One dinner table. An unlikely group of guests. A recipe for disaster? Lucy's infamous dinner parties were always the talk of the town, but after her husband's death, they've become few and far between. When she gets engaged to her new fiancé, Mike, she decides what better way to introduce him to her friends than by reinstating their supper club. But a lot has changed in the last six years. Lucy's best friend, Maggie, must face sitting at the dinner table with her husband's new model girlfriend in tow. Now a mother, so much of Chrissie's life revolves around changing nappies and mindless baby TV that she worries if she'll still be good company. The only single one of the group, Jenny is not interested in finding a man and wishes her older sister would stop trying to set her up with the handsome new neighbour. Perhaps Lucy has bitten off more than she can chew with these dinner parties, but what's a little wine among old friends anyway? A hilariously entertaining and engaging read that is perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Carmen Reid and Tracy Bloom.
Six adults all leading different lives. Stay-at-home mum, Harriet, spends her days in a constant worry her husband will leave her. Evie thought she was bossing the work-life balance until she's given a week to save her job. Pippa hasn't felt like herself lately and a dreaded doctor's appointment has her thinking the worst. Widower Nick feels in over his head trying to raise a grieving seventeen-year-old daughter. Martine is the ultimate professional, au pairing for two kids she adores (even if the parents drive her crazy!), but little do they know she divides her time with a secret lover. Losing her son in a tragic accident has left Betty with wounds that refuse to heal. But every morning, they share one thing in common: they all endure the same manic rush to drop the kids off at school. And after unexpectedly running into each other at the school gates, the following week becomes a collision course, connecting their lives in more ways than one... A brilliantly engaging and relatable read for any parent who dreads the morning alarm to brace the school run, perfect for fans of Gill Sims, Kristen Bailey and Carmen Reid.
Once Bridgewater House was the stately home of Lord Pearmain. Now, however, the house has been divided into separate residences for financial purposes. The Lord is forced to live in one of the humble apartments alongside his newly acquired housemates, among them a newly-divorced mother-of-three, a legendary screen goddess of the1940s, and an American PhD student. Over an eventful year their children, a burglar, a friendly dog, a very capable cleaner, and at least one ghost will transform all of the residents lives.
Let best-selling novelist Sophie King guide you through the whole process of writing your first novel and getting it published. This revised edition takes aspiring novelists through the steps of writing a novel, from finding that initial idea, to keeping the plot going and crafting the perfect ending. With helpful exercises in each chapter you will learn how to: - Develop a brilliant idea for your first novel - Create characters that will make your novel come alive - Plot your novel so that your readers simply have to turn the page - Unravel the mysteries of viewpoint - Create realistic dialogue and settings so your readers feel they are there - Find your own voice. - Most importantly, the book includes tips and advice on how to get published. This new edition also includes a ten step guide to revision so that you can polish your novel to be the best it can be.
A surprising bride, a vicar with a crisis, and a wedding planner with a unique take on weddings. These are just some of the ingredients of Sophie King's novel of life and love.
Writing short stories is both a science and an art. You need a certain amount of skill but you will increase your chances by studying your market and learning what magazine editors are looking for. It is not always obvious. How to Write Short Stories will take you as a would-be writer through the tricks of the trade by: - helping you discover what the different magazines are looking for and how to think up ideas to suit; - demonstrating how you can write different slants, such as twist in the tales and feel-good stories; - advising on how you can win fiction competitions. How To Write Short Stories is packed with tips, quotes and inside angles from magazine editors and relevant experts.
A week in the lives of seven people - all on the same route to school: Harriet is waiting for her husband to tell her if their marriage is on - or off. Pippa is about to receive some potentially devastating hospital results. Evie has one week to save her career - and find her missing husband. Nick's wife died two years ago, leaving him with a troublesome teenage daughter. Martine, a French au pair, is about to run off with a married man. Kitty, a school teacher, accepts a bet to find a man in a week. And Betty watches by the roadside, looking for the driver who killed her son... Little do any of them know that by the end of the week the school run will have become a collision course, connecting their lives in more ways than one.
Behind every child is a parent who's had enough... Caroline is good at pretending everything's okay in front of her kids. But secretly she longs to kick her cheating husband to the kerb. Susan loves her daughter with her whole heart. But she bears this constant mum-guilt of wanting a life of her own outside of caring for her disabled daughter all day, every day. As mum and dad to his two children, Mark would do anything to protect them - even if it includes lying about where mummy has really gone. It's always been Lisa's lifelong dream to be a mother. Now pregnant, she fears she'll never be good enough for her unborn child. When wine can't cut it, these four people desperately turn to an online parenting forum to seek advice and escape. Little do they know that their lives will become intertwined in the most unexpected of ways and that help is much closer than they think...
