In no other avenue of her life is the Queen as relaxed as she is on the racecourses of Britain. Her passion for the Turf finds expression in her patronage of Royal Ascot & the Derby. Less well documented is the joy she derives from spending time with thoroughbreds & the myriad human characters in the sport. Plainly at ease in their company she enjoys nothing more than talking horses in the way trainers & jockeys do on a daily basis. In this respect horse racing is in a privileged position. It has been afforded a unique insight into Her Majesty at her leisure. From visits to horsemen in her employ & her regular contact with them has emerged a rare portrait: one free of the shackles of official duty & one in which the Queens delight in the Sport of Kings is the overriding image. Julian Muscat goes behind the scenes with all the Queens men to bring to life this portrait of Her Majesty in her element. Interspersed with the history of her patronage of racing are numerous anecdotes of how her passion manifests itself in everyday circumstances. It enunciates the Queens joy from the inside out. ...

Lacey's mother was shot twelve years ago. Her killer is about to be released on parole. Only Lacey's statement can keep him in jail. Lacey is facing the biggest decision of her life. Then her best friend dies in a car crash leaving behind a grieving eleven-year-old daughter in need of a mother
- a role Lacey's not sure she's ready for. Two lives rest on Lacey's choices. Two lives only she can save.
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Ian Prescott the Marquess of Griffith is a cool-nerved British diplomatic renowned for his integrity & famed among the British debutantes for his striking good looks. Much to their dismay the handsome marquess has no use or love. He conceals a dark secret surrounding his disastrous first marriage & the death of his wife & has vowed never to marry again. On a diplomatic trip to India Ian is asked to watch over the daughter of an old family friend Miss Georgiana Knight. He is instantly intrigued by Georgiana's striking beauty that conceals a sharp mind & a shocking independence. A ruling belle of local society in India Georgiana is out of her element in London & yet she's determined to conquer the ton on her own refusing Ian's protection every step of the way. Ian is infuriated by Georgie's wilful defiance as much as he is captivated by her natural charms ...

A forgotten past hides the key to the future. Meredith Stratton at forty-four the owner of six elegant international inns is about to celebrate her daughter's engagement. At this seemingly happy time in her life she begins to suffer from a strange illness that baffles everyone. Her doctor cannot find a physical cause for her debilitating symptoms & desperate for answers she seeks the help of a psychiatrist. Through therapy Meredith peels back the layers of her life to discover the truth behind her most careful creation
- herself. Determined to get well Meredith traces her roots back to another country where she learns about childhood experiences that dramatically changed her life. What she discovers is not only the key to the past but to her future happiness & fulfilment as a woman. Moving from the Connecticut countryside the busy streets & suites of London Paris & New York to the pastoral beauty of a chateau in the Loire Her Own Rules is an exciting & suspenseful novel about secrets survival redemption & love.
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Her Rocky Mountain Protector Brooding ex-soldier Grady Fletcher plans to keep his mind occupied. Single mum Gina Williams is usually wary around men but she knows that beneath Gradys gruff exterior lies a trustworthy man. So when Ginas son goes missing hes the only person shell trust
- a man whose survival instinct is as strong as his heart... The Soldiers Sweetheart Returning Special Forces soldier Nate Calhoun is struggling to adjust to small-town life. Only Sarah Anderson his childhood sweetheart can see straight through his surly exterior to his pain. But while hanging out like they used to they realise that there is still an undeniable spark between them...
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It was the year that saw Rangers Football Club face administration that saw Greece struggle with teetering debt that saw Scots wrestle with the idea of a referendum on independence & saw the Scottish football team once again watching an international competition from the outside. & what did most Scots do? Well what they usually do
- they laughed about it. Fortunately they then sent their musings to The Herald" newspapers " Diary" column where their views on world affairs plus all the stories of all the daft & amusing things that happened in Scotlands pubs trains streets & homes were gathered polished & printed. This is the compilation of the best of these stories. It is where the best of Scottish humour is gathered & kept so that the stories are not lost forever & if you are a Scot anywhere in the world you will recognise the humour in them. & even if you are not Scottish you should still be able to smile even though you have to ask a Scot for the occasional piece of clarification."
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This is a stunning collection of photographs
- many never before published
- celebrating the remarkable talent of Herb

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Herbs are the most liberating & confidence-boosting of ingredients: grow some & you feel like a proper gardener bring some into the kitchen & you feel like a proper cook. They allow you to experiment & bring individuality to your cooking while at the same time anchoring you in sound culinary tradition because herbs are often responsible for those key flavours that 'make' a dish. Not only that but they are a step on the road to a more self-sufficient homegrown organic way of eating. In the first part of the book Nikki explains how to get the most from herbs. She outlines the basic choosing picking & using guidelines. The second part is a catalogue of herbs each with grow-your-own notes flavour descriptions & mini-recipes. Among the forty herbs that Nikki describes are basil bay bergamot chives coriander dill fennel horseradish hyssop marigold marjoram mint parsley perilla rocket rosemary sage scented geranium tarragon thyme wild garlic & winter savory. Following this are over fifty wonderful & adaptable recipes for everything from herb-scented cakes & biscuits to soups stuffings & tarts where more than one herb is or can be used. With an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & full-colour photographs Herbs is a must-have book for every kitchen. ...

For millennia man has been using herbs; in food for healing & for magical purposes. Only in the last hundred years have the magical & medicinal properties of herbs been separated by scientists & the magical community. This book reunites the two into a comprehensive reference. Drawing on her years of practice & research Deborah Martin has compiled information on over three hundred herbs. Avoiding the confusion of common names which can vary by region she uses the Latin binomial or scientific names for all the plants but gives the reader a cheat sheet for easy reference. Written with a touch of humor she details the difference between synthetic drugs & herbal alternatives. Lists make looking up an herb for a simple ailment or magical spell effortless. Also given are instructions for different types of herbal preparations & their medicinal & magical uses. ...

This handsome volume well supplied with photographs & diagrams is the work of Andrew Wallace-Hadrill former Director of the British School at Rome & a distinguished expert on Roman Italy. It is also the fruit of the Herculaneum Conservation Project which has worked to conserve the site & remedy the neglect that it had suffered especially in comparison with Pompeii. Wallace-Hadrill begins by considering the site's geology & the history of archaeological work there & goes on to look at the evidence for daily life in the town as well as the amenities it offered to different members of society. Pictures of key buildings as well as material remains
- striking statues items of furniture & stone reliefs for example
- help to give an excellent sense of the site. The final chapter is devoted to the describing the fascinating struggle to preserve the site in recent years.

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