Leo Sundridge, Third Duke of Erroll, always knew no one could love him. His mother, father, wife. He could live with that...until his wife suddenly cursed to find true love or die. Arabella Beauley secretly longs for adventure while tirelessly serving her family following her mother's death. Escapades in a haunted castle more than meet her expectations when she becomes governess to a Duke's child. Who rescues who in this new Beauty and the Beast tale?

"A love not shown is more painful than a love rejected." SHE IS DETERMINED... The town of Wickhurst sees Ysabella Everard as a spoiled, rich young girl. What Ysa believes on the other hand is that she will someday get the man of her dreams and that is no other than the elusive rake William Hayward, the Lord of Wakefield. He also happens to be her brother's friend and the man she had been secretly writing letters to for years as Lady Weis, letters that started in a foolish wager with a friend. But one problem is at hand: he does not know she is Lady Weis, the woman he has fallen in love with, in letters. HE AVOIDS HER AT ALL COST... Wakefield has many rules, but one stands out the most: never dally with a friend's sister or relative, most particularly Ysabella Everard. As the sister of his friend, she is not to be touched at all costs. She has never been on his list from day one and he is quite determined to keep it that way. But years of her obsessive chasing and his desperate attempts to avoid it have not tired the woman at all. She has suitors she ought to focus her attention on and Wakefield cannot understand what she sees in him to waste her precious time over. He cannot be with her for many reasons and one of them was the fact that he was utterly in love, for the first time in his life, with one woman: Lady Weis. THE CHASE BEGINS... Her chase for the man she loves continues. His chase for the identity of the woman he is willing to sacrifice everything for begins. It is merely a matter of time for the truth to be revealed and how they face it has great potential for yet another Wickhurst scandal. Still set in the fictional place of the Town, this fourth book in the Everard Family series follows one heroine who is determined to win her game and her love for the man who might very well be her first ever failure. (This story is a standalone title in the Everard Family series.)

After a long year of studying, seventeen-year-old Victoria decides to spend her summer holiday in the countryside. Not happy with the decision at first, she is surprised to find out how charming her aunt, the village, and its people could be. Also, meeting a young boy her age makes things even more interesting. Things start to change when she discovers that the old mirror her aunt bought from an antique store is actually a dark and dangerous portal to another realm. Yet, what lies beyond that mirror is alluring, a call she cannot resist. And when she reaches the other side, everything changes for the worst... What started as a boring holiday in the countryside turns out to be an exciting journey, full of mysteries, danger, and the unexpected. Will Victoria manage to come back home? Or will she remain captive in that strange world forever? Set in the 19th century, this story will make you think twice before you look in a mirror... Beyond is the second story of The Whispered Tales novellas, a collection of five stories about magic, mysteries, and the unknown. © All Rights Reserved

Lord Tarquin was the lethal war lord ready to take over King Samuel's kingdom. Jza was the determined princess fighting to save her father's kingdom and her half sisters' honour. The two shall finally meet when one becomes the captor and the other becomes the captive.

The fate of her Kingdom already depended on Cecilia but now she bore the burden of a wounded young man who could not remember anything. Sequel to Rejected.

Ever since she was born, Eliza has been watched. By someone. Or something. A fainted shadow lurking in the forest near her home. Waiting... Eliza is the miller's daughter. More than anything in the world, she's dreaming of becoming a princess. One day she meets Mara, the real princess. Unfortunately, Mara is to be married to the Dark Prince, a fearless young man who doesn't think twice when it comes to starting a war against other people. Furthermore, Mara is gifted with a voice like no other, while Eliza completely lacks this amazing gift. Nevertheless, the two girls decide to take each other's place. Mara's dream is to live happily ever after... Not with a prince, but with Adrian, a simple boy, with a big heart. And then evil strikes and the shadow comes to light, accompanied by dark forces. Eliza is forced to ally with those forces to gain the gift of singing so she could keep her real identity hidden. But everything has a price... The Hidden Princess is the first of Whispered Tales, a collection of five stories about the unknown, magic, and wonder. © All Rights Reserved

After being left destitute by her stepmother Jade must dress up as a man to make a respectable living since she lives in a time where women are bound by the confines of society. She finds herself employed by Prince Luke who is in search for his one and only true love.

These 1000 words are an ode to King Henry and Anne Boleyn who poured their passion onto parchment long before they were married. Some say he first met her at her father's house and others note his infatuation with her at court. But one thing is certain, Henry wrote letters to Anne of deep and abiding love that no other wife of his received. She may not have kept her head, but she had his heart. This short story is written for the Trials of Love contest. Theme: Obstacles Prompt: Love in the time of snail mails.

Sophia has sacrificed everything for her younger sister, Lucy. She has removed them from the only home they ever knew, taken on the care of Lucy's illegitimate son, George, and even assumed the role of a widow and mother in order to erase all hint of scandal from the boy's birth. But rumor continues to follow them like the darkest of clouds, and Sophia must adapt to her new existence as a false widow with no prospects beyond the doors of her small cottage. Lord Haughton - "Finn" to those close to him - will stop at nothing to prevent the slightest whiff of disgrace from tainting his family's name. When he learns of his younger brother's latest indiscretion-one that leaves a bastard child in his wake-Haughton rushes across the country to offer the boy's mother a comfortable living in exchange for her silence about the child's true parentage. But he arrives only to have his generous offer thrown back in his face by Sophia Brixton, a sharp-tongued and sharper-witted woman who proceeds to toss him out of her house. But just because he is banished from her home does not mean he is so easily banished from her life.

**A Blue Beard retelling** Based on Charles Perrault's fairytale, this YA Historical Fantasy short story set in Victorian England mixes romance, magic and mystery. After agreeing to an arranged marriage to escape her greedy relatives, 18-year-old heiress Amelia moves into her husband's manor determined to start a new life. But the gothic mansion's forbidding surroundings, the servants' strange demeanour and her husband's mysterious past soon awaken her suspicions. If Amelia truly wants to become the lady of the house, she'll have to discover what secrets lie beyond closed doors and unravel the mystery of the old house's forbidden room. But sometimes secrets are kept for a good reason... HIGHEST RANKING IN HISTORICAL FICTION # 44 Copyright © 2017. All works posted here are the property of EM Castellan. Please do not use without permission. Any duplication or reproduction of all or part of the work without explicit permission by the author is illegal. Cover artist: @seventhstar