Books published by publisher Crushed Lime Media LLC

2015 UPDATED KINDLE VERSION! An exciting new ebook edition for teen readers from the folks at Beebliome Books!Lovely Isabella of Valois was seven years old when she became Queen of England, but as the eldest and favorite child of Charles VI of France, she had been well-schooled in the arts and graces of diplomacy. Already exquisite, she promised to become one of the world's great beauties and charmed everyone with her gentle, candid manner.As she grew older, this entrancing little creature delighted Richard II, still mourning the death of his beloved first wife, and he grew to love her dearly.Accustomed to court intrigues and jealousies, Isabella paid little attention to the unrest she sensed in her own circle. Gloucester, the king's uncle, had worn such an expression of suppressed fury at the signing of England's peace treaty with France when Richard renounced his claim to the French throne; and Henry Bolingbroke, Richard's cousin, repelled her. But beyond these stirrings of danger, the seclusion of Windsor Castle provided a pleasant routine of studying and growing up in a strange land.But all was not serene outside her sheltered circle. Gloucester was hanged for treason and Henry Bolingbroke exiled. His lands confiscated, he brooded on revenge in France. Richard's relatives, the wealthy nobles, alarmed at the crown s seizure of Bolingbroke'ร lands, quietly backed a plot to depose Richard. When Richard left for Ireland, Bolingbroke invaded England. And the young queen, left alone to rely on her wits and courage, steps into the annals of history.Readers will marvel at this fascinating historical story by the famed author of Patriot's Daughter, Meg's Fortune and Mamzelle. For readers age 12 and older.

France is full of folk-tales and fairy stories, heroic, courtly, plain and coloured. Barbara Leonie Picard, outstanding as a writer in the true Andersen tradition, has brought together and told anew a selection of these traditional stories, a distinguished addition to the Oxford "Myths and Legends" series.The book is in four parts. The immortal Roland and Oliver open the tales of the French epic heroes; courtly tales of the Middle Ages include "Aucassin and Nicolette", "Huon of Bordeaux", "Amis and Amile", and the enchanting story of "The Grey Palfrey"; in legends from the French provinces you will find, among others, "The Stones of Plouhinec" (from Brittany), "The Cliff of the Two Lovers" (from Normandy), and from Gascony the pleasantly entitled "Prince of the Seven Golden Cows"; and last come the fairy stories, which include a splendidly comic tall story, "The Miller and the Ogre", as well as the delightful "Mouse-Princess"."This can be used in story hours for the more mature of the listeners, but the age at which the tales themselves carry spontaneous appeal seems to be from fourth to seventh grade. Traditional stories are here, legends from the provinces, courtly tales of the middle ages, and epic hero tales -- and it is interesting to note how the quality of the stories, the particular regional and period flavor, differs from, for example, the collections of myths and legends from the British Isles in previous books in this series." KIRKUS REVIEW

An exciting new ebook from the folks at Beebliome Books!From renowned American author, Gladys Malvern, an exciting historical novel for readers age 11 and older.It's Rome during the reign of Emperor Nero, and Stephanus is living the rags-to-riches dream. A former slave, he is now a sought-after actor, performing in the well-to-do homes of Rome's gentry and even the court of the Emperor himself. Everything is perfect – he has money, fame, friends, and a palatial home. Everything, that is, except the one thing he truly desires: the beautiful Valeria, daughter of one of Rome's famed Senators. Stephanus is deeply in love with Valeria, though she seems to hate him. But Valeria has a secret of her own – one that could shatter her father's reputation, but more importantly, be enough to condemn her to death. Drama unfolds as Stephanus negotiates a careful balance between the plush life to which he is accustomed, and making a decision that will change his life – and Valeria's – forever.Gladys Malvern's The Secret Sign ..."is a luxuriously woven first rate tale of a Roman actor and his love for the daughter of a high ranking Roman senator. It is also the story of Nero's heinous crimes against the Christians and of the latter's indomitable valor. Stephanus the actor is admired by the high courts of Rome for his satires in support of any popular sympathy. His cruel though unwitting rendition of Christianity inflicts a deep wound in Valeria, who is secretly devoted to the budding cult, a wound healed only by Stephanus' heroic attempt to save her life during the burning of Rome. When Nero blames the Christians for this disaster, the entire sect is arrested and tortured. How Stephanus employs his talent as an actor to save his beloved, how they accomplish their hazardous escape, dramatically climax an engrossing tale with the accent on visual stimuli.” Kirkus Review

