Velda Brotherton returns to Grace County with her darkest Twist of Poe mystery yet… The Pit and the Penance. A ghost from her past threatens small town reporter Jessie West and those closest to her as she works to uncover a sinister secret found in the burned-out shed of Grace County’s newest resident. Things become even stranger when two bodies turn up that could be connected to the case, but the link is anything but solid. Then a guest at the local bed and breakfast disappears, and the Sheriff himself is behaving strangely. As if Jessie and her lover, Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr, didn't have enough to deal with, federal agents and the mob have chosen the particular moment to descend upon idyllic Cedarton, Arkansas and start raising hell. It’s up to Jessie and Dal to put the clues together and navigate the treacherous, muddy waters of loyalty, secrecy, and long-buried secrets—before the ones who would rather those skeletons never get unearthed stop them for good.

The Pit and the Penance

Velda Brotherton

Lagan Press

A severed foot, a savage killer, a rescued pitbull...and a headstrong reporter with an unpaid debt. She thrilled you with The Purloined Skull. Chilled you in The Tell-Tale Stone. Now Velda Brotherton returns to Grace County with her darkest mystery yet, The Pit and the Penance. A skeleton from her past threatens Jessie West and those closest to her as she works to uncover a secret found in the burned-out shed of a new resident in town. Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr is shoved off a mountain and injured. Two bodies turn up that could be connected to the threat, but the link is anything but solid. Deputy Tinker is convinced a guest at the local bed and breakfast has disappeared, and the Sheriff himself is behaving strangely. As if Jessie and Dal didn't have enough to deal with, federal agents and the mob have chosen now to descend upon idyllic Cedarton, Arkansas and start raising hell. Most concerning of all, what does an ugly little pit bull named Brad know?

Romance

Brotherton, Velda

Contemporary

Bound by Honor (Centallian Guardians)

“I’ve come for you.” With those words, Rhyel of New Centallus changes Dr. Amber Donovan’s life forever. 
 Their home world destroyed, Rhyel, six Elders, and the predominately male crew of his interstellar ship, Novaria, are the only survivors of their species. Their assailants demanded the sacred artifact known as the Acqeli. Rhyel is charged with its protection.
 Generations of Elders have guarded the black crystal, a translation stone capable of unlocking terrible secrets etched on the temple walls of a dead planet. To protect the Acqeli, the Centallians must colonize an uninhabited world and rebuild their race. The men barter for brides from Earth’s third world countries. But they cannot trade for the woman who is key to the colony’s survival. Rhyel may be forced to compromise his honor to obtain her.
 Light years from the new colony, Amber is plagued by dreams of world devastation, of the death of a stranger she calls Mother. In the aftermath of a particularly troubling dream, she discovers a man in her room—Rhyel. Like the dark incarnation of an unrelenting primitive god, his eyes burn with an intensity of purpose that terrifies her. 
 All she wants is to go home, but she finds herself caught up in the life and death struggles of the young colony. All he wants is her, but the circumstances that draw them together must also keep them apart. Ultimately, the bond they share cannot be denied. Bound by love, they face the challenges of a new life and a new world.

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Sartin, Rose

Science Fiction

Velda Brotherton returns to Grace County with her darkest Twist of Poe mystery yet... THE PIT AND THE PENANCE.
A ghost from her past threatens small town reporter Jessie West and those closest to her as she works to uncover a sinister secret found in the burned-out shed of Grace County's newest resident. Things become even stranger when two bodies turn up that could be connected to the case, but the link is anything but solid. Then a guest at the local bed and breakfast disappears, and the Sheriff himself is behaving strangely. As if Jessie and her lover, Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr, didn't have enough to deal with, federal agents and the mob have chosen this particular moment to descend upon idyllic Cedarton, Arkansas and start raising hell. 
It's up to Jessie and Dal to put the clues together and navigate the treacherous, muddy waters of loyalty, secrecy, and long-buried secrets--before the ones who would rather those skeletons never get unearthed stop them for good.

