Bøger af Marti Talbott

The year was 1912, but rumors of a war in Europe was the last thing on Blair MacGreagor's mind. Engaged and hopelessly in love, she returned to America from the United Kingdom on the HMS Mauretania thinking only of planning her wedding. Yet, by the end of her first day on dry land, her whole world was turned upside down.In 1713, in order to secure his passage to America, Scotland's Rory MacGreagor happily signed an indentured servant contract and boarded a tall ship. It wasn't long before he suspected it was a decision he would come to regret.

Early one August morning, Miss Patella Green was found dead in her bed. The child she claimed Douglas Swinton fathered was yet unborn, and more than one in Colorado Springs thought he had something to do with her death. After all, just a few days before she publicly accused him, he married someone else.Desperate to return to what she thought was her rightful place in London Society, the ex-Duchess of Glenartair was willing to do anything Lady Husher asked of her. It was a simple request and a task she could carry out with ease, but then, nothing in her life ever went as planned.

Sometime in the night a woman screamed. The next morning Pat Botham, Linda Miracle, and Linda's two toddler sons were simply gone. It was the perfect murder until the railroad lowered the water level in the Gunnison River and exposed the bodies.Mattie Rhoades had no desire to become involved in the aftermath of the crime and didn't - until someone told her something about one of the suspects that no one else knew.This book is not suitable for readers under the age of 18. Previously titled Colorado Cold Case.This is a work of fiction based on a true story - my story. That is not to say that everything in it is true, but that what I heard from other people served to influence the decisions I made. The conversation between Sam and Mattie is fiction and meant only as a storytelling tool.Some of the names have been changed.

Against her will, Lady Deora Medwin was betrothed to a powerful but disgusting man. She did not doubt her father loved her dearly, but how could he do such a thing? Deora saw only one option -- RUN! He was the Highlander, Laird Justin MacGreagor, and when he received

The beautiful Hester Wyley was gone.By the time John Carson returned from fighting in the American Revolution, the woman he pledged to marry discovered her first husband was still alive and went back to South Carolina.So John set his heart on claiming a homestead west of the Mountains. It was in the Kentucky Territory that the delightful Quaker, Polly Lewis, captivated his heart and to her he also gave his pledge. But when he returned to Virginia, Hester was back, truly widowed this time and just as beautiful as he remembered.

He called her Sassa, for she was indeed a divine beauty, and when she said she loved him in return, Laird Artair MacGreagor counted himself among the most fortunate of men. He knew full well other men would lust after her, but he was convinced he could protect her. Yet, it was not enough, for in his determination to keep her safe, he neglected to sufficiently safeguard himself. A clean, Scottish family saga.

Attracting a new husband in New York City proved more difficult than the duchess expected, particularly since she was nearly broke, and did not have easy access to the wealthy. That was before she met Bernard Allen Hathaway. Indeed, he had the kind of money she coveted, yet there was something odd about him...something very odd indeed.The MacGreagors looked forward to sharing the mansion and living in peace, but it was not to be. Just a few miles from Colorado Springs, the dark clouds of a violent union strike had begun to gather, and an unforeseen tragedy would change the course of their lives forever.

In a village situated in the forest, and out of sight of the well-traveled road, lived two sisters, Jinny and Owena Allaway, the eldest of which was Owena. Pleasing to look upon, Owena was never without the attentions of men, while Jinny was ignored and often left wanting. Yet, Jinny loved her sister and wished all manner of happiness for her. At least that's what she always thought. It was not until two MacGreagor brothers came to choose brides that her devotion was put to the ultimate test.

A deathbed phone call made Private Detective Jackie Harlan's heart skip a beat. Her agency specialized in finding missing people, yet the one person she couldn't find was her own son, Brian, who disappeared at the age of two. Was what the caller said the truth, or was it a sinister ploy to take her off the trail of an important case she was working?

Beautiful Hester Wyley was gone.By the time John Carson returned from fighting in the American Revolution, the woman he pledged to marry discovered her first husband was still alive and went back to South Carolina. So John set his heart on claiming a homestead west of the Mountains. It was in the Kentucky Territory that the delightful Quaker, Polly Lewis, captivated his heart and to her he also gave his pledge. But when he returned to Virginia, Hester was back -- truly widowed this time and just as beautiful as he remembered.Which pledge would he break?

