'Killing Fields of Scotland' by R J M Pugh

 

 

Release date: 15th November 2012

Published by: Pen and Sword Military

ISBN No: 978 1781590195

 

 

Most people are familiar with references to Scottish battles such as Bannockburn and Flodden but know little if anything about those events. Rugby and soccer fans outside Scotland may wonder at the sign '1314' held up by Scottish fans and not know that it is the date of the Battle of Bannockburn when an English king was defeated on Scottish soil. The battle is also commemorated in Scotland's unofficial national anthem, 'The Flower of Scotland'. Battles fought on Scottish soil include those of the Scottish Wars of Independence, those occasioned by the English Civil Wars and the Jacobite Rebellions. This book tells the stories of these battles and many others fought in Scotland from the Roman victory at Mons Graupius in AD 83 to the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden Moor in 1746.

 

 

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'A Flight of Fancy' by Laurie Alice Eakes

 

 

Release date: 1st November 2012

Published by: Baker Books

ISBN No: 978 0800734671

 

 

Cassandra Bainbridge has twice set aside her scholarly pursuits--once for the London Season and once for her wedding preparations. Love seems a wonderful alternative to study, until disaster strikes. When an accident brings an end to her betrothal, she heads for the country to recover from both her injuries and her broken heart. There she pursues her love for ballooning and envisions a future for herself as a daring aeronaut. But when her former fiance slips back into her life, will she have to choose between him and her dream? Filled with the mystique of London society and the charming beauty of the English countryside, "A Flight of Fancy" explores what it means to find the true source of happiness and love amid the distractions of life. Readers will love the next installment in this rousing Regency series from accomplished author Laurie Alice Eakes.

 

 

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An Interview with Author Rionna Morgan

 

 

Growing up out West, Rionna Morgan followed her love of horses to the rodeo arena and her love of English to the classroom and to writing.  Rionna is a founding member of Montana Romance Writers; she reads as much as she can possibly hold, and she loves most of all combining the chilling edge of a knife with the sweet surrender of romance. Rionna shares her home in Missoula, Montana with her husband, her four children and the mountains outside her window.



A very warm welcome to you Rionna and can I thank you, for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us today.

You are welcome.  I am very excited to spend time with you and your friends.  I love to meet new people, and I am thrilled to meet new friends from other parts of the world!

Can I ask what sort of books did you like reading as a child?

I read all manner of things.  I can remember reading the ghastly ghost stories and staying awake all night.  My poor mother!  I loved books like 'The Black Stallion', 'King of the Wind' and 'Black Beauty'.  I loved Nancy Drew.  I would pour for hours over this great big book of the universe with its amazing photos of the Milky Way and the majestic planets.  I was so fascinated by it.  As I grew older, I fell in love with poetry and the words the poets wove making love last forever.


Do you think the books that you read as a child have influenced your writing in any way?

I definitely do.  I love a good mystery.  I love things beyond our realm of fact and tangible knowledge.  I know that love can last beyond the bonds of time; the poets said so.


Do you have a set routine when you are working on a novel?

I research like mad first.  I think of every possible outcome.  I interview people.  I read about professions I’m highlighting in the novel.  I work out an outline on a single sheet of paper.  I’ve tried to make it more elaborate, but have found doing that is cumbersome.  Single sheet of paper works like magic.  It gives me a guide to follow, but I’m not reined in by too much structure. 


Where do you do your writing best?

I can write anywhere.  I have this great little gadget, an ‘AlphaSmart’.  I love it.  It is just a little word processor, and it only allows me to type.  No internet, no Twitter, no Facebook, only writing.  I do find that a nice cup of tea, a silent evening lengthening into night, quiet Celtic music and my imagination is the best combination for composing. 


What helped you decide to actually write romance novels?

Besides loving to read them, I guess I would have to say the happily ever after.  Every romance ends well.  I love to read.  I read everything…Toni Morrison, Shakespeare, Cormac McCarthy, Edgar Allan Poe, Jack London etc… I have found that I have the hardest time returning to an author who does not write the happy ending.  I think life is hard enough all on its own.  It is nice to sink into a story and know that no matter the journey, the ending will be happy. 

 

When you are writing a novel, how do you place yourself into the period of time that you are actually writing about?

 

I really do stick with contemporary times.  I have tossed around the idea of a futuristic story, but I always come back to the time in which I live.

