Chapter 1 I stood in the cool, hazy light at sunrise as I watched my dream turn to ash. Firefighters sprayed water on what remained of the Early Rise Bakery. The weak sun painted the horizon a shade of pink that should have inspired a sweet and creamy frosting; instead, a sour taste coated my mouth. ‘Up in smoke’ took on an unpleasant, new meaning. “Temperance?” I turned. My best friend, Josie Shaw, ran toward me, her arms outstretched. She wrapped me in a bear hug. “I’m

THE CALL OF THE NIGHTINGALE PART ONE CHAPTER 1 Spring 1955, The Meeting Clickety-clack-ding-ding went the dozens of typewriters one Friday morning as I made my way into Elliot and Partners, a solicitor’s firm at the Bank in central London. The noise was an awkward symphony of crashing keys and off-tone bells. Moving along the avenue of desks, I kept my arms glued to my sides. I stared at the floor avoiding amongst other things, the crowd of people, but also the glare of elect

Accountant Ted Hopkins - Helen's Senior Partner at Hopkins Partnership Ted recognises burgeoning talent when he sees it. When Helen Rushforth attended an interview with Ted (after dropping out of University), he was immediately impressed with her enthusiasm, intelligence, and her big heart. Even at first glance, he saw that she had the potential to become a partner once she gained her chartered recognition. Following the tragic death of Helen's parents and then David, the lov

Capri What have I gotten myself into? I wanted a little adventure before going back home, but did I want this much excitement? My gut instincts screamed through a megaphone not to do this, but as I stared at this god in front of me, my body had other ideas. “Well?” He stood by the edge of the pool and shed himself of his bathing suit with one swift motion. “Oh.” I shielded my eyes and glanced down at the elaborate pavers surrounding the pool, but not before catching a glimpse

It is the summer of 1976 in the Yorkshire Dales village of Fowlbeck. The boys are 12 years old and Michael has fallen out with his mum. Jack has decided to take his best friend out on an adventure to help him escape for a while. This excerpt is from Michael's point of view: CHAPTER SIX Michael followed Jack as they rode their Chopper bikes across the parched, rock hard fields toward The Beacon, thinking it would have been sweltering if it weren’t so gusty. He watched that

Teacher Carmen Munoz (also Guardian within the Secret Society of the Willow Wood Women) Carmen Muñoz Supporting Character — The Women of the Willow Wood Trilogy By day, Carmen Muñoz is a dedicated fifth-grade teacher at Mesa Luna Elementary in Albuquerque, known for her calm authority in the classroom and her unwavering advocacy for vulnerable students. After dark, however, she serves a far more clandestine calling: Guardian within the Secret Society of the Willow Wood Women,

IDEA FOR THE BOOK The Trouble with Empaths is book two of my new series. The main characters were in the first book and everyone loved them and thought they deserved their own book. Connor and Regan have known each other most of their lives, but one kiss creates an unexpected deep connection, and one giant secret proves they don't know each other as well as they thought. ********** EXCERPT Connor cringed as the noise from the party hit his senses, loud and booming in his head

Author Natalie Horner AUTHOR BIO Natalie Horner lives in South Yorkshire with her husband, son and a cat called, Puss. When she isn't day dreaming about her stories and characters, she's writing about them instead. She has lived in Barnsley all her life. Natalie loves reading, obviously! She also likes sports and has played soft ball and hard ball cricket for a while and was part of the team that won the South Yorkshire Championship. Natalie's 9 - 5 job is a project coordin

The Passenger The Pyro translates into normal space, right in the middle of an ion storm. A cascade of alarms start to reverberate throughout the ship. "Jesus, what the hell is this?" shouts Captain Nordstrom. His tactical officer yells, "Neutron armor charged captain." The sensor officer nervously screams, "I think I've found it." "Where about Mr. Sanders?" asks Captain Nordstrom. The sensor officer yelps, "It'll take us through the worst of this storm sir!" "Where about Mr.

ROCKY The True Story of a Dog Who Adopted Humans Nobody Else Wanted “Do you have someone you can call?” A man in scrubs stands before me, waiting for my answer. Just over his shoulder, I can see the emergency room door slightly ajar. Inside, the love of my life is struggling to breathe through an oxygen mask. I want to hope, but I feel that this might be where our story ends. This morning, I have to make a decision—alone, just like I have many times before—but this time is th