Showing results by narrator "Deborah Balm" in All Categories

When she hears about a council incentive offering the promise of free flights to the person who clocks the most volunteering hours at the local care home, she’s got her plan set. But she doesn’t plan on bonding with the old ladies, going after the village bad boy and trying to persuade Elsie not to become a Nun. Soon, she’s questioning who her real friends are and whether her old life is one she wants to return to. Can the village win her over and will she win the chance to leave it behind? Will she even want to?

After receiving a most unexpected personal invitation for a weekend of leisure and celebration, Miss Victoria Parker leaves London for the country seat of the Duke of Everton. Although unsure as to why a lowly spinster such as she would be invited anywhere by a duke, Victoria's trusted assistant, James Kensington, assures her it must concern her late father’s accounting firm, which she secretly runs.

In a fast-moving and compelling narrative, reporter David Ricketts takes listeners inside the rooms where extraordinary sums of other people’s money were wagered, trapped, and, ultimately, lost, in a scandal still sending shockwaves through the world of finance.

Only in an insane world would a young wizard find herself battling monsters and automatons one day and returning to Convocation Academy to cram for finals the next. But this is the world Alise Phel lives in. Like it or not, Alise must face the consequences of ditching out a second time and dealing with the crushing workload assigned to her as a punishment. Worse yet, succeeding at the Academy means Alise must learn to master her powerful and unusual magic—the same magic that caused her to accidentally murder her own mother.

Summer has arrived in Pigsend, and it’s not just the sweltering temperatures putting everyone on edge. It’s the sixth anniversary of the war ending, and a cadre of soldiers is camping north of town to keep the peace and monitor for strange activity. Rumor has it a rebellion is brewing, one that threatens to plunge the country back into war—not that anyone in Pigsend is keen on that. At the Weary Dragon, Bev’s playing host to the usual set of travelers, including butcher Vellora’s old commander Andres.

Lady Veronica Elal has been freed from her tower—and entered a life of servitude. It doesn’t matter that her wizard master has odd ideas about circumventing Convocation tradition and making their relationship equal. Nic prides herself on her practicality, and that means not pretending her marriage is full of hearts and flowers. Besides, she understands that, despite her new husband’s idealism, they face obstacles so great the pair of them could be crushed to nothing, even without dashing themselves brainless trying to fight the Convocation.

Something dark is prowling the gaslit streets of London - a monster with a taste for the blood of young women. When her beloved sister is attacked by an unearthly creature, Emma Rose finds herself in a contract of exchange for her life that defies all laws of heaven. A contract with a vampire. Spanning centuries, lifetimes, and the rise and fall of ancient civilizations, Winterly takes her on a journey of self-discovery where Emma awakens to the truth of her identity at last.

The Galaxy Unit was relatively new to the force; it had been set up two years previously, specifically to work with cases of child abduction and murder. All of the team worked well together, handling over 30 cases at any one time. The hardest to deal with by far were those children who were taken completely randomly, by strangers for sexual exploitation, trafficking, or sometimes, to replace a lost child. These cases were rare and up until now, Rocco could count the cases she’d personally headed up, on one hand. All that was about to change for all of them, forever.

After escaping to the garden for a reprieve from the stuffy ballroom, Miss Evelyn Trainor bumps into a handsome stranger through a hedge. When he boldly requests an introduction, she lies and tells him a fake name, Lady Eve, positive she’ll never see him again. But when she returns to the country for Christmas and finds her handsome stranger — the Duke of Alverton — has moved in next door for the holidays, she does what she must to guard her secret.

Lady Katherine Wilson never expected to inherit a horse farm, but she embraces the gift and the opportunity to continue her grandmother's legacy. She decides to breed the farm's mares, but only one stud will do. Unfortunately, the stallion belongs to the Marquess of Holton, and they've never gotten along well.

Annie Besant’s magnetic eloquence is brilliantly apparent in this volume of her writings and lectures on the spiritual life. The welfare of humanity and the world around us is our utmost concern, says Besant, and the primary tool of transformation is our own consciousness. Our inner life must change if outer conditions are to be improved. Besant illuminates the way with topics such as calmness of mind, devotion, knowledge, karma, reincarnation, and Divine Law. Quotes from poetry and the world’s scriptures provide additional inspiration.

It is 742. The throne is empty; the pagan states are in rebellion, Charles Martel's widow and youngest son have been imprisoned, and trust between Carloman and Pippin—the two brothers who remain in power—has been shattered. Making matters worse, the Church is secretly conspiring to place a Merovingian on the throne and Charles' daughter Hiltrude has wed the leader of the rebellion—giving him the legitimacy of Charles' legacy. Based on a true story, Wheel of the Fates picks up where the award-winning Anvil of God leaves off.

Lord Gabriel Phel at last holds his dream in his grasp—and faces losing everything. He’s finally won the love of his wife, familiar, and mother of his child, and she offers him a heartfelt commitment he can truly believe in. Together they’re building a true house, one with a growing family of friends and allies that can help them stand against their enemies. And he’s learning to master his magic, to use it as the powerful tool and weapon it should be. But old and new enemies array themselves to take it all away.

When tragedy strikes, it leaves young Rose Herriott all alone in the world. What will become of her hopes and dreams? She lives in fear and daily torment, at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Her father proved to be a man with a charitable heart and a deep love for his favorite daughter. When a mysterious letter arrives, she realizes she is not alone as she once believed.

It's the wedding of the year in Pigsend, at least if you talk to Vicky Hamblin. The bride-to-be is dead set on making her wedding to baker Allen Mackey the most perfect spectacle in the history of weddings, if only to impress her two snooty aunts. Bev's in charge of hosting them at the Weary Dragon Inn, along with a carefully-curated list of other family members, all designed to impress. But when things start going awry, and Vicky suspects someone might be out to sabotage her wedding, Bev's on the case once more. Can she find out who's out to get the bride before the big day?

Formed of audio transcripts of covert recordings and team member journal entries, this book documents Operation Dawn Wolf, an eyes-only covert operation to identify and terminate the perpetrators of ongoing [redacted] of the highly secret Special Operations candidate-selection process. The transcripts document the progression of covertly recruited 2Lt [redacted] (now known as Carrie Harris, a.k.a. candidate Corra Hughes) through the agency’s Special Operations selection process [redacted].

Murder and mayhem abound in this thrilling return to the 1930s as a young woman uncovers her own connection to the power and magic of her ancient Egyptian ancestors.

It’s 745. The kingdom is split between the two eldest sons of Charles Martel. Carloman, the oldest, has the support of the king and the church, while Pippin refuses to bend the knee. Civil war is imminent.

The Little Fox Who Got Lost is a beautiful woodland story designed to teach small children about the dangers of wandering off and what can happen if they don’t pay attention to the things their parents say. I hope you enjoy this bedtime story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Spring is on the horizon, and the Weary Dragon Inn is getting its annual deep clean. But before Bev can even finish scrubbing the windows, Carpenter Earl's workshop goes up in flames. Earl's convinced the local kids are behind the mischief, but when more buildings come crashing down under mysterious circumstances, Bev's on the case once more.