Anthologies | Leslie Vollard

Welcome to Lords of Midwinter's Festival collection, a set of historical romance novellas never before published, by some of your favorite historical romance authors.

Secret loves… secret crushes… unexpected loves and so much more in this epic anthology!

There’s nothing so glorious as an ancient legend and the promise of love...

Far to the north in England, along the Scottish borders, lies a village full of promise and lore. In the center of this village rests an ancient stone said to have ancient and romantic powers. Some call it Gràdh gaoil - the lovespell. Some have called it the Oathing stone. There are several names for it as oral traditions are passed down and names sometimes forgotten. There was a time when the stone was visible in the center of the village, surrounded by water from the natural spring, but the years came and a well was built around it. It is said if a couple holds hands over the stone on the Epiphany, they are destined to be married. Every year, a midwinter festival is held in celebration of the stone that draws lovers from far and wide.

But the difficulty is in actually coming to the stone for some couples. For others, it is the fear of the unknown, the fear of failure. Some come during the festival, some come at other times of the year. But for all of them, one thing is clear – they greatly desire a love that is legendary and theancient stone is their best hope for a happily ever after!

Authors in this collection include:
Maeve Greyson
Hildie McQueen
Meara Platt
Mary Wine
C.H. Admirand
Belle Ami
Brenna Ash
Elizabeth Ellen Carter
Sherry Ewing
Elizabeth Heights
Alanna Lucas
Emily Royal
Anna St. Claire
Laura Strickland
Leslie Vollard

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Whispered promises, forever kept... when love's pledge endures beyond the grave.
Join us on an eerie journey back through time with Hearts Through History's Halloween anthology, The Spirit of Love. Revel in historical romance short stories spanning over nine-hundred years from Medieval France up to Yellowstone in the 1920s. New debuts join best-selling authors in these thirteen pulse-quickening, breath-catching, never before published, Halloween-themed romantic short stories.

Authors with short stories in this anthology include:
Leslie Vollard– "The Crossing" (Normandy, 1142)
Love and monsters on the high seas.
BL Lucas– "The Shadow of the Queen" (England, 1591)
In the court of Queen Elizabeth I, a woman with the power to assume the Queen’s form and her spymaster lover must navigate their forbidden attraction while unraveling a deadly conspiracy before it claims their lives.
Jo Donohue–"Whispers from the Grave" (New York, 1768)
Love can be found in unexpected places, even a cemetery.
Ruth A. Casie– "The Ghost of Whispering Hollow" (Scotland, 1786)
In the haunted hollows, love dances with destiny.
Ann Peterson– "A Whisper of Magic" (Northumberland, 1818)
When a matchmaking ghost orchestrates a series of mishaps at a Samhain festival, a marriage-minded miss wonders if a family friend-turned-earl could be her destined love.
Lea Hollis– "A Thinning of the Veil" (Yorkshire, 1820)
A lonely woman lost on the haunting Yorkshire moors meets a gallant former soldier and dreams afterwards of a breathtaking love—until she learns he isn’t what he seems.
Alex Andersen– "How I Met the Love of my Afterlife" (England, 1835)
In the land of the dead, gender roles are swapped and soulmates are found.
Elf Ahearn–"Hellmouth Fire" (Nantucket, 1846)
Fire can weld, and it can destroy.
Natasha Wilco– "The Lady Lamplighter of London" (London, 1850)
In 1850s London, a determined young woman disguises herself as a lamplighter to battle supernatural forces on All Hallows' Eve, all while grappling with a mischievous will-o'-the-wisp and forbidden love.
Opal Iden– "Ghost Filled Promises" (England, 1877)
Haunted by the past, kindled by a love that refuses to die.
Melba Moon– "The Haunting Masquerade" (Atlanta, 1895)
A ghost's meddling, a masked hero, and a night that will change everything.
Holly Weeden– "Hannah's Haunting" (New York, 1904)
She's always loved him. He wasn't always hers.
Jaylee Austin– "A Timeless Curse" (Yellowstone, 1926)
Step into the roaring 1920s, where adventure awaits around every corner! Join Amy and Jonas in their quest to break a curse and find true love.

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A Season for Second Chances: When autumn chills the air, only an old flame can warm the heart.

Revel in historical romanceshort stories spanning over nine-hundred years from Medieval India through '60s USA. New debuts join best-selling authors in these seventeen autumn-themed romance short stories featuring strong female heroines and a second-chance romance trope.

Jayashree Gopal–"Whispers of Love" (S. India, 1010) When a gifted surgeon steps through time and into the heart of a Chola warrior, she learns that love can span centuries—but fate demands a price.
Leslie Vollard–"Ten Things I Loathe About You" (England, 1100) The best-laid schemes can go awry.
Alex Andersen–"Two Hearts, Both Divided" (London, 1534) When religious discord throughout 16th century England comes between them, can Arabella and Edward find their way back to each other?
B.L. Lucas–"Desire, Darkness, and Devotion" (England, 1592) Three mages bound by love, betrayal, and their pursuit of a supernatural killer. Will they find a second chance at love, or will death separate them forever?
Cynthia Anne Hurt–"Timber" (The Carolinas, 1702) Carpenter Neil Balsam returns to Charles Town for his annual pilgrimage to the orphanage, while seeking his lady love. Business owner Mable Ashe agrees to play matchmaker for him, while struggling to keep her shipyard afloat. Will they receive a second chance together when others stand in their way?
L. Blanton–"Persuaded to Love" (London, 1780) Julia Mannering, widowed Countess of Haverwood, is done with men; Ford Neville, Lord Mabry, has yet to find a woman to put up with his lack of social acumen—when they bump into each other, everything changes.
Dawn Ireland–"Until You" (England, 1785) How can a woman know when she’s in love with, and not just lusting after, the handsomest man she’s ever met?
Lea Hollis–"The Light of Zaragoza" (Spain, 1808) A fiery female insurgent and a widowed nurse find love until irreconcilable ideals separate them as war escalates. When they reunite at an autumn festival six years later, does enough heat remain to rekindle their romance?
Ann Peterson–"A Promise Kept" (England, 1815) A marriage forged by promise and shattered by guilt. A homecoming fraught with regret but made for second chances.
Addie Bealer–"A Moment at the Mop Fair" (England, 1816) Money couldn’t buy happiness, but it did purchase a one-way ticket out of the country. What happens when he comes back?
Aimee Moineaux–"Sea Change" (England, 1831) In 1831, a cowardly sea captain reunites at a shooting party with the woman he abandoned ten years before.
Natasha Wilco–"Memento Mori, Memento Vivere" (London, 1850) Two ghosts and one too many suitors has Viola Glenning in quite the dangerous bind.
Joan Koster–"A Harvest Dance" (US Civil War, 1863) Can a wounded Civil War soldier learn to love again?
Vivienne Baudlaire–"Scarlet Leaves" (England, 1875) A widow looks to rediscover herself and her heart after she must cede her role as duchess to her daughter-in-law.
Eden Lee Lackner–"Pearls Before Swine" (Canada, 1887) Parted by fear, reunited by desire, two women navigate the way back to each other in the early years of the Canadian West.
Truest Carter–"A Missed Chance" (Pennsylvania, 1920) Jeslyn leaves town lonely but secure in her future as a teacher, until Chance pulls her into lost love.
Jaylee Austin–"Lucian's Bargain" (USA, 1960) In Maplewood, where dark legends come alive and fate hangs in the balance, every heartbeat pushes you closer to a secret that could change everything.