The Wise Woman's Tale

Phillipa Bowers/The Wise Woman's Tale/Piatkus Books/ISBN 978-0-7499-3839-0 £6.99

Kate Barnes is fourteen when she first realises that she has the sight. Her grandmother wants to teach her so many things but her father forces her to return to London at the end ofWW1. At first reluctant, Kate falls in love, both with her job and her employer's son. When tragedy strikes and she is forced to return to her grandmother's home, Kate is reluctant. However, this is where she belongs and, as she gets caught up in the inevitable consequences of her grandmother's work, she once again finds love only to lose it once more. Is a happy ending possible for someone like Kate, who must following her grandmother's footsteps as the local wise woman?

This story goes back and forth into the distant past and the present (Just after WW1). As the story unfolds the story of an earlier wise woman (or witch) is revealed and the reader becomes more and more immersed in the story. This is an excellent, compelling read. If you can you should get this book! Five red roses, Linda sole
www.piatkus.co.uk

Philip's new book is called The Secrets of The Cave and will be reviewed here soon

Dance Of The Cedar Cat

Dance Of the Cedar Cat/Jane Toombs/Eternal Press/Ebook/37 pages

Susie lives alone in an isolated cottage that belonged to her grandmother. Her grandmother's Siamese cat still has all the male cats courting her, even though she has been neutered, but Susie does not have even one suitor. She is a pretty girl so it can't be the reason she is alone. Perhaps the men fear her as they did a foster daughter of Louhi of ancient times. So Susie is alone with the strange dreams that haunt her – until she meets Volan! But what significance does a tiny cedar cat have, and what will happen if Susie neglects her grandmother's ritual? You must read this book to find out!


This is a rather unusual and beautiful story about shapeshifters and the lore of ancient times in Finland. I enjoyed it and give it four red roses. Morna

Interview with Jane Beckenham

Tell us a little about yourself
Well I’m wife, mother and writer, and I try desperately to keep it in balance, though I must admit, writing sometimes becomes obsessive compulsive.
I live in New Zealand.

What do you write?
I write both historical, time travel, and contemporary. Woman of Valor my first book was a time travel set in ancient Judea, and Be My Valentine in Jamaica. Then followed several contemporaries, Always A Bridesmaid, Hiring Cupid, and He’s The One. No Sex Necessary is my recent contemporary for Red Rose Publishing, plus The Sheikh’s Proposal. My time travel Love in Waiting has also recently been contracted. Reading this, it makes me sound like I have a split personality!


Why do you write?
Because I have to. Though really I came to it late – about age 42, but once hooked, I could never, ever give it up. The chance to create characters to come to me, asking me to write their turmoil and find them ever lasting love is a task I could never refuse.




What are you writing now?
I have several on the go. A straight historical about a Huguenot girl escaping France and a contemporary set in England. Plus I’ve just written a novella, my sort of erotica LOL.


What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
Jeans. Casual. But if I could afford it I would have a person to do my clothes shopping. Stylish – of course!


Are you in love? Have you ever been?
I’ve been married 25 years this year. So love has lasted a pretty good time so far!


Do you have a dream lover – and what does he look like?
George Clooney! And no you can’t have him – he’s all mine!


What kind of comfort food do you like best?
Muffins and cake stuff- sadly.


What makes you laugh? Cry?
I like a good comedy. Cry – The Notebook made me cry. But laughing is best.


What do you do to amuse yourself when not working?
I like to read, though find it difficult to make time. I have two daughters and love doing girly stuff with them. We’re into vintage cars as a family and often do car runs with a bunch of other petrolheads. I’m an avid interior decorating fan and can pour over magazines for hours! Mind you, I should be gardening, the weeds are reaching mega proportions in places!


What is it in a man or woman that turns you on? The clean version please!
I like it that they make me feel special.

What do you hate about life?
The hectic pace. I’d love to have a month without stress LOL – does that sort of time exist?

What do you hope to achieve in life and when will you know that you have been a success?
I think the most important thing for me is being a good wife and mother. That my kids will turn round and say to me that I did a good job. We adopted our girls after 13 years of marriage, so being a mum is very special to me.

What are you going to write next?
Finish the present book, an historical. Finish the present contemporary, plus finish the present novella. Then….a time travel I think.
Then, can I please have a rest?

Featured Author

This week's author is Jane Beckenham. She was nominated for Aussie Author of 2007!




Jane has several books already out
Linden Bay Romance have published Hiring Cupid and He's the One - bioth out in ebook and print.
Treble Heart books have published Always A Bridesmaid, Be My Valentine, in ebook and print. She has been a busy and scuccessful girl!








