Winters in Bern are long and cold and deep. On winter nights, when the snow is falling, Pippa goes to sleep knowing she'll wake up to tracks in front of her farmhouse. The tracks are small, and they come from the woods-those same woods that her mother says are full of witches and elves and trolls, and her father says are full of wolves and bears and demons. But these tracks are the Tompte's, and he is a friendly creature. Or at least that's what Pippa hopes. . . The Tompte borrows and mends things, he takes and he sometimes leaves things, and such is life on a farm at the edge of the realm. Her mother calls it tradition. Her father calls it a curse. And when things start going missing and trouble comes their way, Pippa's not sure what to believe. Soon enough, she'll have no choice but to go into the woods to find out. . . Winter comes and north wind blows, And with it comes the winter snow. Through the pines, he leaves his track, Over hill and here and back.The Tompte he looks after land, With quiet feet and silent hand. He comes from woods, alone and weary, On winter nights, dark and dreary.Through the farm, he peeks about, Checking in, and on and out. Taking gifts and leaving tokens, Mending bits that have been broken. His beard is long, his feet are small, He's like a child, about as tall, But Tompte is old and wise as well, And deep in forest is his dell.So, on winter nights when you're asleep, Along comes Tompte in silence deep, On quiet feet, with food to share, With quiet hands, and traded fare. Winters come and Autumns go, And with it comes the Tompte through snow.Always watching, never seenLeaving tracks of where he's be

Some wallflowers bloom at night… Violet is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. The gentlemen aren’t beating down her door. Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet’s feet. He’s wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Only Violet understands him. And she knows he’s not what he seems. She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable… Love.

In a quiet town on the outskirts of Calgary, there is a Manor that is anything but ordinary. Evelyn Winters, a twenty-six-year-old bestselling author, just moved into a beautiful mansion with her seven-year-old daughter, Abigail. It has been a dream come true for both of them, but when Evelyn begins to suffer from insomnia, things go from great to terrifying. Evelyn realizes that the Manor has a deep-seated evil, which tightens its grip on her. When she does sleep, she begins to have vivid dreams about a woman, a beast they call the Butcher, and a little girl that looks an awful lot like her daughter. Evelyn begins to believe that the dreams are tied to the Manor. Desperate to solve the mystery of the house, she enters a realm of evil. Her dreams begin to blend into reality and her daughter is taken by the Butcher.Can Evelyn uncover the truth that lies deep within Oakville Manor and save her daughter, or will her dreams become their demise?

Every time their brother turned a cartwheel, golden oranges fell from his pockets, along with sugar sweets in gold and silver paper. Schnitzle, Schnotzle & Schnootzle

Join Nicholas and his grandfather as they push aside the thoughts of decorating the Christmas tree to lovingly care for a cardinal trapped in the snow of a blizzard on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning finds Nicholas more concerned about the bird than opening his gifts.

ONCE YOU'VE HAD A TASTE OF SCANDAL . . . As the Duke of Huntford's sister, Lady Rose Sherbourne follows the rules of well-bred society. Always chaperoned. Never engaging in unseemly behavior. Well, except for that one summer, years ago. And yet she's never been able to forget that handsome stable master or the stolen moments they shared. She's always wondered what might have happened if he hadn't disappeared without a word . . . Now she's about to find out. YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK Charles Holland never expected to see Lady Rose again. And yet the years haven't lessened his devotion-or his desire-in any way. Despite their differences in class, Charles cannot stop himself from wanting to possess her. But as they uncover one intimate secret after another about her family, they realize that, this time, their love may come at a very dear price . . .

THIS WINTER'S EVE... is a delightful tale of a young boy's life as summer passes and Christmas nears. Meet his family and friends and explore his neighborhood as a new school year begins. Watch as summer eases into autumn, trees shed their leaves and blustery winter arrives. Excitement ensues as new Christmas catalogs appear in the mail. Shortly, the small town readies for the approaching season. Decorations go up on streetlamps and in the festive shops that line Main Street. Experience the child's thrill of going with his father to get a tree, his joy assembling the family's raggedy old Nativity set, and gaining a small part in the church Christmas play.Frigid conditions make for father's ingenuity to save the family's baby chicks.But, wonder and disappointment mark the boy's days as Santa's visit nears. THIS WINTER'S EVE... is small town Christmas at its finest.