 

How do you go about imagining, developing and give real lives and personalities to the characters that we read about within in your books?

 

I create their lives.  I get to know my characters like friends.  I question their motives.  I wonder what made them do what they do.  I give them a past that will lead them to the future I’m going to put them through.  My back-story is huge.  And maybe only one sentence will make it to the book itself. 

Did you encounter any difficulties in getting you books accepted and published?

 

Oh yes.  My first book, 'The Wanting Heart' was rejected nearly 200 times by agents and publishers.  'Judge Thyself First', my next book set to be released November 2012 was less. 

 

 

Did you have to undertake any research for your novels?

 

I do.  I am currently researching schizophrenia.  

 

What is your favourite book and why?

Goodness that is like asking me to pick my favourite snowflake, my favourite star.  Impossible! 


Are you currently reading a book at the moment, and if so what is it?

Yes, I’ve actually read three…starting two days ago.  The next book I plan to read is ‘Angel’s Fire’ by Nora Roberts.  It was published while I was getting my Masters so I couldn’t read it then.  It’s been waiting for me, like a new ice cream cone. 

 

Do you have any other hobbies or interests that you enjoy in order to give you a break from your normal routine and your writing?

 

I love to cook.  Bake.  I really enjoy making chocolate chips cookies.  They seem to be a family favourite.  I also enjoy photography.  But, mostly I love traveling and spending those precious moment with my kids.

Can you give us a hint about any other books that you may have in the making at the moment? 

I am working on a ghastly story.  I love it.  The book is about an artist who stumbles across a murder scene that has a fairy tale twist.  Hint…its Halloween and the girl trips over a body that has a burning jack-o-lantern for a head.  Creepy!! 


Rionna, to bring our interview to a close can you tell us a bit about the unique monthly giveaway you offer on your website?

I give a way every month a Piece of Montana.  All one has to do to enter is visit my blog and sign up.  Easy!  Readers from all over the world have entered.  I love sharing my state with them! J 

 

Rionna, it has been an absolute delight and honour that you agreed to be interviewed for my blog. I would also like to thank-you again for taking the time to speak to us today.

 

 

You are so welcome Calum. I have had a wonderful time as well!

 

 

 

Amazon UK -'The Wanting Heart'

Amazon.com -'The Wanting Heart'

If you would like to find out more about Rionna and her writing, the link to her website is given below:

http://www.rionnamorgan.com



'Twice Promised' by Maggie Brendan

 

 

Release date: 1st November 2012

Published by: Baker Books

ISBN No: 978 0800734633

 

 

Seeing how successful her older sister's "mail order marriage" has been and longing to strike out on her own, Greta Olsen answers an ad for a mail order bride in Central City, Colorado. But when she meets Jess Gifford, owner of a thriving mercantile, she begins to harbor doubts. He didn't place the ad to begin with and his business in a busy mining town leaves him little time or energy for love. To compound her troubles, she was not the only bride to answer the ad! Will either bride strike the match she hopes for? Filled with amusing and awkward situations that will keep the reader interested and guessing, "Twice Promised "is another sweet romance from Maggie Brendan.

 

 

 

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'The Turning' by Francine Prose

 

 

Release date: 25th September 2012

Published by: Harper Teen

ISBN No: 978 0061999666

 

 

 

A dark house.
An isolated island.
Strange dreams
and even stranger
visions . . .

Jack is spending the summer on a private island far from modern conveniences. No Wi-Fi, no cell service, no one else on the island but a housekeeper and the two very peculiar children in his care. The first time Jack sees the huge black mansion atop a windswept hill, he senses something cold, something more sinister than even the dark house itself.

Soon, he feels terribly isolated and alone. Yet he is not alone. The house has visitors—peering in the windows, staring from across the shore. But why doesn't anyone else see them . . . and what do they want? As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy. . . . Or is he?

From nationally acclaimed author Francine Prose comes a mind-bending story that will leave you realizing how subtle the lines that separate reality, imagination, and insanity really are.


