*WATTYS 2018 LONGLIST* Second book in the Pirates series

It's 1939, and the world is at the precipice of war. But life for one young man in rural America couldn't be better. Jonathon Blackwell is the eldest son of the most powerful family in town and heir to Blackwell Iron and Mining. Unlike many who struggled to survive the final years of the Great Depression, he has everything he could ever want - except the one thing he desires most. Sheltered by class, privilege, and living inside a locked iron fence meant to protect him, no one could ever imagine anything terrible could happen to him, but dark times are coming. Fate is about to play it's cruel hand, and when it's all over, the world, the country, and young Jonathon will be changed forever. The much anticipated prequel to the 2014 Watty award winning and Wattpad featured story, The Boy in the Woods! This is Jonathon's story, and it just may break your heart... Best Ranking: Historical Fiction #4 Note: Even though this story takes place before events in The Boy in the Woods, it's intended to be read AFTER because it wraps up the last of the mysteries of that story. A gentle warning - many spoilers and much confusion lie ahead if you decide to start with this one. :)

James Alcott has always had a talent for charming women right into his bed, a talent that he has enjoyed, along with his status of being heir to the Earldom of Ethridge. A chance encounter, however, with a woman who does not see worth in wealth of status will change his life forever. Alice Devereaux has been hiding for three years. She fought and survived the 1832 French Revolution and is hiding in England under a pseudonym. Her family and friends all died as criminals and if she ever returned to her native Paris then she would be slaughtered too. Her family's hatred of aristocracy has been instilled in her and she carries around the burden of both her and her people's failure to create equality. And then, as if God is testing her, she meets a man who holds all the qualities she was born to hate - wealth, status and arrogance. But that man is determined to succeed in winning her. So what is she to do? Succumb to his charms? Or hold true to the beliefs of her French comrades?

Sabine Winchester has always had a too sensible head on her shoulders. Her unsuccessful seasons in London result in her being called things like 'boring' and 'dull'. Her limited interests stem to her beloved horse, Puissant. But in arriving home, she encounters the new Scottish stable hand, Connor McKenzie, who is everything she's not - relaxed, spontaneous, outgoing and humorous. Batting heads with the new stable boy causes a lot of friction for Sabine, but the man who is so different to her, might just save her from herself.

Kitty Alcott has a reputation for being a tease. Many have tried to secure her hand but she will not relent. She loves dancing until dawn and being the object of all men's desires. But the rebuttal of a young naval captain confuses her. She doesn't know whether to be insulted or intrigued by Captain William Aubrey who isn't affected by her charm or beauty. She is faced with the dilemma of reflecting on her own behaviour and the possibility that she has to change...

Maggie Swift had always known something was missing from her life. She had everything an eighteen year old aristocrat could want - a title, wealth, a good family, and an incredible friend in Max Montgomery. What could possibly be missing? Many do not see past the audacious and joyous personality of Maggie Swift, the outspoken American child that Nate Swift, Earl of Montrose, adopted eleven years earlier. Many do not see the fact that she has always felt like an outsider, and that she truly believes that something is missing in her life. But a knock on the door of Montrose Manor will change Maggie's life. It will take her across an ocean to a life she never knew. But what Maggie has to decide is this: Who is she? Where does she belong? Who does she belong with? And most importantly, where is home?

To the unknowing eye, the exotic young woman making her way through the English countryside is just another poor girl, hungry and looking for work. But Elena Del Fuego is much more than that. She is the youngest daughter of the King of Spain and she is running from an arranged marriage he forced upon her. Elena learned of the betrothal when she was ten years old, and found out that it was to happen on her eighteenth birthday to a Portuguese Prince twenty years her senior. She had eight years to plan her perfect escape. Her escape takes her to Derbyshire where she finds work as a housemaid at a grand estate called Ascot. While Elena had always planned to keep her head down, she cannot help but notice the handsome heir to the dukedom, David Wilde. But life is not like a fairy tale. The handsome heir cannot marry the maid and turn her into a princess, for Elena is already that. She is a princess with two nations chasing her, two nations determined to keep Elena and David apart and to take Elena home.

Lady Imogen Wilde has lived her life in a body that does not work as it should. As she was born not breathing, Imogen has spent her life as the small and weak daughter of the Duke of Ascot. Nobody could ever understand, could they? Colonel Simon Spencer is a highly decorated, recently retired, soldier, who has made his fortune through various gallant and successful military campaigns. But the military has altered him, both mentally and physically, leaving him a changed man from the one his brother remembers, one who carries many burdens. But what if they met? Could it be, that after years of indifference, Imogen and Simon might finally find someone who understands? Or could there be other obstacles in their way, secrets that threaten to boil over?

As the first Lady Knight of Monrique, Juliette Van Helsing regularly deals with criminals who threaten the peace and security of her country. When a string of brutal murders among the nobility take place in quick succession, leaving behind one puzzle after another, she begins a race against time to find the murderer. Along the way, webs of lies, betrayals and greed are unravelled, and at each turn, she finds herself questioning her beliefs and assumptions. In the midst of all of this chaos, will she be able to fulfil her duty, and mayhap, find love?

A newly expanded and professionally edited version of the Boy in the Woods is now available for sale as an ebook and paperback! Buy it at Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and many other online outlets. Winner of the 2014 Wattys Talk of the Town award. After a devastating accident takes Jess's parents, a cold and controlling uncle is the only family she has left. Ripping away everything she's ever known, he takes her far from her home in the big city to live on the rural family estate. With a spoiled and stuck up older cousin the only other young person in the home, Jess struggles to adjust to her new life of loneliness and quiet isolation. While exploring the woods surrounding her home one day, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy. Desperate for a friend, she's instantly drawn to him, but he's deeply distrustful and wants nothing to do with her. Sneaking away to see him, she works hard to break through his walls and slowly gains his trust. As time passes, their bond grows from forbidden friendship into something more, but the threat they'll be caught looms closer. How far will Jess have to go to protect the boy she's fallen in love with? Or will her uncle find out about them before she can escape his control? The Boy in the Woods is a mysterious and poignant coming of age novel set in the late 1950's, with the same classic feel as A Little Princess and The Secret Garden. As one of the top ten most read historical fiction stories on the popular reading website Wattpad.com, it's already loved by tens of thousands of readers. This compelling story is twice the length of the average young adult novel, and is appropriate for ages 14 to adult. By the same author as Wattys finalists Stolen Hearts and Love You Forever! Best Ranking: Historical Fiction #1 General Fiction #3 Warning: This story contains occasional language and mild violence.