Ingrid Bergman's engaging screen performance as Sister Mary Benedict in The Bells of St. Mary's made the film nun a star and her character a shining standard of comparison. She represented the religious life as the happy and rewarding choice of a modern woman who had a "complete understanding" of both erotic and spiritual desire. How did this vibrant and mature nun figure come to be viewed as girlish and naive? Why have she and her cinematic sisters in postwar popular film so often been stereotyped or selectively analyzed, so seldom been seen as women and religious? In Veiled Desires--a unique full-length, in-depth study of nuns in film--Maureen Sabine explores these questions in a groundbreaking interdisciplinary study covering more than sixty years of cinema. She looks at an impressive breadth of films in which the nun features as an ardent lead character, including The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), Black Narcissus (1947), Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957), Sea Wife (1957), The Nun's Story (1959), The Sound of Music (1965), Change of Habit (1969), In This House of Brede (1975), Agnes of God (1985), Dead Man Walking (1995), and Doubt (2008). Veiled Desires considers how the beautiful and charismatic stars who play chaste nuns, from Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn to Susan Sarandon and Meryl Streep, call attention to desires that the veil concealed and the habit was thought to stifle. In a theologically and psychoanalytically informed argument, Sabine responds to the critics who have pigeonholed the film nun as the obedient daughter and religious handmaiden of a patriarchal church, and the respectful audience who revered her as an icon of spiritual perfection. She provides a framework for a more complex and holistic picture of nuns on screen by showing how the films dramatize these women's Christian call to serve, sacrifice, and dedicate themselves to God, and their erotic desire for intimacy, agency, achievement, and fulfillment.

The author discusses Augustine's views on women, particularly women within Christian theology. The author also addresses how Augustine's views were based on his cultural and psychological circumstances, and how his ideas on and attitudes towards women changed.

Tracy MacNish's deeply romantic sequel new novel reveals the untapped power of a woman's heart--and how fiercely she dares to protect it. . . Emeline's entire life is controlled by men. She's just been won in a wager by Jeffrey, the Duke of Eton, who keeps her under lock and key. And her cruel stepfather, Simon, wants nothing more than to dominate her entire future. What she wants is a man who'll set her free . . . and Rogan Mullen, heir to the dukedom, just may be the answer to her dreams . . . Rogan is more than eager to have Emeline in his care, but his urge to protect her grows into a yearning to possess her--body and soul. Surrendering completely to love, they cannot foresee that something very sinister threatens to destroy them, for Simon will stop at nothing to control his stepdaughter's fate . . . and only the most fervent passion can endure against such relentless odds . . . "A lushly written, richly detailed Georgian historical [that] pushes the boundaries of the genre."--Booklist

In Laith, when the moons are high, Tavarra gains the ability to walk the land, losing her seahorse-like tail. But should she remain out of the water, a curse will consume her, turning her into a beast with sharp fangs and long claws. A creature that, on some nights, becomes a rampaging monster.Rhona and her village are under a sinister leader's control. He took Rhona from the man she loves, stripped away her water ability, then forces her to retrieve a coveted prism that will increase his powers.When Tavarra and Rhona cross paths, they agree to help each other succeed. They then embark on separate missions in hopes of breaking Tavarra's curse and saving Rhona's loved ones. But with an untamable beast inside Tavarra, and Rhona having to wander through a dangerous forest, nothing is certain...

For two years, Dr. Maira Khan has waited for handsome police officer Sasha Karimi to see her as more than a friend. When Sasha is injured in the line of duty, Maira decides to make the first move, but is rebuffed by Sasha who believes she's blinded by hero worship. Realizing too late that her feelings for him are real, Sasha sets out to win her back with a proper courtship.