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' A History of the World' by Andrew Marr

 

Release date: 25th September 2012

Published by: Macmillan

ISBN No: 978 0230755956

 

 

From the earliest civilizations to the twenty-first century, this is a global journey through human history, tieing-in with a major BBC television series. Andrew Marr, author of two best-selling histories of Great Britain now turns his attention to the world as a whole. "A Short History of the World" takes readers from the Mayans to Mongolia, from the kingdom of Benin to the court of the Jagiellonian kings of Poland. Traditional histories of this kind have tended to be Euro-centric, telling mankind's story through tales of Greece and Rome and the crowned heads of Europe's oldest monarchies. Here, Marr widens the lens, concentrating as much, if not more on the Americas, Africa and Asia. Instead of focusing on one episode of history taking place in one place, he draws surprising parallels and makes fascinating connections, focusing on a key incident or episode to tell a larger story: for instance, the liberation of the serfs in Russia, which took place at the same time as the American Civil War, which resulted in the abolition of slavery in the US. But he begins the account with an episode in the life of Tolstoy, who racked up huge gambling debts and had to sell land and slaves as a result. Fresh and exciting, this is popular history at its very best.

 

 

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'After the War is Over' by Maureen Lee

Release date: 6th December 2012

Published by: Orion

ISBN No: 978 1409121107

 

 

 Liverpool, 1945. Three women, strong friends, return home from the war trying to fit back into their old lives after they've been demobbed. They've been thrown together by the war and shared all sorts of good and bad times. Now their old lives seem dull in comparison, but not for long...The younger women, Maggie and Nell, are both twenty-one and are full of hope and excitement; Iris, on the other hand, is feeling apprehensive about returning to civilian life. At the age of thirty her only wish in life is to have a baby, but sadly this wish has yet to come true. When one of the women falls pregnant, there begins a dramatic sequence of events so wide-reaching that the three friends' lives will become more intricately interwoven than they could ever have imagined. Over the next quarter of a century this story of three remarkable - and very different - women unfolds into an uplifting tale of how three ordinary families become extraordinary.

 

 

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'The Unfailing Light' by Robin Bridges

 

 

Release date: 9th October 2012

Published by: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

ISBN No: 978 0385740241

 

 

Having had no choice but to use her power has a necromancer to save Russia from dark forces, Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, now wants to forget that she ever used her special powers. She's about to set off to pursue her lifelong dream of attending medical school when she discovers that Russia's arch nemesis--who she thought she'd destroyed--is still alive. So on imperial orders, Katerina remains at her old finishing school. She'll be safe there, because the empress has cast a potent spell to protect it against the vampires and revenants who are bent on toppling the tsar and using Katerina for their own gains. But to Katerina's horror, the spell unleashes a vengeful ghost within the school, a ghost more dangerous than any creature trying to get in.

 

 

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'The Dali Lama's Cat' by David Michie

 

 

Release date: 5th November 2012

Published by: Hay House UK

ISBN No:  978 1781800560

 

 

"Oh! How adorable! I didn't know you had a cat!' she exclaimed. I am always surprised how many people make this observation. Why should His Holiness not have a cat? 'If only she could speak, ' continued the actress. 'I'm sure she'd have such wisdom to share.' And so the seed was planted . . . I began to think that perhaps the time had come for me to write a book of my own--a book that would convey some of the wisdom I've learned sitting not at the feet of the Dalai Lama but even closer, on his lap. A book that would tell my own tale . . . how I was rescued from a fate too grisly to contemplate to become the constant companion of a man who is not only one of the world's greatest spiritual leaders and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate but also a dab hand with a can opener." Starving and pitiful, a mud-smeared kitten is rescued from the slums of New Delhi and transported to a life she could have never imagined. In a beautiful sanctuary overlooking the snow-capped Himalayas, she begins her new life as the Dalai Lama's cat. Warmhearted, irreverent, and wise, this cat of many names opens a window to the inner sanctum of life in Dharamsala. A tiny spy observing the constant flow of private meetings between His Holiness and everyone from Hollywood celebrities to philanthropists to self-help authors, the Dalai Lama's cat provides us with insights on how to find happiness and meaning in a busy, materialistic world. Her story will put a smile on the face of anyone who has been blessed by the kneading paws and bountiful purring of a cat.

 

 

 

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'Through her Eyes' by Jennifer Archer

 

 

Release date: 18th September 2012

Published by: Harper Teen

ISBN No: 978 0061834592

 

 

 

Every ghost has a story to tell . . .

The last thing Tansy Piper wanted was to move to the middle of nowhere in Cedar Canyon, Texas. Once there, her life takes a chilling turn when she finds a pocket watch, a journal of poetry, and a tiny crystal in the cellar of her new home.

