Linda Hughes

Shedding new light on the alternative, emancipatory Germany discovered and written about by progressive women writers during the long nineteenth century, this illuminating study uncovers a country that offered a degree of freedom and intellectual agency unheard of in England. Opening with the striking account of Anna Jameson and her friendship with Ottilie von Goethe, Linda K. Hughes shows how cultural differences spurred ten writers' advocacy of progressive ideas and provided fresh materials for publishing careers. Alongside well-known writers – Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Michael Field, Elizabeth von Arnim, and Vernon Lee – this study sheds light on the lesser-known writers Mary and Anna Mary Howitt, Jessie Fothergill, and the important Anglo-Jewish lesbian writer Amy Levy. Armed with their knowledge of the German language, each of these women championed an extraordinarily productive openness to cultural exchange and, by approaching Germany through a female lens, imported an alternative, 'other' Germany into English letters.

In this stunning coming of age novel, acclaimed author Linda Hughes delivers an emotional and uplifting story of a young woman's travails and triumphs during the tumultuous 1970s.Women can come into their own in the most unexpected ways. Llayne Robertson is the least likely coed on campus to be elected homecoming queen. Broke, broken-hearted, and waitressing at a house of burlesque, she's an unknown outcast surviving in the shadows of typical college life.That is until members of the Vietnam Veterans Club set their sights on Llayne as their candidate for homecoming queen. An uproar by traditional students solidifies their resolve. They may have lost battles overseas, but this is one fight the vets are determined to win.As the shiny crown is placed on Llayne's head, she realizes the real victory lies in the unexpected bonds of deep friendship that have been forged during the campaign. When she falls in love with a veteran, she discovers that the battle is not over for those who fought. Her newfound confidence serves her well as she navigates the tragic remnants of war.Homecoming Queen is a richly compelling story of a young woman who finds within herself a surprising wellspring of courage, grace, and determination. Llayne Robertson embodies the strength and resilience of women of all ages who face life's most challenging struggles and emerge triumphant.That is the best homecoming of all.

Shedding new light on the alternative, emancipatory Germany discovered and written about by progressive women writers during the long nineteenth century, this illuminating study uncovers a country that offered a degree of freedom and intellectual agency unheard of in England. Opening with the striking account of Anna Jameson and her friendship with Ottilie von Goethe, Linda K. Hughes shows how cultural differences spurred ten writers' advocacy of progressive ideas and provided fresh materials for publishing careers. Alongside well-known writers – Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Michael Field, Elizabeth von Arnim, and Vernon Lee – this study sheds light on the lesser-known writers Mary and Anna Mary Howitt, Jessie Fothergill, and the important Anglo-Jewish lesbian writer Amy Levy. Armed with their knowledge of the German language, each of these women championed an extraordinarily productive openness to cultural exchange and, by approaching Germany through a female lens, imported an alternative, 'other' Germany into English letters.

Three strangers find second chances on one island.Quaint cottages, homemade fudge, horse-drawn carriages - Mackinac Island is a picturesque Victorian-era town known for its annual Lilac Festival.And its magical impact on its inhabitants.Leah Paganelli came to the island to begin settling into widowhood. She embraces a bohemian sense of freedom by capturing nature in her paintings. But her newfound independence comes with an uninvited guest: guilt.Lester Lange is escaping from the world - and from his memories of Vietnam. After a failed marriage, he shuns the notion of ever falling in love again. He's determined to sit alone on his porch watching sailboat races for the rest of his days.Magazine reporter Cassie Evans has been sent to the island against her will to write a travel article. But she's too distracted by the island's old-fashioned ways to work on her story. Plus, that cowboy named Russ isn't helping her focus, either.Lilac Island, a heartwarming, romantic Shades of Hope novella, digs up poignant lost loves and shocking family secrets that draw these three strangers together in the most unexpected of ways, giving each of them hope for the first time in years.

Relax. Unwind. Take a break from the day-to-day struggles of life and settle in to enjoy a dose of imaginative and inspirational poetry that will draw you closer to God and allow you to listen to His heart as He speaks to yours. Filled with family-oriented fantasy and based on the abiding truth of God's Word, the poetry of Linda Hughes will calm your spirit and allow your mind to take wing to far-off places.