In 1746 England, ten-year-old Jonathan Rhodes lived a life of luxury. His constant companionwas eight-year-old Colleen, who could do anything a boy could do, including play tricks on the adults without getting caught. He assumed theywould always be together, but when the king's men executed his father and theywere separated, Jonathan's world fell apart.For twelve long years, Jonathan thought of nothing but his promise to find Colleen, but findingher was the easy part - getting her to fall in love with him proved far morechallenging.Marti Talbott's books are suitable for ages 14 - 96

BETHIA -- Bethia's heart was broken. Hannish, the man she loved, chose another and to avoid seeing them together she fled to her beloved aunt in England. But when she came back two years later she found the MacGreagor home she grew up in deserted and the village burned to the ground. Now she had no where to go, she was injured and two Englishmen were chasing her. To her amazement, it was Hannish who came to her rescue. Scotland offered her sanctuary, but did she come back too late for love?ALISON -- As hard as she tried not to, Alison was falling in love with Ben, a man who loved animals as much as she did. But Comine MacDuff wanted a wife and once he saw Alison, he was certain she was the one. He was also certain the MacGreagor giants would never let her go. Kidnapping her was the only answer, but finding her alone and within his reach was impossible. Then one night his luck finally changed.KADICK - Abandoned by her mother at birth, Kadick was different. She had a birthmark on one side of her face that some believed was a curse. Shunned by the men in the MacGreagor clan she was determined to seek a husband in England. For Laird Neil MacGreagor and several unmarried men in want of wives, going with her offered adventure. Yet in a world full of strangers who feared her, could finding acceptance and love for the delightful Kadick lead to more heartache? GLORIE - As a willing English bride, Glorie agreed to leave her home and go with the MacGreagors to Scotland. At first she was smitten with Moan, but Burk had other ideas. Yet love would not come easy - neither spoke the other's language. Glorie was also headstrong and had her own ideas of how things should be done. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before she managed to put her chances for marriage in danger by enraging Neil.

Donaldina's mother died when she was four, or so her father said. She suspected something was amiss but never knew what, and now that she was old enough, her father was determined to marry her off. Always before, she managed to waylay his wedding attempts, and when Laird Wallace MacGreagor came to buy spices from her clan, she fully intended to avoid it this time too.

Donaldina's mother died when she was four, or so her father said. She suspected something was amiss but never knew what, and now that she was old enough, her father was determined to marry her off. Always before, she managed to waylay his wedding attempts, and when Laird Wallace MacGreagor came to buy spices from her clan, she fully intended to avoid it this time too.

Beneath a burned castle in Scotland lay a trove of lost family stories. An ancient MacGreagor edict held that the clan give sanctuary to any lass who believed herself in danger, so when Grizel Allardice claimed her father meant to kill her, she too was granted safety. However, Grizel was not who she claimed to be. Instead, she was the spoiled and rebellious daughter of a much feared northern laird, who offered a very tempting reward to anyone who could find her and bring her home.

TARA - Laird Neil MacGreagor's bride was not happy in her marriage. She tried everything to compensate including turning her attention to making sure the fun loving Taral didn't marry the wrong man. But before Taral could have a proper wedding, affairs of the heart had to be set aside for a far more dangerous concern - a concern that threatened the survival of the entire clan. RALIN - He wanted nothing more than to die, but six months after he lost his beloved Kindel, Walrick found himself in a new land with people who wanted him to become their laird. After years of living next to a threatening neighbor, the extreme loss of life from the plague made the MacGreagors more vulnerable and falling in love much more difficult for Ralin. Would Neil find a way to save his people and would Walrick accept a challenge to lead the other clan? STEPPEN - Laird Neil MacGreagor did the best he could to save their lives, but now the MacGreagors were without a homeland. Then three different rumors began to circulate -- one started by the MacDonalds, one by the Fergusons and one by someone in the north. With Neil's son in Steppen's charge, she had no place to go and no one to turn to. She'd loved Walrick all her life, but could she ever forgive him for not coming back? EDANA - A new home meant new problems -- which laird would they follow, where would they build new cottages and how could Walrick marry Steppen when Neil forgot to bring the priest? Slade MacGreagor had problems of his own. Attempting to locate his clan in an unfamiliar land, he happened upon nine sisters who desperately needed his help.SLAVA - Slava had a secret and once she told her sister, Charlotte, all nine sisters decided to leave -- even the betrothed Edana. Jessup was ready to throttle a reluctant Lucas, Taral was growing fonder of Geddes and Walrick finally had his priest. But when the sisters left, so did the singing and the hopes of several unmarried men. Would the sisters ever want to come back and if so, would the MacGreagors have to fight another clan to get them?

The ex-duchess of Glenartair had years to plan her escape and her revenge, and at last, she was free. What she needed now was money, and she knew just where to get it. Filled with guilt and dread, Hannish fully expected his first wife to seek retribution. With only four days to prepare, he put the MacGreagor clansmen on alert and vowed to do everything he could to stop her. Unfortunately, his everything would not be enough. Marti Talbott's books are suitable for ages 14 and up.

