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Sharon Maas, daughter of a prominent political family in Georgetown, Guyana, is the author of fourteen novels published by HarperCollins and Bookouture. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. She worked as a trainee reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist. Her first novel, Of Marriageable Age, is set in Guyana and India and was published by HarperCollins in 1999. In 2014 she moved to Bookouture, and now has ten novels under her belt. Her books span continents, cultures, and eras. From the sugar plantations of colonial British Guiana in South America, to the French battlefields of World War Two, to the present-day brothels of Mumbai and the rice-fields and villages of South India, Sharon never runs out of stories for the armchair traveller. She writes historical fiction and women's fiction.

‘I will never forgive you! You had a choice. You could have listened to your mother, your brother, your father, but you chose to listen to those monsters. And that choice remains with you. Forever.’

Berlin, 1933. Leah and Magda have been inseparable for as long as they can remember, and one beautiful summer’s day in their courtyard, they vow nothing will ever come between their friendship. But Leah could never have predicted the darkness looming just around the corner…

As Hitler comes to power and the Nazi Party gain even more influence, Magda proudly tells Leah she has decided to join the Hitler Youth. Leah’s blood runs cold before she begs Magda to change her mind – because Leah is Jewish. Magda refuses, and heartbroken Leah knows this will not only destroy their friendship, but put her life in mortal danger. Suddenly, the only light in her life is Magda’s brother Markus, who is furious at his sister and vows to do everything he can to keep Leah safe.

As Magda becomes more entrenched in the Nazi Party, Leah’s life starts to shatter as the Gestapo raid her home, sending her beloved brother Aaron to a concentration camp. Devastated, Leah and her parents are forced to flee and hide. Desperate to save Leah, Markus decides the only way he can help stop the Nazis and his sister is to infiltrate the party as an undercover resistance fighter. But will Magda see through his lie, and how far will she go to prove her loyalty to her Führer?

A powerful and heartbreaking novel about love, family, betrayal and sacrifice perfect for fans of The Alice Network, The White Rose Network, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Nightingale.

What everyone is saying about Sharon Maas:

‘Gripping and addictive… Will pull you in from the first page… A must-read. Kept me up well past my bedtime, I could not put it down.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Woah!… Phenomenal writing that held me captivated. I couldn't put it down. Sharon is a fabulous writer and this book hooked me.’ Rubie Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Astoundingly beautiful, incredibly powerful… This author never ceases to amaze – book after book she stuns and beguiles with her beautiful prose and her wonderful stories… one of the most versatile writers I've read.’ Renita D’Silva, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An emotional, heart-warming, inspiring and absorbing story… totally unputdownable.’ My Reading Narnia, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow, what a stunning book it is!… breathtakingly beautiful and I was completely absorbed… a heartbreaking story, I went through a whole realm of emotions… I was totally enthralled.’ Blooming Brilliant Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Heartbreaking… This truly is a powerful story that will fascinate and engross you from the very beginning until the very end.’ What’s Better than Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kindle Price: $3.99

Category: Literature & Fiction; History

The woman looked at me, anguish brimming in her eyes. I picked up the note she’d left and read the scrawl: HELP!!! Then: Mom. Followed by a number.

A gripping and heartbreaking read, based on the true story of the Jonestown cult, one of the darkest chapters in American history.

When journalist Zoe Quint loses her husband and child in a tragic accident, she returns home to Guyana to heal. But when she hears cries and music floating through the trees, her curiosity compels her to learn more about the Americans who have set up camp in a run-down village nearby. Their leader, Jim Jones, dark eyed and charismatic, claims to be a peaceful man who has promised his followers paradise.

But everything changes when Zoe meets one of his followers, a young woman called Lucy, in a ramshackle grocery store. Lucy grabs Zoe’s arm, raw terror in her eyes, and passes her a note with a phone number, begging her to call her mother in America.

