The city is Macao, the Portuguese settlement on the China Coast, as it was more than 200 years ago. The promises are those made by Englishmen to marry their Macao mistresses, only to leave them abandoned and their children bastards. Martha Merop and her English lover are unique in this period. He, son of the founder of Lloyd's and cousin of the philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, was one of the first merchants to oppose the trade in opium. She, Chinese, abandoned at birth and sold into prostitution at the age of thirteen, became an international trader in her own right, the richest woman on the China Coast and Macao's greatest public benefactress. This moving novel that captures the time and place so convincingly is a historical reconstruction of the years 1780 to 1795 when the two were together. It is based on oral tradition handed down through generations in Macao, and on documents that survive about them in Macao, Lisbon and London. Austin Coates identified Martha Merop’s lover, about whom little was known. The documents about him confirmed the traditional Macao story, and the outcome was this book.

Beware of the company you keep. K’wan’s urban fiction coming-of-age novel, Promise Broken, is set in the gritty streets of Newark, New Jersey. The story follows seventeen-year-old Promise Mohammed as she attempts to uphold friendships and new relationships—even if they lead to her demise. After Promise’s mother dies in a tragic car accident, it leaves a void in Promise’s life that she is yearning to fill. This titular novel finds Promise spiraling into a life of crime and drug affiliation by the company she chooses to keep. Also coping with abandonment and a lifelong broken commitment from her biological father, Promise ultimately has two goals: to graduate from high school and to be loved. But can she find the love that she seeks from her aunt Dell, two best friends, Mouse and Keys, or drug-dealer Asher—the man who captivates her—despite the fact that each relationship will lead to life-altering events? Only time will tell.

Paris, today: The Museum of Broken Promises is a place of hope and loss. Every object in the museum has been donated - a cake tin, a wedding veil, a baby's shoe. And each represents a moment of grief or terrible betrayal. Laure, the owner and curator, has also hidden artefacts from her own painful youth amongst the objects on display. 1985: Recovering from the sudden death of her father, Laure flees to Prague. But she cannot begin to comprehend the dark political currents in this communist city - until she meets a young dissident musician. Her love for him, however, will have terrible and unforeseen consequences. It is only years later, having created the museum, that Laure can finally face up to her past and celebrate the passionate love which has directed her life.

From New York Times bestselling author Linwood Barclay comes an explosive novel set in the peaceful small town of Promise Falls, where secrets can always be buried—but never forgotten… After his wife’s death and the collapse of his newspaper, David Harwood has no choice but to uproot his nine-year-old son and move back into his childhood home in Promise Falls, New York. David believes his life is in free fall, and he can’t find a way to stop his descent. Then he comes across a family secret of epic proportions. A year after a devastating miscarriage, David’s cousin Marla has continued to struggle. But when David’s mother asks him to check on her, he’s horrified to discover that she’s been secretly raising a child who is not her own—a baby she claims was a gift from an “angel” left on her porch. When the baby’s real mother is found murdered, David can’t help wanting to piece together what happened—even if it means proving his own cousin’s guilt. But as he uncovers each piece of evidence, David realizes that Marla’s mysterious child is just the tip of the iceberg. Other strange things are happening. Animals are found ritually slaughtered. An ominous abandoned Ferris wheel seems to stand as a warning that something dark has infected Promise Falls. And someone has decided that the entire town must pay for the sins of its past…in blood.

4400 taken, 4400 returned. All were given startling new abilities. Now, if you are willing to risk it all, you too can be extraordinary. Is this what the future intended to ensure the survival of the human race? Promicin -- which kills half of those who dare to inject it and grants paranormal abilities to those who survive -- is spreading across the globe and threatening to plunge the entire world into chaos. One year has passed since Jordan Collier and his followers seized control of Seattle and renamed it Promise City. U.S. armed forces have surrounded Seattle, and each day brings Collier and his Promicin-Positive Movement closer to all-out war with the world's greatest military superpower. However, the real threats are the Marked -- agents from the future whose identities are encoded into body-hijacking nanites. They were sent back to thwart the efforts of the 4400. The last three surviving Marked lurk in the shadows, working in secret as they prepare to deliver a deathblow to the planet. Caught in the crossfire are NTAC agents Tom Baldwin and Diana Skouris. His son, Kyle, and her thirteen-year-old adopted daughter, Maia, are both more loyal to Jordan's movement than to them. And when the standoff between Collier and the U.S. military explodes into open conflict, Tom, Diana, and fellow agents wind up outnumbered and outgunned. In the end, the fate of all mankind will rest in the hands of one man: Tom Baldwin.

Breakout sensation Monica Murphy returns with a hot new contemporary romance—a heartfelt story of second chances, forgiveness, and redemption. Commitment. That’s what I really want from Colin. Ever since my brother, Danny, died in Iraq, Colin’s done so much to help me, including giving me a job at his popular restaurant so I can leave my crappy waitressing job at the strip joint. But lying in bed with him every night to comfort him from his horrible nightmares isn’t enough anymore. I know he feels guilty about Danny’s death, about not going to Iraq, but I can’t keep living this double life. I love him desperately, but he’s got so many demons, and if he can’t open up to me now, then he’ll never be the real partner I need him to be. I gave him a month, and now I’m out of here. If he truly loves me like he says, he knows where to find me. . . . Praise for Three Broken Promises “The heat between these two is explosive. . . . It is the emotion and the shared tragedy between Jen and Colin . . . that takes this book to another level.”—Heroes and Heartbreakers “Filled with emotion, drama, red-hot sex, intensity, and a love that may as well have been written in the stars, Three Broken Promises is another must read from Monica Murphy.”—Holly’s Hot Reads “Three Broken Promises is an absolutely out-of-this-world perfect romantic story that swept me off my feet. Once again, I fell in love with [Monica] Murphy’s easy style of writing, great sense of humor and ideal characters. . . . I felt glued to the pages and there wasn’t a single thing that could make me stop reading.”—Smokin Hot Book Blog “I fell in love with this series the moment I opened One Week Girlfriend and Three Broken Promises didn’t disappoint. . . . I can say without a doubt that I enjoyed every minute of this book.”—Book Blogger Paradise “Murphy has done it again. . . . This story will make you smile, it will warm your heart and soul, and it may even have you pulling your hair out as these two amazing people navigate the rollercoaster that is love. I loved everything about it.”—Roxy’s Reviews “Such a delicious book . . . Monica’s writing is addictive as always, and I’m really looking forward to the next book.”—City of Books

Ages 10-14 Life is wonderful! At least that's what thirteen-year-old Cassie believes. Everything seems perfect: she's tried out for--and won--the lead role in the eighth-grade musical and she's singing with the best-looking guy in school. Cassie is sure of one thing: nothing can stop her now! Then her dad moves out. And Cassie's perfect world comes crashing down around her . . .