Britains countryside is liberally sprinkled with follies
- eccentric original buildings built for fun by landowners & aristocrats
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The sensationally good Tanya Byrne returns with her new novel
- a dark compulsive tale of obsession & betrayal When sixteen-year-old
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Fifteen year old Isa Muirison loves her life working for the floating shops of Orkney at the turn of the 20th century. But her happy family life is thrown into turmoil by her father's decision to emigrate to Canada her sister's illness & her own love for Davie a penniless whisky runner. Despite her family's opposition she follows Davie to his tiny island home where she is met by the fierce hostility of his mother & his childhood sweetheart Chrissie. Alone among strangers Isa's unrelenting determination gains acceptance & popularity in the close-knit community. But no one could have foreseen the tragedy that rips the heart out of that community & shatters Isa's security... Meanwhile Chrissie has found solace in the arms of Davie's violent brother Jack only to discover a darkness in his soul she could never have imagined. Events are set in motion over which the two women have no control... Will either of them ever find peace
- & in whose arms will Davie find solace? Set in the Northern isles of Scotland amid the treacherous waters of the Pentland Firth Follow the Dove shows how love can conquer all & how even in the most diverse of conditions a community can pull together to protect its own. It describes a way of life that is authentic but gone forever. Inspired by Catherine Cookson Jessica Stirling & Evelyn Hood the book will appeal to women interested in historical fiction. Follow the Dove won the second prize in the novel category of the Scottish Association of Writers.
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What do you do if you want to get underneath the skin of a country
- to understand its people & feel its heartbeat? You can follow
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This is a simple but lively illustrated book about Apollo the Swallow by Julia Donaldson author of The Gruffalo for Egmont's Blue Banana series. When Apollo the swallow flies to Africa Chack the blackbird wants to send him a message. But Africa is far away. Can a jumpy dolphin a grumpy camel a greedy crocodile & a playful monkey help to deliver the message? Blue bananas are illustrated books for NC Level 2 readers learning to tackle longer prose for the first time with the support of extensive illustrations & speech bubbles. They are carefully designed with education in mind supporting children's understanding of vocabulary & punctuation. Blue Bananas explore the feelings & emotions of characters in a clear fashion. ...

A sequel to Andrew Matthews Being Happy" & " Making Friends" this is a simple & practical guide for anyone who wants to find purpose in their life & work. It is about: doing what one loves; dealing with bills & broken legs; discovering ones own power; finding peace of mind; dealing with disasters; & not blaming ones mother. The book is also about: how happy people think; why rich people make money even by accident; & what losers do & how not to be like them." ...

Tom Ryan is a middle-aged overweight no-nonsense newspaper editor. But when Atticus M. Finch a Miniature Schnauzer arrives he is forced to question everything about his life. Wanting to raise money in memory of a friend who died of cancer Tom decides that they will both climb 48 of New Hampshires mountains during a single winter
- twice. What awaits the pair is the adventure of a lifetime. In an enchanting but dangerous winter wonderland they face raging blizzards frostbite & storms. It is a rare test of endurance that soon becomes a soul-searching journey. & then within a month of returning home tragedy strikes. Atticus goes blind & the blood tests suggest something even worse. Now facing an even greater challenge Tom & Atticus undertake a journey through darkness & into light. Following Atticus" is a heartwarming story of friendship selflessness redemption
- & above all love."

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The River Camel for much of its length is arguably in the fi rst division of the most beautiful & interesting waterways in the West Country. This fascinating book with its infectious & easily readable text carries the reader on a colourful journey of discovery from the river's quiet beginnings near Davidstow through varying riverscapes under bridges old & new & past interesting towns & villages. Along the way the reader will discover old & new facts about ancient churches historic houses old inns disused railways archaeological sites industrial ruins quarrying boat building a cheese factory a newly established wartime museum a bird sanctuary & a vineyard. Following the River Camel is illustrated with over a hundred old & new images each supported by an informative caption carefully gathered together from old postcards libraries & museums & from the author's private collection. Both words & images are seamlessly stitched together into a rich tapestry which evokes something of the magnetism of the River Camel & the countryside through which it flows to the sea. This book is certain to appeal to local residents who either know the river intimately or from a distance & to those new to the area who wish tofurther explore this fascinating river in all its moods mystery & magic. ...

Jamie Ballantyne & Artemis King were never meant to fall in love. The feud between their families has run for three generations. But whatever Jamies head might tell him his heart will always belong to Artemis. After fifty years perhaps its time for the Kings & the Ballantynes to bury the hatchet. Then Jamie & Artemis start to uncover their shared past. What they find will rock the foundations of both their families as a web of deceit & intrigue is ruinously exposed.. . ...

After being innocently embroiled in a school scandal teacher Judith Hay decides there is only one thing she can do & that is leave Britain. The small village of Vevey in the Languedoc near Montpellier seems the perfect answer. Life is cheap & the views are pretty. Vevey however may well be the French answer to St Marys Mead
- an abundance of vice & intrigue hides behind its pretty facades... Soon she meets her fellow expats & something seems odd. It appears that many escaped Britain for their own dark reasons rather than for the sunny climate. Behind their sombre faces even the French seem furtive & some still harbour Nazi secrets. There is one local expat in particular Gerald a writer of some fame who makes her shudder. If he is really as evil as she thinks he is his plan hatched with a local Frenchman will need to be stopped...
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