thequietwriter

To save the future of theatre, they must let the past take the stage.When the 1907 London Music Hall Strike mysteriously disappears from history, theatre expert Emma Harper reluctantly steps into the past with her partner, Sam Caden, and finds herself in the glittering yet precarious world of Edwardian entertainment-where Marie Lloyd, the Queen of the Music Halls, leads performers on the brink of rebellion. As performers and stagehands whisper of unfair wages and grueling hours, Emma and Caden must quietly encourage the coming strike, while uncovering why it had been erased from time in the first place. But familiar adversaries lurk in the shadows, determined to rewrite history for their own gain.To preserve the legacy of the stage-and the future as they know it-they'll have to risk everything before the final curtain falls.…

thequietwriter

Henry Dunn, Baron of Dunn, believes he has done what any responsible husband must. After the birth of their second child, his wife's behavior left him desperate, and he placed her under the care of the reputable Dr. Sharp. Meanwhile, Nerissa drifts between wakefulness and dream as her laudanum dosage quietly increases. Time slips and dulls around her, leaving her unsure whom to trust and terrified that she may never see her family again.As Henry struggles to cope with life without his wife, he must confront a far more painful question: Did he rescue his wife... or abandon her? And can a marriage strained by illness, distance, and fear find its way back to love before it is too late?…

thequietwriter

It has been twelve years since Elinor Burke has seen her stepmother. The eighteen-year-old girl has accustomed herself to the company of her neighbors and the dwindling staff of Meadowbrooke Cottage. But with the arrival of the Earl of Berdwell at the neighboring estate, Mrs. Burke upends Ellie's life with a selfish plot.Alexander Turner has taken up the role of being steward to his cousin, the earl. He's come to the country to play his part and earn his keep. Meeting the cheerful and beautiful Miss Ellie is an unexpected bonus, but he has been charged with a serious responsibility. The Earl of Berdwell is guardian to a Miss Burke he has never met, and the girl's stepmother is making things difficult.In the countryside, anything can happen. Especially when a masquerade ball is on the horizon.…

thequietwriter

It's 2203. Dr. Emma Harper works as a researcher at the Time Preservation Society. Her focus is in British Theatre History. She is content to spend her days recording and organizing information brought back by Time Agents. The last thing she expects is to be called on to make the jump into time.Sam Caden is an ex-cop, working a special mission for the Time Preservation Society. He'd never expected to be chasing thieves and criminals through time. He doesn't know what his new partner, Dr. Harper, will bring to the case, but he's willing to put up with it since everything he knows about the Regency England theater world would fit on a postage stamp.Can this unlikely pair work together to keep Mrs. Siddons' prized Marie Antoinette shawl safe from thieves, or will they get caught in the 1808 Covent Garden devastating fire?…

thequietwriter

Eighteen-year-old Katie Grath has one goal: get through the summer without getting attached. Her job at the library brings her in contact with several local matchmakers and she is determined to make it to college without falling into one of their plots. She is so determined that when Alec Miller walks into the library, she point blank tells him that she's not interested.Twenty-year-old Alec Miller is confused but amused when the cute library clerk tells him to take a hike. Despite his mother's insistence on the need to focus on work, he's taken up the hobby he'd abandoned in high school: the Tuesday evening photography club. Romance is the last thing on his mind, but he can't stop thinking about Katie.Will these two find a genuine connection neither were looking for, or will they let romance pass them by because of Tuesday's troubles?…

thequietwriter

Why did she ever agree to this?Though she's found the man who killed her family, Juliet Sincliar's work isn't done yet. She agrees to help Mr. Oswyn Harper, her late brother's closest friend, uncover the larger conspiracy of treason connected to the death of her parents and brother. She once again assumes the identity of Julie Nelson, clever lady's maid, and joins the small household of dramatic actress, Miss Evelyn Russell.From the start, Juliet knows something isn't right in the house. Miss Russell is involved in something, but the proof is missing. Behind the stage of the Craven Theater, Juliet finds a tangle of connections that once unraveled might reveal the truth. But will she survive to see justice done?Book Four of the Sinclair Society Regency Mystery Series…

thequietwriter

Lucas Bywood has been happily working to restore the estate he won in an unfortunate card game. The unexpected arrival of his younger sister interrupts his plans and his peace. She declares her engagement at an end, and insists she must stay with him to recover herself. With Pearsend barely livable, Lucas is less than pleased with this development. Should he arrange a reconciliation between Philippa and her former betrothed, or let matters take their course?Add to that the concerning fact that someone has been trespassing, and Lucas is left with a complicated situation on his hands. Someone is spreading a ridiculous rumor that treasure was hidden by a previous owner. Can Lucas find the culprit before permanent harm is caused?…

thequietwriter

An old friend of Dr. John Watson brings a strange music box to Sherlock Holmes. Can the detective solve how it is driving a woman mad?A short story written for the prompt: A RIDDLE FOR THE MIND…

thequietwriter

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a clever, charming, and lovely lady will always be of interest of a musketeer. Doña Maria Esperanza de la Vega, Marquesa de Molin, fled Paris when her life was endangered. When a mission takes the musketeers to Spain, their paths cross once again. What new adventures await?…

