Showing results by author "Jess Michaels" in All Categories

Long before Charles Dickens and Henry James popularized the tradition of supernatural horror, the shadowy nights of winter have been a time for people to gather together by the flicker of candlelight and experience the intoxicating thrill of a spooky tale.

Lucas Vincent may be the Duke of Willowby but he’s never acted as such. He’s been too busy working for the war department as a spy. But years of dangerous work has finally caught up to him, and he was involved in a violent attack that nearly killed him. Diana Oakford was raised by a physician who served the King’s war department, and she knows better than most the dangers that job entails. She was also trained in healing, so when she’s asked to come and assist with Lucas’s recovery, she has a hard time refusing.

Mary Quinn is almost at the end of her rope. After two years under her sister and brother-in-law's protection she may soon have to return to her terrible father's house if she cannot find a husband. In her desperation, she bumps into Edward, Marquis Woodley.

Josie Westfall spent a lifetime feeling alone and bullied and an unfortunate incident involving her best friend's brother, Evan, only made things worse. Still, when she and her mother are invited to the wedding he will be attending, they can't exactly refuse. She hopes to avoid him, but instead they are thrown together and she is shocked to find that she actually begins to like the man she's thought of as an enemy for years.

Amid all the lies and scandals that fuel Society's gossip mill, one truth has stood out: House Rothcastle and House Windbury have always hated each other. Lady Ava Windbury prays the feud will someday end, to no avail. One dreadful night, her brother accidentally causes the death of Christian Rothcastle's sister, a tragedy that leaves both men maimed.

Anne Shelley has always been known as the “wild” one of the infamous Shelley triplets and never has that been truer than when she ran away from her engagement with a scandalous man. She expects to be taken to Gretna Green for a hasty marriage, but instead, she is dumped off on a remote island in Scotland with his grouchy cousin, Rook Maitland.

Elise had her reasons for walking away from Lucien, reasons he doesn't understand. Back in Society, she's now financially desperate and is even considering becoming someone's mistress. But Lucien keeps appearing at the most inopportune moments and it's only a matter of time before the desire between them explodes. Time will tell if Lucien will be able to see past his lusty drive for revenge. And if Elise can convince him she's worthy of more, despite the past.

Pippa Montgomery never thought her life would go like this. When she found out her late husband was a bigamist and had been murdered, she thought nothing could ever be the same. When she met his brother Rhys, the earl of Leighton, she knew it.

After she found out her husband was a bigamist with three wives, Abigail Montgomery’s world fell apart. She was still reeling when she found out he was courting yet another woman, the sister of the duke of Gilmore. She intervened anonymously, and Gilmore’s reaction brought her world down around her. She has seen him as an enemy ever since. An arrogant, interesting, very handsome enemy.

Crispin Flynn has been on a downward spiral ever since he lost the woman he loved and watched his brother forced into a life he never would have chosen. His response has been drinking and gambling his way to utter ruin. One night, deep in his cups, he places a dangerous bet that results in him being forced to marry Gemma, the widow of the Earl of Laurelcross.

The youngest son of the Woodley clan, Gabriel has been obsessed with bringing his missing twin sister home since she disappeared over two years ago. His drive has forced him to block out all else, including any feelings he may have for the beautiful Juliet Gray. But when she is brought to London by Gabriel's mother, avoiding the desire she inspires becomes impossible.

Selina Oliver has always enjoyed all the pleasures life offers. As one of the illegitimate children of the infamous Duke of Roseford, why shouldn’t she? But Selina has a secret, one that could tear her world apart. She is also the Faceless Fox, a brazen thief who for years has been stealing the finest jewels of the nastiest women of the ton. Now her brother has invited her to a country party where one of the prizes she craves most will also be at her fingertips. How could a wily fox resist this henhouse?

When Claire found out a devastating secret about her family, the famous Woodley clan, she ran straight into the arms of a criminal and disappeared for years. But now she's desperate to escape his clutches and get back what he's stolen from her: her child. She turns to longtime family horse-master Warrick Blackwood, knowing his secrets can get her close to her target.

Vivien Manning, the notorious Mistress Matchmaker, is tired. Tired of the parties, tired of the lovers, tired of being her. So she decides to leave London behind once and for all and start a whole new life. But before she goes, she must tie up some loose ends, and makes a list that includes a man she's never been fully able to let go - Benedict Greystone. Benedict was broken when Vivien broke off their affair years ago. When she comes back into his life - and his bed - he isn't certain of anything except the power of their desire.

The most wicked secrets in society are being revealed in a weekly newsletter sent only to the elite of the ton. These are the stories behind those scandals. Love and passion, betrayal and forgiveness, sin and seduction are all to be found in The Scandal Sheet, Volume 1.

The last of the Shelley triplets to remain unmarried, Juliana Shelley has never felt like she’s recognized as her own person. But now, scarred by a terrible attack, she’s never felt so alone. Or so tired of cleaning up every else’s mess. She longs for something just for herself. A taste of the desire that seems to make her sisters so very happy in their marriages. One desperate night, she goes to the wicked Donville Masquerade looking for trouble and finds a handsome, masked stranger more than willing to provide it.

From cultish rituals to cosmic horror, Michael Jess Alexander's collection of horror fiction will leave you disquieted and unsettled. In "Chatterbox", a college professor is haunted by the spirit of a former student. "A Profound Impact" tells the story of a lost group of people who finally find a place they belong. In "Space for Amateurs", a science experiment goes horribly awry. These tales and six others await you in this haunting volume of horror fiction.

In this short story collection, award-winning writer Michael Jess Alexander serves up a morbid menagerie of aliens, cultists, murderers, and more.

Viscountess Felicity Barbridge escaped a violent marriage with her life because she was willing to make desperate choices. Now those choices are back to haunt her, as is the object of her girlhood obsession, Asher Seyton. Asher was never anything more than a servant's son, but he's elevated himself through an education and is now a respected solicitor. He only returns to his childhood home to help with a financial issue, but when he realizes Felicity is being threatened, he's driven to stay and help.

Winter, with its unsettling blend of the cosy and the sinister, has long been a popular time for gathering by the bright flame of a candle, or the warm crackling of a fire, and swapping stories of ghosts and strange happenings. Now eight best-selling, award-winning authors, master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre bring this time-honoured tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales.