trafficking, sexual abuse and child abuse.

This short novel (novella) follows a daughter on her quest for the truth and a mother who wants to keep her safe by any means necessary. Who is right? Who is wrong? Who will say, I wish I would've?

She only has loving memories of her beloved G-Pa and can't understand why her mom calls him "devil". On her eighteenth birthday she goes on a quest for the truth, without her mom's knowledge. While visiting her G-Pa she discovers her dark family secrets.

Warning: This novella contains explicit scenes of human trafficking, sexual abuse and child abuse.

This short novel (novella) follows a daughter on her quest for the truth and a mother who wants to keep her safe by any means necessary. Who is right? Who is wrong? Who will say, I wish I would've?

She only has loving memories of her beloved G-Pa and can't understand why her mom calls him "devil". On her eighteenth birthday she goes on a quest for the truth, without her mom's knowledge. While visiting her G-Pa she discovers her dark family secrets.

Inspector Zhang loves mysteries, but as a Detective Inspector with the Singapore Police Force he knows that mysteries are few and far between. There are relatively few crimes in the city state and those that are committed are usually solved quickly. But that all changes when Inspector Zhang is called to a top Singapore hotel where a guest has been found murdered in a locked room. The guest made a phone call to room service shortly before he was killed - but CCTV footage shows that nobody entered or left the room. So finally Inspector Zhang has his wish - a mystery to solve. But will it be too much for him?

This is a short story, just under 9000 words, equivalent to about 30 pages. A perfect read if you have an hour to kill.

It has received a four star review from Amazon Top 500 Reviewer Shaun Horrigan. He wrote - "Impeccably dressed and well spoken, Inspector Zhang is a Detective Inspector in the Singapore Police. He loves reading, especially traditional detective fiction, even going as far as teaching himself Japanese in order to read a series of books that were never published in English.

"For his entire career he has longed for a murder mystery to test his deductive powers, but murders hardly ever happen in Singapore. Summoned late one night to a five star hotel, it seems he has finally got his wish when the body of a wealthy American businessman is discovered in what seems to be a 'locked room mystery'.

"I certainly haven't read all of Stephen Leather's works, but I have read a few, and those that I have read have a few things in common. They are all extremely well written in a very contemporary style and they have all been hard hitting and rather graphic. This little story is also well written, but it is the total opposite in terms of style. This story reads very much like an Agatha Christie "whodunnit". It is very gentle in style, has no gore, is not in any way graphic in nature, and has no strong language at all. All in all it is a very easy going read. Personally I found this a refreshing change.

"Stephen Leather has very much taken the Kindle to heart and as I would expect the Kindle presentation is first class. I only picked up one minor typo in the entire story. This little story took me just over half an hour to read and is 465 locations on the Kindle/roughly 30 pages, about the perfect length for something to read between novels.

I have also included the first few chapters of another detective story set in Asia - Bangkok Bob and The Missing Mormon.


Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers. He was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992, he has sold more than three million copies and his books are published in more than ten languages. You can find out more about his work at www.stephenleather.com

Inspector Zhang loves mysteries, but as a Detective Inspector with the Singapore Police Force he knows that mysteries are few and far between. There are relatively few crimes in the city state and those that are committed are usually solved quickly. But that all changes when Inspector Zhang is called to a top Singapore hotel where a guest has been found murdered in a locked room. The guest made a phone call to room service shortly before he was killed - but CCTV footage shows that nobody entered or left the room. So finally Inspector Zhang has his wish - a mystery to solve. But will it be too much for him?

This is a short story, just under 9000 words, equivalent to about 30 pages. A perfect read if you have an hour to kill.

It has received a four star review from Amazon Top 500 Reviewer Shaun Horrigan. He wrote - "Impeccably dressed and well spoken, Inspector Zhang is a Detective Inspector in the Singapore Police. He loves reading, especially traditional detective fiction, even going as far as teaching himself Japanese in order to read a series of books that were never published in English.

"For his entire career he has longed for a murder mystery to test his deductive powers, but murders hardly ever happen in Singapore. Summoned late one night to a five star hotel, it seems he has finally got his wish when the body of a wealthy American businessman is discovered in what seems to be a 'locked room mystery'.

"I certainly haven't read all of Stephen Leather's works, but I have read a few, and those that I have read have a few things in common. They are all extremely well written in a very contemporary style and they have all been hard hitting and rather graphic. This little story is also well written, but it is the total opposite in terms of style. This story reads very much like an Agatha Christie "whodunnit". It is very gentle in style, has no gore, is not in any way graphic in nature, and has no strong language at all. All in all it is a very easy going read. Personally I found this a refreshing change.

"Stephen Leather has very much taken the Kindle to heart and as I would expect the Kindle presentation is first class. I only picked up one minor typo in the entire story. This little story took me just over half an hour to read and is 465 locations on the Kindle/roughly 30 pages, about the perfect length for something to read between novels.

I have also included the first few chapters of another detective story set in Asia - Bangkok Bob and The Missing Mormon.


Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers. He was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992, he has sold more than three million copies and his books are published in more than ten languages. You can find out more about his work at www.stephenleather.com

The New York Times bestselling journalist and author of The Girls from Ames, Jeffrey Zaslow, takes us to a multi- generational family owned small-town bridal shop to explore the emotional lives of women in the 21st century.

You may not have heard of Fowler, Michigan, much less Becker's Bridal. But for the thousands of women who have stepped inside, Becker's is the site of some of the most important moments of their lives-moments that speak to us all. Housed in a former bank, the boutique owners transformed the vault into a magic room," with soft church lighting, a circular pedestal, and mirrors that make lifelong dreams come true.

Illuminating the poignant aspects of a woman's journey to the altar, The Magic Room tells the stories of memorable women on the brink of commitment. Run by the same family for years, Becker's has witnessed transformations in how America views the institution of marriage; some of the shop's clientele are becoming stepmothers, or starting married life for a second time. In The Girls from Ames, beloved author Jeffrey Zaslow used friendships to explore the emotional lives of women. In The Magic Room, he turns his perceptive eye to weddings and weaves together secrets, memories and family tales to explore the hopes and dreams we have for our daughters.

The New York Times bestselling journalist and author of The Girls from Ames, Jeffrey Zaslow, takes us to a multi- generational family owned small-town bridal shop to explore the emotional lives of women in the 21st century.

You may not have heard of Fowler, Michigan, much less Becker's Bridal. But for the thousands of women who have stepped inside, Becker's is the site of some of the most important moments of their lives-moments that speak to us all. Housed in a former bank, the boutique owners transformed the vault into a magic room," with soft church lighting, a circular pedestal, and mirrors that make lifelong dreams come true.

Illuminating the poignant aspects of a woman's journey to the altar, The Magic Room tells the stories of memorable women on the brink of commitment. Run by the same family for years, Becker's has witnessed transformations in how America views the institution of marriage; some of the shop's clientele are becoming stepmothers, or starting married life for a second time. In The Girls from Ames, beloved author Jeffrey Zaslow used friendships to explore the emotional lives of women. In The Magic Room, he turns his perceptive eye to weddings and weaves together secrets, memories and family tales to explore the hopes and dreams we have for our daughters.

A story about finding lost love and a new beginning.*

Megan Randall has been bumped from her flight home to America. Stranded and alone at the London airport on Christmas Eve, when she’s offered a free holiday ticket she thinks back to the first boy she ever kissed, a Scottish exchange student who starred with her in a high school production of Brigadoon.

Declan. The name evokes feelings she’s never quite been able to dismiss.

Now, years later, the chance to find Declan again is impossible to resist. With the help of the Wish Granters, Alanna and Joe, she travels to his small Scottish village where a twist of fate casts Megan back into the role she played years earlier. There are plenty of complications – ex-wives, blizzards, falling ladders, and the fact that if the town depends on their annual New Year’s Eve performance of Brigadoon for their financial survival, they may go totally bust. But the biggest complication of all comes in the form of Declan’s less worldly, but equally appealing cousin, Rory.

Megan’s New Year is the charming tale of a woman who steps away from her everyday life and into a Scottish fairy tale. Even the Wish Granters, Alanna and Joe, can’t help getting swept up in the romance and the chance to save the postcard-perfect village of Alloway. As the clock strikes down to midnight, Megan will have to make the choice of a lifetime. Should she reunite with a lost love or take a chance on something new?

*L B Swan is a pen name for LB Gschwandtner, author of The Naked Gardener: Foxy's Tale: Maybelle's Revenge: Page Truly and The Journey To Nearandfar.

A story about finding lost love and a new beginning.*

Megan Randall has been bumped from her flight home to America. Stranded and alone at the London airport on Christmas Eve, when she’s offered a free holiday ticket she thinks back to the first boy she ever kissed, a Scottish exchange student who starred with her in a high school production of Brigadoon.

Declan. The name evokes feelings she’s never quite been able to dismiss.

Now, years later, the chance to find Declan again is impossible to resist. With the help of the Wish Granters, Alanna and Joe, she travels to his small Scottish village where a twist of fate casts Megan back into the role she played years earlier. There are plenty of complications – ex-wives, blizzards, falling ladders, and the fact that if the town depends on their annual New Year’s Eve performance of Brigadoon for their financial survival, they may go totally bust. But the biggest complication of all comes in the form of Declan’s less worldly, but equally appealing cousin, Rory.

Megan’s New Year is the charming tale of a woman who steps away from her everyday life and into a Scottish fairy tale. Even the Wish Granters, Alanna and Joe, can’t help getting swept up in the romance and the chance to save the postcard-perfect village of Alloway. As the clock strikes down to midnight, Megan will have to make the choice of a lifetime. Should she reunite with a lost love or take a chance on something new?

*L B Swan is a pen name for LB Gschwandtner, author of The Naked Gardener: Foxy's Tale: Maybelle's Revenge: Page Truly and The Journey To Nearandfar.