thequietwriter

Aboard the cruise ship, The Carrier, Clara Sutton is employed as a stenographer. She takes dictation, typing up whatever the passengers need her to type. When she realizes that she did work for a passenger not on the passenger list, she has no idea the trouble she's about to get pulled into.Written for a writing group prompt of "Gap".…

thequietwriter

Thirteen-year-old Izzy has been raised by her grandfather and has always longed for adventure and the call of the sea. Izzy discovers an old journal filled with tales of pirate exploits. When the notorious Captain Thorn steals the journal, believing it holds the key to finding treasure, Izzy is thrust into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. With the help of her loyal friend Sam, Izzy must outwit Thorn, reclaim the journal, and uncover the truth about her heritage.…

thequietwriter

What could possibly go wrong next?With the recent drama of his family behind him, Lucas Bywood wants nothing more than to stay out of trouble and pretend he is not pining over the absent Miss Darkin. What better plan than to visit Bath, the largest social town outside of London? However, it quickly becomes apparent he has picked the wrong friend as a traveling companion.Mr. John Ward has eyes only for the card tables and shows no interest in shielding Lucas from Bath's debutantes and matchmaking mamas on the hunt for a bachelor. But matters shift from annoying to alarming when Ward's determination to seek justice gets them both suspected of murder.As they say, "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" and Lucas' plans weren't terribly well-laid to begin with...…

thequietwriter

Elizabeth Garrison has never had an interest in the newspaper advertisements of men seeking a bride. But life as the unmarried daughter of the family is taking its toll on her, mentally and physically. What's the harm in writing one letter? Noah Coleman has been in the Wyoming territory for nearly a decade. He's proved his claim and feels able to support a family. Better a bride he's never met than the sixteen year old daughter of a neighbor whose family has become too interested in him. But will disappointing a neighbor ruin everything he has built up?…

thequietwriter

Meet Dr. Elora Stephenson, a biologist joining a team on a small outpost on an alien world. As soon as she arrives, strange occurrences and unexplained deaths throw the outpost into chaos. Who can be trusted? Who is hiding who they are? Elora must navigate the treacherous web of suspicions and sabotage, racing against time to unmask the culprit before the outpost is completely wiped out.The fate of the team on uncharted world 550 rests in Elora's hands in this thrilling tale of mystery and deception.A 2023 Inkfort Publishing Derby contestant.…

thequietwriter

1902: Fourteen-year-old Aida Briar Norton's life at school is interrupted when two men arrive, claiming they are to take her to her parents. Every instinct declares that they are lying, but Aida has no choice but to go with them when they produce a letter allegedly signed by her father. On the train, every word they say makes her more certain she is not safe. She takes matters into her own hands and escapes them.With her parents missing and kidnappers on her heels, what is a girl to do but disappear in London? Aida does everything she can to search for clues of her parents' whereabouts. She takes up disguise after disguise until she becomes a maid in 221 Baker Street. There Aida waits for the return of Sherlock Holmes.Where have her parents gone? What secrets have they been keeping from her? Does she want to know or will the truth shatter her world completely?…

thequietwriter

A brief moment in the evening with Ivy Steele and Remy Prater.Closed-Door Regency & Historical Romance Cross-Promo prompt of (last) week: secret.…

thequietwriter

Eighteen-year-old Calliope Burnham has a secret she shares with only one person.Closed-Door Regency & Historical Romance Cross-Promo prompt of the week: secret.…

thequietwriter

Trusting the wrong man has consequences.Once an Incomparable debutante of Bath society, Miss Rose Dunbar's life has been turned upside down. She has been sent to the countryside to conceal her shameful secret of being unwed and pregnant. Worse still is the fact that her father has hired the strict and watchful Miss Greaves to keep her company and out of trouble.As she struggles to come to terms with her new reality, Rose discovers that life in the countryside is not as dull as she had imagined. Garden View holds the secrets of her grandmother and she can't resist delving into the past of a woman she never really knew. As scandal threatens to destroy her reputation, Rose must grapple with the harsh realities of a society that values appearances over truth. Will she be able to find redemption and overcome the shame of her family's secrets?…

thequietwriter

"Lucas, you must return home." These enigmatic words are all the preparation young Lucas Bywood receives when he is summoned home early from his Grand Tour. He little expects the tangle of obligations that ensnares him from the moment he sets foot on the family estate. His best friend caught up in gambling debts, his father forcing him into an arranged marriage with a young woman he dislikes and who is in love with another, and his mother struggling to recover from a suspicious riding accident... Faced with pressure from all sides, Lucas wants nothing more than to turn around and escape back to the continent. However, he cannot leave without solving the mystery of his mother's accident. Finding the answer will take more than his usual stubbornness, and Lucas soon finds himself out of his depth. What is a young man to do when everything that can go wrong seems determined to do so?…

thequietwriter

After two years, Lady Celia Leith has had enough. When she married Sir Horace, she thought she knew what marriage would bring her: security, a home, a loving husband. What she wasn't expecting was a mother-in-law who despised her and criticized everything she did. She also believed her loving husband would actually be at home more than a week at a time.Taking a stand takes a strength of will this lady didn't know she had. With the help of a lady's maid who is more than she appears, Celia sets about making Clarendon her home. However, when Sir Henry returns with friends in tow, Celia must be resolved to continue her plans.Will the truth behind his travels bring her closer to the husband she loves, or will her heart be broken?…