The items belonged to Henry, a troubled teenager who lived in the house and died decades earlier. And Tansy, an amateur photographer, soon discovers that through the crystal and her photographs, she can become part of Henry's surreal black-and-white world.

But the more time Tansy spends in the past, the more her present world fades away. Can she escape Henry's dangerous reality before losing touch with her own life forever?


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'Tangled Lives' by Hilary Boyd

 

 

Release date: 30th August 2012

Published by: Quercus

ISBN No:  978 0857385185

Lizzie Delancey is happily married, in her early 50s, with three grown children. But Lizzie guards a dark secret. At age 18 she had a baby boy, and gave him up for adoption. She still thinks of him every day.

Then, out of the blue, she receives an official-looking letter from Kent Social Services. Her son, Daniel, wants to make contact. On one hand she is overjoyed - she longs to meet him. On the other, she has never told her children that they have another sibling.

Tangled Lives follows the effect this revelation has on her family, as, with Daniel as the catalyst, a few small tears in the family fabric suddenly gape wide.

 

 

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'To Tell the Truth' by Anna Smith

 

 

Release date: 25th October 2012

Published by: Quercus

ISBN No:  978 1780872490

 

 

A three-year-old girl is snatched from a beach. Nobody heard a sound. Nobody saw a thing.

Rosie Gilmour's much-needed holiday is cut short when the abduction story breaks and she's sent to cover it. Her instincts tell her something's wrong: such a crime must surely have witnesses, and the girl's mother's story doesn't add up.

With a child's life at stake, Rosie must dig deeper into the seedy depths of the area, making dangerous enemies. As she closes in on the truth, she realises the penalty for missing this particular deadline could be her own demise.

 

 

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'Meet me Under the Mistletoe' by Abby Clements

 

 

Release date: 25th October 2012

Published by: Quercus Books

ISBN No: 978 1780876627

 

 

Childhood friends Laurie and Rachel used to be inseparable - but their lives have taken very different paths since they picked up their A-level results together. Now thirty-five, they have all but fallen out of touch; glamorous single girl Laurie is based in London and dedicated to her career in fashion; Rachel seemingly living the family idyll in Yorkshire.

But when Rachel's mother-in-law needs urgent treatment in London, and disasters at work and in her love life mean Laurie needs to flee, a house swap falls into place. Soon gentle Rachel is far from the village bake sales, braving the city's mean streets while trying to keep her marriage and family together; while Laurie attempts to work an Aga, befriend the wary village locals - and forget the man who seems intent on breaking her heart. Will their relationships survive this test? And will they make it home for Christmas?

 

 

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'The Book of Madness and Cures' by Regina O'Melveny

 

Release date: 11th October 2012

Published by:  Hodder Ome

ISBN No: 978 1848547452

 

 

Gabriella Mondini is a rarity in 16th century Venice, she's a woman who practices medicine. Her father, a renowned physician, has provided her entree to this all-male profession, and inspired in her a shared mission to understand the secrets of the human body. Then her father disappears and Gabriella faces a crisis: without her father's patronage, she is no longer permitted to treat her patients. So she sets out across Europe to find her father. Following clues from his occasional enigmatic letters, Gabriella crosses Switzerland, Germany and France, entering strange and forbidding cities. She travels to Scotland, the Netherlands, and finally to Morocco. In each new land, she uncovers details of her father's unexplained flight, and opens new mysteries of her own. Not just the mysteries of ailments and treatments, but the ultimate mysteries of mortality, love, and the timeless human spirit. Filled with medical lore and sensuous, vivid details of Renaissance life, The Book of Madness and Cures is an intoxicating, unforgetable debut.

 

 

 

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'The Swiss Family Robinson' by Johann David Wyss

 

 

Release date: 7th October 2012

Published by: Barnes and Noble

ISBN No: 978 1435142077

 

 

For more than two centuries, Johann David Wyss's beloved book has entertained young readers. This illustrated edition, with full-colour plates by T. H. Robinson, features an elegant bonded leather binding, a satin-ribbon bookmark, distinctive gilded edging and decorative endpapers. It's a book that will be cherished by readers of all ages.

