A tongue-in-cheek parody of HUCK FINN, with a saucy girl heroine and her shape-shifting, wisecracking, talking sword, all set in an alternate Civil War waged with secret magic.

When Verity falls down a hole and finds a smart-alecky shape-shifting sword named Jasper, she naturally figures that's as weird as her day will get. Wrong! Verity and Jasper (disguised as an old tin cup) are forced to flee Ford's Theatre and Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1862, pursued by demons and assassins sent by the Honourable Merchantry, a corporation of sorcerers that secretly controls the world. It aims to possess the goofy pun-loving blade and the magical stone that powers it, before the reluctant Verity can master her new powers and overthrow the Merchantry.

Surrendering to their passion is the ultimate danger… The Witch’s Quest Kelyn Saint-Pierre always had a thing for Valor Hearst. But after he makes a harrowing sacrifice to save the witch from a gruesome death, Kelyn’s certain any spark between them is gone forever. There may be a way Valor can repay her hero, but it won’t be easy. Now they’re joined in a dangerous quest pitting them against deadly magics and dark creatures… Brimstone Prince Michael D’Arcy Turov is heir to the throne of hell, a legacy he rejects. Then he meets Lily Santiago, the adopted daughter of the daemon king, and her kiss awakens the Brimstone burn he’s long suppressed. A pawn in the war between her father and rogue daemons, Lily is determined to let Michael keep his freedom. But what if his desire for her takes him back to hell?

A match made in hell The adopted daughter of the daemon king, Lily Santiago has lived her life in darkness. After one glimpse of desert sunlight, she begins to understand what she’s been missing. Michael D’Arcy Turov might be heir to the throne of hell, but he has firmly rejected that legacy. All he wants is to play his guitar… Until he meets Lily, and her kiss awakens the Brimstone burn he’s long suppressed. A pawn in the war between her foster father and rogue daemons, Lily is determined to let Michael keep his freedom. But what if his desire for her is enough to take him back to hell?

Examining humor in depictions of the Civil War from the war years to the present, this review covers a wide range of literature, film and television in historical context. Wartime humor served as a form of propaganda to render the enemy and their cause laughable, but also to help people cope with the human costs of the conflict. After the war many authors and, later, movie and television producers employed humor to shape its legacy, perpetuating myths and stereotypes that became ingrained in American memory. Giving attention to the stories behind the stories, the author focuses on what people laughed at, who they laughed with and what it reveals about their view of events.

The things a woman will do for love…and Lily had love, lots of it. But her partner Charlotte is dead. Their daughter Mimi keeps her sane—until Charlotte’s family claims they have all the rights to Mimi, who is their blood kin, and no “real” relation to Lily. With what’s left of her world balanced on a razor’s edge, any choice to find safer ground seems reasonable. Even getting married. Married to her Bugle Boy-wearing, trust fund-spending gay neighbor, Ben. Married and relocated to rural Georgia where Ben’s powerful family will make sure Lily gets custody of Mimi. Just one little trick involved: convincing Ben’s parents their marriage is the real thing. It doesn’t seem like keeping up appearances will be that hard. But the charade gets more difficult when a beautiful country veterinarian offers Lily a taste of what she’s pretending she no longer craves… The outrageous perks and pitfalls of compulsory heterosexuality are humorously explored by the talented pen of Lambda Literary award-winner Julia Watts, known for her wit and wry observations about the quirks of Southern life. First Published by Naiad Press 1999.

Do you harbor passionate otherworldly desires where the normal and paranormal collide? Let Harlequin® Nocturne bring you into dark and dangerous territory where your senses will be awakened. This box set includes: THE WITCH’S QUEST by USA Today Bestselling Author Michele Hauf Kelyn Saint-Pierre always had a bit of a thing for Valor Hearst. But after he makes a harrowing sacrifice to save the tomboyish witch from a gruesome death, Kelyn’s certain that any spark between them is gone forever. Valor wishes she’d known about Kelyn’s crush before she ruined everything. There may be a way she can repay her smoking-hot champion…but it won’t be easy. Circling the globe on a dangerous mission that pits them against deadly magics and dark creatures, Kelyn and Valor are pushed scorchingly close together. But surrendering to passion may only further bind them in pain… BRIMSTONE PRINCE by Barbara J. Hancock The adopted daughter of the daemon king, Lily Santiago has lived her life in darkness. After one glimpse of desert sunlight, she begins to understand what she’s been missing. Michael D’Arcy Turov might be heir to the throne of Hell, but he has firmly rejected that legacy. All he wants is to play his guitar… Until he meets Lily, and her kiss awakens the Brimstone burn he’s long suppressed. A pawn in the war between her foster father and rogue daemons, Lily is determined to let Michael keep his freedom. But what if his desire for her is enough to take him back to Hell?

Will she surrender to the stranger at Orchid Cay? For Lily Fielding, the small, safe Caribbean island is all she’s ever known. But the appearance of an intriguing newcomer is about to change everything for this unworldly vicar’s daughter, for the sensual awakening he promises is both intoxicating and illicit… Raphael Oliveira should resist the temptation that beautiful Lily presents; after all, he knows that wherever he goes, danger follows… Although, once she is under his spell, Rafe’s intense passion and dark past threaten to destroy them both!

Remi finds the Hospice Ward more dangerous than she expected when an enigmatic figure known only as the Stranger appears to her in the Veil. The Stranger is known for being a harbinger of terrible events like wars or plagues, which makes his arrival even more troubling. As Remi explores her unusual connection to the land between the living and the dead, familiar faces from her thieving past appear at the hospital and demand that she hands over the key-pendant that earned her a year in Utica juvenile prison. These threats are compounded by the new instructor who has it out for Remi and her friends. When things take a turn for the worse, Remi will have to make a choice between her new life in the hospital and a past that refuses to go away.