Shattered Illusions

Searching for the truth behind the murder of his beloved foster brother, former Special Forces officer Carter Matthews journeys to a small island off the coast of North Carolina, where he meets Delcia Adams, the independent owner of a local island campground, but their growing feelings for each other are jeopardized by an unknown enemy who will do anything to prevent old secrets from being revealed. Original.

This is the true but incredible story of the survival of the Finn, Olavi Veltheim, in Soviet Russia and how his experiences in this "e;land of dreams"e; turned into a nightmare. A civil war was raging in Finland, and one of Veltheim's brothers was fighting on the side of the Reds and the other on the side of the Whites. Olavi's disability meant that he was unfit for combat and had no future. He left for England to study shipping, was taken on by the Anglo-Russian company, Arcos, and shortly thereafter married an Englishwoman. When the British authorities refused Olavi a visa and he was unwilling to return to Finland, the Soviet Union offered the family the chance of a new life free of "e;exploitation."e; But the reality of this promise was not what they expected. The family lived in poverty and could not find work. Conditions worsened further, and eventually culminated in Lubyanka prison and the suffering of the labour camps in the Urals and Siberia which lasted for 6 long years before his repatriation. Olavi Veltheim's memoirs are a unique archive find. The book was originally published as a Dutch translation entitled De avonturen van een Finn in Sovjet-Rusland (Amsterdam 1939). Olavi Veltheim destroyed the original manuscript at the end of the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1944, and it was only through the re-discovery of the Dutch version in the 1980s and its re-translation into Finnish that it is now appearing in an English edition for a much wider world readership.

Some secrets just won't stay hidden Why had Jaime Harris left a perfectly good job to come to work for his stepmother, Catriona? Dominic Redding was curious—and intrigued. Jaime had come to Bermuda with a purpose—to find out more about Catriona—and her attentive, good-looking stepson could jeopardize all that. Catriona was very possessive of Dominic, so much so that Jaime began to suspect the true nature of the relationship between stepmother and stepson. It was a family already full of dark secrets, and Jaime was there to reveal some secrets of her own….

In a post-apocalyptic world where vampire clans rule the city, Silas, a lone wolf shapeshifter, survives by keeping a low profile. One night, he rescues Aria, a human girl with mysterious powers, from a group of vampires. Intrigued by her abilities and sensing an opportunity to change the status quo, Silas decides to protect Aria while uncovering the secrets behind her powers. As Silas and Aria navigate the dangerous city, they face numerous challenges and encounters with the vampire clans, led by the ruthless Valerius and the cunning Isadora. They seek help from Zephyr, a reclusive witch who reveals that Aria's power has the potential to reshape the world, but warns of the risks involved. Throughout their journey, Silas confronts his haunted past and opens up to Aria as their bond deepens. They infiltrate Isadora's clan, seeking information about Aria's power and the dreamscape, a mysterious realm that underlies their reality. As they uncover the truth about their world, Silas and Aria realize that their reality is a shared dreamscape, and Aria's power is the key to awakening. Silas grapples with the choice to help Aria break free from the dream, risking losing her forever, or keeping her trapped in the illusion. In a climactic confrontation, Silas and Aria face off against the vampire clans. During the battle, Aria's power reaches its peak, and she begins to unravel the fabric of their world. Silas's love for Aria triumphs, and he helps her shatter the dreamscape, leading to a final showdown with the vampires. As their world crumbles around them, Silas and Aria awaken in a new, unknown reality. They come to terms with the consequences of their actions and the nature of their existence, setting the stage for an uncertain but hopeful future together. "Shattered Illusions" is a thrilling, action-packed journey through a post-apocalyptic world where the lines between reality and illusion are blurred. It's a story of love, sacrifice, and the power of the human spirit to overcome even the most daunting challenges. With richly drawn characters, vivid world-building, and a mind-bending plot, this novel is sure to captivate fans of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and post-apocalyptic fiction.