Zoe is determined to help Lucy, but locals warn her to stay away from the camp, and as sirens and gunshots echo through the jungle at nightfall, she knows they are right. But she can’t shake the frightened woman’s face from her mind, and when she discovers that there are young children kept in the camp, she has to act fast.

Zoe’s only route to the lost people is to get close to their leader, Jim Jones. But if she is accepted, will she be able to persuade the frightened followers to risk their lives and embark on a perilous escape under the cover of darkness? And when Jim Jones hears of her plans, could she pay the highest price of all?

A powerful and unputdownable novel inspired by the true story of Jonestown, about a woman’s brave attempt to save people who were promised paradise but found only lies. Fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, Before We Were Yours and The Girls will be captivated by The Girl from Jonestown.

What everyone is saying about The Girl from Jonestown:

‘Woah! The Girl from Jonestown, is an absolute monster of a story. Very engaging from beginning right up until the ending. With powerful characters who suck you into their world. Phenomenal writing that makes held me captivated. I couldn't put it down. Sharon is a fabulous writer and this book hooked me.’ Rubie Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A powerful and unputdownable novel inspired by the true story of Jonestown. Brilliant… gripping and addictive, it will pull you in from the first page… A must-read. Kept me up well past my bedtime, I could not put it down.’ Netgalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This was such a gripping read… This book was so well written with a compelling storyline and well-developed characters. I couldn't put it down, I loved it.’ Netgalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What an eye opening, truly chilling book… I simply could not put this one down. ‘ Netgalley reviewer ‘What an amazing and engrossing story!... Based on the infamous Jonestown massacre, this novel is riveting! Twists, turns, and true and complex characters will keep you engrossed as you root for both women to make it out of Jonestown alive. If you love books about cults, want to know more about Jonestown, or just enjoy a true thriller, A Home For the Lost is for you!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'It will keep you on the edge of your seat in anxiety. I have loved all of this author’s books.’ Netgalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Kindle Price: $3.99

Category: Romance

It's a wonderful panoramic story and conveys such vivid pictures of the countries it portrays. I was immediately transported and completely captivated. A terrific writer.' Barbara Erskine

'A vast canvas of memorable characters across a kaleidoscope of cultures… her epic story feels like an authentic reflection of a world full of sadness, joy and surprise.' The Observer

A spellbinding story of forbidden love. Three continents, three decades, three very disparate lives:

Savitri, intuitive and charismatic, grows up among the servants of a pre-war English household in Madras. But the traditional customs of her Brahmin family clash against English upper-class prejudice, threatening her love for the privileged son of the house.

Nataraj, raised as the son of an idealistic doctor in rural South India, finds life in London heady, with girls and grass easily available… until he is summoned back home to face raw reality.

Saroj, her fire hidden by outward reserve, comes of age in Guyana, South America. When her strict, orthodox Hindu father goes one step too far she finally rebels against him... and even against her gentle, apparently docile Ma.

But Ma harbours a deep secret… one that binds these three so disparate lives and hurtles them towards a truth that could destroy their world.

'A big book, big themes, an exotic background and characters that will live with you forever.' Katie Fforde

'Beautifully and cleverly written. A wondrous, spellbinding story which grips you from the first to the last page… I can't recall when I last enjoyed a book so much.' Lesley Pearse

'From the first page I was hooked with this enchanting book… unputdownable.' Audrey Howard

Kindle Price: $3.99

Category: Romance

‘An emotional and heartbreaking read… Unforgettable… Exceptional… As soon as I thought I could exhale, my heart was once again broken.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As a terrible war creeps ever closer, one young woman desperately tries to protect those she loves…

1940. When Rosie loses her mother and is sent to Sri Lanka to live with her mother’s friend Silvia and her three sons, her world changes in a heartbeat. As she is absorbed into the bosom of a noisy family, with boys she loves like brothers, she begins to feel at home.