Another exciting ebook for teens from the folks at Beebliome Books!A fast-moving and exciting tale of one of medieval history’s most turbulent times -- the events which occurred before and during the reign of Richard III. It is 1472, and Joanna, a 16 year old kitchen maid, helps a weak, troubled girl on the streets of London. When she finally reveals that she is Anne of Warwick, widow of the Prince of Wales, Joanna follows Anne from the time Anne is captured until she becomes the unhappy bride of Richard III and Queen of England. Through Joanna’s eyes, we see an exciting time, filled with court intrigue and plots, death and love. A galloping, great story told well. For readers age 12 and above.

Lacy Bingham has been feeling the loss of her adoptive mother; at twelve, she is the sole woman in the house, and stepping into Ma Bingham’s shoes is a mighty tall order for a girl in school. Frustrated at all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, mending, and more there is to do for her father and three grown brothers, Lacy casts about for some solution. Inspiration comes in the form of her eldest brother Hector’s sudden elopement: if her two other brothers, Michael and Elbert were to marry, then she would have only one other person to look after! And with that, Lacy hatches a scheme to write to a lonely hearts paper for suitable women. As she hunts for wives for her brothers, Lacy also investigates her own past, curious about how she came to be left on the Bingham’s property as a baby.This is another of Patricia Beatty’s charming novels about spunky young girls on America’s frontiers. Lacy inhabits Coyote Mountain, a California mining town vividly brought to life, as is 1890s San Francisco when Lacy takes a trip there. Though many of the supporting characters are a bit simplistic, Lacy’s strong, clear voice, a quick pace, and good humor make up for it, as do Lacy’s amusing—if fanciful—scrapes. https://mealibris.wordpress.comAny prize for inventive period fiction would have to take account of Patricia Beatty. It’s 1893 in Coyote Mountain, California, a mining town that has seen busier days, and our heroine is 13-year-old foundling Lacy Bingham, who arrived on the Binghams’ doorstep in a ragged Indian blanket wearing a fine lace cap and lace-trimmed gown. More pressing than the question of her mysterious parentage, though, is her present predicament: with Ma Bingham dead, Lacy is stuck with keeping house for Pa and the three grown Bingham boys. So, when the eldest gets happily married, Lacy starts plotting with best friend Maud Rowbottom—whose mother is, strategically, the postmistress—to marry off the other two. And since popular Belle Cantrell is the only likely prospect, and neither of the Bingham boys is exactly a Beau Brummel, that will take some doing. Meanwhile Belle, who works in her father’s dry-goods store, puts Lacy onto a San Francisco lace expert who may be able to provide a clue to her parentage. The ingenious resolution of both problems takes in—among other mad, authentic doings—a traveling magician (who saws off Lacy's head), an up-to-date San Francisco dentist (who uses the new laughing gas to pull the tooth Lacy breaks losing her head), and the newspaper files of the San Francisco Public Library (where she learns that she probably comes of Irish—as in lace—settlers massacred in the mountains). Not a dull moment—or anything that mightn’t somehow have happened. KIRKUS REVIEW

