Diversion Books

Grab your passport for a journey to the Deadlands and its collection of world-changing stories. Meet a young man with the power to destroy the world. Then walk among the living darkness of Purgatory Alley with a boy who was born without a shadow. Sneak into a cemetery with a twelve-year-old girl who gets paid to raise the dead. Chase terrorists in a steampunk future. Join a young hunter as he searches for a pair of vampires. Discover the lost secrets of Camelot beneath the waters of Loch Ness. And join a pair of dragons who police all manner of mythical creatures in London. Drawing on Bill Blume's inexhaustible wit and polished worldbuilding skill, these twelve tales of the fantastic will take you to the edge of imagination.

The only burden heavier than past regrets is to forget them.After her father's sudden death, Charlotte Winslow must give up her highborn lifestyle to fend for herself on the outskirts of London. Painting under an assumed name, Charlotte makes just enough to live happily in a humble cottage—just herself and a cat named Rex.But her peaceful world is turned upside down when a carriage accident leaves Lord Rexford in her care. The very man who scorned her years before and his meddling mother make themselves comfortable in Charlotte’s small house as he recovers his health and memory. But the longer they stay in her cottage, the more Lord Rexford's thoughts seem to linger on his self-sufficient, no-nonsense host. Could it be that he remembers more than he lets on?

«This is a brave rollercoaster ride that made me laugh and cry…By the end, I wanted to ride the rollercoaster again.» —Claire Johnston, lead singer of Mango GrooveLife is hitting Emma Caine hard. Her husband is suffering from brain damage, she’s lost her job, and soon may lose her home. Determined not to reach rock bottom, she draws inspiration from her misspent youth and opens a domination dungeon equipped with whips and chains. Before she can say “foreclosure,” a wealth of rich men line up at the door to be dominated by her.She doesn’t have sex with her clients, and she certainly doesn’t have feelings for them—not until the handsome and charming Simon Nel steps into her lair. Before long, she finds herself falling for a man she can never dare to love, and questioning everything she thought she knew about love, sexuality, and herself.

The daughter of an uncommonly rich commoner, Leah Cole is sure that the combination of her father's vast wealth and her own stunning beauty will snare the Viscount Lyndon. But even though the handsome nobleman is a notorious rake, having Leah's hand and her money isn't enough—he wants her heart as well, and sets out to prove it with all his seductive skills.“Ms. Mills demonstrates an incredible range of talent…quick-witted humor and panache—and electrifying passion that enhances the Regency format…such virtuosity makes her a treasure trove of superlative writing.” —RT Book Review“The touch of greatness is unmistakable. Anita Mills shows it in every word, every phrase, every sentence she writes…Once again, Ms. Mills has created an exquisite love story that touches us deeply. While the story line is more conventional than her previous books, the freshness, delicacy and vibrant sense of romance make this one of the most memorable books in the genre ”—RT Book Review

A lady in danger.Verena Howard's mother taught her some very good lessons, including never to fall for a darkly handsome man with something to hide. Now on a journey alone across the Texas frontier, Verena has had more than one run-in with ruffians intent on more than just her cash. Before she could get in over her head with the last run-in, a smooth-talking, darkly handsome gambler stepped in to come to her rescue, immediately putting Verena at risk of not listening to her mother's advice.A man on the run.When Matthew Morgan first lays eyes on pretty Verena Howard, he instantly realizes the lonely and vulnerable woman will be the perfect cover as he flees the hangman. Originally planning on a partnership of convenience, his heart apparently has other plans as he and Verena grow closer. Risking everything might just be worth it in order to keep Verena in his life…for however long that lasts.«A fast-paced, frolicking duel of wits that keeps you guessing…Anita Mills at her best!» —Patricia Rice

Left destitute after the death of her father, Sarah Spender can barely believe the good fortune that brings the handsome Captain Adam Hastings into her life. When Adam is sent overseas to tame the American Wilderness, even the distance between them cannot tame Sarah's love for him. They are bound together for better, for worse, and forever…

Patrick Danvers, the Viscount Westover, was known by another name among the people of society: Devil Danvers. No young lady dared to be seen in public with this man whose startling good looks were overshadowed by his scandalous escapades.Caroline Ashley was a very respectable young lady, but with no one to protect her and no money to call her own. How could she resist Devil Danvers' offer to be the wife he needed to win a wager and claim a fortune that hung on his producing an heir?And so the battle begins between the dazzling lord who has every means to make a young lady say yes to his every desire, and the young lady determined not to surrender her pride, no matter the cost.