But the war in Europe is heading for Asia. Searching for comfort from the bleak news and the bombings, Rosie meets a heroic soldier on leave, and falls in love for the first time. Yet the war will not stop for passion; he must move on, and she must say goodbye, knowing she might never see him again.

Meanwhile, one by one, the men she considers brothers leave to fight for their island paradise. As she waits in anguish for letters that never come, tortured by stories of torpedoed ships and massacres of innocent families, she realises that she, too, must do her bit.

Rosie volunteers to work in military intelligence, keeping secrets that will help those she loves and protect her island home. But then two telegrams arrive with the chilling words ‘missing believed captured’ and ‘missing believed dead’. Who of those that she loves will survive the devastating war, and who will she lose?

An emotional and heartbreaking read with rich historical detail set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka during World War Two. Fans of Hazel Gaynor, Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Clare Flynn will be swept away by Those I Have Lost.

What everyone’s saying about Those I Have Lost:

‘Completely pulled me in… Beyond amazing… Captivating… Unforgettable… This is without a doubt, a must, must read.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An emotional and heartbreaking story… Will keep you up all night reading this book!… Five stars!’ Tropical Girl Reads Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved the characters… This was my first book by Sharon Maas but it definitely won’t be my last… Engrossing.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A similar writing style to Victoria Hislop… Took me on a journey through Asia during the Second World War… I couldn’t put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A stunning novel of WWII, of loves lost and found and the resiliency of the human spirit to survive and begin again.’ Fictionvixenreads

‘Just beautiful… A masterpiece… Stunning writing… A must read’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Another stunning read from Sharon Maas!… Beautiful, well-written captivating, poignant’ A Haven for Book Lovers

Kindle Price: $3.99

Category: Romance

‘Totally unputdownable’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Incredibly powerful’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Sheer perfection’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wonderful, truly moving’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She dreamed of finding a new life…

Georgetown, Guyana 1970. Seven-year-old Rita has always known she was responsible for the death of her beautiful mother Cassie. Her absent-minded father allows her to run wild in her ramshackle white wooden house by the sea, and surrounded by her army of stray pets, most of the time she can banish her mother’s death to the back of her mind.

But then her new stepmother Chandra arrives and the house empties of love and laughter. Rita’s pets are removed, her freedom curtailed, and before long, there’s a new baby sister on the way. There’s no room for Rita anymore.

Desperate to fill up the emptiness inside her, Rita begins to talk to the only photo she has of her dead mother, a poor farmer’s daughter from the remote Guyanese rainforest. Determined to find the truth about her mother, Rita travels to find her mother’s family in an unfamiliar land of shimmering creeks and towering vines. She finds comfort in the loving arms of her grandmother among the flowering shrubs and trees groaning with fruit. But when she discovers the terrible bruising secret that her father kept hidden from her, will she ever be able to feel happiness again?

A beautiful and inspiring story that will steal your heart and open your eyes. Fans of The Secret Life of Bees, The Vanishing Half and The Other Half of Augusta Hope will be captivated by The Far Away Girl.

What everyone is saying about The Far Away Girl:

‘Astoundingly beautiful, incredibly powerful, a powerhouse of a book. This author never ceases to amaze – book after book she stuns and beguiles with her beautiful prose and her wonderful stories… one of the most versatile writers I've read… This book is sheer perfection. Please read it. If you don't you're missing out.’ Renita D’Silva, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An emotional, heart-warming, inspiring and absorbing story… totally unputdownable.’ My Reading Narnia, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I devoured this book in just a couple of days… brilliant storytelling, this book is sure to be a hit and has certainly become a firm favourite of mine.’ Jenny W Reads

‘I have really enjoyed reading this book by Sharon Maas it is a lovely story and draws you in and I can highly recommend it. 5 stars!’ Netgalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Maas’s books are always a delight, a chance to travel to some of the most beautiful parts of the world without ever leaving your home.’ Cayo Costa 72

Kindle Price: $3.99

Category: Romance