Bridgewater House was once a renowned stately home before the youngest lord fell on hard times. Now it's opening its doors to welcome tenants into each of its freshly converted apartments. Newlywed Marcie can't wait to set up house with her new husband. But between juggling her PhD thesis and being a stepmum to two children who want nothing to do with her, she's got her hands full. Louise never thought she'd find herself single again after her marriage unexpectedly ends. Now, for the first time in twenty years, she's moving into her own place and having to go it alone. Legendary actress Mollie de May might appear tough as nails on camera, but off-screen, she's mourning the loss of her dear husband. Unable to bear the thought of living on her own, she hopes moving to a shared residence will offer her the comfort she seeks. Lord Roddy Pearmain is having the worst year. Not only has he lost his wife and kids in a messy divorce, but now he must reside in a humble flat within the very estate he once expected to inherit. One home. Four residents each living with a secret. But nothing ever stays hidden from neighbours for long... An utterly heart-warming and feel-good page-turner that finds people from different walks of life unexpectedly thrown together under one roof. Fans of Fiona Gibson, Carmen Reid and Tracy Bloom will find themselves hooked from start to finish.
Sibling sexual abuse is believed to be the most common and long-lasting form of all intra-familial abuse, with estimates suggesting that it is five times more prevalent than parent-child sexual abuse. This book draws on unique research from two studies which examine the nature, impact and response to sibling sexual abuse in England and Wales. Given the complex and underreported nature of sibling sexual abuse there are questions surrounding whether current interventions are appropriate in helping victims/survivors, children and young people who have been harmed and their families. There is growing evidence that highlights a lack of appropriate practitioner guidance and training which then leads to insufficient support, impacting negatively on long term outcomes. This book offers significant findings for policy, practice, and community engagement. It is written by authors with that have expertise in criminology, psychology, public health, social science, social work and also front-line practitioner experience.
Writing your life story is one of the greatest gifts you can give your family. In writing it you will find yourself drawing even closer to your children and grandchildren. You will also find it an exciting and fascinating process, one that helps you to make sense of your own life. Writing your own life story is also a very good way for creative writers to find inspiration and get started in the habit of writing. This step-by-step guide will steer you through different ways of telling your life story, in ten easy steps: * HOW TO BEGIN * USING THE POWER OF MEMORY * HOW TO START YOUR RESEARCH * DIFFERENT WAYS OF STRUCTURING YOUR LIFE STORY * HOWTO MAKE YOUR LIFE STORY STAND OUT WITH PICTURES, COLOURS AND SMELLS, ETC * HOW TO PROVIDE A CONTEMPORARY FEEL TO YOUR LIFE STORY * BRINGING THE REST OF THE WORLD INTO YOUR STORY * HOWTO END YOUR LIFE STORY AND MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN T HURT ANYONE (INCLUDING YOURSELF) * HOW TO PRESENT YOUR LIFE STORY AND GET IT PUBLISHED *STORIES TO INSPIRE YOU / Nowadays, you can publish your life story should you want to do so. For a small amount of money, you can get a few bound copies or you can publish it free on the net. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to write an heirloom which will last for ever.
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2015 Forced to flee his native Bangladesh, eight year-old chess prodigy Fahim arrived in Paris with his father. Refused asylum, as illegal immigrants they spiralled downwards into homelessness and desperation. By a stroke of luck, Fahim was introduced to one of France’s top chess coaches, Xavier Parmentier, who tutored him and gave him a sense of purpose, his struggles on the chessboard mirroring both his victories and his crushing defeats in his battle for a normal life. Rising through local and national tournaments to be crowned France’s Under-12 Chess Champion in 2012, Fahim became a national sensation. In 2013 he went on to win the World Under-13 Student Championship. Told through the clear eyes of a child, Fahim’s tale is not only a moving account of the grim realities that underlie a supposedly caring society, but also a heartwarming testimony to a father’s determination, the kindness of strangers, and one small boy’s courageous will to succeed.
This collection of provocative new essays, mainly by French scholars, on Shakespeare’s great tragedy, focuses on linguistic, aesthetic and philosophical issues with specific attention paid to the dimension of early modern desire, sexuality and gender relations. King Lear is here re-examined in the perspective of Lucrece, Montaigne, Renaissance medicine and anatomy, the grotesque, myth and imagery as well as negative theology. It is hoped that this will serve to update our approaches to this elusive, undecided play, neither Christian nor as completely nihilistic as some critics have argued, which nevertheless remains quite popular on French and English stages alike.
The fine arts are five in number, namely: painting, sculpture, poetry, music and architecture, the principal branch of the latter being pastry. - Marie-Antoine Careme - In the finest tradition of prestigious cakes and most particularly those who brush against the desirable limit of fantasy, prevails a man, whose most extraordinary fate or grander calling, urged him to set out from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Years later, he would become the greatest maestro chef and artist in his category, this progressing century has observed. Illustrated with rich and unique drawings that represent some of the most unprecedented chef d’oeuvres that led to the artist apotheosis, this book recounts the journey of what it took one convinced man to imagine and therein formulate; hundreds of magnum opus that certainly shook the Arabian world from year 2000 onwards. A labor of admiration, this book not only speaks to all the professional chefs that subtly compose our sphere but also, to both amateur and connoisseurs alike, in all things gastronomic. Throughout this journey and the compelling voice that derives from it, I set out to show that when man wants to exist, what can often be called madness by some, will equally be named ingenuity by others.
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