A headstrong woman more than meets her match in an unexpected inheritance. From national bestselling romance author Raine Cantrell.When she inherits her father’s sprawling Texas ranch, the Reina, Lacey Garrett is determined to run it on her own. With a long line of men waiting to wrestle control of the land away from the willful young woman, many with dreams of winning her hand as well, Lacey has her work cut out for her. But of all the difficulties Lacey foresaw, never could she imagine a last minute change in her father’s will that leaves part of the Reina to another heir.Rafe Parrish is a loner with a dark past, and no happier to be sharing control of the homestead with Lacey than she is. Angered by her arrogance, Rafe is determined to have it all: the Reina and Lacey herself. Lacey will have to fight for what is hers, or risk surrendering to Rafe’s dominance, losing control of her heart in order to stay on the land she loves.

Acts of charity quickly lead to a flirtation with the deadliest of sins in DARLING ANNIE, from national bestselling romance author Raine Cantrell.Kellian York has big plans for the brothel he’s inherited in Loving, Texas. Too bad that just days after his arrival the Legion for Decency has burned it to the ground, citing their mission to rid the town of drinking, gambling, and “loose women.” Set on vengeance, Kellian targets the spinster leader, Annie Muldoon, never expecting that the beautiful young woman would let Kellian and his girls move into her boarding house.Believing she has a responsibility to protect and redeem the women formerly in Kellian’s employ, Annie soon realizes she’s made a terrible mistake inviting them, and especially Kellian, into her home. Unsure whether he’s trying to torture her or seduce her, Kellian’s striking presence is beginning to rouse the passionate nature she’s tried to hide. Annie decides to take her fate, and Kellian’s, into her own hands, and learns a few tricks of the trade from her boarders, before turning the tables on Kellian. Will the saint redeem the sinner? Or the sinner seduce the saint?

The final collapse of trust between the ruled and the rulers has happened in an America where civil war rages again. From bestselling author Ian Slater.«As impelling a storyteller as you're likely to encounter.»—Clive CusslerThe Federals drew first blood as battalions of freedom fighters went tank-to-tank with the National Guard in the Northwest. Though the President declares the area secure, top officials know the truth: The Militia movement is spreading from the fringes like wildfire, now more organized, committed, and violent than ever, and hellbent on an armed victory over the United States.No matter how desperately the government tries to regain its hold, the roads of America are shuddering under the columns of tanks, the skies throbbing with Blackhawks. Two hundred thousand trained militiamen are armed with high-tech killing tools and the courage of true believers. And after a spark ignites the Everglades, the USA takes the most explosive hit of all.

In the idyllic mountains of Colorado, a woman will risk her life to save the ones she loves. From national bestselling romance author Raine Cantrell.“A story to treasure.” —RT BOOK REVIEWSFor two years Jenny Latham has lived alone with her young son in the Colorado mountains, trying to manage her guilt over letting an abusive husband control her for too long. Her beauty makes her the object of many men’s desires, but with a broken heart and an independent streak as strong as the mountains themselves, Jenny refuses them all. But when she accidentally shoots a stranger and takes it upon herself to nurse him back to health, she finds all of her defenses wavering.The stranger is a handsome man named Charmas, but he claims to remember little else, having lost his memory after the accident that led him to be in Jenny’s care. Overcome by Charmas’ allure, Jenny begins to succumb to her feelings of passion, until her world is shattered by the reappearance of her violent husband. Jenny will gamble with her very life in order to protect her son and Charmas from harm.