Join former vampire hunter Ashryn Barker as she joins the ranks of the undead and realises that not everything is as it seems in this action-packed urban fantasy romance series. A vampire hunter is about to get a lesson on who the enemy really is...and it's not the vampires. Don’t get in the way of me and my sai. At least, not if you’re a vampire. That’s a quick way to end up dead. My name is Ashryn Barker, and I’m a vampire hunter. One of the best in fact. I also have a secret. One I can never tell anyone else. When I look someone in the eyes, I can see their deepest secret, the one hidden behind the illusion they show the world. My name is Ashryn Barker, and I’m here to shatter your illusions. - Shattered Illusions is book one of the complete Ashryn Barker series, an action-packed urban fantasy with a poly romance subplot. If you enjoy urban fantasy, vampires & vampire hunters, enemies to lovers, poly romance, and plenty of action, start the Ashryn Barker series today with Shattered Illusions. Ashryn Barker Search Terms & Keywords: urban fantasy, uf, vampires, vampire hunters, contemporary fantasy, action, supernatural suspense, complete series, paranormal romance, supernatural romance, pnr, reverse harem, whychoose, poly, multiple love interests, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, action and adventure, fantasy, modern fantasy

Yevgeni Vladimirovich Brik and James Douglas Finley Morrison were central figures in what was considered one of the most important Cold War operations in the West at the time. Their story, which involves espionage, intelligence tradecraft, intelligence service penetrations, double agent scenarios, and betrayal, is a piece of Cold War intelligence history that has never been fully told. Yevgeni Brik was a KGB deep cover illegal who had been dispatched to Canada in 1951. He settled in Verdun, Quebec. He eventually became the KGB Illegal Resident where he had responsibility for running a number of agents, one of whom was working on the CF-105, Avro Arrow. In 1953, he fell in love with a married Canadian woman to whom he revealed his true identity. She persuaded him to turn himself in, which resulted in his becoming a double agent, working for Canada. He was later betrayed by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer, James Morrison, who sought money from the KGB to pay his debts. Brik was consequently lured back to Moscow in 1955, where he was arrested, and interrogated. Convicted of treason, a traitor’s fate awaited him, predictable, grim and final. Incredibly, he reappeared at a British Embassy as an old man in 1992, seeking Canada’s help. He was exfiltrated by a joint Canadian / British intelligence team which was headed by Donald Mahar. He was debriefed by Mahar for several months when they returned to Canada.

Jaime came to Bermuda to learn why her mother, Catriona, abandoned her when she was young. Catriona is living on the island under a fake name, and Jaime has left her job and gone to the island to work as her secretary. However, it seems that the manor where she lives is a love nest for her and Dominic, her young and handsome stepson! All Jaime wanted was to know the truth about her mother, but she hadn’t expected this. During Jaime’s trial period as Catriona’s secretary, Dominic begins to hang around her more often than necessary. She’s not beautiful like Catriona, so what is his game?

This is the true but incredible story of the survival of the Finn, Olavi Veltheim, in Soviet Russia and how his experiences in this "e;land of dreams"e; turned into a nightmare.A civil war was raging in Finland, and one of Veltheim's brothers was fighting on the side of the Reds and the other on the side of the Whites. Olavi's disability meant that he was unfit for combat and had no future. He left for England to study shipping, was taken on by the Anglo-Russian company, Arcos, and shortly thereafter married an Englishwoman. When the British authorities refused Olavi a visa and he was unwilling to return to Finland, the Soviet Union offered the family the chance of a new life free of "e;exploitation."e; But the reality of this promise was not what they expected. The family lived in poverty and could not find work. Conditions worsened further, and eventually culminated in Lubyanka prison and the suffering of the labour camps in the Urals and Siberia which lasted for 6 long years before his repatriation.Olavi Veltheim's memoirs are a unique archive find. The book was originally published as a Dutch translation entitled De avonturen van een Finn in Sovjet-Rusland (Amsterdam 1939). Olavi Veltheim destroyed the original manuscript at the end of the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union in 1944, and it was only through the re-discovery of the Dutch version in the 1980s and its re-translation into Finnish that it is now appearing in an English edition for a much wider world readership.

Recounting the tumultuous recent history of the Balkan region, this interdisciplinary study follows a bloody trail of guerrilla warfare from the post World War I era through World War II, the civil wars, and the communist rise to power in Albania, Greece and Yugoslavia.