Thirteen-year old Melinda Carpenter was endowed with generous horse sense, so when her older sister Sarah Jane plans to travel from Chicago to San Francisco to marry her fiancé Edgar Everett Potter III, their aunt and uncle send Melinda along to represent the family and keep an eye on Sarah Jane. But upon their arrival in Goldendale, Colorado to meet his parents, the letter waiting for Sarah Jane so upsets her that she breaks off the engagement right there and then. To protect Sarah Jane and give her some time, Melinda first cables Edgar Everett Potter III with news that Sarah Jane has run off with a train conductor, then cables her aunt and uncle to tell them that Edgar Everett Potter III drowned at sea. Rather than return to Chicago as an object of scorn, Sarah Jane decides to stay in Goldendale, and Melinda stays with her. To earn their keep, Sarah Jane begins housekeeping for a local judge, while Melinda acts as his dog-catcher. Though Goldendale is a tiny town of the Wild West and can’t hold a candle to the Chicago of the World’s Fair, Melinda finds plenty in Goldendale to keep her busy, from errant Great Danes to English lords and their castle, and county seat politics to school bullies. Highly recommended for the nine to twelve bracket, especially those into dynamic female protagonists, Western history, or comic misadventures.https://mealibris.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/melinda-takes-a-hand/

Here are some of the stories told by the Norsemen who lived in Scandinavia from about two thousand to a thousand years ago— the Vikings.The people of the northlands were a nation of bold warriors and courageous women who admired above all things strength in battle and bravery against great odds, and considered themselves disgraced for ever if they let a wrong to themselves or to their families go unavenged.In the first part of the book are the stories of their gods: mighty Odin, Thor the god of thunder, the gentle Freya, Loki the mischief-maker and many others: gods who were even such as every Norseman longed to be, eternally striving against the hated giants who were the pitiless northern snows and the grim northern mountains.In the second part are tales of the Norse heroes, tales told in the long winter evenings of the northern lands.These are fine stories, finely retold by a distinguished storyteller; and Barbara Leonie Picard has the illustrations of Joan Kiddell-Monroe to point the force and splendour of her subject.“I love reading different types of mythology, especially Norse mythology. Wagner’s Ring Cycle, some of my favorite operas, were based on Norse myth, so I’m particularly interesting in it. I really loved this retelling of the Norse myths, which was for children. Leonie Picard’s writing style was straightforward, and most of the Norse stories were included, such as the creation of the world, the golden apples, Loki’s children, and stories of Thor. Also, the building of the citadel and the Valkyries. I really enjoyed reading the Norse myths again, and I liked the format of this book. Each tale is told separately, and the text of the book is nicely printed on the page. I also loved the descriptions of each god and goddess, from the major ones (trickster Loki, wise and powerful Odin, brave Thor, Freyia, the goddess of love and beauty, Frigg, etc.) to the more minor ones (Balder, the sun god, Bragi, the god of poetry, and Skadi, the goddess of the mountains.) Another thing that I liked was the interpretation/style that Leonie Picard used to write about the end of the gods. I’d never heard the story told quite in the way that she did.” The Literary Flaneur

The Iliad describes the last years of the war between the Trojans and the Greeks with tales of heroes, battles, quarrels, and especially of Achilles--the greatest warrior among all the Greeks. The Odyssey continues the story after the fall of Troy, as Odysseus begins his exciting journey home. His voyage to Circe's enchanted island, down to the underworld, to the land of the Sirens, and finally home to patient Penelope remains one of the best adventure stories ever told.All of the pride, daring, love, and revenge of these two enduring tales is captured in a way that spans ages and levels of familiarity with the works. Adults will find them the perfect complement to the originals for clarification or for pure reading pleasure. Younger children will love hearing the daring adventures read aloud, and young adults will appreciate a text that does not talk down to them, but is clear, understandable, and enjoyable. Joan Kiddell-Monroe's exquisite black and white illustrations blend a contemporary style with the classical and add to the timeless appeal of the stories."The tragedy of Achilles, who prefers a short and glorious life to a long and obscure one, forms the dramatic core of this complex story of the war between the Trojans and the Greeks. Son of a mortal and a god, Achilles is boldly portrayed against a fabric of those noble deeds which later were to provide the Greeks with their dramatic mythology. Illustrated in the classical tradition by Joan Kiddell-Monroe, this prose companion to Barbara Picard's The Odyssey of Homer is recounted with economy and vigor. The classical essence of the story is maintained as the fate of men, gods and countries emerge with a swift and noble dramatic force entirely in keeping with the lofty nature of The Iliad's intent. Free of ponderous forms and language, this edition of The Iliad conveys the pure quality of that epic and goes far to encourage the reader in the further investigation of the Greek world." KIRKUS REVIEW

