thequietwriter

Lucas Bywood has been happily working to restore the estate he won in an unfortunate card game. The unexpected arrival of his younger sister interrupts his plans and his peace. She declares her engagement at an end, and insists she must stay with him to recover herself. With Pearsend barely livable, Lucas is less than pleased with this development. Should he arrange a reconciliation between Philippa and her former betrothed, or let matters take their course?Add to that the concerning fact that someone has been trespassing, and Lucas is left with a complicated situation on his hands. Someone is spreading a ridiculous rumor that treasure was hidden by a previous owner. Can Lucas find the culprit before permanent harm is caused?…

thequietwriter

What could possibly go wrong next?With the recent drama of his family behind him, Lucas Bywood wants nothing more than to stay out of trouble and pretend he is not pining over the absent Miss Darkin. What better plan than to visit Bath, the largest social town outside of London? However, it quickly becomes apparent he has picked the wrong friend as a traveling companion.Mr. John Ward has eyes only for the card tables and shows no interest in shielding Lucas from Bath's debutantes and matchmaking mamas on the hunt for a bachelor. But matters shift from annoying to alarming when Ward's determination to seek justice gets them both suspected of murder.As they say, "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" and Lucas' plans weren't terribly well-laid to begin with...…

thequietwriter

Elizabeth Garrison has never had an interest in the newspaper advertisements of men seeking a bride. But life as the unmarried daughter of the family is taking its toll on her, mentally and physically. What's the harm in writing one letter? Noah Coleman has been in the Wyoming territory for nearly a decade. He's proved his claim and feels able to support a family. Better a bride he's never met than the sixteen year old daughter of a neighbor whose family has become too interested in him. But will disappointing a neighbor ruin everything he has built up?…

thequietwriter

Meet Dr. Elora Stephenson, a biologist joining a team on a small outpost on an alien world. As soon as she arrives, strange occurrences and unexplained deaths throw the outpost into chaos. Who can be trusted? Who is hiding who they are? Elora must navigate the treacherous web of suspicions and sabotage, racing against time to unmask the culprit before the outpost is completely wiped out.The fate of the team on uncharted world 550 rests in Elora's hands in this thrilling tale of mystery and deception.A 2023 Inkfort Publishing Derby contestant.…

thequietwriter

Sir Percival, a gentleman renowned for his aloofness and haughty demeanor, finds himself thrust into a relentless pursuit. The object of his unwavering quest is none other than Miss Christianna Cooper, a spirited young lady who had captured his heart five years ago. Though he had accepted her disappearance, he now wants to unravel the mystery and get answers.Christianna never forgot the awkward young man who had shown an honesty unlike anyone she had ever met. After five years in the country with her elderly great-aunt, she is astonished to meet him once again. But the bitter man she meets is nothing like the one she had known.Do they have another chance to find love together, or have the years changed them too much?…

thequietwriter

1902: Fourteen-year-old Aida Briar Norton's life at school is interrupted when two men arrive, claiming they are to take her to her parents. Every instinct declares that they are lying, but Aida has no choice but to go with them when they produce a letter allegedly signed by her father. On the train, every word they say makes her more certain she is not safe. She takes matters into her own hands and escapes them.With her parents missing and kidnappers on her heels, what is a girl to do but disappear in London? Aida does everything she can to search for clues of her parents' whereabouts. She takes up disguise after disguise until she becomes a maid in 221 Baker Street. There Aida waits for the return of Sherlock Holmes.Where have her parents gone? What secrets have they been keeping from her? Does she want to know or will the truth shatter her world completely?…

thequietwriter

A brief moment in the evening with Ivy Steele and Remy Prater.Closed-Door Regency & Historical Romance Cross-Promo prompt of (last) week: secret.…

thequietwriter

Eighteen-year-old Calliope Burnham has a secret she shares with only one person.Closed-Door Regency & Historical Romance Cross-Promo prompt of the week: secret.…

