Chapter 1 Pacentro, Italy 1930 Bibianna Constantino muddled along the cobblestone road, her long green drindle skirt dragging with every step, picking up centuries of debris from the road. She stopped to take the floral-print bandana off her head to wipe the sweat from her brow. She set down the wrapped bundle of cheese she had cradled under her arm on the stone wall, across from Our Lady of Mercy Church in the center of the piazza. The sun blazed hot for this day in mid-Augu

EXCERPT The flight had been bumpy, so she was relieved when the plane landed bang on time. Stella didn’t want Will waiting for her too long. Bright overhead lights in the arrival hall cast a glow over the scene in front of her, spiking the excitement she’d felt since she’d booked her ticket. Despite her shaky legs, everything went smoothly as she came through baggage claim, and when she came to customs, she had a fun chat with a tall customs officer with a twinkle in his eye

From Part One - ‘The Road To Bridie’s Bridge’   Bridie’s mum always knew when her daughter was thinking. Bridie would always stare at her feet, and that’s just what she was doing now. She watched her daughter for a while. The book Bridie had been reading was laying on the grass next to her, and a half-empty cup balanced on the uneven ground, just under the wrought-iron garden chair she was sitting in. Hilda Ambrose smiled, as she watched her, and thought to herself how simila

Helen Rushforth/Pawson - the University days Throughout her infant and junior school years, Helen Rushforth had everything a child could ever want. Her parents being wealthy, she had a very privileged education in private schools. Her hobbies as a young girl were horse-riding, piano lessons and ballet, and she proved herself to be a most skillful pupil in them all. From being a precocious young girl throughout her junior school years, by the time she was twelve, she was an e

“The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Chapter One “Can’t you read, Mick?” the large, middle-aged man bellowed. He pointed his stumpy thumb toward a handwritten sign hanging beside the shop door that read: No Irish Need Apply.      “Aye, sir, I certainly can. But, ye see …”      The door slammed in his face. He expelled a frustrated sigh, shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, and trudged down the street

********** With her hands folded on her lap, Jane placed one of her hands on top of Evangeline’s. “This is most difficult. Alessio is gone.” Evangeline jerked upright, nervous energy coursing through her. “He is not injured or taken ill?” Jane shook her head from side to side. “No, he is in health.” Watching as she took a deep breath, Evangeline’s pulse quickened. Something was amiss, she could sense it. “He’s left the island.” “No, he would not leave me.” “I am obligated as

Daniella Reyes Daniella Reyes — The High Empath of The Willow Wood Women Daniella Reyes was born beneath the blazing skies of New Mexico—a land steeped in secrets, whispers, and enchantment. I can attest to this as I have lived there for six years. Her story began as mine did: in a classroom, where compassion met the inexplicable. As a teacher and an empath, Dani’s calling was never just about shaping young minds—it was about protecting fragile souls. It didn’t take long for

Zara Joseph didn’t need to feel its presence to know it was there. She kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Perhaps it would spare her if she pretended to be asleep. The hiss of its straw mane announced its presence like a rattlesnake’s tail. A shadow fell over her, blocking out the soothing glow of her little brother’s nightlight. Remy was fast asleep in the top bunk. She knew she had to stay silent, if only to protect him from the horror of this new visitation. Longanis. Th

#RWRTeamBlog #ReadWriteRepeat LEONA'S LEGACY (CAMP COUGAR REVISITED) Chapter Ten More than a Toy! Sunday morning was another early one for Leona. She was up at the crack of dawn with all she had to do to get ready for her night session. She brewed her coffee and headed to the office to check her messages. She had a message again from Mike LaCross. He had made another request to move up his session with her. Damn! What is it with this guy? I’ve already responded to this reques

Chapter 16 That night over dinner at our flat – Jon and Tom volunteered to barbecue ribs for everyone – we discussed our progress with the case. It was truly amazing to me how much ground we’d managed to cover in such a short time. Tom had set up a workstation to test various parts from the materials that crashed at the scene. I had a strong feeling that he already knew exactly what happened, but true to form he was going to test out every part of his theory to ensure the hig