The Nazis’ dark secrets are revealed, in a tense and compelling thriller from bestselling author Ian Slater.June 1944. The moment has come. The Allied pincers are closing in. Hitler has already ordered his jet fighters, V-1 flying bombs, and V-2 rockets into action. Now, in a desperate bid to keep his war machine churning, it is time for the führer to use the most secret weapon of all.For G.I. David Adam, it's a mission into hell. To stop Hitler’s mad plan will take him and others into the lion’s den, under the shadow of the SS—where exposure means death, but being killed is better than being taken alive…Only a handful of courageous men and women can stop Hitler’s terrifying superweapon, and helped by French resistance fighters, Jewish slave laborers, and members of the Polish underground, these few will fight the most critical battle of the entire war.

In the civil war that has gripped America, there are no more neighbors, only side against side, in an increasingly vicious battle for what is left of the country. From bestselling author Ian Slater.«As impelling a storyteller as you're likely to encounter.»—Clive CusslerUnder an iron fist, the militia movement has mushroomed. Now legendary leaders have been liberated from a heavily guarded Phoenix hospital—and hostages taken for a furious, bloody ride to the California border. It’s the spark the armies needed and an excuse for the Federals to unleash Patton reincarnate, Gen. Douglas Freeman.In a once peaceful corner, from Sacramento to Seattle, America now burns. A new generation of automated weapons has been brought to the field, the skies split by artillery and the desert nights lit up by infrared. With Americans facing off against Americans, the fight for the USA has reached a turning point.But from the other side of the globe, a new enemy prepares to tip the scales of battle with the ultimate killing tool…

“Don’t get me wrong. I loved my sister. I never, not once, wished her dead.”Brady and Sabine Wilson are sisters born eleven months apart, but they couldn’t be more different. Popular Sabine, the head cheerleader dating the high school hunk, seems to have all the luck, while her younger, artsy sister “Brady Brooder” is a loner who prefers the sidelines to the limelight.After Sabine dies in a horrific cheerleading accident, grief unravels Brady and her family. Once recognized for her artistic talent, 17-year-old Brady finds herself questioning the value of everything she once held dear. Her best friend betrays her. Her parents’ marriage is crumbling. And the boy everyone blames for the accident seems to be her only ally in the search for answers in the wake of her sister’s death. As an unlikely friendship emerges, Brady learns more about Sabine—and love—than she bargained for.

Catherine Todd grew up in Southern California and studied at Occidental College and Stanford University. She lived for several years in Costa Rica and Italy, and for extended periods in France and Mexico. She and her husband currently live in San Diego, California, where, in addition to fiction, her business is writing highly specialized permanent residency petitions for exceptionally talented immigrants to the United States. In addition to her works of women's fiction (Secret Lives of Second Wives, Exit Strategies, Making Waves, and Staying Cool), she is the author of three Regency Romances (as Elizabeth Jackson) and two historical novels published in Britain.

The midnight shadows of Renaissance Venice conceal intrigue, romance…and murder.«Combines historical context with lush sensuality and nuanced wit.» — Publisher's Weekly Bianca Salva's love of science has led her to defy the conventions of her day and illicitly practice medicine among the poor of Venice. She's managed to keep her pass time a secret—until she is discovered over the lifeless body of a young courtesan, by the last person she'd ever want to see.Ian Foscari, Conte d'Aosto, is known for being rich, handsome…and heartless. Finding Bianca over the dead body, he concludes she's the murderer. Yet for reasons he cannot explain, her protests move him. He offers to give her one week to prove her innocence, but she'll have to move into his house and be his prisoner. Her other option: the authorities and certain death.Bianca has no choice but to agree to his maddening terms. She's furious at having to cede her hard won freedom, and unprepared for the effect of his presence on her, for the longings he awakes in parts of her body she's only studied in books. As Bianca struggles to focus on finding the killer, Ian fights his own battle between the undeniable attraction he feels for her and the painful scars of his past. When their mutual attraction blazes to life, they are both dazzled by it's force. Passion burns through their reserves, teaching them both to trust again. Love again. But this fragile alliance is soon tested. Lured into a web of scheming and betrayal, Bianca and Ian find themselves in a race against the clock to save their lives, their hearts, and the city of Venice itself.«Jaffe…develops a sensual, exciting, and amusing tale, richly embellished with details of Renaissance life.» — Library Journal«Jaffe's characters are intriguing, and the plot's many twists and turns are wonderfully entertaining.» — Booklist

