A devotee of Hat-hor'¦ 'More than forty years passed between my initial encounter with Hat-hor's name and my first devotions to the goddess. It was a long time. My first thought is that, for most of this period, I was not so much stepping to meet Hat-hor as dawdling on the way.' A religion for the modern world'¦ 'The concept of ma'at also translates readily into the field of ecology. Ecological balance is a matter of balance between species, and between those species and the environments in which they live. This clearly has a kinship with the balance between the stars, which is most certainly a matter of ma'at. Ecology is not, in itself, an ancient Egyptian concept, but the way in which it slots so readily into Kemetic ideas demonstrates how adaptable those conceptions are. It may also form another example of the ease with which Kemetic religion fits with rationalism.'

'Beware the desecration… Eirene… power of resurrection. She will take her revenge.' Following a mental breakdown, archaeologist Emma Carter convalesces in a rest home. Thoughts return to her childhood and to a windswept beach where she discovered a priceless gold artefact – an ugly gargoyle figure known as a Shiel Na Gig, representing a long forgotten deity from antiquity. She believes this is the source of her troubles as she reflects on events that have occurred over the past few months… Emma’s partner Sam Layton, a renowned psychic medium, is having problems of his own. Plagued by unsettling dreams that involve a Celtic warrior’s death and his love for Eirene, a slave girl who is set to be sacrificed to a sun deity, Sam witnesses the dying warrior burying a golden statuette on a beach. Not only do his dreams bother him, but he is suddenly called away to help his former lover Theia with problems concerning her companion Abi, whose erratic behaviour points to the supernatural… What is the mystery of the 'triumvirate' of Shiel Na Gig goddesses? Who or what will stop at nothing, including murder, to possess Sam and his friends? And will Sam be able to choose between his troubled relationship with Emma and the carefree time spent with Theia? The Golden Goddess is a fast-paced supernatural thriller that continues on from Nigel Plane’s first novel,The Daughters of Carrawburgh. Centred around Celtic deities, it is a gripping read that will appeal to fans of fantasy fiction.

Blazing passion, unrestrained power, perilous secrets... Shana is determined to personally destroy her enemy or die in the attempt. Roman can’t know. Roman keeps his demons locked away from his beloved Golden, afraid she’ll despise him if she knows the truth. The rebellious, sensuous, provocative and intense relationship between Shana and Roman is ablaze again. When Shana readies herself to accept her love for Roman, he drops a bomb on her lap: her abuser of ages ago is hunting her, and is the man who’d kidnapped and detained Roman. Furious, she turns her hunter into the hunted - she goes after her tormentor in his “fortress with modern security gadgets” country mansion, armed for victory. For Shana, it’s a do or die. But Roman mustn’t know of her mission. Roman has his own Pandora’s box of secrets that threaten to destroy their relationship yet must be revealed. But first, he has to protect Shana from his rival, a dangerous international criminal who keeps eluding both Europol and Interpol. Who will manage to eliminate their common enemy first?

A coffin drifts on the Bay of Bengal... Within lies Sebastian Newcastle, rapt in the dreamless sleep of the Undead. His flight from England, spurred by the agonizing memories of his ruined love, Felicia Lamb, ends in the heart of India's darkest cult. The Thugs still make human sacrifice to Kali, the Goddess of Death... sacrifice she will accept only when there is no blood spilled. Reginald Callender, accused of the death of his fiancée, Felicia, has sworn vengeance on Newcastle. He has tracked the vampire to India, but the terrors of this strange new land—from the savage prowling panthers to the murderous Thugs—prove as formidable as his ancient enemy. Moreover, he has lost his heart to the beautiful widow Sarala Ghosh. But like Felicia before her, Sarala is headed for her own dark destiny in the cold embrace of Sebastian Newcastle.

Eros: The Myth of Ancient Greek Sexuality is a controversial book that lays bare the meanings Greeks gave to sex. Contrary to the romantic idealization of sex dominating our culture, the Greeks saw eros as a powerful force of nature, potentially dangerous and in need of control by society: Eros the Destroyer, not Cupid the Insipid, is what fired the Greek imagination. The destructiveness of eros can be seen in Greek imagery and metaphor, and in their attitudes toward women and homosexuals. Images of love as fire, disease, storms, insanity, and violence—top 40 song clichés for us—locate eros among the unpredictable and deadly forces of nature. The beautiful Aphrodite embodies the alluring danger of sex, and femmes fatales like Pandora and Helen represent the risky charms of female sexuality. And homosexuality typifies for the Greeks the frightening power of an indiscriminate appetite that threatens the stability of culture itself. In Eros: The Myth of Ancient Greek Seualily, Bruce Thornton offers a uniquely sweeping and comprehensive account of ancient sexuality free of currently fashionable theoretical jargon and pretensions. In its conclusions the book challenges the distortions of much recent scholarship on Greek sexuality. And throughout it links the wary attitudes of the Greeks to our present-day concerns about love, sex, and family. What we see, finally, are the origins of some of our own views as well as a vision of sexuality that is perhaps more honest and mature than our own dangerous illusions.

Step into the world of The Four Arts. A romantic historical fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott. She ran to save her life. Now what . . . Lady Sophia Mackenzie has left almost everything behind. Her country. Her family. Her trust in the queen she suspects tried to kill her. All she has left is her own fledgling magic and her new husband, Cameron. But having fled Anglion to stay alive, she now has to learn how to face the dangers and temptations of Illvya, a land where the magic they practice is everything she’s been raised to fear. To those who rule Illvya—the mages with their demon familiars and the parliament—having an unbound royal witch like Sophie in their midst is to some an unparalleled opportunity and to others an unbearable threat. As factions form around them, Sophia and Cameron struggle to navigate the intrigues and repercussions of their flight from Anglion. Illvya seeks to control them and Anglion may well still be trying to kill them. As their choices close in around them and Sophia begins to discover the potential of her powers, their bond—both magical and emotional—is pushed to the limit. In the end, in order to survive, Sophia will have to decide between loyalty and destiny and hope the price of her choice is one she can bear to pay . . . The Unbound Queen is the final book in the Four Arts trilogy, a complete romantic gaslamp fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott. Perfect if you love fantasies with royal turmoil, witches, gaslamp vibes, marriages of convenience, protective heroes, sexy times and political intrigues. Enjoy! Author's note: For tropes and CW, please check the author's website.