The Pit and the Penance (Twist of Poe)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Thrillers & Suspense

The Purloined Skull (Twist of Poe)

Velda Brotherton uncovers the cancer of one town's deepest secrets in the Twist of Poe Mystery that started it all... THE PURLOINED SKULL.
Buried skeletons don't often turn up in sleepy little Cedarton, Arkansas--especially not the headless kind. Reporter Jessie West is assigned the story, but she has some skeletons of her own she's hoping not to unearth. Her journalistic instincts, however, are impossible to ignore, and she's soon hot on the trail of a possible suspect. Her investigation drives her headlong into newly-hired Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr, a sexy Cherokee lawman with the ability to read the emotional echoes left at the scene of a violent crime. Dal's seen firsthand how nosy reporters are willing to ruin lives and reputations for a big scoop, and he wants nothing to do with Jessie or her amateur detective act. Passions flare inside the bedroom and out as they collide in the midst of the biggest thing to happen in Grace County in decades. 
When Jessie receives a series of bizarre threats on her life, she has to decide if she's close to exposing the killer, or if her past has finally caught up with her. Will she and Dal find the answer in time, or will the secret of the purloined skull destroy them all?

Romantic Suspense

Velda Brotherton uncovers the cancer of one town's deepest secrets in the Twist of Poe Mystery that started it all... THE PURLOINED SKULL.
Buried skeletons don't often turn up in sleepy little Cedarton, Arkansas--especially not the headless kind. Reporter Jessie West is assigned the story, but she has some skeletons of her own she's hoping not to unearth. Her journalistic instincts, however, are impossible to ignore, and she's soon hot on the trail of a possible suspect. Her investigation drives her headlong into newly-hired Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr, a sexy Cherokee lawman with the ability to read the emotional echoes left at the scene of a violent crime. Dal's seen firsthand how nosy reporters are willing to ruin lives and reputations for a big scoop, and he wants nothing to do with Jessie or her amateur detective act. Passions flare inside the bedroom and out as they collide in the midst of the biggest thing to happen in Grace County in decades. 
When Jessie receives a series of bizarre threats on her life, she has to decide if she's close to exposing the killer, or if her past has finally caught up with her. Will she and Dal find the answer in time, or will the secret of the purloined skull destroy them all?

Another Eden

When promising young medical student Andrew Wade rejects the advances of a fiery mountain girl determined to entrap him, she demands help from the local medicine woman known for black sorcery. The curse is one of selfish revenge, and its dark consequences doom the girl to her death and cast Andrew to his hopeless exile--in a painting.
A century later, Abigail Matthews, a successful Ohio defense attorney who disillusioned with a career built on lies and manipulation of rules, sets off to the Ozark Mountains for a time of soul-searching solitude. En route, an unrelenting urge compels her to stop at a roadside antique shop where she finds and buys a disturbingly mysterious painting. The painting draws Abbie into it, transporting her into Andrew's dark world.
Neither of them realizes the key to their escape from this bewitched world is love without constraints, and Abbie is the one who holds that key.
Can she unlock her heart and the doorway to freedom before it's too late?

K.D. McCrite

Paranormal

When the Heart is Right

When Washington D.C. socialite Alessandra O'Quinn is diagnosed with tuberculosis, she must face certain death at home, or leave everything she knows to seek a cure in the dry desert air of New Mexico.
Arriving at her new home, Alessandra is introduced to the local Taos Indians. Most importantly, she is introduced to shaman Manuel Mondragon. Renowned among his people as a leader and a healer, Man is handsome, intriguing... and promised to a young Taos Indian girl. 
Man informs Alessandra her sickness is caused by her spirit. As she learns how to heal her body, Alessandra finds herself fighting to save her true self, as well as her heart. 
In 1920s New Mexico, these aren't the only battles she will fight. With Alessandra's connections and knowledge of politics, she joins the local people in the fight against the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the rights to Blue Lake, where the tribe believes their ancient culture was created out of the sacred waters. As a place of ritual worship, the lake is essential to their religion and everyday life. 
Set against the rich cultural background of the Taos Indians, this story of politics, male domination, racism, and love against all odds will capture your attention from the very first page until the unanticipated ending.

Parris Afton Bonds

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Books by Lagan Press

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The Pit and the Penance

The Pit and the Penance

Bound by Honor (Centallian Guardians)

Bound by Honor (Centallian Guardians)

The Pit and the Penance (Twist of Poe)

The Purloined Skull (Twist of Poe)

The Purloined Skull (Twist of Poe)

Another Eden

Another Eden

When the Heart is Right