You think you know your heritage?Think again. Dark secrets lurk below the surface of every family tree, as the Sullivan clan discovers in this story about living in the aftermath of generations of deceit. When Red Cross nurse Harriet escapes the trauma of World War II and sequesters herself in her grandfather's cottage on Mackinac Island, she has no inkling about her heritage. But as one shocking clue after another surfaces -- disclosing lies, corruption, madness, and murder -- she realizes her family isn't what, or who, it seems. She's not the first to hold unspeakable secrets in her soul. Unearthing deceptions from the past gives Harriet the strength to face her fears and her future. Others before her survived their horrific travails, showing that she can, too. Harriet and her loved ones emerge above the fray of their entangled roots, enlightening their lives as never before. Secrets of the Island, the second book in the Secrets trilogy, is a tale of romantic suspense that begs the question: what secrets are buried within your family tree?

Abracadabra Writing your memoir will take you on a magical journey to self-discovery. We've never known a memoir writer who hasn't said they feel changed by the process. One of our memoir writers, Myra Lewis Williams, put it this way in The Spark that Survived: "Writing a memoir is like slapping your past onto a piece of paper, wrestling it to the ground, coming up in victory, and then giving it away. It's no longer a battle in your life. You've won. It's over. You can move on." Whether your writing journey is as gentle as leading to charming remembrances or as profound as leading to life-altering memories, you're bound to do some soul-searching along the way.That's why we've written this book: to make that process as easy and enjoyable as possible. The book gives you six steps to follow in writing your story. We walk you through defining your purpose, knowing how to tell a good story, researching your past, organizing your many stories, writing the memoir, and wrapping it all up with legal and publishing considerations. But throughout all of that, the real magic is in the unveiling of the sweet moments, treasured memories, and unresolved mysteries of your life. That unveiling will change not only your relationships with other people, but your relationship with yourself, as well. Nothing could be more powerful than that.

Willowland Manor is nestled inside sprawling cotton fields and patches of dense, Mississippi woodland. Ten years ago, the Civil War came to its bloody finish, freed the slaves, and brought ruin to the manor-burnt fields, expensive labor, and the death of two of the three Wayland sons.William, the manor's master, is desperate and struggling to keep his plantation running. Abigail, the mistress, cannot cope with her new life without slaves, majestic parties and balls, and a carefree, luxurious existence.William and Abigail's sole surviving son, Ronald, feels the family's immense pressure to marry into wealth and save the manor's social and financial status. But Kizzi, a house servant and former slave, is the object of Ronald's unwelcome attentions-the kind of attention that leads to motherhood.When Abigail discovers this disagreeable situation, she arranges to have Kizzi and the unborn child gotten rid of. But Kizzi's final, dying words call upon supernatural forces more powerful than death to exact revenge for her suffering and murder.Willowland Manor may have survived the Civil War, but can it outlast a battle against a voodoo curse?

Alone after burying her grandfather and only relative, Emily becomes the concierge of an Assisted Living/Alzheimer's Community. Substituting the residents for her family, she gains a purpose for living again. The view of Morro Bay is breathtaking and the building beautiful but within the pristine facade, deception and intrigue abound...even murder. When Detective Sean O'Brien comes to investigate, he finds Emily a person of interest in more ways than one.Both entertaining and heartwarming, YESTERDAY FOREVER GONE is a behind the scenes view of the inner workings of an Assisted Living/Alzheimer's and dementia community.

Can the deepest love spawn the darkest hate?Secrets Without Compromise, the second novel by author Linda Hughes, shares the poignant tale of two people who have emerged from profound obstacles to craft a new future, only to be upended by an unspeakable event that knows no redemption. This gripping work of fiction with equal parts tender love and smoldering revenge not only mines the heart's most vulnerable places but journeys to the core of darkness. When one evening goes devastatingly wrong, the happiness they created together is destroyed in a few terrifying moments.As Alex confronts the hopelessness of his grief, he embarks on a wrathful course of retaliation, revealing how the ties that bind us can also tear us apart.Though not a sequel to her debut novel, Cloistered Secrets, there are overlaying elements in the two works.