When young Greesha whispers a single word to her wicked uncle as he sleeps, she discovers that she has a terrifying gift. She has the power to destroy vampires with nothing more than her voice. Speaking with her dead grandmother in an apparition, Greesha learns that she is a 'Death Whisperer'. One of her kind is born only every nineteen years, during an extremely rare lunar cycle.Greesha's grandmother tells her that the forces of evil will reach out to find her and destroy her and tells he...

In the turbulent Scottish Highlands of 1622, two young women are summoned by King James to the Fortress of Inverness to answer charges of treason. Both women believe themselves to be the rightful Queen of the West.One already wears the crown. The other believes it to have been stolen from her. One is a warrior queen whose blade, in single combat, has felled England's two greatest swordsmen.The other has been a maid servant to a noblewoman, then a guest of the Duke & Duchess...

The Queen of the West lies imprisoned in the depths of The Fortress of Inverness, held captive by Colonel Drew Jamieson, a man whose cruelty knows no limit and whose ambitions threaten to tear the Scottish Highlands apart.Forces are gathering. On the waters of the Moray Firth, a ship arrives that may be concealing a secret beneath its carefully constructed form. In the lanes beyond The Fortress, there are soldier in a uniform that shocked Colonel Jamieson. In the dungeons below, me...

Scotland, 1622. When a mysterious girl arrives at the house of The Laird Grant, she brings with her a secret that has spanned more than eight hundred years and a gift that will change one young life forever.Wild Flower has walked through time itself, crossing centuries in a single stride at the middle of a meadow. She can close her eyes and see what others cannot: The past, the future and the hidden truths that people carry in their hearts.As companion to the Laird's sharp-tongued g...

In the year 1622 in Scotland, the Laird Grant encounters what he believes to be an apparition of a little girl in a meadow. Before long, he realises that she is entirely real. He gives her the name 'Wild Flower'. Fascinated by an old family tale about a girl who appears out of nowhere in that very meadow, he eagerly engages her as a companion for his granddaughter.His granddaughter, Logan, is spiteful & mean to the newcomer, but Wild Flower is unrelentingly kind & sweet in response...

Scotland, 1622. Two queens. One throne. One or two imposters?Janine had lived her life as a servant, with no memory of her true identity. Having fled brutality, she found sanctuary at 'Brech Woorlach', an impressive mansion where she has never been, but that is bafflingly familiar to her. When magical flames appear and combat skills surface that she had never learned, she discovers a truth that could shatter kingdoms.Meanwhile, the warrior Queen Annis battles enemies on all...

Greesha is a dreamer. She dreams of the future and of the past. Her dreams, however, are incredibly vivid and astonishingly real. Slowly, the shocking truth dawns on her: The dreams she has feel like reality because they truly are reality.When she starts to hear voices, she tries to ignore them, but the speaker will not be quiet. When, finally, she replies, she embarks on an astonishing adventure that will take her to places she had no idea existed.Greesha was born on the i...

Two women. One crown. And a truth that neither of them could have imagined.Janine and Annis have both been summoned to The Fortress of Inverness on a charge of treason. Each believes herself to be the rightful Queen of the West. Each carries the scar of royal blood. Each has been touched by the mystical flames of the Quickening. One was born to the crown. The other was raised to it.But the trial is a lie.Colonel Jamieson — the Fortress's ruthless commander — is no s...

The Prisoners is the eighth book in The Fire Tree, a sweeping historical fantasy series set in the Scottish Highlands of the early 1600's.Consigned to Woden's Well — a deep, circular stone pit in the bowels of The Fortress of Inverness — Queen Annis and her rival Janine face a darkness far greater than the absence of light. Colonel Drew Jamieson, a sadistic officer serving the Duke of Cumberland, intends to murder them both and plunge Scotland into civil war. The chaos will open th...

Two women. One throne. A kingdom on the edge of war.Janine has discovered the truth about her royal blood. She is the lost heir to the throne of the Queen of the West. Queen Annis has worn that crown for seven years, proven herself in battle and earned apparent divine approval when the ancient Fire Tree burst into mystical flames. Now, both women have been summoned to Inverness by King James to stand trial for treason. The charge could strip away everything they've fought for and c...

In 1622 Scotland, three strangers are drawn together by an irresistible force that manifests itself as a golden flame.After she is assaulted by a member of staff, Janine, a young maid to a noble lady, loses consciousness and wakes to find herself unharmed and her attacker dead in a pool of blood. Fleeing for her life and clutching only a pillowcase stuffed with her meagre belongings, she is accosted on the road by a robber. Again, she drifts into a dreamlike state and wakes to disc...

This reference text covers the latest developments in biochar materials research, a field which is becoming increasingly popular due to the potential of biochar to replace carbon materials derived from non-renewable sources. Emerging and innovative applications of biochar materials are discussed, and all aspects of the field are covered, from production to applications, including details on the techniques used. There is a particular focus on biochar as a material for composites and sensors...