When it comes to the riches of love, the heart is the crown jewel.When Anne Fredericks, having very nearly reached the age of four and twenty but still unmarried, learns that she is to visit Cheltenham for the Season, her heart cannot help but beat a little faster. It was in Cheltenham, five years earlier, that she had met and fallen for the handsome Richard Wykeham, only for him to disappear—quite suddenly—from her life.And now it’s on the road to Cheltenham that their coach is waylaid—yet strangely, nothing is stolen. How long will it be before Anne solves the mystery of the notorious highwayman known as the perfect gentleman?

This is a MUST read before you start any diet.«Give me answers: How can I lose weight? Please tell me the secret(s)!!» I'm asked these questions all the time. As if I had some magical secret that would leap from these pages and grab that doughnut out of your hands and shove an apple into your mouth.It's not happening.So what is my advice? What's different from the last 600,000 or so words I've written or said on the countless news and TV programs where I’ve been asked to speak?Not too much. In fact, the science has not really changed too much in the last 15 years in terms of weight control. Is there a group of successful losers? Some place to look for answers? Not exactly, but I have complied a few key points from the various articles and research that I've done in the last 14 years that will really help you lose weight for good. This is a short eBook, designed to read fast, and get you started losing weight fast. Read on and start losing.

«Powerful…harrowing…[Raine Cantrell] has pulled out all the stops!» —Katherine Deauxville, author of Blood Red RosesBound by promise, torn by betrayal.Matched to a child from an enemy clan, Dhu Micheil, the Black Laird of Clan Gunn, has no intention of settling down with his promised bride—nor any woman, for that matter. Consumed with lust for revenge against Clan MacKay for the unforgivable pain wrought upon his younger sister, Micheil’s plans for his promised bride may be, by far, the cruelest fate to fall upon her.Seana nic Mackay, torn from her family without knowing why, has lived the life of a hostage in the territory of Clan Gunn since she was a child. Locked away in an abbey, waiting for a man who would not have her, Seana longs for but a taste of freedom, cursing the name of the man that will forever keep it just out of her reach: Micheil.But when Seana, free for a single day to attend a fair, crosses paths unknowingly with the man sworn to be her ruin, neither can resist the other’s pull. Micheil steals her first kiss. Seana steals his heart. Can Micheil go through with the plans he swore to his father and clan he’d put into motion? Or will Seana be a casualty of a war she had no say in?

“The world Ellen Gilchrist unfolds in her vivid new story collection is rich with intimate exchanges between finely etched characters.” —The New York Times Book ReviewEllen Gilchrist proves herself once again to be a master of the intertwining tale in this collection of stories following the lives of different members of a Mississippi social elite, humorously nicknamed “The Cabal.” In the novella that inspired the collection’s title, the most powerful person in a room is the one who has been trusted with all of its secrets. This has made psychotherapist, Jim Jaspers’, recent bizarre behavior not just worrying, but terrifying to Jackson, Mississippi’s intellectual elite and what Caroline’s best friend Augustus calls “the cabal”. The best psychotherapist for miles, Jim knows everyone’s darkest truths, and, addled after the death of his patient, Jean Lyles, he’ll tell anyone who will listen.The secret inner lives that put an entire community on the hunt for one man in “The Cabal” are deliciously and at times humorously explored in “The Sanguine Blood of Men”, “Hearts of Dixie”, “The Survival of the Fittest”, “Bare Ruined Choirs” and “The Big Clean Up”. With a bold cast of characters and surprises at every turn, this is an absolute must-read for fans of Southern literature. Gilchrist has uncanny ability to blend salacious plots with endearing characters.