 

 

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'Wine of Violence' by Priscilla Royal

 

 

Release date: 22nd November 2012

Published by: Head of Zeus

ISBN No: 978 1781850008

 

 

It is late summer in the year 1270. Although the Simon de Montfort rebellion is over, the smell of death still hangs over the land. In the small priory of Tyndal, the monks and nuns of the Order of Fontevraud long for a return to routine. Their hopes are dashed, however, when the young and inexperienced Eleanor of Wynethorpe is appointed their new prioress. Only a day after her arrival, a brutally murdered monk is found in the cloister gardens, and Brother Thomas, a young priest with a troubled past, arrives to bring her a more personal grief. Now Eleanor must not only struggle to gain the respect of her terrified and resentful flock but also cope with violence, lust, and greed.

 

 

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'Breathe' by Sarah Crossan

 

 

Release date: 11th October 2012

Published by: Bloomsbury Childrens

ISBN No:  978 1408827192

 

 

Years after the Switch, life inside the Pod has moved on. A poor Auxiliary class cannot afford the oxygen tax which supplies extra air for running, dancing and sports. The rich Premiums, by contrast, are healthy and strong. Anyone who opposes the regime is labelled a terrorist and ejected from the Pod to die. Sixteen-year-old Alina is part of the secret resistance, but when a mission goes wrong she is forced to escape from the Pod. With only two days of oxygen in her tank, she too faces the terrifying prospect of death by suffocation. Her only hope is to find the mythical Grove, a small enclave of trees protected by a hardcore band of rebels. Does it even exist, and if so, what or who are they protecting the trees from? A dystopian thriller about courage and freedom, with a love story at its heart.

 

 

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'Knock 'em Cold, Kid' by Elaine Morgan

 

 

Release date: 28th September 2012

Published by: Matador

ISBN No: 978 1780882130

 

 

Knock 'em Cold, Kid is the autobiography of award-winning Welsh writer Elaine Morgan. Born in the Rhondda Valley in 1920, Elaine vividly describes the relationship between her father and mother as they coped with life on the dole. Her grammar school decided to groom her for the Oxford entrance exam and she entered Lady Margaret Hall in 1939. It was a very different world from the one she knew, but she enjoyed the experience. In 1945 she married Morien Morgan, a Welsh schoolmaster and embarked on a full time role of wife and mother when rationing was at its tightest and the housing shortage was acute. After 7 years as a housewife, she claimed some time for herself and took up pen and paper. Initially, the new medium of TV could not coax serious writers to feed it and so Elaine got in at the ground floor and started a prolific career as a TV dramatist. She wrote for programmes such as How Green Was My Valley (1975) and Testament of Youth (1979), winning two BAFTAs, two Writers' Guild awards, the Prix Italia and the Writer of the Year Award from the Royal Television Society along the way. In 1972, in a change of direction, she wrote The Descent of Woman, an account of human evolution seen from the perspective of the female of the species. This became a bestseller, and the next forty years of her life were dedicated to defending the controversial theory of the Aquatic Ape, as put forward in her book. Knock 'em Cold, Kid is Elaine's account of her life and looks at how her career and the Aquatic Ape Theory impacted on her family life.

 

 

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'Winter Wonderland' by Belinda Jones

 

 

Release date: 8th November 2012

Published by: Hodder Paperbacks

ISBN No: 978 0340994467

 

 

Imagine waking up in a snow globe...

That's how travel journalist Krista feels when she arrives in magical Quebec to report on Canada's glittering Winter Carnival.

Over ten sub-zero days Krista's formerly frozen heart begins to melt as she discovers an enchanting world of ice palaces, husky dog-sledding and maple-syrup treats galore. And then she meets Jacques, a man as handsome and rugged as he is mysterious...

The two share a secret that could bond them forever, but can they find a way to break through the protective layers around their hearts to warm up this winter wonderland?

...let the snow-spangled adventure begin

The irresistibly gorgeous new novel from Belinda Jones will completely melt your heart, perfect for those looking to escape in an exhilarating, romantic story with a little extra magic...

Fans of Lindsey Kelk, Jenny Colgan and Marian Keyes will love Belinda Jones's unique blend of humour, adventure and delectable romance.

