Showing results by author "Melanie Karsak" in All Categories

Scotland, 1026 - Gruoch, descendant of the line of MacAlpin, should have been born into a life of ease. But fate is fickle. Her father's untimely death, rumored to have been plotted by King Malcolm, leaves her future uncertain and stained by the prophecy that she will avenge her family line. Escaping to one of the last strongholds of the old Celtic gods, Gruoch becomes an adept in arcane craft. Her encounters with the otherworld, however, suggest that magic runs stronger in Scotland than she ever imagined.

With the war against the Gauls over and Angantyr crowned king, everything should have been peaceful. But the arrival of Prince Hlod and its devastating consequences have brought nothing but heartache and darkness. Determined to avenge their losses, Ervie and Loptr will unite the Scandinavian world, including King Ormar of the Myrkviðr, against the Huns.

They say opposites attract, but there have never been two more opposite people than Stone Schneider and me. Stone, the brawny owner of the Chancellor Brewery and Biergarten, is my definition of nemesis. His noisy pub is a constant source of irritation. Where my bookshop brings beauty and stories to the world, Stone brings a Friday-night cover band. Even though Stone has the most adorable, bookish child on the planet, that handsome tapster and I cannot find a way to get along. If Stone could stop being annoying for five seconds, I might ask him out.

Buttercream. Vanilla. Fondant. Dark chocolate. Brown sugar. Molasses. Baking has always been my true love, but it wasn't until my mother's death, and the unexpected inheritance of Serendipity Gardens, that my bliss called me. Bittersweet. But Serendipity Gardens has more to offer than just a potential shopfront. An unusual recipe box left to me by a distant relative might be the key to unlocking my dreams. Too bad the most powerful family in Chancellor has plans that could turn those dreams to ruins - literally.

My name may be Alice, but Wonderland Academy is everything my real life isn't. Who wouldn't want to learn how to ride a jabberwocky, train with a vorpal sword, cast spells using a teacup, or shapeshift into a fairy? As long as no one figures out my real name, I should be fine. The only problem? Aden, the Queen of Hearts' son, is quickly becoming my best friend. And then there's Corbin. Brooding, surly, tattooed, and definitely not my type, I can't stop thinking about him. But Corbin has secrets of his own, and Wonderland and secrets don't mix.

After years of working for my family's business, I'm finally back in college and ready to chase my dream of becoming a perfumer. It seems like the stars are all aligning when Chancellor College invites a preeminent French fragrance expert to speak at a symposium. Everything is working out just right, as long as I can continue to ignore my growing feelings for a certain hippie beekeeper. That, it seems, is turning out to be easier said than done.

On the shores of Lake Erie sits the enchanted little town of Chancellor where fairy tales live, dreams come true, and happily ever afters always reign supreme. In this three book boxed set, you'll find a heart-warming collection of sweet romance fractured fairy tales. From mermaids to witches to faeries, the residents of Chancellor are far from ordinary. Enjoy these twisted fairy tales loosely based on The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and classic witch tales.

In the shadows of the hollow hills, a queen's destiny unfolds. Britain, AD 38. Having defeated her enemies, Queen Cartimandua works swiftly to stabilize the north. But not all foes yield quietly. Forces move in the shadows to destabilize the Brigantes. Working to root out resistance, Queen Cartimandua finds an unlikely ally in deposed Prince Venutiux—much to his wife’s dismay. Even with King Eddin’s support, facing an unnamed enemy proves difficult. Darkness, in the shape of an eagle, looms for them all.

People think being haunted is a bad thing. That’s because they’ve never visited The Curiosity Curio. The spirits who linger in my store dance the jitterbug, look after the plants, and gossip about long-dead relatives. Even though no one believes me about my mediumistic gifts, it’s my job to aid these lost souls. I can help them, even if I gave up hoping to find someone who understood me long ago.

I'm dying. It's not a question; it's a fact. The cancer is eating me alive. They told me I have six months to live, maybe less. I came home, back to Chancellor on Lake Erie, to die. The sunsets are vivid there, and I will relish every one. I've never seen anything more beautiful than a Lake Erie sunset, until I see her.

Scotland, 1032. Everything Gruoch loves has turned to ash. With Gillacoemgain gone, Gruoch rides north with her newborn son and a broken heart. While she desperately clings to hope, Gruoch's new alliance with Macbeth proves more challenging than she ever anticipated. Only her unexpected reunion with an important person from her past offers solace. All may yet be well, but the raven's wary eyes cannot help but notice clouds gathering on the horizon.

When actress Elyse McKenna fell in love with Lord John Waldegrave, she was prepared to keep their liaison secret. What she wasn't ready for was how her newfound love would rock her relationship with her dearest friend, Doctor Kai Murray. With the 1814 London Frost Fair in full swing, Elyse and her troupe at the Ice House Theatre find themselves at the heart of the excitement on the frozen Thames. But when an exotic ship captain, whose vessel is trapped in the ice, turns her attention to Kai, everything Elyse thought she knew about her feelings for her old friend gets flipped upside down.

When Isabelle Hawking and her papa set out from London on a sea voyage, Isabelle is thrilled. Visiting foreign courts, learning from master tinkerers, and studying mechanicals is her dream. But Isabelle never arrives. Swept up in a tempest, her ship is lost. Isabelle survives the storm only to be shipwrecked on a seemingly deserted island. The magical place, dotted with standing stones, faerie mounds, and a crumbling castle, hints of an ancient past. Isabelle may be an unwilling guest, but her arrival marks a new beginning for the beastly residents of this forgotten land.

Carnie. Ride jockey. Roustabout. White trash. Tilt girl. Gypsy. Cricket has been called a lot of things, but she never thought survivor of the zombie apocalypse would be one of them. One day she's barking on the midway, and the next day, the world is eating itself alive.

While Layla Petrovich returns home to rural Hamletville after a desperate call from her psychic grandmother, she never could have anticipated the horror of what Grandma Petrovich has foreseen. The residents of Hamletville will need Layla's cool head, fast blade, and itchy trigger finger to survive the undead apocalypse that's upon them. But even that may not be enough. With mankind silenced, it soon becomes apparent that we were never alone.

It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily's life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What's a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: Drink absinthe and smoke opium.

In the little town of Brighton, Amelia's practice of Wicca has always marked her as odd. But Amelia can't change what she is. Knowing how to see auras, heal, and create spells comes naturally to her. Only Madame Knightly, the ancient matriarch and owner of Witch Wood Estate to whom Amelia plays caretaker, doesn't seem to mind her conjoining. In fact, the crumbling old mansion is full oddities.

Being the heir to Camelot is a tangled mess. Rapunzel has spent her entire life living in Merlin's cave on the coast of Cornwall. Under the protection of her faerie guardian, Gothel, she's stayed safe. Safe and bored. Dreaming of a life that looks more like a Jane Austen novel, Rapunzel fears she'll never have the chance to explore Victorian England's modern delights. Or meet a man. Or be kissed. Or anything else remotely resembling normal.

With the 1824 British airship qualifying race only weeks away, Lily Stargazer is at the top of her game. She's racing like a pro, truly in love, and living clean. But on one ill-omened day, everything changes.

Layla and the other survivors now find themselves caught in a war for our world, the unwitting victims of a grudge seething for eons. Surviving the zombie apocalypse has become the least of their worries as they come up against vampires, shapeshifters, and fae. When she uncovers an unspeakable horror, whom can Layla trust? The carnie girl? The doctor searching for a cure? The tarot reader? The stranger with alluring gold eyes? Or the man she loves?