thequietwriter

Trusting the wrong man has consequences.Once an Incomparable debutante of Bath society, Miss Rose Dunbar's life has been turned upside down. She has been sent to the countryside to conceal her shameful secret of being unwed and pregnant. Worse still is the fact that her father has hired the strict and watchful Miss Greaves to keep her company and out of trouble.As she struggles to come to terms with her new reality, Rose discovers that life in the countryside is not as dull as she had imagined. Garden View holds the secrets of her grandmother and she can't resist delving into the past of a woman she never really knew. As scandal threatens to destroy her reputation, Rose must grapple with the harsh realities of a society that values appearances over truth. Will she be able to find redemption and overcome the shame of her family's secrets?…

thequietwriter

"Lucas, you must return home." These enigmatic words are all the preparation young Lucas Bywood receives when he is summoned home early from his Grand Tour. He little expects the tangle of obligations that ensnares him from the moment he sets foot on the family estate. His best friend caught up in gambling debts, his father forcing him into an arranged marriage with a young woman he dislikes and who is in love with another, and his mother struggling to recover from a suspicious riding accident... Faced with pressure from all sides, Lucas wants nothing more than to turn around and escape back to the continent. However, he cannot leave without solving the mystery of his mother's accident. Finding the answer will take more than his usual stubbornness, and Lucas soon finds himself out of his depth. What is a young man to do when everything that can go wrong seems determined to do so?…

thequietwriter

After two years, Lady Celia Leith has had enough. When she married Sir Horace, she thought she knew what marriage would bring her: security, a home, a loving husband. What she wasn't expecting was a mother-in-law who despised her and criticized everything she did. She also believed her loving husband would actually be at home more than a week at a time.Taking a stand takes a strength of will this lady didn't know she had. With the help of a lady's maid who is more than she appears, Celia sets about making Clarendon her home. However, when Sir Henry returns with friends in tow, Celia must be resolved to continue her plans.Will the truth behind his travels bring her closer to the husband she loves, or will her heart be broken?…

thequietwriter

Twenty-year-old Diana Forester, a country-bred young woman fears that her inexperience and uncertainties have driven Mr. John Richfield away. On arriving back home from London, she learns that he is already there, ready to continue their acquaintance. If Diana thought that it was difficult in London, courting takes on a whole new aspect when Diana's younger siblings become involved. She finds herself dealing with her own feelings, her sister, her younger brother, jealous members of a house party, a jilted suitor, and a highwayman as she falls in love with the charming Mr. Richfield.This is the first chapter of the novel, which can be purchased on Amazon, Kobo, Apple, and more!…

thequietwriter

In 1874, Ivy Steele's deafness is more than a handicap. It's a disease. Surrounded by a family that doesn't understand her, she's learned to cope and find solace where she can. Then, the unexpected happens. Her aunt dies, and her uncle sends her away to rejoin her father's family in Montana.Left to fend for herself, after the companion hired to escort her abandons her, Ivy faces continual hardship and danger. Several men see an unaccompanied Ivy as a flower ripe for the picking, and things only get worse when masked men hold up their stagecoach.Barely scraping through, Ivy makes it to Montana with her nerves shaken and what little money she has in her boot. Expecting a peaceful if not affectionate welcome, Ivy finds herself in greater hardship than she's ever known.Surrounded by a stepfamily that hates her, and flung into a life where hearing is vital, Ivy finds solace in a handsome cowboy named Remy. But things with her new family are not what they seem. And Ivy is about to find out that the danger she faced on the journey west, has followed her to Montana...Bethany Swafford dazzles with her stunning young adult debut, introducing a strong heroine, the hardships of frontier life, shocking twists, and a slow-burning romance that will leave you wanting more.Third place winner of the 2018 Rosemary Award…

thequietwriter

It is the evening of Daphne Burnham's debut. Though less than thrilled with the prospect of only dressing in white, the young lady is excited to be able to dance the night away. An unfortunate encounter with a young man and a full glass of wine brings Daphne's evening to a sudden end.Can Daphne survive the backlash after she loses her temper? Will she have a second chance at making a good impression?A 12K word short story.…