To Alys de Renneville alone did the stranger knight give the message that her father and brother were being held prisoner by the Scots. Because no one else would believe the story, Alys set off secretly, accompanied by Hugh, a servant, to travel the length of England on horseback, carrying the bag of jewels which would serve as ransom. An absorbing story of adventure and hardships, set against the background of medieval England, brilliantly evoking the way of life in a country manor, city dwelling, convent, and meanest hovel. With this her first historic novel, Barbara Leonie Picard proves herself a writer of distinction in this field. She has already gained a notable reputation as an author of original fairy stories and for her retelling of traditional tales. “...a fine, authentic, historical tale, valuable for its picture of medieval times.” New York Herald Tribune.

This collection will be a delight to lovers of the fairy tale, and a boon to storytellers of all ages. Here, Ms. Picard spins twelve magic new stories set in various regions of the world—Europe, the Middle east, Asia. In them the reader will meet a Chinese boy who found an almond tree that blossomed in the winter, a princess who chased a golden ball through an enchanted wood for one hundred years, and a kindly fox who was able to transform a poor servant girl into a beautiful princess. To each of these stories, Ms. Picard brings a distinction of style that earned her wide recognition as one of the finest contemporary storytellers of folk tales, myths and legends.Barbara Leonie Picard was born in England in 1917 of mixed German-Venezuelan and French parentage. A long time resident of Lewes, Sussex, England, she died in 2011 at the age of 93. Several of her books were short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, and were selected as Notable Children’s Books by the American Library Association."A perennial admirer of myths, legends and fairy stories and an accomplished reteller of familiar ones, now tries her hand at creating a few of her own—an effort which exciting results. Ms. Picard is able to combine the enchantment and style of old favorites with a refreshing array of new situations. The Lady of the Linden Tree is a case in point. Here the knight displays the essence of chivalry by fulfilling the wishes of a woman of respect for her humanity. Needless to say, she is transformed by the knight’s deeds. Homage to tradition? The witty, the wicked and the wise are all here as are the king and the princess, the goblin and the goat, attractively arranged in sparkling new wrappings. A dozen provocative entertainments". KIRKUS REVIEW

A stagecoach that vanished without a trace…$40,000 in stolen payroll money…a jewel-studded belt buckle—they are all pieces of a 110-year-old mystery that Paul Braun is determined to solve.While the thirteen-year-old Easterner is visiting his grandmother in Colorado, she gives him a heart-decorated belt buckle that had belonged to a distant, vaguely remembered relative. Intrigued by the odd-looking heirloom, Paul and his new friend, an American Indian boy named Jay Jenkins, hunt through dusty attic trunks and yellowing newspaper clippings trying to discover more about its enigmatic owner.Suddenly, their search uncovers an even more perplexing puzzle—the still-unsolved disappearance of a stagecoach, its passengers, and the fortune in gold it was carrying. When his buckle is stolen, Paul realises that it could possibly be the key to the whereabouts of the long-vanished coach—and that, even today, someone is intent on preventing anyone from unlocking its terrible secret.Drawing from a true incident in the American West’s rich past, master storyteller Patricia Beatty combines fast-paced plotting and a fascinating set of characters to weave this exciting tale of adventure and suspense.