 

 

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'Boudica' by Vanessa Collingride

Release date: 30th September 2012

Published by: Ebury Digital

ASIN: B0091R2XJ4

 

 

Boudica has been immortalised throughout history as the woman who dared take on the Romans - an act of vengeance on behalf of her daughters, tribe and enslaved country. Her known life is a rich tapestry of wife, widow, mother, queen and Celtic quasi-Goddess. But beneath this lies a history both dark and shocking, with fresh archaeological evidence adding new depth and terrifying detail to the worn-out myths. From the proud warrior tribes of her East Anglian childhood to the battlefields of her defeat, this is a vividly written and evocatively told story, bringing a wealth of new research and insight to bear on one of the key figures in British history and mythology.

From the author of the much-praised Captain Cook comes a major new historical biography; a gripping and enlightening recreation of Boudica, her life, her adversaries, and the turbulant era she bestrode.

 

 

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'Hundred Years War Vol 3' by Jonathan Sumption

Release date: 4th October 2012

Published by: Faber and Faber

ISBN No: 978 0571240128

 

 

`Divided Houses` is a tale of contrasting fortunes. In the last decade of his reign Edward III, a senile, pathetic symbol of England's past conquests, was condemned to see them overrun by the armies of his enemies. When he died, in 1377, he was succeeded by a vulnerable child, who was destined to grow into a neurotic and unstable adult presiding over a divided nation. Meanwhile France entered upon one of the most glittering periods of her medieval history, years of power and ceremony, astonishing artistic creativity and famous warriors making their reputations as far afield as Naples, Hungary and North Africa. Contemporaries in both countries believed that they were living through memorable times: times of great wickedness and great achievement, of collective mediocrity but intense personal heroism, of extremes of wealth and poverty, fortune and failure. At a distance of six centuries, as Jonathan Sumption skilfully and meticulously shows, it is possible to agree with all of these judgments.

 

 

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'Lullaby' by Amanda Hocking

 

 

Release date: 27th November 2012

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN No: 978 1250005656

 

 

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister--and who's immune to the girls' dark powers. While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life. Gemma's powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new "sisters," the harder it is to resist entering their magical world. It's a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she's plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs. Just as she's drifting far away from her old life, Harper and Daniel find her...but no one can deny how much she's changed. All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she's become something else entirely--and will they still love her once they learn the truth?Prepare to fall under the spell of "Lullaby," the second book in the Watersong series from "New York Times "bestselling author Amanda Hocking.

 

 

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'Gossip from the Forest' by Sara Maitland

 

 

Release date: 1st November 2012

Published by: Granta Books

ISBN No: 978 1847084293

 

 

Fairytales are one of our earliest and most vital cultural forms, and forests one of our most ancient and primal landscapes. Both evoke a similar sensation in us - we find them beautiful and magical, but also spooky, sometimes horrifying. In this fascinating book, Maitland argues that the two forms are intimately connected: the mysterious secrets and silences, gifts and perils of the forests were both the background and the source of fairytales. Yet both forests and fairy stories are at risk and their loss deprives us of our cultural lifeblood. Maitland visits forests through the seasons, from the exquisite green of a beechwood in spring, to the muffled stillness of a snowy pine wood in winter. She camps with her son Adam, whose beautiful photographs are included in the book; she takes a barefoot walk through Epping Forest with Robert Macfarlane; she walks with a mushroom expert through an oak wood, and with a miner through the Forest of Dean. Maitland ends each chapter with a unique, imaginitive re-telling of a fairystory. Written with Sara's wonderful clarity and conversational grace, Gossip from the Forest is a magical and unique blend of nature writing, history and imaginative fiction.

 

 

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'Havisham' by Ronald Frame

 

 

Release date: 1st November 2012

Published by: Faber and Faber

ISBN No: 978 0571288281

 

 

There was a delicate tracery of gold foil on the back of the dress. How strange that such a consummately made garment should be worn for this one day only. But, as every girl growing up understood, her wedding day was the most significant she would know: a woman's crowning glory.

Catherine Havisham was born into privilege. Handsome, imperious, she is the daughter of a wealthy brewer, and lives in luxury in Satis House. But she is never far from the smell of hops and the arresting letters on the brewhouse wall - HAVISHAM. A reminder of all she owes to the family name and the family business.

Sent by her father to stay with the Chadwycks, Catherine discovers literature, music and masquerades - elegant pastimes to remove the taint of new money. But for all her growing sophistication Catherine is anything but worldly, and when a charismatic stranger pays her attention, everything - her heart, her future, the very Havisham name - is vulnerable.

It is a masterly tribute to one of Dickens's most celebrated and iconic characters.