thequietwriter

Juliet Sinclair must unmask a murderer before her own false identity is revealed... Clarendon Estate, the country home of Sir Horace and Lady Celia Leith, has been a refuge for Juliet Sinclair after the traumatic events of Bath. It may also be the home of a murderer. All signs point to a significant connection between Sir Horace and Juliet's brother, and the more she investigates, the stronger her belief that the man may be the mysterious H she is searching for. But revealing a murderer has consequences Juliet hadn't expected. In continuing her ruse of servitude, Juliet finds herself forming a close bond with Lady Leith as they thwart the designs of Sir Horace's domineering mother, a woman who will do all she can to keep control of the household. Can Juliet condemn her new friend to a life with such a woman as her only family?Time is running short. A house party is set to descend on Clarendon, bringing with it the threat of more than one person who may reveal Juliet's true identity and destroy her careful plans to keep her name above scandal. But the truth is closer than she realizes...…

thequietwriter

Grace Anderson was certain her future was secure when she accepted the proposal of Jonathan Sinclair. When he dies unexpectedly, she is devastated, and even after five years, she has found no man who can equal the man she was to have married. Her mother has introduced uncountable bachelors to her, but she could not encourage them. A strange lady's maid reintroduces Grace to Mr. Adam Melbourne, a young man who had been as a younger brother to Jonathan. Despite her determination to ignore the cheerful gentleman, she thinks of the future once again.A companion novella to The Debutante, The Sinclair Society Book Two and Best Laid Plans, A Gentleman of Misfortune Book Two.…

thequietwriter

Can love survive the scrutiny of society?Rosalind's marriage to the charming Lord Evan Westwood was a love match, but it has not been what she expected. Going from being a poor relation to a lady should have been a dream come true, however, Rosalind struggles with the changes that have come to her life. Will her husband regret marrying her when he realizes that society doesn't accept her?Ten years may have passed since the scandal with her father, but certain members of the ton have not forgotten what John Emerson did. Rosalind tries to hold her head up high and prove her reputation is above reproach. This becomes difficult when one of Lord Evan's schoolmates, Mr. John Rowley, tries to flirt with her every time they meet. Escaping to the countryside for a house party sounds like a good idea, but rumors and speculation follow them there. Rosalind finds her father's journal, but unraveling the threads of the past is difficult when the present is just as tangled.Can Rosalind and Evan agree on how to dispel the rumors or will their lives be overshadowed by scandal forever?…

thequietwriter

Eighteen-year-old Emily Lawrence believed that her life was simple and that the most challenging thing she would face in her life would be to convince her cousin and companion, Rosalind, to have more courage. Her life takes on complications when Mr. Adrian Williams moves into the neighboring estate. Emily's father forbids her from having anything to do with the man, but when an unexpected illness throws her into Mr. Williams company, Emily finds that obeying her father is more difficult than she imagined.Emily struggles to understand why her father is so insistent on the matter. What happened eight years ago, when the Williams' left the estate? Is it a coincidence that Emily's mother died at the same time?"This charming tale has a feisty heroine that could give Elizabeth Bennett a run for her money."…

thequietwriter

It is Eugenia Burnham's first season, and she couldn't be more nervous. Her mother expects her to marry well, and when a lady's maid doesn't stay more than a few weeks at a time, it seems an impossible task.Mr. Gerard Landon has been kind to her, and Eugenia hopes that she can keep his attention. When so many other, more beautiful, young ladies around her, she believes it will take a miracle for her to have a happy ending.Maybe Julie Nelson, the strange new lady's maid, can bring about that miracle.Eugenia is a prequel/parallel story to Regency Rumors, The Sinclair Society Book One.…

thequietwriter

Juliet Sinclair knows her brother was murdered--now if only she could understand why.Proving her family innocent of treason is taking a toll on lady-turned-maid Juliet. Her latest investigation has brought her into the service of the spoiled Miss Dunbar and her salacious older brother, who pursues Juliet despite repeated rebuffs. Complicating matters further is the reappearance of Juliet's former beau who has not yet learned to do without her, and a growing attraction between herself and her brother's witty--and handsome--best friend.Even with these distractions, Juliet begins to piece together the events surrounding her brother's final days--and his connection to a mysterious figure named only as "H." But Juliet's ruse is under threat of revelation, and her blackmailer is one who will not hesitate to burn her unless she gives him what he wants: every document related to her brother's former role as a spy for His Majesty against the French.Follow the continuing adventures of Juliet Sinclair in "The Debutante," Book Two of the Sinclair Society Series.…