CLARE -- Clare lived most of her life in the Abbey and hoped to marry the Lord of Wickerly Castle, until word came that he was dead. So with no reason to stay, she went to Scotland with her sister, Greer, and did not speak of her grief. But her uncommon beauty tempted all the Highlander men, and soon jealous women were demanding she choose a husband. The man Clare loved was not dead, but could he find her in time to keep her from taking a Highlander husband?DOLEE - After three years of marriage, Dolee desperately wanted to give her husband a son. She tried every remedy anyone suggested including potions that made her deathly ill. At last there was no other option -- Dolee would have to try the one thing that might cost her everything -- including her life.CATLIN - Known as Bridget Cameron, Catlin's mother was adamant -- if ever Catlin heard the name "Charlet," she was to go straight away to find Laird Neil MacGreagor. Now her mother was dead and the English were searching for Charlet. But who was Charlet and why had the English put a bounty on her head? The answer left Catlin speechless.LASHA - As the sister of a laird, Lasha Haldane knew she was expected to marry within her small clan. But one look at the handsome Cowan MacGreagor tempted her otherwise. Then a Haldane asked for her hand and the decision could no longer be put off. Would Lasha follow her heart or would she choose to please her beloved brother?

At last, her father agreed to let debutante Blair MacGreagor sail to London to be presented to the King. She took a copy of a lost MacGreagor story with her, but finding time to read was not easy. Not only did she have to avoid being swept off her feet by a man eager to relieve her of her inheritance, her mother's scandalous reputation quickly spread among the first-class passengers.

Based on an actual event.In 1908 and sight unseen, Iowa born Ethan McShane gave over half of his life savings to buy land near the small town of Palisade, Colorado. Eager to see the land, he caught the next train out. However, with no assurance of a proper home for her, he left his bride of just a few short days behind. Less than a month later, she too excitedly boarded a train bound for Colorado - a train that would never reach its destination.

The tell-all book entitled, The Scandalous Affairs of Alexandra Sinclair, was destined to arrive in Colorado Springs any day, and this time it was the MacGreagor's who had a plan. It was a simple, yet good plan - as long as it didn't turn out to be a little too good.

Jilted by a man who professed to love her and then married another, McKenna MacGreagor fled to Colorado

In the world of the MacGreagors where gossip was the favorite form of entertainment, it was not always easy to keep a secret. Some managed to hide certain truths and take them to the grave, while others were not so successful. Many secrets were small and of no consequence, yet the discovery of one, well guarded secret was about to become deadly

Neasan MacGreagor came home an angry man determined to get revenge for being sent away. Yet the man he most wanted to kill, Laird Justin MacGreagor, died before he could. Now the clan had to choose a new laird and most expected it would be Justin

Alexandra Sinclair was dead, or so most of the world thought. The duchess, on the other hand, was very much alive. Safely hidden away in Canada, she had all the time in the world to consider her next moves, one of which included a new way to seek her revenge for the way Hannish MacGreagor so cruelly set her aside.With her daughter now married, and her son living in England, a bored Abigail Whitfield felt useless and lonely. Yet, she had something else on her mind. There was a stranger in town that appeared to be watching her, and she didn't like the looks of him one bit.

The Harlan Detective Agency was the best there was when it came to finding missing people. They were also the most expensive, so it was no coincidence that they were hired to find the heir to a fortune totaling over 1.6 billion dollars. Nicholas Gladstone left everything to a granddaughter he didn't know he had until a week before he died, but which one was it - the maid secretly working in the parent's home, an office worker, or the young woman tragically killed in a car accident?

It was to Essen MacKinnon that the old man told the secret of the golden sword, but knowing it truly existed was one thing -- finding it was something else again. Patches MacGreagor

During a raid in Ireland that took her family, her home and all her food, a Viking intentionally let Shannon Carr live. At first, she did not see it as a kindness, but as time passed, the reason he let her live often haunted her. More pressing still was her need for revenge, so she set out to find the Vikings in Scotland.In England, Brightie Tweddle prayed rumors of a giant in the north were true and believed he alone could save her from an abusive brother. The moment she made good her escape, she too headed for Scotland.

It was forbidden, but Bradana MacGreagor could not seem to help herself. The man of her dreams was a Lennox, and Laird Lennox forbid all unions between the two clans, fervently believing that the MacGreagors were cursed. Rubbish, said the MacGreagors, but that did nothing to persuade the Lennox. Too soon, her destiny was taken completely out of her hands when word came that the king had called all able-bodied men to fight for Scotland.

At sixteen, Effie Chattan was careful to make only those promises she knew to be easily kept, but a foolish promise born of exasperation and stubbornness was about to become her undoing.Forced to leave their land, good friends Ward and Branan led the MacGreagors north to find a new home, but good land came at a heavy price and one of them was about to fall victim to Effie's promise.