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' A Fractured Light' by Jocelyn Davies

 

 

Release date: 25th September 2012

Published by: Harper Teen

ISBN No: 978 0061990670

 

 

When she wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings, Skye knows something terrible has happened to her. It's not until she hears Asher, the dark, rebellious angel she fell in love with, that the memories come flooding back. She tries to put the past behind her, but she knows she'll be forever haunted by the ruthless betrayal that almost took her life.

Skye returns home, but with the knowledge of who she really is, nothing can ever be the same. As she tests the limits of her newfound powers, Skye discovers that she's capable of far more than anyone could have imagined. Both the Order and the Rebellion want her for their side as war between the factions looms. She can't forget the terrifying truth she now knows about the Order, but something holds her back from embracing the Rebellion.


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'The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens' London' by Judith Flanders

 

 

Release date: 1st October 2012

Published by: Atlantic Books

ISBN No: 978 1848877955

 

 

The nineteenth century was a time of unprecedented transformation, and nowhere was this more apparent than on the streets of London. In only a few decades, London grew from a Regency town to the biggest city the world had ever seen, with more than 6.5 million people and railways, street-lighting and new buildings at every turn. In The Victorian House, Judith Flanders described in intimate detail what went on inside the nineteenth-century home. Now, in The Victorian City, she explores London's outdoors in an extraordinary, revelatory portrait of everyday life on the streets. From the moment Charles Dickens, the century's best-loved novelist and London's greatest observer, arrived in the city in 1822, he obsessively walked its streets, recording its pleasures, curiosities and cruelties. Now, with him, Judith Flanders leads us through the markets, transport systems, sewers, rivers, slums, alleys, cemeteries, gin palaces, chop-houses and entertainment emporia of Dickens' London, to reveal the Victorian capital in all its variety, vibrancy, and squalor. From the colourful cries of street-sellers to the uncomfortable reality of travel by omnibus, via the many uses for the body parts of dead horses or the unimaginably grueling working days of hawker children, no detail is too small, or too strange. No one who reads Judith Flanders's The Victorian City will view London in the same light again.

 

 

Copyright: Amazon Synopsis



'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Visual Companion' by Jude Fisher

 

 

Release date: 8th November 2012

Published by: Harper Collins

ISBN No: 978 0007467952

 

 

This official tie-in photo guidebook is packed with exclusive photographs and in-depth text offering a sneak peek at the highly anticipated new film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, directed by Peter Jackson.

Join the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the wizard and the Company of Dwarves on their Quest to recover treasure stolen by the Dragon, Smaug the Magnificent. Leaving the comfort of Bilbo’s home they must face many perils before they can claim their long-lost gold – Trolls, Elves, Goblins, Wargs, and worse…

Richly illustrated with more than 100 colour photos from the film, and featuring a brand new fold-out map charting the journey from Bag End to Wilderland, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Visual Companion begins the Quest for the Lonely Mountain in spectacular style.


Copyright: Amazon Synopsis





'Valkyrie Rising' by Ingrid Paulson

 

 

Release date: 9th October 2012

Published by: Harper Teen

ISBN No: 978-0062025722

 

 

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she'll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she's there.

 

What Ellie doesn't anticipate is Graham's infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect that something powerful and ancient will awaken in her and that strange whispers will urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, suddenly there's a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it's up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring, Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

 

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl's unexpectedly epic coming-of-age.


Copyright: Harper Teen Synopsis





'Sweet Shadows' by Tera Lynn Childs

 

 

Release date: 4th September 2012

Published by:  Katherine Tegen Books

ISBN No: 978 0062001832

 

 

Gretchen may have known she was a descendant of Medusa long before her sisters—after all, she's spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss—but that doesn't mean it will be easy to teach the other girls the ropes. Can she rely on Grace and Greer, or even trust herself to keep them safe? Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate and precious little time to train in her newfound powers. But that wretched second sight won't leave her alone, and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life.

 

Grace has worries closer to home—like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared. He's hiding something. Could it possibly be related to the secret heritage the triplets share?

 

With the warring factions among the gods of Olympus coming for them, the creatures of the abyss pushing into their world, and the boys in their lives keeping secrets at every turn, the three girls must figure out where their fate will take them and how to embrace the shadows of their legacy.

 Copyright: Harper Teen Synopsis