Some risks are worth taking-

Geoffrey Wentworth, the Earl of Stratford, is a war hero focused on affairs of king and country rather than affairs of the heart. Nevertheless, his mother is playing matchmaker and has invited potential brides to visit the family estate. Geoffrey resigns himself to playing host to a gaggle of husband hunters more interested in his title than in him - until he unexpectedly meets one notable and intriguing exception. Miss Liliana Claremont has no interest in being an earl's wife, least of all Wentworth's - the son of the man she believes murdered her father. Liliana is determined to find evidence of the crime, but her behavior rouses the earl's suspicions as well as her own undeniable attraction to a man she thought was her enemy. As Geoffrey and Liliana explore their growing passion for one another, the truth behind their fathers' enmity threatens to destroy their newfound love . . . 'Heather Snow combines sizzling tension, witty dialogue, and achingly raw emotions for a passionate love story you'll remember long after the last page.' Kathyrn Smith, USA TodayBestselling Author of When Tempting a Rogue

“A near-future layering of East and West, of religion and technology . . . and of love and its loss—all woven into an intriguing tapestry.” —Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander series Winner of the Homer Award for Best Science Fiction Novel A renowned prima ballerina, Lucia del Mar is far more comfortable expressing herself through dance than with words. Shy and introverted, she spends most of her spare time on her laptop. Still, Lucia’s job forces her out of her comfort zone, which is how she winds up at a White House reception where she meets Rashid al-Jazari, the wealthy CEO of a multinational corporation. Although attracted to him, Lucia can’t help but feel awkward and shrugs off their encounter as a one-time event. Not realizing he feels a similar attraction, she never imagines Rashid will seek out her performances; he is the last person she expects to see when her dance company travels to Italy. Their reunion takes an even more unexpected turn when they’re both drugged and kidnapped. Although they overcome their abductors, it leaves them stranded in North Africa. For her own safety, Lucia agrees to marry Rashid, at least for the time being. As she recovers at his family compound in Morocco, reeling from their brush with danger, she struggles to fit into a culture she knows nothing about—and to deal with her growing feelings for Rashid. At the same time, at his secret office there, Rashid is developing a dramatic leap forward in artificial intelligence combined with virtual reality. He finds himself plunged into a fight for control of his work against powerful international forces, and caught in the middle, Lucia is swept into that battle . . . “A terrific novel, ripping a path from today’s headlines to tomorrow’s realities.” —Robert J. Sawyer, Nebula Award–winning author

What should we make of the prominence of female characters in the plays of Euripides? Not, Nancy Sorkin Rabinowitz concludes, that he was either a misogynist or a feminist before his time. Tracking the relationship between male anxiety and female desire in his drama, she demonstrates in this rich and incisive book that Euripides' plays support a structure of male dominance while simultaneously inscribing female strength.

In this evocative, wildly romantic new novel set in Venice and London, Tracy MacNish follows one woman's journey from vengeance to extraordinary passion. . . Three years ago, Kieran Mullen was a carefree, confident beauty. One fateful night, everything changed, and she became solitary and aloof, reluctant to leave her London home even when her brother, Rogan, insists she accompany him on holiday to Venice. There, amid the wild revelries of Carnivale, Kieran is attacked by a masked villain and rescued by a charismatic stranger who offers the one thing that might free her from her haunting past: revenge. . . Matteo de Gama is a study in contradiction--a gambler and a philosopher, a reckless libertine and a most unlikely savior. When he pulls Kieran from a canal's watery depths and learns her secrets, he resolves to help her exact justice. But soon he has another mission in mind--to release the unmistakable fire buried beneath her icy beauty, and teach her the bliss that comes with trusting in her own desires, and in their fierce, abiding love. . . "A lushly written, richly detailed Georgian historical [that] pushes the boundaries of the genre with a story of love, revenge, jealousy, and secrets. . .compelling." --Booklist "This is neo old-school romance done well. . .this book was a treat to read. It was like drinking fine brandy after having had nothing but weak tea. MacNish has a strong and distinctive style." --All About Romance.com "Excellent. . .phenomenal." --The Romance Reader.com "There's nothing veiled about the emotional power and dark sensuality of MacNish's sequel to Veiled Promises. With strong characters playing out a plot that delves into the deepest parts of the human soul, this is a tale to keep you riveted." --Romantic Times "Another delectably intense and edgy tale of passion and peril, revenge and romance." --Booklist "Memorable characters and strong emotions take center stage in a powerful love story that digs deeply into character motivation." --Kathe Robin, Romantic Times