This is one of Jane's books. She certainly has some lovely covers! Jane also has The sheikh's Proposal and No Sex Necessary coming soon from Red Rose Publishing - and Love In Waiting from Cerridwen Press

Steamed Desire

Steamed Desire by Fleur de Lis
Red Rose Publishing/ ebook/41 pages





Callie’s coffee just got a great deal hotter. Her favorite place, Java Jitters, to get her coffee has a new employee, Cole. For the last eight months they have been eyeing each other never sure if the other one is interested.



Cole isn’t quite who he has lead everyone to believe he is. Cole actually owns Java Jitters. He is there to find out who has been stealing from him. Cole is used to women that are interested in him for his money and what he has and not for who he is.



Callie goes to get coffee several times during the day and each time she looks for Cole. She hasn’t enjoyed coffee as much as she has been lately.



Cole finally decides to take a chance and ask Callie out to see if there can be more between them. After Callie’s boss encouraged her to go after what she wants. Now Callie has to decide if she has what is necessary to go after Cole. With Cole showing an interest, she says yes to him when he asks her out.



Now it’s not just the coffee that is hot.





This is a great short story. You really identify with the characters. This is one that is worth reading. Cole and Callie were a lot of fun to read about.





I give this one 4 -1/2 red roses

The Absent Wife

THE ABSENT WIFE

BY

SANDRA WILSON.
PUBLISHED BY ROBERT HALE LTD.
ISBN 978-0-7090-8367-2.


The story opens in the evening of January 1811 at a small and select dinner party of four. There should have been six, but the much talked about Lord Atherton and his missing wife, were not at the table. Present were Lord and Lady Elgin, the host and hostess and two friends being Lord Owen Meredith and his niece Miss Roslyn Meredith. Lord Owen Meredith was a well-known society painter and his recently orphaned niece was now residing with him. He was a very busy and popular painter but money ran through his fingers like quick –silver so he was nearly always broke, and his investments were usually a disaster. He was however a very happy and optimistic character who believed that something would turn up, eventually.
The disappearance of Lady Atherton was the talk of Mayfair but had not been mentioned at the dinner party, so far.
Lord Atherton had married the very beautiful but heartless Vanessa, who had taken the ton by storm. She collected a large following of admirers, but Lord Atherton had been the only admirer to ask for her hand in marriage. It was widely believed that he was madly in love with her, but unfortunately that love was not reciprocated. Vanessa had reasons of her own for agreeing to be his wife and it had to do with Benedict Courtenay, a very handsome rake who was always outrunning the duns. However when she disappeared Courtenay was still to be seen everywhere, so it was reasoned that they could not be together and many rumours were banded about. Lord Atherton remained completely silent on his wife’s disappearance and he left England bound for where?
Lord Owen and his niece were about to leave on a visit to Greece, although despite his busy life lord Owen was completely broke and he had been reduced to selling some of his possessions to keep the bailiffs away. However Lord Elgin had advised him on some investments, which should restore Lord Owen’s fortune, when they returned from Greece.
The journey in Greece proved to be a wonderful experience for Roslyn. There are some very colourful descriptions of the scenery in Greece, which transport you there. Roslyn also meets the much talked about Lord James Atherton and is very disappointed in him; he was rude and arrogant, not at all as she had imagined him to be. Her Uncle is puzzled as it is not the James Atherton he remembers. However the story has a twists and turns which unfold gradually and make a very good read. Do read the book and enjoy its journey through several people’s lives, as I have.
I award these book 4 roses. AS

The Girl From World's End

THE GIRL FROM WORLD'S END
LEAH FLEMING
AVON BOOKS
ISBN 987-1-84756-006-3
440 pages/£5.99


Mirren suffers from a drunken father who beats her. When he is killed on the railway line, Mirren is sent to live with her grandparents at a farm in the Yorkshire Dales. At first resentful and bullied at school, she runs away to an isolated cottage at the edge of the moor called World's End. Trapped by a snowstorm, she uses her wits to survive a bitter cold night and in the morning, when a lad called Jack rescues her, she has formed a lasting feeling for the cottage.

Mirren grows up and marries the handsome, charming Jack, but the war takes him from her too soon and when he returns he has changed. Haunted by his memories, he becomes cruel and violent. Then tragedy strikes and Mirren's world comes crashing down about her. Is this the end of all her hopes or will her spirit survive and fight back to a new happiness?


If you read this book you will want Leah's next – The War Widows out in April with Avon Books. This author keeps you glued to the page, her powerful, evocative writing carrying you through to the end. Five red roses. Linda Sole